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Liberal Activists Accidentally Fly Banner Attacking Nevada Republican Over West Virginia – Washington Free Beacon

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Sen. Dean Heller (R., Nev.) / AP

BY: Alex Griswold June 26, 2017 4:38 pm

Liberal activists in West Virginia accidentally flew an aerial message attacking a Republican senator representing a completely different state on the other side of the country.

Reporters at the Charleston Gazette-Mailon Monday noticed a plane flying around West Virginia's capital city with a banner reading, "SEN HELLER: KEEP YOUR WORD VOTE NO ON TRUMPCARE."

The only problem? Republican Sen. Dean Heller represents Nevada. The GOP senator representing West Virginia is Shelley Moore Capito.

The Gazette-Mails executive editor, Rob Byers, identified UltraViolet, a liberal women's advocacy group, as the organization responsible for the embarrassing mixup.

UltraViolet appeared to be using its aerial message to pressure Senate Republicans to vote against the chamber's health care bill under consideration to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Aerial messages appear to be a favorite tool of UltraViolet. The groupflew an anti-Donald Trump banner over the men's U.S. Open golf tournament earlier this month to protest the women's U.S. Open being held at a Trump-owned golf course this year. UltraViolet also recently flew a banner in Kansas City, Kan. attacking the Royals for accepting a pro-life advertisement.

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Liberal Activists Accidentally Fly Banner Attacking Nevada Republican Over West Virginia - Washington Free Beacon

Analysis: Mike Pence Works the Trenches – Roll Call

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Donald Trump and Mike Pence are the most effective pitchers in the Republican bullpen. The president has the starpower and gets the headlines, but the vice presidents emerging role could be just as valuable.

Trump is the flame-throwing closer with one pitch: his signature sharp rhetoric that metaphorically is his political fastball. But Pences recent public appearances showcase his role as the in-the-trenches long reliever who huddles with GOP members and reassures key constituent groups, and could be even more valuable.

The pairs recent schedules show a stark contrast that brings their roles into focus.

Trump on Friday entered the ornate East Room of the White House to sign a bill tailored to help military veterans get better care. In doing so, the commander in chief claimed a major personal achievement. It was carried live by cable news networks.

[Trump Boasts Tapes Bluff Forced Comeys Truthful Testimony]

On Wednesday night, Trump was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he, for over an hour, attacked his foes, made bold promises and listed the achievements of what he views as the most productive presidency at this point in U.S. history. The campaign-style rally lit Twitter on fire, made the front pages of all the major newspapers, and is still being replayed in soundbyte form on every network.

The same cannot be said of Pences recent public speeches.

The vice presidentquietly goes about the methodical business of delivering Trumps often searing populist message and governing vision in a friendlier, more conservative package.

That certainly was the case Friday, when Air Force Two landed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Penceaddressed a conference put on by Focus on the Family, the self-describedglobal Christian ministry that provides help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect Gods design.

Its just the kind of conservative group with which Trump, a thrice-married Manhattanite who appeared often on Howard Sterns then-raunchy radio show and has made caught-on-tape remarks that made many religious peoplecringe, has an unlikely and shaky alliance.

The same cannot be said of Pence, who is very much at home with Christian conservatives.

The previous day, there was Pence, addressing a conference of contractors and builders in Washington. And he hailed them in terms that neatly aligned with core Republican principles.

You champion fiscal responsibility and individual freedom, Pence said. And I promise you, the American people are grateful that you are a champion for American values.

As he typically does when addressing an issue-specific group, the vice president a career politician and Washington veteran makes clear its importance to the Trump-Pence agenda.

This president has promised, simply put, in his words, to rebuild America, Pence said in his radio-trained voice. And its businesses like yours that are going to play such a leading role in doing that. Ahead of schedule and under budget, right?

The same was true on Tuesday, when the former Indiana governor and congressman spoke to a National Association of Manufacturers summit, just the kind of voters that went for the Trump-Pence ticket in November in key Rust Belt states that helped put the GOP ticket over the top.

[Trump Says Senate GOP Health Care Holdouts Are Four Good Guys]

Since your founding more than 120 years ago, the National Association of Manufacturers has fought tirelessly for the time-honored American principles of free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty, and equal opportunity, Pence said.

And not only do you advocate for the businesses in this room, you really advocate for America itself. American manufacturers are the beating heart of our national life and always will be, the vice presidentsaid to applause before delivering the line designed to tie the group directly to his and the presidents agenda ahead of their expected 2020 re-election bid.

To borrow a phrase, Pence said, manufacturers make America and they make America great.

Michael Steel, a former aide to 2016 GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, said Penceis a natural choice for such targeted outreach because he possesses a deep background dealing with a range of individual interest groups across a spectrum of issues.

Jerri Ann Henry, a GOP political strategist, said the vice president provides a calming presence to groups who are inundated with speculation about Trumps plans and loyalties. Pence calms those concerns.

He has a lot of credibility with some of the hard-right groups like Focus on the Family, credibility Trump doesnt have even if those groups supported him, Henry said. Through all of the chaos of this administration, I think it is safe to say Pence is without question the most valuable player.

Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call on your iPhone or your Android.

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Analysis: Mike Pence Works the Trenches - Roll Call

JL Collins’ Tips for Achieving Financial Independence – The Dough Roller

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

It is not often that people become financially independent a mere 15 years after starting their career.

Although he didnt know it right away, Jim Collins did just that. In 1989, he became financially independent, only a decade and a half into his profession.

Jim Collins is now the author of A Simple Path to Wealth and also has his own financial blog, jlcollinsnh. He began his blog as a way to share different financial strategies with his daughter, family, and friends, that may help them become financially independent as well.

Through the past six years that Jim has had his blog, he has met hundreds of like-minded people. He has also expanded his blog to an annual trip to Ecuador, which he likes to call a Chautauqua a place where people come together to share ideas, concepts, and companionship.

In todays podcast, I will be talking to him about how he did it, his blog, and his new book, A Simple Path to Wealth. I also ask him for some tips on how we can all achieve financial independence.

Heres the podcast audio, followed by a transcript of the interview:

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JL Collins' Tips for Achieving Financial Independence - The Dough Roller

Alabama one of the least financially independent states in the country – Birmingham Business Journal

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Birmingham Business Journal

Alabama one of the least financially independent states in the country
Birmingham Business Journal
A study by WalletHub looked at various factors of financial independence among all 50 states and ranked them from most independent to the least. Unfortunately for Alabama residents, the state finished among the least independent states in the country.

