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Addiction, Arctic and aerospace:how federal politics touched Canadians this week – 680 News

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Danzig

OTTAWA Well, its been three weeks since Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president, and so far, nothing terrible has happened to Canada.

Thats the nature of the strained attempt at optimism coursing through the national capital these days as policy makers muddle through the Trump-inspired confusion that is spilling around the world. With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set to have his first tete-a-tete with the president on Monday, political Ottawa has been working at full tilt all week to make sure the visit to Washington does more good than harm.

Even as three of Trudeaus most powerful cabinet ministers trekked to Washington to till the soil for Mondays visit, there were developments here in Canada that will touch everyday lives on opioid addiction, on Arctic sovereignty and on government subsidies for Canadian companies.

Heres how politics touched us this week:

ADDICTION

After years of political wrangling, the federal government has announced approval for three safe-injection sites for drug addicts.

All three of them will be in Montreal, but there are 10 others waiting for government approval for Toronto, Vancouver, Surrey, B.C., Victoria, Ottawa and another in Montreal. There are already two in operation in Vancouver.

At the same time, the federal Liberals and the NDP are working together to amend legislation in order to make it easier to open up new supervised sites.

The sites are a key part of the federal governments nascent approach to dealing with an alarming escalating of drug abuse and deaths linked to opioids. The RCMP is working with China to curb the flow of opioids into Canada. And the government says it is building a fuller strategy set to be rolled out soon.

THE ARCTIC

Trudeau made his first prime ministerial trip to the Arctic this week, accompanied by his social development minister, his indigenous affairs minister and his health minister.

While the Liberals have not really set out a full-fledged Arctic policy, there are hints emerging about the federal governments approach. In the long-running debate about whether sovereignty in the Arctic is best established through military presence or socio-economic development, Trudeaus entourage suggests he favours the latter approach although any government would officially say both approaches are required.

(Former prime minister Stephen Harper made a habit of visiting the Arctic once a year, his trips often coinciding with military exercises and shows of strength.)

Northern populations, especially indigenous peoples, face high rates of poor health and poverty, and are also on the front lines of global warming climate changes that are having direct effects on lifestyle and development.

In Iqaluit, the ministers promised to make amends for how tuberculosis victims of the past were treated, and said they would focus on education and community development. They also committed to regular meetings with Inuit officials to address health, suicide prevention, housing shortages and persistent problems with TB.

AEROSPACE

Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains finally announced how the federal government would address the long-standing request for $1 billion in aid for Bombardier Inc. He announced repayable loans worth $372.5 million for the Montreal aerospace giant in order to support the Global 7000 and CSeries aircraft projects.

The suspense may be over, but the politics are still in full swing. In the absence of a clear policy that sets out when and how government should subsidize business, the Liberals were hammered with alternating criticisms of picking favourites, helping Quebec at the expense of others and/or not helping Quebec enough and stirring up sovereigntist sentiment.

How will the money help the broader Canadian public? Bains says the funding will secure 4000 jobs.

But he did not produce the iron-clad assurances from Bombardier that he had insisted on earlier in the negotiations. The government had been asking for a revamping of the companys share structure to make it more sustainable and competitive, as well as a promise that Bombardier would keep its head office and jobs connected to research and development activities in Canada over the long term.

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Addiction, Arctic and aerospace:how federal politics touched Canadians this week - 680 News

B/E Aerospace finishes fiscal 2016 with solid profit increase – Winston-Salem Journal

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Danzig

B/E Aerospace Inc., in potentially its last earnings report as an independent company, reported Friday an 8.9 percent jump in fiscal 2016 net income to $311.1 million.

B/E agreed Oct. 23 to be sold to Rockwell Collins for $6.4 billion in cash and stock and $1.9 billion in B/E debt.

Although B/E is based on Wellington, Fla., its largest U.S. workforce is in Winston-Salem, having grown from 850 employees to more than 1,300 employees since 2011. B/E has 10,057 employees globally, according to MSNMoney.com.

The deal is expected to close in the spring, with both companies shareholders holding a vote on the deal March 9.

Rockwell executive Kelly Ortberg provided analysts Wednesday with an update on the deal. He said the companies have Securities and Exchange Commission approval, but are awaiting on regulatory approvals in the U.K., China and the Philippines, the latter two could take until early April to obtain.

Were actively planning the integration, Ortberg said. Well be ready to go as soon as we hear from the Chinese approval.

B/E shareholders would own 20 percent of Rockwell.

Rockwells focus is on flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training, and information management systems.

What it is acquiring from B/E Aerospace Inc. is an array of cabin interior products, which include seating, food and beverage preparation and storage equipment, lighting and oxygen systems, and modular galley and lavatory systems for commercial airliners and business jets.

Rockwell said it would have about 30,000 employees if the B/E sale is completed, along with $8.1 billion in annual revenues.

Ortberg said Rockwell will eliminate quickly duplication of public company costs as well as target direct and indirect supply chain expenses.

He continued to stress cost savings would come from shifting engineering and production to lower-cost countries such as India.

We think theres opportunity for us to do more work in India, where we have about 250 engineers, and gain some of that labor arbitrage going forward, Ortberg said.

Theres areas where we duplicate facilities, duplicate sales offices, duplicate capability within the business that were just going to need to get the teams together and spend some time figuring out how were going to gain those synergies and become more efficient.

As is customary for a company in the process of being sold, B/E provided a bare-bone earnings report with no management commentary.

Fiscal 2016 diluted earnings were $3.08 a share, up 35 cents. Adjusted earnings were $3.28, reflecting a 20-cent charge related to $21.9 million in merger-related expenses taken in the fourth quarter.

The average earnings forecast was $3.27 by nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. Analysts typically do not include one-time gains and charges in their forecasts.

Full-year revenue increased 7.4 percent to $2.93 billion.

For the fourth quarter, net income was $60.4 million, down 4.7 percent. Adjusted net income was $80.4 million.

Diluted earnings were 60 cents, down 1 cent, while adjusted earnings were 80 cents. The average earnings forecast was 80 cents by seven analysts.

Revenue rose 10.8 percent to $730.4 million.

The company did not provide a breakdown on commercial aircraft and business jet segment sales.

Rockwell reported Jan. 20 a 7.4 percent increase in net income to $145 million for its first quarter of fiscal 2017.

Rockwells diluted earnings were $1.10 a share, up 8 cents from a year ago. Rockwell took charges worth a combined 10 cents in earnings, the equivalent of $14 million, related to the B/E acquisition.

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B/E Aerospace finishes fiscal 2016 with solid profit increase - Winston-Salem Journal

Aerospace sector can make America great again – Washington Times

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Danzig

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

SpaceX just launched 10 Iridium Communications satellites into low-Earth orbit. These satellites will beam phone and data service to tens of thousands of Americans who live or work in areas too remote for regular cellphone coverage.

Until a few years ago, blasting bus-sized satellites into space with rockets that can be reused belonged in the realm of science fiction. Now, such activities seem routine.

Policymakers should take note. Americans are set to reap the benefits of aerospace firms race to tame the final frontier and the industrys investments in manufacturing will create new jobs and wealth in the United States, not just shuffle current jobs by moving around government dollars.

Since its inception, the aerospace industry has produced technologies that improve Americans quality of life. NASA helped invent memory foam, scratch-resistant glasses, insulin pumps and hundreds of other products we use every day.

Now, private companies are driving aerospace innovation. Thanks to satellite internet firms, airplane passengers can enjoy Wi-Fi while cruising at 30,000 feet. That has made flying more enjoyable and far more productive for those who choose to work in-flight. The technology also makes it possible for Americans in remote areas to access high-speed internet.

Satellite internet has yet to reach its full potential. The satellite internet of things market is expected to grow nearly 20 percent each year through 2022. Improved connectivity made possible by new satellites will improve the efficiency of a wide range of appliances, not just computers and smartphones.

