Milo Yiannopoulos is not the champion of free speech that he claims to be – The Miami Hurricane

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Milo Yiannopoulos claims to be a champion of free speech. Ironically, he entirely misunderstands the purpose and meaning of free speech. His argument that the general public has violated his right to free speech is wrong, both historically and practically.

Free speech does not grant the right to say whatever you want whenever you want. You cannot yell fire in a crowded movie theater when there is no fire, or yell bomb in an airport when there is no bomb. This is an opinion held by the Supreme Court of the United States and anyone with a shred of common sense. Such actions do nothing but elicit panic and public distress.

Much of the rhetoric put out by Yiannopoulos is no different. It has little to no basis in fact, misinforming the public. For example, he once likened rape culture to Harry Potter, saying that they are both fantasy. Lies like this can potentially weaken the public initiatives taken in the past several years to fight rape culture. As a result, his lie may contribute to continued sexual violence. His extensive lies fan the flames of radical and inflammatory factions within our country, creating panic when there should be none.

The truly ironic element of Yiannopoulos argument is that free speech is about the relationship between the government and the people. The government has in no way infringed upon his right to free speech. The TV stations that have prevented him from going on their shows are private companies, not government entities. The universities that will not allow him to speak are academic institutions, once again not the government. No one is preventing Milo from speaking entirely but merely refusing to allow him to use a specific university or network as a platform. Universities and TV networks have every right to do this.

Furthermore, just as Yiannopoulos believes that he can say whatever he wants, people have the right to say whatever they want back to him. It is preposterous for him to promote such blatant lies and deceit and not expect to be called out for it. The right to free speech protects an individual from government censorship. It does not protect an individual from backlash and consequences for inflammatory remarks.

Ryan Steinberg is a freshman majoring in political science.

Featured image courtesy Flickr user Hindi Pro.

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Milo Yiannopoulos is not the champion of free speech that he claims to be - The Miami Hurricane

Tucker Battles Member of EU Parliament Who Supports Free Speech ‘Kill Switch’ – Fox News Insider

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On Wednesday, a British member of the European Parliament expressed his support for a measure that would allow the presiding officer of the body to effectively "kill" a speech they consider "racist" or "xenophobic."

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Tucker Carlson asked Labour MEP Richard Corbett what formal "standards" are in place to decide which expressions of free speech can be curtailed.

Corbett said the measure prohibits the use of "racist terms and xenophobic language." Any speech considered such will be cut short and "purged" from live and archived television, he explained.

Carlson called the move "quite draconian" and "Orwellian."

Corbett said it would protect against a member prospectively unfurling a banner demanding Jewish people be killed, but Carlson pressed further on what official standard the Parliament had set.

Corbett said a "variety of views" can be expressed, underlining that the Parliament's speaker, who is in control of the rule, is elected by members "across the [political] spectrum."

"Did anybody acknowledge that this is a totalitarian measure?" Carlson asked.

Corbett assured him that the rule would not be imposed "willy-nilly."

"Free speech continues to die a sad death on the continent that created it," Carlson remarked.

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Tucker Battles Member of EU Parliament Who Supports Free Speech 'Kill Switch' - Fox News Insider

An inside look at the ‘Free Speech’ class UCLA blocked students … – The College Fix

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. Numerous empty seats pepperedthe large lecture hall. Multiple students strolled into class late while others trickled out early. That was the scene on a recent Wednesday nightas lecturer Keith Fink taught his popular class on free speech at the public university.

While there areplenty of seats available for many more students to take the class, more than 40 students have been blocked from this popular UCLA course.

The courses lecture hall holds nearly 300 seats, but just 200 of the 241 students who tried to sign up for the class were enrolled. Thats left more than three dozen students shut out of a course taught by a professor focused onteaching students the value of the First Amendment.

Such is the situation in Finks Communication Studies 167: Sex, Politics, and Race: Free Speech on Campus.

The class made headlines recently after Fink, a conservative who openly criticizes campus administrators during his classes for what he contends is their violation of students free speech rights, claimed his department is keeping students who are attempting to add the course from enrolling init because of politicalbias.

The chair of the department says its aboutmaintaining reasonable class sizes across the major.

Finks not buying it.

This is nuts. They are penalizing the students to get at me, hesaid.

I believe my role is to test students beliefs theyre holding at a young age, to probe the reasons for their belief, to criticize views they may have, to expose them to other views. Thats my role, Fink told The College Fix.

The labor and employment lawyer added his job as a professor is not to tell [students] how to think. Its to make them think.

The Free Speech course, which Fink has taught for nine years, focuses on how the First Amendment, case law, state statutes, and federal statutes affect students and teachers ability to express themselves both on and off campuses, per the syllabus.

(Pictured: Empty seats in class students seek to enroll in)

Course readings in part include a textbook written by Fink as well as case law. Class topics touch on harassment issues, speech codes, campus protests, the rights of student publications and due process rights, among others.

The course, held on Wednesday nights, delves into controversial, timely campus issues. For instance, a list of nearly two dozen discussion topics on the syllabus includes questions such as Should teachers provide trigger warnings before [discussing] a topic that some find sensitive? and Can students be punished for burning the American flag?

Fink, a former college debate champion, employs the Socratic Method in his teaching, guiding discussion and pushing students on the topic at hand.

And during a recent class, he wasnt shy about offering his own opinions. However, he also encouraged students multiple times to do their own fact checking and research.

Fink also isnt afraid to voice his opinions in class about issues at UCLA. During the Feb. 22 class attended by The College Fix, Fink questioned the mission of the universitys division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

I think its more exclusion for people who have conservative views or perhaps Jewish views, but Ill let you guys make that conclusion, Fink said.

During class, Fink read aloud a CrossCheck written last spring by Jerry Kang, UCLAs Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Kang alleged that posters posted on UCLAs campus by conservative activist David Horowitz accused the Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice in Palestine of being murderers and terrorists.

Fink disagreed with Kangs allegation and his description that the posters were hostile.

Hostile posters. What does that mean hostile? Why are they hostile? [Its] political advocacy and who cares if theyre hostile, Finksaid.

He also focused on the language Kang used as he read the CrossCheck post line by line.

I have a big problem with the wording because I believe youre being threatened, he told his students.

Class discussion later pivoted to a recent controversial cartoon published in UCLAs student newspaper, the Daily Bruin, that included Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The newspaper later apologized for running the cartoon after some found it anti-semitic.

Fink told the class he thinks the newspaper shouldve have published the cartoon without an apology, but questioned the universitys lack of response given Kangs post on Horowitzs posters.

So, if I dont see a rebuke, I just put two and two together theres some kind of viewpoint discrimination going on here, he said. Somebody has to give me another explanation. Why isnt there a whisper that theres a problem here?

