WASHINGTON POST
They did it. A small group of students in Georgia staged their high school’s first integrated prom, breaking a long-time tradition of two segregated proms — for blacks and whites. And it was a big success.
It seems hard to believe that segregated proms would be tolerated in this day and age, but that’s what was going to happen again this spring until a small group of black and white students who have been friends since childhood decided to push for an integrated prom for the Wilcox County High School community.
They ran into some resistance but prevailed in the end, and the event was held this past weekend at the Cordele Community Clubhouse in Crisp County. Turnout was high, and many white students did not attend last week’s prom exclusively for white students and attended the integrated dance instead. There were limousines, ball gowns, tuxedos and disc jockeys from Texas and Atlanta.
The students who planned the prom — which was off campus because the school doesn’t sponsor any prom — had set up a Facebook page asking for help, and they raised enough money to not only stage the event but also donate some to fund scholarships.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
2 Killings and 2 Guns Unattended
Joe Nocera
NEW YORK TIMES
On the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2012, Greg Imhoff — a big, friendly 61-year-old construction superintendent from Madison, Wis., who had moved to Florida with his partner, Shari Telvick — went to check on the home of a neighbor. The neighbor, Richard Detlor, was a friend, someone Imhoff had known back in Madison, where the Detlors still lived for part of the year. Whenever the Detlors went back to Wisconsin, Imhoff would look in on their house, something he did for many of his neighbors.
It is impossible to know whether, on that August afternoon, Imhoff ever saw the stranger in the house with the .22 caliber revolver; all we know for sure is that Imhoff was shot in the head. When Telvick and a friend found him that evening, he was lying in a pool of blood, dead.
The killer turned out to be a man named Billy Ray Retherford, who was on the lam after killing a woman two weeks earlier and was hiding in the Detlors’ empty home. The next day, Retherford was killed in a shootout with the police. He was using the same .22 handgun. The gun, however, was not his. It belonged to Richard Detlor, who, according to the police report, had left it, loaded, in the nightstand by his bed before departing for Wisconsin several months earlier.
When Imhoff’s murder was brought to my attention recently, I was stunned that a supposedly “responsible gun owner” would leave a loaded gun in a house that was empty for months at a time. Yes, the odds of someone breaking into the house and using the gun were small, but they weren’t zero. That the Detlors didn’t take the simple precaution of unloading their gun and locking it up struck me as incredibly negligent.
Not surprisingly, that’s how Shari Telvick sees it, too. “I think the Detlors had a responsibility to secure their weapon,” she told me when I spoke to her earlier this week. “I think they should be held accountable.” But when she talked to a lawyer, she discovered, to her dismay, that leaving a loaded gun in an empty house doesn’t violate Florida law. As Arthur Hayhoe, the executive director of the Florida Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, explained to me, “Safe storage laws in Florida only apply if a minor lives in the house. If it’s adults, you can do whatever you want.” (He added, “In Florida, there are more laws to protect guns than people.”)
For all the protestations by gun owners that most are responsible with their weapons, I have been struck by how many killings take place because people do careless, stupid things. In the gun report that my assistant, Jennifer Mascia, and I compile on my blog, I see daily examples of children accidentally shooting other children with a gun found in the house.
Just the other day, in Burkesville, Ky., a 5-year-old boy shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a small rifle that had been given to him as a present. Who gives a 5-year-old a gun? (The rifle is called a Crickett; incredibly, it is marketed specifically to children.) Who leaves the room where their children are playing without checking whether the rifle in the corner is loaded? For that matter, who puts a shotgun within such easy reach of a child?
Gary White, the county coroner, was quick to say that no charges would be brought because it was an accident — and, after all, “accidents happen.” But it was a completely preventable accident. When a passenger dies in a car accident that is the result of negligence, there are usually serious legal consequences for the driver. If we really want to reduce gun violence, there must be consequences for negligent gun owners, too. The entire culture of gun ownership has to begin emphasizing safety in a way it doesn’t now. It is as important as universal background checks, or limits on magazine rounds.
Shari Telvick couldn’t live in Florida after Imhoff’s death. “It was unbearable to be in that house without him,” she said. She remains devastated. Two months after Imhoff died, she told me, his first grandchild was born. Telvick had never been friendly with the Detlors, and she made it clear that she didn’t want to see them. But she’s been surprised, she said, that they’ve never reached out to Greg’s children, whom they’ve known for years.
I decided to call the Detlors. The woman who answered refused to put Richard Detlor on the phone. “Do you think he is sorry?” I asked. “Sorry for what?” she said, before hanging up on me.
A few days later, I called again. The same woman picked up. This time, she said, “We are as much victims as anyone else in this.” Then, once again, she hung up the phone.
NEW YORK TIMES
On the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2012, Greg Imhoff — a big, friendly 61-year-old construction superintendent from Madison, Wis., who had moved to Florida with his partner, Shari Telvick — went to check on the home of a neighbor. The neighbor, Richard Detlor, was a friend, someone Imhoff had known back in Madison, where the Detlors still lived for part of the year. Whenever the Detlors went back to Wisconsin, Imhoff would look in on their house, something he did for many of his neighbors.
It is impossible to know whether, on that August afternoon, Imhoff ever saw the stranger in the house with the .22 caliber revolver; all we know for sure is that Imhoff was shot in the head. When Telvick and a friend found him that evening, he was lying in a pool of blood, dead.
The killer turned out to be a man named Billy Ray Retherford, who was on the lam after killing a woman two weeks earlier and was hiding in the Detlors’ empty home. The next day, Retherford was killed in a shootout with the police. He was using the same .22 handgun. The gun, however, was not his. It belonged to Richard Detlor, who, according to the police report, had left it, loaded, in the nightstand by his bed before departing for Wisconsin several months earlier.
When Imhoff’s murder was brought to my attention recently, I was stunned that a supposedly “responsible gun owner” would leave a loaded gun in a house that was empty for months at a time. Yes, the odds of someone breaking into the house and using the gun were small, but they weren’t zero. That the Detlors didn’t take the simple precaution of unloading their gun and locking it up struck me as incredibly negligent.
Not surprisingly, that’s how Shari Telvick sees it, too. “I think the Detlors had a responsibility to secure their weapon,” she told me when I spoke to her earlier this week. “I think they should be held accountable.” But when she talked to a lawyer, she discovered, to her dismay, that leaving a loaded gun in an empty house doesn’t violate Florida law. As Arthur Hayhoe, the executive director of the Florida Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, explained to me, “Safe storage laws in Florida only apply if a minor lives in the house. If it’s adults, you can do whatever you want.” (He added, “In Florida, there are more laws to protect guns than people.”)
For all the protestations by gun owners that most are responsible with their weapons, I have been struck by how many killings take place because people do careless, stupid things. In the gun report that my assistant, Jennifer Mascia, and I compile on my blog, I see daily examples of children accidentally shooting other children with a gun found in the house.
Just the other day, in Burkesville, Ky., a 5-year-old boy shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a small rifle that had been given to him as a present. Who gives a 5-year-old a gun? (The rifle is called a Crickett; incredibly, it is marketed specifically to children.) Who leaves the room where their children are playing without checking whether the rifle in the corner is loaded? For that matter, who puts a shotgun within such easy reach of a child?
Gary White, the county coroner, was quick to say that no charges would be brought because it was an accident — and, after all, “accidents happen.” But it was a completely preventable accident. When a passenger dies in a car accident that is the result of negligence, there are usually serious legal consequences for the driver. If we really want to reduce gun violence, there must be consequences for negligent gun owners, too. The entire culture of gun ownership has to begin emphasizing safety in a way it doesn’t now. It is as important as universal background checks, or limits on magazine rounds.
Shari Telvick couldn’t live in Florida after Imhoff’s death. “It was unbearable to be in that house without him,” she said. She remains devastated. Two months after Imhoff died, she told me, his first grandchild was born. Telvick had never been friendly with the Detlors, and she made it clear that she didn’t want to see them. But she’s been surprised, she said, that they’ve never reached out to Greg’s children, whom they’ve known for years.
I decided to call the Detlors. The woman who answered refused to put Richard Detlor on the phone. “Do you think he is sorry?” I asked. “Sorry for what?” she said, before hanging up on me.
A few days later, I called again. The same woman picked up. This time, she said, “We are as much victims as anyone else in this.” Then, once again, she hung up the phone.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Black voter turnout passes white rate in 2012
ASSOCIATED PRESS
America’s blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home. Had people voted last November at the same rates they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels, Republican Mitt Romney would have won narrowly, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press.
Last year’s heavy black turnout came despite concerns about the effect of new voter-identification laws on minority voting, outweighed by the desire to re-elect the first black president. Overall, 2012 voter turnout was roughly 58 percent, down from 62 percent in 2008 and 60 percent in 2004.
Overall, the findings represent a tipping point for blacks, who for much of America’s history were disenfranchised and then effectively barred from voting until passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. But the numbers also offer a cautionary note to both Democrats and Republicans after Obama won in November with a historically low percentage of white supporters. While Latinos are now the biggest driver of U.S. population growth, they still trail whites and blacks in turnout and electoral share, because many of the Hispanics in the country are children or noncitizens.
In recent weeks, Republican leaders have urged a “year-round effort” to engage black and other minority voters, describing a grim future if their party does not expand its core support beyond white males.
The 2012 data suggest Romney was a particularly weak GOP candidate, unable to motivate white voters let alone attract significant black or Latino support. Obama’s personal appeal and the slowly improving economy helped overcome doubts and spur record levels of minority voters in a way that may not be easily replicated for Democrats soon.
Romney would have erased Obama’s nearly 5 million-vote victory margin and narrowly won the popular vote if voters had turned out as they did in 2004, according to Frey’s analysis. Then, white turnout was slightly higher and black voting lower. More significantly, the battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida and Colorado would have tipped in favor of Romney, handing him the presidency if the outcome of other states remained the same.
America’s blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home. Had people voted last November at the same rates they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels, Republican Mitt Romney would have won narrowly, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press.
Last year’s heavy black turnout came despite concerns about the effect of new voter-identification laws on minority voting, outweighed by the desire to re-elect the first black president. Overall, 2012 voter turnout was roughly 58 percent, down from 62 percent in 2008 and 60 percent in 2004.
Overall, the findings represent a tipping point for blacks, who for much of America’s history were disenfranchised and then effectively barred from voting until passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. But the numbers also offer a cautionary note to both Democrats and Republicans after Obama won in November with a historically low percentage of white supporters. While Latinos are now the biggest driver of U.S. population growth, they still trail whites and blacks in turnout and electoral share, because many of the Hispanics in the country are children or noncitizens.
In recent weeks, Republican leaders have urged a “year-round effort” to engage black and other minority voters, describing a grim future if their party does not expand its core support beyond white males.
