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Pressure is on to hire more in health care field – Albany Times Union

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Construction work continues on the new wing at Samaritan Hospital on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in Troy N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union)

Pressure is on to hire more in health care field

It's one of the major drivers of the Capital Region economy, employing thousands of people locally.

But health care is facing pressures, thanks to an aging population, Medicare reimbursement rates that haven't kept up with costs, and competition for job candidates in an area with one of the state's lowest unemployment rates.

More than 61,000 people are projected to be employed in occupations ranging from physicians and nurses to home health aides and medical assistants by 2022, said state labor markets analyst James Ross, up from 51,000 in 2012.

But far more positions will need to be filled, thanks to turnover as baby boomers reach retirement age.

"We know we have a whole demographic, large numbers in the 55 to 63" age group that are approaching retirement age, said Barbara McCandless, vice president for human resources, at St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany.

St. Peter's has 12,500 employees, many of them at its hospitals in Troy and Albany, with others spread out among 180 locations throughout the region. A multi-story expansion of Samaritan Hospital in Troy is scheduled to open later this year.

And while health care providers have been merging and consolidating the most recent was the announcement that Community Care Physicians and CapitalCare Medical Group would merge by summer resulting job losses have been minimal.

Health Career Job Fair

The Times Union's annual Health Career Job Fair will include more than three dozen exhibitors and recruiters. Admission is free to job seekers.

When: Wednesday, 2 to 7 p.m.

Where: Albany Marriott Hotel, 189 Wolf Road, Colonie

More details: timesunionjobfair.com

"The mergers and consolidations eliminated administrative and management overhead," said Ross, "but not the health care delivery.

"Doctors, nurses, technicians, home health aides all continue to show growth," he said.

At Albany Medical Center, which has 9,300 employees, additional physicians will be hired in the coming year.

"We expect to hire physicians, advanced practice providers and support staff in 2017, including those needed to support the continued growth of our EmUrgentCare facilities," said spokeswoman Sue Ford. Albany Med, like St. Peter's and Schenectady-based Ellis Medicine, has continued to expand its network of urgent care clinics throughout the region.

Ellis Medicine, which has more than 3,500 employees, expects to make 200 hires, both in new positions and in vacant positions being filled.

The jobs most in demand and hardest to fill? Registered nurses, an Ellis spokeswoman said.

"The one thing this year that may slow (job growth) down a bit is the uncertainty over the Affordable Care Act," Ross said.

The Republican-controlled Congress has made the repeal of Obamacare, as it's also called, a top priority, although that is appearing harder to accomplish than many in Congress originally thought.

"We're hearing different interpretations," said McCandless of St. Peter's. "We don't want to overplan for what we're not certain about."

And in any case, changes to Obamacare would likely take years to phase in, some observers say. Hospital officials say another government program, Medicare, doesn't adequately reimburse them.

"We're getting paid about 22 percent less than we should be in this region," said St. Peter's spokesman Elmer Streeter. "It's clearly a major issue."

Meanwhile, health care providers are seeing their labor costs increase, thanks to the tight labor market.

The Capital Region's unemployment rate in December was just 4 percent, a 10-year low for the month.

Competition for employees isn't just focused on health careers.

"Large health care systems are like a little city," said McCandless. "There's security, maintenance, finance; we have hundreds and hundreds of jobs."

With housekeeping and food service jobs, she said, "in some ways we're competing with a casino for the applicant pool," referring to the recently opened Rivers Casino in Schenectady, which employs 1,000 people.

"We have Sunnyview (Rehabilitation Hospital) in Schenectady. For that community the casino is drawing from the same pool of talent" for some non-clinical positions.

Albany Med is completing work on its newest EmUrgentCare center on Union Street in Niskayuna, a facility that's expected to open this spring, Ford said.

As demand for health care workers grows, wages also are rising.

The 19,000 workers classified by the Labor Department as ambulatory health care services workers, people who provide support and assistance to patients outside hospitals, saw their average wage climb 3.2 percent to $58,227 from $56,399 a year earlier.

There's a wide range of annual earnings. While home health aides make as little as $25,000 a year, surgeons averaged $296,000, according to the most recent state Labor Department data.

And even within specific areas, titles are multiplying. Registered nurses may also be case managers, or navigators who help patients move through the hospital.

And some doctors are hospitalists who focus on the overall care of hospitalized patients.

That may be the most lucrative career. LinkedIn ranked it No. 1 in its recent list of top 10 jobs in 2017, citing strong demand (87 percent year-over-year growth), and its median base salary ($222,000).

eanderson@timesunion.com 518-454-5323

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Pressure is on to hire more in health care field - Albany Times Union

Courtagen Launches New Avantra Genetics Division to Provide … – Yahoo Finance

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc., an innovative molecular information company, announced today that it has launched Avantra Genetics, a division of the company dedicated to providing advanced genomic information for functional medicine practices. Patients suffering from functional disorders may experience symptoms such as pain, fatigue, numbness or sensations and gastrointestinal distress that can be severe, chronic or debilitating. These disorders are often difficult to diagnose and treat, but may have a genetic origin or influence.

Physicians practicing functional, integrative, or naturopathic medicine have been early adopters of personalized medicine and the use of personal genetic information to help guide diet and lifestyle choices, said Brian McKernan, CEO of Courtagen Life Sciences. Our new Avantra Genetics tests provide genomic information focused on biological pathways important to these functional medicine clinicians.

Courtagens Avantra Genetics division launches two genomic information-only tests for migraines and abdominal pain, with additional tests following later this year. The tests focus on genes in pathways of interest to functional medicine clinicians who want to better understand their patients with the signs, symptoms and indications of pain. The tests cover genes associated with, but are not limited to, celiac disease and lactase deficiency for abdominal pain, and coenzyme Q10 deficiency and dystonia associated with migraines. Also included are selections of common variants reported to be associated with general wellness. These genomic informative reports provide features such as links to literature and databases for the variants identified in the individual tested.

To learn more, visit Courtagen on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and Avantra Genetics on Facebook and Twitter.

About Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc.

Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc., located in Woburn, MA, is a CLIA/CAP certified molecular information company focused on the diagnosis of a range of neurological, endocrine, and functional disorders associated with the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including the endocannabinoid receptor system. Courtagen operates a highly sophisticated Next Generation DNA Sequencing, bioinformatics, and clinical interpretation business that helps physicians elucidate the linkages between the genotypes and phenotypes of various diseases, which may be treated with a host of therapies, including pharmaceutical drugs and medical cannabis. For more information, please visit http://www.courtagen.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170217005651/en/

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Courtagen Launches New Avantra Genetics Division to Provide ... - Yahoo Finance

Bill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorism – The Guardian

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

A chilling warning that tens of millions of people could be killed by bio-terrorism was delivered at the Munich security conference by the worlds richest man, Bill Gates

Gates, who has spent much of the last 20 years funding a global health campaign, said: We ignore the link between health security and international security at our peril.

Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft who has spent billions in a philanthropic drive to improve health worldwide, said: The next epidemic could originate on the computer screen of a terrorist intent on using genetic engineering to create a synthetic version of the smallpox virus ... or a super contagious and deadly strain of the flu.

US and UK intelligence agencies have said that Islamic State has been trying to develop biological weapons at its bases in Syria and Iraq. However, they have played down the threat, saying that the terrorists would need people with the necessary skills, good laboratories and a relatively calm environment free from the confusion and chaos of conflict zones.

Yet other security specialists say the threat from bio-terrorism has become more realistic over the past decade, particularly the past five years, with changes in molecular biology that make development of biological weapons more accessible.

Gates, making his first appearance at the Munich security conference on Saturday, said: Whether it occurs by a quirk of nature or at the hand of a terrorist, epidemiologists say a fast-moving airborne pathogen could kill more than 30 million people in less than a year. And they say there is a reasonable probability the world will experience such an outbreak in the next 10 to 15 years.

He added: Its hard to get your mind around a catastrophe of that scale, but it happened not that long ago. In 1918, a particularly virulent and deadly strain of flu killed between 50 million and 100 million people.

You might be wondering how real these doomsday scenarios really are. The fact that a deadly global pandemic has not occurred in recent history shouldnt be mistaken for evidence that a deadly pandemic will not occur in the future. And even if the next pandemic isnt on the scale of the 1918 flu, we would be wise to consider the social and economic turmoil that might ensue if something like ebola made its way into urban centres.

Gates said advances in biotechnology, new vaccines and drugs could help prevent epidemics spreading out of control. Most of the things we need to do to protect against a naturally occurring pandemic are the same things we must prepare for an intentional biological attack, he said.

Getting ready for a global pandemic is every bit as important as nuclear deterrence and avoiding a climate catastrophe. Innovation, cooperation and careful planning can dramatically mitigate the risks presented by each of these threats.

The international community, Gates told the conference, needed to prepare for epidemics the way the military prepared for war: This includes germ games and other preparedness exercises so we can better understand how diseases will spread, how people will respond in a panic and how to deal with things like overloaded highways and communications systems.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation published an Ipsos Mori poll saying that 71% of Britons aged between 16 and 75 are more concerned about the spread of infectious diseases such as Ebola or Zika than war with other nations. Just over two-thirds said they were concerned about war, while 83% said violent terrorist attacks were their main concern.

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Bill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorism - The Guardian

CEO of Biggest VR Company Asserts That the Tech May Be A Complete Failure – Futurism

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

In Brief

Gabe Newell. the co-founder and president of Valve, has authored projects that have garnered so much attention that he has been meme-ifiedinto a god.

But looking past the deification by those who support his work, Newell is heavily involved in the future of virtual reality. His company has worked intimately with HTC to produce the Vive VR platform, one of the few mainstream software that consumers can use to access virtual reality. Yet, even though there are over 1,300 apps on the steam VR marketplace and there was an 86% growth in users in the end of 2016, the revenue stream isnt uplifting. There are30 VR apps that have made just over $250,000, which are not the most promising of figures.

SteamVR by Valve:

While Newell is optimistic, he says hes pretty comfortable with the idea that it will turn out to be a complete failure. He went on to say that, if you dont try things that dont fail you probably arent trying to do anything very interesting.

But that doesnt mean hes inclined to fail. By upgrading the VR console to have a stronger CPU and better resolution, having an open source platform for developers to tinker with software, hardware, and everything in between, and unleashing a litany of new games (valve is currently developing three games of its own). Newell believes that the shared optimism of developers and consumers alike will drive the newborn industry into its place in the family living room for years to come.

CEO of Biggest VR Company Asserts That the Tech May Be A Complete Failure - Futurism

We May Finally Get a Picture of a Black Hole – Futurism – Futurism

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

The Mysterious Black Hole

Believe it or not, weve never actually been able to catch a glimpse of a black hole. All those images featuring a starry sky with a perfectly circular dark blob in the middle? Simply an artists rendition.

Although scientists believe that there are hundreds, even thousands, of black holes that might be hiding in our own galaxy, its extremely difficult to prove their existence. They cannot be observed from a telescope because light is completely consumed once it passes the event horizon. To make matters more confusing, we arent even sure how black holes form, but we could be getting some answers very soon.

Last year, scientists announced the creationof the Event Horizon Telescope. This powerful telescope would be able to photograph black holes, and now, scientists are saying they believe the device willbe operable as soon as April. If it can successfully capture an image of this mysterious entity, wed retrieve a tremendous deal of evidence that would bring us several steps closer to understanding these unanswered questions.

The Event Horizon Telescope will operate through a network of radio receivers erected across the planet. Between April 5 and 14, itwill utilize a technique called very-long baseline interferometry (VLBI) in which the receivers collect radio signals emitted by a precise point in space.Once effective, sights are being set on our own galaxys black hole, Sagittarius A*,which is located 26,000 light-years from Earth with an event horizon stretching 20 million kilometers (12.4 million miles) in diameter.

Even though scientists have never been able to directly observe a black hole, there is pretty substantial evidence that points towards their existence.

For one, the influence that the proposed Sagittarius A* has on surrounding stars proves to us that something strange is affecting their orbit. The same is observed for several other black holes weve theorized to exist in our Universe.

Scientists are also able to detect the presence of a black hole by the amount of radiation being emitted from an area. The extremely hot x-rays weve detected are thought to come from the incredibly fast-moving disk of particles surrounding the hole.

The Event Horizon Telescope hopes to uncover this long-awaited evidence of a black holes existence. The images will mark a new milestone in humanitys understanding of the Universe. But given the amount of data and the time itll take to process it, images wont likely be ready until late 2017 or the beginning of 2018.

