TASER International Bringing Artificial Intelligence to Law Enforcement – Motley Fool

Artificial intelligence is the hottest arena in the tech world today, but the complexities of developing practical applications from the technology have made it slow to impact people's everyday lives. That may be starting to change.

Leading stun gun and body camera manufacturer TASER International (NASDAQ:TASR) announced on Thursday that it has acquired two companies that are creating artificial intelligence technology. It's a bold move for the company, but it could make both its Axon cameras and the Evidence.com cloud platform more valuable over the long term.

Police officer docking body camera. Image source: TASER International.

The purpose of an A.I. service from TASER would be to help sift through the enormous quantity of video and data law enforcement agencies are storing every single day. That data can be great for both law enforcement and the public, but it can be overwhelming to determine what information is useful and where it is.

A.I. can help identify objects, places, and actions people are taking. This may mean identifying a weapon in a confrontation, or spotting where a foot chase starts and stops on a video recording. That in turn can help it to categorize segments of video, which will help in the process of searching it for specific information.

TASER International is giving a bigger presentation on how the technology will be used on Feb. 15, so investors and observers can learn more then. But this will likely be an add-on to TASER's Evidence.com product.

If you want to understand how A.I. could fit into TASER International's business, one line from today's press release pops out:

The benefits of this groundbreaking technology leads to a future of hands-free reporting and real time intel in the field.

The goal is to make everything about law enforcement officers, and the citizens they interact with, easier to document and find. Not only will life be easier for officers on a day-to-day basis, court requests or public information requests will be easier to process, reducing headaches for agencies.

At least, that's the theory.

Where TASER is going to need to tread lightly is in how these products are used by law enforcement. If A.I. improves officers' efficiency and police accountability, it could be a win-win for law enforcement and the public. But the ACLU has already raised concerns. In an interview with Forbes, it postulated that this will be a surveillance mechanism for the government more broadly.

That's big potential a can of worms, and a question of how A.I will be used here that has yet to be well defined by either the technology's developers or the government. Used with care and moderation, it could be great for everyone. But there's a potential for abuse as well. TASER International will play a role in defining how the technology is used in the law-enforcement milieu, a position it may not be ready for. While A.I. is an interesting addition to its portfolio, management will need to tread carefully if it wants to avoid a public backlash against it in the future.

Travis Hoium owns shares of Taser International. The Motley Fool recommends Taser International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Read the original here:

TASER International Bringing Artificial Intelligence to Law Enforcement - Motley Fool

LG G6 teasers emphasize battery life, artificial intelligence – CNET

A G6 teaser hints at a possible portable battery.

Two weeks ahead of LG's Mobile World Congress 2017 event, the South Korean phone maker sent out a couple of online teasers about its upcoming marquee handset, the G6.

There have been two teasers that we know so far. One (above) reads, "More Juice. To go." This could mean the G6 has a swappable battery, which contradicts existing rumors that because the G6 will probably be water-resistant, its battery probably won't be removable. Or it could mean nothing, the battery is still embeddable, and it just lasts long enough to keep you "going" throughout your day. Without official specs, everything is still possible.

The second teaser reads, "Less artificial. More intelligence." This could be a nod to Google Assistant, which the G6 is expected to have baked-in. The only other phone to have Assistant built in is the Pixel (and its larger counterpart, the XL). Assistant is a signature software program from Google that uses machine learning, Google's vast search database and two-way interaction to help users go about their daily lives.

CNET will be on the ground in Barcelona reporting from LG's presser, so check back for more details soon.

See more here:

LG G6 teasers emphasize battery life, artificial intelligence - CNET

Artificial intuition will supersede artificial intelligence, experts say – Network World

Thought-provoking commentary on technologies that are changing the way mankind does things.

Network World | Feb 10, 2017 5:45 AM PT

Your message has been sent.

There was an error emailing this page.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is so last year, according to some experts.

Scientists at MIT this week claimed a breakthrough in how human intuition can be added to algorithms. And in a separate, unrelated report, Deloitte Consulting is chastising the business community for not comprehending fully that new, cognitive computing technology should be exploited.

Artificial intelligence is only the beginning, researchers write in aDeloitte University Pressarticle about Deloitte's February study.

Advanced cognitive analytics is just one of the fast-evolving technologies businesses need to get a handle on, they say. A kind of artificial intuition and cognition through algorithms is one part of that machine intelligence (MI). Notably, its not AI. MI is more cognitive and mimics humans, the firm explains, while AI is simply a subset of MI.

To focus on AI is to miss the forest for the trees, writes Blaise Zerega in aVentureBeat article about the Deloitte report.

MI includes machine learning, deep learning and cognition, among other tools like Robotics Process Automation (RPA), and bots. Deloitte says the time is ripe to latch on to umbrella-term MI and stop single-mindedly concentrating on apparently one-dimensional AI.

It cites reasons that include data growth for making it all possible finally. The consulting firm says collected data doubles every year now, and it will reach 44 zettabytes by 2020.

Faster distributed systems, introduced by better chips and networks, sensors and Internet of Things (IoT)coupled with those huge swaths of data and smarter algorithms that simulate human thinkingare other important elements that are going to unleash MI over AI.

Its those advanced algorithms that are probably the most excitingand the most different.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one organization racing to design them. The school recently said it now knows how to include human intuition in a machine algorithm. Thats a big deal.

Its going to do it by copying how clever people solve problems, researchers say in an MIT News article.

In recent testing, it asked a sample of brainy MIT students to solve the kinds of issues that planning algorithms are used forlike airline routing.

Problems in that field include how to optimize a fleet of planes so all passengers flying the airline network get to where they want to go, but no plane flies empty and doesnt visit a city more than once during a period.

The cleverest students results were better than the existing algorithm.

The researchers then analyzed how the best of the students approached the problem and found that in most cases, it was through a known high-level strategy called linear temporal logic. Looking at something being true until something else makes it not true is part of it.

The researchers then encoded the strategies into a machine readable form.

That, along with other human cognition and instinct analysis, is part of whats going to be behind MIs leap forward. Cognitive Agents, Deloitte calls it.

The MIT students were able to improve the performance of [existing] competition-winning planning algorithms by 10 to 15 percent on a challenging set of problems, MIT News says, of the logic it plans to copy.

This article is published as part of the IDG Contributor Network. Want to Join?

Patrick Nelson was editor and publisher of the music industry trade publication Producer Report and has written for a number of technology blogs. Nelson wrote the cult-classic novel Sprawlism.

Sponsored Links

The rest is here:

Artificial intuition will supersede artificial intelligence, experts say - Network World

Collin Nji: The first African to win Google’s CodeIn Challenge – Pulse … – Pulse Nigeria

A lot has been said about Africans being able to find ways to thrive in the face of near-impossible circumstances and a 17-year-old Cameroonian, Collins Nji, personifies that school of thought perfectly.

