Rockfest moving from Liberty Memorial to Kansas Speedway – KMBC Kansas City

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.

One of Kansas City's biggest concert events is moving from Missouri to Kansas.

Rockfest, which will be held on Saturday, June 3, is moving from the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.

Headliners this year include Godsmack, Sammy Hagar and Volbeat.

Other performers include:

Halestorm, RATT (featuring Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Juan Crocuier & Carlos Cavazo), Collective Soul, Buckcherry, P.O.D., Zakk Sabbath, Cinderella's Tom Keifer, Blackberry Smoke, Crobot, Candlebox, Sidewise and One Less Reason.

Organizers say the move to Kansas Speedway will allow them to add more amenities, including a second main stage. They say it also allows them to push the concert later into the spring.

A Rockfest presale opens at Noon on Monday. You can learn more here: http://rockfestkc.com/

To get the latest news updates on the go, download the KMBC 9 News app.

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Rockfest moving from Liberty Memorial to Kansas Speedway - KMBC Kansas City

Fine arts organization embarks on fourth season in Liberty – Chron.com

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By David Taylor, dtaylor@hcnonline.com

Jim Sterling, with his wife at his side, founded the Fine Arts Society of Liberty, Texas and continue to lead as the organization begins its fourth year.

Jim Sterling, with his wife at his side, founded the Fine Arts Society of Liberty, Texas and continue to lead as the organization begins its fourth year.

Fine arts organization embarks on fourth season in Liberty

Jim Sterling had listened to and read about the many scholarships being offered in Liberty, but something was missing. It struck a nerve for the real estate agent and, as he has for many other projects, he couldn't stop until he rectified what he saw as a deficiency.

"We have scholarships for kids who want to study engineering, math, science, academics or sports, but nothing for kids who want to study drama, art, music, or dance," he said.

A little irritated, and he himself a musician who enjoys all the fine arts, Sterling picked up his phone and began calling music acquaintances and friends of the arts.

His mission wasn't complete until he welcomed his assembled group at their first meeting some three years ago and birthed FASOLT, or the Fine Arts Society of Liberty, Texas, a moniker after the giant in Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, or in English, 'The Ring of the Nibelung.'

He recruited his sometimes gig partner, trumpet player and attorney Richard Brady, to help him organize the group.

"I helped incorporate the group and secured the 501(c)3 charity status for us," Brady said. By Oct. 17, 2014, FASOLT was incorporated in the state of Texas and set to change the status quo in the community.

Brady drafted the mission for the group that was later adopted and remains today the focus of their energy.

"Our mission is to support and promote the Fine Arts by providing opportunities for all community members to experience music, theatre, and visual arts through education and participation that nurtures growth, creativity, and the appreciation of all forms of art," the document reads.

Sterling says their focus is not on scholarships alone.

"It's not just for students," he said. "Providing scholarships is only one of our many interests."

Brady said fundraising efforts are used to help finance events from which local students and the community at large will benefit.

Last year was one of the most productive for the emerging organization.

"We were able to give out two $500 scholarships and one $250 scholarship to Liberty High School graduates to study Fine Arts, specifically in vocal performance, art and film studies," Sterling said.

One of those scholarships offered by the society was given to Liberty High School graduate and art major Noah Holden. Holden said he couldn't have fulfilled his dream to attend college without the scholarship. He spends his summers making extra cash using his art skills to paint the Liberty Bell Project bells throughout the community. He relishes the legacy he's leaving with the bells.

"When I'm gone from here completely, it will be nice to know that I've left my mark on my hometown," he said.

The society also sponsored performances of Houston Grand Opera's 'Opera To Go' at the Liberty School auditorium for several hundred students from Liberty, Hardin and Hull-Daisetta high schools. Another highlight included the Vocal Concert by international opera star Sonja Bruzauskas and Dr. Tali Morgulis.

"Next year we want to give more scholarships, sponsor fine arts events, and buy tickets for students who may not be able to afford to go to arts events," Sterling said.

To that end, they have already organized a few outings for students at Rice University that will include a trip to Birraporetti's restaurant.

"This is for kids who have never made it past McDonald's or made a trip to town all dressed up," Sterling said. The events would be of no cost to the students and completely sponsored by FASOLT.

Sterling also said they now have a member working on securing more grants for the organization.

"Last year we were fortunate to receive a $5,000 grant from the Humphreys Foundation," he said. Sterling hopes to increase that number this year with more targeted efforts.

On tap for this year's calendar includes a return of Opera To Go, a visit to the re-enactment of the Battle of San Jacinto in April, local performances of music, dance and drama students.

The group has already upped the ante and has pledged four $500 scholarships in 2017 for anyone who will major in a Fine Arts degree.

Sterling said meetings are open to the public and there are no membership dues to join the group.

For more information on meetings, contact Jim Sterling at 936-336-3716 or email: jim@jimsterlingrealty.com.

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Fine arts organization embarks on fourth season in Liberty - Chron.com

Liberty National boss takes 5th in Pebble Beach event – NorthJersey.com

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In 2009, Tiger Woods played in a PGA Tour event at Jersey City's Liberty National Golf Club, whose president competed at Pebble Beach over the weekend.(Photo: DAVID BERGELAND / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

For 70 years, the PGA Tours event at Pebble Beach in northern California has paired celebrities and CEOs with Tour pros in a four-day pro-am format that intertwines with the regular event.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning, and singers Justin Timberlake and Toby Keith were among the celebrity players.

But all weekend, the leaderboard also featured Dan Fireman, the president of Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.

This already was primed to be a big year for that club, as it will host the prestigious Presidents Cup from Sept. 26-Oct. 1. That event is similar to the Ryder Cup, except that instead of the best U.S. players competing against Europe, the Americans challenge those from the rest of the world such as Jason Day of Australia and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

Club members got an early-year boost, however, with Firemans efforts. He stood second at one point in Saturdays round and finished a strong fifth. Fireman played with pro Trey Mullinax, shooting a total of 27 under par while accounting for Firemans golfing handicap.

