When it comes to cooking in the great outdoors, nobody does it better than DJ BBQ or Christian Stevenson as his dad calls him. The award-winning presenter, author and social media star has a YouTube channel devoted to grilling, roasting, baking and smoking, and these are his top music-inspired tips to give flaming novices the skills to rule the grills

Before grilling your steak, make sure you take the meat out of the fridge for at least half an hour so it can get to room temperature. Its a muscle and needs to relax to be nice and tender and juicy.

Elbow grease and an acid work best.Get a wire brush, fire up some coals (its easier to clean when hot), rub half an onion or lemon on the grill, then work that brush. Keep your grill clean. A clean grill is an efficient grill.

In other words, dont cover the whole BBQ with coals. The easiest way to set up your grill is the half-and-half technique: charcoal on one side, no charcoal on the other. This way you can get a good colour (char) on your food over the direct heat. If things get out of hand and the heat/flames are too intense, you can move your food to the indirect heat. Plus, this a good way to insure that your meat is cooked all the way through.Putting the lid on your cooker turns your outdoor grill into an outdoor oven.Great for cooking chicken.

Never scrimp on the rubs and marinades. Make your own. The classic rub contains five main ingredients: sea salt, cracked pepper, onion granules, garlic granules and brown sugar. Then get adventurous by adding dry herbs such as oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne, chilli powder and/or paprika.

Always use two sets of tongs and two chopping boards: one for raw meat, one for cooked. Or just do lots of washing.

Never be scared to go bold with the smokiness. Ive been experimenting with the guys at Ardbeg to get my food as smoky as their whisky.I use seasoned fruit woods when grilling or smoking for a lovely flavour. You can also make fresh charcoal to add more flavour to your food by cooking the wood down and then grilling over the coals. My favourite woods to use are wild cherry, birch, orange, beech and sweet chestnut.

Keep the ash from building up at the bottom of your barbecue otherwise you will suffocate your fuel (unless youre cooking fish and you want to use the ash on the charcoal to get a nice medium heat).

Always add barbecue sauce near the end of the cook. Barbecue sauce contains sugar and when sugar hits heat it can burn easily.

I went wild with my salmon recipe with Ardbeg and used wood from one of their whisky caskets, nailed a beautiful fillet of salmon to it and smoked it in a fire pit. You can watch how to do it over on Ardbegs YouTube channel.

Ingredients

1 side of organic Scottish salmon, skin on and pin-bonedSalt and pepperLarge bunch thymeLarge bunch rosemaryLarge bunch parsleyLarge bunch chives

For the braised fennel2 bulbs fennel, sliced50g butterWaterSalt and pepper2 lemons

For the horseradish mayo5cm stick of horseradish4tbsp mayonnaise4 slices rye breadDrizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Special equipmentGround fire pit or barbecueDried natural wood for fuelCedar grilling plankNon-galvanised iron/steel nails, cleanedHammerLarge rocks/logs

Method

1

Light your fire pit with the wood and let it burn down to coals. Prepare some rocks or large logs to prop up your fish plank.

2

Layer up all your herbs onto the plank and lay over the fish, skin-side down. Carefully hammer the nails into the fish to secure it to the plank. Season well and prop up next to the fire. Manage the fire by moving the coals near the salmon and turning the plank as needed to achieve an even roast. Add more wood to the opposite end of the fire to burn down and make fresh coals. The fish will need about 25-30 minutes to cook through. You can check by using a fork to see if the thick end of the meat is going opaque and firm.

3

While the fish cooks, place a frying pan onto the coals and add in the butter. Once melted, add in the fennel slices and roast until caramelised on both sides. Season and add in enough water to cover. Cook the fennel down until the water has evaporated and the fennel is tender. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and keep warm.

4

Grate the horseradish into the mayonnaise and mix well.

5

Drizzle the oil over the bread slices and toast straight on the coals until golden, then set aside. Once the fish is cooked, flake off the flesh and serve with the toast alongside the braised fennel and horseradish mayonnaise.

Ingredients

1 trimmed beef filletSea salt flakesCracked black pepper200ml Ardbeg whiskyBunch thyme, pickedBunch rosemary, picked1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

For the coal-roasted mash4 carrots4 parsnips3 red onion1 large garlic bulb2 medium sweet potatoes50g butterSalt and pepper

Special equipmentPure wood charcoal. This recipe is not possible with briquettes or imported non-pure charcoal.

Method

1

Prepare your marinade by mixing the whisky, herbs and onion together in a tray.

2

Take your beef fillet and carefully slice the whole fillet into three strands with all three still being joined at the thick end. Plait the strands by bringing alternate strands into the middle until you get to the end. Tie the end with natural twine to secure the plait. Marinade your beef for 2 hours so the flavours can impart their way into the meat.

3

Prepare your coal bed by lighting a charcoal fire. Carefully place all the vegetables onto the coals. Roast the veg on the coals for up to 2 hours. Keep an eye out for when they become tender and remove as needed into a metal tray. Dont worry about burning them as this will be removed later. Once all the vegetables are removed, flatten out and push the coals together to make a tight coal bed and let the heat come back.

4

Remove the beef from the marinade and season liberally. Place the beef on the coals and leave to slowly roast. Manage the fire to make sure the beef cooks evenly. After 5-6 minutes, turn the beef onto another area of the coals, as the meat will have suffocated the coals where it has been sat. Roast the beef until rare and remove to rest.

5

Roughly remove all the heavy charring on the roasted veg and mash in a tray along with the butter. Season to taste. Slice the rested beef and serve with the coal-roasted mash.

IngredientsA 4-5kg pork shoulder, neck end with the rind removed and blade bone left in10 brioche rollsHalf a bottle of Ardbeg whisky

For the rub1tbsp sea salt flakes1tbsp cracked black pepper1tbsp ground coriander1tbsp ground cumin1tbsp paprika1tsp mustard powder1tsp chilli powder2tbsp light brown sugar

For the slaw small white cabbage, finely sliced1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced1 red chilli, sliced3tbsp mayonnaise2tbsp malt vinegar

Special equipmentFoil traySmokerDried wood for fuel

Method

1

Set up and heat your smoker with the dried wood to 150C. Youll need to start smoking your pork 18 hours before you want to eat.

2

Mix all the rub ingredients together and liberally rub over the prepared pork shoulder. Place in the smoker and reduce the smoker to 115C. Fill the foil tin with 100ml whisky and 100ml water and place the tin next to the pork in the smoker. Keep an eye on the liquid level, as it may need topping up with the same quantities midway through. While the pork smokes, flick over more of the half water and half whisky with your fingers to keep the crust moist.

3

To make the slaw, mix everything together in a bowl and set aside.

4

After 18 hours, carefully remove the cooked pork from the smoker and place in a roasting tray. Pull the pork into tender pieces, checking the seasoning once youre done. Toast your buns on the firebox and serve the smoked pork with the slaw and the toasted buns.

Ingredients50ml Ardbeg Ten Years Old15ml maple syrup (to taste)3 dashes orange bitters

For the garnishCrispy bacon stirrerTorched rosemaryOrange twist

Method

1

Measure out the listed quantities of each ingredient and add to your favourite cocktail glass.

2

Stir the mixture together and serve on block ice.

3

Lastly, add all of those delicious sweet and smoky garnish ingredients.

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Originally posted here:

The golden rules of how to BBQ like a pro - British GQ

Education

Not everyone has the easiest time in school. I know I didnt. My mental health was something I struggled with coming up in the one brick-and-mortar school in my small town. It was difficult to succeed in the school district. Fortunately, I found a solution with online school.

I can now say that Ive grown so much from my transition from a brick-and-mortar school to online learning at Idaho Technical Charter Academy, as I look to complete my senior year of college at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX

I didnt have what one would call a normal life. For starters, my home environment wasnt great and my struggles with mental health made it difficult to take full advantage of everything that online school has to offer. My school provided me with an incredibly strong support system in the form of its teaching staff. I became very close with one of my English teachers who is part of the reason I even got into Trinity. I now study English there and Im really involved in advocacy and inclusion on campus.

With COVID-19, many families are concerned about returning to in-person learning but also hesitate to go fully online. I can assure you that with the right tools and guidance, online school works. It drove me to establish myself as a truly self-driven and self-directed person, and I appreciate that it could act as that buffer for my mental health. Lets make sure that every family has the ability to choose the school that meets their needs.

Brianna Duncan, Meridian

Lands

The consequences of swapping McCall land to Trident Holdings LLC will outlive sweet-talking Alec Williams. Its easy to imagine the owners of the contemplated private acre lots backing up to public land enjoying access to the public land and denying it to the public, as often happens. An easement on private property is only a right to sue for access, not access. Who wins that suit, the deep-pocketed, politically-connected rich guy or the public? If Tridents plans are so benign and financially beneficial, why doesnt the Land Board do them? And endowment lands arent public lands but Tridents would be? Huh?

James Runsvold, Caldwell

Kool-Aid

Sorry Mr. Cannamela, youve been drinking the same $17 Billion Dollars worth of Kool-Aid over the past 20 yrs that the majority of Governors, Congressmen and Native Americans have on how to renew the Salmon/Steelhead runs in the PNW. Imagine $17 Billion and still no solution; typical government scenario in wasteful spending. Well, I have a solution that is backed by Good Science. Contact Mr. Ron Harriman at ronharriman@q.com for the details and I would invite our Governor to do the same. Mr. Harriman has the solutions without losing any of our Hydro Power and it wont cost another $17 Billion of taxpayers money to do it. Will it be easy? No, but the plan will solve the problem.

Chuck Stadick, Caldwell

Grow a heart

An Idaho Press story over the weekend helped me understand why so many Idahoans do not wear masks or take protective measures urgently recommended by the governor and, most recently, the president.

While discussing the death of a St. Lukes nurse, Representative Tommy Nichols told the Idaho Press that information about the virus coming from government and medical scientists was without consensus. This suggests that, for many, science which seems unequivocal can be disregarded if, for example, medical advice changes about the importance of masks. She then implied a distinction should be made between those who died from the disease from those who died with it, as if Covid death numbers are also without consensus. Finally, Nichols said she did not want someone else to be held responsible to keep me safe.

