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Hope you love getting attacked by polar bears, because global warming is destroying their homes
By Susmita Baral
Climate change is doing more than just heating up the planet. It's also making polar bears, a species that has been referred to as climate refugees, a lot more aggressive and, in turn, leading to a rise in attacks from the carnivorous animal. New Scientist reported that polar bears have an increased likelihood of being aggressive and clashing with humans in areas where the two cohabit.
"You've got this perfect storm set up where you've got bears that are spending increasing amounts of time on land becoming nutritionally stressed, moving into areas of human settlements," Todd Atwood, a wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, told New Scientist.
Atwood and a team explored this link in a new study by diving into almost 150 years of records of bear attacks in five coastal areas: Canada, Greenland, Russia, the U.S. and Norway. The team gathered the data from an array of sources like government agencies, biologists' field notes, news reports and logs from ships. (The authors noted that there are likely some attacks that have not been reported and they may not have access to every logged attack.)
Their findings show a clear trend. From 1870 to 2014, there were 73 cases of polar bears attacking an individual or a group of people. Cumulatively, the 73 cases left 63 injured and 20 dead. In most cases, a male bear was involved and the attack was predatory — wounds to the head or neck and consumption of human flesh.
Susmita Baral
The team then scored each attack, based on available details, on the bear's body condition. The scale was one (skinny) to five (obese) and based on the body condition index developed for polar bears. Turns out 61% of the bears were "below average" which occurs when these bears don't find enough food. Likely because of diminishing sea ice, which is their "habitual seal hunting ground."
There's also a difference in the timeline. On average, there have been eight to nine polar bear attacks per decade. But from 2010 to 2014 — half a decade — there were 15. According to Atwood, this spike leads one to theorize that "around 2000 we might have hit a shift in the kind of conditions in the Arctic."
Climate change is altering the landscape of the environment and one outcome of high global greenhouse gas emissions is melting sea ice. Experts have found arctic sea ice extent and thickness to have dwindled over the past 40 years. Some have even projected that the Arctic Ocean may be ice free in the summer by as early as 2020.
A mother Polar Bear and her cubs walk on the tundra on the edge of the Hudson Bay outside Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Paul J. Richards/Getty Images
For polar bears, sea ice gives them contact with their meals — ice seals — and a terrestrial habitat roadblocks their access to prey. And shorter winter and longer summers means the polar bears have a smaller hunting season, requiring them to survive off their stored body fat. The increased fasting and nutritional stress has been linked to "infanticide, cannibalism and starvation in some polar bear subpopulations," according to the study.
The link between polar bear and climate change was brought to mainstream attention in Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth. In 2008, the government listed polar bears, the largest of all bear species, as a threatened specimen under the Endangered Species Act. According to an International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List assessment in 2015, a more than 30% decline in polar bear population has been forecasted by 2050.
"Historical conditions are increasingly rare as the availability of sea ice is dramatically and rapidly changing throughout the polar bear range," the authors of the study wrote. "These changes will likely influence how polar bears interact with people. For example, the greatest number of polar bear attacks occurred in the partial decade of 2010–2014, which was characterized by historically low summer sea ice extent and long ice-free periods ... that have been linked to increased land use in a number of subpopulations."


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Tilemann Schnabel preaching in the Walpurgis church, wood engraving
Alsfeld protests!Introduction of the Reformation in Alsfeld
In October 1526, at the synod he convened in Homberg an der Efze, Landgrave Philip initiated the introduction of the Reformation in Hesse in consensus with the estates and the representatives of the clergy. The conversion to the Lutheran faith and the resulting dissolution of the monasteries provided the landgrave with considerable financial resources, which he used to found the first Protestant university in Marburg and to establish new hospitals, schools and charitable foundations.
The landgrave himself had converted to the Lutheran faith in 1524, only a year after he had summoned Tileman Schnabel, Alsfeld's pastor who had received his doctorate from Luther, to Romrod Castle in the summer of 1523 and reprimanded him so sharply that Schnabel fled Alsfeld in fear that very evening. The reason for this was that Schnabel's Alsfeld sermons, in the spirit of his friend and doctoral advisor Luther, had drawn the vast majority of churchgoers away from the Walpurgis Church toward the Augustinian Monastery.
This fact was the basis for Luther's later famous statement (quoted from: Merian/Zeiller: "Topographia Hassiae") that Alsfeld had been "the first Statt/ so the religion adopted after the Reformation". MNic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Category Archives: YA Writing
October 6, 2018 Teen Writing, YA Writing, YALitlucindastein
Bad Apple by Laura Ruby
247pages/paperback
The struggles of being a teen and the dark side of online slander make this a socially current topic. Tola Riley likes to draw. But sketching her teachers and leaving the drawings on their desk tends to land her in the principal's office. Her unflattering portraits of the staff might have something to do with that.
Tola's funny-looking art teacher wears t-shirts with crazy sayings. Skinny, floppy-haired Mr. Mymer is not your average instructor, making him her favorite teacher. He encourages her artwork and best of all, lets her escape the lunch room to come to the art room. But when rumors circulate that something inappropriate has transpired between the two, Tola is under a glaring spotlight and Mr. Mymer is suspended.
She tries to tell her mother and the principal that nothing happened, but no one believes her. Worse, an anonymous website spews horrible things about Tola. Students ridicule her at school, and even worse, Tola's mother brings harsh accusations against Mymer at a school board meeting.
Tola Riley makes for a most interesting protagonist. The reader can't help but like her. The presumption of guilt (rather than a presumption of innocence) amps up the conflict. The vicious assault from both adults and teens toward Tola and her teacher reflect the problem of rushing to judgment too quickly. Without giving away any spoilers, the truth ultimately comes out, and it's nothing the reader will expect.
I highly recommend this novel.
YA Scavenger Hunt
April 3, 2018 YA Writing, YALitlucindastein
Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! My name is Lucinda Stein and I'm your hostess for this leg of the tour.
On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 120 hours!
Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PINK TEAM–but there is also a red team, a gold team, a green team, a purple team, and a pink team for a chance to win a whole different set of books!
If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.
Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the PINK team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).
SCAVENGER HUNT POST
Today, I am hosting Jennifer M. Eaton on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt! In her book, Fire in the Woods, her main character, Jess is:
USA Today Best Selling Author currently hovering near the human city of Philadelphia. Eater of chocolate, chaser of aliens, writer of words.
Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author's book here!
www.jennifereaton.com
Buy Link: Fire in the Woods
I'm Jennifer M. Eaton the author of the Fire in the Woods series. Today I'd like to take a moment to send you into the mind of a girl willing to risk her life to save a boy from another planet. I originally wrote this as part of Jess's character study. It has changed very little since I first wrote down these words, and they ended up being nearly the exact copy used for the Fire in the Woods Book trailer (Below if you want to take a look). Enjoy!
Only one more school year
Until I could live my dream
Not his
Everything was in place.
Plans were made
Until I found a boy in the woods
Now I am running for my life
With a boy I barely know
With the entire U.S. Army…
and Dad chasing us
This is so not how I expected to spend the last week of summer vacation.
But if I don't save him,
who will?
Seventeen-year-old Jess's dream is to graduate High School and get away from her dull military-brat existence. But racing for her life across New Jersey with a boy she hardly knows is not quite what she had in mind.
David is alone, injured, and lost in the woods. When a young girl stumbles across him, he places his trust, and his life, in her hands. Will she lead him to safety, or right into the hands of the men he is hiding from?
Young adult contemporary science fiction (Because you can't get enough contemporary or science in your fiction)
Available wherever books are sold
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | iBooks | IndiBound | Google Play
Jennifer M. Eaton hails from the eastern shore of the North American Continent on planet Earth. Yes, regrettably, she is human, but please don't hold that against her.
While not traipsing through the galaxy looking for specimens for her space moth collection, she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband and three energetic offspring. (And a poodle who runs the spaceport when she's not around.)
During infrequent excursions to her home planet of Earth, Jennifer enjoys long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but great adventures are always a short shuttle ride away.
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Lucinda Stein, Jennifer M. Eaton, and many more!
To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 3. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the PINK team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!
To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author!
Kristy Centeno
TWEET #YASH
Thanks for entering the contest & good luck!
Lucinda Stein, author
A Shine That Defies the Dark
March 23, 2018 historical fiction, YA Writinglucindastein
A Shine That Defies the Dark by Jodi L. Gallegos
"I didn't go lookin' for Remy Granger that night," begins a tale that promises danger and romance. Set in the Louisiana bayou during the Depression, A Shine That Defies the Dark reveals the struggles of Ophelia Breaux and her widowed mother during this hard economic time.