The winners were TV host Carson Daly and Ken Duke at 33 under par, two shots ahead of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Kevin Streelman (who has Glen Rock roots). Third at 29 under par went to the teams of Jordan Spieth (who won the pro event) and musician Jake Owen and also actor Josh Duhamel and Tony Finau.

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Liberty National boss takes 5th in Pebble Beach event - NorthJersey.com

Libertarians split with Trump over controversial police tactic | Fox News – Fox News

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The White House has riled the country's civil libertarian wing after President Trump enthusiastically voiced support for a controversial law enforcement tool that allows an individuals property or assets to be seized without a guilty verdict.

The president weighed in on what's known as "civil asset forfeiture" during an Oval Office meeting last week with sheriffs. Thepresident, who ran on a law-and-order message, said he shared their desire to strengthen the practice and even said he would destroy the career of a Texas politician trying to end it.

The comments revived tensions with libertarians who have been fighting the practice under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Already piqued by the selection of former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a vocal supporter of asset forfeiture, to lead the Justice Department, the Libertarian Party itself condemned the comments.

It was really disappointing to hear those words. He campaigned on the idea of helping people who are on the low end of the economic spectrum and this [law] disproportionately affects minorities and those who do not have the means to hire an attorney, Libertarian National Committee Chair Nicholas Sarwark told Fox News.

Sarwark called the practice "immoral," adding that it is simply government theft of individual property that flips the nations legal system on its head.

While laws differ across the country, most states allow law enforcement to seize an individuals assets or property on the suspicion they have been involved in criminal activity. Even if a person is found to be not guilty, some jurisdictions allow the government to keep their property.

Sheriff John Aubrey of Louisville, Ky., said he was heartened by his meeting with Trump because he, unlike the last administration, will give them a "fair hearing" on asset forfeiture.

He also believes there is a misconception that police just take property but stressed that they cannot do so before gettinga court order.

Trump signaled he would fight reform efforts in Congress, saying politicians could get beat up really badly by the voters if they pursue laws to limit police authority.

The comments could signal an abrupt halt to efforts to curb the practice under the Obama administration, which also had faced heavy criticism from civil libertarians and criminal justice reform advocates.

Brittany Hunter of the free-market Foundation for Economic Education wrote that the presidents egregious comments effectively destroy any hope that his administration will be better on this issue than President Obama. In fact, the situation may very well become worse.

According to the Institute for Justice, a civil liberties law firm, the Department of Justices Assets Forfeiture Fund generated $93.7 million in revenue in 1986. By 2014, the annual figure had reached $4.5 billion -- a 4,667 percent increase. The practice surged for years under the Obama administration.

While critics believe the policy creates a profit incentive for law enforcement, police organizations say it is an important tool and charges of abuse have been blown out of proportion.

There are those who see an incident of one and want to apply the rule of many, but we have found the annual number of incidents [of abuse] is miniscule, Jonathan Thompson of the National Sheriffs Association told Fox News.

Thompson said the issue was addressed in a conversation with Sessions, who views it as a priority, and he believes the Trump administration will be more supportive than the Obama administration in lifting the burden on local law enforcement.

He added that law enforcement are not opposed to reforms and that he plans to keep his focus on increasing independent judicial review and transparency.

Candidates running on the Libertarian ticket in the midterm elections are likely to make Trumps record on criminal justice reform and the Sessions selection an issue, in a bid to peel off voters from across the political spectrum.

Our candidates will make [asset forfeiture] an issue for Republicans and Democrats on the state and federal level in 2018. We will make them answer to voters on these issues, Sarwark warned.

Many of the states key to Trumps victory have passed reforms.

Last year, Ohio passed a law that prohibits taking assets valued at less than $15,000 without a criminal conviction. Other states also passed differing degrees of reform, including New Hampshire, Florida, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota, Maryland and New Mexico.

Largely an uncontroversial issue for decades, the governments war on drugs in the 1980s led to its rapid expansion, but media coverage of abuses has led to a public blowback.

A 2015 report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), found that of those Philadelphia residents who had their assets taken, nearly one-third were never convicted of a crime and that almost 60 percent of cash seizures were for amounts less than $250.

Civil asset forfeiture reform is an area where you cannot ignore the public demand, said Kanya Bennett, legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union.

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Libertarians split with Trump over controversial police tactic | Fox News - Fox News

Why I’m Running for California Governor as a Libertarian – Newsweek – Newsweek

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My thirties started off in countries ravaged by environmental destruction and dictatorships. Back then, I was a journalist for National Geographic, spending most of my time abroad, even though I still called Los Angelesmy birth cityhome. In the 100+ countries I visited, I reported on some harrowing stories: the Killing Fields in Cambodia, the near total deforestation of Paraguay, and the tense nuclear stand-off between India and Pakistan. I always hoped my words and on-camera television commentary brought some sanity and peace to the chaos.

While on assignment in Vietnam near the demilitarized zone, a near-miss with a landmine that could have been catastrophic sent me back home to the safety of the United States. Desiring stability, I started a real-estate development business with capital saved from my journalism. America was booming and my business thrived. I soon sold most of my real-estate portfolio, allowing me to live off my long-term investments.

I was lucky, for sure. Only a year later, I watched America, its banking system, and its real-estate market collapse. I watched friends lose everything, and my government try to fix something it had partially caused. The lessonsthe distrust of big government, crony capitalism and unmanageable debtseared themselves into my value system.

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Zoltan Istvan and Libertarian candidate John McAfee stand next to the Immortality Bus in Charlotte, North Carolina, December 5, 2015. The pair met while on the U.S. presidential campaign trail. Anthony Cuthbertson

Like many entrepreneurs, I became a libertarian because of one simple concept: reason. It just made sense to embrace a philosophy that promotes maximum freedom and personal accountability. Hands off was my mottoand in business, if you wanted to succeed, those words are sacred. But hands off applies to more than just good entrepreneurial economics. It applies to social life, politics, culture, religion, and especially how innovation occurs.

