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Greitens’ budget plan won’t fund MU Medical School – The Daily Progress

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) Gov. Eric Greitens' budget proposal for the state's 2018 fiscal year won't fund the new expansions for the University of Missouri Medical School in Columbia and Springfield.

The information came on the heels of the governor's January announcement to withhold $4 million of the MU Cooperative Medicine Program's $10 million appropriation for the current fiscal year, the Columbia Missourian (http://bit.ly/2knyQoa ) reported.

The Columbia facility and the new Springfield Clinical Campus that opened in June could face tight operating budgets and increased difficulty hiring faculty if state funding is halted, said Weldon Webb, the university's associate dean for Springfield Clinical Campus Implementation.

Webb said the medical school's expansions will proceed as planned for now, and that the funding loss won't affect construction of the university's Patient-Centered Care Learning Center. The $42.5 million facility is expected to be complete this summer, and it is expected to have classrooms, an anatomy lab, a simulation center, patient-based learning labs and educational services.

Springfield Chamber of Commerce President Matt Morrow said getting funding into the budget for the next fiscal year is priority.

"What I hope that we as a community are able to do is have productive conversations with the governor and the Legislature," Morrow said.

He said giving students the opportunity to fill Missouri's physician shortage, especially in rural areas, will help grow the economy.

The university is expected to admit 32 additional medical students each year because of the expansion, with the hopes that all 64 third- and fourth-year students will do clinical training in Springfield. Currently, the Springfield campus only has nine third-year students.

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Information from: Columbia Missourian, http://www.columbiamissourian.com

Greitens' budget plan won't fund MU Medical School - The Daily Progress

Medical School’s Impending Move Downtown Focus of Cain’s Address – UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences News

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences continues to bolster its faculty and increase its diversity as it prepares to move downtown, said Michael E. Cain, MD.

Published February 7, 2017

As the countdown to the opening of the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences downtown begins to be measured in months instead of years, the school continues to grow and diversify its faculty ranks, attract outstanding students and enhance its research productivity.

Those were among the key points highlighted by Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and medical school dean, during his 11th annual state-of-the-school address, Jan. 31 at the UB Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC).

Cain also noted the importance of the continued review and updating of medical school policies, implementation of a strategic plan for medical curriculum and a system for continuous quality improvement of the medical curriculum in anticipation of the Liaison Committee on Medical Educations (LCME) site visit in April 2019 as part of the schools accreditation process.

We have had a progressive planned increase in the number of faculty over the last several years, Cain said. Our commitment to the LCME is that by 2020 we will have 860 full-time faculty to meet the increased teaching needs of our increased class size of 180 students.

The largest increase has occurred in clinical departments and faculty on the clinical track, which mirrors the trend in other medical schools throughout the country, he noted.

When I arrived here 11 years ago, one of the findings was that we were a predominantly gray-haired faculty with a large proportion of professors and that we were missing youth, Cain said.

I am pleased that over the last five or six years the largest portion of our faculty that have been added are at the assistant professor level. While we still have a very healthy group at the associate and professor level, we have a nice group of youth that has joined the school.

Cain said the school has made strides in increasing the number of women and those traditionally underrepresented in medicine Native American, Hispanic-American and African-American both in medical students and faculty.

He credited Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion; David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs; Charles M. Severin, PhD, MD, associate dean for medical education and admissions, along with the Admissions Committee, for very rapidly coming together and dramatically changing the approach to the way we identify and admit candidates for the degree of doctor of medicine.

Cain also pointed out the school will add approximately 80 new faculty members during the next two years.

We are going to pay very close attention in making sure those faculty recruits enhance our diversity in both women and in traditional underrepresented minorities, he said.

Through curricula changes, through partnerships with associations in the community and by increased grant support that actually deals with health care disparities, we are becoming impressive in the number of things we as an institution do to make sure that our medical school does, in fact, look like America, Cain said.

Cain noted several important milestones as construction of the new medical school building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus nears completion.

The timeline for us to gain access is such that people should be able to start moving into the new building in October, with a progressive ramp-up leading us to have full operations in January 2018, he said.

The new school offers a 178 percent increase in educational space for our medical students and most of those increases occur in the small classroom area, Cain said. This is by design as we reshape the vision of our medical curriculum.

Cain also noted the remarkable synergism between Kaleida Health and the school of medicine that began with the CRTC in 2012.

He said it escalated into collaboration with John R. Oishei Childrens Hospital and with Conventus and actually impacted the design of the new medical school building, creating three new interconnected facilities where we eliminate needless redundancies.

Cain noted the 12 practice plans with theUBMD physicians group co-located on the fourth floor of the Conventus building will start seeing their first patients there when the building opens in March.

Conventus fifth floor will house academic offices for:

Those offices are currently located at Women and Childrens Hospital of Buffalo on Bryant Street and will move to the Conventus building in conjunction with the opening of the Oishei Childrens Hospital, scheduled for November.

The schools sponsored-program research expenditures continue to climb, Cain said.

In 2016, they totaled $51.3 million and are expected to increase to $53.4 million in 2017, he noted.

If intramural funding sources are included, the figure climbs to $76.5 million for 2016. Adding in research funding procured by full-time faculty working at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and the Buffalo VA Medical Center elevates the total to almost $131 million.

Cain said the $16 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) the medical school received from the National Institutes of Health is being renamed the University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) to differentiate it from the other 63 centers in the national CTSA Consortium.

The CTSI includes:

Cain touted the success of translational pilot studies funded by the CTSI since the grants inception.

The extramural funding that resulted from a $600,000 investment over three years was quite remarkable, he said. The return on investment was $7.9 million of in-the-bank National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, so its a 13-to-1 return on investment.

Beginning in 2017, the CTSI, together with resources provided by UB and RPCI, will enable $600,000 a year to be available for pilot studies.

Cain said the CTSI continues to work on streamlining the clinical research process and enhancing recruitment to clinical trials.

The CTSI also supports a mentoring program designed to train investigators from diverse backgrounds and develop the next generation of leaders in translational research.

After a rigorous NIH-style review process, two scholars have been selected and funded in the KL2 Mentored Career Development Program and three BTC scholars have been funded though institutional awards.

The Genome, Environment and Microbiome (GEM) Community of Excellence has resulted in a new source of $190,000 worth of funding available to faculty for innovative pilot studies that allows them to gather preliminarydata that could be converted to a larger, more sustainable grant from the NIH or another funding organization.

In 2016, five teams were selected for pilot grant projects:

In 2016, the medical school received 4,490 applications, 2.9 percent more than in 2015. Of those, 576 were selected for interviews.

We had our highest yield yet, thus requiring us to write only 307 letters of acceptance to fill our class of 149 students, Cain said.

The vast majority, or 88 percent of the freshman class, comes from New York. Forty-four percent of the class hails from Western New York.

The overall undergraduate GPA for the class is 3.73, higher than the national average.

This is a remarkably impressive group of students, Cain said.