It is obvious and undeniably we are responsible for ourselves. But have we no responsibility to protect others, which is the purpose of wearing a mask? What happened to Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself or the Golden Rule?

The same weekend brought a call from my brother saying his dear wife had just been diagnosed with Covid and taken to a hospital. Apparently, three workers at a facility where she was in medical rehabilitation had brought the infection to her.

Should she die, it would be from three workers failing to wear masks or engaging in risky behavior or because testing, tracing or protective equipment was unavailable. Isnt the point to protect everyone possible, not statistical consensus? And, as with Samantha Hickey, the St. Lukes nurse who died, we will not care if Covid is only the immediate but not the sole reason we lost her. Please, Representative Nichols and likeminded Idahoans, grow a heart.

Jerry Brady, Boise

Baseball

It is good to see that major league baseball is now being played. It would be nice if the Idaho Press printed the box scores in a larger font so that we can read them, otherwise why print them at all. Please do what you can to present a sports page that is readable to all readers. Im sure you can spare a bit of additional space in the daily paper.

Craig Lochner, Boise

Subscriber no more

Please add my name the expanding list of readers dropping off your subscriber list due to your obvious tilt to the left. I was sold on the Idaho Press as it was presented to be an alternative to the liberal Statesman, but the July 28 article titled Black kids die more often after surgery, new research shows pushed off the ledge. How can an article stating that out of 173,000 operations 23 black youngsters died within 30 days of surgery compared with 13 whites be declared striking without any additional info such as the admitted slightly more heart and digestive problems among black children. How many of those surgeries were the result of domestic or gang violence for instance? When looking at the odds of dying after 173,000 surgeries (about 0.01%, it compares to the odds of dying after being struck by lightening. If you want to print something truly striking, why not print the odds of dying as a black child due to a gunshot in Chicago.

Michael Piechowski, Boise

Dictatorial

The Barr Hearing once again gave insight to what a Democratic Party governance would be. Dictatorial, lacking any fairness or truth, unprofessional. Once more we see that Democratic control of the House of Representatives proves to be out of control. If you do not see anything wrong with their actions you could go to Venezuela and enjoy that type of government right now. The governance we see in the House of Representative is the best reason I have seen to vote for Trump for President.

Richard Wasson, Meridian

Why?

Is anyone else concerned with the larger companies eateries. I chose to stay local because the local companies seem to have figured out the way to be safe. The larger companies choose to have their employees use gloves! They will put them on and wear them for long periods of time in between touching menus, money and delivering your food! The gloves only protect those who are wearing them- not us. They are spreading any bacteria, virus, e coli etc from pone patron to the next. WHY??? How often are they washing their hands, one of the #1 ways to prevent spreading anything.

Cheri Beauvais, Nampa

Liability

A recent article in the Newspaper written by Betsy Russell covered legal liability issues regarding school closures, and reopening risks for school districts, teachers and administrators.

The article vividly reminded me of one of the 8 primary reasons for moving OUT of California 20 years ago. While on the board of directors of a California company that was growing rapidly, but still not profitable, we cratered when 4 different investment bankers promising funding did not deliver.

Soon thereafter, the buzzards (lawyers) starting circling, and first sued the company but nothing there, then sued the management team and nothing there, and finally sued the board of directors. The board spent 3 years fighting the lawsuits, spent a fortune, and won all suits. But no compensation for our legal expenses was paid.

The United States is one of 2 countries in the world where the loser in a lawsuit does NOT have to pay all lawyer fees, which puts US companies at a real disadvantage to competing companies around the world which do not have all those ambulance chasing lawyers; there is no opportunity for them.

Realizing that the California legislature was primarily lawyers, but the Idaho legislature was comprised of business people, teachers, farmers, etc. helped push us here. Unfortunately, California lawyers can sue anywhere, and this is probably a problem for the school districts today.

Finally, look at the mess California is in now---Dirty and financially broke cities, people camping in tents along the ocean beaches, no funds for clean up, declining quality of schooling, etc. And today Californians are moving quickly to Idaho, but thankfully, those moving are financially sound. Lets keep Idaho sound!

Chas Bonner, Eagle

Shameful

I cried watching destruction of our U.S, cities during the Barr hearings, then laughed when the dems showed their videos & denied knowing about the damage of our cities. Shameful!

I wear a mask, but what good is it when hundreds or thousands of protestors are out in many states. No masks, no social distance, then return to their state. Why should we tax payers pay for special guard just for political people ( left or right) who do not stand up for & insist on law & order with the protestors?

Why cant teachers have private session with the students assigned to her or no pay or give the designated money for each student to hire their own tutor? I worry about pay to play, as the 85 year old mother of six children, that I raised on my own when their father left us, I was not able to spend a penny for sports. One of my sons received a football scholarship. We better all pray if police are abolished or defunded to the point of being worthless or no one is willing to join because of no support. 3 of my sons served in the military, one retired military is now state police. Have we no appreciation for all these young peoples sacrifices?

As for BLM. They should have to take some of the responsibility for much of the destruction of our country. all known members & others who have encouraged all this damage ( federal & private) They should not only serve time, but be sued for all the cost involved. Along with many people I agree Trump is never or seldom politically correct in speeches & tweets. Never was a politician. I guess thats why he was elected.

Thanks for the opportunity to unload!

Pat Cone, Eagle

Whats right

Paulette is right on in her assessment of Risch. He is a puppet of Trump. No backbone to stand up for what is right.

Ed Crateau, Meridian

Thank you

I want to thank Americas Frontline Doctors and President Trump for taking the message to the public that outpatient treatments for COVID-19 exist. People need to know that they can ask for treatment and get help from their own physician.

I have been a pharmacist since 1981 and I am astounded at the attacks on hydroxychloroquine. The Frontline Doctors are brave to stand up against almost entirely negative coverage in the news media.

I also want to say that hydroxychloroquine is not the only useful drug in the early treatment of COVID-19 infections. People who should not take it because of possible adverse effects or are frightened of using it can use other medications that also reduce the chance of serious illness due to COVID-19.

In my opinion this is a battle for lives, and I applaud anyone who dares to stand against the most shameful episode of medical disinformation that I have seen in my career.

Brent Cornell, Boise

Continue reading here:

Letters to the editor, July 31, 2020 | Idaho - bigcountrynewsconnection.com

Visitors to several public areas of Amsterdam and Rotterdam will be required to wear non-medical face masks beginning on August 5, according to the Amsterdam-Amstelland and Rotterdam-Rijnmond Security Regions. The decision had become increasingly likely after the Cabinet agreed to allow the 25 Security Regions in the country to use local face mask obligations in coordination with city mayors as a way of reducing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus.

In Amsterdam, everyone aged 13 and older will be required to wear a mask in De Wallen, the part of the city that includes the Red Light District, as well as the Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk shopping streets in the center. Those on Plein '40 - '45 and Albert Cuypstraat will also be obligated to wear the masks.

"These are areas where it is tight and busy, and where other measures have had insufficient effect or have lead to undesired economic effects," the Security Region said in a statement. It said it had permission from the Cabinet to implement local rules to limit crowding caused by tourism, day-trippers, and young people. "These are situations where the current rules and measures are under pressure."

The same was said for the central shopping districts in Rotterdam, including Coolsingel, Lijnbaan, Meent and Nieuwe Binnenwegplein. Also included were the covered shopping centers Alexandrium and Zuidplein, and the markets at Afrikaanderplein, De Binnenrotte, and Visserijplein. The officials were undecided about the covered shopping centers De Binnenhof and Keizerswaard.

The rule in both cities will be compulsory for everyone on the streets and in the shops in those areas, but not businesseswhere there are already national guidelines for handling social distancing issues, like gyms, restaurants, bars, and museums. People will still be required to maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters from one another in addition to wearing the masks. "Entrepreneurs also have a responsibility to comply with these rules," the Amsterdam-Amstelland Security Region said.

Those violating the rule in Rotterdam could be subject to afine, but the amount was unspecified. In that city'sstreets and shopping centers, the rule is valid from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m. every day. It only applies to the specified open-air market locations on days those markets are open.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who also chairs the Amsterdam-Amstelland Security Region, said back in May that she favored the possibility of imposing new restrictions if she deemed it necessary. In the past eight days that conversation increasingly turned to face masks with Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb speaking out emphatically in support of a mask directive. While the national government said there would not be a countrywide mandate to wear the masks, it did agree that local experiments could be utilized to influence behavior after three straight weeks where the amount of coronavirus infections increased.

Aboutaleb is also the chair of the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Security Region. In a statement issued Thursday, he said he believed face masks can increase the sense of importance with regard to the public health crisis, while encouraging people to cooperate with enforcement, practice good hygiene, and maintain "the golden rule of 1.5 meters."

Both cities said they would quickly begin informing residents, business owners, and visitors of the upcoming rule changes. Rotterdam will distribute free masks to the public in those areas on the day the policy enters into force. Amsterdam said it would also hand out free masks, but did not specify when.

The Amsterdam-Amstelland Security Region also noted that public health agency RIVM "recently concluded that wearing a mouth mask can lead to people becoming more careful and keeping more distance from each other. The Security Region will closely monitor whether these desired effects actually occur." Their counterparts in Zuid-Holland made a similar assertion in a statement.

"We are ready to start the pilot and hope it will help people to stay safe in the city and keep enough distance from each other," Aboutaleb said.

More here:

Face masks mandatory in parts of Amsterdam, Rotterdam from Aug. 5 - NL Times

In two recent decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the government may not discriminate against private religious schools, but the schools may discriminate against their employees.

Sound troubling? It is. While there is a kernel of logic in each decision, the logic was stretched past the breaking point.

The first case involved a Montana scholarship program that allowed state-subsidized scholarships to be used at private secular schools but not private religious schools. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, held that the exclusion of religious schools violated the First Amendments Free Exercise Clause, which he said forbids discrimination against religion.

