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Massachusetts
|
Romney Proposed 'Foolproof' Death Penalty in Mass.
By STEVE LeBLANC | July 16, 2012 | 4:39 AM EDT FILE - In an April 29, 2005, file photo Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to media gathered at the Statehouse in Boston and addresses issues, such as the resurrection of the death penalty in the state. Romney pushed to create what he called the "gold standard" for the death penalty, a bill that ultimately failed. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)
BOSTON (AP) — As Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney set himself a daunting challenge: craft a death penalty law that virtually guaranteed only the guilty could be executed, then push it through an overwhelmingly Democratic state Legislature that was leery of capital punishment.
Making the task even more difficult, the push by Romney — who is now running for president — came in 2005 at a time of growing national skepticism about the death penalty. Just two years earlier, Illinois Gov. George Ryan had cleared his state's death row after the death sentences of several inmates had been overturned.
Romney decided to tackle that skepticism by coming up with what he said would be a "gold standard for the death penalty in the modern scientific age."
In trying to set a new and higher bar, Romney also was chasing two political goals.
The first was to fulfill a promise, made during his 2002 run for governor, to try to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts, then one of a dozen states that had banned the punishment. The second was to burnish his conservative resume as he looked ahead to 2008 and his first run for president.
"We believe that the capital punishment bill that we put forward is not only right for Massachusetts, but it's a model for the nation," Romney said at the time, in comments similar to what he said about his overhaul of the state health insurance system. That law became a blueprint for the sweeping federal health care overhaul enacted by President Barack Obama, which has become an issue in the White House race.
Romney's handling of the death penalty issue opened a window into the type of management style he could bring to the White House if elected. He hand-picked a commission and outlined his goals in broad terms. Then he turned the panel's recommendations into a bill that ultimately failed to get through the Legislature. But his decision to fight an uphill battle on an issue that had begun to lose its urgency also showed Romney wasn't afraid of a political fight.
His first step was to pull together a panel of legal scholars, prosecutors, crime lab officials, a medical geneticist and criminologist Henry Lee, who played a key role in the O.J. Simpson murder trial and other highly publicized cases.
One of those heading up the panel was Joseph Hoffmann, a law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law. Hoffman said Romney gave the group a free hand, but suggested they focus on harnessing "the power of science" to improve on death penalty laws in other states.
"He said 'this is completely up to you.' We were given an amazing amount of discretion and leeway," Hoffman said. "He wanted us to be free to discuss this, talk about it and propose any ideas, any improvement, any processes that would make this the best death penalty anyone had ever proposed."
The bill Romney filed adopted many of the panel's recommendations.
It limited capital punishment to the "worst of the worst" crimes — including terrorism, the murder of police officers, murder involving torture and the killing of witnesses — and required a "no doubt" standard of guilt.
It outlined a series of safeguards, including a requirement that physical evidence, such as DNA, directly link the defendant to the crime scene. Lethal injection was the specified method of execution. The bill also mandated an additional review of evidence before an execution could be carried out. Every death penalty case would have separate juries for trial and sentencing.
Part of Massachusetts' reluctance to impose death sentences comes from its rocky history with the penalty.
One of the most controversial cases involved the executions of Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were put to death in 1927 after being convicted of killing two people during a robbery. Many observers, then and now, say the trial focused unfairly on their anarchist political beliefs and immigrant status.
The state abolished capital punishment in 1984.
By the time Romney took office in 2003, Massachusetts hadn't put anyone to death since 1947, although it had come within a single vote of restoring the death penalty after the 1997 kidnapping and murder of a 10-year-old boy.
But by 2005, lawmakers had again begun to turn away from the death penalty. Some cited human error and prejudice among reasons to steer clear of reinstating it.
"Errors have been made and will continue to be made," Rep. John Keenan, a Democrat and descendant of one of the victims of the Salem witch trials, said during debate over the bill.
Even Romney conceded the possibility of human fallibility during a public hearing on the measure.
"A 100 percent guarantee? I don't think there's such a thing in life. Except perhaps death — for all of us," Romney said, although he described the proposal "as foolproof a death penalty as exists."
Others saw political motives in Romney's efforts.
"There was no way the Massachusetts Legislature was going to pass a death penalty bill," state Rep. David Linsky, a Democrat who opposed Romney's bill and had helped investigate or prosecute about 25 murder cases as an assistant district attorney, said in an interview. "It was all about setting up his future conservative credentials outside Massachusetts."
Others, including many Republican and moderate Democrats backed the measure, however. But the bill was defeated on a 99-to-53 vote in the House after more than four hours of impassioned debate.
Not all the criticism of Romney's proposal came from death penalty foes.
Some conservatives said his plan was so narrowly drawn and had so many layers of safeguards that it would be virtually impossible to carry out an execution under it.
Now running for president a second time, Romney hasn't spent time touting the death penalty proposal. He prefers to focus the debate on the issue his campaign believes offers him the best chance of winning in November: the economy. Printer-friendly version
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Boston
|
Romney Proposed 'Foolproof' Death Penalty in Mass.
By STEVE LeBLANC | July 16, 2012 | 4:39 AM EDT FILE - In an April 29, 2005, file photo Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to media gathered at the Statehouse in Boston and addresses issues, such as the resurrection of the death penalty in the state. Romney pushed to create what he called the "gold standard" for the death penalty, a bill that ultimately failed. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)
BOSTON (AP) — As Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney set himself a daunting challenge: craft a death penalty law that virtually guaranteed only the guilty could be executed, then push it through an overwhelmingly Democratic state Legislature that was leery of capital punishment.
Making the task even more difficult, the push by Romney — who is now running for president — came in 2005 at a time of growing national skepticism about the death penalty. Just two years earlier, Illinois Gov. George Ryan had cleared his state's death row after the death sentences of several inmates had been overturned.
Romney decided to tackle that skepticism by coming up with what he said would be a "gold standard for the death penalty in the modern scientific age."
In trying to set a new and higher bar, Romney also was chasing two political goals.
The first was to fulfill a promise, made during his 2002 run for governor, to try to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts, then one of a dozen states that had banned the punishment. The second was to burnish his conservative resume as he looked ahead to 2008 and his first run for president.
"We believe that the capital punishment bill that we put forward is not only right for Massachusetts, but it's a model for the nation," Romney said at the time, in comments similar to what he said about his overhaul of the state health insurance system. That law became a blueprint for the sweeping federal health care overhaul enacted by President Barack Obama, which has become an issue in the White House race.
Romney's handling of the death penalty issue opened a window into the type of management style he could bring to the White House if elected. He hand-picked a commission and outlined his goals in broad terms. Then he turned the panel's recommendations into a bill that ultimately failed to get through the Legislature. But his decision to fight an uphill battle on an issue that had begun to lose its urgency also showed Romney wasn't afraid of a political fight.
His first step was to pull together a panel of legal scholars, prosecutors, crime lab officials, a medical geneticist and criminologist Henry Lee, who played a key role in the O.J. Simpson murder trial and other highly publicized cases.
One of those heading up the panel was Joseph Hoffmann, a law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law. Hoffman said Romney gave the group a free hand, but suggested they focus on harnessing "the power of science" to improve on death penalty laws in other states.
"He said 'this is completely up to you.' We were given an amazing amount of discretion and leeway," Hoffman said. "He wanted us to be free to discuss this, talk about it and propose any ideas, any improvement, any processes that would make this the best death penalty anyone had ever proposed."
The bill Romney filed adopted many of the panel's recommendations.
It limited capital punishment to the "worst of the worst" crimes — including terrorism, the murder of police officers, murder involving torture and the killing of witnesses — and required a "no doubt" standard of guilt.
It outlined a series of safeguards, including a requirement that physical evidence, such as DNA, directly link the defendant to the crime scene. Lethal injection was the specified method of execution. The bill also mandated an additional review of evidence before an execution could be carried out. Every death penalty case would have separate juries for trial and sentencing.
Part of Massachusetts' reluctance to impose death sentences comes from its rocky history with the penalty.
One of the most controversial cases involved the executions of Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were put to death in 1927 after being convicted of killing two people during a robbery. Many observers, then and now, say the trial focused unfairly on their anarchist political beliefs and immigrant status.
The state abolished capital punishment in 1984.
By the time Romney took office in 2003, Massachusetts hadn't put anyone to death since 1947, although it had come within a single vote of restoring the death penalty after the 1997 kidnapping and murder of a 10-year-old boy.
But by 2005, lawmakers had again begun to turn away from the death penalty. Some cited human error and prejudice among reasons to steer clear of reinstating it.
"Errors have been made and will continue to be made," Rep. John Keenan, a Democrat and descendant of one of the victims of the Salem witch trials, said during debate over the bill.
Even Romney conceded the possibility of human fallibility during a public hearing on the measure.
"A 100 percent guarantee? I don't think there's such a thing in life. Except perhaps death — for all of us," Romney said, although he described the proposal "as foolproof a death penalty as exists."
Others saw political motives in Romney's efforts.
"There was no way the Massachusetts Legislature was going to pass a death penalty bill," state Rep. David Linsky, a Democrat who opposed Romney's bill and had helped investigate or prosecute about 25 murder cases as an assistant district attorney, said in an interview. "It was all about setting up his future conservative credentials outside Massachusetts."
Others, including many Republican and moderate Democrats backed the measure, however. But the bill was defeated on a 99-to-53 vote in the House after more than four hours of impassioned debate.
Not all the criticism of Romney's proposal came from death penalty foes.
Some conservatives said his plan was so narrowly drawn and had so many layers of safeguards that it would be virtually impossible to carry out an execution under it.
Now running for president a second time, Romney hasn't spent time touting the death penalty proposal. He prefers to focus the debate on the issue his campaign believes offers him the best chance of winning in November: the economy. Printer-friendly version
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Salem (implied via Sacco and Vanzetti)
|
Romney Proposed 'Foolproof' Death Penalty in Mass.
By STEVE LeBLANC | July 16, 2012 | 4:39 AM EDT FILE - In an April 29, 2005, file photo Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to media gathered at the Statehouse in Boston and addresses issues, such as the resurrection of the death penalty in the state. Romney pushed to create what he called the "gold standard" for the death penalty, a bill that ultimately failed. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)
BOSTON (AP) — As Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney set himself a daunting challenge: craft a death penalty law that virtually guaranteed only the guilty could be executed, then push it through an overwhelmingly Democratic state Legislature that was leery of capital punishment.
Making the task even more difficult, the push by Romney — who is now running for president — came in 2005 at a time of growing national skepticism about the death penalty. Just two years earlier, Illinois Gov. George Ryan had cleared his state's death row after the death sentences of several inmates had been overturned.
Romney decided to tackle that skepticism by coming up with what he said would be a "gold standard for the death penalty in the modern scientific age."
In trying to set a new and higher bar, Romney also was chasing two political goals.
The first was to fulfill a promise, made during his 2002 run for governor, to try to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts, then one of a dozen states that had banned the punishment. The second was to burnish his conservative resume as he looked ahead to 2008 and his first run for president.
"We believe that the capital punishment bill that we put forward is not only right for Massachusetts, but it's a model for the nation," Romney said at the time, in comments similar to what he said about his overhaul of the state health insurance system. That law became a blueprint for the sweeping federal health care overhaul enacted by President Barack Obama, which has become an issue in the White House race.
Romney's handling of the death penalty issue opened a window into the type of management style he could bring to the White House if elected. He hand-picked a commission and outlined his goals in broad terms. Then he turned the panel's recommendations into a bill that ultimately failed to get through the Legislature. But his decision to fight an uphill battle on an issue that had begun to lose its urgency also showed Romney wasn't afraid of a political fight.
His first step was to pull together a panel of legal scholars, prosecutors, crime lab officials, a medical geneticist and criminologist Henry Lee, who played a key role in the O.J. Simpson murder trial and other highly publicized cases.
One of those heading up the panel was Joseph Hoffmann, a law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law. Hoffman said Romney gave the group a free hand, but suggested they focus on harnessing "the power of science" to improve on death penalty laws in other states.
"He said 'this is completely up to you.' We were given an amazing amount of discretion and leeway," Hoffman said. "He wanted us to be free to discuss this, talk about it and propose any ideas, any improvement, any processes that would make this the best death penalty anyone had ever proposed."
The bill Romney filed adopted many of the panel's recommendations.
It limited capital punishment to the "worst of the worst" crimes — including terrorism, the murder of police officers, murder involving torture and the killing of witnesses — and required a "no doubt" standard of guilt.
It outlined a series of safeguards, including a requirement that physical evidence, such as DNA, directly link the defendant to the crime scene. Lethal injection was the specified method of execution. The bill also mandated an additional review of evidence before an execution could be carried out. Every death penalty case would have separate juries for trial and sentencing.
Part of Massachusetts' reluctance to impose death sentences comes from its rocky history with the penalty.
One of the most controversial cases involved the executions of Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were put to death in 1927 after being convicted of killing two people during a robbery. Many observers, then and now, say the trial focused unfairly on their anarchist political beliefs and immigrant status.
The state abolished capital punishment in 1984.
By the time Romney took office in 2003, Massachusetts hadn't put anyone to death since 1947, although it had come within a single vote of restoring the death penalty after the 1997 kidnapping and murder of a 10-year-old boy.
But by 2005, lawmakers had again begun to turn away from the death penalty. Some cited human error and prejudice among reasons to steer clear of reinstating it.
"Errors have been made and will continue to be made," Rep. John Keenan, a Democrat and descendant of one of the victims of the Salem witch trials, said during debate over the bill.
Even Romney conceded the possibility of human fallibility during a public hearing on the measure.
"A 100 percent guarantee? I don't think there's such a thing in life. Except perhaps death — for all of us," Romney said, although he described the proposal "as foolproof a death penalty as exists."
Others saw political motives in Romney's efforts.
"There was no way the Massachusetts Legislature was going to pass a death penalty bill," state Rep. David Linsky, a Democrat who opposed Romney's bill and had helped investigate or prosecute about 25 murder cases as an assistant district attorney, said in an interview. "It was all about setting up his future conservative credentials outside Massachusetts."
Others, including many Republican and moderate Democrats backed the measure, however. But the bill was defeated on a 99-to-53 vote in the House after more than four hours of impassioned debate.
Not all the criticism of Romney's proposal came from death penalty foes.
Some conservatives said his plan was so narrowly drawn and had so many layers of safeguards that it would be virtually impossible to carry out an execution under it.
Now running for president a second time, Romney hasn't spent time touting the death penalty proposal. He prefers to focus the debate on the issue his campaign believes offers him the best chance of winning in November: the economy. Printer-friendly version
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Baltimore
|
Memorial scheduled for former Hopkins president
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Johns Hopkins University officials have scheduled a memorial service for former president Steven Muller.Muller led the school from 1972 to 1990 and also led The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1972 to 1983. He died Jan. 19 at his home in Washington.University officials said Monday that a memorial service would be held Friday at the Peabody Institute's Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall in Baltimore. During Muller's tenure as president he affiliated the university with the well-known music school, helping to put it on stronger financial footing. Muller also led two fundraising efforts for Hopkins, raising millions of dollars.Speakers at the memorial service are expected to include current Johns Hopkins President Ronald Daniels as well as Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tags: johns hopkins, memorial
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Washington
|
Memorial scheduled for former Hopkins president
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Johns Hopkins University officials have scheduled a memorial service for former president Steven Muller.Muller led the school from 1972 to 1990 and also led The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1972 to 1983. He died Jan. 19 at his home in Washington.University officials said Monday that a memorial service would be held Friday at the Peabody Institute's Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall in Baltimore. During Muller's tenure as president he affiliated the university with the well-known music school, helping to put it on stronger financial footing. Muller also led two fundraising efforts for Hopkins, raising millions of dollars.Speakers at the memorial service are expected to include current Johns Hopkins President Ronald Daniels as well as Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tags: johns hopkins, memorial
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Baltimore
|
Memorial scheduled for former Hopkins president
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Johns Hopkins University officials have scheduled a memorial service for former president Steven Muller.Muller led the school from 1972 to 1990 and also led The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1972 to 1983. He died Jan. 19 at his home in Washington.University officials said Monday that a memorial service would be held Friday at the Peabody Institute's Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall in Baltimore. During Muller's tenure as president he affiliated the university with the well-known music school, helping to put it on stronger financial footing. Muller also led two fundraising efforts for Hopkins, raising millions of dollars.Speakers at the memorial service are expected to include current Johns Hopkins President Ronald Daniels as well as Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tags: johns hopkins, memorial
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Turkey
|
Turkey Missile Deal Moves Ahead, With Limits
German Cabinet Approves Two Patriot Batteries for Syria Border Zone; U.S., Russia Meet Amid Concern Over Chemical Arms, as NATO Signals Less Coverage Than Ankara Sought
Stephen Fidler
Updated Dec. 6, 2012 7:59 p.m. ET
BRUSSELS—German Chancellor Angela Merkel's
cabinet approved the deployment of two batteries of German Patriot air-defense missiles to defend Turkey against possible attacks from Syria, amid indications that Ankara would receive considerably less coverage than it had requested from its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. NATO members are likely to send as few as six Patriot air-defense batteries to Turkey in all, suggesting large parts of the country's border region would be unprotected in case of a strike, according to diplomats and officials. NATO foreign ministers gave the go-ahead to the deployments on Tuesday following a Turkish request last month, insisting that the Patriots would be used only defensively and not as part of a no-fly zone over Syria. Enlarge Image
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, left, and Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere announce the cabinet's agreement Thursday to send Patriot missiles to Turkey's border zone with Syria.
European Pressphoto Agency Earlier NATO's Air Defense Battery in Turkey (12/04/12) Germany, Turkey Spar Over Patriots (11/26/12) Syria Calls Missiles 'Provocative' (11/23/12) Germany's cabinet approved the deployment of the two batteries and up to 400 troops, pending a final approval by the German parliament between Dec. 12 and 14. The initial mandate will expire on Jan. 31, 2014. The Dutch deployment, also likely to be of two batteries, is expected to receive cabinet approval Friday and obtain subsequent backing from parliament. Diplomats said the U.S. would likely add a further two batteries to the total. The U.S. Patriot missile capability is in heavy demand in other parts of the Middle East and in Asia. The total of six batteries is significantly fewer than implied by Turkey's first request. According to one person involved in discussions between Turkey and Germany, Turkey originally sought help to defend all population centers within 50 miles of Turkey's roughly 565-mile border with Syria, implying the need for as many as 15 batteries. Enlarge Image
U.S. State Secretary Clinton at an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting in Dublin, where she met Russia's Lavrov.
