A Major Component of Tesla’s New Affordable Electric Vehicle Just Went Into Production – Futurism

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In Brief Production on the batteries for Tesla's Model 3 has begun at the company's Gigafactory in Nevada. The first Model 3s are expected to be delivered in 2017, and once production scales, the batteries will be incorporated into Tesla's other models.

Tesla just took a major step forward withtheir Model 3by starting production onthe electric vehicles battery cell at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada over the weekend. According to Electrek, Tesla cofounder JB Straubel said during a presentation at the Midwest Renewable Energy Associations 28th Annual Energy Fairthat the battery was in production right now.

Teslas 2170 batteries for vehicles are made using Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA), as opposed to the 2170 battery cells that power the companys stationary energy storage products, which utilizeNickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC).

Musk has called the batteriesthe best cell in the world that is also the cheapest cell and says they have the best energy density in the world. While they will initially only be used in the Model 3, which isdue to go into production next month, Tesla plans to eventually scale up to integrate them into the Model S and Model X, which are already in production.

This is exiting news for both the electric andautonomous vehicle industriesas the batteries are pivotal to achieving the Model 3s $35,000 price tag. As price decreases, general adoption increases, which will result in safer roads for drivers and pedestrians alike. Coupled with the environmentally friendly nature of the cars, Teslas Model 3 is looking like a serious game-changer.

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A Major Component of Tesla's New Affordable Electric Vehicle Just Went Into Production - Futurism

As Cost Plunges, Solar Power is Ready to Surpass Coal – Futurism

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In Brief Solar power is pacing to make it easier for the world to dump coal once and for all. Within the next four years, solar power will finally be cheaper than coal nearly everywhere, aligning economic and environmental interests. Solar Boom

Solar power is among the easiest ways for individuals to hop on the clean energy generation train. There are many incentives afforded to homeowners who are looking to make the switch to solar power. Even more, it is only getting cheaper to produce, install, and operate this technology. And with the advent of Teslas solar power generating roofing tiles, the process is getting a welcome aesthetic upgrade on top of all of the fantastic vertical integration their technology provides.Click to View Full Infographic

This boom is going to continue pushing solar power to the forefront of clean energy initiatives, as the cost of solar energy is expected to drop 66 percent by 2040. Furthermore, a report from Bloomberg states that in just four years time, solar power will finally be cheaper than coal almost everywhere. The report also claims that by 2040, up to 20 percent of Brazils power will be generated by the sun, and Germany will be at 15 percent.

The economic benefit of switching from coal to solar power will spureven greater growth as coal supporters will no longer be able to deny the cost saving potential of renewable energy. Thankfully, the rest of the world will also benefit from a significant decrease in the amount of fossil fuelsbeing burned, a major contributor to climate change.

The report, generated by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, states that greenhouse gas emissions will peak in 2026. But thanks to the clean energy revolution, these levels will be 4 percent lower in 2040 than they were last year the reigning hottest year on record.

With the decline of fossil fuels, we may likelyalso start seeing the decline of large utility systems. Tesla is a pioneer in this area with its vertical integration of solar panels and solar power storage systems. Their technology is already being used to decrease regional demand on fossil fuel burning plants in Southern California.

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As Cost Plunges, Solar Power is Ready to Surpass Coal - Futurism

By 2020, There Will Be 4 Devices for Every Human on Earth – Futurism

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In Brief By 2020, there will be at least 4 internet-connected devices for every person on Earth comprising the Internet of Things. The growth of the IoT is being powered by more 5G access and falling costs, and will equalize opportunities for more people. Internet Of Things

According to research from Business Insider, more than 24 billion internet-connected devices will be installed around the world by 2020. To give that some context, thats more than four devices for every person on the planet. Together, these devices comprise the Internet of Things (IoT), and its presence is permanently changing our world.Click to View Full Infographic

IoT is the connection between the physical world of humans and the digital world of data (and, to some extent, human ideas). Computers, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, modern TVs, and wearables are all part of the IoTs that part is intuitive. However, even everyday appliances like thermostats and smoke detectors are now beginning to boast smart capabilities, which establishesthem as part of the IoT. Our entire transportation system, the way we work, and even how we socialize will all change because ofthe IoT.

Although there are many things that together are driving the growth of the IoT, there are a fewbasic trends that are easy to identify. Internet connectivity is expanding and will soon be almost everywhere. For example, in 2018 New York is setbecome the first state to bring broadband access to every household, even in rural areas.Another factor is that mobile technology is improving quickly, and the use ofremote and mobile devices is rapidly becoming more widespread. This means prices are falling, and access is growing. Nokia, for example, is bringing 5G technology to India.

Along these lines, more money is being invested into the IoT as companies and governments alike recognize its importance. The U.S. government invested $8.8 billion in IoT solutions in 2015, up $1.1 from the previous year. At the same time, the price of internet-connected sensors, which most IoT devices rely on, is falling. This means the price of IoT devices are dropping, and more people can afford more devices.

As the IoT grows, security challenges will arise, and possible privacy concerns that could affect our individual rights. However, overall the growth of the IoT will mean more access to opportunity for more people. The best way to respond to it is to plan ahead for these kinds of problems and be ready to tackle them.

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By 2020, There Will Be 4 Devices for Every Human on Earth - Futurism

Reporters in Trump White House scoop DW Freedom of Speech Award – Deutsche Welle

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The president of the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), Jeff Mason, accepted the award during DW's Global Media Forum in Bonn on Monday evening on behalf of the journalists who are reporting on the front lines of US President Donald Trump's administration.

Mason, who has been president of the WHCA since July 2016, said he was "humbled" by the prize, adding that his organization "would have never sought or expected" to receive the Freedom of Speech Award.

"If receiving it helps shed light on the importance of press freedom around the world, if Deutsche Welle's choice highlights the fact that even in strong, established democracies reporters rights must be fought for... then it is in that spirit that I humbly and gratefully accept this award," Mason said during the award ceremony.

He admitted that since Trump's election in November last year, the challenges facing WHCA reporters "increased dramatically." Trump has repeatedly railed the press as being "fake news" and even labeled the media as "the enemy of the American people."

DW Director General Peter Limbourg said the award is meant to be a "sign of solidarity and encouragement for those colleagues who have the exciting task of reporting about the US president and his policies."

'Stand together, never give up'

The president of the German Press Association, Gregor Mayntz, expressed surprise while delivering his laudation during the awards ceremony.

"There are some important people in the world who should be ashamed that the WHCA has deserved this award," Mayntz added.

Monika Grtters (center right), Gregor Mayntz (far right) and DW's Peter Limbourg praised the work done by WHCA reporters and president Jeff Mason (center left)

He praised his US-American colleagues for their professionalism, transparency and commitment to fact checking. "Stand together, never give up, as the challenges to democracy and freedom of speech are not limited to one country," Mayntz urged.

Monika Grtters, the German government Commissioner for Culture and Media, said during a speech that democracies can only defend against "authoritarian and totalitarian attacks" when freedom of speech is functioning.

She noted that countries who limit the freedom of the press by arresting journalists and critical voices, "they are sounding the death knell for democracy."

"Only diversity of opinion and perspective helps to legitimize the truth," Grtters said.

DW began the Freedom of Speech Award two years ago to honor initiatives or individuals who stand out in their fight to promote freedom of expression and human rights.

Last year, the prize was awarded to Sedat Ergin, then editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily Hurriyet newspaper, which is one of the few papers in Turkey that is critical of the government. Jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received the award in 2015.

'If you lose democracy, you lose the free press'

Concerns over the state of freedom of the press and freedom of speech permeated panel discussions on the first day of the Global Media Forum - which runs from Monday through Wednesday in Bonn. Many moderators and panelists noted that they are working in "troubled times."

In a panel entitled "Satire as a weapon," satirists and artists from Africa and Latin America spoke about the restrictions and backlash they face for their work, both from those in power and the general public.

Samm Farai Monro, a satirist with Magamba TV in Zimbabwe, noted: "We've got freedom of expressing, but you don't have freedom after expression."

zgr Mumcu, a Turkish lawyer and journalist with the Cumhuriyet, noted during a panel on press freedom in Turkey, that the country doesn't just have a problem with fake news, it has a "fake democracy problem" as well.

"If you're losing democracy, you lose the free press," he added.

Despite the challenges facing journalists and others who work in the media worldwide, WHCA President Mason said young journalists shouldn't shy away.

"It couldn't be a better time to be a journalist and it couldn't be a more important time," he said.

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Reporters in Trump White House scoop DW Freedom of Speech Award - Deutsche Welle

For Christians in Syria and Iraq, Trump’s enthusiastic words on religious freedom must be met with action – Fox News

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Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., has given President Trump a grand opportunity to do something he has yet to do in his first months in office: make significant progress on religious freedom for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities around the world. With the recent passage of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act (HR 390) by the House of Representatives, the President is well-positioned to make a bold move to stabilize the region.

