In the 1980s BBC docudrama ‘The March’, hundred of thousands of Africans marched northwards toward the Mediterranean to escape starvation, prompting widespread panic in Europe about an impending ‘flood’ of ‘illegal migrants’. The current global food crisis is very unlikely to result in mass migration, and population movements that do occur will almost certainly take place within countries and not across borders, and for a short-period of time only. Still the crisis is likely to have a significant impact on those already displaced as refugees or internally displaced persons; and finding solutions for them will be part of the long-term solution to the food crisis.
The dimensions and dynamics of the food crisis have been widely reported: rice prices have increased in the Philippines by 70 percent in one year and tripled in Thailand since the beginning of the year; high food inflation is affecting countries as diverse as Costa Rica, Djibouti, Egypt and Sri Lanka. The global causes are increasing demand for food especially in Asia, reduced supply because of bad weather and increased bio-fuel production, speculation on futures markets, and high oil prices that drive up prices of fertilizer and transport. Their impact has been compounded by local factors: the displacement by political unrest of Kenyan farmers during the harvest period, limited access and rising transport costs in Gaza, poor March to May rains in Ethiopia, and conflict in Somalia.
The only source that has so far posited that the food crisis may directly result in population displacement is a recent report of the Hyundai Economic Research Institute which suggested that: ‘Soaring international grain prices will further worsen North Korea’s food shortage and encourage more North Koreans to flee the country’. There is no question that around the world the food crisis is impacting on poor people. The World Bank has estimated that a rise in the relative rice price by ten percent would result in an additional two million poor people; the UN Economic Commission for Africa estimates that the number of food insecure people could rise by more than 16 million for every percentage point increase in the real prices of staple foods, meaning 1.2 billion people could be chronically hungry by 2050. What is less clear is the extent to which hunger and poverty will cause people to move. Many of the most affected populations in Africa are nomads and pastoralists for whom movement is a traditional coping strategy. The urban poor are amongst the hardest-hit by the current crisis, which may preempt significant rural-urban migration. And it may be that ‘fight’ is a more effective strategy than ‘flight’ in this case – the governments in Haiti and Burkina Faso have recently responded to social unrest by lowering food prices.
Rather than directly causing displacement, it seems more likely that for some people the food crisis may become the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’, a final contributing factor to a range of other factors that make them too vulnerable to stay at home any longer. While the underlying causes for displacement are often political – for example conflict, the precipitant factors are often economic – for example hunger. In part the displacement implications also depend on how long the food crisis persists. If food prices return to something approaching normal within six months to a year, most people will find ways to see out the crisis, by borrowing or working harder or eating less. But the World Bank has estimated that food crop prices will remain high at least through 2009, and remain above 2004 levels until 2015. Sustained food shortages are likely to cause people to leave their homes.
There is a much clearer link between the food crisis and the situation of those already displaced. It is striking that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was quick to back the unprecedented request by the World Food Program for an additional $500 million by 1 May. One third of Iraqi refugees in Syria are reported to be skipping one meal a day in order to feed their children. And the UN Relief and Works Agency, which works with Palestinian refugees, reports that whereas in 2004 it spent about $8 per refugee every two months in Gaza, today costs have risen to $19 to provide the same 60 percent of their caloric needs. These increases have forced the agency significantly to reduce the number of recipients of aid. In the Thai-Burma border camps rations for refugees have been reduced to 26 pounds of rice a month and no other food items – comprising less than half the daily protein and calorie needs – and nursery school feeding and health projects are being cut or terminated. Of course the food crisis is impacting on non-displaced populations too. In Sri Lanka UNICEF reports that 14 percent of children under five are showing signs of wasting and stunting, and that 29 percent of children younger than five are underweight – but the evidence suggests that those displaced inside their countries in particular almost always exhibit the most extreme rates of hunger, morbidity and mortality.
Many of the short-term solutions that are being discussed would benefit poor people whether or not they are displaced: cash transfers to the particularly vulnerable, lowering domestic food prices, food for work schemes, and food aid. At the same time displaced populations probably require particular attention. They are often the most vulnerable. They are often trapped in conflict zones or in camps across the border and cannot adopt the mobile strategies of other poor people. Hunger is compounded for them by numerous other problems, especially in camp environments. In the longer-term, the displaced can become part of the solution too. It is almost certainly true that the majority of the world’s displaced people are agriculturalists. They need to be able to return to their land and start farming again – to become providers instead of recipients of food.


Well, there you have it. This week we have published the Wetzel-Tyler Newspapers' list of our area's All-Time Greatest in athletics. We have listed 25 top-notch athletes and five equally legendary coaches.
Not everyone will agree with our decision, and that is certainly okay. When we first brought forth the idea of this special feature, we had noted the topic would launch great discussion and debate. It already has, and we are certain it will continue to do such.
However, this is truly a community labor. We requested nominations, and we received hundreds of them. We also requested stats and information - a compelling argument - to accompany each nomination.
We hope our readers enjoy the fruits of this community endeavor. Most of all, may it showcase just how much history and talent our small communities have yielded, and continue to yield.


The mission of the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Media (AIEM) research group at Boston University is to conduct research and foster education in areas related to artificial intelligence and emerging media. We explore and create techniques from machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision to interpret emerging media, their role in mass and interpersonal communication, and understand the human and automated processes by which emerging media are developed, marketed, shaped and reshaped by users.
The group’s weekly research meetings are open to colleagues and students who are interested in joining BU AIEM (Hariri Institute, Fishbowl, Wednesdays 1-3 pm).
BU AIEM is housed in the Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering and is part of BU’s Artificial Intelligence (AIR) Initiative. Our team members are affiliated with various colleges and departments throughout Boston University, including the College of Arts and Sciences (Department of Computer Science), the College of Communication (Division of Emerging Media), and the College of Engineering (Department of Computer Engineering).
BU AIEM started with a Hariri Institute incubator research award in June 2016 led by Lei Guo. Projects with Prakash Ishwar, Margrit Betke , and collaborators led to first publications on Big Social Data Analytics in Journalism and Mass Communication and Dynamic Allocation of Crowd Contributions for Sentiment Analysis during the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, respectively.
By mid 2018, BU AIEM has proudly graduated its first PhD student, Mehrnoosh Sameki, celebrated a 2017 Google Research Award in the “Information Retrieval and Real Time Content” category, and welcomed a new faculty team member, Derry Wijaya.


SAGINAW TWP. — Elementary school students in Saginaw Township Community Schools are learning math the Singapore way.
The district this year implemented a program called “Math in Focus” for kindergarten through fifth grade students at its five elementary schools: Arrowwood, Hemmeter, Sherwood, Weiss and Westdale.
Superintendent Jerry Seese said the model is based off the Singapore style of teaching math, which was developed in the 1980s.
The teaching model uses concrete examples, such as dice, to explain processes such as addition and subtraction. Then students uses pictures and bar modeling before moving to abstract concepts.
The content goes in greater depth at a higher level of thinking and focuses on mastering the subject instead of covering a larger spread. The books also make math easy for parents to follow along and help their children, Seese said.
Sandra Braun, principal Sherwood Elementary, said she likes the way math is taught.
Math in Focus offers enrichment pieces for students who move more quickly through the material and support for students who need more time, Braun said.
“The program itself has a really good package of resources for teachers,” she said.
Math in Focus materials were $220,720 and six days of intensive training was $75,982. The district used federal grant money to pay for the training, Seese said.
While the program is only in elementary schools, Seese said, he hopes next fall to include the model in the sixth grade curriculum and eventually move it up through the 12th grade as publishing companies introduce Math in Focus at a higher level.
Seese said he hopes more students will be more confident with math and go on to study it on college. Both Seese and Braun said they believe students will see a long-term improvement with Math in Focus.
In Saginaw County, Seese said, Frankenmuth schools also use the program.
“Math is math, this is just a consistent way of presenting it to students,” Braun said.


A man is on trial for third-degree murder and other charges in a Thanksgiving Day police chase that authorities said ended when he collided with a car that burst into flames, killing the driver, his fiancee and her toddler daughter.
Demetrius Coleman, 24, of Pittsburgh, is charged in Allegheny County in the November 2016 crash in North Versailles, about 2 miles from where police in East McKeesport had stopped him for making an illegal left turn.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that relatives of the victims gasped and began dabbing at their eyes Friday as they watched a video from a nearby restaurant showing Coleman's car speeding into the intersection and plowing into the side of the victims' car, which erupted into a fireball.
Killed were three members of a Pitcairn family on their way to a holiday dinner: David Lee Bianco, 29; Kaylie Meininger, 21, his fiancee; and their daughter Annika, 2.
Coleman is charged with three counts of third-degree murder, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, fleeing police, driving under the influence and other charges.
“You're going to have to decide whether Mr. Coleman contemplated this fireball could happen and Mr. Coleman didn't give a damn,” he said.


Weekly Roundup: Thursday, January 25 There have been a number of revelations this week related to the Russia investigation. Among them, that the special counsel's team has talked to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and that Robert Mueller is now looking to sit down with President Trump. And while the shutdown is over, the underlying problems remain, particularly when it comes to finding a resolution on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. This episode, host/congressional correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.
There have been a number of revelations this week related to the Russia investigation. Among them, that the special counsel's team has talked to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and that Robert Mueller is now looking to sit down with President Trump. And while the shutdown is over, the underlying problems remain, particularly when it comes to finding a resolution on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. This episode, host/congressional correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben and national political correspondent Mara Liasson. Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.


SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - With the unofficial kickoff of summer comes the new, sunny destination of Destin - Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., helping boost numbers at the Springfield - Branson National Airport to record levels.
"The security lines are easy to get through and so friendly," said Susan Butts, a traveler who flies in and out of SGF on a regular basis.
The Springfield airport is now one of the fastest growing of its size nationwide, with United set to add twice-daily service to Houston in June.
"The timing was right, and they decided to drop in a couple flights a day," said airport director Brian Weiler.
Weiler said the growth amounts to about 30 percent just within the last five years.
"I think the southwest Missouri economy is doing well. People have more money to travel and they want to travel. I think that's driving a lot of the growth," Weiler said.
Weiler anticipates the airport will reach 1 million passengers this year. Going past that number will help the airport attract more options, like additional restaurants.
The milestone of one million passengers in 2017 will also help keep up the momentum for the possibilities adding airlines and destinations.
"I'd like to see direct connections: direct flights to wherever I'm headed," Butts said.
As for the possibility of adding Southwest Airlines, Weiler said that likely will not happen in the near future.
"What Southwest likes to see is a million metropolitan area to do that. We are always talking to multiple airlines and always working on air service development issues. It's got to make sense for the airline, and we have to have the community support for that," Weiler said.
Allegiant Airlines recently extended its seasonal service to Destin - Ft. Walton Beach through October.


YouTube is expanding the test of its “Explore” feature, a new discovery tool it first introduced as an experiment within its iPhone app last year. Similar to Instagram’s Explore page, the new YouTube feature aims to introduce users to a diverse set of personalized recommendations so they can more easily find something new to watch. The test is now available across devices, and has been updated to also suggest smaller, up-and-coming YouTube creators, the company says.
The changes to Explore were announced in a recent Creator Insiders video, where the company shares ideas it’s thinking about or testing ahead of a public debut — like a change to the “dislike” button, for example.
Last year, the company published a video to Creator Insiders where it talked about a plan to develop a new place within the YouTube app that would help people broaden their horizons when looking for something different to watch.
Today, YouTube’s recommendation technology relies heavily on past viewing activity and other in-app behavior to make its content suggestions, the company explained. With the Explore tab, however, YouTube aims to widen recommendations to include various topics, videos and channels you may not have otherwise encountered.
For instance, the Explore section might recommend videos about high-end cameras after you watched videos about telescopes. Or it might recommend videos about kittens or puppies because you watched other animal videos.
When YouTube launched Explore last year, the test was only rolled out to 1 percent of YouTube’s iPhone app users.
On testers’ devices, Explore replaces the Trending tab in the app’s navigation at the bottom of the screen. The section of Trending videos then became just another sub-category within Explore, alongside other top-level sections like Gaming, Movies, Music, Originals and more.
While Explore was initially available only to iPhone users, the test has now gone live across devices, including iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets and on the desktop, YouTube confirmed to TechCrunch. But it’s still only available to a “small amount” of testers, the company says.
In addition, Explore has been updated to include a new section called “On the Rise,” which will feature up-and-coming YouTube creators.
Here, a shelf is shown showcasing creators with fewer than 10,000 subscribers. These suggestions are personalized to you, too, based on which channels you currently like and regularly watch.
Beneath the “Under 10K” section are other creators YouTube thinks you’ll like, based on your YouTube watch history as well as those whose channels are watched by other fans of your favorite creators.
We understand that while YouTube has expanded the experiment’s reach, it doesn’t yet have a definitive plan for rolling out to the public the Explore tab.
For now, Explore is still considered an experiment and the company is looking to gather more feedback before making a formal decision about the feature’s wider availability.


As we help American high-tech companies deal with value-added tax problems in the U.K. and continental Europe, the hit movie "Groundhog Day" often comes to mind.
Just as Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, found himself repeating the same experiences day-in and day-out, we find companies—whether first-timers or well-established entities—falling into the same avoidable traps. These include an assumption that VAT works just like U.S. sales tax (it doesn't), a belief that VAT doesn't apply to non-European businesses (it does), or a failure to acknowledge that VAT is an inescapable part of doing business in Europe. Sometimes, it is all of the above.
The 27 EU member states have a harmonized VAT system, and the non-EU countries follow similar principles. Rates are high, from 15 to 25 percent, and there is little margin for error. Savage penalties for mistakes and non-compliance abound, so getting it wrong is costly in terms of both profitability and cash flow. The cost benefit of a cross-border business transaction should always take into account any potential VAT impact.
importing evaluation units for demonstration and subsequent sale.
1—Understand VAT 101. Businesses are supposed to be VAT tax collectors, not tax payers. The simple objective is for your company to pay over VAT collected from customers and get a refund of any VAT paid to vendors or on imports. When your business pays a VAT, it should usually be recoverable, if the rules are followed.
2—Get a VAT registration. Never do business in Europe without one. VAT registration gives your business EU VAT privileges and ensures you don't get stuck with irrecoverable VAT on purchases and on imports. It costs very little to register, and although there is a compliance cost of keeping VAT records and filing VAT returns, it is much less than the cost of getting it wrong.
3—Avoid being an importer into Europe if at all possible. Get your customer or reseller to do it and you will avoid many issues. Too often, companies talk themselves into this avoidable situation—mostly to please the customer and "take care of the VAT"—without realizing what it really means.
4—If you must be an importer, always do so in your own name with your own VAT number. If you don't use your company's name and VAT number, you will be non-compliant and the 15 to 25 percent VAT paid may not ever be recoverable, resulting in an immediate hit to your bottom line.
5—Use EU cash flow benefits and minimize compliance. Register for VAT in just one EU country, clear goods through customs in that one import country, and move those goods from there on to any customer in another EU country. This will keep your VAT registrations to a minimum and ensure that you pay import VAT only on goods that are staying in the import country. Additionally, customers outside the import country are neither charged VAT nor involved in customs formalities. Use this approach for evaluation units too.
6—Know the local rules. While EU VAT rules are broadly the same, each EU member state has some local variations. For example, in the UK, vendors of cell phones and computer chips have a different VAT regime than the rest of the trading community; France doesn't permit non-resident businesses to register for VAT except in limited circumstances; Ireland offers cash flow benefits for exporters and foreign businesses; Luxembourg is good for hi-tech B2C businesses; and Italy and Spain have very tough compliance regimes and very high penalties.
7—Take informed advice and save $000's. Ignorance isn't bliss. VAT problems are very difficult and time consuming to fix retroactively. But there is good news—VAT is entirely manageable when dealt with proactively beforehand.
Larry Harding is the founder and president of High Street Partners, a Boston-based advisory services firm that offers cross-border accounting, finance and HR-related services to companies doing business internationally.
Roger Bevan is an international VAT consultant based in the UK. He was a Big 4 VAT partner for more than 10 years and has more than 30 years of experience on global VAT issues.


English teacher required for secondary school in Northamptonshire.
I am currently recruiting on behalf of a secondary school in Northamptonshire who have a reputation of being supportive, innovative and a career progressing school who really look after their teaching staff. They believe teachers are more than practitioners, but role models. Role models who really make a difference in the classroom. They believe in creativity and allowing teachers to think outside the box and teach the curriculum in an imaginative way. They now want to add to their friendly team of practitioners an English Teacher on a permanent basis.
For this role you will be an imaginative, enthusiastic & innovative English teacher who strives for excellence. You will be able to teach English in a creative way ensuring your lessons are planned with intervention built in so that every student makes progress. You will love your subject and will have excellent subject knowledge. You will be part of a department were team work is essential.


TOKYO (Reuters) - Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is back in the Tokyo detention center where he previously spent 108 days, after being released just last month on a $9 million bail.
His former employers, Japan’s Nissan and France’s Renault, initially appeared to be at odds over his case when he was first arrested in November, but now seem to have closed ranks against him.
Ghosn was arrested again on suspicion of funneling $5 million from payments made by a Nissan subsidiary to a third party for personal gain. An internal Nissan investigation has identified the party as a Nissan distributor in Oman.
He is already fighting charges of under-reporting his Nissan salary for nearly a decade through 2018, and a charge of temporarily transferring personal financial losses to Nissan’s books during the global financial crisis around 2008.
Renault too is investigating payments it made under Ghosn’s watch to the same company in Oman. The outcome of that probe could deepen the French automaker’s exposure to the scandal, which so far has been largely focused on Nissan.
HOW DOES THE NEW CHARGE AFFECT GHOSN’S TRIAL?
Ghosn’s lawyer has said the new charge will prolong his legal proceedings. It is, however, not clear how much more prison time he could face if charged and found guilty on the latest allegations.
Ghosn’s trial is expected to start later this year.
Arresting a suspect who has been released on bail is highly uncommon, and Japanese prosecutors have said they “humbly” recognized any international criticism over the latest arrest.
WHAT’S CHANGED SINCE GHOSN’S INITIAL ARREST?
Renault has also turned over evidence that the 50,000-euro ($56,145) rental of Ghosn’s Chateau de Versailles wedding in 2016 had been improperly charged to the company.
Nissan’s investigation has also revealed the purchase of several properties around the world, including a Beirut house, by the company for Ghosn’s use.
A joint audit of the Renault-Nissan BV alliance management organization has tallied 1.2 million euros in Lebanese donations and other spending of questionable benefit to the car makers, among preliminary results presented to Renault directors.
It has also been alleged that he used around $600,000 in Nissan funds to pay his children’s university tuitions.
If indicted, Ghosn’s legal team can apply, again, for bail.


