iPhone 8がじゃんぱらで値下がり、未使用品が税込49980円
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Appleの4.7型スマートフォン「iPhone 8」の未使用品が久々に5万円割れ、じゃんぱら秋葉原5号店で特価販売されています。店頭価格は税込49,980円.
August 25, 2019 at 06:00AM
Saturday, August 24, 2019
iPhone 8がじゃんぱらで値下がり、未使用品が税込49980円
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Appleの4.7型スマートフォン「iPhone 8」の未使用品が久々に5万円割れ、じゃんぱら秋葉原5号店で特価販売されています。店頭価格は税込49,980円.
August 25, 2019 at 06:00AM
Virginia Marks 400th Anniversary of Slave Ship Arrival
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Virginia Marks 400th Anniversary of Slave Ship Arrival
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced Saturday a new state commission to review educational standards for teaching black history in the state, as officials observed the arrival of enslaved Africans to what is now Virginia 400 years ago.
Northam, who noted ``we are a state that for too long has told a false story of ourselves,'' spoke at the 2019 African Landing Commemorative Ceremony in Hampton. The event was part of a weekend of ceremonies that are unfolding in the backdrop of rising white nationalism across the country and a lingering scandal surrounding Northam and a blackface photo.
Northam said he signed a directive to create the commission to review instructional practices, content and resources currently used to teach African American history in the state.
``We often fail to draw the connecting lines from those past events to our present day, but to move forward, that is what we must do,'' said Northam, a Democrat. ``We know that racism and discrimination aren't locked in the past. They weren't solved with the Civil Rights Act. They didn't disappear. They merely evolved.''
In February, Northam faced intense pressure to resign after a racist picture surfaced from his 1984 medical school yearbook page. He denied being in the picture but admitted to wearing blackface as a young man while portraying Michael Jackson at a dance party in the 1980s.
On Saturday, Northam said he has met with people around the state over the past several months to listen to views about inequities that still exist, prompting him to confront ``some painful truths.''
``Among those truths was my own incomplete understanding regarding race and equity,'' Northam said. ``I have learned a great deal from those discussions, and I have more to learn, but I also learned that the more I know, the more I can do.''
The event was held on Chesapeake Bay, where ships traded men and women from what's now Angola for supplies from English colonists. The landing in August 1619 is considered a pivotal moment that presaged a system of race-based slavery.
``The legacy of racism continues not just in isolated incidents, but as part of a system that touches every person and every aspect of our lives, whether we know it or not, and if we're serious about righting the wrong that began here at this place, we need to do more than talk,'' Northam said. ``We need to take action.''
U.S. Representative Karen Bass, a California Democrat who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus and attended the event, said it was important to hear the truth about the nation's past, ``not just the parts that make us feel good, but the difficult parts as well.''
``The sad thing about our nation and why we continue to have the issues we do is because we have denied part of our history, and I believe that if the entire nation could experience, could learn and understand our true and full history, we might not be witnessing the resurrection of hate,'' Bass said.
Saturday's event is one of several commemorating the arrival. A family that traces its roots to the Africans gathered at a cemetery Friday. A bell will ring at the landing spot during Sunday's ``Healing Day.''
Bells also are scheduled to ring Sunday in Vicksburg National Military Park — a Civil War battleground in Mississippi — as well as during events in Alabama.
August 25, 2019 at 05:25AM
VOA Town Hall Looks at Legacy of Slavery in US
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VOA Town Hall Looks at Legacy of Slavery in US
In August of 1619, several Africans were brought to Virginia in bondage, beginning more than two centuries of slavery in the United States. 400 years later, scholars at VOA's town hall with Norfolk State University take a look at slavery's bitter roots and it's lasting impacts in the nation. VOA's Jesusemen Oni has this report.
August 25, 2019 at 04:36AM
Nigeria's Prisons Set to Undergo Long-Awaited Reforms
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Nigeria's Prisons Set to Undergo Long-Awaited Reforms
After Clinton Kanu was arrested and charged with murder in 1993, he spent 13 years in prison awaiting trial. He waited another 14 years on death row at a prison in southern Nigeria.
He says that prison is horrible and that his entire youth was wasted in an awful situation.
In April this year, Nigeria's Supreme Court acquitted Kanu, saying there was not enough evidence to prove he committed murder. After 27 years in prison, Kanu was released.
It's cases like Kanu's that a prison reform bill signed into law this month by President Muhammadu Buhari is aimed at addressing. The new law, which changed the name of the Nigerian Prison Service to the Nigerian Correctional Service, has been described as unprecedented in Nigeria.
Francis Enobore, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, told VOA the new law was inspired by prison reform initiatives being taken in other countries.
Nigeria's prison service currently has about 250 prisons and 74,000 inmates.
The recently passed law may fix what many say is the most glaring problem in the sector: overcrowding. The prison where Kanu was on death row houses more than 4,000 inmates; it was built for 804.
The new law allows comptrollers to reject additional prisoners when the prison in question is already filled to capacity.
Ways to avoid prison
The law also addresses overcrowding by administering community service, parole and meditation between the offender and the offended. This is so those convicted of minor or petty crimes can avoid prison.
There's also an option for judges to change a death sentence to life imprisonment if an inmate sentenced to death has exhausted all appeals and 10 years have elapsed without the execution of the sentence.
Nigeria currently has the highest number of death sentences in sub-Saharan Africa, with 621 people sentenced to death in 2017 and more than 2,000 inmates on death row, according to Amnesty International.
Giving judges the option to commute death sentences could be a game-changer. But legal analysts and activists like Sylvester Uhaa are already expressing concern about implementation.
Sometimes, Uhaa said, money intended for implementation is not released to the relevant agencies. But corruption is also an issue, he added.
Since 2008, Uhaa has directed the Nigeria chapter of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, or CURE. He's among the activists and policymakers who have been waiting for the approval of the 11-year-old bill.
One area the reform law does not address is transparency in contracting for prison services. Earlier this month, about 50 inmates at a prison in Keffi tried to escape, complaining of being poorly fed, forced to live in unsanitary conditions and not receiving medical attention. The prison also has a problem with sewage disposal and a severe shortage of drinking water.
Monies are budgeted for feeding. Monies are budgeted for drugs," Uhaa said. "So why are inmates not getting the food that they need to get? Who is getting these contracts to feed these inmates? Can we know the people and how much is involved?
Large backlog
Slowness and corruption in the country's criminal justice system have resulted in an enormous backlog of cases. Out of the nearly 74,000 inmates in the country, only about 24,000 have actually been convicted. That's means 68 percent of the total prison population is awaiting trial.
A section in the law mandates that steps be taken to speed up these cases. Such a mandate could have drastically reduced Kanu's 27 years in prison.
At 56, he's still getting used to his newfound freedom. He's been applying for work at human rights organizations, where he hopes to focus on prison reform.
August 25, 2019 at 04:33AM
Elle Macpherson, 55, shows off massage technique that she claims shrinks her waist
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Elle Macpherson, 55, shows off massage technique that she claims shrinks her waist Elle Macpherson is a huge fan of a new beauty technique.
August 25, 2019 at 04:32AM
Florida teacher placed on leave after telling students he'd 'be the best school shooter'
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Florida teacher placed on leave after telling students he'd 'be the best school shooter' A Florida high school teacher was placed on administrative leave after reportedly bragging to students on Aug 13 that he would make a great school shooter and describing ways he would go about the violent act.
August 25, 2019 at 01:02AM
Trump in France for G-7 Summit Where Consensus Is Unlikely
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Trump in France for G-7 Summit Where Consensus Is Unlikely
U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Biarritz, France, to attend the Group of 7 summit, a meeting of the world's most advanced democracies.
Immediately after his arrival on Saturday, Trump had lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders reiterated their desire to work together as they discuss a range of issues including climate change, Syria, North Korea, Ukraine and Iran this weekend.