If passed by the Senate, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act will provide relief to those victimized by the ongoing genocide, human rights violations and war crimes by terrorist groups. But it is perhaps the secondary effects of this bill that will lead to the most powerful and lasting impact.

HR 390 allows the U.S. to assist in the reestablishment of Christian, Yazidi and other minority communities in the Middle East, which are central to the survival of a pluralistic and open societya giant slap in the face to the stated goal of ISIS to drive out all those who do not embrace their savage ideology. It also gives hundreds of thousands of refugees the opportunity to return to their homes instead of seeking refugee status in the West or risking dangerous journeys to enter Europe in desperation. And to be sure, as we often witness firsthand at Open Doors through our work on the ground in Iraq and Syria, many Christians wish to remain in their homeland and would do so if they had not lost hope after years without resources, as the world turns a blind eye to their plight.

Open Doors USA ranks Syria and Iraq at number 6 and 7 respectively on our World Watch List of the most difficult places for Christians. The need to protect and establish Christian and Yazidi communities in this region is urgent.

The question that ought to occur to the President and members of the Senate is why this kind of bill was not passed years ago. The answer lies in the Obama administrations sluggish admission of the genocide against these populations. Faulty crisis mapping at the State Department, or perhaps political maneuvering in the White House, held the administration back from acknowledging the religious nature of these attacks on persecuted Christians and other religious minorities. This happened despite ISIS plainly stating its goal to drive out Christians, Yazidis and many other sects. Fearful of inciting religious tensions, they played directly to the hands of the terrorists. Now the Christian population of Iraq is a fraction of what it was just a few years ago. At one point it was around 1.5 millionnow somewhere fewer than 200,000, with census details obviously hard to come by. But with the acknowledgement last year by the U.S., EU and others of the genocide against these groups, action must now be taken to assist and help establish Christians and Yazidis remaining in their homelands.

The mass exodus of Christians from the region is one of the reasons Open Doors has launched a campaign in consultation with Christians from Iraq and Syria, titled One Million Voices of Hope for the Middle East. We have developed core policy recommendations designed to help restore hope and stability in the region, enabling and empowering the Christian community and other at-risk religious minorities to return and contribute to the rebuilding of their homelands. Without the return of the Christian community, both Syria and Iraq risk losing a key influence for the future of the regionnot only in overall stability, but also in economic development, education, health care, and peace building and reconciliation efforts.

Evangelical Christian voters seem to have been patient with the President thus far on international religious liberty issues, as they were with President Obama. But with the lack of key appointments in the State Department on religious libertythere has been no whisper of a new ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, and rumor has it that it could be empty until at least the fall of this yearthat patience will not last forever. The Presidents enthusiastic words on religious freedom around the world, and the importance of helping persecuted Christians, must to be met with action. Expediting this bill in the Senate and signing it swiftly would be a great victory for the Presidents stated agenda.

As CEO of Open Doors USA, which ranks Syria and Iraq at number 6 and 7 respectively on our World Watch List of the most difficult places for Christians, I know the urgent need to protect and establish Christian and Yazidi communities in this region. For many years we have noted the sharp rise in persecution and sought to attend to the needs of these embattled communities.

Without these strong minority faith communities, the terrorists will have won their stated goal.We cannot allow this to happennot only for the potential consequences of future movements along similar lines, but for the human toll that will play out for years to come on those communities that have existed since the time of Christ, and which are now lying fallow and empty.

In the north of Iraq and around the margins of Syria are hundreds of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities who are wondering if the world has forgotten their pain. We shall soon know the answer to that question. Lets prioritize this crucial bill to assist victims of the genocide and begin the resettling of these brave, integral and historic communities. The Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act offers a powerful opportunity for this administration to back their words with action.

David Curry is the President of Open Doors USA. Each year, Open Doors releases its World Watch List, a ranking of the 50 countries where Christian persecution is worst.

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For Christians in Syria and Iraq, Trump's enthusiastic words on religious freedom must be met with action - Fox News

GOP Freedom Caucus Calls to Cancel August Recess Gaining Momentum in Congress, White House – Breitbart News

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Thisidea was first pushed by the House Freedom Caucus, and one apparently gaining support from within the White House.

The two headline items of this Congress were supposed to be tax reform and repeal-and-replace of ObamaCare. But tax reform has not yet got out of the starting blocks, while healthcare reform is looking doubtful in the Senate. The Hill reported Monday that Republicans think that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-KY) suggestion of a July 4 vote on the healthcare bill is unrealistic.

The Hillalso notes that the stalemate on health care also means that a budget resolution the vehicle needed to pass the healthcare bill with a simple majority vote is also being held up. Without that budget resolution, tax reform and annual appropriations bills cannot move forward either.

This raises the distinct possibility that Republican lawmakers go back to their districts for the summer recess empty-handed and with no significant achievements, with the exception of the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

The idea of canceling the recess was first floated by members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Chair Mark Meadows (R-NC) said earlier this month that House and Senate leaders should scrap the recess if no tax reform was introduced by July. The group also released a statement on June 8 saying it supported Congress staying in session to continue working to accomplish the priorities of the American people.

However, fellow member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) cast a dim view of the state of talks on tax reform, telling a Heritage Foundation tax event: Right now a budget cannot pass in the House.

Now, amid what The Hill described as growing panic among Republicans, more lawmakers are getting on board with the idea of canceling the recess. Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) told the outlet that theres a majority that supports being here. while Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) said, Congress has no business taking a recess when the peoples business remains unfinished.

The plan appears to have White House backing. On Monday President Trump expressed his irritation with Democrats, accusing them in a tweet of wanting to stop tax cuts, good healthcare and Border Security.

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney has supported the idea, while White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News Monday that it was important that Congress picked up the pace.

When he says drain the swamp, its not just about getting rid of all the crocodiles in the water that we dont need. Its about moving at a different pace, she said. I feel very confident that well get health care and taxes passed this year.

However, sources on Capitol Hill told Fox News Monday that convincing Republican leadership to cancel the recess was unlikely. A GOP Senate aide made similar noises to the Hill.

Are they going to get all 52 Senate Republicans to do this? the aide asked.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY

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GOP Freedom Caucus Calls to Cancel August Recess Gaining Momentum in Congress, White House - Breitbart News

School choice for military families: Educational freedom for those who – Washington Times

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ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Last month at a policy summit for the American Federation for Children, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos heralded the advent of the most ambitious expansion of education choice in our nations history. President Trump, she said, was committed to empowering parents to make the best choices for their kids education.

One major step Congress could take to make this pledge a reality is to let Impact Aid federal funds now sent to public schools near military bases flow directly to the children of military families. If these funds were distributed to education savings accounts (ESAs), military families should then be able to spend it on the services, products and providers they determine are best suited to meet their childrens educational needs.

There is constitutional warrant to justify this type of program. After all, the life and support of military families is a crucial part of our national defense an enumerated power of the federal government.

Providing school choice to military families strengthens us all. When military families are given high-quality education options, it benefits their children and the life and security of the nation as a whole.

The quality of education available to children of those in uniform affects military readiness. Lack of access to good quality schools can be a determining factor in the decision of service members on whether they will accept a new assignment or even leave military service altogether.

A recent survey conducted by Military Times found that 35 percent of respondents said dissatisfaction with their childs education was a significant factor in their decision to remain in or leave military service.

The Pentagons changes to policy in 2016 enabling families to remain at duty stations for longer time periods was a direct response to complaints by military parents who are loathe to move if the next duty station has poorly performing schools.

Those complaints may stem from the fact that military-connected children are too often assigned to the public schools closest to military bases, regardless of whether those district schools are right for them. As a result, 80 percent of the 1.2 million military-connected school-aged children attend traditional public schools, and 4 percent attend Department of Defense schools located on base. More than half of children of active-duty military families live in states with no school choice options at all.

Like their civilian-family counterparts, children of military families deserve a choice in where they attend school. One of the best ways to advance choice is through innovative Education Savings Accounts.

ESAs are parent-controlled accounts funded with a portion (usually 90 percent) of what a given state would have spent on a child in the district school system. Across the U.S., five states have established ESA options: Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi and Nevada.

In Arizona, funds are deposited quarterly into the ESA (going onto a debit card). Parents can then direct those funds to any education-related service, product or provider. They may be used to pay for private school tuition, online learning, special education services and therapies, private tutors, textbooks, curricula and any other education-related services of their choice. Parents are using the flexibility of ESAs to customize educational experiences for their children. Nearly one-third of parents in Arizona use their ESAs to craft a fully la carte educational program.

To ensure that those who serve in the military are able to access education options that serve them in the best way possible, federal policymakers should work to empower them with education choice. Transitioning Impact Aid funding into parent-controlled education savings accounts would ensure that the federal program serves military families as well as they serve us.

Anne Ryland is a research assistant in the Heritage Foundations Center for Education Policy. The Centers director, Lindsey Burke, is the think tanks Will Skillman Fellow in Education Studies.