Cain noted the Office of Graduate Medical Education, under the direction of Roseanne C. Berger, MD, senior associate dean of graduate medical education, has attained institutional accreditation with commendation and no citations for deficiencies.

The school currently has 65 programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Additionally, graduate programs in diagnostic radiology, family medicine (osteopathic), gynecologic oncology and obstetric anesthesiology are currently seeking accreditation.

Berger has put together several collaborations with adjunct teaching facilities most notably the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the University of Toronto Center for Quality Improvement & Patient Safety and the UB School of Management Accelerated MBA for Residents/Fellows.

UB recently marked the 10-year anniversary of its collaboration with the RCP and Cain noted that 200 UB faculty members in 17 departments have participated through 400 educational initiatives.

Cain also highlighted the increase in the number of matches to UBs residency programs from 116 in 2012 to 171 in 2016. He noted that 99 percent of UBs residency positions were filled in 2016.

The number of UB medical school graduates filling those residency positions continues to climb as well, with 49, or 29 percent, matching at UB in 2016.

UB faculty is becoming recognized more and more, both internationally and nationally, Cain said.

He noted that a large proportion of medical school faculty has been recognized recently through the SUNY Distinguished program, as well as the UB Distinguished and the UB Exceptional Scholars program.

Faculty honored at SUNY and UB levels in 2016 included:

There has also been an increased recognition of our faculty physicians, Cain said, noting the largest number yet of UMBD faculty 73 were recognized by Castle Connolly as Americas Top Doctors in 2016.

The Office of Inclusion and Cultural Enhancement continues to put together a remarkable group of programs that further the schools commitment to support diversity and inclusion in education, research and clinical care, Cain said.

These include:

These are powerful programs that we have now in Buffalo, programs that came about because of the energies we have developed through the Office of Inclusion and Cultural Enhancement, he said.

Three new initiatives have also been undertaken:

In 2016, the Office of Communications bolstered recruitment efforts by writing 135 news stories for the schools website and publishing 501 mentions showcasing external media coverage highlighting UB faculty, Cain said.

In terms of user engagement, the schools website generated 1,945,846 page views in 2016, almost double the amount of 1,004,123 in 2015.

Location data also shows the schools website is being accessed from around the world, with thousands of sessions initiated in the following top 10 countries: United States, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Germany and the Netherlands.

Additionally, the office launched new websites for the:

In other 2016 news, Cain reported:

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Medical School's Impending Move Downtown Focus of Cain's Address - UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences News

Liberty and Justice are expecting; Egg in DC bald eagle nest – Lincoln Journal Star

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

WASHINGTON (AP) One of Washington, D.C.'s three bald eagle couples is waiting for an egg to hatch.

The city announced Monday that an egg recently appeared in the nest of a mating pair named Liberty and Justice, who have made the D.C. police academy in Southwest Washington their home for more than a decade.

The top headlines from JournalStar.com. Delivered at 11 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Department of Energy and the Environment spokesman Dan Rauch told local media that Liberty could lay as many as two more eggs in the next few days, with eaglets hatching 35 days later.

Pollution drove bald eagles out of the city in the 1940s. They came back a half-century later thanks to endangered species protections and the banning of DDT. You can watch this couple and their brood at http://bit.ly/2llLUc0.

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Liberty and Justice are expecting; Egg in DC bald eagle nest - Lincoln Journal Star

The Trump Administration’s Dangerous Attempt to Redefine Religious Liberty – Center For American Progress

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Religious liberty is a fundamental American value. Protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, free exercise of religion and freedom from government-endorsed religion are cherished rights that belong to all people. The importance of religious liberty in American history and as a core tenant of American democracy is precisely why it must be safeguarded from those who seek to manipulate it for their own political ends.

Although the Trump administration has only been in power for a few weeks, its message on religious freedom is clear: It wants to redefine religious liberty to only protect people who share its vision of faith. This comes at a steep cost to the fundamental American value of religious freedom for all. It also dangerously marginalizes people of faith who do not share the Trump administrations views, many of whom are already vulnerable to rising incidents of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bigotry. In recent days, the administration has taken a number of actions that threaten to undermine true religious freedom.

President Donald Trumps January 27 executive action on refugees prohibits travel to the United States for nationals of seven Muslim-majority nations. The order suspends entirely refugee admissions for a 120-day period, with a narrow exception for certain persecuted religious minorities, and fundamentally reshapes the refugee admissions program after that day to prioritize the claims of Christians. The impact of this is undeniable: Trump has ordered a Muslim ban in violation of the core value of religious freedom for all.

Democrats have rebuked President Trumps calls for a Muslim registry, politicians across the aisle have warned that the travel ban hurts national security, and people of faith are taking action to demand the Muslim ban be rescinded. In addition to large demonstrations at international airports throughout the country calling for the release of immigrants and refugees stuck in the limbo of the postorder chaos, hundreds of people of faith stood in solidarity with immigrants and refugees outside the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on February 2.

Also on January 27, which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the White House released a statement that did not mention Jews. When pressed about this break with previous presidential statements that centered on Jewish victims, three administration officials defended the decision, saying the statement was meant to be inclusive of all Holocaust victims. In fact, the White House stopped the State Department from releasing its own statement, which did include mention of Jews suffering.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) called the statement Holocaust denial. Jewish organizations across the political spectrum denounced the erasure of Jews. And many were incredulous that the Muslim ban could be issued on a day marking remembrance of the Holocaust, noting that the United States turned back Jewish refugees trying to escape Nazi rule, many of whom ultimately perished.

On February 1, a leaked draft executive order titled Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom sparked further concern about the administrations narrow view of religious liberty. If enacted, the executive order would provide sweeping exemptions from a large number of federal laws covering virtually all areas of life for those people and organizations with a particular set of moral or religious convictions. Namely, if enacted, the order would exempt from federal laws people and organizations, including for-profit businesses, who act on the belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, sex is properly reserved for such a marriage, gender is immutable from birth, and/or life begins at conception.

The impact of such an order would be devastating. Millions of workers would be vulnerable to being discriminated against or fired if they did not share these definitions of marriage, gender, and/or family. The government would have no recourse against individuals or organizations using federal dollars and discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, people; women who have had abortions; people of faith with differing views; and/or their families, whether in government services, housing, health care, homeless shelters, or virtually all other areas of life. The undeniable impact of such language is why a recent Mississippi law with very similar language was fought by many, including faith leaders, and was struck down before it could go into effect.

On the same day the draft executive order leaked, hundreds of faith leaders from across the country and a variety of faiths signed a letter imploring the president not to insert religious exemptions into the executive order and other federal policies, asserting that doing so betrays the values we stand for as people of faith and conscience. In fact, majorities of every major religious group support nondiscrimination protection for LGBT people.

