Jailed doctors walk to freedom – Daily Nation

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Wednesday February 15 2017 Advertisement By MAUREEN KAKAH More by this Author

Doctors' union officials jailed on Monday walked to freedom on Wednesday.

This was after lawyers for the Council of Governors and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) agreed to have the medics released immediately to carry on with talks.

The released officials are KMPDU Chairman Samuel Oroko and Secretary-General Ouma Oluga. Others are Daisy Korir, Evelyne Chege, Allan Ochanji, Mwachonda Chibandzi and Titus Ondoro.

They had been locked up at Industrial Area and Lang'ata prisons in Nairobi for contempt after they called a national strike that entered its 73rd day today against labour court orders.

Negotiations aimed at ending the two-month doctors' job boycott will be jump-started on Thursday morning, the two parties agreed before the Court of Appeal.

They are expected to craft a return-to-work formula that will be presented in court on February 23, meaning doctors may have to give up the 2013 collective bargaining agreement they have been pushing their employer to effect.

The parties agreed to restart talks before a three-judge bench of Jamila Mohamed, Wanjiru Karanja and Hannah Okwengu in Nairobi on Wednesday.

The Council of Governors, through lawyer Eunice Lumallas, told the judges that they have reached the consent out of goodwill.

The bench approved and recorded the consent.

The court also allowed the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to join the case and mandated it to lead the talks together with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

Here is a summary of the lawyers consent as presented to court:

1. Doctors' union chiefs to be released with immediate effect to continue with negotiations that will last seven days.

2. They will come to court with a comprehensive report on February 23 with a view to calling off the strike

3. LSK and KNCHR to lead the talks.

4.Matter to mentioned on February 23.

Cord leader Raila Odinga, who attended the session, said it was a shame for the government to have the union officials jailed.

He called on Kenyans to pick leaders who uphold human rights.

Doctors across the country burst into celebrations after the officials were released.

They had vowed to stay put and paralyse talks to break the stalemate until their colleagues, also known as the CBA 7, were set free.

The release of the doctors came as Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu and his PS Nicholas Muraguri clashed before the Senate Health committee on failed mediation talks to end the strike.

PS apologises to Cabinet secretary before House team.

The Nairobi Hospital and Mater among facilities that heeded KMA call.

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Jailed doctors walk to freedom - Daily Nation

Trump and the Rebirth of Press Freedom – Project Syndicate

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NEW YORK US President Donald Trumps administration has shocked the mainstream press by bullying news outlets and unabashedly trafficking in alternative facts (also known as lies). But Trumps challenge to the media status quo may not be an entirely bad thing: journalists now have an opportunity to root out the bad habits associated with cozying up to those in power.

Trumps chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, drew gasps recently when he told the New York Times that the news media represent the opposition party. Bannon may have wanted to disorient his interlocutors, but he also inadvertently reminded them of the adversarial role they are meant to play. In a healthy democracy, the press helps citizens hold the government accountable, by vigorously interrogating official policies and behavior.

Unfortunately, it has been decades since America had that kind of news media. Instead, the press has allowed multiple presidential administrations to spoon-feed it information. News organizations in the United States have prioritized access to the corridors of power above all else, even when access is conditioned on avoiding uncomfortable questions or accepting evasive answers.

When access journalism leads senior editorial decision-makers to identify with political elites, explaining the governments thinking to the public becomes their primary purpose. Combine that with cuts to news budgets, and political coverage becomes a mere endless cycle of sound bites from politicians and their surrogates not unlike a dedicated sports channel covering a football season.

Even the more meticulously factual media outlets have, in recent decades, confined their coverage to a narrow range of topics that tend to confirm the political establishments self-serving narratives. Because they had exposed themselves only to elite perspectives, members of the mainstream media were initially blindsided by the fact that many Americans who had previously voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 either stayed home or voted for Trump in 2016.

But no calamity better captures the dangers of a press corps too beholden to power than the invasion of Iraq, a cataclysmic blunder whose ghastly knock-on effects afflict the Middle East, as well as Europe, to this day. In the lead-up to the invasion, George W. Bushs administration assiduously courted journalists at mainstream liberal and conservative news outlets, who then helped it win public support by disseminating what turned out to be false claims about weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

In the US, the only mainstream media organization that ran consistently skeptical articles about the case for war was the Knight Ridder group (which has since been acquired by McClatchy). As reporters Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay later explained, their middle-tier news service was not granted top-level access, so they had to rely on sources from inside the intelligence community, who forthrightly pointed out the flaws in the Bush administrations claims. Journalistic truth telling thrives when there is no need to nurture access.

The Trump administration is already shutting the door on some media mainstays, with CNN the most prominent example. Trumps media handlers may be hoping that they can demand compliance as a condition for renewing access. But this should liberate shunned media outlets. Having lost direct access to senior officials, they can now focus strictly on holding the administration to account.

To take this high road, media outlets will need to rethink longstanding editorial models. Reuters Editor-in-Chief Steve Adler, for his part, recently called on his peers to cover the Trump administration no differently than they would an authoritarian government abroad. Give up on hand-outs and worry less about official access, Adler wrote in a letter to the Reuters staff. They were never all that valuable anyway. Our coverage of Iran has been outstanding, and we have virtually no official access. What we have are sources.

Trump hopes to control the national conversation; and he need not worry that his mendacity will alienate his supporters, because they already believe that the liberal media detest them and the president they elected. But, while we should commend the New York Times for describing the administrations palpably false statements as lies, we should also draw attention to important unlearned lessons of the Times abysmal record in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Taking the Bush administration at its word about WMD, for which the Times later apologized, was only part of the medias failure in that debacle. News outlets not only allowed the administration to marshal questionable facts to justify the invasion; they also permitted officials to attach undue significance to those facts, with no questions asked.

It is worth remembering that Germany and France concurred with the Bush administrations factual claims about Iraqi weapons, but vigorously opposed the invasion, because they believed that the consequences would pose a larger threat than Saddam Hussein ever could. They have since been vindicated. Even if US forces had found stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq, history would not judge the war any less harshly.

Bannons opposition remark should serve as a reminder of this recent history. To defend American democracy against the threat of authoritarian populism, media outlets must not stop at vigorously challenging Trumps alternative facts. They must tell a different story, based on observations, investigations, and critical assessments of claims made by both Republicans and Democrats in power.

The real story, as 2016 showed, is often playing out in places to which the media is paying no attention. Adler instructed his staff to, Get out into the country and learn more about how people live, what they think, what helps and hurts them, and how the government and its actions appear to them, not to us. Journalists should not fear being on the wrong side of power. On the contrary, that is exactly where they belong.

Get to grips with President Trump; Project Syndicate has published more than 100 articles exploring the implications of his presidency for politics, the economy, and world peace and security. They are all here:

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Trump and the Rebirth of Press Freedom - Project Syndicate

Freedom Of Religion According To Thomas Jefferson – Huffington Post

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Much blood has been shed during human history in the name of religion. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) knew this all too well. Here are Jefferson's very words: "Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned" ("Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVII," 1781-1782). It is useful to recount a few such incidents which occurred during periods prior to Jefferson, some of which he may very well have had in mind. John Hus (1369-1415) was a Czech Priest, but he had been critical of the Church, especially the perceived moral failings of some of the Church's clerics. In addition, his views on Holy Communion were different from the established doctrines of the Church. And he was candid about being displeased with the Church's use of Indulgences. For such things, John Hus was summoned to appear before the Council of Constance (in 1415). Emperor Sigismund had given Hus a guarantee of safe conduct for the Council. But at the Council, he was condemned and then summarily burned at the stake.

But there is more. At this same Council, the views of the English Churchman and Oxford teacher John Wycliffe (ca. 1320-1384) were also condemned. Wycliffe was deceased, though, having died peacefully around thirty years before the Council of Constance. But he had been buried in a Church Cemetery, so the Council decreed that Wycliffe's body should be exhumed. And in time his remains were exhumed (in 1428), and then callously thrown into the Swift River. Or again, the great reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) is famous for offering sanctuary to the Spanish physician and theologian Michael Servetus (1511-1553) because Servetus was fleeing from the Roman Catholic Inquisition. But after the arrival of Servetus in Geneva, John Calvin soon had him burned at the stake, because Calvin was displeased that Servetus did not accept the doctrine of the Trinity. Of course, on a much larger scale, the European Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was a bloodbath anchored in religious garb, leaving in its wake some eight million dead. It is not surprising, therefore, that Thomas Jefferson wished for freedom of religion to be the law of the land in the United States.

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Thomas Jefferson was the first Secretary of State of the United States, the second Vice President of the United States, and the third President of the United States (1801-1809). Of course, he was particularly proud of the Declaration of Independence (1776). For this reason, at Jefferson's Monticello (just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia), the following words are chiseled deeply into an obelisk as the opening of his epitaph: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence." The words of the Declaration are powerful, moving. Jefferson was so very justified in the pride that he felt as its author.