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School choice for military families: Educational freedom for those who - Washington Times

Journalists’ Trial Puts Spotlight on Media Freedom in Turkey – Voice of America

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ISTANBUL

In a packed Istanbul courthouse the trial of 17 journalists, accused of being involved in Julys failed coup, got underway Monday. All are facing long sentences, including life if convicted.

Prosecutors allege the journalists belong to a network of followers of the U.S.-based Turkish Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey's government blames for the coup attempt.

Nazli Ilicak is a leading newspaper columnist who rejected the accusations, telling the court she was a supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before he came to power and spent her life opposing coups, pointing out her father was a senior minister who had been jailed following a 1960 military takeover.

The 74-year-old Ilicak, along with Mehmet and Ahmet Altan, are among the most high-profile writers and journalists facing prosecution. All have been held for months in pre-trial detention.

The first three hours of Mondays hearing was taken up reading the more than 200-page indictment. Much of the cited evidence made no reference to the journalists activities, but focused on the cleric Gulen. Prosecutors claimed holding accounts in an alleged Gulen bank and possession of $1 bills was evidence of being part of the clerics secret network and involvement in the coup.

International criticism

Even before the case started the quality of the evidence drew withering international condemnation.

This trial marks a new level in the growing absurdity of the charges being brought against journalists, wrote the Paris-based Reporters without Borders, an organization that defends media freedom.

Many international and national human rights groups attended Mondays hearings.

"It's very concerning people are really facing serious charges, with potentially three life sentences on the basis of very, very little evidence of criminal acts, and that's really worrying, warned Amnesty Internationals Milena Buyum, speaking after attending the first day of hearings,

You have pages of pages of references of articles written by Ahmet Altan, comments he, and his brother [Mehmet] and Nazli ilicak made on a TV program on the day before the military coup. They were making political commentary entirely protected under the right of freedom of expression, added Buyum.

Human rights groups accuse Turkey of being the world's worst jailer of journalists, with more than 170 incarcerated since the post-coup crackdown. Mondays hearing is likely to only add to questions over the legitimacy of that crackdown.

A very legitimate task of trying to bring coup plotters to justice has been completely lost in a mass purge of those the government does not like claims Emma Sinclair Webb, Turkey researcher of the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch.

It has become a lawless indiscriminate prosecution, just going after anyone who in this frenzied crackdown the government thinks is good to get off the scene, to get rid of, Webb said.

Truth is the victim

But before the trial Erdogan dismissed such criticism.

"Whenever we go abroad, Western media outlets come up with the same argument, claiming there are many detained journalists in Turkey. However, according to figures from our Ministry, only two people out of 177 who identify themselves as journalists are holders of a press card. In addition, one of these persons is currently in jail for murder and the others for their involvement in terrorist organizations," Erdogan said in a speech Saturday to national media heads.

The president went on to warn there would be no let up in the crackdown.

I see no difference between those who sell their news headlines with the instructions of a terrorist organization and those who take to the mountains with a gun in their hands, said Erdogan.

Last month, Erdogan warned there would be no ending of the current state of emergency introduced after the coup, citing ongoing terrorist threats and the need to restore economic prosperity.

The Turkish presidents comments on the media drew a swift rebuke.

We got used to such statements [by Erdogan]. Let everyone say whatever they want. The jailed journalists are inside because of their journalistic activities, because they chase the news, because they chase the truth, Pinar Turenc, the head of Turkish Press Council, said.

But with some of the countrys prominent writers and journalists facing decades in jail, human rights groups warn many reporters may well now think twice about chasing the truth.

This trial [Monday] along with others has a chilling effect warns Amnesty Internationals Buyum, It sends a message to the rest of society, to other journalists expressing your opinion, being critical of power can end you up in this situation.

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Journalists' Trial Puts Spotlight on Media Freedom in Turkey - Voice of America

Hunts remain driving force in Freedom Fest parade – Morgan Hill Times

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For more than four decades, Bob and Maureen Hunt have known exactly where theyll be for the Fourth of July weekend: here in Morgan Hill.

Thats because the Freedom Fests Independence Day Celebrations put on one the most prolific displays of patriotism throughout the entire week, and the two long-standing volunteers have been a major force in its continued success.

Since 1996, the Hunts have taken the lead on the holiday paradewidely considered the centerpiece of the Fourth of July festivities which enters its 142nd running in 2017. However, Bob Hunt began his volunteerism with IDC and Freedom Fest in 1975 while his wife Maureen Hunt became an active member in 1985.

Our duties began multiplying each year until one day we woke up and discovered we were the producers of the parade, shared Maureen, who takes pride in making each parade year better than the last. It was gonna be a three-year assignment, and that was in 1996.

This year will be the Hunts last as the parade committee chairs, but the two are not going anywhere and plan to remain on for many more years to help keep the tradition going.

Weve already started on next years parade, said Maureen, who shared that Ray Pulver, a professional parade producer and president of the California Festivals and Events Organization, will be taking over the reins in 2018. Were going to be right there working alongside him.

Parade to celebrate national parks, firefighters

The Hunts also talked about this year's theme for the Fourth of July parade: Americas National Parks: 100 years and counting.

We have found in our years that if you have a theme, people can visualize the floats and entries become more exciting, Maureen explained. People are thinking about what they can do to follow the theme.

At last count, there are 155 entrants in this years parade, including about 23 floats, 10 marching bands, 12 groups of horses and 16 community organizations from not only Morgan Hill but throughout Santa Clara County and beyond.

The grand marshal (or grand marshal organization) for the 2017 parade is a tribute to all firefighters who serve the Morgan Hill area, including Morgan Hill Fire Department and Cal Fire Santa Clara.

This year, we are celebrating and honoring firefighters, Maureen said. They keep our national parks safe from burning down as well as our homes. And dont just protect our homes from fires, but also from flooding.

In years past, IDC organizers have paid tribute to other groups rather than one individual, such as honoring World War II veterans as grand marshal one year.

The parade, which begins at 10 a.m. July 4 in downtown Morgan Hill, is only part of the annual Freedom Fest. Local organizers offer a wide array of events and activities surrounding the Independence Day weekend with a youth chorus performing patriotic tunes, a family-centered music fest in downtown, a 5K run (and 1-mile walk) on local streets, a classic car show, a 2,500-participant parade and a massive fireworks display for a night cap.

The nonprofit Independence Day Celebration, which is committed to reinforcing and sustaining the principles of American freedom in our community through Independence Day events of the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest, fundraises more than $150,000 and encompasses more than 500 volunteers each year to organize and produce the weeklong activities.

Organizers estimate more than 50,000 parade watchers showed up for the spectacle last year to watch the marching bands, colorful floats, a variety of performance groups and numerous specialty entities.

Hunts have deep-rooted pride in country

Maureens devotion to honoring America began at very young age as a daughter in a military family.

Were very patriotic individuals anyway. I grew up in the Air Force. I was an Air Force brat, Maureen shared. America has always been near and dear to my heart. Ive always been a flag-waver and so has Bob. Its something that we carry in our heartsnot just this time of year, but all times of year.

Bobs patriotic roots stem from experiences in the 1940s-50s.

I grew up in the 40s and 50s and we had an international war going on and allies pulled together and defeated fascism, and we have continued on strengthening our American way of life, Bob said. It has been a great part of our lives forever.

It wasnt an accident that the Hunts were given the keys to the holiday parade. Bob directed his first parade at 17 years old while a freshman in college and Maureen was a majorette in high school. Interestingly, Maureen went to high school in Germany with other children of military and diplomatic families.

Some of my classmates come to Morgan Hill every year for the Fourth of July and work with us here, Maureen said. Theyve adopted (Morgan Hill) as their hometown for the Fourth of July.

The Hunts moved to Morgan Hill in 1970.

When we moved to Morgan Hill, there was under 6,000 people in this town, she recalled.

Now, the Hunts hope to instill patriotic values into a younger generation and recruit them to carrying on the IDCs Morgan Hill Freedom Fest tradition.

The Freedom Fest IDC organization is one of the best organizations that we have ever been involved in...If youre in it, you have a job and you do it Maureen said. If you want to volunteer for the very best, then give us a buzz because we always need new volunteers. It would be great to have some younger people join the organization. We all want and need more volunteers.

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Hunts remain driving force in Freedom Fest parade - Morgan Hill Times

Did firm that designed WPB office tower steal design on Freedom Tower? – MyPalmBeachPost (blog)

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Did firm that designed WPB office tower steal design on Freedom Tower?
MyPalmBeachPost (blog)
During these presentations, the tower's architect, David Childs, is extolled, his work as the architect for the Freedom Tower figuring prominently into the discussions. In fact, Childs himself appeared before the Economic Forum business group in ...