Macron called Trump his "special guest." Dismissing reports of a rift with his host, Trump said that he and Macron "actually have a lot in common" and "have been friends a long time."
"So far, so good," Trump said, "The weather is fantastic. Everybody's getting along. I think we will accomplish a lot this weekend."
French wine
As he left the White House on Friday night, however, Trump threatened to to impose tariffs on French wine if France imposed a tax on U.S. tech companies.
"If they do that ...we'll be taxing their wine like they've never seen before," Trump said.
Trump first hinted at taxing French wine in a tweet last month.
France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies. If anybody taxes them, it should be their home Country, the USA. We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron's foolishness shortly. I've always said American wine is better than French wine!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2019
On a briefing to reporters, a senior administration official said the president is "not going to back down in the face of countries like France going after our industry." The official said that discussions on economic growth have been scheduled for Sunday as a "last minute" request by the White House, where Trump is expected to push leaders on his trade agenda.
Speaking Friday ahead of the summit, European Council President Donald Tusk warned that trade wars between members of the G-7 will lead to "weakened trust" among them.
Myriad issues
Trump's threat to punish one of the most iconic industries of his host country ahead of the summit is adding to the tension among G-7 leaders, who remain at odds over issues ranging from climate change, how to deal with China and Iran, whether to bring Russia back into the fold, and Britain's exit from the European Union.
With these deep divisions, consensus seems unlikely.
Tusk has acknowledged that "it has been increasingly difficult for us to find common language." Meanwhile, Macron declared earlier there will be no joint communique at the end of the summit, citing disagreements involving Trump and other leaders on the key issues as one of the reasons.
It will be the first time in G-7 history that a summit will end without a communique.
Trump-Johnson
One of the most highly anticipated bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit is between Trump and Boris Johnson, who took over as British prime minister after Theresa May failed to deliver on Brexit.
With less than three months until the deadline, Johnson was hammering the message earlier this week to get his country out of the EU in meetings with Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Johnson is hoping his meeting with Trump can further the prospect of a bilateral trade deal post-Brexit.
Analysts say such a deal is unlikely.
"There may be some people in the Trump camp who hope that there's going to be some discussion of a U.S. – U.K. trade agreement," said Matthew Goodman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "but I don't think that's very likely until the issues around Brexit are resolved."
Tusk has stressed that the bloc will not cooperate with Britain on a no-deal Brexit. He said, "we are willing to listen to ideas that are operational, realistic and acceptable to all EU member states," but he added that he hopes Johnson will not go down in history as "Mr. No Deal."
Trump is a long-time supporter of Brexit. In June, ahead of his visit to Britain, Trump urged Britain to go for a no-deal Brexit if it does not like the terms offered by the EU.
"If you don't get the deal you want, if you don't get a fair deal, then you walk away," he said.
Trump and Johnson are known as controversial and unpredictable personalities. Many will be watching what kind of headlines the two leaders will generate in the summit over the weekend.
August 25, 2019 at 12:46AM
Tom Brady, Mario Lopez thirst over Mark Wahlberg's incredible abs
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Tom Brady, Mario Lopez thirst over Mark Wahlberg's incredible abs Mark Wahlberg is flaunting his hard work at the gym.
August 24, 2019 at 11:05PM
How US Government's 'Remain in Mexico' Plan Unfurled Into Confusion
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How US Government's 'Remain in Mexico' Plan Unfurled Into Confusion
This is the second story in a series on how the U.S. government's Migrant Protection Protocols are being carried out in Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Read the first story here.
VOA News Center Immigration Reporter Ramon Taylor, and VOA Spanish Service reporters Jorge Agobian and Celia Mendoza contributed to this report.
Like border cities everywhere, Nuevo Laredo is a portal. People and merchandise cross the five road and rail bridges between the U.S. and Mexico every day, in both directions, for work, school, business meetings, shopping, family visits, doctor appointments - the quotidian building blocks of life along the Rio Grande.
Pay 25 cents and you can walk right across Puente #1, as it's known colloquially, in a few minutes if you're in a rush and there's no line at the immigration agent desks.
Formally the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, it links Laredo's historic city center neighborhood of San Agustin, to the commercial strip of shops, pharmacies and low-key lunchtime restaurants on Nuevo Laredo's Avenida Guerrero.
It's at the end of this bridge, when entering Mexico from the U.S., in the parking lot built for buses and trucks at the Mexican immigration agency's customs office, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have dropped off migrants and asylum-seekers sent back to Mexico under the Trump administration's Migration Protection Protocols (MPP) policy to wait for their immigration court dates.
"In Nuevo Laredo, we're used to seeing a lot of migrants (traveling through), historically," said Raul Cárdenas Thomae, secretary of the Nuevo Laredo city council. "But in the last few months, the number of people crossing into the U.S. has definitely increased."
Register in Mexico
At first, asylum-seekers would register with Mexico's National Institute of Migration, which in turn would share lists of the asylum-seekers with the U.S. government, Cárdenas Thomae said. The list would allow the asylum-seekers to schedule an initial hearing with a U.S. immigration judge.
Beginning on July 9, however, Nuevo Laredo began receiving people from the other direction under the Trump administration's new policy. Since then, more than 3,000 asylum-seekers who had crossed into the U.S. and are awaiting immigration court dates have been returned to Mexico under the MPP policy.
Moreover, migrants aren't the only -- or even the main -- issue for local government for this city of about 400,000.
Nuevo Laredo maintains a prickly balance among massive amounts of transnational business, politics, migration and organized crime, and it's long been a base for the Los Zetas cartel, whose activities are deeply entrenched in the city's fabric.
Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas Cuéllar said every city has its dangers, its risks. But the city is not the one that is pushing migrants to leave, he insists.
"We obviously can't force anyone not to be in the city of Nuevo Laredo, but what we can be strict about is that the laws are followed; that there is an order that doesn't disrupt the rights of others," he told VOA.
Officials didn't know how many people to expect. At one point, local officials understood they might receive as many as 15,000 returnees, Cardenas Thomae said. Moreover, they don't know how long people will stay -- or even if they will stay.
Buses to Monterrey
The Mexican government at first provided buses from Nuevo Laredo to Monterrey, a 270-kilometer (168-mile) journey that takes about three hours to drive. The buses were an option for migrants; no one was forced on board.
Beginning earlier this month, though, the buses that showed up at the bridge drop-off site were bound for Chiapas, the Mexican state bordering Guatemala, which in turn, borders Honduras and El Salvador.
The Homeland Security Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to multiple VOA requests for comment on Mexico's busing plan and concerns over how people would be able to return for their U.S. court dates.
Calling the busing plan "voluntary," said Maureen Meyer, director of Mexico programs at the Washington Office on Latin America, a Washington-based human rights organization, "seems hard to justify when the people aren't even very clear on what they're going into."
Meyer traveled to Chiapas this month to see the buses from Nuevo Laredo arrive, after a more than 30-hour trip. Mexican immigration agents at the border with Guatemala seemed confused about what they should advise the busloads of people, she told VOA.
The arrival also raised issues for the migrants themselves, each theoretically with a U.S. court date in the coming months. Being closer to home could mean a place to shower and regroup, or pick up more paperwork for their cases. However, they often don't understand that even a brief return home could weaken their asylum cases, Meyer said.
Behind the scenes, CBP officials, journalists, shelter directors, politicians, and immigration lawyers are asking questions about how MPP functions. Unlike CBP and DHS officials, though, Nuevo Laredo municipality officials were willing to not only talk, but sit down for interviews on camera and address MPP.
The migrants themselves don't have access to these discussions, though, or to people whom they could ask questions. They have some paperwork that in some cases they don't understand, or don't trust, such as a list of free or low-cost lawyers from CBP. The migrants have often thrown away their cellphones before crossing the river and haven't seen the news in weeks or months.
Immigration attorneys acknowledge that even if the migrants could get cellphone service in Mexico, and can pay for phone credit, there's a good chance they couldn't get a lawyer. Border attorneys are stretched thin, and the length of some asylum cases -- which can take years -- makes it difficult for outside lawyers to connect with potential clients.
