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Trump rolls back Obama admin’s Cuba policy: ‘Will not be silent in the face of communist oppression’ – Washington Times

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

President Trump announced a dramatic reversal Friday of the Obama administrations Cuba policy, restoring restrictions on U.S. travel to the island and new prohibitions on financial transactions that benefit the communist regimes military.

We will not be silent in the face of communist oppression any longer, Mr. Trump said in Miami. I am moving immediately to cancel the completely one-sided deal with Cuba.

He declared that the new policy will continue to promote prosperity for the Cuban people while cracking down on human-rights abuses by the government in Havana.

He demanded Havana release political prisoners, hold free elections and return U.S. fugitives before he would entertain further negotiations.

We will enforce the ban on tourism. We will enforce the embargo. We will take concrete steps to make sure investments flow to the people. he told the crowd at Miamis Manuel Artime Theater, a landmark for Cuban exiles.

The theater, a former church, is named for Manuel Artime, who was an exile leader with Brigade 2506, the Bay of Pigs veterans group that endorsed Mr. Trump during the presidential race.

Mr. Trump gave a shout-out to the Bay of Pigs veterans in the crowd.

These are amazing people, he said.

The order signed by the president for a tougher U.S. stance toward Havana kept a campaign promise to the Cuban exile community in south Florida that provided key support in the election.

Mr. Trump said their vote for him underscored the democratic freedom denied their relatives back in Cuba.

You went out and you voted and here I am, like I promised, the president said. I keep my promises. Sometime in politics they take a little bit longer, but we get there.

He condemned what he described as Mr. Obamas terrible and misguided deal with the Castro regime.

Noting the Cuban governments abuse of its citizens and role in spreading violence and instability in the region, include in Venezuela, Mr. Trump vowed to confront it.

My administration will not hide from it, excuse it or glamorize and never be blind to it, said Mr. Trump.

The moves were popular among Cuban hard-liners, including Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, both Florida Republicans of Cuban descent. They both aggressively lobbied Mr. Trump in favor of rolling back the friendlier policy Mr. Obama initiated in 2015.

Mr. Rubio and Mr. Diaz-Balart, as well as Rep. Carlos Curbelo, another Florida Republican of Cuban descent, flew with Mr. Trump on Air Force One to Miami.

In a speech at the Miami event, Mr. Rubio recalled Mr. Obamas historic visit to Havana in 2016.

A year and a half ago, an American president landed in Havana to outstretch his hand to the regime. Today, a new president lands in Miami to reach out his hand to the people of Cuba, Mr. Rubio said.

He stressed that the new policy was about empowering Cuban people.

Many will characterize this as an effort to punish the Cuban regime, he said. And it will punish the Cuban military that oppresses its people and helps [Venezuela President Nicolas] Maduro oppress their people in Venezuela. But more than anything else, this change empowers the people of Cuba, not the government, not the regime, but the people so they can enjoy the freedom and liberty.

The new policy doesnt affect the broader U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, which can only be lifted by an act of Congress.

The re-hardening of relations with Cuba, however, was decried by pro-normalization Democrats and Republicans.

They said restrictions and sanctions harm the Cuban people while consolidating power of the totalitarian government in Havana.

This is a hollow retreat from normalization that takes a swipe at Americans freedom to travel, at our national interest, and at the people of Cuba who yearn to reconnect with us all just to score a political favor with a small and dwindling faction here at home, said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Rep. Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican and frequent Trump critic, called for an end to the embargo.

Any policy change that diminishes the ability of Americans to travel freely to Cuba is not in the best interests of the United States or the Cuban people, he said. It is time Senate leadership finally allowed a vote on my bipartisan bill to fully lift these archaic restrictions which do not exist for travel by Americans to any other country in the world. The bill has 55 total cosponsors and I am convinced it would pass the Senate with upwards of 70 votes.

The renewed travel restriction targets at individual people-to-people visits to Cuba, which Trump officials believe is being abused to evade the longstanding U.S. ban on tourism in Cuba. Americans will still be able to visit Cuba as part of large groups with cultural or other itineraries approved by the Treasury Department.

Cruise ships and commercial flights from the U.S. to Cuba wont be prevented, according to the administration, but people wanting to visit the island likely will have more red tape to navigate.

Mr. Trump also is tightening restrictions on financial transactions that benefit the Cuban military, which has tendrils reaching throughout the economy to bars, restaurants, hotels, stores and markets.

The policy does not close the U.S. embassy Mr. Obama opened in Havana.

The changes will not go into into effect until the Treasury and Commerce Department promulgate new regulations that conform with the new policy.

Mr. Trump doesnt completely reverse closer ties to Cuba.

The U.S. embassy that Mr. Obama opened in Havana will remain.

Mr. Trump also chose not reinstate the wet-foot-dry-foot policy that Mr. Obama ended. Before that, Cubans who made it to the U.S. shore were given special treatment and immediately granted visas. Now they are treated the same as other refugees.

The ending of that policy is a good thing for not only the people who end up being in harms way but for our border security, said a senior administration official.

Despite tighter restriction on financial transactions, the president attempted to safeguard existing business deals in Cuba, such as the Starwood Hotels deal to manage a historic Havana hotel.

Furthermore, the Trump administration does not plan to restore limits on Cuban rum and cigars that Americans can bring home for personal use, according to a Reuters report.

The carve-out left room for some support from advocates for normalized relations with Cuba.

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Trump rolls back Obama admin's Cuba policy: 'Will not be silent in the face of communist oppression' - Washington Times

America’s War on Drugs Was Designed to Fail. So Why Is It Being … – History

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Activists and family members of loved ones who died in the opioid/heroin epidemic march in a "Fed Up!" rally on the National Mall on September 18, 2016. (Credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

While much of the media is focused on Trumps Russian skullduggery, America has quietly found itself enmeshed in the worst drug epidemic in our history. Drug overdoses, mostly from increasingly lethal opioids, now kill more people than guns and traffic accidents. A recent investigation by The New YorkTimes of local and state authorities across the country came to a staggering conclusionthat somewhere between 59,000 and 65,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2016, a nearly 20% spike in a single year, the paper estimates.

2017 is gearing up to be just as bad, or worse.

In the face of this crisis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has re-declared the War on Drugs, a five-decade old boondoggle that civil-rights organizations, economists and even some law-enforcement groups believe to be discredited by years of failure. While its unclear exactly what Sessions is planning, so far hes called for a crackdown on marijuana and longer mandatory sentences for drug dealers, seemingly intent on a return to policies that historically have ravaged entire communities, corrupted police forces and destroyed trust in authorityall in the name of fighting a war that opinion polls show the majority of the public doesnt want.

But what most Americans dont know is that our War on Drugs isnt just a failed war; its one that was never designed to be won. To understand the true story of the origins of the War on Drugs is to understand why Trumps return to some of its most controversial policies is doomed to fail.

President Nixon kickstarted Americas war on drugs in 1971 (he called it an offensive) and created the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) two years later. Ironically, or perhaps not, the war on drugs was conceived by criminals. Four of the main architects of Nixons drug policyAttorney General John Mitchell, White House aide John Erlichman (who later allegedly admitted the war on drugs was really a war on hippies and black people), Egil Bud Krogh (who famously arranged for a drug-addled Elvis Presley to receive an honorary DEA badge) as well as Watergate break-in conspirator G. Gordon Liddywere all imprisoned over Watergate.

But by the time Nixon declared a war on drugs, the real fighting had begun a decade earlier during Americas effort to overthrow Fidel Castro. In 1961, the CIA conspired with mobsters in Miami to assassinate Castro, whose revolution had put an end to the lucrative drug and vice networks operating on the island. Although the CIA-planned Bay of Pigs invasion failed, many of the agencys Cuban assets survived; and after making their way back to Miami, they turned Southern Florida into an early epicenter of drug smuggling and drug-related violence.

Meanwhile, the CIA had simultaneously helped introduce LSD to the American populace via clandestine programs that dosed countless citizensall part of a Cold War mind-control operation titled MK-Ultra. In Southeast Asia, the CIA teamed up with Laotian general Vang Pao to help make Laos the worlds top exporter of heroin. By the time Nixon began ratcheting down U.S. troop presence in Vietnam to focus on the war against drugs, more troops were dying of heroin overdoses than actual combat, an epidemic that quickly found its way to the streets of urban America.

A decade later, as a result of turning a blind eye to cocaine smugglers funding the CIAs illegal war against the communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the CIA unwittingly helped unleash a nationwide crack-cocaine epidemic. Most notably, cocaine kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross was able to take his South Central L.A.-based crack businesses nationwide thanks to his access to a cheap supply of coke from politically connected Nicaraguan suppliers.