Here is the kernel of truth in Roberts opinion. There is no doubt that some forms of government discrimination against religion are unconstitutional. For example, the government may not favor one religion over another, such as by giving benefits to Buddhists but not Protestants or Jews. Likewise, the government may not favor secular institutions over religious if the discrimination reflects hostility toward religion. The court would not allow a municipality to provide police, fire and sewer services only to secular institutions and not religious.

Difficulties arise only because there is another religion clause in the First Amendment, the Establishment Clause, which requires separation between church and state. The framers included this clause to help the country avoid the religious strife that engulfed Europe for centuries when religious and political power were aligned. To maintain this separation of church and state, our American tradition has been that churches rely on voluntary support from their adherents, not on taxpayer money. As the Supreme Court famously said in 1947, No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions.

The Montana case fell where the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses collide. Roberts emphasized the Free Exercise Clause nondiscrimination value, holding that Montana could not exclude religious schools from the scholarship program because the schools were being disqualified solely because of their religious character. Justice Stephen Breyers dissent emphasized the Establishment Clause church/state separation value, arguing that government money should not fund sectarian religious education.

You can decide for yourself whether taxpayer money should be used to teach Catholic students about the existence of the Holy Trinity or Muslim students about the Prophet Muhammads revelations. Even if you think this use of public funds is proper, you might still think Roberts decision is problematic when paired with the Courts second recent religious school decision.

In that case, the question was whether religious school teachers can sue their institutions for discrimination based on race, age, sex or disability. One teacher alleged she was terminated because of her age. Another alleged she was fired because of her disability (she had breast cancer and had requested a leave of absence to obtain treatment). In both instances, the majority of justices said the teachers could not sue the schools for discrimination.

Sound outlandish? Maybe, but here again there is a kernel of logic. Surely everyone would agree that the government may not dictate whom a congregation may hire as its religious leader. For example, even though churches are not exempt from sex discrimination laws, a church is still allowed to discriminate against women when selecting a priest. Indeed, it would be an egregious infringement on church autonomy if government regulated employment decisions about a churchs minister.

In the second religious school case, the court concluded that this same ministerial exception applies to employment decisions about religious schoolteachers. After all, these teachers often act like ministers; they teach religious doctrine and frequently engage in religious rituals. Even a math teacher may be required to convey religious values. Consequently, the court held that these teachers, like ministers, are barred from bringing discrimination claims against their employers. This was true even if the teachers claimed that they were fired because of their age, disability, or race and not because they ineffectively taught calculus, French or the catechism.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor decried the majoritys decision in her written dissent. She said that the majority allowed religious school employers to discriminate because of a persons skin color, age, disability, sex, or any other protected trait so long as the employers claim that the employees duties included carrying out the mission of the church.

Bottom line: Religious schools must not be discriminated against when government benefits are being distributed, but the schools may discriminate against their teachers with impunity.

It is the Golden Rule, just turned on its head: Do unto others what may not be done unto to you.

Alan Garfield is a professor at Widener University Delaware Law School.

View original post here:

Government cant discriminate against religious schools, but they can discriminate when they hire teachers | - pennlive.com

Recently, technology stock shares went down in value. The stocks didnt drop that much, but they had done so well for so long, even despite the pandemic, that it was a bit of a shock to Wall Street.

In particular, a few major tech stocks got hit the hardest. Im speaking of the Big Five: Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. Not only are these stocks very large, but theyve done very well. As a result, the Big Five have had a massive impact on the stock market in general, and the tech market in particular.

In fact, thanks to the tech falloff, the Nasdaq Composite had its first back-to-back losses in 48 trading days. Thats a remarkable run.

So, what caused the tech stocks to fall? There are many reasons for the move, but I want to highlight one of the major reasons the U.S. dollar.

Thats right, we can blame the greenback. At Barrons, Ben Levisohn makes this point well. The truth is that the dollar hasnt been doing that well compared to other currencies. On top of that, it looks like the Federal Reserve is going to keep interest rates on the floor for some time. That means that less capital will be flowing to dollar-dominated assets, which has a major impact on how people invest.

Dollar Index (DXY)

First, let me say I dont believe anything is wrong with the dollar. The recent change is due to the natural flow of the market. Few investors even think of the dollar until it becomes an issue, but investors need to understand how the dynamic works. Just recently, the Dollar Index (DXY) fell to 94.36its lowest level in two years.

Why? Well, part of the reason is that the euro finally rallied , thanks to the big stimulus planned by the European Union. The EU is famously fractious, so it was impressive to see the member nations come together and agree on a program.

Of course, a weak dollar isnt all bad, especially for U.S. consumers. Sure, a lower greenback makes it more expensive to buy foreign-made stuff, but its good news for stuff made here. Domestic manufactures love a weak dollar.

Investors need to understand that a lower dollar does a few important things. For example, it raises inflation expectations. This is important to consumer spending patterns. A lower dollar tends to boost cyclical stocks and it makes foreign goods more expensive. Oftentimes the dollar can make a move that has little to do with the Federal Reserve and prospects for interest rates.

Bear in mind that these are all generalities. The market sometimes has a mind of its own. As Sir Isaac Newton said: I can calculate the movement of stars, but not the madness of menthats certainly true, and its a golden rule on Wall Street.

Speaking of gold: along with the weaker dollar, weve seen the price for gold rally to an all-time high. Earlier this week, the precious metal finally took out its high from nine years ago.

In Barrons, Levisohn writes: A weaker dollar is something that President Donald Trump had wanted Fed Chair Jerome Powell to deliver, but the coronavirus did so instead. Just dont expect Powell to say too much. I think that assessment is correct.

A weak dollar has the potential to lead investors into a major rotation. Emerging markets, for example, have badly lagged the U.S. market. The weak dollar could also boost European stocks.

Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) & Intel (INTC)

To counter the effects of the weak dollar, investors should consider shares of companies based outside the U.S. In particular, you can consider foreign tech companies. One of our favorites in this regard has been on fire of late. Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) jumped more than 22% over two days thanks to the news that Intel (INTC) faces production delays. Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor are now up more than 85% since we first added them to our Growth Stock Advisor portfolio. The company is the worlds largest chip foundry.

Related: Trade of the Week: INTC

This has been a very good time for Taiwan Semiconductor. Earlier this month, the company beat Wall Streets earnings estimates and guided high, earning 78 cents per share on sales of $10.38 billion. Thats up from 41 cent per share on sales of $7.75 billion one year ago.

Check out this recent chart:

Im expecting more good news from the company. For the current quarter, Taiwan Semiconductor expects revenue to range between $11.2 billion and $11.5 billion. This is a big increase over last years Q3 sales of $9.4 billion.

Lora Ho Taiwan Semiconductors CFO, said: We expect our business to be supported by strong demand for our industry-leading 5 nanometer and 7 nanometer technologies, driven by 5G smartphones, HPC and [Internet of Things] applications.

If youre looking to diversify your portfolio with a tech stock based outside the U.S., Taiwan Semiconductor is an excellent choice.

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TSM shares fell $0.03 (-0.04%) in after-hours trading Wednesday. Year-to-date, TSM has gained 44.20%, versus a 2.05% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

Eddy is the editor of Growth Stock Advisor, an investment advisory that focuses on the top growth opportunities for investors. Each issue dissects the best areas that profit from a rapidly-changing business climate. Growth Stock Advisor takes a particular focus on emergent technologies and industries that are disrupting established incumbents. More...

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TSM: The US Dollar Halted the Tech Rally - StockNews.com

Banksy, the world-famous and superbly talented graffiti artist, once said, People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish but thats only if its done properly.

Graffiti, it seems, is everywhere these days. In our little town it is mostly seen on the sides of train cars passing by as we sit fuming at a railroad crossing, watching our precious time ebb away along with our gasoline and our patience.

We are lucky that Enid is blessed with a great deal of street art, from innovative installations like Under Her Wing Was the Universe and Lazy Circles, to colorful murals painted on the sides of local businesses.

But these pieces have been well-planned, meticulously executed. They dont have the deliciously illicit feel and spontaneity of true street art.

There is one piece of graffiti that caught my eye the other day. Its located not far from my house, painted on a concrete barrier on a bridge that became infamous a few years ago for collapsing just after an Enid Fire Department truck passed over it.

There are no drawings accompanying this particular piece of street art, only text.

It says, simply, You will be okay, with the word will, underlined as if for emphasis. Just a side note, the proper spelling of the term is OK, according to the Associated Press Stylebook that for as long as I have been in the business has been the gold standard for newspapers everywhere. But the word painted on the bridge barrier is spelled out okay, so thats what Ill use.

Reading the words as I drove by set me to thinking, who was the artist talking about, or to? Was that sentiment directed at a specific person or group, or was that a blanket statement meant to reassure all who view it?

You will be okay. Its a comforting thought, reassuring, soothing, a lifeline to cling to as the rolling waves of anxiety and uncertainty continue their inexorable pounding on the shore of our sense of well-being.

The world, it seems, is going out of its way to make us feel not okay these days.

The pandemic seemed to be coming under some semblance of control while the world was still locked down tight, but now that states have reopened it is increasing its germ-y grip on our nations health and wellness.

So businesses and churches have reopened, and some, though not all, are requiring those entering their doors to don masks. And that has sparked further division in a nation already bifurcated along so many lines red or blue, right or left, mustard or ketchup, Fox News or MSNBC.

Into this divisive morass has come the issue of mask vs. no mask, not to mention debate over whether or not to take a vaccine that has yet to be developed. Many states and cities have made masks mandatory, but not ours. I for one am tired of getting scornful, often resentful looks from non-maskers while venturing out these days.

You will be okay. Will we? Will our economy rebound from the effects of the lockdown, which slowed but did not stop the acceleration of COVID-19?

Probably what we need is another national lockdown and stay at home mandate to stem the recent rise in coronavirus cases, but what would that do to our way of life? The government is already printing money so fast our greenbacks are in danger of become less valuable than the toilet paper that was the target of hoarders in the early days of the pandemic.

You will be okay. Will we? Will we ever get back to normal, or what passed for normal when we last rang in a new year? Will we ever be able to stop looking over our shoulders at a threat we cant even see without a high-powered microscope? We wash, we wipe, we disinfect, we stay home until we fear we will go mad then we venture out with a mask and gloves and still we wonder, where is it, was I exposed to it today?