But that is not the conclusion of his epitaph. Here are the words that immediately follow: Author of "the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom." This document was drafted the year after the Declaration of Independence (i.e., in 1777). It is a particularly powerful, moving document as well. Here are some of the most poignant and direct words from that foundational document: "Be it enacted by General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities." Obviously, Thomas Jefferson believed that someone's religious beliefs were a matter of conscience, and he believed that coercion should never be part of the equation.

Jefferson fleshed out his views about religious freedom in even more concrete form just four or five years later. Here are some of his most candid statements: "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg" ("Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVII," dating to 1781-1782). I have long marveled at those two sentences. After all, with those words, Jefferson proclaims that polytheism and atheism, and everything in between, are all acceptable positions for the citizens of Virginia. For Thomas Jefferson, religion is a matter of conscience and so long as it is not "injurious to others" (a phrase he uses in the same context), religion is not something with which the government should be concerned.

The Constitution of the United States was penned some five years later, and the First Amendment to the Constitution has language that embraces Jefferson's stance on the freedom of religion. Here are those immortal words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (1787). Later, after being elected to the Presidency of the United States, during Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (on March 4, 1801), he uttered these potent words: "It is proper that you should understand what I deem the essential principles of our Government, and consequently those which ought to shape its Administration." Then, within the list of essential principles are the words "freedom of religion." Similarly, in Jefferson's discussions of the University of Virginia (which he founded, which is the third notation of his epitaph), he notes that the Constitution of the United States "places all sects of religion on an equal footing" (August 4, 1818).

It will come as no surprise that Thomas Jefferson was criticized in his own day for his views of religion, including his belief in the freedom of religion. For example, at one point a certain Mrs. Samuel H. Smith wrote a letter to him about such matters. She was someone whom he knew from societal events in Washington as well as from a prior visit of hers to Monticello. From Jefferson's letter of response to her (sent from Monticello, and dated August 6, 1816), it is apparent that she had heard something about Jefferson's views of religion that disturbed her and she seems to have suggested in her letter that his later views are different from his earlier views. Jefferson's letter of reply is warm, but he seems to bristle slightly at times in his response. He tells her that there have been no changes. Then he writes: "the priests indeed have heretofore thought proper to ascribe to me religious, or rather anti-religious sentiments, of their own fabric, but such as soothed their resentments against the act of Virginia for establishing religious freedom. They wished him [i.e., Jefferson] to be thought atheist, deist, or devil, who could advocate freedom from their religious dictations." He goes on to state that "I have ever thought religion a concern purely between our God and our consciences, for which we were accountable to him...I never told my own religion, nor scrutinized that of another." And then he states that "I have ever judged of the religion of others by their lives....For it is in our lives, and not from our words, that our religion must be read."

For President Thomas Jefferson, therefore, freedom of religion means freedom for all religions, not just his, not just mine, not just yours, but all religions. And Jefferson believed that polytheism, monotheism, and atheism should all be placed on equal footing in the eyes of the government. None of these is to be privileged by the government and none is to be penalized by the government. All are to be equally acceptable in the eyes of the law. Finally, and of paramount importance, Jefferson believed that the measure that is to be used for all of us is our lives, not our words. Ultimately, at the end of the day, "the Sage of Monticello" still has much to teach us.

This Blogger's Books and Other Items from...

The Gospels According to Michael Goulder: A North American Response

by Christopher A. Rollston

Writing and Literacy in the World of Ancient Israel: Epigraphic Evidence from the Iron Age (Archaeology and Biblical Studies)

by Christopher A. Rollston

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Freedom Of Religion According To Thomas Jefferson - Huffington Post

Fabulous floating cities promise freedom – Treehugger

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The Seasteading Institute has a grand vision of a libertarian wonderland; Kim described it as a floating city where "there will be no welfare, no minimum wage, looser building codes and little restrictions on weapons (better for defending against pirates, we assume)." In January they signed an agreement with the French Polynesian government "to cooperate on creating legal framework to allow for the development of The Floating Island Project. The legislation will give the Floating Island Project its own special governing framework creating an innovative special economic zone.

And no, we are not talking about meringue and custard. This is a city floating in its own "Special Economic SeaZone". We now know what it might look like; The Seasteading institute held a design competition that resulted in a tie for first place.

The whole idea is silly, but there are some very interesting ideas in the competition entries that are worth a look. They have big beautiful renderings, so we are using the slideshow format.

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Fabulous floating cities promise freedom - Treehugger

FCC Under Trump: Net Neutrality & Internet Freedom Face New Attack – Democracy Now!

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This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

JUAN GONZLEZ: We turn now to look at President Donald Trumps newly appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, who has begun to attack net neutrality rules and other consumer protections. In a series of actions earlier this month, Pai blocked nine companies from providing affordable high-speed internet to low-income families. He withdrew the FCCs support from an effort to curb the exorbitant cost of phone calls from prison. And he also said he disagrees with the 2015 decision to regulate the internet like a public utility.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, were going to Los Angeles, where well speak with Jessica Gonzlez, deputy director, senior counsel at Free Press. Gonzlez was formerly on the FCCs Open Internet Advisory Committee and Diversity Committee. Shes also the former executive vice president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

Jessica Gonzlez, welcome to Democracy Now!

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Thank you.

AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the significance of the elevation of Ajit Pai to be the head of the FCC, and the decisions and the stands that he takes.

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Well, Ajit Pai is Trumps new FCC chairman, and it should come as a surprise to no one that he poses a significant threat, not only to net neutrality, but also to the digital divide. In his first weekshis first week in office, he talked a good game about bridging the digital divide. But actions speak louder than words. And if you look at his actions, theres a very, very troubling history of voting against reforms to both bring affordable access to poor Americans, to low-income Americans, to people of color, who disproportionately lack home internet access, but theres also a troubling history of voting against net neutrality. He voted against the Lifeline order, to modernize Lifeline and bring affordable broadband to low-income families. He voted against the E-rate order, to help bring high-speed internet to schools and libraries in poor neighborhoods. And he voted against net neutrality, to keep the internet open so that people who dont usually get a spot in mainstream media can tell their own stories, can organize for justice and can make a living. And so, were very concerned. We have a close eye on him. And we cant trust what he says. And actions speak louder than words.

JUAN GONZLEZ: Well, Jessica, in a 2015 interview with Reason TV, Ajit Pai suggested that any federal regulation of the internet is harmful. This is what he said.

COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI: Do you trust the federal government to make the internet ecosystem more vibrant than it is today? Can you think of any regulated utility, like the electric company or water company, that is as innovative as the internet? I mean, I think what he, what Marc Andreessen, who developed, of course, the first Netscape browserwhat he and other entrepreneurs are seeing is that this is something that has worked really well, and theres no reason for the FCC to mess it up by inserting itself into areas where it hasnt been before.

JUAN GONZLEZ: So what about this issue of his view on the internet? And remember, it took the Obama administration several years, only the last couple of years of Obamas presidency, before they finally took a clear stand that the internet was a public utility, and even under Wheeler, who no one expected, as the chair of the FCC, a former telecommunications guy, that it would pass, it would take that stand. It has now. What would it mean if Pai got the FCC to vote to rescind that?

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Well, it would be very dangerous. Look, were in an administration that is trying to shut down speech. We have a president and his surrogates telling the media to shut up. Theyre trying to silence dissent. And the internet is the one clear way where we know that people, movements can control the narrative and can organize. Four million Americans wrote to the FCC in 2015 and told them, "We want an open internet. We understand that the internet companies have monopoly-like status, that they are blockingyou know, that they have the power and the incentive to block access and to cut special deals behind our backs. And we dont want that. We want to be ableonce we pay the hefty prices we do to get on the internet, we want to be able to go where we want, see what we want, and access the content we want, without getting shoved over into a slow lane if you dont have the money." And so, its incredibly vital, now more than ever, that we protect an open internet and that this administration heed the millions and millions of regular people, thatyou know, I think we cannot trust Ajit Pai. Hes a former Verizon lobbyist. Hes, you know, walking in the footsteps of Trump. And we need to be very, very, very careful.

JUAN GONZLEZ: I wanted to ask you about the troubling role of a lot of the civil rights organizations on this issue, the NAACP and others and this minority media telecommunications organization. Could you talk about the disappointing role that some of these organizations have played in this debate?

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Sure. Well, theres a few organizations that represent people of color that have come out on the wrong side of this issue. Its troubling, but, frankly, if you look at the grassroots, the vast majority of people of color understand this. We understand that we do not like the way we have been represented in mainstream media. Were portrayed as criminals. Were portrayed as people who pose a danger to the society. We understand that the internet has played a democratizing force in making sure that our voices are heard, in making sure that weve been able to organize and in making sure that we can really, you know, tap into the networks that we need to tap into to change the narrative in this country for the better of lots of different issuesfor the water protectors, for immigrant rights activists, for Black Lives Matter. And we see the way that movements have utilized the internet to change the way society perceives us. And so, these groupstheres a few of themtheyre on the wrong side of the issue, and its very troubling. But, you know, they dont represent most people of color on this.

