Charles J. Ostermeier, 68, of Green Bay, Wis., formerly of Kewaunee, Wis. and Geneseo, died Sunday evening, Sept. 19, 2010, at home. A memorial service will be held Friday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at MALCORE (West) Funeral Home, 1530 West Mason St., Green Bay. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at the funeral home.
He was born Dec. 16, 1941, in Springfield, the son of John and Helen (Morgan) Ostermeier. He graduated from Illinois State University with a master’s degree in history. He was a dedicated teacher at Geneseo High School for his entire career, teaching English, literature and history, retiring as department head in 1990. He then moved to Kewaunee, where he owned a small family farm. He later retired to Green Bay. He will be remembered for his enjoyment of classical music, classic literature and history.
Survivors include three sons and spouses, Charles and Gaylia and their children, Loretta and Lillian of Slater, Iowa, Larry and Jackie and their children, Emily and Abby of Kewaunee, and John and Holly and their children, Isabel and Ben of Appleton, Wis.; a daughter and spouse, Mary and John Otradovec and their son, Frank, and an additional child on the way, of Kewaunee; one “sister” and spouse, Pat and Bill Meteer of Athens, and one “brother” and spouse, Tom and Peggy Ostermeier of Athens.


A blast from the past: To meet up again or not?
An old school friend hits you up, out of the blue... are you really expected to meet up and see each other?
Mags shares how she bumped into an old high school buddy at the petrol station a few months ago, and you know how you feel obliged to swap numbers and lie to each other by saying that you'll meet up for coffee or lunch.
Well, weeks later, the friend made numerous attempts to reach out and set a lunch date, but with how busy and hectic Mags' schedule is, a get-together just doesn't happen.
Since then, she's received harshly-worded messages from this old friend, who's now feeling too entitled to Mags' time and life.
Read: Have you ever been 'ghosted' by an old friend?
Would you agree to meet up and have it be potentially awkward or would you rather make an excuse?


There's a new resource for homeowners, architects, designers and eco-activists in the Bay Area interested in practicing sustainability: the Green City Gallery.
Opened July 22 on Shattuck Avenue, near the Downtown Berkeley BART Station, it is a joint effort by Bay Localize, an Oakland nonprofit that focuses on regional self-reliance and ecological sustainability, and DIG Cooperative, a building group that focuses on helping members achieve a greener lifestyle.
The goal is to demonstrate how conservation, recycling and reuse can be brought into homes and businesses.
Babak Tondre, a permaculture teacher at DIG Cooperative and a gallery curator, said, "This is an eco-design showcase; we want to mainstream green technology by making it more visible."
Tondre said visitors to the gallery will leave with an "action package" of ideas for making sustainable design part of their lives.
The gallery's organizers were given a generous lease from a neighbor up the street, developer Soheyl Modarressi of the gourmet takeout hotspot Epicurious Garden.
"We made a presentation to Soheyl on how he could create a 'living roof' for Epicurious Garden, providing food production, water catchment and solar energy," Tondre said. "He was so impressed that he challenged us to use this space for the summer, to show the public what's being done" with green technology.
The organizers had two months in which to pull the exhibits together.
The bare-bones, slightly run-down space is highlighted by a model living roof that stretches from corner to corner of the gallery's front window. Visitors can study the rooftop garden design, a smaller version of the approach that will be used on the 2.5-acre living roof being installed on top of the California Academy of Science's new building in Golden Gate Park.
There's also a display of habitiles, a modular vertical tiling system from designer Aurora Mahassine. These porous tiles have pockets for soil and plants and are designed to be hung on the outside of urban buildings.
"The habitiles are like living downspouts; they collect water and provide a habitat for birds and butterflies," Tondre said.
Other exhibits ringing the large gallery focus on green power and energy; natural building techniques; constructed wetlands; and gray water systems, which channel water from sinks, showers and washing machines into the garden.
Tondre points out that "for plants with a certain root depth, this diverted gray water irrigation reduces the need for sprinklers," particularly helpful during a dry year such as this one.
A second advantage is that it reduces the amount of water that must be treated. With enough participation, Tondre suggested the East Bay Municipal Utility District could consider a gray water rebate program, which would credit homeowners and businesses for diverting water from its treatment plants.
One of the most intriguing exhibits sits in the middle of the gallery. On one side is a toilet with a garden sprouting from behind its tank, and on the other is a urinal with a similarly lush plot of plants behind it.
It is the "PeePeePonics" installation, designed by Nik Bertulis of DIG Cooperative. The design channels urine and feces through specially chosen plants that act as filters, cleaning the output by consuming toxins and effluents and converting it to nitrogen-rich nourishment for the plants themselves.
The gallery also features art created from recycled materials or reflecting the natural environment, such as "Thunderbird Calls for a Meeting of the Ways" by Christina Bertea, constructed entirely of recycled materials, including a hibachi grill.
The gallery will act as a hub for urban sustainability. According to gallery events organizer Kat Steele, there's a speaker series in conjunction with SOULutioneers, an organization leading the permaculture movement. Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements that mimic the structure and interrelationship of natural ecologies. It encompasses agriculture, architecture, land access, legal and economic systems.
The gallery will also play host to the Berkeley Green Drinks Group, an informal networking and social event for players in the environmental movement.
"We want the gallery to be a hub for workshops, networking and social interactions for the sustainability community," Steele said.
One challenge facing the Green City Gallery is funding. Epicurious' Modarressi extended the group's lease through September after seeing the number of enthusiastic visitors at the gallery's opening. Beyond that, however, the gallery's organizers have to raise funds to stay in their present location or find another suitable space.
"We're in the process of planning an Aug. 24 fundraising gala," Steele said, adding that donations to the gallery are welcome at any time.
Given the precarious nature of the Green City Gallery's future, it's worth a summer field trip - for homeowners, architects and designers - to brush up on real-life sustainable design techniques.
-- Green City Gallery, 1950 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, digcity.coop/greencitygallery . Open daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Aug. 31.


CHAPEL HILL � There�s an unspoken taboo against rushing the court after important victories at places such as North Carolina and Duke.
Those are the celebrations of the huddled masses, not two of college basketball�s most celebrated blue bloods � for whom big wins, even those of the emotional variety, are the expectation not the hope. But on this occasion, the Tar Heel faithful at the Smith Center couldn�t restrain themselves.
There was simply too much pent-up anticipation after last week�s weather-related postponement and the stirring second half comeback that led to Thursday�s 74-66 victory against the Blue Devils to keep the festivities confined to the restraints of the seating area. Whether the unusually raucous crowd of 21,750 was the spark that ignited UNC�s eighth straight victory overall and first in three years against its hated rival at home or vice versa is both uncertain and inconsequential.
All that matters is that the once-stumbling Tar Heels are rapidly rounding into the formidable team they were originally predicted to be. And that people are starting to take notice, even those who weren�t involved in the postgame crush of humanity that eventually spilled over to nearby Franklin Street until the wee hours of Friday morning.
Where once the Tar Heels (19-7, 9-4 ACC) would fall apart at the first sign of adversity, they�re now finding ways to embrace it and win no matter how desperate a situation they find themselves facing. On Monday at Florida State, they rallied from an early 15-point deficit in a game that saw star forward James Michael McAdoo foul out without scoring a single point. Three nights later they battled back from 11 points down against the nation�s fifth-ranked team by turning to an unusual defensive strategy � a 1-3-1 zone that rendered Duke�s shooting touch as cold as the wintery weather that kept the game from being played as scheduled last Wednesday.
UNC grabbed the momentum by holding the Blue Devils without a field goal for 8� minutes during the second half. It grabbed the lead at 62-60 on a McDonald jumper with 3:53 left. Once it did, it was clear coach Roy Williams� streaking team wasn�t about to give it back.
�We decided that with a crowd this great, with the momentum we�ve had, we had to get this game,� point guard Marcus Paige said afterward. �We really fought.
For whatever the reason, that was an element Duke lacked during a second half in which it made only 3 of 13 3-pointers, got outrebounded 23-15 and was outscored 44-29.
That life � or sense of urgency, as Williams likes to call it � has been by far the most important element in the Tar Heels� recent resurrection. It�s even more of a factor than the steady play of Paige and McAdoo, the steady emergence of young big men Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson, and a defense that has quietly become one of the ACC�s best.
It�s an energy that, like the momentum of an emotional comeback against a hated neighboring rival, is awfully hard to stop once it gets going in the right direction.
Especially at places in which winning is the expectation, not just the hope.


The LSL Cubilete will allow you play the Standard Cubilete game against 3 other players on the table following the classic rules. Each player takes its turn to roll (configurable up to 3 rolls), setting aside any dice they want for their final hand. The player with the highest 5 of a kind hand wins (Aces are wild cards). A number of rounds are played and the winner of a game is the first to score the define total points (or patas).


Nothing makes a shower or bath experience complete like your favorite podcast or playlist. With this waterproof speaker, you can hit play, skip songs, adjust the volume, and more. Just suction cup it to any surface and you'll always have your tunes within arm's reach.


