AFP: Marine tells of order to execute Haditha women and children
In boot camp you are instructed on what makes for a "lawful command". This marine had a choice and made the conscience decision to shoot a room full of women and children.
The individual can choose to disobey a "lawful order" when that order goes against what the person knows is not the right thing to do. Murdering civilians is NOT a right thing to do. In this case the order to kill innocent civilians is an "UNlawful order".
Interpret as you will.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Airport Scrutiny of Headgear Raises Bias Claims From Sikhs - New York Times
Airport Scrutiny of Headgear Raises Bias Claims From Sikhs - New York Times
Waa-Waa - I don't want to take my hat off -
Take off your jacket, take off your sweater - take off your turban, or just take the bus!!
Waa-Waa - I don't want to take my hat off -
Take off your jacket, take off your sweater - take off your turban, or just take the bus!!
Colo. school bans tag on its playground - Yahoo! News
Colo. school bans tag on its playground - Yahoo! News
Oh get a life people!!!
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - An elementary school has banned tag on its playground after some children complained they were harassed or chased against their will.
"It causes a lot of conflict on the playground," said Cindy Fesgen, assistant principal of the Discovery Canyon Campus school.
Running games are still allowed as long as students don't chase each other, she said.
Fesgen said two parents complained to her about the ban but most parents and children didn't object.
In 2005, two elementary schools in the nearby Falcon School District did away with tag and similar games in favor of alternatives with less physical contact. School officials said the move encouraged more students to play games and helped reduce playground squabbles.
___
Oh get a life people!!!
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - An elementary school has banned tag on its playground after some children complained they were harassed or chased against their will.
"It causes a lot of conflict on the playground," said Cindy Fesgen, assistant principal of the Discovery Canyon Campus school.
Running games are still allowed as long as students don't chase each other, she said.
Fesgen said two parents complained to her about the ban but most parents and children didn't object.
In 2005, two elementary schools in the nearby Falcon School District did away with tag and similar games in favor of alternatives with less physical contact. School officials said the move encouraged more students to play games and helped reduce playground squabbles.
___
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Ex-Raider Marinovich held on drug charges - Los Angeles Times
Ex-Raider Marinovich held on drug charges - Los Angeles Times
Ex-Raider Marinovich held on drug charges
Carlos Chavez / LAT
Marinovich, seen in a 2001 photo, pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges.
Newport Beach police say he was found carrying a small amount of methamphetamine -- a felony -- and paraphernalia. He pleads not guilty.
By Garrett Therolf, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 11:49 AM PDT, August 29, 2007
Former USC and Los Angeles Raiders quarterback Todd Marinovich, who has been bedeviled with drug problems, today pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an arrest Sunday in Newport Beach.Police said they observed Marinovich, 38, skateboarding with a guitar case in hand about 1:15 a.m. Sunday near the Newport Pier boardwalk. Skateboarding is not allowed on the boardwalk, and Marinovich fled to a nearby home's carport.When police found Marinovich there, they searched him and discovered a small amount of methamphetamine, a metal spoon and a hypodermic needle, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Evan Sailor.Marinovich was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and unauthorized possession of a hypodermic needle and resisting a police officer, both misdemeanors. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at Orange County Jail.Marinovich was known for being groomed almost from birth to play professional football. After leading USC to victory in the 1990 Rose Bowl, Marinovich became the Raiders' first-round pick in the 1991 draft. His career quickly fizzled, however, and he became better known for his drug arrests and lost potential.When Marinovich was arrested for drug possession in Newport Beach in 2005 -- his fifth drug arrest -- 23 of his college teammates put up money to help pay for drug treatment, allowing Marinovich to avoid jail time.Marinovich walked out of his residential treatment program in September 2005, violating his probation and sentence. He disappeared for three weeks before he surrendered to authorities and was returned to jail.
Ex-Raider Marinovich held on drug charges
Carlos Chavez / LAT
Marinovich, seen in a 2001 photo, pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges.
Newport Beach police say he was found carrying a small amount of methamphetamine -- a felony -- and paraphernalia. He pleads not guilty.
By Garrett Therolf, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 11:49 AM PDT, August 29, 2007
Former USC and Los Angeles Raiders quarterback Todd Marinovich, who has been bedeviled with drug problems, today pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an arrest Sunday in Newport Beach.Police said they observed Marinovich, 38, skateboarding with a guitar case in hand about 1:15 a.m. Sunday near the Newport Pier boardwalk. Skateboarding is not allowed on the boardwalk, and Marinovich fled to a nearby home's carport.When police found Marinovich there, they searched him and discovered a small amount of methamphetamine, a metal spoon and a hypodermic needle, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Evan Sailor.Marinovich was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and unauthorized possession of a hypodermic needle and resisting a police officer, both misdemeanors. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at Orange County Jail.Marinovich was known for being groomed almost from birth to play professional football. After leading USC to victory in the 1990 Rose Bowl, Marinovich became the Raiders' first-round pick in the 1991 draft. His career quickly fizzled, however, and he became better known for his drug arrests and lost potential.When Marinovich was arrested for drug possession in Newport Beach in 2005 -- his fifth drug arrest -- 23 of his college teammates put up money to help pay for drug treatment, allowing Marinovich to avoid jail time.Marinovich walked out of his residential treatment program in September 2005, violating his probation and sentence. He disappeared for three weeks before he surrendered to authorities and was returned to jail.
Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | NASA finds no evidence of astronaut alcohol abuse
Spaceflight Now Breaking News NASA finds no evidence of astronaut alcohol abuse
Of course not you stupid dick heads - You need to breathalize before each flight.
Stupid asses!!!
Of course not you stupid dick heads - You need to breathalize before each flight.
Stupid asses!!!
The Enquirer - Feds: All detained illegal
The Enquirer - Feds: All detained illegal
Released for humanitarian reasons???? Ship the whole lot back and get taken care of in their home country!!!
Feds: All detained illegal
BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS BWEATHERS@ENQUIRER.COM
All 161 people taken into custody Tuesday during a federal raid at Koch Foods in Fairfield have been identified as illegal aliens, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman said today.
The detainees are from eight different countries, including Mexico, Guatemala and Peru.
Eighty of those detained remain in ICE custody, spokesman Greg Palmore said. Another 20 have been charged with state offenses, including forgery and taking the identity of another, and are in custody in the Butler County jail, he said.
The remaining 61 were released for “humanitarian reasons,” Palmore said.
They were either the sole caregiver or had medical concerns, he said.Those released were given notices to appear before an immigration judge at a future date, Palmore said.
As far as any possible charges against Koch Foods, Palmore would only say: “The investigation is continuing. It’s ongoing.”
Chicago-based Koch Foods said the company is “fully cooperating” with customs enforcement officials.
“As part of our standard employment process, we require employees to provide documentation in accordance with the law, and we have implemented a program to audit this documentation,” the statement reads. “Koch Foods is committed to complying with all immigration laws, and we look forward to resolving the matter quickly.
''The poultry packing plant resumed its normal business operations at the Fairfield plant on Tuesday evening.
In light of the federal raid, a bilingual toll-free helpline at 888-227-0124 has been established by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The number is staffed by job and family services employees who can provide assistance and referrals to individuals affected by the raid. The call center number is operating from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until further notice.
Depending on the specific need, callers will be referred to resources in their local communities.
“ODJFS, in conjunction with our county partners in and around Butler County, are dedicated to helping those in need,” said director Helen Jones-Kelley. “We want families, elderly and children to know there is a place in their community where they can turn for assistance.”