A UCLA grad himself, Fink (pictured) said his own intellectual training at the school came from his involvement in debate where his coach pushed him on both sides of the issue.

That notion of pushing both sides of an issue is something higher education has lost, Finksaid.

It has lost the marketplace of ideas because theres only one stream of thought thats acceptable. And yes, teachers will not provide a balance, he told The College Fix in an interview.

As for the fight regarding his class size, Fink said the UCLA administration is giving him a complete runaround.

Kerri Johnson, his department chair, previously told The Fix the enrollment situation is based on ensuring reasonable class sizes across the major.

Fink, whos taught more than 200 students in the past, said Johnsons statement doesnt hold merit.

Wheres the problem? I havent voiced a problem. [My Teaching Assistant] hasnt voiced a problem. Prior assessments, there was no problem, he said.

MORE: UCLA students step on U.S. flag in protest of Bruin Republicans event

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About the Author

Nathan Rubbelke is a staff reporter for The College Fix with a specialty on investigative and enterprise reporting. He has also held editorial positions at The Commercial Review daily newspaper in Portland, Indiana, as well as atThe Washington Examiner, Red Alert Politics and St. Louis Public Radio.Rubbelke graduated from Saint Louis University, where he majored in political science and sociology.

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An inside look at the 'Free Speech' class UCLA blocked students ... - The College Fix

Do sex offenders have a right to free speech? – New York Post

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When Lester Packingham beat a traffic ticket a few years back, he couldnt contain his joy. He went online and wrote, No fine. No court cost, no nothing spent. Praise be to GOD, WOW! Thanks, JESUS!

For this he was arrested and convicted of a heinous crime: using Facebook.

Who is legally forbidden to use Facebook? In North Carolina and a handful of other states, a registered sex offender. In 2002, Packingham, then 21, pled guilty to two counts of statutory rape of his girlfriend, 13 (he claimed he did not know her age). This netted him a suspended sentence and 30 years on the registry.

His case made it to the Supreme Court Monday, where he argued that not being allowed on social media violated his right to freedom of expression.

The judges seemed to grasp the profound role of social media in our lives today. Justice Elena Kagan said that a person banished from major platforms like Facebook is effectively shut out of society.

This is the way people structure their civic community life, she said. Not only can the banished not communicate the way everyone else does, they cannot go onto the presidents Twitter account to find out what the president is saying. (I imagine her mentally inserting a winking emoji here.)

For its part, North Carolinas lawyer Robert Montgomery insisted that sex offenders should be barred from any Internet sites minors might use, just as theyre barred from playgrounds and parks. This Court has recognized that they have a high rate of recidivism and are very likely to do this again. Even as late as 20 years from when they are released, they may recidivate.

Its true the court recognized this high rate of recidivism, but its also true that it was mistaken. As the scholar/lawyer Ira Ellman wrote in a stunning expose a few years ago, the frightening and high recidivism risk cited by Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2002 a rate the justice said has been estimated to be as high as 80 percent was based on what turned out to be a single article by a single therapist in an old copy of Psychology Today.

The therapist didnt even cite any evidence.

Actual studies have found the sex-offender recidivism rate to be about 5 percent.

So Montgomerys argument is based, in part, on a falsehood. But the question remains: Do sex offenders have a right to be part of the world at all?

Montgomery argued that they could lurk online, gathering information on potential victims. At which point Justice Stephen Breyer seemed to tease the man:

Breyer: Can you have a statute that says convicted swindlers cannot go on Facebook or cannot go on the Internet on sites that tell people that tell people where to gather to discuss money?

Montgomery: Im not sure about that.

Breyer: We can think of you know, pretty soon, youre going to have everybody convicted of different things not being able to go anywhere and discuss anything.

Its true that people can and do discuss anything and everything online, nice and nasty. That is precisely why keeping sex offenders off social media opens the door to keeping almost anyone else off it for almost any reason.

And yet, the justices seem to be mulling, the Internet is the new town square. In the real-world town square, even people with criminal pasts are allowed to come and go, speak their mind and resume their lives. They can stand on a soap box and present their case for changing the laws that, for instance, turn an I beat my traffic ticket! status update into a crime.

Banning those found guilty of sex offenses from social media forbids speech on the very platforms on which Americans today are most likely to communicate, to organize for social change, and to petition their government, said Packinghams lawyer, Stanford Laws David Goldberg.

But of course, if your goal is to outlaw freedom of speech and assembly, its brilliant to start with a reviled group. First they came for the sex offenders, and so on and so on.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case by the end of June.

Lenore Skenazy, author of the book and blog Free-Range Kids, is a contributor at Reason.com.

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Do sex offenders have a right to free speech? - New York Post

Editorial: freedom of speech in an era of political-correctness, part one – Daily Sundial

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Much like 1960s America, we live in an era of cultural tension and unrest. During times like these, the freedoms protected under the first amendment, especially those of freedom of speech, press and assembly, are flexed more than ever. Schools and college campuses, which serve as places of learning and spaces where voices are listened to, become the prime battleground for rhetoric and discourse of political ideas.

This immense cultural unrest and its consequential outcry, which can be heard and seen across Americas school campuses, plays a crucial role in interpreting and understanding our constitutional rights. Harping back to the time of the Vietnam war, Justice Abe Fortas famously said in the ruling of the monumental Tinker v. Des Moines, It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.

But modernly, the fine line between abusing and violating the first amendment is drawn even thinner. What if those students or teachers willingly shed their rights of expression for the creation of a more safe and peaceful space? Are they not utilizing their freedom of speech in another way, by denying themselves speech? In the age of political correct (P.C.) culture, the legal and moral standards associated with our first amendment have become murkier.

As the way in which we are able to exercise our freedom of speech is debated, the stakes of those exercises of freedom are elevated as well. In 1965, Tinker v. Des Moines began over the instance of five students being suspended for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam war. Only a few weeks ago, over fifteen hundred people at UC Berkeley protested against the alt-right guest speaker, Milo Yiannopoulos, resulting in damages to the campus of $100,000 and the cancellation of his speech.

This recent event has been a recurring story in the news. On college campuses across the nation, and including our very own demonstrations resulted in guest speakers on campus discontinuing or canceling their speeches.

The hundreds of protesters at UC Berkeley assembled peacefully for about an hour before 150 masked agitators swayed the protest into a more violent and destructive atmosphere. On the very same campus that once served as a major battleground in the fight for free speech, Yiannopoulos was evacuated and the school was forced to cancel the event.

Not only did our President then threaten to cut federal funds to UC Berkeley, but Yiannopoulos also took to social media saying, The Left is absolutely terrified of free speech and will do literally anything to shut it down.

This particular event exemplifies the issues that arise when making the assumption that P.C. culture infringes upon first amendment rights. The conception that those protesters violated his first amendment rights is a myth because the first amendment holds that congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech. The protesters are not in the position of congress, therefore the government is not restricting anyones freedom of speech in this case.

