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Letter to the Editor: The case against impeachment of President Trump – The Delaware County Daily Times

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

To the Times:

I am writing to express my opinion on the current Democrat impeachment proceedings concerning President Trump. At the outset, I want you to know that I am a registered Republican, voted for Trump, and intend to vote for him in 2020. On occasion, I find myself not happy with the manner in which Trump may express or verbalize his position on issues because it may not be done in a presidential manner. However, despite Trumps blunt and plain talk, I am always able to understand the specific position being communicated. In my view, Trump has been true to his expressed pre-election position to curb illegal immigration, review significant international trade agreements, ensure that foreign governments meet their international committments to fund our mutual military obligations, and strengthen our military. In short, I support his promise to Make America Great Again.

President Trump has delivered on his pre-election promise to limit illegal immigration by diverting budgeted funds to build a border wall, and continues to express the need to control illegal immigration. A country without borders is not a country. In his first three years, Trump has successfully negotiated new trade agreements with border countries Mexico and Canada, a pending new trade agreement with China, and increased military funding. As a result of his leadership, the American economy is booming, employment is the highest in memory, and our military is respected world wide.

Despite these accomplishments, the Democrats, have refused to accept Trump as our duly elected president, and now are attempting to remove him from office by trumped up charges of impeachment based on a telephone call to the president of Ukraine.

Under our Constitution, the basis for impeachment is Treason or High Crimes. Generally, treason involves a showing of some evidence of covert or overt acts to betray or subvert ones obligation and trust to a nation. To date, the Democrat impeachment process has produced no evidence or other facts showing that Trump commited any act rising to an act of treason. Certainaly, the telephone call to the President of Ukraine does not rise to an impeachable level of treason.

Impeachment has only been used three times in U.S. history. None of the prior impeachments involved treason. Accordingly, it may be assumed that all prior impeachments involved the application of the high crimes standard as it may be applied to the Trump July 25, 2019, telephone conversation with the president of Ukraine.

As I understand it, the Democratic position concerning the phone call is that President Trump received a personal benefit when Trump asked the Ukraine president to look into a prior curruption investigation involving the Burisma Corp., Hunter Trump, and former Vice President Joe Bidens interference, which led to the termination of the Ukraine corruption investigation. In substance the impeachment alleges that the presidents intention was to smear Joe Biden, a potential future election rival. In doing so, the Democrats charge that Trump leveraged two offical acts, ie: stopping the delivery of $391 million aid to Ukraine (already approved by Congress), and a promise of a future meeting with the president, thus resulting in corrupting our election process.

The Democrats allege further that Trumps refusal to respond to subpoenas and refusal to allow presidential staff to testify harmed the Democrats constitutional rights, thus an abuse pf power. In my judgment both positions are wrong and inconsistent with established law.

First and foremost, an impeachment is no different than an indictment under general criminal procedures. Under our Constitution, the Fifth Amendment prohibits self-incrimination. The Fifth Amendment certainly would apply to a Trump refusal to comply with any Congressional supenoe. In addition, Trump could also exercise his power of executive privilege to justify his refusal to allow executive staff to participate in the impeachment proceeding, or comply with Congressional suppoenas.

Regarding the July 25, 2019, telephone call, the presidents request for the favor involving the Bidens was certainly appropriate and within the scope of Trumps executive powers to stop or delay the $391 million aid assistance to Ukraine. Factors supporting this conclusion are:

1. On its face, the hiring of Hunter Biden by the Burisma Corp involved a definite conflict of interest because at the time Hunter was hired, his father was the vice president, serving under former President Obama, and was primarily responsible for activities involving Ukraine.

2. At the time Hunter Biden was hired, Burisma Corp. was considered a currupt company and under active investigation for corruption.

3. Vice President Biden personally pressured Ukraine to terminate the Burisma corruption investigation. This fact is clearly evidenced in a public video, in which then Vice President Joe Biden boasts of his power and threats, resulting in the termination of Ukraines Burisma corruption investigation.

In conclusion, the impeachment proceedings are not justified, and the facts fully support Trumps July 25, 2019, telephone conversation with the president of Ukraine concerning potential corruption involving Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and the Burisma Corp.

Apparently, the Democrats realized the facts of the impeachment proceeding would not support their impeachment attempt and quickly changed the impeachment charges to abuse of powers and abuse of congress. Both charges in my opinion are insufficiently documented to support the Democrats charge of impeachment. Accordingly, when the impeachment is forwarded to the U. S. Senate, (final decision is a Senate responsibility) it may be presumed that the Senate will summarliy dismiss the impeachment.

With respect to the Biden/Burisma affair, it is my view that the facts surrounding the hiring of then Vice President Bidens Son Hunter, involved a clear conflict of interest, which warrants additional investigation to determine if corruption occurred, or is still occurring.

Thomas Spaccarelli, Springfield

Letter to the Editor: The case against impeachment of President Trump - The Delaware County Daily Times

The Decade We Learned Theres No Such Thing as Privacy Online – VICE

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

In the past ten years, we lost hope in American politics, realized we were being watched on the internet, and finally broke the gender binary (kind of). So many of the beliefs we held to be true at the beginning of the decade have since been proved to be falseor at least, much more complicated than they once seemed. The Decade of Disillusion is a series that tracks how the hell we got here.

The last decade has seen no limit of scandals highlighting how personal privacy in the internet era doesnt actually exist. Whether were talking about wireless carriers selling your daily location data to any nitwit with a nickel, or incompetent executives leaving consumer data openly exposed on the Amazon cloud, calling the last decade ugly would be an understatement.

Whats more the government, utterly captured by the industries its supposed to hold accountable, has proven feckless in the face of the threat. The United States still lacks any meaningful law governing behavior in the internet era, and the glaring lack of accountability couldnt have been made any more obvious over the last ten years.

2010: The Rise of the Internet of Very Broken Things

During the late 90s and early aughts, internet of things evangelists routinely heralded a hyper-connected future, where everything from your refrigerator to your tea kettle would be connected to the internet. The end result, they promised, would be unprecedented convenience and a Jetsons-esque future, contributing to a simpler, more efficient existence.

The end result wasnt quite what was advertised.

A lack of any meaningful privacy or security safeguards quickly ruined the party, turning the IoT revolution into the butt of endless jokes. Throughout the decade, evidence emerged that everything from your smart television to your kids WiFi-enabled Barbie doll was easily hackable, showcasing that the smarter choice is often dumber, older tech.

May 2013: Edward Snowden reveals the NSA's surveillance dragnet

Snowden, the most famous whistleblower of a generation, gave thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. The documents showed in great detail how the post 9/11 intelligence apparatus was collecting data in bulk on American citizens and people around the world through programs like PRISM, XKeyscore, LoveINT, and a host of others. The revelations showed that the NSA had backdoors into the databases of many of Silicon Valley's largest companies, that it was surveilling world leaders and American allies, and that the U.S. government's surveillance state had become ever present in American life.

Snowden's revelations were published over the course of yearsthis slow drip of information kept Snowden, NSA surveillance, and privacy in the news, making it an ongoing national conversation over the entire decade.

August 2013: Hackers steal the data of 3 billion Yahoo users

In September 2016, as the company attempted to sell itself to Verizon, Yahoo belatedly revealed it had been the victim of a series of major hacks in 2013 and 2014. After initially claiming that 500 million users were impacted, it would later acknowledge that the hack impacted roughly 3 billion users, the biggest data breach in U.S. history.

Yahoo would ultimately have to pay a $35 million penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission for pretending the hacks never happened, and another $80 million as part of a class action settlement. But as with most punishment, much of the money went to lawyers, and the penalties paled in comparison to the money made from monetizing user data.

2017: Congress helps big telecom kill FCC privacy rules

Big telecom has always had a flippant relationship when it comes to respecting your private data. For years ISPs quietly monetized your every online click, and have even charged customers significantly more if they wanted their privacy respected. In 2014, Verizon was busted modifying user data packets to covertly track users around the internet without telling them.

In 2016 the FCC under Tom Wheeler tried to do something about it, passing some modest broadband privacy rules that would have forced ISPs to be transparent about what data was collected and sold, and to whom. The rules would have also required that consumers opt in before ISPs and mobile carriers could share and sell more sensitive financial data.

But in 2017 the House and Senate voted to eliminate those rules at the behest of industry, opening the door to years of additional abuse by the sector.

