text:
Episodes and Videos
Friday Nights on PBS
The Trump administration clashes over the Russia Probe
Congress,
Democrats,
Republicans,
The Trump administration confronts Russian election interference as a showdown with special counsel Robert Mueller looms. Panelists also discussed former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's trial for tax and bank fraud.
ROBERT COSTA: Raucous rallies, defiant tweets, and a looming showdown with the special counsel. I'm Robert Costa. August is anything but quiet, tonight on Washington Week.
Just hours before President Trump hosted a rally in Pennsylvania, his national security chiefs were sounding the alarm.
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KIRSTJEN NIELSEN: (From video.) Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, and it has become clear that they are the target of our adversaries.
MR. COSTA: A stark warning from the White House: Russia used and continues to use cyber weapons to interfere in American campaigns.
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DAN COATS: (From video.) The intelligence community continues to be concerned about the threats of upcoming U.S. elections, both the midterms and the presidential elections of 2020.
FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY: (From video.) Make no mistake: the scope of this foreign influence threat is both broad and deep.
MR. COSTA: But the messages on Russia were not in lockstep. At the Pennsylvania rally, Mr. Trump maintained that he wants a better relationship with Vladimir Putin.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) I had a great meeting with Putin. We discussed everything. I had a great meeting. (Cheers, applause.) By the way, that's a good thing, not a bad thing. That's a really good thing.
MR. COSTA: It was the latest example of the president's singular approach.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: (From video.) I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.
MR. COSTA: And the presidential shattering of norms extended to Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his Russia investigation.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: (From video.) Now, we're being hindered by the Russian hoax. It's a hoax, OK?
MR. COSTA: It all comes as his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, goes to trial for federal tax and bank fraud charges. We cover it all next.
ANNOUNCER: This is Washington Week. Once again, from Washington, moderator Robert Costa.
MR. COSTA: Good evening. The week has been revealing, showing the tensions inside the Trump administration over Russia in the scenes that played out at the White House and on the campaign trail. Thursday was a microcosm. That morning top intelligence officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, appeared at the White House, and they said the upcoming midterm elections remain a target for Russia.
DIR. COATS: (From video.) We acknowledge the threat. It is real, it is continuing, and we're doing everything we can to have a legitimate election that the American people can have trust in. In addition to that, it goes beyond the elections. It goes to Russia's intent to undermine our democratic values, drive a wedge between our allies, and do a number of other nefarious things.
DIR. WRAY: (From video.) This threat is not going away. As I have said consistently, Russia attempted to interfere with the last election and continues to engage in malign influence operations to this day.
MR. COSTA: The president did not appear alongside them, but later Thursday rallied his core voters in Pennsylvania. Instead, he had a great meeting – his words – with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki and, quote, "got along really well" with the Russian president. And he sharply criticized the Russia probe.
What's next and what matters? All this president and his advisors face mounting challenges.
Joining me for tonight's conversation, Paula Reid, White House and Justice correspondent for CBS News; Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times; Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News; and Molly Ball, national political reporter for TIME Magazine.
Peter, when you think about a company, when it has its executive vice presidents come out and say a statement, the market pays attention to what the CEO says. Why does it matter if President Trump's deputies come out to the White House lectern and have a different message, a starker message, on Russia than him?
PETER BAKER: Right. Not just the markets. People pay attention also in the Kremlin in this case. And the message that they're hearing is, of course, this two-pronged approach. And what matters of about this, among other things, is Vladimir Putin puts great stock in what the leader says, what the number-one person says. That's the way he runs his country. That's the way he presumes other people run their country. And that's the way, in fact, Donald Trump likes to run his country.
So I was in Moscow for four years. I remember interviewing him. And when we would bring up to him criticisms of him that had been issued by American officials underneath the president, he would just brush it off saying: That's not what my friend George says. At the time, George W. Bush. So he places great stock in what the president says, not on what Dan Coats says, not on what Chris Wray says. What those people are talking to is a different audience. They're talking to us. They're talking to people who actually cover this issue or care about democracy issues and are worried about Russia. They're trying to say: We actually do take this seriously. Don't pay attention to the president. But that's an extraordinary thing for a government in which you had this bifurcated policy.
ANDREA MITCHELL: There's another issue as well. You correctly point out – you know better than anyone how Putin sees this. But the rest of government – bureaucracies don't move unless there's leadership from the top. The fact is that they had their one and only meeting at the, you know, presidential level last Friday, just a week ago, and it was less than an hour devoted to the whole issue of Russia and its attack on the election, and its continuing attack. And that was two to three weeks after Dan Coats had warned publicly at the Hudson Institute that the red lights were blinking and it was the, you know, most important, urgent warning since the 9/11 pre-warnings about terror, in the area of cyberspace.
We've been told that the Senate Intelligence Committee has been told that in fact they are – the Russians are into our electric grid, they're into our infrastructure, to say nothing of the propaganda, the false and malign information that was outlined, at least alleged, in the Mueller indictments. So the fact that the president has not led a meeting or signaled the importance of this – and keeps denying it out on the campaign trail and contradicting them – is sending a signal it doesn't matter. And until he shows that it matters to him, it's not going to get fixed.
MR. COSTA: It wasn't just the president there, Paula. Where was Attorney General Jeff Sessions?
PAULA REID: That's a great question. And under the previous administrations, the National Security Division at the Justice Department would be actively involved in this. But from the outset, from the time Attorney General Sessions took over – I had asked sources within the National Security Division and it was clear – Russia was not a priority. Then, he had to, of course, recuse himself from the ongoing Russia probe. Then Rod Rosenstein handed it off to the special counsel. So right now, it really seems like a lot of the leadership is either Mueller investigating, and handing it off to Rod Rosenstein to sort of prosecute anything that they find, or the FBI. That's why you saw the FBI chief there. But, yeah, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, I have not seen any leadership on his part on this issue.
MR. COSTA: So, wait, where is the FBI in looking at what's happening with Russian interference this year, in the next few months?
MS. REID: Well, the FBI director came out and he talked specifically about these two – these sort of two different levels, that we all kind of know about. This was nothing new, right? There's the disinformation campaign, and then there are the physical intrusions – the attempt to either break into voting machines or, more likely, voter databases. He said, we're looking at that. But also, interestingly, he also said that they are investigating possible campaign finance violations. And that's something new and I think something – definitely a thread we want to keep pulling on.
MR. COSTA: Is this the traditional Republican Party who's inside of this administration, like Senator Coats, who's now Director Coats, just rearing its head inside and saying: Well, the president may have one different view, but we're just going to continue to articulate our own?
MOLLY BALL: In a way, that is what it is, or some might even call it the deep state. Or the – but, you know, the moderate Republican Party really was built on the Cold War and opposition to the Soviet empire. And so there is very deep antagonism to Russia and to this foreign – long-time foreign adversary within the Russia hawks of the Republican Party. People like John Bolton. But also, you know, people like Dan Coats, others in the intelligence and national security apparatus. It's not ideological. It's based on what's actually happening. It's based on what they're seeing happen.
And what I think this week brought into such sharp relief is up till now I think we have tended to think of the Russia probe as a mostly retrospective affair, looking back on 2016, looking back on what was already done. This is something – this week really showed that this is – how intensely ongoing this is, with also the Facebook announcement that they are actively investigating this. And it was also telling that it was Facebook that was self-policing on that. It wasn't the authorities that were coming forward in the first place to say: Here is what we're finding, this disinformation that's coming out right now.
So I think, you know, if what Trump – if Trump's strategy has been to cozy up to Putin to defuse the antagonism between the United States and Russia, I think what this shows is that it has not at all called off the dogs, and Russia's attacks are continuing.
MS. MITCHELL: And there was one really important signal in that briefing. General Nakasone, who heads the Cyber Command and also the National Security Agency, he suggested that they are ready to go on offense against Russia, against any adversaries. And there are some signals that that may – that order, which has to come from the president and hadn't been done yet, we're told – that might be coming.
MR. COSTA: Is this a strategy, Peter, from the president? Or is it an emotional response, when he takes this different tack than his own – his own administration?
MR. BAKER: You know, or a year and a half now we've been asking that question on so many topics when it comes to this president: Is it a strategy or is it, like, impulse control issues? And it's really hard to actually pin it down. I think we tend to look for strategy – (laughs) – more often than perhaps it might exist.
MR. COSTA: Well, what would the strategy be, if there was one here?
MR. BAKER: Well, look, you know, it's not – it wouldn't be the first president who tried to keep things at a reasonable level, leader to leader, while you allow your government to take actions to counter an adversary. I mean, certainly George W. Bush and Barack Obama weren't wagging their fingers in Putin's face. They – and particularly Bush early on when he had great hope for making Putin more of an ally – they would state their differences, but they would say it politely and they wouldn't – you know, they weren't openly confrontational, per se. That's changed over time, as Putin has become clearer and clearer as an adversary.
So that's not necessarily new. What's different is that Trump doesn't go just politely to Putin. He seems to be catering toward him. He seems to be kowtowing at times to him. That's certainly what a lot of Republicans think, anyway. And that seems, to a lot of people, to be curious. Why is that? Why would you go so over the top in flattering a guy who's clearly out to, you know, sabotage American democracy?
MR. COSTA: So one of the reasons this all happened, Molly, is because the president has his cloud, he calls it, the cloud of the Russia investigation hanging over him. And he took some new steps this week. He tweeted earlier – a few days ago. This is, quote, "a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further." Yet, as the president tweets, his lawyers, such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, are engaged in negotiations with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about a presidential sit-down.
RUDY GIULIANI (attorney for President Trump): (From video.) I'm not going to give you a lot of hope it's going to happen, but we're still negotiating.
MR. COSTA: We've been here for weeks now, with Giuliani pushing the deadline up on this decision about an interview. But you think about the president right now. He's facing this question over an interview. He's facing all these different challenges on the Russia probe. How is that influencing what's happening on Russia?
MS. BALL: Well, I think it's always been obvious that the crux of this, for the president, is his own feeling of victimization, and the idea that this is, as he calls it, a rigged witch hunt. But it is all directed at him. The investigation isn't actually of him. It is an investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Whether or not that comes to involve him – and as his defenders always point out it has not yet directly implicated him. And yet, he takes everything personally. This is one of his chief personality characteristics, I think you should – you could say. And so he sees everything through the prism of himself being targeted.
I think there is – suppose it is the case that Trump is completely innocent of absolutely anything having to do with anything Russia, anything in 2016, and this – and when he refers to a cloud, he's just saying these suspicions, these unfounded suspicions, have made it difficult for him to operate as president, to do his job, to govern, to create normal relations with all kinds of different countries, because of this suspicion. And so that is the case that his defenders would make. Nonetheless, the continued – I think any lawyer would tell their client in this situation: Don't keep talking about the investigation. Don't keep – especially when you are, you know, the boss of these people, don't put pressure on them like this. Even if you don't actually mean that as a directive to stop the investigation, it looks that way.
MR. BAKER: Well, if – and we saw recently reports that Mueller is looking at previous tweets and statements as perhaps adding up to a pattern that could amount to obstruction of justice. President Trump just handed him one more piece of evidence. If that's in fact a case he's building, he's building it with one more brick thanks to the president this week.
MR. COSTA: Paula, you've studied his depositions – the president's depositions when he was a businessman. Does he change his style from the President Trump we know when he actually sits down for these sorts of interviews?
MS. REID: Absolutely. He is the consummate executive. He's been through this a lot. It is interesting to read his depositions or listen to them because he understood the game. He deferred to his attorneys, his answers were very tight, he demonstrated a very nuanced understanding of his business, and there wasn't a lot of emotion. So you watch this back and forth between him and his lawyers. He says I would love to testify; his lawyers go, oh, I don't know if that's such a good idea for you to sit down for an interview.
MR. COSTA: So maybe he will testify at this point.
MS. REID: Maybe he will. But if he truly believes in sort of a very expansive definition of executive power and he truly believes that he did nothing wrong and he will stick to the truth, there may not be as much risk as his attorneys believe. But he is exposed on obstruction of justice and potentially lying, as anyone would be.
MS. MITCHELL: And the exposure also, the meeting in Trump Tower with him just one floor away, the proximity with his son Don Jr., just all of the patterns of behavior, the memo that he was involved in authoring, and all of the other witnesses that have been collected, you have to believe that Mueller has been collecting a lot of evidence to that matter.
MR. COSTA: When are we going to hear – when are we going to hear more about it, Andrea? When is this report going to be issued? It is going to be – come before the election or after the election?
MS. MITCHELL: Well, I think it has to come, something. There's a lot of pressure for Mueller to deliver this month, in fact, or shortly after Labor Day, because there's a lot of practice – and certainly it was reinforced by the inspector general report against what Comey did to Hillary Clinton – that there should be a blackout period of anything involving election cases. And so he would be reporting to Rod Rosenstein, the deputy AG, who would then be deciding what to release and what not. There could be an unindicted co-conspirator. There could be, you know, any manner of reports that come out of this, but something. And it could be a partial report.
MS. REID: I would be surprised if we get a report this month because the special counsel's office continues to exist through any prosecution, and we know Manafort has trial number two in September. You take that through any appeals. It would be surprising to me if he releases a report. I don't know that he necessarily feels the pressure about the midterms. And then Rosenstein has this decision to make. He has to decide: Do I make this public and fall into the exact same situation that Comey fell into, or do I hand it off to Congress, let them decide, or do I put it in a drawer?
MR. COSTA: Talking about the pressure of the midterms, when you think about what Bob Mueller's facing right now, he has – he has the timing issue, but so does President Trump have the pressure of the midterms on his shoulders. Is that the reason the president hasn't actually pulled the trigger and fired Mueller or fired Rosenstein, because he's hearing from his own party that it would be a political disaster for the GOP if it actually went over the line – that they're OK with his tweets to a point?
MS. BALL: That may be part of it. I think he does heed the warnings that it would be a political disaster for him personally. I think he is less concerned, frankly, about the fortunes of other politicians. He's mostly concerned about himself. And even with the midterms, what we've heard from our reporting is he's concerned with Republicans losing the House and Senate only to the extent that it may impede his agenda, his ability to get things done, or his ability to not be buried in investigations by a Democratic Congress. So he's concerned primarily, I think, with his own room to maneuver, but he has heard from a lot of people – and I think it's true – that firing Mueller would be a red line that a lot of Republicans, especially in the Senate, would actually get up and do something about. Now, they haven't yet, and they've had plenty of opportunities. Who knows?
MR. COSTA: They certainly have not yet. But inside the White House, Peter, quick, is John Kelly, who just announced on Monday he's going to stay through 2020 – we'll see if that happens, but he says he will – is he the one pulling the president back from going after Rosenstein or Mueller?
MR. BAKER: No, I think actually – I think Molly's right about this. I think, you know, he has crossed every line that other presidents would have respected when it comes to this kind of thing, when it comes to the independence of the law enforcement apparatus, but that is one line he has stayed on the wrong – this side of because he does see it as potentially dangerous to himself, because he does see that as being a backlash that he has been told that would be even worse after he fired Jim Comey.
MR. COSTA: Let's turn to the Manafort trial, which began at a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, this week. Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman and longtime lobbyist, is facing tax and bank fraud charges. His international wire transfers are being scrutinized by prosecutors. Paula has been in the courtroom all week, where they don't allow cameras or computers, just notebooks – old school. Where is the prosecution going right now with this?
MS. REID: Their theory of the case is that Manafort made tens of millions of dollars lobbying on behalf of Ukrainian officials, but instead of having his paycheck sent to one of his six or seven homes they went to offshore accounts. And then, the prosecutors allege, that he got that money into the U.S. by laundering it through these luxury purchases – expensive cars, homes, and this now-infamous ostrich coat. (Laughter.) And that's their theory of the case. That's how he was trying to avoid tax reporting requirements. So they've put – they've put on the stand vendors and they asked them, is it – is it common for someone to pay for their ostrich coat through a wire transfer from Cyprus. Of course, the answer is no. And then they put on his accountants, who talked about how they didn't know about these offshore accounts.
MR. COSTA: So we're learning a lot about Paul Manafort, his finances, but is this really about getting Manafort to flip and talk about President Trump, talk about the Trump campaign?
MS. MITCHELL: I'm not so sure because he has been resilient in refusing, especially having been locked up and gone through all of the indignities and, you know, the trial itself. I think this has a Russia undertone in that what they are hoping to prove is that he was completely in debt by 2016, late 2015, after the Ukrainian Russian-backed leader had gone into exile in Russia. He was out of money. They were broke. And he was continuing this lavish lifestyle, he was in hock, yet he volunteered his services to Donald Trump. So he had all these Russian connections and all these offshore banks, and he was not being paid. How was he sustaining that, and why was he sustaining that? And that is sort of the odor of Russia that permeates this trial as well.
MR. COSTA: Is he going to be pardoned? If you read a little bit into the president's tweets this week, he's certainly showing some sympathy for Mr. Manafort.
MR. BAKER: No, he does, he does, and certainly it's possible Paul Manafort is counting on there being a pardon and that's why he's standing strong and not flipping, not offering anything to the special counsel if he has anything to offer. The flipside is I'm not sure whether the pardon actually gets President Trump out of hock if that's – if there is something there to be worried about, because if you give a pardon to Paul Manafort – and Paula probably knows this better than I do; I'm not a lawyer – but if you pardon Paul Manafort, then he has no – he has no ability to refuse to testify. Then Robert Mueller can put him on the stand and say you now have to testify because you've been pardoned. You can't claim the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination if you don't face any criminal liability; you have to tell us about Donald Trump. So that could be – that could backfire on the president.
MR. COSTA: Molly, you've been writing cover stories for TIME on Democrats this year. Why aren't they bringing up Russia more and Paul Manafort more?
MS. BALL: Well, they do in the context of Capitol Hill, right? Democrats have obviously been the most outspoken in the oversight role, particularly, you know, Mark Warner in the Senate, Adam Schiff in the House. They are on television networks all the time talking about this and they take it very seriously, as do many Republicans. As a campaign issue, the conventional wisdom of both parties has been that they're better off not talking about it. Republicans feel that it doesn't matter to their constituents, therefore they are not motivated to speak about it, positively or negatively I suppose. You don't hear them defending Trump a lot on this score; they're just avoiding it. And for Democrats there's a feeling that – I think it's two things. I think it's, number one, that it feels like a faraway issue, not a kitchen-table matter, not something that affects the lives of the people that they're campaigning in front of. And, number two, that it so permeates the news that they don't have to talk about it. If there are voters who care about, you know, the threat to American democracy, the threat of our Russian adversary, all of the disruptive influences that are – that are coming out of this case, they're hearing about it on cable news all the time. Democrats who run campaigns feel that what voters might not be hearing about is any kind of positive or policy message that Democrats might have to offer. That's what's struggling to break through. That's what they want to be talking about on the campaign trail.
MR. COSTA: Going back to the courtroom, Paula, as Peter said, we are glad to have you, a lawyer – (laughter) – as well as a reporter, here at the table. When you're sitting there in that courtroom, you're of course watching Manafort, you're looking at the evidence, but you're also watching Mueller's investigators. A lot's at stake for them. The judge, T.S. Ellis in this case, has raised some questions: Is Mueller really in his lane with his mandate? What's at stake for Mueller right now?
MS. REID: Well, this is ultimately a referendum on the special counsel investigation. If he is convicted, that certainly bolsters the special counsel's case. People will say, all right, this is what they were up to; they were building this very specific forensing – accounting case and it turned out that a jury, who looks like a jury that pays their taxes, convicted him. But if there's an acquittal or even a partial acquittal, that will bolster the president and his allies who want to argue that, look, this is politically motivated; he was investigated before, he wasn't charged because there wasn't enough evidence, he was prosecuted this time for political reasons. So there is a lot at stake here for the special counsel team.
MR. COSTA: And he's fighting a public war. Well, he's quietly fighting a public war with the president. The president's mounting a war against Mueller with all of his tweets and his words. Where does Mueller go from here? Is it just in the courtroom in Alexandria where he's waging his battle?
MS. MITCHELL: And the next court – the next case, of course, would be in district court here in D.C. where we are. Mueller, from all reports, is absolutely zeroed in and trying to, you know, ignore all of this noise. But the president has, especially in the last week, been really ramping up. That tweet that you quoted on Wednesday, in fact, was the most hostile and aggressive. It's not true, of course, that Sessions could – because he's recused – actually fire Mueller, but it was a very threatening tweet indeed. And so there are a number of things that could be in play. This could be the result of these behind-the-scenes negotiations. It could be the result of the Manafort attorneys sharing information that has been now shared with them, as the defense needs to have access to, and that could be really frightening him that it's closing in.
MR. COSTA: Well, where is this Peter? The president keeps saying at his rally after rally – Tampa, Pennsylvania – this has nothing to do with me, speaking about Paul Manafort. And to a –
MR. BAKER: And yet, he keeps bringing it up, right? If it has nothing to do with him, why does he keep talking about it? And, in fact, we shouldn't let it go without commenting on the fact that his comments on an ongoing trial are another line that other presidents would never have crossed. The few times a president ever made a comment on an existing court case they got blasted for it and they regretted it because it was seen as putting undue influence on the part of the chief law enforcement officer, arguably, of the country. So the fact that he's weighing in on it makes you wonder about that. Now, it doesn't directly relate on him, but you know, he seemed to think it does.
MR. COSTA: We'll leave it there. Thank you, everybody, for joining us.
Our conversation will continue online, as ever, on the Washington Week Extra. We will talk about the president and the press. You can find that later tonight at PBS.org/WashingtonWeek.
I'm Robert Costa. Thanks for joining us.
Chief White House Correspondent
Molly Ball
National Political Correspondent
Andrea Mitchell
Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent
MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports"
Paula Reid
White House Correspondent
Watch the Webcast Extra:
President Donald Trump heightens attacks on the media
The heated relationship between President Trump and the media.
Download the podcast
Audio Podcast | Video Podcast
What's Next As President-Elect Joe Biden's Inauguration Nears
President Trump is now the first United States president to be impeached twice. This was the most bipartisan impeachment in history, but still only 10 House Republicans voted in favor of Trump's impeachment.
President Donald Trump's Second Impeachment & A Nation on Edge
President Trump is now the first United States president to be impeached twice. This was the most bipartisan impeachment in history, but still only 10 House Republicans voted in favor of Trump's impeachment. The panel discusses how the nation is bracing for both the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden as well as a second Trump impeachment trial, the emotional and political wreckage from the Capitol, and what comes next as President-Elect Biden's term in office approaches. Yamiche Alcindor of the PBS NewsHour guest moderates.
This Week on Washington Week: A Historic Second Impeachment
History was made yesterday as President Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. This came one week to the day after a mob of Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol, disrupting but not stopping the counting of the Electoral College votes that confirmed Joe Biden's victory.
Trump is impeached, again, with the country even more at war over his presidency
President Trump fixed a place in history once again Wednesday as the first president to be twice impeached.
Under Heavy Pressure, Trump Releases Video Condemning Capitol Siege
Under heavy pressure from his advisers, President Trump on Wednesday released a five-minute video recorded in the Oval Office condemning last week's mob violence at the Capitol and urging his supporters to stand down from further rioting next week.
Several senior Republicans join impeachment push
The push for an unprecedented second impeachment of President Trump took a dramatic bipartisan turn Tuesday, as several senior House Republicans joined the Democratic effort to remove Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol l
Pence Reached His Limit With Trump. It Wasn't Pretty.
For Vice President Mike Pence, the moment of truth had arrived.
Biden team briefs Congress on emerging stimulus plan, aims for bipartisan deal
President-elect Joe Biden is finalizing his coronavirus relief plan, with aides briefing congressional staffers Tuesday and indicating that the measure will be tailored to get bipartisan support.
Pence and Trump finally speak after post-riot estrangement
Vice President Mike Pence received a memento from his aides the other day: the engraved chair set aside for him in the White House Cabinet Room, hauled over-the-shoulder from the West Wing and delivered to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for
Subscribe to the Washington Week Newsletter
Follow @washingtonweek'
@NewsHour
Follow @NewsHour
The FBI said earlier this week it was considering adding Capitol rioters to the federal no-fly list but stopped sho… t.co/ZfPJUA6agW
26 min 31 sec ago.
Josh Dawsey
@jdawsey1
Follow @jdawsey1
James Murdoch criticizes 'media property owners' who have 'unleashed insidious' forces with election denialism clai… t.co/806m6Bl73P
43 min 5 sec ago.
"For Biden, he not only inherits America's longest war and one that, of course, he himself — one that, of course, w… t.co/tKSVkQc2Ra
1 hour 42 min ago.
Heather Caygle
@heatherscope
Follow @heatherscope
❤ t.co/cZiBmhLK9j
Follow @maggieNYT
"But just among Republicans, a majority, 60%, wants to continue to follow Trump -- sharply fewer than in the past (… t.co/GYGL2ReerN
2 hours 8 min ago.
So far, only about a third of the 30 million vaccine doses that have been distributed have actually ended up in peo… t.co/wbPulSnWWK
"His career average approval rating is the lowest for any president in modern polling, back to 1939, and he is the… t.co/nJX8xbpJl3
2 hours 11 min ago.
"Washington Week" is a production of WETA Washington, D.C.
Copyright © 2021 WETA. All rights reserved.
Major funding is provided by:
LIVE: Watch the #WashWeekPBS Full Show and Extra livestream here
A Deeper Look at A Historic Week
A Look at the Georgia Runoffs & President Trump's Legacy


