Saturday, July 22, 2017
President Trump Visits with Survivors from the USS Arizona
This video was published on YouTube on July 21, 2017.
Vice President Pence Hosts a Roundtable Discussion
The video was published on YouTube on July 21, 2017.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
In Memoriam: Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973)
Fans Pay Respects at Seattle Gravesite
By Ryan Yamamoto
SEATTLE -- Even in death, Bruce Lee’s life continues to have an impact.
This
week, hundreds of his fans and followers will make the trip to Lake
View Cemetery in Seattle to visit his and his son Brandon’s gravesite to
pay their respects to the martial arts master.
“To be here at
this time on the anniversary of his passing it feels really cool,” said
Anthony Gazotti, who traveled from Colorado. “All energy here is
amazing.”
Bruce Lee died 44 years ago, on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.
Seventeen-year-old
Russell Chow traveled with his family from Los Angeles. He began
studying Lee’s martial arts system of “Jeet Kune Do” at the age of 5.
Click here for the full article.
Combating Gangs in Communities
A House Judiciary subcommittee examines the challenges posed by gangs in
some of the nation’s communities, including violent crime, drug
trafficking, and human trafficking.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Dr. Boyce Watkins: Ebony Magazine Can't Pay It's Writers - I Predict They Will Go Bankrupt
This video was published on YouTube on July 17, 2017.
The
Dr Boyce Watkins Channel is an all-black news and commentary channel
that features a number of African American thinkers, commentators and
speakers. The views of each video are not necessarily representative of
those of Dr Boyce Watkins himself.
Source: Boyce Watkins
Why Does Everyone Ignore Black People Who Don't Rap or Play Basketball?
This video was published on YouTube on July 18, 2017.
A powerful discussion between Dr. Boyce Watkins and Asha Castleberry.
Source: Boyce Watkins
Burundi Robotics Team Missing After Competition in DC
WASHINGTON — Six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team were
reported missing after competing in an international competition this
week in Washington.
Police tweeted missing person fliers Wednesday
asking for help finding the teens last seen in the area of the FIRST
Global Challenge around the time of Tuesday's final matches. The missing
team members include two 17-year-old girls and four males ranging in
age from 16 to 18.
Two of the six teens, Audrey Mwamikazi, 17,
and Don Ingabire, 16, were seen crossing the border from the U.S. into
Canada, police said Thursday. But no additional details were released.
The competition, designed to encourage youths
to pursue careers in math and science, attracted teams of teenagers from
more than 150 nations. A squad of girls from Afghanistan drew the most attention after they were twice rejected for U.S. visas and President Donald Trump intervened.
Click here for the full article.
IBEW Local 3 Strike Rally with NYC Councilman Rory Lanceman
IBEW Local 3 at Spectrum has been on strike since April. At this rally
in Queens (NY), they were joined by Councilman Rory Lanceman.
This video was published on YouTube on June 22, 2017.
Source: UCOMMCommunications
Students Call on Governor Cuomo to Sign SUNY/CUNY MOE
Albany – The Student Assembly of The State University of New York
(SUNYSA) and the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) today
announced a groundbreaking partnership in support of Maintenance of
Effort and an accessible quality higher education in the State of New
York. The Maintenance of Effort Provision which aims to increase state
support for The State University of New York and The City University of
New York was passed recently by both houses of the New York State
Legislature. It now goes before Governor Andrew Cuomo who, in 2015,
vetoed the same measure.
Through an online
petition sponsored by the Student Assembly and NYPIRG, hundreds of
students and supporters are calling on Governor Cuomo to sign
Maintenance of Effort.
"This partnership could
not have come at a more critical time,” said Student Assembly President
and SUNY Trustee Marc Cohen who is a graduate student at the
University at Albany. “We are calling upon every organization and
individual who care about the interests of public colleges to sign on to
our ongoing initiative. Governor Cuomo continues to be a strong
proponent of accessible public higher education, and has proven to make
it a central part of who we are as a state. We are hopeful that he will
sign this critical provision as a full and honest Maintenance of Effort
will put more New Yorkers to work, increase educational quality, and
directly contribute to building the world's most competitive workforce."