However, one may also argue that because UC Berkeley is a public school, their decision to cancel Yiannopouloss speech can be seen as a de facto violation of the first amendment under the guise of safety.

The protesters, who can arguably be blamed for inciting the cancellation, were in their rights to assemble. It was only in the violence and destruction of property that they abused and stepped out of their rights. Yiannopoulos, too, was in his right to give a speech, however inflammatory or hateful that speech would have been.

Legally, as set by the supreme court in the case of National Socialist Party v Skokie, people in a public space are within their rights when [m]arching, walking or parading or otherwise displaying the swastika on or off their person; [d]istributing pamphlets or displaying any materials which incite or promote hatred against persons of any faith or ancestry, race or religion.

Essentially, the only speech that is not protected by the first amendment are those that include obscenity and fighting words, words legally defined by the supreme court as those personally abusive epithets which, when addressed to the ordinary citizen, are, as a matter of common knowledge, inherently likely to provoke violent reaction.

Regardless of the cultural unrest in our day and age, the legal standards of freedom of speech are being upheld and rightfully contested. Before moving on to investigate the claims of moral standards, a close consideration should be made to the first amendment itself and how its defined and interpreted by the supreme court.

Eve Peyser writes in Esquire goes on to claim that, The heart of [P.C. culture] isnt about making sure what you say doesnt offend, but how people with radically different beliefs should best talk to each other. The intentions stated and the plea for communication addressed here, by an defender of P.C. culture, seem inherently reasonable. But its almost redundant to plea for protection of freedom of speech when the negative effects of P.C. culture on college campuses are under fire from both conservatives and liberals alike.

Language and communication are powerful, these are acts both sides of the political spectrum can agree with. Language dictates our law, but language and meaning in itself is incredibly malleable. The language of law in the case of freedom of speech raises further questions and contestations, especially with the emergence of P.C. culture and recent demonstrations on college campuses.

These campuses are spaces where people with opposing opinions should have the opportunity and the platform to exercise the power of their first amendment rights. It is here where anyone, regardless of political orientation, can delve into the murky meaning of language and law and attempt to find the answers to those questions and contestations.

In the same space where those that are accused of limiting free speech utilize their first amendment rights to assembly, those that accuse P.C. culture of suppressing free speech can also find a platform to voice their opinions. Here, in this complex and controversial dynamic, the beauty in interpreting and exercising the first amendment is made outside of the courts and instead, on college campuses.

This editorial is a reflection of the opinions of The Sundial editorial board.

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Editorial: freedom of speech in an era of political-correctness, part one - Daily Sundial

Officially, China’s Communist Party believes in atheism, but it makes … – Quartz

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China has for decades feared the power of organized religion. But religious suppression has intensified in recent years under the rule of president Xi Jinpingalongside a broader crackdown on civil societyaccording to a report (pdf) by Freedom House released yesterday (Feb. 28). For example, Chinese authorities have systematically been destroying churches and taking down crosses, while persecution against Muslims in the western Xinjiang region has become very high.

Buddhism and Taoism, however, are different. As Asian religions, the party is able to harness Chinas religious and cultural traditions to shore up [the partys] legitimacy, says Freedom House, and at the same time use them to help contain the spread of Christianity and Islam. The latter two religions are viewed as so-called Western values by the party, according to Freedom House.

The preference for Taoism and Buddhism over other faiths fits with the larger crackdown by Xi against Western ideas in China. In education, the Chinese government is purging Western ideas like democracy and replacing them with Confucianism, which emphasizes obedience. Xi has also urged families to educate their children with imperatives like love the party while cracking down on international-style education. According to Freedom House, Buddhism and Taoism are in line with the partys signature campaigns, the China Dream and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Those two faiths are compatible with the governments Sinicization drive, says the NGO.

But religion has been gaining ground in China in spite of the governments efforts. China is undergoing one of the worlds great spiritual revivals, according to a recent book by long-time China journalist Ian Johnson. And an increasing number of Chinese view religion as a way to escape the iron grip of the Communist partyChristianity, for example, is seen by many higher-income Chinese people as a symbol of modernity and Western prosperity, says Freedom House.

Freedom House said it did not have data on the number of Taoists in the country.

And Beijings heavy-handedness has actually reinforced solidarity among religious groups, according to Freedom House. The relentless crackdown on Christianity has brought Catholic and Protestant groups closer together. Ties have also grown stronger between the official state-sanctioned Church and illicit underground churches. The cross-removal campaign has been especially pivotal as a unifying force for Chinas Christians, says the report.

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Officially, China's Communist Party believes in atheism, but it makes ... - Quartz

Michael O’Connor : Does He See Himself being a Transhumanist? – Mobile Magazine

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Michael O'Connor : Does He See Himself being a Transhumanist?
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But first, let me tell you what transhumanists are. Transhumanists ought to exist since the 80's however they have come to be more noticeable in the past years as technology progresses and made our imagination seem more realistic. They are people who ...

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Michael O'Connor : Does He See Himself being a Transhumanist? - Mobile Magazine

Synthetic biology to help colonize Mars – PLoS Blogs (blog)

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Shannon Nangle finished her PhD ready to take on a new challenge and set her sights on research to help makeMars colonization possible. But she isnt pursuing research on rocket fuels or space suits. Shes using synthetic biology to improve biomanufacturing of needed resources using simple inputs like sunlight,water, and CO2.

In 2015, a collaboration between Pam Silver and Daniel Noceras lab showed that the bacteriumRalstonia eutropha could be used along with water splitting to create biomass andfusel alcohols. Then in 2016 they followed up with bionic leaf 2.0 that useda more biocompatible catalyst to beat the efficiency of natural photosynthesis. Now, the technology has to beexpanded and scaled up to take on the many potential applications of an efficient solar to bioproduct technology.

To find out about the latest work to help move the bionic leaf out of the lab and maybe one day to Mars, I met with Shannon and graduate student Marika Ziesack, both members of Pam Silvers lab, in their Harvard Medical School lab space. I saw the benchtop setup for testingRalstonia eutrophawiththe biocompatible catalysts. A power source connects to the small electrodes that sit in the compartment with the bacteria. As the electricity is applied it splits waterwhich as H2O has two hydrogens and one oxygen atom into hydrogen and oxygen. The bacterium,Ralstonia eutropha in this case, can then use that hydrogen along with carbon dioxide to produce biomass like thebio-plastic precursor polymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).

Ralstonia eutrophacan also be engineered to overproduce certain fatty acids and enzymes that allow for more biopolymers than just PHB. Thats one of the improvements that Shannon and Marika are working on so that biopolymers with different structural properties can be produced and used as biodegradable materials here on earth or as renewable building blocks on Mars.

