Select Page ::

ArtsKSU To Present 8th Annual Coming Out Monologues: Stories Of Empowerment – Broadway World

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Virtual presentation includes stories by and about people across the LGBTQ spectrum

Kennesaw State University (KSU) LGBTQ Resource Center and the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) will present the 8th Annual Coming-Out Monologues (COM) on October 8 and 9, in celebration of National Coming Out Day. This year, the production will once again include stories from KSU students, staff, and members of the community beyond KSU. The wide array of stories captures experiences of lesbian, non-binary, gay and transgender folxs, as well as advocates, allies, parents, and friends.

Assistant Chair, Artistic Director, and Professor Karen Robinson believes that this "is one of the most fulfilling projects I have had the privilege of coordinating during my twenty years in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies." Each year, the monologues are solicited from across a wide spectrum of people, and their stories are then performed by TPS students, and this year is no different.

However, what is different this year is that each piece will be directed by a different TPS directing student. Further, two of the featured stories were submitted by TPS students, both seniors. Jess Ford, author of "For the Children" said, "The Coming-Out Monologues is all about empowerment and the stories of those whose voices may have never been heard otherwise. I hope my story inspires others and maybe it will help someone realize who they are. It was my privilege to act my freshman year in the Coming-Out Monologues, and it is so amazing to come full circle and be a writer in in during my senior year."

Kylie Talbott, also a TPS senior, wrote "Two Cheers for Bisexuality" but it wasn't easy: "By submitting a monologue, I had to fully accept myself for who I am. What's beautiful about being chosen as a writer for this amazing event is that my words could unknowingly affect people who need to hear them at this point in their lives. You never know what people are going through these days, especially when it comes to sexual orientation, because that's still a scary thing to try and fully face by yourself!"

Ten different stories will be performed, bringing a total of 80 stories shared since its start at KSU in 2013. Topics covered this year include the discovery that an assigned gender "itches"; the fervent desire to affirm a 13-year-old kid at camp that it's okay to be non-binary; and a mother of three kids-all of whom are gay-and embracing them with all her heart and encouraging us to do the same.

Robinson said, "The stories are a blend of humor, lyrical love, and empowerment. Audiences will see themes of love, acceptance of self, and empowerment shine through these very vulnerable and personal experiences." TPS student Zach Tellez is serving as an Assistant Coordinator and Stage Manager for the project. He said, "I love it because it is a night of heartfelt stories grounded in a specific, yet universal experience."

Audience members are also encouraged to join the post-performance talkbacks, where audience members can lean into dialogue, share feelings and deeply personal stories, within a palpable, restorative, and supportive space. Robinson added, "To quote one of the pieces: This project is time well spent with a collection of 'beautiful soul(s)...riding the wave of life and allowing themselves to be exactly who they are."

The 8th Annual Coming-Out Monologues will be streamed live on Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. and on Friday, October 9 at 8 p.m. There is no charge to watch the performances; a simple registration is all that is required. Click here to register.

Go here to read the rest:

ArtsKSU To Present 8th Annual Coming Out Monologues: Stories Of Empowerment - Broadway World

Cris Cyborg reacts to Holly Holms dominant win over Irene Aldana – BJPENN.COM

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Former UFC champion Cris Cyborg was clearly watching tonights UFC Fight Island 4 main event between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana.

The UFCs former womens bantamweight champion, Holm (13-5 MMA), had entered tonights contest looking to build off the momentum from her unanimous decision victory over Raquel Pennington back in January. Prior to defeating Rocky in Las Vegas, The Preachers Daughter was coming off a knockout loss to reigning womens champ-champ Amanda Nunes at UFC 239.

Holly Holm and the above mentioned Cris Cyborg have a history having previously met under the UFC banner in December of 2017. That evening in Las Vegas, Cyborg emerged victorious by way of unanimous decision thus retaining her featherweight gold. So it was no surprise to hear the now-Bellator champion was tuning in for tonights UFC event headliner.

Irene Aldana (12-5 MMA) entered tonights UFC Fight Island 4 event on a two-fight win streak, her latest being a knockout victory over Ketlen Vieira this past December. The Mexican standout had gone 5-1 over her past six Octagon appearance ahead of tonights contest with Holm, leaving many analysts pegging her to be a future title contender.

With that said, tonights UFC Fight Island 4 headliner proved to be a very one-sided affair. Holly Holm was able to batter Irene Aldana with a plethora of different strikes for the better portion of five rounds, this while landing some timely takedowns, ultimately earning a unanimous decision victory.

Official UFC Fight Island 4 Result: Holly Holm def. Irene Aldana by unanimous decision (50-44 x2, 50-45)

Check out how Cris Cyborg reacted to Holm defeating Aldana below:

Impressive seeing Holly Holm, who is nominated for this years Boxing Hall of Fame inductions, pick up a perfect 5 round win in MMA!

Who would you like to see Holly Holm fight next following her dominant decision victory over Irene Aldana this evening on Yas Island? Share your thoughts in the comments section PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on October 4, 2020

Visit link:

Cris Cyborg reacts to Holly Holms dominant win over Irene Aldana - BJPENN.COM

Superboy is Officially Stronger Than His Father, Superman – Screen Rant

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

In the latest issue of DCeased, the Justice League visits the New Gods, and the son of Superman proves that he's stronger than his father.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for DCeased: Dead Planet #4

It's no secret that the dark future being depicted in Tom Taylor'sDCeased: Dead Planet is very grim indeed. Several heroes have been claimed by the corrupted Anti-Life equation, which has turned them into the undead. However, one bright light of hope exists, and it's that those same heroes' children and protgs have grown up and taken on their mantles. Damian Wayne has become the new Batman, while Wonder Girl is the new Wonder Woman. Jon Kent has also become the new Superman, but it's just been confirmed in the latest issue that he's actuallystronger than the Man of Steel.

In Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine'sDCeased: Dead Planet #4,the Justice League learn Cyborg holds the key to a possible cure for the undead, but they're unsure exactly how. As a solution, they determine to find Metron and his Mobius Chair, which holds a near-infinite amount of knowledge. Due to him being one of the fastest beings in the universe, they devise a plan to lure him with a more magical means of knowledge courtesy of John Constantine and Madame Xanadu's crystal ball. Mister Miracle then takes members of the League to New Genesis, including the new Superman.

Related:How Marvel and DC Revived A Decades-Old Zombie Feud

Upon their arrival to New Genesis, Orion meets them, who's known for being near invincible with the equal strength of the original Superman, though not with a happy greeting. He's quite angry at seeing his brother, Mister Miracle, punching him again and again. Eventually, Jon Kent can't take anymore and intervenes, knocking out Orion with one single punch, which is incredible.

As the narration confirms, Batman once had a theory that due to his unique physiology, Jon Kent would grow up to perhaps become even stronger than his father. As usual, Batman was right, as indicated by Jon's powerful punch, knocking the powerful Orion out with a single strike. Thankfully, this doesn't burn any bridges with the Highfather, who agrees to summon Metron to the ruins of Apokolips. After the heroes strike their deal with Metron, they learn that Cyborg needs to recode his blood, which will unlock the Life Equation and provide the cure they need. However, after looking into the crystal ball, Metron immediately flees the scene, as does Superman and the other heroes. This was for good reason, as not long after Darkseid returns as one of the unliving.

J.J. Abrams’ Version of The Avengers Are Cyborg Zombies – Screen Rant

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Peter Parker's son, Ben, is on a mission to save his dad in J.J. Abrams' Spider-Man mini-series, but he must first fight cyborg zombie Avengers.

The cybernetic corpses of the Avengers are one of the most recent obstacles for J.J. Abrams Spider-Man. Abrams and his son, Henry, teamed-up with Marvel in 2019 to write their own Spider-Man comic. Along with artist Sara Pichelli, the father-son duo was able to release three of the five issues of their mini-series in 2019, but were met with serious delays before completing their story. After a nine-month wait, the fourth installment of the series is finally here.

The Abrams Spider-Man mini-series follows the adventures of Peter Parkers son, Ben, as he learns that he has spider-powers of his own. Unfortunately for Ben, his resurgence as the wall-crawler brings back one of his dads former enemies: Cadaverous. Readers of the series learn that Cadaverous is the reason that Peter retires as Spider-Man, after watching the villain kill Mary Jane. In addition to losing the love of his life, Peter also loses his arm to the villain. Once Cadaverous learns that Spider-Man is back on the streets, however, he tracks down and kidnaps Peter. After watching his dad get taken by the monster, Ben, along with his friend Faye, go to Tony Stark for help and discover that Spider-Man was not the only hero to suffer at the hands of Cadaverous.

Related: Will Andrew Garfield Return For Spider-Man 3 Too?

Soon after finding the former Iron Man, the heroes run into the Avengers, or at least what used to be the Avengers. Cyborg zombie versions of Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, and the Hulk appear on the scene and attack the group of heroes. This ambush is especially horrific for Tony, as these undead monsters were once his teammates. Just as things are looking bad for Ben, Faye, and Tony, however, Riri Williams arrives in her Ironheart armor to turn the tide of the battle.

After Ironhearts arrival, the heroes victory comes surprisingly easily. Riri immediately blasts down Captain America and Thor, taking them out of the fight. Ben is able to trap the Hulk in webbing and Faye blinds Black Widow with spray paint. Finally, Riri blasts the Hulk into a statue of Black Widow, breaking off the statues head and crushing the real Black Widow. Only after the fight do the heroes realize that the former Avengers were under the control of none other than Cadaverous.

Although the zombie Avengers are easily defeated, they serve as a unique and unexpected inclusion for fans to enjoy. The series does leave some unanswered questions about how they ended up in their current state though. The circumstances that led to the Avenger'sdemise remain a mystery and as well as how Cadaverous acquired their corpses. Its possible that Mary Jane was not the only big-name character that Cadaverous murdered. The Abrams story has one more issue to go and Ben Parker has quite the adventure ahead to save his dad.Spider-Man #5 is set to release in October.

Next: Spider-Man: Bruce Campbell Finally Played Mysterio In The Comics

Go here to see the original:

J.J. Abrams' Version of The Avengers Are Cyborg Zombies - Screen Rant

The 10 Best Terminator Rip-Offs, Ranked According To IMDB – Screen Rant

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The Terminator is one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made, so of course it inspired a ton of knock-offs that rate low on IMDb.

James Cameron's classic sci-fi thriller The Terminator has become a cultural touchstone among mainstream American cinema. The story of a relentless cyborg sent back in time to murder to the mother of an unborn revolutionary leader has spawned a number of franchise sequels, prequels, reboots, and offshoots over the past three and a half decades.

RELATED: 10 Best Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies According To IMDB

In addition to the multi-media franchise that launched the careers of Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Linda Hamilton, The Terminator inspired countless imitators and blatant ripoffs around the time of its release in 1984. While many are downright forgettable, several of them have garnered decent IMDB ratings over the years. Here is the cream of the crop!

In Duncan Gibbon's Eve of Destruction, The Terminator template is given a gender-reversal when a terrorist tracker is tasked with finding her android doppelganger. Dutch actress Renee Soutendjik stars as both Dr. Eve Simmons and her cyborg counterpart, Eve VIII.