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Alabama one of the least financially independent states in the country - Birmingham Business Journal

Greater savings options for feds draw praise, while move to cut their retirement looms – Washington Post

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

For federal employees accustomed to elected leaders focused on firing feds faster and bashing their benefits, heres a little something to cheer.

Bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate would update the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a 401(k)-type program for federal employees, by allowing them greater flexibility in withdrawing their funds.

This might not sound like much compared to news about federal retirement cuts in President Trumps proposed fiscal 2018 budget and the movement to undermine civil service protections. Yet this little something could make life easier for the 5 million people with TSP investments worth $490 billion.

Meanwhile, Democrats have escalated opposition to the planned cuts, with more than 100 House members opposing President Trumps proposal to gut pensions. Then Trump described workplace protections as outdated laws, at a White House East Room signing ceremony Friday for legislation that now restricts civil service safeguards for Department of Veterans Affairs employees.

Currently, participants reaching the age of 59 are allowed only one TSP withdrawal while actively employed in the government. When they leave federal service, they can withdraw a portion of their balance, but only once. After that, only full withdrawals are permitted.

The TSP Modernization Act introduced Friday by Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), and earlier in the Senate, would eliminate those restrictions. Investors could make multiple withdrawals at age 59 and after leaving the government.

Its huge, Kim Weaver, a TSP spokesperson, said of the legislation. It is supported by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which administers the TSP.

In a memo to the board two years ago, Greg Long, then the executive director, said changes like those in the legislative proposals will allow us to favorably respond to participant demand and move closer to typical plan design found in private and public sector plans. This set of changes will be a win for participants.

The bill would encourage participants to keep their TSP accounts to take advantage of low administrative fees even after they retire or separate from federal service, Cummings said. The legislation would give TSP participants what they want: greater flexibility to withdraw money from their accounts to address unexpected life events.

Its a win for the TSP too, which would keep more money longer.

Restrictive rules pushed many investors to transfer their balances to other financial institutions with more lenient policies but with higher fees.

Meadows called the bill common-sense reform It will give TSP recipients more access to their own funds and, over the long term, allow them the opportunity to continue taking advantage of benefits similar to those available throughout the private sector after federal service.

Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) introduced similar Senate legislation in April.

The proposals put federal employee leaders in the relatively rare position of having something from Capitol Hill to praise, as they did in letters to Congress.

Richard G. Thissen, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, said the legislation would create opportunities for participants before and during retirement, provide greater financial independence and encourage participants to keep their money in the TSP.

Although TSP provides federal employees with extremely low administrative and investment fees, pretax and after-tax withdrawal options and an employer contribution, Thomas S. Kahn, legislative affairs director of the American Federation of Government Employees, said it does not provide sufficient options for withdrawals while in federal service, or much flexibility involving annuity payments.

National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon welcomed the legislation, saying I have heard from many NTEU members over the years about the stringent withdrawal rules of the TSP the withdrawal rules have not been changed since the TSP was established in 1986 and are outdated.

While the TSP legislation gives feds reason to smile, Trumps budget plan turns that smile upside down. His proposal for a 1.9 percent pay raise for fiscal 2018 is more than offset by his effort to reduce retirement income for federal workers.

Trumps budget would increase individual out-of-pocket contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), base future retirement benefits on the high five years of salary instead of the high three, kill FERS cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), reduce the COLAfor those in the Civil Service Retirement System and eliminate retirement supplements for FERS participants who retire beginning in 2018.

Since 2010, federal employees have had $182 billion taken from their pay as a result of three years of pay freezes, furloughs, sequestration and increased employee retirement contributions, Kahn said. In addition to these losses in compensation and benefits, the cost of living has continued to rise. Nonetheless, federal employees save for retirement and pay into their TSP accounts.

Federal employee retirement programs are threatened, but their TSP is on the verge of getting better. Thats good, but not much consolation.

[New withdrawal options forTSPinvestors proposed]

[New VA law sets stage for government-wide cut in civil-service protections]

[Trumps budget calls for hits on federal employee retirement programs]

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Greater savings options for feds draw praise, while move to cut their retirement looms - Washington Post

A Utopia for a Dystopian Age – New York Times

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

The utopias of justice are perhaps even more familiar. Asking, typically, for great personal sacrifice, these utopias call for the abolition of all social injustice. While the French Revolution had its fair share of such visions, they reached an apotheosis in 20th-century Marxist politics. Despite his own personal rejection of utopianism, Lenin, high on his pedestal addressing workers in October 1917, came to be the embodiment of all three forms of utopia. At the heart of the Soviet vision there were always those burning eyes gazing intently, and with total confidence, toward the promised land.

Today, the utopian impulse seems almost extinguished. The utopias of desire make little sense in a world overrun by cheap entertainment, unbridled consumerism and narcissistic behavior. The utopias of technology are less impressive than ever now that after Hiroshima and Chernobyl we are fully aware of the destructive potential of technology. Even the internet, perhaps the most recent candidate for technological optimism, turns out to have a number of potentially disastrous consequences, among them a widespread disregard for truth and objectivity, as well as an immense increase in the capacity for surveillance. The utopias of justice seem largely to have been eviscerated by 20th-century totalitarianism. After the Gulag Archipelago, the Khmer Rouges killing fields and the Cultural Revolution, these utopias seem both philosophically and politically dead.

The great irony of all forms of utopianism can hardly escape us. They say one thing, but when we attempt to realize them they seem to imply something entirely different. Their demand for perfection in all things human is often pitched at such a high level that they come across as aggressive and ultimately destructive. Their rejection of the past, and of established practice, is subject to its own logic of brutality.

And not only has the utopian imagination been stung by its own failures, it has also had to face up to the two fundamental dystopias of our time: those of ecological collapse and thermonuclear warfare. The utopian imagination thrives on challenges. Yet these are not challenges but chillingly realistic scenarios of utter destruction and the eventual elimination of the human species. Add to that the profoundly anti-utopian nature of the right-wing movements that have sprung up in the United States and Europe and the prospects for any kind of meaningful utopianism may seem bleak indeed. In matters social and political, we seem doomed if not to cynicism, then at least to a certain coolheadedness.

Anti-utopianism may, as in much recent liberalism, call for controlled, incremental change. The main task of government, Barack Obama ended up saying, is to avoid doing stupid stuff. However, anti-utopianism may also become atavistic and beckon us to return, regardless of any cost, to an idealized past. In such cases, the utopian narrative gets replaced by myth. And while the utopian narrative is universalistic and future-oriented, myth is particularistic and backward-looking. Myths purport to tell the story of us, our origin and of what it is that truly matters for us. Exclusion is part of their nature.

