Las Vegas closures, financial impacts and UK guidance: The week in numbers – Casino Beats

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Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industrys most interesting stories. Today we take a look at financial performances, potential permanent casino closures in Las Vegas and a series of UK-based online recommendations.

100

Cross-party think-tankThe Social Market Foundationhas called for a soft cap limit of 100 per month (or 23 per week) on net deposits to be applied to all customer spending to ensure that gambling activities do not amount to serious financial harm.

The recommendations form part of a wider report designed to be a roadmap of principles for the reform of gambling regulation and the industry, and comes ahead of the anticipated government review of the 2005 Gambling Act.

The report also advocates that stake limits should be set of between 1 and 5 for online slots, with non-slot content to have added restrictions imposed based upon games design with it accepted that similar (stake) limits would make that content commercially non-viable.

Furthermore, the SMF has also proposed the introduction of a mandatory kitemark for all licensed operators, which would be given to any operator which has been granted a licence and abides by LCCP and would be clearly visible on site. A call to end white label schemes has also been made.

4

US hotel and casino gaming firmStation Casinoshas cast doubt over the reopening of four of its Southern Nevada properties following the challenges posed to the business during recent weeks and months.

During an earnings callFrank Fertitta III, CEO ofRed Rock Resorts, the parent company of Station Casinos, said that it is not yet safe to reopen the venues as well being unsure if and when that time will come.

The casino properties in question are Las Vegas pairTexas Station Gambling Hall and Hoteland the off-StripPalms Casino Resort, as well asFiesta Henderson Casino HotelandFiesta Rancho Casino Hotelsituated in the nearby city of Henderson.

114.1

TheAmerican Gaming Associationhas published its latest study, completed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, focusing on Michigan.

The report, titled Casinos and Communities: Michigan, highlights how crucial casino gaming is to Michigans economy and its future importance to the states economic recovery.

Featuring firsthand accounts of gamings impact on the community in Michigan, the report noted that between March and July, the shutdown of casinos deprived statewide and local governments of $114.1m in gaming tax revenue.

This includes $46.2m set for statewide K-12 education and $67.9m in lost revenue for the city of Detroit that supports youth development programming, economic development initiatives designed to create local jobs, and other local improvement projects.

Combined, Michigans 27 commercial and tribal casinos have an annual $6.3bn economic impact on the state, generating $1.3bn in state and local taxes, according to the report. Furthermore, it generates $2.1bn in wages and supports 38,000 jobs.

160

Providing an update on its first-half performance and current trading,Playtechhas revealed that despite the pandemic severely impacting some of the groups business, it had a resilient H1 2020 with adjusted EBITDA of more than 160m.

In the update, the firm highlighted that its online casino, bingo and poker businesses performed very well in H1 2020. The significantly heightened levels of activity in these segments it said to have begun to normalise as government lockdown restrictions were eased, however it states that activity remains above pre-COVID-19 levels.

Additionally, the exceptional performance ofTradeTechsignificantly benefited from increased market volatility and trading volumes during much of H1.

94.8

Wynn Resortshas expressed pleasure at a plethora of property re-openings across each of its operational markets, as the firm documents the impact of COVID enforced closures in its latest financial update.

Coming as media outlets report that the firm has closed its Yokohama office, although Wynn has assured that the move hasnt dampened any interest in the region, operating revenue for the years second quarter plummeted from 94.8 per cent from $1.66bn to $85.7m.

Operating revenues decreased $620.2m, $534.6m and $399.3m at Wynn Palace, Wynn Macau and our Las Vegas operations, respectively, during the period.

Net loss during Q2 finished up at $743.8m, contrasted to income of $142.2m a year earlier, with adjusted EBITDA closing at a loss of $322.9m (2019: $480.5m).

305.5

Penn National Gaminghas asserted encouragement at emerging third quarter trends, with results across May and June potentially having benefited from pent-up demand.

Continuing to make fundamental changes across its casino portfolio, with work ongoing alongside regulators in several jurisdictions to introduce cashless, cardless, and contactless technology to properties, the comments come amid a series of second quarter declines.

Due to mandated closures across the US PNG saw revenue for the quarter to June 30 fall 76.9 per cent to $305.5m (2019: $1.32bn), net loss finished at $214.4m compared to a profit of $51.4m a year earlier and adjusted EBITDA declined to a loss of $79.3m (2019: +$316.5m).

Commenting that significant progress has been made on the development of itsBarstoolsportsbook mobile app, PNG anticipates a Q3 launch in Pennsylvania with additional states to follow throughout Q4 and Q1 2021.

Further Keystone State updates see the group anticipate resuming construction on both of its category four projects in the region, namely the $120mHollywood Casino Yorkand $111mHollywood Casino Morgantownprojects, later this year ahead of opening in the second half of 2021.

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Las Vegas closures, financial impacts and UK guidance: The week in numbers - Casino Beats

Wilson’s basket sends the Aces past Liberty 78-76 – Las Vegas Sun

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By Associated Press

Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020 | 6:09 p.m.

BRADENTON, Fla. Aja Wilson scored 31 points and her short shot with seven seconds lifted the Las Vegas Aces past the New York Liberty 78-76 on Sunday.

Kia Nurse missed a jump shot after, and out of a timeout following an offensive rebound, the Liberty turned it over to end the game.

Wilsons game winner was only the second lead for Las Vegas the entire game. Jackie Young's layup with 7:29 before halftime put Las Vegas up 30-28. Kiah Stokes' layup with 3:34 left in the third quarter put New York up 56-46 before Las Vegas (5-2) went on a 12-5 run to close the quarter.

Wilson shot 10 of 17 from the floor and made 11 of 12 free throws. Young scored 15 and Dearica Hamby 13.

Amanda Zahui B. led the Liberty (1-6) with 20 points, Layshia Clarendon scored 15 and Joyner Holmes 11.

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Wilson's basket sends the Aces past Liberty 78-76 - Las Vegas Sun

Census takers to respond to Las Vegas Valley households starting this week – FOX5 Las Vegas

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Census takers to respond to Las Vegas Valley households starting this week - FOX5 Las Vegas

Blast destroyed landmark 19th century palace in Beirut – Las Vegas Sun

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Published Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020 | 11 p.m.

Updated Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020 | 11:06 p.m.

BEIRUT (AP) The 160-year-old palace withstood two world wars, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French mandate and Lebanese independence. After the country's 1975-1990 civil war, it took 20 years of careful restoration for the family to bring the palace back to its former glory.

In a split second, everything was destroyed again, says Roderick Sursock, owner of Beirut's landmark Sursock Palace, one of the most storied buildings in the Lebanese capital.

He steps carefully over the collapsed ceilings, walking through rooms covered in dust, broken marble and crooked portraits of his ancestors hanging on the cracked walls. The ceilings of the top floor are all gone, and some of the walls have collapsed. The level of destruction from the massive explosion at Beirut's port last week is 10 times worse than what 15 years of civil war did, he says.

More than 160 people were killed in the blast, around 6,000 were injured and thousands of residential buildings and offices were damaged. Several heritage buildings, traditional Lebanese homes, museums and art galleries have also sustained various degrees of damage.

The Sursock palace, built in 1860 in the heart of historical Beirut on a hill overlooking the now-obliterated port, is home to beautiful works of arts, Ottoman-era furniture, marble and paintings from Italy collected by three long-lasting generations of the Sursock family.

The Greek Orthodox family, originally from the Byzantine capital, Constantinople now Istanbul settled in Beirut in 1714.

The three-story mansion has been a landmark in Beirut. With its spacious garden, it's been the venue for countless weddings, cocktail parties and receptions over the years, and has been admired by tourists who visit the nearby Sursock museum.

The house in Beiruts Christian quarter of Achrafieh is listed as a cultural heritage site, but Sursock said only the army has come to assess the damage in the neighborhood. So far, hes had no luck reaching the Culture Ministry.

The palace is so damaged that it will require a long, expensive and delicate restoration, as if rebuilding the house from scratch, Sursock says.

Sursock has moved to a nearby pavilion in the palace gardens, but this has been his home for many years alongside his American wife, his 18-year-old daughter and his mother, Yvonne. He says the 98-year-old Lady Cochrane (born Sursock) had courageously stayed in Beirut during the 15 years of the civil war to defend the palace. His wife was just dismissed from hospital, as the blast was so powerful that the wave affected her lungs.

Sursock says there is no point in restoring the house now at least not until the country fixes its political problems.

We need a total change, the country is run by a gang of corrupt people, he said angrily.

Despite his pain and the damage from last week's blast, Sursock, who was born in Ireland, says he will stay in Lebanon, where he has lived his whole life and which he calls home.

But he desperately hopes for change.

"I hope there is going to be violence and revolution because something needs to break, we need to move on, we cannot stay as we are.

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Blast destroyed landmark 19th century palace in Beirut - Las Vegas Sun

UFC on ESPN+ 32 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Las Vegas – MMA Junkie

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Division: LightweightResult: Nasrat Haqparast def. Alexander Munoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Record: (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)Grade: D

After fighting on Dana Whites Contender Series, then Dana White Lookin For a Fight, Alexander Munoz finally got the chance to showcase his skills in the UFC, and he certainly wasnt handed an easy first test as a UFC fighter.

Matched up with the highly-rated Nasrat Haqparast, Munoz had a tough opening assignment, but he looked to impose himself early as he charged across the cage to land an early takedown. A stray knee to the groin halted Munozs early pressure, and when the action resumed, it was Haqparast who pushed the pace.

It meant Munoz had to work off the back foot, and his habit of dropping levels in search of a takedown when under fire almost saw him tagged with a Haqparast knee as his opponent started to read his tendencies.

Despite Haqparasts apparent speed and power advantage, Munoz stayed composed and, after a pep talk from his corner, he started to load up on his shots in Round 2. However, he continued to suffer against Haqparasts faster shots and higher output and was badly rocked by a huge left hook. But he recovered well, albeit with the aid of a grab of his opponents shorts.

The third round saw Munoz attempt to punch his way into range for a takedown but was repeatedly tagged by Haqparast. On the rare occasions he did get his hands on him, Munoz saw his attempts shrugged off by his well-drilled opponent.

In the final reckoning, Haqparasts ability to nullify Munozs wrestling turned the fight into a kickboxing matchup. And, unfortunately for Munoz, he found himself second-best in the standup department. It was reflected in the scorecards, with Munoz losing all three rounds on all three cards.

After such a tough test on his debut, itll be interesting to see how Munoz bounces back in his next assignment. But what seems clear is if he wants to move up the ladder in the UFCs 155-pound division, hell need to develop his striking arsenal to help create openings for his bread and butter, his wrestling.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Las Vegas - MMA Junkie

Free speech experts call on public schools to not penalize students for sharing images of maskless classmates – CNN

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This issue became a flashpoint this week after sophomore Hannah Watters was disciplined for posting a photo on Twitter showing many of her fellow North Paulding High School classmates in Dallas, Georgia not wearing masks while walking down a crowded hallway. The photo was posted on Twitter at the end of dismissal, Hannah said.