Further, the White Houses recent statement that the president plans to keep former President Barack Obamas executive order protecting LGBT workers from discrimination by federal contractors does not ensure that LGBT people will continue to be protected. If the Trump administration were to insert a sweeping exemption into that order, it would undermine the governments ability to enforce those protections. And it would elevate the underlying concern that such language preferences certain faith perspectives over others: People of faith have a variety of views on marriage, family, gender identity, sexuality, and abortion, and the government should not promote one set of views over others.

Also in the leaked draft executive order described above is direction to the IRS not to enforce a tax code provision known as the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment prevents charitable organizations such as houses of worship from endorsing or opposing political campaigns while they enjoy tax-exempt status. At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump reiterated a campaign promise to get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment.

Not only would revoking or failing to enforce the Johnson Amendment expose houses of worship to immense political pressure and potential manipulation by political parties, but it would also create a dark money loophole for political donations. And should the administrations move to end enforcement of the Johnson Amendment come with language similar to the draft executive order, it could mean that only houses of worship that oppose marriage equality and abortion access would be free to engage in politics, while congregations that support LGBT equality and womens health, rights, and justice could still lose their tax-exempt status.

So narrowly tailoring religious liberty and only recognizing one segment of the faith community devastates the security of true religious freedom for all. While it might suit the current administration to enshrine conservative Christian beliefs into law, pretend there is not a variety of faith perspectives on marriage and family, and erase Muslims and Jews from the narrative of what makes America great, all people of faith and those who support true religious liberty should be on high alert. Otherwise, religious liberty stands to become simply another name for protecting the religion of those in power.

Claire Markham is the Associate Director for the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at the Center for American Progress.

The Trump Administration's Dangerous Attempt to Redefine Religious Liberty - Center For American Progress

Man dies after Liberty shooting, charges against suspects upgraded to murder – Youngstown Vindicator

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Published: Tue, February 7, 2017 @ 3:23 p.m.

LIBERTY Charges against two suspects have been amended from attempted murder to murder after the death of a shooting victim.

Matthew E. Dalton, 40, of South Webster, a small village in Scioto County, died Saturday at Hospice of the Valley in Poland.

A Mahoning County pathologist determined Dalton died from a single gunshot wound to the leg.

Liberty police officers found Dalton bleeding from the wound while lying on the ground at Catherine Street in the township about 5 a.m. Jan. 27.

Emergency personnel transported Dalton to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. Liberty Police Chief Rich Tisone said Dalton may have been involved in illegal activity at the time of the incident.

Police have charged William Shakoor, 20, of Austintown, and Michael Curry, 20, in connection with the shooting. The initial charges were attempted murder, aggravated robbery and being a felon in illegal possession of a weapon.

U.S. Marshals arrested Shakoor on Feb. 2. Curry remains at large.

Shakoor will appear Thursday in Girard Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing.

Originally posted here:

Man dies after Liberty shooting, charges against suspects upgraded to murder - Youngstown Vindicator

Attacks on American liberty must be countered – Washington Times

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

What does it mean for a country to have a presidential adviser say, as Steve Bannon is reported to have said last summer, that he aims to blow everything up and destroy the existing social and political order? It means uncertainty.

Uncertainty is the enemy of liberty. When people are uncertain and surrounded with chaos when citizens feel they cannot predict what will happen next they become anxious.

And a great deal follows from that. Heres what psychology has found:

When sufficiently threatened with uncertainty, the fight, flight, freeze response kicks into body and mind, with predictable defensive and aggressive consequences. Liberty is left far behind.

Uncertainty first affects people with strong beliefs who have a need for closure. When challenged, those beliefs can become hardened into dogma, protected with increasing prejudice against outsiders or threatening groups. This is a human phenomenon. It happens equally to liberals and conservatives, to religious fundamentalists and atheists.

Emotional reactions are exaggerated by uncertainty. Uncertainty heightens the experience of negative feelings. Unpleasant events feel dreadful, unnerving events feel catastrophic extreme reactions become increasingly commonplace. We see them every day now in street demonstrations, hate-filled online rants, and even in the raised decibel levels of stressful dinner-table conversation among friends. Polarization increases.

Todays attacks on liberty come from both the left and the right. They can be insidious, and subtle, or brash and confrontational. On the political left, enemies of liberty hide behind slogans favoring rights for some and demonization of others. On the political right the enemies of liberty sow distrust throughout the culture, by undermining the pillars of liberty the media, the independent judiciary, the national security establishment, and other politicians. President Trump is an enemy of liberty when he tweets so-called judge as he is when he names the media the opposition party. There is an unspoken authoritarian message, Trust no one but me.

The University of California is an enemy of liberty when it allows left-wing demonstrators professors, students or outsiders to shut down speakers whose message they do not like. Universities, once a bastion of liberty, have become its enemies by tolerating intolerance on campus. Students of diverse identities and beliefs are feeling increasingly threatened. On the University of California campuses, as on too many others, one groups freedom of expression has been used to denigrate, harass, intimidate and shut down the expression of another group. Debate is careening into hate.

Liberty thrives in a society that trusts and has confidence in the integrity of its institutions. Whatever erodes public trust in our institutions diminishes our liberty.

Weve been willingly exchanging freedom for security ever since 9/11. Fearful of terror, we extended governments reach into privacy and liberty for our own protection. We have become accustomed to metal detectors, Jersey barriers and other security measures that restrict freedom of movement. Commercial airline travel is an exercise in social control. Although it doesnt make us any safer, civilian airline passengers obediently remove shoes and belts and submit to physical pat-downs with the docility of prison inmates.

Nevertheless, we revere liberty. Regardless of our political differences, that is one of the values Americans share in common. And liberty needs stability in order to survive.

That is why the attacks on American liberty whether from California campuses, Washington chaos-manufacturers, or defenders of alternative facts must be countered with strength and firm reason.

Attacks on American liberty must be countered - Washington Times

Liberty Mobility Now employs NW Ohio area manager – Van Wert independent

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Kim Bruns is the new area manager for Liberty Mobility Nows transportation services. (photo submitted)

VW independent/submitted information

Liberty Mobility Now announces Kim Bruns as the area manager of the Northwest Region of Ohio. Bruns will work to advance Libertys mission in becoming the premier transportation platform in rural America by building relationships and improving mobility for many, and supporting agencies such as:

Everyone shares excitement and energy for this amazing program, and I am honored that Kim has decided to join us, said Valerie Lefler, Liberty president and CEO. She is a leader in her community, and we here at Liberty know that she will use her expertise to do amazing things for those who are in need of transportation.

Bruns joins Liberty with more than two decades worth of experience in the healthcare field, and has been dedicated to helping underserved populations, including the elderly, and those with special needs improve their quality of life; and maintain their independence.

I am very excited to join the Liberty Team, Bruns noted. The lack of transportation options for people is a huge problem in many small communities.

I am honored to be a part of a company that is dedicated to improving mobility for the whole community, Bruns added.