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We May Finally Get a Picture of a Black Hole - Futurism - Futurism

Bill Gates Says Job Stealing Robots Need to Pay Taxes – Futurism

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

New Rules

Its possible that robots will take over some human jobs. In fact, it seems like it could be only a matter of time before they do. Increasing automation will lead to massive job displacement, and less people working means less employed citizens paying taxes. So, the question is, how will communities make up the difference if automation is inevitable in the future of employment?

Co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates suggests that robots that take human jobs should pay taxes.

Right now, the human worker who does, say, $50,000 worth of work in a factory, that income is taxed and you get income tax, Social Security tax, all those things. If a robot comes in to do the same thing, youd think that wed tax the robot at a similar level, Gates explained in an interview with Quartz.

This robot tax money could be taken from what companies would save given the efficiencies that an automated workforce provides them, or a tax imposed on companies that employ robots. The collected taxes could be used for anything from the care of the elderly or to support youth projects in public schools. Gates believes there will be little resistance from companies that employ a robot workforce.

Half of jobs today are already at riskof becoming obsolete due to automation, and evidence of an industrial future defined by an automated workforce is steadily building. According to a report by McKinsey, about 60 percent of all occupations could have 30 percent, or more, of theiractivities automated with technology that exists today. And, as technology rapidly advances, those numbers will only climb higher.

Gates tax idea has already been proposed by European Union lawmakers, but the law was rejected. Another proposal that looks to also provide a solution is the implementation of a universal basic income (UBI), which tech industrialist Elon Musk is a strong proponent of.

Regardless of what solution is put into place or how governments will treat taxes and a waning organic workforce in the age of automation, Gates asserts that this is something that people should start talking about now:

Exactly how youd do it, measure it, you know, its interesting for people to start talking about now. There will be some great conversations and be some ideas about new investments that can be made.

US Navy sends warships on freedom of navigation operation through South China Sea – Fox News

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

The U.S. Navy announced Saturday that an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer were deployed to the South China Sea.

The Navy said the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Wayne E. Meyer were sent to the South China Sea on routine operations, despite warnings from Beijing not to challenge its sovereignty.

China respects and upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, which countries enjoy under international law, but firmly opposes any countrys attempt to undermine Chinas sovereignty and security in the name of the freedom of navigation and overflight, Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

The naval ships will likely sail within the 12 nautical miles of Chinas artificial islands, the Navy Times reported last week.

U.S. Navy leaders believe that freedom of navigation operations help secure U.S. influence in the region, while China claims the operations are a challenge to claim territory.

Navy warships have deliberately sailed close to Chinese-occupied features four times since October 2015, ignoring Beijing's sovereignty claims. The first three missions challenged China's requirement for ships to obtain permission prior to transit, while the last one challenged China's sovereignty over waters encompassing the Paracels.

Some criticized the Obama administration for curtailing freedom of navigation operations and allowing China to build military installations on seven artificial islands in the disputed waters. Trump's Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said recently that such operations will continue while also ruling out any military escalation.

"Any miscalculation from either side may escalate tensions, which could spin out of control," Zhiqun Zhu, who heads The China Institute at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, told the Navy Times. "China is unlikely to cave in no matter what the U.S. military does in the South China Sea. Cooler heads are needed from both sides, not moves to unnecessarily provoke the other side."

While the USS Carl Vinson and USS Wayne E. Meyer are set to sail through the disputed territory, China dispatched its own fleet for scheduled drills.

The missile destroyers Changsha and Haikou and the supply ship Luomahu wrapped up weeklong exercises on Friday. The fleet includes three helicopters and marines on board.

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the drills involved naval aviation forces and military garrisons from the Spratlys and the Paracels, as well as elements of the Beihai and Donghai fleets. They practiced air defense, escorting, anti-terror, anti-piracy and defensive operations under real combat conditions, Xinhua said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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US Navy sends warships on freedom of navigation operation through South China Sea - Fox News

Trump-Pence freedom movement stands strong against vitriol and desperate obstruction – Washington Times

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

President Trump continues to deliver on his campaign promises in spades.

With nearly every initiative, he boldly obliterates the bureaucratic business as usual, the people be damned approach that Americans have endured for the past eight years.

The voters demanded change drastic change and that is exactly what they have received in the first few weeks of the Trump-Pence administration.

The administration is leading our nation toward freedom from oppressive governmental policies that have left poor children trapped in failing schools; families abandoned in violent inner cities; American businesses captive to foreign competitors; oil, gas and coal resources locked beneath our soil; patients shackled by bureaucratic health care mandates; and American workers out of jobs and nearly out of hope.

There is a wellspring of fresh hope bubbling up in the hearts of Americans everywhere who crave freedom. As our leaders begin to clear out and burn the regulatory weeds that have been strangling the people for far too long, optimism is the mood of the day.

But you would never know it by reading the headlines.

Unfortunately, there also has been a secondary political and cultural shift, the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetime: a growing contempt for our democratic republican system of government among hard-leaning liberals, including many in the media, who seek to obstruct democracy and create a negative narrative.

From boycotting congressional committee hearings to acts of violence in the streets to impugning the character of virtually every Trump administrative and Cabinet choice, these progressives are attempting to thwart the election results on every level.

To say they are sore losers is an understatement. The angry, hate-filled rhetoric and actions of the obstructionists reveal that they are desperate for attention, and the media elite are all too happy to oblige and escalate the vitriolic vengeance.

The plan is clear: Increase the volume and the torturous continual drip of protest until youve succeeded in driving the electorate nuts. Attack every hour, every day. Exaggerate the impact of every misstep of your opponents, and attempt to create a crisis where there is none. Riot in the streets, vilify the innocent, feign moral outrage, call people names, and above all else wear them down.

There have been few times in the history of American elections when the losing political party was this dead-set on thwarting the will of the electorate. We havent seen such ugliness, so many desperate attempts to hang on to power over the lives of others, since the days of the Democratic Partys opposition to President Lincoln and his freedom movement.

#NotMyPresident would have been the social networking cry against Lincoln too.

But this time, freedom is finding a peaceful way forward as the voters who demanded liberty enthusiastically support the leaders they have put into office to deliver it.

The mass media dismissed the hundreds of thousands of people who showed up at Trump rallies around the country, even as they multiplied into millions of voters.

