The United States has never hit its debt ceiling without Congress intervening to raise it, but the prospects of this occurring are becoming increasingly likely under the Trump administration and the current Congress.
On July 28th, Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin wrote a letter to Congress to inform them that action would be required on the debt ceiling, as it's expected to be reached by the end of September 2017. Mnuchin wrote to House Speaker Paul Ryan, "I have determined that a 'debt issuance suspension period,' previously determined to last until July 28, 2017, will continue through September 29, 2017. As a result, the Treasury Department will continue to suspend additional investments of amounts credited to, and redeem an additional portion of the investments held by, the CSRDF, as authorized by law." Mnuchin urged Congress to take action before their August recess, but they have not.
If Congress fails to act, the government would shut down as a result. The specific consequences of inaction are unknown, but they don't bode well for the U.S. economy.
The debt ceiling was a common point of contention during the Obama administration, one that Republicans used for political gain. Obama told Congress in 2015, "If it gets messed with, it would have profound impact for the global economy and put our financial system in tailspin." Republicans used the debt ceiling debate in 2011 and 2013 to push their agenda. In 2011, the United States' debt rating was downgraded by the S&P for the first time, increasing borrowing costs due to how close the U.S. came to defaulting on its debt. In response, financial markets tanked, experiencing the most dramatic volatility since the 2008 economic recession. The debt ceiling sets a limitation on government spending and therefore its ability to regulate the economy and financial markets. Though traditionally the ceiling has been raised without debate, during the Obama Administration the Republicans used it for political purposes to the detriment of the economy. This time around, it's possible the Democratic Party will do the same, sparking a heated debate.
CNBC reported on August 8, "The decision could have significant implications on the markets because the Republican Party seems to be 'backing off the idea' of a 'clean' debt ceiling. A 'clean' debt ceiling refers to a lifting or suspension of the agreed-upon cap on federal borrowing capacity without any additional provisions." As the deadline nears, the economy and markets will likely respond accordingly. Unfortunately, Congress is likely to engage in partisan tug of war, risking shutting down the government and tanking the economy.


Tom Hardy is on the kind of roll actors live to experience. The 32-year-old Brit won international acclaim for his star turn in the 2009 drama Bronson, is part of the stellar cast of the current blockbuster Inception, has the MMA/family drama Warrior in the can, just this week signed to join Star Trek's Chris Pine in This Means War, and is set to play Mad Max in reboot of that franchise entitled Fury Road. Hardy can also claim a Star Trek connection, as he menaced the Enterprise and her crew as Shinzon, the vengeful Picard clone, in Star Trek: Nemesis. StarTrek.com recently engaged Hardy in an exclusive conversation, and in addition to talking up Inception and Fury Road, he recounted his visit to the Star Trek universe.
Let's start with Inception, in which you play Eames, the forger of all things. Did (writer-director) Chris Nolan call you first and discuss the story, or did you get the script and the process started from there?
I was in Pittsburgh at the time doing (Warrior). Actually, I was training and it was the week before we started filming. I got a call from my boys at my agency and they said, "Look, Chris Nolan would really love to meet you. They want to fly you out, if you can, for a chat." So I went and met Chris and we had a chat, a full-disclosure conversation about life, gauging one another and talking about work. Then he said, "Look, I've got this film I hope you'll be interested in, that I think you'd be great in, but I don't know if your dates are going to work." I said, "Well, can I get the script?" He said, "Not at the moment. But if the dates work out I'd love for you to read it." Anyway, eventually the dates did work out, he sent me the script, and I read it. And I was absolutely staggered.
The film is a real mind-bender. How much of the overall story did you have to understand in order to play Eames?
The beginning of the movie, the initial download of information, is part of this gargantuan, genius masterpiece of plot construction and multilayered characters and human acts of devotion and love. There's a love story, a heightened action story. There's the concept of dreams and how they work and how you can break into the subconscious. Once all of that was initially downloaded – and that took a couple of reads and a fair amount of conversation with Chris – then we were off to the races and it became a very intimate, enjoyable set and shoot, and an easy character to play.
Nolan relied very little on special effects and did pretty much everything in camera. What was the most ridiculous practical stunt he asked you to do?
The craziest thing was finding myself on the side of a mountain learning to ski with my friend Peanut from the Bronx. Neither of us had any previous experience of extreme skiing or just going downhill on two pieces of wood with absolutely no ability to stop. So I had to learn to ski and I only had a few days to do that. Then, at the end of the shoot, I was alone with the team and with Chris to do a few more stunt scenes. We were back at the side of the mountain, with me skiing and dispatching the enemy and blowing stuff up and fighting. I enjoyed all that boys' kind of stuff, and I had the set to myself for a week.
A lot of people are excited about you playing Mad Max. Everyone assumes that Fury Road is meant to launch a franchise, but are you looking at it that way or as a one-off?
I don't have a mindset any further than I want to deliver the goods. I'm aware I'll probably take some casualties. It'd be stupid not to think there aren't Mel Gibson/Mad Max fans out there. I'd love to turn them, and if I can't I respect entirely their love for Mel and the original Mad Max films. All I can say is I'm going to go in fresh, guns blazing. It's an emotional story as well, a human story. It's not just action. So I'll concentrate on the day-to-day process (and not worry about the Gibson factor or the possibility of a franchise).
Going back to Star Trek: Nemesis, what did you take away from it?
It was brilliant because I learned so much doing a big studio movie on a big sound stage in America. It's very different to how we work in England, because of the broad scope and ability to reach a vast populace. Also, the Star Trek franchise is so big and important to the fans. I learned a lot about working under duress, and in America, and working with famous people. It was so vital and essential that I had the experience coming into something like Inception.
Some fans genuinely like Nemesis and others do not. What was your opinion of the film?
I did like Nemesis. I enjoyed it immensely. I definitely thought it was worthy of being one of the Star Trek films. I'm very proud of it.
Do you still have a Shinzon action figure or two?
Of course. I have got a couple of left in a box, and every time my three-old son finds one he goes, "Daddy!" and wants to put it out. So I'm trying to salvage one so at least when he's older he can have it and give one to his kids.
It seems that, right now, your career is taking off in the way many expected it would around the time of Nemesis. What's it like for you to be in that position again?
I have, as you say, dealt with it before and I've learned that careers undulate. One can be doing well or not well. One can have too much exposure. There are so many different variables. But I have always, always worked, and what I know now is that the most important things to me are my family and my work.


What can I say about Miss Amelia… she was a dream at her newborn shoot and was just as perfect for her 6 month session. She was full of smiles and so much personality! I was blowing bubbles to get her to smile, and she just blew them right back at me!
Ooh little lady, you are just too much for words!


To build names into brands, and people into customers.
Make It Iconic started as a collaboration of uniquely talented "creatives" and marketing experts. But what we noticed most of all was that each of us could draw insights from different disciplines – including strategic consulting, branding, communications and digital marketing. More importantly, that became wildly valuable to our clients.
Today, those uniquely diverse areas of expertise continue to work really hard for our clients – and we've proven the effectiveness of our blended expertise and approach. The only difference is that we've expanded our influence from coast to coast – with satellite offices in Detroit and Los Angeles. We bring together a range of industry experience from oil and gas to beauty, consumer packaged goods, automotive and retail. And that serves brands well – giving them a powerfully well-rounded plan and a sales-driving creative product.
We serve local businesses trying to thrive and national start-ups trying to survive. We collaborate daily – make that minute by minute. We have a pulse on trends across the globe, and we deliver a full view of your potential. Oh, and the "IT" in Make It Iconic is not about us… IT's about taking your brand, your customers, your website and your messaging to the next level – it's about your results and your success. The IT is you.
@2017 Make It Iconic. All Rights Reserved.


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Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation is offering two free enrichment classes for youngsters at Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road.
"Being Fit is a HIT" will be offered Mondays and Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m., Sept. 11-Oct. 11 for youngsters age 9-12. Billed as a high-intensity training class, it will help kids improve overall stamina and fitness while challenging them to build endurance. Instructors Joanna Dinan and Rosanda Diaz say the class will keep kids conditioned between sports seasons while adding to their health and conditioning routine.
"Cartoon Character Creation" will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5 p.m., Sept. 12-Oct. 12. The class, taught by Roberto Flores, will give youngsters age 5-8 the chance to draw cartoon characters of their own or practice drawing their favorite TV characters.
Register at www.pima.gov/nrpr, clicking on the "Register Now" button.
NRPR offers a multitude of community services ranging from after-school care to fitness classes to computer labs at 13 community centers throughout the county. Learn more on the community centers and their programming options at Community Centers site.