In addition to her impressive professional background, Bruns received her bachelors degree in sociology, with a minor in psychology, from Bowling Green State University. She is a current member of the Executive Board of Trustees for United Way of Van Wert County and was also a finalist for the Van Wert County Foundations R.K. Thompson Self Reliance Award.

Liberty sees a bright future with Bruns directing this region; I know that she will go above and beyond to serve our customers. Lefler said.

About Liberty Mobility Now:

Liberty is a comprehensive approach to solving transportation challenges in rural communities. Liberty provides complimentary transportation for gap coverage in existing public and human service transportation providers, using technology, independent contractors, mobility managers, and advanced marketing tactics.

Continued here:

Liberty Mobility Now employs NW Ohio area manager - Van Wert independent

New York Assembly passes DREAM Act, anti-Trump Liberty Act – WSYR

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Albany Capitol building (Photo by Daniel Barry/Getty Images)

ALBANY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV/WROC-TV) - On Monday, the New York State Assembly passed the DREAM Act, which treats undocumented foreign-born students as New York Citizens, even if they were brought here as infants.

The Assembly also passed a new Liberty Act, which would provide immigrants with a number of sanctuary style protections.

The Albany Times-Union described the Liberty Act as an anti-Trump measure.

The protections include a prohibition against police questioning people about their immigration status, and a ban on the use of State and local facilities for detaining people.

"For decades, New York's harbor welcomed millions of immigrants that helped shape our nation into the strong, diverse country it is today," said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. "The Assembly Majority believes that the continued success of our state depends on ensuring that immigrants have access to the resources they need to make meaningful contributions to their communities without the fear of inappropriate deportation and other serious consequences."

Both bills face major opposition in the State Senate.

Additional details are available on the New York State Assemblys website.

See more here:

New York Assembly passes DREAM Act, anti-Trump Liberty Act - WSYR

Updated! Meet the Libertarian-Leaning GOP State Senator Whose Career Donald Trump Wants To Destroy – Reason (blog)

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

UPDATED (2:20 P.M.): The Texas state senator in question below turns out to be a complicated matter. Scroll down for new information.

Donald Trump campaigned as "the law and order" candidate, so it's not surprising that he is likely to govern as one, too.

Still, when it comes to the issue of civil-asset forfeiture laws, even the dirtiest of Dirty Harry wannabes will grant there's something really creepy about the cops and the courts having the ability to take your stuff without even charging you with anything, much less convicting you of anything.

But here's an exchange via the Twitter feed of CNBC's Steve Kopack that should send chills down the spineand bile up the windpipeof every American who gives a damn about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and whether or not Lady Gaga included "under God" during her satanic Super Bowl incantations (she did).

Civil-asset forfeiture, which often doesn't require any sort of criminal charge, is big bucks. As Scott Shackford has noted, in 2014, the FBI alone snatched up $5 billion in seized assets. It's common for local police departments to grab whatever they can from whomever they can (often, the relatives or friends of people assumed to be drug dealers and the like). C.J. Ciaramella took a long, disturbing look at the way the state of Mississippi gilds its budget with seized assets.

Again, we're not talking about drug lords who are charged, have their assets frozen, are found guilty, and then have their assets sold at auction to pay reparations, or anything like that. The way a ton of asset forfeiture works is that the cops, or a prosecutor, or somebody else takes your stuff, claiming that it's connected to some sort of illegal activity. You may or may not be involved in anything illegal, but it's on you to get your stuff back. The likely next attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, is a big fan of asset forfeiture, so it's likely to be an issue, even in states that are trying to rein it in. And it should be reined in, like a crazy horse: It's not about law and order, it's about unaccountable power.

Konni Burton, Texas ObserverThe Texas state senator referred to in the video above appears to be Konni Burton of Colleyville. Get this, too: She's a libertarian-leaning Republican and here's how she explained the situation to the Texas Observer:

"Right now, law enforcement can seize property under civil law, and it denies people their basic rights," said Burton, who sits on the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. "There's a basic problem with this process that I want to correct."...

Now it's uniting politicians who might not otherwise be willing to break bread, according to Matt Simpson, senior policy strategist for ACLU Texas.

"It's an issue that crosses party lines; it's not Democrat versus Republican or liberal versus conservative," he told the Observer, adding that he hasn't "seen a bill we wouldn't support in relation to civil asset forfeiture reform, especially some of the stronger ones."

Local police departments and other law enforcement agencies in Texas get about $42 million a year from seized assets, creating a moral hazard that even Donald Trump would recognize. And as far as ruining Burton's careeror that of anyone else involved in the effortthe president might want to consider that regular Americans understand that there's been a massive decrease in violent and property crime over the past couple of decades. These days, people are often worried about how bullying authorities are likely to act, creating a bipartisan push for all sorts of criminal-justice reform.

Hat tip: BalkansBohemia's Twitter feed.

Update: Various Texas media sources say that it's not actually clear whom Trump and Sheriff Harold Eavenson are discussing in the video clip above. Eavenson has refused to name the senator directly and now the Dallas Morning News reports that in addition to Burton, other possible senators include en. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen), Bob Hall (R-Rockwall), and Don Huffines (R-Dallas).

"He was just being emphatic that he did not agree with that senator's position," Eavenson said, adding of the senator in question, "I'm not into assassinating his character."

Eavenson will become president of the National Sheriff's Association in June. He has been active in the Sheriff's Association of Texas.

Well, sure, maybe. Then again, the fact that there are so many suspects underscores how unpopular civil-asset forfeiture is across traditional political parties.

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Updated! Meet the Libertarian-Leaning GOP State Senator Whose Career Donald Trump Wants To Destroy - Reason (blog)

Little Libertarians on the Prairie: The Hidden Politics Behind a Children’s Classic – History

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Laura Ingalls Wilder as a schoolteacher, c. 1887. (Credit: Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Born on the American frontier on February 7, 1867, Laura Ingalls Wilder turned her memories of being a pioneer girl into the Little House on the Prairie books, one of the most popular childrens series of all time. Unknown to many, however, is that Wilder didnt write the books alone. On the 150th anniversary of Wilders birth, learn about her secret collaborator on the Little House on the Prairie books and her little-known connection to the Libertarian Party.

Laura Ingalls Wilder wasnt your typical debut novelist when her first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932. She was 65 years old, decades removed from the childhood memories that provided the foundation for her colorful story of hardship, adventure and survival on the Wisconsin frontier that struck a chord in Depression-era America.

Children devoured the wholesome tales celebrating family, self-reliance, hard work and neighbor helping neighbor. There had never been anything like this for children, telling them what the pioneer daysa time in history that was still pretty recentwere like, says Christine Woodside, author of the new book Libertarians on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Making of the Little House Books.

Wilder authored seven more books over the next 11 years, including Little House on the Prairie, which chronicled the exploits of the itinerant Ingalls family as they endured everything from blizzards of grasshoppers to plagues of snow as they rattled westward in their covered wagon across the wilderness and plains of the upper Midwest in the late 1800s before finally settling in the Dakota Territory.

