Select Page ::

NRB Resolves that Religious Liberty & Freedom of Speech Must Prevail – MissionsBox

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

NASHVILLE, TN On the last Friday of February, the Resolutions Committee of the National Association of Religious Broadcasters (NRB) published six significant resolutions in conjunction with its annual convention in Nashville.The sixth and final resolution applies to the preservation of certain inalienable rights recognized by the United States Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.The Resolution Urging the Supreme Court to Uphold Religious Liberty as a Primary and not Secondary Right was drafted in response to the case of Obergefell v. Hodges in which the SCOTUS ruled in favor of the legality of same-sex marriages. That decision, carried by a vote of 5-4, requires that states must license same-sex marriages and recognize such licenses issued by other states.

The Supreme Court Ruling

The Family Research Council rightly concluded that the court had no jurisdiction that would permit it to take on the role of a social policymaker. Rather than ruling on a constitution issue, the court became an arbiter of flawed human reasoning.

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in his dissenting opinion that:

With each decision that is unabashedly based not on law, but on the reasoned judgment of a bare majority of this Court we move one step closer to being reminded of our impotence.

Justice Clarence Thomas also dissented, saying,

The [courts] decision (has) potentially ruinous consequences for religious liberty.

Samuel Alito struck a similar chord warning that:

Those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.

The NRB Resolution

Recognizing the onset of potentially ruinous consequences foreseen by Justice Thomas, the NRB resolution noted, in part, that:

Lawsuits are arising across the nation where state or local laws that provide protection for sexual orientation and gender identity are colliding with the Free Exercise of Religion and Free Speech rights of Christian ministries, and Christian business people who find that aspects of such laws are a substantial burden on their rights of conscience and freedom of religion as well as freedom of speech.

Therefore, the NRB urged the United States Supreme Court to:

Resolve this tension that exists between recently created laws intended to protect the categories of sexual orientation and gender identity on the one hand and the historic and fundamental rights of free exercise of religions and freedom of speech on the other hand, by determining that religious freedom and freedom of speech are primary and not subservient liberties, and in the event of a conflict between those laws and such fundamental rights, that religious liberty and freedom of speech must prevail.

Being a Christian and being an American are two distinctly different things. To live in America as a Christian is a blessing which, if not fully recognized, could have a tranquilizing effect on us such that we lose it by taking it for granted.

Justice Alito summed it up when he said, upon rendering his dissent,

Most Americans understandably will cheer or lament todays decision because of their views on the issue of same-sex marriage. But all Americans, whatever their thinking on that issue, should worry about what the [court] majoritys claim of power portends.

Thank you to the board of the NRB for standing up to be heard on behalf of the faithful Christ-followers in America.

To read more news on Religious Liberty on Missions Box, go here.

NRB Resolves that Religious Liberty & Freedom of Speech Must Prevail - MissionsBox

No platforming nowhere near as productive as debate or conversation – The Badger Herald

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Feb. 11, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved a bill that protects free speech on all University of Wisconsin campuses. Under the bill, students who disrupt free speech on UW campuses twice will be suspended for a semester. If students disrupt a third time, they will be expelled.

The Assembly has attempted to pass similar bills in the past, but they have never made it through the Senate. The UW System Regents previously adopted a policy identical to the one passed in the Assembly.

Wisconsin Assembly Democrats have come out in opposition to the bill, stating that cementing this policy in state statute is redundant and unnecessary. They argue it shows a distrust for university administration, and its a possible danger to students who decide to use their constitutional right of protest.

Board of Regents protection of free speech actually does exact oppositeFree speech is a right promised to all Americans through the Constitution and is an integral part of democracy which Read

Republican Lawmakers released a memo addressing the necessity for this legislation.

Campuses across the country have erupted in protest, including violent riots, as the growing debate over who has the right to speak threatens our nations First Amendment, the memo said. Invited speakers have been taunted, harassed, and even assaulted, leading many universities to cancel events. This is true for campuses here in Wisconsin where several UW System institutions including UW-Madison, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout, and UW-Stevens Point have had free speech related issues.

Assembly Democrats might disagree with the legislation, but the fact that there has been a pattern of silencing conservative speakers on campuses cannot be disputed. The drafting of the first iteration of this bill was in response to conservative political commentator, Ben Shapiro, being shouted down by protesters while speaking at UW-Madison in the fall of 2016.

During Shapiros lecture, protesters sitting in the audience frequently interrupted Shapiros speech with shouting. Eventually, demonstrators joined together and walked down to the stage where Shapiro was lecturing, all while continuing to shout and prevent the conservative commentator from speaking. Despite efforts from Shapiro, the protesters refused to engage in a productive conversation to discuss their disagreements instead opting to continue with the disruption. For a crowd of over 500, with expected protests, the university only assigned three officers to police the event. Needless to say, they could not keep the crowd in control.

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience for conservative speakers coming to college campuses around the country.

March 2017, conservative commentator Charles Murray was shouted down at Middlebury College. Protesters went as far as to jump on Murrays car while he was in it. A professor who endorsed his visit to the college was injured during the protest. She was put into a neck brace at a local hospital.

Point Counterpoint: Democrats should focus on their own problems instead of impeachment proceedingsAs we approach Nov. 3, 2020, Democrats are becoming increasingly obsessed with preventing President Trump from winning reelection. Instead of Read

April 2019, conservative commentator Michael Knowles was repeatedly shouted down during a lecture at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Protesters stood up during the lecture, screaming profanities at Knowles. One protester ran at Knowles with a squirt gun and shot soap at him. The demonstrator was arrested.

November 2019, Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and acclaimed economist Arthur Laffer was shouted down at Binghamton University. The topic of the speech was free enterprise and limited government. Protestors stood on tables in the lecture hall and heckled Laffer.

When conservative students bring speakers on campus, who are they supposed to look to for protection? For many students, when they bring a speaker to campus, its the only conservative lecture they hear all year.

The Econ Journal Watch conducted a study of faculty voter registrations at 40 of the leading universities in the U.S. Their research showed out of 7,243 professors, only 314 were registered Republicans. This means that at 40 of the leading universities, Democrat professors outnumber Republican professors at a ratio of 12 to 1.

Point Counterpoint: Accountability vital when faced with lawlessnessI would like you to do us a favor. If you want to understand President Trumps corruption, this quote tells Read

Conservatives on college campuses arent under constant attack from their professors and their peers. But conservatives on college campuses sit in a sometimes-isolating minority. It can be beneficial for conservatives to continually be around people with differing views, as this affirms or challenges our own. But dont deny them and the speakers they bring on campus the right of free speech.

Some might say this bill doesnt protect freedom of speech, it infringes on the right of protest. But it doesnt infringe on the right to protest. No restriction in this bill prevents anyone from protesting any speaker. Everyone has a right to protest, but no one has a right to create disruption.

The criticism of this bill is understandable, but it does not outweigh the necessity for this bill to be cemented in state statute. Conservatives must look to policy to protect their first amendment rights, which are subject to assault when speakers come on campus.

Realistically, this bill will die on Tony Evers desk. When Evers was a regent, he was the only vote against the initial policy adoption. Before Evers vetoes this bill, he should at the very least engage in conversation with conservative groups on campus to create a deterrent against speakers being shouted down in the future.

Tripp Grebe ([emailprotected]) is a freshman studying political science.

Follow this link:

No platforming nowhere near as productive as debate or conversation - The Badger Herald

10 Chinese Readers Share Their Stories of the Coronavirus Crisis – The New York Times

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

The coronavirus outbreak has radiated to at least 77 countries, killing more than 3,200 people and infecting more than 93,000. It has paralyzed cities and towns, disrupted business, travel and schools. But no place has seen more devastation than China, where the overwhelming majority of deaths and infections have occurred.

The New York Times asked Chinese readers all over the world to share their views on how the country responded to the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Hubei Province in central China. We heard from readers in Europe, Australia, China and the United States. One was living just miles from the market in Wuhan that is considered by many experts to be ground zero for the virus.

Most expressed serious disappointment in how the Chinese government has handled the crisis. But others argued China, as a developing nation, has responded effectively. Here are some of their stories, edited and condensed for clarity.

When the outbreak occurred, I was living about three miles north of the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan. I must have been one of the first people to have seen and been alarmed by Dr. Li Wenliangs screenshots on WeChat. That day I immediately ordered masks and disinfectant online for my family, and asked them not to leave our building complex unless there was something urgent. But then because the government dispelled the so-called rumors over and over again and blocked information, almost everyone began to let their guard down, and I was no exception.

No freedom of speech and the misconduct of government officials are the main culprits that brought about this disaster, and made everyone so angry.

Liang Yi, Tianmen, Hubei Province

I came to the United States with my husband, whos studying here. Now hes got a job, but I have to stay at home because of a visa issue.

Earlier this year, my husband and I had a serious discussion about our future. He has always felt that the systemic risks in China are too high, so we should not go back. But Ive felt that for a more comfortable and exciting life there, Im willing to sacrifice some things, like freedom of speech and internet freedoms. Whats more, I have felt life is short, and in todays peaceful era, the probability of suffering from systemic risks is so low.