“On
average, New York college students graduate with $30,000 in student
loans,” said Smitha Varghese, Chair of NYPIRG Board of Directors and
CUNY Queens College student. “With capital chains weighing us down, we
are then expected to work for years just to make ends meet while paying
off the astronomical costs that keep us down. The Maintenance of Effort
bill will address this growing issue, and allow the government to
rightfully foot the growing costs that college students simply cannot
afford to pay.”
“I am very excited to be
partnering with NYPIRG on a crucial initiative so important to all of
the students we represent,” said Conner Wolfe, SUNYSA Representative and
Chair of the Joint Maintenance of Effort Advocacy Committee which
includes students and staff from SUNYSA and NYPIRG. “This is the start
of an ongoing mutually beneficial relationship with the Student Assembly
and NYPIRG to ensure access to a quality public education in New York
and a full Maintenance of Effort.”
The petition is available online at www.sunysa.org/moe.
Source: SUNYSA
Trust No One – Protecting Data Centers Against Cyber Espionage
Data centers have particular challenges to face when it comes to
security, because they not only need to construct cyber-defenses, but
physical barriers too, to protect and safeguard equipment and sensitive
data.
Now there is a new threat lurking that is set to put data center security in the spotlight, and that is the exponential rise in politically motivated, or state-sponsored cyber-attacks.
Spy games
The rumors about leaked communications from hacked servers that circulated following the US Presidential election continue to surface in news stories, and more recently the new French President, Emmanuel Macron was targeted by a coordinated hacking attack which saw thousands of internal emails and other documents released in an attempt to destabilise the vote.
In this case, Russia was accused of masterminding the attack, but
Russia is only one of several countries that are known to be a source of
politically motivated cyber-hacks. Up there too are the US, China,
Iran, North Korea and Israel.
Migration to cloud services and the increasing use of data centers
and colocation facilities has become more and more popular with local
and national government departments in recent years for the storage of
sensitive data. While these strategies help governments to take
advantage of enormous economic and workflow advantages, they also herald
a relinquishing of control of their data and they are increasingly
dependent on the cloud or data center operator to implement the highest
levels of security.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Vidder
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Supreme Court Allows Broader Family Exceptions to Trump Travel Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday cleared the way for a broader list
of family exceptions to President Trump's ban on issuing visas to people
in six Muslim-majority countries.
The justices declined to put a halt to a ruling by a
federal judge in Hawaii who said grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins,
nieces, nephews, and siblings-in-law must be added to the list of
close family members who can still get visas to travel to the U.S.
during the 90 days while Trump's executive order is in force.
Click here for the full article.
'Shark Tank's' Daymond John & Leesa Sleep Donate 50 Mattresses to Los Angeles LGBT Center
This past month, Daymond teamed up with Leesa Sleep to donate 50
mattresses to the LGBT Center of Los Angeles. The center is dedicated to
building a world where the LGBT community can prosper in health, as
equals and complete members of society. They welcome more than 500,000
visitors per year and offer a transitional dorm-style housing.
Daymond
and Leesa Sleep teamed up earlier this year to donate 270 mattresses to
Philadelphia’s Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission.
Click here for summary and video.
Source: https://daymondjohn.com
New Yorkers Can Begin Taking Paid Family Leave on January 1, 2018
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that the state has adopted regulations implementing New York's landmark Paid Family Leave program. These regulations outline the responsibilities of employers and insurance carriers in implementing the most comprehensive paid family leave program in the nation.
Starting January 1, 2018, Paid Family Leave will provide employees with wage replacement and job protection to help them bond with a child, care for a close relative with a serious health condition, or help relieve family pressures when someone is deployed abroad on active military service. Employees are also entitled to be reinstated to their job when their leave ends and to the continuation of their health insurance during their leave.
"There is a time in everyone's lives where being there for a loved one in need is more important than anything and - finally - New Yorkers will no longer have to choose between losing their job and being a decent human being," Governor Cuomo said. "By enacting and implementing the strongest paid family leave program in the nation, this administration is taking yet another step forward to providing economic justice to all New Yorkers."
Private employers must secure Paid Family Leave insurance coverage or self-insure in time to provide coverage on January 1, 2018. Paid Family Leave premiums will be funded by employees through payroll deductions.
