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With bullish hiring sentiments, private sector players are likely to create seven lakh jobs and the overall increase in salaries is projected to be around 8 per cent in the New Year, according to a survey. MyHiringClub.com & Sarkari-Naukri.info Employment Trend Survey (MSETS) 2020 indicated that most employers are optimistic about their hiring plans. "Around 7 lakh new jobs are expected to be created in new calendar year 2020. Major contributors will be start-ups which are expected to create more jobs in every sector," MyHiringClub.com & Sarkari-Naukri.info CEO Rajesh Kumar said. The survey covered 4,278 companies across 12 industry sectors in 42 major cities. Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi & NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad and Pune were among the top places in terms of places generating a total of 5,14,900 jobs and rest number of jobs opportunities will be in Tier-II and TierIII cities in 2020. "Tier II and Tier III cities are able to create more jobs compared to metros due to companies moving their setup gradually from metros to these cities to keep cost control. In 2020, technology or technical skills are more in demand compared to other skills," he noted. Going by the survey, around 5.9 lakh jobs against expected 6.2 lakh jobs were generated in 2019. In 2020, retail and e-commerce sector will lead the table and is expected to generate 1,12,000 jobs followed by IT & ITeS (1,05,500), FMCG (87,500), Manufacturing (68,900), BFSI (59,700) and Healthcare (98,300), the survey said. South zone is expected to retain its number one position in 2020 as it is expected to create 2,15,400 jobs, followed by North (1,95,700), West (1,65,700) and East (1,25,800), it noted. As per the survey, salaries and bonuses in the country are projected to see single-digit hike, while the overall anticipated overall salary increment for 2020 is 8 per cent. "Increments have been conservative at 8 per cent and bonuses have been 10 per cent, attributable to the prevailing market sentiment. The increment and bonus percentages have increased by 1 per cent points across levels compared to last year, with most impact at top management level," Kumar said. Shine.com CEO Zairus Master said reskilling will be a priority for existing employees in 2020. He noted that to address this skills shortage, recruiters are shifting their focus to hiring professionals with the ability to adapt to changing roles in flexible organisational structures. Further, he said the coming year will also witness a renewed focus on data literacy. "Organisations will be on the lookout for professionals who can read and analyse volumes of data to facilitate deeper insights and informed decisions about the organisation's workforce," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Mindspace Business Parks REIT, backed by Mumbai-based realtor K Raheja Corp and private equity firm Blackstone Group, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) worth Rs 1,000 crore with markets regulator SEBI. This is India's second REIT listing after Embassy Parks launched its first REIT in 2019. Mindspace Business Parks REIT is expecting to raise more than Rs 1,000 crore through the fresh issue of shares and an offer for sale by both K Raheja Corp and Blackstone. Out of K Raheja Corp's total commercial development, the portfolio carved out for the REIT includes Grade-A office spaces spread across around eight information technology parks in cities including Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai. K Raheja Corp is the country's second largest developer of commercial parks and was seen as a prominent candidate for listing REITs in India. The Mumbai-headquartered company has developed commercial space in the western and southern parts of the country under the brands Mindspace and Commerzone. As per the document, the portfolio of the properties for the Mindspace Business Park REIT is spread across Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai. The total area of completed properties is 19.8 million sq ft and that which is under construction or part of future development is 9.7 million sq ft. "The launch of Embassy REIT in 2019 opened up a new asset class for investment in country. Its success can be gauged from the fact that between 18 March and 30 November 2019, the price of a single REIT unit reached Rs 445.3 from a launch price of Rs 300, registering a significant 48% improvement. The country is expected to see the launch of at least one more REIT in the coming year," Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa at CBRE had said. In April last year, Embassy Office Parks, a joint venture between the Bengaluru-based property developer and private equity firm Blackstone, had put 33 million square feet of office and hospitality assets under its proposed REIT comprising of seven business parks and four city-centric buildings spread across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Noida. Out of the 33 million sq ft, about 24 million sq ft area was operational at 95 percent occupancy and yielding a rental income of over Rs 2,000 crore annually. Another 3 million sq ft area was under construction and 6 million sq ft area was in the pipeline. REIT is an investment tool that owns and operates rent-yielding real estate assets. It allows individual investors to make an investment in this platform and earn income. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had notified REIT's regulations in 2014, allowing setting up and listing of such trusts, which are popular in some advanced markets. REITs are listed entities that invest in income-generating properties and distribute at least 90 percent of their income proceeds to unit-holders through dividends. After registration with SEBI, units of REITs will have to be mandatorily listed on exchanges and traded like securities. Properties listed through a REIT are typically commercial assets -- primarily office spaces that can generate steady and lucrative rental income. Retail malls, hotels, hospitals, schools, student housing, and hotels. Even PSU buildings can be put under REITs. REITs offer investors who have an appetite as small as Rs 2 lakh an opportunity to invest in the commercial real estate market. Like listed shares, small investors can buy units of REITs from both primary and secondary markets. Market regulator SEBI had notified REITs norms in September 2014, but they never took off. REITs norms have been modified by five times since then. According to a report by JLL India, the country’s commercial real estate market has 294-million-square-feet office space that can be potentially pooled in REITs. Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes

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Simple lasagne noodles with nutmeg and cheese is an ideal winter comfort food Our Wine of the Week, Williams Selyem 2017 Russian River Valley Eastside Road Neighborhood Pinot Noir ($65), attained legendary status many years ago, when the winery became know as the center of gravity for this wily grape in what may be its best home, the cool valleys of western Sonoma County. It’s also a fitting tribute to one of the winery’s founders, Burt Williams, who died last month. As you enjoy this sultry beauty, take a moment to raise a glass to him. The wine is light on its feet, with a silken texture, generous flavors of blackberry and Queen Anne cherry and a brightness not unlike cool water splashing on river rocks. This wine does Burt Williams proud. With an ultra-premium wine, it is easy to feel obligated to go fancy when pairing it at the table. You can, of course. Rare rack of lamb with potato puree, grilled Liberty duck breast with farro, braised mushrooms with polenta or a luscious crab bisque all help this wine soar into its most gorgeous self. But you needn’t go this route. The wine is just lovely with simpler, humbler fare. Enjoy it with roasted carrots and parsnips drizzled with the season’s newest olive oil, olio nuovo. Serve it alongside a great steak sandwich, with cioppino, or with a bowl of creamy polenta topped with olive oil and Gorgonzola cheese. For today’s recipe, I’m reviving an old Christmas Eve favorite, a simple dish of broad noodles accented with more nutmeg that you might think would taste good. But it resonates in such a gorgeous way with the threads of spice in the wine that both the pasta and the wine soar. Serve the dish as a first course, as a side dish or as a bed for, say, seared duck breast. Lasagne Noodles with Nutmeg & Cheese serves 3 to 4 as a first course 12 to 16 broad, flat noodles, see Note below Kosher salt 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, preferably olio nuovo 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg 3 ounces (¾ cup) grated Vella Dry Jack, Estero Gold, Parmigiano-Reggiano or similar cheese ¼ cup chopped walnuts, preferably red, lightly toasted 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Fill a large pot half full with water, add a generous tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just done, 2 to 3 minutes for fresh, 8 to 12 for dried. Put the butter and oil into a wide saucepan and set it over very low heat until it just melts. Add the pepper, nutmeg and a generous teaspoon of salt and remove from the heat. Warm four soup plates or pasta bowls. Drain the pasta and quickly tip it into the saucepan with the butter. Turn the pasta gently a few times to coat it thoroughly and divide it between the plates or bowls. Top each portion of cheese, walnuts and parsley and enjoy right away. Note: For best results, use broad thin lasagne noodles, preferably Italian, that do not have ruffled edges. Alternately, you can use pappardelle or tagliatelle, which is about twice as wide as fettuccine. Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com

MONROE, Mich. (AP) — A southeastern Michigan police officer is credited with pushing two people out of the path of a suspected drunken motorist who nearly slammed into them and then fled the scene. Monroe police said the officer had pulled over a vehicle early Sunday along the city’s Telegraph Road when an SUV came barreling toward the back of his police cruiser. The officer quickly pushed two people over the roadway’s guardrail to prevent them from being hit, Monroe Police Capt. Jon Wall told WDIV-TV. “He heard what sounded like a car slamming on its brakes, which was squealing the tires, which alerted him to look into that particular direction,” Wall said. The SUV went up on a sidewalk before its driver put it in reverse and fled the scene. Police pursued the SUV and soon arrested the motorist. Walls said the suspect is facing several charges, including fleeing, resisting and obstructing.

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China has formally implemented a law governing cryptographic password management as part of its pre-release plans for its central bank digital currency (CBDC). As English-language news media outlet China Money Network reported on Jan. 1, the latest regulations have become legally binding following their unveiling in October last year. Crypto security paves way for CBDC As Cointelegraph reported, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress in China passed the crypto law on Oct. 26. It divides passwords at large into three distinct categories — passwords, common passwords, and commercial passwords — and aims to facilitate China’s transition to blockchain technology: “In order to prevent data from being tampered with, it is necessary to protect each data with a password. The development of blockchain technology can not be separated from the progress of cryptography technology,” China Money Network wrote referencing a report from Japanese media outlet Japan Economic News. The central bank’s tests are ongoing China has not yet set a formal release date for its CBDC, which will be the first state-backed cryptocurrency on the world stage. Late last year, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) confirmed it would start live testing of the currency with select banks before 2020 began. Beijing’s sudden public praise of blockchain more broadly sparked a wave of enthusiasm that ricocheted across cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin (BTC) rose, while China-based altcoins delivered considerable growth over a short period. At the same time, state-controlled media stressed that the endorsement was not tantamount to authorities slackening the strict ban on cryptocurrency trading in place since September 2017. Cointelegraph published a retrospective on China’s cryptocurrency policy this weekend.

People’s Bank of China allows commercial banks to hold less capital in reserve China’s central bank has acted to pump more liquidity into the country’s economy in an attempt to prevent growth slowing in 2020. The People’s Bank of China is allowing commercial banks to hold less capital in reserve, freeing up about 800bn yuan (£87bn) in new funds for loans. It will cut China’s banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points, to 12.5%, from 6 January. The move means lenders can lend more of their savers’ funds to borrowers to support the economy, rather than keeping it on hand. The RRR was cut three times during 2019 as Beijing tried to protect companies from the damage caused by the US-China trade war. Despite these efforts, growth hit a 30-year low in 2019, with manufacturing activity shrinking for much of the year. The PBoC said this latest cut was meant to “further support the development of the real economy and lower real financing costs”. Sign up to the dailyBusinessToday email or follow GuardianBusinesson Twitter at @BusinessDesk The lower RRR could also prevent financial conditions tightening in the run-up to the lunar new year this month, when firms and families need cash on hand. In a new year message, the PBoC governor, Yi Gang, said the central bank had taken “resolute and strong actions” in 2019, to combat predictable and unpredictable events. “Facing potential ‘black swan’ and ‘grey rhino’ incidents in the financial market, we had the resolution, confidence and ability to win the battle of forestalling and defusing major financial risks,” Yi declared.

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Ashleigh Barty of Australia is seen during a practice session at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Tuesday, December 31, 2019. The Brisbane International Tennis Tournament will take place at the Queensland Tennis Centre from January 6-12, 2020. (AAP Image/Darren England) Ashleigh Barty of Australia is seen during a practice session at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Tuesday, December 31, 2019. The Brisbane International Tennis Tournament will take place at the Queensland Tennis Centre from January 6-12, 2020. (AAP Image/Darren England) FOR Ipswich’s most loved tennis player Ashleigh Barty, there is no place like home. The young tennis star who hit her first ball at West Brisbane Tennis Centre at the age of four, ended the season as world No.1, the first Australian female player in WTA rankings history to top the season-ending rankings. The 23-year-old tennis champion is in the middle of preparing to hit the court for the Australian Open in two weeks-time. “I’m feeling great. Excited to be at home and play in front of an Aussie crowd, there is nothing better,” she said. A day in the life of Ash in the lead up to an event like the Australian Open is no easy feat. “At the moment its training, training and more training,” she said. “I’m at the tennis centre early for my pre-season training block and stay there most of the day. “It is an intense period of fitness and on court work as my team and I get ready for the Aussie summer.” After a long day of training, Ms Barty said she preferred a quiet dinner at home with her Boyfriend Garry Kissick before a walk with the dogs and an early night. Her climb up the ladder has resulted in plenty of time on the road and she says it’s her family and dogs she misses most. “I have two nieces and a nephew who I love to bits, being away from them and the rest of my family so much is hard,” she said. “FaceTime is my saviour. “I wish I could pack my dogs in my suitcase and bring them everywhere with me.” The tennis star said she always carries a piece of home with her, never failing to pack a tube of Vegemite on her travels. With such a hectic schedule, she does her best to keep herself grounded when off the court. “I love spending time at home with my family and friends, going out for coffee, playing a round of golf and taking the puppies for a walk. “The simple things are what I enjoy the most when I have time off.” Her childhood was like many others growing up in Springfield, playing in the backyard or at the local park with her two sisters Ali and Sara. “I had a very happy childhood and my family are still the most important people in my life today.” The humble player had only a few but valuable words to pass on to other young girls looking to step on the court. “Chase your dreams and have confidence to take your own path,” she said. “As long as you are happy and enjoying what you are doing that’s the most important thing.”

KT has had a Happiness Editor on our rolls since 2015 whose job it is to scout for and showcase constructive journalism. In my first column of the year (the decade, really), I'd like to take a critical look at a profession that impacts both you and I. Journalism. The earliest examples of journalism included cave paintings. Its evolution has seen myriad forms and some believe it has come a full circle: paper/print, radio, television, digital, social and back to cave images (a.k.a. emojis). There is a growing body of opinion, misplaced as it is, that believes that journalism is becoming irrelevant and overshadowed by the digital platforms and the two-way social media correspondence. It may be getting poorer, figuratively and literally, but journalism remains far more relevant today than it has ever been in the past. I've written this, you're reading it. The proof is in the pudding. Journalism impacts us both. Indulge me, therefore, and take a hard, penetrating look at the degenerative metastasis that media is undergoing, the dearth of good journalism and journalism for good, the fight against the phenomenon of falsehoods and fake news, the grudging acceptance that so-called collaboration has found in the newsroom, and how it may play out this year and in years to follow. It's a sad but precise observation that bad news sells. 'If it bleeds, it leads' has been the mantra for media for far too long now. We may not be in a position to change that overnight, but at Khaleej Times, we've been chipping away at it whenever we can with whatever force we can. KT has had a Happiness Editor on our rolls since 2015 whose job it is to scout for and showcase constructive journalism. Discerning readers may realise the difference. Our stories and their presentation often try to highlight the silver lining instead of the dark cloud that is there for everyone to see. The stories, therefore, may be headlined '92 survive plane crash' instead of '17 die in a plane crash'. We can't change the nature of the events of the day, but we can help our audience start it on an affirmative note. We aspire to be the 'good news newspaper' from the UAE. In that spirit, starting tomorrow, we'll be taking another small step this year, consciously dedicating a small yet conspicuous space in our print and digital platforms to positive, inspiring stories every day of the year. Let me know what you think of it. Here's wishing you a Happy News Year.

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TAKE A FREE TRIAL Registered users can read up to 3 reports. Enter your details below for immediate access. If you would like to request a full trial of our services, please fill in the trial request form instead. Note our system only accepts work email addresses (e.g. no Gmail, etc.). The password for your account must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least one number, one capital letter and one of the following special characters (between double quotes): " !"#$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~". Email address First Name Last Name Organisation Job Title Telephone City State / Province (USA and Canada only) ––– ––– USA select from below ––– Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut DC Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming ––– Canada select from below ––– Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Nunavut Northwest Territories Country ––– Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Ascension Island Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunel Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Channel Islands Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati South Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka St Helena St Kitts and Nevis St Lucia St Vincent Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tristan da Cunha Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu United Arab Emirates Uganda United Kingdom Ukraine Uruguay US Virgin Islands United States of America Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe online-registration Asset Class Of Interest --- Multi-Asset Equities Fixed Income Real Estate Commodities FX / Currency

TAKE A FREE TRIAL Registered users can read up to 3 reports. Enter your details below for immediate access. If you would like to request a full trial of our services, please fill in the trial request form instead. Note our system only accepts work email addresses (e.g. no Gmail, etc.). The password for your account must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least one number, one capital letter and one of the following special characters (between double quotes): " !"#$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~". Email address First Name Last Name Organisation Job Title Telephone City State / Province (USA and Canada only) ––– ––– USA select from below ––– Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut DC Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming ––– Canada select from below ––– Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Nunavut Northwest Territories Country ––– Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Ascension Island Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunel Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Channel Islands Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati South Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka St Helena St Kitts and Nevis St Lucia St Vincent Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tristan da Cunha Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu United Arab Emirates Uganda United Kingdom Ukraine Uruguay US Virgin Islands United States of America Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe online-registration Asset Class Of Interest --- Multi-Asset Equities Fixed Income Real Estate Commodities FX / Currency

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Mild With Increasing Clouds NYD; Rain Arrives Thursday by Ben Lang 2020 began on a cold note across central and south Alabama, with temperatures falling into the low to mid 30s this morning. Thanks to plenty of sun this morning, temperatures should near 60° again this afternoon. Clouds gradually increase today, and especially tonight. That keeps temperatures more mild, with mid 40s for lows overnight. Prepare for rain on Thursday. The rain may be light and somewhat scattered Thursday morning, but it becomes heavier and more widespread during the day. Some thunderstorms are possible too, but severe weather is unlikely. The “marginal” threat for severe weather was trimmed back to only include the Mobile area in Alabama, and mostly covers coastal Louisiana and Mississippi now. Despite the rain, temperatures warm into the mid and upper 60s Thursday. Rain continues into Thursday night, and temperatures only fall into the upper 50s to low 60s. Rain continues Friday. There’s a small threat of a few strong to severe storms across extreme south Alabama Friday. A marginal, level 1/5 risk currently covers that area. The overall severe threat is low, and we are mostly looking at more rain Friday. Highs reach the mid 60s. Friday night lows fall into the mid 40s. Some showers could linger into Saturday as the storm system departs our area. Expect a drier afternoon and possibly some sunshine prior to sunset. It’s going to be cool and breezy Saturday, with highs only in the 50s. Saturday night lows fall to near freezing. Expect abundant sunshine on Sunday, but highs only reach the 50s. Sunday night lows fall into the 30s. Clouds increase a bit on Monday prior to another front’s arrival. Monday could feature highs near 60°. There’s a small chance for rain Monday night/Tuesday, but moisture looks rather limited ahead of the front. While highs reach the 50s Tuesday, high temperatures may not reach 50° next Wednesday behind the front.

NEW YORK (AP) — Don Larsen, the journeyman pitcher who reached the heights of baseball glory in 1956 for the New York Yankees when he threw a perfect game and the only no-hitter in World Series history, died Wednesday night. He was 90. Larsen’s agent, Andrew Levy, said the former pitcher died of esophageal cancer in Hayden, Idaho. Levy said Larsen’s son, Scott, confirmed the death.

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DETROIT – A woman was rushed to the hospital Wednesday morning after a shooting on Detroit’s east side. According to authorities, at about 2:30 a.m. a woman was driving in the 19100 block of Strasburg Street, near Seven Mile road, when the driver of another vehicle was driving head-on toward her. Police said the woman honked her vehicle’s horn to avoid a collision and an occupant of the other vehicle fired multiple shots at her, striking her. The woman was transported to a hospital where she is listed in temporary serious condition. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department at 313-596-5940.

DETROIT – Detroit police are searching for a missing 12-year-old boy who left home without permission on New Year’s Eve. Eric Gayles Jr. was last seen around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 2300 block of Prince Hall Drive, police said. He took out the trash, left home without permission and hasn’t returned, according to authorities. Officials describe Eric as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 120 pounds. He has black hair and was last seen wearing a black jacket, white pants and black shoes, police said. Eric is in good physical and mental condition, officials said. Anyone who has seen Eric or has information on his whereabouts is asked to call Detroit police at 313-596-5740 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP to remain anonymous.

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If you own shares in Great Atlantic Resources Corp. (CVE:GR) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. The first type is company specific volatility. Investors use diversification across uncorrelated stocks to reduce this kind of price volatility across the portfolio. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market. Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Beta can be a useful tool to understand how much a stock is influenced by market risk (volatility). However, Warren Buffett said 'volatility is far from synonymous with risk' in his 2014 letter to investors. So, while useful, beta is not the only metric to consider. To use beta as an investor, you must first understand that the overall market has a beta of one. A stock with a beta greater than one is more sensitive to broader market movements than a stock with a beta of less than one. See our latest analysis for Great Atlantic Resources What we can learn from GR's beta value Zooming in on Great Atlantic Resources, we see it has a five year beta of 1.21. This is above 1, so historically its share price has been influenced by the broader volatility of the stock market. If the past is any guide, we would expect that Great Atlantic Resources shares will rise quicker than the markets in times of optimism, but fall faster in times of pessimism. Beta is worth considering, but it's also important to consider whether Great Atlantic Resources is growing earnings and revenue. You can take a look for yourself, below. TSXV:GR Income Statement, January 1st 2020 More Could GR's size cause it to be more volatile? Great Atlantic Resources is a rather small company. It has a market capitalisation of CA$3.3m, which means it is probably under the radar of most investors. Relatively few investors can influence the price of a smaller company, compared to a large company. This could explain the high beta value, in this case. What this means for you: Since Great Atlantic Resources has a reasonably high beta, it's worth considering why it is so heavily influenced by broader market sentiment. For example, it might be a high growth stock or have a lot of operating leverage in its business model. In order to fully understand whether GR is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as Great Atlantic Resources’s financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following: Financial Health: Are GR’s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why we’ve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Past Track Record: Has GR been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of GR's historicals for more clarity. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

Every change begins with a leadership decision. Making the decision to institute changes is not always easy. Being prepared, planning well, and being surrounded by a good team will make that decision a lot easier. Begin by putting yourself in a positive frame of mind. You are likely to experience higher than normal levels of stress and knowing this beforehand will give you the ability to be prepared mentally and physically. You will be the anchorperson and foundation, and with your steady hand will guide your team through the stressful events. Be a reassuring and active force throughout the whole process. It is impossible to prepare for every contingency, but planning for the known is a must. Add time or extra room to the schedule for the unknowns. When you encounter an unexpected event, your schedule should not be put off by much if you have built in some leeway. It will provide that buffer that gives you and your team the ability to deal with the unknowns and keep rolling with the change process Surround yourself with people that you can delegate to and be confident in their abilities and skills. Be precise and specific with your directions as when the change process begins you will be depending on these individuals and their talents. Communicating and providing feedback are the keys to successful delegation; make sure your team understands this. If communication fails or there is not accurate feedback the chances of a success are lessened. An issue that sometimes arises when delegating is micro managing. Keep an eye out to not micro-manage as you can quickly lose track of events and it will take time away from your main duties. Delegating is a skill that takes time as you must first learn the strengths and weakness of your team and know what tasks you can and cannot hand out. It may not be possible to always delegate, but when it can be done it will provide a great resource. Always be available during the change process. Before the change prepare your friends and family that you may not be available for social events. Reassure your team that you are there for them and you are here to provide them with the necessary resources to lead them through the change. Stress to them that you are available and focused on keeping the communications lines open. Always be aware of rumors, they will happen before during and after the change. Do not ignore any rumor, put out honest and clear communication as soon as possible. Reassure your team that if they hear a rumor to seek out more information from a reliable source. Remind them that spreading rumors helps no one and will cause more harm than good. Not everyone will agree on the change. Keep in mind that these types of feelings are normal, as people generally do not enjoy change and are sometimes made nervous by it. You will likely encounter pushback and resistance by a number of team members. Provide facts and data to show why the change is happening and reassure them the need and benefits of the change. These types of individuals are best suited to be educated about the change with information. If you are encountering an extreme case of pushback, provide them with some choices that still fall within the spectrum of the intended change. They should then feel more involved in the process and it will help alleviate the negative mindset they may be experiencing.It is vitally important to make sure that all stakeholders and employees are on board with a change. In order to continue increasing awareness and to build desire to support the upcoming change; the change management team must reach out to the organization at large. The force field analysis, developed by German social psychologist Kurt Lewin helps a change management team to: • Identify pros and cons of an option prior to making a decision • Explore what is going right — and what is going wrong • Analyse any two opposing positions. If concerns or issues arise, then steps must be taken to ensure awareness is continually raised and that desire to support the change is increased. Strategies that can help the change management team responsively address employees’ concerns include: • Engaging employees, providing forums for people to express their questions and concerns • Equipping managers & supervisors to be effective change leaders and managers of resistance • Orchestrating opportunities for advocates of the change to contact those not yet on board • Aligning incentive and performance management systems to support the change. Change is not exempt from Murphy’s Law. And even if something isn’t going wrong, change management team members must constantly be observing, listening, and evaluating the progress and process during a change. Below are several tools to help the team accomplish this. A feedback form is used to gather information from those involved in a change to help shape the remaining course of the change project. Instead of a paper form, feedback can be obtained through online surveys (Zoomerang.com or Survey Monkey.com), an in-house questionnaire on the intranet, a few questions sent by email, or a focus group. The questions will vary depending upon the subject being queried. Open Feedback include asking participants for suggestions and comments. The compiled results of the feedback forms can be used by the change management team members to modify the project plan and/or the communication plan or to work with specific individuals or groups that may be providing roadblocks to success. Once a change initiative is underway, it is critical to sustain the change with reinforcement. The leader must make sure that the project and communication plan remain on track. They need to identify, and explore any issues from employees or stakeholders that have emerged, and review and consider any feedback gathered to date. Acting as a facilitator, the leader helps to bring about learning and productivity. Communication will be a byproduct of this by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, and supervision.He or she listens actively, asks questions, encourages diverse viewpoints, organizes information, helps the group reach consensus, and understands that the individual needs of team members will affect teamwork. The LEAD model provides a simple methodology for facilitating a participative meeting: • Lead with objectives: When clear objectives are stated up front, group energy is channeled toward achieving an outcome. The objectives shape the content of the meeting. • Empower to participate: In the Lead model, the facilitator is empowered to encourage active participation. • Aim for consensus: Getting the team to consensus will have members more likely to support and carry out the decisions of the team. • Direct the process: How the meeting progresses will influence the quality of the decisions of the team, and influences the commitment of team members. Leaders must differentiate between process and content. Content includes the topics, subjects, or issues; process is about how the topics, subjects, or issues are addressed. Because communications from managers and supervisors have been shown to have a significant impact on employees during a change initiative, it is appropriate that they be actively involved in celebrating success with employees as a result of positive performance. Celebrations can occur on three levels: 1. One on one conversation: In a private meeting, a supervisor should attest to the fact that due to the employee’s effort, a change was made, and how it is succeeding. He or she should extend verbal thanks to the employee. 2. Public recognition: Public recognition officially acknowledges outstanding performance and points out a role model that helped make a successful change happen. Supervisors should carefully consider who receives recognition, and not alienate group members who participated in the change but who many not have distinguished themselves as significantly. 3. Group celebrations: Fun or engaging activities are used to celebrate key milestones by a group. They include buffet or restaurant lunches, dinner events, or can include group outings to sports, amusement, or cultural events. It is important that these types of celebrations try to include the involvement of the primary change sponsor in some way. Professor Akindotun Merino Email: Info@africamentalhealth.net Twitter: @drakinmerino Fb: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Africamentalhealth/ Phone: 08118048229

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5-Star Georgia CB Target Kelee Ringo Denies Rumors He Committed to Texas By Braulio Perez | Jan 01 2020 5-star cornerback Kelee Ringo made it clear he has not signed with the Texas Longhorns Georgia fans undoubtedly got a little nervous earlier this week, as 5-star cornerback Kelee Ringo showed up rocking Texas gear at the Army All-American Bowl. Did this mean he actually signed with the Longhorns and not Georgia? With reports and rumors flying across social media Ringo had shut down his recruitment in favor of UT, the 5-star prospect quickly cleared everything up on Twitter. I honestly just have clothes that I like to wear? y’all making it a thing ??‍♂️ https://t.co/HBm4pcajL4 — Kelee Ringo (@KeleeRingo) December 30, 2019 And there you have it. Ringo let the recruiting world know that his zip-up and backpack selection had nothing to do with which team he'll be announcing for this weekend. While Texas remains in the mix, Ringo is widely expected to join the Bulldogs. Should Ringo end up going with UGA, Kirby Smart and Co. will be landing a true defensive playmaker. Ringo is ranked a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 CB in the country. He picked up more than 30 offers throughout his process. Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro five-star cornerback Kelee Ringo set to reveal the school he signed with on Saturday during the @AABonNBC https://t.co/ARQrY0DV7Y pic.twitter.com/cUJimooIkA — Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) December 30, 2019 Everyone will find out on Saturday if Ringo is headed to Georgia, Texas or if he surprises us all with a different school.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed former Georgia football great Elijah Holyfield on Tuesday, just before the start of the NFL Playoffs. Roster Move: #Eagles have signed RB Elijah Holyfield and placed DE Daeshon Hall on Reserve/Injured. pic.twitter.com/wlVFFUB6ao — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 31, 2019 Holyfield played with the Panthers in the preseason as an undrafted free agent, but did not make the 53-man roster and would sign with their practice squad. Now, the former four-star out of Woodward Academy will compete for a Super Bowl ring with Philadelphia starting this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks after Carolina elected not to sign him to a futures contract.

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California’s Year in Review: Missing Jerry Brown Already 0 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply Sacramento- When Jerry Brown became governor yet again in 2011, I warned my conservative friends not to be too upset at the prospect. “It’s not going to get any better than this,” I’d say. Indeed, Brown’s final eight years in office were mostly smooth sailing, and the dwindling number of Capitol Republicans rarely criticized his administration too harshly. There was plenty to moan about — the record-setting budgets, a major tax increase, the overheated climate-change rhetoric, the failure to rein in unfunded liabilities — but a lot to commend, as well. He got a red-ink-soaked budget on track, passed modest pension reform, dealt successfully with a court-driven prison-overcrowding crisis, Newly-Elected Democrats Let Their Masks Slip, Revealing The Fascists Beneath 0 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply Since the 2018 elections, we have seen a lot of stupid people electing Democrats in state and local elections, and since the garbage Democrats have the garbage Midas touch – everything they come in contact with turns to a Scat Francisco sidewalk – these dumb voters are now suffering the consequences of their misguided trust in these aspiring authoritarians. Democrats win when rich donors pump money into races behind candidates who pretend not to be the gimps of the hard-left cabal that actually runs the party. And the radicals who got elected pretending to be not-insane are getting into office and doing all the insane stuff The 2010s: A decade of astounding economic progress, with capitalism and free trade to thank 0 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply It's human nature to focus on the negative, so it’s worth starting 2020 with an earnest appreciation of all the gains we made during the last decade. Despite the doom-and-gloom rhetoric of economic disaster pushed by politicians left and right, honest reflection reveals that the 2010s were arguably the single most magnificent decade of economic progress in human history. The statistics showing growth over the last 10 years are almost mind-blowing. Extreme poverty, defined as the number of people globally living on less than $1.90 a day, fell from a whopping 18.2% of the world in 2008 to just 8.6% in 2018. This means that over the last decade or so, Ranking the Democrats: Who has best chance of winning nomination? 0 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply The battle for the Democratic nomination is nearing crunch time with roughly one month left before the Iowa caucuses. Some big-name candidates have dropped out — most notably Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — while former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has joined the field. Who has the best chance of winning the nomination? 1. Former Vice PresidentJoe Biden (July ranking: 2) Biden has led national polls since he launched his campaign in April. His advantage has eroded since then, but it is still significant. The former vice president is roughly 10 points ahead of his nearest challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), in the polling averages U.S. moves to protect our personnel in Iraq 10 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply With developments going from bad to worse for the Iranian regime, the mullahs have decided to play a 40 year-old card. They have orchestrated an attack on a U.S. embassy, this time the one in Baghdad. President Trump summarized the situation in this tweet: Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified. Trump’s expectation of protection from the Iraqi government Trump Proves Not All Inequalities Are Equal 2 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply Inequality won the electoral vote for Donald Trump in 2016. Four writers in the Nation admitted as much the day after the election. “Inequality created the presidency of Donald Trump,” they wrote. But the president’s antagonists generally appear loath to admit this. They speak of inequality in relation to nations across the globe, the inequality of transgenders, inequality between races or the sexes, and climate change inequality necessitating wealthy nations to pay a tax to offset natural disasters in poorer nations ostensibly caused by the consumption and emissions of the First World. Carlos Ghosn joins list of thrilling escapes by finance fugitives 2 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn became the latest high-profile financial fugitive to make a cinematic escape from law-enforcement authorities this week. Mercenaries posing as musicians reportedly helped Ghosn flee financial crimes charges in Japan by dragging him out of the country in a musical instrument case, his first step on the way to Lebanon. But previous business bigwigs have used similarly dramatic means to get out of dodge. One staged his death while others fled for foreign countries only to return and face the music later. Illinois governor pardons more than 11,000 marijuana convictions to ring in 2020 5 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker granted tens of thousands of pardons for people convicted of low-level marijuana-related offenses on Tuesday. The Land of Lincoln is set to welcome a new marijuana legalization law on January 1, becoming the 11th state to legalize pot for those 21 years of age and older. Pritzker, a Democrat whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain, described the more than 11,000 expungements as the first step in anticipation of the new law taking effect on Wednesday. He announced the pardons at a church on Chicago's South Side, claiming the action will help offenders find work, housing and college aid. Texas sheriff’s deputy, an Army vet, fatally shot during traffic stop; suspect arrested 10 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply A Texas sheriff’s deputy died in a hospital Tuesday after being shot multiple times during a traffic stop, authorities said. Deputy Chris Dickerson, 28, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Texas Army National Guard, was with the Panola County Sheriff’s Office for eight years and was the married father of two young children, The Associated Press reported. “This young man gave his life doing what he was put on this Earth to do,” Sheriff Kevin Lake told the Panola Watchman. Montana poised to get second House seat post-census: report 6 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply The state of Montana could soon be represented by a second representative in the U.S. House after the 2020 census, according to figures released Monday. Census information first reported by The Wall Street Journal found that the state's population grew by nearly 80,000 between 2010 and 2019, leading analysts to predict the state would be among several to gain representatives in Congress following the official results' release next year. Other states projected by the Journal to gain congressional seats include North Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Florida, and Colorado. States including California, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota were projected to lose one representative each. Obama Was the Most Anti-Semitic President in History, So Let’s Stop Pointing Fingers at Trump 9 replies Posted by Pluperfect — Post Reply I’ve previously written about how the Democratic Party has embraced anti-Semitism and defended rabid anti-Semites in their party. But as anti-Semitism becomes increasingly mainstream in the Democratic Party, rather than addressing the problem, Democrats are deflecting, trying to paint anti-Semitism as a Trump problem. Rep. Eric Swalwell recently alleged in an op-ed in the Jewish magazine Forward that Donald Trump is “embracing anti-Semitism.” Because Trump, who has a daughter who’s a converted Jew and Jewish grandchildren, is obviously an anti-Semite, or something. In the wake of the Hanukkah celebration stabbing in Monsey, New York, rather than blame the attacker, Democrats chose to blame Trump — who has done more

‘Little Women’: Tween Tale 11 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply The umpteenth remake of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s witty 1868 girls’ novel about growing up in Concord, Massachusetts, during the Civil War, is directed by Greta Gerwig and stars her alter ego, the lovely Irish lass Saoirse Ronan, as Jo March.(Snip)This reflected the remarkable upbringing of Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Back before Mark Twain, American literature was kind of a who-you-know business, and the Alcotts knew everybody who was anybody in the author industry. Ralph Waldo Emerson lent her family the money to buy their house in Concord, Henry David Thoreau told them it was haunted, and they eventually sold it to Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Decade’s Top 10 Most Spectacular Falls From Grace 12 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Anthony Weiner/Carlos Danger (2011, 2013, 2016) Of all the politicians to find themselves in a sexting scandal, it had to be the one whose last name is Weiner. In 2011, Anthony Weiner, the married representative from New York, resigned after being caught sending explicit photos of his genitalia to several young women, some underage. (Snip)Lois Lerner and the IRS Targeting Scandal (2013) The IRS decisions of which organizations gain tax-exempt status and which receive extensive scrutiny should have nothing to do with political orientation. However, in 2013, Lois Lerner, President Obama’s director of Exempt Organization Unit in the IRS, disagreed, and disproportionately targeted conservative groups applying for 501(c) status exemptions. Census Test Proves Asking About Citizenship Doesn’t Scare Hispanics 7 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply This week, the Census Bureau released the results of its formal test of the once-proposed, and now prevented, census citizenship question. The results are a striking rebuke to a recent leftist orthodoxy: Adding a citizenship question to a test-run of the census had no statistically significant effect on overall response rates. Even in the communities most sensitive to the question, such as neighborhoods with many Hispanics, response rates dropped only slightly. To understand why this report is significant, step back to March 2018, when Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the 2020 census would include a question about citizenship status. Leftists were immediately outraged, seeing the addition as a racist Trump's offer Mexico could not refuse 4 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Amid all the stories about President Donald John Trump's triumphs in 2019 -- exoneration from Mueller, 3.5% unemployment, killing al-Baghdadi, and a 33% rise in my 401-k -- having Mexico protect our border is way down on the list. Let me raise its profile because President Trump did the nearly impossible by getting Mexico to patrol our border. And he topped that by getting Mexico to keep people seeking asylum there until their cases are adjudicated. On May 30, as he prepared to leave for a state visit to England, President Trump told Mexico to either start patrolling our border and taking those asylum seekers by the time I get back, or It Was A Very Good Year 6 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Magicians always divert attention, which frees them to do their sleight of hand. President Donald John Trump has perfected the craft to the point where he has become the diversion. His tweets are red laser dots that the cats in the media chase. Real cats eventually catch on, but they continue to chase the dot. Benjamin Wofford of the Washingtonian noticed the dot in his column, "While You Were Paying Attention to Ukraine, Here’s What Trump’s Appointees Achieved." He wrote, "There were dozens of stories that flew under the radar—policy changes and personnel sagas, norms eroded and scores settled—that captured the essence of what happened in the marrow of Trump’s government. Two Highly Recommended Impeachment Reads 2 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Christopher Roach, an attorney, has published two articles on impeachment during the past two weeks. They're both excellent, clear expositions of the principles behind what's going on. While it's impossible for Roach to offer an entirely dispositive opinion on how Trump and the Senate should proceed--simply because political considerations will inevitably intrude--his discussion is conceptually useful. By presenting a clear conceptual framework and understanding of impeachment under our Constitution, we get a better idea how whatever path is chosen should be framed in order to stand with the principles of our constitutional order. Militia supporters chanting ‘Death to America’ break into U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad 5 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Supporters of an Iranian-backed militia besieged the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes, breaking through the first layer of security at the embassy compound and damaging a reception area before being expelled by Iraqi security forces. Here’s what we know: ●The U.S. Defense Department is sending two Apache helicopters and a “small contingent” of Marines to reinforce security at the embassy. ●President Trump accused Iran of “orchestrating an attack” on the embassy, where protesters ransacked a reception area and set fires. ●Iraqi security forces later intervened and set up a barricade, but protesters threw gasoline bombs into the compound. US Embassy compound in Baghdad targeted by mob protesting airstrikes; sit-in planned 9 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Crowds of angry Iraqis protesting America’s recent airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia laid siege to the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad Tuesday, chanting “Down, Down USA!” as they stormed through a main gate, prompting U.S. guards to fire back tear gas in response. As of Tuesday night, protesters set up tents outside the embassy in the Iraqi capital where they said they intended to stage a sit-in “until American troops leave Iraq and the embassy is closed.” About 100 Marines are being sent to the embassy to bolster security and an Army Apache helicopter flew over the premises and dropped flares in a "show of force", hoping to disburse Why Americans Fear Trial By Jury 12 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Everyone on both left and right these days is demanding rights—but not the earliest and most important one, the historic right to trial by a jury of one’s peers. Today, over 90 percent of American defendants waive that right in favor of a prosecutor’s proposed plea bargain, because, as Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz notes in his new book Guilt by Association, they are warned that the penalty at the trial stage will be excessively higher. Dershowitz offers frightening examples. Two men picked up their uncle after committing a robbery, making him a passenger in a police car chase where a trooper was shot and killed. The actual murdering robbers copped a Greta Thunberg's father told her to launch climate protests alone as he revealed activism helped her depression 15 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Greta Thunberg's father told her to launch her climate protests alone, as he said he and is wife made green changes to their lives to "save" their daughter from her depression. Svante Thunberg said he and his wife were “not climate activists” but had stopped flying and turned vegan as they saw the impact it had on their daughter.(Snip)He said the teenager became acutely depressed after being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when she was 12, and stopped talking, eating or going to school for a year. “She stopped eating for three months,” added Mr Thunberg. “Which is the ultimate nightmare for any parent.” Will War Derail Trump’s Reelection? 9 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future,” Yogi Berra reminded us.(Snip)Looking to 2020, this writer predicted that Donald Trump’s great domestic challenge would be to keep the economy firing on all cylinders. His great foreign policy challenge? Avoiding war. When one looks at the numbers — unemployment at or below 4% for two years, an expansion in its 11th year, the stock market regularly hitting all-time highs — Trump enters his reelection year with a fistful of aces. One has to go back half a century to find numbers like these. (Snip)If there are IEDs on Trump’s road to reelection, they may be found in the Middle and

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Police are investigating after a 14-year-old was shot at an apartment complex in south Miami-Dade over the weekend. Miami-Dade Police officials said they received a ShotSpotter alert around 11:30 p.m. Saturday in the 10800 block of Southwest 216th Street. When officers arrived they found the teen had been shot several times on the west side of the Cutler Manor apartment complex. The teen was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital South, where he was reported to be in critical condition. His name hasn't been released. "Senseless overnight gun carnage claims another victim. Beyond the prayers and thoughts this 14-year old teen needs as he lays in critical condition after being shot four times, we as a community need to muster up the resolve to end this terror," Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Sunday. The shooting remains under investigation.

Police are investigating after a young girl was among two people hospitalized after a shooting in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood Monday afternoon. The shooting happened around 12:30 p.m. in the area of Northwest 2nd Court and 77th Street, Miami Police spokesperson Kiara Delva said. According to Delva, officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound. A young girl who was with the man wasn't shot but was injured by glass that was broken during the shooting, Delva said. Both were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition. The incident follows the Saturday shooting a 14-year-old in south Miami-Dade. "The senseless and cowardly carnage continues in the streets of our community. Yesterday’s victim, a 14-year old teen, today, a seven year old baby is shot in a drive-by act of terror. Someone knows something. Speak up! Your identity will be protected," Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted Monday. Both shootings remain under investigation.

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Recreational marijuana use became legal in just one more state, Illinois, with the start of the New Year on Wednesday. More states could follow suit in 2020, with several states set to put recreational marijuana on the ballot. Cannabis is still considered an illegal substance at the federal level. According to an end of the year CBS News Poll, support for legal pot hit a new high in 2019, with 65% of U.S. adults saying marijuana should be legal. And, for the first time in CBS News polling, a majority of Republicans (56%) favored legal marijuana. While people ages 65 and over continued to be the least likely age group to support marijuana legalization, slightly more of them favored it (49%) than opposed it (45%) in the 2019 poll. The trend has been reflected in state legislatures, albeit piecemeal. Thirty three states have legalized pot in some form, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Since 2012 — when Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational use — 11 states in total have legalized recreational marijuana. Marijuana is currently legal for recreational use in: Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. On January, 1, 2020, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana. Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday, ahead of the state's official legalization — which the Legislature passed in June — effective on Wednesday. State officials estimate that 116,000 convictions involving 30 grams or less of marijuana, including for possession of the drug, are eligible for pardons under the new law. Illinois is now the second state in the Midwest, following Michigan in 2018, to legalize recreational marijuana sales and use. What's ahead? Several states are expected to vote on recreational marijuana use measures in 2020, while others are preparing similar legislation. Florida Make It Legal Florida, a political committee, is behind a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Chairman Nick Hansen told CBS Miami in early December that, according to their polling, over 65 percent of Florida voters "want to have expanded access to cannabis for 21 and over." However, that milestone appears to have hit a snag. The Miami Herald reports that Make it Legal filed a lawsuit against the state on Tuesday, alleging that a new election law placed restrictions on the ballot initiative process that hampered their ability to collect signatures. As of Tuesday, the state had verified 219,290 signed petitions from Make It Legal — just 28% of the total signatures needed by the February 1 deadline. Minnesota Democrats in the state are preparing marijuana legislation, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. House Majority leader Ryan Winkler (D) has been touring the state on the issue in an effort to ready a bill for the state's session in February. The Republican-controlled Senate, however, poses steep odds, as key conservative leaders remain opposed to legalization. New York Last year proved lackluster for recreational marijuana legislation efforts in the Empire State. A measure to legalize cannabis for adults went up in smoke, despite support from Governor Andrew Cuomo. Legislators did downgrade possession from a misdemeanor to a fine, but people with more than two ounces of the drug on them can still be arrested, according to the New York Police Department. Cuomo has continued to push the issue, hiring Norman Birenbaum, a major force in pro-legalization efforts, to lead the state's cannabis program. New Jersey The state will vote on legalization of recreational marijuana in November, 2020, The Associated Press reports. If the measure passes, New Jersey residents 21 and older will be allowed to use pot recreationally. All sales of cannabis products would be subject to a 6.625% sales tax. Virginia Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has called for the "immediate decriminalization" of possession of small amounts of marijuana, and hosted a Cannabis Summit in December to educate state leaders on what steps need to be taken to accomplish that goal. "The system is broken. It's unjust. It's not working and the way to fix it, first of all, is to move and decriminalize possession of small amounts and address those past convictions. But for me, I think we should move to legalize and regulate adult use," Herring said, CBS affiliate WTVR reports. He may have the support he needs, as the Commonwealth of Virginia's House and Senate are now controlled by Democrats, who tend to favor marijuana reform. One piece of marijuana legislation that has been filed for the state's 2020 session, SB 2, would decriminalize marijuana possession, and would raise the amount needed to be charged with distribution to one ounce versus half-an-ounce, WTVR reports. The bill would also allow people to petition to expunge their convictions. California is still fine-tuning its cannabis regulation On January 1, 2020, two new laws went into effect in California that clarify tax laws related to the state's legal cannabis industry — which competes with it's long-established illegal cannabis industry. Senate Bill 34 allows licensed cannabis retailers to donate cannabis to low-income patients, and exempts those products from state taxes, CBS affiliate KFMB reports. Assembly Bill 37, allows cannabis businesses to claim deductions and credits available to other legal businesses in the state. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed those bills into law, but "begrudgingly" vetoed another cannabis bill that would have required some health care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis. In a message explaining his decision, Newsom wrote that the requirement would put patients on Medicaid and Medicare at risk of losing coverage. Is federal legalization likely in 2020? Since cannabis is still considered an illegal substance at the federal level, most banks are prevented from doing business with marijuana companies. To face this hurdle, lawmakers introduced the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would protect banks who partner with cannabis businesses, CBS Miami reports. The Act passed the Democratic-led House, but is expected to fail in the Senate, after Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) expressed his strong opposition in December. "Significant concerns remain that the SAFE Banking Act does not address the high level potency of marijuana, marketing tactics to children, lack of research on marijuana's effects, and the need to prevent bad actors and cartels from using the banks to disguise ill-gotten cash to launder money into the financial system," Crapo said in a press release outlining his concerns. The same fate is likely for federal cannabis legalization. In November, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019, or MORE Act, now heads to the full House, where its chances are better in the Democratic-controlled chamber than in the Republican-held Senate, where the bill's future is uncertain.

With 2019 nearly rolled up, it is time to exhale and recap the latest dose of marijuana laws affecting the workplace. In the last twelve months, Illinois became the eleventh state to legalize recreational marijuana use by adult[1] and several other jurisdictions passed or modified their existing laws governing marijuana and the workplace. Below is a summary of this year’s developments and some thoughts about what 2020 might bring. Illinois Legalizes Recreational Marijuana Use On June 25, 2019, Governor Pritzker signed the Illinois’ Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act into law, legalizing the use and possession of marijuana for adults age 21 or older starting January 1, 2020. The law, since modified, includes extensive workplace protections for employers, permitting employers to enforce drug free workplace policies—including random drug testing—and discipline or terminate employees who violate those policies, so long as those policies are applied in a nondiscriminatory manner. Employers are also shielded from liability for taking adverse actions against an employee based on the employer’s good faith belief that the employee is impaired or under the influence of marijuana while at work. After enactment, questions arose as to whether Illinois employers who drug test their employees risked running afoul of the state’s Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on an employee’s off-site and off-duty use of a “lawful product.” Fortunately, the Illinois legislature subsequently passed an amendment to clarify that employers may take adverse action against employees or rescind offers to applicants who fail a drug test conducted pursuant to an employer’s reasonable policy. Despite the amended law’s added protections for employers, employees nonetheless may have a private right of action for a bad faith termination of employment. In addition, the amendments do not expressly address the question of whether an employer has a duty to accommodate an employee who provides a medical marijuana card or note from a doctor. Expanded Workplace Protections for Marijuana Use Employers should also be aware of the states and cities that provided new protections for marijuana users in 2019. New Mexico and Oklahoma each passed legislation that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees because of their status as registered medical marijuana users; however, the Oklahoma law does provide an exception for safety-sensitive jobs and for situations which the employee possesses, consumes or is under the influence of marijuana at work. In Nevada, a new law taking effect on January 1, 2020, prevents employers from failing or refusing to hire an applicant because the applicant tests positive for marijuana. Perhaps not surprisingly, New York City went one step further when it passed an Int. 1445-A, barring most employers from conducting any pre-employment testing for marijuana or THC. The ordinance provides several exceptions to allow drug testing of applicants for safety-related positions, transport-related positions, caregivers, and certain federal contractors. Similarly, New Jersey now prohibits employers from disciplining or terminating an employee solely based on that individual’s status as a registered medical marijuana user. While the law does not prevent employers from prohibiting or disciplining employees from using marijuana during work hours or on workplace premises, Garden State employers with a drug testing policy are required to offer employees and applicants who test positive the opportunity to explain the positive result. Looking Ahead to 2020 Given the recent trends, employers should expect another wave of marijuana legislation in the coming year. Indeed, several states, such as Florida, Indiana, and Massachusetts are already considering bills that would prohibit discrimination against medical marijuana users and potentially eliminate most workplace drug testing for marijuana and THC. After coming close to passing legal recreational marijuana in the prior legislative sessions, New York and New Jersey will likely see another push in the coming year. New Jersey is slated to consider a ballot-initiative in a push to let voters decide whether to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana. Employers should also be aware of potential federal action relating to marijuana. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment prohibiting the Department of Justice from using appropriated funds to interfere with state-legal marijuana programs. The House passed a second major marijuana bill in September, the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would protect banks and credit unions that serve cannabis businesses from being penalized under federal anti-money laundering and illicit finance laws. Finally, in November, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which removes marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and requires federal courts to expunge prior convictions for marijuana offenses. Although significant marijuana legislation is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate in an election year, Congress’s rumblings underscore a shift in public opinion that has already and likely will continue to drive states to legislate further in this area. ***** [1] While still illegal under federal law, adult recreational use of marijuana is permitted in the District of Columbia and the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Reprinted with permission from Health Employment and Labor blog. Source: Epstein Becker Green.

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The past decade was marked by many memorable ads, as marketers like P&G and Nike embraced political and social issues and others like Burger King and KFC tried to use humor to sell products. Business Insider chose 15 that stand out for being memorable months and years after they debuted. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. This was the decade that brands like P&G and Nike took a stand on political and social issues while others like Burger King and KFC used humor to sell their products. Business Insider has compiled 15 of the best ads from 2010 through 2019. Our method isn't scientific, but all are evergreen and have remained memorable months and years after they debuted. Here they are, in chronological order:

Everybody knows in Ghanan that Danchehall artiste Stonebwoy loves his mother to the bone and does not take comments about her who is late very lightly. For the first time, Ghanaians have been privy to see the tattoo of Stonebwoy’s mother on his back after concealing it for years. The BHIM Nation president whilst marking 5 years since the death of mummy shared the screenshot of tattoo on his back. He claimed he does not go anywhere without his mother’s protection and support at his back. 1Gad added that he is actually celebrating 5 years for his mother. Stonebwoy lost his mom in the year 2015. Prior to that, Stonebwoy has constantly been spotted hanging around his adorable mother. For months, Stonebwoy got devastated by his mum’s demise. See Photos Below:

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news, local-news, About 4000 people gathered on the banks of the Manning River at Taree to enjoy the New Year's Eve fireworks display. That number is up on last year, but according to MidCoast Council's economic development co-ordinator Robyn Brennan, it is in keeping with previous years and numbers are usually between 3000 and 5000. "We're pretty happy, considering how hot it was and it was quite windy. We think the wind would have kept the temperature down on the riverbank." Robyn said it was a difficult decision for council to continue with the fireworks, especially as many people in the community were calling for them to be cancelled in respect of the bushfires ravaging Australia and the volunteer firefighters out fighting them. "It's not as easy as cancelling the fireworks and doing a donation. We'd committed to a lot of those expenses 12 months out." She said the community event is an opportunity for people to come together on a good night. "We are respectful to those impacted by the bushfires, and whether or not we went ahead the reality is everything was already locked in and we were already committed to covering those expenses." She said the pyrotechnicians had already ordered the stock and had staff employed to run the displays. "We would have had to pay for it even if we didn't go ahead. "We know that without the fireworks the attendance numbers would have dropped off. "You're never going to please everyone. It's a big family night out and the kids love it, which is what it's all about." Holding the celebrations without the fireworks would have meant a drop in the economic benefit to the Manning community. About 20 vendors are involved in the event. In addition, council uses local companies like Coates Hire and Kennards for the toilets, local performers and a local security company. "It's to get people out of their homes and holiday accommodation and out on the town, and help stimulate spending in the town," Robyn said. "It's people preparing for the night and going out and buying glowsticks, and what we've found, people book at those waterfront venues in Taree or Tuncurry and then are hanging around for the fireworks. "It's a family friendly event, it's alcohol free so you can bring the kids out and know you're in a safe environment. "We work quite closely with the police, ambulance and RFS to make sure we are aware of what's happening and the conditions. It's a combined effort." The New Year's Eve celebrations started around 5pm with food and entertainment. "It was a little slow to start because of the heat and it was about 8-8.30 that we hit our peak numbers." Planning is a 12 month process. "We will go back after the holiday season is over and start contacting the existing vendors and their attendance for the next one, which will be confirmed by May," Robyn said. "We have two-year contracts in place with the pyrotechnicians, so it's locked in 12 to 24 months out. "As is with planning for events of this size, as soon as one is finished we're planning the next event, it's pretty normal. We lock all the sponsors in to ensure they are included in all promotional material and signage. "Because the fireworks are launched over the river, we also need to secure approval from the RMS." Following the event, Robyn said they like to do a full debrief with RMS, police, ambulance, the security company and operation managers to talk about how it went, any opportunities to improve and feedback from the people on the night. Did you know the Manning River Times is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here. https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/3BCX4pVhrPX9Pe9ruXFd8XL/5b45aad8-b9f2-412e-88e3-3296d641b78e.JPG/r0_297_4496_2837_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

A man has died during New Year's Eve celebrations in Australia after falling from a rooftop bar. The unnamed 24-year-old man plunged 21 floors to his death from the Emporium Hotel's rooftop bar in Brisbane at around 11.30pm. Advert Large crowds at gathered at the rooftop bar to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks and were left traumatised by what they saw. One horrified eyewitness told the Daily Mail: "We had literally just arrived and were going to see the fireworks. As we passed the lobby of the Emporium hotel on the footpath of Grey Street, we heard a very loud bang next to us. "[We] saw a man fall onto the tray of a truck that was parked out the front of the entrance and bounce off onto the concrete road. "We were thankfully spared as he could have easily fallen on top of us, or in front of us." She added: "My friend was the worst to be affected as she witnessed him falling and hitting the ground. Advert "Then people started screaming and running towards the body. Police started flooding in and we told them what we had witnessed." Roads in the area were temporarily closed while police and emergency services attended, but were later reopened. Police are not treating the death as suspicious. Emporium Hotel manager Charles Martin passed on his condolences to the man's family and said support will be made available for anyone who witnessed the incident. He told the Courier Mail: "The first priority has been to hotel guests and team members who may have witnessed the incident... counselling services have been arranged for those needing support to deal with the incident." North Brisbane District Superintendent Chris Stream. Credit: 7 News The horrific incident happened as the rest of the country was preparing to step into the new decade. Police in Queensland said that, although there were 46 arrests overnight, overall the partygoers and fun seekers were pretty well behaved. Most arrests were for charges of for anti-social behaviour, alcohol and drug related incidents - with 29 of the 49 charges being for 'public nuisance'.

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Depending on who you talk to, the decade is either ending tonight or a year from now. The Macalope’s not going to weigh in on whether or not a decade runs from 0 to 9 or 1 to 10. This is a technology column, he doesn’t get into religion. Regardless, a lot of people are looking back on the decade of Apple news and taking stock of what were the big events and products of the last ten years that are at least an elapsed decade whether or not they are a canonical decade. Which, if The Macalope knows his terminology, is a decade that you can fire out of a cannon. Just checking his notes and… yes, it can be any cannon. Military, shirt, confetti, what have you. What were we talking about? Oh, right. The last decade of Apple. We sure got into a lot of dumb arguments, didn’t we? Is market share the most important thing ever or is it of some kind of uber-importance that cannot be measured by our universe’s science? Is the iPad a computer or just a sandwich? How big of a flop is the Apple Watch? And how devastating are those yearly iPhone production cuts that happen every year after the big launch but, ZOMG, this year they’re cutting production?! By the way, that is the last time The Macalope is legally allowed to use “ZOMG”. Yep, it’s been deprecated as of 2020. Some would say as of 2012. Anyway, it had a good run. Here’s a question from the last 10 years that no one followed up on: did anyone ever get wrist cancer from the Apple Watch? That’s one The Macalope thinks about from time to time. At least Apple eventually shipped the cancer-causing Apple Watch after “disappearing” for a while in mid-2014 by failing to ship something in the wearables category that was vastly important in the mid-2010s but now that Apple owns it, no one talks about it anymore. The Macalope could go on and on about this. Seriously, he even has an interpretive dance about all the dumb things people said about Apple in the 2010s. It was very well reviewed in Dumb Dance Quarterly. But he doesn’t want to leave the year and the decade on such a sour note. Instead, in the spirit of reaching across the aisle, he’d like to point to this piece by Antonio Villas-Boas at none other than Business Insider where Villas-Boas lays out his reasons for using Android and Windows without committing the crimes of claiming that it must be so for everyone if it is so for him and that Apple can do no good. Sure, he drops a soupçon of “walled garden”-style references, but it’s not like The Macalope doesn’t use a garbage truck of “cess pool of malware” references when talking about Android. (The cess pool really is the worst kind of pool, isn’t it? It’s not even a contest.) The Macalope doesn’t care what platform people choose. Choose the right one for you. There are very good reasons to use Android over iOS and Windows over the Mac. Villas-Boas values hardware choice, and that’s a completely valid reason to not use Apple products. Just stop trying to tell us Apple platforms suck and the company is going out of business any day. Despite the company’s ridiculous level of success in the 2010s, that didn’t happen. Something to aspire to in the 2020s. Not that The Macalope is saying that’s a canonical decade. Just to be clear. The horny one’s not in the pocket of Big Decade. Don’t threaten The Macalope’s children.

A decade is an arbitrary 10-year span, especially since people can’t even agree on when this decade ends: with the arrival of 2020 or 2021? Still, it’s a good moment to take stock. For the West, this decade marked the end of the post-Cold War triumph of liberalism — the belief in economic and individual freedom balanced by welfare programs and regulation at home, and support for a “liberal world order” abroad. In a way, the stage for the end of liberalism was set in the late 2000s by the financial crisis and the failure of nation-building in Iraq. But the full consequences became evident several years later. By the end of the 2010s, much of the West was consumed by right-wing populist fever — with the ostensible leader of the free world as populist-in-chief — with a radical socialist revival underway on the left. This decade also saw an unprecedented rise of identity politics, in the United States and in many other Western countries. The intense focus on racism that began with the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 addressed some real issues. But it also turned into a zealotry that often ignored facts, assigned collective guilt, and inflated trivial offenses. Talk of “whiteness” and “white privilege” became mainstreamed. Gender politics followed the same trajectory, from valid concerns to polarizing rhetoric of “rape culture” and “toxic masculinity.” Moreover, thanks to the social media explosion and the spread of technology that made it easy to capture and share videos, progressive identity politics became wedded to “attack now, check later” public shaming of perceived bigots. The emergence of white — and white male — identity politics toward the decade’s end, culminating in the election of Donald Trump, was certainly not just a backlash against the excesses of progressivism. However, when racial and gender labeling is normalized and the stigma of racism is diluted by trivial accusations, this ultimately plays into the hands of the far right. It is not an accident that as the decade of tribalism comes to an end, we see the comeback of violent anti-Semitism, now even in America, perpetrated by extremists of all stripes. Sign up for The Point Go inside New York politics. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. If we continue down this path in the 2020s, the future is grim. Optimists point to the good things that are being overlooked, including progress in medicine and in fighting poverty. But without a return of true liberalism, no gains are secure. Cathy Young is a contributing editor to Reason magazine.