Several times in history great nations crippled or ended their development by expelling industrious minorities. The United States is doing the same with its immigrants, legal or not. If it’s not been expelling them by the hundreds of thousands a year since the Obama days, and worse now under Trump, it’s been demonizing them as a threat–and not a minor threat–to America’s economy and culture.
But it’s the reverse. They’re among America’s salvations. We have a lesson to learn.
England expelled Jews in 1290 and wasn’t heard of for the rest of the Middle Ages. It made Catholicism illegal and massacred or decimated Ireland of Catholics in the 17th century, only sending their industry to America. Good for us, and me: my second father was Irish. The Iberian peninsula was among the rare centers of culture and coexistence during the middle ages, but Catholic Spain expelled Muslims and Jews around the time of the discoveries of the New World. If American gold staved off decline for a while, Spain was soon a forgotten power. By 1700, it was a footnote to Europe. Louis XIV gave France its greatest century in the 1600s. But in 1685 he revoked the Edict of Nantes, one of the great milestones in the history of tolerance, and declared Protestantism illegal. Massacres followed. Huguenots fled, and French industry began a long decline that would not be reversed until well after the Revolution of 1789.
In every case, wherever fleeing Jews, Muslims, Catholics and Protestants migrated, the economy benefited, in some cases boomed, and in one case, ours, created a superpower. The United States would have been nothing without its millions of immigrants, so many of them illegal then or now, the world’s refuse to this day fissioning into prosperity. Nor is it a mystery why Japan, so proud of its racial purity as to prohibit immigration, has been in an economic coma for two decades.
Now the Trump administration is raiding 7-Elevens, terrorizing immigrants in vast sweeps, including children, pledging to throw out hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans, Haitians and others from countries that don’t fit Donald Trump’s idea of racial purity, and fixating on just building a wall. It doesn’t get more retrograde. Just pointing to one or two cases of an undocumented immigrant committing a nasty crime (the most notorious case of which proved to be less than advertised) doesn’t alter the reality that immigrants, whatever their legality, commit less crimes than Americans and draw on fewer resources, welfare and medical services included, than do natives.
And the old excuse that nobody is attacking legal immigrants, only so-called illegal ones, doesn’t work anymore, because the prejudice has no bounds. The defense of legal immigrants becomes a mask for a denigration of undocumented immigrants that’s no less repulsive than the president’s racism. It is its mirror, laid bare by a prejudice unattached to any evidence that would justify it it.
We keep focusing on legalizing the status of Dreamers, those children of undocumented immigrants who’ve been here their whole lives, as if their aspirations are more valid than the people who brought them here.
Would they be jumping the line? Certainly, and that’s a compelling argument from others who take the legal route, waiting and wrestling with hurdles and luck. But the the line the undocumented took and the lines the more documented ones are taking are like borders on a map. They’re constructs that defy the impulse not only of proximity but of demand: it isn’t only the undocumented who are susceptible to the magnet that leads them here but their American employers at innumerable levels of society who keep the border magnetized because they know–and you should know as well, but you’d rather refuse to know–that we can’t do without them. Our agriculture, our tourism, our child care sectors would collapse without them. In other words, our economy.
So we’d do better to legalize, even naturalize, all 11 or 12 million so-called undocumented immigrants. Ronald Reagan did it with almost 3 million undocumented immigrants in 1986–all who’d entered the United States before 1982. It’s not as if it hurt the country. To the contrary. The 1990s were its best yet, at least by some economic measures. Replicating the Reagan amnesty would be no different than the United States embracing immigrants for two centuries: they made this country then. They’re keeping it vibrant now, and doing so while working in the shadows, underground, on the run. Imagine if they were freed of that anxiety. Imagine the industry gained from their integration, from ending police-state tactics that have turned the immigration service into a gang of goonish brown shirts well deserving of their icy acronym.
Terrorizing and expelling any of them would damage our own economy, which–putting aside inequality that tax laws, not immigrants, have fostered–clearly isn’t suffering now. That wall would only hurt us, and make us look stupid, fearful and most of all, un-American. Of course this country is capable of giving its undocumented a path to legalization. If Reagan did it, his lesser GOP progeny certainly could. We’re America after all, the land where only the impossible is illegal. If not, then let’s stop kidding ourselves and quit calling ourselves great, because we certainly aren’t acting it.
what a moronic idea..there are LEGAl ways to become a legal immigrant and entering the usa illegally is a crime and should be!!
There are two kinds of people in this debate. People who have been personally affected by this issue and people who have not been personally affected. I am from the affected group who had their lives destroyed by illegal aliens. No one will ever be able to tell me that the illegal aliens, (formal legal definition), who broke multiple laws coming here; and being here with or with out their extended families, have a right to be here. I had a right to my life and it was taken from me. I wish I could have that back. but sadly there is no government bailout for me.
There are two types of people in this debate. People who have been personal affected by this issue and people who have not been personally affected by this issue. I am one of the affected people and my life was destroyed by illegal aliens. (legal formal description used in constitution). No one will be able to tell me that illegal aliens have any rights or their extended families to become citizens in this country after their many years of breaking laws entering and continue to live in this country illegally.
I was under the impression the United States welcomes more legal immigrants per year than any other nation in the world, and allows a pathway to citizenship for them. I absolutely love the alarmist nature of this article and the pending collapse of the U.S. if we don’t legalize 11 million illegal aliens; the more Chicken Little screams about the sky falling, the fewer people listen to him.
Wtf?! Legalize them if they go through the process of legalization that we already have in place. It’s there for a reason. Otherwise they can stay on a visa just like everyone else. If not, deportation is a result that’s possible.
I guess terrorizing MS 13 is a bad thing? Get a grip Pierre.
Let’s make sure we keep all criminals and gang members.
Sure. Let’s legalize everyone in the country illegally.
The gang’s presence remained relatively steady on Long Island until around 2014 and 2015, when it started to spike, authorities said. Marino attributed that mostly to an influx of “unaccompanied alien children,” or UACs, into the area — about 10,000 since 2014. UACs are minors who cross into the US alone without parents or guardians.
Instead, the sadistic gang’s main interest is power.
More than 25,000 murders were recorded last year as rival drug gangs increasingly splintered into smaller, more blood-thirsty groups after more than a decade of a military-led campaign to battle the cartels.
Sorry Pierre….Immigrants are welcome, they can get in line and do it legally, just as my grandparents did. As far as the “dreamers”, let em stay. Don’t really care. It is unrealistic to think we are going to toss them out. While the liberals keep calling the other side racist and bigots, and don’t work on getting a message and realistic direction for the country, they insure more losses in in the mid-terms especially if the economy keeps improving. Wasn’t it supposed to be the end of times after the election? What’s up with that?
If “Our agriculture, our tourism, our child care sectors would collapse without them. “, then bring them here legally after filling as many of those jobs with those who are unemployed and capable of working.
Yeah, en masse, without even checking them out. That makes sense. Not.
There is a legal process to enter this country.
Pierre, isn’t it funny how when pushing progressiv ideals the left touts the insignificance of history. But when it fits their narrative, it becomes important.
Oh, and you really should cite what examples you have of Trump being racist. That is a very bad thing to say about someone without solid reasoning. The fact that you don’t like him doesn’t meet the standard. His comments about S-hole countries do not meet thstandard. No one EVER called Trump a racist before he ran for president. The leftys had no other attack, so they went straight to the old standby of calling an opponent a “racist”. Pierre, you disappoint me. You are better than that.
Thank god your not running things.
Not even Canada is willing to do that with their illegal immigrant problem, which by the way was created the same way the US’s most recent surge was. By a Leader who told them the border was open and they were welcome. Now Canada is singing a different tune. I have no problem with immigrants, but What I have a problem with is people who openly and willing violate the LAWS of this country. Mr Tristan perhaps you should go to Mexico and overstay your visa and see what happens. I don’t think you will like the results.
agree, agree with everything here…thank you!
I’m all for legal immigration if they have a trade/skill, disease free, and speak rudimentary English. Much like when Ellis Island was open.
Walls DO work and it has been proven in past history time and time again by many other countries in this world. Disagree – research it and see for yourself. In fact most people today will remember the Berlin Wall and that was WITHIN a country. Build the wall, eliminate chain and lottery migration which makes NO sense whatsoever, implement comprehensive immigration laws and provide a pathway to citizenship for the illegal people already here IF they abide by the laws of this country. Congress needs to get off their fat asses and start doing their jobs by providing common sense legislation without adding all of the PORK that has nothing to do with the BILL at hand whatsoever. They work for us, the American Citizens of this country. If your congressman doesn’t agree, get rid of them and get someone that WILL do their jobs.
Yes we the people that have jobs, trying to make ends meet each month pay for this.
Like I noted, Take care of our homeless, our veterans and the legal families in this country that are without healthcare, without decent housing and without education, do that, then we can worry about Illegal people.
Idiocy we have a system to let immigrants here to become CITIZENS if one comes in against those laws they should NOT be given citizenship. When the break ANOTHER one of our LAWS they should RIGHT then be put on a quick path back HOME.
If they have no serious crimes here or elsewhere, yes streamline the naturalization process for them. Let’s get them all legalized and accounted for as quickly as possible. However, anyone else needs to go through an organized and fair immigration process. No discriminating against “shithole” countries in the fair immigration process. The ones who are already here, yes make them citizens unless a felon or terrorist.
Yes! Do it now! These newfound citizens will do their jobs, send their kids to school, pay their taxes, buy cars, refrigerators and houses and become just like any other citizen. One of them just might become president.
Conservatives spew out the right-wing mantra…they are here illegally! They should go home and wait their turn. That is easy to say and provides an easy response to a complex problem. But it is inhumane and unworkable. The social disruption alone, not to mention the huge cost, is unacceptable to an advanced society.
C’mon, America, be great again. let them live!
I wrote my comment last night after the shock of reading this front page article from our community paper. An editor taking a voice for the community and shoving it in my face. I have to be silent and anonymous and I’m an American citizen by birth. That’s how bad it was. My only relief this morning was to see the other posters have the guts to call this out.
Leave it to immigrant-Americans by naturalization like me to remind Americans by birth like you that free expression, and respect for free expression, does not take its cue from zip codes, but from us–from you, from me, from what we call community in the true rather than the pitch-forked sense of the term, which is to say any community that still values differences of opinion, however those differences may buck the norm, of which we are certainly not short of. I should also note that whether you are a direct descendant of Mayflower sperm-and-eggs or got naturalized this morning, your rights are indistinguishable, though your presumptions clearly seem not to be.
If all else fails, call him a racist. Good argument.
In the name of fairness Pierre, please tell your readers the name you were born with. Before you had it changed. We will all have a much better idea of why you have these views.
Pierre, you’re opinion piece that cites no actual statistics is very hard to read without wondering what you could possibly be thinking. To take the position that illegal immigration is helping this country and not hurting is nonsensical. And even if it were helping, it’s not fair when people have been waiting years to come into this country legally. I’ve got many friends that long to come to this country legally, and yet, they continue to wait. Your method encourages more illegals to come into this country. Doesn’t make any sense. No other country does this. Maybe you had a bad day when you wrote this piece. I know you can’t possibly believe granting citizenship to all illegals and encouraging more to come with open borders is the answer. Come on, you can do better than this.
It is really sad that Flagler Live allows this Tristam cat to have pretty much the say on most of what is printed, simply because he is editor. Mr Tristam constantly has a “slant” on his writing, which assuredly always says toward the his leftist viewpoint. That is not free press, but simply propaganda. This is the problem with the American press, it has been hijacked by INDIVIDUAL ideals, and can hardly EVER be trusted to provide a truthful UNBIASED accounting of things. As far as your immigration stances, I know MANY people who came here LEGALLY, and you insult them with your idiocy.
The responses to your piece is predictable, I’ll focus on the “breaking the law ” aspect of the issue.
We broke the law in order to become americans, sounds familiar?
We broke the law when we appropriated lands on the Native American Nations.
We broke the law when we invaded a foreign country and kept half its territory.
We broke the law when half of us declare war on the federal government.
We broke the law when Japanese Americans were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.
We broke the law when enslave Africans and engaged in human trafficking, oh… wait…sorry, that was written in the Constitution.
Plenty of people called Donald Trump a racist back in the early seventies when he and his father were sued by the federal government because he would not rent apartments in one of his developments to African-Americans.
Is the reason you call for legalizing that you admit they are illegal, not simply undocumented?
just saying, there’s no such thing, whether we’re talking English language, ethics, law or logic, as an “illegal alien,” or an “illegal immigrant,” anymore than there is such a thing as an “illegitimate” child. In that last regard and if we must so stupidly brand the fruit of parental choices, accident (and freedoms), the term “natural” child is more closely accurate (understanding that we all are at a fundamental level just as natural, making the notion of illegitimacy even more absurd). The parallel works with immigrants: “undocumented” is their only crime, if indeed crime it is, and it is so more by definition, accident of history and legal conceits than it is by any definition of rights. Before you get apoplectic I’m not saying that they have a right to enter the country without documents, but that their status as undocumented immigrants has nothing to do with their rights as individuals, rights which even you recognize (or I hope would recognize) apply universally.
The reaction of the local Fox and Fools fan club is the real cost of real fake news. And their racist idiot idol is driving the bus.
Mr. Tristam: As I’m certain you’re aware, any and every reputable source on the future of the world’s economies reflects exactly the same things you have so well stated.
You can parse words but if someone has come to this country and has outstayed a legal visa or has entered the country by “sneaking” in they have broken the law. They are here illegally. All we are asking is for them to come her legally.
I come from rural “Farm Town America” and I can say that without illegals, the entire concept of a “family farm” would become a historical footnote. Many “undocumented” immigrants keep a low profile, stay out of police notice, and work at 1/2 minimum wage (or less). They are a valuable source of labor, doing jobs that “Americans” don’t want, at less than half the cost of those same “Americans.” — yes, overly broad generalizations, but mostly accurate. Are they here illegally? Are they criminals? Yes, but for many of those “criminals,” the only crimes they commit are the result of trying to live in our country.
Let’s “Make America Great Again,” and return to the original immigration laws: you need to live two years in the country, and at least one year in the same state (but let’s do away with the requirement of being a “free white person” — 1790 law).
To just me, reading your same approach then Melania Trump First L. should be booted too for breaking the law arriving on a tourist visa and got paid for working as a model here. Or we have different standards for different cats?
This is as dumb as giving convicted felons the right to vote.
Ray D so are so right! Citizens like you is what makes America #1 not what is in the Oval Office now.
Hey Mark do not blame our immigrants legal or illegal for your “We can’t even take care of our vets and homeless and low income families the ones bordering on poverty and yet people want the US to support millions of illegals” All your described misery is because over 45,000 factories in 20 years have moved overseas guided by greed and to “make more profit using slaves not workers with benefits” also part of it is because dudes like you allow these GOP’s to empty our tax revenue benefiting the 1 percent and the war machine pockets for the excuse to police the world. That is the reason of our demise not the immigrant that come here on their own risking the only thing they have in the southern deserts to work in our fields every back breaking job that no one else cares to do. Racism, ignorance is the political football being used by Trumpsters to distract our reality and the real facts. We sure pay enough taxes for our vets, low income families for health care for all and all our services the problem is the take away our funds for what is not intended. You are barking at the wrong tree.
The Fed, counties and cities take away our taxes to benefit developers and special interest or get graft approving overpriced capital projects, other than giving the services we pay in our taxes, maintain our infrastructure and all our social services for veterans, elderly, children and the poor. Then now blame the illegals and legal immigrants for the fallout. Big GOP Charade.
In one since you are right… our Country is made of Imigrants.
LEGALLY Processed into our Country?
If I am missing something please TELL ME???
Let us keep in mind that the truly legal ones are in the reservation.
Changing the vocabulary, doesn’t change the reality.
They come illegally because if they apply for immigrant visas and are south of the border they are automatically denied and the waiting period for the very few approved is 5 years or more since completing the first forms in the USA embassy or consulate of the country of origin.
An illegitimate child is a child who is born to parents who are not married to each other, or who is born “out of wedlock. Thats a big difference than someone that sneaks over from Mexico by crossing a river, or gets transported in a closed truck or comes across under ground in a tunnel. IF they want to come here, get a work visa or a green card and earn your way legally.
I was taken back by the one comment about what name born with. It just doesn’t matter. My grandfather came from Lithuania. In order to get a job, mining anthracite coal in NE Pennsylvania of all things, he had to change his name from Drogalis to a Scottish name. We all come from everywhere and have to start over when we get here. I sincerely hope no one else has to change a surname to be more American get a job. As I recall Hitler called us a mongrel nation, we should be proud of that. We are a nation of immigrants.
There were three types of accommodations on the ships that brought immigrants to America: first class, second class and steerage. Only steerage passengers were processed at Ellis Island. First- and second-class passengers were quickly and courteously “inspected” onboard the ship before being transferred to New York.
@Sherry you forgot these import items that each passenger regardless of ticket had to answer.
The reality is this country depends on recent immigrants, whatever their status, to pick our crops, clean our hotel rooms, cut our lawns, prepare, serve and clean up our food (fast or otherwise), take care of our parents, and do many other jobs most americans won’t do. When my roof was replaced after Mathew, of the crew that replaced my steep, two story roof, very few spoke english. I asked the roofer what happenend after the inauguration. He told me he had lost an entire crew that went back to their home countries and this happened to other roofing companies that he knew. So, when yo see blue tarps still on homes, this is why. Those roofers worked hard from 7 am until dusk. They came with their families and cleaned up on the weekend. Those children will be the hard working professionals that create progress in the future. Push all the undocumented immigrants out and be prepared to either pay up, do it yourself, or do without.
@nark and hawkeye. . . This “liberal” certainly does believe in FACTS. The FACT is that many of those who immigrated through Ellis Island had NO certifiable documentation to “prove” who they were. Many could not even read or write. So, although they were required to fill out forms. . . there was NO true VETTING to determine if the information put on the forms was accurate at all.
12 MILLION people were processed in a very cursory way, and only 2% were turned back. That’s your so called “legal” immigration for you!
@capt So, I am scratching my head. Your last sentence says ” Hence the need for immigrants to fill the labor jobs”. Do you think forcing the hard working undocumented immigrant individuals and families that are doing these jobs will suddenly solve the social problems of this country?
I am all for deporting individuals who have been CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME OR A SERIOUS THEFT. If we did that to native born citizens as well, we could really make a dent in crime statistics since undocumented immigrants have a lower crime rate than the general population.
However, if you think that deportation of undocumeted immigrants will miraculously cure the hopelessness, drug addiction, and crime in this country I would like to talk to you about a wonderful condo investment opportunity It will be HUGE! Once you give me a substantial non-refundable deposit I will tell you the details of what I might build someday. PS, please wire the deposit to my Deutchbank account..
No stranger read again. I was answering the comment, The reality is this country depends on recent immigrants”, when US citizen are not wiling to work, the laborers turn to illegals so work. Hence the hiring of so many illegals to complete the job. I was actually reference to another class of people that are not working when they can, but instead turn to crime. .
@ capt Could you be more specific re. “another class of people”? I doubt you will honestly tell us what you mean, but through insinuation one can conclude you are not referring to a “class of people” but people that you are obviously prejudiced against. You have learned well from the master of “dog whistle” terminology.
Getting back to the specifics of our posts, I ask again, will getting the hard working undocumented immigrants deported suddenly make this “class” of yours suddenly change their ways and step up and fill those jobs? I will assume your answer is no. I suspect you believe their behavior is in “those people’s nature”. So, as I said, prepare to pay up, do without, or do it yourself.