"I took it mostly out of concern and nervousness after seeing the first days of school," she said. "I was concerned for the safety of everyone in that building and everyone in the county because precautions that the CDC and guidelines at the CDC has been telling us for months now weren't being followed."

"I've little doubt that these sorts of conflicts are going to dominate my life over the next many months," Hiestand told CNN. "People tend to assume that most censorship issues involving student journalists concern stories about sex, drugs and rock and roll sort of stuff. Not true. By far the most common targets for censorship are accurate, lawful stories that school officials believe cast the school in a negative light. Student stories showing their school's response to Covid has censorship written all over them."

There is no expectation of privacy in a crowded public school hallway, Hiestand said. As such, there's no reasonable claim that these sorts of photos are violating anyone's legal right to privacy, particularly now when the lead headline of many news organizations has to do with students returning to school during a global pandemic, he added.

Hannah's photo "is about as newsworthy -- and therefore, non-private -- as it gets," Hiestand said.

The First Amendment and what it means to students

The freedom of speech protection afforded by the First Amendment applies to people of any age and, thanks to the Supreme Court, that unequivocally includes students.

The court determined that school officials could not censor student expression unless they can reasonably predict that the expression would cause a substantial disruption of school activities, the center said.

When it comes to cell phones and whether they are a disruption, administrators can impose reasonable restrictions such as not using them during school hours but a principal cannot legally control what students post on social media off campus or after hours, though these attempts are seen from time to time, Gutterman said.

"It would be unreasonable to punish students who are exposing misbehavior or other problems during this public health crisis. If a student exposes something like this, the student is more akin to a whistleblower or public critic and should be praised rather than punished," Gutterman added.

The threat of Covid-19 infections in schools is real

Zach Parsons is a sophomore at North Paulding High School who said it's dangerous for schools to have in-person instruction. He's not wrong, particularly when it comes to students in Georgia.

Four students from three Georgia high schools who attended classes in person this week have tested positive for Covid-19, Columbia County School District Superintendent Sandra Carraway told CNN.

At North Paulding High School, following Hanna's photo, around 40% of students were seen wearing masks, Parsons, the student, said. In a letter to the community this week, Paulding County Superintendent Brian Otott said "Wearing a mask is a personal choice, and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them."

For any students concerned about their health and who are facing circumstances like in North Paulding High School, Hiestand of the Student Press center has two words of advice: be brave.

"Use the new speech tools that are available to say what you need to say," Hiestand added. "As John Lewis said a month before he died: 'And to see all of the young people...standing up, speaking up, being prepared to march. They are going to help redeem the soul of America and save our country and maybe help save the planet.'"

CNN's Madeline Holcombe, Jamiel Lynch, Maggie Fox and Shelby Lin Erdman contributed to this report

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Free speech experts call on public schools to not penalize students for sharing images of maskless classmates - CNN

Police Infiltration of Protests Undermines the First Amendment – brennancenter.org

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The protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in late May prompted allegations of infiltration byout-of-stateanti-fascist agitators (which have beenrefuted) and white supremacists (which have beenborne out). But little attention has been paid to a third group of infiltrators: police. As with so many other police practices that are now coming under scrutiny, the longstanding practice of using undercover police to monitor protests and protest movements should be closely examined and reconsidered.

There is solid evidence that police infiltrated the recent demonstrations. A North Dakota officerposed as a protester, photographed activists, and yelled F**k the police while checking for guns at a Black Lives Matter protest in Fargo. Undercover officersdisguised as Orthodox Jewsattended anti-racism protests in New Jersey. The Texas Department of Public Safetyoutright acknowledgedembedding undercover officers in the protests to root out criminals.

The idea, ostensibly, is that plainclothes officers can overhear people conspiring to commit violence or other illegal acts and disrupt their plots. But this rationale falls apart on closer examination. The notion that there were coordinated plans to engage in illegal activity turns out to be false. An internalDepartment of Homeland Security intelligence assessmentfound that most of the violence at protests has been committed by opportunists interested in looting, not agitators or extremists.

The benefits of infiltration are thus speculative at best. On the other hand, there are proven downsides. Indeed, undercover officerssometimes initiateorenableviolence between police and protesters, further escalating thealready-violent policing of dissent a problem that is particularly pertinent foranti-police brutalityandBlack-ledprotests, which meet especially forceful resistance from law enforcement.

Additionally,the history of police infiltrationis one of the government disproportionately targeting progressive activists and movements sometimes even going so far as to gin up violence as justification for scrutiny rather than keeping protesters safe.

Take, for instance, the FBIs Counter Intelligence Program, known asCOINTELPRO. From 1956 to 1971, it targeted groups that the government deemed subversive, with methods including unconstitutional surveillance and infiltration. Included in its mission were efforts to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of the Black Panthers and other Black nationalist groups. COINTELPRO was designed explicitly to target Black activists because of their political stances. One of its ignominiesinvolved an FBI informantproviding Black Panthers with sticks of dynamite to blow up the Statue of Liberty.

Or take the more recent example of the protests surrounding President Trumps inauguration. As part of aninvestigation into a potential conspiracyto foment violence, police officersinfiltrateda small group called Disrupt J20 that was planning meetings for the demonstrations. They followed up by arresting more than 200 anti-capitalist and anti-fascist activists, journalists, and legal observersen masse, simply because the individuals were in the vicinity of acts of property damage. The resulting prosecutions casesended in mistrials, dismissals, and acquittalsover the next 18 months. And while law enforcement agenciesfocustheir infiltration on the advocacy of left-leaning groups, Black protesters, and Muslims, theycontinueto payinsufficient attentionto the United States manyviolent white supremacistthreats.

Police infiltration of protests also has a chilling effect on protesters First Amendment rights.Fearof plainclothes police joining protests to surveil activists,the danger to undocumented immigrantsof Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attendance at protests, thepresence of agents-provocateur, and the resultingdistrust of ones fellow protestersall discourage would-be marchers from participating.

These significant risks and harms outweigh any marginal benefit that might accrue from police infiltration, at least as it has been practiced up to now. It is apparent that the use of undercover officers at protests needs to be revisited.

At a minimum, there should be more transparency and accountability accompanying the use of undercover police in protests. One model for this is the wave of surveillance oversight legislation being passed across the nation, most recently in the form of thePOST Act in New York City. The measure will require the New York City Police Department to disclose basic information about the surveillance toolsit uses, the deployment of those tools, and safeguards for New Yorkers civil liberties. Analogous legislation requiring police departments to develop and share policies regarding infiltration operations, including specific protections for protesters First Amendment rights, could increase their accountability to the communities they are intended to serve.

A more far-reaching approach would be to adapt and expand the recommendations of the Church Committee a Senate panel that investigated the abuses of various intelligence authorities, including COINTELPRO by law enforcement. The recommendations in the committees landmark 1976reportfocused on raising the threshold for intelligence collection by shifting the focus from association and advocacy to demonstrated dangerous conduct. A similar approach could be adopted in the context of police infiltration of protests for instance, by limiting its use to cases in which there is a preexisting investigation based on facts that support reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

It is not clear, however, that raising the threshold would solve the problem. In Washington, DC, the2004 First Amendment Rights and Police Standards Actalready requires police to obtain clearance from top police officials, along with evidence of a threat of violence, for infiltration of advocacy groups and those measures did not prevent the J20 debacle. And the citys auditor had previously raised concerns about police noncompliance with the law.

A broader solution is to simply prohibit plainclothes police from attending protests. Using undercover police in connection with protests and protest movements can only further undermine trust between law enforcement and communities at a time when that trust has already been badly eroded by repeated, high-profile instances of racialized police brutality. Whatever the merits and drawbacks of undercover operations in other settings, protests are one context where people should feel free to come together and express themselves without fear of surreptitious law enforcement monitoring.

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Police Infiltration of Protests Undermines the First Amendment - brennancenter.org

McFeatters: What kind of country will America be? – The Columbian

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Are we going to tell parents they have to choose between their jobs or watching over their children?

Are we going to help the struggling middle class and small-business owner or give another round of tax cuts to the wealthy so they can buy a baby blue Lamborghini and more stock?

Will we offer refuge to persecuted families from other lands seeking a part of the American dream? Or just announce that dream is dead. Doors shut.

Are we going to ensure that every eligible American can vote, vote safely and have that vote counted? Or are we the country that will do our best to make sure that the rich and well-off, with currently approved skin tones, are the ones who control the future?

Are we going to do everything we possibly can to keep foreign interference out of our elections? Or just accept that the foreign hackers are here, well entrenched, welcomed by those in power and active? So what?

Are we going to continue to be that country whose top law enforcement official sends jackbooted thugs into cities to beat up protesters and snubs his nose at members of Congress questioning his actions? Or are we going to realize that law and order and the Constitution, including the First Amendment, are compatible.

Will we be the people who provide proper personal protective gear for medical workers and first responders? Or will we be the country that tolerates corruption running rampant in procurement and contracting, advocates ineffective and dangerous treatments, and assures people all is well when it isnt?

Will we hold everyone to the same rule of law or will we permit the powerful and favored few to become wealthy beyond imagination at our expense?

Are we going to rebuild our roads, bridges, ports and electric grid? Or do we spend the money on big corporations, hoping they will build a little in exchange for becoming too big to fail?

Are we going to help save the world from extreme temperatures, famines, droughts, flooding, plagues and dramatic loss of species? Or will we work with other nations to stop manmade damage to the environment?

Do we want to close our borders to those who werent born Americans? Or do we want to encourage young scholars to come to America, study in our universities, learn our culture and help make more corners of the Earth better off, giving back to us as much as they get along the way?

Do we want to know that what our political leaders tell us is the truth, even when it is unpleasant, or continue to shrug our shoulders at what we are told because everyone knows it is all lies?

Do we want continued outrage and drama and titillation? Or do we seek measured response, competence, fairness and civility?

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McFeatters: What kind of country will America be? - The Columbian

Scripps Howard Foundation to award $600,000 to advance diversity in journalism – PRNewswire

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CINCINNATI, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to support equity, diversity and inclusion within the journalism industry, the Scripps Howard Foundation will award a total of $600,000 to institutions of higher education to enhance or create programs that will inspire high school students to embark on journalism careers.

The Foundation will host a competitive application process to select two institutions, which will each receive $100,000 a year over three years.

The Foundation, the philanthropic organization of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), is seeking to fund two programs that will:

The programs will be funded through a generous gift from Eli and Jaclynn Scripps and Jonathan and Brooke Scripps.

"Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion within the journalism industry is a priority of the Scripps Howard Foundation, its benefactors and its parent company, The E.W. Scripps Company," said Scripps Howard Foundation President and CEO Liz Carter. "We know the industry has a long way to go toward hiring talent and editorial staff that reflects the make-up of its increasingly diverse audiences. We believe these programs, with their emphasis on mentorship and real-world reporting experience, are an important step toward that goal."

