text:
A patch on the uniform of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Border Patrol Caught Smugglers that Crammed 33 Migrants in Locked 100-Degree Trailer
By Samuel Allegri
Samuel Allegri
July 7, 2019 Updated: July 7, 2019
A truck driver is facing charges after federal authorities say he attempted to smuggle 33 migrants into the United States via a trailer through the Arizona desert.
A search found the trailer filled with Mexican produce, along with hidden Mexican and El Salvadorean nationals, without fresh air or a cooling system. The group included 12 juveniles aged 3 to 17, a pregnant woman, and a convicted felon, reported U.S. Customs an Border Protection (CPB).
NEW: @CBPArizona checkpoint catches human smuggler with 33 people locked inside nearly 100-degree trailer: https://t.co/NjJ58576Xl #abc15 pic.twitter.com/PPn1gcV7ye
— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) July 4, 2019
President Trump commented on the precarious event: "Democrats must change the Loophole & Asylum Laws – but they probably won't! They want Open Borders, which means massive crime and drugs!"
Democrats must change the Loophole & Asylum Laws – but they probably won't! They want Open Borders, which means massive crime and drugs! https://t.co/IWxH16arMW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2019
It was tremendously hot inside the trailer―nearly 100 degrees F, posing imminent danger to the occupants, who had no way to exit, since the doors were locked.
Perhaps even more unbelievable is the fact that although there was a refrigeration unit in the trailer, the driver had it turned off.
The White House Twitter account shared the story along with an X-Ray photo.
"Last night, 12 children, a pregnant woman, a convicted felon, & 19 illegal aliens were found locked in a produce truck at a checkpoint. The driver, charged with human smuggling, kept the refrigeration off, so they were trapped inside where it was over 97 degrees with no way out." The White House wrote on Twitter, and at the same time, praised and gave thanks to the Border Patrol agents who caught them.
"THANK YOU to our heroic Border Patrol agents, whose vigilance caught this smuggler and potentially saved lives!" read the post.
THANK YOU to our heroic Border Patrol agents, whose vigilance caught this smuggler and potentially saved lives! pic.twitter.com/uvKQzBFPR1
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 3, 2019
CPB said the driver, a 37-year-old Mexican national, was arrested on July 2.
The 33 people were taken into custody by Border Patrol and will be processed for immigration violations.
The CBP news release also mentioned a new initiative to reduce the deaths caused by human smuggling in commercial vehicles.
"In an effort to prevent fatalities at the hands of smugglers, Department of Homeland Security has recently launched "Operation Safeguard" to educate the public and the trucking industry on the life-threatening dangers involved in using commercial conveyances to smuggle humans." said the CPB.
Border Patrol agents found 33 illegal aliens, incl. 12 children, a pregnant woman and a convicted felon, hidden inside a trailer. The temperature in the trailer was nearly 100 degrees, causing imminent danger to the people locked inside with no way out. https://t.co/rVjUqNv1G1 pic.twitter.com/j74CIAjFAL
— CBP (@CBP) July 5, 2019
On July 3, President Donald Trump retweeted a post by the CBP South Texas, indicating that they seized $4.1 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine at Laredo Port of Entry.
"CBP officers seized alleged cocaine and crystal methamphetamine worth more than $4 million in Texas last weekend," reads The White House statement. "The drug seizures came as part of two operations at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge that connects Mexico and America."
#CBP officers seize $4.1M in methamphetamine, cocaine at Laredo Port of Entry. Read more here and below. https://t.co/KJ84ygkKfX https://t.co/O3bWEoNeR9
— CBP South Texas (@CBPSouthTexas) July 3, 2019
From NTD News


text:
Mind Writing Pt. 02: Hannah
It all felt very… wrong. Split down the middle.
These two parts of me wanted very different things. The use of my powers had been, for the longest time, simply a way for me to – under the radar – shift things in my favour. After what I had done with – to – Ali… I couldn't pretend that was the case anymore.
I couldn't pretend the urge hadn't existed before, of course. The… pressure of hormonal influence was always present in some way or another. But, the difference between being a horny teenager and swallowing the urge to make a girl flash you – which was the sort of thing I could easily cast aside as 'replaceable by porn so you don't have to assault people', and being with Ali – where there was, in one way or another, a reciprocated attraction… it was different.
Wasn't it?
There's no way to admit that I used my abilities on her, controlled her, in a way that I'd never done before. It was a ground-breaking moment for me. But it wasn't just me.
Ali was what was new. She was there, excited and eager and horny. Any time before, when an 'urge' had presented itself, it was easy to repress, or swallow, because it would have been me imposing an idea on someone. Ali already had the idea – I just brought it to the surface.
Maybe I was just blaming her. Using her apparent enjoyment of my manipulations to justify what I had done. To make me feel better.
Although, if she had enjoyed it, was it so bad?
The questions haunted me. We stayed together for about four months after that. Our sex life, once started with such an event, quickly blossomed into something quite lovely, though I managed to avoid 'writing' her ever again. I would read her, use my gift to see what she liked, and what got her going – turns out she was naturally quite submissive in bed – and I used this to both keep her happy, and slowly allow us to drift.
Guilt was a heavy thing, and even though I could tell myself as much as possible that Ali was eager to take part, a large part of me couldn't shake the feeling that it was just, fundamentally wrong. That I had done things to her no one else could. As a relationship, it was tainted. It had to end.
By the time our exams came around, and we had all applied for our Uni places and we're ready to move away, we were all but over. Once the break was official, I got rid of all of her adjustments (cognition wasn't a problem now that exams were over), and decided to just let her get on with life.
One thing I hadn't foreseen, however, was that between getting into university and actually going there, I had a summer to kill, in a village where I knew I would only come back to for Christmas after leaving. Plus, after going from 3-4 sex sessions a week to nothing, my libido was a raging hormonal bastard, giving me the urge to stop and stare at every woman in view. I mean, I had had those urges for years now, but now I had passed that line with Ali… it was tempting.