AMY GOODMAN: I want toI want to ask you about Ajit Pais position on the FCCs attempts to prevent prison phone monopolies from dramatically overcharging families for phone calls to prisoners.

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Sure. Well, this is yet another example of where he talks the talk, but he walks in the other direction. Hein both 2013 and 2015, the FCC looked at the issue of exorbitant prison phone rates. Some families of inmates and detainees are paying up to $17 for a 15-minute call. Its outrageous. The prisons are getting kickbacks from prison phone companies to charge these exorbitant rates. And its a real abuse of power. Ajit Pai actually acknowledged that this was unjust and that the interests of inmates families may not necessarily align with the prison phone companies. Yet he went ahead and voted against two different orders to help regulate the rates and the fees that are charged by these companies. And so, he talks the talk, but he doesnt walk the walk. In fact, he filed a 20-page dissent in 2013 that mirrored some of the company talking points. And so, we have to really hold him accountable on this. He does not have the best interests of communities of color and poor people at heart. And we need to hold his feet to the fire.

JUAN GONZLEZ: And finally, I wanted to ask you, you wereyou were a member of the FCCs Open Internet Advisory Committee and Diversity Committee. Have those been dissolved? Or whats happened? Because I understand you havent been called to any meetings in quite a while.

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Its been a couple years since Ive heard anything about those. They used to be active, few years back. Wed meet on a semiregular basis. I dont think Ive received an official word on whether or not they exist anymore, but I certainly havent been invited to any meetings in the past couple of years.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, Jessica Gonzlez, we want to thank you for being with us, deputy director, senior counsel at Free Press, formerly with the FCCs Open Internet Advisory Committee and Diversity Committee.

This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. When we come back, two leading immigrants rights activists here in New York in the face of the attempted imposition of the Muslim travel ban, but also the raids that have been taking place across the country. Stay with us.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: "El Hielo/ICE," by La Santa Cecilia, performing at our Democracy Now! studio. To see the full interview and their performance, go to democracynow.org. Yes, this is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Im Amy Goodman, with Juan Gonzlez.

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FCC Under Trump: Net Neutrality & Internet Freedom Face New Attack - Democracy Now!

Oscar Lpez’s bittersweet freedom – Workers World

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In a surprise action on Feb. 9, Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar Lpez Rivera returned to his homeland, Puerto Rico, after the second Obama Administration commuted his sentence in its last days in mid-January. But what so many people longed for to greet him with hugs, Puerto Rican flags and slogans of national freedom, to make him aware of their love and gratitude was impeded by the cruel, vengeful orders of the U.S. Empire.

Lpez Rivera arrived at the San Juan Airport accompanied by his daughter Clarisa Lpez, his brother Jos Lpez, his lawyer Jan Susler and elected officials: the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yuln Cruz; the president of the City Council of New York, Melisa Viverito; and Congressperson Luis Gutierrez, Democratic Party representative for Chicago.

The people gathered to meet Oscar at the terminal where he would arrive were astonished by the speed of events and the absolute impossibility of greeting him. The officials accompanying Oscar on his trip from North Carolina, where he had been transferred from Terre Haute Prison in Indiana, walked quickly around him, trying to keep him hidden. They even put a cap on his head in an attempt to cover his face.

Despite those accompanying Oscar trying to cover the television lens, this writer was able to see through the cameras a part of his walk through the airport halls. These glimpses of Oscars face aroused immense joy as well as great indignation, feelings shared by many people judging by the many comments on social media.

Interviewed by the media about Oscars arrival, Puerto Rican hero and former political prisoner Rafael Cancel Miranda told how important it was to him to be greeted by thousands of Puerto Ricans at the airport in 1979. Thats when he arrived in PR with Lolita Lebrn, Irving Flores and Andrs Collazo after being pardoned by U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He spoke of the extraordinary joy euphoria even he felt to see thousands of people gathered, carrying Puerto Rican flags, when he reached Borinquen soil after 26 years in Yankee dungeons.

Oscar was deprived of this welcome. His lawyer Jan Susler said, He is under strict supervision. He is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. If he wants to be in Puerto Rico, he has to be confined to his home. He has to meet the conditions the most important, apart from complying with the law, is that he maintain a very low profile. (elnuevodia.com, Feb. 9)

Low profile includes house arrest at the home of his daughter Clarisa, which he can leave only for medical appointments and to go to the Bureau of Prisons. He cannot talk to people with a prison record, be in any public hearing or be interviewed by the media. In addition, he must wear an electronic shackle until May 17, when he will finally finish his sentence after being a prisoner for 36 years.

Political context

Within the parameters of the U.S. legal justice system, there is no reason why his commutation could not have included Oscars immediate release. Not only is his continued control an open cruelty, it is a highly political act, preventing Oscar from being an active and cohesive element in the struggle for Puerto Rican independence.

The struggle for Oscars freedom has been endorsed by the most diverse Puerto Rican forces, from the current pro-statehood Governor Ricardo Rosell to pro-independence and socialist tendencies, along with religious communities of all beliefs and all social movements in between. Oscar is the symbol of the united will of a people to fight for what it considers just. That was also the way it was with the victorious struggle to remove the U.S. Navy from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.

Now is a critical time for the Boriquen archipelago, where dangerous events are taking place. The first is the imposition of an overwhelming and dictatorial Fiscal Control Board (JCF) that seeks to bleed the working class to pay Wall Streets bondholders. Among these bondholders is the vulture-funds firm of the now infamous John Paulson, one of the top advisers to President Donald Trump.

In addition, another administration has been established harmful to the Puerto Rican working class that of Gov. Rosell, who imposes reforms to please the JCF while making Puerto Rican workers lives precarious. On top of all this, there is another proposal for a futile status plebiscite to be held on June 11.

Never before has the struggle for true Puerto Rican sovereignty been so crucial. We are reaching a crossroads at this terminal phase of capitalism a phase that seeks profits at the cost of the very life of the working class by eliminating all the achievements obtained through decades of struggle.

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Oscar Lpez's bittersweet freedom - Workers World

Catholic Bishop: Killing Babies in Abortion is "Eugenics" Like "What … – LifeNews.com

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Abortion technically is illegal and carries criminal charges in parts of the Land Down Under even though the law is not enforced. However, Queensland is considering decriminalizing abortion in upcoming State Parliamentary proceedings in March, and Brisbanes archbishop has received tremendous criticism for comparing the move to the Nazi eugenics programs, RT News reported.

The classic term for it is eugenics, Archbishop Mark Coleridge told the Courier Mail. It is the kind of thing that went on in Nazi Germany.

The archbishop elaborated on his fears that women would abort their unborn babies based on gender, citing the atrocities of Chinas One Child Policy, or based on womens fears of the natural weight gain associated with pregnancy. This could be a reference to a story Pope Francis recently told about a woman who aborted her baby to preserve her figure.

We know this is happening in China. There are even women having abortions because they are worried about their figure. At that point you have a culture in trouble, Archbishop Coleridge stated. I think a government that is very strongly opposed to domestic violence but strongly in favor of greater access to abortion has a kind of a contradiction at its heart. Its a contradiction and probably is hypocrisy.

The Queensland Crimes Code of 1899 currently bans abortion. There are exceptions to prevent serious danger to the womans physical or mental health, RT News states. The proposed legislation, to be voted on March 1, would not only decriminalize abortion but also create buffer zones surrounding abortion centers and permit abortions post-24 weeks should two doctors agree upon endangerment of the mothers physical or mental health.

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Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, a Catholic who said she simply disagrees with church doctrine on the sanctity of life, told the RT Times: With all due respect to Archbishop Coleridge, I dont need counseling about my position on abortion. I have been pro-choice all my adult life.

Its also sad that we have reached a new low in this debate when women who have abortions are compared to Nazis, Trad elaborated. I would have thought the Archbishop had more important things to focus on, like the [Royal Commissions] inquiry into institutional [child sex] abuse and the findings that are coming out of that inquiry than what is before the Queensland Parliament, Trad told the Brisbane Times.

The Archbishop has since apologized for the comments comparing abortion to the Nazi eugenics programs, the Courier Mail reported. However, he also stated: For her [Trad] it may be more a political judgment than a moral judgment. But I have a problem when political judgment and moral judgment part company.

According to the International Business Times, the archbishops apology also included the following sentiments: Women are damaged by abortion, which is a short term solution often leading to long term trouble. To speak of a womans right to choose prompts other questions about rights. What are the rights of unborn children? Or do they have no rights no real human status?