Once again, the media and their liberal leaders are underestimating the continuing support of the voters, as well as the commitment of the senators and congressmen elected fair and square in November.

Millions of citizens across the country are exuberant over the direction of the Trump-Pence team, even though the mass media will never acknowledge its numbers or commitment.

Despite the Democratic Partys walkouts, character assassinations and temper tantrums, Republican leaders are united on nearly every front. They have proved that they will not be intimidated, bullied or stopped.

Yes, the culture of American politics is a-changing. But with our new leaders continued determination to do what is right, the obstructionists will be defeated and the bureaucratic stronghold that has held our nation captive for far too long will soon be broken.

Rebecca Hagelin can be reached at rebecca@rebeccahagelin.com.

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Trump-Pence freedom movement stands strong against vitriol and desperate obstruction - Washington Times

21 Jewish Democrats Demand Trump Observe Religious Freedom – Forward

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

(JTA) More than 20 Democratic Jewish members of the House of Representatives called on President Donald Trump to not sign an Executive Order that would exempt religious organizations from adhering to nondiscrimination protection.

The letter sent on Thursday was in reaction to news reports that Trump would sign the order allowing federally funded, faith-based organizations to discriminate against people they believe act in a manner inconsistent with their religious beliefs and values.

The use of religious faith as a tool to discriminate contradicts a core American value, and the principles of social justice and equality so central to our Jewish faith, said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D.-Fla., a signer of the letter, in a statement issued from her office. The ability to worship and believe in accordance with ones faith is a cherished freedom, but it does not override the rights of other Americans to live their truth, to receive necessary health care services, or seek employment. There should be no policy, carve-out, or exemption that would enable federally funded religious organizations to discriminate against others.

Among the lifestyles objected to by the faith-based organizations, which could include some Orthodox Jewish organizations, are same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion and transgender identity.

Just as our nations foundational texts call on us to preserve and promote equal justice under the law, the ancient Jewish command of tzedek, tzedek tirdoff, or justice, justice shall you seek! compels us to speak out against bigotry, discrimination, injustice. This guiding tenet informs our ardent opposition to any rules, orders, or policies that would allow discrimination against our constituents based on their identity or beliefs, the letter said.

Make no mistake we celebrate the right of all people to worship and believe in accordance with their faith. However, this right does not override the rights of other Americans to live their truth, receive necessary health care services or seek employment, the letter also said.

The letter is endorsed by several religious and civil and human rights groups, including: American Jewish World Service, Anti-Defamation League, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, the Human Rights Campaign, Keshet, National Council of Jewish Women, and Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.

Among the Jewish congressmen who signed the letter are: David Cicilline, D-RI; Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Jerrold Nadler, D-NY; Bradley Schneider, D-Ill.; Steve Cohen, D- Tenn; Theodore Deutch, D-Fla.; Sander Levin, D-Mich.; Susan Davis, D-Calif.; Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.; Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif.; Jamie Raskin, D-Md.; Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J; John Yarmuth, D-Ky.; Nita Lowey, D-NY; Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.; Jared Polis, D-Co.; Lois Frankel, D-Fla.; Eliot Engel, D-NY; Brad Sherman, D-Calif.; and Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

According to the Forward, Bonamiciwas raised Episcopalian but now attends synagogue with her Jewish husband and children.

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21 Jewish Democrats Demand Trump Observe Religious Freedom - Forward

Republicans Speak Out on Freedom of the Press After President Trump Calls Media the ‘Enemy’ – Fortune

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Fort Worth Convention Center on February 26, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Republicans disagreed this weekend with President Donald Trump 's claim that the media is the "enemy" of the American people .

Trump has repeatedly attacked what he calls the "FAKE NEWS media," and on Friday he lashed out on Twitter, saying outlets like the New York Times , NBC News, ABC, CBS and CNN are the "enemy of the American People!"

Following the attacks, members of his administration and party defended the need for a free press.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Sunday that he had no problems with the press.

"I've had some rather contentious times with the press. But no, the press, as far as I'm concerned are a constituency that we deal with," Mattis said when asked about Trump's criticism during a trip to the Middle East. "And I don't have any issues with the press, myself."

Arizona Sen. John McCain came out strongly against Trump's assertion during an interview with NBC's Meet the Press .

"That's how dictators get started," he said of Trump's tweet about the media. Later, McCain said a free press is "vital."

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham partially echoed McCain during an interview with CBS's Face the Nation , although he scolded the press for "acting more like an opposition party" when it comes to reporting on Trump and urged reporters to step up their game.

"The backbone of democracy is a free press and an independent judiciary, and they're worth fighting and dying for," Graham said. "The bottom line is America is not becoming a dictatorship."

Republicans Speak Out on Freedom of the Press After President Trump Calls Media the 'Enemy' - Fortune

Not so fast: Freedom for imprisoned Tejano singer delayed – Chron.com

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Texas prison officials have delayed the release of Grammy-wining Tejano singer Jose "Joe" Lopez from later this year until at least 2018.

Texas parole officials determined that Jose "Joe" Lopez needed to take a nine-month Sex Offender Treatment Class starting in May. The move pushes his potential release date from September until sometime in 2018.

Texas parole officials determined that Jose "Joe" Lopez needed to take a nine-month Sex Offender Treatment Class starting in May. The move pushes his potential release date from September until

A jury in Brownsville found Grupo Mazz singer Jose "Joe" Lopez guilty of having sex with a teenage girl. He was sentenced to three decades in prison. His parole comes because Lopez agreed to take a Sex Offender Treatment Class in prison, along with a several other conditions that would keep him away from his victim.

>>>Scroll through the gallery to see other cases of musicians behaving badly.

A jury in Brownsville found Grupo Mazz singer Jose "Joe" Lopez guilty of having sex with a teenage girl. He was sentenced to three decades in prison. His parole comes because Lopez agreed

Not so fast: Freedom for imprisoned Tejano singer delayed

Freedom for Jose Manuel "Joe" Lopez seemed within reach. The man who became famous as the singer for Grupo Mazz could see the end of his prison term just months away.

Now, that horizon has been pushed a bit farther down the way.

The Texas Pardons and Parole Board on Friday ordered the 66-year-old Lopez to complete a nine-month Sex Offender Treatment Program staring in May.

CLEAN SLATE: Family of Tejano singer wants to exonerate him

That move delays the release of Lopez from around September until 2018.