To do more.
Half of these, because of the size of Glenkiln being as it was, were people I either had known since birth, or recognised as tourists, here for the lakes and fell walking. Not a lot of realistic choices, but just enough eye candy to wind me up. I never did end up acting on my urges of Ms. Rodham, or of monster-cock Dan – half out of my natural timidness, and half out of pre-emptive guilt.
Speaking of tourists, to get by until September I ended up getting a job in the shop that was attached to the boating house. People would come to rent a paddle boat, or buy a ticket on the steamer, and we try and sell them overpriced chicken tikka masala sandwiches, bad teas and offers, and novelty plush squirrels.
It was just about the only place in the village that allowed me to use my gift to squeeze an extra quid out of people on a tip, upping their generosity when I smiled and served them, pausing after I handed them their coffee-flavoured milk water.
Oh, and do you remember the 'goth slut' I talked about during my episode with Ali? Well, now she's the assistant manager, and my direct boss, and without a little bump of 'happy' every time she sees me I think she would have fired me by now – she fucking hated me. And with decent reason, I guess; I got a waaay disproportionate amount of tips because of my gift, and she'd complained that 'everyone seems to love you'. I guess it's a 21st century goth thing.
Her name was Hannah, and while she might not have been, as I so crudely called her, a slut, she sure knew how to wear herself. She had a tight figure, and she was almost as tall as me, just under six foot. Her hair, naturally, was jet black and her nails painted either blood red or black – never anything else.
Oh, and the thing that makes my whole 'resisting temptation' idea strain at the edges? Her tits. She has the most amazing tits I have ever seen on a girl, at least in real life. She's a D-cup, at least, but they're amazingly firm. I've seen her a few times after a 'late night at Matt's' (her equally goth boyfriend), where she came in without a bra on. Don't call me a perv, but between the lack of a bra clip bumping through the awful navy-blue polos we both wear, and her rock-solid nipples poking up whenever the door opens and a rush of cool air blows in, I could tell.
And yet, her boobs always looked as amazing and pert as ever, including today when it was easy to tell she doesn't have one on. I almost didn't think they were real, and have had to fight with the gift to try and find out. She was in a relationship, I was lying low until September, best just to keep it all casual.
'Hey,' she mumbled as we dropped our bags into our company lockers in the back room. It was about 6:45, and the weather was a bleak grey, so it was most likely going to be a slow day. Plus, it was Monday, and the manager had taken a long weekend. All in all, we were both ready to be bored out of our minds for nine hours before calling it quits.
'Hey. Good weekend?'
She shrugged. Her disposition, while not really my business, was already getting old – particularly as there were no customers to distract myself with.
'I'll do stock,' she said, slamming her locker shut. Her eyeshadow was burnt grey today, but her eyes looked tired.
'Sure,' I said, knowing there was barely enough to be done to fill half an hour.
I got everything up and running, before opening up to serve some sodden dog-walkers their early coffee. By 7:30 there was a grand total of three tited-looking elderly dog enthusiasts, four sodden pooches, and no Hannah. I was waiting, unable to leave the shop unattended, for either her to come back or for the walkers to get on their way, when the door creaked open and a wam was dragged in by a dripping-wet husky cross I recognised instantly.
'Shona?!'
Ali's mum looked up at me, surprised to see me. She hadn't been by for the past two weeks of my employment here, but with a dog like that she was sure to need to walk him at least twice a day.
'James!' she chimed. She wandered up to the till, her smile a sunbeam. 'Oh my god it's been so long!'
'It has! How's Ali doing?'
'Oh, she's great. She got into Edinburgh, doing English – early language acquisition.'
'That's fantastic,' I smiled. It was also news. I realised I hadn't been keeping up with her, and felt a pang of guilt. Of course, that paled in comparison to seeing the woman I had first really used my gift on for sexual means, smiling like a bobcat in front of me, her hair slick from rain, making her far more attractive than she had any right to be on a day like today.
'How about you? I feel like I knew everything about you, and then when you guys split – poof! You were gone. Never to be heard of again.'
I laughed, more just enjoying the conversation than at what she'd said. 'Yeah, uh, Newcastle. Psychology.'
'Ooh, so you're going to be able to ratch through people's brains then?'
I smiled. 'Something like that.'
On a whim, or for old times sake, or for any other reason I wanted to invent, I tuned into her. Why not.
She was fairly simple, enjoyably enough. A mix of nostalgia, relaxation, and general happiness. I remembered she taught at the primary school in the next village, so she would be off work – hence the dog walking resuming.
As I did, however, I also felt a buzz at the back of my head – interference, almost. I nearly turned to see what it was, when Shona spoke again.
'So, not that anyone can replace my Ali, but any girls on your arm these days?'
I scoffed, but kept a mind's eye on her 'sliders'; there was a tick of arousal. 0 to 2. Huh.
'Not at the moment, no. Free as a bird.'
'Well, anyone would be lucky,' she smirked. I was trying to write it off as normal joke-flirting that middle-aged women liked to do, but I felt her heart flutter. I could feel her arousal tick up to 5, her excitement picking up a hint. It was subtle, maybe even subconscious, but her signs were saying she was into me.
I decided I wasn't going to manipulate anything – that could get out of hand quickly – but there was no harm in using my gift to steer the conversation a certain way, right?
'I'm trying to stay open,' I said, prepping us both a coffee. No one would miss two packets from stock, and I could just play forgiveness if I really needed to, after all.
'How open?' she laughed, before getting her dog – Arlo, it's name was – to sit. 'Nothing worse than a dry patch,' she said, no longer looking at me.
I remembered how the thought of me made her cum that night – was she thinking about that too?
Arousal at 15. I think she was.
'Not that you would know, I'm sure,' I said, playing sweet. I moved away to get her some sugars, remembering how she took it. Two sugars, extra milky.