Released for humanitarian reasons???? Ship the whole lot back and get taken care of in their home country!!!
Feds: All detained illegal
BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS BWEATHERS@ENQUIRER.COM
All 161 people taken into custody Tuesday during a federal raid at Koch Foods in Fairfield have been identified as illegal aliens, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman said today.
The detainees are from eight different countries, including Mexico, Guatemala and Peru.
Eighty of those detained remain in ICE custody, spokesman Greg Palmore said. Another 20 have been charged with state offenses, including forgery and taking the identity of another, and are in custody in the Butler County jail, he said.
The remaining 61 were released for “humanitarian reasons,” Palmore said.
They were either the sole caregiver or had medical concerns, he said.Those released were given notices to appear before an immigration judge at a future date, Palmore said.
As far as any possible charges against Koch Foods, Palmore would only say: “The investigation is continuing. It’s ongoing.”
Chicago-based Koch Foods said the company is “fully cooperating” with customs enforcement officials.
“As part of our standard employment process, we require employees to provide documentation in accordance with the law, and we have implemented a program to audit this documentation,” the statement reads. “Koch Foods is committed to complying with all immigration laws, and we look forward to resolving the matter quickly.
''The poultry packing plant resumed its normal business operations at the Fairfield plant on Tuesday evening.
In light of the federal raid, a bilingual toll-free helpline at 888-227-0124 has been established by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The number is staffed by job and family services employees who can provide assistance and referrals to individuals affected by the raid. The call center number is operating from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until further notice.
Depending on the specific need, callers will be referred to resources in their local communities.
“ODJFS, in conjunction with our county partners in and around Butler County, are dedicated to helping those in need,” said director Helen Jones-Kelley. “We want families, elderly and children to know there is a place in their community where they can turn for assistance.”
UK tries pictures to discourage smokers - Yahoo! News
UK tries pictures to discourage smokers - Yahoo! News
UK tries pictures to discourage smokers
Wed Aug 29, 9:08 AM ET
LONDON - Cigarette packs will be required next year to display such graphic images as diseased organs in a bid to scare smokers into snuffing out their butts, the government announced Wednesday.
Britain will be the first member of the European Union to require such warnings, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said.
"We have already made a lot of progress with stark written warnings on cigarette packs," Johnson said.
The images include an unhealthy lung, a chest cut open for heart surgery and a large tumor on a man's neck. In all, Britain chose 15 images from a selection developed by the European Commission.
Smoking has been banned in public places in Britain, and the legal age for buying tobacco will be raised from 16 to 18 next year.
The new warnings will be required on cigarette packs in the second half of 2008, the department said.
Nationwide to drop 40,000 Florida policies - Jacksonville Business Journal:
Nationwide to drop 40,000 Florida policies - Jacksonville Business Journal:
Nationwide to drop 40,000 Florida policies
Jacksonville Business Journal - 10:54 AM EDT Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Nationwide Insurance has chosen not to renew about 39,000 homeowner's insurance policies in Florida. In mid-September, the company will begin mailing nonrenewal notices to the affected homeowners and to about 1,600 commercial property policyholders.
The affected policies will begin expiring in January 2008.
In a letter to Florida agents, Florida Regional Vice President Jeff Rommel said the move was one of two designed to change its business strategy in Florida, the other being a gradual move from exclusive Nationwide agents to independent agents.
Rommel said in the letter that dropping the policies is being done "to bring our property exposure to an appropriate level in the state of Florida."
Nationwide paid out more than $1 billion in hurricane claims in 2004 and 2005.
Rommel said many of the policyholders dropped by Nationwide will be offered coverage by Security First Insurance Co.
After dropping the policies, Nationwide will have about 506,000 policies in the state.
Nationwide to drop 40,000 Florida policies
Jacksonville Business Journal - 10:54 AM EDT Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Nationwide Insurance has chosen not to renew about 39,000 homeowner's insurance policies in Florida. In mid-September, the company will begin mailing nonrenewal notices to the affected homeowners and to about 1,600 commercial property policyholders.
The affected policies will begin expiring in January 2008.
In a letter to Florida agents, Florida Regional Vice President Jeff Rommel said the move was one of two designed to change its business strategy in Florida, the other being a gradual move from exclusive Nationwide agents to independent agents.
Rommel said in the letter that dropping the policies is being done "to bring our property exposure to an appropriate level in the state of Florida."
Nationwide paid out more than $1 billion in hurricane claims in 2004 and 2005.
Rommel said many of the policyholders dropped by Nationwide will be offered coverage by Security First Insurance Co.
After dropping the policies, Nationwide will have about 506,000 policies in the state.
'Nappy-wearing' astronaut to plead insanity - Telegraph
'Nappy-wearing' astronaut to plead insanity - Telegraph
Yeah right - Insane!!!!
By Richard Holt
Yeah right - Insane!!!!
'Nappy-wearing' astronaut to plead insanity
By Richard Holt
Last Updated: 10:46am BST 29/08/2007
A former astronaut accused of driving across the US wearing adult nappies before assaulting and attempting to kidnap a love rival is to enter a plea of temporary insanity.
Lisa Nowak, 44, a navy captain and Nasa robotics specialist who flew on a shuttle mission to the International Space Station last July, was arrested in February. She was held after allegedly using pepper spray against Colleen Shipman, the girlfriend of a former space shuttle pilot Nowak had been seeing. Nowak suffered from major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia and "brief psychotic disorder," according to her defence lawyer Donald Lykkebak. He also noted that Nowak had lost 15 per cent of her body weight and struggled with "marital separation". "Even the most naive observer should recognise that Lisa Nowak's behaviour on February 5 was uncharacteristic and unpredicted for such an accomplished person with no criminal record or history of violence," Mr Lykkebak added in a public statement. The former astronaut allegedly stalked Ms Shipman at Orlando airport, and attacked her as she got to her car. Police say the married mother of three had driven nearly 1,000 miles from Houston to Orlando, wearing nappies - as astronauts do during launch and re-entry - to avoid taking toilet breaks. She is then accused of using a pepper spray on Ms Shipman as she tried to get into her car. Ms Shipman was able to drive away, and Nowak was arrested. Police said Nowak had a bag with her that contained a steel mallet, a knife and a ball-bearing gun. Nowak was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault. She has pleaded not guilty. She told police said she just wanted to talk to Ms Shipman to find out "where she stands" in the bizarre love triangle. Nowak was dismissed from the astronaut corps a month after her arrest. She is due to stand trial in September. |
U.S. immigrants worry as families face deportation | U.S. | Reuters
U.S. immigrants worry as families face deportation U.S. Reuters
U.S. immigrants worry as families face deportation
Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:36AM EDT
By Andrea Hopkins
FAIRFIELD, Ohio (Reuters) - When 300 U.S. immigration agents surrounded the chicken processing plant where Danny Alvarez-Reyes works, he did the only thing he could think of: he gave his coat to a scared friend determined to hide in the walk-in freezer.
Alvarez-Reyes, 27, works legally at the Koch Food plant near Cincinnati and could only watch as co-workers were rounded up during a raid on Tuesday that netted 160 illegal workers.
But after an exhausting day trying to help his friends' families, Alvarez-Reyes was still worried about the five co-workers he watched hide in the giant freezer.
"I don't know if they ever got out, that's all I want to know," he said, gathering with friends at a neighborhood taco restaurant to rehash the trauma of the day and trade rumors about who will be deported.
