Monthly Archives: June 2012

Liberty Media Beats Vivendi in Court

Posted: June 27, 2012 at 12:13 am

Englewood, Colorado-based Liberty Media Corporation (LMCA) has won a legal petition, filed in 2003, against French entertainment group Vivendi Universal S.A. According to the verdict, the French media giant will have to pay $956 million in damages to Liberty Media Corp. in a breach of contract case. We believe that the receipt of the compensation payment will significantly boost Liberty Medias already impressive liquidity position.

Liberty Media Corp. claimed that the French media group had deceived it while buying the American media conglomerates stake in Barry Dillers USA Networks for $10.3 billion. According to the deal, Liberty Media received 32 million treasury shares of Vivendi in addition to another 5.2 million shares for its stake in a European cable joint venture with Vivendi. After the deal, Liberty Media accused that despite going through a liquidity crisis Vivendi have presented a well balanced picture of its financial condition before the deal, which led to an increase in its share value, thus making the share acquisition from the French company more expensive.

Liberty Media, which has its own interest in a wide range of media companies including Starz Media LLC, True Position Inc, Sirius XM (SIRI), also wants to claim prejudgment interest which could almost double the reward for them. However, Vivendi has protested vehemently against the verdict and denied any wrongdoing. It is believed that the reward money wont be final until other pending issues are settled.

These types of charges are not new for Vivendi; it had been found guilty of misleading shareholders 57 times from 2000 to 2002 about its financial status. We believe that Liberty may pursue its investment interest in Barnes and Noble Inc. (BKS).

Recommendation:

We are maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on Liberty Media Corporation. Currently Liberty Media Corporation has a Zacks #3 Rank, implying a short-term Hold rating on the stock.

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Liberty Media Beats Vivendi in Court

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Drive

Posted: at 12:13 am

Dangerous livesa lot of rappers like to brag about leading them. But Billy Bloodshot faces more danger than most.

Any day, you could find me dead on the side of the road, says the 29-year-old aspiring MC, who, by day, drives a truck hauling petroleum, which he describes as riding around with an 80,000-pound bomb on my back.

Any situation where you know life could be over changes things, but I face it every day, he says. When youre going down a mountain at 90 mph with that 80,000 pounds behind you, it changes your perspective. I been in some street situations, but this is a whole different level.

Bloodshot spent a number of years on the street. I aint gonna lie and say I was some kind of kingpin. I was doing what everybody else in the white Ts is doing, he says of his past. The money was pretty good, and I was good. Then I had a son. I know people with five kids and theyre still jumping fences to hide from the police. I didnt want my son to come up like that. When I first got this job and got insurance and went to the doctor and it was coveredI liked that.

With this job and his family, Bloodshot says that he is in the best place Ive ever been in my life. Thats why he wants to give up the rap gamesort of.

Bloodshot is hanging out, as he often does on his days off, drinking Boh with his sister Akaia Gamble in the house she shares with her longtime boyfriend Will B. Smilardo. The house smells invitingly of Old Bay from the crab house next-door and is decorated with eclectic and antique furniture. Portraits of MLK and JFK hang side by side on the wall. A rabbit hops around, chewing up whatever it can get its teeth on.

Bloodshot and his sister are black, and Smilardo, also a truck driver, is white, and hes Bloodshots biggest supporter. He is a talker, and he wont shut up when it comes to Billy Bloodshots music.

Theres nobody out there doing anything as good as Billy, Smilardo says to anyone who will listen. He contacted City Paper about Bloodshot and maintains the SoundCloud account called da CRABCAKE . . . (BMores Best Jumbo THUMP, NO FILLERS!).

Hes obsessed with Billys music, Akaia says of her boyfriend with a good-natured eye-roll.

Bloodshot himself is a different storyhaunted by rap, he says, he can neither quit it nor entirely embrace it. He was reluctant to talk to CP, and he doesnt do live shows. He is interested in the art, but he sees little need for the business and promotional ends of the game and seems happy to take a trip to the studio every couple months.