Dark Alliance, Gary Webbs landmark 1996 newspaper series alleging CIA involvement in the crack-cocaine epidemic, created a firestorm of controversy that ultimately drove Webb out of journalism and into a spiral of depression that led him to take his own life. Although there were problems with Webbs reporting and the editing of his story that allowed it to be discredited by rival news organizations, it forced the CIA to reveal that for more than a decade it had protected its Nicaraguan allies from being prosecuted for smuggling cocaine into the U.S.

Veteran drug agents, including Phil Jordan, former director of the DEAs El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), say they were repeatedly called off cases involving CIA-tied drug rings.

We had three or four cases where we arrested CIA contract workers with cocaine, and I get a phone call that the charges have been dismissed, Jordan recalls in a new HISTORY series, Americas War on Drugs. You know, we are risking our lives, making cases against significant drug traffickers, then on the other hand you got another government agency allowing the drugs to come in . . . And were not talking about 100 pounds, were talking about tons. That introduction of white powder was killing black people.

The CIAs collusion with anti-communist drug smugglers beginning in the 1960s played a direct role in the drug epidemic of the 1980s that was used to justify President Reagans 1986 crime bill. The law introduced harsh mandatory sentencing for non-violent drug offenders, the legacy of which we are still dealing with today.

President Bill Clinton expanded on Reagans drug war by militarizing the nations police forces and introducing mandatory minimum sentencing. Although President Obama tried to revise this policy shortly before leaving office, President Trump seems intent on doubling down on the war on drugs. When Trump recently invited Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House, he congratulated him for sending police death squads into the streets to kill drug dealers and addicts. Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that, Trump reportedly said.

National polls in recent years have consistently shown that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe the war on drugs cannot be won. Given the fact that more than half of the United States have legalized medical marijuana, with several others set to join Colorado, Washington and California in approving recreational marijuana use, there has never been a stronger mandate for drug reform than now.

As a nation, we are tired of the drug wars endless cycle of crime, political corruption, mass incarceration and mayhemparticularly in Mexico, much of which is a war zone, while north of the border, we are mired in a highly politicized hysteria over immigration and border security. The war on drugs has already cost U.S. taxpayers more than $1 trillion and our nations jails, prisons and hospitals now overflow with the ranks of its combatants and victims. The stakes couldnt be higher, nor the timing better, for America to end this war, not expand it.

Nick Schou is author of Kill the Messenger: How the CIAs Crack Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb (Nation Books, 2006) and also appears in the upcoming HISTORY limited series Americas War on Drugs, premiering June 18 at 9/8c.

Butler County experts feel churches can help in war on drugs – Hamilton Journal News

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

BUTLER COUNTY

As the opiate and heroin crisis continues to claim lives in Butler County, local experts are hoping to get some help from the pulpit to help deal with the issue.

Drug overdoses were the leading cause of deaths in 2016 in Butler County, according to Butler County Coroner Dr. Lisa Mannix.. She said that it is the third year in a row that drug overdoses claimed the top spot.

Kristina Latta-Landefeld, coalition coordinator for the Greater Hamilton Drug-Free Coalition, told the Journal-News that the effort to combat the issue is getting stronger, and churches can help in the fight.

It is really fascinating because we know that there is a system out there that works really well, she said. People in the field theologists, psychologists have tried to be able to link a system like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that does have a religious component to it, in order to determine what are the positive outcomes and how can that approach be used by churches

Latta-Landefeld added that any type of faith in a higher being or something similar can be an answer for some but not all.

But getting the churches involved speaks to a cultural approach that is important. People in Butler County are very involved in their churches, she said. It is just a part of looking for a solution just like getting health care, schools and law enforcement involved. We have to have a multi-faceted approach to dealing with this.

Kristy Duritsch of the Coalition for a Healthy Middletown said churches can pool resources and expertise within their congregations and focus on the community in which they live in or even a mile radius around their church. She feels this can help address the problem.

I definitely think they can have an impact - but more so on the prevention end of things, Duritsch said. For those in need of help, they can provide resources and even pay for programs for folks addicted. For those recovering they can provide a safe, supportive environment

She added that the problems of the world are now overwhelming, so starting small with the intention and focus aimed at the people they know in the community can make an impact.

Reaching the kids and families to help create a community who cares the simplest things can make a big impact, Duritsch said. For example, Jeri Lewis of Kingswell Ministries has adopted Sherman park to provide daily lunches and activities for the kids that come there.

Developing relationships and being consistent is key in addressing violence and drugs, according to Duritsch.

When there is trust, you can teach them a better way to react to resolve conflict, cope with disappointments, stress and dream for a better future and thus they are less likely to turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope or escape, she said.

James E. Wynn III is the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church. He said pastors around the city have been meeting on regular basis, to discuss the drug issue and senseless violence.

We are trying to come up with a way to address these issues, Wynn said.

New Day Baptist Church Pastor Mike Pearl has already been keeping his congregation busy doing outreach that extends all-year. His church helps feed the hungry and doles out school supplies to the needy.

He figures the best approach is to stay consistent addressing the problem while not letting any of the youth fall through the cracks.

Pastor Dave Wess from New Life Community Church agrees that churches are ready and able to keep spreading Gods word, while also adding some tough love from the pulpit.

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Butler County experts feel churches can help in war on drugs - Hamilton Journal News

Medical Marijuana Bill Aims to Fight Jeff Sessions’ Renewed War on Drugs – RollingStone.com

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill on Thursday that would allow state medical marijuana laws to supersede the current federal prohibition on weed. The bill is dubbed the CARERS Act, which stands for the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act.

"The fact is our marijuana laws in America are broken," Democratic Sen. Cory Booker said at the bill's unveiling at the Capitol. "They are savagely broken, and the jagged pieces are hurting American people."

The legislation would allow the varying laws legalizing some form of medical marijuana in 30 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam to stand. When it was introduced in 2015 it was the first ever medical marijuana bill introduced in the U.S. Senate. But times have changed since then.

For one, back then the bill only had three original sponsors: Booker, Democratic Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand and Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who has long supported medical marijuana as part if his libertarian platform. Now it has six, adding Democratic Sen. Al Franken and Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mike Lee. The other big change from 2015: Donald Trump now occupies the Oval Office.

While running for president Trump said marijuana laws should be decided at the state level, but then he tapped marijuana-hating Jeff Sessions to be his attorney general.

It just came to lightthat Sessions privately sent a letter to congressional leaders in May asking them to undo a provision in federal law that bars his Justice Department from going after legal marijuana businesses.

"I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund particular prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime," Sessions penned. "The Department must be in a position to use all laws available to combat the transnational drug organizations and dangerous drug traffickers who threaten American lives."

But the new bill's proponents argue Sessions' thinking is misguided, especially when it comes to people gripped with epilepsy and those who suffer from seizures who report cannabidiol, or CBD as it's commonly known, is a miracle cure thatcuts their seizures down as much as 45 percent.

"I dare him to sit down with families and listen to their stories and then pursue a policy like he's advocating for now," Booker says of Sessions' letter going after medical marijuana businesses. The CARERS Act would take CBD off the list of controlled substances, which would allow children in states where medical marijuana isn't legal to access the life changing oil.

While the bill's proponents know their proposal faces an uphill battle, they also say they believe the effort is quickly picking up steam, especially because many red states have now passed some form of legal weed. "I believe things are changing and they're changing fast," Sen. Gillibrand tellsRolling Stone. "I think we will get the support we need."

The legislation also allows the nation's veterans to access legal weed by removing the current restriction that bars doctors at Veterans Affairs hospitals from prescribing pot to their patients. But it doesn't go near the politically touchy subject of what to do with the nation's eight states and the District of Columbia that have opted to legalize weed for recreational use. But many of the bill's proponents say that effort will come later.

Correction: A previous version of this article listed one of the supporters as Steve Cohen. He is a supporter of the bill in the House, not the Senate.

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Medical Marijuana Bill Aims to Fight Jeff Sessions' Renewed War on Drugs - RollingStone.com

Don Winslow Artfully Demolishes the War on Drugs – Daily Beast

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Do not let author Don Winslow get started on Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Beauregard, Winslow practically sneers, referring to the AG by his very Confederate-sounding middle name, wants to take us back to the good old days, when we were throwing two million people into prison. He thinks the war on drugs was a good idea, and that we were winning. But drugs are more plentiful, powerful, and cheaper than ever before. If thats victory, I would hate to see defeat.

Winslow is, of course, referring to Sessions recent order that all federal prosecutors pursue the strictest possible sentences, including for non-violent drug offenders. Winslow sees this as a return to a failed policy of mass incarceration, and hes one writer who knows what hes talking about. The critically acclaimed authors most famous worksThe Power of the Dog, Savages, and The Cartelare centered on drugs and drug policy. His new novel, The Force, is also drug-centered, examining corruption in the New York Police Department and featuring a crooked cop named Denny Malone who, along with his partners, steals millions of dollars worth of heroin after a major bust. Think of it as a cross between a hard-core New York tale by Richard Price and the classic 1981 Sidney Lumet film Prince of the City.

Its that readable, and that bleak.