Collins is the first Black person and also the first African to win Google's yearly Code-In hacking competition. But his win is not the real gem here, it's how he won.

Google Code-In Logo.

Google Code-In is a competition for pre-university students between the ages of 13 and 17 where the students are given a variety of bite-sized tasks to hack open source software.

The government of Cameroon has shut down internet access in Anglophone parts of the country (for the past 23 days now) after English-speaking Cameroonians protested marginalization and systemic oppression in the country.

Bamenda, where Collins lives, is one of the locations where Internet has been shut down.

But he didn't let that stop him. In true African spirit, Collins defied the odds stacked against him and travelled to Bafoussam in Francophone Cameroon to work on, and submit, his solutions before returning to Bamenda despite unrest in the country.

ALSO READ: A secondary school student has invented a phone that doesn't need airtime, SIM

When GCI started I was anxious and nervous to some extend I had to find ways to turn my nervousness into creativity and fun. Participating was super exciting and really exhausting, and at the end, I discovered that I gained a whole new level of experience in the Open source world," says Collins.

On January 30, 2017, Google announced Collins as the winner of this year's edition of the competition, crowning his efforts and sheer will-power.

As a result, Collins will be travelling to the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California to meet with Google's Open Source team and other members of the Google Software Engineering team.

The #BringBackOurInternet campaign is a protest of the government-sanctioned Internet shut down in Cameroon.

His victory stands as a beacon of ambition and tenacity buried somewhere in Africa's collective spirit.

It is indeed unfortunate that African governments have made a habit to systematically hinder the progress of their own citizens but stories like Collins' are a reminder of Africa's potential despite its many problems.

See the rest here:

Collin Nji: The first African to win Google's CodeIn Challenge - Pulse ... - Pulse Nigeria

Turkey’s HDP Women’s Assembly issues feminist call-to-arms against ‘one man rule’ – Left Foot Forward

Left party launches 'NO' campaign for Erdogan's referendum

Photo: HDP Womens Assembly

Turkeys Peoples Democratic Party, or HDP, Womens Assembly launched its No campaign for the upcoming referendum on Turkeys constitution, with an event in Ankara on February 5. The proposed changes would award President Erdogan more executive powers.

Here is the full text of the HDP Womens Assemblys declaration: (Emphasis has been added in bold for ease of scanning)

Dear Women;

We have struggled for our freedom against dominance based on singularity throughout history.

We have opposed the domination of one gender over the other; the dominance of one person over the entire family; the rule of kings, emperors and sultans over the peoples; the oppression of one nation over others; capitalists domination over labor and nature, and the oppression of a single belief system over other belief systems.

We have struggled hand in hand against all oppressive forms of government in cities, in the countryside, at work, at home, on the street, at the resistance and intifada zones.

While the Turkish Penal Code and the Civil Code were enacted during 2000s, we have made sure that changes empowering women were included. We, tens of thousands of women, have raised our voices/risen up against abortion law, femicide, remissions to sentences and the and the rape-law.

We have pushed back the sexist pressures and achieved great gains. On the International Womens Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with our female comrades all over the world, we have been out on streets to realize freedom, equality. We have raised the womens rebellion to establish cohabitation.

As women from HDP; we have been the subjects of the fight for freedom and equality through historical experience, and the tradition of womens liberation struggle.

We struggled to build the New Life with the help of transforming power of women. We put womens will and management style into practice in all areas of life by co-chairing and equally acting in all institutions, specifically within political parties and local governments.

We have not only pushed the AKP government back in June 7 elections, but also entered the parliament with 26 women MPs and established the first Female Deputies Group. We stood by the women of Rojava, [northern Syria] who have been struggling against ISIS selling women in slave markets, building female revolution step by step.

Consequently, the AKP government first attacked women, trying to destroy womens achievements. Women who resisted were slain, their bodies exposed, detained, arrested.

Our Co-chair Figen Yksekda, the Speaker of the Womens Assembly Besime Konca and female MPs, DBP Co-chair Sebahat Tuncel, KJA spokeswoman Ayla Akat Ata, Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Co-chair Gltan Kanak, municipal co-chairs, municipal councilors, party executives and members were taken hostage through arrests.

Our elected local governments, representatives of the will of the people, were usurped by appointed trustees. The first thing these trustees did was to stop municipal practices pertaining to women.

Women Centers and Violence Relief Lines were shut down, womens directorates were abolished, and femaleemployees were fired.

With statutory decrees issued during the state of emergency period, many female employees were fired; womens associations, womens cooperatives and news agencies were shut down. Attacks purging women from political life, working life, media, and social life have accelerated.

The AKP/palace ruling dictates how we should live each and every moment. They continuously talk and talk about how we should speak, how we should laugh and work, whether we should wear headscarves, how many children we should have.

In the environment of violence and hatred created by the war and militarist policies of the current government, we do not feel safe as women on the streets, buses, or on the metro trains, even in our homes and workplaces, for those who attack women can comfortably wander around.

Impunity leads to new violence practices every day. Femicides do not stop; everyday a woman is murdered by men.

Bombs fall on our lives; our daughters and sons have been losing their lives due to wars raged in the country and abroad. War and death are the only pledges of the government, while we, women, pledge to live and let live.

That is why we say NO to the politics of war and death. Once again we declare that we will provide permanent and fair peace through our struggle for equality and freedom.

We are getting poorer due to the economic policies that ignore the people but favour the interests of business and a handful of government cohorts!

The economic crisis deepens everyday. Our bread is getting smaller, our food diminishes with the price hikes coming one after the other.Unemployment is on the rise; we, the women, are the first on the firing line.

For these reasons we say NO to business-focused and war-oriented economic policies. Together we are going to build a secure new life in which we share what we produce on the basis of equality, a life in which the rights of labor is respected, a life in which the nature and life is protected.

They want to hand over the authority to a single person, as if it was not enough that they undermined our democratic rights and freedoms by using their power in an unlimited way during their 14 years of government.

Under the name of constitutional amendment, they are trying to make the regime that gives all power to one person, permanent.

Process of negotiating the constitutional amendment in the parliament was initiated by arrests of our co-chairs and our deputies. Later, the methods amounted to violence during the parliamentary sessions gave the clues about the type of administration they aimed.

Under the attacks of racist and misogynist hostility, the speeches of the members of the parliament were restricted, votes were carried out by orders, female deputies were physically attacked and the proposal was passed through the Assembly by force.

Now a vote awaits us all that will predestine all our future, polarize the society, deepen the war, enlarge the poverty, and purge women from every aspect of life. They call this freak a Presidential System, which actually is a ONE MAN REGIME.

This monist and authoritarian regime they intend to bring aims to make the rule of state of emergency and statutory decrees permanent by sustaining fascism, oppression and exploitation, based on hostility against women.

Power that can not be controlled by any other power is absolute power. History has also shown that all absolute powers are dictatorships. There is no democracy where everything is monist. This change aims at engulfing our existing rights and abolishing them as well.