Just like her, I thought, glancing at her wondrous chest. While she maybe didn't have the youthful firmness that Hannah enjoyed – who, by the way, had been taking ages to do the stockroom – she made up for it in form. Her body was round in all the right places, and tight where it counted. While Ali was a stick figure, her mother was a delicious peach.
'Pffft, I've not even had a date since Ali was born. Not too many men around here looking for a widowed mother, with career options as lofty as Pattering Primary's headship.'
'Well, that's ridiculous,' I said. Her gratitude bumped then, and I wondered when the last time someone honestly complimented the woman. 'You're funny, beautiful, and if I wasn't you're daughter's ex I think I'd be her step dad by now.'
For a moment, I thought I had gone too far, but I felt her adoration and gratitude, as well as her self esteem lift a little. She gave me a look as though to tell me I was being ridiculous, and took her coffee. 'You're just lathering me up to get a tip,' she smiled. A real, genuine smile. She really was beautiful. I could see where Ali got her beauty, and she hadn't gotten all of it.
'Nonsense,' I said again, this time reading for arousal – just out of curiosity. 'I honestly think it's madness no one's snapped you up. Or, at least, relieved you of your dry spell.'
There. It bumped to 20, as the thoughts of me and sex correlated in her head, mingling into her memory of that night.
'A date first would be nice,' she said, trying to get back to levity. She was self conscious again, after so long of being unseen. 'Ali's off in Bermuda travelling, so tonight it's a bad movie, and oven pizza for Shona.'
An invitation, disguised as self-deprecation. I could feel her hope, her daring, her disbelief – anyone not able to see in her head, her heart, might have thrown it off as a lousy attempt to harmlessly flirt, but I felt the truth underneath. Plus, I had an opportunity.
'Well, my dad's on a stag do and my mum's working a double – I was gonna do the same.' Her hope picked up. 'I could come over, and you could make that stir fry you made us for Ali's 17th?'
'You remember that?'
'I dream of it!' I laughed, and she nodded. I could feel her emotions swirling a little – nervous flutters, self consciousness, excitement, and under all of it, a breath of lust pushing the boat down the river.
I hadn't done a thing to her emotions – not really. A little reading, giving me the edge on what to say, sure. But what she felt was all her.
'Alright,' she nodded. 'You're on. Bring something, though, I'm not a cheap date.' Again, she was trying to make it sound ridiculous by overstating what it was. A date.
Holy shit. I just talked my way into a date with Shona.
Arlo whined at her feet, and she scowled at him. 'Yes, alright, you big floof.' She handed me more than she owed in change, giving her a reason to brush hands with me. There was one hundred percent a spark, given away if not by her spark in nerves and arousal, then by the fact that she refused to make eye contact with me.
'Thank you for the coffee, James,' she smiled, as Arlo stood, ready to bound out into the rain.
'I'll see you tonight!' I called, feeling one last buzz of nervousness before tuning out.
With a start, I realised the shop was empty now – all the customers must have up and left while we were talking. I grinned, laughing to myself at what was happening. All I had done was say the right thing, at the right time, and I was asking my exes MILF mother out on a date! It was, I will admit, clearly a low-key affair, but it was off the back of a conversation about her 'dry spell', where her arousal and attraction to me was slowly rising.
'Holy shit,' I laughed to myself, almost giddy.
The giddiness, of course, came to a screeching halt when I heard Hannah in the back room screaming for her life.
I clambered through the back door, into the storage space, and saw the door to a little cubby closed, but with light coming out from underneath. 'Hannah?'
'It's fine!' she shouted, not sounding very convinced herself. 'Just leave it- AHHH!!'
I tuned in, and the first thing I could feel was fear, panicked fear overriding everything. Then, embarrassment – that's what was stopping her coming out.
'What is it?!' I called through, standing now just outside the storage cubby. There was nothing in there but cleaning supplies, spare toilet roll – stuff that wasn't stock, basically.
The fear in her head spiked again, and I could feel her wanting to run, flee from whatever was in there. So, in what I thought was a charitable move, I dropped her embarrassment to almost zero. There. All good.
Hannah burst from the room, and as my eyes took in what they saw, my brain registered what was behind the fear and embarrassment.
She was panting, phone-in hand, with her jeans around her ankles. Her underwear – deep red silky lingerie that looked like they wouldn't cover a thing – were below her knees, and her polo had been unbuttoned as low as it goes, displaying her plunging cleavage as she threw herself from the cupboard.
She tripped on her clothes, and landed face down, giving me what can only be described as God's perspective of her. Here Hannah was, on the floor, panting, her ass up with her jeans and underwear pulled down, her pussy lips wet and slick. As she lay there, I heard her make a strange noise – something between a wail and a whimper, as something popped out of her.
A small, purple vibrator slid from her labia, landing on the cold tiles and buzzing against the floor.
Hannah shuddered, then looked up to me with a look that seemed like she'd only just remembered I was there.
After a moment of clear gawking on her half-baked form, I stuttered to life. 'Hannah, I-'
'James, oh shit,' she said, rolling to sit on her nude bottom. She made no attempts to hide herself, though that was probably because she was currently virtually incapable of feeling embarrassed. 'Is it on me?!' she shrieked, before jumping up. She spun, kicking her jeans off one foot, which gave her enough stability to start bouncing frantically, slapping at her arms and shoulders.
Beneath her embarrassment had been serious arousal, dimmed obviously by the panic and fear that she was going through, but still there. From the vibe and her phone in hand, I guessed she was having a bit of on-the-clock fun.
'Is what on you?' I asked, slowly pulling her panic down, letting her settle. To her, it would hopefully feel just like she was calming naturally.
'The massive fucking spider!' she shrieked, hopping over a box away from the storage cubby. As she said it, I did see the bugger – a fat brown thing that must have climbed on her during her fun.
Calmly, I picked up an empty bucket, and got Hannah to pass me a big piece of cardboard. Box over spider, cardboard under box, and it was contained.
