Source: Life Inspirational Message
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Trailblazers in Black History: Cheryl Song, 'Soul Train' Icon
Cheryl Song is one of the most famous and recognizable dancers from Soul
Train. Her long hair, exotic outfits, and the fact that she was the
only Asian dancer on the program in the ‘70s and ‘80s made her a
standout. In this exclusive interview, she discusses her recent
appearance at the 2015 Soul Train Awards, a personal situation she never
spoken about publicly, and future plans which are indicative of her
motto: “The Song is just as clear…if not louder.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: http://soultrain.com/
Gillian Anderson Opens Up About Struggle with Mental Health, Depression
By Randee Dawn
As FBI agent Dana Scully in "The X-Files," Gillian Anderson investigated all kinds of strange occurrences and mysteries.
But in many ways, for much of her life, Anderson, 48, has been a
mystery to herself. In therapy since she was 14 years old, she has
suffered from a number of mental health issues, and she's opening up
about that side of her life in a new book, co-written with friend and
journalist Jennifer Nadel, "We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere."
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Five Things to Know About the GOP Health Care Plan’s Score
The Congressional Budget Office has issued its report
on the new Republican health care plan — and it's bad news for the GOP.
The nonpartisan CBO is considered the gold standard for judging the
impact of new bills, even if it's not perfect.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price
says the CBO numbers "defy logic" even as House Speaker Paul Ryan, who's
pressed the plan forward, says it vindicates him by showing the plan
cuts spending.
Here are five things to know about what the CBO said:
It would cut the deficit...
The CBO projects that the plan, if enacted, would cut the federal budget deficit by $337 billion by 2026
...because it slashes Medicaid
The plan restructures the state-federal Medicaid health plan for the low-income, disabled and elderly. It limits what the federal government puts into the plan — to the tune of $880 million — and would result in 14 million fewer people being covered by Medicaid.
It would cut the deficit...
The CBO projects that the plan, if enacted, would cut the federal budget deficit by $337 billion by 2026
...because it slashes Medicaid
The plan restructures the state-federal Medicaid health plan for the low-income, disabled and elderly. It limits what the federal government puts into the plan — to the tune of $880 million — and would result in 14 million fewer people being covered by Medicaid.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Invasive Phone Searches of Americans Are Raising Concerns
In an alarming
trend, an increasing number of Americans are being ordered to turn their
cellphones and passwords over at the U.S. border. NBC News senior
investigative and legal correspondent Cynthia McFadden reports for
TODAY.
Marco Rubio Criticizes Snoop Dogg Over Donald Trump Clown Video
WASHINGTON — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio says Snoop Dogg shouldn't have
shot a toy gun at a clown dressed as President Donald Trump in a music video released over the weekend.
The video shows Snoop shooting at the Trump character with a gun that releases a flag with the word, "bang."
Rubio told TMZ
that "Snoop shouldn't have done that." He says "we've had presidents
assassinated before in this country, so anything like that is something
people should really careful about." He adds that if the "wrong person
sees that and gets the wrong idea, you could have a real problem."
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
American Michael Sharp Kidnapped in Democratic Republic of Congo
An American was abducted while working as a United Nations official in central Africa, his father told NBC News on Tuesday.
Michael Sharp, 34, was among a team traveling
by motorcycle through the Democratic Republic of Congo when they were
kidnapped by "an unidentified militia group," according to his dad,
John.
Officials confirmed Monday that the team had disappeared in the
country's Kasai Central province — although it was unclear when exactly
the incident took place.
Click here for the full article.
UK Parliament Backs Brexit Bill
Britain’s upper chamber of parliament, the House of Lords, has passed
the Brexit bill paving the way for the government to trigger Article 50
so the UK can leave the EU.
The EU Withdrawal Bill was passed unamended after peers voted by 274
votes to 118 not to challenge the Commons again over the issues of EU
residency rights and whether Parliament should have a veto on the terms
of exit.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
Geert Wilders Promises to Return the Netherlands to the Dutch
Waving the flag of nationalism, Geert Wilders promises to return the
Netherlands to the Dutch, who would otherwise be kidnapped by the
Brussels bureaucracy and the establishment.
The leader of the Freedom Party, who has been in parliament for
nearly 20 years, has long been a thorn in the side of what he calls the
political “elite”.
Wilders campaigned for the “no” vote during the Netherlands
referendum, on the draft European Constitution in 2005. He creates his
party, the PVV, a year later. Its ideological pillars are Euroscepticism, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islamism.
He was shocked by the assassination in 2002 of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, of whom Wilders was the direct political heir, and two years later by the murder of Theo van Gogh a director whose film attacked Islam.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
European Court Rules Workplace Headscarf Ban is Legal
In the first case of its kind, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled
that employers are allowed to ban employees from wearing visible
religious, political and philosophical symbols in the workplace.
