13/12/2018 - On behalf of Legal Aid Services I would like to thank you for your hard work and commitment to legal aid and to our customers this year! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
13/12/2018 - It has recently come to our attention that a small number of Family Legal Advice Service (FLAS) providers may be using the service for disputes involving Oranga Tamariki (OT). While we understand why advice may be given at an initial stage of proceedings with OT, Unfortunately the scope of FLAS does not include these disputes.
At FLAS stage 1 the purpose is to advise clients of what to expect in the family justice system so matters can be resolved out-of-court. At stage 2 the purpose is to assist in filling out forms or notices of response for parenting or guardianship orders. We do not consider advice on proceedings involving OT would fit the description of either stage.
06/12/2018 - An opportunity has been identified to review the current high cost case policy and amendment to grant forms. Within this review, the Ministry is proposing to combine the current eleven forms into three to mirror the application forms (Criminal, Civil/Family and Waitangi). The Waitangi amendment to grant form will stay the same.
I would welcome your feedback as it will help ensure the new form is fit-for-purpose and meets the needs of our customers and providers. The consultation page is located at the link below and is open today until 18 January 2019.
06/12/2018 – A reminder that when a duty lawyer is unable to attend court on their rostered day, the duty lawyer must follow the appropriate procedure to arrange a replacement as soon as possible.
For courts with no PDS supervisors, the duty lawyer is responsible for finding a replacement. You must advise Legal Aid (at rostersDL@justice.govt.nz) and the court who the replacement will be in advance.
advise the duty lawyer that the supervisor will arrange for a replacement;request the duty lawyer to take responsibility for finding a replacement and discuss acceptable options for replacement; oradvise the duty lawyer that they do not see the need for a replacement because of the expected workload at the court.
For the full policy on arranging a replacement, including court specific instructions for those courts with PDS supervisors, refer to the Duty Lawyer page.
06/12/2018 - We have reviewed our policy for the maximum amount approved for necessary travel requiring an overnight stay. Previously the maximum amount that could be approved for overnight accommodation and meals was $182.60.
After considering the increased price of accommodation, especially in the main cities we have increased the maximum amount for overnight accommodation and meals to $226.05. You can read more about this disbursement on page 120 of the grants handbook, which is linked below.
07/12/2018 - The new maximum applies to new invoices received from 10/12/2018.
29/11/2018 - New family violence legislation was assented on 6 November, bringing a stronger focus on victim safety and perpetrator accountability to the Justice response to family violence.
Changes that strengthen criminal law by making changes to three existing laws – the Crimes Act 1961; the Evidence Act 2006; the Bail Act 2000 -- come into effect on 3 December this year.
Three new offences under the Crimes Act take effect from 3 December. They criminalise behaviours and practices that are common but have not been able to be prosecuted as family violence.
There is no change to legal aid processes.
Coerced marriage or civil union, maximum 5 years.
The new offence of strangulation recognises that attempts to stop a person from breathing by strangulation or suffocation is a significant risk factor for future violence and lethality.
Strangulation has serious physical consequences for the victim which can show up days after the incident. It is always serious, even if there are no immediate and obvious visible marks or bruises.
The new offence of assault on a person in a family relationship reflects the diverse nature of family violence offending and sits alongside existing offences of male assaults female and assault on a child.
The new offence of coerced marriage or civil union applies whether the marriage occurs in New Zealand or overseas.
Changes to the Evidence Act make it easier for victims of family violence to give evidence via a video recording made before the hearing. It must be made by a Police employee no later than two weeks after the alleged family violence incident.
Previously, complainants had to argue to have evidence heard via video. Under the new legislation the defendant has to argue against it. These changes have been introduced to help reduce trauma and improve the court experience for victims of family violence as they will only have to describe what happened once.
Defence counsel will be given access to the victim's video statement via a secure link sent to their email account.
Police are already using video evidence in some districts, such as Counties Manukau. It won't start in all districts in December, but will be rolled out in each Police district as capacity allows.
Changes to the Bail Act prioritise the safety of the victims and family when deciding whether or not to grant bail, and on what conditions, for a defendant charged with a family violence offence.
29/11/2018 - Following the Ministry of Justice's consultation process earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice have made some decisions around the rostering and administration of legal services for mental health patients. The final decisions document is linked below. It includes final decisions from the review and guidelines for how the rosters will be managed.
It provides a framework for ensuring mental health patients have access to appropriate legal representation when needed by ensuring an approved legal aid lawyer will be available to accept a referral within the necessary timeframe.
The guidelines include some content that is specific to the Auckland region and may be added to in the future if LAS takes over the rosters in other regions.
The new procedures will apply in the Auckland region from 14 January 2019 when the next roster commences. We will be implementing the procedures in other regions during 2019.
Thank you for your support while we implement the new procedures.
29/11/2018 - A reminder that reviewing a probation officer's pre-sentence report is included in the sentencing fixed fee. It should not be claimed separately as a sentencing report. The granting notes expressly exclude probation reports from the fixed fee for expert witness/reports. The fee for 'any other court-ordered reports' provides for other non-routine reports. It is not intended to cover probation reports. The fixed fee schedule is available from our website and can be found via the link below.
