Friday, December 7, 2018
A Song for the Soul: 'Lean On Me', by Bill Withers
This video was published on YouTube on November 14, 2009.
Source: RadioScurg
Dr. Maya Angelou: "Still I Rise"
This video was published on YouTube on April 5, 2007.
Source: mohitbahi
Abbott and Costello: 'At the Restaurant' Skit
This video was published on YouTube on April 20, 2014.
Source: jerry sung
NYPD Finds Engagement Ring for Couple Who Lost It In Sewer Grate
This report was published on YouTube on December 3.
Carol Burnett Show Outtakes: Tim Conway's Elephant Story
This video was published on YouTube on May 15, 2007.
The Carol Burnett Show (Official): Tim Conway destroys his castmates during a "Mama's Family" sketch on the
"Carol Burnett Show" by refusing to let the scene continue until he can
finish a story about a circus elephant. Unedited!
Do You Remember..."The Batusi"?
This video was published on YouTube on February 10, 2015.
Source: RetromanIE
Watch a Prodigy Create -- from Four Notes in a Hat
This report was published on YouTube on November 3, 2017.
60 Minutes pulls four musical notes out of hat, and young composer Alma
Deutscher takes off, improvising a piano sonata in under a minute
11-Year-Old Artist Becomes a Sensation in Lagos
This report was published on YouTube on June 27, 2018.
CGTN Africa: In Nigeria, an 11-year-old artist is creating waves with his unique
creations. From a makeshift studio in a poor neighbourhood in Lagos,
Waris Kareem produces incredibly life-like works of art. CGTN's Deji
Badmus went to check them out.
Teacher vs Student Dance Battle
This video was published on YouTube on January 27, 2017.
Source: Kayla Grado
Military Dog is Reunited with Mountain Home Handler
This report was published on December 5.
Bakk, a retired military working dog, was reunited in Boise with his
former handler, Dustin Cain, who works at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Adorable Kids Helping Homeless People - Cute Kids Videos (2018)
This video was published on YouTube on November 14.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Black Power, Black Voices: Barack Obama's Powerful Tribute to a Defining Civil Rights Moment
This video was published on YouTube on February 17, 2017.
Smithsonian Channel: In 2015, on the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery,
the nation's first African American president paid tribute to a defining
event in civil rights history.
Source: Smithsonian Channel
Trailblazers in Black History: Dr. Manning Marable
William Manning Marable was an influential social commentator, writer, and professor of political science, public affairs, history, and African American studies. He was born on May 13, 1950 in Dayton, Ohio
to James and June Morehead Marable. Previously married twice, he
married anthropologist Leith Mullings in 1996, and the couple remained
married until his death. He had three children; Malaika Marable Serrano,
Sojourner Marable Grimmett, and Joshua Manning Marable.
Marable graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1968. As a high school senior Marable covered the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for Dayton, Ohio’s black newspaper, the Tattler. By that point he had developed a strong commitment to racial justice and its advocates. Marable earned his A.B. degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana in 1971 followed by a Master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin in 1972. He earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland in 1976.
Marable graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1968. As a high school senior Marable covered the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for Dayton, Ohio’s black newspaper, the Tattler. By that point he had developed a strong commitment to racial justice and its advocates. Marable earned his A.B. degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana in 1971 followed by a Master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin in 1972. He earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland in 1976.
Click here for additional information.
Knowledge for LIFE (Know4LIFE): In this video, Prof. Manning Marable speaks prophetically about the state of race
relations in America. I tape this lecture around the mid '90, but the
words are relevant today as they were when he spoke them.
This video was published on YouTube on November 30, 2008.
Source: BlackPast.org
Saving Our Youth: 'A Second Chance' (Anti-Gang Short FiIm)
This video was published on YouTube on August 27, 2018, and contains strong language and scenes of violence.
Manny Jimenez Sr: Based on a true story. After being released from juvenile detention, a
grieving teenager fights his demons while facing his reality. A new life
is in his grasp, but living in a world where violence triumphs over
innocence, will he live another week to reach it?
Source: Manny Jimenez Sr
Why Family Matters in 'If Beale Street Could Talk'
CBS News: Regina King, Colman Domingo say that "If Beale Street Could Talks"
highlights the importance of family unity in the face of systemic
injustice when a character is wrongfully incarcerated. The actors spoke
to CBSNews.com entertainment reporter Andrea Park.