The 2012 data suggest Romney was a particularly weak GOP candidate, unable to motivate white voters let alone attract significant black or Latino support. Obama’s personal appeal and the slowly improving economy helped overcome doubts and spur record levels of minority voters in a way that may not be easily replicated for Democrats soon.
Romney would have erased Obama’s nearly 5 million-vote victory margin and narrowly won the popular vote if voters had turned out as they did in 2004, according to Frey’s analysis. Then, white turnout was slightly higher and black voting lower. More significantly, the battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida and Colorado would have tipped in favor of Romney, handing him the presidency if the outcome of other states remained the same.
Monday, April 29, 2013
John McCain: Syrians need America's help!
(CNN) – The people of Syria, beleaguered by war and potentially being attacked by chemical weapons, are “angry and bitter” that the United States has not played a more leading role in ending the country’s conflict, Sen. John McCain said Sunday.
Long an advocate of a more pronounced American effort in Syria, McCain described the disappointment he saw while visiting a Syrian refugee camp in neighboring Jordan. “This woman who was a schoolteacher said, ‘Sen. McCain, do you see these children here? They're going to take revenge on those people who refused to help them,’ ” McCain recalled on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “They’re angry and bitter. And that legacy could last for a long time too, unless we assist them.”
Last week, the White House told lawmakers in a letter that intelligence analysts have concluded "with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin." But the analysis was characterized as preliminary, with the White House saying the "chain of custody" of the chemicals was not clear and that intelligence analysts could not confirm the circumstances under which the sarin was used, including the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
President Barack Obama has said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a “red line” threshold for greater U.S. action in the country, which McCain argued was coming too late.
“For about two years this situation has deteriorated in a very alarming fashion, affected the surrounding countries, destabilized Lebanon, destabilized Jordan, and has had implications and repercussions throughout the region,” McCain said.
On Friday, Obama noted again that the use of chemical weapons in Syria “crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues.” But he said the intelligence gathered on potential use of sarin was still too preliminary to be conclusive.
Nicholas Burns, a former undersecretary of state, said Obama was in a difficult situation. “He was right to make those warnings in the last several months because use of chemical weapons is a war crime under the chemical weapons convention,” Burns said, also on CNN. “I think he's right to be prudent and cautious. We got in a situation in 2003 in Iraq and didn't have all our facts together and went to war in part on an erroneous basis. So he's right to be cautious.” “But when you draw a line in the sand in the Middle East and you dare someone to cross it and they appear to have crossed it, there have been to be consequences,” he added. “And our credibility as a country is very important.”
Long an advocate of a more pronounced American effort in Syria, McCain described the disappointment he saw while visiting a Syrian refugee camp in neighboring Jordan. “This woman who was a schoolteacher said, ‘Sen. McCain, do you see these children here? They're going to take revenge on those people who refused to help them,’ ” McCain recalled on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “They’re angry and bitter. And that legacy could last for a long time too, unless we assist them.”
Last week, the White House told lawmakers in a letter that intelligence analysts have concluded "with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin." But the analysis was characterized as preliminary, with the White House saying the "chain of custody" of the chemicals was not clear and that intelligence analysts could not confirm the circumstances under which the sarin was used, including the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
President Barack Obama has said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a “red line” threshold for greater U.S. action in the country, which McCain argued was coming too late.
“For about two years this situation has deteriorated in a very alarming fashion, affected the surrounding countries, destabilized Lebanon, destabilized Jordan, and has had implications and repercussions throughout the region,” McCain said.
On Friday, Obama noted again that the use of chemical weapons in Syria “crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues.” But he said the intelligence gathered on potential use of sarin was still too preliminary to be conclusive.
Nicholas Burns, a former undersecretary of state, said Obama was in a difficult situation. “He was right to make those warnings in the last several months because use of chemical weapons is a war crime under the chemical weapons convention,” Burns said, also on CNN. “I think he's right to be prudent and cautious. We got in a situation in 2003 in Iraq and didn't have all our facts together and went to war in part on an erroneous basis. So he's right to be cautious.” “But when you draw a line in the sand in the Middle East and you dare someone to cross it and they appear to have crossed it, there have been to be consequences,” he added. “And our credibility as a country is very important.”
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Imam: I wouldn't give Boston suspect last rites
(CNN) – Tamerlan Tsarnaev died early Friday, and according to the rules of Islam, he should have been buried by now. But his severely wounded body is still being held to determine a cause of death.
Tsarnaev, 26, had so many penetrating wounds when he arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center early Friday that doctors could not tell which ones had killed him. He'd engaged in a ferocious battle with police in which more than 200 rounds of gunfire was exchanged. He and his brother Dzhokhar, 19, also allegedly hurled improvised explosive devices and handmade grenades at officers.
There are questions about when, where and how Tamerlan Tsarnaev will be buried. And there's a bigger question: whether any Muslim entity will be willing to deliver last rites.
Many Muslim community leaders have sought to distance themselves from the Tsarnaevs in light of reports that Tamerlan Tsarnaev might have been influenced by radical Islam. Fearing retaliation, Muslim leaders have strongly condemned the bombings and made it clear that Islam does not condone violence. At least one Boston cleric said he would refuse to perform funeral rites for a man accused of committing so much violence. The Quran, said Imam Talal Eid, says that anyone who has killed another human being is going to hell.
Eid, who is imam at the Boston Islamic Institute, said he had never met the Tsarnaev brothers but questioned media accounts that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had become a devout Muslim. "A person who is devoted does not kill innocent people," Eid said.
Yusufi Vali, executive director of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in the Boston area, also rejected the Tsarnaev brothers. "I don't care who or what these criminals claim to be, but I can never recognize these criminals as part of my city or my faith community," he said. "All of us Bostonians want these criminals to be brought to justice immediately. I am infuriated at the criminals of these bombings for trying to rip our city apart. We will remain united and not let them change who we are as Bostonians."
The Tsarnaev brothers occasionally attended prayer services at the Islamic Society of Boston Cambridge Masjid, a small mosque near their apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "In their visits, they never exhibited any violent sentiments or behavior," said a statement from the masjid. "Otherwise they would have been immediately reported to the FBI. After we learned of their identities, we encouraged anyone who knew them in our congregation to immediately report to law enforcement, which has taken place."
Tsarnaev, 26, had so many penetrating wounds when he arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center early Friday that doctors could not tell which ones had killed him. He'd engaged in a ferocious battle with police in which more than 200 rounds of gunfire was exchanged. He and his brother Dzhokhar, 19, also allegedly hurled improvised explosive devices and handmade grenades at officers.
There are questions about when, where and how Tamerlan Tsarnaev will be buried. And there's a bigger question: whether any Muslim entity will be willing to deliver last rites.
Many Muslim community leaders have sought to distance themselves from the Tsarnaevs in light of reports that Tamerlan Tsarnaev might have been influenced by radical Islam. Fearing retaliation, Muslim leaders have strongly condemned the bombings and made it clear that Islam does not condone violence. At least one Boston cleric said he would refuse to perform funeral rites for a man accused of committing so much violence. The Quran, said Imam Talal Eid, says that anyone who has killed another human being is going to hell.
Eid, who is imam at the Boston Islamic Institute, said he had never met the Tsarnaev brothers but questioned media accounts that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had become a devout Muslim. "A person who is devoted does not kill innocent people," Eid said.
Yusufi Vali, executive director of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in the Boston area, also rejected the Tsarnaev brothers. "I don't care who or what these criminals claim to be, but I can never recognize these criminals as part of my city or my faith community," he said. "All of us Bostonians want these criminals to be brought to justice immediately. I am infuriated at the criminals of these bombings for trying to rip our city apart. We will remain united and not let them change who we are as Bostonians."
The Tsarnaev brothers occasionally attended prayer services at the Islamic Society of Boston Cambridge Masjid, a small mosque near their apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "In their visits, they never exhibited any violent sentiments or behavior," said a statement from the masjid. "Otherwise they would have been immediately reported to the FBI. After we learned of their identities, we encouraged anyone who knew them in our congregation to immediately report to law enforcement, which has taken place."
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Pro-gun group endorses background check bill
By Matt Williams, The Guardian
A pro-gun lobby group broke ranks with the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) on Sunday, stating it would endorse a bill that includes expanded background checks.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Bear Arms, which is said to represent around 650,000 members, told its supporters via email that it was backing proposed legislation due to go before the Senate this week. The news was later confirmed by senator Joe Manchin – one of the architects of the comprise bill – in a tweet.
A spokesman for the pro-gun rights group later told the Washington Post that they had decided to back the legislation because “we believe it is the right thing to do”. But it comes just days after the group sent out a press release seemingly mocking the concept of wider background checks on buyers and suggesting that gun laws never work.
The bill proposed by Manchin, a Democrat, and Republican senator Pat Toomey would see background checks increased to cover both commercial sales both online and at gun shows. But private sales would be exempt.
The NRA had initially said the compromise was a “positive development” but later hardened its stance, and threatened political retribution to any senators who backed the bill. But an email from the Citizens Committee to its members suggests that the Manchin-Toomey compromise satisfies its demands. The website Politico.com quoted the message as contrasting Manchin and Toomey’s “balanced approach” to more “draconian” measures being proposed by gun control advocates.
A vote on the compromise bill could come as early as Wednesday, lawmakers said Sunday. “We expect the vote this week. Wednesday is probably the most likely day for the Manchin-Toomey alternative,” said Toomey on CNN’s State of the Nation.
But even with the support of anti-gun groups such as Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns and, now, one group on the other side of the debate, it is not clear if there exists enough political will in Washington to push the legislation through. “It’s an open question whether we have the votes. I think it’s going to be close,” Toomey said Sunday.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2013
A pro-gun lobby group broke ranks with the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) on Sunday, stating it would endorse a bill that includes expanded background checks.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Bear Arms, which is said to represent around 650,000 members, told its supporters via email that it was backing proposed legislation due to go before the Senate this week. The news was later confirmed by senator Joe Manchin – one of the architects of the comprise bill – in a tweet.
A spokesman for the pro-gun rights group later told the Washington Post that they had decided to back the legislation because “we believe it is the right thing to do”. But it comes just days after the group sent out a press release seemingly mocking the concept of wider background checks on buyers and suggesting that gun laws never work.
The bill proposed by Manchin, a Democrat, and Republican senator Pat Toomey would see background checks increased to cover both commercial sales both online and at gun shows. But private sales would be exempt.
The NRA had initially said the compromise was a “positive development” but later hardened its stance, and threatened political retribution to any senators who backed the bill. But an email from the Citizens Committee to its members suggests that the Manchin-Toomey compromise satisfies its demands. The website Politico.com quoted the message as contrasting Manchin and Toomey’s “balanced approach” to more “draconian” measures being proposed by gun control advocates.