I didnt expect that two weeks later, an epidemic would break out in China. All the management problems and human-rights issues that have been exposed make me sad and angry. For the first time I realized how important free speech is. This outbreak was like a slap in the face. It totally woke me up and it makes me very sad. I feel that I am growing farther and farther apart from my homeland.

Su Min, San Francisco

Before the outbreak worsened, my friends and I all thought that China was a digital totalitarian state that was invulnerable to attack. But all these halos were smashed because of the Chinese governments chaotic response to the pneumonia in Wuhan.

For me, this crisis exposed the cowardice and recklessness of the bureaucracy of the Chinese government. At the same time, it demonstrated that, in the absence of the bureaucracy, the Chinese people retain strong capabilities to self-govern and self-organize on the grass-roots level. This leads me to believe that contemporary China still has the conditions for a democratic revolution.

Wang Sheng-fan, Adelaide, Australia

As the Chinese Communist Party continuously uses authoritarian means to deal with matters, a humanitarian disaster is happening. I decided to drop everything and escape as soon as possible. But my parents are deeply brainwashed by Chinese Communist Party propaganda. They said that if they are going to die they would rather die here in this land, and live or die with the motherland.

I felt frustrated by this, but at the same time I knew thats probably what the majority of Chinese people also think.

I bought plane tickets and decided to leave with my 9-year-old daughter. My wifes passport is valid for less than six months, and the entry-exit department told us that theyve suspended all immigration services for Chinese citizens for the time being. So for now its just me and my daughter here in Thailand.

This epidemic made me sense deeply the split within my family. This division derives from our different views of the C.C.P.

Gao Enzhou, Bangkok

Im currently a university student in London. I went to Singapore for a job interview. Upon coming back, I developed symptoms associated with Covid-19. As a result, I was tested by the National Health Service and ordered to stay at home. The test results came back negative.

The outbreak has confirmed my belief that when looking at China, one must give it a fair assessment. I believe the critique of China during this outbreak is rather unfair.

When critically analyzing the situation, one must keep in mind, despite all of the development since Chinas economic miracle, China is still a developing nation. For a developing country, it has responded quite well. The mobilization of resources in response to the outbreak was only possible in a very centralized government. An infectious disease outbreak, combined with the largest annual human migration, spells a disaster for any country. While critiques of the early handling of the epidemic may be valid, it distorts the picture; no government has ever done so much to contain an outbreak.

Arthur Chan, London

Early last year, my wife got accepted to a Ph.D. program at the University of Washington, Seattle. She was pregnant, so she postponed her enrollment from September to March of this year. If it wasnt for the epidemic, we would have flown to Seattle with our daughter to begin our new life on March 1.

But now because of the ban on travel to the United States, and worries about traveling with our baby, we dont want to take the risk of going to another country and being quarantined for 14 days. We can only stay home and wish that things improve. Were facing a dilemma.

Mo Weicheng, Foshan, Guangdong Province

Im a student from Wuhan, studying in Ireland. Ireland isnt a mainstream destination for Chinese students. There are only two people from Wuhan in this city.

Over Christmas I went back to Wuhan. I returned to Ireland before the epidemic broke out. One week after I came back, Zhong Nanshan announced that there had been human-to-human transmission of the virus. That was right before the Lunar New Year. The Spring Festival gala organized by my schools Chinese Students and Scholars Association was scheduled for two weeks after I returned. I was a volunteer, and I wasnt sure if I should go. I sent a message to the chairman of the association, who reassured me. He said I should come since my quarantine period was over. But during the event, I could still sense murmurings of concern. It is human nature to feel afraid, but this still made me feel lonely and sad to be in a foreign land.

Zhang Yuqin, Galway, Ireland

I live in the city of Huizhou, in Guangdong Province. But Im currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I had planned to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test in February in Shenzhen. But the test was canceled because of the epidemic. So my wife and I decided to go to Hong Kong so I could take the test. I signed up to take the test in Hong Kong, but two days later I was informed that the test was canceled there, too.

We searched for the nearest test site and found it was in Thailand. After our visas were approved, we flew to Chiang Mai. I have taken the test in Chiang Mai, but my wife and I plan to stay here for now. This is not the most disappointing thing, there will always be greater disappointments.

If one soldier is a failure, its just one soldier. But if the general is a failure, its the whole army. The top leadership of China bears direct responsibility for losing control over the outbreak.

Zhang Zhida, Chiang Mai, Thailand

I came to Munich from Spain in mid-October last year to continue my studies. Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, I always felt that I was a Spanish resident and emotionally depended on that. After the outbreak occurred, I got a message from my German landlord on the morning of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. She hoped that I could move out within five days, because her husband was afraid of the novel coronavirus. This was ridiculous. The last time Id been back to China was last August, and my hometown was not the center of the outbreak. I dont know how they could connect me to a virus that originated thousands of miles away.

Li Xiang, Munich

I am currently going to medical school on Long Island, where I am a third-year medical student doing rotation at a hospital. Ever since the coronavirus outbreak, I have heard hospital staff joking about pandemics. They taunt about the foods people eat in China, as if all Chinese people are barbarians. They make statements about how Huoshenshan Hospital is actually a concentration camp incapable of taking care of patients. They ignore the Chinese governments efforts to respond to the outbreak.

As a Chinese international student, I feel extremely uncomfortable about these false and arrogant comments, and I have personally stood up to one of the nurses, to educate them about what is actually going on.

Media in the United States are not committed to presenting the truth. They usually twist stories in a way that misleads Americans who want to believe China is a horrible place and all Asians have the Chinese virus.

I worry from time to time that my patients will refuse to let me examine them just because I am Asian and they think I am carrying the coronavirus.

Yujie Jiang, Long Island, New York City

Compiled by Emily Chan and Sue Tong

Continue reading here:

10 Chinese Readers Share Their Stories of the Coronavirus Crisis - The New York Times

Bitcoin Is the Technology of Dissent That Secures Individual Liberties – Bitcoin Magazine

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

The U.K. hearing of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges U.S. extradition on the week of February 24, 2020, presented a test of Western liberal democracy. The indictment of Assange under the Espionage Act for publishing classified documents which exposed U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan is recognized by free speech groups as an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.

With the governments criminalization of journalism, we are seeing a deepening crisis of legitimacy that had begun to unravel a decade ago. Bitcoin emerged during the 2008 financial meltdown as a response to bank bailouts and a cycle of austerity. Over its 10 years of existence, the technology has steadily maintained its fundamentals of censorship resistance and permissionless usage. Now, more than ever, Bitcoin shows these defining features as its value proposition.

As the government becomes more authoritarian, those who speak truth to power are being punished more harshly. Bitcoin as a technology of dissent provides alternative forms of resistance that are much more peaceful and joyous. It offers an avenue for people around the world to express their opposition against their government without directly confronting with power; instead it is simply creating a new world that makes the old system obsolete.

The invention of Bitcoin didnt happen overnight. It was built on cumulative efforts of the past. The development of this technology of dissent can be traced back in the history of peoples liberation from the arbitrary power of the king and despotic government. In the United States, after the victory of the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers rejected the rule of British monarchy. In the Declaration of Independence, the premise was given for unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, expressed in the words of Thomas Jefferson that is to be applied equally to all people.

In establishing the U.S. constitutional republic, these premises remained no more than ideals and they were constantly threatened. The original Constitution ratified in 1787 lacked the guarantee to secure individual liberties that inherently belong to all people.

The proponents of the Bill of Rights demanded a safeguard against the government. They articulated the protection of essential parts of unalienable rights in the First Amendment to the Constitution as a freedom of expression; freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Erosion of civil rights took place through a loophole in the security within the Constitution. While a wall of separation between church and state is placed in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, separation of money and state was not. Under the First Amendment, individuals right to create, choose their own money and transact freely was not recognized as a part of freedom of expression that needs to be protected.

The central control over money production faced a major security breach. Attorney Ellen Brown explains how most people think money is issued by fiat, declared to be legal tender by the government, but the creation of money has been taken over by private corporations like the Federal Reserve.

Privatized national and corporate currencies, created out of thin air around the world, came to function as a medium of control, allowing big business to create market monopolies. This began to debase the intrinsic value of the natural rights of a person evidenced in the nations founding document. By transforming those inalienable rights into a permissioned form of legal rights that can be infringed upon by the government, corporations and private banks began to steal individual liberties. Freedom of expression became further stifled through economic censorship and financial blockage enacted by payment processing companies like Visa and MasterCard.

As the states assault on civil liberty has increased, rebellion came from the internet. On February 8, 1996, when Congress enacted the Telecommunications Reform Act that enabled media consolidation and monopoly of flow of information, John Perry Barlow, internet pioneer, wrote a Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace. Addressing it to governments of the Industrial World, he called for a creation of a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity.

Those who revolted against the arbitrary power of the national government became dissidents in the new frontier of cyberspace. They found each other and formed an association that came to be known as cypherpunks: loosely tied online activists who advocate social change by the use of strong cryptography.

Tim May, one of the influential cypherpunks and the author of The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto recognized money as speech. At the Computer Freedom and Privacy Conference in 1997, he described how Digital Cash = Speech. He then noted how untraceable digital cash is indistinguishable from speech and explained how any laws intended to control it will almost certainly impinge on speech in general. Cypherpunks began envisioning a stateless digital form of money that is uncensorable and their collaborative pursuit created a movement for a new Enlightenment.