text:
Student Spotlight — Meet Basmah Alshatti
Bringing people of diverse backgrounds together to provide the best care, collaboration and education is something the Thompson Center has prided itself on since its inception 15 years ago. Although Basmah Alshatti's native country is halfway around the world, she has been able to experience the excellence of the Thompson Center firsthand.
Basmah, who is in her second year of her master's degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences in the University of Missouri School of Health Professions, was born and raised in Kuwait. Growing up learning both English and Arabic, the language barrier was no problem for her when her family moved to West Virginia and later St. Louis while she was in high school.
It was while she was in high school that Basmah discovered the field of speech-language pathology and how it can improve children's lives.
"I always knew I wanted to help people," Basmah said. "Initially, I thought that meant pursuing a medical degree and becoming a physician, but I learned that there are many options for helping improve people's lives and that is why the field of speech-language pathology really stuck out to me. It allows me to build relationships with patients as well as to better their functional living."
After moving back to Kuwait to study and earn her undergraduate degree, Basmah had the opportunity pursue a medical degree. Instead, Basmah chose a different path. A path that brought her back to Missouri and eventually to the Thompson Center.
"I had visited the University of Missouri while living in St. Louis during high school, so I was familiar with the school and all of the amazing resources they had for learning on the job," Basmah said. "The Thompson Center itself was a huge factor. The ability to work directly with patients, to learn how to be a speech-language pathologist (SLP) by practicing and helping patients and their families, along with the amazing faculty and providers at the Thompson Center — that makes this place truly one of a kind."
"Basmah's ambition to learn everything she can within the realm of speech-language pathology and autism spectrum disorders makes her the perfect fit as a graduate student trainee at the Thompson Center," said Michelle Dampf, a speech-language pathologist and Basmah's clinical supervisor at the Thompson Center. "Basmah has provided quality speech-language intervention and family-centered care through well-planned sessions for her clients this semester. She uses her bilingual skills as needed within her sessions and in feedback with families. All of the families have been so appreciative of Basmah' s excellent care."
After Basmah finishes her master's degree in May, she plans to pursue a doctorate in SLP somewhere in the U.S. Following that, she hopes to return to her native country, Kuwait, where she can do what the Thompson Center has done for her: teach and spread knowledge.
"With the initiative and professionalism that I have witnessed during Basmah's outplacement this semester, I am eager to see her achieve her goals and increase the independence and employability of those with communication needs in Kuwait," Dampf said.
"Every Mizzou student in this field should get to experience the Thompson Center," Basmah said. "It is truly a family and something I hope to bring back to Kuwait. I want to share the Thompson Center with the world."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Building converts a package source directory into a single bundled file. If binary = FALSE this creates a tar.gz package that can be installed on any platform, provided they have a full development environment (although packages without source code can typically be installed out of the box). If binary = TRUE, the package will have a platform specific extension (e.g. .zip for windows), and will only be installable on the current platform, but no development environment is needed.
Path to a package, or within a package.
path in which to produce package. If NULL, defaults to the parent directory of the package.
Produce a binary (--binary) or source ( --no-manual --no-resave-data) version of the package.
For source packages: if FALSE, don't build PDF vignettes (--no-build-vignettes) or manual (--no-manual).
An optional character vector of additional command line arguments to be passed to R CMD build if binary = FALSE, or R CMD install if binary = TRUE.
Usually only needed if the packages has C/C++/Fortran code. By default this is autodetected.
if TRUE and the package uses Rcpp, call Rcpp::compileAttributes() before building the package. It is ignored if package does not need compilation.