Can utopianism be rescued? Should it be? To many people the answer to both questions is a resounding no.

There are reasons, however, to think that a fully modern society cannot do without a utopian consciousness. To be modern is to be oriented toward the future. It is to be open to change even radical change, when called for. With its willingness to ride roughshod over all established certainties and ways of life, classical utopianism was too grandiose, too rationalist and ultimately too cold. We need the ability to look beyond the present. But we also need Mores insistence on playfulness. Once utopias are embodied in ideologies, they become dangerous and even deadly. So why not think of them as thought experiments? They point us in a certain direction. They may even provide some kind of purpose to our strivings as citizens and political beings.

We also need to be more careful about what it is that might preoccupy our utopian imagination. In my view, only one candidate is today left standing. That candidate is nature and the relation we have to it. Mores island was an earthly paradise of plenty. No amount of human intervention would ever exhaust its resources. We know better. As the climate is rapidly changing and the species extinction rate reaches unprecedented levels, we desperately need to conceive of alternative ways of inhabiting the planet.

Are our industrial, capitalist societies able to make the requisite changes? If not, where should we be headed? This is a utopian question as good as any. It is deep and universalistic. Yet it calls for neither a break with the past nor a headfirst dive into the future. The German thinker Ernst Bloch argued that all utopias ultimately express yearning for a reconciliation with that from which one has been estranged. They tell us how to get back home. A 21st-century utopia of nature would do that. It would remind us that we belong to nature, that we are dependent on it and that further alienation from it will be at our own peril.

Espen Hammer is a professor of philosophy at Temple University and the author of Adornos Modernism: Art, Experience, and Catastrophe.

Now in print: The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments, an anthology of essays from The Timess philosophy series, edited by Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley, published by Liveright Books.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.

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A Utopia for a Dystopian Age - New York Times

Barker College agrees to launch Aboriginal academy for girls in Utopia homelands – ABC Online

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Posted June 27, 2017 06:42:23

The 1955 Australian film Jedda told the story of a young Aboriginal girl separated from her family and raised by a white woman, taught European ways and forbidden to learn her own culture.

Now, the woman who played Jedda hopes to reverse that by teaching young locals about their own culture first and foremost, with plans to develop a new school in the remote Utopia region of the Northern Territory.

Rosalie Kunoth-Monks starred as Jedda, and has signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of the Alukura Foundation with Sydney's Barker College to establish the Jedda Academy for the Education of Young Girls on the Utopia Homelands.

The region, about 260 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs, is one of the country's remotest.

In 2015, Ms Kunoth-Monks was NAIDOC's Person of the Year, as well as the NT's Australian of the Year, and is chairperson of the Alukura Foundation.

She said there was a need in Utopia to strengthen young people's learning by grounding them firmly in their own culture by local educators.

"We signed, we hope, the beginning of really growing two diverse cultures to come together in a way without destroying the other, or without being disengaged from the other," she said.

At the local school in the main Utopia homeland of Arlparra, 206 students are enrolled; Term one attendance was 53 per cent. The school also runs four other homeland learning centres in the region.

Nationally, the latest Closing the Gap report showed in very remote areas, Indigenous school attendance was 66.4 per cent, compared to 91.1 per cent of non-Indigenous students, something the new academy hopes to improve for its students.

Education of Indigenous children "has to get away from the assimilationist approach", Ms Kunoth-Monks said.

"We have a right to retain our identity. In that identity comes your stability, your belongingness and the capacity [for children] to comprehend in their earlier years."

Ms Kunoth-Monks said she felt the mainstream educational system had been pigeonholing Indigenous children and curtailing their abilities, resulting in their disengagement from classroom learning.

"There's many of my people in the Top End of Australia that are also querying that shoving down your throat of a foreign ideal and so forth, that is wrong," Ms Kunoth-Monks said.

"You've got to first of all get that child to accept itself and have confidence in that little body to say, 'This is who I am. Now I want to know further, I want to know what it is in that big wide world'."

Sydney's Barker College has already established an Aboriginal campus on the Central Coast of NSW, called Darkinjung Barker.

Principal Phillip Heath said funding for the Jedda Academy would not be drawn from Barker College tuition fees, but would be sourced privately to begin with, before approaching the Government.

About 30 children of varying ages will be educated at the Jedda Academy "with the intent that we celebrate traditional culture, traditional identity, traditional language, but we support the learning that goes on beyond that so they can contribute to the world that goes outside their community", Mr Heath said.

He said teaching children their own culture first would help boost academic outcomes.

"We've tried so hard for so long; generation after generation we've been discouraged by under-achievement of our First Nations children," he said.

"There's no reason why they shouldn't be doing well academically they're clever, they're committed."

In 2007, Mr Heath started the Gawura Indigenous School at St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney, which has a 95 per cent attendance rate, most of the school's NAPLAN results are above the national average, and some graduates are now attending university.

He said there needed to be a change in the cultural setting of schooling for Aboriginal students.

"Rather than school happening to you, it happens with you in a culturally informed and gentle way; particularly in this case, where we celebrate the role our young women play in building great culture and a strong community life," Mr Heath said.

"We know from all the evidence right across the world that our young girls, if well-educated, will bring fantastic results to the strength of the local community.

"We want to provide in that setting strong literacy, strong numeracy, high expectations, high attendance, all the things that we yearn to see in this country."

Ms Kunoth-Monks said only some young boys would be educated at the academy alongside girls, because according to local custom, girls and boys are educated separately as they grow into adulthood.

"We want to see the best for our girls here," she said.

"The girls play a large role in that nurturing part, in holding the country, in having that country pattern [painted] on your body and singing it and dancing it and making sure that goes on to the next millennium."

If the school is a success, a second school for local boys will be established, she said.

Mr Heath said establishing the academy was about taking a serious step towards closing the gap.

"If we're serious about reconciliation, we need to go further than just voicing it. We should go further than just acknowledging country or celebrating NAIDOC Week or Reconciliation Week," he said.

"From our point of view, we get access to one of the richest, deepest, oldest, most spiritual and most profound cultures on the planet.

"Who wouldn't want to educate their children in cities with access to that experience?"

If fundraising to establish the school is successful, it could be operational as soon as first term 2018, Mr Heath said.