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13 Shares Email Voice of OC continues to be a media leader in taking an investigative approach to every daily story that examines Orange County’s institutions — from city hall to the county jail, from arts centers to community projects. And in 2019, Orange County’s nonprofit newsroom yet again set a new standard for uncovering waste and abuse across the county — reporting out a huge batch of accountability stories that readers won’t find anywhere else. Read the stories below to see our most shared and most read investigative stories of the year. We invite readers to tell us what they think was the most impactful accountability reporting of the year in the comments section. Santa Ana Approves $25 Million Police Raise, But Not Funding Feb. 7 Santa Ana City Council members granted raises to police officers and sergeants totaling $25 million over the next two and a half years, without the ability to actually pay the $4.3 million cost for this fiscal year. Read the Story » JESSICA RUIZ, Voice of OC Westminster Police Chief Placed on Administrative Leave Feb. 20 Westminster’s police chief, Ralph Ornelas, is on administrative leave pending the results of an outside investigation into “possible policy violations,” according to city officials. Read the Story » Orange Sued for Allegedly Violating State Election Law March 5 District elections could be implemented in Orange, following a voting rights lawsuit claiming the city’s current at-large election method disenfranchises the Latino electorate and hinders the election of Latino candidates. Read the Story » Santa Ana Prepares to Sell Off Dozens of Public Land Parcels for Development March 8 Council members opted this week to send 23 of the city’s 88 undeveloped, public land parcels out for private real estate bids — continuing a years-long battle between city officials pushing for commercial growth through development and affordable housing advocates who see a built-out city already feeling the effects of gentrification and lack of community spaces. Read the Story » OC Gives Sheriff Sole Control of Crime Lab, Against National Recommendations April 10 The move to put the crime lab scientists under a law enforcement agency directly contradicts the national best practices Sheriff Don Barnes and DA Todd Spitzer cited to justify the change. Read the Story » ADAM ELMAHREK, Voice of OC Santa Ana Mayor Accused of Personally Renting Out City Property and Interfering in Pot Shop Enforcement April 24 In sworn testimony, Mayor Miguel Pulido was accused of running a side business personally renting out city-owned property and interfering with police decisions about which illegal pot shops to raid. Pulido denies the allegations. Read the Story » Police Union Bribery Alleged Under Oath by Two Officials April 24 Two top Santa Ana officials, including a former police chief, alleged under oath the city’s police union leader engaged in bribery of City Council candidates in 2016, saying Sgt. Gerry Serrano told candidates they had to agree to fire then-Police Chief Carlos Rojas in order to benefit from $400,000 in campaign spending. Read the Story » Surveillance of Councilman Gathered Evidence of Felony Residence Fraud, DA Said April 30 It’s first time in years Orange County DA officials have been known to place a politician under surveillance for alleged residency fraud. Read the Story » Private Anaheim Spending Advisory Group Criticized for Ties to Business and Lack of Transparency May 7 Anaheim First, a private group that’s going to make spending recommendations to the city on $250 million over the next decade, is facing heavy criticism for a lack of transparency and close business ties. Read the Story » Three Westminster Police Officers File More Bullying and Retaliation Claims May 16 The Westminster Police Department fostered a culture of bullying and retaliation for years under former police chief Ralph Ornelas, three police officers allege in separate legal claims filed against the city. Read the Story » JESSICA RUIZ, Voice of OC Grand Jury Finds Lack of Sheriff’s Department Oversight in Illegal Jail Phone Recordings June 4 A lack of oversight allowed the illegal recording of more than 30,000 phone calls between inmates and their attorneys inside county jails, according to the Orange County Grand Jury. Read the Story » Grand Jury: A Simple Vitals Check Could Prevent Inmate Deaths June 6 A simple check of inmates’ vital signs as they come into Orange County jail facilities could save their lives, according to a new Orange County Grand Jury report. Read the Story » Rackauckas Secretly Cleared Deputies Accused of Lying About Informants June 11 Former District Attorney Tony Rackauckas quietly decided last year to not have prosecutors tell defense attorneys about 10 sheriff deputies suspected of lying about or concealing records about jail informants. Read the Story » DA Records Refute Public Reason for Not Prosecuting Santa Ana Police Sgt. Gerry Serrano July 2 DA records contradict its public statements for why the DA’s office did not file DUI hit-and-run charges against Santa Ana police Sgt. Gerry Serrano, who now leads the city’s influential officers’ union. Read the Story » Judge Rules Against OC’s Immediate Destruction of Public Records July 3 Orange County officials likely are breaking the law with a policy allowing immediate destruction of public records and another rule banning public commenters from asking questions of county supervisors or addressing supervisors by name unless they have permission, a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday. Read the Story » Irvine Becomes Latest OC City To Adopt Controversial Agenda-Setting Policy July 11 The Irvine City Council, joining at least six other Orange County cities, has adopted a controversial temporary policy that potentially shuts some council members out of holding public discussions on issues that others on the dais don’t want. Read the Story » Ex-Santa Ana Police Officer Faces Federal Charges Over Videotaped Beating Aug. 2 A federal grand jury indicted former Officer Brian Booker with three felonies for allegedly beating a man who was complying with police commands and then lying about it in official reports. Read the Story » Auditor-Controller Eric Woolery Apparently Died in Kansas, Not OC Aug. 16 A county statement last week that Woolery apparently died in Orange was not corrected until Voice of OC inquired Friday afternoon. Read the Story » OC Picks Lowest-Ranked Firm of 5 for Airport Food Spot Sept. 10 Two supervisors succeeded in overriding the results of a competitive bidding process for a lucrative food spot at John Wayne Airport. Read the Story » OC Approves New Policy to Immediately Destroy Public Records Sept. 16 The policy change comes after a judge found the county failed to cite a valid legal justification to destroy records before two years. ACLU lawyers say the new policy goes against the court ruling, while county officials say it’s entirely legal. Read the Story » OC Moves Millions From Health Agency to Help Cover Sheriff Overruns Oct. 1 Orange County Sheriff’s officials outspent their revenues by $33 million during this last fiscal year – prompting county officials to pull millions of dollars from other departments like the Health Care Agency to cover the shortfall. Read the Story » SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC OC Fairgrounds Gave More than $100K in State Money to Private College while Fairgrounds CEO Sat on the School’s Fundraising Board Oct. 9 Orange County Fairgrounds CEO Kathy Kramer joined the fundraising board for Vanguard University, a private Christian college, in 2017. Since then, the fairgrounds has paid the school over $100,000 in contracts and sponsorship deals brought up to the fairgrounds Board of Directors by her staff. Read the Story » OC Fairgrounds CEO Kathy Kramer to Leave Post Oct. 15 Fair officials confirmed Kramer’s departure, which comes after Voice of OC revealed Kramer sat on the fundraising board for a private college that the fairgrounds has given state money to. Read the Story » Criminal Probe Underway Into OC Fire Authority Event With Political Candidates Oct. 16 The Sheriff’s Department is examining an event at the fire agency’s headquarters that triggered concerns about using government resources for political campaigning. Read the Story » Fullerton City Officials Target Local Bloggers in Lawsuit, Want to Search Private Computers Oct. 25 Fullerton city attorneys are asking an OC Superior Court judge to keep local resident Joshua Ferguson, and the blog he writes for, from deleting confidential records and to appoint someone to look through electronics to find the records. Ferguson filed a public records lawsuit against the city last week. Read the Story » OC Deputy Sheriff Inmate Shackling Policy Draws Public Protests Nov. 25 On Sunday, a host of community members came out to the Theo Lacy jail facility in Orange to support judicial restraint of a new policy by Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes to shackle inmates while they are transported to court and while they await court hearings in holding cells. Sheriff Barnes appealed the decision, arguing restraints are safer for inmates being transported to court. An appellate court decision is expected next month. Read the Story » State Investigating Secretive Group That Routed $170,000 to Santa Ana Election Nov. 27 The investigation centers on Californians for Ethical Patient Care, which was one of the largest spenders in the Nov. 6 Santa Ana City Council election. Read the Story » JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC OC Sheriff Kept Evidence Booking Crisis Secret for Almost Two Years Dec. 4 Sheriff Don Barnes’ spokeswoman declined to say why county supervisors and the district attorney weren’t told of the scale of the issue sooner. Read the Story » Santa Ana Councilman Publicly Calls Out Dark Money Campaign, Welcomes FBI Interview Dec. 9 Councilman Juan Villegas, who also works as a special officer at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, is publicly alleging that one the key people behind the controversial 2525 N. Main St. project admitted to him their involvement in a dark money campaign to influence the 2018 Santa Ana city council elections – which involved hiding $320,000 in campaign money through a shell company. Read the Story » OC Supervisors Accused of Failing to Hold Sheriff’s Department Accountable Dec. 11 The Sheriff’s Department has faced controversy in recent weeks over revelations that an internal audit found hundreds of cases where deputies failed to follow policy in booking drugs, cash, photos, and videos in criminal cases by the end of their shift. Read the Story »

Editor’s note: This is the third article of Unsheltered, a five-part series examining homelessness in the cities of Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Though many private organizations and various levels of government are involved in the search for solutions, the series looks specifically at the problem in local cities, what they are doing about it and what more might be done. In this article, we examine what experts, advocates and city leaders say needs to be done to address homelessness. Laguna Beach opened its homeless shelter in 2009. Costa Mesa opened one in 2019. Huntington Beach plans to follow suit, but its ribbon-cutting has been stymied by legal action and other problems with site selection . Newport Beach has started serious discussions of developing its own but also is encountering obstacles. When it comes to homeless services, Orange County cities have largely gone their separate ways over the years. The result is a system that, in places, more closely resembles a patchwork quilt than a tightly woven mesh — one in which some cities harbor relatively robust services and resources for the homeless and others have few. Advertisement Though myriad factors have contributed to and continue to fuel homelessness in Orange County, the apparent disconnect among some city leaders — as well as their colleagues at the state and county levels — has historically presented one of the most significant hurdles, according to an Orange County grand jury report in May 2018. As the report put it, “A city trying to go it alone ignores the regional nature of homelessness.” There’s a “finger-pointing and lack of trust that exists between the county and the cities, and even among the cities themselves, on the homeless issue,” the report stated. “The cities believe the county is not providing sufficient leadership in outlining a countywide plan for the homeless and is too frugal in disbursing the state and federal homeless funds it receives. Meanwhile, the county is frustrated that cities are not responsive to repeated requests for siting any type of homeless housing, be it emergency shelters or permanent housing.” Advertisement The separation on the issue makes some sense when considering that the cities themselves are separate. They have their own elected officials and professional staff members, all with their own perspectives and priorities. Each city also has its own budget. Considering all the other services that residents rely on, those pools of money can drain in a hurry, making the idea of committing significant long-term dollars to homelessness-related efforts unpalatable, if not infeasible in some cases. “Two large obstacles are, one, the lack of centralized coordination of the effort and, two, sufficient funding to add shelters and services,” said Steve Nagel, a Fountain Valley City Council member and former mayor. “Cities have limited funding streams that have historically been dedicated to providing police, fire, public works, recreation and planning responsibilities. “Cities are struggling to ensure they have enough funding and staffing expertise to just handle their mandated responsibilities and will be unable to fund homelessness solutions for the long term.” Dawn Price, executive director of Friendship Shelter, which operates the Laguna Beach shelter on Laguna Canyon Road, agreed that “there’s no single entity that [is] sort of acknowledged as the one that’s going to take the reins and the leadership in a regional problem like this.” “In L.A. [County], it’s going to be [the] Los Angeles mayor and City Council. … O.C. is sitting here with a fairly large population and no central city,” she said. “It’s a unique set of sort of governmental circumstances or jurisdictional circumstances that ... makes it hard for people to accept responsibility or say ‘I’ll do my part.’” But as homelessness has exploded into arguably Orange County’s most pressing problem, many local leaders seemingly are on the same page in acknowledging the regional nature of the issue and the need for cooperation among the county, state and cities. However, leaders in every city are accountable to their constituents. Any suggested solutions will need some community buy-in, and an elected official’s political fortunes could hinge on one controversial vote. Advertisement And when it comes to homelessness, controversy is rarely in short supply. Resistance Residents picket and chant outside Newport Beach City Hall to voice their disapproval of a proposed homeless shelter before a City Council meeting in October. (File Photo) Public sentiment has always played a key role in shaping cities’ responses to the homeless, according to advocates and service providers. “The ‘NIMBYs’ want everybody to just leave out of their neighborhoods, but they have to go somewhere,” said Bill Nelson, executive director of Fresh Beginnings Ministries, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that aids those who are homeless or close to it. “Somebody needs to ask at one point, ‘Whose backyard is it going to be? Where are we going to put them?’” NIMBY, an acronym for “Not in my backyard,” is a term often used by critics of people who object to proposals in their neighborhoods or cities. As cities across the county weigh whether to open new homeless shelters, some residents have ramped up their efforts to keep such facilities out of their proverbial backyards. Though the proposals have been different, the citizenry’s concerns have been fairly consistent from one city to another. Residents worry that shelters will attract homeless people from all over who will loiter, litter, drink, use drugs, commit crimes and generally create a nuisance wherever they congregate. The result, some residents argue, will be neighborhoods that are less safe, homes that are worth less and an overall quality of life that is in decline. Meetings to discuss potential homeless shelters have at times morphed into heated affairs marked by shouts, jeers and other outbursts. In Costa Mesa, hundreds of people turned out in March 2018 to fight a proposal to use the soon-to-close Fairview Developmental Center as an emergency shelter. Advertisement The Huntington Beach City Council’s move in April to buy a building to use as a shelter came amid fierce opposition from residents who felt the site-selection process had been opaque and needlessly rushed. That proposal was later dropped after a group of Huntington residents, other property owners and businesses filed a lawsuit claiming the site can be used only for industrial purposes. The city is now exploring other potential locations. "“The ‘NIMBYs’ want everybody to just leave out of their neighborhoods, but they have to go somewhere. Somebody needs to ask at one point, ‘Whose backyard is it going to be? Where are we going to put them?’” Bill Nelson, executive director of Fresh Beginnings Ministries A regular refrain from residents, regardless of the city they call home, is that they’re not against helping the homeless, they just object to specific concepts they believe don’t make sense for their communities. Some Newport Beach residents, for instance, have railed against sites the city has suggested for a homeless shelter, including the city public works yard at 592 Superior Ave. “It’s like telling me I have to put my head on a swivel if I want to walk outside in my own neighborhood [especially in the evening],” Ryan Janis, a nearby homeowner, wrote in a message to the city in September. “I don’t want to have to look 360 degrees every time I go for a walk or take my dog for a stroll in my own neighborhood. If this is added on Superior, it will increase the flow of transient ‘monsters’ in my neighborhood, which is not a place anyone will ever want to raise a family or buy property.” Many Newport Beach residents have fiercely resisted a proposal to convert a portion of the city’s public works yard at 592 Superior Ave. into a 40-bed homeless shelter. Doing so, they argued, would turn the area into a skid row. (File Photo) Others question the role their cities should play in housing the homeless. Some of the people on the streets may not have local ties, they say, and offering additional services or accommodations may fulfill the prophecy of “If you build it, they will come.” During a City Council meeting in April, Huntington Beach resident Doug Hein claimed that a proliferation of sober-living homes and other addiction-treatment facilities has lured many people to Orange County, where they eventually become homeless. “We have patients from the entire 50 states ending up here,” he said. “Our weather attracts people from many other states. So, I seriously doubt that the majority of people living on our streets are Huntington Beach residents. They’re people from other states and so, to me, it’s unfair that we have to bear ... the financial burden and the burdens of housing this.” Some residents have said it would make more sense and cost less money to move the homeless to inland areas for shelter and/or treatment. Others have asserted that, in some cases, being homeless is a choice potentially borne of a desire to live outside certain societal norms or to experience coastal living without the commensurate cost. “I am all for helping people that want to help themselves, but a lot of the homeless, if you go out there and talk to them, they don’t ... They’re happy,” Huntington Beach resident Katrina Tengan said in April. “They’ve got things pretty good. Do you know how much money they can make by just begging on the street? I’ll tell you, it’s more money than I can make. And yet we’re enabling this.” Even in Laguna Beach, which was well ahead of its neighbors in opening a shelter — called the Alternative Sleeping Location — some have expressed concerns with how much the city is doing. “I think we’re sheltering more people than we should be sheltering, and I would like to see those numbers reduced,” Councilman Peter Blake said. Some of the homeless are aware of how they’re perceived. “It’s almost to a point where people are giving you resources, but they almost think they’re enabling you,” said Josh Webster, 42, who lives in Laguna Beach. “But at the same time, it’s like you need those resources just to survive.” Advocates and service providers largely dismiss the claims that many of the county’s homeless are from out of state or have chosen their lot in life. Combating those beliefs, they say, is a vital part of turning around residents’ attitudes about developing resources for the homeless, particularly shelters. “There is this idea that people come to California to become homeless, but the data doesn’t show that,” said Becks Heyhoe, director of United to End Homelessness for Orange County United Way. She pointed to a June 2017 study commissioned by the United Way, UC Irvine and Jamboree Housing Corp. that determined “the vast majority of Orange County’s homeless, whether male or female, are U.S. citizens and long-term Orange County residents.” Becks Heyhoe, director of United to End Homelessness for Orange County United Way, conducts one of her periodic Homelessness 101 classes at the United Way office in Irvine. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Heyhoe said some of the popular “myths” may have taken root because, for some, it’s more comfortable to view homeless people as separate or different. “When we do that, we are able to distance ourselves from them, because if we turn somebody into the ‘other,’ especially ... when we kind of assign blame to them — that it’s their fault that they are this way — it’s very easy for them to remain the ‘other,’ and then we don’t need to engage,” she said. All of that makes the role of local leaders even more vital, advocates say. When it comes to the homeless, “the political will of city councils can change outcomes,” said Helen Cameron, community outreach director for Jamboree Housing, an Irvine-based developer of affordable and supportive housing. “I think city councils need to show their bravery and realize that they can make a decision that can end homelessness,” she said. Some former and current elected officials, though, say showing the courage that Cameron speaks of can carry a cost beyond losing some votes at the ballot box. “Thirty-plus years ago, somebody thought that homeless needed to eat and we got a soup kitchen,” then-Costa Mesa Councilman Jim Righeimer said in March 2018. “You know what we got? More homeless. You bring services in, you get more.” Blake pointed out that although Laguna Beach was well ahead of the pack in opening a shelter in coastal Orange County, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in 2015 accusing the city of trying to push out homeless people with disabilities by not providing adequate accommodations for them. The city and ACLU settled that case in 2018. “All the example that we set was, ‘Don’t be stupid like Laguna Beach and create a shelter and then destroy your downtown, destroy Main Beach and then find yourselves being sued to the tune of millions of dollars … because of all you’ve done,’” Blake said. Practical concerns While public pressure presents a significant potential pitfall, other obstacles also stand in the way of addressing homelessness, according to advocates and experts. Economic realities, namely the high price of housing throughout the county and state, present a significant hurdle. “The state’s severe affordable-housing crisis puts Californians at risk of housing instability and homelessness,” according to a report last year from the California legislative analyst’s office. “For the state’s lowest‑income households, job loss or an unexpected expense could result in homelessness.” Many of those surveyed in the 2017 United Way/UCI/Jamboree study said economic issues were major factors that led to their homelessness — 40% cited “securing or retaining jobs with sustainable wages” and 36% pointed to “finding or retaining affordable housing, including evictions and foreclosures.” (Greg Diaz / Daily Pilot) Huntington Beach City Councilwoman Barbara Delgleize, a real estate broker, said “certainly the high cost of housing” is an obstacle to comprehensively addressing homelessness. “In our community, that’s as much based on our location as it is construction and development costs,” she said. “We also don’t have enough units at various income levels across the region … nor do we have enough shelter beds or crisis stabilization unit beds or supportive housing units. The entire continuum needs expansion.” Advocates have cited a dire need for supportive housing, which pairs residential units with services aimed at helping those who have been living on the street access the resources they need and adjust to having a roof over their heads again. “It’s just as hard keeping them housed as it is getting them housed,” said John Begin, homelessness initiative director for Trellis, a Costa Mesa faith-based consortium that seeks to address significant local issues. “We’ve had people living in cardboard in their new apartment because they were so used to sleeping in a cardboard box outside that they were just uncomfortable. It took them days to get out of the cardboard box and into the bed.” A homeless man sleeps on the curb at Mountain Road and South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. (File Photo) Particularly exciting for advocates is the recent creation of the Orange County Housing Finance Trust, a joint county-cities authority formed to secure and allocate funding for affordable and supportive housing projects. Such mechanisms are key in realizing the ultimate solution to homelessness, which is getting more people housed. Doing so also will alleviate some of the effects homelessness can have on businesses and neighborhoods, according to advocates and experts. “You have the fears of sexual abuse and substance abuse and ... other forms of criminality, but the other things — well, they ... relieve themselves in public. They loiter. They carry around a lot of junk. They’re unsightly. They stink,” said David Snow, a UC Irvine sociology professor who has extensively researched homelessness and co-conducted the 2017 joint study. “All of those things disappear when people have housing.” Though much of the public discussion in recent months has focused on opening emergency shelters, experts and advocates say local governments also need to plan for what’s next. “I’m not one that thinks we need a lot more shelter beds,” said Price of Friendship Shelter. “I think we need a lot more exits from shelters so the shelter beds can turn over.” Price said part of that is getting cities on board with the idea of developing more housing accessible to those on the lower economic end. “I would like to see more cities really championing housing developments in their communities, affordable for working-class poor as well as affordable for people who are homeless,” she said. “I’m not one that thinks we need a lot more shelter beds. I think we need a lot more exits from shelters so the shelter beds can turn over.” Dawn Price, executive director of Friendship Shelter Another important thing, advocates say, is the mind-set cities have when looking at homelessness. Is their goal to address its symptoms or to tackle the root causes? Julia Devanthery, an attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, said the traditional response to homelessness in Orange County, “as a policy matter, has been criminalization.” “The theory is, if you make it illegal to be homeless and you sort of ticket people and throw them in jail for failure to pay tickets that they can’t afford ... first of all, you get people out of sight because they’re mostly cycling in and out of jail,” she said. “Second of all … it disincentivizes being homeless in that community because you’re subjected to persecution for it.” Other ideas Some elected officials say the rise in homelessness has been at least partly fueled by state-level criminal-justice reforms aimed at reducing the number of inmates in California’s prison system. Critics say those efforts ended up making it easier to commit crimes. “We need to reverse recent legislation that has led to early release of prisoners, decriminalization of drug use and increased thresholds for felony grand theft,” said Huntington Beach Councilman Patrick Brenden. “We need the courts to respect the authority of cities to enforce laws related to loitering, camping and panhandling.” Money also plays a major role, with some local leaders saying the state and county need to not only make additional dollars available for cities but also beef up spending for things such as mental health and drug and alcohol addiction treatment. While much remains to be done, some local leaders have expressed optimism that their cities — and the county as a whole — are well on their way. “Local governments have already developed partnerships in Orange County to reduce homelessness, and more partnerships are being discussed on a regular basis,” said Huntington Beach Councilwoman Kim Carr. “If there is the political will, the financial incentive and the compassion among our residents and community leaders to solve the problem, it can be done. I don’t think there will ever be an end to homelessness in America, but I feel Orange County is on the right track and, in time, we will be the model for the rest of the nation.” Trust is vital Tony Yim, a homeless liaison officer with the Newport Beach Police Department, tries to help Toni Horn get the television working at her new apartment in 2016. Horn spent years on the streets in Newport Beach before getting the Lake Forest apartment with help from Yim. (File Photo) Aside from finances and logistics, cities, advocates and service providers face another challenge in addressing homelessness: getting those who need help to accept it. Connecting people to services isn’t as simple as handing them a contact card or shuttling them to a resource center. Officials and advocates say their most important work may be building relationships with those they come across. “The bottom line is, whether someone is addicted, mentally ill, down on their luck, have physical problems or whatever the case is, they won’t take their next step without trust, and they’ve got to trust whoever is working with them,” said Ian Stevenson, executive director of Trellis. It may take time before people are willing to accept the help they’re offered. That might not make sense from the outside, but advocates say the homeless — who can face terrible conditions and treatment on the streets — have fair reason to be skeptical. “In the realm of homelessness, you have everything from families who just lost their jobs, cars, houses, living on the streets,” said Nelson of Fresh Beginnings Ministries. “You have veterans who saw such atrocious things that they didn’t know how to even ask for [the] help that you need to get them. Then you have the criminal element who ... prey on the homeless. ... “And then you have those who are just trying to hide in the shadows because they have nowhere else to go. In all of those things, it’s going to take somebody to walk into the shadows to say, ‘Tell me how I can help.’” The ‘fair share’ However, of all the challenges local governments face when trying to tackle homelessness, perhaps the most significant can be summed up by this finding from the 2018 grand jury report: “The cities are mistrustful of each other since each may think they already are providing more homeless services than other cities in their area.” That raises the question: What responsibility do individual cities have when it comes to providing such resources and services? Should each city have its own shelter? What about a set amount of supportive or low-income housing? If so, what should those thresholds look like and who should set them? In other words, what is a city’s “fair share”? Coming in Part 4: The “fair share” argument and its effects. Daily Pilot staff writers Lilly Nguyen and Julia Sclafani contributed to this report. Priscella Vega writes for the Los Angeles Times.

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Newspapers called it “The Witch Case”, very nearly across the board. Similar headlines are rare in the archives of Irish newspaper titles; the most well-known and written-about being the severe abuse and murder of Bridget Cleary by her husband in 1895. A lesser-known story, less than 20 years later, again pulled the “witch” angle to the top of news reports. Honor Cunniffe, a pensioner, was killed by Mary Anne Feeney in Co Mayo in 1911. The details of the case reported in newspapers and held in official files are morbid and sad. Mary was suffering from severe mental illness at the time and said she believed her elderly lodger to be a witch following a vision of the Virgin Mary. This detail led to the ubiquitous, spurious headline choice: “The witch case”. But the story is more than the sum of news reports about an episode of mental illness and a brutal, unfortunate death. It is also an example of a full set of case files which give some insight into the treatment of crimes with a backdrop of “criminal lunacy”. This case is from the very early 20th century. The story begins with the discovery of the murder. It was Saturday, June 10th, 1911. A woman named Ellen Byrne was the first person to encounter Mary Anne while walking in Cloonturk near Kilkelly, Co Mayo. The latter looked frightened, and carried a small statue of the Virgin Mary. Ellen’s statements at Honor Cunniffe’s inquest, which was held in the open at the gable end of the house where she died, were reported in The Irish Times in the following days. Her full testimony at an inquiry later that month, held in the files of the case, provides a longer version of the same story. Ellen was getting water at the well, when she saw Mary Anne. “She came up to me,” Ellen recalled. “She said: ‘I have the old witch killed now; don’t be afraid of me Ellen.’ She said she got power at 3 o’clock yesterday to banish all the devils away across the hills. She said the Blessed Virgin gave her power to kill the witch at 3 o’clock on the morning.” Murder charge Mary Anne wished to go for the sergeant. Ellen brought her instead to the house of a nearby neighbour, who said Mary Anne should go to Kilkelly barracks herself. And she did, stopping back at her own house to get a shawl, where, in fact, Honor Cunniffe was still alive, but badly injured. On her way to Kilkelly, Mary Anne encountered Patrick Kilkenny and his grandmother Margaret Lenehan, who were on their way to Knock in a car. Mary Anne relayed the same story, to which Margaret said: “The lord help you, I’m afeared you’ll suffer.” Again, she went on her way. A Royal Irish Constabulary policeman named Patrick Dockery next met her on the road and. On hearing Mary Anne’s claims, he took her to the barracks, leaving her with another constable named Thomas Breen, to whom she again told the story. Meanwhile Dockery and his sergeant, Thomas Doyle, returned to the house to investigate the claims. Mary Anne had severely beaten the pensioner using the statue and a large wooden door bolt, according to official records. After travelling to the scene at Cloonturk, Sergeant Doyle found the blood-stained bolt outside the house. Inside, Honor Cunniffe was unclothed on the floor in a pool of blood, her head badly injured. The severity of Honor’s wounds were depicted in a detailed deposition by the doctor who performed her post mortem. She had extensive head injuries, any of which could have caused death. Honor died at 11am and Mary Anne was charged with murder at 11.30am. The background of the women is barely, if at all, touched upon in news reports, which mainly focus on the crime. But it pops up in parts of some records. Mary Anne mentioned that Honor had lived in the house since before Christmas, 1910. The census return from 1911 shows the two living in the house at Cloonturk in April 1911 - two months before the murder. Honor at that time was 74, though death records showed she turned 75 before June 10th. Both women were Roman Catholic. Mary Anne was 35 that year, and her “education” field says she could read and write; Honor could not. Honor could speak both English and Irish, while Mary Anne could only speak English. “General servant domestic” is the entry for Mary Anne’s occupation and Honor’s is simply “pensioner, old age”. Honor is listed as single and Mary Anne was a widow; in the field where the length of the marriage should go, the number 3 appears, with a line through it. Arrest records give a physical picture of Mary Anne. She was 5 feet tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a “fresh” complexion. She had a burn mark on her left cheek. Those facts are interesting, but little use in giving a direct portrayal of the women’s relationship prior to June 10th, 1911. One witness who gave evidence at an inquiry on June 29th, however, did; a farmer named Michael Snee, who met Honor at the well on his property on June 8th. Honor’s health was well that day, though she had been poorly previously. From his testimony, it appears that Mary Anne had taken great care of Honor and she was grateful. According to Snee, the pensioner “said she was in good health but that during the spring she was in bad health and that she would be dead only how well Mary Anne Feeney looked after her and that if she had . . . £10 when she would be dying, she would leave it with Mary Anne Feeney.” Insanity Mary Anne was conveyed to prison following the charge. At this point, she had not been declared “insane”, and would have to stand trial at the summer assizes. At the June 29th inquiry, Mary Anne herself gave a detailed account of the events leading up to the death of Honor Cunniffe. Mary Anne’s is the longest deposition in the file and left little doubt as to the conclusion of the case. In short, fearing a plague of rats, dirt and mice following a warning by the Virgin Mary, Mary Anne insisted that Honor take her bed out of the house to air so she could get a Mass said. Honor, at the time, was also signing over her new pension book to Mary Anne, which the latter felt she could not receive until she had the house cleansed. The argument and severe ill-treatment of Honor by Mary Anne lasted a couple of days, leading to a confrontation in which the elderly boarder was killed. In her lengthy statement, she does not mention Honor being a “witch” - she only apparently used that word in telling the story to the people she met on June 10th. Statements by Dr Ellison show he had diagnosed her with “melancholia” - a now-defunct term Mary was brought forward at the Mayo summer assizes on July 14th. Dr Ellison of Castlebar Asylum gave evidence that she was “insane” according to a short report at the bottom of page 9 the following day in The Irish Times. The jury deemed her incapable of pleading and she was ordered to be confined at the Dundrum Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Statements by Dr Ellison show he had diagnosed her with “melancholia” - a now-defunct term - in the days between her arrest and the trial, more than a month later. She had been all the while detained at Castlebar Prison, where she had been sedated, according to an extract from the journal of the medical officer at the prison. A transfer request was sent to Dublin castle on the day of her hearing at the assizes. The official order and transfer from the prison to the asylum at Dundrum would not occur until the 21st of July - nearly a week after the conclusion of her case in court. The final application for transfer is a simple form with “Criminal Lunatic” in caps at the top. It contains brief details amid boiler-plate, printed text, the last line of which reads: “Remove to Lunatic Asylum accordingly.” “Criminal lunatic” was the term used for people in Mary’s position. The definition in the Lunacy (Ireland) Act 1901, was any person (as deemed by the king or lord lieutenant or the admiralty) whose safe custody is authorised to give order; or any person “directed to be removed to an asylum or other place for the reception of insane persons” - either by the lord lieutenant, secretary of state or the admiralty. In contemporary indices for criminal files, the term is often handwritten in large letters, in red ink, to quickly differentiate those crimes from others. Another common refrain in those cases has to do with the open-ended nature of many of the sentences - it applied to Mary Anne: she was to be detained “during his pleasure of his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant.”

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Elizabeth M. Hinricher, 94, of Flandreau, died Monday Dec. 30, 2019, at Avera Flandreau Hospital. Betty is survived by her husband Elmer, five children, James, Richard, Mary, Patricia, Lois, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Betty was preceded in death by her daughter Sharon C. Nygaard, one great-grandson Quinten, her parents, five brothers and five sisters. Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in Flandreau with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation is 4–6 p.m. Thursday with a 6 p.m. scripture service at Skroch Funeral Chapel. For online condolences, visit www.skrochfc.com.

The city Corporation has opened a counter at Gandhi Park, where traders and the public can hand over banned plastic carrybags still in their stock. Mayor K. Sreekumar inaugurated the counter on Wednesday. Cloth bags at subsidised rates are available at this counter, which is being run by the Corporation’s sanitation committee. At Corporation office Cloth bags made at the Corporation’s five manufacturing units are being sold here. The counter will be open from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m at Gandhi Park on Thursday. In the days after that, the counter will function from the Corporation’s main office. As per the government’s order banning single use plastics from January 1, fine amounts ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 can be imposed for violations. 11 types of plastic Chief Secretary Tome Jose has informed that 11 types of plastic have been banned, including plastic carrybags, plastic sheet used for covering tables, thermocol, disposable plates, cup, spoon, fork and straw made of plastic styrofoam, PVC flex, plastic water pouch, and plastic bottles. Alternative materials The government has held talks with manufacturers of alternative materials to bring more quantites of these to the markets. Branded plastic materials have been removed from the ban, as these will be taken as part of Extended Producer Responsibility.

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For 27 years, NGO Gift of the Givers has worked tirelessly to support communities throughout South Africa, Africa, and the world. As 2020 approaches, the organisation has set ambitious goals to continue turning positive sentiments into meaningful outcomes, through reflection and a willingness to act, they said in a statement on January 1. Goals including strengthening logistics and in-house human development, expanding volunteer disaster specialists teams, upgrading medical and search and rescue equipment, continuing with drought intervention, and assisting farmers and their families are key in order for Gift of the Givers to meet current challenges, they explained. The organisation also seeks to expand its school sanitation programme by constructing “dignified” toilets, modifying its Jumpstart entrepreneur programme, dealing with an “unparalleled increase” in starving students, and upping its intervention in health-related matters. In order for it to improve and continue projects such as bee and rhino rehabilitation, wheelchair distribution, counselling services and supporting SAPS youth empowerment projects, it relies on the “generosity of corporates, professionals, high net worth individuals, those who have included us in their last will and testament, the public in general, government and the media”. Also in the works is a new website, which is due to go live in January. “We record our deep gratitude and appreciation for the never-ending prayers, warm words, ‘forward’ of our content, media coverage, contributions in cash and kind, wise counsel and assistance in any way whatsoever. “It is this positive encouragement that drives us to continue the Gift of Giving, your giving, in your name,” they concluded, as they look forward to an inspiring and prosperous 2020 for South Africa, Africa and the world. For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.

Kenya: Deadly Start to 2020 As Road Crashes Claim 9 Lives [AllAfrica - Africa] - 1er/01/2020 [Nation] Road accidents have already claimed the lives of nine Kenyans across the country, early reports show. ... Article published by "AllAfrica" (Africa), read the rest of the news For any information or claim on this article, see directly with the newspaper.

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Past two months in Phoenix were cloudiest November and December in nearly 20 years The Valley of the Sun didn't live up to its name over the last two months of 2019. The past two months were the cloudiest November and December in Phoenix in at least 19 years. Phoenix's skies were cloudy for 50% of November and December, according to the National Weather Service. The Phoenix area saw more rain than usual this November, and it rained on Christmas Day for the first time in a decade. Isaac Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said multiple weather systems moved through the area this fall and winter, bringing rainfall. "That’s definitely brought in a lot of cloud cover," he said. For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com. On average, Phoenix is cloudy about 38% of the time during the last two months of the year. Phoenix is one of the sunniest cities in the United States, according to NOAA data. The city's average annual percent of sunshine is 85%, just 5% shy of the nation's sunniest city, Yuma. Tucson and Flagstaff also are among the sunniest cities in the country. Smith said clouds will continue to move out of metro Phoenix on New Year's Eve, bringing clear skies for revelers ringing in 2020. Reach the reporter at Lily.Altavena@ArizonaRepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @LilyAlta. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Appearing on Fox News, former congressman Trey Gowdy said he believes if the impeachment trial were held today “the president would win. And I don’t think he’d lose a single Republican senator and he might pick up one Democrat.” Gowdy suggested Republicans get the trial over with without witnesses since they have the numbers, saying “if you have the jury and you know how they’re going to know how they’re going to rule, go ahead and get it over with. And then the president can say whatever he wants to after the trial is over.” Gowdy also revealed he believes Pelosi’s stalling tactic is about putting GOP Senators in swing districts in “tight spots” which she thinks might help Democrats take back the Senate in 2020. “This is about putting a handful of Republican senators in tight spots in November, Cory Gardner and Thom Tillis and Susan Collins and Martha McSally. Put them in tight spots, make them cast difficult votes.” WATCH: This article first appeared on TheConservativeOpinion.com

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From new arts hotel to mural creations to a “Moon Festival.” Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee This past year, especially the summer, has been a notable one for the Milwaukee-area visual arts scene, from the opening of downtown’s Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel and a new Mitchell Street gallery to a bronze statue commemorating a South Milwaukee legend to a nonprofit arts organization receiving a sizable grant. Below are my choices for the Top 10 art news highlights of 2019: Downtown boutique hotel Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel opened June 4 at 139 E. Kilbourn Ave. The hotel features several galleries, a performing arts theater, approximately two dozen pieces of artwork in each of its 219 rooms, a café, fast casual pizza restaurant, a champagne and wine bar, and live entertainment. One of South Milwaukee’s most famous residents, wrestling great Reggie Lisowski, aka “Da Crusher” was honored with a life-size bronze statue this summer. The statue was unveiled June 8 at 1101 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee during “Crusher Fest,” a two-day celebration featuring appearances by Lisowski’s wrestling contemporaries, food, beer, and plenty of polka. Sculpture Milwaukee, a four-month-long outdoor exhibition featuring the work of 22 artists, including Max Ernst, Red Grooms, Roxy Paine, and Richard Woods, returned to downtown Milwaukee for its third year. Works were displayed June through October. Jeff Redmon and his wife, Dana, opened Scout Gallery, a 5,800-square-foot space at 1104 W. Historic Mitchell St., in June. The gallery includes a retail space which sells work by local artists at many different price points. Earlier this year, the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend acquired a valuable painting by Wisconsin landscape artist Tom Uttech. The oil-on-linen painting, “NIN GASSINSIBINGWE”, is part of Uttech’s Migration series, which features birds and mammals migrating through Wisconsin’s North Woods and parts of Ontario, Canada. Uttech’s retrospective exhibit, Into the Woods, will be on display at the MOWA through January 12. In July, the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN) became the recipient of a $3,000,000 grant, courtesy of the Anonymous Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, allowing the organization to expand its programming and move into a new operating space. In October, MARN relocated to a 5,200-square-foot space, which includes a gallery, retail storefront, and events space, at Lofts on Broadway, 191 N. Broadway. RedLine Milwaukee, a nonprofit group and gallery space dedicated to supporting Milwaukee artists, closed its location, 1422 N. 4th St., in July, after a decade of operation. The East Tosa mural project, featuring six vibrant murals painted on North Avenue businesses in Wauwatosa, was completed in July. Wauwatosa alderman Joel Tilleson, who founded the project, said that the city will continue to focus on promoting public art. This summer, a Third Ward mural painted on the north side of the Dye House building, 230 E. Buffalo St., was a subject of controversy. Created by German muralist Andreas Von Chrzanowski (CASE Maclaim) the mural depicts a headless woman wearing a white utility apron with her hands folded. While some feel the mural honors working women in general, others argue the mural implies these workers are disposable. Under One Moon festival, an outdoor event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, was held in the Third Ward August 9 through 11. The event included lunar-themed music, dance and art, and showcased Museum of the Moon, British artist Luke Jerram’s 23-foot-wide inflatable art installation. Art Events and Gallery Openings Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.: A “New Year’s Resolution Drop-In Tour” will be held at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM). Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: The MAM will host its free First Thursday. Admission to the museum is free all day. Thursday, noon: A MAM expert will host an Express Talk on the museum’s current exhibit, A Modern Vision:European Masterworks in the Phillips Collection, in the Baker/Rowland Galleries. Saturday Chroma, an exhibit focused on brilliant colors and abstraction, opens at Tory Folliard Gallery, 233 N. Milwaukee St. The exhibit features paintings and sculptures by Shane McAdams, T.L. Solien, Derrick Buisch, Terrence Coffman, Ben Grant, Michael Hedges, Clarence Morgan, Jason Rohlf, Jeremy Popelka and Richard Taylor.

I am a turtle voyeur. I record the private lives of turtles with hidden cameras and have gone as far as posting online some of the zesty bits. This peculiar penchant is part of my work as a chelonian behavioural ecologist. I spy on turtles to document and understand how they make more turtles. This may seem straightforward given the notorious sluggishness of the subjects. How hard can it be to spy on turtles? It's harder than it sounds, but also much more exciting. And thanks to affordable gadgets such as action cameras and 3D printers, it is getting easier - and more fun. Turtle preoccupations In documentaries and popular media, turtles are often shown doing one of two things: lazily basking away summer days on a log or heart wrenchingly dodging cars to reach a safe place to bury their eggs. These noticeable behaviours are crucial to the baby-making business of turtles and we know a fair bit about both. What we know less about are the intricacies of mating and courtship: what happens below the murky surface of lakes, rivers, ponds, swamps, marshes and other watery environments. Cheap, submersible action cameras are changing the game. Animal ecologists have embraced these toys because they allow them to take prolonged peeks below the surface while minimally disturbing their favourite study subjects. Three-dimensional printing is also opening exciting avenues for the study of animal behaviour in the field. We are now able to inexpensively and rapidly produce anatomically accurate animal decoys. Watching northern map turtles We adopted these emerging tools to shed some light on the mating habits of the northern map turtle: a federally listed species at risk in Canada. Most striking about map turtles is the huge difference in size between males and females. A large adult female can exceed 3,000 grams. A hunky male, on the other hand, will be lucky to tip the scale at 350 grams. This asymmetry of size is the outcome of two facts. First, male map turtles don't fight with one another, the key behaviour driving male burliness in animals. With many animals, when two males simultaneously encounter a receptive female, things get ugly if not lethally bloody. The bigger male typically comes out on top and passes his large male genes to the next generation. Not so in map turtles. The diminutive males can't be bothered by same sex rivals. The second fact is the correlation between a mom's size and the size of her offspring. Large moms lay large eggs. Large eggs hatch large babies. Large babies have better odds of making it through the first few days of life than small ones. Natural selection has thus favoured large size in females. Mate choice Whether males were aware of this was something we set to find out with action cams and 3D-printed turtle sex dolls of various sizes. Our prediction was straightforward. If a typical male encounters many females of varying sizes, which happens because of the unusual overwintering habits of this species, and cannot possibly mate with all of them, he should prefer to mate with the larger ones. Every fall, map turtles gather at specific spots of lakes and rivers where they spend their winter days quietly sitting at the bottom. These overwintering grounds also serve as mating grounds. Turtles mate when they arrive at these communal sites in the fall and afterwards, they take a five-month long winter snooze (it looks like this). When spring finally arrives, they mate again before taking off for the summer. Hundreds of turtles can use these communal grounds, making it inconceivable for any male to mate with all the females present. For a brief period, we have a bunch of libidinous turtles concentrated in one spot. This is a dream come true for a chelonian behavioural ecologist like myself. To test our prediction, we 3D-printed decoys of female map turtles and placed them in pairs at two of these special meeting spots. The decoys were identical in every respect except for their size. One was about the size of an average female, and the second was slightly smaller than the largest female on record for our study population. The incongruous pair was mounted on a rig fitted with an action camera. The whole assembly was dropped at bottom of the lake early in the morning and recovered at the end of the day. This was repeated for nine days with two pairs of decoys. Big findings The response of wild males was clear: they preferred the larger female. The large decoys received nearly twice the number of male visits and five times more mating attempts than the smaller ones. The video below shows what a mating attempt looks like - this video is played at eight times the speed, and with musical accompaniment. Changing the turtle-watching game Action cameras offer a window into the private, underwater lives of animals. With these devices and other technologies like 3D scanners and printers, we are able to not only test hypotheses and predictions, but we can also simply observe what animals do. As we were sifting through videos from our experiments, we witnessed a number of phenomena we did not know were possible, including a female map turtle seemingly squeaking at a female decoy and a loon attacking a male decoy. These may just be anecdotes for now, but perhaps there is more to them. The ubiquity and affordability of action cameras will surely yield many insightful observations about aquatic animals including turtles. Some may influence how we think about animal behaviour, others may just be intriguing tidbits of a world largely unexplored. [ Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter. ] Author: Grégory Bulté - Instructor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Carleton University

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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has chosen longtime adviser Mohammad Shtayyeh as his new prime minister, officials say, a step that further deepens the rift with the rival Hamas group. Abbas is expected to announce the appointment later today, the officials say, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement. Shtayyeh, a British-educated economist, is a top official in Abbas’s Fatah movement. He is a former peace negotiator and strong proponent of a two-state solution with Israel. He also is a strong critic of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah forces in 2007. The Hamas takeover has left the Palestinians torn between rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank, where Abbas’s Palestinian Authority administers autonomous areas. Repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed. Shtayyeh will succeed Rami Hamdallah, who had overseen a unity government formed nearly five years ago with the goal of reaching a conciliation deal with Hamas. — AP

Thousands of supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah movement marked on Tuesday its 55th anniversary in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Abbas kindled the flame to start the activities to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Fatah, the largest faction of the multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The celebration was held near the tomb of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, founder of the faction, with the participation of senior officials of the faction and the Palestinian Authority. Abbas said that the Palestinian revolution, which started in 1965, is still going on until today “and will continue until achieving victory.” “Many expected that we will finish on the first day or the first year, and many conspiracies had been plotted against us, but instead of being finished, we found ourselves stronger than before,” said Abbas. Mahmoud al-Aloul, a deputy chief of Fatah, said that the faction and the Palestinian revolution are celebrating the past 55 years which was “full of sacrifices and victories.” Earlier Tuesday, thousands of Fatah supporters rallied in Ramallah, waving the faction’s yellow flags and the Palestinian national flags. Similar rallies and celebration were also held in various West Bank towns and cities.

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Want to grow your business in 2020? Then make New Year's resolutions for your business, not just yourself. December 31, 2019 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. With 2020 just around the corner, many people are planning their New Year’s resolutions. In fact, you might even be thinking about how you want to learn a new skill, travel more or get in better shape in 2020. But what about your business? If you want to continue to grow your business in 2020, then you should be making New Year’s resolutions for your business, not just yourself. By making New Year’s resolutions for your business—and following through with them—your business can reach new heights this coming year. Here are four New Year’s resolutions your business should make. 1. Provide 5-star customer service Providing outstanding customer service is essential to any successful business. While your customer service may already be great, it’s important that you continue to work on ways to improve so that you can keep your customers happy for years to come. After all, investing in new customers is between 5 and 25 times more expensive than retaining existing ones, according to Harvard Business Review. So, make a New Year’s resolution to bring your customers even better service in 2020. Related: How to Make Eating Healthy Your Easiest New Year's Resolution of All Most consumers have come to expect 24/7 customer service in recent years. Because of this, many businesses have implemented chatbots on their websites to answer customer questions and they’ve started to provide customer service not just on their own websites but on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter too. If your business hasn’t done this yet, make a point to do so in 2020 so that you can keep up with the competition and delight your valuable customers. 2. Boost your marketing efforts With each year comes new marketing trends you should be aware of. If you don’t keep up with these trends and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly, you won’t be able to capture the attention of users online or turn them into customers. For example, with the introduction of Instagram’s new “Checkout” feature, more and more consumers are going to be shopping on social media platforms in 2020. Is your business’ social media marketing strategy ready for that? Take a look at your marketing strategy from 2019 and analyze what worked and what didn’t. Then, you can replace the tactics that didn’t work so well with some new strategies in order to reach new audiences effectively in 2020. Increase productivity Many business owners wish they had more time in their day to get things done, so why not make a New Year’s resolution to increase productivity in your business? To make your business more productive, you don’t necessarily need to work on becoming a faster, more organized worker (although it helps)—all your business needs to do is automate processes. With the right tools, you can automate mundane and tedious processes like invoicing, social media scheduling, email marketing, tracking and nurturing leads and more. Automate the easiest tasks first and go from there. With some of your most time-consuming tasks automated, you and your team members are free to work on bigger and better things. 3. Delegate more tasks and grow your team As a business owner, you might feel like you need to do everything yourself. But in 2020, you need to start delegating, hiring more staff or outsourcing so that you can stop focusing so much on the day-to-day and focus more on truly growing your business. Think about all of the tasks you do in a day: Are there any tasks that you dislike doing? Are certain tasks too overwhelming or time-consuming for you? Is there anyone else on your team that could handle those tasks? If you answer yes to those questions, then you need to pass those duties on to someone on your team. Related: Make Saying 'No' More Often Your New Year's Resolution And if you’re in a position to do so, you may want to focus on hiring more staff in the new year. But remember, even small businesses with tight budgets can hire remote freelancers for tasks like social media marketing, copywriting, email marketing and so on. Hiring remote freelancers will allow you to get work done on an as-needed basis rather than having to worry about accommodating new full-time staff members. 4. Over to you These New Year’s business resolutions will help any business grow in 2020. But whatever your business goals or resolutions are this coming year, make sure that you give yourself the best chance at achieving them by making them SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Setting SMART goals will prevent you from giving up on your New Year’s resolutions in March and instead, you’ll achieve your resolutions and become even more prosperous in 2020.

New Years-fresh starts, clean slates and new resolutions. Every first of January, people set New Year’s Resolutions in the hopes of improving themselves or their lives; but how best to make them stick? The following are a few tips to help with keeping what we resolve to do-or not do in the new year, according to experts: 1. Set intentions. An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be, live, show up in the world and is the starting point to every goal. 2. Ask yourself why the intention or goal you set matters to you-and if it is realistic. Expectations that are too high can cause you to be too overwhelmed to start or maintain your goals. 3. Talk to people about your resolutions. This creates a support system as well as can hold you accountable. 4. Make a list of plans. Big goals can seem daunting, break your plan up into little things you can do each day to help achieve your ultimate goal. 5. Take the first step. Don’t procrastinate. You don’t need to wait until everything is just right. Get started now and make adjustments as you go along. 6. Ditch deprivation. Try not to approach your New Year’s resolutions from a place of deprivation, restriction or punishment. 7. Try not to focus on the end result. When you commit to the process of the goal, rather than the result, it’s easier to make it an enjoyable experience. 8. Take breaks. A goal should not consume your every thought and life, after all, is meant to be lived. 9. Plan for success. Instead of thinking about failing and what could go wrong, think of succeeding; put those positive thoughts out to the world. Worrying about failure is pointless and destructive. 10. Reward yourself. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small; you deserve it!

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Authorities responded quickly after activists set fire to barricades as city prepares for a huge march on New Year’s Day Hong Kong police fired teargas a few minutes into 2020 as pro-democracy protesters marked the New Year with midnight countdown rallies ahead of a huge march on 1 January. The city has been battered by more than six months of unrest with marches attended by millions, as well as confrontations in which police have fired teargas and rubber bullets – and protesters have responded with petrol bombs. Hong Kong: reporter blinded covering protests on her bid to sue police Read more Thousands of protesters gathered across the financial hub before midnight on New Year’s Eve, including along the waterfront of Victoria Harbour and at the nightlife hotspot Lan Kwai Fong. Protesters at the harbourfront counted down chanting “Ten! Nine! Liberate Hong Kong, revolution now!” as they lit up their phones in a sea of lights. Smaller crowds of protesters in the Mong Kok district set fire to barricades, before riot police unleashed 2020’s first volleys of teargas in response. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Demonstrators light up their phones to mark the new year in Hong Kong. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters Shortly before the final day of 2019 drew to a close, police had used water cannon to disperse protesters in the same area while, in the nearby Prince Edward neighbourhood, officers arrested several protesters staging a candlelight vigil. Earlier in the evening, thousands of people linked arms in human chains that stretched for miles along busy shopping streets and through local neighbourhoods. They chanted slogans, sang “Glory to Hong Kong” – a protest anthem – and held up posters calling for people to fight for democracy in 2020. “Thanks to 2019, which tore off the ugly masks of the police and the government and let the people see the truth,” said protester Kris, a medic who joined protest. Children of the revolution: the Hong Kong youths ready to 'sacrifice everything' Read more “The movement is kind of like at its bottleneck now. Hopefully a huge turnout at tomorrow’s march could bring back people’s passion,” he added. The city’s traditional New Year Eve’s bumper fireworks display was cancelled due to safety concerns, but a light show and smaller-scale fireworks took place instead. In late November, the city’s pro-democracy camp scored a landslide victory in a municipal-level vote seen as a referendum on the Beijing-backed government’s handling of political unrest. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A man is detained by riot police in Mongkok. Photograph: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images The protest movement has since become quieter but sporadic clashes have persisted. In a New Year’s video message broadcast on state media, Chinese president Xi Jinping said Hong Kong’s recent upheaval was concerning and that the “people of our motherland” expected stability in the restive city. But protesters have vowed to continue their effort to push for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability. On Tuesday night, demonstrators also swarmed major shopping malls, which have become regular protest venues in an effort to cause economic disruption. “2019 is a remarkable and special year for every single Hongkonger,” 25-year-old teacher Sam told AFP as he celebrated New Year’s Eve with his family at the harbourfront. “People’s demands are loud and clear, but the government is not listening. In 2020, I really hope it will be a better year for all Hong Kong people.” The Civil Human Rights Front, the chief organiser of marches, hopes for a huge turnout at Wednesday’s rally to urge the government to respond to the demands of the pro-democracy movement - which include an independent inquiry into the police, amnesty for arrestees and fully free elections. Police have arrested nearly 6,500 people since June - nearly a third of them aged under 20. “The youngsters have sacrificed a lot for justice... 2019 is a wake-up call,” a 63-year-old retiree, who gave his surname as Shiu, told AFP. “People will be more determined in the new year. People know that the future of Hong Kong depends on whether we can achieve the five demands.” The demonstrations were sparked by a now-abandoned bill to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, but have since morphed into a popular revolt against Beijing’s control - the biggest crisis since the former British colony’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.

The annual New Year's Day protest march in Hong Kong drew a huge crowd as the months-long pro-democracy movement extended into 2020. In her New Year's Day address, leader Carrie Lam said she'd tackle social and economic issues in the new year, but didn't appear to back down on support for the political framework that's at issue in the protests that began in June. Wednesday's assembly was mostly orderly, authorities said, although five people were arrested for criminal damage on suspicion of vandalizing the glass door and automated teller machine at a bank along the march route. Banks and businesses identified with mainland China have been frequent targets of hardcore protesters. Protesters also hurled Molotov cocktails and garbage at officers in the Wan Chai district through which the march route passed. Police used pepper spray and tear gas to drive off the demonstrators, although a government statement said officers had been "deploying the minimum necessary force" in dispersing the group. March participants were asked to "disperse soon after it ends and not to take part in any illegal or violent acts that may occur. "To safeguard the rule of law and public peace, the police will enforce the law strictly," the statement said. A toned-down New Year's Eve The massive rally followed overnight clashes between police and protesters on New Year's Eve in a densely populated shopping district. Police also used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to break up groups of demonstrators who blocked traffic and lit fires in the street in the working-class district of Mong Kok. Hong Kong toned down its New Year's Eve celebrations amid the protests that began in June and have dealt severe blows to the city's retail, tourism and nightlife sectors. An anti-government protester paints graffiti during the New Year's Day demonstration calling for better governance and democratic reforms in Hong Kong. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters) Eric Lai, vice-convener of the march organizer, the Civil Human Rights Front, said he hoped to avoid a recurrence of the previous night's violence. "I really hope that this will be a peaceful protest," Lai said. "We hope that the police can facilitate us, rather than provoking us, and to fire tear gas and water cannon at us." Such marches have often devolved at their conclusion into violence between hardcore, black-clad protesters and police. Both sides have been accused of provoking clashes, and nearly 6,500 protesters have been arrested in scores of incidents on streets, in shopping malls and on college campuses. "It's hard to utter 'Happy New Year' because Hong Kong people are not happy," said Tung, who was walking with his two-year-old son, mother and niece, and used only one name. "Unless the five demands are achieved, and police are held accountable for their brutality, then we can't have a real happy new year." Police detain a protester in Hong Kong on Jan. 1. Hong Kong toned down its New Year’s Eve celebrations amid the protests that began in June and have dealt severe blows to the city's retail, tourism and nightlife sectors. (Vincent Yu/The Associated Press) Recent protests have drawn participants from across Hong Kong society, sometimes numbering more than one million and packing the downtown area, from Victoria Park to the government office complex a short distance away. They're concerned about an erosion of the former British colony's civil liberties it was promised after being handed over to Chinese rule in 1997, along with a shortage of well-paying jobs and a yawning divide between the city's ruling class and those merely getting by amid soaring housing costs. Lam says 2019 brought 'sadness, rage' This year's event appeared to be significantly larger than in past years, although estimates of the numbers of participants often vary widely between organizers and police. The protests are over proposed legislation that could have allowed residents to be extradited to China where they could face possible torture and unfair trials. The legislation was withdrawn, but not before the protests expanded to wider calls for reforms in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Protesters also gathered Tuesday at the Prince Edward subway station where police four months ago had rushed in, beating and tear gassing demonstrators who had no way to flee. That incident is among many cited by demonstrators as cases of police abuse for which no one has been held accountable. Lam said the months of protests had brought "sadness, anxiety, disappointment and even rage," and vowed to tackle underlying social and economic problems in the coming year. Lam said she would "listen humbly" in an attempt to end the protests, but also reinforced the importance of the "one-country, two-systems" framework under which China rules Hong Kong and which brooks no challenge to the ruling Communist Party's ultimate authority. In his own address, Chinese President Xi Jinping referred to the protests, saying "Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation for the people of the motherland."

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Hey, can I recycle this? Metro and cities launch website on what to throw in the trash and what can be recycled Attention please! Plastic bags cannot be recycled. Although cities, counties, Metro regional government and garbage haulers have all publicized this information, plastic bags and plastic wrap that goes around toilet paper packages and the like continue to end up in recycle bins. "Plastic bags have never been part of curbside recycling, but they have been the biggest problem at the (recycling) plants," said Shannon Martin, program manager, recycling and solid waste, for the city of Gresham. The bags and wrap get tangled up in the machinery and the machines have to be shut down while the bags are extracted. It slows things down and raises the cost of recycling. As much as people want to recycle plastic bags, they go in the trash. "People want to do the right thing," said Patrick Morgan, recycling specialist, at Metro regional government. "But they run the risk of contaminating the rest of the recycle. It's more important to recycle correctly than recycle a lot." Of course, taking a reusable bag to the store or for take out food, can reduce the number of plastic bags households end up with in the first place. Recycling can be confusing. It seems odd that a cereal box, milk carton and aseptic soup and juice cartons can be recycled, but not the box that housed frozen mac and cheese. To help the public figure out what can go in the recycle bin and what has to be tossed in the garbage, Metro and local governments have launched a web page, recycleornot.org, to help answer questions about what can be recycled, even with the most baffling items. There is also an Instagram page @recycleornot where people can send photos and questions on specific items. The web page divides items by materials: plastic paper, glass and metal and "other." People can scroll through the examples that are clearly marked "recyclable" or "not recyclable." Other items that cannot be recycled, but often end up in the recycle bin, are take out and to-go containers, plastic clamshells and coffee and drink cups. Lids for plastic cups and condiment packets are also garbage. Republic Services in Woodburn, which serves north Marion County, also provides a website to clarify recycling: recyclingsimplified.com. Gresham's Martin said that just because the little recycle arrows are on the bottom of a container does not mean it belongs in the curbside recycle. Batteries cannot be recycled or put in the trash. The Metro web page can help people find a place to take toxic materials at: oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/garbage-and-recycling/find-a-recycler. Holiday recycling Christmas and Hanukkah gifts can produce mountains of debris, some can be recycled and a much of it has to go in the garbage. Wrapping paper that does not have glitter or foil on it can go in the recycling. "A little bit of tape is OK," Morgan said. Holiday lights cannot be recycled. Bows, ribbon and broken glass ornaments are also a no go. Cards with those tiny batteries that sing or say something cannot be recycled, unless the battery is removed. The batteries are causing fires in the recycling plants. Those big blocks of styrofoam that cushion many gifts can't go into the curbside recycle bin. Gresham accepts it at Earth Day events. Said Martin: "Oregonians have a deep commitment to the environment and recycling is very important. We're encouraging people to check the list and do it right." '

Addressable LEDs are a staple of homemade Christmas decorations in our community, as is microprocessor control of those LEDs. So at first sight [Glen Akins]’ LED decorated Christmas tree looks pretty enough, but isn’t particularly unusual. But after reading his write-up you’ll discover there’s far more to the project than meets the eye, and learn a lot about the technologies behind it that has relevance far beyond a festive light show. The decoration is powered exclusively from power-over-Ethernet, with a PIC microcontroller translating Art-Net DMX-over-Ethernet packets into commands for the LED string. The control board is designed from the ground up and includes all the PoE circuitry, and the write-up gives a very thorough introduction to this power source that takes the reader way beyond regarding PoE as simply another off-the-shelf black box. Along the way we see all his code, as well as learn a few interesting tidbits such as the use of a pre-programmed EEPROM containing a unique MAC address. So if your house has CAT5 wiring and you want an extra dimension to your festive splendour, you’ve officially got a whole year to build your own version. He’s featured here before, with his buzzer to break the Caps Lock habit.

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An explosion and flash fire killed a man and woman and their youngest child in their Southeast Side house Wednesday evening, the Columbus Division of Fire said. The identities of the two adults and the child found in the house in the 3300 block of Retriever Road were not being released late Wednesday night. The child was believed to be between 18 months and 4 years old. The couple’s two older children were visiting others and not in the house when the explosion occurred, said Battalion Chief Steve Martin. >> UPDATE: Police investigate blast, fire that killed 2 adults, child as suspicious Columbus Fire was called at 7:25 p.m. to the house on Retriever Road, which is off Chatterton Road. Martin said firefighters were on the scene within five minutes and able to knock down the fire. The east side of the house was blown out by the force of the explosion. Windows were broken, and the garage door also was blown out. It also appeared that the flames shot through the second floor and the roof. The bodies of the couple were found within 15 minutes, but it took firefighters more than 90 minutes to find the child’s body, Martin said. Martin said the Columbus police homicide unit was called in to help with the investigation. The explosion appeared to have originated in the kitchen area toward the back of the house, Martin said. Jerry Willey, 73, lives next door and said he also thinks the explosion and fire came from the kitchen area. Willey was sitting in his living room when a “boom” caused everything in his house to shake. “I looked out and I saw flames shooting out 6 feet out the back window,” Willey said. jwoods@dispatch.com @Woodsnight

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three people are dead after a house fire that happened Wednesday night in southeast Columbus. Columbus Fire Chief Steve Martin says the fire happened in the 3300 block of Retriever Road. A call about the fire was received at 7:25 p.m. Fire officials say the bodies of two victims were found on the first floor of the home. According to authorities, two adults and three children live at the home. Two of the children have been found and are safe. Based on observations made by firefighters when they arrived at the scene, it's believed there may have been some type of an explosion.