The victim was in the crosswalk when he was hit by the driver of a SUV.
WAUPACA - No criminal charges will be filed in the traffic crash that killed John "Jack" Penney, a longtime Waupaca County supervisor and former Waupaca County sheriff's captain.
Police said Penney was walking north across Royalton Street at Harding Street about 1:15 p.m. Sunday when he was hit by an eastbound SUV driven by Richard Morales, of Waupaca.
Penny was in the crosswalk, having already cleared one traffic lane, at the time of the crash. He was taken to ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca and then was airlifted to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. He died from his injuries Monday.
Morales was cited for failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian at an uncontrolled intersection.
"It's a tragedy all around," Police Chief Brian Hoelzel told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. "Jack was 86, and this gentleman (Morales) was 83."
Hoelzel said the case was reviewed by the Waupaca County District Attorney's Office.
"It was determined there would be no criminal charges," Hoelzel said.
Penney lived in Lind and worked for the sheriff's department for 35 years, retiring as a captain. He served the past 28 years as a supervisor on the Waupaca County Board, winning re-election in April.
According to policy, the County Board will appoint a resident in District 16 to serve the remainder of Penney's term, which runs to April 2020.
"We typically advertise for the position, almost like an application process, and then the board would select from the applicants," Waupaca County Clerk Jill Lodewegen said.
District 16 covers the towns of Dayton and Lind.
The funeral service for Penney will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at A. J. Holly & Sons Funeral Home, 526 S. Main St., Waupaca. Visitation will start at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home.


Downside risks dominated the AUD/USD currency pair on Wednesday. The Australian Dollar declined about 86 base points against the US Dollar during the end of yesterday's trading session.
Currently, the exchange rate is stranded between SMAs. The 50-hour simple moving average was providing resistance at 0.7088, while the 100-hour moving average was providing support for the rate at 0.7077.
Everything being equal, it is likely that the currency exchange rate continues its downside momentum during the following trading session. Technical indicators suggest a target of 0.70 could be a possibility during the coming hours.


MONORE — The world’s oldest person celebrated her 115th birthday quietly Friday with a cake, family members and friends at a Walton County nursing facility.
In more than a century, Besse Cooper witnessed historic events on a personal, as well as a national scale.
She has traveled in a houseboat down a river with her family, watched the rise of airplanes and autos, taught school, survived the Great Depression, married and raised her own family.
This time last year, Cooper celebrated her 114th birthday and her rank as the third oldest living person with a big party and an Elvis Presley impersonator. Cooper already was in her 60s when Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” became a No. 1 hit.
His mother didn’t want another year in the spotlight, said Sidney Cooper.
“She’s just not up for company,” he said.
But people — especially the media — have called him a lot this week asking about his mother, Sidney Cooper said. Even the British Broadcast Corporation asked for an interview about the woman born in 1896.
“I guess it just fascinates people that anybody can live to be 115,” he said.
His mother’s health continues to hold strong — though she does sleep more this year than last year, Sidney Cooper said.
The family has held several big birthday celebrations for Besse, including her 80th birthday party.
“We really thought she was getting old (when she was 80),” Sidney Cooper said.
But his mother continued to age gracefully and stayed in her home until she reached age 105. That year she moved to an assisted living facility.
The oldest person to ever live was 122 years old, said Robert Young, Guinness World Records’ Gerontology consultant.
He knows of fewer than 25 people who’ve made it to the 115-year mark, Young said.
Young gave Besse Cooper a plaque recognizing her status in the Guinness World Book of Records.
Seeing someone survive for so many years seems to give people hope about adding extra years on their own lives, Young said.
While Besse Cooper didn’t want her picture taken, the family did allow a few interlopers to share some birthday cake.
Mike Cronic, a guitarist who played with Athens-based band the Normaltown Flyers, detoured while on a trip from Nashville to Athens to serenade Besse Cooper on her birthday.
“When I read about Mrs. Cooper, I thought ‘I have to do this,’ ” Cronic said.
The story about Besse living on a barge with her family really captured his imagination, he said.
Cronic also plays for older adults in Nashville, he said.
“I’ve always been interested in older people,” he said.
While Besse Cooper tops the list, Georgia has another confirmed supercentenarian in Athens; Leila Denmark is the seventh oldest living person at 113 years.


But for many Americans it doesn’t feel that way. Congress is intransigent. Our presidential candidates are divisive. Race relations are tense. Social classes are disconnected.
While there’s no one solution to heal all that is broken, there’s a belief that one remedy might be more people doing community service.
America is a country that extols rugged individualism and people who make it on their own, but along the way, in that search for personal growth, many have forgotten service beyond ourselves. Over the years, a number of academic studies have shown that volunteering has real benefits for mental and even physical health, yet in 2014, 75 percent of Americans did not volunteer, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Fewer college students aspire to careers in public service. The military has its smallest share of Americans serving since before World War II. Just shy of 20 percent of 18- to 29-year-old citizens voted in the 2014 midterm election.
This, some argue, is what has made us retreat to our respective corners with little regard for communities outside our own.
In January, Joe Kearns Goodwin gave a local TED Talk in Boston called “National Service Can Make America Great Again,” wherein he laid out the benefits of doing work outside one’s self-interest.
He grew up in an affluent Massachusetts town, his father an adviser to presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, his mother the famous presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. He went to Harvard, with plans to attend a prestigious law school and one day work in Washington like his parents.
That trajectory changed on Sept. 11, 2001. Goodwin, then 23, felt a powerful calling to serve. So, he enlisted in the Army days later and served overseas in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He left the Army in 2006 only to be called back to serve again in Afghanistan in 2008.
In the military, Goodwin worked alongside people he would probably have never met if he’d followed his original life plan. Regardless of where they came from, they all worked together for a common cause — for something bigger than themselves.
Since his talk, Goodwin has joined the growing chorus of advocates in support of a national year of service.
The idea was borne out of a discussion between CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer and Gen. Stanley McChrystal at the Aspen Ideas Festival in 2012. Schieffer said there wasn’t a real common experience for Americans anymore, which launched a conversation about whether there should be a mandatory year of service for young people.
The alliance launched in January, a merger of nonprofit groups that all worked in the service space, and it plans to fully start an awareness campaign to reach young people in the fall. As of now, the alliance has identified 65,000 different full-time, year-long opportunities for young Americans to do their year of service.
It’s not that people don’t want to serve, said MacKenzie Moritz, chief of staff at Service Year Alliance, it’s that they’re not aware of what is available to them.
If a year of service became a rite of passage for young adults, advocates believe it would dramatically mend our fragmented citizenry.
Sign up for the Saturday Inspired Life newsletter.


What should be ideal gap between meals and exercise?
Home » Frequently asked Questions on Health » What should be ideal gap between meals and exercise?
Q: For how long should one not eat anything before and after exercise?
A:If you are gong in for a very strenuous workout, first thing in the morning, it is advisable to eat a small breakfast like a banana or apple. Ideally there should be a gap of an hour and a half between a heavy meal and a workout. It takes that much time for the digestive process to take care of the food ingested. You can eat something almost immediately after you finish your workout though. Though these are the general rules to go by, it may work differently for different people.


New United States sanctions on oil exports from Iran could impact local refiners as multinationals seek to ensure that American markets and financial institutions are not closed to them. This may mean that they are compelled to stop importing crude from Iran, which supplies nearly 30% of South Africa’s needs.
Last week the European Union joined the US in banning oil imports from Iran. The US government placed sanctions on Iran in a bid to force it to abandon its nuclear programme.
The sanctions are designed to target Iran’s crude-oil revenue while avoiding disruptions to international oil markets.
A new US law provides for sanctions on foreign financial institutions for certain kinds of transactions, including those related to petroleum and petroleum products, with the Central Bank of Iran and designated Iranian financial institutions.
China, the largest importer of Iranian oil, has refused to impose sanctions and the US is now seeking to ensure that they are tightly implemented elsewhere. US embassy spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau confirmed that a representative of the US treasury was in South Africa.
“The treasury official met representatives of private business in South Africa, including members of the banking industry, as well as officials from the South African government,” she said. These meetings were “part of our ongoing dialogue with countries around the world on the implications and implementation of the sanctions legislation”.
But South African refineries are geared to process lighter grades of oil, such as those from Iran, and the cost to refurbish these refineries to use other grades would be about R300-million, according to Nelisiwe Magubane, the director general of the department of energy.
Tom Wheeler, a research associate at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said “the US can offer us [South Africa] nothing except threats”.
If the matter made it to the United Nations Security Council, Wheeler said, it would be a long drawn-out process. It all depended on whether a forthcoming report from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s nuclear programme was critical of Iran. If so, it was likely that the US and the EU would raise it with the security council and start a process that could lead to some sort of resolution.
Although South Africa is yet to show its hand, oil companies are already preparing for the worst.
Sasol said that until recently it procured a relatively small volume of Iranian crude oil—about 12 000 barrels a day. Spokesperson Jacqui O’Sullivan said this volume represented roughly 20% of Sasol’s crude requirement for processing at its Natref refinery.
The South African Petroleum Industry Association said the majority of its members did not buy crude from Iran and it was “not an industry-wide issue”.
Engen, said to be the largest user of Iranian oil, would not comment on its plans. Spokesperson Tania Landsberg said it was “an industry issue”.
Magubane told reporters at a briefing that local oil refineries were all run by private oil companies. The state-owned PetroSA did not import crude oil, but produced petrol from gas. The energy department told the Mail & Guardian that oil companies were responsible for the import of crude oil for their refineries, although the state maintained “strategic stocks in case of emergencies”. Should the need arise, it said, the government did have the capacity to import crude oil and petroleum products through the strategic fuel fund and PetroSA.
Magubane said the department was investigating sourcing alternatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Ghana and Angola.
The department of international relations and cooperation did not respond to questions.