You will be okay. Will we? And if we are will that mean we all will be okay, or just the white folks? The death of George Floyd sparked a national upheaval, a movement that has brought our nations deep-seated latent racism into the harsh glare of public attention.

Black Lives Matter has become a phrase that elicits pride in some and scorn in others. All lives matter, some say and indeed they do but if Black lives dont matter, then no lives matter that is the point of the term.

You will be okay. Will we? Well, the Bible says we will. Psalm 118:6-7 says, The Lord is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

We have come through difficult times before, times of war and famine, pestilence and drought, hatred and division, rioting and civil unrest, and yes, even pandemic, and we are still standing.

So yes, I think we will be okay, if we realize that while we may not be in the same boat we are in the same storm, if we will simply strive to be kind, generous, forgiving, loving and understanding, if we will stop worrying so much about gold and more about the Golden Rule.

You will be okay, just keep reminding yourself of that.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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COLUMN: The writing's on the wall: 'You will be okay' - Enid News & Eagle

Politics is a year-round sport, but the season is intensifying with the coming of the 2020 presidential election.With it, relationships between family members, friends and strangers will become more contentious, strained and precarious.

It doesnt take a prophet or the son or daughter of a prophet to see what is coming: a tsunami of conflicts between individuals of different political perspectives.

Often these conflicts are exacerbated by a deluge of unflattering visual images, provocative sound bites and caustic memes that flood Facebook, Instagram and other social media. So, in this political season, is there Christian wisdom available for the survival of interpersonal relationships?

Folks who at least nominally want to portray themselves as Christian in their relationships frequently turn toward the Bible for inspiration and guidance.The Bible is a reasonable place to search for such wisdom, since it is replete with stories about interpersonal relationships between family members, tribes, enemies and especially between God and humanity.

Of course, as Samuel Sandmel notes: More people praise the Bible than read it.More read it than understand it, and more understand it than conscientiously follow it. Nevertheless, the Bible does provide wise counsel on how one can approach interpersonal relationships, and perhaps no passage is so oft quoted or better known thanDo to others as you would have them do to you, which is found in Luke 6:31.

Empathy is understanding how another feels.

This passage, the Golden Rule, speaks about empathy as an approach for personal relationships.Former news anchor Dan Rather captured the essence of empathy in his book,What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism.He described his own hardscrabble upbringing in Texas during the Great Depression of the 1930s and how his family at Christmas, even with their own meager existence, would give to others.On one occasion, he writes, I asked my mother why we gave those families gifts at Christmas when we ourselves didnt have much. I remember then answering for myself: It was because we felt sorry for them, right? We do not feel sorry for them, my mother said sternly. We understand how they feel.

Thats a good definition of empathy, understanding how another feels. In the biblical concept of incarnation, its the very reason Jesus walked among us. Cultivating empathy for another is a way of pouring oil on the troubled waters caused by political disagreements. But heres the rub: In todays politically charged climate, empathy is probably not going to work.The Golden Rule has become tarnished, and heres why.

In a fascinating study on empathy that has been going on for decades, researchers have shown the practice of empathy is on the decline. Between 2000 and 2009 alone, it declined 40%. While empathy is declining, of course its not going away; but even the way empathy is practiced today is troubling.

This is the dark side of empathy. Its the type of empathy Jesus warned about.

Researchers discovered a trend, one we all have intuited: empathy can be practiced selectively. So today, empathy might be extended for my team, my political party, my candidate, my agenda, but not yours.In fact, I will become righteously indignant when you hurt my fill-in-the-blank, but I could care less about your fill-in-the-blank.

This is the dark side of empathy. Its the type of empathy Jesus warned about in Luke 6:33: If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?For even sinners do the same.

If the guiding words of Jesus are failing to be heard or are being twisted, where does this leave us?Nov. 3 is coming.

Perhaps we need a reboot to one of humanitys most basic operating systems for engagement of interpersonal relationships.Its biblical, universal and simple, with no complicated ethical theory of communication or interactions.Its a modest and unpretentious moral form of guidance for both Christians and non-Christians in this political season, found in Ephesians 4:32: Be kind to one another.

Be kind to one to another.Thats it.Be kind. It seems a little pollyannaish and a bit simplistic, but one must admit, its not an approach that needs lengthy explanation to even the most vitriolic spewer of venom.You cant really confuse and obfuscate the imperative to be kind.

Expressing kindness in all relationships does not mean one has to agree on political agendas related to life/choice, immigration, guns, race or a host of other issues. And one does not have to give up his or her sincerely held political perspectives to be kind both in words and acts. Kindness is a type of bedrock that can allow for the possibility that conflictual you vs. me relationships might, in the words of Martin Buber, become loving I-thou relationships.

Mark Twain once wrote: Do the right thing.It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.In todays political climate, and with respect to Twain, perhaps we can enter the political season with the thought, Be kind.It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

David M. May holds the Landreneau Guillory Chair of Biblical Studies and is professor of New Testament and director of the master of arts in theological studies program at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1994.

This column is part of anelection year seriesbeing published by Central Baptist Theological Seminary on the seminarys website. It is shared by permission with BNG.

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Here's one word to make peace in this political season - Baptist News Global

One in four Americans (26%) has a disability of some kind it may be serious difficulty with mobility, cognition, hearing, vision, independent living.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, designed to protect people with disabilities from discrimination, was passed into law 30 years ago, on July 26, 1990.

A few years before the ADA came into being, Karl Booksh broke his neck playing flag football as a freshman in college. The injury would put Booksh in a wheelchair, but it didnt stop him from pursuing the career he always wanted to be an educator. Originally, he thought he wanted to be a high school teacher, but then he fell in love with research and revised his plans.

He went on to earn a bachelor of science in chemistry with honors from the University of Alaska, a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Washington, and a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship prior to joining the faculty of the University of Delawares Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1998. Since then, hes been leading a thriving research program at UD in the development of chemical sensors for environmental, biomedical and industrial monitoring. Hes published more than 100 scientific papers and holds five patents.

Booksh also has been an outspoken advocate for people with disabilities, particularly in academia. Hes on the board of OXIDE, the Open Chemistry Collaborative In Diversity Equity, established by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and Department of Energy. He is a past chair of the American Chemical Societys Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board and the Committee on Chemists with Disabilities. Currently, he is president-elect of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, where he is working to establish its first diversity and inclusion committee. He also has pioneered an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at UD to encourage more students with disabilities to continue on for their doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

In recognition of the ADAs 30th anniversary this year, UDaily asked Booksh about the headway he has seen and the work yet to be done, from his perspective.

Q: Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, what progress have you seen in stamping out discrimination against people with disabilities?

Booksh: I broke my neck a couple of years before the ADA, so I sort of grew up as it was forming. Ive honestly seen more progress on the West Coast than on the East Coast because of newer buildings and infrastructure on the West Coast, including the integration of Braille signage. On the East Coast, there are so many historic buildings with steps. Its harder to incorporate elevators into these older buildings. A good friend who is blind said he feels there is more progress in cities through technology, with apps. But I still have a lot of challenges with buses and public transportation. And right now, Im stuck at my parents place while the elevator in my house is being fixed. You just cant get a ranch house thats move-in ready you have to retrofit it somehow. But thats just the physical side of things.

Q: What about the social side?

Booksh: The social side is much more interesting. Were still the only underrepresented group that cant control its own language, and Im a proponent of free speech. What I mean is that we still hear these disability pejoratives words like gimp, retard, lame. Can you imagine if that were still the case with other diverse communities, especially with the growth of movements like Black Lives Matter? But you dont see or hear much about us in the media. Instead, people with disabilities seem to fall into one of three archetypes on TV: (1) were evil (disability is a metaphor for evil); (2) were the vessel for other people to show their compassion; or (3) we all have to be computer people because God knows we cant do anything else. By contrast, in Ozark on Netflix, one of the strong characters was Ben, who had bipolar disorder. They did a good job presenting his life and problems in a way that was appropriate and sympathetic. And then they had to go kill him off.

Q: What are still some of the biggest challenges?

Booksh: One of the biggest challenges is getting people to look at the data. There has to be recognition and forethought. One in four people in the U.S. has a disability, and they are not all visible, physical disabilities. I find it very interesting that few people know the name Tony Timpa. He lived in Texas and happened to be from a wealthy family. He had schizophrenia and depression. He was off his meds, was at a store and got afraid. His mother had always told him to call the police for help. He did that, and he ended up being restrained by police officers and died in the same manner as George Floyd. Yet there was no media coverage beyond the Dallas area. What I believe were seeing is police officers not being trained to recognize things outside of their normal. The psychological disability, the deaf person who might not hear an order.

Q: Do you think fear is part of it, that some people dont know how to interact with a person who has a psychological or physical disability?

Booksh: Its true. Some people dont know how to respond. Even other people in wheelchairs will talk about how people will not talk to you theyll talk to the person beside you. What does he want? As though you dont have the ability to answer. You need to go into that interaction not thinking, How do I survive this encounter, but rather, what does this person need?

Q: How is UD doing on this front? Do we offer programs or approaches that you have found to be particularly effective?

Booksh: Ill give you my top example that cannot be highlighted enough. The University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies is not just succeeding but excelling. They are respected across the state and across the nation. They are helping people lead enriched lives take getting access to needed health care, as just one major area. Wheelchair-accessible dental chairs and doctors examining tables are rare. And just getting a child, or any low-income person with a disability, who doesnt have access to their own wheelchair to a dental or medical appointment can be a full-day process. They are also running innovative programs like the Spectrum Scholars. Society needs more programs like this that are not thought police focused on diversity and inclusion, but that lift people up to succeed.

Q: In an essay for the UD Research magazine several years ago, you said you rarely saw people like yourself at national conferences, when giving seminars at other universities or even in applicant pools for new faculty hires. Is that changing?

Booksh: Not really. One of the boards Im involved in did a survey of university leaders after a conference recently on how to increase diversity in your department. One hundred percent of the respondents said we need to do gender equity. But only two-thirds said they would be willing to do disability equity. Some of my colleagues believe its because some people think it takes more money and effort.