European Pressphoto Agency Separately, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
for talks that suggested Washington and Moscow could be moving ahead to find a strategy to end the Syrian crisis. The U.S. and Russia have fought bitterly over how to address the conflict. The two met alone and then for 40 minutes with Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. peace envoy to Syria, on the sidelines of a human-rights conference in Dublin to discuss how to support a political transition in practical terms, said a State Department official. But there was no major breakthrough on Syria during the meeting and Washington and Moscow are at the very early stages of trying to forge a common position, a senior U.S. official said. Enlarge Image
A patriot missile is fired during an exercise in 2008 in Crete, Greece. Getty Images In Washington, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said intelligence reports raise fears that an increasingly desperate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
is considering using his chemical weapons arsenal, which the U.S. and Russia agree is unacceptable. "We remain very concerned, very concerned," Mr. Panetta said, according to the Associated Press, "that, as the opposition advances, in particular in Damascus, that regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons." The U.S. and others have warned of unspecified consequences if such weapons are used. On Thursday, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad
accused the U.S. and Europe of using the issue of chemical weapons to justify a future military intervention against Syria, the AP reported. He warned that any such intervention would be "catastrophic." The expected deployment of six Patriot batteries to Turkey followed comments by NATO diplomats in recent days that there would be significant gaps in protection.
Ivo Daalder,
U.S. ambassador to NATO, said Thursday the defense of the Turkish population was one of three reasons to send the Patriots to Turkey. The purpose "first and most important was to reassure the Turks that in case of threats to their security…we have their back," Mr. Daalder said in an interview. The decision also sent a message of deterrence to Syria, he said. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said the number of batteries "is a matter that's being talked about between Turkey's armed forces and NATO. It will be decided between them. Talks on this matter are ongoing." Given their size—the most modern Patriots carry 16 missiles per launching station—the batteries may have to be shipped by sea. The first is likely to take several weeks to arrive, with others following later, diplomats and officials said. "There's certainly a threat on the Syrian border. But I think the Patriot deployment is more of a symbolic step, as it doesn't totally seal the border. Rather, it serves to intimidate and warn Syria, while also putting on a show to illustrate that NATO is a fully functioning alliance at a time when the organization's existence is being questioned," said Salih Akyurek,
a former army colonel and researcher at the Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies in Ankara. —Emre Peker in Istanbul, William Boston in Berlin and Jay Solomon in Washington contributed to this article. Write to Stephen Fidler at [email protected] Email
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Syria
|
Turkey Missile Deal Moves Ahead, With Limits
German Cabinet Approves Two Patriot Batteries for Syria Border Zone; U.S., Russia Meet Amid Concern Over Chemical Arms, as NATO Signals Less Coverage Than Ankara Sought
Stephen Fidler
Updated Dec. 6, 2012 7:59 p.m. ET
BRUSSELS—German Chancellor Angela Merkel's
cabinet approved the deployment of two batteries of German Patriot air-defense missiles to defend Turkey against possible attacks from Syria, amid indications that Ankara would receive considerably less coverage than it had requested from its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. NATO members are likely to send as few as six Patriot air-defense batteries to Turkey in all, suggesting large parts of the country's border region would be unprotected in case of a strike, according to diplomats and officials. NATO foreign ministers gave the go-ahead to the deployments on Tuesday following a Turkish request last month, insisting that the Patriots would be used only defensively and not as part of a no-fly zone over Syria. Enlarge Image
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, left, and Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere announce the cabinet's agreement Thursday to send Patriot missiles to Turkey's border zone with Syria.
European Pressphoto Agency Earlier NATO's Air Defense Battery in Turkey (12/04/12) Germany, Turkey Spar Over Patriots (11/26/12) Syria Calls Missiles 'Provocative' (11/23/12) Germany's cabinet approved the deployment of the two batteries and up to 400 troops, pending a final approval by the German parliament between Dec. 12 and 14. The initial mandate will expire on Jan. 31, 2014. The Dutch deployment, also likely to be of two batteries, is expected to receive cabinet approval Friday and obtain subsequent backing from parliament. Diplomats said the U.S. would likely add a further two batteries to the total. The U.S. Patriot missile capability is in heavy demand in other parts of the Middle East and in Asia. The total of six batteries is significantly fewer than implied by Turkey's first request. According to one person involved in discussions between Turkey and Germany, Turkey originally sought help to defend all population centers within 50 miles of Turkey's roughly 565-mile border with Syria, implying the need for as many as 15 batteries. Enlarge Image
U.S. State Secretary Clinton at an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting in Dublin, where she met Russia's Lavrov.
European Pressphoto Agency Separately, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
for talks that suggested Washington and Moscow could be moving ahead to find a strategy to end the Syrian crisis. The U.S. and Russia have fought bitterly over how to address the conflict. The two met alone and then for 40 minutes with Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. peace envoy to Syria, on the sidelines of a human-rights conference in Dublin to discuss how to support a political transition in practical terms, said a State Department official. But there was no major breakthrough on Syria during the meeting and Washington and Moscow are at the very early stages of trying to forge a common position, a senior U.S. official said. Enlarge Image
A patriot missile is fired during an exercise in 2008 in Crete, Greece. Getty Images In Washington, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said intelligence reports raise fears that an increasingly desperate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
is considering using his chemical weapons arsenal, which the U.S. and Russia agree is unacceptable. "We remain very concerned, very concerned," Mr. Panetta said, according to the Associated Press, "that, as the opposition advances, in particular in Damascus, that regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons." The U.S. and others have warned of unspecified consequences if such weapons are used. On Thursday, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad
accused the U.S. and Europe of using the issue of chemical weapons to justify a future military intervention against Syria, the AP reported. He warned that any such intervention would be "catastrophic." The expected deployment of six Patriot batteries to Turkey followed comments by NATO diplomats in recent days that there would be significant gaps in protection.
Ivo Daalder,
U.S. ambassador to NATO, said Thursday the defense of the Turkish population was one of three reasons to send the Patriots to Turkey. The purpose "first and most important was to reassure the Turks that in case of threats to their security…we have their back," Mr. Daalder said in an interview. The decision also sent a message of deterrence to Syria, he said. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said the number of batteries "is a matter that's being talked about between Turkey's armed forces and NATO. It will be decided between them. Talks on this matter are ongoing." Given their size—the most modern Patriots carry 16 missiles per launching station—the batteries may have to be shipped by sea. The first is likely to take several weeks to arrive, with others following later, diplomats and officials said. "There's certainly a threat on the Syrian border. But I think the Patriot deployment is more of a symbolic step, as it doesn't totally seal the border. Rather, it serves to intimidate and warn Syria, while also putting on a show to illustrate that NATO is a fully functioning alliance at a time when the organization's existence is being questioned," said Salih Akyurek,
a former army colonel and researcher at the Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies in Ankara. —Emre Peker in Istanbul, William Boston in Berlin and Jay Solomon in Washington contributed to this article. Write to Stephen Fidler at [email protected] Email
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Turkey's border zone with Syria
|
Turkey Missile Deal Moves Ahead, With Limits
German Cabinet Approves Two Patriot Batteries for Syria Border Zone; U.S., Russia Meet Amid Concern Over Chemical Arms, as NATO Signals Less Coverage Than Ankara Sought
Stephen Fidler
Updated Dec. 6, 2012 7:59 p.m. ET
BRUSSELS—German Chancellor Angela Merkel's
cabinet approved the deployment of two batteries of German Patriot air-defense missiles to defend Turkey against possible attacks from Syria, amid indications that Ankara would receive considerably less coverage than it had requested from its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. NATO members are likely to send as few as six Patriot air-defense batteries to Turkey in all, suggesting large parts of the country's border region would be unprotected in case of a strike, according to diplomats and officials. NATO foreign ministers gave the go-ahead to the deployments on Tuesday following a Turkish request last month, insisting that the Patriots would be used only defensively and not as part of a no-fly zone over Syria. Enlarge Image
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, left, and Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere announce the cabinet's agreement Thursday to send Patriot missiles to Turkey's border zone with Syria.
European Pressphoto Agency Earlier NATO's Air Defense Battery in Turkey (12/04/12) Germany, Turkey Spar Over Patriots (11/26/12) Syria Calls Missiles 'Provocative' (11/23/12) Germany's cabinet approved the deployment of the two batteries and up to 400 troops, pending a final approval by the German parliament between Dec. 12 and 14. The initial mandate will expire on Jan. 31, 2014. The Dutch deployment, also likely to be of two batteries, is expected to receive cabinet approval Friday and obtain subsequent backing from parliament. Diplomats said the U.S. would likely add a further two batteries to the total. The U.S. Patriot missile capability is in heavy demand in other parts of the Middle East and in Asia. The total of six batteries is significantly fewer than implied by Turkey's first request. According to one person involved in discussions between Turkey and Germany, Turkey originally sought help to defend all population centers within 50 miles of Turkey's roughly 565-mile border with Syria, implying the need for as many as 15 batteries. Enlarge Image
U.S. State Secretary Clinton at an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting in Dublin, where she met Russia's Lavrov.
European Pressphoto Agency Separately, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
for talks that suggested Washington and Moscow could be moving ahead to find a strategy to end the Syrian crisis. The U.S. and Russia have fought bitterly over how to address the conflict. The two met alone and then for 40 minutes with Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. peace envoy to Syria, on the sidelines of a human-rights conference in Dublin to discuss how to support a political transition in practical terms, said a State Department official. But there was no major breakthrough on Syria during the meeting and Washington and Moscow are at the very early stages of trying to forge a common position, a senior U.S. official said. Enlarge Image
A patriot missile is fired during an exercise in 2008 in Crete, Greece. Getty Images In Washington, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said intelligence reports raise fears that an increasingly desperate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
is considering using his chemical weapons arsenal, which the U.S. and Russia agree is unacceptable. "We remain very concerned, very concerned," Mr. Panetta said, according to the Associated Press, "that, as the opposition advances, in particular in Damascus, that regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons." The U.S. and others have warned of unspecified consequences if such weapons are used. On Thursday, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad
accused the U.S. and Europe of using the issue of chemical weapons to justify a future military intervention against Syria, the AP reported. He warned that any such intervention would be "catastrophic." The expected deployment of six Patriot batteries to Turkey followed comments by NATO diplomats in recent days that there would be significant gaps in protection.
Ivo Daalder,
U.S. ambassador to NATO, said Thursday the defense of the Turkish population was one of three reasons to send the Patriots to Turkey. The purpose "first and most important was to reassure the Turks that in case of threats to their security…we have their back," Mr. Daalder said in an interview. The decision also sent a message of deterrence to Syria, he said. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said the number of batteries "is a matter that's being talked about between Turkey's armed forces and NATO. It will be decided between them. Talks on this matter are ongoing." Given their size—the most modern Patriots carry 16 missiles per launching station—the batteries may have to be shipped by sea. The first is likely to take several weeks to arrive, with others following later, diplomats and officials said. "There's certainly a threat on the Syrian border. But I think the Patriot deployment is more of a symbolic step, as it doesn't totally seal the border. Rather, it serves to intimidate and warn Syria, while also putting on a show to illustrate that NATO is a fully functioning alliance at a time when the organization's existence is being questioned," said Salih Akyurek,
a former army colonel and researcher at the Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies in Ankara. —Emre Peker in Istanbul, William Boston in Berlin and Jay Solomon in Washington contributed to this article. Write to Stephen Fidler at [email protected] Email
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N. Cedar Street
|
We don’t want to lose four historic houses’
A total of four properties could be bought by CPW for a new office building, including two houses on N. Cedar Street.
Heyward Hutson addresses Summerville Town Council with concerns about a new hotel.
A total of four properties could be bought by CPW for a new office building, including two houses on N. Cedar Street. This building used to house collectibles store Simply Vintage.
The Summerville Preservation Society is on a mission to keep the town�s historic atmosphere intact, starting with four houses that might be in danger of being torn down and replaced with an office building.
The Summerville Commissioners of Public Works is in the process of buying property to establish a new office building to move into. They are looking into a total of four pieces of property that are occupied by four houses on West 1st North Street and North Cedar Street, near Parks Funeral Home.Those houses are not in the town�s historic district, which stops at the railroad tracks with the exception of individual properties added in 2012.Heyward Hutson, president of the Summerville Preservation Society, came to CPW�s regular meeting Aug. 12 to address the commissioners on why they should not tear down the houses. He was joined by other members of the Preservation Society.�Those properties are associated with some history in Summerville,� Hutson said. �We don�t want to lose four historic houses.�Hutson said one of those houses is an antebellum house, built around 1858. He went on to say he wants the commissioners to feel responsible for whatever happens to those houses.�We don�t want to be the only ones concerned about Summerville,� he said. �I know in your core you have some appreciation for Summerville, or you wouldn�t be living here.�We are not trying to prevent you from doing what you need to do,� he added, �but we want you to take responsibility for preserving Summerville. We are going to depend on you.�Hutson went on to question why CPW needs so much property � enough to remove �pretty much the whole block.� He asked if CPW has considered other options � such as moving the houses.CPW Chairman Stephen Mueller said CPW does not yet own any of the property.�If we do acquire the property we will take everything you said into consideration,� he told Hutson.However, CPW Manager Charles Cuzzell told The Journal Scene he is not sure if CPW would want to try to move the houses, though they would be willing to donate them to anyone willing to move them.�It�s really going to be difficult until we get the houses and do an evaluation of them,� he said. �We really don�t know what condition they�re in.�Right now it�s really up in the air.�Hutson also questions the placement of the new Summerville hotel, The Dorchester, planned to be built on Cedar Street near West Richardson Avenue.Hutson addressed Summerville Town Council during its meeting Aug. 13, saying he had concerns about the town�s private-public partnership of the hotel, which was approved in July.�We can�t reinvent historic Summerville,� Hutson said. �What we would like is the right thing to do in a democratic system: participatory democracy.�Hutson went on to request a public meeting where people could express all the concerns associated with the hotel project, including placement of the boutique hotel within Summerville�s historic district; the hotel will placed on Cedar Street, near the intersection of West Richardson Avenue.�I�m not saying that we are opposed to a boutique hotel,� he said, �but placement of a boutique hotel on that block creates enormous problems, and we want to have a public hearing and I think the public is entitled to that.�Hutson also wants more information about the public-private partnership the town has executed in order to build the hotel. Hutson alleged the manner in which the council came to the agreement was �shrouded in secrecy,� saying people were completely blindsided by the partnership.Hutson requested, citing the Freedom of Information Act, all of correspondence � memos, e-mails, letters, meeting minutes � that led up to the private-public agreement.�We need that because we want to see what the agreement is all about,� he said. �We want a copy of any contract that has been signed, and if it hasn�t been signed we want a copy of the proposal.�After the meeting, Councilwoman Kima Garten-Schmidt said there will be an �information type� public meeting to address these concerns. A date for such a meeting has yet to be determined but will likely be released within the next few weeks.�A lot of things they addressed tonight were things that were already put out to the public,� she said. �There isn�t anything we�ve done in secrecy. There�s a lot of people who already have a lot of information about this joint venture.� Friends2Follow
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West Richardson Avenue
|
We don’t want to lose four historic houses’
A total of four properties could be bought by CPW for a new office building, including two houses on N. Cedar Street.
Heyward Hutson addresses Summerville Town Council with concerns about a new hotel.
A total of four properties could be bought by CPW for a new office building, including two houses on N. Cedar Street. This building used to house collectibles store Simply Vintage.
The Summerville Preservation Society is on a mission to keep the town�s historic atmosphere intact, starting with four houses that might be in danger of being torn down and replaced with an office building.
The Summerville Commissioners of Public Works is in the process of buying property to establish a new office building to move into. They are looking into a total of four pieces of property that are occupied by four houses on West 1st North Street and North Cedar Street, near Parks Funeral Home.Those houses are not in the town�s historic district, which stops at the railroad tracks with the exception of individual properties added in 2012.Heyward Hutson, president of the Summerville Preservation Society, came to CPW�s regular meeting Aug. 12 to address the commissioners on why they should not tear down the houses. He was joined by other members of the Preservation Society.�Those properties are associated with some history in Summerville,� Hutson said. �We don�t want to lose four historic houses.�Hutson said one of those houses is an antebellum house, built around 1858. He went on to say he wants the commissioners to feel responsible for whatever happens to those houses.�We don�t want to be the only ones concerned about Summerville,� he said. �I know in your core you have some appreciation for Summerville, or you wouldn�t be living here.�We are not trying to prevent you from doing what you need to do,� he added, �but we want you to take responsibility for preserving Summerville. We are going to depend on you.�Hutson went on to question why CPW needs so much property � enough to remove �pretty much the whole block.� He asked if CPW has considered other options � such as moving the houses.CPW Chairman Stephen Mueller said CPW does not yet own any of the property.�If we do acquire the property we will take everything you said into consideration,� he told Hutson.However, CPW Manager Charles Cuzzell told The Journal Scene he is not sure if CPW would want to try to move the houses, though they would be willing to donate them to anyone willing to move them.�It�s really going to be difficult until we get the houses and do an evaluation of them,� he said. �We really don�t know what condition they�re in.�Right now it�s really up in the air.�Hutson also questions the placement of the new Summerville hotel, The Dorchester, planned to be built on Cedar Street near West Richardson Avenue.Hutson addressed Summerville Town Council during its meeting Aug. 13, saying he had concerns about the town�s private-public partnership of the hotel, which was approved in July.�We can�t reinvent historic Summerville,� Hutson said. �What we would like is the right thing to do in a democratic system: participatory democracy.�Hutson went on to request a public meeting where people could express all the concerns associated with the hotel project, including placement of the boutique hotel within Summerville�s historic district; the hotel will placed on Cedar Street, near the intersection of West Richardson Avenue.�I�m not saying that we are opposed to a boutique hotel,� he said, �but placement of a boutique hotel on that block creates enormous problems, and we want to have a public hearing and I think the public is entitled to that.�Hutson also wants more information about the public-private partnership the town has executed in order to build the hotel. Hutson alleged the manner in which the council came to the agreement was �shrouded in secrecy,� saying people were completely blindsided by the partnership.Hutson requested, citing the Freedom of Information Act, all of correspondence � memos, e-mails, letters, meeting minutes � that led up to the private-public agreement.�We need that because we want to see what the agreement is all about,� he said. �We want a copy of any contract that has been signed, and if it hasn�t been signed we want a copy of the proposal.�After the meeting, Councilwoman Kima Garten-Schmidt said there will be an �information type� public meeting to address these concerns. A date for such a meeting has yet to be determined but will likely be released within the next few weeks.�A lot of things they addressed tonight were things that were already put out to the public,� she said. �There isn�t anything we�ve done in secrecy. There�s a lot of people who already have a lot of information about this joint venture.� Friends2Follow
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|
Summerville
|
We don’t want to lose four historic houses’
A total of four properties could be bought by CPW for a new office building, including two houses on N. Cedar Street.