Ophelia meets up with Remy Granger at a party one night. She finds herself attracted to him despite his family's reputation for trouble. Ophelia warns herself to stay clear of Remy. But when she sees her mother compromising herself with Judge Trudeau just to pay the rent, Ophelia decides to join the notorious Granger gang. It's the only way she can make enough money to free her mother from the judge's control.
Ophelia becomes entangled in the Granger's bootlegging. The illegal business of moonshine brings big money. It also draws revenuers and prohibition agents, along with prison sentences—if the bootlegger survives a rain of bullets. Rival bootleggers also pose a deadly threat.
Along the journey, she discovers Remy is more intoxicating than the "shine" they're running and falls madly in love. But will either of them live to fully experience that romance? Gallegos infuses the story with rich description of the Louisiana bayou, uncovers the secret world of the bootlegger, and pulls the reader into an exciting journey through history. This page-turning novel will keep you in suspense!
How long have you been writing? I've been writing, in some form or another, for as long as I can remember. I've always expressed myself best through the written word (anyone who has had an actual conversation with me can attest to that, lol!). I decided in 2001 that I'd like to pursue publication. From that point I focused on learning about the business of writing as well as the craft so that I'd have a better understanding of every aspect of what it means to become a writer.
What are your favorite genres to read? I read almost anything. My choices are based on how effectively the book description grabs my attention. That said, I do have a fondness for Young Adult (YA) and for psychological thrillers.
What advice do you have for beginning writers? 1) Take every opportunity to learn more about the business as well as your craft. 2) Start to establish your platform/online presence now. 3) Engage other writers/aspiring writers and build your "tribe". It's so important to have a group that can support and assist each other. 4) No matter how defeated you may feel, don't give up. You're a writer because you write, not because you're published.
Links for Jodi's Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook
Website: http://jodigallegos.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodiLGallegos/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodiGallegos_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodi_gallegos/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thatjodig/
April 18, 2017 fantasy, Science Fiction, Teen Reads, YA book clubs, YA Writing, YALitlucindastein
Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
The beautiful cover (I have a real case of cover love!) drew me to this book.
Sixteen-year-old Aza suffers from a mysterious disease that doctors have been unable to diagnose. She's thin, has trouble breathing, and knows her way inside and out of a hospital room. She says, "I think I wasn't meant to be human." Her only friend is Jason, a boy with OCD. They've known each other since they were five.
I quickly fell in love with quirky, obsessive Jason because he is a true and faithful friend to Aza. He will do anything for her.
Aza glimpses things in the sky, like trading ships and people descending on ropes. Only Jason believes what she sees is real. Aza sometimes hears disembodied voices calling her name that no one else hears.
When Aza is rushed by ambulance because of another medical emergency, Jason rides with her. She dies before they arrive at the hospital. At the cemetery he hears her voice from the sky. Thus begins his obsessive search into legends of people who navigate the skies in ships. Jason is a computer geek and manages to get into databases illegally. That's how he tracks a storm that he connects to Aza's travels in the skies above. You see, he believes she's still alive.
Aza awakens in another world with a different body. This body is strong and healthy but her skin is blue. She learns that she was originally from the world of Magonia, a people in the sky who travel by trade ships. In this world, she has power. But Aza realizes she's still in love with Jason. "Broken bonds are serious things." She must find him again.
Magonia gives a realistic glimpse into the world of a teen with a serious, life-threatening disease. But it also sends the reader into a fantastical world of hybrid bird creatures and true adventure!
Magonia is a wonderful mix of fantasy, scifi, and dystopian. Read and enjoy!
Here's a pic of Magonia I created. Follow me on Instagram at: lucindastein
Play List for Jadeite's Journey
March 4, 2017 Science Fiction, Teen Reads, YA book clubs, YA Writing, YALitlucindastein
Check out my playlist for Jadeite's Journey!
"Happy" by Pharrell Williams- How Jadeite feels when she first meets Mattie, a hot boy from school…
"She Sets the City on Fire" by Gavin DeGraw –When Mattie's character begins to look questionable, and the perfect world of United Society slowly reveals its deadly flaws…
"Lyin' Eyes" by the Eagles-Mattie turns into a bully.
"Beat it" by Michael Jackson-When Jadeite breaks up with Mattie…
"Hotel California" by the Eagles-Mattie's father is a powerful government official. Mattie uses his father's influence against Jadeite's friends and family to force her to stay with him. She observes a frightening transformation and discovers deadly secrets hover in the halls of his family's home.
"Stand by You" by Rachel Platen-Jadeite risks her life to save her younger brother.
"Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson-Danger deepens as Jadeite journeys over the Dark Ridge, and she must call upon her inner strength.
"Invincible" by Kelly Clarkson-After Jadeite's father is arrested, she takes his place as an illegal Ridge Runner and risks her life to save her family.
Find Jadeite's Journey on:
Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
November 12, 2016 fantasy, NALit, YA book clubs, YA Writing, YALitBookclubs, fantasy, Goodreads, YALitlucindastein
Nineteen-year-old Feyre resides in a village with two sisters and a crippled father at the edge of a magical land called Prythian—a land of faeries. Living in poverty after her father lost his fortune, Feyre hunts for their food, keeping the family from starving. While out hunting one day, she kills a wolf.
Later a fearsome creature breaks into their cottage, seeking revenge for the death of one of its own kind. The wolf Feyre killed turns out to be a shapeshifter who was actually a faerie. The creature called Tamlin drags Feyre away and across the border to Prythian. At his estate, Tamlin allows her free access of his mansion and estate grounds. Instead of killing her, she's allowed to live according to the regulations of an ancient treaty. However, she can never return to her family. Ever.
Feyre panics over her family's survival, but Tamlin assures her he has taken care of her family. Over time, she realizes Tamlin truly means her no harm and slowly finds herself attracted to the lethal, immortal High Fae.
She learns that a blight across Prythian endangers the High Fae and has lessened his magical powers. Tamlin's estate and even his life is in danger. To protect Feyre's life, he sends her home. But Feyre's love for Tamlin leads her back to incredible danger and deeper into the secrets of Prythian.
In an intriguing version of Beauty and the Beast, Sarah Maas leads the reader through a story of magic, war, and fated love. Well written, the book contains plenty of conflict and mystery. Due to scenes of sexual and violent nature, I recommend this book for New Adult or older YA readers.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, ©2015, Bloomsbury
Under a Painted Sky
October 2, 2016 Teen Reads, YA book clubs, YA Writing, YALitYALitlucindastein
Fifteen-year-old Samantha kills someone. She wonders if killing the man who tried to rape her counts as murder. All she knows is: it was him against her. Samantha finds herself alone after her father's dry-goods business is destroyed and her father dies in the suspicious fire, leaving Samantha alone on the streets of St. Joseph, Missouri.
"Still the black snow fell,
bits of my life flaking down on me."
Now the law is looking for Samantha, a young Chinese girl, who murdered the unscrupulous businessman. She escapes with another girl, Annamae, a slave to the same man. The two girls dress as boys, hide in the back of a covered wagon, and head for the Oregon Trail, hoping they can escape the reward put up for finding the two escapees. The girls refer to themselves as Sammy and Andy and must learn how to talk, walk, and act like boys.
They join up with an unlikely group of young cowboys. Sammy likes the boy called West, but of course, she must maintain the secret of being a girl, not an easy thing to do when she's falling in love with the handsome cowboy.
"And West, with light from the campfire dancing around his face,
who will never know how much I love him."
Sammy's dream of becoming a musician is at risk. Her adventure heading West in 1849 is filled with hazards—outlaws who break people's hands, that is, if they don't kill them first, snakes, horrible diseases, and people who are quick to hang an escaped black slave or a Chinese girl accused of murder. Under a Painted Sky reveals how dangerous the frontier was during this period while at the same, portrays the awesome courage of people who struggled for a better life against all odds.
Under a Painted Sky is not your old-fashioned historical YA novel. Author, Stacey Lee, writes with turn-the-page action, genuine teen emotion, and beautiful writing at the same time. I highly recommend this book!
September 8, 2016 fantasy, Teen Reads, YA book clubs, YA Writing, YALitBookclubs, fantasy, YALitlucindastein
The chatter on Twitter had me curious about the fantasy book, Six of Crows. It's an ambitious book at 462 pages and packed with adventure, violence, and intrigue. A motley group of six outcasts attempts an impossible heist to abduct a prisoner from the impenetrable Ice Court. By the second chapter, a confrontation between two gangs erupts, and the high action of this story is on!
If you find the sheer number of characters confusing, hang in there and the story will soon come together.
Kaz is the leader of this group of young criminals and outcasts. Some say he's a devil, others call him Dirty Hands. As an orphan, he came from the streets and worked his way up to be a gang leader. He also runs the Crow Club. He's known for being cold and ruthless.
Inej is call the Wraith for her exceptional power to move undetected. She works as a spy for Kaz.