We know that the ONE MAN REGIME is even worse than junta legislation of September 12 1980 coup, and it is determined to institutionalize fascism.

However, they know us well, too. We, women, have not bowed to repression, and we will not. We are not giving up our achievements obtained through struggles. No matter how it is formulated, we as women have said NO to fascism hidden behind epaulettes or neckties, we will continue to say NO.

We know how the centralization of legislative, executive and judiciary powers under under a single person poses a threat against the non-hegemonic and masterless New Life we have been aiming to establish; making politics more male-dominated, reinforcing the sexist and nationalist structures and excluding women.

We will not allow this. We say NO to both the ONE and the MAN regime.

Women are the guarantee of pluralism, diversity, and different people living together in equality and respect. The ceaseless struggle of women for equality and freedom is at the same time the struggle of building A NEW LIFE. We will not allow ONE-MAN RULE to stand in the way of our hope, we say NO!

-Say NO to stop polarization, to stay friends with our neighbors -Say NO for the responsibility we owe to those burned in Cizre basements, and those who were killed in the middle of the street by stray bullets -Say NO for Taybet Ana -Say NO to put a stop to rape and violence -Say NO to put a stop to violence against women -Say NO to the darkness of ISIS and its backward repressions being made law. -Say NO to provide freedom of religious beliefs -Say NO for our ways of life -Say NO for our labor, our body, and our identity -Say NO to the mentality of obey and be comfortable -Say NO to serving others slavishly -Say NO for equal representation, equal life -Say NO for a safe future against the exploitation of labor and workers deaths -Say NO for living together, for growing old together -Say NO for local democracy -Say NO for ecological life -Say NO for nature, for our cities, for our villages to not be plundered -Say NO for hope -Say NO for smiling children and a peaceful future -Say NO for peace, justice and freedom -Say NO for a democratic republic, a common homeland, a new life

Rally, women!

We are turning our faces to the sun we are going house to house, square to square and calling women to the colour of the earth; on behalf of life in all its colors, we say NO.

With the spirit of resistance of March 8 [International Womens Day] and the enthusiasm of [the Turkish Newroz festival], we are calling women to come together everywhere, in every language, hand in hand, to be the rainbow, to turn WINTER into SPRING.

Against all forms of hegemony; for the sake of equality, freedom, peace, hope and happiness, we are calling to build and organize in full force to say NO. This is our call Let us not forget that we succeeded on June 7 [see above]! We will succeed again. WELL DEFINITELY WIN

Peoples Democratic Party Womens Assembly February 5th, 2017

The Peoples Democracy Party (HDP) is a left-wing coalition in Turkey. Follow HDP on Twitter @HDPEnglish

Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter@AdamBarnett13

See:Turkeys Left calls for democratic front against military coups and Erdogans iron fist

More here:

Turkey's HDP Women's Assembly issues feminist call-to-arms against 'one man rule' - Left Foot Forward

Police Disperse Shiite Protesters Demanding Release Of El-Zakzaky – SaharaReporters.com

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria on Thursday staged another protest in Kaduna, calling on the Acting President Prof Yemi Osinbajo to obey acourt order and release their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

Meanwhile, men of the Nigeria Police who were obviously on alert quickly moved to the scene and dispersed the protesters.

The Kaduna State Government had banned protest in the state considering the security challenges in the state.

The protesters carrying posters of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky with inscriptions "freeZakzaky" onthemcalled on the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to set a good precedence by obeying thecourtorder in his position as a professor and a SAN by releasing Zakzaky.

The leader of the protesters, Sheikh Qasim Umar, in his speech quickly delivered before the arrival of the police, said the Islamic Movement in Nigeria is the most oppressed community in recent Nigerian history.

According to him, Within 48 hoursthe Nigerian army massacred over 1000 unarmed civilians in Zaria in December2015. Where in the annals of Nigerian history has such a tragedy taken place, without the leadership of the country battling an eyelid of concern?

The atrocities committed by the Army are the first of its kind by any national and supposedly well-trained army. Where in the world are soldiers seen burning people alive? But they burnt the senior Sister to Sheikh Zakzaky and several others alive. Where in the world are soldiers videotaped pouring petrol on corpses and burning them? They burnt hundreds in Zaria, which is why probably the Kaduna state government was only able to document the death of 347 people at the hands of the Nigerian Army. Where in the world are soldiers involved in burying hundreds of people in a mass grave in the middle of the night, if not in Mando, Kaduna under the full consent of the state Governor?

To date, over 200 members of the Islamic Movement are known to be languishing in jail, some with various degrees of gunshots, yet the perpetrators of the violence against them are moving about freely as if nothing untoward has happened. And there are some hundreds still believed to be in secret detention centres of the securityservicessince they have gone missing after the Zaria massacre.

Not only that, he Kaduna Sate Governor has the temerity to even declare that the Islamic Movement in Nigeria as an unlawful society, afterallthe constitutional rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of religion and association. Now under such an obnoxious statedozens of others are in jail simply because they were arrested in a black attire, allegedly worn only by the Shias.

The most intriguing aspect of the oppression visited upon us is the continued detention of our leader, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, even after a Federal High Court order to release them. Where in the world is a democratic government contemptuous of its courts if not the present administration in Nigeria?

The above reasons andmanymore that space will not allow us to mention will definitely make us pour on to the streets peacefully todemandjustice. This is our right, and nobody will deny us this right. We call on the general public and the international community to bear witness to this calamitous oppression against us as a community. Zaria massacre and its after effects in other states cant be pushed under the carpetbecause there are many thousands living witnesses to it.

We, therefore,will like to draw the attention of the present Acting President to the court order on the release of Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife. As a Professor of law, we hope he will use his good office to terminate the flagrant disregard to the court order displayed by the ailing President, he said.

Original post:

Police Disperse Shiite Protesters Demanding Release Of El-Zakzaky - SaharaReporters.com

Open Letter to NFL Players Traveling to Israel on a Trip Organized by Netanyahu’s Government – The Nation.

Palestinian girls hold red cards in front of an Israeli soldier. (Reuters / Mohamad Torokman)

Below is an open letter signed by luminaries such as Angela Davis and Alice Walker as well as athlete-activists such as John Carlos and Craig Hodges, and organizations including Jewish Voice for Peace and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. The letter asks NFL players to consider the political ramifications of a propaganda trip organized by the Israeli government that aims to prevent players from seeing the experience of Palestinians living under military occupation. It is a trip, as the letter makes clear, that aims to use your fame to advance their own agenda: an agenda that comes at the expense of the Palestinian people. Details of the trip, which was supposed to be private, were , and this letter is the response. (Note: the Times of Israel article states that New England Patriot Martellus Bennett is a part of this delegation. I have confirmed that this is not the case. Also please note that other players mentioned in the Times of Israel article are reevaluating whether they will attend.)

We are writing to you as individuals and groups who work in support of human rights and collective liberation and admire many of you who have been outspoken in movements for freedom and justice in the United States.

