Vince Cable set to be crowned Liberal Democrat leader after Ed Davey pulls out of race – The Independent

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Vince Cable is set to be crowned the next Liberal Democrat leader without a fight, after his last likely rival pulled out of the race.

Ed Davey said he had decided not to run for the leadership because of his desire to spend more time with his young family, including his severely disabled son.

Two other possible contenders Norman Lamb and Jo Swinson have already pulled out of the contest to replace Tim Farron, who quit after the general election.

It appears to guarantee a clear run for Sir Vince, the former Business Secretary who is 74 years old and who only returned to the Commons three weeks ago.

Sir Vince has vowed to continue to push for a second referendum on any Brexit deal, describing EU withdrawal as an iceberg about to hit the UK economy.

And he has insisted there are big opportunities ahead, despite the Lib Dems struggling to make a breakthrough at the election, winning just 12 seats.

Sir Ed said it had been a difficult decision not to stand, but insisted he had to put his family first.

When you understand that John (aged nine) is severely disabled, you will appreciate that seeing our three-year-old daughter make him laugh is quite special, he wrote on the Lib Dem Voice website.

Please remember that my father died when I was four and my mother when I was 15.

Being there for my children over the next few crucial years and to see those special moments is my personal priority.

Reacting to the news, Sir Vince tweeted: Very much admire & respect what my friend & colleague @EdwardJDavey has said today on Lib Dem Voice about the importance of family.

Mr Farron sparked surprisewhen he announced he was standing down, arguing it was impossible to be leader and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible's teaching.

Several high-profile Lib Dems had privately criticised the way he had answered questions on whether gay sex was a sin and his views on abortion.

Sir Vince remains popular with Lib Dem members but, as well as questions about his age he will be 79 at the next scheduled general election some Lib Dems may fear Sir Vince is tainted by the Coalition years.

There are suspicions that Sir Vince has reached an agreement with Ms Swinson, the new deputy leader, to make way for her, at some point later in the Parliament.

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Vince Cable set to be crowned Liberal Democrat leader after Ed Davey pulls out of race - The Independent

The Right’s War Against Liberal Democracy – New Republic

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This worldview does not recognize that private, economic power has a capacity to coerce. They trace back to [antebellum slavery advocate and Vice President] John C. Calhoun. These libertarians, particularly Murray Rothbard, said that Calhoun gave them their fundamental core concepts. These concepts included that its government that creates exploitation, and that its the government that creates coercion, whereas private economics is about freedom and free exchange. All you have to know is that Calhoun was a slaveholdera man making his wealth from keeping other people in shackles. This is where their notions of wealth as non-coercive comes from.

The idea that wealth cannot be coercive is also the basis of their case for freeing corporations to spend unlimited amounts in politics and harangue their workers. They argue it is merely an exercise of free speech. Its interesting that they are also pushing these measures that make it more possible for employers to essentially have whats referred to in union terms as captive audience meetings, where they push out their political views to their employees and try to sway their vote. That, and these huge infusions of dark money, are being represented as a First Amendment freedom, as if it doesnt skew the outcome. But it all connects back in a perverse way to the notion that only government is coercive and that wealth is all about freedom, and enabling the free exchange between economic actors who are totally free.

As were talking, the Koch brothers are wrapping up their annual retreat and Mitch McConnell is plotting to take health care away from millions of peoplewe seem to have reached a kind of culmination of a lot of the intellectual trends that you write about in Democracy in Chains. Did you see this happening as you worked on the book? Have the past six months surprised you?

Ive been surprised by the velocity of the change. I believed that this is where we were heading, because if you block off the political process from answering peoples needs, as the radical right managed to do throughout Barack Obamas two terms on so many major issues, then people get frustrated. They get frustrated that politics has become so polarized between right and left and they believe that liberal democracy does not workthey start to believe that we need a radical alternative. Its very much like the interwar period of the 20th century with the rival poles of fascism and communism.

There were times when I thought, Am I being melodramatic? But this seemed to be the necessary outcome of what these people were doing to the political process. I am not surprised, but I am gobsmacked by just how cynically the Republicans have been operating and the extent to which the Kochs have taken over one of our major political parties, and how the whole situation is poisoning our public life and public debate.

One thing that helped Donald Trump get elected is that he didnt represent the Republican status quo, which is heavily tilted towards a political philosophy pushed by Buchanan and Charles Koch. Many Republican voters seem to be turned off by this philosophyparticularly its emphasis on privatization and on dismantling the welfare state.

This is a challenge in our polarized environment because I really want to reach Republican voters. Its been said that political parties are a lot like sports teams. People have a loyalty to their team. But what longtime Republican voters need to understand is that their team is no longer playing for the home crowd.

On issue after issue you see vast majorities of Republicans who actually agree on some of the fundamental needs of the country: They support a progressive income tax, they want to address global warming, they care about the preservation of Medicare and Social Security as originally construed as social insurance, they care about public education. They are not the enemies of Democrats. But they have been riled up by this apparatus, and by very cynical Republican leaders, to support a party that is undermining the things that they seek.

A recent study produced by the Voter Study Group found that libertarians basically dont exist in the American body politic. And yet your book lays out the extent to which theyve essentially taken over the Republican Party over the last few decades.

The Republican Party leadership bases its pitch to voters on a set of anodyne phrases. We are the party of freedom, and liberty, and small government. And that sounds good. Who is against freedom? Who wants super-intrusive government? But when you actually look at what theyre doing, they are freeing corporations to do whatever they want to their workers, the environment, retirees, and so forth and so on.When they say theyre for limited government that isnt really true.

If you look closely, what theyre doing is limiting the branches of government that are the most responsive to voters: local government and federal government. But they are for extreme power for state governments, which they find much easier to control. We are seeing this happen all around the country where these Koch-funded state policy network organizations and the American Legislative Exchange Council are working hand-in-glove to push what is called preemption. They use the power over state governments to prevent localities from doing things like raising wages, enacting anti-discrimination ordinances, even passing plastic bag ordinances! Its just a huge power grab.

One of the most fascinating and terrifying chapters in Democracy in Chains investigates Buchanans role in Chile, where Buchanan and Friedman pushed economic liberalization and extreme constitutional protections for the wealthy. Both have been disastrous for democracy. Do you see similar tactics right now, with the rush to push through health care legislation in the House and Senate?

Short answer: yes. They understand that sunshine and deliberation are not helpful to this project, and that it is very important to move things along as quickly as possible. I absolutely think the Chilean experience is what emboldened Buchanan and Koch to think, Wow, we can actually do this. Its going to be more complicated to do it in a functioning democracy, but we could actually achieve this constitutional revolution because we did it in Chile.

Most of the resistance that has appeared over the past six months has been focused on Trump, rather than people like Mitch McConnell or Charles Koch. Is this a mistake?

