text:
Peter-Christian Aigner, Michael Brenes/ May 11, 2018
The Long, Tortured History of the Job Guarantee
How liberals, over decades, worked to undermine a proposal that has long enjoyed public support
H William Tetlow/Getty Images
It took a half-century of growing inequality, a massive recession, a spoiler primary campaign by a self-proclaimed socialist, and the election of a quasi-fascist, but big ideas are here again for Democrats. Medicare for All, paid family leave, tuition-free college—not since the late 1960s and '70s has the Democratic Party had such a bold, liberal agenda. Now, likely presidential candidates are even talking about job guarantees and universal basic income. The future seems left indeed.
But before assuming that anything is possible, it is worth considering just how bad things had to get for these goals, many of which were first proposed long ago, to be revived—and what destroyed these causes in the past, when the progressive coalition was much stronger. Major reform of the kind now under consideration has only passed in times of extreme crisis. (Think about how much of the liberal Democratic state was enacted in a mere six years, shared between the New Deal and Great Society.) And while the party appears to have decided to "lurch left" to win back the blue-collar whites who voted for Donald Trump after voting for Barack Obama, there is no shortage of research demonstrating that American economic policy has long been well to the right of where voters actually want it.
The job guarantee is a great example. Over the last month, progressives have been celebrating the legislation recently introduced by Senator Cory Booker, calling for a pilot job guarantee in 15 cities and regions, co-sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand. But this bill preempts universal job guarantee legislation being drawn up by Bernie Sanders and rejects even the limited job guarantee advocated by the Center for American Progress, suggesting that Democratic leaders still do not understand the severity of the problem. Those excited by the idea ought to remember, too, that it was liberals, not conservatives, who have killed job guarantee bills in the past.
Direct job-creation seems foreign now, but it was the very heart of the New Deal. Virtually every penny spent in those years went to an alphabet soup of programs like FERA, CWA, PWA, CCC, and the WPA. These were responsible for thousands of schools, hospitals, parks, airfields, roads, sewers, trails, and other valuable infrastructure, helping lay the groundwork for the famous post-war economic boom. Every county in the nation but three had a major public works initiative. And for a solid decade, the U.S. government remained the largest employer in the nation.
Joblessness also fell dramatically, if we count public labor—to 9 percent in FDR's first term, and to 6 percent in 1941 (and this was before the war). No later Congress was more successful. The growth rates in that period were impressive, too, averaging between 8 and 10 percent, far better than most recovering economies. Kiran Klaus Patel, in his 2016 book The New Deal: A Global History, notes that direct job-creation was the most distinctly American feature of the New Deal, although many local governments have used the program in economic downturns through history. Philip Harvey, Steven Attewell, Edwin Amenta, and others have argued that FDR's Committee on Economic Security saw the better-known insurance and welfare program as fallbacks, actually, to a primary, "forgotten leg" in the welfare state: public employment.
Recent pieces on the job guarantee sometimes note that FDR gave the right to work the top spot in his famous second Bill of Rights. And with fear of depression returning after the war, farmers, unions, and liberals mobilized behind a Full Employment bill that ostensibly would have created a permanent WPA. But while a pair of racist southern Democrats and one northern Republican are often blamed for defeating this social democratic legislation, the best new research finds that it was already "one of the most conservative" proposals floating around Congress, before the House ever voted—watered down by the New Deal Keynesian economists who drafted and reworked what became the 1946 Employment Act (which provided full employment in rhetoric only).
Happily, depression did not return. But in the fabled 1950s economy, unemployment steadily increased after three recessions, and then "automation" entered the lexicon. By the late 1950s, Walter Reuther, the left-labor leader, was calling for a March on Washington and a "Marshall Plan for the cities," soon joined by civil rights leaders. John F. Kennedy responded with the first national job training program, but it did little. Lyndon Johnson followed with the Keynesians' solution: a tax cut, expected to "unleash" the market and (what else?) "create jobs." Unemployment fell, helped by the Vietnam War, but high rates of joblessness remained, particularly for the "unskilled" and discriminated groups. Very soon after LBJ's War on Poverty began, various government departments began pushing for direct job-creation and calling for the government to become "employer of last resort," ideas JFK and LBJ had many times rejected. But domestic welfare was subsumed by the war.
Hubert Humphrey carried the banner in 1968, promoting federal planning for jobs, housing, and community development. But when he lost to Nixon, reformers in the party rejected this approach. "New Politics" Democrats turned to George McGovern, who implied that postwar Keynesianism had failed, and instead offered a far less popular solution with voters (and the poor): a "demogrant," or universal basic income (UBI). Every American would receive an annual income of $1,000, instead of a job.
The debate between "guaranteed" jobs or income played out in the 1972 primary between Humphrey and McGovern. Each candidate battled for the soul of the Democratic Party, with two competing versions for resolving unemployment and poverty. In Humphrey's corner were the NAACP and AFL-CIO. Remnants of the anti-war movement and wealthy suburban liberals backed McGovern.
There were no winners. After Humphrey's primary attacks, McGovern quickly abandoned the demogrant, a third as large as Nixon's guaranteed income plan (a precursor to the Earned Income Tax Credit), which Eugene McCarthy led the fight against. Then came the larger economic crisis of the 1970s: rising unemployment, high inflation, and stagnating wages. Democrats made an unusual move, endorsing the Humphrey-Hawkins Act in the 1976 platform, the first real attempt to establish a job guarantee since the late New Deal. House Majority Leader Tip O'Neill called it the "centerpiece." Voters responded by electing a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, a 74-seat majority in the House, and Jimmy Carter, who officially committed to support the bill.
But the same veterans of the Great Society killed it. Carter blamed high energy prices for "stagflation," as well as unions—the largest army in the Democratic base. Despite support from civil rights and religious groups, Carter refused to provide an enforcement mechanism for the legislation, which passed, but in a gutted, toothless form, just like the earlier Employment Act.
Ronald Reagan dismantled the job program Nixon had been forced to create just before his reelection. In response, Democratic Party elites followed the advice of the so-called New Democrats, and steadily moved right on "bread and butter" issues. When the Cold War ended, Bill Clinton, who cut his teeth on the 1972 McGovern campaign, reanimated the idea of converting the military—the longest-running, if unacknowledged, jobs program in the U.S.—to more economically and socially productive industries (as McGovern had suggested a generation earlier, taking off from the now-lonely work of Seymour Melman). But the idea never took. Even self-admitted socialists like Oakland's Ron Dellums refused to close military bases in his district, emblematic of Democratic politicians across the board who failed to recognize defense as an endless source of patronage and pork.
By the time Barack Obama became president, Democrats never entertained full employment in any serious, programmatic manner—highlighting how far they had strayed from their New Deal origins in terms of economic policy.
Support for a government-imposed ceiling on unemployment, for socially useful, economically productive, and individually satisfying work, has remained extraordinarily high into the Reagan era and present. But popular support alone cannot enact legislation. Clear barriers, intellectual and institutional, stand in the way. Wall Street is considerably stronger, and unions are on their knees. Under Trump, an exciting groundswell of activism has appeared. But it is questionable whether the resistance is powerful enough to defeat the donor class, which is violently opposed to a job guarantee. And many of the special interest groups that have replaced the unions and civil rights groups of earlier decades remain "heads without bodies," unable to marshal constituents to the cause.
Grassroots organizations like Black Lives Matter or the National Women's March, meanwhile, lack the deep pockets of these liberal lobbies. Democratic policy goals have lurched left, but there is no major effort underway to reform the electoral or legislative system, as the left in earlier periods believed necessary to any major policy goal.
Even when the left had both the numbers and financing to rival the GOP, job guarantees were rejected for weak temporary programs because New Deal and Great Society liberals assumed, like their opponents, and most Democratic leaders today, that capitalism would eventually (one day! soon!) provide for all. The jobs vs. income debate is somewhat a false either/or, but it is not surprising that one-percenters in Silicon Valley and Democratic Party elites still favor the UBI overwhelmingly against a public option in the labor market, despite persistently lopsided support for one and not the other. A job guarantee threatens corporate power, while an income guarantee subsidizes it.
If the latest job guarantee is not going to end like the rest, progressives will need to grapple with these ideological and institutional barriers. Or fail once more.
Peter-Christian Aigner is the director of the Gotham Center at the City University of New York, and is finishing a biography of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, to be published by Simon and Schuster.
Michael Brenes @mbrenes1
Michael Brenes teaches history at Yale University. His first book, For Might and Right: Cold War Defense Spending and the Remaking of American Democracy, will be published by the University of Massachusetts Press in October.
Politics, Job Guarantee, Jobs, Labor, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern, Richard Nixon, The New Deal, Great Society