THE demolition of a Victorian pub in Portsmouth could make way for an 'eye-catching' three-storey development.
Plans for 12 homes have been submitted on the site of the former Mr Pickwick pub on Milton Road, just around the corner from Fratton Park, where last orders were called in 2017.
A mix of one and two-bed flats plus a larger three-bedroom family flat are proposed, as well as parking for 13 cars.
The most recent application comes after previous rejected designs were branded 'bland' and criticised for the parking layout.
But Mark Holman, of HRP Architects, which recently took over the project, believed the latest scheme addressed these issues. 'We have moved the car parking to the north of the site, meaning that the building won't be so close to the properties on the west,' he said.
'Highways England are now happy with how the parking will work.
'The original design was also immensely traditional. But the council felt it was an important road and they wanted the development to make more of a statement.
As part of the council's housing policy it is proposed that four of the homes are made affordable.
Portsmouth housing activist Cal Corkery hoped this target would be met. He said: 'I welcome any new development that includes a significant proportion of affordable homes.
Mr Pickwick was once a Long’s brewery pub called Cremorne Gardens, which was given its Dickensian name in the mid-1970s, and in 1986 it became Duke’s. Refurbished in 1989, the pub was renamed Mr Pickwick. It closed in 2017.
So far the application has garnered one objection.
Pat Lopez, who lives in the neighbouring Holmes Park, was fearful that the car park entrance on the west side of the site would case traffic problems. In an objection letter she said: 'I do not want the car access to the parking area of the new build flats next to my flat and I believe the bend in the road there will make such an access point dangerous.
'My other point about another access point across the traffic lanes so close to Holmes Park access also will disrupt traffic flow. When I have to pull into my block across the traffic lanes cars get annoyed that they have entered that lane then get stuck behind me as I can only indicate to pull into my block as I've passed the traffic lights.
The flats application could go to a future planning meeting.


This afternoon, President Clinton addresses World Trade Organization (WTO) trade ministers at a luncheon hosted by Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. Trade Representative, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle. The President will be joined by other members of his Cabinet and by WTO Director General Michael Moore at the luncheon. In his speech, the President will discuss his vision for a 21st century trading system -- one that is robust and responsive to rapid changes in technology, addresses the concerns of the poorest countries, and puts a human face on the global economy. Working with the other nations of the WTO, the President wants the Seattle Round to focus on expanding prosperity and improving the quality of life and work here at home and around the globe. This Round should ensure that the global trading system honors our values and meets our goals for the 21st Century.
1. BETTER INTEGRATING POOR COUNTRIES INTO THE GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM. The initiative that the President is promoting, along with European Union, Japan and Canada, would provide enhanced market access for the poorest countries. It will also revitalize and expand the technical cooperation and capacity building programs so that the poorest countries can effectively participate in the WTO and enjoy the benefits of the trading system. But to fully integrate poor countries into the global trading system, we must also help them develop the capacity to meet WTO requirements. The WTO will work in concert with other international organizations to revitalize their technical cooperation efforts in concert with recipients of such assistance. The United States worked in partnership with Bangladesh, Lesotho, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia on the technical cooperation element.
2. A NEW APPROACH TO HELP POOR COUNTRIES GAIN ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE MEDICINES. The President today announced that the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Department of Health and Human Services will develop a cooperative approach on health-related intellectual property matters consistent with our goal of helping poor countries gain access to affordable medicines. Through this approach, we will ensure the application of U.S. trade law related to intellectual property, such as Special 301, remains sufficiently flexible to respond to legitimate public health crises.
- LABOR: The United States proposes the creation of a WTO Working Group on Trade and Labor during the Seattle Round. In December 1996, WTO members renewed their commitment to the "observance of internationally recognized core labor standards." The U.S. Working Group proposal would create a mechanism within the WTO to meet this commitment by fostering dialogue and research on six labor issues that deal with the extent to which expanded trade promotes broad gains in living standards and economic development. In addition, the U.S. supports a strengthening of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO has made considerable progress in recent years. In 1998, it issued a declaration establishing core labor standards as universal principles of human rights. And in 1999, the ILO passed a convention banning the worst forms of child labor. The U.S. proposal would build on these successes by granting the ILO observer status at the WTO, similar to that enjoyed by the World Bank, IMF and the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
- ENVIRONMENT: President Clinton has committed to ensure that "spirited economic competition among nations never becomes a race to the bottom in environmental protection." The United States will pursue an agenda in Seattle to: conduct a U.S. environmental review on the consequences of the Round; proposing that the WTO's Trade and Environment Committee help identify environmental implications as the Round proceeds; pursuing "win-win" opportunities that provide both more open markets and the promise of yielding environmental benefits, such as elimination of tariffs on environmental goods and elimination of fishery subsidies that contribute to over-fishing; insisting that the WTO continue to recognize the right of members to take measures to meet environmental standards higher than those required by international standards; and strengthening the cooperation between the WTO and international environmental organizations like the UN Environmental Program. In addition, the President recently signed an Executive Order to require environmental reviews of major trade agreements with significant forseeable environmental implications.
- WTO REFORM AND DEVELOPING COUNTRY INSTITUTION BUILDING: The United States will also pursue an agenda to make the WTO itself more open and accessible - reflecting core democratic values. Specifically, the U.S. has proposed opening the WTO's dispute resolution procedures to the public, allowing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to file amicus curiae briefs in disputes, and creating institutional structures to increase consultation with NGOs. In addition, the U.S. is proposing measures to help developing nations by providing technical assistance on implementing trade policy and strengthening institutions in developing countries responsible for trade, labor, environment and other policies that influence the gains to living standards from trade.


The Learning Network | Should Voting Be Mandatory?
A healthy representative democracy depends on citizens exercising their right to vote. Yet here in the United States, usually 40 percent of eligible voters don’t vote during presidential elections, and typically 60 percent don’t vote in congressional midterm elections.
Jury duty is mandatory; why not voting? The idea seems vaguely un-American. Maybe so, but it’s neither unusual nor undemocratic. And it would ease the intense partisan polarization that weakens our capacity for self-government and public trust in our governing institutions.
Thirty-one countries have some form of mandatory voting, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. The list includes nine members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and two-thirds of the Latin American nations. More than half back up the legal requirement with an enforcement mechanism, while the rest are content to rely on the moral force of the law.
Despite the prevalence of mandatory voting in so many democracies, it’s easy to dismiss the practice as a form of statism that couldn’t work in America’s individualistic and libertarian political culture. But consider Australia, whose political culture is closer to that of the United States than that of any other English-speaking country. Alarmed by a decline in voter turnout to less than 60 percent in 1922, Australia adopted mandatory voting in 1924, backed by small fines (roughly the size of traffic tickets) for nonvoting, rising with repeated acts of nonparticipation. The law established permissible reasons for not voting, like illness and foreign travel, and allows citizens who faced fines for not voting to defend themselves.
The results were remarkable. In the 1925 election, the first held under the new law, turnout soared to 91 percent. In recent elections, it has hovered around 95 percent. The law also changed civic norms. Australians are more likely than before to see voting as an obligation. The negative side effects many feared did not materialize. For example, the percentage of ballots intentionally spoiled or completed randomly as acts of resistance remained on the order of 2 to 3 percent.
— Should voting be mandatory?
The median voter is incompetent at politics. The citizens who abstain are, on average, even more incompetent. If we force everyone to vote, the electorate will become even more irrational and misinformed. The result: not only will the worse candidate on the ballot get a better shot at winning, but the candidates who make it on the ballot in the first place will be worse.
Most people believe that more voting causes better government. This is an article of faith, not fact. Social scientists have shown that higher quality government tends to cause higher turnout. But higher turnout does not cause higher quality government.
— Is mandatory voting undemocratic? Is it unconstitutional?
— Instead of mandatory voting, would you support other ideas to increase turnout, such as tax breaks for voting or making Election Day a public holiday so workers get the day off, as readers suggested in these letters to the editor? Or would you recommend using automatic voter registration, so that when an eligible voter gets a driver’s license, he or she is automatically registered to vote?


The world may know them as Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl, but not-so-typical teenagers Diana, Kara and Barbara, alongside their Super Hero friends have much more to deal with than just protecting the citizens of Metropolis from some of the most sinister school-aged Super-Villains of the DC Universe. After all, being teens is tough enough, what with school, friends, family and the chaos that comes with managing a social life. But add super powers and a secret identity to the mix, and things can get a lot more complicated.
Sure, gal pals Bumblebee, Zatanna and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz are always there to lend an ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a fist to punch with, but what happens when Diana and her favorite study buddy and fencing partner, Tatsu, can’t agree on how to dole out justice as Wonder Woman and Katana? Or when Barbara finds out her Gotham-Con bestie is teen-fiend Harley Quinn? Along with all their friends, foes and frenemies, this squad of super teens navigates the unique growing pains that come when you’re a teenager trying to fight the battles of the world and the battles of growing up at the same time.
The show is “coming soon,” so stay tuned!


Does Beer Pong Need Scare Quotes?
There you have it. Come on now, AP.