Other engineering improvements can be made so the bacteria can tolerate stresses like high salt concentrations that can improve conductivity of the solution. They even mentioned the possibility of a bacterium that can grow in a mixture that includes urine waste to allowmore sustainable water recycling. Bacteria grown in a lab or production facility usually need a feedstock of biomass that can end up being the big cost in the bioplastic production. With sunlight, water, and air as inputs its possible to bypass the expensive feedstocks that would be normally be used to create these bioplastics.

To truly tackle applications like space exploration, synthetic biology will need to prove itself in the field. Others have noted that synthetic biology can be crucial to a Mars mission but first it has to get off of a lab bench. Thats why the team at Harvard areworking on more portable versions of the bionic leaf to hopefully show that it could work outside of the labusing only resources readily found on Earth or on Mars: solar power, water, and carbon dioxide.

Among the many challenges of Mars colonization would be the need to use resources found on Mars instead of bringing everything from Earth. This use of resources found in space is usually referred to as in situ resource utilization, and it would be necessary for long term space missions or colonization. There is a different set of resources out in space than on Earth, but in the last few years NASA has shown that water exists on Mars with frozen deposits reaching the amount of water in Lake Superior. Then if solar power can be used to split that water then hydrogen would be produced and you would just need CO2 to produce bioplastics. Fortunately, even though Mars atmosphere is 100 times less dense than on Earth, 96% of it is made up of CO2. So if a technology like synthetic biology can reliably turnwater and CO2 into useful materials would be ideal for conditions on Mars.

Then once engineered bacteria can convert the in situ resources into something useful like bioplastics, further processing can be done to make needed tools. With bioplastics that can mean 3D printing of products that are made in a renewable fashion with biodegradable materials. So even if this technology never makes it to Mars it may finds ways to replace some of the harsh chemical processes we currently use with biological processes.

Biology has already found a way to do many chemical processes extremely efficiently without high heat or harshchemicals often used in industrial processes. As researchers learn to harness the diverse biological pathways that already exist there will be more opportunities to engineer cells that can replace chemical reactors. More sophisticated models could even lead to predictions of exactly which pathway should be used to meet your final product needs. The possibility of taking advantage of so many capabilities that biology provides is what excites so manyover synthetic biology as a technology.

But for now,the bionic leaf and other promising synthetic biology tools will haveto prove how they can scale and perform in tough conditions outside of the lab. As they do that, synthetic biology researchers like Shannon will be moving us toward the big goals likemaking Mars colonization possible.

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Synthetic biology to help colonize Mars - PLoS Blogs (blog)

Newcomers & Serving Staff – Allied Command Transformation

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This Newcomers' & Serving Staffareais designed to assist personnel and their family members during the relocation process to the United States and throughout their tour of duty. These collection of pages and links contain a wealth of information related to Legal Assistance and Personal Transition, Military Personnel and Civilian Personnel check-in requirements and Staff Training requirements.

You may want to know more about the Organization, National Representatives, or the Biographies of our Command Group.

On our website you can also find pictures of our previous events, informative videos and our publications.

The primary mission of the Legal Assistance Section, Office of the Legal Advisor, is to provide individualized legal support and personal transition information to HQ personnel and their dependents.

The Legal Assistance Section can assist with topics to include but not limited to immigration, visas, eligibility for healthcare, finding a home in the local area, United States Customs issues associated with importing household goods, vehicles and personal articles, opening bank accounts and associated forms, purchasing and registering vehicles, obtaining Virginia drivers licenses, personal property tax exemptions, local vehicle registration requirements and exemptions, social security numbers, dependent employment authorization eligibility, traffic laws both on and off the military installations/bases, and similar issues.

Click here to access all documentation available. A password is required and can be requested at the points of contact below.

Legal and Personal Transition Information Orientation for Newcomers: Conducted several times per month. Spouses and partners are welcome!

For further information contact +1 757 747 3228/3640.

We have walk-in legal assistance hours from 0900 to 1130 daily (no appointment or advance notification necessary) other times are available by appointment.

We can be reached at +1 757 747 3228/3640.

The Military Personnel Section mission is to focus business practices that support military personnel and their Families by delivering effective and sustainable human resources services and support.

Military Personnel Section Staff:

WELCOME ABOARD

Military Personnel Section would like to extend to you an extremely warm welcome to Allied Command on behalf of the Staff of the Supreme Allied Command Transformation.

You are assigned to one of two strategic commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and for sure you will find the tour of duty to be very rewarding. You will have the opportunity to work with professionals from 28 NATO nations, 22 Partnership for Peace nations, all branches of the Armed Forces, and NATO civilians/contractors that comprise the staff of the Supreme Allied Command Transformation. The Alliance nations and their Partners have assembled a rich mix of talented and experienced staff to take on complex and demanding tasks, both here at Norfolk and at our subordinate organizations in Europe.

MILITARY PERSONNEL CHECK IN

Upon arrival at the Headquarters, all military personnel must visit the Military Personnel Office to begin the check-in process. During this visit you will receive your "check-in sheet", which is a step-by-step in-processing document. You will also be provided with important information and documentation so you can begin obtaining your U.S. issued Common Access Card (CAC) and Headquarters' identification cards.

Service Member: Valid Passport; Valid Visa; NATO Orders; Security Clearance; Original Marriage Certificate (if married) with English Translation Dependent (Spouse): Valid Passport; Valid Visa Dependent (Child under 21 years of age): Valid Passport; Valid Visa; Original Birth Certificate with English Translation Dependent (Child 21-23 years of age): Valid Passport, Valid Visa; Original Birth Certificate with English Translation; Proof of certification from the schools registrars office stating they are enrolled in full-time post-secondary education with anticipated graduation date, and provide proof that the education institution they are attending is accredited in accordance with U.S. requirements.

U.S. CAC CARD PROCEDURES

FOR INTERNATIONAL PERSONNEL ONLY: The Military Personnel Office is responsible for obtaining all personal information of the staff member and his/her eligible dependents, and certify that information to U.S. authorities. By providing this information a representative of the MILPERS Office will prepare DD Form 1172-2 for you to establish identity in RAPIDS (biometric, photo) and receive a Foreign Identification Number (FIN). Multiple visits to ID Card Lab are required. Once you have received your FIN from the ID card lab, provide MILPERS personnel with FIN to initiate the application process in TASS. (If you already have a FIN, you can avoid this step and provide it to MILPERS personnel and are only required to go to the ID Card Lab once). You will have to login in to TASS within seven days of receiving login/password to complete/submit the application within 30 days. Once the application has been approved, MILPERS will provide you with a final DD Form 1172-2 for you and your dependents to receive a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Identification (ID) cards. The DoD ID cards will grant access to local military installations/bases and facilities including the Commissary, Navy Exchange, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities and military treatment facilities for healthcare.