However, such a ban has to be based on internal company rules
dictating that employees “dress neutrally” and cannot be based on “the
wishes of a customer”, the ECJ stipulated.
“An internal rule of an undertaking which prohibits the visible
wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign does not
constitute direct discrimination,” the court said in a statement.
“However, in the absence of such a rule, the willingness of an
employer to take account of the wishes of a customer no longer to have
the employer’s services provided by a worker wearing an Islamic
headscarf cannot be considered an occupational requirement that could
rule out discrimination.”
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
Eurovision in Ukraine: Russian Entry Causes Controversy
The conflict between Kyiv and Moscow looks set to enter a new arena
after Russia announced its musical entry for this year’s Eurovision song
contest.
Wheelchair bound Yulia Samoilova will represent Russia at the event, which will be held in Ukraine in May.
But, the former talent show finalist, who said on Sunday that it
was her lifelong ambition to take part in the competition, has also
admitted visiting Crimea after its annexation in 2014.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
Central New York Nursing Homes with Most, Fewest Complaints
The following list shows the number of complaints per 100 occupied beds for each Central New York nursing home. The ranking begins with nursing homes with the fewest complaints.
The state Health Department collected the complaint data from Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2016.
Click here for the listing.
Source: Syracuse.com
Monday, March 13, 2017
Oval Office Chat: Angela Merkel
President Trump spoke today with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to
postpone the Chancellor's planned visit to the White House on March 14, due to inclement weather in the northeast
region of the United States. Both leaders agreed to reschedule Chancellor Merkel’s visit for Friday, March 17.
The President and the Chancellor look forward to reaffirming their
shared determination to stand together in confronting mutual challenges.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
American Citizens: U.S. Border Agents Can Search Your Cellphone
When Buffalo, New York couple Akram Shibly and Kelly McCormick
returned to the U.S. from a trip to Toronto on Jan. 1, 2017, U.S.
Customs & Border Protection officers held them for two hours, took
their cellphones and demanded their passwords.
"It just felt like a gross violation of our
rights," said Shibly, a 23-year-old filmmaker born and raised in New
York. But he and McCormick complied, and their phones were searched.
Three days later, they returned from another trip to Canada and were stopped again by CBP.
"One of the officers calls out to me and says,
'Hey, give me your phone,'" recalled Shibly. "And I said, 'No, because I
already went through this.'"
The officer asked a second time.
Within seconds, he was surrounded: one man held his legs, another
squeezed his throat from behind. A third reached into his pocket,
pulling out his phone. McCormick watched her boyfriend's face turn red
as the officer's chokehold tightened.
Click here for the full article.
Storm Preparation Update: Cuomo Declares State of Emergency Beginning at Midnight
Governor Andrew Cuomo today activated the State Emergency Operations
Center for Monday evening to prepare and respond to the Nor'easter that
is expected to reach New York State late Monday night. At the Governor's
direction, State agencies have already pre-positioned personnel,
assets, and state stockpile resources – including sandbags, generators
and pumps – to areas of the state where the storm will be at its
strongest.
With the snow storm approaching, the Governor urges
commuters to drive with caution for the Tuesday morning and afternoon
commutes, and to avoid unnecessary travel. Motorists, especially tractor
trailers, should be prepared for road closures across the state.
"In preparation for blizzard-like conditions, I will be activating the
State Emergency Operations Center and have directed state agencies to
continue proactively preparing communities and roadways for this major
storm," Governor Cuomo said. "We remain in constant
contact with local officials in every region, as New York prepares to
aggressively clear roads, provide personnel and storm equipment as
needed, and offer immediate assistance to communities across the state. I
strongly urge everyone to limit unnecessary travel on Tuesday, and if
you must drive, please plan ahead, be careful, and stay safe."
Snow is expected to cover Upstate New York, where 12 to 16 inches of
snow is anticipated in Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and Central
New York regions with higher totals in higher elevations likely. The
heaviest snow accumulations are expected south and east of the of the
Capital Region where 12 to 18 inches of snow is expected from late
Monday night through late Tuesday night. Peak snowfall will be Tuesday
and snow may linger in the higher elevations into Wednesday.
Snow will move into the lower Mid-Hudson Valley, New York City and Long
Island regions after midnight on Monday. Heavy snow will be begin early
Monday morning and affect the Tuesday morning rush hour. By the evening
commute, there is strong potential for 16 to 20 inches of snow with
whiteout conditions throughout the day. Snowfall rates may reach 2 to 4
inches per hour at intermittent periods throughout the day, which will
be exacerbated by gusty winds of 40-50 miles per hour in New York City
and Long Island. Driving will be especially hazardous on Tuesday for
both the morning and evening commutes. Minor coastal flooding is also
expected during high tide. Residents in these regions should expect
possible closures, delays and cancellations, and regularly monitor for
updated information to plan ahead.