Board spokesman Raymond Estrada told The Brownsville Herald the panel determined that the longer program was more appropriate for Lopez.

Lopez became famous as the groups lead vocalist, producing several hits and albums for the Brownsville-based band. He and co-founder Jimmy Gonzalez went on to form separate bands, but each kept the name Mazz in some fashion.

IN COURT: Rapper Paul Wall appears before a judge in Houston

A jury convicted Lopez, a Grammy-winning artist, in 2004 of having sex with a 13-year-old relative and being sentenced to up to 32 years in prison.

Lopez was imprisoned at the W.F. Ramsey Unit in Rosharon, Texas.

Grupo Mazz had no statement on it's Facebook page about Lopez on Sunday. It's unclear what Lopez will do once released or whether he will return to music.

>>>Scroll through the gallery above to see other instances of musicians and rock stars behaving badly

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Not so fast: Freedom for imprisoned Tejano singer delayed - Chron.com

Auckland Council frees up 29 new overnight spots for freedom camping – Waikato Times

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Freedom campers across Auckland are now freerthan ever,as dozens of new overnight sites become available to them.

In a two-month pilotstarting this week, 29 locations from Wellsford in the northto Pukekohe in the south have been highlighted as safe havensfor tourists in campervans and tents to stay overnight.

Auckland Council said thescheme was aneffort tocombatincreasing tensions between freedom campers and locals in Auckland, after abumper tourism season.

The"dispersalprogramme" hopes to see freedom camping visitors spread out over the multitude of new locations across the city, rather than crowd into thefew well-known hot spots.

"If we can encourage campers into new areas, we hope to reduce overcrowding and spread the tourism dollar to other local board economies, while also introducing visitors to some of the lesser-known but lovely corners of our city," Councillor Linda Cooper, chairwoman of the council's regulatory committee, said.

Campers bring an estimated $1.2 million a month into Auckland's economy over summer, and Cooper estimated 320 freedom camping vehicles per day are either travelling on the region's roads or parked in public places.

"We want to be welcoming hosts to our visitors.However, the influx of freedom campers intohot spotareas - particularly in northeastern coastal and inner city locations - is creating problems.

"Overcrowding, parking and access difficulties, and increasing rubbish at popular destinations is frustrating local communities and other park users."

She said the sites includedparking lots, pre-existing freedom camping spots, parks, and reservesand wereselected following extensive consultation with local boards.

At the outer edges of Auckland, the Franklin and Rodney local boards put forward seven and eight sites respectivelyfor thepilot scheme, and the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board chose five sites.

Other sites are based in the Howick, Maungakiekie-Tmaki, Upper Harbour andPanmure,Puketapapaand Albert-Eden Local Boards.

Throughout the trial, council officers will ensure the sites are kept well-maintained and tidy, with clearaccesswaysfor the public to traverse and park, Cooper said.

The issue lies in travellers overloading amenities at the few well-known spots,causing strife for the local residents, Auckland Council's manager of social policy and bylaws,Michael Sinclair, said.

"They have been known to overload the rubbish bins, which are only designed for day-to-day use, not camping use.

"And they may go into a public toilet, that's got one or two basins designed for casual use and end up doing their whole ablutionsthere, which is notsonice for the people who use it all the time."

Sinclair said freedom campers have also been known to overwhelm parking areas to places such as beachs, so locals can't get a spot.

He said the new spots have been considered based on availability ofrubbish and bathroom facilities, and where inadequate, extraport-a-loos will be brought in and rubbish collected more frequently.

Auckland Council operates 44campgroundsin regional parks throughout Auckland and there are also threeholiday parks.

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Auckland Council frees up 29 new overnight spots for freedom camping - Waikato Times

Justice Secretary Liz Truss backs freedom of the press in wake of Brexit court case criticism – The Sun

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

The Cabinet minister hit back at claims she failed to protect courts over media outcry

JUSTICE Secretary Liz Truss insisted the freedom of the Press was a vital tenet of democracy yesterday as she was urged to condemn coverage of the Brexit court case.

Liz Truss said she would never say to the media what they should be printing after law chief Lord Neuberger complained reporting of the case risked undermining the rule of law.

PA:Press Association

Defending her position, Ms Truss told BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I will never say to the media what they should be printing on their headlines.

I think it would be totally wrong for a Government minister to go around saying this is acceptable, this isnt acceptable.

Freedom of the press is another really important part of our democracy, just like independence of the judiciary.

The Cabinet minister also insisted the Brexit vote was irrecoverable and the issue was now settled.

PA:Press Association

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Justice Secretary Liz Truss backs freedom of the press in wake of Brexit court case criticism - The Sun

How much does the Johnson Amendment curtail church freedom? – The Conversation US

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

First Baptist Church Pastor John Crowder leads an open-air Sunday service four days after a deadly fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, near Waco, Texas, on April 21, 2013.

On National Prayer Breakfast day in early February, President Donald Trump repeated a pledge he had made several times on the campaign trail that echoed the 2016 Republican Party Platform:

I will get rid of, and totally destroy, the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution.

He was talking about a small part of the tax code that requires organizations that are both tax-exempt and able to receive tax-deductible contributions to stay away from political campaigns.

Often called the Johnson Amendment, this law covers churches, mosques and synagogues, as well as other charitable, religious, educational and scientific organizations.

Almost 90 percent of Protestant pastors and 80 percent of parishioners agree that churches should stay out of politics. But the truth is many moral issues are deeply political.

Im the author of Nonprofit Law: the Life Cycle of a Nonprofit and a professor in the School of Public Policy at UMass Amherst. From my perspective, a bigger question is how far are pastors and other leaders of houses of worship muzzled under the current law?

Heres a detailed look at what pastors and other leaders of houses of worship can and cannot say under the Johnson Amendment.

First, lets look at what the Johnson Amendment prohibits.

Tax-exempt churches and their staff cannot endorse or oppose political candidates, even indirectly. So, if a church wishes to retain its tax-exempt status and be able to accept tax-deductible donations, pastors are required to refrain from supporting any candidate.

That means the church cannot make political donations, invite one candidate to speak or use its facilities without the others, or compare a candidates positions to the churchs.

In fact, anything that suggests the church prefers a candidate or party can, at least theoretically, endanger the churchs tax exemption.