After catching an early flight out of KC, we landed in Houston and hit the ground running with great drinks at Catalina Coffee. A smooth cappuccino for Sadie, a balanced Americano for Savannah and a natural Ethiopian via the Curtis Gold Cup brewer for Jason started our morning of Crawl prep off right.
Good company and good wine at Boheme with our friends from InterAmerican and Wholesome!. Some of my favorite sips by the glass - The Seeker Pinot Noir 2012, Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend 2011, and Chandon Pinot Meunier 2012.
Where to start with the local beers we had. Over a fat, tasty burger at the Hay Merchant, Jason refueled on a Karbach Weisse Versa and 2014 Buffalo Bayou Sour Summer Wit. Both local sensations in a glass. Sadie went with a Buffalo Bayou Sam's Daily, and we tasted the Karbach Hopadillo IPA as well.
A special treat on the Crawl was the recreation of David Buehrer's signature drink from the US Barista Championships, happening the same weekend. Herbaceous and sweet berry notes in the El Vado Colombian espresso were brought out by orange peel simply syrup and bitters made with cinnamon, chamomile, juniper berries, & piña roja (red pineapple) - interesting and delicious.
Houston should get more attention for their cocktail scene. We sure enjoy it, and had a round of signature drinks under Julep's signature "Rural South" menu - the Cherry Bounce Sour, Snake-Bit Sprout, and Amethyst Flip. Good to see familiar faces and sneak in some hugs over a flight of oysters.
Double Trouble Caffeine and Cocktails killed it with cold brew on the Crawl, but we dropped in for a round of local brews from Southern Star Brewing & Oasis Texas Brewing the day before to catch up on emails and sit out a rain shower.
We didn't use to talk openly about favorites, but Paper Co.'s performance during the Caffeine Crawl was one for the books. A fun experience learning how to make coffee infused coconut milk and a SousVide coffee into vodka pressure extraction.
Our "preview before the sneak peek" of Retrospect Coffee Bar's not-yet-open space was awesome - chatting with Stephen and his landscaper brought the future of Retrospect to life as they envisioned unique seating for customers, a cozy and creative use of their unconventional space and collaborative partnerships with local artists. We can't wait to see the finished space!
The kickoff experience at Honeymoon Cafe & Bar along with the drinks after the Caffeine Crawl will make this a place we always send friends to. Glad we are seeing bars execute espresso, cocktails and beer under one roof with great hospitality.
A high point for us as we travel across the county for Caffeine Crawls is always the awesome people we meet, and the crew at LOCAL Houston Magazine fit the bill in Houston. Great to work with as media sponsors, they jumped on board to help us out when we needed a favor. With too many other tasty drinks to fit into a Top Ten list, check back for the full recap, coming soon - and cheers to a great weekend in H-town!