A vote on the compromise bill could come as early as Wednesday, lawmakers said Sunday. “We expect the vote this week. Wednesday is probably the most likely day for the Manchin-Toomey alternative,” said Toomey on CNN’s State of the Nation.
But even with the support of anti-gun groups such as Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns and, now, one group on the other side of the debate, it is not clear if there exists enough political will in Washington to push the legislation through. “It’s an open question whether we have the votes. I think it’s going to be close,” Toomey said Sunday.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Terror attack at Boston Marathon
(CNN) -- Authorities including bomb experts searched an apartment in Revere, Massachusetts, and removed items, after two deadly bombs struck the Boston Marathon. But investigators remained mum about just how the search may be linked to the bombing investigation.
The search late Monday involved a "person of interest," the Revere Fire Department said on its Facebook page. The FBI; the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; immigration officials, state and local police, detectives and bomb techs all took part, the fire department said. The search, just north of Boston, took place with consent, so no search warrant was needed, a federal law enforcement official told CNN.
Tiny clues may help lead to who was behind the terrorist attack that killed three people and wounded 144. Investigators are beginning the painstaking process of piecing through fragments for anything that could indicate the "signature," said a federal law enforcement official who works in the intelligence community.
Unexploded devices that were recovered could also provide a treasure trove of information such as fingerprints and indications of how the exploded bombs were designed, the official said.
There were two such devices that did not detonate, said U.S. Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts. One was found near the bomb site at a hotel on Boylston Street; the other was found at an undisclosed location, said Keating, a member of the House Homeland Security committee. Keating called the bombings a "sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack."
A federal law enforcement official told CNN that both bombs that did explode were small, and initial tests showed no C-4 or other high-grade explosive material, suggesting the packages used in the attack were crude devices.
The FBI is taking the lead in investigating the attack near the marathon's finish line.
The search late Monday involved a "person of interest," the Revere Fire Department said on its Facebook page. The FBI; the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; immigration officials, state and local police, detectives and bomb techs all took part, the fire department said. The search, just north of Boston, took place with consent, so no search warrant was needed, a federal law enforcement official told CNN.
Tiny clues may help lead to who was behind the terrorist attack that killed three people and wounded 144. Investigators are beginning the painstaking process of piecing through fragments for anything that could indicate the "signature," said a federal law enforcement official who works in the intelligence community.
Unexploded devices that were recovered could also provide a treasure trove of information such as fingerprints and indications of how the exploded bombs were designed, the official said.
There were two such devices that did not detonate, said U.S. Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts. One was found near the bomb site at a hotel on Boylston Street; the other was found at an undisclosed location, said Keating, a member of the House Homeland Security committee. Keating called the bombings a "sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack."
A federal law enforcement official told CNN that both bombs that did explode were small, and initial tests showed no C-4 or other high-grade explosive material, suggesting the packages used in the attack were crude devices.
The FBI is taking the lead in investigating the attack near the marathon's finish line.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Washington Redskins Mascot Controversy
Nallelie Vega
For 75 years Washington D.C.’s National Football League team has been known as the Redskins. What many in the sports world don’t realize or choose to ignore is that the term redskin is a derogatory nickname for Native Americans Indians.
In the past decade, many high schools, colleges and pro teams have gotten rid of mascots and team names that are considered racial slurs, such as redskins. But Washington is standing by its 75-year history, refusing to make any changes.
The unwillingness for change has caused an uproar in the Native American community. Earlier this month at the Smithsonian Symposium of American Indians in Washington D.C., the nations capital football team became a hot topic. According to some Native Americans, regardless of franchise history, Washington’s nickname is racist and it needs to be changed.
And considering that George Preston Marshall, the founder of the Redskins, was openly known to be racist, the mascot controversy has been taken to a whole different level, at least in the minds of American Indians.
But the Redskins current ownership does not feel the same way. And NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is reluctant to do anything. According to Goodell, he sees both sides of the situation, but ultimately the franchise has the last say.
Many are probably wondering how it even became a hot topic and my guess is all the attention paid towards Washington’s rising star Robert Griffin III. Before Griffin, the Redskins were an after thought, now they’re the fifth most valuable sports franchise in the world.
Worldwide name recognition is probably one of the reasons the Redskins don’t want to change any aspect of the franchise. Many might argue though, that names and mascots aren’t the only forms of franchise recognition. Take the Golden State Warriors, for example. Golden State changed its derogatory logo decades ago because of a similar controversy and today many don’t even remember the Warriors had such a logo.
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For 75 years Washington D.C.’s National Football League team has been known as the Redskins. What many in the sports world don’t realize or choose to ignore is that the term redskin is a derogatory nickname for Native Americans Indians.
In the past decade, many high schools, colleges and pro teams have gotten rid of mascots and team names that are considered racial slurs, such as redskins. But Washington is standing by its 75-year history, refusing to make any changes.
The unwillingness for change has caused an uproar in the Native American community. Earlier this month at the Smithsonian Symposium of American Indians in Washington D.C., the nations capital football team became a hot topic. According to some Native Americans, regardless of franchise history, Washington’s nickname is racist and it needs to be changed.
And considering that George Preston Marshall, the founder of the Redskins, was openly known to be racist, the mascot controversy has been taken to a whole different level, at least in the minds of American Indians.
But the Redskins current ownership does not feel the same way. And NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is reluctant to do anything. According to Goodell, he sees both sides of the situation, but ultimately the franchise has the last say.
Many are probably wondering how it even became a hot topic and my guess is all the attention paid towards Washington’s rising star Robert Griffin III. Before Griffin, the Redskins were an after thought, now they’re the fifth most valuable sports franchise in the world.
Worldwide name recognition is probably one of the reasons the Redskins don’t want to change any aspect of the franchise. Many might argue though, that names and mascots aren’t the only forms of franchise recognition. Take the Golden State Warriors, for example. Golden State changed its derogatory logo decades ago because of a similar controversy and today many don’t even remember the Warriors had such a logo.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, April 4, 2013
North Korea threatens nuclear war against U.S.
(CNN) -- North Korea, who is threatening nuclear war against the United States, kept tensions simmering around its borders Thursday, reportedly moving a medium-range missile to its east coast and continuing to put pressure on a joint industrial complex where hundreds of South Koreans work.
Wednesday, the United States announced it was sending ballistic missile defenses to Guam, a Western Pacific territory that's home to U.S. naval and air bases. North Korea has cited those bases among possible targets for missile attacks.
This comes amid the disclosure of what one U.S. official calls an Obama administration "playbook" of pre-scripted actions and responses to the last several weeks of North Korean rhetoric and provocations.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a parliamentary committee in Seoul that the North has moved a medium-range missile to its east coast for an imminent test firing or military drill. The missile doesn't appear to be aimed at the U.S. mainland, Kim said, according to the semi-official South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Wednesday, the United States announced it was sending ballistic missile defenses to Guam, a Western Pacific territory that's home to U.S. naval and air bases. North Korea has cited those bases among possible targets for missile attacks.
This comes amid the disclosure of what one U.S. official calls an Obama administration "playbook" of pre-scripted actions and responses to the last several weeks of North Korean rhetoric and provocations.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a parliamentary committee in Seoul that the North has moved a medium-range missile to its east coast for an imminent test firing or military drill. The missile doesn't appear to be aimed at the U.S. mainland, Kim said, according to the semi-official South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Georgia town passes law requiring gun ownership
(CNN) -- Nelson, a small Georgia city north of Atlanta, is requiring the head of virtually every household to own a firearm, the city's clerk told CNN Tuesday. The community's five-member council voted unanimously to approve the measure Monday night.
The proposal was modeled on a similar law in nearby Kennesaw, a measure that has been on the books since 1982. Nelson, which numbers around 1,300 people, is the second city in the state to mandate gun ownership.
"In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore," the ordinance said. People with physical or mental disabilities are exempt from the law, as are "paupers," felons, and those who oppose gun ownership based on belief or religious doctrine.
Councilman Duane Cronic recently said that the law would give every family the right to protect themselves and their property "without worrying about prosecution for protecting themselves."
The proposal was modeled on a similar law in nearby Kennesaw, a measure that has been on the books since 1982. Nelson, which numbers around 1,300 people, is the second city in the state to mandate gun ownership.
"In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore," the ordinance said. People with physical or mental disabilities are exempt from the law, as are "paupers," felons, and those who oppose gun ownership based on belief or religious doctrine.
Councilman Duane Cronic recently said that the law would give every family the right to protect themselves and their property "without worrying about prosecution for protecting themselves."
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Same-sex marriage: A potential Supreme Court blockbuster
By Bill Mears
CNN
It's an issue that does not get more basic, yet the complexity surrounding the legal, social, and political implications of expanding that right to gays and lesbians is now squarely before the Supreme Court.
The justices launch an epic public dialogue on Tuesday when they hear oral arguments in the first of two appeals to state and federal laws restricting same-sex marriage. The second round will be on Wednesday.
However, the real challenge and drama will come when they go behind closed doors later this week and vote as a group -- at least preliminarily -- on questions presented in cases with landmark potential.
The political, social, and legal stakes of this long-simmering debate have once again put the high court at the center of national attention, a contentious encore to its summer ruling upholding the massive health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama. The outcome in this one could have profound influence on how America defines family. The court is likely to take its time and not act before June.
On Tuesday, the justices were set to hear arguments concerning the appeal of a federal judge's decision that struck down down California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The overriding legal question is whether the 14th Amendment guarantee of "equal protection" prevents states from defining marriage as California has.
There are an estimated 120,000 legally married same-sex couples in the United States. It is legal in nine states: Washington, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland, and New York, along with the District of Columbia. Another nine states have civil union or strong domestic partnership laws, that stop short of marriage.
A new national poll indicates increasing public awareness around the issue and stronger overall support for same-sex marriage specifically. According to the CNN/ORC International survey, 57% say they have a family member or close friend who is gay or lesbian, up 12 points from 2007. Also, the number of Americans who support same-sex marriage has risen by almost the same amount over the same period - from 40% in 2007 to 53%.
In its separate argument on Wednesday, the justices will tackle the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law defining marriage for federal purposes as between a man and a woman. That means legally married gay and lesbian couples are denied federal benefits and privileges -- things like tax breaks and survivor benefits.
Backers of DOMA and Proposition 8 say it should be up to the public to decide, not the courts. "Our most fundamental right in this country is the right to vote and the right to participate in the political process, " said Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian advocacy group. "We don't need the Supreme Court to take that right away from Americans of good faith on both sides of this issue and impose its judicial solution," Nimocks said. "We need to leave this debate to the democratic process, which is working."