A day after one of the largest workplace immigration raids in Ohio, the Hispanic community in Cincinnati's suburbs was scrambling to track down missing family members and arrange care for children whose parents were caught up in the raid.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the raid was the culmination of a two-year investigation of Koch Foods, suspected of knowingly hiring undocumented workers. The company said it was cooperating.
"Koch Foods is committed to complying with all immigration laws, and we look forward to resolving this matter quickly," it said in a statement.
Illegal immigration is hotly debated in the United States, home to some 12 million illegal immigrants. A Zogby International poll in June found 46 percent of Americans believed illegal immigrants were a burden on the country, while 22 percent saw them as a benefit.
Still, only 37 percent viewed deportation as a solution, while about one in four said workers should be allowed to stay if they have jobs and pass background checks.
Last year, ICE agents deported 183,431 people amid stepped-up raids in workplaces and homes nationwide.
NO SYMPATHY
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, one of the country's most outspoken opponents of illegal immigration, has lobbied Washington to crack down on employers who hire illegal workers -- jobs he believes should go to Americans.
"I've been saying for two and a half years 'We're coming, ... don't hire illegals, don't violate the law,'" Jones said after the raid. "I personally have no sympathy for you whatsoever. None. Zero."
While rumors flew among Hispanics that some had been hurt or even frozen to death during the raid, ICE spokesman Greg Palmore said there were no significant injuries and that workers who hid in freezers had quickly been found.
A spokesman at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield said six people had been brought in with minor injuries including frostbite, and that all but one had been treated and released.
Palmore said everything possible had been done to ensure children would not be left unattended if parents had been arrested, and ICE officials said some workers may be released for humanitarian reasons if caregivers could not be found.
Still, many families said they'd been torn apart.
Guadalupe Santos, 40, said his eldest daughter, Rose Alba, 20, was swept up in the raid. He's been caring for her 6-month-old son, Christopher, ever since.
"We are frantic with worry," said Santos, who came to the United States almost seven years ago from Mexico City with his wife and three daughters. "We don't know where she's being held, or if we'll get access to her. We don't know if we should get a lawyer."
Santos, who is a cook at a Chili's restaurant, said fear had gripped the Hispanic community.
"Everyone saw the raid on television, there is widespread fear, and now nobody wants to go out onto the street."
Enrique Ventura, 20, is in a similar bind. He hasn't heard from his wife Angelica, 19, since she left for work at the Koch
Food plant on Tuesday morning. The couple has a 4-month-old son.
"I stopped by her work to collect her and she wasn't there. Some people told me she'd been arrested by the immigration police and taken to the detention center," he said.
Ventura was considering returning to Guatemala.
"I am devastated," he said. "If she is back in Guatemala, then I would have to go too, as I have no one to help raise him. The baby needs his mother."
U.S. immigrants worry as families face deportation
Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:36AM EDT
By Andrea Hopkins
FAIRFIELD, Ohio (Reuters) - When 300 U.S. immigration agents surrounded the chicken processing plant where Danny Alvarez-Reyes works, he did the only thing he could think of: he gave his coat to a scared friend determined to hide in the walk-in freezer.
Alvarez-Reyes, 27, works legally at the Koch Food plant near Cincinnati and could only watch as co-workers were rounded up during a raid on Tuesday that netted 160 illegal workers.
But after an exhausting day trying to help his friends' families, Alvarez-Reyes was still worried about the five co-workers he watched hide in the giant freezer.
"I don't know if they ever got out, that's all I want to know," he said, gathering with friends at a neighborhood taco restaurant to rehash the trauma of the day and trade rumors about who will be deported.
A day after one of the largest workplace immigration raids in Ohio, the Hispanic community in Cincinnati's suburbs was scrambling to track down missing family members and arrange care for children whose parents were caught up in the raid.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the raid was the culmination of a two-year investigation of Koch Foods, suspected of knowingly hiring undocumented workers. The company said it was cooperating.
"Koch Foods is committed to complying with all immigration laws, and we look forward to resolving this matter quickly," it said in a statement.
Illegal immigration is hotly debated in the United States, home to some 12 million illegal immigrants. A Zogby International poll in June found 46 percent of Americans believed illegal immigrants were a burden on the country, while 22 percent saw them as a benefit.
Still, only 37 percent viewed deportation as a solution, while about one in four said workers should be allowed to stay if they have jobs and pass background checks.
Last year, ICE agents deported 183,431 people amid stepped-up raids in workplaces and homes nationwide.
NO SYMPATHY
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, one of the country's most outspoken opponents of illegal immigration, has lobbied Washington to crack down on employers who hire illegal workers -- jobs he believes should go to Americans.
"I've been saying for two and a half years 'We're coming, ... don't hire illegals, don't violate the law,'" Jones said after the raid. "I personally have no sympathy for you whatsoever. None. Zero."
While rumors flew among Hispanics that some had been hurt or even frozen to death during the raid, ICE spokesman Greg Palmore said there were no significant injuries and that workers who hid in freezers had quickly been found.
A spokesman at Mercy Hospital in Fairfield said six people had been brought in with minor injuries including frostbite, and that all but one had been treated and released.
Palmore said everything possible had been done to ensure children would not be left unattended if parents had been arrested, and ICE officials said some workers may be released for humanitarian reasons if caregivers could not be found.
Still, many families said they'd been torn apart.
Guadalupe Santos, 40, said his eldest daughter, Rose Alba, 20, was swept up in the raid. He's been caring for her 6-month-old son, Christopher, ever since.
"We are frantic with worry," said Santos, who came to the United States almost seven years ago from Mexico City with his wife and three daughters. "We don't know where she's being held, or if we'll get access to her. We don't know if we should get a lawyer."
Santos, who is a cook at a Chili's restaurant, said fear had gripped the Hispanic community.
"Everyone saw the raid on television, there is widespread fear, and now nobody wants to go out onto the street."
Enrique Ventura, 20, is in a similar bind. He hasn't heard from his wife Angelica, 19, since she left for work at the Koch
Food plant on Tuesday morning. The couple has a 4-month-old son.
"I stopped by her work to collect her and she wasn't there. Some people told me she'd been arrested by the immigration police and taken to the detention center," he said.
Ventura was considering returning to Guatemala.
"I am devastated," he said. "If she is back in Guatemala, then I would have to go too, as I have no one to help raise him. The baby needs his mother."
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Illegal immigrants choice: work underground or leave
Illegal immigrants choice: work underground or leave
Jorge S., an East Bay grocery store clerk, worries about his family's future if the Bush administration follows through with its declaration this month to crack down on employers who fail to verify the legal status of their workers.
"Everyone at the store is worried about it. We're all in the same boat," said Jorge, 53, who invented a Social Security number to get hired eight years ago and would not give his last name for fear of losing his job. "I'd be in a very difficult situation if I lose my job."
Jorge is among hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Northern California who are working without proper authorization. Immigration experts say that American jobs are the biggest magnet for illegal immigrants and that the new policy of enforcing a 20-year-old law barring employers from hiring undocumented workers is an important step in reducing illegal border crossings.
"It's the only thing that could have a deterrent effect," said Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego. "The overwhelming incentive for coming here is the prospect of being employed in jobs that invariably pay far more than low-skilled jobs pay in Mexico or other sending countries."
Some advocates of tougher worksite enforcement say that if the new policy is seriously enforced, it could not only deter prospective foreign workers from coming without authorization but make life so miserable for illegal immigrants already in the United States that they will decide to leave.