Its a huge mistake to imagine Trump as being separate from this story and sui generis. He was the logical culmination, in some ways, of this effort to derail our government and totally discredit norms of public service, the idea of a common good, and the belief that elected officials were actually workingin the flawed ways that ordinary mortals dotoward the public good. Trumps election is the fruit of this project, even if Trump was elected, in part, because he was the only Republican candidate not carrying Koch baggage. And yet, the Koch and Trump stories are not separate at all, and it would be a terrible mistake for those trying to resist this agenda to treat them as such.

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The Right's War Against Liberal Democracy - New Republic

Liberal and conservative biking across the country to encourage … – WBIR-TV

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June 26, 2017: Two Knoxville men with completely opposing political views are on a 3,200-mile bike ride to inspire unity across the country.

Leslie Ackerson, WBIR 11:46 PM. EDT June 26, 2017

Andre Block and Jonathan Williams Courtesy Facebook The Unity Ride

KNOXVILLE - Biking 3,200 miles across the country, could you do it?

Its an impressive trek, and its one two Knoxville men are tackling.

The other challenge? The have different political views.

I voted for Trump, said Jonathan Williams.

And ... I did not vote for Trump, said Andre Block.

Williams and Block share a laugh.

The unlikely duo has embarked on a "unity ride" across the country. They say its an opportunity to show that people can come together whether they lean to the left or right.

"I feel in America we are sitting around complaining. I hope with what we are doing I can encourage people to get up and do something, said Block.

The pair started in California on Memorial Day, stopping in places like Colorado and Utah. They reached Knoxville on Monday and invited other bikers along for a 6-mile ride.

The plan is to finish in Washington D.C. on July 4.

"One of the things we talk about on this trip is the gray areas. You have people who live in the gray, you have some people very hard conservative, very liberal, explained Williams. Most of us live in the middle. If we can put those differences aside and just love one another. It all boils down to we are people.

Williams and Block stop in Knoxville on their journey.

From sea to shining sea, Block and Williams are biking their way across America to encourage people to move past political stereotypes.

It just brings together people with different backgrounds for one cause, to exercise and learn about one another, said cyclist Amanda Fox who joined Mondays night ride.

I think its especially important right now in the world, all aspects of the climate these days, said Meghan Goyer, another cyclist.

Beneath the spacious skies and purple mountain majesties, Williams and Block have learned the power of togetherness.

"We have actually talked about politics very little this entire trip, because we are out here trying to achieve a goal and working together to accomplish it is more important, said Williams.

"Its like as soon as you focus on those things we can agree on all the things we disagree on disappear, said Block.

The pair has a camera crew following them from start to finish. At the end of the journey, they plan on piecing together that footage to make a documentary so they can continue to share their vision with others.

You can follow their adventures on Facebook and Instagram.

2017 WBIR.COM

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Liberal and conservative biking across the country to encourage ... - WBIR-TV

Redies doubts BC Liberal and NDP parties ‘will be on the same page’ – Surrey Now-Leader

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BC Liberal Government Caucus image Surrey-White Rocks MLA Tracy Redies responds to premiers throne speech.

Throne-speech issues the same but approaches differ, says MLA Redies as opposition parties prepare for power

Surrey-White Rocks newest BC Liberal MLA acknowledged Friday that criticism regarding the similarity between her partys throne-speech promises and those put forward by the opposition NDP and Green parties were things that we were all hearing on the doorstep.

But Tracy Redies said she was doubtful shed support such legislation coming from the NDP and Greens if the now-opposition parties win the right to govern.

The challenge with the NDP promises is that theyre very vague, Redies told Peace Arch News. Most of them werent costed and there wasnt really any detail.

I doubt very much that well be on the same page.

Redies spoke to PAN the day after Premier Christy Clarks throne speech, which laid out the BC Liberals vision for the province and included everything from creating child-care spaces to reforming the political-donation system.

Clarks speech was criticized by opposition parties as taking from their handbooks.

In a YouTube video posted Thursday, Redies conceded that election results which left the BC Liberals with a minority government and sparked a co-operation agreement between the BC NDP and the BC Green Party sent her party a message.

While our government received strong support from rural British Columbia, its clear that urban British Columbians expect us to do some things differently, she states.

The next day, she reiterated the point, and told PAN that while her partys issues may be similar to those raised by the opposition, the approaches that were taking are quite different.

For example, the child care. Were very focused on supporting those families in the lower or middle-income range, she said. That works with our philosophy.

The NDP have suggested $10 daycare for everyone. The government should be helping those who need the help.

Redies named social housing as another area where the parties approaches differ. The BC Liberals, she said, would work with the private sector to build social and accessible housing.

BC NDP Leader John Horgan has said an NDP government would provide Crown land to communities to lower the cost of new housing; the partys plan is to create 114,000 rental, social and co-op housing units over 10 years.

I think we have a much better likelihood of being able to deliver those units faster, Redies said.

Elections BC spokesman Andrew Watson confirmed Thursday following the throne speech that the agency is preparing for the possibility that voters could soon be heading back to the polls.

Horgan had said he would make a motion of non-confidence on the throne speech Monday, but after the NDP and Greens defeated proposed BC Liberal legislation to ban corporate and union donations and to grant the Greens official party status, the non-confidence vote is expected tomorrow (Thursday).

Redies said that regardless of who is in power, we all have to look at these (throne speech) issues.

For the BC Liberals, its a much bigger-picture approach than just the next four years, she added.

I guess if were not in government, we wont be able to implement them the way we think is the best way for the province, she said.

But well wait and see what happens.

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Redies doubts BC Liberal and NDP parties 'will be on the same page' - Surrey Now-Leader

Yale Student Unsettled By Liberal ‘Politicization’ Of His English Classes – The Daily Caller

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A center-left Yale student lamented the politicization of his English class in an op-ed Sunday, highlighting how his professor asked which Shakespeare villain was most like President Donald Trump the morning after the election.

Yale senior Finnegan Schick, whopublished thearticleOn the Intrusion of National Politics in College Classrooms, expressed frustration that despite the fact Trump has been in office for more than half a year now, his professors show no signs of putting their political digressions on hold, reflecting a troubling trend: the growing partisanship of higher education.

The rise of Trump has accelerated the Ivory Towers politicization, allowing the campus Left to condemn dissenting students and faculty with new vigor, Schick said, adding that a fall survey of over 2,000 Yale studentsfound that 95 percent of conservative respondents felt the school doesnt toleratetheir opinions.

Schick acknowledged that he iscenter-left politically and voted for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,but said reading shouldnt require an Im With Her sticker and a Washington Post subscription.

Trump is a demagogue, American society is doomed, and English literature is our refuge, is always the message from my classes, wrote Schick. He said that while lefty professors thinkits their duty to promote their vision of the political good, students are becoming afraidthey will suffer academically for their views.

Universities have become hotbeds of anti-Trump resistance, according to Schick, and the result will be ageneration of adults whose liberal arts educations were hijacked by political debate.

Schick wrote that Literature is ideally a way of broadening our social imaginations, so if we only read authors to inform modern phenomena, we might as welldismiss the literarycannon also.

He doesnt want to takepolitics completely out of the classroom, but saysprofessors must recognize the line between timeless political insights and rank partisanship.