Topics: education, access-to-education, schools, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, youth, indigenous-culture, alice-springs-0870, sydney-2000, darwin-0800

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Barker College agrees to launch Aboriginal academy for girls in Utopia homelands - ABC Online

Oceania Boxing Championships set to begin in Gold Coast – Insidethegames.biz (blog)

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

The OceaniaBoxingConfederation(OCBC) Boxing Championships are set to begin in Australian city Gold Coast tomorrow.

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 tomorrow 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 - Insidethegames.biz (blog)

Moceisawana for Oceania – Fiji Times

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Update: 5:32PM ADI CAKOBAU SCHOOL athletics captain Laisani Moceisawana has worked even harder since helping her school win back the Coca Cola Games title in April.

Now the Somosomo, Taveuni islander is excited to donher country's colours when the Oceania Athletics takes place inSuva on Wednesday June 28.

The 19 year old who is currently making the transition from high school student to full time athlete said she had put in the hard yards to make the team which was announced on Friday.

"I feel proud to be representing the country as we have been been training so hard lately and put in so much effort for the team," Moceisawana said.

She said the gruelling routine in the past few weeks had included two hours of early morning gym work with another two hours in the evening at the tracks six days a week.

Moceisawana she has also worked hard keep up her academic requirements in the hope of winning a scholarship overseas.

For now, the Coke Cola Games senior girls 100m gold medallist is focused on containing the excitement at being able to run against her idol, Pacific Sprint Queen Toea Wisil.

"It is not hard to juggle academics and training although I do have to cut down time spent with my friends. All you have to do is balance your obligations and commit your work unto the Lord," said Moceisawana.

Moceisawana and ACS teammate Makereta Naulu join the fastest woman in Fiji, Sisilia Seavula in the bid for the 100m title at the Oceania Games running against Wisil.

According to Athletics Fiji monitoring as at June this year, Moceisawana is currently ranked the fourth fastest woman in Fiji with a personal best time of 12.41s.

Sisilia Seavula ran her personal best time of 11.98s at the William Jewell College "Darrel Gourley Open" the United States in April.

Makereta Naulu is ranked second with a fastest time of 12.26s, and Braelynn Yee is ranked third a personal best of 12.38s.

Moceisawana equals Heleina Young at 4th place with the same time recorded at the Coke Games in April.

Team Fiji to the Oceania Athletics Meet:

Under 18 Girls: Salote Baravilala (100m), Braelynn Yee (100m), Louisa Tubailagi (100m & 200m), Serenia Ragatu (200m & 400m), Vika Bavui (200m), Virisila Radovu (400m), Ana Kaitoga (400m), Tuliana Tinai (HJ), Fane Sauvakacolo (TJ), Sovaia Vusona (LJ), Mereseini Waqatoki (LJ), Tarairi Erasito (SP & DT), Seinimili Cagilaba (DT), Elisabeta Lilicama (DT), Marica Bai (JT), Ateca Narisia (JT), Ilisapeci Loloma (JT), Vani Loloma (800m), Laisiana Seru (800m) and Saravina Nakaisawa (1500m).

Coaches: Antonio Raboiliku (Sprints & Distance), Rafaele Tunaulu (Sprints & Distance), Mitieli Savu (Horizontal Jumps), Eugene Vollmer (Horizontal Jumps), Benedito Qumi (Vertical Jumps) and Fesaitu Mario (Throws).

Under 18 Boys: Waisake Nakavu (100m), Tyrone Chambers (100m), Nemani Mudreilagi (100m & 200m), Kolinio Radrudru (200m), Apolosi Nawai (200m), Petero Veitaqomaki (400m), Douglas Matakibau (400m), Osea Baleinamau (400m), Aporosa Taqiri (LJ), Kolaia Ivi (HJ), Nikola Raiqeu (HJ), Joseva Talemaicakaudrove (DT), Darcy Cammick (JT) and Josua Daveta (800m & 1500m).

Under 20 Girls: Heleina Young (100m), Akanisi Sokoiwasa (400m), Seinimili Maisamoa (400m), Mereoni Loki (200m & 400m), Jemima Ferguson (HJ), Terah Narayan (HJ), Alesi Bulisala (LJ & TJ), Mariana Talatoka (LJ), Senimili Vakamino (LJ & TJ), Merelita Tamaniceva (DT), Kinisimere Naivalu (DT), Katarina Lilicama (JT), Tupou Tuiloa (JT), Cilia Kalokalo (800m) and Vika Tuilomana (800m & 1500m)

Coaches: Antonio Raboiliku (Sprints & Distance), Moave Vu (Sprints & Distance), Sereseini Lala (Horizontal Jumps), John Iroa (Horizontal Jumps), Benedito Qumi (Vertical Jumps) and Fesaitu Mario (Throws & Distance).

Under 20 Boys: Tony Lemeki (100m), Malasebe Tuvusa (100m & 200m), Jim Colasau (200m), Viliame Tawake (400m), Melchizedek Katafono (400m), Tevita Senico (HJ), George Vokiti (HJ), Kitione Nasau (TJ), Penijamini Nasorowale (TJ), Mark Nasova (LJ), Jethro Lockington (LJ), Kavekini Vasuitaukei (LJ), Mua Cavuilati (SP), Isikeli Lumelume (SP), Josua Serukilagi (DT), Kautane Erasito (DT), Mosese Saqanavere (JT), Eronimo Vakarewa (JT), Jekesoni Yavala (800m), Petero Tuisiga (1500m) and Dave Raika (1500m).

Coaches: Antonio Raboiliku (Sprints & Distance), Moave Vu (Sprints & Distance), Sereseini Lala (Jumps), John Iroa (Jumps), Benedito Qumi (Vertical Jumps) and Fesaitu Mario (Throws & Distance).

Open Women: Makereta Naulu (100m & 200m), Sisilia Seavula (100m & 200m), Laisani Moceisawana (100m), Elenani Tinai (400m), Filomena Balobalo (200m & 400m), Elenoa Sailosi (4x100m), Nanise Tavisa (HJ), Rosalia Raqato (HJ), Asinate Kasowaqa (LJ & TJ), Mereoni Bonasere (SP), Ana Baleira (DT), Avelina Soakula (JT), Maria Noela (800m), Tavenisa Senigacali (800m), Camari Adilasaqa (1500m) and Raylin Mario (Heptathlon).

Coaches: Bola Tafo?ou (Sprints & Distance), Jone Delai (Sprints & Distance), Gabrieli Qoro (Horizontal Jumps), Benedito Qumi (Vertical Jumps) and Maurice Erasito/Albert Miller Snr (Throws).