Q: What are some of the most meaningful and impactful actions a person can take to support people with disabilities?

Booksh: My answer is, the same thing I would ask you to do with anybody. Determine what the person needs to succeed and then put them in this role. I took a leadership development course from the American Chemical Society several years ago and learned that in every field of endeavor, you have about a dozen skills that can lead to your success. But you only need to be really good at 1 or 2 of them. The problem is, were developing one-size-fits-all curricula and lesson plans in our educational systems because its easy. But were not approaching things humanistically. We need to give people the freedom to excel. Its like Ive learned as a parent, your goal is not to make excellent children, but excellent adults. The same applies to universities. How do you prepare someone to excel after they leave our bubble? All of our benchmarks are meaningless if the people we pass back to society are not prepared to contribute. We cant put people with disabilities in boxes and forget about them.

Q: As an academic, what grade would you give the U.S. in securing full rights for people with disabilities? And what can all Americans do to improve that grade?

Booksh: Id give us a B. And if I was grading on a curve, its an A+. Are you surprised? Give me a country where youd rather be. If I had to parachute my child with a disability into a nation, there are more opportunities here. We were the first to pass anti-discrimination legislation for people with disabilities, and were still the best. Theres still a lot we could do. We can improve that grade if we just improve ourselves I guess you would call it following the Golden Rule, about treating others as you would like to be treated. People with disabilities are not special. Were in that bell curve of capabilities although only 33 percent of us are employed. Think what all that untapped talent could do for the U.S.

Editors note: The University of Delaware Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) provides accommodations and services to incoming and current UD students with disabilities, psychological or medical conditions, or temporary injuries that limit their access to the UD environment. DSS provides a variety of academic accommodations and services to ensure accessibility to University classes and programs, including testing accommodations, alternative print media, assistive technology and interpreter services for academic purposes. Learn more on the DSS homepage which can be found athttps://sites.udel.edu/dss/.

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The Americans with Disabilities Act at 30 | UDaily - UDaily

As a health care professional I review the epidemiology of COVID-19 on a daily basis.

It is now obvious that the rate of new infections is spiraling out of control in our area, threatening to overload the capacity of our hospitals to treat the patients who become critically ill from the virus.

I relish my freedom and personal liberties as do all Americans, that being said all current scientific studies support the fact that the wearing of masks in public dramatically reduces the rate of new COVID-19 infections in as little as four to six weeks.

By slowing the rate of new cases, we buy more time for new avenues of treatment for those infected and moving closer to an eventual vaccine. I realize there are individuals who cannot wear masks for various reasons, but for the vast majority masks are a viable option.

As it pertains to the pandemic, it is time for all Americans to put our political ideologies aside, stop the finger pointing and stop dwelling in hindsight as to what should have been done.

Our best hope is to move forward as one nation against our common enemy, COVID-19. Growing up my parents provided me with a road map for life that can serve us well during this pandemic.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, the Golden Rule.

Wearing a mask in public is a show of compassion, not a sign of weakness.

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Letter to the Editor: Remember the Golden Rules - Tulsa World

Authors preface: Mediation is indisputably the most cost-effective and efficient way to resolve disputes. Moreover, there is positive energy and cautious optimism in the mediation process, which every participant enjoys. Especially, now in the time of Covid, we enjoy seeing people face-to-face, even if it is on the computer or mobile device. The enhanced communication of the mediation process increases the ability to view the issues from the perspective of the other parties and the mediator.

Be transparent

At mediation, It is better to be transparent from the start, lay your cards on the table and show good faith with the neutral and opposing counsel. Unwanted surprises can sometimes derail a settlement.

The number onesurprise commonlyencountered is when a party appears at mediation with a settlement position that is so high or so low as to be unreasonable. An outrageous starting point isn't so bad if the party taking that position becomes more flexible during the mediation and brings the position within the realm of reason. But last minute details may very well derailany chance of a quicksettlement.Instead, therevelation becomes the main subject of discussion as the mediation continues.

The mediator's function is to helpthe parties sort through the facts of thecase.His or hersuccessas a mediator depends upon treating everyone in the room with equanimity. It's difficult enough to prepare for a mediation, but finding out that the playing field has been changed at the last minute makes thingsthatmuch more difficult.

Good Faith

The Golden Rule states you should treat others as you wouldlike tobe treated

and is especially applicable to all mediations. Good faithinsettlement negotiations includes how we handle theentireprocess, not just being willing to pay a reasonable settlement number.All parties have an ethical obligation to bargain in good faith. This, of course, does not always happen,which raises question about suchunconventional negotiationtactics.

The principle of good faith must be adhered to when negotiating at mediation. There is little to be gained by disclosing new information that may significantly change the value of the case. in fact, it might force a case to court that could and should be reasonably settled early on.The party springing the surprise during negotiations may actually end up being the one most surprised at the end of a long and expensive trial.

Be reasonable and respectful

People who frequently mediate find it useful to maintain a reputation for predictability and consistency. This makes it easier to negotiatewith all partiesand reach a result acceptable to the client.Taking realistic positions and not wasting time usually makes the people on the other side of the table more forthcoming. When somebody likes dealing with you, it makes it easier for them to offer you what you need. Some of the most effective people take a reasonable position and stick with it. If it turns out that the position has a weakness, they will listen to reason. If their position is strong, they will stick with their position. Rationality, not emotion, drives effective strategy.

Mutual respect is essential. When people spend several hours at mediation only to find that there was never any settlement possibility from the get-go, they are universally unhappy. Delay and obfuscation make the other side unwilling to make any deal. Consider being up-front with your position well prior to the mediation day, so the other side has time to consider it and to consult with necessary authorities. The need to speak with supervisors is particularly true when dealing with insurance carriers. Any settlement authority given by those supervisors is based only on known information. If you appear at mediation and for the first time disclose a substantial lien, a new injury or recent surgeries, many times the insurance representative at mediation cannot get the additional settlement authority needed, the case can't settle, and preventable delay ensues.

Don't fall in love with your case

Don't let emotion color your position. Any jury may disagree with your idea of justice and any trial judge may refuse to admit evidence essential to your position. Maybe you need to step back, talk with colleagues, and see if your expectations should be adjusted.

Many dealing in the law recognize the Golden Rule as akin to Karma; What goes around comes around. This may not always be true, but regulars at mediation know that being up-front yields benefits in the long run. Be prepared, professional, considerate, and let the other side know that there is nothing personal in the position you are taking. A mutual attitude of cautious optimism makes mediation both enjoyable and effective. Building positive relationships with the opposition makes it much easier to settle cases in the future.

One last aphorism to ponder when you are on your way to the next mediation: You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.

[View source.]

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Good Faith And The Golden Rule At Mediation - JD Supra

The Rent Board voted to ask the City Council to place a measure on the November ballot eliminating the golden duplex exemption, among other actions. The council will take up the matter tonight. Photo: Pete Rosos

For the last two years, the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board has worked to eliminate a carve-out to the citys rent control laws the so-called golden duplex rule.

When Berkeley voters adopted rent control in 1980, they decided that people who owned a duplex, lived there by Dec. 31, 1979, and rented out the other apartment should not be subject to rent control. The thinking was that was an intimate relationship that shouldnt be regulated by a government institution.

But in ensuing years, that philosophy has come under attack. Tenant activists say that all tenants should be protected by rent and eviction controls and that the intimate relationship between a golden duplex owner and their tenants is ripe for exploitation. The owner can raise their tenants rent as high as they want and as often as they want. The owner can kick someone out of their unit whenever they want and for whatever reason they want. For that reason, many Rent Board commissioners, and groups like the Berkeley Tenants Union, want to eliminate the rent and eviction control exemptions for golden duplexes.

On May 29, in a 7-2 vote, the Rent Board voted to ask the City Council to place a measure on the November ballot eliminating the golden duplex exemption, among other actions. The council will take up the matter tonight.

No one is certain how many golden duplexes there are in Berkeley, but estimates range from 400 to 1,000. Since they are exempt from rent regulations, owners do not have to register them with the Rent Board. There are about 27,550 rental units in Berkeley, according to the Rent Board. About 19,667, or 71% of them, are covered by rent and eviction controls

The golden duplex vote has prompted lobbying and action from organizations representing both renters and property owners.

The Berkeley Tenants Union, an organization dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Berkeley renters, encouraged its members this week to write to the City Council and urge them to place the golden duplex law on the November ballot. Two leaders of the BTU also serve as Rent Board commissioners and voted to ask the council to put the item on the ballot Paola Laverde, the Rent Board president, and John Selawsky. The BTU is providing talking points for members to say at tonights council meeting or in an email.

Dont be fooled by landlords, who are falsely claiming that they need their businesses to be exempt from reasonable regulations, the BTU wrote on Facebook. Just a cursory investigation shows that they are lying about supposed reasons to continue exempting golden duplexes and ADUs.

Being a landlord is a FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS, and a very lucrative one, the BTU post continued. Like every other for-profit industry, it must be regulated at EVERY SCALE in order to protect consumers in this case tenants from exploitative practices.

The Berkeley Property Owners Association, which represents landlords in Berkeley, many of them small property owners, is also advocating for its members to get involved with the vote. In addition, the BPOA filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Leah Simon-Weisberg, a Rent Board commissioner. The complaint states that Simon-Weisberg should have recused herself from voting to ask the City Council to place the golden duplex measure on the ballot because she lives in a golden duplex, according to the complaint. Therefore, she stands to benefit financially if that unit becomes rent-controlled, the complaint contends.

Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Commissioner Leah Simon Weisberg violated [the law] section 87100 when she made a governmental decision which had a reasonably foreseeable material effect on one of her personal financial interests, reads part of the FPPC complaint.

Matt Brown, the acting executive director of the Rent Board, told Berkeleyside that Simon-Weisberg did not have a conflict.

Commissioners are free to participate in discussions and vote upon proposals that may have direct consequences for their personal housing situation or the financial performance of their rental property, so long as the proposal does not treat the Commissioners any differently from anyone else who owns or lives in the same type of property, he said in an email.