This is the grim story of a cancer patient, Lisa Kelly, and the famous, well endowed, non-profit M.D. Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas.
Barbara Martinez, a reporter for the Wall St. Journal, related the billing hurdles that Mrs. Kelly has been confronting since late 2006 in a shocking front-page story on April 28, 2008.
This is a tale of pay or die that recurs again and again all over our country and only in our country in the entire western world.
Advised by her physician to go to M.D. Anderson for urgent treatment of her leukemia, Mrs. Kelly was told she had to pay $105,000 up front before being admitted. The hospital declared her limited insurance unacceptable.
Time out from her torment for a moment. M.D. Anderson started this upfront payment demand in 2005 because of a spike in its bad debt load.
It isn't as if non-profit hospitals like M.D. Anderson are hurting. Look at this finding in an Ohio State University study: net income per bed at non-profit hospitals tripled to $146,273 in 2005 from $50,669 in 2000. And you also may have noticed the huge pay packages awarded hospital executives.
M.D. Anderson, exempt from taxation, recipient of funds from large government programs and research grants has cash, investments and endowment totaling $1.9 billion, with net income of $310 million last year, the Journal reports.
Back to the 52 year old, Lisa Kelly. She and her husband returned with a check for $45,000. After a blood test and biopsy, the hospital oncologist urged admittance quickly. Then the hospital demanded an additional $60,000-$45,000 just for the lab tests and $15,000 for part of the cost of the treatment.
To shorten the story, she received chemotherapy for over a year. Often her appointment was "blocked" until she made another payment.
In a particularly grotesque incident, she was hooked up to a chemotherapy pump, but the nurses were not allowed to change the chemo bag until Mr. Kelly made another payment.
She endured other indignities and overcharges. Reporter Martinez cites $360 for blood tests that insurers pay $20 or less for and up to $120 for saline pouches that cost less than $2 retail.
Imagine anything like Mrs. Kelly's predicament and pressures occurring in Canada, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Holland, England or any other western country. It would never happen.
These countries have universal single payer health insurance. No one dies because they cannot afford health care. In America, 18,000 Americans die each year because they cannot afford health care, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Many more get sick or become sicker.
In the U.S. the drug companies charge their highest prices in the world, even though we, the taxpayers, subsidized them in large ways. In other countries like Mexico and Canada, they cannot get away with such drug price gouging, with a pay or die ultimatum.
In the U.S., computerized billing fraud and abuse cost over $200 billion last year, according to the GAO arm of Congress. In other counties, single payer prevents such looting.
In other countries, administrative expenses of their single payer system are about a third of what the Aetna's and other insurers rack up.
In other western countries, medical outcomes for children and adults and paid family leave are far superior to that of the U.S. The World Health Organization ranks the US health care system 37th in the world.
Clearly much is wrong with the nature of pricing health care.
Someday, soon maybe, Americans will finally band together and say "enough already," we're going for full Medicare for all- without loopholes for corporate profiteers and purveyors of waste and fraud.
Last month after being in remission, Lisa Kelly's leukemia has come back.


I have been going through my Recipe Box trying to pull out all my easy summer desserts. It's summer in Texas, so it is too hot to be cooking anything! I know I have to crank up the oven at times for dinner, but for dessert no way!!!! It just ain't happening.
I have a pretty good assortment of fast and easy no bake desserts perfect for the hot weather.
Most of them are really quick and simple to prepare, so you can whip them up in a jiffy. One of our favorite favorite desserts is Chocolate Eclair Cake.
This dessert definitely falls under the quick and easy category. It uses graham crackers, instant pudding, whipped topping, and chocolate frosting. The filling taste exact to a "Chocolate Eclair". In this case instead of being one little eclair there is definitely enough for a crowd!!
This recipe is perfect for children who are just starting to learn to cook, because there is no baking involved or any use of kitchen tools. Plus no hot oven. Just a bowl, whisk and spatula. My daughter loves to help make this cake. Well since the kids have been asking me for days to make this lets get started.
Pour the dry pudding mix into a medium size bowl and measure out 3 Cups of milk. Pour into the bowl and whisk the pudding until blended and begins to thicken. If you don't have a whisk a spoon works just as good. add the thawed cool whip and gently fold into the pudding mixture.
Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers then the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.
OK it's time for the chocolate frosting. I put my chocolate frosting in the microwave for just a bit on defrost!! don't choose cook or you will have a clumpy mess. Microwave it for about 20 -30 seconds just until you get it nice, smooth and pourable.
This is Mackenzie's favorite part. Pour the frosting over the whole cake and spread it all around up to the edges of the pan. OK now for the BAD NEWS!!!!! sorry but you gotta do this part chill the cake for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving. The longer the better this will insure that the crackers soften up and be just like a eclair. You can do it, I have faith in you.
Doesn't this look delicious? OK if its been enough time go whack you off a piece of that cake don't forget the milk!!!
Pour the dry pudding mix into a medium size bowl and measure out 3 Cups of milk. Pour into the bowl and whisk the pudding until blended and begins to thicken.
If you don't have a whisk a spoon works just as good. add the thawed cool whip and gently fold into the pudding mixture.
Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers.
Top with another layer of graham crackers, then the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.
Now it is time for the frosting. I put my chocolate frosting in the microwave for just a bit on defrost!! don't choose cook or you will have a clumpy mess.
Microwave it for about 20 -30 seconds just to get it nice, smooth and pourable. Pour the frosting over the whole cake and spread it all around up to the edges of the pan.
Chill cake for at least 6 - 8 hours before serving. You want it to be soft just like a true eclair.
For the frosting blend together the cocoa, powdered sugar, butter and milk. Using a whisk mix together until smooth. If you want a thicker frosting add a bit more powdered sugar.
Amy you wont be disappointed. We made this last Friday and by Saturday it was almost gone only two slices left that i gave to a friend. Drew will love it.
Love this recipe & nice to see it online. My mom has made this for years...its always a favorite at picnics or family reunions. I like to eat mine frozen or partially thawed.
Sometimes I change this up a bit and use chocolate graham crackers and instead of the chocolate frosting on top I place fresh berriers right before serving. Awesome either way!!!
Hey! I made this over the weekend and it turned out GREAT! I think I would almost prefer to eat it while it still has the crunch of graham crackers, but it still tastes great after sitting overnight. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I actually prefer it both ways crunchy and soft. I guess we all have to wait if we want the true eclair' taste and consistency. This is one of my favorite summer desserts.
I made this cake for my Dad's birthday...it was an instant hit! I wish I had known about the ready made icing trick...I made a chocolate sauce for the top. Tonight I am making your version!!!
Some people make a homemade ganache for this cake. I think the frosting is so great for a quick fix. This is such a wonderful summer cake.
Tina...a friend recently shared this recipe with me after she found it on your blog. I've already made it twice and it was a big hit on both occasions. I always make copies of the recipe to pass out as I know they're going to ask and they haven't disappointed me yet. LOL This is a wonderful recipe for the summer as it's light and cool and not having to turn on the oven is another plus. It's so easy to put together and no one can believe the chocolate topping is a frosting. I've signed up for your newsletter; so keep the recipes coming.
I have been making this dessert for several years now and it never dissapoints. This is one recipe that all of my friends and family says is their number one favorite. They think I spend a lot of time making it but it's so simple. BTW, I stumbled on your website while looking for a hummingbird cake recipe. Love ALL of the recipes you've listed. Keep 'em coming!
Can I plz ask if it makes a diff what kind of milk? We have 2%, but would certainly get whole if recommended. Thx much!
@Stitchin Sweet Sue, It doesn't make a difference if you use 2% or whole milk. I always just use what I have on hand.
Wow, this sounds awesome! My wedding anniversary is coming up soon and my husband will flip for this. I'm thinking a layer of banana slices under the second layer of graham crackers would be the perfect touch, too.
Sounds Delish....but with the New Year and trying to lose weight I wonder how you cud lighten this up????
You could use sugar free putting, fat free milk and light or fat free cool whip. Not sure what you could do about the graham crackers and the frosting part though. It would at least lighten it up a bit.
Tjis is also great with cherry pie filling as a topping.
Love this recipe. We all love it and it's soooooo easy to make. Thanks.
There are so many variations that can be made with this recipe. I use 1-vanilla and 1-cheesecake. Next time I may try strawberries instead of the chocolate. My FAVORITE recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Have made this for years and my son asks for it for his birthday cake every year and now that he is grown his girlfriend is required to do it now!! He also gets it when he comes to see me. It is assumed that I will make it!! I make the icing from scratch and it is wonderful!! Will have to try using can icing and see. Have also seen a variation of using chocolate grahams and adding peanut butter to the pudding. Have not tried that yet but I plan to.
frosting in the tubs. It's very good.
So now this recipe can be completely revamped sugar free. And its delicious too. Thanks fir the awesome recipe.
Mewsicma, Wm does carry sf french vanilla, storebrand. And they also carry sugar free canned frosting and cake mixes, beside the regular mixes. They are quite good. Good luck!
Hi, I'd love to make this but here in Australia we don't have cool whip. What can I substitute? As some of you have made it for decades there must have been an alternative.
Do you have Dream Whip? It comes in a box with several packets usually in the baking isle. All you do is add vanilla and water to make dream whip. This is very similar and hard to find out here.
I have made this recipe many many times and sometimes I add with each layer a layer of bananas, any fruit works pretty good too. Love this, so does my family.
I don't have graham crackers but I do have graham cracker crumbs in a box...how can I use them instead?
Graham cracker crumbs will not work in this recipe. It needs to be graham crackers.
I make this very often using different flavors of pudding and I also do not use cool whip in mine. This dessert is amazing! I use butterscotch pudding often and use vanilla icing on that. I also make a strawberry puree to go on top sometimes when I use strawberry pudding to make this. Try any variations with this and you will certainly find that it is wonderful anyway you make it.
To the person who asked about using graham cracker crumbs, they will not work at all since the graham cracker is what holds this dessert all together really.
Anyone have any idea on the UK alternatives for the ingredients please?
That Eclair cake looks yummy!
Could some other cookie be used instead of the graham crackers?
Does anyone have any idea if instead of refrigerating this, I might be able to make ahead and freeze? We are going on a camping trip, I'd love to attempt freezing it (and keeping it frozen) until we reach our destination, thrn unthawing it once we're settled. Any ideas ot recommendations?
Hello I made this recipe for a Church cook out and i was only able to get myself one piece of it but man oh man it was delicious and a man caught me in the kitchen and told me he didn't know who made the certain cake out on the table but it was good and then he said too good that he had three pieces of it and i said what are you talking about the one that was sitting on the counter and he said oh yeah that's the one! I just laughed and said where i found it and told him i guess i will make again next time we have the food after church!! It's defe a keeper!
I have been making this for years also. I use one box of french vanilla and one box of pistachio pudding.
can anyone say the replacement for graham crackles ?
I make this cake but instead of frosting, I use whipped cream to frost. After reading about microwaving the chocolate frosting I might just have to try that. Also have used vanilla wafers in place of the graham crackers. Freeze it and folks will go crazy!
Hi to those in the UK any type of cookie like vanilla wafers I think would work. For the topping I used whipped topping(dream whip) and little bit of pureed fruit. Lot less calories than frosting.