When the good doctor is recruited by a scientist to disarm her robotic double, a vicious killing machine without a conscience, she goes to great lengths to stop her evil twin from inflicting as much harm as possible. WhileEve of Destructionis unique here for having a female Terminator-imitation, it wasn't the first to do so as the likes of the Indonesian knock-offLady Terminator (1988)predate it.

In Phillip J. Roth's overt Terminator/RoboCop knockoff, Digital Man, a belligerent killer robot is unleashed (Matthias Hues) in a small town after going haywire. When a band of soldiers is dispatched to quell Digital Man's violent onslaught, some are discovered to be robots in hiding.

Aside from the iconography and costuming, one of the obvious nods to The Terminator canon is Digital Man's trusty Gatling gun, which the T-800 model used prolifically in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Also known as Frankenstein 88, Jean-Claude Lord's The Vindicator is an obscure Canadian Terminator ripoff in which a workplace mishap results in a lethal robotic murderer going on an indiscriminate killing spree.

Carl Lehman (David McIlwraith) is an employee at a top-secret weapons facility. After suffering a major accident during an experiment, Carl is morphed into a sinister cybernetic serial killer that, according to its programming, must annihilate anything in its path.

Legendary B-movie director/producer Charles Band helmed Crash and Burn, a bald Terminator imitator starring Bill Moseley and Eva LaRue.

Following a global economic meltdown in the year 2030, the world is controlled by the powerful Unicom Corporation. To ensure humanity's survival, all computerized devices and robots have been outlawed. However, a rogue Unicom Synth robot murders a TV manager in rebellion, prompting a war between man and machine.

Albert Pyun is responsible for several Terminator ripoffs, two of which are included on this list. The firstfilm is thisJean-Claude Van Damme sci-fi action filmthat's simply titledCyborg.

RELATED: 10 Immortal Jean-Claude Van Damme Movie Quotes

Set in a futuristic American wasteland in which a pandemic has ravaged most of the world's population, paid fighter Gibson (Van Damme) meets a female cyborg named Pearl Prophet (Dayle Haddon). Pearl informs Gibson that she harbors data to cure the pandemic before she's kidnapped by a band of pirates. Gibson sets out to rescue Pearl before gang leader Fender Tremelo obtains the cure for his own benefit.

One of the better European Terminator copiers belongs to Sergio Martino's Hands of Steel, an unabashed Italian knockoff starring the recently deceased John Saxon.

Saxon plays the malevolent Frank Turner, a corporate industrialist who creates a half-man-half-machine hybrid called Paco Queruak (Daniel Greene) for the sole purpose of assassinating an ecological revolutionary. When failing to meet his objective, Paco heads for Arizona where he is stalked and attacked his adversaries.

The second film Albert Pyun clearly made in response to his adoration of The Terminator is Nemesis, a futuristic cyborg action-thriller set in a dystopian Los Angeles.

The story follows Alex (Olivier Gruner), a cyborg LAPD officer who is coerced by his boss to locate his former lover and police partner, Jared (Marjorie Monaghan). Alex must do so before Jared can deliver sensitive intel to a terrorist sect relating to the future of humanity. While on the hunt, Alex questions his true nature every step of the way.

In addition to The Terminator, Class of 1999 cribs tropes and various imagery from RoboCop and several other techno-thrillers of the day. It's also a loose sequel to Class of 1984, also directed by Mark L. Lester.

RELATED: 10 Movies You Didn't Know Were Sequels

In crime-ridden future Seattle, a high-school agrees to hire three ex-military cyborgs to serve as undercover teachers. Unfortunately for the unruly students, the violent androids also work as deadly disciplinarians who have a zero-tolerance for teenage shenanigans and impugn the students with brutality.

Iggy Pop and Dylan McDermott star in Hardware, Richard Stanley's hyper-violent action extravaganza in which a sentient cyborg rebuilds itself with indestructible reinforcements before going on a vicious death march.

When a robotic head is scavenged from a scrap heap in the Earthly wasteland of the future, it is eventually given to an art student as a Christmas gift. The robotic head activates, pulls metallic materials from its surroundings, and builds itself back up to a fully functioning robot. Once operational, the Mark 13 military bot goes on a violent revenge tour.

Jack Sholder's 1987 sci-fi horror film The Hidden is perfectly named for its obscurity. Still, the movie takes many elements that worked so well in both James Cameron's The Terminator and Aliens while reusing them in exciting new ways.

The Hidden follows a parasitic alien that can replicate human form upon possessing their bodies. As crime escalates in a Los Angeles wasteland, a local cop teams with an FBI agent to solve a rash of grisly murders perpetrated by the shapeshifting alien. The film fuses the aesthetic iconography of The Terminator with the bio-organic horror of Aliens.

NEXT: 5 Horror Films From The 80s That Are Way Underrated (& 5 That Are Overrated)

Next 20 Best PG-13 Horror Movies, Ranked

The 10 Best Terminator Rip-Offs, Ranked According To IMDB - Screen Rant

The Flash Movie Is Rumored to Feature Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman – MovieWeb

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The recently delayed DC movie, The Flash, is looking to add another superhero to its ever-growing roster, with Gal Gadot reportedly in talks reprise the role of Wonder Woman for director Andy Muschietti's upcoming superhero extravaganza. Details are scarce regarding what Wonder Woman's role in the movie would involve, but it appears that Warner Bros. is looking to include her in a small supporting role.

The Flash will take inspiration from the comic arc The Flashpoint Paradox, which sees the Fastest Man Alive travel back in time in order to save his mother. However, his meddling with time finds the Flash emerging in a bleaker universe in which the Amazons and Atlanteans are at war. This alternate version of the DC universe finds Bruce Wayne dead, killed at the hands of the same criminal who murders his parents in the original timeline. This leads to Thomas Wayne taking up the mantle of Batman, and applying his own, much more violent tactics.

How closely The Flash will stick to these elements of the source material is largely unknown, but it is possible that Gal Gadot will feature in the movie as the same alternate version of Wonder Woman that has gone to war with the Atlanteans as this is more of a background plot point secondary to Flash trying to find his way back to his own universe.

Gal Gadot would be far from the only member of the DC cinematic universe to join The Flash, with the likes of Cyborg actor Ray Fisher also reportedly in negotiations to appear in some capacity.

The real excitement for The Flash though is the inclusion of both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as Batman. Fans have been left to wonder how the two very different versions of the Dark Knight will factor into proceedings, with director Andy Muschietti stating that Affleck at least will have a substantial role in the movie. "He's a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie," the director said recently. "The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck's Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven't seen before. It's Barry's movie, it's Barry's story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that's one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That's where the Affleck Batman kicks in."

As for Wonder Woman, the highly anticipated sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, finds the DC icon in 1984. During the Cold War, Diana Prince comes into conflict with two formidable foes, media businessman Maxwell Lord and friend-turned-enemy Barbara Ann Minerva, while reuniting with her mysteriously resurrected love interest Steve Trevor.

Almost the entire DC movie roster, including The Batman and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, has been pushed back with movies like Black Adam now removed from the release schedule entirely. The Flash has been delayed from June 3rd, 2022, to a few months later on November 4th, 2022, while Wonder Woman 1984 has (for now at least) stood firm on its release date of December 25, 2020. This comes to us from The Illuminerdi.

Topics: Flashpoint, Flash, Wonder Woman

See the original post here:

The Flash Movie Is Rumored to Feature Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman - MovieWeb

Justice League: 5 Members Who Can Beat The Hulk (& 5 Who Don’t Stand A Chance) – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Which Justice League members could defeat The Hulk? Which ones could the Hulk beat?

The Hulk is one of the most dangerous superbeings in the Marvel Universe- both to villains and the heroes sometimes. The Hulk is basically a giant rage monster and has been known to go on destructive rampages that have to be stopped by the heroes when all else fails. The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets and that, combined with his amazing durability and healing factor, make him a threat to anyone who crosses him.

RELATED: World War Hulk: 5 Ways It Aged Well (& 5 Ways It Hasn't)

The Justice League is one of the most powerful assemblages of heroes in any superhero universe, always ready for the worst, be it supervillains, alien invasions, or destructive universal phenomena. If the Hulk were rampaging through the DC Universe, how would the members of the Justice League manage?

Let's get this out of the way- Superman can beat the Hulk. It's one of those age old questions but the answer is actually very easy- Superman wins. Superman fights some of the most dangerous villains around, so he's ready for just about anything and while the Hulk is formidable, in the end, he's just a guy who smashes things.

Superman has fought way worse and beyond that, he starts off vastly stronger and faster than the Hulk. Once he sees just what he's dealing with, he's going to cut loose against the Hulk and there's just so much he can do that the Hulk doesn't have an answer for. The fight just wouldn't go on long enough for the Hulk to get powerful enough to take Superman out.

A long time ago, Batman and Hulk had a crossover and using poison gas, Batman was able to take Hulk out. Back then, Hulk was still vulnerable to things like that. Now a days? That wouldn't work. Batman is known for having a plan to take down anyone, but the Hulk would be a bridge too far for him.

Honestly, given enough time and data to analyze, Batman could probably come up with a counter measure to the Hulk but that would be after the Hulk already wiped the floor with him at least once. Batman has a lot of cool gadgets and weapons, but ask Iron Man how well cool gadgets and weapons work against the Hulk- the answer is not very well at all.

Saying the Flash can beat the Hulk is kind of a no brainer because the Flash can beat just about everybody. The Speed Force gives the Flash all kinds of powers, but beyond that, he's just extremely hard to hit. He can avoid pretty much any attack the Hulk throws at him or phase through it, giving him an ultimate defense advantage.

RELATED: Hulk: 5 Things Ang Lee's Movie Got Right (& 5 It Got Wrong)

Hurting the Hulk would be hard for the Flash, especially since every missed attack would make the Hulk angrier. However, the Flash can always deploy the infinite mass punch, his most devastating attack. It would be a last resort but it would give the Flash the win.

Aquaman would put up a great fight against the Hulk, but it would ultimately be futile. The king of Atlantis is way tougher than anyone gives him credit for, having once held up a continental plate, but it's not going to matter much against the Hulk. Even with the Trident of Neptune, Aquaman just doesn't have the oomph to take the Hulk down before things get out of hand.

As a last resort, Aquaman could try his telepathy on the Hulk, but the Hulk's mind has proven pretty much impenetrable to all but the strongest of telepaths. Aquaman would give it his all but it wouldn't matter against the Hulk.

Shazam's breadth of powers make him a formidable opponent and one of the DC Universe's most underrated heroes. It's all of those powers that are going to allow him to triumph over the Hulk. The Hulk is one of the toughest beings around and only gets tougher, but he's sort of one dimensional threat- he can't fly and his only long range attacks are things he can throw; he's not even particularly fast.

Shazam has him beat in so many respects and while he might not go all out quick enough to punch the Hulk out before he gets too strong, his speed, flight, ability to call on magical lightning will allow him to triumph.

Hawkman has long been known as one of the toughest members of the Justice League. Armed with his Nth metal harness that enhances his strength and allows him to fly and his powerful Thangarian mace, many foes have fallen to Hawkman. The Hulk, however, would not be one of them.