The student notedthat political homogenization of academia since the 1990s has been welldocumented, and referencedarecently published abookon the dearth of conservatives in academia bypolitical scientists Jon Shields and Joshua Dunn.

Finn isnt saying politics in the classroom=bad. Hes criticizing the tendency of political digressions to displace literary analysis, said Yale student and staff columnist ofYale Newson Twitter.

Yale didnt respond to TheDCNFs request for comment in time for publication.

Follow Graceon Twitter.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [emailprotected].

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Yale Student Unsettled By Liberal 'Politicization' Of His English Classes - The Daily Caller

House Republicans put final touches on budget deal – CNN International

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Threading the needle of getting defense hawks, fiscal conservatives and those steering tax reform within his own party has been a difficult task, but House Speaker Paul Ryan has reminded House GOP members that this year's budget is critical for getting top priorities like tax reform through both chambers.

It's unlikely any Democrats will back the fiscal blueprint, so Republican leaders are locking down support from the various factions of their conference. They plan to hold up the proposal as evidence they are following through on the promise of GOP control of the White House and the Capitol intent on reshaping the federal government.

The fiscal blueprint is expected to propose more than $1.1 trillion for the next fiscal year and would provide more money for the military and domestic spending than President Donald Trump requested in his budget, which he sent to the Hill in May, according to several congressional aides familiar with the proposal.

Republicans reached an agreement on the discretionary funding levels for the Pentagon and domestic agencies, and the last sticking point Republican leaders had to overcome was over how much deficit-reduction should be taken out of mandatory programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The budget plan would provide $621.5 billion in base defense spending, as well as $75 billion in war funding, known as Overseas Contingency Operations, sources told CNN. That's $28.5 billion more than the President requested $18.5 in the base budget and $10 billion extra in war dollars.

The House budget blueprint would set domestic discretionary spending at $511 billion, an increase compared to the Trump administration's $462 billion budget request, which proposed deep cuts to agencies like the State Department and EPA.

When President Barack Obama was in the White House, final spending deals in recent years included equal increases for defense and domestic spending, but Republicans are trying to move away from that construct now that they control the legislative and executive branches.

While the budget agreement will likely will have enough votes to get those spending bills through the House, Senate Democrats are likely to filibuster them, making a final deal uncertain ahead of a September deadline to keep the government from shutting down.

This emerging budget deal lays out the GOP wish list, but an agreement that funds federal agencies will be tougher to hammer out. Republicans have had to rely on Democrats to pass those in recent years, so they may need to give in on the split between defense and other domestic programs.

Another problem the House faces with the emerging budget agreement is that the defense funding violates spending caps established by the 2011 Budget Control Act. The defense cap for 2018 is $549 billion, and if the cap is not changed, the Pentagon would be subject to across-the-board cuts known as sequestration.

Republican defense hawks want to repeal the budget caps for defense, as Trump has requested, but Democrats won't go along unless the cap is also removed for domestic spending.

For defense hawks, the $621.5 billion topline for defense is a compromise, as House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry and Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain have been pressing for at least $640 billion for the military.

The difficulties in creating a budget deal in the House have also made for a topsy-turvy process crafting individual authorization and appropriation bills. Both Thornberry and Rep. Kay Granger, the chairwoman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, were preparing their defense bills at different levels Thornberry's at $37 billion more than the Trump request and Granger's at the same level as Trump's.

But with a budget deal near, the House's defense authorization and appropriations bills were finalized at the same level as the emerging budget agreement.

Thornberry told reporters last week that he was willing to come down from $640 billion, but he would need assurances there would be future growth for military spending in future years.

The final sticking point to getting House Republicans on the same page was negotiating how much money the plan would cut from the mandatory side of the ledger. Programs like Social Security and Medicare that are funded through mandatory spending account for about two-thirds of the total budget, but they are difficult to reduce because any change requires Congress to pass a new law.

With divided government in recent years, Republicans in Congress have been unable to make a dent in this area. But House GOP members are looking to get some significant savings from changes to some programs that fall under the Agriculture Department, like food stamps, or other welfare programs.

The House GOP budget is expected to direct several committees to come up with roughly $200 billion in deficit savings. Some in the House Freedom Caucus were hoping they could get a significantly higher number, and House Budget Chair Diane Black also appealed to top GOP leaders to make those savings a major component of the final deal, according to several House Republican sources.

Rep. Mark Meadows, the leader of the Freedom Caucus, said there was not a budget deal he could agree to yet.

Meadows said he wasn't concerned with the numbers in the agreement, but rather the details when it came to how the deficit reduction was achieved.

The budget proposal does not provide details on how each committee could achieve these savings targets, but including the provision in the budget resolution gives Republicans in Congress the ability to say they are following through on their pledge to reduce the size of the federal government.

Ryan, a former budget chair, has been sympathetic to those pressing for major deficit reduction, but he is also balancing the challenge of shepherding a major overhaul of the tax code through the House. Leaders wanted to reach agreement on a savings number they felt was manageable for the House Ways and Means Committee to meet as it evaluates what various changes to the tax rates and exemptions will mean for the overall budget.

Republicans don't need to pass a budget the various spending bills that detail how much each agency will get for federal programs are the measures that keep the government operating. But as they did with health care, GOP leaders are using this vehicle so they can use a tool known as "budget reconciliation" to pass a tax reform package through the Senate with a simple majority, avoiding a Democratic filibuster.

Democrats are expected to be united against the package.

Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, hasn't seen the details, but is already arguing that it's the same as the Trump administration's version sent to the Hill in May.

"The reports on the Republican budget proposal indicate that they are embracing much of the Trump budget," Yarmuth said in a written statement to CNN. "Instead of investing in American families and the future of our nation, it appears they are prepared to undermine our country's economic progress, health security, and safety just so they can give massive tax breaks for millionaires and corporations. We will fight this irresponsible proposal every step of the way."

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House Republicans put final touches on budget deal - CNN International

3 steps to become wealthier and more successful – Ladders

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Wealth begins with a choice. A choice requires a commitment, and a commitment leads to actions.

The most powerful words in the English language are I am.What follows those words are critical. I am thin. I am healthy. I am wealthy. I am powerful. I bring joy and energy to people around me. I am a great leader to my team facilitating growth and opportunity. I am worthy. I am powerful. I am a great dad.

Once you decide I am wealthy, in that moment you are, in fact, not more wealthy, but the path will clear ahead of you. The how you will get there will become apparent, and the obstacles that stopped you will have less power.

Use the power of affirmations. Write down the ones that empower you. Put them next to your bed and read them before you fall asleep and when you wake up. Train your brain, and it will take care of you.

If you make the decision to be wealthy, then it doesnt matter what career you have. There is a janitor mentioned in our book, Wealth Cant Wait, who gave away 8 million dollars at his death.

So the question becomes: what are the actions required to build wealth in your particular career?

The answer could be live to live below your means, save every penny and invest in index funds, or something that grows over time. But there are three other important commitments you can make.