CNN
It's an issue that does not get more basic, yet the complexity surrounding the legal, social, and political implications of expanding that right to gays and lesbians is now squarely before the Supreme Court.
The justices launch an epic public dialogue on Tuesday when they hear oral arguments in the first of two appeals to state and federal laws restricting same-sex marriage. The second round will be on Wednesday.
However, the real challenge and drama will come when they go behind closed doors later this week and vote as a group -- at least preliminarily -- on questions presented in cases with landmark potential.
The political, social, and legal stakes of this long-simmering debate have once again put the high court at the center of national attention, a contentious encore to its summer ruling upholding the massive health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama. The outcome in this one could have profound influence on how America defines family. The court is likely to take its time and not act before June.
On Tuesday, the justices were set to hear arguments concerning the appeal of a federal judge's decision that struck down down California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The overriding legal question is whether the 14th Amendment guarantee of "equal protection" prevents states from defining marriage as California has.
There are an estimated 120,000 legally married same-sex couples in the United States. It is legal in nine states: Washington, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland, and New York, along with the District of Columbia. Another nine states have civil union or strong domestic partnership laws, that stop short of marriage.
A new national poll indicates increasing public awareness around the issue and stronger overall support for same-sex marriage specifically. According to the CNN/ORC International survey, 57% say they have a family member or close friend who is gay or lesbian, up 12 points from 2007. Also, the number of Americans who support same-sex marriage has risen by almost the same amount over the same period - from 40% in 2007 to 53%.
In its separate argument on Wednesday, the justices will tackle the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law defining marriage for federal purposes as between a man and a woman. That means legally married gay and lesbian couples are denied federal benefits and privileges -- things like tax breaks and survivor benefits.
Backers of DOMA and Proposition 8 say it should be up to the public to decide, not the courts. "Our most fundamental right in this country is the right to vote and the right to participate in the political process, " said Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian advocacy group. "We don't need the Supreme Court to take that right away from Americans of good faith on both sides of this issue and impose its judicial solution," Nimocks said. "We need to leave this debate to the democratic process, which is working."
Monday, March 25, 2013
Nations with nukes
United States FIRST TEST: 1945 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 7,650
Russia FIRST TEST: 1949 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 8,420
United Kingdom FIRST TEST: 1952 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 225
France FIRST TEST: 1960 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 300
China FIRST TEST: 1964 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 240
India FIRST TEST: 1974 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 80-100
Pakistan FIRST TEST: 1998 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 90-110
North Korea FIRST TEST: 2006 ESTIMATED WARHEADS: Fewer than 10
Israel FIRST TEST: ???? ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 80
Iran FIRST TEST: Not yet ESTIMATED WARHEADS: 0
* A number of Western nations have placed economic and arms-related sanctions on Iran since 2010, when the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran was pursuing technology that could be used to build nuclear weapons. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only.
Monday, March 18, 2013
North Dakota legislature passes strictest abortion law in U.S.
BISMARCK, N.D. - As oil-rich North Dakota moves toward outlawing most abortions, it's in a better position than most states for what could be a long and costly court battle over its restrictions.
Lawmakers on Friday sent the Republican governor two anti-abortion bills, one banning the procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy and another prohibiting women from having the procedure because a fetus has a genetic defect, such as Down syndrome. They would be the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S
Abortion-rights activists have promised a legal battle over the measures if they become law. But supporters of the bills say their goal is to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion up until a fetus is considered viable, usually at 22 to 24 weeks
Rep. Bette Grande, a Republican from Fargo who introduced the measures told lawmakers earlier in the week that fears about a legal challenge shouldn't prevent them from strengthening North Dakota's already strict abortion laws.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple hasn't said anything to indicate he would veto the measures, and the bills have enough support in each chamber for the Republican-controlled Legislature to override him. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the bills Friday, and the House passed them last month. The votes were largely on party lines, with Republicans supporting the measures and Democrats opposing them.
The American Civil Liberties Union called the measures "extreme" and noted that many women don't realize they are pregnant until after six weeks. "In America, no woman, no matter where she lives, should be denied the ability to make this deeply personal decision," ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said in a statement.
North Dakota is one of several states with Republican-controlled Legislatures and GOP governors that is looking at abortion restrictions. Arkansas passed a 12-week ban earlier this month that prohibits most abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound. That ban is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the Arkansas Legislature adjourns.
North Dakota's measure doesn't specify how a fetal heartbeat would be detected. Doctors performing an abortion after a heartbeat is detected could face a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Women having an abortion would not face charges.
The genetic abnormalities bill also bans abortion based on gender selection. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Oklahoma already have such laws, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion restrictions across the U.S. North Dakota would be the first state to ban abortions based on a genetic defect, according to the institute.
Sen. Margaret Sitte, a Republican from Bismarck, said the bill is meant to ban the destruction of life based on "an arbitrary society standard of being good enough." Some test results pointing to abnormalities are incorrect, she said, and doctors can perform surgeries even before a baby is born to correct some genetic conditions.
Lawmakers on Friday sent the Republican governor two anti-abortion bills, one banning the procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy and another prohibiting women from having the procedure because a fetus has a genetic defect, such as Down syndrome. They would be the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S
Abortion-rights activists have promised a legal battle over the measures if they become law. But supporters of the bills say their goal is to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion up until a fetus is considered viable, usually at 22 to 24 weeks
Rep. Bette Grande, a Republican from Fargo who introduced the measures told lawmakers earlier in the week that fears about a legal challenge shouldn't prevent them from strengthening North Dakota's already strict abortion laws.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple hasn't said anything to indicate he would veto the measures, and the bills have enough support in each chamber for the Republican-controlled Legislature to override him. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the bills Friday, and the House passed them last month. The votes were largely on party lines, with Republicans supporting the measures and Democrats opposing them.
The American Civil Liberties Union called the measures "extreme" and noted that many women don't realize they are pregnant until after six weeks. "In America, no woman, no matter where she lives, should be denied the ability to make this deeply personal decision," ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said in a statement.
North Dakota is one of several states with Republican-controlled Legislatures and GOP governors that is looking at abortion restrictions. Arkansas passed a 12-week ban earlier this month that prohibits most abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected using an abdominal ultrasound. That ban is scheduled to take effect 90 days after the Arkansas Legislature adjourns.
North Dakota's measure doesn't specify how a fetal heartbeat would be detected. Doctors performing an abortion after a heartbeat is detected could face a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Women having an abortion would not face charges.
The genetic abnormalities bill also bans abortion based on gender selection. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Oklahoma already have such laws, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion restrictions across the U.S. North Dakota would be the first state to ban abortions based on a genetic defect, according to the institute.
Sen. Margaret Sitte, a Republican from Bismarck, said the bill is meant to ban the destruction of life based on "an arbitrary society standard of being good enough." Some test results pointing to abnormalities are incorrect, she said, and doctors can perform surgeries even before a baby is born to correct some genetic conditions.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Catholics choose new pope
(CNN) -- From the Vatican to Buenos Aires, Catholics worldwide rejoiced when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became the new pope.
He's the first Jesuit and the first Latin American in modern times to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.
But in some ways, he's just a normal guy.
Here are three things to know about Pope Francis:
1. His name says a lot about him Unlike other recent pontiffs -- John Paul II, Benedict XVI -- Pope Francis doesn't have a numeral after his name. That's because he's the first to take the name Francis. Why Francis? The pope wanted to honor St. Francis of Assisi, an admirer of nature and a servant to the poor and destitute.
St. Francis of Assisi was born the son of a rich cloth merchant. But he lived in rags among beggars at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Those close to Pope Francis see similarities between the two men. "Francis of Assisi is ... someone who turned his back on the wealth of his family and the lifestyle he had, and bonded with lepers and the poor," said the Rev. Thomas Rosica, the Vatican's deputy spokesman. "Here's this pope known for his care for AIDS patients and people who are very sick. Who is known for his concern with single mothers whose babies were refused to be baptized by priests in his diocese. "He scolded those priests last year and said, 'How can you turn these people away when they belong to us? '"
2. In some ways, Pope Francis is just a normal guy."The new pope is a very humble man," said the Rev. Eduardo Mangiarotti, an Argentine priest. "He takes public transport every day." He also chose to live in an apartment instead of the archbishop's palace, passed on a chauffeured limousine and cooked his own meals, CNN Vatican analyst John Allen wrote in a profile published by National Catholic Reporter. In his first public act as pontiff, Pope Francis broke with tradition by asking the estimated 150,000 people packed into St. Peter's Square to pray for him, rather than him blessing the crowd first. The pontiff broke with another tradition by refusing to use a platform to elevate himself above the cardinals standing with him as he was introduced to the world as Pope Francis."He said I'll stay down here," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "He met each of us on our own level."
3. He comes with a side of controversy
Francis opposes same-sex marriage and abortion, which isn't surprising as leader of the socially conservative Catholic church. But as a cardinal, Francis clashed with the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.
He's the first Jesuit and the first Latin American in modern times to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.
But in some ways, he's just a normal guy.
Here are three things to know about Pope Francis:
1. His name says a lot about him Unlike other recent pontiffs -- John Paul II, Benedict XVI -- Pope Francis doesn't have a numeral after his name. That's because he's the first to take the name Francis. Why Francis? The pope wanted to honor St. Francis of Assisi, an admirer of nature and a servant to the poor and destitute.
St. Francis of Assisi was born the son of a rich cloth merchant. But he lived in rags among beggars at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Those close to Pope Francis see similarities between the two men. "Francis of Assisi is ... someone who turned his back on the wealth of his family and the lifestyle he had, and bonded with lepers and the poor," said the Rev. Thomas Rosica, the Vatican's deputy spokesman. "Here's this pope known for his care for AIDS patients and people who are very sick. Who is known for his concern with single mothers whose babies were refused to be baptized by priests in his diocese. "He scolded those priests last year and said, 'How can you turn these people away when they belong to us? '"
2. In some ways, Pope Francis is just a normal guy."The new pope is a very humble man," said the Rev. Eduardo Mangiarotti, an Argentine priest. "He takes public transport every day." He also chose to live in an apartment instead of the archbishop's palace, passed on a chauffeured limousine and cooked his own meals, CNN Vatican analyst John Allen wrote in a profile published by National Catholic Reporter. In his first public act as pontiff, Pope Francis broke with tradition by asking the estimated 150,000 people packed into St. Peter's Square to pray for him, rather than him blessing the crowd first. The pontiff broke with another tradition by refusing to use a platform to elevate himself above the cardinals standing with him as he was introduced to the world as Pope Francis."He said I'll stay down here," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "He met each of us on our own level."