Hawkman is an expert hand to hand combatant and as tough as they come but when it comes right down to it, there's just nothing he can do against the sheer power and rage of the Hulk. His flying hit and run attacks would just serve to anger the Jade Giant and while he could stay out of Hulk's way by flying, eventually he'd have to attack and one good shot would end it for him.

Wonder Woman has a lot going against her in a fight against the Hulk. While she has a definite mobility advantage- she's much faster and can fly- and strength advantage to start out with, the Hulk gets very strong very fast. His uncanny durability will keep him fighting long enough to get overwhelmingly strong but Wonder Woman's fighting skill and quick thinking are going to save the day for her.

RELATED: Worldbreaker Hulk: 15 Things He Can Do That Regular Hulk Can't

See, the Hulk still needs oxygen and Wonder Woman has an unbreakable lasso. As things get worse, Wonder Woman is going to take the best option- getting Hulk around the neck and flying him up in the air, cutting off his air flow until he's unconscious.

In the last few years, the Hulk has had some problems with archers- before the whole Immortal Hulk business, he was killed by an arrow shot by Hawkeye. The League has their own resident archer, one who also has a quiver full of all kinds of trick arrows but unlike Hulk's erstwhile Avengers teammate, Green Arrow doesn't have one designed for use against the Hulk.

Green Arrow will certainly give it the old college try but when it comes right down to it, all he'd do is rile the Hulk up, which is a certainly a bad idea. Hulk would easily smash Green Arrow.

One of the main reasons that Superman can beat the Hulk is because of all the powers he has. So, what if a hero had all of the same powers as Superman and then some? That's Martian Manhunter in a nut shell. He pretty much has every cool power a superhero can have and the experience and skill to back it all up.

Hulk just doesn't stand a chance against a shapeshifting telepath who can go invisible and intangible who also happens to have all of Superman's other powers at comparable levels. There's literally nothing the Hulk can do against an opponent that powerful. He'll certainly try but it won't do him a whole lot of good.

Cyborg is no slouch but he just doesn't have what it takes against the Hulk. He's strong, but Hulk's stronger. While he can muster up some long range attacks, what good have lasers and sound cannons ever done against the Hulk in the past? His control of technology makes him a dangerous foe but how would it help him against a rage monster with infinite strength?

None of Cyborg's powers and skills would do him much good against the Hulk. He'd give it a try, of course, but the Hulk would quickly overwhelm him.

NEXT: 5 Ways She-Hulk Is Superior To Her Cousin (& 5 Ways Hulk Is Still Incredible)

Next Iron Man: The 15 Most Powerful Armors Of All Time, Ranked

David Harth has been reading comics for close to 30 years. He writes for several websites, makes killer pizza, goes to Disney World more than his budget allows, and has the cutest daughter in the world. He can prove it.

More here:

Justice League: 5 Members Who Can Beat The Hulk (& 5 Who Don't Stand A Chance) - CBR - Comic Book Resources

J.J. Abrams’ Version of Spider-Man is a Twisted Horror Movie – Screen Rant

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

J.J. Abrams' 80s influences provide the unique addition of body horror to the Spider-Man universe in the miniseries he's penning with his son Henry

WARNING! Spoilers forSpider-Man: Bloodline #4

There's some nostalgia to be found in the newest Spider-Man: Bloodlines comic. Fans of high-concept film and television know that the unique mix ofthrowback sci-fi/horror that J.J. Abrams often brings to his creations is what makes his work immediately identifiable. Many of his works lean into that unnamable sense of 80s nostalgia that has permeated pop culture of late, while simultaneously pulling from elements of classic science fiction. Its no surprise, then, that the villain of the new Spider-Man: Bloodline series, written by Abrams and his son, Henry, feels like its been yanked straight from some forgotten notebook in David Cronenbergs desk drawer.

The story follows Ben Parker, the teenaged son of M.J. and Peter Parker, who has taken up his fathers web-slinging mantle. While Peter is not wild about his kid fighting crime, they dont particularly have a chance to hash it out before theyre interrupted by the cyborg villain Cadaverous. Now, with Peter kidnapped, Ben and his friend Faye Ito seek out help from a grown Riri Williams and a retired Tony Stark to rescue his father. Of course, theres a few roadblocks - including cyborg-zombie Avengers and Cadaverous former partner Minka Tross.

Related:Marvel's Spider-Heroes Finally Form a Team of Their Own

In Abrams'Spider-Man: Bloodline #4, Cadaverous resurrects Minka Tross using Peter Parkers irradiated blood. Minka is less than pleased. She grows increasingly horrified as her body mutates in response to Peters spider-blood, becoming less and less human as Ben and company get closer. I can feel myself shifting, she tells Cadaverous. Bones stretching...cracking. Tross transformation is reminiscent of the body horror genre that had its pop culture heyday during the 1980s. Her description and the stages of her turning into the spider are not exactly Jeff Goldblum pulling his teeth out in a bathroom mirror, but the vibe is definitely there.

Excerpt from:

J.J. Abrams' Version of Spider-Man is a Twisted Horror Movie - Screen Rant

James Cameron Confirms Alita: Battle Angel Returns To Theaters This Month – Screen Rant

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

James Cameron, who served as a producer on Alita: Battle Angel, has confirmed that the film will making its return to theaters this month.

James Cameron has confirmed that Alita: Battle Angel will be making its return to movie theaters this month. The film, which was released in2019 and expected to bomb, grossed an impressive $404 million globally and $85 million domestically against a $170 million budget. Alita: Battle Angel was also met with a warm response from critics and fans alike, currently resting at a fresh 61 percent critical and 92 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alita: Battle Angel, an adaptation of the manga entitled Battle Angel Alita, centers on a cyborg who is revived by a scientist and cannot remember her past. As a result, she sets out on her own to fill in the missing pieces of her memory and rediscover who she truly is as she crosses paths with a wide variety of colorful characters. The film, directed by Robert Rodriguez and co-written and produced by Cameron, stars Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, and Keean Johnson. While fans continue to wait to hear news about a possible follow-up to the film, James Cameron has revealed that they can revisit the original film in theaters very soon.

Related: James Cameron Actually Made Alita: Battle Angel Twice

In a new tweet from James Cameron, the director revealed that Alita: Battle Angel will be returning to theaters later this month for fans to enjoy. In his tweet, Cameron states,"We're with you #AlitaArmy Alita's coming back to the big screen on October 30th." The full tweet from the director is below.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, movie theaters are currently struggling tremendously to stay afloat. Many big releases that theater chains were hoping to generate sizable revenue have been delayed due to the virus, such as No Time To Die and Black Widow. In fact, it was recently reportedthat Regalwould be closingtheir theaters indefinitely due to the current climate and lack of new releases. Conversely, AMC theaters will be remaining open for the time being, hoping to sustain business and ride out the storm. Naturally, many theater chains have thought about closing their doors yet again or showing older films that may appeal to their customers to keep their doors open.

Alita: Battle Angel receiving a second chance in theaters is wonderful news to hear, especially considering it was a delightful surprise when released last year, delivering an entertaining science fiction film with terrific visual effects and palpable energy. While the film has its passionate fanbase, it's hard not to feel it deserved more box office success and widespread notoriety. Since movie theaters won't show any highly anticipated new releases any time soon, this is a great chance for those who haven't yet seen the film to discover it for the first time. However, health and safety are a top priority at the moment, so the public may still be apprehensive about going to their local theaters and may choose to watch the film from the comfort of their own homes instead. Regardless, if fans are looking to revisit Alita: Battle Angel in theaters, they'll be able to do so sooner rather than later.

Read the original here:

James Cameron Confirms Alita: Battle Angel Returns To Theaters This Month - Screen Rant

Teen Titans: The 10 Best Honorary Titans | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The animated series Teen Titans is one of the most influential DC adaptations. The cast made a lot of allies throughout, and here are the best ones.

The original animated version ofTeen Titans is often cited as one of the most influential DC adaptations of its day. Several aspects (and characters) unique to the series made their way to official comic book pages, and the show itself remains an acclaimed and celebrated piece of children's animated programming.

RELATED: Teen Titans: The 5 Most Important Members Ever (& The 5 Least Important)

Robin (Dick Grayson), Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, & Beast Boy composed the main group of Titans, with their ranks expanding throughout the series. They made so many allies throughout the show they were able to make other Titans teams, such as Titans East (and Titans North & South in the tie-in comics). Out of all the added Titans, these heroes, in particular, stand out the most.

Thunder and Lightning were the first Honorary Titans to appear onscreen, debuting in the fourth episode of season one: "Forces of Nature." The two are brothers with unknown origins but seem to be supernatural spirits of Earth. They are initially unfamiliar with societal standards and use their powers to destroy various parts of Jump City. For their entertainment, of course.

Lightning is more trigger happy than Thunder, with the latter being more open to listening to others and recognizing the wrongs they've caused. Both were manipulated by Slade to combine their powers, creating a monster of fire. Upon the two of them realizing the harm they'd done, they combined their powers once more, this time bringing about a rainstorm that extinguished the monster. They also helped The Titans fight the Brotherhood of Evil, but both were captured.

Aqualad is the second Honorary Titan introduced in the series, saving The Titans from a watery grave in the episode "Deep Six." Helping The Titans takedown the villain Trident, Aqualad later appeared as a particiapant in The Master of Games' battle royale. Afterward, he assisted in tracking and taking down Brother Blood. In the process, he also helped form and joined the Titans East with Bumblebee, Speedy, and Ms y Menos.

He was among the victims of The Brotherhood of Evil, getting captured and flash-frozen after The Titans were ambushed. When he was freed, he helped clean up most of The Brotherhood's army, literally washing them away.

Pantha is introduced late in the series' final arc, where Cyborg attempts to warn and inform her about The Brotherhood of Evil. She's a pro-wrestler, possessing super-strength, durability, and endurance. Her combat prowess was so great; she was able to overwhelm several of the strongest fighters in the series, including Cyborg, Atlas, Adonis, and Cinderblock.

After The Brotherhood was defeated, she went on to help form Titans South.

Like Aqualad, Hot Spot was a participant in The Master of Games' tournament. Upon the tournament's conclusion, Robin made everyone present (aside from Aqualad [as he was already an Honorary Titan] and Gizmo) Honorary Titans. Hotspot later became one of the first targets of The Brotherhood of Evil, who wanted to use his communicator to track The Titans across the globe.

After a long-fought battle against Madame Rouge, where she deceived both Hotspot and Robin by shapeshifting into them, Hot Spot was captured and flash-frozen. After he was freed, he fought within The Brotherhood of Evil's base, enacting his revenge on Rouge with Wildebeest and Jinx.

As one of the last people to receive a Titans Communicator in the series, Jericho's screentime is limited but memorable all the same. He tends to avoid conflict if possible, secluding himself to a high mountain meadow (much to an exhausted Beast Boy's chagrin). Still, he was more than capable of fending for himself, being one of the few Titans to defeat his attackers when The Brotherhood of Evil executed a global strike.

Jericho can possess others, which grants him access to all their powers, knowledge, and memories. This power was vital to securing an entrance to The Brotherhood of Evil's hideout and allowed Jericho to cause its members to essentially fight themselves. In the tie-in comics, Jericho also helps to stabilize Raven's powers, helping to put her Emoticlones - the different aspects of her personality - back together. Hisconnection to Slade is unfortunately not explored.