The regulations address eligibility, coverage, the phase-in schedule for Paid Family Leave, and more information on how employees, employers, and insurance carriers will interact to pay benefits. The Workers' Compensation Board regulations implementing Paid Family Leave are available here. The Department of Financial Services implementing regulations for insurance companies, adopted on May 31, 2017, are available here.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said, "By establishing the nation's most comprehensive paid family leave program, New York State stands with working and middle-class families who should not have to make the choice between earning a paycheck and caring for a sick child or ailing parent. Employers and employees alike will benefit greatly and should take advantage of a policy that once again establishes New York as a model for others to follow."
Workers' Compensation Board Chair Kenneth J. Munnelly said, "These regulations will help successfully implement this historic program and give employers and employees ample time to prepare for its arrival. With its strong Paid Family Leave program, New York State is forging a path forward and improving the lives of New York's hard working families."
For more information, visit the Paid Family Leave website at www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-paid-family-leave. The public can also call the Paid Family Leave helpline at (844) 337-6303 with any questions.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Starting January 1, 2018, Paid Family Leave will provide employees with wage replacement and job protection to help them bond with a child, care for a close relative with a serious health condition, or help relieve family pressures when someone is deployed abroad on active military service. Employees are also entitled to be reinstated to their job when their leave ends and to the continuation of their health insurance during their leave.
"There is a time in everyone's lives where being there for a loved one in need is more important than anything and - finally - New Yorkers will no longer have to choose between losing their job and being a decent human being," Governor Cuomo said. "By enacting and implementing the strongest paid family leave program in the nation, this administration is taking yet another step forward to providing economic justice to all New Yorkers."
Private employers must secure Paid Family Leave insurance coverage or self-insure in time to provide coverage on January 1, 2018. Paid Family Leave premiums will be funded by employees through payroll deductions.
The regulations address eligibility, coverage, the phase-in schedule for Paid Family Leave, and more information on how employees, employers, and insurance carriers will interact to pay benefits. The Workers' Compensation Board regulations implementing Paid Family Leave are available here. The Department of Financial Services implementing regulations for insurance companies, adopted on May 31, 2017, are available here.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said, "By establishing the nation's most comprehensive paid family leave program, New York State stands with working and middle-class families who should not have to make the choice between earning a paycheck and caring for a sick child or ailing parent. Employers and employees alike will benefit greatly and should take advantage of a policy that once again establishes New York as a model for others to follow."
Workers' Compensation Board Chair Kenneth J. Munnelly said, "These regulations will help successfully implement this historic program and give employers and employees ample time to prepare for its arrival. With its strong Paid Family Leave program, New York State is forging a path forward and improving the lives of New York's hard working families."
For more information, visit the Paid Family Leave website at www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-paid-family-leave. The public can also call the Paid Family Leave helpline at (844) 337-6303 with any questions.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
President Tells Congress to Stay in Town Until They Pass Health Care Bill
President Trump says senators should stay in session until they complete
work on a health care bill, saying that he's keeping his promise to
repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and they should too. He also
jokes with Senator Dean Heller's political future, adding that he hopes
he will support the effort.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
The Future of the Democratic Party
Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH) discusses the future of the Democratic Party and efforts to pass a 2018 federal budget.
Source: C-SPAN
The 'I Am Woman' Series: Jackie Joyner-Kersee
This video was published on YouTube on February 20, 2014.
CBN Sports sat down with this track & field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Source: The Official 700 Club
Trailblazers in Black History: Dave Chappelle
This video was published on YouTube on March 20, 2017.
In
a rare interview, comedian Dave Chappelle tells "CBS This Morning"
co-host Gayle King about why he is connecting with a part of his family
history at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina. His
great-grandfather, Bishop William David Chappelle, was a former
president at the university.
Source: CBS This Morning
Policing in America Needs to Change. Trust Me, I’m a Cop
This video was published on YouTube on August 19, 2013.
Policing
has become a conveyor belt of criminal apprehension feeding the
criminal justice system so that statistics for arrest and prosecution
remain high. It is time for policing to return to Peel's original vision
of policing and for police to deter crime and disorder while
maintaining community relations.
