Kansas City Star | Medical school wins KC Council approval to demolish buildings Kansas City Star Kansas City's largest medical school can demolish five buildings in a historic district as part of an ambitious campus expansion, the City Council decided Thursday. The Council voted 10-2 in favor of the Kansas City University of Medicine and ... |
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Medical school wins KC Council approval to demolish buildings - Kansas City Star
Yale Daily News (blog) | Med school offers elective on healthy eating Yale Daily News (blog) Sanjeet Baidwan, a clinical instructor at the School of Medicine and co-leader of the course, said students also discussed scientific journal articles, met with local chefs and visited local community gardens to learn about different approaches to ... |
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Med school offers elective on healthy eating - Yale Daily News (blog)
VALDOSTA The Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority is working on several projects, had a site visit and is meeting with a medical school.
Executive Director Andrea Schruijer said the Development Authority is working with eight projects with a total capital investment of $156 million and could create 455 new jobs.
Six of the projects are new and two of the projects are with existing industries, Schruijer said.
One of the proposed projects includes the medical school. A medical school has been proposed for the Valdosta High School North Forrest Street site once the new VHS opens.
Last week, a prospective project came to the Valdosta-Lowndes County area for a site visit, Schruijer said. The visit went extremely well and the project representatives have expressed interest in a return visit.
Were working with them and the land owner to see how we can work and facilitate some of that and rail, she said. Its a very heavy rail project.
The VLDA also met with the proposed medical school the Wednesday following the meeting. Schruijer will also be meeting with the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerces board to update it on the medical school.
The authority also held its Business Retention Action Team Luncheon in conjunction with Georgia Tech Manufacturing hosted at Wiregrass Technical College.
They learned a lot about solar energy and some of their incentives that are offered to help them with that, Schruijer said.
The VLDA has done retail leakage reports for Lake Parks outlet mall, she said. The report shows what the mall needs and what would fit best for the city.
The VLDA meets 5:30 p.m., the third Tuesday of each month, at 103 Roosevelt Drive. The meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be March 28.
Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.
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Medical school, industry focus of meeting - Valdosta Daily Times
February 23, 2017 by David Orenstein Credit: Brown University
More than 100 years ago, the influential "Flexner Report" on medical education decried the then-prevalent model of for-profit medical education, leading to its complete disappearance from the United States for decades. But just recently, for-profit medical education has returned, note three Brown University scholars in a new JAMA article that considers what the revival might mean.
"It's not so much that we're in favor of it," said Dr. Phil Gruppuso, professor of pediatrics in the Warren Alpert Medical School and former associate dean for medical education. "We are merely documenting that it's happening. We hope that it can make a positive contribution since it's going to happen."
The turning point came in 1996 when antitrust litigation against the American Bar Association forced it to accredit for-profit law schools, wrote co-authors Gruppuso, Dr. Eli Adashi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and former dean of medicine and biological sciences, and current Brown medical student Gopika Krishna. Legal advisors for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits allopathic (M.D.-granting) medical schools, took notice. By 2013, LCME had abandoned its prohibition on accrediting for-profit schools.
At one time, the country had only one for-profit medical school: the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic (D.O.-granting) Medicine in Colorado, which opened in 2007. But the first allopathic for-profit school emerged in 2014 when Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Puerto Rico was acquired by the for-profit public benefit corporation Arist Medical Sciences University. Since then, two more schools have attained accreditation. There are now nearly 500 students in the for-profit medical class of 2020.
Modern accreditation standards mean that many of the Flexner-era ills of for-profit educationlittle or no requirements for admission or graduation and lax attention to instructional quality or attendanceare long bygone, the authors wrote.
But acceptance of for-profit medical education is still far from universal, the article states. In fact, Adashi and Gruppuso said that many fellow medical educators still haven't realized that for-profit instruction has returned.
"It's a fait accompli, although most people don't know that," Adashi said. "They are very surprised to hear it."
Instead, the widespread presumption of the field is that medical education is exclusively not for-profit oriented.
"Additional reputational challenges faced by the new for-profit medical schools stem from the view that medical education is an inviolable public good that is ethically incompatible with the for-profit motive," Adashi, Krishna and Gruppuso wrote.
The schools, for example, will have to do much better than some for-profit colleges outside of medicine that have recently become entangled in commercial failures and scandals, they said.
What they could contribute
Because for-profit medical schools are not tied to research universities, they may be more hard pressed to offer students exposure to making scientific and medical advances, Adashi said. But he acknowledged that research pursuits, while important, may at times lead to distractions from teaching. Limited to just the classroom, for-profit instructors might be in a position to accomplish the mission of graduating competent licensable physicians who can assist in closing the nation's physician shortage, Adashi said.
The absence of research might pose another narrow advantage for for-profit schools, Adashi and Gruppuso said: a lower cost structure. Were schools, despite their profit motive, to use these lower costs to charge lower tuitions, they could address the serious problem of medical student debt. But so far data suggests that for-profit schools are not charging lower tuitions or offering more generous scholarships, they said.
"Finally, new for-profit medical schools could distinguish themselves by committing to innovation in undergraduate medical education in the best tradition of the private sector and in the spirit of a market economy," the authors wrote.
But to do any good, given that they are for-profit schools, they'll have to show they can operate in the black, Gruppuso said. He has doubts.
"The tuition-based business model, if that is what it is, remains puzzling," Gruppuso said. "It's not nearly clear that a medical school, properly structured and meeting all the accreditation requirements, can actually make money."
Explore further: Medical professors question 'residency placement fever'
More information: JAMA, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.0920
For people with a greater than 50 percent chance of landing their top job choice and a greater than 90 percent chance of getting a job in their field, would it seem like overkill for each of them to apply for more than 40 ...
For-profit medical schools are starting to pop up around the country, promising to create new family doctors for underserved rural regions.
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Back after a century, for-profit medical schools could make impact - Medical Xpress
Gov. Nathan Deal was unequivocal in his opposition to a revived religious liberty measure on Thursday, signaling he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk.
I didnt want there to be any confusion about where I stand on the RFRA bill: I have no desire or appetite to entertain that legislation, Deal said.