The Foundation and its parent company, Scripps, have committed to increasing diversity in journalism through a variety of programs. More information about Scripps' equity, diversity and inclusion approach can be found here.

The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is Sept. 15, 2020. The Foundation will review those responses and invite a select group to respond to a full Request for Proposals (RFP). The programs are expected to launch by the 2021-2022 academic year.

More information on how to submit a Letter of Intent can be found here.

About the Scripps Howard FoundationTheScripps Howard Foundationsupports philanthropic causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and the communities it serves, with a special emphasis on excellence in journalism. At the crossroads of the classroom and the newsroom, the Foundation is a leader in supporting journalism education, scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development, literacy and First Amendment causes. The Scripps Howard Awards stand as one of the industry's top honors for outstanding journalism. The Foundation improves lives and helps build thriving communities. It partners with Scripps brands to create awareness of local issues and supports impactful organizations to drive solutions.

SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company

http://www.scripps.com

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Scripps Howard Foundation to award $600,000 to advance diversity in journalism - PRNewswire

National Right to Work informs state workers of their right to end union dues – The Highland County Press

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By Todd DeFeoThe Center Squarehttps://www.thecentersquare.com/Staff attorneys with the National Right to Work Foundation have issued a legal notice to state employees, informing them of their right to end union dues deductions.

The notice, which includes sample resignation letters, comes after the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation helped four public employees in Ohio win a settlement in a federal class-action lawsuit challenging a so-called escape period.

Under Ohios previous maintenance of membership policy, an estimated 28,000 state workers in the state could only end union dues deductions during a period that opened roughly once every three years, according to the foundation.

The employees filed suit against Council 11 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Gov. Mike DeWine and Matthew M. Damschroder, director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

They argued limiting the window to decide to stop paying mandatory union dues was an illegal restriction on their First Amendment right. The United States Supreme Court recognized the right in a 2018 decision, Janus v. AFSCME, and ruled the government can only deduct union dues or fees with a workers affirmative consent.

All State of Ohio public workers must be aware that they cannot be forced into abandoning their First Amendment right to refrain from subsidizing an unwanted union hierarchy just to keep their jobs, National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix said in a statement.

Any State of Ohio public servant who is falsely told that they must sign a union dues deduction form should contact the Foundation for free legal assistance in defending their Janus rights, he added.

The workers filed their lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. At least 150 people were refunded dues as a result of the settlement.

OCSEA intends to solicit employees to sign new membership and dues deduction cards that purport to restrict when employees can stop the deduction of union dues from their wages, the notice reads.

According to the National Right to Work Foundation, the most recent ruling is the fourth it has settled in the Buckeye State in favor of workers.

In January 2019, the organization won a settlement for seven Ohio public employees who filed a similar federal class-action lawsuit challenging AFSCME Council 8. The foundation subsequently helped two other Ohio public employees end escape period restrictions.

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National Right to Work informs state workers of their right to end union dues - The Highland County Press

Adonis Hoffman: Cancel culture is techno tyranny it gives everyone the power to do this – Fox News

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Hyper partisan politics and our divided nation make it easier than ever to vilify anyone, any time in any way. In the words of Michael Corleone, If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.

Used figuratively here, of course, but that is what cancel culture has wrought in todays society.

While cancellation may seek to stifle speech, it causes social and economic destruction as well. It projects permanence and public shame for its targets whether deserved or not. And it promotes a kind of techno tyranny against which we all should be vigilant.

CABOT PHILLIPS: 'CANCEL CULTURE' DISTORTS HISTORY TO PORTRAY US AS EVIL NATION THAT MUST BE TRANSFORMED

Cancel culture is not new. So lets call it what it is: a coeval form of character assassination that has gone way too far. Almost void for vagueness, it describes at the same time the campaigns against Ellen DeGeneres and Nick Cannon, and the crusades against conservative talkers, impolitic professors and lesser-known left-wing opinionators. It even blames a newlywed couple for holding their destination wedding at an historic antebellum plantation. The list is long and growing.

Technology today empowers anyone everyone to become their own media outlet. It has liberated our ability to publish widely and without reserve and has allowed opinionsthemselvesto be bountiful, ubiquitous and cheap.

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Given such a surfeit, measuring the value of a voice has been reduced to a simple integer: the number of viewers that can be engaged. Validation does not depend upon principle or prescience and neither vision nor veracity seems to count for much anymore. Its all about the looks and the likes of those who follow.

Consider the litany of celebrities who endorse, promote and recommend products, services and viewpoints via social media. And countless others who aspire to be influencers by being louder, lewder or loftier than anyone else in the Twittersphere or on Facebook.

What trades for value today in the marketplace of ideas is a counterfeit notion of public discourse. But free expression of ideas is the standard currency. Freedom of speech, without threat of government regulation, is a defining feature of American democracy firmly enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

With very few exceptions, government restraint is not what most Americans fear.

We are free to write, speak, protest against or in favor of just about anything or anyone in our society.

Our Constitution, as viewed through decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence, permits us to burn the flag, kneel at the national anthem, or call the president anything but a child of God all with the right to bear arms at the same time.

It protects us when we disagree with Supreme Court decisions, a controversial waror legislation that cuts to our very core. Say what you want in America, just dont yell fire in a crowded theater and the First Amendment will protect your speech.

All it takes is access to social media and you, too, can cancel your enemies of choice with impunity.

Indeed, the true power of censorship rests with the people not the government. So we should not be surprised that, today, private actors are empowered to enforce censorship or cancellation over those who express unpopular opinions.

As such, we have come to fear those who trade in hate speech and hanging by hashtag to silence and destroy the lives and livelihoods of others. Whether Left, Right, Black or White it makes no difference. Because all it takes is access to social media and you, too, can cancel your enemies of choice with impunity whether they be caustics, cynics or merely clumsy communicators.

In a bygone era, we watched similar word-of-mouth campaigns conducted under the guise of boycotts and blacklists.Both practices could be sinister assassins of brand and character, indelibly bruising a reputation and good name. Its hard to find anyone that upholds being boycotted as a badge of honor, although being blacklisted might have some cachet in progressive circles, akin to a political purple heart.

We have seen the dispossessed use boycotts as a political and economic spear against status quo and conservative elements who resisted change. Products, eventsand programs were boycotted to publicly convey moral opposition to anything that was not correct.It was one of the few weapons the powerless could wield to make their point effectively, requiring little more than a cause and an object. Think Selma and Montgomery.

Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., gives a resigned shrug at being unable to get across with one of his "point of order" interruptions, during the Senate Investigation Subcommittee hearing, in Washington, D.C., April 30, 1954. Pvt. G. David Schine was in the witness chair at the time. (AP Photo/WF)

Blacklists, conversely, were among several tools used by the entrenched establishment to arrest the momentum of people with contrary views. Those with power and wherewithal, usually on the Right, could isolate, insulate and shield their vested interests from the progress of others toward equity and inclusion. There were, of course, other ways to disenfranchise dissent. Think Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare.

Today, a number of marquee advertisers have joined boycotts against prominent tech and media outlets. Their decision is a patent rejection of certain content on the one hand, and a latent acceptance of cancellation on the other. Whatever the intent, it comports well within the cancel culture zeitgeist.

If their actions lead to discourse and that discourse leads to new directions, then all should be forgiven. But if the boycotts yield resistance to new ways to communicate then what has been accomplished?

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Railing against cancellation, whether from the Left or the Right, is like spilling hot coffee on your dark blue suit.It may burn you up on the inside, but no one cares about it on the outside.

Restraint is the best way to vitiate the vitriol of cancel culture. And like free expression, that is a matter of individual liberty, violently protected by our Constitution.

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Perseid meteor shower 2020 How to watch what could be the best show of the year – The Mercury News

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A 35-minute film exposure captures people in Piedmont, N.C., bathed in the glow of astronomers red flashlights and observing the Perseid meteor shower during its peak in August 1994.

Heres one thing coronavirus cant cancel.

The annual Perseid meteor shower, which NASA calls the best meteor shower of the year and which inspired singer John Denver to write Rocky Mountain High nearly 50 years ago peaks early this week.

Depending on the weather and where viewers watch, the celestial spectacle could deliver as many as 50 to 75 shooting stars per hour over California and much of the United States with the most expected between Tuesday night after sunset until to the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The Perseids are a reliable meteor shower, said Andrew Fraknoi, emeritus chairman of the astronomy department at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. And its in August, when we have warm summer nights, when most kids arent in school. Its a great time for families to be able to go outside and take a look.

The Perseid meteor shower, first documented by Chinese astronomers in 36 A.D., is visible every year between late July and mid-August.

But the shooting stars arent really stars. The meteor shower occurs every year when Earth, as it orbits around the sun, crosses a trail of dust, dirt and other debris from a famous comet, Swift-Tuttle, which itself orbits the sun once every 133 years. The comet is just a huge ball of ice, with rocks, dust and other debris inside it. With each pass around the sun, some of that debris breaks away, and is left behind in the comets wake, creating a giant oval that extends from beyond Pluto to around the sun.

As Earth passes through that debris field each year, some of those tiny bits of sand, metal and rock burn up when they come into Earths atmosphere, creating the flashing trails we see across the night sky.

Thats right: What looks like a huge streak of fire in the night sky an astounding, powerful pyrotechnic marvel is usually just a little piece of grit, smaller than a thumbtack, miles up in the sky. But it is moving at 132,000 miles an hour, or nearly 37 miles per second, and burning at up to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it fizzles.

What you are seeing burning up is a little piece of dirt which is part of the original pieces that formed the solar system 5 billion years ago, Fraknoi said. Its kind of neat.

So how should you watch it?

The best way is to dress warmly, go outside, turn off lights and look for a broad patch of sky, away from trees. If you can drive to a rural location, like a road or park in the hills around the Bay Area, youre chances of seeing more are better.

Pick an observing spot away from bright lights, lay on your back, and look up! said Emily Clay of NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in a blog post Thursday. You dont need any special equipment to view the Perseids just your eyes.

Its better not to use binoculars or a telescope. Their field of vision is too narrow.

And, says Fraknoi, be sure to give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the dark.

The mistake people make most often is that they dont allow their eyes to adapt, he said. They get out of the car, they look out and say the newspaper lied to me! And they give up. In a movie theater you cant see whats on the floor until your eyes adapt. Not waiting is a mistake.

Fog or clouds can block the view, so locations away from the coast are best.

Apart from inspiring people about nature and space for hundreds of generations, the Perseids also inspired a famous song. In 1971, singer John Denver and several friends took a camping trip to Williams Lake, near Aspen, Colorado, to watch the Perseids. Denver, then 27, was so moved he wrote Rocky Mountain High, which became a smash hit for lyrics like Ive seen it raining fire in the sky and shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye.