Click here for additional information. Click here for audio of Governor Cuomo's conference call with New York State officials.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Trump, Sessions ‘Want a Police State’ in America – Ret. Officer
This video was published on YouTube on March 2, 2017.
Attorney
General Jeff Sessions stated this week that the Federal government
would tone down its oversight of troubled police departments around the
country. Critics worry that this will unravel the Obama Administration’s
goal of improving police accountability. Retired DC Metro police
officer Ronald Hampton joins RT America’s Ashlee Banks to weigh in on
the new policy and its implication for civil rights, police brutality
and overreach.
Source: RT America
Vice President Pence Urges Republicans to Get Behind Health Care Bill
Speaking in Louisville, Kentucky, Vice President Mike Pence urges
congressional Republicans to seize the opportunity before them to repeal
and replace the Affordable Care Act and get behind the legislation
unveiled by party leaders to replace it.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
LA's Gang Members Transformed - Homeboy Industries
This video was published on YouTube on March 23, 2013.
Baltimore: 'This is What Poverty in the US Looks Like'
This video was published on YouTube on March 1, 2017.
Ian Pannell reports from the city of Baltimore, where 25% of the population lives in poverty.
Hollywood & Race: 'Pinky' (1949)
Pinky is a 1949 American race drama film starring Jeanne Crain,
Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters about a light-skinned black woman
passing for white, played by Crain.
Trailblazers in Black History: Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque, born William Darby in Norwich, England, was an English equestrian performer and circus proprietor, the first non-white British circus owner in Britain.
His circus was the most popular in Victorian Britain for 30 years, a period that is regarded as the golden age of the circus.
Since the late 20th century, Pablo Fanque is best known from being mentioned in The Beatles song, "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" on their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).
Additional information is available here.
Source: Wikipedia
The Fascinating Tale of Ronald Reagan’s Ugandan Granddaughter
Maureen Reagan and her husband adopted a little girl from Uganda. How
they got to America provides a lesson that Congress—and the
president—should heed.
By Eleanor Clift
Sometimes a story grabs
hold of you and won’t let go. President Reagan’s valiant fight against
Alzheimer’s disease is in that category for me. I wasn’t a fan of
Reagan’s policies, but there was something about the man, and the way he
played the role of a lifetime. A visitor to his Century City office
after he left the White House told the story of reminding Reagan that he
was once President, and he asked, “How’d I do?”
Newsweek did a cover story on “the long goodbye” in the fall of 1995 when Reagan was still in the earlier stages of the disease that would take his life a decade later, in 2004. During the course of my reporting the story, Mrs. Reagan told me that one of the things that gave her husband pleasure was teaching the newest addition to the family how to swim in the heated pool at their Bel-Air home.
“Rita is a real ‘water baby,’ thanks to our pool and my husband,” Mrs. Reagan wrote in a written response to questions, describing then 10-year-old Rita Mirembe Revell, the child that her stepdaughter, Maureen Reagan, and her husband Dennis Revell, had adopted from Uganda. Newsweek asked for photos. We didn’t get them, but I always wondered what happened to Rita.
The last public
sighting of her was at her mother’s funeral in 2001. Rita was 16; her
mother was 60 when she died after a five-year battle with melanoma that
had spread to her brain. Maureen Reagan was Reagan’s daughter with his
first wife, the actress Jane Wyman. At her mother’s funeral, Rita was
seen holding tight onto Wyman, who looked frail and distraught.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
New Surveillance Video Casts Doubts on Michael Brown Case
For two years, local police have said 18-year-old Michael Brown robbed a
convenience store before police responded and he was shot. A new
documentary, “Stranger Fruit,” reveals more surveillance video from the
night before August 9, 2014. The filmmaker says it shows Brown knew the
clerks and didn’t rob them but, instead, traded them marijuana for
cigarillos.
Related story via CBS News: Tensions Rise in Ferguson After New Michael Brown Video Surfaces
Related story via CBS News: Tensions Rise in Ferguson After New Michael Brown Video Surfaces
Trump to Meet with Reform-Focused Saudi Prince to Discuss Investment
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in
charge of Saudi Arabia's reforms, left on Monday for Washington to meet
President Donald Trump on a visit expected to promote the world's top
oil exporter as an investment destination.
It will be the first meeting since Trump took
office in January between the U.S. President and the powerful prince
leading the kingdom's efforts to revive state finances by diversifying
away from falling crude oil revenues.