Work hard to serve others. The habitat of being the best you can at your vocation will serve you for a lifetime. It will also lead to increased compensation, which is useful in building wealth.

Even if you dont love it, take pride in it and do your best. If this position is not for you, work hard at it, and the next door will open. Take pride in everything you do, and your next job will find you.

Ask these questions: 1. What is wealth to me? 2. What wealth do Iwant in mylife? Carefully answer those questions and be as specific as you possibly can.

For example, one important aspect of wealth is to achieve financial independence.But thatis just the beginning of the inquiry. Go deeper: what, specifically, is financial independence to you? What does it look like? How would you know if you had it?

For us, the first step to financial independence is having enough income to offset all of your living expenses with passive income.This means that money coming in from your investments dividends, rents, etc. pay for your current lifestyle.

To create more motivation and mindset to achieve your goal, ask yourself: why specifically is this important to me? What, specifically, do I get out of this? This is an emotional impact and intrinsic motivational question. You might be surprised to find that often different people have very different reasons or intrinsic motivations to achieve the same goal.

Realize that if you are successful in building wealth, eventually your entire job becomes managing your wealth. So begin now by laying out a plan toward your financial freedom.Say your goal is $10 million net worthin 20 years. Break that down to a present number and work toward your goal.

Find the thing that you love to do: play disguised at work. The more you align your career with your natural calling, the more success you will have.

Ask yourself: is work hard if you love it? Who would truly want to succeed if it required sacrifice (giving up something that is vital to you)?

Yes, you might have to limit drinking beer with your buddies to only one or two nights a week if you want to be a great student and get into a great school. Being the best at a job might require you to put in the extra effort and dive into what others shy away from. But, if you love what you do and you are passionate about the project (even if you dont love every aspect of work), then you can achieve greatness. And, if you are doing what you love to do, what are you sacrificing?

We know lots of people who work so hard that they dont have time for family, friends, or being healthy. But, we know that this is not necessary to achieve great success. Having a thoughtful, purposeful plan and staying on it sixhours a day, with zero interruptions or distractions would lead most of us to accomplish more every day that someone who works more than 10-hour days sixor sevendays a week.

If you are in a career that you dont love, know that it takes effort just to get to work. It takes effort, lots of it, just to get started each day. It takes effort to focus.

If you do something you love and are passionate about,there is no effort in getting started; the effort goes to execution. That is why we are so much more productive and successful when we do what we love. Wealth will follow.

David Osborn is Operating Partner at Keller Williams andManaging Partner Align Capital. Follow him on Twitter. Paul Morris is CEO of a RealTrends top 50 brokerage and Regional Director ofKeller Williams.Follow him on Twitter. They are the authors ofWealth Cant Wait: Avoid the 7 Wealth Traps, Implement the 7 Business Pillars, and Complete a Life Audit Today!

David Osborn and Paul Morris are the authors of Wealth Can't Wait: Avoid the 6 Wealth Traps, Implement the 7 Business Pillars, and Complete a Life Audit Today!

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3 steps to become wealthier and more successful - Ladders

Independence Day 2017 SeaLand & Port Schedule – American Journal of Transportation

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By: AJOT | Jun 27 2017 at 03:36 PM | LinerShipping

A quick glance of the North America terminals and port schedules during Independence Day on Tuesday, July 4th

Additionally, SeaLand offices in the United States will be closed on July 4th in honor of Independence Day.

Port schedules:

PORT CODE PORT NAME Independence Day July 4th

USHOUTM HOUSTON TERMINAL Closed

USHOUBP BAYPORT Closed

USILMCT WILMINGTON CONTAINER TERMINAL Closed

USLSATM LOS ANGELES P400 Closed both Shifts (4th & 5th July)

USP1HPH PORT HUENEME Open

USNFK04 PORTSMOUTH MARINE TERMINAL Closed

USNOL10 Ceres Gulf Terminal Closed

USNOLPO PORTS AMERICA NEW ORLEANS Closed

USNWKSL NEWARK - APM TERMINALS Closed

USNWKTM PORT NEWARK CONTAINER TERMINAL Closed

USYS9HH GLOBAL CONTAINER TERMINAL STATEN ISLAND Closed

USPEVTR FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL Closed

USPHLPT PACKER AVENUE MARINE TERMINAL Closed

USSAVGC GARDEN CITY TERMINAL Closed

Free time:

Containers Within Free time : Days indicated as Closed will not be counted providing free time is in business days

Containers in Demurrage : Will be billed for all applicable days

This also applies to DETENTION

Please note that no late-gates or addbacks will be available for the SeaLand Balboa voyage 1711.

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Independence Day 2017 SeaLand & Port Schedule - American Journal of Transportation

Can we count on utopian dreamers to change the world? – New Scientist

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The rise of the machines creates complex questions for society

Colin Anderson/Getty

By Ben Collyer

Aristotle wrote in his Politics that if machines could be made to obey or anticipate the will of humans and then function untended, chief workmen would not want servants, nor masters slaves. The ancient Greeks were pretty handy with labour-saving devices, and although Aristotle was not predicting the imminent end of slavery in the 4th century BC, his logic remains impeccable.

Yet history has revealed barriers to the adoption of automation: if human labour is cheap, why invest in machines? And when technology is adopted, what happens to the servants or slaves? Throughout the medieval period, the only investments that interested squabbling feudal landowners were related to war. It took the profit motive of 18th-century capital investors to sponsor innovators and weigh the fine financial balance between machines and humans in producing everyday goods.

But as we know, the gains made by ordinary workers in the industrial period came only through bitter struggle and upheaval. Now in 2017, we are struggling again with newer disruptions and inequalities brought on by imbalances between humans and machines.

Enter Dutch thinker Rutger Bregman, whose debut book Utopia for Realists has become an unexpected bestseller. Bregman accepts that many new jobs have emerged since early automation in the 1800s, but suggests that the pace of technological advance has now passed a threshold and the rate of creation is now falling. He cites Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who coined the term the great decoupling to describe this most recent phase, in which wages no longer even partially keep step with technical productivity.

How is it that real incomes have barely risen since the 1970s, despite the most rapid technical advances in human history? Instead, inequality has grown to levels similar to those of the Roman Empire. The answer, suggests Bregman, is twofold: the output of modern automation is not met by adequate purchasing power, and labour has been drawn increasingly into administrative and transactional work that delivers no direct improvement in living standards.

To resolve these problems, first, if machines increasingly make more of the things that meet our needs, then a universal basic income (UBI) is no longer a pipe dream, but essential to permit us to buy those machine-made goods. Its an old idea, toyed with by such unlikely fellow proponents as the 18th-century author of Rights of Man, Thomas Paine, and US president Richard Nixon. Now, argues Bregman, its time has finally come.

Second, the advantages of technology would be enhanced still further if futile admin could be reduced, and labour mainly refocused on activities that directly meet human needs. Bregman makes the argument vigorously, if perhaps a little unsympathetically, to those who, in search of a job, have found themselves in the financial sector.