3. He comes with a side of controversy
Francis opposes same-sex marriage and abortion, which isn't surprising as leader of the socially conservative Catholic church. But as a cardinal, Francis clashed with the government of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner over his opposition to gay marriage and free distribution of contraceptives.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The American middle class gets poorer while the rich get richer
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
When Debbie Bruister buys a gallon of milk at her local Kroger supermarket, she pays $3.69, up 70 cents from what she paid last year. Getting to the store costs more, too. Gas in Corinth, Miss., her hometown, costs $3.51 a gallon now, compared to less than three bucks in 2012. That really hurts, considering her husband's 112-mile daily round-trip commute to his job as a pharmacist.
Bruister, a mother of four, received a $1,160 raise this school year at her job as an eighth-grade computer teacher. The extra cash -- about $97 a month, before taxes and other deductions -- isn't enough for her and her husband to keep up with their rising costs, especially after the elimination of the payroll tax break. Its loss shrunk their paychecks by more than $270 a month. "If you look at how much prices are going up, you get in the hole really quick," Bruister said. "It's a constant squeeze."
In the wake of the Great Recession, millions of middle-class people are being pinched by stagnating incomes and the increased cost of living. America's median household income has dropped by more than $4,000 since 2000, after adjusting for inflation, and the typical trappings of middle-class life are slipping out of financial reach for many families.
Families with young kids are struggling to afford childcare and save for the ever-climbing costs of college. Those nearing retirement are scrambling to sock away funds so they don't have to work forever. A weak labor market means that employed Americans aren't getting the pay raises they need to keep up -- especially with big-ticket items such as health care eating away at their paychecks.
Economists say it boils down to two core problems: jobs and wages. The traditional "middle-class job" is disappearing.
Mid-wage occupations such as office managers and truck drivers accounted for 60% of the job losses during the recession, but only 22% of the gains during the recovery, according to a National Employment Law Project analysis of Labor Department data. Low-wage positions, on the other hand, soared 58%.
There's one more big squeeze hitting households: health care. Since 2002, insurance premiums have increased 97%, rising three times as fast as wages, according to Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust. In Mississippi, Bruister now has an $1,800 deductible, compared to $500 a few years ago. When she goes to the doctor, the bill typically tops $100 -- so she tries to avoid going. "Health care for me has turned into more of a luxury item," said Bruister, 52. "I go every year for the checkups my insurance pays, but after that you just tough out the other illnesses."
Economists say they don't expect much improvement for the middle class any time soon. The recession is officially over, but the recovery is fragile, and its gains aren't evenly spread. Between 1993 and 2011, the top 1% of America's earners saw their income soar by 58%, while everyone else only got a 6% bump. That's making it even harder for most households to get ahead. "The middle class was always synonymous with economic security and stability," Draut said. "Now it's synonymous with economic anxiety."
When Debbie Bruister buys a gallon of milk at her local Kroger supermarket, she pays $3.69, up 70 cents from what she paid last year. Getting to the store costs more, too. Gas in Corinth, Miss., her hometown, costs $3.51 a gallon now, compared to less than three bucks in 2012. That really hurts, considering her husband's 112-mile daily round-trip commute to his job as a pharmacist.
Bruister, a mother of four, received a $1,160 raise this school year at her job as an eighth-grade computer teacher. The extra cash -- about $97 a month, before taxes and other deductions -- isn't enough for her and her husband to keep up with their rising costs, especially after the elimination of the payroll tax break. Its loss shrunk their paychecks by more than $270 a month. "If you look at how much prices are going up, you get in the hole really quick," Bruister said. "It's a constant squeeze."
In the wake of the Great Recession, millions of middle-class people are being pinched by stagnating incomes and the increased cost of living. America's median household income has dropped by more than $4,000 since 2000, after adjusting for inflation, and the typical trappings of middle-class life are slipping out of financial reach for many families.
Families with young kids are struggling to afford childcare and save for the ever-climbing costs of college. Those nearing retirement are scrambling to sock away funds so they don't have to work forever. A weak labor market means that employed Americans aren't getting the pay raises they need to keep up -- especially with big-ticket items such as health care eating away at their paychecks.
Economists say it boils down to two core problems: jobs and wages. The traditional "middle-class job" is disappearing.
Mid-wage occupations such as office managers and truck drivers accounted for 60% of the job losses during the recession, but only 22% of the gains during the recovery, according to a National Employment Law Project analysis of Labor Department data. Low-wage positions, on the other hand, soared 58%.
There's one more big squeeze hitting households: health care. Since 2002, insurance premiums have increased 97%, rising three times as fast as wages, according to Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust. In Mississippi, Bruister now has an $1,800 deductible, compared to $500 a few years ago. When she goes to the doctor, the bill typically tops $100 -- so she tries to avoid going. "Health care for me has turned into more of a luxury item," said Bruister, 52. "I go every year for the checkups my insurance pays, but after that you just tough out the other illnesses."
Economists say they don't expect much improvement for the middle class any time soon. The recession is officially over, but the recovery is fragile, and its gains aren't evenly spread. Between 1993 and 2011, the top 1% of America's earners saw their income soar by 58%, while everyone else only got a 6% bump. That's making it even harder for most households to get ahead. "The middle class was always synonymous with economic security and stability," Draut said. "Now it's synonymous with economic anxiety."
Monday, March 4, 2013
Grand Forks students disciplined for wearing Klan costumes to hockey game
STAR TRIBUNE
The Grand Forks Herald reports that three students at Red River High School in Grand Forks have been disciplined for wearing Ku Klux Klan costumes -- white robes and pointed hoods -- during the school's North Dakota state hockey tournament game on Friday.
Robb Jeffries of the Grand Forks Herald reported: "During Friday night’s game, a UND student took a photo of the students with his cell phone and posted it on the social media site Twitter. The photo showed the Red River student section during the game. Many students wore white clothing and white face paint, following school tradition that the fans dress in school colors during the state tournament. Called a 'white out,' the custom was popularized by the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. But three of the students wore white robes and pointed hoods that bore striking resemblance to the costume of KKK members."
Red River principal Kris Arason said in a prepared statement: “We, as a school, are extremely disappointed with the behavior of these three students. This behavior is not a representation of our school or student body.”
Arason did not say what the actions were being taken against the student, who were identified as ninth-graders by other students in the Herald news story.
The Herald also reported: "Fargo Davies is named after Ronald Davies, a former U.S. District judge in Fargo who forced the governor of Arkansas to back down after the governor tried to interfere with the desegregation of Little Rock schools in 1957."
The Grand Forks Herald reports that three students at Red River High School in Grand Forks have been disciplined for wearing Ku Klux Klan costumes -- white robes and pointed hoods -- during the school's North Dakota state hockey tournament game on Friday.
Robb Jeffries of the Grand Forks Herald reported: "During Friday night’s game, a UND student took a photo of the students with his cell phone and posted it on the social media site Twitter. The photo showed the Red River student section during the game. Many students wore white clothing and white face paint, following school tradition that the fans dress in school colors during the state tournament. Called a 'white out,' the custom was popularized by the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. But three of the students wore white robes and pointed hoods that bore striking resemblance to the costume of KKK members."
Red River principal Kris Arason said in a prepared statement: “We, as a school, are extremely disappointed with the behavior of these three students. This behavior is not a representation of our school or student body.”
Arason did not say what the actions were being taken against the student, who were identified as ninth-graders by other students in the Herald news story.
The Herald also reported: "Fargo Davies is named after Ronald Davies, a former U.S. District judge in Fargo who forced the governor of Arkansas to back down after the governor tried to interfere with the desegregation of Little Rock schools in 1957."
Thursday, February 28, 2013
'Harlem Shake' poses school safety quandaries across Twin Cities
Article by: KELLY SMITH , Star Tribune
The backlash from the “Harlem Shake” Internet fad is just the latest to plague school administrators. The Harlem Shake is a hit with students, but it isn’t playing well at some schools.
As the latest flash-mob dance spreads across metro-area high schools, it has prompted suspensions and even police citations when deemed disruptive or a school safety threat. That’s leaving communities asking whether the viral video imitation is a harmless diversion or dangerous distraction.
In Eden Prairie, 16 high school students were suspended after a Harlem Shake dance in the school cafeteria that included jumping on lunchroom tables and turning one over. In Wayzata, 15 students were banned from the weight room after doing a similar dance there last week.
And at Mound Westonka High School, school leaders are still dealing with the backlash from suspending and citing six varsity hockey players before a playoff game because of a Harlem Shake rendition, with some students dancing on top of tables and chairs.
It’s a trend also seen in schools in Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan, with a suburban Detroit school suspending more than 30 kids.
For school leaders, such episodes are part of the growing challenge posed by social media, forcing them to react to the latest online craze surfacing almost overnight.
“It takes moments, milliseconds [for a trend to spread],” said Don Johnson, a former principal and now head of a state group for middle and high school principals. “They happen more often and with greater intensity, which makes it hard to combat.”
Rowdy riot or fun dance?
The Harlem Shake has become an Internet phenomenon, with thousands of YouTube videos. Most feature one person dancing and, when the lyrics command to “do the Harlem Shake,” it cuts to a wild group dance.
While schools have long suffered through fashion or dance trends, Gary Amoroso, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, said the viral videos pose even more difficulty because of how quickly they spread.
“The whole issue of social media is a challenge because it is evolving so quickly,” he said. “Schools are trying to do the best to know what’s out there and how to incorporate that positively in the schools.”
He defended local schools’ disciplinary actions, arguing that safety has to be administrators’ top priority.
Westonka investigation
In Westonka schools, district leaders said Wednesday that an outside investigation will establish what happened at the high school last Friday and whether the consequences were appropriate.
Parents and students continue to criticize the district for suspending the hockey players hours before their playoff game, arguing that officials rushed to judgment after students did the dance in the cafeteria. A cellphone video shows students dancing on tables or chairs, but no damage was reported besides a broken lunch tray.
On Monday, the hockey players and two members of a school swim team saw their two-day suspensions cut in half. The $75 citations they got from Minnetrista police were rescinded and Superintendent Kevin Borg apologized to a crowd of 250 parents and students at a school board meeting, announcing that Activities Director Dion Koltes was put on paid leave.
Monday, February 25, 2013
"Harlem Shake" suspensions end Mound Westonka Hockey season
The principal of Mound Westonka High School said students, including varsity hockey players, who were suspended Friday for their lunchroom rendition of popular dance craze the “Harlem Shake” went beyond just dancing, but a student disciplined for participating said Saturday that they did nothing wrong.
Senior Jack Brandstetter, 17, is among parents and students who have criticized the school’s decision not to allow him and several other players on the school’s boys’ hockey team to play in their section playoff game Friday night because of the incident.
Principal Keith Randklev defended the school’s actions Saturday, saying, “In and of itself, that type of activity would not necessarily lead to any type of school consequences. … This went beyond that.”