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The popular sport has been a major advocate of athletes using CBD for recovery. December 31, 2019 7 min read This story originally appeared on Weedmaps Roman Mironenko's story as a professional mixed martial artist is a familiar one. After some career-high points, including a stint on the Russian reality show Mixfighter, he retired to train and teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in Marseille, France. But due to the intense pain from a disc herniation from his competing days, his training was sidelined for months. He eventually found relief in a CBD oil he took sublingually twice a day. In time, he was able to return to BJJ training. Mironenko's story is just one of many where professional and amaeteur fighters use CBD to help recover and protect their bodies from the physical and psychological toll of mixed martial arts (MMA). It's a trend that MMA fighters find themselves ahead on compared to the rest of the sports world. Writing for the Telegraph, longtime fight sports journalist Gareth Davies argued that MMA athletes looking for pain management and “neuro-protective plusses” to protect against traumatic brain injuries had anticipated the CBD trend ahead of most other athletes and sports organizations. The trend became all the more evident when major MMA organizations began endorsing CBD wholeheartedly. In June of 2019, Bellator MMA, one of the largest MMA promotion companies, announced it had partnered with cbdMD, a CBD products brand that also sponsors professional fighters Chael Sonnen, Jorge Masvidal, and Daniel Cormier. A month later, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest and most successful MMA promotion company in the world, got into the mix when the UFC Performance Institute and publicly traded Canadian giant Aurora Cannabis announced they would be partnering up to clinically study whether CBD can treat the aches and pains of UFC fighters. The findings will be used to develop a line of hemp-derived CBD topicals. Leslie Smith, a veteran MMA fighter and one of the first female fighters in the UFC, told Weedmaps News she can't quite remember when she first encountered CBD. “Cannabis has always been such a big part of my life and my training,” Smith said. “I don't know if it's a shared love and appreciation for cannabis and healthy living that brought me to San Francisco and [Cesar Gracie] team, or if it just happened to work out that way.” RELATED: Why The cbdMD And MMA Deal Matters CBD Enters The UFC With The 'Nate Diaz Rule' While Smith doesn't recall when she first encountered CBD, she does remember when CBD broke to the larger UFC public. The conversation around CBD began with a fighter who, like Smith, was part of the team at Cesar Gracie Academy: Nate Diaz. “I think it was when Nate Diaz vaporized CBD right after his fight at the press conference,” Smith said. “I feel like that was the time that it really meshed the use of CBD in the fighting community ... and the general public.” In August of 2016, following his rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 202, Diaz was seen using a vape cartridge at the post-fight Press Conference. Dosing with CBD after a fight or sparring session is something that Smith practiced as well, using a 5,000-milligram full-spectrum tincture from Alpha Cannax. “I definitely take it after any sparring session. Any time that I'm sparring and my head is getting hit,” she said. “I take it immediately after the practice, and then I take it again at night time. Basically, for as long as I'm feeling fuzzy.” At the time, however, all cannabinoids, including CBD, were banned during competition and the incident was flagged by the media as a potential doping violation. Debate about whether Diaz had violated a rule ensued. This resulted in the creation of the so-called “Nate Diaz Rule” in 2018, under which CBD is allowed during competition even if other cannabinoids are not. At open workouts before his match up with Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, Diaz found himself the subject of media scrutiny once again when he lit a joint and passed it to fans in the crowd. Diaz claimed it was CBD flower, but either way, the use of cannabinoids was well outside the bounds of the in-competition period. RELATED: Cannabiz Countdown: Can CBD Heal MMA Fighters? (60-Second Video) MMA Fighters Are Still Cautious About Using CBD While CBD is gaining in popularity among fighter athletes, they are still cautious about how and when they use it when training and recovering. CBD's emergence has come at a time when concern over tainted supplements, false positives, retroactive sanctions, and potentially canceled events is at an all-time high. The Diaz brothers' regular conflict with, and sanctions from, officials have been noted by their fellow athletes. In the run-up to a recent bout in Oklahoma, Smith switched her CBD supplement as a precaution. “The commission there in Thackerville does not allow you to have any metabolites in your system at all,” she said. “Even the small amount that would show up inside of the [Alpha Cannax] full-spectrum CBD would have cost me some money and gotten me some bad publicity. So I was taking Game Up Nutrition as I was getting ready for that fight.” The fear of testing positive for THC from taking a CBD product is a sentiment echoed to Weedmaps News by John Kelly, the head coach and owner of Live Free Crossfit, and the fighter he trains, UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik. “These guys work really hard,” Kelly said. “If for some reason they get popped for THC when they were trying to take a supplement, then it's going to destroy everything that they worked towards.” Finding trust in a CBD product that will both work and not cause a fighter to run afoul of the rules is paramount to fighters interested in using CBD. After some research, Kelly opted for Cannafornia CBD for Rozenstruik's training. “I looked into the company pretty deeply and I saw all the third party testing, and I saw that there were very low levels of THC,” Kelly said. “So that was one of the deciding factors that made us go with [Cannafornia], was how clean the product was.” Rozenstruik is also one of the top tier UFC athletes sponsored by Cannafornia CBD. Others have included Derrick Lewis and -- until a falling out in December -- Colby Covington, who Cannafornia CEO Paul King told Weedmaps News was the first fighter he decided to work with after the pair met in Miami. King said that Kelly works as the strength and conditioning coach for three of six fighters sponsored by the company. Rozenstruik uses CBD as a topical rub before and after training, and orally before bed. His dosage is approximately 33 milligrams, which is doubled after intense training sessions. “It helps, especially when you do strength training and your body gets sore,” Rozenstruik said. “I use the cream on my body and it really helps me recover really fast." One of the most productive ways to use CBD is as a way to find balance in a fighter's training, according to Kelly. Using CBD to find the range between not being overtrained or undertrained is what allows athletes to optimally perform on fight night. “It's all about homeostasis,” Kelly said. To stay up to date on the latest marijuana-related news make sure to like Weedmaps on Facebook

I’ve been on a ton of job interviews — and quite a few were awful. I’ve forgotten how to tie a tie, sweated like a stuck pig whore in church, used the wrong names for my prospective bosses, appeared to have lied on my resume (I didn’t) and been completely unprepared for the career let alone the interview. During one of my last job interviews, I Skyped with a lady at a university in Japan. She turned her camera off, so I didn’t really know where to look. She spoke so quietly I couldn’t hear or understand anything so I asked her to repeat herself constantly. It wasn’t an easy one, but I ended up getting the job. But yesterday something new happened during an interview. It’s not a fun or funny story, but first you need a quick “about me.” You’d probably never guess it, but I have epilepsy. I’ve seen plenty of doctors and I take handfuls of pills every day. I do not know what caused it or what causes it. Flashing lights don’t, but being overly stressed might. About five years ago I just started having seizures. Once a year or so I have grand mal (big bad) seizure. I fall over, bite my tongue, roll my eyes into the back of my head and twitch on the ground. This is the type of seizure you usually see these on TV. If you see me or somebody else having a grand mal seizure make sure you keep their head safe, don’t put anything into their mouth and don’t call an ambulance unless the seizure lasts longer than five minutes. Mine are usually a minute long. Every month or so I have petit mal (small bad) seizures. I zone out for a minute or two. I just seem like I’m not paying attention, am stoned and/or really stupid. If you see this, ask me some questions and talk to me. After both of these, I get really emotional, tired, frustrated and upset. It takes me a while to restart my brain and remember who I am. For 15 minutes or so after the seizure I sound like Johnny Depp’s version of the incredibly intoxicated Hunter S. Thompson in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” How does this matter? Well, I had a job interview yesterday. I was all prepared. I read over the website’s stories, scribbled down what I could do for them and collected some “Cute Boulder Things” my interviewer (who is a former CU Buff like me) could chitchat about. We were scheduled for 3:00 p.m. I ate a quick snack and readied myself around 2:45 p.m. Everything was perfect. Then I woke up. I was incredibly confused. I looked at the clock which said 2:58 p.m. What happened? I didn’t recall being drunk or high. I couldn’t remember what my name was, which day it was, who the president was or even where I was. Have you ever snapped awake worrying that you forgot to do something important and thinking you’re going to screw it up? The phone rang. My finger missed the answer button. I accidentally put the caller on hold. I held my phone two handed and tried to figure out what the hell I was doing. “Hello this is Bob. Can I speak with KC please?” I wish I could tell you what I said, but at that moment I could barely make sentences or understand my interviewer, let alone remember what happened during this debacle. My brain literally has to reboot after an absence seizure so I was in a bad place. I do know that he talked a lot about himself, which was a Godsend. Also, he either he didn’t know what he wanted me to do with this job, was just awful at explaining what he wanted or I was just too mind numbed to understand. He may think I’m a moron but I am editing some stories for him on a trial basis. Who knows if this will turn into anything. If I was 100 percent during this interview I think I would have taken this job and put it in my pocket. However, I couldn’t explain neither the gap in my work history nor the long pauses in my sentences. These are things that I deal with every single day and night. I’ve had seizures at the dinner table with my parents, at bars, on a date, at work and in front of classrooms of my students. I will never drive a car again. I have no idea who or what to blame. To pay for my prescriptions, I need health insurance (which nobody will give me), a load of cash (which I don’t have) or to date a pharmacist (know anybody?). I am not disabled or mentally challenged (maybe a few of my exes will disagree with me). I do not want your pity. I don’t want to complain. I just want you to understand a little what I go through.

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Congress leader Nellai Kannan booked for his speech against PM; BJP wants him arrested india Updated: Jan 01, 2020 11:30 IST The Tamil Nadu unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced protest against senior Congress leader in state Nellai Kannan. Kannan was booked by the police for making derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the passage of citizenship law. The police action came after the Congress leader asked the minorities to finish-off PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at a meeting arranged by Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Tirunelveli on Sunday. “I was expecting Saheebs to end Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. But no one is doing that,” Kannan had said at the meeting. He further said that Home Minister Amit Shah is controlling the PM. A day after Kannan’s controversial speech, BJP national secretary H Raja urged Tamil Nadu police to arrest Kannan for derogatory comments against the PM and HM. “The Congress politician Nellai Kannan has instigated the Muslims to finish off PM and HM in his speech. I have complained to the Director General of Tamil Nadu Police, through WhatsApp and on online too. I request the TN Gov to take immediate action,” H Raja said in a tweet. He further said that Kannan has not only passed derogatory comments against Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah, but “gave a life threat to them by instigating Muslims”. “It seems Kannan wants to do something which happened for Rajiv Gandhi in Tamil Nadu,” Raja said on Twitter. On his complaint, the Tamil Nadu Police booked Kannan under IPC section 504, 505 and 505(2) for trying to instigate violence, instigating someone to indulge in violence, and creating violence between two groups. Raja further declared that four senior BJP workers would stage dharna if the police fails to arrest the Congress leader. “I have tried to reach Nellai Kannan through his phone number. A voicemail speaks in Kannada says that the number is currently not reachable. I, BJP senior leader La Ganesan, former Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan and BJP leader CP Radhakrishnan will launch a dharna before Mahatma Gandhi’s statue if the police does not arrest Kannan,” said Raja. BJP workers have been protesting against Kannan in Tirunelveli. The 74-year-old leader was stopped by the BJP workers from going to hospital. As the private hospital reportedly denied him admission, Kannan headed to another hospital for health check-up.

The BJP held a protest meet at Chennai's Marina Beach. Several BJP leaders have been detained in Chennai for taking out a protest to demand the arrest of a Congress-affiliated orator accused of making a controversial speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this week. Among those taken into custody from the protest venue at Marina Beach were former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, BJP national secretary H Raja and senior party leaders La Ganesan and CP Radhakrishnan. Although a case has been filed against the orator -- Nellai Kannan -- in connection with the "derogatory" speech in Tirunelveli on Sunday, he is yet to be arrested. The police had reached the orator's residence on Tuesday to take him into custody, but were told that he was suffering from "chest pain". Following this, they called an ambulance to take him to a hospital instead. Nellai Kannan has been booked on several charges, including instigating violence between two communities and causing intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, after a video of his purported speech at the Tirunelveli meet against the Citizenship Amendment Act was circulated widely on social media. He had allegedly expressed "shock" over why Muslims were yet to act against PM Modi and Amit Shah at the event, organised by the Social Democratic Party of India. The case against Nellai Kannan was lodged after BJP's Nellai district leader Dhaya Shankar filed a police complaint stating that such remarks amounted to being an "open threat to PM Modi and Amit Shah's lives". He demanded that the Tamil orator also be charged under criminal incitement and abetment of murder, which were punishable crimes under the Indian Penal Code. Party general secretary KS Narendran filed a separate petition with the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, seeking stringent action against the orator for making remarks that could potentially trigger communal clashes and harm national integrity. He claimed that Nellai Kannan also made derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, among others, in his controversial speech. BJP spokesperson Narayanan Tirupati has shared a police complaint he filed online with NDTV. Police said they have received another complaint against Nellai Kannan from the ruling AIADMK. (With inputs from PTI)

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You can’t touch this: Pope Francis says sorry for slapping devotee 43 replies Posted by GO3 — Post Reply VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis apologized Wednesday for his widely-viewed slap of a woman who had grabbed his hand as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year’s Eve. The image of Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of the admirer was an instant hit on social media. A personal apology followed. “We lose patience many times,” Francis confessed. “It happens to me too. I apologize for the bad example given yesterday,” the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican. NSC chief slashing Obama's 'bloated' staff to create efficient, tight-lipped White House operation 23 replies Posted by MissMolly — Post Reply The White House National Security Council staff is being downsized sharply in a bid to improve efficiency within the policy coordinating body by consolidating positions and cutting staff. A second, unspoken thrust of the overhaul is a hoped-for end to what many critics see as a string of politically damaging, unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information. Leaks of President Trump’s conversations with foreign leaders and other damaging disclosures likely originated with anti-Trump officials in the White House who stayed over from the Obama administration, according to several current and former White House officials. White House National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien is leading the NSC reform effort. Here are the 5 biggest Republican mistakes of the decade 22 replies Posted by tisHimself — Post Reply For Republicans, the 2010s end with the party seemingly in a better situation than it was when the decade started. The GOP has control of the White House and the Senate. Ten years ago, the Democrats held the White House and both houses of Congress. But that scorecard doesn't tell the whole story. Thanks to five major blunders over the last decade, the Republican Party is actually weaker than it was on Jan.1, 2010. To understand why, you have to document each key mistake in order: Report: Iran-Backed Militiamen Retreat from U.S. Embassy in Baghdad 21 replies Posted by Imright — Post Reply Iran-backed militiamen behind an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, have begun retreating from the area on Wednesday following a threat from President Donald Trump to hold Tehran accountable for the siege. “Supporters of the Kataib Hezbollah militia who had spent the night camped outside the embassy began dismantling their tents and leaving the area, saying they had won a victory and would now seek the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq through the nation’s parliament,” the Washington Post reports. The development comes after Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Nasty Nancy, Shifty Schiff, and Schumer subvert the Constitution to damage Trump 21 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply Nancy Pelosi, AKA Nasty Nancy, allowed Adam Schiff, AKA Shifty Schiff, to run the impeachment "inquiry" through Shifty's Intelligence Committee, where Shifty had total control. He set the rules to allow only the witnesses he wanted. He lied in his opening statement to commence the inquiry by making up President Trump's phone conversation with Ukraine's President Zelensky. The resulting vote to impeach was a foregone conclusion regardless of the evidence, or lack thereof. Pelosi has not sent Shifty's articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial because she said she wants to first see the Senate trial procedures. Media Continues With Awful Hot Takes About the 'Terrifying' Armed Churchgoers in Texas Shooting 20 replies Posted by Hazymac — Post Reply Ever since it was discovered that several armed churchgoers drew their weapons to stop a gunman at a church in Texas last week, the anti-gun mainstream media types have been trying to tell the public that armed, law-abiding citizens are a bad thing. The New Year's Day installment of media malpractice hyperbole arrives courtesy of the nauseatingly leftist USA Today: "@USATODAY Opinion: Jack Wilson is exactly the type of person you want around with a gun because he's a firearms instructor. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns. And that's terrifying." As more women run for office, child care remains a hurdle 20 replies Posted by voxpopuli — Post Reply When Kimberly Dudik ran for her fourth term in the Montana House, state officials told her she could not use campaign money to pay for child care for her four young children. She is now running for attorney general and is trying to visit a big chunk of the sprawling state, spending hours on the road. That means she needs even more help picking up her kids at school and day care when she's away and her husband has a late night at the office. (snip) Only six states have laws specifically allowing campaign money to be used for child care. Two tribes aren’t recognized federally. Yet members won $500 million in minority contracts 16 replies Posted by MissMolly — Post Reply Companies set up by members of a self-described and state-recognized Creek Indian tribe in Alabama have received more than $240 million in federal minority-business contracts, despite a determination by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs that there is no credible evidence the group has Native American ancestry, a Los Angeles Times investigation has found. Federal contracts worth an additional $273 million have gone to two companies run by a member of a different Native American group in Alabama with no federal recognition as a tribe. How this anti-Semitism came to be: The virulent hatred snowballed over the years 15 replies Posted by MissMolly — Post Reply Orthodox Jews around the country — and specifically in the tri-state area — were still reeling from the shooting at a kosher deli earlier this month when we gathered with our families to celebrate the holiday of Chanukah. But that air of tranquility was shattered by a string of nearly a dozen anti-Semitic attacks over the holiday, the most severe of which was a mass stabbing at a rabbi’s home upstate as he lit his menorah. The stabbing attack succeeded in bringing to the fore what we visibly Orthodox Jews have known for quite some time: There’s a growing epidemic of anti-Semitism in this country, specifically targeting Orthodox Jews, Trump cuts loose with unpredictable characters at Mar-a-Lago 14 replies Posted by 4Justice — Post Reply PALM BEACH, Fla. — At the White House, people who want to meet with Donald Trump have to deal with schedulers, scores of aides hovering around the president and a strict security protocol. At Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s luxury South Florida resort where he typically spends Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the president is just another guy in the buffet line. Bitter Clingers in Texas Shoot Back 14 replies Posted by tisHimself — Post Reply The reason the Founders put the Second Amendment in the Constitution, the document Democrats and liberals selectively embrace or read things into when convenient, was seen last Sunday at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, near Forth Worth where, dare we say it again, good guys with guns stopped a bad guy with a gun. Note the plural is used here, for video footage shows at least seven guns were drawn with seconds of the killer opening fire on the parishioners inside, killing two. But only two, as a wider massacre was stopped by those who don’t believe in gun-free zones.

‘Little Women’: Tween Tale 11 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply The umpteenth remake of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s witty 1868 girls’ novel about growing up in Concord, Massachusetts, during the Civil War, is directed by Greta Gerwig and stars her alter ego, the lovely Irish lass Saoirse Ronan, as Jo March.(Snip)This reflected the remarkable upbringing of Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Back before Mark Twain, American literature was kind of a who-you-know business, and the Alcotts knew everybody who was anybody in the author industry. Ralph Waldo Emerson lent her family the money to buy their house in Concord, Henry David Thoreau told them it was haunted, and they eventually sold it to Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Decade’s Top 10 Most Spectacular Falls From Grace 12 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Anthony Weiner/Carlos Danger (2011, 2013, 2016) Of all the politicians to find themselves in a sexting scandal, it had to be the one whose last name is Weiner. In 2011, Anthony Weiner, the married representative from New York, resigned after being caught sending explicit photos of his genitalia to several young women, some underage. (Snip)Lois Lerner and the IRS Targeting Scandal (2013) The IRS decisions of which organizations gain tax-exempt status and which receive extensive scrutiny should have nothing to do with political orientation. However, in 2013, Lois Lerner, President Obama’s director of Exempt Organization Unit in the IRS, disagreed, and disproportionately targeted conservative groups applying for 501(c) status exemptions. Census Test Proves Asking About Citizenship Doesn’t Scare Hispanics 7 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply This week, the Census Bureau released the results of its formal test of the once-proposed, and now prevented, census citizenship question. The results are a striking rebuke to a recent leftist orthodoxy: Adding a citizenship question to a test-run of the census had no statistically significant effect on overall response rates. Even in the communities most sensitive to the question, such as neighborhoods with many Hispanics, response rates dropped only slightly. To understand why this report is significant, step back to March 2018, when Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the 2020 census would include a question about citizenship status. Leftists were immediately outraged, seeing the addition as a racist Trump's offer Mexico could not refuse 4 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Amid all the stories about President Donald John Trump's triumphs in 2019 -- exoneration from Mueller, 3.5% unemployment, killing al-Baghdadi, and a 33% rise in my 401-k -- having Mexico protect our border is way down on the list. Let me raise its profile because President Trump did the nearly impossible by getting Mexico to patrol our border. And he topped that by getting Mexico to keep people seeking asylum there until their cases are adjudicated. On May 30, as he prepared to leave for a state visit to England, President Trump told Mexico to either start patrolling our border and taking those asylum seekers by the time I get back, or It Was A Very Good Year 6 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Magicians always divert attention, which frees them to do their sleight of hand. President Donald John Trump has perfected the craft to the point where he has become the diversion. His tweets are red laser dots that the cats in the media chase. Real cats eventually catch on, but they continue to chase the dot. Benjamin Wofford of the Washingtonian noticed the dot in his column, "While You Were Paying Attention to Ukraine, Here’s What Trump’s Appointees Achieved." He wrote, "There were dozens of stories that flew under the radar—policy changes and personnel sagas, norms eroded and scores settled—that captured the essence of what happened in the marrow of Trump’s government. Two Highly Recommended Impeachment Reads 2 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Christopher Roach, an attorney, has published two articles on impeachment during the past two weeks. They're both excellent, clear expositions of the principles behind what's going on. While it's impossible for Roach to offer an entirely dispositive opinion on how Trump and the Senate should proceed--simply because political considerations will inevitably intrude--his discussion is conceptually useful. By presenting a clear conceptual framework and understanding of impeachment under our Constitution, we get a better idea how whatever path is chosen should be framed in order to stand with the principles of our constitutional order. Militia supporters chanting ‘Death to America’ break into U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad 5 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Supporters of an Iranian-backed militia besieged the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes, breaking through the first layer of security at the embassy compound and damaging a reception area before being expelled by Iraqi security forces. Here’s what we know: ●The U.S. Defense Department is sending two Apache helicopters and a “small contingent” of Marines to reinforce security at the embassy. ●President Trump accused Iran of “orchestrating an attack” on the embassy, where protesters ransacked a reception area and set fires. ●Iraqi security forces later intervened and set up a barricade, but protesters threw gasoline bombs into the compound. US Embassy compound in Baghdad targeted by mob protesting airstrikes; sit-in planned 9 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Crowds of angry Iraqis protesting America’s recent airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia laid siege to the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad Tuesday, chanting “Down, Down USA!” as they stormed through a main gate, prompting U.S. guards to fire back tear gas in response. As of Tuesday night, protesters set up tents outside the embassy in the Iraqi capital where they said they intended to stage a sit-in “until American troops leave Iraq and the embassy is closed.” About 100 Marines are being sent to the embassy to bolster security and an Army Apache helicopter flew over the premises and dropped flares in a "show of force", hoping to disburse Why Americans Fear Trial By Jury 12 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Everyone on both left and right these days is demanding rights—but not the earliest and most important one, the historic right to trial by a jury of one’s peers. Today, over 90 percent of American defendants waive that right in favor of a prosecutor’s proposed plea bargain, because, as Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz notes in his new book Guilt by Association, they are warned that the penalty at the trial stage will be excessively higher. Dershowitz offers frightening examples. Two men picked up their uncle after committing a robbery, making him a passenger in a police car chase where a trooper was shot and killed. The actual murdering robbers copped a Greta Thunberg's father told her to launch climate protests alone as he revealed activism helped her depression 15 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply Greta Thunberg's father told her to launch her climate protests alone, as he said he and is wife made green changes to their lives to "save" their daughter from her depression. Svante Thunberg said he and his wife were “not climate activists” but had stopped flying and turned vegan as they saw the impact it had on their daughter.(Snip)He said the teenager became acutely depressed after being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when she was 12, and stopped talking, eating or going to school for a year. “She stopped eating for three months,” added Mr Thunberg. “Which is the ultimate nightmare for any parent.” Will War Derail Trump’s Reelection? 9 replies Posted by earlybird — Post Reply “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future,” Yogi Berra reminded us.(Snip)Looking to 2020, this writer predicted that Donald Trump’s great domestic challenge would be to keep the economy firing on all cylinders. His great foreign policy challenge? Avoiding war. When one looks at the numbers — unemployment at or below 4% for two years, an expansion in its 11th year, the stock market regularly hitting all-time highs — Trump enters his reelection year with a fistful of aces. One has to go back half a century to find numbers like these. (Snip)If there are IEDs on Trump’s road to reelection, they may be found in the Middle and

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FILE PHOTO: Buildings are engulfed in fog in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi By Sudarshan Varadhan NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Coal-fired utilities around New Delhi were still operating on Wednesday despite threats from the Indian authorities to close them down if they had not installed equipment to cut emissions of sulphur oxides by the end of the year. Three senior executives at companies operating power plants around New Delhi and facing an end-2019 deadline said they had not received direction on whether they could continue to run the plants having not installed the kit. Only one out of the 11 utilities in the national capital region had installed the equipment. India had already extended its December 2017 deadline for its utilities to meet the emissions standards - posing a further challenge to the authorities grappling with the pollution that can cause lung disease and blights air quality. Officials from the India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), who had threatened a shut down for non-compliance, did not respond to repeated calls and text messages seeking comment. Reuters reported last month that more than half of India's coal-fired power plants and 94% of the coal-fired units ordered to retrofit equipment to curb air pollution would likely miss the phased deadlines. The air quality index for the Indian capital, the worst affected major city, indicated "severe" conditions on Wednesday - like most days this winter - a potential risk for even healthy people. Real-time data government data showed both power plants in the country's largest state of Uttar Pradesh which had a Dec. 31 deadline were operating. In Punjab, Vedanta-owned TSPL units were producing power, as were state-run plants at Ropar and Bhatinda. Mohammed Shayin, managing director at northern Haryana state-run power generator HPGCL said all units other than ones under scheduled maintenance were operational, adding that the utility was "pleading" with federal authorities to extend the emissions deadline. Private producers such as Vedanta and Larsen & Toubro Ltd argued for yet another extension to the deadline. L&T-owned Nabha Power Ltd said it was "constrained to shut down both its units due to a delay in extension of timelines by the CPCB". Vedanta said it was "confident" that authorities "would take a considerate stand". "We shall shut the plant in case we get the directions from the CPCB or the environment ministry," the company said. (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Alison Williams)

New Delhi, India - The Indian capital of New Delhi entered 2020 reeling under an intense cold wave, with the homeless people on its streets bearing the maximum brunt. The Delhi government set up nearly 200 night shelters, but they are not enough to host all the city's homeless, forcing hundreds of them to spend their nights in the open. "We have around 40 beds which can accommodate a maximum of 60 people, depending on the size of the families who can share a bed," Sunil Kumar, who manages a night shelter near the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, told Al Jazeera. "We can provide two or three blankets a person, but it doesn't serve the purpose in such biting cold. There should be some room heaters too," he said. While some kept themselves warm by lighting bonfires on the sidewalks, dense fog blanketed the city on Wednesday with the night temperature falling to 2.4 degrees Celsius (36.3 degrees Fahrenheit), disrupting road, air and rail traffic. On Monday, the Indian capital recorded its coldest December day since 1901, with the maximum temperature plummeting to the lowest ever at 9.4C (48.9F). "The maximum temperature also dipped to less than 10 degrees in large parts of northern India," Kuldeep Shrivastava, head of the regional weather forecasting centre in New Delhi told Al Jazeera. Apart from the capital, Indian states and territories that continued to face a severe cold wave included Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. "Usually temperature dips in the month of January, but this time mercury has broken the record of decades in December itself," Shrivastava added.

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Te Deum Francis concluded the year 2019 with the usual Vespers and the. Then, he left St Peter’s Basilica to visit the Nativity scene on St Peter’s Square.Only few people were waiting for him. While greeting them, an Asian woman grabbed his hand. Francis violently slapped her hand several times until she let him go.A Twitter comment pointed to the Francis' angry face, “His mask fell off. That’s the real face of Pope Francis!”Shortly before the incident, Francis preached to his audience telling them "to take time for others" and "to dialogue" stressing that “to listen is an act of love.”

Pope Francis reacted angrily when he was grabbed on the arm by a woman at the Vatican as he was meeting pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve. The pope was walking through the square, greeting people after a Vespers service, when he was grabbed on the arm by a woman. The pope appeared to be slightly hurt as she pulled him towards her, and slapped her hand when she refused to let go. Credit: Vatican TV via Storyful

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Lisa Armstrong paid tribute to her father on Tuesday in an emotional New Year's Day post. The make-up artist, 43, shared a picture of Derek on Instagram as she admitted that she was struggling with her grief, following his death from cancer in May 2019. Lisa also showed off a tattoo she had inked in his honour, which reads Ohana (Hawaiin for family). Struggling: Lisa Armstrong paid tribute to her father on Tuesday in an emotional New Year's Day post as she admitted that she was struggling with her grief following his death Lisa shared a picture of her father that she captioned: 'Always with me and forever in my heart..... #dad #RIP #Theydaythefirstisthehardest #hurls #ohana'. A second image showed Lisa's new inking, Ohana, and Derek's birth date on her elbow. She posed with her arm over a picture of her beloved dog Hurley, who she shares with ex-husband Ant McPartlin. Tragic loss: The make-up artist, 43, shared a picture of Derek on Instagram after he sadly lost his battle with cancer in May 2018 aged 71 years Inked: Lisa also showed off a tattoo she had inked in his honour, which reads Ohana (Hawaiin for family) above Derek's birth date. She posed in front of a snap of her dog Hurley Lisa recently got caught up in a Twitter spat over her pet pooch, when a follower questioned where her pet will stay during her family holiday to Mexico. Lisa's friend tagged her in a Twitter post about the festive things people do with their pets and asked: 'Remind you of anyone?' Another user waded in and said: 'Who is looking after poor Marley when Lisa goes to Mexico?' Squabble: Lisa recently got caught up in a Twitter spat over her pet pooch, when a follower questioned where her pet will stay during her family holiday to Mexico Lisa's friend then corrected her and said: 'It's Hurley' and added: 'Lisa has to share her baby so I expect he will be with him!' referring to her ex McPartlin. The other user then shot back: 'So it's OK for Hurley to stay with Ant yet Lisa kicks up a fuss about access. By the way his name is Ant not him.' Lisa's friend, called Mandy, then wrote back 'whatever love' with Lisa then chiming in. She wrote: 'Exactly Mands, she can't even get his name right but she knows all the facts!' [sic]. Pooch: Lisa shares her beloved pet dog Hurley with her ex-husband Ant McPartlin A source previously told The Sun that Lisa and her loved ones decided that they needed some time away for Christmas after Derek's death, and splashed out on the lavish Mexican getaway. The insider explained: 'It's been a very difficult year for all of them since Derek died. 'Lisa wanted everyone to be together this Christmas and thought it would help if they all had something to look forward to. It won't be easy without him but at least they will all be together.'

Lisa lost her father in May 2019 (Picture: Rex/@lisaarmstrong) Lisa Armstrong has shared an emotional tribute to her late father Derek, revealing the tattoo she got inked in his honour. The makeup artist, who was previously married to Ant McPartlin, lost her father back in May 2019 to cancer. Sharing a snap of her dad, she wrote: ‘Always with me and forever in my heart….. #dad #RIP #Theydaythefirstisthehardest #hurls #ohana.’ The 43-year-old also shared a photo of her tattoo, which reads ‘Ohana’ (Hawaiian for ‘family’). Her friends sent supportive messages, with Alan Carr telling her: ‘Aww bless you! Stay strong,’ while Strictly’s Katya Jones commented heart emojis. Lisa has been in the midst of a divorce from her ex-husband Ant, with it recently being claimed that she would be ‘crushed’ if he proposes to his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett. ‘Lisa feels as if every time something good happens right now Ant manages to ruin it,’ an insider told The Sun. ‘She is preparing herself for an announcement in the New Year that Ant and Anne Marie are engaged. The tattoo means ‘family’ (Picture: @LisaArmstrong) ‘She knows it’ll be crushing but she’s anticipating it which she hopes won’t be as much of a blow if it does.’ Advertisement Advertisement The make-up artist, 43, and I’m A Celebrity presenter, 44, divorced in October 2018 after 23 years together, with Ant moving on with his former assistant Anne-Marie shortly after announcing their split in early 2018. The Geordie TV star now lives with Anne-Marie in a £6 million London pad with her two children and their dogs. They officially divorced in October last year, but they’ve still in the process of dividing up their assets. Ant and Lisa were together for 23 years (Picture: Getty Images) However, Lisa’s not standing for any comments from trolls about their situation. The make-up artist responded to a fan’s tweet which read: ‘How can 31 million, not be enough for you?! It’s enough for both me and my family put together for life. Just sayin’. Lisa responded: ‘Don’t believe the lies #justsaying’. She is said to have turned down a multi-million pound settlement offer from Ant to get their divorce finalised, in favour of having her day in court instead. Got a showbiz story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Lisa Armstrong ‘will be crushed’ if ex-husband Ant McPartlin proposes to Anne-Marie Corbett at Christmas MORE: Strictly’s Lisa Armstrong seeks energy hit with Lucozade as she’s spotted on break

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Claudius Moore, a seasoned technology executive who joined American Family Care (AFC) earlier this year, has been named the healthcare network’s new Chief Information Officer. Over the last 15 years, Moore has mastered methods to leverage technology to drive revenue and reduce costs for healthcare systems, while also creating a high-quality, efficient experience for patients. Moore leads AFC’s information technology division, providing support and maintenance of existing systems while developing new technology solutions for the entire healthcare network. American Family Care is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with more than 200 clinics across the nation, in more than 25 states. “We’re thrilled to promote Claudius to the Chief Information Officer position,” said D. Bruce Irwin, M.D., CEO and founder of American Family Care. “In a very short of amount time, he has applied his extensive knowledge of technology management and his background in healthcare to advance our daily operations. His work enables AFC medical providers to stay ahead of the competition by providing quality, affordable and accessible healthcare.” Moore has a dual master’s degree in information technology management and business administration from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Sierra Leone. In addition, he holds a graduate certificate in computer information science from The Catholic University of America and he is a Microsoft certified system administrator (MCSA). “I’m honored to receive this promotion. It is very exciting to guide AFC through the many twists and turns of technology,” said Claudius Moore, Chief Information Officer at AFC. “My passion for medicine goes back to my first hospital job as an orderly; when I escorted heart patients to surgery. They shared their fears about their operations with me, and I comforted them. I realized healthcare was my passion.” Previously, Moore served as Chief Information Officer of South Bend Clinic, in South Bend, Indiana, a regional hospital system, Vice President of Information Services at Physicians Hospital System in Mishawaka, Indiana, and Director of Information and Revenue Systems at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC. “The role of information technology in healthcare is always evolving,” Moore says. “At AFC, we are constantly working to make it easy for patients to get access to care. Not only to make an appointment through our website; but also to log in and see results, medications and insight about their care. We are providing more than urgent care. We are engaging with the patient and sharing vital details. The goal is to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.” All AFC clinics are designed, equipped and staffed to provide accessible primary care, urgent care and minor emergency treatment. Each clinic features a high-tech approach, including digital x-rays, on-site lab testing, state-of-the-art diagnostics and electronic medical records. The clinics are staffed by kind, caring and compassionate healthcare professionals. About American Family Care: Founded by Dr. Bruce Irwin with a single location in 1982, American Family Care has pioneered the concept of convenient, patient-centric healthcare. Today, with more than 200 clinics and 600 in-network physicians caring for nearly 3 million patients a year, AFC is the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine. Ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., AFC’s stated mission is to provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment, while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient. For more information, visit http://www.AmericanFamilyCare.com.

× Live table games begin in the Hoosier state ANDERSON, Ind. –Some kicked off 2020 Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Anderson for the first day of live table betting. It opened to the public earlier after becoming legal in 2019. “We’ve got the fun colors on the table, the chips, the chairs,” said Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Vice President of Operations Todd Berendji. All bets are on for the first time in the state, live and legal. There a variety of games to choose from, roulette, craps, blackjack, Mississippi Stud, and three-card poker. January 1, 2020, marks the start of live table betting in the Hoosier state. The first to roll the dice on this special occasion was Pacers Point Guard Victor Oladipo. “Today is a combination of at least 10 years of trying to find some kind of happy medium where we could bring table games to the community of Anderson, Indiana,” said Berendji. Berendji says it’s been a long time coming from hiring to training to recruiting. Indiana Grand in Shelbyville has also been doing the same. Berendji says Hoosiers asked and they received. “It’s something that we’ve heard, something that we’ve wanted and something that rounds out the casinos for us,” said Berendji. Something he thinks will bring people from all over the state. State legislators are expecting table betting to bring nearly 3 million people to the Hoosier state every year. “We’re really grateful for Caesars for investing the amount of money they’ve put into doing this for our community. Look at it, it’s a huge huge crowd, people are excited its lots of fun,” said Anderson Resident, Cindy Lanane. Lots of fun that is expected to bring around 600 jobs from both locations. In Anderson, more than 200 have been hired for table games alone. The new element also adds to revenue. “We’ll definitely increase revenue at both of our properties and we hope to increase the revenue here so we can support more of Anderson, Indiana, said Berendji. And the biggest highlight for Lanane wasn’t playing on the live table it was who she played with. “I got to play craps with Victor Oladipo,” said Lanane.

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One of the most successful nonprofit programs in metro Detroit that helps empower youths received a generous boost from Comerica Bank through its partnership with the Detroit Lions. Winning Futures, an organization based in Warren, Mich., received a check for $18,000 before Sunday’s Detroit Lions game at Ford Field. The nonprofit, which delivers an evidence-based, structured Workforce Prep program for students throughout metro Detroit, benefited this football season from Comerica Bank’s First Down Program where Comerica pledged $100 for each first down the Lions gained at Ford Field this year. The program culminated with an $18,000 gift to support Winning Futures and its programs, including in-class mentoring, life skills development, goal setting, job readiness training, and career exploration. Since 1994, Winning Futures has positively impacted approximately 49,000 students and awarded $1.9 million in scholarships. The nonprofit delivers an evidence-based, structured Workforce Prep program for students throughout metro Detroit, and with help from volunteer mentors and partnerships within the business community, Winning Futures transforms students into self-reliant, employable, and productive adults with defined academic and career goals, and highly desirable workforce skills. “We congratulate Winning Futures and their team of committed volunteers for their success in providing transformative experiences for our young people. The Winning Futures program connects students to mentors and other valuable resources that will help them be better prepared for the future.” said Michael Cheatham, Comerica Bank Vice President and Michigan External Affairs Market Manager. “We proudly support Kristina, Winning Futures, and all who share their time, talent and resources to inspire our youth.” Comerica Bank donated $18,000 to Beyond Basics in 2018, and in 2017, gave an additional $18,000 to Children’s Hospital. With an additional $18,000 donation to Winning Futures this year, Comerica has donated $54,000 through the First Down Program to nonprofits in metro Detroit. Winning Futures president and CEO Kristina Marshall is very thankful to benefit from this partnership between Comerica Bank and the Lions and says this will help the nonprofit continue to provide valuable services to youth in metro Detroit. “The funds from the Detroit Lions First Down Program was a great, unexpected surprise this season,” Marshall said. As we roll out our expanded four-year program, the contribution will support students having hands-on career exploration experiences, developing their five-year education and career plans, and being matched with a career mentor. New this year, students are completing department rotations and projects at local corporations, along with participating in a job experience fair where they can test out careers that interested them.” Corporate social responsibility has long been a focus for Comerica Bank, and efforts like the Lions First Down program are part of Comerica’s strong commitment to the local community. Comerica is dedicated to metro Detroit and the state of Michigan – with nearly 200 banking centers throughout Southeast, Central, and West Michigan. Comerica Bank has been in Michigan for 170 years – dating back to 1849 – and has had a continuous presence throughout the state ever since. “Our outreach with exceptional partners like the Lions, leverages opportunities that not only benefit people today, but will continue to have a positive impact on the community for years to come,” said Cheatham. About Comerica Bank Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served Michigan longer than any other bank with a continuous presence dating back 170 years to its Detroit founding in 1849. It is the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and has more than 4,700 employees (FTE) statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in Michigan, Comerica nurtures lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of charitable organizations, and actively participating in Detroit’s downtown revitalization. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company strategically aligned by three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Comerica, Twitter: @ComericaBank and Instagram: @comerica_bank. About Winning Futures Celebrating our 25th anniversary, we are a nationally recognized and award-winning expert in empowering high school students to succeed. Through our evidence-based and structured Workforce Prep program, student throughout Metro Detroit are immersed in a four-year experiential curriculum that begins in tenth grade and continues through one year post high school. The program includes in-class mentoring, life skills development, goal setting, job readiness training, and career exploration. With help from volunteer mentors and partnerships with the business community, students are transformed into self-reliant, employable, and productive adults with defined academic and career goals, and highly desirable workforce skills. Since 1994, we have positively impacted 49,000 students and awarded $1.9 million in scholarships. More information is available at WinningFutures.org. About Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The team located to Detroit in 1934 and is the National Football League’s fifth-oldest franchise. The Detroit Lions most recently made the NFL playoffs in 2016, when they finished with a 9-7 record. In addition to professional football, the Detroit Lions have a visible and active community relations role in the Detroit area. With a focus on health and wellness, and community revitalization, the Lions have contributed $7.2 million through philanthropic efforts since 1991. For more information, please visit www.detroitlions.com.

Matthew Stafford stood in front of his locker, surrounded by a slew of reporters inquiring about the back injury that cost him half a season and spoiled any shot the Detroit Lions had of having a successful season. Stafford insisted fans of the franchise should not be worried about his health heading into his 12th NFL season, even though back ailments have affected him for two straight years. “I’m not concerned about it, so that should make people feel good,” Stafford said Monday. “I’m the one living with the back. I feel pretty good about it.” Stafford missed his eighth straight game Sunday when the Lions closed the season with a ninth consecutive loss, dropping them to 3-12-1 for their worst season in a decade. Detroit drafted him No. 1 overall in 2009. After his career began with a pair of injury-shortened seasons, he didn’t miss a game for eighth straight seasons before back and hip ailments limited him to eight games this year. The Lions still have a lot invested in Stafford with a $135 million deal that keeps him under contract through 2022 and say they’re very confident he will not have lingering health problems “No issues there,” general manager Bob Quinn said. LET’S MAKE A DEAL Kenny Golladay was a bright spot during a dismal season, leading the league with 11 receiving touchdowns in his third season. The receiver has one year left on his deal and said he’s open to signing a long-term contract extension. “I’ve already expressed I’m open to it,” he said. STAY OR GO Offensive guard Graham Glasgow has started 58 games since Detroit drafted him out of Michigan in the third round three years ago. Glasgow may be worth more on the open market as a free agent than the Lions are willing to pay him. “I would like to feel like I’m wanted,” he acknowledged. The Lions will likely want to bring back 34-year-old wide receiver Danny Amendola, who had one of his best seasons, instead of letting him go in free agency. They may let defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson hit the market because he has not lived up to expectations as the 46th pick overall in 2016. SEE YA, SNACKS? Damon “Snacks” Harrison said after Sunday’s 23-20 loss to Green Bay he’s pondering retirement. The 31-year-old defensive tackle expressed frustrations that injuries affected his play. Harrison signed an $11 million, one-year extension last summer, putting him under contract through the 2021 season. NO REGRETS Quinn made an in-season trade for the second straight season that did not work out well for the franchise. He sent safety Quandre Diggs, a captain, to Seattle for a fifth-round pick. While Diggs flourished for the Seahawks, the Lions failed to replace him. Does Quinn have any regrets about the decision? “No,” he insisted. Last year, the Lions traded receiver Golden Tate to Philadelphia for a third-round pick. The move appeared to hurt the team’s morale and ability to move the ball on offense. HOW TO GET IT RIGHT Quinn and Patricia will be in win-now mode more than ever next year, trying to also stick around for 2021, after ownership decided earlier this month to retain them. “Obviously, we need to win next year,” Quinn said. “I understand that.” Entering his fifth season in charge of the front office, Quinn insisted he won’t sacrifice the future with short-sighted decisions just to improve his job security. “You always have to have your lens on the short term and the long term, and that’s not going to change,” he said. The Lions can’t miss on a difference-making player, likely on defense, with the No. 3 pick overall. Detroit’s defense dipped to 31st in the NFL this season after ranking 10th overall last year. Defensive end Trey Flowers proved to be a good free-agent signing, but he needs a lot of help on the defensive line. If the team chooses to trade three-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay with one year and $10 million left on his deal instead of giving him a contract extension, it will need to sign a free agent cornerback or invest a high draft pick to bolster the position. The Lions will probably want to start the 2020 season with a good option to back up Stafford after finding out they can’t win without him if they’re left with veteran castoffs or a rookie. © 2019 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Erin Kane, Vice President of Octagon Basketball, shares her experience with Entrepreneur Network partner David Meltzer. December 30, 2019 1 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Erin Kane, Vice President of Octagon Basketball, talks about some of the misconceptions people have about what it is like to be a sports agent, as well as why she believes that the sports industry today is a proving ground for gender equality. Erin Kane and The Playbook host David Meltzer chat about a range of topics, including the value of participating in sports for both men and women, the impact of Title IX and their vision for the future of equality in sports and entertainment. The pair also share their thoughts on why honest conversations with clients are so important for agents, even if they might be difficult to have. Related: How This Fanduel Co-Founder Is Building Better Relationships

Personal branding builds trust with customers and employees. December 30, 2019 4 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Whenever you open Instagram, a slew of posts from "influencers" populate your feed. People’s names are in the headlines of articles, and the rise of the "famous entrepreneur" has begun. Personal branding is in, and it’s a secret weapon. It’s how people know who you are. Related: 3 Tips for Personal Branding on Social Media To understand personal branding, you must understand business branding. Effective business branding is why we don’t hesitate to purchase a new facial cleanser from our favorite skincare brand, whereas we hesitate to try a facial cleanser from a brand we’ve never heard of. We become defensive of brands. We’re either die-hard Apple or PC supporters or Coke or Pepsi drinkers. Personal brands connote the same type of loyalty. Here are a few reasons why personal branding is a secret weapon in your career. 1. Personal branding builds trust with your customers. Think about it. If a stranger approached you on the street and tried to sell you an ecommerce consulting package, you wouldn’t be interested unless they had some serious facts about how their package could help you. But, if someone you knew for their expertise in scaling ecommerce businesses approached you, you’d be more likely to buy from them. You’d feel connected to them. If you can create this same sense of trust with your target customers through what you share on social media and how you interact in person, you’ll have that secret weapon when it’s time to sell. Related: Why Personal Branding Must Be Your First Focus 2. Personal branding helps your employees get behind your cause. A personal brand doesn’t just help to get customers invested in your cause -- it also helps get your employees invested. Altimeter shared research that proves when a company invested in personal branding initiatives, “employees were 27 percent more hopeful about their company, 20 percent more likely to stay, and 40 percent more likely to believe in the competitiveness of their employer.” These personal branding initiatives could include a “meet the team” campaign on social media, a monthly letter from the CEO with accessible and friendly language, or starting a YouTube channel featuring interviews with key team members. In addition to helping current employees get behind your cause, it could also help with recruiting, too. If you’re looking to expand your company’s team, high-quality employees may be more likely to interview with you and accept a position if they’ve heard about you in your industry, or feel like they know you beyond your initial emails because of the content you have available. 3. Personal branding helps social media work for you. Finally, personal branding is at its height when it’s working for you on social media. A recent research index from Sprout Social found that customers are 77 percent more likely to buy from a brand if they follow them on social media. And, customers will only follow a brand on social media if they have content that’s interesting, useful, or funny to them. Engage your personal brand on your company's social media -- and your personal page -- by sharing stories from your life, inspirational quotes that have been helpful to you, and funny videos. All of this content compounded will help "strangers" feel as if they know you, bolstering your personal brand and leading to customers. Related: Personal Branding Is Just as Important as Business Branding As far as how to get in touch with your personal brand, remember there’s no one you have to be but yourself. It sounds cheesy, but people can tell if you’re being authentic or trying to convey something you’re not. Stand in your personal brand’s truth and share it loud and proud as your secret weapon.

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More than 4,000 people, including residents, hundreds of tourists, and children, are trapped on beaches near the town of Mallacoota on Australia’s east coast, surrounded as raging wildfires fueled by strong winds are barreling toward them. Officials are telling them they may need to jump into the sea to save themselves. David Jeffrey, a local business owner, told BBC News that he and other residents sheltering on an adjacent beach nearby were preparing to jump into the sea before sudden winds pushed the flames in the other direction. “There’s a rock wall that they’ve built to keep back the sea, and that was where we were going to jump into the water if the radiant heat had hit,” he told BBC by Skype. “It looks a lot like Armageddon. It’s terrifying.” The Australian government announced that it is readying naval ships and military helicopters to carry out evacuations after all roads leading to the area are now blocked by raging blazes. More than 200 fires are now burning across the the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The apocalyptic images cut a stark contrast as fireworks lit up over Sydney Harbour as New Year’s celebrations rang out, despite widespread protests over fears of the pyrotechnics starting more fires amid the country’s heat and wildfire emergency. A father and son are reported to have died and four other people are missing after several people tried to escape through the fires, despite government warnings to shelter in place until they can be rescued, according to government officials. The Australian government has called for assistance from the U.S. and Canada, which are preparing to send fire crews to help fight the blazes that have burned some 10 million acres and killed more than a dozen people over the last several weeks. The fires have been fueled by extreme temperatures and strong winds coupled with a three-year drought. Several people are trapped on beaches around Batemans Bay, which is a popular New Year’s Eve destination for those who travel to Australia to enjoy the summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Many of those trapped have posted eerie photos on social media of the blood-red skies and night-like conditions in the afternoon as smoke from the raging fires blocks the sun. One woman posted a terrifying photo of her young son wearing a mask and a life jacket on a boat as they tried to escape Mallacoota. Firefighters have also been trapped in the fires, with one unit posting a video as they tried to reach safety as the fire surrounded their truck. Australian authorities say they have no prediction for when the fires will be contained. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Canberra: At least seven people died in the devastating bushfires that engulfed the Australian state of New South Wales since Monday , police said on Wednesday. The latest fires, which raced towards the coast this week, have also destroyed more than 200 homes, BBC reported. With conditions easing slightly, a major road that was closed in Victoria was reopened on Wednesday for two hours to allow people to leave. However, many of the people remain in fire-hit areas - in one town, police dropped off 1.6 tonnes of drinking water by boat. Meanwhile, Australia deployed military ships and aircraft to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires. Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns where supplies were depleted and roads were cut off by the fires.

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The world has a plastic pollution problem. That is the big picture. It has countries looking for creative solutions. Environmentalists say there's no more time for talk. As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, they say it's time for action

Kenyatta national hospital implements digital blood donation to cab blood shortage in the country 1st January, 2020 A recent blood shortage reported in the country occasioned by lack of blood bags was an eye opener on the need to strengthen blood banks in the country. Lack of a fully functional blood transfusion management can result in deaths, something that should be avoided at all costs. So, are our hospitals ready to meet blood demands? Our medical reporter DR Mercy Korir looks at Kenya's biggest referral facility, Kenyatta national hospital and what it is implementing in order to meet demands for blood, through what it calls, the damu sasa project

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Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], Jan 1 (ANI): With an aim to boost the confidence of customers and bring in more transparency in the real estate sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) here on Wednesday. "It is just because of a handful of realtors who divert from good practice and indulge in illegal ways to mint money that the whole sector sometimes get a black mark. We have heard terms like the real-estate mafia," Vijayan said at the official launch event. "It is the greed of a few that are spoiling the market. With the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in place, there will be more transparency and credibility. It will also help to redefine the promoter-buyer relationship in the sector, " he added. The Kerala Chief Minister further said that the real-estate sector has seen tremendous growth in the country in the last decade. "It also helped the middle class realize their housing needs. With an effective regulatory mechanism, the real estate sector is poised to grow more instilling confidence in home buyers," he said. Passed by the Parliament, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, had directed the state governments to establish RERA for effective regulation of the real estate sector and also for speedy dispute redressal. As per the Act, buildings with more than eight apartments and real estates projects with 500 square metres of land or more will have to be registered with RERA. (ANI)

The Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) will help build trust in the real estate sector and infuse it with transparency and efficiency, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday. The activities of a few individuals have served to malign this important sector to the extent that it has been equated to a ‘mafia,’ the Chief Minister said, formally inaugurating K-RERA at a function here. With its emphasis on protecting the interests of consumers (buyers, allottees), K-RERA focusses on the prevention of malpractices in the real estate sector, he said. Duping of buyers Instances of buyers being duped by a section in the real estate sector had prompted the Parliament to pass the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act in 2016 making it mandatory for all States to form RERAs. K-RERA is designed to prevent such malpractices in Kerala. Realtors who function in a lawful manner will not find themselves inconvenienced by RERA, Mr. Vijayan said. The real estate sector is integral to the development of land. Negative financial trends in real estate affects the economic sector as a whole. If policies are favourable, the sector can grow. So it is important to have policies and approaches that do not weaken it. While the sector has witnessed spectacular growth in the past few decades, the absence of an effective regulatory mechanism was the main reason for the problems associated with real estate sector. “This is not a sector which should be equated to a ‘mafia’,” the Chief Minister said. From Oct. 2019 Technically, K-RERA came into being in October last year with P.H. Kurian as chairman and Preetha P. Menon as member. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, makes it compulsory for builders to register projects with the State-level RERA. Real estate agents also need to get themselves with the authority. RERA registration is applicable to projects where the land to be developed is 500 square metres or more and the number of apartments is eight or more inclusive of all phases. An adjudicating officer who will handle compensation claims and an appellate tribunal for handling appeals on K-RERA decisions will be appointed soon, the Chief Minister said. He issued the registration certificates to builders and real estate agents who registered with RERA. The Chief Minister also released the emblem of K-RERA on the occasion. Minister for Local Self Government A. C. Moideen presided. Additional Chief Secretary T.K. Jose, K-RERA chairman P. H. Kurian and member Preetha P. Menon spoke.

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The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com. Chuck Todd’s Sunday commentary on “Meet the Press” equating Trump supporters to Bible believers willing to embrace “fairy tales” is outrageous, displays an ignorance of the manuscript evidence for the authenticity of the Bible (“more than 25,000 partial and complete manuscript copies of the New Testament”), shows a dearth of understanding for the geological and historical evidence for a worldwide flood, and a lack of respect for and sensitivity to the millions of people – both Jews and Christians – who believe the biblical narrative is a true account of this catastrophe of immense proportions that went on to reshape the Earth’s geology. Todd’s characterization of the biblical narrative of the worldwide flood as a “fairy tale” was dragged up from an almost year-old letter-to-the-editor written to the Lexington Herald. The letter stated: “…People support Trump … because people have been trained from childhood to believe in fairy tales... This set their minds up to accept things that make them feel good... The more fairy tales and lies he tells the better they feel... Show me a person who believes in Noah's ark and I will show you a Trump voter." There is abundant evidence right here in our own country for Noah’s flood such as the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. These geological wonders show evidence of horizontal sedimentary deposition, the result of catastrophic, hydrological forces. Flood waters, carrying millions of tons of sediment, drained off the continent into the oceans hundreds of miles distant carving the canyons and leaving behind the immense buttes and mesas in their wake. Native Americans have revered these sites for centuries. The larger buttes and mesas in Monument Valley have names like Totem Pole, Three Sisters, Yei-Bi Chei, and Merrick Butte. Each has spiritual significance in the Navajo culture. The Mittens—two buttes standing 978 and 1,023 feet, respectively—were supposedly left behind by the Holy People, deities or spiritual beings who lived on Mother Earth in the beginning of time. Many Native American tribes trace their origin to the Grand Canyon. The Havasupai believed it to be the birthplace of the human race. The Hopi believed it was where all living things came through another dimension into our world. But perhaps the Hualapai have the most interesting tradition about the origin of the Grand Canyon. They believe the earth was once covered by a flood. “The Great Hero” then stuck the Earth with a huge knife, rocking it back and forth, creating deep gorges so that the water could drain away. How did such beliefs persist among Native Americans for so many centuries? The Hualapai aren’t the only people with such a story. Genesis 7:19 states: “…The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.” The Bible goes on to recount how God—The Great Hero of the Judeo-Christian tradition—caused the flood waters to recede from the Earth. Noah's flood is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 104 and Job 22 refer to the great deluge as does Jesus in the Gospels. The apostle Peter also mentions Noah's flood in both of his epistles. But the event first appears in Genesis chapters 6 through 9, where it is described in detail. “The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So, the Lord said, I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth -- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air -- for I am grieved that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:5-8). God told Noah exactly how to build the ark and gave him 120 years to complete the task. Along with his sons and quite possibly, plenty of hired help (although the Bible doesn't specifically mention this), Noah built a huge cargo ship out of gopherwood and pitch. When the rains came, Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives went into the ark. Along with them, they brought two of almost every kind of animal and bird. (Noah was instructed to take seven pairs of every animal and bird considered clean for sacrificial purposes.) Imagine the stories that spread through the region about that "crazy old man building the big boat." People possibly traveled for miles to see this sight -- because it had never rained. The Bible describes the conditions on the antediluvian Earth as vastly different from our present-day weather patterns (Genesis 2:6). During the many years that the ark was under construction, anyone could have been spared by believing in Noah's preaching. The Bible says that he warned his neighbors of God's impending judgment. "God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others" (2 Peter 2:5). When the ark was completed, it stood laden with cargo on dry ground for seven days. God left the door open -- anyone could have walked in and been saved. But aside from Noah's family, no one else entered. At the end of the week, the Lord shut the door and the disaster began. The rain started and the underground springs burst open. The vast extent to which the Earth's surface is covered with water is only one of many evidences for a massive, worldwide flood. Other evidence abounds. Fossil graveyards, containing many different types of remains, have been found; these collections suggest that herds of animals massed together to escape a catastrophe or that their carcasses were deposited in low-lying areas and then buried under tons of water-borne sediment. Marine fossils have been discovered on top of mountains rimming the Mediterranean Sea. I often find these fossils in my annual treks through the Peruvian Andes at altitudes above 12,000 feet. And horizontal sedimentary layering in the Grand Canyon and other places points to a global deluge. In the fall of 2000, an issue of U.S. News and World Report reported "an amazing archaeological discovery beneath the surface of the Black Sea." Robert Ballard (who found the Titanic) led an archaeological team that discovered "a large wooden building 12 miles offshore at a depth of more than 300 feet." Ballard said, "Apparently there is an ancient coastline some 550 feet below the present sea level. "It was a find beyond our wildest imaginations," he said. Scientists have claimed there is photographic evidence that may be the remains of Noah's Ark. Military and private satellite snapshots of Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey reveal an anomaly that researchers say might be the remains of Noah's Ark. The first pictures of what has come to be known as the Ararat Anomaly date back to 1949. U.S. intelligence officials analyzed aircraft imagery of Mount Ararat taken in June of that year. The photos show a unique feature at 15,500 feet on the northwestern plateau. Porcher Taylor, an assistant professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia and an expert in satellite imaging, has gathered evidence on the Ararat Anomaly since 1993. He estimates the anomaly to be approximately 600 feet long. Another expert, a naval engineer and architect, has examined the photographs and believes that the structure shows "prongs" or "ribs" similar to what one would expect to find on the keel of an ancient marine vessel. The most recent satellite evidence comes from Space Imaging's Ikonos 2, which can resolve images as small as one meter across. From October 1999 through the summer of 2000, the mountain was photographed. It was reported that a “seven-person team of independent scientists and analysts scrutinized the batch of images. While the photos clearly show some type of feature, the team was divided in their interpretation. While some felt the anomaly could be human-made, others voted for rock or deferred to inconclusive data.” This evidence is not just interesting on its face but demonstrates the number of scientists, historians, theologians and open-minded journalists willing to follow the evidence wherever it leads. To those of us who embrace the Bible’s narratives as being true accounts of historical events, none of the evidence comes as a surprise. “We have not followed cunningly devised fables,” (2 Peter 1:16) but we have the accounts of “eyewitness.” These eyewitnesses – the writers of both the Old and New Testaments – have created the expectation that the evidence demonstrated by the Earth’s geology, Native American traditions and archaeological discoveries would support the Bible's accounts of events. As it turns out, Trump voters are in good company with a lot of other, really smart people.