Open Men: Vilisoni Rarasea (100m & 400m H), Aaron Powell (100m & 200m), Albert Miller Jnr (100m), Samuela Railoa (200m & 400m), Albert Miller Jnr (100m), Sailosi Tubuilagi (400m), Kameli Sauduadua (400m), Emosi Sukanaivalu (400m H), Errol Qaqa (110m H), Malakai Kaiwalu (HJ), Meli Kolanavanua (HJ), Eugene Vollmer (TJ), Kalaveti Mokosiro (TJ), Waisale Dausoko (LJ), Iosefo Kamusu (LJ), Sireli Bulivorovoro (LJ), Pramesh Prasad (5000w & 10000w), Rajeshwar Prasad (5000w), Mustafa Fall (SP), Setareki Matau (DT), Pita Tamani (JT), Amania Isa (JT), Leslie Copeland (JT), John Sade (Decathlon), Navitalai Naivalu (Decathlon), Atama Vunibola (1500m), Viliame Salusalu (800m & 1500m), Josua Raivanua (800m), Avikash Lal (5000m & 10000m), Jeremaiah Singh (5000m & 10000m), Kennol Narayan (5000m & 10000m) and Abhineet Ram (HT).

Coaches: Bola Tafo?ou (Sprints & Distance), Jone Delai (Sprints & Distance), Gabrieli Qoro (Horizontal Jumps), Benedito Qumi (Vertical Jumps) and Maurice Erasito/Albert Miller Snr (Throws).

Masters Women: Lorna Cammick (100m & LJ) and Marama Qerewaqa (100m & SP).

Masters Men: Noel Singh (400m), Roveen Permal (100m), Pio Qerewaqa (100m, 400m & LJ), Albert Barty Miller (SP), Semisi Bainivalu (100m, 400m & LJ), Esala Talebula (400m) and Bimlesh Prasad (400m & LJ).

Para Women: Laniana Serukalou (SP) and Naibili Vatunisolo (SP).

Coaches: Freddy Fatiaki and Fuata

Para Men: Leslie Tikotikoca (JT & SP), Iosefo Rakesa (SP), Jone Bogidrau (SEATED SP), Ranjesh Prakash (LJ & JT), Varayame Naikolevu (SEATED SP), Yabaki Sili (100m) and Luther Solomone (100m & 200m).

Coaches: Freddy Fatiaki and Fuata

Link:

Moceisawana for Oceania - Fiji Times

Rudder steers assault at Oceania area championships – Clarence Valley Daily Examiner

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

ATHLETICS: Natasha Rudder has gone many miles to achieve her dreams, 100m at a time.

The family car has racked up about 5500km in seven weeks as Rudder competed at athletics competitions from Sydney to Brisbane, chasing a dream on to the world stage.

The South Grafton 17-year-old will represent the Australian Regional team at the Oceania Athletics Area Championships 2017 in Suva, Fiji, this week.

With sprints in the Under-20 100m and 200m events and a potential selection in the Open relay team, Rudder has had to go to great lengths to earn a second chance opportunity at the titles.

Rudder missed out on national selection and instead had to earn her way onto the regional team by beating qualifying times at athletics meets.

But not only did Rudder beat those times, she obliterated them.

"When I had seen the times that I needed to qualify, I felt confident I could achieve them," she said.

"Doing all my training and competing at different areas and in different competitions, I finally got there.

"When I got my PB in the 200m, that was when I was most excited because I smashed it by three to four seconds."

Rudder runs the 200m in 25.74 and the 100m in 12.4 seconds, more than three seconds under qualifying time.

She will fly out for the championships today with the support of South Grafton Ex-Servicemen's Club who raised funds to help get Rudder to Fiji.

"There is no words to describe the feeling," she said. "I am representing all of the people of Australia at this event. It is happening. It is so awe-inspiring and new. I am nervous but so excited."

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Rudder steers assault at Oceania area championships - Clarence Valley Daily Examiner

BTMU hires for Oceania event financing | GlobalCapital – GlobalCapital

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Every year, our sister publication Asiamoney carries out an Offshore RMB Poll. As part of that process, the magazine asks the market for its thoughts on important renminbi topics. In this third year, we received around 2,300 valid responses, up 3% on a year ago. The ten questions included a new one on the inclusion of onshore RMB assets in global indices. Here we present the answers to the final five questions.

You know who won, now find out why. GlobalCapital Asia and Asiamoney present the extended results of our 2016 China Deals and Investment Bank of the Year awards, recognising achievement both on and offshore.

GlobalCapital Asia and Asiamoney present the extended results for our 2016 Best Country Deals. Discover why these bond, equity and loan transactions delivered outstanding outcomes for issuers and investors.

The names have been announced, now find out why they stood out from the crowd. GlobalCapital Asia and Asiamoney present the extended results for our 2016 Australia Deals and Investment Bank of the Year awards, recognising achievement in equities, bonds, loans and investment banking.

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BTMU hires for Oceania event financing | GlobalCapital - GlobalCapital

Quality field drawn to Gold Coast for Oceania Boxing Championships – Australian Olympic Committee

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

BOXING: Australias best male boxers will today begin their campaign to qualify for this years World Championships, when they take on the best athletes from the region in the Oceania Boxing titles on the Gold Coast.

Ten Australian boxers, including 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Joseph Goodall, and 2016 Rio Olympian, Jason Whateley, will take on boxers from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa, French Polynesia, Tonga, Nauru and Fiji.

Three other Rio Olympians will also compete in the Championships, which are being held at the Paradise Point Bowls Club from today until the 29th.

Vanuatus 2016 Olympian, Boe Lionel Warawara, competing in the 56kg, Papua New Guineas Thadius Katua, in the 60kg, and Fijis Winston Mark Hill in the 69kg all competed in Brazil last year.

One of the biggest names to compete this week is New Zealands 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, David Nyika, who will take on Australias Whateley in the 91kg in what is sure to be one of the most eagerly anticipated divisions of the competition.

Australia will also have 2011 junior world champion, Clay Waterman, competing in the 46kg.

Running alongside this weeks Oceania Championships will be a new competition introduced to Australian boxing, the Super Quattro round-robin tournament.

The event will see four boxers in each weight division compete against each other, with the top two from each going through to the final.

This weeks event has attracted a strong womens line-up, including World Championship silver medallist and 2014 Commonwealth Games athlete, Kaye Scott, World Championship bronze medallist, Skye Nicolson, and Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist, Caitlin Parker.