March 2017: The Equifax hack heard around the world

The last decade saw no shortage of breaches that exposed mountains of personal data, be it the hack of Marriott (500 million customers), Adult Friend Finder (412.2 million users) or EBay (145 million). But none highlighted corporate incompetence or government fecklessness quite like the 2017 hack of Equifax, which exposed the financial data of 145 million Americans.

In part because data would later reveal that Equifax knew about the vulnerability and did nothing about it. But also because the punishment doled out by the FTCwhich included a $125 cash payout that disappeared when consumers went to collect itshowcased a feckless government incapable and unwilling to seriously rein in corporate Americas incompetence and greed.

2018: Facebook lets Cambridge Analytica abuse your private data

While Cambridges abuse of Facebook data was first reported in 2015, it wasnt until 2018 that people realized the full scope of the problem. For years Facebook casually allowed third-party app-makers unfettered access to consumer datasets, allowing outfits like Cambridge to weaponize your personal information in the lead up to the 2016 election.

Privacy experts like Gaurav Laroia tell Motherboard that pound for pound, no event in the last decade had as much of an impact on public perception as Facebooks epic face plant.

The Cambridge Analytical scandal had the right combination of scale, malfeasance, and consequence to sear into everyday Americans how companies like Facebook sell access to our personal information and how dangerous that can be, Laroia said.

That a researcher was able to take the profile information of tens of millions of Americans and sell it to an unscrupulous company with little consequence, in violation of an agreement with Facebook, showed how industry self-regulation has failed and why the government must act to protect our privacy, he added.

2019: Wireless carriers busted selling your cell phone location data

Thanks in no small part to Congress decision to kill FCC broadband privacy rules in 2017, theres been little penalty for telecom giants that abuse your private information. Case in point: Motherboards blockbuster January, 2019 investigation showing that wireless carriers routinely sell your every waking movement to a wide variety of often dubious middlemen.

The investigation resulted in numerous calls for action by politicians like Senator Ron Wyden, though to date nobodybe it the FCC or Congresshas actually lifted a finger to stop the practice or forced the deletion of decades worth of your daily location data.

The decades theme couldnt be more obvious: either via corruption, incompetence, or apathy, giant corporations routinely pay empty lip service to consumer privacy, before engaging in face plant after face plant. Just as often, the governments response to a chorus line of piracy scandals has ranged from underwhelming to nonexistent.

Part of the problem is US regulators enjoy a tiny fraction of the resources given to privacy regulators overseas, and thanks to industry lobbying, the U.S. still lacks any kind of meaningful privacy law for the internet era. While efforts are afoot to change that, a cross-industry coalition of lobbyists is working hard to ensure this dysfunctional status quo never changes.

See the rest here:

The Decade We Learned Theres No Such Thing as Privacy Online - VICE

McKean County man serves and protects as a dog handler in the U.S. Navy – Olean Times Herald

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Master-at-Arms 3rd Class James Lingerfelter has found a way to combine a love of animals and an interest in law enforcement in a job that takes him around the world.

Lingerfelter is a dog handler with the U.S. Navy, currently stationed in Italy, but from there he can be deployed with his canine to support missions in places across Europe or in Asia or Africa.

A 2015 Kane (Pa.) Area High School graduate, Lingenfelter enlisted in the U.S. Navy in August 2015.

I wanted to use the Navy as a stepping stone to get into the Pennsylvania State Police, a goal which Lingenfelter said is still his ambition. He enlisted to be a master-at-arms military police in the U.S. Navy.

For me, I always liked dogs and animals in general, said Lingenfelter, who is an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing. He learned to hunt with dogs when he was growing up and finds that the drive hunting dogs have is the same that military dogs have.

Its just one big game for them, he said.

The dog that Lingenfelter is currently working with is a 3-year-old German shepherd named Vicki that has been with the Navy in Italy since February 2016.

This was her first command, he noted.

One big misconception he encounters is that military dogs follow their handlers, but that is not the case, Lingenfelter said. He explained that when he leaves NSA Naples, Vicki will stay there, and he will be paired with a new dog at his next assignment.

The military canines are trained to find various substances, a task which can also be used for deterrence purposes, he said, explaining that when people see one of the dogs at work, it keeps them on their toes.

Lt. Commander Lenaya Rotklein, a public relations officer with the Navy, explained that military working dogs (MWD) receive special training for different tasks that can include drug detection, finding explosives and even finding humans.

Lingenfelter said he is proud to serve the nation and explained that what makes him really proud is being able to do things that most people wouldnt, especially the work he does with the military working dogs.

He is a protector part of a group that is putting ourselves in harms way so other people dont have to. In his role as a dog handler, his team looks for potential dangers before sending others in to the front line.

Being a dog handler is a different specialization than he was in when he first enlisted.

Lingenfelter went to naval boot camp in October 2015, then on to Texas for technical school, where he learned his job of master-at-arms. He graduated from technical school that December and reported to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain at the beginning of 2016.

He stayed at NSA Bahrain for two years, working in antiterrorism and force protection, then reported to NSA Naples in February 2018. He spent a year doing law enforcement and force protection.

At the beginning of 2019, I started volunteering in my off-duty hours going into the kennels.

During that time, Lingenfelter was getting to know the military dog system better and prove myself to the handlers that were my mentors.

In June, he was sent for a handlers course in Texas. He graduated in August and reported back to Italy.

Im still feeling it out and Im loving every bit of it because its so brand new to me, Lingenfelter said.

Lingenfelter may be traveling the world now, but he still has strong ties to McKean County.

His mother and father, Donna and Philip Lingenfelter, live in Kane, and his wife, Taylor, lives in Bradford.

His mother was originally from Shinglehouse and his father from Emporium.

We moved to Kane when I was about 5 years old, he said.

Being away from rural Pennsylvania for a year at a time makes him more aware of his love for the area when he visits.

Its such a beautiful place that we live in, Lingenfelter said.

Being home also reminds him why his work in the military is so important: We do the things that we do in order so that we can have that at home.

Lingenfelter noted he was big into football when he was in high school, serving as a starter for three years, a defensive MVP in District 9 his senior year and an all-star player in 2013 and 2014. He played in the Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic football game in 2015 and was a defensive MVP for the Big 30 team.

He wrestled and played baseball in Kane as well.

Originally posted here:

McKean County man serves and protects as a dog handler in the U.S. Navy - Olean Times Herald

NSA O’Brien on North Korea: ‘We Have a Lot of Tools in Our Toolkit’ – MRCTV

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

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National Security Advisor Robert OBrien said Sunday the U.S. was closely monitoring developments in North Korea and was concerned about the situation, but also had a lot of tools in our toolkit and was able to bring more pressure to bear in the event of a provocation.

MRCTV Reader,

The liberal media are terrified of the truth, especially when it leads to uncomfortable questions about their own leftist worldview.

MRCTV is the multimedia division of MRC featuring original content and aggregated videos of the news, people, and events conservatives care about.

MRCTV relies on the support of our loyal readers (and video viewers) to keep providing the news and commentary that matter to the American people, not just stories that prop up the liberal agenda.

Make a donation today. Just $15 a month would make a tremendous impact and enable us to keeping shining the light where the liberal media are afraid to tread.

The MRCTV Team

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On CAA and Article 370, former NSA Shivshankar Menon warns India of international isolation – Scroll.in

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon on Friday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act and the withdrawal of special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution had led to India being isolated from the international community, even by its traditional allies, the Hindustan Times reported.

There has been no meaningful international support for this series of actions, apart from a few committed members of the diaspora and a ragtag bunch of Euro MPs from the extreme right, Menon said at an event in New Delhi. He said many world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and even King Harald V of Norway have criticised Indias actions.

Merkel had on November 1, during a visit to India, said that the present situation in Kashmir is not sustainable.

We seem to know that we are isolated, Menon said, referring to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankars decision to skip a meeting with the foreign affairs committee in the United States due to the presence of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who has been critical of Indias actions in Kashmir.

Menon added that Jayapals resolution on Kashmir, urging India to end the communications blockade as quickly as possible, and ensure religious freedom for all, had been now has 29 co-sponsors, including Republican Party members. He said this list includes the only Indian-origin lawmaker who attended the Howdy Modi conference in September, Raja Krishnamoorthi.

Menon said that India was violating Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it had signed, by passing the Citizenship Amendment Act. We seem to be in violation of our international commitments, he said. You must consider the political and other consequences of being perceived as violators of international law.