The Dons return to league duty on Saturday when they travel to Hearts.
Dons boss McInnes believes the trip to Edinburgh to face the Jambos will bring out the best from his players as they take a break from trying to improve their disappointing recent home form.
It has been a bizarre run for the Dons, who head for Tynecastle on a run of eight wins and one draw from their last nine away matches. It is a stark contrast to one win in nine at home in a run dating back to Boxing Day.
McInnes said: “We’re disappointed with a lot of the results at home and it is clear the players are enjoying playing away from home at the minute.
“We sell out our allocation almost everywhere we go and the atmosphere created by the fans has been fantastic. They have given the games on the road a real cup-tie feeling to them and the players clearly enjoy it.
The Aberdeen manager shares in the frustration among the fans at not seeing the team winning at home on a regular basis but he insists there is no secret to why the Dons have found wins hard to come by at Pittodrie in recent months.
He said: “The Hamilton defeat was a really disappointing one but we have to accept they scored a worldy of a first goal. It was an unbelievable effort.
“Outwith the Hamilton result the only teams to have beaten us Pittodrie in our recent home run are Celtic and Rangers and we scored three goals against Celtic and two against Rangers in those defeats.
“We’ve drawn too many games at home for our liking. We’ve always shown an ability to grind wins out at home and one goal has been enough over the years in games where teams have come up, sat in and defended well.
“But recently we’ve been guilty in three or four games of losing poor goals.


ELIN PELIN, Bulgaria (Reuters) - Syrian refugee Fatema Batayhi says she has not left her home for five weeks, not since a hostile crowd confronted her on the main square of this sleepy town in a valley east of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia.
Batayhi, her husband and their youngest son fled the barrel bombs and street fighting of Syria’s Aleppo four years ago, eventually joining their eldest son in setting up home eight months ago in the first European Union country they could reach – Bulgaria, via Turkey.
However, they had not reckoned with the town’s mayor, who refused to issue them with residence papers, or on a growing mood of nationalist intolerance that has dragged Bulgarian politics toward the hard right and may help determine the make-up of the next government after an election on Sunday.
The crowd in Elin Pelin, a town of some 7,000 people named after an early 20th century Bulgarian writer, hurled insults and objects at Batayhi, a Muslim.
Her husband, Fahim Jaber, said nationalists had threatened to forcibly convert the family to Christianity.
“We’re Muslims, but our home in Aleppo was close to the church and I have never seen such division and aggression between Muslims and Christians,” he said.
The wave of mainly Muslim refugees and migrants reaching Europe’s borders over the past two years has contributed to a rise in right-wing nationalism across the continent, particularly in the countries of ex-communist Eastern Europe, which mostly have little experience of large-scale immigration.
Bulgaria stands out in the region for its significant Muslim minority, some 12 percent among 7.2 million mainly Orthodox Christians - a legacy of almost 500 years of Ottoman Turkish rule that ended in the late 19th century.
The resistance to the Muslim Ottomans is a core element of Bulgarian national identity, and some nationalists have cast the mainly Muslim migrants arriving via Turkey as a fresh threat to the nation’s security and Orthodox Christian faith, despite the fact that most want to move on to wealthier western Europe.
The growing climate of intolerance is now feeding support for the likes of the United Patriots, an alliance of anti-migrant nationalist parties polling third with more than 11 percent of the vote ahead of Sunday’s poll.
A strong showing could turn United Patriots into kingmaker in post-election coalition talks, and has seen Bulgaria’s two biggest parties – the center-right GERB and the Socialists – harden their own already tough rhetoric on migrants.
It remains uncertain which of the two main parties the United Patriots would favor joining in government given the alliance’s own internal divisions.
“It’s fashionable to sound like a nationalist today,” said political analyst Parvan Simeonov.
According to a survey published in February, 77 percent of Bulgarians see migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa as a threat to national security.
Earlier this month, an Italian Catholic priest in northern Bulgaria announced he was leaving the country after his decision to provide shelter for a Syrian family triggered a backlash from local people.
Few of those traveling across the Balkan peninsula have any intention of actually staying in the largely poor region.
Fahim and Fatema, however, wanted to remain after their eldest son had managed to start a life for himself in Bulgaria in 2013. They joined him in June 2016 after three years in Turkey and were granted refugee status.
The refusal of the mayor, Ivaylo Simeonov, to issue the family with residence papers, which Fahim said had cost him several job opportunities, was condemned by rights groups, but drew no response from the government.
Simeonov is a member of the VMRO party, part of the United Patriots alliance.
Krassimir Kanev, the head of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, said the mayor’s behavior and the inaction of the authorities were “extremely disturbing” and unlawful.
“It is the result of the continuing incitement of hatred, discrimination and violence against migrants legally residing on the territory of Bulgaria,” he said.
Simeonov said he acted in accordance “with the will of the people”.
Fahim said he had asked the United Nations Refugee Agency to return him and his family to Syria but that the agency had refused on security grounds.
Fatema said they should never have left Turkey. “I regret that we ever came here,” she said.


EDEN HAZARD has warned Chelsea’s title rivals his ruthless, record-breaking team is the best Blues side he has ever played in.
Antonio Conte’s men marched to a club record 12th straight win in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
And Hazard, who joined Chelsea in 2012, reckons they are an even more formidable force than Jose Mourinho’s 2014/15 title winners.
That team won the championship with three games to spare after going on a mammoth 16-game unbeaten run earlier in the season, and Hazard ended up Footballer of the Year.
But asked whether he thought this year’s vintage was even better, he said: “Yes - because we win every game! We are full of confidence.
“We try to do something that we didn’t do in the past. We score some goals. We feel good. We try to win every game. We don’t look at records but if we can make history in this club we will.
“Let’s keep it going and we will try to win every game if we can. It’s not only about Chelsea, this league. This league is very difficult. Every game we try to win.
Hazard filled in as a makeshift striker against the Cherries with Diego Costa suspended and put in a man of the match display capped with his ninth goal of the season.
But he insists Costa does not have a new strike rival at Stamford Bridge, saying: “I played as a striker last year one time and this year couple of minutes, I know the position.
ANTONIO CONTE’s side are looking unbeatable at the moment and they could bolster their ranks with some talented players in January.
Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere reckons Chelsea will be hard to stop this season.
He said: “They look like champions at the minute. For me at the moment they’re the best team in the league.
“There’s still a long way to go of course, you can’t say they’re definitely going to win the league but at the minute they look like the strongest.
“They’ve found this new formation that works for them. I’ve been here a few times with Arsenal and we’ve only won once. But they’re more ruthless.
Wilshere also reckons Chelsea have a secret weapon in goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has kept four clean sheets in a row and not been beaten in more than six-and-a-half hours.


Rio Ferdinand has advised Ruben Loftus-Cheek to leave Chelsea if he continues to be left out by Maurizio Sarri.
The 22-year-old has played just 33 minutes in the Premier League this season as Chelsea strengthened their midfield with the arrivals of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the summer.
Sarri has promised that Loftus-Cheek will get more playing time once Chelsea’s fixture schedule becomes more congested.
But Ferdinand has warned that the midfielder runs the risk of going mentally and physically ‘stale’ at Stamford Bridge.
‘Obviously the players are not good enough [for these teams],’ said Ferdinand on BT Sport.
‘The young kids like [Phil] Foden, [Ruben] Loftus-Cheek and [Dominic] Solanke who are winning tournaments for England at youth level, if they’re good enough they’ll be playing.
‘It’s such a lucrative game for these [club] managers and their jobs are on the edge every single game, and they want players who are going to win instantly.
‘These players obviously aren’t being blooded properly.


A man remains in a critical condition in hospital tonight following a fire at a block of flats in Stratford this afternoon.
He was rescued by firefighters from the flats in Hamlet Way in the town after an emergency call was made at 3.40pm.
Two ambulances, a senior paramedic officer and a paramedic area support officer from West Midlands Ambulance Service attended the incident, along with Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service and Warwickshire Police.
The Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance was also dispatched to the scene.
Group commander Ian Tonner, from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The fire service were called by a lady who said she had spotted smoke coming out of a flat at the end of her road.
"The Stratford crew were first to attend at the scene, where a man was calling out for help from the upstairs kitchen window.
“We did try to get him out of the window with ladders but due to the smoke he had inhaled, he was too frail to exit the property this way.
"We gave the man oxygen at the window and broke in through the door downstairs to access him.
“The air ambulance did attend, dropping off doctors, but had to take off again so the casualty was transported by land ambulance to hospital.
“We don’t suspect this fire was suspicious but investigations will continue over the coming hours.
"The Stratford fire crew were on the scene very fast and should be congratulated for their swift actions.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The man was rescued from the flat by fire service colleagues and quickly moved on to the back of the ambulance.
The injured man was taken to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he received advanced trauma treatment.
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The world’s biggest Primark store is to open in Birmingham, bringing water fountains, charging points and recycling areas to shoppers.
The store, opening on Thursday, will also offer shoppers the opportunity to donate pre-loved clothes and shoes – of any brand – for recycling.
Ahead of doors opening, the phrase “Opening 2019 – Europe’s biggest jumble sale!” appeared on the hoardings surrounding the building.