Nina is a beautiful Grisha Heartrender, who has the supernatural power to burst the heart in your chest, steal your breath, and rupture your cells. She escaped a slave ship and now works for Kaz.
Matthias is a drüskelle, a member of the military who abduct and kill Nina's kind. He calls Nina a witch.
Jesper is a lanky teen who loves his pearl-handled revolvers. He has a compulsion for gambling to the point that he's in hock up to his neck.
Wylan is the son of a powerful mercher. He had all the privileges of the wealthy but chose to run away from home.
Kaz's crew attempts the heist of the century, knowing full well the odds are against them. If they succeed, they will all be very rich. Violence is a way of life in the Barrel where poverty nips the heels of those trying to survive and make money at any cost. To add to the intrigue, Kaz who is known for being coldhearted, has feelings for Inej but refuses to act on them. Sparks fly between Nina and Matthias, who are mortal enemies.
It isn't just for the money that Kaz accepts the challenge of the Ice Court heist. A thirst for revenge for wrongs done in his past motivates him to risk all their lives. Some say he has claws, but the real reason Kaz always wears gloves is even stranger! The ending of this story opens the door for the upcoming sequel. I can definitely see this becoming a movie. Read Six of Crows for yourself and see what all the talk is about!
When Dreams Are Put on Hold
August 14, 2016 Teen Reads, YA book clubs, YA Writing, YALitBookclubs, Goodreads, TeenReads, YALitlucindastein
This new-adult novel deals with the challenging choices a young adult struggles with after high school. FYI: This book contains strong language and sexual scenes. Skylar Evans can't wait to leave her hometown after graduation. The small town of Creek View has little to offer other than a run-down trailer park and one eccentric motel, the Paradise, where she works. Skylar has a pact with her male friend, Chris, that they will both leave Creek View and attend college. Her best friend, Dylan, has gone the route of many girls in Creek View, becoming pregnant in high school. Dylan is now raising her son, Sean.
Skylar's father died in a car accident, and her mother is not coping well—she loses her job at Taco Bell and drinks all the time. Skylar starts to reconsider her decision to attend college, a dream she's held for years. Someone has to take care of her mother.
Skylar's life becomes even more complicated when she attends a party for Josh Mitchell, a Marine home from Afghanistan. Josh's life is changed forever after he loses one leg in the war. She starts to fall for Josh, but wonders if it's pity or real attraction drawing her to him.
The summer after graduation proves full of complications for Skylar. Her longing to study art is threatened by her mother's downward spiral, and Skylar's growing feelings for Josh. The night she finally admits she's in love with Josh, he cheats on her. She's devastated—her first love and he has betrayed her. Skylar's life has become totally unraveled.
I'll Meet You There tackles tough problems that can occur in a young adult's life. The author realistically paints the pain of difficult issues while maintaining a broad stroke of hope. A person's choices and attitude—along with a little help from friends—can overcome the worst heartbreaks and even the most dismal situations.


24 villages have been cut off for about 10 days due to flooding of a nullah near Kishtapur on Gimalgatta to Dechhli-Petha villages. Gadchiroli, meanwhile continues to experience heavy showers.
On Monday, when Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were making mega announcements including that of a high-speed Nagpur-Mumbai railway corridor, several villages in Gadchiroli were cut off from the district headquarter due to several big and small rivers and nullahs flowing above the bridges following heavy rains.
One of the major flood affected roads in the district, the Alapalli-Bhamragad stretch, saw bridges on Bandiya river near Tadgaon and Parlakota river near Bhamragad getting submerged bringing traffic to a standstill and also cutting off hundreds of villages from the tehsil headquarters of Alapalli and further ahead the district headquarters of Gadchiroli.
The Parlakota new bridge proposal has been hanging fire since 2006, then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Home Minister R R Patil had visited the place and announced a new bridge. The matter has been complicated due to the stretch becoming part of a proposed national highway extending from Alapalli to Narayanpur in Chattisgarh about a year and a half ago. The transfer of responsibility from state Public Works Department to National Highway Department has put the proposed new bridges across the rivers in a state of indefinite flux.
Lahiri village, about 20 kms beyond Bhamragad, upto the state border. Naturally, the people there remain marooned practically for the most part of the season," said social activist and independent ZP member from Nelgunda-Arewada area Lalsu Nogoti.
While Bhamragad is on the eastern bank of Parlakota, the Lok Biradari Prakalp of social activists Prakash and Manda Amte is situated on the western side at Hemalkasa village. In the absence of adequate health and education facilities in the interior parts, Amtes' school and hospital are the major centres for thousands of tribals in the area. Lack of sufficiently high bridges forces the tribals to face hardships.
Similarly, 24 villages have been cut off for about 10 days due to flooding of a nullah near Kishtapur on Gimalgatta to Dechhli-Petha villages. Gadchiroli, meanwhile continues to experience heavy showers.
Interestingly, none of the proposed bridges has been opposed by Naxalites. And the government has successfully built some bridges in the highly sensitive areas with a view to penetrate the Naxal heartland.
"So, why shouldn't the need of the people be also prioritized," said another social activist.


Location based technology offers a variety of convenient services to consumers based on their location. It can also be used to track the exact location of people within a building.
Location based services (LBS) is any service or combination of services that relies on your real time location. They tell us where we have been, where we are and where we are going. Many of us access LBS through our vehicle's GPS system or through applications in smart phones.
Location based services that utilize targeted advertising to end users make up the fastest growing segment in the industry. But how can such LBS be utilized in security and access control?
"There are tons of ways that LBS is currently used in security applications and a whole lot more that we probably haven't even thought of," says Lacroix.
Asset tracking is a popular LBS available from many vendors and is used to monitor, track and potentially retrieve valuable items. Most commonly an item, such as a car or a laptop or a truck or train delivery, can be affixed with an RFID tag in order to monitor its location in real time.
But security applications involving access control become less straightforward when we move indoors, where GPS signals become less accurate or non-existent.
Tracking the locations of people and items indoors remains in its infancy, but it is evolving, says Lacroix. Many vendors are using their own version of a micro location for indoors, utilizing technology such as Bluetooth, RFID, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and Wi-Fi.
"As an industry we are still trying to roll out a solution for indoor LBS that is affordable and accurate which can enable your location inside structures," Lacroix says. Current solutions are expensive and require a combination of existing technologies to ensure an acceptable level of accuracy indoors, which is generally three meters or less.
The latest trend in the deployment of indoor LBS is to utilize Near Field Communications (NFC), the short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of information between electronic devices. NFC is emerging as more cost effective and has proven technology and security components.
Wi-Fi could also provide a secure, accurate indoor access control solution, says Lacroix. But other combinations exist.
The technology could also be used to keep track of who is at which door in a secure structure.
But while technology to utilize indoor LBS for access control does exist, the fragmentation of the indoor market makes broad adoption slow going.
But, says Lacroix, with technology constantly advancing, a wider use of LBS in access control should not be too far off. And it will likely be the end users who dictate which method the industry adopts broadly.


Originally in paper format, the Glucocompteur was developed in collaboration with diabetic patients and carers to support decision-making at mealtimes. Its success motivated its development in mobile version, with the support of Sanofi and the Novedia agency (now VISEO Digital) in January 2014. The needs of patients and healthcare professionals were carefully analysed over three years to develop a highly innovative V2 of the application, again with VISEO teams.
"It should be noted that this application is really popular with patients and healthcare professionals," explains Frédéric Mouminoux, VISEO Market Manager.
Designed by Jacqueline Delaunay, dietician in the diabetology department of Professor Hélène Hanaire of the Toulouse University Hospital, in partnership with Sanofi, the mobile application (iOS and Android) Mon Glucocompteur makes it easy to calculate and manage carbohydrate consumption.
Based on the insulin/carbohydrate ratio previously assessed by the diabetologist, Mon Glucocompteur estimates the rapid insulin dose corresponding to the meal as well as the number of carbohydrates contained in the food on the plates. The design of recipes and the choice of dishes are then made easier and allow patients to enjoy themselves while controlling their blood sugar levels. Simple and fun, the application supports patients on a daily basis in order to better manage diabetes.
The V2 of Mon Glucocompteur, available from February 2017, can also be used to estimate fat intake, calories, salt and glycemic index. This new, more complete version is intended to be scalable and customizable, to meet the requests and expectations expressed by users of the first version.
The profile is enriched with new sections "My objectives", "My corrections" and "My sugar intake", which can be personalized, with the help of a doctor or a diabetologist.
To better support the parents of children with diabetes, the teams also added infant food. Similarly, "Taste Ratio" now allows the estimation of the rapid insulin dose for the four-hour period.
In V2, visual equivalents are now also available in quantities adapted to adolescents for a better estimation of consumption. The diversification of food choices (+700 listed) and the addition of additional visual equivalents provide better cues and facilitate meal entry.