Imagine a moonless night in the Rockies in the dead of summer and you have it, he wrote later in his autobiography. I had insisted to everybody that it was going to be a glorious display.

Denver died in 1997 after a light plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay. Ten years later, state legislators named his Perseid-inspired ballad one of Colorados two official state songs.

The Earth is just one planet among many, and we are in a cosmic setting, said Fraknoi. That can help make our problems seem a little bit smaller. Kids find astronomy and dinosaurs to be the most exciting parts of science. Stars, planets, Mars, and space exploration are really exciting to them. We cant show them dinosaurs any more, except in museums. But we can still show them the sky.

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Space race? America’s new path to the ISS could affect relationship with Russia – Houston Chronicle

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A scorched Dragon capsule swooped from the heavens on Aug. 2 to restore Americas prominence in human spaceflight. Tucked safely inside were two NASA astronauts and one giant piece of baggage for the U.S.-Russia relationship:

Both countries now have a ride to the International Space Station.

This station has housed Americans and Russians, living and working side by side, for nearly two decades. But for the past nine years, Russia alone could fly people there. Its pride and budget were bolstered by the U.S. purchasing rides into space.

No longer. As the U.S. resumes launching astronauts from its own soil an ability it does not wish to lose again policy experts are watching to see if this affects the countries relationship.

On HoustonChronicle.com: NASA, SpaceX bring astronauts home in Gulf of Mexico splashdown

Through their civil space programs, Americans and Russians have sidestepped election meddling and economic sanctions to cooperate on a greater good. This relationship has helped bridge the two cultures, with astronauts learning Russian and cosmonauts visiting their counterparts homes in Houston.

Its one of the few areas that have been somewhat immune to the tensions that we see in other areas and domains, said Gregory Miller, an associate professor at the U.S. Air Forces Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. If you take that away or reduce that cooperation, its just one less restraint on further tensions.

To be clear, Miller does not think the U.S. launching astronauts will start a war. Victoria Samson, a space policy expert at the Secure World Foundation, similarly called it a ripple in our relations but not necessarily a catastrophic tidal wave.

NASA said its in active discussions to fly cosmonauts on U.S. spacecraft owned by SpaceX (and later Boeing) and to continue flying astronauts on Russian spacecraft. Its important to have people on both the U.S. and Russian segments of the International Space Station.

Building on our solid relationship with Roscosmos aboard the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit, Im hopeful there are opportunities for NASA and Roscosmos to expand our collaboration farther into the solar system, including the moon, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement.

But Samson and others said the introduction of commercial companies makes Russia uncomfortable. And with NASA no longer buying seats on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, its Roscosmos space agency loses an important source of funding for its space budget thats already a fraction of what NASA receives.

For now, Russia and the U.S. remain interdependent on the International Space Station. But this station will eventually get retired it's set to operate through 2024, though that will likely be extended leaving a big question as to what U.S.-Russian relations will look like once astronauts and cosmonauts no longer share a home some 250 miles above Earth.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon didnt just revive U.S. human spaceflight. It introduced a new partner: SpaceX founder Elon Musk, an outspoken billionaire who is eager to show that commercial entities can build, own and operate the vehicles that carry people into space.

On May 30, the day SpaceX launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, Musk couldnt help but take a jab at Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos.

The trampoline is working, he said.

It was the punchline six years in the making: Rogozin, upset about U.S. sanctions in 2014, suggested that Americans use a trampoline to reach the space station.

Musk called his comment an inside joke, and Rogozin initially said he loved it. He congratulated NASA on the launch.

But a few days later, he released a lengthy op-ed in which he criticized the space shuttle (its 2011 retirement began U.S. dependence on Russias Soyuz spacecraft) for its immense costliness and unforgiveable failure rate. He touted Russia in the piece that ran in Forbes for staying alone for the humanity to support the International Space Station operability and deliver the crews there.

And he did not appreciate the humor.

When our partners finally managed to carry out a successful test of their spacecraft, we didn't get anything but jokes and mockery, Rogozin said, although it would not be out of place to thank our Soyuz, its Soviet developers and Russian engineers who continued modernizing this most reliable spacecraft in the world. It would not be out of place to thank us that despite personal and sectoral sanctions we did not go to pieces and preserved cooperation in space.

Roscosmos did not respond to email requests for comment.

SpaceX, with its ability to replace the Soyuz, makes Russia uncomfortable because it threatens a pillar of Russias culture and identity, said Pavel Luzin, who lives in Perm, Russia, and has a doctorate in international relations. Luzin has studied space policy since 2008.

He said that for Russians, the space program is a yardstick they use to judge the countrys political and economic system if its doing well they view the government more favorably.

Thats why (the) Kremlin hates Elon Musk: he shows that the freedom of business activity, the market economy and the political freedoms are much more effective, Luzin said in an email. Therefore, Dmitry Rogozin in his papers and interviews tries to belittle Musks achievements and tries to show that private investments of SpaceX and other commercial space companies are nothing without huge spending of the American government.

Russia has long been opposed to a commercial space sector; a sentiment first voiced by the former Soviet Union when drafting the Outer Space Treaty that provided a framework for governing the exploration and use of space.

This treaty was signed in 1967 after the Soviet Union placed the first satellite and man into space in 1957 and 1961, respectively, and before the U.S. put the first man on the moon in 1969.

At that time, the Soviet Union did not want the private sector operating in space, but allowed for a compromise: Governments would be responsible for overseeing any non-government entities.

The relationship slowly moved from competitive to cooperative cosmonauts and astronauts shook hands in space in 1975 but had its ups and downs. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, former President George H. W. Bush was looking for new ways to collaborate.

Space was an obvious area, said John Logsdon, a retired professor and founder of George Washington Universitys Space Policy Institute. And in particular, the Russians needed money.

On HoustonChronicle.com: International Space Station: an orbiting home and lab for two decades

The U.S. didnt want Russia selling its technology or having its rocket workforce moving to Iran or North Korea, Logsdon said, so America began allowing commercial satellites to launch on Russian rockets.

And then Russia proposed merging its plans for a next-generation space station with Americas plans for Space Station Freedom. Around that time, Russia had more experience operating space stations than NASA.

The Russians involvement in the program was a major factor in order to be successful in the International Space Station, said George W.S. Abbey, senior fellow in space policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and a former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center.

Also important was the countrys tried-and-true Soyuz rocket and spacecraft.

Todays Soyuz-2 rocket (which shares the same name as the spacecraft it propels into space) can directly trace its lineage to the rocket that launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957, said Phil Smith, a space industry analyst at Bryce Space and Technology.

The R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile has been the basis for 25 variants of the Soyuz rocket that have launched more than 1,900 times.

Its a workhorse, Smith said. Its one of the most successful rockets ever built.

There is no equivalent track record in America, he said, as modern rockets dont trace their lineage directly back to the early days of space exploration.

Its the future priorities of Russias civil space program that are being questioned. Russia says its building a vehicle to replace the Soyuz spacecraft that has had some 170 successful flights, as well as additional modules for the International Space Station, but both projects are underfunded and behind schedule.

There have been lots of proclamations of Russian future plans, Logsdon said, but not much evidence that theyre following through on those proclamations.

Luzin said Russias focus on maintaining access to the International Space Station, which Roscosmos did without placing enough emphasis on a long-term strategy for space exploration, has weakened its position. As the U.S. develops a new spacecraft, rocket and orbiting facility for the moon, Russia will have little to offer in a partnership, Luzin said.

It was unable to use these years for developing its own manned spacecraft and launch vehicle for replacement of the old-fashioned Soyuz, he said. The main issue in U.S.-Russia relations in space now is how to continue the partnership after the ISS-era.

Its lesser budget doesnt help, either. Based off budget documents and his own analysis, Luzin said Russias space budget was roughly $3.2 billion last year. Of that, $1.4 billion was for the countrys civil space program, $1 billion was for its military space program, $437 million was for its global navigation satellite system and $358 million was for its rocket launch sites.

For comparison, NASAs budget was $21.5 billion in fiscal year 2019. Its more than $22.6 billion for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

In the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020, NASA paid nearly $86 million for each astronaut launched into space (Jessica Meir in September and Chris Cassidy in April). The agency will pay $90.3 million to launch Kate Rubins in October, a fee that also covers training and other services related to launch.

The American payments were highly important for Russias space industry and for Russias civil space program, Luzin said, and now the industry lost the source.

Samson said U.S.-Russia cooperation doesnt have to be in human spaceflight. The countries could partner on science missions, or they could share information for tracking satellites and space debris.

Ultimately, the money NASA saves by flying with commercial companies could be put toward its Artemis program seeking to return humans to the moon. Houston, the home of human spaceflight, would certainly benefit from this, said Bob Mitchell, president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

It potentially equates to additional people working, he said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: NASA shares its vision for creating sustained human presence on the moon

Miller suggested the U.S. use the money its saving to help subsidize another countrys space program.

He said providing funding for another country, for instance the United Arab Emirates, to fly on the Soyuz would help keep Russias space program funded, preventing its knowledge and technology from being sold to more adversarial countries, while developing U.S. ties with a new international space partner.

We dont want to sever ties in space or do anything that might reduce cooperation when there is this other competitor, for lack of a better term, he said.

That other competitor is China. In June, the U.S. Department of Defense said China and Russia present the most immediate and serious threats to U.S. space operations as they develop counterspace capabilities which may disrupt, degrade or destroy space systems and have military doctrines that view space as import to modern warfare.

Samson said she doesnt think Russia and China will get too cozy as partners in space. Like the U.S. and Russia, the two countries have their own complicated relationship. Rather, she said Chinas rise in space capabilities means there are more players that make the U.S. uneasy (in space and elsewhere) that America now has to monitor and manage relationships with in space.

The biggest thing thats changed since the cold war is that this is no longer a bilateral conversation, Samson said. Its multi-lateral.

andrea.leinfelder@chron.com

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Trumps tweets about the Suburban Lifestyle Dream and US housing law, explained – Vox.com

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Dedicated readers of President Trumps Twitter feed were treated this July to a new theme, former Vice President Joe Bidens supposed desire to abolish suburbs.

Trump has warned the suburban housewives of America that Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream. The tweets are dog whistles aimed at reviving a failing presidential campaign. But formally speaking, these are allusions to the administrations plan to withdraw the Obama-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule.

On July 29, Trump tweeted that, thanks to him, suburbanites will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood. He claimed this initiative to make housing less affordable will guarantee that crime will go down.

At an event in Midland, Texas, later that same day, Trump further elaborated that under his watch there will be no more low-income housing forced into the suburbs.

Its been going on for years, Trump said. Ive seen conflict for years. Its been hell for suburbia.