text:
Donors Pledge $1.2 Billion For Cyclone Recovery In Mozambique
By Peter Hecht
Promises of international aid for Southern African country accompany calls for better construction to withstand climate change.
The international community is coming to the aid of Mozambique after two deadly cyclones devastated towns and infrastructure in the southern African nation this year.
A two-day conference in Mozambique ending Sunday generated $1.2 billion in international donation pledges to help the country recover, according to the United Nations Development Program.
UN General Secretary António Guterres called for an outpouring of support for the nation "that has suffered one of the worst environmental disasters ever experienced in Africa."
In March, Cyclone Idai blew in from the Indian Ocean and lashed Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, killing more than 1,000 people. About a month later, Cyclone Kenneth struck Mozambique, destroying entire villages with winds up to 174 miles per hour.
Mozambique says it needs more than $3 billion to rebuild. But one official for the UN Development Program says it's not just about rebuilding this time around.
Noura Hamladjj said: "Mozambique is prone to climate change disasters, and those cyclones were not a one-time event – unfortunately – and the probability of these disasters reoccurring, many times in the future, is very high."
As a result, she says Mozambique needs to "build back better" with improved construction - so that its cities and villages can withstand severe storms in the future.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Unprecedented access to grantmaking data. Streamlined giving. Stronger relationships. These are just a few things you can expect from Blackbaud Grantmaking. Consider how your organization could achieve more impactful grantmaking with Blackbaud Grantmaking, and take next steps to learn more now.


A solar inverter is a type of electrical converter which converts the DC (direct current) into a utility frequency AC (alternating current) that can be fed into a main grid in on-grid solar system. And vice versa in off grid solar system and hybrid solar system. It is very important part of a solar system. Solar power inverters have special functions current, voltage, power factor, anti-islanding protection including maximum power point tracking and Frequency.


From the beginning, GitLab has been an open source project and we want to continue growing community code contribution. This will be accomplished by lowering the barrier to entry for new contributors and also by helping casual contributors become regular contributors. We want GitLab to be the open source project of choice for open source developers.
A GitLab community room is available on Gitter for people interested in contributing to GitLab. This is open to everyone to join.
There will be a quarterly Hackathon for GitLab community members to come together to work on merge requests, participate in tutorial sessions, and support each other on the GitLab contributors channel. Agenda, logistics, materials, recordings, and other information for Hackathons will be available on the Hackathon project pages.
To encourage contribution to priority issues on an on-going basis (and not just during Hackathons), we will maintain a list of up to 5 priority issues for each product stage and prizes will be given to wider community members who have MRs merged for these issues. These issues will have the label Contribute for prize and more details such as prizes, assignment of these issues, etc. can be found here.
The GitLab Bot labels merge requests from outside of GitLab with the label Community contribution once a day (Monday-Friday). If you subscribe to the label, you will also receive an email notification from the GitLab Bot. It's helpful to review these MRs to do some quick triaging to apply appropriate labels and mention GitLab team members (e.g. product managers, engineering managers, technical writers for documentation, etc. ) so that the community MRs can be reviewed in a timely manner. You can refer to the product team handbook for the list of people you can mention in merge requests for each product area.
After the first merged MR, reach out to new contributors using the outreach email template to congratulate them on the first MR and offer a GitLab merchandise. In cases where it would be beneficial for new contributors to be paired up with an experienced mentor, you can make an offer for a mentor for a limited time period (~2 weeks) so that mentors are not overly burdened. Currently, mentors consist primarily of Core Team members.
The first-time contributors can be identified after each release in the First time contributors MRs dashboard.
There will be a monthly call with members of the Core Team using the Zoom conferencing tool and meetings will also be recorded. Since Core Team members are spread out in different time zones, meeting times will be rotated.
Service Desk will be used as a communication tool for Core Team members. Anyone can open issues in the Service Desk or send an email to incoming+gitlab-core-team/general@incoming.gitlab.com Core Team members who signed NDAs will also have access to GitLab Slack channels.
In order for community contributors to contribute to the GitLab Enterprise Edition, they will need a license for EE. If they don't already have a license, they can get a free trial for 30 days. If the contributor is not able to complete their work in 30 days, issue a new EE license for a 3-month period for a limited number of users. If the contributor wants to continue contributing to EE beyond the 3 months (and there has been contributions during the 3-month period), we can renew the license for another 3-month period.
In order to request license keys for EE, you will need to get permission to login to dev.gitlab.org by creating an access request issue. Details on requesting license keys can be found at Working on GitLab EE section of the developer onboarding handbook.
Community members may run out monthly CI minutes as they are working on an MR. Community members can send a request to reset their CI minutes to contributors@gitlab.com in order to continue their work. After reviewing the request, a Community Relations team member will file an issue with the GitLab.com Support Team using the pipeline_reset_request template. Information on the community member name, username, and link to the MR that requires additional CI minutes will need to be provided in the issue.
Every community contribution to GitLab Community Edition (CE) requires signing off on the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO).
In line with our value that everyone can contribute to GitLab, we strive to make our process as developer-friendly and frictionless as possible. As such, we consider the act of contributing to the code by submitting a Merge Request as the "Sign off" or agreement to the certifications and terms of the DCO and MIT license. No further action is required.
Check out this issue for more details.
Goal is to publish a regular blog post featuring contributors from the community. The format will be a casual Q&A with a community member and will be posted on the GitLab blog page.
When developing a blog post, follow the blog guidelines.
Periodically, there should be a review of community MR's that has not had a meaningful activity for an extended period (e.g. >3 months). A good place to start would be to search for all MR's with a label Community contribution and a milestone No milestone. A follow-up should be made with either the community member or MR coaches to ask if there's a plan to continue work on the MR or if MR should be closed.
Note: this is currently a working list of all locations where we can currently gather contributor metrics. It is not yet the final set of metrics we will be using to monitor the success of the contributor program with.
The Bitergia dashboard is public and anyone can use the dashboard to view/filter/export/analyze the data. A good place to start is the Merged Community MRs dashboard as it includes information that most people are looking for such as merged community MRs, number of contributors (e.g. yearly), top contributors, merged MRs per milestone, etc. You can filter the dashboard data per milestone and repository (e.g. CE vs. EE).
There are a number of other custom dashboards also available and to see the full list, click on dashboard on the upperleft (next to the Bitergia logo) and then select the dashboard link from the list. To learn more about using the Bitergia dashboard, you can view recordings of Bitergia training at the Bitergia training livestream channel.
Some administrative features (e.g. getting a short URL, creating a new dashboard) require a login, and the login information is available in the Team Vault on 1Password.
The Quality team publishes a monthly dashboard with the data update on the 4th Monday of each month. The Community MRs per release tab shows merged MRs from the wider community.
You can also directly query data from Merge Requests pages for projects (e.g. CE, EE, Gitter, Omnibus, Shell, etc.) on gitlab.com and aplly appropriate filters for milestone, labels, etc. Some of the examples are listed in the metrics table below.