France Abandons Petrol Tax Rises After Deadly Protests
This report was published on YouTube on December 5.
'Beyond Extreme Energy' Issues National Call to Action on Bernard McNamee Vote
The following statement was submitted by Ted Glick, a longtime activist and member of Beyond Extreme Energy.
It’s not over ‘til it’s over. Fossil fuel extremist Bernard McNamee—check out this video!—has not yet been approved by the full Senate. This
morning, before a scheduled 12 noon full Senate vote, it’s time to let
three Senators—Susan Collins, Jeff Flake and Joe Manchin—know that the people and the planet need them to do the
right thing.
Yesterday
every single Democratic Senator, even Joe Manchin, voted against a
motion to close debate on McNamee’s nomination to FERC. This came after
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer gave a strong speech against him,
reflecting the rising tide of outrage that someone with McNamee’s
regressive, fossil-fuels-forever views could become a leader, maybe a
new chairperson, of the agency in charge of the nation’s electrical grid
and permitting natural gas infrastructure. 49 Senators said no to
McNamee.
Today, at 12 noon, the actual vote, up or down on McNamee, will take place. Please flood the offices of three senators with calls and emails before then:
-Senator Susan Collins: 202-224-2523, https://www.collins.senate.
-Senator Jeff Flake: 202-224-4521, https://www.flake.senate.gov/
-Senator Joe Manchin: 202-224-3954, https://www.manchin.senate.
For Susan Collins, the message is this: “You can’t say, ‘The
federal government cannot afford the billions of dollars in additional
funding that is going to be needed if we do not take into account and
start acting on the serious consequences of climate change,’ and then
support an outspoken climate denier and fossil fuel extremist. Vote no
on McNamee!.”
For
Jeff Flake, the message is this: “You can’t support allowing all energy
sources to compete on an even playing field, and you can’t believe that
picking winner and losers is not the federal government’s job, and then
support anti-renewables McNamee. Vote no on McNamee!”
And
for Joe Manchin, the message is this: “Thank you for voting yesterday
against cloture on debate over Bernard McNamee. Today, you need to be
consistent and, since Republicans shut down debate, vote no on McNamee.
Do the right thing again today!”
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
He is West Virginia’s Speaker of the House — and a Lawyer for Natural Gas Companies
State ethics rules seldom prevent lawmakers from proposing or voting on legislation that affects industries they work for.
by Ken Ward Jr. and Kate Mishkin, The Charleston Gazette-Mail
This article was produced in partnership with the Charleston Gazette-Mail, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.
Toward the end of this year’s legislative session, a little-noticed bill
was moving through the West Virginia House of Delegates to limit legal
challenges that had slowed new natural gas-fired power plants in the
state.
Delegate Roger Hanshaw, a Republican lawyer from Clay County who was
serving as vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee, took to the floor
to explain the legislation.
“This bill is a little inside baseball to practitioners of
environmental law in West Virginia,” explained Hanshaw, a supporter of
the bill.
It wasn’t the first time that Hanshaw engaged in some pretty effective legislative inside baseball on energy bills.
Last year, Hanshaw engineered passage of a bill
that gave natural gas companies a broad exemption from chemical tank
safety standards that West Virginia put in place after a 2014 spill that
contaminated drinking water for 300,000 people.
Hanshaw was elected speaker in late August, succeeding Tim Armstead, who is now a justice on the West Virginia Supreme Court. Hanshaw is expected to be re-elected
speaker in January. In the position, Hanshaw wields significant control
over which bills are called up for votes and which are sent to
committees to effectively die.
Click here for the full article.
Source: ProPublica
Governor Cuomo Delivers Remarks at IBEW Local 3 Rally
Click on the images to increase their size.
Earlier today, Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered remarks at the IBEW Local 3 rally in support of the labor union workers who have been on strike against Charter Spectrum since March 2017.
Click here for video.
Photo sources: IBEW Local 3 Member, NYGovCuomo, Flickr
Cyber Thieves Target Tax Professionals and Businesses
New York State Tax Department Shares Security
Tips During National Tax Security Awareness Week
Tips During National Tax Security Awareness Week
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded
corporations, businesses, and tax professionals to be wary of various
tax scams.