We have been especially inspired by you using your celebrity to shed light about and support various struggles including Black Lives Matter. The decision by Martellus Bennett to boycott the upcoming Patriots team visit to the White House following the Super Bowl win is especially brave and sends a clear message that one must take a stand against racism and oppression.

Based on the public dedication to social justice that many of you share, it came as a surprise to us to see that you will be going on a tour of Israel next week sponsored by the Israeli government as part of an effort to get you to become ambassadors of goodwill for Israel. We would ask that you reconsider attending. These trips bringing celebrities to Israel are part of a larger Brand Israel campaign to help the Israeli government normalize and whitewash its ongoing denial of Palestinian rights. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dedicated a lot of resources to this campaign, which is designed explicitly to improve Israels image abroad to counter worldwide outrage over its massacres and war crimes. Speaking about your trip, Israels head of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Minister Gilad Erdan said, The ministry which I lead is spearheading an intensive fight against the delegitimization and BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanction] campaigns against Israel, and part of this struggle includes hosting influencers and opinion-formers of international standing in different fields, including sport. In other words, they are aiming to use your fame to advance their own agenda: an agenda that comes at the expense of the Palestinian people.

Palestinians have chosen boycott as a tactic only after exhausting so many other approaches, and with the guidance of black South Africans who called for BDS against the apartheid regime until it ended. As you are probably aware, the cultural boycott, including sports, was of particular significance in challenging apartheid in South Africa.

What Palestinians face due to Israeli policies is familiar to black and brown communities in the United States and vice versa. That is why when activists in Ferguson were facing tear gas by police while organizing to demand justice for Mike Brown during the summer of 2014, Palestinian activists were tweeting them advice about how to deal with its effects and people in Ferguson were holding up signs in solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombs in Gaza. That is why in 2015, more than 1,100 Black activists, artists, scholars, students and organizations, including Angela Davis, Cornel West, and Talib Kweli, signed a Black Solidarity Statement with Palestine, declaring their commitment to working to to ensure Palestinian liberation at the same time as we work towards our own. That is why more than 60 leading Black and Palestinian artists and activists, including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Alice Walker, and Danny Glover were featured in a video highlighting challenges that both communities are confronting, including militarized policing and the prison industry. That is why in rallies across the United States today people are chanting: From Palestine to Mexico, All These Walls Have Got to Go.

Palestinians have for decades been fighting policies similar to the ones people are protesting in cities across the United States. This May, Palestinians will mark 69 years since they were forcibly displaced off their lands during the establishment of the state of Israel. Since then Israel has continued to expel, deny, and ban Palestinians, tearing apart families and keeping millions of refugees from returning home. Israels brutal military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem has now lasted 50 years and has included the building of illegal Jewish-only settlements on stolen Palestinian land, the construction of an apartheid wall to further keep Palestinians out, and the destruction of more than 25,000 Palestinian homes. Within Israel there is a purposeful policy to divide people based on their nationality and religion, with more than 50 laws that privilege Jewish citizens over non-Jewish citizens. Palestinian athletes have been subject to violence by Israeli soldiers and not been allowed to travel to participate in competition, including the Rio Olympics. And this summer will mark three years since Israels deadly assault on Gaza, when Israel dropped an estimated 20,000 tons of explosives, killing at least 2,200 Palestinians, including 500 children. All of these war crimes against Palestinians are funded by the United States, which sends at least $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel every year.

The stakes are higher now than ever. Get The Nation in your inbox.

Your trip to Israel comes at a time of growing cooperation between the US and Israeli governments, as evidenced by the close relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, who both are eager to work together to continue implementing their right-wing, racist agendas. The dehumanizing language US politicians use against refugees fleeing to the United States and the decision to ban them is reminiscent of Israeli officials calling asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea infiltrators and detaining them in the desert. Your visit also comes at a time of growing public outcry against all oppressive policies. Palestinians are struggling today for their rights just like those who struggled in the U.S. Civil Rights and South African anti-Apartheid Movements, and just like brown and black communities are doing so across the United States now.

In 2005, Palestinian civil society issued a historic, rights-based call for people of conscience worldwide to stand with them and launch boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns targeting Israel and institutions complicit in its oppressive policies until its complies with international law and guarantees Palestinian rights. Since the call there have been hundreds of BDS successes worldwide. Just like in other struggles, celebrities are taking a stand against Israels crimes and supporting the Palestinian call for international solidarity. Musicians like Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, and the late Gil Scott-Heron have canceled concerts or refused to play in Israel. Other cultural figures, including Naomi Klein, Judith Butler, Angela Davis, and Alice Walker have joined the impressive ranks of those supporting BDS as a time-honored nonviolent tactic to achieve for freedom, justice, and equality.

You now have an opportunity to speak out against the injustices facing Palestinians. We urge you to rethink your participation in this trip to Israel and the message it will send to your millions of fans who look up to you. The power athletes have in contributing to the fight for justice is evidenced in the legacy of the late Muhammad Ali, who himself was an advocate for Palestinian rights. Angela Davis recently said at the Womens March in DC attended by tens of thousands of people: Womens rights are human rights all over the planet and that is why we say freedom and justice for Palestine. Please reconsider taking this trip to ensure you are standing on the right side of history.

Signed, Organizations: US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, US Palestinian Community Network, The Dream Defenders, Jewish Voice for Peace, US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Individuals: Angela Davis, Dr. John Carlos, Alice Walker, Craig Hodges, Bill Fletcher Jr., Alicia Garza, Marc Lamont Hill, Boots Riley, Umi Selah, Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor, Jasiri X

Continued here:

Open Letter to NFL Players Traveling to Israel on a Trip Organized by Netanyahu's Government - The Nation.

Bishop: Government has betrayed me over refugees – Premier

Just 350 lone child refugees will be welcomed to the country from Europe under the so-called Dubs Amendment.

Campaigners had hoped the government would allow 3,000 minors to come to the UK under the scheme, which the government was forced to accept after a rebellion in parliament.

The Home Office said in a written statement the scheme will end in March because local authorities can't cope with anymore arrivals.

Bishop of Croydon, Rt Rev Jonathan Clark, said that wasn't true. "I think her data is just wrong," he said on Premier's News Hour.

"I understand that there are a number of councils who are very willing to take more unaccompanied child refugees," he added.

The bishop was involved in welcoming a group to his area and said: "We felt that we had a good faith agreement with the government about a good way of approaching things and now that rug has been swiped out from under our feet.

"So yes, there is a sense of betrayal. Certainly great disappointment".

He added: "This appears to be a deliberate decision of will by the Government rather than being forced on them and runs against the spirit of Lord Dubs' original amendment.

"But most importantly there is a crying human need from children who will otherwise get into the hands of traffickers.

"By refusing to help those children you are in effect helping the trafficking industry."

The government says taking more unaccompanied children would encourage people to make the "perilous journey to Europe".