After winning back-to-back NBA championship titles, the Golden State Warriors were only expected to focus on retaining their core this offseason. However, despite going far beyond the luxury tax threshold, the Warriors managed to make a huge upgrade on their roster with the acquisition of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in free agency.
The arrival of DeMarcus Cousins in Golden State will undeniably make the Warriors massive favorites in the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season. However, there are some people who think Cousins could ruin the Warriors’ chemistry and become a headache in their locker room. Since entering the league in 2010, Cousins has received 118 technicals and has been ejected 13 times.
If the Warriors can’t control Cousins’ attitude on and off the court, his acquisition could do more harm than good for the reigning NBA champions next season. However, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry doesn’t want to focus on the negative side of the All-Star center. Curry has a strong belief that the Warriors can “bring the best out” of Cousins.
Stephen Curry admitted having a conversation with DeMarcus Cousins after the All-Star centered inked a contract with the Warriors. Curry said that there’s a lot of excitement with the Warriors’ acquisition of Cousins, especially with what he can bring to their team. The 30-year-old point guard added that Cousins knows how well the Warriors play inside the court.
For those who doubt his new teammate, Curry wants to remind them how DeMarcus Cousins played before he went down with a season-ending injury. In 48 games he played with the New Orleans Pelicans last season, Cousins posted incredible numbers, averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.6 steals while shooting 47 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Curry believes Cousins will be a great fit with the Warriors. Coach Steve Kerr will definitely love his ability to create plays and pass the ball. Though Cousins will miss the most of the regular season recovering from injury, he is expected to join the Warriors when the real battle begins in the Western Conference Playoffs.