Office Locations for International Military Personnel to obtain the DoD ID card

These are the only approved ID Card locations that can be used.

It is suggested that you make an appointment for issuance of the DoD ID card for each family member by visiting https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil and following the on-screen instructions to make an appointment. Although you can visit without an appointment, you are encouraged to make an appointment for each family member to receive the DoD ID card. Otherwise the waiting times can be two or more hours.

Dependent family members who are receiving an identification card must accompany you. Dependent children age 10 and up to the age of 21 years will receive a dependent ID card, and must also attend the appointment. Dependent children 21 years of age, and less than 23 years of age, are eligible for an ID card, provided they are enrolled in full-time post-secondary education, and provide proof in accordance with U.S. requirements. Children under the age of 10 years are not required to attend the appointment as they are not ordinarily issued an identification card, but must be listed by the Military Personnel office on Form DD-1172-2 to be properly registered for benefits, including healthcare.

Documentation Requirements for ID lab: For International Military Personnel ONLY, provide the following:

Original birth certificates for all family members applying (with English translation, see NLR/PNLR office for requirements); Original marriage certificate if married (with English translation, see NLR/PNLR office for requirements); Valid passports and visas.

The mission of the HQ Staff Training Section is to provide internal training to staff personnel, ensuring that they are fully trained and educated to work effectively within HQ SACT.

Our Section will help you to familiarize quickly with NATO and HQ SACT and to better understand the HQs output, structure and working processes. Your training will always begin with orientation and, after being settled, continue with more "in depth" cross functional training and training necessary for individual posts and evolving professional development.

We can be reached at: +1 757 747 3334/4034/4327/4410, don't hesitate to contact us even before your arrival in Norfolk!

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Newcomers & Serving Staff - Allied Command Transformation

Allied Command Transformation – Wikipedia

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Allied Command Transformation (ACT; French: Le Commandement alli Transformation) is a NATO military command, which was formed in 2003 after North Atlantic Treaty Organisation restructuring.

It is intended to lead military transformation of alliance forces and capabilities, using new concepts such as the NATO Response Force and new doctrines in order to improve the alliance's military effectiveness. Since France rejoined the NATO Military Command Structure in mid-2009, a significant change took place where the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) is now a French officer. The first French Officer to serve as SACT was French Air Force General, Stephane Abrial, (20092012).

Allied Command Transformation was preceded by Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) established in 1952 under the overall command of Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT), with its headquarters at Norfolk, Virginia. ACLANT's purpose was to guard the Sea lines of communication between North America and Europe in order to reinforce the European countries of NATO with U.S. troops and supplies in the event of a Soviet/Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe. Following the end of the Cold War, the Command was reduced, with many of its subordinate headquarters spread across the Atlantic area losing their NATO status and funding. However, the basic structure remained in place until the Prague Summit in the Czech Republic in 2002. This led to ACLANT being decommissioned effective 19 June 2003, and a new Allied Command Transformation being established as its successor.[1]

Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr. US Navy became the last SACLANT on 2 October 2002. He served as ACLANT commander until 19 Jun 2003. He then served as Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation, until 1 Aug 2005. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope RN, the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, then served as Acting Supreme Allied Commander until the arrival of General Lance L. Smith USAF in November 2005.

At the 2002 Prague Summit, it was decided that NATO should change its military structures and concepts, and acquire new types of equipment to face the operational challenges of coalition warfare against the threats of the new millennium. Thus NATOs military command structure was reorganized. One strategic command, Allied Command Transformation (ACT), was focused on transforming NATO, while the other strategic command focused on NATOs operations, Allied Command Operations (ACO/SHAPE). Initial reports about a NATO transformation command began to appear in July 2002.[2] ACT was formally established on June 19, 2003.

A suite of "Baseline for Rapid Iterative Transformational Experimentation" (BRITE) software was designed in response to the Maritime Situational Awareness request. This request, a product of a U.S. international and inter agency initiative termed "Maritime Domain Awareness," serves to counter threats to the maritime commons including terrorism, human/drug smuggling, piracy, and espionage.

Since Allied Command Atlantic became Allied Command Transformation, commanders have included non-naval officers. Gen. Lance L. Smith USAF commanded ACT from 10 Nov 2005 until 9 Nov 2007. He was succeeded by Gen. James N. Mattis USMC, who served from 9 Nov 2007 - 08 Sep 2009. A significant change was the assumption of command by a French officer, after France rejoined the NATO Command Structure in mid-2009. General Stphane Abrial, former chief of the French Air Force assumed command in 2009. French Air Force General Jean-Paul Palomros replaced fellow Frenchman General Stphane Abrial at the end of September 2012. On 30 Sep 2015 French Air Force General Denis Mercier succeeded General Palomros.

The Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation position is currently filled by General Mirco Zuliani of the Italian Air Force. He succeeded General Mieczysaw Bieniek of the Polish Land Forces, who had himself succeeded Admiral Luciano Zappata (Italian Navy)[3] and Admiral Stanhope. For several years, in a carryover from SACLANT, the Deputy's position was filled by a Royal Navy admiral. Stanhope's succession by Zappata meant an end to this practice.

Allied Command Transformation's current mission is to:

A large number of conferences and seminars have been organised by the command in fulfilment of its conceptual development mission. These have included CD&E, a national Chiefs of Transformation conference, an examination of the Global Commons, Law of Armed Conflict, and a Multiple Futures project.[4]

The command's headquarters is located in Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States. HQ SACT itself is organised into a command group, the Transformation Directorate, the Transformation Support Directorate, National Liaison Representatives, the Partnership for Peace Staff Element and Reservists responsible to HQ SACT.

The Transformation Directorate is headed by the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) Transformation who acts as the Supreme Allied Commander, Transformations (SACT) Director for guidance and coordination of the activities of his Directorate Transformation, divided in two divisions: Implementation and Capabilities. Within the full scale of SACTs transformational responsibilities Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) Transformation assist the Chief of Staff (COS) in the execution of his duties with emphasis on deliverables to the Alliance Military Transformation Process in order to enhance NATOs operational capabilities and to meet NATOs future requirements.

Implementation Division, led by Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) Implementation, is responsible for guidance and coordination of the activities of two Sub-Divisions, Joint Education and Training (JET) and Joint Experimentation, Exercises and Assessment (JEEA) as well as providing guidance for the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) and Joint Analysis Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC), in their efforts to enhance training programs, to path on breaking concept development and experimentation, to develop effective programs to capture and implement lessons learned and to press on common standards. This division probably serves as NATO's linkpoint to the annual U.S.-led Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration.

Capabilities Division, led by Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) Capabilities, is responsible for guidance and coordination of the activities of three Sub-Divisions of Strategic Concepts, Policy and Interoperability (SCPI); Future Capabilities, Research and Technology (FCRT) and Defence Planning (Def Plan) in their efforts to staff Capabilities, Concepts and Development products.

