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txttletale · 10 months

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how do ml's reconcile with lenin going for a bigbrainhaver hierarchy which just so happened to place him at the tippy top? most of the things he's quoted for writing make a kind of sense in that longwinded academic philosopher way, but, like, russia went from having a revolution against monarchy to having a monarchy, essentially, and what folks do tends to align with their desires, yeah? wouldn't that make everything he said, idk, suspicious?

we reconcile with this because none of this is even remotely true. lenin did not 'happen to be placed at the tippy top' but was in fact elected by the soviets, who worked in a very simple electoral system by which workers and peasants would elect representatives to their local soviet, who as well as administering local services would also elect members to higher bodies. the quote unquote bigbrainhaver hierarchy system in question was as follows:

The sovereign body is in every case the Congress of Soviets. Each county sends its delegates. These are elected indirectly by the town and county Soviets which vote in proportion to population, following the ratio observed throughout, by which the voters in the town have five times the voting strength of the inhabitants of the villages, an advantage which may, as we saw, be in reality three to one. The Congress meets, as a rule, once a year, for about ten days. It is not, in the real sense of the word, the legislative body. It debates policy broadly, and passes resolutions which lay down the general principles to be followed in legislation. The atmosphere of its sittings is that of a great public demonstration. The Union Congress, for example, which has some fifteen hundred members, meets in the Moscow Opera House. The stage is occupied by the leaders and the heads of the administration, and speeches are apt to be big oratorical efforts. The real legislative body is the so-called Central Executive Committee (known as the C. I. K. and pronounced "tseek") . It meets more frequently than the Congress to which it is responsible-in the case of the Union, at least three times in the year-passes the Budget, receives the reports of the Commissars (ministers), and discusses international policy. It, in its turn, elects two standing bodies: (1) The Presidium of twenty-one members, which has the right to legislate in the intervals between the sittings of the superior assemblies, and also transacts some administrative work. (2) The Council of Peoples' Commissars. These correspond roughly to the Ministers or Secretaries of State in democratic countries and are the chiefs of the administration. Meeting as a Council, they have larger powers than any Cabinet, for they may pass emergency legislation and issue decrees which have all the force of legislation. Save in cases of urgency, however, their decrees and drafts of legislation must be ratified by the Executive Committee (C.I.K.). In another respect they differ from the European conception of a Minister. Each Commissar is in reality the chairman of a small board of colleagues, who are his advisers. These advisory boards, or collegia, meet very frequently (it may even be daily) to discuss current business, and any member of a board has the right to appeal to the whole Council of Commissars against a decision of the Commissar.

—H.N. Brailsford, How The Soviets Work (1927)

you might notice that the congresses of soviets were not directly elected -- this is because they were elected by local soviets, who were directly elected, in a process that many people have given first hand accounts of:

I have, while working in the Soviet Union, participated in an election. I, too, had a right to vote, as I was a working member of the community, and nationality and citizenship are no bar to electoral rights. The procedure was extremely simple. A general meeting of all the workers in our organisation was called by the trade union committee, candidates were discussed, and a vote was taken by show of hands. Anybody present had the right to propose a candidate, and the one who was elected was not personally a member of the Party. In considering the claims of the candidates their past activities were discussed, they themselves had to answer questions as to their qualifications, anybody could express an opinion, for or against them, and the basis of all the discussion was: What justification had the candidates to represent their comrades on the local Soviet. As far as the elections in the villages were concerned, these took place at open village meetings, all peasants of voting age, other than those who employed labour, having the right to vote and to stand for election. As in the towns, any organisation or individual could put forward candidates, anyone could ask the candidate questions, and anybody could support or oppose the candidature. It is usual for the Communist Party to put forward a candidate, trade unions and other organisations can also do so, and there is nothing to prevent the Party’s candidate from not being elected, if he has not sufficient prestige among the voters. In the towns the “ electoral district ” has hitherto consisted of a factory, or a group of small factories sufficient to form a constituency. But there was one section of the town population which has always had to vote geographically, since they did not work together in one organisation. This was the housewives. As a result, the housewives met separately in each district, had their own constituencies, and elected their own representatives to the Soviet. Here, too, vital interest has always been shown in the personality of every candidate. Why should this woman be elected ? What right had she to represent her fellow housewives on the local Soviet ? In the district next to my own at the last election the housewife who was elected was well known as an organiser of a communal dining-room in the district. This was the kind of person that the housewives wanted to represent them on the Soviet. Another candidate, a Communist, proposed by the local organisation of the Party, was turned down in her favour.

[...]

The election of delegates to the local Soviet is not the only function of voters in the Soviet Union. It is not a question here of various parties presenting candidates to the electorate, each with his own policy to offer. The Soviet electorate has to select a personality from its midst to represent it, and instruct this person in the policy which is to be followed when elected. At a Soviet election meeting, therefore, as much or more time may be spent on discussion of the instructions to the delegate as is spent on discussing the personality of the candidates. At the last election to the Soviets, in which I personally participated, we must have spent three or four times as much time on the working out of instructions as we did on the selection of our candidate. About three weeks before the election was to take place the trade union secretary in every department of our organisation was told by the committee that it was time to start to prepare our instructions to the delegate. Every worker was asked to make suggestions concerning policy which he felt should be brought to the notice of the new personnel of the Moscow Soviet. As a result, about forty proposals concerning the general government of Moscow were handed in from a group of about twenty people. We then held a meeting in our department at which we discussed the proposals, and adopted some and rejected others. We then handed our list of pro¬ posals to a commission, appointed by the trade union committee, and representing all the workers in our organisation. This Commission co-ordinated the pro¬ posals received, placed them in order according to the various departments of the Soviet, and this co-ordinated list was read at the election meeting itself, again discussed, and adopted in its final form.

—Pat Sloan, Soviet Democracy (1937)

Between the elections of 1931 and 1934, no less than 18 per cent of the city deputies and 37 per cent of village deputies were recalled, of whom only a relatively small number — 4 per cent of the total — were charged with serious abuse of power. The chief reasons for recall were inactivity — 37 per cent — and inefficiency — 21 per cent. If these figures indicate certain lacks in the quality of elected officials, they show considerable activity of the people in improving government. The electorate of the Peasants' Gazette, for example, consisted of some 1,500 employees, entitled to elect one deputy to the Moscow city soviet and two to the ward soviet. For more than a month before the election every department of the newspaper held meetings discussing both candidates and instructions. Forty-three suggested candidates and some 1,400 proposals for the work of the incoming government resulted from these meetings, which also elected committees to boil down and classify the instructions. These committees issued a special four-page newspaper for the 1,500 voters; it contained brief biographies of the forty-three candidates, an analysis of their capacities by the Communist Party organization of the Peasants' Gazette, and the "nakaz," or list of "people's instructions," classified by subject and the branch of government which they concerned. At the final election meeting of the Peasants* Gazette there was literally more than 100 per cent attendance, since some of the staff who for reasons of absence or illness had not been listed as prospective voters returned from sanatoria or from distant assignments to vote. The instructions issued by the electorate in this manner — 1,400 from the Peasants' Gazette and tens of thousands from Moscow citizens — became the first business of the incoming government.

—Anna Louise Strong, The New Soviet Constitution (1937)

does this mean that the soviet project was some utopian perfect system? no. there were flaws in the system like any other. it disenfranchised the rural peasantry (although not, i would like to add, to any extent greater or even equivalent to the extent to which the US electoral system disenfranchises the urban working class) -- the various tiers of indirect selection created a divide between the average worker and the highest tier of the executive -- and various elements of this fledgling system would calcify and bureaucratise over time in ways that obstructed worker's democracy. but saying that it was 'a monarchy' is founded in absolutely nothing except the most hysterical anticommunist propaganda and tedious orwellian liberal truisms.

even brailsford, in an account overall critical of the soviet system, had to admit:

Speaking broadly, the various organs of the system, from the Council of Commissars of the Union down to the sub-committees of a town Soviet, are handling the same problems. Whether one sits in the Kremlin at a meeting of the most august body of the whole Union, the "C.I.K.," or round a table in Vladimir with the working men who constitute its County Executive Committee, one hears exactly the same problems discussed. How, be-fore June arrives, shall we manage to reduce prices by ten percent? What growth can we show in the number of our spindles, or factories, and in the number of workers employed? When and how shall we make our final assault on the last relics of illiteracy? Or when shall we have room in our schools, even in the remotest village, for every child? Was it by good luck or good guidance that the number of typhus cases has dropped in a year by half? And, finally, how can we hasten the raising of clover seed, so that the peasants who, at last, thanks to our propaganda, are clamoring for it, may not be disappointed?

—H.N. Brailsford, How The Soviets Work (1927)

genuinely, i think you should take a moment and think about where you learned about the soviet union. have you read any serious historical work on the topic, even from non-communist or anti-communist sources? because even imperialist propagandists have to make a pretence at engaging with actual facts on the ground, something which you haven't done at all -- and yet you speak with astounding confidence. i recommend you read some serious books instead of animal farm and reflect on why you believe the things you believe and how you know the things you think you know.

#ask #barkmoon

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leadertelugunews · 2 years

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ప్రతిపక్షం అడిగే ఏ అంశమైనా చర్చించేందుకు ప్రభుత్వం సిద్ధం -శాసనమండలిలో మంత్రి బొత్స

అమరావతి: ప్రతిపక్షం అడిగే ఏ అంశమైనా చర్చించేందుకు ప్రభుత్వం సిద్ధంగా ఉందని విద్యాశాఖ మంత్రి బొత్స సత్యనారాయణ అన్నారు. శాసనమండలిలో ప్రతిపక్షం చేస్తున్న గందరగోళంపై మంత్రి బొత్స అభ్యంతరం వ్యక్తం చేశారు. ప్రతిపక్షం ఏ అంశంపై చర్చకు సిద్ధమో శాసన మండలి చైర్మన్‌కు నోటీసు ఇస్తే, దానిపై చర్చకు సిద్ధంగా ఉన్నామన్నారు. గత ప్రభుత్వం 600 పైగా హామీలు ఇచ్చి ఏ విధంగా తుంగలో తొక్కిందో రాష్ట్ర ప్రజలందరికీ…

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#He reminded that YSR Congress will fulfill every point mentioned in the party manifesto with sincerity in three and a half years.#If notice is given to the Chairman of the Legislative Council #Ministerial position in Legislative Council #prepare for discussion #The government is ready to discuss any issue asked by the opposition

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kemetic-dreams · 4 years

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Never been a beef between Africans and African American it was a plan to divide us.

I have notice, whenever you speak or act proudly about being African. Everyone who is non African becomes an expert. Your not a real African, “they don’t like African Americans or African American hate you etc.

You never been to Africa, you don’t look like them!!!!

They feel comfortable when your Christian, because they feel they can control you and tame you, and in the end fight for their cause.

They feel comfortable when you wear their names and feel proud to wear their names. Makes them feel like their ancestors may have been rough with us, but did a good job that was needed.

Notice their are no African languages in most public schools

Notice how African religions are demonized!!!

This Document is Exhibit 10 of U.S. Supreme Court Case No.00-9587

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEMORANDUM-46 MARCH 17, 1978

Presidential Review Memorandum NSCM/46 TO: The Secretary of State The Secretary of Defense The Director of Central Intelligence SUBJECT: Black Africa and the U.S. Black Movement

The President has directed that a comprehensive review be made of current developments in Black Africa from the point of view of their possible impacts on the black movement in the United States. The review should consider:

1. Long-term tendencies of social and political developments and the degree to which they are consistent with or contradict the U.S. interests. 2. Proposals for durable contacts between radical African leaders and leftist leaders of the U.S. black community. 3. Appropriate steps to be taken inside and outside the country in order to inhibit any pressure by radical African leaders and organizations on the U.S. black community for the latter to exert influence on the policy of the Administration toward Africa.

The President has directed that the NSC Interdepartmental Group for Africa perform this review. The review should be forwarded to the NSC Political Analysis Committee by April 20.

(signed)

Zbigniew Brezinski cc: The Secretary of the Treasury The Secretary of Commerce The Attorney General The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

Objective of our policy toward Black Africa is to prevent social upheavals which could radically change the political situation throughout the area. The success or failure of our policy in the region depends on the solution international and internal issues whose importance of the United States is on the increase.

II. A. U.S. INTERESTS IN BLACK AFRICA

A multiplicity of interests influences the U.S. attitude toward black Africa. The most important of these interests can be summarized as follows:

1. POLITICAL

If black African states assume attitudes hostile to the U.S. national interest, our policy toward the white regimes; which is a key element in our relations with the black states, may be subjected by the latter to great pressure for fundamental change. Thus the West may face a real danger of being deprived of access to the enormous raw material resources of southern Africa which are vital for our defense needs as well as losing control over the Cape sea routes by which approximately 65% of Middle Eastern oil is supplied to Western Europe. Moreover, such a development may bring about internal political difficulties by intensifying the activity of the black movement in the United States itself. It should also be borne in mind that black Africa is an integral part of a continent where tribal and regional discord, economic backwardness, inadequate infrastructures, drought, and famine, are constant features of the scene. In conjunction with the artificial borders imposed by the former colonial powers, guerilla warfare in Rhodesia and widespread indignation against apartheid in South Africa, the above factors provide the communist states with ample opportunities for furthering their aims. This must necessarily redound to the detriment of U.S. political interests.

2. ECONOMIC

Black Africa is increasingly becoming an outlet for U.S. exports and investment. The mineral resources of the area continue to be of great value for the normal functioning of industry in the United States and allied countries. In 1977, U.S. direct investment in black Africa totaled about $1.8 billion and exports $2.2 billion. New prospect of substantial profits would continue to develop in the countries concerned.

IV. BLACK AFRICA AND THE U.S. BLACK MOVEMENT

Apart from the above-mentioned factors adverse to U.S. strategic interests, the nationalist liberation movement in black Africa can act as a catalyst with far reaching effects on the American black community by stimulating its organizational consolidation and by inducing radical actions. Such a result would be likely as Zaire went the way of Angola and Mozambique. An occurrence of the events of 1967-68 would do grievous harm to U.S. prestige, especially in view of the concern of the present Administration with human rights issues. Moreover, the Administration would have to take specific steps to stabilize the situation. Such steps might be misunderstood both inside and outside the United States.

In order to prevent such a trend and protect U.S. national security interests, it would appear essential to elaborate and carry out effective countermeasures.

1. Possibility of Joint Action By U.S. Black and African Nationalist Movement.

In elaborating U.S. policy toward black Africa, due weight must be given to the fact that there are 25 millions American blacks whose roots are African and who consciously or subconsciously sympathies with African nationalism. The living conditions of the black population should also be taken into account. Immense advances in the field are accompanied by a long-lasting high rate of unemployment, especially among the youth and by poverty and dissatisfaction with government social welfare standards. These factors taken together may provide a basis for joint actions of a concrete nature by the African nationalist movement and the U.S. black community. Basically, actions would take the form of demonstrations and public protests, but the likelihood of violence cannot be excluded. There would also be attempts to coordinate their political activity both locally and in international organizations.

Inside the United States these actions could include protest demonstrations against our policy toward South Africa accompanied by demand for boycotting corporations and banks which maintain links with that country; attempts to establish a permanent black lobby in Congress including activist leftist radical groups and black legislators; the reemergence of Pan-African ideals; resumption of protest marches recalling the days of Martin Luther King; renewal of the extremist idea national idea of establishing an "African Republic" on American soil. Finally, leftist radical elements of the black community could resume extremist actions in the style of the defunct Black Panther Party.

Internationally, damage could be done to the United States by coordinated activity of African states designed to condemn U.S. policy toward South Africa, and initiate discussions on the U.S. racial issue at the United Nations where the African representation constitutes a powerful bloc with about one third of all the votes.

A menace to U.S. economic interests, though not a critical one, could be posed by a boycott by Black African states against American companies which maintain contact with South Africa and Rhodesia. If the idea of economic assistance to black Americans shared by some African regimes could be realized by their placing orders in the United States mainly with companies owned by blacks, they could gain a limited influence on the U.S. black community.

In the above context, we must envisage the possibility, however remote, that black Americans interested in African affairs may refocus their attention on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Taking into account; the African descent of American blacks it is reasonable to anticipate that their sympathies would lie with the Arabs who are closer to them in spirit and in some case related to them by blood. Black involvement in lobbying to support the Arabs may lead to serious dissention between American black and Jews. The likelihood of extremist actions by either side is negligible, but the discord may bring about tension in the internal political climate of the United States.

3. Political options

In the context of long-term strategy, the United States can not afford a radical change in the fundamentals of its African policy, which is designed for maximum protection of national security. In the present case, emphasis is laid on the importance of Black Africa for U.S. political, economic and military interests.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In weighing the range of U.S. interests in Black Africa, basic recommendations arranged without intent to imply priority are:

1. Specific steps should be taken with the help of appropriate government agencies to inhibit coordinated activity of the Black Movement in the United States.

2. Special clandestine operations should be launched by the CIA to generate mistrust and hostility in American and world opinion against joint activity of the two forces, and to cause division among Black African radical national groups and their leaders.

3. U.S. embassies to Black African countries specially interested in southern Africa must be highly circumspect in view of the activity of certain political circles and influential individuals opposing the objectives and methods of U.S. policy toward South Africa. It must be kept in mind that the failure of U.S. strategy in South Africa would adversely affect American standing throughout the world. In addition, this would mean a significant diminution of U.S. influence in Africa and the emergence of new difficulties in our internal situation due to worsening economic prospects.

4. The FBI should mount surveillance operations against Black African representatives and collect sensitive information on those, especially at the U.N., who oppose U.S. policy toward South Africa. The information should include facts on their links with the leaders of the Black movement in the United States, thus making possible at least partial neutralization of the adverse effects of their activity.