Our struggle against deadly microbes is endless. Scourges that have plagued human beings since the ancients still threaten to unleash themselves; new maladies are brewing that have yet to make their appearance in the headlines; and lethal germs employed as weapons of warfare and terrorism have again emerged as a worldwide menace. Regardless of their mode of attack or co-habitation, microbes exist solely to multiply, thrive, and find new hosts. The most egalitarian of living organisms, they cross all national boundaries and every social class, attacking without prejudice.
Across the 20th century, the relationship between human beings and microbes changed with scientific advances in our understanding and amelioration of infectious diseases. With the advent of miraculous antibiotics and preventive vaccines, it looked to many as if the ultimate victory against deadly germs was imminent. Accompanying such delusions of victory has been an underestimation of the highly unpredictable power of infection. As we see with each return of an epidemic, be it naturally induced or man-made, germs still have the power to incite panic and action — that is, until the crisis subsides and they are all too soon forgotten. Underpinning these trends is a failure to embrace the unsettling fact that in the 21st century, the global village is host to a burgeoning community of dangerous and contagious emerging and re-emerging infections. These pathogens demand far more respect and action than mere attempts at isolation or foolhardy efforts to build a wall around our nation.
Public health is a purchasable commodity but it is an investment that works best when purchased in advance rather than paid out as each crisis arises. We must accept that contagion cannot be confined to national boundaries. It is a global problem that affects us all and only the global community can make inroads in safeguarding our health. But we must always remember: we never really conquer germs. At best, all we can hope is to wrestle them to a draw.
Howard Markel, M.D., Ph.D. is the George E. Wantz Professor of the History of Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan, where he directs the Center for the History of Medicine. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning Quarantine! East European Jewish Immigrants and the New York City Epidemics of 1892 [Johns Hopkins University Press] and, most recently, the critically acclaimed When Germs Travel: Six Major Epidemics and the Fears They Have Unleashed, which first appeared in 2004 from Pantheon Books/Alfred A. Knopf and was recently published in paperback by Vintage Books/Random House.


I love all history – it’s fascinating. The older, the better. The more complicated, the more closely I pay attention.
There’s a constant stream of history sites that populate my Facebook newsfeed. And, for Halloween this year, I took my son to George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, because that’s the kind of place I like to celebrate everyday occasions.
So here are some of my favorite places for history news.
There’s so much to read on Atlas Obscura.
The blog says it’s the “definitive guide to the world’s wondrous and curious places.” Indeed.
Some of the history-specific posts that caught my eye include Found: A New Ice Age Cave Network Below Montreal, When a City and a Bishop Went to War Over Beer, and Using a Particle Accelerator to See Inside a 1,900-Year-Old Mummy.
The History Blog was launched June 2006. It’s being managed by a writer by the name of livius.
Notable posts on The History Blog include Google, British Museum digitize Maya collection, 3D animation of sculptor’s cave, and Ancient orca geoglyph rediscovered in Peru.
Oh, and this dino-mite gem: Hundreds of fossilized pterosaur eggs, some with embryos, found in China.
This site. Honestly, The Vintage News has some of the best content.
It covers news, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, glamour, strangeness, and it also features video.
Interesting posts that I recently found include The centuries-old “Underground Salt Cathedral” of Poland is so vast, it’s possible to go bungee jumping, “America’s Best Girl” stole the nation’s heart by swimming the English Channel in 1926, and later dedicated herself to the deaf children she taught to swim, and When Athelhampton House’s owner died in 1598, his four daughters equally divided the manor and it remained divided for 250 years.
While not a traditional history blog, Mental Floss has some pretty great historic bits.
Other history goodies include A Mystery Shipwreck in Canada Might Be Tied to the 1917 Halifax Explosion, 84 Years Ago Today: Goodbye Prohibition!, and ‘I Am Almost Always Alone’: Auctioned Letters Explore Greta Garbo’s Private Life.


How's power service in the county?
Inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain have covered Cleveland County in the past 24 hours. And snow's still falling as of 10:45 a.m.
So with all that winter weather covering trees, power lines and roads, what's the status of power outages?
Duke Energy reported just one county power outage, as of 10:45 a.m. Thursday, and the outage total hasn't hit double digits all morning.
Click here for information on how you can report outages if you experience them.
Click here to see what others are saying about utility service.
Check back for the latest information on power outages in the county.


Linda Lee Coates Miller, 65, a resident of Fairfield, Idaho, died at home on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. She was born April 18, 1947, at Wendell, Idaho, and grew up on a ranch outside of Fairfield. Linda attended schools in Fairfield and graduated from Camas County High School in 1965. She received Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from the University of Idaho.
Linda married Steve Miller at Fairfield on June 12, 1969.
She taught school in Northern Idaho and for the Camas County School District. She worked at Camas Grain, enjoyed buying items for The Specialty Shop, and helped her husband on their ranch. Linda enjoyed teaching English and technology, and working as a librarian in Camas County schools. She also obtained a Masters of Education from Leslie University and later became a certified library and media specialist.
Linda loved the Lord and attended Lighthouse Christian Fellowship.
She is survived by her husband, Steve Miller; her children, Nancy Miller (San Diego), James Miller (Fairfield) and Andrew Miller (currently attending Arizona State). She is also survived by her brother, David Coates (Gooding/Fairfield); a nephew, Cody Coates (Gooding/Fairfield) and a niece, Cady Coates (Twin Falls); her aunt, Clarice Frostenson (Fairfield); and three cousins, Chrystelle Robertson and Mifanwy Lane (both Pocatello) and Earl Higginson (North Salt Lake, Utah).
Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Everett and Esther Coates.
Visitation for family and friends was held on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at Demaray Funeral Service-Gooding Chapel. A funeral service was held on Friday, Nov. 23, at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, 213 Ponderosa Ave. E. in Fairfield. Burial followed at the Mt. View Cemetery in Fairfield.
Arrangements were under the care and direction of Demaray Funeral Service-Gooding Chapel. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting the obituary link at www.demarayfuneralservice.com.


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - The fight for the future of the internet is about to come to a head.
The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on a controversial plan to repeal Obama-era net neutrality protections. The repeal is expected to pass along a party-line vote.
So how will internet providers be regulated if net neutrality is repealed?
The FCC plans to do away with rules barring internet providers from blocking or slowing down access to online content. The FCC would also eliminate a rule barring providers from prioritizing their own content.
Oversight of internet providers would instead shift to the Federal Trade Commission.


September 24, 2013 – PBS today announced a collaboration with web video pioneer John Green, co-founder of the massively successful Vlogbrothers and Crash Course channels on YouTube and author of New York Times #1 best-seller The Fault in Our Stars, and wife Sarah Urist Green, an art curator most recently with the Indianapolis Museum of Art, to produce a new weekly series for PBS Digital Studios called THE ART ASSIGNMENT. The series is expected to launch as part of the PBS Digital Studios YouTube network in early 2014.
While most art-related video on the web focuses on art of the past and the idea of creative genius, THE ART ASSIGNMENT will celebrate risk-taking in the creative process and the act of making. The series will highlight emerging and established artists working across the United States, with each artist creating an assignment that will serve as an open call for responses. Viewers create their own responses through photos or video to be posted to YouTube, PBS.org, and other social media platforms with the aim of sparking conversation and comments about the original assignment video as well as the responses.
The PBS Digital Studios network on YouTube includes more than 20 Web-original series designed to engage, enlighten and entertain online audiences. Combining a YouTube sensibility with a PBS commitment to quality, the PBS Digital Studios network has more than 500,000 subscribers and has generated more than 40 million views. Series include the Webby Award-winning PBS Idea Channel, as well as popular series such as PBS Off Book, It’s Okay to be Smart, Blank on Blank and more.
The production team is led by creator, curator, and host Sarah Urist Green, former curator of contemporary art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). While at the IMA, she developed commissioned works by Spencer Finch (2013), William Lamson (2011), Kate Gilmore (2011), and Ball-Nogues Studio (2010), as well as installations for The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres by Atelier Van Lieshout, Kim Beck, Jeppe Hein, Tea Mäkipää, and the Swedish architecture firm visiondivision. In addition, Green curated the exhibitions Graphite (2012), Andy Warhol Enterprises (2010), and Joshua Mosley: American International (2010), among others. She is the editor and co-author of Andy Warhol Enterprises (Hatje Cantz, 2010) and the digital catalogue Graphite (2013). She holds a master of arts in modern art history from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts from Northwestern University.
John Green, executive producer and regular guest on THE ART ASSIGNMENT, is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of four novels, including The Fault in Our Stars (TIME’s Best Fiction Book of 2012). With his brother Hank, John created the vlogbrothers YouTube channel, which now has more than 1 million subscribers and more than 300 million video views. In 2012, John and Hank launched the educational YouTube channel CrashCourse. With more than 800,000 subscribers, 41 million views, and partnerships with other educational initiatives including Khan Academy, Crash Course is one of the most successful educational video projects online.