Heyward Hutson addresses Summerville Town Council with concerns about a new hotel.
A total of four properties could be bought by CPW for a new office building, including two houses on N. Cedar Street. This building used to house collectibles store Simply Vintage.
The Summerville Preservation Society is on a mission to keep the town�s historic atmosphere intact, starting with four houses that might be in danger of being torn down and replaced with an office building.
The Summerville Commissioners of Public Works is in the process of buying property to establish a new office building to move into. They are looking into a total of four pieces of property that are occupied by four houses on West 1st North Street and North Cedar Street, near Parks Funeral Home.Those houses are not in the town�s historic district, which stops at the railroad tracks with the exception of individual properties added in 2012.Heyward Hutson, president of the Summerville Preservation Society, came to CPW�s regular meeting Aug. 12 to address the commissioners on why they should not tear down the houses. He was joined by other members of the Preservation Society.�Those properties are associated with some history in Summerville,� Hutson said. �We don�t want to lose four historic houses.�Hutson said one of those houses is an antebellum house, built around 1858. He went on to say he wants the commissioners to feel responsible for whatever happens to those houses.�We don�t want to be the only ones concerned about Summerville,� he said. �I know in your core you have some appreciation for Summerville, or you wouldn�t be living here.�We are not trying to prevent you from doing what you need to do,� he added, �but we want you to take responsibility for preserving Summerville. We are going to depend on you.�Hutson went on to question why CPW needs so much property � enough to remove �pretty much the whole block.� He asked if CPW has considered other options � such as moving the houses.CPW Chairman Stephen Mueller said CPW does not yet own any of the property.�If we do acquire the property we will take everything you said into consideration,� he told Hutson.However, CPW Manager Charles Cuzzell told The Journal Scene he is not sure if CPW would want to try to move the houses, though they would be willing to donate them to anyone willing to move them.�It�s really going to be difficult until we get the houses and do an evaluation of them,� he said. �We really don�t know what condition they�re in.�Right now it�s really up in the air.�Hutson also questions the placement of the new Summerville hotel, The Dorchester, planned to be built on Cedar Street near West Richardson Avenue.Hutson addressed Summerville Town Council during its meeting Aug. 13, saying he had concerns about the town�s private-public partnership of the hotel, which was approved in July.�We can�t reinvent historic Summerville,� Hutson said. �What we would like is the right thing to do in a democratic system: participatory democracy.�Hutson went on to request a public meeting where people could express all the concerns associated with the hotel project, including placement of the boutique hotel within Summerville�s historic district; the hotel will placed on Cedar Street, near the intersection of West Richardson Avenue.�I�m not saying that we are opposed to a boutique hotel,� he said, �but placement of a boutique hotel on that block creates enormous problems, and we want to have a public hearing and I think the public is entitled to that.�Hutson also wants more information about the public-private partnership the town has executed in order to build the hotel. Hutson alleged the manner in which the council came to the agreement was �shrouded in secrecy,� saying people were completely blindsided by the partnership.Hutson requested, citing the Freedom of Information Act, all of correspondence � memos, e-mails, letters, meeting minutes � that led up to the private-public agreement.�We need that because we want to see what the agreement is all about,� he said. �We want a copy of any contract that has been signed, and if it hasn�t been signed we want a copy of the proposal.�After the meeting, Councilwoman Kima Garten-Schmidt said there will be an �information type� public meeting to address these concerns. A date for such a meeting has yet to be determined but will likely be released within the next few weeks.�A lot of things they addressed tonight were things that were already put out to the public,� she said. �There isn�t anything we�ve done in secrecy. There�s a lot of people who already have a lot of information about this joint venture.� Friends2Follow
| 39.3388
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Hyde Park, Chicago
|
Charges filed in killing of boy, 15, near Obama's home
Published: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 10:26 a.m.�CDT
By Peter Nickeas — Chicago TribuneCHICAGO (MCT) — Murder charges have been filed in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy blocks from President Barack Obama's Hyde Park home earlier this year.
Kevin Culverson, 20, is accused of shooting Cornelius German in the back as the boy ran for cover following a dice game in the backyard of a home in the 5000 block of South Evans Avenue on April 22, police said. Culverson is charged with first-degree murder and is due in court today.Culverson lives in the 700 block of East 50th Place, about a block from the shooting.Cornelius had called his parents that night and asked them to come pick him up at a Walgreens at East 50th Place and South Cottage Grove Avenue, saying he was afraid to go to the bus stop because of recent gang troubles there, according to his mother, Timika Rutledge-German.But when the couple arrived around 9:30 p.m., he was nowhere to be seen and his mother called his cellphone and his friend's phone, she said. As they waited in the parking lot, they saw crowds of young men walking away and police blocking off an area, she said.An officer told the mother that a boy had been shot. Rutledge-German said she walked to the back yard and saw a body surrounded by police. "I knew it was my baby 'cause I saw his shoes," she said. "And I saw his jacket. I knew it was him."Cornelius was slain just a short walk from the Secret Service-protected Obama house, but in a vastly different neighborhood still troubled by crime. The location of the shooting is made up of modest brick multi-unit buildings and is directly across the street from Washington Park.The shooting echoed the slaying of Hadiya Pendleton, an honors student, also 15, whose shooting in January in Harsh Park, about a mile north of the president's residence, brought international attention to Chicago's gun violence.(c)2013 the Chicago Tribune
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East 50th Place, Chicago
|
Charges filed in killing of boy, 15, near Obama's home
Published: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 10:26 a.m.�CDT
By Peter Nickeas — Chicago TribuneCHICAGO (MCT) — Murder charges have been filed in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy blocks from President Barack Obama's Hyde Park home earlier this year.
Kevin Culverson, 20, is accused of shooting Cornelius German in the back as the boy ran for cover following a dice game in the backyard of a home in the 5000 block of South Evans Avenue on April 22, police said. Culverson is charged with first-degree murder and is due in court today.Culverson lives in the 700 block of East 50th Place, about a block from the shooting.Cornelius had called his parents that night and asked them to come pick him up at a Walgreens at East 50th Place and South Cottage Grove Avenue, saying he was afraid to go to the bus stop because of recent gang troubles there, according to his mother, Timika Rutledge-German.But when the couple arrived around 9:30 p.m., he was nowhere to be seen and his mother called his cellphone and his friend's phone, she said. As they waited in the parking lot, they saw crowds of young men walking away and police blocking off an area, she said.An officer told the mother that a boy had been shot. Rutledge-German said she walked to the back yard and saw a body surrounded by police. "I knew it was my baby 'cause I saw his shoes," she said. "And I saw his jacket. I knew it was him."Cornelius was slain just a short walk from the Secret Service-protected Obama house, but in a vastly different neighborhood still troubled by crime. The location of the shooting is made up of modest brick multi-unit buildings and is directly across the street from Washington Park.The shooting echoed the slaying of Hadiya Pendleton, an honors student, also 15, whose shooting in January in Harsh Park, about a mile north of the president's residence, brought international attention to Chicago's gun violence.(c)2013 the Chicago Tribune
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|
Harsh Park, Chicago
|
Charges filed in killing of boy, 15, near Obama's home
Published: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 10:26 a.m.�CDT
By Peter Nickeas — Chicago TribuneCHICAGO (MCT) — Murder charges have been filed in the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy blocks from President Barack Obama's Hyde Park home earlier this year.
Kevin Culverson, 20, is accused of shooting Cornelius German in the back as the boy ran for cover following a dice game in the backyard of a home in the 5000 block of South Evans Avenue on April 22, police said. Culverson is charged with first-degree murder and is due in court today.Culverson lives in the 700 block of East 50th Place, about a block from the shooting.Cornelius had called his parents that night and asked them to come pick him up at a Walgreens at East 50th Place and South Cottage Grove Avenue, saying he was afraid to go to the bus stop because of recent gang troubles there, according to his mother, Timika Rutledge-German.But when the couple arrived around 9:30 p.m., he was nowhere to be seen and his mother called his cellphone and his friend's phone, she said. As they waited in the parking lot, they saw crowds of young men walking away and police blocking off an area, she said.An officer told the mother that a boy had been shot. Rutledge-German said she walked to the back yard and saw a body surrounded by police. "I knew it was my baby 'cause I saw his shoes," she said. "And I saw his jacket. I knew it was him."Cornelius was slain just a short walk from the Secret Service-protected Obama house, but in a vastly different neighborhood still troubled by crime. The location of the shooting is made up of modest brick multi-unit buildings and is directly across the street from Washington Park.The shooting echoed the slaying of Hadiya Pendleton, an honors student, also 15, whose shooting in January in Harsh Park, about a mile north of the president's residence, brought international attention to Chicago's gun violence.(c)2013 the Chicago Tribune
| 41.8872
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Texas
|
Duggar cult founder plans Kansas ‘retreat’ to set up arranged marriages for teen girlsMaddow: Trump went from spewing conspiracy theories to control of the GOP in a daySarah Palin shreds the dictionary to invite ‘smart Democrats’ to unite behind TrumpWho will be Donald Trump’s running mate? Here are five optionsCruz’s ex-roommate celebrates his campaign’s end: ‘Either there is no God or he reeeeally doesn’t like Ted’‘Trump bro’ bloodied at rally is a racist goon, convicted felon — and serial con manLatinos and Democrats hide in safe houses as right-wing sheriff uses mob rule to take over Texas town‘No one gave a F*ckabee’: Watch Conan O’Brien’s hilarious ‘tribute’ to the GOP’s losing candidates‘You allowed this abomination’: Even Twitter conservatives rip GOP for post-primary spinRight-wing dipsh*ts attack Jimmy Kimmel for Sarah Palin — and man, they are dumbU.S. NewsOscar-winning songwriter Hal David dead at 91 Agence France-Presse01 Sep 2012 at 20:40 ET Don't miss stories. Follow Raw Story!
Hal David, an Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist who produced dozens of hit songs with composer Burt Bacharach, died in Los Angeles. He was 91.
David died of complications from a stroke, according to Jim Steinblatt, spokesman for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers that the songwriter once led. Bacharach and David’s long series of hits during their collaboration from the 1950s through the 1970s included “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and “What’s New Pussycat?”
As a lyric writer, Hal was simple, concise and poetic – conveying volumes of meaning in (the) fewest possible words and always in service to the music,” ASCAP president and chairman Paul Williams said in a statement.
“It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs … the backdrop of our lives.”
Music legends such as The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand recorded the duo’s music, along with their longtime partner Dionne Warwick. In May, President Barack Obama presented David and Bacharach the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a White House musical tribute.
David, who was president of the ASCAP from 1980 to 1986, led the Songwriters Hall of Fame as chairman and CEO for a decade ending last year, and was chairman emeritus until his death.
His first major hit came somewhat late in life – with “Magic Moments,” recorded in 1957 with Perry Como – when David was already in his late 30s.
He also found success on Broadway, with musicals like “Promises, Promises,” which ran for 1,281 performances after debuting in 1968. Revived on Broadway in 2010, it was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Grammy Award for Cast Album of the Year.
Some of their popular songs were also commissioned for movie scores and themes, including “Alfie,” “What’s New Pussycat,” “Casino Royale,” “The April Fools” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
Their hit song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” written for “Butch Cassidy,” received the 1969 Academy Award for Best Song.
The lyrical duo also got a nomination for Best Song Oscars for “The Look of Love” from “Casino Royale” and the title songs from “Alfie” and “What’s New Pussycat?”
David’s words can also be found in the popular wedding song “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” Bacharach and David parted in the early 1970s, and David subsequently collaborated with other composers, including John Barry and Albert Hammond, with whom he wrote the international hit “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
David was born on May 25, 1921 to Austrian immigrants Gedalieh and Lina Goldberg David. Hal’s older brother Mack was also a songwriter who penned such hits as “La Vie en Rose,” “Candy” and “Bibiddi-Bobbidi-Boo.”
During World War II, David served in the Army Entertainment Section.
Later in life, David became active in protecting the copyrights of music creators.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a slew of honorary doctorates and awards, including the Ivor Novello Award of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
David’s first wife Anne died in 1987. He is survived by his wife Eunice and his sons Jim David and Craig David, as well as three grandchildren and two stepsons.
[Image taken from Hollywood Walk of Fame induction video for Hal David, posted on YouTube Oct. 19 2011.]
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Los Angeles
|
Duggar cult founder plans Kansas ‘retreat’ to set up arranged marriages for teen girlsMaddow: Trump went from spewing conspiracy theories to control of the GOP in a daySarah Palin shreds the dictionary to invite ‘smart Democrats’ to unite behind TrumpWho will be Donald Trump’s running mate? Here are five optionsCruz’s ex-roommate celebrates his campaign’s end: ‘Either there is no God or he reeeeally doesn’t like Ted’‘Trump bro’ bloodied at rally is a racist goon, convicted felon — and serial con manLatinos and Democrats hide in safe houses as right-wing sheriff uses mob rule to take over Texas town‘No one gave a F*ckabee’: Watch Conan O’Brien’s hilarious ‘tribute’ to the GOP’s losing candidates‘You allowed this abomination’: Even Twitter conservatives rip GOP for post-primary spinRight-wing dipsh*ts attack Jimmy Kimmel for Sarah Palin — and man, they are dumbU.S. NewsOscar-winning songwriter Hal David dead at 91 Agence France-Presse01 Sep 2012 at 20:40 ET Don't miss stories. Follow Raw Story!
Hal David, an Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist who produced dozens of hit songs with composer Burt Bacharach, died in Los Angeles. He was 91.
David died of complications from a stroke, according to Jim Steinblatt, spokesman for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers that the songwriter once led. Bacharach and David’s long series of hits during their collaboration from the 1950s through the 1970s included “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and “What’s New Pussycat?”
As a lyric writer, Hal was simple, concise and poetic – conveying volumes of meaning in (the) fewest possible words and always in service to the music,” ASCAP president and chairman Paul Williams said in a statement.
“It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs … the backdrop of our lives.”
Music legends such as The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand recorded the duo’s music, along with their longtime partner Dionne Warwick. In May, President Barack Obama presented David and Bacharach the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a White House musical tribute.
David, who was president of the ASCAP from 1980 to 1986, led the Songwriters Hall of Fame as chairman and CEO for a decade ending last year, and was chairman emeritus until his death.
His first major hit came somewhat late in life – with “Magic Moments,” recorded in 1957 with Perry Como – when David was already in his late 30s.
He also found success on Broadway, with musicals like “Promises, Promises,” which ran for 1,281 performances after debuting in 1968. Revived on Broadway in 2010, it was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Grammy Award for Cast Album of the Year.
Some of their popular songs were also commissioned for movie scores and themes, including “Alfie,” “What’s New Pussycat,” “Casino Royale,” “The April Fools” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
Their hit song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” written for “Butch Cassidy,” received the 1969 Academy Award for Best Song.
The lyrical duo also got a nomination for Best Song Oscars for “The Look of Love” from “Casino Royale” and the title songs from “Alfie” and “What’s New Pussycat?”
David’s words can also be found in the popular wedding song “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” Bacharach and David parted in the early 1970s, and David subsequently collaborated with other composers, including John Barry and Albert Hammond, with whom he wrote the international hit “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
David was born on May 25, 1921 to Austrian immigrants Gedalieh and Lina Goldberg David. Hal’s older brother Mack was also a songwriter who penned such hits as “La Vie en Rose,” “Candy” and “Bibiddi-Bobbidi-Boo.”
During World War II, David served in the Army Entertainment Section.
Later in life, David became active in protecting the copyrights of music creators.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a slew of honorary doctorates and awards, including the Ivor Novello Award of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
David’s first wife Anne died in 1987. He is survived by his wife Eunice and his sons Jim David and Craig David, as well as three grandchildren and two stepsons.
[Image taken from Hollywood Walk of Fame induction video for Hal David, posted on YouTube Oct. 19 2011.]
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Kansas
|
Duggar cult founder plans Kansas ‘retreat’ to set up arranged marriages for teen girlsMaddow: Trump went from spewing conspiracy theories to control of the GOP in a daySarah Palin shreds the dictionary to invite ‘smart Democrats’ to unite behind TrumpWho will be Donald Trump’s running mate? Here are five optionsCruz’s ex-roommate celebrates his campaign’s end: ‘Either there is no God or he reeeeally doesn’t like Ted’‘Trump bro’ bloodied at rally is a racist goon, convicted felon — and serial con manLatinos and Democrats hide in safe houses as right-wing sheriff uses mob rule to take over Texas town‘No one gave a F*ckabee’: Watch Conan O’Brien’s hilarious ‘tribute’ to the GOP’s losing candidates‘You allowed this abomination’: Even Twitter conservatives rip GOP for post-primary spinRight-wing dipsh*ts attack Jimmy Kimmel for Sarah Palin — and man, they are dumbU.S. NewsOscar-winning songwriter Hal David dead at 91 Agence France-Presse01 Sep 2012 at 20:40 ET Don't miss stories. Follow Raw Story!