V. TRENDS IN THE AMERICAN BLACK MOVEMENT

In connection with our African policy, it is highly important to evaluate correctly the present state of the Black movement in the Untied States and basing ourselves on all available information, to try to devise a course for its future development. Such an approach is strongly suggested by our perception of the fact that American Blacks form a single ethnic group potentially capable of causing extreme instability in our strategy toward South Africa. This may lead to critical differences between the United States and Black Africa in particular. It would also encourage the Soviet Union to step up its interference in the region. Finally, it would pose a serious threat to the delicate structure of race relations within the United States. All the above considerations give rise to concern for the future security of the United States.

Since the mid-1960s, when legislation on the human rights was passed and Martin Luther King murdered, federal and local measures to improve black welfare have been taken, as a result of which the U.S. black movement has undergone considerable changes.

The principle changes are as follows:

*Social and economic issues have supplanted political aims as the main preoccupations of the movement. and actions formerly planned on a nationwide scale are now being organized locally.

*Fragmentation and a lack of organizational unity within the movement.

*Sharp social stratification of the Black population and lack of policy options which could reunite them.

*Want of a national leader of standing comparable to Martin Luther King.

B. THE RANGE OF POLICY OPTIONS

The concern for the future security of the United States makes necessary the range of policy options. Arranged without intent imply priority they are:

(a) to enlarge programs, within the framework of the present budget, for the improvement of the social and economic welfare of American Blacks in order to ensure continuing development of present trends in the Black movement;

(b) to elaborate and bring into effect a special program designed to perpetuate division in the Black movement and neutralize the most active groups of leftist radical organizations representing different social strata of the Black community: to encourage division in Black circles;

(c) to preserve the present climate which inhibits the emergence from within the Black leadership of a person capable of exerting nationwide appeal;

(d) to work out and realize preventive operations in order to impede durable ties between U.S Black organizations and radical groups in African states;

(e) to support actions designed to sharpen social stratification in the Black community which would lead to the widening and perpetuation of the gap between successful educated Blacks and the poor, giving rise to growing antagonism between different Black groups and a weakening of the movement as a whole.

(f) to facilitate the greatest possible expansion of Black business by granting government contracts and loans with favorable terms to Black businessmen;

(g) to take every possible means through the AFL-CIO leaders to counteract the increasing influence of Black labor organizations which function in all major unions and in particular, the National Coalition of Black Trade Union and its leadership including the creation of real preference for adverse and hostile reaction among White trade unionists to demands for improvement of social and economic welfare of the Blacks;

(h) to support the nomination at federal and local levels of loyal Black public figures to elective offices, to government agencies and the Court.

This would promote the achievement of a twofold purpose: first, it would be easier to control the activity of loyal black representatives within existing institution; second, the idea of an independent black political party now under discussion within black leadership circles would soon lose all support.

One more thing. I was on a program in Illinois recently with Senator Paul Douglas, a so-called liberal, so-called democrat, so-called white man, at which time he told me that our African Brothers were not interested in us in Africa. He said, the Africans are not interested in the American Negro. I knew he was lying, but, during the next two or three weeks, it is my intention and plan to make a tour of our African homeland, and I hope that when I come back, I’ll be able to come back and let you know how our African brothers and sisters feel towards us. And I know before I go there, that they love us. We’re one, we’re the same. The same man who has colonized them all these years colonized you and me too all these years, and all we have to do now is wake up and work in unity and harmony and the battle will be over -Malcolm X

And the reason this tendency exists, the strategy of the white man has always been divide and conquer. He keeps us divided in order to conquer us. He tells you, I’m for separation and you for integration, and keep us fighting with each other. No, I’m not for separation and you’re not for integration, what you and I are for is freedom. Only, you think that integration will get you freedom; I think that separation will get me freedom. We both got the same objective, we just got different ways of getting’ at it.-Malcolm X

#malcolm x #who killed malcolm x #malcolmxquotes #martin luther king #african #africans #fbi #cia #freedom #kemetic dreams #unit #unity #x #trending news #african culture #african languages

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nigpilot · 3 years

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ADC offers TuBaba, DJ Switch, Musa, others free tickets to contest 2023 elections -NigPilot

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has offered entertainment stars, Innocent Idibia popularly known as TuBaba, Obianuju Catherine Udeh fondly called DJ Switch, Omotola Jelade-Ekeinde, and soccer star, Ahmed Musa free tickets to run for any elective office of their choice in the 2023 general elections. National chairman of the party, Ralph Okey Nwosu made the pledge while receiving a certificate of endorsement of the party at ADC national headquarters, Abuja as "the one-party for Nigerian youths and women," in the next election cycle, by the national youth leader of the party, Barrister Maurice Ebam. Advancing the reason for the choice of the celebrities, Mr. Nwosu noted that entertainment stars have given back to the country more than today's elected politicians. He added that the stars can vie for governorship, senatorial, or even the highest office in the land on the ADC platform provided they meet the requirements stipulated in the 1999 constitution as amended as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC guidelines. “The Nigeria youths, women, men, and People Living With Disabilities, PWDs our respect and 75 percent share of political leadership. To assure that this happens, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, will be pleased to offer TuFace Innocent Idibia, DJ Switch, Ahmed Musa, and Omotola Jelade-Ekeinde, free ADC tickets to contest elections for any position they would like to serve in. “The youths in entertainment, films, music, and poetry, apart from being social influencers and crusaders, add more positive values and monetary resources to the Nigerian economy than all the elected executives, legislators, and their appointed minions at local councils, states, and federal levels put together. The party praised Musa for recently signing up to play for the local side, Kano Pillars after many years in Europe and the Middle East, saying, “signing for a Nigerian club elevates the Nigerian league beyond anything we can imagine.” Nwosu counseled Nigerians to do away with the present political system, adding that “the old order and the current regime of elected persons in the executives and legislative political concourse of our country have reduced our cities, states, and country on fire and reduced Nigeria’s space to poverty capital of the world.” The event was attended by top party functionaries drawn from its different organs. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The content of this Website is made available by the Nigerian Pilot Newspaper Publisher. This Website seeks to facilitate the dissemination of informative, with engaging, and constructive news about events in Nigerian, Africa, and Globally as they happen. The "Distributor" of this Information are the Nigerian Pilot Newspaper and Nigerian Pilot Tv brands of Dom Communication, LLC. DISCLAIMER: FAKE NEWS PUBLICATION. This Website NigPilot collects information from several Independent Reporters and may contain unauthenticated and/or copyrighted materials the utilization of which has not generally been explicitly approved or authorized by the copyright proprietor. NigPilot with concern to increase in misleading social media publications, please report any Fake, False, or Misleading News to [email protected] for immediate action. FAIR USE NOTICE. In accordance with THE LAW, the material on this Website is included for informational and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner or Nigerian Pilot WEBMASTER. For Nigerian Pilot Newspaper Advert Rates Click Here! Read the full article

#NigPilot #ADC #AfricanDemocraticCongress #AhmedMusa #DailyNigerianNewspaper #DJSwitch #NigerianNewsHeadlines #NigerianNewsupdate #NigerianPilotNewspaperOnline #OmotolaJelade-Ekeinde #TuBaba

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dpr-lahore-division · 4 years

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With the compliments of, The Directorate General Public Relations,

Government of the Punjab, Lahore Ph: 99201390.

No.135/QU/ Akram

HANDOUT (A)

CM CONDOLES LOSS OF LIVES

LAHORE, January 25:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has condoled the death of the mother and her son due to caving in of school quarter’s roof in Kahna and extended sympathies to the heirs. He directed to provide best treatment facilities to the injured adding that an investigation report be submitted to his office.

****

No.136/QU/Akram

HANDOUT (A)

ALI AKBAR QURESHI PRESENTS REPORT TO CM ABOUT PERFORMANCE OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUDICIAL COMMISSION

LAHORE, January 25:

Chairman Water and Environmental Judicial Commission Justice (r) Ali Akbar Qureshi called on Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Monday and presented a report about the performance of the commission. Commission’s focal person Kamil Ali Haider, Secretary Housing, DG LDA and MD WASA were also present.

The CM appreciated the work done by the commission and directed to expand this beneficial drive to other divisional headquarters as the government will support steps for saving wastage of water.

Talking on the occasion, the CM held the view that overcoming the wastage of water is a collective responsibility as it’s a big boon for all of us. He proposed to run an awareness campaign to sensitise the people about overcoming the water wastage. We have to save every drop of water as the water level has drastically receded in Lahore and other cities, he stated. A plan has been devised to construct an underground water tank in Lahore to save rainwater and work will be started soon, he added. Meanwhile, the foundation stone of small-dams project will be laid this year in south Punjab to store water.

Ali Akbar Qureshi informed the CM that water tanks have been built in 210 mosques in the provincial metropolis to reutilize the water. The largest tank is under-construction at Data Darbar mosque, he added. Meanwhile, 17 dysfunctional channels of the famous Lahore canal have been reopened along with the installation of water recycling plants in 310 service stations, he said. Along with it, water charges were being received from car service stations and private housing societies for the first time. One billion and four crore rupees have been deposited in government kitty in the head of billing, he added.

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No.137/QU/ Akram

HANDOUT (A)

CM TAKES NOTICE OF RECOVERY OF DEAD BODY

LAHORE, January 25:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has sought a report from CCPO Lahore about the recovery of the dead body of a girl from the hospital in PS Nawab Town area and directed that a comprehensive investigation be held to glean facts. Meanwhile, the police have arrested an accused namely Usama Munir.

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No.138/QU/Akram

HANDOUT (A)

PUNJAB CABINET APPROVES UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE PROGRAM FOR ALL THE CITIZENS IN THE PROVINCE

LAHORE, January 25:

The provincial cabinet which met under the chair of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Monday approved universal health coverage program to provide health insurance to 100 per cent population of the province by December 2021 and constituted a ministerial committee to move further in this regard.

The cabinet approved Thal University in Bhakkar along with in-principle approval of amendments in evacuee trust properties and displaced person's laws (repeal) act, 1975. Standing committee for legislation will submit a final report after a detailed review. The cabinet directed to early advertise the final deadline as these amendments will help to dispose of the pending land claims. It was also decided in principle to establish Lahore Central Business District Development Authority to promote business activities at Walton airport and its surrounding areas by providing facilities to investors. The meeting approved the establishment of the Sialkot Development Authority while giving in-principle approval to the Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (Appointment & Conditions of Service) Rules, 2020. It was further decided to provide alternative land in Yazman and Fort Abbas as a substitute of 1626.2 acres of land allotted for army welfare scheme in Bhakkar district.

The meeting decided to withdraw the collection of motor vehicles' taxes through post offices and draft management law and transfer of properties under Section 19 of the Development Authority Act, 2014. It also decided to amend Section 16 of Punjab Urban Immovable Property Tax Act, 1956 as it would authorise the excise department to seal the properties of defaulters. The cabinet allowed Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab to start its activities in KPK province to assist the government there. The federal government’s decision relating to the establishment of a permanent secretariat of the council of common interests was endorsed along with the approval of amendments in Ravi Urban Development Authority Act, 2020. The authority was also allowed to use the remaining portion of five billion rupees loan in other heads. The meeting approved the use of Chinese Yuan for the exchange of foreign currency for energy agreements besides giving in-principle approval to service rules for the promotion of police SPs and DSPs. This would benefit hundreds of officers awaiting promotions for years.

Meanwhile, it was also decided to close down ATC courts in Sargodha and Rawalpindi along with in-principle of Punjab Government rules of business for south Punjab. Similarly, a criterion of perks and privileges for chairperson Punjab Women Protection Authority was approved along with the endorsement of 38th and 39th cabinet meetings, 46th and 47th meetings of standing cabinet committee for finance and development and 40th, 41st, 42nd and 43rd meetings of standing cabinet committee for legislation.

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PRESS RELEASE

PML-N MPA AZHAR ABBAS CHANDIA CALLS ON CM PUNJAB

LAHORE January 25:

PML-N MPA Azhar Abbas Chandia called on Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Monday and discussed public problems of his constituency. Tahir Bashir Cheema was also present on this occasion. The CM assured to early solve the constituency related problems and Azhar Abbas Chandia reposed his trust over Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Talking on this occasion, the CM said that his doors are open to all and solving the problems of assembly members was his responsibility. Muzaffargarh was also given a special development package as I am sincerely engaged in serving the masses, he added. Meanwhile, opposition leaders’ behaviour is contrary to the national interest as it is conspiring against the development by promoting chaos. The government has accelerated the development journey to backward areas, he added. You have always given us respect and solved our problems whenever we have come to you, added Azhar Abbas Chandia.

****

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phgq · 4 years

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Makabayan solons no-show at Senate hearing on red-tagging

#PHnews: Makabayan solons no-show at Senate hearing on red-tagging

MANILA – Members of the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives were a no-show at the Senate hearing into the complaints of so-called "red tagging" of individuals and groups allied with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation, said aside from official notices delivered by the Committee Secretariat last Oct. 30 to the different militant groups – Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Kabataan, Gabriela, while properly received, did not confirm their attendance.

An open invitation was likewise sent last week to the representatives of the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (Makabayan) bloc of the House of Representatives to voluntarily attend this public hearing. The letter was coursed through the Speaker of the House, considering that the Committee cannot issue the said invitation directly to individual party-list representatives in view of the inter-parliamentary courtesy existing between the two chambers.

"Having said that, we received a letter from former Rep. Neri Colmenares requesting that another hearing be held so he may be given an opportunity to attend, but without the presence of the members of the security sector, particularly Lt. Gen. (Antonio) Parlade. The chair may have to discuss this with the members of the committee," Lacson said.

Only the bloc's representative, lawyer Maneeka Sarza was present during the hearing.

In a letter to the committee on Tuesday, Makabayan bloc members claimed that they are not able to attend the hearing as they are focusing on separate relief missions for victims of Super Typhoon Rolly.

Lacson convened the hearing to exercise its oversight authority over the defense sector on the issue of red-tagging or red-baiting pursuant to Senate Resolution No. 559.

"As I have repeatedly done in the recent past, let me be forthright by saying that as one of the authors and the principal sponsor of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, we ensure that the same is applied correctly and appropriately with utmost respect for the rule of law, and that the Bill of Rights under the 1987 Constitution will always be the backbone of this legislation," Lacson said in his opening statement.

Members of the defense sector who were physically present during the hearing outlined and presented proof of the radicalization and recruitment program targeting youths by communist terrorist groups using front organizations.

NPA youth recruitment must stop

During the hearing, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa cited earlier findings on the deliberate recruitment by rebels of teenagers as their manpower and communist terrorist groups (CTG) "continue to spread terror even in the time of pandemic".

"It is about time we call spade a spade. This has to stop," dela Rosa said.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the CTGs "have stunted the growth and modernization not only of the countryside but the whole country".

The CTGs also resort to radicalization and recruitment of the youth to replenish their ranks, Esperon added.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the hearing is very timely.

"So we can expose once and for all the true color of these people who are trying to destroy our democracy," Lorenzana said.

No red-tagging by government

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año denied that red-tagging is a part of the government's policy.

"Let me emphasize that we are not the enemies here. We all know who the enemies are and they are the communist terrorist groups under the CPP-NPA-NDF and their allies who have been the country's bane for the last five decades," he said.

He added that red-tagging is not a mere product of their imagination or a tool to pin down the opposition "as the leftist groups would want it to appear".

"In fact, it was Communist Party of the Philippines (founding chairman) Joma Sison who red-tagged these left organizations such as Anakbayan, Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Kilusang Mayo Uno, and all other front organizations," he said.

Año, meanwhile, emphasized that the government is duty-bound to protect the people from the enemies of the state.

"It (government) will do everything within its authority to ensure that its people are safe and protected most especially from the enemies of the people who are like wolves in sheep's clothing who take advantage of people's weaknesses and vulnerabilities so that they would unwittingly join their cause. Sometimes, we wonder why these groups complain of red-tagging when they themselves admit to being (Reds)," he added.

While the CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by foreign jurisdictions such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, one supra-national jurisdiction – European Union -- is not in the list of the UN Security Council by virtue of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373.

In the Philippines, there is a pending proscription case against the organization before the Manila Regional Trial Court.

Other key government officials present in the hearing were Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff, Gen. Gilbert Gapay, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr, Philippine National Police deputy chief for operations, Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo. (PNA)

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References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Makabayan solons no-show at Senate hearing on red-tagging." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120575 (accessed November 04, 2020 at 12:13AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Makabayan solons no-show at Senate hearing on red-tagging." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120575 (archived).

#Philippines #News #Filipino #Pinoy #Tourism #Politics #Culture #Editorial #Environment #Society #History

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news24fresh · 4 years

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TDP MLCs seek action against YSRCP leaders

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Telugu Desam Party MLCs P. Ashok Babu and G. Deepak Reddy on Thursday condemned what they called “uncivilised” behaviour of YSR Congress Party leaders in the Legislative Council and urged the Chairman to initiate stringent action against them.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman, they said on Wednesday, the TDP had given a notice seeking a discussion under Rule 90 and the Chairman had…

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#Legislative Council #ruckus in Council #TDP MLCs #video footage #YSRCP

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denisehil0 · 4 years

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National Housing Council staffing and B.C. oil leak; In The News for June 15

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what’s on the radar of our editors for the morning of June 15 …

—

COVID-19 in Canada …

OTTAWA — A key body the Liberals vowed to create to help resolve systemic inequities in Canada’s housing system remains unstaffed, with delays in appointments chalked up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national housing council and a related advocate were created, on paper, as part of the Liberal government’s decade-long housing strategy that was put into law last year.

Applications closed in mid-October but the positions hadn’t been filled by the time the pandemic struck Canada in mid-March.

An online notice from early April says the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. still hopes to establish the council this year, but suggests a delay due to COVID-19.

The notice said the federal government was “focused on addressing this crisis” given the “uncertain and evolving circumstances related to COVID-19.” The notice added that appointing the council “remains a priority for the government.”

Two months later and with the backdrop of promises by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to address systemic racism and inequities in Canada, appointments have not been made.