In the banks, he says, clever minds concoct myriad, complex financial products that dont create wealth, but destroy it. These products are, essentially, like a tax on the rest of the population. Who do you think is paying for all those custom-tailored suits, sprawling mansions, and luxury yachts?

Bregmans Utopia is light on discussion about how the UBI is to be funded, though. Money creation by central banks is already practised through quantitative easing (QE), but it goes to the commercial banks, in a largely futile effort to stimulate the economy with yet more debt. As a result, the idea of QE for the people is already appearing in political manifestos, in line with Bregmans argument, as a source of UBI.

If all this happens, we will need to watch for inflation. When the new UBI is spent, what will people buy? Will the industries that produce these goods or services have adequate investment to gear up? And can progressive governments ensure an orderly reorientation of labour, especially in the corporate sector?

As with previous historic efforts at imagining UBI, the changes that Bregman proposes will meet political resistance from vested interests and risk popular alarm if not carefully planned. Global corporations and their owners, the pension and insurance funds, will need to be persuaded by the economic restructuring implied the shrinking of bank profit and transactional activity, and the need for capital assets, training and recruitment to be redirected to productive sectors.

The questions that Bregman poses must be addressed, and urgently: thought-through projections will be essential soon. It is possible that a modest UBI alone might jump-start a move in the right direction. Too large an amount, and an unprepared productive sector will not have enough capacity to meet the new demand, resulting in inflation and disappointment.

A more detailed treatment of the history, theory and political prospects for UBI is offered by Philippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght, who also believe its time has come. They begin to address the complex social issues it raises in their book, Basic Income who receives UBI, at what age, and can we avoid triggering unwanted cross-border migration?

Their work will be essential for the ongoing debate, but by their own admission, leaves much to tackle with regard to macroeconomic and corporate governance issues.

So, to guarantee that UBI doesnt become a flash in the pan and ensure the smoothest possible transition away from dysfunctional modern economics, writers and thinkers will need to engage the public and professional imagination.

These authors make a brilliant start though after all, how on Earth are we to pay for goods made by robots, and wouldnt a world composed entirely of wealth-creating bankers starve to death?

Utopia for Realists: And how we can get there

Rutger Bregman

Bloomsbury Publishing

Basic Income: A radical proposal for a free society and a sane economy

Philippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght

Harvard University Press

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Can we count on utopian dreamers to change the world? - New Scientist

Show: Ina Jang’s Utopia – British Journal of Photography

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Inspired by Asian soft porn, Ina Jang's Utopia features silhouetted female bodies that embody passive, girlish stereotypes

Asian soft-porn images all have something in common the gaze of the performer and how they performin front of the camera, assuming really iconic poses, says Ina Jang, a South Korean artist based in New York. Presumably, they are instructed by someone to behave that way.

Jangs exhibition Utopia, which recently went on show at the Swiss Muse des beaux-arts du Locle, is inspired by such images. Delving into the depiction of women in Korea and Japan, Jang found astriking stereotype in the so-called gravure (or glamour) magazines popular there women who are shown as girlish and submissive, sporting pink cheeks and a school uniform even if they were older than 25.

I remembered seeing gravure magazines essentially watered-down versions of Playboy in every convenience store in Tokyo, says Jang. All the females in them are portrayed as passive and helpless, sometimes playful.

When I started researching the pornographic visuals, it hit me that theres a clear formula in the way women are portrayed in them, she continues.I printed out some of the images, cut out the body figures and photographed them. From there, I kept making images with similar positions.

Jang is a well-established fine art photographer, whose images often focus in on women and use an instantly recognisable, delicate colour palette. For this series she used sickly-sweet acid tones recognisably hers but also a reaction to the magazines, which use soft, femininetones. When I was looking at pornographic images online I imagined the series should be shot in a minimalist way, but I wanted the strong colours, she says.

Peach, from the series Utopia Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

Fuchsia, from the series Utopia Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

Lemonade, from the series Utopia Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

It sounds like a rarified world, but for Jang it also suggests a much darker undercurrent. When she started working on the series a story broke in Korea about a man who had been waiting to commit a random murder in a public toilet in the Gangnam district of Seoul;since a lot of places in Korea have restrooms that are for both genders, it means that this guy had been waiting in the stall for a woman to come in so he could kill her, she explains.

Working on this topictook its toll, so after finishing the exhausting research for Utopia, Jang decided to work on another, more playful and intuitive project on the side eventually creating a new series she named Untitled/ Titled.Iremembered the leftover cut-out papers from my previous shots, than I just started painting colours on chipboards and used cut-outs to created portraits, she says. Or landscape, dependingon how you see it.

And, revealing the work ethic thats helped ensure shes already represented by three galleries, just seven years after graduating from the School of the Visual Arts in New York, Jang is also working on another series, for another solo show scheduled to be shown next May in Tokyo. Its a completely different body of work, she says, titled Mrs Dalloway after the Virginia Woolf novel, and inspired by paintings by Old Masters that are on show in NYCs MoMA and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Utopia by Ina Jan is on show at theMuse des beaux-arts du Locle, Switzerland until15 October.www.mbal.ch http://www.inaphotography.com

Untitled left over shape (titled passport photo), from the series Untitled (Titled) Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

Untitled left over shape (titled mountain of dumplings), from the series Untitled (Titled) Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

Untitled left over shape (titled alternative egg rolls), from the series Untitled (Titled) Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

From the series Mrs. Dalloway Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

From the series Mrs. Dalloway Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

From the series Mrs. Dalloway Ina Jang, courtesy the artist

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Show: Ina Jang's Utopia - British Journal of Photography

Oceania Boxing Championships set to begin in Gold Coast – Loop PNG

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It is the last of the five Continental Championships that serve as direct qualification routes to the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) World Boxing Championships, due to be held in the German city of Hamburg between August 25 and September 2.

The two finalists in each of the ten weight categories will secure their places in Hamburg.

Action is due to begin today with finals scheduled for Thursday (June 29).

Vanuatu number one Boe Warawara will be aiming to defend his continental bantamweight title.

He went on to compete at the 2015 AIBA World Championships in Doha, losing in the round-of-16, and last year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Warawara lost his first round bout to Russia's Vladimir Nikitin in Brazil.

Australian super heavyweight Joseph Goodall won silver at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and will have his sights set on gold.

Australia's AIBA Youth World Championship bronze medallist Sam Goodman is due to compete at bantamweight, while his compatriot, former AIBA junior world champion Clay Waterman, will enter the light heavyweight event.

New Zealander David Nyika impressed at heavyweight with the British Lionhearts during the recent World Series of Boxing season and will be full of confidence heading to the Gold Coast.

Papua New Guinea's defending flyweight champion Charles Keama and Rio 2016 Olympian Thadius Katua will also be hopeful of success.

Katua won the gold medal at the 2015 Pacific Games on home soil in Port Moresby but was knocked out of the lightweight event at Rio 2016 in the round-of-32.

Fiji's hopes rest on the shoulders of their Rio 2016 Olympian Winston Hill.The 23-year-old lost in the round-of-32 in Brazil and will compete in the welterweight competition this week..