While I was in OUCH I decided to join SOV null and I'm pretty confident that although I'm very new to the game I will be able to do just fine. I would like to thank everyone and especially to instructors that spent their own time to teach me alot of stuff. I have been accepted immediately within my new PVP corp in Catch with a 2 mil. SP although they had a 10 mil. minimum requirement. So that says alot about OUCH training quality and I'm really proud to wear my graduation medal. Thank you Bren for running this awesome corp and thank you OUCH.
Sorry to see you leave, but best of luck wherever you go.
Thank you Bren and I'll miss you Preussen. I think you're the only one who managed to get some words out of my mouth on TS3 hehe. I hope to fly with you and OUCH again some day.
o7 have fun and kill stuff in Catch!
Live, learn ... get podded on the bubble.
Can I delete this thread now that my short adventure in SOV null is over?
Interesting...seems like your now old corp has mainly frig losses.
Current time: 04-21-2019, 06:03 PM Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2019 MyBB Group.


text:
Home / News / Administration / Gunter named interim VPAA
Gunter named interim VPAA
November 12, 2009 Administration, Campus News, News, Spotlight Leave a comment 4,301 Views
Dr. Phillip Gunter, Dean of the Dewar College of Education, has been selected by President Patrick Schloss to replace Dr. Louis Levy as the vice president of Academic Affairs (VPAA), serving as the interim provost until a permanent Vice President is chosen.
Starting Jan. 1, Dr. Gunter will leave his position as Dean of the Dewar College of Education to take on his new six-month role.
No one has yet been selected to replace Gunter as the dean of the Dewar College of Education. "We hope to have Dr. Schloss have someone selected by the end of the week,"Gunter, said.
Upon Dr. Levy's retirement, Gunter will serve the duties of being the university's chief academic officer and is responsible for overseeing all academic operations, including five colleges, the Graduate School, the Division of Social Work, and Library and Information Science, as well as various administrative units. Gunter feels his previous work as the Dean of the Dewar College of Education has prepared him with the necessary qualities for his upcoming role as the interim provost.
Dr.Schloss has appointed Dr. Jay Rickman, history professor and executive secretary of the Faculty Senate, to chair the search for a permanent VPAA. "Dr. Schloss hopes to have the permanent position of VPAA filled by July 1," Gunter , said.
The position for the permanent seat as the VPPA has not been publicized or advertised and therefore has yet to be applied for. "It is too early to tell," said Gunter, when asked whether he planned on applying for the permanent position.
2009-11-12 2009-2010 Ellisa Thurmond 2009-11-12
Rebecca McAleer
Tags 2009-11-12 2009-2010 Ellisa Thurmond
Previous Philosophy?
Next Buffalo Wild Wings stampedes in
Suspects arrested after armed robbery near campus
The Valdosta Police Department has made two arrests following an investigation into an armed robbery ...


text:
Exclusive videos from our HKMVC awards ceremonies, events and interviews!
Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong & Smart City Forum 2019
Click HERE to watch all the exclusive interviews with our award winners at the HKMVC Services Awards 2019 and Smart City Forum ceremony.
Most Valuable Companies in Hong Kong 2019 Awards & Disruptive Innovation Forum
Watch the Disruptive Innovation Forum and our exclusive interviews with award winners at the HKMVC 2019 Awards ceremony.
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 June 20, 2018 July 12, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/maxresdefault-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Smart City Forum 2018
Honoured Guest Dr. Bernard Chan Pak Li at Mediazone's HKMVC Services Awards and Smart City Forum
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 July 9, 2018 September 10, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/maxresdefault-1-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Exclusive interview with Dr. Cheung Yung of SYT Wellness at Mediazone's HKMVC Services Awards 2018
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 August 22, 2018 September 10, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/maxresdefault-1024x576.jpg 800 450
"Revolutionizing Data Centers with 2-Phase Immersion Cooling" by Allied Control Limited
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 September 10, 2018 September 10, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/maxresdefault-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Most Valuable Companies in Hong Kong 2018 Awards
Exclusive interviews with our award winners at the HKMVC 2018 Awards ceremony.
Mediazone's Most Valuable Companies in Hong Kong 2018 Awards Ceremony
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 December 28, 2017 January 3, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SUN00285s-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Honor guest Dr. Dennis Ng Wang Pun, BBS MH at "Mediazone's HKMVC Awards Ceremony 2018"
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 February 8, 2018 February 8, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/maxresdefault-1-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Harbridge Partners Limited at "Mediazone's HKMVC Awards Ceremony 2018"
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 January 8, 2018 October 19, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/maxresdefault-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2017
Exclusive interviews with our award winners at the 2017 Services Awards ceremony.
YATFAI Logistics Group at "Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2017"
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 8, 2017 October 8, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/maxresdefault-39-1024x576.jpg 800 450
OMD Hong Kong at "Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2017"
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 6, 2017 October 6, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-1.jpg 480 360
Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2017
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 3, 2017 October 8, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0.jpg 480 360
Dessert Duet at "Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2017"
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 6, 2017 October 6, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/maxresdefault-4-1024x576.jpg 800 450
The World's First Digital Coupon Marketing and Settlement Platform – Mezzofy
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 April 10, 2018 April 10, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/0.jpg 480 360
Mr. Hospitality
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 February 28, 2016 October 20, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-20.jpg 480 360
Hello World! Hong Kong's Alive & Very Well
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 July 1, 2016 October 20, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-19.jpg 480 360
The Truth is Here
Wake up to the Evils of Politics, Religion & The Education "System"
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 February 7, 2018 February 7, 2018 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0.jpg 480 360
Best Business Model: In Service of Others
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 14, 2016 October 20, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-18.jpg 480 360
ASIA'S MOST VALUABLE SERVICE PROVIDERS AWARDS 2020: MUST Garment Corp Ltd.
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 July 20, 2020 July 20, 2020 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cover-1024x576.jpg 800 450
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 July 28, 2020 July 28, 2020 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cover-1-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies in Hong Kong 2017
Mediazone's Most Valuable Companies in Hong Kong 2017
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 2, 2017 October 13, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-2.jpg 480 360
HIGH FASHION INTERNATIONAL LTD at Mediazone's "HKMVC 2017" Awards Night
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 2, 2017 October 13, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/maxresdefault-9-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Sau San Tong at Mediazone's HKMVC 2017 Awards Night
FRIESLANDCAMPINA HONG KONG at Mediazone's "HKMVC 2017" Awards Night
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 October 2, 2017 October 13, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/maxresdefault-26-1024x576.jpg 800 450
Services Awards 16
KLAFS Asia Pacific Ltd. at Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2016
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 May 18, 2016 October 18, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-15.jpg 480 360
Dunn's Education at Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2016
KSY Speciality Limited at Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards in Hong Kong 2016
AF Partners Ltd at Mediazone's Most Valuable Services Awards 2016
hkmvc Mediazone's Hong Kong's Most Valuable Companies https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-MZ_Logo_HKMVC_b.png 3312 890 May 18, 2016 October 18, 2017 https://www.mediazone.com.hk/hkmvc/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/0-5.jpg 480 360