Ross Solly Boxing Australia

Quality field drawn to Gold Coast for Oceania Boxing Championships - Australian Olympic Committee

Hi-Rez Oceania SMITE and Paladins Mid Year Finals Wrap-Up – AusGamers

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Over the weekend in Adelaide, the Hi-Rez Oceania $35,000 Mid Year Finals took place. With Legacy Esports crowned the best SMITE team in the region and Kanga Esports victorious in the Paladins Path to Dreamhack grand final. The event saw a number of match-ups take place over two days of esports action.

Teams competing in the Hi-Rez Oceania Mid Year Finals included SMITE teams LG Dire Wolves, Legacy Esports, Kanga Esports and Dark Sided. Paladins included Kings Esports, and reigning OCE champions Kanga Esports -- who are currently ranked 3rd in the world. With the win over the weekend, Kanga will now fly to Valencia to part in a 8 team Paladins global tournament. Go Aussies!

Results are as follows for the SMITE matches.

Details for SMITE Oceania Pro League Split 3, and Paladins Oceania Esports are coming soon. In the meantime be sure to check out all the action over at twitch.tv/HirezTV and twitch.tv/PaladinsGame

Link:

Hi-Rez Oceania SMITE and Paladins Mid Year Finals Wrap-Up - AusGamers

5 Interesting Things about Seychelles – Africa.com

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago made up of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. These islands are classified into 42 inner granitic islands and 73 outer coralline islands. The 42 granitic islands, or the Granitic Seychelles as they are called, lie in the central position of the Seychelles Bank and are composed of granite rock. They make up the majority of the inner islands of Seychelles. The outer coralline islands, or Coralline Seychelles, are the group of islands that are not on the shallow Seychelles Bank, which is the location of the Granitic Seychelles.

The beauty that comes with the islands has made Seychelles a popular destination for holidays and honeymooners. Some of the most popular people to spend their honeymoon in Seychelles include Prince William and Duchess Kate, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Ronan Keating and Storm Uechtritz, George Clooney andAmal Alamuddin, as well as Nicky Hilton andJames Rothschild. To ensure total privacy of their celebrity tourists, the Government of Seychelles introduced a law making it an offense for a Seychellois citizen to provide assistance to any paparazzi who was cunning enough to hire a fishing boat and try to take photographs from offshore. We want people, famous or not, to be able to relax on their holiday. They shouldnt have to worry about being spied upon, says Alain St.Ange, the Tourism Minister for Seychelles, to international media.

After their return to the UK, Prince Williams office at St. Jamess Palace released a statement thanking the government and people of Seychelles for the great time that the Prince and Duchess had spent there. The couple thoroughly enjoyed their time together, and they are grateful to the Seychelles Government for their assistance in making the honeymoon such a memorable and special 10 days, read the statement.

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5 Interesting Things about Seychelles - Africa.com

Royal Caribbean to Introduce New Non-Refundable Deposit Fares – Travel Agent

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Effective July 1, Royal Caribbean International plans to introduce a new nonrefundable deposit program.

Nonrefundable deposit fares now give Royal Caribbean an opportunity to simplify our promotional landscape, while also providing our guests with added confidence to book early and our travel partners the reassurance in more qualified, dependable business, the line told agents in its written communications with the trade.

So, basically, what are the prime benefits? And how does the new program work?

First, it providesan early booking incentive. Clients will earn a booking incentive based on the early booking timeframe and stateroom category.

Second, the line believes the new nonrefundable deposit program will build stronger bookings and provide a higher retention of those bookings.

Third, the new program offers flexibility with deposit options.

"It's similar to the Carnival Early Saver rate and I sell a lot of that," saysJohn Gawne, an independent travel agent with Cruises Inc., Virginia Beach, VA. "I haven't had any problem selling the Carnival Cruise LineEarly Saver and don't expect a problem selling Royal Caribbean's."

Key Points

Royal Caribbean says the nonrefundable deposit fare will default at the best rate whenever available, as it will always be priced lower than the regular brand promotion. In other words, clients will get a great deal if they understand the nonrefundable terms and conditions.

The fare name will have No Ref Dep as part of the name to indicate that it is part of the nonrefundable deposit program. So agents can immediately see what type of fare it is and that a nonrefundable deposit is required.

When agents are viewing the pricing screen in Espresso, there will be a button to change the view between the nonrefundable deposit fare and the regular fare, so agents can easily compare the fares.

Before the travel agent makes a nonrefundable deposit reservation, the line insists that the agent inform the client that he or she is creating a reservations for which the fare is nonrefundable.

Gawne concurs, noting that "it's important on both fares [Carnival's and Royal Caribbean's] to ensure the prospect is fully awareof the conditions/restrictions on this nonrefundable deposit fare."

Why? If the client with a Royal Caribbean nonrefundable deposit reservationwishes to change ship or sailing date, that clientwill incur a $100 per person change fee.Or, it's a deduction of $100 from any future cruise credit. Carnival's change fees are $50 for both of those circumstances, he notes.

Early Booking Incentive

If the nonrefundable deposit fare reservation is being made farther out than six months prior to sailing, Royal Caribbean will provide an Early Booking Incentivefor bookings of interior, ocean view, balcony and suite category accommodations.

On cruises of one to five nights, the incentives range from $25 for interior and oceanview stateroom bookings to $50 for balcony stateroomand suite bookings.

On cruises of six or more nights, those early booking incentives are $50 and $100, respectively.

In a help document for agents, Royal Caribbean summarizes thekey points of the new nonrefundable deposit fare andshowsagents how to add in future cruise certificates for the new fare within the Espresso reservations system.

A separate Q&A documenttackles more nitty-gritty questions such as what happens if the client wishes to downgrade from a suite to a balcony stateroom, or is it possible to switch from nonrefundable to a regular deposit fare later?

A trainingwebcast also can be viewed atwww.cruisingpower.com.

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OPINION: Caribbean Heritage Month and its importance to African-American history – Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Life Needs the Caribbean! So read the tagline of a full-length commercial that ran in frequent rotation on national network television a couple years ago. The declaration was made against a backdrop of scenic images of the idyllic blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. For further emphasis, the rhythmic sounds of island music were heard in the background.

Though there has been a monumental movement toward change, the fact is that in the past, there was a lingering perception that the Caribbean is music, sea, sand and surf. This view was reinforced by the strong cultural distinctiveness that Caribbean people maintained since migrating to the U.S. Hence, when Marcus Garvey was celebrated during Black History Month, it was as a black hero and not as a Caribbean-American contributor. Or when America celebrated the achievement of General Colin Powell as the first black to attain the position of secretary of state, his Jamaican heritage was barely a whisper.