(The BPAO also sent a letter to the Berkeley city attorney which incorrectly argued that Simon-Weisberg cast the deciding fifth vote to send the matter to the council. Since she should not have voted, that matter would not have advanced, the letter argued. The BPOA later acknowledged it had counted the votes incorrectly).

The Berkeley Property Owners Association also wants Mayor Jesse Arregun to recuse himself from voting tonight because it believes he lives in a golden duplex in North Berkeley, said Krista Gulbransen, the organizations executive director. She sent what the BPOA considers evidence of this situation to the Berkeley City attorney late Monday night. She said she believes City Council member Ben Bartlett also lives in a golden duplex and should not vote.

In light of this evidence, and due to the fact that the Council will be considering whether to remove the rent control exemption from these properties, we assert the that Mayor stands to gain a financial benefit and should recuse himself from Item #41 ahead of tomorrow nights meeting, just as Councilmember Bartlett has been advised to do, Gulbransen wrote.

Mayor Arregun and Councilmember Bartlett will recuse themselves from voting

Arregun said he has contacted the Fair Political Practices Commission to determine whether it would be a conflict for him to vote on the golden duplex issue since he lives in a golden duplex. He said he was not aware there might be an issue until last night when the BPOA sent a letter to the city.

Out of an abundance of caution, he will not participate in the discussion of the issue, he said.

I resent suggestions I have acted improperly, he said. This last-minute attempt of the Berkeley Property Owners Association to silence me and the people I represent is undemocratic.

Arregun said he will join in on the discussion on the other items the rent board wants put on the ballot.

Bartlett told Berkeleyside that he lives in a golden duplex and is negotiating to buy a property with an ADU so he will not vote on those issues coming up tonight. Bartlett said he consulted with the city attorney about this a few weeks ago and had alerted his constituents to the matter.

Arregun has introduced a compromise measure around golden duplexes. The proposed ballot language suggested by the Rent Board would immediately eliminate the exemptions. Arreguns measure, in contrast, would only eliminate the measure after current owners sell their property. (Arregun said he will no longer introduce this measure).

As long as you owned and lived in your golden duplex as of March 1, 2020 and continuously reside there, you keep the exemption, Arregun said in an email. If you sell it, then you lose the exemption. It is intended to be a compromise to keep existing golden duplex owners rights, recognizing they bought the property with a certain understanding of their legal rights and the landlord-tenant relationship, but once it is sold, it is no longer exempt. This would have the effect of gradually phasing in these properties into full rent control.

The Rent Board also asked the City Council to add other items to the November ballot, including one that would put newly constructed accessory dwelling units, ADUs, under rent control. They are:

Update: 3:45 p.m. This article has been updated twice to add Arregun and Bartletts viewpoints.

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Should owner-occupied duplexes in Berkeley be subject to rent control? - Berkeleyside

Gordon Lampitt, a true American hero

As we continue to fight a deadly pandemic, racial injustice and an economic crisis, we are consistently reminded of the fragility of life. But there are also moments that remind us of the heroes among us.

Gordon Lampitt, a Browns Mills resident since 1958 who recently passed at age 96, was one of those unsung heroes. He dedicated his entire life to his beloved family and his country. U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Lampitt was one of few Americans to have served three tours in World War II, three tours in the Korean War and two tours in the Vietnam War.

A decorated veteran, Gordon continued to serve his country even after retiring from the Army, working at Fort Dix for 15 years. His unwavering commitment and dedication to his country, exemplified by his service in three wars was the ultimate testament of his patriotism and courage. He is a true American hero.

My thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with Gordons family and loved ones. I thank Gordon for making this country a better place and South Jersey is eternally grateful for his service and countless contributions to our community.

Congressman Donald Norcross, 1st District, New Jersey

First and foremost, we are all Americans

We are all Americans. We all live in this great melting pot called the United States of America. We come from different ethnic, racial and societal backgrounds. But first and foremost we are Americans.

We all have under the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution the rights of life, liberty and freedom and the pursuit of happiness. We seem to have lost sight of these facts.

People in China, Russia, North Korea and Syria live under the thumb of the likes of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and Bashar Hafez al-Assad. So be thankful that you live here.

Wear your camouflage, dreadlocks, hijab, Ivy League button downs I don't care. Just treat each other with respect, dignity and the knowledge that we all have the right to exist and to pursue our dreams and goals.

If you are the best qualified to do the job you need to get it albeit with a crew cut, piles of dreads or hijab. Teach the Golden Rule to your babies. They are our future and we owe it to them to fix all the mistakes we and our forebears made so they can live in peace with their fellow Americans.

Richard Egloff, Mount Laurel

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Letters to the editor for July 30, 2020 - Opinion - Echo Pilot

Connecticut, and especially New London County, has weathered the first wave of COVID-19 magnificently. In March, April and May Imarveled at the courage of our ICU team; men and women who bravely donned hazmat suits to care for very sick patients in air thick with COVID-19. Now there arefew cases. Why? Thanks to you, our fellow citizens, who get it, who socially distance, wear masks in public and look out for each other.

This will be a temporary victory if we drop our guard. Only about 10% of us have gotten COVID-19. Getting it does not mean we are immune. It is likely that a vaccine will reduce but will not eliminate acute illness from COVID-19. In other words, get used to this new reality and do not stop what you are doing. The greatest civic virtue derivative of the Golden Rule is looking out for our neighbors. With COVID-19, we must continue to protect each other, especially the most vulnerable among us. Do not despair. For the gullible, political puffery will eventually give way to self-interest, severe illness, or death (see Florida, Texas and Arizona).

We Nutmeggers have mastered this plague but itmay never go away entirely. Keep your focus to distance, mask, and insist (politely, but firmly) on the same from all.

Constantine Manthous

East Lyme

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Connecticut's great job managing the 'plague' - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

On May 23, 1991, the NBC first aired The Chinese Restaurant,the eleventh episode of a failing second season of Seinfeld. The episode sees the three characters Jerry Seinfeld, Elaine Benes, and George Costanza waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant. Thats it. Thats the entire plot of the 23-minute episode. The audience watches in real-time as the characters simply wait.

The episode eventually ends with the characters leaving before getting a table because they no longer want to stand around. Today, its remembered as one of the greatest and most exemplary episodes of the radical, revolutionary 90s sitcom.

When the second season of Seinfeld aired, it was to disinterested spectators. Episodes were met with lukewarm audience responses, a bewildered network, and dwindling ratings. Unlike its contemporaries, Seinfeld pulled humour out of the most mundane of activities and interactions. It didnt make up elaborate conflicts or climaxes. Instead, it proudly garnered a tagline as The show about nothing. Seinfeld went on to air for another six seasons, generate an audience of 76 million, and rack up $3 billion in returns. Today, running gags like yada yada yada, master of his domain, and no soup for you, still thrive in the current 21st-centurycultural zeitgeist.

Outside mainstream popular culture, Seinfeld remains prophet to the surrealist memescape of 4chan and Reddit, having predicted the trends of recontextualising quips and subversion of genre, as well as a distinct departure from elitist forms of media and traditional storytelling. The show about nothing would go on to set the precedent for everything.

It goes without saying that popular culture is distributed and consumed in a very different fashion today versus the 1990s. Seinfeld seemed to initially trip-up at a time when sitcoms like Full House, Married With Children, and of course network frenemy, Friends, were situated in a landscape that was still riding the sitcom wave of the 70s; creating plots from the same rules of relatable and accessible post-war television, with familiar characters in familiar scenarios created for a casual weekly viewership.

Seinfeld, on the other hand, was a sitcom meant for a binging era. With characters continually smirking nods to past jokes, it rewarded viewers for sticking with the sinking ship. Creator Larry David had one golden rule for the Seinfeld writers: no hugging, no learning. It pushed boundaries, always keen to test audiences with controversial story arcs like trying to abstain from masturbation or the meta episode arc in the fourth season where Jerry and George pitch their lives as a sitcom on the NBC. It was a show for its cult following and it didnt try or want to appeal to the masses.

Platforms like TikTok, 4chan, and Reddit thrive off this same exclusive community consciousness and, like Seinfeld, it can be difficult to penetrate them from the outside. Think of the different sides of Tik Tok basically the idea that the algorithm funnels users into different subsets of TikTok content, and liking particular clips will see your timeline inundated with similar posts.

Once creators discovered this is how the app curated the For You page, they purposely played on this idea by creating an absurdist bean genre of TikTok (which was basically nonsensical 15-second edits of beans from a can), or the Jason Daniel Earles side of TikTok (which saw clips dedicated to the appreciation of the 43-year-old on-screen brother of Miley Cyrus in the since finished Disney Original series, Hannah Montana).

There was a thrill in seeing if you could make it into the niche community, and knowing that your contribution could mean that these nonsensical TikToks could make it onto an unassuming users timeline. Isolated and without context, these edits are not particularly witty. But when it exists within a cultural consciousness where everyone except those on the outside gets the joke, there is humour in its unapologetic absurdity.

It can be difficult to deconstruct the surrealist meme genre, much like how its difficult for an audience to resonate with an episode about waiting and leaving a Chinese restaurant. Both are aware of their irrelevance, and both soak in it.

The we live in a society meme emerges from these same themes of absurdity within a community connected by cultural consciousness. If you arent aware of this meme or have just come to accept you probably arent deep enough into the internet to get it dont worry, thats the entire point of its appeal. Like all absurdist memes, its born completely out of irony and subversion of the meme genre. Typically, the meme is connected to the Joker, either including the character himself or editing other people to look like the green-haired, red-lipped man.

So where doeswe live in a society meme come from? The earliest trace of its origins can be found on Hong Kong-based meme site 9gag in April 2015. This is in the form of an image macro of the Joker, accompanied by the caption: When the nice guy loses his patiance (sic) / the devil shivers.

This particular meme struck gold for a few reasons. Firstly, the whole nice guys finish lastgamer/incel superiority complex has long been a running joke in the commentary of 9gag. This meme captures it in just absolute peak irony: channelling the Joker to symbolise a higher than average IQ, and then misspelling patience. The joke wrote itself. As of a couple of months ago, the meme had garnered upwards of 38,600 points and 520 comments on 9gag, with much of the engagement boosted by ironic trolls, wanting to make sure this meme became the absolute epitome of the meme site.