Legendary Sanath Jayasuriya will make a welcome return to the Sri Lanka T20 and One Day International fold as the national selectors picked the former Sri Lanka captain yesterday to join the squad for the series against England starting on June 25 with aT20 at Bristol. The series also features five ODIs against England and one ODI each against Ireland and Scotland.
The exciting left hander who has thrilled the crowds around the world with his explosive stroke play, returns to Sri Lanka team after a one-and-a half year absence, having last represented the country in December 2009 against India at Delhi.
The experienced left hander who turns 42 on June 30, has established a plethora of World records in a 22-year international career that began in 1989, and played a major role in Sri Lanka’s rise as one of the strongest forces in world cricket, during a crucial transition period.
“I am doing my training as seriously as I’ve ever done in my career and my fitness levels are as good as I’ve been at 18. I am prepared always and am confident of what I can do” Jayasuriya told “Daily Mirror” in an exclusive interview on Monday.
Jayasuriya who has been in great form in the recent domestic Provincial limited overs tournament emerging as the highest scorer was unfortunate to miss out on a place in the Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad, but looked a certainty after left hand opener Upul Tharanga had to be left out of consideration for selection due to an alleged doping offence.
Following Sri Lanka’s swashbuckling captain Tillakaratne Dilshan sustaining a hairline fracture in his thumb during the second Test that finished at Lord’s on Tuesday, Jayasuriya became the obvious choice as the first opener yesterday.National selectors have picked 16 players for the tour squad including all rounder Angelo Mathews subject to fitness.
Interestingly the selectors have opted to include another left handed opener in the squad Dimuth Karunaratne. The 23 year old SSC opener has come through the ranks of Sri Lanka Under 19 team and is incidentally the third player in the squad to come from St. Joseph’s College, Colombo. The promising youngster has been in terrific form right through the recent domestic competitions.
Selectors have also made a sensational decision to appoint left hander Thilina Kandamby as the Vice Captain of the team while all rounder although Kumar Sangakkara acts as deputy to Dilshan in the test series. Jeewan Mendis has also been selected while dropping Tilan Samaraweera in a move which is likely to give a new look to the Sri Lankan middle order. Mendis, who represents Tamil Union was adjudged the player of the tournament in the recent domestic tournament and has been a proven talent in the local scene.
Pace ace Lasith Malinga who retired from test cricket last month has retained his place in the ODI squad while seamer Nuwan Kulasekara has also retained his place.
Apart from Samaraweera, Farveez Maharoof, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis, Chanaka Welagedara and Tharanga Paranavithana who are currently in England for the Test series will return home.
Salli.. Salli.. Loku Loku Salli…!
There’s not much of a chance to fix matches in white man’s land. The Subcontinental bookmakers aren’t intersted in English cricket.
Cricket is big money; the recent complainant will soon be wearing a blue shirt and be a CM while SJ and his gang continue to fish.
Everything is poilitics in sri Lanka. I am affraid that President Mahinda Rajapaksa may play in up coming T-20 SPL in Sri Lanka.
I’m in view of above no. 6th comment… Can you PLEASE DEAR use a different nic name instead of “amden” which i used till now… Otherwise it’ll be mixup comments of us..! This’s just a friendly…!
I’m in view of above no. 6th comment… Can you PLEASE DEAR use a different nic name instead of “amden” which i used till now… Otherwise it’ll be mixup comments of us..! This’s just a friendly request…!


Garance Dore was once told she was getting too old to have a child when she reached the age of 40.
The French blogger, who is now 42, opened up about her fertility struggles in a touching essay published on Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter on Friday.
She described how she and her fiance, jazz musician Chris Norton, tried for months to conceive a baby during a harrowing process that robbed her of her happiness and mental well-being.
Garance began toying with the idea of becoming a parent when she was 37 years old. At the time, the blogger, who lived in New York for years before moving to LA earlier this year, was dating her fellow fashion blogger Scott Schuman.
'I was with a man I loved, but my new desire for kids didn't seem to find its space in our couple. Too many travels, too big an age difference, too many cultural differences,' she wrote about Scott, who is now 49.
The blogger briefly thought about having a baby on her own, but she quickly met Chris, who at the time was 39 and, like Garance, had no children.
While it was too early in the relationship to start talking about babies, Garance started thinking about her 'biological clock'.
'At 20, my grandma started telling me it was time to have a child. At 30, my mom went at it. Don't wait too much, it will be too late!!! Still not ready, but OK, listening. Add to that friends, doctors, and society's pressure,' she recounted.
Ultimately, though, Chris was the one who brought up the idea of children, jokingly at first.
Then, the pair got engaged two years ago, and a few months later, set out to try to become parents.
Garance, who was almost 41, went to see her OB-GYN, who promptly delivered alarming comments.
'Your levels of this are WAY TOO LOW,' Garance wrote, recounting the doctor's remarks.
The 'at your age' comment stuck with Garance, who followed her doctor's advice and had the intrauterine insemination.
This means doctors closely monitored the state of her eggs, and at the most suitable moment, her partner's sperm was placed inside her and she received her first dose of hormones.
But the procedure was unsuccessful, and as their attempts to conceive kept failing, Garance became disheartened every time she got her period.
'From then on, my period would become the sign of the failure of my body, the failure of my femininity, the failure of my life,' she wrote.
One day, her OB-GYN brought up IVF during a phone conversation, as well as a surgery to remove Garance's fibroids, but something didn't feel quite right for the blogger, who went to see another doctor.
Instead of surgery, that doctor told her to take hormones and steroids and to keep hoping.
That was, Garance recounted, 'the perfect chemical cocktail to make an already fragile woman completely crazy'.
The process took a toll on her mental state and caused 'terrible fights' with her fiance. Soon, the blogger found herself wracked with guilt and crying every day.
To make matters worse, her doctor called her a few months later pointing out that she would soon reach the age of 42 and implying it might be her last chance to get an IVF.
'After 42, clinics won't want you, because they don't want to make their statistics drop, you understand?' she wrote, recounting the doctor's words.
In January, Garance and Chris moved to LA. That month, she also had the IVF.
'At that point, I was just a zombie, obeying whatever whoever with a little bit of knowledge told me,' she wrote.
Despite her internal turmoils, the blogger still put on a brave face and joked as she learned to give herself five injections a day and handled vast quantities of medication.
But after the IVF results came in, Garance learned the procedure hadn't worked and wouldn't, in fact, enable her and Chris to become parents.
That was when she reached her breaking point.
'Nothing had prepared me for this. Nothing had prepared me for a year on toxic hormones, toxic talks, and toxic thoughts. A year of losing my mind, my joy, my love,' she wrote.
That day, a friend gave her the phone number of a psychic, whom Garance called, because she felt the need to talk.
Upon hearing those words, Garance felt like her soul 'suddenly woke up'.
When she broke the news to Chris, he told her he loved her regardless of whether they were able to have children, and wanted her to start taking care of herself again.
The blogger pointed out that she wasn't going to end her essay with a surprise pregnancy announcement, and instead stressed how liberating it has been for her to be happy with her life as it is now.
'My story has helped me to understand the enormous amount of pressure that is put on women to be mothers, a pressure that I had completely internalized and that I question today,' she wrote.
'This idea of having a full life, of having it all. As if our lives couldn't be complete without children. The pressure, too, to use every possible means to have a child, because today if you want a baby, you're going to get one. If you don't, well, that means you didn't try enough.
Garance pointed out that women are 'complete' even without their dream job, or a glamorous wedding, or a baby.