Though he only had a significant role in one episode, Red Star certainly impacted both The Titans and audiences. A former soldier, Red Star gained near invulnerability, super strength, and the ability to project radioactive blasts from a government experiment. The experiment also left his powers unstable, which caused him to go into a self-imposed exile.

The Titans meet him in Siberia after he rescued Starfire from a blizzard, who'd been tracking a radioactive monster (that Red Star had inadvertently created). Following some encouragement from the Tamaranean Princess, Red Star decided to fight once more, even at the cost of his powers turning irreversibly unstable. Though he disappeared after a radioactive explosion, it was implied the explosion allowed him to exert full control over his abilities. He later reappeared to fight The Brotherhood of Evil and joined Titans North.

As with Jericho, Herald is one of the final Titans to receive a communicator. He resides in an alternate dimension, accompanied only by his horn, which grants him interdimensional travel. Though villains Warp and See-More attack him during The Brotherhood of Evil's world-wide (and cross-dimensional) ambush, he manages to defeat them both.

He later joins up with Beast Boy, Pantha, Jericho, andMs to assault The Brotherhood of Evil's base in Paris, further participating in the fight when other Titans reinforcements arrive. His assistance saves the day, transporting a primed fusion device into space to keep The Titans alive.

Introduced during the final stretch of the series' run, Kid Flash claims to be "one of the best" superheroes around. After the Titans East had been called back away from Jump City, Kid Flash filled in for them. He caused particular problems for a group of villains called H.I.V.E. Five (technically six), led by the supervillain Jinx. The speedster took an immediate liking to her, opting to talk with her instead of immediately arresting her.

RELATED: Teen Titans: Which Animated Series Character Are You Based On Your Zodiac Sign?

He helped her realize her true potential for good and picked her up on his way to fight The Brotherhood of Evil. His brother-like relationship with Robin is explored and deepened in several tie-in comics. He also officially starts to date Jinx, despite his constant flirting with others.

Originally appearing in the series as a villain, Jinx turned over a new leaf in the final season of the show - with some help from Kid Flash. She'd believed herself incapable of being good because of her powers, which manipulated probability. After attempting to get the attention of The Brotherhood of Evil - Madame Rouge in particular - Jinx became disillusioned with villainy.

She then left her team and seemed to go into hiding with Kid Flash. They both assisted the rest of The Titans in the final fight against The Brotherhood, where Jinx took out her entire (former) team, Mother-Mae Eye, and Rouge herself. Jinx additionally made various appearances in the tie-in comics, where she continued to prove her worth as Titans material.

Bumblebee was first seen alongside Jinx in H.I.V.E Academy, a school for supervillains. It was later revealed that she'd been working with Aqualad to obtain information on the H.I.V.E.'s leader, Brother Blood. She later joined The Titans in taking down Blood's aquatic base. Afterward, she became a member of Titans East and was usually the only person to take their duty seriously.

When Cyborg rejoins the original group of Titans, Bumblebee effectively became Titans East's leader. Her powers, demeanor, and leadership skills cement her as one of The Titans' most reliable allies. She escaped capture at the hands of The Brotherhood of Evil and later traveled with Red Star and Starfire to the final big battle of the series.

NEXT: Titans Vs. Titans East: Who Has The Better Line-Up?

Next 10 Times The X-Men Were Actually The Bad Guys

Brian Sheridan is a writer, editor, educator, and avid comic book reader alternating between Pennsylvania and Vermont. In his free time, he can usually be found listening to 80s synthpop, getting additional piercings, and waiting for the next Dragon Age game.

Here is the original post:

Teen Titans: The 10 Best Honorary Titans | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Hot Flash Heat Wave Offer Glimpse of New Direction – SF Weekly

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

By most definitions, a grudge requires two people: someone to hold it, and someone against whom it may be held. But if you ask Adam Abildgaard, singer and guitarist for San Francisco-born indie band Hot Flash Heat Wave, there is another, much more common kind of grudge:

I kind of think of it as, when youre down on yourself, its almost like youre holding a grudge against yourself, he says. We create these conversations in our heads where were our own biggest hater.

Its all in my head, he croons on the chorus of Grudge, the bands new single, which was released via Bandcamp last month. The song hints at another new direction for the constantly evolving group a style not quite like the garage rock of the HFHWs early material, and not quite like the cabana appropriate pop of last years Mood Ring. Abildgaard is calling this new style futuristic retro robotic rock.

Mood Ring went in a looser, R&B-psychedelic direction, he says. We have some elements of that in the new music weve been working on, but with all the bedroom pop music out there, I wanted to hear some more rock music mixed in with everything.

Where Mood Ring was floaty and weightless, on Grudge the band is very much embodied, snapping to the beat with rediscovered physicality. Unlike the loose rollicking of Neapolitan, the bands surfy first album, Grudge has a shiny, almost mechanical quality to it. With a rhythmic verse and a chorus that sounds like Abildgaard singing over a roomful of computers crunching numbers, the song often resembles a 1990s vision of music in the year 2020: androgynous cyborg rock built on warez and Encarta CD-ROMs.

Thats kind the point of our new music, the kind of retro future, Y2K club kid, tactical hardware energy, says bass player and singer Ted Davis.

It all makes for an interesting counterpoint to what is, at heart, a tender (and catchy) song about learning to forgive yourself.

I got into songwriting to work through things, Abildgaard says. Its really healing to write about some of the lower times in my life.

See the original post here:

Hot Flash Heat Wave Offer Glimpse of New Direction - SF Weekly

Justice League: Gods & Monsters – 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Alternate World – Screen Rant

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Justice League: Gods and Monsters showed fans what life is like in yet another alternate DC universe. This is what you might not know about it!

2015 saw the release of Justice League: Gods and Monsters. The story is set in a bizarro alternate universewhere the Justice League is hated and feared by the public. The League is comprised of alternate versions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, but with a decidedly darker twist.

RELATED: Superman The Animated Series - 10 Things Fans Never Knew About The Cartoon

In this reality, theheroes have no qualms about using lethal force to pacify their enemies. Superman melts people, Batman bites throats, and Wonder Woman impales people. While the film is far removed from the traditional superhero pallet, it still offerseaster eggs and nods to its source material hidden throughout its narrative landscape.

We first see the Justice League confronting a terrorist organization. After a violent brawl with several armed guards, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are confronted with a triad of villains.

While they may look a bit different, they are common villains in the DC universe. Superman faces off against Livewire who, instead of being made of electricity, uses an electric cannon. Batman fights a cro-magnon looking Solomon Grundy with a tan instead of one who looks like an undead Hulk. Wonder Woman is pitted against Bronze Tiger wearing a cheetah-print hoodie with claws.

The inciting incident that shoves the film forward depicts threeleading scientists being killed by powerful robots.One is a man by the name of Silas Stone.

Silas is working on several proprietary weapons reminiscent of the gear utilized by the superhero Cyborg. This is no coincidence, as the audience is soon introduced to a young Victor Stone. Both are attacked by a robot sporting Superman's abilities. Silas and Victor use their weapons to fend off the machine but are eventually killed. There isno Cyborg in this reality.

There's a scene where a group of scientists is meeting to discuss the murders of some of their colleagues. One of the scientists who speaks out during this summit is none other than John Henry Adams.

In DC mythology, John Henry Adams is a brilliant engineer who develops a suit of armor that can replicate Superman's abilities. Emblazoned with Superman's sigil, John Henry Adams isSteel. Alas, there isno super suit and no future for one. John Henry Adams meetshis demise in the moments to come, along with the rest of his compatriots.

Fans will recall one of the scientists in the film being referred to as Sivana. This is the same Dr. Sivana who hastried todefeat Captain Marvel since his debut in 1940. He is known for his brilliant intellect and his use of mechanics to carry out his villainy.

RELATED: Batman The Animated Series - 5 Reasons We Need A New Series (& 5 Reasons It Should Be Left In The Past)

Most recently, Sivana was portrayed byMark Strong in the live-action film Shazam, where he sported abilities similar to Captain Marvel's. Unfortunately, there would be no gadgets or powers here to spare him from his fate. He isamong the many scientistswho are eventually ended by Will Magnus' robots.

Much of the tension in the film centers around how the world views the Justice League. No small amount of angst comes from the federal level, so much so they've created weaponsintended to effectively neutralize the Justice League. Typically, Lex Luthor becomes President of the United States in DC lore.

In this universe, Amanda Waller takes the seat as POTUS. Thisexplains why she's at least willing to work with the metahumans. After all, she was theone who spearheaded the creation of Task Force X, aka the Suicide Squad.

Trevor Jones acts as the handler for the Justice League on behalf of President Waller. In many ways, he's very similar to the same character in the DC universe's common mythology.

The film version, however, shows him at odds with the superheroes, not agreeing withtheir brutality and unchecked power. There is also a romantic historyexisting between Jones and Wonder Woman in the source material. A pastrelationship is hinted at in Gods and Monsters, but it is unclear how deep it went or why it ended.

Bruce Wayne is nowhere to be seen. The Batman of this universe is instead Kirk Langstrom. DC fans will recognize that name instantly as belonging to the zoologist who would eventually become the Man-Bat.

In common DC lore, Langstrom develops what he believes is a way for humans to receive the sonar abilities of bats. Langstrom injects himself withthe serum but is turned into a giant bat-creature who terrorizes Gotham. The Batman of Gods and Monsters is a hybrid of Batman and Man-Bat who resembles something closer to a modern vampire.

Batman has an iconic look. His dark and almost ghoulishappearance would be altered in 1999 with the release of Batman Beyond. The ears would be longer, the cape would vanish, and the hero would sport a more sleek and tactical wardrobe.

RELATED: Batman: The Animated Series -10 Best Connections to Batman Beyond

A side-by-side comparison shows that both Batman from Gods and Monsters and Batman Beyond have very similar designs. This is no surprise considering the co-creator of Batman Beyond, Alan Burnett, returned to help pen the story alongside Bruce Timm, creator of the Batman: The Animated Series.

Alan Burnett was also a writer on the Super Friends show that depicted the great DC heroes banding together to help train the next generation of heroes inthe Hall of Justice.

This would serve as the Super Friends' base of operations in the heart of Gotham City.The Justice League of Gods and Monstershave a much more impressive structureas their headquarters, the Tower of Justice, located in Metropolis. Though the appearance is very different, the name and the links to the original tv heroes are undeniable.

Gods and Monsters has several exposition scenes that show how each hero came to be. Wonder Woman began her life as Bekka, granddaughter of the Highfather. The New Gods of New Genesis brokered a peace treaty withApokolips, offering Bekka's hand in marriage to Darkseid's son, Orion.

The honeymoonwas cut short by a Red Wedding-derived massacre conducted by the Highfather, ending in the deaths of Darkseid and Orion. Within the source material, Orion is an ally of Bekka's and the Highfather's, where they fight against the oppression of Darkseid.