Article about: Well I would love to see the brass ones... are the for sale anywere?
I saw this ad on ebay and was wondering if this was really used?
Re: Cricket used during D-Day?
I'm sure that one is an actual toy that the D-Day Crickets originated from and not a military item, it also doesnt look like its from the Second World War aswell, it just looks too new to me.
Yeah good point.. they do look to new.. I wonder if some examples have survived and are in collecting hands?
This type of crickets were made in France during 1970 and 1980 and now are sold for the real deal.there was some use by the paratroopers that look like this one but only go for 40 to 50$ not 250$ and most of the one that everyone knowns that are for sell are fakes.the Reproduction are NOT like the real one.
Do you happen to have a picture of the real one? or do you know if someone has one in there collection??
even if that was real, just way too much money for it, just my opinion.
Sorry all the collectors of Airborne stuff that I know only want the brass one or have the Brass one.They just stay away from the different type because there is not way to really prove it is real.But if you are wanting to see original brass one not a problem.
You are correct ,if it is real I would pay 40$.
But the brass one in the hundreds of dollars.


Fee-Billing Based on Incorrect Account Valuations – for example, using a different metric or process than was specified in the client agreement or including assets in the fee calculation that were named as "excluded" assets for billing purposes in the client agreement and/or other disclosure documents.
Billing Fees with Improper Frequency – for example, billing in advance instead of arrears, billing monthly instead of quarterly, or billing on the market value as of the end of the billing cycle rather than on the average daily balance as described in the client agreement and/or other disclosure documents.
Applying Incorrect Fee Rate – for example, applying an incorrect fee rate or charging performance based fees to non-qualified clients.
Omitting Rebates and Applying Discounts Incorrectly – for example, not aggregating account values for members of the same household and/or not applying proper breakpoints as specified in the agreement and/or disclosure documents, or wrap fee participants paying brokerage or other transaction based fees disclosed as being included in the bundled fee.
Disclosure Issues Involving Advisory Fees – for example, ADV disclosures or agreement terms that were inconsistent with advisory practices, such as exceeding stated maximum fees and/or not disclosing additional fees or markups in additions to advisory fees, such as fee sharing arrangements with affiliates or third-parties in connection with certain asset purchases.
Adviser Expense Misallocations – for example, with regard to advisers to private or registered funds that misallocated expenses, such as distribution and marketing expenses, regulatory filing fees, and travel expenses, inconsistent with applicable advisory or operating agreements, or other disclosures.
Failing to adhere to the terms of advisory agreements and disclosures, engaging in incorrect billing and expense practices, and failing to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of securities laws can rise to the level of enforcement. In such cases, advisers have been charged with violations of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the rules promulgated thereunder, which could include, in some cases, violations of certain anti fraud provisions.
RIA Compliance Group encourages advisers to review their current billing practices, to review their fee and expense disclosures made to clients in Form ADV or other disclosure documents and advisory contracts, and to test and enhance related internal policies and procedures to ensure that any billing or expense issues are immediately corrected. Corrective measures should include proactively reimbursing any incorrectly charged fees or expenses and strengthening written policies and procedures and the internal controls in place to detect and prevent such errors going forward.
Recently the SEC also penalized advisers for charging fees on so-called "orphaned" accounts after the assigned IAR left the firm and for disclosure failures related to compensation received from third parties for investing clients' assets in certain mutual funds. Moreover, some advisers were charged with breaches of fiduciary obligations and their duties to seek best execution where they invested client assets in funds charging 12b-1 fees when cheaper share classes in the same funds were available. As a reminder, the SEC has indicated it is willing to recommend more favorable settlement terms for advisers self-reporting this type of misconduct on or before June 12, 2018.


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Copyright 2013-2017. Adirondack Rustic Gallery by Barry Gregson. All Rights Reserved.


The Sideshow offers a more fashionable alternative to some of the other fit over sunglasses that are on the market. In addition to being an attractive over the glass pair of sunglasses, the Sideshow is also safety rated so they can be worn in industrial situations. The lenses are shatterproof polycarbonate and have the benefit of being UV400 protecting you from the harsh UV rays of the sun. The Sideshow offers wide peripheral vision with matching side lenses. It is available in matte black frames with clear, smoke and yellow lenses. It is available in tortoise frames with polycarbonate smoke lenses, and also in black frames with polarized lenses.


The canceled ladies downhill from St. Moritz has been rescheduled today to Bansko (BUL) and will take place on Friday, Feb. 27th at 12:00 LOC (11:00 CET).
Training runs at both Kitzbuel and Cortina were canceled this morning, both due to falling snow. Organizers later extended the cancellations through tomorrow.
At Cortina there were 25inches on the ground at 6:30 am, with forecasts calling for another 25, prompting the cancellation of Thursday's super G.
More information regarding rescheduling the super G will be announced on Thursday. Friday and Saturday's downhills, as well as Sunday's giant slalom will take place as scheduled.
At Kitzbuhel officials made the call about 9:30. Racers were out for inspection but it was snowing too heavily to get the training run in.