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Did firm that designed WPB office tower steal design on Freedom Tower? - MyPalmBeachPost (blog)

Planned Parenthood’s Brutal Century | National Review – National Review

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Infanticide did not go out of fashion with the advance from savagery to barbarism and civilization. Rather, it became, as in Greece and Rome, a recognized custom with advocates among leaders of thought and action. Margaret Sanger, Woman and the New Race

Clarence C. Little was a cultivated man. He was a Harvard graduate who served as president of the University of Maine and the University of Michigan. He was one of the nations leading genetics researchers, with a particular interest in cancer. He was managing director of the American Society for the Control of Cancer, later known (in the interest of verbal economy) as the American Cancer Society; the president of the American Eugenics Society, later known (in the interest of not talking about eugenics) as the Society for Biodemography and Social Biology; and a founding board member of the American Birth Control League, today known (in the interest of euphemism) as Planned Parenthood. His record as a scientist is not exactly unblemished he will long be remembered as the man who insisted that there is no demonstrated causal relationship between smoking or [sic] any disease but he was the very picture of the socially conscious man of science, without whom the National Cancer Institute, among other important bodies, probably would not exist.

He was a humane man with horrifying opinions.

Little is one of the early figures in Planned Parenthood whose public pronouncements, along with those of its charismatic foundress, Margaret Sanger, often are pointed to as evidence of the organizations racist origins. (Students at the University of Michigan are, at the time of this writing, petitioning to have his name stripped from a campus building.) Little believed that birth-control policy should be constructed in such a way as to protect Yankee stock referred to in Sangers own work as unmixed native white parentage, if Littles term is not clear enough from being overwhelmed by what was at the time perceived as the dysgenic fecundity of African Americans, Catholic immigrants, and other undesirables. (The feebleminded are notoriously prolific in reproduction, Sanger reported in Woman and the New Race.) The question of racial differences was an obsession of Littles that went well beyond his interest in eugenics and followed him to the end of his life; one of his later scientific works was The Possible Relation of Genetics to Differences in NegroWhite Mortality Rates from Cancer, published in the 1960s.

The birth-control movement of the Progressive era is where crude racism met its genteel intellectual cousin: Birth Control Review, the in-house journal of Planned Parenthoods predecessor organization, published a review, by the socialist intellectual Havelock Ellis, of Lothrop Stoddards The Rising Tide of Color against White World Supremacy. Ellis was an important figure in Sangers intellectual development and wrote the introduction to her Woman and the New Race; Stoddard was a popular birth-control advocate whose intellectual contributions included lending to the Nazi racial theorists the term untermensch as well as developing a great deal of their theoretical framework: He fretted about imperfectly Nordicized Alpines and such. Like the other eugenics-minded progressives of his time, he saw birth control and immigration as inescapably linked issues.

Stoddards views were so ordinary a part of the mainstream of American intellectual discourse at the time that F. Scott Fitzgerald could refer to his work in The Great Gatsby without fearing that general readers would be mystified by the reference. What did Stoddard want? We want above all things, he wrote,

Yesterdays scientific progressives are todays romantic reactionaries.

Sanger, who believed that the potential for high civilization resided within the cell plasms of individual humans, made statements that were substantially similar: If we are to develop in America a new race with a racial soul, we must keep the birth rate within the scope of our ability to understand as well as to educate. We must not encourage reproduction beyond our capacity to assimilate our numbers so as to make the coming generation into such physically fit, mentally capable, socially alert individuals as are the ideal of a democracy.

Such was the intellectual ferment out of which rose the American birth-control movement or, rather, the American birth-control movements, of which there were really two. Sanger, working within the socialistfeminist alliance of her time, was a self-styled radical who published a short-lived journal called The Woman Rebel, the aim of which as described in its inaugural issue was to stimulate working women to think for themselves and to build up a conscious fighting character. To fight what? Slavery through motherhood. The Post Office refused to circulate the periodical, a fact that The Woman Rebel reported with glee: The woman rebel feels proud the post office authorities did not approve of her. She shall blush with shame if ever she be approved of by officialism or comstockism. But Sanger and her clique did not have a monopoly on the birth-control market. Her rival was Mary Ware Dennett, founder of see if this name sounds familiar the Voluntary Parenthood League (VPL).

Where Sanger was a radical, Dennett was a liberal, couching her advocacy in the familiar language of the American civil-libertarian tradition. She was an ally of the American Civil Liberties Union, which had defended her when she was charged with distributing birth-control literature classified (as most of it was at the time) as obscene. While Sangers organization was focused on setting up birth-control clinics (the first was in Brooklyn), Dennetts group was focused on lobbying Congress for the legalization of contraception. Sangers group was characterized by a top-down management structure (the local affiliates had no say in American Birth Control League policymaking) and a cash-on-the-barrelhead approach to social reform: Its membership and coffers were swelled in no small part by the fact that the ABCL would not provide birth-control literature to anyone who was not a dues-paying member.

As Linda Gordon put it in The Moral Property of Woman: A History of Birth-Control Politics:

In the contest between the ABCL and VPL, we see the familiar struggle that has long characterized the broader American Left: On one hand, there are liberals advocating a legislative reform project through ordinary democratic means; on the other hand are progressives, often led by radicals, who are engaged in a social-change project based on coopting institutions and the expertise and prestige associated with them. Gordon concludes: It was Sangers courting of doctors and eugenists that moved the ABCL away from both the Left and liberalism, away from both socialist-feminist impulses and civil liberties arguments toward an integrated population program for the whole society.

Which is to say, the word planned in Planned Parenthood can be understood to function as it does in the other great progressive dream of the time: planned economy.

Who plans for whom?

Sanger herself was generally careful to forswear compulsion in her eugenics program, but in reality the period was characterized by the widespread use of involuntary sterilization. Mandatory-sterilization bills were introduced unsuccessfully in Michigan and Pennsylvania at the end of the 19th century, but in 1907 Indiana became the first of many states to create eugenics-oriented sterilization programs, targeting such unfit populations as criminals and the mentally ill, along with African Americans (60 percent of the black mothers at one Mississippi hospital were involuntarily sterilized) and other minority groups. The Oregon state eugenics board was renamed but was not disbanded until the 1980s. About 65,000 people in the United States were involuntarily sterilized.

European programs went even further, with the Swiss experiment in involuntary sterilization drawing the attention of Havelock Ellis, who wrote up his views in The Sterilization of the Unfit. Ellis, too, objected to compulsory measures up to a point. There will be time to invoke compulsion and the law, he wrote, when sound knowledge has become universal, and when we are quite sure that those who refuse to act in accordance with sound knowledge refuse deliberately. He did not have access to the modern progressive term denialist, but the argument is familiar: Once the science is settled, then the state is empowered to act on it through whatever coercive means are necessary to achieve the end. Two recent press releases from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, both from May, are headlined: State Abortion Restrictions Flying in the Face of Science and Many Abortion Restrictions Have No Rigorous Scientific Basis.

Progressives holding views closer to those of the proto-Nazi Lothrop Stoddard frequently talked about eugenics in zoological terms, but, in the main, eugenics was subordinated to the larger progressive economic agenda: the management of productive activity by enlightened experts. The great economic terrors among progressives of the time were overproduction and destructive competition, both of which were thought to put downward pressure on wages, profits, and, subsequently, standards of living. Contraception was widely understood as a political solution to a supply-and-demand problem, with birth control understood as one element in a broad and unified program of economic control. Ellis sums up this view in his foreword to Sangers Woman and the New Race:

Or, as Sanger insisted: War, famine, poverty, and oppression of the workers will continue while woman makes life cheap.

There is more to this history than exegesis of Progressive-era thinking. It is significant that Sangers birth-control movement, and not Dennetts, came to dominate the field. The financially driven structure of local affiliates working in complete subordination to a tightly controlled national body of course survives in the modern iteration of Planned Parenthood, but, more important, so does the humans-as-widgets conception of sexuality and family life. The eugenic habit of mind very much endures, though it is less frequently spoken of plainly.

In his Buck v. Bell decision confirming that involuntary-sterilization programs pass constitutional muster for the protection and health of the state the great humanist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. declared: Three generations of imbeciles are enough. Never having been overturned, Buck remains, in theory, the law of the land. But that was long ago. And yet: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a reliable supporter of abortion rights, has described Roe v. Wade as being a decision about population control, particularly growth in populations that we dont want to have too many of. Like Ellis and Sanger, Ginsburg worries that, without government intervention, birth control will be disproportionately practiced by the well-off and not by the members of those populations that we dont want to have too many of. In an interview with Elle, Ginsburg said, It makes no sense as a national policy to promote birth only among poor people. That wasnt 1927 it was 2014. A co-counsel for the winning side of Roe v. Wade, Ron Weddington, advised President Bill Clinton that an expanded national birth-control policy incorporating ready access to pharmaceutical abortifacients promised immediate benefits: You can start immediately to eliminate the barely educated, unhealthy, and poor segment of our country. Its what we all know is true, but we only whisper it.