Finally, the new section, "World Foods", meets the expectations of users from all cultures, world food lovers and travellers who love globe cooking. Finally, it is now possible to customize the application by adding your own recipes, ingredients and favourite foods to make everyday life easier.
Marine Huynh, VISEO Digital project manager, explains: "The V2 makes these calculations easier (carbohydrate and insulin), with an expanded food library (and visual elements that can be added directly to its menu), new categories for better research and more precise choice. By creating your own recipe, it is easy to calculate the number of carbohydrates per unit (incremental in the database) and achieve your goal (to be filled with the doctor)."
"VISEO Digital has perfectly met our requirements, both in terms of design and ergonomics, but also in terms of budget," explains Dominique Mang, Patient Relations Project Manager at the Sanofi Diabetes BU. Their teams have done everything possible to ensure that the workshops go as smoothly as possible and the proximity of their branch in Toulouse has saved us time to exchange with the CHU."
"For this V2 with its refreshed design, we were able to work directly with the dietician, which allowed us to familiarize ourselves with medical jargon," explains Marine Huynh. On the technical side, we redesigned the hybrid application to be as close as possible to a user experience of a native application, and we also updated the library for faster access."


Dine at Gordon Ramsay restaurants and drink Chateau Latour for pennies!
It sounds too good to be true but Unique Wine Auctions is giving its members a chance do just that as it auctions off £100 of Gordon Ramsay restaurant vouchers and a bottle of 1994 Chateau Latour to the lowest unique bidder over the next 2 weeks.
In other recent auctions, bottles of Chateau Lafite 1985 and Chateau Petrus 1997 have sold 54p and 5p respectively, whilst a 3 bottle case of DRC Echezeaux 2004 was sold for just 26p. Last week saw the auction of bottles of Opus One 2005 and Ch. Duhart Milon 2005 bring in winning bids of 6p and 9p. So far many thousands of pounds worth of wine has been sold for a collective total of less than £15.00.
The auction process differs from conventional auctions in that the auction is blind and bidders pay per bid that they make, with the lowest unduplicated bid being declared the winner at the end of the auction, the winner walking away with an unbelievable bargain.
Though the reverse auction site has been holding regular auctions for bottles of fine wine each week since its inception in February of this year, this is the first time the website has branched out to offer something different. Andrew Cullimore, Unique Wine Auctions director commented 'We want to offer more than just wine to our members and restaurant vouchers seemed like a logical next step, depending on its success we hope we will be able to offer more varied auctions in the future such as for exclusive tastings and wine dinners. We obviously will continue to offer the items that have made us popular with our members, such as first growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy on a regular basis'.
The auction for the £100 Gordon Ramsay restaurants voucher will run until 10.20pm, Friday 21st October and the auction for the bottle of Chateau Latour 1994 will run until 9pm, Thursday 28th October.
Click here to visit Unique Wine Auctions.


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A three-day conference is underway at the University of San Diego and its partner schools around the county.
It's the 7th Annual Conference on Civility & Civic Dialogue. Moderators and local journalists are discussing the serious threat fake news and deliberate disinformation poses on the country's democracy.
"Journalism is called the fourth estate of American democracy, without a free press and a believed and trusted press our democracy simply is not going to survive," said conference moderator and political science professor, Dr. Carl Luna.
Public trust of the media has hit historic lows in recent years and panelists discussed ways organizations can earn back the public's trust.
The San Diego Public Library system offers the public media literacy courses , offering tools to recognize the difference between real news and "fake" news.
The Society of Professional Journalists also offers online tools for public use.


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A COMPANY BUILT FOR ESTATE AGENTS – BY ESTATE AGENTS
In 2014, Keller Williams UK was borne out of a desire to introduce a strong customer-service oriented model built around the individuals who actually do the work with the clients. "We have a three-point mission statement: to build careers worth having, businesses worth owning, and lives worth living." Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. is an international real estate franchise company with over 110,000 real estate agents, operating in more than 700 market centres (offices) across the globe. Keller Williams Realty is currently the largest residential estate agency in North America.
Founded in 1983 by Gary Keller and Joe Williams with the mission to build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living® for its associates, Keller Williams Realty has been among the fastest growing real estate franchises in North America. In 1991, the company began franchising, and in 1998, opened its first international franchise in Canada. In 2011, during the most challenging real estate market in history, Keller Williams surpassed Century 21 to become the 2nd largest real estate franchise in the U.S. In 2012, the company ranked as the No. 1 real estate franchise on the 33rd Annual Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine. In 2014, Keller Williams became the world's largest real estate franchise by agent count. More so than ever before, real estate professionals are turning to Keller Williams Realty for the education, coaching, technology, culture and wealth building opportunities that are redefining their potential and powering their careers toward new heights. Recently, the company celebrated its 30th Anniversary and announced its rise to the top of the industry. Industry news outlet, REAL Trends was on hand to cover the event.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, a roar of outrage over a quiet veto. Democrats are hammering the president's rejection of a children's health insurance bill. We'll tell you how both sides are using the veto now to try to score some political points.
Also this hour, a presidential campaign stunner. Underdog Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is giving John McCain a run for his money. We have some brand-new numbers, a brand-new interview as well, with John McCain on the road in South Carolina aboard the CNN Election Express.
And Hillary Clinton reaches a major milestone. We're going to tell you what it is and why it could mean the Democrat will be unbeatable in the primaries.
But up first this hour, Democrats are blasting the fourth veto of the Bush presidency in the harshest of terms, calling it "inexplicable," "a disgrace," and "heartless". Some fellow Republicans aren't pleased, either. As expected, Mr. Bush today used his presidential power to scrap a bill to expand a popular children's health care program.
Our congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, is standing by, but let's go to the White House first.
Ed Henry is watching all of this unfold.
All right, Ed, explain what happened.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's very simple. Republicans are petrified that conservatives are going to stay home in 2008 like they did in 2006, in part on the issue of runaway federal spending, so Mr. Bush is trying to restore the mantle of fiscal responsibility for Republicans, but that political game may be wiped out by Democratic allegations that he's doing it on the backs of children.
HENRY (voice over): In the privacy of the Oval Office, away from the glare of cameras, the president vetoed a bill expanding a popular health program for kids, a move so controversial within his own party, with 45 house Republicans voting against him, the president knew he had some explaining to do at a town hall meeting in conservative Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to share with you why I vetoed the bill this morning. Poor kids first. Secondly, I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system.
HENRY: Mr. Bush charges the Democrats' $35 billion plan is so massive, middle class children will jump from private insurance to the government dole, leaving poor kids in the dust.
BUSH: The intent of the program was to focus on poor children, not adults or families earning up to 83,000 a year.
HENRY: Eager to restore Republicans' credibility on fiscal conservatism, the president calls the Democratic plan a budget-buster, claiming his $5 billion increase would suffice.
BUSH: We've got to be fiscally responsible, set priorities with your money, and keep your taxes low.
HENRY: But Democrats note the president didn't veto any spending bills when Republicans were running Congress, so he's finding religion a bit late in the game.
REP. PETER DEFAZIO (D), OREGON: After an arrange of borrowing, spending and misspending on many dubious things, his target -- 10 million low-income kids.
HENRY: Now, the president signaled in his remarks that he might be ready to compromise with Democrats a bit by saying he's willing to put a little more money on the table in negotiations, but Republican strategists privately believe it may take more than a little money, because the pressure, political pressure on Republicans on the Hill, is going to get intense, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Ed. Thanks very much.
Congressional Democrats have their own political agenda as they push back hard against the president's veto.
Let's go to our congressional correspondent, Dana Bash. She's watching all of this.
The Democrats, they're responding very forcefully, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, because children's health is a policy fight the Democrats think they're waging on their policy turf. It's one they sought, one they relished, and one Democrats are pulling out all the stops on in order to overcome the president's veto.
BASH (voice over): Within minutes of the president's veto, battle-ready Democrats unleashed a barrage of criticism.
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: This is probably the most inexplicable veto in the history of the country.
REP. EDOLPHUS TOWNS (D), NEW YORK: It is a shame and a national disgrace.
REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: The president is refusing to spend $7 billion a year on children's health, while insisting on $10 billion a month in Iraq.
BASH: But some of the most stinging swipes at the president came from fellow Republicans who support expanding the children's health program.
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: From their position, it was either my way or the highway. Well, that's not how the legislative process work.
BASH: In the House, Democrats immediately began a mass scramble for votes to override the president's veto, moving to delay taking up the veto override for two weeks to give Democrats time to pressure Republicans for votes.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Many of them are very, very uncomfortable about having to make this choice of sticking with the obstinance of the president on this issue and -- or voting for America's children.