The award-winning January Series of Calvin University is coming to Holland. From Jan. 8 -28, 2020, Christ Memorial Church will be one of 60 remote webcast locations worldwide to broadcast one of the nation’s leading lecture and cultural arts series. The 2020 series features New York Times best-selling authors, Billboard-topping musicians, and a 41-year veteran of the White House press corps. The January Series lectures will be video streamed live at Christ Memorial Church, 5995 Graafschap Road, Holland, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The lectures are free and open to the public. A few of the notable names in the 2020 lineup include: Ann Compton, who covered seven presidents; Mitch Albom, an author, columnist, radio host, and philanthropist whose books have sold more than 39 million copies and been translated into more than 45 languages; and Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU whose last two books were New York Times best-sellers. The 15 speakers will provide insight on issues like poverty and hunger, the global water crisis, immigration, mass incarceration, religious freedom, and big data’s inequality and threat to democracy. Kristi Potter, the director of the January Series says the goal of the series is to cultivate deep thought and conversations about important issues of the day so as to inspire cultural renewal and the shaping of better global citizens in God’s world. “Gaining knowledge is the first step to making a difference,” said Potter. “If we don’t know about these topics, then we don’t know how we can actually make a difference.” Potter says this work starts with listening, even to those with whom we may disagree. She says day two of the January Series will provide a great opportunity for attendees to see what this looks like. “We have the opportunity to hear from two respected scientists who hold opposing viewpoints on the topic of origins. One is a six-day creationist, the other a theistic evolutionist, and both feel strongly about their views. Both actually feel the other person’s view is harming the church,” said Potter. “And yet, the two have learned to talk to rather than past one another, using respectful dialogue with the understanding that they are both Christians. This moderated conversation will serve as a model for us for how to have difficult conversations — something we aspire to foster through this series and in all of our work at Calvin University.” While Potter says the series will dig deep into some of the complex issues facing the world today, it will also highlight the great progress being made in some of these areas. She expects it will inspire hope. “It’s not all doom and gloom, positive things are happening. I hope those who tune into the series this coming year will leave hopeful for the future and understand how they can take steps to make a difference. And maybe that step is just being more willing to listen to one another and acknowledging one another for who they are.” In 2020, 60 remote locations will carry the January Series — spanning 22 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, and one site in Europe. About the January Series Started in 1988, the January Series is an annual, award-winning, 15-day lecture series that exists to cultivate deep thought and conversations about important issues of the day in order to inspire cultural renewal and better equip global citizens in God’s world. The series is free and open to the public. Join this year’s conversations and revisit previous talks at www.calvin.edu/january.

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MONROE, La. (1/1/2020) — A Monroe man is facing charges after police say a child was taken to the hospital due to exposure to PCP. Just before 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office were called by a local hospital for an 8-year-old child who had been admitted due to exposure to phencyclidine (PCP) exposure. They went to a south Monroe home, and they spoke with spoke with 26-year-old Joseph Collins, Jr. During a search of the home, deputies say they found a pack of cigarettes under a dresser in Joseph’s room, along with a glass bottle that appeared to contain PCP. Deputies mirandized Collins. They say Collins said the cigarettes & suspected PCP belonged to him. While at the home, deputies saw a 7-year-old girl and learned she, as well as the 8-year-old in the hospital, had been in the home with the PCP. Collins was cuffed and booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center. He is charged with one count of possession of PCP and two counts of having a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a person under 17 years old.

× Mule deer buck illegally shot on New Year’s Eve in Craig CRAIG– Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are trying to track down the person responsible for illegally shooting a mule deer buck with a bow. CPW says the buck was found in the 700 Block of Barclay Street Tuesday. It was injured with an arrow stuck in its left rear hip. The deer was wounded with a black carbon arrow with two green fletchings and one black fletching. Wildlife officials say that anyone with information can remain anonymous by using the Operation Game Thief program by calling 1-877-265-6648 or via e-mail at game.thief@state.co.us​​. You can also contact Wildlife Officer Swaro directly at 970-942-8275. Monetary rewards are available if the information leads to an arrest or citation, according to CPW.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil. Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment. “We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.” Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined. The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured. Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Exeter live streaming: Horse racing preview & tips – New Year’s Day 2020 Watch Exeter live streaming: Quick links Watch Exeter live streaming on Bet365 – they show extensive amounts of horse racing on a daily basis. Note: There are geo restrictions on individual horse races shown on the Bet365 live streaming service. In addition, a funded account is required or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to qualify. All horse racing on the Bet365 live streaming service is available to watch in the UK & Ireland. Horse racing live streaming in the UK & Ireland today There is plenty to enjoy on New Year’s Day in the horse racing world, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is horse racing on New Year’s Day at Catterick, Tramore, Fakenham, Southwell, Cheltenham, Fairyhouse, Musselburgh and Exeter. Exeter live stream There are seven races at Exeter on New Year’s Day, starting at 12:40, with the final one at 4:05. The going at Exeter on New Year’s Day is SOFT, Heavy in places. Below are some tips for Exeter on New Year’s Day. Exeter live streaming betting preview & tips In the 1:15 at Exeter, there is a lot of social media interest in Darling Maltaix. Trained by Paul Nicholls, Darling Maltaix is the favourite in this race, but can be backed at decent odds. Darling Maltaix is expected to be well in the mix in a race worth £10,722 to the winner. Another horse to keep an eye on is Bullionaire, running in the 3:00. Trained by Harry Fry, Bullionaire is the overwhelming favourite in this race. Bullionaire has won here before and also claimed victory at Uttoxeter as well. How to watch a Exeter live stream Bet365 are showing a Exeter live stream, legally and straight onto your computer or on to your hand held device, be it an iPhone, iPad or Android. Simply click this link and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to watch. NOTE: Please be aware that you will need an active Bet365 account to watch a Exeter live stream of the horse racing on New Year’s Day. The awesome factor about watching Horse Racing live streaming with Bet365 is that you only have to put down £1. Simply put down £1 win or 50 pence each way to watch horse racing today. Exeter Racecourse | The Ultimate Racing Experience – official video Instagram video from Exeter Racecourse Why you need a VPN? Cut chords: Watch everything (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu) online using a VPN. Unlock geoblocking: A VPN gives you access to the best content from anywhere in the world. Privacy & security: A VPN keeps your information private, activity encrypted & data anonymous. Just $6.67 a month + 3 months free!

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Emma Roche has had a mixed year in 2019 after she was turned down by Matt Agnew on The Bachelor. But the 32-year-old took a more positive perspective on Tuesday as she looked back on what was an eventful decade. The reality star uploaded two pictures that showed her 10 years apart. 'A decade in the difference': The Bachelor's Emma Roche (pictured) has looked back on becoming an Australian citizen and her time on a 'silly TV show' She began the post: 'A decade in the difference!' 'I moved over 17,000 kilometres to the other side of the world from Ireland to Australia and became an Australian citizen after seven long years,' she said. Then Emma appeared to take a swipe at The Bachelor, as she listed her many achievements. Happier times: Emma starred on the seventh season of The Bachelor and appeared to take a swipe at the program by noting that she appeared on 'a silly TV show'. Pictured with Matt Agnew 'I had some dodgy teeth fixed, went on a silly TV show, learned how difficult it is to live away from your family, but gained a tonne of beautiful friends,' she said. The reality star wrapped things up by saying she now had a better 'appreciation of things in life' and was looking forwarded to the next decade. Emma is currently rumoured to be one of many in line to be the next Bachelorette. Double take: Emma is currently rumoured to be one of many in line to be the next Bachelorette Last year, Emma was forced to deny a romance with MAFS star Dean Wells, after a photo surfaced on Instagram of the pair cuddling up together. Discussing the snap, Emma laughed: 'I looked terrible! Everyone thought I was dating Dean, but he's just a really good friend. 'He's been really supportive of me throughout the whole process.' Just friends! Dean Wells (right) shocked fans last year, after he uploaded a photo of himself looking cosy with Emma at an event - leading people to believe the pair were an item

Last year, we featured CABN‘s collection of gorgeous, off-grid cabins that are designed to offer a serene respite away from the stresses of everyday life. Now, the Australian company has just unveiled another beautiful design, the Sadie, which is its first eco-retreat in Victoria. Tucked in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, the solar-powered cabin is the ideal spot for reconnecting with nature in the new year. Like all of CABN’s projects, the Sadie is designed to go completely off the grid while still offering the ultimate in comfort for guests who are looking to immerse themselves in nature. Located on a remote property in Daylesford, the cabin is less than a 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne. Guests staying at the tiny cabin will enjoy the secluded area, which is surrounded by lush forest and unspoiled nature. Related: These Australian tiny cabins are designed to help us disconnect With a master bedroom and a comfy day bed, the cabin can accommodate up to four guests. In addition to the two sleep spaces, there is a main living area complete with the company’s signature, massive window that frames views of the forested landscape. This window is accompanied by a handful more, all of which brighten the space with natural light during the day. Despite its small size, the cabin has more than enough amenities to make guests feel at home. The bathroom sports a simplistic design of unfinished wood and has enough space for a shower and a composting toilet. For meals, there is a fully equipped kitchen and an outdoor grill. Guests can also enjoy a nice glass of wine while lounging around the firepit, provided its not bushfire season, of course. Although the cabin, which starts at $200 per night, is located in a remote forest seemingly at the end of the earth, in reality, the cabin retreat is in Daylesford, which has plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. Additionally, there are plenty of local wineries in the area to tour. + CABN Images via CABN

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A woman accused of slapping three Jewish women in Brooklyn was charged on Saturday with attempted assault as a hate crime and released without bail, only to be re-arrested less than 24 hours later for a similar crime. Police initially arrested Tiffany Harris, 30, on Friday night after they say she slapped assaulted three Orthodox women, ages 22 to 31, in the face and head on a street corner in Brooklyn's Crown Heights area. According to a criminal complaint, Harris, who is black, admitted to attacking the women and spewing anti-Semitic slurs. Tiffany Harris, 30, was first arrested on Friday for allegedly slapping three Jewish women in Brooklyn and yelling at them, 'F-U, Jews!' 'Yes, I slapped them. I cursed them out. I said "F-U, Jews,"' Harris was quoted as telling investigators at the time of her arrest. She was arraigned on a slew of misdemeanor charges of attempted assault as a hate crime, harassment and menacing on Saturday, after which she was released from jail without bail. Her lawyer, Iris Ying, declined to comment, and the New York Post reported that Harris rebuffed questions as she left a Brooklyn court. On Sunday morning, Harris was arrested again, this time for allegedly hitting a 35-year-old woman in the face on Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights neighborhood, leaving the victim with a swollen and bruised right eye, according to police. It is unknown whether the victim in the Sunday attack was Jewish; police are not treating the incident as a hate crime. Musician Dalia Shusterman (left and right), who witnessed the attack, posted on Facebook that she and four friends were on their way home from a Hanukkah party when Harris hit one of the women on the back of the head New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has defended the release of defendants as part of bail reform in the city, insisting: 'We have a problem. We're not going to jail our way out of the problem. TIMELINE OF ATTACKS ON JEWS IN NEW YORK Friday, 7am - Man in hoodie threatens to shoot up Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Friday, 12:40am - Tiffany Harris, 30, is arrested for allegedly slapping three other women in the face and head on a Crown Heights corner Thursday, 3:20pm - Homeless woman, 42, yells anti-Semitic slur and then strikes a Jewish woman in the head with her bag in front of her three-year-old son Wednesday, 1am - A Jewish man wearing a skullcap while walking in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn was punched in an unprovoked attack Tuesday - A 25-year-old Jewish man had a drink thrown at him by a group shouting anti-Semitic slurs Tuesday, 5pm - A Jewish man, 56, was punched in the head by one person as others filmed the incident and laughed Monday night - Two Jewish boys attacked by two teens in Williamsburg who punched one of the children in the stomach. Monday - A Miami man was arrested for making an anti-Semitic remark and attacking a man in midtown Manhattan 'We have a huge NYPD presence. This hate is dangerous.' Around the city, police have gotten at least six reports this week - and eight since December 13 - of attacks possibly propelled by anti-Jewish bias. Mayor de Blasio said Friday that police presence would increase in Crown Heights and two other Brooklyn neighborhoods with large Jewish populations. Dalia Shusterman, one of the Jewish women who was allegedly slapped by Harris on Friday, later recounted the incident on Facebook, calling the attacker a 'raving lunatic' who struck her friend on the back of the head while spewing 'a mouthful of Jew hatred' as the women walked home from a Hanukkah party. In an interview with the Jewish news publication The Algemeiner, Shusterman, who is a musician playing in the band The New Moon All Stars, blasted law enforcement officials for letting Harris go without bail following the attack on Friday. 'It’s a malignant growth out of their unwillingness to sympathize with the Orthodox Jewish community, which has always been relegated as the other, stereotyped as oppressors, and treated as unworthy of societal protection,' she stated. Shusterman took to Facebook again on Sunday, sarcastically remarking on Harris' second arrest: 'remember that charmer I introduced to you who's hand collided with the heads of 3 Jewish women a few nights ago while spewing Jew hatred at us, and then got released from custody hours later because deBlasio and Cuomo are such nice guys and totally have this under control? Well jumping Jiminy, she's at it again.' Tensions remain high in Jewish communities following a series of attacks and incidents in recent weeks Court records show that Harris has two other cases pending against her involving charges of assault, attempted assault, harassment, menacing and criminal mischief. She is scheduled to appear before a judge in connection to the attack on the three Jewish women on January 10.

A Brooklyn miscreant accused of slapping three Orthodox Jewish women last week struck again on Sunday and was busted for assaulting another woman. A day after she was released without bail on charges stemming from the Friday attack, Tiffany Harris was charged with assault for slugging a 35-year-old in the face on Eastern Parkway near Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights at about 9:15 a.m., according to police. It’s unclear if Sunday’s victim is Jewish — and police weren’t treating the incident as a hate crime. The victim suffered swelling and bruising to her right eye from the pummeling, police said. On Friday, Harris allegedly assaulted three Orthodox women on Eastern Parkway near Kingston Avenue — one of at least eight anti-Semitic incidents in the city last week. “Yes, I slapped them. I cursed them out. I said ‘F-U, Jews,” Harris admitted to cops after that attack, according to a criminal complaint. The two assaults occurred about a mile away from each other.

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New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia hit out at Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday for "writing" to L-G Anil Baijal to "cancel a parent-teacher meeting" in Delhi government schools, saying he should be "ashamed" for it. According to reports, Vardhan has written to the lieutenant governor over a parent-teacher meeting scheduled in Delhi government schools on January 4. "Harsh Vardhan ji, how did you get the courage to write a letter to the LG to cancel parent-teacher meeting of Delhi government schools. You should be ashamed," Sisodia said while interacting with reporters. He also said the meeting will take place and the Aam Aadmi Party would not let the BJP cancel it. "You (BJP) think you can stop it (parent-teacher meeting). It is the decision of the education department of the Delhi government; you would not be able to stop it. The basic character of the BJP, which is against education, gets shown again and again," he said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too took to Twitter to express his dismay over the issue. "Why do these people want to cancel PTM? In PTM, parents get an opportunity to discuss their children's progress with teachers. Many parents wait for PTM eagerly. PTM will be on time. I will also go to one of the schools tomorrow to get parents' feedback," he tweeted in Hindi. Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.

Guwahati: The Assam government has banned strikes by employees of oil and gas sector in the state for six months from December 31, 2019 under the ESMA, an official release said on Thursday. Strikes by the officers, workmen, contract labourers, drivers and their helpers of tankers in the sector have been prohibited under the Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Act, 1980, the release said. This has been done in public interest and any service in any oil field or refinery of any establishment or undertaking dealing with the production, supply of petroleum products including natural gas will fall under the purview of this order, it added. Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - American visual artist Syd Mead, who was behind the movie Blade Runner (1982) and credited with shaping the sci-fi landscape with his futuristic movie designs, has died at 86 in California. Mead, who worked on films including Aliens (1986), Tron (1982) and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), died on Monday (Dec 30) following a battle with lymphoma cancer, according to multiple news outlets. A post on Mead's Facebook page confirmed the news, with the words "Syd Mead 1933-2019" . Mead had started his career in industrial design for the car and electronics industries, working for Ford, Chrysler, Sony and Philips, before switching to film. His concept art for a dystopian future Los Angeles in director Ridley Scott's neo-noir classic Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, won widespread acclaim. He retired in September last year. News of his death was mourned by leading figures across the car and entertainment sectors. "Rest in peace Syd Mead. Your art will endure," tweeted Tesla founder Elon Musk. "He was one of the greatest designers and futurists of our time," wrote Mr John McElroy, publisher of the website Autoline, who first broke the news. Related Story Blade Runner reboot tops box office, but takings fall short of sensational Art Directors Guild president Nelson Coates in November called Mead "one of the most influential concept artists and industrial designers of our time". Mead's recent movie art credits included Mission: Impossible III (2006), Elysium (2013) and acclaimed 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049.

LOS ANGELES — The center of Southern California’s latest storm stayed well out to sea Monday, keeping the bulk of its precipitation offshore after dousing the Central Coast. Only light snowfall or flurries were seen in the high mountain passes north and east of Los Angeles, and Interstates 5 and 15 remained open. Initial winter weather advisories for some mountain areas were canceled. The southward track of the storm hundreds of miles off the coast allowed the region to avoid a repeat of the holiday travel nightmare that occurred when a massive snowstorm hit on Christmas night. × Loading&hellp; {{title}} {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}} {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}} {{html}} Thanks for being a subscriber. Sorry, your subscription does not include this content. Please call 877.286.1686 to upgrade your subscription. You have free articles remaining. {{featured_button_text}} × Register for more free articles Stay logged in to skip the surveys Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}} “The upper low that at one point promised decent rain to the entire forecast area has tracked too far to the west to bring significant rain to any area save for the Central Coast,” the National Weather Service wrote. With precipitation chances “fading like a cheap postcard,” attention was turning to offshore flow, the service said. Gusty Santa Ana winds began developing and were expected to continue across the region through Tuesday. The forecast of a switch from wet weather to sunny and dry conditions was good news for the throngs expected to gather for 131st Rose Parade on New Year's Day. The weather service said temperatures will be in the upper 40s (8 Celsius) at the start and then warm to the mid- to upper 50s (14 Celsius) by the end. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

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On the first day of the new decade, UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, choosing to forgo his senior season in Westwood. “This decision was not easy because while it has been a dream to play in the NFL, leaving the Bruin family behind made the decision difficult, but I am excited for this next step in my life,” wrote Asiasi on Twitter Wednesday morning. The redshirt junior has been with the Bruins for the past three years, but played just the last two seasons after transferring from Michigan after his freshman year. This season, Asiasi started in all 12 games and recorded a career-high in catches (44) and in receiving yards (641). He had his first 100-yard game against USC with five catches for 141 yards. Asiasi finished the year ranked second on the team with an average of 53.42 receiving yards per game. Asiasi finishes his UCLA career with 771 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 21 games as a Bruin. The 2020 NFL draft is April 23-25.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Jan 1 (ANI): People welcomed 2020 here by watching the first sunrise of the year at the Gateway of India on Wednesday morning. "I had come to shoot the rising sun at the Gateway of India. There is a new feeling every year. I hope for the best in the new year. This time it is a bit cold in Mumbai which is unexpected," Om Singh, a city resident said. "I have come from Varanasi. Watching the first sunrise here was a novel experience," Rani Singh, a tourist said. "Watching the first sunrise of 2020 was a mystic experience. My best wishes to everyone on this occasion," Ruchika, another city resident said. (ANI)

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“Letters to the editor”: Are they a secret print weapon designed to shadow political corruption? What is the private gain? Dishonest behavior the norm? Political, economic, social and environmental corruption? The new norm is to attack and degrade the highest political office of the United States, the president. It is the norm now and forever that if you disagree or dislike the president, send a “letter to the editor.” Regardless of political affiliation, the highest office of the land has been degraded not by the sitting president but the party of opposition. Disagree to disagree, whoever is the next president will receive the same treatment as President Trump. Through political corruption, funds intended for public projects have been misdirected and used to attack the president of the United States. “Letters to the editor” encourage the immoral act of attacking people’s opposing views. DEBBIE SARGENT Epsom

About Trendolizer™ Trendolizer™ (patent pending) automatically scans the internet for trending content. The website you are looking at has no human editors at all: links to trending stories are automatically posted from a selection of the data Trendolizer™ picked up. If you are interested in using the Trendolizer™ engine, dashboard or API for your own projects, more information is available at get.trendolizer.com . Trendolizer™ is owned by Lead Stories LLC Privacy policy This site uses cookies to track user behaviour on this site, without linking to personally identifiable data. Advertisers may also use cookies, but the scope and nature of this use is beyond our control.

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New Delhi (Sputnik): Three months after suffering a major jolt in its second lunar mission, India's space agency ISRO has announced a new mission, Chandrayaan-3, on New Year’s Day. New Delhi's ambition to soft-land on the Moon had crashed when the Chandrayaan-2 failed to touch down on the lunar surface as planned on 7 September 2019. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief K. Sivan on Wednesday announced the government has approved a third lunar mission and that work has already commenced on the project. "Chandrayaan-3 will have a lander, rover, and a propulsion module. The government has approved the project and we have formed the project team. We have initiated this project and work is going on very smoothly on it", ISRO chief Sivan said during a media briefing. On Tuesday, India’s Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said that the second lander mission will be a "cost-effective mission and most likely to be launched in 2020”. He also informed that the agency has planned more than 25 space missions for 2020. Sivan said that a lot of design work has been completed for a manned mission, Gaganyaan. "There will be several tests that we'll do this year. Also, the final four astronaut-elects have been selected and they'll begin training in Russia from the third week of January", he added. India’s manned space mission Gaganyaan will coincide with the 75th anniversary of its independence. In August 2019, India ordered Russian space equipment to ensure the timely preparation of the mission, which will also include two unmanned flights, in December 2020 and July 2021. The second mission Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised of an orbiter, lander, and rover was successfully launched on-board a domestically-produced GSLV MK III-M1 rocket on 22 July 2019 but lost contact with ISRO's Earth Station just minutes before the scheduled soft-landing near the Moon's South Pole in September. A successful soft landing on the Moon's surface would have made India only the fourth country — after the United States, Russia, and China — to achieve the feat. Chandrayaan-1, launched in October 2008, was India's first lunar probe. The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft entered the Moon's orbit – making India one of the countries to taste success in its maiden attempt. One of the objectives was to prepare a three-dimensional atlas (with high spatial and altitude resolution) of both the near and far side of the Moon. It aimed at conducting chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface for distribution of mineral and chemical elements such as magnesium, aluminium, silicon, calcium, iron, and titanium as well as high atomic number elements such as radon, uranium, and thorium with high spatial resolution. "Various mission planning and management objectives were met", ISRO had announced.

India seeking to become only the fourth nation after Russia, the United States and China to put a mission on the moon's surface India plans to make a fresh attempt to land an unmanned mission on the moon in 2020 after a failed bid last year, the head of the country's space programme said Wednesday. Work is going "smoothly" on the Chandrayaan-3 mission to put a rover probe on the moon's surface, Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K. Sivan told a press conference. "We are targeting the launch for this year but it may spillover to next year," Sivan said. Indian sources said authorities had set November as a provisional target for launch. India seeking to become only the fourth nation after Russia, the United States and China to put a mission on the moon's surface and boost its credentials as a low-cost space power. The country's Chandrayaan-2 module crash-landed on the moon's surface in September. Sivan said the new propulsion module, lander and surface rover would cost about $35 million, with a significantly higher outlay for the launch itself. He added that India had chosen four candidate astronauts to take part in the country's first manned mission into orbit, pledged to take place by mid-2022. The four are to start training in Russia later this month. Up to three astronauts are to take part in the mission, which will be one of the landmark projects scheduled for the 75th anniversary of India's independence from British rule.

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This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Brother John rhyme helps teach children hand hygiene Article content (Reuters Health) – Singing the steps of good handwashing technique to the tune of a popular nursery rhyme may help young children learn the process and fend off common infections picked up in school, a small Canadian study suggests. Dr. Nisha Thampi and colleagues adapted the tune of the song Brother John, also known as Frere Jacques, replacing its lyrics with a six-step handwash practice prescribed by World Health Organization. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Brother John rhyme helps teach children hand hygiene Back to video “As a mother of two school-going children, I think a lot about germs at work and home,” said Thampi, medical director of the Infection Prevention and Control Program at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, in Ottawa. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “People may be surprised there’s an issue with how we wash our hands,” Thampi said in an email. “While there have been public health campaigns about when to wash our hands, that is, the right moments, there has been relatively little focus on how to wash our hands, the right technique, particularly among children.” Because there didn’t seem to be an existing musical video targeted at children showing the six-step technique using the recommended handwash duration of 20 to 30 seconds, Thampi and colleagues decided to develop their own musical mnemonic. They wrote the lyrics with the help of schoolchildren. “To get my own children to wash their hands with the proper technique, I played with each step until it fell into a song pattern that flowed nicely to the tune of Brother John,” Thampi said. Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Brother John lyrics: “Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, Brother John, Brother John, Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing, Ding, ding, dong; ding, ding, dong” . . . were replaced with: “Scrub your palms, between the fingers Wash the back (one hand), wash the back (other hand) Twirl the tips (one hand) around (other hand) Scrub them upside down Thumb attack (one thumb)! Thumb attack (other thumb)!” Thampi then used her 8-year-old daughter as a test case. “She heard the first version of the song and helped revise it to have better flow. She demonstrated it to her friends and classmates,” Thampi said. To test whether the routine would be effective in removing germs, the researchers applied fluorescent markings on the hands of the children, who were between 6 and 9 years old, before they washed with soap and water while singing the song. After the routine, there was a significant reduction in the markings, according to a report in The BMJ. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “This song is a fun way to teach children how to wash their hands and has the potential to decrease the burden of germs on hands, a very common way of catching an infection,” Thampi told Reuters Health. She said her daughter also taught the song and technique to Thampi’s 4-year-old son. To be effective, the technique should ideally be implemented early in life, used regularly and embedded into the national curriculum in schools, said Nicky Milner, director of medical education at the School of Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University, in Chelmsford, UK. Involving schoolchildren in the design of actions and choice of song was also key to the technique’s effectiveness, she added. “We know children enjoy learning through the use of songs that are easily remembered and accompanied by simple actions,” Milner said in an email. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content There is potential for the technique to be used internationally, if the song choice reflects local songs in different countries, she noted. “This approach may help reduce the global burden of infections that are spread by poor hand hygiene,” she said. Thampi’s team hopes to validate their findings in larger school settings and demonstrate that the song is effective in reducing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, and school absenteeism. “We are also in the process of translating the mnemonic into other languages so the song and video can be easily adopted across the globe,” she said. SOURCE: https://bit.ly/354AcZi The BMJ, online December 16, 2019. Share this article in your social network Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NP Posted Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

— A grieving mother who lost three of her children and her husband in a tragic fire in Hemet the day after Christmas is speaking out and thanking the community and first responders. Fighting through her grief, Christina McGraw Moreno stood before a crowd at a youth center, because she had something she wanted to say. “Thank you to the firefighters that came out and the police officers,” she said. “And, again, I want to thank the hospital that my son was at. The nurses were awesome.” Last week, Juan Moreno died trying to save his children after their Christmas tree apparently caught fire, sending flames throughout their apartment. Three of their children — 4-year-old Janessa, 8-year-old Isaac and 12-year-old Maria — also died. The youth center wanted the surviving family, Christina and two of her children, to know that they were not alone. “Anytime that there’s a tragedy like that with a family, you just want to rally around and help them out and show God’s love and kindness,” Ruth Collins, a community member, said. Family members said the outpouring of support has been a bright spot in a very dark time. Juan Moreno’s sister, Diana Ramirez, said in the past she would have turned to him in times like this. “It just doesn’t feel real,” she said. “It feels like I’m still gonna get a phone call from him or a text message from the kids or something. It just doesn’t feel real.” The family said they miss his jokes and the children’s laughter, but said they are thankful for the community that has embraced them. “Thank you for all your love and your support and just all of your wonderful hugs,” McGraw Moreno said. The Tuesday vigil was also a fundraiser to help cover expenses for the Moreno family. A GoFundMe page has also been set up. As of Tuesday, it had raised more than $44,000 of its initial $20,000 goal.

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The last decade ushered in some truly revolutionary advances in science, from the discovery of the Higgs boson to the use of CRISPR for Sci-Fi esque gene editing. But what are some of the biggest breakthroughs still to come? Live Science asked several experts in their field what discoveries, techniques and developments they're most excited to see emerge in the 2020s. Medicine: A universal flu vaccine (Image credit: AZP Worldwide/Shutterstock) The universal flu shot , which has eluded scientists for decades, may be one truly groundbreaking medical advances that could show up in the next 10 years. "It has sort of become a joke that a universal [flu] vaccine is perennially just five to 10 years away," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. Related: 6 Flu Vaccine Myths But now, it appears that this "may actually be true," Adalja told Live Science. "Various approaches to universal flu vaccines are in advanced development, and promising results are starting to accrue." In theory, a universal flu vaccine would provide long-lasting protection against the flu, and would eliminate the need to get a flu shot each year. Some parts of the flu virus are constantly changing, while others remain mostly unchanged from year to year. All of the approaches to a universal flu vaccine target parts of the virus that are less variable. This year, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) began its first-in-human trial of a universal flu vaccine. The immunization aims to induce an immune response against a less variable part of the flu virus known as the hemagglutinin (HA) "stem." This Phase 1 study will look at the safety of the experimental vaccine, as well as participants' immune responses to it. Researchers hope to report their initial results in early 2020. Another universal-vaccine candidate, made by the Israeli company BiondVax, is currently in Phase 3 trials, which is an advanced stage of research that looks at whether the vaccine really is effective — meaning that it protects against infection from any strain of flu. That vaccine candidate contains nine different proteins from various parts of the flu virus that vary little between flu strains, according to The Scientist . The study has already enrolled more than 12,000 people, and results are expected at the end of 2020, according to the company . Neuroscience: Bigger, better mini-brains (Image credit: PM Images via Getty Images) In the last decade, scientists have successfully grown mini-brains, known as "organoids," from human stem cells that differentiate into neurons and assemble into 3D structures. As of now, brain organoids can only be grown to resemble tiny pieces of a brain in early fetal development, according to Dr. Hongjun Song, a professor of neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. But that could change in the next 10 years. "We could really model, not just cell type diversity, but the cellular architecture" of the brain , Dr. Song said. Mature neurons arrange themselves in layers, columns and intricate circuits in the brain. Currently, organoids only contain immature cells that cannot forage these complex connections, but Dr. Song said that he expects the field may overcome this challenge in the coming decade. With miniature models of the brain in hand, scientists could help deduce how neurodevelopmental disorders unfold; how neurodegenerative diseases break down brain tissue; and how different peoples' brains might react to different pharmacological treatments. Someday (though perhaps not in 10 years), scientists may even be able to grow "functional units" of neural tissue to replace damaged areas of the brain. "What if you have a functional unit, pre-made, that you could click into the damaged brain?" Song said. Right now, the work is highly theoretical, but "I think in the next decade, we'll know" whether it could work, he added. Climate Change: Transformed energy systems (Image credit: Shutterstock) In this decade, rising sea levels and more extreme climate events revealed just how fragile our beautiful planet is. But what does the next decade hold? "I think we will see a breakthrough when it comes to action on climate," said Michael Mann, a distinguished professor of meteorology at Penn State University. "But we need policies that will accelerate that transition, and we need politicians who will support those policies," he told Live Science. In the next decade, "the transformation of energy and transportation systems to renewables will be well under way, and new approaches and technologies will have been developed that allow us to get there faster," said Donald Wuebbles, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. And, "the increasing climate-related impacts from severe weather and perhaps from sea-level rise finally get enough people's attention that we really begin to take climate change seriously." Good thing too, because based on recent evidence, there's a scarier, more speculative, possibility: Scientists might be underestimating the effects that climate change have had on this century and beyond, Wuebbles said."We should learn much more about that over the next decade." Related: The Reality of Climate Change: 10 Myths Busted Particle physics: Finding the axion (Image credit: Shutterstock) In the last decade, the biggest news in the world of the very small was the discovery of the Higgs boson, the mysterious "God particle" that lends other particles their mass. The Higgs was considered the crowning jewel in the Standard Model , the reigning theory that describes the zoo of subatomic particles. But with the Higgs discovered, many other less-famous particles began taking center stage.This decade, we have a reasonable shot at finding another of these elusive, as-yet-still hypothetical particles — the axion, said physicist Frank Wilczek, a Nobel laureate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (In 1978, Wilczek first proposed the axion). The axion is not necessarily a single particle, but rather a class of particles with properties that rarely interact with ordinary matter. Axions could explain a long-standing conundrum : Why the laws of physics seem to act the same on both matter particles and their antimatter partners, even when their spatial coordinates are flipped, as Live Science previously reported. Related: Strange Quarks and Muons, Oh My! Nature's Tiniest Particles Dissected And axions are one of the leading candidates for dark matter, the invisible matter that holds galaxies together. "Finding the axion would be a very great achievement in fundamental physics, especially if it happens through the most likely path, i.e., by observing a cosmic axion background which provides the ' dark matter .'" Wilczek said. "There's a fair chance that could happen in the next five to 10 years, since ambitious experimental initiatives, which could get there, are blossoming around the world. To me, weighing both the importance of discovery and likelihood of it happening, that's the best bet." Among those initiatives is the Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX) and the CERN Axion Solar Telescope, two major instruments that are hunting for these elusive particles. That said, there are other possibilities too — we may yet detect gravitational waves, or ripples in spacetime, emanating from the earliest period in the universe, or other particles, known as weakly interacting massive particles, that could also explain dark matter, Wilczek said. Exoplanets: An Earth-Like atmosphere (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) On Oct. 6, 1995, our universe got bigger, sort of, when a pair of astronomers announced the discovery of the first exoplanet to orbit a sun-like star. Called 51 Pegasi b, the orb showed a cozy orbit around its host star of just 4.2 Earth days and a mass about half that of Jupiter's. According to NASA, the discovery forever changed "the way we see the universe and our place in it." More than a decade later, astronomers have now confirmed 4,104 worlds orbiting stars outside of our solar system. That's a lot of worlds that were unknown just over a decade ago. So, the sky's the limit for the next decade, right? According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sara Seager, absolutely. "This decade will be big for astronomy and for exoplanet science with the anticipated launch of the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]," said Seager, a planetary scientist and astrophysicist. The cosmic successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST is scheduled to launch in 2021; for the first time, scientists will be able to "see" exoplanets in infrared, meaning they can spot even faint planets that orbit far off from their host star. What's more, the telescope will open a new window into the characteristics of these alien worlds. "If the right planet exists, we will be able to detect water vapor on a small rocky planet. Water vapor is indicative of liquid water oceans — since liquid water is needed for all life as we know it, this would be a very big deal," Seager told Live Science. "That's my number one hope for a breakthrough." (The ultimate goal, of course, is to find a world that has an atmosphere similar to that of Earth's, according to NASA ; in other words, a planet with conditions capable of supporting life.) And of course, there will be some growing pains, Seager noted. "With the JWST, and the extremely large ground-based telescopes anticipated to come online, the exoplanet community is struggling to transform from individual or small team efforts to large collaborations of dozens or over one hundred people. Not huge by other standards (e.g., LIGO) but it's tough nonetheless," she said, referring to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, a huge collaboration that involves more than 1,000 scientists across the globe.Originally published on Live Science. Originally published on Live Science.

Congratulations everyone, you’ve made it through a fifth of the 21st Century already. The 2020s are here, and with this brand new decade come new challenges and technologies that will change the way we live. In the past, Digital Trends has celebrated the passing of each year by issuing predictions for the year ahead, but for this New Year’s, we peered into our crystal ball to imagine what the coming decade will bring. While our predictions might seem lofty and perhaps even pulled from science fiction, they’re all based on technologies either already available or in development right now. It’s not a question of if these will come to fruition, but when. So what tech will change your life this decade? Let’s take a look. Space Exploration The 2020s will mark the return of humans to space missions beyond the Earth’s orbit. There is the possibility that humans might not only set foot on the moon, but also on Mars within the next decade. Of the two, a return to the moon is far more likely — with humans establishing a permanent lunar settlement by the end of the decade. NASA currently targets 2024 for the Artemis III mission that will put humans back on the lunar surface and a permanent settlement by 2028. However, humans could orbit the moon by the end of this year or early 2021. As for Mars, that’s much more difficult. While SpaceX has repeatedly stated it’s on target to put humans on Mars by the end of the decade, whether that’s even possible depends on the success of the company’s human-crewed lunar missions, which should happen in the mid-2020s. Regardless, humans are returning to space to stay this time. But it’s not just astronauts that will be in space anymore. Space Tourism The idea of space tourism is nothing new, and various companies have promised to make it a reality for about as long as humans have been in space. But in the 2020s, it will become a reality. Both Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and the Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin will begin offering near-space flights in the early 2020s — but at a high price tag, somewhere in the range of $250,000 per person. SpaceX is targeting 2023 to fly Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and a group of artists around the moon. The cost is unknown, but Maezawa is likely paying millions (if not tens of millions) of dollars. But Branson and Bezos have both publicly stated that they don’t want to limit spaceflight to the super-rich. And Elon Musk has also proposed plans for a system of rocket-based travel that could theoretically get you to any point in the world within an hour — all for the price of an economy airline ticket. While there’s reason to be skeptical of Musk’s proposal, it’s fairly likely that by the end of the decade a flight on a space-bound plane might cost little more than a first-class ticket. The Rebirth of Public Transit U.S. public transportation sucks. There’s no nice way to put it. The reason? Americans love their cars. In automobiles per capita, the United States ranks fourth. It also ranks fourth in terms of time citizens spend in congestion, too. But that’s not all: our increasingly sprawling metropolitan areas are giving birth to the “super commuter,” those of us traveling 90 or more minutes a day to work, whose numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. It’s time for America to get serious about public transit. The 2020s should see several new bullet trains begin service across the country. Commuting via air will become affordable, and if companies like Uber have their way, you’ll likely be on one of these flights in just a few short years. But perhaps the most exciting is the Hyperloop. If everything goes right, we should have the first functioning Hyperloop system from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in the early 2020s, followed by other small projects throughout the decade. That’s pretty exciting. Mass Automation The worldwide labor force will have a reckoning this decade. Technology is now at a point where many tasks can be performed faster and more efficiently by robots. With the dawn of AI, these robots can operate themselves, further eliminating the need for humans in the process. With self-driving cars and drones, the cargo transportation industry will also increasingly automate itself. During the 2020s, automation will become the rule, not the exception — potentially putting a quarter of current jobs at risk of elimination by 2030. This apparently inevitable job apocalypse has even become a 2020 election year campaign issue, ask Andrew Yang. But Yang won’t be the last. Expect to hear a lot more about this in the years to come. Either way, we’ll have to figure out just how much automation we’re willing to accept, and what to do with the millions that will lose their jobs as a result. It’s not an easy problem to solve. The Last Mass-Produced Gas Vehicle It seems like the automobile industry has been overselling the idea of electric cars for much of the 21st Century, and that’s pretty accurate. While the electric vehicle has been around for decades, it wasn’t until the 2010s that technology was able to produce an electric vehicle with a mass-market appeal — the Tesla. The company arguably sparked a massive push towards electrification, and likely so much so that by the end of the decade, an overwhelming majority of new cars sold will be all-electric. By mid-decade, a majority of cars sold will either be hybrid or electric. At least one manufacturer, Volkswagen, hopes to be all-electric by 2026. Volvo hopes to be there much sooner, perhaps as early as 2021. By the end of the decade, the last gas-powered vehicle will likely have rolled off the assembly lines. But with all this electrification comes the question of how to keep all those cars charged up — which our current system would not be able to handle. A Cure for Cancer and AIDS We are so tantalizingly close to a cure for two of the most vexing diseases of the past several decades: cancer and AIDS. While we’ve been told numerous times over the years that a cure is near, we’ve only found successful ways to put certain types of cancer into into remission or simply hold AIDS at bay for a while — not an outright cure for either. But the 2020s may finally see a legitimate treatment for both diseases, potentially saving millions of lives in the process. With cancer, a radical new treatment called CAR-T is showing great promise, and other companies are claiming similar success. With AIDS, Temple University and University of Nebraska researchers have successfully eliminated HIV-1 from the genomes of living animals. With this success, these two deadly diseases will likely be a thing of the past by decade’s end. And that’s not all — several other conditions may become much rarer, and those born in this decade will likely by and large make it into the 22nd Century healthier than aging generations before it. Human Augmentation We’re not talking about full-blown cyborgs here. But technologies are currently in development to extend human capabilities, even to those that may not have had them in the first place. Robotic limbs that can be controlled by thought will become much more commonplace, giving freedom back to amputees and paraplegics. Technologies that connect our brains to computers are in development is well, and will likely be available by mid-decade. Computer chips may be embedded in our skin to allow us to identify ourselves, open doors (our own Drew Prindle’s already done it), and control all types of devices. It’s a pretty exciting thought, but could it also open up all kinds of questions as to when and what is acceptable when it comes to human augmentation. Editors' Recommendations

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With its healthcare system being ranked among the top five in the world and the first in the Middle East, Qatar in 2019 continued to take the healthcare services to higher standards with the addition of several new services and facilities. Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank, ranked Qatar as the fifth best healthcare system taking into account the massive developments that have taken place in the health sector in the recent times. The institute highlighted improved life expectancy, better health outcomes, and investment in health infrastructure for ranking Qatar fifth. Qatar has risen in ranking from 13th place in the previous year.Meanwhile, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) kept expanding its facilities and services all through the year with many more unique services added to several departments.Close on the heels of opening a number of facilities in 2018, HMC opened its new Trauma and Emergency Center, one of the largest in the region, along with Qatar’s first Hyperbaric Therapy Unit in May 2019.The new Hyperbaric Therapy Unit houses a cutting-edge hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber that can hold up to 18 people and provides oxygen therapy for a range of medical conditions as well as decompression treatment.The new centre will also expand and improve upon HMC’s capacity to care for patients in need of trauma care with the first floor housing the Hamad Trauma Center, Qatar’s major trauma facility. Receiving around 2,000 cases annually, it provides care to people with serious injuries from across Qatar. The facility also benefits from five trauma and emergency rooms which are fully equipped to be converted into mini operating theatres in the event of a mass casualty incident or an accident requiring immediate surgical intervention.HMC has also made it a point to focus on patient centred care and launched a pilot programme in 2019. About 1,000 staff members of the five facilities of HMC were trained in patient-centred care in the year. In the process, 20 staff from HMC have been awarded a Fellowship in Person-Centred Care by US-based healthcare organisation, Planetree International, the first in the world to receive the fellowship.Another significant development in the healthcare sector was the Family Medicine Model launched by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) to provide integrated healthcare services.According to the model, each person is assigned a family practitioner and access to a trained health team that provides appropriate level of advice, diagnoses and treatment, with continuity of care across the health system and co-ordinated health services. It is intended to support people to live healthier lives in their communities, from a healthy birth, to a vibrant old-age, free from the burden of disease.PHCC has also continued to provide the ‘Screen for Life’ programme to fight cancer with special screening facilities for breast and bowel cancer. Screen for Life encourages women aged 45-69 to undergo complimentary mammogram tests at its spa-like screening suites in the Al Wakra, Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail Health Centres. Screening for bowel cancer is offered for men and women aged between 50-74 with early detection leading to a possible 90% survival rate. The programme has also a dedicated mobile screening unit that travels to various parts of the country offering screening for the disease.

Narrowing down a list of the decade's movies is an impossible task, but here are our curated favourites of the 2010s. Former US president Barack Obama has released a list of his favourite movies and TV shows of 2019 – and one inclusion on the list is raising eyebrows. Obama named well-received movies like the Aretha Franklin doco Amazing Grace, teen comedy Booksmart and Bong Joon-ho’s brilliant Parasite among his favourite flicks of the year and included a handful of sterling TV shows that he “considered as powerful as movies”: Next up are my favorite movies and TV shows of 2019. Of course, there’s also American Factory, a film from our own production company, Higher Ground, that was recently shortlisted for an Oscar. Here’s the full list: pic.twitter.com/PEcgwotcxm — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2019 Among them, series 2 of writer-performer Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s award-winning comedy Fleabag about the misadventures of a young single woman in London. Fleabag broke through to a wider audience with its brilliant second season this year, but fans who’ve watched the first season, released in 2016, will no doubt remember a certain scene from the very first episode. In the scene, Fleabag’s furious boyfriend breaks up with her after he discovers her in bed masturbating … while watching a Barack Obama speech on YouTube. Here’s the scene in question (it’s a little NSFW): That time Fleabag got caught masturbating to Obama... pic.twitter.com/JeQSJgrQWr — BBC iPlayer (@BBCiPlayer) January 1, 2019 Now, Obama was careful to note that it was Fleabag: Season 2 that had made his list – but the show’s very inclusion has many asking if the former president has seen the scene in question: ok i'm gonna try to be calm about this but doesn't the Fleabag pilot have a scene where she MASTURBATES TO AN OBAMA SPEECH pic.twitter.com/py7I5FVI6T — Tony Tulathimutte (@tonytula) December 29, 2019 i am crying that obama watches fleabag and has now watched a posh british woman wank over him https://t.co/OT3MDoP9zH — kav 🗑 (@Kav_Kaushik) December 29, 2019 So does this mean that Obama watched the first season of Fleabag, in which Fleabag masturbates to Obama? pic.twitter.com/qoAz2MA7SO — 𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℑ𝔪𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔰 ℜ𝔞𝔟𝔟𝔦𝔱𝔱 (@haveycavey) December 29, 2019 Obama watches Fleabag. Presuming he's also seen Series 1 this means he's watched a woman wanking off to one of his speeches. It's things like this why I have Twitter. https://t.co/yqjcYOEGLB — Rachel Griffiths (@sunflowersutra1) December 29, 2019 Phoebe Waller-Bridge realizing President Obama watched her masturbate to him in @FLEABAG 😂😂🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/gwcXDYDLP6 — LadyLover (@MultiGayShipper) December 29, 2019 The fact that Fleabag masturbated to Obama's speech and it's on his list of favorite series makes me miss him and his coolness that much more. https://t.co/vN3dBsG87c — Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) December 29, 2019 What am I up to? Oh not much, just spent 4 hours thinking about Barack Obama watching the opening of Fleabag where she masturbates to Barack Obama https://t.co/fzykM0KS5H — Sara (@sara_espina) December 29, 2019 Fleabag’s official account is taking the compliment, declaring “we couldn’t ask for higher praise than this”: Only two other TV shows made Obama’s list: Netflix series Unbelievable, a dramatisation of the 2008–2011 Washington and Colorado serial rape cases starring Toni Collette, and HBO superhero series Watchmen.

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Judges order Ohio to use legislative maps rejected by state court Ohio redistricting news: Ohioans will pick new state lawmakers on Aug. 2 using maps that the Ohio Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The WATE 6 On Your Side Storm Team said Tuesday that 2019 was the fourth wettest year on record for Knoxville. Although New Year’s Eve 2019 is projected to be a dry one, the year finishes out as the fourth wettest on record at 64.29 inches of rainfall. In the record books already are the years 1882 with 66.36 inches of rain, 2013 with 69.35 inches of rain and 1875 with 73.77 inches. The 2019 record was aided by the wettest February on record with 13.08 inches of rainfall; in which East Tennessee saw widespread flooding and damage. RELATED: 6 things to know about the flooding in East Tennessee and its aftermath But not all of 2019 was soaking wet. September ended up being the driest on record with only 0.3 inches of rain. RELATED: Dry conditions forcing burn bans in East Tennessee With no rain today, #Knoxville will finish 2019 as the 4th wettest on record, thanks in part to our wettest February on record (13.08"). Interesting tidbit though: We also had our DRIEST September on record this year (.03"). #Almanac #YearinReview2019 pic.twitter.com/qAe94jnIIy — Ken Weathers ⚡️🌪 (@lucky13wxman) December 31, 2019 LATEST STORIES

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Bappy was suffering from a combination of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases and was kept on life support for the past four days at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital. The doctors pronounced her dead at 8 am on Thursday, her brother Col Basir told bdnews24.com. Bappy was involved in politics as an Awami League activist. She remained loyal to Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina when some of the leaders and activists proposed 'reforms’ to the party during the army-backed emergency rule in 2007-08. Bappy was a deputy attorney general and worked for the International Crimes Tribunal as a prosecutor. She was a member of parliament from a reserved seat, chosen twice by the ruling Awami League. Bappy took oath as an MP from a reserved seat in the ninth parliament on Dec 15, 2011 following the 15th amendment when the number of reserved seats was increased. Later, she served as MP from a reserved seat again in the 10th parliament. Bappy proposed a bill on confiscating the assets of the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and convicted war criminals in the national parliament in 2016 which was passed unanimously. She also raised the proposal to draft the law to punish those distorting the history of the genocide and Liberation war of 1971, which was passed in 2017. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their deep condolences over the death of Advocate Bappy. Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has expressed his grief over the death of Bappy. Her body will be taken to the Supreme Court premises after 1 pm, where a namaz-e-janaza or funeral prayer will be held, Bappy's brother Col Basir told bdnews24.com. Another namaz-e-janaza will be held in the South Plaza of the National Parliament. She will be laid to rest at the Mirpur Intellectual Graveyard in the evening.

Indore: Citizens woke up to a foggy morning on the New Year day with visibility remaining below 800 metres. Cold winds continued to sweep the city as the day temperature remained four degrees below normal. Most people were surprised with the change in weather as fog engulfed city. The weather cleared after 8 am though the day remained cloudy. According to regional meteorological department, city recorded maximum temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius, which was four degrees below the normal. Cold winds pulled down the night temperature. It was 11.6 degrees Celsius, which was one degree below normal. “The intense cold is due to cold winds blowing from north and light rain received in northern parts of the state. Due to low pressure area, the moisture from north is coming to state,” a department official said. The department officials said cold winds are blowing from north since Tuesday night. “Chances of foggy conditions are likely for next couple of days. Humidity level will also be high. City would also witness dew on Thursday morning,” department official added. Weather in January: The climatic feature of Indore is more or less similar to December. Sky is generally clear with light surface winds blowing from north or north-east. The normal minimum temperature is 10.0°C. The mean daily maximum temperature is between 26°C and 28°C. Days are warmer. Westerly or northwesterly winds blow in afternoon. The monthly total rainfall is 6.5 mm. There have been occasions when substantial rainfall was recorded.

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Have you been affected by rubbish delays? Email: lara.keay@mailonline.co.uk Families are now facing a four-week wait for bin collections after mountains of post-Christmas rubbish continue to pile up on Britain's streets as councils blame 'staff sickness'. Hundreds of households in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, have been left swamped in recycling waste after disruption to their collection timetable continues. The scenes have been made even worse after New Year's Eve celebrations caused bottle banks to overflow, particularly in Ellesmere Port and Chester, Cheshire. Mountains of rubbish that were left to pile up on Britain's streets over Christmas have now been made even worse after New Year's Eve celebrations have caused bottle banks to overflow. Pictured: Rubbish on a street in Balsall Heath, Birmingham Bottle banks at Sainsbury's in Ellesmere Port (left) and Morrisons in Chester (right), Cheshire, are also now overflowing In Birmingham, residents are still battling with post-Christmas rubbish after the scheduled date on Monday, December 30 was missed. Have you been affected by rubbish delays? Email: lara.keay@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement Some households will now be forced to go four weeks without a recycling collection with many New Year's Day collections also being re-arranged and postponed. One man who lives in Balsall Heath claims he had already seen rats chewing waste from split bin bags. He said: 'It's an absolute disgrace that once again people in Birmingham are not having their rubbish collected. In Birmingham, residents are still battling with post-Christmas rubbish after the scheduled collection date on Monday, December 30 was missed Rubbish continues to go uncollected on the streets in Birmingham (left) as trolleys were left at recycling points in Cheshire laden with cardboard beer boxes (right) Birmingham City Council took to social media to blame staff sickness and absence for the missed pick-ups. Pictured: Residential street in Balsall Heath, Birmingham 'I walked outside yesterday and saw two large rats chewing at a meat carcass that had spilled out of an over-filled bin bag. 'It was like this when the bin men went on strike and now we're being told they had to reduce collections due to staff illness. 'How convenient that so many staff go down with a bug over Christmas. It's disgusting.' Another resident from Sparkbrook, just one mile from Balsall Heath, said that two large bins were overflowing to such an extent that it had created a grotesque arch of bursting black bags. She said: 'It's a seriously grim sight at this time of year. 'I refuse to let my children play outside in case they get bitten by vermin or fall over the piles of rubbish. The council are hopeless.' One man who lives in Balsall Heath claims he had already seen rats chewing waste from split bin bags Another resident in Birmingham said that two large bins were overflowing to such an extent that it had created a grotesque arch of bursting black bags Birmingham City Council took to social media to blame staff sickness and absence for the missed pick-ups. The authority posted a tweet which read: 'Due to staff sickness/absence some bin rounds not completed today – apologies if yours was missed. 'Please leave bins out. If not collected within 48hrs, take back in until next scheduled collection.' Birmingham City Council later encouraged residents to take their waste to the rubbish tip themselves which caused long delays at recycling plants Frustrated residents took to social media to demand a better service. Pictured: Residential street in Birmingham But this was met with an angry response by residents who demanded a better service. One user, @IainMGrant, replied: 'Just seen that you don't intend to collect our recycling until January 10. 'Why is Birmingham City Council only collecting recycling once a month?' Another, @Hexcaliber, wrote: 'You missed other collections too, our bins were already full prior to Christmas. A complete farce.' Birmingham City Council later encouraged residents to take their waste to the rubbish tip themselves. It wrote: 'Planning a trip to the tip? We know some sites have been busy post-Christmas. 'Our five household recycling centres are open daily this week (proof of Birmingham residence is required).' But residents were once again left disgruntled after having to sit in queues for up to half an hour just to be able to get inside the plant. Huge piles of rubbish were also spotted yesterday as they swamped a Sainsbury's supermarket in Maypole, near Birmingham. Residents were forced to leave toy sets, wrapping paper and food waste strewn on the ground as there was no longer space in the allocated bins. Residents were once again left disgruntled after having to sit in queues for up to half an hour just to be able to get inside the recycling plants These are just the latest in a long-line of contentions over Birmingham's waste collection system. Around 350 binmen, who are part of the Unite union, went on strike in February 2019 in an escalating dispute over pay. It stemmed from claims that those who took part in an original period of walkouts over three months in 2017 had been 'blacklisted' and that those who had not, had received extra payments. A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said: 'In recent months, much positive progress had been made in respect of a reduced number of missed bin collections in the city. 'In the seven working days before Christmas we had a daily average of 14 roads per day where collections were reported as dropped. 'The festive period has always been a challenge with on average one third of extra waste collected each day. This stretches the service at a time when staff want time with their friends and families. Pictured: A huge pile of Christmas rubbish and recycling that has formed at Sainsbury's in Maypole, near Birmingham The huge pile of waste near Birmingham collected after services failed to collect the refuse following the festive period 'In the first two days on which collections were scheduled after Christmas (December 30-31), we have had 276 dropped roads reported by our depots. This was due to a number of factors, the extra waste, access issues and staffing. 'The performance immediately after Christmas is also despite the fact that crews previously working on the garden waste service have been kept on to strengthen the resources available for regular waste and recycling services at this peak time. 'We would like to reiterate our apologies to households that have been affected and be assured we are making every effort to catch up as soon as possible. 'If your bin is not collected within 48 hours of its scheduled collection, please take it back on to your property for collection on the next scheduled date for the type of bin/s in question. 'An alternative for those with access to a vehicle is to visit one of our five Household Recycling Centres – but please be aware that as during any festive period, they can be busy at peak times.' A large plush Dulux-style dog is seen lording over the masses of cardboard boxes at the site near Sainsbury's in Maypole A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: 'Staff sickness during the holiday period has created some staff shortages and Ansa, the council's environmental services company, wishes to apologise to residents whose collections were missed. 'We ask those households affected to leave their bins out so that their refuse can be collected as soon as possible. 'Our household recycling centres have not been affected by the shortages and continued to operate normally in accordance with the publicised hours, only closing on Christmas Day itself. 'As usual we experienced greater demand owing to the time of year, with no reports of any difficulties experienced by residents wishing to access this service.' Have you been affected by rubbish delays? Email: lara.keay@mailonline.co.uk

Many have the dream to be their own boss, with 64% of Britain’s workforce wanting to set up their own business. But free time is like gold dust, with another recent survey revealing 39% of small business owners work more than 60 hours a week - and it gets more intense over peak periods. All e-commerce businesses are constantly under pressure to innovate and transform, but from incorporating streaming into your ecommerce platform, tailored FAQs, smart merchandising and ‘try me’ features, there is a lot to be considered. With so many options available, it can often be overwhelming, meaning innovation is often overlooked. It’s not through lack of knowledge, but when juggling duties such as keeping on top of orders, daily business operations and pressures over customer demands, it can be hard to maximise your time. Unfortunately this means having any free time to dedicate to innovation and transformation is rare. This is especially true if you can’t justify hiring many new people, or if you’re a one-man-band. We all want to sell more, but you can become your own worst enemy if you just invest in boosting profits. If you instead prioritise saving time to innovate and make better informed decisions, you’ll be able to sell more without facing burnout or lack of resources. We put so much pressure on the here and now that it’s hard to focus on the future. Free time is important for innovating but also for mental health and wellbeing, especially during peak seasons such as Christmas. Read on to find out how to implementing new systems and processes can reduce unnecessary time burden: Automation Some customers have reported saving up to 750 staff hours since using e-commerce integration techniques. One of the main purposes and benefits of automation technology is saving time and streamlining your processes. Utilising automation can be the difference between soaring and sinking. As a business scales, demands become more complex, tasks mount and tedious work becomes even more tedious. Systems that used to work can break down at the drop of a hat, and instead of looking into where you can boost efficiencies, companies often end up cutting corners. Of course, if you don’t invest, your time won’t be spent on innovating, it will naturally be spent on what’s urgent at the time. E-commerce software can turn tasks and processes within your business such as inventory management, online store creation, purchase and payment facilitations into automated systems. These intelligent systems can tackle the above tasks and offer the best, most time-efficient alternative which is tailored to the needs of your organisation. Shipping Savings Shipping can be one of the biggest burdens of e-commerce; racking up heaps of costs and time. In peak season, you’re likely to be dealing with high volumes of deliveries and a wider range of goods, and any delay in shipping can mean customer service, social media and investigation needs to be underway to avoid conflict, spending even more valuable company time. Perhaps you have been up late processing orders. Or you have stood in line for the Post Office every day this week to deliver the goods that your small business sells at this time of year. Now, something has gone wrong and it is up to you to sort it out. Does this sound familiar? Occasional issues are bound to happen when you’re shipping in large quantities, whether you’re a small or a larger organisation. If you invest in a dedicated shipping specialist who can do all of this for you - handle the process and deal with any problems that come up, so your social media team (or yourself if you’re self employed) don’t have the hassle of dealing with every single task. Look at price comparison tools to find the quickest deal without having to scour the net. After all, if there is a problem it won’t just be your customers who will suffer, it will be your reputation - everyone remembers the bad experiences they have. SEE ALSO: Admin burden Ah, how many hours a week do you think you spend on shipping-related admin? If you double it, you’re probably almost correct. Think about the last set of shipping invoices you processed. It was likely a sizeable pile of individual invoices, all with separate payment terms and bank details. Even if you already have them set up in your system, it will have taken a good chunk of time. An alternative solution would be a system that consolidates all of these invoices into a single-click solution, allowing you to settle all your carrier payments at the click of a button. If you track your time, you’re also more likely to spot places that are time-heavy and where you can cut back on - it’s just like looking at a bank statement. You’ll identify tasks and duties in which you can cut down on, freeing up time to carry out more profitable and beneficial jobs. There’s also a whole host of apps you can download which allow you to create schedules of tasks. Free apps like Plan have insights features which tell you, without you having to write it out and analyse it, how much time you’re spending on each project. Trust me - you will soon be shocked at how much time you’re spending on internal admin! CRM A good CRM (customer relationship management) system can work wonders, and increase sales productivity by up to 34%. Not only does it help you to become more customer-centric,a CRM system also creates a single source of data entry for end-to-end business processes. It can look at your site and goals, and by integrating a sales automation system within the CRM model, can help use a process-driven cloud based software to enable complete control of your business. You can automatically tailor advertisements to the right person, and save time in traditional marketing. There are less data silos as it also increased the quality of communication by more than 50%. You can keep track of what your competitors in one single place, boosting the chances of you knowing what they’re doing, and how you can do the same. Social Media ‘Tis the season for brands to push themselves on social media! From working with influencers to showcasing your festive adverts and keeping in touch with customer enquiries, social media can be a full time job even for the smallest businesses. But if you use a social media management tool, you can schedule posts months, weeks and days in advance. You can keep the regular posts ticking over, giving your team time to be reactive to news stories and responses in the run up to the peak season, and not be thinking of the daily tweet or Instagram post. You’ll also be able to take advantage of analytics features, to see what posts do well and not so well, so you can innovate your offering and making a much better, well-informed decision on content, timing, and even the platform you’re using. If you only have budget for one marketer in the business, invest in social media management platforms. It’s the best way to use your time more efficiently. There are a whole host of other factors you can do in the spending season, and throughout the year to boost productivity. Keep up to date with industry news by dedicating 10 minutes a day to looking online or listening to the radio or podcasts. Use email marketing tools like MailChip to create straight-forward but effective emails and track the successfulness of your emails, and you can even use website-blocking tools to block sites that might make you procrastinate, like social media for your own use, at a time when you need to be innovating. If you’re a larger team, invest in team software to keep communications visible such as Slack or Microsoft teams, which keep it all in one place, enable easy collaboration and integrate with other services you use. and quicker than email. Just whatever you do, don’t stop innovating. By Jon White, MD InXpress

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January 1, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu (SPLM-N al-Hilu) has extended for three months a unilateral cessation of hostilities, as the peace talks are stalled in Juba. The unilateral extension is "A gesture of goodwill towards a peaceful resolution of the Sudanese conflict, and in order to give the ongoing peace talks an opportunity for success," said al-Hilu in a statement issued on Wednesday. On 26 December, the mediation announced the suspension of talks for two weeks on the request of the SPLM-N al-Hilu. The group pointed out to the need for consultation with the movement organs as the talks on a declaration of principles are stalled over the secular state. The truce began on the 1st of January and will end on 31 March 2020. "All SPLM/A-N units are hereby, instructed to observe and respect this declaration and refrain from any hostile acts, except in cases of self-defence and for protection of civilians," added the statement. The three-year-old unilateral ceasefire was facilitated by the United States within the efforts of the African Union mediation to end the conflict in the Two Areas. (ST)

December 31, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, the head of the SPLM-N, discussed with Emirati officials the lack of progress in the ongoing peace talks to end the war in Sudan’s Two Areas, his group said on Tuesday. Abel Aziz al-Hilu (Reuters file photo) Abdel Aziz al-Hilu was in an unannounced two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates upon an invitation from the Emirati government to discuss ways to break the deadlock in the Juba process for peace in Sudan. "The SPLM leader briefed the representatives of the Emirati government on the progress of the peace talks in Juba," said Jack Mahmud, SPLM-N al-Hilu spokesman in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune. "He indicated the causes of the stalemate and elaborated on the SPLM’s negotiating positions," Jack further said. The Sudanese government and the SPLM-N al-Hilu failed to reach a declaration of principles upon which the parties can engage in direct talks over the conflict in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states. The two parties disagree on when to discuss the relationship between the state and religion. The SPLM-N al-Hilu demand to include it in the agenda of the peace talks while the government this national issue should be discussed in the constitutional conference. According to the statement, the Emirati government has shown its understanding of the Movement’s position and affirmed its support to the Juba process. The UAE "stands with efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace that preserves the rights and dignity of all Sudanese," he further said. The Emirati authorities did not issue a statement on al-Hilu’s visit to Abu Dhabi. On 26 December 2019, the South Sudanese mediation announced the suspension of talks for two weeks upon a request from the SPLM-N al-Hilu. The group fo its part said they need to hold extensive consultations with the grassroots institutions over lack of progress on the secular state and right of self-determination. (ST)

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BODY FOUND OF MISSING CHILD CHANDIGARH: Body of the 10-year-old son of a bhajan-singer from Shamli town of Uttar Pradesh was found in his father's burnt car at Panipat in Haryana in the wee hours of Wednesday.Increased police patrolling on New Year's Eve led to the arrest of the man who murdered the family of bhajan singer Ajay Pathak (42) at Shamli on late Monday night and escaped in his car along with the singer's son Bhagwat to Panipat, 40 km from Shamli.The murders came to light on Tuesday evening when neighbours and the victims' kin, suspected something amiss.The accused, Himanshu Saini , a member of the bhajan singer's group, was arrested from Sector 13/17 by Panipat cops. The accused was nabbed when he was trying to escape after setting on fire the compact SUV car of the bhajan singer with the body of latter's son Bhagwat on the rear seat. Police have sent the boy's charred body to PGIMS, Rohtak, for forensic post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.It is learnt that on being arrested, Himanshu tried to mislead the police about the body and murders. Ajay Pathak owed Himanshu Rs 60,000, and when Ajay did not settle the account, the latter murdered Ajay, his wife Sneh Lata Pathak (36) and daughter Vasundhara Pathak (12) with sharp-edged weapons. A murder case was registered at Shamli."During interrogation, Himanshu confessed to killing Bhagwat. The body's position indicates that the victim's hands may have been tied. The post-mortem report will reveal if the boy was first murdered then burnt or was burnt alive in the car," an official of Panipat police said. Panipat cops have handed Himanshu over to Karamvir Singh, SHO of Adarsh Nagar police station, for further proceedings.Bhajan singer Ajay Pathak, his wife and daughter were killed with sword at their home in Shamli town of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening. However, the couple’s son was missing after the incident. The police had formed a team to search for the missing boy and found his body in the dickey of his father’s burnt car in Panipat on Wednesday.