But it is not true that we only whisper it. In Freakonomics, one of the most popular economics books of recent years, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner argued that abortion has measureable eugenic effects through reduction in crime rates. Of course that debate has an inescapable racial aspect: Fertility declines for black women are three times greater than for whites (12 percent compared with 4 percent). Given that homicide rates of black youths are roughly nine times higher than those of white youths, racial differences in the fertility effects of abortion are likely to translate into greater homicide reductions, Levitt and a different co-author had written in a paper that the book drew from. Whatever the merits of this argument, it is very much in line with the classical progressive case for birth control, which was developed as a national breed-improvement project rather than one of individual womens choices. Linda Gordon notes: A content analysis of the Birth Control Review showed that by the late 1920s only 4.9 percent of its articles in that decade had any concern with womens self-determination.

The American Birth Control League was founded by Margaret Sanger in 1921, working out of office space provided by the American Eugenics Society. Sanger would depart seven years later as part of a factional dispute, with various elements of her organization eventually reunited in 1939 as the Birth Control Federation of America. But the words birth control at that time were considered public-relations poison, and so in 1942 the organization was renamed the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Sanger herself often wrote critically about abortion, which, especially early in her career, she classified alongside infanticide, offering contraception as the obvious rational alternative to such savagery. Her arguments will sound at least partly familiar to modern ears: Do we want the millions of abortions performed annually to be multiplied? Do we want the precious, tender qualities of womanhood, so much needed for our racial development, to perish in these sordid, abnormal experiences? But that line of thinking was not destined to endure, and by the 1950s Planned Parenthood was working for the liberalization of abortion laws. Sangers successor, obstetrician Alan Frank Guttmacher, also served as vice president of the American Eugenics Society and was a signer of the second Humanist Manifesto, which called for the worldwide recognition of the right to birth control and abortion and, harkening back to the 1920s progressives, the extension of economic assistance, including birth control techniques, to the developing portions of the globe. The repeated identification of birth control with national economic planning rather than womens individual autonomy is worth noting.

Continuing Sangers strategy of courting elite opinion as a more effective form of lobbying, Planned Parenthoods medical director, Mary Calderone, convened a conference of her fellow physicians in 1955 to begin pressing for the legalization of abortion for medical purposes. By 1969, the demand for therapeutic abortions had grown to a demand for the legalization of abortion in all circumstances, which remains Planned Parenthoods position today and, thanks in no small part to its very effective litigation efforts, is the law of the land.

As in Sangers time, Planned Parenthood keeps an eye on the money and has a corporate gift for insinuation: It lobbied the Nixon administration successfully for an amendment to public-health laws, as a result of which the organization today pulls in more than half a billion dollars in federal-government funds alone, largely through Medicaid. In 1989, it founded an advocacy arm, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, that today encompasses a political-action committee and super PAC that ranks No. 23 out of 206 outside-spending groups followed by OpenSecrets.org, putting a little over $12 million into almost exclusively Democratic pockets during the 2016 election cycle.

Is it working? Lothrop Stoddard, author of The Rising Tide of Color against White World Supremacy, might be gratified to note that, in Planned Parenthoods hometown of New York City, a black woman is more likely to have an abortion than to give birth: 29,007 abortions to 24,108 births in 2013. African Americans represent about 12 percent of the population and about 36 percent of the abortions; Catholics, disproportionately Hispanic and immigrant, represent 24 percent. In total, one in five U.S. pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) ends in abortion, and most women who have abortions already have at least one child. The overwhelming majority of them (75 percent, as Guttmacher reckons it) are poor. The public record includes no data about the feebleminded or otherwise unfit, but the racial and income figures suggest that Planned Parenthood is today very much functioning as its Progressive-era founders intended.

If Planned Parenthoods operating model remains familiar after 100 years, so does the rhetoric of the abortion movement. Sanger herself relayed the experience of the Scottish ethnologist John Ferguson McLennan: When a traveller reproached the women of one of the South American Indian tribes for the practice of infanticide, McLennan says he was met by the retort, Men have no business to meddle with womens affairs.

READ MORE: Planned Parenthoods Annual Report: Abortions Are Up, Prenatal Care Is Down No, the Planned Parenthood Videos Are Not a Lie A Century of Slaughter

Kevin D. Williamson is National Reviewsroving correspondent.This article first appeared in the June 12, 2017, print issue of National Review.

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New members of Vatican pro-life academy have defended abortion … – Catholic Citizens of Illinois (press release)

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by Staff Reporter, 16 Jun 2017

Avraham Steinberg has approved of abortion in some cases, while Fr Maurizio Chiodi says contraception may be permissible

Two more new members of the Pontifical Academy for Life hold controversial positions on bioethics.

Rabbi Professor Avraham Steinberg, one of 45 ordinary members of the Pontifical Council for Life appointed this week, has argued for the permissibility of ending a pregnancy in some cases.

Steinberg told Australias Radio National in 2008 that an embryo has no human status before 40 days. After 40 days it has a certain status of a human being, not a full status.

As a result, Steinberg says, Abortion is not permissible by Jewish law, but if the situation of the mother is in a psychological upset to a degree that it may cause her serious trouble, then abortion may be permissible despite the fact that for the foetuss sake, we would not allow it.

So case by case, occasionally abortion might be permissible, something which is probably unheard-of in the Catholic point of view.

When asked about eugenics, Steinberg says he approves of genetic screening for disability, so that parents can avoid the birth of a Tay-Sachs child or of a cystic fibrosis child and so on. He explains that this might be looked at as a form of eugenics, but that is not a forbidden eugenics if you think about it carefully, because what we want is that people would be happy and able and not suffering, but once they are born, they have equal rights and one must support them.

Steinberg also supports stem-cell research involving the destruction of embryos, something forbidden by Church teaching, on the grounds that the embryo at a few days old is not a human being in any sense. So therefore the destruction of it is not murder in any sense. Asked when the embryo becomes a human being, Steinberg replies that it must be 40 days old.

Elsewhere in the interview, Steinberg contrasts the Jewish and Catholic ways of approaching ethics, saying: In the Catholic approach there are a lot of dogmas that are strict, and they cant be changed, and they cant be modified. Whereas in Judaism, in general, there are no absolute values except for values that have to do with the belief.

Another rabbi appointed to the academy, Fernando Szlajen, has said that the prohibition on abortion is absolute, and that the commandment Thou shalt not kill means we should protect human beings from the moment of conception.

Another new member, Fr Maurizio Chiodi, has questioned Church teaching on artificial contraception. According the newspaper LAvvenire, which reviewed a book to which Fr Chiodi contributed, he believes that the use of artificial birth control techniques can be moral. The newspaper quotes Fr Chiodi as saying that the moral norm on responsible procreation can not coincide with the biological observance of natural methods. LAvvenire also say that for Fr Chiodi, It is not the method itself that determines the morality, but the conscience of the spouses, their sense of responsibility, their genuine willingness to open themselves to life.

Pope Paul VIs encyclical Humanae Vitae said that artificial contraception is never lawful, even for the gravest reasonsit is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong.

This reaffirmed the teaching of the Church, also expressed in Pius XIs Casti Connubii, that contraception is intrinsically vicious and that the Divine Majesty regards with greatest detestation this horrible crime and at times has punished it with death.

Fr Chiodi wrote in 2008 that Humanae Vitae must be interpreted with conscience and discernment.

Steinberg and Fr Chiodi are not the only new members of the academy whose appointment diverges from previous expectations. Oxford Professor Nigel Biggar, an Anglican clergyman who has also joined the academy, has said he only opposes abortion after about 18 weeks.

The academy no longer requires members to sign a statement promising their allegiance to the Churchs teaching. Pope Francis has removed nearly 100 members of the academy, including John Finnis, Luke Gormally, Josef Seifert and Wolfgang Waldstein, while 17 have been added.

The membership term is five years, but it can be renewed.

http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/06/16/new-members-of-vatican-pro-life-academy-have-defended-abortion-and-contraception/

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New members of Vatican pro-life academy have defended abortion ... - Catholic Citizens of Illinois (press release)

Megan Anderson on Cyborg title fight: ‘It’s my time to shine’ – ESPN (blog)

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Megan Anderson, who has won four consecutive fights, will take on Cris 'Cyborg' Justino at UFC 214 for the featherweight belt.

A 27-year-old Aussie by the name of Megan Anderson believes she can upset an all-time great, win a UFC championship and bring stability to a new division -- all in the same night.

Anderson (9-2) is scheduled to face Cris "Cyborg" Justino (17-1), the most dominant female fighter ever, for the UFC's vacant featherweight title at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim. Officials announced the 145-pound bout Monday.

Anderson, who fights out of Kansas City, told ESPN.com she's signed a multifight deal with the UFC. In doing so, she arguably becomes the first natural 145-pound female to ever sign with the promotion. Justino obviously has a UFC contract as well, but she was originally brought in to compete at a lower weight class.

Despite the UFC officially adding a 145-pound female weight class, there's been little evidence it is actually interested in building it. Anderson believes she'll provide a clearer outlook on the division July 29, win or lose.

Cris "Cyborg" Justino will face Megan Anderson in the co-main event of UFC 214 for the newly vacant women's featherweight championship after the belt was taken from current titleholder Germaine de Randamie.