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Oceania Boxing Championships set to begin in Gold Coast - Loop PNG

Inexperienced New Zealand team heading to FIBA U17 Oceania basketball champs – Stuff.co.nz

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Last updated07:20, June 28 2017

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Charlisse Leger-Walker is expected to play a starring role for New Zealand at the FIBA U17 Womens Oceania Championships in Guam.

A relatively young and inexperienced New Zealand under-18 women's basketball team will contest next month'sFIBAunder-17 Oceania championships in Guam.

However, head coachJodyCameron said that the Guam tournament, which runs from July 9-15, was a chance for the players to step upafter the majority of the Junior Tall Ferns hadmoved on to US college scholarships or were past the age of eligibility.

"The current pool of players has worked hard to get to next level. We are really happy with the commitment from them and their families, and every playerwe'venamed thoroughly deserves their spot in this team," Cameronsaid.

New Zealand will compete inpool B alongsideNew Caledonia, home favourites Guam, and Palau. Favourites Australia are in pool A with Tahiti, Samoa and the Marshall Islands.

READ MORE: * Tall Ferns selected * Wildcats demolish Otago * Youngsters' skills amaze

Despite their youth, one player expected to attract plenty of attention is young Waikato playerCharlisse Leger-Walker who is regarded asone of New Zealand's most exciting youth women's prospects. Leger-Walker played for New Zealand at both theFIBA Oceania under-16 and under-18 women's tournaments over the past two years.

Similar to the Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks, New Zealand age-group teams are also subject to new qualification rules thanks to FIBA's new Asia Zone. Previously New Zealand age-groups teams were required to be number one in Oceania to qualify for a FIBA World Cup. Now, teams are required to be within the top two in Oceania, which qualifies them to play in the FIBA Asia age-group championships.

The team will then have to finish in the top four in that tournament to qualify for the FIBA Under-19 World Cup.

Under-18 New Zealand Women's Team:Aimee Book (Canterbury),Lauryn Hippolite (Canterbury),Grace Hunter (Wellington),Charlisse Leger-Walker (Waikato), Leah Mafua(Hutt Valley),Lauryn Mapusua(Basketball Queensland),Tsubasa Nisbet (Canterbury),Olivia O'Neill(Otago), Lily Rangi (Counties Manukau),Keeley Tini (Harbour),Lawrin Tipene (Wellington),Charlotte Whittaker(North Canterbury).

-Stuff

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Inexperienced New Zealand team heading to FIBA U17 Oceania basketball champs - Stuff.co.nz

Australian heavyweight advances at Oceania Boxing Championships – Insidethegames.biz (blog)

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Australias heavyweight Jason Whateley made light work of his opening fight at the Oceania Boxing Confederation Boxing Championships in Gold Coast.

The top seed in the weight division produced an assured performance against Samoas Filimaua Hala.

Whateley, who represented Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympics, earned victory by a unanimous decision.

He will now face New Zealands David Kieran Nyika in the gold medal match, with his rival having won against Papua New Guineas Talamoni Clayton Kami today.

Australian success continued with Andrew Hunt progressing in the mens bantamweight division.

He defeated Papua New Guineas Andrew Aisaga.

At the same weight there were victories for Tongas John Barry Slade Moldeni and New Zealands Leroy Clinton Hindley.

They overcame Samoas Uilaomatagi Ropeti Sinapatia and Mel-Lachlan Halstead of Nauru respectively.

Papua New Guineas John Ume upset the host nation in the light-welterweight event.

He ended the challenge of Australias Daniel Heyes.

It is the last of the five Continental Championships that serve as direct qualification routes to the International Boxing Association's World Boxing Championships, due to be held in the German city of Hamburg between August 25 and September 2.

The two finalists in each of the 10 weight categories will secure their places in Hamburg.

Action will continue tomorrow, with the finals due to take place on Thursday (June 29).

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Australian heavyweight advances at Oceania Boxing Championships - Insidethegames.biz (blog)

Filipino floorball athletes vie in Asia Oceania tourney – Business Mirror

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THE Philippine Floorball Association (PFA) is in high spirits for its campaign in the First Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation (AOFC) Tournament in Bangkok set for six days starting on Saturday.

The primary goal is to take home our first victory, mens head coach Peter Eriksson told the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the Golden Phoenix Hotel.

PFA President Ralph Ramos that the teams to beat in the AOFC Cup are Singapore and Thailand.

The Singapore Floorball Association is the top seed in Asia since the 1990s, according to Ramos.

The eight participating countries will be divided into two groups. The Philippines is in Group A with China, Iran and Singapore, while Group B is composed of India, Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand.

Ramos said floorball was first introduced to Filipinos in 2010 by a Swedish doing missionary work. The Philippines was recognized by the International Floorball Federation (IFF) on May 8, 2011, as its 53rd member-country.

The PFA maintains clubs at University of the Philippines Diliman, University of Makati, UA&P and De La Salle Zobel. They also organize the Philippine Floorball League (PFL) held every year since 2012.

The Philippiness first international debut was in the inaugural Southeast Asian Floorball Championship in 2014 in Singapore. The mens national team also competed in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games also in Singapore.

The team will depart tomorrow for Bangkok. The Filipinos will face China on July 1.

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Filipino floorball athletes vie in Asia Oceania tourney - Business Mirror

Team Fiji on track for Oceania | Fiji Sun – Fiji Sun Online

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Team Fiji athletes during their training run at Churchill Park, Lautoka on June 24, 2017. Photo: Anasilini Ratuva

Fijis top women sprinter Sisilia Seavula believes Team Fiji are focused on doing their country proud at the 2017 Oceania Championship which starts at the ANZ Stadium, Suva next Wednesday.

Athletics Fiji conducted another round of competition at Churchill Park, Lautoka yesterday as part of their final preparation for the games. The Nanoko, Ba native who is currently based in the United States was impressed with the preparation level of the high school athletes.

Team Fijis preparation is going on really well, Ive seen so much improvement from the performances of the high school students that came out from the Coke Games. Theyve been stepping up their game during the competition. Seeing them train really hard gives me the confidence that they will do well.

Seavula however, pointed out that competition will be tough.

Everyone will come out really strong and were going to leave everything to the Lord. For us sprint athletes were working on our reactions from the blocks. Our coaches have been working hard with us during our block sessions and speed workouts, she added.

Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

Feedback: anasilinir@fijisun.com.fj

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Team Fiji on track for Oceania | Fiji Sun - Fiji Sun Online

How to Experience A Taste of the Caribbean in Los Angeles – HuffPost

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This past weekend Hollywood Blvd. came alive with the sounds and energy of the islands. Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia, Haiti and beyond, all "getting on bad" through dance in the name of unity and tradition. While other U.S. cities like Miami and New York are well-known for their Caribbean carnival celebrations and demographic, Los Angeles is stepping to the forefront with its annualCulture Festival and Hollywood Carnival Paradein hopes to put the city's Caribbean pride on the international map.