The former national security advisor said that India, along with Pakistan, now has an image of a religiously driven and intolerant country. We have gifted our adversaries platforms from which to attack us, he added.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, approved by Parliament on December 11, makes citizenship smoother for refugees from six minority religious communities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, provided they have lived in India for six years and entered the country before December 31, 2014. The Act has been widely criticised for excluding Muslims, leading to protests against it. At least 26 people have died so far in protests against the Act, which have turned violent at times.

Go here to read the rest:

On CAA and Article 370, former NSA Shivshankar Menon warns India of international isolation - Scroll.in

NSA ‘cautious’ response to UK farm funding – The Scottish Farmer

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

SHEEP FARMERS are 'not feeling at all reassured' about the UK government's long-term plans for agricultural support.

The National Sheep Association 'cautiously' welcomed Westminster's announcement regarding funding for agriculture in coming years, but noted that it indicated a reduction in 2021/22.

We welcome the announcement of allocated agricultural funding in 2020," said NSA chief executive Phil Stocker. "Knowing the money is ring fenced and secure offers reassurance for our industry in the coming year as the Government strives to build strong and reliable free trade agreements with the EU and other countries, which benefit industry and support UK production.

However, this is just the first year of a significant transition, and we are not feeling at all reassured by the indicated reduction of funds allocated for 2021/2022," said Mr Stocker. "We are still facing much uncertainty about whether beneficial trade agreements can be struck in time and, if not, we will again be facing the detrimental prospect of WTO tariffs from the beginning of 2021.

Seeing allocated support dropping during that period of uncertainty is not desirable and we hope Government will recognise this and deliver on its promises of stability throughout 2020 and to recognise the important and valuable work our farmers are doing already to provide public goods and food security for the country.

See the rest here:

NSA 'cautious' response to UK farm funding - The Scottish Farmer

The 7 Best Chess Moments Of 2019 – Chess.com

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

2019 was a great year for chess.

While many chess fans are ready to jump right into 2020 and the world championship drama, let's take a moment on this last day of 2019 to appreciate the best chess had to offer this year.

For much of 2019, the world's top chess players battled to qualify for the 2020 Candidates' Tournament, and it came down to the wire for the full field to emerge. The championship cycle is now set for 2020 and chess fans can hardly wait.

There were some exciting developments in computer chess (a personal favorite), including the ascent of neural-network chess engines like Lc0 to the top of the pack.

The year also saw another big leap forward for online chess coverage, with more in-person tournaments and online events streamed and professionally broadcast by the Chess.com mega-hype team.

A living chess legend, Vladimir Kramnik, proposed an exciting rule change to chess. And in the last days of 2019, the current world chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, continued his dominance of the year (and decade, and century...) by holding all three major world chess championships: classical, rapid and blitz.

So how do all these great things stack up?

Here's our ranking of the sevenbest chess moments of 2019:

When: May 2019

What happened:

Led by the super-GM and 2020 world championship candidate Fabiano Caruana, the Arch Bishops claimed their second PRO Chess League title in three years with a dominating win over the Baden-Baden Snowballs.

The Arch Bishops played the live semifinals and finals in San Francisco with strength from top-to-bottom boards, but it was Caruana's scorching 7.5/8 score for the weekend that sealed the victory.

Further reading:

When: November 2019

What happened:

Vladimir Kramnik, one of the greatest world chess champions of all time, retired from competitive chess in 2019. But he wasn't done making chess headlines.

Last month, Kramnik proposed an elegant and simple solution to boring draws and repetitive openings in top-level chess: Get rid of castling.

Kramnik tested his rule change with another chess legend, the neural-network chess engineAlphaZero. Kramnik and AlphaZero ownerDeepMind collaborated to produce beautiful sample games where the artificial intelligence chess project played itself without castling allowed.

Further reading:

When:2019, ongoing

What happened:

The Chess.com Speed Chess Championship expanded to include women's and junior events in addition to its main bracket of the world's top speed chess players.

The biggest underdog in the field, GM Elina Danielian, ran through the women's bracket to claim the title. And it would be an understatement to call Wei Yi a rising star, since he already is star (full stop), but the Chinese prodigy won the Junior Speed Chess Championship all the same.

The main Speed Chess Championship bracket had its share of upsets and brilliancies, highlighted by the 21-year-old Vladislav Artemievdispatching two speed chess legendsAlexander Grischuk and Levon Aronianby the same dominating score of 16-9, before falling in the semifinals to Wesley So.

At press time, three super-grandmasters remain in the Speed Chess field. So is through to the finals, while the reigning champion Hikaru Nakamura will need to get past Ian Nepomniachtchiin their semifinal match before he can defend his title against So.

Nakamura vs. Nepomniachtchi is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 5 at 8.am PST on Chess.com/TV.

Further reading:

When:April 2019

What happened:

Was it any surprise?

Hikaru Nakamura, already the long-reigning Speed Chess Champion, added another online chess title to his resume with a win in the first Chess.com Bullet Chess Championship.

Nakamura, the heavy favorite going into the tournament, defeated Oleksandr Bortnyk to clinch the championship. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave finished in third place in the loaded championship field.

Further reading:

When:April 2019

What happened:

Lc0, an open-source project using machine learning to train a neural-network chess engine, rose to the top of the computer chess world by defeating the champion Stockfish in the Chess.com Computer Chess Championship.

It marked the first time a neural-network engine had beaten Stockfish in a championship event, proving that artificial-intelligence-based chess engines could play better than the traditional engines, which had been the kings of chess for the past two decades.

Stockfish, though, soon took back the championship from Lc0, and these two engines will battle with many others in the coming decade to determine the best chess-playing entity in the world.

Further reading:

When:November 2019

What happened:

Wesley So became the first officially-recognized champion of Fischer Random chess, beating the classical chess world championMagnus Carlsen in the finals of a groundbreaking event played both online on Chess.com and in-person in Norway under the FIDE (World Chess Federation) banner.

So pulled off the upset of the heavily-favored Carlsen in a shocking runaway, winning 13.5 to 2.5, ending the match early before the scheduled blitz games.

The tournament was a fan-favorite for its energetic games and exciting starting positions, showing that Fischer Random chess will have a bright future in the 2020s.

Further reading:

When:December 2019

What happened:

The reigning classical world chess champion Magnus Carlsen won both the world rapid and blitz championships at the end of the year to once again hold all three major titles in a tremendous feat of chess dominance.

Carlsen is now the world champion in the three most important forms of chess (and he just missed a fourth, finishing second to Wesley So in the Fischer Random championship). With the wins, Carlsen further secured his legacy as one of the greatest chess players ever.

With another title defense in the 2020 world chess championship, Carlsen could finally shed that "one of" clause and become simply the greatest of all timeif he is not already.

Further reading:

Let us know your favorite chess moments of the year in the comments.

And before you sign off for the year, take a look at some more of our best-of-2019 content:

The 7 Best Chess Moments Of 2019 - Chess.com

Koneru Humpy: Back to the forefront – Deccan Herald

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

It is ironical that despite shattering many chess records and being the strongest and the highest-rated women chess player (Judit Polgar is the highest-rated player ever but played only in Open section) for many years, a World title proved elusive for 32-year-old Koneru Humpy. Incredibly, it came her way at Moscow when she triumphed in the Womens World Rapid Chess Championship last week after starting as the 13th seed.

The youngest ever to win a World junior title at 14 years, the youngest woman in the world to earn the GM title at that time, Asian Champion, British Womens Champion and numerous titles in Age Categories, none doubted that winning the Womens World Championship would be a natural transgression for Humpy. One of her best performances was at the North Urals Cup, Russia which featured the top ten women players of that time.

Her troubled equation with AICF (Indian chess federation) resulted in her missing a few prestigious events. In fact, in 2015 AICF moved the FIDE Ethics Commission to ban Humpy and take necessary action against her and strip her of the GM and other titles after she withdrew midway through the Commonwealth Championship. It was the Association of Chess Professionals which stood strongly behind Humpy and asked FIDE for a fair enquiry.

Always calm, shy and soft spoken, Humpy always keeps a low profile off-board but once at the chequered board, her personality undergoes a dramatic transformation.

Her brand of fighting chess, dislike for any short draws, made her a feared opponent. Returningbackto chess after two years, after the birth of her daughter, her recent triumph might just spur her on to settle some unfinished business -- that of winning the Womens World Chess Championship. Excerpts...

Your thoughts on this Womans World Rapid chess title?