Hal David, an Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist who produced dozens of hit songs with composer Burt Bacharach, died in Los Angeles. He was 91.
David died of complications from a stroke, according to Jim Steinblatt, spokesman for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers that the songwriter once led. Bacharach and David’s long series of hits during their collaboration from the 1950s through the 1970s included “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and “What’s New Pussycat?”
As a lyric writer, Hal was simple, concise and poetic – conveying volumes of meaning in (the) fewest possible words and always in service to the music,” ASCAP president and chairman Paul Williams said in a statement.
“It is no wonder that so many of his lyrics have become part of our everyday vocabulary and his songs … the backdrop of our lives.”
Music legends such as The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand recorded the duo’s music, along with their longtime partner Dionne Warwick. In May, President Barack Obama presented David and Bacharach the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a White House musical tribute.
David, who was president of the ASCAP from 1980 to 1986, led the Songwriters Hall of Fame as chairman and CEO for a decade ending last year, and was chairman emeritus until his death.
His first major hit came somewhat late in life – with “Magic Moments,” recorded in 1957 with Perry Como – when David was already in his late 30s.
He also found success on Broadway, with musicals like “Promises, Promises,” which ran for 1,281 performances after debuting in 1968. Revived on Broadway in 2010, it was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Grammy Award for Cast Album of the Year.
Some of their popular songs were also commissioned for movie scores and themes, including “Alfie,” “What’s New Pussycat,” “Casino Royale,” “The April Fools” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
Their hit song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” written for “Butch Cassidy,” received the 1969 Academy Award for Best Song.
The lyrical duo also got a nomination for Best Song Oscars for “The Look of Love” from “Casino Royale” and the title songs from “Alfie” and “What’s New Pussycat?”
David’s words can also be found in the popular wedding song “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” Bacharach and David parted in the early 1970s, and David subsequently collaborated with other composers, including John Barry and Albert Hammond, with whom he wrote the international hit “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
David was born on May 25, 1921 to Austrian immigrants Gedalieh and Lina Goldberg David. Hal’s older brother Mack was also a songwriter who penned such hits as “La Vie en Rose,” “Candy” and “Bibiddi-Bobbidi-Boo.”
During World War II, David served in the Army Entertainment Section.
Later in life, David became active in protecting the copyrights of music creators.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a slew of honorary doctorates and awards, including the Ivor Novello Award of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
David’s first wife Anne died in 1987. He is survived by his wife Eunice and his sons Jim David and Craig David, as well as three grandchildren and two stepsons.
[Image taken from Hollywood Walk of Fame induction video for Hal David, posted on YouTube Oct. 19 2011.]
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World UN says 703 killed in Iraq in February attacks March 1, 2014 @ 10:39 am
BAGHDAD (AP) - The United Nations said Saturday that violence across Iraq in February killed 703 people, a death toll higher than the year before as the country faces a rising wave of militant attacks rivaling the sectarian bloodshed that followed the U.S.-led invasion.
The figures issued by the U.N.'s mission to Iraq is close to January's death toll of 733, showing that a surge of violence that began 10 months ago with a government crackdown on a Sunni protest camp is not receding. Meanwhile, attacks Saturday killed at least five people and wounded 14, authorities said.
Attacks in February killed 564 civilians and 139 security force members in February, the U.N. said. The violence wounded 1,381, the vast majority civilians, it said. That compares to February 2013, when attacks killed 418 civilians and wounded 704.
The capital, Baghdad, was the worst affected with 239 people killed, according to the U.N. Two predominantly Sunni provinces _ central Salaheddin with 121 killed and northern Ninevah with 94 killed _ followed.
U.N. mission chief Nickolay Mladenov appealed to Iraqis to stop the violence.
"The political, social and religious leaders of Iraq have an urgent responsibility to come together in the face of the terrorist threat that the country is facing," Mladenov said in a statement. "Only by working together can Iraqis address the causes of violence and build a democratic society in which rule of law is observed and human rights are protected."
February's numbers could be even worse that the U.N. reported, however, as it again excluded deaths from ongoing fighting in Anbar province, due to problems in verifying the "status of those killed." It did the same in January.
Al-Qaida-linked fighters and their allies seized the city of Fallujah and parts of the Anbar provincial capital Ramadi in late December after authorities dismantled a protest camp. Like the camp in the northern Iraqi town of Hawija whose dismantlement in April sparked violent clashes and set off the current upsurge in killing, the Anbar camp was set up by Sunnis angry at what they consider second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government.
The government and its tribal allies are besieging the rebel-held areas, with fighting reported daily.
Widespread chaos nearly tore the country apart following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. The violence ebbed in 2008 after a series of U.S.-Iraqi military offensives, a Shiite militia cease-fire and a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq.
But last year, the country saw the highest death toll since the worst of the country's sectarian bloodletting, according to the U.N., with 8,868 people killed.
Meanwhile, attacks continued Saturday.
In the town of Tarmiyah, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen in speeding cars attacked a checkpoint for pro-government, anti-al-Qaida Sunni tribal militias, killing two and wounding four, a police officer said. The Awakening Councils, or Sahwa, were first formed and financed by the U.S. troops to help fighting extremist militant groups. They are the favorite targets for the insurgent groups who see them as traitors.
Another group of gunmen attacked an army check point outside Baghdad's western outskirts of Abu Ghraib, killing two soldiers and wounding four, another police officer said. Inside Abu Ghraib, a bomb went off in an outdoor market, killing one civilian and wounding six, he added.
Two medical officials confirmed causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information.
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.
Follow Sinan Salaheddin on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sinansm.
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World UN says 703 killed in Iraq in February attacks March 1, 2014 @ 10:39 am
BAGHDAD (AP) - The United Nations said Saturday that violence across Iraq in February killed 703 people, a death toll higher than the year before as the country faces a rising wave of militant attacks rivaling the sectarian bloodshed that followed the U.S.-led invasion.
The figures issued by the U.N.'s mission to Iraq is close to January's death toll of 733, showing that a surge of violence that began 10 months ago with a government crackdown on a Sunni protest camp is not receding. Meanwhile, attacks Saturday killed at least five people and wounded 14, authorities said.
Attacks in February killed 564 civilians and 139 security force members in February, the U.N. said. The violence wounded 1,381, the vast majority civilians, it said. That compares to February 2013, when attacks killed 418 civilians and wounded 704.
The capital, Baghdad, was the worst affected with 239 people killed, according to the U.N. Two predominantly Sunni provinces _ central Salaheddin with 121 killed and northern Ninevah with 94 killed _ followed.
U.N. mission chief Nickolay Mladenov appealed to Iraqis to stop the violence.
"The political, social and religious leaders of Iraq have an urgent responsibility to come together in the face of the terrorist threat that the country is facing," Mladenov said in a statement. "Only by working together can Iraqis address the causes of violence and build a democratic society in which rule of law is observed and human rights are protected."
February's numbers could be even worse that the U.N. reported, however, as it again excluded deaths from ongoing fighting in Anbar province, due to problems in verifying the "status of those killed." It did the same in January.
Al-Qaida-linked fighters and their allies seized the city of Fallujah and parts of the Anbar provincial capital Ramadi in late December after authorities dismantled a protest camp. Like the camp in the northern Iraqi town of Hawija whose dismantlement in April sparked violent clashes and set off the current upsurge in killing, the Anbar camp was set up by Sunnis angry at what they consider second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government.
The government and its tribal allies are besieging the rebel-held areas, with fighting reported daily.
Widespread chaos nearly tore the country apart following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. The violence ebbed in 2008 after a series of U.S.-Iraqi military offensives, a Shiite militia cease-fire and a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq.
But last year, the country saw the highest death toll since the worst of the country's sectarian bloodletting, according to the U.N., with 8,868 people killed.
Meanwhile, attacks continued Saturday.
In the town of Tarmiyah, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen in speeding cars attacked a checkpoint for pro-government, anti-al-Qaida Sunni tribal militias, killing two and wounding four, a police officer said. The Awakening Councils, or Sahwa, were first formed and financed by the U.S. troops to help fighting extremist militant groups. They are the favorite targets for the insurgent groups who see them as traitors.
Another group of gunmen attacked an army check point outside Baghdad's western outskirts of Abu Ghraib, killing two soldiers and wounding four, another police officer said. Inside Abu Ghraib, a bomb went off in an outdoor market, killing one civilian and wounding six, he added.
Two medical officials confirmed causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information.
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.
Follow Sinan Salaheddin on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sinansm.
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Tarmiyah
|
World UN says 703 killed in Iraq in February attacks March 1, 2014 @ 10:39 am
BAGHDAD (AP) - The United Nations said Saturday that violence across Iraq in February killed 703 people, a death toll higher than the year before as the country faces a rising wave of militant attacks rivaling the sectarian bloodshed that followed the U.S.-led invasion.
The figures issued by the U.N.'s mission to Iraq is close to January's death toll of 733, showing that a surge of violence that began 10 months ago with a government crackdown on a Sunni protest camp is not receding. Meanwhile, attacks Saturday killed at least five people and wounded 14, authorities said.
Attacks in February killed 564 civilians and 139 security force members in February, the U.N. said. The violence wounded 1,381, the vast majority civilians, it said. That compares to February 2013, when attacks killed 418 civilians and wounded 704.
The capital, Baghdad, was the worst affected with 239 people killed, according to the U.N. Two predominantly Sunni provinces _ central Salaheddin with 121 killed and northern Ninevah with 94 killed _ followed.
U.N. mission chief Nickolay Mladenov appealed to Iraqis to stop the violence.
"The political, social and religious leaders of Iraq have an urgent responsibility to come together in the face of the terrorist threat that the country is facing," Mladenov said in a statement. "Only by working together can Iraqis address the causes of violence and build a democratic society in which rule of law is observed and human rights are protected."
February's numbers could be even worse that the U.N. reported, however, as it again excluded deaths from ongoing fighting in Anbar province, due to problems in verifying the "status of those killed." It did the same in January.
Al-Qaida-linked fighters and their allies seized the city of Fallujah and parts of the Anbar provincial capital Ramadi in late December after authorities dismantled a protest camp. Like the camp in the northern Iraqi town of Hawija whose dismantlement in April sparked violent clashes and set off the current upsurge in killing, the Anbar camp was set up by Sunnis angry at what they consider second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government.
The government and its tribal allies are besieging the rebel-held areas, with fighting reported daily.
Widespread chaos nearly tore the country apart following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. The violence ebbed in 2008 after a series of U.S.-Iraqi military offensives, a Shiite militia cease-fire and a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq.
But last year, the country saw the highest death toll since the worst of the country's sectarian bloodletting, according to the U.N., with 8,868 people killed.
Meanwhile, attacks continued Saturday.
In the town of Tarmiyah, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen in speeding cars attacked a checkpoint for pro-government, anti-al-Qaida Sunni tribal militias, killing two and wounding four, a police officer said. The Awakening Councils, or Sahwa, were first formed and financed by the U.S. troops to help fighting extremist militant groups. They are the favorite targets for the insurgent groups who see them as traitors.
Another group of gunmen attacked an army check point outside Baghdad's western outskirts of Abu Ghraib, killing two soldiers and wounding four, another police officer said. Inside Abu Ghraib, a bomb went off in an outdoor market, killing one civilian and wounding six, he added.
Two medical officials confirmed causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information.
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.
Follow Sinan Salaheddin on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/sinansm.
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Chicago
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Obama Spends Election Day In Chicago By Scott Horsley
Originally published on November 6, 2012 12:18 pm Transcript SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: And I'm Scott Horsley, traveling with the Obama campaign. Actually, the president's campaign travel is finished. Mr. Obama spent the night at his own home in Chicago. Today's plans call for some TV and radio interviews and maybe a game of basketball with some friends. Mr. Obama's last reelection rally came last night in Iowa, where 20,000 people gathered just outside the caucus headquarters where he launched his first presidential campaign more than five years ago. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is where some of the first young people who joined our campaign set up shop, willing to work for little pay and less sleep because they believed that people who love their country can change it. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS") BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Meet me in a land of hope and dreams. HORSLEY: Mr. Obama was joined at rallies throughout the Midwest yesterday by Bruce Springsteen, whose anthem "We Take Care of Our Own" provided the theme song for this year's campaign. Springsteen, who also performed for Mr. Obama in 2008, told supporters it's up to them to keep the hopes of that campaign alive, despite the fierce challenges of the last four years. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) SPRINGSTEEN: I've lived long enough to know that the future is rarely a time rushing in. It's often a slow march, inch by inch, day after long day. HORSLEY: This campaign has also been waged inch by inch. The president and his advisors have always known they face a tougher contest than they did four years ago. They've relied on a huge network of volunteers to go block by block, signing up new voters and persuading supporters to get to the polls. OBAMA: Jim, this is Barack Obama. It really is. HORSLEY: Last night, Mr. Obama dropped by the German Village campaign office in Columbus, Ohio to cheer on those volunteers in person and by telephone. OBAMA: Well, listen, I heard all the doors you've been knocking on and all the work you've been doing and canvassing, and I just wanted to say thank you. HORSLEY: The Obama team believes they come into Election Day with a small, but persistent polling advantage in Ohio and other critical states, as well as a head start, thanks to early voting. Political advisor David Axelrod scoffs at Republican claims of a late-breaking wave for Governor Romney. DAVID AXELROD: Our views are based on cold-hard data. Theirs is based on this kind of mystical faith that there's this hidden vote that's going to come roaring out on Election Day, and in most cases overcome a disadvantage that they have from early vote. I can tell you we are utterly confident that we're going to win this race, and they'll be left to explain why the mythical wave never came. HORSLEY: Campaign aides are quick to add they're taking nothing for granted, and they promise a robust effort to get out the vote today. But, speaking to supporters in Cincinnati over the weekend, Mr. Obama allowed himself to look beyond Election Day, to what might happen if he's given a second term. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) OBAMA: I intend to win Ohio, and I intend to win the presidency one more time. But even after that, I'm going to need all of you involved to make sure that we don't let up. HORSLEY: If he does win, Mr. Obama hopes the election results might persuade Congressional Republicans to come to the bargaining table on issues such as tax policy and immigration. He said he's willing to negotiate with lawmakers from both parties, but he's also vowed not to trade away core Democratic priorities, such as the new health care law, Medicaid and funding for family planning. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) OBAMA: That's not bipartisanship. That's not change. That's surrender. That's surrender to the same status quo that's been squeezing middle-class families for way too long. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DREAM BABY DREAM") SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Oh, we dream, baby, now, surrender(ph). HORSLEY: In order to make that stand with Congressional Republicans, though, Mr. Obama first has to win today. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Des Moines. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DREAM BABY DREAM") STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: You're listening to MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.Related Program: Morning Edition View the discussion thread. Our Partners
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Columbus, Ohio
|
Obama Spends Election Day In Chicago By Scott Horsley
Originally published on November 6, 2012 12:18 pm Transcript SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: And I'm Scott Horsley, traveling with the Obama campaign. Actually, the president's campaign travel is finished. Mr. Obama spent the night at his own home in Chicago. Today's plans call for some TV and radio interviews and maybe a game of basketball with some friends. Mr. Obama's last reelection rally came last night in Iowa, where 20,000 people gathered just outside the caucus headquarters where he launched his first presidential campaign more than five years ago. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is where some of the first young people who joined our campaign set up shop, willing to work for little pay and less sleep because they believed that people who love their country can change it. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS") BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Meet me in a land of hope and dreams. HORSLEY: Mr. Obama was joined at rallies throughout the Midwest yesterday by Bruce Springsteen, whose anthem "We Take Care of Our Own" provided the theme song for this year's campaign. Springsteen, who also performed for Mr. Obama in 2008, told supporters it's up to them to keep the hopes of that campaign alive, despite the fierce challenges of the last four years. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) SPRINGSTEEN: I've lived long enough to know that the future is rarely a time rushing in. It's often a slow march, inch by inch, day after long day. HORSLEY: This campaign has also been waged inch by inch. The president and his advisors have always known they face a tougher contest than they did four years ago. They've relied on a huge network of volunteers to go block by block, signing up new voters and persuading supporters to get to the polls. OBAMA: Jim, this is Barack Obama. It really is. HORSLEY: Last night, Mr. Obama dropped by the German Village campaign office in Columbus, Ohio to cheer on those volunteers in person and by telephone. OBAMA: Well, listen, I heard all the doors you've been knocking on and all the work you've been doing and canvassing, and I just wanted to say thank you. HORSLEY: The Obama team believes they come into Election Day with a small, but persistent polling advantage in Ohio and other critical states, as well as a head start, thanks to early voting. Political advisor David Axelrod scoffs at Republican claims of a late-breaking wave for Governor Romney. DAVID AXELROD: Our views are based on cold-hard data. Theirs is based on this kind of mystical faith that there's this hidden vote that's going to come roaring out on Election Day, and in most cases overcome a disadvantage that they have from early vote. I can tell you we are utterly confident that we're going to win this race, and they'll be left to explain why the mythical wave never came. HORSLEY: Campaign aides are quick to add they're taking nothing for granted, and they promise a robust effort to get out the vote today. But, speaking to supporters in Cincinnati over the weekend, Mr. Obama allowed himself to look beyond Election Day, to what might happen if he's given a second term. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) OBAMA: I intend to win Ohio, and I intend to win the presidency one more time. But even after that, I'm going to need all of you involved to make sure that we don't let up. HORSLEY: If he does win, Mr. Obama hopes the election results might persuade Congressional Republicans to come to the bargaining table on issues such as tax policy and immigration. He said he's willing to negotiate with lawmakers from both parties, but he's also vowed not to trade away core Democratic priorities, such as the new health care law, Medicaid and funding for family planning. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) OBAMA: That's not bipartisanship. That's not change. That's surrender. That's surrender to the same status quo that's been squeezing middle-class families for way too long. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DREAM BABY DREAM") SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Oh, we dream, baby, now, surrender(ph). HORSLEY: In order to make that stand with Congressional Republicans, though, Mr. Obama first has to win today. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Des Moines. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DREAM BABY DREAM") STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: You're listening to MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.Related Program: Morning Edition View the discussion thread. Our Partners
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German Village, Columbus, Ohio
|
Obama Spends Election Day In Chicago By Scott Horsley
Originally published on November 6, 2012 12:18 pm Transcript SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: And I'm Scott Horsley, traveling with the Obama campaign. Actually, the president's campaign travel is finished. Mr. Obama spent the night at his own home in Chicago. Today's plans call for some TV and radio interviews and maybe a game of basketball with some friends. Mr. Obama's last reelection rally came last night in Iowa, where 20,000 people gathered just outside the caucus headquarters where he launched his first presidential campaign more than five years ago. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is where some of the first young people who joined our campaign set up shop, willing to work for little pay and less sleep because they believed that people who love their country can change it. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS") BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Meet me in a land of hope and dreams. HORSLEY: Mr. Obama was joined at rallies throughout the Midwest yesterday by Bruce Springsteen, whose anthem "We Take Care of Our Own" provided the theme song for this year's campaign. Springsteen, who also performed for Mr. Obama in 2008, told supporters it's up to them to keep the hopes of that campaign alive, despite the fierce challenges of the last four years. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) SPRINGSTEEN: I've lived long enough to know that the future is rarely a time rushing in. It's often a slow march, inch by inch, day after long day. HORSLEY: This campaign has also been waged inch by inch. The president and his advisors have always known they face a tougher contest than they did four years ago. They've relied on a huge network of volunteers to go block by block, signing up new voters and persuading supporters to get to the polls. OBAMA: Jim, this is Barack Obama. It really is. HORSLEY: Last night, Mr. Obama dropped by the German Village campaign office in Columbus, Ohio to cheer on those volunteers in person and by telephone. OBAMA: Well, listen, I heard all the doors you've been knocking on and all the work you've been doing and canvassing, and I just wanted to say thank you. HORSLEY: The Obama team believes they come into Election Day with a small, but persistent polling advantage in Ohio and other critical states, as well as a head start, thanks to early voting. Political advisor David Axelrod scoffs at Republican claims of a late-breaking wave for Governor Romney. DAVID AXELROD: Our views are based on cold-hard data. Theirs is based on this kind of mystical faith that there's this hidden vote that's going to come roaring out on Election Day, and in most cases overcome a disadvantage that they have from early vote. I can tell you we are utterly confident that we're going to win this race, and they'll be left to explain why the mythical wave never came. HORSLEY: Campaign aides are quick to add they're taking nothing for granted, and they promise a robust effort to get out the vote today. But, speaking to supporters in Cincinnati over the weekend, Mr. Obama allowed himself to look beyond Election Day, to what might happen if he's given a second term. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) OBAMA: I intend to win Ohio, and I intend to win the presidency one more time. But even after that, I'm going to need all of you involved to make sure that we don't let up. HORSLEY: If he does win, Mr. Obama hopes the election results might persuade Congressional Republicans to come to the bargaining table on issues such as tax policy and immigration. He said he's willing to negotiate with lawmakers from both parties, but he's also vowed not to trade away core Democratic priorities, such as the new health care law, Medicaid and funding for family planning. (SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH) OBAMA: That's not bipartisanship. That's not change. That's surrender. That's surrender to the same status quo that's been squeezing middle-class families for way too long. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DREAM BABY DREAM") SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Oh, we dream, baby, now, surrender(ph). HORSLEY: In order to make that stand with Congressional Republicans, though, Mr. Obama first has to win today. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Des Moines. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DREAM BABY DREAM") STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: You're listening to MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.Related Program: Morning Edition View the discussion thread. Our Partners
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Haiti
|
Nicole Richie: Rapping on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’
March 10, 2010 By Lauren Share
Though Nicole Richie is most known for appearing on the reality TV show, “The Simple Life”, it looks as though she tried her hand at a career in music.