While only the name of Laura Ingalls Wilder was emblazoned on the book covers of one of the most popular series in American literary history, scholars researching her family papers slowly came to the conclusion in the decades following her 1957 death that the beloved stories of Pa, Ma and sisters Mary, Carrie and Grace were the product of not just one womanbut two.

Unknown to readers at the time, Wilder secretly received considerable assistance from her only adult child, Rose Wilder Lane. While Wilder was an unknown author when Little House in the Big Woods was published, Lane was one of the most famous female writers in the United States, having penned novels, biographies of Charlie Chaplin and Herbert Hoover and short stories for magazines such as Harpers, Cosmopolitan and Ladies Home Journal.

Unlike her mother, however, Lane had little affinity for the hardscrabble life of the American heartland and left the familys Missouri farm as a teenager, eventually moving to San Francisco. Able to speak five languages, she traveled extensively and by the 1920s was living in Albania in a large house staffed by servants. Although she always had a tense relationship with her mother, Lane began to long for home and returned to the family farm in 1928.

Knowing a good story when she heard one, Lane prodded her mother to put her childhood experiences to paper. Wilder, however, had little literary experience outside of pieces that she wrote for rural newspapers. Lane, though, knew how to make a manuscript sing and hold chapters together, and she used her contacts in the publishing industry to sell Little House in the Big Woods.

Laura had lived the life. She had the memory. However, she didnt have any experience making a novel, Woodside tells HISTORY. Rose knew how to do that. They were each crucial to the book. Laura couldnt have written the books without Rose, and Rose couldnt have written them without Laura.

Lane not only polished her mothers prose but infused Wilders stoic outlook with the joy and optimism that connected with many readers. The authors secret collaborator also sanitized Wilders real-life experiences for an audience of children, scrubbing away the hard edges such as the death of a baby brother at 9 months of age and replacing stories of murders on the frontier with images of swimming holes and bonneted girls in dresses skipping through tall grasses and wildflowers.

Woodsides book also shines light on the political views of Wilder and her secret collaborator that were below the surface of the Little House series. Like many Americans, the Wilders were hit hard by the Great Depression. Both mother and daughter were dismayed with President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal and what they saw as Americans increasing dependence on the federal government. A life-long Democrat, Wilder grew disenchanted with her party and resented government agents who came to farms like hers and grilled farmers about the amount of acres they were planting.

They both hated the New Deal, Woodside says of Wilder and Lane. They thought the government was interfering in peoples lives, that individuals during the Depression were becoming very whiny and werent grabbing hold of their courage. The climate of America was really irritating them. The New Deal, for a lot of farmers and definitely the Wilders, made them change their politics.

An acquaintance of Ayn Rand and a critic of Keynesian economics, Lane would become an early theorist of the fledgling political movement that would eventually form the Libertarian Party in 1971. Neither woman set out to indoctrinate children with their political views, but their beliefs in individual freedom, free markets and limited government can be seen in the pages of the Little House books. Lane didnt explicitly use it as a political manifesto, Woodside says. She was being who she was, and they both felt strongly that the pioneers should be examples to people. It was inevitable she was going to flesh out the story by focusing things like free-market forces at work in the general store and farmers being free and independent.

While the Little House books emphasized self-reliance, at least two instances of government assistance that benefited the Ingalls family were downplayed. In addition to receiving their land in the Dakota Territory through the Homestead Act, it was the Dakota Territory that paid for the tuition of Mary Ingalls at the Iowa School for the Blind for seven years. Its an inconvenient fact, Woodside says. Rose suppressed that detail.

Ultimately, close quarters and close collaboration caused the fault lines between mother and daughter to reappear. The pair became estranged, and Lane moved to Connecticut, where in 1943 she wrote The Discovery of Freedom: Mans Struggle Against Authority, considered to be a libertarian manifesto. By World War II, Lane refused a ration card, grew and canned most of her food and deliberately curtailed her writing in order to pay as little tax as possible.

After inheriting the royalty rights to the Little House series after Wilders death in 1957, Lane donated money to the Freedom School in Colorado, a free-market academy that taught libertarian theory. When she died suddenly in 1968, future Little House royalties were bequeathed to her sole heir and political disciple, lawyer Roger Lea MacBride. In addition to becoming the first person to cast an electoral vote for a Libertarian Party ticket in 1972, MacBride was the Libertarian Party candidate for president four years later.

Both mother and daughter carried the secret of their collaboration to their graves. By the time a new generation of children were becoming exposed to Wilders stories through the Little House on the Prairie television show, on which MacBride served as a co-creator and co-producer, scholars were learning of the partnership from the womens letters and diaries. Laura and Rose were very clearly collaborators from day one on these books, Woodside says. Our understanding and celebrating that is essential to understanding why these books are so wonderful.

Little Libertarians on the Prairie: The Hidden Politics Behind a Children's Classic - History

Obama Kite Surfs With Richard Branson in Virgin Islands Holiday – NBCNews.com

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Jack Brockway / Virgin.com

Ever the competitors, Obama and Branson threw down the gauntlet the ex-president would learn to kite surf and mogul would master the foilboard (a surfboard with a hydrofoil that allows riders to glide over the water).

"We agreed to have a final-day battle to see who could stay up the longest," Branson wrote.

Branson admitted they both struggled to get the hang of their respective sports. And on the appointed day, the adventurous Brit said he was feeling good when he managed to ride his foilboard for about 50 meters, some three feet above the water.

"I was feeling very pleased with myself, only to look over and see Barack go 100 meters on his kiteboard!" Branson wrote. "I had to doff my cap to him and celebrate his victory."

PHOTOS -

Jack Brockway / Virgin.com

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Obama Kite Surfs With Richard Branson in Virgin Islands Holiday - NBCNews.com

China Just Buzzed A Bunch Of Japanese Islands That The US May Be Forced To Defend – Jalopnik

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Japanese Coast Guard members, photo credit: AP

Three Chinese Coast Guard ships encroached into waters right near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands yesterday, reports CNN. The Japanese Coast Guard says yesterdays incursion is Chinas fourth this year, which puts everyone right on pace to match 2016, in which 36 incidents took place. Mondays maritime jostle was just one of many face offs between the two regional powers over the chain of islands China claims are its territory.

Most media attention has focused on Chinas activities in the South China Sea, but the Senkaku Islands are arguably more contentious because the United States may or may not be forced to protect them under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, depending on who may or may not be the American President at any particular moment.

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that Article 5 of the treaty, which allows for the use of military force, covers the islands, during a press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Saturday. Mattis words are consistent with former president Barack Obamas commitment to Article 5 during his visit to Japan in 2014.

The Japan Times reported in December that Tokyo will spend 27 percent of its Coast Guard budget to increase patrols around the Senkaku Islandwhich are also disputed by Taiwanin response to Chinas moves.