To be honest, I didnt think that a gold medal and title would come my way when I started the event. I had modest expectations of a medal of any hue. It is no secret that I am more a classical player and the shorter time control formats have never really been my cup of tea. After glancing at the final 12thround pairings, I realised that I had an opportunity to secure silver if I beat Tan Zhongyi. I had the advantage of the White pieces and refused a draw offer and went on to win the game to force a tie for top place. At this point I realised that I had a golden opportunity though it would not be too easy. Adapting to the Blitz format was not easy and I ended up losing the first tie-break because of slow play, that too with the White pieces. I opted for the Modern Defence and tried to complicate as the pressure was high to score a win and stay in the hunt for the title. This was literally a game where I gambled! After winning the game and forcing a tie, the Armageddon too was taxing but by then I was comfortable with the time and position both! It was just my day. After so many years of hard work, finally a World Champion title as a reward. I was so happy and relieved to finally, finally have the tag of World Champion.

Did you make any specific preparation for the World Championship?

I hardly had time as I played the Grand Prix at Monaco where I finished second. There was a 10-day break in between but I played the European Club Cup. With so manybacktobackevents, it was difficult to specifically prepare for this event.

Your father Ashok has been your only coach. Does he still continue to be so?

It has been a while since we stopped working at the board as for the last few years I am preparing on my own. He is more of a mentor and guide now. We discuss strategy for the tournament and things like which opening to play and other things. The fundamentals ingrained by my father have been very strong and have stood the test of time.

From 2007 you were practically the highest rated woman player for a few years, yet the World title eluded you. Do you wonder why?

Yes, I do think it really appears strange. On hindsight, I feel like I played my best chess ever in World championships but the title never came my way and the best I managed was a bronze. I kept getting knocked out. Maybe I was unlucky. We dont know what life will throw at us in the future. We can only focus on doing our job to the best of our ability and see what comes our way.

How much time do you devote to chess?

It used to be a tough, disciplined grind of 8 to 10 hours every day without a break -- even on Sunday. I would spend half a day working on chess. Now I spend about three to four hours every day. After the arrival of my daughter, things have changed. I no longer work on festivals and few other days. I have to do a balancing act but I never miss any opportunity that I can spend working on chess.

How much had chess changed after your comeback?

There are a lot of changes. I realised that most of the preparation I had done a couple of yearsbackor earlier was not at all useful or had become redundant. With powerful engines, chess has changed. Younger generation play the best possible opening. When I became a GM, we did not have such exposure to technology. These days if you dont become a GM by 12 or 13 years then there is virtually no future for you as a chess player.

How do you look at the current crop of youngsters?

When I made a comeback at Gibraltar, I met a few of them, most of them just 15 or 16 years old and already enjoying an Elo 2500 to 2600 rating. Frankly, I am overawed and sometimes I feel that I am already a veteran!

Which are your next events and are you expecting invitations to niche events?

Nothing is planned yet but maybe February or March. I have received a few invitations but I have become a bit choosy now. I cannot play all events but play in all official FIDE events. This title has sort of rekindled my hunger for winning a World Womens title.

Originally posted here:

Koneru Humpy: Back to the forefront - Deccan Herald

Lockdown lifted at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit after threats – Detroit Free Press

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

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Detroit police said the incident happened due to a psychiatric patient at the hospital attempting to leave.

A link has been sent to your friend's email address.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Patients and staff at ahospital on Detroit's east sidebriefly thought they were in danger Friday afternoon after someone made shooting and bomb threats.

A psychiatric patient attempting to leave Ascension St. John called the Detroit police and made the threat against the hospital, according to authorities.

Police said the hospital was on lockdown, but was unsure for how long, or the exact time of when the call was made.

An investigation is ongoing.

More: Warren De La Salle lockdown lifted after bomb threat 'not deemed credible'

More: Richmond school district shuts down in ransomware cyberattack

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Lockdown lifted at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit after threats - Detroit Free Press

BUSINESS BEAT: Chamber and Ascension Michigan hosting wellness workshop – WTVB News

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Workshop open to Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce members only

Friday, January 03, 2020 7:46 a.m. EST by Jim Measel

COLDWATER - (WTVB) - The Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce and Ascension Michigan at Work will be hosting a workshop for Chamber members only next Thursday, January ninth that shows the importance of wellness in the workplace.

The workshop at the Chamber office on South Division starts at 12:00 noon and space is limited to 16 registrants.

The workshop is designed to show how creating a positive company culture focused on well being can create cohesiveness in a company.

There are still a few spots left. Chamber members can register on line at http://www.coldwaterchamber.com.

Jim Measel

Jim Measel is a Detroit native and a proud 1975 Redford Thurston High School graduate. He first came to WTVB in 1991 and has nearly 40 years of broadcasting experience in news and sports. Besides covering local high school sports, Jim has also covered Western Michigan University basketball and hockey as well as Hillsdale College football games. Some professional stops include working at radio stations in Indiana, Charlotte and Lansing as well as the Michigan Radio Network. He has also earned Associated Press awards for news coverage and sports play-by-play. Jim's favorite career highlights include interviewing such figures as Gordie Howe, Sparky Anderson, Tom Izzo, Bo Schembechler, Isiah Thomas, Vice-President Mike Pence, Lee Greenwood and Regis Philbin. When he is not working, Jim enjoys watching the Chicago Cubs and can rest in peace as they won the World Series. He also hopes the Lions will be able to get a chance to win a superbowl.

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BUSINESS BEAT: Chamber and Ascension Michigan hosting wellness workshop - WTVB News

Bernhard Capital investing in Ascension sewer company – Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Baton Rouge-based private equity firm Bernhard Capital Partners announced today it is making a major investment in Ascension Wastewater Treatment, the largest private provider of sewer services in that parish, with more than 16,000 households.

The firm declines to say how much it is investing in the company, but BCP principal Jeff Jenkins describes the deal as a significant investment a partnership.

The announcement comes as BCPs plans to partner with Ascension Parish on the development of a new parishwide sewer system are up in the air.

On Dec. 20, the Ascension Parish Council voted to defer until at least late January a vote on a 30-year contract with a BCP-created company, Ascension Sewer, that planned to invest some $225 million developing a new parishwide system. The dealwhich would be done in partnership with Ascension Wastewater Treatmentwould effectively consolidate the splintered wastewater treatment delivery systems that have proved problematic for the rapidly growing Ascension.

BCP worked with the outgoing parish administration on the deal for a year and pushed it as a way to not only upgrade the aging system but address looming environmental issues that could ultimately force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to get involved.

But members of the incoming parish administration and council began questioning the terms of the deal, which they say lacked key specifics and stood to benefit Ascension Sewer at the expense of parish ratepayers. If approved, residential ratepayers would see their monthly sewer bill increase nearly $60, while commercial customers would see an even bigger rate increase.

Jenkins says the deal with the parish is not dead and BCP is optimistic it will ultimately go forward. But he acknowledges that if the new administration chooses to renegotiate the terms of the deal, it may no longer make sense for the BCP investors who are behind Ascension Sewer.

In the meantime, the firms investment in Ascension Wastewater Treatment, which Jenkins says would have happened under the deal with the parish anyway, makes sense for BCP.

We are focused on building more investments in municipal-type regulated utilities, he says. We like the regulated utility business.

While that may be, BCP has had trouble getting established in the utilities sector. In late 2018, Lafayette rejected a deal that would have given a BCP-owned company management of the Lafayette Utility System.

Though the Ascension and Lafayette deals hit snags for very different reasons, both underscore the challenges the private equity firm continues to face as it attempts to move into the space.

Jenkins acknowledges the deals are complex and take a lot of work and effort to put together. But he believes the country is at a tipping point, where more private-sector partners will be needed to invest in aging utility infrastructure.

Communities need capital but people dont want to raise taxes and the feds are not going to have an infrastructure bill, he says. So we think there is going to be a lot of opportunity to do these types of projects.

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Bernhard Capital investing in Ascension sewer company - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

Whatll Happen In The Next Decade? Here Are 9 Predictions For The 2020s – Forbes

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Dont take too seriously any speculations about what the next decade will hold. Be ready for another wave of astounding, unforeseen events. Who in 2000 could have foreseen 9/11 or the economic crisis of 2008? Or the election of our first African-American president? Who in 2010 could have predicted the rise of political populism and the ascension of Donald Trump, Brexit or the aggressive foreign policies of China and Russia? Or the general breakdown in recent years of the post-WWII order that led to the avoidance of another global conflict and created conditions for the stunning rise in global living standards? (Over 1 billion people have emerged from dire poverty in the new millennium; thats 137,000 people a day.) Or that billions of people would possess handheld devices that are virtually supercomputers? Or that Hong Kong would be rocked by pro-democracy demonstrations for months on end, which could, in the goodness of time, have profound repercussions in China itself?