Thankfully, this climate has drastically evolved and with the emergency of Caribbean Heritage Month 12 years ago, a new paradigm by which the contributions of Caribbean Americans are evaluated has emerged. Now, a classroom without walls exists in which we not only just discuss, but celebrate the achievements and contributions of people like Alexander Hamilton,one of the founding fathers of the U.S. and the first secretary of the treasury; and Bertram L. Baker, the first black elected to the state legislator from Brooklyn both of whom born in Nevis. We also celebrate the Caribbean roots of Hulan Jack, the Harlem politician who in 1953 became the first black borough president of Manhattan.

For yet another year, the commemoration of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month reminds us that our greatness lies in our differences as we recognize the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the U.S. In addition, by producing Americas largest heritage street festival that attracts people from every corner of the globe to Eastern Parkway, the Caribbean American community has shown us not just the beauty, but also the strength in diversity. However, the Brooklyn Labor Day Carnival Parade is justa microcosm of whoCaribbean Americans are asa people. Their essential contributions in business, politics, education, literature, the arts, medicine, science, sports, the military and religious endeavors rise way above the din of the reggae, calypso or kompa music we have all grown to love.

As a state senator representing one of the largest concentrations of Caribbean Americans in the state of New York, I am proud of our Caribbean political trailblazers like Basil Paterson, former secretary of state and deputy mayor of the City of New York. Who could ever forget my second mother and Brooklyns own Dr. Una Clarke, who was the first Caribbean-American person elected to the New York City Council. Her daughter, the dynamic U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, is too a significant Caribbean American political contributor who has followed in the footsteps of her mom and the Hon. Shirley Chisholm the first black woman elected to Congress. Moreover, I am proud of being an integral part of the election of David Paterson as the first African-American minority leader of the New York State Senate, who subsequently created similar history as governor of New York state. In the same vein, I am happy to serve alongside long-standing Assemblymembers Nick Perry and Herman Denny Farrell both of whom are of Caribbean ancestry.

New York City has the largest concentration of Haitians in the U.S., as well as the oldest established Haitian communities of the country. The district that I am honored to serve bears the largest Haitian population in the state of New York. It is therefore significant that in the past five years we have witnessed an upsurge in the election of state officials of Haitian ancestry, like Rodneyse Bichotte, Clyde Vanel, Michaelle Solages and Kimberly Jean-Pierre, who all serve in the New York State Assembly. Other Caribbean-American elected officials contributing to the health and vitality of our communities include state Sen. Roxanne Persaud and state Assemblymember Diana Richardson.

Numbering conservatively at some 3 million by the U.S. Census, or just over 9 percent of the total foreign-born population according to the Migration Policy Institute, the Caribbean population in the U.S. has surged more than 17-fold over the past half-century. Therefore, the time is rife to balance past inequality and put a face on the sweeping contributions made by Caribbean Americans to the building of American society.

It is said that the greatest legacy we can leave for our children are roots and wings. Caribbean American Heritage Month accomplishes both of these ends. And by reconstructing an environment of social equality, the spirits of generations of great Caribbean men and women will continuously be elevated and live on.

State Sen. Kevin Parker represents District 21, which includes Flaubush, Flatlands, Park Slope and Kensington.

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OPINION: Caribbean Heritage Month and its importance to African-American history - Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Examining Change in the Caribbean – Hamilton College News

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Her personal history, worldview and some classroom inspiration shaped Kaygon Finakin 19s summer research project. She is examining the role of international institutions in the continued exploitation, oppression and underdevelopment of a number of Caribbean countries.

Finakins focus is Barbados, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica, where she was born and lived until she was 10. Now Finakin lives in the Bronx, visiting Jamaica with her family every year. With each trip back, it seems to Finakin that the economy and living conditions have declined. Her aspiration is to move to back to Jamaica someday to work for improvements at a policy-making level.

She has outlined a broad plan to make that happen: earn a graduate degree, build career experience in the U.S., then take what shes learned to Jamaica, which she still considers home. With that in mind, Finakin majored in world politics with a concentration in poverty and underdevelopment.

The classroom inspiration for her summer research came from documentaries she watched and discussed in an Africana studies course. One film addressed how Jamaica fell into debt after gaining independence, and the other looked at pseudo slavery of Haitians who work in the Dominican Republics sugar industry. They influenced her choice of major as well as her summer research.

Working with Associate Professor of Africana Studies Nigel Westmaas, Finakin is investigating the regions poverty, underdevelopment and possible policies to foster improvement. The project is funded by a grant from Hamiltons Levitt Center. By summers end, Finakin doesnt expect to have found clear solutions but she may have developed ideas about steps to take.

Im looking at a lot of existing research. I dont plan to interview anyone, but I do plan to look at the work of political actors in the region or previous political actors in the region and understand what they want versus what theyve been given in the international system since independence. So understanding the interests and the interactions is the biggest goal, Finakin explains.

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Examining Change in the Caribbean - Hamilton College News

UK Unveils Memorial for African, Caribbean Soldiers Who Served During World Wars – Face2Face Africa

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Troops from the east African division serving in Burma. Photo Credit: DW

The U.K. recently unveiled a monument in remembrance of the thousands of African and Caribbean soldiers who fought and died in the service of the kingdom during the First and Second World Wars.

The monument, formed of two 6-feet (1.8m) long obelisks, is sculpted from Scottish whinstone and weighs just under 5 tons, according to the BBC.

Described as the first of its kind in the U.K., the monument carries the names of the African and Caribbean regiments in both wars.

The world wars memorial in Windrush Square, Brixton Photo Credit: BBC

U.K. Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon described the recognition as long overdue Thursday.

I hope this memorial will remind us of the ongoing contribution of our African and Caribbean communities to our country and to the defense of our country, Fallon said.

Black Service

A photo of three African soldiers taken during the Second World War. Photo credit: BBC

Thousands of able-bodied young men from British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean volunteered to serve in the Army and Navy, after Britain joined World War I in 1914.

In some cases, though, men were forcefully conscripted when they went to visit a local market or through the orders of a local chief.

The bulk of their numbers came from British colonies, including Nigeria, the Gambia, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South Africa, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nyasaland (Malawi), Kenya, the Gold Coast (Ghana), and Jamaica.

Many men would go on to fight in the deserts of North Africa, the jungles of Burma, and over the skies of Germany.