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are not giving up on vulnerable children who are fleeing conflict and danger.

"Thanks to the good will of the British public and local authorities in the last year alone we have provided refuge or other forms of leave to more than 8000 children.

"We're also clear that behind these numbers are children. It's vital that we get the balance right between enabling eligible children to come to the UK as quickly as possible and ensuring local authorities have capacity to host them and provide them with the support they will need".

Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the commons that the scheme was acting as a "pull factor" for children to make "perilous journeys to Europe".

But Head of Advocacy at Christian Aid Tom Viita told Premier: "Unfortunately the evidence doesn't really suggest that's the case.

"People who are moving because of desperate, poverty, conflict or oppression often have very few choices and very few safe and legal routes to get to safety - that's what's causing the problem".

He also dismissed her claims that councils could not cope with any more people as "ridiculous".

"Actually I think the government is rather passing the buck to local authorities as a way of diverting responsibility for this".

Tom Viita speaking to Premier's Antony Bushfield:

Bishop of Croydon, Rt Rev Jonathan Clark speaking to Premier's Marcus Jones:

See more here:

Bishop: Government has betrayed me over refugees - Premier

Trump Watch: Emboldened cops and border patrol agents, a more ‘ruthless’ war on drugs, and threats against the … – Washington Post

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors arent staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

You must be logged in to recommend a comment.

Originally posted here:

Trump Watch: Emboldened cops and border patrol agents, a more 'ruthless' war on drugs, and threats against the ... - Washington Post

Palma: Church leaders will continue to oppose bloody war on drugs … – Inquirer.net

PALMA

CEBU CITYPresident Rodrigo Duterte just cant silence bishops and priests.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma on Thursday said Catholic Church leaders would continue to speak out and oppose the administrations bloody war on drugs as well as plans to bring back the death penalty even if they continued to be lambasted by the countrys top executive.

So what? We are not protecting our image. Our primary concern is to proclaim the truth and to help discern what is good for the people and the community, he said in an interview after celebrating Mass to welcome the international centennial image of Our Lady of Fatima at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Im sure its not just the President who will castigate the Church. There are other people who will speak ill about us. But in the end, we just cant remain silent out of fear of being criticized. That is not the right way, he added.

President Duterte has been relentless in his criticisms of Catholic Church leaders who have been vocal in condemning the extrajudicial killings that had attended the administrations crackdown on the narcotics trade.

Palma clarified that bishops and priests fully support the Presidents war on illegal drugs but abhor means to end human life.

Palma said Catholic Church leaders have always kept communication lines with the President opened to bridge the gap between the two institutions.

Follow this link:

Palma: Church leaders will continue to oppose bloody war on drugs ... - Inquirer.net

Shahbal to introduce tough laws to curb drug abuse – Daily Nation

Friday February 10 2017

Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant Suleiman Shahbal addresses the press at Jubilee Party's office in Nyali on February 9, 2017. He wants the war on drugs to be intensified. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Businessman Suleiman Shahbal told Governor Hassan Joho to stop politicising the war on drugs.

He on Thursday said 6,725 people had died due to the narcotics in Mombasa in the last two years.

Mr Shahbal, the Jubilee candidate for the governors seat, said 96,752 people at the Coast were hooked to drugs.

Among them are 40,000 students aged between 12 and 17 years.

He was quoting a report on narcotics by the National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse and US anti-narcotics agency.

Some of his family members are among those who had died due to the drugs, he said.

At least 60 well-known drug lords were on the loose in the country.

Mombasa is gradually turning into another Colombia with militia gangs, armed youths and criminals moving around. Narcotics is driving virtually every sector in Mombasa, he said at the Jubilee offices in Nyali.

Escobar was a very popular person in Colombia at first. He built schools, hospitals and seemed to be the defender of the peoples welfare and their champion.

"But what became of him later? He became one of the biggest drug barons in the world. This is what is happening in Mombasa.

He was referring to Pablo Escobar the head of the notorious Medellin cartel and one of the worlds most wanted fugitives who was killed by Colombian security forces during a shootout in 1993.

The politician said nobody had linked Mr Joho to drug trafficking.

Why does Governor Joho get so worked up about drugs? Nobody has linked him to the drugs trade. What we have linked him with is fake degrees and everybody knows that he has no degree and cannot get one. Let him go back to school, he said.

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

He declined to name the official, only saying it is obvious.

If elected governor, Mr Shahbal would push the national government to introduce tough laws such as those in Malaysia and US where anybody involved in the illegal trade was hanged and all proceeds accrued from the trade confiscated by the State, he said.

I will push to make the drug trade a capital offence with zero returns. In the county, we will sensitise grassroots citizens and empower them to arrest any user and hand them over to the police, he said.

Governor Joho on Monday accused the Jubilee Government of plotting to end his political career by linking him to drug trafficking.

If Uhuru and Ruto have evidence I am involved in the trade or anybody else for that matter, why dont they arrest them? Mr Joho said.

Separately, Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar accused the governor of criticising the Jubilee government for its poor development record yet he had achieved nothing for the people who elected him.

If you are fighting someone you must ensure that you are accountable. Are you responsible? If (Mr) Uhuru is giving his people tenders then you should not give your relatives tenders, Mr Omar said.

Mr Omar accused Mr Johos government of boasting that it was an efficient revenue collector, saying that was no reason to be proud.

If you hear a country is taking a lot of revenue from its people then that is a country governed by exploitation.

"There is no pride in Mombasa County being the most expensive in terms of doing business, he said in Kizingo.

He said this when he flagged off a caravan to mobilise voters to register.

According to the lawyer, if MPs are paid the billions of shillings, the effects on the economy

These findings contradict those from a similar study carried out two years ago.

The rest is here:

Shahbal to introduce tough laws to curb drug abuse - Daily Nation

WANG: War on Drugs requires smarter, more realistic approach – RU Daily Targum

In an article published onCNN's website, Mayor Svante Myrick brings to our attention that 125 people will die in America today from an opioid overdose From 2002 to 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths has nearly quadrupled. The way America evaluates its War on Drugs, from mandatory sentencing to the prohibition of drugs, has proved inefficient as the number of heroin users continues to rise. Why do we continue to gasp in shock and shake our heads in disapproval after incarcerated drug users relapse after being released from prison?

A glaring error is the way society tackles this issue of aiding drug usersbecause ironically, there is insufficient aid being allocated toward people with drug addictions. But an innovative and potentially revolutionary concept to decreasing heroin-related drug overdoses has been presented by Myrick. He has recently proposed the concept of Americas first drug injection center, which will be modeled after facilities in Canada and Europe.

So what exactly are these drug injection centers? Insite, a Canadian drug injection facility and the first site in North America, is a center where heroin addicts can safely use the drug with clinical supervision. Clean equipment is also provided to prevent spreading HIV, which is extremely prevalent when needle-sharing. This facility also provides supervision as to prevent any addict from overdosing.