"You'll see it become much more difficult for illegal immigrants to get mainstream jobs," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which advocates reduced immigration, both legal and illegal. "There's no question we'd have a significant level of self-deportation if the illegal immigrants came to expect that enforcement was here to stay."
The new rules, announced Aug. 10 by Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will require employers to fire workers who are unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers within 90 days after they've been notified in a "no-match" letter. Employers who don't comply will face a fine of at least $2,200 and possible criminal penalties.
Employer associations say they are instructing their members on how to comply with the law. But they worry that if they have to let workers go, they could face a labor shortage.
"I think this will hurt the California economy probably more than any other state," said Kevin Westlye, director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. "There will be an impact on the economy, but also on those individuals. There are 2 million undocumented workers in the state of California and generally these are good, hard-working people."
Peninsula resident Silvia Esparza, 44, said she already finds life as an undocumented immigrant pretty tough. She lives with a perpetual fear of being deported, has no driver's license and no possibility of establishing credit. Though she has lived in the Bay Area for 17 years and works for a mail-order cleaning products company, she said she would give it up and return to Mexico if she lost her job over a no-match letter.
"I would go back to my country, but that's because I don't have the problem of having my children here," said Esparza, who sent her four kids to live with her parents in Baja California several years ago to protect them from the influence of American gangs. "I'm a hard worker, so I know I could survive. But I don't know if my kids would be able to continue their education. I've put the two oldest through university."
For Jorge and other illegal immigrants who are raising their children in the United States, the equation is different.
"I would look for other work, maybe work for myself doing gardening, home repairs, window washing," said the father of three, whose sister, a U.S. citizen, applied nine years ago to sponsor him for legal residency. The current green card waiting period for a Mexican sibling of a U.S. citizen is 17 years.
"We're still waiting," said Jorge. "I just tell my kids to keep studying and not to lose hope."
The administration's new policy intensifies an approach already in motion by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has stepped up criminal prosecutions of companies that conspire to employ illegal immigrants. In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, ICE made 745 criminal arrests and 3,561 administrative arrests of employers and employees, eight times as many as in all of 2002.
"No employer, regardless of industry or location, is immune from complying with the nation's laws," said ICE chief Julie Myers earlier this month.
Ramón Neyra, a Nicaraguan-born contractor who lives in Oakland and earned his U.S. citizenship last year, counts himself lucky that his nationality allowed him to escape the shadow world of living as an illegal immigrant.
Neyra, 45, fled Nicaragua's civil war and spent years in the United States working under-the-table construction jobs. But a 1997 law offered legal residence to many Nicaraguan expatriates, and after more than a decade Neyra was able to bring his wife and two daughters to California.
"I know a lot of people who live in constant fear that they'll be deported," he said. "They're all honest people who work very hard, as I did when I came here. After 18 years here I employ three people every day, I have my own business, my own house. I consider that I've been successful. And I know that these people, if you give them the opportunity, they will be successful, too."
In the United States, illegal immigrants number about 12 million and make up an estimated 5 percent of the civilian workforce, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
Public opinion polls have shown that a solid majority of Americans favor offering undocumented immigrants a way to earn legal status, but they also want to see toughened immigration enforcement.
A Time magazine poll in March, for instance, found 78 percent support for "allowing illegal immigrants now in this country to earn U.S. citizenship if they learn to speak English, have a job and pay taxes." Forty-seven percent of those polled also said they supported deportation of all undocumented workers.
A Zogby America International poll released in May found 69 percent public approval for a strict crackdown in illegal immigration, while 50 percent approved granting green cards to undocumented immigrants and putting them on the path to citizenship.
The hotly debated question in Washington is which to tackle first. The Bush administration heightened its focus on enforcement after Congress failed this summer, for the second consecutive year, to reach an agreement on reworking the nation's immigration laws.
But Westlye and others say the administration is putting the cart before the horse. Mark Silverman, a staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco, believes the government must first legalize unauthorized immigrants and create a way for future foreign workers to come lawfully.
"Then you can say we're going to ... enforce the laws against hiring undocumented workers really strictly," he said. Otherwise, "they will be driven into the underground economy. The theory is that people will go home, but I think it will be a very small percentage."
Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies argues that tough workplace enforcement must come first, combined with stepped up deportations and increased involvement of state and local officials in enforcing immigration law.
"Over five years, we could probably reduce the illegal population by half. ... Once we do that, we could talk about what to do with the rest," he said. "For the majority of illegal workers who gave stolen or fake Social Security numbers, they shouldn't be working. It's as simple as that."
Rules at a glance
What's new: Rules announced this month by the Bush administration will require employers to fire employees unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers 90 days after they've been notified of such discrepancies in what are called "no-match letters."
What it means: Hiring undocumented workers has been illegal for two decades, but until now, employers were not held liable for fraudulent documents. Employers who fail to comply will face fines and sanctions.
What's next: The new rules take effect Sept. 9.
Jorge S., an East Bay grocery store clerk, worries about his family's future if the Bush administration follows through with its declaration this month to crack down on employers who fail to verify the legal status of their workers.
"Everyone at the store is worried about it. We're all in the same boat," said Jorge, 53, who invented a Social Security number to get hired eight years ago and would not give his last name for fear of losing his job. "I'd be in a very difficult situation if I lose my job."
Jorge is among hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Northern California who are working without proper authorization. Immigration experts say that American jobs are the biggest magnet for illegal immigrants and that the new policy of enforcing a 20-year-old law barring employers from hiring undocumented workers is an important step in reducing illegal border crossings.
"It's the only thing that could have a deterrent effect," said Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego. "The overwhelming incentive for coming here is the prospect of being employed in jobs that invariably pay far more than low-skilled jobs pay in Mexico or other sending countries."
Some advocates of tougher worksite enforcement say that if the new policy is seriously enforced, it could not only deter prospective foreign workers from coming without authorization but make life so miserable for illegal immigrants already in the United States that they will decide to leave.
"You'll see it become much more difficult for illegal immigrants to get mainstream jobs," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which advocates reduced immigration, both legal and illegal. "There's no question we'd have a significant level of self-deportation if the illegal immigrants came to expect that enforcement was here to stay."
The new rules, announced Aug. 10 by Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will require employers to fire workers who are unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers within 90 days after they've been notified in a "no-match" letter. Employers who don't comply will face a fine of at least $2,200 and possible criminal penalties.
Employer associations say they are instructing their members on how to comply with the law. But they worry that if they have to let workers go, they could face a labor shortage.
"I think this will hurt the California economy probably more than any other state," said Kevin Westlye, director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. "There will be an impact on the economy, but also on those individuals. There are 2 million undocumented workers in the state of California and generally these are good, hard-working people."
Peninsula resident Silvia Esparza, 44, said she already finds life as an undocumented immigrant pretty tough. She lives with a perpetual fear of being deported, has no driver's license and no possibility of establishing credit. Though she has lived in the Bay Area for 17 years and works for a mail-order cleaning products company, she said she would give it up and return to Mexico if she lost her job over a no-match letter.
"I would go back to my country, but that's because I don't have the problem of having my children here," said Esparza, who sent her four kids to live with her parents in Baja California several years ago to protect them from the influence of American gangs. "I'm a hard worker, so I know I could survive. But I don't know if my kids would be able to continue their education. I've put the two oldest through university."
For Jorge and other illegal immigrants who are raising their children in the United States, the equation is different.
"I would look for other work, maybe work for myself doing gardening, home repairs, window washing," said the father of three, whose sister, a U.S. citizen, applied nine years ago to sponsor him for legal residency. The current green card waiting period for a Mexican sibling of a U.S. citizen is 17 years.