I picked the thing up, noting that Hannah was just watching me now, and put it down outside. I lifted the box and titled the cardboard, watching the arachnid trundle off into the grass.
I came back in to see a still half-naked Hannah, a relieved smile on her face, who shivered from the gust from outdoors.
Tuning in, I realised that, having turned down her embarrassment and her fear/panic, the prevailing state her brain was left with was arousal. Arousal that, without shame or fear, had her standing in the back office with someone who had, in her eyes, just saved her.
I felt her make the decision, and while I hadn't meant to manipulate her mind for this outcome, it was hard to deny her as she pulled her polo top off over her head, leaving her wearing nothing but her socks and a black choker necklace.
She stepped right up to me, pulled me in by the collar, and kissed my shocked dumbass face with her gothic black lips, her tongue diving in as her body pressed into mine. Her tongue piercing bumped against my lips, and she smiled around me as she delved deeper.
I was hard in an instant, and, after a courtesy closing of the door between us and the café so no one would see in, she let my hands explore her pale body.
She hissed as I held her, my hands cold against her skin, but she felt warm to the touch. And touch I did.
At first, I held her back as we kissed, storming down to grab her butt, making her squeak. I remembered the vibrator, and a cursory exploration of my fingers found she was still soaking wet. Hannah moaned into me as I reached around her form to finger her, her hands grabbing my polo and lifting it off.
I had to release her sex to get the top over, but as she pressed those goddess tits against my chest I almost died. In fact, part of me maybe had. Died and gone to heaven, and that heaven was Hannah's D-cup cleavage.
'This is so good,' she moaned into my ear as her hand found my crotch. She rubbed my rock-hard bulge through my jeans, enjoyment on her lips as she kissed my neck.
I was stunned, to be honest. Thrilled, obviously, but stunned. This girl had clearly been fucking herself in the back, and take away a little shame and whatever else, she was a total nympho! We had barely said two words to each other since we started working together, and now she was sliding down me, her tongue at my navel as her hands undid my belt.
Maybe people need less of a push than I thought.
Hannah pulled me from my jeans, and immediately took me in her mouth. She was eager, and clearly experienced – her tongue piercing sending electricity up the head as her hands went to my balls and the base of my cock.
'Fuuuuck, Hannah that's good,' I moaned, trying to keep it as a whisper in case any customer had wandered in, despite there being no staff in.
Updated: October 13, 2020 — 4:35 pm

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Mountains - Choral
Artist: Mountains
Album: Choral
Label: Thrill Jockey
Review date: Feb. 19, 2009
The idea of deep or detailed listening is a useful one because it's purposefully vague. That vagueness comes in part from being understandable without needing to route it through a definition. It's also rich enough in connotation to suggest a whole lifestyle. The idea of detailed listening is not the same as Michaelangelo Matos' slow listening movement, but they seem to share the same spirit of deliberateness and presence. Mountains, the Brooklyn duo of Koen Holtkamp and Brendon Anderegg, make music intended for undrifting attention, but their music has never had the built-in punishment that some, more academically oriented drone music employs to prevent their music from becoming furniture.
So, if you're intent on criticizing Choral, Mountains' third LP and first for Thrill Jockey, you would probably take exception to the album's prettiness. It's easy to let these 51 minutes slip by without making much of an impression apart from an undulating, general warmth, like some kind of aural space heater. But then you'd have to be pretty skilled at exclusively peripheral listening; prettiness can't prevent music this good from unexpectedly colonizing your attention. Not vulgar enough to make the coup with a shift in volume or tone or the abrupt introduction of a melody, Mountains proceed by stealthy, deliberate layering. The album opens with a drone that ebbs out to reveal lovely fingerpicked acoustic guitar harmonies that know well enough not to linger; "Telescope" reverses the syntax by establishing a gallant-sounding, square-jawed strum before fading in slightly dissonant, thrumming counterpoint, as effective a foil as vinegar in banana muffin batter or the detuned keyboards in "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." But that's among the album's most obvious transitions. Subjected to real-deal deep listening, Choral is a very producerly album, with new elements constantly emerging, old patterns reducing down to a savory broth to accommodate fresh textures. It sounds like a protean stew, but the music is never busy, not quite. It's just that when you get up close you can make out all these heretofore-unseen entrances and exits, each one totally unfussy and unselfconscious, as good TV actors performing a good script might do.
The elements Holtkamp and Anderegg use on Choral seem touched by anonymity when compared with last year's solo outing from Holtkamp, the much-beloved and late-blooming Field Rituals. The field recordings and instrumental passages (instrumental meaning not "without vocals" but "parts where a recognizable instrument is playing a riff") on that album made for chunkier pairings, culminating in the sparkle-drone "Haus und Spirale im Regen." Closer to a true drone than anything on Choral, "Haus" verged less on stasis than a mild but keen claustrophobia, a meditation that makes you keep forgetting to breathe. In collaboration with Anderegg, that intensity levels off, with the music itself coming perceptibly closer to folk, or more accurately, closer to an exploration of the sonic ingredients of folk, plus a healthy love of dub and melodicas and dosed with the breadth of The Well-Tuned Piano.
The only thing that detracts from the accomplishment of Choral is its proximity to Field Rituals, but it's nothing to do with one of the album's superiority over the other, just a matter of each throwing the other into better relief. And, really, that's only bad inasmuch as it's the only thing that distracts from the involving, detailed beauty here. There are many musicians working in this vein, but Mountains spew a pitch-perfect combination of earthiness and abstract bliss with astonishing ease. Like good yoga, every second is different with this kind of drone.