In his first policy act as new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan is introducing a one-hour "hopper-fare" for bus users as promised in his election manifesto.
The fare system allows bus passengers to make an extra journey within an hour of touching in when using an Oyster card or contactless payment.
Previously, customers were obliged to pay £1.50 each time they boarded a bus.
The hopper-fare will "help ensure everyone will be able to afford to travel around the city," Mr Khan said.
It is scheduled to be introduced in September.
"The cost of a fare in London has risen for eight years in a row and now that I'm mayor I am determined to prevent the cost of travel from becoming a barrier to work."
Transport for London said it did not have the technology to allow passengers to enjoy unlimited bus transfers within one hour but it was hoping to upgrade its ticketing technology in 2017 and possibly introduce unlimited timed fares by the end of 2018.
A single journey costs £1.50. London buses stopped accepting cash payments for fares in 2014 and it is only possible to buy a single ticket - or use a travelcard which covers multiple journeys in the same day.
"It's Mayor Sadiq Khan's first big transport policy announcement and perhaps there is little surprise - that from the son of a bus driver - it involves buses.
From September, bus passengers who use Oyster and contactless will be able to change buses within one hour and only pay one fare.
Bus passengers - unlike tube passengers - at the moment have to pay every time they use a bus. With tube passengers the fare is decided by the zones. Many have said that is unfair.
The idea of a one hour "hopper" has been around for some time, it was part of the Liberal Democrats Mayoral manifesto in 2012 and Transport for London (Tfl) previously said a one-hour bus ticket will cost £50m a year.
There is also a statement of intent here from Tfl who have a new boss to impress and that is - it will deliver whatever the mayor wants. "
Sadiq Khan: A new broom for South Asian politics in London?


Unity government takes shape with ceremony overshadowed by would-be minister's arrest.
The MDC leader has selected 14 cabinet ministers but Mugabe, who was supposed to have 15 ministers sworn in, instead brought 22 as the swearing-in ceremony got underway.
The MDC splinter group, MDC Mutambara, has three cabinet posts.
But in the latest of a series of political twists, Roy Bennett, a white farmer who became treasurer of the MDC, was arrested at a Harare airport just an hour before the oath-taking ceremony, MDC sources said.
Bennett returned just last month from three years of self-imposed exile in South Africa, where he had fled to escape charges of plotting to kill Mugabe, and was set to become deputy agriculture minister in the new government.
Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa, reporting from Harare, said: "He [Bennett] is still in police custody some where outside the capital. People are confused as to what is going on."
She said some people were wondering why Tsvangirai had agreed for his ministers to be sworn in in the first place when one of them was being detained.
"They are trying to locate Mr Bennett at the moment. They are really not sure where he is. Once they cross that stage then the MDC will maybe give more clarity on what their position is."
Mutasa said there was "nothing new" in the cabinet list as Mugabe had sworn in staunch supporters who have served in his government for decades.
"It's still the old guard and if they come back with the same ideals, the same way of thinking, it will be very difficult for the new prime minister to actually work with them," she said.
"How will he put two different theories, two different groups of people together, how will they come out with one united front to help Zimbabwe to actually find a solution to the humanitarian crisis they are facing?
"Tsvangirai has a lot of work to do, a short time to do it in and people are saying it has to happen quickly or there is a danger that some of his supporters might lose patience with him."
Isabella Matambanadzo, Zimbabwe's programme director for the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, said: "It's really critical that this government comes together and delivers together.
"We want to know that we can live in a Zimbabwe where we will not be tortured by our own security forces. We also want to live in a Zimbabwe where we have predictability in our economy."
Control of the home affairs ministry, which oversees Zimbabwe's police forces, was one of the sticking points in power-sharing talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
Zanu-PF and the MDC will co-manage the ministry in the new government.
The crucial ministries of defence, justice and foreign affairs have remained under the control of Mugabe, who has been Zimbabwe's president since 1980.
Tsvangirai has selected Tendai Biti to the post of finance minister in an attempt to control soaring inflation which has rendered the Zimbabwe dollar practically worthless.
Biti, who has in the past been accused by Zanu-PF of treason, said that political unity depends on the actions of Mugabe's party.
"There has to be mutual respect - we are not going into [the cabinet] to fight. If we do have to fight, we will give as much as we get. But that is not the spirit that I want to see," Biti told Al Jazeera.
"The spirit is that we are going to put Zimbabwe first."
Massive foreign investment is required to help rebuild the country, but western countries say that such investment depends on whether there is long-term political stability.
"Until the government of Zimbabwe could convince us that there were going to be free and fair elections, and at the same time that there was going to be the removal of repressive legislation ... until these things happened, we could not treat Zimbabwe as if it was an ordinary country," Gordon Brown, Britain's prime minister, said.


Published: Nov. 21, 2010 at 04:16 p.m.
(14:56) B.St. Pierre pass deep left to D.Gettis for 88 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Published: Nov. 21, 2010 at 03:36 p.m.
Brian St. Pierre throws deep to David Gettis for an 88-yard TD in the 4th quarter vs. the Ravens.


NEW YORK (AP) Old enough to see the rustic world of his childhood disappear, Sam Shepard was a new kind of man who brought a new kind of language to the American stage.
“In True West,” “Buried Child” and other groundbreaking plays, Shepard’s characters spoke with a rugged poetry and raw introspection rarely heard from out of men and women from the American West. Like William Faulkner writing about the American South, Shepard gave voice to a society haunted by decline and defeat and a fear of being on the wrong side of an old and moral argument.
The handsome, taciturn Shepard was shaped by the frontier life he mourned and critiqued and by the revolutionary changes of the post-World War II era that helped upend it. He looked like an heir to Gary Cooper and other stars of Hollywood Westerns, but he was an artist for a rebellious and challenging time. In his 1971 one-act “Cowboy Mouth,” which he wrote with his then-girlfriend, musician and poet Patti Smith, one character says, “People want a street angel. They want a saint but with a cowboy mouth” – a role Shepard fulfilled for many.
Shepard was best remembered for his wrenching plays and his prominent role in the Off-Off-Broadway movement. His 1979 drama “Buried Child” won the Pulitzer for drama. Two other plays – “True West,” about two warring brothers, and “Fool for Love,” about a man who fears he’s turning into his father – also were nominated for Pulitzers.
His many film credits included Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven,” “Steel Magnolias,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” and 2012’s “Mud.” He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as pilot Chuck Yeager in 1983’s “The Right Stuff” and wrote Wim Wenders’ acclaimed 1984 drama “Paris, Texas”). He took acting gigs more frequently as he grew older and noted that one movie could pay for 16 plays.
In Shepard’s 1982 book “Motel Chronicles,” he said that he felt like he never had a home. That feeling, he later, acknowledged, always remained.


Left to right: Imogen Fife, Ian Whyte, Mark Robinson, Dave Hills, Lindy Woodrow, Norman Stephenson and coach Constantin Cosmin Petcu.
A number of City of Sunderland ASC Masters’ swimmers went the distance when they took part in the Swim England T30 swim.
The event is a national competition which sees how far swimmers can swim in 30 minutes.
City of Sunderland entered individual and team events with some fantastic results which was pleasing for new Masters’ coach, Constantin Cosmin Petcu.
In the individual events, Dave Hills (65-69 years) took the gold medal when he swam a distance of 2,050 metres in the allotted time.
Mark Robinson (5-39 years) also got gold when achieving an impressive distance of 2,070 metres.
Norman Stephenson (70-74 years) was awarded the silver medal for his distance of 1,610 metres, while Ian Whyte gained the bronze with distance of 1,800 metres.
Imogen Fife (18-24 years) ranked sixth in her age group, swimming a distance of 1,575 metres, and Lindy Woodrow (60-64 years) ranked ninth with a distance of 1,540 metres.
The swimmers also had success with the team events.
The male team comprised Dave Hills, Ian Whyte, Norman Stephenson and Mark Robinson and they took the silver medal in the 240-279 years combined age group, swimming a total of 7,530 metres.
The mixed team comprising Lindy Woodrow, Imogen Fife, Dave Hills and Ian Whyte took the bronze in the 200-239 years combined age group, swimming a total of 6,965 metres.