Narrowly, this is a fight about an Obama administration rule with few practical consequences. But its also about one of the most important issues in American politics, which is the systematic underproduction of housing due to excessive regulatory barriers. Trumps campaign to rally suburbanites against the cause of increasing housing stock is important because it could shape how an influential voting bloc thinks about these issues.

Somewhat ironically, the Trump administration itself had been on the other side of this fight until this summer. Most conservative economists think the Obama administrations instincts on land use regulation were broadly correct. But then, Trump decided to turn a bit of regulatory quibbling into a culture war hammer. And conversely, many Democrats eager to jump on the presidents tweets and accuse him of racist dog whistling have yet to confront the reality that policy in their home states is often uncomfortably Trump-like in reality.

An interesting lacuna to Americas mostly market-oriented economy is building houses. Most of the population lives in places where this activity is subject to a comprehensive regime of central planning, which states and which parcels of land can have houses built on them, what the minimum size of a parcel is, how many dwellings can be built on a given parcel (typically just one), how tall the building can be, how much yard space and parking there needs to be, etc.

Some of the regulation of house-building is about safety electricity needs to be up to code and sewage needs to be able to be disposed of in a responsible way. But most of it isnt. Theres nothing unsafe about a 12-unit, four-floor apartment building its just illegal to build one in most places. Building rows of houses that share exterior walls is a space-efficient and cost-effective means of creating single-family homes, but its illegal to build them in most places. Big, shiny condo towers only make sense in places where land is very expensive, but there are some parcels of very expensive land where its illegal to build them.

These rules profoundly shape the built environment in almost every American metropolitan area. But they are particularly significant for metro areas where land is in short supply due to a coastal location, proximity to mountains, or both.

The basic problem is that land use regulatory decisions are made at a localized community level, which as William Fischel observes in his book, Zoning Rules! The Economics of Land Use Regulation leads to a kind of systematic undervaluing of the value of building more houses. Any new construction causes localized nuisances (more noise, more traffic, less parking) but the benefits of more abundant housing are fairly diffuse. In their recent book Neighborhood Defenders: Participatory Politics and Americas Housing Crisis, Katherine Levine Einstein, David Glick, and Maxwell Palmer show this is exacerbated by the tendency of community meetings to empower a self-selected group that is whiter and richer than the population as a whole.

The fundamental dynamic exists essentially everywhere, but its especially severe in big coastal metro areas that are also very politically liberal. While traditionally, criticism of this dynamic has come largely from right-of-center economists (the kind of people who love to complain about regulation), as Conor Dougherty details in his recent book Golden Gates: Fighting for housing in America, a new generation of progressive activists in West Coast cities have been fighting for change.

A subset of the problems with American land use policy relates to race and segregation. Back in 1917 long before the main era of civil rights victories in federal courts the Supreme Court held in Buchanan v. Warley that cities and towns could not establish explicit racial segregation rules on their land use policies. As Christopher Silver explores in his article The Racial Origins of Zoning in American Cities, this simply created a situation in which cities hired prominent planning professionals to fashion legally defensible racial zoning plans.

In other words, zoning schemes were drawn up with the intention of de facto upholding patterns of racial segregation. As Jessica Trounstine explores in her book, Segregation by Design: Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities, neither the Civil Rights Act nor the subsequent Fair Housing Act really ever accomplished much to alter the pattern of de facto housing segregation in part because the systems that generated segregated living patterns were formally race-neutral dating all the way back to the 1920s.

The Obama administration tried, in a modest way, to improve the situation.

The Obama administration clearly took the view that regulatory barriers to creating new housing supply were an economic problem. His Council of Economic Advisers put out a report about this, and Chair Jason Furman gave a speech on the topic and repeatedly highlighted it as an issue. In September 2016, the council introduced a housing development toolkit a set of best practices for jurisdictions looking to reduce barriers. They also offered some technical assistance to local communities that wanted to rezone for more housing supply.

In 2015, the council promulgated a new regulation the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule that essentially required local governments to try harder to comply with Fair Housing Act objectives. That meant, in practice, requiring local governments to identify rules that could contribute to patterns of racial segregation and develop plans to undo them.

This was always controversial in conservative circles, but the controversy essentially took two forms.

One, exemplified in this 2018 article by the Cato Institutes Vanessa Brown Calder, was essentially technical. She wrote, If policymakers are interested in determining the cause of racial segregation in cities, they dont have to collect data and guess at it. A major cause of racial segregation is already known: zoning regulation. Zoning regulation segregates by race because race is frequently correlated with income. She believed we should reduce zoning barriers, not create a new checkbox compliance process.

The other, exemplified in this 2015 National Review article by Stanley Kurtz, took a culture war approach and darkly warned that the regulation amounts to back-door annexation, a way of turning Americas suburbs into tributaries of nearby cities.

As far as critiques go, Brown Calders is much closer to the mark. As historian Tom Sugrue argued on July 29, the reality was that AFFH, the Obama fair housing rule, was having a marginal impact at best and scrapping it would not change much in practice.

However, while the Trump administrations Housing and Urban Development Department has always been critical of AFFH, this summer Trump has gotten personally involved with the issue hes switched the administrations stance from Brown Calders technical critique to Kurtzs demagogic one.

Housing policy has not been much of a topic of public debate in the Trump years. But in its official statements, Trumps HUD under Ben Carson has essentially agreed with the Obama administrations diagnosis: Excessive regulatory barriers to housing construction are an economic problem for the country.

In the fall of 2018, Carson vowed to look at increasing the supply of affordable housing by reducing onerous zoning regulations.

A year later, Trumps Council of Economic Advisers diagnosed excessively strict zoning rules as a major contributor to rising homelessness, writing that President Trump signed an executive order that will seek to remove regulatory barriers in the housing market, which would reduce the price of homes and reduce homelessness.

Like Obamas actions on this front, Trumps actions did not amount to very much. The federal government is a marginal player in land use politics and will continue to be one unless Congress enacts new legislation empowering more serious changes.

Conceptually, Trump and Obamas economic teams were reading from the same playbook rules should be changed to allow denser development on expensive land, especially in the highest-priced metro areas. Joe Bidens housing plan, unlike Trumps or Obamas, could actually make this a reality by calling for Congress to create a program that would link HUD and Department of Transportation grant money to zoning changes. Doing so and forcing jurisdictions to allow denser housing types would not, in the real world, abolish the suburbs. Most people would keep living in single-family homes under pretty much any regulatory scheme. But conceivably, Americas expensive suburbs could come to be dotted with sporadic clusters of townhouses or mid-rise apartments, increasing affordability and reducing segregation.

Trump is now promising to save the suburban housewives of America from that fate.

Democrats denounce this as racism or worse with Sen. Chris Murphy (CT) calling Trump a proud, vocal segregationist.

But realistically, just as Obama wasnt abolishing the suburbs, Trump isnt creating segregation. Hes simply saying that he will let Americas local governments maintain the land use regimes they have regimes that have created incredibly segregated patterns of dwelling in places like Murphys home state of Connecticut. Nothing that Trump says or does is preventing Connecticuts Democratic state legislature and Democratic governor from tearing down those barriers. But they remain in place as do comparable barriers throughout the suburban Northeast because voters and elected officials have chosen to leave them there.

Given the marginal federal role in land use issues, the biggest question going forward may be less whether Trump demagoguery convinces suburbanites to vote for him than whether it convinces blue state suburbanites that the land use status quo Trump is defending genuinely reflects his values rather than theirs. On a conceptual level, after all, MAGA anti-immigration politics and progressive anti-development activists rallying cry of defending neighborhood character really do have a lot in common, and a lot of good could be accomplished if blue states decide that's a reason to embrace diversity and change practical land use policy in theory and rhetoric.

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Trumps tweets about the Suburban Lifestyle Dream and US housing law, explained - Vox.com

Op-Ed: The national anthem is more than a sports tradition – The Center Square

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Oh long may it wave, Oer the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

Francis Scott Key

On Sept. 13, 1814, a few weeks after the British attacked Washington, D.C. and burned the president's house and the capital, the British began the bombarding of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor. Throughout the night, American lawyer Francis Scott Key watched the British annihilate Boston with rockets and explosives. Key felt there was no way America could beat the British.

Key felt hopeless as darkness arrived and all through the night the sky was blood red. But as the smoke cleared to "dawn's early light," the American flag, not the Union Jack, flew high, announcing Americas victory! Tattered and torn, sailing in the wind, it sent a message to the British:

We fight with a purpose, and fight we must and this be our motto: In God is our trust.

Francis Scott Key

Baltimore was a key American shipping port and the British blasted the former colonies with their entire arsenal. Key, trapped aboard his vessel during the battle, had penned his thoughts during the night. But it was not until the next day in his hotel room that he scribed his notes into cadence with an English folk song. And this humble effort gave birth to our anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

Keys brother-in-law distributed his song under the name "Defense of Fort M'Henry," and soon the Baltimore Patriot printed it, naming it "The Star-Spangled Banner." Within weeks, every newspaper in the nation featured it. Little did Key know, his one act to patronize those brave Americans who fought in the Battle of Baltimore in his own words would forever pay the highest tribute to the flag of his great nation.

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Francis Scott Key

The Star-Spangled Banner was always the national anthem for most Americans and our military. When the U.S. entered World War I, it was played daily around the nation. But it was not until 1919, when radio engineer Frank Conrad broadcasted it, that President Woodrow Wilson designated it as Americas national anthem. In March of 1931, Congress passed the official act and Hoover signed it into law.

During the first game of the 1918 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the rival Chicago Cubs, the band began to play The Star-Spangled Banner. The fans rose from their seats and put their hands over their hearts and began to sing. The players followed, placing their caps over their hearts. They turned toward the centerfield flagpole and sang with them. Following a thunderous applause, the band played it again and they have never stopped playing it for the last 150 years.

Singing The Star-Spangled Banner that day showed Americas deep respect for our nation. Red Sox owner Harry Frazee was so proud he began each game playing Americas song. Soon, every team played it before every game. It became such a hit, after the war ended, the song was played at all baseball games. In 1942 during World War II, with so many brave players fighting for world freedom, the National Football League joined baseball by playing the anthem to show support for our troops.

No patriots ever thought our national anthem would be used to de-unify our nation. Yet today, our anthem is a protest platform with NFL players. When Nike hired NFL protester Colin Kaepernick for their Just Do It" campaign, many retailers pulled their shoes off the shelves. And that ignited the current trend criticizing the 150-year connection between our anthem and sports.

Men may argue ingeniously against our faith, but what can they say in defense of their own?

Francis Scott Key

On Aug. 14, 2016, when Kaepernick first chose to remain seated during the national anthem at an NFL game, the liberal media started a campaign to discredit those who did not support him. But the fans claimed his behavior was disrespectful to the nation and the military and continued to criticize him. While Kaepernick contends this was a protest against racial injustice, most fans still disagree.