In a letter sent to Queensland State Parliament, the archbishop criticized the legislation, saying it does not protect womens health and it would lead to the destruction of innocent, vulnerable babies in the womb.

For most medical procedures, one needs to indicate that there is a medical reason for undertaking the procedure, the archbishop wrote. The Bill being considered makes no such provision. Indeed it treats abortion as a trivial procedure.

He continued:

As well as in the Criminal Code, in Queensland the law on abortion is governed by legal precedent: the decision in R v. Bayliss and Cullen in 1986. While that decision allowed for abortion in certain restricted circumstances. Justice McGuire stated: The law in this State has not abdicated its responsibility as guardian of the silent innocence of the unborn. It should rightly use its authority to see that a mentality of abortion on whim or caprice, does not insidiously filter into our society. There is no legal justification for abortion on demand.

It is sometimes suggested that times have moved on and community expectations are different. But this would not seem to be the case. It is true that the majority of the population believe that women should have access to abortion, but it is also true that there is preference for women to have real and immediate access to alternatives to abortion. Furthermore it would appear that even among those who support abortion in principle, many do not support it other than for medical reasons.

A recent Galaxy Poll in Queensland found that 72 per cent of Queenslanders were opposed to abortion after three months.

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Catholic Bishop: Killing Babies in Abortion is "Eugenics" Like "What ... - LifeNews.com

The mHealth (Mobile Healthcare) Ecosystem: 2017 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts – PR Newswire (press release)

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LONDON, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 7 Billion mobile network subscriptions worldwide, the mobile communications sector is rapidly gaining traction from a diverse range of vertical sectors. Healthcare is no exception to this trend.

As healthcare service providers seek to maximize their patient outreach while minimizing costs, many view mobile healthcare (or mHealth) as the solution to improve healthcare costefficiency. mHealth refers to the usage of mobile communications technology and devices to enhance access to healthcare information, improve distribution of routine and emergency health services, and provide diagnostic services.

Mobile operators also view mHealth as a lucrative opportunity for the monetization of their mobile connectivity services as a growing proportion of their subscribers adopt healthcare centric wearables. Given that most operators have established themselves as reputable consumer brands, they are also eyeing at opportunities to offer services beyond simple connectivity. Many operators already offer branded or co-branded end-to-end mHealth solutions to their customer bases.

In addition, mHealth offers a multitude to opportunities to the pharmaceutical industry ranging from enhanced R&D activities and medication adherence to securing the supply chain and combating counterfeit drugs.

Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that the mHealth market will account for over $23 Billion in 2017 alone. Despite barriers relating to regulation, patient acceptance and privacy concerns, SNS Research estimates further growth at a CAGR of more than 35% over the next three years.

The mHealth (Mobile Healthcare) Ecosystem: 2017 2030 Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an indepth assessment of the global mHealth market. In addition to covering key market drivers, challenges, future roadmap, value chain analysis, deployment case studies, service/product strategies and strategic recommendations, the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for the mHealth market from 2017 till 2030. The forecasts and historical revenue figures are individually segmented for 5 individual submarkets, 29 use case categories, 5 ecosystem player categories, 6 geographical regions and 34 countries.

The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.

Topics Covered The report covers the following topics: - The scope and implementation of mHealth across the globe - mHealth technology - Market drivers and key benefits of mHealth - Challenges and inhibitors to the mHealth ecosystem - mHealth standardization and regulatory initiatives - mHealth opportunities, use cases and applications - mHealth deployment case studies - Value chain analysis of the mHealth ecosystem and the recognition of key players in each segment of the value chain - mHealth industry roadmap: 2017 2030 - Key trends in the mHealth ecosystem; mHealth regulation, security, adoption of cloud based mHealth services, alliances for ecosystem fortification, and the impact of LTE/5G deployments - The role of IoT and wearable technology in the mHealth ecosystem - Profiles and strategies of over 230 leading ecosystem players - Strategic recommendations for mobile operators, enabling technology providers, mHealth device OEMs, application developers, healthcare service providers and pharmaceutical companies - In-depth analysis for 5 individual submarkets and their associated mHealth application use cases: - Pharmaceutical Applications - Medical Information & Healthcare Management - Healthcare & Fitness - Remote Consultation/Diagnostic Services - IoT, Wearable Technology, Sensor & Monitoring Applications - Historical revenue figures and forecasts till 203

Forecast Segmentation Market forecasts and historical revenue figures are provided for each of the following 5 submarkets and their 23 use case categories:

Pharmaceutical Applications - Safety Data Collection - Consumer Education - Medical Education - PostMarket Monitoring - Drug Authentication - Social Media - Patient Compliance & Retention: Clinical Trials

Information & Healthcare Management - Electronic Health/Medical Records & Tracking Tools - Diagnostic Tools & Medical Reference - Continuing Medical Education - Awareness Through Alerts - Logistical & Payment Support

Healthcare & Fitness - Medical Compliance - Fitness & Nutrition Apps - Clinical Decision Support Systems - Prescribable Mobile Apps

Remote Consultation/Diagnostic Services - Mobile Video Consultations, Collaboration & Surgery - Non-Video Consultations & Collaboration - Remote Collaboration in Emergency Situations

IoT, Wearable Technology, Sensor & Monitoring Applications - Health and Wellness Monitoring - Disease Surveillance/Remote Monitoring - Diagnostic Tools - Technical Logistics - Revenue is also split by ecosystem player:

Ecosystem Player Segmentation - Mobile Operators & Connectivity Providers - Mobile & mHealth Device OEMs - Content & Application Providers - Healthcare Service Providers - Pharmaceutical Industry - The following regional and country markets are also covered:

Regional Markets - Asia Pacific - Eastern Europe - Latin & Central America - Middle East & Africa - North America - Western Europe

Country Markets - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, UK, USA

Additional forecasts are provided for the following: - IoT connections for mHealth applications - mHealth centric wearable device shipments - Mobile video calling users - Annual throughput of mobile network data traffic - Smartphone, feature phone, tablet, desktop PC and notebook shipments - Mobile network subscriptions by region - Cost saving potential of mHealth by region - Big Data & analytics technology investments in the healthcare sector

Key Questions Answered The report provides answers to the following key questions: - What are the key market drivers and challenges for mHealth? - What are the key applications of mHealth? - How is the mHealth value chain structured and how will it evolve overtime? - How big is the mHealth market, and how much revenue will it generate in 2020? - What will be the installed base of IoT connections for mHealth applications in 2020? - How many mHealth centric wearable devices will be shipped in 2020? - Which regions, countries and submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth? - Who are the key market players and what are their strategies? - What level of cost savings can mHealth facilitate for healthcare service providers in each region? - What are the key applications of LTE and 5G networks in the mHealth market? - What considerations should be taken into account to devise a successful mHealth strategy for a hospital? - What strategies should mobile operators, enabling technology providers, mHealth device OEMs, healthcare service providers, pharmaceutical companies and application developers adopt to capitalize on the mHealth opportunity?

Key Findings The report has the following key findings: - Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that the mHealth market will account for over $23 Billion in 2017 alone. Despite barriers relating to regulation, patient acceptance and privacy concerns, SNS Research estimates further growth at a CAGR of more than 35% over the next three years. - While the use of mHealth devices and apps is already widespread in clinical trials, pharmaceutical giants are now setting their sights on connected drug delivery platforms that will automatically detect and log patients medication use to improve adherence. - SNS Research estimates that mHealth centric wearable devices will account for over 60 Million unit shipments by the end of 2017. In order to gain valuable insights from the data generated by these devices, healthcare service providers and other stakeholders are increasingly investing in Big Data and analytics technology. - mHealth has the potential to dramatically reduce the costs of healthcare operations, while improving the quality of healthcare. SNS Research estimates that by the end of 2017, mHealth could represent up to $370 Billion in annual healthcare cost savings worldwide.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3260786/

About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: query@reportbuyer.com Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: http://www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-mhealth-mobile-healthcare-ecosystem-2017--2030--opportunities-challenges-strategies--forecasts-300407408.html

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The mHealth (Mobile Healthcare) Ecosystem: 2017 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts - PR Newswire (press release)

CounterTack Launches Digital DNA Ecosystem Product Licensing … – Business Wire (press release)

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SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at the RSA Conference 2017, CounterTack, the exclusive provider of the industrys one true memory analysis platform for the enterprise, announced its Digital DNA (DDNA) Ecosystem. Through the Ecosystem, partners can integrate the markets only comprehensive behavior-based memory analysis intelligence engine, Digital DNA (DDNA). Symantec is the newest partner to join CounterTacks unique ecosystem to integrate the DDNA technology into its Malware Analysis solution.