Leilani Farha, global director of The Shift, a group that advocates for the right to housing, said the council and advocate could be playing a large role in how governments respond to the pandemic.

—

Also this …

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Trans Mountain estimates as much as 1,195 barrels, or 190,000 litres, of light crude spilled from its pipeline pumping station in Abbotsford, B.C.

While an investigation is ongoing, the Crown-owned company said in a statement the cause of the spill appears to be related to a fitting on a one-inch, or 2.5-centimetre, piece of pipe.

The statement said the pipeline restarted on Sunday afternoon, after all safety protocols were completed.

It said the spill was fully contained on Trans Mountain property, the free-standing oil has been recovered and it will be disposed of at an approved facility.

Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver said the spill happened just south of a cultural and burial ground of great significance to their people.

He said in a statement Sunday that it’s the fourth time in 15 years that there has been a spill from the pipeline on their land.

—

Latest News on Twitter from Neinstein

Contact Erik Joffe at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers

#Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers #Toronto Personal Injury Attorneys #Jeff Neinstein #car accident lawyers

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paulbenedictblog · 5 years

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%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Usa today Expulsion at end of rainbow, Benedict Arnold, Batman thief: News from around our 50 states

Usa today

Usa today Alabama

Jasper: Police are taking a look for a particular person that disguised himself as Batman whereas stealing musical instruments from churches. A housebreaking took place Dec. 11 at King’s Means Church in Irondale, AL.com studies. The caped prison stole a keyboard and a guitar, in accordance to Irondale Detective Sgt. Michael Mangina. The suspect came assist to the same church Jan. 6 and stole two extra guitars. Both occasions the impostor venerable a rock to enter the church, Mangina said. On Jan. 9, two churches in Jasper and one in unincorporated Walker County devour been furthermore burglarized, Jasper police wrote on Fb. Musical instruments and electronics devour been furthermore stolen. Anybody with data can name Irondale police, Jasper police or the Walker County Sheriff’s Place of commercial. “We must decide this erroneous guy off the streets,” Mangina said. “Stealing from a church is now not one of the best draw to procure to heaven.”

Usa today Alaska

Skwentna: Weeks after a particular person’s far-off cabin burned down, he was as soon as rescued by Alaska Pronounce Troopers who stumbled on him by a makeshift refuge with an SOS signal stamped within the snow. Tyson Steele, 30, was as soon as picked up Thursday in what appeared to be factual health at his far-off house 20 miles outdoor Skwentna, troopers said in a dispatch. A mid-December fire had killed his dog and left Steele with out a formula of communication, Steele informed troopers. After his members of the family and chums hadn’t heard from him for several weeks, they requested a welfare check. The trooper helicopter crew reached the house about 11 a.m. and noticed Steele waving his arms come the makeshift refuge. Skwentna, with a population of 35, is 70 miles northwest of Anchorage. The trooper helicopter transported Steele to Anchorage.

Usa today Arizona

Flagstaff: The pressure was as soon as sturdy adequate at a neighborhood store to reunite Luke Skywalker with his lengthy-misplaced vinyl document. Actor Mark Hamill is praising workers at Bookmans Entertainment Change for returning the “Significant particular person Wars: A Contemporary Hope” soundtrack that had been a present from movie composer John Williams. Hamill tweeted that it felt “entirely surprising & positively surreal” to procure assist the document he hadn’t viewed since the early 1990s. He counseled the store for being factual and now not promoting it. Williams had written on the vinyl’s sleeve: “Pricey Mark Hamill, Can also the pressure constantly be with us.” The document was as soon as certainly one of various “Significant particular person Wars” objects introduced in by a girl after her father’s death in 2018. Micheil Salmons, the store’s total supervisor, said Hamill signed a DVD of “Significant particular person Wars: A Contemporary Hope” and two medals that are replicas of those given to his persona and Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, within the movie.

Usa today Arkansas

Puny Rock: The Republican governor on Monday defended his resolution to proceed accepting unusual refugees, now not easy skeptical GOP lawmakers to take care of far off from developing “horror” about welcoming of us from other international locations. Gov. Asa Hutchinson informed a legislative committee that fewer than 50 refugees will most likely be resettled in Washington County in northwestern Arkansas beneath his resolution. Arkansas is amongst 42 states that devour said they're going to proceed to just accumulate refugees since the Trump administration issued an expose in September that gave advise and local governments the authority to refuse to just accumulate them for the first time in historical past. “Every of you would be leaders for your crew. You’ve bought a different to originate: You would also accomplish horror, or you'd also abet procure to the backside of horror,” Hutchinson informed lawmakers. He launched them to two refugees from Congo and one other from Afghanistan who devour resettled to Arkansas currently.

Usa today California

San Diego: The U.S. Fish and Natural world Service has proposed adding a California butterfly to the list of threatened species, officials issue. The agency desires the Hermes copper butterfly added to the list in recognition of the threats it faces in its house situation of San Diego County, The San Diego Union-Tribune studies. The carrier filed its proposal Jan. 8, estimating this will decide a 300 and sixty five days to finalize the listing and diagram up severe habitat plans for the butterfly. A public commentary length for the listing is anticipated to flee through March 9. The Hermes copper lives most exciting in Mexico’s Baja California and California’s San Diego County, which has a high concentration of endangered species, federal plants and fauna officials issue. The butterfly is amongst a suite of local species plagued by urban sprawl and wildfires that devour altered the panorama in recent decades, officials issue.

Usa today Colorado

Fort Collins: The advise Department of Public Security announced Monday that it will scale assist “proactive” investigation of mysterious drone sightings that devour at a loss for phrases residents since gradual closing 300 and sixty five days. The division has confirmed no incidents of prison process, and investigations devour now not substantiated studies of suspicious or illegal drone process, in accordance to a document launched Monday. Beginning earlier than the holidays, the drones – which devour been before every thing spotted touring in grid-fancy formations – devour been reported to be viewed flying at high altitudes from about 7 to 10 p.m. in northeastern Colorado, as neatly as in southwestern Nebraska, in accordance to the Denver Put up. The FAA, 25 other authorities agencies and interior most companies, including Amazon, claimed to know nothing about the preliminary sightings in northeastern Colorado, in accordance to a listing compiled by 9News.

Usa today Connecticut

Norwich: The city planned to worth the birthdate of the nation’s most infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold, by turning off the Christmas lights at Metropolis Hall on Tuesday. Regan Miner, the federal government director of the Norwich Historical Society, said the occasion serves as a “tongue-in-cheek approach” to worth the 279th anniversary of Arnold’s beginning. Danye Rugh was as soon as to say a lecture after the lights devour been turned out, accompanied by length-themed cocktails and meals. The son of Norwich was as soon as born in 1741 and fought for the Continental Military earlier than wounding his leg within the Battle of Saratoga. The location handles Arnold’s legacy in assorted suggestions. In Contemporary London, Arnold’s body is burned in effigy, and a copy of his leg is positioned in a coffin and despatched to Norwich.

Usa today Delaware

Dover: The First Pronounce’s roads are silent one of the main main nation’s most threatening. After some grunt a 300 and sixty five days ago, the advise’s selection of traffic deaths grew from 111 in 2018 to 132 closing 300 and sixty five days, a upward push of about 19%, in accordance to the Place of commercial of Highway Security. The selection of pedestrian deaths rose from 24 to 30, returning Delaware to amongst the nation’s leaders. “There’s no silver bullet to resolve this,” says John McNeal, chairman of the advise’s Pedestrian Council. Education campaigns and some street grunt tasks devour been applied since 2015, when Delaware ranked because the most threatening advise for pedestrians. Nevertheless officials acknowledge the efforts haven’t been adequate and issue extra desires to be achieved. Two weeks into 2020, no much less than three pedestrians devour died in crashes.

Usa today District of Columbia

Washington: Unsafe and filthy prerequisites at Washington Metropolitan Residence Transit Authority parking garages devour precipitated adjustments in how the structures are cleaned. Feces, bottles of urine, venerable condoms, overflowing trash and other unsanitary prerequisites devour been stumbled on at several Metrorail situation garages, the transit authority’s Place of commercial of the Inspector Customary said in a abstract of its document. The transit authority spent $2.2 million on lowered in dimension cleansing services, in accordance to the inspector total. The audit stumbled on the workers weren’t doing their job neatly 84% of the time. The Metro system took circulation straight and commenced strain-washing efforts after finding out of the inspector total’s findings, spokeswoman Sherri Ly said in an announcement, in accordance to news retail outlets. The agency furthermore plans to segment out contractors in want of hiring custodial workers in-house, in accordance to the assertion.

Usa today Florida

Tallahassee: In his Pronounce of the Pronounce address Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis known as for trainer raises, the eradication of Burmese pythons within the Everglades, and a brand unusual law to pressure ladies to procure their folks’ permission earlier than getting an abortion. DeSantis said protecting taxes low, bettering education and protecting the atmosphere will abet Florida proceed to grow. The speech marked the outlet of the Legislature’s annual 60-day session. He spoke within the Residence chamber, the establish lawmakers desks’ devour been lined in flowers. Contributors of the Supreme Court docket and the advise’s three Cupboard contributors furthermore attended the address. While touting a soak up adoption, DeSantis informed lawmakers he desires them to traipse a invoice that can require ladies beneath the age of 18 procure their folks’ permission to procure an abortion. The advise already requires ladies’ folks be notified if they've an abortion.

Usa today Georgia

Savannah: An endangered unusual child factual whale spotted with indecent injuries to its head off the advise’s soar is now not going to continue to exist, even supposing scientists might well perhaps well perhaps also are attempting to inject the calf with antibiotics the usage of a syringe fired from an air gun if they can safely procure stop adequate, authorities consultants said Monday. Foggy weather along the soar was as soon as delaying efforts to relocate the wounded toddler whale and its mother by airplane. The calf was as soon as first viewed from the air closing Wednesday, and a boat crew bought stop adequate Friday come St. Simons Island for scientists to compose its injuries devour been worse than before every thing feared. Scientists estimate 400 or fewer North Atlantic factual whales silent exist. Dr. Teri Rowles, a veterinarian for the Nationwide Marine Fisheries Service, said the injuries devour been most likely precipitated by the propeller of a boat.

Usa today Hawaii

Honolulu: This tropical advise is getting its first Olive Garden. A current Honolulu bar and restaurant will stop and be changed by a brand unusual outlet of certainly one of many nation’s splendid restaurant chains, officials issue. The Mai Tai Bar and Bubba Gump Small Co. at Ala Moana Center, the advise’s largest mall, are slated to prevent next month, The Honolulu Significant particular person-Advertiser studies. Bubba Gump Chief Operations Officer Jim DuFault said the closure is the consequence of a apartment dispute, and Bubba Gump is willing to file a lawsuit if the owner or a future tenant makes an are attempting to “take our Mai Tai mental property.” Olive Garden filed a $50,000 building permit for the mall situation. The Italian-American restaurant chain, owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., is coming to Hawaii after years of television commercials working within the advise.

Usa today Idaho

Grangeville: The quilt disguise of a 65-300 and sixty five days-venerable pressure-in movie show was as soon as destroyed by high winds, and the owner says he hopes to rebuild – if he can fetch any individual who might well perhaps well perhaps make the specialized work. Chris Wagner, owner of Sunset Auto Vue pressure-in theater in Grangeville, informed The Lewiston Tribune the disguise disguise has most exciting been broken by winds twice since it was as soon as inbuilt 1955. The principle time, in 2007, he rebuilt with a up to date earn that was as soon as meant to withstand wind gusts up to 110 mph. Nevertheless closing week, high winds estimated by the Nationwide Weather Service at about 60 mph flattened the 32-by-72-foot out of doors disguise disguise, leaving within the assist of a mass of zigzag steel. “I’ll be making a name to the producer, but he was as soon as 75 years venerable when he confirmed up the closing time (in 2007) to make it,” Wagner said. There are most exciting a handful of pressure-in theaters within the Gem Pronounce.

Usa today Illinois

Chicago: The advise is updating its beginning certificates system to verify the gender identities of transgender folks, after a transmasculine particular person requested to be formally diagnosed as a father who gave beginning to their daughter. Myles and Treasured Brady-Davis of Chicago realized after their daughter, Zayn, arrived in December that the Illinois Department of Public Health robotically names the parent who offers beginning as “Mom/Co-Father or mother” on a beginning certificates. Myles Brady-Davis is transmasculine, which describes a particular person that was as soon as born feminine but is in most cases masculine in gender expression. Transmasculine of us make now not constantly identify as male. Myles, who makes use of they/them pronouns, carried and gave beginning to Zayn and desires to be listed as her father, the Chicago Sun-Cases studies. Treasured Brady-Davis is a transgender girl and the toddler’s mother.

Usa today Indiana

Indianapolis: Gov. Eric Holcomb has declared Jan. 27 “Eva Education Day” in honor of the gradual Eva Kor, the Holocaust survivor who devoted great of her life to instructing the world about the experiments of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. Jan. 27 is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, the establish Kor and her twin sister, Miriam, devour been subjected to Mengele’s experiments. The Terre Haute girl’s skills was as soon as chronicled in a documentary titled “Eva: A-7063.” That movie is segment of an Eva Tutorial Toolkit that has been distributed to every middle college and high college in Indiana. Kor died July 4, 2019, whereas conducting her annual crew tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

Usa today Iowa

Harlan: A particular person has requested a come to a resolution to let him buy in a sword fight with his ex-wife and her attorney so he can “rend their souls” from their our bodies. David Ostrom, 40, of Paola, Kansas, said in a Jan. 3 court docket filing that his old wife, Bridgette Ostrom, 38, of Harlan, Iowa, and her attorney, Matthew Hudson, had “destroyed (him) legally.” The Ostroms devour been embroiled in disputes over custody and visitation points and property tax funds. The come to a resolution had the energy to let the parties “procure to the backside of our disputes on the self-discipline of battle, legally,” David Ostrom said, adding in his filing that trial by combat “has by no formula been explicitly banned or restricted as a factual in these United States.” He furthermore requested the come to a resolution for 12 weeks’ time so he might well perhaps well perhaps also trusty Eastern samurai swords. Shelby County District Court docket Resolve Craig Dreismeier said in his earn filing Monday that he won’t be issuing a resolution anytime rapidly, citing irregularities with all aspects’ motions and responses.

Usa today Kansas

Wichita: A old Newman College professor who alleged the university discriminated in opposition to her due to she was as soon as a girl can devour to get extra than $800,000 in damages and be reinstated, a federal jury dominated Monday. The jury stumbled on in want of Cindy Louthan, old assistant professor of elementary education at Newman, who sued the interior most Roman Catholic university in Wichita in 2018. Cindy Louthan alleged a supervisor was as soon as hostile toward females and careworn and discriminated in opposition to her due to she is feminine. She furthermore contended the university did now not investigate her issues and punished her when she complained about the supervisor, ending in her shedding her job, The Wichita Eagle studies. Louthan was as soon as certainly one of 5 old university workers who sued the college alleging unfair treatment or termination currently. The university has denied the allegations in every case.

Usa today Kentucky

Louisville: A Christian college expelled a pupil closing week after her family says college officials stumbled on the 15-300 and sixty five days-venerable had noteworthy her birthday with a rainbow-themed cake. Kimberly Alford says that unless Jan. 6, her daughter had been a freshman at Whitefield Academy. That’s when Alford says she got an electronic mail from the academy’s head of faculty, Bruce Jacobson, explaining how her daughter was as soon as being expelled “straight due to a submit on social media.” Alford had lately posted a portray on her Fb web page showing her daughter celebrating her birthday at a Texas Roadhouse restaurant, carrying a sweater that contains a rainbow earn and sitting by a exciting, rainbow-themed cake. Alford says any individual shared the portray with college officials. Alford says Jacobson wrote that the image “demonstrates a posture of morality and cultural acceptance opposite to that of Whitefield Academy’s beliefs” and follows two years of “daily life violations.” Alford says her daughter is now not homosexual, and the cake was as soon as simply a fun kind out.

Usa today Louisiana

Baton Rouge: The zoo within the capital city is asking for the general public’s abet to name its newest male giraffe. The Baton Rouge Zoo is conserving a contest for fogeys to nominate their authorized names for the skill’s newest addition, born closing month. Nominations will most likely be permitted through Jan. 22. Zoo workers will decide those public submissions and narrow them to three finalists, that will most certainly be up for a last vote from the general public after that. The zoo will articulate the finalists and extra shrimp print about the balloting at a later date. Six-300 and sixty five days-venerable giraffe Rosie gave beginning Dec. 26 to the male giraffe, the 20th giraffe to be born at the Baton Rouge Zoo.

Usa today Maine

Augusta: A proposal within the Legislature would dwell a accomplish of discrimination in opposition to folks that decide treatment to remain HIV an infection. Democratic Sen. Heather Sanborn of Portland said the advise’s insurance code can devour to be amended to remain denial of life insurance for fogeys that decide pre-publicity prophylaxis treatment to remain HIV. The prophylaxis is in most cases known as “PrEP.” The proposal got a public listening to earlier than the Health Protection, Insurance and Financial Products and services Committee on Jan. 8. This will most likely be self-discipline to committee votes earlier than it will switch on to the paunchy Maine Legislature. Sanborn said the advise’s insurance code can devour to “replicate recent clinical practices, as a exchange of perpetuating discriminatory habits.”

Usa today Maryland

Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan highlighted initiatives to fight violent crime in Baltimore, give a take to education statewide and give protection to the atmosphere Tuesday in presenting his worth range thought for the subsequent fiscal 300 and sixty five days. Hogan, a Republican, referenced a violent weekend within the advise’s largest city in calling on lawmakers to make stronger his crime-combating proposals this session. On Saturday, 12 of us devour been shot – five of them fatally – in Baltimore. It marked the third time within the past month that no much less than eight of us devour been shot in a single day. “The No. 1 self-discipline of Marylanders by far is crime,” Hogan said at a news convention. “Residents are stressful extra accountability for the violent criminals for taking pictures and killing of us within the streets of Baltimore.” The city had 348 homicides closing 300 and sixty five days, the fifth straight 300 and sixty five days with extra than 300 slayings within town. It was as soon as Baltimore’s most violent 300 and sixty five days ever on a per capita basis.