Massive data breaches at corporations and credit-reporting agencies
have already left millions vulnerable to identity theft. Con artists
also carry out schemes to steal sensitive employee information from
smaller organizations.
In recent years, cyber-criminals posing as company executives and
using social-engineering tactics have convinced payroll and HR
professionals by email and phone to provide lists of employees and their
personal information. Scammers have pilfered confidential data in a
variety of industries this way, including school districts and
nonprofits.
Identity thieves have also targeted tax professionals by posing as return processors, tax software representatives, and as clients to gain access to records containing sensitive personal and tax information.
Identity thieves have also targeted tax professionals by posing as return processors, tax software representatives, and as clients to gain access to records containing sensitive personal and tax information.
In one scenario, a scam artist poses as a client and sends an initial
email request for tax-preparation assistance. This is followed by a
second email with a link or an attached PDF that contains a link. If the
preparer falls for the scam and clicks the link, malware is installed
on the preparer’s computer allowing the cyber thief to steal the
preparer’s password and access confidential client data.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
SPLC: Alabama Marks Its First Rosa Parks Day. It's Not Enough
The following statement was submitted by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
This past Saturday, the state of Alabama marked its first Rosa Parks Day.
It was a significant step toward recognizing the state's prominent civil rights activists.
Sixty-three years ago – on Dec. 1, 1955 – Parks was arrested and
jailed for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city
bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
During a ceremony at Alabama State University, historian Rolundus
Rice called it the “most faithful and fortuitous arrest of the 20th century.”
We all know what happened after Parks was arrested: Dr. King led a
yearlong bus boycott that ignited the civil rights movement. And a
federal lawsuit led the U.S. Supreme Court to outlaw Alabama’s
segregated buses.
When she died in 2005, Parks became the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Earlier this year, the Alabama Legislature voted 102-0 to proclaim Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day, making it the fifth state to honor her.
It’s long overdue.
Still, Rosa Parks Day is not an official state holiday in Alabama –
unlike Robert E. Lee Day, Confederate Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’
Birthday.
Each of those days are paid holidays for public employees.
Alabama is not alone in continuing to pay homage to the Confederacy with state holidays. In our most recent Whose Heritage? report, we found that five states observe nine holidays commemorating the Confederacy.
In addition, there remain more than 1,700 monuments and other
Confederate symbols in public spaces across the South and the nation.
They were installed over many decades to glorify the Confederacy and
white supremacy – and, for the most part, to promote a false narrative
about the Civil War.
The Civil War ended 153 years ago. And the Confederacy, as former New
Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has said, was on the “wrong side of
humanity.”
We believe it’s long past time for the South to bury the myth of the
Lost Cause and to celebrate “the South’s real heroes,” as Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. called civil rights activists like Rosa Parks.
Man Mistaken for Mall Gunman Was Shot from Behind, Pathologist Finds
This report was published on YouTube on December 3.
CBS News: Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr., who was fatally shot by an officer at an
Alabama mall Thanksgiving night after he was mistaken for a gunman, was
shot three times from behind, according to a review conducted by a
forensic pathologist at the request of the slain man's family. Attorney
Ben Crump said at a press conference Monday that the findings show the
officer should be charged with a crime.
NY State Tax Department: Don’t Fall for These Common Scams
To help taxpayers avoid being scammed, the New York State Department
of Taxation and Finance today highlighted some common tactics used by
identity thieves and cybercriminals.
The strategies to steal sensitive personal data range from the simple to the complex, as described in the examples below.
Threatening calls: Scam artists who use this tactic
try to bully or trick victims into disclosing private information, or
convince them to wire money to pay a tax debt or fine. If a caller,
perhaps posing as a New York State Tax Department or IRS agent,
threatens an arrest or fines, it’s a scam. Neither agency threatens
taxpayers, and they notify taxpayers by letter first before making any
calls or sending any emails.
Unusual emails: Phishing emails often contain links
that can activate malware or lead to phony websites that request
personal information. Misspellings or unfamiliar logos in the email or
subject line are obvious clues that it’s a scam attempt, but some of the
bogus emails and websites are convincing. Hovering over the links may
reveal an unusual webpage address (URL) that confirms the sender’s true
intent. To be safe, simply delete these emails and any that are
unsolicited, and never click the links within them.