"We're still waiting," said Jorge. "I just tell my kids to keep studying and not to lose hope."
The administration's new policy intensifies an approach already in motion by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has stepped up criminal prosecutions of companies that conspire to employ illegal immigrants. In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, ICE made 745 criminal arrests and 3,561 administrative arrests of employers and employees, eight times as many as in all of 2002.
"No employer, regardless of industry or location, is immune from complying with the nation's laws," said ICE chief Julie Myers earlier this month.
Ramón Neyra, a Nicaraguan-born contractor who lives in Oakland and earned his U.S. citizenship last year, counts himself lucky that his nationality allowed him to escape the shadow world of living as an illegal immigrant.
Neyra, 45, fled Nicaragua's civil war and spent years in the United States working under-the-table construction jobs. But a 1997 law offered legal residence to many Nicaraguan expatriates, and after more than a decade Neyra was able to bring his wife and two daughters to California.
"I know a lot of people who live in constant fear that they'll be deported," he said. "They're all honest people who work very hard, as I did when I came here. After 18 years here I employ three people every day, I have my own business, my own house. I consider that I've been successful. And I know that these people, if you give them the opportunity, they will be successful, too."
In the United States, illegal immigrants number about 12 million and make up an estimated 5 percent of the civilian workforce, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
Public opinion polls have shown that a solid majority of Americans favor offering undocumented immigrants a way to earn legal status, but they also want to see toughened immigration enforcement.
A Time magazine poll in March, for instance, found 78 percent support for "allowing illegal immigrants now in this country to earn U.S. citizenship if they learn to speak English, have a job and pay taxes." Forty-seven percent of those polled also said they supported deportation of all undocumented workers.
A Zogby America International poll released in May found 69 percent public approval for a strict crackdown in illegal immigration, while 50 percent approved granting green cards to undocumented immigrants and putting them on the path to citizenship.
The hotly debated question in Washington is which to tackle first. The Bush administration heightened its focus on enforcement after Congress failed this summer, for the second consecutive year, to reach an agreement on reworking the nation's immigration laws.
But Westlye and others say the administration is putting the cart before the horse. Mark Silverman, a staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco, believes the government must first legalize unauthorized immigrants and create a way for future foreign workers to come lawfully.
"Then you can say we're going to ... enforce the laws against hiring undocumented workers really strictly," he said. Otherwise, "they will be driven into the underground economy. The theory is that people will go home, but I think it will be a very small percentage."
Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies argues that tough workplace enforcement must come first, combined with stepped up deportations and increased involvement of state and local officials in enforcing immigration law.
"Over five years, we could probably reduce the illegal population by half. ... Once we do that, we could talk about what to do with the rest," he said. "For the majority of illegal workers who gave stolen or fake Social Security numbers, they shouldn't be working. It's as simple as that."
Rules at a glance
What's new: Rules announced this month by the Bush administration will require employers to fire employees unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers 90 days after they've been notified of such discrepancies in what are called "no-match letters."
What it means: Hiring undocumented workers has been illegal for two decades, but until now, employers were not held liable for fraudulent documents. Employers who fail to comply will face fines and sanctions.
What's next: The new rules take effect Sept. 9.
Buffalo strikes out in income report - Business First of Buffalo:
Buffalo strikes out in income report - Business First of Buffalo:
Buffalo strikes out in income report
Business First of Buffalo - 1:50 PM EDT Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Buffalo remains one of the poorest big cities in America, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released on Tuesday.
The typical Buffalo household earned $27,850 in income last year, the third-lowest reading for any city with at least 250,000 residents. The only cities that finished lower were Cleveland, with a median household income of $26,535, and Miami, with a median of $27,088.
Each city's median is its midpoint, which means that half of Buffalo's households earned more than $27,850 last year, and half earned less.
Buffalo did even worse in a second category, with 29.9 percent of its residents falling below the federal poverty level.
Poverty status is determined according to a sliding scale that takes income and household size into account.
Detroit was the only major city with a higher poverty rate, 32.5 percent.
The Census Bureau report focused specifically on cities, not metropolitan areas. That means Buffalo's statistics are confined to the city itself and do not include its suburbs.
Plano, Texas, a large suburb of Dallas, did the best on both indicators. It accumulated the largest household income, with a 2006 median of $77,038, and it had the smallest poverty rate, 5.1 percent.
Buffalo strikes out in income report
Business First of Buffalo - 1:50 PM EDT Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Buffalo remains one of the poorest big cities in America, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released on Tuesday.
The typical Buffalo household earned $27,850 in income last year, the third-lowest reading for any city with at least 250,000 residents. The only cities that finished lower were Cleveland, with a median household income of $26,535, and Miami, with a median of $27,088.
Each city's median is its midpoint, which means that half of Buffalo's households earned more than $27,850 last year, and half earned less.
Buffalo did even worse in a second category, with 29.9 percent of its residents falling below the federal poverty level.
Poverty status is determined according to a sliding scale that takes income and household size into account.
Detroit was the only major city with a higher poverty rate, 32.5 percent.
The Census Bureau report focused specifically on cities, not metropolitan areas. That means Buffalo's statistics are confined to the city itself and do not include its suburbs.
Plano, Texas, a large suburb of Dallas, did the best on both indicators. It accumulated the largest household income, with a 2006 median of $77,038, and it had the smallest poverty rate, 5.1 percent.
Eric Lundquist - Computer - Acer's $710 Million Acquisition Of Gateway Gives Dell A Cow
Eric Lundquist - Computer - Acer's $710 Million Acquisition Of Gateway Gives Dell A Cow
Monday, August 27, 2007 7:14 AM/EST
Acer's $710 Million Acquisition Of Gateway Gives Dell A Cow
Acer acquiring Gateway means that Dell has to look over both shoulders at the same time. On one hand, Dell's past mistakes have allowed a focused Hewlett-Packard to regain market share, become the best friend a channel vendor can have and provide a very competitive set of business computers from laptops (running whichever OS you'd like) to scalable data centers bathed in eco green.
And on that other hand, or over the other shoulder if I'm going to continue flogging the analogy, is now Acer. In the United States, Acer was often the largest personal computer vendor you never heard of. Although it did make a few forays into Acer branded products, the Taiwan computer vendor has enjoyed a substantial part of its growth in building computers -- in particular laptops -- for other vendors. The Acer name if far better known outside the United States.
Along the way Acer has grown to be neck and neck with Lenovo to claim the No. 3 slot as the world's largest vendor. The Gateway acquisition should put them into a few percentage points ahead of Lenovo. By gaining the Gateway name (as well as the Packard Bell name, by the way), Acer gets to take a strong run at the U.S. market at a time when the market is in flux.
Here is the Acer P.R. speak on the $710 million acquisition:
"This strategic transaction is an important milestone in Acer's long history," said J.T. Wang, chairman of Acer. "The acquisition of Gateway and its strong brand immediately completes Acer's global footprint, by strengthening our U.S. presence. This will be an excellent addition to Acer's already strong positions in Europe and Asia. Upon acquiring Gateway, we will further solidify our position as No. 3 PC vendor globally."