After speaking with former U.S. Army Green Beret Nate Boyer, Kaepernick amended his protest, opting to instead take a knee to emphasize he was not disrespecting the military, yet many in the military disagreed. Like cancer, this spread to other sports and has fueled disrespect for our flag and America by violent protesters around the nation who see this as way to get what they want.

Since Kaepernick and others are role models for our youth, the result of their on-field antics create a false perception among thousands of gullible Americans; it is cool to emulate these high profile athletes and disrespect the national anthem also. And this misbehavior leads to violent unpatriotic assaults against innocent citizens and horrific illegal acts against government and our leaders.

The new left claims these players have a right to do this under the First Amendment. They say it is political, not unpatriotic. Yet protesters are using our anthem to defame America for anything they dislike. Most Americans consider this disrespecting the flag, police and military. They claim they have no right to do this when they pay their salaries and franchise owners make the rules for work.

I do not believe there are any new objections to be discovered to the truth.

Francis Scott Key

Under pressure from fans who threatened to boycott sporting events, on May 23, 2018, the league clarified their policy requiring all players to stand during the anthem, or remain in the locker rooms during its performance. Owners sided with their fans and their 150 year history of singing The Star Spangled Banner at all events, which has been a tradition since first played during World War I in 1918.

Although the NFL agreement was reached unanimously by the league owners, the players union cried the blues. Commissioner Roger Goodell replied, We want players to respect the national anthem. Weve been sensitive giving them choices, but we expect them to stand and show respect for us.

No business finances any employee to participate in political protests while they should be working. And no employers would tolerate any who tried to do this. And those who imprudently did would be fired in a New York City minute!

Employers dont pay people to express their emotions.

Simon Sinek

The moment these prima donnas enter the playing field they are on company time. Since the fans are the stock holders and pay the bills, and team owners write the work rules to maintain the fan base, these players are obligated to do what the owners want while on the field. They have no right to carry on personal protests while on the job. Any other person who acted like this would be given a pink slip. Thats why no other American pro football team will give Colin Kaepernick a job today.

Francis Scott Key wanted to honor the men who fought for his country. His only motive was to pay tribute to our nation and our troops. Keys patriotic rendering still stands today as the benchmark of respect for our nation and its troops. It has nothing to do with politics. Its not just a tradition; it is an obligation we must respect our anthem.

Then in that hour of deliverance, my heart spoke. Does not such a country, and such defenders of their country, deserve a song?

Frances Scott Key

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Op-Ed: The national anthem is more than a sports tradition - The Center Square

The erosion of Ontarios Endangered Species Act threatens iconic Algonquin wolf – The Conversation CA

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Harming dogs is a criminal act in Ontario, but shooting wolves is a sport. And while animal welfare legislation was recently strengthened, protection for Algonquin wolves could soon be set back if the government invokes changes made last year to the Endangered Species Act.

When Ontario shut down in March, resources rightly focused on public health. By then, however, the government was already far behind on its obligation to protect and recover the Algonquin wolf. Listed as threatened on June 15, 2016, the law at the timerequired immediate protection and mandated a formal Algonquin wolf recovery plan within two years.

The previous Liberal government protected hotspots, but exempted areas in between. Then in January 2018, they posted a draft recovery strategy for public comment, followed by a request for more time to review feedback. While we waited, Ontario elected a new Conservative premier.

A year later, the new government passed Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choice Act into law, revising the Endangered Species Act with amendments that impede wildlife conservation.

Read more: Doug Ford is clear-cutting Ontario's environmental laws

The changes privilege development over habitat protection, extend the timeline for a government response to listing recommendations to up to five years, undermine the expertise of scientists and allow the environment minister to bypass legal protection for species and their habitat when its convenient.

For Algonquin wolves, the ongoing government delay allows hunting and trapping to continue and raises concerns that the government could ignore science-based recommendations in favour of organizations that lobby against wolf hunting bans. There is precedent.

In August 2019, the government proposed easing restrictions on grey wolf and coyote hunting in Northern Ontario to protect moose. The move was based on recommendations from a government-appointed Big Game Management Advisory Committee made up of hunters, trappers and commercial outfitters.

The proposal ignores the work of research scientists who say this will do little to improve moose numbers, and disregards issues of habitat, disease and climate change. Notably, the previous government rejected the same proposal due to lack of scientific evidence.

Algonquin wolves face an uncertain future primarily because they can be legally shot and trapped in many parts of Ontario. In most unprotected corridors, certified hunters can shoot two wolves between September 15 and March 31 with a small game license and a wolf tag. In others, it is open season all year. No tags required.

This harsh truth often comes as a shock to many. Especially since fewer than 1,000 mature Algonquin wolves remain and half are in Ontario. Most are within central Ontarios provincial parks, including Algonquin and Killarney. Beyond that, protected areas are patchy and separated by swaths of land where wolves often meet their demise at the hands of humans.

As a case in point, when captive wolves escaped from the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre into an unprotected corridor on New Years Day in 2013, the outcome was quick and predictable. Within 24 hours someone shot two of the four and left them to die. The fate of the others remains unknown, but their chances were slim. A wealth of research shows that beyond protected areas more wolves die from hunting and trapping than from all other causes combined.

Thats why the draft Algonquin wolf recovery strategy recommends connecting protected areas across central Ontario to create an Algonquin Wolf Recovery Zone. But the process remains, inexplicably, in limbo.

Algonquin wolves are unique to Canada because they have a distinctive genetic signature. Why is that important? Think of it like saving money for a rainy day, except the wolves currency is genetic variation and the rainy day is climate change. Species depend on genetic variation to protect them against unexpected upheavals in their environment. Fewer animals means less variation and higher risk of extinction.

The Algonquin wolf has at its core a unique North American wolf genome (the eastern Canadian wolf), with some genetic signal from coyotes and, to a lesser extent, grey wolves.

Their evolutionary history places them alongside coyotes, solely within North America. Grey wolves, on the other hand, migrated to North America from Eurasia thousands of years ago.

In 2018, a team of international researchers analyzed the largest dataset to date on Algonquin wolves. The conclusion? Algonquin wolves unique genomic composition and their fragmented protection in central Ontario make them a conservation priority.

A significant challenge, however, is a common misunderstanding of how science defines species. Some people protest that Algonquin wolves are just hybrids a made-up species that doesnt warrant conservation. By that logic, humans must also be a fiction because we have bits of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in our genome.

Advances in genome sequencing have revolutionized our understanding of how species interact and evolve. Interbreeding between closely related species creates mixed genomes in a wide array of plants and animals. Hybrid origins is the new normal.

We need wolves. They help maintain the natural order of ecosystems. Their presence improves the health of deer populations by weeding out the old and sick, and prevents the widespread destruction of plant life that sustains the biodiversity we rely on for goods (such as medicine) and services (such as tourism).

At the same time, wolves like dogs nurture our spirit and improve our well-being simply by being there. They represent and protect what environmentalists, First Nations, conservation scientists and hunters alike may value most: untamed and untouched wilderness.

Yet Ontarios hunting and trapping organizations continue to lobby for relaxed wolf harvest regulations and seek to discredit recommendations of the recovery strategy.

Read more: Killing sharks, wolves and other top predators won't solve conflicts

But researchers first flagged Algonquin wolves as distinct just 20 years ago, at which point hunting, wolf culls and bounties had already taken their toll. Beyond reducing numbers, intensive hunting exacerbates hybridisation with coyotes and the current population size equates to dangerously low levels of genetic potential.

Many people including many hunters question wolf hunting on ethical grounds. Wolves are not food, so researchers Chris Darimont and Paul Paquet from the University of Victoria argue that wolf hunting regulations in this country are embarrassingly out of step with societal values. They suggest that attempts to legitimize trophy and sport hunting use a smokescreen of scientific wildlife management. Public opinion polls in British Columbia support that claim.

After a 2007 update, Ontarios Endangered Species Act was one of the strongest pieces of legislation in North America. It has since been diluted for convenience and short-sighted economic gains, first by the Liberal government in 2013 and again in 2019 by the current Conservative government.

Premier Doug Fords response to the COVID-19 pandemic was impressive in large part because it relied on independent research and was resolutely non-partisan. Its this type of foresight and resolve that will be needed to save Algonquin wolves. In the end, all voices need to be heard, but science should prevail.

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The erosion of Ontarios Endangered Species Act threatens iconic Algonquin wolf - The Conversation CA

St. Olaf graduate is sowing the seeds of hydroponic farming – St. Olaf College News

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Micah Helle 18 works with herbs at the Square Roots farm campus in Brooklyn, New York.

Micah Helle 18 is helping to redefine what the future of urban agriculture looks like using controlled environment technology.

As a member of the yearlong Next-Gen Farmer Training Program at Square Roots, a mushroom farmer at Smallhold, and now a hydroponic farmer with Pillsbury United Communities, Helle is cultivating and increasing access to local, sustainably grown food. Their motivation to change ideas about farming and what a modern farmer looks like inspired them to work in urban agriculture.

I was worried about the future of local food and small-scale agriculture work. Thats what turned me to urban agriculture and working with Square Roots, Helle says. I was determined to find another way of getting good food to people everywhere, and year round.

Square Roots Next-Gen Farmer Training Program provided the perfect jumping-off point. Square Roots is a tech-enabled urban farming company that grows local, pesticide-free and non-GMO greens by developing human-centered farming technologies and empowering young farmers. As a Next-Gen Farmer, Helle participated in a one-year urban farming apprenticeship at the Square Roots Brooklyn farm campus in New York.

Seven other farmers and I were in charge of learning the ins and outs of hydroponic farming within our modular farms through hands-on training and a classroom-based curriculum, Helle says. We also introduced customers to our products and started meaningful dialogue around local food and the need for innovation within the industry.

Although Helle was not always sure what they wanted to do after college, they credit their experiences at St. Olaf with preparing them for a career in agriculture. It all started with their first visit to campus.

I stepped on campus and felt that everyone I met took an interest in me as a person and not just as a prospective student, Helle says. It was the personal notes and phone calls from students during the application process that made me feel welcome. I also chose St. Olaf because I felt that the liberal arts education would allow me to explore areas outside my biology major.

The support at St. Olaf helped Helle land summer internships that would nourish their love for food and agriculture. For two summers, Helle interned at the Liberty Prairie Foundation, a nonprofit in Illinois that supports ecological, local food enterprises. They served as communications intern the first summer and community food systems intern the next. As the community food systems intern, they led a food rescue program where they recruited teams of volunteers and taught them how to harvest, wash, and pack fresh produce in the field to be later delivered to local food pantries.

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Classes on campus also helped Helle make connections between their studies and their career interests. In particular, a bioinformatics course that Helle took their senior year sparked their interest in the crossover between science and agriculture.

The class was a blend of computer science and a continuation of intermediate genetics, Helle says. It was also the hardest course Ive ever taken, but it was so rewarding.