Launching hundreds of new satellites to support this increased connectivity would have been far too expensive a few years ago. But today, thanks to California-based SpaceX and Washington-based Blue Origins advances in rocket manufacturing, the cost of launches has plummeted. The Air Force is showing interest in ultralow cost access to space, where reusable launch technologies stimulate tactical innovation in space operations.

Next-generation rockets have even made space-based businesses look viable.

Made in Space, a California start-up, recently sent a 3D printer to the International Space Station, laying the groundwork for manufacturing in zero gravity. The firm ultimately plans to produce optical fiber in space, which would eliminate the microscopic imperfections caused by gravity. This high-quality fiber could revolutionize everything from medical devices to telecommunications.

Aerospace firms arent just spurring technological progress theyre supporting millions of jobs. Americas aerospace sector employs more than 1.2 million people and indirectly supports an additional 3.2 million jobs.

These jobs are helping to replace losses weve seen in the broader manufacturing sector. While the number of overall American manufacturing jobs dropped by 22 percent from 2002 to 2012, jobs in the aerospace industry grew by 7 percent. Many of these positions pay double the national average salary. Aerospace exports also generated a trade surplus of more than $80 billion in 2015 the highest in the manufacturing sector.

Aerospace companies are even leading the charge to revitalize the manufacturing workforce.

Firms are designing their own educational programs, often at community colleges, to train workers in the specific skill sets they need. Northrop Grumman, for instance, has partnered with Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California, to create a 16-week vocational program in aircraft manufacturing. The firm recruits many of the students upon graduation. Such public-private partnerships could serve as a model for manufacturers in other sectors who struggle to find skilled workers.

Private aerospace companies are strengthening the labor force and pouring billions of dollars into new technologies that will improve Americans lives and livelihoods. Thats a reason to cheer every liftoff.

Rebecca Grant is president of IRIS Independent Research and director of the Washington Security Forum.

Aerospace sector can make America great again - Washington Times

Eight Tata companies to display defence, aerospace expertise at Aero India 2017 – Economic Times

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Danzig

BENGALURU: Eight Tata companies will exhibit their expertise and offerings in the Aerospace and Defence sectors at the five-day 11th Aero India, Asia's premier air show, beginning here on February 14.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Advanced Materials Limited, Tata Motors Limited, Titan Company Limited, Tata Steel (Specialty Steel business in Europe), TAL Manufacturing Solutions Limited and Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division are participating in the show.

Tata group has historically been associated with the aerospace industry, and its large presence is an outcome of Ratan N Tata's vision who encouraged it to enter the aerospace segment and foster significant partnerships with global majors to provide convergent solutions, and make India a global manufacturing hub.

The participating companies offer end-to-end design to manufacture solutions, leveraging India's technical workforce to deliver productivity gains to the global supply chain of leading Aerospace and Defence OEMs and Suppliers in different areas, a Tata Sons Limited release here said.

The areas are Engineering to Production,Design to Manufacturing, New Design to Manufacturing,Design Modification to Manufacturing, Build to Print and Build to Specifications, it said.

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Eight Tata companies to display defence, aerospace expertise at Aero India 2017 - Economic Times

Missoula naturalist teaches wildlife biology to Colstrip kids with tech company's help – The Missoulian

Posted on February 10, 2017 by ev1

Teachers is rural elementary schools in Montana often dont have the time and resources to provide their students with specific, in-depth, scientific lessons on subjects like ecology and wildlife biology.

But thanks to the work of a technology company and a Missoula nonprofit, 42 fourth-graders at Pine Butte Elementary in Colstrip were immersed in an hour-long intellectual adventure on Thursday, discovering how animals adapt to a winter climate, even though the teacher was 465 miles away in Missoula.

The Montana Natural History Center in Missoula employs a naturalist, Amy Howie, as an Interactive Distance Education Coordinator to conduct virtual science classes for kids in Rapelje, Lincoln, Colstrip and Helmville.

Howie, who worked as a science teacher for many years, said the kids are exposed to a curriculum that they wouldnt otherwise get.

This is totally new to them, she said. They love it because its something new and even though this is new to them, they still know the tech part. So they interact very well.

The MNHC partnered with Vision Net, a technology company with offices in Great Falls, Missoula and Billings, to set up the video conferencing platform. Essentially, Howie stands in a green room complete with light boxes, cameras, microphones, speakers and a giant video screen to chat with the kids in real time about how animals like bobcats and snowshoe hares are able to travel quickly in deep snow.

She interacts with the kids, making sure she knows most of their names, and pauses often to take questions. Other lessons have been on seeds, flowers and animal skulls.

It does take some practice, because its like youre on camera, Howie said. Especially with our green screen, you have to know where youre pointing. But the kids love it. One of the teachers told me the kids feel like they are right there in the classroom.

Bruce Wallace, video conferencing systems manager for Vision Net, said the company built a statewide network in 1995 and now over 180 schools use it to take advantage of resources in other cities. Their system is also used by the legal community, medical institutions and private industry. The technology saves time and money because teachers dont have to spend hours driving to little schools all over the empty expanses of Montana.

We try to provide the best technology that we can so that its as close to being there as it can get, Wallace said.

Thurston Elfstrom, the executive director of the MNHC, said this year is a pilot program for the classes. The schools get a great deal, because they are only charged about $245 for a once-a-month class for the entire school year, which includes a bin full of materials.

The MNHC is a nonprofit on Hickory Street in Missoula that provides nature education programming for people of all ages. Elfstrom said the program relies on fundraisers and donors. One private donor has been helping with most of the distance learning so far.

Our goal is to get 20 more classrooms next year, Howie said. We need to start training some other people. The great thing is its so flexible. You can schedule these schools and you dont have to travel anywhere.

Elfstrom said the technology allows the MNHC to extend its reach much farther than they could if they had to teach in person. Thats good news for kids, who are learning about the world around them in new ways.

Those teachers in rural schools have a general education, so I think a lot of them are looking to add more science, because thats not their specialty, Howie said. Especially in rural schools, they need help with adding science into the curriculum. And now we are aligning our curriculum to the Next Generation Science Standards, so the teachers love that.

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Missoula naturalist teaches wildlife biology to Colstrip kids with tech company's help - The Missoulian

Study examines how behavioral science can help tackle problem of idling engines – Phys.Org

Posted on February 10, 2017 by ev1

February 10, 2017 Credit: Steffen Thoma/Public Domain

New research by academics at the University of East Anglia (UEA), University of Kent and University of Lincoln, suggests that insights from behavioural science can help inform the design of road signs to bring about changes in driver behaviour.

Research in behavioural science has demonstrated how even very minimal cues or 'nudges' can sometimes have a powerful influence on human behaviour and decision-making. In this study, the researchers applied this approach to examine whether simple visual and written cues could be used to encourage drivers to switch off their engines while waiting at railway crossings.

By leaving their engines idling for long periods, drivers contribute to air pollution, waste fuel, and produce noise and fumes that harm the environment and public health. However, the researchers found that making simple changes to road signs which prompted drivers to consciously reflect on their behaviour doubled the rate of people turning off their engines.

The authors say the findings, published today in the journal Environment and Behavior, are relevant not just for railway crossings, but anywhere with congestion.

The study, which was led by Dr Rose Meleady, of UEA's School of Psychology, Prof Dominic Abrams and Dr Tim Hopthrow at the University of Kent, and Dr Julie Van de Vyver at the University of Lincoln, comes amid continued concern about air pollution levels in cities across the UK and worldwide. Following a visit last month, the UN's Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances said air pollution "plagues" the UK, causing an estimated 30,000-40,000 premature deaths a year. Air pollution alerts were also issued last month for London, where it has been suggested that 'no idling' zones could be introduced around schools.

Lead author Dr Meleady said: "We wanted to know how to persuade drivers to switch off their ignition in a situation where collectively they would, potentially, substantially pollute the atmosphere of a large number of residents and pedestrians. The destructive behaviour examined in this study lasted for about two minutes, many times a day. Any reduction of this behaviour therefore has clear benefits for all.