text:
News....
Temperature scanners of limited value in detecting Covid-19
Making people stand in front of a scanner to have their body temperature read can result in a large number of false negatives, allowing people with Covid-19 to pass through airports and hospitals undetected. Leading experts in physiology have suggested instead that taking temperature readings of a person's fingertip and eye would give a significantly better and more reliable reading and help identify those with fever....
Efficient Reactor Assists Scale-Up of Novel Agrochemicals
Asynt reports how Globachem Discovery (Alderley Park, UK) has benefited from the investment in ReactoMate reactor systems for the scale-up of novel agrochemicals. Globachem Discovery is the UK R&D arm of Globachem, a Belgian agrochemical business. The company operates in the early phases of the R&D pipeline, developing new molecules and chemistries for the agrochemical industry....
Biotech Team Develops ELISA Protocol for COVID-19 IgG Antibody Detection
ZTA Biotech, a Budapest-based biotech startup has announced the breakthrough development of a COVID-19 antibody (IgG) test using the ELISA protocol. This new detection method represents a great step forward in determining if patients have had COVID-19 and if they might still have immunity to the disease. Early results have proven 100% in specificity after testing 280 samples, and 100% sensitivity by testing 260 samples of recovered and symptomatic patients....
BioChromato Inc. has published an interview with the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Purdue University (Indiana, USA) that explains how the Smart Evaporator C1 has assisted them in isolating and purifying novel compounds from DMSO solutions for potential pharmaceutical use. Because the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve DMSO formulations for human administration, researchers at Purdue University wanted to synthesise a new Platinum (IV) chloride complex...
DNA discovery could advance degenerative disease treatments
New research on the structure and dynamics of a branched form of DNA called a three-way junction could lead to more effectively targeted treatments for degenerative disorders like Huntington's Disease, scientists say. In a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications, chemists from the University of Glasgow show for the first time how three-way DNA junctions undergo unexpected rearrangements in their structure....
International Freezer Challenge 2021: Optimizing your cold storage practices?
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and MyGreenLab have partnered again to reward the best concept to improve cold storage regarding sustainability: The Freezer Challenge 2021. The users can earn points by taking actions from good management practices, temperature tuning, and other areas, as well as for sharing information about best practices. Awards will be given to those who have done the most to save energy and improve their sample storage...
ZEISS Announces Collaborative Research Partnership with Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
ZEISS announces that it has formed a research collaboration partnership with the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI). Using an LSM 980 NLO next generation confocal microscope supplied by ZEISS, MPFI will investigate using implanted GRadient INdex (GRIN) lenses in combination with the Airyscan 2 area detector for deep brain functional neuroscience research....
Mogrify enters research collaboration with the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Mogrify Limited, a UK company aiming to transform the development of ex vivo cell therapies and pioneer the field of in vivo reprogramming therapies, and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), a world-class research laboratory dedicated to understanding important biological processes at the molecular level, today announced an exploratory research collaboration. The project aims to develop novel protein expression systems by leveraging recent advances in direct cell reprogramming...
International travel key to the introduction and early undetected community transmission of COVID-19 in Scotland
Scientists sequencing virus samples from the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Scotland (and through the first wave) have found evidence of community transmission, driven by multiple introductions through international travel, as early as February 2020. In new research, led by the University of Glasgow and published in Nature Microbiology, researchers have been able to confirm that SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, had multiple introductions to Scotland in early 2020, mainly from European countries such as Italy and Spain....
Speeding Up the Development of Novel, High Performance Polymers
Asynt has supplied Polymer Mimetics (Liverpool, UK) with a range of synthetic chemistry equipment to exploit novel chemistries to produce a new generation of high-performance polymers. Polymer Mimetics is a joint venture between the University of Liverpool, and Scott Bader Company Ltd. building upon a new polymerisation process developed by Professor Steve Rannard from the University's Department of Chemistry....
Novel Cell Therapy for Liver Cirrhosis
AMSBIO has published an interview with researchers at Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Japan, that covers their groundbreaking work to develop cell regeneration therapies for liver cirrhosis. The interview covers the involvement of the Graduate School of Medicine in the development of StemFit® for Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC), a new chemically defined medium which minimizes the risk of hazardous animal derived ingredients....
Panthera began dosing volunteers in AstraZeneca's phase III of its long-acting antibody combination AZD7442 for the prevention of COVID-19
Panthera's clinical trial sites in Preston, North Manchester and North London began dosing volunteers in the Phase III PROVENT trial which will evaluate AstraZeneca's long-acting antibody combination, AZD7442, for the potential prevention of COVID-19. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will include adult volunteers who have no history of COVID-19 and have an increased risk of infection...
The Role of LIMS in Supporting ISO 17025 Accreditation
Autoscribe Informatics, a leading global laboratory informatics provider, announced the release of a new white paper examining the role of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in supporting ISO17025 accreditation. The white paper explores the ways in which a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) can play a key role in achieving, maintaining, and benefiting from ISO17025 accreditation.
LIMS Webcast - On-Premises or SaaS (Cloud) Deployment: Which is Right for My Laboratory?
Accelerated Technology Laboratories, Inc. (ATL), a leader in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), kicks off the 2021 LIMS Webcast Series on Wednesday, January 20th with LIMS – On-Premises or SaaS (Cloud) Deployment: Which is Right for My Laboratory? When selecting a LIMS today, organizations have deployment options. Traditionally, laboratories deployed the LIMS software on-site...
Illumina and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Expand Access to Whole-Genome Sequencing for Genetic Disease Testing
Illumina, Inc. and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announce a risk-sharing agreement to make whole-genome sequencing (WGS) available to certain Harvard Pilgrim members, effective January 1, 2021. The program will leverage WGS to support faster diagnoses of genetic diseases in children, potentially eliminating the long, costly diagnostic odyssey experienced by many families, with the goal of improving patient outcomes....
A better qPCR pipetting experience with VIAFLO electronic pipettes
INTEGRA Biosciences' VIAFLO electronic pipettes are making qPCR plate preparation the straightforward process it should be for researchers in the Saint-Geniez lab at Harvard Medical School. Preparation of qPCR plates is a repetitive, time-consuming task when done manually, and having the right pipettes makes all the difference. Postdoctoral researcher Daisy Shu explained....
BioTe Veterinary Laboratories Blends Clinical Diagnostics with State-of-the-Art Technology Using Matrix Gemini LIMS
BioTe Veterinary Laboratories is using Matrix Gemini Veterinary LIMS to manage their laboratory workflow and analytical data to drive efficient operations in their new purpose-built laboratory facility. Based in the UK, BioTe Veterinary Laboratories provides clinical services to veterinary practices and their clients nationwide. BioTe's mission is to use the latest tools and techniques to provide high-quality diagnostic results in an efficient and timely manner. The case study can be downloaded from...
Granutools share their knowledge on pharma powders with a series of free online webinars
Webinars presented cover many subjects and aspects of the pharmaceutical industry: from lactose to API, from their flowability to their electrostatics, from the feedstock to the production lines, Granutools' webinars covered a wide range of subjects. Their expertise in the field is recognized by prestigious clients of the pharma world such as DFE Pharma or the RCPE....
Fusion Antibodies and Queen's University Belfast Receive Invest Northern Ireland Grant to Boost Research and Development for COVID-19 Antibodies
Fusion Antibodies, pre-clinical antibody discovery, engineering and supply experts, and Queen's University Belfast, leader in innovation and impact, have been awarded a £453,000 grant from Invest Northern Ireland to further expand their COVID-19 targeted research and development efforts. Within the framework of their Northern Ireland Coronavirus Antibody Development Alliance (NICADA), the two organisations will use the funds to accelerate the discovery...
More Articles >>