The celebrity spoke of a time long ago when she was part of a rap group.
Richie revealed, on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, that when she was eight years old, she and her friends created a rap group called Caution. Too funny!! What’s even more funny is that she says her friends made her audition to be part of the group, so she sang to them over the phone, and they let her in.
Interesting that she wasn’t immediately let in considering her father is music mogul, Lionel Richie! Looks like those kids weren’t willing to give her a free pass.
Finally, after some persuasion on the part of Ellen, Nicole agreed to bust out a few lyrics from one of Caution’s songs. She says that at the time, they took it really seriously and that they truly thought higher of themselves for being in a rap group. That’s hilarious! The rapping was pretty cute. Though Caution’s career didn’t really take off, Nicole has provided her singing voice for a good cause earlier this year. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, celebrities joined together to remake the 1985 song “We Are the World.” The proceeds from people buying the song would go to Haiti relief funds.
Among those providing their voice for the tracks was Nicole Richie. The original version was written by father, Lionel Richie. Nicole even went as far as to joke that her voice was better than powerhouse singer, Jennifer Hudson. She wrote on her Twitter page,
“I hope Jennifer Hudson wasn’t upset that I was out singing her tonight.”
Gotta love her sense of humor! Check her out on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” below.
Photos: JDH/ JCP/ Michael Carpenter/ Adriana M. Barraza www.wenn.com
Tags: Ellen DeGeneres, Nicole Richie, rapping This entry was posted on March 10, 2010 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Celebrities, Talk Shows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. « Previous
Recent Comments lisa: Travolta was in Vegas and he fits the M.O. I would say Cruise due to the “wrestling”...
the sorrowed: the REV was an excellent drummer and he will be missed by all and i think it was a good thing A7X made...
David: Lee H. Oswald was never convicted, Jack Ruby killed him before he ever made it to court
et: how long until its starts.. and are u sure i can see
Margo Geesing: Why the use of “mere” with teachers? To stand up before 25 to 35 young people and try to...
Right TV Tweets Follow Us On Twitter!
Copyright © 2016 Right TV. All Rights Reserved. Sitemap
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| -72.2167
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Haiti
|
Nicole Richie: Rapping on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’
March 10, 2010 By Lauren Share
Though Nicole Richie is most known for appearing on the reality TV show, “The Simple Life”, it looks as though she tried her hand at a career in music.
The celebrity spoke of a time long ago when she was part of a rap group.
Richie revealed, on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, that when she was eight years old, she and her friends created a rap group called Caution. Too funny!! What’s even more funny is that she says her friends made her audition to be part of the group, so she sang to them over the phone, and they let her in.
Interesting that she wasn’t immediately let in considering her father is music mogul, Lionel Richie! Looks like those kids weren’t willing to give her a free pass.
Finally, after some persuasion on the part of Ellen, Nicole agreed to bust out a few lyrics from one of Caution’s songs. She says that at the time, they took it really seriously and that they truly thought higher of themselves for being in a rap group. That’s hilarious! The rapping was pretty cute. Though Caution’s career didn’t really take off, Nicole has provided her singing voice for a good cause earlier this year. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, celebrities joined together to remake the 1985 song “We Are the World.” The proceeds from people buying the song would go to Haiti relief funds.
Among those providing their voice for the tracks was Nicole Richie. The original version was written by father, Lionel Richie. Nicole even went as far as to joke that her voice was better than powerhouse singer, Jennifer Hudson. She wrote on her Twitter page,
“I hope Jennifer Hudson wasn’t upset that I was out singing her tonight.”
Gotta love her sense of humor! Check her out on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” below.
Photos: JDH/ JCP/ Michael Carpenter/ Adriana M. Barraza www.wenn.com
Tags: Ellen DeGeneres, Nicole Richie, rapping This entry was posted on March 10, 2010 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Celebrities, Talk Shows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. « Previous
Recent Comments lisa: Travolta was in Vegas and he fits the M.O. I would say Cruise due to the “wrestling”...
the sorrowed: the REV was an excellent drummer and he will be missed by all and i think it was a good thing A7X made...
David: Lee H. Oswald was never convicted, Jack Ruby killed him before he ever made it to court
et: how long until its starts.. and are u sure i can see
Margo Geesing: Why the use of “mere” with teachers? To stand up before 25 to 35 young people and try to...
Right TV Tweets Follow Us On Twitter!
Copyright © 2016 Right TV. All Rights Reserved. Sitemap
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Newark
|
Streetscape plan aims to transform Newark
Carmen Juri/The Star-Ledger
The drab and barren streets in downtown Newark will be transformed with added lighting, signs, plantings and other improvements as part of a $17.5 million project designed to make city more inviting to pedestrians, officials said today. The three-year project calls for benches, graffiti-proof trash cans, old fashioned streetlamps, poles with hanging baskets, and four different groups of trees to be planted on narrow side streets, with larger, wider varieties gracing boulevards like Broad Street. Every corner will have granite curb cuts allowing for smooth access to crosswalks for all pedestrians. The first phase of the project focuses on the streets between Newark Penn Station and the Prudential Center, which is expected to attract thousands of new visitors to Newark when it opens in October. The project is the largest ever to be financed by a Special Improvement District in New Jersey, said Anthony McMillan, executive director of Newark Downtown District. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority has approved $10 million in bonds to be issued on behalf of the NDD for the project, and the remainder of the funds will be supplied by the city, the Newark Urban Enterprise Zone, and PSE&G, McMillan said. Mayor Cory Booker said the plan will forever change the way Newark is viewed and positively impact city residents. Read the full story in Wednesday's Star-Ledger.
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HealthCare.gov
|
Poll: Health exchange rollout gets poor reviews
Tickets now available for Aiken GOP’s 2016 “The Last Word in the South” Presidential Forum
Eyes on South Carolina primaries after Monday’s Iowa caucus Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul quits 2016 GOP presidential race
Lady Gaga to sing national anthem at Super Bowl
Paladin Productions presents its musical revue today Additional Links
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The government’s new health insurance marketplaces are drawing lots of rotten tomatoes in early reviews, but people are at least checking them out.
Seven percent of Americans report that somebody in their household has tried to sign up for insurance through the health care exchanges, according to an AP-GfK poll.
While that’s a small percentage, it could represent more than 20 million people.
Three-fourths of those who tried to sign up reported problems, though, and that’s reflected in the underwhelming reviews.
Overall, just 7 percent of Americans said the rollout of the health exchanges has gone well. Far more deem it a flop.
Among those who’ve actually tested out the system, three-quarters of those polled said they’ve experienced problems trying to sign up. Only about 1 in 10 succeeded in buying health insurance.
The survey offers an early snapshot on use of the new health insurance exchanges.
They were set up by states and the federal government under Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Thirty-six states are using the federal government’s site, HealthCare.gov, which the Obama administration says has had millions of unique visitors. The administration has declined to release enrollment statistics, saying that will be done monthly.
White House senior communications adviser Tara McGuinness said the administration is working around the clock “to improve the consumer experience,” and she stressed that the poll was taken just six days into a six-month campaign to educate people about their options.
She added, “The overwhelming attention from millions of Americans checking out HealthCare.gov during the first few days is a good testament to the interest of Americans in new affordable health options.”
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that about 7 million uninsured people will gain coverage through the online insurance marketplaces next year, but the role of the markets is actually much bigger than that.
They were intended to be a 21st century portal to coverage for people who do not have access to health insurance on the job. And that includes insured people as well as the uninsured.
There are three big groups of potential customers for the markets: uninsured middle-class people who now will be able to get government-subsidized private coverage; people who currently purchase their own individual policies and are looking for better deals; and low-income people who will be steered by the marketplace to an expanded version of Medicaid in states that agree to expand that safety net program.
The Census estimates that about 48 million Americans lacked coverage in 2012, or more than 15 percent of the population.
Starting next year, the law requires virtually all Americans to have insurance or face a tax penalty after a coverage gap of three months.
Opinions are sharply divided on the overall framework of the law: 28 percent of Americans support it, 38 percent are opposed, and 32 percent don’t have an opinion either way, the poll found. When asked specifically whether the government should be able to require all Americans to buy insurance or face a fine, only about 3 in 10 Americans agreed, and 68 percent were opposed.
The AP-GfK Poll was conducted Oct. 3-7 using KnowledgePanel, GfK’s probability-based online panel. It involved online interviews with 1,227 adults. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for all respondents. For results among the 76 respondents who attempted to use health insurance markets, the margin of error is plus or minus 13.5 percentage points.
Associated Press writers Andrew Miga and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
Follow Benac and Agiesta on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nbenac and http://twitter.com/JennAgiesta
Online: http://surveys.ap.org
Poll: Health exchange site gets poor reviews
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Admality, Hong Kong
|
dansk Deutsch español Français italiano Nederlands norsk português suomeksi svenska American Apparel Opens New Store in Hong Kong with LAB CONCEPT
from American Apparel
LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, has announced a exclusive partnership with LAB CONCEPT, a contemporary lifestyle retailer in Queensway, to bring the brand to the Admiralty district in Hong Kong. "We have worked very carefully to develop a strategy for Hong Kong, keeping in mind that it's a major center for business, travel, and finance both in Asia and worldwide. That's why we're so excited to be working with LAB CONCEPT in Admiralty on this special project; this partnership allows us to offer high quality American-made product to the Hong Kong consumer," said Katherine Johnson, American Apparel Regional Manager for Asia.
The 1500 square foot space in LAB CONCEPT is on par with urban American Apparel standalone stores internationally and will feature the company's signature basics, dresses, shoes, swimwear, and its California select vintage products, as well as exclusive items for the Asian market. "We are excited to be partnering with American Apparel to bring this new and unique brand to LAB CONCEPT. With a deep understanding of our customers' needs, we are able to position and offer new exclusive brands every season to tailor to their evolving taste," said Morgan Tan, Vice President of LAB CONCEPT.
The LAB CONCEPT partnership is part of a continuing trend with American Apparel's expansion, particularly in China and Hong Kong. The company previously operated a pop-up space in LAB CONCEPT last year. In 2012, American Apparel opened stores in Shanghai's Joy City Mall and Beijing's Parkview Green Mall, the latter of which is owned and operated by the Parkview Group headquartered in Hong Kong.
"We're a brand that both locals and expatriates will recognize and relate to, which is rare for a fashion brand. As a city known for its free market capitalism, Hong Kong is a place we've been looking forward to operating in; in addition to this we're constructing a branding and expansion strategy for Southeast Asia, which is both thrilling and humbling considering that many retailers manufacture their garments in this area of the world," Johnson said.
"2013 will be an incredibly exciting year for LAB CONCEPT. With the revamp of the fashion space in spring, quickly followed by our second anniversary in September, we are aiming to bring in more unique offerings for fashion as well as cosmetics to our 64,000 square foot space, providing the contemporary lifestyle experiences to our growing customer base," Tan said.
ABOUT AMERICAN APPARELAmerican Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As of March 31, 2013, American Apparel had approximately 10,000 employees and operated 251 retail stores in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China. American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers. In addition to its retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates an online retail e-commerce website at www.americanapparel.net.
ABOUT LAB CONCEPTLAB CONCEPT is a contemporary lifestyle retail destination, offering new and exciting brands across fashion, beauty, shoes & accessories and lifestyle essentials, in a fun and experiential environment. Located in Queensway Plaza in Admiralty, LAB CONCEPT carries over 30 womenswear brands, with 11 exclusive to this space, as well as international cosmetics brands from Facesss and latest must-have footwear and accessories from shoespace, delivering a dynamic shopping experience to customers.
SOURCE American Apparel RELATED LINKS
http://www.americanapparel.nethttp://www.americanapparel.net
Preview: American Apparel Sponsors Female Centric Art Show Curated by Employee
Preview: American Apparel Opens New Store in Canoga Park, 30th in Southern California
American Apparel Campaign Utilizes Crowdsourcing to Expand...
American Apparel Partners With Postmates To Bring Basics with...
Corporate Expansion
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Sandy Hook Elementary School
|
Thousands Rally At Capitol For Tougher Gun Laws
Filed Under: Capiton, Capitool, Sandy Hook Elementary School
Signs set up at the state Capitol, during a gun control rally marking the two months since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Photo by WTIC's Matt Dwyer.
(Click here to see photos from the rally)
SUSAN HAIGH
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Thousands of people, including some first-time activists moved by the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, rallied at Connecticut’s state Capitol on Thursday demanding lawmakers toughen gun laws.
Holding signs that read: “We are Sandy Hook. We deserve change” and “Let’s get this done,” many in crowd — estimated by the state Capitol Police at 5,500 — said they wanted to make sure their opinions were heard. They said they did not want them overshadowed by vocal gun rights advocates who’ve successfully defeated gun control measures in Connecticut in the past, such as limits on the size of ammunition magazines.
“We have reached a tipping point Connecticut. Our hearts are broken,” said Nancy Lefkowitz, one of two mothers who formed the grassroots organization March for Change and helped organize the Valentine’s Day rally.
The rally came exactly two months after a man went on a shooting rampage at the elementary school in Newtown before taking his own life.
Twenty-four-year-old Jillian Soto pleaded with policymakers to not forget the six educators and 20 first-graders who were killed and immediately pass gun reform legislation. Her sister, Victoria Soto, was one of the teachers killed. She said no one else needs to lose a family member.
“It’s not about political party or hidden agendas. It’s about life,” she said. “And my life and the lives of so many are now changed forever because of what guns can do in the wrong hands.”
In an interview before the rally, Soto said she felt the need to publicly come forward on her sister’s behalf, keeping her memory alive and demanding a change in gun laws.
“She fought to save her children in her classroom,” Soto said. “And I’m here fighting for the same thing, to save everybody’s lives here, because we need to do something to change.”
Thursday’s event, one of the larger state Capitol rallies in recent years, comes as a special bipartisan task force created by the General Assembly attempts to reach consensus on possible law and policy changes affecting guns, mental health and school security. Legislators hope to vote on a package of recommendations later this month or early March.
While both Democratic and Republican state politicians appeared at the rally, including Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, it’s not a given there will be bipartisan support for many of the proposals pushed by rally attendees. They include a ban on high-capacity magazines and all military-style assault weapons, annual registration renewals for handguns, universal background checks and mandatory safe storage of weapons.