"Planners at local and national levels use signs to encourage better driver behaviour. However, without clear evidence of whether and when these messages prompt action, their impact may be far less than could be achieved. We found that simple changes to the way we design road signs can make them much more effective. We should be using behavioural science to inform the design of such signs to encourage greater co-operation from drivers."

Dr Meleady, a lecturer in psychology, added: "If similar interventions were to be implemented in comparable situations in other cities and countries, the potential contribution to reducing air pollution, improving short and long term health, and reducing effects of global warming could be substantial."

The site chosen for the study was a busy railway level crossing in Canterbury, Kent. The local council had placed a sign at the crossing instructing drivers to switch off their engine when the barriers were down, which happened four times an hour. The message on the sign was not informed by any particular behavioural theory, and the researchers found it had limited impact, with only about 20 per cent of motorists routinely switching off their ignition while waiting for an average of two minutes.

Psychological research has shown that subtle cues that someone's behaviour is being observed can increase their compliance with instructions. In this study, the researchers tested whether the addition of a picture of 'watching eyes' would increase drivers' compliance with the instructions to turn off their engines while waiting at the level crossing. Watching eyes have previously been shown to successfully reduce theft from bicycle racks, reduce littering in public spaces, and increase donations to charity buckets. Here, the image was found to increase the rate of drivers turning off their engines to around 30 per cent.

Importantly however, a second test demonstrated that it was even more effective to encourage self-surveillance. Rather than suggesting behaviour was being monitored by others, a second sign aimed to encourage drivers to monitor their own behaviour and reflect on whether they were complying with the instruction. The sign simply instructed drivers to "Think of yourself: When barriers are down switch off your engine". The results showed that combining the instruction with this self-surveillance prompt was highly effective, doubling the rate of drivers who switched off their engines to 50 per cent.

Dr Meleady said: "We found that the mere presence of an instructive sign had little effect on drivers' behaviour. Rates of compliance increased when instructions were accompanied by subtle surveillance cues. These findings reinforce the importance of directing attention towards the individual when trying to encourage behaviour change, and beyond that, suggest it may sometimes be more effective to encourage self-surveillance rather than using cues suggesting public surveillance."

The study 'Surveillance or Self-Surveillance? Social Cues Can Increase the Rate of Drivers' Pro-Environmental Behavior at a Long Wait Stop', Rose Meleady, Dominic Abrams, Julie Van de Vyver, Tim Hopthrow, Lynsey Mahmood, Abigail Player, Ruth Lamont, and Ana C Leite is published in Environment and Behavior.

Explore further: Strange bedfellows: Dangerous link between driver distraction and sleepiness

More information: 'Surveillance or Self-Surveillance? Social Cues Can Increase the Rate of Drivers' Pro-Environmental Behavior at a Long Wait Stop', Environment and Behavior, DOI: 10.1177/0013916517691324

Driver distraction combined with sleepiness creates a perfect storm when young people get behind the wheel, warns QUT road safety researcher Dr Chris Watling.

"Good" drivers turn bad when faced with poor driver etiquette, according to QUT research which has found many motorists are creating the problem they hate by responding aggressively to rudeness on the roads.

Road safety researchers at QUT are developing innovative in-vehicle technology to improve safety and save dollars at the petrol pump, and are looking to test it out on Brisbane drivers.

With mobile phone distracted driving a growing road safety issue, a QUT study reveals why some drivers slow down when using a mobile phone but others don't.

Drivers are traveling about 10km/h faster than they think they should through roadwork zones, according to a new QUT study which compared the speed drivers think is safe to how fast they are actually going.

London's mayor has issued air quality alerts across the capital for the first time because of high pollution levels.

A team of international researchers, led by Colorado State University's Michael Gavin, have taken a first step in answering fundamental questions about human diversity.

Exceptionally well-preserved fossil communities are always exciting, but some are more interesting than others. Fossils from particularly important times or environments can tell palaeontologists much more than those from ...

Changing environments and ecosystems were driving the evolution of horses over the past 20 million years. This is the
main conclusion of a new study published in Science by a team of palaeontologists from Spain and Argentina. ...

A new study has revealed that gills originated much deeper in evolutionary history than previously believed. The findings support the idea that gills evolved before the last common ancestor of all vertebrates, helping facilitate ...

Humans may have ritualistically "killed" objects to remove their symbolic power, some 5,000 years earlier than previously thought, a new international study of marine pebble tools from an Upper Paleolithic burial site in ...

On a recent afternoon, a small group of students gathered around a large table in one of the rooms at the Stanford Archaeology Center.

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Study examines how behavioral science can help tackle problem of idling engines - Phys.Org

Stem Cells Provide New Thyroid Therapies – Anti Aging News

Posted on February 10, 2017 by ev1

Posted on Feb. 10, 2017, 6 a.m. in Thyroid Hormone Stem Cell Stem Cell Research

Researchers have identified a way to engineer new thyroid cells from stem cells, which could lead to new thyroid disease treatments.

A recent report published in the medical journal Stem Cell Reports, sheds light on breakthrough research regarding the use of thyroid cells derived from stem cells for new therapies. Scientists at Boston University's School Medicine led the work. They have pinpointed a means of efficiently engineering thyroid cells by way of stem cells that will eventually help analyze and treat thyroid diseases.

Why the Thyroid is so Important

The thyroid is a gland positioned in the mid-section of the lower neck. When this gland does not function as designed, it wreaks all sorts of havoc on the body. Thyroid diseases occur when the gland is hyperactive and generates excessive hormones (hyperthyroidism) or generates too few hormones (hypothyroidism). Though the thyroid is fairly diminutive, it generates hormones that extend to tissues, cells and organs throughout the body to maintain a regulated metabolism. The metabolism is vitally important as it determines the rate at which the human body produces energy through oxygen and nutrients.

It is estimated that about 20 million individuals in the United States are plagued by a form of thyroid disease. A whopping 60 percent of these cases are never diagnosed. Unfortunately, thyroid disorders are life-long or chronic conditions that often prove quite challenging to manage. When thyroid diseases are undiagnosed, they can lead to particularly nasty health conditions ranging from osteoporosis to cardiovascular diseases and even infertility. Medical professionals are not completely certain as to what causes thyroid diseases.

Details About the Discovery

The breakthrough described above was discovered after studies were performed on mice. Stem cells are valued as they can mature into an array of different cell types. The researchers referenced above have determined how to transform the genetically modified stem cells from mice into thyroid cells. They determined there is a specific window during cell development to perform the transformation in an efficient manner. The group switched the Nkx2-1 gene off/on while guiding the lab-cultured stem cells through development stages. When the gene was on, most stem cells were transformed to thyroid cells in a small period of time.

What it Means for the Future

This discovery will likely allow for new research models and breakthrough treatments for thyroid diseases. It is anticipated that new thyroid cells for humans will eventually be engineered so medical professionals can better study and mitigate thyroid diseases. The principle might even apply to additional cell types to boot.

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Stem Cells Provide New Thyroid Therapies - Anti Aging News

2017 and beyond: Future unpredictable – Zimbabwe Independent

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

You are here: Home Opinion 2017 and beyond: Future unpredictable

THIS is a continuation from last week where the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI), a locally-based independent political economy think-tank, conducted a scenario-mapping exercise in December last year through a team of experts from academia and civil society.

ZDI: Local think-tank

The paper critically examines the political and socio-economic environment in Zimbabwe and deduces possible scenarios in 2017 and beyond. In arriving at these scenarios, experts first reviewed previous scenarios and analysed the attendant political and socio-economic environment in the context of a changing and shifting political economy set-up marked by seismic informalisation and intriguing succession politics in the ruling Zanu PF party, a weakened opposition and a civil society facing co-ordination and funding challenges as well as citizens that appear to be largely subjects in the Mahmood Mamdani sense.

In generic terms, three alternative paths would normally be considered in most scenario planning: one, a best-case scenario: forward movement toward economic and political reforms. Two, a worst-case scenario: backward slippage towards political disorder and economic collapse; and three, a most likely scenario: a protracted and incremental transition, a period of muddling through. Because the status quo is a contested equilibrium, this path will be punctuated by alternating periods of political deadlock and partial reforms.