He was referring to a one-page proposal introduced this week by state Sen. Marty Harbin that brought the debate over the legislation back to the forefront. Harbins measure would require the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to apply in Georgia.
The governor on Wednesday said the state must take an extremely cautious approach to the measure but also said it was only fair that we give it due consideration. A day later, though, Deals position had hardened as he criticized Harbins proposal in unsparing terms.
Our state is doing exceptionally well and weve seen rather disastrous consequences from other states who have made a departure on that issue, he said. I see no reason or justification for us to do anything further.
An uphill climb
Harbins measure is significantly scaled down from the eight-page bill that Deal vetoed last year, in part to make it harder for the governor to oppose. Deal, while a member of Congress, voted for the federal version of the legislation that Harbins measure addresses.
Even though it has about 20 Republican co-sponsors, the legislation faces an arduous climb in the statehouse.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston backed last years version of the proposal but moved this year to try to put the contentious debate behind them. Both have repeatedly said it should be up to federal lawmakers and not state ones to tackle the debate thats divided the Legislature for more than three years.
In a clear sign that he is still queasy with the measure, Cagle assigned Harbins proposal, Senate Bill 233, to a committee on Wednesday that gives him and his allies more control over whether the bill moves forward.
The legislation has taken on various forms over time, but supporters typically want Georgia to join the 21 other states that have similar laws they say will protect people of faith from government intrusion, as well as strengthen legal protections for opponents of gay marriage.
Harbin and other supporters say that, at the very minimum, Georgia should commit to upholding the 1993 RFRA legislation supported by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.
That statute requires the government to prove a compelling governmental interest before it interferes with a persons exercise of religion. A 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling concluded that the law doesnt apply to the states, and dozens of legislatures have since passed their own versions to cover actions by state governments.
State Sen. Josh McKoon, one of the most outspoken advocates for the legislation, said Republican lawmakers owe it to their constituents to vote on the measure.
Almost every Republican legislator I know of with a contested election last year campaigned on religious freedom legislation, McKoon said. Can anyone credibly say if a Democratic governor was threatening a veto of SB 233 that there would be any hesitation among Republican legislators moving forward? Of course not.
Not part of my agenda
The opponents, including powerful business boosters and gay rights groups, warn the measure amounts to legalized discrimination and point to executives from dozens of big-name companies, including Apple, Disney and Time Warner, who called on the governor to veto the bill.
And theyve been quick to cite Indiana and North Carolina as cautionary tales. Indiana still faces economic aftershocks after passing similar legislation in 2015, while North Carolina has been at the center of a raging national debate and the loss of high-profile sports and cultural events after adopting a much broader measure involving transgenders using bathrooms.
Deal, too, invoked the struggles in both those states when pressed on his stance for this years legislative proposal. In two separate interviews, he tacked to his veto message from last year, in which he said religious liberty legislation threatens to undercut Georgias pro-business environment and its welcoming image.
This is not something that is part of my agenda, he said, and its something I do not view as being beneficial to the state.
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Georgia governor opposes new 'religious liberty' bill - MyAJC
Activists took to one of Americas most enduring icons to publicly fight the anti-immigration doctrines introduced by the Trump administration during its first month in office.
Accessing the public observation deck at the top of the statues base, protestors hung a 20-foot by 3-foot banner off the decks edge which read simply REFUGEES WELCOME.
A group known as Alt Lady Liberty has taken credit for the act and posted this tweet:
The group also emailed out the following statement:
"Almost all Americans have descendants from somewhere else. Immigrants and refugees make this country great. And turning away refugees, like we did to Anne Frank, does not make us great. Refugees are welcome here, Muslims are welcome here and immigrants are welcome here.
And it's not just our ancestors. Every American knows an immigrant or a refugee. We wanted to send a reminder about America when we're at our best -- the country that's a beacon of freedom to the world, built by immigrants. Walling off countries or entire religions is against our values. That's what the Statue of Liberty stands for."
The act is illegal, as hanging anything off the landmark is strictly prohibited, but that didnt keep like-minded tourists from snapping selfies that prominently displayed a sentiment near to their hearts. Shortly after the banner was hung it was removed by Park Rangers who oversee the attraction.
Authorities have stated that an investigation is underway to ascertain the identities of those behind the act.
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A 'Refugees Welcome' Banner Was Just Unfurled On The Statue Of ... - GOOD Magazine
KHOU.com staff , KHOU 4:25 PM. CST February 23, 2017
Liberty County Precinct 1 Constable Justin Johnston (Photo: LinkedIn profile)
LIBERTY COUNTY - A Liberty County constable badly hurt in a traffic accident last week has taken a turn for the worse, relatives say.
Justin Johnston was critically injured when he was hit by a pickup truck while directing traffic on Highway 146 in Dayton.
He was moved out of ICU at Memorial Hermann Hospital over the weekend, He was removed from a ventilator and even took his first steps since the accident.
But Johnstons aunt sent the following update Thursday to the Liberty County Sheriffs Office.
Justin Johnston was critically injured when he was hit by a pickup while directing traffic in Dayton. (Air 11)
It's not been a good day. He is mostly unresponsive. We are able to wake him but only for very brief moments. The ironic part is that he was well on his way of having the best 24 hours he'd had since one week ago tonight.
We have learned that things change very quickly. But, God does not. We have learned that in moments of complete desperation, we are completely held by God. He whispers in Justin's ear that He will never leave him or turn His back on him.
As always, I am so thankful for the men and women of the Liberty County Sheriffs Department and the Constables who stay with him every minute. There's no way that Julie, Brent and I would be able to function without them.
Continue to pray that he will be completely restored. Thanks! Tomorrow will be a better day.
Friends of Johnston have established a benefit fund to help his family as he recovers. Anyone who wishes to make a donation to the Johnston family can do so at any Prosperity Bank in the account name of "Justin Johnston Benefit Fund."
( 2017 KHOU)
KHOU
Liberty Co. constable improving, out of ICU after being hit directing traffic
KHOU
Prayer service scheduled for Constable in critical condition after crash
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Family: Liberty County constable now 'unresponsive' | khou.com - KHOU.com
Lewis Hamilton wants new F1 owners Liberty to give the drivers freedom to reach the public by social media on race weekends, without issues over broadcasting rights making their lives difficult.