text:
Emirates set to take first A380 to Athens
Emirates, one of the world's fastest airlines, will operate the first ever A380 scheduled service into Athens. Touching down at Athens International Airport on the 26th of October will mark a significant milestone for Emirates and its operations in Greece.
"On June 1996, Emirates launched our inaugural flight to Greece. Some 16 years later we will operate our award-winning A380 service into Athens International Airport proving the company's commitment to Greece," said Richard Jewsbury, Senior Vice President Commercial Europe and Russian Federation.
"Our customers in Athens are eager to try our A380 services and we have worked closely with the local authorities to make this possible. Although we have no immediate plans to operate an A380 on the route permanently, we remain dedicated to providing customers in Athens with convenient flight and onward connection times through our Dubai hub," said Jewsbury.
Emirates flight EK105 will depart Dubai on 26th October at 08:55 and will arrive in Athens at 12:50 the same day. The return flight, EK106, will depart Athens at 16:40 arriving in Dubai at 22:05 the same day.
The Emirates' A380 is renowned for the range of innovations to make the journey more comfortable and enjoyable for passengers travelling in all classes. First Class passengers can relax in one of 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped private suites; the cabin also has two on-board shower spas, ensuring a revitalised and refreshed arrival. Business Class passengers can enjoy a new generation of intelligent seating designed to ensure all 76 seats – which convert to flat beds up to 79 inches long – have direct aisle access. Passengers in Economy Class will appreciate the straight walls throughout the cabin that lend to a more spacious ambience, enhanced by seats with a pitch of up to 33 inches and wider aisles.
The upper deck also features a lounge for First Class and Business Class passengers, which provides the opportunity for passengers to stretch their legs, socialise and enjoy a gourmet selection of on-demand beverages and canapés. Passengers in all classes can enjoy Emirates' award-winning ice (information, communication, entertainment) Digital Widescreen inflight entertainment system, which features over 1,400 on-demand channels.
As the largest operator of the double-decker aircraft, Emirates' fleet of 25 A380s now serve Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Manchester, Melbourne, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo from its Dubai Hub. Additional A380 destinations that are set to launch this year include both Singapore and Moscow (from 1 December 2012).


text:
Bankers life logo
Bankers Life Securities
Find a nearby branch
Our policies vary by state
We do our best to determine where you are located so we can show you accurate information. If you would like to view content for a different state, you can do so by changing the ZIP Code below.
You are viewing Ashburn, Virginia content
Enter a valid ZIP Code
Send us a message Give us a call
BANKERS LIFE AND CASUALTY COMPANY PARTNERS WITH HUMANA TO OFFER HUMANA MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS
Bankers agents, already offering Humana Medicare Advantage medical plans, soon to offer full suite of Humana Medicare Part D plans
CHICAGO and LOUISVILLE, Ky. September 7, 2011 - Bankers Life and Casualty Company and Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) today announced a strategic alliance under which Bankers' agent force will offer Humana Medicare Part D prescription-drug plans to Medicare beneficiaries across the United States. Beginning in October, Bankers agents will staff hundreds of Walmart stores for Humana, offering a suite of Humana Medicare products including Medicare Advantage medical plans and Medicare prescription drug plans (PDPs), including the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP).
"Our focus at Bankers is on the middle-income retirement market, and this further extension of our relationship with Humana to offer their line of Medicare prescription-drug plans is a unique opportunity to continue to serve our market with the products they need," said Scott Perry, president of Bankers. "We look forward to being able to provide these competitive products through our vast network of career agents and at Walmart stores throughout the country."
Bankers agents will be available at informational kiosks in hundreds of Walmart stores beginning in October 2011 for the 2012 Medicare Annual Election Period, which runs from October 15 through December 7, 2011. In addition to offering Humana's suite of Medicare PDPs, Bankers' agents already offer Humana Medicare Advantage health plans, and Humana dental and vision plans.
"Humana has a good relationship with Bankers, and we're looking forward to extending the relationship, as it will enable us to make more connections with current and prospective Humana members," said Craig Uchytil, market vice president, Humana MarketPOINT. "Humana's product offerings in the Medicare prescription-drug space are very competitive and we're confident Bankers' agents will successfully enable Humana to help more people achieve lifelong well-being through their Humana coverage."
About Bankers Life and Casualty Company
Established in 1879 in Chicago, Bankers Life and Casualty Company focuses on the insurance needs of the retirement market. The nationwide company, a subsidiary of CNO Financial Group, Inc., (NYSE: CNO) offers a broad portfolio of life and health insurance retirement products designed especially for seniors. Visit us online at www.bankers.com.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is a leading health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. By leveraging the strengths of its core businesses, Humana believes it can better explore opportunities for existing and emerging adjacencies in health care that can further enhance wellness opportunities for the millions of people across the nation with whom the company has relationships.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
Annual reports to stockholders
Securities and Exchange Commission filings
Most recent investor conference presentations
Quarterly earnings news releases
Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
Corporate Governance information
Barbara Ciesemier
Barbara.ciesemier@cnoinc.com
Bankers Life Facebook page Bankers Life YouTube page Bankers Life LinkedIn page
CNOInc.com
© Copyright 2020 Bankers Life


text:
María Isabel Salvador (née en janvier 1962), est une femme politique équatorienne. Ministre des Affaires étrangères entre le  et le  dans le gouvernement de Rafael Correa, elle succède à María Fernanda Espinosa. Fander Falconí lui a succédé.