Ive been a passionate science and technology guyan advocate of radical innovationever since I can remember. In college, I focused on the ethics and challenges of science for my Philosophy degree. But my stories for National Geographic and my witnessing of the Great Recession viscerally reminded me that government and the growing fundamentalism in Congress was desperately trying to control innovation and progresseven at the expense of peoples health, safety, and prosperity. With plenty of free time after the sale of my business to mount a challenge, I decided to use my writing skills to fight this backward thinking.

I began penning The Transhumanist Wager, a philosophical novel published in 2013 that blasts Luddism. The controversial libertarian-minded manifesto has now been compared to Ayn Rands work hundreds of times in reviewsthough I often point out my book is quite different to Atlas Shrugged. Nonetheless, the popularity of my novel thrust me into the radical science and tech movement as a public figure, whose main hub was right where I live in the San Francisco Bay area.

Looking for a way to take science and technology into the political realm, I decided to make a run for the U.S. presidency in 2016 as the self-described science candidate. I knew I couldnt win the election, but it was a great way to awaken many Americans to the desperate plight of our countrys increasingly stifled science and innovation sector. My experience in media has helped propel my candidacy. I spoke at the World Bank, appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, was interviewed by the hacker collective Anonymous, and consulted for the U.S. Navy about technology, among other things. Even 2016 Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson invited me to interview as his possible vice president. Alone in his New Mexico house, we talked shop for 24 hours solid. He chose Governor Bill Weld as his VP, but I left Johnson knowing I would soon be making a stand for the Libertarian Party.

Due to the fact I was arguably the first visible science presidential candidate in American history, I ran a very centric, science and tech-oriented platform, one that was designed to be as inclusive of as many political lines as possible. With leadership comes some compromise, and I veered both right and left (mostly left) to try to satisfy as many people as I could, even when it meant going against some of my own personal opinions. I believe a politician represents the people, and he or she must never forget thator forget the honor that such a task carries.

The front view of California State Capitol. Zoltan Istvan has announced he is to run for California governor in 2018. David Fulmer/ Creative Commons

One thing I didnt stray from was my belief that everything could be solved best by the scientific methodthe bastion of reason that says a thing or idea works only if you can prove it again and again via objective, independent evaluation. Ill always be a pragmatic rationalist, and reason to me is the primary motivator when considering how to tackle problems, social or otherwise. I continue to passionately believe in the promise of using reason, science and technology to better California and the world. After all, the standard of living has been going up around the globe because of a singular factor: more people have access to new science and technology than ever before. Nothing moves the world forward like innovation does.

Yet, in the political climate of 2017, few things seem more at risk as innovation. A conservative, religious government stands to overwhelm California with worries about radical tech and science, such as implementing Federal regulation that stifles artificial intelligence, driverless cars, stem cells, drones, and genetic editing.

Sadly, the same could be said of immigration, womens rights, and environmental issues. Then theres Americas move towards expanding its already overly expensive military, which you and I pay for out of our pockets so that generals can fight far-off wars. America can do better than this. California can do better than this.

And we must. After all, the world is changingand changing quite dramatically. Even libertarians like me face the real possibility that capitalism and job competitionwhich we always advocated forwont survive into the next few decades because of widespread automation and the proliferation of robot workers. Then theres the burgeoning dilemma of cyber security and unwanted tracking of the technology that citizens use. And what of augmenting intelligence via genetic editingsomething the Chinese are leading the charge on, but most Americans seem too afraid to try? In short, what can be done to ensure the best future?

Much can be done. And I believe it can all be done best via a libertarian framework, which is precisely why I am declaring my run for 2018 California governor. We need leadership that is willing to use radical science, technology, and innovationwhat California is famous forto benefit us all. We need someone with the nerve to risk the tremendous possibilities to save the environment through bioengineering, to end cancer by seeking a vaccine or a gene-editing solution for it, to embrace startups that will take California from the worlds 7th largest economy to maybe even the largest economybigger than the rest of America altogether. And believe me when I say this is possible: artificial intelligence and genetic editing will become some of the first multi-trillion dollar businesses in the near future.

We can do this, California, and it doesnt have to be through stale blue or red political parties, which have left many of us aghast at the current world. It can be done through the libertarian philosophy of embracing all that is the most inventive and unbridled in usand letting that pave the way forward. A challenging future awaits us, but we can meet it head on and lead the way not just for California and America, but for all of humanity.

Zoltan Istvan is a futurist and ran in the 2016 U.S. presidential election as a candidate of the Transhumanist Party.

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Why I'm Running for California Governor as a Libertarian - Newsweek - Newsweek

Kansas Libertarians nominate Chris Rockhold for 4th District seat – KSN-TV

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The Kansas Libertarian Party has nominated Chris Rockhold to replace Mike Pompeos 4th District congressional seat.

Pompeo has been tabbed by President Donald Trump to run the CIA.

Rockhold is a flight instructor for FlightSafety. In a 17-3 vote, Rockhold won over former Libertarian presidential candidateGordon Bakken.

The nominee will join Ron Estes andJames Thompson in a special election for the 4th District seat.

The election will be on April 11.

Republicans have represented the district since Todd Tiahrt unseated veteran Democratic Rep. Dan Glickman in 1994.

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Kansas Libertarians nominate Chris Rockhold for 4th District seat - KSN-TV

Switzerland Votes In Favor of Easier Citizenship Process – Being Libertarian

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Switzerland voted to ease the citizenship process for third-generation immigrants on Sunday, going against the anti-immigration sentiment that has swept Western Europe in recent years.

Over 60% of votes were in favor of the nationwide referendum, which eases,via constitutional amendment, the stringent citizenship requirements for third-generation Swiss immigrants.

Swiss law previously required immigrants to live within Switzerland for at least twelve years before having the ability to apply for citizenship, after passing a series of tests and suitability measures. The referendum doesnt alter these existing laws; rather, the referendum speeds up the process by creating a set of uniform criteria that would apply to third-generation immigrants.

Applicants are still required to prove they are 25 years of age or older, were born in Switzerland, attended school within the country for a minimum of five years, share Swiss cultural values, speak a national language (either French, Romansh, German, or Italian) and do not depend on state aid.