29/11/2018 - The Ministry has completed this year's review of legal aid policy settings, and the Minister of Justice is considering his response. Any changes arising from the review are expected to be announced by mid-2019, and implemented by mid-2020.
As part of the review we also received some feedback with regards to operational improvements that can be made to streamline processes and procedures for providers and customers. We are pleased to advise that Legal Aid Services are currently working on a review of Amendments to Grants and the High Cost case framework and they will be coming out to consult with providers in the next few weeks. Legal Aid will also be reviewing their complaints, audit and approval processes and this work will be starting in the new year. Thanks again to everyone who provided submissions during the review either by attendance at the roadshow or via written communication.
08/11/2018 - The end of the year is fast approaching! If you have any leave planned over the holiday season, please complete the criminal case assignment availability form and email it to legalaidprovider@justice.govt.nz by Friday 23th November 2018. The criminal case assignment availability form can be found via the link below.
This will allow us to identify any areas where provider coverage may be limited and will ensure that you do not get disturbed unnecessarily during your break.
Also, a quick reminder for any future unavailability dates, please email your criminal case assignment availability form to legalaidprovider@justice.govt.nz.
08/11/2018 – This is a reminder about the cut-off date for invoices to be paid before the holidays. As we approach the end of the year Legal Aid would like to ensure that it processes all provider invoices as seamlessly as possible. Please ensure that you submit all invoices as early as possible to avoid disappointment prior to the Christmas break.
Friday 30th November will be the cut-off date for payment of invoices prior to the holiday season. Invoices received after this date, may be processed and paid, but we will not be able to guarantee this.
1/11/2018 - As we approach the end of the year Legal Aid would like to ensure that it processes all provider invoices as seamlessly as possible. Please ensure that you submit all invoices as early as possible to avoid disappointment prior to the Christmas break.
The assignment reports show all criminal legal aid assignments made for the period. It includes preferred, reassignments and rotational assignments. This report should not be used to compare rotational assignments between providers.
To view the reports and for further information on rotational assignments please visit the Criminal legal aid assignments page.
25/10/2018 - The Ministry of Justice has published information on legal aid payments to firms in the 2017/18 financial year.
Acting Legal Services Commissioner Sarah Turner says the data shows payments to 1,205 firms whose legal aid lawyers undertook work on a range of cases in the criminal, civil and family courts and a number of specialist courts and tribunals. The Ministry's Annual Report shows $160 million was spent on legal aid, an increase of $16 million on the year before.
There are currently about 1900 lawyers approved to provide legal aid services working for firms or for themselves, as a firm in their own right.
You can view the report on the page Legal aid payments to firms.
18/10/2018 - We have recently received queries about arrangements for duty lawyers who are required to be on-call over the holiday period from 23 December 2018 through to 8 January 2019.
In response we have decided to allow a 2-hour minimum claim for the duty lawyer service over that period. On any day from 23 December 2018 through to 8 January 2019, when a duty lawyer is rostered to be available for the duty lawyer service, he or she may claim 2 hours, or the actual hours, if that is more than 2 hours.
This does not apply where a duty lawyer is rostered on but cannot attend and finds a replacement, or attends for less than 2 hours and excuses themselves to attend a private matter. This policy is temporary and will apply only for this holiday period.
18/10/2018 - This is a reminder that accepting an assignment that is subsequently reassigned to another provider does not affect rotational assignments. For example, in arrest courts where the court location is likely to change, an urgent assignment may be accepted for an opposed bail then a reassignment is sought for a provider at another location to continue the case. When this happens our system subtracts the case from the first provider's count so that they are in the same position they were before accepting the urgent assignment.
04/10/2018 - The Ministry of Justice takes its customers' privacy seriously and works hard to ensure their information is kept secure.
In preparation for Cyber Smart Week(external link) (8-12 October 2018), we want to remind you of our expectations when you deal with legal aid client information. These expectations are also held by the Law Society in its own guidance for practitioners(external link).
Ensuring data is regularly backed up to avoid loss of data from ransomware attacks.
We also recommend using encryption software on all devices and installing mobile device management suites with remote-wipe functionality to enable deletion of data from lost or stolen devices.
We will shortly be running a survey about the privacy and information security practices of current legal aid lawyers, and we encourage all providers to participate. A link will be available to complete this soon.
Please visit the CertNZ website(external link) for helpful tips on cyber security. The Provider Services (Legal aid) team are also available to assist at legalaidprovider@justice.govt.nz.
28/09/2018 - From 1 October all inbound telephone enquiries for Legal Aid Grants should be made to 0800LEGALAID (0800253425). The change is being made to support managing inbound telephone calls consistently nationally. Thank you for your support as we make these changes.
10/09/2018 – We are currently experiencing issues with the legal aid computer system, which is affecting the work that can be done by grants officers. Legal aid applications are being processed outside of the system and priority is given to criminal and urgent family applications.
All efforts are being made to resolve the issue as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience during this time and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
06/09/2018 - The Ministry has implemented a new legal aid debt management system over the weekend of 18/19 August. The new system has improved modern communication functionality so you may notice a difference in the way we communicate with you and your clients. In general, fewer letters will be generated with a greater focus on sending correspondence by email.