Philosophers in the Enlightenment era advocated for conceptions of democratic rights based on natural law. In his seminal work The Spirit of Laws published in 1748, Montesquieu wrote,

Laws in their broadest sense, are the necessary relations which are derived from the nature of things: Once free from the yoke of religion, we should still be subject to the rule of Justice Law, like mathematics has its objective structure, which no arbitrary whim can alter, before there were any enacted laws, just relations were possible.

Cypherpunks understood that while alienable rights that are bestowed by law can be taken away by legislation, inalienable rights are not to be created but can be discoverable by reason. Thus, laws that secure inalienable rights cannot be created by man but can be found in nature.

Like Enlightenment thinkers who tried to explain the laws of society and human nature through scientific methods, the anonymous creator of Bitcoin instigated a scientific process of discovering a way to restore money in its original form as an enshrinement of an unalienable right.

Bitcoin is free software that gives the user full control of the program. Anyone can observe, share knowledge and contribute to the development of protocol through participating in reviewing, testing and experimentation.

Here, principles of nature that were discovered were applied to create a decentralized digital currency and a market that is free from the control of the government. They included breakthroughs in computer science that led to the invention of a consensus algorithm, the laws of thermodynamics (study of science concerning heat, temperature and their relation to energy), and three natural laws of economics (self interest, competition, and supply and demand) that were identified by Adam Smith, a father of modern economics.

In Bitcoin, based on the principle of game theory to create fairness, miners engage in a broadcast math competition. Aligning self-interests of all in a network, with a careful balance of risk and rewards, rules are enforced without applying any external pressure. Bitcoin regulates itself through the spontaneous force of nature, flourishing healthy price discovery and competition in the best interest of everyone.

As the British court wrapped up its fake judicial process in the deliberation of the U.S. extradition request for the persecuted and tortured journalist, Julian Assange, Western democracy shows its final decline. This irreparable system continues to suck people into an electoral arena trying to keep them under its control. While many engage in protest or petitioning, busying themselves with cheering on their favorite candidates in political contests, Bitcoin provides a formidable tool for dissent, allowing people to simply opt out altogether from this corrupted system.

The bureaucratic system of the modern nation-state, administered by central banks, magistrates, presidents and prime ministers, has alienated us from the harmonious state of the world we belong to, depriving us of our innate rights and liberties. Now, imagination from computer science inspires us to rediscover intrinsic value within ourselves the wisdom of nature that governs our behavior and our rights to express ourselves freely and create our own life.

We, Bitcoiners, are all dissidents in the Old World of trusted third parties. We defy the rules of empire states in order to trust our ability to become our own authority. Laws of nature that are higher than man-made laws, being enforced by mathematics, have begun to reorganize a society. The frictionless flow of bitcoin allows us to diverge from the mainstream of national currency that keeps us in a debt spiral; it allows us to transcend borders and bypass checkpoints. Voluntary association formed through this free speech money is creating a new economy, fueling innovations and opportunities for jobs.

Every 10 minutes, the heart of Bitcoin beats, setting computers around the world in motion. From developers to miners and users running full nodes that relay and validate transactions, together, all engage in computing as an act of civil disobedience, keeping the network decentralized. As we collectively dissent, the wealth of the network rises, securing equality and liberty as unalienable universal rights for all people.

This is an op ed contribution by Nozomi Hayase. Views expressed are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of Bitcoin Magazine or BTC Inc.

View post:

Bitcoin Is the Technology of Dissent That Secures Individual Liberties - Bitcoin Magazine

Fighting corruption can unite the American people – The Fulcrum

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Asher-Koenig, a fiction writer and retired psychotherapist, is a communications volunteer at Wolf-PAC, which advocates for a constitutional amendment to permit more regulation of money in politics.

Regardless of our differences, and despite the ever-widening rift between the left and the right, one thing remains true: Our leaders have not been responsive to the voice of the average American voter.

According to Martin Gilens, professor of public policy at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs, "economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence." While this has been an issue in American politics since the inception of our democracy, this reality has been exacerbated in recent years by a gradual loosening of restrictions on election financing.

Tight controls on campaign financing, enacted to protect the integrity of our democratic process, date back to the Tillman Act of 1907. The corruption of campaign financing began its slow but steady incursion into our politics in 1976, when the Supreme Court held in Buckley v. Valeo that political spending was a function of freedom of speech, and that restriction on such spending was a violation of the First Amendment.

In the Supreme Court's landmark 2010 decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the court held that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political communications by corporations, including nonprofits, labor unions and other associations. This opened the door to a series of legislative decisions that have led to the out-of-control corruption we face today.

Now, we need to seriously address the impact of this corruption on our democracy.

Corruption in election financing refers to political spending by nonprofit or 501(c) organizations in the guise of social welfare organizations, unions and trade association groups. These types of organizations are not required to disclose their donors and can receive unlimited donations from corporations, individuals and unions. In this way, their donors can spend funds to influence elections, without voters knowing where the money came from, opening the door to a kind of corruption previously unknown in the United States.

Currently, numerous groups are free to spend unrestricted funds to advocate the election or defeat of candidates. They contend they're not required to register with the Federal Election Commission, because their primary purpose is something other than electoral politics.

Maurice Cunningham, an associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, has studied corruption in political finance for years.

According to Cunningham, a 2016 ballot measure in Massachusetts regarding charter school financing was funded by a nonprofit called Families for Excellent Schools, in the amount of $25 million. This organization has no family members and appears to be nothing more than a conduit for secret money donations, according to Cunningham. When the donors were eventually disclosed, months after the election, they included members of the Walmart conglomerate in Arkansas, who had contributed as much as $5 million of the funding.

According to the New York Times, the 2014 midterm election was influenced by "the greatest wave of secret, special-interest money ever raised in a congressional election." And the Center for Responsive Politics reports that spending by organizations that do not disclose their donors increased from less than $338 million in 2008 to well north of $1.4 billion in 2016.

With the continuation of these secret donations in politics, it doesn't matter if you're a progressive or a conservative, it's the billionaires and giant corporations that will decide what bills get passed and what budgets are approved. Though we continue to go through the democratic process, it's never been more apparent that our votes just don't count. Because, even if our candidate wins the election, as long as our legislators are beholden to corporate interests, the will of the people remains immaterial.

In any election, I'm not going to be happy if the other side prevails, but I'll accept it as part of the push and pull of a political dialogue. I'm willing to lose, so long as we're engaged in a fair and equal fight. What I'm unwilling to accept is the abuse of power that's creeped up on us for the last four decades, the malignancy that essentially cheats all of us out of a real choice. The addition of a so-called 28th amendment to the Constitution of the United States would eliminate corrupt election financing for good and will protect the United States from future abuses of power that threaten to destroy the freedoms of our democracy our right to free and fair elections.

And, most important, this remains a nonpartisan issue that affects us all progressive, centrist and conservative. A recent poll by ALG Research/GS Strategy Group shows a majority of voters, Democrats and Republicans, rate "corruption in the political system" the most serious problem facing the country. Those polled say that the money spent by special interests impacts their lives in negative ways.

That's why Wolf-PAC is leading more than 50,000 Americans in working to add the 28th amendment to the Constitution, to end corruption and restore our representative democracy.

Knowing the game is no longer rigged may prove to be the key to mending the fear and animosity among us. Using the power of our Constitution to fix the corruption of money in politics, we can unite to rebuild a democratic process that acknowledges and honors the needs of every American.

From Your Site Articles

The Guardian is not a fan of Toby Young or free speech – The Post Millennial

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

The line between freedom of speech and the freedom to incite violence is one of the hardest distinctions to put into practice. Toby Young, however, who has recently created the Free Speech Union, may have a better idea than most.

Two years ago, when Theresa May was still the prime minister of the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party appointed Toby Young as a member of the Board of the Office for Students. Despite it being an unpaid position, Young quickly accepted it, and yet within a few days, he had not only lost that job but four others.

Young suffered from the sordid affliction of conservatism, and because of this, his qualifications were overlooked. Almost as soon as he was appointed, legions of offence archaeologists began to excavate through decades of articlesinevitably digging up artifacts that would soon cost him his livelihood.

They dug up some stuff, took it out of context, and portrayed me as a bigot, said Young. It was trial by social media: guilty until proven innocent and, by the way, youre not going to have a chance to defend yourself. I ended up not only having to step down from the regulator, but also from four other positions, including my day job running an education charity. It was brutalI lost two stone.

By appointing Youngwho perhaps was even an overqualified candidatethe British Conservative Party had committed the unpardonable sin. They had appointed someone with the exact virtues needed for the position: industry knowledge, a public profile, and, most importantly, outspoken and lucid principles. And yet, it was precisely these qualities that led to Youngs downfall.

Within hours, the platoons of the progressives had trudged through decades of articles and social media posts. At one point, all ten of the Spectators most viewed articles in their archive, which dates back to 1828, were authored by Young. As the editor of Spectator noted, Youngs army of detractors were hard at work.