Reflecting NATO as a whole, ACT has a presence on both sides of the Atlantic.[5] Before the deactivation of United States Joint Forces Command, the two organisations were co-located, and indeed shared a commander for some time. There is an ACT command element located at SHAPE in Mons, Belgium. ACT's major subordinate commands are the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) in Stavanger, Norway; the Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland; and the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC) in Monsanto, Portugal.[6][7] Under a customer-funded arrangement, ACT invests about 30 million Euros into research with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) each year to support scientific and experimental programs.

A Centre of Excellence (COE) is a nationally or multinationally sponsored entity, which offers recognised expertise and experience to the benefit of the Alliance, especially in support of transformation. NATO has a total of 21.[8] It provides opportunities to enhance education and training, to improve interoperability and capabilities, to assist in doctrine development and/or to test and validate concepts through experimentation. A COE is not a part of the NATO Military Command Structure, but their activities with NATO are coordinated through HQ ACT. Since COEs are predominantly multinational entities, most COEs are overseen by a Steering Committee (SC), that sets the Programme of Work and approves the Budget for the COE.[9][10] The SC consists of one voting representative of each Sponsoring Nation (SN) and a various number of observers. All decisions are made by consensus.

Principles:

NATO has the following fully accredited COEs:

NATO also has three not fully accredited COEs:

Coordinates: 502958N 35902E / 50.49944N 3.98389E / 50.49944; 3.98389

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Allied Command Transformation - Wikipedia

Trump Supports NATO, But Senate Holds Up Expansion – Newsweek

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In his first major speech to Congress on Tuesday, President Donald Trump assured U.S. allies that he is committed to NATO, but some of his fellow Republicans have been blocking a Senate vote to expand the alliance for months.

The delay of the Senate's consideration of Montenegro's accession to the alliance has fueled questions about whether Trump's administration and his party will stand up to Russia despite the president's desire for better relations.

Moscow opposes any further expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

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Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic with a population of 650,000, hopes to win the approval of all 28 NATO allies in time to become a full member at a summit in May. By late February, it had been approved by 24. Members see Montenegro's accession as a way to counter Russia's efforts to expand its influence in the Balkans.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has twice voted in favor of Montenegro, first in December and again in January.

But objections by Republican Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee have blocked a vote in the full Senate.

At a September hearing, Paul questioned the wisdom of angering Russia by allowing a tiny country that could not play a significant role in defending the United States to join the trans-Atlantic alliance.

With his image projected upon a huge screen, U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

"I think we need to think this through, and we need to have a little bit more of a debate," he said then.

On Wednesday, Paul said he still objected.

"I'm not so sure what they add to our defense. So I'm not so sure it's a great idea that somehow Montenegro's going to defend the United States," Paul told Reuters.

A spokesman for Lee said the senator objected only to the Senate considering the matter with a quick voice vote, saying he wanted a roll call so every member's position would be recorded.

Lee has not made his opinion on Montenegro's accession public, the spokesman said.

Roll Call

Asked if a roll call vote would be scheduled, a spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he had no updates to provide. If there is a Senate vote, Montenegro's accession is expected to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic told Reuters last month that he had been assured that the Senate would ratify his country's accession by May.

Trump has called for closer ties to Moscow and criticized NATO as obsolete. In his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, he reaffirmed support for the alliance, but said he expects U.S. allies to pay more of the cost of their own security needs.

Montenegrin officials blame Moscow for an extended campaign intended to prevent the country from joining NATO. Last month, they said they had evidence Russia was involved in a plot to overthrow its government during an election last October, an accusation Moscow dismissed.

The charges echoed assertions by U.S. intelligence that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

Trump could still keep Montenegro from joining by refusing to formally deposit the country's Protocol of Accession. Doing so would signal a significant rift with his own party in Congress.

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Trump Says Money Is ‘Pouring’ Into NATO, But So Far It’s Barely a Trickle – Bloomberg

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President Donald Trump declared victory on a key element of his international agenda when he told Congress that money is pouring in from NATO countries to support the defense alliance, leaving aides to explain the boast.

Trump said in his joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening that his administrations very strong and frank discussions are succeeding in prodding NATO allies to boost defense spending. In an aside that was one of his few departures from his prepared text, the president added, In fact I can tell you, the money is pouring in. Very nice.

Not yet. The idea that money is pouring in appears at odds with the laborious defense budget decisions made by the groups 28 member nations. White House aides said Wednesday that the progress nonetheless is real, if less immediate than the president suggested.

The response of allies to the case made by the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense (among others) has been overwhelmingly positive, Michael Anton, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Wednesday in an email. We expect to see stepped up defense spending commitments reflected in their next budget cycles.

Specifically, a White House official who asked not to be identified added that the president was referring to Latvia, Lithuania and Romania, which have outlined plans to meet NATOs target that every member spend 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense.

During his presidential campaign, Trump at various points called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization obsolete and warned the U.S. might not honor the pledge to defend any member under attack unless other members started paying their fair share of defense costs.

NATO countries set the 2 percent target for members defense spending in 2014. While several countries have increased defense spending in recent years, few meet the 2 percent threshold. The U.S., U.K., Estonia, Poland and Greece were alone among the alliances 28 members in meeting that target last year.

The latest official figures are due soon: NATOs annual report, which will include updated details on defense spending, is scheduled to be published on March 13.

The White House official said Latvia and Lithuania agreed to reach the NATO goal by 2018 and that Romania plans to hit that level next year. The three nations have moved to bolster their defense in response to Russias seizure of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine.

The economies of those three countries are among the smallest within the NATO alliance. Together they accounted for 0.4 percent of total defense spending by NATO members in 2016, according to a report released by the alliance.

In his speech to Congress, Trump gave his strongest backing yet for NATO while also claiming victory in prodding increased defense spending.

We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism, he said. But our partners must meet their financial obligations. And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that.

Countries including Germany and France have boosted spending on defense, although the increases began before Trump took office. Former President Barack Obama had also prodded -- more gently -- for NATO countries to increase defense spending to meet the target.

The issue has moved up the political agenda since Trumps election victory, withNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saying more must be done in the coming years on fair burden-sharing.

The president of the United States and the American people expect our allies to keep their word and to do more in our common defense, and the president expects real progress by the end of 2017, Vice President Mike Pence said at the NATO headquarters in Brussels last month. It is time for actions, not words.

Navy Commander Sarah Higgins, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said in an interview Wednesday that Defense Secretary James Mattis held discussions with partners about making afair contribution during the recent NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels.

That was one of the main messages that we were trying to get across -- that we are committed to NATO but as well we need everyone to have their fair share of the commitment. And the message was well-received.