These restrictions are still fairly tight, which wasnt apparent in the public debate. The contentious debate centered around a poster of a woman in a niqab with the caption uncontrolled citizenship, when, in fact, the referendum still leaves a lot of strictrequirements in place for citizenship to be attained, which still restrict and/or prevent freedom of movement.

Research by Geneva University, done specifically for the government, suggests that around 25,000 people will benefit from these adjustments.

Prior to the vote, the right-wing Peoples Party came out in impassioned opposition of this bill.

In one or two generations, who will these third-generation foreigners be? cautioned Jean-Luc Addor, a lawmaker for the party.They will be born of the Arab Spring, they will be from sub-Saharan Africa, the Horn of Africa, Syria or Afghanistan.

We dont see any reason whatsoever to make [immigration] easier, said Luzi Stamm, a legislator also from the Peoples Party. The movement of people in the world has increased considerablyYou have an increased probability of problem-makers coming here.

The only fast-track route to citizenship that has existed in Switzerland applies to foreigners who had been married to Swiss citizens for more than six years, including those who have never lived in the country.

Photo Credit:Komitee Gegen Erleichterte Einbuergerung (Committee Against Facilitated Naturalization)

This post was written by Nicholas Amato.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Nicholas Amato is the News Editor at Being Libertarian. Hes an undergraduate student at San Jose State University, majoring in political science and minoring in journalism.

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Switzerland Votes In Favor of Easier Citizenship Process - Being Libertarian

Reduced Sentences Trending in Oklahoma – Being Libertarian (satire)

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Libertarians, in general terms, have long supported legalization and/or decriminalization of drugs, and there seems to be growing support in the American population for these ideas.

One example is the developments in the State of Oklahoma a very conservative State that, in the past, held strongly to sentiment of more severe punishment for all crimes, including criminal possession and distribution of drugs.

A Governor-appointed task force recently finished up its report on reducing prison populations in the state.

Oklahoma currently ranks second in the nation for incarceration rates, with a prison population at 109%, which is the highest in the country. With an additional 7,200 inmates expected in the next ten years (and a dramatically increasing budget deficit), Oklahoma is desperate to reduce its inmate population.

In November of 2016, two state questions were approved by voters: one which reduces possession of small amounts of drugs and stolen property to a misdemeanor, instead of a felony; and one which provides funding to mental health and drug addiction treatment services for minor offenders.

Efforts are underway from a small number of state legislators to overturn the decision of voters, but will likely fail. In addition to these measures, the task force, ordered [by Governor Mary Fallin] to find solutions to the incarceration rate, made its recommendations. They are also mostly leaning toward easing sentencing for small time drug offenders.

The task force believes that, if their recommendations are followed, the prison population can be reduced by 7% over the next ten years through a combination of measures that include: sentence reductions, and funding for additional mental health and drug addiction treatment.

Even this does not reduce the population enough, but it is certainly a start in the right direction.

The task force has recommended that sentencing for possession, with intent to distribute, of meth, crack, or heroin should be reduced to 0 5 years; down from 5 years to life for first time, non-violent offenders. Also, inmates are to become eligible for parole after serving just 1/4 of their sentence, rather than the current 1/3.

There have also been changes implemented at a more local level. In Oklahoma County (the most populated county in the state and host to Oklahoma City), Commissioner Brian Maughan introduced the SHINE program in 2010. The program offers opportunities for voluntary work, but it is also a program which acts as alternative sentencing for small crimes: such as possession of drugs with intent to distribute, in cases where there are relatively small amounts of drugs being carried.

It is a community service program whereby community service can be served in lieu of jail or prison time; with many community projects targeted primarily at cleaning up the county and beautifying blighted areas.

The states other counties have been considering similar programs that work in conjunction with drug courts and offer alternatives to sentencing such as: mental health services and addiction treatment for those guilty of possession of illegal substances, or driving under the influence (DUI).

Oklahoma is justified in these efforts. Since 2010, 31 states have managed to decrease incarceration rates, while at the same time reducing crime rates. There has been a change in attitudes across the United States regarding smaller drug offenses that has been building over the past decade. With cannabis consumption legalized to various degrees in many states, prison populations (as well as crime rates in general) have been decreasing.

There have not only been a decrease in crimes related to drug possession but also in property crimes (on the order of 2% to 3.5%), as well as homicides (on the order of 12% to 19%) in the States that have implemented programs in reduced sentencing or decriminalization.

Going forward, it is likely the trend of reduced sentencing for small time drug offenders will continue, as will a wave of decriminalization. With so many States and local governments considering such measures to reduce incarceration rates in tremendously overcrowded prison populations, that are becoming unsustainable, it wont be long before the Federal Government follows suit for the same reasons. It remains to be seen whether the current administration is supportive. But for now, it looks as though that it is not a priority.

However, it is very early, much too early to tell.

This post was written by Danny Chabino.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

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Reduced Sentences Trending in Oklahoma - Being Libertarian (satire)

China upset at disputed islands mention in Japan-US meeting – Reuters

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BEIJING China's Foreign Ministry expressed concern on Monday after Japan got continued U.S. backing for its dispute with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

A joint Japanese-U.S. statement after the weekend meeting in the United States said the two leaders affirmed that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty covered the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was "seriously concerned and resolutely opposed", adding that the islands had been China's inherent territory since ancient times.

"No matter what anyone says or does, it cannot change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China, and cannot shake China's resolve and determination to protect national sovereignty and territory," Geng told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

The United States and Japan should watch what they say and do and stop making the wrong comments to avoid complicating the issue and affecting regional peace and stability, he added.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

TAIPEI At least 32 people were killed when a tour bus crashed near Taipei on Monday night, with television footage showing the bus careening toward a road barrier before flipping on its side.

BERLIN Germany will move forward this week with plans to set up a joint fleet of Lockheed Martin Corp C-130J transport planes with France and join a Netherlands-led fleet of Airbus A330 tanker planes, defense ministry sources said on Monday.