And Helle was right about St. Olafs liberal arts approach: While they majored in biology and took many environmental studies courses, they were also able to take advantage of off-campus opportunities to study Spanish in Ecuador, classics in Rome, and sociology and anthropology in Thailand. Outside the classroom, they co-captained the womens varsity soccer team, played Ultimate Frisbee with St. Olaf Vortex, and served on the St. Olaf Athletic Advisory Board.

Helle completed the Next-Gen Farmer Training Program in 2019 and then worked as a mushroom farmer at Smallhold, an organic mushroom farm that grows their produce inside controlled environment minifarms in grocery stores and restaurants around New York City, through early 2020. Their job at Smallhold not only built off of their previous work with Square Roots, but also involved more technical aspects as well.

At Smallhold, I also troubleshooted HVAC, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and micro-controllers in the units with our small farm team, Helle explains. Like Square Roots, Smallhold is mission-aligned and wants to provide real, local food to people in urban areas.

Helles work at Smallhold helped them diversify their knowledge of crops and gain more experience in agricultural technology. I enjoyed the challenge of understanding different farm systems, because no two farms look the same, Helle says.

Having recently returned to Minnesota after several years in New York City, Helle is now working with Pillsbury United Communities, a community-building organization working to co-create societal change and justice, as their hydroponic farmer. As part of Pillsbury Uniteds urban agriculture and food security enterprise, Helle works at their shipping container hydroponic farm in North Minneapolis, which provides food that is distributed to grocery stores around the metro area.

Its a very holistic job and Im wearing a lot of hats, which is great, Helle says. Whereas Helle used to work on larger teams in New York, they now hold a more independent role at Pillsbury United as they work on maintenance, irrigation, commercial production, crop planning, and seed-to-shelf logistics. Its more responsibility than Ive had before. But it also comes at a time where I feel good about leading and teaching. Im happy to get back to my roots in the nonprofit space by focusing less on revenue and more on impact.

Working in Minnesota with Pillsbury United has brought things full circle for Helle. While hydroponics technology is growing in popularity on the East Coast, it still lacks support in the Midwest, and Helle wants to fill that gap. For me, to come back and be able to share this technology with the Midwest region that really needs year-round growing capabilities is huge, Helle says. But I would also personally love the opportunity to train people of color in these systems, because agtech can push to be more racially diverse. We have an opportunity to redefine what the future of this food system looks like, and we have a responsibility to make sure that is as inclusive as possible.

As Helle continues to pursue urban agriculture, they want to help take controlled-environment agriculture to new heights. I would love to become more involved in research and development in this space to help direct the commercialization of new products in the industry, says Helle. I am interested in pushing the limits on what types of food we can grow indoors with farmer-assisted technology. My goal is to preserve the farmers story and livelihood and to inspire the next generation of farmers to think outside the box.

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St. Olaf graduate is sowing the seeds of hydroponic farming - St. Olaf College News

Up the creek with 19,000 paddles as UK takes to the water – The Guardian

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To celebrate his 40th birthday last week, Adam Partington and his partner, Gemma Cann, took to the River Cam on new paddleboards with a goodies hamper strapped to the front.

After gliding past Cambridges ancient colleges, the couple stopped at Grantchester Meadows at the edge of the city for a picnic and celebratory glass of bubbly before paddling back to their starting point.

Its so liberating and refreshing, said Partington who has been working from home near Bingham, Nottinghamshire, since March of his new pursuit. It has its own pace. Weve had fewer options since lockdown, so Im not surprised so many people have taken it up.

The couple are among thousands who have taken to Britains inland waterways in the past few months. British Canoeing has seen a 40% rise in members since last year, with 19,000 people signing up in the past three months.

The Canal & River Trust, the Outdoor Swimming Society and the Angling Trust are all reporting a surge in interest.

Red Paddle Co, a paddleboard retailer, said it had seen an unprecedented 300% rise in sales and enquiries, making 2020 its busiest year and leaving stores short of stock.

The recent boom has been driven by the accessibility of the sport, gyms being closed for so long, the desire to do something socially with friends and the sun shining, said co-founder John Hibbard.

Jenny Spencer of British Canoeing said: Literally, from the day lockdown was eased a little bit and we were allowed outdoors, paddle sports just took off. People had spent a long time being cooped up indoors, and some were getting fed up with running and cycling.

A big proportion of new paddlers are families, and almost four in 10 are female. Growth has been mainly among those aged between 30 to 60, said Spencer.

Thousands of miles of waterways in the UK mean most of the population is within reach of a river or a canal. Its peaceful and calming. People like having a new perspective on their surroundings, she said.

And it helps that social distancing is built into paddle sports.

Its been a lot of fun exploring the waterways. Its exercise, relaxation and fresh air all rolled into one

Jonathan Sullivan, 40, had been toying with the idea for years but had never got round to venturing out on the Trent and numerous canals around his home in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.

Then lockdown happened. Sullivan and his wife, Michala, juggled working at home with caring for and home-schooling their two children, six-year-old William and Niamh, almost five.

We ran out of ways to entertain them. There wasnt much to do, or many places to visit, Sullivan said.

They invested in a three-person inflatable kayak and a paddleboard. Its been a lot of fun exploring the waterways. The family has gone wild swimming and taken picnics on paddling trips. Its a great way to spend time together.

Sullivan has also used paddling as a way to de-stress after long days at his computer. I go on my own in the evening. Its exercise, relaxation and fresh air all rolled into one.

A licence is required to paddle on waterways maintained by the Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust, and the Norfolk Broads. In Scotland, there is a right to roam over land and water.

Some 95% of rivers in England are in private hands with limited access. Less than 2,000km out of 57,600 have a statutory public right of navigation and are open for people to go wild swimming or canoeing.

Two members of the House of Lords Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, the former Paralympian athlete, and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Addington have proposed amendments to the agriculture bill, currently going through parliament, to allow the public better rights of access to rivers.

Grey-Thompson said water activities helped peoples mental health and gave them a greater connection with nature. There is something very calming about being near water the sound of it, on a summers day, there is nothing that is more perfect, she said in a recent podcast.

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Up the creek with 19,000 paddles as UK takes to the water - The Guardian

Trump Doesnt Understand Todays SuburbsAnd Neither Do You – POLITICO

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Its not simply that suburban America is increasingly diverse, nor that a majority of Black Americans live in the suburbs, nor even that a majority of new immigrants settle in suburbs, not cities. Instead, its that Americas suburbs are ground zero for a major schism among white suburbanites one remaking the electoral map before our eyes, and revealing why that old suburban playbook just doesnt work anymore.

Were seeing a suburban political divide quite different from the one that played out after World War II, when well-to-do, middle-class and even some working-class whites living in suburbia found common ground by looking through their rearview mirrors with horror at the cities they were fleeing, says Sugrue.

In past decades, that commonality made appeals to suburbanites fears about those cities and the people of color they were fleeing a potent political weapon. Now, white stratification within the suburbs is changing that.

The whitest suburban places are often at the suburban-exurban fringes places where middle-class whites who are attempting to flee the growing racial diversity of cities and nearby suburbs are moving, says Sugrue. By contrast, many of the older suburbs, particularly those with late 19th-, early 20th-century charming housing and excellent schools, have been attracting well-to-do and highly educated whites.

Were seeing the results of that play out in elections. Trump supporters are more likely to be clustered in the outlying, more heavily white suburbs, and Democrats are making real inroads into the communities with more heterogeneity and better-off whites, says Sugrue. Thats a really big change.

But theres a whole lot more to the story. Just because certain suburbs are trending blue doesnt exactly mean theyre woke to the racial politics that have long plagued suburbia. White liberal suburbanites have played a critical role in the process of housing segregation and the resistance to low-income housing, says Sugrue. We cant just think about it as torch-bearing angry white supremacists. If they were the only obstacles to equality in suburban housing, we would have come a lot farther than we have.

To sort through all of this what we mean when we talk about the suburbs, how theyre changing and the implications that has for American life POLITICO spoke to Sugrue on Tuesday. A transcript of the conversation is below, edited for length and clarity.

Stanton: Recently, President Trump has been particularly vocal in his appeals to white suburbanites, tweeting that he is happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood. Theres a lot to unpack there. As someone who has spent decades researching issues of housing, race, cities and suburbs, whats your reaction when you hear something like that?

Sugrue: Well, there are a lot of different ways to react to the presidents tweet. Hes appealing to the hard-core racial sentiments of his base in particular, fears of African-Americans, Latinos and low-income residents moving into homogeneous, mostly white suburban communities. But hes evoking a suburbia from, in many respects, the past. This is not the land of Leave it to Beaver anymore. Suburbs are more diverse and heterogeneous. Today, a majority of African Americans live outside of central cities and in suburban places. Suburbs have become gateway communities for new Americans: A majority of new immigrants to the United States live in suburban places.

This is not the land of Leave It to Beaver anymore.

Thomas Sugrue

That said, while in the aggregate, suburbs are more diverse, the distribution of nonwhites isnt random. Metropolitan America is not a place of free housing choice. Its still very much shaped by deep patterns of racial inequality and a maldistribution of resources. A lot of the nonwhite newcomers to suburbia live in what I call secondhand suburbs places that have become increasingly unfashionable for whites, often older suburbs closer to central cities, with declining business districts and decaying housing stock.

And just as the distribution of minority groups across suburbia is not random, the distribution of whites across suburbia has really significant political implications. Were seeing a suburban political divide quite different from the one that played out after World War II, when well-to-do, middle-class and even some working-class whites living in suburbia found common ground by looking through their rearview mirrors with horror at the cities they were fleeing. By the early 2000s, you have growing divisions among white suburbanites. The whitest suburban places are often at the suburban-exurban fringes places where middle-class whites who are attempting to flee the growing racial diversity of cities and nearby suburbs are moving. By contrast, many of the older suburbs, particularly those with late 19th-, early 20th-century charming housing and excellent schools, have been attracting well-to-do and highly educated whites.

And I think were seeing that play out in elections both the 2018 midterms and in 2020, where Trump supporters are more likely to be clustered in the outlying, more heavily white suburbs, and Democrats are making real inroads into the communities with more heterogeneity and better-off whites. Thats a really big change.

Just as the distribution of minority groups across suburbia is not random, the distribution of whites across suburbia has really significant political implications.

Thomas Sugrue

The suburban lifestyle dream is really different depending on who you are. Theres not one single suburban lifestyle dream. For immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador, its getting access to the plentiful service-sector jobs available in suburban places. For educated, well-to-do whites, its having a charming house in an older, walkable neighborhood with first-rate public schools. For middle-class whites alienated by the growing diversity of society, its having a place closer to open fields and farms, with brand-new housing stock and racially homogenous public schools. We have to talk about the diversity of suburban lifestyle dreams, and see that theres not just one. And thats where I think Trump has really misread the reality of todays suburbs.

Stanton: It seems like theres some question as to what we even mean when we say suburbia. Why do we have such a fixed idea of the suburbs the Leave It to Beaver image even as theyve changed drastically?