And yet, churches and their leaders can speak out in a variety of ways that could reflect their religious views.

For example, pastors can bring their religious knowledge to the moral issues of the day and discuss public policy issues, such as abortion, poverty and homosexuality from the pulpit. As the Supreme Court has said,

Adherents of particular faiths and individual churches frequently take strong positions on public issues . Of course, churches as much as secular bodies and private citizens have that right.

So, houses of worship can also conduct educational meetings; they can inform candidates of their positions on issues, and criticize or praise the actions of an elected official.

Thus, even though President Trump has already filed for reelection, churches can speak out on his policies as long as they do not indicate their preference for the 2020 election.

Pastors are also free to endorse candidates if they do so as private citizens: that is, not speak from the actual building of the church, making clear their independence from their church role. In 2016 Robert Jeffress, the pastor of a Dallas megachurch, endorsed Donald Trump, and Pastor Cynthia Hale prayed for Hillary Clinton to become president.

In fact, approximately 44 percent of Protestant pastors acknowledged endorsing candidates in their own capacity in 2016.

Another way in which pastors can engage with citizens is through voter education. What this means is that churches can encourage voter registration, drive people to the polls, and prepare nonpartisan voters guides and forums.

For example, the United Church of Christ has an Our Faith, Our Vote campaign to encourage participation in the electoral process.

In addition, the law says that churches can lobby their legislators, provided that lobbying is not a substantial part of their activities. Neither Congress nor the IRS has explained exactly what substantial means in the context of a church.

The Catholic Church, Mormon Church and Church of Scientology have all been in the news recently for lobbying.

Religious leaders can also speak for or against a judicial nominee and express an opinion on a ballot measure, referendum or constitutional amendment.

Neither judges nor measures are candidates for public office, and therefore they are not covered by the Johnson Amendment.

Religious houses comply with the law as long as they invite all major candidates to speak, even if only one candidate appears, as long as the candidates are invited to events with approximately the same attendance. For example, Senator Ted Cruz announced his 2016 candidacy for president at Liberty University, a Christian university, which critics claimed violated the Johnson Amendment. But Bernie Sanders also spoke there.

A church can also invite a candidate in a capacity other than being a candidate. Thus, the United Church of Christ did not violate the Johnson Amendment when it invited Barack Obama to speak about his faith journey.

The Johnson Amendment does not prevent churches from speaking out politically if they are willing to forego their tax exemption. Mike Huckabee is among the leaders who has suggested they take this route.

Indeed, the law clearly states that if a church violates the Johnson Amendment, it can lose its tax exemption and it can be forced to pay an excise tax on its political expenditures. But this almost never happens. The IRS does not disclose its investigations or its settlements with taxpayers, so we do not know exactly what they are investigating unless the taxpayer makes a public announcement or there is a court case.

As far as we know, however, only one church has ever lost its exemption for violating the Johnson Amendment. In 2000 the D.C. Circuit affirmed an IRS decision to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Church of Pierce Creek after it published full-page ads in two major newspapers opposing presidential candidate Bill Clinton.

We know that the IRS attempted to impose a tax on a Catholic organization in 2004 that had criticized presidential candidate John Kerry and attempted to investigate a Christian organization that endorsed Michele Bachmann for president in 2009, but it changed its mind in the first situation and a court prevented the second on procedural grounds.

Since then, no other investigation has become public, even though some churches are blatantly challenging the restriction. Every year since 2009, a Sunday in October is labeled Pulpit Freedom Sunday, and pastors around the country endorse candidates from the pulpit. According to its organizers, over 4,100 pastors have joined the movement since that date.

In 2016, a Pew Research survey found that 14 percent of those who attended religious services in the spring and early summer heard statements opposing or endorsing presidential candidates.

It is unclear what happens next, but here are some possibilities.

One, the situation could remain as it is, with the law on the books that most churches follow, but some blatantly disregard without losing their tax exemption because of lax enforcement. Two, the IRS could challenge a church that disregards the Johnson Amendment, and the courts could decide its fate. Three, President Trump could direct the IRS to refrain from enforcing the Johnson Amendment. Four, Congress could pass the Free Speech Fairness Act of 2017, which was introduced in Congress on Feb. 1.

That act would allow churches and other nonprofits to endorse or oppose a candidate if the statement is made during the ordinary course of business and its cost is insignificant. It is unclear what it means, but I read it as allowing pastors to speak from the pulpit.

Lastly, Congress could enact legislation that would repeal the Johnson Amendment entirely, a change that is likely to have far-reaching consequences for churches and the entire nonprofit sector.

We will have to wait to see what happens, of course.

COLUMN: Beware eugenics – Indiana Daily Student

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

A panel of researchers from the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine released a report last week indicating preliminary support for embryonic gene editing in cases of severe disease or disability.

This support for genome editing represents not only the potential alteration of human germlines, the genetic material we may pass on to our children, but also the crossing of an ethical line. Genetic selection, after all, has its own questionable historical lineage.

I believe germline editing is a eugenic process. From the Greek term for well-born, eugenics refers to the selection of heritable biological traits with the aim of producing ideal progeny.

Amid post-Darwinian theories of biological degeneracy in the 19th century, eugenics emerged as a scientifically backed effort to eliminate disability, mental illness and non-white races from the human gene pool through forced sterilization and other intrusive measures.

In the 20th-century United States, eugenic efforts consolidated into federally funded sterilization programs in 32 states, some of which endured well into the 1970s. Indiana, in fact, was the first in the world to enact compulsory eugenic sterilization legislation in 1907.

A notorious 1927 Supreme Court ruling in Buck v. Bell upheld the constitutionality of sterilization laws in the case of Carrie Buck, a woman deemed feebleminded and unfit in Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes majority opinion.

It is essential to recognize that eugenic practices received overwhelming scientific, medical and governmental backing in the name of public health. Though the practice is now acknowledged as unethical, it was legally dismantled only about half a century ago.

Embryonic gene editing procedures are not on the same ethical level as forced sterilization, but the processes nonetheless share eugenic goals.

An underlying principle of eugenics is that society gets to decide which conditions should be eliminated from the human gene pool.

This determination involves a subjective value judgment in selecting which specific diseases or disabilities should not be permitted to exist.

The panels report does acknowledge the troubling relationship between eugenics and human germline editing. While the awareness of this history is crucial in considering the ethical principles at stake, it does not resolve the problem.