US Border Patrol
The long wait may push people to reattempt a stealth border crossing, possibly in a more dangerously remote area.
"I envision a time where everybody… (is) going to try and traverse and evade apprehension and become part of this smuggling effort that happens on this side of the border, as opposed to just on the Mexican side of the border," Del Rio Sector U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said.
Meanwhile, the migrants and asylum-seekers are still arriving to Nuevo Laredo, and still deciding how and where to wait out the months until their first hearing.
Lilian, a Honduran woman traveling with her 9-year-old son, said the group dropped off at Puente #1 on August 8 was told if they didn't get on the buses to Chiapas, they would be put out on the street.
She and her son, along with a woman and her children in the CBP facility, did not get on the bus, but headed to another Mexican city.
"What I don't want is to go back to Honduras. ... If we go to Chiapas, how much is it going to cost me to come back? I don't have that kind of money," said Lilian, who was given a November court date.
August 24, 2019 at 08:52PM
Trump says 'I wouldn't stop him' if Fed chair Powell resigned
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Trump says 'I wouldn't stop him' if Fed chair Powell resigned Before leaving for the G-7 in France late Friday night, President Trump told reporters that he wasn't happy with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying that he didn't think Powell was doing a very good job.
August 24, 2019 at 07:36PM
‘Racing Wives’ star Amber Balcaen says she isn’t worried about being compared to Danica Patrick
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'Racing Wives' star Amber Balcaen says she isn't worried about being compared to Danica Patrick Amber Balcaen is determined to race her way to the finish line as a celebrated female driver and is hoping the wives of NASCAR drivers will cheer her on.
August 24, 2019 at 06:00PM
Seoul’s Decision to End Intelligence-Sharing Pact Could Backfire
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Seoul's Decision to End Intelligence-Sharing Pact Could Backfire
Kim Dong-hyun and Han Sang-mi contributed to this report, which originated with VOA's Korean Service.
WASHINGTON — Seoul's decision to end a military intelligence pact with Tokyo could have far-reaching consequences that could put its own security at risk, reducing its ability to defend against potential North Korean aggression, experts say.
Seoul announced Thursday it would terminate an intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo, attributing the move to Japan's decision to remove South Korea from its "white list" of favored trading partners earlier this month.
Japan's decision "brought about fundamental changes to the environment for security cooperation between the two countries," Kim You-geun, deputy director of South Korean National Security Council, said Thursday.
Trade feud, historical animosity
Seoul and Tokyo have been escalating a trade feud since early July. The disagreement is rooted in historical animosity stemming from Japanese companies' use of South Korean forced labor during its colonial rule on the peninsula and during World War II.
The termination announcement came a day before a deadline Saturday of a 90-day notice period for one side to tell the other if it intends to cancel the arrangement. The deal automatically renews annually if no notice is given.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn, in an email sent to VOA Thursday, urged the two U.S. allies to work together, emphasizing, "Intel sharing is key to developing our common defense policy and strategy."
What is GSOMIA?
Under the bilateral accord, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), signed in 2016, South Korea and Japan agreed to exchange sensitive military information to respond more efficiently to potential threats posed by North Korea, China and Russia. Washington has separate intelligence-sharing deals with both countries.
David Maxwell, a former U.S. Special Forces colonel and current fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said South Korea would suffer "the worst" from its decision to terminate the agreement that would impede the trilateral cooperation in the region.
The end of the agreement, according to Maxwell, means the three countries will be hampered in their ability to have open three-way talks on detecting early warning signs of North Korea's missile launches, countering its weapons proliferation, and conducting operations against its sanctions evasion.
Although information can be shared using the U.S. as an intermediary, the flow will be slow or severed if South Korea or Japan asks the U.S. not to share its information with the other, Maxwell added.
"This plays into Kim Jong Un's (and Chinese and Russian) hands to disrupt U.S. alliance," he said.
While testing missiles this month, North Korea called on South Korea to abandon its intelligence pact, signed with Japan under the conservative government of Park Geun-hye, who preceded current South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
"It is rather abnormal that the agreement of betraying the country signed by Park Geun-hye … still exists without being abrogated," said North Korea's propaganda outlet, Uriminzokkiri.
Dangerous consequences
Terminating the pact could have dangerous consequences if a crisis erupted on the Korean Peninsula, said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp. An example would be if American troops would need to be brought from the U.S. and routed through Japanese air force bases, requiring three-way communications through a confidential network.
"That's all going to be coordinated very closely," Bennett said. "It's not going to be coordinated by open radio calls … that would tell North Korea what to hit next. So we need to have the GSOMIA to be able to coordinate in a classified manner in terms of the deployment of U.S. forces. And that's what the South Korean government is risking by saying it won't renew the GSOMIA."
Bennett, citing a South Korean military white paper, said the U.S. would need to bring about 690,000 troops to South Korea during a conflict with North Korea. The estimated number is more than the 28,000 American soldiers stationed in South Korea.
South Korea has about 17 airfield bases that can be used to bring in troops from the U.S. during wartime, Bennett said, but they are "not an adequate [number of] airfield structures to deploy forces rapidly."
South Korea has 20 airfields, but among them, Gimpo and Incheon are within North Korean artillery range and thus cannot be used to land U.S. forces, Bennett said, adding that another airfield on Jeju Island would not be suitable either if the troops needed to fight on the peninsula.
"Are we going to have arrangements with Japan to help us use Japan's bases and infrastructure to bring those forces to Korea?" Bennett asked. "Because if we don't, that's going to significantly slow the ability of U.S. forces to get to Korea and could put Korea at a disadvantage for a period of time."
Seoul decided to scrap the intelligence-sharing agreement despite these risks, Bennett said, because it believes it will "be able to peacefully coexist with North Korea." He added South Korea "doesn't have other places where it's got a lot of leverage on the Japanese" as a way to retaliate against Tokyo in their trade dispute.
August 24, 2019 at 05:41PM
How Dozens of Nigerian Scammers Stole Millions from People, Businesses
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How Dozens of Nigerian Scammers Stole Millions from People, Businesses
For years, dozens of scammers from Nigeria and other countries swindled millions of dollars from U.S. businesses and individuals, funneling the stolen money through accounts provided by two fellow Nigerian "brokers" based in Los Angeles.
In the burgeoning underworld of online fraud, Nigerian nationals Velentine Iro and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe were well-known operators who went by a raft of pseudonyms, including "Iro Enterprises" and "Chris Kudon."
Between 2014 and 2018, Iro and Igbokwe, working with nearly 80 other international swindlers, facilitated a series of schemes that resulted in the theft of at least $6 million and the attempted theft of $40 million more from victims in more than 10 countries, according to a 252-count federal indictment unsealed Thursday.
The scammers victimized individuals and small and large businesses. In targeting businesses, they used a tactic called "business email compromise," also known as CEO fraud. Under that scheme, a fraudster gains access to a company's computer system and then, posing as a company executive, tricks an employee into making an unauthorized wire transfer into a bank account the fraudster controls.
The victims
The indictment documents several corporate victims.
In 2014, a San Diego clothing distributor wired nearly $46,000 into a bank account controlled by one of the scammers, believing it was paying a Chinese vendor for an order of men's shirts.
In 2016, an unidentified Texas company was tricked into wiring $187,000 into a fraudulent account. The company thought it was making a payment for an oil extraction equipment order.
The conspiracy also targeted the elderly and victims of so-called romance scams.
For example, in 2016 a Japanese woman, identified in court documents as F.K., lost more than $200,000 during a 10-month romance scam with a fraudster who impersonated a U.S. Army captain stationed in Syria.
In 2017, an 86-year-old man with dementia and Alzheimer's wired nearly $12,000 to a bank account controlled by one of the fraudsters.