Youngs ordeal is not as remote as it may seem. These tacticsowing in part to their efficacyhave begun to seep into democracy itself. Take, for instance, Justin Trudeaus tactics in the 2019 election, where the Liberal apparatus took the form of a constant barrage of oppo research deployed against Conservative candidates.

Mercifully enough for the Conservatives, the state-funded offence excavator, indulgent in its smugness, was retired after Justin Trudeaus penchant for blackface emerged. Nevertheless, within a few weeks, the Liberal Party had time to craft and exhibit the online transgressions of six separate opposition candidates.

All this has sent an unequivocal message to Conservatives: If you dare oppose the prevailing orthodoxy of the dayor in the case of those Conservative candidates, dare oppose Canadas natural governing partyyou will suffer first public humiliation and then unemployment.

Free speech has never been in more peril across the Anglosphere than at any time since the Second World War, said Young. Why? Because the regressive Left has launched a ferocious attack on free speech and the progressive Left doesnt have the intestinal fortitude to defend it.

As a result of this, Young has launched the first major revolt against those who no longer value free-speech or ideological diversity. With a group of internationally recognized academics, public intellectuals, and journalists, Young has created the Free Speech Union,aimed at defending those who have exercised their right to free speech. I want to stop the same thing happening to other people, which is why Ive set up the union, said Young.

The Free Speech Union is perhaps the only available means to defend yourself against the tactics of the far-left. If you are a member, the union will mobilize an army of supporters to defend you against outrage mobs. They will also launch counter-petitions, defend you in the media, and provide legal assistance whenever it is reasonably possible.

We will challenge outrage mobs in a variety of ways, said Young. If bullies come after one of our members on social media, well go after them. If the woke witch-finders start a petition demanding that one of our members is fired, well start a counter-petition. If one of our British-based members faces a disciplinary processor is firedwell give them access to legal advice and, if necessary, help them crowd-fund to pay their costs. The enemies of free speech hunt in packs; its defenders need to band together too.

Speaking to The Post Millennial, the prolific Canadian editor of Quillette Jonathan Kay commended the ambition of the union. I hope it works, he said. Kay, however, did express caution over the capability of the union: the problem is that if somebody really wants to cancel someone, the pressure points come from within their own professional milieus. The cancellers dont care if youre in some kind of free speech union. It would only work if thousands and thousands of people joined it.

The good news is that the Free Speech Union is well on its way to garnering this support. Speaking about the reception the Union has received, Young said that it has been very well received by conservatives and by some members of the progressive left.

One example of this is the Conservative leadership candidate Erin OToole, who told The Post Millennial that free speech is the foundation of a free and democratic society. Conservatives need to stand united against the threat posed by cancel culture. The left is trying to intimidate into silence conservativesand even those on the left who question the most extreme views. This is a real threat that we need to take seriously.

The Free Speech Union has suffered some criticism from the usual candidates. The regressive Left, for instance, have done their best to portray it as an organization thats been set up to protect male, pale and stale conservatives like me from the consequences of hate speech.

This attempted portrayal may be a difficult task for Youngs army of detractors. So far, the five-person Board of Directors includes a gay man and a woman of colour, making the Free Speech Union, as Young said, more diverse, in every sense, than the BBC.

Speaking on the necessity for free speech, Young paraphrased Ira Glasser, the former head of the ACLU: speech restrictions are like poison gas. They seem like a great weapon when youve got your target in sight. But then the wind shifts.

Combative metaphors aside, it would be more constructive for the regressive left to join the union, or at least not work against it. After all, Youngs detractors proclaim themselves to be liberals. Shouldnt they commit to a cause that defends the central tenet of liberalism: free speech? To silence any voice is to impoverish the world and our decision-making capacity. The free speech Young is trying to protect is our individual liberty: we negate it at our cost.

Read the original post:

The Guardian is not a fan of Toby Young or free speech - The Post Millennial

Long Island gambling rules – Blog – The Island Now

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Despite being home to Las Vegas the global hub of gambling the United States of America has a complicated relationship with gambling. Laws surrounding the practice differon a state-by-state basis and here in Long Island, the laws have been subject to change throughout the last decade.

Traditionally gambling in New York State was strictly limited to casino venues which could only be opened in Indian reservations. Horse racing, some forms of lotteries and a few other negligible gambling games were allowed.

But, in 2013 voters approved an amendment to the New York gambling laws which would allow Vegas style casinos to be built in the state. Despite that amendment, online casinos, sports betting sites and online poker still remain illegal.

In this article we will look at the gambling options for Long Island residents and speculate as to whether the state could benefit from following the lead of a European country.

Where to gamble in New York State?

A look behind the curtain at New Yorks largest gambling venue, Resorts World Casino.

RWC is by far the largest and most impressive casino within a short commute of Long Island. The casino is operated by the Genting group, one of the biggest names in the global casino business with dozens of resorts around the globe.

RWC is home to three distinct casinos, Times Square Casino, Fifth Avenue Casino and Central Park Casino. Across the three there are over 6,000 slot machines and hundreds upon hundreds of table games. If youre in to high stakes games ask a member of staff about the venues several high-limit rooms which often play host to private, high stakes games.

If youre opening a casino in New York City it is the law that you have to name it after one of the Big Apples most famous landmarksokay maybe not, but it seems to be the route that a lot of casino developers have gone down, including the Rooney family who owned this 97-acre property from 1972 to 2019.

Last year the casino was bought by MGM the casino owning super group with interests in Las Vegas and Macao. The 150,000 square foot venue is home to over 5,000 slot machines and boasts a large selection of gaming tables on top of that.

For refreshments, guests can enjoy Dan Rooneys on-site sports pub as well as three extremely tasty restaurants including Nonnos Trattoria. With funding from MGM filtering through on almost a monthly basis, keep your eyes peeled for more improvements at Empire City Casino.

Belmont park

Highlights from 2019s epic Belmont Stakes race.

As mentioned in the introduction of the article, horse racing is legal in New York State and it is an activity enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of punters. The Belmont Triple Crown Championship is an annual race that attracts fans from all over the globe and is an event that deserves a place in your calendar.

Away from that championship, races are held throughout the spring and summer months. These events are made even more enjoyable by the availability of in-depth stats on horses, riders and trainers available to visitors.

Whether youre an experienced horse better or a complete novice, Belmont Park is the ideal place to visit.

Using your phone

All forms of online gambling are illegal in NYC, other than Fantasy Football.

Want to whip your phone out of your pocket in Long Island and win some cash at an online poker table? No can do buddy. Fancy spinning the roulette wheel? Think again. How about backing the Yankees? Absolutely not, although if you do fancy wagering some money on fantasy football, fill your boots.

Welcome to the crazy world of online gambling legislation in New York State. All forms of online gambling apart from fantasy sports are strictly prohibited, in a state with more than a few super casinos.

New York States prohibition on online gambling doesnt make much sense, but fortunately it might be about to change its stance in the near future.

Legalising online gambling

There is a tide of change in the USA at the moment where online gambling is concerned. In recent times the legislation surrounding online sports betting has been decentralized, leaving individual states to decide for themselves whether or not to legalize the act.

Movements to legalise online sports betting in some states have led to further legalisation for online casinos. Although it is unclear what New York State will decide to do with both sports betting and online casinos.

Should online gambling be legalised?

The argument for legalising online gambling lies in Northern Europe, just north of France and slightly east of Ireland.

The United Kingdom is perhaps the most successful online gambling nation on the planet, with annual revenues of over 5 billion from the remote sector. It is for that, and a number of other reasons that the country is often held up as an example for other countries to follow. There are many hugely popular and reputable gambling sites, featuring a range of engaging casino games with lucrative prizes to be won. A good example to get a feel for the the industry and try your luck at is the one-of-a-kind Las Vegas inspired retro style site 777 online casino.

One of the reasons the gambling industry is doing so well in the UK is because the government is very involved in the day-to-day running of online gambling companies, thanks to heavy regulation. Every gambling company in the country is not only obliged to pay a percentage of their profits to gambling charities, but they are also required to take the necessary precautions to detect and help problem gamblers.

Scientific studies have labelled British gamblers as mature, meaning they are less likely to encounter problems with gambling. The governments action on regulating the online industry has been seen as key to this.

Conclusion

If the New York State is to go down the route of legalising online gambling, sports betting and poker, administrators could do far worse than copying the approach of the British gambling industry.

See original here:

Long Island gambling rules - Blog - The Island Now

Bill to allow sports gambling in Washington moves to Senate – The Columbian

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

OLYMPIA A bill to allow sports gambling in Washington, but only at Indian casinos, has been approved by a state Senate committee despite concerns about a controversial emergency clause attached to it.

A Senate Ways & Means Committee rejected calls Monday to scrap the emergency clause, which blocks the bill from being subjected to a statewide referendum requiring 60% support to pass.

The Seattle Times reports the committee sent the bill to the full Senate despite objections that it grants a tax-free monopoly to the states Indian tribes while hurting smaller commercial card-room casinos. The vote by the Senate is the last major barrier before sending the legislation to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature.

This is the wise and cautious approach to take, committee Chair Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, said shortly before the bill was voted through.

Keiser added that authorizing such gaming beyond tribal casinos would open us up to trouble through potential widespread proliferation.