Police said that the accused was arrested accidentally by Haryana Police while he was trying to dispose of the half-burnt body of the couple’s son who was missing since the sensational murders. (Representational Image) Police said that the accused was arrested accidentally by Haryana Police while he was trying to dispose of the half-burnt body of the couple’s son who was missing since the sensational murders. (Representational Image) Two days after a singer couple and their minor daughter were found murdered at their Punjabi colony residence in Shamli, their 30-year-old disciple was arrested from Panipat in Haryana in this connection on Wednesday. Police said that the accused, identified as Himanshu Saini, was arrested accidentally by Haryana Police while he was trying to dispose of the half-burnt body of the couple’s son Bhagwat (10) who was missing since the sensational murders. “Himanshu is a disciple of victim Ajay Pathak (42) and used to perform with him for the last two-and-a-half years. During interrogation, he told the police that he had given Rs 60,000 to Ajay who was not only returning him the money, but also used to humiliate him in front of his family members whenever he asked for the sum. On Monday night, he stayed in their house and killed Ajay, his wife Sneha Pathak (36) and their daughter Vasundahra (14) with a sword, while he strangulated Bhagwat to death,” said Shamli Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal. “He wanted to take away the bodies in the couple’s car, but could not carry out his plan single-handedly. So, he just bundled Bhagwat’s body in the car and locked the house to give an impression that the family had left for Karnal in Haryana where Ajay was scheduled to perform at a bhajan sandhya Tuesday. He also took all the four mobile phones of the family members with himself,” the SP pointed out, adding Haryana Police had handed him over to them. He was produced in a local court in Shamli, which sent him to 14-day judicial custody on Wednesday. The police added that Himanshu was in dire need of money as he was unable to repay a loan of Rs 5 lakh from a bank, which served him a legal notice in this connection. For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App

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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump would beat every Democratic candidate in the swing states of Virginia and Florida except for former Vice President Joe Biden, according to a pair of polls from Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy. In a hypothetical matchup, Biden narrowly edges Trump in Florida by 2 percentage points, 47%-45%. Trump leads Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, 51%-42%; Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 49%-44%; and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 49%-45%. Biden's lead over Trump is slightly wider in Virginia, where the former vice president leads the incumbent 49%-45%. The other Democrats trail the president in the state. The poll says Trump beats Warren 48%-44%, Sanders 51%-45% and Buttigieg 47%-45%. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll released this month said Trump beat every Democratic candidate, including Biden, in a national matchup. Florida is an important swing state, narrowly deciding the 2000 election after a lengthy and controversial recount. It went for Trump in 2016 after backing President Barack Obama in 2012 and 2008. The swing voters: Meet the voters who could decide if Trump's reelected Gallup poll: Donald Trump, Barack Obama tie for most admired man Virginia has elected Democrats in recent statewide elections after years of being a red state, "Over the last 30 years, Virginia has evolved from a state that leaned Republican in presidential elections, then, first, into a true swing state, but now has become one that clearly leans Democratic. Still, Democrats cannot completely take Virginia for granted as former Vice President Joe Biden is their only current candidate who is beating President Donald Trump," the Mason Dixon firm says in the introduction to its poll. Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, is not surprised by the results. Sabato tweeted that although Virginia may lean blue, it won't vote for just any Democrat. Story continues "Identity of D nominee matters. People surprised by Mason-Dixon's results see VA as being deep Blue. It isn't," he wrote. The election is next November. Some fundamentals can change. Overall, VA leans D, but it won't vote for just any D. Identity of D nominee matters. People surprised by Mason-Dixon's results see VA as being deep Blue. It isn't. https://t.co/arKcJhRNIg — Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) December 31, 2019 Virginia voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008. Before that, it went for every Republican nominee dating back to Richard Nixon in 1968. The Virginia poll was conducted via telephone from Dec. 12-16, and the Florida poll was conducted from Dec. 11-16. Both have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. USA TODAY Poll: Impeached or not, Trump leads his Democratic rivals for another term More: Narrow majority opposes removing Trump from office if he is impeached This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election 2020: Poll says Trump beats every Dem but Biden in Florida, Virginia

Pete Buttigieg is no longer the mayor of South Bend, Indiana but his presidential campaign is going from strength to strength in terms of raising cash. Bernie Sanders calls out Buttigieg's billionaire fundraising: 'Exactly the problem with politics' Read more The 37-year-old raised $24.7m in the fourth quarter, his campaign announced on Wednesday, up on the $19.1m he collected in the previous fundraising period. Buttigieg has come under fire over his successful fundraising efforts. On the debate stage in December the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren attacked the mayor regarding fundraisers including a now infamous occasion in a Napa Valley wine cave. Buttigieg’s time as mayor of a small city in northern Indiana ended on New Years’ Day, leaving him free to concentrate on a Democratic primary in which he has surged from unknown to top-tier contender. He leads polling averages in Iowa, the first state to vote, and is second in New Hampshire, the next target in the race for the nomination to face Donald Trump in November. However, the realclearpolitics.com national polling average for the Democratic field, which is still an unwieldy 15 candidates strong, puts Buttigieg 20 points behind the frontrunner, former vice-president Joe Biden. The Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, second nationally, 10 points adrift of Biden, had the largest fundraising haul in the third quarter, raising $25.2m. Warren – third nationally, seven points up on Buttigieg – has both said she will not hold any fundraisers and accused the mayor of being influenced by big donors. “When a candidate brags about how beholden he feels to a group of wealthy investors,” she said in a December speech, “our democracy is in serious trouble.” The Pete Buttigieg pile-on revealed: he is no political messiah | Richard Wolffe Read more Sanders has also attacked. Last month, the senator told the Guardian support Buttigieg was receiving from billionaires was “exactly the problem with American politics”. Buttigieg has opened fundraisers to the press and disclosed the identities of top donors. But he has also insisted Democrats need to fundraise from anyone, so they can remain competitive against Trump, who has amassed a formidable war chest. On Tuesday, Buttigieg closed out 2019 with a series of appeals for donations. On Twitter, he said: “We’ve taken our message about the purpose of the presidency and the possibilities for our politics from obscurity to the top tier of our country’s political process. “We have a lot of work ahead of us. But unlike a year ago, we’ll do it with strong, national grassroots support.”

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil. Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment. “We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.” Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined. The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured. Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has reportedly patented a smartphone with a display that almost completely covers the smartphone body. As with all patents, it is uncertain whether the concept will make its way to a commercial product - we'll have to wait and see. The newer device could follow the same philosophy as the Mi Mix Alpha which is the first smartphone to have a surround display that covered most of the handset's body, news portal GizmoChina reported on Monday, citing Chinese publication CNMO. Looking at the design patents, the handset looks quite different from the Mi Mix Alpha but also has the display cover the front panel and most of the rear panel. Patent images of a Xiaomi smartphone with a surround display Photo Credit: CNMO Mi Mix Alpha was launched for the first time in September last year and recently top company executives have claimed that the company is currently at the capacity where it can start the mass production of the same. According to Cui Baoqiu, chairman of Xiaomi's technical committee and Han Haicai, head R&D team that developed the display of Mi Mix Alpha, the smartphone has not been mass produced yet. In terms of specifications, the device features a massive 7.92-inch flexible OLED screen that offers a screen resolution of 2088x2250 pixels. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus paired with 12GB of RAM. On the software front, the Mi MIX Alpha runs MIUI Alpha operating system.

Chinese handset maker Vivo is set to show off its third-generation Apex concept smartphone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 in Barcelona between February 23 and 24, promoting the concept phone with the slogan "Empower the Next", as per an invite sent to the press. This makes it the third year that the smartphone player has showcased an Apex concept phone at the event. Vivo's previous Apex concept smartphones have been impressive tech showcases. The first Apex concept in early 2018 presented a nearly bezel-less phone with the first in-display fingerprint scanner. Last year, the Apex 2019 had a fingerprint scanner that worked from anywhere within the display and a body without any holes. The invite teasing the launch of the third-generation Vivo Apex concept smartphone was shared by Tech Sina. Vivo arrived in Barcelona last year with the Apex 2019. It wasn't as impressive as the previous APEX smartphone. The concept showed how a under-display fingerprint sensor could recognise your finger anywhere on the display. Instead of just in a small spot at the bottom of the display. Vivo Sends Out MWC 2020 Invites, February 23 Launch Event Confirmed

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For three decades, paleontologists the world over have been split over a provocative finding: did a dwarf species of Tyrannosaurus rex really once exist? In 1988, paleontologist Robert Bakker and his colleagues at the Cleveland (Ohio) Museum of Natural History reclassified a specimen first discovered in 1942 and displayed at the museum. It was, they said, the first known member of a small new species they baptized as the Nanotyrannus. Then, in 2001, another team discovered the nearly complete skeleton of a small Tyrannosaurus near the town of Ekalaka in Montana, in the rich and intensively studied fossil formation known as Hell Creek. They named the creature -- barely bigger than a draft horse -- Jane and soon classified it as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. But a minority of specialists continued to insist that it was part of the newly classified Nanotyrannus species. They pointed to the morphology of its skull and bones, which they said differed from T-rex adults. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, researchers led by Holly Woodward of Oklahoma State University performed a microscopic analysis on samples from the interior of Jane's tibia and femur bones, as well as from a less complete set of bones from an animal dubbed Petey. This technique, known as paleohistology, confirmed that the two were immature individuals -- not adults, the scientists said. By extension, the study's authors said, the existence of the Nanotyrannus seems very unlikely. "The really cool thing about fossil bones is that a whole bone fossilizes even down to the microscopic size," Woodward told AFP. "We can infer growth rate, age (and) maturity level." The researchers took extremely fine slices from the bone samples -- so thin that light could pass through them -- and then studied them under powerful microscopes. The size of the blood vessel openings revealed that the two dinosaurs were still in a phase of rapid growth at the time of death. Had they been adults, this vascularization would have been less prominent. The team was also able to count the growth rings in each animal's bones, much as one can do to determine the age of a tree: 13 years for Jane, and 15 for Petey. The study adds to scientists' still limited knowledge of the 20-year period between a dinosaur's hatching and its adulthood. Jane, who weighed only one ton, died before reaching the phase of exponentially rapid growth that normally would have brought her to an adult weight of just under 10 tons. "Everyone loves T-rex, but we don't really know much about how it grew up," Woodward said. "It's probably the most famous dinosaur in the world, and we mostly just have really large skeletons of it." That is partly due to the obsession of collectors and the public with finding and displaying the most enormous T-rex skeletons possible -- unearthed sometimes to the detriment of smaller specimens. Unfortunately, Woodward said, only five to seven fossils of young T-rex dinosaurs are known to exist in the world, and some of those are in private collections not accessible to researchers. Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.

The dinosaur formerly known as Nanotyrannus Friedrich Saurer/Alamy Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one. Two controversial dinosaur skeletons have been held up as evidence that Tyrannosaurus rex shared its environment with a second, tiny species of tyrannosaur. Now, a detailed study of the fossilised leg bones suggests the diminutive dinos are really just teenage T. rexes. The two skeletons, one nearly complete, were discovered in the early 2000s in rocks known as the Hell Creek Formation, which spans Montana, Wyoming and North and South Dakota. The formation also yielded some of the first T. rex bones, early in the 20th century. The more complete specimen is nicknamed Jane, and the other is nicknamed Petey. Along with one other small skull found in 1942, they have been used to argue for a new type of dinosaur called Nanotyrannus, which was like a T. rex but smaller. Advertisement As researchers performed more detailed analysis of the specimens, it seemed more and more likely that the small predators were simply young T. rexes, but there was still some disagreement. The newest analysis by Holly Woodward at Oklahoma State University and her colleagues may be the final nail in the coffin of Nanotyrannus. Read more: T. rex evolved into a monster predator by dumbing down its brain All modern vertebrates have a period every year where bone growth briefly pauses. We don’t know exactly why this happens, but it leaves a circle in every bone that shows when the growth stopped, Woodward says. “We can just count the rings like with a tree to find the dinosaur’s age.” Woodward and her team counted the rings in Jane and Petey’s femurs and tibias. They found that Jane was probably around 13 years old and Petey about 15 when they died. Other fossils such as Sue, one of the largest and most complete T. rex skeletons we’ve found, have shown that T. rexes lived to around 30, so that makes Jane and Petey adolescents. Because they are so young, there is no need to invoke a whole new species to explain their small size. “We know the T. rex as this giant king of dinosaurs,” says Woodward. “But it didn’t start that way, and we didn’t know much about how it got from baby T. rex-sized… to Sue-sized.” At a little more than half Sue’s 12.3-metre body length, these young dinos are starting to fill in that gap. Journal reference: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax6250

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Two men from the Athlone area are due before a special sitting of the CCJ in Dublin today, on two separate knife-related crimes. Yesterday, an 18 year old man was arrested for stabbing someone in the leg in Golden Island in Athlone on the 30th of December. He’s been charged with assault causing harm. Meanwhile in a separate incident a man in his early 20s has been charged with possession of a knife and drugs last night. Advertisement Both men will go before the courts this afternoon.

The sad news is that yet another church attack took place this week and that two parishioners were killed. The good news is that the people stood up for themselves and others. Some say guns do not belong in church, yet the bad guys do not seem to care or read the signs. What a surprise, Good for those that stand up for themselves. Still some say disarm the people and depend on the police. Unfortunately, because as good and dedicated as the police are, they take time to get there. Signs or laws do not seem to stop criminals. We should all know this as the word criminal denotes someone who does not obey the laws. In the past these outlaws were dealt with quickly and decisively but not today. In the past, there did not seem to be many repeat offenders, today almost all the bad guys have a record yet somehow, they are still out on the streets. People are arrested several times and do not serve any time, there seems to be no punishment just a record, whatever happen to work programs for convicts? Or programs that trained people for jobs? The lesson in all this is there are bad people out there and there are more of them on the streets today so people need to protect themselves until the police can get there. There are more bad people today because we do nothing to deter their repeated bad behavior. Police cannot be everywhere and it takes time to get anywhere. Additionally, police are geared to responding and apprehension not prevention. Some might say they prevent crime and that is very true when they are present but as said, they cannot be everywhere all the time. Luckily the people in the church took steps to protect themselves and their guests attending by arming and training people who are willing to be the front line of defense. This also illustrates the importance of defending yourself and your loved ones until the police can arrive. A big deal was being made that the protector was a gun instructor, which seemed to infer that he was specially prepared for this situation, partially true but any citizen at least in Nevada who receives a concealed carry permit is trained. The conceal and carry courses are a good starting ground for average people who do not hunt or are not familiar with firearms. Yes, regular additional training is a great idea and should be part of any program and part of any concealed permit holder renewal program. In Mesquite at least one church has such a program staffed by volunteers and it includes regular practice sessions and training. These guardians provide security and peace of mind for those attending services who do not or cannot protect themselves. Two of these shootings occurred in Texas so some might ask why Mesquite? Because evil is everywhere and some people do not think straight. Yet even the most depraved can sometimes be detoured or dealt with. The name of the church mentioned above is not given unless someone requests that name so they can help in establish their own Guardians. By hardening our targets, we hope someone will think again before attacking, if not they will not be put on the streets again. We pray for peace as we protect ourselves and others.

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DUMFRIES AREA ROBBERY Triangle Shopping Plz., 18000 block, 6:39 p.m. Dec. 17. A man entered a wireless electronics store with a firearm and demanded cash. An employee complied, and the man fled. AD THEFT/BREAK-IN Jonathan Ct., 4300 block, 7 p.m. Dec. 7. Four people entered an unlocked residence, took several pairs of shoes, and fled. An 18-year-old Dumfries man was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary and use of a firearm in commission of felony. A Dumfries male, 17, and two Woodbridge males, 16 and 17, were arrested and charged as juveniles with conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary and use of a firearm in commission of felony. AD GAINESVILLE AREA THEFT/BREAK-IN Cartagena Dr., 14800 block, Dec. 12. A homeowner received an alarm activation alert at his residence and found a rear sliding-glass door was opened by force. Entry was made but nothing was reported missing. AD HAYMARKET AREA SEXUAL BATTERY OF A MINOR Haymarket area, Dec. 14. An 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a male acquaintance. A 26-year-old Haymarket man was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual battery. CHILD NEGLECT/DUI James Madison Hwy. near Market Ridge Blvd., 2:25 a.m. Dec. 24. A female driver was observed speeding and unable to maintain her lane of travel. During the traffic stop, police determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol with a 10-month-old baby in the vehicle. The 26-year-old Linden woman was arrested and charged with felony child neglect, driving under the influence and reckless driving. AD ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER Mountain View Dr., 4300 block, 1:17 a.m. Dec. 13. A woman was asked by a homeowner to leave the property. She refused, disregarded officers’ commands, bit an officer, and resisted arrest. The 35-year-old Manassas woman was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, trespassing, obstruction of justice, and destruction of property. AD MANASSAS AREA HOMICIDE Sudley Rd., 8200 block, 2:25 a.m. Dec. 26. Two men entered a restaurant brandishing a handgun and a baton. They ordered the patrons and employees to the ground and demanded cash and cellphones. They also demanded cash from the restaurant. They shot a man sitting on the floor who was cooperating, then assaulted and shot a delivery driver entering the restaurant who unwittingly held open the door for the men as they fled. The delivery driver, a 56-year-old Manassas man, died at the hospital from his injuries. The first victim was treated for serious injuries but is expected to survive. AD ROBBERY Williamson Blvd., 7500 block, 1:13 a.m. Dec. 23. Two masked males entered a hotel lobby. One went to a back office and demanded cash from an employee at gunpoint, and the other walked behind the counter, opened the cash drawer, took money and fled. AD THEFT/BREAK-IN Cobble Pond Way, 8100 block, 7 p.m. Dec. 5 to 4 p.m. Dec. 9. A gaming console was stolen from a residence entered through an unlocked door. WOODBRIDGE AREA MALICIOUS WOUNDINGS Ferry Landing Lane, 13000 block, 4 p.m. Dec. 17. A woman got into an altercation at a residence with a male family member. During the incident, the woman grabbed a knife and swung it toward the man several times, striking him in the head and back. Minor injuries were reported. The 35-year-old Woodbridge woman was arrested and charged with malicious wounding. AD Darbydale Ave., 14700 block, 8:54 a.m. Dec. 22. A man got into a verbal altercation with a female acquaintance that escalated in a vehicle. During the incident, the man stabbed the woman in the lower back and grabbed her cellphone when she attempted to call police. The woman was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The 55-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with malicious wounding, preventing the summoning of law enforcement, and intoxicated in public. AD ASSAULTS Beechtree Lane, 2800 block, 6:53 p.m. Dec. 22. A man entered the residence of a female family member without permission. When she attempted to call police the man took the woman’s phone and assaulted her, then fled. The woman sustained minor injuries. In addition, the man violated a current protective order. AD Potomac Mills Cir., 2700 block, Dec. 13. A man got into an argument with a female acquaintance in a parking lot at a shopping mall. The man grabbed the woman’s throat. He struck her in the face and head and caused her to fall to the ground and lose consciousness. The woman eventually drove herself to a hospital for treatment. The 30-year-old Stafford man was arrested Dec. 14 and charged with strangulation and assault and battery. AD ASSAULTS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT Botts Ave., 13800 block, 10:20 p.m. Dec. 15. Responding to a call for a suspicious person, police located four occupants in a vehicle and detected the odor of marijuana. One of the male occupants was found to be in possession of a handgun and marijuana. He became disorderly, refused lawful commands, provided a false identity, and kicked an officer. The 16-year-old Woodbridge male was arrested and charged with assault and battery on law enforcement officer, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, destruction of property, possession of a firearm while in possession of schedule I or II drugs and presenting false identification to a law enforcement officer. AD Cloverdale Rd., 15100 block, 4:40 a.m. Dec. 12. A man refused to return a vehicle belonging to a female acquaintance after being allowed to use it briefly. The man drove up while officers were at the residence. He refused to comply with officers’ commands, a struggle ensued, and he was arrested. The 21-year-old Woodbridge man was charged with assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and obstruction of justice. AD Dining Way, 14800 block, 8:45 a.m. Dec. 20. A man was seen attempting to open car doors, then fled into a nearby business where he began acting disorderly. The man assaulted an officer who attempted to detain him and resisted arrest. The 47-year-old man of no fixed address was charged with assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, attempted grand larceny, obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct. ABDUCTION Gableridge Turn, 1800 block, 10:30-11:30 p.m. Dec. 20. A man and a woman got into an argument that escalated at an apartment. When she attempted to flee the apartment, the man pushed the door shut and locked it, preventing her from exiting. The 37-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction. AD AD ROBBERIES Jefferson Davis Hwy., 14000 block, 12:10 a.m. Dec. 24. Two masked men entered a pharmacy brandishing a firearm. One of the men escorted an employee to a back office and demanded cash while the other demanded cash from the registers. No injuries were reported. Minniville Rd., 12700 block, 1:32 a.m. Dec. 19. Two females entered a service station, accosted an employee with a stun gun and demanded cash. The employee refused and threw merchandise at them. The females attempted to flee, but the employee detained one of them. A 15-year-old Manassas female was arrested and charged with attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and assault and battery. Pearson Dr., 4700 block, 1:43 a.m. Dec. 19. Responding to shots fired, police located a man in the street with a gunshot wound and assault injuries to the upper body. The man pulled into a residential driveway and exited a vehicle after returning from a casino with an acquaintance. Multiple masked man assaulted the man, shot him in the upper body, took cash and a cellphone and fled in a dark-color SUV. The injured man was flown to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. AD SHOOTING INTO AN OCCUPIED DWELLING Bentley Cir., 13500 block, 3:20 a.m. Dec. 22. A homeowner heard loud noises and discovered bullet holes in her front door. Police located shell casings in the street in front of the residence. No injuries or other damage were reported. A dark four-door sedan was seen fleeing the area. Katie Pl., 3700 block, 1 a.m. Dec. 26. Responding to shots fired, police located a residence with damage consistent with being struck by projectiles. Shell casings were also located in front of the residence. No injuries or other damage were reported. ARREST Georgetown Rd., 16600 block, Dec. 5. Police arrested a 13-year-old Woodbridge male wanted in connection with an attempted armed robbery. He was charged with attempted robbery and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. A male accomplice has not been located. Manassas There were no incidents reported by Manassas police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-257-8000. Manassas Park There were no incidents reported by Manassas Park police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-361-1136.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS Forest Ridge Terr., 2-7:50 p.m. Dec. 10. A garage door remote was stolen from a vehicle parked in a residential driveway. Harbor Rd., 3700 block, Dec. 10. A customer at a restaurant/casino reported they inserted money into a slot machine but stepped away briefly. An unknown male was seen cashing out the remaining funds of $193.50 and leaving the area. AD VEHICLE THEFT Ivy Lane, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 10 to 4:45 a.m. Dec. 11. A 2015 Ford F150 was stolen from a residence along with personal property inside the vehicle. A second vehicle at the property was broken into and three pairs of sunglasses, a credit card, earphones and keys were stolen. The stolen property is valued at more than $20,000. AD DUNKIRK AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Chesapeake Beach Rd. W., 2800 block, Dec. 1-11. A vehicle was left at an automotive shop for repair. When the owner returned to pick up the vehicle, both license plates were missing. Ward Rd., 10100 block, Dec. 12. A 53-year-old woman in a retail store was arrested after she attempted to steal a cart full of merchandise by fleeing through a back door. When employees approached, the woman fled the store wearing a pair of shoes that she had also stolen. AD LUSBY AREA THEFT/BREAK-IN Holly Dr., Dec. 14. A package delivered to the front of a residence was stolen. PRINCE FREDERICK AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Prince Frederick area, Sept. 9-10. A handicap placard was stolen from a vehicle parked at a fitness center. Solomons Island Rd. N., 100 block, Dec. 10. A man was observed in a discount retail store taking faux bar code stickers from his pocket and sticking them to merchandise he was placing in his shopping cart. An officer contacted the man in the parking lot who admitted he bought $1,110 worth of items for $60 using the fake bar codes. The 41-year-old man also said he’s done the same thing at another discount store in Dunkirk. He was arrested and charged with theft scheme: $1,500 to under $25,000 and theft: $1,500 to under $25,000. AD AD SAINT LEONARD AREA THEFT/BREAK-IN St. Leonard Rd., 4800 block, Dec. 13. Two females entered a thrift store and took an antique bike, a plastic closet organizer and two wooden rocking chairs, then fled without paying for the merchandise. Charles County These were among reports received by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police. For information, call 301-932-2222 or 301-870-3232. The website ccso.us has crime statistics and information on crime prevention programs. REWARDS FOR INFORMATION Crime Solvers will pay a reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment. The 24-hour hotline is 866-411-8477. Callers may remain anonymous. AD WALDORF AREA KIDNAPPING ARREST Waldorf area, Dec. 14. A 26-year-old Waldorf man was arrested for kidnapping and robbing a Waldorf woman. The man was burglarizing the woman’s residence on Dec. 11 when she came home and confronted him. The man forced the woman into her vehicle then drove her to various ATMs throughout the county and attempted to withdraw money from her account. After a while he left the woman in an isolated area of Accokeek where a citizen observed her walking in the roadway and called police. The man was charged with kidnapping, robbery, first-degree assault, home invasion and other charges. Her stolen black 2010 Toyota Camry is still missing. AD AD St. Mary's County These were among reports received by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police. For information, call 301-475-8008. To submit a tip, call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333. The Leonardtown Barrack of the state police has an anonymous tip line at 301-475-2936. CALIFORNIA AREA THEFTS/BREAK-INS Milestone Way, 23100 block, Dec. 14. Over a period of time, a woman stole several checks from a person and fraudulently cashed them. The 19-year-old Lexington Park woman was arrested and charged with theft, theft scheme, fraudulent identification, and obtaining property of a vulnerable adult. Miramar Way, 45400 block, 3:55 p.m. Dec. 13. Two people at a discount retail store scanned some merchandise at a self-check line but did not scan other merchandise, then left the store without paying for the other merchandise. AD AD CHARLOTTE HALL AREA THEFT/BREAK-IN Potomac Way, 30500 block, 6:12 p.m. Dec. 16. A man entered a dollar store, loaded a handbasket with items, and fled without paying for the merchandise. GREAT MILLS AREA ASSAULT Maxine Way, 45700 block, Dec. 7. A man assaulted a person and attempted to wrestle a cellphone away from them during an argument. The 49-year-old Great Mills man was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. LEONARDTOWN AREA VIOLATING A PROTECTIVE ORDER Merchants Lane, 40900 block, Dec. 11. A man attempted to contact a person in violation of a court order that prohibits him from contacting the person by any means. The 37-year-old Mechanicsville man was charged with violating a protective order. AD DISORDERLY CONDUCT Leonard Hall Dr., 23100 block, Dec. 12. A man caused a disturbance on a public transit bus and refused to leave the bus. Police arrested the 57-year-old Hollywood man and charged him with disorderly conduct. AD LEXINGTON PARK AREA ASSAULT Three Notch Rd., 21800 block, Dec. 22. A man got into a physical confrontation with a person and then became uncooperative and caused a commotion while officers were interviewing the person. The 47-year-old Lexington Park man was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. SHOTS FIRED Rogers Dr., 46800 block, 2:30 a.m. Dec. 15. Responding to a report for shots fired, police determined numerous shots were fired from a handgun. Several vehicles and one residence sustained damage. No injuries were reported. AD ARRESTS Mervell Dean Rd., 23900 block, Dec. 19. A 41-year-old Lexington Park man was arrested at his residence after he contacted employees at a business multiple times and made threatening statements. He was charged with telephone misuse: repeat and obscene calls, harassment, and resisting/interfering with arrest. AD Shangri La Dr. N., 21800 block, Dec. 20. A 26-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested and charged with fraud for providing a false name to officers when they attempted to question him. He was also served two outstanding warrants. DISORDERLY CONDUCT Lexwood Ct., 21200 block, Dec. 12. A woman caused a disturbance at a residence. When police arrived, she walked around outside yelling and creating a public disturbance. The 43-year-old Lexington Park woman was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. VEHICLE THEFTS Grand Harvest Lane, 22000 block, Dec. 9. A man took a person’s vehicle without permission on Dec. 5 and later crashed the vehicle. He was arrested Dec. 9 and charged with unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle. King James Pkwy., 19300 block, Dec. 8. A 19-year-old Lexington Park woman was observed driving a stolen vehicle. She was arrested and charged with unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle. AD MECHANICSVILLE AREA ASSAULTS Fowler Ct., 26800 block, Dec. 7. A woman assaulted a person during an argument. The 22-year-old Mechanicsville woman was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. Waterview Dr., 40600 block, Dec. 12. A woman assaulted a person and as police escorted her away, she lunged at the person. The woman kicked the officer and resisted arrest. The 32-year-old Mechanicsville woman was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree assault and resisting arrest. PINEY POINT AREA THEFT/BREAK-IN Piney Point Rd., 17400 block, Dec. 11. A man entered a liquor store, took a bottle of liquor and left without paying for the merchandise. An employee followed the man and retrieved the bottle. He then went to another establishment, went behind the bar, took a bottle of wine and left without paying for it. The 26-year-old Piney Point man was arrested and charged with two counts of theft. He was later charged with two additional counts of theft for similar actions on Dec. 10. — Compiled by Lisa M. Bolton

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Good morning, Camden Chatters. Well, we’ve made it through another year. Today, we officially close the book on 2019. Let’s all stay up together in Bird Droppings tonight and count down as the ball drops in Times Square! ... No, check that, I’ll probably be asleep. How was this year for you, Camden Chatters? Did you undergo any dramatic life changes, for better or for worse? Whatever the case, here’s hoping 2020 will be your best year yet. For the Orioles, 2019 won’t be a year that will forever be celebrated in franchise lore, but it did represent a fresh start. It was the club’s first full year under GM Mike Elias, manager Brandon Hyde, and a data-oriented front office. The O’s made significant progress in building their analytics department and in ramping up their international amateur signing and scouting efforts. They held the first overall draft pick for only the second time in franchise history, using it to snag Adley Rutschman. They laid the groundwork for developing a consistent pipeline of talent throughout the Orioles’ farm system. The on-field performance, of course, was dreadful. And it won’t be much, if any, better in 2020. But the Orioles at least seem to have a coherent plan for future success and are taking the steps they need to implement it. If it eventually pays off, years from now we may look back at 2019 as the year that the turnaround really began. So, hey, maybe someday 2019 will be celebrated in franchise lore after all. Links Updating the Orioles’ rotation competition - School of Roch Update: the rotation still stinks. For O’s pitchers less (fastballs) could be more - Steve Melewski Melewski analyzes whether the Orioles could benefit from throwing fewer fastballs. Maybe! They could also benefit from throwing fewer terrible pitches in general. Intriguing Options Loom For Orioles With No. 2 Pick In 2020 MLB Draft - PressBoxOnline Forget the countdown to Opening Day — I’m more interested in the countdown to draft day. (It’s 162 days away, FYI.) Todd Karpovich profiles a few of the highly touted draft prospects who could interest the Orioles on June 10. What awaits O’s in 2020? Key dates and info - Orioles.com Joe Trezza runs down the important events coming up for the Orioles during the 2020 season. It’s a useful list, but I got a kick out of the “Milestones” category in which the last entry is “Cole Sulser and Eric Hanhold could make their team debuts.” Get excited! Orioles birthdays and history Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only Oriole who’s ever had a New Year’s Eve birthday is outfielder Donell Nixon, who appeared in eight games in 1990. He turns 58 today. On this day in 2010, a 25-year-old man was killed by a pistol being fired at a New Year’s celebration in Luperon, Dominican Republic. Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon was later arrested for the shooting and was charged with involuntary murder, but was acquitted a year later. I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but if you’re planning to celebrate the new year, please leave pistols out of it. Try, like, noisemakers instead.

Source: rawpixel It’s that time of the year again—the exciting (or dreaded) New Year’s resolutions. If you’re like me, you’ve probably had the same “new” resolutions for years: exercise more, eat healthily, save money, get more organized, find a new hobby, spend more time with family and friends, travel, read more, live life to the fullest… Studies have found again and again that an overwhelming majority (80 to 90 percent) of New Year’s resolutions fail by the end of the first month. By any measure, these are horrible odds. And yet, I would bet many of us are feverishly putting the last finishing touches on our 2020 resolution list and maybe even giddily planning to indulge on the last binge of 2019 because starting January 1st everything will be totally different. Really? I found myself again in this predictably deluded state several weeks ago. After a few half-hearted contemplations about my New (i.e. same old) Year’s resolutions, I decided defiantly that I’m not going to do it this year. At least not in the same way I have always done it. I’m tired of deluding myself and falling into the inevitable disappointment by the third week of January when work and home life are once again back in full force. Instead, I’m going to treat the first day and every day of 2020 like any other day. I’m setting daily (not full year!) resolutions. Here are some guidelines that can help you should you decide to forgo the old New Year’s resolution tradition and really try something new this year. Set daily (not annual) goals . Goals have to be manageable in order to be repeatable. Repetition then becomes a habit. “I will eat whole, healthy foods today,” vs. “I will become a healthy eater this year.” . Goals have to be manageable in order to be repeatable. Repetition then becomes a habit. “I will eat whole, healthy foods today,” vs. “I will become a healthy eater this year.” Practice patience . “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Lao Tzu). Focus on the first 24-hour cycle, then the next, then the one after that. . “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Lao Tzu). Focus on the first 24-hour cycle, then the next, then the one after that. Praise effort instead of the outcome . “I am moving in the right direction with my diet and exercise,” vs. “I lost 5 lbs!” . “I am moving in the right direction with my diet and exercise,” vs. “I lost 5 lbs!” Focus on what you did right instead of wrong . “I kept my cool most of the today,” vs. “I can’t believe I lost my patience!” . “I kept my cool most of the today,” vs. “I can’t believe I lost my patience!” Be your own best cheerleader . We really are our own worst critics. No wonder we struggle! The kinds of things we say to ourselves most of us would not dream of saying to others. So be nice to yourself, encourage yourself, and tell yourself what you would say to others who are striving to work harder and be better. . We really are our own worst critics. No wonder we struggle! The kinds of things we say to ourselves most of us would not dream of saying to others. So be nice to yourself, encourage yourself, and tell yourself what you would say to others who are striving to work harder and be better. Forgive yourself for missteps. I’ve been practicing this one sporadically for many years. I find it especially helpful at the end of the day when my personal inner critic is at its worst having taken inventory of the day’s activities and my inevitable shortcomings. It reminds me that I am human and fallible, which also makes me relatable to others from whom I receive and provide support. Just like the old New Year’s resolutions, this new approach will not be perfect. But if part of the spirit of making resolutions is to try new things, then I think it’s a worthy and even exciting endeavor. Here’s to our daily striving together. Happy New Year!

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Author: Greg Raymond, ANU The Thai military used the 24 March 2019 election to embed itself even more deeply in governance. Though there is now a functioning parliament, the democratisation achieved after 1992 has been wound back, lending credence to the judgement that the 2014 coup was a coup of the army, by the army, for the army. Contrary to predictions that a military proxy party would fail like its predecessors, Phalang Pracharat proved to be competitive, gaining the most votes of any single party. On top of advantages such as a ban on political parties during the junta’s rule, Phalang Pracharat benefitted from an electorate tired of coloured-shirt instability. It also gained when one of the proxy parties of exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra nominated Princess Ubolratana as a candidate. This was a massive miscalculation. After the monarchy’s intervention, the party was dissolved, costing the Thaksinite parties as many as 100 seats. As the core of a shaky coalition in the 500-seat lower house, Phalang Pracharat facilitated the continuance of coup leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s prime ministership. Serving and retired military officers occupy almost half the 250-member appointed Senate. Parliamentary seats have been just one lucrative perk for ‘khaki capital’. Since the coup, military officers have made up nearly 20 per cent of all board memberships. In 2017, they sat on the boards of 43 of 57 state-owned enterprises. The top echelons of the military and their spouses own assets far in excess of what their salaries could acquire, as demonstrated in their own statements to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Meanwhile, the military’s Internal Security Operations Command has become increasingly entwined with the country’s administration at national and provincial levels, acting as a political tool for Bangkok. The weakness of the NACC in pursuing unexplained military wealth is mirrored by the partiality of Thailand’s other supposedly independent institutions, including the Election Commission and the courts. Thailand’s courts continue to be arenas of political contestation and are inclined to rule in the interests of power. In May, the Constitutional Court dissolved the Thai Raksa Chart party for nominating the Princess. In November, it stripped Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of his parliamentary seat, judging him to have held shares in a media company while campaigning. The judgment was literal in the extreme, given the media company had not published its lifestyle and inflight magazines for two years prior to the election. Now the party is under threat of dissolution for another of the 28 charges facing Thanathorn and his party, leading to valid comparisons with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s use of ‘lawfare’ to hobble oppositions. Meanwhile, despite the 2017 Constitution forbidding convicted criminals from serving as ministers, convicted heroin trafficker Thammanat Prompao has remained in office as assistant agriculture minister. Similarly, the judicial process is moving glacially for Palang Pracharat MP for Ratchaburi province, Ms Pareena Kraikupt, who appears to have treated public land as her private property, an offence that others have served prison time for. Despite the judiciary playing whack-a-mole against reformists, Thailand’s election and parliament have opened up some political space after the five years of junta rule. The possibility of a generational shift in attitudes among Thai youth, marking a decline in respect towards the monarchy and military, is currently alarming conservatives, prompting accusations around the influence of ‘fake news’ and ‘brain-washing’. Parliament is also exposing vulnerabilities in Prayut’s hold on power. He has struggled to pass his government’s budget. In November, the opposition parties succeeded in passing a motion inquiring into the lasting impacts of Article 44 of the interim Constitution, the ‘edict’ power used by General Prayut as junta leader. The motion passed after Democrat members of the coalition defected, though it was later overturned. The opposition was also bold enough to throw a spotlight on the most sensitive issue in the Thai political system, when it raised questions about the transfer of the two King’s Guard regiments from the army to the direct control of King Vajiralongkorn. The partnership between the military and the monarchy has been a crucial dynamic in Thai politics since 1957, but it is never static. Under the current monarch, the relationship is entering a new phase in which the King’s own professional background as a soldier is coming to the fore. This monarch knows the military intimately and needs no intermediaries, unlike his father Bhumibol. This is not necessarily a comfortable period for the military, as new training regimes and standards of appearance are introduced at the monarch’s behest, and as he builds his own private force, the Royal Security Command. How this relationship manifests in future years will be pivotal to Thailand’s political future. In 2020, Thailand’s sagging economy will pose the most significant challenge to the Prayuth government. The US–China trade war and the strong baht have reduced Thailand’s exports. There is the potential for some US industry to relocate to Thailand as decoupling proceeds, but this is years away. In the meantime, the government is persisting with its Eastern Economic Corridor plan, prioritising it ahead of China’s preferred project, the Kunming–Bangkok high speed rail project. All in all, the military proxy party will likely confront numerous obstacles in 2020. Its slim parliamentary majority means survival is uncertain. Gregory V Raymond is a Lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University, and author of ‘Thai Military Power: A Culture of Strategic Accommodation’ (NIAS, 2018). This article is part of an EAF special feature series on 2019 in review and the year ahead.

BANGKOK: A general view of the Thonburi Rail Yard on the western side of Bangkok yesterday. Thailand is set to end 2019 at the weakest pace of growth in five years and little to cheer about next year, as Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy faces headwinds from global trade tensions.-AFP BANGKOK: Thailand is set to end 2019 at the weakest pace of growth in five years and little to cheer about next year, as Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy faces headwinds from global trade tensions, a surging baht and rising political risks. The export-reliant country has been sharply hit by the Sino-US trade conflict. Exports may fall 3.3 percent in 2019 before rising just 0.5 percent in 2020, according to the Bank of Thailand (BOT). A strong Thai Baht, which has gained 8.3 percent against the dollar in 2019 and is Asia’s top-performing currency, has added to the pressure on exports. Analysts say it could also hit tourism. Thailand’s growth has lagged peers for years, and the central bank, after several downgrades, predicts it will be just 2.5 percent this year, the weakest pace since 2014 when the army seized power in a coup, and forecasts it would be 2.8 percent in 2020. Some analysts are even more pessimistic. “We see growth of just 2.4 percent this year and 2.5 percent next year,” said Somprawin Manprasert, chief economist of Bank of Ayudhya. “The economy is still in a slowdown,” he said, adding that poor exports are now hurting domestic activity. Charnon Boonnuch, an economist at Nomura in Singapore, said he only expected a sluggish economic recovery in 2020. Thailand is a regional production and export base for global carmakers, but car shipments fell 6 percent in the first 11 months of 2019, prompting some factories to cut work hours, said Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesman of the Federation of Thai Industries’ auto division. “A profit from making one car is no more than 5 percent, but our baht has gained 7 percent-8 percent. So the more they export, the more they suffer losses,” he said. In a bid to fight currency strength, the BOT imposed various steps and cut its key rate twice in 2019 to a record low of 1.25 percent, but the baht remains firm, driven by the large current account surplus. The central bank has said that more measures are possible, adding that market intervention may be difficult as Thailand risks being added to a US watchlist of currency manipulators. The government has been trying to lift growth by infusing more funds, including a $10 billion stimulus package, but with little impact. There was also a four-month delay in the 2020 budget to February due to a delay in cabinet formation, after an election in March voted former junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha back to office as prime minister with a slim majority in parliament. Political uncertainty is rising after thousands of people recently joined the biggest protest since Prayuth’s 2014 coup, following a move by authorities to ban a party that has rallied opposition to the government. In January, a court will rule on the dissolution of the Future Forward Party, which could again spark protests. “The economy should be better next year, albeit not much, if there is no fresh political chaos,” said Sanan Angubolkul, vice chairman of the Board of Trade of Thailand. Visit Limluecha, vice chairman of the Thai National Shippers’ Council, said there are no positive signs for the economy yet. “I see no light at the end of the tunnel.” – Reuters

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Thanks to December storms, much of Southern California will ring in the new year with above-normal precipitation. Meanwhile, the northern part of the state remains mostly below normal after the first six months of the rainfall season, according to Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services. Northern California’s rainy season got off to a late start, but Southern California’s was a little early this year. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) San Francisco and Crescent City are at 73% of normal to date as of Monday. Sacramento has seen 79% of its normal rainfall, and an eight-station index of measuring locations in the Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe stands at 73% of normal. This is an area that includes the Sacramento, American and Feather rivers, as well as the state’s biggest dams. It is crucial for water customers throughout the state, and in particular for Southern California. Advertisement In the southern part of the state, Los Angeles is at 166% of normal. Sandberg, in the mountains near the junction of the 5 Freeway and Highway 138, is at 188% of normal. And San Diego comes in at 211% of its normal to date. Palmdale, in the high desert, has had 129% of normal rainfall, and Riverside, in the Inland Empire, has 118% of normal. Santa Maria, in Central California, is on the mark with an even 100% of normal. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times) Crescent City and San Francisco were among the reporting stations that saw improvement in December; on Dec. 9, they had seen 60% and 64% of normal rainfall, respectively. But the crucial eight-station index of measuring stations in the northern Sierra slipped from 83% of normal to its current 73%. The five stations in the central Sierra measured 68% of normal, down from 84% on Dec. 9, and the six stations in the southern Sierra showed a decline from 82% of normal on Dec. 9 to the current 73%. There’s no El Niño in the equation this year, but an atmospheric river or two can quickly change everything. California receives 25% to 50% of its annual precipitation from these unpredictable “rivers in the sky.”

It’s been a lousy holiday season for Southern California’s chickens. In recent weeks, new cases of the poultry-killing Newcastle disease hit San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties, reviving an epidemic that state officials believed was nearing its end as recently as last summer. Since May 2018, when the disease was identified in the region, 1.2 million birds in the area have been euthanized. Careless bird owners who haven’t followed protocol for the highly contagious virus — including scofflaws who’ve ignored quarantines — are to blame, according to State Veterinarian Annette Jones. “Over the past month, virulent Newcastle disease cases have increased because people have violated the … regional quarantine by moving infected birds or contaminated equipment,” Jones says in a statement on the California Department of Food and Agriculture site. “Put simply, your birds can spread the disease before they show symptoms, so the only way to stop it is to not move birds — period — if you are in the CDFA regional quarantine area. … Stopping the spread will take the combined effort of all bird owners.” All of Los Angeles County and most of San Bernardino and Riverside counties are under quarantine. Additionally, inspectors, auditors and service providers in those three counties as well as Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties have been ordered by Jones to suspend most visits to poultry areas until at least March 1. Properly cooked poultry and eggs do not pose a health threat to people, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “In very rare instances, people working directly with sick birds can become infected,” according to the USDA website. “Symptoms are usually very mild and limited to conjunctivitis and/or influenza-like symptoms.” Disease ebbs, flows Of the 1.2 million birds euthanized in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties since May 2018, about 1.1 million were connected to commercial and industrial operations. Most of the remaining birds killed were pets or show birds. The majority of the birds killed have been chickens. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 470 premises in California have been infected with Newcastle disease as of Dec. 27. Of those, 262 are in Riverside County, 158 in San Bernardino County, 46 in Los Angeles County and one each in Ventura, Alameda and San Diego counties. The number of birds euthanized in December was not immediately available. The 14 locations where the disease was identified in December consisted of 11 in San Bernardino County, two in Riverside County and one in Los Angeles County. The epidemic was waning through the summer, with the disease identified at just four locations from June through September — and none in October. The numbers began creeping up in November, with the infections found at five locations in San Bernardino County. Two of the areas with infected birds in November and December were pet and feed stores, with the rest identified as backyard show chickens. Southern California’s previous Newcastle epidemic was in 2002-2003, when 3.2 million birds were euthanized.

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Editor’s note: As 2019 turns into 2020, we’re taking the opportunity to look back at some of our best and biggest stories of the year. Written by Timothy Glaze, this story about St. Mark’s grad-turned-undersea explorer Victor Vescovo was one of those stories. Exploring unheard-of ocean depths is nothing new for St. Mark’s alumnus Victor Vescovo, who has dived to the deepest points of the Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. But on April 28, Vescovo hit a new low, so to speak. Vescovo and his vehicle, the DSV Limiting Factor, reached a depth of 35,853 feet in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean. The dive broke the record of 35,787 feet by movie director James Cameron, who hit the mark with his dive in 2012. Vescovo and his team remained in the section of the trench known as Challenger Deep until May 5, exploring and collecting biological samples from an area of the Pacific Ocean nearly seven miles below the surface. Vescovo then capped off the month of May with a commencement speech at St. Mark’s 2019 graduation. Read more here.

Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments.

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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order dataminers have seemingly unearthed new information that reveals the future content coming to the Nintendo Switch game, including some new story DLC. More specifically, over on Reddit, user GypsyGold dumped a metric ton of information gathered from an alleged and recent datamining effort of the game. According to the user, Beast, Dark Phoenix, and Professor X "mention several team bonuses, including 'Inhumans,' which doesn't currently exist." Meanwhile, it's said that Medusa has a new voice clip, which possibly points to a playable Medusa and Black Bolt to round out an Inhumans team. As for new content, there's allegedly new spoken NPC dialogue, which hints at story DLC. Further details on this aren't really divulged, but the post mentions that the Negative Zone and Doomstadt are explicitly named in the dialogue. More specifically, Iceman mentions Negative Zone, noting that it's very cold, but not for him. Annihilus is also mentioned. The character is usually the leader of the Negative Zone, so this may confirm he is its boss in the game. As for Doomstadt, it appears to be in some type of trouble and overrun by vampires. Interestingly, Cable supposedly mentions Celestial, which possibly points to Galactus. Again, take all of this with a grain of salt given the source. Further, datamining leaks in general are sometimes unreliable. Not only because things are subject to change, but sometimes old, unused files are mistaken for new and upcoming content. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is available for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch. For more on the game -- including news, media, and rumors -- be sure to check out all of our past and recent coverage of the 2019 game by clicking right here. "The scope of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is impressive," reads a snippet from our official review of the game. "The story is all about fan service, but its fun, enjoyable fan service. The game is fun solo, though multiplayer is ideal. The drop-in, drop-out multiplayer makes that a breeze, and the Switch's portability and connectivity make it easy to find opportunities to play. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is a grand, action-packed celebration of the Marvel Universe that fans won't want to miss out on.

Who is God to you? Pastor James Meehan from Life.Church's student ministry, Switch, shares that he—a former atheist—used to think God was fake because of all the hypocritical Christians he saw. But in reality, God is the following: He just is, He is Jesus and He is love. "Maybe for you, you fill in the blank by saying that God is an angry old man in the sky ... waiting for you to screw up so that He can punish you," Meehan says. " ... Or maybe for you, your view of God is that God is a cosmic vending machine, that if you figure out the right combination of actions and prayers, then God is going to give you what you want." Meehan says a wrong view of God will cause us to miss out on living the abundant life in Him we were meant for. So who is God really? "God is. Period," Meehan says. "God is existence, God is infinite, He's eternal; He's timeless. He is immaterial; He's literally outside of time and space. He is impossible for our finite minds to comprehend." In fact, along those lines, in the Bible, God says His name is "I AM." God is also Jesus. But He also embodies love, and it wasn't until Meehan met people who showed him the love of Christ that he wanted to turn from atheism and believe in God. For more teaching on who God is, watch the entire video here. Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Great Resources to help you excel in 2019! #1 John Eckhardt's "Prayers That..." 6-Book Bundle. Prayer helps you overcome anything life throws at you. Get a FREE Bonus with this bundle. #2 Learn to walk in the fullness of your purpose and destiny by living each day with Holy Spirit. Buy a set of Life in the Spirit, get a second set FREE. See an error in this article? Send us a correction

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Aligarh Muslim University AGRA: Students of the Aligarh Muslim University AMU ) have accused the university administration of disrupting their ongoing protest against CAA on campus by allegedly hiding their amplifier, speaker and mike.AMU students’ co-ordination committee has filed a police complaint about the missing speaker, amplifier and sound system.Former students’ union president Faizul Hasan said that when the proctor team refused to comment on the missing equipment and denieed the CCTV footage too.“On one hand, the VC himself writes to students that he has no issues with peaceful protests. The he sends his administrative officials to disrupt the protest,” alleged Hassan.When contacted, proctor Asifullah Khan said that he was not aware of any equipment missing from the campus. He added that the equipment must be with the students only.

An apparently drunken man was caught on CCTV footage in Shanghai, China, showing him imitating an odd road accident. The incident, which reportedly occurred recently, looks like an attempt at an insurance scam. The clip - which went viral on Wednesday - shows an automobile taxi coming to a halt as a man perches on his scooter in front of the vehicle. The man, who seemingly has some issues with coordination, topples over with his bike, then casually gets up and launches himself onto the taxi's hood. He then pauses for a moment before smashing his body to the ground. But almost instantly he stands up again and engages in a second attempt to succeed in his 'road accident'. At this moment in the video, another individual appears near the taxi and the clip then reveals a brief scuffle between the 'victim' of the road accident and the unidentified person. A third person arrives and is given a beating against one of the back doors, while another watches on the hood as though it is all staged. #Breaking: Report of Serious Accident in Shanghai 上海！😯 Require Compensation! 🇨🇳🤑 pic.twitter.com/DSGqIzNGz8 — China Nonghua News 中国农华通讯社信 (@NonghuaNews) December 30, 2019 The entire situation appears similar to the popular cash-for-crash scams reportedly exploited by various street crooks in big cities around the world, inflicting significant financial losses for insurance companies.

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Browse > Home News / Israelis welcome to attend 2022 World Cup, says Qatari official Israelis welcome to attend 2022 World Cup, says Qatari official Read on for article Israelis will be allowed to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the supreme committee, which is in charge of the tournament, told ESPN earlier this week. “Everyone is welcome,” he said. “We do not mix sport and politics, but we would hope that Palestinians are able to make it too.” Like many Arab countries, Qatar does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel has accused Qatar of supporting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Nevertheless, permits Qatar to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Back in 2009 when Qatar was bidding on hosting the event, al-Thawadi also said that Israel would be welcome to compete were it to qualify for the games. Article 22 of FIFA’s code of ethics prohibits discrimination of countries and banning people based upon country of origin. It states that “offend[ing] the dignity or integrity of a country, private person or group of people through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words or actions on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, nationality, social origin, gender, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason” isn’t permitted. JNS

Israel avoiding repeat ofone Bethlehem Christmas Re: “Artist Banksy displays political Nativity scene” (Page A5, Dec. 23): How quickly people forget or learn to ignore history. I was in Jerusalem during the Second Intifada and we could hear the firing of weapons from the Bethlehem area into Jerusalem. I remember the scenes of Palestinian gunmen occupying the Church of the Nativity and using it as a fort to attack Israelis. This is the Christmas in Bethlehem that Israel is trying to keep from repeating. The separation barrier was not built in a vacuum. It was built to prevent terrorist attacks. It has done a fairly good job at that. Related Articles Letter: Free health care and education ruin our Constitution? Letter: Richmond PhD always gets ‘random’ TSA pat down–why? Letter: Facebook, Instagram Twitter are ‘weapons of mass distraction’ Letter: This man may not want affordable housing in Danville but… Letter: Finally an idea both sides of gun control issue may go for While the Christian population has declined dramatically in areas controlled by Palestinians, it continues to increase in Israel. Critics can blame Israel for the problems in Bethlehem, but they should look no further than the Palestinian Authority for responsibility. Gil SteinAptos Submit your letter to the editor via this formRead more Letters to the Editor

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A former Cambridge University professor has been suspended from the medical register after dishonestly claiming he did not know he was being paid full salaries from two different universities. Professor Akhilesh Reddy, who is also a medical doctor, was receiving salaries from both University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge, but said he believed that he was 'sharing his salary' between the two, a tribunal heard. The academic, whose dishonesty extended over a period of approximately 14 months, also made a £50,000 mortgage repayment with his large sum of money. However the tribunal did not accept that Professor Reddy was financially naive and instead said he was a 'financially aware man' who 'dishonestly took advantage of a situation for his own financial gain'. Professor Akhilesh Reddy (pictured) was receiving salaries from both University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge A medical tribunal heard how Professor Reddy's full-time employment with UCL commenced on September 28, 2015 but the building where he was due to work was not yet completed. He therefore continued both with his research at the University Of Cambridge and with clinical work at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. However the professor did not resign from the University Of Cambridge where his full-time employment continued until November 30, 2016 and dishonestly claimed two salaries, the tribunal heard. In a statement read during his tribunal the professor said that 'he did not know he was in receipt of two full-time salaries' and did not check his bank account until February 2016. The professor also said that he believed that the University Of Cambridge and UCL had 'come to an agreement about balancing payments from the two institutions' and that both establishments were aware of his position. In a statement read to the tribunal, he said: 'It was my genuine belief that all necessary people were fully aware of the position. 'With the benefit of hindsight, I regret not being more proactive in ensuring that I specifically notified UCL of the situation. 'However, at the time, I thought that my employment situation was clear and widely known.' However the tribunal did not accept that Professor Reddy was unaware of his situation and felt his argument lacked credibility. The academic carried out his research at the University Of Cambridge (pictured) while he was still in full-time employment with UCL The academic said that he believed the University Of Cambridge and UCL had 'come to an agreement about balancing payments from the two institutions'. Pictured: St John's College, Cambridge University This was further demonstrated by a £50,000 mortgage repayment. In a document publishing the decision, the tribunal wrote: 'Whilst the Tribunal accepts that Professor Reddy did not set out to be dishonest, he dishonestly took advantage of a situation for his own financial gain. 'Professor Reddy's dishonesty extended over a period of approximately 14 months and involved a substantial amount of money, albeit an agreed sum of money was repaid.' The Medical Practitioners Tribunal has suspended Professor Reddy from the medical register for misconduct and the academic has since moved to Pennsylvania in the U.S. to continue his research following the allegations. A UCL spokesman: 'UCL immediately took action as soon as we became aware that Akhilesh Reddy was drawing two salaries and he is no longer employed by UCL. 'This was a unique set of circumstances that involved the complex transfer of an academic group who remained for a period of time at their previous university before moving to a laboratory separate from UCL's campus. 'The behaviour of the individual involved fell seriously below the standards of behaviour we expect from members of UCL's academic community.' A University of Cambridge spokesman said it was 'profoundly disappointed' by Professor Reddy's actions.

A kitten was allegedly attacked by hounds running through woodland during an illegal fox hunt on Christmas Eve. The seven-month-old cat named Tiger, was found 'ripped to pieces' after an illegal hunt carried out by the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, it has been claimed. The ginger and white cat, who had been kept at the animal home Cat Action Trust 1977 in Leeds before being adopted with his brother Felix on August 9, was later found dead by his devastated owner. Following the alleged attack, footage captured by independent hunt monitor and masters student Luke Steele, showed the pack of canines chasing after a lone fox on the morning of the incident. A kitten named Tiger (pictured) was found 'ripped to pieces' after an illegal fox hunt carried out by the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire, on December 24, it has been claimed Footage, captured by independent hunt monitor and masters student Luke Steele, later emerged of the pack of canines chasing after a single fox on the morning of the incident The hounds ran across the grass on the Bramham Estate and they tried to chase the lone fox During the clip, a lone fox was seen sprinting through grass on the Bramham Estate as it tried to flee from the fierce hounds. Moments later, the dogs were released and chased after the helpless animal who tried to hide down a badger sett. Mr Steele said: 'It's absolutely sickening to see a fox being chased to exhaustion by a pack of baying hounds across Bramham Park, an area popular with festival-goers who would be horrified to learn of the cruelty inflicted on hunted wildlife at the venue. 'Bramham Park has important questions to answer about why it hosted the fox hunt in the first place when warned just days before about the Badsworth & Bramham Moor Hunt's record of chasing and killing wildlife. 'The Hunting Act is clear that landowners have a responsibility to ensure wildlife is not chased or killed by hounds on their land and those facilitating hunting could easily find themselves on the wrong side of the law. The dogs ran through the open area on the morning of the alleged attack on the kitten Moments later the dogs tried to find the fox who had tried to hide down a badger sett The hunt was carried out by the Badsworth and Bramham Hunt in Scarcroft, West Yorkshire 'Bramham Park should now fulfil its obligation to prevent wildlife crime and maintain strong community relations by no longer inviting the hunt in light of the events on Christmas Eve.' Branch leader of Action Trust 1977, Shelia Pickersgill, told Metro.co.uk: 'The owner found the cat. 'The dogs came through and the cat was found all over the place. 'All that's left of him is bits of fur everywhere. 'It's disgusting that this goes on in this day and age. It's barbaric.' Bramham Estate Resident Agent Nicholas Pritchard said: 'The Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt requested permission to meet at Bramham Park on Christmas Eve; they were allowed to onto the estate on the understanding that their activities fell within the law. 'We have been made aware of a serious allegation that the law has been broken and we will cooperate fully with the Police in their investigation.' The ginger and white cat named Tiger (right) had been kept at the animal home Cat Action Trust 1977 in Leeds before being adopted with his brother Felix (left) on August 9 The kitten, who was 'ripped to pieces', was later found dead by his devastated owner Current laws in the UK state that it is illegal to hunt foxes with a pack of dogs however you can use canines to stimulate hunting. The rules state hunters can use up to two dogs to 'flush' out foxes if the wild animals are damaging their property. MailOnline has approached Badsworth and Bramham Hunt and West Yorkshire Police for comment.