Sergeant Renée Mitchell is a longtime public servant at the Sacramento Police Department since just before the turn of the century. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Business Administration from the California State University, Sacramento and a Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She was a 2009/2010 Fulbright Police Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Currently, she is a Jerry Lee Scholar at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge and a Police Fellow with Police Foundation.
Sergeant Renée Mitchell is a longtime public servant at the Sacramento Police Department since just before the turn of the century. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Business Administration from the California State University, Sacramento and a Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She was a 2009/2010 Fulbright Police Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Currently, she is a Jerry Lee Scholar at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge and a Police Fellow with Police Foundation.
Source: TEDx Talks
'The Future of Black Music': A Panel Discussion in Harlem
DJ Stormin' Norman
On July 19 at 7 p.m., ImageNation Cinema Foundation, InJoy Enterprises and Positive Community Magazine will host a panel discussion entitled The Future of Black Music.
As a part of Positive Community Magazine's "Positive Music Matters" campaign, InJoy Enterprises and ImageNation will bring together some of the independent artists performing at ImageNation Outdoors, a summer film and music festival.
As a part of Positive Community Magazine's "Positive Music Matters" campaign, InJoy Enterprises and ImageNation will bring together some of the independent artists performing at ImageNation Outdoors, a summer film and music festival.
The discussion will be moderated by MamaSoul, co-host of the Musical Pathways radio show heard on RhythmAndSoulRadio.com.
Panelists will include DJ Stormin' Norman of Sundae Sermon, V Ferg, Marcia Harris, to name a few. The event will be held at ImageNation's RAW SPACE, 2031 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
The event is free and open to the public.
Source: ImageNation
Panelists will include DJ Stormin' Norman of Sundae Sermon, V Ferg, Marcia Harris, to name a few. The event will be held at ImageNation's RAW SPACE, 2031 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
The event is free and open to the public.
Source: ImageNation
Cuomo's Housing and Discrimination Investigation to Expand
Will Now Include Cases of Discrimination Against Families with Children
The following statement was issued today by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
"A media report this morning suggests a widespread practice of housing discrimination against tenants with children that is repulsive and against the values New York was founded upon. To be clear, these practices are illegal and will not be tolerated.
"Last month, I ordered the Department of Homes and Community Renewal and the Division of Human Rights to open an investigation into landlord policies and practices that discriminate against individuals based on their immigration status, national origin, ethnicity or race.
"I am now directing this probe to be immediately expanded to include discrimination against families with children. This review will include this specific situation and an examination to determine the breadth of this unacceptable practice.
"Last month, I ordered the Department of Homes and Community Renewal and the Division of Human Rights to open an investigation into landlord policies and practices that discriminate against individuals based on their immigration status, national origin, ethnicity or race.
"I am now directing this probe to be immediately expanded to include discrimination against families with children. This review will include this specific situation and an examination to determine the breadth of this unacceptable practice.
"Housing discrimination violates our core New York values of equality and fairness, and we will not stand idly by and allow this intolerable behavior to continue. Rest assured, New York will always stand up for renters and fight for their rights and protection."
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
New York City Has a 28-Year-Old ‘Nerd’ Running for Mayor
By
The what is poker, the where is some seedy underground New York City venue and the when is December 2009. The who…we’ll get to that in a moment along with the why.
First, the three-card flop hits the table and the mind starts racing
with all of the mathematical possibilities. For all of poker’s entropy
and chaotic randomness, it’s still a game ruled by probability. Bringing
order to this order-less ordeal is a valuable skill in a game in which
the field of play changes with each passing turn. Take into account all
of the variables, analyze the given data and formulate an adaptable
strategy. It almost sounds simple until someone catches a face card on
the river.
But that’s how Collin Slattery, 28, survived. He didn’t beat you with
his cards when he began playing in underground poker games at 15; he
beat you with his mind. And it wasn’t about it his ego, it was about his
empty stomach.
“I played to make money, though it was mostly a side
hustle,” Slattery told me. That’s quite a part-time gig for a teenager.
But when you come from an impoverished single-parent family, you get
creative. “For all of poker’s luck, it’s still a game of statistics and
skill. It’s data driven.”