One main argumentagainst the implementation of these facilities in America is that they enable heroin users. What could be more dangerous than providing a safe space for junkies to shoot even more venom up their veins?

Ignorance. Thats what is dangerous. Our War on Drugs entails and emphasizes sentencing drug users without actually dealing with their addiction and the prevalence of the disease instead, we choose to incarcerate. Preaching ignorance and fearing change will never combat Americas drug problem and inefficacy of the justice system. But I acknowledge the argument against these types of facilities. I understand that some people view this type of service provided as a reason for heroin addicts to bask in their addiction without the usual consequences of transferring diseases and overdosing. But why is that a bad thing?

While many might believe that these facilities will only encourage and feed addictions, I completely disagree. I believe that no amount of coercion and forcing is ever going to make someone who is not personally ready for rehabilitation be able to seek help unless they know they want and need it. That is exactly why these facilities are so important. In regards to heroin addicts and the usage of these injection rooms, according to a study by the British ColumbiaCenter for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, (it) includes the likelihood of them entering detox increased by 30 percent, and people are 70 percent less likely to share needles. Preventing the spread of diseases and allowing people to practice their addictions safely has already yielded positive results. The Canadian facility has already proven that rather than witnessing the number of addicts go up, it has, in fact, shown a huge increase in addicts acknowledging their disease.

If ones personal and moral agenda is to oppose facilities like Insite just because it provides a safe place for addicts, it only perpetuates the same backwardthinking that continues to plague our society. A similar issue that could be equated to this type of enabling is teaching sexual education in schools. According to Advocates for Youth, schools that teach abstinence-only programs do not prevent adolescents in engaging in sexual activity. The old-fashioned way of pushing the idea that sex is dangerous and morally repugnant on adolescents only leads to negative consequences. What adolescent, with no comprehensive knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy or methods for birth control, is going to not have sex when they have no knowledge regarding the risks? For those still in opposition of drug injection facilities, think of this: What heroin addict ponders, Lets see. I have absolutely no clean needles, and I could possibly die from an overdose. So let me just walk away from my addiction. See how absurd that sounds? It sounds absurd because we all know the truth. We all understand that educating people and providing them with the resources they need to make informed decisions is the most effective way to see a decrease in drug use and addiction, and this type of progressive thinking needs to be applied to the way America deals with drug use.

Ashley Wang is a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore majoring in English and minoring in philosophy. Her column, "A Third Person Perspective," runs on alternate Thursdays.

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.

Continue reading here:

WANG: War on Drugs requires smarter, more realistic approach - RU Daily Targum

Opposition against President Duterte’s war on drugs mounting: UN investigator – WION

A United Nations human rights investigator says there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, with police operations on hold and the Church getting critical of the campaign.

Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, however, said the thousands of killings in the campaign had given rise to a sense of impunity, which could lead to increased lawlessness and violence.

More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year, about a third of them in police operations. Callamard said she knew of only four court cases seeking justice for the victims.

"The difference between the number of reported killings and the number of court cases is unbelievable," she told Reuters in Bangkok. "It's very unusual for that degree of impunity to remain restricted to one kind of crime or one type of community."

Spokesmen for Duterte could not immediately be reached for comment.

The war on drugs has been a signature policy of Duterte, who remains popular in opinion polls.

But Callamard, a human rights expert from France who took up the UN post in August, said opposition to the drug war was increasing and had reached a "tipping point".

"There is an increasing awareness on the part of the Filipino people that the war on drugs could hurt them," she said. "The surveys that are being done indicate support for the president...but critique the war on drugs."

One of the Philippines' top polling agencies, Social Weather Stations, said after a survey of 1,500 people in early December that most were satisfied with Duterte's rule. But 78 per cent said they were worried that they or someone they knew would be a victim of an extra-judicial killing.

In a series of reports last year, Reuters showed that the police had a 97 per cent kill rate in their drug operations, the strongest proof yet that police were summarily shooting drug suspects.

Both the government and police have strenuously denied that extra-judicial killings have taken place.

The Church in the Philippines, Asia's largest Catholic nation, had been a muted critic of the campaign but slammed it earlier this month for creating a "reign of terror" among the poor.

The bloodshed had also generated growing unease and criticism from Philippine civil society groups and media, Callamard said.

Her remarks come as Duterte and his police chief Ronald Dela Rosa face intense criticism for the October kidnap and killing of a South Korean businessmen by anti-narcotics officers inside national police headquarters.

He was arrested for drug offences that his wife said was an official cover for kidnap for ransom.

The case, which came to light in January, prompted Dela Rosa to announce the suspension of anti-drug operations to purge the police force of what he termed "rogue cops." Duterte has however vowed to maintain his anti-drugs campaign until his term ends in 2022.

Callamard said real opposition to the drugs war would come from within the Philippines rather than international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In October, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned the Hague-based tribunal could prosecute if the killings were "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population".

Duterte has threatened to withdraw from the ICC, calling it "useless", and said in a November speech: "You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit."

(Reuters)

Read more:

Opposition against President Duterte's war on drugs mounting: UN investigator - WION

Idaho House Panel Introduces Bill Limiting Indian Gambling – Boise State Public Radio

The ongoing battle over appropriate Indian gambling is once again coming to a head in the Idaho Legislature, with both sides preparing to rip open old wounds.

Rep. Tom Loertscher, a Republican from Iona, introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban lucrative video gambling terminals inside the tribes' casinos. The proposal was tepidly accepted by the House State Affairs Committee, with some lawmakers raising concerns about the ripple effects of the bill.

Click 'play' to hear the audio version of this story.

"We've been bothered by several gambling issues over the last few years," said Loertscher, chairman of the House panel. "This is a major policy thing that we need to address."

The move comes two years after lawmakers banned the use of so-called historical horse racing due to fears that the electronic betting machines resembled slot machines. The repeal effort generated outrage from the horse racing industry. It claimed the tribes were unfairly trying to squelch competition because they have a monopoly on video gambling in Idaho.

Yet the fight over Indian gambling has been a sore subject since 1988 when the Idaho Lottery was established.

Under federal Indian gambling law, Idaho tribes can only operate their own bingo and lottery operations as long as the state has already authorized that form of gambling. This has created lingering tension between the state and tribes over what types of gambling devices are legal.

According to the tribes, they operate what the state allows: A video form of the state lottery.

However, prolonged disagreement led the tribe to successfully push a 2002 ballot initiative amending Idaho's law to say as long as the tribe's machines do not have a lever or dispense coins only cash out tickets then the machines could not be defined as a slot machines and are not a simulation of casino gambling.

Then in 2006, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the tribes' ability to offer video gambling devices after the state sued. The court's decision also influenced a 2009 ruling where the Idaho Supreme Court declared Idaho could no longer sue regarding the constitutionality of the tribes' machines.

Loertscher's bill would remove a key section of the law amended in 2002 so that even if the tribe's machines do not have a lever or dispense coins, they would still be banned from possessing slot machines. It's a subtle difference, but one that would could potentially upend the entire system.