Under the plan, which seeks to promote the private sector and make
state-owned companies more efficient, Riyadh plans to sell up to 5
percent of state oil giant Saudi Aramco in what is expected to be the
world's biggest initial public offering.
Click here for the full article.
Joe Biden Gives Emotional Speech About Fighting Cancer at SXSW
Former Vice President Joe Biden gave a speech advocating, and
recruiting, people to get involved in cancer research so that the next
generation can know cancer as preventable and curable.
Trump Voters Have Most to Lose Under Republican Health Plan
Changes to the Affordable Care Act that shift from subsidies to tax
credits could impact one group more than any other: Trump voters
Are Conspiracy Theories Now Mainstream?
Do
conspiracy theories threaten to undermine the foundations of democracy?
Paul Musgrave from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Rob
Brotherton, author of "Suspicious Minds" join to discuss.
Source: Pulse of America/MSNBC
Source: Pulse of America/MSNBC
Federal Election Commission May Face First Oversight Hearing In Years
The full version of this story was originally published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
The Federal Election Commission — an agency of
clashing commissioners, seething staffers and key vacancies — may soon
face congressmen who wonder: Why's the agency a basket case?
Such a trip under Congress's microscope could
come in the form of a Committee on House Administration oversight
hearing, something the FEC hasn't endured since 2011, when super PACs were still novel and the now-seminal Citizens United v. FEC decision wasn't yet two years old. A planned oversight hearing in 2014 never materialized.
"It's time," Committee on House Administration member Barry Loudermilk, a Republican congressman from Georgia, told the Center for Public Integrity. "We should take the opportunity and have a re-evaluation."
Return of Renzi - Italy's Ex-PM Launches Comeback
Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi is attempting a political
comeback by launching a bid to recapture the leadership of the
centre-left Democratic party (PD).
At a meeting in Turin he dismissed the recent defection of a group
of leftwing dissidents ahead of contesting the party’s primary election
on April 30th.
“Some are trying to destroy the Democratic Party: you can calm
yourselves …. rest assured the party was there before and it will be
there after us.”
Renzi was Italian prime minister for nearly three years until he
resigned in December after losing a referendum on his flagship
constitutional reforms. But far from leaving the political arena he is
presenting himself as a barrier to the spread of populism.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
Scotland Plans to Request Second Independence
By Alasdair Sandford
Scotland’s First Minister has confirmed plans are in place to seek a second referendum on independence from the UK.
Nicola Sturgeon says she will seek Westminster’s approval for the vote next week.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader
has called for Scotland to be allowed to strike its own deal with the
European Union for a post-Brexit future, but says her efforts have hit a
“brick wall” in London.
Her call has been condemned by other political parties and by the UK prime minister.
Scottish Nationalists argue that circumstances have changed since
September 2014, when Scotland rejected independence in a referendum.
Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining in the European Union during the June 2016 Brexit referendum.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews
ISIL Fighters Trapped in Mosul are Warned They Will Die
Already in control of eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces have now cut off road access to the west.
It means that ISIL fighters are trapped in
what remains of the city that was the group’s biggest stronghold in its
cross-border, self-declared caliphate.
Meeting government figures in Baghdad, Brett McGurk, the United
States’ envoy to the coalition against so-called Islamic State, said
jihadists still in Mosul will die.
“ISIS has now lost over 60 percent of the
territory it once held here in Iraq and is losing more every day,”
McGurk told reporters in the Iraqi capital on Sunday.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
Turkish Constitutional Referendum: TRexit from Parliamentary Democracy?
By Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek, senior policy advisor at the European Foundation for Democracy
The political system governing Turkey is on the verge of a profound
change. In the case of a “yes” vote on 16 April, Turkey will be
transformed from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency, in
which the President will have an unprecedented role. Even Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic, did not have such power.
A presidential system is not a bad thing per se; there are certainly
good examples. Moreover, the presidential system discussion is not new
in Turkish political history either. The issue was previously raised by
the late President Turgut Özal, a key political figure in the transition
of Turkey to a western-style liberal economy in the 1980s. However, the
focus of these past discussions has always been the American system
with a strong emphasis on the separation of power. The newly proposed
system, literally described as “a la Turca” presidency by the Turkish
government, has little in common with presidential systems in the
Western world. Many elements in the constitutional package increase
concerns regarding democracy, separation of powers and checks and
balances.
Click here for the full article.
Source: euronews.
'Scarred for Life': UNICEF Says 2016 Worst Year for Syrian Children
UNICEF is calling for international action after releasing figures showing 2016 was the most violent year on record for children in Syria.
Verified examples of killing, maiming and the recruitment of
children to fight or carry out executions rose sharply as brutality
escalated nationwide.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: euronews.
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