Ive always wanted to write a New York cop book, says Winslow, 63, who was born in the city and raised in Rhode Island but whose best known books are set in California (where he now lives) and Mexico. Back when I was living in New Yorkwhere he worked for a chain of movie theaters, and as a private investigatorI would see classic crime films like Serpico, Prince of the City, and The French Connection, and theyre part of the reason I became a crime writer. So after I finished The Cartel [set mostly in Mexico, and soon to be filmed by Ridley Scott], I wanted to get back to New York.

The Force is so awash in corruption, from the lowest beat cop to the mayors office, that it seems hyper-unreal. But Winslow insists what hes writing about is the real deal, that every 20 years or so there is a major corruption scandal in the NYPD. He points to a recent bribes-to-obtain-gun-licenses probe involving crooked cops and prosecutors, but adds that its not just the NYPD, its Chicago, the LAPD, Baltimore. One of the points I was trying to make in the book, we always talk about cops being corrupt, but what about lawyers, judges, the mayors office? Its not worse in New York, its just largereverything is larger in New York.

Winslow is no hard-core cop hater. In fact, researching and writing The Force, which took several years, helped him sympathize with the extremely tough job the police have to do, and the harsh conditions they have to deal with.

The thing that surprised me a little bit about cops, he says, is how deeply they feel what they do. You tend to think they get jaded, and they do, and they come across as stoic, but when you talk to them about cases and stories, the work has an impact on them. When you watch TV shows, you see them joking about victimsand that happensbut when they talk about certain victims and crimes they have more empathy than you would be led to believe. I talked to veteran cops who sat there with tears streaming down their faces talking about their cases.

In fact, the cops in The Force, no matter how corrupt, believe they are fighting the good fight, taking down drug dealers, gangbangers, and murderers by any means necessary. Malone, who considers himself the king of Manhattan North, heads an elite squad of detectives given unrestricted authority to rid their area of human scum. The parallels with the Daniel Ciello character (played by Treat Williams) in Prince of the City are unmistakable, including the ultimate fall from gracepressed by the Feds, both men wind up informing on their partners.

Winslow says that if nothing else, his book shows how complicated a cops life can be, how complicated issues of right and wrong can be. This guy Malone gets himself into a trap where he has no good choices. Who do you betray?

But back to Jeff Sessions and Winslows other bte noire, The Wall. Winslow has long argued that the only way to break the cartels is to legalize all drugs, and has even written about it for The Daily Beast. He has said the drug war is unwinnable, that there is no end in sight. And the Trump administrations attempts to build a barrier across our southern border, accompanied by a hardline prosecutorial stance, have not changed his mind.

Trump and these guys claim to be businessmen, he says, but they dont understand economics. Lets assume you could build a wall, and it could be a deterrent, but it does not affect demand. Anything you do to make the supply more difficult, raises the supplies and raises the profits. Thats just basic high school economics.

Winslow believes that whatever gets builtThere will be something and they will call it a wall, he saysis a fantasy. Certain parts of the terrain make wall building impractical; some of the wall would have to pass through privately owned lands, which invites endless lawsuits; and part of the wall would have to pass through territory owned on both sides of the border by the Tohono Oodham tribe, creating even more legal issues.

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Besides, says Winslow, any wall would actually have huge gates, and they are called San Diego, El Paso, and Laredo. Most of the drugs come in by trucks, and everyone knows this, but it would be impossible to minutely inspect every truck crossing the borderover 2 million annually in Laredo alone.

So whats the end game? You have to wait it out, says Winslow. Towards the end of the Obama administration, they started to get realistic about drug and prison policies. Now we are going back to the old days, but I think there are people who are rational on this topic. Its an issue where right and left meet, but its a generational thing also. I think its a matter of waiting for some people to become extinct. Because they never change.

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Don Winslow Artfully Demolishes the War on Drugs - Daily Beast

Congress is considering a bill that would expand Jeff Sessions’s power to escalate the war on drugs – Washington Post

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Congress is considering a bill that wouldexpand the federal government's ability to pursue the war on drugs, granting new power to the attorney general to set federal drug policy.

The bipartisan legislation, sponsored bypowerful committee chairs in both chambers of Congress,would allowthe attorney general to unilaterally outlaw certain unregulated chemical compounds on a temporary basis.It would create a special legal category for these drugs, the first time in nearly 50 years that the Controlled Substances Act has been expanded in this way. And it would set penalties, potentially including mandatory minimum sentences, for the manufacture and distribution of these drugs.

This bill provides federal law enforcement with new tools to ensure those peddling dangerous drugs, which can be lethal, are brought to justice, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who is sponsoring her chamber's version of the bill with Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), said in an emailed statement. It also explicitly exempts simple possession from any penalties, instead targeting those who manufacture and traffic these drugs and opioids.

The bill, introduced last week and known as theas the Stop the Importation and Trafficking of Synthetic Analogues (SITSA) Act of 2017, now moves to theSenate Judiciary Committee, which Grassley chairs and where Feinstein is the top-ranking Democrat. The House bill is listed as HR 2851.

Under current law,all psychoactive substances are placed in one of five schedules designating the drugs' risk of abuse and medical potential. Schedule 1 is the most restrictive, reserved for drugs such as LSD, heroin and marijuana. Schedule 5 is the least restrictive category, which includes medications such as low-dose codeine cough syrup.

Illicit-drug manufacturers wishing to avoid these designations often make subtle changes to a drug's chemistry, creating slightly different, and hence legal, substances that producesimilar psychoactive effects in users.

Illegal drug traffickers and importers are able to circumvent the existing scheduling regime by altering a single atom or molecule of a currently controlled substance in a laboratory, thereby creating a substance that is lawful, but often highly dangerous, addictive and even deadly, Grassley and Feinstein saidin a fact sheeton the Senate bill.

The SITSA Act would create a new schedule, Schedule A, for substances that are chemically similar to already-regulated drugs. The attorney general would be able to place new compounds in Schedule A for a period of up to five years. Critics say this amounts to giving the attorney general the power to unilaterally write federal drug policy.

The bill gives the attorney general a ton of power in terms of scheduling drugs and pursuing penalties, said Michael Collins, a deputy director at the Drug Policy Alliance. This is a giant step backwards, and really it's doing the bidding of Jeff Sessions as he tries to escalate the war on drugs.

Under current policy, an attorney general may temporarily schedule a substance for up to twoyears and only after demonstrating the drug's history and current pattern of abuse; the scope, duration and significance of abuse; and what, if any, risk there is to the public health.

The new bill extends the temporary scheduling duration to five years for Schedule A substances and eliminates the requirement for analyzing the drug's abuse record and its potential risk to public health.

The bill is partially a response to a spike in overdose deaths from the powerful synthetic opiate fentanyl and chemically similar drugs in recent years. Fentanyl's uncontrolled synthetic analogues have come to represent the deadly convergence of the synthetic drug problem and the opioid epidemic, Feinstein and Grassley wrote. The billadds 13 synthetic analogues of fentanyl to Schedule A immediately.

But criticsare worried that the bill's language could be used to justify bans on all manner of substances that are not particularly lethal or dangerous. The drug known as kratom is one particular area of concern.Experts say the risks with using the drug are remarkably low, andpeople who take it say it has helped them quit using alcohol, opiates and other, much deadlier substances.

Because the drug's primarychemicals act in a fashion similar to some opioids, kratom advocates fear that the new bill would allow the Justice Department to outlaw the drug, as it triedunsuccessfullyto do last year.

Some experts say that the fentanyl epidemic is proving to be so lethal that it may be worthwhile to experiment with different legislative approaches, even if they come with drawbacks.

The fentanyls are so awful that I think it is entirely reasonable to try a fentanyl supply control strategy that has only a very modest chance of success, said JonathanCaulkins, a drug-policy expert at Carnegie-Mellon University. He added that it might be wise, however, to include automatic sunset provisions to such strategies in case they prove ineffective.

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Congress is considering a bill that would expand Jeff Sessions's power to escalate the war on drugs - Washington Post

Talib Kweli on the war on drugs, internet trolls, and how "woke" has become a meme – Vox

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

In March, rapper and activist Talib Kweli got so frustrated with Donald Trump news, he decided to make a visit to the US Capitol.

He spent about a week listening to anti-Trump figures and emerged with a manifesto for activism in the Trump era. Hashtags and RTs are cute and make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but without actual flesh on the ground, there is no movement, he wrote in Medium post that called for sustained protest and political engagement.

Its a theme he came back to several times in an interview with me earlier this month: There are people who really have convinced themselves that all they need to do is make a cool Facebook post, he said. That type of shit is really, really, extra corny.

Kweli, a fixture of the New York underground rap scene in the late 90s and early 2000s, has weaved activism into his music for his entire career. His collaborations with Mos Def, together called Black Star, and solo work have spawned multiple albums meditating on issues like mass incarceration, misogyny and police brutality. Throughout his career, hes advocated for social justice, protesting and speaking at Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter protests.