Other Reviews of Mountains
Air Museum
Find out more about Thrill Jockey


text:
46% Think Benghazi Will Hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016
Most voters now believe the Americans killed in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012 died in terrorist attacks, and a growing number think Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations are likely to suffer because of the Benghazi affair.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 46% of Likely U.S. Voters think the circumstances surrounding the murder of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. Embassy employees in Libya will hurt the former secretary of State if she runs for president in 2016. That's up from 43% in late October. Just four percent (4%) think the Benghazi issue will help Clinton if she runs for the White House. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say it will have no impact, compared to 41% three months ago. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
A recent New York Times investigation claims that the Obama administration was correct when it first said the Benghazi killings were prompted by an anti-Islamic video posted on YouTube, but a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report released last week says the murders were the result of planned terrorist attacks.
Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters believe the Americans in Benghazi were killed in planned terrorist attacks. Only 13% think they were killed in a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Islamic video. One-in-three voters (34%) are undecided.
Just 28% now rate the administration's explanation of the events surrounding the murder of the ambassador and the others as good or excellent. That's down nine points from a high of 37% in October. Forty-five percent (45%) give the administration poor marks for the Benghazi matter, the highest level of dissatisfaction to date.
Seventy-eight percent (78%) think it is at least somewhat important to find out exactly what happened in the events surrounding the murder of the four Americans in Libya, with 47% who say it is Very Important. Nineteen percent (19%) view getting to the bottom of the Benghazi incident as unimportant, but that includes just four percent (4%) who say it's Not At All Important. This is in line with attitudes since last April.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 17-18, 2014 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters consider the Benghazi matter a serious scandal, but only 21% think it will still me a major news story by the end of the year.
Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republicans and 51% of voters not affiliated with either major party think it is Very Important to find out what happened in Benghazi, but only 27% of Democrats agree. While 71% of GOP voters and 51% of unaffiliateds believe the Americans were killed there in planned terrorist attacks, just 41% of Democrats share that assessment.
Democrats aren't following news stories about the murders in Benghazi as closely as Republicans and unaffiliated voters are, but 49% of voters in President Obama's party rate his administration's handling of the incident in Libya as good or excellent. Seventy-five percent (75%) of Republicans and 51% of unaffiliated voters think the administration has done a poor job.
Most Democrats (53%) believe the Benghazi matter will have no impact on Clinton's potential presidential run. Sixty-five percent (65%) of Republicans and a plurality (45%) of unaffiliated voters think it will hurt her candidacy.
Half of voters over the age of 40 think Clinton's candidacy will be hurt by the circumstances surrounding the murders in Libya, but just 35% of younger voters agree. Blacks are much less likely than whites and other minority voters to believe Clinton will be hurt by Benghazi in 2016.
Seventy-four percent (74%) of the Political Class say Clinton will feel no impact from the Libya matter in 2016, but 54% of Mainstream voters think she will be hurt by it. Sixty percent (60%) of those in the Mainstream believe the Americans were killed in planned terrorist attacks, a view shared by just 39% of Political Class voters.
Seventy-four percent (74%) of all voters have followed recent news stories about the murders in Benghazi at least somewhat closely, with 40% who have been following Very Closely.
Many political pundits foresee a 2016 presidential contest between Clinton and New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie. In early November, the two ran nearly dead even.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of voters think a woman is likely to be elected president in the next 10 years, with 37% who say it is Very Likely.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.
Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it's free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.
Most Voters Say America Is Not Safer Than It Was Before 9/11
77% Think Woman President Likely in Next 10 Years
43% Think NSA's Domestic Spying Will Be Big News In A Year
2016? Clinton 43%, Christie 41%
Reflecting on 2013: The Year in Foreign Policy - Rasmussen Reports®
Reflecting on 2013: The Year in Foreign Policy


text:
NewsNational Politics
Beto O'Rourke says he's running for president in 2020
By: CNN Newsource
Beto O'Rourke announced Thursday he is running for president, entering the 2020 race with a call for Americans to look past their differences in order to confront the challenges facing the country.
"This is a defining moment of truth for this country and for every single one of us," the 46-year-old Democratic former congressman from Texas said in a video announcing his candidacy. "The challenges that we face right now, the interconnected crises in our economy, our democracy and our climate have never been greater."
"They will either consume us, or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America," he added.
O'Rourke, who is starting a three-day swing through eastern Iowa on Thursday, said he will hold a kick-off rally for his campaign in El Paso, Texas, on March 30.
His entrance into the race is the culmination of his two-year, out-of-nowhere rise from a back-bench congressman largely unknown outside El Paso to Democratic stardom as a record-breaking fundraiser, the subject of an HBO documentary and the target of two separate efforts to draft him into the presidential campaign. He joins a crowded field of more than a dozen Democrats vying for the party's nomination.
In his announcement video, O'Rourke said he would run a "positive campaign that seeks to bring out the very best from every single one of us, that seeks to unite a very divided country."
"We saw the power of this in Texas, where people allowed no difference, however great or however small, to stand between them and divide us," O'Rourke said.
O'Rourke last year lost that race in Texas, a bid to oust Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Still, the Senate race thrust O'Rourke, who served three terms in the House, into the national spotlight. He shattered fundraising records, ending with an $80 million haul, and finished less than 3 percentage points behind Cruz -- much closer than other Democrats had come in recent years against Republicans in a state that's long been a GOP stronghold. But a presidential bid will be a much different test for O'Rourke, who will face serious pressure from the left for the first time in his political career.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, O'Rourke said the 2020 campaign has "got to be about the big things that we hope to achieve and enact and do for one another."
He said that "the most pressing, the most urgent, the most existential challenge of them all is climate. And the scientists, beyond a shadow of a doubt, know that we have at a maximum 12 years in order to enact significant change to meet that threat and reduce the consequences of the decisions that we made in the past -- the consequences that our kids and the generations that follow will bear."
O'Rourke also began to lay out what he saw as his top priorities on the eve of his entrance into the 2020 race.
"Rewriting and signing into law immigration policies that reflect who we are and our values and what we know to be true, grounded in the facts," he said. "Making sure that everybody can see a doctor and live to their full potential. Listening to and then raising up rural communities that for so long have been left behind. Making sure people that are looking for work are able to find it -- that they're equipped with the skills and training and education necessary to maximize their potential. But also investing in people that are already working. ... There are so many people in this country working two and three jobs and struggling to make ends meet."