The DC supervillain has long been connected to the gamer identity, a sort of figurehead for a whole online incel cyber world syndicate after the Dark Knight film came out in 2008. Online outcasts began to worship the Joker, believing they too embodied the misunderstood, highly intelligent social outcast driven to villainy by the amorality of society. In a world where its impossible to compete: the nice girls chase after hot guys and neckbeards are left without girlfriends.

So, in that way, the Joker became a sort of re-contextualisation, a way to armour themselves with their difference. These people were proud of their nonconformist identity. It showed they were wiser, more woke. To them, the way the world operated was backwards; it rewarded parasites and liars. And so, they used these online spaces to vaunt how corrupt humanity was and how, rather than society excluding them, it was they who refused to be a part of society.

As these cringe, wannabe-profound memes became increasingly popular on sites like 9gag, they began to be enjoyed as pieces of satire on edgier online spaces like 4chan, Reddit, and shitposting groups on Facebook. In the process, absurdist meme-makers began to pierce the elitist, counterfeit-intellect of the Joker symbolism, making their own memes with a sentence fragment that mocked the incel gamer ipseity, in what we now understand as the we live in a society meme. However, this meme has certainly diverged from its DC comic origins and now the phrase has evolved into internet shorthand for being faux woke with a profound lack of self-awareness.

While somewhat disputed, it is thought that the phrase we live in a society was chosen due to the aforementioned The Chinese Restaurant episode of Seinfeld, where George channels his own hyper-macho superiority complex to sanctimoniously discuss the injustices of the episodes payphone politics, and ultimately, the wrongs of the world. Seething, with clenched fists, he yells: Were living in a society!

Still angry, Costanza goes on a rant, not unlike the incel gamers on 9gag Does anyone ever display the slightest sensitivity to the problems of a fellow individual? No! only to immediately double back and change his tone when the stranger apologises for their extended use of the payphone. Immediately, George snaps out of this edge-lord fantasy and back into his wimpy character, no way being this macho man he made himself out to be.

While its arguable that this clip is just a coincidence and unrelated to the true origins of the we live in a society meme, it is certain that Seinfeld polished the tools of the trade that we see within the 4chan and Reddit memescapes. These memes, fuelled by irony and subversion of the form, are not dissimilar to how Seinfeld took the sitcom and made a joke out of it, forcing the audience to wait 23 minutes for a table to become available at a Chinese restaurant.

Seinfeld, much like absurdist memes, never tries to act like it has the answers or holds some greater meaning. In fact, Seinfeld actively opposed this sentiment. It never tries to be about more than whatever is happening to its characters at any given moment, just like the humble we live in a society meme.

If we can take away anything from this, its that only one thing is for certain. There is a societyand we live in it.

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How Seinfeld predicted the we live in a society meme - Happy

Jul. 29 /CSRwire/ - The 2020 GlobeScan-Ethical Markets Beyond GDP survey repeats questions asked in 2007, 2009, and 2013 polls in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Kenya, Russia, the UK, and the USA. The general public (n=1,000 in each country) were again asked tochoose between continuing money-based GDP to steer national progress or to add statistics on health, education, and the environment. Overall, an average of 72 percent prefer broadening GDP with such additional data.

These GlobeScan-Ethical Markets surveys were launched at the European Parliament at the EU Commissions Beyond GDP conference in 2007 by Ethical Markets CEO Dr. Hazel Henderson, a US cabinet-level science policy advisor (www.beyond-gdp.eu), and reconfirmed in the later polls. Henderson said Yet financial markets, media, most governments and companies, and their economists persist in the GDP fetishism described by economist Joseph Stiglitz. The 2020 survey shows that people are still ahead of economists, financiers, corporations, governments, and politicians.

Today, many seem toprefer the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Human Development Index (HDI), and the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) developed in the nation of Bhutan (not included in the survey).Governments, city mayors, and many companies are now scrambling tocatch up, as in theC40 Mayors Agenda for a Green and Just Recovery, July 2020, and the World Economic Forums New Nature Economy, Report II The Future of Nature and Business, June 2020, which forecasts $10.1 trillionof new business opportunities in valuable natural productivity.

These opportunities are alsocited in the cumulative $10.3 trillion of private investments in green sectors worldwide, tracked in Ethical Markets Green Transition Scoreboard reports from 20092020 (www.ethicalmarkets.com). In Brazil for example, dependent on natures productivity, the 2020 survey finds 85 percent of Brazilians favor the broader measures added toGDP on health, education, and environment, along with 81 percent of Germans, 79 percent of Kenyans, 77 percent of French and British publics, 75 percent of Canadians, 73 percent of Russians, 69 percent of Australians, 64 percent in the USA, 59 percent of Chinese, and 58 percent of Indians.The average of those in these countriesstill favoring money-based GDP fell to28 percent.

The global pandemic continues to upendsocieties, cratering GDP-led economic growth, and deepening inequality. Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan, saidThere will clearly be significant societal implications on the back end of the pandemic, leading to further examination around how to best measure and value economies across the world. People want a more holistic approach to how we measure progress in our countries.

This may well alsoaccount for therising of the bottom-up SDG scorecards popularity, cited in both the above-mentioned C40and World Economic Forum reports. TheSDGs were officially adopted by 193 member countries of the UN in 2015 and represent traditional systemic reliance on nature for survival in all countries, as well as the older human values of community cooperation encoded in the Golden Rule.

ABOUT ETHICAL MARKETS MEDIA

Ethical Markets Media Certified B Corporation, a signatory of PRI and works to reform markets and metrics while helping accelerate and track the transition to the green economy with itsGreen Transition Scoreboard,Transforming Finance TV Series, research, reports, articles, newsletters, and analysis byHazel Henderson, editor-in-chief, onEthicalMarkets.com.

ABOUT GLOBESCAN

GlobeScan is an insights and strategy consultancy, focused on helping our clients build long-term trusting relationships with their stakeholders. Offering a suite of specialist research and advisory services, we partner with business, NGOs and governmental organizations to meet strategic objectives across reputation, sustainability and purpose. Established in 1987, GlobeScan has offices in Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, Paris, San Francisco, So Paulo and Toronto, is a participant of the UN Global Compact and a Certified B Corporation.

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Global Survey Finds Most Prefer Expanding GDP With Health, Education, and Environmental Data Press Releases on CSRwire.com - CSRwire.com

There are very few gatherings on the face of the Earth which capture more of the world's imagination than the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Every year, over two million Muslims (out of a staggering 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide) from every country on the planet embark on this once-in-a-lifetime journey to fulfill the fifth foundational pillar of Islam.

Just the aesthetic beauty and power of seeing so many people from every race congregate together in Mecca can be overwhelming. Imagine yourself in a sold-out football stadium with 80,000 people and then multiply that 25 times. In terms of economic impact, the Hajj (and lesser Umrah) pilgrimage generates about $12 billion in revenue for Saudi Arabia.

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the number of people taking part this week to 1,000 total. The spiritual lessons of the Hajj, however, feel more relevant than ever.

The two million Muslims who participate in a typical year are called to reflect on the story of the prophet Abraham's wife Hagar, an African woman and the first person to perform many of the Hajj rituals which pilgrims follow today. The perseverance celebrated in those acts is also personified in the stories of Abraham and their son, Ishmael, both of whom sacrificed their own personal feelings to perform selfless acts of sacrifice and obedience.

Today, the COVID-19 epidemic has forced Muslims (and practicing believers of other faiths) all over the world to reassess how we might fulfill our spiritual commitments and religious obligations in these unprecedented circumstances. Just a few months ago, during our holy month of Ramadan, the global Muslim community was forced to figure out how to navigate fasting for 30 days without praying inside our mosques or visiting our families. Many of us resorted to holding "Zoom iftars" every night to break our fast while chatting with our friends and families.

"It is the dream of every Muslim believer to visit Mecca and do the Hajj," a 61-year-old Lebanese pilgrim told The New York Times. "But the pandemic came with no warning and took away that dream." Many Muslims save up their entire life savings to perform the Hajj pilgrimage once before they die, since it can cost upwards of $10,000 for one person to travel the entire path. As a cultural touchstone, the successful completion of the Hajj conveys such religious status for some people that many Muslims either add the honorary term "Hajji" before their first names on their business cards or add the term "El Hajj" before their names (Malcolm X changed his name to "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz" after his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca).

"The Hajj is a transformative, emotional, and spiritually moving experience the spiritual pinnacle of a devout Muslim's life," according to Yasir Qadhi, dean of the Islamic Seminary of America.

Yet as we acknowledge the personal sacrifice made by Muslims who may have foregone plans to make the pilgrimage this year, we also remember that every religious tradition teaches the Golden Rule principle of loving thy God and loving thy neighbor.

The importance of that sacrifice has been amply demonstrated. According to The New York Times, a huge gathering of 16,000 people at a Malaysian mosque became the pandemic's largest known vector in Southeast Asia, spreading the coronavirus to half a dozen countries. Another large religious congregation this time in New Delhi, India caused the largest documented spike in COVID-19 cases in India (with nearly one-third of the country's early cases potentially linked to this event).

The Hajj also feels especially poignant for reasons beyond the pandemic. One of the things that struck me when I performed the pilgrimage in 2000, when I was 23 years old, was what Malcolm X wrote about in his famous "Letter from Mecca:"

There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.

At the same time that Black Lives Matter protests have swept the United States, the pandemic has bolstered Islamophobia around the world. In India, some right-wing ethno-nationalists have labeled COVID-19 the #CoronaJihad on social media to fuel conspiracy theories about Muslims trying to infect and poison Hindus. The Guardian reported that "Muslims have now seen their businesses across India boycotted, volunteers distributing rations called 'coronavirus terrorists', and others accused of spitting in food and infecting water supplies with the virus. Posters have appeared barring Muslims from entering certain neighborhoods" across India as well.

In the United Kingdom, counterterrorism police have been "investigating far-right groups accused of trying to use the coronavirus crisis to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment," according to British journalist Mehdi Hasan. There have also been numerous examples of British Muslims being harassed or attacked, including a hijab-wearing Muslim woman in south London who said she was approached by a man who "got in her face" to cough at her and claimed he had the coronavirus while also hurling racial abuse at her.