BAGHDAD The Iraqi airforce carried out a strike on a house where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was thought to be meeting other commanders, the Iraqi military said on Monday, without making clear whether he had been hit.

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24 to represent islands in int’l theater festival – Saipan Tribune

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Twenty-four high school students from different public schools will represent the islands in theatrical events at the International Thespian Festival this June in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The students will be traveling to the U.S. after garnering enough medals to qualify for the regional competition and winning in their categories with a superior ranking among other public and private school students. The events range from monologue and duet acting to solo musical and group musical.

The Marianas High School Rhythm N Harmony will represent the islands for the seventh time in group musical with their coach Paul Dujua. The members include Joselle Reyes, Miguel Aninon, Rinisa Torres, Clarisse Torio, Grace Catalma, Malua Hosono, John Huevos, Diane Hermogenes, Eden Conner, Roland Balajadia, Leonard Manuel, Charley Sablan, Erica Tubera, Jordan Ocaya, and James Reyes.

Joselle Reyes, president of Rhythm N Harmony, always feels a rush of adrenaline whenever the group gets to represent the CNMI.

Reyes, a senior, says her only goal is to make this trip to Nebraska a memorable one for my newest members going on the trip for the very first time as well as for my veteran members who I will be sharing my last festival experience with.

Kagman High Schools Edson Valdisimo will be representing the islands in monologue; it will be his first time representing the islands at Thespian. Valdisimo hopes to learn different techniques to improve his performance skills and public speaking.

Kagman High Schools Elizabeth Rose Jones will represent the islands in solo musical. Marianas High School dominated the event, winning a majority of the events.

Deirdre Rosete and Myka Villegas will represent for duet acting.

Our goal is to further grow as actors and build up our experience in the performing arts. Villegas said. Deirdre and I are so thankful and glad for this opportunity, especially going there to perform together.

Thespian veteran Ariane Reyes will represent for theatre costume design. John Lu will represent scenic design. Patricia Padiernos and Keandre Deseo will present their film at the festival. Julia Espino will represent the islands for theater marketing.

Its an immense privilege to be a part of the CNMI team once again and competing against the students who will gather at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska, Espino said.

The International Thespian Festival is considered the largest theater festival in the nation. Thousands of high school students from around the globe take part in its diverse theater categories every year. (Yuuki Nishida, Student Reporter)

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Trinidad & Tobago top Group A with win over Leeward Islands – ESPNcricinfo.com

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Regional Super50 2017, Group A February 12, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff

Trinidad & Tobago beat Leeward Islands for the second time in round-robin play, handing the host side a five-wicket loss at Coolidge on Sunday in a match that decided first place in Group A. T&T will now face Jamaica in the first semi-final on Wednesday while Leewards have to go up against Group B winner Barbados on Thursday to decide the other finalist.

Leewards were bowled out for 189 in 48.1 overs after choosing to bat first. Their batting struggle was set in motion almost from the start when captain Kieran Powell, who entered the game as the tournament's leading scorer with 509 runs, suffered his first failure of the tournament when he was caught behind off Shannon Gabriel for 1 in the third over. Gabriel wound up taking two more to finish with 3 for 40 while fellow medium pacer Ravi Rampaul took 3 for 27 from his ten overs to keep Leewards tied down. Five batsmen crossed 20 for Leewards but none made more than Jermaine Otto's 38.

Evin Lewis got the T&T chase off to a typically aggressive start, top-scoring with 47 off 23 balls, dominating a 57-run opening stand with Kyle Hope that spanned 7.4 overs. Lewis fell to Rahkeem Cornwall, who did his best to slow T&T's victory charge by taking 3 for 40 in ten overs but Denesh Ramdin (31*) and Imran Khan (38*) produced an unbeaten 54-run stand for the sixth wicket to take T&T to the target in just 34.1 overs.

Kent scored their third win of the tournament, signing off the Regional Super50 with a six-wicket win over West Indies Under-19 at North Sound. West Indies battled through their 50 overs to post 191 for 8 but Kent managed to haul it down with 5.1 overs to spare.

West Indies were 20 for 4 inside of eight overs after choosing to bat first thanks to three wickets from Calum Haggett's opening spell. Captain Kirstan Kallicharan did the lion's share of the work to rebuild the innings coming in at No. 6 and wound up facing more than a third of the deliveries in the innings to grind out 47 off 110 balls. He added 63 for the fifth wicket with Shamar Springer to repair the early damage done by Haggett and lasted until the 44th over before Keemo Paul took over and produced a furious finish to the innings, hitting six sixes in his 72 off 57 balls before falling on the final ball of the innings.

Kent's reply got off to an assured start thanks to a 50-run opening stand between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Adam Ball. The run rate slowed after the Powerplay though and by the 18th over it was 64 for 2 with two new batsmen at the crease. Sean Dickson and Adam Rouse kept the junior bowling attack at bay with a 104-run third-wicket stand to steer Kent towards the target. Dickson made 53 before he fell in the 43rd over with 24 left to win and ended as Kent's leading scorer at the tournament with 202 runs. Rouse was able to stay at the crease until the end, finishing 61 not out off 105 balls to ensure Kent would leave Antigua on a winning note.

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Trinidad & Tobago top Group A with win over Leeward Islands - ESPNcricinfo.com

St. Louis doctor found dead in Turks and Caicos Islands | Law and … – STLtoday.com

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A doctor from St. Louis was found dead Thursday after he had been missing for several days in Turks and Caicos, a group of islands north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The man was identified by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force as John McGurk, 32, of St. Louis. He was a doctor at Missouri Baptist Medical Center employed by BJC Medical Group.

McGurk's body was discovered Thursday on rocks just above the shore near his resort on the island of Middle Caicos, police said. The cause of death was not immediately reported.

McGurk had last been seen Feb. 6 when he checked in to Blue Horizon Resort. He was reported missing by the resort Wednesday.

The body was spotted Thursday, but authorities had difficulty recovering it due to the location and the tide, police said. The U.S. Coast Guard was assisting.