Remember, the Tax Department never requests personal or financial information by email.
Offers to collect tax payment in person: If a caller
claiming to be from the Tax Department or IRS offers to meet you at a
specified location to collect a payment, it’s a scam. This is never an
option with the IRS or Tax Department. End the call immediately.
Request for a specific type of payment: If you’re
being told to pay through a prepaid debit card or an iTunes gift card,
this is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The Tax Department and IRS provide
various payment options, but the use of gift cards isn’t one of them.
Theresa May’s Brexit Deal Faces Strong DUP Opposition
This report was published on YouTube on December 3.
French Paramedics, Students Join 'Yellow Vest' Protests
This report was published on YouTube on December 3.
Facebook Lets Users Post About Killing Immigrants and Minorities
A Daily Beast Exclusive
The company touts its new tech for catching hate speech. But neither the filter nor Facebook’s human monitors caught a hundred posts calling for people to be shot.
By Justin Glawe
Facebook users freely post about killing immigrants, minorities, and
public figures in spite of the company’s terms of service that clearly
prohibit threats of violence and hate speech.
The company just two weeks ago touted new technology it says detects 52 percent of hate speech before anyone reports it. (Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed
the technology caught 90 percent of pro-ISIS and al Qaeda content.) Yet
that technology didn’t catch more than 100 instances in the last six
months of Facebook users advocating to shoot or kill others, according
to a Daily Beast review.
Nearly three-quarters of the posts
examined by The Daily Beast made reference to migrant caravans that have
been demonized by right-wing media and President Donald Trump.
Click here for the full article.
Ukrainian-American Group Issues Open Letters to Congressional Leaders and Secretary Pompeo
The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest
representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, has sent urgent
letters of appeal to the co-Chairs of the Congressional Ukrainian
Caucus, the Senate Ukraine Caucus, the House Foreign Affairs Committee
and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, requesting they “hold
congressional hearings about Russia’s blatant use of force against
Ukraine.”
Explaining that while the Ukrainian-American community is
grateful for the many “recent statements and stalwart support for
Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence,” from
leaders in Congress, UCCA’s letter underscores that Ukraine stands at “a
watershed moment in its history.” In explaining the urgency of the
letter, UCCA President, Andriy Futey, highlighted the plight of the 24 Ukrainian sailors who are currently being held in Russian captivity, a move that violates International Maritime Conventions. “We must take every available measure to secure their immediate release,” stated Mr. Futey.
At the same time, UCCA forwarded an open letter to U.S. Secretary of
State, Mike Pompeo, as he departed to Brussels, Belgium, to attend the
semi-annual meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers. Echoing UCCA’s previous
statements condemning Russia’s premeditated and deliberate act of
aggression against Ukraine on November 25, 2018, the letter to Secretary
Pompeo requests that he propose a collective call by NATO member states
for the immediate return to Ukraine of the captured Ukrainian warships
and military personnel.
The letter goes on to reference the stalled NATO Black Sea Action Plan in the planning since the 2016 NATO Warsaw Summit, which proposed to “substantially increase in NATO’s presence and maritime activity” in the Black Sea. Following on Senator John Barasso’s call to action on Meet the Press, UCCA’s letter also asks the Summit leaders to consider “the immediate deployment of naval vessels from NATO member states to Ukrainian and NATO ally ports in the Black Sea.”
As the bastion of democracy in the free world, the United States bears a
moral obligation to take the lead in promoting international norms,
defending basic human rights and freedoms, and charting a course of
geopolitical stability. The Ukrainian-American community believes that
the national security interests of the United States lie in the
fulfillment of that obligation.
Click here to review the letter submitted to Congressional leaders.
Click here to review the letter submitted to Secretary Pompeo
Source: UCCA
JCPA: Light One Candle for the Rohingya People
The following statement was submitted by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).
On the 6th night of Chanukah—Erev
Shabbat, December 7th—we invite you to join JCPA, AJWS, and the Jewish
Rohingya Justice Network and concerned Jews across the U.S. to unite in
solidarity against the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people of
Burma.