Germaine de Randamie says her reasons for not fighting Cris "Cyborg" Justino has "nothing at all to do with my fear" of her.

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"I definitely think the UFC created this division around one person [Justino], but unfortunately I don't think she is someone you can build around," Anderson said. "As dominant as she's been, she doesn't have the other aspects it takes for that. I do.

"And I think by signing a multifight agreement -- say worst-case scenario, it doesn't work out as planned on July 29, and the UFC cuts me? That would just reiterate that they're not invested in 145 pounds. So I think whatever the UFC's plan is for me, whether I win or lose this fight, will show how they view this division."

Not that Anderson has any plans of losing. She'll enter the UFC as the reigning Invicta FC champion, a title she inherited in March, when Justino vacated the belt.

It's a fight Anderson campaigned for -- even though she's only been fighting professionally since 2013. Justino, on the other hand, has been one of the original pioneers of female MMA. She made her pro debut in 2005.

"It's no longer about the length of time you've had in the sport," Anderson said. "It's about hunger and dedication. And just because I've been doing this for less time doesn't mean I'm less deserving.

"I have an amazing team behind me and I know what I'm capable of. Honestly, I think it's my time to shine and it's time for someone new -- someone exciting, someone relatable -- to take that torch of the best 145-pound female in the world."

The UFC's initial rollout of this division has been a disaster to say the least. The promotion wanted to feature Justino in its inaugural 145-pound title fight in February, but Justino turned the date down, saying she required more time.

That prompted the UFC to book a championship fight between two bantamweights: Germaine de Randamie and Holly Holm. De Randamie won the bout in controversial fashion at UFC 208, and then outright refused to face Justino. The UFC eventually elected to strip her of the title and basically start over.

Rather than turn immediately to Anderson, the UFC looked into pairing Justino with another natural bantamweight in Cat Zingano, who hasn't recorded a win since 2014. Ultimately, Zingano couldn't accept due to personal reasons.

All of this has added to the perception the UFC isn't fully invested in the division. Prior to getting the fight with Justino, Anderson had decided to move on and scheduled an Invicta title defense against Helena Kolesnyk on July 15. The minute that event was announced, however, Anderson said the UFC came calling with the Justino offer.

"We'd obviously been campaigning for that fight, probably for three weeks, but the UFC had told us it wasn't happening," Anderson said. "So, we went to Invicta and said, 'Get us an opponent.' We signed that bout agreement, and not more than six hours later, the UFC called and said, 'Hey, let's look at that Justino matchup.'

"I don't know what was going on in their head. They knew we wanted the fight this whole time. We finally said, 'OK, fine' and we sign another fight. Then all of a sudden they're like, 'Oh wait, we're back.' At least it all seems to have worked out."

The UFC's new division will enjoy its greatest stage yet on July 29 -- the same evening as a scheduled rivalry between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. What happens to it after that is anyone's guess.

In addition to UFC gold, Anderson is looking forward to providing the division its first sense of identity.

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Megan Anderson on Cyborg title fight: 'It's my time to shine' - ESPN (blog)

Meet Big Thick, Choc, Cyborg and the gang: What if the Miami Hurricanes could wear nicknames on their jerseys? – MyPalmBeachPost (blog)

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The Hurricanes have no shortage of player nicknames and most likely, creative ideas for customizing cleats. (Getty Images/Post illustration)

A pro sports league is bucking decades of tradition and doing something fun.

According to a memo obtained by Yahoo Sports, Major League Baseball will allow players to wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys, like theshort-lived XFLonce did. The ballplayers can also wear crazy colorful shoes and personalize a patch paying tribute to someone instrumental in their development. MLB and its players association worked out a deal for the event, called Players Weekend, to run Aug. 25-27.

This makes us wonder: what would a Players Day look like at Miami?

Obviously there would be outstanding cleat designs, especially at a school thats already done the personalized footwear thing. That was one guy painting more than 100 pairs, though, and they generally looked the same. With leeway to go outside the team-issued colors, wed probably see guys trying to look like Odell Beckham Jr.and Cam Newton,plushometown tributes and a lot more.

But maybe not, since, you know, professional players can use part of their big-money paychecks on custom gear. Amateurs cant do that. Anyway.

That brings us to the nicknames. College players are all over social media, which presents myriad opportunity to hang on oneself a creative tag. So, we can already see how certain guys may lean, given free reign. For purposes of this exercise, were assuming the role of nickname coordinator. Some we wont touch. Others may need a little help.

Either way, lets dive deep on this one, shall we?

Possible nicknames for a Miami Hurricanes Players Day:

Defensive tackle Kendrick Norton Big Thick. Were starting strong. Seems to date back to high school, as seen here. Norton is 6-foot-3 and 315 or so pounds. Perfect nickname for a run-stuffing, quarterback-harassing monster in the middle who has a good sense of humor.

Defensive end Chad Thomas MajorNine. All I know is I can talk about why, but Miami cant.

Linebacker Zach McCloud Cyborg. Not sure who gave him the nickname, but it refers to how McCloud played most of last season with a robotic-looking arm. He doesnt want to wear the brace this year, now that his hyperextended elbow has healed, but he may have to if hes putting that name on his back. Who doesnt want a Cyborg at Sam linebacker?

Running back Trayone Gray Choc. A family-given tag stemming from his childhood love of sweets. Its excellent, and its rare you hear a teammate call him something different. As former offensive coordinator James Coley used to say, Everyone loves Choc.

Defensive end Joe Jackson Not that theres anything wrong with Joe Jack or Joedy, a couple real-life monikers he goes by, but Im tempted to call the 6-5, 250-pound sophomore Gladiator after hearing Thomas use that word to describe his physique last year. We need more mighty nicknames. (We need more good sports nicknames of any kind, as some have argued.)

Defensive end Demetrius Jackson Another name-generated one: D-Jack. Id like to see The Deacon catch on, as a reference to his involvement in his church (and a nod to one of the meanest D-ends of all time).

Could go the same route with freshman running back Robert Burns: The Preacher.

Miamis last staff called defensive endTrent HarrisToolbox, and the new coaches saw no reason to change that. Rightfully so. Ideal name for a trustworthy guy with a lot of skills.

Wide receiver Braxton Berrios Hnynut Berrios, a perfect play on his name. Here we are using the preferred online spelling. Creative. A Canes Internet 2014 classic, like Trinidad Brad.

Cornerback Michael Jackson Thriller. Easy, but hey. No mere mortal can resist.

Freshman linebackerBradley Jennings Jr.s pops earned the nickname Monster at Florida State for his bone-crunching hits. Why not continue the legacy? See if you can earn it.

Defensive endJonathan Garvins nickname is Neo, which is a family name.

A group of name-based ones already in use:

Linebacker Darrion Owens instantly becameD.O. when he stepped on campus.

Wide receiver Ahmmon Richards has A.R. as his Twitter handle. UM would like him to one day be known as All-American sophomore wide receiver Ahmmon Richards.

Defensive tackle Gerald Willis is Gee.

Friends call safety Robert Knowles Ra-Ra.

LinebackerTerry McCrayis T-Mac, or if he isnt, should be.

Offensive linemanKai-Leon Herbertshortens his social media handles to K. Herb.

I wonder if anyone has ever called offensive linemanZach DykstraLenny. I doubt they are related.

Patch, obviously, is defensive endScott Patchan.

KickerMichael Badgleyis Badge, though a former UM head coach called him Jersey Mike.

LinebackerJamie Gordinier would be Gordo in most locker rooms.

Freshman punterJeff Feagleswill be Feags, Im sure, and tight endBrian Polendeycan be Poe.

PunterJack Spicer is Spice, unless you want to make a reference to a beleaguered White House Press Secretary.

No reason we shouldnt refer to quarterbackEvan Shirreffsas simply, The Sheriff no matter what type of gunslinging he does.

Malik Rosier (right) could honor Russell Wilson with his nickname, and perhaps, his playing style. (AP/Miami Herald photos)

QuarterbackMalik Rosierused to put Russell Jr. as his Twitter handle, as a nod to fellow mobile quarterback and semi-lookalike Russell Wilson. Unless he wants to move on from that, Im fine with it. If he wins the starting job and performs well, even better.

Do not callquarterbackVincent TestaverdeVinnys Kid, unless you want to sound old. He goes by Young Vinn.

Based on theknee injurieshe overcame and underdog status in the quarterback race, maybeCade Weldoncould be The Comeback Kid.

Quarterback NKosi Perry goes by Kosi, though if he wins the starting job, fans will no doubt anoint him something Messiah-like.

Another potential freshman standout, offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson (6-6, 350), is appropriately called Big Vaughn, though better nicknames could be coming.

Wide receiverDeeJay 13K Dallaspicked up a good one on the recruiting trail: The Ambassador.

CornerbackRyan Mayesgoes by Rico. That works.

LinebackerCharles Perrycould throw it back to the PBGametime days and call himself King Perry. Its that, or C.P. Similarly, safetyAmari Carteris A.C.