Dr. Doug Pogue, president of BJC Medical Group,issued a statement Sunday confirming McGurk was a doctor at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

We are shocked and saddened to have been informed by family members of the sudden passing of our friend and colleague Dr. John McGurk," the statement said. "Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with his loved ones at this difficult time, along with his practice partners, staff and all those who worked with him at BJC Medical Group and Missouri Baptist Medical Center.

Dr. McGurk was on staff at Missouri Baptist Medical Center and began practicing in 2014, according to BJC. He graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and finished his residency in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the Washington University School of Medicine.

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Egypt without Egyptians: the story of the Red Sea islands – Open Democracy

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Egyptian lawyer and leftist opposition figure Khaled Ali celebrates in courthouse in Cairo after the verdict. NurPhoto SIPA USA/PA Images. All rights reserved.In April 2016, an agreement was reached between Egypt and Saudi Arabia to transfer two islands in the Red Sea from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty.

Human rights lawyer and ex-presidential candidate, Khalid Ali, took the case to court and much to peoples surprise, the agreement was annulled in January 2017.

However, in what appears to be an attempt to circumvent the courts, the Egyptian government sent the agreement to parliament for ratification, with the head of parliament stating that the ratification will proceed regardless of the court verdict.

This court ruling was the regimes first major defeat and the first instance, leading up to the annulment, that sizable protests had taken place against Sisis regime.

However, as the opposition were claiming a legal and moral victory, human rights organizations published figures on state repression in 2016, which include more than 4000 cases of extra-judicial killings and 3000 forced disappearances.

Interestingly, the transfer of two islands triggered the eruption of the first large protests against the regime (a number of activists and protesters remain behind bars even though the agreement was annulled), but mass repression did not.

State repression has failed to galvanize mass societal opposition

State repression has failed to galvanize mass societal opposition, especially within the ranks of the middle class. These events shed light on the nature of Egyptian nationalism and how it is an ideology of this class.

This nationalism marginalizes the mass of Egyptians, as an Orientalist perception is held of the periphery. And the memory of the 1973 war fuels their nationalistic pride, as explained below.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of this latest episode, one needs to examine the process of myth building, perpetuated by the regime, regarding the war of 1973. This process plays a central part in the legitimization of the military regime.

The military is glorified for the sacrifices it made in order to liberate Sinai, and these myths have instilled deeply rooted feelings of nationalism in the hearts of the middle class.

There are a plethora of songs and films about the liberation of Sinai, one of the most notable is the operate popularly known as We chose you which reenacts the events of the war.

However, the most notable section is a song that praises Mubarak as the head of the air force at the time, followed by promises of Bayah, an Islamic oath of allegiance to the leader.

This involved an exaggeration of the role the air force played in the conflict, which in reality was marginal. The war was appropriated by Mubarak only because he was the head of the air force at the time, and to reinforce the legitimacy of his regime.

This even included the insertion of Mubarak into a picture taken of the operations room removing Saad El Din el Shazly, the Chief of Staff, who later voiced criticism of Sadats and Mubaraks narrative of the war.

The sacrifices and stories of the ordinary men and women, overwhelmingly from the periphery, are casually ignored from official narratives.

After the defeat of 1967, the collapse of Nasserism, and the wide social transformation that followed, the war of 1973 served to legitimize the regime, and was the anchoring myth on which its power was in its role as the protector of Egyptian land.

One of the most potent attacks against the Muslim Brotherhood during their year in power was the accusation that they were planning on selling the Suez Canal to the Qataris, and that they were planning on using Sinai as an ersatz homeland for the Palestinians.

The myth of the protector of Egyptian lands was revived by the Sisi regime to legitimise the coup of 2013

Thus, the myth of the protector of Egyptian lands was revived by the Sisi regime to legitimise the coup of 2013 this time against an internal rather than external enemy.

This helped create the regimes support base, most notably among the middle class, which is still under the influence of the myth of the 1973 war.

This also explains the strong backlash against the regime, when it decided to transfer the Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, since it goes against its own founding myth and undercuts its own ideological base in a move that was bound to create cognitive dissonance, even amongst its staunchest supporters.

It has, in essence, done what the Brotherhood was accused of doing, namely give up Egyptian sovereignty in exchange for aid.

Coupled with this process of myth building is the orientalist dynamic, which dominates the center/periphery relationship in Egypt, where the majority of Egyptians living in the periphery are considered alien to modern Egypt.

This is most apparent in the case of Sinai, which paradoxically is mythologized as a geographic location, however its people are not only marginalized and repressed, but also considered to be outside the nation.

The regime, for example, has embarked on a massive campaign of repression in Sinai, which has hardly made any impact on Egyptian public opinion. One of the notable cases was the demolition of thousands of houses on the border of Rafah to create a buffer zone with the Gaza strip, which has aroused little domestic condemnation.

Another example of this orientalist dynamic is the struggle of the Nubians to return to their homelands, which also goes unnoticed by most.

There is a strong orientalist view of the periphery as the domain of backwardness and barbarism, justifying repression and the use of violence. Thus, the repression of the periphery does not arouse much anger, and is sometimes justified as necessary for the protection against its backwardness.

This helps explain the level of opposition that rose due to the transfer of the Red Sea islands. What became clear is that the attachment of the middle class to the myth of the place has no equivalent to the inhabitants of this place.

the attachment of the middle class to the myth of the place has no equivalent attachment to the inhabitants of this place

This attachment is so strong that it created a crisis within the ranks of the state apparatuses, namely the judiciary, which has so far supported the executive branch and the military, as it ruled against the transfer of the islands, even though it has been subjected to intense pressure not to do so.

For example, in a rare corruption probe, a judge in the administrative court was arrested, later to hang himself in his cell in suspicious circumstances. Thus, the move away from the myth has created inter-elite conflict, which the regime has avoided until now.

One can argue that Egyptian nationalism, as an ideology nurtured by the military elites and embraced by the middle class, produced an urban center oriented vision of Egypt; a nationalism that glorifies the land, but not the people that inhabit this land.