Gianfranco Lanci, president of Acer, added, "Both Acer's and Gateway's geographical presences and product positioning are highly complementary. We believe that our combined scale will lead to significant efficiencies. Gateway has built one of the industry's most powerful and unique brands and with this acquisition, we will have the opportunity to implement an effective multi-brand strategy and cover all the major market segments. In time, we intend to actively manage our brand portfolio and differentiate our brands to address different consumer segments. We are also acquiring a world-class team and Gateway's employees will be critical to our combined success." "
So now you have Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo and Acer as the main contenders in the PC business both worldwide and in the United States. Does anyone really need to see how important a global footprint has become for success in selling computers and laptops?
The Acer acquisition is good news for computer buyers in the United States. They will now have one more company that is substantial, embraces innovation and understands the channel to consider when they are purchasing new systems. I haven't forgotten Apple, which continues to be my recommendation for someone wanting to buy a laptop that costs a few more dollars on the front end, but will save you a lot of help desk calls on the back end.
Gateway in its prime was a fresh breeze (although with its cow spot motif, I suppose fresh breeze is the wrong term). The company emphasized its mid-America values and its pony-tailed founder Ted Waite was both a media star with his cow-themed commercials and provided a human touch to a world of bits and bytes, speeds and feeds marketing.
Dell has some serious shoulder swiveling to do in order to stay ahead of this bunch.
Update: here is the status on Packard BellGateway earlier announced that it intends to exercise its Right of First Refusal to acquire from Lap Shun (John) Hui, all of the shares of PB Holding Company, S.ar.l, the parent company for Packard Bell BV - a leading European PC vendor based in France. In addition, Gateway is currently in discussions with a third party with regards to a sale of its U.S. based Professional business.
Update: I did a blog on the U.S. tech industry getting caught in the squeeze between China and India.
Monday, August 27, 2007 7:14 AM/EST
Acer's $710 Million Acquisition Of Gateway Gives Dell A Cow
Acer acquiring Gateway means that Dell has to look over both shoulders at the same time. On one hand, Dell's past mistakes have allowed a focused Hewlett-Packard to regain market share, become the best friend a channel vendor can have and provide a very competitive set of business computers from laptops (running whichever OS you'd like) to scalable data centers bathed in eco green.
And on that other hand, or over the other shoulder if I'm going to continue flogging the analogy, is now Acer. In the United States, Acer was often the largest personal computer vendor you never heard of. Although it did make a few forays into Acer branded products, the Taiwan computer vendor has enjoyed a substantial part of its growth in building computers -- in particular laptops -- for other vendors. The Acer name if far better known outside the United States.
Along the way Acer has grown to be neck and neck with Lenovo to claim the No. 3 slot as the world's largest vendor. The Gateway acquisition should put them into a few percentage points ahead of Lenovo. By gaining the Gateway name (as well as the Packard Bell name, by the way), Acer gets to take a strong run at the U.S. market at a time when the market is in flux.
Here is the Acer P.R. speak on the $710 million acquisition:
"This strategic transaction is an important milestone in Acer's long history," said J.T. Wang, chairman of Acer. "The acquisition of Gateway and its strong brand immediately completes Acer's global footprint, by strengthening our U.S. presence. This will be an excellent addition to Acer's already strong positions in Europe and Asia. Upon acquiring Gateway, we will further solidify our position as No. 3 PC vendor globally."
Gianfranco Lanci, president of Acer, added, "Both Acer's and Gateway's geographical presences and product positioning are highly complementary. We believe that our combined scale will lead to significant efficiencies. Gateway has built one of the industry's most powerful and unique brands and with this acquisition, we will have the opportunity to implement an effective multi-brand strategy and cover all the major market segments. In time, we intend to actively manage our brand portfolio and differentiate our brands to address different consumer segments. We are also acquiring a world-class team and Gateway's employees will be critical to our combined success." "
So now you have Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo and Acer as the main contenders in the PC business both worldwide and in the United States. Does anyone really need to see how important a global footprint has become for success in selling computers and laptops?
The Acer acquisition is good news for computer buyers in the United States. They will now have one more company that is substantial, embraces innovation and understands the channel to consider when they are purchasing new systems. I haven't forgotten Apple, which continues to be my recommendation for someone wanting to buy a laptop that costs a few more dollars on the front end, but will save you a lot of help desk calls on the back end.
Gateway in its prime was a fresh breeze (although with its cow spot motif, I suppose fresh breeze is the wrong term). The company emphasized its mid-America values and its pony-tailed founder Ted Waite was both a media star with his cow-themed commercials and provided a human touch to a world of bits and bytes, speeds and feeds marketing.
Dell has some serious shoulder swiveling to do in order to stay ahead of this bunch.
Update: here is the status on Packard BellGateway earlier announced that it intends to exercise its Right of First Refusal to acquire from Lap Shun (John) Hui, all of the shares of PB Holding Company, S.ar.l, the parent company for Packard Bell BV - a leading European PC vendor based in France. In addition, Gateway is currently in discussions with a third party with regards to a sale of its U.S. based Professional business.
Update: I did a blog on the U.S. tech industry getting caught in the squeeze between China and India.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Clinton: Terrorist attack would help GOP - CNN.com
Clinton: Terrorist attack would help GOP - CNN.com
Hillary - you pig - are you sending a message that if the terrorists attack then you can be president?
Hey Mr. Terrorist, the Republicans are in power but if you attack us maybe the Democrats can be your friends.
Hillary - you pig - are you sending a message that if the terrorists attack then you can be president?
Hey Mr. Terrorist, the Republicans are in power but if you attack us maybe the Democrats can be your friends.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- She says she is the Democrat best equipped to fight terrorists, but White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton told New Hampshire voters Thursday that another attack on the United States would likely help Republican candidates at the polls.
Sen. Hillary Clinton said the Republicans would benefit politically if a terrorist attack occurred before the '08 vote.
"It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself, 'What if? What if?' " Clinton, a New York Democrat, told a house party in Concord, according to the New York Post and The Associated Press and confirmed by her campaign.
"But, if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect to terrorism, that will automatically give the Republicans an advantage again, no matter how badly they have mishandled it, no matter how much more dangerous they have made the world."
Clinton added that if such a scenario occurred, she is the best Democratic presidential candidate "to deal with that."
Clinton was in the crucial early voting state Thursday to unveil her health care plan.
A Clinton spokesman, Isaac Baker, told CNN "Sen. Clinton was making clear that she has the strength and experience to keep the country safe."
Don't Miss
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, who is also competing for the Democratic nomination, issued a statement Friday afternoon calling Clinton's remark "tasteless."
"Frankly, I find it tasteless to discuss political implications when talking about a potential terrorist attack on the United States," he said.
New Mexico Bill Richardson, another Democratic presidential candidate, disparaged Clinton's remark.
"We shouldn't be thinking about terrorism in terms of its domestic political consequences, we should be protecting the country from terrorists," said Gov Richardson in a written statementBoy really really doesn't like snakes... - Yahoo! News
Boy really really doesn't like snakes... - Yahoo! News
CINCINNATI - A man who shows snakes and other reptiles at schools, festivals and libraries says a boy who told the man he hated snakes stomped and killed the man's 10-foot-long python. Scott Braunstein said he was showing Popcorn, a nonpoisonous albino Burmese python, Sunday at the St. Bernadette Festival near Cincinnati.
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"The next thing I know ... the kid raises his leg and stomps down on the snake's head," Braunstein said. "The snake started convulsing."
Braunstein said he saw a man grab the child and say, "This is why I don't take you anywhere," before disappearing.
"I've never, never, had anything like that happen," said Braunstein, who operates House of Reptiles, based in Dry Ridge, Ky.
Braunstein's collection includes alligators, lizards, spiders and frogs. For two years, Braunstein's animals have been featured in a petting zoo at the festival.