One key GOP leader, House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., a member of the bipartisan task force, declined to attend, saying he felt it was inappropriate to appear at any rally touting a specific legislative agenda as the task force is still deliberating. Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, whose district includes Newtown, has not committed his support to the March for Change group’s agenda. He was interrupted by shouts of “pass the law” when he spoke generally about the importance of choosing love instead of a culture of violence in society.
“Democracy is great thing. People can come and march on their Capitol and their elected representatives and say what they say. If people want to heckle, that’s fine,” McKinney said afterward. “It is an example, though, of why sometimes laws don’t get passed. Because people aren’t willing to sit down and listen to perhaps another side or other sides and talk with one another.”
Julius Magyari of Stamford, a gun rights advocate who quietly sat in a lawn chair at the back of the rally, said there are some common sense responses to the Newtown shooting, such as improving mental health screening and required screenings for ammunition purchasers. But Magayari, who competes in shooting events, is concerned lawmakers are being swayed by the emotions of the Newtown shooting and will pass laws that won’t work or will harm lawful gun owners.
Magyari also attended a recent gun rights rally at the Capitol that drew more than 2,000 people and a daylong legislative hearing on guns. He said he has doubts lawmakers will pass a truly bipartisan plan and believes many already have made up their minds.
“The people who are against it, are against it,” he said, referring to gun rights. “They’re not listening to who is coming in.”
Ron Pinciaro, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said he is optimistic state lawmakers will reach a bipartisan deal on gun control measures because of public pressure to act. He said much of that pressure is coming from people who’ve never gotten involved in the political process before.
“Maybe they’ve voted, but really not much more than that. But they’re moved. They’re very moved and they want something done,” he said. “And at the end of the day, I think the legislators have to listen, will listen. And it’s a bipartisan thing because we’re talking about our children now.”
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Newtown
|
Thousands Rally At Capitol For Tougher Gun Laws
Filed Under: Capiton, Capitool, Sandy Hook Elementary School
Signs set up at the state Capitol, during a gun control rally marking the two months since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Photo by WTIC's Matt Dwyer.
(Click here to see photos from the rally)
SUSAN HAIGH
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Thousands of people, including some first-time activists moved by the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, rallied at Connecticut’s state Capitol on Thursday demanding lawmakers toughen gun laws.
Holding signs that read: “We are Sandy Hook. We deserve change” and “Let’s get this done,” many in crowd — estimated by the state Capitol Police at 5,500 — said they wanted to make sure their opinions were heard. They said they did not want them overshadowed by vocal gun rights advocates who’ve successfully defeated gun control measures in Connecticut in the past, such as limits on the size of ammunition magazines.
“We have reached a tipping point Connecticut. Our hearts are broken,” said Nancy Lefkowitz, one of two mothers who formed the grassroots organization March for Change and helped organize the Valentine’s Day rally.
The rally came exactly two months after a man went on a shooting rampage at the elementary school in Newtown before taking his own life.
Twenty-four-year-old Jillian Soto pleaded with policymakers to not forget the six educators and 20 first-graders who were killed and immediately pass gun reform legislation. Her sister, Victoria Soto, was one of the teachers killed. She said no one else needs to lose a family member.
“It’s not about political party or hidden agendas. It’s about life,” she said. “And my life and the lives of so many are now changed forever because of what guns can do in the wrong hands.”
In an interview before the rally, Soto said she felt the need to publicly come forward on her sister’s behalf, keeping her memory alive and demanding a change in gun laws.
“She fought to save her children in her classroom,” Soto said. “And I’m here fighting for the same thing, to save everybody’s lives here, because we need to do something to change.”
Thursday’s event, one of the larger state Capitol rallies in recent years, comes as a special bipartisan task force created by the General Assembly attempts to reach consensus on possible law and policy changes affecting guns, mental health and school security. Legislators hope to vote on a package of recommendations later this month or early March.
While both Democratic and Republican state politicians appeared at the rally, including Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, it’s not a given there will be bipartisan support for many of the proposals pushed by rally attendees. They include a ban on high-capacity magazines and all military-style assault weapons, annual registration renewals for handguns, universal background checks and mandatory safe storage of weapons.
One key GOP leader, House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., a member of the bipartisan task force, declined to attend, saying he felt it was inappropriate to appear at any rally touting a specific legislative agenda as the task force is still deliberating. Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, whose district includes Newtown, has not committed his support to the March for Change group’s agenda. He was interrupted by shouts of “pass the law” when he spoke generally about the importance of choosing love instead of a culture of violence in society.
“Democracy is great thing. People can come and march on their Capitol and their elected representatives and say what they say. If people want to heckle, that’s fine,” McKinney said afterward. “It is an example, though, of why sometimes laws don’t get passed. Because people aren’t willing to sit down and listen to perhaps another side or other sides and talk with one another.”
Julius Magyari of Stamford, a gun rights advocate who quietly sat in a lawn chair at the back of the rally, said there are some common sense responses to the Newtown shooting, such as improving mental health screening and required screenings for ammunition purchasers. But Magayari, who competes in shooting events, is concerned lawmakers are being swayed by the emotions of the Newtown shooting and will pass laws that won’t work or will harm lawful gun owners.
Magyari also attended a recent gun rights rally at the Capitol that drew more than 2,000 people and a daylong legislative hearing on guns. He said he has doubts lawmakers will pass a truly bipartisan plan and believes many already have made up their minds.
“The people who are against it, are against it,” he said, referring to gun rights. “They’re not listening to who is coming in.”
Ron Pinciaro, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said he is optimistic state lawmakers will reach a bipartisan deal on gun control measures because of public pressure to act. He said much of that pressure is coming from people who’ve never gotten involved in the political process before.
“Maybe they’ve voted, but really not much more than that. But they’re moved. They’re very moved and they want something done,” he said. “And at the end of the day, I think the legislators have to listen, will listen. And it’s a bipartisan thing because we’re talking about our children now.”
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Capitol (state Capitol, Hartford)
|
Thousands Rally At Capitol For Tougher Gun Laws
Filed Under: Capiton, Capitool, Sandy Hook Elementary School
Signs set up at the state Capitol, during a gun control rally marking the two months since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Photo by WTIC's Matt Dwyer.
(Click here to see photos from the rally)
SUSAN HAIGH
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Thousands of people, including some first-time activists moved by the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, rallied at Connecticut’s state Capitol on Thursday demanding lawmakers toughen gun laws.
Holding signs that read: “We are Sandy Hook. We deserve change” and “Let’s get this done,” many in crowd — estimated by the state Capitol Police at 5,500 — said they wanted to make sure their opinions were heard. They said they did not want them overshadowed by vocal gun rights advocates who’ve successfully defeated gun control measures in Connecticut in the past, such as limits on the size of ammunition magazines.
“We have reached a tipping point Connecticut. Our hearts are broken,” said Nancy Lefkowitz, one of two mothers who formed the grassroots organization March for Change and helped organize the Valentine’s Day rally.
The rally came exactly two months after a man went on a shooting rampage at the elementary school in Newtown before taking his own life.
Twenty-four-year-old Jillian Soto pleaded with policymakers to not forget the six educators and 20 first-graders who were killed and immediately pass gun reform legislation. Her sister, Victoria Soto, was one of the teachers killed. She said no one else needs to lose a family member.
“It’s not about political party or hidden agendas. It’s about life,” she said. “And my life and the lives of so many are now changed forever because of what guns can do in the wrong hands.”
In an interview before the rally, Soto said she felt the need to publicly come forward on her sister’s behalf, keeping her memory alive and demanding a change in gun laws.
“She fought to save her children in her classroom,” Soto said. “And I’m here fighting for the same thing, to save everybody’s lives here, because we need to do something to change.”
Thursday’s event, one of the larger state Capitol rallies in recent years, comes as a special bipartisan task force created by the General Assembly attempts to reach consensus on possible law and policy changes affecting guns, mental health and school security. Legislators hope to vote on a package of recommendations later this month or early March.
While both Democratic and Republican state politicians appeared at the rally, including Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, it’s not a given there will be bipartisan support for many of the proposals pushed by rally attendees. They include a ban on high-capacity magazines and all military-style assault weapons, annual registration renewals for handguns, universal background checks and mandatory safe storage of weapons.
One key GOP leader, House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., a member of the bipartisan task force, declined to attend, saying he felt it was inappropriate to appear at any rally touting a specific legislative agenda as the task force is still deliberating. Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, whose district includes Newtown, has not committed his support to the March for Change group’s agenda. He was interrupted by shouts of “pass the law” when he spoke generally about the importance of choosing love instead of a culture of violence in society.
“Democracy is great thing. People can come and march on their Capitol and their elected representatives and say what they say. If people want to heckle, that’s fine,” McKinney said afterward. “It is an example, though, of why sometimes laws don’t get passed. Because people aren’t willing to sit down and listen to perhaps another side or other sides and talk with one another.”
Julius Magyari of Stamford, a gun rights advocate who quietly sat in a lawn chair at the back of the rally, said there are some common sense responses to the Newtown shooting, such as improving mental health screening and required screenings for ammunition purchasers. But Magayari, who competes in shooting events, is concerned lawmakers are being swayed by the emotions of the Newtown shooting and will pass laws that won’t work or will harm lawful gun owners.
Magyari also attended a recent gun rights rally at the Capitol that drew more than 2,000 people and a daylong legislative hearing on guns. He said he has doubts lawmakers will pass a truly bipartisan plan and believes many already have made up their minds.
“The people who are against it, are against it,” he said, referring to gun rights. “They’re not listening to who is coming in.”
Ron Pinciaro, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said he is optimistic state lawmakers will reach a bipartisan deal on gun control measures because of public pressure to act. He said much of that pressure is coming from people who’ve never gotten involved in the political process before.
“Maybe they’ve voted, but really not much more than that. But they’re moved. They’re very moved and they want something done,” he said. “And at the end of the day, I think the legislators have to listen, will listen. And it’s a bipartisan thing because we’re talking about our children now.”
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Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Being Tested for Ebola Dies in Hospital
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi national, who fell ill after returning from Sierra Leone, died early Wednesday in his hospital isolation ward where he was being tested for the Ebola virus, said the Saudi Health Ministry.
The 40-year-old returned on Sunday from Sierra Leone, where there has been an Ebola outbreak, and was then hospitalized in Jiddah after showing symptoms of the viral hemorrhagic fever.
The patient’s samples are being tested in an international reference lab on the advice of the World Health Organization. He had already tested negative for dengue fever.
Different types of viral hemorrhagic fevers have been found in the kingdom, but the ministry statement said no case of Ebola has ever been detected there.
Ebola, which has no proven vaccine or treatment, has killed more than 900 people this year in four countries in West Africa.
Saudi Arabia announced in April that it was not issuing visas this year to Muslim pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea as a precaution to avoid the spread during the hajj pilgrimage, which sees massive crowds of people from around the world gather in Mecca.
Saudi Ambassador in Guinea Amjad Bedaiwi was quoted in the Saudi Arab News Wednesday saying the decision affects a total of 7,400 pilgrims from those three countries.
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Jiddah
|
Saudi Being Tested for Ebola Dies in Hospital
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi national, who fell ill after returning from Sierra Leone, died early Wednesday in his hospital isolation ward where he was being tested for the Ebola virus, said the Saudi Health Ministry.
The 40-year-old returned on Sunday from Sierra Leone, where there has been an Ebola outbreak, and was then hospitalized in Jiddah after showing symptoms of the viral hemorrhagic fever.
The patient’s samples are being tested in an international reference lab on the advice of the World Health Organization. He had already tested negative for dengue fever.
Different types of viral hemorrhagic fevers have been found in the kingdom, but the ministry statement said no case of Ebola has ever been detected there.
Ebola, which has no proven vaccine or treatment, has killed more than 900 people this year in four countries in West Africa.
Saudi Arabia announced in April that it was not issuing visas this year to Muslim pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea as a precaution to avoid the spread during the hajj pilgrimage, which sees massive crowds of people from around the world gather in Mecca.
Saudi Ambassador in Guinea Amjad Bedaiwi was quoted in the Saudi Arab News Wednesday saying the decision affects a total of 7,400 pilgrims from those three countries.
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Mecca
|
Saudi Being Tested for Ebola Dies in Hospital
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi national, who fell ill after returning from Sierra Leone, died early Wednesday in his hospital isolation ward where he was being tested for the Ebola virus, said the Saudi Health Ministry.
The 40-year-old returned on Sunday from Sierra Leone, where there has been an Ebola outbreak, and was then hospitalized in Jiddah after showing symptoms of the viral hemorrhagic fever.
The patient’s samples are being tested in an international reference lab on the advice of the World Health Organization. He had already tested negative for dengue fever.
Different types of viral hemorrhagic fevers have been found in the kingdom, but the ministry statement said no case of Ebola has ever been detected there.
Ebola, which has no proven vaccine or treatment, has killed more than 900 people this year in four countries in West Africa.
Saudi Arabia announced in April that it was not issuing visas this year to Muslim pilgrims from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea as a precaution to avoid the spread during the hajj pilgrimage, which sees massive crowds of people from around the world gather in Mecca.
Saudi Ambassador in Guinea Amjad Bedaiwi was quoted in the Saudi Arab News Wednesday saying the decision affects a total of 7,400 pilgrims from those three countries.
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Louisiana
|
AV News Forum Topics: Jackass Star Steve-O Turns Himself In On Obscenity Charges Home Theater News General News Written by Jerry Del Colliano Thursday, 15 August 2002 There are few who are aware of Steve-O who wouldn't call him a moron. One of the breakout stars from the MTV show Jackass, Steve-O, is known for performing some of the absolutely foulest actions ever attempted by a human including burning his own hair, vomiting all of the ingredients for an omelet and then cooking it and so much more. But what has Steve-O facing as many as 8 years in prison is his signature stunt, where he staples his scrotum completely to the side of his legs. During a recent live performance in Louisiana, Steve-O performed the feat he is most infamous for. The audience loved it but the local authorities seemingly didn't thus charging him with obscenity volitions and issuing a warrant for Steve-O's arrest. This week in Los Angeles, Steve-O voluntarily turned himself in on the warrant and will be required to appear in Terrebonne Parrish, Louisiana after posting $35,000 bond.
Fans as well as people who simply marvel at how outrageously stupid Steve-O is, are outraged at the needless prosecution of such a distasteful performer. One fan said "Is Louisiana still in The United States? Because we have this document called The Constitution that allows us the freedom of expression whether it is tasteful or not." Freedom of expression as it relates to the First Amendment will likely be Mr. O's defense. One thing is for sure, if the people of Louisiana wanted to hurt Steve-O's career and or make a political statement, this action won't get the job done. Steve-O currently sells a DVD that features his staple trick and many other disturbing scenes for which the tens of millions of dollars of free publicity simply couldn't hurt. Also Jackass is not slated for production of any more shows despite the fact it still being re-edited and re-broadcast (much to the delight of millions of idiots who have their TiVo season pass preprogrammed) on MTV. MTV is a pioneer in reality television with The Real World series, The Osbounes and Jackass. Don't be surprised to see the cable network bring back Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man (the midget on the show) and the rest of the cast for more daredevil antics thanks to the constitutionally ignorant legal wrangling of some Louisiana rednecks. It makes you wonder if these hillbillies remember how famous Florida made 2 Live Crew?
Sources: MTV News, VH1.com
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Los Angeles
|
AV News Forum Topics: Jackass Star Steve-O Turns Himself In On Obscenity Charges Home Theater News General News Written by Jerry Del Colliano Thursday, 15 August 2002 There are few who are aware of Steve-O who wouldn't call him a moron. One of the breakout stars from the MTV show Jackass, Steve-O, is known for performing some of the absolutely foulest actions ever attempted by a human including burning his own hair, vomiting all of the ingredients for an omelet and then cooking it and so much more. But what has Steve-O facing as many as 8 years in prison is his signature stunt, where he staples his scrotum completely to the side of his legs. During a recent live performance in Louisiana, Steve-O performed the feat he is most infamous for. The audience loved it but the local authorities seemingly didn't thus charging him with obscenity volitions and issuing a warrant for Steve-O's arrest. This week in Los Angeles, Steve-O voluntarily turned himself in on the warrant and will be required to appear in Terrebonne Parrish, Louisiana after posting $35,000 bond.
Fans as well as people who simply marvel at how outrageously stupid Steve-O is, are outraged at the needless prosecution of such a distasteful performer. One fan said "Is Louisiana still in The United States? Because we have this document called The Constitution that allows us the freedom of expression whether it is tasteful or not." Freedom of expression as it relates to the First Amendment will likely be Mr. O's defense. One thing is for sure, if the people of Louisiana wanted to hurt Steve-O's career and or make a political statement, this action won't get the job done. Steve-O currently sells a DVD that features his staple trick and many other disturbing scenes for which the tens of millions of dollars of free publicity simply couldn't hurt. Also Jackass is not slated for production of any more shows despite the fact it still being re-edited and re-broadcast (much to the delight of millions of idiots who have their TiVo season pass preprogrammed) on MTV. MTV is a pioneer in reality television with The Real World series, The Osbounes and Jackass. Don't be surprised to see the cable network bring back Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man (the midget on the show) and the rest of the cast for more daredevil antics thanks to the constitutionally ignorant legal wrangling of some Louisiana rednecks. It makes you wonder if these hillbillies remember how famous Florida made 2 Live Crew?
Sources: MTV News, VH1.com
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Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
|
AV News Forum Topics: Jackass Star Steve-O Turns Himself In On Obscenity Charges Home Theater News General News Written by Jerry Del Colliano Thursday, 15 August 2002 There are few who are aware of Steve-O who wouldn't call him a moron. One of the breakout stars from the MTV show Jackass, Steve-O, is known for performing some of the absolutely foulest actions ever attempted by a human including burning his own hair, vomiting all of the ingredients for an omelet and then cooking it and so much more. But what has Steve-O facing as many as 8 years in prison is his signature stunt, where he staples his scrotum completely to the side of his legs. During a recent live performance in Louisiana, Steve-O performed the feat he is most infamous for. The audience loved it but the local authorities seemingly didn't thus charging him with obscenity volitions and issuing a warrant for Steve-O's arrest. This week in Los Angeles, Steve-O voluntarily turned himself in on the warrant and will be required to appear in Terrebonne Parrish, Louisiana after posting $35,000 bond.