"The destination cannot be Election Night, November 2020. The destination really has to be the realization of everything this country is capable of doing," O'Rourke said.
In his Senate race against Cruz, O'Rourke often blurred their policy differences on issues like trade by saying the two agreed. And while O'Rourke took a series of progressive positions -- he argued for criminal justice revisions and marijuana legalization, backed "Medicare-for-all" and said he would support President Donald Trump's impeachment -- the race was primarily a clash of personalities.
While O'Rourke will have to prove his policy bona fides, his strengths -- he's a tireless campaigner who won over younger voters -- will serve as a test of whether the Democratic base and its legions of young voters are more interested in inspirational figures or candidates whose ideology matches theirs.
O'Rourke's entrance into the presidential race is the culmination of calls for him to explore a bid for national office that began after his closer-than-expected finish in the 2018 Senate campaign.
Throughout that race, O'Rourke had insisted he would not run for president -- but that stance shifted after he lost. He acknowledged at a town hall shortly after the election that he was weighing a presidential bid. Then, in December, he met with former President Barack Obama.
Afterward, Obama praised the Texan for his Senate run, calling him an "impressive young man who ran a terrific race."
"What I liked most about his race was that it didn't feel constantly poll-tested," Obama said during a podcast taping with his former top strategist David Axelrod. "It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed. And that, you'd like to think, is normally how things work. Sadly, it's not."
O'Rourke refused to hire pollsters for his Senate campaign and only employed a digital consulting firm.
His national profile grew in August, when NowThis published a video of him answering a question about NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem with an off-the-cuff riff about the civil rights movement as he defended players for making their case "nonviolently, peacefully, while the eyes of this country are watching."
While speculation about a presidential run built after his closer-than-expected Senate loss, some of it has died down in recent months.
In December, a CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll found that 28% of likely caucus-goers there had a "very favorable" view of O'Rourke. A new poll this month found that number had decreased to 19%.


text:
Strait Birding & Cetaceans
Black Kite © Inglorious Bustards
Spring dates:
7 days – 28th March – 3rd April 2020.
(Spring 2018 trip report available here)
Autumn dates:
(Autumn 2019 trip report available here)
7 days – 26th August – 1st September 2020.
€1,200 for 7 days – price includes all accommodation, meals, guiding, transportation, taxes and entrances but excludes flights.
€240 Deposit
€160 Single supplement
Short-toed Eagle © Inglorious Bustards
The Strait of Gibraltar is the point at which Africa and Europe are at their closest, and is the epicentre for one of the world's most spectacular bird migrations. Every year, millions of birds make the 14 km sea crossing, making use of uplifts and thermals rising off the Rock of Gibraltar and the stunning Moroccan peak of Jebel Musa. An estimated 250,000 raptors pass over this rugged terrain during these periods, as well as untold thousands of other journeying passerines and seabirds
This flukey combination of geography and geology means a helping hand for birds and quite simply spectacular birding for us! The incredible natural phenomenon of visible migration will be happening all around us, meaning you can sit back with a nice cold beer and simply enjoy these unforgettable scenes.
A boat trip into the Straits itself will let you get close and personal with the many cetacean species that can be found in spring and autumn, such as Common, Bottlenose and Striped Dolphins and Long-finned Pilot Whale – even Fin, Sperm Whales and Orca are possible here. There are seabirds to look out for too, and we can hope to see Cory´s, Scopoli´s and Balearic Shearwaters, Northern Gannets, and in the right conditions, Wilson´s and European Storm Petrels.
There will also be time to explore more of the area´s superb habitats, which include salt pans, intertidal areas, freshwater wetlands, low intensity farmland, Mediterranean scrub, precipitous rock faces and the woodlands of Los Alcornocales Natural Park, Europe´s largest Cork oak Forest. The diversity and wealth of avian and other wildlife in this beautifully unspoilt area of Spain really is astounding!
Couple this with tranquil accommodation in an eco-lodge at the edge of the Natural Park itself, the chance to enjoy the picturescue streets and Moorish fortifications of the Old Town of Tarifa, and of course the chance to sample some of Andalusia´s best local food and wine, and you really do have a trip that´s Strait-up fantastic!
About Andalusia
This southernmost province of Spain is perhaps best known for its fantastic tapas, passionate discussions, and welcoming people. However it is also the most biodiverse region not only in Spain but the whole of Europe.
Because of its strategic position at the gateway of two continents, the land here has changed hands countless times in history between the ruling forces of Europe and North Africa, so the culture here is a fascinating blend of Mediterranean and Moroccan. The flora and fauna here too provides tantalising glimpses of nature from across the waters, and from a migratory birds perspective it is quite simply the centre of the world!
Expected Birds
A massive migration event is in progress at this time of year, as birds journey south to winter. We hope to see several species of raptor including Griffon Vultures, Egyptian Vultures, Bonelli's Eagles and Spanish Imperial Eagles alongside tens of thousands of migrating raptors Honey Buzzards, Black Kites, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, interspersed with huge flocks of White and Black Storks and European Bee-eaters. Resident Spanish specialities include Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, Crested Tit and Northern Bald Ibis. Visits to wetlands should yield a host of waders including Kentish Plover, Sanderling, Little Stint and Collared Pratincole, as well a star birds like Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Spoonbill and Greater Flamingo.
Our boat trip should give us views of Cory's Shearwaters as well as Long- finned Pilot Whales, Common and Striped Dolphins and possibly Sperm Whale.