27/08/2018 – We are updating our mileage rate to align with the IRD rate. The new rate is $0.76 per kilometre, for all vehicles including electric cars. IRD has not re-issued a separate rate for electric cars. To allow the new rate to be claimed as soon as possible, the new rate will apply to all legal aid invoices received from 3 September 2018. However, to mitigate unnecessary administrative work, claims received after 3 September at the old rate can still be processed as claimed. If you are using the Word template forms, after the new rate has been recorded once, it will remember the last rate you recorded for the next form you record on.
23/08/2018 – Earlier this year we consulted with you on the mental health rosters. We received a large and varied amount of feedback which has been invaluable to this process. We advised after the consultation that we would be undertaking further analysis and having discussions with the Ministry of Health before making final decisions. That work is reaching a conclusion and we will be publishing decisions in the next 4 – 5 weeks.
23/08/2018 - This a reminder that the fixed fee 'Preliminary work – when additional charges are added' may be claimed each time a charge is added. This is intended to cover each instance of a charge or charges being added, irrespective of the number of charges.
Baseline have emailed users new login details for the updated site. You will need to use these details to access the new site and order printed forms. An instruction guide for using the new site can be found on the Legal Aid forms page.
26/07/2018 - The matter types in legal aid letters are being updated to align with the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which was previously the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989. This change will apply to letters about applications received from 1 August 2018.
The grants handbook and fee schedule have also been updated. Form 31 (CYP invoice) will be updated in the future.
26/07/2018 - The Ministry of Justice is currently undertaking its triennial review of the legal aid policy settings, and would like to hear from legal aid lawyers on the issues you are experiencing with legal aid and how these issues could be addressed.
The Ministry has advised that any feedback will help to inform an initial issues papers and a report to the Minister of Justice. There will be further opportunity to provide feedback on the draft issues papers in due course. See the Combined Legal Aid Review Information Sheet for LawPoints [PDF, 461 KB] for more information.
12/07/2018 - We have been made aware of some issues regarding the new criminal form jamming when it is being scanned. When scanning the new form, do not scan with the perforated corner entering the scanner first.
If you are having trouble scanning the form, to avoid having the form jam you should scan either with the bottom or the right side (the side without the perforated corner) of the form entering the scanner first. Once you have scanned the form, it can be adjusted to the correct way up using the View>Rotate view settings in Adobe Acrobat.
12/07/2018 - The results of the 2016-17 audit programme have been collated and summarised in a new report available on our website. The report notes that of the 85 audits completed, 70 (or 82%) were rated as "acceptable" or above.
This is indicative of the high quality of legal services offered by legal aid lawyers across the board. The report also uses a qualitative analysis to identify the five main practice themes and comments on common areas of strength and areas for improvement. You can read the report on our website, under Audits and Checks.
06/07/2018 - In the 'What's New' of 29 June 2018 we advised you about a change to the policy on travel for duty lawyers to allow non-local travel to be claimed where the duty lawyer is on the duty lawyer roster for a court.
the return travel time is greater than one hour.
29/06/2018 - This is a reminder that the third set of changes resulting from the Legal Services Commissioner's review of the criminal legal aid fee schedules are being introduced on Monday, 2 July 2018, for new applications received on or after 2 July 2018.
More information about the changes is available in this video presentation(external link) for legal aid providers and our article of 23 May 2018. The new PDF forms are now available on the Ministry of Justice website.
29/06/2018 - The duty lawyer travel policy will be amended from 2 July 2018 to allow non-local travel (defined as a return trip of over 50km or more than one hour) to be claimed where the duty lawyer is on the duty lawyer roster for a court.
This change will apply to any invoices received from 2 July 2018. When the change has been implemented we will also progressively review the duty lawyer rosters to ensure national consistency.
29/06-2018 - As part of our ongoing commitment to reducing complexity and making it easier for our customers and our providers to access justice services we have implemented a new disbursement type for family cases. 'Judge directed drug testing' covers both the drug test and the report.
It is pre-approved and payable on an actual and reasonable basis with a GST invoice/receipt to support the claim. This means providers in family cases will not need to submit an amendment to grant prior to arranging or claiming for drug testing where it is directed by a Judge.
The new disbursement type is effective immediately but to claim it, until the invoice forms are updated, use the space on the forms for prior-approval disbursements and write 'Judge directed drug testing', and the GST exclusive amount. Where drug testing is not Judge directed, an amendment to grant is required as it is now.
20/06/2018 - Following our communications last week, the new criminal legal aid form is now available online for ordering.
You can order printed legal aid forms from Baseline under the legal aid forms page. Orders are normally sent within 7 days.
12/06/2018 - We are pleased to announce that we have finalised the new criminal legal aid application form.
A YouTube video (external link)explaining the new form is available, which covers consultation themes, changes to the form and how grants officers will process the form.
A message from Bryre Patchell, Group Manager, National Service Delivery, is included in the video. We would like to thank everyone who engaged with the review, and who has provided us with feedback throughout this process.
The new form is available in editable PDF on the Ministry's website, under the forms page. Forms will be sent to the courts and Public Defence Service offices. The new form should be used from 25 June 2018, and printed copies may be ordered from Baseline Management from this date.
12/06/2018 - Following the What's New article of 27/03/2018 regarding applications under the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017, we can provide updates in relation to legal aid for these proceedings.