The Senkaku Islandsalso known as the Diaoyu Islands in China or the Diaoyutai Islands in Taiwanare a disputed little slice of the Pacific Ocean. Not much more than a couple of uninhabited rocks, they were mostly used as navigational markers in the past. Annexed by Japan in 1895, they were controlled by the United States after World War II, until the U.S. withdrew in the early 1970s.

Complicating matters further, both China and Taiwan agree that the islands are part of Taiwan, though neither of them agree on what Taiwan is exactly.

How does the Trump administration view whats going on? Secretary of State Rex Tillersonsaid during his confirmation hearing last month that the U.S. may bar China from accessing its own artificially-build islands. And top White House aide Steve Bannon has long predicted a war between the U.S. and China, as we previously reported.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi rebuffed Bannons comments today, saying neither side would benefit from an armed conflict, according to the Guardian:

Any sober-minded politician, they clearly recognize that there cannot be conflict between China and the United States because both will lose, and both sides cannot afford that.

The real question now is how the U.S. will respond to Chinas persistent incursions. For now, the answer appears to be it wont.

For example, an international tribunal in the Hague ruled last summer that China built an artificial island that was inside of Philippine waters. Beijing, which did not participate in the proceedings, said it would not honor the ruling.

The U.S. has a defense pact with the Philippines, too. So much for that.

Instead of the Trump administration ratcheting up calls for an armed conflict, which would benefit no one, one option might be for the U.S. to start sanctioning Beijing for its actions.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla) introduced a bill last month that would sanction China over its maritime behavior. Here is what the bill would do, per his press release:

Require the president to impose sanctions and prohibit visas for Chinese individuals and entities who contribute to construction or development projects, and those who threaten the peace, security or stability of the South China Sea (SCS) or East China Sea (ECS);

Impose sanctions on foreign financial institutions that knowingly conduct or facilitate a significant financial transaction for sanctioned individuals and entities if China takes certain actions in the SCS or ECS, including declaring an air defense identification zone or increasing activities at Scarborough Shoal;

Mandate a report on individuals and entities involved in sanctionable activities, including some employees of certain Chinese companies;

Prohibit the publication of documents portraying the SCS or the ECS as part of China, investments in the SCS or the ECS, and the recognition of the annexation of the SCS or the ECS; and

Restrict foreign assistance to countries that recognize Chinas sovereignty in the SCS or the ECS.

The sanctions listed above would be a significant first step in challenging China over its maritime incursions, and would certainly get Beijings attention. Any actions against China should be measured and have a specific purpose, as were Obamas sanctions against the Kremlin over its annexation of Crimea and support of rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Ngo Di Lan and Truong-Minh Vu wrote in a paper published at the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative that the aim should be to hit back with proportional actions that force Beijing to reconsider its next move:

The U.S. retaliatory response to a Chinese action should be discrete, meaning a single, independent action that can be unilaterally or multilaterally carried out at will. A clear example was the sending of two B-52s to contest Chinas announcement of an air defense identification zone over the East China Sea in 2013.

It should be targeted instead of indiscriminate. This is important because it limits the risk of large-scale Chinese retaliations. At the same time, ensuring that U.S. actions are only aimed at those actively and directly engaged seeking to change the status quo in the South China Sea bolsters the legitimacy of the U.S. response. For instance, instead of imposing sweeping economic sanctions on China, the United States should respond to Chinas land reclamation by sanctioning companies involved in the process, such as the China Communications Construction Company Dredging firm.

The response should also be proportionate, in that its intensity should roughly match that of the Chinese act. This limits the risk of escalatory response while allowing the costs that China would have to suffer to vary according to its own actions.

And lastly, U.S response should be carried out immediately after a Chinese escalatory action to show that there is a cost to every misbehavior, as well as to negate any potential benefits that China could reap from its action. For instance, if China deploys surface to air missiles on its features in the Spratlys, the United States should help Vietnam and the Philippines acquire assets specifically designed to counteract those Chinese capabilities.

To stop China from continuing to change the status quo in the South China Sea and militarize the dispute, the United States must be able to deter effectively. And ultimately, the greatest value of flexible response lies in its ability to send an unambiguous deterrence signal to China. As long as U.S. responses rely on actions with a primary purpose other than deterrence, such as joint exercises and freedom of navigation operations, it is not able to send a message of resolve to China because it suggests Washington is not ready to bear the costs of directly confronting Chinas actions.

Comparatively, the Trump administration has yet to outline a clear China policy that doesnt go beyond sound bites. Pontificating about war with China over the airwaves of Breitbart or recklessly calling for a trade war with China isnt policy. Its bluster.

Based on Chinas consistent violation of its neighbors maritime sovereignty, there are strong arguments for America to honor its defense commitments to its allies in Asia. But its very unwise to respond with using the word war in any context.

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China Just Buzzed A Bunch Of Japanese Islands That The US May Be Forced To Defend - Jalopnik

New Mix: Future Islands, The Black Angels, Jacaszek, More – NPR

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Clockwise from upper left: Future Islands, Charly Bliss, The Black Angels, David Bazan Courtesy of the artists hide caption

It's starting to feel like every show this year is going to have music inspired or shaped in some way by social and political unrest. This week, that means a dark and gritty new cut about greed and corruption from The Black Angels, and singer David Bazan's (relatively) uplifting plea for empathy in his new song, "Care."

But we've also got plenty of other music to lift you up, including the wistful but celebratory new song from Future Islands called "Ran," and an epic, shape-shifting rock cut from the Athens, Ga. band Oak House. NPR Music's Lars Gotrich and Marissa Lorusso stop by the studio to turn us on to a couple of their favorite new discoveries, including some pure pop joy from a New York group called Charly Bliss, and the Japanese experimental psych-rock band Sundays & Cybele.

Bob also shares some arresting ear-candy from the Polish composer Jacaszek and the English singer-songwriter Johnny Flynn.

But we begin the show with some good news: "When the sun dies, the charred, lifeless remains of Earth will leave no evidence that humanity ever existed at all!"

Robin Hilton

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New Mix: Future Islands, The Black Angels, Jacaszek, More - NPR

Forest ‘islands’ offer refuge to wintering birds – Phys.Org

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

February 7, 2017 by Kelly April Tyrrell UW-Madison researchers studying forest microclimates show that these refuges may mean the difference between life and death for chickadees and their overwintering songbird kin. Credit: Jim Bauer

The polar vortex of 2013 and 2014 brought the coldest winter many parts of the Midwest had experienced in decades. In Dane County, Wisconsin, it was the coldest it had been in 35 years.

By coincidence, that same winter, University of WisconsinMadison graduate student Christopher Latimer was gathering data in fragments of forests and woodlots throughout the county. He wanted to know whether these forest "islands" created their own unique climatesmicroclimatesand what that could mean for overwintering birds like the black-capped chickadee.