But those opposed to the bill, including Nevada-based Maverick Gaming which in the past year acquired 19 of the states 44 commercial card-room casinos contend their venues should also gain access to the lucrative sports gambling market.

Committee members Monday did amend the bill to exclude minor league sports. That means the bill technically must be reapproved by the House once the Senate passes it but thats considered a formality.

Sports gambling has long been illegal in Washington and almost everywhere nationwide. But the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 quashed a federal law banning such gambling in all but a few jurisdictions, leaving it to individual states to now decide their own course.

The bill would allow betting on professional and college sports, but not on college teams based in Washington state. Bets must be placed at Indian casinos.

Maverick Gaming CEO Eric Persson argued in public hearings held by the committee last Friday that the state will lose up to $50 million annually in tax revenues by not authorizing sports gambling beyond tribal venues. He added the only reason the emergency clause was invoked was because lawmakers know Washington residents would never approve the bill as proposed.

Persson has vowed to spend up to $30 million this election cycle on litigation, campaigning, television advertisements and anything else to block the bill from becoming law.

Senators on Monday debated an amendment to remove the emergency clause, but it was defeated 14-10.

Visit link:

Bill to allow sports gambling in Washington moves to Senate - The Columbian

Here’s Why People Are Attracted to Sports Betting and Gambling – Easy Reader News

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Added on March 4, 2020Judy Rae

Sports betting is a form of gambling in a specific sporting event. Bookies formulate and set odds value for all entries competing for the said sport that showcases the probability of winning. Alongside with the odds are the prizes you can possibly win and the amount you need to gamble.

Some sports that generate massive betting games include football, basketball, and horse racing. As you can observe, many punters are trying their best to partake in this kind of sports all-year-round. It is because sports betting serves as an alternative way of earning a considerable amount of money as long as you do it correctly.

As a result, a lot of people are encouraged to watch many sporting events today for the sole purpose of sports betting. In fact, some bettors tend to get serious and formulate betting techniques that would help them in wagering effectively. So, why is it that people get attracted to sports betting a lot?

Lets get to the whole psychology of this gambling game.

Risk-taking is probably one of the heaviest reasons why a lot of people are attracted to sports betting. For example, the Kentucky Derby horse race is one of the most celebrated sports in the United States that does not only feature horse racing events, but also offers massive betting games that pay you a lot.

Aside from that, its human nature that we get too excited when we see payouts that are attractive to earn. The sense of anticipation we feel in a match we witness together with adrenaline rush can ultimately convince us to gamble for a specific team we think can win. It is why thousands of sports fans witness and bet on some sports to take the risks of earning big.

Every day, we face a lot of challenges, not only inside our home but also at work. Aside from that, the daily pressure and anxiety brought by unexpected circumstances can drain us both physically and mentally. Thus, we look for the best ways to escape from lifes reality and destress ourselves.

Watching a sporting event and playing betting games are good forms of leisure and entertainment. The excitement we feel during an intense match can help us get up on our feet and cheer for the team we wager.

Socialization

Aside from taking risks and relaxation, sports betting can also improve our socialization skills. Do know that sports betting is a legalized gambling game and is often accepted in many countries. Perhaps, you can see a lot of people in different age brackets, races, and traditions that take part in sports betting.

Moreover, sports betting may come in two ways. First, you can witness a live sporting event where you can gamble while watching the match. In this way, you can meet different types of gamblers, and you can work with them on how you can effectively wager. Second, you can do it online where you play with other sports bettors and work with them virtually.

Sports betting continuously evolves every year. During the early years, some sports came with fewer betting categories that limit the ability of every punter to earn. As the day goes by, the betting games became more innovative and massive, which can give you limitless opportunities for earning.

Furthermore, the thrill and suspense it gives can surely entice you to learn about betting strategies. Although there is no formula in sports betting to make you win consistently, there are techniques you can apply to increase your odds of winning.

As they say, Money won is sweeter than money earned. It is a common phrase you can hear in some sporting events that offer huge prizes. Earning huge amounts of money that can equate your hard work to a one-month salary is one of the reasons why people take chances in sports betting. If they make it, then it would be the most memorable thing that you can look back afterward.

Furthermore, the whole experience you can earn from sports betting makes this thing worthy to undertake. If you win, then you can practice the betting skills you made for other gambling games. When you lose, you can take down the things you missed and make sure you learned the lesson and improve in your next betting game.

If you look at sports betting on a large scale, you can see that it has grown tremendously since inception. Aside from the fact that it can make a sporting event more popular, it also paved a way of giving more opportunities for sports fans to earn money if done right. Hence, the whole psychology of sports betting explained above can help you understand that sports betting isnt bad at all.

See the original post:

Here's Why People Are Attracted to Sports Betting and Gambling - Easy Reader News

Area agencies help combat gambling addiction in Ohio – Your News Now

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

In light of Gambling Addiction Month, agencies across the state are raising awareness around this issue. According to the Get Set Before You Bet campaign more than 90,000 Ohioans may struggle with a gambling addiction.

Some of the first warning signs of an addiction are planning trips around casinos, spending a lot of your paycheck towards gambling and losing family and possessions. If you don't get help, the executive director of Prevention Awareness Support Services says this addiction could ultimately lead to severe consequences like suicide and financial issues.

The suicidal ideations can increase when you find yourself in a financial black hole and dont know how to get out of it and we dont what it to escalate, said Rick Skillter, the P.A.S.S executive director.

Get set before you bet and change the game are two state-wide campaigns looking to raise awareness around gambling addiction. PASS is also helping people understand gambling addiction through its stacked deck program. If you have a gambling addiction you are encouraged to call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.

Go here to read the rest:

Area agencies help combat gambling addiction in Ohio - Your News Now

Maryland Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Educate Youth On Potential Risks Of Gambling – CBS Baltimore

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

ANNAPOLIS, Md. A Maryland bill that would allow lessons on the risks associated with gambling including addiction prevention to be added to the high school health curriculum passed in the state Senate on Feb. 21.

Sen. Bryan Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel, is leading the charge as the bills sponsor. He said laws passed from recent legislative sessions that have opened up gambling in the state have raised concerns about increased gambling addiction and abuse problems.

The Maryland General Assembly has had a direct role in creating this problem of gambling addiction, Simonaire told Capital News Service.

After a 2008 referendum allowed five slots-only casinos, Maryland continued to pass laws expanding gambling. A 2012 ballot question allowed for the addition of table games and the MGM National Harbor casino, Marylands largest, which opened in Prince Georges County in 2016.

Legislation in 2012 mandated the casinos to send annual fees to the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.

Annual assessments of $425 per slot machine and $500 per table game go to the Problem Gambling Fund, managed by the Department of Health a total of $5.3 million in the fiscal year 2019, according to a legislative analysis.

Still, Simonaire said, while he acknowledges money is already being sent to help people with gambling issues, he wants more preventive measures for the states youth.

This session, Sen. Craig Zucker, D-Montgomery, introduced Senate Bill 4, which would legalize sports betting, further widening the opportunities for gambling in Maryland should it pass.

Now, Senate bill 322 would be a step in combating the dangers that go along with gambling. After passage through the Senate Feb. 21, the bill is scheduled to be heard March 18 in the Houses Ways and Means Committee.

Under the bill, the program would be implemented in the 2021-2022 school year.

The education community has also had a direct role in this, Simonaire said at a Feb. 4 hearing. They supported the gambling, they received the money. So they should also have a direct role in supporting the students who are adversely affected by this.

The state teachers union and local school boards often oppose state mandates on their curriculum, according to Maryland State Education Association communications director Adam Mendelson. The association submitted written testimony against the legislation before the bills first hearing.

Simonaire said he met with the Maryland State Department of Education, the states superintendents, and the teachers union before the Feb. 4 hearing, and scaled back the bill.

The amendments require the Maryland State Department of Education to create lesson plans for the local education agencies to voluntarily choose among, with the stipulation that the state department report back in two years on which jurisdictions implemented them.

The curriculum consists of three hour-long lessons that would teach refusal skills in a health class during the four years of high school, with no added costs, Simonaire said.

Simonaire said the bill is modeled after the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gamblings 2014 Smart Choices program.

Still, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education remained in full opposition despite the amendments, saying health educators already have too much to teach as it is.

Several university studies have indicated that younger gamblers are at more at risk than the general population.

We have to recognize a small percentage of people are going to have problems (with gambling abuse), said Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling Director Rob White.

The legal gambling age in casinos and poker rooms in Maryland is 21, while anyone 18 and older can gamble through the lottery, bingo and horse racing.

The intent is to get them the knowledge so they can deal with this, Simonaire said at the hearing. Otherwise, theres a lot of lives lost through this gambling.

Simonaire told the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee that while the state has set aside financial resources for adult problem gamblers, estimated at about 150,000 in Maryland, educating youths about the dangers of gambling would attack the issue from the front end.

The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners said in written testimony it opposes the bill because there are too many other high priority health topics to teach, while also suggesting a community school coordinator could address potential gambling problems.

Five laws have been passed in the General Assembly mandating added health instruction since 2012, including lessons on consent, sexual assault, oral health, opioids and CPR. Through written testimony, the Maryland State Department of Education said, the required half-credit of high school health would not allow time for gambling education lessons.