Has a GAP to fill!
I believe that target has room to retrace to the $64 range. There is strong long term support at these levels and it could be a strong buy signal.
Good spot to pick up some TGT. Lots of support (100 EMA, cloud and previous resistance). Additionally, TGT will be on a red 9 on the TD indicator, so a good spot for a price flip (at least temporarily). I'll put an $83 to $85 target on this, with timetable of 4-8 weeks. Bonus bullevidence... upcoming golden cross of the 50/200 EMA on the weekly.
Looks like a good place for Target to pullback before continuing bullish. The stop is below the 10, 20, and 50 EMA on the hourly, as well as the 100 and 200 SMA. I believe that will be too many averages for it to breakthrough to trigger the stop. Hoping to be in this trade for less than 2 weeks.


text:
Q: Conditional find / replace in bash shell My issue should be rather simple, and I'm guessing where I'm failing is syntax related. I'm looking to write a simple shell script which manipulates an XML file in the following way.
The data points inside each tag will be numeric values. These should all be positive, so if there exists a negative value inside any tag within the XML file, I would like to replace it with a zero. For example, the following XML file - call it "file.xml"
<tag1>19</tag1>
<tag2>2</tag2>
<tag3>-12</tag3>
<tag4>37</tag4>
<tag5>-41</tag5>

should be replaced with
<tag1>19</tag1>
<tag2>2</tag2>
<tag3>0</tag3>
<tag4>37</tag4>
<tag5>0</tag5>

My thinking on this would be if I grepped any instance of the string ">-*<" in the file and used sed to replace it with >0< as follows.
#!/bin/bash
STRING=">-*<"
if grep -xq "$STRING" file.xml
then
sed -i 's/$STRING/>0</g' file.xml
else
echo "that string was not found in the file"
fi

However all I'm getting in return is the echo string "that string was not found in the file" being returned, even tho I have included negative values in the file. Does the * not take into account any string following the minus sign in this example? Naturally there can be any number following the minus sign, so i'm thinking my problem is how I've defined the variable: STRING=">-*<"....
Any pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

A: Try this:
STRING=">-.*<"

or better yet:
STRING=">-[0-9]*<"

In general, the * means 'any number of the last character/class of characters', so .* matches any string, [0-9]* any string consisting only of digits. Your expression would have matched '><', '>-<', '>--<', '>---<' and so on.

A: cat aaa.txt
<tag1>19</tag1>
<tag2>2</tag2>
<tag3>-12</tag3>
<tag4>37</tag4>
<tag5>-41</tag5>

replace negatives with zero and write to a new file
sed 's/-[0-9][0-9]*/0/' aaa.txt > a2.txt

check the new file
cat a2.txt
<tag1>19</tag1>
<tag2>2</tag2>
<tag3>0</tag3>
<tag4>37</tag4>
<tag5>0</tag5>

A: >-[0-9]+<

is a better choice as it is one or more chars

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package org.eclipse.ui.texteditor;

import org.eclipse.jface.action.Action;
import org.eclipse.jface.action.IAction;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection;
import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelectionProvider;

import org.eclipse.jface.text.Position;
import org.eclipse.jface.text.TextSelection;

import org.eclipse.ui.IEditorPart;
import org.eclipse.ui.IEditorSite;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPage;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow;
import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindowActionDelegate;
import org.eclipse.ui.PartInitException;
import org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI;
import org.eclipse.ui.internal.texteditor.EditPosition;
import org.eclipse.ui.internal.texteditor.TextEditorPlugin;

/**
 * Goes to last edit position.
 *
 * @since 3.5
 */
public class GotoLastEditPositionAction extends Action implements IWorkbenchWindowActionDelegate {

	/** The workbench window */
	private IWorkbenchWindow fWindow;
	/** The action */
	private IAction fAction;

	/**
	 * Creates a goto last edit action.
	 */
	public GotoLastEditPositionAction() {
		PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getHelpSystem().setHelp(this, IAbstractTextEditorHelpContextIds.GOTO_LAST_EDIT_POSITION_ACTION);
		setId(ITextEditorActionDefinitionIds.GOTO_LAST_EDIT_POSITION);
		setActionDefinitionId(ITextEditorActionDefinitionIds.GOTO_LAST_EDIT_POSITION);
		setEnabled(false);
	}

	/*
	 * @see IWorkbenchWindowActionDelegate#init(org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchWindow)
	 */
	public void init(IWorkbenchWindow window) {
		fWindow= window;
	}

	/*
	 * @see org.eclipse.ui.IActionDelegate#run(org.eclipse.jface.action.IAction)
	 */
	public void run(IAction action) {
		run();
	}

	/*
	 * @see IAction#run()
	 */
	public void run() {
		EditPosition editPosition= TextEditorPlugin.getDefault().getLastEditPosition();
		if (editPosition == null)
			return;

		final Position pos= editPosition.getPosition();
		if (pos == null || pos.isDeleted)
			return;

		IWorkbenchWindow window= getWindow();
		if (window == null)
			return;

		IWorkbenchPage page= window.getActivePage();

		IEditorPart editor;
		try {
			editor= page.openEditor(editPosition.getEditorInput(), editPosition.getEditorId());
		} catch (PartInitException ex) {
			return;
		}

		// Optimization - could also use else branch
		if (editor instanceof ITextEditor) {
			ITextEditor textEditor= (ITextEditor)editor;
			textEditor.selectAndReveal(pos.offset, pos.length);
			return;
		}

		/*
		 * Workaround: send out a text selection
		 * XXX: Needs to be improved, see https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=32214
		 */
		if (editor != null) {
			IEditorSite site= editor.getEditorSite();
			if (site == null)
				return;

			ISelectionProvider provider= editor.getEditorSite().getSelectionProvider();
			if (provider == null)
				return;

			provider.setSelection(new TextSelection(pos.offset, pos.length));
		}
	}

	/*
	 * @see org.eclipse.ui.IActionDelegate#selectionChanged(org.eclipse.jface.action.IAction, org.eclipse.jface.viewers.ISelection)
	 */
	public void selectionChanged(IAction action, ISelection selection) {
		boolean enabled= TextEditorPlugin.getDefault().getLastEditPosition() != null;
		setEnabled(enabled);
		action.setEnabled(enabled);

		// This is no longer needed once the action is enabled.
		if (!enabled) {
			 // adding the same action twice has no effect.
			TextEditorPlugin.getDefault().addLastEditPositionDependentAction(action);
			// this is always the same action for this instance
			fAction= action;
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Returns the workbench window.
	 *
	 * @return the workbench window
	 */
	private IWorkbenchWindow getWindow() {
		if (fWindow == null)
			fWindow= PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getActiveWorkbenchWindow();
		return fWindow;
	}

	/*
	 * @see IWorkbenchWindowActionDelegate#dispose()
	 */
	public void dispose() {
		fWindow= null;
		TextEditorPlugin.getDefault().removeLastEditPositionDependentAction(fAction);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Professor Peter Mortimer is a consultant dermatologist working at both St George's Hospital and the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. He is also Professor of Dermatological Medicine to St George's University of London. He has spent most of his professional life in the research and clinical practice of lymphoedema and related disorders of the lymphatic system. He is a founder of both the Lymphoedema Support Network and the British Lymphology Society, and is internationally recognised for his work in lymphoedema. He is the author of Lymphoedema: Advice on Self-management and Treatment (2004).