Chanukah calls us to stand up against religious persecution. As
Jews and global citizens, we are all too familiar with the horrors of
violence against religious and ethnic minorities—and we cannot stand
idly by as this senseless brutality in Burma stretches into its second
year. The crisis has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya people to flee to
refugee camps in Bangladesh, leaving everything behind.
Join us by dedicating the 6th candle on the 6th night of Chanukah to the Rohingya people. Together, Jews will illuminate our support for the Rohingya people and share their stories for our communities to hear.
We have prepared a short reading that will make this dedication even more powerful.
We encourage rabbis, educators and all people lighting menorahs
nationwide to shine a light as we work to bring an end to this crisis.
Click here to download the reading.
Let’s raise a united Jewish voice in support of the Rohingya people.
The Jewish Rohingya Justice Network is a consortium of Jewish NGOs advocating for the rights of the Rohingya. Members include: American
Jewish Committee, American Jewish World Service, Anti-Defamation
League, HIAS, JACOB, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York,
Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish World Watch, Rabbinical
Assembly, Reconstructing Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical
Association, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, T’ruah and The
Union for Reform Judaism. Allies: Foundation for Ethic
Understanding, Hebrew College, The Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee,
The New York Board of Rabbis, The Shalom Center and Uri L’Tzedek.
Coalition Calls for Increased Funding for Lead Service Line Replacements
Albany – Today, a coalition of labor, local government, and environmental organizations sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo calling on him to increase funding for the Lead Service Line Replacement Program
(LSLRP) to $100 million. The program helps municipalities replace aging
water pipes that can leach toxic levels of lead into drinking water and
is funded through the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. Since 2017, the program has allocated $20 million to 25 municipalities across the state.
Lead service lines, which connect the water mains beneath city streets
to the internal plumbing in residential buildings, are considered the
greatest contributor to lead in drinking water. Through the grants
provided by the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, the entire lead
service line is dug out of the ground and a safer pipe material is used
as a replacement. New York has one of the oldest housing stocks in the
nation, and it is known that homes built before 1986 have a higher
chance of having lead service lines.
“While the initial investment in the LSLRP has been a positive first
step, with an estimated 360,000 lead service lines across New York in
need of replacement, the program must be scaled up to meet the needs of
New York municipalities. Given that the total cost of replacing New
York’s known lead services lines reaches at least $1 billion, a $100
million investment would substantially reduce the number of lead service
lines in our state.”
Rob Hayes, clean water associate for Environmental Advocates of New York
said, “There is no safe level of lead in drinking water… any amount of
exposure is a threat to human health. Municipalities are doing all they
can to keep lead out of their water, but as long as there are lead pipes
beneath our feet, contamination is a constant threat. The safest
solution is to increase funding so communities can proactively eliminate
these dangerous pipes rather than reacting once the system fails.”
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: EANY
Monday, December 3, 2018
Homeland Security Will Let Computers Predict Who Might Be a Terrorist on Your Plane — Just Don’t Ask How It Works
By Sam Biddle
You’re rarely allowed to know exactly what’s keeping you safe. When you fly, you’re subject to secret rules, secret watchlists,
hidden cameras, and other trappings of a plump, thriving surveillance
culture. The Department of Homeland Security is now complicating the
picture further by paying a private Virginia firm to build a software
algorithm with the power to flag you as someone who might try to blow up
the plane.
The new DHS program will give foreign airports around the world free
software that teaches itself who the bad guys are, continuing society’s
relentless swapping of human judgment for machine learning. DataRobot, a
northern Virginia-based automated machine learning firm, won a contract
from the department to develop “predictive models to enhance
identification of high risk passengers” in software that should “make
real-time prediction[s] with a reasonable response time” of less than
one second, according to a technical overview that was written for
potential contractors and reviewed by The Intercept. The contract
assumes the software will produce false positives and requires that the
terrorist-predicting algorithm’s accuracy should increase when
confronted with such mistakes. DataRobot is currently testing the
software, according to a DHS news release.