In the Bernie Ecclestone era, drivers were subject to the same tight restrictions on streaming video from the paddock that have apply to everyone. That led to drivers getting into trouble if any content was deemed to have broken the rules.
I dont have all the answers, I mean that is not my expertise, Hamilton said Thursday. But if you look at football, social media is so much greater, they utilize social media a lot better in football, in the NBA, in the NFL. In F1 every time for example I would have posted a picture or a video I would have got a warning from the FIA, or notice telling you to take it down.
This year I am hoping that they will change that rule, and allow social media for all of us because social media obviously an incredible medium for the world to communicate with. And for the sport to be able to grow, it is a super easy free tool to grow for the sport, for us to use to share it, to engage with other people.
There are people who are following me, some of whom are on right now, who have not been F1 fans for a long, long time, but one of their friends who happens to follow me or one of the other drivers has said to follow, and has since started to watch the races. I am sure it is one of the fastest and its the new way, the new way forwards.
Meanwhile, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agreed with Hamilton on the role of social media, and believes Liberty will be able to implement changes to the sport sooner rather than later. Wolff says that improvements to the show could be seen this season.
Of course you are always limited by contracts and also part of the success of F1 was long-term contracts that give F1 stability, said Wolff. But that also means that probably you might not be able change everything at once.
But I think there will be quite some short-term changes, things that are possible to be implemented. At least what we have heard, in terms of enhancing the show at the track, giving access to the paddock, giving teams and the media more rights, and the drivers more rights. So I think there are quite some things that are going to happen pretty quickly.
Wolff also acknowledged the contribution of Bernie Ecclestone over he decades, but stressed that Liberty brings new specialist knowledge to the table.
Bernie has invented the sport from a couple of racing driver and racing teams meeting each other to the most successful global port in the world, generating $1.5 billion in EBITDA [earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization]. Thats a serious company. And I think there are areas where there is nobody better than him. I havent met any more skilled deal maker [a] Machiavelli and that is part of F1, and has made it what it is.
Now with the new shareholders coming in, they have great expertise in the TV market, TV rights, sports rights. The USA is much more advanced in monetizing sports rights through either free TV, pay TV, digital channels, and I think it provides opportunity.
There is a certain risk that we might miss the deal making ability of Bernie, and there is a certain opportunity with Liberty coming in with know-how that we didnt have previously. My message is the most important thing is to recognize what the DNA and USP of F1 is, and to keep that, and develop it from there.
Wolff confirmed that various members of the team have been in contact with Ross Brawn and the sports other new bosses.
We have spoken to each other a couple of occasions, a few times over the last weeks. As a team, various team members in their fields, we had a very regular exchange, with Ross, with Chase Carey, and with Sean [Bratches]. And they are interested in hearing our opinions, and hearing where we see deficits, and where we see opportunity. It was a very pro-active approach. I think just the way it should be.
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Lewis Hamilton hopes Liberty will relax F1's social media rules - FOXSports.com
Andy Zimmerman, Special to the Statesman Journal 9:07 p.m. PT Feb. 23, 2017
Cinnamon Bear was a fixture of the holiday at Lipmans in downtown Salem. His furry embrace and yummy Cinnamon Bear cookies greeted scores of youngsters who visited the department store over the years.(Photo: Statesman Journal file)Buy Photo
It went from being an eye opener to an eye sore; it was a sign of growth and a tale of downtown decay.
When Lipman, Wolfe & Co. announced on April 21, 1953, it was going to build a store in Salem, it was part of a department store boon. Five weeks earlier, Meier & Frank told of its plans for a downtown Salem store. And later in the decade, Sears constructed a store in the new Capitol Shopping Center.
When completed, the $3 million Lipman store would be the largest department store in Oregon, outside of Portland, store officials told the Oregon Statesman. The new store, at the southwest corner of Chemeketa and Liberty streets NE, was once the site of a home known as A.N. Gilbert house, which was torn down in 1930. The family still owned the property at the time it was leased to Lipmans, the newspaper reported.
Before the Dec. 29, 1953, groundbreaking, a luncheon was held at the Marion Hotel, where Salem Mayor Al Loucks presented the ceremonial keys to the city to Harold Wendel of Lipman, Wolfe & Co. of Portland in connection with the pouring of the first cement for the store.
Among the guests was Agnes Schucking, who was born 70 years earlier on the store site at Liberty and Chemeketa.
Lipmans, which might be best remembered for the Cinnamon Bear radio story character that was part of its Christmas advertising, opened its Salem store on Sept. 9, 1954. Oregon Gov. Paul Patterson cut a foot-wide pink-satin ribbon across the Liberty Street entrance. The store had four floors, with a tea room (the Cherry Room), lunch counter (The Chocolate Bar), a beauty salon and a fourth-floor terrace.
Focal point of interest inside the Liberty Street entrance on opening day will be an antique sled filled with 30 dozen roses, the Capital Journal reported on Sept. 8, 1954. The sled, of hand carved wood, once belonged to a duchess in the court of Queen Marie Antionette, according to Lipmans interior decorators.
MORE: Find pastTime Capsules.
Tea for nearly 200 guests would be served daily in Lipmans elegant Cherry Room, the Oregon Statesman said.
Tea at Lipmans will become as much a Salem tradition as picnics in Bushs Pasture and concerts in Willson Park, store officials told the Oregon Statesman.
In 1979, the store closed for two days and re-emerged with a new owner, Marshall Field, and a new name, Frederick & Nelson.
The store closed abruptly on Oct. 2, 1986. Forty employees lost their jobs, according to a story in the Oct. 3, 1986, Statesman Journal. The stores windows were boarded up shortly thereafter.
Outside of a few events held inside the otherwise empty store, the building stood empty for nearly nine years. A new owner in 1991 did little to the property.
The city was in the process of condemning the property when it was sold in June 1995 to another developer, who remodeled the building.
The newly named Liberty Plaza opened the following year, with LaBelle Fleur opening its doors on Oct. 14, 1996, as the first store.
Andy Zimmerman is a former Statesman Journal copy editor who writes a column about local history twice per month. You can contact him with comments or suggestions for future stories at SJTimeCapsule@gmail.com.