text:
Finland's Foreign Minister Kanerva to Testify Before Helsinki Commission
WASHINGTON - Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) and Co-Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), will hold a hearing on Wednesday, February 13 at 11:00 a.m. in room B-318 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilkka Kanerva, will testify before the Helsinki Commission in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the 56-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for 2008.
The hearing entitled, "Finland's Leadership of the OSCE," will focus on Finland's plans and priorities as well as challenges confronting the OSCE in 2008 and beyond. Additionally, the hearing is expected to address election observation activities by the OSCE; prospects for OSCE continued engagement in Kosovo; ongoing initiatives to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance; and the CFE Treaty.
Alcee Hastings
OSCE's 2022 Ministerial Council in Lodz: Russia Isolated as States Demand Accountability and Reaffirm Commitments
By Janice Helwig, Senior Policy Advisor, Demitra Pappas, Senior Advisor Department of State, Shannon Simrell, Representative of the Helsinki Commission to the U.S. Mission to OSCE Foreign Ministers and senior officials from the 57 participating States and 11 Asian and Mediterranean partners of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) convened the OSCE Ministerial Council in Lodz, Poland on December 1-2. While the OSCE Ministerial is held annually, this year's meeting was atypical, due to its taking place amid the greatest crisis in European security since World War II, namely Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. States Accuse Russia and Belarus of Violating Principles, Stand with Ukraine Polish-Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau in his opening remarks pointedly blamed Russia for destroying the security order and attempting to undermine the Organization. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, abetted by Belarus, violated each of the politico-military, democratic, human rights, and economic and environmental commitments enshrined in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, an agreement that underpinned European security for nearly 50 years. Most fundamentally, the Lodz Ministerial underscored participating States' desire to return to the founding principles of the OSCE - the Helsinki Final Act – and to call out Russia's violation of each. Participating State after participating State took the floor to reaffirm their OSCE commitments and to call Russia to account. Russia was entirely isolated, with only Belarus attempting, pathetically, to deflect blame on others for "corroding" the spirit of Helsinki. At each instance, participating States overwhelmingly reaffirmed their support for OSCE principles and denounced Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine, declared solidarity with Ukraine, and demanded accountability for war crimes, the crime of aggression, and violations of international humanitarian law. Participating States also voiced strong support for the work of the OSCE's autonomous institutions, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Representative of the Freedom of the Media in particular, whose mandates and funding are often in Russia's crosshairs. Many participating States also noted the importance of the three "Moscow Mechanism" reports issued this past year to document Russia's violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine and its repression of human rights at home. A joint statement delivered by Finland on behalf of 42 other participating States condemned Russia's atrocities in Ukraine and called for perpetrators to be held accountable. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt advocated establishing a high-level body to assess reparations from Russia. Two other aspects of the Ministerial were unique. Absent were the annual negotiations among participating States on decisions designed to enhance existing commitments on cooperative security, which the Polish Chair assessed as unfeasible due to Russian intransigence. Also absent was Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, against whom Poland took a principled stand to exclude from attending. OSCE Continued Work in 2022, Despite Russia's Objections States also used their interventions to welcome OSCE's development of new approaches in 2022 with regard to sustaining its human rights work and presence in Ukraine to overcome Russia's attempts to undermine the Organization. In the years leading up to the Ministerial, Russia had increased its abuse of OSCE's consensus-decision making to block the Organization's budget, to close OSCE's three field missions in Ukraine, and to prevent the convening of OSCE's signature, annual human rights conference, the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM). Yet despite its concerted efforts, Russia failed to block OSCE's human rights work or eradicate its work in Ukraine. "On the contrary," as U.S. delegation head, Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland observed in Lodz, the OSCE "has said no to Moscow's efforts to divide it, to paralyze it, to destroy it." Nuland added, the Organization has emerged "even stronger, more flexible, more resilient" under Poland's stewardship and that of Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid. After Russia blocked the HDIM, the Polish Chairmanship convened the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference (WHDC) in September, conducting a full review of human rights commitments with the participation of more than one thousand governmental and civil society representatives in attendance. In November, the Secretariat stood up a donor-funded "Support Programme Ukraine" which reestablished an OSCE presence in the country. These are examples of how the OSCE has continued to promote Helsinki principles and deliver programming in spite of Russia's attempts to undermine it. Side Events, Civil Society Parallel Conference Seek to Close Russia's "Accountability Gap" A range of side events amplified concerns of participating States and civil society regarding the terrible human toll of Russia's war and the need for accountability. The first side event explored the increased risk of human trafficking among Ukrainian citizens fleeing the conflict and the illegal abduction and forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia. The establishment of a Group of Friends on Children in Armed Conflict was also announced. A side event moderated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba outlined various means to hold Russia accountable for atrocities committed in Ukraine, including providing support to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office and to the International Criminal Court through the collection evidence of crimes and aiding in investigations. Minister Kuleba strongly advocated for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russia's crime of aggression and received broad support. An event featuring Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other activists drew renewed attention to the plight of thousands of political prisoners in Belarus and called for the invocation of another Moscow Mechanism report to document ongoing human rights violations by the government of Belarus. Civic Solidarity Platform (CSP), a regional association of human rights civil society organizations, hosted its annual Parallel Civil Society Conference on November 30 which likewise called on participating States to ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine. In response to CSP's long-standing call for closer collaboration between the OSCE and civil society, North Macedonia, which assumes the Chairmanship of OSCE in 2023, committed to appoint a Special Representative on Civil Society Organizations. Looking Ahead to 2023: North Macedonia Despite Russia's isolation, its war against Ukraine continues even as Poland plans to pass the leadership of the Organization to North Macedonia as of January 1, 2023. As the incoming Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani pledged that North Macedonia's tenure "will be guided by strict observance of OSCE principles and commitments." He further stressed the cooperative nature of regional security, noting, "Safeguarding OSCE values and respect for international law must be a shared priority. This is of utmost importance. Rebuilding trust and engaging in meaningful dialogue presupposes full compliance with the agreed OSCE commitments and principles. We all have to be accountable for our actions. This is the formula for the way forward."
Decolonizing the Russian Empire
Russia's war of conquest in Ukraine has shocked the world for its brutality and aggression. But the Kremlin's violent designs in Ukraine, and other military adventures in the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, are part of a larger and longer legacy of Russian imperialism that directly threaten its neighbors and imprison a multitude of nations within its authoritarian empire. This side event explores the destructive effects of Russian imperialism and how the unfolding genocide in Ukraine is a natural outgrowth of these colonial policies. Drawing on regional perspectives of those victimized by Russia's brutal empire, the panel will highlight the realities of Russian colonialism and what a process of decolonization—elevating marginalized voices and providing for their full political and civic self-expression—would mean for Russia and for its neighbors.
NATO Refocused, Europe Reinforced
By Jessika Nebrat, Max Kampelman Fellow Following the escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is playing a role it has not filled in years. Forced to reconcentrate its attention to Europe's defense, NATO allies are demonstrating persistent resolve in countering Moscow's expansionist tendencies. In doing so, NATO returns to a core facet of its founding mission: the defense against Moscow's militarism. While NATO represents just one facet of the Euro-Atlantic security infrastructure, it is perhaps the most robust organization bound by formal agreements, dedicated to peacekeeping, and capable of enforcement. Its mission to "guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means" echoes the first dimension principles outlined by the Helsinki Final Act, and aligns NATO with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the U.S. Helsinki Commission. In supporting each other's work, these institutions mutually reinforce their shared values and bolster European security. History of NATO In the aftermath of the second World War, the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations sought to boost European economic reconstruction and protect themselves from Soviet domination. The 1947 Treaty of Dunkirk predated NATO in promoting Atlantic alliance and mutual assistance between France and the United Kingdom. The agreement was expanded in March 1948 as the Treaty of Brussels to engage Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in military, economic, social, and cultural cooperation. In the same month, the United States hosted talks intended to unite both North American and Western European allies; as a result, NATO was officially signed into existence on April 4, 1949. The 12 founding member nations derived their legitimacy from United Nations (UN) Charter Article 51, which affirmed the right to collective defense. The foundational NATO Treaty mentioned collective defense only after declaring the parties' commitments to finding peaceful resolutions of disputes, upholding UN principles, strengthening free institutions, and promoting economic collaboration. The Alliance formally defined its principal objectives to deter Soviet expansionism, oppose nationalist militarism on the continent, and bolster European political integration. Though it sought to deter military aggression, NATO's original treaty did not provide any means of enforcing the agreed-upon principles. It was not until after the USSR's 1949 detonation of an atomic bomb and the 1950 start of the Korean War that NATO approved a military command structure. In response, the Soviet Union established the Warsaw Pact in 1955. Though neither of the two ideologically opposed organizations used force during the Cold War, they engaged in an arms race that persisted until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. NATO after the Cold War Once NATO no longer had to defend against