Two lawmakers Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince Georges, and Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery voted against the bills passage through the Senate on Feb. 21 due to shared concerns about local school mandates, and in this case, workarounds to add curriculum, they told Capital News Service.

Still, Simonaire said, he is prepared to fight for legislation on a matter he is passionate about.

If the local school boards come back around and say only one (of them) used (the gambling education curriculum), we may have to come back and mandate it and say, Hey, this is important enough that youve got to use it, said Simonaire.

Read the original here:

Maryland Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Educate Youth On Potential Risks Of Gambling - CBS Baltimore

Coronavirus wipes out business in gambling capital of the world – Fox Business

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Oklahoma woman claims slot machine shut off after she hit the jackpot and the casino won't pay her the nearly $8.5 million she says she won.

Casinos in Macao, the worlds largest gambling enclave, reported a record plunge in gaming revenue in February after a 15-day closure that was brought on by the coronavirus outbreak. Shares of casino operators doing business in the country were trading higher after falling early in the session.

Gross gaming revenue in Macao fell 87.8 percent year-over-year in February to 3.1 billion patacas ($386.5 million), according to the Gaming Inspection & Coordination Bureau. The sharp drop came after the government on Feb. 4 ordered casino operators to shut down for 15 days to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

February marked the second consecutive month that Macao was affected by the outbreak. Gross gaming revenue fell 11.3 percent year-over-year in January to 22.1 billion patacas after Macao was forced to close its borders to mainland China during the Jan. 24-30 Lunar New Year holiday, a particularly busy time for traveling in China.

CORONAVIRUS HOARDING TO BOOST THESE FOOD COMPANIES

The coronavirus outbreak has sickened 87,137 people worldwide and killed 2,977, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization.

Macao, the only place where gambling is legal in China, receives about 76 percent of its revenue from the industry. Gross gaming revenue for 2019 was 292.5 billion patacas ($36.6 billion), more than three times the size of Clark County, Nevada, home of Las Vegas ($10.36 billion).

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Shares of MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts were both down about 29 percent from Jan. 20, the day the coronavirus was first reported to have spread outside of China, through Friday.

See original here:

Coronavirus wipes out business in gambling capital of the world - Fox Business

Maryland lawmaker introduces bill to educate youth on risks of gambling – SoMdNews.com

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

A Maryland bill that would allow lessons on the risks associated with gambling including addiction prevention to be added to the high school health curriculum passed in the state Senate on Feb. 21.

Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) is leading the charge as the bills sponsor. He said laws passed from recent legislative sessions that have opened up gambling in the state have raised concerns about increased gambling addiction and abuse problems.

The Maryland General Assembly has had a direct role in creating this problem of gambling addiction, Simonaire told Capital News Service.

Legislation in 2012 mandated the casinos send annual fees to the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.

Annual assessments of $425 per slot machine and $500 per table game go to the Problem Gambling Fund, managed by the Maryland Department of Health a total of $5.3 million in fiscal year 2019, according to a legislative analysis.

Still, Simonaire said, while he acknowledges money is already being sent to help people with gambling issues, he wants more preventive measures for the states youth.

This session, Sen. Craig Zucker (D-Montgomery) introduced Senate Bill 4, which would legalize sports betting, further widening the opportunities for gambling in Maryland should it pass.

Now, Senate Bill 322 would be a step toward combating the dangers that go along with gambling. After passage through the Senate on Feb. 21, the bill is scheduled to be heard March 18 in the Houses Ways and Means Committee.

Under the bill, the program would be implemented in the 2021-2022 school year.

Simonaire said he met with MSDE, the states superintendents and the teachers union before the Feb. 4 hearing and scaled back the bill.

The amendments require MSDE to create lesson plans for the local education agencies to voluntarily choose among, with the stipulation that the state department report back in two years on which jurisdictions implemented them.

The curriculum consists of three hour-long lessons that would teach refusal skills in a health class during the four years of high school, with no added costs, Simonaire said.

Simonaire said the bill is modeled after the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gamblings 2014 Smart Choices program.

Still, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education remained in full opposition despite the amendments, saying health educators already have too much to teach as it is.

Several university studies have indicated that younger gamblers are more at risk than the general population.

We have to recognize a small percentage of people are going to have problems with gambling abuse, said Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling Director Rob White.

The legal gambling age in casinos and poker rooms in Maryland is 21, while anyone 18 and older can gamble through the lottery, bingo and horse racing.

The intent is to get them the knowledge so they can deal with this, Simonaire said at the hearing. Otherwise, theres a lot of lives lost through this gambling.

Simonaire told the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee that while the state has set aside financial resources for adult problem gamblers, estimated at about 150,000 in Maryland, educating young people about the dangers of gambling would attack the issue from the front end.

Two lawmakers Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince Georges) and Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) voted against the bills passage through the Senate on Feb. 21 due to shared concerns about local school mandates, and in this case, workarounds to add curriculum, they told CNS.

Still, Simonaire said, he is prepared to fight for legislation on a matter he is passionate about.

If the local school boards come back around and say only one [of them] used [the gambling education curriculum], we may have to come back and mandate it and say, Hey, this is important enough that youve got to use it, Simonaire said.

View original post here:

Maryland lawmaker introduces bill to educate youth on risks of gambling - SoMdNews.com

Gambling: Dodgers’ Gavin Lux Favored to Win NL Rookie of the Year Award – Sports Illustrated

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

The National League Rookie of the Year Award isn't named for Jackie Robinson for nothing, pally. And the Dodgers' franchise hasn't been responsible for a record 18 ROY winners by some stroke of luck.

A stroke of the bat -- or 600 of them -- sure. Two hundred or 300 innings? Yes. And according to the oddsmakers atSportsBetting, Los Angeles is primed to add another trinket to the display case in 2020.

And the award goes to ... Gavin Lux. Or at least that's the thinking as of March 3. L.A.'s second baseman is listed at +350, subject to change. Colorado rookie Brendan Rodgers and San Diego'sMacKenzie Gore are next (at +800). Odds for Dodgers' Brusdar Graterol (+5000), Josiah Gray (+6600) and Dustin May (+1000) are listed as well.

The Tigers' Michael Kopech is favored to win the American League award (+300). Detroit's Casey Mize is next (+450), followed by Luis Robert of the White Sox (+600).

Complete odds below.

AL Rookie of the Year:

Michael Kopech+300

Casey Mize+450

Luis Robert+600

Brendan McKay+1000

Jesus Luzardo+1000

Jo Adell+1000

Evan White+1200

Deivi Garcia+2000

Forret Whitley+2000

Nate Pearson+2000

Wander Franco+2000

Nick Madrigal+3300

A.J. Puk+4000

Clarke Schmidt+4000

Ryan Mountcastle+4000

Brady Singer+5000

Sean Murphy+5000

Bobby Bradley+6600

Bobby Dalbec+6600

Brandon Marsh+6600

Esteven Florial+6600

Jeter Downs+6600

Joe Palumbo+6600

Justin Dunn+6600

Logan Gilbert+6600

Matt Manning+6600

Nolan Jones+6600

Royce Lewis+6600

Vidal Brujan+6600 NL

NL Rookie of the Year:

Gavin Lux: +350

Brendan Rodgers+800

MacKenzie Gore+800

Carter Kieboom+1000

Dustin May+1000

Dylan Carlson+1200

Jon Duplantier+1200

Mith Keller+1200

Nico Hoerner+1200

Cristian Pache+1600

Joey Bart+1600

Sixto Sanchez+1600

KeBryan Hayes+2000

Kyle Wright+2000

Nick Lodolo+2000

Jesus Sanchez+3300

David Peterson+4000

Drew Rasmussen+4000

Spencer Howard+4000

Brusdar Graterol +5000

Alec Bohm+6600

Andres Gimenez+6600

Brailyn Marquez+6600

Daulton Varsho+6600

Heliot Ramos+6600

JJ Bleday+6600

Josiah Gray+6600

Luis Campusano+6600

Luis Patino+6600

And remember, glove conquers all.

Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter.

Here is the original post:

Gambling: Dodgers' Gavin Lux Favored to Win NL Rookie of the Year Award - Sports Illustrated

New bill introduced to address illegal gambling in Utah – fox13now.com

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Senate minority leader, Karen Mayne introduced a new bill on fringe gambling today, this comes after a law was passed last year that attorneys say actually opened up more opportunities for illegal gambling, here in Utah.

In 2017 there were more than 400 gambling machines confiscated by the attorney general`s office and now they say, there`s probably more.

Years ago, Layton City Attorney Gary Crane found a gambling operation that was taking in two hundred thousand dollars a month over the Canadian border from about three Layton shops with gambling machines.

The owner of the operation was not paying taxes on the cash and told Crane their operation was being funded from Russia.

They were fundamentally being financed and sponsored by the Russian mafia and he probably embellished the story somewhat but we do believe that that money was coming to and coming from an organization that was well outside of our American borders, Crane said.

Since then, gambling machines continue to pop-up all across the state. Gambling is illegal under Utahs constitution so there are no gambling regulations, like you would find in a las vegas casino - meaning there`s bigger money to be won, not for those gambling, but for those owning the machines.