A provider must be approved to provide family legal aid services; however, providers with a mental health approval can apply for and be given a limited family approval for proceedings under this Act. We have sought expressions of interest from providers, and have created a list which will be provided to all District Inspectors. They will refer customers to providers on the list so that the customer can obtain legal representation when being assessed under this Act.
We expect there to be a low number of these applications per year; to date we have received five applications. Due to the small number of cases, rosters are not required; however, we will review the need for these should the number of applications increase.
Applications should be made on the family and civil legal aid application form and grants will be managed as non-fixed fee family grants. Funding should be sought on the application form, or through an amendment to grant. Due to legislative requirements, these applications incur a user charge. If because of the customer's state of health, financial information is not available, further information will not be sought, and proof of income is not required. If the customer does not have the capacity to sign the application, a signature is not required.
12/06/2018 - We recently sought feedback on proposed changes to the Legal Aid Provider Audit and Monitoring Policy (policy) and the Legal Aid Provider Audit Terms of Reference (terms of reference). These proposed changes add additional risk assessment metrics used during the provider selection process for the annual Quality and Value audit round.
The consultation process is now complete, and several respondents provided feedback. We carefully considered suggestions supplied by the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Bar Association when determining the final policy and terms of reference. These changes will improve the transparency and efficiency of the auditing process.
A copy of our consultation response report and the updated audit policy and terms of reference can be found under Legal Aid lawyers, Audits and checks.
23/05/2018 - In September 2014, the Legal Services Commissioner (the Commissioner) undertook a review of the criminal fixed fee schedules. The review concluded in December 2014 and identified a number of areas where improvements to the design and flexibility of the fee schedules could be made, as well as areas where gaps existed.
In October 2015, the Government approved an increase in legal aid funding, staged over financial years beginning 2016, 2017 and 2018, to enable the Commissioner to revise the criminal fee schedules.
The first set of revised fee schedules took effect on 4 July 2016, for new criminal grants of legal aid where the application was received between 4 July 2016 and 2 July 2017.
The second set were introduced on 3 July 2017 for new criminal grants of legal aid where the application was received between 3 July 2017 and 1 July 2018.
The third set applies to all new applications received on or after, Monday, 2 July 2018. The full set of 2018 schedules, which set out all fees including those that have not changed, are available on our website.
A video presentation(external link) has been prepared with practical advice on working with the third set of changes. We encourage you to watch the presentation.
New PDF forms along with an updated installer package can be downloaded from the Ministry of Justice website from 25 June 2018.
10/05/2018 - In March, we consulted with legal aid providers about a proposed combined jurisdiction legal aid form. Thanks to all those who provided feedback.
We welcome any feedback that you have on the proposed new criminal legal aid application form. The consultation page is located at consultations.justice.govt.nz (external link)and is open today. The consultation closes on 24 May 2018. After considering your feedback, we will then finalise the new form.
If you have any questions during the consultation, please feel free to contact Robert Ives, Service Delivery Manager by email at Robert.Ives@justice.govt.nz.
27/04/2018 - As an improvement to our service, we have recently upgraded our system to allow hearing time (if known) to be recorded for criminal cases. This means it will automatically be included in the initial grants letter to the provider, in addition to the hearing date and location.
27/04/2018 – As advised in the what's new of 19/04/2018, the remuneration rates for PDLA services are increasing. The new rates will apply to invoices received from Monday, 30 April 2018. The updated invoice form 13 and Word template package is now available on the forms page of the website.
27/04/2018 - Consultation on the mental health rosters review closed on 28 January 2018. Thank you to all of you who provided us with submissions. We received a large and varied amount of feedback which has been invaluable to this process.
As we advised in the consultation document, we will be starting this review in Auckland, where we have already taken on drafting and issuing the periodic rosters. The status quo will remain for the Auckland region until a decision has been made and communicated. Decisions about other regions will be made later in the year.
We are undertaking further analysis and will be having discussions with the Ministry of Health before making final decisions.
The telephone attendance rate has been increased to acknowledge the disruption caused to the providers when making these important attendances most of which occur after-hours, and to the ensure the continued viability of the service. The face-to-face attendance rates have been aligned with existing criminal fee rates to achieve consistency across the jurisdiction.
Invoice form 13 is being updated with the changes and will be available for download on the Ministry's website prior to the effective date.
Moving forward the Ministry of Justice will also be undertaking a review of the PDLA rosters and lists of providers, as well as reviewing the scheme to make further improvements to the service for our customers and providers.
10/04/2018 - This is a reminder about Legal Aid Service's 6-month invoicing timeframes. Fixed fee claims must be made 6 months from the date after all fixed fee services under the case are completed. Non-fixed fee claims for a service must be made 6 months from the day after the service is provided.
Depending on the circumstances, Legal Aid Services may decline claims made outside these timeframes.
10/04/2018 - A provider's attendance relating to a Section 15 report of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 is covered under the fixed fee for Pre-hearing matters of $620. Where a provider feels this fee is insufficient to cover related costs the provider may submit an amendment to grant.
27/03/2018 - The Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017 came into force on 21 February 2018, and replaced the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966.