NEXT: 5 DCAU Films That Are Overrated (& 5 That Are Way Underrated)

Next Aloha: 10 Inaccuracies About Life In Hawaii

Derek is a list writer for Screen Rant. He got his start as the lead content writer for Financial Feed before branching out into the world of pop culture. He is an avid nerd, following DC, Marvel, and has a particular interest in Star Wars. He also enjoys reading history books and german longsword.

Read this article:

Justice League: Gods & Monsters - 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Alternate World - Screen Rant

Boebert incapable of being an independent voice negotiating on our behalf – The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

By CHARLES KERR

Lauren Boebert is, I suspect, the least qualified person in our lifetime to have the backing of a major political party to represent the people of Colorados 3rd Congressional District. For which committees in the House of Representatives is she best prepared to further her constituents interests? Agriculture? Veterans Affairs? Education and Labor? Natural Resources? Energy and Commerce? Transportation and Infrastructure?

Colorados 3rd Congressional District needs a representative with broad experience and good judgment, someone who understands the legislative process and is a knowledgeable negotiator. Is Lauren Boebert this person? What qualifies her to be our voice in Congress? That she said Hell, no to Beto ORourkes proposed government buyback of AR-15 and AK-47 semi-automatic weapons? Or her visit to Mount Rushmore to celebrate the Fourth of July with President Trump? Or her invitation to attend Trumps acceptance speech at the White House? Or that she has friends at Fox News? These events position her for reality TV celebrity status, as does wearing a Glock on her hip. But, clearly, these actions are not qualifications for being our representative in Congress.

She claims to be a voice for freedom: freedom from regulation, freedom from taxation, freedom from gun control, freedom from health department regulations, freedom from COVID-19 state restrictions. She walks her talk. At a rodeo in Rifle, without a food license and lacking food safety practices, her food vending service served pork sliders which poisoned people causing severe diarrhea. Failure to pay her taxes has led to eight tax liens against her restaurant. Disorderly conduct and failure to appear in court has led to her arrest and summonses at least four times. Opposing stay-at-home orders from Gov. Jared Polis, Boebert reopened her restaurant and when Garfield County obtained a restraining order to stop her from serving dine-in customers, she moved tables outside. This led to suspension of her restaurant license. Freedom without responsibility is anarchy, and anarchy, from the political right or left, is the antithesis of good government.

Dishonesty also undermines effective government. Lying Lauren was Tiptons response to her ads that asserted that he teamed up with AOC and the Squad to give Boulder a bailout, and that he joined Nancy Pelosi to give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. To characterize Tiptons votes for H.R.6467 (the coronavirus relief fund for units of government with a population of 500,000 or less) and for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act as a Boulder bailout and amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants respectively is shameful, according to Republican state Sen. Don Coram. Lies and deception is how Sen. Coram characterizes Boeberts misrepresentation of Tiptons voting record. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act and H.R. 6467 were important, bipartisan legislation that would directly benefit West Slope farmers and communities. Boeberts attack ads, based on Tiptons support for this legislation, are more than shameful; they undermine the legislative process that is the basis of effective government which requires bipartisan cooperation, critical thinking, attention to facts, and compromise. Boeberts ads were essentially dishonest, and her willingness to stoop to slander for political gain disqualifies her from being a trustworthy representative in Congress.

In her July op-ed in the Sentinel, Boebert commits to failed fiscal policy. After stating that we need leaders who will promote the responsible and limited vision for government our founders gave their lives over, Boebert demonstrates her own limited vision by embracing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act [which] has allowed Americans to keep an extra $100 a month in their paycheck. She promises to defend this tax cut against a possible Joe Biden presidency. On this basis she seeks our vote.

Unfortunately, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act is a fiscal Trojan Horse that increased the 2019 deficit to $984 billion and raised the federal national debt to $23 trillion. This 2017 tax cut fulfilled Trumps campaign promises to wealthy donors, but it added a trillion-dollar deficit to our economy during a time of prosperity and economic growth when we should have been saving money and lessening the federal debt. Moreover, 34% of the tax benefits went to the wealthiest 1% of Americans, according to the Tax Policy Center. Working families did benefit, but the tax cut to corporations marked a significant shift in wealth distribution to large corporations and rich Americans. JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley received $18 billion of tax relief. The benefit to the Koch brothers is estimated at more than $1 billion a year, and companies including Pfizer, General Electric and Chevron will save billions in taxes. Little of this economic gain benefited wage-earning Americans as companies spent their extra cash on dividends and stock buybacks. Workers wages saw little change and are still below their 2008 level.

Either Lauren Boebert in 2020 does not understand the harmful fiscal results of the 2017 tax cut, in which case she is politically irresponsible and willfully ignorant, or she knowingly supports billions of dollars of tax relief for a banking industry and other major corporations awash with profits, adding a trillion dollars to the national deficit in 2019. In this case she is a glib political huckster, full of self-promotion, lacking good judgment.

Either way Lauren Boebert is not capable of being an independent voice, a wise judge of legislation, and an informed representative negotiating on our behalf with federal land managers and other government and private sector personnel.

Fortunately CD 3 does have someone with competence, integrity and legislative experience running for Congress. A mainstream, fiscally conservative Democrat, Diane Mitsch-Bush has long served Colorado well and deserves our November vote.

Charles Kerr is a retired Grand Junction High School and Colorado Mesa University teacher. He served on the BLM Northwestern Resource Advisory Council.

Read the rest here:

Boebert incapable of being an independent voice negotiating on our behalf - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

How USAID Translates The Executive Order On Advancing International Religious Freedom Into Action – Forbes

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

In June 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Executive Order on advancing international religious freedom, setting forward a vision for the U.S. Government to better address challenges faced by persecuted religious communities across the globe. The Executive Order mandates that the U.S. Secretary of State develop a plan to prioritize international religious freedom in the planning and implementation of United States foreign policy and the foreign assistance programs of the Department of State and USAID by December 2020. It also provides at least $50 million in funding per fiscal year to promote international religious freedom programs.

Thousands of Yezidis fleeing from Daesh in August 2014. (Photo credit: Emrah Yorulmaz/Anadolu ... [+] Agency/Getty Images)

In addition to an action plan and funding, the order empowers USAID and the U.S. State Department to further integrate freedom of religion or belief into the U.S. foreign policy. This is partially done through the Executive Orders calls for the development of recommendations to prioritize the appropriate use of economic tools to advance international religious freedom in countries of particular concern, countries on the Special Watch List, and any other countries that have engaged in or tolerated violations of religious freedom. The Executive Order was a powerful response to the deteriorating situation of religious minorities in many parts of the world.

However, what tangible steps is USAID taking to translate the Executive Order into action? USAIDs Chief Religious Freedom Advisor Samah Norquist and Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Middle East Hal Ferguson confirm that the work is well underway.

One tangible change so far is how the Executive Order emboldens USAID to work with more small local organizations through its New Partnership Initiative (NPI), a program championed by the USAIDs Acting Administrator John Barsa. Traditionally, USAID has worked with larger organizations like the UNDP to provide assistance, but in recent years, has also worked to integrate smaller NGOs into its partnership portfolio that have strong local ties and can deliver assistance quickly. A key example is the USAID work in Northern Iraq, where Christians and Yazidis suffered genocide at the hands of Daesh. This adds to the work that USAID and the U.S. State Department have done in Northern Iraq over the last few years and since 2017, having provided over $400 million to rebuild Christian and Yazidi communities that were devastated by Daesh. Furthermore, since the emergence of Daesh in 2014, the U.S. has provided over $1.2 billion in humanitarian assistance, becoming the single largest donor to Iraq.

As Samah Norquist and Hal Ferguson say, responding to genocide differs from responding to, for example, a natural disaster. Responding to genocide requires a variety of activities that are needed to stitch traumatized communities back together. It requires more than just rebuilding infrastructure. For example, there remains a lot of trauma within the targeted by Daesh communities that still requires attention. In response, USAID and the State Department have focused on using different tools to try to help these communities in a holistic way, addressing both physical and mental health needs. This is also an important lesson for other countries who respond to cases of genocide. As such, it may be crucial for states to monitor and make their interim determination of genocide (as the US State Department has done in the case of the Daesh genocide) that will help them better deploy a proper response.

Understandably, the U.S. is not alone in assisting persecuted communities in Northern Iraq. Hungary, Poland, Germany, the UK and others also have contributed assistance to persecuted communities. For example, Hungry has worked directly with local communities and churches in Northern Iraq. Since the launch of its cross-governmental humanitarian aid framework program the Hungary Helps Program in 2017, the Hungarian Government is committed to exploring and implementing the most effective, efficient routes for aid delivery. The driving goal is to provide humanitarian relief and rehabilitation support to the communities in need in the most direct ways, rather than extending aid through indirect channels.

Among other milestones of progress USAID has made on the Executive Order, every USAID regional bureau now has a freedom of religion or belief primary point of contact which is making bureaus better equipped to incorporate freedom of religion or belief into their regional development efforts. This is incredibly important for the long-term success of ensuring freedom of religion or belief is a key component of USAID's assistance. The Executive Order is working to better educate USAID staff on freedom of religion or belief issues. In fact, going forward, all USAID Foreign Service Officers (FSO) whether posted domestically or overseas, will have to complete the Promoting Religious Freedom online course, which a significant number of FSOs have already completed. The USAIDs goal is to have a 95% compliance rate when the U.S. Secretary of State submits the implementation plan by December 2020.

The Executive Order has also already begun bearing fruit through further integration and coordination of USAID and State's efforts related to freedom of religion or beleif. This can already be seen in both the USAID and U.S. State Departments public diplomacy and public affairs efforts.

USAID deserves credit making progress and continuing to prioritize freedom of religion or belief internationally. The next months and years will only show the effects of this work to help the persecuted communities.

The Case Against Trump: Donald Trump Is an Enemy of Freedom – Reason

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

This is part of Reason's November 2020 issue election cover package. Read the case against Joe Biden here.

We do not view Lyndon Johnson's presidency through the lens of the Texan's legendary vulgarity; the Great Society and Vietnam War loom much larger on his scorecard. Nor do we judge George Washington's generalship by the Continental Army's autumn 1776 squandering of New Yorkevery leader of consequence has bad days or weeks in the face of unprecedented challenge.

So before assessing Donald Trump's worthiness to receive a second term, let us set aside the two cudgels wielded most often by his media and Democratic tormentors: the 45th president's polarizing personality, and his administration's scattershot response to a once-in-a-century pandemic.

Focusing on Trump's deeds, instead of words, from Inauguration Day until just before the first reported U.S. death from COVID-19 on February 29, is a clarifying, even liberating, exercise. At a time when so much of American discourse is about symbolism instead of policy, adjectives instead of nouns, feelings instead of facts, this approach waves away the toxic political fog and drills down into the bedrock of this presidency. What has the Manhattan real estate developer actually built in Washington; how has that already impacted the lives of his constituents; and what lasting changes are likely if his job performance is ratified by the voting public in November?

Working through those questions will produce different answers for everyone, but here's a preview of mine: On the broad federal issues I care about mostlimiting the size and scope of government, protecting individual liberties, allowing for peaceable exchange between willing partners, and contributing to international peace and human flourishingTrump has been not just passively suboptimal but actively malign. Rewarding his record will cement bad policy and complete the Republican Party's transformation into a vehicle for big-government nationalism that's openly suspicious of free markets and perceived enemies.