Slattery isn’t a Rain Man counting cards or
a grifter with an ace up his sleeve. He’s just an intelligent guy with
an analytical problem-solving mind. It’s what enabled him to beat
seasoned poker vets as a kid and it’s what he hopes will win him the
title of Mayor of New York City come November.
Wait, what?
Click here for the full article.
Source: Observer (via The Empire Report)
MTA Considers Banning Food and Blames Commuters for a Track Fire That Caused Major Delays
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority may ban food on
subways after a trash fire caused commuting
chaos on Monday.
Litter left on the subway tracks has been a longstanding issue
for the MTA. The state-run agency first tried to eliminate the
issue in 2012 by getting rid of trash cans in stations. The
controversial experiment was meant to encourage commuters to
carry their trash outside.
But the five-year trial run of the garbage bin removal project
proved unsuccessful, and the MTA closed the
experiment in May.
Click here for the full article.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com (via The Empire Report)
Schumer: Macron 'Absolutely Right' in Equating Anti-Zionism with Antisemitism
By Mchael Wilner
WASHINGTON -- The Senate's highest-ranking Democrat applauded French
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday for his remarks over the weekend
equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that Macron was "absolutely right" to deny legitimacy to those who question the founding principles of the Jewish state.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that Macron was "absolutely right" to deny legitimacy to those who question the founding principles of the Jewish state.
"Antisemitism is a word that has been used throughout history when
Jewish people are judged and measured by one standard and the rest by
another," Schumer said. "When everyone else was allowed to farm and Jews
could not; when anyone else could live in Moscow and Jews could not;
when others could become academics or tradesmen and Jews could not. The
word to describe all of these acts is anti-Semitism."
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Jerusalem Post (via The Empire Report)
Goldman’s Traders Turn In Worst First Half of Blankfein’s Reign
By Dakin Campbell
Lloyd Blankfein’s roots are letting him down.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
traders turned in their worst first-half performance since Lloyd
Blankfein rose from that business to become chief executive officer in
2006.
Revenue from trading stocks and bonds in the first six
months of 2017 tumbled 10 percent, dropping to the lowest level since
before Blankfein took over from Hank Paulson 11 years ago.
Second-quarter revenue from the fixed-income unit plunged 40 percent.
“A mixed operating environment persisted into the second quarter as
conditions continued to support underwriting and M&A, while
constraining certain market-making activity,” Blankfein said Tuesday in a
statement.
Click here for the full article/video.
Source: Bloomberg Markets (via The Empire Report)
2nd Case of Tick-Borne Powassan Virus in Saratoga County, 3rd Suspected
By Claire Hughes
Following the death last month of a Gansevoort man who contracted
Powassan virus from a tick, a second Saratoga County resident has been
hospitalized with the rare disease and a third is suspected of being
infected, according to the state Health Department.
The patient with the suspected case has been released from medical
treatment, health officials said. Both new cases are adult patients
exposed to the virus in June. Health officials would not release further
details, citing privacy rules.
The three patients who contracted Powassan virus were from
different towns, according to Bryon Backenson, director of the State
Health Department's Vector Surveillance Unit.
Click here for the full article.
Source: timesunion.com (via The Empire Report)
Turkey Leaks Secret Locations of U.S. Troops in Syria
By Roy Gutman
ISTANBUL—In the latest display of Turkish anger at U.S. policy in
Syria, the state news agency has divulged the locations of 10 U.S.
military bases and outposts in northern Syria where the U.S. is leading
an operation to destroy the so-called Islamic State in its self-styled
capital of Raqqa.
The list published by the Anadolu news agency
points to a U.S. presence from one end to the other of the Kurdish
self-administration region—a distance of more than 200 miles. The
Anadolu news agency even listed the number of U.S. troops in several
locations and in two instances stipulated the presence of French special
forces.
Turkey has openly criticized the Trump administration—and
the Obama administration before it—for relying in the battle against
ISIS on a militia led by Kurds affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers
Party or PKK. A separatist movement now at war with Turkey, the PKK has
been listed by the U.S., EU, and Turkey as a terror organization.
To
avoid the appearance of allying with such a group, the U.S. military
set up the Syrian Democratic Forces, which have a large component of
Arab recruits. But they are led by officers from the People’s Protection
Units (YPG), the Syrian affiliate of the PKK.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
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