Nonetheless, despite the futures impenetrable fog, the itch to predict is irresistible. So here goes, in a few categories.

Healthcare will experience enormous Uber/Lyft-like upheavals, providing entrepreneurs with an astounding array of opportunities. The fundamental problem in this immense sector is the lack of free markets. The system has been dominated by third partiesinsurers, government and employers. In what other industry, for instance, would government feel compelled, as the Trump administration has begun to do, to require providers to post prices?!?

The prime propellant for radical change is the rapid rise of high-deductible company insurance plans. The amounts of money people are paying out-of-pocket for medical expenses is fast approaching the size of the U.S. travel industry. Services providing price comparisons for various tests and procedures are coming, big-time. So are metrics that will enable patients to compare outcomes at various clinics and hospitals. Free markets will do what governments have never been able to do with their top-down, regulatory initiatives: provide more and better healthcare at less cost.

Previously, there was no competitive advantage in adopting innovations such as telemedicine, electronic records and warranties for procedures. This burgeoning consumerism will also lead to faster adoption of breakthroughs. Such market-oriented pressures will see most general hospitals evolve into specialized treatment centers or disappear altogether. The political fallout from this will be immense.

In addition, expect big breakthroughs in cures (especially for Alzheimers), in cheap, personal and convenient delivery systems and in sweeping changes in how pharmaceuticals are manufactured.

Current thinking about tax and monetary policies will be obliterated. No sane person would posit that constantly changing weights and measures, such as the number of inches in a foot, the number of minutes in an hour, the number of ounces in a pound or the size of a gallon would stimulate the marketplace. Yet thats exactly what central banks do with money, which is supposed to measure value. Unstable currencies hinder progress, because they inhibit investment, the key to higher standards of living; instability makes people concerned about preserving what they have, so they put their money into hard assets like gold, silver, land or houseswhich is exactly what happened during the run up to 2008, after the U.S. deliberately weakened the dollar.

Heres a prediction no one else will make: By 2030 countries will be adopting the gold standard, the method for monetary soundness that has worked for 4,000 years.

Another economic idiocy that will go by the boards is the idea that taxes dont much effect economic performance. Taxes are a price and burden. A light burden lets commerce flourish.

As unlikely as it may seem with every candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination advocating higher levies on more and more things and activities, a growing number of governments in coming years will move in the opposite direction, reducing tax rates to generate growth and, yes, more revenue.

The Magic Formula, a recent book by Forbes.com contributor Nathan Lewis, demonstrates conclusively that throughout recorded history economies that have low tax regimes and sound currencies end up doing better than those that dontalways. This book will become the bible for a new generation of policymakers.

The way governments engage in regulation will dramatically change. Since the 1960s, the U.S. has experienced an unrelenting tsunami of rules spurred by the spurious notion that precise rules can be written to cover every conceivable contingency in life, thereby removing imperfect human judgment. The result has been a diminution, especially in government, of responsibility for actually getting things done.

Watch for this regime of suffocating rules to be replaced by one of simple principles or goals. It will be up to those affected to find the best ways to achieve a given task. If the results are found to be lacking, those in charge will suffer the consequences. No crying, But we followed the rules! Australia, for example, replaced hundreds of pages of nursing home regulations with a few pages of principles, and the outcome was excellent.

Expect dramatic changes in higher education, galvanized by the scandalous explosion in student debt. Unending increases in college sticker prices will cease, as people focus on the bloating of higher-ed bureaucracies and as institutions are forced to share some of the liability for loans to their students. This will help deal with another scandal: the pitiful graduation rate of students, even within six years. Purdue, under its president, Mitch Daniels, is a pioneer here: The total cost for a student at Purdue today is lower than it was in 2013, when Daniels took office.

Young people will feel less pressure to go to college after high school and instead will pursue good-paying jobs where shortages exist. The presence of online courses will enable them to pursue additional education when they want to.

Of course, there will be crises and challenges.

There will be plenty of issues to roil American politics. These will include things before us today, such as climate policies, identity politics, campus free speech, and coming to grips with how to better mainstream the growing numbers of released prisoners. The 2020 elections, despite a rather uninspiring beginning, will see the start of a profound debate about what kind of country we are to become. This isnt unprecedented. Weve had such soul of America events in the 1850s, the 1890s, the 1930s and, to a lesser extent, the 1970s.

Current concerns over privacy will pale in comparison to the worries coming as we realize the implications of the rise of the surveillance state. In China soon a persons every move in every place every day will be recorded and preserved forever. In freer countries people will still experience the increased recording of their everyday moves. A ripe market will arise for devices that can disrupt ubiquitous nano-cameras.

The world will watch to see if India, a diverse and multicultural state if there ever was one, can hold together in the face of rising Hindu nationalism. If this goes wrong, the ramifications will have international repercussions.

Drug lords will control a growing portion of Mexico unless we find grassroots ways to lessen drug use here in the U.S.

Despite growing use of windmills and solar energy, global consumption of fossil fuels will expand enormously as China, India and other developing countries see car and truck unit sales mushroom by the tens of millions. Electricity will still be generated predominantly by fossil fuelsunless massive high-tech breakthroughs arise. Which, in this ever-unpredictable world, cannot be ruled out.

Bottom line: Such crystal-balling will be quickly outdated by actual events.

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Whatll Happen In The Next Decade? Here Are 9 Predictions For The 2020s - Forbes

DA: Judge recused herself due to relationship with Assumption chief deputy; judge disputes claim – The Advocate

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

District Attorney Ricky Babin has told about 20 Assumption Parish criminal defendants that the judge overseeing their cases has disclosed a personal relationship with a top deputy in the parish Sheriffs Office and that disclosure could benefit their cases.

A draft of the letter Babins office sent to the defendants and their lawyers says Judge Jessie LeBlanc of the 23rd Judicial District disclosed a relationship with Chief Criminal Deputy Bruce Prejean when she recused herself from signing a warrant for an arrest in a narcotics case.

We have no information as to the nature of the personal relationship which would require recusal, nor do we have any information on the length or duration of the personal relationship, the letter adds.

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LeBlanc gives a much narrower explanation. She told WBRZ, which first reported the issue, that she recused herself because she once gave a job reference to an undercover sheriffs agent who is Prejeans close relative.

After 16 years as Assumption Parish sheriff, Mike Waguespack retired suddenly Wednesday, saying he has accepted a job with a private firm.

"I felt it necessary to clarify that my recusal in this matter stems from the fact that my prior employment recommendation for the undercover agent would be a conflict at future stages of the proceedings," she wrote.

Tyler Cavalier, a spokesman for Babin, said Monday night that prosecutors are still trying to determine the extent of the affected cases and suggested there could be more. The defendants who have been sent the letters include some facing murder charges.

The letter says that LeBlanc has never previously disclosed such a relationship with Prejean to Babin's office, and she has not recused herself from any other matter involving the Sheriff's Office since she became judge.

LeBlanc said that she was not told about Babin's letter in advance, has never received a copy of it and only learned on Dec. 27 about the letter and what it says that she disclosed to sheriff's deputies.

Under the law, judges review arrest warrants and determine if detectives have gathered enough information to have probable cause for an arrest. LeBlanc added she doesn't ever recall seeing an undercover agent's name on other narcotics warrants but this one did have one when it arrived on her desk in November.

"I felt it would be prudent to have another judge consider the warrant due to my concern regarding the unusual circumstance of identifying an undercover officer by name," her statement said.

LeBlanc is a native of Ascension Parish and lists her home in Gonzales but is one of five judges serving in a three-parish judicial district that covers Assumption, Ascension and St. James parishes. Her primary office is in Napoleonville and has counted on her personal ties in Assumption as part of her electoral base.

She did not return a phone call and text message for comment Monday evening.

GONZALESThe Ascension Parish Council is poised to consider a contested 30-year contract Friday night that would consolidate sewer service i

Prosecutors said Tuesday that Babin made a required disclosure to the defendants after being informed about LeBlanc's recusal by the Sheriff's Office and that the office was his source of the information about the judge's comments.