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Drive

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Supreme Court affirms corporate free speech

Posted: at 12:10 am

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court's affirmation Monday that corporations have the right to engage in direct political activity squelched a long-shot hope of campaign finance reform advocates of rolling back Citizens United, the 2010 decision that ushered in a new era of unbridled campaign spending.

In a 5-4 decision, the court summarily overturned a century-old Montana state law that banned corporate political expenditures, saying it conflicted with the First Amendment speech rights of corporations contained in the Citizens United case.

The ruling, while expected, served to underline the bleak landscape facing proponents of campaign finance regulations just a decade after the landmark McCain-Feingold Act restricted large, unregulated donations in federal elections.

Now, not only can corporations spend unlimited amounts of money on politics, but the 2012 campaign has been marked by the explosive growth of 'super PACs" independent political committees produced by a lower court decision that followed Citizens United and fueled by wealthy individuals and private companies. And with Monday's action, the Supreme Court made it clear that any state laws seeking to ban corporate political expenditures are unconstitutional.

Such spending is "threatening the health of our democracy," said White House spokesman Eric Schultz, adding that the court missed an opportunity to correct the "mistake" it made in Citizens United.

The silver lining, reform advocates hope, is that the return of big money into the system will trigger a public backlash.

"By the time this election is over, the country is going to look at the campaign finance system we have and think it is corrupt and insane," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21. "And this is going to create major new opportunities for reform. When the country demands change, elected officials tend to pay attention."

But the court's ruling in the Montana case makes it that much harder to curtail Citizens United, in part because it affirmed the idea that independent expenditures are not corrupting. Without a change in the makeup of the court, overturning the decision will require a constitutional amendment, no small feat.

In the meantime, campaign finance reformers find themselves fending off challenges to remaining laws, particularly disclosure rules now being assailed by conservatives.

The Montana case hinged on a law dating to 1912 that attempted to curb the immense influence copper mining companies then exerted in state politics. (One so-called Copper King, William Andrews Clark, secured a U.S. Senate seat in 1899 by bribing state lawmakers.)

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Supreme Court affirms corporate free speech

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Azerbaijan crackdown on free speech continues amid activists’ release

Posted: at 12:10 am

The release last Friday of nine activists in Azerbaijan jailed since last spring for organising peaceful protests against the government should not distract international attention from an ongoing crackdown on free expression in the country, Amnesty International has warned.

While we welcome the long overdue release of these nine protesters, they should never have been behind bars in the first place, said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Director at Amnesty International.

The release came ahead of todays vote on a report on political prisoners in Azerbaijan by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in Strasbourg. The report prepared by Christopher Strasser, a German MP denied entry to the country, lists around 100 alleged political prisoners who should be released immediately or given a fair trial. The report was adopted by a narrow majority.

Amnesty International very much welcomes the adoption of Strassers report and urges the Azeri authorities to cooperate with the Parliamentary Assembly in the resolving this longstanding issue said Dalhuisen.

The nine activists recognised as Prisoners of Conscience by Amnesty International released Friday night are Arif Hajili, Tural Abbasli, Rufat Hajibaili, Ahad Mammadli, Mahammad Majidli, Zulfugar Eyvazov, Sahib Karimov, Ulvi Guliyev and Babek Hasanov.

In an act presumably intended to stop his campaigning activity, Tural Abbasli, the leader of the youth wing of the opposition Musavat Party, has been summoned to begin military service in July.

The day before President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree ordering the release of the nine, Hilal Mamedov, the editor of a minority language newspaper, was arrested on spurious drugs charges.

The arrest followed Mamedovs posting on Youtube of an Azerbaijani rap battle entitled Who are you, come on, off you go which became a viral hit and was subsequently adapted by opposition campaigners in Russia to attack President Putin.

Local rights activists suspect he was arrested partly to prevent greater media interest in the rights of the Talysh minority he campaigns to protect following the videos publication.

He was detained by police without explanation, taken to a police station and searched, where officers claim to have found a package containing 5 grams of heroin on him. They claim to have found a further 20 grams in his home.