The Justice Department unsealed the indictment after the arrest of 14 people, including Iro and Igbokwe, early Thursday. Three others were already in custody. Six defendants remain at large in the United States, while authorities are working with partners in nine other countries to arrest 57 others, most of whom are believed to be in Nigeria.
Nigerian statement
In a statement, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission Chief, urged "those accused in Nigeria to voluntarily turn themselves in to American authorities to clear their names." She added that Nigeria should extradite the defendants "if relevant international treaties between the two governments are invoked."
Citing a Justice Department policy, a department spokeswoman declined to say whether the U.S. has made an extradition request. Since 2014, Nigeria has extradited three people wanted in the United States.
While the sheer number of defendants named in the indictment is extraordinary in an online fraud case, the investigation also shed light on the evolving tactics and growing sophistication of scammers. Once targeting mostly individuals, they are increasingly victimizing businesses.
"They were very inclusive as to the fraud they were perpetrating and laundering money for," said Alma Angotti, a managing director at the consulting firm Navigant in London who advises government and corporate clients on anti-money laundering strategy.
Pervasive
Online fraud has become increasingly pervasive in recent years. In its annual Internet Crime Report in April, the FBI said online theft, fraud and exploitation were responsible for $2.7 billion in financial losses in 2018, up from $1.4 billion in 2017. Meanwhile, romance scams cost Americans $143 million last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The Nigerian fraudsters targeted victims around the world, some of whom lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. At least 16 companies were among the victims.
Iro and Igbokwe, the men at the heart of the scam, hail from the Nigerian city of Owerri, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.
Many fraudsters knew them from Owerri. Others were directed to them through middlemen.
"I am known all over the world," Iro once bragged to a fellow Nigerian con artist, according to the complaint. "Even people I never meet before call me and give me better business."
For swindlers seeking a temporary haven for stolen funds, Iro and his partner allegedly provided a valuable service.
"They would collect bank account information … field requests for bank account information from co-conspirators all over the world, and then send out bank account information to multiple coconspirators," according to the complaint.
Using a network of "money exchangers," they then helped the fraudsters funnel the money out of the country.
The men took a cut of 20% to 50% of each transaction. It was a lucrative business.
In 2017, according to the indictment, Iro and Igbokwe sent at least $5 million to the Nigerian accounts of the fraudsters, family members and themselves, according to the complaint.
Evidence seized by the FBI indicates the two men were using the stolen funds to build large houses in Nigeria.
August 24, 2019 at 05:16PM
Djibouti–Spain relations
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Djibouti–Spain relations
Fobos92: ←Created page with ' '''Djibouti–Spain relations''' are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two...'
'''Djibouti–Spain relations''' are the bilateral and [[diplomatic relations]] between these two countries. [[Djibouti]] does not have [[embassy]] in [[Spain]] but his embassy in [[Paris]] is accredited to this country.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2Zjw9cG List of embassies in Spain] Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. </ref> [[Spain]] also has no embassy in Djibouti, but its embassy in [[Addis Ababa]], [[Ethiopia]] is accredited to this country.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2TWf6Ik Ficha de Yibuti] Office of Diplomatic Information. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Representation Data. </ref>
== Political relations ==
Political relations between Djibouti and Spain have traditionally been scarce but cordial. Spain does not have an embassy resident in Djibouti. Diplomatic elations are channeled through the Embassy in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). In the case of Djibouti, it is your Embassy in Paris that is accredited to our country.
Within these limitations, Spain has always tried to be receptive to requests for help and training. It has also been receptive, provided that it has been possible to do so in a multilateral framework, to requests for remission or exchange of debt made by the Djiboutian authorities. On the other hand, the collaboration of the Djiboutian authorities has been very valuable in guaranteeing the success of the mission carried out by the Spanish Armed Forces in the context of the international fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean. In this context, more than fifty Spanish soldiers are currently stationed in Djibouti - "Orion" Station - in the framework of control and combat operations against piracy in Somalia on the basis of UNSC Resolution 1816. In addition, one or two ships of our Navy - according to the period of the year - permanently participate in naval operations, providing escort to the World Food Program ships that are responsible for distributing food in the main ports of Somalia. The Djiboutian authorities have cooperated at all times to facilitate the work of aerial surveillance and provisioning and supply of ships.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2TWf6Ik Ficha de Yibuti]Office of Diplomatic Information. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Political relations. </ref>
== Economic relations ==
The commercial relations between Spain and Djibouti are not very significant, although Spanish companies begin to find a place of opportunity,
mainly in the field of renewable energies or tenders of the Multilateral Financial Institutions. Our bilateral trade represents less than 0.1% of our total exports and imports. In general, the figures of bilateral Hispanic-Djibouti trade have been favorable to Spain, with high coverage rates, but both total bilateral trade and its components have shown quite erratic behaviors.
In 2012, Spain exported $ 7.39 million to Djibouti and imported $ 510,000, resulting in a positive balance of $ 6.88 million and a coverage rate of 1,449%. There is, however, an important potential for the investment of Spanish companies in the field of renewable energy, since the country has committed to the use of 100% renewable energy by 2020. Spain has been sensitive to the proposals of Djibouti cancellation of the bilateral debt and its possible conversion into a development program. In this regard, Spain has supported the conclusion of restructuring and debt forgiveness agreements in Djibouti within the Paris Club.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2TWf6Ik Ficha de Yibuti] Office of Diplomatic Information. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Economic relations. </ref>
== Cooperation ==
Spanish cooperation with Djibouti is very small, since that country has never been included in a Master Plan as a country of cooperation. In 2011, AECID allocated a total of 500,000 euros that were managed through the Red Cross and UNICEF.
The Spanish contingent of the Orión detachment has made three deliveries of humanitarian aid in 2014 and one in 2015, addressed to various local NGOs.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2TWf6Ik Ficha de Yibuti] Office of Diplomatic Information. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Section: Cooperation.</ref>
== References ==
[[Category:Djibouti–Spain relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Djibouti|Spain]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Spain|Djibouti]]
August 24, 2019 at 02:52PM
Benin–Spain relations
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Benin–Spain relations
Fobos92:
'''Benin–Spain relations''' are the bilateral and [[diplomatic relations]] between these two countries. Benin does not have [[embassy]] in [[Spain]], but his embassy in [[Paris]] is accredited to Spain<ref>[https://ift.tt/2Zjw9cG ] [https://ift.tt/2Zj40T5 ]</ref> but it has consulates in [[Barcelona]] and [[Madrid]].<ref>[https://ift.tt/2YMhuna ][https://ift.tt/2TTWvLk | Consulate of Benin in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain] </ref> Spain also has no embassy in Benin, but has an embassy in [[Abuja]], [[Nigeria]], accredited for Benin.<ref>[https://ift.tt/30wads3] Office of Diplomatic Information. Section: Representation Data. </ref>
== Diplomatic relations ==
Spain established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Benin, then called Dahomey, on March 25, 1966. Bilateral relations have been cordial and friendly without significant bilateral issues or problems but also lacking regular institutional relations beyond specific visits by authorities. from one country and another, among which it is worth mentioning that of President Yayi in 2009, the first of a Beninese head of state to Spain and the visit of Minister García-Margallo to Cotonou in July 2014.<ref name=diplo>[https://ift.tt/30wads3] Office of Diplomatic Information. Section: Diplomatic relations </ref>
Benin has been very grateful to the support provided by Spain for the preparation of the so-called "Computerized Permanent Electoral List" (LEPI), which serves as a basis for determining the electoral roll.<ref name=diplo />
== Economic relations ==
The amount of bilateral trade between Spain and Benin is reduced and, to a large extent, linked to projects in the Port of Cotonou, which makes this figure depend on the projects undertaken in a specific year and the products destined for re-export to Nigeria. In 2011 the highest volume of exports is reached: 97 million euros; nevertheless, in 2012 it goes back to 59.89 million euros and in 2013 it goes back down slightly to 60 million, although in 2014 it returns to recover the 84 million exports. The main exported items are meat products, ceramic products, electrical appliances, beverages and vehicles.<ref name=eco>[https://ift.tt/30wads3] Office of Diplomatic Information. Section: Economic and commercial relations </ref>
== Cooperation ==
The cumulative net bilateral ODA destined for Benin in the 2007-2010 period was over 6 million euros, highlighting the contributions made through decentralized cooperation, especially from the Valencian Community, Cantabria and the Basque Country with projects in basic infrastructure, protection of minors in situations of risk and actions in the field of cultural cooperation among others.<ref name=coop>[https://ift.tt/30wads3] Office of Diplomatic Information. Section: Cooperation.</ref>
== References ==
[[Category:Benin–Spain relations| ]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Benin|Spain]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of Spain|Benin]]
August 24, 2019 at 12:39PM
Doman: Grzechy Ardana
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Doman: Grzechy Ardana
Coin945: ←Created page with ' '''''Doman''''' is a video game, and the spiritual successor of ''Franko: The Cra...'