Article connexe
 Liste de dirigeantes politiques

Naissance en janvier 1962
Ministre équatorienne
Ministre équatorien des Affaires étrangères
Ministre équatorien du Tourisme

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


There are still more than two years to go before the start of the 1980 Olympic Games, but already there is plenty going on in the Soviet capital to interest sports fans.
Background: There are still more than two years to go before the start of the 1980 Olympic Games, but already there is plenty going on in the Soviet capital to interest sports fans. Currently on at the impressive new exhibition ground is 'Sport 78', an exhibition of sports goods and equipment, covering a whole range of events.
SYNOPSIS: The exhibition is sponsored by the Soviet Committee for Sport, and the 1980 Olympic Games Organising Committee.
More than 200 companies, from 21 countries, have stands at the exhibition, which is the largest of its kind to be held in the Soviet Union.
There is something for everyone, the player, the spectator and for those more technically minded.
The exhibition has been staged with the Olympics in mind, but it has also been designed to appeal to a mass market.
Many of the companies exhibiting already have close ties with Soviet sports organisation. For the rest it is an excellent showcase for their products.


text:
Court opened door to $933 million in new election spending
by Reity O'Brien and Andrea Fuller January 16, 2013 January 28, 2022
The Supreme Court reinterpreted the law about how money from corporations and unions could be spent on campaigns. Super PACs and other outside groups made possible by the court's decision spent nearly $1 billion on advertising in federal races. J. Scott Applewhite/AP
In first full election cycle since the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United ruling, 2012's federal elections ushered in nearly $1 billion in new political spending.
Nearly two-thirds of that outside money— about $611 million — went to just 10 political advertising vendors, several of which were previously unknown.
Eighty-nine percent of the ads paid for by Citizens United-related groups, such as super PACs and nonprofits, attacked candidates.
The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision unleashed nearly $1 billion in new political spending in the 2012 election, with media outlets and a small number of political consulting firms raking in the bulk of the proceeds.
Spending records released by the Federal Election Commission show that throughout the 2012 election, corporations, unions and individuals that could take advantage of the high court's ruling were responsible for about $933 million of the estimated $6 billion spent during the contest.
Nearly two-thirds of the new money — about $611 million — went to 10 political consulting firms, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis. All but one of the top 10 recipients bought advertising in various media markets on behalf of super PACs and nonprofits. Eighty-nine percent of the expenditures made to the top 10 went to spots attacking candidates, the data show.
"For some in the industry, it has been a definite boon," said Dale Emmons, president of the American Association of Political Consultants. "This election appears to have set a new benchmark on the amount of money that could be spent, because there were no limits on what could be spent."
The 2010 Citizens United decision and a lower-court ruling allowed unlimited donations to super PACs and nonprofits, independent groups that used the funds primarily to fund ad campaigns.
Media buyers keep only a fraction of the total spending — usually 15 percent, according to Federal Communications Commission records, with the rest going to media outlets.
The top recipient of independent spending among media buyers was Mentzer Media Services, the Towson, Md.-based media placement firm run by longtime GOP consultant Bruce Mentzer.
Mentzer attracted nearly $204 million from conservative super PACs and other outside groups. In a tough year for Republicans, only 26 percent of the candidates who were supposed to benefit from the ads won their races, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis.
The firm was the preferred vendor for the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future, which paid Mentzer nearly $132 million to purchase air time in presidential battleground states.
A Mentzer employee who answered the phone declined to comment on the firm's involvement in the 2012 election.
Beneficiaries from Citizens United
The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that led to the creation of super PACs and free-spending political nonprofits added nearly $1 billion in new spending to the 2012 election. Nine of the top 10 beneficiaries were media buyers, which usually collect a 15 percent commission of the amount billed.
Rank Name Total Given
1 Mentzer Media Services $204 million
2 Crossroads Media LLC $163 million
3 Waterfront Strategies (GMMB) $81 million
4 Mundy Katowitz Media $59 million
5 American Media and Advocacy Group $27 million
6 Target Enterprises $17 million
6 Red Sea LLC $17 million
8 Revolution Media Group/Revolution Agency $16 million
9 Arena Communications (direct mail) $14 million
10 Main Street Media Group $13 million
Second was Crossroads Media, which was paid about $163 million to buy media time for conservative super PACs and nonprofits in 2012. The firm is run by Michael Dubke, the former president of Americans for Job Security — a pro-Republican nonprofit and one of Crossroads' top clients.
Waterfront Strategies, which worked for Democratic groups, ranked third, at $81 million.
Democratic-aligned Mundy Katowitz Media, fourth on the list, was the preferred vendor for the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action, placing more than $57 million in television ads for the group.
American Media & Advocacy Group, a favorite of conservative groups, ranked No. 5 at $27 million.
Target Enterprises — a Los Angeles-based media buyer for conservative super PACs — was paid $17 million, ranking it No. 6. The firm had a dismal success rate, coming in dead last among firms catering to super PACs and nonprofits. Seven percent of its preferred candidates won on Nov. 6.
A woman who answered the phone at Target Enterprises Tuesday said both principals of the company were "mid-flight" and unavailable for comment.
The Center analyzed FEC data compiled by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics. The $933 million in spending came from super PACs, nonprofits, and to a lesser extent, "527" organizations that were the favorite independent spending vehicle in past elections.
FEC coordination law a 'joke'
The Citizens United decision opened a huge new potential market for consultants, but there was a catch. Consultants who work for candidates — but also work for "independent" groups that support those same candidates — have to be careful.
The high court's decision did not affect the ban on donations to candidates from corporations and unions, nor did it affect contribution limits from individuals. Instead, it focused on spending by independent groups, unaffiliated with candidates.
As long as super PACs act independently of the candidate, there is no danger of corruption, the high court reasoned.
But sometimes the separation between the campaign and the like-minded super PAC or nonprofit can be hard to discern.
Waterfront Strategies, for example, in its FEC filings lists the same address as GMMB — a well-known Democratic media consulting firm and the preferred vendor for President Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
Waterfront was the beneficiary of $81 million paid by some of the biggest Democratic outside spending groups — including Majority PAC, a super PAC backing Democrats running for Senate, and the League of Conservation Voters.
The Huffington Post reported that Waterfront is an internal branch of GMMB. It was incorporated in Delaware, and its president is listed as Raelynn Olson, GMMB's managing partner.
Both Waterfront and its parent company, GMMB, worked to elect Democrat Richard Carmona in his unsuccessful bid for Arizona's open U.S. Senate seat. Majority PAC hired Waterfront to purchase airtime for ads supporting Carmona and attacking his Republican opponent, then-Rep. and now Sen. Jeff Flake. Carmona's campaign hired GMMB for its ad buys in the same race.
One Majority PAC ad used the same childhood photo of Carmona that was featured in an official Carmona campaign ad.
GMMB did not reply to requests for comment.
Setting up spinoffs is more about "optics" than skirting coordination rules, said Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.
Under current law, as long as a firm assigns each client separate consultants — and those two don't coordinate their activities — that constitutes a satisfactory firewall, according to Ryan.
"That's a pretty ridiculous and modest constraint on campaign coordination," Ryan said.
Texas two-step
American Media & Advocacy, which also has no website, received nearly $27 million to buy media for super PACs and other outside groups.
The organization worked for the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that paid for ads attacking Pete Gallego, a Democrat who defeated Republican Francisco Canseco in the race for U.S. House of Representatives in Texas' 23rd District. The firm also worked for Canseco's campaign.
Records show that at least one of American Media's buyers purchased media in the San Antonio market for both the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Canseco campaign.
Records show that American Media shares an Alexandria address with the high-profile, bipartisan consulting group Purple Strategies. Purple Strategies failed to respond to the Center's repeated inquiries about any affiliation that it might have with American Media & Advocacy Group.
American Media and Advocacy is "well aware of the FEC coordination rules, including the common vendor rules," said Jim Kahl, the group's attorney, "and they have procedures in place to comply with them."
In Ohio, American Media & Advocacy Group was paid by the Congressional Leadership Fund to purchase ads slamming Democrat Betty Sutton in the House race for District 16. American Media was also working for Sutton's Republican opponent, Rep. Jim Renacci.
The same person was listed in records as buying media in the Cleveland market — at the same TV station in at least one case — for both the Renacci campaign and the Congressional Leadership Fund.
Candidates and super PACs can avoid charges of coordination altogether by sending up smoke signals in cyberspace.
For example, one of Target's top clients was Freedom PAC, a super PAC that paid the firm nearly $3.4 million for ad buys supporting Rep. Connie Mack, the unsuccessful Republican candidate in the Florida Senate race.
Freedom PAC released an ad containing some of the same footage that was on the Mack campaign's YouTube channel.
Under FEC coordination rules, campaign committees and the outside groups that boost their candidates may share material as long as it is publicly available.
"It's a pretty big joke that anyone would really believe that these groups are truly independent from the candidates," Ryan said. "They're not."
'Consider the Source' e-book tells story of how money dominated Election 2012
Citizens United ruling could tilt playing field against labor, toward corporations
Secretive groups spend millions to influence state elections
by , Center for Public Integrity