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Azerbaijan crackdown on free speech continues amid activists’ release

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Fight bullying, but protect religious, political speech

Posted: at 12:10 am

After years of benign neglect neglect that was anything but benign for the victims bullying has finally moved to the top of the school-climate agenda.

Today, 49 states and the District of Columbia have anti-bullying laws in place (Montana is the lone holdout). The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance on how schools can fight bullying and harassment. And many local school districts are moving vigorously to address a serious and widespread problem.

But as school officials act to stop bullying, they need to know when and where to draw the line on student expression. The challenge is to stop bullies without overreacting by censoring students' protected religious and political speech.

It goes without saying that creating and sustaining a safe learning environment is job one for school administrators. But how can public schools balance the need for school safety with a commitment to freedom of expression?

To help answer this question, a coalition of 17 education and religious groups released guidelines on May 22 designed to help public schools combat bullying and harassment while simultaneously upholding the rights of students to free speech and free exercise of religion under the First Amendment.

Harassment, Bullying and Freedom of Expression: Guidelines for Free and Safe Public Schools has been endorsed by diverse religious voices such as the Christian Legal Society, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Hindu American Foundation, as well as leading educational associations, including the National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators and the National Association of State Boards of Education. (A full list of endorsers and the text of the guide are available at http://www.religiousfreedomeducation.org).

My own organization, the First Amendment Center's Religious Freedom Education Project, worked closely with the American Jewish Committee over the past year to produce the document.

As the guidelines explain, much harassment and bullying is physical, targeting an individual student or classes of students for unwanted touching, bodily assault or threats of violence. Prohibiting such actions in schools raises no First Amendment concerns.

But bullying can also be verbal, creating a hostile school climate. Following current law, the guidelines draw a distinction between student speech that expresses an idea, including religious and political views, and student speech that is intended to cause (or school officials demonstrate is likely to cause) emotional or psychological harm to the listener.

The former is, in most circumstances, protected speech, but the latter may and should be stopped.

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Fight bullying, but protect religious, political speech

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Baseball: Freedom P Jose Rodriguez commits to Waubonsee CC

Posted: June 26, 2012 at 2:15 am

Mon. June 25, 2012 |

Freedom pitcher Jose Rodriguez has committed to Waubonsee (Ill.) Community College, former Patriots coach A.J. Leppla said Monday. With Rodriguez's commitment, Freedom has three college commits in the same class for the first time in school history.

Rodriguez (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) made two appearances for the Patriots (15-10) last season and earned a save in a 5-2 win over East Bay.

"He only threw a handful of innings or so for us, but was an outstanding young man to have in our program," Leppla said in a text message. "I've very proud of his hard work and dedication to his teammates and coaches, and I know he's going to do well up there."

Leppla, who resigned June 14 after three years, led Freedom to its first winning season in the program's nine-year history and advanced to the Class 7A region quarterfinals.

Kyle and Eric Schindler, twin brothers, both committed to St. Petersburg College in May.

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Charlotte’s roster of Freedom Schools is booming

Posted: at 2:15 am

The stream of public-school students getting off the bus at the private Providence Day School last week illustrates a summer trend: Freedom Schools are popping up across Charlotte.

The schools, created by the national Childrens Defense Fund in 1992, are six-week summer programs designed to boost reading skills and self-confidence among disadvantaged children in elementary and middle school.

Staff, parents and students at Providence Day this summer joined the growing number of churches, universities and other groups hosting the schools. With 25 sites up from 15 last summer Charlottes program is the biggest in the country.

Energized by the surge of interest, Freedom School Partners aims to boost enrollment from 1,600 kids this year to 5,000 in 2016.

If we can solve summer learning loss and get kids excited about reading, we can change the world, says Executive Director Mary Nell McPherson.

With the economy still rocky, why are people stepping up to a challenge that requires an investment $60,000 for a 50-student site? The cost is $200 a week per child; families pay only a one-time signup fee of $35.