Dolores Zabek of North Adams, Massachusetts, was recently found guilty of abusing a 4-year-old autistic child under her care in 2015. This shocking behavior only came to light after another child under Zabek’s watch created a video documenting the incident.
In the video, Zabek, while wearing sandals, can be seen kicking the young boy in the head twice. She proceeds to kick him once in the stomach and then slaps him on his rear twice.
According to Zabek’s attorney, she admitted to giving the child a “gentle tap of her foot” to reinforce that it was nap time. “No physical harm was done to the child,” the lawyer argued.
Zabek has owned and operated Doty’s Dare Care in her home for nearly three decades.
While Zabek did not deny the physical contact with the autistic child, her defense argued that “a lack of education and training” about autistic children meant that Zabek relied on “her best efforts” to manage the 4-year-old.
As readers might know, ignorance is not a valid legal defense. Truly, though, if someone’s “best efforts” fail to include self-education — there are numerous resources that offer information about autism — then perhaps child care as a profession should be off the table altogether.
What remains truly alarming is that Zabek has been in the daycare business for almost 30 years. Was this act of abuse really just an isolated incident?
Given the video evidence, one would expect that Zabek faced some rather serious criminal charges. But while the prosecution did originally push for assault and battery on a disabled person, these charges were reduced to standard charges of assault and battery.
The changes arose from an agreement between Zabek and the prosecution. Zabek will face probation and be banned from providing child care in the future, but although a court found her guilty on seven counts, she will not spend a day in jail.
Sadly, this case is but one of many involving child abuse, and children with disabilities and special needs are especially vulnerable. This reality is backed up by data collected by the Centers for Disease Control.
Though Zabek will lose her day care business, the fact that she abused a child specifically because of his autism makes her consequences seem shockingly mild. Worse still, this underwhelming sentence sends a rather unambiguous message: the state doesn’t appear to prioritize the safety of special needs children.
She should have gotten a hefty jail sentence.
This is wrong. This woman is a predator.
I would jail her and fine her. It's a betrayal of the parents' trust.
Nobody should be kicking any child. She thought she could get away with it because the boy was autistic and would not tell.


Free-speech organizations called on the Department of Commerce to hold a hearing before approving seven new groups of Internet domain names. In a Jan. 16 letter signed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, among others, activists said the process the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers used to choose the new generic top-level domain names was flawed.
Wal-Mart Stores Walmart.com scooped up some of the assets of defunct Garden.com, which sold gardening products online. Walmart.com acquired Garden.coms editorial, interactive and film content. Products will be offered for sale in Wal-Marts garden centers nationwide. Some items will be introduced online this year, with more products added next year.
In an unexpected move, the AeA, formerly the American Electronics Association, released a set of principles to guide federal policymaking on privacy. The association said it fears conflicting state privacy rules, and appears to have broken with the majority of high-tech companies that want to self-regulate rather than face federal oversight.
Tired of waiting for the phone guy, a group of Verizon Communications customers filed a class-action suit against the company. The beef: They allege the company knows it cannot provide Digital Subscriber Line service expeditiously, yet it is still signing up customers.
Lernout & Hauspies new chief executive, Philipe Bodson, is scheduled to update the media this week on recent events at the troubled speech recognition vendor. Bodson will undoubtedly be asked about the ouster last week of his predecessor, John Duerden, and the unexpected resignation of Chairman Roel Pieper.
The Canadian teen-ager charged with launching a massive denial-of-service attack last February pleaded guilty to 57 of the 67 charges against him. Both Canadian and U.S. law enforcement officials have touted Mafiaboys arrest as evidence that they are making headway catching and prosecuting computer criminals. Security experts said the teen was just one of many hooligans involved in the attack.


A soldier from the Ta'ang National Liberation Army emerges from a forest in Mantong township in Myanmar's northern Shan state, Jan. 16, 2014.
An alliance of four ethnic armed groups fighting Myanmar forces in northern Shan and Kachin states said on Tuesday it wants to participate in peace talks with the government next month, but demanded that China and another ethnic militia be present as witnesses, an officer from one of the groups said.
The Northern Alliance, which includes the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), teamed up last November to carry out coordinated attacks on government and military targets in northern Shan state.
“We believe a cease-fire is not a final solution, and we have a desire to hold talks with the government to get a political solution,” Major Mai Ai Kyaw of the TNLA told RFA’s Myanmar Service.
The UWSA—Myanmar’s largest nonstate army—is led by ethnic Chinese commanders and controls the Wa Special Region in eastern Myanmar’s Shan state. It has previously received support and weapons from China, though the militia has not been involved in any clashes with government troops in recent years.
UWSA delegates walked out of the first round of peace negotiations in the civilian-led government’s 21st-century Panglong Conference early last September because they had been accredited only as observers and not as speakers.
The Northern Alliance wants China to ensure the talks are just and fair, he said.
He blamed the latest bout of fighting on government army offensives against the ethnic militias and on restrictions paced on some ethnic armed groups who signed a nationwide peace agreement (NCA) in October 2015.
“If, on one hand, it talks about peace and, on the other hand, it carries out offensives on the ground, then peace will be elusive,” he said.
About 10 civilians have died in ground and air strikes during the surge in fighting, according to the Myanmar government, while thousands of others have fled over the border into southwestern China.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that the clashes in Kachin and Shan states have displaced more than 100,000 people.
Northern Alliance delegates visited Kunming, capital of southern China’s Yunnan province, on Jan. 19 at the invitation of Sun Guoxing, a special envoy for Asian affairs in China’s foreign affairs ministry, to discuss obstacles to holding political discussions with the Myanmar government.
The news comes as the government gears up for another round of peace talks expected in February in the ongoing Panglong Conference, an initiative spearheaded by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi to bring peace and national reconciliation to Myanmar after decades of ethnic separatist civil wars.
Meanwhile, members of the central executive committee of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) decided at a meeting on Tuesday in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that ethnic armed groups that did not sign the NCA will not attend the second 21st-century Panglong Conference if they are invited as observers.
The UNFC, an alliance of nine ethnic armed groups that did not sign the NCA, attended the first meeting of the Panglong Conference in order to participate in political dialogue so it can push for the formation of a federal union in Myanmar.
Nai Hantha added that the UNFC will wait for the cessation of offensives in ethnic areas so that all nonsignatories to the NCA can participate in the next round of peace talks.
About 35 leaders from seven ethnic armed groups attended the UNFC central executive committee’s two-day meeting, where they decided to continue their discussions with the government about the UNFC’s nine-point proposal for a cease-fire that the group’s Delegation for Political Negotiation and the government’s National Reconciliation and Peace Center are still negotiating.
In a related development, two rights groups—New York-based Human Rights Watch and Southeast Asia-based Fortify Rights—called on Myanmar on Tuesday to immediately release or charge two ethnic Kachin Christian leaders who have been arbitrarily detained by the military since Dec. 24, 2016.
Langjaw Gam Seng, 35, and Dumdaw Nawng Lat, 65, both leaders with the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), went missing after being summoned to a military base in Muse township in northern Shan state in apparent retaliation for taking journalists to a Catholic church allegedly damaged by airstrikes in clashes between the government army and ethnic guerillas.
On Jan. 19, the military published a statement on social media acknowledging the men’s arrest and detention and accusing them of providing support to KIA rebels.
However, the military had not filed charges, turned them over to civilian authorities, or provided them access to lawyers or family members, as required by Myanmar and international law, the two rights groups said in separate statements.
Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay told Democratic Voice of Burma on Tuesday that the military turned the Kachins over to the Muse police station where they were charged under the country’s Unlawful Associations Act.
The government will ensure they receive legal representation, he said.
Reported by Waiyan Moe Myint and Aung Moe Myint for RFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.


JOSE MOURINHO is determined to bring Atletico Madrid hitman Diego Costa to Chelsea this summer.
Costa is Mourinho's top transfer target, after identifying the 25-year-old as the ideal striker to lead the Blues' attack.
And Chelsea's bid to land Costa will be boosted by the Brazil-born star sharing an agent with Mourinho.
Jorge Mendes represents both Costa and Mourinho, with the 'super-agent' brokering a number of deals between Chelsea and Atletico.
According to reports, the Blues have already opened preliminary talks with Atletico over the 23-goal marksman.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are also interested in Costa, but Chelsea are firm favourites and could tempt the Spanish side into a deal by including on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Costa has a £32m release clause in his contract, but he has committed himself to Atletico for the rest of the season.


How Far is HM Hutchins Manor?
Hutchins Manor is a residential development HM group . The project offers apartments which are well equipped with all the modern day amenities and basic facilities. Round the clock security facility is also available.


Offering her greetings on the Bangla New Year 1426, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has hoped that the new year will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of all Bengalis.
She was speaking at a greetings exchange programme with leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate organisations at Gana Bhaban on Sunday.
"We will continue our journey of progress. Bengalis will walk with their heads held high on the world stage. Bangladesh will rise as a developed and prosperous nation," said Hasina, thanking the people for electing her to lead the country for a third straight term.
Activists and leaders started arriving at Gana Bhaban before 9am to take part in the new year's celebrations.
Artistes rendered a number of songs, including Rabindranath Tagore's 'Eso Eso He Baishakh', Anando Loke Mangal Aloke' and 'Alo Amar Alo', upon the prime minister's arrival at Gana Bhaban's Banquet Hall around 10:30 am.
Later, the Awami League's central committee leaders greeted the party's president Hasina with a bouquet.
Leaders and activists of the party's associate organisations also presented wreaths to the prime minister.
"We will strive for the welfare of the country and its people through all our endeavours. We will build a hunger and poverty-free golden Bangladesh as envisaged by the Father of the Nation," Hasina said in a short address.
Hasina called on the people to work unitedly for the advanacement of Bangladesh.
"We won the Liberation War under the leadership of the Father of the Nation. It is our goal now to implement the ideals of Bangabandhu and build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh."