Usa today Massachusetts

Boston: A crew working to originate it upright within the advise for clinical doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of treatment to mentally competent patients with terminal illnesses says this will proceed its fight regardless of a recent upright setback. Compassion & Choices in its swimsuit filed in 2016 said legalizing the observe, generally known as clinical assist in loss of life or MAID, would abet terminally in miserable health patients protect far off from needless struggling. In a resolution Dec. 31, a come to a resolution said the difficulty can devour to be left up to lawmakers. Compassion & Choices said in an announcement Monday that it intends to allure. “This setback is disheartening, but we will most likely be in a position to proceed this upright battle,” Dr. Roger Kligler, a Cape Cod doctor with terminal most cancers and certainly one of many plaintiffs within the lawsuit, said within the assertion. 2nd Thoughts Massachusetts, a crew that opposes clinical assist in loss of life, praised the resolution.

Usa today Michigan

Detroit: Michigan Pronounce Police has suspended the contract with the firm that points the advise’s breath alcohol making an are attempting out devices amid issues the effects would be flawed. In a letter written to police and prosecutors statewide, advise police officials warned law enforcement agencies about “efficiency-connected points” with the Datamaster DMT breathalyzer devices, in accordance to the Detroit News. Such points might well perhaps well perhaps also have an effect on drunken using cases. The letter did now not identify the issues or how they devour been uncovered. Pronounce police Lt. Michael Shaw said the agency will decide over calibration of the devices, as neatly because the contractor’s tasks of certifying and serving the breathalyzer objects. Oakland College prison justice professor Daniel Kennedy said such points with the breathalyzer devices would be tough for drunken using cases in Michigan.

Usa today Minnesota

Moorhead: The city might well perhaps well perhaps decide into consideration inquiring for a advise permit to take aggressive wild turkeys after some residents complained about the birds, a police legitimate said. Moorhead Deputy Police Chief Tory Jacobson said the police division doesn’t devour the abilities or sources so that you just can add plants and fauna administration to its list of responsibilities. The division, which furthermore runs town’s animal protect an eye fixed on unit, estimates about 300 turkeys are presently roosting and strolling in residential neighborhoods. Moorhead residents shared tales about residing in stop proximity to the wild turkeys in all places in the division’s meeting closing week, Minnesota Public Radio News studies. Some feel as even supposing the turkeys are taking over. Nevertheless others welcome the animals as neighbors. Brett Bernath says about 20 to 30 congregate in his yard, leaving within the assist of filth.

Usa today Mississippi

Jackson: Republican Tate Reeves was as soon as inaugurated as governor Tuesday, pledging to produce economic opportunities for all of us within the advise and to protect a “loving tradition that underpins our quality of life.” Reeves, 45, is the 65th governor of Mississippi. He succeeds Republican Phil Bryant, who served two terms. “This will most likely be an administration for all Mississippi,” Reeves said all over his inaugural speech. Reeves served two terms as lieutenant governor and two terms earlier than that because the elected advise treasurer. He took the oath as governor earlier than family, chums, lawmakers and other officials within the Residence chamber of the advise Capitol. “A tradition of fancy and kinship has knitted Mississippi households collectively, and tied them to every other, for ages,” Reeves said. “It is what makes us particular in a fleet-paced and transient world. I might protect that tradition in opposition to the erosion that frays societies.”

Usa today Missouri

Kansas Metropolis: Planned Parenthood is now not easy the advise’s denial of claims for Medicaid funds for a 2nd time in two years. KCUR studies that Planned Parenthood’s affiliates in Overland Park, Kansas, appealed Missouri’s cutoff of their fiscal 2020 funding closing week in Jackson County, Missouri, after an administrative law come to a resolution dominated in opposition to them closing month. Meanwhile, an allure of the cutoff of 2019 funding is pending earlier than the Missouri Supreme Court docket. “It’s extra or much less a continuation of the same venerable tune and dance,” said Charles Hatfield, Planned Parenthood’s attorney. Republican lawmakers in Missouri devour for years sought to remain any taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood, even clinics that make now not present abortions. Nevertheless legislators struggled with “loopholes” that allowed Planned Parenthood clinics that supply other health care to proceed receiving funding.

Usa today Montana

Helena: A campaign to legalize, protect an eye fixed on and tax marijuana use has submitted two proposed pollinitiatives for advise review, the crew Contemporary Means Montana announced. The principle pollproposal would legalize leisure use of marijuana for adults in Montana and keep a regulatory framework and a 20% gross sales tax. Share of the tax money might well perhaps well perhaps be venerable to slice the tax on clinical marijuana from 2% to 1%. The 2nd polldifficulty is a constitutional modification that can restrict marijuana consumption, fancy alcohol, to of us age 21 or older. The initiatives devour been dropped at the secretary of advise and the Legislative Products and services Division on Monday, Montana Public Radio studies. The Attorney Customary must approve the language earlier than the crew can start gathering signatures so that you just can ascertain the points earlier than voters in November 2020.

Usa today Nebraska

Lincoln: The Game and Parks Price has willing particular Valentine’s Day offers for fogeys that are attempting to worth the day at a advise park. Internet site visitors who reserve a cabin or resort room – at a 30% slice worth – at Eugene T. Mahoney Pronounce Park between Feb. 10 and Feb. 14 can add a Valentine’s Particular package to their reservation. The $25 supply entails a present package consisting of a rose, two wine glasses, lustrous juice, a 2020 Nebraskaland Calendar, goodies and extra. For a getaway at Ponca Pronounce Park, originate a reservation and celebrate Birds and Breakfast, Feb. 14-15. Like dinner and a 30% slice worth on cabin lodging on Valentine’s Day night at Platte River Pronounce Park. Or reserve a cabin at Lewis and Clark Pronounce Game Residence from Feb. 14 to Feb. 16 for a 30% slice worth. Add the Silver Equipment for $25 and procure complimentary champagne, wine or cider; sausage and cheese platter; bouquet of flowers; cheesecake dessert; drink tickets and extra.

Usa today Nevada

Las Vegas: Animal rescuers devour confirmed certainly one of three hat-carrying pigeons that won recognition on social media has died. Lofty Hopes Pigeon Rescue workers issue fumes from glue venerable to affix the hats might well perhaps well perhaps even devour poisoned Bille the Pidge. Lofty Hopes Pigeon Rescue tweeted Sunday that the feminine chicken was as soon as venerable and had misplaced toes to a condition the establish its toes are remoted by a string and drop off. Officials issue the three pigeons devour been first stumbled on in December carrying shrimp crimson cowboy hats in Las Vegas. Rescue workers issue the hats devour been glued on. Staff issue pigeons devour fragile respiratory systems, and a veterinarian had to shimmering feathers to take the hats. It wasn’t certain if the chicken’s death was as soon as linked to the hat. It is silent unknown who keep the hats on the birds. Billie is survived by two other old cowboy pigeons – Cluck Norris and Coolamity Jane.

Usa today Contemporary Hampshire

Harmony: Animals are on the agenda at the Statehouse with bills aimed at each protecting and pursuing them. Lawmakers devour filed no much less than a dozen bills this session pondering about plants and fauna or domesticated animals, including measures to ban the declawing of cats and docking of dog tails. Both bills devour public hearings Thursday. Three bills earlier than a Residence committee Tuesday devour been about killing other species. One would repeal a prohibition on looking out out with ferrets; one other would accomplish a brand unusual safari looking out out license for those taking elk and boar at a interior most recreation reserve; and a third would lower the bar for killing animals that injury vegetation or other property. Recent law permits any individual to homicide wild animals that trigger “proper and noteworthy” injury, but a invoice subsidized by Uncover. Howard Pearl, R-Loudon, would take the “and noteworthy” language. He said requiring noteworthy injury was as soon as too subjective.

Usa today Contemporary Jersey

Trenton: Pronounce lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to restrict flavored vaping merchandise, sending the measure to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. The Democrat-led Senate passed the invoice 22-15, with the Democratic-controlled Meeting balloting 53-11 with eight lawmakers now not balloting on the measure that bans e-cigarettes flavors, including any fruit or sweet amongst others. Lawmakers issue the flavors are supposed to hook teenagers, who are the usage of the merchandise in rising numbers. Opponents of the legislation, who crowded segment of the Statehouse advanced Monday, issue officials can devour to larger put in pressure the smoking age as a exchange of barring of-age adults from making an are attempting for merchandise they revel within the usage of. The smoking age in Contemporary Jersey is 21. Murphy has been supportive of the premise of a flavor ban, but his situation of commercial didn’t answer when requested how he’ll address the legislation.

Usa today Contemporary Mexico

Las Cruces: The Nationwide Science Foundation has awarded two universities within the advise and the Contemporary Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute a $5 million grant to keep a total forestry be taught heart for the Southwest. The five-300 and sixty five days grant will fund the advance of a Center of Excellence in Forest Restoration. This will most likely be charged with advancing the concept of the effects of restoration actions on forested areas through a aggregate of multidisciplinary be taught and education. The heart will educate college students in fire administration as neatly as wooded self-discipline ecology and restoration, providing undergraduate and masters programs at Highlands College. Plans furthermore consist of developing a collaborative Ph.D. program between Highlands and Contemporary Mexico Pronounce College.

Usa today Contemporary York

Contemporary York: The city’s policing of subway fare beaters is drawing scrutiny from the advise’s attorney total for that you just'd also keep in mind racial bias. Letitia James announced Monday that her situation of commercial is investigating the Contemporary York Police Department’s fare-enforcement practices after the division launched unusual information showing sunless and Hispanic of us memoir for the overwhelming majority of its fare-connected summonses and arrests. James’ situation of commercial despatched a letter to the police commissioner Monday attempting to search out extra information, such because the selection of officers assigned to every subway situation on a customary basis – figures she said might well perhaps well perhaps also shed gentle on whether or now not officers are concentrated on communities of colour. James, a Democrat, promised to decide on upright circulation if her situation of commercial finds evidence of discrimination. NYPD spokeswoman Devora Kaye said officers “patrol day and night to take care of 6 million daily riders trusty and put in pressure the law moderately and equally without consideration of flee or ethnicity.”

Usa today North Carolina

Corolla: A crew that manages herds of untamed horses on the advise’s soar is warning drivers to glimpse out for the animals taking profit of unseasonably heat weather by sound asleep on the sand at night. Temperatures within the 60s and 70s across the Carolinas devour the wild horses performing “extra fancy it’s June, now not January,” the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said in a message posted to social media. The gorgeous weather has coaxed the animals out of the islands’ forests, the establish they generally refuge from cool chilly weather winds, and into the path of leisure autos, The News & Observer studies. Daniel T. Myers III was as soon as using on Corova Sea trip over the weekend when he spotted the horses at middle of the night. He informed McClatchy News Community the animals are very arduous to undercover agent and warned others to take care of an scrutinize out. Crashes are certainly one of many main causes of death amongst the Outer Banks herds, the newspaper says.

Usa today North Dakota

Bismarck: A pipeline spill of oil-self-discipline wastewater has affected cropland in northwestern North Dakota. Pronounce environmental scientist Bill Suess said regulators devour been notified Monday of the 8,400-gallon pipeline leak in Renville County. The pipeline is operated by Wichita Falls, Texas-primarily based Cobra Oil and Fuel. Suess said the spill of produced water took place 2 miles north of Sherwood and within a mile of the U.S.-Canada border. The reason for the pipeline leak is unknown. Produced water is a aggregate of saltwater and oil that can have drilling chemicals. It’s a byproduct of oil and gasoline pattern. Suess said about 1,000 square feet of cropland was as soon as affected. He said no water sources devour been harmed.

Usa today Ohio

Columbus: Self-using shuttles will make a circuit through a residential neighborhood within the capital city as segment of a yearlong pilot program starting in gradual January. Three 12-passenger, disabled-accessible electrical shuttles will hasten the 2.8-mile route within the Linden neighborhood. The shuttles, that are self sustaining but monitored by on-board operators, will flee between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m and join riders to locations with social services fancy St. Stephen’s Neighborhood Residence, which has a meals pantry and health and job sources. Completely different stops consist of a recreation heart and a transit heart. The circuit will most likely be timed so riders can join to Central Ohio Transit Authority buses. The route will most likely be suspended for 30 minutes within the morning and afternoon as a precaution thanks to college students strolling to college, says Mandy Bishop, the program supervisor for Trim Columbus, town’s mobility initiative.

Usa today Oklahoma

Oklahoma Metropolis: The advise has adopted a brand unusual digital tracking system that can enable sexual assault survivors to computer screen the advise and self-discipline of their rape kits. The reason of the system is to empower survivors with data, abet law enforcement with investigations, and foster transparency and public trust, The Oklahoman studies. Handiest survivors and entities that change the system can access the information. The Oklahoma Pronounce Bureau of Investigation operates the system, which was as soon as authorized through legislation passed closing 300 and sixty five days. A role pressure made suggestions so that you just can present a take to the advise’s response to sexual assaults. “I’m hoping this will take all of us guilty to be toddle we don’t let victims drop through the cracks,” says Andrea Fielding, division director of criminalistics for the OSBI.

Usa today Oregon

Salem: The Metropolis Council has voted unanimously to draft an emergency declaration legally allowing car tenting in certain areas. Many contributors of the general public who spoke at the council meeting Monday supported the push for car tenting but stressed out extra wished to be achieved to abet the homeless population. Most demanded rapid circulation. Mayor Chuck Bennett said he was as soon as “deeply enthusiastic” about the homeless crisis, nonetheless it has been 30 years within the making, and officials are working to fight that crisis in a topic of weeks. He said the actions made all over Monday’s session will abet meet the wants of the crew. A hit upon researching the option stumbled on town has neither the funds nor the sources to administer a city-subsidized program. A privately subsidized program – the establish situation homeowners present supervision, trash receptacles and access to lavatories – was as soon as steered as a exchange.

Usa today Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The advise’s 2nd lady, Giselle Fetterman, will abet lead a campaign to lift consciousness of this 300 and sixty five days’s census and abet residents to acknowledge, advise officials said Monday. Fetterman, whose husband is Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, said she's going to tour the advise, making stops in Philadelphia and in Centre, Erie, Allegheny, Lancaster and Luzerne counties over the subsequent three months. Gov. Tom Wolf signed an government expose in 2018 to accomplish a fee to abet be toddle a noteworthy census depend and signed legislation in October authorizing up to $4 million to buttress the depend. Meanwhile, 94 nonprofit crew organizations are working collectively to abet their focused communities to return census kinds. Recent census projections direct Pennsylvania is rising extra slowly than the comfort of the nation and is anticipated to lose a congressional seat in 2023.

Usa today Rhode Island

Providence: The federal authorities is at closing paying for bags screening systems at the advise’s predominant airport that devour been upgraded after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist assaults, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said. The Democrat met Friday with officials from the Rhode Island Airport Corp. and the Transportation Security Administration at the T.F. Inexperienced Airport in Warwick to focus on about air hasten safety. Reed said millions devour been distributed nationally in a 2020 spending invoice to reimburse airports for bags screening systems and safety improvements, of which $5.5 million will most likely be directed to T.F. Inexperienced. The airport upgraded its baggage screening systems after the terrorist assaults, bettering safety and saving the federal authorities millions in lowered labor and employee’s compensation prices, but the airport corporation wasn’t fully reimbursed, Reed said. The associated fee brings the total repayment previously to $18 million of $30 million owed, he said.

Usa today South Carolina

Greenville: Mayor Knox White says he’s stumbled on a technique to commit up to $5 million toward making an are attempting for land for moderately priced housing at County Sq., even supposing he says he’s silent working on the principle points. The mayor says the $5 million might well perhaps well perhaps be apart from $2 million Greenville County had previously pledged toward moderately priced housing within the neighborhood that entails County Sq.. It’s the most recent step in a project that has been within the works for 3 years: the $1 billion public-interior most redevelopment of county-owned land along College Ridge. Negotiations devour intensified since since closing summer amongst city and county leaders, downtown residents and RocaPoint over how most exciting to hash out a thought all individuals can dwell with. It is far the splendid project Greenville has ever viewed, promising thousands of jobs, millions in tax revenues, and a 37-acre expansion of the downtown industry district.

Usa today South Dakota

Elk Point: A college district will pay $65,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit introduced by a old honor pupil. Addison Ludwig says she was as soon as singled out by the old Elk Point-Jefferson Excessive College major after she was as soon as featured within the pupil newspaper in 2017 and described a fondness as “Netflix n’ Take a seat again with my boyfriend.” Ludwig says she didn’t realize it was as soon as a term some use to list informal sexual encounters unless the major, Travis Aslesen, made her undercover agent it up on the gain. Aslesen revoked her senior privileges and honors hit upon hall and removed her as editor of the newspaper. Ludwig in her lawsuit said male college students who venerable the term had now not been disciplined, including a boy who had venerable the term in a profile within the newspaper earlier within the 300 and sixty five days, the lawsuit said.

Usa today Tennessee

Nashville: The advise Senate started the 2020 legislative session passing its first invoice of the 300 and sixty five days: a controversial measure that protects spiritual adoption agencies if they decide to discriminate in opposition to similar-intercourse couples. The invoice, subsidized by Sen. Paul Rose, R-Covington, publicizes that no licensed adoption agency might well perhaps well perhaps be required to take part in a child placement if doing so would “violate the agency’s written spiritual or good convictions or policies.” It furthermore prohibits the advise from denying an agency’s license or grant utility for public funds thanks to the crew’s refusal to situation a child with a family in accordance to non secular objections. The adoption agency would furthermore be safe from court docket cases for this form of refusal. The Senate passed the invoice 20-6, with five Republican contributors declining to vote on the measure, including Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge. The Residence passed the invoice in April, and it now heads to Gov. Bill Lee for his signature.