Best-case scenario

This is more of a theoretical possibility than a feasible one in the near and medium term i.e. up to five years. This is really a feel-good scenario where there are free, fair and credible elections resulting in incumbency turnover i.e. a grand coalition of opposition parties achieves electoral victory similar to The Gambia case in the December 1 2016 elections when former Gambia president Yahya Jammeh was defeated by opposition coalition leader Adama Barrow.

Were this to happen in Zimbabwe in 2018, the country would be on a recovery path, with main policy distortions alleviated and a foundation laid for pro-poor economic growth. This scenario would also mean the beginning of reforms in various domains: political governance, that is parliament and the judiciary assert independence and civil society becomes an active watchdog; economic and administrative governance, for example, public service depoliticised and re-professionalised, parastatals are prepared for reform, private sector recovery begins and direct investment flows; security governance, for example, objective civilian control, most security chiefs declare loyalty and militias disbanded. This scenario is most unlikely.

Scenario 1A: A most likely scenario but also the worst-case scenario. This is a scenario whereby President Robert Mugabe is in charge throughout the period under consideration. It is essentially a status quo scenario but marked by the intensification of the ongoing governance maladies in both the party and government with the attendant policy incoherence and even immobilism.

At a practical level, however, and given Mugabes advanced age and increasing frailty, he is not likely to have the physical and mental stamina to be fully and always in charge. This is actually already happening and will be accelerated during this period.

In a way, by the end of the period, it will resemble the wheelchair scenario where Mugabe will be governing from a wheelchair. This is what both First Lady Grace Mugabe and war veterans alluded to in November last year.

For instance, Grace thundered: We are going to create a special wheelchair for Mugabe until he rules to 100 years because that is what we want.

On their part, before the souring of relations between the party and war veterans, their spokesman Douglas Mahiya defended the nomination of Mugabe as the partys 2018 presidential candidate by declaring: We are not looking for a roadrunner. We are not looking for the best athletes, but for a leader who has the best interests of his people at heart He can rule from a (wheel) chair. (https://www.newsday.co.zw/2015/11/03/mugabe-to-rule-from-wheelchair/)

This wheelchair scenario effectively means Mugabe will reign, but not rule. Real power will progressively gravitate away from him and towards his inner circle, most likely the First Lady and the First Familys close associates, and perhaps with elements of Generation 40 (G40). It will be a dynastic rule of sorts. The strategic value of this scenario will be the protection of the First Familys personal interests and security.

Scenario IIB: This is variation of Scenario IIA. It is a status quo + scenario. Mugabe anoints a successor. This scenario is whereby Mugabe: (a) stands in and wins the 2018 elections; (b) serves until the 2019 congress at which point (c) he retires and anoints his successor. The successor is most likely to be a compromise figure, that is, neither G40 nor Lacoste, but someone accepted (or at least not hated) by both. This will mean the status quo will continue until 2019 and then the successor takes over.

Given that Mugabe will still be alive, though progressively unwell, the successor will tread carefully, only making incremental changes especially in the economic arena, by seeking to normalise the situation. There will be no radical changes like those in Scenario III below but only drip-fed policy tinkering. This scenario will closely resemble the Cuba model where former president Fidel Castro retired in 2006 and handed over power to a trusted revolutionary lieutenant, his brother Raul. Castro remained in the shadows, invisible but still highly influential and guiding the transition. His successor managed to introduce and implement some gradual changes but nothing that represented a rupture from the Fidel Castro era.

In the Zimbabwe situation, and in terms of policy, this scenario stands in-between scenarios IIA and III. The main motivation of this scenario, like IIA, will be to protect the First Family but will also entail some limited albeit progressive policy changes.

Scenario III: Mugabe dies in office. This is a State House to Heroes Acre scenario and, should this happen, whether before or after elections, the chief beneficiary is most likely to be Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa (Team Lacoste).

Until Mugabe dies and before the 2019 congress, Mnangagwa is likely to retain his position as state vice-president after the 2018 elections by virtue of the same position in the party. Mugabe does not normally want to change his team mid-stream and the Joice Mujuru saga is the most vivid testimony to this. Mugabe waited until the congress year to begin the manoeuvres to oust his deputy.

As beneficiary in this scenario, Mnangagwa will also have the support of the securocrats. It must be noted that the new constitution states that until 2023, if the president dies, resigns or is removed from office, the Vice-President who last acted as President assumes office as President for the next 90 days until the party nominates a replacement for consideration by parliament. This is a very scary situation as those 90 days may be a period of weeping and gnashing of teeth within the party.

In any case, things might not work out as per the constitution as the realities of power politics may circumvent constitutional niceties; this may see someone from outside the party presidium leapfrogging into State House. It is highly likely that the bitterness and viciousness in the lead up to the December congress were motivated by the strategic question of who will be in charge during the potentially decisive 90 days.

Under Scenario III, there will be a change of Government in the sense of change in the personnel who govern but there will be no change of regime. That is, there will be no change in the rules of the political game for selecting leaders and for exercising power.

However, politically, the first order of business is likely to deal with rivals within the party and this will most likely entail weeping and gnashing of teeth for G40 and any other contenders for power. While intra-party rivals will in all likelihood be liquidated, ED, as Mnangagwa is also known, is likely to craft a post-election coalition with selected opposition parties, especially the MDC-T, in order to stabilise his rule in a Government of National Unity-like modality of governance.

The most significant and potentially fundamental changes under this scenario are likely to be in terms of policy, especially economic policy. Zimbabwe is likely to witness a sharp and clear break away from policy immobilism and factionalism-led policy incoherence towards what this paper sees as the Chinese model. This is characterised by two distinct but closely related governance modes. This first is liberal economic governance according to which there will be glasnost, i.e. opening up of the economy and making it safe for both local and foreign investors. This will be accompanied by concerted efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business and, to this extent, toxic policies like indigenisation will be repealed or amended beyond recognition.

There will also be an escalation in the normalisation of relations with the Western international community and international financial institutions. To be noted here is that the international community is divided into the Western countries and the Look East led by China.

The former is itself divided between the European Union (which has been more sympathetic to the Zanu PF regime post-2013, seeking a robust re-engagement with the lifting of most sanctions against Zimbabwe) and the United States maintaining its hard stance of no change until there are irreversible governance reforms).

China and other Look East countries have traditionally been supportive of the regime and have been referred to as all-weather friends of Zimbabwe. Equally, robust efforts will be deployed to clamp down on endemic corruption, especially that happening in the public sector and at the apex of that sector. Here, Maos injunction will come handy: kill one and scare a thousand. In the name of fighting corruption, G40 will be targeted for liquidation. In terms of political governance, the Chinese model entails closed political spaces or hard authoritarianism. In other words, there will be no perestroika. The logic, consistent with this model, is to make people happy economically so that they will not rebel politically. If the economic model delivers and improves peoples welfare, who would want to rebel?

Nonetheless, the closing of political spaces will mean restrictions on peoples political and civil rights which will be sacrificed on the altar of socio-economic rights. For some sectors of society, for example business, this is perhaps the best-case scenario. However, this scenario entirely depends on what happens to Mugabe during the period under consideration. In other words, the scenario is sensitive to and depends on the Hand of God, Professor Eldred Masunungure submitted.

Conclusion

It is possible that the actual scenarios may have elements of two or more of the above three possible scenarios as put forward by Masunungure.

In any case, scenarios are never cast in stone and are not meant to be predictions but indications, informed by the present reality and confluence of forces, of what is likely to happen going forward.

ZDI, working with sister research think tanks such as the Mass Public Opinion Institute and other researchers, will continue to revise and update these scenarios in line with changing political dynamics in Zimbabwe.

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2017 and beyond: Future unpredictable - Zimbabwe Independent

Student leader says ‘black-on-black crime is not a thing,’ wants to … – The College Fix

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Student leader says black-on-black crime is not a thing, wants to censor those who say it is

Alternative facts sure are popular on campus these days.