Founded in 2012, the annual week-long event includes dance, crafts, food and music from around the world. Trinidad's soca superstar Machel Montano hosted EPIC MAS Band this year with hundreds of men and women in colorful costume dancing to the best soca mixes down Hollywood Blvd. The parade ended at Carnival Village, where various food vendors offered a taste of the Caribbean and a lively performance by Machel.The energy was palpable, with people proudly singing the words to some of Trinidads biggest soca songs.

Hollywood Carnival

Hollywood Carnival has continued to grow over the years. If you are thinking about getting road ready for the next one, here are just a few ways to make sure you are doing it right:

1. Bring a flag: If you own your countrys flag, bring it. Wave it. There is a pride in being from the Caribbean that carnival parades capture perfectly. Dont worry about cues. There are plenty of people around you and songs that will tell you exactly when to raise it high.

2. Do your research: Its wonderful to dance freely amongst strangers and friends, but learning the history of Carnival is important too. Beyond the bacchanal and wining, Carnival honors the legacy of slaves who forged their own celebration through masquerading in the fields. Carnival is the culmination of people finding a way to freedom through movement.

3. Choose a band. Groups of people form bands for Carnival day. Each band has a section that wears its own costume. Some carnivals can have up to 20 different bands. Budget, age demographic, and interests are just a few of the deciding factors that may help you choose the right group for you. For Hollywood Carnival, EPIC MAS band is great choice, with some of the biggest djs, most diverse crowds and best costumes.

4. Let go. No, really. Leave your problems and stress at home. Being on the road is all about freedom the kind that makes adults smile like children. All body shapes and sizes are welcome. All positive energy is manifested and magnified. This is the magic of Carnival.

5. Come with an appetite. Nothing works up an appetite quite like dancing for hours in the sun. Carnival planners know this well and are ready to feed the crowds with some of the Caribbeans best dishes: bake and shark, pelau, jerk chicken, roti, and, if youre lucky, some good ole Trini doubles.

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How to Experience A Taste of the Caribbean in Los Angeles - HuffPost

From the Caribbean: The Truth About Venezuela – teleSUR English

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Last week, the government of Donald Trump has executed a media strategy of intimidation, manipulation and political plunder against the Venezuelan people, instructing its diplomatic representatives to publish in unison a campaign of lies in the regional media to attack democracy and the legitimate, elected government of Venezuela.

OPINION:

CARICOM Deals a Blow to US Plans for Regime Change in Venezuela

In Barbados, the U.S. ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean has published an article riddled with falsehoods in The Nation, Barbados Today and Barbados Advocate, the sole function of which is to try to generate an international media smear campaign against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the American governments obsession since the very beginning of the government of ex-President Hugo Chavez in 1999.

This new offensive unveils what has been the United States of Americas foreign policy towards Venezuela in the last 18 years. They have not ceased their attempt to appropriate the riches of Venezuela by any means. They have used all possible means for this - from coups d'tat to economic sabotage and media attacks - and now they are trying to manipulate and blackmail the peoples and governments of the region.

The government of Donald Trump and his representatives must know that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a free, sovereign and independent country that in the last 18 years - inspired by the teachings of Simon Bolivar and under the leadership of Commander Hugo Chavez and President Nicolas Maduro - has increased its Human Development Index with the implementation of an ethical, political, economic, social, cultural, educational and sports projects that today proudly shows its achievements and advances, despite the persistent attack that the Government of the North has taken up against Venezuela.

The U.S. government lacks any morals to criticize and try to protect any country because in their own nation they permanently violate the human rights of a good part of its population, especially Afro-descendants, Latinos, and Indians. According to figures from Amnesty International Report 2016-2017, at least 1,000 people died at the hands of the police during that period (according to what they were able to obtain in the press because the U.S. government does not release the figures), and a "disproportionate amount corresponded to black men."

We speak of the government of a country that a few weeks ago boasted of having launched the "mother of all bombs", which has military bases and war fronts in much of the planet, a country where racial and hate crimes have shot up since the election of Mr. Trump, who ordered the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico and who has planned to detain and quickly deport between 2 and 3 million immigrants. These and other issues should be dealt with by the U.S. government.

The institutions in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are solid and independent. In Venezuela, for example, the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Attorney General, the Ombudsman and the authorities of the electoral body are chosen after a strict evaluation system in which citizens are directly involved, and their removal is also a process which must be approved by powers other than the Executive branch. Could we say the same of the U.S.? "Trump removed the Attorney General for opposing the anti-immigration decree", "Trump chooses textualist Neil Gorsuch as the new Supreme Court magistrate", are just two headlines in the international press which explain how the representatives of those powers are selected and removed in that country.

Venezuela has a proven democratic system: 20 elections have been held in the last 16 years, which is an average of more than one election per year. A striking fact is that the opposition has never recognized the electoral arbitrator (National Electoral Council), or the election results when they were not in their favor. To understand the absurdity of this behavior, it is the same electoral arbitrator who has validated the triumph of Governors and Mayors of the opposition on different occasions, and that only in December 2015 certified the opposition triumph in the Parliamentary elections. Will the U.S. government have any morals to criticize democracy in Venezuela, since in that country they have such an undemocratic system in which the one who draws the least votes can win the presidency, as was the case with Mr. Trump?

Mr. Trump and his diplomats in the region should also look at child poverty rates. According to UNICEF, child poverty in the United States is among the highest in developed countries at 23.1 percent. Could we then say that there is a humanitarian crisis in the United States? Mr. Trump and his diplomacy should worry about stopping the suffering of their people and not, on the contrary, increasing it by eliminating the Obamacare health assistance program, which will leave more than 30 million Americans uncovered.

Faced with this panorama of inequality in the United States that the mainstream media often hide, Venezuela has just been certified by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) as the country with the least inequality in the continent, with a rate of 0.381; according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 2015 report, Venezuela has 6 percent unemployment, well below the vast majority of Latin American countries; the United Nations UNDATA report notes that Venezuela had 89 percent urbanization between 2014 and 2015, one of the highest in the region; in terms of university studies, the same UNDATA report establishes that Venezuela has 83 percent university enrollment; finally, the UNDP ranks Venezuela 71st in the Human Development Index.

OPINION:

Caribbean People do not Need Instruction from US on Venezuela Crisis

We must also point out to Mr. Trump and his diplomacy in the region that the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela establishes - in its article 348 - that the President of the Republic has the right to convene a National Constituent Assembly, that the call made by the Venezuelan Head of State represents a constitutional, democratic, peaceful and electoral mechanism, and the opportunity that the Venezuelan people have to redefine some aspects of our Constitution that guarantee peace, as well as the consolidation of the values of justice, sovereignty and identity.

These aspects are substantive for a government, such as the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, that is concerned about the happiness of its people and the guarantee of peace in the region. The weapons of our people are their ideas, their faith, their love for their neighbor, their dedication to collective work, the Homeland, solidarity with our Caribbean and Latin American brothers, a very different attitude to the war, genocide and coups d'tat which U.S. governments have been pushing for decades in our region and the world.