Fans as well as people who simply marvel at how outrageously stupid Steve-O is, are outraged at the needless prosecution of such a distasteful performer. One fan said "Is Louisiana still in The United States? Because we have this document called The Constitution that allows us the freedom of expression whether it is tasteful or not." Freedom of expression as it relates to the First Amendment will likely be Mr. O's defense. One thing is for sure, if the people of Louisiana wanted to hurt Steve-O's career and or make a political statement, this action won't get the job done. Steve-O currently sells a DVD that features his staple trick and many other disturbing scenes for which the tens of millions of dollars of free publicity simply couldn't hurt. Also Jackass is not slated for production of any more shows despite the fact it still being re-edited and re-broadcast (much to the delight of millions of idiots who have their TiVo season pass preprogrammed) on MTV. MTV is a pioneer in reality television with The Real World series, The Osbounes and Jackass. Don't be surprised to see the cable network bring back Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville, Wee Man (the midget on the show) and the rest of the cast for more daredevil antics thanks to the constitutionally ignorant legal wrangling of some Louisiana rednecks. It makes you wonder if these hillbillies remember how famous Florida made 2 Live Crew?
Sources: MTV News, VH1.com
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Polk County
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Bartow to get Dunkin Donuts Share this story:
People may have seen the sign on U.S. 98 but there not only will be a Dunkin’ Donuts coming to town. There will be about 25 to 30 jobs that come with it.
“It’s going to be right before the McDonald’s,” said franchise owner Alex Fernandez. “And it will be open in the next 60 days.”
The Fernandezes live in the Orlando area but he said he has the development rights for Dunkin’ Donuts in Polk County. Previously he’d been a McDonald’s franchise owner in Chile. He is also planning to open franchises in Lake Wales, Aburndale and Plant City. The Lake Wales store will be open 24 hours and is under construction at the Shoppes on the Ridge on U.S. 27. Fernandez said the location is a highly traveled road and lends itself to being open all night.
The other stores will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Among the four stores Fernandez said there will be about 100 new jobs coming to Polk County. The stores will be open seven days a week. The only day it is closed is on Christmas Day. Currently Fernandez said he is hiring people for management positions. After that he said signs will go onto the franchises that they are interviewing for shifts, of which there will be three to four. He said they may be minimum wage jobs for the shifts but he isn’t sure yet. Historically a doughnut and hot coffee chain, Dunkin’ Donuts now offers frozen and iced beverages, a full bakery assortment including bagels and muffins, breakfast sandwiches, and an all-day Oven-Toasted menu which includes flatbread sandwiches, hash browns and buttermilk biscuits. The new platform marks the most significant change to Dunkin’ Donuts’ product lineup since the company launched espresso-based beverages in 2003.
He said in launching the franchises, town populations and growth are both examined and though Bartow, Lake Wales and Auburndale populations are smaller than most cities, they meet the requirements of the store. “It’s a combination of several pieces,” he said. “These may be small towns, but the traffic is there and in Bartow there’s the county office and the courthouse and that generates traffic,” he said. Also, being among very few doughnut shops in town may be an advantage but that won’t make it necessarily easy to make the store successful.
“You’ve still got to work at it. You’ve got to have a good product, good service and a good price. If you don’t have those three things people won’t go to your store,” he said. Reader Comments (0)
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Bartow
|
Bartow to get Dunkin Donuts Share this story:
People may have seen the sign on U.S. 98 but there not only will be a Dunkin’ Donuts coming to town. There will be about 25 to 30 jobs that come with it.
“It’s going to be right before the McDonald’s,” said franchise owner Alex Fernandez. “And it will be open in the next 60 days.”
The Fernandezes live in the Orlando area but he said he has the development rights for Dunkin’ Donuts in Polk County. Previously he’d been a McDonald’s franchise owner in Chile. He is also planning to open franchises in Lake Wales, Aburndale and Plant City. The Lake Wales store will be open 24 hours and is under construction at the Shoppes on the Ridge on U.S. 27. Fernandez said the location is a highly traveled road and lends itself to being open all night.
The other stores will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Among the four stores Fernandez said there will be about 100 new jobs coming to Polk County. The stores will be open seven days a week. The only day it is closed is on Christmas Day. Currently Fernandez said he is hiring people for management positions. After that he said signs will go onto the franchises that they are interviewing for shifts, of which there will be three to four. He said they may be minimum wage jobs for the shifts but he isn’t sure yet. Historically a doughnut and hot coffee chain, Dunkin’ Donuts now offers frozen and iced beverages, a full bakery assortment including bagels and muffins, breakfast sandwiches, and an all-day Oven-Toasted menu which includes flatbread sandwiches, hash browns and buttermilk biscuits. The new platform marks the most significant change to Dunkin’ Donuts’ product lineup since the company launched espresso-based beverages in 2003.
He said in launching the franchises, town populations and growth are both examined and though Bartow, Lake Wales and Auburndale populations are smaller than most cities, they meet the requirements of the store. “It’s a combination of several pieces,” he said. “These may be small towns, but the traffic is there and in Bartow there’s the county office and the courthouse and that generates traffic,” he said. Also, being among very few doughnut shops in town may be an advantage but that won’t make it necessarily easy to make the store successful.
“You’ve still got to work at it. You’ve got to have a good product, good service and a good price. If you don’t have those three things people won’t go to your store,” he said. Reader Comments (0)
| 28.3
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|
Lake Wales
|
Bartow to get Dunkin Donuts Share this story:
People may have seen the sign on U.S. 98 but there not only will be a Dunkin’ Donuts coming to town. There will be about 25 to 30 jobs that come with it.
“It’s going to be right before the McDonald’s,” said franchise owner Alex Fernandez. “And it will be open in the next 60 days.”
The Fernandezes live in the Orlando area but he said he has the development rights for Dunkin’ Donuts in Polk County. Previously he’d been a McDonald’s franchise owner in Chile. He is also planning to open franchises in Lake Wales, Aburndale and Plant City. The Lake Wales store will be open 24 hours and is under construction at the Shoppes on the Ridge on U.S. 27. Fernandez said the location is a highly traveled road and lends itself to being open all night.
The other stores will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Among the four stores Fernandez said there will be about 100 new jobs coming to Polk County. The stores will be open seven days a week. The only day it is closed is on Christmas Day. Currently Fernandez said he is hiring people for management positions. After that he said signs will go onto the franchises that they are interviewing for shifts, of which there will be three to four. He said they may be minimum wage jobs for the shifts but he isn’t sure yet. Historically a doughnut and hot coffee chain, Dunkin’ Donuts now offers frozen and iced beverages, a full bakery assortment including bagels and muffins, breakfast sandwiches, and an all-day Oven-Toasted menu which includes flatbread sandwiches, hash browns and buttermilk biscuits. The new platform marks the most significant change to Dunkin’ Donuts’ product lineup since the company launched espresso-based beverages in 2003.
He said in launching the franchises, town populations and growth are both examined and though Bartow, Lake Wales and Auburndale populations are smaller than most cities, they meet the requirements of the store. “It’s a combination of several pieces,” he said. “These may be small towns, but the traffic is there and in Bartow there’s the county office and the courthouse and that generates traffic,” he said. Also, being among very few doughnut shops in town may be an advantage but that won’t make it necessarily easy to make the store successful.
“You’ve still got to work at it. You’ve got to have a good product, good service and a good price. If you don’t have those three things people won’t go to your store,” he said. Reader Comments (0)
| 27.8
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Tampa, Florida
|
Brantley Gilbert’s a ‘Good Kind of Nervous’ About 2012 ACM Awards Nomination
February 10, 2012 8:45 AM SHARE
Should Brantley Gilbert have to give an acceptance speech at the 2012 ACM Awards in April, he tells Taste of Country he’ll pretty much wing it. The singer says he won’t come prepared with notes, or a written list of thank yous.
“It should come pretty easy to me, you know. I know who means the most to me,” he says. Gilbert found out yesterday morning that he was one of three finalists for the ACM’s New Artist of the Year award. The honor will be decided mostly by fans, who can vote beginning March 19 at www.VoteACM.com.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Gilbert adds. “I feel very privileged that fans and radio recognized and honored me not only as a songwriter, but as an artist. It’s just an indescribable feeling.”
The ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do’ singer also admits that he’s nervous about the nomination and potentially performing in front of so many country music legends. “A good kind of nervous,” he says.
Gilbert called from a hotel room where he was writing songs with friends and preparing for a show in Tampa, Fla. He said he and Eric Church haven’t had time on the Blood Sweat and Beers Tour to sit down and write together, but they will soon. “I think we’re cut from the same mold,” Gilbert says. “We’ve hung out a little bit. He got me a birthday cake on my birthday. He’s a cool guy.”
Scotty McCreery and Hunter Hayes are also nominated for the 2012 ACM Award for New Artist of the Year. Fans can vote until just before the 8PM ET showtime on April 1.
Filed Under: Brantley Gilbert Category: ACM Awards | Country Music News | Exclusives SHARE
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Blood Stroke Tour Venue, Florida
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Brantley Gilbert’s a ‘Good Kind of Nervous’ About 2012 ACM Awards Nomination
February 10, 2012 8:45 AM SHARE
Should Brantley Gilbert have to give an acceptance speech at the 2012 ACM Awards in April, he tells Taste of Country he’ll pretty much wing it. The singer says he won’t come prepared with notes, or a written list of thank yous.
“It should come pretty easy to me, you know. I know who means the most to me,” he says. Gilbert found out yesterday morning that he was one of three finalists for the ACM’s New Artist of the Year award. The honor will be decided mostly by fans, who can vote beginning March 19 at www.VoteACM.com.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Gilbert adds. “I feel very privileged that fans and radio recognized and honored me not only as a songwriter, but as an artist. It’s just an indescribable feeling.”
The ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do’ singer also admits that he’s nervous about the nomination and potentially performing in front of so many country music legends. “A good kind of nervous,” he says.
Gilbert called from a hotel room where he was writing songs with friends and preparing for a show in Tampa, Fla. He said he and Eric Church haven’t had time on the Blood Sweat and Beers Tour to sit down and write together, but they will soon. “I think we’re cut from the same mold,” Gilbert says. “We’ve hung out a little bit. He got me a birthday cake on my birthday. He’s a cool guy.”
Scotty McCreery and Hunter Hayes are also nominated for the 2012 ACM Award for New Artist of the Year. Fans can vote until just before the 8PM ET showtime on April 1.
Filed Under: Brantley Gilbert Category: ACM Awards | Country Music News | Exclusives SHARE
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Blood Stroke Tour Venue, Florida
|
Brantley Gilbert’s a ‘Good Kind of Nervous’ About 2012 ACM Awards Nomination
February 10, 2012 8:45 AM SHARE
Should Brantley Gilbert have to give an acceptance speech at the 2012 ACM Awards in April, he tells Taste of Country he’ll pretty much wing it. The singer says he won’t come prepared with notes, or a written list of thank yous.
“It should come pretty easy to me, you know. I know who means the most to me,” he says. Gilbert found out yesterday morning that he was one of three finalists for the ACM’s New Artist of the Year award. The honor will be decided mostly by fans, who can vote beginning March 19 at www.VoteACM.com.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Gilbert adds. “I feel very privileged that fans and radio recognized and honored me not only as a songwriter, but as an artist. It’s just an indescribable feeling.”
The ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do’ singer also admits that he’s nervous about the nomination and potentially performing in front of so many country music legends. “A good kind of nervous,” he says.
Gilbert called from a hotel room where he was writing songs with friends and preparing for a show in Tampa, Fla. He said he and Eric Church haven’t had time on the Blood Sweat and Beers Tour to sit down and write together, but they will soon. “I think we’re cut from the same mold,” Gilbert says. “We’ve hung out a little bit. He got me a birthday cake on my birthday. He’s a cool guy.”
Scotty McCreery and Hunter Hayes are also nominated for the 2012 ACM Award for New Artist of the Year. Fans can vote until just before the 8PM ET showtime on April 1.
Filed Under: Brantley Gilbert Category: ACM Awards | Country Music News | Exclusives SHARE
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Gaza Strip
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Gaza�s global jihadis (JERUSALEM POST) By YAAKOV KATZ 06/22/12)
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=274784
In 2006, Abu Abd Al-Rahman, a top al-Qaida operative based in Afghanistan, received a letter.One of Osama bin Laden�s closest associates and known by a slew of aliases, Rahman � who was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2011 � was at the time a renowned Islamic religious authority in global jihad circles.He often received letters from global jihad followers stationed across the globe, but this letter was different; It came from the Gaza Strip.Sent by the Army of Islam, at the time a fairly obscure terrorist group, the letter included a number of questions pertaining to Islamic religious law.Over the years, the Army of Islam has turned into a formidable force in Gaza. It assisted Hamas in kidnapping Gilad Schalit and later was behind the abduction of BBC reporter Alan Johnston. Designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department, its members have been targets of Israeli targeted killings over the years.The first question in the letter was whether the group could receive money from Palestinian organizations to fund its terror activities. One example it gave was the Islamic Jihad, which wanted to give the Army of Islam money to carry out attacks against Israel. The problem, the letter noted, was that Islamic Jihad was heavily funded by Iran, perceived as an �infidel� Shi�ite state by the global jihad Salafis.The second question was whether the Army of Islam could invest in the stock market to finance its terrorist activities. Finally, the letter asked whether the organization could kill drug smugglers, steal their drugs and money and use it to finance terrorist activities.The letter was discovered last year in the home in Abbottabad, Pakistan where United States Navy SEALs found and killed bin Laden. It was one of nearly 20 documents that were declassified and published recently by the US military�s Combating Terrorism Center.For the Mossad and Military Intelligence, the discovery of the letter in the intelligence treasure trove reinforced what it had already known: al- Qaida and global jihad do not pose a virtual and imaginary threat but are real and have cells operating along Israel�s borders.The attack on Monday along the Egyptian border, which killed construction worker Said Phashpashe, is believed to have been the work of another global jihad organization called Tawhid wal- Jihad, a shadowy group in Gaza that was behind the kidnapping of an Italian activist in Gaza last year. Hamas clashed with the group, stormed the home where the worker was being held and secured his release.The group�s involvement in the attack on Monday might be one of the reasons why Hamas decided this week to break its longstanding abstention from rocket attacks. Before this week, the last time Hamas fired was in April 2011 in the round of violence that erupted following a Hamas anti-tank missile attack against a school bus, which killed an Israeli teenager.But now, global jihad groups are operating freely and without consideration for Hamas�s interests.The attack on Monday, for example, could have been carried out without Hamas�s knowledge or approval. As a result, it is possible that Hamas felt its status was being undermined and therefore decided to renew its rocket fire and show who the real terror leader is in the Gaza Strip.Another possibility is that Hamas feels bolstered by the potential Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt with a possible win in the presidential elections.As a result, it feels like it can be less restrained when it comes to attacking Israel than it has been in recent years.Ultimately though, the IDF does not believe that Hamas is really interested in a major escalation, the scale and scope of which could lead to another Operation Cast Lead. With the school year ending this week and summer vacation about to begin, Israel is also looking to avoid a larger conflict.For that reason, the IDF�s response has been relatively moderate with nearly 10 air strikes but none that really targeted manned Hamas positions.In the past, Hamas has not hesitated to use force against the Salafi groups in Gaza. One memorable incident was in August 2009 when Hamas forces raided the Ibn Taymmiyah mosque in Rafah.During the clashes, 24 Palestinians were killed and more than 130 were wounded. Several hundred more were detained by Hamas.�The presence of these organizations in the Gaza Strip is not new,� a senior IDF intelligence officer said this week. �We have been tracking them for years.�The lawlessness in the Sinai Peninsula, though, the officer noted, has created new opportunities for these organizations, some of them ranked as more radical than Hamas.The ability to move between Sinai and Gaza � two places where the rule of law is not prominent � has provided these groups not only with the means (weapons, explosives and money) but also with new operatives who can travel to Sinai to take up arms against Israel.But while Sinai creates opportunities for these groups, for Israel it currently appears to be an almost unsolvable problem. The IDF, which admits to having limited intelligence on what happens there, is also voicing concern over the growing involvement of the local Beduin population in attacks against Israel, something expected to increase as the border fence is completed and the smuggling industry, which Sinai relies on, is hit hard.The main problem for Israel is that unlike Gaza � where it feels it can operate freely against terror infrastructure � the same cannot be said about Sinai where a single Israeli incursion or air strike would be viewed as a violation of Egyptian sovereignty and likely lead to the immediate annulment of the peace treaty.For that reason, the message coming out of Jerusalem this week was that the Egyptian government and whoever leads it as president needs to take immediate action to restore control over Sinai and remove the threat from Israel�s borders. The message has yet to include an �or else� threat but if the attacks continue, the pressure will be on Israel to begin taking action to stop them. (� 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 06/22/12)
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Sinai Peninsula
|
Gaza�s global jihadis (JERUSALEM POST) By YAAKOV KATZ 06/22/12)
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=274784