Today, Kweli runs the independent record label Javotti Media and continues to make music, his latest a collaboration record The Seven with rapper Styles P. He continues his political advocacy and vocally opposes the Trump administration.

I chatted with Kweli on the phone about the danger of a renewed war on drugs, why we need to engage with Twitter trolls, and fake woke-ness on social media.

Whats your reaction to the recent Jeff Sessions memo and the pullback of Obama-era criminal justice laws? Some are saying this will be the return of the worst days of the war on drugs.

The only thing I can say is that the people who support Trump and Sessions and sat before him knowing he said Elizabeth Warren is Pocahontas, grab them by the pussy doesnt bother them, all the Mexicans are rapists doesnt bother them all of these things that Trump has said, if none of those things bother them maybe when Sessions comes for their pot, theyll start to care. If humanity doesnt matter to you, accountability doesnt matter to you, bigotry doesnt matter maybe when it comes to you getting high, then maybe youll start to care.

So you feel like theres been a cultural shift in attitude toward drug use?

Oh, absolutely. Especially when it comes to weed, we shifted to a society of everyone smoking pot. We all smoke weed. We pretend we dont, but the whole society does. Even your hardcore racist KKK dude is smoking a big fat blunt.

Todays libertarians, I know many who are not racist, who are not bigots they just believe in certain things about the government. Theyre really about their freedoms. A lot of them overlap when it comes to government regulation and states rights with the Confederates and the Nazis. But a lot of them know people with meth habits or heroin habits that they have sympathy for. Thats been the shift and change, pretty recently. They see the effect of the drug war on these people directly.

Given that cultural change, do you think Obama went far enough in terms of trying to dismantle some of the worst war on drugs laws? Hes faced criticism that he should have done more.

Well, in order to be the United States president, you have to be certain things. You need to be a Christian. You need to be an imperialist. Before Obama, you needed to be white. At this point, you need to be a man. Obama was never going to be a revolutionary. He has always been a pragmatist and always been someone who has tried to work with both sides.

So when people say Obama didnt go far enough, from my perspective I think he did what he could do considering the crazy amount of obstructionism he faced. I think Obama being a black man and having that experience allows him to see things from a different perspective than most US presidents before him.

Now, intentions dont matter as much as results matter when it comes to policy. But I do think his intentions were to roll back mass incarceration he let out more prisoners out than any other recent president, and he told me personally that he wanted his legacy to be criminal justice reform. He said that to a room full of artists. I think Obama used what he thought could work to try to help more traditionally grassroots causes. But I think theres different ways to do it and his way was definitely working within the system. His way was not revolutionary, and I dont think he ever pretended to be.

Youve always been critical of consumer culture in your music. Do you think the more consumer elements of our culture and celebrity worship are all things that led to Trump?

We worship the dollar. Our holidays are Black Friday and Christmas. Our religion is consumerism and Trump is a patron saint of that religion. Anybody who was in New York City in the 80s knows the whole concept of greed is good, capitalism is good that was being sold as mainstream culture. We had yuppies, people celebrating capitalism, people celebrating credit. That was a big thing in the 80s you spent what you didnt have. And Trump, with his casinos and real estate, those were businesses all about spending what you dont have. And he sold that image. He put his name on anything. He was an empty suit.

And that image is one reason why Trump has been repeatedly name checked in lots of rap songs although youve never done this in your own music. What do you think about that switch from admiration to criticism for so many people in the hip-hop world during and after this election?

I hesitate to say that rapping about Trump, seen as a symbol of opulence or a symbol of decadent wealth, was necessarily admiration. When you hear him in music back in the day, it wasnt as much admiration as it was acknowledgement for what he represents.

In the 80s and early 90s, especially New York rap, you heard a lot of references to Trump. In 96 and 97, Raekwon was rapping Guess whos the black Trump. But they arent saying Im admiring him as a human being. They are saying hes the universal symbol of wealth. Its actually very dehumanizing of Trump. Its not about who he really is. Its not like theyre saying I admire the man for his politics or the way he treats women.

As far as the activist or the conscious community, Trump was always known as the guy trying to get the Central Park Five on death row. He took out a full-page ad in the New York Post saying they were guilty when they turned out to be innocent.

I was 15 when this happened. I was the same age as those kids when they got caught up in that. It was vivid. They were called the wolf pack by the media. So any random group of black kids was also called a wolf pack. I remember going to the mall and they made a rule at the mall that if theres more than four of yall, you cant walk together cause then you constitute a wolf pack. They wasnt happening to the white kids. The Central Park Five had a very real effect on my life.

Im really impressed by how much you engage with trolls online. But there is also a line of thinking on the left that engaging with them legitimizing them in some way or that that tactic isnt going to change any minds.

I would believe that if Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders were president. Id believe it if you said when you ignore the trolls, theyll go away. But racism is a disease, and what disease do you know of that, if you ignore it, it goes away? Nothing. So this whole ignore thing thats the result of an overly polite, nonconfrontational society, and thats from people, and some on the left as well, who benefit from the racist status quo.

The fact of the matter is, now theyre changing visa applications so they can look at your social media accounts. We have Senate congressional hearings with Republicans and Democrats saying that Russians bots have influenced the election with fake news. We got AI running around this motherfucker, and people are saying we can ignore the online space. That the online world isnt real. We dont have the luxury to say that.

If Im a guy whos only on Twitter, then you have every right to criticize me. But Im not that guy. When Twitters gone, Ill still be doing what I do in the flesh, whether its making music for the movement or physically putting my boots on the ground. But I agree that just tweeting or just posting on Facebook is wack. There are people who really have convinced themselves that all they need to do is make a cool Facebook post. That type of shit is really, really, extra corny.

Speaking of, I saw in a recent interview that you used scare quotes around the word woke.

People be like Im woke when they just arent. Others use it to disparage people of color. Some people think its a trendy word and dont want to use it just to be trendy. Its just become a meme.

Maybe when you hear the term woke, youre thinking of people who may have good intentions but who are not really going to marches or rallies or doing the actual work. But thats your association with the word. There is also a large number of people who are not maybe as savvy as a journalist or as a rapper. Who say woke and mean it sincerely. They dont know, theyve never been to a march.

But let me go further theres a lot of people who organize and rally, contribute money, and still use the term woke. Who are not knowing where the trend, where the culture has moved who are not as hip as you and I might be. Thats why I evoke the term at all because of them.

What are your thoughts on the debate over punching Richard Spencer, the white nationalist leader who got punched at the Trump inauguration protest in a viral video?

I am anti-violent. I dont believe that violence solves problems. But I am pro-karma. So when I see karma play itself out, I am not mad at it. Would I be the guy to punch Richard Spencer? That wouldnt be me. He would have to physically threaten me for me to want to punch him, me personally. But when I see a white boy going all out of his way to use his privilege that white boy who punched him knew that he wasnt going to get shot by the cops as quickly as a black dude I think, well the right calls us snowflakes all the time. Okay, this guy isnt a snowflake!

I am not crying for any ethno-nationalists or any guy who likes Pepe the frog to get punched in the face. Thats the consequence of that free speech theyre always talking about. Freedom of speech isnt freedom from consequence.

Whats the difference between the politically conscious rappers of today versus your generation?

The most glaring difference is with the hip hop that I listened to when I was growing up, the consciousness was more wear-it-on-your-sleeve. There were songs about blackness, wearing dashikis, all coming from a strong pro-black strain in our community.

As far as the music artists now that are pushing that pro-black message, theyre more in tune with the sonics and the frequencies of what the average person not as studied is on. So, I bring up Kendrick and J. Cole a lot. Those are artists that are making songs that are highly successful and when you hear them, you dont automatically think consciousness or activism. But when you listen to the layers, its like a Trojan horse.

These younger artists who are conscious, who are inspired by my generation, they have gotten better, as they should have, at the messaging to new audiences with the way that they are making their music.

Whats your message to progressives and activists today?

I cant really say that Im in a position to give a message to the activists. My job in that situation is to show solidarity with people doing the work and not tell them what to do. Its for me to listen, for them to tell me what to do. Thats the best way I can be an ally.

Everybody else you gotta put your flesh on the ground. Listen to what these front-lines activists are saying. Just posting isnt enough.

Talib Kweli on the war on drugs, internet trolls, and how "woke" has become a meme - Vox

Gambling on a younger clientele – Danbury News Times

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Photo: Carol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media

Andy Uhl, left, of Granby, and Natarhj Gosavi, of Simsbury have lunch at Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Windsor Locks, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Patrons watch races and place bets in the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Rich Mastrangelo of Springfield, Mass., left, and Cliff Lane of East Windsor, follow the horse races at the Turf Club Restaurant At The Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Patrons watch races and place bets in the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Patrons of the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks, head to the teller window to place bets, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Windsor Locks has an age restriction in the betting area. Photo Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Wagering terminals are available to patrons of Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Windsor Locks, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Patrons sit at the bar at Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Windsor Locks ,Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Patrons visit the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Rich Mastrangelo of Springfield, Mass., studies statistics on upcoming horse races at the Turf Club in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Patrons watch races and place bets in the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Rich Mastrangelo of Springfield, Mass., studies statistics on upcoming horse races at the Turf Club in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Patrons watch races and place bets in the Bradley Teletheater in Windsor Locks Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Windsor Locks includes an OTB Teletheater. Photo Wed., June 14, 2017.

Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Windsor Locks, Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Gambling on a younger clientele

WINDSOR LOCKS - In 1946, a baker told a young Nick Chaclas not to get too interested in the horses.

This week, Chaclas was in his favorite betting carrel at the OTB Teletheater near Bradley International Airport, cheering with a pumping fist as the horses at Belmont Park cleared the final turn.

Then the 91-year-old World War II Navy veteran let out an expletive and turned away from the monitor.

What happened?

Nothing happened, Chaclas said with a laugh about his losing bet. He just died.

Chaclas didnt heed the bakers advice.

No, I didnt, did I? a smiling Chaclas said. I dont win too often, I can tell you, but I have been playing for 71 years and I havent got sick of it yet.

If Chaclas sounds like the quintessential off-track-betting patron, perhaps he is. But hes not the future of OTB.

Instead, the future of off-track betting in Connecticut is the new sports bar restaurant and OTB facility that opened Friday on Stamfords Atlantic Street - and a similar concept planned for downtown Danbury: a multi-generation place with upscale food, craft beers, scores of televised sports and off-track betting mixed in.

Not too many places have done what we have done to make OTB an entertainment destination, where you combine all these things in one property, says Ted Taylor, the president of Sportech Venues, which holds the exclusive OTB license in Connecticut.

Sportech, which has 16 OTB facilities statewide, believes it has found a growth formula in an industry that has been slow to engage the younger generation. The London-based company processes $13 billion in bets in 30 countries annually, and has recently invested $10 million to improve its facilities in Connecticut.

The wagering is just a piece of our overall DNA; we are evolving into food and beverage operator with wagering in our venues, said Paul Dionne, Sportechs director of marketing. We are not trying to hide it: If we are going to continue to do positive business in Connecticut, we need to be more than just horse-racing.

The state Legislature apparently agrees. Earlier this month, both houses passed legislation giving Sportech six more OTB licenses, for a total of 24.

The legislation, which is yet to be signed by the governor, is part of the changing gaming landscape in a state that is struggling with a $5 billion budget deficit over the next two years.

The state gets a 1.9 percent cut of every bet made at a Sportech OTB, or about $6 million annually. Local government gets its own 1.6 percent cut of every bet.

Stamford stands to get about $200,000 annually from the new Bobby Vs Restaurant & Sports Bar. In Danbury, where plans to open a similar venue have been set back by a lawsuit and a technical error during the approval process, the citys estimated annual share is $100,000.

The Danbury restaurant owner who has agreed to let Sportech spend $750,000 to transform his Ives Street eatery into a sports bar and wagering venue said the downtown entertainment district needs places that will attract crowds.

I had concerns initially about what type of concept this is, and how it is going to help the downtown, and what my average customer is going to look like coming in, said Tom Devine, owner of Two Steps Downtown Grille. I visited a couple of the Sportech facilities that are now high-end sports bars with gaming components, and the one in Stamford blew me away.

Stamford was built on the model developed in Windsor Locks - involving a partnership with former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine and his restaurant business.

The Stamford venue boasts 200 high-definition screens, a family-friendly Bobby Vs restaurant on the first floor, and a 21-and-older sports bar and wagering venue on the second floor.

Taylor would not say where Sportech is looking to locate six more OTB venues in Connecticut. His priority is bringing the Danbury venue online first, he said.

Taylor added that the company is likely to invest first in existing venues such as Norwalk, where the food and drinks selection is limited to vending machines.

Betting on the future

The gaming landscape is changing. Nowhere is that clearer than in Windsor Locks, at the 38,000-square-foot facility where Sportech spent $4.5 million to create a Bobby Vs Restaurant and Sports Bar.

The restaurant portion of the building is a modern sports bar with 80 televisions and two dozen craft beers on tap. The dcor is bright. Middle-aged couples talk casually over cheeseburgers and salads.

The Teletheater portion of the building has a much older feel. Shaped like an auditorium with stadium-style seating, this is the part of the building where most of the betting happens. It has a 125 betting carrels - cubicle-like stations with monitors where men spread their race sheets for the best bets.

The wall they face is filled with large monitors featuring horse races, greyhound races, and a few jai alai matches. In the back of the Teletheater are a handful of tellers who take bets, although plenty of men use the betting machines beneath the race screens.

I am a handicapper par excellence, says Cliff Lane, 82, a retired salesman from East Windsor.

Hes kidding. He used to be a good handicapper.

You cant handicap these horses anymore - its impossible, Lane says with smile. What you have to do is bet the jockeys and the trainers.

So how is he doing so far?

The races havent started, so we are doing great, Lane says. We are in the hole about $30 counting programs and lunch.

Lane and his friend are among the retirees who make up the base of the sport.

This is the OTB old guard.

We look at this and we realize this cant be the future of our business, Dionne said during a recent tour of Windsor Locks. We want to bring better things than just a venue only for wagering.

The Danbury wager

Sportechs plans in Danbury are modest compared to those for Windsor Locks and Stamford, but the proposal has been set back by opposition and a technical error in the application.

Plans call for the conversion of Devines first floor into a restaurant and sports bar, with a separate entrance and an elevator to the 21-and-over second floor, where there will be a second bar and an off-track betting section.

Up to 20 betting carrels are planned in an atrium on the second floor, along with betting machines, a counter with two tellers, and restaurant seating for at least 80 people.

Some people may say that from a religious point of view, they are against gambling, and you cant argue too much with that, said Devine, who would lease the betting venue to Sportech. But when people talk about safety and you look at the scope of this project and the players that are involved, it just doesnt make sense.

Devine received approval from the citys Zoning Commission for the Sportech partnership. That cleared the way for him to seek final approval from the City Council.

But a businesswoman who just opened a caf downtown sued to overturn the zoning decision, arguing in part that there were technical errors in the application.

Specifically, Devines request for a zoning variance was not filed with Danburys clerk in advance of the public hearing as required. That means Devine will have to reapply for approval, a process that he has already begun.

This block has seen 55 places come and go in the time we have been here, Devine said. We need more draws to the downtown. A sports bar would do that.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342

Gambling on a younger clientele - Danbury News Times

Community gambling campaign in Inverness a first – BBC News – BBC News

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

BBC News

Community gambling campaign in Inverness a first - BBC News
BBC News
Leaflets in English and Polish along with confidential counselling are to be offered in part of Inverness.

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Community gambling campaign in Inverness a first - BBC News - BBC News

NFL reaches settlement with charity over gambling policy – USA TODAY

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

A nonprofit whose charity event was forced to relocate by the NFL recently asked a judge to demand league commissioner Roger Goodell explain the league's gambling policy.(Photo: Paul Beaty, AP)

The NFL has reached a settlement with a youth charity that sued the league for fraud over how the league enforced its gambling policy at a casino near Las Vegas in 2015.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. But the agreement to closethe federal court case comesabout a week after the charity asked a federal judge to compel NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify under oath about the leagues gambling policy.

It also comes just a few days after USA TODAY Sports reported on the prospect of Goodells testimony as the league finds itself in an increasingly conflicted position about casinos and gambling.

All I am at liberty to say is that the case has settled, Julie Pettit, an attorney for the charity, told USA TODAY Sports Friday.

The Sept. 25 trial date for the case was terminated on Friday as a result. The NFL declined comment.

The charity, Strikes for Kids, sued the league last year, saying it was misled by the league and lost revenue after being forced to relocate a bowling event for kids in 2015. More than 100 boys and girls were invited to the event at a bowling alley that was to feature more than 25 NFL players as the star attraction.

The problem was the location, according to the NFL. The event originally was to take place at a 72-lane bowling alley inside the Sunset Station hotel and casino. Before the event took place, an NFL lawyer notified the charity that this would violate the leagues gambling policy, which forbids players and personnel from making promotional appearances at casinos.

In response, the charity moved to the Brooklyn Bowl, a bowling alley with only 16 lanes available but physically not located inside a casino building. The NFL said this location was OK even though it was still part of the LINQ casino promenade near the Las Vegas strip.

To push its case, the charity wanted to question Goodell about why one casino-related bowling alley was OK but the other was not. It said it lost money and sponsors because it was forced to move to a smaller venue.

There's only one person that can tell us what's the difference between the non-approved venue and the approved venue (Goodell), Pettit told a federal magistrate judge last month. And he's this Oz behind the curtain, this person that the NFL will not allow us to talk to. And everyone points their finger at him, saying he's the only one that can make that determination.