'''''Doman''''' is a video game, and the spiritual successor of ''[[Franko: The Crazy Revenge]]''. it was developed by World Software. The game is strongly stylosed after the Conan Barbarian universe<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>, and a variation of the themes in 1989's [[Golden Axe (video game)|Golden Axe]].<ref></ref> This adcade game was released on the Amiga.<ref></ref>
== Development ==
The code for Doman took several months to write, and it was completely rewritten from scratch rather than based on ''Franko.''<ref></ref>
By accessing the Retroattack! Website, by Polish company Mirage Interactive, players could legally download around 60 Polish classics for Atari, Amiga and PC including ''[[Mózgprocesor]]'', ''Janosik'', Rooster, Taekwondo Master, ''Doman'', and ''[[Franko: The Crazy Revenge]]''.<ref> GRYOnline.pl|website=GRY-Online.pl|language=pl|access-date=2019-08-24}}</ref>
The game's music was intended to be in theme of Conan the Barbarian, though the game's composer would later question if this comes through in the final version.<ref></ref> Meanwhile, graphics were created in Deluxe Paint.<ref></ref>
== Critical reception ==
AmigaOS felt the title was more " thought-out and developed" than its predecessor.<ref></ref> PPE noted that the game was quite violent, even more so than ''Franko''.<ref></ref>
While both Franko and Doman brought in an adequate profit, the developers were not able to satisfactorily pay themselves, so they sought out a new publisher for future games.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
== References ==
== External links ==
* [https://ift.tt/2TXAtsZ Mention in Polish Bytes]
August 24, 2019 at 10:32AM
Friday, August 23, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein taken off suicide watch after examination by ‘doctoral-level psychologist,’ DOJ says
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Jeffrey Epstein taken off suicide watch after examination by 'doctoral-level psychologist,' DOJ says Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was taken off suicide watch after being examined by a "doctoral-level psychologist" days before he hanged himself in his prison cell, according to the Justice Department.
August 24, 2019 at 08:45AM
CDC Flags One Death, Nearly 200 Illnesses Possibly Tied to Vaping
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CDC Flags One Death, Nearly 200 Illnesses Possibly Tied to Vaping
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that it had identified 193 potential cases of severe lung illness tied to vaping in 22 states as of Aug. 22, including one adult in Illinois who died after being hospitalized.
The CDC has been investigating a "cluster" of lung illnesses that it believes may be linked to e-cigarette use, although it has not yet been able to establish whether they were in fact caused by vaping.
E-cigarettes are generally thought to be safer than traditional cigarettes, which kill up to half of all lifetime users, according to the World Health Organization. But the long-term health effects of vaping are largely unknown.
No link to specific product
In a briefing with reporters, representatives from health agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said they have not linked the illnesses to any specific product and that some patients had reporting vaping with cannabis liquids.
Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said the agency was analyzing product samples from states to identify any potentially harmful elements that may be triggering the illnesses.
He said health agencies were trying to learn which specific vaping products were used and whether they were being used as intended or mixed with other substances.
"Those kinds of facts need to be strung together for every single one of these cases, so that we can see if any other kinds of patterns have emerged," Zeller said.
The number of potential cases has more than doubled over the past week. On Aug. 17, the CDC said it was investigating 94 potential lung illnesses in 14 states.
Brian King, deputy director of research translation at the CDC's smoking and health division, said it was possible there might have been earlier cases that health agencies had not identified.
Possible health implications
"The bottom line is that there's a variety of things in e-cigarette aerosols that could have implications for lung health," said King, adding that none of those compounds had been directly linked to the recent hospitalizations.
In a statement Thursday, Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, said he was "confident" the illnesses were being caused by devices containing cannabis or other synthetic drugs, not nicotine.
Patients have reported difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and sometimes chest pain before being hospitalized. Some have shown symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue.
"The severity of illness people are experiencing is alarming and we must get the word out that using e-cigarettes and vaping can be dangerous," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement earlier.
August 24, 2019 at 08:25AM
Tomasz Szatkowski
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Tomasz Szatkowski
Niegodzisie: PL amb. to NATO
|birth_place=[[Słupsk]]|death_date=|death_place=|nationality=Polish|spouse=|party=|relations=|children=|residence=|alma_mater=[[University of Warsaw]], [[King's College London]]|occupation=|profession=politician, political scientist|signature=|signature_alt=|website=|footnotes=|birth_name=}}
'''Tomasz Szatkowski''' (born 10 May 1978 in [[Słupsk]]) is a Polish politician and political scientist, since 2019 serving as an ambassador to [[NATO]]. Specialist on national security domain, in particular defence and armaments policy.
== Life ==
Szatkowski holds an [[Master of Arts|M.A.]] in law from the [[University of Warsaw]]. He has been also degrees in postgraduate studies in national security (University of Warsaw) and war studies ([[King's College London|King's College London]]), intelligence policy (King's College London). He has been also trained at the [[Naval Postgraduate School]] in [[Monterey, California|Monterey]] and [[Defence Academy of the United Kingdom]] in [[Shrivenham]].<ref name=":0"></ref>
He received scholarships, among others, from the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|UK Ministry of Defence]] (2004), [[United States Department of State|US Department of State]] (2007), [[German Marshall Fund]] (2013).<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Szatkowski participated in the program of the [[Munich Security Conference]] Munich Young Leaders (2019).<ref name=":0" />
He has been helding senior positions in the Polish state, defence industry, public media and the European Parliament. Between 2006 and 2008 he was member of the board of supervisors of [[Bumar-Labedy]], in 2007 he became deputy president of the company. He was chief of the cabinet of [[Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland|deputy prime minister]] [[Przemysław Gosiewski]] and advisor to [[Zbigniew Wasserman]].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> From 3 November 2009 to 18 December 2009 he was acting general director of [[Telewizja Polska]] (TVP).<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> From 2009 to 2012 he worked as advisor on defense policy at the European Parliament. He was also member of the board of supervisors of TVP (2009–2011). He was also presiding the [[National Centre for Strategic Studies]] think tank.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> In 2015 he was invitited by the [[President of Poland|president]] [[Andrzej Duda]] to the [[National Development Council (Poland)|National Development Council]] – Security, Defense, Foreign Policy Section.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Between 17 November 2015 and 18 July 2019<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> he was the deputy [[Ministry of National Defence (Poland)|minister of national defence]], responsible for international affairs, organization of the [[2016 Warsaw summit|2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw]], Strategic Defence Review, and negotiations with the Americans on increasing their military presence in Poland.<ref name=":0" />
On 23 July 2019, Szatkowski was nominated Poland ambassador to [[NATO]].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
In his youth, Szatkowski has been a [[Extra (acting)|background actor]], playing in movies by [[Andrzej Wajda]], and [[Jerzy Hoffman]].