The image of Egypt that dominates discourse is that of the urban centers, anchored around the middle class, seeing itself as the bearer of modernity.

In other words, Egypt without the Egyptians!

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Egypt without Egyptians: the story of the Red Sea islands - Open Democracy

What Makes China’s Fake Island Military Bases in the South China Sea So Dangerous – The National Interest Online (blog)

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In recent years the Peoples Republic of China has laid claim to ninety percent of the South China Sea, buttressing this claim by creating artificial islands with dredging equipment. These claims run roughshod over Beijings neighbors, which have competing claims. The discovery in 2016 that China had militarized these artificial islands was not exactly surprising, but just how useful are these islands in defense of Chinas strategic goals?

Chinas campaign to militarize the South China Sea began in 2009, when it submitted a new map to the United Nations showing the now-infamous Nine-Dash Linea series of boundary dashes over the South China Sea that it claimed demarcated Chinese territory. Since then, China has expanded at least seven reefs and islets in the sea with sand dredged from the ocean floor, including Subi Reef, Mischief Reef, Johnson Reef, Hughes Reef, Gaven Reef, Fiery Cross Reef and Cuarteron Reef.

According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Beijing has created more 3,200 acres of new land. China initially claimed its territory was being developed for peaceful purposes, from aid to mariners to scientific research, yet many of the islands now feature military-length airfields, antiaircraft and antimissile guns, and naval guns. Cuarteron Reef now has a new High Frequency early-warning radar facility for detecting incoming aircraft, a development difficult to square with a peaceful mission. Farther north, but still in disputed territory, China has installed HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missiles on Woody Island.

On the face of it, Chinas territorial grab and apparent turn away from former leader Hu Jintaos concept of peaceful rise is hard to understand. It has alienated Chinas neighbors and drawn in other powers, including the United States, India and Japan. One theory is that the countrys leadership may have calculated that securing a bastion for Chinas sea-based nuclear deterrent may be worth the diplomatic fallout it created.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Unions ballistic-missile submarines operated from two protective bastions, on the Atlantic side in the Barents Sea, and on the Pacific side in the Sea of Okhotsk. There, Soviet missile submarines could be covered by land-based air and naval forces to them from enemy aircraft, ships and attack submarines.

Chinas nuclear dyad of land- and sea-based missiles relies in part on four Jin-class ballistic-missile submarines. China believes American ballistic-missile defenses threaten to undermine the credibility of its modest nuclear deterrent. In the Chinese view, this makes a protective bastion even more important.

The countrys geography leaves it with basically one ocean, the Pacific, for its own bastion. The Northern Pacific, with the U.S. Navys Seventh Fleet and the nearly fifty destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, is a no-go. The South China Sea, on the other hand, is bordered by a number of relatively weak states that could not pose a threat to Chinas nuclear-missile submarines.

Sailing ships and flying aircraft through the South China Sea is one thing, but a permanent presence on the ground solidifies Chinas hold on the region. It also allows, as the case of the HF radar on Cuarteron Reef demonstrates, the installation of a permanent sensor network.

The ports and airfields under construction will almost certainly grow to defend the region, with help from the mainland, from a complex antisubmarine warfare campaign designed to go after Chinas seagoing nuclear weapons.

More surface-to-air missile batteries such as the HQ-9 and land-based antiship missiles are likely, if only to protect other military installations such as airfields and radar systems. Recent freedom-of-navigation operations by the United States and its allies will be used as a justification for heavier defenses. To paraphrase an old saying about bureaucracy, the military presence is growing to meet the needs of the growing military presence.

This points to the Achilles heel of Chinas island garrisons: in the long run, they are impossible to defend. Unlike ships, the islands are fixed in place and will never move. Small islands cannot stockpile enough troops, surface-to-air missiles, food, water and electrical capacity to remain viable defensive outposts. As Iwo Jima and Okinawa demonstrated, there is no viable defense in depth for islands even miles across.

In any military confrontation with the United States, Chinas at-sea outposts would almost certainly be quickly rolled back by waves of airstrikes and cruise missile attacks, devastating Peoples Liberation Army facilities and stranding the personnel manning them. How China would respond to such an attack on its nuclear bastion is an open question that should be given serious consideration, as victory in the South China Sea may not herald the end of a campaign but a dangerous new turn in the war itself.

Chinas military outposts in the South China Sea are a breach of Beijings agreement to not militarize the sea. Although the region itself has great strategic value, they are a poor defensive solution, prone to rapid destruction in wartime. China would be wise to consider the islands only as a temporary solution, until the Peoples Liberation Army Navy has enough hulls to maintain a permanent presence in the region.

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What Makes China's Fake Island Military Bases in the South China Sea So Dangerous - The National Interest Online (blog)

Compromised levee forces evacuation of Tyler Island in Delta; unrelated to Oroville – Sacramento Bee

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Sacramento Bee
Compromised levee forces evacuation of Tyler Island in Delta; unrelated to Oroville
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento County is advising residents in the Tyler Island area south of Walnut Grove to evacuate due to a compromised levee, officials said Monday. There are about 20 homes in the area, said Sacramento County Water Resources spokesman Matt ...

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Compromised levee forces evacuation of Tyler Island in Delta; unrelated to Oroville - Sacramento Bee

Sand Between Their Toes, and Blades on Their Feet – New York Times

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Sand Between Their Toes, and Blades on Their Feet
New York Times
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands After trading long Canadian winters for the perpetual summer of this luxurious Caribbean tax haven, Bill Messer was content to enjoy the soft sands and warm waters of island living. The only thing he really missed was ...

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Sand Between Their Toes, and Blades on Their Feet - New York Times

After Health Care Law Repeal, What? Wisconsin Republican Can’t Say – New York Times

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New York Times
After Health Care Law Repeal, What? Wisconsin Republican Can't Say
New York Times
The questions from voters on display this weekend at a series of town-hall-style meetings in Wisconsin's Fifth Congressional District, many of which were focused on the future of the health care law, underscored the quandary many lawmakers are facing ...