Usa today Texas

Stephenville: Researchers at Tarleton Pronounce College’s Southwest Regional Dairy Center are the usage of devices identical to Fitbits to trace the health habits of dairy cows, the Weatherford Democrat studies. The researchers issue tracking a cow’s ingesting, sound asleep and circulation helps them decide larger care of the animals, in accordance to a press liberate from the Texas A&M College Machine. The devices observe how lengthy cows eat, how lengthy they lay down and how many steps they decide, whereas one other wearable system monitors how great milk every cow offers. “We devour two Fitbits on every cow,” Southwest Regional Dairy Center Director Barbara Jones says. The data can warn producers that a cow might well perhaps well perhaps be ill earlier than the animal begins showing indicators. The devices furthermore unencumber time for the dairy producer, who can have a tendency to other industry as a exchange of monitoring their herd visually, in accordance to the clicking liberate.

Usa today Utah

Salt Lake Metropolis: Membership grunt in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has slowed to its lowest stage in decades. The church added upright 4,900 contributors within the advise in between October 2018 and September 2019, in accordance to statistics it offered to The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah’s complete population grew by 53,000 of us over the same length, in accordance to estimates. The church grew by fewer than 10,000 of us in a 300 and sixty five days most exciting one other time since 1989, the first 300 and sixty five days the newspaper had access to membership information. That was as soon as in 2018, when membership rose by upright over 9,000 of us. By comparability, the faith neatly is thought because the Mormon church added extra than 40,000 unusual contributors in 2013, which was as soon as the high worth of the closing decade. In Salt Lake County, the advise’s largest, the selection of Latter-day Saints fell by 6,710 even because the county’s complete population grew by 10,000 of us.

Usa today Vermont

Montpelier: A invoice has been proposed within the Legislature to decriminalize grownup prostitution. The legislation is co-subsidized by four feminine legislators. Uncover. Selene Colburn, a Burlington progressive, said she thinks decriminalizing intercourse work will give a take to safety and health of prostitutes, mynbc5.com studies. “The underlying ask is will now we must criminalize consensual intercourse between adults on any terms?” she said. Sex trafficking, exploitation and solicitation of minors will remain a severe felony, she said. The invoice is within the Residence Judiciary Committee.

Usa today Virginia

Richmond: The advise moved a step closer to ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment on Tuesday, even because the measure’s future nationally stays in doubt. A Residence committee well-liked a resolution to ratify the gender equality measure, which advocates hope will became the subsequent modification to the U.S. Constitution. The 13-9 vote split along occasion traces, with all Democrats supporting it and all Republicans opposing it. A Senate committee already developed a identical resolution. The resolutions for the time being are earlier than the paunchy Residence and Senate, the establish floor votes are anticipated Wednesday. Democrats protect an eye fixed on each chambers, and their legislative leaders devour said their caucuses unanimously make stronger the measure. “Every circulation we decide to switch this resolution forward signals to the nation that we’re extra than willing to make our segment in developing a world the establish females are treated as equals,” Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, a sponsor of the Residence resolution, said in an announcement.

Usa today Washington

Seattle: The Seattle Police Department’s civilian watchdog has stumbled on that an officer’s ruse in a 2018 hit-and-flee case contributed to the driver’s suicide. The Place of commercial of Police Accountability said that to procure the suspect to flip himself in, the officer informed certainly one of many suspect’s chums that the atomize left a girl in severe condition and that she couldn't continue to exist, The Seattle Cases studies. Basically, it was as soon as a fender-bender with out a injuries. The motive force’s friend informed him what the officer had said, and the driver began to mediate he had per chance hit a pedestrian without colorful it. The friend reported that the driver had been hooked on heroin for 2 decades and turned increasingly extra despondent over the probability he killed any individual. Soon thereafter, in June 2018, he died by suicide. The officer was as soon as suspended for six days without pay.

Usa today West Virginia

Charleston: Rescue dogs might well perhaps well perhaps also rapidly became the advise’s legitimate advise dog beneath a proposal well-liked Tuesday within the Senate. The resolution, subsidized by advise Sens. Ryan Weld and Stephen 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, says it seeks to lift consideration to dogs residing within the extra than 500 animal shelters in West Virginia. “Appropriate due to a dog is at a refuge doesn’t mean that there’s something evil with the dog,” said Weld, a Republican. “That dog wants a 2nd likelihood and is taking a look for a brand unusual friend, upright fancy you would be.” The proposal now moves to the Residence of Delegates. West Virginia already has a bunch of legitimate advise plants and fauna. The sunless bear is the advise animal, the sugar maple is the advise tree, the cardinal is the advise chicken, and the rhododendron is the advise flower.

Usa today Wisconsin

Madison: Republicans are introducing a package of bills that can impose more durable sanctions and sentences on criminals. The legislation would require the Department of Corrections to counsel revoking a particular person’s prolonged supervision, parole or probation if he or she is charged with a crime; restrict of us convicted of violent crimes from ending probation early; and block violent criminals from taking part in early liberate programs. The bills furthermore would impose a main 180-day jail sentence for shoplifting; forbid prosecutors from amending prices of illegally possessing a gun in opposition to a particular person convicted of a violent felony or attempting to commit a violent felony; and lengthen the violations that might well perhaps well perhaps also land a child in a formative years penal advanced to consist of any act that will most certainly be a felony in grownup court docket.

Usa today Wyoming

Casper: A firm has settled a federal lawsuit by a old employee who claimed she was as soon as forced to decide on Scientology programs as a condition of her employment. Julie A. Rohrbacher filed the lawsuit in 2018 in opposition to Teton Therapy, which operates bodily and occupational therapy locations of work in four Wyoming locations. Rohrbacher claimed that owner Jeff McMenamy declined to promote her after which forced her to resign in 2013 after she refused to enroll in Church of Scientology programs. She sued beneath the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits spiritual harassment and discrimination at work. The swimsuit was as soon as settled Jan. 2, and Chief U.S. District Resolve Scott Skavdahl disregarded the case, the Casper Significant particular person-Tribune studies. Scientology is a church based by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard within the early 1950s. The church has about 10 million contributors worldwide.

From USA TODAY Network and wire studies

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JUST IN:Amaechi And Reps In Face Off Over $33b Chinese Loan.

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/just-inamaechi-and-reps-in-face-off-over-33b-chinese-loan/

JUST IN:Amaechi And Reps In Face Off Over $33b Chinese Loan.

THERE was heated argument at the House of Representatives Hearing Room 028 yesterday between Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and House Committee Chairman on Treaties, Particulars and Agreement Ossai Nicholas Ossai.

It was during the legislative hearing on the loans agreements signed by the ministry. At issue was an alleged $33 billion loan which Ossai said Nigeria had signed. But the minister denied any such agreement.

The drama unfolded before Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammed Bello.

Amaechi, who had warned the committee against scrutinising the Chinese loans, repeated his position that Nigeria might lose the opportunity of a loan to fund the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail line and the people of Southsouth will be denied that project because “of the committee you set up to investigate the Chinese loans.”

Ossai (PDP Delta), frowned at the “misconception and misgivings” on the legislative scrutiny of various agreements signed by government officials.

He said: ”We have heard some people ask why we are focusing on only Chinese-related loans and commercial contracts. We will like Nigerians to know that we aren’t focusing on only Chinese loans. From what we know, Nigeria has over 500 bilateral loan and commercial contracts agreements and investments treaties with different countries and institutions.

”There is no way the committee will do a thorough job without segmenting the issues based on countries, institutions, or MDAs. Thus, it must be clearly noted that this is not targeted at only China, neither was it designed to impede the development of the railway sector and other infrastructures.

“But rather to ensure full disclosure, transparency, accountability, utmost good faith, and value for money in both the bilateral loans and commercial contracts agreements entered into by the Nigerian government.

“The loan agreements we have seen so far, show that government officials charged with the responsibility of representing Nigeria were more desperate to just take the loans at any condition, possibly using non-negotiated loan agreements templates rather than go through the rigour of diligent technical review of negotiating specific clauses with clarity and for national interest.

”For instance, it’s a common practice that most international loan agreements would adopt ‘Sovereign guarantee’ and a neutral international arbitration centre as opposed to waiving of our national sovereignty in an omnibus manner; especially in dealing with countries like China, known to possess an absolute state status on their institutions and corporations.

“However, the immunity clauses in most of these agreements before us are not only ambiguous but very obscure. And without recourse to the fact that Nigerian government had issued circular on the subject matter with reference number SGF/OP/S.3/X/ 1737 dated 11th August, 2014 that provided guideline on issues of waiver of sovereign immunity clause during loan and commercial agreements negotiations.

”We expected government officials negotiating and signing these loans to fully comply with this guideline and also ensure that the clauses are couched to clearly reflect same”.

Questioning the rationale behind accepting Hong Kong as arbitration centre for the Chinese loans secured by Nigeria, he said “arbitration centres for bilateral loan agreements are known to be generally on neutral grounds unlike what we have in most of the Nigeria/China agreements where Hong Kong that is also governed by China laws was designated as the Arbitration Centre.

“From our experience, the MDAs sign these commercial agreements in billions of dollars, then go to the President and Federal Executive Council for approval to execute, including securing loan facilities through Ministry of Finance and Debt Management Office (DMO) and then proceed to negotiate the terms of these loans before coming back to Mr. President who then writes the National Assembly asking for approval for billions of dollars to do projects without attaching the negotiated loan and commercial contracts agreement details.

“This approach is the reason we have government representatives signing empty pages of loan agreements repayment schedule and other key documents required for the loan agreements to become effective. We have commercial contracts signed in US dollars, while the loan agreements for the execution of the same contracts were signed in Chinese YUAN currency in Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy/Galaxy Backbone Limited.

”We have noticed from documents available to us that commercial contracts signed by federal ministry of transportation alone is over $33 billion without any clearcut financing arrangements. Most of these commercial contracts agreements didn’t also have local content clauses and more witnessed by none properly designated and authorized officials.

”There are observable issues relating to procurement process, evidence of 15% advanced payments, payment of management fees, drawdown process and remittances and a whole lot of other matters, which we are strongly poised to ask questions on and hopes to get honest answers that will fine tune the current process, plan for possible renegotiation of some these agreements in order serve Nigerians better.

While dismissing the claim of an existing $33 billion contract signed by the Ministry, Amaechi demanded evidence of the contract from the Committee. He said: “Mr. Chairman, if you say that the the ministry has awarded a contract of $33 billion, we would want to see it because the only contract Ministry of Transportation has awarded so far is $1.6 billion for Lagos/Ibadan (rail project).

“The Implication of having a $33 billion contract is that be will have a large number of workers. There is no $33 billion contract in the Ministry of contract. What we have is the $1.6 billion contract awarded under President Buhari and $800 million contract awarded under President Goodluck Jonathan. By the time, the contract signed under President Jonathan had been completed, 80 per cent and so, we didn’t have to do anything about local content or no local content.

“The only one we had to deal with the issue of local content which is the only contract we have for now is the $1.6 billion contract awarded from Lagos to Ibadan of which the Chinese government is providing $1.2 and wed are providing the remaining $400 million. There are over 20,000 workers on that project with only 560 of them being Chinese. We need to begin to say truth to Nigerians.”

Amaechi told the committee that the Lagos/Calabar rail line will not be possible because the House is probing the loan which has not been secured for the project, adding that at the moment, there is no contract because there was no loan.

However, as the interaction began to degenerate into an altercation between the minister and the Chairman of the Committee, the Speaker walked in unannounced and asked that the hearing be adjourned for 10 minutes.

Ossai demanded comprehensive explanation from the Minister on the various loans taken by the government insisting that it was immaterial whether the loan was taken by the APC government or the PDP government, adding that what was important was that the interest of Nigeria and future generation of Nigerians was at stake.

The following discussion took place between the minister and the panel chairman:

Ossai: You submitted an addendum section 16 B (1) under the loan content obligation. Articule 61 (1) stated that the contractor hall develop and submit to the employer, Ministry of Transport for its approval a local content plan for training and engagement of Nigeria labour plan in all aspect of the contractor work. Can you provide the committee the certified copies of the labour plan, training carried out and the beneficiaries and evidence of the number of Nigerians working in all aspect of this project and their Chinese counterpart as provided in that document?

Amaechi: I will give a slight response to your speech and they my response. The slight response is to say that we tried to be more patriotic than we have been.

Committee member: Point of order Mr. Chairman.

Ossai: I have given him the right to speak.

Amaechi: No sir, I have a right to speak. You have invited me and I have a right to speak. I was once a member of a House. So, I have the right to talk.

Ossai: Can you speak to the questions I asked you now?

Amaechi: It is either you allow speak or I stop.

Ossai: I am in charge here and I will observe you when the need arises. The Minister is speaking and I will not observe any other member. Let the Minister finish his speech and I will give you room to talk.

Amaechi: So, Mr. Chairman, the contract awarded by this government is $1.2 billion contribution by the Chinese and the $400 million being contributed by Nigeria. You ask for document and I have said I will provide the details. You talk of training. Over 150 Nigerians are in China to be trained. Apart from that, they have built two training institutions. One in Idu and I will like the Chairman to come and visit. We are also building a university in Daura.

Ossai: Are you aware, Mr Minister of the $11.1 billion Nigeria Coastal Railway project that was signed on 1st of July 2016?

Amaechi: Has the loan been approved?

Ossai: I am asking you. Are you aware?

Amaechi: I am aware, but has the loan been approved?

Ossai: You made a lot of statements initially and you restricted yourself to one. The Commercial contract further stated that the contract further covenant that he shall give priority to the engagement of Nigerian commercial firm for the supply of goods and materials. Can you provide us with records of Nigerians commercial firms currently being engaged and providing services under this contract.

Amaechi: it is important to tell you that the contract was signed as a credit to a loan and we have not gotten the loan because of you and the committee you set up against the China group. That contract is from Lagos to Calabar which covers the whole of the south south. We may not get that loan and so, there is no contract.

Ossai: I am talking about the contract…

Amaechi: Which contract? Do you want to see the south south contract? If you want to, say so. Because you are from the south south. Because of the committee you have set up, we will loss that loan for the project from Lagos to calabar.

Ossai: This issue is not about South south, but about Nigeria and I am serving Nigeria as a legislator. For us to continue to serve our geopolitical zones, this country will not be nice. If zone A get their share, next year, another zone…

Amaechi: I am coming, have you now approached me on south south rail?

Ossai: I have not

Amaechi: You have. Mr Chairman, you have approached me.

Ossai: That is ok. We will degenerate the issue to south south or any other south.

0 notes

dpr-lahore-division · 4 years

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With the compliments of, The Directorate General Public Relations,

Government of the Punjab, Lahore Ph: 99201390.

No.1835/QU/Mujahid

HANDOUT (A)

USMAN BUZDAR DISTRIBUTES SCHOLARSHIPS AMONG MINORITY STUDENTS

LAHORE, November 17:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar distributed scholarship cheques among minority students at a ceremony at his office on Tuesday. Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs and Human Rights Ijaz Alam, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Mahindar Pal Singh, MPAs Haroon Imran Gill and Peter Gill, secretaries of Minority Affairs and Information & Culture departments were also present.

The CM said the Punjab government is providing 100 per cent scholarships to students of minority communities from matric to Ph.D. in government institutions. Similarly, 2 per cent quota is also allocated in higher education institutions along with 5 per cent job quota, he added. On the other side, 50 million rupees are allocated for educational scholarship scheme for non-Muslim students and 2.5 crore rupees are given through PEEF while the remaining amount is provided through the concerned department as stipends. The CM further stated 50 per cent scholarship is earmarked for central Punjab, 35 per cent for southern Punjab and share of northern Punjab students is 15 per cent. Non-Muslim students are given scholarships ranging from Rs.15000 to 50 thousand from matric to higher studies.

The CM said 714 students, including 157 from Lahore, have been given scholarships on merit during the current financial year. This includes 32 students enrolled in professional educational institutions. The CM further said 50 crore rupees are being spent on the development of localities where non-Muslims are residing and another amount of 6 crore rupees is provided every year for the festivals of every minority community. The government is committed to providing equal opportunities for development and prosperity to the minority communities, he added.

Provincial Minister Ijaz Alam thanked the Punjab government for providing scholarships to students of minority communities adding that such students have brought laurels home in the education sector. The PTI government will continue to provide different facilities to the minority community students, he added.

** **

No.1836/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

PUNJAB CABINET APPROVES MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE OF SUGARCANE

LAHORE, November 17:

The provincial cabinet, which met under the chair of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Tuesday, gave ex post facto approval to fix Rs. 200 per maund minimum support price of sugarcane along with the approval of transportation charges and sugarcane development cess. The meeting also decided to constitute a ministerial committee for the procurement of additional imported sugar. This committee will submit recommendations after a review of sugar stock. The meeting stressed the sugarcane growers will be given a full reward of their hard work during the crushing season and legal action will be initiated against those failing in timely payments.

The cabinet allowed the food department to enter into an agreement with PASSCO for the purchase of 63 thousand metric ton imported wheat. The participants expressed the satisfaction over the stabilization of prices of flour and sugar. It decided to secure implementation of 3 per cent job quota for the visually-impaired and approved a further five-year age relaxation for employment purposes. Now, the visually-impaired candidates will enjoy up to 15-year relaxation.

The meeting also approved the draft law of the 17-member Punjab Tourism, Culture and Heritage Authority with the CM and tourism minister as its Chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. The authority will work for the promotion of tourism and culture.

The meeting decided in principle to lift the ban on the lease of coal mines and also gave in-principle approval to lift the ban on renewal of the mines leases. The meeting decided to constitute a ministerial committee to dispose of the aeroplane (AP-BX/400-A, RK-80) grounded since 2004. This committee will submit its report after reviewing different options including auction. The meeting approved setting up rescue 1122 station in Khairpur Tamewali tehsil of Bahawalpur while the release of NOC for transfer of 6-Kanal land of Tehsil Council Jhang for setting up another rescue 1122 station was also approved.