A student government leader at Regis University went so far as to deny that black people commit crime against each other, or at least that the subject is worth discussing (that would be news to former President Obama).

Campus Reform reports that the Jesuit university in Denver just concludedAnti-Oppression Week, which included sessions such as Introduction to Privilege and Oppression for Teachers and The Oppressive Power of Language.

But the most head-scratching comments came fromJack Flotte, director of the student governmentsSocial Justice and Spirituality Committeeandwhite male.

Heaccused his fellow whites of white fragility in leading a Tuesday session titled White Guilt, White Feelings, and the Struggle for Liberation:

He then outlined several paradigms that he considers counterproductive, starting with the demand that white people quit mythologizing black-on-black murder by isolating statistics, boldly claiming that Black-on-black murder is not a thing. Its just a bad argument. Black-on-black crime is not a thing. Dont talk about it. Shut it down when people talk about it.

Ironically, Flotte encouraged his audience to research everything. They could start with Obamas remarks about black-on-black crime at a televised town hall:

It is absolutely true that the murder rate in the African-American community is way out of whack compared to the general population, Obama said. And both the victims and the perpetrators are black, young black men.

Though faculty werent ordered to attend the events, Anthropology Prof. Damien Thompson who led or co-led three events encouraged his colleagues to go to as many events as possible and said he would attend like 98 percent of them, according to Campus Reform.

The publication also notes this Friday event listing prodding faculty to attend:

10:30am 12:00pm Steps of Dayton Memorial Library. Call to Action Rally (This event in a student planned and organized rally; faculty, administration and staff who have not attended one of Thursdays faculty anti-oppression training sessions, should attend the anti-oppression training that begins at 9:00am). Multicultural Affairs Committee.

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Student leader says 'black-on-black crime is not a thing,' wants to ... - The College Fix

Rights agency calls for sober talk in war on drugs – Daily Nation

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Saturday February 11 2017

Fahim Ali, one of the people undergoing rehabilitation at Kisauni Level Four Hospital, talks to a Nation reporter on February 8, 2017. He wants the government to deal with drug trafficking. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

It is business as usual at drug dens in Mombasa despite the government's tough talk against traffickers and promise to eradicate the menace.

Hundreds of drug addicts are still camped in some of the notorious dens in the county, with little being done to rehabilitate them, the Saturday Nation can reveal.

A spot check at drug dens in Kisauni, Old Town, Shimanzi and near the Coast General Hospital showed that the addicts have been left to fight for themselves despite assurances by the government to intervene.

The addicts still mill around the areas, injecting themselves with drugs in broad daylight.

According to the National Authority for the Campaign against Drug Abuse (Nacada) and US anti-narcotics Agency, some 96,752 people are addicted to hard drugs, including cocaine and heroin at the Coast, 40,000 of them are students aged between 12 and 17 years.

In August last year during his tour of the Coast, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed immediate crackdown on drugs, dealers and their dens and the rehabilitation of users.

He told local politicians to work with security forces and Nacada to ensure all drug dens are eliminated in the same manner illicit brews were destroyed in Central Kenya and Nairobi.

The President gave them a two-week ultimatum to set up a drug rehabilitation centre at the National Youth Service (NYS).

But six months down the line, nothing has been done.

On Friday, when the Saturday Nation visited the camp, construction of a perimeter wall, which began immediately after the directive for the purpose of securing the camp to ward off bad elements was still incomplete.

The wall is actually not a big problem because it is 90 per cent complete. We are waiting for Nacada to bring equipment and the county to send counsellors and medical personnel, an official at the NYS camp said on condition of anonymity.

'JOHO TARGETED' But speaking in an interview in Mombasa, a director at Nacada, Ms Farida Rashid, said the programme would kick off soon.

Currently we have addicts who are being rehabilitated at the Coast General Hospital, but soon we will open the NYS centre and take in others as planned, she said.

Last week, both Mr Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto reiterated their determination to arrest drug dealers.

But this degenerated into a war of words with Governor Hassan Joho, who claimed that he was being targeted.

The governor on Tuesday said the two leaders were not honest in the fight against drug lords, maintaining that the government was bent on derailing his political career in the pretext of fighting drugs in Mombasa.

He claimed that during the runup to the 2013 General Election, the same narrative was built up, with the view of discrediting him as a leader.

But even as the war of words intensified, those affected have appealed to authorities to come to their aid.

We were told we would be rehabilitated since last year but this is empty talk. We are still suffering. It is not that we like this life but there seems to be nobody to help us, Fahim Ali, a drug user in Frere Town, Kisauni, one of the hardest hit areas, said.

Ms Neema Said, who has been using drugs for more than 10 years, said politicising the matter had made matters worse, adding that those who were interested in being rehabilitated are back in the dens.

Yesterday, members of the civil society added their voice on the matter calling for a sober debate on fight against drug trafficking.

We are doubtful the government will measure up to the task and eradicate the drug menace. We will wait to see if the commitment will go beyond the 2017 election, Suba Churchill, Convener of Civil Society Reference Group, said in Mombasa.

Mr Shahbal said that a senior ODM official was a beneficiary of proceeds from the sale of drugs.

The CRA proposed that counties be allocated shareable revenue of Sh331.6 billion.

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Rights agency calls for sober talk in war on drugs - Daily Nation

DERMODY: War on Drugs requires more than ‘quick-fix’ – RU Daily Targum

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Imagine that a disease broke out, the flu for instance, and killed 50,000 Americans in just one year. You would probably be concerned, right? Wouldn't you agree that something must be done, to help those who are sick and prevent any future infection? That would be the most sensible response. Heres the problem that deadly disease that I just mentioned is not hypothetical.

America has a drug problem and it has become disturbingly deadly. Last year, for the first time, drug overdose accounted for more deaths in the United States than fatal car accidents. To put it bluntly, that is a lot of casualties almost one every 19 minutes to be exact. So yes, this is a very real and infectious disease. An epidemic, you could say, that is creeping into households of all income levels and tearing families apart in both urban and suburban settings.

Alright, so this overdose epidemic is real, we know that much. Now comes the panic and the urgency to help, right? Wrong. I say that because this is not a new problem. Despite recent spikes in drug overdose, drug addiction has plagued America for quite some time. Over 40 years ago, for example, former President Ronald Reagan declared a war on drugs in an attempt to address this problem. Today, we are still fighting and clearly losing that war.Death by overdose was actually more prominent in 2016 than any year prior. Clearly, something is not working. Despite continuous funding and increased awareness, the drug problem in America is as widespread as ever.

So why have the efforts of countless presidents and other political leaders not been enough to end, or even control, this overdose epidemic? The answer is quite simple: America is obsessed with quick-fix solutions to complex problems. Overweight? Dont change your diet, just get surgery. Can't get your kids to focus? Dont increase their exercise and vitamin intake, just get them a prescription. Crashing economy? Dont restructure, just print more money. As you can see, there is a trend here.

America has adopted this culture that is notorious for ignoring the causes and treating the symptoms. As consumer health advocate Mike Adams said, For every problem that demands a mature, well-planned solution, there's a much more seductive quick-fix that completely ignores the problem but temporarily makes the symptoms go away. With that being said, America has certainly been seduced by the idea of a quick-fix solution. Through the media and advertisements, we are constantly bombarded with the misconception that there are fast and easy solutions to our most complex problems. As a result, we oftentimes take the easy way out, sweep our problems under the rug and fail to address our real issues. This is one reason why so many Americans have become addicted to drugs in the first place. Getting high, whether from a prescribed or an illicit drugs, is a quick, but only temporary, fix to our problems.