In the statement Monday night, Sheriff Leland Falcon said that his staffers initially informed him that the judge had declined to sign the warrant and, "as obligated by law," "immediately conferred" with Babin and "accurately and thoroughly advised him of Judge LeBlanc's disclosure."

Falcon, in the prepared statement and then in an interview Tuesday, said that he also spoke with LeBlanc personally and he is certain the reason that she gave him for her recusal was her relationship with Bruce Prejean and not the undercover agent.

"It was a very clear conversation," Falcon said.

His statement added that LeBlanc "did not elaborate on that relationship."

But Falcon said that he has also spoken with Prejean, a longtime deputy in the Sheriff's Office who predates the sheriff's tenure and served a few months as interim sheriff before Falcon was sworn in.

Falcon said Prejean told him that he and LeBlanc had a close, platonic friendship that dates back to her time as the hearing officer for the 23rd Judicial District Court before she became a judge.

Falcon said he wouldn't see that kind of friendship as necessarily creating a reason for LeBlanc to recuse herself. Falcon said he has not taken action against Prejean at this point, waiting to find out more information, but Falcon said he believed he was obligated to report the judge's recusal to Babin because of what LeBlanc told him.

"I have worked closely with the District Attorney's Office and other members of the judiciary to specifically provide all information I possessed as it relates to this important issue," Falcon wrote.

The new Assumption Parish Sheriff, Leland Falcon, will be sworn in Wednesday, earlier than originally planned, following the resignation of fo

When asked, Falcon also added that it is not uncommon for undercover agents to put their names on arrest warrants, saying some do and some don't. He said that after seeing LeBlanc's statement to the media, his deputies were able to find another warrant that she had signed previously that had the agent's name on it.

LeBlanc's telling of her conversation with Falcon contradicts what the sheriff says happened. LeBlanc says that Falcon inquired with her after she had asked a detective to present the warrant to another judge. She says she told the sheriff her potential conflict stemmed from the undercover agent.

"I explained to Sheriff Falcon that I voluntarily recused myself from signing the warrant because I have known this particular agent since before his career in law enforcement ever began," she wrote. "Moreover, I provided a recommendation and character reference for the undercover agent when he was applying for employment outside the field of law enforcement."

She added that her recommendation of the undercover agent was "clearly an opinion regarding his credibility and character" and that she asked the arrest warrant be considered by another judge.

GONZALES The two-person race for the Division D seat in the 23rd Judicial District is coming down to a debate over which candidate has the ri

A Republican, Leblanc has been judge since she won a special election in March 2012 against Republican lawyer Matt Pryor to replace Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo. She was departing for the federal bench in New Orleans with three years left on her term. LeBlanc was reelected to a full, six-year term in 2014 without drawing an opponent.

LeBlanc was previously the judicial administrator for the 23rd Judicial District Court and, before that, was an assistant district attorney under former District Attorney Tony Falterman when Babin was also an assistant district attorney. For a time, Babin was Falterman's top assistant district attorney while LeBlanc was in the office.

GONZALES Jessie LeBlanc did not lose a precinct in Ascension Parish, and districtwide lost one precinct and tied in another in a Saturday el

Despite those connections earlier in her career, LeBlanc has issued several tough rulings against Babin's prosecutors in Ascension and St. James parishes that have rankled staffers in his office.

A state appellate court panel this week reinstated a five-count malfeasance in office indictment against a top official in the St. James Paris

Among them, she found in April 2017 that Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon committed prosecutorial misconduct in connection with corruption cases brought against now-outgoing St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel and his top aide, Blaise Gravois.

The ruling applied to Gravois' case only. LeBlanc threw out his charges, though an appellate panel later reinstated them but upheld the misconduct finding.

Prosecutors later accused her of bias. She withdrew from the case but disputed the bias claims.

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DA: Judge recused herself due to relationship with Assumption chief deputy; judge disputes claim - The Advocate

A woman in Indiana has done something almost unheard of she has given birth to twins born in different decades. – WCJB

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Twins with different birthdays is a rare occurrence. Twins with different birth years even more so. But a woman in Indiana has done something almost unheard of she has given birth to twins born in different decades.

We are still in shock, Dawn Gilliam, mother to the twins, told ABC News Indianapolis affiliate station WRTV alongside her partner Jason Tello at Ascension St. Vincent Carmel Hospital.

The twins also werent due for another 7 weeks so their special birthday was a big surprise to the parents.

"We were surprised how big they were," Gilliam said. "We joked about it before knowing that we were in labor."

Joslyn Grace Guilen Tello was born at 11:37 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2019 weighing 4 pounds 11 ounces and 17.9 inches long while her brother, Jaxon DeWayne Mills Tello was born exactly 30 minutes later on the next day, Jan. 1, 2020, weighing 4 pounds 4 ounces and 18.1 inches long.

Joslyn and Jaxons birthdays were also notable to Ascension St. Vincent Carmel because Joslyn was the very last baby born there in 2019 and Jaxon was the very first baby born there in 2020.

Joslyn, Jaxon, Jason and Dawn are all doing well.

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A woman in Indiana has done something almost unheard of she has given birth to twins born in different decades. - WCJB

Greenfield Barnes & Noble To Close, Health Center To Move In – Greenfield, WI Patch

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

GREENFIELD, WI Ascension Wisconsin announced plans to open a new health center in Greenfield. The health center will provide access to primary, specialty, hospital and emergency services.

The building where it will be located, 4935 S. 76th Street, is currently the home of a Barns and Noble bookstore. According to a Milwaukee Business Journal report, the bookstore will move out during the summer of 2020 when their lease on the property expires.

The new Ascension center will then move in. The project will create 50 to 70 new jobs. Construction is expected to begin in the spring, with a tentative opening of late summer 2021.

The 32,000-square-foot health center will house a small-scale hospital with emergency services and eight inpatient beds.

Ascension officials say the new hospital will operate 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year. It will be staffed by emergency medicine physicians, experienced nurses and clinical specialists

The facility will be fully licensed, CMS-accredited and in-network with most commercial providers. Medicaid and Medicare also will be accepted. This is the second facility of its kind that will be owned and operated under Ascension Wisconsin and Emerus' joint venture

Ascension Wisconsin will establish a primary and specialty care clinic and outpatient diagnostic imaging facility within the health center. Cardiology and electrophysiology will be provided to complement primary care services and the imaging center will include MRI, CT, ultrasound, mammography and x-ray services.

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Greenfield Barnes & Noble To Close, Health Center To Move In - Greenfield, WI Patch

Oshkosh area’s first baby of 2020 born at 1:42 a.m. in Ascension Mercy Hospital – Oshkosh Northwestern

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Hayden June was the first baby in Oshkosh born on New Years Day at Ascension Mercy Hospital.(Photo: Courtesy of Ascension Mercy Hospital.)

OSHKOSH Born at 1:42 a.m. on New Years Day, Hayden June Knickelbein rang in 2020 as the first baby born in Oshkosh this year.

She was born at Ascension Mercy Hospital to parents Amanda and Bryce. Hayden is their second child and first daughter.

Later on New Year'safternoon, Aurora Medical Center deliveredits first baby, also a girl named Gillyann Grace who was born at 2:20 p.m. to mom Kaitlyn Gilles of Oshkosh.

She weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounce and was 19 inches long, and has three older siblings.

Gillyann Grace was the first baby born at Aurora Medical Center on New Years.(Photo: Courtesy of Aurora Medical Center.)

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Oshkosh area's first baby of 2020 born at 1:42 a.m. in Ascension Mercy Hospital - Oshkosh Northwestern

The refugee crisis showed Europes worst side to the world – The Guardian

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

Over the last decade, migration has become an urgent political issue. The 2010s have been marked not only by the global movement of people across national borders but also attempts by governments to erect walls and fences in their path. Weve seen nationalism winning votes and the worldview of the far right mainstreamed.

Flow, flood and crisis. Media imagery and language has shaped public opinion. Of course, migration from the global south to the north intimately connected to the legacy of colonialism and the wests military machinations has been happening for decades. But the 2010s has seen a higher number of people from the south moving towards the north. In particular, Europe has seen hundreds of thousands of people from Africa, the Middle East and south Asia, fleeing chronic poverty, political instability, wars, and the climate crisis in countries often laid to ruin by western-backed institutions.

Libya had always been the migratory destination for many sub-Saharan Africans because of its employment opportunities. Following the suppression of the 2011 Arab spring and Natos intervention in Libya, a lawless society emerged, with racial hatred against sub-Saharan Africans unleashed. Many escaped forced labour and torture, climbed into dinghies and began the dangerous sea journey across the central Mediterranean. But when they landed in Europe, they didnt come to safety. Instead, they found themselves in the centre of a white, Eurocentric discourse a problem to be blamed for societys ills.