Rain and wind are in the forecast for Wednesday.
Flood warnings are in effect in D.C., northern Virginia and central Maryland through Friday evening and into Monday morning.
The region has received more rain in the past three days than in the previous two-and-a-half months, Storm Team 4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer reported. The center of circulation drifted southwest from Waldorf, Md., over the course of the day.
A flood warning for urban areas and small streams was extended until 2:45 a.m. for Montgomery County, where 3-5 inches has fallen and another inch is expected. Any more rain will cause creeks and streams to rise over their banks.
A flood warning for urban areas and small streams in D.C. is in effect until 7:45 a.m.; Prince George’s, Arlington and Fairfax counties; and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church expires at 1:45 a.m. After 2-4 inches of rain estimated to have fallen over the past couple of days, another 1-3 inches is expected in the area.
Get the forecast from Storm Team 4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer.
A flood warning for the Seneca Creek in the Dawsonville area continues overnight. The creek was at 6.1 feet and rising at 5 p.m. Flood stage is 7.5 feet. It could crest near 8 feet overnight.
The Accotink Creek is also continuing to rise. At 5:18 p.m. the stage was 8.42 feet, according to the National Weather Service. It could rise above the flood stage of 9.5 feet.
Several roads in northern Virginia were closed at least temporarily due to flooding Friday, including Leigh Mill Road between Kelso Road and White Chimney Lane, Woodburn Road between Robey Avenue and Spicewood Drive, Fox Mill Road at Folkstone Drive, and Lawyers Road east of Hunter Mill Road.
The record rainfall caused water to rise across roadways in northern Virginia Friday. News4's Shomari Stone reports.
The Montgomery County 911 center reported Beach Road and the intersection of Maple Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway closed due to high water.
The region received record-setting rainfall Friday. Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport got 3 inches. Dulles International Airport had more than 2 inches. Ronald Reagan National Airport had more than 1.25. Some areas got 4-5 inches.
Remember, never drive through standing water. Turn around, don't drown.


Forest River is recalling 11 model year 2017 Prime Time Manufacturing Crusader recreational trailers, model CSF338RSK.
The vehicle's federal placard indicates the trailers have axles with a 7,000 lb. Capacity, when their actual capacity is 6,000 lbs.
Incorrect axle information on the placard can result in the trailer being overloaded, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Forest River will notify owners and dealers will replace the Federal placard with a corrected placard, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 2, 2017.
Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-862-1025. Forest River's number for the recall is 49-02242017-0331.


• Coumbes, Bertie I. 10 a.m. Thursday at Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville with committal services at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. The family will meet friends at the funeral home from 9 a.m. Thursday until the time of services.
• Harvey, Kenneth D. “Harv”. Memorial service 7 p.m. Thursday at Davis-Anderson Funeral Home. Visitation 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home, preceded by Masonic rites at 3:45 p.m. Thursday.
• Moore, Roy H. 3 p.m. Thursday at Williamson Funeral Home.
• Daugherty, Patricia “Penny.” Celebration of Life 5-10 p.m. Friday at the New Berlin Knights of Columbus #4372, 715 East Illinois St., New Berlin.
• Gandy, Nyela (McGee). 1 p.m. Friday at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Visitation from 10 a.m. Friday until the time of the services at the funeral home.
• Grinkey, Wanda Mae. 11 a.m. Friday at West Fair Baptist Church. Visitation 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Daws Family Funeral in South Jacksonville.
• Harbaugh, Joyce A. 3 p.m. Friday at Daws Family Funeral Home in Bluffs. Visitation from noon Friday until the time of the service at the funeral home.
• Mullen, Beverly Ann. 11 a.m. Friday at Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville. A prayer service will be held 3:45 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. The family will meet friends following the prayer service until 6 p.m.
• Lair, Donald Lee. Noon Saturday at Gendernalik Funeral Home in New Baltimore, Michigan. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, prior to the service, at the funeral home.
• Merriman, James L. Celebration of Life 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the Old Virginia Inn in Virginia. Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Virginia is assisting the family.
• Newton, Quintin Robert “Fig”. Noon Saturday at Calvary Baptist Church in White Hall. Visitation from 9 a.m. Saturday until the time of services at the church. Airsman-Hires Funeral Home in White Hall is in charge.
• White, Dorothy Pauline. 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Williamson Funeral Home. The family will meet friends from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, prior to the service, at the funeral home.


The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from crashed Boeing 737 MAX 8 sent to Paris for detailed analysis.
Black boxes from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet are with investigators in Paris. Julian Satterthwaite reports.
A Kenyan family has filed a lawsuit in Chicago against American aviation giant Boeing over the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash. Serena Chaudhry reports.
A lawyer suing Boeing in connection with a 737 MAX crash says the company covered up fatal flaws. This is his first one-on-one interview since filing.
More family members of victims of the Lion Air disaster are coming forward to sue Boeing. According to Business Insider, the families say, an apology from the company's CEO for the two fatal plane..
Monday's lawsuit fits a theme: It alleges Boeing installed an unfit system on its new 737 to keep it competitive in the airline market.
Here's the sad story. Boeing is finally taking full responsibility.
Boeing said in a statement that they would reduce production of their 737 MAX by nearly 20% in the wake of the two deadly crashes in recent months. Jayson Albano reports.
The company says it's working on a software fix and will continue to do more testing and demo flights.
Boeing's CEO offered his fullest apology yet after the investigation into the fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash put pressure on the manufacturer. Dennis Muilenburg said that the company is "sorry" for..


I love to entertain. My other half and I host every Thanksgiving, every Super Bowl and countless pau hanas and dinners throughout the year. That’s why when it came time to buy living room furniture, we went big. Our sectional is roughly the size of two twin beds and has held up to eight people at once.
After dinner with friends recently we came back to our place and assumed our regular positions, sprawled out on the couch with our feet up on the coffee table. It had been a long day, so I propped mine up with a throw pillow. Then it dawned on me that an upholstered ottoman might make more sense than a hard coffee table. Not only is it more comfortable for resting your legs after a long day, but it can also serve as extra seating when needed. Luckily, I found out that converting a coffee table into an upholstered ottoman was easier than I thought.
First, determine your desired height and trim the table legs accordingly. If you want to change up the color, now is the time to paint the legs as well. Then, add wood to frame the ottoman around the sides so that the width all around matches up with the tabletop. This will ensure that it is straight all the way down.
Next, get 2-inch high-density foam and trim it to fit the top of the ottoman. A serrated knife works well for the cutting. Use spray adhesive to glue the foam directly to the top of the table. Repeat these steps to apply the foam around the sides of the ottoman as well.
After this, take a large piece of batting and cover the top of the table. There should be enough that there is excess around the sides. Staple the batting under the table with a staple gun, making sure to pull it tightly as you go.
Now you’re ready to add the fabric. Make sure to choose a pattern that complements your home’s style and that is also available in a durable material. Cover the ottoman with your desired fabric in the same way you did with the batting. Repeat the steps above, stapling the fabric underneath the table and pulling it taut. Top it off with a tray and you are good to go.