Steeped in WWII history, Normandy is better known for its stunning coastline, gastronomic delights and historic landmarks these days. Normandy holiday packages are the easiest and most affordable way to reach the dramatic 360-mile coastline of this spectacular holiday destination known for its lush farmland, landing beaches and busy market towns. Whether you're visiting for the cheese, cider, distilled apple brandy or to visit the historic cities, of Rouen, Caen and Bayeux, Normandy holiday packages offer excellent value for money and a coordinated range of travel needs. There are a number of existing packages to choose from or you can customise your own to suit your individual needs.
Home to one of the greatest tourist attractions in Europe, Mont Saint Michel, Normandy holiday packages are the ideal way to pre-plan pre-pay for all your holiday needs. Everything from flights to accommodation, transfers, meals, travel insurance and more can be packaged up for one discounted price. Not only offering significant savings, these Normandy holiday packages also benefit from a range of complimentary inclusions including free nights, complimentary room upgrades, meals, parking, WiFi, activities and more. From the Caen Memorial to artistic Giverny, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Bayeux Tapestry and the seaside resort towns of Trouville, Honfleur and Deauville, Normandy holiday packages offer something for everyone.


Let us customize your invitations to suit your special needs, color scheme, and personal taste. We want you to be happy and we can't wait to help you plan and design your very special wedding invitations.
Come in today and see our large selection of pre-designed art, or let us design something unique to you! Need a few days to decide? No problem! We have wedding books you can borrow so you have time to browse your options.


This is my response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Layered.
This entry was posted in Photography and tagged Columbus, German Village, Parks, Photographs, Photography, Photos, Public Art, Schiller Park, Statues, Stauf's Coffee, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Layered by maedez. Bookmark the permalink.
I think this looks great in B&W, maedez.
Oh, thank you bunches. I appreciate it.


So the last week was our first full week as a family of four at home. I think I was expecting things to be completely different and all change, which made me quite apprehensive. However, Dexter has settled right in and it's pretty much life as it was just with a newborn in tow!
It's lovely to have my husband off work and for us all to be together. Freddie has been spending time with each of us and we kind of do a relay of what needs to be done with the boys and around the house.
He asked to give him his bottle too, which was a very special moment for me to witness, Freddie is a little tornado most of the day but he is so, so tender and gentle with his baby brother, we were so proud.
Luckily, it's been glorious weather too, so Freddie has taken back up his worm hunting, wood exploring and sandpit playing, all the time telling Dexter what he is up to.
We have had relaxing week at home including a very first bath for Dexter and a family BBQ.
Let's hope the weather stays nice and that's half the battle!
This is my first link up taking part in Living Arrows.
Ah congratulations! We have 2 boys too… the youngest is 11 weeks now and our oldest, who was 2 years and 2 weeks when the little one was born, settled right in too!
Aww – congratulations to you! How lovely to see the two of them together.
Aww I love the names Dexter and Freddie. Frederick is actually my boy baby name, Freddie for short 🙂 Freddie looks like a great big brother!


text:
Contemporary & Literary Fiction
Australia Canada India United States
The Madness of a Seduced Woman
By Susan Fromberg Schaeffer
LIST PRICE £8.99
"During all those years when everyone wanted me to tell them...how I came to fire that shot, I never wanted to talk. Now I think I do..."
Agnes Dempster - young, beautiful, and accused of murder.
Vermont, 1890. After an unhappy childhood, Agnes Dempster turns her back on her family and escapes to the city to begin a new life. There she meets Frank Holt, a local stonecutter, a man who captures her imagination and opens her eyes to an entirely different world.
They begin a relationship, but over time Agnes becomes more dependent on Frank and this soon becomes an obsession - a dangerous one. And when she discovers her beloved is not as perfect as the image she had created of him, the cracks in her already fragile psyche begin to deepen. He is a betrayer, a man who will never make her happy. And as her life spirals out of control Agnes is propelled into a state of barely-controlled madness; a madness that leads to a chaotic and destructive resolution which will affect her and those around her for the rest of their lives…
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (July 14, 2016)
Fiction & Related Items > Modern & Contemporary Fiction
14 Favorites from a Bestselling Historical Fiction Writer
- Off the Shelf
Book Cover Image (jpg): The Madness of a Seduced Woman
Paperback 9781471157660
Get our latest book recommendations, author news, competitions, offers, and other information right to your inbox.
By clicking 'Sign me up' I confirm that I'd like to receive updates, special offers, including partner offers, and other information from Simon & Schuster Inc. and the Simon & Schuster family of companies. I understand I can change my preference through my account settings or unsubscribe directly from any marketing communications at any time. We will send you an email with instructions on how to redeem your free eBook, and associated terms.
New Releases Books and The City
True Crime Children's Books
About Simon & Schuster UK
Connect with S&S UK
Rights Department
How to Order and Warehouse Information
UK Sales and Export Sales Contact List
Books and the City


text:
Kvestor.eu -
Bussiness Card
Legal procedures for enforcing pecuniary claims in Slovenia
The Slovenian legal system offers creditors two options to commence legal action. The creditor can either file a lawsuit or start Enforcement procedure on the basis of the authentic instrument.
Enforcement procedure on the basis of an authentic instrument
Types of authentic instrument are prescribed by law. The most common authentic instruments are invoices, a statement of account, cheques and bills of exchange. The enforcement procedure on the basis of the authentic instrument is more recommended in situations where debtor's objection is not expected. Since 2008, the motions for executions are filed mostly on-line. Upon receipt of the creditor's application the court issues a writ of execution automatically and services it to the debtor. If the debtor doesn't object within eight days, the writ of execution becomes final and enforceable.
This type of procedure takes the longest 40 days. If the debtor objects to the writ of execution in time, the court will pass the file to a litigation procedure.
The creditor will have to prepare the complaint and support it with full documentation about the claim (invoices, contract, proof of order, proof of delivery etc.). The creditor can also withdraw from lawsuit by settling a court fee for withdrawal from legal action. If the complaint is not submitted or the court fee for legal action is not settled in time, the court will reject creditor's application.
If debtor's objection against the writ of execution is to general (e.g. the debtor claims to have settled all debts towards the creditor or that they have no knowledge of creditor's company), the creditor can file a motion for preliminary order for freezing of debtor's assets for the time of the litigation.
A lawsuit
A creditor can also file a lawsuit without having to institute the Enforcement procedure on the basis of the authentic instrument.
If the claim is supported by an authentic instrument, the court should issue payment order, instructing the debtor to settle the claim within 8 days or to file an objection. The court must service the lawsuit (and the payment order) to defendant in 30 days. If the defendant's objection against payment order is justified, the court will set the payment order aside and continue with the litigation procedure.
If the court hasn't issued the payment order, the court must service the lawsuit to the defendant within 30 days. Unless the defendant files an answer to lawsuit within 30 days, the court will issue a default judgement in plaintiffs favour, on condition that all proofs support plaintiff's claim. The court must service the defendant's answer to the plaintiff in 30 days. In emergency cases the court can set a date for a court hearing immediately after checking the lawsuit, without servicing the complaint to the defendant. Usually several court hearings are necessary before the court renders the judgement.
The court always invites the parties to try solving the dispute by mediation, however, this step is not necessary for the parties.
The parties can also conclude the court settlement at the court hearing.
The judgement must be issued in 30 days from the last court hearing. Both parties have 15 days to appeal against the judgement. If none of both parties appeals, the judgement becomes final and enforceable.
Courts accept only documentation in domestic language, therefore all documents must be translated into Slovenian language by the court certified translators.
The creditor can also avail himself of protective measures (e.g. freezing of debtor's assets) such as preliminary order and interim order. Debtor's objections and appeals against protective measures don't stay the proceedings.
Preliminary order
In case of the enforcement procedure on the basis of the authentic instrument the creditor can ask for preliminary order. The creditor has to prove that there is a probable risk that enforcement of the claim would otherwise be impossible or rendered considerably more difficult. It is assumed that such risk exists if the content of debtor's objection against the writ of execution was to general (e.g. if the debtor claims that they have settled all claims towards the creditor or that the creditor's company is unknown to him).
The preliminary order states the amount of the secured claim, with interest and costs, the security ordered and the period of time for which it is allowed.
A preliminary order may last no longer than eight days from the occurrence of the conditions for enforcement, meaning that in the period of eight days the creditor must start the enforcement procedure otherwise he will lose the benefits of the preliminary order. The creditor can ask the court for extension of duration of the preliminary order if the court decision hasn't become enforceable yet.
Interim order
The application for temporary order can be submitted to the court prior to filing a lawsuit or in the course of lawsuit. If an order is issued before the submission of an action, the court provides the creditor with a deadline by which it must commence legal action. If the legal action is not started by that date, the court will halt the proceedings.
The court issues the interim order only if the creditor can demonstrate
the likelihood of the existence of a claim or that a claim against the debtor will arise
the risk that enforcement of the claim will be impossible or rendered considerably more difficult (due to disposal, concealment or other use of the property by the debtor.
If a creditor can demonstrate that interim order would cause to the debtor only insignificant damage, the creditor doesn't have to prove the risk.
If the claim is to be enforced abroad and outside European Union, the creditor also doesn't have to prove the risk.
The period of validity of an interim order is determined by the court. If the interim order is issued before the submission of an action or the commencement of another procedure, or if an order is issued to secure a claim that has not yet arisen, the court provides the creditor with a deadline by which it must commence a procedure or submit an action.
Legal costs consist of court fee, attorney fee, translation costs, costs in connection with witnesses or appointing an expert. The losing party must reimburse legal costs to the party who won the lawsuit.
Blank levo
footer kolona 1 - blank - ne briši
footer kontakt
Kvestor,
Risks and Claims
Management, Ltd.
footer kontakt 2
Savska cesta 3
M +386 41 281 954
www.kvestor.eu