Court opened door to $933 million in new election spending

by , Center for Public Integrity
January 16, 2013

  <hgroup>
Key Findings
 </hgroup>

In first full election cycle since the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United ruling, 2012's federal elections ushered in nearly $1 billion in new political spending.

Nearly two-thirds of that outside money— about $611 million — went to just 10 political advertising vendors, several of which were previously unknown.

Eighty-nine percent of the ads paid for by Citizens United-related groups, such as super PACs and nonprofits, attacked candidates.

The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision unleashed nearly $1 billion in new political spending in the 2012 election, with media outlets and a small number of political consulting firms raking in the bulk of the proceeds.

Spending records released by the Federal Election Commission show that throughout the 2012 election, corporations, unions and individuals that could take advantage of the high court's ruling were responsible for about $933 million of the estimated $6 billion spent during the contest.

Nearly two-thirds of the new money — about $611 million — went to 10 political consulting firms, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis. All but one of the top 10 recipients bought advertising in various media markets on behalf of super PACs and nonprofits. Eighty-nine percent of the expenditures made to the top 10 went to spots attacking candidates, the data show.

"For some in the industry, it has been a definite boon," said Dale Emmons, president of the American Association of Political Consultants. "This election appears to have set a new benchmark on the amount of money that could be spent, because there were no limits on what could be spent."

The 2010 Citizens United decision and a lower-court ruling allowed unlimited donations to super PACs and nonprofits, independent groups that used the funds primarily to fund ad campaigns.

Media buyers keep only a fraction of the total spending — usually 15 percent, according to Federal Communications Commission records, with the rest going to media outlets.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXwbMuavfPo

The winners

The top recipient of independent spending among media buyers was Mentzer Media Services, the Towson, Md.-based media placement firm run by longtime GOP consultant Bruce Mentzer.

Mentzer attracted nearly $204 million from conservative super PACs and other outside groups. In a tough year for Republicans, only 26 percent of the candidates who were supposed to benefit from the ads won their races, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis.

The firm was the preferred vendor for the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future, which paid Mentzer nearly $132 million to purchase air time in presidential battleground states.

A Mentzer employee who answered the phone declined to comment on the firm's involvement in the 2012 election.

  <hgroup>
Beneficiaries from Citizens United
 </hgroup>

The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that led to the creation of super PACs and free-spending political nonprofits added nearly $1 billion in new spending to the 2012 election. Nine of the top 10 beneficiaries were media buyers, which usually collect a 15 percent commission of the amount billed.

 Rank	 Name	 Total Given

 1	 Mentzer Media Services	 $204 million

 2	 Crossroads Media LLC	 $163 million

 3	 Waterfront Strategies (GMMB)	 $81 million

 4	 Mundy Katowitz Media	 $59 million

 5	 American Media and Advocacy Group	 $27 million

 6	 Target Enterprises	 $17 million

 6	 Red Sea LLC	 $17 million

 8	 Revolution Media Group/Revolution Agency	 $16 million

 9	 Arena Communications (direct mail)	 $14 million

 10	 Main Street Media Group	 $13 million

Second was Crossroads Media, which was paid about $163 million to buy media time for conservative super PACs and nonprofits in 2012. The firm is run by Michael Dubke, the former president of Americans for Job Security — a pro-Republican nonprofit and one of Crossroads' top clients.

Waterfront Strategies, which worked for Democratic groups, ranked third, at $81 million.

Democratic-aligned Mundy Katowitz Media, fourth on the list, was the preferred vendor for the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action, placing more than $57 million in television ads for the group.

American Media & Advocacy Group, a favorite of conservative groups, ranked No. 5 at $27 million.

Target Enterprises — a Los Angeles-based media buyer for conservative super PACs — was paid $17 million, ranking it No. 6. The firm had a dismal success rate, coming in dead last among firms catering to super PACs and nonprofits. Seven percent of its preferred candidates won on Nov. 6.