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Trump Says Money Is 'Pouring' Into NATO, But So Far It's Barely a Trickle - Bloomberg

Trump jumps the gun on NATO, jobs claims – The Boston Globe

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By Calvin Woodward and Christopher S. Rugaber Associated Press March 01, 2017

WASHINGTON President Trump boasted in his speech to Congress that new money is pouring in from NATO partners, which it isnt. He also took credit for corporate job expansion and military cost savings that actually took root under his predecessor.

A look at some of his claims Tuesday night:

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TRUMP: Speaking of the NATO alliance, Our partners must meet their financial obligations. And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that. In fact, I can tell you the money is pouring in. Very nice. Very nice.

THE FACTS: No new money has come pouring in from NATO allies. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made a strong case before allied defense ministers at a NATO meeting last month, pressing them to fulfill their 2014 commitment to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. He and other leaders said the allies understood the message and there was some discussion about working out plans to meet the goal.

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Only five of the 28 member countries are meeting the 2 percent level, and no new commitments have been made since the NATO meeting.

Germanys foreign minister said Wednesday he is skeptical about his countrys plans to increase defense spending, saying it could raise concerns in Europe by turning Germany into a military supremacy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her country will meet its commitment to raise defense spending by the 2024 deadline. In any event, the commitment is for these nations to spend more on their own military capabilities, which would strengthen the alliance, not hand over money.

* * *

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TRUMP: According to the National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs Americas taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.

THE FACTS: That report says immigrants contribute to government finances by paying taxes and add expenditures by consuming public services.

The report found that while first-generation immigrants are more expensive to governments than their native-born counterparts, primarily at the state and local level, immigrants children are among the strongest economic and fiscal contributors in the population. This second generation contributed more in taxes on a per capita basis, for example, than did the rest of the population in the period studied, 1994-2013.

The report found that the long-run fiscal impact of immigrants and their children would probably be seen as more positive if their role in sustaining labor force growth and contributing to innovation and entrepreneurial activity were taken into account.

* * *

TRUMP: Weve saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the F-35 jet.

THE FACTS: The cost savings he persists in citing were secured in full or large part before he became president.

The head of the Air Force program announced significant price reductions in the contract for the Lockheed F-35 jet Dec. 19 after Trump had tweeted about the cost but weeks before he met the companys CEO about it.

Pentagon managers took action even before the election to save money on the contract. Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the aerospace consulting firm Teal Group, said there is no evidence of any additional cost savings as a result of Trumps actions.

* * *

TRUMP: Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs.

THE FACTS: Trump is taking credit for corporate jobs decisions that largely predate his election. In the case of Intel, construction of the Chandler, Ariz., factory referred to by Trump actually began during Barack Obamas presidency. The project was delayed by insufficient demand for Intels high-powered computer chips, but the company now expects to finish the factory within four years because it anticipates business growth.

Some of the job announcements have come after companies, such as the wireless carrier Sprint, reduced their numbers of workers.

More important, even as some companies create jobs, others are laying off workers. The best measure of whether more jobs are actually being created is the monthly employment report issued by the Labor Department, which nets out those gains and losses. The department will issue its report for February, the first full month of Trumps term, on March 10.

* * *

TRUMP: His budget plan will offer one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history.

THE FACTS: Three times in recent years, Congress raised defense budgets by larger percentages than the $54 billion, or 10 percent, increase that Trump proposes. The base defense budget grew by $41 billion, or 14.3 percent, in 2002; by $37 billion, or 11.3 percent, in 2003, and by $47 billion, or 10.9 percent, in 2008, according to Defense Department figures.

* * *

TRUMP: We will provide massive tax relief for the middle class.

THE FACTS: Trump has provided little detail on how this would happen. Independent analyses of his campaigns tax proposals found that most of the benefits would flow to the wealthiest families. The richest 1 percent would see an average tax cut of nearly $215,000 a year, while the middle one-fifth of the population would get a cut of $1,010, according to the Tax Policy Center, a joint project by the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute.

* * *

TRUMP: A White House fact sheet on the nations infrastructure issued with his speech describes a desperate need for improvement of public infrastructure in poor condition. It cites a report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association that more than 55,000 bridges are structurally deficient.

THE FACTS: Trump and many Americans love to complain about their highways and bridges, but data show that the country isnt that bad off when compared either with its global counterparts or the recent past.

The World Economic Forum ranks the United States seventh out of 138 countries for its transportation infrastructure, ahead of countries such as Germany, Spain, Canada, Britain, and China. Countries ahead of it on the list are smaller, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands.

By the nations own measurements, bridges have improved over the past decade or so. The trade association for road builders, using government data, indeed says there are 55,710 structurally deficient bridges those carrying more traffic than they were designed for. But that number represents a 34 percent decline since 2002. And the share of miles driven on national highways with pavement offering good ride quality rose from 50 percent in 2002 to 57 percent in 2012.

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Trump jumps the gun on NATO, jobs claims - The Boston Globe

Is Germany Serious About Defending Itself, Europe, And The West? Time For Europeans To Run NATO – Forbes

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Washington Times
Is Germany Serious About Defending Itself, Europe, And The West? Time For Europeans To Run NATO
Forbes
In recent history no European nation has demonstrated greater military prowess then Germany. That competence had tragic consequences in World War II and colors Berlin's approach to the world today. However, more than seven decades after that ...
Despite Trump claims, NATO defense dollars not exactly 'pouring in' yetWashington Times
German Minister Calls Trump Demand On NATO Spending 'Unrealistic'RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
German foreign minister voices skepticism on NATO spending targetPOLITICO.eu
Benitolink: San Benito County News -Reuters -Deutsche Welle
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Is Germany Serious About Defending Itself, Europe, And The West? Time For Europeans To Run NATO - Forbes

NATO – News: NATO Secretary General stresses value of … – NATO HQ (press release)

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will stress the importance of the partnership between NATO and Switzerland during a two-day visit to Bern and Geneva (1-2 March 2017).

On Wednesday (1 March 2017), the Secretary General is meeting with the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ms. Doris Leuthard in Bern for talks on current security challenges and options for closer cooperation between the Alliance and Switzerland.

The Secretary General will discuss security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa at the Geneva Centre of Security Policy, where he will deliver a keynote speech on Thursday afternoon (2 March 2017). In his address, the Secretary General will make the case for the importance of projecting stability beyond NATOs borders and set out how NATO can empower local forces and build resilient institutions.

During his debut trip to Switzerland as Secretary General, Mr. Stoltenberg will hold a range of bilateral talks, including with the Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Didier Burkhalter and the Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Mr. Guy Parmelin. In Geneva, the Secretary General will meet with representatives from international organisations and NGOs, including with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr. Peter Maurer.

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Congress Asks NSA for Estimate of American Surveillance Before Reauthorization – InsideSources

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National Security Agency building at Fort Meade, Md. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file)

Congress is still waiting for an intelligence community estimate of the number of American communications swept up in widespread surveillance programs authorized by law due to expire this year.