Shenzhen Daryo Technologies Co., Ltd is a high-technology enterprise integrating in the development, production, sales and service of electronic cigarettes. We have several years of experience in this particular line of business. Our main products are eGo, snoop dogg series, rda&rba and rta, meachanical mod, disposable e-cigarette and some accessories,with superior quality,best prices and perfect aftersale services.For any questions,pls feel free to contact us.Welcome to our store!


text:
Home/Other/Politics/Liberians queue for rice
Liberians queue for rice
-As Commerce blames businesses for hoarding
Long queues were spotted at the Old Road Joe Bar and Rally Time Markets Monday July 6, as the Commerce Ministry launched a vigorous inspection for rice, the country's staple, forcing businesses to sell at lower prices.
The move which was greeted with cheers by Liberians witnessed a rush to buy a 25 kg rice at the cost of 2,700, instead of 4,000 as had been hiked by dealers for the past weeks. For some weeks now there has been rumor of rice shortage on the Liberian market but the Commerce Ministry denied the rumor and blamed local provision shops for hoarding rice to create a false impression that there is rice shortage in country.
The ministry said it had to intervene at some business centers Monday, July 6, instructing sale of 25kg bag of rice LD$2,700, down from hiked price of LD$4,000.
This paper made an inquiry with the Ministry of Commerce Monday evening, following the incident in which consumers were seen in long queues to purchase rice, but in most cases were denied by local dealers or priced exorbitantly at some point for LD$3,500 or LD$4,000.
This incident came Monday despite a strongly worded statement issued by the ministry over the weekend, insisting that there is no shortage of the nation's staple, rice on the market. Mr. Jacob Parley, the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, told this paper via mobile Monday that it is true that people queued for rice, but there is no rice shortage.
According to him, after the ministry issued the strongly worded statement over the weekend, there were people who still did not believe in what was said. As such, he notes that the ministry took the media to the Freeport of Monrovia where the media and the ministry's team toured two rice warehouses stocked with rice.
To raid the market of dubious practices, he says the team went out into the field based on tips from informers that some businesses were hoarding the product which is suspected to be responsible for [people's rush for the product]. At Rally Time Market for instance, he says there was information that a Fulani man's shop known as A.J. Business Center would refuse to sell rice to buyers, and at one point he would also sell it but at a cost of LD$4,000 or LD$3,000 at another time.
When engaged by the ministry's team why he was not selling the rice to consumers, Mr. Parley explains that the businessman claimed that the rice was already paid for by other customers who had yet to take delivery.
But due to the businessman's failure to produce receipts to authenticate this claim, Mr. Parley furthers that business people were predominantly market women who joined the queue as the ministry instructed the sale of the rice for LD$2,700.
At that same market, he says another business center called Moudou, was caught to be engaged in similar practice, prompting the ministry's intervention. He explains that a business known as Modu Business Center in the Old Road Community was similarly engaged in selling rice either LD$3,000 or LD$4,000, as alleged by consumers.
When the Commerce Ministry's team discovered a pile of rice in the shop, Mr. Parley says it also took similar decision by selling the rice for LD$2,700, and did same to other businesses that were caught.
"So if you saw people in queue on the Old Road, Rally Time Market, yes it is true. But that [does not have] to suggest that there [was] shortage, but there were people who were found hoarding the product and so we have to move in …," he says. He notes that Monday's exercise was sparked by wild speculation about rice shortage which the ministry says is untrue.
Over the weekend, the ministry dismissed fears and rumors that there is rice shortage here, saying the Country's current rice inventory shows that such speculations are far from the reality. It explained that based on the current inventory, there are 40,000 (forty thousand) Metric Tons of rice in the country, accounting for 1.6 million bags of the 25Kg rice.
It said further that the available quantity has the capacity to supply the local rice market for approximately three months, and that besides, a consignment of 30,000 Metric Tons, equivalent to 1.2 million bags of rice is expected in Liberia this July that will sustain the local market for two months.
The Ministry also notes that out of this quantity (thirty thousand Metric Tons) expected, 18,000 Metric Tons are due in between July 12 and 18, 2020. An additional supply of 55,000 (fifty five thousand) Metric Tons are expected in the country in August this year, accounting for 2.2 million, equivalent to about four months' supply.
"We would also like to make it emphatically clear that the approved retail price for the 25Kg bag of Rice is US$13.50 (thirty United States Dollars and fifty cents)," he says. Against this backdrop, the Commerce Ministry is warning against unwholesome practices in the Liberian business sector, including but not limited to hoarding of any commodity for that matter or arbitrary stepping up of its price, adding that it will not relent to apply the appropriate laws in going after those whose inordinate desire is to profiteer at the expense of the public, especially during these testing days of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Liberia.
"At the same time, we admonish the public to work along with the Ministry's Inspectorate by reporting any unhealthy practices in the Liberian business sector as collaboration plays a pivotal role in curtailing such unwholesome activities," he concludes.
Bong Senators in the mud
Vol.10 No.112 Friday JULY 03, 2020


Even solopreneurs can benefit from a support network. Here's how to develop an advisory board and get the help you need.
Learn ways to spread the word about your new business. Plus, how to win your first customers.
How to decide what you call your company. Plus, choosing a business structure.
Today, you'll learn where look for the money you need to launch. Part five in a 10-part series to help you start a business.
In today's installment of our series to help you launch a new venture, you'll put your concept on paper.
Carving out a niche in the marketplace is crucial to survival. Here's how to evaluate your chances of success.


On a warm but breezy Fall day, dozens of Team Mobile members gathered with family and friends for the second Family Day at the U.S. Manufacturing Facility. On Saturday, October 21, from 2 until 6pm, attendees took tours, bounced in inflatables, climbed climbing walls, and viewed vintage aircraft.
A wide array of food trucks kept the guests fed and hydrated and a DJ spun tunes to keep them entertained.
General Manager Daryl Taylor and his family were among the participants.
"It was great to see so many of our Team Mobile members and families touring the production facility, enjoying the games, checking out the vintage aircraft demonstration, and generally having a great day out," Mr. Taylor said.
Family Day provides a welcomed opportunity for employees to do a bit of "show and tell" about how and where they build world-class aircraft for commercial airliners. Kudos to everyone who worked to make the day such a fun one for all.