The magistrate judge denied the charitys request to force Goodell to testify, but the charity filed objections to that decision last week and tried again with a different judge a decision that was pending until the settlement.

It was the latest legal entanglement the NFL found itself in over its gambling policy. Even after the league recently approved the relocation of the Oakland Raiders to the casino capital of Las Vegas, the policy shows the league is still invested in the notion that casinos are forbidden places for its players and personnel.

In 2015, Pettits firm also sued the league on behalf of a fantasy football company affiliated with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. In that case, the company was set to a stage a fantasy football event at a convention facility that was not inside a casino but was near one, the Venetian, and owned by a casino company, the Las Vegas Sands.

Citing its gambling policy, the NFL essentially forbid Romo and others from appearing at this event, forcing its cancellation.

The NFL said it had the right to do so under its collective bargaining agreement with players. A judge in Texas agreed last year and threw the case out. But the company appealed, and that case is still pending.

In another case, outside of court, the league recently confirmed it was still reviewing a decision about what to do about players appearing at an arm-wrestling event at a Las Vegas casino in April.

While the leagues gambling policy prohibits players and personnel from making promotional appearances at casinos, teams are allowed to accept limited advertising from certain casinos. The Arizona Cardinals also recently has had discussions with a casino company, Gila River Gaming Enterprises, about the possibility of the company buying naming rights to the teams stadium.

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NFL reaches settlement with charity over gambling policy - USA TODAY

Current State of New York Gambling – The Libertarian Republic

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

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By Evan Reid

While gambling may be legally restricted in most of the United States, some states are starting to tolerate it, at least in some of its forms. Since 2013, when casino expansion was approved in New York, the state is witnessing a steady growth and positive revenue in the gambling sector. This is the fourth most populous state in the country, home to New York City, one of the largest urban areas in the world, and its millions of citizens already have a relatively easy access to plenty of gaming options the increasingly popular New York Lottery, various Native American casinos, charitable gambling venues, and others.

Overall, the gambling industry in the country is regulated at the state level and in New York, there are several legal gaming options 20 tribal facilities, including 5 major Upstate casinos, state lottery, pari-mutuel betting (horse and harness racing), and charitable games, which are regulated, but allowed. Native American gambling venues across New York offer the largest variety of games and betting options, as they are located in sovereign areas where the state has limited jurisdiction. These include bingo halls, large casino resorts, as well as the so-called racinos, facilities where horse racing is paired with electronic game machines.

For more than a hundred years, gambling laws in New York have been extremely restrictive, but in recent years, the state is slowly moving towards lifting some of the bans. In 2013, voters in New York approved an amendment to the state constitution which allowed the introduction of up to 7 Vegas-style casinos that would not be run by Indian tribes. Currently, there are two types of casinos in New York traditional casinos, offering Class III gambling, as well as Class II gambling venues where you can play electronic bingo machines. While Class I and II gambling operations (bingo and poker halls, lotteries) do not require a license, Class III gaming facilities need a license, as they offer high-stake games. These facilities are often racetracks or casinos where customers can place bets on classic table games roulette, blackjack, craps, poker (Classic, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow, Three Card), keno, and baccarat.

Since 2013, commercial casinos are also allowed they are owned by private gambling operators and are not located on Native American land. Online gambling, on the other hand, is limited to online horse betting, which is the only form of web-based gaming that is allowed. New Yorkers can still gamble online, as long as they stick to offshore websites. Operating a gambling site is illegal, if you are based in New York, but this may soon change. In June 2017, the New York Senate passed a bill which would legalize and regulate online poker, unless the Assembly does not vote against it.

New York is just one of several states that approved gambling legislation in recent years. The loosing of restrictions brings new casinos and new gambling operators into the market. In the north-eastern United States, there are numerous casinos, race tracks, bingo halls, and other gambling venues which are already meeting and exceeding the demand. There is, apparently, a saturation of the market across the whole region expansion of the industry means more gambling facilities, but does not necessarily mean more revenue.

According to official statistics, the market in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland was down in 2013-2014, seeing decreasing revenues. Between 2014 and 2016, five out of twelve gambling venues closed doors in Atlantic City, which was once the only place to offer gambling in the East. However, after years of decline, Atlantic City is starting to recover in the first quarter of 2017, casinos generated $572 million, an increase of 3.56% compared to the figures for the same period of the previous year. Still, competition from other states and New York, in particular, may cause even more closures in the following years.

Speaking of New York, the first commercial Non-Native American casino opened doors in December 2016 and another two followed in the next months. The potential success of these Las Vegas-style gambling facilities in Upstate New York is yet to be measured, but according to the numbers from the New York State Gaming Commission, weekly revenues are rising. As reported by CasinoGamesPro, more casinos are expected to launch in the near future, leading to a huge concentration of venues in New York. Many experts predict that there will be a point of saturation in the market and such overcrowding may harm the traditional tribal gaming facilities and racinos. Others believe that older venues will manage to survive, despite the arrival of modern, more diverse gambling operations, especially if certain improvements in the industry take place.

Just like across the entire United States, land-based casinos in New York are seeing huge competition from gambling websites. Online and mobile gaming is incredibly popular among the younger generations, despite being illegal in the state players have a large number of offshore web-based casinos to choose from. Online gambling operators report sustainable revenue growth, as opposed to brick-and-mortar casinos, some of which are struggling to meet the expectations of millennials.

However, some gambling operators are joining the new generation of casinos, which combine the traditional gaming experience with a more diverse kind of entertainment. Following the states constitution amendment in 2013, the racino Tioga Downs in Nichols, New York received a gaming license and opened its new casino in December, 2016. The facility will soon become a real casino resort and entertainment complex when the planned 160-room hotel opens in 2017. Along with the new gaming floor hosting table games and slot machines, the new Tioga Downs will feature a golf course, several restaurants and night clubs.

Another casino which went through a total remodelling is Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. Orienting itself towards a younger audience, the operator replaced some of the game tables with more diverse entertainment options such as retail stores, bars, and even a a place where you can get a tattoo. The resort also has a concert theater, a golf course, a spa facility, and a bowling alley.

In order to stay up-to-date, New York gambling facilities need to diversify the services they offer opting for more entertainment in favor of old-school gambling is a great step to modernizing, but it is hardly a sufficient one. One of the innovations that slowly make their way into land-based casinos is the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, in particular, is already an established method for making payments in online casinos. And while many users turn to it because of the anonymity it offers, the cryptocurrency has even more benefits, namely flexibility, security, and no transaction fees.

The gambling industry in New York, land-based and online, probably will not explode in the near future, as the expected liberalization of the legislation is rather slow. After the constitutions amendment of 2013, it took three years for the first commercial casino to open in the state. The future of online poker is still uncertain, as the push for legalizing it has already failed in the past. Another threat for a future booming gambling industry is the market saturation although it still does not put a huge pressure on operators in New York, it may lead to the decline and even closure of some of the older gambling facilities which could not keep up with the new trends.

However, the market is experiencing a steady growth, as well as positive revenue. Compared to New Jersey, where the gambling industry has almost come to a standstill in the past few decades due to the rise of Native American casinos, New York is witnessing growth, as well as a rise in demand. New York City has a high standard of living and a flourishing economy that depends on multiple sectors, as opposed to Las Vegas or Atlantic City where, until recently, gambling was considered the largest driver of economic growth. This is certainly a good business environment that would be beneficial for any industry, including gambling.

bettingcasinogamblinglawsNew Yorkrace trackracino

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Current State of New York Gambling - The Libertarian Republic

Boston man tells NYPD cops he was kidnapped over gambling debt … – New York Daily News

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Friday, June 16, 2017, 5:26 PM

A terrified Boston restaurant worker flagged down cops Thursday morning in Queens and told them he had been kidnapped over a $50,000 gambling debt by men who threatened to chop off his fingers, sources said.

The 27-year-old man said he escaped their clutches by leaping out of a second-story window in Fresh Meadows and stealing a car, sources said.

Paul Chen, 37, the owner of the car, told the Daily News that he watched in shock as the shirtless man materialized and sped off in his mint green 2007 Toyota Yaris on 67th Ave. near 197th St. in Fresh Meadows about 10:15 a.m. Thursday.

I don't even know when he appeared, Chen said. It was just like out of nowhere and (woosh) in my car. Maybe he was just trying to hide from everyone. I don't know how he got in my car.

Chen, who works as an engineer for a company broadcasting NFL games, called 911.

Meanwhile about two miles east, the kidnapping victim, still in Chens car, flagged down cops near the Long Island Expressway and Bell Blvd. in Flushing and told them the scary tale.

He said the kidnappers threatened to cut off his fingers if he didn't pay back the money he had been loaned to gamble with, sources said.

Chens face crumpled in disbelief when told the man who stole his car was a kidnapping victim.

With his hand over his heart, he said the saving grace was that his baby son was not in the car at the time.