The report offers no concrete guidelines for assessing which conditions qualify as severe disease or disability, nor does it clarify whether this determination would be based on quantitative measures, like fatality rates, or other more subjective measures.

Research for treatments is a better investment of resources, and it enables progress toward less ethically questionable options.

The National Institutes of Health currently allocate no funding to gene editing in embryos and for good reason.

Fortunately, it will likely require several years before embryonic gene editing would be a viable option. In the meantime, its time to reassess the ethical heritage of the practice: eugenics.

kmilvert@umail.iu.edu

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COLUMN: Beware eugenics - Indiana Daily Student

‘Father of eugenics’ should not be erased from academic history – Times Higher Education (THE) (blog)

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

Those statues and portraits that embellish our high seats of learning enjoy them while you can. As Sir Francis Galton, one of the greatest polymaths in British history, is recast by some University College London activists as the inventor of racism, we must ask: is any famous figure safe from the campus commissars of moral rectitude?

Today, Galton is best known as the father of eugenics, to the neglect of his far broader range of contributions to knowledge of humankind. He is ridiculed for his doctrine that nothing is beyond understanding through the scientific method of objective, quantitative measurement. Yet this approach elevated the erstwhile philosophical musings of psychology and sociology to credible empirical disciplines.

The eponymous statistical tests of his disciple Karl Pearson remain essential tools of empirical research. Strongly influenced by the evolutionary theory of his cousin Charles Darwin, Galton was passionate about the possibilities of improving the human race by manipulating the laws of natural selection.

We must always consider the social context of scientists and their theories: in the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution, imperial Britain was embarrassed by the apparent decline in physique and social attributes among the working class. Army recruiting sergeants saw before them a pale shadow of the sturdy agricultural labourers of Wellingtons time: certainly the arduous industry of Coke Town produced men of muscle, but others were gaunt weaklings or hapless dullards. Impoverished conditions were seen not as cause but effect.

The consensus of the fin-de-sicle intelligentsia was that something needed to be done. With higher birth rates in the lowest strata, the elite feared its decay, and subversion of biological laws by survival of the weakest. Eugenics, a term coined by Galton, was the scientific pursuit of improving the human stock. Among membership of the Eugenics Society were John Maynard Keynes, George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Cyril Burt, Julian Huxley and most of British psychiatry.

Christians accused eugenicists of playing God, but there were also Anglican supporters.

Galton is vilified by UCL activists for his views of racial inferiorities. However, authoritative biographer Nicholas Wright Gillham is in no doubt that he would have been appalled by distortions of hereditary theory long after his death. Meanwhile, many other celebrated scientific, political and cultural names are untarnished by their support for the cause. Marie Stopes, a perennial role model on the BBC Radio series Womans Hour, urged sterilisation of the poor, yet this escapes the notice of leftward leaning liberals.

The chattering class, on its high moral ground, should be reminded that eugenics has never gone away: the brutally enforced one-child policy in China, and in the West abortion for a lengthening list of undesirable conditions such as Downs syndrome and cleft palate. Do the students who castigate Galton oppose genetic design, or assisted suicide?

People of the past were not perfect, and they cannot keep up with the whims of contemporary ideology. The lecture theatre named after Galton at UCL, his laboratory and bust, honour his seminal achievements. It would be intellectual and cultural vandalism to remove his name, but sadly this is part of a broader trend in universities.

Many scholars will be well aware of the censorial and airbrushing tendencies of radical students, and administrators often appear spineless in defending their greatest alumni. We expect students to be idealists and to challenge the status quo, but if their zeal for an unblemished gallery is appeased, universities will be left with only the bland and the boring.

Revisionism is manipulation of history to suit present sensitivities. If honourable men and women are to be punished for any utterance or belief at odds with modern norms, we will live perpetually in year zero.

Niall McCrae is a lecturer at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at Kings College London. Roger Watson is professor of nursing at the University of Hull.

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'Father of eugenics' should not be erased from academic history - Times Higher Education (THE) (blog)

5 cyborg-themed films like Ghost In The Shell – Star2.com

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

A recent 30-second clip for the March release of Ghost In The Shell offers some new perspectives on sci-fi film and its characters. Here are five other lesser-known movies about the cyborg experience.

Park Chan-wook is better known for his thrillers often grisly such as Sympathy For Mr Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance, with novel adaptation The Handmaiden furthering that reputation. But this 2006 feature, which he wrote, is instead a comedy set within the confines of a psychiatric hospital, as two patients forge a romantic connection. It won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Trivia: Hallyu star Rain is featured in the movie.

A highly roboticised military science experiment escapes his facility after a deadly assault and, necessarily, goes on the run. Personal reasons motivate him to find a particular hospital patient but an FBI containment unit is on his tail and closing in fast.

Picked up for production in 2012, racking up over 36 million YouTube view in the meantime, with the full movie still in development.

Though it didnt do well at the box office, Morgan is receiving a new round of interest following another leading role for Ana Taylor-Joy in M. Night Shyamalans Split. This 2016 thriller has Taylor-Joy as the title character, a scientific synthetic hybridisation experiment. Corporate investigator Lee (Kate Mara) is dispatched to take care of the situation.

Not the Marvel superhero movie due in 2020, but an obscure Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts movie and certainly less well received than the actors earlier iconic film, Bloodsport, his other 1989 classic, Kickboxer, nor the previous decades Mad Max whose influence can be clearly seen.

Regrettable that the trailer doesnt include any character names, which are jumbled references to prominent musical instrument brands Gibson Rickenbacker, Fender Tremelo, Marshall Strat and so on providing welcome levity during the poorly received post-apocalyptic excursion.

Robert Rodriguez is directing a live action adaptation of this Japanese manga under the title Atila Battle Angel, with Rosa Salazar of Insurgent and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials as its lead. Until its release, currently tabled for 2018, theres this hour-long animated feature from 1993 that was at the time very well received outside of Japan.

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5 cyborg-themed films like Ghost In The Shell - Star2.com

‘Cyborg’ Justino: ‘I’m not going to wait’ for UFC champ Germaine de Randamie – MMAjunkie.com

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

MMAjunkie.com

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'Cyborg' Justino: 'I'm not going to wait' for UFC champ Germaine de Randamie - MMAjunkie.com

Beaches closed after leak dumps untreated sewage into Puget Sound – KIRO Seattle

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

by: Siemny Kim Updated: Feb 19, 2017 - 5:32 PM

The sound of the waves hitting the shore has Xiulan Yang, her husband and their 15-month-old son escaping to Magnolia's Discovery Park any chance they get.