Family legal aid is available for review proceedings under this Act. These applications will be managed as a non fixed fee grant. Funding should be sought on the application form or through an amendment to grant.
If financial information is not available, further investigation will not be sought. Proof of income is not required. If the customer does not have the capacity to sign the application a signature is not required.
We are currently looking at options as to how these cases can be allocated to providers. If you are interested in being on a list of lawyers available for these cases, please email NSDOpsSupport@justice.govt.nz. A list of available providers may then be given to local District Inspectors to assist clients to obtain legal representation. A family provider approval is required; however, we are exploring whether family approvals limited to these cases can be given to mental health providers who would like to do this work.
27/03/2018 - With the Easter holidays almost upon us, we are aware that providers may be planning some additional leave days. Please remember if you will be unavailable to accept rotational assignments during this period we need you to inform us by completing the Criminal Case Assignment Availability form or by detailing your unavailability in writing. The completed form or written notification should be sent by email to the Provider Services team legalaidprovider@justice.govt.nz.
21 March 2018 - The timeline for consultation on the application for legal aid form has been extended. The Consultation Hub will now close on 12 April 2018. This is due to the fact that Easter holidays falls into this period and we want to extend the time available to enable quality feedback.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Robert Ives, Service Delivery Manager at Robert.Ives@justice.govt.nz.
12 Court of Appeal or Supreme Court.
I would welcome your feedback as it will help ensure the new form is fit for purpose and meets the needs of our customers, providers and Legal Aid Services. The consultation page is located at consultations.justice.govt.nz(external link) and is open today.
'Medical report in this context means reports prepared by registered medical practitioners, dental practitioners, nursing and allied health staff (eg physiotherapist)'.
Midwives are considered to be 'nursing and allied health staff'.
8 March 2018 - Legal Aid Services are always looking for ways to improve our processes which enhance our customer and stakeholder experiences. As you are aware, in September 2017 Legal Aid Services transitioned to several new email inboxes to streamline the flow of work. Often, we find that emails are being submitted with several different attachments included, which makes it difficult to prioritise our work.
We are seeking your assistance and ask that, where possible, you do not include multiple different attachments to one email. For example, if you are sending invoices, please do not include applications as an attachment to the same email. Likewise, if you are sending through an application, please attach that application only. Additionally, if the application is urgent, please type the word URGENT in the subject line.
Email is our preferred method of receiving applications, invoices, ATGs etc. and we ask that where possible, you use this as the primary and only channel. We appreciate at times you may need to fax or post information to us but, please only use one of these methods. It is not necessary to email or fax and then post the original document to us.
In addition to this request, we also ask that the primary communication channel used with Legal Aid Services is the appropriate generic inbox, we have listed these below as a reminder. Email correspondence directly with individual staff is not best practice and promotes a single person dependency.
Whilst there may be occasions where quick and urgent communication may be required on a one to one basis, this should be the exception and must be reserved for time critical matters.
order printed versions through Baseline Management.
19/01/2018 - this is a reminder that we are currently undergoing consultation on proposed changes to mental health rosters and the way mental health cases are assigned to providers.
To view the consultation paper and have your say please visit our consultation hub.(external link) Consultation is open until Sunday, 28 January 2018.
19 January 2018 - the Specialist Reports fixed fee ($190) can now be claimed when any Lawyer for Child report is filed at court. Legal Aid Services does not require proof that this has been judge directed.
19 January 2018 - the Wellington Legal Aid office will be open on 22nd January 2018 which is Wellington Anniversary Day. We have a reduced, but sufficient number of staff available on the day. This will ensure that we appropriately manage incoming work from around the country to meet our timeliness standards.


text:
AWE TV picks up Fury-Chisora grudge match
The July 26 heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury (22-0 16 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (20-4, 13 KOs) at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England, will be televised live and exclusively in the United States on AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment. The two top ten rated heavyweights met almost three years ago to the day (July 23, 2011) in a bout that saw Fury win a unanimous decision over an out of shape Chisora. Chisora has since rededicated himself to the sport and ran off five wins in a row. Both Fury and Chisora have professed tremendous disdain for each other and each is vowing a knockout. To add to the animosity, the European, British and WBO International Heavyweight titles will all be on the line, plus the bout is a final eliminator for the number-one spot in the WBO and gives the winner a crack at unified world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
2014/07/20 -- Fortunes changed for five at UFC Fight Night 45
Matchmaking usually isn't so easy when it comes to people at the top of their divisions. You have to balance ou...
2014/07/19 -- Half-Year Awards: The Knockouts
It's always the toughest category to whittle down to just five picks, but it's also the most enjoyable to work w...
2014/07/19 -- John Dodson Out of Action Until 2015 Following ACL Surgery
John Dodson went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus as well as his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on We...
2014/07/19 -- Mayweather-Maidana II tour a good call
LAS VEGAS -- Two of the three fights Floyd Mayweather Jr. has had on his six-fight Showtime/CBS contract -- Robe...
2014/07/20 -- Miguel Cotto vs. Pacquiao, Alvarez or Mayweather: Who will you pay to see?
Right now there are three PPV attractions in boxing and they are Manny Pacquiao, Saul "Canelo' Alvarez and Floyd...