As we strive to protect customers against todays increasingly advanced and malicious threats, its critical to integrate seamless detection and analysis layers into our offerings, said Peter Doggart, vice president business development, Symantec. Partnering with CounterTack allows us to offer customers a new level of innovative memory threat analysis, behavioral detection and forensic capabilities.

Symantec is currently integrating DDNA and shipping to customers. The company joins other DDNA Ecosystem partners including Digital Guardian, announced in 2016. Participating partners can leverage the unparalleled memory forensics and behavioral analysis capabilities that detect zero-days, fileless malware and other threat indicators that often go undetected by signature-based detection. DDNA analyzes the binaries in-memory with a behavior-based algorithm to expose purpose-built, anti-forensic measures architected into the most advanced malware impacting organizations today.

The next iteration of our DDNA licensing program will help partners better defend their customers against the stealthiest malware, said Neal Creighton, CEO, CounterTack. DDNA empowers organizations to add not only just another layer of threat detection, but a radically different technique in introspecting memory to bolster detection, and help partners better predict how threats might execute and proliferate.

DDNA is the only patented memory analysis technologythat automatically reverse-engineers memory images, examining code for potentially malicious behavioral traits & threats. Integrating ThreatScan PRO, it leverages a cloud-based easy-to-deploy, memory-based endpoint threat scanning solution to assess environments for malware infections and other indicators of compromise. DDNA integrates seamlessly into products and services via API, driver and library, offering immediate value to improve threat detection and value for service offerings.

Key Capabilities of DDNA:

For more information and demos, the company is exhibiting at RSA at booth 1221, South Hall.

About CounterTack

CounterTack delivers the one true Endpoint Threat Platform, (ETP) to enterprise customers globally. CounterTack provides a unique combination of threat context, organizational resiliency and broad visibility, to mitigate endpoint risk and reduce the impact of advanced attacks. Combining a robust suite of endpoint detection and analysis capabilities by leveraging a single endpoint sensor and an open, scalable multi-tenant infrastructure, CounterTack helps IR and security teams neutralize and prevent advanced threats from damaging the business. CounterTack delivers its next-generation technology to over 250 customers globally.

CounterTackEndpoint Security: AMPLIFIED.

To learn more, please visit: http://www.countertack.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @CounterTack.

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CounterTack Launches Digital DNA Ecosystem Product Licensing ... - Business Wire (press release)

Sand mining decimates African beaches – Deutsche Welle

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The coasts of Ghana and Kenya, as well as those of Cape Verde and Zanzibar,are lined bypicturesque beaches strewn with the finest sand making them perfect postcard idylls.But what if Africa's dream beaches suddenly lost their sand and only had dirt and gravel to offer?

"Zanzibar has less and less sand," Zanzibar's Minister for Natural ResourcesHamad Rashid Mohammedtold DW. The reason for this, he said, is the excessive use of sand for construction projects in the semi-autonomous archipelago that forms part of Tanzania.

Official statistics from the Department of Forestry and Non-Renewable Natural Resources show that almost three million tons of sand were mined on Zanzibar between 2005 and 2015. This amount equals around 120,000 full truckloads.

"This is only the official mining. The unofficial numbers could possibly be twice this amount,"Mohammed said.

Big business, little regulation

Many locals worry that increased sand mining will lead to the decimation of tourist beaches in Zanzibar

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates around 40 billion tons of sand are processedworldwide every year. Today one can find the popular commodity not only on the world's beaches but also in microchips, telephones andGerman motorways. Around 30 billion tons of sand are used to makecement every year. However, sand is a finite commodity. Alongsidecoal, natural gas and oil, sand is one of the world's non-renewable resources. That means that it cannot be regenerated as quickly as people removeit.

According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), recent legislation on sand mining at the national and county levels have helped to regulate the industry.

"We have issued restoration orders in several illegal sand sites and summoned some of the culprits to our offices," said Titus Simiyu, NEMA Director for Environment for Machakos County in central Kenya, told Reuters.

"The authority has to conduct environmental impact assessment report before awarding a licence to sand harvesters," he added.

A vicious circle

The islands of Cape Verde are located 600 km (373 miles)from the coast of West Africa. The country is regarded as one of the safest in Africabut every third person is unemployed. Stealing sand -a commodity which is constantly needed aroundthe world -is a fast way of earning money. However, the consequences ofexcessive sand mining are devastating. On the beaches where tortoises once buried their eggs,there is now only dirt and stones. No sand holds back the tides, salt water flows unhindered inland,ruining crops, plants and homes.

Sea turtles on Cape Verde bury their eggs in the sand on the islands' beaches

In 2002, the government of Cape Verde bannedsand mining in the city of Pedra Badejo on the island of Santiago. The black sand there is now protectedby the military. In early February 2017, the government passed a resolution halting sand mining on all islands. The use of machines to extract sand is also banned. Neverthelesspoverty still drives residents ever deeper intothe sea to bring back buckets full of sand from the seabed.

Widespread problem

In Ghana, sand mining is alsoillegal. Rising temperatures have forced fish to move elsewhere and coastal erosion is causing arable land to disappear. Manypeople can no longer earn enough fromfishing and agriculture so theyswitch to mining sand which exacerbates the problem even more.

In Kenya, illegal sand miners have focused on the Masaani, Kiungwani, Mbitini and Kwa Nditi rivers. But with the removal of sand, the miners are removing theirown basis of existence. With less sand, the rivers dry out and cut off citizens and their cattle from valuable water resources. In Nigeria, sand mining is also a problem and is causing bridge and road foundations to become fragile.

Built on sand

It is not only African cement works which profit from the exploitationof sand. One of the main customers for African sand is the desert country of Dubai, which wants to enlarge its coast. Forthe island project "The Palm Jumeirah alone, 200 million cubic meters of sand and stone were used. Some of the sand was taken from the sea off Dubai's own coast but a large amount also camefrom Africanbeaches.

Much of the sand used to build the Jumeira Palm Island in Dubai was imported from Africa

Dubai's own desert sand was not an option as it is too slippery.Desert sandgrains are generally too round and smooth to stick together which makes such sand unsuitable as a basis for cement and therefore asan alternative for seasand.

"We have to slow down the pace of mining and consumption to protect our farmlands and our villages,"Minister Mohammed said. "We must look for substitute materials and manage to use less sand."

For a start he wants mining permits tobereconsidered and monitored more strictlythan before so that the disappearance of sand in Zanzibar and elsewhere in Africa can at least be slowed down.

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Sand mining decimates African beaches - Deutsche Welle

Scientists detect severe beach erosion along California coast – SFGate – SFGate

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By David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle

Photo: Rex Sanders / USGS

Click ahead to see some of the global effects of El Nio.

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Scientists detect severe beach erosion along California coast

Erosion damaged miles of beaches along the West Coast more severely than ever during the powerful El Nio event that hit the Pacific a year ago, and scientists warn that even heavier erosion could hit shorelines in coming years as sea levels rise and threaten coastal communities.

The beaches lining the coast between Mexico and Canada form a protective barrier that keeps the turbulent ocean from eating away at seaside cliffs and flooding low-lying coastal towns and cities, scientists say.

In a study of 29 major beaches, including those in the Bay Area, a team of coastal experts found that immense quantities of sand had been lost during last years El Nio winter. Shorelines had retreated dangerously, and rivers that normally carry fresh sand downstream to the sea from surrounding hills and mountains failed to make up for the losses.

Beaches and shorelines normally lose sand every winter, but the scientists calculated the loss at 76 percent greater than normal. It was by far the worst loss of shoreline since surveys began nearly 150 years ago, said Patrick L. Barnard, a coastal geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey who led the erosion study.

The scientists went to extraordinary lengths to make their measurements. They hiked the beaches hauling GPS devices in their backpacks, used boats to measure waves and underwater sand levels, drove specialized vehicles to cross deep sand, and took to the air to measure each beach with sophisticated light detection and ranging instruments, known as LIDAR, that measured sand levels with laser beams.

The scientists covered a total of 2,000 kilometers (1,242.8 miles) to measure the trail of erosion caused by high waves from El Nio that pounded the beaches at the highest energy levels ever recorded, said Barnard and his team of experts from seven coastal science institutions.

On one December night in 2015, for example, offshore buoys measured wave heights along California beaches that ranged from 26 to 36 feet, and along the Oregon coast the waves ranged from from 39 to 62 feet more typical of the surf at Mavericks.

Record high waves were also recorded by the buoy off Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, at Point Reyes National Seashore and along the Monterey Bay coastline, Barnard said.

The team also measured changes along San Franciscos Ocean Beach before and after the El Nio event and found that the entire stretch between the ocean and the Great Highway had narrowed by as much as 180 feet, Barnard said. Erosion had carried the lost sand far out to sea, and it may never recover, he said.