Soviet expansionism, the Alliance broadened the scope of its peacekeeping and security enforcement missions. In the 1990s, NATO forces were deployed: to Turkey during the Gulf Crisis; upon request to Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States nations as part of a humanitarian mission after the fall of the USSR; to enforce a UN arms embargo and no-fly zone over former Yugoslavia; and in the Central Mediterranean during a period of tension with Libya. In the 21st century, NATO forces were also deployed during: the Second Gulf War; to the US and Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the only Article 5 invocation in NATO history; to mitigate rising ethnic tensions in North Macedonia; to counter terrorist activity in the Mediterranean; as counter-piracy escorts to UN World Food Programme ships transiting the Gulf of Aden; to train Iraqi security forces; to enforce a no-fly zone after the popular uprising in Libya; for peacekeeping in Sudan; and to provide disaster relief throughout Europe, the Middle East, and in the United States. NATO currently maintains active operations in Kosovo, the Mediterranean, Iraq, and throughout the African Union; it recently ramped up air policing as part of a peace-keeping response to the Russian Federation's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the escalation against Ukraine this past February. Kremlin Narrative against NATO Over the years, Moscow has repeatedly resisted NATO enlargement – especially for countries it claims within its sphere of influence. Putin asserts that during a 1990 summit between President George H. W. Bush and President Gorbachev, the United States promised no further expansion of NATO; civil servants present at that meeting have refuted this claim, as has Mr. Gorbachev himself. In his conversation with Bush, Gorbachev repeatedly affirmed that nations have the right to make their own alliances. Though internal U.S. analyses of the 1990s suggested that expansion eastward may not be politically expedient, such positions never became official policy. The United States has remained resolute in its recognition of sovereign choice, and expansion has been driven by requests from former Soviet and Warsaw Pact states wary of Russian revanchism. The Kremlin has deployed an opposing narrative to justify Russian military engagements in Georgia in the early 2000s, and more recently in Ukraine. Putin sees the inclusion of either nation in NATO, and the political and economic liberalization that go with it, as threats to his regime's stability. NATO membership would limit Russian interference in the internal affairs of either state. Additionally, if Russia's neighbors and fellow post-Soviet states can become true democracies, provide higher quality of living, and ensure the rule of law, then why can't Putin's Russia? Any argument that NATO expansion threatens Russia misrepresents the organization, which is a diverse coalition dedicated to mutual defense and development. Moreover, such an assertion overlooks the efforts NATO has made to include and collaborate with Russia in the pursuit of cooperative security. NATO Back to its Roots By illegally and brutally invading Ukraine in February 2022 – a dramatic escalation of the grinding conflict started in 2014 – Putin has galvanized European and Western unity. Hearkening to its origins and returning attention to Eastern Europe, NATO is recommitting itself to "counter Russia's attempts to destroy the foundations of international security and stability." The international community is largely on board. In its collective attention beyond security, NATO – alongside other organizations – highlights not only the potential for, but the responsibility of the international community to condemn human rights violations, uphold the rule of law, and pursue economic health, all efforts that further challenge the Kremlin's narrative that it can lead (or that there even needs to exist) an opposing bloc. Alarmed by Moscow's renewed expansionism, Sweden and Finland have abandoned decades of neutrality in favor of NATO membership. They are on track towards the fastest accession process in history, and anticipate a smooth integration. Both already engage in the wider European community through membership in such organizations as the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Their force structures are robust, and well-versed in NATO procedures following decades of partnership; their accession will secure northeast Europe, expand NATO's border with Russia, and reinforce NATO presence in the Arctic and Baltic Sea. Although the Kremlin initially vowed "military and political repercussions" were Finland and Sweden to join NATO, such threats have dulled to warnings about the installation of NATO military infrastructure nearer Russia's borders; as Finland and Sweden's NATO membership neared finalization, Putin even expressed "no problem" with these states joining the Alliance. It remains to be seen how this change will play out. After decades of orientation towards international stabilization, humanitarian, and counterinsurgency mission sets, NATO has been refocused on European deterrence and defense following the Kremlin's violent assault on Ukraine. In addition to condemning Russia's invasion and supporting Ukraine via such measures as the Comprehensive Assistance Package, NATO plays a critical role in championing European collective defense and discouraging any expansion of conflict.
Helsinki Commission Delegation Convenes Historic Black Sea Security Summit, Demonstrates Bipartisan Support for European Security
WASHINGTON—From June 29 – July 9, Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) led a bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to Romania, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Sweden to consult with senior officials across Europe about Russia's war on Ukraine, security in the Black Sea region, and Finland and Sweden's plans to join NATO. On the shores of the Black Sea in Constanta, Romania, Sen. Wicker and Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu co-chaired the first-ever congressionally-organized Black Sea Security Summit to underscore the critical importance of the Black Sea region to European peace and security, and to establish a sustainable, collective approach to ending Russian aggression and enhancing mutual cooperation. "Given Russia's monstrous war on Ukraine and its wider aggression in the region, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Black Sea is currently the epicenter of Euro-Atlantic security and global peace," said Sen. Wicker. "Ukraine must be successful in this war…Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression against a neighbor cannot stand." "Over the last 25 years, a key objective of our bilateral strategic partnership has been to act as partners in enhancing our joint security and promoting the democratic and economic development of the Black Sea region. The continuation of common decisive action in this regard at the bilateral and multilateral level is more relevant than ever," said Minister Aurescu. "All along the Black Sea coast lies the first line of defense for the Euro-Atlantic community and the first line of support for our partners in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia." Prior to the summit, members of the Congressional delegation visited Romania's Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, where they received briefings from U.S., Romanian, and other NATO personnel and met with American troops. Delegation members then traveled to Birmingham, UK, for the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA). Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) was Head of the U.S. Delegation to the PA and spearheaded U.S. efforts to forge a strong, unified response from international legislators to Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and its people. "All OSCE parliamentarians must stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues as they battle the Kremlin's vicious, intolerable war on Ukraine," said Co-Chairman Cohen. "We must do all in our power—through this forum and all others—to ensure that Ukraine is victorious against Russian aggression." During the Annual Session, parliamentarians overwhelmingly approved a resolution introduced jointly by Sen. Wicker and the heads of the Ukrainian and Lithuanian delegations, responding to Russia's war on the Ukrainian people and the greater Russian threat to European security. The document "condemns resolutely and unequivocally the ongoing, intensified, clear, gross and still uncorrected violations of Helsinki Principles as well as of fundamental principles of international law by the Government of the Russian Federation in its war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the complicity of Belarus in this war of aggression, and calls on the governments of OSCE participating States to do the same." Several members of the U.S. Delegation successfully introduced more than two dozen amendments, designed to keep the focus on Russia's current aggression, to an array of other resolutions. In Birmingham, the delegation also co-hosted an event highlighting the growing problem of political repression in Russia and Belarus, especially in the context of protesting the war on Ukraine; met with Mikhail Khodorkovsky to discuss his organization's work to support political prisoners and democracy in Russia; and held bilateral meetings with the UK's parliamentary leadership, OSCE officials, parliamentarians from other OSCE countries. Helsinki Commissioner Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08) was re-elected to his post as chair of the OSCE PA's Committee on Political Affairs and Security. Following the Annual Session, the congressional delegation stopped in Finland and Sweden to welcome the historic decision of both countries to join the NATO Alliance. In Finland, members met with President Sauli Niinistö, and Finnish parliamentarians including First Deputy Speaker Antti Rinne and OSCE PA Vice President Pia Kauma. In Sweden, they met with Foreign Minister Ann Linde, Deputy Defense Minister Jan Olof-Lin, and a group of members of the Swedish parliament, led by Speaker Andreas Norlén and OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt. In addition to Co-Chairman Cohen, Sen. Wicker, and Rep. Hudson, the Congressional delegation included Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02), Commissioners Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), and Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33), as well as Sen. John Cornyn (TX), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) and Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04).
European Energy Security Post-Russia