"Keep your eye on one thing and one thing only: how much government is spending," economist Milton Friedman famously said during the Carter administration. "Because that's the true tax."

Under Trump's signature, even before the coronavirus, the sticker price on that annual levy was jacked up by almost $1 trillion.

The Constitution tasks Congress, not the president, with initiating all federal expenditures. The Budget Control Act of 1974 further instructs the legislature to pass a dozen specific appropriations each year by certain deadlines. The last time those deadlines were met was in 1994. This is a "broken system that Congress has created," Rep. Justin Amash (LMich.) says.

Instead of budget deliberations with debates and amendments and votes, there are closed-door negotiations between House and Senate leadership that typically produce either last-minute continuing resolutions to keep the federal apparatus functioning or must-pass omnibus bills that no member has enough time to read. But if the core blame for our budgetary dysfunction rests squarely on the shoulders of those choosing to fritter away the legislative branch's prerogatives, that should not let this or any president off the hook.

Congressional terror at making recorded votes on issues of potential controversy consciously offloads decision-making responsibility onto the executive. Which means that presidents have real power to shape legislative behavior. When asked in September 2019, for example, about taking up a gun bill that had been passed by the House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (RKy.) sounded more like a White House spokesman than the leader of a co-equal branch: "The administration is in the process of studying what they're prepared to support, if anything."

Republicans, of whom Trump is by far the country's most popular within the party, held a majority in both chambers on Capitol Hill during his first two years of office. In the waning days of that 114th Congress, McConnell's No. 2 in leadership, Sen. John Cornyn (RTexas), was queried by reporters about the Senate's approach to funding the federal government past a December 22, 2018, deadline. "I don't know of a specific plan yet," Cornyn said, just days before the lights went out. The legislative branch was waiting on appropriations instructions from the White House.

So what has Trump done with his considerable leverage to affect the level of federal expenditures? Sign a half-dozen continuing resolutions, plus a few longer-term omnibus deals, that together eliminated Obama-era spending caps, suspended the debt ceiling borrowing limit, and ratcheted up the size of government, all at the tail end of a historically long economic expansion and stock market bull run.

Federal spending under Barack Obama went from $2.98 trillion in George W. Bush's last full fiscal year of 2008 to $3.52 trillion in the stimulus-weighted fiscal year of 2009, an increase for which Obama and the Democratic-controlled 111th Congress deserve the lion's share of responsibility. Since the 44th president's last full fiscal year of 2016 saw expenditures of $3.85 trillion, we can say that during his two terms of officewhich included a major federal response to an economic crisisannual spending went up by around $900 billion.

Trump matched that increase in just one term,beforehis own crisis hit.

Fiscal 2017 featured spending of $3.98 trillion, with most of the $140 billion increase over the previous year coming under Trump's sharpie. Then things really took off$4.11 trillion in 2018, $4.45 trillion in 2019, and a whopping $4.79 trillion destination at the halfway point of fiscal 2020. And then came the pandemic.

Discretionary spendingmeaning that part of the budget (roughly one-third) requiring explicit congressional approval, as opposed to "mandatory" items such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaidnever topped $1.2 trillion during Obama's second term. Trump's wholly owned, pre-virus budgets saw the discretionary portions rise from $1.28 trillion to $1.36 trillion to $1.44 trillion.

Congressional Republicans, who had put the budgetary screws on Obama as soon as they won a House majority in January 2011, lost their appetite for hardball the moment the GOP regained control of the Senate four years later. Trump in 201516 then ran and won handily on the least fiscally conservative platform of a crowded presidential primary field, serially mocking the entitlement-reform mantras mouthed by a generation of fiscal conservatives. "We're going to save your Social Security without killing it, like so many people want to do," he vowed at a June 2016 rally. "And your Medicare."

The reason that Republicans and Democrats alike (if not quite in equal measures) spent decades before 2015 talking about the need to restructure the country's old-age transfer programs is that, as the historically large baby boom generation shifts from contributor to recipient, these programs are on an inexorable trajectory toward insolvency. In 1950 there were 16.5 workers paying into Social Security for every one retiree receiving benefits; in 2019 that ratio was just 2.9 to 1. In an annual report finished just prior to the pandemic, the Social Security Administration Trustees projected that the trust fund, if politicians continued doing nothing, would be forced to enact automatic, across-the-board cuts to recipients beginning in 2035.

Yet doing nothing has been Trump's intention all along. In March 2017, Robert Draper ofThe New York Times Magazinesuggested to the president that conservatives should not expect entitlement reform during his first term. "I think you're right," Trump accurately forecasted, before pivoting to the virtues of government spending: "We're also going to prime the pump. You know what I mean by 'prime the pump'? In order to get [the economy] going, and going big league, and having the jobs coming inwe're going to have to prime the pump to some extent. In other words: Spend money to make a lot more money in the future. And that'll happen." You can't say he didn't warn us.

The president did flex his muscles on two notable occasions during congressional budget negotiations, each leading to government shutdowns. But that wasn't because Congress was spending too muchit was because lawmakers were spending too little for his liking on immigration enforcement.

Conservatism during Obama's first term was all about blocking Obamacare, forcing conversations about entitlement solvency, and raising the alarm over trillion-dollar budget deficits. Republicans in Trump's first term have failed to reform Obamacare, sidestepped conversations about long-term fiscal sustainability, and brought trillion-dollar deficits roaring back.

In December 2018, when there were still at least some advisers inside the White House mouthing concerns about a future debt crisis, the president reportedly dismissed them by saying, "Yeah, but I won't be here." There is only one sure way to make that prediction come true.

Donald Trump in 2016 became the first GOP presidential candidate to successfully campaign on trade protectionism since Herbert Hoover. And though he doesn't have a Smoot-Hawley tariff on his ledger, the president has made consumer goods more expensive, export markets more difficult to access, and government subsidization of industrial sectors more likely, both here and abroad.

Republicans during the Obama presidency made great hay, and rightly so, over the $11.3 billion the federal government lost in its postfinancial crisis takeover and restructuring of General Motors. Trump's trade wars have topped that number three years running on agriculture bailouts alone$12 billion to compensate for the retaliatory clampdowns on export-market access in 2018, $16 billion in 2019, and $19 billion in 2020 pre-COVID.

"We now have a huge $20 billion-plus farm subsidy program that most experts are worried is never going to disappear," says trade lawyer and Cato Institute analyst Scott Lincicome. "There's nothing so permanent as a temporary government program. That old Milton Friedman line is certainly true in the case of farm subsidies."

The president has expanded the latitude for his successors and America's trade partners alike to use bogus justifications for erecting tariffs. In March 2018, Trump exercised the little-used Section 232 national security exemption to the 1962 Trade Expansion Act in order to enact a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. This despite the fact that his own military rejected the security argument, that six of the top 10 foreign suppliers of steel are NATO allies, and that two months later the president himself tweeted that the tariffs were in response to a Canadian tariff on dairy products.

"For decades, presidents, and governments in general around the world, were extremely hesitant to invoke national security in order to achieve economic protectionism for really not national-security-related grounds," Lincicome says. "The Trump administration has really opened Pandora's Box with respect to Section 232."

The move "has provided future administrations a really easy way to unilaterally implement certain policies," Lincicome continues. "So, for example, you could quite easily see a Biden administration determining that climate change is a national security threat and thus imposing national security tariffs on imports from countries that don't sign under the Paris agreement." With courts generally deferential to the executive branch's national security claims (and with Congress dispositionally unwilling to take on the president), future trade wars now have a template.

As predicted by the vast majority of trade economists, Trump's tariffs have failed in their stated intent to prop up domestic producers and jobs, triggered reciprocal actions that have punished American exporters, and created a cottage industry of lobbying in Washington for exemptions.

Trump campaigned against the seven-decade Washington-led international system of mutual tariff reduction without ever having a coherent plan to replace it. His promised bilateral trade deals have mostly failed to materialize; other countries and blocs are now signing pacts that freeze out American producers; and the dispute-resolution body at the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has historically proven favorable to U.S. claims, has ground to a halt because of Trump's unwillingness to appoint representatives.

Sen. Josh Hawley (RMo.) and his allies like to say "we should get out of the WTO" and "replace it with something that doesn't kowtow to China," Lincicome says. "The problem is, [Trump has] done none of that. Instead, it's all just might-makes-right unilateralism."

The president's troubled negotiations with China, in addition to materially harming U.S. consumers and producers, have by his own admission discouraged him at several key moments from speaking out about the communist country's human rights atrocities against its Uighur population and its ongoing crackdown against Hong Kong. Now that talks have broken down in an election year, the administration is ratcheting up its aggressiveness, including through an August executive order to kick out the Chinese-owned social media video giant TikTok within 45 days.

The president's trade record and hands-on approach to industrial policy threaten to overrun one of the best aspects of his first termhis conscious, system-wide slowdown of the ever-expanding administrative state.

"Trump's regulatory streamlining," the Competitive Enterprise Institute stated in May in its annual regulations surveyThe Ten Thousand Commandments, "is being offset by his own favorable comments and explicit actions toward regulatory intervention in the following areas: Antitrust intervention, financial regulation, hospital and pharmaceutical price transparency mandates and price controls, speech and social media regulation, tech regulation, digital taxes, bipartisan large-scale infrastructure spending with regulatory effects, trade restrictions, farming and agriculture, subsidies with regulatory effect, telecommunications regulation, including for 5G infrastructure; personal liberties: health-tracking, vaping, supplements, and firearms; industrial policy or market socialist funding mechanisms (in scientific research, artificial intelligence, and a Space Force), [and] welfare and labor regulations."

Trump's shocking win in 2016, particularly in an industrial Midwest that Democrat Hillary Clinton barely visited, may have led political commentators to overcorrect for their previous blind spots by convincing themselves voters were against free trade. In fact, public approval of international trade has reached record polling highs during Trump's first term. The president is once again campaigning to the left of the Democratic nominee on tariffs; another victory would likely turn a decisive majority of the political class against the single greatest global anti-poverty measure ever invented.

On his eighth day in office, Trump signed an executive order asserting that "whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."

First up for suspension were all travelersincluding, during the first 48 hours, a half-million legal U.S. permanent residentsfrom Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, plus any refugee from anywhere on earth. College students, green-card holders, and people who had finally gained admission after years of waiting for permission boarded flights under one set of conditions, only to discover upon landing in an American city that the rulebook had changed and they had to turn back. The move caused chaos and anguish at airports and in immigrant communities all over the country.

The travel ban was challenged and rewritten several times, but in 2018's 54Trump v. Hawaiidecision, the Supreme Court codified the chief executive's power to select which foreigners can and cannot enter the country, including based on factors (such as religion or political beliefs) that if applied to legal U.S. residents would be deemed unconstitutional.

Though Trump emphasized cracking down on illegal immigration during the 2016 campaign, in fact his deportation numbers pale in comparison to Barack Obama's. Instead, his "biggest contribution" has been restricting the legalvariety, according to Cato Institute immigration policy analyst David Bier. "We're talking about just an incredible number of actions to reduce legal immigration," he says. Beginning, most ungenerously, with refugees.