ReceiverDayall Harrishas King Dayall on his Twitter, though I wondered if anyone called him Big Country when I first heard his deep-in-the-heart-of-Mississippi speaking accent.

Waynmon Steeds name is so unique I dont want to touch it, but his Twitter handle They Envy Wayne is even better. Got a little He Hate Me flavor to it. A winner all around.

Im stuck on nicknames for new additions Mike Harley(something about his size and speed, for sure. I might borrow from a hockey legend and go Pocket Rocket.). Jhavonte Dean (Jah or Tae seem right),Derrick Smith(big, imposing safety. We clearly need something better than Smitty here). Anyone got anything for reserve cornerbackTerrance Henley?

Struggling with offensive linemen, too. Like Kc McDermott(Ive never heard anyone call him Big Mac),Hayden Mahoney (of Irish descent, for what its worth), Corey Gaynor (Bad Intentions, based on what his high school coach says he harbors for opponents), Nick Linder (Canes media called him Baby Linder for a time, since his brother had just left the program), Trevor Darling, Tyler Gauthier, Zalontae Hillery, Tre Johnson, Jahair Jones, Tyree St. Louis andBar Milo(The Hebrew Hammer has been done, and really only works if hes a linebacker or safety).

Im also unsure ofChris Herndon. Hes an excellent tight end. Very versatile player. Ive called him Miamis Swiss Army knife, but that doesnt sing. Suggestions welcome.

If freshman linebacker DeAndre Wilderwears No. 11 at UM, as he did on his official visit, Sticks is a possibility. His Twitter handle includes the nickname EyeCandy in it, which is in itself very good.

Cornerback Trajan Bandy Trajan Bandy is already a great name, and Im good with just Bandy on the back. Tra Bands if you need to have a nickname, I guess.

Same deal with safetyRomeo Finley. Romeo is good. His numbers 30, so Im offering Rom30 free of charge.

Cornerback Sheldrick Redwine Why mess with Redwine on the back of a jersey? Its so good. We could go Red, which is what people call him, but cmon. Redwine.

Who could blame Mark Walton if he wanted to get a little braggadocious? (Post photo, Post illustration)

Im taking suggestions for running back Mark Walton, a player with a supremely important role on the team. The Franchise? The Chosen 1?

Linebacker Michael Pinckney, a player with a loquacious personality, deserves more than just Pink. Same with linebacker Shaquille Shaq Quarterman. Open to suggestions for both. The screen names are 56 Nightmares and OG Boobie Shaq, respectively. Maybe we can mine something from that.

Dread-headed linebacker Mike Smithhas been on social media as Rasta Mike, and that works just fine.

We know this about freshman defensive tackleJon Ford:He is built like a truck (6-5, 275), and you can probably call him Ford Tough. Ideally, he would make quality (play) his job one, and he would not need to be fixed or repaired (at all, much less) daily.

Now that defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad is in the NFL, safety Jaquan Johnson is the only Quan on the team, though his social handle includes the phrase Authentic Made. It is important to be authentic made, a wise man once said.

Same AQM deal with running backTravis Homer, who goes by Chief. The former Chief of Coral Gables,David Njoku, likely approves, since that was one of his handles.

Cornerback Malek Young uses Humble Child on social media, and theres nothing wrong with being humble. Throw a comma in there, and you have a cocky directive to opposing receivers.

Defensive end R.J. McIntosh uses Big 80, and thatd look great as a nameplate-number combo. No issue there.

Im going to put in a recommendation kickerDiego Marquezdye his blue streak of hair red, so he can be Rufio.

I very much like wide receiver Lawrence Cagers handle, for a 6-5, 215-pound wideout who can dance: Smooth. Also fine: Cage. UM hopes youll have to learn one of them or yet another by seasons end.

Another big wideout,Evidence Njoku, can be E83, if you dont want to make a play on his first name or famous brother. Big Easy also works. Taken from basketball, like some of Njokus pass-catching ability.

Not to sound harsh, but Im not sure what to do with wideoutsDionte MullinsorDarrell Langham,or defensive tackles Pat BethelorAnthony Moten. But let me introduce you todefensive tackleTyreicThe FreakMartin,which is a nickname lazily borrowed from the last Tyriq (McCord) at UM. Were wrapping this up soon.

Wide receiver Jeff Thomas might win the day with what his Twitter handle gives us. A nameplate with There Goes over the number 4. That is outstanding. One of the fastest players on the team, and when he blows by you, all you can say is

Tight end Michael Irvin IIsscreen name, for reasons I dont know, is Yung Tut. This is already awesome, and should not be messed with. Dont try to force a Playmaker II in there. Yung Tut it is.

Offensive tackle George Brown Jr. uses MADDAWG_70 or just MADDAWG, but Im sorry, Im not really feeling it. Lets try this. Hes from Cincinnati. Skyline has an imposing connotation for a guy whos 6-7, 300 just hope he doesnt disappoint like Cincinnati chili (or the 2015 Canes in Cincinnati. Too soon?)

Cornerback Dee Delaney A winning user handle: DeeThatGuy. I would want someone on my team willing to be That Guy.

Defensive end D.J. Johnson The Predator. Yup, absolutely.

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Meet Big Thick, Choc, Cyborg and the gang: What if the Miami Hurricanes could wear nicknames on their jerseys? - MyPalmBeachPost (blog)

Violators to face fines over Walton County beaches tent ordinance – WEAR

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Violators to face fines over Walton County beaches tent ordinance

Tents any larger than six feet by six feet are no longer allowed on public beaches in Walton County and the ordinance behind it has drawn ire from vacationers.

The ordinance was put into effect on April 1 and bans large tents. Vacationers say it will force them to pull up stakes and move down the beach.

Josh Westberry has spent his adult life in the beach chair business and he has spent Monday morning calling code enforcement.

"Those large tents, they have been more and more common, and with more windstorms we are getting; they fly, people get hit by them and they are really hard to control," Westberry said. "I mean, when my umbrellas fly, they can hit somebody and knock them out. Something with that much surface area, it's just gonna fly and not stop. And they break and people leave them on the beach, it's a hassle."

Walton County TDC Representative David Demarest said the ordinance is about 'Leave No Trace' principles.

"You are allowed to have a beach umbrella or a smaller tent, so I don't think this is something that makes a difference in terms of pushing people away," Demarest said.

However, visitors like Dan Mayberry think the county's ordinance digs itself into a hole. He puts up the tent to protect him, his wife and his kids from the sun.

"I think it's kind of silly. One, there is no sign posted, two, I just don't think that if you have little babies you would want it not be able to put up a 10 by 10 tent," Mayberry said.

And after a 13-hour drive from St. Louis, he has second thoughts about coming back. For now he will just have to cope.

"It kind of stinks, my condo is right here. I rented it for a week. But you know, I'll drive somewhere where I can put the tent up. For sure, that is more important for my family than walking 75 yards," Mayberry said.

The ordinance does not apply to private beaches in Walton County. Anyone Walton County Code Enforcement comes across with an ordinance-violating tent faces a $100 fine.

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Violators to face fines over Walton County beaches tent ordinance - WEAR

Swimming restriction issued for two Presque Isle beaches – GoErie.com

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Barracks Beach and Beach 7 have a swimming restriction in effect.

Presque Isle State Park officials on Monday issued a swimming restriction for Barracks Beach and Beach 7 and a precautionary swim advisory for Beaches 6, 9, 10 and 11 because of elevated E.colibacteria counts.

According to Erie County Department of Health protocol, if E. coli counts exceed 1,000 per 100 milliliters of water, a swimming restriction is issued for that beach. The bacteria count for Barracks Beach was 1,090 and the count for Beach 7 was 1,210.

During swimming restrictions, park visitors are not permitted to enter the water at the affected beach until E.coli counts are below 1,000. Those beaches are still open to the public for sunbathing and other recreational opportunities.

The precautionary advisory was issued based off research sample plate counts that contained elevated E. coli bacteria counts, park officials said.

According to Erie County Department of Health protocol, if E. coli bacteria counts are between 235 and 999 per 100 milliliters of water, a swimming advisory is posted for a beach. A precautionary swimming advisory will remain until bacteria counts are less than 235.

Retesting of the waters will be performed daily until the counts decrease, officials said. Beaches under a precautionary swimming advisory are still open to the public for swimming, sunbathing and other recreational opportunities.

Presque Isle State Park has 13 regulated swimming beaches.

For information, call the park office at 833-7424.

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Swimming restriction issued for two Presque Isle beaches - GoErie.com

State warns of toxic algae at two Buckeye Lake beaches – The Columbus Dispatch

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Michael Huson The Columbus Dispatch @Mike_Huson

High levels of toxic algae have prompted state officials to post warnings at two Buckeye Lake beaches.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resourcesperformed tests for microcystin, the toxin created by the blue-green algae, after an algae bloom was spotted this month.

Visitors are told to avoid all contact with water when microcystin levels are found to be more than 20 parts per billion.Tests from Fairfield and Crystal beaches at the lake showed levels were at 25 parts per billion, said ODNR spokesman Eric Heis.