text:
Building on top of Bitcoin
Back to the previous Step
Crypto Basics: Building on top of Bitcoin
Revisiting the Blockchain Trilemma
Understanding the crypto ecosystem in terms of layers
What problem the Lightning Network solves
The future of the Lightning Network
Learn Crypto tries as much as possible to explain concepts in simple language, but reading the headline of this article, you might feel that we're failing in our mission.
If you've followed this section on the Basics of Crypto sequentially you'll know that Bitcoin is a new form of internet money which is digitally scarce. That scarcity makes it an excellent store of value. So far so good,
But for it to become a widely used form of money - used for everyday purchases - it also needs to be as fast and convenient as the contactless options we are used to.
Unfortunately, Bitcoin out of the box cannot do this, because of something called the Bitcoin trilemma, which has been already introduced
The trilemma highlights the difficulty of accommodating the three ideal aspects of a blockchain-based money system -
Decentralisation.
Fiat currencies have traditionally sacrificed decentralisation to provide security and scalability in a highly centralised manner; which creates problems of accountability and trust (see the 2008 Financial Crisis).
Bitcoin can provide security and decentralisation but at the cost of scalability. The bitcoin blockchain can currently only process around five transactions per second, when Visa processes thousands of transactions per second.
The term Layer 2 simply refers to the idea of building functionality on top of Bitcoin's blockchain, to solve the scalability part of the trilemma; the Lighting Network is a specific Layer 2 solution, focused on speeding up payments and competing with the likes of Visa.
Let's zoom in to understand exactly how you can build on top of Bitcoin - via Layer 2 - and explore the fundamentals of the Lightning Network.
Separating the Layers
The idea of Layer 2 is to build protocols or secondary infrastructure (e.g. the Lightning Network) that can interact with a fundamental base blockchain (Layer 1 e.g Bitcoin) but not be restricted by its scale limitations. This is where we make a clear distinction between on-chain (Layer 1) and off-chain (Layer 2).
Transactions described as being on-chain are processed entirely through the relevant blockchain's consensus mechanism and recorded publicly onto the chain.
Bitcoin requires Proof of Work, which takes roughly 10 minutes to confirm a transaction, with six recommended for finality, so you can see why on-chain transactions cannot compete with the speed of Visa..
Transactions described as being off-chain are processed outside of the given blockchain network and its consensus mechanism, but at a later date are batched together and the aggregate activity is recorded as an on-chain transaction.
The beauty of layer 2 solutions is that the main chain doesn't need to go through any structural change, or sacrifice either security or decentralisation in order to increase scalability.
For Bitcoin, the relevant Layer 2 application that can do this is called the Lighting Network.
The Lightning Network: Channels & Invoices
The Lightning Network is an example of Layer 2 bitcoin service. It is an off-chain approach first formally proposed in a paper by Joseph Poon and Thaddeus Dryja in 2015.
The technology uses micropayment channels to scale the bitcoin blockchain's capability by processing transactions more efficiently.
Micropayment channels are opened between two parties looking to conduct a transaction. This channel is opened off-chain and without the overhead of the consensus mechanism, can process transactions much more efficiently than those that occur on-chain.
Transactions are added to the chain once both parties have closed the channel, i.e. agreed to the transaction's validity.
Think of it like having credit at your local convenience store, agreed up to a fixed point, say €50. Once that limit is reached, you get an invoice and settle up.
On the Lightning Network, payment channels are opened between two parties through multi-signature addresses. These act as mutual vaults that both parties can deposit funds into; multi-signature means that more than one signature is needed to release funds, a fail-safe ensuring one side cannot walk away with the funds within the channel.
When funds are deposited, a channel is opened, creating a balance sheet between the two parties; this is then added to the main chain.
Transactions between the two parties are recorded by updating this balance sheet to include the new balance between the two parties. These updates come in the form of Invoices.
An invoice is a request for payment via the Lightning Network. Just like a traditional Invoice, say from your builder, includes instructions of where to remit the payment for services rendered, a Lightning Invoice is a structured set of instructions.
The payment amount
Which blockchain the invoice applies to
An expiry date
Payee pubkey
Rather than using Bitcoin-style addresses Lightning Invoices are generally generated as QR codes, to ease the user experience, though they can be presented as alphanumeric strings.
Illustrating Lightning By Example
We can illustrate the Lightning Network through a simple example. Bob wants to buy a coffee from a cafe. Bob opens a payment channel with the Cafe and deposits some BTC to create a balance sheet between them.
When Bob buys a coffee the Cafe issues an Invoice via QR code which Bob pay through this Lightning Wallet on his phone.
The balance sheet between Bob/The Cafe gets updated; with every coffee Bob buys the relevant amount of BTC gets subtracted from Bob's balance, added to the coffee shop's balance.
Both parties sign each updated balance sheet with their unique signature key. All this happens instantly, solving the issue of slow on-chain confirmations.
To close the payment channel and release the funds, either party can broadcast the latest agreed balance sheet to the Bitcoin main-chain network and get the transactions verified by Bitcoin's consensus mechanism.
The Cafe will then receive the proceeds of Bob's coffee purchases
Bob will retain any unspent balance
Thus we can see how the Lightning Network significantly reduces the transactional load on the bitcoin blockchain. Thousands of transactions can occur within the micropayment channels between two parties.
Only two transactions have to be processed by the blockchain - the micropayment channel's (balance sheet) opening and closing.
The Lightning Network structure is designed to connect individual users through micropayment channels in the most efficient way possible. Therefore, it isn't unnecessary to open a payment channel with every individual actor you want to use.
A may only know B, but if B knows C, then A can connect to C via B acting as a kind of router or hub.
All of this not only means faster transactions - some estimates put the upper limits of lightning network capability at nearly 1 million transactions per second - it also means lower transaction costs. The fewer transactions that have to be processed by bitcoin's consensus mechanisms, the fewer fees have to be paid.
The hope is that as the Lightning Network expands and the UX of wallets improves, you'll be able to use just a few taps to buy a coffee by opening a channel with a coffee shop and scanning a QR code.
The Lightning Network - Bitcoin's killer Application?
By enabling the transaction to occur through payment channels rather than on-chain, the lightning network offers a potential way for bitcoin to address its scalability problem. People have likened this to what fiat currency did for gold, arguing that the lightning network could be bitcoin's 'killer application'.
The analogy works when you think about it, the use of paper notes was a way of scaling gold, just like the lightning network is a way of scaling bitcoin. The scaling of printed money eventually 'killed' gold as a currency and turned it into a value store. It remains to be seen if the lightning network can do this for Bitcoin.
What then, are the potential drawbacks of the lightning network and how do other attempts to scale blockchains differ?
Lightning is still handling only a tiny fraction of on-chain transactions. Nodes are growing along with the number of wallets that support Lightning, but there is a long way to go to simplify the User Experience of creating/managing channels and invoices.
Another, perhaps more significant, problem, is the risk of powerful hubs developing on the network.
Hubs are big pools of capital that could facilitate a large proportion of the transactions in the network. This would risk the network's security, and of course, risk re-introducing centralisation to the system.
The other main prominent attempt to scale blockchain technology is occurring on Ethereum. These upgrades are known as ETH 2.0 and include changes to consensus mechanism and a technology known as sharding. These are covered in more detail in our knowledge base article on Ethereum.
The Lightning Network is a work in progress but should it be successful, may finally provide the solution to Bitcoin's trilemma, enabling it to scale transactions without compromising its core features. At that point it becomes more than a Store of Value, and can compete with fiat currencies as an effective Medium of Exchange as is now happening in El Salvador, where Bitcoin is now legal tender, and the Lighting Network is the means to on-board locals.
Next step: What is Ethereum


text:
Bensalem hopes first-of-its-kind telemedicine program reduces treatment barriers
Jo Ciavaglia @JoCiavaglia
Sep 9, 2019 at 4:00 PM Sep 9, 2019 at 4:02 PM
The new telemedicine program launched on Monday is designed to remove two frequent barriers to obtaining substance abuse treatment quickly: time and transportation. The video assessment pilot program through the Bensalem Police Department could eventually go countywide.
Three years ago, Bensalem police started encouraging township residents who wanted to enter drug treatment to walk into its police station any time of the day or night for help.
On Monday, the police department launched a first-of-its-kind expansion of its Bensalem Police Assisting in Recovery (BPAIR) program that will use telemedicine to immediately assess treatment needs, locate a bed and provide free transportation, wherever help is located.
"This is not about arresting people," Bensalem Director of Public Safety Fred Harran said. "When someone needs to get off drugs, you've got about a five-minute window to get help."
But the process for getting a person into substance abuse treatment can take four to five hours, Harran said. The new telemedicine program is designed to reduce that delay to 20 minutes, Harran said.
Once a bed is located, Bensalem will provide transportation, through the Uber ride service, to the treatment facility's location. The transportation costs are funded under a grant from the Kaitlin Murphy Foundation, a Warrington organization created in memory of a 24-year-old resident who died of a heroin overdose in 2012.
While available data suggests deaths from opiate and opioid overdoses may have peaked, the number of non-fatal overdoses has not, Harran said. Police responded to five drug overdoses over the past weekend, including two Sunday and one Monday morning, he said.
In Bucks County, the number of opiate-related deaths in the first three quarters of last year was about 6% lower than over the same time in 2017, according to the county coroner's office.
Neighboring Montgomery County saw a 13% drop in opioid-related deaths last year, from 206 to 179. There have been 58 opioid-related deaths the first quarter of 2019. Accidental drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl compared to 2017 also dropped, officials said..
Since launching its original BPAIR program in July 2016, the department has assisted 70 residents, about two a month, with easier access to substance abuse treatment, Harran said.
The telemedicine aspect also addresses a re-occurring barrier that BPAIR encountered with the length of time required to obtain assessments necessary to find the appropriate treatment setting, Harran said.
Under the expansion, township residents wanting to enter substance abuse treatment will be able to immediately fill out paperwork and consents, which will be emailed and faxed to Gaudenzia Inc., which will provide the treatment assessments through video teleconferencing at the police station. Gaudenzia is among the treatment programs where someone could be placed.
A BPAIR volunteer "navigator" will stay with the person seeking treatment to provide emotional support and answer questions.
If a bed is not immediately found, Gaudenzia will continue to search and the person seeking treatment will also be given a resource package.
The video assessments will be available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. under the pilot program, but Harran anticipates it will be expanded to 24-7.
The telemedicine assessment pilot is only available to township residents including those living in motels along Route 1, known to be popular with area drug users.
But Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub and Diane Rosati, director of the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, who attended the news conference Monday, hinted that if successful, the program could be expanded countywide.
"The way to win this battle is to eliminate the demand," Weintraub said.
Harran also hinted that another police-initiated telemedicne program will be announced in six weeks, but declined to say if it was drug-treatment related.
Substance abusers who appear at the police station seeking help will not be arrested if they possess drugs or drug paraphernalia, but police will confiscate the items, Harran said. The voluntary program will also be extended to individuals arrested for minor misdemeanors who are not immediately arraigned, though criminal charges in those cases will not be dropped.
Harran pointed out that police already use video technology for arraignments involving some criminal suspects, so it makes sense to use it to reduce barriers to substance abuse treatment.
"We've got to keep up with the technology," Harran added.


We are looking for an Account Manager to join our sales team in Boston, MA and help us on our mission.
You have an intense work ethic, great business and sales acumen, an insatiable desire to grow and learn, and want to be surrounded by A+ teammates in a culture of excellence. If that's you, then we need to talk!
Our Account Managers work with current customers to identify challenges with their communications systems and pinpoint which Fuze solution is best suited to help them transform the way they do business.