Time capsule: Meier & Frank ushered new era
Heritage: Teens learn about female mill worker from early 1900s
One store led to Lancaster Mall
Do you know of an iconic Salem event, location or business that has been lost to history and should be remembered? Send suggestions to SJTimeCapsule@gmail.com.
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Heritage: Liberty Plaza used to be fancy Lipman's - Statesman Journal
"Free movement of people and goods across borders are incredibly important things. And Trump is not into either of those things"Katherine Mangu-Ward.
At the 10th annual International Students for Liberty Conference, Reason magazine Editor in Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward, former editor and longtime head of the Institute for Humane Studies Marty Zupan, and I discussed the history and future of Reason and libertarianism in President Donald Trump's America.
We each talked about the signature issues of the decades we were at the magazine's helm (the 1980s for Zupan, the '00s for me, and currently for Mangu-Ward) and whether libertarianism is waxing or waning.
This podcast was recorded live on Friday, February 17. Now finishing up its first decade, SFL reported that about 1,700 guests from all over the world attended this year's conference.
Produced by Mark McDaniel.
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Reason and Libertarianism in the Trump Era [Reason Podcast] - Reason (blog)
Local Libertarians eyeing city, state government seats Mid-City Messenger The Libertarian Party of Orleans Parish is looking to gain notoriety with a few local government seats, but they're still searching for locals who want to get involved. We're not going to start winning offices right off the bat, Kirk Coco, party ... |
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Local Libertarians eyeing city, state government seats - Mid-City Messenger
All it takes is a Hoppe, skip and a jump for those, who are joking online about throwing communists from helicopters, to justify their actions.
A growing wave of libertarians and anarcho-capitalists are finding themselves drawn to the world of anti-communist rhetoric, which extends to the nth degree. So, is commie killing a justified response to the violation of the NAP, or is this simply lunacy concocted to ideologically discriminate? Where does the line between threat and belief system exist?
To discover this, we must first look at the emerging resurgence of Hans-Hermann Hoppe and his beliefs, through the Facebook page Hoppean Snake Memes. Its a page which has amassed nearly seventeen thousand likes for its ideological tint, which takes heavy opposition to Marxism and Leninism; ideologies which are acting in opposition to anarcho-capitalism.
Just as one must fight to maintain their freedom, one must also work to secure their own free society. The difference between an anarcho-capitalist society and an anarcho-individualist society is based on the premise of the left and right dichotomy, with anarcho-capitalists representing the right-wing and property rights, and the anarcho-individualists representing the left-wing and communism.
Anarcho-individualism, as indicated through the works of Max Stirner, completely disregards pragmatism, societal progress and morality to favour the Ubermensch perspective of Friedrich Nietzsche, which essentially involves giving complete reign of ones life and actions over to the people to allow them to decide their life based on their own moral compass.
Essentially, given the rise of groups such as Antifa which run contrary to the libertarian principles of personal and property rights Hoppean Snake Memes takes a hyperbolic approach to Hoppes original views by mixing them with Augusto Pinochets historically notorious habit of dropping communists from helicopters.
The death of communists is seen very much in the same way that one would see the killing of ISIS regardless of whether or not individual ISIS members have committed atrocities, their group is reason enough for suspicion and consequential action to be taken to stop it. Given that groups such as Antifa and ISIS threaten the peace and prosperity of societal participants (since communism and Islam represent the two biggest terror threats in the world at the moment), it is clear that action must be taken.
I interviewed the administrator of the Facebook page who simply went by the monicker Snek for the purposes of conversation; he elaborated on his disdain for communism, which he saw as antithetical to a society which follows along a pathway of objective self-servience and capital-based individualism.
When I say communist, I am referring to one who advocates gulags. Not simply worker control of the means of production. I have nothing against worker control of the MOP, provided its all voluntary, et cetera et cetera.
Upon being pressed as to how this runs contrary to freedom of association and freedom of speech, the terminology of threat was used to justify the way in which communist advocacy works; their ideals stomping over the civil liberties of person and property.
This, paired with the forced radicalism of groups such as Antifa, is now acting as the basis for an emerging ideology that pairs anarchism with practicality, in order to minimise big government to small government and gradually make the transition to a stateless society. This is why the forces in question have fallen in love with the bombastic reductions taken by Donald Trump; reductions which run counter to the prior Democratic tendency to slip down a slippery slope and fall into a pit of authoritarian tripe (think Franklin D. Roosevelt). This heavy focus on pragmatism for libertarianism has led followers to co-opt the alternative right and expand its audience in the retaliation against leftism.
Snek detailed the following:
It should be noted that the helicopter memes are, for the most part, an exaggeration; the purpose, though, is to provoke thought on what is to be considered legitimate self-defence. The argument that Pinochet did nothing wrong stems from the argument that Allende would have been worse. Allende had very close ties to MIR and Castro, judging by Castros actions we know that if Allende was even remotely like him, Allende would have been objectively worse than Pinochet, in terms of human rights violations.
Given the low polling numbers of the Libertarian Party and the fact that the ideology has as much momentum behind it as a Snorlax on a bridge, can one really blame a frustrated branch of Austrian economics for a kneejerk reaction to the left and their omnipresent threat of attack on our fundamental rights?
Out of the philosophical and epistemological questions that lie behind the nebulous terminology of the NAP, it should be determined (at least to some extent) by the public consensus what is considered justifiable retaliation.
Do you approve of the commie killin freedom fighters, or do you simply see them as being full of Pinoshit?
We here at Being Libertarian are not at liberty (ironically) to disclose our personal position on ideological discrimination, however, we must advocate peace towards your fellow man, to set a good example for the thieves more extreme members of the left.
And stay up to date with all my articles on my personal Facebook page.
This post was written by David McManus.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
David McManus has an extensive background in youth politics and of advocacy with regards to the libertarian and anarcho-capitalist movements. David draws his values from the works of Stirner, Hoppe and Rothbard. He is currently a student in Australia with a passion for writing, which carries into a healthy zest for liberty-based activism. Despite an aspiring career in politics, he considers himself a writer at heart with a steady niche for freelance work.
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Libertarianism, Helicopters, and Leftists - Being Libertarian
Cathy Young
Cathy Young is a regular contributor to Reason magazine and Real Clear Politics.