In a recent study in the journal Ecography, Latimer and his co-author and advisor, UWMadison forest and wildlife ecology Professor Ben Zuckerberg, show that these forest refuges may mean the difference between life and death for chickadees and their overwintering songbird kin.

"All our predictions about climate change, from shifting temperatures to altered precipitation, play out over small-scale differences in microclimate, and they can be just as big as global climate," Zuckerberg says.

For example, Latimer and Zuckerberg found the microclimate variability was so high within the 30-mile study areawhich they call the "fragmentation gradient" in recognition of the mosaic nature of wooded areas in Dane Countythat a bird living in one part of the study area might experience a climate similar to Chicago while another might experience conditions more like those found in MinneapolisSaint Paul, 400 miles to the northwest.

Overall, they found that forests at slightly higher elevations, with more trees, and those closer to urban centers, provide warmer conditions for birds trying to survive frigid winters in southern Wisconsin. This is important, Latimer and Zuckerberg say, because chickadees must double the amount of energy they expend to keep warm when temperatures dip below minus 18 degrees Celsius or about zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Zuckerberg says the study results may help land managers prioritize conservation efforts that protect and create more forested habitat, particularly as more southerly bird species migrate northward in a warming climate.

To gather data, Latimer placed 68 devices that measure and record both light and temperature in 12 forested woodlots throughout Dane County. He hung the sensors from trees, about 1.5 meters from the ground, randomly located throughout the woods so they were at varying distances from the forest edges. Between December 2013 and February 2014, the sensors collected data every 30 minutes.

The Wisconsin researchers also assessed the vegetation within each woodlot because how much lightand therefore energy in the form of solar radiationthe forest holds via vegetation each day and releases each night might influence temperature. They estimated the density of the trees, measured tree width around each sensor, and calculated how far each sensor was from the edge of the woods. The team also measured relative elevation of the woodlot compared to a point just beyond it, the size of each forest patch, and also the distance to the nearest urban center.

Using satellite imagery, Latimer also determined the characteristics of the landscape surrounding each woodlot, calculating the percentage of agricultural land, forest and impervious surfacesidewalks, parking lots, roads and other asphalt or concrete features.

"When we talk about climate change we tend to think of climate in the absence of land use," Latimer says. "But the landscape has an influence on the magnitude of the climate effect and can exacerbate or mitigate it, impacting the spatial and temporal refuges available to certain species."

The researchers also compared their data to those gathered at local weather stations and predicted by accepted models. Weather stations are often located in open, flat regions and do not necessarily capture what's happening on a smaller scale in more wooded areas.

"We wanted to know how well current methods are capturing local conditions," says Latimer. "More than half of terrestrial biota (life) lives under forest canopies, and standard weather stations are not good at capturing below the canopy."

The study revealed that temperatures within the forest fragments were consistently warmer than climate models indicated and thus are not reflecting microclimates that are biologically significant to some species. Chickadees could experience a 40 percent reduction in survival in months with five or more days below minus 18 degrees Celsius, their energy-for-survival temperature threshold. While weather stations recorded 55 cumulative days below that temperature during the study period, the forest island sensors measured just 32 such days.

Forest fragments closer to urban centers were also found to be warmer, likely due to the urban heat island effect. Full of concrete and asphalt, temperatures in cities are often higher than in their nonurban, more vegetated counterparts. This, Latimer and Zuckerberg say, means having natural areas within and close to cities can provide "stepping stones" for southerly, less-cold-adapted birds surviving the winter months.

The researchers were most surprised to find that woodlots at higher elevations were warmer, which they say is likely due to a phenomenon called cold pooling, in which cooler air settles in lower-lying areas.

An example of this, Latimer says, can be seen in early spring on golf courses. The grass may be bare but there is still snow in sand traps because the cold air collects in the concavity.

Altogether, the study shows that forests matter for species seeking refuge from harsh climates. Fragmented forests, however, are less effective at dampening climate extremes, Latimer and Zuckerberg say, because they leak energy from their edges into the surrounding landscapes. This could intensify the energy costs for chickadees and other wintering species.

With the new data, "land managers can monitor for certain species in terms of microclimate management," says Zuckerberg, "and work to have less fragmentation, different vegetation, or locate refugia or parks in places that promote species survival."

Explore further: Climate change alters cast of winter birds

Over the past two decades, the resident communities of birds that attend eastern North America's backyard bird feeders in winter have quietly been remade, most likely as a result of a warming climate.

As Dane County begins the long slide into winter and the days become frostier this fall, three spots stake their claim as the chilliest in the area.

The soaring canopy and dense understory of an old-growth forest could provide a buffer for plants and animals in a warming world, according to a study from Oregon State University published today in Science Advances.

Research stemming from the EU-funded TERRAGEN project has found that forest fragmentation has prompted a decline in species sensitive to changes in light, moisture and temperature.

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Changes in climate and land use are expected to reduce the livable area for tropical frogs because these species will increasingly encounter temperatures hot enough to harm their behavior, reproduction and physiology. Climate ...

A new Duke University study has found high levels of selenium in fish in three North Carolina lakes receiving power plants' coal ash waste.

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Three new minerals discovered by a Michigan Tech alumnus are secondary crusts found in old uranium mines. They're bright, yellow and hard to find.

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Forest 'islands' offer refuge to wintering birds - Phys.Org

Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago move closer to Regional … – ESPNcricinfo.com

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Regional Super50 2017, Group A February 6, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff

Leeward Islands moved a step closer to clinching a spot in the semi-finals of the Regional Super50 with an eight-wicket win over West Indies Under-19 at North Sound on Monday. West Indies Under-19 were bowled out for 78 in 45.3 overs, 20 of which were maidens, after being sent in before Montcin Hodge and Jahmar Hamilton's unbeaten 72-run third-wicket stand clinched victory with one ball left in the 17th over.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein did most of the damage with the ball for Leewards, finishing with figures of 4 for 8 in ten overs with five maidens. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph plucked out the first two wickets, getting Shian Brathwaite and Emmanuel Stewart caught behind to make it 13 for 2. Hosein then ripped through the middle order to claim the next four wickets to make it 34 for 6. Captain Kirstan Kallicharan accounted for nearly half of West Indies Under-19's runs, scoring 33 at No. 6 before he was ninth out to left-arm spinner Jason Campbell with the score on 78 and Campbell cleaned up the tail for the last wicket with nothing added to the total.

Monday's results meant that West Indies Under-19 are the first team eliminated from semi-finals contention in either group. Leewards can clinch a semi-finals spot with a win in either of their final two group games against Trinidad & Tobago or Windward Islands. They can also qualify if Kent lose any of its final three group games against Trinidad & Tobago, Windward Islands or West Indies Under-19.

Trinidad & Tobago created an eight-point cushion over Kent for second place on the Group A table with a 32-run win over Windward Islands at Coolidge. Despite a 104-run opening stand between Evin Lewis and Kyle Hope, Windwards held T & T to 214 after sending them in, but could only manage 182 in reply.