For people of faith during this new age of coronavirus, it becomes our respective ethical duties to sacrifice our own personal comforts to ensure that our collective crises can be addressed. Although we cannot marvel at a sea of humanity walking in circles around the symbolic house of God, we should take this opportunity of global reflection to devote ourselves to greater unity and social justice.

Arsalan Iftikhar is an international human rights lawyer, founder of TheMuslimGuy.com and author of Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms.

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The COVID Hajj - The Week

I just dont understand why so many people will not use a mask and social distance during this time in our country.The scientific information has proven that wearing a mask and social distancing helps to prevent the spread of the virus. I see people ignore the request of a business to wear a mask when you enter that business. I had a person tell me last Sunday, he felt healthy and didnt need to wear one.I understand a person can be asymptomatic and not know it. If I have that condition, I do not want to infect anyone So I will wear a mask. I understand that a mask wont necessarily keep me getting the virus, but it will for sure help me keep me from spreading it.I dont want to give it to someone and I for sure dont want to get it from someone. Does that sound like the Golden Rule? If we as a nation would live by that, in my mind, we would be a lot better off.There was a time automobiles didnt have seat belts, but as time went by it was found out a seat belt could save a life, it became a nationwide law.I hope we control this virus with social distancing, wearing a mask, and possibly a vaccine before any sort of law comes into being. Because, there is not vaccine for ignorance.From Dick Gall, Edgerton, KS

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Letter to the Editor - Gardnernews.com

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. Nolan Reidhead will face Tiffany Shedd in the Congressional District 1 Republican primary Aug. 4. The winner will go up against the winner of the Democratic primary, either incumbent Rep. Tom OHalleran or Eva Putzova.

Reidhead said the top three issues in Congressional District 1 are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, improving the economy and dealing with police reform.

Protecting people from COVID-19

Reidhead, who has had a law practice in Tucson for 22 years, said the top priority is protecting people during COVID 19. He said people need to be safe and secure.

We need to work together to show were safe. Ive been watching whats happening on the reservation. This is not the first time and I hope we learn from it, he said. We need to be prepared with PPE equipment and pharmaceuticals. We cannot be too dependent on China.

Reidhead said the federal government has a role in dealing with the pandemic, but that role should be limited within the states.

Those decisions should be made at the local level, he said. Funding can be had at the federal level. Im baffled why some funding to tribes has been held up. The funding should be allocated by the local community. States can learn from this and be better prepared, but the federal government should help with funding.

Regarding the coronavirus, Reidhead said it is important officials get good data. He said recent data shows that the amount of coronavirus cases are rising, but the amount of deaths are decreasing.

Some people are tested more than once, but counted for each time, he said.

Reidhead said the question is, What can the federal government do to help the Navajo Nation with the coronavirus outbreak?

In Europe some countries are backing away from it. Is that proper for the U.S.? he said. I dont know.

Improving the economy

Reidhead said a major step to improving the economy would be eliminating the payroll tax for at least a year.

As we come out of this, we need to get jobs and businesses going again, he said. We can work with individuals to build businesses. We need to help employers with cash flow.

Reidhead said visas for foreign workers need to be cut so those jobs can go to Americans. He said members of both parties should work together for the good of the people. He said other actions that can be taken to improve the economy are continuing loans to businesses for a longer period of time and to allow people to get into their 401K without paying taxes on them.

Its crucial to get the economy going, he said.

Supplying rural areas with infrastructure

Reidhead said supplying rural areas with infrastructure is a huge issue, especially making sure the rural areas have enough water, electricity and roads. He said this makes it important to fund technical colleges so people can get jobs quickly with the proper training. He also supports having a law school on the Navajo Nation.

Police reform

Reidhead said police reform is needed following George Floyds death. He said Floyds death was a travesty, but he said the loss of Navajo Police Officer Michael Lee was also a travesty.

There are good officers on the front line, he said about police officers, border patrol agents and corrections officers.

Reidhead said he is aware of problems with police after he had a cousin shot during a traffic stop in Phoenix. However, he said 99 percent of police serve with the intent of serving the community. He also added that there are some bad apples and better training for hiring and background checks is needed.

Reidhead said some police were brutal in their conduct and had many prior complaints about their brutality.

Those need to be fired and should not be in a supervisors role. Each year, police need to be updated on issues, just like many other professions, he said referring to annual trainings he has as a lawyer.

Reidhead said proper reforms need to be approved, but lootings and tearing down monuments are not acceptable.

Reidhead said he is pro-life and for constitutional rights.

Regarding police reforms, Reidhead said there were a lot of protests that were reasonable, but called the looting and taking over of a police precinct in Seattle improper.

It destroys the message, he said.

Reidhead said Martin Luther Kings demonstrations were done the proper way as they were responsible and peaceful. He supports law enforcement working on crossover jurisdiction to cut down on drug and human trafficking.

Helping tribes with economic development and water infrastructure

Reidhead said 2020 has not been good to the tribes with the closure of the Navajo Generating Station in Page and then the coronavirus outbreak.

It (closure of NGS) could have been saved. That cost $30-$40 million a year, he said.

Reidhead said the coronavirus brought to light some existing conditions on the reservation that many didnt know about. He said improving water infrastructure on the reservation is a top priority.

Every household on the reservation should have running water and electricity, he said. We need to allocate it properly.

Reidhead said the reservation needs more air ambulances because everybody is spread out over wide areas of land.

Supports uranium mining

Reidhead, whose family was involved in the logging industry, supports uranium mining if it can be done safely and he believes that can be done.

I worked with government agencies on the Kayenta mine and it was done safely, he said.

Local officials should decide when schools reopen

Regarding schools, Reidhead has a 16-year-old and he is waiting to see how the school district will approach the new school year. He said education decisions should be made at the local level working with family and teachers, but he added the federal government can help with funding.

He hopes the schools can open responsibly. He said the school age group has not been affected so far by the coronavirus. He said the schools may have to be half online and half with physically attending. He said there has to be more funding for laptops.

We need to keep education going. I think we can open in a responsible way, he said.

CD1 is large and varied

Reidhead said CD1 is a huge district with varied interests from Page to Tucson. He knows the district because he has relatives and friends spread throughout the district. For over 20 years, as a lawyer who works with business startups he has worked with many people in the district. He has also worked as an arbitrator with the courts for seven years.

Its important to work with varied interests to come up with proper solutions, he said.

Reidhead said he wants to serve in Congress because the nation is at a crossroads as he seeks to support traditional and small town values. He said the Golden Rule still applies.

I see politicians who are in it for themselves, he said. We need those who are not lifetime politicians.

Reidhead said CD1 and rural areas have been forgotten by Congress in the past.

Navajo County is still waiting for money, he said. I want to work for the communities.

Reidhead said he wants to bring compassionate and strong leadership to protect the rights and interests of citizens.

Reidhead said his political role models are Abe Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Lincoln because he was determined despite strong odds and King because he gave his life for his cause.

Reidhead said the primary election has been complicated by the COVID 19 causing a lot of events to be cancelled. He said this has made it harder for tribes to reach out to Republicans. He said health issues and the Second Amendment brings the tribes and Republicans together.

I think we can do better by our people, he said.

Editors Note:

This is part four in a four part series that features interviews with congressional candidates running for District 1. District 1 encompasses the Navajo and Hopi reservations.

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Congressional candidate Q & A: Nolan Reidhead prioritizes COVID-19 help, improving the economy and police reform - Navajo-Hopi Observer

Bronx: Im confused. First, the Daily News and the public howl about summons and arrest quotas, even publishing stories about the brave police officers who came forward to whine about this evil. Now, you complain that not enough arrests and summonses are being made. If you dont want a quota, you cannot complain about the number of arrests and summonses, since there is no mandatory number expected of officers. I also remember reading some nonsense about smart policing, which is a fantasy, just like, you cannot arrest your way out of crime. I had to laugh when I heard that one. If thats true, why are arrests down and crime going up? Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth. I fully support cops standing on the sidelines until the mayor, the City Council, the press and the defund the police believers decide theyve had enough. Eric Reynolds, NYPD Det., retired

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Readers sound off on police criticism, nuns and the Golden Rule - New York Daily News

Editor:

In response to never-Trump Mitch Crows letter on July 2, even the casual observer will come to the conclusion that Mr. Crows crowing is the result of overdosing on the cool-aid so abundantly served up by the fake news media and the leadership of the Democratic Party and has no clue what sanity, patriotism and Christianity is all about.

Its plain to see his description of President Trump exactly describes the Clintons and Obamas, the most recent Democrats to occupy the White House. Both are filthy rich by selling out our country and leaving our national defense defenseless. Is that being patriotic?

Is refusing to call Arabs terrorists who make videos of beheading Christians and Jews, is that being Christian? Obama claimed he was a Christian. To what country does his loyalty go?

Mayors of major cities across the country for decades have been Democrats. I dont hear Mr. Crow objecting to the black on black crime that has claimed the lives of countless children over the decades. Or the rioting and destruction in these cities led by patriots of the Democratic Party, Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA. That is insane.

Sanity is making rational decisions such as renegotiating trade deals and removing restrictions made by Democrats that sent jobs overseas and by bringing back those jobs putting people back to work and off welfare.

Patriotism is devotion to our country and concern for its defense. When Donald Trump was sworn in as president our military was desperately inadequate for a proper defense. Our borders were wide open and we were under an invasion of illegals. President Trump built our military back to defend us and our borders are much more secure.

Being a Christian is following the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. President Trump has done just that. Minorities benefited the most from the jobs he brought back and his reforms in our criminal justice system. President Trump has brought back prayer in the White House and Merry Christmas is also welcome there.

Violence always begins on the left and is ignored by the left. Forty-eight shot, 11 dead over 4th of July weekend in NYC, add to the count Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and all cities run by Democrats and the numbers go out of sight and what are the Democrats doing about it? Defunding or eliminating their police departments?

Les Wolfe. Red Bluff

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Letter: The left doesnt know what patriotism is - Red Bluff Daily News