The kaleidoscope of visible migration with White Storks and Black Kites © Inglorious Bustards
We begin with your flight to Gibraltar, from where we meet you and transfer to our delightful eco-resort in tranquil woodland near Tarifa, the centre of birding in the Straits. Our base at Huerta Grande is ideal for watching the migration as it is located between two natural parks in the hills above the Straits of Gibraltar, amongst lush Cork Oak forest. We should witness many hundreds of migratory birds making the crossing to their wintering grounds in Africa, including Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Honey Buzzards, Black Kites and both Black and White Storks.
We will take a boat excursion, weather permitting, into the Straits to witness the seabird passage and cetaceans. We will be on the lookout for Cory's and Balearic Shearwaters among other species, plus the three species of resident dolphin (Common, Bottlenose and Striped) and the resident pods of Long-finned Pilot Whale. Once back on dry land, we will have a go at some urban birding around the old town of Tarifa where we can encounter Common Bulbul and breeding Lesser Kestrels. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch in the old town square where, simply by looking up you will be able to see migrating raptors and storks crossing over this historic town.
Sperm Whale © Inglorious Bustards
We'll spend the morning at Los Lances nature reserve, a small area of intertidal habitat on Tarifa beach. On the short walk across low intensity farmland, we may see Crested Lark, Tawny Pipit, Short-toed Lark, Yellow Wagtails and Corn Bunting. A boardwalk takes us out to a hide, from where we can look across the lagoons to see birds including Common Ringed and Kentish Plover, Sanderling and Little Stint. Theres a decent chance of visiting Western Osprey here too, and seabirds can include Sandwich and Caspian Terns, and the once extremely rare Audouin's Gull.
Migratory movement is completely dependent on wind strength and direction. Depending on whether birds are crossing or gathering inland waiting for their moment, this afternoon will be spent at one of several local raptor watchpoints, making the absolute most of whatever the conditions bring us.
Today, alongside more raptor-watching at sites with stunning views across the Straits to North Africa, we will make a visit to nearby Barbate salt pans. This area offers a fantastic selection of waders which change every day, as well as some real stars like Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo and Western Osprey.
Also close by is the town of Vejer de la Frontera, where a successful reintroduction programme of the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis took place in 2008. From thirty pairs, the birds now number around 78 pairs, and we should be able to see these engaging and quirky birds at their nesting colony or grazing on surrounding farmland.
Today we will visit the farmland and wetlands of La Janda. The huge area of low intensity farmland was once a vast wetland on a par with Doñana in terms of its ecological importance. It has long since been drained for agriculture, but amongst the rice fields and managed pools and ditches, some real wetland gems remain, hinting at its former natural glory. Amongst many hundreds of White Stork and Glossy Ibis, here we should see many waders, wildfowl and raptors, such as Purple Swamphen, Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Kite as well as a chance of Spanish Imperial Eagle and Bonelli's Eagle whilst the farmland areas should yield Spanish Sparrow, Calandra Lark and perhaps Red-necked Nightjar.
Red-necked Nightjar © Inglorious Bustards
Our last full day in Spain taking time to explore our rich local surroundings in the Los Alcornacales natural park. This is the biggest cork oak forest in Europe and especially unique in the way that it gathers moisture coming in off the ocean to create a warm Mediterranean cloud forest. As well as some adorable local avian specialities in the form of Western Bonelli's Warbler, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Hawfinch and Short-toed Treecreeper, almost anything can turn up here during autumn migration, as passerines collect amongst the trees to gather strength for their southwards crossing of the Straits.
There are also a host of interesting rare plants to see here, such as the quasi-endemic carnivorous plant Drosophyllum lusitanicum, which occurs only here and in some areas of Portugal.
We will also have a look at the high rocky cliffs of Sierra de la Plata here, amongst the eerie screeching of the resident Griffon Vulture colony, mountain specialities such as Blue Rock Thrush, Crag Martin, and Rock Bunting are all likely to be encountered.
We should again find ourselves in the midst of the Autumn raptor migration, and will take our final chance to sit back and relax with a picnic and a glass of wine at a raptor watchpoint as the spectacular birds drift overhead.
Booted Eagle © Inglorious Bustards
Today sadly our trip comes to an end, and it is time to make our own migratory journey back to the UK.
Email us for further details, to check availability, booking and for details on how to pay through our secure online shop (all major credit / debit cards accepted).


text:
Troy drops Rattlers, team prepares for tournament
April 14, 2010 12:00 am by Cameron Daniels
The Florida A&M men's tennis team was swept on its home court 7-0 by the Troy University Trojans on Saturday. But there is little time for players to dwell on an embarrassing loss.
The team is preparing to head north to Raleigh, N.C., to seek its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in 10 years. The Rattlers enter the contest as the No. 1 seed in the southern division of the MEAC.
Senior Forrest Jenkins said the loss to Troy put the Rattlers on alert. He said the team may have become complacent after sweeping the MEAC (3-0) in conference play, but now they are looking to improve.
"I'm disappointed at the result, but it's definitely a wake up call before going into our conference championship," Jenkins said. "It's forcing everyone on the team to tighten up and not take our undefeated MEAC record for granted. We can still do better."
Jenkins lost his singles match in straight sets (6-1, 6-1). Paired with junior Maurice Wamukowa in doubles, they lost 8-2.
Freshman Temuera Asafu-Adjaye said the Rattlers could have made it a closer contest if they had won the points they were accustomed to winning during conference play.
"I thought Troy was pretty solid as a team, but it wasn't as if they were out of our reach," Asafu-Adjaye said. "We needed a few pivotal games here and there and we would have been in it."
Asafu-Adjaye lost his singles match in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) and won his doubles match with freshman Takura Happy 8-6. Their doubles victory was the only match (of six singles and three doubles) that the Rattlers won against the Trojans.
Asafu-Adjaye said the Rattlers typically count on getting the doubles point in matches but failed to do so against Trojans. The top-seeded doubles team, senior David Jackson and junior Michael Moore, is usually reliable but was not enough for the Trojans' top doubles team, Asafu-Adjaye said.
"Their top doubles team was very strong, and that's a match that we usually rely on to get the doubles point," he said.