The people who gathered for the 10th annual conference of the International Society of Students for Liberty in Washington last weekend were a motley crowd that included anti-war activists with neon-colored hair and law students in three-piece suits. In the exhibit hall, a display honoring Ronald Reagan was only a few feet away from a LGBT group with a rainbow version of the Dont Tread on Me Gadsen flag and from the table of a group called Muslims for Liberty.
Despite the festive atmosphere, this years speakers at the libertarian event were mostly in a dark mood worse than last year, when many warned about a rising authoritarian tide. While libertarians tend to be at the Republican end of the two-party spectrum, Donald Trump Republicanism is about as un-libertarian as you get. There was raucous applause when Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor of Reason magazine (where I am a contributing editor), declared at the opening-night session, Free movement of people and goods across the border is good. Another Reason editor, Nick Gillespie, contrasted the libertarian spirit of cosmopolitanism and tolerance with Trumps demonization of undesirables and with the lefts anti-pluralist drive to silence politically incorrect speech.
Tom Palmer, vice president for international programs at the nonprofit Atlas Network, also spoke of illiberal trends on both the left and the right in his talk on global anti-libertarianism. But while Palmer named left-wing identity politics and thought-policing as part of the problem, his focus was the threat from the right: in America, Trumpism, with its cult of the leader who embodies the peoples will and its paranoia about the foreign; in Europe, populist, nationalist, and sometimes outright fascist movements, many financed by Russias authoritarian regime.
Social psychologist and New York University professor Jonathan Haidt, whose talk on the rise of the safety culture in colleges was probably the biggest hit of the conference, warned that the end of liberal democracy was a real threat. Haidt, whose 2012 book, The Righteous Mind, examined the moral foundations of political beliefs, painted a dire picture of polarization in America and of the drift toward a leftist echo chamber on college campuses. Social justice, Haidt said, is replacing pursuit of knowledge as the central mission of universities, and there is less and less tolerance for dissent. The result is a generation sympathetic to censorship of offensive speech.
Haidt argued that diversity of thought is desperately needed on campus, and that libertarians may be the key. Conservatives are seen as poison in the academy, while libertarians are merely viewed with wariness and confusion, and are thus in a far better position to get unorthodox opinions heard. Do something about the mess that were descending into, he implored the audience, mostly of libertarian students.
In the age of Trumpian populism versus political correctness run amok, libertarianism offers promise beyond the campus, too if it doesnt descend into laissez-faire utopianism at home and isolationism abroad. Gillespie noted that if libertarianism is defined as a preference for less government involvement in both economic and moral matters, at least one poll finds that libertarian leaners are now the single largest group of voters, at 27 percent (while 26 percent are conservative, 23 percent liberal, and 15 percent populist).
While parts of the conference had a decidedly pessimistic tone, there was optimism as well and discussion of libertarian victories from deregulation to gay civil rights. Libertarianism may not have all the answers; but right now, it may be our best hope for rebuilding a culture of freedom and tolerance.
Cathy Young is a regular contributor to Reason magazine and Real Clear Politics.
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Colorado State Senator Greg Brophy speaks about his concern that new gun laws would hurt the local economy, during a debate period on a day of voting on gun control bills before the Colorado Legislature, at the State Capitol, in Denver, Friday March 8, 2013. Colorado Democrats are on the cusp of advancing gun-control proposals Friday in a state balancing a history of heartbreaking shootings with a Western heritage where gun ownership is treasured by many. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Greg Brophy has racked up plenty of political mileage in his 50 years. The Republican served two sessions in the state House starting in January 2003 before moving up to the Senate, where for nearly 10 years he represented an immense swath of Colorado's eastern plains. He also made a brief run for governor in 2014. Then, it was off to the nation's capital for a stint as U.S. Rep. Ken Buck's chief of staff. Now, Brophy's back in Colorado, where he resides in the Denver area with wife Angela and works in public affairs. Always a farmer (he holds an ag science degree from CSU in Fort Collins), he still helps run the family farm back in his hometown, Wray. The prep wrestler-turned-avid bicyclist won friends across the aisle for his two-wheel obsession and may well have been one of the most physically fit Coloradans ever to take a seat in the legislature. And though his grappling days are long past, Brophy is known for being as scrappy off the mat as he was on it back in high school.
Catch us up on your family, and tell us about your new gig.
The most important family news is that Angela and I are grandparents! Our youngest is a freshman in high school, so we will be empty nesters before too long.
I took a position with Michael Best Strategies as the V.P. of Western States. MIchael Best is a public affairs company with offices in D.C., Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Texas and Utah. The firm has excellent relationships with the Trump Administration, Congress and the Senate, with a powerhouse in Colorado including Jeff Thormodsgaard, myself, Katie Wolf, Jenise May, and Alex Hayes.
You won a seat in the state House of Representatives in 2002 as easily one of the most conservative members of the General Assembly. Have you evolved in any way philosophically?
I'm slightly more libertarian now than I was, a lot more cynical, and much, much, much more cognizant of the need to maintain the majority (something we all took for granted in 2004 to our detriment).
What did you learn as a senior congressional staffer during your time in D.C.? Any eye-openers?
It's dysfunctional, and it's truly a swamp. Under (former House Speaker John) Boehner, PAC contributions were used to enforce party discipline. (Current House Speaker Paul) Ryan is changing that, thank goodness. I became a much bigger fan and advocate for returning power to the states; it's the only way to really "drain the swamp."
It seems the state's transportation grid is always in crisis, yet the legislature never comes up with a lasting solution. Everybody says this year is different - but will it be?
Probably not.
It is true we need more money. It is also true that we waste entirely too much money on studies and environmental mitigation. My county commissioner friends swear they can build roads for way less than half. That's directly related to red tape and regulation. A grand bargain would address both and make both sides uncomfortable. In my opinion, that takes the kind of leadership that Gov. Owens brought. We haven't had that kind of leadership since he left.
What was your proudest achievement - and what was your biggest disappointment - during your dozen years in the General Assembly?
Proudest: Winning the argument on gun control even though we lost the vote. Plus, I led the way to modernizing trucking laws in Colorado even though the bill was taken away by the majority party. Biggest disappointment: never being a chairman.