This quick-fix culture has not only fueled drug addiction in America but has simultaneously prevented us from fixing the complex problem. What does a quick-fix solution to the drug problem look like? Exactly what has been going on for the past 40 years. Poorly planned attacks that are as misguided as they are superficial. At first, in theory, these quick-fix solutions sound great. They are bold, convincing and promise to eradicate all drug use, but it should not have taken this long to realize that these solutions are hollow. The War on Drugs, for instance, placed policemen at the forefront of this battle against addiction. This may have sounded foolproof at the time seeing as there is a drug problem in America and drug use is often illegal. But by cracking down on drug dealers and users, we are being reactive rather than proactive. By the time the user is addicted, its too late, and the problem has already occurred. That is why the War on Drugs was nothing more than an attempt to cover up the symptoms of drug addiction. Consequently, the underlying problems that actually fuel drug addiction were ignored and therefore left to became worse.

Drug addiction is a problem that, demands a mature, well-planned solution. This solution is not going to be some glamorous war. Its going to be a long, slow but steady battle. We need leaders who, "have the courage to address core solutions rather than settling for short-term symptom reductions. We wont fix this problem with smooth rhetoric and bold executive orders, but with local and realistic efforts. These efforts will involve law enforcement reform, cooperation from health care providers and educators and an end to the stigma against drug addicts none of which are quick-fixes.

Luke Dermody is a School of Arts and Sciences junior majoring in political science and criminal justice with a minor in economics. His column, "Under the Radar," runs on alternate Fridays.

YOUR VOICE | The Daily Targum welcomes submissions from all readers. Due to space limitations in our print newspaper, letters to the editor must not exceed 500 words. Guest columns and commentaries must be between 700 and 850 words. All authors must include their name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Please submit via email to oped@dailytargum.com by 4 p.m. to be considered for the following days publication. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.

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DERMODY: War on Drugs requires more than 'quick-fix' - RU Daily Targum

In Trump’s ‘ruthless’ vow, experts see a return to the days of the drug war – Washington Post

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

In a speech before law enforcement leaders this week, President Trump vowed to be ruthless in the fight against drugs that are poisoning our people. Trump's comments represent a sharp departure from the Obama administration, which publicly disavowedthe harsh anti-drug rhetoric of previous decades in an effort to emphasize treatment of drug users overpunishment.

We're going to stop the drugs from pouring in, Trump told the assembled members of the Major Cities Chiefs Association on Wednesday. We're going to stop those drugs from poisoning our youth, from poisoning our people. We're going to be ruthless in that fight. We have no choice. And we're going to take that fight to the drug cartels and work to liberate our communities from their terrible grip of violence.

[In executive actions, President Trump vows crackdown on violent crime. Is America as unsafe as he thinks?]

Aside from the cartels, Trump did not elaborate on who would be at the receiving end of that ruthlessness. In a campaign speech in New Hampshire last October, Trump outlined the drug control policies he supported, including expanded treatment options for drug users and better access to anti-overdose drugs.

He also called for increasing mandatory minimum prison sentences for the most seriousdrug offenders, aggressive prosecution of drug traffickers, and cracking down on shipping loopholes that he said allowed countries such as China to send dangerous drugs to the United States via the Postal Service.

In that speech, Trump also criticized the Obama administration for commuting the sentences of record numbers of high level drug traffickers, many of them kingpins. He said continuing that strategy would amount to turning our streets back over to gangs, drug cartels, and armed career criminals.

This rhetoric is dangerous, disturbing, and dishonest, Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said in astatement. History has taught us that cracking down on drugs and building walls will not stop the supply or use of drugs. It mostly causes the death and destruction of innocent lives.

The White House did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Nearly 80 percent of Americans favor eliminating mandatory minimum drug sentences like the ones Trump called for expanding.

A 2014 Pew Research Center survey showed that Americans strongly prefer treating drug usersoverincarcerating them, 3 to 1. But federal policy has been slow to reflect that preference.

In the past decade, federal focushas shiftedsomewhatfrom supply-side anti-drug policies seizing drug shipments, incarcerating dealers and arresting drug users toward a more demand-side approach that uses substance abuse treatment and prevention programs to stop people from using or becoming addicted to drugs in the first place.

Ruthlessness is a great virtue for a gangster or a warlord, said drug policy expert Mark Kleiman of New York University. Not so useful for the leader of a republic.

Many public health experts agree that the war on drugs was a failure.The thinking behind supply-side drug policies is that by reducing the supply of drugs they become more expensive, and therefore less likely to be used and abused. But a 2013 study in the British Medical Journal found that since 1990, drug prices have decreased while drug purity has increased, making it easier and more affordable than ever to get high.

These findings suggest that expanding efforts at controlling the global illegal drug market through law enforcement are failing, the authors conclude.

From 1991through 2001, when many of these supply-side policies were in full force, the rate of illicit drug use among American teenagers increased sharply. Over the same period, the rate of teen cigarette use fell slightly, and the rate of underage alcohol consumption dropped sharply.

From a public health standpoint, theprimary difference between illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco is that the latter two substances are legal for adult use.

A number ofexperts believe supply-side drug policies can be effective if used judiciously and in conjunction with other policies.

We overlearned the lesson that supply control doesn't work and failed to apply it to prescription opioids when we should have, Jonathan Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon University said in an interview. He said he believes this contributed to the federal government's inadequate response to pill mills and other criminal excesses in the supply of prescription opioids.

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In Trump's 'ruthless' vow, experts see a return to the days of the drug war - Washington Post

Do you have a mobile gambling/gaming problem? – KMTV

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Tips for people who think they might need to stop or slow down

What Are the Warning Signs?

Problem gambling is not a bad habit or a moral weakness. It is a serious condition that affects you, your family, your friends, and your job. Learn to spot the warning signs:

At Work:

At Home:

With Friends:

Help is Available!

Spouses, partners, and family members of problem gamblers often feel frustrated, angry, sad, ashamed, and isolated. Depression and stress-related illness are common. Fortunately, help is available. Just thinking about talking to someone about a gambling problem can be scary, but knowing where to start can help you find the courage to have the conversation.

A problem gambler doesnt necessarily need to hit bottom to decide to get help. To get help for you or someone you know, call the 24/7 help line, 1-866-322-1407.

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Do you have a mobile gambling/gaming problem? - KMTV

Men Fined Over FIFA Gambling Operation – Card Player – CardPlayer.com

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Two prominent video gamers have been fined by a U.K. court for running a website that allowed people to bet on the soccer game FIFA. The case was the first of its kind in the country.

Craig Douglas, known on YouTube as Nepenthez, and Dylan Rigby pleaded guilty in September to the gambling offense.

The BBC reported that Douglas was hit with a 91,000 fine, while Rigby, his business partner, was ordered to pay 164,000.

Douglas has 1.4 million YouTube subscribers.

I owe a huge apology to my family and close friends for putting them through this process, and appreciate all those that stood by me, Douglas said in a Twitter statement.

Their website was called FUT Galaxy, and it used virtual currency to facilitate bets. Their company was called Game Gold Tradings Limited. Its estimated that the global market for betting on video games is worth as much as $5.2 billion.

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Men Fined Over FIFA Gambling Operation - Card Player - CardPlayer.com

Rob Manfred may change MLB’s stance on gambling – SB Nation

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Rob Manfred has only been Major League Baseball's commissioner for two years, but he's kept himself extremely busy in that time. Whether or not he's actually made major changes, he's at least entertained the thought time and time again during his tenure. He's discussed everything from expansion to banning shifts. Just in the last week, there have been rumors of a changed strike zone and new extra-inning rules. Now, he's thinking of changing the league's stance on one of its most controversial issues over its long history.

To say MLB and gambling have a history would be the understatement of all understatements. Two of the biggest scandals in league history involved betting. Obviously, I speak of the Black Sox scandal in 1919 and everything that's surrounded Pete Rose over the last few decades. Clearly, changing the league's stance on gambling won't change its stance on players taking part, but it's still jarring to see the league even consider getting close to that world.

On the other hand, it makes sense in today's world. Gambling has become more and more prominent in the sports world, particularly over the last few years as daily fantasy has blurred the definition. The NFL is the most popular league in the country, and gambling was a huge part of its rise to the top. The NBA, arguably the second-biggest league in the U.S., has already acknowledged the benefits of gambling. We've heard Manfred talk about plenty of big changes to baseball, but this could be among the most monumental.