BASH: To successfully override the president's veto, Democratic leaders say they need 15 Republicans who opposed expanding SCHIP to change their votes. They're already running radio ads against eight vulnerable GOP congressmen like Randy Kuhl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congressman Kuhl has a chance to make -- continue to stand with President Bush or with American children.
BASH: Congressman Kuhl calls that crass politics and thinks his constituents won't buy it.
REP. RANDY KUHL (R), NEW YORK: It's not affecting me at this point and I don't expect it will. You know, I believe in basic things, and one of them is, you know, a private health care plan where people have a choice. And that's what this bill does not do.
BASH: Now, some Republicans do privately admit it's pretty hard to compete with the Democrats' mantra that they're turning their backs on children. Congress Kuhl told us though he does not think that Democrats will get enough Republicans to override the president's veto. And Republican leaders, Wolf, they are really hitting Democrats today for delaying this override vote for two weeks. The leader, John Boehner, saying that the Democrats are playing the kind of political games that voters hate -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Dana Bash on the Hill.
The three other vetoes of George W. Bush's presidency still stand. In July of 2006, the House failed to override his rejection of a bill loosening federal restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research. Supporters of the bill fell 54 votes short of the two-thirds majority vote needed to override in the House.
That -- this past May, moreover, the House fell 67 votes short of overriding the president's veto of a war funding bill that included a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
In June, the president vetoed another stem-cell research bill, but there was no attempt in the Senate, where the bill originated, to override the veto.
I want to go right back to Dana Bash, because there's another story. Dana is over here.
Dana, there's a story up on the Hill that's unfolding right now, a little worrisome. What's going on?
BASH: Well, the story today was that there were actually four small fires in two of the Senate office buildings here on the Capitol complex. They were all in women's restrooms, Wolf. And they were small enough to be put out mostly by the Capitol police. One was generating enough smoke for the police -- or I should say for the fire department to come.
Now, the police chief told CNN that he thinks that this was designed more as a nuisance than actually hurt anybody. They didn't evacuate the building and nobody was injured. But the police chief also warned you never know what's going to happen with fires.
And because there were four fires going on pretty much within a couple of hours of each other, they do believe that they were connected, but they don't really have any leads yet as to who was behind it. But they are looking. They even put out a notice for any staffers here on Capitol Hill who might know anything about it to contact the police officers.
BLITZER: All right, Dana. Thanks very much.
Dana Bash on the Hill.
Let's check in with Jack Cafferty. He's got "The Cafferty File" for us from New York.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to the race for the White House, the Republican contest is still pretty much an unmade bed, if you will. A new "Washington Post"-ABC News poll shows Rudy Giuliani leading the pack of GOP contenders, but a majority of those who support him do so only somewhat, according to the poll.
Consider this -- when Republicans were asked which candidate best reflects the party's core values, there's no consensus at all. On the contrary, 26 percent say John McCain, who split with the party's base on immigration and campaign finance reform. Twenty-three percent say Rudy. Fred Thompson, 21 percent. Mitt Romney, 13 percent.
And that's not all. More evidence for lack of support of the Republican candidates.
Since the beginning of this year, the major Democratic candidates have raised more than $200 million for their campaigns, almost double what Republicans are expected to report raising.
And then there's the threat coming from the Republican base. This is not good, either. A group of influential Christian conservative leaders recently suggested that they might support a third-party candidate who is antiabortion, especially if Giuliani winds up as the nominee.
So here's the question: What do Republicans have to do to turn things around by the election?
E-mail caffertyfile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/caffertyfile -- Wolf.
Hillary Clinton's frontrunner status among Democrats may be more solid than ever. We'll look at a landmark moment for the presidential contender and why history appears -- appears to be on her side.
Plus, he barely registered in the polls, the national polls, but Republican Ron Paul is making some very surprising strides in the campaign money race. Wait until you hear about his third-quarter haul.
And John McCain is taking aim at President Bush, trying to get a bit of a distance from him in a brand new interview aboard the CNN Election Express.
BLITZER: Apparently they like her. They really, really like her. That would be Senator Hillary Clinton.
According to a brand-new poll, she's opened up a enormous lead over her Democratic presidential rivals, and now some are wondering if there's any -- any stopping her.
Let's go to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. He's watching this story for us.
All right, Bill, why is this poll different than all other polls?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Because in this poll, for the first time, Senator Clinton has reached a significant milestone.
SCHNEIDER (voice over): For the first time, a majority of Democrats support Hillary Clinton for the party's nomination. Senator Clinton's support in ""The Washington Post"-ABC News poll has climbed to 53 percent, 33 points ahead of her closest competitor, Senator Barack Obama. That establishes Clinton as the clear national frontrunner. Being frontrunner means being a target of criticism from our Democrats.
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I heard Senator Clinton say on Sunday that she wants to continue combat missions in Iraq. To me, that's a continuation of the war.
SCHNEIDER: It also means being the target of satire on NBC's "Saturday Night Live".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": And now a word to my seven fellow Democratic candidates for president, those I am about to defeat for our party's nomination.
SCHNEIDER: But does it mean she's likely to get the nomination? Well, yes, if you look at the record, which we did going back to 1980.
Every candidate who has gotten majority support in polls the year before the election has gone on to win the nomination. Al Gore and George Bush in 1999; Bob Dole in 1995; George H. W. Bush in 1991 and 1987; and Walter Mondale in 1983.
One partial exception. In 1979, most Democrats supported Ted Kennedy for the 1980 nomination until the Iran hostage crisis that November. Then most Democrats switched to Jimmy Carter, who went on to get the Democratic nomination.
What's behind the Clinton surge? Fifty-seven percent of Democrats think she's the candidate with the best chance to win the White House. That number went up 14 points in September. She also leads as the candidate who best reflects the Democratic Party's values.
SCHNEIDER: In the Republican race, Rudy Giuliani's the frontrunner with 34 percent. Republicans picked Giuliani as the most electable contender, but only 23 percent say he best reflects Republican values. They're really not sure who does.
Now, Giuliani looks like a winner to most Republicans, but many Republicans are not sure he's one of them. That is not a problem most Democrats have with Hillary Clinton --- Wolf.
Let's talk a little bit more about the widening leads for Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani in this new poll. Joining us, our senior political analyst, Gloria Borger.
What do you make of this, Gloria, when you look at these numbers? First of all, on Hillary Clinton's part?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, take a look at these numbers, Wolf, because 50 percent of Democrats say that she shares that values, and only 23 percent believe that Rudy Giuliani does. That's a big problem for him.
What this means is that Hillary Clinton is really consolidating her base, that she has got most Democratic voters at least believing that she's electable, that she's a strong leader, that she's trustworthy. But he's got some real problems, largely in the conservative base and those evangelical voters. So he has got some work to do.
BLITZER: Because a lot of the pundits, the experts -- and tell me if you think this is true -- they say, yes, these national poll numbers are really important, but you've really got to go into Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and fine-tune those numbers, because right now the national numbers are not really all that significant.
BORGER: That's what the campaigns will tell you, too. And the Giuliani campaign will tell you if you look at how they're doing in those states, they may just be where they want to be.
But Wolf, you have to look at the overall race, because one thing that you'll watch that Rudy Giuliani is doing a lot lately, Wolf, is he is saying, I can beat Hillary Clinton. And that is something that really resonates with the Republican base. When the Republican base talks about electability, they're talking about beating Hillary.
And there was a stark new reminder of Rudy Giuliani's problems, with some voters focused on faith and values. The archbishop of St. Louis reportedly now saying he'd refuse to give communion to Giuliani.
The Associated Press quoting the archbishop, Raymond Burke, that as a Catholic, Giuliani's support of abortion rights is wrong. Burke, by the way is the same clergyman who said he'd deny communion to the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry. Burke says anyone administering communion is morally obligated to deny it to Catholic politicians who oppose church teachings by supporting abortion rights.
BLITZER: Happening now, the House debates a bill to bring all U.S. contractors in a war zone under civilian law. That could close a loophole some say has let some contractors act recklessly.
We're going to have details.
A multibillion-dollar merger with huge national security potentially at stake. We're going to tell you about a deal that could give a company with ties to the Chinese military access to Pentagon information.
And never before seen images of the last few minutes of Princess Diana's life, they show her with her love moments before they died in Paris. A jury now looking at the images must ultimately decide if they were murdered.
Some stunning political news this hour concerning Ron Paul. The Republican presidential hopeful is low in the national state polls, but now when it comes to campaign cash, he's standing very tall.
Ron Paul's campaign reports the congressman from Texas raised $5 million over the past three months. That's in the same neighborhood as what rival John McCain is expected to report and it's five times -- five times what former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee reportedly raised. It's also more than $3 million more than Paul raised over the first six months of this year. Paul can partially credit his big bucks to a strong following on the Internet.