Scientific forecasts of future changes in Earths climate indicate that the frequency of severe El Nio events will double in coming years, bringing higher temperatures and lowered precipitation along the coasts. That means less runoff of water from the interior and less sand carried by that water to rebuild beaches and threaten shorelines where 25 million people now live, Barnard said.

Barnards colleagues at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz include oceanographers Daniel Hoover and Alex Snyder. The full teams report is published in the journal Nature Communications.

David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicles science editor. Email: dperlman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @daveperlman

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Scientists detect severe beach erosion along California coast - SFGate - SFGate

Line drawn in the sand between beach access and protection – San Francisco Examiner

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San Francisco Examiner
Line drawn in the sand between beach access and protection
San Francisco Examiner
Despite stormy weather last Thursday afternoon, Crissy Field beach wasn't empty. A determined man jogged across the wet sand. A pack of dachshunds in yellow and red raincoats waddled through ponds. A woman stood still, looking across the Bay. Even on ...

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Line drawn in the sand between beach access and protection - San Francisco Examiner

First time since 1997: Pitchers and catchers report in West Palm Beach – MyPalmBeachPost

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WEST PALM BEACH

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training Tuesday at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, and they had plenty of company.

As pitcher Stephen Strasburg tried on pants in the Washington Nationals clubhouse, a construction worker atop a step ladder fiddled with wires on a blinking red curly W mounted on the ceiling.

Outside the Houston Astros clubhouse, sparks flew from a welders gun and dust spewed from a roaring concrete saw as pitchers Ken Giles and Mike Fiers played catch a few yards away.

West Palm Beach Fire Department inspectors brushed past first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Gio Gonzalez on an inspection of the Nationals clubhouse.

Of course, no one was complaining on a day that marked the return of spring training to West Palm Beach for the first time since 1997.

Oh, man, its hard not to love this place, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said as he took in the view at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a $150 million complex that broke ground Nov. 9, 2015, on an old trash dump south of 45th Street at Military Trial.

Obviously theres going to be some odds and ends weve got to finish, but you walk in, its gorgeous. Its got everything you can think of. The fields are ready for us. Its a wonderful new home.

The public, which helped pay for the complex through a hotel bed tax and a $50 million state contribution, gets to see the practice fields for the first time on Saturday. The first game in the main stadium is Feb. 28. But the 160-acre complex essentially opened for baseball Tuesday as players arrived for the first time.

You can see it (coming down 45th Street) off the highway, the lights and the netting. Its almost like an amusement park here, said Astros pitcher Mike Fiers. Once I pulled in, I saw all the construction workers and I was like, Where do I go?

Turns out the clubhouses are hard to miss: The Astros, with a giant H and star outside, are north of the stadium. The Nationals, marked by a giant red curly W in the parking lot, are to the south.

I wont get lost here. I see a big H for us so I know which side to go on, said Astros pitcher Ken Giles. Its a great facility. Everybody is doing a great job trying to finish up those small touches.

In the Nationals clubhouse, a hard-hat worker crawled across the carpet in front of Bryce Harpers locker, making sure the molding was perfect when the All Star right fielder arrives later this week. The chairs in the lobby were still covered in protective plastic.

It looks incomplete, Astros pitcher Luke Gregerson said about his first impressions.

Obviously they have such a short timetable to put a massive facility together so theres expected to be some delays and hiccups along the way. But the grass is green and the mounds look great. Thats pretty much our office.

Its certainly a vast improvement over the teams previous spring training homes, aging facilities in Viera (Nationals) and Kissimmee (Astros).

There are a lot of guys in awe of this place, and thats no knock against Kissimmee. Its more pro-West Palm Beach, Hinch said.

Im not trying to knock Viera but this is state-of-the-art, and the guys who have been with the Nationals since they were drafted have never seen anything like this before, said Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark.

It has the feel of a big league facility and we are lucky to have a place like this.

The biggest improvement is the location just a few exits on Interstate 95 from the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, and a 30-minute drive to the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

Once we get to (playing) games, we will feel the real benefit of being in West Palm Beach and having five teams within 20 or 30 miles, Hinch said.

Managers for both teams said the ongoing construction will not affect their usual spring drills.

I love the facility, said Nationals manager Dusty Baker, who spent spring training at the old West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium in the 1970s as a player for the Atlanta Braves.

Sure, theyve got some things that they still have to zero-in on but its outstanding. They even have a swimming pool out there. Thats really state of the art.

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First time since 1997: Pitchers and catchers report in West Palm Beach - MyPalmBeachPost

Aerial Photos Of Wash-overs On Chatham’s Barrier Beaches! – CapeCod.com News

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These aerial photos show heavy surf hitting and washing over numerous sections of Chathams barrier beaches. Well see what changes develop in the weeks and months to come.

As a child, spending summers in North Truro, I thought Cape Cod began at the Wellfleet Drive-In and ended at Provincetown. As a photographer, I now know that all the Cape towns leading to the canal have their own unique beauty and charm.

Roughly 30 years ago, I had the good fortune to work with the legendary photographer Dick Kelsey and as owner of Kelsey-Kennard have specialized in aerial photography as well as landscape/scenic, portraits, weddings, and photographing events on the Cape, the Islands, and beyond.

Photographs from our Gallery in Chatham are displayed in homes and businesses locally and world-wide.

Besides photography I also enjoy boating/ fishing (fish are usually very safe when Im out there,) gardening and tennis. Cape Cod is a very special place and I look forward to sharing my images with you as I travel about.

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Aerial Photos Of Wash-overs On Chatham's Barrier Beaches! - CapeCod.com News

How Islamic scholarship birthed modern astronomy – Astronomy Magazine

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Astronomy may be the oldest natural science in the world. Before humans ever took to systematically studying the skies, we were craning our necks upwards, observing the curious movements of some bright points of light, and the stillness of others. Civilizations around the world have incorporated astronomical observations into everything from their architecture to their storytelling and while the pinnacle of the science is most commonly thought to have been during the Renaissance, it actually began a thousand years earlier and 5,000 miles to the East.

Around the 6th century AD, Europe entered whats known as the Dark Ages. This period of time from around 500 AD until to the 13th century witnessed the suppression of intellectual thought and scholarship around the continent because it was seen as a conflict to the religious views of the church. During this time the written word became scarce, and research and observations went dormant.

While Europe was in an intellectual coma, the Islamic empire which stretched from Moorish Spain, to Egypt and even China, was entering their Golden Age. Astronomy was of particular interest to Islamic scholars in Iran and Iraq and until this time around 800 AD, the only astronomical textbook was Ptolemys Almagest, written around 100 AD in Greece. This venerable text is still used as the main reference for ancient astronomy in academia to this day. Muslim scholars waited 700 years for this fundamental Greek text to be translated into Arabic, and once it was, they got to work understanding its contents.

Astronomers like Ibn Yunus from Egypt found faults in Ptolemys calculations about the movements of the planets and their eccentricities. Ptolemy was trying to find an explanation for how these bodies orbited in the sky, including how the Earth moved within these parameters. Ptolemy calculated that the wobble of the Earth, or precession as we now know it, varied 1 degree every 100 years.

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How Islamic scholarship birthed modern astronomy - Astronomy Magazine

Astronomy team find dozens of potential exoplanets including a ‘Super-Earth’ – AOL News

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A team of astronomers has located over 100 celestial bodies that could very well be previously unknown exoplanets.

One is even kind of close to home, orbiting a star that is a mere 8.1 light years from here.

A University of Hertfordshire press release notes, "Gliese 411b is a hot super-Earth with a rocky surface located in the fourth nearest star system to the Sun, making it the third nearest planetary system to the Sun. The significance of its discovery demonstrates that virtually all the nearest stars to the Sun have planets orbiting them. Planets that could be like Earth."

See iconic moments in space exploration

9 PHOTOS

8 iconic moments in space exploration history

See Gallery

Sputnik

The Soviet Union launched the first satelliteinto spaceon October 4, 1957.Sputnikis often considered to be the first victory of the infamous SpaceRace between the United States and the U.S.S.R. While the U.S. launched its first satellite less than a year later, the race was far from over. This competition was part of what ledPresident John F. Kennedy to announcea new national goal in 1961: Send an American safely to the moon by the end of the decade.

(Photo via Bettmann/Getty Images)

The first man in space

Yuri Gagarin wasthe first man to go into space, sent there by the U.S.S.R. in April of 1961. Two monkeys namedAble and Baker, who were sent into spaceby the U.S. in 1959, had previously been the first creatures to survive a spaceflight, though Able died during an operation afterward. While the U.S. had this honor, it wasn't going to be outdone by the U.S.S.R. It sent astronaut Alan Shepard into spaceabout a month after Gagarin's trip.

(Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The first woman in space

Valentina Tereshkova becamethe first woman to go into spaceon June 16, 1963. Aboard the Russian spacecraftVostok 6, she orbited the Earth48 times and returned, although there are reports she was injured upon landing, according to the BBC. She married another spaceexplorer Andrian Nikolayev, and their child Elena became an interest to scientists who had never before been able to study the offspring of two individuals who had both been exposed to spacetravel.