The appointment of the registrar for the University of Jhang was approved along with the decision to hand over assets of Inland Water Transport Company to the Tourism Department. The meeting decided to resolve the matter of acquisition of land for Greater Thal Canal Project Chaubara Branch phase-II and it was further decided to process the case with Asian Development Bank. The 448 miles long Greater Thal Canal will irrigate two lakh and 90 thousand acres of land.

The meeting decided to relax rules for the appointment of senior registrars posted in hepatology, liver hepatology and medical ICU from 2019. Meanwhile, approval was granted to issue notification of the medical teaching institute under Section 3(1) of the Medical Teaching Institute Act. It was also decided to implement the MTI Act at Khawaja Safdar Medical College Sialkot. The participants approved to bring King Edward Medical College under King Edward Medical University.

The cabinet also approved a south Punjab reallocation allowance for the officers posted in south Punjab secretariat. 655 posts have been created for 17 departments in this paperless secretariat. 237 posts will be in grade 17 and above. 154 IT officials will also be posted beside the miscellaneous staff of 264 officials. The meeting approved further extension in the registration date of online registration with the charity commission.

The cabinet standing committee for finance and development will take stock of matters relating to the release of a letter of comfort or bridge financing for land requisition for Ravi Urban Development Authority. The cabinet approved to present annual reports of Punjab Information Commission to Punjab Assembly and appointment of regular president/CEO of Punjab Cooperative Bank Limited. It also approved the appointment of Dr Arfa Iqbal as CEO Punjab Board of Investment and Trade. The cabinet standing committee for legislation will submit its report to the cabinet regarding permanent appointments under Rule 17. The next cabinet meeting will be held in DG Khan.

Provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, CS and others attended the meeting.

*****

No.1838/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

CM ATTENDS MULTILINGUAL ALL PAKISTAN MEHFIL-E-NA'AT

LAHORE, November 17:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, ministers, parliamentarians and senior officials attended the na'atia mushaira held under the aegis of information and culture department at CM Office on Tuesday.

Various poets paid their poetic tributes to Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in different languages. Shujaat Hashmi presented Kalam-e-Iqbal and its English and French translations were also presented. Zaheer Abbas Bilali and his associates presented Qaseeda Burda Shareef while the na'atia mushaira was chaired by Dr Munawar Hashmi. Amjad Islam Amjad, Hameeda Shaheen, Abbas Tabish, Ayub Khawar, Zahid Fakhri, Bismal Sabri, Farhat Abbas Shah, Khuda Baksh, Nasir Ali Syed, Aseer Mengal, Noor Rizvi and Iqbal Sokhri paid their tributes. The CM welcomed the holding of the event.

*****

No.1839/QU/Umer

HANDOUT (A)

CM TAKES NOTICE OF RAPE-CUM-MURDER OF A GIRL CHILD

LAHORE, November 17:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has sought a report from RPO Sargodha about rape-cum-murder of a 9-year girl in Sargodha and directed to early arrest the criminals. He also extended sympathies to the bereaved family and assured them to provide justice.

****

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timesofpakistantoday · 4 years

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Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan has released the schedule for Election 2020

Gilgit-Baltistan: Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan has released the schedule for Election 2020.

According to the notification issued by the Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan, a public notice will be issued by Arauz on July 7, 2020.

The notification said that the last date for submission of nomination papers would be July 16 and the list of nominees would be posted on July 17.

According to the notification issued by the Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan, the last date for scrutiny of nomination papers will be July 23, the last date for appeal against the RO decision has been fixed for July 27, while the last date for a decision by the Appellate Tribunal is July 3. It will be in August.

The notification said that the last date for withdrawal and reconsideration of nomination papers is August 5. Candidates will be given election symbols on August 6.

Chief Election Commissioner GB Raja Shahbaz Khan said that polling day would be held on August 18 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

It should be noted that the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly was dissolved on the night of June 23 after completing its five-year term.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman Gilgit-Baltistan Council Imran Khan had appointed Mir Afzal as the caretaker Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.

from Blogger http://www.timesofpakistantoday.com/2020/07/chief-election-commissioner-gilgit.html

#latest news #pakistan

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marymosley · 4 years

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Powers of Speaker of State Legislature in India

The Office of the Speaker is a respective position in our parliamentary democracy. It has been seen from the Office of the Speaker that when the members of Parliament represent the individual constituencies, the Speaker represents the full authority over the house . He symbolises the dignity and power of the House over which he is presiding. Therefore, it is expected that the holder of this Office of high dignity has to be one who can represent the House in all its demonstration.

POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE SPEAKER:

There is a need for head or a supreme authority of every legislative part. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker performs the same purposes in the Legislative Assembly. Therefore Article 178 of the Indian Constitution have the provisions about the same. The Constitution contains identical provisions relating to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and their counterparts in the state legislative assemblies. It lays down only the main duties and power of the speaker. Which are as follows:

To permit a member who cannot adequately express himself in Hindi or English or the official language of the state, to address the House in his mother tongue[1]

To exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.[2]

To determine whether a Bill is a Money Bill and to certify a Money Bill.[3]

To preside over the House, whenever he is present in the House, excepting when a resolution for his removal from office is under consideration.[4]

To adjourn the House when there is no quorum.[5]

The detailed duties and responsibilities of the speaker are laid down in the Rules of Procedure which each House is empowered to make under article 208 of the Constitution with, of course, the condition that such rules shall be “subject to the provisions of the Constitution”. Though the Rules of Procedure vary from state to state, the position in regard to the powers and functions of the speaker is more or less identical, as generally the rules of the assemblies in this behalf are modelled on the Lok Sabha Rules. The more important powers and functions of the speakers of state assemblies in general are briefly noted below.

As the principal spokesman of the House, the speaker represents its collective voice and is its sole representation to the outside people. His position as the presiding officer of the House is one of pivotal authority:

He regulates the debates and proceedings of the House

He is charged with the maintenance of order in the House and is equipped with all powers necessary for enforcing his decisions.

He also works on points of order raised by members and his decision is final.

Various powers are conferred on the speaker in relation to asking questions to ministers. Though the guiding principles regarding admissibility of questions are prescribed in the rules and its interpretation is vested in the speaker. He has a general discretion in regard to the admissibility of resolutions and motions also, similar to the one relating to the admissibility of questions. He decides whether a motion expressing want of confidence in the Council of Ministers is in order. The speaker has also the power to select amendments in relation to Bills and motions, and can refuse to propose an amendment which in his opinion is trivial.

It is the fundamental duty of the speaker to maintain an order in the house. He derives his disciplinary powers from the rules, and the decisions taken by him in matters of discipline are not to be challenged except on a substantive motion. He may direct any member guilty of disorderly conduct to withdraw from the House, and name a member for suspension if the member disregards the authority of the chair and persists in obstructing the proceedings of the House. The speaker also has the power that he may also adjourn or suspend the business of the House in case of grave disorder.

To enable the speaker to deal with unexpected situations and regulate matters of detail, the rules expressly vest “residuary powers” in him.

In fine, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the state assemblies confer wide discretionary powers on the speaker. The rules have been codified on the premise that the speaker’s chair would be occupied by scrupulously dispassionate and impartial persons. The speaker’s supreme authority inside the House is based on his absolute and unvarying impartiality and all the powers vested in him are intended to enable him to ensure the smooth functioning of the House. Therefore, in no case would it be justified for a speaker to use his powers arbitrarily or in such a manner as to prevent the House from functioning.

Suitable safeguards are provided in the Constitution to ensure that Parliament and the state legislatures can perform their legitimate functions without any outside interference. For instance, the validity of any proceedings of Parliament or state legislatures cannot be called in question on the ground of any alleged irregularity of procedure. Further, no officer or member of Parliament in whom powers are vested by or under the Constitution for regulating the procedure or the conduct of business, or for maintaining order in Parliament or the state legislatures, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of any court in respect of the exercise by him of those powers[6].

JUDICIAL PRECEDENTS vis-à-vis PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEDGES:

No member of Parliament or a state legislature is liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or a state legislature[7]. The position envisaged in these provisions of the Constitution has been upheld by the courts in our country which have recognised that a House of Parliament or a state legislature is the sole authority to judge as to whether or not there has been a breach of its privilege in a particular case.

In Tej Khan v. Sanjiva Ready[8] the Delhi High Court had held that no proceedings could be taken in a court of law in respect of what is said during the session of Parliament in view of article 105 (2) of the Constitution. The speaker, in proper exercise of his authority as the custodian of the rights and privileges of the House, advised the members concerned not to appear before the Supreme Court and later on the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal by Tej Kiran Jain and others. Chief Justice Hidayatullah said in his judgment that article 105 (2) of the Constitution gave complete immunity to members for anything said in Parliament. This immunity was not only complete but was as it should be. It was the essence of the parliamentary system that the representatives of the people should be free to express themselves without fear of legal consequences. What they said was only subject to the discipline of the rules of Parliament, the good sense of the members and the control of proceedings by the speaker.

SPEAKER CANNOT USE HIS POWERS ARBITRARILY:

Committee of Presiding Officers, headed by V. S. Page, Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, in its report submitted to the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India, held in October 1968. The committee, inter alia stated:

The principal duty of the Speaker is to regulate the proceedings of the House and to enable it to deliberate on and decide the various matters coming before it. Thus, in considering the various notices or points raised before him or adjournment of the sitting or placing matters before the House and the like, the Speaker should always bear this in mind and, where in doubt, he should act in favour of giving an opportunity to the House to express itself. The Speaker should not so conceive his duties or interpret his powers as to act independent of the House, or to override its authority or to nullify its decisions. The Speaker is a part of the House, drawing his powers from the House, and in the ultimate analysis a servant of the House, not its master[9].

It was held that on December 13, 1972, the Tamil Nadu Deputy Speaker, M.P. Srinivasan, who had been served with a notice by the Madras High Court, to appear before the court in a case filed by K.A. Mathialagan, challenging his removal from the office of the speaker, declined to do so. Claiming privilege under the provisions of article 212, he said that he could not be and did “not propose to be subject to the authority of any Court in the exercise of my powers and in the performance of my functions[10].

In no case would it be justified for a speaker to use his powers arbitrarily or in such a manner as to prevent the House from functioning. Insofar as the duties and responsibilities of the speaker in India and his relations with the House are concerned.

SPEAKER’S ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE:

The Speaker is the head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat which functions according to his remaining command and direction. The Speaker’s authority over the Secretariat workforce of the House, its precincts and its safety arrangements is supreme. All strangers, site visitors and press correspondents are subject to his decoram and orders and any breach of it may be punished by exclusion from the precincts of the Parliament House or stoppage of admission tickets to the galleries for precise or indefinite period, or in extra critical cases, handled as a contempt or breach of privilege. No alternation or addition can be made inside the Parliament House and no new structure may be erected within the Parliament Estate without the Speaker’s permission.

CONCLUSION:

The Office of the Speaker in India is a sentient and dynamic organization which deals with the real wants and issues of Parliament in the performance of its functions. The Speaker is the constitutional head of the House. He is the predominant spokesperson of the House. It is in him that the responsibility of carrying the working of the House in a way befitting the place of the organization in a representative democracy is invested. The founding fathers of our Constitution had recognized the importance of this Office in our democratic set-up and it turned into this reputation that guided them in establishing this Office as one of the outstanding and dignified ones within the scheme of governance of the country. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the leader architects of India’s freedom and a moving force at the back of its Constitution, placed the Office of the Speaker in India inside the right context when he said:

The Speaker represents the House. He/He represents the dignity of the House, the freedom of the House and because the House represents the nation, in a particular way, the Speaker becomes a symbol of nation’s freedom and liberty. Therefore that should be an honoured position, a free position and should be occupied always by persons of outstanding ability and impartiality.

References:

[1] Article 210, The Constitution of India

[2] Article 189(1), The Constitution of India

[3] Article 199(3) and (4), The Constitution of India

[4] Article 181 (1), The Constitution of India

[5] Article 189(4), The Constitution of India

[6] Articles 122 and 212, The Constitution of India

[7] Articles 105(3) and 194(2), The Constitution of India

[8] A.I.R. 1970 S.C. 1573

[9] Report of the Committee of Presiding Officers (Con. No. 201), Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi, September 1968, para 35.

[10] The Hindu, 14.12.1972

Author: Rishabh Mishra, Legal Intern at Legal Desire (June 2020)

A third year law student who has a deep interest towards learning matters related to criminal jurisprudence and in future i want to pursue my career in the field of criminal litigation. Apart from this i am an avid debater and bibliophilic person who loves to read and write poetry and Autobiographies and one of my favourite is “The courtroom Genius” about the life of Nani Palkhivala.

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thechasefiles · 4 years

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 14/5/2020

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap Thursday 14th May, 2020. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

BUT WANTS CXC EXAMS SUSPENDED – The Barbados Union Of Teachers (BUT) has joined the growing list of objectors across the region, which includes the Jamaica government, who have raised serious concerns about the holding of CSEC and CAPE exams in July. In fact, the union has slammed the adjustment, which was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as being more of a business decision rather than one in the best interest of the students taking the exam. In a letter addressed to Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw, the Chief Education Officer and the Permanent Secretary, a copy of which the DAILY NATION has obtained, the BUT contended that the decision seemed not to factor in the displacement to both teachers and students caused by the health crisis. In the correspondence signed by president Sean Spencer, the union claimed that, through the Ministry of Education, had urged the governing Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) not to rush this process. “On April 14, 2020, the union articulated to the Ministry of Education its belief that CXC would be better advised to implement a policy, as a separate and distinct organisational tool (apart from what may be said to amount to a business strategy), which would see its decision-making resonate with the full magnitude of the unprecedented nature of developments during this time of an extraordinary ongoing public health crisis,” the letter stated. (DN)

FRANKLIN: DEPUTY CHIEF ORAL WILLIAMS ‘OUGHT NOT BE PAID’ – Opposition legislator Caswell Franklyn today declared that Barbadians are now being forced to pay the salary for a position in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) that does not exist in law. Describing the decision to appoint a second Deputy Commissioner of Police without the backing of the Police Act as corruption, Franklyn is therefore urging the Prime Minister Mia Mottley to fire Attorney General Dale Marshall, who yesterday admitted that the post was confirmed in contravention of the Act. “We take note that the Police Act only speaks to a single Deputy Commissioner of Police and it is therefore to be regretted that the required amendment did not take place in advance of this confirmation,” Marshall said in a statement while promising to have the matter regularised as soon as possible by bringing the necessary amendment to Parliament. But Franklyn, an Opposition Senator, representing the People’s Party for Democracy and Development, said the second deputy Oral Williams, ought not to be paid at that level because the post is illegal. “It is a nullity; meaning that it did not happen. He should not even be paid at that level. There is no provision for paying him any money anywhere. I don’t know how they got the money out of the Treasury to pay. But we have some compliant civil servants who refuse to do their duty to the best of their ability. He should not be paid,” contended Franklyn, who is also General Secretary of the Unity Trade Union. The legislator said the appointment of a second deputy police commissioner amounts to political interference in the public service. “It is bordering on corruption that this man is going home in less than a year, and is being promoted to deputy so he would get the pension based on the deputy commissioner’s salary,” Franklyn claimed. “It has nothing to do with any efficiency in the police force. What will someone responsible for personnel do in crime fighting. The police does not need a person who is trained at the level of deputy commissioner to do personnel work. They could have gotten a senior personnel officer from the Ministry of the Public Service. You don’t need an HR person at the level of Deputy Commissioner,” he stated in reference to Williams’ new duties as deputy responsible for human resources. “This is an excuse and a very poor one at that, to cover this gross error that happened. “The Attorney General said the post was created last year. It is impossible to create the post of deputy commissioner of police without going to Parliament. So the post was not created last year. They think they did. There can be no creation of a post of Deputy Commissioner of Police if Parliament didn’t say so,” the Opposition senator contended. “So they did something wrong and they were paying him since last year in a post that did not exist,” he added. Franklyn also noted that the Prime Minister is the one in charge of the public service and is responsible for creating posts in that sector. Pointing out that he did not expect the Prime Minister to know everything that goes on in that sector, Franklyn believes that she may have been fed bad advice from those on whom she relies. He also told Barbados TODAY that the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police is not a political function and had nothing to do with the AG. “So when I spoke l was not even referring to him. But I don’t know why he took the attitude toward me…he became arrogant and condescending and he shot himself in the foot in the process,” Franklyn said. He said the AG’s attitude started this “whole furor” that was unnecessary. “All I was trying to do was to point out that they made a mistake and that this was basically a public service issue,” the trade union leader explained. (BT)

DLP WANT AG REMOVED - The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is demanding that Prime Minister Mia Mottley fire Attorney General Dale Marshall for appointing a second Deputy Commissioner of Police when it is not permitted by law. Today, the DLP released an official statement insisting that Marshall must go over his handling of the matter. “It must be noted that his admission came only after consistent public pressure which followed his dismissive response to those who questioned the appointment,” said the DLP. “This must not be tolerated in a public servant. The Attorney General must go,” the party demanded. “What is left when the legal adviser to the Government openly and defiantly admits to breaching the law. What worse example could possibly be set. What more reason do you need, Prime Minister, to fire the Attorney General?” the DLP asked. Yesterday, Marshall admitted in an official media statement that Oral Williams had been confirmed in the position by the Protective Services Commission in contravention of the Police Act which only provides for a single deputy. Williams has joined Erwin Boyce who holds the role of Deputy Commissioner to Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith. Last week when reporters asked the AG to address comments by Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn that the decision to appoint a second deputy was ultra vires and that any such post would first require an amendment to the Act, Marshall said he did not want to engage in any “tit-for-tat” with Franklyn. But in his statement yesterday, the Attorney General conceded that the law provides for only one deputy commissioner of police. “We take note that the Police Act only speaks to a single Deputy Commissioner of Police and it is therefore to be regretted that the required amendment did not take place in advance of this confirmation,” the Government’s principal legal advisor declared. He then assured the country that “once the strictures of COVID-19 allow for the space to resume sittings of Parliament, the necessary amendment will be made to the Police Act to give full effect to this decision.” However, the DLP, which was ousted from Government in a 30-nil drubbing at the polls in May 2018, insisted that the AG’s “arrogance” is on full display. The party said it has spent the last two years highlighting the “creeping totalitarianism” where the present Government behaves as if it is above reproach and now finally above the law. “The ‘justification’ of the Attorney General for appointing Oral Williams to a non-existent post is nothing less than a demonstration of arrogance and an absolute power trip,” added the party. “Barbados needs to know that the rule of law applies to every citizen and that the authority of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) is not made a laughing-stock. Given the crime wave which has befallen this country under this Attorney General, it is more of an imperative that the image of the uniformed services be kept intact,” the DLP suggested. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Protective Services Commission Branford Goddard is sticking to his guns of not commenting on the controversy at this stage. “I am not prepared to make any statement with regard to the issue. I told you earlier this week that the commission is not prepared to make any comments at this stage and that an appropriate comment will be made at an appropriate time,” Goddard reiterated to Barbados TODAY when contacted again this afternoon. Oral Williams himself has already said he is not “bothered” by all the furor. (BT)