== References ==
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:21st-century Polish politicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College London]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Słupsk]]
[[Category:Permanent Representatives of Poland to NATO]]
[[Category:Polish political scientists]]
[[Category:University of Warsaw alumni]]
August 24, 2019 at 08:22AM
Mandy Gunasekara: US air is cleanest on record – Trump improving our environment and economy
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Mandy Gunasekara: US air is cleanest on record – Trump improving our environment and economy To the chagrin of President Trump's critics, it turns out that his administration's pragmatic approach to the environment has provided a clearly measurable boost to both the economy and the air.
August 24, 2019 at 07:49AM
Nigeria on Course to Becoming Polio-Free
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Nigeria on Course to Becoming Polio-Free
Nigerian activist Ayuba Gufwan made sure his five children received polio vaccinations soon after they were born.
"I was determined to make sure none of my kids got the polio virus because I am a victim myself," he said.
Gufwan came down with polio when he was 5 years old. Forced to crawl on the floor, he wasn't able to attend school for years and faced ridicule.
These days, Gufwan is a popular advocate for the needs of polio survivors. His organization has supplied more than 26,000 locally produced wheelchairs for Nigerians living with the disease.
The government has been working with organizations such as UNICEF, Rotary International, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to train health workers, procure the vaccine and spread awareness. This week, those efforts paid off. On Wednesday, Nigeria marked three years without a new case of wild polio virus.
It's a status many say is a cause to celebrate, but Dr. Usman Adamu, who helps coordinate the Nigerian government polio eradication operations center, offered a more measured response.
"It's not a celebration per se," Adamu said. "It's just marking the milestone, which is significant in our quest to achieve eradication and, subsequently, certification."
The next step for Nigeria to be certified polio-free will be rigorous surveillance to see that there are no further cases of the wild polio virus. Nigeria could be declared polio-free as soon as mid-2020.
Over the last few years, 400,000 health workers have been deployed across the country to administer the vaccine house to house and monitor and spread awareness about it. Since the early 2000s, the health teams have had to dispel misconceptions about the vaccine.
In the language of northern Nigeria, Hausa, polio is translated as shan innah. That conveys the idea that spirits are paralyzing a child's legs, leaving the child with the telltale symptom of polio, floppy limbs.
Hostility toward the vaccine also came from respected Muslim leaders in Nigeria.
Gufwan, who was part of the awareness campaign, recalled some of the long-standing rumors spread in northern Nigeria, where Islam is the dominant religion.
'Conspiracy theory'
"Some fundamentalist Muslims rejected the polio vaccine and came up with this conspiracy theory that the vaccine had been adulterated and that it had the potential to sterilize, particularly the girl child, and that it was a calculated attempt by the Western powers to reduce the Muslim population in Nigeria and other parts of the Islamic world," he said.
The conspiracies led to the suspension of the vaccination campaign in certain parts of the country in 2003. And that led to new cases.
Suspicions intensified again among Nigerian Muslims after it was made known that the American CIA set up a fake polio vaccination drive to track down and kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.
It took the help of traditional leaders to finally stop the rumors swirling around northern Nigeria.
Alhaji Samaila Muhammad Mera, the emir of Argungu in Nigeria's Kebbi state, decided to use his role as a traditional ruler to educate his community.
"Anything you think you need to do to change perceptions, to change attitudes, you need to get a messenger that is trusted by the community that you target," he said.
His state hasn't had a new case of polio in five years, a drastic change from 15 cases in 2009.
Despite the successes, there are glaring problems. Boko Haram terrorism has made it nearly impossible to reach certain areas in the northeastern region, where an estimated 60,000 children have not been vaccinated.
In 2013, nine polio workers were killed by suspected Boko Haram gunmen.
Another challenge is open defecation. Polio is usually passed through feces. Nigeria has the second-highest open defecation rate in the world, just after India.
But Gufwan said he was hopeful that Nigeria would finally be free of polio. He said it was long overdue but better late than never.
August 24, 2019 at 07:07AM
AP Explains: Causes, Risks of Amazon Fires
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AP Explains: Causes, Risks of Amazon Fires
Fires have been breaking out at an unusual pace in Brazil this year, causing global alarm over deforestation in the Amazon region. The world's largest rainforest is often called the ``lungs of the earth.'' Here's a look at what's happening:
What's burning?
Brazil's National Space Research Institute, which monitors deforestation, has recorded 76,720 wildfires across the country this year, as of Thursday. That's an 85% rise over last year's figure. And a little over half of those, 40,341, have been spotted in the Amazon region.
The agency says it doesn't have figures for the area burned, but deforestation as a whole has accelerated in the Amazon this year. The institute's preliminary figures show 3,571 square miles (9,250 square kilometers) of forest — an area about the size of Yellowstone National Park — were lost between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1. That already outstrips the full-year figure for 2018 of 2,910 square miles (7,537 square kilometers).
Stricter enforcement of environmental laws between 2004 and 2014 had sharply curbed the rate of deforestation, which peaked in the early 2000s at 9,650 square miles a year (25,000 square kilometers).
Meanwhile, large fires also have been burning in neighboring countries such as Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.
What's causing the fires?
Paulo Moutinho, co-founder of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, said this week that ``it is very difficult to have natural fires in the Amazon; it happens, but the majority come from the hand of humans.''
Moutinho, who has been working in the Amazon forests for nearly 30 years, said fires are mostly set to clear land for farming, ranching or logging, and they can easily get out of control, especially during the July-November dry season. Moutinho says this year hasn't been especially dry. ``We're lucky. If we had had droughts like in the past four years, this would be even worse.''
Critics of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro say ranching and mining interests eager to expand their holdings have been emboldened by his oft-stated desire to increase development in the region.
How important is the Amazon?
The world's largest rainforest, 10 times the size of Texas, is often called the ``lungs of the earth,'' and 60% of it lies within Brazil.
Trees store carbon absorbed from the atmosphere, and the Amazon each year takes in as much as 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
The Amazon's billions of trees also release water vapor that forms a thick mist over the rainforest canopy. It rises into clouds and produces rain, affecting weather patterns across South America and far beyond.
It's also home to an estimated 20% of Earth's plant species, many of which are found nowhere else.
``With each hectare burned we could be losing a plant or animal species that we didn't even know about,'' said Andre Guimaraes, director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute.
What is the 'tipping point'?
Climate scientist Carlos Nobre of the University of Sao Paulo and Thomas Lovejoy, an environmental scientist at George Mason University, have estimated that the ``tipping point for the Amazon system'' is 20% to 25% deforestation. Without enough trees to create the rainfall needed by the forest, the longer and more pronounced dry season could turn more than half of the rainforest into a tropical savannah, they wrote last year in the journal Science Advances.
If the rainfall cycle collapses, winter droughts in parts of Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina could devastate agriculture, they wrote. The impacts may even be felt as far away as the American Midwest, according to Bill Laurance, a tropical ecologist at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia.
Lovejoy said Friday that close to 20% of the Amazon already has been deforested.
``I worry that the current deforestation will push past the tipping point, leading to massive loss of forest and biodiversity,'' he said.
Lovejoy also said the government has proposed infrastructure projects that ``would push yet further beyond and accelerate the dieback. It will add to the climate change challenge, massive loss of biodiversity and all that means in foregone human health and economic benefit.''
Bolsonaro's view
Bolsonaro took office on Jan. 1 after campaigning on promises to loosen protections for indigenous lands and nature reserves, arguing that they were helping choke Brazil's now-struggling economy by stifling its major agricultural and mining sectors.
He has expressed a desire to protect the environment, ``but without creating difficulties for our progress.''
Bolsonaro has also feuded with nongovernmental groups and foreign governments, including Germany and France, which have demanded that Brazil do more to protect the Amazon. Bolsonaro calls it meddling by people who should improve the environment in their own countries. This week he even suggested, without evidence, that a nongovernmental organization or activists could be setting fires to make him look bad.
He has disputed figures released by the space research institute, and the agency's head recently was forced out after defending the figures.