You dont have to drive far away but you still have plenty of nature here, Yang said,

A KIRO 7 crew noticed the Yangs getting pretty close to the water. The crew broke the news to them that the beach was closed after millions of gallons of untreated sewage was dumped into the Puget Sound when the West Point Treatment Plant in the neighborhood flooded more than a week ago.

We were kind of surprised, Yang explained. I guess I heard about the sewage leakage last week but I wasnt expecting the beaches closed.

Part of the problem is that there are few signs along this stretch of the beach.

There's one at a parking lot -- where drivers turned their cars around when they realized they couldn't get in.

The members of the KIRO 7 crew saw another sign where they parked their car before walking down to the beach, but it was pretty small and could easily be overlooked.

The closest sign after that was about a quarter mile down the path toward the lighthouse and then another one 100 yards out.

We walk this place all the time, Scott Livingston said.

Livingston and his wife, Susun, think the signage could be better.

It does say water contaminated, but it looks familiar. It doesnt look unfamiliar for you to stop and say 'There is a difference here,'"Susun Livingson said.

But there was nothing "familiar" about the failure at the treatment plant that officials say caused "catastrophic damage."

The other problem is they are very dense, so the normal person isn't going to read them in any depth, Susun Livingston added.

The KIRO 7 crew didn't see anyone in the water while it was there.

The Livingstons say they've noticed people have been staying out.

I'm kind of happy it happened during the winter because it reduces the amount of traffic on the beach, Scott Livingston said.

But it's still too close to comfort for Yang. She said she would have had second thought walking along the shore with her family had she seen the signs.

They immediately headed away from the water, walking along the path.

The spill is causing closures at other beaches in addition to Discovery Park.

Golden Gardens in Ballard is closed, along with Indianola Dock and Fay Bainbridge Park, both of which are in Kitsap County.

There's no date for reopening.

2017 Cox Media Group.

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Beaches closed after leak dumps untreated sewage into Puget Sound - KIRO Seattle

NEW: Ballpark of Palm Beaches hits home run on ‘opening day’ for fans – Palm Beach Post

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Danzig

WEST PALM BEACH

It was a day of firsts on Saturday whenThe Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, Major League Baseballs newest spring-training facility, opened its doors to the public for the first time.

The first souvenir baseball from a batting-practice foul ball went to Rocco Arnone, 10, of Boca Raton, who snagged it outside a Houston Astros practice field.

Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez and 8-year-old Ryan Shenker of Potomac, Md., teamed up for the ballparks first player-fan high-five.

The first player to succumb to autograph hounds was Astros infielder A.J. Reed. He also posed for the first player-fan selfie with Lynn University student Andrew Kalmans of Houston.

If you build it, they will come, and here we come, Nationals fan Lana Turner of Stuart said, quoting the baseball movie Field of Dreams, as she strolled with her husband, John, through the$150 million spring training complex south of 45th Street.

Hundreds of fans, from as far away as California and wearing the red colors of both teams, started arriving at about 8:30 a.m. on the 160-acre site, which wasa landfill before the teams broke ground in November 2015.

They gathered along chain-link fences in front of the Astros clubhouse on the north end of the site and the Nationals clubhouse on the south end, waiting for sightings of the teams biggest stars, Jose Altuve and Bryce Harper. They happily settled for just about any player wearing an orange Houston star or a curly Washington W.

I cant believe how fan-friendly it is. You can actually see the players up close, said Julio Duran of Lake Worth, who complained that fan access at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter has become more restricted in recent years.

Around 9:45 a.m., Gonzalez the popular Nationals pitcher emerged with some of his teammates from their clubhouse and walked through a gauntlet of fans.

Gio, will you say Hi to George? yelled a man who was recording a video on his smartphone. Gonzalez turned to the man, pointed at his phone and said, George, whats going on, buddy?

The man, D.J. Stadtler of Virginia, huddled over his smartphone, tapped some numbers and just like that texted the video to his friend in Washington, D.C., George Hyder.

Stadtler, a season-ticket holder at Nationals Park, left home Thursday night and drove with his family to South Florida so they could attend Saturdays opening of the new complex.

Last spring we went to Viera (the Nationals previous spring home), and we drove down here to just to have our pictures taken. It was still a construction site, but we were excited to see it, he said.

Local residents were thrilled to see it, too, on Saturday. Robert Frazier, whos working as an Astros usher, still fondly remembers the citys last spring-training complex, West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium off Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. It closed after the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos held their final spring training camp there in 1997.

The fact that they built this (Ballpark of the Palm Beaches) just 3 miles from my home is retirement nirvana, said Jim DeOrdio, 58, of Century Village.

The Astros and Nationals werent the only baseball players on the complex Saturday. Leaning against the batting cages, intently watching Altuve and George Springer take swings, were members of the Palm Beach Lakes High School baseball team.

The high school is just a long Bryce Harper blast away, directly across Military Trail from the complex.

We are the closest high school to any major-league spring training facility probably in the entire country, said head coach George Powell, who hopes his players can volunteer at the ballpark.

I want my guys to see as much as they can so maybe they incorporate something they see from (an Astros) pitcher. Their excitement is off the charts. They have talked about this day since the start of the school year.

The first-day excitement translated into ticket sales, too.Ben Walter, the parks director of marketing, said he made more than 25 ticket sales as he walked around the complex with an iPad attached to his hand.

There were a few dubious firsts, too, on Saturday. Spencer Lazarus, 13, joked that he suffered the first spring training injury at the ballpark. He received a small cut on his left wrist when he brushed against a piece of sharp wire on a chain-link fence.

Spencer and the fence were both quickly repaired. The boy, with a band-aid on the wrist, was back in action, high-fiving Brian McCann and other Astros players as they jogged off practice fields.

A man from Virginia who didnt want to be named offered perhaps the first and only complaint about the complex, specifically about the pricey snacks offered at concession stands.

This feels a lot like Nationals Park (in Washington), he said, because bottled water is $4.50.

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NEW: Ballpark of Palm Beaches hits home run on 'opening day' for fans - Palm Beach Post

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