"This issue has been addressed in the judicial branch and now they want to get the Legislature involved," said House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, who said he only voted to introduce the proposal to learn more about the issue. "I'm not convinced that's going to happen."

Other lawmakers contend that the Idaho Constitution outlaws casino-style gambling but claim tribes are violating that ban due to a loophole in the law.

"We simply can't have any statute that would attempt to override the constitution," said Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, who has supported other efforts to limit gambling in Idaho this year.

For the tribes, the issue comes down to protecting their sovereignty.

"This is highly unnecessary," said Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, a member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, who voted against introducing Loertscher's bill. "I don't believe this bill will make it out of committee and I would urge the chairman to reread our laws."

A full hearing for the bill has not been scheduled.

View post:

Idaho House Panel Introduces Bill Limiting Indian Gambling - Boise State Public Radio

The world’s biggest gamblers – The Economist (blog)

LAS VEGAS may be synonymous with gambling, but the industrys biggest expo is actually held in London, and wraps up today. Exhibitors in over 3,000 stands advertise the latest products designed to part punters from their cash, ranging from gaming apps to slot machines and virtual-reality games. As in other businesses, firms that were quick to embrace new technology have reaped rewards: online gaming is the industrys fastest-growing sector, and accounted for 11% of the $385bn of gambling profits posted in 2016. But unlike companies that sell less controversial services, courting government regulators appears to be just as important as luring bettors for the bottom line.

To the general public, Australia hardly leaps to mind as a gambling hotbed. Yet industry insiders know it is far and away their most lucrative market: according to H2 Gambling Capital (H2G), a consultancy, betting losses per resident adult there amounted to $990 last year. That is 40% higher than Singapore, the runner-up, and around double the average in other Western countries. The most popular form of gaming in Australia is on ubiquitous electronic poker machines, or pokies, which are more prevalent there than anywhere else. Although the devices are legal in many other markets, bet sizes are usually capped at modest levels. By contrast, in Australia, which began to deregulate the industry in the 1980s, punters can lose as much as $1,150 an hour.

Despite Australias profitability, the high level of existing gambling penetration and relatively small population of 23m make it a relatively mature market without much room for expansion. The biggest prize by far is the United States, where bettors total losses reached $117bn last year. The untapped potential is enormous: Americans wagered $150bn illegally on sports alone last year, by one estimate. However, the countrys Puritan tendencies have kept the industrys growth in check, and spending per person has remained static for a decade. Online gaming, which accounts for a third of spending in some countries, is legal in just three states after a federal clampdown in 2011, while sports betting is fully legal in just one. As a result, Ireland and Finland, which have opened up online markets, recently overtook America in spending per person. Singapore also keeps a tight lid on the range of legal betting options, and has seen industry revenues fall off as a result.

A different type of regulation has curbed gaming in China. Just three years ago, H2G expected China (including Macau and Hong Kong) to surpass America as the worlds biggest market in 2020. But in 2013 the government announced a crackdown on corruption, which prevented Chinese government officials from entertaining in the casinos of Macau. The industrys profits in China promptly fell by 20%, and have barely recovered. That precipitous decline caused overall global winnings to drop in 2015the first dip since 2003, when H2Gs data begin.

In contrast, gaming firms may be set to hit the jackpot in Japan. Although the country is still the worlds third-largest gambling market, annual revenues have been declining steadily since 2003 amid tight regulation. Ingenious firms have come up with work-arounds to remain within the law: pachinko, a popular game akin to pinball, avoids being classified as gambling by giving special prizes, which can be traded for cash at kiosks separate from the pachinko parlours. Such subterfuge may no longer be necessary, thanks to a law passed in December that will permit casinos for the first time. Foreign operators are expected to line up to build them. H2G estimates that they could swell winnings by 50% in the first year of opening. That is good news for the industry, if not for Japanese punters wallets.

Daily chart: Chinas roads and workplaces seem to be getting less lethal

:

Go here to read the rest:

The world's biggest gamblers - The Economist (blog)

No truth to alleged link between missing Spencerport teen, illegal gambling – 13WHAM-TV

Rochester, N.Y.

(WHAM) - Questions about the connection between a missing Spencerport teen and the man arrested as part of an illegal gambling investigation in Rochester, have been put to rest.

Lead investigators assigned to the case of missing teen Joshua Redfield said there is no truth to these claims he is connected to Dan Elliot. Instead they say it's confusion about another family member's ties.

Elliot, also known as Miami Dan, was arrested last month during a raid at an alleged illegal gambling operation in the city.

Two sources close to this investigation said Redfield, missing since December 7, has a step brother serving jail time for breaking into and trying to burn down the alleged illegal gambling joint on West Ridge Road.

Ogden Police said, while they have received tips about allegations Redfield is connected to the illegal gambling joint, there is no truth behind the rumors.

Elliot was in court Thursday morning where his hearing was waived to a grand jury.

He is out on bail, accused of having two semi-automatic pistols, both loaded and drugs in his possession. He has not been charged for illegally gambling, but his lawyer, Vincent Merante said it is not out of the question.

"I haven't heard anything from the U.S. Attorney's Office; they have the prerogative to move forward with their own charges, but let's hope not," Merante told 13WHAM News. "I'm here to say and make it perfectly clear, my client has nothing to do with the disappearance of Joshua Redfield."

Ogden Police also made their message clear - that Redfield is not linked to the illegal gambling operation.

"The FBI came to us an offered any resources we might need," Chief Mears said. "We don't have any indication of foul play, but we always have to leave that open as a possibility."

Mears said they do not have any leads at the time and they have done everything in their power to track down the information they can. Two investigators are assigned full time to the disappearance of Joshua Redfield.

Police said Redfield did make some indication to friends that he would leave home. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 423-9300.

View original post here:

No truth to alleged link between missing Spencerport teen, illegal gambling - 13WHAM-TV

How Vietnam Is Changing Its Gambling Rules To Win Foreign Investment – Forbes


Forbes
How Vietnam Is Changing Its Gambling Rules To Win Foreign Investment
Forbes
A year ago, the Asian gaming landscape appeared bleak. Macau was in the dumps, even after $5 billion in new resorts from Melco Crown and Galaxy Entertainment debuted. South Korea had more licenses available than qualified bidders, and in Australia, ...

See more here:

How Vietnam Is Changing Its Gambling Rules To Win Foreign Investment - Forbes

Gambling pot grows for Madison County – Utica Observer Dispatch

In the 2018 proposed budget, the governor has proposed to redistribute existing local gaming aid payments to provide $2.25 million annually to Madison County.

While Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. has taken issue with the extra $2.25 million of gaming revenue Madison County would receive if the governor's tentative budget is passed, its nothing personal.