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By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net Major supermarket and fast-food restaurant chains yesterday pledged they are “100 percent ready” for single-use plastics ban that takes effect tomorrow despite the extra costs they will incur. Mario Cash, general manager of Restaurants Bahamas, operator of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Burger King franchises, told Tribune Business: “We are 100 percent prepared. The impact for us was on the Styrofoam. “We use the breakfast Styrofoam clamshell for the pancakes platter, and we had to switch to a platter that is now biodegradable that can handle the pancakes and the sauce etc... The actual cost increase on that platter alone was 68 cents to go to a biodegradable one.” He added: “If you think about any vendors that are using the regular Styrofoam lunch clamshell, they went to the paper thing and it doesn’t quite work for putting scrambled eggs and pancakes on one platter. “So what we had to do is go to a high-grade biodegradable plastic thing that gives us a better-looking image. We didn’t even have that option of going paper. Then we had the straws and coffee cups with the lids. We don’t have any bags that were plastic; we already used paper.” Mr Cash said the increased costs involved in complying with the ban had created some challenges, explaining: “I’m absorbing that cost, which is insane. How do I pass this on? How do I pass this on to the consumer? “All of this cost increase is surrounding breakfast heavily because you have the breakfast platter now, the coffee cup and also the coffee stirrer. So it’s a lot of cost for breakfast items we had to absorb. “The actual cost per month on this packaging is $1,000 per store, so I am looking at a $6,000 increase per month for this. So it is heavy. Let’s not forget we have the knife, fork and spoon that are also going, along with this same breakfast platter, which is now biodegradable also. But we have already started to transition,” he continued. “All of our inventory is in, and we have started to phase out, for example, a couple of sizes of the coffee cups and we have already moved to new ones. We have already transitioned to the breakfast platters, so as the old inventory phases out we already have the new inventory already sitting there waiting to transition over to. “I don’t know how the other folks are absorbing these costs. Did the Government really think this through?,” Mr Cash asked. “I mean this is truly a real cost for this breakfast platter; this is the coffee cup, the platter, the knife and the fork. That is real cost. “For any vendor on the side of the road or anywhere, that new paper clamshell they are using, that is a new cost on a biodegradable knife and fork in the morning. So for them that is at least a 25 cent cost increase. I don’t know what that clamshell is going to cost, but that knife and fork is going to get up there.” However, Rupert Roberts, Super Value’s principal, told Tribune Business: “We are ready and prepared, and we think it’s going to go well.” Responding to concerns that the switch from single-use plastic bags to more environmentally-friendly ones will drive up grocery costs, Mr Roberts said: “I don’t know. If a customer spends $200 and it gets in one bag, it will be 25 cents, and if it gets in two bags it will be 50 cents. “So I don’t think it’s going to be a biggie. I really think in six months, when the plastics are out of the way, we’ll be using compostable and we should go back to free bags, unless government wants to do something on that. “We do have compostable bags coming in in May; that’s the earliest we can get them, but we do have six months to get rid of plastics and we should be able to go back to free. But it’s hardly a percentage on the grocery shopping. We won’t be able to get compostable bags until May or June, so our customers will be spending 25 cents per bag up until May or June. When we were aware of what we had to do we ordered, and that’s when we expect them to come in,” added Mr Roberts. “We are very late and should have acted earlier, and then checking yesterday, only 89 states in the US are banning so far. I checked with Canada yesterday, and they are charging for a plastic bag but they say that for five years people have been bringing down tote-bags to pack groceries.” Mr Roberts said the cost of switching from plastic bags to environmentally-friendly options was about “a third or 50 percent more. I believe in my mind it’s about from $50 to $70 per 2,000.” He added: “I thought five years ago that scientists said they would accept biodegradable. I thought five years ago biodegradable would be accepted and we switched to biodegradable and, of course, you take them in your workshop or you put something in them and you hang them up, and in six months they are in half-inch pieces. But now the compostables would disintegrate into powder. “One of the things that our generation has been used to, and fortunately the youth are being taught, and I think they think a lot different from us; they would never discard a plastic bag or throw a piece of plastic into the ocean. I think the crowd coming up behind us, if we don’t save the world they will, and that is very encouraging. “They are more thoughtful than us and are going to do better than us. That helps the situation. It just seems that everybody is on board, and you hear a lot of fun and jokes and a lot of negativity, but the people with the fun and jokes and negativity, they are on board and they know we have to go in this direction/”

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two people are injured after an early morning shooting in northeast Portland on the very first day of the year. Just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday, police responded to the 3500 block of Northeast 148th Avenue after reports of a shooting came in. Two victims were found with gunshot wounds and rushed to a hospital. There is no word yet on either of the victims’ conditions. No arrests have been made and no suspect information has been given. Northeast 148th Ave. and Northeast Fremont Street are currently closed in all directions. KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.

Four wounded in seven New Year's Day shootings No suspects have been arrested and the names of the victims were not immediately released Police are investigating seven shootings that left four people wounded on New Year's Day in Portland. More than 90 cartridge casing were recovered. The names and conditions of the victims were not immediately released. No one was immediately arrested, and no suspect information was released, either. According to police, the first shooting occurred near the 4000 block of Southwest Macadam Avenue around 12:08 a.m. on Jan. 1. Investigators recovered and processed more than 40 cartridge casings at the scene. There were no reported injuries and no arrests have been made. The second shooting occurred near the 12400 block of Southeast Powell Boulevard around 12:21 a.m. One victim suffered a gunshot wound and was transported to an area hospital. The victim sustained serious injuries, but is expected to survive. No arrests have been made. The third shooting was a walk-in victim at an area hospital. The location and circumstances of this shooting remain under investigation. The fourth shooting occurred near the 600 block of Southeast Alder Street around 1:37 a.m. Investigators located evidence of gunfire at the scene. There were no reported injuries and no arrests have been made. The fifth shooting occurred near the 11200 block of Southeast Division Street around 3:13 a.m. Investigators recovered more than 40 cartridge casings from multiple firearms. There were no reported injuries and no arrests have been made. The sixth shooting occurred near the 3500 block of Northeast 148th Avenue around 3:59 a.m. Two victims suffered gunshot wounds and were transported to an area hospital. The victim's conditions are not being released at this time. The seventh shooting occurred near the 9600 block of North Woolsey Avenue around 5:32 a.m. Investigators located evidence of gunfire at the scene. There were no reported injuries and no arrests have been made. There is no indication that these shootings are connected. Gang Violence Reduction Team detectives are following up on all of them and are asking for the public's help. If anyone witnessed any of these events, or has other knowledge about what happened, they're asked to call or e-mail. If anyone has video surveillance in these areas that might have captured what happened or any suspect information, they're asked to check their recordings. If they find anything that could help, please save it and share it with investigators. Anyone with information about these, or any, gun crimes in the City of Portland is encouraged to provide information to the Portland Police Bureau's Tactical Operations Division at 503-823-4106 or email information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Is the UN hoping that attempted gun confiscation in Virginia flares into violent confrontation and failure of the rule of law? UN headquarters in New York is preparing for just such a thing. In New York, the UN is hiring (from Dec 2019 through Feb 2020) highly qualified (Master Degree required) military types as officers for “disarmament” and “re-integration” duties pertaining to what they call their Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration protocol (DDR). These are not grunts, but officers, and it sounds to me like this NY hiring, and the training will follow, is to prepare a cadre of leadership that can deploy anywhere in the US. In case you’re interested (and I wish absolutely nobody would apply): So the UN wants to disarm the population. They are preparing to use some violent conflagration or other as their starting point. They will probably do this piece-a-meal, a little here, a little there, at first. But make no mistake: a disarmed population is the goal. History has proven that disarming of a population is generally followed by massacres of the population by government authorities. Demobilization is the formal and controlled discharge of active combatants from armed forces or other armed groups. The first stage of demobilization may extend from the processing of individual combatants in temporary centres to the massing of troops in camps designated for this purpose (cantonment sites, encampments, assembly areas or barracks). (New York UN Office Recruits Paramilitary Troops for ‘Disarmament’ and ‘Reintegration’ of US Civilians Bold added.) Internment camps in the United States? Haha, never happen? Well it won’t if the UN is defunded and thrown out. But until and unless that happens, internment camps in the United States are in their plans. The second stage of demobilization encompasses the support package provided to the demobilized, which is called reinsertion. … Reinsertion is a form of transitional assistance to help cover the basic needs of ex-combatants and their families … . (New York UN Office Recruits Paramilitary Troops for ‘Disarmament’ and ‘Reintegration’ of US Civilians Bold added.) So for some, for those that can be successfully re-educated (to borrow a Chinese Communist term), detainment won’t be forever. Be ready to disavow your Second Amendment rights, and your love of Constitutional freedoms generally so that you can get your assistance package and go free – as a dependent vassal, of course! Reintegration is the process by which ex-combatants acquire civilian status and gain sustainable employment and income. Reintegration is essentially a social and economic process with an open time-frame, primarily taking place in communities at the local level. It is part of the general development of a country and a national responsibility, and often necessitates long-term external assistance. (New York UN Office Recruits Paramilitary Troops for ‘Disarmament’ and ‘Reintegration’ of US Civilians Bold added.) This is nation-building: a process that has proven monstrously profitable. It is a refinement of the process. “It is part of the general development of a country.” “Reintegration” re-builds society from the ground of person-hood up. The only reason the UN needs to involve itself in re-integrating a person into society is to monitor that person to ensure that they become a citizen in the UN-approved model. This implements a form of the Chinese Communist social scoring system. It is “long-term” … as in permanent. Oh the UN, that affable, bungling, bureaucratic, distant, European cousin of the US Federal government. Well, not so distant. They’re over here hoping to muck around; and not so affable and bungling. They are corrupt as hell and serious as a heart attack. Well, serious as a tyrannical police state, actually. And they want to welcome you home, citizen, every day! Organic Prepper has also written an article about this: The UN is Hiring… See Also: Join the conversation. Start a channel at Minds! The new Facebook ______________________End_______________________

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Charms, Riddles & Elegies When: 7:30 pm., Jan. 10 Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard St. Beowulf: The Epic in Performance with Benjamin Bagby When: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 11 Where: Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St. Tickets and info:earlymusic.bc.ca Early Music Vancouver’s season has included several projects showcasing pioneers of the early music movement. Harpsichordist Ton Koopman visited for an important recital in the fall; so did cornetto player Bruce Dickey, who led a glorious performance of Venetian music for a sold-out crowd at the Chan Centre right before Christmas. The new year starts up with a visit by the celebrated Benjamin Bagby and his Sequentia Ensemble. It’s a bold two-concert initiative featuring a mixed program of medieval music on Jan. 10 at the neo-medieval Christ Church Cathedral and then Bagby’s remarkable solo performance of Beowulf the following night at the Vancouver Playhouse. Bagby, who turns 70 in February, hails from the American Midwest but has enjoyed a truly international career, including years teaching at the Sorbonne. In Basel in 1977 he and singer Barbara Thornton (his late wife) founded the Sequentia Ensemble. Teaching, touring and recording made Sequentia the most renowned ensemble devoted to medieval music. It has recorded a remarkable swath of materials ranging over centuries and from diverse traditions. “Medieval” music used to be viewed as a starting point in the “evolution” of western music. No longer. Thanks in part to scholar/performers like Bagby, who enthusiastically explore materials once thought peripheral to the mainstream of musical development, we are far more aware that the musical traditions of the medieval era were pluralistic and bewilderingly diverse. Though Bagby is renowned as a scholar, he and his cohort have never been cloistered inhabitants of the ivory tower. On the contrary, they have performed everywhere in projects that included both live performance and recording. (Sound a bit like a medieval rock band? I wouldn’t dismiss the obvious similarities.) Sequentia’s new show Charms, Riddles and Elegies of the Medieval Northlands will be given its Canadian premiere at the cathedral. Performers Bagby, Stef Conner, Hannah Marti and Norbert Rodenkirchen have curated a tapestry of materials. They promise: “Each of these songs is a glimpse into another time far from ours, and into the souls of poets, warriors, valkyries and seeresses, bards and philosophers, whose creations were the first to be written down in English and other Germanic languages.” If Charms, Riddles and Elegies is anything like the group’s Fragments for the End of Time, heard here six years ago, listeners are in for a performance of remarkable diversity and power. For me, the conclusion of that production, an excerpt from a 10h-century Icelandic Edda, was one of those transcendent moments where a concert hall evaporates into time and space. Bagby’s solo telling of the Beowulf saga is his signature project. The Playhouse is a far cry from a cramped, smoky Anglo-Saxon mead hall and there will be the very 21st-century intrusion of video supertitles. Yet the core of the Beowulf experience is one scop (a “singer of tales”), one harp and a compelling story. “In the course of the story the vocalist may move imperceptibly or radically between true speech, heightened speech, speech-like song, and true song,” Bagby writes in his program note. “The instrument acts as a constant point of reference, a friend and fellow-performer, a symbol of the scop and his almost magical role in the community of listeners.” Related CLICK HERE to report a typo. Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com.

Several families are kicking off the new year from the hospital, but for a great reason—the birth of their child. As the New Year’s Day ball dropped in Times Square, one family embarked on a journey into parenthood. Meet the Matson-Warner’s. The first time parents hold the title of having the first baby of 2020 in Erie. It all started at 5:30 p.m. on December 31, 2019 when Matson-Warner’s water broke. “It was a very long day, but a very nice surprise. We were not expecting to have a baby this soon,” said Destiny Matson-Warner. Just like that, when the clock struck 2:12 a.m., the little guy, John Ronald Matson-Warner, was born. John Ronald was originally due January 22. Safe to say he was a surprise. Another surprise was the gender. “I was shocked, because I thought it was going to be a girl,” said Destiny. “I thought it was going to be a boy,” said John Matson-Warner, Dad. Both mom and dad say they look forward to the adventures that are ahead of them. “I’m pretty excited. He’s been easy so far, he’s cute,” said John. There was definitely no shortage of babies at Hamot with two more babies besides John being born, and two others born at Saint Vincent Hospital. The second baby born in the new year was at 10:34 a.m. at Saint Vincent Hospital. Helping to bring baby Elisha into the world was RN nurse Jill O’Conner. “I love doing it. It is one of my favorite days of the year. The new year represents a fresh start for everybody. What is fresher than a new baby?” said Jill O’Conner, RN, Labor and Delivery, Saint Vincent Hospital. As for which is a better day to deliver a baby, Christmas or New Year’s Day, O’Conner says both are just as magical. Both Hamot and Saint Vincent give New Year’s Day babies little hats to wear.

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SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem said the storms, tornadoes and flooding that devastated communities across the state was one of the biggest challenges she faced in her first year in office, in a wide-ranging interview in which she also promised to focus on growing the economy and improving her working relationship with lawmakers in the new year. The first-term Republican governor called it “a difficult year, all in all, for the state” due to flooding that strained state resources and had her administration working overtime and traveling thousands of miles to respond to disasters. Noem said she had successes, naming her work to encourage foster families, address drug addiction and spread broadband internet access in rural areas. And she also called herself “teachable,” a nod to some lawmakers who said she failed to communicate well on some policy decisions. The former congresswoman took office in January last year, and almost as soon as the Legislature ended found herself leading the state’s response to severe storms in March and April that laid the foundation for what seemed a year of flooding. South Dakota recorded the highest amount of precipitation in its history, beating the previous mark set in 1915. By the end of November, South Dakota already had more than 30 inches of precipitation, topping 1915’s mark of just under 28 inches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Floods and tornadoes caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage and the state led the nation in unplanted farmland. “You’re focused on getting priorities and the state budget passed, and immediately went into getting people through a crisis situation and helping them recover,” Noem said. The state got four presidential disaster declarations, in addition to the Oglala Sioux Tribe receiving one for storms and flooding. Noem’s administration is offering loans to counties, towns and tribes to fund recovery. Noem acknowledged concerns about more flooding in 2020 with the forecast calling for a wet winter. That could add to the difficulty for farmers, who left nearly 4 million acres unplanted. The slump in the state’s largest industry affected South Dakota’s economy and budget. Noem said she’ll respond by focusing on “growing our economy together” next year. When asked to assess her first year in office, Noem declined to grade herself. She said she wanted to remain “teachable” and acknowledged she could do a better job communicating “so that people know not just what we’re doing, but why and the reason behind it.” Legislative leaders from both parties said they were sometimes frustrated by a disjointed relationship between Noem’s administration and the Republican-dominated legislature. Senate Majority Leader Kris Langer, a Republican from Dell Rapids, said she felt Noem’s second session would be smoother, with legislation on mental health and addiction treatment in the works and both Noem and majority Republicans in support. Senate Minority Leader Troy Heinert, D-Mission, worried that the recent departure of the governor’s chief of staff would be a setback heading into the session. Noem drew national attention in November for the state’s “Meth: We’re on it” campaign, which received some snickers on social media. She defended the campaign, saying it was achieving its goal of drawing attention to a serious problem. Noem said she knew the campaign was “provocative,” but was surprised by the amount of attention it received. She plans to follow the $1.4 million ad campaign with funding for addiction treatment and law enforcement. To get that funding, the legislature will have to pass it in the budget. The session begins on Jan. 14 when Noem will deliver her second State of the State address.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A Rapid City woman has been selected to finish the term of Lyndi Santo, a Republican from Box Elder who resigned in November and moved to Montana. The Rapid City Journal reports Jessica Castleberry was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Kristi Noem to fill the District 35 seat. Castleberry owns Little Nest Preschools in Rapid City and is an instructor at Black Hills State University’s South Dakota Center for Enterprise Opportunity. DiSanto was the second legislator from the Rapid City area to resign last fall. In October, Rapid City Republican Alan Solano announced his resignation from the state Senate. Noem appointed Helene Duhamal to replace him and represent District 32. The elected terms that Castleberry and Duhamal filled end this year.

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Milwaukie resident heads to America's Miss Pageant Kervencia Limage, USOA's Miss Oregon, will vie for national title in February Kervencia Limage's life right now is a blur. She recently was named the United States of America's Miss Oregon and will compete in the national pageant in February in Las Vegas. At the same time, she is studying for a degree in psychology at Portland State University, working on getting certified as an esthetician and is a nutrition aide at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center. Limage, a 27-year-old Milwaukie resident who was born in Haiti, also founded an elementary school in Haiti with her sister. Education in that country is expensive, she noted, so she and her sister started a free school for 45 low-income students in the first and second grades. Limage and her sister hope to expand the school to more grades in the future. Focus on pageant For right now, though, Limage is preparing for the national United States of America's Miss Pageant on Feb. 14-16. Her godparents are the ones who recruited her for the USOA's Miss Oregon Pageant, where she represented Clackamas County. Her godparents are pageant trainers, so they taught Limage how to walk in six-inch heels and how to answer interview questions onstage, in front of judges and the audience. The USOA's Miss Oregon event, which is separate from the Miss Oregon competition that feeds into Miss America, was the first time Limage had ever competed in a pageant. "It was eye-opening for me; I have so much respect for women in pageants," Limage said. "It takes a lot of courage; the swimsuit competition was the most nerve wracking," she added. For her, the pageant experience is about empowering and uplifting young women. "It helped build my self-confidence and changed my life in a positive way," Limage added. Mental health awareness In Las Vegas, she will compete in swimsuit, evening gown, personal interview and onstage question. Her platform, a social issue she feels passionate about, is mental health awareness. The issue is personal to her, as she has suffered depression and said she lost her sense of self and went down a dark path. But she had the courage to "rediscover myself, and I'm thankful that I'm here today," Limage said, adding that she's currently in the early stages of putting together a documentary about people living with mental illness. Her defining characteristic, Limage said, is her desire to help people and give back to the community. She can do that now with appearances as USOA's Miss Oregon, and in the future, when she has her own esthetician business. "I want to have a safe space where women and men can learn how to take care of their skin," she said. Limage added, "I want to make people feel good about themselves. I want to build community in my shop, where people can feel relaxed and beautiful." For more information about the United States of America's Miss Pageant on Feb. 14-16, visit unitedstatesofamericapageants.com.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday, said he was not bothered by the alleged plot to remove him from office.Oshiomhole, who is facing the threat of removal by some state governors, said he remained committed to plans that would move the APC to greater heights.He spoke while addressing scores of party faithful in Iyamho, his home town.Oshiomhole, urged his supporters to remain focused and continue to support the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).He said there were facts of history which nobody could change concerning his reign as the national chairman of the APC.He said, “I became chairman precisely on the 24th of June, 2018. We won the first election in Ekiti State.“By the special grace of God, we also won the next election which was the Osun State’s governorship election.“The next election was the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and by the special grace of God, we won the presidency and our President was re-elected for the second term.“We also won more seats in the Senate and we won more seats in the House of Representatives.“Unlike in 2015, we managed our victory more creatively, smartly and we conducted peaceful secret ballot and our party won all the principal officers that were there to be contested.“We went to Kogi State and we won. We then went deeper to the South-South, Bayelsa State, the heart of the Ijaw nation.“We fielded a candidate; a humble man from a very humble beginning and as we can see, we have Bayelsa State.“By February, he will be sworn in and the number of the APC governors will increase.“So, I am proud to say that under my chairmanship, we won one state in the South-South. It is not just another state, it is a very special state, the state that produced the immediate past president.“I have no enemies; I have brothers and I have sisters. Some may be happy with me today some may not be happy with me tomorrow but that is alright.“We have quality minds because the governance of our country and the quality of politics must reflect the quality of the people who are in it.“So, we are not just celebrating good people today, we are celebrating quality re-union with my brothers and my sisters.”

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If you woke up New Year’s Day feeling guilty about all those last-second charitable solicitations you ignored, it might ease your conscience to know you weren’t alone. Just ask Liz Warren. On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tirelessly attacks the greed and self-interest of America’s wealthy, the “millionaires and billionaires” who, she claims, are “waging war on America’s middle class.” “It’s time for the millionaires to pay their fair share!” Warren demands. But when it comes to spreading the wealth to charitable causes and community service, Warren is one of the millionaires who apparently hasn’t gotten the message. According to the tax returns Warren has posted on her campaign website, she and her husband, Bruce Mann, have earned more than $10 million since 2008, but they’ve rarely donated more than 4 percent of their income to charitable causes. For example, in 2014 Warren earned more than $1.6 million but gave just 2.7 percent to charity. The following year she took in nearly $1.2 million, but donated just 2.3 percent. All that changed, however, in 2017 when Warren was preparing to enter the presidential race. That year her charitable donations suddenly spiked to 8.4 percent, leading some to speculate that her newfound generosity was more about electability than philanthropy. In 2018, she donated 5.5 percent of her income to charity. Exclude her “presidential primary” years, and Warren donated an average of just 3.5 percent of her millions in income to charitable causes. That number is low for the typical American in her income bracket (the typical millionaire donates nearly twice that amount), and it sounds particularly ungenerous given her political platform of income redistribution, trillion-dollar tax increases and “you didn’t build that!” rhetoric. Sign up for The Point Go inside New York politics. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. And yet compared to her fellow 2020 progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, Warren’s the Oprah Winfrey of the Democratic field. In 2016, Sanders donated just $10,600 of his $1 million income — around 1 percent — to charity. His total household donations since 2009 manage to get him to the 2 percent level. According to analysis by Forbes magazine, the least charitable Democrat is also the poorest: Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Despite his progressive bona fides, including a “paid” volunteerism program, Buttigieg has donated just 1 percent of his income to charity since 2009. And then there’s former Vice President Joe Biden, who made headlines in 2008 when Barack Obama tapped him to be his running mate it was discovered the Bidens had donated just $3,690 to charity over the course of an entire decade. He’s since raised that number to 6 percent, much of it donated to Biden family foundations. Thus far the issue of charitable giving hasn’t come up on the campaign trail, perhaps because Democratic primary voters are also less likely to support charitable causes themselves. According to multiple studies, Americans on the left are less charitable than their Republican counterparts. States that supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 were, on average, less generous in their charitable giving than those carried by Donald Trump. Arthur C. Brooks, a social scientist at Harvard’s Kennedy School and author of the book on charitable giving "Who Really Cares" says his research finds, “People who favor government income redistribution are significantly less likely to donate to charity than those who do not.” Data from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy show that a smaller percentage of Americans are donating to charity each year, but overall donations are rising. In fact, over this same 2009-2017 period during which millionaire candidates like Warren and Sanders give so little, total U.S. donations to charity rose by nearly $100 billion, from $314 billion to $410 billion. The same “millionaires and billionaires” whose greed is allegedly endangering our democracy are giving more to charity and community service. Even as progressive politicians give so little. There are exceptions, most notably Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. The former mayor of Newark has donated nearly half a million dollars — about 11 percent of his income — to charity over the past decade. Unfortunately, Democratic primary voters aren’t being as generous toward his campaign and Booker continues to linger around 2 percent in the polls. From free health care for illegal immigrants to paying off everyone’s student loan debt, Elizabeth Warren has lots of plans for taxpayer-funded generosity. American voters may want to ask why her charity doesn’t begin at home. Michael Graham is politics editor for InsideSources.com.

Opinion: The Democrats' 'wine cave' dilemma What happens in the wine cave stays in the wine cave. At least, that's how it's supposed to work in the world of American politics. For decades, Democrats would rail against the "wealthiest 1%" and "tax cuts for the rich," often before audiences of some of the wealthiest people in America. Then came Sen. Elizabeth Warren. After years of successfully raising millions of dollars the same way, Warren has now decided that accepting campaign contributions from wealthy donors and political action committees is a form of corruption. "When you see a government that works great for the wealthy and the well-connected and for no one else, that is corruption, pure and simple. And we need to call it out for what it is," Warren said in the most recent Democratic debate, before calling out Mayor Pete Buttigieg. By name. "So the mayor just recently had a fundraiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals and served $900-a-bottle wine," she complained. "Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States." Buttigieg pushed back with the obvious observation that Warren has spent her entire pre-POTUS political career attending similar fundraisers, often attended by literally the same wealthy donors. Most pundits believe he withstood Warren's attack without a scratch. Now the question is: What about the rest of the Democratic Party? While Warren is on the stump declaring, "I don't do call time with millionaires and billionaires, I don't meet behind closed doors with big-dollar donors," New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is funding her 2020 reelection campaign doing exactly that. The Granite State Democrat's race has been declared one of the most competitive in the country, and there's a possibility she may face former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Not only is Lewandowski a master self-promoter (as he proved during his appearance before the House impeachment inquiry), he's expected to raise millions from the Trump network if he gets in the race. What's an incumbent Democrat in a swing state to do? What they've always done — head to the wine cave. Figuratively speaking. After raising a then-record $16.5 million in her 2014 reelection bid (in an odd twist of geographic fate, against former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown), Shaheen's already raised around $7.5 million this cycle, setting another Granite State quarterly fundraising record along the way. And she's raised her money the old-fashioned way: She's asked rich people to give it to her. Shaheen made phone calls to millionaires, took checks from PACs, and attended high-dollar events like a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser featuring Hillary Rodham Clinton. Ticket price? $32,400 apiece. And yes, there were billionaires present. Events like this are nothing new, and Shaheen is far from unique. Virtually every politician who raises significant amounts of money — Republican or Democrat — does the same thing. This is the problem with Sen. Bernie Sanders saying "we are living in a nation increasingly becoming an oligarchy, where you have a handful of billionaires who spend hundreds of millions of dollars buying elections and politicians." Many of the politicians he's declaring "bought" are his fellow Democrats. And they're starting to notice. In the debate, Joe Biden lashed out against Sanders' suggestion "that I am in the pocket of billionaires when, in fact, they oppose everything that I have ever done." Ironically, according to polling at the time, America's millionaires backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a 13-point margin in 2016, and she outraised him among billionaires by 20 to 1. Are Warren and Sanders suggesting Hillary was the more "corrupt" candidate? Veteran presidential campaign consultant Bob Shrum says he doesn't believe Democratic primary voters are paying attention to the campaign fundraising issue. "Warren's problem is that you don't attack Buttigieg over his fundraiser in a wine cave when you just had your own high-dollar fundraiser at a winery in Boston." Shrum rejects the premise of Warren and Sanders' criticism. "I've been involved with many, many candidates and it's not my experience that the fundraising 'corrupts' them. There are a lot of wealthy Democrats who donate to candidates who, you could argue, are working against their economic interests. Who are going to raise their taxes. These people are giving out of principle." Asked about Sanders effectively using the campaign cash issue against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Shrum said, "I think her Wall Street speeches hurt her more than the fundraising." Deb Kozikowski, co-founder of the Left of Center PAC and a longtime Democratic activist also pushed back on the Warren/Sanders argument. "Are you asking me if I honestly believe Pete Buttegieg is corrupt? Is Michael Bloomberg suspect as a result of his billionaire status? The simple answer 'no,'" she said. "Not every donor is corrupt, and not every politician is corruptable," Kozikowski said. Michael Graham is politics editor for InsideSources.com.

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Methodology This data includes Forms 3, 3P, and 3X. Methodology overview Money raised includes each of the following: Adjusted receipts for PACs, parties, congressional filers and presidential filers Adjusted receipts are the total receipts minus the following: Contribution refunds Contributions from political party committees and other political committees Loan repayments Offsets to operating expenditures Transfers from nonfederal accounts for allocated activities The form-by-form breakdown for adjusted receipts is:

Tagging 2020 as the ‘year of Revival and New Glory, Olukoya urged Nigerians to pray because the year would be messy and confusing. Read Also: Pastor Tackles MFM’s Olukoya Over Christmas ‘Unbiblical’ Comment Here are the prophecies below: ”1. 2020 is a year where disobedience to God would yield terrible result that no deliverance can reverse. 2. More than any other year the enemy plans to bring the dog spirit (strange sexual perversions). 3. Year where round the clock prayers are needed against national restlessness. 4. This year impatience would lure many Into strange marriages. 5. A year not only to take back what the enemy has stolen but for you to occupy new territories. 6. Hot prayers are required in 2020. 7. This year would be messy and confusing. 8. Year when some many leaders would be shifted away. 9. A year where all things many have planted and watered in the past years would now begin to produce fruits. 10. Year where many who have endured season of darkness and delay would sing their song and dance their dance. 11. Year of returns of long time prodigals. ALSO READ: Oluwo of Iwo announces separation from his wife, Chanel Chin 12. Year we must return to our accient landmark ( holiness and righteousness. 13. Year of perfection for vision. 14. Year of positive and negative harvest. 15. Extra ordinary and sacrificial giving would yield powerful result this year. 16. 2020 would be an up and down year. 17. Year that the Lord shall tear in pieces kingdom of those boasting against him. 18. Season where that which that has delayed the blessing of God’s children shall be dashed to pieces. 19. Resurrection power would bring back dry bones. 20. The lord would bring fresh start for a lot of people. 21. The lord would bring fresh start for a lot of people. 22. Year for rewriting negative family history. 23. Year of aggressive prayers against voices from foundation. 24. Year of unbelievable answers to prayers. 25. Year of it can only be God testimonies. 26. Year where many captives would divorce their chains. 27. Year for consistently deploying the blood of Jesus. 28. Year when the Lord shall dash to pieces kingdom of evil rulers. 29. Many families shall climb to a new height of victory. 30. Year when sins must be more sensitive to heaven frequencies. 31. Food supplies from the kingdom of herod shall be cut off.”

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Four people inside a Woodland Hills hotel room were being treated Tuesday morning after possibly being exposed to fentanyl. Los Angeles firefighters responded to the Extended Stay America at 20205 W. Ventura Blvd. shortly before 7 a.m. for a hazardous materials call, said LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Three people appear to be in stable condition, but one person is in grave condition. The hotel room has been closed off and a hazmat team called to the scene, Stewart said. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid at least 10 times more powerful than morphine, is often mixed with other opioids to produce a stronger high. Last year, health officials and law enforcement warned that fentanyl was starting to show up in cocaine and methamphetamine. Experts say the substance can be lethal, even in small doses.

Four people who were apparently using fentanyl in a Woodland Hills hotel room Tuesday morning were transported for hospital treatment, with one of them in grave condition, authorities said. Firefighters and paramedics were sent at 6:47 a.m. to the Extended Stay America hotel at 20205 Ventura Blvd., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which reported that the other three patients appeared to be in stable condition. "It turned out to be a fentanyl overdose case and it's being handled by the fire department," said Los Angeles police Officer Drake Madison. The fire department sent a hazardous materials team to the location to examine the room, which was closed off.

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JTA — An appeals court ruling that a man who killed a Jewish woman in her home while shouting Quranic verses is unfit to stand trial is prompting outraged reactions from French Jews who fear it sets a dangerous precedent that will undermine the fight against anti-Semitism. Kobili Troare admitted to killing 67-year-old Sarah Halimi in 2017 in a long and gruesome beating in which neighbors heard him quoting from the Quran and calling his victim a “demon.” But despite Troare having no history of mental illness, the Paris Appeals Court earlier this month upheld a lower court ruling that Traore is unfit to stand trial because he had a “delirious episode” brought on by his consumption of marijuana. The judge in the case also determined that Troare was anti-Semitic. It “left me speechless,” Francis Kalifat, the president of the CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish communities, wrote last week in an emotional open letter to the head of the court. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up “Does the court wish to set a new jurisprudence in our country, making cannabis, which is normally an aggravating factor, a mitigating one for an anti-Semitic murder?” Kalifat asked. Traore is not the first killer of Jews to avoid standing trial in France. In 2003, Abel Amastaibou told his mother that he was “going to heaven” for killing a Jew after stabbing Sebastian Selam to death. Amastaibou, a Muslim, was found unfit to stand trial despite having no prior history of mental illness. In 2015, another Muslim with no prior history of mental illness, Farid Haddouche, was deemed unfit to stand trial for stabbing Jews in Marseille — though further inquiries, conducted amid an outcry, ultimately led to his sentencing to four years in jail. In his letter, Kalifat wondered whether the court ruling was driven by a desire to avoid addressing the role of Muslim anti-Semitism in the targeting of Jews in France while adding he couldn’t bring himself to believe this was the case. Gilles-William Goldnadel, a former member of the CRIF executive board and a lawyer representing the Halimi family, had no such qualms. The ruling on Traore “was an ideological decision born of a great reluctance to condemn those deemed as society’s victims,” he told reporters. The case “destroyed my confidence that anti-Semitic hate crimes in France are handled properly,” Sammy Ghozlan, a former French police commissioner who now heads the BNVCA anti-Semitism watchdog, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “There have been a series of massive failures unlike any I’d seen.” Ghozlan’s investigation led to the discovery that several police officers had stood outside the door of Halimi’s apartment while she was being pummeled by Traore. Neighbors had called the police upon hearing the commotion, but the officers stayed outside due to what a police spokesperson later said was concern about “terrorist activity.” “I personally believe the decision to not prosecute Traore is to avoid scrutiny of how police performed that night,” Ghozlan said. “It’s the only explanation I can think of to a chain of events that is otherwise inexplicable, at least to me.” The decision not to prosecute Traore was based on three rounds of psychiatric examinations that determined he was not responsible for his actions because the cannabis had induced a “delirious episode,” which the appeals court stated did not subtract from the fact that his actions were the result of anti-Semitic bias. Some of the psychiatric evaluations were ordered by the judge evaluating the case and not at the request of Traore’s lawyer. Prosecutors disputed the claim that Traore was not in charge of his faculties when he killed Halimi. But even if he were, the prosecution argued in June, by “voluntarily consuming” marijuana, Traore “directly contributed” to his delirium and is therefore criminally liable for his actions. Halimi’s killing on April 3, 2017, came just three weeks before the first round of a presidential election in which Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party and a fierce critic of Islam, took one-third of the vote. Many French Jews believe the media swept the case under the carpet in order not to give fodder to Le Pen’s campaign. The killing was reported at length in the mainstream French media only two months later, largely thanks to an open letter by 17 of France’s foremost intellectuals. “Everything about this crime suggests there is an ongoing denial of reality,” they wrote. Only in September 2017 did prosecutors for the first time say that Traore’s actions were the result of anti-Semitic hatred, a claim the judges who deemed him unfit to stand trial accepted in their reasoning. The case has brought back “bad memories,” according to Shmuel Trigano, a French Jewish author and researcher well-known for chronicling how the French authorities ignored a wave of violent anti-Semitism in France in the early 2000s sparked by the outbreak of the Second Intifada in Israel. Daniel Vaillant, then France’s interior minister, later acknowledged that the incidents were squelched in order to “not pour oil on the fire.” But French authorities have since grown less reticent as the death toll from Islamic militants has grown. In October, President Emmanuel Macron urged the country to be “vigilant” against the threat of Islamism following the slaying of four people by a Muslim convert at the Paris police headquarters. Still, some critics see French authorities as reluctant to call out the Muslim role in violence against French Jews. According to BNVCA, most physical assaults on Jews in France are perpetrated by people from families that immigrated to France from Muslim-majority countries. In its annual report for 2016, the French government’s human rights body, French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, wrote that a “significant part of the anti-Semitic acts (actions and threats) pertains to neo-Nazi ideology, whereas in most other cases the perpetrators’ motivations are difficult to ascertain.” The report did not mention attacks by Muslims. The report also questioned the existence of a new anti-Semitism tied to animosity toward Israel, saying that if such an anti-Semitism exists, “then it pertains to a minority” of cases.

While a shooter was firing rounds of ammunition into two Jews in Jersey City, New Jersey, a kosher market worker and a police officer simply for who they are and where they were, I was halfway around the world, in Paris. More specifically, I was hurrying past a Parisian cafe where I was made to feel humiliated for being visibly Jewish exactly a year prior. The attack felt more personal to me, a proud Brooklyn Jew. The Jewish community in Jersey City is comprised largely of Chasidic Brooklyn Jews who can’t afford living across the bridge. An anti-Semite went after my home community, the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up When I travel, I always wear a yarmulke. I refuse to hide my Jewishness — the argument that assimilation will offer Jews safety fails when I consider the yellow stars that assimilated, cultured German Jews were forced to wear as their community was systematically murdered. So I wear my kippah when I travel as a proud banner to counter the cheer that “Jews will not replace us.” I was taught in yeshiva that Jews merited being saved from slavery in ancient Egypt because they didn’t change their names, their language or their clothing. Their refusal to assimilate was their ticket out. In Brooklyn, I heard the message that sticking to my tight-knit Jewish community was the clearest path to safety — that the best way to save myself from anti-Semitism was to simply avoid interacting with non-Jews. I’m working on unlearning this narrative. I proudly travel while Jewish, across nearly 30 countries so far. But recent events have made me question my own conclusions about my place in the world. Last year, after a red-eye from New York on the last day of Chanukah, I arrived in Paris’ city center with enough time to take part in a Parisian ritual, at least according to the movies — sip an espresso on a table with a checkered tablecloth. I found the perfect cafe and ordered espresso in the little French I memorized on the plane. I sat in the booth and took off my beanie, revealing a yarmulke. I tried to get comfortable as I took in the scene — the pretty bar, the checkered pattern and the non-kosher food I could only enjoy with my eyes. And the waiters, who were all wearing uniforms. One was heading my way. He didn’t look happy. He was yelling in French. His body language told me he didn’t want me there. I surmised that to him, I was poison. Humiliated, I paid the 2 euros for my coffee, downed it and headed out into the cold. The event challenged my place in the world. The liberal beliefs I held close, that the Holocaust is now behind us and that Jews are welcomed in Western society, didn’t hold up in light of this experience. I was caught between the idea that Jews should never integrate because assimilation will be our downfall and the idea that best way to combat anti-Semitism is to be even more public with my Jewishness — caught between the push to assimilate and the need to stick to my guns as a Jew and wear my Jewishness more proudly. But that was only in France, where earlier this month another Jewish cemetery was filled with graffiti swastikas. Not in the United States, where I was safe. This was in Europe. It wasn’t like this in America. This juggling act came to mind when I accidentally passed the cafe after making a wrong turn on the day of the New Jersey shooting, exactly a year later. I remembered the awning and the layout, including the wicker chairs outside under the electric heaters. I hurried past it. As I traveled to the airport, I read more about the shooting and how it is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism with anti-Semitic and anti-police intent. I am now back in New York, my former city of safety. But today it feels more like being in Europe as a Jew, with or without a kippah. France was where I realized that I could stay safe in my tristate shtetl, but Jersey City taught me that staying here will never offer complete security. My hopefulness in my place in the world is waning. pjc Eli Reiter is a New York based educator, storyteller and writer. This article first appeared at JTA.org.

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New Delhi (Sputnik): The Indian government’s avowed objective in appointing the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was to ensure optimum utilisation of defence resources through the integration of tri-service operations and establishment of joint or theatre-specific commands. The country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat assumed formal charge of his post on Wednesday and committed to promoting synergy between the Army, Air Force, and Navy, besides ensuring better management of defence resources. Addressing the media after receiving a guard of honour outside the Defence Ministry, General Rawat refuted allegations of being politically inclined, but added that the armed forces work according to the directions of the government in power. “We stay far away from politics, very far. We have to work according to the directions of the government in power", news agency ANI quoted General Rawat as saying. Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) General Bipin Rawat on allegations that he is politically inclined: We stay far away from politics, very far. We have to work according to the directions of the Government in power pic.twitter.com/CYQnp3C9o6 — ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020 General Rawat, it may be recalled, had drawn criticism when as the country’s army chief he indirectly took a public stand against the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by the Indian Parliament last month. "Leadership is all about leading. When you move forward, everybody follows...But leaders are those who lead people in the right direction. Leaders are not those who lead people in inappropriate directions, as we are witnessing in a large number of university and college students, the way they are leading masses of crowds to carry out arson and violence in our cities and towns. This is not leadership", General Rawat said at an event on 27 December, four days before ending his tenure as India’s 27th army chief. Opposition politicians criticised him for that statement, with the Indian National Congress party saying that General Rawat’s decision to speak against the CAA protests was both a violation of the Indian Constitution as well as Article 21 of the Army Act ("no person subject to the Act shall publish in any form whatever or communicate directly or indirectly to the press any matter in relation to a political question''). The Communist Party of India (Marxist) even sought an apology from General Rawat for his “indiscretion". In a statement, the party said: “The Polit Bureau urges that the General apologises to the nation for his indiscretion which has extremely adverse ramifications for the Constitutional arrangement in the country. We also demand that the government takes note of such a breach and censures the General". The army and some others supporting General Rawat said he was well within his rights to speak as a citizen of the country. On Wednesday, however, moving forward, General Rawat said: “All the three services will work as a team. As per the task given to the Chief of Defence Staff we have to enhance integration and do better resource management". Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) General Bipin Rawat: All the three services will work as a team. As per the task given to the Chief of Defence Staff we have to enhance integration and do better resource management. pic.twitter.com/QjuIxuGRHD — ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2020 Before taking formal charge of his office and responsibilities, General Rawat paid tribute at the National War Memorial and was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated General Rawat on his assumption of the office of India's first CDS, describing him as an outstanding officer. He also paid tribute to the country's martyred soldiers. I am delighted that as we begin the new year and new decade, India gets its first Chief of Defence Staff in General Bipin Rawat. I congratulate him and wish him the very best for this responsibility. He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 1, 2020 As the first CDS takes charge, I pay homage to all those who have served and laid down their lives for our nation. I recall the valiant personnel who fought in Kargil, after which many discussions on reforming our military began, leading to today’s historic development. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 1, 2020 The government announced the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the creation of a Department of Military Affairs within the Ministry of Defence on 24 December. In its notification, the government made it clear that the CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three service chiefs, but would have the responsibility of being the single point military advisor for the government and initiate procedures for integrating operations of the Indian Armed Forces apart from managing the procurement of weapons.

First Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat (Centre) poses for a group photograph with Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Left) Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh (Second Left) and Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria after inspecting the Guard of Honour at South Block lawns in New Delhi. (PTI) New Delhi: The new Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, on Wednesday said the country’s Armed Forces stayed away from politics and worked as per the directives of the government. His statement comes amid allegations by the Opposition parties that the Armed Forces were being politicised. “We stay away, we stay far away from politics. We work on the directives of the government in power,” said Gen. Rawat. He assumed charge as the nation’s first Chief of Defence Staff on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the creation of the department of military affairs and institutionalisation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff are momentous reforms that will help the country face the ever-changing challenges of modern warfare. “I am delighted that as we begin the new year and new decade, India gets its first Chief of Defence Staff in Gen. Bipin Rawat. I congratulate him and wish him the very best for this responsibility. He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal,” the Prime Minister tweeted. Gen. Rawat said the CDS’ mandate was to integrate the efforts of the three services and to work as a team. “I want to assure you the Army, Navy and Air Force will work as a team. The CDS will keep control over them, but action will be taken through teamwork,” he said. He said the CDS will not try to run a force by his directions, and will remain neutral towards all the three services. Gen. Rawat said that India does not need to follow the Western model on joint theatre commands and can have its own mechanism for a tri-service command system. “There are methods of doing theaterisation. I think we all are copying Western methods and what others have done. We can have our own systems. We will work it out through understanding each other” he said. He added “We will work with all three services and come out with mechanism suiting Indian system.”

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No. 13 San Diego State vs. Fresno State, 3 p.m. No. 24 Wichita State vs. East Carolina, 3 p.m. Citrus Bowl at Orlando, Fla.: Michigan vs. Alabama, 1 p.m. Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla.: Minnesota vs. Auburn, 1 p.m. Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif.: Oregon vs. Wisconsin, 5 p.m. Sugar Bowl at New Orleans: Georgia vs. Baylor, 8:45 p.m. Orlando at Washington, 6 p.m. Portland at New York, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m Nashville at Dallas, 2 p.m.

There is a ton of college football bowl action today. Things kick-off with the Outback Bowl in Tampa. Then, the Vrbo Citrus Bowl in Orlando. All eyes then shift to the west coast for the 131st Tournament of Roses. Finally, the Allstate Sugar Bowl kick-off at 7:40 PM CT from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Here is where to watch it all.

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Republican mayor in Rochester Hills pushes for bipartisan change Show Caption Hide Caption Oakland County mayor has national platform to preach bipartisan ideas Bryan Barnett, mayor of Rochester Hills and new president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, says local government is working well to help Americans. Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press Everywhere Americans look, government seems broken. Lansing can’t fix the damn roads — still. Other state capitals are stuck too. In Washington, the two parties are girding for a war of impeachment. The bad-news beat gets louder, day by day. But a different kind of drummer is keeping time for the nation’s mayors. He’s a Republican who runs a leafy rural kingdom in Oakland County. Yet, he makes regular phone calls to the Democratic mayors of the nation’s biggest cities, referring to one after another as “my very good friend.” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett has long brimmed with good humor and charisma. He’s well-known in his own town for sporting zany socks, well-known at City Hall for wearing an outlandish red-and-white Christmas suit for the annual holiday party, and well-known in Oakland County as one of the area’s most popular politicians. This year, Barnett gained a national platform. As he spreads his optimism as the new leader of the nation’s mayors, he insists there is good news about American government. It’s our local units, he says — from big cities like Detroit to growing towns like his suburb of 75,000 residents — that are running well, offering fresh solutions to big problems, and picking up the slack left by gridlocked state and federal lawmakers. “So many good things are happening in America’s cities – most of the job creation, most of the innovation,” Barnett says, adding: “I think we’re going to see, more and more, that local elected leaders are America’s best hope for real change.” Barnett was just re-elected to a fourth term as full-time mayor of his suburb 15 miles north of Detroit, drawing 83.6% of the votes. But he also spent recent months ramping up his one-year term as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, elected by his peers to head the nation’s most prestigious group of local government leaders. The group — founded in 1933 by then Detroit Mayor Frank Murphy when the nation was mired in the Great Depression — has about 1,000 active mayors, all from cities of at least 30,000 residents. Barnett’s leadership has put Detroit and Oakland County at front and center in national discussions of urban problem-solving. And it has him pushing a radically positive idea to any disillusioned voter and taxpayer who’ll listen. His mantra? Forget the big shots in Washington for a moment. Forget those in your state capital, too. Your local government is getting the job done. On a side table in the waiting area of the Rochester Hills mayor’s office sits a stack of scholarly books on cities, including one whose title neatly echoes Barnett’s urban boosterism: “If Mayors Ruled the World – Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities,” by Benjamin Barber, founder of something called the Global Parliament of Mayors. Waiting for Barnett, a visitor picks it up. Moments later, the mayor notices and remarks, as he offers an outstretched hand. “A real shame – Dr. Barber passed away recently – but I’ve participated in the Global Parliament and they’re doing good work,” he says. More: Candice Miller blasts state, federal agencies on green ooze cleanup In aspiring to rule the world, or at least to improve it, Barnett and other leading U.S. mayors have held recent meetings across the country but also in Europe and Africa where, Barnett says, “they have some of the same problems we have.” By that he means not just the same symptoms, like poverty and pollution, but also the same root causes, including central governments that move like molasses while cities, swept by change, need fast reaction times. “We’re in an era where central governments are not responding at the level and speed that cities need. And that’s not partisan. That’s both parties, not acting when cities need to act,” he says. Barnett rattles off examples like it’s a stump speech he’s given a dozen times, which he has: infrastructure, immigration, gun control, transportation and more. On infrastructure: “The Democrats had a $750-million plan (under Obama). We never saw a penny. Trump had a trillion-dollar plan (touted during his campaign). Again, nothing. There’s been zero in terms of anything passed” by Congress, he says. “The Democrats had a $750-million plan (under Obama). We never saw a penny. Trump had a trillion-dollar plan (touted during his campaign). Again, nothing. There’s been zero in terms of anything passed” by Congress, he says. On gun control: A banner hangs high in Rochester Hills City Hall that proclaims,“Safest City in Michigan.” Barnett’s a Republican, in a party that usually has its feet in concrete over gun control, and he knows a lot of gun owners. Still, he favors stiffer background checks. He says he sees no conflict, and not even much connection, between that and Second Amendment rights. He says he's been moved by visiting some of the communities where mass shootings took place. "This isn't an attack on gun ownership. This is 'we want to be safe.' " On transit: It’s easy to think that big cities would get no support from this mayor, in a city of subdivisions and wide-open spaces, where the City Hall is surrounded by a 100-acre woodland and backs up to a trout stream. And where SMART buses don’t run, and daily life is impossible to envision without a car. Even so, this ex-urban mayor seeks common ground and the big picture. "From a national perspective, transportation is one of the great challenges to income disparity and equal opportunity. Many of my colleagues have pockets of their cities where people can’t get to jobs. I, personally, Mayor Barnett, am a proponent of mass transit systems. I’ve seen how they re-energize regions all over the world,” he says. But here's his qualifier, in a comment that those seeking a mass-transit millage in Oakland County ought to note. “I will also say we’ve had many groups come to us and say they want our help on transit in Oakland County but they’re not offering much to my city. I’ve heard they would send one bus up Rochester Road and have people walk to it and ride to Troy and take buses from there,” he says, casting a quizzical look, as if to say, imagine that! “These groups have to respect my city’s needs and wants,” he goes on, suggesting that “an adaptation of Uber would make more sense out here.” He points to a story in the December issue of AARP Bulletin that touts just such a system, blending bus service with Uber. It’s being tested in West Sacramento, Calif., another city whose mayor is “my very good friend,” Barnett adds earnestly. Key urban issues such as these and others are built into the written agenda of the group Barnett now leads. That agenda is called “Mayors’ Vision for America: A 2020 Call to Action.” The 28-page document has Barnett’s name at the top. It’s goals embrace a spectrum of issues top-most in the minds of the nation’s most respected mayors, bridging both political parties. . . from “Protect and Advance Human and Civil Rights” to “Invest in America’s Water and Wastewater Systems,” from “Join with Mayors and Police Chiefs to Support Public Safety for all” to “Fix Our Broken Immigration System.” The mayors’ next move, led by Barnett, is to make waves with the “Mayors’ Vision” statement at the group’s annual winter meeting next month in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22-24. “We want all the legislators in Washington to know, this is what we’re talking about. And we really want the candidates for president to be speaking to the problems of cities and to our platform,” Barnett says. Here’s where he preaches a creed that sounds very old-fashioned: government that works, with leaders who compromise. Bipartisan debate followed by compromise. It can happen, he insists. In Washington, D.C., next month, “We should have 250 mayors there, from across the country. You’ll have 250 Democrats and Republicans standing side by side. We don’t focus on the 20% of stuff that we don’t agree on. We focus on the 80% that we do agree on.” It’s hard to be bipartisan these days, and downright unfashionable in many quarters. Yet, “Barnett is holding the bipartisan flag high,” says Tom Cochran, executive director and CEO of the mayors’ group. Cochran has been with the U.S. Conference of Mayors for half a century, since 1969. He’s seen hordes of mayors come and go, including former Detroit mayor Coleman Young, during Young’s one-year stint as the Conference president. More: We take on tough stories because we're committed to spurring change “Barnett empathizes very much with the big-city mayors,” Cochran says, calling him “very close” to mayors Bill de Blasio of New York City and Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles. “He understands that they differ with him on a lot of policies but he’s always seeking common ground. He’s got a very strong, gregarious personality, and that’s a lot of what leadership is,” Cochran says. Barnett still speaks of his “Republican principles of smaller government and fiscal responsibility." But he’s been active in the Conference for several years, working his way through various committees while clearly gaining respect for many Democrats who lead the biggest U.S. cities. Conservative talk-show hosts frequently excoriate Democrats for having run the nation’s big urban centers into a liberal rut, blaming them for crime, poverty, bad schools, joblessness and. . . rats. Said nationally syndicated radio host Mark Levin, whose show is carried on weeknights in metro Detroit by WJR (760 AM), on a recent show: “Democrats haven't just turned Baltimore into a rat-infested place. The same goes for other big cities they run. They’re all a mess.” Others on the conservative talk-show circuit repeat the same sentiment, often. Barnett says he rejects the premise. “If you heard a bunch of big-city mayors in my conference, they could explain how a lot of their approaches are working. The talk-show hosts have a particular point of view. But I can tell you unequivocally that neither Democrats or Republicans have a patent on good ideas,” he says. In the elite company of mayors with household names, Barnett, 43, has hustled to make himself and Rochester Hills known. Early on, as he got active in the mayors group, some of his peers from other states and their staffs immediately mentioned having a friend at the Mayo Clinic. More: Michigan lawmaker: "I made a stupid mistake." “I’d say, ‘No, no, not Rochester, Minnesota — Michigan,’” he says, chuckling. Or they’d think of New York State, where Rochester is the third-largest city. Helping to clarify things, Barnett recently hosted more than 50 mayors from across the country at a Conference of Mayors meeting in Rochester Hills. “They got to see what I’m so proud about,” he says, including the nation’s leading city for designing and building robots for manufacturing. They also got to meet Rochester Hills’ first lady, Corinn Barnett, and take home her CD of Christmas songs. Barnett’s wife, mother of two, has her own career as leader of the Corrin Barnett Band. All of that is raising the profile of Rochester Hills nationally, drawing praise from Wayne State University political scientist Marjorie Sarbaugh Thompson. It's an unexpected plus to have a suburban-Detroit Republican speaking on a national stage for the progress that metro Detroit is making, Sarbaugh Thompson said. "And it's great that mayors can reach across the aisle," to show that bipartisan consensus is attainable even on big, seemingly intractable issues, she said. Unlike the legendary Republican L. Brooks Patterson, who led Oakland County for decades and who was vigorously partisan while often finding fault with Detroit, Barnett wears his conservative principles lightly. And he’s quick to compliment his peer south of 8 Mile. “Mayor Duggan and his team have done some really good things for Detroit. They’ve got a long way to go, you could say. I choose to focus on how far they’ve come,” Barnett says. Then he adds a signature upbeat note. It's a welcome thought for anyone dreading the new year's political conflict and government gridlock: “It’s just a matter of perspective. I choose to be an optimist about America’s cities.” Contact: blaitner@freepress.com. Todd Spangler, Washington correspondent for the Detroit Free Press, contributed to this report.

ANALYSIS/OPINION: At the end of this second decade of the new millennium, it’s natural to draw up our lists indicating our favorite movies, music and draw up our prognostications about what last year’s polls mean about this year’s politics. Yet, strangely and horrifically, the last month of 2019 provides the best overall predictor for what’s ahead in 2020. The epidemic of attacks on Jewish people in New York City and the tri-state area is not an acute, unpredictable event, but a horrific outgrowth of Democratic Party and liberal establishment attitudes and policies. The bizarre inability of Democratic leadership to admit their culpability in the spread of anti-Semitism is not surprising. The constant effort by the Democrats is focused on reinforcing their preferred narrative, that “white supremacism” is the scourge America is facing and President Trump is the leader of that menacing monster. It is this narrative that is to take precedence over everything, even if it means serving up a completely bogus explanation of what is happening and why. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Democrat, exposed this habitual narrative reaction to an event that transcends partisanship and horrifies every decent person — the anti-Semitic attack earlier in December on a Jersey City kosher supermarket. “This is heartbreaking. White supremacy kills,” Ms. Tlaib declared in the since-deleted tweet. The suspects, in fact, were revealed to be African American, and part of the so-called Black Hebrew Israelites, who subscribe to an extreme anti-Semitism. Even knowing who the attackers were didn’t stop Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, from deflecting and spinning. Erielle Davidson at the Federalist noted, “When questioned about the attack on the Jersey City kosher supermarket earlier this month, Mayor de Blasio ignored the motivations of the perpetrators, who belonged to a radical left-wing fringe group known as the Black Hebrew Israelites. Instead, he deflected in a bizarre maneuver, opting to discuss the scourge of white supremacy and private militias.” James Higgins, the organizer of “The Monday Meeting,” the center-right coalition in New York, noted on Twitter, “Might it be that progressive encouragement of ‘The Squad’ and of BDS is a dog whistle that has sent anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City up 53% in one year?” Might it, indeed. There has been a hate crime against Jews every day in New York since Dec. 23, also the second day of Hanukkah. Any normal person, upon seeing their rhetoric targeting Jewish people manifesting in this manner would sit back in self-reflection, horrified at the result and contemplating how to stop the madness. But not the Democrats. Instead, after the machete attack on the rabbi’s house on Dec. 28, the seventh night of Hanukkah, in Monsey, New York, the reaction among many public and leading Democrats was like a template: Yes, they would lament the rise in hate crimes against Jews, but hey, don’t look over here, it’s because of that bad evil orange man in Washington, D.C. Mr. de Blasio sat down for an interview with Fox News’ Ed Henry the day after the Monsey attack. What viewers saw was a master class in the idiotic art of deflection as he blamed the “tone” coming out of Washington, including from the president. Bethany Mandel a contributor to the Washington Examiner, had perhaps the most illuminating response to this disgusting effort: “Those who reflexively blame President Trump for any and all attacks, no matter how unrelated his administration, actions, or rhetoric are, have made a conscious choice: They would rather play politics than put an end to the violence. And worse, it seems they would like it to continue, in order to have more ammunition against the White House leading up to the 2020 election.” The frenzy to gaslight Americans into not believing their own eyes is not limited to the attacks on Jewish people. California Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to try to blame Mr. Trump and the federal government for the continuing collapse of civil society in California. Homelessness, drug use, tent cities, human excrement on the sidewalks and crime now define that previously great state. Medieval diseases such as typhus, typhoid fever, in addition to outbreaks of hepatitis A and tuberculosis, stalk the people of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Officials have recently issued concern that conditions could invite a return of the plague. It’s all Bad Orange Man’s fault, they tell us. We shake our heads and wonder what it will take for Democrats to admit their policies are failures and destroy people’s lives. Then there’s Baltimore, where despair, drugs and violence continue to condemn its residents. “Baltimore could wrap up 2019 with its highest per-capita homicide rate on record as killings of adults and minors alike for drugs, retribution, money or no clear reason continue to add up and city officials appear unable to stop the violence,” The Associated Press reported. As National Review put it, “Baltimore, a once-great American city, has all but imploded thanks to decades of corrupt leadership, crime, and the progressive policies now trumpeted by Democratic presidential hopefuls as solutions to the country’s cultural and economic divisions.” Whether it be New York, California, Baltimore or any other liberal city and state, these realities prove one thing: Policy and leadership matter. So one must ask: Why do the Democrats in these cities continue to deny the truth? Perhaps it’s because the only thing they value is their own power, to be preserved at any cost. Make no mistake, what we can expect in 2020 is not complicated, it will be more of the Democratic establishment spending all its time and energy convincing you to not believe your lying eyes. The only way these problems will be solved is for Americans to follow the lead of the British by sending an undeniable message in November 2020 rejecting those who promote Jew-hatred and policies that are meant to sow division and chaos. • Tammy Bruce, president of Independent Women’s Voice, author and Fox News contributor, is a radio talk-show host. Sign up for Daily Opinion Newsletter Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

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Experienced Pole Robert Kubica will be a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo in the 2020 season, the team announced on Wednesday. Kubica, 35, made his return to Formula One with Williams last season following a long absence caused by a life-threatening rally crash. He will back up Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi. Kubica's return to the team formerly known as Sauber has been facilitated by a sponsorship deal between Alfa Romeo and his principal backer, Polish oil company PKN Orlen.