John McCain's less than impressive fundraising is just one of the hurdles he's trying to overcome on the campaign trail. The GOP presidential candidate took time out from his stumping in South Carolina today to take a ride on the CNN Election Express. It's a symbol's of CNN's commitment to covering the 2008 presidential race by bringing the campaign to you, the people.
McCain spoke with our chief national correspondent, John King.
And John is joining us now from the Election Express.
John, give us some of the headlines, what Senator McCain had to say.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Senator McCain has been struggling. Not only in raising money, but he has struggled a bit in the polls. But he feels he has hit bottom and he's now going back up.
He says he feels more confident by the day. He knows how important South Carolina is. And as you mentioned, he took a little time off of his but today so he could climb aboard ours.
KING: Let's start with an issue in the news today. The president vetoes the SCHIP program and the Democrats say these coldhearted Republicans are trying to deny children health care. How could they possibly do this, right?
Call for the president a bad call? SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A right call by the president. It's a phony smoke-and-mirrors way of paying for it.
We've laid a debt on these same children that we're trying -- that we're saying we're going to give health insurance to. The American people have rebelled against out-of-control spending. If they can find a legitimate way to pay for it, I would consider it, but it's also now what it was supposed to be for low-income Americans is now up to 400 percent of the poverty level, just like the Medicare prescription drug program, an unfunded liability.
KING: Some of your Republican friends, some who support the president's veto, some who are critical of it, say it's a harder message though politically, because in their view -- and these are Republicans -- they say the president has not laid the predicate on the spending issue by vetoing other bills before. So that when he says, I'm a fiscal conservative, I have to do this, they say he's a Johnny come lately.
KING: You have been in the news in recent days, somewhat controversially, because of a statement you made in response to a question about whether this nation would have a Muslim president, whether you think this is a Christian nation.
You're rolling a eyes a bit at the controversy. I know you were answering a question. I want to give you a chance to sort of lay out your views on this question.
MCCAIN: My views are is that this nation was founded by our -- our founders, who were formed by Judeo-Christian values. I believe that, and I think it's evident by reading the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution.
And, yes, I believe a Muslim could be president. I believe anybody can be president in America. And I, again, believe that our country was founded and informed by Judeo-Christian values. And I believe that. And that's fundamentally all, really, I can say on it, except that that's my views and belief.
KING: Also controversial in the news right now is this whole Blackwater controversy. And you were just speaking to reporters outside, and you laid the blame for this, the root of it, at the feet of Donald Rumsfeld, saying, if we had had enough troops in Iraq to begin with, perhaps we wouldn't need these private contractors, or certainly as many as these private contractors -- is it also fair to say, then, if it's Secretary Rumsfeld's fault, that it's his boss' fault as well, that the president should have overruled his defense secretary?
MCCAIN: Sure. We should have listened to General Shinseki. We should have listened to all of those people in the military and, if I may say, a bit egotistically, to me. I came back in August 2003 and gave a speech that we don't have enough boots on the ground. We don't, and we're going to fail, and we need more.
And the former secretary of defense and the administration, Wolfowitz, the president, the vice president, and -- continued to say things like, a few dead-enders, stuff happens, last throes. And Americans, for nearly four years, finally became frustrated and angered and saddened.
KING: Another dust-up in recent days has been Harry Reid, demanding an apology from Rush Limbaugh calling a remark about phony soldiers. Rush says he was taken out of context, and was criticizing one person who lied about Iraq.
MCCAIN: I'm a little disturbed about bringing that aspect into the political arena. But they are citizens, and they have the right to vote, obviously.
But, on the issue, I don't know exactly about what -- the back- and-forth between Senator Reid and Rush Limbaugh. I did issue a statement saying that I thought it was inappropriate. And perhaps Mr. Limbaugh didn't mean it, but he should not have said it.
I also criticized the -- the ad on General Petraeus. I also criticized the attack on John Kerry's record. I also criticized the attack on Max Cleland's record. So, I'm -- I regret that people are in any way criticized or assaulted because of their service in the military.
KING: In the headlines this week was a meeting in Salt Lake City where several conservative leaders, Dr. Dobson of Focus of the Family, Richard Viguerie, longtime conservative activist, the head of the Family Research Council, they had a little side meeting to talk about the possibility of a third-party candidacy, a pro-life, social conservative candidacy, in the event that Mayor Giuliani -- or perhaps someone else, but they were specifically focused on Mayor Giuliani -- captures the Republican nomination.
Is that an appropriate step, do you think? Is -- should somebody, if they're -- if they're so principled, as they say, on that issue, to launch a third-party candidacy? And what would it do to the Republican Party?
MCCAIN: Well, first of all, I think, obviously, it would hurt the Republican Party if there was some breaking off. I think that's obvious.
And I respect any individual or group's right to do whatever they want to do. But I'm a Republican. I believe in Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment. And I believe that, if it is a fair and open contest -- and I have every confidence it will be -- that we should support the nominee of our party, if we are Republicans.
Now, if you're not a Republican or something else, then you -- obviously, that's not the case. But I would hope that we could support whoever the nominee of our party is.
KING: Now, Wolf, Senator McCain says, as you noted -- as he noted there, he would support Rudy Giuliani if he was the nominee. But the senator says he believes he still has a fairly good chance. He says recent history since 1980 shows you have to win two of the first three, Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
And he said as he left us today for more campaigning, he remains confident he can do that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John, how does it happen, John -- and you have been covering politics for a long time -- that someone as well known and experienced and as highly regarded as John McCain, certainly a household name, raises $5 million in the last quarter, and Ron Paul, a little-known congressman from Texas, also raises $5 million in the last three months?
What's going on, on the Republican side?
KING: Well, it is a stunning number, Wolf, Ron Paul's campaign is reporting. We are told the McCain campaign hasn't put its final number out, because it believes the final total will be a bit closer to $6 million. So, they believe they will surpass Ron Paul.
But, look, Ron Paul is shaking up the Republican race. It should be noted he was the Libertarian Party's candidate for president once. So, he does have a network of supporters around the country. And he has made very good use of the Internet fund-raising. It guarantees he will stay in the Republican race.
And, as you have seen in the debates, that's problematic for some of the leading-tier candidates, if you will, because he gives them fits with his criticism of the war, his criticism of U.S. foreign policy. But, as you travel the country, you see his supporters everywhere -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King, with the CNN Election Express, thanks very much.
And look for our state-of-the-art bus, the CNN Election Express, on the road this campaign season. It's a TV studio on wheels that gives our correspondents and analysts new freedom to cover campaign news as it happens and where it happens.
On our road map, by the way, for the days and weeks ahead, the Election Express will be in Las Vegas next month for our Democratic presidential debate, also in Saint Petersburg, Florida, for our new CNN/YouTube Republican debate.
The CNN Election Express, we're very proud of it.
Senator John McCain's daughter is following dad on the campaign trail and writing about it online. Her new blog says it will cover all the behind-the-scenes actions, from the stale doughnuts to the fabulous shoes.
Let's go to our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton. She's watching all of this for us.
What else can you tell us about this new site, Abbi?
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, this is from Megan McCain, recent Columbia graduate and, she says, Scorpio.
We have already seen her out on the campaign trail. Here she is on the follow John McCain blog. But now daughter Megan debuts on her own site as an unofficial campaign blogger, or McCain blogette. She's joined by two friends. There they are, one a self-described political fashionista. They promise a fresh perspective on what they say can be perceived a stale and boring process.
Now, in terms of Republican candidates' offspring blogging, well, in this Internet-heavy election, we have seen that already. From the Mitt Romney campaign, his five sons run the Five Brothers blog. Political fashionistas, maybe not. Their focus is more on family fun on the campaign trail.
People associated with the McCain blogette venture says their effort is to draw some younger voters into the process. And blogging starts Friday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you, Abbi, for that.
U.S. forces on the attack in Iraq. Check this out. We're getting new details on what this blow-up was all about. The U.S. military's chief spokesman in Iraq standing by to join us.
Also, it's the fourth veto of his presidency. Did the president help or hurt his fellow Republicans with a swipe of his pen?
Paul Begala and Terry Jeffrey, they are standing by for our "Strategy Session."
BLITZER: Machine guns blaring in Iraq, it's video that came into THE SITUATION ROOM as the U.S. military continues its march on al Qaeda in Iraq.
More on that coming up in just a moment, but, first, the controversy over private security contractors in Iraq.
I spoke today with the chief U.S. spokesman for the multinational forces in Iraq, U.S. Army Major General Kevin Bergner. And I asked him what would happen if the U.S. were forced to give up private security contractors and the U.S. military had to protect American diplomats.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MAJOR GENERAL KEVIN J. BERGNER, SPOKESMAN, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE- IRAQ: This is a very serious issue, and it's one where the government of Iraq and our own State Department and U.S. Embassy share a mutual concern, a mutual seriousness about the issues at hand.