2014/07/19 -- Mayweather v Maidana temperature rising
I found it interesting to watch the war of words and antics between former welterweight champion Marcos Maidana ...
2014/07/19 -- Nurmagomedov? Diaz? Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone says giddy-up to all comers
There was a moment in time when UFC president Dana White said that nobody wanted to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov. T...
2014/07/20 -- Anthony Joshua makes quick work of Matt Skelton in Liverpool
British heavyweight Anthony Joshua enjoyed another short night, stopping veteran Matt Skelton in the second roun...
2014/07/20 -- Bellew not thinking about Cleverly round 2 as he prepares to fight Brazilian Julio Santos
Tony Bellew insists he is not thinking about Nathan Cleverly as the pair share top billing on July 12 at the Ech...
2014/07/19 -- Nicola Adams suffers shock European Championships defeat
Nicola Adams suffered her first defeat in almost two years as she crashed out of the European Championships at t...
Cage Fury Fighting Championships Acquires Xtreme Fight Events, Inks Deal With SNY UFC Bantamweight Queen Ronda Rousey Named 'Best Female Athlete' at 2014 ESPYs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Fourth Amendment
A Surveillance Bill by Any Other Name: The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act
A Surveillance Bill by Any Other Name: The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act By Jumana Musa, Sr. Privacy and National Security Counsel at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
With every news story of a database breached comes a steady drum beat of demands for more cybersecurity. This demand has taken shape in the Senate as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) and seems poised for a vote by the full Senate. Debated and approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed door meeting without public scrutiny, the measure would go far beyond its stated purpose in stopping cyberattacks. Civil society groups have opposed the bill, which Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called a "surveillance bill by another name."
By Jumana Musa, Sr. Privacy and National Security Counsel at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
The bill allows for the broad sharing of information with government agencies – both civilian and military – to be used to investigate a broad range of criminal activity unrelated to cybersecurity. CISA authorizes companies to monitor Internet users' activities in order to identify a cybersecurity threat to any entity anywhere, even if such monitoring would otherwise be illegal under a privacy law. Since the information is voluntarily turned over to the government by private entities, this bill would act as a general warrant, all but eviscerating Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The bill authorizes federal, state, and local governments to use cyber threat indicators to investigate crimes that have nothing to do with cybersecurity, such as robbery, arson, and carjacking, as well as identity theft and trade secret violations. Additionally, CISA authorizes companies to share information, including personal and identifying information, with the government for any purpose authorized under the Act, which means that companies could share information for the purpose of investigating these unrelated crimes. While these crimes are serious, there is no justification for undermining the legal protections that currently apply when such investigations are underway.
Tech experts have laid out several ways that the government could act to protect itself and companies from cyber threats that don't include turning over vast amounts of private records with no legal protection. Congress should not exploit the very real concern of cyberattacks to allow government agencies to investigate and prosecute people without having to comply with the formal protections that were put in place over 200 years ago. When it comes to protecting against cyber threats, CISA is like the emperor's new clothes. Merely stating that the bill is not a surveillance bill does not make it so. If Congress ignores the facts and passes the bill, the President should veto this measure, as he threatened to twice before on similarly flawed bills.
NSA Wiretapping and Surveillance
Stored Communications Act (SCA)
Surveillance Tools


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Why do some (North Americans) consider Europe socialist?
Recently I see more and more posts on social media (mainly FB) in which people advocate socialism (and sometimes communism) or are anti capitalist.
When mentioning examples (after being asked or when trying to make a point) of nations where it is successful they often mention European nations (or sometimes the EU as a whole) as socialist/non-capitalist nations (mainly Denmark, Norway and Sweden but also Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Finland have been mentioned by them).
None of these nations are socialist, and they all have capitalist economies. Sure, compared to the USA these nations have more "socialist" policies then the USA but that doesn't make them socialist nations.
So my question is: Why do so many North Americans (mainly USA, but I have also seen Canadians) think/claim on social media that Western/Northern Europe are socialist states?
Is it because those nations are, by comparison, more social then the USA? Or is it just a lack of understanding of socialism/Europe? or is it from propaganda efforts? The fact that those nations have socialist political parties? or... what?
europe socialism capitalism north-america
wjandrea
A.bakkerA.bakker
This question seems pretty broad, but at the same time doesn't seem to have a real answer - you already acknowledge that several European countries have policies that are more socialist than those in the United States, what more are you expecting to find?
– Zibbobz
@Zibbobz well it seems to be a lot of misinformation, where does it come from? And why?
– A.bakker
@A.bakker That's where it could get fairly broad - for one, there are a lot of news outlets and even politicians that would characterize those nations as being Socialist, and considering they have strongly socialist-leaning policies one could argue this isn't misinformation either. But there are also political ideologies at play - with different groups having different hard-line opinions on whether 'socialist' policies are favorable or not, which determines how they choose to characterize different countries, which could be seen as misinformation. It gets messy very quickly.
I'm not sure it's possible to objectively answer a question asking about the beliefs of random individual social media users. The Nordic countries are often described as "social democracies" or an example of "democratic socialism" in a capitalist system. Are the people you're talking about thinking of it in that context? Are they just misinformed? How could we know that if we don't know the people you're asking about?