Sugrue: Well, suburbs occupy a distinct place in American popular culture. The way they were represented in films, novels, memoirs and by a whole generation of social scientists was as a place where well-to-do whites lived separate from each other in houses surrounded by green lawns. And that reflects a reality based in the extraordinary period of growth following the Second World War, when the suburbs expanded exponentially and largely followed a model of single-family detached housing and accessibility by car.

But suburbs didnt freeze in time circa 1950 or 1960; they continued to evolve and transform. And those transformations were largely overlooked by political commentators, journalists, social scientists, novelists and pop culture. You saw, for example, beginning in the 1960s and expanding in the 70s and 80s, the emergence of clusters of multifamily housing apartments, townhouses and condominiums in suburban places. And as the housing market opened, a lot of new immigrants chose suburban places as points of settlement because suburbs offered access to jobs. In the post-WWII period up to the present day, most American job growth has been in suburban places office parks, industrial parks, shopping malls, stores, restaurants, the construction industry, all sorts of service jobs. And those changes are crucial to understanding the remapping of metropolitan America. They capture a more complex reality than the post-WWII image of the suburbs.

Stanton: At recent telerallies, President Trump has said that under his administration, youre not going to have low-income housing built right next to you, which drives down your housing value, and a lot of crime comes in. What is the history hes drawing on?

Sugrue: Charles Tilly, one of the great sociologists of our time, coined a term: opportunity hoarding. His notion was that certain groups can accumulate all sorts of advantages that reinforce their political power or socioeconomic advantages. The post-WWII American suburb was a place where whites could opportunity hoard particularly by getting access to a well-funded, first-rate public education and during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, civil rights activists made the case that the way to move toward racial equality was by opening up housing opportunities in places that were exclusive. During the late 60s, the Department of Housing and Urban Development a Cabinet-level agency created by President Lyndon Johnson made it its task to build affordable housing in suburban places. Interestingly, it was Republican President Richard Nixon and his HUD Secretary, George Romney, who pushed aggressively to open suburban places to affordable housing. But that was extraordinarily controversial politically, and over the course of his first term, Nixon increasingly marginalized both HUD and Romney because of the high political costs of attempting to open up suburban places. We live in a world that hasnt changed [that policy] too much since Nixon began to withdraw HUD from the construction of affordable housing in suburbs. The federal government has put less and less energy over the last 4050 years in diversifying housing stock and opening up predominately suburban places, particularly white and well-off places, to low-income housing. Theres very little political will for it.

The federal role is largely invisible. But the federal government underwrote suburbia.

Thomas Sugrue

And this gets to another critical dimension of suburban history: The federal government played a major role in creating suburbia. It provided subsidies to homeowners through programs like the Veterans Administration, the Federal Housing Administration and its predecessor, the Homeowners Loan Corporation, which made possible the dramatic expansion of single-family housing. When you drive through new suburban housing developments, you dont see a sign that says, you know, Whispering Forest: Brought to you by the federal government. The federal role is largely invisible. But the federal government underwrote suburbia by providing significant funding for highway construction. It played a critical role in changing suburban economics by providing tax breaks particularly in the form of tax appreciation for new commercial developments in suburban places. It encouraged the decentralization of industry, particularly the defense industry, which was a boon for suburbia in places like Orange County, California; Suffolk County, Long Island; and suburban Phoenix.

The federal government played a critical role in the rise and growth and prosperity of suburbia. But it has not played a significant role in making the advantages of suburbia available to lower-income Americans. And thats critical: When Trump talks about the federal government inflicting low-income housing on communities that dont want it not messing with the suburban lifestyle dream hes invoking the aspirations of federal policy that were seldom actually put into practice.

The federal government played a critical role in the rise and growth and prosperity of suburbia. But it has not played a significant role in making the advantages of suburbia available to lower-income Americans.

Thomas Sugrue

Stanton: Whats the political effect of the governments role in the suburbs effectively being invisible?

Sugrue: For a long time, it meant that many white suburbanites who benefited hugely from these invisible programs attributed suburban homeownership simply to their own discipline and hard work. It meant that persistent, deeply entrenched housing segregation and discrimination were explained away as individuals expressing their own preferences, or freedom of choice to live where they want to live. It made it very hard for white Americans to interpret racial segregation or disinvestment from predominantly minority and largely urban neighborhoods as something that was the result of public policy that it was not the result of individual recklessness or irresponsibility, which is the way that it often got framed. Instead, homeownership equals good citizenship and responsibility. And then, when you see signs of disinvestment and decline and decay, it seems that those must be the result of irresponsibility and recklessness. And that rhetoric remains really deeply entrenched in American politics.

Stanton: Regarding rhetoric, my understanding is that during the Nixon era, there was a realization that politically and legally, you couldnt really defend racial segregation of housing. But you could defend economic segregation of neighborhoods. So when we talk about low-income housing, is that just a shorthand for talking about racial desegregation?

Sugrue: Its something of both. In modern American history, race and class have been fundamentally intertwined. Its impossible to understand economic inequality and how it plays out without understanding its racial dimensions. Race became, for many Americans, an easy marker for class, and class often became a way to obscure the racial dynamics at play in shaping housing markets. And along with that goes a rhetoric of colorblindness shared by many white Americans, regardless of their political orientation: I dont see people by the color of their skin, or I would have anybody be my neighbor red, white, black, yellow or purple. I cant tell you how many times I've heard that as a way of professing supposed indifference to race.

We cant just think about it as torch-bearing angry white supremacists. If they were the only obstacles to equality in suburban housing, we would have come a lot farther than we have.

Thomas Sugrue

Also, one thing thats important to consider are the ways in which white liberal suburbanites have played a critical role in the process of housing segregation and the resistance to low-income housing. In other words, we cant just think about it as torch-bearing angry white supremacists. If they were the only obstacles to equality in suburban housing, we would have come a lot farther than we have.

Stanton: Explain that. What have white liberals done?

Sugrue: So, one of area of really important bipartisan convergence is the politics of homeownership the notion that property values need to be protected and, in particular, the politics of NIMBY, or not in my backyard. And there are liberals who profess to be progressive on matters of race who profess and support the idea of a racially diverse society, who say that they would like their children to go to racially mixed schools but when it comes to the questions of changing the landscape of their neighborhoods or changing the color of their neighbors or their kids school classmates, these folks start to sound a lot like conservatives, even if theyre ostensibly liberals.

One of the consequences of that are the fierce battles over even modest or token efforts to bring diversity to predominantly white suburban school districts, and really significant opposition to the construction of multifamily housing. And its not even couched in the rhetoric of class. Its not, I dont want multifamily housing in my neighborhood because I dont want lower-class people living here. Instead, its, This is going to change the character of the neighborhood, or Its going to jeopardize my property values, or Its going to bring congestion.

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Trump Doesnt Understand Todays SuburbsAnd Neither Do You - POLITICO

Zac Efron: His 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Roles According To IMDb – Screen Rant

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From High School Musical to Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, these are Zac Efron's best and worst roles, according to IMDb.

Zac Efrons career started in the early 2000s with a series of relatively unknown films before he shot to fame at the center of the High School Music franchise. At the same time, he took on a few well-loved roles before attempting to leave his career as a teen icon behind and move towards more serious acting.

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Now, he is one of the most famouspeople in the world, more well-known for his excellent talent than his time at the center of a childrens franchise.

Ifthere is oneZac Efron film which is about as far from High School Musical as is physically possible, thenit'sExtremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, one of Efron's most recent prominent roles.Efron ditches the schoolboy look in favor of a realistic portrayal of one of the most famous serial killers of all time. Of course, his natural good looks and charm help him form the misleadingly delightful side of Bundy, but the murderous side is a new direction for Efron.

Scoob! makes a lot of controversial decisions that harm the legacy ofScooby-Doo. Not only did the film replace Frank Welker as Fred (he has voiced Fred consistently for more than fifty years) with Efron himself, but it left behind the charm the animated series once had.

RELATED: Zac Efrons 10 Best Movies (According To IMDb)

There was a lot of hype surrounding this release, and then a whole lot of disappointment from fans whowere looking for a revival of big-budget Mystery Inc. adventures.

Period dramas are often a hit or miss genre, with their success determined by characterization.Me And Orson Wellesmanages to land a place in Zac Efrons top five, thanks to well throughout writing. He takes on the lead role of Richard Samuels, a teenager performing in the Orson Welles stage adaptation of Julius Caesar. Both Efron and Christian McKay were well-received.

Relatively fresh from High School Musical, Zac Efron landed a leading role in At Any Price back in 2012. While Roger Ebert enjoyed the film, critics and audiences were much more mixed in their reviews, citing melodramatic acting from across the cast and cliched moments as the films weakest points. Of which there were many.

While Efron doesnt take a major role in this film, he was put into a position that allows him to add a much more eccentric side to his personality than usual. He played Nat, a college student and friend of John Magaros Dean. The comedy-drama wasnt a big player at the box office but made a splash at film festivals.

Before High School Musical, Efron had already established himself an acting career, appearing in a variety of small pictures. One of those is 2005s The Derby Stallion, a film about Efrons character caring for a horse and eventually entering a race. The film hasn't been well-remembered by critics or audiences alike,who cite an uninteresting story and an abundance of cliches as reasons behind their negativity.

Just like Liberal Arts, Efron doesnt have a major role in The Disaster Artist. In fact, he appears in just one scene and his role is particularly interesting.

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His character, Dan Janjigian, portrayed Chris R in The Room, so the majority of the time Efron is on screen, he is playing someone who is playing someone else. Quitethe acting inception. He mirrors Janjigians performance just as well as everyone else in The Disaster Artist does, making this a subtle and well-used cameo.

If there was one thing no-one ever needed to be remade, it was Baywatch. Seth Gordon allowed Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron to team up and star in the fateful comedy which managed to perform well at the box office despite universally negative reviews. One particular accolade the film did land Efron was a Worst Actor nomination at the Golden Raspberry Awards in 2017; the filmas a whole was nominated for Worst Picture.

As a film, The Greatest Showman achieved an incredible amount of attention and made bucket loads of money. This was mostly down to some truly excellent songs and a few particularly strong performances (including Efron) but it was criticized for overuse of artistic license. On the whole, however,critics and audiences must have found a lot to love.It was nominated for the Musical/Comedy variant of the Best Motion Picture Golden Globe.

Whilecritics could argue that the previous twoHigh School Musicalare hard to call good examples of cinema,audiences and reviewers alike seem to view the conclusion to thetrilogy as mediocre and disappointing. It was brought into action after the previous installments became successful, but failed tomake the same impact on young fans, whose excitement trailed off. This film ends up with a 4.8 IMDb average and is Efron's worst-rated film role so far.

NEXT: 10 Best Zac Efron Movies (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

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Zac Efron: His 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Roles According To IMDb - Screen Rant