CRACKDOWN ON SHOPS – Government will be cracking down on village shops that do not label their goods and give customers a bill. Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce Dwight Sutherland told the NATION yesterday his ministry had noticed these irregularities at some shops and those practices went against the principles of fair trade. “We were looking at people following the law in terms of having goods labelled. We found that some of the village shops were not adhering to that and some were not giving customers a bill. “We must put certain things in place because people must have choices. If you go to a shop and you see the price of a product, which is more expensive than down the road, you may leave and go there. If you don’t have that information you would be buying out of ignorance because it doesn’t engender good and fair commerce,” he said. (DN)

1000 POUNDS OF FISH TO HELP THE VULNERABLE – Fisherfolk yesterday donated over 1 000 pounds of fish to the Government to assist with feeding the vulnerable, elderly and those with disabilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The catch was handed over to Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde, and Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey, at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex. Humphrey lauded the efforts of the fishermen, one of whom who came up with the idea for the initiative. “People are finding it very challenging to be able to feed themselves and their families. Any assistance we get from anyone at this time would be really appreciated,” he said. (DN)

IMPORTATION OF HEIFERS HISTORIC - One hundred and fifty-nine pregnant heifers arrived in Barbados on May 12. The jerseys and holsteins were selected from the Strickland Ranch in America. This importation will eventually help local milk producers to boost their milk supply. The importation was descrided as a historic occasion by Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir. (DN)

BUS ROUTE - Barbados has the capacity to produce its own line of electric buses and save valuable foreign exchange. That is the view of Ralph Bizzy Williams and his business partner Wayne Clarke, after they unveiled an electric bus that was assembled on the island to members of the media today. Following a successful test ride from the Licensing Authority in the Pine, St Michael to Bathsheba in St Joseph, both Williams and Clarke said the possibility of Barbados assembling electric buses was a very real one. Williams, chairman of Williams Industries along with his Director of Special Projects David Staples financed the project, while Clarke and engineer Dan Johnson assembled the vehicle which will be used in Government’s Transport Augmentation Programme (TAP). The project took 18 months to be completed. “It has taken a long time to get it done and a lot of money… but it can be done, there is no question about it. I am absolutely 100 per cent confident that it can be done, but I would have to build a factory for them to be produced because it can’t be produced in the little workshops,” Williams said. “It would have to be a long production line and we would have to train a lot of people to do the technology because it’s been a two-man job really. It can be done but whether David Staples and I have the will to do it now after the experience I had with this one is the big question now. I will have to give it some thought.” However, Clarke explained that the initiative would have to be supported by Government. He said the project had initially began as a joint venture with Government but because of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme, Government was unable to provide any financing. Clarke revealed that while it cost between $800,000 to $900,000 to transform the old Transport Board bus to an electric vehicle, he projected it would take $500,000 to $600,000 for any future conversions. “I think the project can go a long way if it receives some assistance from Government because at the end of the day unless we have the concessions…because part of a business is costs and once we are allowed to streamline our costs and we can scale that bus we can produce a lot of those buses,” he said. “Once given the opportunity where we can have a production plant going where we can do this on a production line we can probably produce all of the buses because there are so many buses sitting down at the Transport Board just idle that can be refurbished and converted and save the country much needed foreign reserves.” Clarke suggested that persons from the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute could be given opportunities to work converting old buses to electric. (BT)

UTILITY COMPANIES OFFER RELIEF TO CUSTOMERS – Utility companies have agreed to offer customers some relief in light of economic challenges triggered by the impact of COVID-19 following talks with the Fair Trading Commission. Below is the full statement issued by the Fair Trading Commission: In anticipation of significant social dislocation soon after the commencement of the COVID-19 shutdown, the Fair Trading Commission initiated engagement of all regulated utilities with a view to providing relief to customers, particularly those that are most vulnerable to the economic shocks which are likely to ensue from the pandemic. As a result, the Commission has approved a number of customer-focused initiatives which will be introduced by the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited (BL&P). Over the next few months, customers will benefit from the BL&P’s absorption of credit card transaction fees associated with the payment of electricity bills up to $500. In addition, residential (Domestic Service Tariff) customers will be eligible to receive the 10 per cent early payment discount on bills once they are settled within 15 days following the lifting of the national curfew. This initiative is subject to timelines, terms and conditions, as indicated by the BL&P. Flow (Cable & Wireless (Barbados) Limited) has also developed a programme for both existing customers who have outstanding debt and those desirous of a more manageable package, to help them maintain a basic level of connectivity. Customers are encouraged to contact Flow to explore the available options. Similarly, the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), in understanding its public health role, has given its commitment to the Government of Barbados that it will discontinue its disconnection policy during this period and further move to reconnect those customers who were previously disconnected. This initiative is subject to terms and conditions, as indicated by the BWA. Additionally, the Commission is working with the utility to increase the number of operational community tanks and ensure that water tankers frequent those districts that are affected by outages. The Commission will continue to monitor regulated utilities’ customer relief efforts and, where practical, seek additional solutions for the same. For additional information on the initiatives/programmes outlined, customers may contact the relevant utility. (FTC)

CAL TELLS UWI JAMAICAN STUDENTS SEEK REFUND AS TRIP HOME CANCELLED –In a shock twist that dashed the hopes of Jamaican students seeking to go home from UWI Cave Hill, Caribbean Airlines has cancelled their return flights with no indication the airline is willing to refund students’ tickets or repatriate them on flights bound for Bridgetown and Kingston to take Trinidadian students home. The students have been told to make individual claims to the airline in order to determine whether or not they qualify for refunds. The airline’s head of corporate communications Dionne Ligoure was responding to Barbados TODAY queries on behalf of the Jamaican students who are in some cases facing eviction while running out of food and money. On Tuesday, Jamaica’s Honorary Consul in Bridgetown Ella Hoyos revealed that authorities in Kingston had not committed to assisting with a charter flight on Fly One Caribbean airline totalling more than $60,000 (US$30,000). Instead, Hoyos demanded to know whether CAL, whose flights have mostly been grounded by shutdowns at Piarco International Airport was willing to foot the bill for its Jamaican customers to get home. Failing that, the Honorary Consul suggested that the regional airline refund the students so they could afford a portion of the chartered flight. In response to the queries, Ligoure, however, indicated that Caribbean Airlines is guided by established “fare rules”, despite the peculiar circumstances resulting from COVID-19. “No date change penalties will apply. However, there are fare rules, which will guide the details of the refund. The airline would need the particulars for each student,” the CAL representative told Barbados TODAY. According to the airline’s website, “schedule changes” such as flight cancellations do not incur penalties, but “processing fees” may be applicable. It is still unclear whether the Jamaican students will qualify and refunds are processed in 7-20 working days after they are requested. When asked about the possibility of the Jamaican students being airlifted out when Caribbean Airlines flies to Kingston to collect the Trinidadian students, Ligoure replied: “Should the flight referred to operate, the information will be disclosed accordingly.” President of the Cave Hill Guild Thacher Loutin on Tuesday painted a grim picture of the realities facing stranded Jamaicans, who are becoming even more disheartened as their colleagues from other CARICOM countries are taken home as their future remains uncertain. “It doesn’t make any sense if the Caribbean Airlines flight leaving from Trinidad to pick up the Trinidadian students at UWI Mona and students in Jamaica and leaving us here. We want to go on that flight or as soon as possible. The stranded including those who aren’t students need to go home… We are just two hours away from Jamaica. They need to show some care for citizens in the Caribbean countries who need to come home as well,” she told Barbados TODAY. (BT)

CWI DENIES QUINTYNE’S ACCUSATIONS OF ABANDONMENT – Cricket West Indies (CWI) is refuting charges made by former Barbados and West Indies allrounder Shaquana Quintyne that she was abandoned by CWI after being injured during a practice session held at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua, during a camp in preparation for the International Cricket Council 50-over World Cup three years ago. Last Friday during an interview with Barbados TODAY, Quintyne disclosed that she was filing a lawsuit against CWI after being forsaken by the governing body of cricket in the region. The former promising cricketer stated she had three operations performed on her knee in Barbados, Jamaica and Canada after tearing the cruciate ligaments in her right knee during the fall. As a result she has no cartilage in her right knee and now suffers from osteoarthritis. Quintyne, 24, stated she had a brace on her knee for an extended period of time due to the injury that had left her in excruciating pain. She said she has been footing her medical expenses that were extremely costly. Quintyne, a contracted player at the time of her injury, indicated that she lost her contract with CWI shortly after being injured. In a clear the air statement issued by CWI and in a subsequent interview with Barbados TODAY, CWI’s chief executive officer Johnny Grave said Quintyne’s comments had depicted his organization as uncaring towards its cricketers which he stressed was not the case. According to Grave, CWI provided over $100,000 in assistance to Quintyne and extended her contract during her rehabilitation and recovery process. “CWI categorically refutes the claims made by Miss Quintyne that she was left to fend for herself after being injured while on West Indies duty. CWI provided financial and medical support throughout the process and facilitated her rehabilitation and recovery after her various surgical procedures that were paid for in full by CWI. We sought to have the best medical help available in the region and outside and ensured she received full payment during the period under contract and for a period beyond the scheduled end of her contract. In addition to this, CWI also provided miscellaneous expenses incurred by Miss Quintyne during her rehabilitation,” Grave said. The CEO said that CWI was not aware of any legal action being pursued by Quintyne. “The last correspondence exchanged between CWI and any representative acting on behalf of Miss Quintyne was back in January 2019,” Grave said. Meanwhile, Grave also clarified suggestions making the rounds that Barbados and West Indies Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite has lost his retainer contract with CWI. Brathwaite has had a horrid time at the crease over the past 13 months. In ten Test matches between October 4, 2018 and November 27, 2919, the solid right- handed batsman has amassed a mere 294 runs at an average of 15.47. His highest score during this period was 49 in the first innings of the second Test against England at North Sound, Antigua, last year. In his last ten Test innings Brathwaite has scored 49, 5 not out, 12, 8, 14, 1 10, 3, 11 and 8. His batting was marginally better but still below par in this year’s regional first-class season where he amassed 468 runs at an average of 32.42 for Barbados Pride and with a top score of 84. Brathwaite’s poor form during the first-class season has led to fans speculating that he might not be selected for the now postponed tour to England by the West Indies which was scheduled to begin next month. On Tuesday, secretary of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Gregory Nicholls suggested on social media that Brathwaite had lost his retainer contract with CWI. When asked if Brathwaite had indeed lost his retainer contract with CWI, Grave said it was presumptuous at this stage for anyone to suggest that the vice-captain of the West Indies Test team had lost his contract with CWI because no contracts at either the International or franchise level had been offered yet to any players. “The Board is waiting on the recommendations from the Financial Strategy Advisory Committee before deciding on when new contracts will be issued. All current contracts expire on the 30th of June 2020, with new contracts due to start on July 1st. If any International contracted player loses their contract, they are automatically offered a grade A contract for the next year, which is the highest level franchise contract,” Grave said. (BT)

SKERRIT ONLY THE BEST FOR ENGLAND TOUR – Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt has ruled out sending a second-string team to England, if the leading Test players are hesitant to tour because of COVID-19 fears. But with discussions over how and when the rescheduled series can be staged still “taking place on both sides of the Atlantic”, Skerritt said speculation over player availability was misplaced. West Indies were scheduled to tour England for three Tests next month but the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic forced a postponement. The England and Wales Cricket Board said it hoped to press ahead with the tour between July and September, and recent media reports have touted July as the date identified by administrators to host the series. (CMC)

KRAIGG UNDER CONTRACT CLOUD - West Indies Test Vice-Captain Kraigg Brathwaite may be in danger of having his central red-ball contract downgraded. And while Cricket West Indies (CWI) is yet to provide players with new deals for the planned 2020-21 season, there is growing speculation surrounding the future of the Caribbean’s No.1 rated opening batsman. The novel coronavirus is having a global impact on international sports, and CWI is not projecting the issuing of new contracts until the end of May. Word of this came from CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave yesterday during an interview with NATION SPORT.

UPDATE: KRYSTAL TAKILA HOLDER TRACED - The Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) has confirmed that Crystal Takila Holder, 32, of 49 Drax Hall Woods, St George has been traced. The RBPF issued a media release seeking the assistance of the public in locating Holder earlier today. (PR)

UPDATE: Ambulance personnel confirmed the three people in a house at River Land, St Philip, were all dead on the scene. The names have not yet been released, but police say it was a 42-year-old woman, her 24-year-old son and another male, 23, who were shot and killed. Neighbours reported hearing gun shots around 1:30 a.m. today, the bodies were discovered and the police summoned. Investigations are continuing. (DN)

YOUTH GUILTY OF USING THREATS – A 22-year-old is on a year bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. If Damon Tyrone Moore, of Apartment N, Melbourne Apartments, Black Rock, St Michael breaches the order imposed by Magistrate Graveney Bannister, he will have to pay the court a $1,500 forthwith fine or spend the alternative of five months in prison. The sentence was handed down after Moore pleaded guilty to using threatening words towards Sophia Downes on May 7, which caused her harassment, alarm and distress. Moore told the complainant “You bring a man down here and showing him which part my mother live? If anybody go round my mother, I gine come and shoot you in your head.” In handing down the sentence Magistrate Bannister told Moore to avoid taking the law into his own and to behave himself. “Call the police. Never take the law into your own hands. So, don’t go around with that kind of behaviour.” (BT)

RAYSIDE ADMITS TO TRAFFIC AND CURFEW CHARGES – When a group of motorcyclists saw police on Jackman’s Road last Sunday they quickly turned around and rode away. However, prosecutor Sergeant Theodore McClean said 24-year-old Shaquille Ramone Rayside, of 3rd Avenue Grazettes St Michael who was among the group, on May 10, was not so lucky and was apprehended, Rayside allegedly told police at the time “I does drag behind NCC on the pasture, only come to get air from the gas station.” As lawmen conducted their investigations it was discovered that Rayside had no insurance, number plates, nor driver’s licence and the motorcycle was not registered. He was charged with the traffic offences. Rayside was also charged that he contravened Paragraph 1 of the Emergency Management COVID-19 Curfew No. 4 Directive as he could not give police a reasonable explanation for being on the road at 5:40 p.m. when there was a national directive in place. Rayside pleaded guilty to all the charges before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes. The first time offender explained that he was not with the group of men that police spoke about. “I was not riding with the people they say. Dem men were going up and I was going down. I don’t know where they come from.” “I went to the gas station. That’s where they saw me going from, Jackman’s gas station,” he added. Chief Magistrate Weekes asked Rayside what would have happened if he had found himself in an accident and knocked down someone when he had no insurance. “We the taxpayers have to pay the medical bills . . . . You have no reason to be on the road. “I really think that you are reckless. Reckless, ignorant behaviour on our streets. You fall and we the taxpayers have to pay to take care of you. Reckless!” the judicial officer stated. He then ordered that Rayside pay the $500 in 16 weeks or spend a month in prison for having no motorcycle insurance and another $500 for the no licence charge to be paid in the same time period. The same alternative was applied. The first time offender was convicted, reprimanded and discharged for having no licence plates and reprimanded and discharged for not having the vehicle registered. For breaching the directive he has to pay the court $3,500 in 16 weeks or spend six months in prison. (BT)

CIVIL SERVICE OFFERS COUNSELLING AMID FEAR & ANXIETY - Some public officers are frightened and anxious about the pandemic and its impact on their lives, the Government’s personnel chief revealed as she announced a series of initiatives to help workers cope. Gail Atkins, the director-general of human resources in the Ministry of the Public Service pointed to research which indicated a “prevailing mood“ of “fear and anxiety” among “some” civil servants. “There is great concern about the preservation of one’s health and that of loved ones,” Atkins told the Government Information Service. “Many officers have accepted and are comfortable with the ‘new normal’ of work from home arrangements, as it is believed that this mode of work will minimize health risks associated with interaction in large numbers.” The Government’s human resources director has promoted its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which provides tip sheets and stress level tests to public officers. Atkins said: “The tip sheets will provide strategies and or solutions to manage the health and well-being of officers, while the stress level tests will highlight the level of stress associated with varying issues and will be an indicator for extending counselling services through Network Services Centre, to those public officers in distress.” And the EAP has taken some of its debriefing services online by providing “ brief interactive sessions” for officers, according to Atkins. The topics of the sessions include: Emotional Response to COVID-19: Dealing with Fear, Anxiety and Grief; Working from Home: Managing Mood and Motivation; Family and Relationship Dynamics: How to Interact with Loved Ones; and Managing Change and Transition: Strategies to Cope with Stress. The EAP services include supervisory/management support, counselling and crisis support, and transition and re-engagement for public officers, said Atkins. She pointed out this would allow individuals at all levels in the public service to “process their emotions and be appropriately debriefed in the current crisis”, according to a Government release. Atkins said the EAP’s aim was to be preventative and proactive for early detection to help public officers resolve personal and work-related issues, which could harm well-being, job performance and productivity. The EAP services have been outsourced to the non-profit counselling organisation, Network Services Centre, and Atkins gave an assurance that the counselling sessions are strictly confidential. Atkins said: “As a means of ensuring confidentiality and to confirm proof of employment, employees are required to submit National Insurance numbers when seeking EAP services.” Government meets the cost of the EAP and pays for three annual visits for individual counselling. Follow-up counselling sessions within the same year are discounted by 20 per cent. Atkins indicated that public officers who want to access the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in the People Support and Wellness Unit of MPS should call 535-4565, or Network Services Centre at 228-3056 or 228-7773. (BT)