Lawmakers blasted the intelligence community Wednesday after a classified briefing from members of the National Security Agency, FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and others. Representatives again failed to respond to a year-old request for an estimate of the number of American communications caught up in electronic surveillance programs.

Representatives have asked repeatedly for the information ahead of Congress reauthorization of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) Amendments Act Section 702. The law legalizes broad electronic surveillance programs like Prism, revealed by NSA leaker Edward Snowden in 2013. Section 702 expires Dec. 31.

Michigan Democrat Rep. John Conyers said the intelligence community has not so much as responded to another December request for the estimate. He added lawmakers will not simply take the governments word on the size of the so-called incidental collection.

Section 702 authorizes NSAs upstream surveillance programs when the signals intelligence agency taps the physical infrastructure of the internet, such as undersea fiber cables, to surveil the content of foreign communications including emails, instant messages, etc. as they exit and enter the U.S.

It also allows the agency to submit selectors to U.S.-based communications providers, like e-mail addresses, who then provide the agency with any communications relevant to those selectors.

The programs essentially allow NSA to incidentally sweep up unrelated data belonging to Americans in communication with foreigners. Privacy advocates likeElizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at NYU Laws Brennan Center for Justice, say such incidental collection likely amounts to millions or tens of millions of warrantless interceptions.

I dont mean to imply that this trust was misplaced, Goitein told the House Judiciary Committee during the unclassified half of Wednesdays briefing. In fact, weve seen essentially no evidence of intentional misuse. But what we have seen is mission creep, so that a law designed to protect against foreign threats to the United States has become a major source of warrantless access to Americans data and a tool for ordinary, domestic law enforcement.

NSA can share raw data it collects absent a warrant with CIA and FBI. All three can hold onto data for five years, but encrypted communications, those reasonably believed to contain secret meaning, and any U.S. person information that has foreign intelligence value or is evidence of a crime, can be kept indefinitely. None estimate how many Americans are swept up annually in what privacy advocates have dubbed back door searches.

Goitein said that data can be used to prosecute Americans for crimes unrelated to the original search. Legal requirements for secrecy and national security allow prosecutors in some instances not to reveal how such information was gathered, making it difficult to surmise if its happened already.

She and others at Wednesdays hearing including California Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu say thats a clear Fourth Amendment violation, and Congress should rewrite the law with reforms instead of a blanket reauthorization. Jeff Kosseff, a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, argued national security gives the intelligence community exception to the Fourth Amendments warrant requirement.

An anonymous White House official told Reuters Wednesday the Trump administration supports renewal without reforms.

We support the clean reauthorization and the administration believes its necessary to protect the security of the nation, the official said.

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Congress Asks NSA for Estimate of American Surveillance Before Reauthorization - InsideSources

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Jaishankar meets US NSA, Speaker – The Hindu

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Jaishankar meets US NSA, Speaker
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On his third trip to the United States since the election of Donald Trump, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar met U.S. National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon on Wednesday.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar meets US NSA, discuss bilateral tiesEconomic Times
S Jaishankar holds talks with US Speaker Paul Ryan and NSA McMaster; safety of Indians, counter terrorism ops ...India.com
S. Jaishankar meets US NSA Lt. Gen. HR McMasterBusiness Standard
India Today
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Personal Mini Storage has become NSA’s eighth Participating Regional Operator – Yahoo Finance

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ORLANDO, Fla., March 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Personal Mini Storage ("Personal Mini"), Central Florida's largest family owned storage operator is pleased to announce they have entered into definitive agreements with National Storage Affiliates Trust ("NSA"). Personal Mini, headed by Marc and Laurie Smith, has become NSA's eighth Participating Regional Operator ("PRO").

"We will continue to retain our management team and operate our management company as a family owned business while at the same time gaining all the benefits of being part of a large public company," said Marc Smith, President of Personal Mini, "Joining NSA as its newest PRO is the best way to accelerate our growth through NSA's attractive capital structure, and at the same time strengthen our operational tools by integrating them into NSA's 'best practices' platform. We expect to see significant growth, both personally and professionally, for our entire team as a result of our affiliation with NSA."

Marc Smith has more than 20 years of first-hand experience in owning and operating self-storage facilities. He is currently completing his term as Chairman of the national Self Storage Association ("SSA"). A licensed real estate broker, building contractor and Orlando philanthropist, Marc previously served as past president and national board member of the Southeast Region of the SSA. Marc specializes in all aspects of the self storage business, including acquisitions, site selection, start-ups, construction management, design, systems analysis and more. The Personal Mini brand continues to grow with the addition of 4 self storage properties on March 1, 2017, bringing the total number under management to forty (40) across mid-Florida.

Arlen D. Nordhagen, NSA's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are extremely pleased to introduce Personal Mini, a long-time industry leader, as our eighth PRO. Our new partnership with Personal Mini will significantly strengthen NSA's presence in the Florida market. We look forward to working with the entire Personal Mini team and welcome them to NSA."

About National Storage Affiliates Trust

National Storage Affiliates Trust is a Maryland real estate investment trust focused on the ownership, operation and acquisition of self-storage properties located within the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas throughout the United States. NSA currently holds ownership in and operates 453 self storage properties located in 23 states with approximately 28 million rentable square feet, and is one of the largest operators of self storage properties among public and private companies in the U.S. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.nationalstorageaffiliates.com. NSA is included in the MSCI US REIT Index (RMS/RMZ) and the Russell 2000 Index of Companies.

About Personal Mini Storage

Personal Mini Storage is operated by Laurie & Marc Smith and is Central Florida's largest family owned storage operator. As of March 1, 2017, Personal Mini manages 40 properties with approximately 2.7 million rentable square feet in mid-Florida. To find out more about Personal Mini Storage or to find the storage location nearest to you, visitwww.personalministorage.com.

Media Contact: Cheryl Lewis, Personal Mini Storage, 407-297-3683, cl@personalministorage.com

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Personal Mini Storage has become NSA's eighth Participating Regional Operator - Yahoo Finance

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Second Amendment – North Country Now

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Second Amendment

Thursday, March 2, 2017 - 6:56 am

I am writing this to all sportsman. We have what I believe to be a once in a lifetime opportunity in our country to protect our Second Amendment right to bear arms and to clarify our Second Amendment to own and carry a handgun legally in all states. Any citizen in possession of a license to carry firearms should be able to enjoy that right in all 50 states as they do in the state of issuance. We need every sportsman, man, woman and child to write your congressman, senators and the president to encourage them to support this bill. I would ask all hunting club presidents to encourage all members to write, all law enforcement officers to encourage all colleagues to write, all sportsman to tell your friends and relatives to write. We have a president that is on our side, along with a congress and Supreme Court. Do not let this opportunity pass us by.

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