Russia is weaponizing energy to prolong its unlawful invasion of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the sanctions that Europe and the United States have put in place have not been enough to curb Russian aggression thus far and the European Union pays Russia almost a billion euros a day for energy resources—mostly gas— that fund the Russian war machine. Germany, in particular, has struggled to move away from its dependence on Russian gas. At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany imported 55 percent of its gas from Russia. As of June 2022, Russian gas imports had decreased to 35 percent, with a goal to decrease to 10 percent by 2024, but progress is slow and buying any energy from Russia means that Germany continues to fund their unlawful invasion. Dr. Benjamin Schmitt, Research Associate at Harvard University and Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, pointed to the resurgence of Ostpolitik, a German diplomatic theory which seeks to build relationships and spread good governance through trade. First introduced in the Cold War era, Ostpolitik was put into action once more in the early 2000s by former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who became infamous for lobbying for Kremlin-backed projects in office and for sitting on the board of the Russian state-owned energy company, Gazprom, after leaving office. However, Russia attempted to leverage such projects, including the Nord Stream 1 project and its ultimately bankrupted predecessor, Nord Stream 2, to increase the vulnerability of Western Europe toward Russia. According to Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller, Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, domestic political will exists in Germany to diversify energy sources, even if most are wary of making those changes immediately. German polling shows that one-third of Germans are willing to cut off Russian gas immediately, while two-thirds would prefer a slow gradual decrease in gas. Dr. Stelzenmüller explained that if Germany were to immediately cut off Russian gas supplies, it is likely that a recession would affect not only Germany, but also many surrounding Eastern European countries, most of which have less capacity to manage a recession. She stated, "Much of [Germany's] manufacturing supply chains go deep into Eastern Europe. So, a recession in Germany would absolutely produce a massive, and perhaps worse, recession in our neighboring economies." Any actions taken against Russia should ensure that sanctions hit Russia harder than those countries imposing the sanctions. Mr. Yuriy Vitrenko, CEO of Naftogaz Ukraine, and Dr. Schmitt also emphasized the importance of the following recommendations outlined in the REPowerEU plan, the European Commission's plan to make Europe independent from Russian energy before 2030, and the International Working Group on Russia Sanctions Energy Roadmap: Full European/US embargos on Russian gas. Creation of a special escrow account that will hold net proceeds due to Russia until the Kremlin ceases all hostilities. Diversification of energy dependance away from Russia through energy diplomacy that identifies other potential suppliers, like Qatar. Funding and construction of energy infrastructure around Europe. Termination of Gazprom ownership of all critical energy infrastructure in Europe. Designation of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, which would automatically trigger secondary sanctions on any country that imports Russian goods. Sanctioning of all Russian banks. Strengthening of Ukrainian capacity to participate in the energy sector through the creation of modern energy infrastructure during the post-war reconstruction period. Pass the Stop Helping America's Malign Enemies (SHAME) Act, banning former U.S. government officials from seeking employment by Russian state-owned-enterprises, or Schroederization. Related Information Witness Biographies
European Energy Security Focus of Upcoming Helsinki Commission Hearing
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: EUROPEAN ENERGY SECURITY POST-RUSSIA Tuesday, June 7, 2022 2:30 p.m. Watch live: www.youtube.com/HelsinkiCommission The United States and European allies have largely cut Russia out of the global economy following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, given European reliance on Russian natural gas and oil, sweeping energy sanctions have lagged. The European Union spends nearly a billion euros a day on Russian energy, and several EU Member States are struggling to wean themselves off Russian resources in order to implement a full embargo. This hearing will examine plans to create a Europe that is wholly free from Russian oil and gas. Witnesses will discuss the importance of a robust energy embargo to starving the Russian war machine; options to ensure that Ukraine's energy needs are met; alternative sources of energy for Europe; and the perspective of Germany, which plays an outsize role as the most powerful economy in Europe and a primary consumer of Russian natural resources. The following witnesses are scheduled to participate: Yuriy Vitrenko, CEO, Naftogaz Ukraine Constanze Stelzenmüller, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution Benjamin Schmitt, Research Associate, Harvard University; Senior Fellow, Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis
Russian War Crimes in Ukraine
Well-documented Russian bombings and missile strikes in Ukraine have decimated hospitals, schools, and apartment buildings, including a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of children were sheltering and the Kramatorsk rail station where thousands were waiting to escape the Russian onslaught. The withdrawal of Russian troops from towns like Bucha, Chernihiv, and Sumy has revealed horrific scenes of civilian carnage, mass graves, and reports of rape and torture. Several world leaders have accused Russia of committing genocide against the people of Ukraine. In March, 45 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) states began proceedings to "establish the facts and circumstances of possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity…and to collect, consolidate, and analyze this information with a view to presenting it to relevant accountability mechanisms." The resulting report, issued on April 14, found "clear patterns of international humanitarian law violations by the Russian forces" and recommended further investigations to "establish individual criminal responsibility for war crimes." The Government of Ukraine, Ukrainian NGOs, and the International Criminal Court are collecting evidence for use in future legal proceedings. Witnesses at the hearing discussed the findings of the OSCE report, examined evidence being collected to document Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and analyzed paths to bring perpetrators to justice. Related Information Witness Biographies
Helsinki Commission Regrets Closure of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
WASHINGTON—On April 28, the OSCE announced that Russia had definitively forced the closure of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, following its veto of the mission's mandated activities as of April 1. In light of this announcement, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), and Ranking Member Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following joint statement: "Moscow's choice to force the closure of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine is only its latest offense against the rules-based international order. The brave monitors and staff who served the mission, in place since 2014, did exactly what they were supposed to do. Despite continual harassment and under constant threat, they reported objectively on ceasefire violations, informing the international community about the brutal reality of Russia's war against Ukraine. The monitors' clear and continuous reporting allowed the world to draw its own conclusions about the roots of Russia's aggression. Moscow's move to force the mission to close only underlines its desire to hide this ugly fact. "As we commend the service of these brave monitors and condemn Russia's obstruction, we renew our call on Moscow to immediately release all Ukrainian SMM staff members who have been detained in occupied parts of Ukraine. "We also mourn the recent loss of Maryna Fenina, a Ukrainian national serving with the SMM who was killed by Russia's shelling in Kharkiv on March 1, and we will never forget American paramedic Joseph Stone, who was killed while serving in support of the mission when his vehicle struck a landmine in Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine on April 23, 2017." The SMM was established in 2014 as an unarmed, civilian mission and served as the international community's eyes and ears on the security and humanitarian situation in the conflict zone. It operated under a mandate adopted by consensus among the 57 OSCE participating States, including the United States, Russia, and Ukraine.
Helsinki Commission Digital Digest April 2022
Helsinki Commission Leaders Condemn Detention of OSCE Officials by Russian-Led Forces in Ukraine
WASHINGTON—Following the detention of four Ukrainian nationals serving as members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Russian-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine who reportedly were accused of illegal activities including treason and espionage, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Ranking Members Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following joint statement: "The targeting and detention of OSCE officials by Russian-controlled forces is utterly unacceptable. Those detained must be released immediately. We will hold Russian officials responsible for any mistreatment they suffer." On April 24, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) confirmed that four Ukrainian staff members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) had been detained and held "for engaging in administrative activities that fall within their official functions as OSCE staff." The SMM had served a critical function as the eyes and ears of the international community in the conflict zone since 2014, until a Russian veto forced its mandated activities to cease on April 1. Since then, Ukrainian mission members had been carrying out minimum necessary administrative tasks focused on efforts to ensure the safety and security of its mission members, assets, and premises throughout Ukraine, including in Russian-controlled areas.
Helsinki Commission Urges OSCE PA to Adopt Ukrainian Declaration Recognizing Russia's Actions as Genocide
WASHINGTON—Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), who serves as Head of the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA), along with other Helsinki Commissioners who hold leadership roles in the commission and the OSCE PA, today released a letter urging the assembly to adopt a declaration by the parliament of Ukraine that recognizes Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide. Co-Chairman Cohen was joined in the letter to OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt by Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), who serves as the OSCE PA Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance; Senate Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), who serves as an OSCE PA vice-president; Commissioner Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), who chairs the OSCE PA Committee on Political Affairs and Security; and House Ranking Member Joe Wilson (SC-02). The letter read in part: "It is clear to us that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his military regime are engaging in acts of genocide against Ukraine and its people and we urge the OSCE PA to also endorse the Rada's declaration and issue a similar statement. "We do not come to this conclusion lightly, and we recognize the importance of precision in employing such terminology. However, given the overwhelming evidence—from Putin and his regime's many comments denying the existence of Ukrainian nationhood and the deliberate targeting of civilians, to the wholesale destruction of Mariupol, the mass graves that now pockmark Ukrainian lands, and reports of forced deportation of Ukrainian people including children to Russia where they are being indoctrinated in "reeducation camps" in attempts to destroy Ukrainian identity—we cannot be silent. The OSCE PA must raise its voice and speak with unity and unmitigated clarity about the unspeakable horrors that are unfolding in Ukraine and be truthful about what is happening there… "Given Russia's disregard for the 10 Helsinki principles guiding relations between participating States, its manipulation of OSCE rules for its own destructive ends, and its encouragement of neighboring Belarus to be complicit in its war crimes and genocidal actions, the Parliamentary Assembly should make clear where we as a credible body stand. Russia's horrific war of choice in Ukraine and this unfolding genocide must be described just as it is." The full letter is available online.
Helsinki Commission Leaders Mourn the Death of Finnish Politician Ilkka Kanerva
WASHINGTON—Following the death of Finnish parliamentarian Ilkka Kanerva, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Ranking Members Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following joint statement: "We are saddened by the death of our former OSCE colleague Ilkka Kanerva. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends. "An outspoken advocate for democracy and human rights, Ilkka was the only person to have served as both the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. "He was first elected to the Finnish parliament in 1975, the year the Helsinki Final Act was signed, and started his tenure as president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in 2014, the year Russia first invaded Ukraine. He was an able leader who shaped the OSCE PA's robust response at that time, speaking out against Russia's violation of its OSCE commitments and its violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. "Ilkka will be missed." Ilkka Kanerva served as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office in 2008 and as president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) from 2014 to 2016. He subsequently served as OSCE PA president emeritus and remained active as a member of the Finnish delegation to the OSCE PA.