(Photo via Bettmann/Getty Images)

The first African-American in space

Guion "Guy" Bluford wasthe first African-American to go into space. Though he is attributed with this honor, his class included two other African-American astronauts. "All of us knew that one of us would eventually step into that role," he said after the fact. He flew four missions, the first being in1983. However,the first person of African descent and also the first Latinoto go into spacewas actually Arnaldo Tamayo Mndez. Mndez traveled into spaceas a cosmonaut on Sept. 18, 1980, three years before Bluford.

(Photo by MPI/Getty Images)

Construction of the International Space Station

Construction of theInternational SpaceStation (ISS)began in 1998, and it is currently thelargest artificial object within the Earth's orbit, allowing it to sometimes be seen from Earth. The station and satellite is a home for many different research projects, according toSpace.com. It also lets us have a constant presence in space, whereat least three peopleare manning the station at all times, and the number of occupants can reach as high as 10.

(Photo via REUTERS/NASA/Handout)

The first space tourist

Dennis Tito, an American businessman, isthe first person who ever paid to be sent into space. Tito, now 76, went to the ISS in 2001 aboard a Russian spacecraft.He paid $20 million for his flight,and he spent six days at the SpaceStation. He later called it a "40-year dream." "The thing I have taken away from it is a sense of completeness for my life that everything else I would do in my life would be a bonus," he said.

(Photo via Reuters)

The Mars rovers

The Marsexploration roverswere launched in 2003with the goal of allowing us to better understand the history of water on Mars. Spirit, the first of the Marsrovers, made its last communication in2010, while Curiosity, which landed in 2012, iscurrently still in communication withNASA. According to theSmithsonian, these rovers have brought about one of the most significant events in spaceexploration of the 21st century: the discovery that Marswas once a wet world with plenty of water, andthe later discoverythat liquid water still flows on the planet today.

(Photo viaREUTERS/NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Handout)

The moon landing

Of course, no list on spaceexploration can be complete without a mention of one of the United States' and mankind's greatest achievements: the moon landing. On July 20, 1969,Apollo 11, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins,became the first manned lunar landing mission. Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the surface of the moon, and as he did so,he uttered the famous line, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." You can still watch thefootageof the moon landing on YouTube in a video that has over 13 million views.

(Photo by NASA via Reuters)

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The international group made the observations by utilizing the radial velocity method.

The Carnegie Institution for Science notes that the means, "is one of the most successful techniques for finding and confirming planets. It takes advantage of the fact that in addition to a planet being influenced by the gravity of the star it orbits, the planet's gravity also affects the star. Astronomers are able to use sophisticated tools to detect the tiny wobble the planet induces as its gravity tugs on the star."

They applied it to decades of data gathered by HIRES, a spectrometer affixed to the Keck-1 telescope at W.M. Keck Observatory.

In addition to releasing their findings, the team publicized a staggering amount of the information the apparatus has collected over the years.

More from AOL.com: Ancient volcano on Mars once erupted for 2 billion years straight Massive black hole swallows meal so big it sets a record Astronomers discover comet 100,000-times bigger than Halley's

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Astronomy team find dozens of potential exoplanets including a 'Super-Earth' - AOL News

This planet briefly pulls its star into a cepheid variable stage – Astronomy Magazine

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A planet 370 light years away gives its home star tiny little pulses to show it cares.

The planet, HAT-P-2b, orbits an F-type star slightly larger than the Sun. At eight times the mass of Jupiter, the planet is fairly massive and orbits its star in a little more than five days. As the planet moves along, it induces seismic waves in the surface of its star.

The star itself is right at a boundary called the Delta Scuti instability strip, which leads to stars that brighten and dim called cepheid variables. The presence of the planet momentarily pushes the star over this limit in intervals of roughly 87 minutes. So far, it isnt understood if theres any abnormal effect from the star HAT-P-2 to its planet aside from creating intense amounts of heat thanks to its proximity to its star.

It is not impossible that there is a transfer of energy from the planet orbit to the star to induce these pulsations, but it is a long-term effect whose amplitude will depend on the exact process behind these pulsations so we will need more work to figure all that out, Julien de Wit, a co-author of the paper published today in The Astrophysical Journal, says.

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This planet briefly pulls its star into a cepheid variable stage - Astronomy Magazine

Does Earth have a Trojan horde? – Blastr

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[image credit: University of Arizona]

Heres a fun question: Are there asteroids sharing Earths orbit around the Sun?

Cutting to the chase: Yes, there is at least one. But how many are there? There might be a lot, but we dont know. The cool news is, we may very well know more soon.

In general, its actually a bit tough to have a small object like an asteroid share an orbit with a big object like a planet. Even though it orbits at the same distance from the Sun at the same speed, that kind of orbit is unstable. The weak but persistent tug of gravity from other planets would tend to alter the asteroids orbit, moving it in closer or pulling it farther out from the Sun. Over time, the asteroid will catch up to Earth (or vice versa), and our planets gravity would change the asteroids orbit to a much larger degree, flinging it away (or causing it to impact us, which is not the optimal outcome).

But it turns out the story is more complicated and fun than that (which is almost always the case in science). In the 18th century, two mathematicians, Leonhard Euler and Joseph-Louis Lagrange, discovered that there are five points along a planets orbit where gravity and centrifugal force balance, such that an object placed in one of those positions will stay there. We call those the Lagrange points.

The first Lagrange point, called L1, is inside the planets orbit toward the Sun. L2 is outside the planets orbit, and L3 is on the opposite side of the planet from the Sun. These points are metastable: If you put an object there,itll stay there, but if you poke it somehow, itll fall away from that point. Think of these regions as being the tops of hills. Put a ball there, and itll stay, but a gust of wind will cause the ball to roll downhill*.

L4 and L5 are different. Those act like valleys, gravitational dips. Poke an object thats in one of those points and itll actually fall back into it. Those points are stable. The L4 point is 60 ahead of the planet in its orbit, and the L5 point 60 behind.

Jupiter has a lot of gravity, and it turns out that its L4 and L5 points are very stable. Asteroids that wander in there stay there. In 1906, a 135-km-wide asteroid was discovered in Jupiters L4 point. It was named Achilles, and it soon became customary to name all the asteroids in Jupiters Lagrange points after figures in the Trojan War (Greek ones at L4 and Trojans at L5), and we generically call them Trojan asteroids. We know of thousands of Jupiter Trojans!

Weve discovered Trojan asteroids in the orbits of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. Mercury is too close to the Sun to find them, and Saturn Trojans may not be stable due to Jupiters influence.

And Earth? Well, thats a funny thing: Its really hard for us to observe any Earth Trojans from Earth, because theyre 60 away from the Sun in the sky. That means they set not long after sunset, and rise not long before sunrise. That makes them very hard to find, and in fact we know of precisely one, called 2010 TK7. As its name implies, it was discovered in 2010, in observations taken by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. WISE orbits the Earth, and has a better view from space than we do stuck on the planet.

So, how do we find more? Why, Im glad you asked.

The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx (potential winner of the most tortured acronym name: Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is currently on its way to the near-Earth asteroid called Bennu. It launched on September 8, 2016, and is taking two years to get to the rock. Right now,its about 120 million km from Earth, ahead of us and just inside our orbit around the Sun.

Perhaps you see where this is going.

Starting on February 9, and continuing on through February 20, OSIRIS-REx is in the perfect position to look for Earths L4 Trojans. Its passing near that region of space, so any faint rocks will be easier to spot, and the spacecrafts position means the geometry is good as well itll have the Sun to its back, so any L4 asteroids will be fully lit and as far from the Sun in the sky as they can be. So, for a dozen days, the spacecraft is scanning the sky, looking for any asteroids that are in our L4 point. It will gaze at the same fields over and over again, looking for any objects that move the right way against the background stars to be Earth Trojans.

Bonus: That region of the sky also includes Jupiter and three main-belt asteroids (Pandora, Victoria, and Aglaja), so we get free science. Also, the techniques used to look for the Earth Trojans will give the engineers back here on Earth practice and knowledge that will be valuable once OSIRIS-Rex reaches Bennu.

This is pretty exciting. There are two ways for an asteroid to be in the Earths L4 point: It can wander in from another orbit and settle into the gravitational divot which is interesting enough or it could have been there since the formation of the solar system. Thats potentially very cool, indeed. A primordial asteroid, relatively untouched since the birth of the Sun and planets 4.6 billion years ago, would be an astronomical time capsule, allowing us to see what conditions were like back then. Trojan asteroids arent terribly hard to send spacecraft to, either, so if we do find any substantial rocks there, I would dearly love to see a mission planned to explore them (a mission called Lucy has already been announced by NASA to look at some of Jupiters Trojans up close).