We all need to be around the table when we discuss this and that wasnt the case, he said. Im not objecting to Madison County getting more money. This is what we negotiated. Our agreement is different than any other region because there was a settlement. My argument to that has always been, in order to change that in any way shape or form, if somebody wants more, we should all be at the table to determine how that gets done.

Originally, as part of the agreement reached by the state and Oneida and Madison counties with the Oneida Indian Nation in May 2013, Madison County accepted a one-time, $11 million lump-sum payment and annual disbursements of $3.5 million. Oneida County gets 25 percent of revenue, or roughly $12.5 million a year, and another $2.5 million annually for 20 years to offset associated property tax losses.

Madison County, however, later believed it deserved a share of the slot revenues from the Oneidas' Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, which opened in June 2015, after the settlement agreement.

In the 2018 proposed budget, the governor has proposed to redistribute existing local gaming aid payments to provide $2.25 million annually to Madison County, according to the State Budget Briefing Book.

When the state, the Oneida Nation and affected counties signed the 2013 agreement establishing local government gaming host aid, the Oneida Nation casino that opened in Madison County in 2015 was not envisioned, the book says.

Officials in Madison County are happy with their inclusion in the budget, especially after Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a revision to the 2013 settlement among the state, Oneida Indian Nation, and Madison and Oneida counties that would have given Madison County a 25 percent slice of the state's share of the in-county gaming revenue.

Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman John M. Becker said he had spoken to the governor after the veto and he promised the issue would be addressed in the upcoming budget.

I am very thankful to the governor for keeping his promise to me and the residents of Madison County, he said. I am looking forward to working with his office and our state representatives to ensure adoption of this proposal.

The 25 percent bump would have given Madison County host community benefits for its Yellow Brick Road Casino. Also, it would have altered the 2013 deal, which is what Picente is most concerned about.

Officials from all four parties need to sit down and have a discussion about the whole issue, because it was a confusing settlement with lots of moving parts, Picente said. And he believes that will happen plenty of times before the budget is passed.

We are starting to talk a little bit more, Picente said. I think there will be more discussion, I clearly do. It was one of those issues that everybody wants to know why I object to it, and its (because) the principle is tied to a negotiation, which people give up to get and we all did that each side gave up something to get something. So now, when someone else wants more, what are they giving up?

Sen. David J. Valesky, D-Oneida, is happy to see the governor follow through on his previous commitment to recognize Madison County.

This is a basic issue of fairness, which the governors budget proposal addresses, he said. I look forward to continuing to partner with the Madison County Board of Supervisors and the governors office on this critically important matter.

Follow OD_Madison on Twitter or call her at 315-792-5015.

More:

Gambling pot grows for Madison County - Utica Observer Dispatch

Deducting Gambling Losses on Your Taxes – TheStreet.com

Did you win any money from your Super Bowl pool?

Awesome -- Now make sure you report it on your 2017 tax return.

Yep. Gambling winnings of any kind are taxable income and Uncle Sam wants his cut and that includes winnings from the Super Bowl, a Fantasy Leagues, Vegas -- even the local Lotto, make sure you tally it up.

Report it as "Other Income" on line 21 of your Form 1040 .

The problem is -- You only can deduct your losses to the extent of your winnings.

So if you won $1,000 last year but lost $1,500, you can only report $1,000 in losses so the other $500 is, well, lost.

Your losses are reported on Schedule A - Itemized Deductions. So if you are a high earner, and might not get to deduct the full amount of your gambling losses.

Look for Form W2-G in the mail - it'll report your winnings and come from casinos and organized gambling institutions.

Granted it's not going to be coming from the guy who ran your office pool, but still know your winnings are taxable income.

And I know what you're saying, "But how will Uncle Sam know?

You'll get audited - or how bout this - the IRS has a whistleblower program and offers rewards -- you have a pissed off neighbor he just might rat you out... it happens.

So hopefully you saved everything - or can use bank statements to recreate lyear'sears wins and losses.

Report everything!

Here is the original post:

Deducting Gambling Losses on Your Taxes - TheStreet.com

Bill to Ban Gas Chamber Euthanasia Moves to the Senate – Good4Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4News) - A bill that would end gas chamber euthanasia in Utah passed a committee hearing on Tuesday and will now head to the Senate floor.

Animal rights groups and animal lovers are praising the advancement of Senate Bill 56, as the Senate Government Operations Committee voted by a vote of 6 to 2 in favor of the Animal Shelter Amendment that would ban gas chamber euthanasia in the state of Utah.

Senators David Hinkins(R) -District 27 and Daniel Thatcher (R) - District 12, were the only two to vote against the bill.

The bill would require all animal shelters to move away from the practice of using gas chambers to euthanize animals and instead useeuthanasia by injection (EBI). Utah is one of four states that continues to practice gas chamber euthanasia. According to the Humane Society of Utah there are over 50 shelters in the state and about 5 of them continue the practice.

"A lot of these shelters that are maintaining the gas chamber, you have to look at the long term cost of purchasing new ones, when they break down -- repairing, and there's no state regulation to maintain or calibrate these shelter gas chambers," says Deann Shepherd with the Humane Society of Utah.

The Humane Society says gas chambers pose more of a threat to humans than the practice of lethal injection. They say gas chambers use carbon monoxide and there is no regulation or oversight for these devices. They say there have been cases where employees and/or veterinarians have gotten sick or were killed because of their exposure to the gas. They say with EBI the animal is unconscious within 3-5 seconds and death occurs within 3-5 minutes.

During the committee hearing yesterday opponents expressedconcerns that EBI would cost more than gas chamber euthanasia.

"'Cause I do have some counties and cities that are saying this could be a hardship, so if they could let me know so I could get animal control some numbers," said Senator Hinkins (R) - District 27.

The Human Society says there is research that has shown it costs less to use EBI than the gas chamber.

"So, if there's any additional expenses of getting the equipment and training then there is help to get that but, we offer free training at the Humane Society," says Shepherd.

The Humane Society says there are grants that can offset the cost of purchasing any equipment that might be necessary to use EBI. They, along with other organizations, also provide free training for personnel who will be administering lethal injections.

Opponents are also concernedabout the safety of staff using EBI when handling more aggressive animals.

"We offer training for free," says Shepherd. "We want the personnel well trained to handle these animals and here's the key, you just sedate them. There's no more handling of the animal to sedate them than to move them into a gas chamber."

The Humane Society says the research, equipment and training are all there to help move all shelters away from gas chamber and end the practice in the state. Previous efforts for a bill to end gas chamber euthanasia have failed in the past but proponents are optimistic this time around.

Tuesday morning before the committee hearing over 100 animal lovers and activists gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to show their support and encourage legislatorsto vote in favor of the bill.

The Human Society of Utah also cited examples in Davis County and Sandy City where they say they have seen the benefits of EBI after moving away from using gas chambers to euthanize animals.

The bill will now head to the full Senate and is expected to be taken up for discussion sometime next week.

Read more:

Bill to Ban Gas Chamber Euthanasia Moves to the Senate - Good4Utah