Food nourishes your body, but it also has an unfortunate side effect: it also nourishes germs, parasites, viruses, toxins, and bacteria. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, food poisoning occurs most often at picnics, school cafeterias, large social functions, and restaurants. Food poisoning commonly occurs 2-6 hours after eating or drinking contaminated food.
Yikes! Those things are not what you want for yourself, your family, or your friends. The effects of food poisoning go beyond discomfort. In some cases, food poisoning may even be fatal! We're sure you've heard about bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Norovirus. These dangerous microbes are the result of mishandled food preparation or food that contacts waste during production.
While we're sure you keep a clean kitchen, there are places that easily go unnoticed and unattended to—and it's not your floor, microwave keypad, or flatware storage tray.
Be honest: how many of those top 10 things do you attend to? And if you do, how often? If you're not cleaning them on a regular basis, you're inviting unwanted, deadly germs and bacteria to grow in your home!
Even after taking a quick look at the list above, you'll notice over half the items above in the refrigerator. Do you know why that is? It's because germs prefer to grow in damp and dark environments. Your fridge also has many small nooks and crannies where germs hide. While you may wipe it down your refrigerator shelves with a rag or washcloth, it's also important you sanitize them properly.
Other common areas for germs to build up is on accessories that require dissembling to clean, such as your blender or other automated kitchen devices. Often people simply clean the external parts of these tools—not the internal parts where germs build up and attach themselves to food.
One more thing to avoid is storing utensils before they dry. If you're placing wet knives in a knife block or wet spoons in your kitchen drawer, you're inviting germs to grow on your kitchenware. Remember: germs love dark and damp places.
• If it contacts food, clean it with warm and soapy water. This rule applies to everything food touches. If you can clean the storage area with water, do so at least once a month. This includes food storage trays, countertops, and microwaves. Commonly used items like cutting boards, utensils, and dishes should be cleaned with warm soapy water after each use.
• Allow cleaned objects to completely dry before storage. Don't make the mistake of placing a dish or object in a dark place before it dries. Doing so allows germs to grow and defeats the purpose of you cleaning it in the first place!
• To combat odors, use a baking soda solution. Baking soda is a wonderful deodorizer. To clean and remove smells from things you haven't cleaned in a while, make a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 8 ounces of water.
Don't let your kitchen get out of hand! Follow these tips above to ensure your kitchen stays clean. When you do, you'll do your best to avoid bacteria growth and avoid food poisoning.
Stay healthy and safe, the natural way.
For more natural health and wellness tips, bookmark our blog and visit it regularly. Also, be sure to sign up for our free newsletter if you haven't already, so you can get a monthly update on natural health advice and special offers from our office.


text:
ricoh gr digital ii price
Ricoh GR Digital II - Page 2. Full list of Ricoh GR Digital II specs and features: weight, battery life, sensor, iso and others. Ricoh GR II Compact System Camera, Black (16MP, 18.3 mm Wide Lens, F2.8, WiFi) 3-Inch LCD ... almost equal in size to the GR DIGITAL IV (which is equipped with a smaller 1/1.7-inch image sensor), providing the outstanding portability. View and Download Ricoh GR Digital II user manual online. Ricoh GR II 16.2MP Digital Camera - Black . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Ricoh Digital camera GR DIGITAL II JAPAN at the best online prices at eBay! (27) 27 product ratings - Ricoh GR II 16.2MP Digital Camera - (Black) £399.90. Copyright © 1995-2020 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Ricoh GR Digital II is manufactured by Ricoh and was added in December 2014 in the Digital Cameras section Selection of Ricoh products. A good 28mm lens. A group for all kinds of image taken with the Ricoh GR Digital, GR Digital II and now the latest GR Digital III, please join and share your images, and make this group special and meaningful to all members. Find the best price for Ricoh GR Digital II right now! Here we are comparing two Compact cameras by Ricoh. Snapsort compares the Ricoh GR Digital II vs the Ricoh GR Digital III to find out which is the winner. 10.00 . All the best products. This item: Ricoh GR II Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) $639.95 SanDisk 32GB Extreme SDHC UHS-I Memory Card - 90MB/s, C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD Card - SDSDXVE-032G… $9.99 Wasabi Power Battery (2-Pack) and Charger for Ricoh DB-65 and Ricoh G700, G700SE, G600, GR, GR… $18.99 Customers who bought this item also bought Review Price: £336.00. Compact Digital Camera Pouch Case JJC for Sony RX100 VI V IV III II Fuji Fujifilm XF10 Olympus TG-5 TG-4 TG-3 Canon G7X Mark II SX720 Panasonic TS30 Ricoh GR II up to 4.4x2.6x1.5" … Please, do not confuse the quality of the lens with the megapixels (more on that later). Ricoh GR II Digital Camera. TIPA 2006 - Best Prestige Camera (Europe) * Camera Grand Prix 2006 - Special Prize (Japan) * iF Product Design Award 2006 (Germany) * Camera of the Year 2005 - Compact Digital Camera 1st Prize Nippon Camera Magazine (Dec '05issue,Japan) Features & Controls. Ricoh Digital Camera GR DIGITAL. A 4x digital zoom is provided, with up to 5.7x at 640x480 pixels. The GR Digital II features a wide angle 28mm equivalent fixed lens. Compare Ricoh GR Digital II (10MP) vs. Sony Alpha NEX-7 (24.3MP) on sensor size (9.14mm vs. 28.21mm diagonal), pixel pitch, pixel density and other specs. Only full-frame cameras have a larger sensor, but most of them come at a high price. The Original 8.1mp Ricoh GR Digital Review The Ricoh GR Digital was an 8.1 megapixel point and shoot camera released by Ricoh in 2005 in Japan. Ricoh GR Digital 1 (GRD1) Asking Price 75.00 USD Item Location Boston, MA (United States) Item Description This is the first GR digital camera, the one from 2005 with a 8mp CCD sensor. Browse a huge selection of new & used Ricoh GR II Digital Cameras for sale. The GR Digital II is still available and costs about £300. The new GR II combines compact dimensions — perfect for snapshot photography on the street — with high-quality, high-resolution images delivered by a large image sensor, equal in size to the one installed on PENTAX digital SLR cameras. It's in good shape, the lens looks clean and retracts well, the back LCD is scratch free, the body in general has no scratches. The Ricoh GR Digital II camera kit has an MSRP of US$699, and ships with: GR Digital II camera body, AV cable, USB cable, Hand strap, Rechargeable battery (DB-60), Battery charger (BJ-6), Software CD-ROM, and Instruction manuals. Free shipping for many products! Free shipping on many items. The update to one of my personal fave cameras - the Ricoh GR II - but will I cop it? GR Digital II digital camera pdf manual download. GR II by Thomas Schulz 201 19 M3 + Biotar 58/2. The latest price of Ricoh GR Digital II … No price information. The Ricoh GR II is a digital compact camera that features a 16.1MP sensor. The lowest price of Ricoh GR Digital II is P35,310 at ebay philippines, which is 10% less than the cost of GR Digital II at Lazada (P39,293). GR Digital major specifications: Magnesium body CCD: 1/1.8-inch primary-color CCD. Overall 44 Imaging 33 Features 42 Value 59 Size 96. CNET brings you pricing information for retailers, as well as reviews, ratings, specs and more. Controls are improved while maintaining the pursuit of portability, bringing us one step closer to the ultimate snapshooter. Check the list of all Ricoh GR Digital II rivals. When Ricoh launched the original GR Digital in 2005 it was a bold and ambitious concept: a pocket-sized compact camera aimed at enthusiast photographers, offering SLR-like … Ricoh drops GR II price $100 three weeks after announcement. Check Ricoh GR Digital II photo samples. Ricoh gr digital for sale Boxed Ricoh GR III Compact Digital Camera - Black: 148 £ | Ricoh GR Digital IV: 62 £ | Ricoh GR II 16.2MP Digital Camera - Black: 22 That's a saving of £57.32. Ricoh GR III vs Ricoh GR Digital III Comparison Overview. … Below you can see the front view size comparison of Ricoh GR II and Ricoh GR Digital III. We ship items via DHL. That's 132g lighter than the Canon PowerShot G5 X (353g). By: Steve's Digicams. powered by . One-stop shop for all things from your favourite brand, {"modules":["unloadOptimization","bandwidthDetection"],"unloadOptimization":{"browsers":{"Firefox":true,"Chrome":true}},"bandwidthDetection":{"url":"https://ir.ebaystatic.com/cr/v/c1/thirtysevens.jpg","maxViews":4,"imgSize":37,"expiry":300000,"timeout":250}}, BREVILLE Curve VKT018 Jug Kettle - White & Rose Gold - Currys, LG 65UN73006LA 65 4K Ultra HD Smart TV with webOS, Cox & Cox Indoor/Outdoor Stylish Grey Washed Acacia Porto Dining Set - RRP £795, SHARK DuoClean Powered Lift-Away True Pet Anti Hair Wrap AZ910UKT Vacuum Cleaner, SAMSUNG HW-T450/XU 2.1 Wireless Sound Bar - Currys, Davidoff Cool Water Woman Eau de Toilette 100ml Spray NEW. Last week Jamie reviewed the Ricoh GX200, a £350 12-megapixel compact camera with a 3x zoom lens and a range of features designed to … Mark Goldstein finds out if the GR Digital III can justify its equally serious price-tag of £529 / $699. The GR Digital saw 3 revisions, the GR Digital II in 2007, the GR Digital III in 2009 and the GR Digital IV in 2011. 27 product ratings - Ricoh GR II 16.2MP Digital Camera - Black Great Condition boxed youtube blogging, 34 product ratings - Ricoh GR II 16.2MP Compact Digital Camera Good conditions From Japan DHL, 34 product ratings - Ricoh GR DIGITAL II 10.1MP Digital Camera Body [Excellent++] from Japan F/S. Find best deals and buying advice from consumers on Ricoh GR Digital II from Reevoo. Quite obviously, a camera that has a lousy lens is no good camera. The Ricoh GR Digital II will cost £399.99 when it hits UK shops in December. Mounts onto the hotshoe almost directly above the lens. We will provide the tracking number COVID-19. Make Offer - 【Near Mint+】Ricoh VF-1 EVF Viewfinder with Case for GX100 GX200 From Japan #288 View basket for details. The Ricoh GV-2 optical mini viewfinder is suitable for use with the Ricoh GR, GR Digital, GR Digital II, GR Digital III and GR Digital IV digital camera models. Ricoh … Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items The camera's weight will depend on the type and size of camera. Ricoh Digital Camera GR DIGITAL. Ricoh's GR Digital II has been fully tested at the Photography Blog and the conclusion is that, while there are flaws, it delivers great pictures and is a joy to use. Ir a español. Max. 24.30 . The Ricoh GR Digital has been introduced by Ricoh in 2005. FAST & … As you … Price: $108.00 Payment method: PayPal Item condition: 9 Shows signs of use, but very clean Shipping instructions: price includes shipping conus This is the older series GR Digital II clean copy CCD sensor shutter count 817 Ricoh Battery Ricoh wall charger There is a visible dust spot in pictures of a bright sky @ f/9 Ricoh GR Digital III is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Real reviews, from customers like you. On the other hand, the lens has to serve the photographer's needs. Quite obviously, a camera that has a lousy lens is no good camera. No price information. CHECK PRICE . Ricoh GR Digital II Review - GR Digital II Specifications. Find Ricoh GR Digital II prices and learn where to buy. The aperture range is F2.4 - F11. A 4x digital zoom is provided, with up to 5.7x at 640x480 pixels. Something went wrong. lens from its predecessor, matching it to a new 10 megapixel sensor and new GR Engine II image processing system. Best Products. Ricoh GR II 16.2MP Digital Camera - (Black) 5 out of 5 stars. Neither Ricoh GR Digital or Leica Monochrom are perfect for every single shooting environment or circumstance, far from it, yet both offer near perfect solutions to particular sets of shooting goals I have. The Ricoh GR II's fixed focal length 5.9mm lens is equivalent to 28 mm on a 35mm camera, a very useful, true wide-angle. The Ricoh GR Digital is a compact digital camera made by Ricoh since 2005.. First announced at photokina 2004, it went on sale in Japan on 21 October 2005.The GR Digital is Ricoh's digital successor to their 35 mm GR series film cameras and the first in a series of Ricoh GR digital cameras.. Latest Ricoh GR Digital II reviews, ratings from genuine shoppers. Ricoh Digital Camera Owner's Manual Model GR Digital II. Just three weeks after Ricoh announced its GR II enthusiast compact, the company has dropped the MSRP by $100, from $799 to $699.
Bosch Built-in Oven With Steam, What Does Ansi Do, Usability Testing Report Template, Weather In Australia In September, Why Would Messages In Messenger Be Sent But Not Delivered, Afterglow Ps3 Controller Manual, Home Remedies To Prevent Pregnancy, Imrab 3 Tf Rabies Vaccine, Stanford Pathology Jobs,