Florida A&M will face Delaware State in the opening round of the MEAC championship tournament on Friday and will play until the team is eliminated.
The MEAC championship will be held in Raleigh's Millbrook Tennis Center from Friday through Sunday.
Asafu-Adjaye and his teammates are looking forward to capturing some hardware.
"The boys really want this, as the championship title has kind of eluded the team in recent years," Asafu-Adjaye said. "I'm really excited about playing my first MEAC championship and I feel motivated to bring it back for some of the older players, because we have a great chance to do it this year."


text:
"VISIONS OF WARRIORS" SELECTED FOR AN HONORABLE MENTION AT THE SAMHSA 2017 VOICE AWARDS
August 17, 2017 in honors
Thank you so much to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for selecting our feature documentary, "Visions of Warriors," for an Honorable Mention at the SAMHSA 2017 Voice Awards. We're deeply honored by this wonderful recognition. The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday, 8/16/17 at UCLA's historic Royce Hall in Los Angeles, CA. Chef Robert Irvine ("Chopped," "Dinner: Impossible," "Restaurant: Impossible") was the host. We were moved by the compassionate work of SAMHSA, their program partners, and all the honorees. Hopefully, with this honor, we can raise awareness about the rise of veteran mental illness and the power of innovative photography therapy to treat it. We congratulate all the winners and nominees of the SAMHSA 2017 Voice Awards for their outstanding work in educating the public about behavioral health.
https://www.samhsa.gov/voice-awards/award-winners#HonorableMention
"VISIONS OF WARRIORS" HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR A SAMHSA 2017 VOICE AWARD
June 19, 2017 in awards, honors
We're excited to announce that "Visions of Warriors" has been nominated for a 2017 Voice Award by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). We're deeply honored by this unexpected nomination. We share this honor with all the veterans and mental health providers who generously participated in our feature documentary. Hopefully, through this nomination, we can raise awareness about the rise of veteran mental illness and the power of innovative photography therapy to treat it. According to SAMHSA's website: "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities." In addition, "The Voice Awards program honors consumer/peer/family leaders and television and film professionals who educate the public about behavioral health." According to the nomination announcement, "In 2017, the Voice Awards is spotlighting individuals and entertainment productions that provide hope and support to past and present service members who have faced mental health and addiction challenges." The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 8/16/17 at 6:00 p.m. at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, CA.
https://www.samhsa.gov/voice-awards


text:
Tuberculosis Notifications and Mortality in Greece During the Period of 2003 to 2012
George Michas Royal Brompton Hospital London UK.
Andreas Asimakos 1st Department of Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Services, Medical School of Athens University
Tuberculosis, notification, mortality, Greece, financial crisis
According to the latest World Health Organization report the rate of new tuberculosis (TB) cases has been falling worldwide for over a decade.1 However, TB continues to be a major global public health problem (in 2013, an estimated 9.0 million people developed TB and 1.5 million died from the disease) and surveillance is an essential part of any TB control plan.1 There is evidence that financial crisis can influence tuberculosis incidence and mortality.2
Greece is considered a low incidence country for TB. However, since the final quarter of 2008, Greece has entered the most serious financial downturn in the country's modern history and this has posed major threats to the health of the population.3 Rates of several communicable diseases have also increased.4 Specifically, an HIV outbreak among intravenous drug users occurred in 2011 and worsened in 2012, increasing the total number of HIV infections reported in Greece from 530 in 2010 to 826 in 2011 and 1,001 in 2012.5 Furthermore, many previously rare or absent infections have also now been reported, including malaria in 2011 and 2012 (previously absent since 1974),West Nile virus in 2010-2012 (never previously reported) and rabies in 2012 (previously absent since 1987).4 In view of this financial crisis we sought to evaluate the potential impact of the financial crisis on the notification rate and the mortality due to TB among the whole Greek population... (excerpt)
George Michas, Royal Brompton Hospital London UK.
Junior Clinical Fellow in Adult Intensive Care Unit.
Royal Brompton Hospital London UK.
Andreas Asimakos, 1st Department of Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Services, Medical School of Athens University
1st Department of Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Services, Medical School of Athens University


text:
Iran remembers Rajaei and Bahonar
TEHRAN - This time some 36 years ago, the lives of President Mohammad Ali Rajaei and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar were cut short in an explosion set by Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, also known as MKO.
The bomb went off at the office of Islamic Republican Party in Tehran where a meeting was held. It also claimed lives of other officials.
Survivors said the bomb was set off when one of the victims opened a briefcase which was carried inside by Massoud Keshmiri, a security official at the Islamic Republican Party, to the meeting. The blast killed Rajaei, Bahonar and three other members of the Islamic Republican Party.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Massoud Kashmiri, who had brought the briefcase into the conference room, was an operative of the MKO disguised as a state security official.
39 days earlier, Rajaei had gained the votes of the majority of Iranians in an early election and had become the second president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after Abol-Hasan Bani-Sadr, who had fled to Europe after being removed from his post by the parliament. Rajaei served as the prime minister under Bani-Sadr.
"Rajaei's simple life-style, his popular policies, and his authority and effectiveness provoked the envy of the West-oriented President (Bani-Sadr) to the point where the latter would openly malign his prime minister on numerous occasions in an effort to drive him away from the government," according to Kevin Barrett, a Arabist-Islamologist.
Rajaei and Bahonar, who knew each other for 20 years and were very active in the anti-Shah campaign, stood shoulder to shoulder after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The assassination took place when the government of Rajaei was only in office for 29 days and ever since the Government Week is observed in memory of those men beginning on August 23.
Iran urges France to hand over fugitive ex-president
Leader: People's Confidence in Judiciary Indicates Successful Justice System
Majlis Speaker Pays Homage to Tir 7 Martyrs
Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization
Mohammad Javad Bahonar
Mohammad Ali Rajaei
Iranian MPs support seizure of British tanker