And, so, that's why they have established this joint commission, where the minister of defense and the deputy chief of mission here will co-chair a panel to look at all those kinds of issues that need to be addressed.
And it's why the secretary of state has personally communicated with the prime minister and is addressing those concerns as well. It would have an impact. The private security companies are important, both to the movement of some organizations here and to the static security of facilities here as well.
BLITZER: On September 20, General, you arrested what you described as a senior officer of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. And you have been talking to him. What are you learning from this guy?
BERGNER: Well, Wolf, we have learned a significant amount about this senior Quds Force officer, whose name is Mahmudi Farhadi. He's an intelligence operative who has actually operated in Iraq, we think, for some 10 years.
BLITZER: What are you going to do with him, General?
BERGNER: Well, we continue to question him. We continue to learn more about the circumstance he was in. And we're going to -- we're going to follow up and exploit that information, just as you would expect us to.
BLITZER: And is there a connection to Hezbollah forces in Lebanon now directly involved in the fighting against you in Iraq?
BERGNER: Well, remember, in March of this year we captured a man named Ali Mussa Daqduq, who was a Lebanese Hezbollah operative who was really serving as a proxy or a surrogate for the Iranian Quds Force operations here.
And, so, we know that, at least at that level, there has been involvement that was being used by the Iranians, actually, to fulfill their -- their objectives here.
BLITZER: We're just getting some new video here into THE SITUATION ROOM from the Pentagon, from the Department of Defense. It looks like an attack. It's described as an attack by U.S. forces on an al Qaeda in Iraq van in Iraq.
We're showing it to our viewers right now. It's about to be exploded. There it is.
What can you tell us about this video?
BERGNER: Well, Wolf, that's -- that's a piece of video that you're receiving from a -- from a different source. I don't have it in front of me right now.
I will tell you that we have conducted a number of operations against the al Qaeda in Iraq network. One particularly of importance was against a man named Muthanna, who was a foreign terrorist facilitator operating in northwestern Iraq.
And we have learned a great deal as a result of that operation, captured quite a lot of intelligence associated with it, particularly about the foreign terrorist networks that are supporting al Qaeda operations elsewhere, and feeding into their efforts here inside Iraq.
BLITZER: Can you give us a few examples -- a little example of what you have learned?
BERGNER: We have -- we have about 500 names, Wolf, of al Qaeda operatives who are parts of different networks. We also have found 143 names that include biographical information, their photographs, their -- their routes in transit, their financing, of how these individuals either have arrived in Iraq or were planning to arrive in Iraq.
So, this is going to help us a great deal in working with the countries that some of these individuals were passing through, as well as with our own counterterrorism folks in -- in interdicting these kinds of movements.
BLITZER: General Bergner, thanks very much for joining us.
BERGNER: Thanks, Wolf. It's good to be with you.
BLITZER: In our "Strategy Session": the showdown over the government's role in children's health care insurance.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Policies of the government ought to be to help people find private insurance, not federal coverage.
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I think that this is probably the most inexplicable veto in the history of the country. It is incomprehensible. It's intolerable. It's unacceptable.
BLITZER: But, as both sides dig in their heels, will they suffer the consequences with the voters? And Ron Paul and his presidential campaign's $5 million haul, what does it mean for the Republicans' presidential field? We will talk about that, a lot more. Paul Begala and Terry Jeffrey, they are standing by, right now, live in THE SITUATION ROOM.
BLITZER: Democrats call it heartless and a disgrace.
Let's get some more on this story, President Bush's veto of a bill to expand a popular children's health care program.
Joining us now in our "Strategy Session," CNN political analyst and Democratic strategist Paul Begala and conservative commentator Terry Jeffrey. Terrible is also editor in chief of the Cybercast News Service.
Guys, thanks to both of you for coming in.
This is really -- isn't -- well, let me rephrase the question. Terry, is this a no-win veto for the president?
TERRY JEFFREY, EDITOR IN CHIEF, CYBERCAST NEWS SERVICE: I think it's a great move by President Bush. And I think it's a great issue for the Republicans. They need to get their tail out from between their legs.
Wolf, this is about socialism. Socialism means the government owns something, rather than private individuals. The question here is whether families are going to own the health care of their own children. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 5.8 million new children will come on to the SCHIP program under the new bill.
Two million of those kids will be middle-class kids that right now have private health insurance. That means taking them out of private health insurance that their parents control and determine, and giving Hillary Clinton or someone else control of their health care.
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, this is the fight the Democrats want.
They want a fight over who is going to help the middle class. What President Bush has done is veto legislation -- Terry is right -- that would help middle-class families. So, if you have -- if you're a family of four, you're making $40,000 a year, you're in the middle class, but Mr. Bush says you're too wealthy.
BLITZER: But, Terry, you have studied this. Is this government- financed health insurance for kids or is it government-run health insurance for kids?
BLITZER: Isn't the federal government just guaranteeing the funds to make sure they can go out and get the health insurance they need?
JEFFREY: The federal government sets a certain set of rules for how the funds will be spent. The states are then sent to the states. And the states construct the programs.
But Paul is exactly right. This is about whether middle-class families that now are getting their insurance from the private market and control it are going to have the government control their health insurance in the future.
Look, and to put it bluntly, who do you want making health decisions for kids? The Democratic Party is pro-abortion. They think it's OK to take the life of an unborn child. They make health care decisions that are not only wrong, blatantly immoral. We want to give that institution control over health care decisions in the United States?
BEGALA: I -- well, first off, it's not about control.
BEGALA: It's certainly not about abortion.
It's about whether Mr. Bush finds the money, $700 billion, for a war in Iraq, $35 billion he finds for subsidies for oil and gas companies, billions for no-bid contracts for Halliburton. So, all of a sudden, when middle-class kids and poor kids need health insurance, he can't find the money.
By the way, we save a ton of money on the Children Health Insurance Program. It was put together by President Clinton when I worked for him with a Republican Congress. We save a ton of money on it, because kids get better health care. They have better outcomes. They lead healthier lives. They have fewer trips to the emergency room. It's a very good deal for the country.
BLITZER: All right. I want to move on to the subject I just discussed with John King. How is it possible that Ron Paul and John McCain both raised $5 million in the last quarter, at a time -- and just to give it some perspective, Hillary Clinton raised, what, $27 million, and Barack Obama raised $20 million.
What -- what's going on?
JEFFREY: Well, you know, Wolf, I think both John McCain and Ron Paul have excited some passions among certain voters.
Unfortunately for John McCain, especially because of his pursuit of his immigration reform proposal earlier this year, he angered the grassroots of the Republican Party. Ron Paul has a constituency of people who are old-time Libertarians -- they believe in limited government -- plus people who aren't Democrats who are very opposed to the Iraq war. They're excited about the message he's delivering. So, they're ready to subsidize him.
BLITZER: How do you see this phenomenon, the Ron Paul phenomenon, now $5 million? John McCain, maybe he will get a little bit more, but it's roughly in the same ballpark.
BEGALA: He's even roughly in the same essential ballpark as Fred Thompson, who is I think more fizzle than sizzle so far starting out his campaign.
BLITZER: Because Ron Paul, as we have all seen in all of the debates, he is ardently against this war. And he wants those troops home as quickly as possible.
JEFFREY: The truth is, Ron Paul is more anti-war than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or John Edwards.
JEFFREY: All of whom told Tim Russert last week that they can't guarantee they would have U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2013.
BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about this archbishop in Saint Louis, the Roman Catholic archbishop, Raymond Burke, saying he would deny communion to Rudy Giuliani, just as he would deny communion to John Kerry when he was the Democratic presidential nominee.
What do you make of this phenomenon because of Rudy Giuliani's support for abortion rights for women?
There are particular doctrinal problems that Rudy Giuliani has, as a divorced and remarried Catholic. No Catholic who is remarried outside of the church is allowed to receive any of the sacraments, certainly not communion. So, that may be different.
But, if this -- what -- this report is true, that he's saying, because of his political on an issue, he is going to be denied the body of Christ, as a faithful Catholic, I find that appalling. The body of Christ is not meant to be a weapon in political wars. It's a sacrament, and it's a communal sacrament. And I think it's appalling that a bishop would do that.
JEFFREY: No. What Archbishop Raymond Burke, who is an excellent man, is trying to do is protect the Eucharist, which we Catholics literally believe, through transubstantiation, is the body and blood of Christ.
And we believe that you have to be in a state of grace to receive it. And Rudy Giuliani, by publicly advocating legalized abortion, which means, as we understand it as Catholics and as the Catholic Church teaches, the deliberate taking of an innocent human life, is not only giving scandal, but is giving public evidence that he is someone not worthy to receive the body and blood of Christ.
BLITZER: If he gets the Republican nomination, will there be a third-party anti-abortion candidate who will emerge?