McPherson likes to talk about magic. Theres the buoyant energy of the morning Harambee ceremony, where college students lead younger children in songs and chants to psych themselves up. Theres the joy of adult volunteers reading to crowds of rapt children, who go home with arms full of books.

For the more practical-minded, theres a measurable chance to help struggling schools and students. Teachers spend nine months working to get kids up to grade level, only to watch gains slip away when summers are spent in front of TVs or video games. National research indicates that summer slippage is one of the biggest contributors to the gap in academic performance between children of poverty and their classmates from middle- and upper-income families.

Schools help Freedom Schools identify children who need some academic help and arent likely to get good summer enrichment activities otherwise. The scholars, as participants are called, spend their mornings reading, in groups and on their own, with lots of access to stories about people who have achieved success despite obstacles. Afternoons are for summer fun and educational field trips, much like other camps.

UNC Charlotte researchers have tested Charlottes Freedom School students on reading skills for the last three summers, and found that at least 90 percent held steady or saw gains.

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Charlotte’s roster of Freedom Schools is booming

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Freedom Fourth Celebration Lights the Sky Near Lodging in Albuquerque

Posted: at 2:15 am

ALBUQUERQUE, NM--(Marketwire -06/25/12)- Lighting up the majestic New Mexico sky, the finale fireworks of the annual Freedom Fourth celebration in Albuquerque are sure to be spectacular and with special deals at prominent hotels in Albuquerque, travelers can easily enjoy all the festivities along with the comforts of gracious accommodations.

Encompassing the entire 360-acre Balloon Fiesta Park, this year's Freedom Fourth will boast an abundance of live music, family entertainment, food and fireworks as Albuquerque celebrates the Fourth of July. Musical entertainment is slated to begin at 4 p.m. featuring a variety of bands and a special Presentation of Colors by the Falcon Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol is set for 7:50. The legendary country band Diamond Rio will take to the main stage at 8 p.m. and the much anticipated fireworks display will conclude the event beginning at 9:15.

Conveniently located next to the festivities, the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North hotel has created a special package in honor of the celebration, making it easy for travelers and locals to share in the excitement as music fills the air and fireworks light up the already brilliant New Mexico sky. Available only for a limited time, this Albuquerque Marriott's "Freedom Fourth" package includes complimentary breakfast for two, a welcome amenity and deluxe accommodations at a rate of just $124.99*. An upgraded package is also available that includes a room with view of the fireworks for just $149.99*.

These distinctive accommodations in Albuquerque are an ideal choice for those planning a Fourth of July stay in New Mexico's largest city and can easily be booked online by using promotional code FOO at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/abqmc-albuquerque-marriott-pyramid-north/ or by calling 1-800-262-2043.

A perfect opportunity for creating a summer getaway, guests of this stylish lodging in Albuquerque find themselves not only near Balloon Fiesta Park, but located on I-25 in the Journal Center Business Complex with easy access to popular Albuquerque attractions including Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, Historic Old Town and award-winning golf courses.

For added enjoyment, this Albuquerque hotel with indoor pool features the Sandia Grille for full menu breakfast, lunch and dinner options; the High Desert Lounge located inside the hotel's spacious atrium which features a relaxing two-story waterfall; a well-equipped fitness facility and full-service business center.

*Rates are per room per night and valid only 7/1/12 through 7/9/12 based on availability at the time of reservation. Offer is not valid for groups of 10 or more rooms and may not be combined with any other discount or promotion.

About the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid NorthThe Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North welcomes guests with warm and vibrant accommodations set against the picturesque Sandia Mountains, attentive service and luxurious amenities. While the hotel offers an array of spacious guest rooms and well-appointed suites, this sophisticated Marriott hotel property also houses 27,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, ideal for business meetings, corporate conferences and elegant social gatherings.