In 2006, Abu Abd Al-Rahman, a top al-Qaida operative based in Afghanistan, received a letter.One of Osama bin Laden�s closest associates and known by a slew of aliases, Rahman � who was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2011 � was at the time a renowned Islamic religious authority in global jihad circles.He often received letters from global jihad followers stationed across the globe, but this letter was different; It came from the Gaza Strip.Sent by the Army of Islam, at the time a fairly obscure terrorist group, the letter included a number of questions pertaining to Islamic religious law.Over the years, the Army of Islam has turned into a formidable force in Gaza. It assisted Hamas in kidnapping Gilad Schalit and later was behind the abduction of BBC reporter Alan Johnston. Designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department, its members have been targets of Israeli targeted killings over the years.The first question in the letter was whether the group could receive money from Palestinian organizations to fund its terror activities. One example it gave was the Islamic Jihad, which wanted to give the Army of Islam money to carry out attacks against Israel. The problem, the letter noted, was that Islamic Jihad was heavily funded by Iran, perceived as an �infidel� Shi�ite state by the global jihad Salafis.The second question was whether the Army of Islam could invest in the stock market to finance its terrorist activities. Finally, the letter asked whether the organization could kill drug smugglers, steal their drugs and money and use it to finance terrorist activities.The letter was discovered last year in the home in Abbottabad, Pakistan where United States Navy SEALs found and killed bin Laden. It was one of nearly 20 documents that were declassified and published recently by the US military�s Combating Terrorism Center.For the Mossad and Military Intelligence, the discovery of the letter in the intelligence treasure trove reinforced what it had already known: al- Qaida and global jihad do not pose a virtual and imaginary threat but are real and have cells operating along Israel�s borders.The attack on Monday along the Egyptian border, which killed construction worker Said Phashpashe, is believed to have been the work of another global jihad organization called Tawhid wal- Jihad, a shadowy group in Gaza that was behind the kidnapping of an Italian activist in Gaza last year. Hamas clashed with the group, stormed the home where the worker was being held and secured his release.The group�s involvement in the attack on Monday might be one of the reasons why Hamas decided this week to break its longstanding abstention from rocket attacks. Before this week, the last time Hamas fired was in April 2011 in the round of violence that erupted following a Hamas anti-tank missile attack against a school bus, which killed an Israeli teenager.But now, global jihad groups are operating freely and without consideration for Hamas�s interests.The attack on Monday, for example, could have been carried out without Hamas�s knowledge or approval. As a result, it is possible that Hamas felt its status was being undermined and therefore decided to renew its rocket fire and show who the real terror leader is in the Gaza Strip.Another possibility is that Hamas feels bolstered by the potential Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt with a possible win in the presidential elections.As a result, it feels like it can be less restrained when it comes to attacking Israel than it has been in recent years.Ultimately though, the IDF does not believe that Hamas is really interested in a major escalation, the scale and scope of which could lead to another Operation Cast Lead. With the school year ending this week and summer vacation about to begin, Israel is also looking to avoid a larger conflict.For that reason, the IDF�s response has been relatively moderate with nearly 10 air strikes but none that really targeted manned Hamas positions.In the past, Hamas has not hesitated to use force against the Salafi groups in Gaza. One memorable incident was in August 2009 when Hamas forces raided the Ibn Taymmiyah mosque in Rafah.During the clashes, 24 Palestinians were killed and more than 130 were wounded. Several hundred more were detained by Hamas.�The presence of these organizations in the Gaza Strip is not new,� a senior IDF intelligence officer said this week. �We have been tracking them for years.�The lawlessness in the Sinai Peninsula, though, the officer noted, has created new opportunities for these organizations, some of them ranked as more radical than Hamas.The ability to move between Sinai and Gaza � two places where the rule of law is not prominent � has provided these groups not only with the means (weapons, explosives and money) but also with new operatives who can travel to Sinai to take up arms against Israel.But while Sinai creates opportunities for these groups, for Israel it currently appears to be an almost unsolvable problem. The IDF, which admits to having limited intelligence on what happens there, is also voicing concern over the growing involvement of the local Beduin population in attacks against Israel, something expected to increase as the border fence is completed and the smuggling industry, which Sinai relies on, is hit hard.The main problem for Israel is that unlike Gaza � where it feels it can operate freely against terror infrastructure � the same cannot be said about Sinai where a single Israeli incursion or air strike would be viewed as a violation of Egyptian sovereignty and likely lead to the immediate annulment of the peace treaty.For that reason, the message coming out of Jerusalem this week was that the Egyptian government and whoever leads it as president needs to take immediate action to restore control over Sinai and remove the threat from Israel�s borders. The message has yet to include an �or else� threat but if the attacks continue, the pressure will be on Israel to begin taking action to stop them. (� 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 06/22/12)
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Abbottabad, Pakistan
|
Gaza�s global jihadis (JERUSALEM POST) By YAAKOV KATZ 06/22/12)
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=274784
In 2006, Abu Abd Al-Rahman, a top al-Qaida operative based in Afghanistan, received a letter.One of Osama bin Laden�s closest associates and known by a slew of aliases, Rahman � who was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2011 � was at the time a renowned Islamic religious authority in global jihad circles.He often received letters from global jihad followers stationed across the globe, but this letter was different; It came from the Gaza Strip.Sent by the Army of Islam, at the time a fairly obscure terrorist group, the letter included a number of questions pertaining to Islamic religious law.Over the years, the Army of Islam has turned into a formidable force in Gaza. It assisted Hamas in kidnapping Gilad Schalit and later was behind the abduction of BBC reporter Alan Johnston. Designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department, its members have been targets of Israeli targeted killings over the years.The first question in the letter was whether the group could receive money from Palestinian organizations to fund its terror activities. One example it gave was the Islamic Jihad, which wanted to give the Army of Islam money to carry out attacks against Israel. The problem, the letter noted, was that Islamic Jihad was heavily funded by Iran, perceived as an �infidel� Shi�ite state by the global jihad Salafis.The second question was whether the Army of Islam could invest in the stock market to finance its terrorist activities. Finally, the letter asked whether the organization could kill drug smugglers, steal their drugs and money and use it to finance terrorist activities.The letter was discovered last year in the home in Abbottabad, Pakistan where United States Navy SEALs found and killed bin Laden. It was one of nearly 20 documents that were declassified and published recently by the US military�s Combating Terrorism Center.For the Mossad and Military Intelligence, the discovery of the letter in the intelligence treasure trove reinforced what it had already known: al- Qaida and global jihad do not pose a virtual and imaginary threat but are real and have cells operating along Israel�s borders.The attack on Monday along the Egyptian border, which killed construction worker Said Phashpashe, is believed to have been the work of another global jihad organization called Tawhid wal- Jihad, a shadowy group in Gaza that was behind the kidnapping of an Italian activist in Gaza last year. Hamas clashed with the group, stormed the home where the worker was being held and secured his release.The group�s involvement in the attack on Monday might be one of the reasons why Hamas decided this week to break its longstanding abstention from rocket attacks. Before this week, the last time Hamas fired was in April 2011 in the round of violence that erupted following a Hamas anti-tank missile attack against a school bus, which killed an Israeli teenager.But now, global jihad groups are operating freely and without consideration for Hamas�s interests.The attack on Monday, for example, could have been carried out without Hamas�s knowledge or approval. As a result, it is possible that Hamas felt its status was being undermined and therefore decided to renew its rocket fire and show who the real terror leader is in the Gaza Strip.Another possibility is that Hamas feels bolstered by the potential Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt with a possible win in the presidential elections.As a result, it feels like it can be less restrained when it comes to attacking Israel than it has been in recent years.Ultimately though, the IDF does not believe that Hamas is really interested in a major escalation, the scale and scope of which could lead to another Operation Cast Lead. With the school year ending this week and summer vacation about to begin, Israel is also looking to avoid a larger conflict.For that reason, the IDF�s response has been relatively moderate with nearly 10 air strikes but none that really targeted manned Hamas positions.In the past, Hamas has not hesitated to use force against the Salafi groups in Gaza. One memorable incident was in August 2009 when Hamas forces raided the Ibn Taymmiyah mosque in Rafah.During the clashes, 24 Palestinians were killed and more than 130 were wounded. Several hundred more were detained by Hamas.�The presence of these organizations in the Gaza Strip is not new,� a senior IDF intelligence officer said this week. �We have been tracking them for years.�The lawlessness in the Sinai Peninsula, though, the officer noted, has created new opportunities for these organizations, some of them ranked as more radical than Hamas.The ability to move between Sinai and Gaza � two places where the rule of law is not prominent � has provided these groups not only with the means (weapons, explosives and money) but also with new operatives who can travel to Sinai to take up arms against Israel.But while Sinai creates opportunities for these groups, for Israel it currently appears to be an almost unsolvable problem. The IDF, which admits to having limited intelligence on what happens there, is also voicing concern over the growing involvement of the local Beduin population in attacks against Israel, something expected to increase as the border fence is completed and the smuggling industry, which Sinai relies on, is hit hard.The main problem for Israel is that unlike Gaza � where it feels it can operate freely against terror infrastructure � the same cannot be said about Sinai where a single Israeli incursion or air strike would be viewed as a violation of Egyptian sovereignty and likely lead to the immediate annulment of the peace treaty.For that reason, the message coming out of Jerusalem this week was that the Egyptian government and whoever leads it as president needs to take immediate action to restore control over Sinai and remove the threat from Israel�s borders. The message has yet to include an �or else� threat but if the attacks continue, the pressure will be on Israel to begin taking action to stop them. (� 1995-2011, The Jerusalem Post 06/22/12)
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Williston
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Your browser does not support iframes. Read a digital copy of the latest edition of Williston Pioneer Sun News online. Hare Krishna comes to Williston
-A A +A Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 11:08 am (Updated: October 1, 12:23 pm)
more Church Briefs
Things I have learned in my lifetime
20 churches unite in solidarity of the Spirit
Williston prays for America
The new Center Vedic Studies is now open in Williston. The center is part of a worldwide organization called the International Society for Krishna Consciousness founded in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupads.
In 12 years after he arrived in New York at the age of 68, he established 200 centers, farm, communities, temples, schools and universities throughout the world.
He translated and published over 60 volumes of vedic literature and traveled the globe giving public lectures. His works are studied in all major universities and have been trannslated into over 70 languages.
The center welcomes people from all walks of life and religious background to join the Sunday program which includes classes on the Bhagavad-Gita, the ancient Science of Bhakti-yoga,
The Sunday program begins at noon each week and includes Aroti (worship, ceremony and a vegetarian lunch.
For more information, call 528-5496 or visit campgaruda.tripod.com Add new comment
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Petionville Club, Port-au-Prince
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WordPress.com Displaced Haitians begin moving to safer ground
Posted on April 23, 2010 by Dennis Sadowski Life in a tent camp at the Petionville Club in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is not easy for an estimated 40,000 people displaced by the Jan. 12 earthquake. (CNS/Bob Roller) Some of the thousands of Haitians staying at a makeshift camp on a Port-au-Prince golf course since the country’s devastating Jan. 12 earthquake are beginning to move to safer ground.
An estimated 3,000 people –- out of an estimated 40,000 — have left the hilly, flood-prone grounds of the Petionville Club for a U.N.-run site known as Corail Cesselesse about 17 miles north of the city.
CNS reported on life in the camps in the days shortly after the earthquake (here, here and here).
Operated by the U.N.’s Office of International Migration, the camp provides displaced people with sturdier tents and has sanitation facilities, drainage for rain water and access to health care, said Tom Price, senior communications officer for Catholic Relief Services, which oversees the golf course camp.
An estimated 6,780 people eventually will move to the camp in the first phase of the relocation of earthquake survivors. Plans call for expanding the camp to include thousands of other homeless people in prefabricated shelters that offer more protection than nylon tents and plastic tarps.
“It’s a planned camp, not spontaneous, like Petionville,” Price told CNS. “It has drainage and it’s not going to be a problem in the rainy season.”
CRS also is shoring up hills on the golf course by building retaining walls to prevent mudslides that might endanger residents who remain, Price explained. Haiti traditionally experiences heavy rains that peak during May. Then comes hurricane season, which runs through November.
Although some people are moving to more secure ground, hundreds of thousands of others throughout the earthquake-battered region are facing dire circumstances in makeshift tent cities. Aid workers fear that the hundreds of camps around Port-au-Prince and elsewhere will become muddy quagmires and that rains will wash raw sewage into living areas, increasing the danger for massive outbreaks of disease and water-borne illnesses.
Filed under: CNS « Why would any man want to be a priest today? Turning off the comments spigot »
roger, on April 26, 2010 at 10:23 pm said: God bless those people affected.
Jean, on April 29, 2010 at 10:58 am said: Lord look out for your brothers and sisters of Haiti. Let us pray they help in time before they see more disasters like disease, rain and mudslides. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters of Haiti.
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Corail Cesselesse, near Port-au-Prince
|
WordPress.com Displaced Haitians begin moving to safer ground
Posted on April 23, 2010 by Dennis Sadowski Life in a tent camp at the Petionville Club in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is not easy for an estimated 40,000 people displaced by the Jan. 12 earthquake. (CNS/Bob Roller) Some of the thousands of Haitians staying at a makeshift camp on a Port-au-Prince golf course since the country’s devastating Jan. 12 earthquake are beginning to move to safer ground.
An estimated 3,000 people –- out of an estimated 40,000 — have left the hilly, flood-prone grounds of the Petionville Club for a U.N.-run site known as Corail Cesselesse about 17 miles north of the city.
CNS reported on life in the camps in the days shortly after the earthquake (here, here and here).
Operated by the U.N.’s Office of International Migration, the camp provides displaced people with sturdier tents and has sanitation facilities, drainage for rain water and access to health care, said Tom Price, senior communications officer for Catholic Relief Services, which oversees the golf course camp.
An estimated 6,780 people eventually will move to the camp in the first phase of the relocation of earthquake survivors. Plans call for expanding the camp to include thousands of other homeless people in prefabricated shelters that offer more protection than nylon tents and plastic tarps.
“It’s a planned camp, not spontaneous, like Petionville,” Price told CNS. “It has drainage and it’s not going to be a problem in the rainy season.”
CRS also is shoring up hills on the golf course by building retaining walls to prevent mudslides that might endanger residents who remain, Price explained. Haiti traditionally experiences heavy rains that peak during May. Then comes hurricane season, which runs through November.
Although some people are moving to more secure ground, hundreds of thousands of others throughout the earthquake-battered region are facing dire circumstances in makeshift tent cities. Aid workers fear that the hundreds of camps around Port-au-Prince and elsewhere will become muddy quagmires and that rains will wash raw sewage into living areas, increasing the danger for massive outbreaks of disease and water-borne illnesses.
Filed under: CNS « Why would any man want to be a priest today? Turning off the comments spigot »
roger, on April 26, 2010 at 10:23 pm said: God bless those people affected.
Jean, on April 29, 2010 at 10:58 am said: Lord look out for your brothers and sisters of Haiti. Let us pray they help in time before they see more disasters like disease, rain and mudslides. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters of Haiti.
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Port-au-Prince
|
WordPress.com Displaced Haitians begin moving to safer ground
Posted on April 23, 2010 by Dennis Sadowski Life in a tent camp at the Petionville Club in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is not easy for an estimated 40,000 people displaced by the Jan. 12 earthquake. (CNS/Bob Roller) Some of the thousands of Haitians staying at a makeshift camp on a Port-au-Prince golf course since the country’s devastating Jan. 12 earthquake are beginning to move to safer ground.
An estimated 3,000 people –- out of an estimated 40,000 — have left the hilly, flood-prone grounds of the Petionville Club for a U.N.-run site known as Corail Cesselesse about 17 miles north of the city.
CNS reported on life in the camps in the days shortly after the earthquake (here, here and here).
Operated by the U.N.’s Office of International Migration, the camp provides displaced people with sturdier tents and has sanitation facilities, drainage for rain water and access to health care, said Tom Price, senior communications officer for Catholic Relief Services, which oversees the golf course camp.
An estimated 6,780 people eventually will move to the camp in the first phase of the relocation of earthquake survivors. Plans call for expanding the camp to include thousands of other homeless people in prefabricated shelters that offer more protection than nylon tents and plastic tarps.
“It’s a planned camp, not spontaneous, like Petionville,” Price told CNS. “It has drainage and it’s not going to be a problem in the rainy season.”
CRS also is shoring up hills on the golf course by building retaining walls to prevent mudslides that might endanger residents who remain, Price explained. Haiti traditionally experiences heavy rains that peak during May. Then comes hurricane season, which runs through November.
Although some people are moving to more secure ground, hundreds of thousands of others throughout the earthquake-battered region are facing dire circumstances in makeshift tent cities. Aid workers fear that the hundreds of camps around Port-au-Prince and elsewhere will become muddy quagmires and that rains will wash raw sewage into living areas, increasing the danger for massive outbreaks of disease and water-borne illnesses.
Filed under: CNS « Why would any man want to be a priest today? Turning off the comments spigot »
roger, on April 26, 2010 at 10:23 pm said: God bless those people affected.
Jean, on April 29, 2010 at 10:58 am said: Lord look out for your brothers and sisters of Haiti. Let us pray they help in time before they see more disasters like disease, rain and mudslides. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters of Haiti.
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in Data Studio
50k Poorly Geocoded News
This is a dataset consisting of 50k full text news that contain some kind of geocoded location entity. An LLM extracted geospatial entites and added lat lon coordinates. This repo is more of a proof of concept or an example of what does not work rather than an actual dataset you should use for any downstream task.
Why?
The idea was: LLMs probably have some geocoding ability. How bad can it possibly be?
Results
The answer is: yes it's bad and you should not use it for anything, but generally it's better than expected!
A first overview doesn't look that bad on low zoom levels...
... but zooming closer reveals systemic errors.
How?
I used an mlx-optimized, quantized version of liquid's LFM2 model: mlx-community/LFM2-8B-A1B-3bit-MLX.
It's fairly small and fast but large enough to contain enough information about locations to guess where a place might be.
Note that this model performs generally really well for its size which is the reason I went for it!
Prompt:
PROMPT_TEMPLATE = """Extract up to 3 place names from the news article. For each, provide latitude and longitude (EPSG:4326),place confidence (0-1), and a sentiment score (-1 to 1) based on the article’s tone toward that place. Return ONLY valid JSON, following this schema:
[
{
"place_name": "string",
"lat": float,
"lon": float,
"place_confidence": float,
"sentiment_score": float
}
]
If no places are identifiable, return [].
Article:
"""
I ran this prompt on more than 1M full texts and afterwards filtered out nonsense (broken json, null values etc.). I should have used structured output to get better results.
What?
I used https://huggingface.co/datasets/BAAI/IndustryCorpus_news but note that there is a cleaned version available here: https://huggingface.co/datasets/BAAI/IndustryCorpus2.
Questions?
Open a discussion or reach out to me, you find me here: geo.rocks/about
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