A group of colored Royal Air Force officers during World War II. Front row, from left: [1] unknown, from Jamaica or Belize; [2] Dusty Miller, from Guyana; [3] S/L Corbett (liason); [4] Ulric Cross, from Trinidad; [5] Johnny Smythe, from Sierra Leone; [6] Mark Walker, from Trinidad; Second row from left: [1] E.A. Gordon from Jamaica; [4] Percy Messiah, from Trinidad; [5] possibly his brother C.A. Messiah from Trinidad; [6] Vivian Thomas from Manchester, Jamaica; [7] Jellicoe Scoon from Grenada. Third row from left: [1] E.R Braithwaite from Guyana. Photo credit: Caribbean Aircrew

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Mayor of London Sadiq Khansaid, Britain owes an enormous debt to the African and Caribbean service men and women who fought alongside their British-based peers during the First and Second World Wars.

These brave individuals, who came from what was formerly the British Empire, sacrificed an enormous amount to defend the freedoms that we now enjoy.

The Department of Communities and Local Government provided 80,000 in funding for the project, which is located at the Windrush Square in Brixton.

UK Unveils Memorial for African, Caribbean Soldiers Who Served During World Wars - Face2Face Africa

Where is Donald Trump Jr.? First son shares photos of lavish Bahamas vacation – AOL

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

Aol.com Editors

Jun 26th 2017 3:51PM

While President Donald Trump and first daughter Ivanka Trump were attending Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's wedding over the weekend, Donald Trump Jr. and his family appeared to be having a great time on a Caribbean vacation.

The first son, his wife Vanessa and their children went scuba diving and fishing during their getaway to the Bahamas.

Trump posted a photo of his wife and his three youngest children -- 5-year-old Tristan, 4-year-old Spencer and 3-year-old Chloe. His two older children, 10-year-old Kai and 8-year-old Donald III, were not featured in any of his Instagram photos from this year's trip.

7 PHOTOS

Donald Trump Jr. and family enjoy Bahamas vacation

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Now that's a grouper. Took Vanessa and the kids away for the weekend and it seems we are off to a good start. #fishing #family #weekend

A little morning dive to kick off the day. #scuba #diving

Family boat day. Good times on the water. #family #weekend #familytime #water #sports

Before and after. #conch #freediving

Had some visitors come say hello at the beach today. #family #beach #weekend #bacon

Sun going down in a great weekend.

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Trump Jr. and his family are frequent visitors to the Bahamas, having vacationed there several times in the last couple years.

Back in Washington D.C., Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were spotted at Mnuchin's wedding to actress Louise Linton on Saturday evening. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen were also in attendance.

RELATED: Inside Steve Mnuchin's wedding and relationship with Louise Linton

13 PHOTOS

Inside Steve Mnuchin's wedding and relationship with Louise Linton

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017. The Trumps left to attend the wedding of US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton. The first lady is wearing a Gilles Mendel silk chiffon gown with Manolo Blahnik pumps. ( Photo by Ron Sachs-pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: (Exclusive Coverage) (L-R) First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Louise Linton, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence pose at the wedding of Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton on June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. Louise Linton is wearing a custom Ines Di Santo gown with wedding ring and earrings by Martin Katz. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LS)

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: (Exclusive Coverage) Vice President Mike Pence (C) officiates the wedding of Louise Linton (L) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) on June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. Louise Linton is wearing a custom Ines Di Santo gown with wedding ring and earrings by Martin Katz. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LS)

UNITED STATES - MAY 18: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin testifies, as his fiancee Louise Linton looks on, during a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled Domestic and International Policy Update, on May 18, 2017. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Steven Mnuchin (L) and his financee Louise Linton watch as US President Donald Trump speaks during Mnuchin's swearing-in ceremony as the next treasury secretary in the Oval Office of the White House on February 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump (L) watches as US Vice President Mike Pence (out of frame) administers the oath of office to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (2nd L) watched by Mnuchin's fiancee Louise Linton in the Oval Office of the White House on February 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Stephen Mnuchin and fiancee Louise Linton arrive for the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Donald J. Trump became the 45th president of the United States today. (Photo by Saul Loeb - Pool/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 07: Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton attend the 2016 Library Lions Gala at New York Public Library - Stephen A Schwartzman Building on November 7, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 19: Louise Linton, fianc of Steven Mnuchin, right, President-elect Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, attends his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen Building, January 19, 2017. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Louise Linton smiles as her fiancSteven Mnuchin, Treasury secretary nominee for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, not pictured, speaks during a Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Mnuchin defended his record as an owner of a mortgage lender that was accused of unfair loan and foreclosure practices during the financial crisis. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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More from AOL.com: Ivanka Trump faces criticism on social media over off-the-shoulder gown at congressional picnic Poll: Majority think President Trump and the first family should travel less Inside the extravagant wedding of billionaire Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and 36-year-old actress Louise Linton

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Where is Donald Trump Jr.? First son shares photos of lavish Bahamas vacation - AOL

The Illinois House of Representatives adopted a resolution June 22 to encourage airline travel to the Bahamas. – Madison County Record

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Danzig

The Illinois House of Representatives adopted aresolutionJune 22 to encourage airline travel to the Bahamas.

In an executive session called after the special session adjourned in just under 11 minutes, House Resolution 290 was adopted via voice vote. State Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, and state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, sponsored the resolution.

The resolution encourages airlines flying between Illinois and the Bahamas to explore increasing the amount of flights between Illinois and the Bahamas.

And instead of encouraging in-state tourism, HR 290 promotes a newluxury resortin the Bahamas that opened in April.

While encouraging the taxpayers they represent to spend money out of state, Illinois still has no budget.

The Illinois Senate adjourned from special session June 22 after just 11 minutes and 54 seconds, and also failed to advance a budget. The special legislative session will cost taxpayers about $50,000 per day, according to an estimate from the Chicago Tribune.

Both sides of the aisle in Springfieldclaim to want a compromiseon a budgetto prevent Illinois from becoming the first state in the union with a junk credit rating. BothDemocratsandRepublicans have proposed plansto raise taxes by more than $5 billion, which wouldincrease the average Illinois households tax burden by $1,125 a year. But Illinoisans have expressed that they dont want a budget that hikes taxes.

Nearly two-thirdsof likely Illinois voters dont want an income tax hike as part of the state budget, according to polling conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and commissioned by the Illinois Policy Institute. More than three-quarters of respondentsopposehiking sales taxes. Andnearly 80 percentagree Illinois state lawmakers should pass major structural reforms before passing any tax increase.

The Illinois Policy Institute has introduced a budget proposal that offers real reform without raising taxes. This kind of reform-minded, no-tax-hike proposal is in line with what Illinoisans want. Lawmakers should use that as a framework while taxpayers pay for their costly special session.