"Scott's business is to educate people about reptiles, and his goal is for people to learn to appreciate rather than fear the reptiles that share this planet with us," said Dan Meakin, who founded All Creatures Animal Hospital in Amelia, Ohio.
E! News - Nicole's Super Simple Jail Life
E! News - Nicole's Super Simple Jail Life
Wow - I bet she learned alot from her 82 minutes in prison!!!
Wow - I bet she learned alot from her 82 minutes in prison!!!
With Hollywood preoccupied with Lindsay Lohan's legal escapades, the pregnant Simple Life star slipped into—and quickly out of—a Los Angeles-area lockup Thursday afternoon, serving exactly 82 minutes of what was supposed to be a four-day sentence.
Richie, 25, checked in to Paris Hilton's old haunt, the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood at 3:15 p.m., ostensibly to serve 96 hours for her wrong-way DUI.
But due to a packed jail and the math employed by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, officials said they expected Richie to serve only a fraction of the term.
"At this time, the criteria for a female arrestee sentenced to 30 days or less for a nonviolent offense is as follows: The arrestee is booked, screened and usually released within 12 hours," Sergeant John Hocking said in a statement. "This procedure is based on jail overcrowding to manage population levels mandated by federal court guidelines."
The joint must have been jammed, because by 4:37 p.m., Richie, accompanied by her boyfriend, rocker Joel Madden, and lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, was back on the streets.
The 82 minutes is believed to be a new record turnaround for L.A. celebrity inmates, easily besting ex-Lost player Michelle Rodriguez 's four hours, 27 minutes last year. Hilton, who faced a stricter initial sentence of 45 days, wound up logging 23 of them at Century Regional.
For those keeping score at home, Richie, who is about five months pregnant with Madden's child, was listed as 5-foot-1, 105 pounds on her booking sheet.
Richie's legal troubles began in December, when she was arrested for allegedly driving the wrong way on a Los Angeles freeway. Police said she flubbed a field sobriety test and admitted smoking marijuana and taking the painkiller Vicodin before getting behind the wheel of her black SUV.
She pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence at her arraignment hearing in February.
Had she gone to trial and been convicted of the charge, she would have been sentenced to a minimum of five days in jail and could have faced up to a year behind bars due to a 2003 DUI conviction on her record.
But on July 27 she changed her tune and pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and was sentenced to 96 hours in jail—the mandatory minimum for her offense—and given until Sept. 28 to turn herself in.
Richie was also placed on three years' probation, ordered to 21 days of drug and alcohol-education classes and fined $2,048 by Superior Court Commissioner Steven K. Lubell.
"You are very lucky that no one was hurt or killed as the result of this incident," Lubell said.
He gave Richie the choice of serving her time in either city or county jail.
Prosecutors noted that if Richie opted for a cushier city jail, she'd have to do the full four days. But if she chose a county facility, like Century Regional, she would likely serve only a portion of her time because of the overcrowding.
Now that she's sprung, Richie is expected to resume touring with Madden's band, Good Charlotte, and planning for her wedding.
A source close to the couple told E! Online earlier this week that Richie was waiting to serve her time and have the baby before the two would get married.
"She wants to do it on their own schedule," the source said. "And it will be done because they are in love, not because they are up against some deadline."
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Atlanta considers banning baggy pants - Yahoo! News
Atlanta considers banning baggy pants - Yahoo! News
It is about time!!!!
It is about time!!!!
Atlanta considers banning baggy pants
2 hours, 9 minutes ago
Baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs would be illegal under a proposed amendment to Atlanta's indecency laws.
The amendment, sponsored by city councilman C.T. Martin, states that sagging pants are an "epidemic" that is becoming a "major concern" around the country.
"Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the in thing," Martin said Wednesday. "I don't want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about their future."
The proposed ordinance would also bar women from showing the strap of a thong beneath their pants. They would also be prohibited from wearing jogging bras in public or show a bra strap, said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.
The proposed ordinance states that "the indecent exposure of his or her undergarments" would be unlawful in a public place. It would go in the same portion of the city code that outlaws sex in public and the exposure or fondling of genitals.
The penalty would be a fine in an amount to be determined, Martin said.
But Seagraves said any legislation that creates a dress code would not survive a court challenge. She said the law could not be enforced in a nondiscriminatory way because it targets something that came out of the black youth culture.
"This is a racial profiling bill that promotes and establishes a framework for an additional type of racial profiling," Seagraves said.
Martin, who is black, said he plans to hold public hearings and vet the proposal through churches, civil rights groups and neighborhood organizations. The proposal will get its first public airing next Tuesday in the City Council's Public Safety Committee.
"The purpose of the paper is to generate some conversation to see if we can find a solution," Martin said. "It will be like all the discussions we've had around the value of the hip-hop culture. We know there are First Amendment issues ... and some will say I'm just trying to put young black men in jail, but it's going to be fines."
Makeda Johnson, an Atlanta mother of a 14-year-old girl, said she is glad Martin introduced the proposal. She does not want to see a law against clothing, but said she thinks teenagers are sending a message with a way of dressing that is based in jailhouse behavior.
Atlanta would not be the first city to take on sagging pants.
Earlier this year, the town council in Delcambre, La., passed an ordinance that carries a fine of up to $500 or six months in jail for exposing underwear in public. Several other municipalities and parish governments in Louisiana have enacted similar laws in recent months.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
New York State Names 17 More ‘Persistently Dangerous’ Schools - New York Times
State Names 17 More ‘Persistently Dangerous’ Schools - New York Times
State Names 17 More ‘Persistently Dangerous’ Schools
New York State education officials yesterday added 17 schools to the list of those considered “persistently dangerous,” substantially expanding the list for the second year in a row. All but 2 of the 27 schools on the new list are in New York City, including a dozen schools designed for students with severe disabilities.
The schools ranged from the behemoth Jamaica High School in Queens to smaller schools like Powell Middle School in Harlem and Public School 14 in Staten Island. The list also includes a school in Rochester and Berkshire Junior-Senior High School in Canaan, N.Y.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to compile annual lists of “persistently dangerous” schools but leaves it to each state to define the term. Many states, including New York, have been criticized for issuing extremely short lists in past years.
“We are utterly determined to make all schools safe,” said Richard P. Mills, the state education commissioner, in announcing the list yesterday at a news conference in Albany.
Mr. Mills said New York’s list had grown because the state had vastly improved its reporting efforts. He noted that the 49 other states had listed a total of only 30 schools as “persistently dangerous” last year, just a hairsbreadth more than the schools now listed by New York.
“I think for a while the list will continue to get longer,” Mr. Mills said. “We are just getting to the point where more people understand the definitions.”
He added, “I suspect the rest of the country will start to name more schools.”
Still, the list includes only two of the nine city schools Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg himself has said are especially unruly: Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn and Jamaica High; the latter reported an increase in the number of violent crimes last school year.
(The report and list of 27 schools are at www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/violence-data/2007/DangerousSchoolsRelease8-21-07.doc.)
Dina Paul Parks, a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Education, said the state’s list was misleading because it relied on the schools’ reports of violent incidents rather than on police records, which the city uses to compile its own list of dangerous schools.
At a news conference yesterday at Gracie Mansion, Mayor Bloomberg said, “Any crime is obviously a crime too much, but we have 1.1 million kids in our school system, and we’re certainly not perfect, and we’re going to continue doing what we’ve been doing.”