A woman who answered the phone at Target Enterprises Tuesday said both principals of the company were "mid-flight" and unavailable for comment.

The Center analyzed FEC data compiled by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics. The $933 million in spending came from super PACs, nonprofits, and to a lesser extent, "527" organizations that were the favorite independent spending vehicle in past elections.

FEC coordination law a 'joke'

The Citizens United decision opened a huge new potential market for consultants, but there was a catch. Consultants who work for candidates — but also work for "independent" groups that support those same candidates — have to be careful.

The high court's decision did not affect the ban on donations to candidates from corporations and unions, nor did it affect contribution limits from individuals. Instead, it focused on spending by independent groups, unaffiliated with candidates.

As long as super PACs act independently of the candidate, there is no danger of corruption, the high court reasoned.

But sometimes the separation between the campaign and the like-minded super PAC or nonprofit can be hard to discern.

Waterfront Strategies, for example, in its FEC filings lists the same address as GMMB — a well-known Democratic media consulting firm and the preferred vendor for President Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

Waterfront was the beneficiary of $81 million paid by some of the biggest Democratic outside spending groups — including Majority PAC, a super PAC backing Democrats running for Senate, and the League of Conservation Voters.

The Huffington Post reported that Waterfront is an internal branch of GMMB. It was incorporated in Delaware, and its president is listed as Raelynn Olson, GMMB's managing partner.

Both Waterfront and its parent company, GMMB, worked to elect Democrat Richard Carmona in his unsuccessful bid for Arizona's open U.S. Senate seat. Majority PAC hired Waterfront to purchase airtime for ads supporting Carmona and attacking his Republican opponent, then-Rep. and now Sen. Jeff Flake. Carmona's campaign hired GMMB for its ad buys in the same race.

One Majority PAC ad used the same childhood photo of Carmona that was featured in an official Carmona campaign ad.

GMMB did not reply to requests for comment.

Setting up spinoffs is more about "optics" than skirting coordination rules, said Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.

Under current law, as long as a firm assigns each client separate consultants — and those two don't coordinate their activities — that constitutes a satisfactory firewall, according to Ryan.

"That's a pretty ridiculous and modest constraint on campaign coordination," Ryan said.

Texas two-step

American Media & Advocacy, which also has no website, received nearly $27 million to buy media for super PACs and other outside groups.

The organization worked for the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that paid for ads attacking Pete Gallego, a Democrat who defeated Republican Francisco Canseco in the race for U.S. House of Representatives in Texas' 23rd District. The firm also worked for Canseco's campaign.

Records show that at least one of American Media's buyers purchased media in the San Antonio market for both the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Canseco campaign.

Records show that American Media shares an Alexandria address with the high-profile, bipartisan consulting group Purple Strategies. Purple Strategies failed to respond to the Center's repeated inquiries about any affiliation that it might have with American Media & Advocacy Group.

American Media and Advocacy is "well aware of the FEC coordination rules, including the common vendor rules," said Jim Kahl, the group's attorney, "and they have procedures in place to comply with them."

In Ohio, American Media & Advocacy Group was paid by the Congressional Leadership Fund to purchase ads slamming Democrat Betty Sutton in the House race for District 16. American Media was also working for Sutton's Republican opponent, Rep. Jim Renacci.

The same person was listed in records as buying media in the Cleveland market — at the same TV station in at least one case — for both the Renacci campaign and the Congressional Leadership Fund.

Candidates and super PACs can avoid charges of coordination altogether by sending up smoke signals in cyberspace.

For example, one of Target's top clients was Freedom PAC, a super PAC that paid the firm nearly $3.4 million for ad buys supporting Rep. Connie Mack, the unsuccessful Republican candidate in the Florida Senate race.

Freedom PAC released an ad containing some of the same footage that was on the Mack campaign's YouTube channel.

Under FEC coordination rules, campaign committees and the outside groups that boost their candidates may share material as long as it is publicly available.

"It's a pretty big joke that anyone would really believe that these groups are truly independent from the candidates," Ryan said. "They're not."

This article first appeared on Center for Public Integrity and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.


text:
body {background: url(../style/all/008d.jpg) #000 no-repeat;background-size:100% 100%;}
.Panel.Top {background-color: transparent;}
.Panel.Bottom {background-color: transparent;}
.MsgList .MsgItem{background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);}
.MsgList .MsgItem .nickname { color:#bf2bb8;text-shadow: none;}
.MsgList .MsgItem .msgword { color:#bf2bb8;text-shadow: none;}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It has been two days since Thanksgiving. And after multiple trips to the treadmill, a few jaunts around downtown on foot, and the occasional visit to the bathroom I am starting to feel normal again.
I know, I know. Eating that double wide slice of cheesecake just hours after the main event wasn't the "most smartest" thing to do. But damn I needed some emotional support as I binge watched my post-apocalyptic teen movies that night. Nothing says "being thankful" than watching a bunch of super pretty young adults try and set a new social standard while fighting off the bad guys in perfectly pressed couture.
Which brings me to today. The Saturday after Thanksgiving. Normally I would be in the throes of creativity and despair trying to figure out how to use the remaining 10 pounds of turkey, metric ton of mashed potatoes, and the now self aware cranberry Blob like creature living on the top shelf of the ice box.
But instead I was sent home with a (double wide) slice of cheesecake, a generous slice of Hummingbird Cake (see my post on that here), and about 1 pounds worth of white meat in a Panda Express To Go box. The hostess was able to buy 1000 of these to go boxes for $.50 at the flea market three years ago. That is not an exaggeration.
And because I never seem to have anything worth shaking a stick at (or a desire to use my car to get to a grocery store) I fell back to the classic game of chance and used only what was in my larder. I suggest you do the same. It's amazing what one can make when pushed to the limits of laziness.
Please note this is one of those recipes that has no exact amount. Add cautiously and then generously as you see fit.
1. Bring a non stick saute pan to medium high heat. Apply a thin layer of mayonnaise to both sides of bread and toast in heated saute pan. Toast until browned, about 3 minutes on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In small sauce pan place pulled turkey, a generous dollop of sour cream, a handful of shredded mozzarella, and hot sauce. Place over medium heat and bring to just below a simmer while stirring constantly.
3. Place toasted bread on baking sheet. Layer sour cream turkey mixture on top of bread and top off with thin slices of Muenster cheese.
4. Move oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on LOW. Place baking sheet with sandwich on top rack and broil until cheese melts, gets bubbly and just browning.
***Note 1. Texas Pete did not sponsor this. It is just my hot sauce of choice and is always in my swag bag.
***Note 2. This recipe is not specific and hopefully can be used as inspiration for any of the ingredients left over from Thanksgiving. Don't like Sourdough? Use White or Wheat. Don't like Muenster Cheese? Use a nice sliced Mozzarella or Cheddar. Don't like open faced sandwiches as they openly mock everything that is SANDWICH? Put another slice on top.
NEED MORE REASON TO CLEAN OUT YOUR ICE BOX? CLICK BELOW!