Brandstetter thought differently. The students, including six hockey players, were recording a school-sanctioned video of themselves performing the “Harlem Shake” in the cafeteria so that they could submit for a weekly school broadcast, he said.
As two lunchroom supervisors watched approvingly, the dancers recruited other students to join in and some of the dancers jumped onto lunch tables, Brandstetter said.
He said he did not see any tables or other school property damaged or any food thrown. After the dance, as he and others were returning their lunch trays, the school’s resident police officer and its activities director, Dion Koltes, confiscated the video camera students had been using, Brandstetter said.
He and the others then returned to their classrooms, where they heard that other police officers had been called to the school to help examine the video.
About 2 p.m., he said, he was called into the office, where Randklev, Koltes, the school police officer and an assistant principal handed him a $75 ticket they said was for “engaging in a riotlike activity and starting a mob.”
He was also told that he would be suspended for two days and would not be allowed to play in Friday night’s game.“I was totally, wrongfully accused, and not given a chance to defend myself,” he said. The other dance participants were called in one by one after him, and told the same thing, he said.
The “Harlem Shake” has become an Internet phenomenon, with thousands of YouTube videos of people dancing to the song by New York producer Baauer. While versions differ greatly, most videos consist of one person dancing by themselves and then when the lyrics command to “do the Harlem Shake” the video cuts to a group dancing crazily.A student’s 17-second cellphone video shows noisy students dancing in a cluster, some of them on tables.
Randklev wouldn’t say what exactly the students were doing that went beyond dancing but he said, “school policies were infringed upon.”
The Minnetrista police conducted its own investigation, but Randklev wouldn’t detail the results.On Friday night, the boys’ varsity team played Blake School in Minneapolis in a section quarterfinal playoff game. Blake had twice as many players on the bench as Mound Westonka. The Bears won 6-4. Parents and students expressed their anger toward Koltes at the game and on social media.
Coach Doug Runke said on Friday that the suspensions cost the team five skaters and the regular goalie. “This was not in the playbook,” he said. “We were in a tough spot.”
However, he added, that he was proud about how the rest of the team handled it. “They responded to the situation and played their hearts out.”
Brandstetter said that he and other players, along with their parents, plan to challenge the discipline. “As hockey players, we had taken away from us something we worked for our entire lives, a chance to play in a championship. It was completely unfair.”
Senior Jack Brandstetter, 17, is among parents and students who have criticized the school’s decision not to allow him and several other players on the school’s boys’ hockey team to play in their section playoff game Friday night because of the incident.
Principal Keith Randklev defended the school’s actions Saturday, saying, “In and of itself, that type of activity would not necessarily lead to any type of school consequences. … This went beyond that.”
Brandstetter thought differently. The students, including six hockey players, were recording a school-sanctioned video of themselves performing the “Harlem Shake” in the cafeteria so that they could submit for a weekly school broadcast, he said.
As two lunchroom supervisors watched approvingly, the dancers recruited other students to join in and some of the dancers jumped onto lunch tables, Brandstetter said.
He said he did not see any tables or other school property damaged or any food thrown. After the dance, as he and others were returning their lunch trays, the school’s resident police officer and its activities director, Dion Koltes, confiscated the video camera students had been using, Brandstetter said.
He and the others then returned to their classrooms, where they heard that other police officers had been called to the school to help examine the video.
About 2 p.m., he said, he was called into the office, where Randklev, Koltes, the school police officer and an assistant principal handed him a $75 ticket they said was for “engaging in a riotlike activity and starting a mob.”
He was also told that he would be suspended for two days and would not be allowed to play in Friday night’s game.“I was totally, wrongfully accused, and not given a chance to defend myself,” he said. The other dance participants were called in one by one after him, and told the same thing, he said.
The “Harlem Shake” has become an Internet phenomenon, with thousands of YouTube videos of people dancing to the song by New York producer Baauer. While versions differ greatly, most videos consist of one person dancing by themselves and then when the lyrics command to “do the Harlem Shake” the video cuts to a group dancing crazily.A student’s 17-second cellphone video shows noisy students dancing in a cluster, some of them on tables.
Randklev wouldn’t say what exactly the students were doing that went beyond dancing but he said, “school policies were infringed upon.”
The Minnetrista police conducted its own investigation, but Randklev wouldn’t detail the results.On Friday night, the boys’ varsity team played Blake School in Minneapolis in a section quarterfinal playoff game. Blake had twice as many players on the bench as Mound Westonka. The Bears won 6-4. Parents and students expressed their anger toward Koltes at the game and on social media.
Coach Doug Runke said on Friday that the suspensions cost the team five skaters and the regular goalie. “This was not in the playbook,” he said. “We were in a tough spot.”
However, he added, that he was proud about how the rest of the team handled it. “They responded to the situation and played their hearts out.”
Brandstetter said that he and other players, along with their parents, plan to challenge the discipline. “As hockey players, we had taken away from us something we worked for our entire lives, a chance to play in a championship. It was completely unfair.”
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Gas prices skyrocket AGAIN!
CNN By Emily Jane Fox
Gas prices have risen for 32 days straight, according to AAA. That means that the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has increased more than 13% over that period to $3.73.
It's hitting wallets right in the middle of winter, when people are already looking at large home heating bills. And it comes just after many Americans have been hit with smaller paychecks, and are worried about looming budget cuts that could deliver an even deeper blow. What's behind the higher prices at the pump? It's a confluence of factors, from rising crude oil prices, to production cuts and refinery closings.
"Right now, things are tight worldwide," said Ray Carbone, president of New York commodities trading firm Paramount Options. "Refineries going down, unanticipated maintenance, and higher demand ... going into driving season."
Two-thirds of the cost of one gallon of gas comes from the price of crude, which has jumped 10% in the last two months, according to the Energy Information Administration. As the U.S. housing market experiences a resurgence, the jobs picture brightens and consumer spending expands, anticipation of higher oil demand is driving up prices. At the same time, fears have ebbed that there would be a protracted slowdown in China's economy, which would have dampened global demand for oil.
OPEC, the powerful cartel of petroleum exporting countries, is also believed to have cut production by about 1 million barrels a day in the last few months, partly in response to rising oil production elsewhere, notably the United States.
Adding to that, several refineries are either preparing to, or have already, shut down for maintenance before their annual switch to summer gasoline, which is formulated differently.
For the average American, all this couldn't be happening at a worse time.
Most of the country's 160 million workers are taking home less pay each week since the payroll tax cuts expired last month.
Gas prices have risen for 32 days straight, according to AAA. That means that the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has increased more than 13% over that period to $3.73.
It's hitting wallets right in the middle of winter, when people are already looking at large home heating bills. And it comes just after many Americans have been hit with smaller paychecks, and are worried about looming budget cuts that could deliver an even deeper blow. What's behind the higher prices at the pump? It's a confluence of factors, from rising crude oil prices, to production cuts and refinery closings.
"Right now, things are tight worldwide," said Ray Carbone, president of New York commodities trading firm Paramount Options. "Refineries going down, unanticipated maintenance, and higher demand ... going into driving season."
Two-thirds of the cost of one gallon of gas comes from the price of crude, which has jumped 10% in the last two months, according to the Energy Information Administration. As the U.S. housing market experiences a resurgence, the jobs picture brightens and consumer spending expands, anticipation of higher oil demand is driving up prices. At the same time, fears have ebbed that there would be a protracted slowdown in China's economy, which would have dampened global demand for oil.
OPEC, the powerful cartel of petroleum exporting countries, is also believed to have cut production by about 1 million barrels a day in the last few months, partly in response to rising oil production elsewhere, notably the United States.
Adding to that, several refineries are either preparing to, or have already, shut down for maintenance before their annual switch to summer gasoline, which is formulated differently.
For the average American, all this couldn't be happening at a worse time.
Most of the country's 160 million workers are taking home less pay each week since the payroll tax cuts expired last month.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Pope Benedict resigns
Rome (CNN) -- The spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI, surprised the world Monday by saying he will resign at the end of the month "because of advanced age."
It's the first time a pope has stepped down in nearly 600 years.
"Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," said Benedict, 85, according to the Vatican.
The news startled the Catholic world and led to frenzied speculation about who would replace him, including a debate about the merits of naming a pontiff from the developing world, where the church continues to grow, versus one from Europe, where it has deep historical roots.
But that decision will not be made by Benedict, who will leave his post at 8 p.m. on February 28, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman. "Before Easter, we will have the new pope," he said.
While Benedict won't be directly involved in his successor's selection, his influence will undoubtedly be felt. He appointed 67 of the 117 cardinals that -- as of Monday -- are set to make the decision.
The number of electors could drop to 115, as two cardinals will turn 80 in March, when their age makes them ineligible to cast a vote. More than two thirds of whatever the final number must agree on the next pope, a decision that will be announced to the world in the form a puff of white smoke emerging from a chimney in the Vatican.
CNN Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen said that means the next pope, no matter where he is from, will probably continue in Benedict's conservative tradition, which has seen the church take a firm line on issues such as abortion, birth control and divorce.
While not quite unprecedented, his resignation is certainly historic. The last pope to step down before his death was Gregory XII, who in 1415 quit to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope.
A family friend in Regensburg, Germany, told CNN that Benedict had been thinking resigning for some time because of his age. He had discussed the decision with his older brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, according to the friend, who asked not to be named because he does not speak for Georg Ratzinger.
Several years ago, Benedict had suggested he would be open to resigning should his health fail, Allen said. But no one expected him to do so this soon.
Jannet Walsh, a CNN iReporter from Murdock, Minnesota, counts herself among those "shocked" by the news of his resignation. But she said it was an admirable decision because he seemingly recognized that he could not adequately "carry out his office as pope" given his health.
"The resignation of the pope is actually a very selfless act, and it should be applauded," Walsh said.
It's the first time a pope has stepped down in nearly 600 years.
"Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," said Benedict, 85, according to the Vatican.
The news startled the Catholic world and led to frenzied speculation about who would replace him, including a debate about the merits of naming a pontiff from the developing world, where the church continues to grow, versus one from Europe, where it has deep historical roots.
But that decision will not be made by Benedict, who will leave his post at 8 p.m. on February 28, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman. "Before Easter, we will have the new pope," he said.
While Benedict won't be directly involved in his successor's selection, his influence will undoubtedly be felt. He appointed 67 of the 117 cardinals that -- as of Monday -- are set to make the decision.
The number of electors could drop to 115, as two cardinals will turn 80 in March, when their age makes them ineligible to cast a vote. More than two thirds of whatever the final number must agree on the next pope, a decision that will be announced to the world in the form a puff of white smoke emerging from a chimney in the Vatican.