Throughout this time, when tens of thousands died at sea trying to reach Europe, Europe has imagined itself to be the victim of a migrant or refugee crisis. The concept of a crisis caused by the movement of people into the European continent has always been embedded in the Eurocentric way of seeing things. This rupture brought about by the arrival of the other creates anxiety and fear in the European mind, as the sociologist Encarnacin Gutirrez Rodrguez has pointed out thus the need to create neverending irrational, ideological justifications for that anxiety and fear.

This can be seen in the way migration into Europe has been portrayed as an invasion of different cultures and a clash of civilisations in a way that is similar to the justifications of the colonial era where the colonised were cast as racially inferior beings. Colonialism still casts its shadow over the immigration debate. For Europe, the other challenges its way of being as its presence is a reflection of Europes past imperialism, upon which much of the continents wealth was built.

In the past decade, weve seen anti-migrant policies and racism flourish across the world. The EU implemented the hotspot system, filtering people and categorising them as asylum seekers or economic migrants. Europes patrolling of its southern borders intensified, resulting in deals with Turkey and Libya. Since Italys then-interior minister Marco Minnitis agreement with Libya in 2017, Italy has supplied technical support to the Libyan coastguard, fending Africans away from European waters.

Restrictions were also imposed on NGO search-and-rescue activity in the Mediterranean. These policies under the centre-left Democratic party (PD) were later continued and elaborated on by the hard-right Matteo Salvini of the League from the summer of 2018 and now carry on under the PD/Five Star coalition. Thousands have died as a result.

Back in the 1970s, the critic and writer John Berger depicted Turkish migration to Germany in A Seventh Man, which charted migrant workers journeys in Europe through their departure, work and return. The return represented the future, where a worker could travel freely and see lives improved for his family when he visited home. But in the 2010s, this cycle has been disrupted many migrants and asylum seekers irregular status prevent them from visiting home. Instead, they are forced to live invisible lives, illegalised, entrapped and segregated.

In Britain, the Conservative government has persistently refused to receive refugees only 3% of asylum applications in Europe are lodged in Britain because refugees are commonly denied entry. In 2016, when the refugee numbers were at their highest across the continent, Britain only received 38,517 applications for asylum, compared with 722,370 applications in Germany, 123,432 in Italy and 85,244 in France. Britain, simply put, has one of the lowest refugee acceptance rates in Europe.

Plenty of efforts have also been made see the Home Offices hostile environment to make life unbearable for asylum seekers and migrants in Britain. Over the decade, I have witnessed asylum seekers leading a subhuman existence, deprived of rights to work (despite the substandard state support) and made to pay for healthcare. They live in desperate limbo, pushed into the world of exploitation and forced labour. As a Chinese builder said to me: If you didnt die in the back of a lorry, you could die working here.

And there are many migrants who are effectively imprisoned. Throughout this decade, I have visited many people detained in Dover and Yarls Wood removal centres, held without time limit, and despite committing no crime. Today, Britain remains the only European country to practice the indefinite detention of asylum seekers and migrants. Over this Christmas, 1,826 people were incarcerated in these centres.

While large numbers of people across the globe continue to be denied freedom of movement and illegalised, their determination to survive will not be defeated by walls and borders. Migrant protest movements such as the black vests (gilets noirs) in France and the black sardines (sardine nere) in Italy show that there is plenty of resolve and a willingness to fight back. We can join them by fighting for the regularisation of peoples immigration status but also by challenging the system that enables their marginalisation and racial segregation. We must offer a different way of seeing migration; a real alternative that addresses colonialism and the massively unequal world that it has created.

Hsiao-Hung Pai is a journalist and the author of Chinese Whispers: The Story Behind Britains Hidden Army of Labour

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The refugee crisis showed Europes worst side to the world - The Guardian

Turkey’s gambit in Libya could tear the country apart – The National

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

The battle for control of Libya is about to enter a new and potentially disastrous phase if Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, is given the go-ahead to proceed with his plan to deploy forces to Tripoli.

The long-running Libyan civil war, which has been raging since the overthrow of its dictator Col Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, is approaching a decisive phase, with forces led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar closing in on the capital.

Widely regarded as the leader who has the ability to restore order to this war-ravaged country, Field Marshal Haftar, who enjoys the backing of countries including Egypt and Russia, recently announced that his forces had launched their final battle for control of Tripoli.

The aim of the 76-year-old rebel commander is to remove the Government of National Accord, led by prime minister Fayez Al Sarraj and backed by the UN, and bring to an end its chaotic attempts to restore order to the country.

But the prospects of the long-running Libyan conflict being resolved any time in the near future could be seriously compromised if, as now seems likely, Mr Erdogan presses ahead with his proposal to send Turkish forces to Tripoli in support of the GNA. A bill has now been sent to the Turkish Parliament seeking approval for the deployment which, if granted, could see forces from the country arriving in Tripoli within the next few days.

Such a development would undoubtedly complicate efforts to resolve the dispute and might even result in an escalation of hostilities as Mr Erdogan, who increasingly sees himself as a major powerbroker in the Mediterranean, seeks to consolidate his influence over a key North African state.

Although the GNA is officially acting under the auspices of the UN, its abject failure to bring any sense of stability and security to the country has meant that it has very few international backers.

One of the main reasons the GNA has failed so miserably to assert its authority is because of the malign influence of groups, many of which have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Those with influence include Abdelhakim Belhaj, leader of the conservative Al Watan Party and former head of Tripoli Military Council. He was head of the defunct Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a group that previously campaigned for Qaddafi's overthrow and has been linked to the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in May 2017 that killed 23 people during a concert given by the American singer Ariana Grande.

Belhaj was named on the list of terrorists drawn up by Saudi Arabia at the start of the diplomatic dispute with Qatar in 2017.

Its association with known militants is one of the main factors for the GNA's failure to win international backing. To date the only countries actively supporting the GNA are Qatar, Turkey and Italy which, alone among the European nations, believes the body is the best means of protecting its extensive oil and gas interests in the North African state.

Mr Erdogans proposal to send troops in support of the GNA will, therefore, be seen as a desperate throw of the dice designed to save the Tripoli-based organisation from suffering certain defeat at the hands of Field Marshal Haftar.

Mr Erdogans move also needs to be seen in the context of Ankaras wider policy of seeking to expand its influence in the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa after the recent discovery of large undersea gasfields.

Turkey is concerned that it might end up being isolated if the four main beneficiaries of the gas discovery Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Greece are able to establish a co-operation mechanism to protect their energy assets in the region.

To this end, Ankara struck a deal with the GNA in November to create a strategic corridor that runs from Dalaman on Turkeys south-west coast and Derna on Libyas north-east coast.

The fact that the GNA does not even control the stretch of coast referred to in the deal, and that Field Marshal Haftar has refused to acknowledge the agreement, has not stopped Mr Erdogan from hailing the deal as a significant achievement in Ankaras attempts to protect its interests in the Mediterranean.

The deal has already provoked strong protests from Greece and Cyprus, which have a long history of territorial disputes with Turkey and claim the accord is void and violates the international law of the sea, while Egypt has called it illegal and not binding". During a December 12 summit, leaders of the EU issued a statement unequivocally siding with member states Greece and Cyprus.

Hence, Mr Erdogans plans to increase Ankaras ties with the GNA by sending forces to defend its interests not only risk causing a major escalation in the Libyan conflict, but could exacerbate tensions between Turkey and a range of other countries with competing interests in the region.

Turkeys deepening involvement in Libyas civil war could also have profound implications for the future stability of North Africa, as well as Europe. For a start, if Ankara succeeds in its aim to save the GNA and its associates, the most likely outcome for Libya will be the partition of the country between the area controlled by Field Marshal Haftar to the east and the remainder controlled by Tripoli to the west.

Such an outcome, though, would only further exacerbate tribal tensions in the region, potentially leading to a dramatic surge in the number of migrants seeking to make their way to Europe, thereby creating a migrant crisis not seen since the height of the Syrian crisis in the previous decade.

Con Coughlin is the Telegraphs defence and foreign affairs editor

Updated: January 5, 2020 11:30 AM

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Turkey's gambit in Libya could tear the country apart - The National

The 2010s have been the best decade for European populism to date – Daily Gaming Worlld

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

The rise of populist and anti-globalization sovereignty movements has been a defining feature of the past decade in Europe, from the Brexit vote to the emergence of new political parties across the continent.