LONDON, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Robert Kubica will be Alfa Romeo's Formula One reserve driver for the 2020 season with Polish oil company and personal backer PKN ORLEN joining as co-title sponsor, the Swiss-based team said on Wednesday. Kubica, 35, made his race debut with the team in 2006 when they were competing as BMW Sauber. The Pole, who suffered a near-fatal rally accident in 2011, made his comeback with struggling former champions Williams last season but left at the end of the campaign in which he scored their sole point. "I'm starting a new chapter in my career by joining Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. This is a team that has a special place in my heart and it'll be nice to see the familiar faces I still remember from Hinwil," he said in a statement. Alfa Romeo's race drivers this year are Finland's 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, an unchanged lineup from 2019. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge) REUTERS2

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The state of Alaska is opposing a federal lawsuit brought by the Native Village of Eklutna as it attempts to build a tribal gaming hall about 20 miles north of downtown Anchorage. According to documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., the state believes other Alaska tribes will open similar operations if Eklutna succeeds in overturning a federal opinion and opens what Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz has called “a modest Class II casino.” “A ruling that the opinion is invalid may open the door to (Indian Gaming Rights Act) gaming on other properties across Alaska,” wrote assistant attorney general Lael Harrison. “And this case implicates more than just IGRA. ... It is about the territorial jurisdiction of Alaska tribes in general,” she said, asking the district court to allow the state to intervene in the lawsuit on the side of the federal government. Court documents indicate neither the plaintiff nor defendant have formally responded to the request. Officials from the Alaska Department of Law were unable to comment on the intervention Tuesday, ahead of the New Year’s holiday. Eklutna is a Dena’ina community within the Municipality of Anchorage, and the Native Village of Eklutna is a federally recognized tribal government. Eklutna’s lawsuit, filed in August, does not make statewide claims. Instead, it seeks to overturn a 2018 ruling by the Department of the Interior that a particular parcel of land near the Birchwood Airport in Chugiak is not “Indian lands” and is thus ineligible to host a tribal gaming hall. Colin Cloud Hampson, an attorney representing the Native Village of Eklutna, said Tuesday afternoon that he had not yet had a chance to review the state’s filing. The facility would not host blackjack, slot machines and similar Vegas-style games, which are not authorized under state law. Instead, activity would be limited to games like pull-tabs, bingo and lotteries — and possibly electronic versions of those games. In court filings, Harrison writes that the 2018 ruling by the Department of the Interior “is about the territorial jurisdiction of Alaska tribes in general. ... So this case is also about territorial jurisdiction and governmental authority over Alaska Native allotments, generally." Unlike in the Lower 48, which has many Indian reservations, most Native lands in Alaska are owned by Native corporations representing Native shareholders, following passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971. Alaska’s tribal governments are sovereign but have little or no land on which to exercise their laws. “Indian Country,” as it is formally known, is limited to Metlakatla — the state’s only Indian reservation — and more than 16,000 small family allotments held in trust by the federal government. Eklutna claims territorial jurisdiction over one such allotment north of Anchorage, and it says that jurisdiction gives it legal grounds to build a gaming hall. When the federal government denied that Eklutna has jurisdiction, the lawsuit followed. The state of Alaska has historically opposed attempts by tribal governments to exercise jurisdiction, citing fears that the state could devolve into a patchwork of conflicting laws.

Philadelphia's Biggest New Year's Eve Attraction Adding New Features To Firework ShowsWe all know Philadelphia knows how to throw a party. Historic Houses In Fairmount Park Decked Out For HolidaysAnd starting Thursday, visitors can tour the six homes as part of A Very Philly Christmas. Free Library Of Philadelphia New 'Experience Pass' Gives Adults Free Access To Attractions, MuseumsHaving a Philadelphia Library Card now comes with a handful of benefits for adults -- including tickets to the Mayor's Box at the Wells Fargo Center. 'The Present' Returns To Love Park In Time For Giving TuesdayThe 27-foot glowing present offers residents a chance to give back locally. Here Are Some Of The Best Local Tree Farms In Delaware ValleyNothing says Christmas like the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree! No Turkey? No Problem: Several Restaurants In Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware Will Be Open On ThanksgivingRestaurants in Philly, King of Prussia, Cherry Hill and Wilmington - among others - are open on Thanksgiving.

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Kolkata: The BJP leadership has decided to launch a campaign blitzkrieg in West Bengal to counter the TMC's "misinformation programmes" regarding Citizenship (Amendment) Act and reach out to refugees. The West Bengal BJP leadership had hoped that that the new citizenship law would be its "political trump card" ahead of the 2021 assembly polls in the state. But an aggressive campaign against the CAA by the Trinamool Congress, other opposition parties, civil society groups, students and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's declaration not to implement the CAA in the state, has put the saffron party on the backfoot. Apart from launching state-wide campaign against the new legislation, Banerjee has participated in six protest marches and three rallies in various parts of the state. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has organised only one mega march in the city, led by party's national working president J P Nadda, and rallies by the state president to counter the anti-CAA protests led by the Chief Minister. According to state BJP sources, a blueprint of Bengal-specific programmes and campaigns has been prepared to to reach out to the masses and allay fears and misinformation campaign about the CAA. "The blueprint of the campaign has already been given a nod by the party's central leadership. The multi-pronged campaign, targeting a cross section of people across the state, will begin from this month," a senior BJP leader said. It has also been decided that during the campaign not a single word will be uttered about the proposed NRC in the state as it might send a wrong message, the BJP leader said. According to state BJP sources, the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act will determine the course of West Bengal politics in the days to come with the state bracing for a deeper polarization between the TMC and the BJP on communal lines ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls. "We will leave no stone unturned to reach out to the masses on the issue of the CAA. Just to appease her vote bank, Mamata Banerjee is opposing the CAA and trying to stop refugees from getting citizenship. "But we will not let that happen, we will expose the misinformation campaign through our counter-campaign. There is already a huge support in favour of the CAA," BJP national general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya said. State BJP vice president and MP Subhas Sarkar and state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu, in coordination with the central leadership, are looking into the campaign strategy in the state. According to state BJP sources, the campaign programme will include door-to-door visits, street corner meetings, seminars, street plays, advertisements in local newspapers, audio visual capusules on movies about refugees coming to India after partition and using social media to create a positive narrative on the CAA. "We will form a special team of around two to three lakh activists across the state, who will be trained to carry out door-to-door campaigns. "Out of these, 20,000 cadres would be selected to look after campaigns in their respective areas," Sarkar told PTI. According to a senior BJP leader, the specially trained activists would not only make people aware about the CAA but also help them in applying online for citizenship as the state government is not keen on implementing it. The state BJP also plans to send one crore thanks giving letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Act. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship. According to state BJP sources, the CAA will benefit more than 1.5 crore people across the country, including over 72 lakh in the West Bengal. Hindu refugees are a deciding factor in nearly 80 assembly seats in the state, whereas Muslims constitute a sizable chunk of voters in around 90 constituencies. Apart from this, Hindu refugees are also spread in around 40-50 other seats, comprising between 10 and 15 per cent of the electorate. "Our target is to reach out to one crore people across the state with the message of CAA. The new act does not take away citizenship rather it gives citizenship to refugees. We have identified refugee pockets and special focus would be given to these areas," Basu said. As a part of its audio visual campaign, it is using footage of the exodus of refugees from East Pakistan in 1947, and portions of footage of movies on refugees crisis and will upload it on social media platforms. The BJP has made a six-minute video using footage of great Calcutta killings in 1946, dialogues from Bengali films, with an objective to showcase the plight of refugees in post- partition years and make people understand the need for the amended Citizenship Act. "We will also organise special meetings with certain sections of the society such as doctors, engineers, artists, writers, lawyers, teachers, religious leaders and professors, where we would make them understand the need for CAA," Sarkar said. The TMC mocked the decision of the saffron party to launch a campaign on the issue of the CAA, saying it would "fall flat" as it has already been rejected by the people of the state. "Their campaign will not find any resonance among the masses as people have voiced their protest against the divisive bill," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.

Amid the opposition expressed by several states to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Centre is planning to make the process of granting citizenship under the new legislation online to bypass the states which have openly said that they will not implement the CAA. Sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is thinking to scrap the current procedure of routing applications for citizenship through the district magistrate and make the whole process online. It is to be noted that Kerala Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday demanding to scrap of the controversial Act. Sources added that by making the process completely online, the Centre will succeed in ending the intervention of state government at all level. The MHA officials, however, said that the state governments cannot refuse to implement the CAA as the law has been enacted under the Union List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution till December 31, 2014 will be given Indian citizenship. Live TV Besides Kerala, the chief ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had also said that they will not implement in their respective states because the law is "unconstitutional" and has no place in their respective state. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said, "In your (BJP) manifesto, instead of development issues, you have put in promise to divide the country. Why will citizenship be on the basis of religion? I will not accept this. We dare you...You can pass laws in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha forcefully because you have the number. But we will not let you divide the country." Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said that no state legislature has the power to pass any law with regard to citizenship. "Citizenship, naturalisation and aliens are entry 17 on the Union list. Therefore, it is only the Parliament that has the power to pass any law with regards to citizenship, not any Assembly, including Kerala," Prasad said at a press conference.

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VANCOUVER -- Nick Woodhouse felt lucky to be alive after surviving a brain tumour, but the discovery of medical equipment that was left inside his body has left him pleading for help 13 years later. Woodhouse had to abandon a promising career as a competitive racecar driver in the U.K. when he started experiencing mysterious symptoms, including weight gain and extreme fatigue. He was eventually diagnosed with Cushing’s disease; the excess production of his pituitary gland was caused by a tumour in his head. "I was close to death," explained Woodhouse, who is now a Vancouver resident. "I could hardly walk up the stairs." But an exploratory procedure left him with a piece of a catheter in a blood vessel near his groin – and another full catheter was left behind during the surgery to remove the actual tumour. His family doctor, Dr. Gregory Phillips, explained in a letter that the plastic catheter was left between two of his vertebrae, and “is causing persistent symptoms and issues with pain, difficulty walking, an intermittent CSF leak which causes issues with sodium metabolism and further loss of function.” As Woodhouse grapples with headaches, back pain, fatigue and other issues from the devices left in his body, he said the surgeons involved have refused to acknowledge the problem. He said a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons went nowhere, leaving him feeling like he has nowhere to turn. “Everyone makes mistakes. I've made hundreds of mistakes," said Woodhouse. “If you're in my position, there's nowhere to go for help." One of thousands The discovery that health issues were caused by a misplaced medical device isn’t unique, and it’s actually becoming much more common than it used to be in Canada. In November, a report released by the independent not-for-profit Canadian Institute for Health Information found that not only have such incidents spiked by 14 per cent since 2011, Canada has more than twice as many such incidents compared to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. Between 2016 and 2018, more than 550 objects were left behind in Canadian surgical patients. The CIHI’s director of emerging issues told CTV News while the data doesn’t examine how or why these incidents happen, they are often smaller items like clips or sponges. "Some surgeries are long and complicated and if they have to change people during that surgery because some surgeries last a long time, it may be that things get missed because of that,” said Tracy Johnson. “It may be that they don't have protocols in place -- surgical checklists are one of the things that are utilized to try and prevent a number of things happening.” What to do? When CTV News asked the provincial health ministry if there was any follow up or analysis to the November report, the government said local health authorities are responsible for oversight. Vancouver Coastal Health directs complainants to its Patient Care Quality Office, which notes patients should address issues with the person who provided the service or their manager. Those who don’t find a resolution there can submit a complaint through their website or by phone at 1-877-993-9199. In November, Parksville mother Laura Jokinen told CTV News she lived with wires coming out of her body after an emergency C-section for 10 weeks before it was removed. It’s been a year, and she says her health authority still hasn’t taken responsibility. “If they aren't taking any accountability how are we going to make any positive changes to our health care system?” she asked. Woodhouse wants acknowledgement of the mistakes made, without expectation of compensation or the need for a blame game – something he wants to see system-wide, in addition for his own personal circumstance. “I need to stop this leak in my spine and that requires someone taking this piece of plastic out," he said, explaining that when he spoke with a lawyer, he was turned away when he told them, “I don't want the money, I just want someone to help me.” Considering his spine is involved, Woodhouse says he’s willing to sign any waivers a surgeon would require for the delicate work required to remove the material. “With my first operation death was on the table. [With] this one, I assume paralysis and death are probably on the table,” said Woodhouse. “Sign me up."

No. 813 in a series of true experiences in real estate When we ran into a flat roof problem again, I wondered why anyone ever built houses with flat roofs? Probably flat is less expensive than building a pitch, but it seems like there are many issues with roofs that are flat. Water stands on them in puddles. Drains that should carry water off get clogged up and cause difficulties. Often the owners arenʼt even aware that water is seeping in. We often see flat-roofed stucco houses that have rot in the ceilings and walls. Weʼve seen a few that had such extensive damage that when the outside stucco was removed, there was hardly anything left behind it. Made us wonder what was keeping them upright. Clearly, anyone owning a house with a flat roof needs to be (ha, ha) on top of it. They must get up on that roof and make sure the drains are clear, the flashing secure with no cracks anywhere to let water run inside. We are not roofers. We know very little about the whys and wherefores of roofing methods and materials, but it seems pretty obvious that sloped roofs are more likely to readily shed water. Thatʼs what roofs are supposed to do, and when they donʼt — well, looking at houses for years has impressed us with what happens to sodden buildings. This most recent flat roof is the covering for only a portion of the house our buyers are buying, a part that is old and brittle, with tar that has cracked in spots. We arrive to do our physical inspection, and although it had not rained for some days, there were pools of water standing on it. When the inspector unclogged one of the roof drains, a great flood came noisily rushing through, out onto the ground. All of the ceilings inside this house are open — pretty fir finished with some sort of thinned whitewash. When we look carefully, we can see where the rain, sometime in the past, has come in. There are small, now dried, dribbles on the ceiling. The house needs a new roof. Simple enough: Call a roofer. We called several roofers. We asked about adding a slope to the roof so that gravity would carry the water away. We inquired about adding insulation to the roof. And, of course, we asked how much everything would cost. What we got were different opinions and different bids. Each roofer has his own best idea, strongly felt, about what to do. We heard about the joys and the application of traditional tar and gravel. And about roof systems that employ fabric and liquid plastics. There was talk of building up the flat section and of properly tying it into the rest of the roof. Also of flashing, ultraviolet rays, aluminum paint and evenly raked gravel. Downspouts and gutters, eaves and soffits, and rafter tails. It was mind-stuffing stuff. I donʼt know what was going on with everyone else, but I was beginning to feel like someone needing surgery — or maybe not. One doctor says, “Cut it out.” Another recommends, “Wait and see.” A friend says, “Donʼt listen to the medicos. Good nutrition is the key.” Worrying over a roof, even one that is actively leaking, is not in the same league, of course, as worrying over a personal illness. But water that is coming inside your living space can loom large, drip cold. That is why we and our buyers were taking this roof thing so seriously. We all stood in the empty living room of the house listening to dueling roofing contractors. By chance, two had arrived at the same time and now each enthusiastically defended his own (different) roof fix. The lady buyer wanted to get on with buying her house. On the other hand, she didnʼt want to do something stupid. Right then, what the man buyer wanted was simply to be told what would make the roof watertight. We must have been getting a little punchy. I loved it when our lady buyer asked what I thought was the best roof question of all: “When is it going to leak again?” I know she hoped for a reassuring answer. Perhaps, “No matter how much rain we get this winter, this roof is fine for another year.” But the contractors didnʼt seem to know this one. Of course, thatʼs how it is with houses. Nothing is exact, nothing predictable. Different parts fail at different ages. No doubt there are better ways to build houses in the first place and better ways to fix them when they get old. But how to figure it? Who to believe? You hope you make a good choice, something not terribly expensive yet durable, and to do so before any damage is done. Our buyers are thinking on it. The roof renewal, or revision, will work out. I do hope. Pat Talbert and Anet Tarpoff are residential real estate agents who can be reached at 510-653-2050 and at TarpoffandTalbert.com, where you can sign up to receive these columns via email.

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Rudy Giuliani is daring Donald Trump to give him the case and allow him to argue in Trump’s defense at the president’s impeachment trial. NBC News reported: “I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I’d give lectures, I’d give summations, or I’d do what I do best, I’d try the case. I’d love to try the case,” Giuliani told reporters as he made his way into a New Year’s Eve celebration at the president’s Florida resort on Tuesday night. Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, suggested he’d lead the president’s defense with a prosecution. “I don’t know if anybody would have the courage to give me the case, but if you give me the case, I will prosecute it as a racketeering case, which I kind of invented anyway,” he said, referring to his pioneering use of racketeering laws to take down New York mob leadership in the 1980s. “It was 30 years ago, but let’s see if I can still do it,” he said. I don’t know if I’d be any good at it, or if anyone is crazy enough to give me the case, but I would love to be Trump’s impeachment trial lawyer is not exactly the most convincing sales pitch that one could hear. If there is one person who could get Donald Trump convicted at a rigged impeachment trial, it’s Rudy Giuliani. It would be fascinating and fun to see Rudy Giuliani hijack the Senate for weeks and ramble insane conspiracy theories, as Mitch McConnell loses his mind over Rudy dragging out the trial for days, weeks, or even months. Trump is not going to allow Giuliani to be his impeachment trial lawyer, but the fact that it is even a possibility suggests that 2020 could be even crazier than 2019. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani says he'd be willing to testify at his client's Senate trial, but he would "love" to represent Trump in the proceedings. "I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I'd give lectures, I'd give summations, or I'd do what I do best, I'd try the case. I'd love to try the case," Giuliani told reporters as he made his way into a New Year's Eve celebration at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday night. Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, suggested that he'd lead the president's defense with a prosecution. "I don't know if anybody would have the courage to give me the case, but if you give me the case, I will prosecute it as a racketeering case, which I kind of invented anyway," he said, referring to his pioneering use of racketeering laws to take down New York mob leadership in the 1980s. "It was 30 years ago, but let's see if I can still do it," he said. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, did not elaborate, but he has said before that Trump did nothing wrong in the dealings with Ukraine that led to his impeachment, and he has said the real wrongdoers are former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. The impeachment proceedings center on Trump's efforts to press Ukraine's president to investigate the Bidens, focusing on Hunter Biden's work on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was calling for the removal the country's top prosecutor as part of the Obama administration's anti-corruption efforts there. Trump sought the investigation into the Bidens while withholding critical military aid to Ukraine, which is at war with Russian-backed separatists. The Bidens have denied any wrongdoing. Trump's allies and top Republicans have urged the president to distance himself from Giuliani, who is reportedly being investigated by federal prosecutors who have arrested two of his associates on charges of violating campaign finance laws. Giuliani has denied any wrongdoing, telling New York magazine in an interview published last week that if prosecutors are investigating him, "they're idiots." Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics In the same interview, Giuliani said he wanted to represent Trump in the Senate so he could cross-examine Democrats. "I'm great at it. It's what I do best as a lawyer. That's what I would be good at," he said. "Oh, I would love it, I could rip — you know, I hate to sound like a ridiculously boastful lawyer, but cross-examining them would be, I don't know, I could've done it when I was a second-year assistant U.S. attorney. They're a bunch of clowns." Giuliani's claims that the Bidens were involved in criminality in Kyiv — for which there's no credible evidence — led to Trump's demand that the country investigate them, which resulted in the president's impeachment. Trump was not asked who would represent him in the Senate trial as he made his way into the party at Mar-a-Lago, his resort in Palm Beach, but he did sound off on his impeachment, which he called "a big fat hoax." "As far as I'm concerned, I will be happy with the trial, because we did nothing wrong," he said.

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Q: First question, the US Ambassador to China said today that Washington has implemented so-called reciprocal measures, and he hoped China will ease restrictions on US diplomats meeting local officials in China. Can you comment on the statement and whether China will ease the restrictions? My second question, can you confirm or comment on Japan's statement today that one of its citizens has been detained in China on suspicion of spying? A: Regarding the first question, my colleague stated China's position on the US restrictions on Chinese diplomats' normal, work-related activities in the US. You said the American ambassador was restricted. I wonder where he said that, what exactly he said and what specific restrictions he faces in China? As I recall, Ambassador Cui Tiankai to the US said just a few days ago that the former American ambassador to China visited all Chinese provinces in three years' time, while Ambassador Cui hasn't visited all the states in the US during his term of six and half years. The Chinese side has a positive attitude on and provides assistance to American diplomats' normal, work-related activities in China. So I wonder if the American ambassador can make some clarifications on his remarks regarding when and what kind of restrictions he met with? On this issue, we hope the US side can face up to the facts, provide convenience for people-to-people exchange and normal work-related activities between our two countries rather than setting obstacles or, even worse, shifting blames. Regarding your second question, I'd refer you to the competent authority as I'm not aware of the specifics. But I'd like to underscore the fact that the treatment that the Chinese side gives to foreign citizens suspected of violating Chinese laws is entirely lawful. Regarding this case, we will provide necessary assistance in pursuant to the Agreement on Consular Relations between Japan and China for the Japanese side to fulfill its consular duties. Q: We have seen that the demonstrations in Catalonia, Spain and London, the United Kingdom are becoming more and more like those in Hong Kong, especially concerning the violent offenses like arson, blocking airports and smashing shops. The violent demonstrators there claimed that they copied the "Hong Kong experience", and they wanted to make the places "another Hong Kong". However, Western politicians and media talked very few about this and some of them even clammed up. They believe those cases in Hong Kong are "democracy and freedom" while those in the West are "violence and rioting". I wonder what's your comment? A: We have taken note of the developments in Catalonia, Spain and London, the United Kingdom, as well as the Western countries' attitude on these cases. Relevant media reports and comments have drawn much attention from the Chinese people, but we believe these are internal affairs of Spain and the UK that should be properly handled according to law. However, as you said and the Chinese people have noticed, some Western politicians and media have apparently adopted different attitudes towards illegal, violent offenses that took place in different places. This tells us at least two things. First, democracy and human rights are only a hypocritical cover for Western interference in Hong Kong affairs. Second, there can only be one single standard and one single attitude towards violent offenses. In the end, double standards and connivance will hurt oneself as well as others. Judging from the relevant developments in recent days and the performance of some Western politicians, more and more people have come to realize that "human rights", "democracy" and "beautiful sights" preached by some Western politicians are just illusory as a mirage in the desert or the Sirens' song on the sea. Those who cannot distinguish right from wrong and stand firm will only end up getting lost and destructed. Q: On October 17, David Stilwell, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in his speech at the Wilson Center that China and the US are in a strategic competition, that the US must change the way it deals with China, and that ideologies do not matter that much now. He also wantonly criticized China's social system. I wonder if you have any comment? A: I noted the relevant reports. Mr. Stilwell's speech exposed the serious ideological prejudice of some people in the US against China as well as their deep-seated mindset of hegemony and double standards. In his speech he wantonly criticized China's social system, embittered by our country's pursuit of national rejuvenation. In fact, the Chinese people have the best say in whether our system is good or not. Our practice in the past years has spoken volume. We just celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China. The international community all spoke highly of the tremendous progress China made in the past seven decades and its important contributions to world peace and development. Altogether leaders of 178countries and heads of 36 international and regional organizations sent congratulations through various means. History and practice have shown that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a right path consistent with China's national conditions and needs and is hence endorsed and supported by the Chinese people. Polls by multiple foreign institutions show that China enjoys the highest domestic support rate regarding its social system and development path among all the countries surveyed. Since it is a right and successful path, why should we change course? Since it enjoys the people's support, why should we give it up? China and the US differ from each other in history, culture, social system, development path and national conditions. Neither side could change the other. The US idea of transforming others according to its own wish is wrong, and it will never work. China will not be manipulated. We will steadfastly follow the path and direction we have chosen. It is never China's intention to change the US. Likewise, the US should not dream of changing China. It should learn to respect the legitimate right to development of China and other countries with an inclusive and equal attitude. If a country is always fantasizing about altering others, its hopes will surely end up being smashed glasses. Only by learning peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation can all share a galaxy of brilliant stars. There has indeed been competition and disagreement between China and the US. However, I'd like to stress that we must not let our mind be controlled by prejudice and apprehension, or let our relationship be defined by conflict and confrontation. What we need is to have those differences properly handled through equal-footed consultation, and keep working to expand common ground while setting aside differences. We hope the US will discard the obsolete Cold-War mentality, return to reason, view and handle relations with China correctly and work to consolidate rather than undermine mutual trust and cooperation. Q: Vice President Wang Qishan will attend the enthronement ceremony for the new Japanese emperor tomorrow. Can you tell us your expectations for this visit? A: As the special envoy of President Xi Jinping, Vice President Wang Qishan has set off to attend the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito in Japan. China and Japan are important, close neighbors linked by the sea. During the G20 Osaka Summit in June this year, President Xi met with Prime Minister Abe and reached important consensus with him on building a bilateral relationship in keeping with the demand of a new era. Through this visit, China will work with Japan to maintain the momentum of high-level exchange, step up practical exchange and cooperation in various fields, and move forward the bilateral relations on the right track. Q: First question, Iran says that a Chinese special envoy is visiting Tehran tomorrow. Do you have any information on that? Second question, is President Xi Jinping definitely going to the APEC conference in Chile? A: On your first question, I have nothing specific for you at the moment. China and the Gulf countries keep friendly and close exchanges. Regarding your second question, China attaches high importance to the 27th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Chile. APEC is an important Asia-Pacific mechanism for economic cooperation. China stands ready to work in concert with other sides to ensure fruitful outcomes of the summit and to deepen APEC cooperation for more tangible results. China supports Chile in successfully hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting this year. As to China's attendance, we will make an official announcement in due course. Q: Further to the Japanese national detained in China, has the Chinese side clarified the cause of the detention to the Japanese side? Some in Japan say this incident might dampen the momentum for improvement of China-Japan relations, I wonder what's your comment? A: As I said earlier, you will need to ask the competent department for specifics on the case. I can assure you, China is a country with rule of law. The relevant authority does not detain foreign nationals without due cause. As I just stated, the Chinese side handles foreign nationals who have violated Chinese laws in accordance with law. On this case specifically, we will facilitate consular access for Japanese officials based on the Agreement on Consular Relations between Japan and China. We hope the Japanese side will remind its citizens to respect China's laws and regulations and to not engage in illegal and criminal activities in China. Some said this case will affect the amelioration of bilateral relations. Well, I think such interpretation or speculation is surely an exaggeration. There is no need to link an isolated case with overall relations, which is a completely separate matter. As I said, Vice President Wang Qishan will attend the enthronement ceremony for Emperor Naruhito tomorrow. We stand ready to work with Japan to make sure bilateral relations could advance along the right track. Q: According to media reports, Indonesia's president-elect Joko Widodo was officially sworn in on October 20. President Xi Jinping's special envoy and Vice President Wang Qishan attended the inauguration ceremony. Could you share more information? What are China's expectations for cooperation with Indonesia's new government? A: At the invitation of the Indonesian government, from October 18 to 21, President Xi Jinping's special envoy and Vice President Wang Qishan traveled to Jakarta for the inauguration ceremony for President Joko Widodo's second term and paid a friendly visit to the country. Vice President Wang met with President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin respectively. Vice President Wang conveyed President Xi Jinping's warm congratulations, cordial greetings and best wishes to President Joko Widodo on his succession. He said that China and Indonesia are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. Both are major developing countries in Asia and the world. The significance of China-Indonesia relations transcends the bilateral scope. China appreciates President Joko Widodo's commitment to promoting the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership and to seeking synergies between the BRI and Indonesia's development strategies. With the care and support of the two heads of state, the Jakarta-Bandung high speed rail project made smooth progress, which has become an example of infrastructure cooperation between the two countries. China and Indonesia, both belonging to the Oriental civilization, boast distinctive historical and cultural heritages. Both are developing countries, emerging economies and important members of the G20. As such, the two sides are well-positioned geographically, historically and culturally to enhance cooperative relations. There is also a practical need for mutual learning and win-win cooperation. We believe that under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, Indonesia will achieve greater progress in the next five years. We also stand ready to work with Indonesia to bring bilateral relations and practical cooperation in various sectors to a new level.

Q: Do you have any update on when China and the US might sign the phase one trade deal? There was a report yesterday that the Chinese delegation might be going to Washington this week and perhaps sign the deal this Saturday. Is this true? A: I would like to refer you to the Ministry of Commerce. Q: On December 30 EST, another round of consultations were held in the UN Security Council on the draft resolution on political settlement of the Peninsula issue proposed by China and Russia. Can you talk more about it? A: On December 30 EST, China and Russia had the second round of informal consultations with other Security Council members on draft resolution on the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue. All sides further exchanged views and expressed willingness to stay in contact for more consultations. China's actions showed once again China's endeavorto maintain the momentum of political settlement and to prevent deterioration or even losing control of the situation. We will continue to play a positive role to promote political settlement, encourage dialogue and maintain peace and stability on the Peninsula. Currently the window of opportunity for peace is face uncertainties again. We hope all relevant sides will shoulder due responsibilities, grasp the opportunity, demonstrate flexibility and good faith, and make constructive efforts with China and Russia to manage the situation and promote political settlement. Q: Can you give us more details about the talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and State Councilor Wang Yi? A: On December 31, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beijing. Wang said today is the last day of 2019 and welcome your fourth visit to China this year. I would like to take stock of China-Iran relations with you, implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, move forward the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership and open up a new year full of promise. Wang noted that important changes are brewing surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue and the JCPOA is facing severe challenges. The US has unilaterally withdrawn from the JCPOA, shirked its international obligations and exerted maximum pressure on Iran. This is the root cause of the current tension over the Iranian nuclear issue. Wang stressed that the JCPOA, approved by the security council resolution, is an important outcome of multilateral diplomacy. To uphold the authority and effectiveness of the JCPOA means to uphold multilateralism, international law and basic norms governing international relations. China supports all constructive efforts to ease the current tension and safeguard the JCPOA. We hope that all parties to the JCPOA will stick to the right direction, stand up to external pressure, resolve existing differences through dialogue and consultation, and firmly uphold and implement the Iranian nuclear deal. China will resolutely safeguard international fairness and justice, opposes unilateralism and bullying behavior, and work for the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. Zarif commended and appreciated China's important role in upholding the JCPOA and briefed the Chinese side on what has been discussed regarding the nuclear issue with Russia, Europe among others. He said Iran is willing to maintain close communication with China, adhere to multilateralism while opposing unilateralism, earnestly uphold the JCPOA and defend its legitimate rights and interests. Iran attaches great importance to relations with China. It is committed to deepening cooperation with China and stands ready to work with China to scale new heights in China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership. Q: Leaders of China and Russia exchanged congratulatory messages today, extending good wishes for the new year and planning for bilateral relationship in 2020. Can you tell us if China has any new visions for China-Russia comprehensive cooperation and strategic coordination in the year to come? A: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Putin, China-Russia relationship has entered a new era. There have been new outcomes in strategic coordination and breakthroughs in practical cooperation. Our bilateral relationship is the most mature, solid and stable one among all those between major states, which has received high appraisal from our leaders and common understanding from our people in various sectors. The year 2020 will be the 75th anniversary of the victory of the WWII and the founding of the United Nations, and there will continue to be complex and profound changes in the international landscape. It will also be the final year for China to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and a key year for Russia to realize development and revitalization. Our bilateral relationship will be even more essential, and our cooperation will have even greater potential. As the Chinese saying goes, "Long and difficult as the journey may be, sustained actions will take us to the destination." China will continue to work with Russia to implement our leaders' important consensus, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and contribute more "China-Russia wisdom" and "China-Russia proposals" to safeguard mutual interests as well as world peace and stability. Q: The Foreign Ministry announced Kiribati President Maamau's visit to China this morning. Can you give us more details on that? A: Invited by President Xi Jinping, President Maamau will pay a state visit to China from January 4 to 11. This will be the first visit to China by the Kiribati president after our two countries resumed diplomatic relationship, and the first state visit that China will receive in the year of 2020. During this visit, President Maamau will have talks with President Xi Jinping and meet with Premier Li Keqiang, discussing bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest. Besides Beijing, President Maamau will also visit Shanghai, Zhejiang and Guangdong. Since China and Kiribati resumed diplomatic relationship, we have achieved early harvests in bilateral exchange and collaboration. Taking President Maamau's visit as an opportunity, China would like to work with Kiribati to enhance practical cooperation and friendly exchange on the basis of equality and mutual respect, delivering greater benefits to the two peoples. Q: Indonesia said that Chinese vessels have been found illegally fishing in its waters in Natuna which borders the South China Sea. Jakarta has summoned the Chinese ambassador there and apparently registered their protests. Do you have any information on this? A: China has sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and has the sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters near the Nansha Islands. In the meantime, China has historic rights in the South China Sea. Chinese fishermen have long been engaging in fishery activities in relevant waters near the Nansha Islands, which has all along been legal and legitimate. The Chinese coastguard vessels were performing their duty by carrying out a regular patrol to maintain maritime order and protect our people's legitimate rights and interests in the relevant waters. Our ambassador to Indonesia reiterated China's consistent position to the Indonesian side. China would like to work with Indonesia to continue managing disputes properly through bilateral dialogue, and to maintain friendly cooperation as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea. Q: In the DPRK, the Workers' Party of Korea are holding the fifth plenary meeting of its seventh Central Committee, but the details are yet to be known. I wonder if you have any expectations? Besides, we are keen to hear Chairman Kim's new year congratulatory message for 2020. Can you also share with us your expectations on that? A: Like you, I'm also following the session being held now in the DPRK and the new year congratulatory message likely to be delivered. Q: US Secretary of State Pompeo is reportedly visiting Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and attending the C5+1 ministerial in Tashkent at the beginning of January. Official from the US Department of State said that Pompeo would mention Xinjiang-related issues in bilateral talks and the C5+1 ministerial, as the US has not seen any kind of significant improvement in the situation in Xinjiang. What's your comment ? A: China and Central Asian countries are friendly neighbors and strategic partners as close as lips and teeth that share weal and woe. As all five countries in central Asia are next to Xinjiang, they are more aware of and have the better say in the real situation in Xinjiang than the US. In the C5+1 ministerial in September, the US tried to drive a wedge between China and Central Asian countries by smearing China, but that didn't succeed. If the US wants to play the old trick this time, its attempt will be all in vain once again. When it comes to Xinjiang-related issues, Central Asian countries have always been understanding and supporting China and speaking highly of our measures on counter-terrorism and deradicalization. We highly commend that. We are convinced that the governments and people of these Central Asian countries have firm resolve to develop good neighborly relations with China and fight terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. Any attempts for deception and smear or to drive a wedge between China and Central Asian countries will never succeed. China and Central Asian countries have long been respecting each other's development path that suits each country's own condition, and supporting each other on issues concerning core interests and major concerns. We have conducted effective BRI cooperation that is conducive to regional connectivity, economic growth, people's livelihoods and social stability. If the US truly cares about the development of Central Asia and the people there, why doesn't it demonstrate greater sincerity by making concrete contributions? Being a spoiler will only hurt its image and again fail its attempts that have never been popular. Q: On December 26, a 27-year-old Chinese man was arrested while taking photos at a US Navy base in Key West, Florida. Do you have more information on that? A: As far as I know, the Chinese diplomatic missions in the US have been informed by the US side about the arrest of a Chinese citizen on December 26. The Chinese Consulate-General in Huston has got in touch with this Chinese citizen. We ask the US side to carry out fair investigations in accordance with law, properly handle this case, and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese citizen involved. The New Year and the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays are around the corner. Once again, we want to remind our citizens overseas to heighten their awareness of law and self-protection, not to linger in or photograph restricted military areas or other sensitive places, and to strictly follow relevant signs and warnings. The Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the security and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens overseas, asks them to observe laws and regulations of host countries and not to engage in any form of illegal activities. Chinese diplomatic missions will provide necessary consular assistance to our citizens within the extent of their duties. *** In observance of New Year's Day, our press conference will be in recess on Wednesday (January 1) and resumed on Thursday (January 2). During the recess, you may still reach the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Office via telephone, email, WeChat and fax. This is our last press conference in 2019, and the last time that Mr. Ben Blanchard attended our conference. Mr. Blanchard has been a Reuters journalist stationed in China for 16 years. As an old frequenter here in Lanting, he witnessed so many press conferences hosted by different spokespersons and was present in this room long before I was. His professionalism, diligence and perseverance have won much admiration from his peer journalists and encouraged my colleagues and me to keep up good work. We wish him all the best at his new post, and we hope one day we will meet him again in this room. This is the last day of the year 2019. It has been another year of new advances and new outcomes on China's diplomatic front, and another year in which you, my dear friends from the press, have been attending our press conference as chroniclers, witnesses and observers of China's diplomacy. On this occasion, we'd like to express our sincerest thanks for your hard work and look forward to greater cooperation with you in the new year. On behalf of the MFA Information Department and my colleagues, I wish you health, success and happiness in the year to come. Happy new year to you all! See you in 2020.

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The Biden Papers: Former Vice President Keeps Senate Documents Secret, Hidden from Public 3 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply Thousands of documents pertaining to Joe Biden’s nearly 40-year career in the U.S. Senate are still unavailable to the public after one of the preliminary release deadlines agreed to by the former vice president passed on Tuesday. The documents, which purportedly fill 1,875 boxes and include 415 gigabytes of electronic records spanning Biden’s time in Congress between 1973 through 2009, were to be made public on Dec. 31, 2019, according to an agreement the former vice president entered into with the University of Delaware in 2011 upon donating his papers to the institution. Those parameters, however, were changed on April 24—the day before Biden declared his 2020 campaign— Donald Trump Signs Law to End Rape Kit Testing Backlog 1 reply Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed legislation aimed at ending the backlog of rape kits nationwide. Presently, at least 100,000 rape kits are untested in the U.S. and are likely to remain so without adequate funding to test DNA in a timely fashion. The Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019, named in honor of a 1989 rape victim whose evidence went untested until 1994, will help fund DNA test training as well as education programs. The law will also fund the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Grant Program. “This legislation authorizes the Department of Justice to provide resources to State and local law enforcement to help make sure that criminals are brought to justice. Welcome to 2020, the Year of the Good Fight 1 reply Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply The year 2020 begins with incredible potential for supporters of President Donald Trump — and for America’s renaissance. The economy is roaring. The country is about to sign trade deals with our North American partners and with China; another deal with a post-Brexit Great Britain is likely. The world is safer. ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. The “Christmas gift” threatened by North Korea failed to materialize. Iran is using its proxies to attack the U.S. in Iraq — but the regime is facing new protests. Do You Want Venezuela for New Years 2020? 8 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply As I write this column, just days before New Year 2020, we are all being bombarded by great news about the US economy under President Trump. It just doesn’t get any better than this. NASDAQ just hit 11,000 for the first time in history. It’s up a remarkable 11 days in a row. The Dow and S&P also hit new highs. We just received fresh confirmation from China that the phase one trade deal is close to being signed. We also found out global stock markets- led almost entirely by the US stock market- gained $17 trillion in wealth in 2019. The entire world is getting rich because of President Trump Nasty Nancy, Shifty Schiff, and Schumer subvert the Constitution to damage Trump 21 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply Nancy Pelosi, AKA Nasty Nancy, allowed Adam Schiff, AKA Shifty Schiff, to run the impeachment "inquiry" through Shifty's Intelligence Committee, where Shifty had total control. He set the rules to allow only the witnesses he wanted. He lied in his opening statement to commence the inquiry by making up President Trump's phone conversation with Ukraine's President Zelensky. The resulting vote to impeach was a foregone conclusion regardless of the evidence, or lack thereof. Pelosi has not sent Shifty's articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial because she said she wants to first see the Senate trial procedures. Ben Rhodes still at it, defending his Iran deal... and gets a smack-down 11 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply The Iran deal is a disaster, and every day it gets more and more obvious. Iran's mullahs have no intention of stopping their quest for a nuclear bomb. Less than two weeks ago, Iran's president told a group of Iranian expats in Kuala Lumpur that they were violating the whole thing: Iran President Hassan Rouhani said his country is working on the development of new, advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges, according to Iranian state-run news agency IRNA, a move that appears to violate the landmark nuclear agreement Tehran signed with world powers in 2015. Rouhani said at a meeting with Iranian expatriates in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday Democrat Admits Impeachment ‘Genesis’ Was Before Trump’s Election 13 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply [Video] Appearing Monday on MSNBC’s All In, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) admitted the “genesis” of impeachment was birthed during then-candidate Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign for the presidency. (Watch from 1:58) A partial transcript is as follows: CHRISTOPHER HAYES: You just mentioned political expediency and insincerity. Those are two charges that have been leveled against Democrats during this entire affair, particularly when the formal impeachment inquiry. You played a starring role in those charges. The argument goes like this of how House Republicans and Trump, the president and his allies, is basically the Democrats wanted to impeach Donald Trump from day one, Wall Street Boom in 2019: S&P 500, Nasdaq Have Best Year Since 2013 5 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply Wall Street closed the books Tuesday on a blockbuster 2019 for stock investors, with the broader market delivering its best returns in six years. The S&P 500 finished with a gain of 28.9% for the year, its best annual performance since 2013, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 22.3%, led by Apple. Technology stocks led the way higher, vaulting 48%. That helped power the Nasdaq composite to a 35.3% gain for the year. Along the way, the three major indexes set more record highs than in 2018 and kept the longest bull market for stocks going. Exclusive: Trump list shows 319 'results' and promises kept in three years 3 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply One month shy of completing three years in office, President Trump has fulfilled or is making significant progress on most of his 2016 campaign promises, which aides said give him a strong reelection argument to counter his impeachment by a bitterly partisan House last week. As the president and his team ready for the 2020 campaign at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, officials said it would be built on the administration's achievements list of 15 categories and 319 “results.” Vice President Mike Pence told Secrets that the message is simple: “Promises made, promises kept.” Pence, who has already hit the campaign trail in a specially outfitted Trump-Pence bus, added, New census numbers undercut 'ascendant America' theory 6 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply From the first years of a century already one-fifth completed, we’ve been told that a new, ascendant America — more nonwhite, more culturally liberal, more feminist — was going to dominate our politics for years to come. Those predictions have, partially, come true. Barack Obama was elected and reelected president in 2008 and 2012, and Democrats won majorities in House contests in 2006, 2008, and 2018. But those are slimmer pickings than the emerging majorities were promised. And President Trump’s victory in 2016 has made a mockery of the predictions. Ex-Trans Man Reverses 'Non-Binary' Sex Designation in Blow to LGBT Movement 19 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply This month, the first person to obtain a legal "non-binary" sex designation has successfully petitioned the court originally responsible for his "non-binary" status to order that the sex on his birth certificate be restored to "male." In documents exclusively provided to PJ Media, James Shupe's petition described his "non-binary" designation as a "psychologically harmful legal fiction." He told PJ Media he hopes this decision will prevent a woman currently seeking "non-binary" recognition from following the same lies. "The charade of not being male, the legal fiction, it's over," James Shupe told PJ Media on Tuesday. "The lies behind my fictitious sex changes, something I shamefully participated in, first to female,

You can’t touch this: Pope Francis says sorry for slapping devotee 43 replies Posted by GO3 — Post Reply VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis apologized Wednesday for his widely-viewed slap of a woman who had grabbed his hand as he greeted Catholic faithful on New Year’s Eve. The image of Francis slapping his way free from the clutches of the admirer was an instant hit on social media. A personal apology followed. “We lose patience many times,” Francis confessed. “It happens to me too. I apologize for the bad example given yesterday,” the head of the Catholic church said before celebrating Mass at the Vatican. NSC chief slashing Obama's 'bloated' staff to create efficient, tight-lipped White House operation 23 replies Posted by MissMolly — Post Reply The White House National Security Council staff is being downsized sharply in a bid to improve efficiency within the policy coordinating body by consolidating positions and cutting staff. A second, unspoken thrust of the overhaul is a hoped-for end to what many critics see as a string of politically damaging, unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information. Leaks of President Trump’s conversations with foreign leaders and other damaging disclosures likely originated with anti-Trump officials in the White House who stayed over from the Obama administration, according to several current and former White House officials. White House National Security Adviser Robert C. O’Brien is leading the NSC reform effort. Here are the 5 biggest Republican mistakes of the decade 22 replies Posted by tisHimself — Post Reply For Republicans, the 2010s end with the party seemingly in a better situation than it was when the decade started. The GOP has control of the White House and the Senate. Ten years ago, the Democrats held the White House and both houses of Congress. But that scorecard doesn't tell the whole story. Thanks to five major blunders over the last decade, the Republican Party is actually weaker than it was on Jan.1, 2010. To understand why, you have to document each key mistake in order: Report: Iran-Backed Militiamen Retreat from U.S. Embassy in Baghdad 21 replies Posted by Imright — Post Reply Iran-backed militiamen behind an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, have begun retreating from the area on Wednesday following a threat from President Donald Trump to hold Tehran accountable for the siege. “Supporters of the Kataib Hezbollah militia who had spent the night camped outside the embassy began dismantling their tents and leaving the area, saying they had won a victory and would now seek the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq through the nation’s parliament,” the Washington Post reports. The development comes after Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Nasty Nancy, Shifty Schiff, and Schumer subvert the Constitution to damage Trump 21 replies Posted by ladydawgfan — Post Reply Nancy Pelosi, AKA Nasty Nancy, allowed Adam Schiff, AKA Shifty Schiff, to run the impeachment "inquiry" through Shifty's Intelligence Committee, where Shifty had total control. He set the rules to allow only the witnesses he wanted. He lied in his opening statement to commence the inquiry by making up President Trump's phone conversation with Ukraine's President Zelensky. The resulting vote to impeach was a foregone conclusion regardless of the evidence, or lack thereof. Pelosi has not sent Shifty's articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial because she said she wants to first see the Senate trial procedures. Media Continues With Awful Hot Takes About the 'Terrifying' Armed Churchgoers in Texas Shooting 20 replies Posted by Hazymac — Post Reply Ever since it was discovered that several armed churchgoers drew their weapons to stop a gunman at a church in Texas last week, the anti-gun mainstream media types have been trying to tell the public that armed, law-abiding citizens are a bad thing. The New Year's Day installment of media malpractice hyperbole arrives courtesy of the nauseatingly leftist USA Today: "@USATODAY Opinion: Jack Wilson is exactly the type of person you want around with a gun because he's a firearms instructor. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns. And that's terrifying." As more women run for office, child care remains a hurdle 20 replies Posted by voxpopuli — Post Reply When Kimberly Dudik ran for her fourth term in the Montana House, state officials told her she could not use campaign money to pay for child care for her four young children. She is now running for attorney general and is trying to visit a big chunk of the sprawling state, spending hours on the road. That means she needs even more help picking up her kids at school and day care when she's away and her husband has a late night at the office. (snip) Only six states have laws specifically allowing campaign money to be used for child care. Two tribes aren’t recognized federally. Yet members won $500 million in minority contracts 16 replies Posted by MissMolly — Post Reply Companies set up by members of a self-described and state-recognized Creek Indian tribe in Alabama have received more than $240 million in federal minority-business contracts, despite a determination by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs that there is no credible evidence the group has Native American ancestry, a Los Angeles Times investigation has found. Federal contracts worth an additional $273 million have gone to two companies run by a member of a different Native American group in Alabama with no federal recognition as a tribe. How this anti-Semitism came to be: The virulent hatred snowballed over the years 15 replies Posted by MissMolly — Post Reply Orthodox Jews around the country — and specifically in the tri-state area — were still reeling from the shooting at a kosher deli earlier this month when we gathered with our families to celebrate the holiday of Chanukah. But that air of tranquility was shattered by a string of nearly a dozen anti-Semitic attacks over the holiday, the most severe of which was a mass stabbing at a rabbi’s home upstate as he lit his menorah. The stabbing attack succeeded in bringing to the fore what we visibly Orthodox Jews have known for quite some time: There’s a growing epidemic of anti-Semitism in this country, specifically targeting Orthodox Jews, Trump cuts loose with unpredictable characters at Mar-a-Lago 14 replies Posted by 4Justice — Post Reply PALM BEACH, Fla. — At the White House, people who want to meet with Donald Trump have to deal with schedulers, scores of aides hovering around the president and a strict security protocol. At Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s luxury South Florida resort where he typically spends Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the president is just another guy in the buffet line. Bitter Clingers in Texas Shoot Back 14 replies Posted by tisHimself — Post Reply The reason the Founders put the Second Amendment in the Constitution, the document Democrats and liberals selectively embrace or read things into when convenient, was seen last Sunday at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, near Forth Worth where, dare we say it again, good guys with guns stopped a bad guy with a gun. Note the plural is used here, for video footage shows at least seven guns were drawn with seconds of the killer opening fire on the parishioners inside, killing two. But only two, as a wider massacre was stopped by those who don’t believe in gun-free zones.

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This is the shirt; the one that wrapped itself around my alabaster skin the evening death came for me. A paper-thin cotton shield designed for fashion that assumed the role of armour. Its pairing - black terry cloth sweatpants - failed to survive, some of the threads disintegrating on impact, the rest embedding themselves into the meat of my right thigh. "Are you prepared to get rid of this thing yet?" my mother gently inquires every 12 months, as I tenderly unfold the fuchsia halter top from the back shelf of my cherry wood armoire and hug it close to my body. The question has become a tradition during our annual clothing cleanout. I cannot help but notice that its straps have lost their shape, the fabric its lustre, as though it too was stripped of its life that night. In 2001, on a gorgeous and humid South Florida night, the smell of an oncoming rainstorm hung heavy in the air. And I, walking across a road to get to my car, as I did countless times in the past, would never make it. I cannot recall the exact moment my 100-pound (45kg) frame collided with more than 3,000 pounds (1,360kg) of steel, but I can remember an erratic driver behind the wheel of a pick-up truck barrelling towards me. I tried to run. But there was no way to save myself. I fool myself into thinking that if I can just stay conscious, death cannot have its way with me tonight. I have relived those few steps that were the final moments of my "then" life ad nauseam. My mind to this day, clearly connecting a spider web of memories as though it was yesterday - of sandals pounding into the gritty asphalt, my legs picking up speed, my heart springing into action from adrenaline. I was still safe, still healthy, still Marisa in these moments. Until I was not. "It's proof, mum," I snap back, mindful of my sour tone the second the words fall off my lips. "A reminder of beating death. How can you get rid of something like that?" But perhaps what is a token of survival for me is a symbol of loss for my mother. Though her child survived, a clear line of demarcation was set that evening and its trauma relived by the two of us, far too often to count. Woozy from morphine, I distinctly remember a trauma surgeon telling her: "If she makes it until the morning, we will have a much clearer picture of her prognosis." I was not more than two feet away but I feared he may have given up on me already. I just won't sleep, my brain played on repeat. I fooled myself into thinking that if I could just stay conscious, death could not have its way with me that night. Marisa and her mother, Pat [Photo courtesy: Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana] 'I will walk again' I lay flat in my hospital bed in the trauma intensive care unit for weeks, forbidden to fully sit up, allowing my five liver lacerations time to heal without added pressure on the organ. Machines rung out, singing choruses to one another, a battle cry that there was still life among those of us unwilling to give up. The nurses told me that of the handful of patients in the trauma unit, I was the only one conscious. Conscious but held prisoner. I was acutely aware of my injuries - broken ribs, internal bleeding, fractured pelvis, lacerated liver, and a head injury to name a few; aware of my loss - my college career now on hiatus, the need to go to rehab to learn how to walk again; and aware of the uncertainty of life - how our patience and resolve are tested when the unexpected happens. I could not rationally make sense of the event during my waking hours, often falling down rabbit holes searching for clues I must have missed along the way. Countless hours each day were filled with silent pep talks, reminding myself of my knack for compartmentalising and processing past traumas or difficult life circumstances in order to move forward. My liver will heal. I will go to rehab. I will start walking again. And I will return to school. I focused on the fact that I was a few semesters away from completing nursing school. The reality that extraordinary nurses were caring for me and helping me progress each day provided even more motivation to recover. I will help someone through their trauma one day, I told myself. This was my plan for the future until three uniformed men entered my room one afternoon, their body language serious but their eyes filled with compassion and concern. After brief, formal niceties, one man moved a seat away from the wall, placing it near the head of my bed. He is the detective on the case, one I would communicate with regularly in the days ahead. "Marisa, we arrested the person who ran you over. He was under the influence at the time, it looks like alcohol and crystal meth," he sighed and averted his eyes from mine to his knee, where his thumb flicked the corners of paperwork he was carrying in his hand. I noticed his brunette hair. There were hints of red undertones signalling it had been kissed by the Florida sun. He was handsome, not old enough to be my father, not young enough to be a peer. "There is no ideal way to tell you the next part, so I will just come out and say it because we need to get a statement from you. The individual who hit you was your ex-boyfriend. We arrested him and he has been charged with attempted murder." And then I crumbled ... Back then, I did not have a handbook to consult nor much guidance when it came to processing the fact that someone I once loved so incredibly deeply almost took my life. There was no search engine I could run to that would share the experiences of others who had been through it. Those around me could not grasp it. I found myself alone, forced to sit with the reality of the situation, 24 hours a day, isolated in my hospital room, unable to move. Domestic violence is an event that can often breed silence from those you love most, those you need the most. A silence that sometimes befalls out of confusion, fear of saying the wrong thing, anger, or just time needed on their end to make sense of it all. I do not blame anyone for not knowing what to say. But sometimes I felt that hearing anything was better than silence, which allowed my mind to descend further and further into darkness. My 23-year-old brain was barely hanging on to its ability for rational, logical thinking and the conversation with these three men sent me spiralling. Twenty-four-hours later I would have my first of what would become crippling panic attacks. I had held it together for weeks, acutely focused on the fact that I had survived getting run over by a truck travelling at 50 miles per hour (80km/h). I likened myself to a superhero - literally run over by a truck and lived to tell the story. And then I crumbled ... Marisa about two years after she was hit, extremely sick and still in recovery from injuries and Lupus, which was triggered by the incident [Photo courtesy: Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana] The nightmares started shortly after that meeting with the police. Almost every time I slept, I reimagined the moment of impact, but in my dreams, I never survived. Instead, the tyre of the truck ran over my face instead of my body, crushing my bones and brain deep into the pavement. It was always my face, my brain that was struck. I could not rationally make sense of the event during my waking hours, often falling down rabbit holes searching for clues I must have missed along the way. It felt like my brain was on hyperdrive during the day, screaming for something, anything, to make sense, while in my dream state, my brain discovered its own way to silence it all. I would wake to the monitors at the side of my bed beeping frantically. Sweaty, nauseous, and unable to catch my breath, I would rouse disoriented. "Marisa, I am going to give you something to help you calm down. Don't sit all the way up," the nurse would order me, in a voice that held both compassion and control. Wet from sweat and urine, shaking, teeth chattering. I longed for my mother's hand. Then the drugs would work their magic, all would be quiet again, and for a few moments it would feel like the last few weeks in the hospital were just a nightmare. My monster, PTSD "Marisa, are you familiar with PTSD?" the hospital psychiatrist asked me. I had been recommended for an evaluation after it became clear that the shock of the event had worn off but that I was drowning in a sea of emotions, fear and panic. "Isn't that something people from war experience?" I responded. My only familiarity with the term was hearing it spoken by someone at college, her dad crippled by its symptoms after returning home from Vietnam, sick from Agent Orange. There were no social media conversations about PTSD back in 2001, no one discussing the link between trauma and the disorder. It is not just an after-effect of war, I learned. It can also happen from surviving a natural disaster, domestic violence, abuse, severe injury, or witnessing an atrocity. And my symptoms were classic, the psychiatrist told me - distressing recollections of the event, nightmares, feeling jumpy, being easily irritated ... I could check off so many of the symptom boxes, I became embarrassed and tried to downplay what I was experiencing. But there was no hiding it. And so began a 17-year journey with my monster, PTSD - post-traumatic stress disorder. Marisa receiving IV treatments, which she does about four times a year for health issues stemming from being hit [Photo courtesy: Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana] Although the disorder originally seemed like the driver on the journey to my recovery, I eventually learned how to demand it take its place in the passenger seat, slowly increasing my level of control. Today, I like to think of it as something stowed away in the boot. It still travels with me, but for the most part, it does not control my path. PTSD is rooted in trauma. It can occur when someone witnesses or experiences a shocking or life-threatening event, one in which they feel their life or someone else's is in danger. The trauma and stress-related disorder is believed to affect eight million adults in the United States alone in any given year. While much of the initial research on trauma and PTSD was conducted on male war veterans, today's research shows women have higher rates of PTSD. Trauma that can lead to PTSD in men may include combat trauma, natural disasters, or an accident, whereas, with women, rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and domestic violence typically top the charts. Both my quiet time in recovery and my almost two-decade-long journey with PTSD have taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life - that my thoughts have enormous power. Marisa and her mum Pat, as she receives a proclamation from Monroe County, as Mrs New York 2015, for her work advocating for people with Lupus [Photo courtesy: Marisa Zeppieri-Caruana] They have the power to make me physically sick - to trick me into believing I am having a heart attack, or that my throat is closing when I am in the midst of a panic attack. They have the power to take me back to the moment of impact and completely disorient me from the task at hand. They have the power to corrupt and override my dreams, goals and achievements. They have the power to ruin my life, this one life I was so honoured to have ... if I let them. I have not found all the answers to my struggle with PTSD but I have found that psychotherapy, exposure therapy, prayer, and sometimes, medication, have given me back most of the control I believed I had lost that evening in Fort Lauderdale. Today, my breath still becomes silent and my heart immediately picks up pace almost every time I hear the whoosh of a car whiz by me, smacking me in the face with its wind, as I walk my terrier down the sidewalk. I see a flash of my bright fuchsia halter top covered in blood. My natural instinct every single time is to run. To protect myself. Instead, I stand tall, inhale slowly, and remind myself I am getting better. I look down and lock eyes with my dog and whisper, "It's ok. We are safe."

This is without a doubt my favorite day that rolls around every two weeks, and I’m not talking about payday (though that’s up there pretty high as well.) Today is the day that my housekeeper comes to rescue me from my own sloth, and I never get tired of it, or bored by repetition, even though it occurs every two weeks. (I’m calling her Ronda but that’s not her real name.) Author Erma Bombeck once said that cleaning your house while the kids were still growing is like sweeping your porch while it’s still snowing and I think that’s true, but I still look forward to it. Here are the happy stages of “Ronda The Housekeeper Day:” Stage One Go to the ATM and get some cash, because my kids always suck up any excess I have lying around. I pay Ronda around $20 an hour, which I think is fair for five hours of manual labor cleaning my toilet and mopping my floors. Occasionally, someone will act surprised at this, and insist they can get me someone cheaper. “Gee, I know someone who will clean your whole house for $30!” Well, here’s the thing: I’m not interested in exploiting people just because they’re desperate and will work for less. Ronda came to this country from Guatemala (She’s in this country legally now so don’t send me any hate mail, thank you) as a mom deserted by her abusive, alcoholic husband. She left her boys with her mother and came up here to find a job to support them. At first, she told me, she worked for room and board only, which in my mind sounds an awful lot like slavery. Not the only time I’ve heard that kind of story, by the way. I pay her what I think is fair, and if you bargain your cleaning lady down to get her to scrub your floors for less, I probably wouldn’t like you. Stage Two Scurry around and put away anything that I think might get misplaced. Two women putting things away in the same kitchen is never a good thing. I spend a lot of time pacing and thinking, “Dang, where would she have put the measuring cups?” It’s just easier to put them away before she gets here. I usually throw a load of towels in the washer to give her a head start, since she does our linens. Sometimes I’ll wipe up the dog vomit or something else that’s particularly disgusting, though I’m not one of those people who cleans the house before the housekeeper arrives. I’ve always been a little confused by that concept. I know there are a lot of you out there, so please explain it to me. Stage Three Greet Ronda when she arrives, then vamoose as quickly as possible. I don’t want to be around while she’s cleaning for two reasons. First, because I can tell I’m getting in her way, though she would never say so. The second and more important reason is that I feel guilty. I feel vaguely ashamed that I’m making someone else clean the gunk out of my bathroom sink, even though I know she wants and needs the work. Best-selling author Barbara Ehrenreich wrote a piece for Harper’s magazine back in 2000 called “Maid to Order: The politics of other women’s work” that I could never get completely out of my head. She went to work as a employee of one of those corporate housekeeping companies for the experience, so she could write about it from an informed perspective. She wrote that people like to hire cleaning services, because they needn’t have a relationship with one person and watch her scrub their bathtub. Seriously, do you really think those maids are merry? Because I’m pretty sure they’re not. Some people also worry about theft, though I’ve never had a problem. One of my former housekeepers, who fled the death squads in El Salvador, had been a college professor there, and the only problem I had with her was letting her finish her work, because she was so interesting I always just wanted to talk. My mother was a neat freak who grew up an orphan in Texas, where in those days the difference between “white trash” and respectable folk was how clean they kept their houses. My mom could never abide the fact that her daughter was clearly trash. Stage Four Come home to a sparkling, lemon-scented house with freshly folded towels and clean sheets, enjoying an hour of pure bliss after walking through the door. At this point, I might think about how I really can’t afford a housekeeper, and wonder which kid I should get rid of so I can continue to hire her services. Stage Five It’s been 24 hours since Ronda was here, and I’m wondering how my house could possibly look so trashed. I also wonder why my son needs five towels for one shower and why he can’t pick them up off the floor. There’s nothing to be done but pine for her next visit. Ronda, please come back!

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For Subscribers Hampton Beach Ocean Wok: Founder Matthew Fan to revive restaurant Ocean Wok founder Matthew Fan is returning to take over the restaurant which he says went downhill after he left.

Tom Brady Uses Protection Stones, And Other Top 'Talkers' Of 2019That time the six-time Super Bowl champion revealed that his supermodel wife has him use protection stones... Boston's Favorite Spots For Inexpensive Italian FoodLooking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare without breaking the bank? Boston's Best Day SpasIf you are looking for some pampering and relaxation, maybe a day spa in the place for you. Here are the top rated spots in Boston. To Do List: Holiday Pops, Harlem Globetrotters & Outdoor SkatingThe kids are just about on Christmas break and you’ll be looking for ideas to get everybody out of the house and moving. Small Bites: Where To Celebrate National Cupcake Day In BostonCupcakes are having a moment, and with good reason. Here are some of the best in Boston. Weekend To Do List: Ski Chalet In The City, Holiday Market, Tea Party ReenactmentWant to cozy up by the fire of an après ski chalet – in the city? It's just one option on this weekend's To Do List.