text:
Official Trailer for 'Burn Country' Starring Dominic Rains & Melissa Leo
Source: EW.com
"You got a scoop?" Samuel Goldwyn has debuted a trailer for an indie drama titled Burn Country, which premiered at Tribeca earlier this year. The film is a fictional feature version of a real-life story of a "fixer" journalist from Afghanistan who decides to move to a town on the coast in Northern California. However, once he begins working at a newspaper there he gets drawn into the strange "backwoods of this small town", stumbling into local corruption and other dangers. Iranian actor Dominic Rains stars as Osman, and the cast includes Melissa Leo, James Franco, Rachel Brosnahan, Thomas Jay Ryan, Tim Kniffin, and James Oliver Wheatley. This looks damn good, like it offers a unique perspective not often seen on film.
Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Ian Olds' Burn Country, originally from EW.com:
After being exiled from Afghanistan, a former war journalist (Dominic Rains) who worked as a fixer in his home country settles in a small town in Northern California and takes a job with a local newspaper. But when he attempts to cover local crime, he stumbles into local corruption that puts himself and others in danger. Burn Country (formerly titled The Fixer) is directed by filmmaker Ian Olds, making his feature debut after a few documentaries and short films previously. He actually made a doc telling the real story in this film, titled Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi. The screenplay is co-written by Ian Olds & Paul Felten. This first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and also played the Newport Beach Film Festival. Burn Country opens in select theaters + on VOD starting December 9th this fall. Curious about this film?
Nice. Poster giving me NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN vibez.
DAVIDPD on Oct 25, 2016
Now, that's something different. A beautiful landscape and ruined people. So often mix these days. A reason why one should despise war and hard living in backcountry ...
shiboleth on Oct 26, 2016
Bonus. Will watch.
Carpola on Oct 26, 2016


text:
Amazon to staff up by fall of 2019
Workers to come from unemployed, employed, throughout region
Samantha Peone
Before the 2019 holiday rush, Amazon.com Inc. hopes to have nearly all 1,500 positions filled at the massive fulfillment center under construction on the West Plains, says company spokesperson Lauren Lynch.
Amazon will begin hiring a few weeks before the facility opens next year, but Lynch says hiring will still continue once the fulfillment center has opened. Hiring plans are all preliminary, she says.
"I can tell you that when Amazon starts hiring for the fulfillment center in Spokane, we're going to be hiring for 1,500 from the starting gate," she says.
The hiring process will include online applications and in-person interviews before candidates will be given hiring dates, she says, adding Amazon will advertise and reach out to local media when it's ready to begin hiring.
Amazon expects to open the facility before the 2019 holiday season to accommodate peak demand at that time of year, says Lynch.
According to planning documents on file with Spokane County, construction is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 31, 2019.
Amazon, however, will be hiring workers in an environment that has been seeing declining unemployment rates in recent years. According to Eastern Washington University's Spokane Community Indicators website, Spokane County's unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in 2017, down from a peak of 10.1 percent in 2010.
Amazon might draw employees from people already working here, but the company might also hire people who aren't working or people who live outside of Spokane County, employment and labor and economic observers here say.
Mark Qualley, vice president of staffing company Humanix Corp., says Spokane's current labor market is one of the tightest he's seen.
If Amazon's pay and perks are better than the area average, it might be easy to fill those jobs, Qualley says.
That could cause other employers to compete with higher wages, he asserts.
Doug Tweedy, regional economist for the Washington state Employment Security Department, says the 2017 average starting wage for warehouse workers in the Spokane metropolitan statistical area was $11.05 for warehouses that used manual labor without additional automated technology to help employees and $11.63 for warehouses that used both manual labor and automated technology.
Tweedy says the minimum wage was $11 per hour in 2017. This year, it's $11.50 per hour, and next year it'll jump to $12 per hour.
Although Lynch doesn't know pay rates for the Spokane fulfillment center yet, she says Amazon wants wages to be competitive. Pay can vary depending on experience, position, or shift. Amazon also has a pay increase program, she says, which provides employees the opportunity for a wage raise every few months. All 1,500 positions will offer health, retirement plan, and education-assistance benefits starting on the first day.
As of July 27, Amazon had 133 open fulfillment center jobs listed on www.amazon.jobs. One Seattle-based position, titled Amazon warehouse fulfillment associate, starts at a minimum of $13.25 per hour. Two other positions in Seattle, both titled part-time pickup associates, were listed with pay rates of $14.25 and $15.25, respectively.
Grant Forsyth, chief economist for Spokane-based Avista Corp., says many sectors are struggling to fill positions with qualified workers right now.
"If this comes on and we're still in a pretty a strong labor market … it's going to continue to tighten that labor market. For existing companies, it's probably going to get a little bit harder to hire qualified workers, and maybe some businesses might even lose workers who attempt or try to shift to Amazon facilities," says Forsyth. "I'd say overall, it's definitely going to tighten the regional labor market even more."
How much the market might tighten could depend on how many fulfillment center employees will come from outside of Spokane, he says.
Tweedy says Spokane's market has the capacity to absorb 1,500 more jobs.
Within a 40-mile radius of Amazon's planned facility, 20,000 people are unemployed, says Tweedy.
In short, Amazon can look farther than Spokane County for labor; people in other areas in Eastern Washington and northern Idaho can claim those positions as well, he says.
Additionally, currently unemployed people could take those jobs.
Patrick Jones, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economy with EWU, agrees that Spokane's labor force can handle the additional jobs. Compared to the size of the region's workforce 1,500 positions to fill is "relatively small."
In addition to a total labor force of roughly 240,000 employed people in Spokane in 2017, Whitman, Stevens, and Kootenai counties could add roughly between 80,000 and 90,000 people to the potential labor pool, he asserts.
Jones says people who aren't currently working could also take those positions.
According to EWU's Spokane Community Indicators website, in 2017 Spokane County saw 59 percent workforce participation for populations 16 years old or older compared to 63.7 percent of people in Washington state.
Also, some people could leave their existing jobs and join Amazon.
Forsyth, Jones, and Tweedy say it's difficult to gauge employee movement without knowing how much Amazon plans to pay its employees.
Tweedy says, "The movement between companies, when we don't know what the wage will be, (is) a real hard question to answer, but I certainly think the majority of (fulfillment center employees) will be coming from those people unemployed and people willing to move to Spokane for Amazon."
Lynch says most workers to be hired at the fulfillment center will pick, pack, and ship orders, although jobs also will include engineers, managers, and other positions. To qualify, people must be able to work in the U.S. legally and be at least 18 years old. Different positions require different education levels.
The economists say Amazon, as an employer, will bring economic benefits to the region.
Forsyth says new jobs tend to help with household formation in the long term. Plus, there could be a larger tax base, so governments might be able to collect more taxes without raising rates, he says.
Jones adds, "Just having such a high-profile company putting roots into our community is going to, I think, pay dividends down the road for business recruitment."
Tweedy says bringing a fulfillment center diversifies the economy.
"We would like a good mix of industries and occupations, and this adds to that mix. Spokane is the largest job base between Seattle and Minneapolis. We're a regional hub. People will come to Spokane for jobs," he says.
Lynch says Amazon has received "great feedback" from areas in which the company has opened fulfillment centers.
"It's more than just 1,500 jobs that we announce whenever we open the fulfillment center," she says.
For example, building the center requires construction workers, and other workers are needed to keep it functioning. Amazon often installs solar panels and uses small businesses for services such catering, creating T-shirts and banners, or snow removal, she says.
"More than 50 percent of the items inside an Amazon fulfillment center are part of our Fulfilled by Amazon program, meaning that more than 50 percent of the items come from small businesses inside the state of Washington," says Lynch. "Just through the lifespan of a building, we've got a lot of investment coming back to the community."
Reporter Samantha Peone joined the Journal in 2015 as research coordinator before later transitioning into a reporter role. She covers real estate and construction.