Since the first list was issued in 2003, the state has been accused of underestimating the number of unsafe schools. In 2005, it said that not a single school in the state should be classified as “persistently dangerous.”
Last year, the former state comptroller, Alan G. Hevesi, issued an audit finding that school officials had significantly underreported cases of violent and disruptive behavior, and that the State Education Department had kept sloppy records. At that time, Mr. Mills promised to dispatch inspectors to monitor reporting practices.
Schools that reported a sudden drop in incidents were audited by state officials, as were schools that had a broad reputation for behavior problems and crime.
This year, for the second time, the state used a broader definition of disruptive cases than it used in previous years to compile the list, which accounts for the sudden growth, Mr. Mills said. The state’s formula is complex and measures the number of incidents, including robbery, assault, use of a weapon and other incidents, compared with the number of students.
Eight schools that were on the list last year were removed this year.
In criticizing the state’s methodology, the city pointed to the listing of a disproportionate number of schools for students with severe disabilities.
“We continue to differ with the state regarding how to distinguish between merely disruptive behavior and behavior with the potential for harm,” Ms. Parks said. “There is a wide range of definitions, and it is sometimes misleading, so that they often miss the nuance and the context for some of these incidents.”
Ms. Parks said that in a number of the schools on the list, students have chronic behavior problems but are not dangerous.
The state expects to release a “watch list” later in the fall, to show schools that are at risk of being classified as “persistently dangerous” if they do not improve this year, Mr. Mills said.
Here is the letter from the State:
27 Schools Named As “Persistently Dangerous” Under NCLB
State Education Commissioner Richard Mills announced today that 27 schools have been identified as “persistently dangerous” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. As required by federal law, the list of schools is being announced today so that parents can exercise their right of school choice.
Commissioner Mills also said this is the first of two announcements to be made. Later this year, a “Watch List” of schools will be identified that – for 2006-2007 alone – have too many serious incidents. These schools must improve to avoid being designated as “persistently dangerous” after two consecutive years. This “Watch List” will potentially be larger than the list being issued today.
“The Regents know that nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett said. “We are determined to help schools become safe. This is a problem that involves parents, the community, and the school. We must all take action to eliminate the serious problems that exist in some schools.”
“We know school officials work hard to ensure that children in their care are safe and learn to the best of their ability,” State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said. “Nonetheless, some schools report incidents that raise serious concerns about children’s welfare. It’s critically important that school leaders intervene quickly to keep children safe.”
“To ensure children’s safety, we must have accurate information,” Commissioner Mills said. “Only then will we know where the problems are. The reporting has improved, but there is more that needs to be done. The Regents are especially concerned about large urban high schools. We have increased monitoring of schools and are working with school officials to improve safety across the State.”
Data for all schools showing all “violent and disruptive incidents” reported by schools in 2005-2006 is also available online at www.nysed.gov.
Schools are designated “persistently dangerous” if they have two successive years of serious incidents (in this case, for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007) that meet or exceed criteria established by the State Education Department. Serious incidents include: homicide, forcible and other sexual offenses, robbery, assault resulting in serious physical injury or in physical injury, arson, kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and possession, use or threatened use of a weapon.
The standard is a ratio of violent incidents to enrollment in a school and is determined by the number and type of incidents. Each incident is given a weighting based on the seriousness of the incident. The weightings are added. The result is then divided by enrollment. This yields a numerical index of school violence.
A school is considered “persistently dangerous” if for both 2005-06 and 2006-07, it has either:
· An index of 1.5 (This is approximately 6 incidents per 100 students, more or less depending on the seriousness of the incidents.)
OR
· At least 60 serious incidents and an index of at least .50.
Seventeen of the 27 “persistently dangerous” schools are newly named this year; 10 remain from last year. The list of schools is attached.
A total of 8 schools were removed this year from the list of “persistently dangerous” schools, issued last year, because they reported fewer serious incidents. That list is also attached.
The other 49 states last year reported a total of 30 schools as “persistently dangerous.” States set their own criteria for identifying schools.
All schools designated as “persistently dangerous” must provide school choice to students where transfer options exist. Each school also receives a $100,000 grant to help improve school safety. School districts must also submit an Incident Reduction Plan for each school to show the specific steps that the district will take to reduce the number of violent incidents and improve safety at the school. Staff from the
A total of 51 schools reported 2005-2006 data that indicated they might be eligible for the list of “persistently dangerous” schools. They were asked to submit 2006-2007 data. Those data were evaluated, and 17 new schools were designated “persistently dangerous.”
Commissioner Mills also announced that the State Education Department is taking the following actions to ensure accuracy in reporting of violent and disruptive incidents:
· Monitoring and auditing of schools is ongoing. During the past year, the State Education Department conducted site visits to 100 schools to review reported data. The monitoring and site visits will continue this year.
· Priority for monitoring is given to those schools that are at-risk, schools that reported a large reduction in incidents, schools that reported zero incidents, and schools where staff or community members have alleged that improprieties exist.
· The purpose of the monitoring and site visits is to:
· Review violent and disruptive incident data reported by selected school districts,
· Provide technical assistance that will improve data reports for the fall,
· Identify what additional professional development is needed, and
· Identify further actions that can improve our reporting system.
· If as a result of the monitoring, any schools have underreported and should be on the list of “persistently dangerous” schools or the “watch list,” they are added.
· The State Education Department created a single, uniform training program and has provided extensive in-person regional training to school districts all over the state. Last year, over 1,600 staff from virtually all school districts were trained. Training sessions for school administrators are continuing now.
· Training covers the rules for reporting, answers questions about specific incidents, and explains how to make schools safer.
· Extensive explanatory materials are available on the web. Web-based training and written Question and Answer documents provide guidance that is constantly expanded as new questions are submitted.
· Districts report electronically, and the Department has streamlined Incident Reports to make them more user-friendly. Districts receive advice on web-based software to use for easier reporting.
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Seventeen Schools Newly Designated as Persistently Dangerous for 2007-08
| School | District |
| School 8 | |
| PS 14 | New York City Schools |
| PS 723 | New York City Schools |
| | New York City Schools |
| MS 399 | New York City Schools |
| PS 47 American Sign Language | New York City Schools |
| JHS 44 | New York City Schools |
| IS 49 Bertha Dreyfus | New York City Schools |
| MS 296 South | New York City Schools |
| PS 90 Edna Cohen | New York City Schools |
| MS 298 Academy for Public Relations | New York City Schools |
| MS 002 (District 17) | New York City Schools |
| | New York City Schools |
| MS 571 | New York City Schools |
| PS 368 | New York City Schools |
| PS 36 | New York City Schools |
| PS 169 | New York City Schools |
Ten Previously Named Schools Will Remain
On the List of Persistently Dangerous Schools
| School | District |
| Berkshire Junior-Senior high School | |
| PS 94 | New York City Schools |
| PS 811 | New York City Schools |
| PS 12 | New York City Schools |
| PS 17 | New York City Schools |
| PS 754 | New York City Schools |
| PS 140 | New York City Schools |
| PS 9 | New York City Schools |
| PS 752 | New York City Schools |
| | New York City Schools |
These schools have been removed from the list:
| School | District |
| Philip Livingston | |
| Thomas Jefferson | Rochester City Schools |
| | Rochester City Schools |
| JHS 78- Roy Mann | New York City Schools |
| PS 109 | New York City Schools |
| PS 370 Jim Thorpe | New York City Schools |
| PS 721 | New York City Schools |
| Hillside Hospital PS 23 ( | New York City Schools |
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