You used to host an annual shooting event out at your farm and invited a wide swath of Colorado's political firmament. Who was the most unlikely participant ever to show up?
Well, this is easy, (former New York City Mayor Michael) Bloomberg's lobbyist for gun control came and shot a lot of watermelons. It's interesting to note that during the 2012 Pedal the Plains, Gov. Hickenlooper was in my house in Wray practically begging for an invitation to shoot the following year - a mere three months before introducing the (Democrats') gun-control legislation.
How much mileage do you put in on your bike these days?
Last weekend was spectacular - 70 miles! My ideal ride is four hours and close to 50 miles in the summer.
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The 2016 election wasthe gift that keeps on giving for the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party ofIowa (LPIA) will soon officially be given major party status, allowinglibertarians to be on the ballot in future state elections, and greater exposure for its candidates.
We plan to have a record number of candidates in 2018, said LPIA Chair Keith Laube in an interview for IVN. There were a record 25 Libertarian candidates on the ballot in Iowain 2016.We have been building a base of Libertarian registered voters in Iowa since 2008, the first year Iowa voters could register as a Libertarian.Our plan istoreach out to voters to continue increasing the number of registered Libertarians in Iowa.
Iowa state law allows political parties to gain status when 2 percent of the vote is earned by the partys presidential candidate. Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian presidential candidate in 2016, received a little over 3 percent in the state about the same percentage he got at the national level.
We plan to have a record number of candidates in 2018.
American elections have always been dominated by the two-party system at every institutional level of elections and the political landscape. The plight of third parties to get on the ballot has been a long struggle. Ballot access is easy for Democrats and Republicans, but that isnt the case for Libertarians or other third party candidates.
And while the Libertarian Party has garnered ballot access and party status in several states after 2016,Laube says obstacles remain to keeping the LPs party status.
Per Iowa code, to maintain party status in Iowa a party must receive at least 2% of the vote for the top of the ticket. So in 2018, our governor candidate must receive at least 2% of the vote, he explained. We met with state officials and have been conversing back and forth with them as we go through the transition in party status. The state officials have been very professional and good to work with.
Laube added:
We need to continue to educate voters thatLibertarian candidates are very capable of serving at the State and Federal level. Libertarian views attractqualified candidates who run for office because they want positivechange to occur in Iowa.Libertarian candidates are often independent thinkers whodo not want to be draggedalong with the partisan political baggage that comes with the two older parties.
And theremay be no greatertime to be a libertarian. The Libertarian Party has gained popularity amongst voters as more people break off from the Democratic and Republican parties in dissatisfaction. Supporters of the Libertarian party share a common belief that the government should be less involved in peoples lives, in the household and with their wallets.
As such, libertarians tend to be viewed as fiscally conservative and socially open or liberal or tolerant. Such a stance on government and domestic and foreign policy is making the party more attractive to many voters because such an approach looks outside the current political establishment for solutions.
I believe Libertarian candidatesin 2018 will rely on the majority of the population who want tohave their individual liberties restored and who desire a more accountable,Laube said. As a major party,2018will be the first year our candidateswill beable to participate in the Primary Election. Candidates will know they are on the ballot in early June rather than late August. This will create stronger campaigns and allow voters to learn about our candidates andissues earlier in the election cycle. Having more candidates talk aboutissuesearlier in the election cycle isa positive forIowans.
Iowas secretary of state will make LPIAs party status official on March 1.
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Iowa Libertarian Party to Have Major Party Status in 2018 Elections - IVN News
New satellite images show the Chinese military shoring up its defenses ona disputed island chain in the South China Sea, adding what appears to be reinforced launch sites for surface-to-air missiles on at least three atolls.
The existence of the new launch sites was firstreported by Reuters on Wednesday, and on Thursday, photos of the nearly completed structures were obtained by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The images showat least eight structures on three of Chinas man-made atolls in the Spratly Islands: Fiery Cross, Mischief Reef and Subi Reef.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said Wednesday that the buildings have retractable roofs, making them suitable launching pointsfor medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile systems.
According to a photo analysis by CSIS, the buildings are about 66 feet long and 33 feet wide, making them large enough to store Chinas HQ-9 missile system. The HQ-9 closely resembles Russias S-300, a surface-to-air missile system with a range of approximately 93 miles and an ability to hit targets flying at 88,000 feet. It is unclear, however, whether the actual HQ-9 launchers have been deployed to the Spratlys, as one of the benefits of the new launch structures is the ability to conceal them from reconnaissance flights and satellites.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang didnt deny the existence of the launch sites at a Wednesday briefing with reporters.
China has indisputable sovereignty of the South China Sea islands and their adjacent water, he said. China will uphold its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. At the same time, we are committed to peacefully resolve relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation with countries directly concerned and are committed to working together with ASEAN countries to maintain peace and stability on the South China Sea. China has the right to deploy necessary defense facilities as appropriate on its own territory.
The HQ-9s on the Spratlys would be a significant improvement to the island chains defenses. In December, satellite imagery showed that the Chinese military had built a structure that contained antiaircraft gunsand potentially close-in weapons systems, or CIWS. Often found on U.S. ships and installations, CIWS is a network of weapons that tracks and destroys incoming missiles. Both the CIWS and antiaircraft guns, however, are limited in range compared to the HQ-9s ability to track and hit targets beyond the horizon.
Last year, China deployed HQ-9s to the Paracel Islands, a cluster of similar man-made atolls north of the Spratlys and near the coast of Vietnam. In February 2016, an HQ-9 battery was observed on the Paracels Woody Island, but by July the missiles had been withdrawn. Woody Island also reportedly is home to Chinese YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles.
China has long claimed that the South China Seas resource-rich waters and its tiny atollsare sovereignChinese territory, but many of the islands also have been claimed by multiple other countries,including Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. The U.S. military,in support of its regional allies, has contested Chinese claims in the form of what the Pentagoncalls Freedom of Navigation Operations. Over the weekend, the USS Carl Vinson, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, began operationsin the South China Sea without incident.
It is unclear how President Trump will react to Chinas continuedmilitarizationin the South China Sea.
Simon Denyer in Beijing contributed to this report.