Helsinki Commission Remembers Late Chairman Alcee Hastings
WASHINGTON—On the anniversary of the death of former Helsinki Commission Chairman Alcee Hastings of Florida, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), and Ranking Member Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following joint statement: "Alcee Hastings was a giant in foreign affairs, knowledgeable on all issues relating to security in Europe. As the only American to serve as President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, he led that organization in cementing its members' commitment to peace, security and human rights. Wherever he traveled on OSCE business, he was universally respected and liked. A year after his passing, he remains a revered figure and world-renowned leader."
At OSCE PA Winter Meeting, U.S. Legislators Unite with International Counterparts to Condemn Putin's Invasion of Ukraine
By Ryn Hintz, Max Kampelman Fellow From February 20 – 26, 2022, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Winter Meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) in Vienna, where he served as the Head of the U.S. Delegation. Other participating Helsinki Commissioners included Ranking House Commissioner Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Commissioners Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), and Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). They were joined on the delegation by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18). Ranking Senate Commissioner Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) participated remotely as members of the U.S. Delegation. The OSCE PA, consisting of 323 legislators from the 57 countries of the OSCE, has been particularly useful in defending democracy and promoting security in the face of numerous threats and challenges across the OSCE region. The Winter Meeting, held in a hybrid format due to ongoing but easing COVID restrictions, allows parliamentarians an opportunity to engage OSCE officials and diplomatic representatives, as well as to initiate work for the coming year. Prior to the Winter Meeting, the delegation visited Lithuania to demonstrate the strong U.S. support for this close NATO ally, which not only faces security threats on its borders but also provides refuge to independent voices from Russia and Belarus. OSCE PA Winter Meeting The 2022 Winter Meeting coincided with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's large-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, a horrific escalation of a conflict that began with Russia's illegal occupation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and ongoing aggression in the eastern portion of Ukraine. Ahead of the Winter Meeting, the OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella and members of OSCE PA leadership (including Sen. Wicker as a Vice President and Rep. Hudson as Chair of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security) met in an emergency session and issued a statement condemning the Kremlin invasion as a "clear and gross violation of the most basic norms of international law as well as OSCE principles and commitments." The group also issued a subsequent statement standing "in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its elected government" and noting the "extraordinary courage" exhibited by "civilians, the armed forces and national leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelensky." Statements condemning Vladimir Putin for the deliberate assault of Russian forces on Ukraine dominated the formal sessions of the meeting, despite an agenda originally designed to consider ongoing OSCE PA work on a wide range of issues. Co-Chairman Cohen spoke for the United States, decrying Putin's claim that the Ukrainian government is led and run by Nazis. In a poignant end to the Standing Committee's second session, the Ukrainian Head of Delegation, Mykyta Poturaiev, reported on violence in his neighborhood of Kyiv and bid farewell as he sought to return to his family in Ukraine. The 2022 Polish Chair-in-Office of the OSCE for 2022 outlined Poland's priorities in an utterly transformed era in European security. During the general debate, nominally on the topic of "security guarantees and the indivisibility of security in Europe," delegations resumed their near-universal condemnation of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Rep. Hudson opened the meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security by denouncing the invasion of one participating State by another, in total opposition of Helsinki principles. He also underlined the committee's particular relevance in the context of the security crisis precipitated by Russia, a view reinforced by a panel of senior OSCE officials present as guest speakers. Finally, Rep. Hudson moderated a debate on "heightened tensions in the OSCE area and the need for inter-parliamentary dialogue." The debate focused heavily on the attack on Ukraine, with Sen.Wicker remotely joining those in Vienna condemning Russia's outrageous behavior, and Rep. Jackson Lee forcefully urging members to recall the role of the Belarusian government in the events leading to the invasion. In the economic and environmental affairs committee, Rep. Smith spoke alongside OSCE official Valiant Richey about their efforts as special representatives on human trafficking issues of the Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE, respectively. They specifically discussed supply chains as they relate to human trafficking matters. Representative Wilson spoke for the United States in the subsequent debate. In the committee dealing with democracy and human rights, Rep. Wilson condemned Russian human-rights violations in occupied Ukraine and in Russia itself, as well as ongoing repression in Belarus. Rep. Aderholt defended free media in his statement to the committee following presentations by recent Nobel laureate and Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitriy Muratov and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro. On the margins of the Winter Meeting, the U.S. delegation gathered key parliamentarians from a range of participating States over dinner, fostering an opportunity for frank and candid exchanges of views on important topics confronting the OSCE. The event emphasized the depth of the U.S. commitment to European security, going beyond diplomatic representatives to include elected Members of Congress. The delegation also was briefed by diplomats representing the United States in the OSCE, including Ambassador Michael Carpenter, and held bilateral meetings with the heads of the Azerbaijani and Mongolian OSCE PA Delegations. Visiting Lithuania The delegation's presence in Europe also afforded an opportunity to visit Lithuania to underscore U.S. support for a crucial NATO ally at a time of deep concern caused by Russian aggression. In Vilnius, the delegation met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, and senior members of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) to discuss the Russian assault on Ukraine, the deterioration of regional security, and Lithuania's values-based foreign policy, including relations with China. Officials emphasized to the delegation the game-changing nature of recent developments, especially the total capitulation of the Lukashenko regime in Belarus to Moscow. These actions resulted in a dramatically more challenging situation on Lithuania's border, leaving the country essentially no warning should Putin choose to act against the Baltic states. The delegation also visited the Pabrade Training Area, a Lithuanian initiative which provides facilities for U.S. and Allied military activities in the region. Members also met with Belarusians and Russians who had fled to Lithuania to avoid persecution, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other opposition leaders, civil society organizations, and the media.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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January 22, 2022 | NBA awards race: Predictions for MVP, Rookie of the Year and others at midway point of 2021-22 season
Trail Blazers struggling to find rhythm as dismal road performances continue
Posted By: Anthony Barnett November 30, 2021
After a 22-point blowout in Salt Lake City, the Portland Trail Blazers suffer their third straight loss and slump to 10-11 for the season.
A major part of their struggles this season have come in road arenas, away from the Moda Center. The 129-107 loss to the Jazz slumps their road record to a dismal 1-10, the second-worst in the league with only the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets having a worse record (0-11).
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The team has been able to ride the ship with their stellar home performances, where they have a 9-1 record which is just shy of the best in the league.
Portland was missing a starter in Norman Powell but Monday night's loss was not an aberration but instead a trend through the early part of this season.
And the issues have once again majorly been on the defensive end of the floor, a category where they rank 29th in the league. That rating and other defensive numbers get worse playing away from home.
"We play with a casualness & no urgency on the road," Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said after the Jazz game.
The numbers agree with Billups' statement, their defense, which is already among the worst in the league, slumps even further on the road. And from the numbers, the biggest concern seems to be their 3-point defense, which is among the league's worst at home and on the road.
The team's sole road win this season came against the Rockets, a young rebuilding franchise that had only won one of their first 17 games.
Following this Jazz loss, the Trail Blazers have a chance to rebound from their three-game losing streak as they play eight of their next nine games at home. It won't be easy extending their home win streak considering a few of their upcoming opponents on their homestand – Phoenix, Minnesota, Boston and Charlotte.
Having said that, if their current trend of home and away performances continue, the Trail Blazers should consider themselves fortunate as they play only four road games of their next 19 until Jan. 9. They have until then to improve their road play because following Jan. 9, they have a stretch where they play 10 of 12 games away from the Moda Center.
#Trail #Blazers #struggling #find #rhythm #dismal #road #performances #continue
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text:
Q: 13.022698] nvidia-modeset: Version mismatch: nvidia.ko(430.64) nvidia-modeset.ko(460.32.03) I have been trying to get cuda 10.2 installed on ubuntu 18.04. I am getting this mismatch error. There are similar posts on stackoverflow. I tried deleting dpkg lines, and repeat the install script, but they had no effect.
tried
sudo apt-get install libnvidia-compute-460=430.64

to match up the two, and get
E: Version '430.64' for 'libnvidia-compute-460' was not found

when I run
sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-430.64.run --uninstall

I get
There is no NVIDIA driver currently installed.

what else should I try?

A: solved by using the .run install script for nvidia instead of .deb


With compact crossovers like the Kicks styling is absolutely key, so that's where we're going to start.
Nissan is keen to point out the aerodynamic focus of the design, arguing the car's design has been made slick as possible to improve fuel economy and cut down on cabin wind noise – though we'll reserve judgement on that front until we see some numbers.
Practical it may be, but we're not completely sold on how it looks. Although the headlamps, taillights and grille are all inoffensive on their own, there's something slightly off about the car's face and proportions.
Perhaps Nissan is hoping buyers will be distracted by the colorful roof treatment and blingy wheels, but we're not big fans of the way the whole package looks.
At the moment, there's no mention of what will power the Kicks, but expect a range of four-cylinder engines to be offered from launch. The car will initially be sold in Brazil, but will eventually make its way to over 80 global markets.