Venezuela banner of struggle will always be truth and peace. Against this, their campaigns of lies and defamation cannot win. As our Liberator Simon Bolivar from the Americas said, "Because I love freedom, I have noble and liberal sentiments; and if I tend to be severe, it is only with those who seek to destroy us."

David McD Denny is General Secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration. He can be reached at ahsaki66@hotmail.com

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From the Caribbean: The Truth About Venezuela - teleSUR English

Caribbean update, by the numbers – Travel Weekly

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Best line at the Caribbean Tourism Organization's press conference at Caribbean Week in New York: "If you have seen one island, you have seen one island."

The quip was made by Dionisio D'Aguilar, new chairman of the CTO and the Bahama's minister of tourism, aviation and Bahamasair, who was reinforcing the unique nature of each Caribbean island.

It's a point that both the CTO, along with the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), have long emphasized, even as they acknowledge shared interests among the islands.

In fact, at a meeting during Caribbean Week, the CTO and CHTA endorsed a plan to consider a framework for the development of an inter-Caribbean public-private sector tourism marketing initiative. (This has been talked about before, so it's a wait-and-see on if and when anything concrete materializes.)

Arrival figures and hotel occupancies in the region painted a mixed picture on the health of the Caribbean tourism industry during the first quarter.

D'Aguilar reported that arrival numbers are trending upward, such as a 1.8% increase in international arrivals in the first quarter that brought the Q1 total to 8.7 million visitors. Visitors from Europe were up by 2.9%, and the U.S. was up 1.3%, but Canada surged ahead with a growth rate of 4.8% after a weak performance last year.

There was good news from the cruise sector, according to the chairman. The region's ports welcomed 10 million cruise passengers in Q1, up 4.5% over the same period last year.

But data compiled by STR for the first quarter "indicated that the hotel industry continued to struggle," D'Aguilar said. "While the number of available rooms increased by 1.1%, room revenue, average daily rates and revenue per available rooms all fell.

"The hospitality numbers are a concern for us, although we've seen an uptick in group business, which took a hit in 2016," he said.

The hotel sector has been slow to recover from 2016's challenges, which included Zika, the rise of the sharing economy and pre-election jitters.

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Caribbean update, by the numbers - Travel Weekly

Tourist Shot in the Caribbean Flown to Fort Lauderdale Hospital – NBC 6 South Florida

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An American tourist who was shot during an armed robbery while vacationing in Turks and Caicos was recovering at a Fort Lauderdale Hospital Monday.

Family members said Kevin Newman was on vacation with his wife and son when he was shot early Friday. The Alabama man underwent surgery before he was flown to the U.S. and admitted to Broward Health Medical Center, where he remained in serious condition.

In a Facebook post early Monday, wife Tiffany Newman said her husband was off a ventilator and was able to communicate.

"He was very emotional and tearful. He seems to have a VERY clear memory of what happened to him and I can only imagine the terror of this ordeal," she wrote.

Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police officials said officers responded to the shooting around 1:43 a.m. Friday in the Grace Bay area of Providenciales. Police said Newman was shot in the abdominal area.

"It caused damage to his liver, but the main issue was that it hit his inferior vena cava and right kidney vein. He lost a very large amount of blood so he received lots of transfusions," Tiffany Newman said in a statement.

Newman underwent surgery and had been in a medically-induced coma at the islands' Cheshire Hall Medical Center before he was flown to South Florida, according to a GoFundMe posting.

Police said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which remains under investigation.

Officials with the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Tourism released a statement about the shooting Monday.

"We are shocked and saddened regarding the incident that occurred on one of our islands, in the early morning of June 23, involving a visitor to the destination. He and his family continue to be in our thoughts and prayers while doctors continue to monitor his recovery," the statement read. "A criminal act, whether against a resident or visitor, is never something taken lightly and there is a heightened and concentrated effort to identify the individual(s) responsible. The Turks and Caicos Islands are a popular and peaceful destination known for its pristine beaches and relaxed atmosphere and this type of occurrence sends a ripple through the entire community. The safety of all those on these islands is always our top priority and remains as such. The Ministry of Tourism is in complete cooperation with our acting police commissioner who has increased visible security."

Officials said a member of the tourist board stayed by Tiffany Newman's side until her husband was flown to the U.S. and that they remain in constant contact with the family. They also made travel arrangements for Newman's son, Gavin, to return to the U.S.

"Words can't begin to express how thankful we are to each and every person that has given anything to our family. This has been so traumatic, but it has also been so comforting knowing we have so much love, support, and prayers for us," Tiffany Newman said in the statement.

Published at 1:29 PM EDT on Jun 26, 2017 | Updated 5 hours ago

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Tourist Shot in the Caribbean Flown to Fort Lauderdale Hospital - NBC 6 South Florida

Exclusive: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Concept Art Shows the Evolution of the Ghost Soldiers – Collider.com

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One of the neater aspects of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was the design of Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) and his band of ghost soldiers. The movie utilized a neat kind of underwater effect so that the partial bodies of the soldiers would always seem to be submerged even when they were on dry land. It was a nice way of differentiating this group of baddies from the skeleton pirates of the first film, Davy Jones crew from the second two films, and whatever the hell the bad guys were in the completely forgettable fourth movie.

Today, were pleased to show you some concept art (courtesy ofMPCs Culver City based Concept Art team) that shows the development of the ghost soldiers. As you can see, all the designs made use of the submersion effect, but this early concept art shows that there was originally an idea to have burn marks as well so that the soldiers would also look like they were on fire. Perhaps they ditched it because it was too similar to Blackbeards smoldering beard in On Stranger Tides, or maybe it was just too much going on when combined with the submersion effect, but whatever the case may be, the final film dropped it.

Image via Disney

Heres what MPC had to say about designing the ghost soldiers:

MPC also created the majority of the ghostly crew that Captain Salazar leads as well as the Ghostly form of Salazar himself starting with concept art designs created by MPCs Culver City team to show how the crew could look. The idea behind the ghosts was that they are preserved in the exact form that they died in when their ship exploded in the Devils Triangle. Salazar has a giant hole in his head and other pirates are in similarly maimed states. In addition their hair and clothes were meant to appear as if underwater. Some of these characters were entirely digital throughout the movie, while for the more hero characters, actors were filmed with tight fitting costumes and close cropped hair. MPC closely rotoanimated the actors and created digital doubles of each, with maimed parts and resimmed hair and clothes.Salazar has thousands of hairs that needed to collide, interact and be directable. MPCs RnD team developed tools that allowed the animators to have control over the performance of the hair, whilst at the same time running physics simulations to keep it feeling natural.The second challenge was to augment the practical make up and extend it to include a giant hole on the left side of his head. His eyes were also given a ghostly texture and pattern.

Check out the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales concept art below. The film is currently in theaters.

Heres the official synopsis for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales:

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, a rip-roaring adventure that finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar, escape from the Devils Triangle bent on killing every pirate at seanotably Jack.

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Exclusive: 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' Concept Art Shows the Evolution of the Ghost Soldiers - Collider.com