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The Cayman Islands, one of the worlds best-known tax havens, may soon give international authorities better access to information about companies that have long been shrouded in secrecy.
Lawmakers in the Cayman Islands are expected to vote in the next week on a trio of bills that would pave the way for law enforcement, especially in the United Kingdom, to rapidly learn more about some of the nearly 100,000 companies registered in the tiny island territory.
The Cayman Islands, a U.K. territory long considered to be an offshore tax haven, has never previously maintained a centralized registry of ownership information. The creation of the registry, if approved, would be the result of pressure applied by the British government, according to Jason Sharman, a professor of International Relations at the University of Cambridge in Britain.
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The Caymans and other British territories have kind of been arm-twisted, Sharman said, adding that the British government has been trying to combat the use of its territories for tax-free shell companies that are one of the avenues for large-scale financial crime.
If the bills are approved, the registry is expected to be created by June 30. It would allow U.K. authorities to obtain information within 24 hours of requesting it, according to a statement emailed to CBS News from the Cayman Islands Ministry for Financial Services. The Ministry noted that the Cayman Islands are currently able to share certain information with agencies from more than 100 countries, including the United States Internal Revenue Service.
However, Ronen Palan, a professor of international politics at the City University of London, said the current process for authorities who request information is often slow and opaque.
Cayman is a financial center that operates largely as a registration center for companies, (and) the active goal is tax avoidance, Palan said.
The most recent statistics published by the Cayman Islands government lists 98,838 active companies registered, nearly two companies for every one resident of the country. A 2013 report by consumer watchdog the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found 18,000 companies were registered at just one five-story building on the Cayman Islands.
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The calls for greater regulations and registries came after a series of leaks in the last few years showed firms in several offshore tax havens being used for apparent fraud, tax evasion and to subvert international sanctions. On Feb. 10, two partners at the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca were arrested in relation to the leak in 2015 of the Panama Papers, which revealed information about more than 200,000 offshore companies, linking some to dictators, arms dealers and other illicit enterprises.
Sharman, the Cambridge professor, said that even if the Cayman Islands create a more streamlined registry, theres little evidence authorities will actually use it. He cited a registry previously created on the British island territory of Jersey, saying researchers have not been able to study it.
The British government has decided that these central registries are wonderful and will solve many of the worlds problems when it comes to kleptocracy, but it has no track record, Sharman said. One question is what information is there? If there is unreliable information, than it isnt very useful.
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Compass Point Dive Resort offers excitement and relaxation in equal doses(Photo: Photo courtesy Michael Patrick Shiels)
The phrase Cayman Islands can conjure up the images of international banking and the espionage of Tom Cruise in the film The Firm, therefore the perception that Grand Cayman is a busy beach island only for the ultra rich.
Perception is not always reality, says Dr. John Wycoff, founder of the Wycoff Wellness Center in East Lansing. He and his wife Cindy have been taking the four-hour, non-stop Delta flight from Detroit to enjoy the 85-degree temperatures, tropical sunshine and scuba diving there for over 30 years.
Grab a liter of your favorite toxin at the duty free shop before departure, Doctor Wycoff prescribes. Upon arrival he also suggests lunch at Hammerheads in downtown George Town. Enjoy the azure colored water and try the red snapper prepared Cayman-style.
Before he drives his rental car (on the left side of the road) 20 miles through the quaint villages of Savannah and Bodden Town to his oceanfront place at the Compass Point Condos on Grand Caymans East End, Wycoff gathers provisions at Hurleys Groceries, and, next door, Blackbeards Liquor Store.
When I see the yellow submarine in front of the entrance of Compass Point, I know tranquility is about to begin, he insists.
Compass Point rents two-bedroom, two-bathroom condos with fully equipped kitchens which provide what Wycoff describes as mesmerizing views of the aqua blue waters and the gentle sounds of waves lapping the pristine, sandy beach.
Landlubbers enjoy Compass Points two swimming pools, hot tub, hammocks, flowers, bicycles and the elevated oceanfront deck of Eagle Rays, the thatched-roof, on-site bar and grill that serves a daily drink concoction and lion fish tacos caught that very day on the reef.
Ocean Frontiers, on the property, offers half-day scuba courses plus experiences for experienced divers. A trip to Hell or the turtle farm is worth a half-day, and people can also swim or snorkel at Stingray City, a sandbar in the ocean where you can feed and interact with the rays, Wycoff says.
When he does leave the property, Wycoff suggests a day trip to Rum Point to walk on the Masonic Trail; with a stop at the Queen Elizabeth Botanical Gardens.
For dining, he likes Bombay Chopsticks, across from Compass Point.
Chef Remy prepares Indian cuisine and the sea bass is the best Ive had, he says. Tukkas is a couple miles east with Chef Rons Australian fare. And if youre in a romantic mood, The Lighthouse or Kaibo Yacht Club each has scenic ocean-side dining.
Haute cuisine is on the west side at The Brasserie, Grand Caymans finest restaurant according to Wycoff.
Chef Maxs farm-to-table Harvest Dinners sometimes include Cayman conch hush puppies, smoked swordfish, lobster tea, Jamaica-cured oxtail flatbread, locally-caught Wahoo, honey and scotch-glazed pork shoulder, pumpkin, and okra, he recalls.
Fine wines wash down each course and the jujube plum upside down cake, sorrel and spice sorbet and local coconut pie.
The quality of the food in the Caymans, compared to other islands, is one of the reasons we bought a place here, says Wycoff who also knows how good sunshine and not being sedentary in the winter is for his patients and himself.
Michael Patrick Shiels may be contacted at InviteYourself@aol.com or via TravelTattler.com His talk show can be heard weekday mornings in Lansing on 92.1 FM.
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Cayman Islands' balmy beaches not just for ultra rich - Lansing State Journal
Overland connectivity in Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands is poised to get a boost,with the Ministry of Railways green-signaling plans for construction of a railway line linking Port Blair, the capital of the island chain, with Diglipur, the largest town of North Andaman Island. The rail line, the first in the archipelago, is expected to ease travel and increasetourism. It also has strategic value.
A chain of 572 islands and islets of which only 38 are inhabited, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are scattered across 750 kilometers north to south in the Bay of Bengal. The archipelagosturquoise waters and white sandy beaches have made it an attractive destination for tourists.