Fueled by grisly wars in the Middle East and Africa, the global population of refugees doubled between 2012 and 2017, from 10 million to 20 million, a historically high level where it has remained ever since. The incoming president, having won on the most restrictionist platform since World War IIera Franklin Roosevelt, promptly slashed America's refugee intake to historic lows22,000 in fiscal year 2018, down from 85,000 in 2016.

The last time worldwide refugees doubled in so short a span, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan took lead roles in organizing the global response, and America welcomed into the country roughly 1 out of every 70 refugeesfrom Vietnam, Cambodia, the Soviet Union, Iran, Cuba, and so forth. Under Trump, the U.S. has withdrawn from anything like leadership of the free-world response, and its refugee intake is more like 1 out of every 900.

Though the Trump administration had already reduced just about every category of legal immigration, some of the most significant restrictions went into effect only this year. The new "public charge" rule, wherein applicants for visas are required to prove that they'll never go on welfare, will precipitate massive reductions in by far the most common type of immigration: the family-sponsored visa, which traditionally has accounted for six out of every seven legal immigrants to the United States.

"This rule basically makes it impossible to get around it if you're poor and you don't have a college degree," Bier says. "We're forcibly separating U.S. citizens from their spouses, from their parents.It is something [that], if it was imposed on any other U.S. citizen, would be considered an affront to liberty and an imposition that we wouldn't tolerate for a second if the spouse was born in the United States or a parent was born in the United States."

Trump has changed asylum rules so that even those with ironclad cases of being persecuted back home will be automatically returned there if they enter America via a third country. Asylum seekers who arrive at ports of entry to make their cases are now routinely turned away instead of processed. The number of foreign college students has been chopped down. And most shockingly, in numbers never before seen, the White House made a conscious policy to separate minor children from their asylum-seeking parents.

"This was an intentional effort by the Trump administration to target parents with children," Bier says. "And not based on any kind of risk factor or criminal history or prior crossings or anything. It was, 'If you're a parent and you are crossing with a kid, we're going to target you for prosecution specifically.'The zero-tolerance justification was just a facade to justify what they wanted to do, which was terrify these asylum seekers into not coming, basically."

Even more than trade, immigration was a signature Trump campaign issue in 2016, and it's been a focus of his attention in the Oval Office. If you believe it humane for U.S. citizens to be able to import their foreign-born immediate family, or for children to not be separated from their parents, or for America to extend a helping hand to the world's wretched, or for deserving asylum seekers to be able to make their cases, then Donald Trump is anathema to your values. Like trade, immigration has on balance contributed to the wealth of America and lifted tens of millions of people out of poverty. The president's opposition to the free movement of people from countries he disfavors will, if he receives another term, be translated into policy that actively harms millions of U.S. citizens, for many years to come.

In considering Trump's presidency through February 2020, it is fair to ask what he did to prepare for a crisis such as the one now crippling the country. Because no matter what or when or how, the crisis always comes.

Here the president's erratic temperament comes into play. He has proven an alienating figure in the international arena, repeatedly insulting America's traditional allies while cultivating a more dodgy and less powerful band of cronies in places like Hungary and Saudi Arabia. Pandemics require urgent global cooperation; instead the president has spent precious time dubbing COVID-19 the "China virus" and doubling down on supply chaindamaging trade wars.

"Let's face itwe've pissed off almost every other country in the world at a time when global collaboration for a vaccine or a cure is most needed," Lincicome says. "And that type of action has consequences. If a vaccine is developed outside of the United States, and it's developed in a country with which we've had pretty hostile trade and economic relations, will Americans be disadvantaged in terms of access?"

Economic crises are like margin calls, exposing where governments have left themselves out of position and creating sharp new demands for government services even as the tax base dwindles. Trump inherited a growing economy, a bullish market, a massive debt burden, and a certain future implosion of the old-age entitlement programs. Instead of saving for the inevitable rainy day, the president primed the pump, ran deficits back over $1 trillion, and put the country in a historically vulnerable position to make the biggest economic policy gambleand commitmentsince the New Deal.

Meanwhile, his preexisting management styledemanding private loyalty and public flattery from his ever-revolving Cabinet, personalizing policy responses and entire federal departments, contradicting himself and the available facts on a daily basishas shown itself to be a tangible governing handicap. The first rule of pandemic crisis response is that public officials must be sane, sober, and truthful in communicating with the public. Trump did not build his remarkable career around these traits.

Republican voters will flatter themselves this fall by imagining that they're striking a blow against socialism and doddering old men. And it's true: The Democrat in this race looks a few cards short of a full deck while sitting atop a party desperate to fulfill generations' worth of big-government fantasies.

But we don't need to conjure up an erratic authoritarian to fight off. He's sitting right there in the Oval Office.

Go here to read the rest:

The Case Against Trump: Donald Trump Is an Enemy of Freedom - Reason

D.R. Horton, Inc. to Release 2020 Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year-End Earnings on November 10, 2020 – Business Wire

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

ARLINGTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI), Americas Builder, announced today that the Company will release financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 before the market opens. The Company will host a conference call that morning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). The dial-in number is 877-407-8033. Participants are encouraged to call in five minutes before the call begins (8:25 a.m. ET). The call will also be webcast from the Companys website at investor.drhorton.com.

A replay of the call will be available after 12:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 877-481-4010. When calling, please reference conference ID #37904. The teleconference replay will be available through November 17, 2020. The webcast replay will be available from the Companys website at investor.drhorton.com through January 31, 2021.

About D.R. Horton, Inc.

D.R. Horton, Inc., Americas Builder, has been the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States since 2002. Founded in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas, D.R. Horton has operations in 88 markets in 29 states across the United States and closed 61,164 homes in the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2020. The Company is engaged in the construction and sale of high-quality homes through its diverse brand portfolio that includes D.R. Horton, Emerald Homes, Express Homes and Freedom Homes ranging from $100,000 to over $1,000,000. D.R. Horton also provides mortgage financing, title services and insurance agency services for homebuyers through its mortgage, title and insurance subsidiaries.

D.R. Horton, Inc. to Release 2020 Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year-End Earnings on November 10, 2020 - Business Wire

Inslee, Culp meet in first and only governor’s debate – Thehour.com

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Inslee, Culp spar over COVID-19 in only governor's debate

OLYMPIA, Wash (AP) Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and Republican challenger Loren Culp met in their first and only debate Wednesday night, disagreeing immediately over the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Because of COVID-19, the candidates participated in the televised debate from separate rooms at the Olympia headquarters of TVW, the states government affairs channel.

Inslee said his virus mandates that initially shut or restricted many businesses and required masks and social distancing have saved lives.

Our fundamental duty is saving those lives, Inslee said.

Culp, a small-town police chief in eastern Washington, has campaigned against Inslees coronavirus restrictions like mandatory masks, saying they infringe on peoples constitutional rights. Inslee says his measures have saved lives at a time when President Donald Trump, who recently contracted the virus, has been downplaying its seriousness.

Culp, who said he had wanted to debate in the same room as Inslee, said that if he were governor he would have put out the information and let people decide what's best for them regarding the virus.

I firmly believe in individual freedom and liberty, I believe in safety, Culp said. The problem is when we have one person sitting in the governors office telling everyone what theyre going to wear, whether theyre going to go to work or whether theyre not going to go to work, thats the problem that Ive had with this.

Inslee said that Culp hasnt modeled leadership on the seriousness of COVID-19 during his campaign, citing his large rallies of supporters without masks or social distancing.

Its too dangerous to have a mini-Trump right now in the middle of this pandemic, Inslee said. Our efforts against this pandemic are working. Its saving lives and we ought to keep doing it.

As of this week, there have been more than 91,000 confirmed cases in Washington since the pandemic began, and more than 2,100 people have died. For most, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, although long-term effects are unknown. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Inslee, who is seeking to become the first incumbent elected to a third term in the state in more than 40 years, faced 35 challengers in the August primary. He received just over 50% of the vote, with Culp coming in second with more than 17%.

Governors in Washington state arent subject to term limits, though most havent served more than two terms. The last three-term governor in Washington was Republican Gov. Dan Evans, who served from 1965 until 1977.

Inslee is a former congressman and served as Democratic Governors Association chairman in 2018. His six-month run for president last year focused on climate change, an issue that has been central to his two terms as governor.

Culp criticized Inslees comments calling the recent wildfires in the state climate fires.

He said that while he doesnt deny that the climate is changing, these are not climate fires, these are the result of very poor management on the state level.

Inslee said that anyone running for governor needs to have a plan to address climate change.

We need someone who will not just follow science but will act on it, Inslee said.

Both candidates were asked about Boeings decision to consolidate production of its two-aisle 787 jetliner in South Carolina and shut down the original assembly line for the plane in Everett, and Inslees comments that remaining tax breaks for the aerospace giant will need to be revisited.

The citizens of this state should be treated fairly, Inslee said.

Culp said that Inslees mandates and regulations have harmed businesses and he said he would work to make the state more business friendly.

Businesses like Boeing will want to come here and stay here, he said

Inslee countered that the states rankings in reports on where to move or where to do business

If this is such a terrible business place, why do these businesses keep coming here and growing? he asked.

On a question about the frequent skirmishes between police and protesters during months of demonstrations against police brutality in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Culp said he would have taken a harder stance.

We all have a right to peacefully assemble and speak our mind," he said. "When it turns violent ... thats no longer a First Amendment right, its a crime.

Inslee said that he sent in the National Guard once it was requested by Seattle.

You had tens of thousands of people peacefully protesting, tens of thousands marching without breaking windows, without starting fires and in their midst these folks came in and caused violence, he said. This violence is unacceptable to all of us, from any source, and it should stop.

On the state economy, which has seen revenues plummet during the pandemic, Culp said he would start with noew programs or pay raises for state workers and look at individual programs for cuts.

Inslee noted that earlier this year he vetoed hundreds of millions in spending, and said that they would need to look at some cuts, but defended his decision to not call a special session to address the budget before January, saying he didnt want rush to make cuts before knowing the full fiscal picture.

Ballots will be sent to the states more than 4.7 million voters next week, and elections officials are expecting record turnout.

AP reporter Lisa Baumann in Seattle contributed.

Here is the original post:

Inslee, Culp meet in first and only governor's debate - Thehour.com

Everything We Just Learned About The Navy’s Dubious Path To A 500 Ship Fleet – The Drive

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has revealed new details about extremely ambitious plans to increase the size of the U.S. Navy's fleets to more than 500 ships and submarines, including unmanned types, within the next 25 years. He also offered some specifics about how the Pentagon hopes to pay for this dramatic increase in force structure, including a significant increase in the Navy's base budget starting as early as the next Fiscal Year.

Esper provided the new information on what is now being called Battle Force 2045 in a virtual talk he gave from the offices of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) think tank in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 6, 2020. Some details about the Navy's future force structure and shipbuilding plans had already emerged in September, which you can read about in more detail in this recent War Zone piece.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has been working for months to help shape the plans for the Navy's force structure in the decades to come. OSD's Battle Force 2045 proposal incorporates recommendations from studies that the Pentagons Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE), the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Hudson Institute think tank conducted. A full look at the plan is expected to be publicly released next Spring as part of the formal 2022 Fiscal Year defense budget request.