The state's safety threshold for swimming is 6 parts per billion. At that level, swimming or wading is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, children or pets.

Exposure can sicken people and pets, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Swallowing contaminated water can result in kidney toxicity, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death. Skin contact can result in rashes or hives.

"The goal is just to make the public aware that there could be issues with the water," Heis said."Algal blooms are not just on the surface. Sometimes they are underneaththe water, sometimes they are not visible from the surface."

Toxic blue-green algae are common in most Ohio lakes and grow thick in warm, still water by feeding on phosphorus from manure, sewage and fertilizers that rain washes into waterways.

Cyanobacteria are common in Lake Erie and inland lakes, including Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio and Buckeye Lake, which are both surrounded by farm land.

In 2014, Toledo's public water supply was tainted with so much microcystin that officials told nearly 500,000 people in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan to stop drinking tap water.In 2015, the blue-green algae bloom in Lake Erie stretched from Toledo past Cleveland.

Warning signs also are posted at Grand Lake St. Marys in Celina, which has become the poster child for toxic algae blooms in Ohio.

David Pierce, owner of Weldons Ice Cream Factory at Buckeye Lake, said the advisory has not affected business at his shop.

It doesn't usually impact the whole lake, so it could be just isolated areas," he said."While they test it, and it may range above something that is harmful, it doesnt seem to linger or stay there.

Through November 2016, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency conducted almost twice as many tests for harmful toxins produced by blooms than it in 2015, up from about 3,680 tests to more than 6,340 in the first 10 months of 2016. New rules in effect since June 2016 also require statewide weekly monitoring for toxins and bacteria at public water systems.

The state's safety threshold for swimming is 6 parts per billion. At that level, swimming or wading is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, children or pets.

Dave Levacy, owner of Buckeye Lake Marina and a Fairfield County commissioner, said he hopes the algae blooms will lessen as crews continue to dredge the lake as part of state project to rebuild the dam there.

"Whenever you have high temperatures, like we had the last week, then that kind of happens," he said of the blooms. "But, in the last few years, I have seen less and less of it."

Merv Bartholow, founding director of Buckeye Lake for Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that has been studying the lake for 10 years, said despite the recent bloom, the quality of water cominginto the lake has improved over the past 10 years.

"The levels of nutrients, right now, that are coming into the lake are very low, we've been checking it all spring, as well as thewater in thelake itself," he said."The lake is going in the right direction, but the lower levels, the hot weather, and so forth it's just too much."

mhuson@dispatch.com

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State warns of toxic algae at two Buckeye Lake beaches - The Columbus Dispatch

Floating wheelchair helps people with disabilities enjoy Maine’s … – WCSH-TV

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Water wheelchairs in Maine

Beth McEvoy , WCSH 8:41 PM. EDT June 19, 2017

Floating wheelchair donated to town of Wells to help people with disabilities get to the beach.

WELLS, Maine (NEWS CENTER) Summer is a time for fun, for travel and for family vacations, and what better place to go then Vacationland itself.

Floating wheelchair donated to town of Wells to help people with disabilities get to the beach.

But for people who have a family member with a disability, vacations can be overwhelming, if not completely impossible.

The town of Wells is trying to make it a little easier for people with disabilities to enjoy the beach this summer season.

Linda Rizzo, with the town of Wells, says a foundation in Massachusetts is giving the town a floating wheelchair.

The floating wheelchair is designed to bring carriers right in the water so they can enjoy, not only the sand, but the surf as well.

#

Exciting news! Wheelchairs like these are coming to Maine beaches in Wells and Ocean Park in OOB for free! NEWSCENTERmaine pic.twitter.com/Y6GtAusXZO

Smile Mass is a foundation started by two mothers who both have children with disabilities and found it daunting to go on vacation. Their mission is simple: give families a vacation or even a day trip unencumbered by barriers.

Smile Mass founders say the average person does not understand what it takes for a special needs family to do regular things, like go to the beach.

Think of a regular wheelchair trying to get through sand. It doesnt work.

The floating chair is equipped with three wheels that are wider but smaller than those of a traditional wheelchair. It also has two flotation devices in lieu of armrests.

Rizzo called the non-profit just a week ago inquiring about a floating wheelchair, and by Monday the women were in Wells to deliver the chair.

Rizzo says the town of Wells is still trying to figure out where they will keep the chair and how they will get the word out to people that it exists.

The town of Wells already had a floating wheelchair that a private resident had bought for herself but wanted to share with others. Rizzo says that chair has not been used as much as the town would like.

Rizzo says not only will the chair be good for people with special needs, it will be good for tourism in town. Being a tourist town we need to support the people who want to come here so ifyou can have a nice family vacation in Wells you are going to do it every year, says Rizzo.

Smile Mass also provides people on vacation with regular wheelchairs. Rizzo says it can be expensive to rent a wheelchair for vacation so Smile Mass will deliver one to people on vacation for free

Smile Mass also has a list of beaches that have floating wheelchairs. For more information go here.

2017 WCSH-TV

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Floating wheelchair helps people with disabilities enjoy Maine's ... - WCSH-TV

Low-Mass Stars are Born in Pairs, Astronomers Claim – Sci-News.com

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According to a team of astronomers from Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, low-mass stars are always born with a companion, but many, like the Sun, split up.

This artists impression shows the dust and gas around a binary star system. Image credit: ESO / L. Calcada.

Many stars have companions, including the triple star system of Alpha Centauri, just 4.3 light-years away.

Scientists have long sought an explanation. Are binary and triple stellar systems born that way? Did one star capture another? Do binary stars sometimes split up and become single stars?

Astronomers have even searched for a companion to our Sun, a star dubbed Nemesis because it was supposed to have kicked an asteroid into Earths orbit that collided with our planet and exterminated the dinosaurs. It has never been found.

Radio image of a very young binary star that formed within a dense core (oval outline) in the Perseus molecular cloud. All stars likely form as binaries within dense cores. Image credit: Sarah Sadavoy / Steven Stahler.

The new assertion is based on a radio survey of the Perseus molecular cloud, a giant stellar nursery about 600 light-years away in the constellation Perseus, and a mathematical model that can explain the Perseus observations only if all Sun-like stars are born with a companion.

We are saying, yes, there probably was a Nemesis, a long time ago, said Dr. Steven Stahler, an astronomer at the University of California, Berkeley.

We ran a series of statistical models to see if we could account for the relative populations of young single stars and binaries of all separations in the Perseus molecular cloud, and the only model that could reproduce the data was one in which all stars form initially as wide binaries.

These systems then either shrink or break apart within a million years.

Combined ALMA and VLA image of the L1448 IRS3B system, a member of the Perseus molecular cloud, with two young stars at the center and a third distant from them; spiral structure in the dusty disk surrounding them indicates instability in the disk. Image credit: Bill Saxton / ALMA / ESO / NAOJ / NRAO / AUI / NSF.

In this study, wide means that the two stars are separated by more than 500 AU (astronomical units).

A wide binary companion to our Sun would have been 17 times farther from the Sun than Neptune.

Based on this model, the Suns sibling most likely escaped and mixed with all the other stars in our region of the Milky Way Galaxy, never to be seen again.

The idea that many stars form with a companion has been suggested before, but the question is: how many? said Dr. Sarah Sadavoy, a NASA Hubble fellow at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard University.

Based on our simple model, we say that nearly all stars form with a companion.

The Perseus molecular cloud is generally considered a typical low-mass star-forming region, but our model needs to be checked in other clouds.

The idea that all stars are born in a litter has implications beyond star formation, including the very origins of galaxies, Dr. Stahler added.

The findings were published recently in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (arXiv.org preprint).

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Sarah I. Sadavoy & Steven W. Stahler. 2017. Embedded binaries and their dense cores. MNRAS 469 (4): 3881-3900; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stx1061

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Low-Mass Stars are Born in Pairs, Astronomers Claim - Sci-News.com

Astronomy club to host NASA ambassador Wednesday – Longview Daily News

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If youve ever been curious about NASA or the universe, Wednesday night might be the perfect time to get some answers.

The local Friends of Galileo Astronomy Club is featuring guest speaker Les Hasting, a NASA ambassador, for its upcoming monthly meeting Wednesday night. This free event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m in the basement of the Longview Public Library.

FOG President Chuck Ring said Hasting, a native of Skamania County, will cover a multitude of topics.

(Hasting) gives a pretty good lecture about what you can see right now and whats going to happen in the near future, Ring said. He may talk about the solar eclipse. Its just good information.

On Aug. 21, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun, which NASA describes as one of natures most awe-inspiring sights. The path of totality, in which the moon will completely cover the sun, will stretch from Lincoln Beach, Ore., to Charleston, S.C. Observers outside this path will still see a partial solar eclipse where the moon covers part of the suns disk.

In Southwest Washington, about 90 percent of the sun will be eclipsed.

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Astronomy club to host NASA ambassador Wednesday - Longview Daily News