VIRUS ‘UNCOVERS CHALLENGES TO YOUTH’ - The global pandemic has helped to further exacerbate issues already present in societies across the Caribbean, a regional youth leader has told a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) webinar. Roshana Trim, who chairs the Caribbean Regional Youth Council told a CDB webinar entitled COVID-19 SOS in the Caribbean: Strategies for Our Societies. that young people across the region were already facing several challenges, even before the pandemic. Trim said: “It has affected young people in numerous ways but the truth is that in many ways those challenges were challenges that existed before and were exacerbated by the pandemic. “So our vulnerability as it relates to our economic security, poverty, abuse, unemployment, education and all of those different aspects that we spend so much time discussing as young people and with policyholders, they’ve now become even more harsh. “So at this point in time we have to aim to not only buttress our populations and ensure that they are able to survive this pandemic and have access to the basics and the necessities, but we have to lay the groundwork for a resilient region with economies and people who are made to adjust and adapt.” Trim said despite those challenges, there were still positives coming out of the pandemic. The pandemic had highlighted the need for a more versatile education system throughout the Caribbean, the youth leader argued. She said: “COVID-19 has provided a place for opportunities and will allow us to tap into these things that are definitely a priority for us in building a resilient region and building a country where while we do not know whether a crisis will come, we do know they will come and prepping for that response. “Ultimately in the Caribbean education has to be a major way in which we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic because what has happened is that COVID-19 has disrupted education. “For a long time, we have been tiptoeing towards online learning and e-education and we have now been forced to speed up that process and this has disadvantaged many young people across the region.” (BT)

COVID-19 – 8 PEOPLE LEAVINB ISOLATION - Eight people will be released from isolation today after they received two consecutive negative test results for coronavirus (COVID-19). A statement from the Ministry of Health and Wellness today said this reduces the number of people in isolation to 13, and brings the recoveries to 65. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory conducted 138 tests yesterday, of which there were no new positive cases. Therefore, Barbados’ confirmed COVID-19 cases remain at 85. To date, 3 323 tests have been completed. The island has recorded seven deaths as a result of COVID-19. (BGIS)

TROPICAL STORM POSSIBLE BY WEEKEND – Forecasters are pointing to a possible named tropical system off the southeastern United States coast this weekend. There is a 70 per cent chance of storm development over the next five days, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is forecasting. This could be the sixth consecutive year with a storm forming before June 1 – the official start of hurricane season. If the system were named, it would be Arthur, the first name on this year's Atlantic hurricane list. Development is likely to happen just northeast or right over the Bahamas. As the storm gets its act together it could come close to the East Coast early next week before getting pulled back out into the Atlantic Ocean. The most significant threats to land are expected to be probable tropical storm-force winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous surf. "If the system were to develop, it would likely be a subtropical depression or subtropical storm," CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen says. "A subtropical storm is a hybrid between a regular area of low pressure (cold core) and a purely tropical system (warm core)." The NHC began giving subtropical storms a tropical cyclone name in 2002. For a subtropical storm to become a hurricane, it has to become fully tropical by establishing a warm core and then strengthen to hurricane-force winds. "This potential storm is not likely to become a full hurricane," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers says. "Still, with ocean temperatures above normal most of the year, the middle of May will likely become the new start of tropical storm season." (CNN)

NOISE NUISANCE AN IRRITANT TO RESIDENTS –The constant buzzing of kites in at least one St Michael district has residents at their wits’ end as they attempt to work and study at home. Following numerous failed law enforcement attempts over the years to control the disturbances, some of the Bayville, St Michael inhabitants are appealing to the goodwill of the culprits living in surrounding districts. Others want “noise pollution” to be criminalised. Barbados TODAY investigations revealed that three massive kites have been annoying persons living in St. Luke’s Avenue, Chelsea Gardens, Browne’s Avenue, Clarke’s Avenue and Palm Tree Place – just a stone’s throw away from the Geriatric Hospital. “These kites are flown 24 hours a day, all day, and it’s even worse now that the country is facing this pandemic,” resident Richard Doyle told Barbados TODAY. “I’ve been to and have called the police countless times and all I usually am told is that many reports have already been made. It’s as though the police are powerless,” he added. While, Candi Nurse, a resident of Luke’s Avenue for the last three years understands such activities are popular around Easter, she is disgusted that the practice of “staking out” kites appears to be a year-long activity. “A kite never affects the person that has staked it out. It always affects persons who are further down in the district. I am opposite the Geriatric Hospital and I think it is sad that the elderly people have to endure that noise every night. “If I want to go into my patio at night, especially now that everything is supposed to be quiet because of the curfew, there is this constant, overbearing noise. Sometimes I go inside and try to close the windows and turn up my television a little louder than normal, but when it’s time to sleep, it’s just very overbearing,” she added. As she pointed to cord and ‘tail’ from fallen kites in her yard, she compared the annoyance to a neighbour “illegally” blasting loud music next door. “I think if it’s an offence to blast loud music without a permit, then this kite flying crime should fall under the same category. “It is already hard to concentrate when life is going on around you at home, so imagine a kite balling in your ears while you are trying to focus on adjusting from a work environment to a home environment, or trying to study or listen to classes,” she said. The manager of the Geriatric Hospital declined to speak with Barbados TODAY, but workers revealed it has long been an annoyance for them. Another resident, who has lived in Bayville his entire life said after years of enduring the nuisance, his ears have grown immune. He however added his voice to that of his neighbours. “There are others that the kites will affect and we could sometimes have a bit more of a conscience,” he said. (BT)

ONLINE FESTIVAL –There is growing optimism among local promoters and entertainers about the possibility of producing some aspects of the Crop Over festival online including a Soca Monarch Competition or similar event with a different name. Local entertainer Jamal Slocombe, who has partnered with local companies MarNiko media, Trident 10 TV and Chattel House Caribbean revealed that promoters, artistes and other entertainers are keen to host numerous private events on their online platforms. Meanwhile, popular producer Peter Coppin has signalled his intention to host an online soca competition and is hoping to attract the buy-in of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF). Minister of the Creative Economy, Culture and Sports John King confirmed that numerous event proposals have been landing on his desk. While pledging his moral support to the efforts, King stressed that Government had already made a decision on the annual festival and any changes to that arrangement would have to be planned and led by the private sector. “These just aren’t normal times, so everything you do, you have to consider the consequences. You have to ask yourselves whether you have the money to spend on the events and competitions that people may want. Those are all things that must be weighed in the balance to determine what we can get involved in and what we can’t,” the culture Minister explained. He, however, added: “Crop Over is the people’s festival, and therefore if people are willing to do stuff and hold competitions, there is nobody to stop you or cause any problems.” Slocombe told Barbados TODAY his partners have reached out to numerous private sector entities for further support in producing an array of events that would feature soca artistes, calypsonians and even comedians to bring “upliftment” to Barbadians. “We are focusing less on the events held by the NCF and are instead looking at what present promoters host for the Crop Overfestival,” said Slocombe, who said he has been engaging President of Barbados Association of Calypsonians and Artistes (BACA) Sean Apache Carter, as well as Sean Clarke – President of the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries who have all been supportive. “It will allow Barbadians at home, Barbadians abroad and Barbadians by choice to have the opportunity to celebrate with us. So we are just creating a hub where people can celebrate during what traditionally would have been Crop Over,” he explained. Coppin meanwhile indicated that his idea of hosting a soca monarch competition would showcase the work of an array of artistes still making music despite the impact of COVID-19 on traditional performances. But unlike Slocombe, Coppin is adamant that the rollout of such a massive competition would require infrastructural assistance from the state. “If we want to go forward with a competition that is similar to the Party Monarch, I will need to find a building that is large enough to accommodate a socially-distanced band to back the artistes. That is just one example,” he told Barbados TODAY. He explained that the proposed event would see local artistes advance through numerous stages based primarily on an online voting system, followed by a Soca Monarch final featuring the ten most successful contestants. “This is a new era and even if Crop Over comes next year, I still think that the Internet will play a massive role. Obviously, you can’t beat a live event, but we need to continue to experiment with how the public perceives these events,” he stressed. If Coppin’s bid with local authorities fails to materialize, the producer has pledged to continue using electronic platforms to promote local music. While it is still unclear how the promoters intend to earn money from the events, Minister King suggested a simple model that could be used to attract revenue. “If a particular artist or artists are featured in concert and a meagre sum of $2 is charged to gain access to the platform, in two twos, over a million people may be logged and just like that, you have earned two million dollars with no overheads at all,” he suggested. “From the ministry’s perspective, we already revealed our plans for the year and we will have to stick to our plans…but if people want to do all of these things, I would gladly support it. But that would require speaking to the entire cabinet, and advisors in the ministry,” the Minister added. (BT)

NCF TO HOST CREATIVE ARTS CONTEST FOR CHILDREN - Barbadian children have an opportunity to use their creative talents in a digital competition, an initiative of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), which allows children aged six to 17 to create posters, films, short stories and spoken word videos.Submissions should be done under the theme COVID-19 Prevent The Spread, according to a media release today.Chief executive officer at the NCF, Carol Roberts-Reifer explained: “This pandemic (COVID-19) has interrupted our normal weekday routines and many children will find it hard to cope, and creativity can be a powerful antidote.“Children will have the opportunity to promote positive messages and educate their like-minded peers, along with the general public, while trying to find some normalcy in their lives, and keep their minds occupied while at home.”Prizes range from $500 to $1 000, and entries will be shared and promoted via NCF’s online platforms. Rules and registration forms may be found on the NCF’s website. (BGIS)

The world is facing the rapid spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. As we continue to do our part in Barbados please remember to stay home but on the days you have to go out wear your masks, practice social distancing (stand 6-10 feet away from each other), practice good daily hygiene, eat healthy, exercise and keep your mind active. There are 232 days left in the year Shalom! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell #coronavirusinbarbados #nationalresponse #dailynews #thechasefilesblog

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: White House and Fcc Should Know There’s No Pleasing Some People

— By Art Brodsky

Did White House business liaison Valerie Jarrett just give the big kiss-off to Verizon Chairman Ivan Seidenberg? Or did she invite more negotiations on some crucial telecommunications issues?

A meeting between the two and the subsequent letters followed up Seidenberg’s blast at the Obama Administration on June 22, in which, speaking as chairman of the Business Roundtable, he said the Administration’s policies, including telecommunications policy, were creating a hostile environment for investment and job creation.

Seidenberg, in his July 8 “Dear Valerie” letter thanked her for taking the time to have a meeting, said it was nice to discuss a range of issues, including a couple of free trade agreements, and tossed in this little bouquet: “In addition, as we discussed, we will refine the list of proposed regulations to identify those that have the greatest potential to affect adversely economic growth and share those with you.”

Jarrett, replying on July 12 to “Mr. Seidenberg,” (not on a first-name basis here), said, “We also look forward to continuing our discussion on regulations.” While there may be some disagreement on some issues, Jarrett said, “we have an open door and are always willing to consider input and ideas from everyone, including the business community…”

For balance, Jarrett added that: “We can all agree that when lax or poorly crafted regulations contribute to problems such as the financial crisis, or the oil spill, ultimately America’s businesses and economy suffer.”

The White House made time for a meeting and paid attention to Seidenberg, as they obviously did not to Washington Post financial columnist Steve Pearlstein, who called Seidenberg “nothing more than a corporate hack peddling the much-discredited country-club nonsense that what’s good for corporate cash flow is good for America. His presentation was so riddled with hyperbole, junk economics and logical inconsistencies that it will be a long while before anyone in Washington takes him, or the Business Roundtable, seriously again.”

According to the political punditocracy, the White House wants to appear to be friendly to business and the business agenda, even though “business” has given them nothing but the back of its hand and that it’s the business agenda that to a large degree got us into the economic mess the Obama Administration is trying to solve. (The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today reiterated a similar agenda.) If the formula of deregulation and tax cutting was as good as business says, then we should be in boom times, not the bust in which we find ourselves.

When “Mr. Seidenberg” comes back to “Valerie” with his list of proposed regulations that will hurt the economy, chances are the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be at the top, with its modest proposal to introduce some regulatory authority over broadband. The question is how his list will be received within the White House. The sad part is no one really knows.

As the old saying goes, you aren’t paranoid if they really are after you. The progressive author Eric Alterman produced a long analysis which shows why progressives are leery of the Obama team.

An issue he doesn’t mention is the central one in telecommunications – what will be the FCC’s authority over high-speed Internet services? The FCC hasn’t sold out on that one, but there are many in Washington who think it’s a distinct possibility that the FCC will try to cut a deal with the carriers that will severely clamp down on the notion of a wide open, best-efforts Internet by giving telephone and cable companies more control over how different types of Internet traffic are transmitted.

Lawrence Summers, the chairman of the National Economic Council, spoke recently at the New America Foundation on spectrum issues. He didn’t mention, and no one asked, what he thought of what the FCC was doing on Internet and broadband issues. The way the White House has been cutting deals, no one was sure how he would answer.

If the Administration wants to be friendly to “business,” then it has to remember that “business” is not a monolithic community, nor an altruistic one. If the White House wants to make nice with Seidenberg, it should also ask how he is creating jobs. Is it by selling off properties in New England to companies that then go bankrupt? How many people did Verizon lay off? How’s their capital expenditure budget coming? Why did they stop the fiber roll out? They could ask similar questions of many of the Roundtable clan. Are there businesses that might benefit from the FCC’s proposal to put a firm legal footing under Internet access service?

Business also is in the habit of being bad winners. Even when they get what they want, it’s not enough. We saw a couple of examples lately from yet another rapacious bunch – the entertainment crowd, when, after years, courts finally decided that enough was enough.

Bloomberg Business Week ran an intriguing article the other week called “Why Hollywood Loves the White House Again.” The story, by veteran Business Week entertainment reporter Ron Grover and Bloomberg’s telecom reporter, Todd Shields, reported as the bottom line: “In contrast to the last Bush White House, the Obama Administration has been responsive to Hollywood’s policy agenda.”

That’s partially true, because the Bush Administration was certainly responsive to the “creative community.” They started the notorious Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), backed legislation that created IP czars and dumped yet more penalties on consumers. There’s no doubt that this Administration, particularly Vice President Joe Biden, is on this industry’s side.

But it’s also true that business is never satisfied, as a couple of recent cases show.

A few days ago, a Federal judge reduced the damages someone would have to pay for illegal downloading of songs. From the original $675,000, student Joel Tenenbaum will pay $67,500. U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner wrote that even an award of that size was severe, but that the original award was “unconstitutionally excessive.” (Here’s a more complete legal analysis from PK legal intern Anjali Bhat.)

The per-song amount, $2,250, is the same that U.S. District Judge Michele Davis in Minnesota said in January was appropriate in a downloading case involving Jammie Thomas.

The recording industry protested both rulings, feeling that $2,250 is too low a penalty for downloading a song that could be had for 99 cents or so. Thomas is still on the hook for $54,000, which is a tidy sum if not the $1.92 million she was originally assessed.

Perhaps the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in protesting the low amount of the judgments, is keeping an eye on the bottom line. As Ray Beckerman pointed out, from documents uncovered by p2pnet, the RIAA paid its attorneys about $16 million in 2008, yet recovered only $391,000.

However, the classic whining winner came after Viacom lost its $1 billion copyright case against YouTube. U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton was fairly clear in his ruling. When YouTube “received specific notice that a particular item infringed a copyright, they swiftly removed it. It is uncontroverted that all the clips in suit are off the YouTube website, most having been removed in response to DMCA takedown notices.”

The law says that YouTube had to remove material when it got a takedown notice. They did so. End of story. The law that the entertainment industry largely drafted, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, said they had to take the material down after a protest. It was, according to the law.

That didn’t sit well with the entertainment community. The Copyright Alliance asked: “How did we find ourselves in a world where a group of venture-funded entrepreneurs can knowingly build a business model off of the display of unauthorized copyrighted works, be on the record as knowing that their cash flow would stem almost solely from this infringement, and still get off the hook as long as they took works down after being notified by the copyright owner?”

The answer is – It’s the law. It’s been the law for a dozen years.

Director Taylor Hackford wrote: “We are extremely concerned about the implications of the judge’s decision, which permits those who engage in or enable Internet theft to build sites using illegal content provided the site operators promise to take the illegal content down later if they are caught and notified.”

It’s not only the law, it’s Your law, Mr. Hackford. The industry got 99 percent of what it wanted out of that bill. Thank America Online (the pre-Internet, pre-merger AOL that ruled the online world back then) for that one common-sense item “business” didn’t get. AOL argued, and Congress accepted the argument even back in 1998, that there would be no way for an online service manually to track every piece of information posted to a site.

The lesson here is fairly clear to the White House and its inhabitants, and to the denizens of the FCC. You can’t please some people. They will push until they get what they want and then they will push some more. That’s their job. Your job is to look out for the greater public good, for consumers and for those businesses that don’t have $6 million to spend on lobbying fees in one quarter alone as AT&T did, with Verizon close behind. A large part of the decision, Ms. Jarrett, rests with you.

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Previously published on publicknowledge.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. —

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