August 24, 2019 at 06:25AM
Colton Underwood on finding 'fulfillment' post-'Bachelor': I'm at 'an interesting point in my career'
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Colton Underwood on finding 'fulfillment' post-'Bachelor': I'm at 'an interesting point in my career' Colton Underwood is appreciative of all the doors that the "Bachelor" franchises have opened for him, but is ready to move away from the reality TV world.
August 24, 2019 at 05:46AM
Edwin Hillyer
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Edwin Hillyer
WaupunKnight: Formatting
'''Edwin Hillyer''' was an American industrialist from [[Waupun, Wisconsin|Waupun]], [[Wisconsin]]. Hillyer first came to Waupun in 1847, nearly ten years after Seymour Wilcox, the settlement's founder.
== Life ==
Edwin Hillyer was born in Ohio and settled in Waupun with his brother, Joseph Talcott Hillyer. When they first arrived the both of them worked in lumber. In 1849, he and eight other Waupun settlers got gold fever and formed a company to head for California. They all returned in 1852.<ref>''The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin''. Western Historical Company, 1880.</ref>
=== Civic Life ===
Hillyer was heavily connected to several early Waupun industries. When he returned from California, he engaged in a store business with his brother before he sold his share a few years later. He and others established the Dodge County Mutual Insurance Company, and Hillyer worked there for the entirety of its existence. In 1856, he played a major role in constructing the Milwaukee & Horicon Railroad between Waupun and Horicon.<ref name=":1">''The First One Hundred Fifty Years: A History of Waupun, Wisconsin, 1839 to 1989''. James Laird, 1989.</ref> Hillyer was also a leader in the formation of the Forest Mound Cemetery.
For a time, Hillyer was the deputy warden at the [[Waupun Correctional Institution|Wisconsin State Prison]]. It was also him who directed the landscaping in front of the original building.
==== Waupun Public Library ====
In 1858 the Waupun Library Association was established through the efforts of Hillyer and William Euen. Hillyer was the first librarian and ran the library out of his insurance office. When it began, the library only had nine feet of shelving. In 1895, citing his advanced age and the job's strenuous work, he turned the book stock over to the city. When the city took ownership of the library, the mayor appointed a new library board which included Hillyer and Lucius D. Hinkley, another prominent Waupun industrialist. Hillyer served on the board until his death.<ref name=":0">''The First Hundred Years: A History of Waupun, 1839-1939''. 1939.</ref>
=== Military Service ===
When the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] broke out in 1861, Hillyer raised parts of two companies and was appointed captain. He served until he fell ill and resigned from his post. He was honorably discharged from the military.<ref name=":1" />
=== Death and Legacy ===
Edwin Hillyer died at the age of 83 in December of 1908.
== References ==
== Life ==
Edwin Hillyer was born in Ohio and settled in Waupun with his brother, Joseph Talcott Hillyer. When they first arrived the both of them worked in lumber. In 1849, he and eight other Waupun settlers got gold fever and formed a company to head for California. They all returned in 1852.<ref>''The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin''. Western Historical Company, 1880.</ref>
=== Civic Life ===
Hillyer was heavily connected to several early Waupun industries. When he returned from California, he engaged in a store business with his brother before he sold his share a few years later. He and others established the Dodge County Mutual Insurance Company, and Hillyer worked there for the entirety of its existence. In 1856, he played a major role in constructing the Milwaukee & Horicon Railroad between Waupun and Horicon.<ref name=":1">''The First One Hundred Fifty Years: A History of Waupun, Wisconsin, 1839 to 1989''. James Laird, 1989.</ref> Hillyer was also a leader in the formation of the Forest Mound Cemetery.
For a time, Hillyer was the deputy warden at the [[Waupun Correctional Institution|Wisconsin State Prison]]. It was also him who directed the landscaping in front of the original building.
==== Waupun Public Library ====
In 1858 the Waupun Library Association was established through the efforts of Hillyer and William Euen. Hillyer was the first librarian and ran the library out of his insurance office. When it began, the library only had nine feet of shelving. In 1895, citing his advanced age and the job's strenuous work, he turned the book stock over to the city. When the city took ownership of the library, the mayor appointed a new library board which included Hillyer and Lucius D. Hinkley, another prominent Waupun industrialist. Hillyer served on the board until his death.<ref name=":0">''The First Hundred Years: A History of Waupun, 1839-1939''. 1939.</ref>
=== Military Service ===
When the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] broke out in 1861, Hillyer raised parts of two companies and was appointed captain. He served until he fell ill and resigned from his post. He was honorably discharged from the military.<ref name=":1" />
=== Death and Legacy ===
Edwin Hillyer died at the age of 83 in December of 1908.
== References ==
August 24, 2019 at 04:06AM
Woman to Woman: Female Trump Backers Try to Sell His Message
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Woman to Woman: Female Trump Backers Try to Sell His Message
President Donald Trump's campaign is rallying and training a corps of female defenders, mindful that Trump's shaky standing with women could sink his hopes of re-election next year.
Female surrogates and supporters fanned out across important battlegrounds Thursday in a high-profile push to make the president's case on the economy and to train campaign volunteers. Organizers said they believe female backers are often uncomfortable acknowledging they support Trump.
"We want to empower women with other women to be able to share the message of success of this president, to share their success under this president," said Trump campaign spokeswoman Erin Perrine, who will be leading one of the events in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The move is a recognition of the president's persistent deficit with women. Over the course of his presidency and across public opinion polls, women have been consistently less supportive of Trump than men. Suburban women in particular rejected Republicans in the 2018 midterm by margins that set off alarms for the party and the president.
The most recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found just 30% of women approve of the way the president is doing his job, compared to 42% of men. Notably, there was no gap between Republican men and women — 80% of both groups said they approved of his job performance in the August poll.
Much of the campaign's appeal to women has so far focused on highlighting economic gains since Trump's election in 2016, a message that is especially vulnerable to a slowdown. That includes frequently pointing to the jobless rate for women, which fell to 3.4% in April — the lowest since 1953, even though it has since crept up to 3.7%.
"You are the cavalry here," Trump campaign senior adviser Katrina Pierson told a crowd of supporters at a voter registration training event in Troy, Michigan, a Detroit suburb viewed as key contested territory in this swing state. "There is no president in our lifetime that has done more to advance the interests of women than President Donald J. Trump."
Similar events were scheduled in 13 battleground states, including Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Ohio. The events, led by surrogates including counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, will try to train attendees to be volunteers and what the campaign describes as "ambassadors" for the re-election effort.
Among the women in attendance in Troy was Cara McAlister, a sales representative from the nearby suburb of Bloomfield Township. She said that she always votes but that it was not until Trump's 2016 candidacy that she was inspired to get more involved politically, becoming a GOP precinct delegate and canvassing door to door for him.
She said she has friends who were afraid to reveal their support for Trump because they worried about backlash. So she invites them to meetings like Thursday's gathering.
"They really enjoy being in an atmosphere where they feel free to express their support for the president,'' said McAlister, who was wearing a white "Make America Great Again'' cap and blue Trump-Pence shirt and who described herself as "middle age." "They tend to want to go to another event."
AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 115,000 midterm voters nationwide, found that 40% of women voted for Republicans in last year's congressional elections, compared to 50% of men. In suburban areas in particular, 38% of women and 49% of men voted for Republicans.
Trump has turned off higher-income, college educated and younger women "because of how he speaks, how he tweets," said Republican pollster Frank Luntz, while retaining the support of older women and women with lower incomes and without college degrees.
That contrast is evident in Iowa, a state Trump won by more than 9 percentage points in 2016, but one that has historically been seen as a potential swing state.
Some Republican women here, like Des Moines resident Pat Inglis, have become more fervent Trump supporters over the course of his first term.
"He's helped this country more than anybody else in the last 20 years," the 70-year-old retiree said. She added that Democratic attacks against the president, and the leftward tilt of the Democratic Party, have made her all the more enthusiastic to support Trump.