As of early 2020, the Navy had around 293 ships. There is also a Congressionally mandated goal of a fleet with at least 355 ships. However, Esper has now said that the Battle Force 2045 structure will call for a total naval force with more than 500 ships, including between eight and 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, 60 to 70 small surface combatants, 70 and 80 attack submarines, 50 to 60 amphibious warfare ships, and 70 to 90 logistics ships. This is broadly in line with draft proposals from CAPE and the Hudson Institute.

USN

Both of those studies described a Navy with nine aircraft carriers. The force structures CAPE and Hudson included 70 and 56 small surface combatants, respectively, and both called for an increase in the size of the service's submarine force, which presently has 55 boats, in total. Those proposals also called for between 15 and 19 traditional amphibious warfare ships, such as amphibious assault ships and dock landing ships, and 20 to 26 of a new class of Light Amphibious Warships (LAW) that the Navy and Marine Corps are already exploring. These studies included significant increases in logistics and other support vessels, as well.

The carrier figures are particularly interesting given that the Navy has 11 flattops right now the 10 Nimitz class ships and the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford and anything less would represent a cut in the total number of these vessels. Congress has also stipulated that the service always be working toward having at least 12 operational carriers.

USN

The Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, at rear, sails with the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford, in the foreground.

Esper added that the Navy would "continue to examine options for light carriers that support short-takeoff or vertical landing aircraft" and that the service could ultimately up to six such ships, which could be based on the aviation-focused America class amphibious assault ship design. This is notable given that the Navy had publicly said that it had deferred a study of light carrier concepts indefinitely in May. This could also simply involve using the existing Americas, as well as other amphibious assault ships, as small "Lightning Carriers" with larger than average compliments of U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, a concept the Navy and Marines have already been exploring.

The Secretary of Defense did not offer details about what might be included in the "small surface combatant" category, but presently the Navy's only ships meeting this description are the Freedom and Independence classes of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The service is working to acquire a new class of guided-missile frigates, presently referred to as FFG(X), which will be based on from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's European Multi-Purpose Frigate design, also commonly referred to simply by the Franco-Italian acronym FREMM.

USN

The USS Freedom, at rear, and the USS Independence, the lead ships of the two LCS subclasses.

When it comes to submarines, Esper said that the increase in the total number of boats will come from extending the life of seven Los Angeles class attack submarines by refueling their nuclear reactors, as well as the development of a new type of advanced attack submarine, known presently as the SSN(X). The Navy has said that it is looking to acquiring something akin to the advanced Seawolf class design under this latter program.

In addition, the Secretary of Defense reiterated the service's previously established goal of increasing production of the more multi-mission-focused Virginia class attack submarine from two boats per year to three. If we do nothing else, the Navy must begin building three Virginia class submarines a year as soon as possible," Esper said.

USN

The Virginia class attack submarine USS Minnesota while under construction.

These increases in traditional vessels offer a "credible path" to the 355 ship goal, according to Esper. However, to get the total size of the Battle Force up to over 500 will require the inclusion of between 140 and 240 unmanned surface and undersea vehicles in that total, something the Navy does not presently do. The growing importance of unmanned platforms to the service's future plans, which you can read about in these previous War Zone pieces, has already prompted calls from the White House's Office of Management and Budget to add them to the official fleet totals for both current accounting and future planning purposes.

To make all this work, Esper said that the plan is to increase the percentage of the Navy's overall budget set aside for shipbuilding to 13 percent. In the 2020 Fiscal Year, the money for ships accounted for just over 11.5 percent of the service's approved budget from Congress. This dropped to less than 10 percent in the Navy's 2021 Fiscal Year budget request. Legislators have yet to pass a budget for this fiscal cycle, which began on Oct. 1.

USN

A summary of the Navy's approved budget for the 2020 Fiscal Year compared to its request for the 2021 Fiscal Year.

This 13 percent figure had first emerged last month in a print version of a speech Esper gave at the Rand think tank. However, the actual speech did not include this figure, raising questions about whether or not it was accurate. As Defense Newsreported at the time, even a two percent increase in shipbuilding funds over the 2021 Fiscal Year budget request would translate to more than $4 billion extra dollars to buy more ships.

In his latest remarks on this topic from CSBA's offices, Esper also called on Congress to approve getting rid of older ships and to grant the Pentagon authority to transfer unused funds straight to shipbuilding accounts without the need for specific authorization. He also issued an appeal to legislators to pass the 2021 Fiscal Year budget without delay and avoid relying on short-term spending bills, commonly known as Continuing Resolutions, which make long-term planning difficult.

As was the case after the initial details about the Navy's future plans for a fleet of more than 500 ships first emerged, it remains very much to be seen whether this proposal will become a reality. Congress has been notably reticent to the idea of including unmanned platforms in the Battle Force totals, or even just building them at all, and routinely resists proposals to retire existing warships, or otherwise trim back their expected service life, to free up funds to buy newer ones. With this in mind, extending the life of existing warships had been part of the Navy's plans to reach the existing 355-ship goal as recently as last year.

Available shipyard capacity to build new ships and submarines, as well as maintain a growing fleet, remains very much an issue, as well. The shift from building one Virginia class submarine each year to two notably caused strain on the yards where those boats are built, at least initially, raising questions about what might happen when production increases to three annually. Those are also the same yards that will also be needed to construct the Navy's future Columbia class ballistic missile submarines.

USN

An artist's conception of the future first-in-class USS Columbia.

If nothing else, there is also a basic cost question. Esper indicated that at least some of the increased shipbuilding funds could come from savings the Pentagon has found elsewhere in the budget, but again canceling or scaling back other projects or retiring older weapon systems across the U.S. military will require the consent of Congress.

In addition, there's no guarantee, especially in the midst of a major recession in the United States and global economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that defense spending will continue to rise in a way that will support a major increase in the size of the Navy's Battle Force. In fact, there's evidence already that it could well be headed in the opposite direction.

Sustaining such a naval force will require major additional funding, as well. One estimate from the Congressional Budget Office regarding a plan the Navy released last year to reach a 355-ship fleet pegged the annual cost of just operating and maintaining all of those vessels at $40 billion. For context, the Navy's total "O&M" budget for the 2020 Fiscal Year was $68 billion and the portion set aside specifically for ship operations was $19.7 billion.

All told, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Navy seem to be intent on setting a goal of having a total fleet with more than 500 ships in the coming decades. However, from everything we know so far, there are serious hurdles they will need to overcome first in getting anywhere near to realizing their vision.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com

Original post:

Everything We Just Learned About The Navy's Dubious Path To A 500 Ship Fleet - The Drive

Civil society raises alarm about IMF’s continued backing of austerity amidst pandemic – Bretton Woods Observer

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Civil society organisations (CSOs) are increasingly concerned that the IMF continues to include strict fiscal consolidation targets in its loan programmes, despite the deepening global health and economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an October letter, more than 500 CSOs and academics, including the Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education and prominent feminist economist Stephanie Seguino, questioned the Funds continued adherence to such targets, as the economic fallout of the pandemic continues to worsen. According to the letter, Time and time again, rigid and rapid fiscal consolidation conditioned in IMF programs has meant devastating cuts in health and education investments, losses of hard-earned pensions and social protections, public wage freezes, layoffs, and exacerbated unpaid care work burdens. In all cases, it is the most vulnerable people in societies who bear the brunt of these reforms, while the elite, large corporations and creditors enjoy the benefits.

Despite IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva publicly calling for a greener, smarter and fairer recovery to the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of recent IMF loan programmes, as well as IMF language in emergency financing agreements and analysis, continue to call for a swift return to fiscal consolidation as soon as the peak of the crisis has passed. The governments of Egypt, Ukraine (see Observer Summer 2020), South Africa (see At Issue Summer 2020) and Ecuador have now agreed new programmes with the Fund that involve severe austerity measures. CSOs are also concerned that a forthcoming IMF programme for Lebanon is likely to include significant austerity measures (see Observer Autumn 2020). Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Costa Rica have both made new requests for non-emergency IMF programmes over the last two months, and news reports already indicate the latter will be committing to severe fiscal consolidation measures.

Commenting on the request by BiH, Nela Porobi Isakovi with the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom said, IMF loans have for a long time come with austerity measures targeting the public sector, and now new negotiations lack any transparency. It is a true source of worry for the Bosnia and Herzegovinian citizens where does the money go, how will the money be repaid, and how do we ensure that we do not return to business as usual? Because for 25 years that has gotten us nowhere. We need to start investing in what this country urgently needs: healthcare, education, and a clean environment.

After a year of anti-austerity IMF riots sweeping across the world, the Funds continued dedication to fiscal consolidation amid growing economic and debt crises across the Global South has put the potential negative social consequences of IMF loan conditions long a cardinal sin of the Fund in the eyes of its social justice activists back in the spotlight (see Observer Winter 2019). With the IMF slated to continue to play a central role in the Covid-19 response in many crisis-stricken countries, the CSO letter called on it to finally close the dark chapter on IMF-conditioned austerity for good. It went on to say that this means systematically assessing the impacts of fiscal policy reforms on gender and economic inequality and rejecting those that have negative social impacts, and recommended a number of other policy measures.

Visit link:

Civil society raises alarm about IMF's continued backing of austerity amidst pandemic - Bretton Woods Observer

NCC to invite experts to CtiTV News hearing –

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang () yesterday said that the commission is seeking to invite expert witnesses with backgrounds in communications, finance and law to attend an administrative hearing for CTiTV News license renewal application.

However, it would not disclose the names of the witnesses in advance so that they would not be subjected to pressure before the hearing, he added.

Chen was scheduled to brief lawmakers on the NCCs performance in the past fiscal year.

Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

However, he faced questions from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers about the commissions decision to hold an administrative hearing on Oct. 26 as part of its review of the news channels license renewal application.

KMT Legislator Hung Mong-kai () said that this would be the first time that the NCC held an administrative hearing for a TV news channels license renewal application since its establishment in 2006.

The commission lacks the standards to determine whether an administrative hearing should be held for a case, Hung said, adding that the decision to hold the hearing could create the impression that NCC commissioners have already decided on how they would rule.

KMT Legislator Lu Ming-che () also questioned the commissions decision.

The commission prides itself in being an open, fair and just government agency, but it has yet to disclose the list of expert witnesses scheduled to attend the hearing, he said.

Lu also asked whether the NCC would rule on the case fairly, given that it had approved the Taiwan Optical Platforms application to upgrade a variety show channel to a news channel only to overturn it within a week.

I hope you realize that you are not just handling a license renewal application. It is also a test to see if the nation can tolerate diverse opinions, he said, adding that he hopes the NCCs review would not turn into a comprehensive cleansing of news media.

Chen told lawmakers that the commission could have been accused of operating in a black box if it did not hold an administrative hearing.

However, it is still facing criticism, despite ruling unanimously to hold a hearing, he added.

People in Taiwan have freedom of speech and can access diverse public opinions. None of the news channels in the nation share the same views on issues, Chen said.

When we review CtiTV News license renewal application, we will look at its performance in the past six years. Holding an administrative hearing shows that we have thoroughly followed administrative procedures in reviewing the case, Chen added.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

NCC to invite experts to CtiTV News hearing -

Select Page ::