CNN Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen said that means the next pope, no matter where he is from, will probably continue in Benedict's conservative tradition, which has seen the church take a firm line on issues such as abortion, birth control and divorce.
While not quite unprecedented, his resignation is certainly historic. The last pope to step down before his death was Gregory XII, who in 1415 quit to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope.
A family friend in Regensburg, Germany, told CNN that Benedict had been thinking resigning for some time because of his age. He had discussed the decision with his older brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, according to the friend, who asked not to be named because he does not speak for Georg Ratzinger.
Several years ago, Benedict had suggested he would be open to resigning should his health fail, Allen said. But no one expected him to do so this soon.
Jannet Walsh, a CNN iReporter from Murdock, Minnesota, counts herself among those "shocked" by the news of his resignation. But she said it was an admirable decision because he seemingly recognized that he could not adequately "carry out his office as pope" given his health.
"The resignation of the pope is actually a very selfless act, and it should be applauded," Walsh said.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Price of a Super Bowl ad: $4 million
HUFFINGTON POST
In the off chance you have $4 million burning a hole in your pocket, some people at CBS Sports might like to have a word with you.
That's the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad spot on the network this year, CNN Money reports, and $500,000 more expensive than last year's average price -- a then record $3.5 million.
"We don't confirm exact pricing, since all spots are sold with different considerations and often in different packages," explained CBS spokesman Dana McClintock to CNN Money. "But it's safe to say that spots are going for $4 million each, and in some cases more."
Some advertisers this year have jumped the gun on marketing their Super Bowl ads, reports the New York Times. Traditionally, the expensive spots aren't rolled out until after New Year's Day, as publicity doesn't sink in when audiences are still engrossed in holiday festivities.
But as social media rises in prominence, advertisers have been keen to try and enter the conversation early. Some might call the strategy a false start, but with ever-increasing prices, "It’s only smart to extend the conversation,” Ellis Verdi, president of DeVito/Verdi in New York, told the Times. “You want to get as much benefit as you can.”
To all those procrastinating ad-men out there, fear not: While most 2013 Super Bowl ad spots sold in May of last year, some ad space can still be had -- for a very expensive price.
In the off chance you have $4 million burning a hole in your pocket, some people at CBS Sports might like to have a word with you.
That's the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad spot on the network this year, CNN Money reports, and $500,000 more expensive than last year's average price -- a then record $3.5 million.
"We don't confirm exact pricing, since all spots are sold with different considerations and often in different packages," explained CBS spokesman Dana McClintock to CNN Money. "But it's safe to say that spots are going for $4 million each, and in some cases more."
Some advertisers this year have jumped the gun on marketing their Super Bowl ads, reports the New York Times. Traditionally, the expensive spots aren't rolled out until after New Year's Day, as publicity doesn't sink in when audiences are still engrossed in holiday festivities.
But as social media rises in prominence, advertisers have been keen to try and enter the conversation early. Some might call the strategy a false start, but with ever-increasing prices, "It’s only smart to extend the conversation,” Ellis Verdi, president of DeVito/Verdi in New York, told the Times. “You want to get as much benefit as you can.”
To all those procrastinating ad-men out there, fear not: While most 2013 Super Bowl ad spots sold in May of last year, some ad space can still be had -- for a very expensive price.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Immigration reform proposed
Las Vegas (CNN) -- President Barack Obama threw his full support behind a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration laws on Tuesday, saying "now's the time" to replace a system he called "out of date and badly broken."
Speaking at a majority Hispanic high school in Las Vegas, Obama said "a broad consensus is emerging" behind the issue across the country, with signs of progress in Congress.
However, he acknowledged a fierce debate ahead on an issue he described as emotional and challenging, but vital to economic growth and ensuring equal opportunity for all.
"At this moment, it looks like there's a genuine desire to get this done soon. And that's very encouraging," Obama said, later adding: "This time, action must follow. We can't allow immigration reform to get bogged down in an endless debate."
The president spoke a day after eight senators -- four from each party -- introduced a framework for overhauling the immigration system that would provide an eventual path to citizenship for most of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in America.
While touted as a breakthrough by its drafters, the plan was similar in many aspects to previous immigration reform efforts that have failed in recent years.
Exit polls in November indicated that Latino voters overwhelmingly supported Obama over GOP challenger Mitt Romney, who had advocated a policy that amounted to forcing undocumented immigrants to deport themselves. Obama won Nevada, a battleground state with a large Hispanic population.
Obama appeared on Tuesday at Del Sol High School, which has a 54% Hispanic student body, according to U.S. News and World Report rankings. The president, in his speech, specified three pillars of immigration reform: better enforcement of immigration laws, providing a path to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country, and reforming the legal immigration system.
To earn the opportunity for citizenship, Obama said undocumented immigrants must first pass a background check, learn English, pay a penalty, and then get "in the back of the line" behind people trying to come to America legally. Millions of undocumented immigrants would get immediate but provisional status to live and work in the United States, under the compromise plan crafted by the senate group. That outline also called for strengthening border controls, improved monitoring of visitors and cracking down on hiring undocumented workers. Only after those steps occurred could undocumented immigrants already in the country begin the process of getting permanent residence -- green cards -- as a step toward citizenship, the senators said at a news conference on Monday.
Before Obama spoke on Tuesday, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said any legislation based on the framework he helped draft must include tougher law enforcement sought by conservatives to get his vote. "We need border security, we need workplace enforcement, we need a visa tracking system," Rubio said, adding later that would oppose a bill that lacked language guaranteeing that "nothing else will happen unless these enforcement mechanisms are in place."
Speaking at a majority Hispanic high school in Las Vegas, Obama said "a broad consensus is emerging" behind the issue across the country, with signs of progress in Congress.
However, he acknowledged a fierce debate ahead on an issue he described as emotional and challenging, but vital to economic growth and ensuring equal opportunity for all.
"At this moment, it looks like there's a genuine desire to get this done soon. And that's very encouraging," Obama said, later adding: "This time, action must follow. We can't allow immigration reform to get bogged down in an endless debate."
The president spoke a day after eight senators -- four from each party -- introduced a framework for overhauling the immigration system that would provide an eventual path to citizenship for most of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in America.
While touted as a breakthrough by its drafters, the plan was similar in many aspects to previous immigration reform efforts that have failed in recent years.
Exit polls in November indicated that Latino voters overwhelmingly supported Obama over GOP challenger Mitt Romney, who had advocated a policy that amounted to forcing undocumented immigrants to deport themselves. Obama won Nevada, a battleground state with a large Hispanic population.
Obama appeared on Tuesday at Del Sol High School, which has a 54% Hispanic student body, according to U.S. News and World Report rankings. The president, in his speech, specified three pillars of immigration reform: better enforcement of immigration laws, providing a path to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country, and reforming the legal immigration system.
To earn the opportunity for citizenship, Obama said undocumented immigrants must first pass a background check, learn English, pay a penalty, and then get "in the back of the line" behind people trying to come to America legally. Millions of undocumented immigrants would get immediate but provisional status to live and work in the United States, under the compromise plan crafted by the senate group. That outline also called for strengthening border controls, improved monitoring of visitors and cracking down on hiring undocumented workers. Only after those steps occurred could undocumented immigrants already in the country begin the process of getting permanent residence -- green cards -- as a step toward citizenship, the senators said at a news conference on Monday.
Before Obama spoke on Tuesday, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said any legislation based on the framework he helped draft must include tougher law enforcement sought by conservatives to get his vote. "We need border security, we need workplace enforcement, we need a visa tracking system," Rubio said, adding later that would oppose a bill that lacked language guaranteeing that "nothing else will happen unless these enforcement mechanisms are in place."
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Military to open combat to women
CNN
By Chris Lawrence, with reporting from Barbara Starr
The U.S. military is ending its policy of excluding women from combat and will open combat jobs and direct combat units to female troops, multiple officials told CNN on Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will make the announcement Thursday and notify Congress of the planned change in policy, the officials said.
"We will eliminate the policy of 'no women in units that are tasked with direct combat,'" a senior defense official said.
The officials cautioned, however, that "not every position will open all at once on Thursday." Once the policy is changed, the Department of Defense will enter what is being called an "assessment phase," in which each branch of service will examine all its jobs and units not currently integrated and then produce a timetable for integrating them.
By Chris Lawrence, with reporting from Barbara Starr
The U.S. military is ending its policy of excluding women from combat and will open combat jobs and direct combat units to female troops, multiple officials told CNN on Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will make the announcement Thursday and notify Congress of the planned change in policy, the officials said.
"We will eliminate the policy of 'no women in units that are tasked with direct combat,'" a senior defense official said.
The officials cautioned, however, that "not every position will open all at once on Thursday." Once the policy is changed, the Department of Defense will enter what is being called an "assessment phase," in which each branch of service will examine all its jobs and units not currently integrated and then produce a timetable for integrating them.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Obama unveils sweeping gun plan, concedes tough fight ahead
STAR TRIBUNE
Article by: PAUL WEST, KATHLEEN HENNESSEY and RICHARD SIMON
WASHINGTON -- Pledging to "put everything I've got into this," a somber President Obama unveiled the most sweeping proposals for curbing gun violence in two decades, pressing a reluctant Congress to pass universal background checks and bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in the Newtown, Conn., school shootings.
Surrounded by children who wrote him letters seeking curbs on guns, Obama committed himself to a high-profile and politically volatile campaign behind proposals assembled by Vice President Joe Biden that will test the administration's strength heading into the next four years. The first big push of Obama's second term, then, will come on an issue that was not even on his to-do list on Election Day when voters renewed his lease on the presidency. "I will put everything I've got into this," Obama said, "and so will Joe."
The emotionally charged ceremony, attended by family members of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, reflected a decision by the White House to seize on public outrage to challenge the political power of the National Rifle Association and other forces that have successfully fought new gun laws for decades.
The plan, which includes 23 executive actions, was described as a major initiative by advocates on both sides of the debate. The most important parts of Obama's plan will require congressional approval. They include a federal ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, with fewer loopholes than the 1994 law that expired in 2004. Several states already have such bans. The president also wants to reinstate an earlier ban on sales of magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.
Obama also wants to expand the background-check system to encompass all gun purchases, including the nearly 40 percent that are estimated to occur at gun shows and in private sales. Six states require background checks on all firearms sold at gun shows, according to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Federally licensed gun dealers are already required to run checks to ensure that potential buyers have not been convicted of a felony or domestic violence, or committed to a mental institution. But for years, the National Rifle Association and its allies in Congress have blocked universal background checks.
Obama said his response to that opposition will be to try to mobilize public support. "I tell you, the only way we can change is if the American people demand it," Obama said.
Obama announced numerous initiatives. He said the background-check system would be strengthened by, among other steps, making it easier for states to share information about mentally ill persons who should be prohibited from owning guns. He also proposed spending for increased training in the areas of school safety and metal health.