A Rockland man says it was all a misunderstanding over paperwork.
The U.S. Attorney begs to differ.
Rockland resident Stephen Grant, 48, was able to bypass Logan Airport security and board an American Airlines plane by doing little more than showing an assistant harbormaster badge to airport security personnel, then checking the wrong box on a federal form, authorities say.
Grant of 48 Berlin St., was charged Tuesday in U.S. District Court with impersonating a federal agent and making false statements.
Authorities say Grant boarded a flight to San Diego Jan. 1, 2007 without first passing through security by telling ticketing agents, a state trooper and flight personnel that he was a Department of Homeland Security agent and that he was �flying while armed,� according to an affidavit filed in court.
Three days later, Transportation Security Administration personnel in San Diego considered having his plane, which was returning to Boston, make an emergency landing, concerned that Grant �might be an imposter who had somehow snuck aboard the plane armed,� the affidavit said.
Grant said in a phone interview Tuesday that the whole episode was a result of a misunderstanding and that he did not bring a gun onto either flight.
�I had just gotten a firearms permit, and I had taken a course an attorney had put on about firearms and travel. My understanding was I had to let them (the airline) know I was able to carry a firearm, not that I had one on a plane,� Grant said.
�I filled out a form an checked a box I shouldn�t have checked because I had misunderstood,� he said.
As a result of a TSA investigation following the episode, Grant said he had paid a $4,000 fine and that he had not been charged with any crimes.
He said he was surprised when the TSA called him Tuesday and asked him to meet them at the U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan�s office in Boston.
�My lawyer said to me somewhere along the line someone did not get the paperwork,� said Grant, who is director of sales for YSI Life Sciences, which manufactures scientific instruments.
The affidavit says Grant, who was an assistant harbormaster in Chatham, was co-chairman of the Coast Guard�s Cape and Islands Homeland Security Subcommittee, which is made up of about 50 volunteers with maritime safety jobs.
Grant obtained a license to carry firearms on Oct. 16, 2006 from the Rockland police department, stating on his application that his occupation was �homeland security,� the affidavit said.
He bought a SIG Sauer .40-caliber handgun on Dec. 21, the affidavit said. Because of the airline incidents, Rockland police have since revoked his license.
When leaving Boston on Jan. 1, 2007, Grant filled out a flying-while-armed form listing �DHS (Port Security)� as the agency he worked for.
A ticketing agent sent Grant to meet a state trooper in Terminal B where he showed his assistant harbormaster badge and a picture ID bearing the words �Maritime Law Enforcement - Harbor Patrol,� his driver�s license and the flying-while-armed form.
Grant was then allowed to pre-board his flight, along with two armed federal air marshals without passing through airport security. A flight attendant told Grant that the pilot was armed as well.
On the return trip, Grant boarded the plane without filling out any paperwork and told a flight attendant who had been on his plane from Boston and recognized him that he was armed, a TSA investigator said in the affidavit.
Grant was introduced to the pilot, who following protocol, informed him that he was armed as well, and asked to see his paperwork.
Grant told him that he was with the Department of Homeland Security and that he was a harbormaster. He also said he was not always required to fill out paperwork, the affidavit said.
The pilot had Grant leave the plane, and an American Airlines gate agent gave him a flying-while-armed form, looked at his assistant harbor master badge and let him back on the plane.
Contacted Tuesday evening, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said she could not comment until she looked into the incident.
Grant is free on $50,000 unsecured bond.


Army Reserve Soldiers mobilized to assist the community after Hurricane Harvey. Many of the Soldiers conducting the rescue missions, despite sustaining damages to their own properties, still volunteered to put on the uniform and serve their local community.
This work, Meeting Harvey, by SGT Timothy Yao, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.


DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahraini police fired tear gas to break up a march on Saturday by thousands of Shi’ites mourning a man whom activists said was killed in custody but officials said had drowned, residents said.
Dozens of pro-government Sunni militants attacked the mourners, as riot police tried to break up the clashes and keep the two sides apart in Muharraq, a town north of the capital Manama, they said.
“Some shop windows were broken during the clashes. I know one was owned by a Shi’ite and one by a Sunni,” said a resident adding that police detained at least four people.
Clashes between security forces and mainly Shi’ite opposition activists have taken place on an almost daily basis after the Sunni-dominated government crushed a pro-democracy uprising last year.
The island nation, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, is seen by the United States and Saudi Arabia as a key ally against non-Arab Shi’ite power Iran just across Gulf waters.
“Police warned mourners several times (the) procession was unauthorized before using legal procedures to disperse the crowd and protect civil peace,” the Interior Ministry said on its Twitter page.
The main Shi’ite opposition group Wefaq called the police intervention against the funeral a “violation of human and religious rights,” according to its Twitter message.
The funeral was for a 24-year-old Shi’ite found dead a few days after he went missing. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said his body showed signs of torture, but the Interior Ministry said he suffered from psychological problems and had drowned.
Inspired by Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands of mainly Shi’ite Bahrainis took to the streets last February and March demanding curbs on the power of the ruling Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa family and an end to perceived discrimination.
The broader pro-democracy movement was suppressed with military backing from Bahrain’s Sunni-led Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
At least 35 people, including five members of the security forces, were killed in the unrest, according to an inquiry Bahrain commissioned into the protests and their aftermath. The inquiry said it found evidence of systematic abuse and torture.
Bahrain has promised to implement the inquiry’s recommendations, which the U.S. Congress has linked to its approval of a $53 million arms sale to Manama. Opposition groups doubt the kingdom’s commitment to reform.


HALIFAX—A March winter storm is forecast to hit this weekend and bring with it some significant snowfall.
Early on Saturday, Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Halifax and many other parts of mainland Nova Scotia, saying that heavy snow was likely to begin Saturday afternoon and continue into the evening.
About 15 centimetres of snow was expected for most areas, “with higher amounts possible in the west and along the Atlantic Coast,” the weather warning stated.
But by Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada had upgraded the snowfall amounts for the Halifax region, and changed the snowfall warning to a winter storm warning, which now includes most of mainland Nova Scotia.
The new warning said snowfall amounts of between 15 and 25 centimetres were now forecast for most of mainland Nova Scotia, with some southern areas of the province getting up to 40 centimetres.
Gusty winds were also expected for overnight Saturday.
“Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve,” this latest warning read.
On Saturday morning, Halifax Regional Municipality said it would enforce the overnight parking ban to allow crews to clear streets and sidewalks. Vehicles must be off municipal streets between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday or risk being ticketed or towed.
Snow should taper off by Sunday morning, the weather warning said, but it could be a short reprieve.
If the storm comes as forecasted, it could be the largest single-day snowfall for Halifax this winter.
A Feb. 13 storm brought 21.2 centimetres of snow and a New Year’s Day storm brought 17.4 centimetres.
In a separate weather statement, Environment Canada said the weekend storm was one of two low pressure systems heading for the Maritimes, with the second one approaching on Monday.
The statement said Haligonians should expect snow to start Monday morning with the second system and continue into Monday night. Precipitation could change to freezing rain throughout the day.


Ford Ice Center is the proud home of the Nashville Predators Amateur Hockey Association (NPAHA) and is committed to growing hockey; the youth house league is designed for male and female players, ages 5-18, of all skill levels. This recreational league provides participants the opportunity to develop individual and team hockey skills in a fun, relaxed environment.
The Ford Ice Center Scholarship Fund annually distributes need-based grants (valued at $500 each) to assist hockey players ages 18-and-under with their NPAHA youth house league fees. These need-based grants will lay the basis for youth with diverse backgrounds to continue playing hockey, providing a fun, safe and active outlet as they mature and grow into young adults. A $2,500 team sponsorship investment provides five need-based grants to deserving youth candidates.


JERMAIN DEFOE last night revealed the heartbreak behind his stunning winner for England.
That goal was for my cousin who died in St Lucia. It would have been her (21st) birthday today.
Tottenham striker Defoe came off the bench to smash home in the 80th minute as England secured their first win over Italy since 1977 and got revenge for their Euro 2012 quarter-final defeat to the runners-up.
But Defoe then revealed his personal anguish, paying tribute to his cousin Hannah Defoe, who died in a freak accident in St Lucia last month.
The 20-year-old was electrocuted after diving into a swimming pool while on holiday and distraught Defoe was forced to return home from Tottenham's summer tour of America.
Defoe said: "That goal was for my cousin who died in St Lucia. It would have been her (21st) birthday today.
"It's one of the best I've scored. But the main thing was to get a win. Even if you speak to the lads with more caps than me, every time you play you feel like you want to prove something.
"For a striker it is always important to score a goal and I am obviously delighted I could do that tonight."
Boss Roy Hodgson rang the changes and handed five debuts to his new-look side as they went some way towards making up for their Euro defeat to the Italians in Kiev in June.
Pleased Tom Cleverley, Jack Butland, John Ruddy and Adam Johnson impressed, while Phil Jagielka scored his first England goal in the 2-1 triumph in Berne.
Hodgson will now turn his attention to next month's World Cup qualifier in Moldova and admitted he has plenty to think about.
He said: "I'm pleased. It's the qualifiers that really count, but it's nice to know we have a deeper squad of players than what we took to the Euros.
"Everyone did well. I'm hard pushed to criticise anybody."
Hodgson singled out Defoe for special praise, adding: "His goal was spectacular.
"That is his forte, something he can do. He does it regularly for Tottenham and it was nice to see him doing it for England."