Most important is my family, he said. To be honest I would rather to die than live without my baby. My baby's only 9 months old. Being a father is your primary job.

He had left the keys in the ignition while loading laundry into his car outside his home. He was returning to the car with the second load when the car zoomed off.

It's like a movie. It's scary, he said. He was definitely speeding west. He was undressed, no shirt. I didn't see his pants. He was already in my car.

The car wasnt gone long.

"While I was writing a report I heard a women over the walkie talkie say 'I think I found his car.'"

The kidnapping victim was being loaded into an ambulance at the scene when cops brought him to retrieve it, Chen said.

The victim was taken to Queens Hospital.

Chen said he was unlikely to press charges.

Kidnapping in Boston? It's really scary, Chen said.

The only thing I can say is god bless him. There is nothing I can do. I hope he can recover soon.

Both the police and the FBI are investigating. The FBI did not return phone calls Friday.

Some of Chens neighbors were not surprised the victim was targeted.

If you're in gambling debt, it's obvious people would chase you, said Joe Cheng, 21. If the guy owes $50,000, he had it coming ... You kind of figure someone would be after him.

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Boston man tells NYPD cops he was kidnapped over gambling debt ... - New York Daily News

City Council approves gambling at Casper bar. It could provide $200000 in local tax money. – Casper Star-Tribune Online

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Casper Star-Tribune Online

City Council approves gambling at Casper bar. It could provide $200000 in local tax money.
Casper Star-Tribune Online
First, he needed to secure a conditional use permit to allow gambling in the C-2 commercial zone, where the bar is located. Second, he needed Casper to change its law barring gambling in liquor establishments. Rick Cook of Wyoming Downs said placing ...

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City Council approves gambling at Casper bar. It could provide $200000 in local tax money. - Casper Star-Tribune Online

New York, Illinois And Pennsylvania Are Coming Down To The Wire On Online Gambling – OnlinePokerReport.com

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

OnlinePokerReport.com

New York, Illinois And Pennsylvania Are Coming Down To The Wire On Online Gambling
OnlinePokerReport.com
As we gear up for the home stretch, none of these bills happening is a certainty. But we can take a moment to appreciate the fact that four different legislative bodies have passed bills that would legalize and regulate online gambling. And we're still ...

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New York, Illinois And Pennsylvania Are Coming Down To The Wire On Online Gambling - OnlinePokerReport.com

Sick, Injured And Abandoned, He Was Condemned To Euthanasia – The Holidog Times

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

When Atago found himself in a Texas shelter, known for its high-level of euthanasia rates, he no doubt thought it ws the end of the road.

Source: A-Team Elite Rescue Dogs

The senior dog suffered from severe mange, and his skin was irritated and painful. And when he arrived at the shelter after being abandoned, it seemed like he understood that his future didnt look bright. He mournfully laid down on the ground, as if to show he was ready for it all to be over.

But that was without counting on the intervention of Cindy Droogmans, the founder of the associationA-Team ELITE Rescue Dogsbased in New York, which specializes in rescuing animals condemned to euthanasia in shelters. SheexplainedtoThe Dodo :

The shelter wanted to kill him. It seems like he was tied up because of that clasp. Look how rusty it is.

Source: A-Team Elite Rescue Dogs

While Cindy doesnt know Atagos past, she does know his future, which will start with his recovery, after which he can be put up for adoption. Since he met the young woman, his health has gotten better day by day. His fur has started to grow back, and his mange has visibly improved.

After a few days of enjoying walks through sunny Texas parks, Atago was transferred to the New York shelter, where he continues to heal.

Source: A-Team Elite Rescue Dogs

And, in a few weeks, he will find a family who will help him forgot his difficult past and will give him all the love and attention he desperately needs.

Tens of thousands of dogs and cats end up in shelters each year, either due to neglect, abuse or abandonment. Consider adopting before you shop, and visit your local shelters before going to a breeder. Every dog and cat deserves a fair chance at a forever home.

If you live in England, you can visit the RSPCA, and if you live in the United States, you can visit the ASPCA to get more information about pets available for adoption.

* * *

At Holidog, we aim to improve the lives of your furry friends. Enjoy your holidays with peace of mind, knowing your pet is in great hands (find a petsitter near you) and spoil them with our monthly subscription box filled with yummy treats and toys (get your free box here). You can count on us!

Cwmbran man had 132 indecent images of children on his mobile … – South Wales Argus

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

A MAN has been jailed for 12 months after police found more than 130 indecent images of children photos and videos on his mobile phone.

Maxwell Djan, 30, was arrested at work at a supermarket distribution depot, on April 10 this year, after police had earlier raided his home at The Courtlands, Greenmeadow, Cwmbran.

No indecent images were found on any of the computer equipment seized there, but on the mobile phone Djan had with him when he was arrested, police found 132 indecent images of children.

Eighty-seven of these were in the form of videos, and 52 of these fell into the most serious category A.

There were 34 video deemed to be category B, and one in category C.

Twenty-four of the 45 photographs were classed as category A, 17 were in Category B, and four in category C.

Prosecuting counsel Sarah Waters told Newport Crown Court that Djan admitted to police that he accessed an internet chat room group, people would send him links, and he would open them and the images would be there.

He had been adamant that he had never looked for such images, and had no interest in it, but was conscious that they had been downloaded and, added Ms Waters, he had made no attempt to delete them or dissociate himself from the group.

Defence counsel Gareth Williams told the court that Djan, who was born in Ghana but had been living in South Wales for 20 years, had a huge amount of regret over the matter.

But he added that it must be tempered by the fact that he had not deleted the images.

Djan pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three charges of possession of indecent still images, three charges of possession of indecent moving images, and one charge each of possession of extreme pornography and possession of a prohibited image of a child.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins sentenced Djan to 12 months in prison on the category A image offences, with a range of shorter sentences for the other offences to run concurrently.

He told Djan that he had not committed victimless crimes, and it is people like him who are prepared to download such images who contribute to the pain and suffering of the children involved.

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Cwmbran man had 132 indecent images of children on his mobile ... - South Wales Argus

The Fountainhead: American Eclectic – Patheos (blog)

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

The Fountainhead, part 1, chapter 9

After months of hitting one dead end after another, Howard Roark finally gets a lucky break in his job hunt not that Ayn Rand ever acknowledged the existence of luck:

John Erik Snyte looked through Roarks sketches, flipped three of them aside, gathered the rest into an even pile, glanced again at the three, tossed them down one after another on top of the pile, with three sharp thuds, and said:

Remarkable. Radical, but remarkable. What are you doing tonight?

Why? asked Roark, stupefied.

Are you free? Mind starting in at once? Take your coat off, go to the drafting room, borrow tools from somebody and do me up a sketch for a department store were remodeling. Just a quick sketch, just a general idea, but I must have it tomorrow Can you stay?

Yes, said Roark, incredulously. I can work all night.

We never find out how Roark learned about John Erik Snyte the first time his name is spoken in the text is the first line of the passage I quoted above which is just a little strange. We saw last week that Roark had been unemployed so long and gotten so desperate, he was reapplying to firms that had already rejected him. How did Snyte come into this picture? From the evidence, his firm isnt brand-new.

Was he someone Roark had known about, but held in such contempt that he refused to interview there until he literally had nowhere else to turn? Or was Roark tipped off about a job opening there but by who, since he has no friends or colleagues?

An obvious answer is that he saw a help-wanted ad in the paper and thought the position might suit him, but were never told that if so. Its possible that Rand deliberately chose to omit this information, because she couldnt think of how to have Roark find out about the job opening in a way that didnt seem like a stroke of good luck.

As I said above, Rand was fiercely opposed to the idea that theres such a thing as luck or random chance, since that might call into question her view of the world as a perfect meritocracy. Having her hero stumble across a job opening that suits him, something that would have been easy to overlook or miss, wouldnt accord with her view of how the world works. (As possible evidence of this, I skipped a section where Roark comes across an editorial by an unfamiliar architect named Gordon L. Prescott, who claims to want fresh blood and originality; but when Roark goes to interview there, it turns out he just wants to build more copies of the Parthenon.)

Personally, my headcanon is that Henry Cameron told Roark to apply with Snyte, and then secretly sent the recommendation letter that Roark always refused to accept, figuring his protege was too stubborn for his own good. It does fit with a line where Snyte says about his new hire, saying, Thats just what Ive always needed a Cameron man, even though we never see Roark actually tell his new boss anything about his background. Did it ever occur to him to wonder how Snyte knew?

Heres how the text describes John Erik Snyte:

He considered Guy Francon an impractical idealist; he was not restrained by an Classic dogma; he was much more skillful and liberal: he built anything. He had no distaste for modern architecture and built cheerfully, when a rare client asked for it, bare boxes with flat roofs, which he called progressive; he built Roman mansions which he called fastidious; he built Gothic churches which he called spiritual. He saw no difference among any of them.