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Rob Manfred may change MLB's stance on gambling - SB Nation

Pennsylvania Omnibus Gambling Bill Presented to House – Casino.Org News

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Pennsylvanias omnibus gambling reform bill finally made its appearance in the legislature on Thursday.

The bill, HB 392, is sponsored by RepresentativesGeorge Dunbar (R-56th),Rosita Youngblood (D-198th), and others, and seeks to take off where Representative John Payne (retired) left off.

Pennsylvania Representative Rosita Youngblood is a co-sponsor, with Representative George Youngblood, of Pennsylvanias new gambling expansion package. (Image: PocketFives.com)

Paynes online gambling bill was attached to a wider gambling expansion package last year as there seems to be an appetite in the legislature to address all the states gambling issues in one fell swoop.

Accordingly, HB 329 is a 209-page whopper, covering everything from the regulation of daily fantasy sports and online gaming, to the authorization of slots at airports, and a fix for the states casino rev share problems.

It comes a day after the states Democratic governor, Tom Wolf, unveiled his budget plan for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which factors in $150 million in extra gambling revenues, generated by a gambling expansion package that has yet to become law.

The question is, will it be this gambling package?

Wolf isnt the only one who believes Pennsylvania will get it together this year. Senator Mario Scavello, chairman of the Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee, said last month he believed that the state would legalize online gambling sometime in March.

It looks like online gaming has the support to pass. We can look at other expansions, he said.

Last year, the bill on which HB 392 is based, came close, finding emphatic approval in the House before ultimately running out of time in the Senate.

A Pennsylvania Supreme Court judgment in September had ruled that tax laws governing revenue-sharing agreements between casinos and their local communities were unconstitutional because they were ultimately differential.

The ruling left communities without crucial revenues, and a quick fix added to the bill needed more time for debate, said the Senate.

As with its predecessor, HB 392 would solve the rev-share problem by imposing an annual slot license feeon Category 1 and 2 casinos. This time, there is plenty of time to debate the issue.

Meanwhile, HB 392 would tax online gambling licensees at 14 percent, while an additional 2 percent that will go to the host communities of participating land-based casinos. Licenses for casinos would cost $8 million for a five-year license and $250,000 for renewals after that. Technology partners would pay a one-off fee of $2 million, with renewals at $100,000.

DFS operators would be taxed at 12 percent, while five-year licenses would cost $50,000 or 7.5 percent of the previous years annual revenue, whichever is the greater.

The bill has been passed to the House Gaming Oversight Committee where it is due for a hearing next Thursday.

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Pennsylvania Omnibus Gambling Bill Presented to House - Casino.Org News

Gamblers caught in Hat Yai open-air casino bust | Bangkok Post: news – Bangkok Post

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Gamblers caught during the raid on an open-air gambling den at a rubber plantation in Songkhla's Hat Yai district on Thursday night are taken by police pickup to Hat Yai police station on Thursday night. The shade net screen concealing the casino is in the background. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA - Sixteen gamblers were arrested and about 400,000 baht seized during a raid on a rubber plantation in Hat Yai which was operating as an open-air casino on Thursday night.

A team of soldiers, police and local officials swooped on the rubber plantation at Soi Prasarnmit in tambon Khuan Lang around 9pmon Thursday.

A large shade net had been erected around the plantation to screen it, with many cars and motorcycles parked inside.

As the authorities arrived gamblers started running away in panic, but 16 were caught - four men and 12 women. Others made good their escape - but left their transport behind.

Gambling gear, about 400,000 baht cash, 20 cars and pickup trucks and around 40 motorcycles were seized.

The gamblers were handed over to Hat Yai police station for legal action, a member of the combined team said.

It was the gambling den's opening night, the officer said.

An investigation found it was run by the same person whose gambling den in Hat Yai was raided and shut down in early January.

Thursday night's raid was led by Col Jatuporn Kalampasut, chief of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 intelligence office.

Around 60 vehicles - cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles - found parked at the open-air gambling den concealed in a rubber plantion that was raided in Hat Yai district on Thursday night. Sixteen gamblers were caught. Others made good their escape, but left their transport behind. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

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Gamblers caught in Hat Yai open-air casino bust | Bangkok Post: news - Bangkok Post

Canadian study touts euthanasia’s cost ‘benefit’ – Brnow

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

Canada legalized euthanasia in June 2016, declaring assisted suicide a humane way to end the suffering of already dying patients. Opponents warned it wouldnt be a far jump from legalizing euthanasia to manipulating patients into believing they have an obligation to die and stop draining medical system resources. Eight months later, researchers at the University of Calgary have released a study extolling assisted suicides cost benefits: If Canadians adopt medical assistance in dying in a manner and extent similar to those of the Netherlands and Belgium, we can expect a reduction in healthcare spending in the range of tens of millions of dollars per year. The authors of the study denied any suggestion cost should factor into end-of life-decisions, despite the obvious connection. We are not suggesting medical assistance in dying as a measure to cut costs, they wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. But critics note the utilitarian view of euthanasia, that it can benefit the general public, gives society a stake in the death of vulnerable people. I cant imagine anything more dangerous than that, Wesley J. Smith, senior fellow at the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism and a consultant for the Patients Rights Council, told me. Bioethicists already link the medical cost savings of euthanasia with organ harvesting. A recent article in the Journal of Medical Ethics suggested euthanasia in Canada has the potential to provide organs for transplantation. The article even suggested it would be acceptable if the organ harvest was the cause of death, Smith noted in National Review. In the Netherlands and Belgium, people who choose euthanasia because of disability or mental illness are being targeted as potential organ donors, Smith said. Such thinking exploits vulnerable people worried about being a burden and losing their dignity. This is not just a cold issue of choice, this involves deep emotions, this involves deep fear, Smith said. Canadas laws legalize medical aid in dying for any seriously ill or disabled adult whose condition is incurable and who is in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability. Doctors must determine no alternatives acceptable to the patient can relieve the suffering and the patient has to believe the physical or psychological suffering is intolerable. The patients natural death needs to be reasonably foreseeable but the law does not require a prognosis specifying the time period within which death is expected. Smith isnt certain the United States will follow the euthanasia prescription of its Northern neighbor. So far, five states have legalized physician-assisted suicide, which allows a doctor to provide the means for death, usually prescription medication, but the patient must administer it. Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying law takes physician-assisted suicide a step further and allows practitioners to administer the means of death for patients who have requested it but are physically unable to do it themselves. At least in the United States we still dont know what the outcome is going to be, Smith said. Assisted suicide advocates are far less candid in the United States than they are elsewhere precisely because the United States is still up for grabs on this issue. (EDITORS NOTE Julie Borg writes for WORLD News Service, a division of WORLD Magazine, worldmag.com, based in Asheville. Used with permission.)

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Canadian study touts euthanasia's cost 'benefit' - Brnow

Dutch doctors against euthanasia for advanced dementia patients – NL Times

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

A group of 220 Dutch doctors took out an advertisement in NRC on Friday to show that they are against granting euthanasia to advanced dementia patients. The doctors believe it's wrong to give euthanasia based on a statement which the patient can no longer confirm.

"Our moral reluctance to end the life of a defenseless human being is too big", the ad reads. Among the signers are also doctors specialized in helping patients die.

The doctors want to restart the conversation about euthanasia for severely demented people, according to NOS. Since2015 there were three cases of euthanasiagranted to patients with advanced dementia. Initiator and geriatric doctor Boudewijn Chabot wants a court to decide whether these cases were carefully handled according to the rules.

The rules for euthanasia for elderly people with dementia were adjusted in December 2015. The Ministries of Public Health and Security and Justice changed the euthanasia guidelines to state that euthanasia can be granted to advanced dementia patients if they made a written declaration with this wish while they were still lucid. Before this adaption, a patient had to express the desire for death himself. But this is no longer required.