I love stuff like this, using spacecraft to do incidental -- but important -- science. And, like so many such endeavors, its just so dang cool. Whether it finds Earth Trojans or not, some important science will be learned, and thats why we do these missions in the first place. If we knew what was out there, we wouldnt call it exploring.

* It turns out that theres yet another weird trick to the L1 and L2 points: Due to the complex nature of gravity and centrifugal force, you can actually put an object into orbit around one of those two points, and its kinda sorta stable. You need to tend to it, using a thruster to keep it there, but its a lot easier than being at the L1 or L2 themselves. We put lots of satellites there; the James Webb Space Telescope will be in such a halo orbit around the Earths L2 point after its launched in 2018.

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Does Earth have a Trojan horde? - Blastr

Can Artificial Intelligence Predict Earthquakes? – Scientific American

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Predicting earthquakes is the holy grail of seismology. After all, quakes are deadly precisely because theyre erraticstriking without warning, triggering fires and tsunamis, and sometimes killing hundreds of thousands of people. If scientists could warn the public weeks or months in advance that a large temblor is coming, evacuation and other preparations could save countless lives.

So far, no one has found a reliable way to forecast earthquakes, even though many scientists have tried. Some experts consider it a hopeless endeavor. Youre viewed as a nutcase if you say you think youre going to make progress on predicting earthquakes, says Paul Johnson, a geophysicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. But he is trying anyway, using a powerful tool he thinks could potentially solve this impossible puzzle: artificial intelligence.

Researchers around the world have spent decades studying various phenomena they thought might reliably predict earthquakes: foreshocks, electromagnetic disturbances, changes in groundwater chemistryeven unusual animal behavior. But none of these has consistently worked. Mathematicians and physicists even tried applying machine learning to quake prediction in the 1980s and 90s, to no avail. The whole topic is kind of in limbo, says Chris Scholz, a seismologist at Columbia Universitys LamontDoherty Earth Observatory.

But advances in technologyimproved machine-learning algorithms and supercomputers as well as the ability to store and work with vastly greater amounts of datamay now give Johnsons team a new edge in using artificial intelligence. If we had tried this 10 years ago, we would not have been able to do it, says Johnson, who is collaborating with researchers from several institutions. Along with more sophisticated computing, he and his team are trying something in the lab no one else has done before: They are feeding machinesraw datamassive sets of measurements taken continuously before, during and after lab-simulated earthquake events. They then allow the algorithm to sift through the data to look for patterns that reliably signal when an artificial quake will happen. In addition to lab simulations, the team has also begun doing the same type of machine-learning analysis using raw seismic data from real temblors.

This is different from how scientists have attempted quake prediction in the pastthey typically used processed seismic data, called earthquake catalogues, to look for predictive clues. These data sets contain only earthquake magnitudes, locations and times, and leave out the rest of the information. By using raw data instead, Johnsons machine algorithm may be able to pick up on important predictive markers.

Johnson and collaborator Chris Marone, a geophysicist at The Pennsylvania State University, have already run lab experiments using the schools earthquake simulator. The simulator produces quakes randomly and generates data for an open-source machine-learning algorithmand the system has achieved some surprising results. The researchers found the computer algorithm picked up on a reliable signal in acoustical datacreaking and grinding noises that continuously occur as the lab-simulated tectonic plates move over time. The algorithm revealed these noises change in a very specific way as the artificial tectonic system gets closer to a simulated earthquakewhich means Johnson can look at this acoustical signal at any point in time, and put tight bounds on when a quake might strike.

For example, if an artificial quake was going to hit in 20 seconds, the researchers could analyze the signal to accurately predict the event to within a second. Not only could the algorithm tell us when an event might take place within very fine time boundsit actually told us about physics of the system that we were not paying attention to, Johnson explains. In retrospect it was obvious, but we had managed to overlook it for years because we were focused on the processed data. In their lab experiments the team looked at the acoustic signals and predicted quake events retroactively. But Johnson says the forecasting should work in real time as well.

Of course natural temblors are far more complex than lab-generated ones, so what works in the lab may not hold true in the real world. For instance, seismologists have not yet observed in natural seismic systems the creaking and grinding noises the algorithm detected throughout the lab simulations (although Johnson thinks the sounds may exist, and his team is looking into this). Unsurprisingly, many seismologists are skeptical that machine learning will provide a breakthroughperhaps in part because they have been burned by so many failed past attempts. Its exciting research, and I think well learn a lot of physics from [Johnsons] work, but there are a lot of problems in implementing this with real earthquakes, Scholz says.

Johnson is also cautiousso much so that he hesitates to call what he is doing earthquake prediction. We recognize that you have to be careful about credibility if you claim something that no one believes you can do, he says. Johnson also notes he is currently only pursuing a method for estimating the timing of temblors, not the magnitudehe says predicting the size of a quake is an even tougher problem.

But Scholz and other experts not affiliated with this research still think Johnson should continue exploring this approach. Theres a possibility it could be really great, explains David Lockner, a research geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey. The power of machine learning is that you can throw everything in the pot, and the useful parameters naturally fall out of it. So even if the noise signals from Johnsons lab experiments do not pan out, he and other scientists may still be able to apply machine learning to natural earthquake data and shake out other signals that do work.

Johnson has already started to apply his technique to real-world datathe machine-learning algorithm will be analyzing earthquake measurements gathered by scientists in France, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and from other sources. If this method succeeds, he thinks it is possible experts could predict quakes months or even years ahead of time. This is just the beginning, he says. I predict, within the next five to 10 years machine learning will transform the way we do science.

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Can Artificial Intelligence Predict Earthquakes? - Scientific American

Artificial Intelligence Enters The Classroom – News One

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Artificial intelligence increasingly touches our livesfrom driverless cars to interaction with our smart phones.

Dennis Bonilla, executive dean of information systems and technology at the University of Phoenix, told NewsOne that the transformational technology reaches into classrooms and impacts how students learn.

For example, in flipped classrooms, teachers assign students homework that utilizes artificial intelligence technology. The software can send the instructor a detailed analysis of students comprehension of the assignment. That can enable the teacher to prepare more effectively for interactive learning the next day in the classroom.

With that data in hand, the teacher can begin her lesson with information that large swaths of students struggled to understand. The software can also recommend student pairings for effective group activities in class.

That scenario, however, is not playing out equally. Many school districts with concentrated populations of low-income and students of color are left out of access to the latest education tools.

Artificial Intelligence and how its used in classrooms

Artificial intelligence, or simply AI, is a subset of computer science that involves teaching computers how to learn, reason, and make decisions like humans do. Bonilla said the technology has been around since the 1950s, but advances have led to everyday applications that have made people more aware of the technology.

In the classroom, AI enables customized learning. The software can analyze student comprehension and identify which areas individual students are struggling to master and why he or she has problems learning the material. It can also understand how each student learns and create a roadmap for academic success.

Another application of the technology helps educators improve lesson plans and curriculum. Some of the software can grade and evaluate essays and examsquickly compiling a database that reveals, among other things, patterns of wrong answers.

Are teachers still needed?

While AI is a powerful tool, it cannot replace teachers. While machines are better at analyzing data, they lack the social quality of a human being, empathy, the human touch, said Bonilla.

He explained that job security for teachers is not really a major issue. Rather, technology is transforming the profession. It eliminates time-consuming tasks, such as grading papers. It can also serve as a training tool for inexperienced educators, as well as those with years of experience.

At the same time, the technology addresses the teacher shortage problem by eliminating the need for lots of teaching bodies in the classroom.

Some students face barriers to accessing technology

These new education tools will likely bypass scores of students. The cost of purchasing and installing the software means that students in poorly funded school districts will not benefit from AI.

Yes, its expensive, but cost is only part of the problem, Bonilla stated. The real issue is how can school systems integrate the technology when theyre challenged by incorporating all the other technology thats available.

In general, when it comes to computer science learning, scores of students are left out. A joint survey conducted by Google and Gallup, titled Searching for Computer Science: Access and Barriers in U.S. K-12 Education, found that low-income students and Black students have the least access to computer science education.

Whats more, there are notable differences in the role of technology between school districts in low-income and wealthier school districts.

A Pew survey of nearly 2,500 teachers found that 56 percent of educators who teach low-income students said they cannot incorporate certain technology into their lesson plans because their students lacked resources, such as digital devices and high-speed internet at home.

Bonilla is optimistic that the technology gap will close. He said some large tech companies are underwriting free platforms that will help to make the technology widely available. At the same time, several education nonprofit organizations are helping school districts integrate the technology.

SEE ALSO:

Nations Largest School District Discusses Integrating Technology At EdTech Week

Study: Teachers In Low-Income Schools Pessimistic About Education Technology

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Artificial Intelligence Enters The Classroom - News One