Currently, travel within the archipelago is possible only by road and sea. The journey between Port Blair and Diglipur via the 350km Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) takes 14 hours, while the ferry takes a whole day. By comparison, travel via the proposed 240km broad-gauge railway line will take just three hours.
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According to Indian Express, Indian Railways does not consider the proposed Port Blair-Diglipur rail line to be economically viable. Others, however, are more optimistic about the rail links potential. If it goes ahead, it couldprovide a shot in the arm to tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. With improved connectivity between Port Blair and the tourist hub of Diglipur, annual tourist arrivals can be expected to increase from the current 450,000 to an estimated 600,000, Jagdish Mukhi, the lieutenant-governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was quoted by Indian Express as saying. Importantly, the rail link also has strategic value. It wouldfacilitate the transport of troops from Port Blair to Diglipur, should the need arise. Port Blair is the headquarters of Indias only tri-services command, which is based in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To the north of Diglipur is Landfall Island, which is just around 20km from Myanmars Coco Islands. Since the 1990s, India has alleged that China had set up a signal-intelligence facility on the Coco Islands, a claim that has been rejected by both China and Myanmar. The location of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has endowed the archipelago with immense strategic importance. The southern Nicobar Islands lie near the mouth of the Strait of Malacca, a strategic waterway through which a quarter of all the worlds sea-transported oil is carried. To enhance its capacity to counter Chinas mounting interest and presence in the Indian Ocean, India has been building up its naval capabilities. Its growing focus on its Eastern Naval Command, including establishmentof the tri-services command at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, must be seen in this context. The Port Blair-Diglipur railway line is part of the effort to improve logistical capability in the strategic archipelago.
Unlike Indias security establishment and the tourism industry, however, anthropologists are concerned over the implications of the proposed railway for survival of the islandsindigenous communities. The archipelago is home to several of thesecommunities. Five of them, namely the Great Andamanese, Onge, Sentinelese, Shom Pen and Jarawa, are already severely endangered. Their numbers fell drastically during British colonial rule because of disease, development and displacement. Their populations have been shrinking since Indias independence, too. According to the 2011 census, for instance, the tribal population of the islands fell by 3.19% between 2001 and 2011. Government officials attribute the recent decline in numbers to the 2004 tsunami. Anthropologists, however, blame development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and outside intervention in the lives and culture of the tribals for their falling numbers. The ATR, for instance, runs through the Jarawa reserve. The opening of this road brought a flood of settlers, outsiders, tourists and poachers to the islands in general and tribal areas in particular. And with them came diseases, sexual abuse of Jarawa women, sale of drugs and alcohol to the tribals, among other problems. Many tribals lives have been lost to disease, while their distinct culture and way of life have been undermined. All thishas triggered conflict between the indigenous populations and outsiders. Will the proposed railway line impact the Andamans indigenous communities as well? This is likely, which means the survival of some of worlds oldest tribal communities isin jeopardy.
Sudha Ramachandran is an independent journalist/researcher based in Bengaluru, India who writes on South Asian political and security issues.
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Rail link in Andaman Islands could threaten tribals - Asia Times
First Person - The Conservation Minister says the Auckland Islands are a glimpse of the future predator-free New Zealand.
Penguins at the Auckland Islands Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Maggie Barry returned today from leading a four-day Department of Conservation (DOC) delegation to Enderby and Auckland Islands, which are 465 kilometres south of Bluff.
The trip involved 24 hours on the navy patrol ship HMNZS Otago, rigourous quarantine searches and the vacuuming of every belonging, even underpants.
To land on Enderby Island, the northernmost of the Aucklands, the delegation was ferried by jet boat and zodiac inflatable because there was no wharf.
It was worth the effort.
In just the first half hour we saw sea lions, southern royal albatrosses and a rare rata forest.
Sea lion pups. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Three yellow-eyed penguin chicks popped up and stood metres from us on a board walk.
Parliamentary private secretary for conservation Scott Simpson was transfixed.
"It's just amazing to see these penguins so close... such graceful creatures", he said.
"To see them so relaxed and at home in their natural environment is a real privilege and absolute treat."
Mr Simpson said it was an example of why the government last year launched a Predator Free 2050 plan, which set a goal of removing every rat, stoat and possum from all New Zealand islands in the next 33 years.
The Auckland Islands. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
This became a theme of the trip.
On a hilltop in winds we could barely stand in, Ms Barry, who is a garden specialist, was in her element among the "magnificent" megaherbs.
"How resilient must these plants be," she remarked.
The plants and animals thrived despite an inhospitable climate.
There have never been rats, stoats or possums. All the cattle and rabbits that were brought here have been removed.
Conservation Minister Maggie Barry Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
There was some introduced grass, which Ms Barry wanted to deal with.
"This is what predator-free is all about - to see a future where the predators are not making an impact and are allowing our nature to regenerate in a way that returns to what it out to be," Ms Barry said.
It was a vision of what New Zealand could achieve.
Ridding the mainland islands of New Zealand of their worst pests has been likened to putting the first man on the moon.
The ocean view from the sub-antarctic Auckland Islands Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Each time DOC cleared an island, the pest honed its skill.
A kilometre away, on the larger Auckland Island, three pests were ripping up the forests and taking out the birds.
DOC southern South Island manager Allan Munn said plans were being drawn up for them, too.
"If we can't make places like this predator-free the rest of New Zealand is going to be extremely difficult," Mr Munn said.
"We've made a great start in the sub-antarctic islands and we've really only got Auckland Island to remove the pests and predators from."
Megaherb on the Auckland Islands. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
The largest island has about 1000 pigs and some feral cats. Plans were being drawn up for the final pest eradication.
"We're planning for it now, and it would be nice to think we would be doing some work in 18 months or so," Mr Munn said.
There were mice, but Mr Munn thought the distance and island's size might make clearing them too difficult.
Ms Barry said the trip showed her the sub-antarctic islands could take more than the current 1000 tourists a year. Those visitors should pay more for the land's upkeep.
Anyone who could get there, should see for themselves what a predator-free future might look like.
An albatross soars over the Auckland Islands Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
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Sub-antarctic islands offer glimpse of pest-free NZ - Radio New Zealand