A Dutch doctor was recently rebuked for granting euthanasia to a dementia patient, the first time in Dutch history that this happened. The Regional Review Committee concluded that the patient's wish for euthanasia was not clear enough.

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Dutch doctors against euthanasia for advanced dementia patients - NL Times

Religion in the courtroom: Neil Gorsuch’s faith and writings draw close attention – The Denver Post

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Danzig

He defended the rights of a man, convicted of killing his young daughter, to worship in a prison sweat lodge. He wrote that human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable in the context of assisted suicide. And he argued a companys owners are allowed to deny health care coverage for birth control that violatestheir faith.

More than most issues, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuchs writingsonthe intersection of religion and the law have faced intense scrutiny before his expected confirmation hearings. So too have his personal beliefs as a Catholic turned Episcopalian and conservative who worships at a self-described largely liberal church in Boulder.

The focus is more than just a philosophical interest. With the court split between liberals and conservatives, his approach and future votes could impact cases dealing with religious liberty, transgender discrimination and reproductive rights.

Eugene Volokh, a University of California, Los Angeles law professor with a background in church-state relations, said Gorsuchs judicial record shows hevalues federal laws that givea wide berth to religion.What Gorsuch is saying is that Congress has told us that religious exemptions ought to be granted where feasible, Volokh said.

In addition, he said Gorsuch is similar tothe late Justice Antonin Scalia who he would replace in believing its not the role of judges to scrub religious symbols from all cornersof public life.

Courts shouldnt step in and try to eliminate religious references from American tradition, Volokh said of Gorsuchs position noting one case in which Gorsuch disagreed with a court decision against roadside crosses that honored fallen Utah state troopers.

His nomination by President Donald Trump has invigorated like-minded legal scholars even as it troubles critics who express concern that a conservative majority on the nations highest court would erode protections for the LGBTQ community and reproductive rights for women.

His history on these two issues is relatively thin, only fueling the speculation on how the fourth-generation Coloradan would rule as a Supreme Court justice. A deeper review of Gorsuchs record as a judge on the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and his life in Colorado offers a more complicated picture.

In one case known as Yellowbear, the judge overturned a lower court ruling and found a Wyoming prison had no compelling interest to prevent an American Indian inmate from accessing the sweat lodge to practice his religious beliefs. In another ruling, the judge maintained an Oklahoma prison needed to accommodate a Muslim inmate who demandedhalal meals.

Michael Norton, a conservative and former U.S. attorney for Colorado who has analyzed many of Gorsuchs rulings, said the judge is sympathetic to religious freedom given its prominence in the constitution.

Hes just particularly focused on assuring the values espoused by the religion clauses of the First Amendment are in fact applied for what they are meant to be applied for, Nortonsaid.

The cases that draw the most attention are his rulings in Hobby Lobby and Little Sisters of the Poor, in which he challenged the Affordable Care Acts mandate that employer health plans cover contraception for women because itconflicted with a business owners religious beliefs.

In Hobby Lobby, Gorsuch argued that the requirement would force business owners to underwrite payments for drugs or devices that can have the effect of destroying a fertilized human egg, despite arguments from the laws supportersthat an exemption would allow owners to impose their faith on employees.

In Little Sisters, he suggested that the opt-out allowedin the federal health care law imposes a substantial burden on that persons free exercise of religion.

Gorsuchs rulings are very promising from a conservative perspective, said Jeff Hunt, the Centennial Institute director at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, who spoke to Gorsuch days before his nomination. He understands the role of the government and the role of the courts.

But his critics, such as liberal advocacy organization Alliance for Justice, use the cases to suggest Gorsuchis hostile to a womens access to reproductive health care, labeling him a far-right extremist.

Sarah Warbelow, legal director at the Human Rights Campaign, said she and other activists are concerned that Gorsuchs approach to the Hobby Lobby case could open the door for the use of religion as an excuse to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

As an example, Warbelow cited coverage of hormone therapy for transgender people or infertility treatment for lesbian couples.

Whether Gorsuch is open to upending Roe is a matter of debate among legal scholars. Some see his textualist interpretation of the law as a threat to abortion rights. Others suggest he would defer to existing court doctrine.

In his 2006 book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, Gorsuch offers a robust discussion of the landmark case and abortion in the context of determining the value of life, all while avoiding an overt stance.

The 311-page text, a mix of philosophical discussion and legal analysis, ultimately positions Gorsuch in opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia.

He wrote that human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable, and that the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong. The argument, he continued, is based on secular moral theory and consistent with common law and long-standing medical ethics.

He made clear in a footnote that he did not seek here to engage the abortion debate and cited Roe as the reason assisted suicide and abortion are separate matters.

Abortion would be ruled out by the inviolability-of-life principle if, but only if, a fetus is considered a human life. The Supreme Court in Roe, however, unequivocally held that a fetus is not a person for purposes of constitutional law, he wrote in the footnote.

Religion has been a constant presence, but not a dominant one, in Gorsuchs own life, several friends and acquaintances said. He grew up Catholic and attended weekly Mass during his years at Georgetown Prep, a Jesuit school in the Maryland suburbs of Washington.

My mother was a Catholic. My father wasnt particularly religious, and so we were raised Catholic, said J.J. Gorsuch, Neils younger brother who lives in Denver. Headded that spirituality has always been a part of our lives.

Neil Gorsuch later would join an Episcopal Church in Boulder and, after Trump announced his nomination at the White House, he gave passing mention to his beliefs. I am so thankful tonight for my family, my friends and my faith. These are the things that keep me grounded at lifes peaks and have sustained me in its valleys, Gorsuch said at the White House.

At Georgetown Prep, faith was part of the conversation but so were the usual topics of politics and literature, said Michael Trent, a former classmate and longtime friend. Neil loved to discuss things, said Trent, who now lives in Atlanta.

He said Gorsuch is godfather to both his sons and a doting one at that. Not a birthday has gone by, or a Christmas, in which a package has not shown up from godfather Neil, he said.

Trent added that Gorsuch never was one to proselytize, or even talk much about his own religious beliefs, but said Gorsuchsfaith was evident in his actions. Its hard to be as caring and compassionate as he is without giving credit to a higher source, Trent said.

That sentiment was echoed by Tracy Ashmore, a Colorado attorney and fellow member of a legal club called the Doyle Inn of Court. She said Gorsuchs religion is one reason she thinks hes humble. I think he knows hes not God, which is pretty nice, she said. Because thats not always the case at the federal circuit level.

Gorsuch now attends services at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Boulder, which has described itself as largely liberal in a largely liberal city.

The first word the church uses to describe itself on its website and Facebook page is inclusive, and St. Johns is led by a female rector. On its website, the church encourages members to write letters to Congress asking for actions addressing climate change. And after the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., St. Johns rang its bells 49 times each Wednesday from July 6 to the presidential election, as a way of asking members of Congress to pass stricter gun restrictions and remember each victim.

The Sunday after Gorsuchs nomination, the early service at the church included a sermon praising diversity as Gods intent and warning against the divisiveness evident in the dysfunction in Washington.

The Gorsuch family is actively involved in the church. The judge occasionally ushers at the 9:30 a.m. service, and his wife, Louise, frequently leads prayers and reads the weekly Scripture. His two teenage daughters have assisted in ceremonial duties as acolytes.

During the service, a clergy member had only praise for Gorsuch, saying he was humble and thoughtful and very sincere in his beliefs.

Gorsuch also has presided over weddings.

It meant a lot to me at the time still does, said Ed Hamrick, who attended Columbia University as an undergraduate with Gorsuch.

Hamrick said Gorsuch helped arrange a ceremonyat the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and made sure his bride could enter the courthouse through the judges parking lot, so Hamrick wouldnt see her before the ceremony began.

At the time it was an awfully nice thing to do for a friend, Hamrick said. Now all my wedding guests are calling me again. Is that the guy who married you?

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Religion in the courtroom: Neil Gorsuch's faith and writings draw close attention - The Denver Post

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