Lewis propelled T&T early by dominating the opening stand with Hope, scoring 75 off 69 balls with 11 boundaries. Hope (29) and Nicholas Alexis (46) combined for another 75 as the top three accounted for the bulk of T&T's total. Denesh Ramdin was the only other batsman to reach double-figures, making 22 before he was dismissed by Kesrick Williams at the end of the 43rd over to make it 180 for 4. His wicket sparked a rapid collapse as T&T lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs and they couldn't last all 50 overs, bowled out in 47.5 as Williams, Shane Shillingford and Kavem Hodge took three wickets apiece.

Man of the Match Shannon Gabriel helped pin down Windwards' reply, taking two wickets with the new ball while Rayad Emrit and Khary Pierre struck once each in the space of three balls to make it 43 for 4 in the 15th over. Sunil Ambris resuscitated the chase, continuing his superb tournament with his fifth half-century in six matches. Ambris added 58 with Hodge (27) and another 50 with captain Liam Sebastien.

Gabriel though struck a controversial blow two balls into the 41st, claiming Sebastien leg-before, playing back to a good length ball which replays showed had pitched six inches outside leg stump to the left-handed Sebastien with Gabriel bowling over the wicket. With the tail exposed, Gabriel and Ravi Rampaul brought a swift end to play. Kyle Mayers fished an edge-behind off Rampaul for the seventh wicket before a pair of catches on the boundary by Alexis put T&T one away from victory which Gabriel sealed by bowling Williams with a full and straight ball two deliveries into the 47th, leaving Ambris stranded on 75. Gabriel's 5 for 33 was his maiden five-for in List A cricket and he did it in just 50 balls delivered.

A win for Trinidad & Tobago over Kent in their next match would clinch semi-final spots for both T & T and Leewards. Windwards are still mathematically alive, but need a pair of bonus point wins over Leeward Islands and Kent in their final two games, combined with three losses by Trinidad & Tobago and another Kent loss to West Indies Under-19.

ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

South Pacific Islands Say "No Thanks" To Western Junk Food – Co.Exist

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Torba Province, a collection of islands in the remote South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, has banned junk food. Western junk food, to be precise. Instead of leaning on unhealthy imports like candy, cookies, and rice, the islands will sustain themselves solely with their homegrown crops, and aim to become Vanuatu's first fully organic province by 2020.

"We are Vanuatus most isolated province and so far our health has stayed pretty good because of that, but we want to continue to be healthy," community leader and tourism boss Father Luc Dini told The Guardian. Torba is the northernmost province of Vanuatu, and its remote location has somewhat protected it from the ingress of junk. Dini added that other islands have adopted western diets and are suffering because of it: They have rotten teeth from the all the sugar, for example. "We dont want that to happen here and we dont want to develop the illnesses that come with a western junk food diet," Dini said.

Torba's population of 10,000 is mostly made up of subsistence farmers. Local foods include fish, crabs, shellfish, taro, yams, paw paw, and pineapple, according to The Guardian, which makes you wonder why the islanders would want to import the rice, candy, and canned fish that Dini says are ruining their health.

Mostly, it seems, the attraction to junk food has been convenience. Rice and noodles can just be tossed in a pot of boiling water and the work is done. "But they have almost no nutritional value and there is no need to eat imported food when we have so much local food grown organically on our islands," Dini said in The Guardian.

The islands' local chefs are on board with the plan, and as the first phase rolls out this week, touristic bungalowsthatched-roof huts that stand on stilts at the ocean's edgewill begin serving only locally-grown food. Legislation introduced over the next two years will ban all imported foods, though the jury remains out on how the laws will affect alcohol imports.

It's a noble goal, and one could have a measurable impact on locals' health. The promise of eating only local, organic food is also sure to attract a certain variety of mindful tourist, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: As travel becomes easier and the need for cross-cultural understanding grows more apparent, legislating an appreciation for local food is both a smart tourism move and a way for Torba to preserve its identity and culture.

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South Pacific Islands Say "No Thanks" To Western Junk Food - Co.Exist

Genomes in flux: New study reveals hidden dynamics of bird and mammal DNA evolution – Science Daily

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Genomes in flux: New study reveals hidden dynamics of bird and mammal DNA evolution
Science Daily
In order to test the hypothesis, his team needed to quantify something that wasn't there, the amount of DNA lost over many millenia. Feschotte and the study's lead author Aurlie Kapusta, Ph.D., a research associate in human genetics, developed methods ...

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Genomes in flux: New study reveals hidden dynamics of bird and mammal DNA evolution - Science Daily

Healthcare costs top worry for more Americans – Washington Examiner

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Significantly more Americans say paying for healthcare is their top concern compared to two years ago, according to a new Monmouth University poll.

The costs of healthcare have surpassed job and unemployment concerns as the biggest concerns facing American families right now. Twenty-five percent of respondents cited healthcare costs as their biggest worries this year.

That's a significant increase from two years ago. Back in 2015, equal numbers of respondents around 15 percent cited healthcare costs, jobs or unemployment as their top worries.

And healthcare topped worries among all the respondents, regardless of their income level or partisan identity.

Stay abreast of the latest developments from nation's capital and beyond with curated News Alerts from the Washington Examiner news desk and delivered to your inbox.

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As concerns over healthcare costs rise, Republicans are working on repealing big parts of the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with some of their own ideas. But it's unclear whether their changes would make coverage more affordable for people, especially lower-income earners who struggle to pay monthly premiums and cost-sharing.

While the Affordable Care Act has broadened coverage, many Americans, particularly those buying their own insurance, have complained that coverage has become less affordable.

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Federal appeals court will rule on executive order, which may then be taken up by Supreme Court.

02/07/17 1:50 PM

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Healthcare costs top worry for more Americans - Washington Examiner

America’s biggest worry isn’t terrorism or crime – Sacramento Bee

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

TPM

America's biggest worry isn't terrorism or crime
Sacramento Bee
American families aren't as worried about terrorism or crime as they are about paying their health care bills, a new poll suggests. Health care costs have emerged as the No. 1 concern for American families, according to a new national Monmouth ...
Poll: Americans More Concerned About Health Care Costs Than TerrorismTPM
Poll: Health care cost tops American's biggest concernsAsbury Park Press
Monmouth Poll: Healthcare Costs Biggest Concern for American FamiliesObserver
FOX News Radio (blog)
all 6 news articles »

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America's biggest worry isn't terrorism or crime - Sacramento Bee

Tuesday Sector Leaders: Healthcare, Technology & Communications – Forbes

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Forbes

Tuesday Sector Leaders: Healthcare, Technology & Communications
Forbes
The best performing sector as of midday Tuesday is the Healthcare sector, higher by 0.2%. Within the sector, Centene Corp (NYSE: CNC) and Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) are two of the day's stand-outs, showing a gain of 5.8% and 2.4%, respectively.

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Tuesday Sector Leaders: Healthcare, Technology & Communications - Forbes

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