JEFFREY: Well, there are some conservatives who are saying they would not vote for Rudy Giuliani if he were the nominee, and they would like to see a third-party candidate.
I think it's quite possible there would be a third-party candidate. I also think, Wolf, there would be a lot of conservatives who would want to make a prudential judgment about that possibly leading to Hillary Clinton being the person who names Supreme Court justices.
BLITZER: Because that would guarantee, I assume, Hillary Clinton or any Democrat's election, if the Republican vote was split like that.
BEGALA: Well, certainly, the left was foolish enough to give Ralph Nader enough votes to ensure that George Bush got close enough to let the Supreme Court steal it. Those thieves in black robes who stole the election in 2000 were only able to steal it because Ralph Nader put them in the position of thievery.
BLITZER: All right, guys. On that note -- we're not going to -- we're not going to look at the history right now, because we got to run.
BLITZER: What do Republicans have to do to turn things around by the election? Jack Cafferty standing by with your e-mail.
Also ahead, a megabucks business deal that some fear could expose U.S. military secrets to China.
And newly released pictures of Princess Diana only moments before her death, what will jurors make of these pictures as they weigh allegations that Diana's car crash was no accident?
BLITZER: (AUDIO GAP) Cafferty for "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The question this hour is, what do Republicans have to do to turn things around by the election?
George writes from New Hampshire: "Here are some ideas. Support Bush on his health care veto, while 72 percent of Americans are against it. Tell us we should stay in Iraq, while most of us want out now, and last, but not least, get those Diebold voting machines working, like they did in 2000, 2002, and 2004."
Jabriel in Washington: "They need a revolution within. It was founded as a protest party, protesting the perversion of democracy caused by slavery. Now we are faced with another perversion of democracy. Maybe we will be lucky. History will repeat itself. The new Whig Party, the GOP, will dissolve, as its predecessor did, and those who emerge from the ashes will reclaim the mantle of defender of our Constitution."
Brad in Florida: "What do they need to do? Stop marginalizing the smartest among them, like Ron Paul. They also need to stop giving evangelicals more power than their numbers warrant.
Max in New York writes: "The Republicans will do what they always do: rove around in the muck to monger some fear and conjure some lies about their opponents. After all, they can't possibly run on their record, a doomed war, no-bid giveaways to their corporate puppet masters, corruption, an astronomical deficit, and blind obedience to the worst president to ever stain the White House."
And Mike in California writes: "It's going to take the Republican Party to understand what real morality is, things like health care for the nation's children, a moral issue, saving our planet, making the air clean, a moral issue, not starting unjust wars, a moral issue, helping the nation's poor families, a moral issue, tolerance of all walks of life, a moral issue, and, most of all, realizing that being pro-life doesn't end at birth" -- Wolf.


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Clean win
USPS honored for energy efforts
Nov. 6, 2018 at 10:19 a.m.
Mail Handler Hilary Jackson uses hydrogen fuel technology to power a forklift at the Washington Network Distribution Center, where the Postal Service's sustainability efforts were recently honored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently honored the Postal Service for its efforts to cut waste and energy costs and improve operations.
USPS received a Federal Energy and Water Management Award for its work at the Washington Network Distribution Center in Capitol Heights, MD.
Through a recent pilot program envisioned by Plant Manager Robert Borris and In-Plant Support Manager Sherman Williamson, the facility replaced lead acid batteries with cleaner hydrogen fuel cells in 92 powered industrial vehicles, including forklifts, tow motors and pallet jacks.
This reduced battery room electricity consumption by 81 percent and generated $188,000 in annual savings. The program also produced $625,000 in savings through reduced work hours.
"The Postal Service is one of the nation's largest federal agencies, and we understand the importance of leading by example. This award reflects our ongoing commitment to reduce our carbon footprint through innovation and good environmental stewardship," said Chief Sustainability Officer Tom Day.
USPS is one of 32 organizations, teams and individuals that received the awards, which were presented Oct. 23 during a ceremony in Washington, DC.
The Federal Energy and Water Management Awards site has more information about the program, while the Sustainability Blue page has details about the Postal Service's other environmental efforts.


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If you are currently taking medications to reduce blood sugar, lower cholesterol or thin the blood and want to use turmeric therapeutically then please be aware that it will have an additional effect. See turmeric precautions.


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Status: coming Jan 30, 2023
Guardian of the Dungeon
Alex Kosh
Andrey has finally obtained the first of the five swords he needs to complete the Goddess of Fate's quest. Now his path is taking him to the subterranean city of the Gremlins, Arkem. Gremlins are unpleasant, rascally creatures, with a twisted system of logic and a penchant for limitless chaos. So trying to negotiate with them is always fraught with danger. Fortunately, they happen to worship the mechanisms of the Ancients, which are somehow, mysteriously, connected to Andrey's hidden "Slider" class. This means that Andrey has a chance of recovering the second sword after all. Everything gets complicated, however, when a breach to the Inferno opens in Arkem, through which comes an invasion force headed by none other than Lamia, the Succubus who dreams of shredding Falk into tiny little ribbons.
And the real world is full of problems, too - mysterious people keep trying to kidnap Andrey, and he's forced to use his newfound abilities to protect himself. As if that weren't enough, the game menu is now popping up in real life, which is making him question his own sanity. But the main question is: are there other people who've acquired powers from the game like he has? And what will it all lead to in the end?
US Amazon
Der Videospieltester
Class-A Threat
Dan Sugralinov
Dem Mikhailov


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Cyprus Company Formation
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First Double Tax Treaty between Cyprus and Luxembourg-2021
Cyprus and Luxembourg sign the First Double Tax Treaty: Recently, Luxembourg and Cyprus signed their first double tax treaty with an aim to strengthen their economic and commercial relationship. Moreover, after the signing of the double tax treaty both Luxembourg and Cyprus also signed the multilateral convention to implement tax treaty related measures aimed at preventing Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("BEPS").The treaty generally follows the OECD Model Convention and includes the latest international standards with regard to exchange of information. The treaty shall be applicable from 1 January 2018.
First Double Tax Treaty between Cyprus and Luxembourg: Scope of the Treaty
Resident of a Contracting State
For the purposes of the Convention this is defined as as any person, including a collective investment vehicle, who, under the domestic laws of that State, is liable to tax in that State by reason of its domicile, residence, place of management or any other criterion of a similar nature.
For legal persons. in case they are considered as a resident of both Luxembourg and Cyprus, they are considered as resident in the country in which they have their place of effective management. A person cannot be considered a "resident of a Contracting State" if such person is considered to be a tax resident but is subject only to a taxation limited to the income from sources in that State or to capital situated in that State.
Collective Investment Vehicle
A collective investment vehicle for the purpose of this Treaty is considered as a resident if it is liable to tax therein by reason of its domicile, residence, place of management or any other criterion of a similar nature. It is also considered as liable to tax if it is subject to the tax laws of the Contracting State concerned, but is exempt from tax only if it meets all of the exemption requirements specified in the domestic tax laws of that State. A collective investment vehicle is deemed to be the beneficial owner of any income it receives.
Income derived from investments
Any income derived by a resident of a Contracting State from the direct use, letting, or use in any other form of immovable property situated in a Contracting State may be taxed in the latter Contracting State. The right to tax of the State of source has priority over the right to tax of the other State and also applies in the case of an enterprise, where income is only indirectly derived from immovable property. To avoid double taxation of the foreign real estate income of its residents, Luxembourg will exempt such income and Cyprus will grant a tax credit for the foreign tax.
Dividends can be taxed both by the source State and by the State of residence of the beneficiary. However, the treaty caps the withholding tax rates that could be levied by the foreign source State as follows:
0% in the case where the beneficial owner is a Company other than a partnership which holds a participation of at least 10% in the paying company and 5% in all other cases.
Moreover the treaty provides:
-for a general withholding tax rate which is lower than the domestic general withholding tax rate of 15% in Luxembourg and 17% in Cyprus, and
-for a withholding tax exemption under less restrictive conditions than the ones applicable under either the Luxembourg participation exemption or the Cyprus participation exemption regime.
To avoid double taxation of the foreign dividend received by their residents, Luxembourg will grant a tax deduction equal to the tax paid in Cyprus, and Cyprus will grant a tax credit.
Interest and royalties
Interest and royalties are only taxable in the Contracting State in which the recipients of the income are resident. Therefore, no withholding tax can be withheld in the foreign source State.
Capital gain on investments
Capital gains on immovable properties located in a Contracting State may be taxed in that State, whereas capital gains on shares are taxable only in the State of which the alienator is a resident. To avoid double taxation of capital gains realized by their residents on the disposal of immovable properties and movable assets, Luxembourg will exempt such income and Cyprus will grant a tax credit for foreign tax.
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