Populist parties have existed in many European countries for decades, but apart from some, such as the Austrian Freedom Party under Jrg Haider in the early 2000s, few have enjoyed widespread popular support or held power within a national government before 2010.

The 2010s, triggered in large part by the 2015 European migrant crisis which saw more than a million asylum seekers flock to Europe after German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened borders, saw the creation or rise of anti-migration parties and movements whose main objective is sovereignty. for their nations.

In the UK, the Brexit movement saw its first big victory in the 2014 European Parliament elections when the UK Independence Party (UKIP) led by Nigel Farage became the first party other than Labor or Conservative to win a national election since 1906.

Farage: Let June 23 go down in history as our Independence Day https://t.co/XC1oCOHf8r pic.twitter.com/5vYmTJYDlp

Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 24, 2016

The victory largely influenced Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to call for a referendum on joining the European Union which saw 14.7 million people vote to leave the EU, so that Cameron resigns and Theresa May ends replace it.

While Prime Minister Theresa May spent years without success negotiating an EU exit deal that Parliament would approve, 2019 saw a second wave of Brexit victories, including another victory in the European Parliament elections for Nigel Farage, this time with the Brexit Party, and the national elections in December which saw a strong conservative majority for Boris Johnson who promised to finally deliver Brexit by the end of January 2020.

In Austria, the 2010s were a roller coaster for the Freedom Party (FP) which was able to win votes in each election until 2017, when the party, under the leadership of Heinz-Christian Strache, was able to form a coalition with the Austrian Peoples Party and its leader Sebastian Kurz.

AUSTRIA ELECTS LIVE WIRE: Exit polls indicate leftist parties suffer historic losses https://t.co/i5En2fbPUg pic.twitter.com/bBKHVKH5ay

Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 15, 2017

The coalition represented the first time that the FP had been part of a national government since Haiders time in the early 2000s. But the government, despite its popularity, was overthrown due to a scandal known as the Ibiza affair which led to the resignation of Strache as vice-chancellor and head of the FP.

The FP did not match its 2017 performance with its new leader and former presidential candidate Norbert Hofer, but remains an established force in Austrian politics.

Germany, which was the focal point of the migrant crisis due to the actions of Chancellor Merkel, saw the creation of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in 2013.

After the migrant crisis, the AfD recorded massive gains in regional elections, even defeating Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in its home state, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in September 2016.

The party had another solid result in the national elections in Germany in 2017, winning 12.6% of the vote and 94 seats in the German parliament and became the official opposition after the CDU formed a grand coalition with the social democrats. .

Massive anti-migration alternative for Germany now the most popular party in East Germany https://t.co/SmXf4FxN7a

Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 8, 2018

The AfD has become incredibly popular in former East Germany, recently showing strong performance in Brandenburg and Saxony in 2019 and at least one 2018 poll showed the party to be the most popular in the region.

For Hungary, the 2010s were undoubtedly the decade of Viktor Orban who has seen electoral victory after electoral victory since he became Prime Minister in 2010.

The Hungarian leader has also successfully led a campaign against the NGO empire of the left-wing American-Hungarian billionaire George Soros, who announced that he would move his foundations of the open society (OSF) from Budapest to Berlin in 2018.

Considered an example by many other pro-sovereignty parties in Europe, Orbans resistance to mass migration by building a very effective border barrier at the end of 2015 and the pro-family and pro-Christian policies of his Fidesz party influenced others across Europe.

Italian Senator Matteo Salvini, who transformed the Italian Northern Separatist League, formerly the Northern League, into a national force and entered government after the 2018 national elections alongside the anti-establishment of the Five Star Movement in as Italian Minister of the Interior.

Salvini leads the Lega to the first historic victory in the national elections https://t.co/h35QrrGWbg

Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 27, 2019

What Urban succeeded in doing on land, Salvini set out to do the same at sea and considerably reduced the number of illegal migrants entering the country by restricting access to the port to migrant transport NGOs operating in the area search and rescue (SAR) off the coast of Libya. , thereby reducing the number of migrant deaths.

Salvini also promised to enact similar family-friendly policies that would allow Italians with large families to receive land grants in rural areas of the country.

However, the five-star League and Movement coalition was not to last with disagreements after Salvinis victory in the 2019 European Parliament elections, which led to its collapse in August.

The popularity of the League has remained constant since it left government, while the five-star movement, winner of the 2018 elections, has experienced a dramatic decline and only about a third of Italians support the current left-wing coalition. Five star democratic party as a migrant. transport NGOs have been given the green light to operate again.

Marine Le Pen, a close ally of Salvini, also experienced a dramatic increase in popularity in the 2010s and while she finished second behind Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 presidential election, her party is now still in first place place with Macrons La Rpublique en Marche! (LREM) in the polls and beat Macron in the 2019 European elections.

Le Pen triumphs over Macron in an exit poll from the EU elections and calls for new national elections https://t.co/MX9PTsLkMY

Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 26, 2019

Le Pen also succeeded in transforming the National Front into a major political force and, in 2018, renamed the party as the National Rally (RN).

While Germany received the largest number of migrants in total during the 2015 migration crisis, Sweden received the largest number of migrants per capita.

The Swedish populist Democrats (SD), led by Jimmie kesson, have grown dramatically over the past decade due to their criticism of mass migration and their firm stance on the growing trend of violent crime among gangs rampant in the country, which has seen a recent increase in bombing and explosions.

In 2010, the SD won only 5.7% of the vote in the national elections and managed to become the largest party in the country in a recent poll which placed the party at 24%, ahead of the ruling Social Democrats. .

VOX in Spain was one of the youngest populist parties in Europe to have achieved electoral success; it was formed in December 2013 and rose from just 0.2% in the 2016 national elections to become the third Spanish party in 2019 to win 15.1. percent of the vote and 52 seats in the Spanish Parliament.

Spain: populists make massive gains, Salvini predicts racist smears by the media https://t.co/jiZzse9tlT

Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) November 11, 2019

VOX is both anti-mass migration and pro-national sovereignty, but one of their most notable positions has been their intense opposition to the independence of Catalonia.

In 2019, shortly before their election, VOX leader Santiago Abascal told Breitbart London that he not only opposes the independence movement, but that he will also seek to make the separatist parties in Spain illegal.

The 2010s were the best years to date for the pro-sovereignty populist movement with several parties ending the decade as the most popular in their respective countries.

Whether or not he is currently in power or looking for gains in the next national elections, the populist movement has become an established political force throughout Europe, making the 2010s the decade of populism.

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The 2010s have been the best decade for European populism to date - Daily Gaming Worlld

WW3: President’s claim US will take initiative in nuclear war escalation revealed – Express.co.uk

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Danzig

His comments came in a Story magazine article dated November 1961, following the Berlin Crisis over the occupational statusof the German capital.The incident started when the USSR launchedanultimatumdemanding the withdrawal of all armed forces from Berlin, including the Western armed forces inWest Berlin. The crisis culminated in the city'sde factopartitionwith theEast Germanerection of theBerlin Wall, but JFK was worried the Soviets would not stop there.

Assuming forces may try to push further into Europe, he wrote in a magazine article following the events: "Berlin developments may confront us with a situation where we may desire to take the initiative in the escalation of conflict from the local to the general war level.

His commentsreferred toArticle 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states: The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.

Consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised byArticle 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

However, they sparked fear worldwide after they were interpreted as plans to launch a nuclear attack on the USSR.

Documents seen byExpress.co.ukreveal a worrying exchange between the UK Ambassador, David Ormsby-Gore, and the President in March 1962.

Mr Ormsby-Gore asked via telegram:Mr President, could you elaborate on the idea attributed to you in a magazine article that there may be circumstances under which we would have to take the initiative in a nuclear war?

To which Kennedy responded: Yes, I think Mr (Jerome David)Salingers statement made it very clear that this was intended to be merely a restatement of a traditional position where if a vital area like Western Europe, was being overrun by conventional forces, that theUS wouldtake means available to defend it.

"It was notintended to suggest, as Mr Salinger said, that this meant the United States would take aggressive action on its own part, or would launch an attack, a so-called preventive attack on its part.

READ MORE:UK's chillingexecution planfornuclear war anarchy exposed

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WW3: President's claim US will take initiative in nuclear war escalation revealed - Express.co.uk

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