Others, like Mary Miner, a lifelong Republican and small-business owner from rural Iowa, were driven away from the GOP by Trump.
"Trump is horrible," the 61-year-old said. "I'm astonished anyone could support him. If my party is going to support that, I'm done with `em. I'm a Democrat and that's it."
Miner switched parties in 2017 and will be caucusing for Elizabeth Warren next year.
At the same time, said Luntz, recent focus groups show that women have dug in on their views, suggesting there are fewer women open to being persuaded.
"What's happened is it's become more pronounced where those who don't like him are overtly hostile and those who do like him will stand up for him aggressively," Luntz said. "They are even more outspoken than men. They are even more dismissive. It's spoken with attitude and with venom. And I think it's because they take it personally."
As a result, he said, the election is likely to come down to a very narrow demographic — married professional mothers with teenage kids, he says — who credit Trump for a booming economy but are turned off by his style.
"They like what he's done, but they don't like how he's done it," he said. "Do you want to focus on the ingredients, or do you want to focus on the casserole?"
August 24, 2019 at 03:33AM
State Department to Assess Funding, After White House Abandons Fight Over US Foreign Assistance
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State Department to Assess Funding, After White House Abandons Fight Over US Foreign Assistance
The State Department says it will assess its programming and redirect all funding on foreign aid, after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned plans to cut $4 billion in spending on the grounds that it was wasteful and unnecessary.
"As part of this discussion, we agreed to continue to assess our programming and redirect all funding that does not directly support our priorities," said a State Department spokesperson on Friday.
"This effort will ensure every foreign assistance program funded by U.S. taxpayers is both effective and supports our foreign policy priorities," added the spokesperson.
One of the programs under assessment is U.S. foreign assistance to the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The State Department said those nations are not taking concrete actions to reduce the number of illegal migrants coming to the U.S. border.
Trump had considered cutting the spending on grounds that it was wasteful and unnecessary, but retreated when it became apparent that some key lawmakers were opposed.
The Trump Administration officials briefly suspended State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development spending, eyeing a budget process known as "rescission" to cut up to $4.3 billion in spending already authorized and appropriated by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
"The president has been clear that there is waste and abuse in our foreign assistance, and we need to be wise about where U.S. money is going," a senior White House official told VOA. "Which is why he asked his administration to look into options to doing just that."
But after both Republican and Democratic lawmakers objected to the White House effort to freeze the foreign aid already approved by Congress, the Trump administration gave in.
"It's clear that there are many (in Congress) who aren't willing to join in curbing wasteful spending," the White House aide said.
Some of Trump's top budget cutters wanted him to trim the foreign aid as a show of fiscal restraint after Trump recently signed a two-year, $2.7 trillion spending plan.
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who oversees the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, said that withholding the money would have violated "the good faith" of reaching agreement on the long-term budget.
Two Republicans, Sen. Lindsey Graham and Congressman Hal Rogers, said freezing the foreign aid spending would hurt "significant" national security and counterterrorism efforts while also complicating spending negotiations between the White House and Congress in the future.
Trump had expressed some ambivalence over the funding.
"We give billions and billions of dollars to countries that don't like us — don't like us even a little bit," the president told reporters last weekend. "And I've been cutting that. And we just put a package of about $4 billion additional dollars in. And in some cases, you know, in some cases, I could see it both ways. In some cases, these are countries that we should not be giving to."
Former USAID officials had denounced the White House's plan to cut U.S. foreign assistance, which is a tool to advance U.S. interests.
In a tweet, former USAID Administrator Gayle Smith said the plan to "rescind billions in development funding is as ineffective as it is shameless."
She added that the development funding "isn't just charity," but a way to foster U.S. values, foreign policy, national security and economic interests.
A quick thread on why OMB's plan to rescind billions in development funding is as ineffective as it is shameless.
— Gayle Smith (@GayleSmith) August 20, 2019
For years, Republicans & Dems have agreed development isn't just charity, it's a tool to advance US values, foreign policy, nat security & economic interests. 1/15
August 24, 2019 at 02:42AM
Russian Court Extends Detention of former US Marine Accused of Espionage
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Russian Court Extends Detention of former US Marine Accused of Espionage
A Russian court has extended by more than two months the detention of a former U.S. Marine accused of espionage.
In a closed hearing in Moscow's Lefortovo Court Friday, the presiding judge prolonged Paul Whelan's detention until October 29th — the latest phase in an eight-month investigation by the country's Federal Security Services, or FSB, that appears to be grinding toward presentation of formal charges by year's end.
"I am innocent of any charges resulting from this political kidnapping, No crime ever occurred," said Whelan, 49, in a statement hurriedly read as police forced journalists from the courtroom following the judge's ruling.
Accused spy and former US Marine Paul Whelan in a Moscow court today proclaiming his innocence from espionage charges. The court prolonged his detainment until October 29th pending an ongoing FSB investigation. pic.twitter.com/UmxGz6Z4io
— Charles Maynes (@cwmiii3) August 23, 2019
"The latest that we've seen from the investigation plays into the hands of the defense," Whelan's Russian lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said after the ruling. "Paul's version that this crime was merely a provocation is justified in our view. Investigators think otherwise."
If convicted, Whelan faces the possibility of 10- to 20 years in prison.
Entering the courthouse in handcuffs and led by masked police, the former Marine complained of rough treatment by authorities despite health issues.
"They are dragging me along even though I have a medical condition which prohibits it," said Whelan.
In the initial open phase of the hearing, Whelan said he was in "great pain" and had repeatedly told the prosecutor about abuse and injuries at the hands of FSB and prison officials. Whelan said that despite his complaints, no action was taken.
"The prosecutor is allowing unlawful acts that violate human rights, acts that violate Russian law by the FSB," Whelan said. "The prosecutor's office knows about this and has done nothing. Therefore she needs to go."
The judge rejected Whelan's request but paused proceedings so that a doctor could conduct a brief medical examination.
Whelan's lawyers later clarified that the former Marine was considering possible surgery in a Moscow hospital for a hernia in his groin.
The U.S. Embassy in Russia said it has asked the Russian Foreign minister "for immediate consular access" to meet with Whelan and "to speak with him about his serious health allegations."
We've asked @MFA_Russia for immediate consular access to meet with #PaulWhelan to speak with him about his serious health allegations. The health and welfare of U.S. citizens abroad is our highest priority. https://t.co/ltmUCVKQ9g
— Andrea Kalan (@USEmbRuPress) August 23, 2019
Whelan's complaints also extended to the court proceedings themselves.
"There's no judicial process here, no due process," said Whelan, noting prison officials had informed him of the court hearing just two hours prior.
"I was not given notice for this hearing. I have not seen my attorneys for more than a month for consultation. I did not have an opportunity to talk to them or look at their documents," he added.
He also questioned the abilities of his court-appointed Russian translator and sharply criticized the closed-door nature of the hearings — a standard practice for espionage cases, say Russian officials.
"This is part of the cover up," said Whelan, as the judge ordered journalists out of the room.
Whelan, who in addition to American citizenship, holds passports from Canada, Ireland, and Britain, was arrested by FSB agents in December of last year in a downtown Moscow hotel, after allegedly accepting classified materials on a computer 'thumb' flash drive.
Whelan has repeatedly denied the charges, insisting he was in Moscow for a friend's wedding and had accepted the drive from a Russian acquaintance without knowing or ever viewing its contents.
The case has proven an additional irritant to already strained relations between the United States and Russia over larger issues such as Syria, Ukraine, and Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Whelan has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene on his behalf, asking the American leader "to tweet your intentions" about a case that Whelan has labeled "the Moscow goat rodeo."
While U.S. officials, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, have criticized Russia for providing scant evidence of Whelan's wrongdoing, they have also stopped short of proclaiming his innocence, according to Whelan's family members.
Whelan had a message Friday for those following his case.
"Only listen to what I say. Do not trust anyone else."
August 24, 2019 at 02:00AM
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