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After Health Care Law Repeal, What? Wisconsin Republican Can't Say - New York Times

GOP, This Is What Americans Want From Health Care Reform – Forbes

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GOP, This Is What Americans Want From Health Care Reform
Forbes
Just like the passage of Obamacare was a raucous affair, the dismantling of the law is on the same path. Rep. Jason Chaffetz felt the wrath of his constituents at his town hall meeting in Utah. Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida started a heated discussion ...
Discrimination-free health careThe Missoulian
Insurers ramp up lobbying for favorable changes to health care lawMyPalmBeachPost
Mid-level provider funding should be removed in new health care lawBucks County Courier Times
The Columbian -PR Watch -Hudson Valley One
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GOP, This Is What Americans Want From Health Care Reform - Forbes

Why fixing American health care is easy – The Week Magazine

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Kaitlyn Hood had to have surgery that cost $50,547. But unlike Matthew Stewart, a young man with liver disease who faces bankruptcy and perhaps death, Hood managed to stay safely within the (otherwise tattered) American safety net.

Like Stewart, Hood fell ill with an autoimmune disease that required serious and expensive surgery. But because her insurance actually worked, her condition was fixed without undue expense and she is continuing to live a productive life. It illustrates an undeniable fact: Despite the Byzantine complexity of the extant American health care system, its most critical problems are not remotely difficult to solve.

Hood's story began in 2012, during her second year of grad school at UCLA. She started having serious pains in her abdomen, which after much weight loss was eventually diagnosed as colitis (inflammation of the bowel) caused by Crohn's disease. She was prescribed steroids and Humira, a drug for Crohn's which helped a lot. However, she continued having pain, which dramatically worsened during a trip to Tennessee. She went to the ER, where they diagnosed appendicitis, and had emergency surgery which removed not just her appendix but also six inches of necrotic intestine.

She eventually recovered, but the immune problem later cropped up in the form of arthritis, requiring more expensive drugs, plus yet more to treat the side effects from the others.

While Hood's condition is probably not quite as severe as Stewart's, the broad strokes are very similar. She has a complicated, life-threatening illness requiring expensive treatment, including an invasive surgery that cost over $50,000, according to medical bills she provided to The Week. No non-rich person, much less a grad student, could possibly have paid for her drugs (Humira alone is some $5,000 per month) and surgery if she were on the hook for it all.

But that's not what happened. As her bills show, once Hood hit a $200 deductible, she was not charged one cent to fix her intestine. She was not just insured, but doubly insured, she says, being enrolled both on the school's plan and her parents' plan (she was young enough at the time to qualify for the ObamaCare rule about children under 26). Premiums were $300 per month, part of which UCLA paid for, drug copays summed to $110 per month, and her out-of-pocket maximum was a "mere" $2,000. Expensive, but easily within reach.

All this allowed her to live a normal life again. "Before I was diagnosed, I was in constant pain I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I lost like 30 pounds in three months," she says. "And when I was having this arthritis pain, I had a hard time just moving, I couldn't even get off the couch for a couple weeks. So having all this treatment makes a big difference in my life and in my work in how much I can work, how productive I can be."

Without treatment that was provided to her essentially for free, Hood would have unquestionably been forced to drop out and might easily have died. Instead, she recovered, stayed in school, and eventually graduated with a Ph.D. in applied mathematics in 2016. She's now a postdoc at MIT, where she's working on cancer screening research, angling for a professorship, and mentoring young girls in math and science, she says.

The differences between Hood's and Stewart's case are a great lesson in designing the basic architecture of a health care system.

First, all but the very rich must have access to some sort of comprehensive insurance scheme if they are to avoid being bankrupted by serious illness, because modern medical treatment can be extremely expensive.

Second, as a necessary corollary, insurance pools should be made as large as possible, so as to spread the cost of treatment as widely as possible. Luckily for every Hood out there, there are dozens of people like me who virtually never go to the doctor, and so they must be brought into the risk pool.

Third, regulations should tamp down the price of care as much as practicable, so as to prevent the total cost of treatment outstripping the general economy's ability to pay.

The most simple method of attacking this problem is single-payer public insurance plus price control. A single government-operated risk pool for everyone, which all providers must accept, one and done. That's the approach in Canada, Australia, and Taiwan (which incidentally all call their systems "Medicare"). Others have single-payer and single-provider, where the government also owns and operates the hospitals, as in the U.K. Others, such as Switzerland, have an ObamaCare-style approach but are far more aggressive both with penalties for uninsurance and with subsidies, so no one is left out or unable to pay.

There are many complicated problems in the American health care system that will take more careful thought and regulation to fix. There are not enough doctors, the salary structure across medical sub-professions is completely bananas, providers routinely kill people with inept care, many providers have become monopolies, and on and on. Many countries have problems like this, and are constantly tinkering with their policies to patch things up here and there.

But none of those are the really big problems with American health care. We have problems of access and payment, the basic solutions for which were obvious in the early 20th century. There is a huge policy buffet we could choose from, developed by dozens of other countries that nailed this problem decades ago.

The political obstacles are considerable, of course. The reason ObamaCare is such a janky mess is that it was so compromised by capitulation to nearly every concerned interest group (and attack by the Supreme Court) that it didn't even get up to the standard of Europe in the 1940s.

But Hood's story shows that, if we could get the politics sorted, universal and affordable health care could be easily made to work. People who are well-insured get decent treatment. All that is needed is the political strength necessary to ram obviously good policy through our antiquated constitutional government.

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Why fixing American health care is easy - The Week Magazine

Wealthy Miami Beach executive charged anew with bribing state healthcare regulators – Miami Herald

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Miami Herald
Wealthy Miami Beach executive charged anew with bribing state healthcare regulators
Miami Herald
Philip Esformes, a healthcare executive worth millions, has a very large closet in his two-story, Mediterranean-style home on North Bay Road near the exclusive La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach. And in that bedroom closet, prosecutors say ...

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Wealthy Miami Beach executive charged anew with bribing state healthcare regulators - Miami Herald