Xiaomi might soon launch these three smartphones for its fans this year. Here are some of the expected specifications and price.
After launching the Redmi Note series, the company might soon launch Mi Mix 2S, Mi 7 and Mi A2.
and Redmi Note 5 Pro in India along with Mi TV 4. After launching the Redmi Note series, the Chinese company might unveil flagship smartphones in the near future.
If rumours are to be believed, the company might soon launch Mi MIX 2S, Mi 7 and Mi A2. Xiaomi could launch Mi MIX 2S and Mi 7 high-end smartphones at MWC 2018 later this month. As of now, the company has not confirmed that it will be attending MWC 2018 in Barcelona.
The Mi A2, on the other hand, did not grab much of the attention, but rumours suggest that the company will introduce Mi 6X in China, which will be the successor to the Mi 5X alias Mi A1. With these three smartphones expected to debut soon, here's everything we know so far.
Rumours of Mi MIX 2S has already been swirling around for months and a recent firmware files obtained by XDA-Developers revealed some of the features of the upcoming flagship. The smartphone is expected to be an upgraded version of the Mi MIX 2.
The Mi MIX 2S might sport a 5.99-inch bezel-less display with a 95 per cent screen-to-body ratio similar to the Mi MIX 2 along with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The handset is expected to be among the first flagships to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, carrying an octa-core CPU with a 2.8GHz clock speed. A recent report revealed that the phone will draw its power from a 3400mAh battery and will run Android 8.0 Oreo.
Furthermore, the Mi Mix 2S might follow the latest trend and have an AI-based smart rear camera that will detect scenes and objects such as dog, cat, flower, food, building among other things, enhancing the photograph similar to what we have seen on the Huawei Mate 10.
An earlier report suggested that the Mi MIX 2S could come with nearly 100 per cent bezel-less display. The phone could have a front camera on the top right corner, creating a notch on the display. The rear of the handset might remain the same, featuring a fingerprint scanner, along with a single camera, retaining the ceramic back on the phone. The smartphone was rumoured to come with an iPhone X-like notch but it has been busted.
However, there are chances Xiaomi might surprise its fans with an under display fingerprint sensor for the Mi Mix 2S. Reports also suggested that Xiaomi might ditch the fingerprint sensor and incorporate an iPhone X-like Face ID authentication system. The company has not officially confirmed the existence of the Mi Mix 2S and its presence at MWC, but we could hear about it soon.
This flagship smartphone is anticipated to be unveiled by the first half of this year. If reports are to be believed, Xiaomi is plotting a standalone event sometime in April to unveil the flagship. Following the latest trend, the company might unveil the Mi 7 with an 18:9 display along with minimal bezels. Furthermore, the smartphone could come feature-loaded, powerful specifications.
The Mi 7 could sport a 5.65-inch or a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution of 1080x2160 pixels along with an in-display fingerprint sensor. It would likely retain a glass and steel body similar to the Mi 6. The Mi 7 is expected to retain a dual camera system although Xiaomi might upgrade the sensors to get a better picture quality, especially in low light. Moreover, the company has already revealed that the Mi 7 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 clubbed with 8GB RAM.
As for the camera, the Mi 7 will feature 16MP+16MP dual rear camera setup while the front might sport a single 16MP sensor as well. The Mi 7 will apparently be the first Xiaomi smartphone to support wireless charging. The phone could draw its power from a 4480mAh battery. The Mi 7 would likely run Android Oreo-based MIUI 9 out-of-the-box. If rumours are to be believed, the Mi 7 might come with a price tag of $500 (approximately Rs 31,800).
Rumours suggest that Xiaomi is working on a successor to the Mi A1 smartphone dubbed as Mi A2. The Mi A1 was launched back in 2017 in India and was the company's first Android One smartphone that came with Stock Android software. In China, the Mi A1 is named as Mi 5X and runs MIUI 9. There are rumours of Xiaomi working on a Mi 6X aka Mi A2 smartphone. If true, there is a possibility that the Mi 6X could come to India dubbed as Mi A2 Android One smartphone.
Previous reports suggested that the Mi 6X will be showcased at MWC 2018 with the company's own Surge S2 chipset. It will have an octa-core CPU with four Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.8GHz. The processor is said to have a Mali G71 MP8 graphics processor and support for LPDDR4 RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. As per the leaked images, the phone will largely sport 5.99-inch display similar to Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. The Mi 6X will feature an iPhone X-like design with a vertical dual rear camera setup. The handset could sport 18:9 touchscreen and a rear fingerprint sensor.


A flag mix-up caused Canada a bit of embarrassment today — day one of a state visit by the king and queen of Belgium, the first such visit in over 40 years.
Belgian journalist Wim Dehandschutter was the one who first pointed out that the flag marking a tree Belgium's Queen Fabiola planted on the grounds of Rideau Hall back in 1977 was actually Germany's flag.
Both flags feature black, red and yellow or gold bands, but Belgium's stripes are vertical while Germany's are horizontal.
"While we were preparing for the tree planting ceremony on the grounds of Rideau Hall, it was brought to our attention that there was a mix up with a small flag," said Marie-Ève Létourneau, a spokesperson for Rideau Hall.
"We rectified the situation immediately, prior to their majesties' arrival at the tree planting."
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders was unfazed by the flag faux-pas.
"They are the same colours so maybe that's the reason why, and we have very close relations with Germany so it's not a real problem," he told the CBC's Terry Milewski on Power & Politics.
But Dehandschutter said the Belgians are taking the trip to Canada very seriously. King Philippe and his wife, Queen Mathilde, are being accompanied by seven ministers, 100 business leaders and representatives from Belgium's universities, he said.
"The German flag, it [will] make the headlines in Belgium newspapers and in websites, so people are talking about it," he said.
"It's a strange story. Why do you confuse the German flag with the Belgium flag? Theoretically, it's a big mistake by the Canadians."
The royal couple, whose official title is King and Queen of the Belgians, today planted their own sugar maple tree at Rideau Hall and placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial.
On Tuesday they're scheduled to attend a ceremony where, in honour of the conclusion of centennial commemorations marking the end of the First World War, a cannon used during that war will be handed over to the Canadian War Museum.
The monarchs also will visit Toronto and Montreal during their tour. They do not have any scheduled visits with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.


The Siddur is a daily prayer book which contains a set order of daily prayers and blessings that Jews worldwide recite on week days and Shabbat. Observant Jews daven (pray) in formal worship services three times a day, every day: in the morning (Shacharit), in the afternoon (Minchah) and, in the evening (Ma’ariv). Daily prayers are collected in a book called a siddur, which derives from the Hebrew root meaning “order,” because the siddur shows the order of prayers. It is the same root as the word seder, which refers to the Passover home service.
The text of this Daily Prayer Book (Siddur) is in both Hebrew and English.


A last minute push by the Committee for the Defense of Iranian People’s Rights to prevent the execution of Iranian teacher Abdolreza Ghanbari is in full gear today after the Iranian courts rejected the teacher’s final appeal.
Ghanbari was arrested at his workplace after anti-government demonstrations on Dec. 27, 2009.
Held in Evin Prison since his arrest, Ghanbari has been tortured and denied access to a lawyer.
The teacher was tried before the Tehran Revolutionary Court on Jan. 30, 2010 and sentenced to death for ‘moharebeh’ (enmity towards God) for alleged links with the banned opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
The sentence was upheld on appeal, and his request for a pardon from the Amnesty and Clemency Commission was rejected late in Feb. 2012.
The campaign by CODIR has the backing of many human rights and trade union organizations including Amnesty International, Labour Start, the National Union of Teachers, and the University and College Union in the UK, the Canadian Teachers Federation and the global union, Education International.
“This case once again shows the Islamic Republic’s contempt for the Universal Declaration for Human rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” said Jamshid Ahmadi, CODIR Assistant General Secretary. “We urge human rights, labor, and trade union organizations around the world to step up the pressure and to continue to write to the Iranian government expressing their outrage at the arrest and insist on stopping the execution of Mr. Ghanbari.
“The eyes of trade unionists are on Iran,” said Alex Gordon, president of RMT, Britain’s largest specialist transport union.
Stay the execution of Ghanbari and revoke the death sentence; drop all charges against all detained trade unionists and release them immediately; compensate those jailed for damages suffered during detention; allow the Iranian teacher’s union to function legally and openly; stop all harassment and repression against teachers, unionists, and human rights activists.
And finally, comply with international labor standards and respect the rights of Iranian workers to freedom of association, assembly and expression.


Amendment's 1, 2, 3 and 5 are on this year’s ballot. Here’s a short guide to each one.
On Nov. 8, Florida voters will be selecting more than just who will be the next president. Besides picking state senators and congressmen, four amendments will be on the ballot this year: Amendments 1, 2, 3 and 5.
Before you vote, here’s a quick rundown of what each amendment stands for.
What does that mean for me: The amendment allows anyone to have solar panels installed and operating at their house. However, the homeowner has to have a backup electric power source in case the solar panels stop working.
Amendment 1 would remove net metering, which is a policy that allows people with solar panels installed to have a cheaper electric bill by sending extra power stored by solar power to the public grid.
For homeowners that have solar panels on their property, this reportedly would cause an increase in the cost of their electric bill.
How likely is it to pass: somewhat high. Almost $22 million was raised in support of the amendment and it has 84 percent of people in favor of the bill according to Florida Politics.
Summary: Known as the “Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative,” Amendment 2 allows the use of marijuana for medical usage for those with debilitating illnesses including cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, AIDS and multiple sclerosis. It also allows caregivers of patients, including parents of children, to assist in administering treatment.
However, the law only applies in Florida and it doesn’t grant legal immunity for non-medical use or possession of marijuana.
The proposed amendment has the support of at least 80 percent of people, according to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University between April 27 and May 8.
Amendment 2 would be based on an act that was passed in 2014 which allowed the Florida Department of Health to administer cannabis in varying forms that are low in THC to those who medically qualify.
What does that mean for me: If you are suffering from a debilitating illness, Amendment 2 would allow you to use medicinal marijuana. People would have to register with the state’s health department to receive an identification card which would allow them to buy or grow limited amounts of cannabis.
The bill does not exempt or give immunity to those who are in possession of marijuana for nonmedical use. If passed, Florida would be the first state in the South to legalize medical cannabis.
How likely is it to pass: high. Despite opposition toward Amendment 2, the legislation has financial backing to the sum of about $5 million according to Ballotpedia.
Summary: Amendment 3 would be a tax exemption for first responders that are disabled while on the job.
The exemption would allow disabled first responders to be eligible for at least $25,000 and up to $50,000 in tax breaks.
What does that mean for me: For those with a first responder parent or relative who was disabled on the job, that tax break would potentially be applied to their household.
How likely is it to pass: very high. The editorial boards of the Herald-Tribune and Cape Coral Daily Breeze support Amendment 3 and there is no major public opposition toward the amendment.
Summary: According to the official ballot summary, Amendment 5 would be a tax exemption for senior citizens.
The amendment would allow for a revision of the homestead tax exemption and give seniors with houses worth less than $250,000 a tax break.
A homestead exemption allows for a homeowner to write off part of the value of the home, which means that they pay less in taxes.
What does that mean for me: As you get older and reach senior age, you could qualify for a homestead exemption at the age of 65. This amendment would make it easier for homeowners with low-cost housing to gain tax benefits.
How likely is it to pass: very high. There is no major public opposition toward the legislation and the amendment has the support of the editorial board at the Tampa Bay Times.
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