The contract also stipulates that the software’s predictions must be
able to function “solely” using data gleaned from ticket records and
demographics — criteria like origin airport, name, birthday, gender, and
citizenship. The software can also draw from slightly more complex
inputs, like the name of the associated travel agent, seat number,
credit card information, and broader travel itinerary. The overview
document describes a situation in which the software could “predict if a
passenger or a group of passengers is intended to join the terrorist
groups overseas, by looking at age, domestic address, destination and/or
transit airports, route information (one-way or round trip), duration
of the stay, and luggage information, etc., and comparing with known
instances.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
VA Shadow Rulers Had Sway Over Contracting and Budgeting
New disclosures and investigations are straining the three Trump associates’ relationship with the new VA secretary.
by Isaac Arnsdorf
Newly released emails about the three Trump associates who secretly
steered the Department of Veterans Affairs show how deeply the trio was
involved in some of the agency’s most consequential matters, most
notably a multibillion-dollar effort to overhaul electronic health records for millions of veterans.
Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter, West Palm Beach
physician Bruce Moskowitz and lawyer Marc Sherman — part of the
president’s circle at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida — reviewed a
confidential draft of a $10 billion government contract for the
electronic-records project, even though they lack any relevant
expertise.
In preparing the contract, the agency consulted more than 40 outside
experts, such as hospital executives, according to the records, which
were released under the Freedom of Information Act. The Mar-a-Lago trio
were listed among those experts. Perlmutter, a comic book tycoon,
appears on the list between representatives from the University of
Washington Medical Center, Intermountain Healthcare and Johns Hopkins
University.
But none of the three men has served in the U.S. military or
elsewhere in government, and none of them has expertise in health
information technology or federal contracting.
Click here for the full article.
Source: ProPublica
NY Farmers Receive Extension of Real Property Tax Exemption on Farm Buildings
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the extension of the state's Real Property Tax Law exemption on farm buildings, which will provide continued tax relief for New York farmers and growers. The Real Property Tax Law exempts agricultural producers from paying real property tax on buildings that are essential to the production of agricultural or horticultural products, such as temporary greenhouses, dairy barns and exercise arenas for horse-boarding operations.
"New York's agricultural industry is a major sector of our economy, and it's critical that we continue to support local farmers and growers," Governor Cuomo said. "This tax exemption will help New York's hard-working agricultural producers invest in their farms and grow their businesses, and as a result increase competitiveness and productivity for years to come."
The Real Property Tax Law exemption was extended for the next 10 years and applies to newly constructed and re-constructed agricultural buildings through January 1, 2029. Since it was last renewed in 2008, the exemption for farm structures is estimated to have saved New York farmers more than $112.8 million. The exemption has helped support the growth of New York's agricultural industry by allowing farmers and growers to use the money saved to invest in their operations, purchase new equipment and modernize facilities, which increases the farms' competitiveness and profitability.
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"New York's agricultural industry is a major sector of our economy, and it's critical that we continue to support local farmers and growers," Governor Cuomo said. "This tax exemption will help New York's hard-working agricultural producers invest in their farms and grow their businesses, and as a result increase competitiveness and productivity for years to come."
The Real Property Tax Law exemption was extended for the next 10 years and applies to newly constructed and re-constructed agricultural buildings through January 1, 2029. Since it was last renewed in 2008, the exemption for farm structures is estimated to have saved New York farmers more than $112.8 million. The exemption has helped support the growth of New York's agricultural industry by allowing farmers and growers to use the money saved to invest in their operations, purchase new equipment and modernize facilities, which increases the farms' competitiveness and profitability.
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Bernie Sanders Eyes ‘Bigger’ 2020 Presidential Run Despite Some Warning Signs
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — An insurgent underdog no more, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is laying the groundwork to launch a bigger presidential campaign than his first, as advisers predict he would open the 2020 Democratic presidential primary season as a political powerhouse.
A final decision has not been made, but those closest to the 77-year-old self-described democratic socialist suggest that neither age nor interest from a glut of progressive presidential prospects would dissuade him from undertaking a second shot at the presidency. And as Sanders’ brain trust gathered for a retreat in Vermont over the weekend, some spoke openly about a 2020 White House bid as if it was almost a foregone conclusion.
“This time, he starts off as a front-runner, or one of the front-runners,” Sanders’ 2016 campaign manager John Weaver told The Associated Press, highlighting the senator’s proven ability to generate massive fundraising through small-dollar donations and his ready-made network of staff and volunteers.
Weaver added: “It’ll be a much bigger campaign if he runs again, in terms of the size of the operation.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
After Losing Most of Its Control in Iraq, ISIS is Starting to Reemerge
This report was published on YouTube on December 2.