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Freedom Fourth Celebration Lights the Sky Near Lodging in Albuquerque

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Fuel Freedom’s Yossie Hollander Tells Chapman University TEDx Conference How to “End Our Oil Addiction”

Posted: at 2:15 am

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fuel Freedom Foundation Co-Founder Yossie Hollander told the first TEDx audience at Chapman University on June 21st that American consumers could have $2-a-gallon transportation fuel tomorrow if alternative fuels like natural gas, methanol, ethanol and electricity were allowed to compete at the pump with gasoline.

More than 750 people attended the TEDxChapmanU conference, an independently organized event licensed by TED. An additional 11,000 people registered online to watch the event and Hollanders address, Ending Our Oil Addiction, streaming from the campus in Orange, CA. Hollander was among a group of speakers, including automotive innovator Henrick Fisker and Freedom Writers founder Erin Gruwell, who spoke at the event, titled: Icons, Geniuses and Mavericks.

Your car right now could be converted for $100 or less to run on liquid replacement fuels that cost $2-a-gallon, said Hollander. But it is not legal. Fuels exist today that are cheaper and cleaner than gasoline, are available and will generate American jobs. What we need is competition, like we have in every other market. I can buy whatever television I want, whatever cell phone I want. Americans should be able to buy whatever fuel they want to power their cars.

Standing in the way, Hollander said, are a closed fuel distribution system and outdated regulations. He noted, for example, that the electric carmaker Tesla Motors had to pay a $275,000 fine to the EPA because it didnt have an emissions certificate. Apparently, you need to test emissions for an electric car as well, Hollander said to widespread laughter. Electric vehicles, of course, produce no exhaust.

Hollander pointed out that the breakneck pace of urbanization in China, India and other developing nations will keep global oil prices high despite dramatic increases in domestic U.S. drilling and efforts to conserve oil use and make gasoline engines more efficient. The only way to lower gasoline prices significantly and permanently is to open the markets to competition from replacement fuels, he said.

About Fuel Freedom

The Fuel Freedom Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the U.S. economys oil addiction through the development of cheaper, cleaner, American-made fuels. Americans could easily convert their cars to run on replacement fuels for gasoline, but outdated regulations and entrenched commercial interests stand in the way. The Fuel Freedom campaign aims to remove barriers to competition so that natural gas, methanol, ethanol and electricity can compete on equal footing with gasoline at the pump and at the dealership. Achieving Fuel Freedom will lower fuel prices, create jobs, spur economic growth, reduce pollution, and improve national and global security. For more information go to the Foundations website at: http://www.fuelfreedom.org; Facebook: FuelFreedomFoundation (https://www.facebook.com/FuelFreedomFoundation); and Twitter: @FuelFreedomNow.

About TEDx

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

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Fuel Freedom’s Yossie Hollander Tells Chapman University TEDx Conference How to “End Our Oil Addiction”

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Liberty career fair draws laid-off mill workers, others

Posted: at 2:15 am

Photo by Nathan Gray

Janelle Hick, left, director of health care at Tri-County Technical College, talks with Hattie Rhone at a job fair and training expo at Pickens County Career and Technology Center.

Photo by Nathan Gray

Daniel Blake fills out an application during a job fair and training expo at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center.

Photo by Nathan Gray

Michelle Neeley, left, of Goodwill, talks with Cathy Lostraglio and Cheryl Drummond at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center during a job fair and training expo.

Photo by Nathan Gray

Susan Finley, right, of the Pickens County Adult Learning Center talks with former Liberty Denim employees about their GED at a job fair and training expo at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center.

LIBERTY For five years, Brandi Chambers worked as a weaver at Liberty Denim, but when the mill closed in December she turned her attention to earning her high school diploma. On Monday, she sat in a room at the Pickens County Career and Technology Center using a laptop to register for general education diploma classes.

Chambers, who is 24, was one of about 120 people who visited a career fair at the center Monday. They applied for positions at 26 companies in the Upstate such as Walmart, Hampton Inn and YH America, an automotive power steering and air conditioning manufacturer. Others inquired about federal unemployment benefits and furthering their training and education. Tri-County Technical College, Pickens Adult Education and the Liberty South Carolina Works Center sponsored the fair.

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