– divibisan
You haven't provided a working definition of capitalism or socialism. When is a country socialist and when is it capitalist? After all, most countries have mixed economies. In Scandinavia, large sectors of the economy are state run. In fact, approximately 36% of Norway's economy and 41% of Russia's economy is run by the state. Does 50% plus one means a state is socialist?
– Beginner Biker
The Word Has Become Political Shorthand
The Pew Research Center examined how people in the United States were using the word and what they meant by it. Regardless of the term's academic definition, the term has seen aggressive use by both self-identified supporters of 'socialist' policies, and detractors.
Negative Connotation
'Socialism' has become something of a political slur among the political Right, and even among Centrist Democrats. The rise of groups like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in both prominence within the politics of the Democratic Party and in visibility due to their support for (and oftentimes organization of) various protests that have captured mass media attention, has bonded the term 'Socialist' to the term 'Democrat' in the minds of many - on both the right and the left, in ways that are viewed favorably and not.
Once a word's, any word's, definition becomes fluid in this manner, it will often see broad use to sweep any and all objectionable objects under its umbrella. See also 'terrorist' being used to refer to any person engaging in high-visibility acts of violence, and 'Nazi' which has gone from referring to members of the National Socialist German Worker's Party, to anyone you disagree with online, to somewhere in between.
A key part of American political thought is American Exceptionalism, which holds that there is something distinctly better about the United States and its experiment in democracy. An implication of this is that anything which closely emulates or resembles policies in place elsewhere must necessarily be inferior. This creates a special place for isolationism in United States' politics, and suspicion of policies in broad use throughout Europe - this makes such policies, and the nations which select them, ripe for scorn.
Positive Connotation
On the side of those who use the term loosely but with positive association, it's become an umbrella term deemed agreeable by those who view the current economic status quo as odious. These groups will often misuse the term 'Capitalist' in much the same way as their opposites misuse 'Socialist.' Groups like the DSA legitimize this use-case as well.
TL;DR -
The strict meaning of words in impassioned discourse is often of secondary importance to their meaning among certain audiences. They're not actually saying European countries are socialist governments, or even that they select socialist policies - instead they're saying either that they believe European policies to be generally pro-equality (if they mean it as a compliment), or that they believe European policies are anti-liberty (if they mean it as a slur), and 'Socialist' fits far better in a tweet or exasperated breath than does their actual meaning.
William Walker IIIWilliam Walker III
Yes, a lot of people say policies that promote equality and welfare are socialist with little regard for what socialism actually is, but to say that they consider anything that's different from what they know socialist seems to be a stretch that needs some serious citation. But I probably shouldn't expect too much nuance when you seem to consider someone calling someone else a "nazi" for just disagreeing with them to not just be an absurd and generic insult (or insane ramblings), but rather a valid redefinition of the word.
– NotThatGuy
@NotThatGuy I think you missed the whole point of my answer (I'll give it a lookover to see if I can re write it more clearly) - using "Nazi" as a general insult actually changes the use case of the word - which is what a definition is. Using 'Socialism' in the negative connotation here is the same thing - it's just a generic insult for people they don't agree with. (At least in their eyes).
– William Walker III
Americans have been fed a constant diet of propaganda about how evil Socialism is, especially seeing it as a "gateway to Communism". The definition of Socialism is so loose that almost anything can be labelled that way.
Among the things that Americans consider "Socialist":
Virtually anything government funded or government organized is "Socialist". Healthcare, broadcasting, transport, housing, libraries, are all particularly Socialist if government funded or organized.
Government regulation is "Socialist". Anything that restricts a business' ability to pollute, destroy the environment, make deceptive advertising, underpay its employees, fire its employees, impose restrictive contracts on customers, overcharge, etc. are "Socialist".
Welfare is Socialist, if it is above minimal poverty level.
Any policy designed to modify people's behaviour is Socialist. Gun control is Socialist, promotion of vaccines is Socialist, subsidies to electric cars are Socialist, carbon taxes are Socialist.
Government ownership of businesses is Socialist.
If you add to this the unheard of state that some political parties actually claim/admit being Socialist, you see where they get the idea.
On the other hand, government subsidies to coal companies, oil companies, pharma companies, companies in general -- those are not socialism, particularly if the subsidies were provided by Republicans. Just in case it's not obvious, this was written very sarcastically.
@DavidHammen You are missing the point. By definition, everything about the American Way Of Life is the best possible system than can exist. Socialism was invented somewhere else, Therefore Socialism is self-evidently BAAAAADD, and it is logically impossible for anything that is done in America to be Socialism. </more sarcasm>.
– alephzero
@user4012 You've made exactly the error that the answer talks about - you're using "socialist" to mean "communist". Most European countries follow the "social democracy" model. The fact that bankruptcy due to medical bills is unknown in Europe, there are no blackouts due to poor planning of electricity generation, and there is some concept of employees having the right to bit be abused, makes non-insular Americans think there could be better ways of doing it.