As a plant pathologist, Gordon Grimm pursued his lifelong passions at work and play.
"Nature was such an important part of his being," said Katherine Grimm of Winter Park, his wife of 30 years. "When we'd go outside, he would look around and he'd say, 'This is my cathedral.' "
Grimm, 93, died on Nov. 6. "He was a sweet person and my best friend," said Katherine Grimm.
Born in Madison, Wis., Grimm earned his doctorate in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin, where his studies were largely focused on the wheat that covered the Midwestern fields of his youth. He moved to Winter Park in 1953 for a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, researching Central Florida citrus plants. He was instrumental in helping growers combat phytophthora parasitica, a disease of the root system.
A keen observer, Grimm watched his new home grow along with the flora.
"He could remember when T.G. Lee's cows were actually in a pasture where the Colonial Plaza area is on Highway 50," said Katherine Grimm, referring to the Orlando dairy.
It was in Orlando that Gordon divorced his first wife and subsequently met Katherine, who had left New York to work at the Agriculture Department lab in 1971. They dated for years, during which time Gordon pursued his diverse artistic leanings. He studied sculpture at the Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park and created life-size busts of his father, two sons and the philosopher and theologian Albert Schweitzer, whom Gordon admired.
After he retired, Gordon and his wife spent three years abroad. The pair traveled to Russia, Egypt and throughout Europe, but it was the small German town of Zweibrucken where Grimm found kindred spirits.
"The little town had this park, and in it was a place called 'Europe's Rose Garden,' " remembers Katherine Grimm. "They had roses that could go back 200 years, and every year they would bring a new rose in. Gordon got to know the gardener very well. I think he must have photographed every single one of the hundreds of roses that were there, from the bud all the way to the full bloom."
After his return to America, Grimm added rose gardening to his hobbies, which already included photography and sailing. An avid woodworker, he built his own boat, a bright red sailing pram that he would take onto Lake Maitland near his Winter Park home. Gordon's oldest son, David Grimm of Altamonte Springs, remembers his father's attention to detail during sailing lessons.
"I remember him laying on the bottom of this little boat," said David, "and he's listening to hear the water moving against the hull. He could tell how smooth my turns were by the sound of the water."
David also recalls his father's time as an umpire during Little League games.
"One time, he called me out on strikes," David said. "I looked back at him and he said, 'It is what it is.' ... He was not a risk taker, really, but he was someone who felt you could learn a lot from your mistakes, from your suffering and that sort of thing."
During the final decade of his life, Grimm battled dementia, and his wife recalls "he was gracious and kind throughout it."
In addition to his wife and son David, Gordon Grimm is survived by children Laurie, Janet and Suzy of Winter Park and Gary of Orlando; a sister, Laura of Madison, Wis.; a stepson, James Butler of Philadelphia; and six grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by National Cremation Society.


In 2002 on Christmas Eve, two-year-old Bryce Faber was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a deadly. The toddler's treatment, in addition to surgery, included massive amounts of radiation followed by even more massive amounts of antibiotics, and it no doubt saved his life. But those mega-doses of antibiotics, while staving off infections in his immunosuppressed body, caused a permanent side effect: deafness.
"All I remember is coming out of treatment not being able to hear anything," said Bryce, now a healthy 14-year-old living in Arizona. "I asked my mom, 'Why have all the people stopped talking?'" He was 90 percent deaf.
"The loss has been devastating," said his father, Bart Faber. "But not as devastating as losing him would have been."
Treatment with aminoglycosides, the most commonly used class of antibiotics worldwide, is often a lifesaving necessity. But an estimated 20-60 percent of all patients who receive these antibiotics suffer partial or complete hearing loss.
Now researchers report that they have developed a modified version of an aminoglycoside that works effectively in mice without the risk of causing deafness or kidney damage, another common side effect. The researchers hope to test versions of the modified antibiotic in humans.
"If we can eventually prevent people from going deaf from taking these antibiotics, in my mind, we will have been successful," said Anthony Ricci, PhD, professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Stanford University and co-senior author of the study. "Our goal is to replace the existing aminoglycosides with ones that aren't toxic."
It took the scientists four years of research to produce 5 grams of the newly patented antibiotic, N1MS, which is derived from sisomicin, a type of aminoglycoside.
N1MS cured urinary tract infection in mice just as well as sisomcicin, but did not cause deafness, study results show. The study presents a promising new approach to generating a new class of novel, nontoxic antibiotics, Ricci said.
The two senior authors -- Ricci and Alan Cheng, MD, associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery -- joined forces in 2007 to explore the idea of creating new and improved versions of these antibiotics based on a simple yet groundbreaking idea born of Ricci's basic science research into the biophysics of how hearing works within the inner ear.
"It's a nice example of how basic science research is directly translatable into clinical applications," said Ricci.
Ricci is an expert on the process by which sound waves open ion channels within the sensory hair cells of the inner ear, allowing their conversion to electrical signals that eventually reach the brain.
Because aminoglycosides cause deafness by killing these nonregenerating hair cells, Ricci postulated, why not simply make the drug molecules unable to enter the cells' channels?
The idea made sense to Cheng.
"As a clinician-scientist, I treat kids with hearing loss," Cheng said. "When a drug causes hearing loss it is devastating, and it's especially disturbing when this happens to a young child as they rely on hearing to acquire speech.
"When I came to Stanford seven years ago from the University of Washington, I was exploring the angle that maybe we could add drugs to protect the ear from toxicity. Tony brought up this new idea: Why don't we just not let the drug get in? Great idea, I thought. When do we start to work?"
For 20 years, and despite newer, alternative antibiotics, aminoglycosides have remained the mainstay treatment worldwide for many bacterial diseases, including pneumonia, peritonitis and sepsis. They also are often used when other antibiotics have failed to treat infections of unknown origins.
Their popularity is due, in part, to their low cost, lack of need for refrigeration and effectiveness at treating bacterial infections at a time when the declining potency of antibiotics is a major public health concern. They are frequently used in neonatal intensive care units to battle infections, or even the threat of infections, which pose a life-threatening risk for babies. Exactly how many premature babies suffer hearing loss as a side effect of treatment with the drug is unknown, Ricci said.
"The toxicity of these drugs is something we accept as a necessary evil," said Daria Mochly-Rosen, PhD, director of SPARK, a program at Stanford that assists scientists in moving their discoveries from bench to bedside.
SPARK worked closely with Ricci and Cheng, providing both the funding and the expertise necessary as they entered the new landscape of drug development. "Being an expert on the inner ear put Dr. Ricci in a unique position to help design a better drug -- one that would be a huge advantage, especially for premature babies," Mochly-Rosen said. "This is a project that could make a huge difference in human health."
For decades, researchers have looked for ways of preventing aminoglycosides from killing off the hearing cells of the inner ear, Ricci said.
"So many approaches have failed," Ricci said. "The main problem has been that if you succeeded in stopping the drug from killing hair cells, then you also stopped its antimicrobial effect. The drug just doesn't work anymore."
The goal, Ricci said, was to keep the antibacterial properties of the drug intact while preventing it from entering the inner-ear cell's ion channels. He and his fellow researchers used data from structural biologists at Stanford who better understood how the antibiotics fought off infection.
"We figured, well, let's not mess with that part of the drug," Ricci said. "We targeted sites on the drug molecule that were not involved in the antimicrobial activity that kills off infection. This allowed us to reduce toxicity to the ear while retaining antimicrobial action."
The researchers made nine different compounds derived from sisomicin. All nine were significantly less toxic than sisomicin to hair cells when tested in the laboratory. Three of the nine were comparable to sisomicin in inhibiting the growth of and killing E. coli bacteria. Of the three derivatives, however, N1MS was the most effective against the bacteria, and the researchers used it to successfully treat E. coli-caused bladder infection in a mouse model while leaving hearing intact. They also found that, unlike the parent compound, N1MS was nontoxic to the kidneys.
"We postulate that entry into kidney cells is also through a channel, and so entry is reduced here as well," Ricci said. "It is speculation at this point because unlike with the hair cell, we have not measured drug entry into the kidney cells, but it seems reasonable."
Published inthe Journal of Clinical Investigation. Other Stanford University co-authors are postdoctoral scholars Markus Huth, MD, Yi-Ju Hsieh, PhD, Thomas Effertz, PhD, Kyu-Hee Han, MD, and Sarah Verhoeven, MD; research assistants Kayvon Sotoudeh and Andrew Vu, MD; Michael Hsieh, MD, PhD, assistant professor of urology; and SPARK chemistry consultant Robert Greenhouse, PhD. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants P30DC010363, K08DK087895, K08DC011043, R21DC012183, RO1DC003896 and RO1DC013910), the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Jerry Yang Faculty Scholar Fund and SPARK.


A North Korean traffic policewoman has been awarded the rare 'Hero of the Republic' award, sparking speculation she may have saved the life of Kim Jong-un.
South Korean media suggested that Ri Kyong-Sim may have rescued the North Korean leader from a traffic accident, while others speculated about a possible assassination attempt.
In a brief dispatch, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that Ms Ri "displayed the heroic self-sacrificing spirit of safeguarding the security of the headquarters of the revolution in an unexpected circumstance."
The phrase "headquarters of the revolution" is often used to refer to the country's supreme leadership.
The "Hero of the Republic" award is usually reserved for heroic acts during wartime, although it is also given to individuals who have made a major contribution to the country's advancement.
Recently, a large number were given to scientists and technicians involved in the North's long-range rocket launch in December and February's nuclear test.
Park Kun-Ha, secretary general of NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a North Korean defector group, said it was "very rare" for such a prestigious award to be handed out to a low-level functionary.
"I suspect it might have been linked to an assassination attempt disguised as a traffic accident," Park told AFP.
Speculation that Kim Jong-un was involved in some way was fuelled by hints in state media reports that followed the initial KCNA announcement.
"Comrade Ri's action was not made possible by pure accident, but made possible because she had always harboured this longing for the respected leader day and night," her superior officer told state TV in an interview.
Her former teacher said: "She was always such a responsible person ... that explains why she could achieve such a heroic feat for the safety of the brains of our revolution."
State TV showed hundreds of soldiers and traffic police attending the award ceremony, during which Ms Ri wept uncontrollably.
"I couldn't feel more grateful for the mercy shown by our respected leader in awarding me this highest honour," she said.
The hundreds of guests applauded her as she laid a floral tribute before joint statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, the current leader's grandfather and father.