Snytes system is to hire five designers, each specializing in a different style, and to blend the best ideas from each of their sketches to create the final product. Roark is the modernistic designer in the room, although he dislikes being called that:

He met his fellow designers, the four other contestants, and learned that they were unofficially nicknamed in the drafting room as Classic, Gothic, Renaissance and Miscellaneous. He winced a little when he was addressed as Hey, Modernistic.

Roark takes individuality to comical heights. Hes so obstinate about it that he cant even stand to be described as part of a movement. Whatever he does, its important to him to believe that hes the only one doing it.

Of course, its impossible for every architect in the world to be a movement of one, with styles and aesthetic choices that are completely unlike anything else in the history of humanity. All culture is a mix of imitation and improvisation. We coin terms like Gothic or Modernist to describe broad trends and patterns that, yes, are influenced by the fashions of their era. This is as true for Roark or his real-life inspiration, Frank Lloyd Wright as it is for architects of the ancient past. But Ayn Rand conceived of herself as a special snowflake, someone who stood apart from the crowd, and she wrote her protagonists the same way.

Youd think that Snytes mix-and-match design scheme would infuriate Roark, since he hates anyone else altering his work with the ferocity of a Klan member opposing miscegenation. Instead, he grudgingly goes along with it:

Roark knew what to expect of his job. He would never see his work erected, only pieces of it, which he preferred not to see; but he would be free to design as he wished and he would have the experience of solving actual problems. It was less than he wanted and more than he could expect. He accepted it at that.

What explains this temporary outbreak of reasonable behavior? It seems that long months of unemployment have worn him down, to the point where hes actually angry with himself for feeling relief at getting a job:

Roark looked at the clean white sheet before him, his fist closed tightly about the thin stem of a pencil. He put the pencil down, and picked it up again, his thumb running softly up and down the smooth shaft; he saw that the pencil was trembling. He put it down quickly, and he felt anger at himself for the weakness of allowing this job to mean so much to him, for the sudden knowledge of what the months of idleness behind him had really meant.

Its difficult to tell what Rand intends us to make of this. Some commentaries, like this one from SparkNotes, call Snyte a supposedly progressive architect who is in fact the ultimate plagiarizer, but I dont buy that. I doubt even Ayn Rand could have believed that its plagiarism for a boss to use ideas from his employees.

I think this is the more accurate description of the fault were meant to find in him:

As a man willing to give the public anything it wants, no matter how vulgar or inane, Snyte represents conformity in yet another form.

Snyte is another illustration of Rands belief that selling what your customers want to buy is a sin in business. The proper attitude is to be like Howard Roark: tell your customers what theyre going to accept, rather than vice versa, and on no account consider their preferences or tastes. Her ideal businessman is someone who sticks so obstinately to this principle that hed rather go broke and hungry than accept money from someone who insists on having opinions of their own about what the end product should look like.

At this water park, inclusion is the golden rule – Mother Nature Network

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Kids, water parks and summer just go together. The laughter and the splashing and the fun are a hot-weather staple. But water parks aren't necessarily accessible for people with disabilities.

A new water park, Morgan's Inspiration Island in San Antonio, is designed for people of all ages and abilities. The park sits next to Morgan's Wonderland, a 25-acre fully accessible theme park that opened in 2010.

Like Morgans Wonderland, Morgans Inspiration Island is not a special-needs park; its a park of inclusion, Gordon Hartman, philanthropist and developer behind the park, said in a statement. Both were designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for everyones enjoyment.

Every part of the water park is wheelchair-accessible. (Photo: Morgan's Inspiration Island)

There are five water play areas in the park featuring geysers, water cannons, pools, jets, rain trees and buckets that tip over. There's also a River Boat Adventure ride that takes visitors through a jungle setting as animals and birds call out in the background. In one of the play areas, the water can be warmed up so that guests who have a sensitivity to cold can comfortably play and splash around.

Everything is accessible by wheelchair, and the park also offers special waterproof wheelchairs propelled by compressed air. The park suggests using the specially designed "PneuChair" so visitors don't damage the expensive battery-powered wheelchairs they rely on.

To develop the park, planners worked with doctors, therapists, caregivers and people with special needs. (Photo: Morgan's Inspiration Island)

Both parks were inspired by Hartman's daughter, Morgan, who has special needs.

We decided to call it Morgans Inspiration Island because Morgan truly has been the catalyst for every project weve pursued to help the special-needs community, Hartman said.

Admission to the park is free for anyone with disabilities, although the park suggests online reservations. (For people who do not have special needs, admission to the water park is $12 for children and $15 for adults.)

The park is for guests of all ages and abilities. (Photo: Morgan's Inspiration Island)

Hartman said the park was also designed with water conservation top of mind. Water will be continuously filtered and recirculated and stored in large underground tanks when the park is not in operation.

Hartman said the developers consulted with doctors, therapists, special education teachers, parents and caregivers on the park's design, and people with disabilities have tested the fun prior to opening day, which is June 17.

There are five water play areas in the park. (Photo: Morgan's Inspiration Island)

Morgans Inspiration Island like Morgans Wonderland will concentrate on inclusion and inspire guests with special needs to do things previously thought not to be in their range of capabilities, Hartman said. Those without disabilities and those with, including individuals in wheelchairs, guests with hearing and visual impairments and even guests on ventilators, will be able to play alongside each other and gain a greater appreciation of one another."

The park's play areas feature rain trees, geysers, jets, water cannons and tipping buckets. (Photo: Morgan's Inspiration Island)

Mary Jo DiLonardo writes about everything from health to parenting and anything that helps explain why her dog does what he does.

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At this water park, inclusion is the golden rule - Mother Nature Network

Anti-nuclear peace boat moors in Bodega Bay – Sonoma West

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Golden Rule open for tours

Although the whipping winds prevented the public from providing a warm welcome to the Golden Rule Thursday afternoon, the anti-nuclear peace sailboat sailed safely into Bodega Bay early Friday morning after a rough night at sea.

It was really fantastic, but really tough, Norman Petersen, the boats skipper said of the trip from Humboldt Bay to Bodega Bay. We got side slapped a couple of times, especially on the stern.

Helen Jaccard, project manager with Veterans for Peace, said they endured eight to 12 foot waves. The waves were just coming up, she said.

The Golden Rule, which has been restored by Veterans For Peace, set sail on Wednesday, June 14, leaving Humboldt Bay on its journey down the California coast to support United Nation talks for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The UN General Assembly will discuss the treaty during a meeting in New York, which started Thursday, June 15 and will continue through July 7. The treaty aims to completely eliminate the creation and possession of nuclear weapons. A May 22, 2017 draft of the treaty can be found here: ww.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BanDraft.pdf.

The Golden Rule was the very first environmental and peace vessel to take to sea. In 1958, a crew of anti-nuclear weapon activists set sail in attempt to interpose themselves and the boat between the U.S. government and its atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, according to the Veterans For Peace website.

Captain Albert Bigelow, George Willoughby, William Huntington and David Gale left San Pedro, heading to the U.S. nuclear test zone at Eniwetok atoll. A week into the trip, the starboard jaw of the gaff broke. While the crew was able to fix it, a strong gale ensued, causing the junior crew to grow sick.

Gale almost died, Jaccard said. He couldnt eat for days.

In a second attempt, the crew set sail to Hawaii. They were arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawaii where they were tried and jailed in Honolulu.

I have the absolute utmost respect for the original men, Petersen said.

The Golden Rule will remain moored at Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay through Sunday. Visitors can tour the boat Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturday, nationally-known author and activist Norman Solomon will speak at Veterans Memorial Hall in Santa Rosa at 7 p.m. Solomon will discuss the current nuclear warfare state and what the world can do to stop nuclear war before it starts. He will also revisit the history of the Golden Rule. Cost to attend is a suggested donation of $15.

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Anti-nuclear peace boat moors in Bodega Bay - Sonoma West

Apple’s Stock Will Treat You Just Fine If You Remember This One Golden Rule, Jim Cramer Reveals – TheStreet.com

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Danzig

Relax, Apple (AAPL) shares will treat you just fine over the long haul.

"When you have these sellers come in, all you have to do is wait them out -- and one of the things I learned as a hedge fund manager is that patience is a true virtue,"TheStreet's founder Jim Cramer, who also manages the Action Alerts PLUS portfolio, said.

Some Apple bears were lurking on Friday.

Appleis set to increase year over year shipments for the iPhone this month, but it might see flat or even downward trending sell-through ahead of the expected iPhone 8 release in September, according to Cowen analyst Timothy Arcuri.

Arcuri estimates 41.5 million iPhone shipments for June quarter, up from 40.4 million shipments the tech giant logged in the same quarter last year. But a 4-million-unit channel inventory drawdown from last June might dampen sell-through rates.

Shares of Apple fell 1.4% to $142.31 at Friday's close. The stock has dropped about 1.4% over the last five sessions amid a broader selloff in high-flying tech names.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.