Aiming to tighten up the loopholes for good, the new bill proposes to:

-define an amusement device and video game

-define vending machines

-define intent of having a gambling machine

-provide a way for those who have been defrauded to make up almost double of what they have lost

I would hope that this law would impact enough to give local jurisdictions the power to deal with this without having to fund it like a gaming commission or something like that, James Russell, Utah attorney general supervising special agent said.

The most difficult thing about enforcing the law for city and county officials is those who own the gambling machines are making thousands, sometimes millions and can afford the best lawyers and the best lobbyists in the state.

Unless money laundering or tax evasion is involved, it`s nearly impossible to fund shutting down these operations.

Interview: Building a robot to navigate the high seas – ComputerWeekly.com

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

On 19 September 2020, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflowers voyage to the New World, an autonomous trimaran vessel, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship, will trace the route of the original Mayflower in 1620, sailing from Plymouth, UK, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, US.

Although remotely controlled ships are not a new concept, Don Scott, chief technology officer of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship, says the project is at the bleeding edge. Whats new about the project is the marine autonomy aspect, creating the ship as an edge device that operates on its own, sensing its environment, making intelligent decisions and acting on them without any human intervention, he says. Thats what makes this vehicle really innovative.

The Mayflower is a prototype, a proof of concept, to demonstrate that a solar-powered autonomous ship can navigate the oceans safely and cope with changeable weather, other ships, and encounters with marine creatures and submerged hazards.

Scott has worked on the oceans for 30 years. For him, one of the biggest challenges in developing an autonomous ship is the unpredictable nature of the sea. You certainly dont approach these engineering tasks lightly, he says. You very quickly get humbled by the power of the ocean.

He says one of the philosophies that underpins the design isthat the Mayflower Autonomous Ship needs to operate in an extremely hostile and dynamic environment, which is very unpredictable.

Until very recently, undertaking such an engineering task would have seemed impossible. For Scott, the recent convergence of technologies such as computing power at the edge and the growth of machine learning has meant that today it is possible to have an edge device make decisions in a timeframe that enables a vehicle to operate within the environment it was designed for.

Engineering for unpredictability requires partitioning different tasks, so that there is a strong sense of separation and layering between the software running on the edge devices. The architecture is highly modularised, where each edge device maintains its own situational awareness and communicates upstream and downstream with other modules.

Sensor inputs include six cameras, an automatic identification system, wind speed and direction sensors and obstacle avoidance sonar. Scott says: Each of these collects unstructured data, which is then processed and fed into a data server to provide the information needed for the vessel to navigate.

Weather forecasts are provided via application programming interfaces (APIs) to The Weather Company. Weather updates will be our highest priority, says Scott. We will steer around a storm cell, for sure.

The Mayflower is designed to run autonomously, but it will have the ability to send and receive data. Given that the ocean offers limited low-bandwidth satellite communications, weather data is given a priority. It is critical information we will get what we can get, says Scott.

IBM PowerAI Vision models are being used to provide object classification and object tracking for the vessels computer vision system, he says, adding: All of this information is fed into a navigation hazard map used by a collision avoidance module.

The collision avoidance module takes this data to determine a series of potential courses and speeds, which are then fed into a route planner, which Scott says is essentially an autonomous system that determines the course the vessel should take. Layered on top of the route planner is our safety manager, which deals with more localised information, such as wave direction and the unpredictable aspects of the ocean, he adds.

Each system on the vessel is redundant, with a backup module running in parallel, which is ready to take over if the primary system fails. One of the hazards of the ocean is short circuits, so the Mayflower Autonomous Ship has been built in a way that enables it to continue if systems are damaged.

Any system that is exposed to the ocean needs to be isolated to protect against electricity shorts, says Scott. We are hedging our bets on the electrical reliability of the system by putting in a backup system.

Because each system has been designed to operate independently, each one can be tested before they are all integrated on the ship, says Scott. For instance, at the start of March, the collision avoidance system, called AI Captain, is being tested at sea on another ship.

The ocean presents a lot of different hazards, such as land, marine debris, submerged objects, wildlife and even curious whales, says Scott. In a classical marine system, human vigilance is required to make decisions on these hazards.

The autonomous system also needs to adhere to the rules of the sea, he says. We need to identify surrounding marine traffic and make sure we are operating safely.

Scott says IBM suggested taking ODM, its rules-based engine for determining credit card fraud, and adapting it to marine regulations. This means that AI Captain enables the Mayflower to follow the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) as well as recommendations from the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

Having the AI Captain make decisions based on a predefined set of regulations means its decisions do not come out of a black box, says Scott. In effect, the AI decision-making for collision detection is entirely explainable because it adheres to the rules that govern marine navigation.

For Scott, the vehicle systems the Mayflower will use are proven technologies, tried and trusted. We know we can do this voyage tomorrow, with the existing capabilities we have in classic deterministic systems, going waypoint to waypoint, and dynamic updates based on local conditions, he says.

But the fully autonomous AI Captain needs to operate without any human intervention. Scott adds: The thing that keeps me up at night is the collision avoidance system, which we havent tested yet. It is essential for the success of the ship. We need to go through a bunch of sea trials.

These trials are beginning in early March.

View original post here:

Interview: Building a robot to navigate the high seas - ComputerWeekly.com

Design Collective by Cintas Creates High Fashion on the High Seas with Virgin Voyages Apparel Collection – Yahoo Finance

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

British fashion designer Gareth Pugh and Design Collective by Cintas collaborate on modern wardrobe collection

Richards Bransons new cruise line Virgin Voyages is scheduled to set sail in April 2020. Today Design Collective by Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) announced that it will execute a modern apparel collection designed by British fashion designer Gareth Pugh for the crew. Virgin Voyages led a collaboration with Design Collective by Cintas to bring Gareths fashion-forward designs to life with apparel pieces that mirror the vivacity which is synonymous with the Virgin brand.

"Were honored for the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with Virgin Voyages and Gareth to bring together modern and luxurious designs to Virgin Voyages," said Todd McKeown, President and COO of Design Collective by Cintas. "Richard Branson puts his employees first, so it was critical for every crew member to feel confident and comfortable in the apparel, so they can be a critical part of the total passenger experience. We used our extensive experience in designing and manufacturing for the cruise industry and worked with Gareth Pugh and the Virgin Voyages team to develop this game changing program."

The core collection includes sustainable fabrics and garments designed for a range of job functions, climates and body types. The program breaks with cruise stereotypes by removing epaulettes (shoulder stripes designating rank for officers), ties and waistcoats. It features a distinct combination of structure and fluidity and includes a wide range of looks from slick razor-sharp tailoring to relaxed pillow-case tunic shirts referencing the early days of British punk, and more.

"We really wanted to shake up the industry and redefine cruise fashion. Working with fashion Designer Gareth Pugh helped us create a fantastic wardrobe collection for our crew reflecting a modern sailing holiday experience," said Dee Cooper, SVP Design and Customer Experience at Virgin Voyages. "We decided to partner with Design Collective by Cintas to make sure the garments would really deliver on all levels. Their knowledge of fabrics and application made the designs functional for the cruise environment, and they helped create an Epic Sea Change for all."

Virgin Voyages currently has four ships on order, and will launch its first adults-only vessel, Scarlet Lady, in Spring 2020.

For more information about Design Collective by Cintas, please visit: http://www.cintas.com/designcollective.

About Design Collective by Cintas

The Design Collective by Cintas is a distinctive fashion house dedicated to creating a modern wardrobe for employees. With design studios in Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto and Miami, Design Collectives award-winning designers blend garments from our ready-to-wear line with custom-designed pieces to curate apparel collections that enhance brand identity. These collections are often complemented with garments from our retail brand collaborations, giving employees wardrobes they love to wear. Design Collective is a division of Cintas Corporation, a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poors 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.

About Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages is a global lifestyle brand committed to creating the worlds most irresistible holidays. The brand currently has four ships on order with master shipbuilder Fincantieri and has operations in the US, UK and Europe. With its inaugural season beginning this year, Virgin Voyages first ship, Scarlet Lady was designed to reflect a yachts sleek luxury. Featuring spaces designed by some of the top names in contemporary interiors, Scarlet Lady will be Adult-by-Design, a sanctuary at sea for the 18+ traveler. A dose of Vitamin Sea will be naturally intertwined across the entire ship, with well-being activated through a mix of high-energy moments coupled with relaxation and rejuvenation. Scarlet Lady will also feature alluring entertainment and 20+ world-class intimate eateries on board. Putting a twist on luxury, Virgin Voyages will offer incredible value for its sailors with all restaurants, group fitness classes, soft drinks, and many more Virgin surprises.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200302005650/en/

Contacts

Christina AlvarezMulberry Marketing Communications708-908-0898calvarez@mulberrymc.com

See the original post here:

Design Collective by Cintas Creates High Fashion on the High Seas with Virgin Voyages Apparel Collection - Yahoo Finance

This Is How Much It Costs to Stay in Kylie Jenner’s Vacation Villa – KMOX

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Lifes a very expensive beach when youre Kylie Jenner.

The self-made billionaire is enjoying a vacation from her hectic work life by staying in a lavish private estate in the Bahamas that no mere mortal could afford.