The price tag of the package is nearly $4.5 billion, the White House said. Most of it -- $4 billion -- would subsidize the cost of keeping 15,000 police on the streets, renewing a portion of an earlier Obama jobs initiative that failed to gain approval in Congress.
Foes of gun control condemned Obama's actions, calling them an infringement of the rights of gun owners and an ineffective response to gun violence. Typical was the response of Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, who said Obama "is again abusing his power by imposing his policies via executive fiat instead of allowing them to be debated in Congress."
The NRA echoed its criticisms of Obama. "Attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation," the group said in a statement. "Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy."
Article by: PAUL WEST, KATHLEEN HENNESSEY and RICHARD SIMON
WASHINGTON -- Pledging to "put everything I've got into this," a somber President Obama unveiled the most sweeping proposals for curbing gun violence in two decades, pressing a reluctant Congress to pass universal background checks and bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in the Newtown, Conn., school shootings.
Surrounded by children who wrote him letters seeking curbs on guns, Obama committed himself to a high-profile and politically volatile campaign behind proposals assembled by Vice President Joe Biden that will test the administration's strength heading into the next four years. The first big push of Obama's second term, then, will come on an issue that was not even on his to-do list on Election Day when voters renewed his lease on the presidency. "I will put everything I've got into this," Obama said, "and so will Joe."
The emotionally charged ceremony, attended by family members of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, reflected a decision by the White House to seize on public outrage to challenge the political power of the National Rifle Association and other forces that have successfully fought new gun laws for decades.
The plan, which includes 23 executive actions, was described as a major initiative by advocates on both sides of the debate. The most important parts of Obama's plan will require congressional approval. They include a federal ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, with fewer loopholes than the 1994 law that expired in 2004. Several states already have such bans. The president also wants to reinstate an earlier ban on sales of magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.
Obama also wants to expand the background-check system to encompass all gun purchases, including the nearly 40 percent that are estimated to occur at gun shows and in private sales. Six states require background checks on all firearms sold at gun shows, according to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Federally licensed gun dealers are already required to run checks to ensure that potential buyers have not been convicted of a felony or domestic violence, or committed to a mental institution. But for years, the National Rifle Association and its allies in Congress have blocked universal background checks.
Obama said his response to that opposition will be to try to mobilize public support. "I tell you, the only way we can change is if the American people demand it," Obama said.
Obama announced numerous initiatives. He said the background-check system would be strengthened by, among other steps, making it easier for states to share information about mentally ill persons who should be prohibited from owning guns. He also proposed spending for increased training in the areas of school safety and metal health.
The price tag of the package is nearly $4.5 billion, the White House said. Most of it -- $4 billion -- would subsidize the cost of keeping 15,000 police on the streets, renewing a portion of an earlier Obama jobs initiative that failed to gain approval in Congress.
Foes of gun control condemned Obama's actions, calling them an infringement of the rights of gun owners and an ineffective response to gun violence. Typical was the response of Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, who said Obama "is again abusing his power by imposing his policies via executive fiat instead of allowing them to be debated in Congress."
The NRA echoed its criticisms of Obama. "Attacking firearms and ignoring children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation," the group said in a statement. "Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected and our children will remain vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy."
Monday, January 14, 2013
2012 was hottest year ever...by far!
Public Opinion
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today affirmed that 2012 was the hottest year on record for the continental United States.
Globally, the past 36 years have been warmer than the 20th century average and each of the past 5 decades has been warmer than the last. According to weather observer Timothy W. Hawkins, Shippensburg University associate professor of geography and earth science, Shippensburg saw its second hottest year since records were kept starting in 1933.The average temperature was 55.3 degrees in 2012, compared to the previous record of 55.9 degrees in 1998.
NOAA also announced this month that 2012 was the second most expensive year on record for U.S. weather disasters that cost more than $1 billion. Its list of states affected by severe weather shows that most of the country suffered from climate change-related extremes, including extensive heat
and drought, western wildfires and the destruction from Sandy, which rode in on a super-high tide due to rising sea levels. "Unfortunately, this won't be the last time we break records like this," said Angela Anderson, the director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The longer we delay reducing emissions, the more climate change we're going to lock in. The price tag for dealing with unchecked climate change makes the fiscal cliff look like a crack in the sidewalk."
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today affirmed that 2012 was the hottest year on record for the continental United States.
Globally, the past 36 years have been warmer than the 20th century average and each of the past 5 decades has been warmer than the last. According to weather observer Timothy W. Hawkins, Shippensburg University associate professor of geography and earth science, Shippensburg saw its second hottest year since records were kept starting in 1933.The average temperature was 55.3 degrees in 2012, compared to the previous record of 55.9 degrees in 1998.
NOAA also announced this month that 2012 was the second most expensive year on record for U.S. weather disasters that cost more than $1 billion. Its list of states affected by severe weather shows that most of the country suffered from climate change-related extremes, including extensive heat
and drought, western wildfires and the destruction from Sandy, which rode in on a super-high tide due to rising sea levels. "Unfortunately, this won't be the last time we break records like this," said Angela Anderson, the director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The longer we delay reducing emissions, the more climate change we're going to lock in. The price tag for dealing with unchecked climate change makes the fiscal cliff look like a crack in the sidewalk."
Monday, January 7, 2013
Obama signs fiscal cliff deal; raises taxes on wealthy
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill to avert the fiscal cliff, a day after the House and Senate approved the much-debated legislation.
Obama, who returned to his family vacation in Hawaii after Tuesday's House vote, signed the bill via autopen on Wednesday.
But new battles over taxes and spending await Washington in the next few weeks.
Congress averted that self-built precipice late Tuesday when the House voted to stave off widespread tax increases and deep spending cuts by accepting a brokered Senate compromise. It makes permanent the Bush administration's tax cuts for individuals earning less than $400,000 per year and couples earning less than $450,000.
It raises rates on those who make more than that from 35% to 39.6%, bringing back a top tax bracket from the Clinton administration, and will raise roughly $600 billion in new revenues over 10 years, according to various estimates.
The bill also extends unemployment insurance and delays for two months the threat of sequestration -- a series of automatic, across-the-board cuts in federal spending.
Economists had predicted the combination of those tax increases and spending cuts could have thrown the U.S. economy back into recession and driven unemployment back into the 9% range.
Obama, who returned to his family vacation in Hawaii after Tuesday's House vote, signed the bill via autopen on Wednesday.
But new battles over taxes and spending await Washington in the next few weeks.
Congress averted that self-built precipice late Tuesday when the House voted to stave off widespread tax increases and deep spending cuts by accepting a brokered Senate compromise. It makes permanent the Bush administration's tax cuts for individuals earning less than $400,000 per year and couples earning less than $450,000.
It raises rates on those who make more than that from 35% to 39.6%, bringing back a top tax bracket from the Clinton administration, and will raise roughly $600 billion in new revenues over 10 years, according to various estimates.
The bill also extends unemployment insurance and delays for two months the threat of sequestration -- a series of automatic, across-the-board cuts in federal spending.
Economists had predicted the combination of those tax increases and spending cuts could have thrown the U.S. economy back into recession and driven unemployment back into the 9% range.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Club in Colorado legally celebrates New Year with pot
Denver (CNN) -- A small group of New Year's Eve revelers here ditched the traditional champagne toast, lighting up joints instead at a newly opened marijuana club.
The members-only Club 64 is the first of its kind to open in Colorado since November when voters approved Amendment 64, which legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.
The club opened on New Year's Eve at 4:20 p.m. -- another significant number among pro-pot advocates -- to a small, but enthusiastic crowd of about a dozen people, all over the age of 21. Each member paid a $29 fee, allowing them to bring their own weed and smoke anywhere on the premises.
Not all of Colorado's marijuana advocates are celebrating. "Much of our success with Amendment 64 was making the soccer moms comfortable," said one advocate who campaigned to pass the amendment and declined to be named for fear of creating a rift within the marijuana advocacy community. "This is not the fight we want to have right now."
Despite new laws in Colorado and Washington state, federal law still prohibits recreational marijuana use. It's unclear if the federal government will step in and try to stop either state's laws from being enacted.
The advocate expressed concern that unregulated marijuana clubs in Colorado could create a bad impression on voters who supported the measure. "We have not only an opportunity but a responsibility to demonstrate to America this can work."
In a carefully worded statement, the advocacy director of Yes on Amendment 64 said that while Club 64 poses no risk to the community, it does put at risk the advances their cause has made.
"We can best demonstrate that regulation is a much safer approach to marijuana policy than prohibition through the careful and swift creation of regulated businesses," Betty Aldworth said.
Those who showed up at Club 64 Tuesday weren't interested in making sure "soccer moms" would approve of their behavior. They just wanted to celebrate their recent victory at the ballot box by ringing in the new year with their now legal drug of choice.
"The voters of Colorado have said we want cannabis to be legalized and we want a bunch of like-minded adults to be able to get together and exercise their constitutional rights together and that's what Club 64 embodies," said club owner Rob Corry.
The members-only Club 64 is the first of its kind to open in Colorado since November when voters approved Amendment 64, which legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.
The club opened on New Year's Eve at 4:20 p.m. -- another significant number among pro-pot advocates -- to a small, but enthusiastic crowd of about a dozen people, all over the age of 21. Each member paid a $29 fee, allowing them to bring their own weed and smoke anywhere on the premises.
Not all of Colorado's marijuana advocates are celebrating. "Much of our success with Amendment 64 was making the soccer moms comfortable," said one advocate who campaigned to pass the amendment and declined to be named for fear of creating a rift within the marijuana advocacy community. "This is not the fight we want to have right now."
Despite new laws in Colorado and Washington state, federal law still prohibits recreational marijuana use. It's unclear if the federal government will step in and try to stop either state's laws from being enacted.
The advocate expressed concern that unregulated marijuana clubs in Colorado could create a bad impression on voters who supported the measure. "We have not only an opportunity but a responsibility to demonstrate to America this can work."
In a carefully worded statement, the advocacy director of Yes on Amendment 64 said that while Club 64 poses no risk to the community, it does put at risk the advances their cause has made.
"We can best demonstrate that regulation is a much safer approach to marijuana policy than prohibition through the careful and swift creation of regulated businesses," Betty Aldworth said.
Those who showed up at Club 64 Tuesday weren't interested in making sure "soccer moms" would approve of their behavior. They just wanted to celebrate their recent victory at the ballot box by ringing in the new year with their now legal drug of choice.
"The voters of Colorado have said we want cannabis to be legalized and we want a bunch of like-minded adults to be able to get together and exercise their constitutional rights together and that's what Club 64 embodies," said club owner Rob Corry.
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