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BOSTON (CBS) — Over the course of the last 10 games, NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill has done quite a bit to rewrite the story of Ryan Tannehill, NFL quarterback. Against all odds, he’s been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks since he took the starting job from Marcus Mariota and helped turn the Titans’ season around, and he’s a significant reason why the Titans will be entering Saturday night’s playoff game in Foxboro with a whole lot of confidence. But if the Titans are to really make that matter and deliver an upset playoff victory, Tannehill’s going to have to flip one more script. And this one’s a doozy. He’s going to have to figure out how to play at Gillette Stadium. Having been in the AFC East for the first six seasons (over seven years) of his career, Tannehill is no stranger to playing at Gillette Stadium. He’s played there six times, and he’s yet to win a game. In half of those games, Tannehill’s offense was held to seven points or fewer, with Tannehill’s offenses failing to put points on the board twice. The individual stats aren’t great. Overall, when playing at Gillette Stadium, Tannehill has completed 142 of his 233 passes (60.9 percent) for 1,554 yards, which comes out to 259 yards per game and 6.7 yards per attempt. The completion rate and yardage stats aren’t too bad, all things considered. But he’s also thrown five touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s thrown at least one interception in every game he’s played in Foxboro, throwing two interceptions for four straight games in New England from 2013-16. And he’s been held without a touchdown pass in three of his six starts. He’s also taken 24 sacks in those six games, though 17 of those came as a young QB in his first three years. He’s fumbled six times, losing the ball three times. Tannehill’s Miami offenses averaged 11.3 points per game in those six trips to Gillette, topping 17 points just once. The average score was 34-11. Technically speaking, the closest Tannehill came to winning in New England came in 2016, when the Dolphins lost 31-24. That was a game, though, which the Patriots led 31-3 midway through the third quarter. In a game where Jimmy Garoppolo was on fire before getting hurt, the Patriots let off the gas late, allowing Tannehill to lead a comeback, but the Dolphins’ final drive ended with a pick in the end zone: After that, Tannehill got one more start in New England. It came in Week 4 of the 2018 season, and it was grisly. He went 11-for-20 for just 100 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while taking two sacks and losing a fumble. Trailing 38-0 in the fourth quarter, Tannehill was benched at the end of the blowout loss for Brock Osweiler, who promptly led a touchdown drive. Repeating, for effect: After failing to lead the Dolphins to any points, Tannehill was benched. For Brock Osweiler. Who then went 4-for-5 for 35 yards and a touchdown. That was a game that included Tannehill looking like this: It was a similar look to Tannehill’s Week 8 visit to Foxboro in 2015, which took place on national TV on Thursday Night Football. That night, this happened: All told, Gillette Stadium has been a house of horrors for Tannehill. In that stadium, he has a 69.9 passer rating, and with six chances, he’s kept his team competitive just once. Long before the Patriots’ defense took on the “Boogeymen” moniker, Tannehill had encountered plenty of unfriendly ghosts that resided inside of Gillette Stadium. Of course, the comparison of the offenses from the Dolphins from 2012-18 to the offense of the Titans in 2019 doesn’t quite lead to an apples-to-apples situation. At the same time, though, it’s worth noting that during those six trips to Gillette, Tannehill was not facing a defense quite like the one that the 2019 Patriots will be carrying into Saturday night’s matchup. This year, the Patriots rank first in both yards and points allowed. From 2012-18, they ranked anywhere from first to 10th in points allowed, and anywhere from eighth to 26th in yards allowed. (The Patriots ranked 29th in yards allowed in 2017, but Tannehill missed that season due to a torn ACL.) Despite a sloppy end to the season, the Patriots still finished the year with the best third-down defense, and they finished first in the league with 25 interceptions — five more than any other team. They ranked tied for seventh in the NFL with 47 sacks, and they finished first by a massive margin in opponents’ passer rating. (The Patriots allowed opposing QBs to post a 62.8 passer rating. The Ravens ranked second, at 77.5. The gap between the No. 1 and No. 2 spots was greater than the gap between the No. 2 and No. 20 spots.) In posting his tremendous numbers this year, Tannehill faced just one defense that ranked in the top 12 in opponents’ passer rating. He aced that one test, beating the Chiefs with both his arm and his legs, but he still didn’t face a defense that compares in any way to that of the Patriots. Tannehill was asked Tuesday if playing in Foxboro is different than playing in any other road stadium. Tannehill downplayed the question. “I mean I don’t know if there is a difference,” Tannehill answered. “Obviously it’s a place that they’ve played well at in the past. But at the end of the day, it’s football. It’s a road environment, it’s gonna be loud, and we have to be ready to go.” As far as playoff history, there is none, as Saturday will mark Tannehill’s first taste of playoff football. With 22 touchdowns and just six picks this season, with a 7-3 record, with a 70.3 completion rate, with a league-best 9.6 yards per attempt and 117.5 passer rating, the 31-year-old Tannehill has already done a tremendous job this year of shifting perceptions about what kind of quarterback he is. Ultimately, though, that progress will be rendered mostly meaningless if he can’t solve whatever has plagued him whenever he’s played football in the state of Massachusetts. You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

BOSTON (CBS) — As the Patriots enter the postseason, there’s a distinct lack of the usual confidence that normally fills the region every year around this time. Instead of sizing up the NFC competition for Super Bowl LIV in Miami, most football fans are left wondering if this year’s team — a team that was once 8-0 and had the potential to make history — will even reach the divisional round. The conference championship, long believed to be the official start of the football season in New England, remains an even longer shot. Losing a gotta-have-it game at home against the Miami Dolphins to kick away the No. 2 seed and its accompanying first-round playoff bye tends to have that effect. The fact that the Titans will enter Saturday night’s game as one of the hottest teams in the NFL surely does not do much to assuage the fears of folks who have watched the Patriots head in the opposite direction over the past calendar month. And, to be sure, the Titans represent a very real challenge for a Patriots team that had no plans of playing this weekend. If the Patriots take the field and replicate their performance from the Miami loss, their season will assuredly come to a crashing halt on wild-card weekend, a fate the team has avoided for nearly a full decade. That part of the equation cannot be known. But for the sake of seeing where and how the Patriots and Titans stack up, let’s run through some numbers and recent history to get a better feel for what awaits us all on Saturday evening. OVERALL RECORD Patriots: 12-4 Titans: 9-7 When the Patriots were racking up wins and boasting a historically dominant defense, the knock on them was that they hadn’t faced any teams that were actually any good. This critique was fair. Once the Patriots entered the difficult portion of their schedule in Week 8, they went 5-4 to close out the year. The Titans had pretty much the opposite kind of season. They started out 2-4, and the playoffs had to have been the farthest thing from anybody’s mind in Nashville. It bottomed out when they got shut out in a 16-0 loss at Denver. A change at quarterback from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill the following week appeared to have been a desperation move by Mike Vrabel, but it ended up being a season-saver. The Titans went 7-3 to close out the year and earn the second wild-card spot in the AFC playoffs. STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE Patriots: .469 Titans: .488 STRENGTH OF VICTORY Patriots: .411 Titans: .465 The Patriots faced teams that ultimately made the playoffs six times in 2019. They went 3-3, beating the Bills twice and winning at Philadelphia, while losing at home against Kansas City and on the road against Baltimore and Houston. The Titans faced teams that ultimately made the playoffs five times in 2019. They went 2-3, beating a Texans team full of backups in Week 17 and beating the Chiefs in Patrick Mahomes’ first game back from a dislocated kneecap. They lost to the Bills, they lost to the Texans (when they played with their starters), and they lost to the Saints. In terms of common opponents, the Patriots went 3-2 against Cleveland, Buffalo, Kansas City and Houston. The Titans also went 3-2 against those same teams. OFFENSIVE RANKINGS Scoring Patriots: 7th Titans: 10th Yards Per Game Patriots: 15th Titans: 12th The numbers for Tennessee are a bit misleading. The Titans averaged 16.3 points and 290.5 yards per game with Mariota as the starter for six weeks. Since then, they’ve averaged 30.4 points and 406.2 yards per game over the last 10 games. Had the Titans done that over the course of 16 games, they’d have ranked third in yards and second in points. They of course did not post those numbers over a full 16 games, but the 10-game run has nevertheless been impressive. Meanwhile the Patriots’ offense simply is what it is. It’s not particularly potent, and it’s been trending southward for some time. In Weeks 1-9, the Patriots averaged 366.7 yards and 26.3 points per game. (The defense and special teams actually scored six touchdowns during that streak, though, so the offense really put up 21.7 points per game.) In the seven games after their bye, the Patriots averaged 337.6 yards and 21.4 points per game. On the positive side, the Patriots did put up 24 points and gain 414 yards of offense against a top-level Buffalo defense in a playoff-like game in Week 16. On the negative side, the Patriots sandwiched that game with underwhelming performances against Cincinnati and Miami, teams carrying two of the absolute worst defenses in the NFL. Breaking it down further, the Titans rank third in rushing, both in yards per game and yards per attempt. The Patriots rank 18th in rushing yards per game and they rank 25th in rushing yards per attempt. Considering the Patriots have had some hiccups defensively in stopping the run against Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington and Buffalo, the Titans will likely look to use Derrick Henry to exploit that potential vulnerability. In the passing game, the Titans oddly rank 21st in passing yards per game but first in passing yards per attempt, at a clean 8.0. That’s due to Tannehill averaging 9.6 yards per attempt, a full yard better than anybody else in the NFL. The Patriots rank eighth in passing yards per game but 18th in passing yards per attempt, as throwaways to avoid sacks have become a staple of Brady’s game this season. DEFENSIVE RANKINGS Scoring Patriots: 1st Titans: 12th Yards Allowed Patriots: 1st Titans: 21st For as much as the offensive comparison is a mismatch for Tennessee, the defense is an even bigger one in New England’s favor. While the final showing of the year was a disastrous one, the Patriots still finished miles ahead of the competition in so many defensive statistical categories. The Patriots’ defense finished: –First in yards allowed per game (275.9) –First in yards allowed per play (4.7) –First in points allowed per game (14.1) –Second in passing yards allowed per game (180.4) –Second in passing yards allowed per play (5.4) –Sixth in rushing yards allowed per game (95.5) –14th in rushing yards allowed per play (4.2) –First in interceptions (25, five more than any other team) –Tied for seventh in sacks (47) –First in interception rate (4.66%) –Sixth in sack rate (8.77%) –First in first downs allowed per game (16.3) –First in third-down defense (75.9%) –Sixth in fourth-down defense (63.64%) –Fourth in red-zone defense (51.72%) Here’s where the Titans rank in those same categories: –21st –16th –12th –24th –19th –12th –Seventh –Tied for eighth –13th –15th –17th –20th –Eighth –Eighth –31st The mismatch is obvious. But there’s still a significant question as to whether it will actually matter. The Patriots failed to capitalize against some of the NFL’s weakest defenses, particularly late in the year. That included an unimpressive road effort in Cincinnati, a much-too-late arrival in Houston, and some severe stumbles at home against Miami, Kansas City and the Giants. Tom Brady finished the year with his fewest TD passes (24) since 2006, tying for his second-lowest total in a full season starter and giving him four fewer TD passes than he threw in just 12 games in 2016. So, while the Titans’ defense figures to be a major hindrance to their Super Bowl chances, it remains anybody’s guess whether or not Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady will be able to actually take advantage. SPECIAL TEAMS Here’s one you might not have expected: Despite shuffling kickers multiple times throughout the season, the Patriots have a much better field goal situation than their first postseason opponent. That’s because the Titans have gone through three kickers, and none have been particularly efficient. The trio of Cody Parkey, Ryan Succop and Cairo Santos combined to successfully kick just eight of their 18 field goals this year. That 44.4 percent success rate ranks dead last in the NFL … by a lot. The Jets have the second-worst rate at 67.9 percent — or 23.5 percent better than Tennessee. That disaster has led to the Titans signing 25-year-old Greg Jospeh, who was 17-for-20 on field goals and 25-for-29 on PATs in 2018 for Cleveland. This year in two games with Tennessee, he hasn’t had an opportunity to kick a field goal yet, but he’s 9-for-9 on PATs. Perhaps he is the stabilizing force that Tennessee desperately needed, but he nevertheless is a question mark heading into Saturday. For the Patriots, two of Nick Folk’s three missed field goals came in a driving rain storm against Dallas, and he successfully drilled a 51-yard attempt in Week 16 vs. Buffalo in a high-pressure situation. The Patriots don’t have the luxury of employing Stephen Gostkowski this postseason, but the team’s confidence level in the kicker has to be about as high as it’s been all year. In the punting game, don’t be surprised to see a battle of field position play out. The Titans rank first in the NFL in punts inside the 20, with 37. The Patriots have just one fewer, ranking second in the NFL. The Jake Bailey-Brett Kern battle may not give the broadcast a ratings boost, but it’ll certainly keep Bill Belichick excited. STATISTICAL LEADERS Rushing Patriots, Sony Michel: 912 yards, 7 TDs Titans, Derrick Henry: 1,540 yards, 16 TDs Receiving Patriots, Julian Edelman: 100 receptions, 1,117 yards, 6 TDs Titans, A.J. Brown: 52 receptions, 1,051 yards, 8 TDs Passing Patriots, Tom Brady: 60.8%, 4,057 yards, 24 TDs, 8 INTs Titans, Ryan Tannehill: 70.3%, 2,742 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs Interceptions Patriots, Stephon Gilmore: 6 Titans, Kevin Byard: 5 Sacks Patriots, Jamie Collins: 7.0 Titans, Harold Landry: 9.0 EXPERIENCE Playoff Games Bill Belichick: 42 games (31-11 record) Tom Brady: 40 starts (30-10 record) Mike Vrabel: 0 games (20 games as player, 15-5 record) Ryan Tannehill: 0 games Having experience doesn’t allow teams or players to win playoff games simply by showing up to the field. That much is well known. But if you were forced to choose, you’d probably prefer to enter a playoff game carrying a roster loaded with postseason and Super Bowl experience over a roster that has precious little of it. INTANGIBLES It’s funny. One team can end the season going 6-4, including a critical division win in Week 16, and appear to be fizzling out. Another team can finish the year going 7-3, including a critical division loss in Week 15 and a blown 14-0 lead in Week 16, and assume the role of underdog/darling for the postseason. That of course has more to do with expectations than anything else, and the unexpected surge from Ryan Tannehill. There’s also a thorough body of work with regard to evaluating the Patriots as either a legitimate championship contender or merely one of the postseason pack. This season, even the most ardent and tattooed Patriots fan has to be feeling as though the latter will be the case. And, who knows, perhaps the Titans will waltz into Foxboro without intimidation and spoil the Lombardi dreams of New England on a night when the Patriots never expected to even be playing. It’s the NFL, and last weekend’s face-plant against Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins proved that truly anything can happen, even when the Patriots are playing at home. At the same time, for as much as the conversation this week will center on the hot streak of the Titans … don’t forget that five of those seven wins came against non-playoff teams, and one came against a playoff team that was resting its most important starters. In a potential AFC South title game, the Titans lost at home to Houston, falling behind 21-14 early in the fourth quarter and then 24-14 with 3:31 to play. The game ended with Tannehill getting sacked and then spiking the football with no time left. A week later, the Titans opened up a 14-0 lead at home over the Saints … before watching Drew Brees and Co. methodically turn that 14-0 deficit into a 24-14 New Orleans lead. Twice the Titans cut that lead to three points, and twice the Titans’ defense allowed touchdown drives by New Orleans. To the Titans’ credit, they were able to show up in Week 17 at Houston, where Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins and Kenny Stills all did not play. But for as deflating as the Patriots’ season finale was, the Titans were in that same spot just two weeks ago. All of that is to say … for every reason to feel good about either team, there’s a reason to feel bad about either team. On paper, it should be a thoroughly interesting matchup. We’ll find out Saturday night if it actually follows the script. You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

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Somridho, a model and filmmaker wants to make being gender-fluid more mainstream (Picture: Tshiella D) When 19-year-old Somriddho Dasgupta moved to London from New Delhi, India, he decided to sculpt a new version of himself. Now a filmmaker, Somriddho’s style – inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race – is bold, androgynous and gender fluid. Being gender fluid is when someone doesn’t identify themselves as having a fixed gender. The person might prefer to use ‘they’ pronouns instead of he/she. Somridho prefers he/his. When he grew up in India, which he left as a 15-year-old, he was mocked for being ‘gentle and soft’. He also came out as gay which his family is totally accepting of but at the time same-sex marriage was illegal in the country. ‘Acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community was just low,’ Somridho explains to Metro.co.uk. ‘Even now it is still relatively hard to be gay in India as compared to being gay in London. I felt free when I moved there. Advertisement Advertisement He adds: ‘I could finally start expressing myself the way I wanted to. The first thing that I did when I moved to the UK was buy myself a nose ring and some nail paint, obviously!’ Though being gay and gender-fluid may have been considered unconventional in a traditional Indian family, Somridho’s parents never made him feel like an outsider. He recalls one occasion where his dad called him up to congratulate him on one of the bold photoshoots Somridho regularly takes part in, as we works as a model on the side. And while his parents still live in Delhi, Somridho manages to chat to them every day and go back home every six months. As a gay, gender-fluid person who grew up in India, he’s had some tough times (Picture: Tshiella D) ‘I love my parents. They are very supportive,’ he tells Metro.co.uk. ‘They love me to pieces. It, of course, took them a while to get to this stage. ‘When I first told them I am gay (2016), they were quite shocked, a bit upset even. However, now they have reached a stage where they are really accepting. ‘I guess they love me so much that they just want me to be happy. And expressing myself in an androgynous manner makes me the happiest.’ That doesn’t mean that growing up as gay was any easier for Somridho. Advertisement Advertisement While Somridho appreciates that India is changing its attitudes towards the LGBTQ community, in his adolescence it was difficult. ‘I love our culture and our traditions. It is a beautiful country, really diverse. But my experience with being gay, that was quite different. ‘Growing up, I had to pretend to have crushes on girls around my friends to feel accepted by them. ‘Right from a very young age, it is instilled in us that being feminine if you are a guy is wrong. My uncles and aunts would make fun of me for being too gentle and soft. ‘Obviously, they thought it was no big deal and they did not really mean to hurt me but it actually did hurt me. You see, casual homophobia is very common in India.’ He came to London at 15 where he’s also had some tough times (Picture: Somridho Dasgupta) Somridho thinks that the Asian community is a little slower at accepting but is hopeful that attitudes are changing. ‘In our (Indian) culture, a lot of emphasis is placed on masculinity,’ he explains. ‘A man is expected to follow the traditional ideals of masculinity. Hence, when somebody does something that does not fit those ideals, everybody is shocked. ‘Progress has been made, of course. But there still is a long way to go.’ Advertisement But that’s not to say the UK is an LGBTQ haven for Somridho. He’s had his fair share of intolerant attitudes here too. ‘I still face hate. I often get things thrown at me from moving cars. People scream slurs at me. ‘Even now, androgynous or gender-fluid people are too scared to express themselves, scared of the opposition they would face. Every year, numerous LGBTQIA+ people die in London as a result of hate crime. ‘But, did this stop me from expressing myself? No. I still walk out in public in my white fur trousers, my pearl covered glasses and my chunky earrings. I like to get a conversation going as language has power. ‘Good or bad, as long as people are talking about it, it is a victory for me because more people get to know about me, my style. They get to know that perhaps, they don’t have to be a man or a woman either. ‘They can be anything they want to be.’ MORE: From dresses made of meat to androgynous art – the best red carpet looks of the decade MORE: The problem with calling the new androgynous emojis ‘non-binary’ MORE: In 2020, let’s end the needless hostility towards trans people Advertisement Advertisement

New Delhi: A year after former liquor baron Vijay Mallya was declared as India’s fugitive economic offender, a special court in Mumbai on Wednesday gave a green signal to a consortium of 15 banks to utilise his movable assets towards repayment of his debt. The directions to the 15 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) to dispose off Mallya’s economic assets comprising financial securities and shares in his companies like that of the United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL), which were attached under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2016, came after he was declared a proclaimed offender. The SBI-led consortium has to recover over Rs 6,000 crore, excluding interest, from Mallya who has been residing in the United Kingdom after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Special Court last year that it had no objections to the same. The latest development comes after the consortium filed an application in the special court seeking the release of his assets which could be disposed off to recover a part of the loans extended to him. The court has, however, stayed its order till January 18 to enable the parties concerned to approach the Bombay High Court in appeal. Senior counsel Amit Desai, appearing for Mallya, said the court has ordered lifting of attachment of assets, which are UBHL shares. Mallya, 65, a former one-term Rajya Sabha Member, who had launched the high-profile Kingfisher Airlines, slipped out of the country in March 2016 and is now residing in London. He was arrested by the UK Police in April 2017, following which in December 2018, a UK court ordered his extradition to India which he has contested. The matter is still pending.

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An acquaintance and I recently made a deal: We picked out a book for each other to read to challenge our existing beliefs. He is a hard-working person, a family man, a veteran, a Christian. He supports the “right” of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos to hoard $120 billion in wealth. So for him I picked “Pity The Billionaire,” by Thomas Frank. For me, he picked “Economics in One Lesson,” by Henry Hazlitt. I’ve read this sort of thing before. These books lean heavily on cyclical reasoning: growing the economy is good because economists say so, and here’s how to make the economy grow, which is a good thing, because economists say so. They assume that anything that grows the economy is good, and anything that doesn’t is bad. The economy is the only thing considered. One-trick ponies like Hazlitt only seem to apply their intellect to economics. He says we need an economy that works for everyone, and we should consider consequences, but when you’ve made your mind up already that the economy must grow, everything else just gets in the way of the ultimate goal. In this way of thinking, business owners are almighty — these economists act like no other position exists —and no one should stand in the way of them playing the free-market game by making more money and gaining more power and wealth, which they tell us will “trickle down” to the rest of us. Advertisement The often-outdated text was first published in 1946. One can only guess what he’d say about the climate crisis; I suspect he would reject the science behind human-caused climate change because it would eventually interfere with economic growth, and we couldn’t possibly do that. If we were to consider what endless economic growth within a finite planet looks like, we’d have changed our ways long ago, but economists value the global economy far more than they value people, the planet or happiness. For a long time I never understood how Evangelical types could move from the inclusive socialist teachings of Jesus to the individualism of “greed is good,” free-market economics, but it finally made sense to me. According to right-wingers, it’s important that the magic of the free market, not societies and governments, dictate a person’s health and well-being. This sort of dogmatism has helped make clear how Christianity, despite fundamentally being nothing like capitalism, could translate so well into a separate, albeit entirely unrelated, dogmatic belief system. The invisible “God” has simply been replaced with the invisible hand — the absurd notion that the magic of the free market along with the “rational consumer” can somehow guarantee a just and equitable world. It’s pure lunacy, and that’s assuming the intentions of this misguided worldview are even good in the first place. “Real market worth” is used in the same context in economics books as “Allah says” in the Quran or “God says” in the Bible. Even if interpreted morally, these are myths told by humans, not unquestionable laws of nature. The truth is, in dealing with the climate crisis, the income gap, homelessness, or health care, there is nothing to produce and no rational consumer to “let the market decide” our way out of these problems. Unless the people demand the government intervene, green energy will always be “too expensive,” the income gap will be “just the way it is,” nothing could be produced and then purchased by the phantom “rational consumer” to alleviate homelessness, and we’ll “never be able to afford” universal health care. Waiting for the magic of the free market to fix these problems is akin to waiting for thoughts and prayers to solve gun violence. Economic growth too often occurs specifically at the expense of the environment, workers, the homeless, and the sick, which is problematic if you believe economic growth is the only important thing. Institutions try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution. Because entities which stand to profit from this system also own the political process and information cycle, we’re stuck in this rut until we can get more people to wake up. Advertisement It would be foolish to deny that capitalism isn’t the best option if the goal is to simply grow the economy. The system has afforded progress. But the ugly side of this experiment is emerging, primarily with the climate and class politics. The fact working people, young people, or parents subscribe to this inherently self-loathing, destructive ideology is a shame. We must change public consciousness to begin looking out for one another, preserving our environment, and within this wealthy country guaranteeing everyone a decent life opposed to endless peddling of free-market magic, individualism, and “bootstraps” rhetoric. Work by Hazlitt, and other economists he inspired, exists solely to move power and wealth from the many hands of the public sector to the few hands in the private sector. We must demand better. Sam Shain, a teacher and musician, lives in Hallowell. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous Next »

President Donald Trump lies so often that it is no longer shocking when it happens. Many psychologists have pointed out that he is constantly gaslighting his base—a term that refers to a strategic attempt to get others to question their direct experience of reality. Most of his fervent supporters are convinced that Trump is the harbinger of truth when it comes to important issues like climate change—which he has said is a “hoax perpetrated by the Chinese government.” This has contributed to fake news and propaganda. Given its negative impact on society, it is important to understand why certain groups of people are more vulnerable to believing unsupported lies than others. The fields of psychology and neuroscience can offer insight. One reason Trump supporters believe him comes from a basic fact about the brain: it takes more mental effort to reject an idea as false than to accept it as true. In other words, it’s easier to believe than to not. This fact is based on a landmark study published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2009, which asked the simple question, how is the brain activated differently during a state of belief compared to a state of disbelief? To test this, participants were asked whether or not they believed in a series of statements while their brain activity was being imaged by an fMRI scanner. Some sentences were simple and fact-based (California is larger than Rhode Island), while others were more abstract and subjective (God probably does not exist). The results showed the activation of distinct but often overlapping brain areas in the belief and disbelief conditions. While these imaging results are complicated to interpret, the electrical patterns also showed something that was fairly straightforward. Overall, there was greater brain activation that persisted for longer during states of disbelief. Greater brain activation requires more cognitive resources, of which there is a limited supply. What these findings show is that the mental process of believing is simply less work for the brain, and therefore often favored. The default state of the human brain is to accept what we are told, because doubt takes effort. Belief, on the other hand, comes easily. This troubling finding makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. If children questioned every single fact they were being taught, learning would occur at a rate so slow that it would be a hindrance. But this fact could be just as easily applied to both the political left and right. For Christian fundamentalists, being taught to suppress critical thinking begins at a very early age. It is the combination of the brain’s vulnerability to believing unsupported facts and aggressive indoctrination that create the perfect storm for gullibility. Due to the brain’s neuroplasticity, or ability to be sculpted by lived experiences, evangelicals literally become hardwired to believe far-fetched statements. This wiring begins when they are first taught to accept Biblical stories not as metaphors for living life practically and purposefully, but as objective truth. Mystical explanations for natural events train young minds to not demand evidence for beliefs. As a result, the neural pathways that promote healthy skepticism and rational thought are not properly developed. This inevitably leads to a greater susceptibility to lying and gaslighting by manipulative politicians, and greater suggestibility in general. If we want to combat the brain’s habit of taking the path of least resistance, which has destructive downstream consequences for critical thinking, as a society we must place more value on empirical evidence, and this must be reflected in how we educate our youth. Additionally, we must create an awareness of the fact that for the human mind, believing is more of a reflex than a careful and methodical action. This article was originally published at Raw Story.

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As Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools woke up on Wednesday to a new decade, the doting parents reflected on their five children. And Jools admitted to being emotional as she thought about the year ahead, and how their oldest daughter Poppy, 17, is planning to go to university in September. Admitting it was something she had been dreading in a heartfelt Instagram post, the Little Bird designer wrote: "Happy happy new year, the year I have thought about for a long time! This year Poppy will hopefully pursue her dreams and head off for uni. When she was little I would often think of how it would feel when this moment arrived and jeez I never thought it would feel this emotional" Jools Oliver admitted she was emotional about her oldest child going off to university this year Watch Jamie Oliver open up about son Buddy's cooking The doting mum continued: "Still a few months to go yet so will just soak up everything whilst I can including this little moment. Wishing happiness and love for 2020 xxx." The post was accompanied by a photo of Poppy cuddling her little brother River, three, as he poked his hands in her eyes. Jools' followers were quick to sympathise with her in the comments section, with one writing: "Be proud that you've raised such lovely young ladies in Poppy and Daisy. Happy New Year," while another wrote: "I bet you didn't believe it would go so quickly either! Time flies." A third added: "I am in the same situation with my daughter. My emotions are like being on a roller coaster. Happy New Year to you and your family." MORE: Jennifer Lopez shares rare photo of dad at family party Jamie Oliver with his wife Jools and their five children The Olivers enjoyed spending the festive season together, and Jools helped ensure that her children made special memories over the Christmas holidays. Encouraging her youngest three, Petal, nine, Buddy, seven, and River, to think of others, the doting mum got them all to participate in the Giving Manger project, which saw them all complete an act of kindness each day in the run-up to Christmas Day. Each time they did something, they added another strand of straw into a miniature manger, until it was filled. READ: Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy has straight hair in new photo Jools opened up about the incentive on Instagram, and revealed that her children had took it upon themselves to make biscuits for their neighbours. Alongside a photo of Buddy holding a plate of sweet treats in a local shop, she wrote: "This wonderful time of year where giving and being generous not just in gifts but in time and in spirit, starting our giving manger this year the children were excited but after a few weeks really very few acts of kindness were completely! It just seemed so hard to be able to claim at the end of the day that we had done anything worthy of laying the straw in the manger...ridiculous!" She continued: "So we decided to really give it a go this week and actually stop saying we don’t have time or any other excuses! Desperately trying to teach the children it’s just all about ‘kindness’ that’s it, that’s all that matters it’s the ONLY thing that will ever matter! So the little ones baked biscuits and took them to our lovely neighbours and in to the village. The best thing about it all was how happy it actually made them, it’s a two-way thing!!! Plus I have never been offered so many cups of tea in my life!!!! Let’s hope we get there before Christmas Day." Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

2019 is the year of revelations. Self-revelations most of all. For the sake of a few stories, I've had to dive deep into whether I wanted to have more kids (the answer is probably no) and reveal some never-before-spoken-about aspects of my marriage to a foreigner. I've realised it's tough exposing a part of yourself online to thousands, especially for someone who normally keeps things close to my chest. But it's a retrospective and introspective exercise (much like this one) that has its benefits — producing fresh insights, for one. In my case, it made me more appreciative and kinder to the husband. My desire to maintain some online privacy also went out the window when I was asked to contribute some personal content for Instagram. But as with all things, once you get over the initial psychological barrier, it gets easier. Being inquisitive, or kaypoh, by nature about the lives others lead (which probably accounts for my love for reality TV), I never fail to be fascinated by people, and that's probably what I love most about my job. And with people, love and relationships is definitely a big part of what makes us all human. This year, I learnt what being a sex coach entails, found out all about sugar dating from a sugar baby (look out for it) and talked to Japanese women who'd love to marry Singapore men. Why? Because they're seen to be "less traditional" and would allow them to have a career. However, from the Singaporean men I spoke to at the Japanese dating event, what scared our "lion men" off Singaporean girls were their fierce, independent streaks. So were these Japanese women barking up the wrong tree? Well perhaps not, as from my knowledge, there have been two success stories so far — one couple from the agency has successfully gotten hitched, while another has committed to a long-distance relationship that is working towards marriage. In this year, I've also been inspired by people who've had to take the road less travelled, either due to personal circumstances or to pursue their passion/calling in life. All entailed stories of personal sacrifice and times of despair, but the trade-off to them is always worth it. The trick to survive in this so-called life I guess is to know who you are and try not to compare yourself with others (remember, comparison is the thief of joy?). Other lessons gleaned: just be yourself — somebody, somewhere will love you for it, and simply do more of what makes you happy. Here's to a wonderful 2020 for all. candicecai@asiaone.com

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By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net Many Bahamian jewellery retailers shrugged off early holiday season pessimism to report “good” Christmas sales that beat 2018 figures by up to eight percent. Denise Cooper, area retail manager for Colombian Emeralds, told Tribune Business: “This is our best year yet. Best one we have had in a little while. We were up eight percent from last year with our smaller items moving more than the larger ones. “We’re hoping that this would carry on into the New Year, but the majority of our sales - some 90 percent of our sales - came from locals. You know that in January locals don’t really spend, so we have to go back and depend on our tourists. Last year we had 75 percent of our sales that came from locals, with the rest from our tourists.” Ms Cooper added: “Bear in mind I include our Freeport stores in this increase as well, and you know the situation in Freeport with Hurricane Dorian, which attributed to a small increase, but overall it is still an increase and we are happy.” Andrew Parker, marketing manager for the Coin of the Realm, said of the Christmas season: “The volume is up and it is a good year.” He was unable to give a percentage on how much sales had increased compared to the prior year, and added: “We haven’t calculated that yet. We won’t calculate that until after New Year’s Eve for the end of the month.” Navin Biswal, chief financial officer for Park Lane Jewellers, said: “Christmas sales were good, but it is down from last year. I don’t have the numbers by how much it was down compared to last year, but I can say that smaller items were moving more than the larger items this year.” Prior to Christmas Eve, some downtown Nassau jewellers had told Tribune Business they were concerned the festive spending season will be a softer than usual, with one saying: “We were a bit concerned because Christmas falls during the middle of the week, and whenever that happens business is normally a little different.” Another told this newspaper that their Christmas season forecast was “not particularly outstanding”, blaming this on “a combination of things” from Hurricane Dorian to the value-added tax increase, in addition to the gap between the cost of living and what persons have to spend “widening”.

Note: Special one-year subscription at a reduced price for first-time subscribers or for subscriptions that have been expired for at least one year – those living in Jackson County and the Cherokee Indian Reservation (28719) addresses qualify. Offer good through Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover; we do not accept AMEX.

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Cleveland kidnapping survivors Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus on journey from captivity to helping others Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus spoke openly about their decade in captivity. Police remember finding Gina DeJesus alive, more than 9 years after her kidnapping Police remember finding Gina DeJesus alive, more than 9 years after her kidnapping Heidi Gutman/ABC On May 6, 2013, the city of Cleveland witnessed a miracle when Amanda Berry called 911 from a neighbor’s phone. “I’ve been kidnapped and been missing for 10 years. I’m here. I’m free now,” Berry, now 33, told the 911 operator. Berry, along with Gina DeJesus, now 29, and Michelle Knight, now 38, had been held captive for more than 9 years by Ariel Castro. Castro kidnapped each of the women between 2002 and 2004. ABC News' Robin Roberts conducts the first broadcast interview with Cleveland kidnapping survivors, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. Heidi Gutman/ABC For years, the women endured unimaginable abuse, as they were chained, starved and tortured by Castro. The three women never gave up hope, and since their escape they have worked to help and heal others. Berry and DeJesus shared new details of their years of horror and how they’ve triumphed over their trauma in new interviews with “20/20.” Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Jan. 3, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. April 21, 2003: Amanda Berry is abducted Just a day before her 17th birthday, Amanda Berry got up and got ready for work. “I almost called off of work that day because the next day was my birthday. You know, what if? What if I would’ve called off that day?” Berry said. While walking home from work, a vehicle started to follow Berry down the street, and the man inside asked her if she needed a ride home. The man, Ariel Castro, was an elementary school bus driver and the father of Berry’s friend and classmate from middle school. In April 2003, Castro kidnapped 16-year-old Amanda Berry as she was walking home from her job at Burger King. ABC “He’s like, ‘Well she’s at my house. Would you like to go see her?’" Castro said of his daughter, who lived in another neighborhood with her mother, Castro's ex-wife. "I said, ‘Yeah, sure,’” Berry said. After they entered the white, two-story house on Seymour Avenue, Castro told Berry that his daughter might be taking a bath, she said. “So he said, ‘We’ll just wait,’” Berry said. “So he started showing me around the house. And I never got back out.” Castro took Berry upstairs and showed her something strange: a mystery woman sleeping in a bedroom in front of a television set. She later learned that the woman was Michelle Knight, who was abducted by Castro at 21 and had been held by him for almost a year. Berry’s memories of what happened next are still raw. “He took me to the next bedroom, and it was just really dark in there, and he didn’t turn on the lights, and there was a little, like, a little room off of the bigger bedroom, kind of a big closet,” Berry said. “And he took me in there, and he told me to pull down my pants. And from there I knew, like, this was not going to be good.” She became Castro’s second prisoner. “He took me to the basement and he taped my wrists and he taped my ankles and he put on a belt around my ankles over the tape,” Berry said. “He put a helmet over my head, and he said, ‘Just be quiet and don’t make any noise. And I’ll take you home.’” Berry said Castro chained her to a pole, shut off the lights and left her in the dark with a television on. “I just started screaming and crying… ‘Somebody please help me,’ you know. And nobody, nobody came,” she said. “I was so scared that I was going to die. I didn’t think that I was going to ever make it home.” April 24, 2003: Day 4 of Amanda Berry’s Captivity As news of her abduction made headlines, Berry watched her mother and sister on the TV in the basement. “That kept me going. And I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to make it home to you. As long as you fight, I’m going to fight,’” Berry said. On the fourth day of her abduction, April 24, 2003, Berry said Castro moved her to an upstairs bedroom and chained her to a radiator. “It was really hard, you know, because in the beginning, the chain was around my stomach,” Berry said. “Going to sleep at night, you know, if you wanted to toss on to your back, you couldn’t do that, you would have to take the whole chain and move it to the front of your stomach so that you're not laying on the big lock on your back.” One week after Amanda Berry’s abduction, Castro calls her family Berry was missing for a week when her family received a late-night call from Castro, who taunted them using Berry’s cell phone. “He called and said, ‘I have Mandy,’ which, nobody called her Mandy but [people] who knew her,” said Beth Serrano, Berry’s sister. “'She wants to be with me.'” In 2003, the FBI was just starting to develop technology that could track a cell phone’s location if it was turned on. With that information, they were able to narrow down that her phone had been used within a thirty to forty block area. “We spent about a week, around the clock, in that area, hoping that this phone would be used again,” FBI agent Tim Kolonik said. But Castro never used Berry’s phone again. “That was the last we heard of anything,” Serrano said. Meanwhile, Berry’s dark and filthy room at Castro’s house was about the size of a closet. “The mattress was old and nasty, and it was just disgusting. And we had the bucket to use the bathroom, and that smelled horrible,” Berry said. Once a day, Berry said, Castro gave her a bag of chips or crackers or other food to eat. But everything, including her weekly shower, came at a price. In April 2003, Castro kidnapped 16-year-old Amanda Berry as she was walking home from her job at Burger King. FBI “I mean, he tried to act nice, but he’s like, ‘Well, maybe you need to go take a shower,’ and I had to take a shower with him,” Berry said. Berry said she had to “numb” herself to cope with the sexual abuse. “You, like, put your mind somewhere else so that you're not there. You know, you're not in that room with him,” Berry said. In her diary, Berry used a code to record how many times he raped her each day. “I would always write these numbers at the top of the pages, because I felt like, you know, one day maybe authorities will get to read it. And he’ll be punished for what he did,” Berry said. “There was plenty of times when I just never knew,” Berry said, adding that she thought, “Why is he keeping me here?” “I didn’t know if one day we were gonna be murdered or he wanted more girls in the house,” Berry said. “Like, what was he going to do to us.” Almost a year after Berry became his prisoner, Castro went on the prowl again just five blocks away from the street where he kidnapped Berry. April 2, 2004: Gina DeJesus is abducted Gina DeJesus, then 14 years old, was close friends with Castro’s daughter, Arlene. Castro was also friends with DeJesus’ dad. On the day she was kidnapped, DeJesus and Arlene were heading home from school when they went their separate ways. As DeJesus continued her journey home, a maroon vehicle pulled up on the curb with Arlene’s father at the wheel. “He asks me… 'You seen my daughter?’ I said, ‘Yeah, she’s right around the corner,’ and he was like, ‘Can you help me find her?’ And I said, ‘Sure,’” DeJesus said. But instead, Castro drove Gina to his house, where he asked her for help moving a stereo. Once inside, DeJesus was unnerved by his bizarre behavior, she said. “He was, like, fixing his eyebrows and, like, trimming his mustache and, like, cutting his nose hairs,” DeJesus said. “He’s like, starts like, to, like, touch me and stuff, and then I’m like, ‘What are you doing? You could go to jail.’ He just switches up like, ‘Well, OK, we’re going to, you’re going to go home now.’ He said, ‘But you can’t go through the same door you came in.’” A year after Berry's abduction, Castro abducted 14-year-old Gina DeJesus as she returned home from middle school. FBI Castro led DeJesus to his basement, where she said he grabbed her and chained her up. “He didn’t make it tight enough, so I threw it over, and then I tried to run, but he sat on my back,” DeJesus said. “And then I just start kicking him. I kicked him and I bruised him really bad.” As Castro overpowered her, DeJesus screamed for help, but the radio in his basement and the radio in the living room were too loud, DeJesus said. “He, would take my hair and like, put it in his mouth. … I don’t know why he did it but it was gross,” she said. DeJesus said the first time Castro raped her was on May 7, 2004. Though she remembers the exact date, DeJesus said she was not comfortable discussing the details of what happened. Life in captivity At first, DeJesus was Castro’s new favorite. “He seems to treat me better than the other girls. I have the nicer room,” DeJesus said. A year after Berry's abduction, Castro abducted 14-year-old Gina DeJesus as she returned home from middle school. ABC Berry said the slight gestures of favoritism made the girls feel jealous: “It was just simple things, but when you don’t have anything, you’re like, ‘Well, why don’t I have that? I want that.’” She said that at first, Castro took special care to keep the girls divided and did not permit them to talk. “He was always there watching every move, it was like he knew everything, every move that we did,” DeJesus said. The girls were occasionally allowed out of their rooms to do chores, but had to obey stringent rules. “We had to use, like, a tiny drop of, dish soap to wash like a full sink of dishes,” Berry said. “We had to put the pan in the center on the stove,” DeJesus added. “It couldn’t be a little to the left, a little to the right,” Berry said. To fill the empty hours, Berry kept a diary in notebooks, on napkins and even on fast food bags. The black-and-white television was their only window to the outside world. Amanda Berry tried to make her daughter Jocelyn's life normal in their room seen here. FBI March 2006: Amanda Berry’s mom dies while she’s in captivity Berry said she would watch the Montel Williams Show featuring psychic Sylvia Browne, desperately wishing her mother would appear on the program so “[Browne] could tell my mom that I was alive and that I’m OK,” she said. In 2004, Berry’s mother Louwana Miller, went on the show. Browne told her, “I’m sorry … she’s not alive.” “I just broke down crying because I couldn’t believe she said that,” Berry said. “And then my mom broke down crying, so that hurt even worse.” Together, Amanda Berry and her daughter Jocelyn shared the room in Ariel Castro's house pictured here. FBI Miller never got to see her daughter freed. She died of heart failure three years after Berry disappeared. “I think that was the hardest part of being in there. Like, she was always fighting. And she was never gonna give up on me,” Berry said. “For her to get sick and I couldn’t be there with her ... I couldn’t help her when she was sick.” Christmas 2006: Amanda Berry Gives Birth Berry realized she might be pregnant on her 20th birthday. “I was terrified. How? I mean, I barely eat,” Berry said, “and I’m chained to a wall, and I have a bucket for a bathroom.” She gave birth to Jocelyn on Christmas in 2006. “This is his kid, you know. How do I feel about that? And she resembled him a lot, and I would look at her, and I just felt, like, she’s mine. She’s mine,” Berry said. DeJesus said that having the little girl there with them was a welcome distraction. “It was fun because I can get away from the situation,” DeJesus said. “When I was playing with Jocelyn, Jocelyn made me forget everything.” Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight shared this room in Ariel Castro's house. FBI Jocelyn saw the chains on her mother, which Berry said Castro instructed her to call “bracelets.” “She was about 2, almost 3 years old, and he finally took the chains off of me. And that was because of Jocelyn.” As Jocelyn grew older, Castro allowed her freedoms that Berry, DeJesus and Knight were not given. Though she was locked in with the three of them whenever Castro left the house, Jocelyn occasionally was allowed to go outside in the backyard, to the park or to Sunday services with her father. Castro’s love for Jocelyn seemed to turn him into a different man with her. “She loved him, and he loved her,” Berry said. “I was nervous, like, would he touch her? Would he ever think about touching her because, you know, he had his problems?” May 6, 2013: Escape The women finally made their escape after more than nine years in captivity. “Jocelyn goes downstairs, and then she runs back up, and she says, ‘I don’t find Daddy. Daddy’s nowhere around,’” DeJesus said. “My heart immediately started pounding," Berry said. "I’m like, ‘Should I chance it? If I’m going to do it, I need to do it now.'" For the first time in 10 years, Berry said she found her bedroom door unlocked without Castro around. Downstairs, the front door was open but wired with an alarm. Beyond it, the storm door was padlocked shut, but Berry was still able to squeeze out an arm. DeJesus said she thought Berry had been caught by Castro and talked Knight out of running to Berry. Berry said someone passing by outside saw her, but did not intervene. That’s when neighbor Charles Ramsey showed up. A general view of the exterior of the house where, on Monday, three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately ten years ago were found alive on May 7, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images “He kind of, like, started like trying to pull on the door, but he couldn’t get it open either,” Berry said. “And so he, like, kind of kicks it, and he’s like, ‘There you go. Finish kicking it out, and you can get out.’” Once Berry was out, she called for Jocelyn to crawl through the door. The two of them found a neighbor with a phone to call 911. Police arrived and rescued DeJesus and Knight. “I was terrified, and just because there’s people on the street doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t hurt me. I was so terrified,” Berry said. “I still don’t know why he left that day with the door unlocked. I will never know.” DeJesus remembered it took her “a while to come out” of her room because she didn’t believe the police were really there. “I thought maybe they were people in costumes ‘cause I was shocked,” she said. She wasn’t the only one. “When I was telling [first responders] my name, they looked like they’d seen a ghost or something,” DeJesus said. “Like their face completely dropped.” Where Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus are today On Aug. 1, 2013, Castro was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 937 counts of kidnapping and rape. On Sept. 3, 2013, he was found dead in his prison cell. He had killed himself. By then, Castro’s house had already been demolished. It is now a garden. Two years later, DeJesus and Berry graduated from high school. DeJesus got to have the quinceañera she never had and wore a dazzling white dress. Berry and DeJesus together wrote their memoir, “Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland,” with Washington Post journalists Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, which was released in April 2015. Berry now works with a local news station covering missing children and adults in the Cleveland area. “That's the most important thing that I'm doing right now,” Berry said. “I just want to make the world a better place.” Ohio Gov. John Kasich, from left, introduces Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight during his State of the State address at the Performing Arts Center Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, in Medina, Ohio. Tony Dejak/AP Photo Berry is also raising Jocelyn, who’s now 13 and thriving. “Jocelyn is more special than I could even use words to describe. I always describe her as wise beyond her years,” said Jocelyn’s former teacher Erin Hennessey. In 2018, DeJesus founded The Cleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults to “work with the families to help them navigate the media, to help to go to the police station,” DeJesus said. “When she disappeared, we really struggled as a family to get help for anything and Gina really feels no family should have to ever endure that kind of pain while they're looking for a family member,” said Sylvia Colon, DeJesus’ cousin and the center’s co-founder. Most amazingly, DeJesus’ foundation is located on the same street where she was held captive for nine long years. “I just want to change the neighborhood. I want to turn it to, like, positive and I want to give back,” she said.

0 From showrunner/executive producer Marja-Lewis Ryan, the Showtime series The L Word: Generation Q, the sequel to the groundbreaking series that debuted in 2004, continues to follow the lives of Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals), Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Heiley) and Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig), as they experience love and heartbreak in Los Angeles. And picking back up with them, 10 years later, means a chance to get to know new characters, including Dani Nùñez (Arienne Mandi), Micah Lee (Leo Sheng), Finley (Jacqueline Toboni), Sophie Suarez (Rosanny Zayas) and Gigi (Sepideh Moafi), all of whom have their own trials and tribulations on their roads of self-discovery. During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, creator/writer Marja-Lewis Ryan talked about how this continuation of The L Word evolved with her as the showrunner, what it’s like to go from fan of the series to running it, deciding what to keep and what to reinvent with the show, how she approached making sure that people feel represented, both on screen and behind the scenes, what the original cast wanted for their characters now that 10 years have passed, weaving the new characters into the story, exposing viewers to things they don’t typically get to see on TV, and how there’s still so much more story left to tell. Collider: How did you end up getting this job, as the showrunner of The L Word: Generation Q? Did you go in and pitch your vision of what the series could be? MARJA-LEWIS RYAN: Yeah, so Ilene [Chaiken], Jennifer [Beals], Kate [Moennig] and Leisha [Hailey] wanted to bring this show back. Ilene had an overall deal over at Fox, so she wasn’t available, and they were looking for somebody to come in with a new take on what the show could be. I think they went out to a few writers, but Ilene and I had met, the year before, working on a movie. We were both hired to write the adaptation of Lean In, and she and I hit it off. A couple months later, her show, The Handmaid’s Tale came on the air, and I loved it. I saw her name in it, and I sent her an email and I was just like, “I love your show. Congratulations!” She wrote back and said, “Hi, I was just thinking of you. Do you want to come and pitch on The L Word?” And I was like, “What?!” I thought she was going to invite me to come shadow on The Handmaid’s Tale. I was like, “Oh, sure! Yeah, no problem.” I was just looking for a set visit. So, I met with Leisha, Kate and Jennifer, and I got to hear about where they wanted their characters to be and things that they never wanted to do again. And then, I got to go pitch the network, all of these new characters and where I thought these three returning character might be, 10 years later. It wasn’t really that terrifying. I just thought it was a fucking blast. I’m not, I don’t know if I really thought I’d get the job. It didn’t really feel like a job. It felt like a fun assignment. It was surreal as hell. I remember getting the call that I got the job. I was living in Brooklyn with my wife and I just collapsed on the kitchen floor. I was sobbing, partially ‘cause I had to move back to L.A., but also because I was excited that I had the job. How strange does it feel, to go from having been a fan of the show and watching the show when it was on, to then walking onto the set of the show and having everyone look at you for all of the answers to everything, as the showrunner? RYAN: It was bananas. I have these moments of feeling like I’m living in a dream. The first time I really felt it was, when we were shooting the pilot, that scene with [Jennifer, Kate and Leisha] in it was the first time they’d shared a frame, in 10 years. I turned to the director, who’s a 39-year-old lesbian that was also a fan of the show, and I was like, “Can you believe this is what we’re up to today?” And she was like, “No, I cannot.” So, there were definitely those moments. With each director, especially the directors who really grew up watching the show, they all had moments of, “Can you fucking believe this is what we’re doing today? It’s just insane!” There are definitely moments of that, but the job is pretty all consuming, so those moments are really just moments. And then, I have to go approve a costume. It’s all in a moment that I can feel those feelings. Other than that, I’m just there to do my job. This show is interesting because you have the original characters who are still a version of what they were before, plus you have all these new characters that you get to play with. Is it fun to get to weave all that together, and to have it feel like the show that you knew, but also have it be this new thing? RYAN: Yeah, it was a blast. The way that I went about determining what to keep and what to re-invent was about what I loved about the show. That’s how I approached everything. What I loved about the original show were the friendships. Just watching the show when I was 18, it gave me hope that, one day, I would have my own lesbian click, so I tried to keep that part of the show. I wanted to keep the part that makes queer feel, “I love this! They’re just like us,” or “I wanna be just like them.” We’re walking that line of reality and aspiration. And then, the main thing that I wanted to improve on was who was represented and whose stories we were telling. Ilene has said that the original show really was about white lesbians, so the idea of being able to expand who is seeing themselves in this show, is just such a fucking pleasure. It seems like it would be really cool to be able to work on something that you were a fan of, but then also make those changes that people would want to see because they’re changes that you want to see. RYAN: Yeah, exactly. I know a lot of our peers were scared about it coming back and wondered whether I was gonna break it. But, I am a fan first. I’m not coming to it, as a hater of the show. I’m coming to it like, “These are the things that I watched it for, so I hope that we were all watching for the same reasons.” I felt like I knew who Shane, Bette and Alice were. When I was 18, I knew who Ilene Chaiken was. She was very front and center, in terms of the PR for the show, and that changed my life. The idea that I could write stories about my gay self and my gay friends had not occurred to me, until this show came on the air. So, the dream is that a few more people, who don’t look exactly like me and Ilene, can see themselves, both in front of the camera and behind it. That was a huge thing that I was working on, too, just making sure that whoever is in front of the camera is also represented behind it. We have this Noah’s arc style to the writers’ rooms, where we have two of everybody, so that no one person was responsible for telling the stories of their people, and I think it worked out pretty well. I hope that fans can see that. It’s not me telling their stories. It’s somebody who looks more like them, telling their stories. You hear a lot of talk about how hard it is to diversify a writers’ room, or your line-up of directors, or your department heads because it’s just too hard to find the people to fill those positions. But then, there’s a show like this, where you made that work. RYAN: In terms of being able to find people, I’ve heard that, too. I think it’s two things. One is drawing a line in the sand and being like, “No, I will not have an all white producing team. I just will not. So, go find me somebody. Everybody’s job is to go find me somebody.” And you do find them. People are like, “But I don’t know anybody.” Just because you don’t know anybody, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. It just means that you don’t know them, so who do you need to call? When I was staffing this room, I emailed Lena Waithe, Tanya Saracho and Abbi Jacobson. I emailed people who I know have been doing this, and who I know have been mentoring people and who have friends that don’t look like me. Just do your job and make those calls. Those people will always email me back, and they will always give me people that I’m looking for, and I do the same for the straight white bros who email me and say, “We’re staffing this room and we need a lesbian. Who do you have?” I have people. Just email me. We all have people. So, it was really a real pleasure to find these people and let them rise. And it isn’t just department heads. Once you make a space like this, you can have a straight white guy who’s your gaffer, and he’ll go out of his way to find women in the electrical department, and find a trans grip. He knew what we were up to. All of us get to play, and feel seen and heard. It was really cool. You’ve talked about how you were inspired by Ilene Chaiken. What’s it like to do something that she created, and to have her to turn to with questions, if you need to, while also finding your own groove with it? RYAN: I definitely wanted her opinion and her feedback, on lots of things. There were story elements and things that I wanted to do with her former characters, that I really wanted her to sign off on. It’s very funny ‘cause I don’t think a lot of people will have my experience, where they see somebody doing a job and they’re like, “Oh, I can do that, too,” and then they literally have their job. I don’t think that’s normally how it goes down. That’s certainly not what I was imagining would happen to me. But, she’s always there for me. It’s pretty ego-less to be able to pass the torch to somebody, when it is something that she made, but that’s the dream. In 10 years, some 30-year-old punk will tell me that I did it wrong, and I’ll get to let her go do it, too. That’s what we’re all here for. It’s pretty exciting that she’s as involved as she is, but also isn’t in the writers’ room. What have been the biggest challenges in making this world feel like the world that fans of the original series loved, while also making this feel like a new thing for the new viewers who will never have seen an episode of the original series? RYAN: The way that I went about it was that this is these three characters, 10 years later. You’re not talking about things that happened 10 years ago, every day. Things come up sometimes and people come up sometimes, but they’re just like us. I don’t talk about the woman that I was dating, 10 years ago. Well, I do ‘cause I actually married her, so that’s a bad example. But mostly, I’m not talking about myself, from 10 years ago. That was a very long time ago. So, for me, what was fun finding the space to talk about who killed Jenny in Episode 2, and just being able to have little moments like that for fans, is such a fucking pleasure. One thing that we talk about in the writers’ room is a trash pass, or a garbage pass, which is to make sure that there’s enough of that soapy feeling, so that, in a group watch scenario, people are screaming at the screen. That’s the dream to me. That’s partially what the show was. It was time for all of us to just yell. We’re here to write this show for us. It’s for us, and by us, which is very exciting. There’s really nothing better than listening to a room full of queers scream. That’s fun. Would you say that, in the last ten years, Bette, Alice and Shane have actually gotten their lives together as much as they seem to have, or is it just that they think they have? RYAN: Their socio-economic status has changed, and that’s about it. We all suffer from the same problems we always have. I remember meeting with Leisha, very early on, and she was like, “I want Alice to be successful. I want to see Alice successful.” And I was like, “Totally.” I wanna see all of them as successful because that’s part of the dream. There are so many shows and so many times where we are the victims of our own stories, and that’s not what this show ever was. This has always been the sunniest version of the queer experience. No matter what went wrong in their lives, they always had other. Now, they have each other in really nice houses, and I don’t make any apologies for that. I think it’s super fun to watch. I love how the original cast each has some connection to a member of your new cast, with Bette and Dani, Shane and Finley, and Alice and Sophie, and that it feels like they’re interacting with a version of themselves, at that age. Was that something that was intentional? Did you want to use those relationships to show the similarities and differences between the characters? RYAN: Yeah, I was definitely interested in putting people in front of them like that. When I think about who my worst nightmare is, it’s basically me. I am my own worst nightmare. If you put two of me in a room, I don’t think we’d both make it out. I do feel that way about most people. When we see ourselves in other people, that’s the thing we hate most. So, that’s very intentional. It’s also fun to watch how they come apart, and how they are very distinct and different people, and I think we do accomplish that, over time. I really just wanted to put conflict in front of people. I love Shane and Finley. I could watch that sitcom. It’s very joyful. I also really love how we get to see things on this show that you don’t normally see on TV, even if it’s just seeing a woman with hairy armpits. Did you also think about those visuals? RYAN: Absolutely! There are a couple of things that I’m up The whole show is really a love letter to my 16-year-old self. With the opening scene, some people think it’s very gratuitous, and I do not feel that way about that scene. For me, that scene is about chipping away at shame and about providing an example of what your partner should do when you get your period. If I had known that at 16, I would have avoided many years of hardship. We have a lot of shame and body issues and body shaming, inside our community, but also with women, in general. I think straight women can relate to that, too. And the idea that Dani reacts the way she does, as a guideline for what all partners should do, is such a joy to put on television for me, and I just wish I had known that. And I never asked Jacqueline Toboni to grow her armpit hair. That’s just what she looks like. I can’t take a ton of credit for that, but I did cast her, partially because she means a lot to our community. She is a new kind of queer actor. I’ve worked with her for years. This is our third project together. We did a play together, last year. I just love her. She’s very special. On screen and off, she’s a very important person, in our community. I always tell her that armpit hair is doing a lot for us, as a group. She’s great. She’s really special. So, of course, I thought about that. And I thought about Jose and Micah, too. What they look like matters. The fact that a lot of Twitter was like, “Those boys are cute,” was the point. It’s just that simple. That was our whole statement. That gentle change, that he’s not some outcast character in the show and that they’re just really cute boys is very much by design. I’m excited that people have responded to it, the way that I had hoped they would. This season is only eight episodes. Do you feel like there’s still a lot of story to tell with these characters? Have you thought about what a second season and beyond would look like? RYAN: Oh, my god, there’s so much more. Our cast is fucking huge. It’s gigantic. I love Gigi. I wanna go home with her, and see where she lives and what her family is like. I wanna know what she’s up to. I love her, and we don’t get to see enough of her. We don’t get to see enough of any of them, really. I hope that we get another season and that I can dive more into where they are in their lives and what their lives are like. I also think that we’re missing some people. Not just as a diversity representation that’s checking boxes, but I am dying to see a hot Butch woman on this show. I cannot wait. That’s a whole reason to have a second season. How much have you thought about who these characters are and where they could go? Do you know what all of these characters would be doing, if you get more seasons? RYAN: No, I definitely don’t think like that. The way that I write, and the way that I approach story, is all character first. I step into their shoes and walk around in them for awhile. That’s how story is born, for me. I also think that a lot of the younger characters are me, at various stages of my life, so with some of them, I have a better idea of their trajectory because it’s closer to mine. Once you see Episode 8, there are some real questions that are asked that people are gonna want the answers to, in the next season. So, I hope that I get another season, and that I’m around to tell those stories. The L Word: Generation Q airs on Sunday nights on Showtime.

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Gary McLaren, 50, reported to have died after firework he was trying to light exploded A British man has died in Thailand after a firework reportedly exploded in his face during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Local police said Gary McLaren, 50, was killed when a firework he was trying to light exploded during a visit to the resort town of Pattaya. He died at the scene shortly after midnight, according to reports. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was supporting his family. Lt Col Somboon Ua-samanmaitree, from the Thai tourist police, told the BBC: “Around midnight, Mr McLaren attempted to light up a large firework but it failed to go off at first. After that, it suddenly exploded and killed him at the scene.” McLaren’s friends were seen crying at the scene, where a large firework was found and taken for evidence, the Bangkok Post reported. Police told the BBC that McLaren from Northamptonshire had visited Thailand before and had arrived a few days before New Year’s Eve. MotoGP paid tribute to McLaren, who worked for the International Road-Racing Teams Association (IRTA). “Terrible news this morning. Our colleague and friend, Gary McLaren from IRTA passed away last night,” it said in a tweet on Wednesday. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones. He will be sorely missed.” For 11 years, McLaren worked as a data acquisition engineer for the Suzuki MotoGP team, who also expressed their condolences to his family. The team tweeted: “We are very shocked and sad to learn of the death of Gary McLaren. Gary worked as a Data Acquisition Engineer at Suzuki for 11 years, and remained a good friend to us all while he continued working in the paddock for IRTA. Our thoughts with his loved ones, we’ll really miss him!”

Briton killed after New Year's Eve firework explodes in his face in Thailand Briton killed after New Year's Eve firework explodes in his face in Thailand A British man has been killed in Thailand after a firework he was lighting exploded in his face. Gary McLaren, 50, from Corby in Northamptonshire, was celebrating New Year's Eve with his fiancee and a group of friends in Pattaya. Image: Mr McLaren's fiancee says this is the last picture taken of him. Pic: Facebook/Jasmine Gmc The accident happened on a road full of bars and nightclubs shortly after midnight, according to local police. Officers arrived around 12.30am and found Mr McLaren on the ground in front of a beer bar, with serious facial injuries. He received CPR but died at the scene, according to the Bangkok Post. Advertisement Mr McLaren is understood to have arrived in Thailand just a few days before. A witness told the paper she had seen him attempt to light the firework twice, before smoke began pouring out of one end and it exploded. A large firework was also found nearby and has been taken as evidence. His fiancee, Jasmine, was seen crying and hugging his body. Image: A friend shared a photo of Mr McLaren on his birthday. Pic: Facebook/Mike Cooperman She posted a picture of the couple together in tribute: "This is [our] last picture honey, you will be in my heart for ever babe. RIP Gary McLaren." Bar owner and friend Mike Cooperman shared a photo of Mr McLaren on his birthday, writing: "I will always remember how happy you were that night, RIP Gary, a good friend and brother, Jasmine please accept our deepest condolences and to his family." The Foreign Office said officials were supporting the family. Pattaya, around 100 miles from Bangkok, was formerly a small coastal village but has become better known for its nightlife and red light district.