Kylie and her besties are kicking back at Villa Rosalita on Harbour Island, which rents for $10K a night, according to TMZ.

For that price, the beauty mogul gets a six-bedroom, eight-bath mansion located on the islands pink sand beaches.

The estate is loaded with luxurious amenities including a heated pool, separate pool house, full gym, barbecue, outdoor showers and a wet bar.

While it includes a chefs kitchen, Kylie and squad wont need to fetch their own meals or anything else as the property comes fully staffed with a cook, cleaning crew, laundry service and groundskeepers.

In addition to the 10 grand a night, the property also requires additional security and service fees which makes the total price even more exorbitant.

But with cost not being an issue, Kylie appears to be having a great time taking in all the creature comforts of the resort life.

The 22-year-old has posted a slew of photos enjoying the sun and fun with sister Kendall Jenner and daughter Stormi Webster.

The siblings posed in matching multicolored swimsuits on the steps of the villa and also hit the sand together for a bonding session on the beach.

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star also managed to explore the local environs as she and Stormi took an excursion on a yacht. Kylie shared adorable photos of her bundle of joy on the high seas and added the caption, boat day with bestie.

Kylies friends Anastasia Karanikolaou and Amber Asaly are also part of the vacation crew.

Notably absent from the Caribbean holiday is Stormis dad, Travis Scott.

While Kylie and Travis split last October, over the weekend, she posted romantic throwback shots with the rapper and hinted at a possible rekindling of their romance.

And prior to jetting off to her girls trip, she shared a pic wearing the Sicko Mode singers newly released Nike SB Dunk low-top sneakers. Without mentioning Travis name, she captioned the image, brb baby.

Time will tell if Kylie returns to his arms after her vacay.

LISTEN NOW on theRADIO.COM AppFollowRADIO.COMFacebook|Twitter|Instagram

Here is the original post:

This Is How Much It Costs to Stay in Kylie Jenner's Vacation Villa - KMOX

The U.S. Navys Future Fleet May Run Aground In Heavy Weather – Forbes

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

Small surface ships will struggle in high seas

The sea is a tough place, and, given that stormy seas often damage ships and endanger sailors, the U.S. Navy has habitually worked to keep vessels out of harms way since 1944. But over the past 30 years the Navy became so risk-averse that it has kept surface ships out of several strategic-but-stormy seas for decades.

That retreatand the general loss of sustained heavy-weather experience by the cost-conscious post-Cold War U.S. Navyhas had real consequences. As the memory of sustained, stormy weather operations faded under the weight of a tough anti-terror operational tempo, the number of U.S. sailors and other naval tastemakers who understood that battle in high seas demanded ships with particular sea-keeping features dwindled away.

A troubling indication of that can be seen in Secretary of Defense Mark T. Espers February 27 letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, in which he argued for more smaller surface combatants; greater reliance on lightly and optionally-manned ships. Do he and other similarly minded policymakers understand that they may be arguing for a fleet that will be more effective fighting from a pier than out in the contested seas the future Navy is meant to secure?

Sea States Mattered:

Up until a little more than 18 months ago, almost an entire generation of U.S. sailors lacked experience sailing in the rough seas north of the Arctic Circle. In late 2018, Carrier Strike Group Eight was the first U.S. aircraft carrier battle group to operate in the Norwegian Sea in 27 years. The experiencealong with several othersshowed that the Navy had lost a lot of old operational secrets and practices needed to project power in stormy weather.

The same can be said for design. Back in the Cold War, naval designers grew surface combatants to, in part, better prosecute combat in the high seas. The enormous displacement of an old Cold War mainstay, the Spruance class destroyer, was controversial. At over 8,000 tons, the Spruance was twice that of Americas previous front-line destroyer, the Charles F. Adams class.

But back in the early 1980s, when the U.S. Navy was a bit more concerned about the impact of storms and high seas upon the operational capability of U.S. Navy ships, studies cautioned that even the Spruance Class destroyers were only fully operable 80 percent of the time at Sea State 5 and barely operable 20 percent of the time at Sea State 6.

Cold War naval designers had super-sized the destroyer, to, in part, fight better in high sea states. But while Americas giant nuclear carriers were barely affected by heavy seas, their escortseven the big new Spruance class destroyersstill struggled to remain effective.

Smaller ships have plenty of opportunities to struggle in high seas; in the open ocean of the Northern Hemisphere, Navy studies from 1982 estimated that the probability of seas of Sea State 6 or higher was almost 27 percent. The probability of Sea State 5 or higher was almost 50 percent. This was reflected in choices the Navy made as the Cold War wound down. The Navy shed frigates and other small ships at an enormous rate while retaining the Arleigh Burke class, a destroyer even larger than the Spruance class.

Sea States Still Matter:

Thanks to the end of the Cold War and comprehensive meteorological guidance, Navy ships couldand didset their courses for the best weather possible. With no threat, such risk avoidance made sense. And as China and Russia emerge, the Navy can no longer plan on operating in calm seas. The Navy must go to where the war isand today, as storms are becoming stronger and more frequent, the chances of a fight in higher, rougher seas will only increase.

Meanwhile, Pentagon technologists like Secretary of Defense Mark Esperan Army veteran, who, as Secretary of the Army, urged the a-strategic dismantling of the Armys sea transport wingis extolling the virtues of the low-cost, small ship Navy. Does the Secretary of Defenseor the Deputy Secretary of Defense, David L. Norquist, who has been charged to lead a comprehensive review and analysis of the Navys proposed future fleet force structure, actually understand the tradeoff between vessel size and high-seas effectiveness?

Certainly, frigates and small ships are usefulthe Navy needs a far wider variety of vessels to supplement Americas large-ship Navy. But fundamental systems engineering questions risk being overlooked in the rush to propose exciting and fundable small-ship concepts. Right now, Washington think tanks are proposing fun-sounding baubles like 2,000 ton minimally manned vessels to serve as floating arsenals for carrier strike groups without really digging into the nitty-gritty operational feasibility of such new schemes.

The question is simple. If an 8,000 ton destroyer is unable to fully operate in Sea State 5 or higher, how well will a far more sophisticated and delicate 2,000 ton optionally-manned missile boat be ready to fight? How will these small vessels keep up with the carrier strike groups they are charged to defend? Have the sensitive technologies necessary for these small ships to fight actually been developed, optimized and tested in real-world sea conditions that a small ship will experience?

Theres a reason why U.S. Navy surface combatants have gotten so bigits because they need to do a lot of complex warfighting-oriented things. They must keep up with the carriers they defend and they need to be operational at high seas. Small ships can do lots of similar things too, but they cannot do as well at keeping up with an aircraft carrier in high seas and will have a hard time being operational in even ubiquitous mid-sized seas.

Small vessels are finebut they are no panacea. When the seas are big, the lighter, smaller and cheaper fleets favored by budget-minded technocrats risk becoming ineffective. For navies under threat, high seas are an immutable and unavoidable fact of life that must be sailed through no matter what. But, for the past thirty years, the U.S. Navy has avoided high seas and forgotten a lot. And even worse, now that a former Army paratrooper and a Certified Government Financial Manager are poised to fundamentally reshape the U.S. Navy, the Navy itself is poorly positioned to even try to express the deep operational risks posed by dramatic changes in naval composition.

In this headlong rush to leverage new technologies and hot new concepts, the fancy powerpoint slides that point the Pentagon towards a cheap, pint-sized and optionally-manned fleet still has a long way to go before being converted into operational reality. In particular, the Navy needs to explain these operational challenges to David Norquist. If they dont, David Norquist will do what his brother, Grover Norquist, could not. While Grover Norquist has failed in his quest to reduce the U.S. Government to the size where he can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub, Grovers highly-regarded brotherif allowed to make decisions based largely on accounting principles and exciting powerpoint conceptsmay be set to do just that very thing to the U.S. Navy.

Continued here:

The U.S. Navys Future Fleet May Run Aground In Heavy Weather - Forbes

As sea levels rise, high marshes along the Oregon coast are likely to shrink – Yale Climate Connections

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Danzig

(Photo credit: Rick Obst / Flickr)

Where the land meets the sea, youll often find coastal wetlands called salt marshes. During high tide, salt water floods the low-lying part of the marsh, the tidal flats. The high marsh, a drier sandy area, floods less frequently.

When theres a storm, the high marsh provides an important buffer helping protect inland areas from waves and flooding.

But as the climate changes, rising seas could put high marshes in jeopardy.

What weve been doing is trying to figure out how will salt marshes respond to sea-level rise, says Martin Lafrenz, a geographer at Portland State University.

He and his colleagues have been studying salt marshes along the Oregon coast. He says by 2050, the high marsh will begin to shrink.

And then by 2100, he expects a very large decrease in the amount of high marsh and very large extension of the tide flats.

He says roads and dikes prevent the high marsh from expanding inland.

So the marsh cant migrate anywhere, he says. Its sort of stuck in place. And so what that means is as we lose that high marsh, all the coastal communities will be losing that protection from stormwater and from storm surges.

So he says in many cases, they need to consider moving vulnerable resources inland.

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media.

Read the rest here:

As sea levels rise, high marshes along the Oregon coast are likely to shrink - Yale Climate Connections

Select Page ::