By the way, it is truly hilarious to have an answer "there was a lot of propaganda so that they have an allergic reaction to the word 'socialism', even when it has nothing to do with socialism" - and then some people just straight up prove you right by immediately having the taught reaction "I will now give you the reasons why socialism is bad"
– R. Schmitz
@NeilMeyer That's an interesting statement, because I'm not aware of any European country for whom that's happened. The closest you could get is Greece, whose economic woes were almost entirely due to failure to collect taxes combined with widespread corruption and waste in the public sector. I wouldn't disagree that centralisation can enable corruption/waste in public organisations, but that doesn't mean full deregulation is better. Without regulation, you get even worse corruption elsewhere. (Enron as a classic example.) Do you have examples of this?
A lot of political terms are used very differently in the US vs in Europe.
We can debate for a long time whether the Americans just misuse these terms or not, but that does not seem to be very productive. Instead, we can simply concede that words such as socialist or liberal have different meanings in a US context vs in a European context.
While no European country is socialist-in-a-European-sense, and socialist-in-a-European-sense parties tend to be rather fringe; the fact that European countries tend to have universal health care, some measure of gun control and meaningful workers rights is sufficient to qualify them as socialist-in-a-US-sense.
ArnoArno
"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead..." - youtube.com/watch?v=uAXtO5dMqEI - Sorry, not sorry. This is the first thing that popped into my head as I read this Answer. :-) And it kind of fits, too.
– computercarguy
Would you mind defining socialism-in-the-US-sense, then?
@einpoklum Socialism-in-the-US-sense seems to be a rather vague notion, and not one I would personally use. I am confident in the claims I made about it in my answer, but beyond that it gets difficult.
– Arno
@Arno "socialism" is a dog whistle - it means one thing to one group and something else to others.
– Spencer
Europe tends to have electoral systems which foster more than two parties. This leads to a split of the left-of-center groups into Communists, Socialists, and Social Democrats, and more. The distinctions can become fuzzy, and historical inertia causes some groups to use their traditional name even if their modern policies would astound their namesakes. People in Europe would be aware of the meanings within their own area, but only a few experts could tell offhand if the PSD in Romania was to the right or to the left of the PvdA in the Netherlands -- or if either one was Socialist by any reasonable definition of the term.
Couple that potential confusion with the fact that even many conservative parties in Europe have embraced (near-)universal healthcare and employee protection laws, and the tendency in the US to use "socialist" to describe anything left of the speaker, even if that speaker was Attila the Hun ...
On average, societies in Europe embrace policies which are labeled as Socialist by some Americans, even if they are not exclusive to Socialist parties in Europe. That might be interpreted as Socialists having hijacked the political debate in Europe to such an extend that their ideas have become mainstream. In other words, Europe is Socialist by some definitions of the word. (Personally I'd highlight the distinction between Socialists and Social Democrats and call say that Europe is Social-Democrat, but such fine differences might not always translate to another continent, even if people there speak the same language.)
Also you have welfare states which like in Norway is basically a way for goverment petro-gas companies to divi up the wealth the land produces among citizens. How that fits in to socialism IDK
– Neil Meyer
@NeilMeyer state-owned companies are very close to the academic definition of Socialism, which is "social ownership (of means of production)". From that point of view Norway is about one third socialist state. (The government controls around 35% of the total value of publicly listed companies on the Oslo stock exchange)
– blues
In lots of Western European countries, one of the two biggest political parties is a Democratic Socialist party (often with a Christian Democratic party as the other party in the top two). Moreover, for much of post-World War II history, this was the case, and left an impression on North Americans, even in cases where it isn't true now. Also, political scientists often refer to political parties with agendas similar to Democratic Socialist parties as "Socialist" or "Democratic Socialist" even if neither of those terms appear in the actual name of the political party.
For example, political scientists sometimes call the Labour Party in the U.K. to be a "Democratic Socialist" political party when context calls for lumping parties of the moderate economic left together across national lines or across different time periods.
Democratic Socialist parties in Europe shared the broad outlines of a common agenda, often hammered at at international Democratic Socialist conferences.
Often Democratic Socialist parties had legislative achievements while they were in power that furthered their stated agenda. Specific elements of this agenda were successfully implemented more often in Western Europe countries, than in the United States.
Given all of this preamble, it is hardly surprising that the policies of countries that adopt part of the Democratic Socialist agenda are called "Socialist" policies.
But, this isn't entirely innocent, as in the United States, unlike Europe, especially among older people who lived through the Cold War, the use of "Socialism" to mean Eastern European Communist countries and their policies (or Nazi policies, because this fascist party had the world Socialism in its name) had become common place before many people in the U.S. were familiar with Democratic Socialism. So, using the word "Socialism" is a rhetorical trick to associate moderate economically left policies with extreme Stalinist-Leninist policies or Nazism, even though the person using the term often knows that this is misleading, and that "Democratic Socialism" is relatively benign.
ohwillekeohwilleke
European political parties all tend to support some socialist ideas (such as universal health care, welfare systems) to a much greater extent than the two US parties do. The fact that one US party has become practically rabid in it's opposition to even the mildest forms of social politics just makes this seem far more extreme.
The US also has a historical tendency to equate socialism with communism. The two are completely different and no mainstream European party with a hope of gaining power supports communism.
The US is as close to a pure capitalist system as is possible. It has always been driven by a model without socialist elements. This is culturally embedded in the US psyche. The Cold War meant that any socialist concepts were equated to communism, and this has colored US thinking since.
Europe, which developed from the fall of European monarchies, already evolved some socialist principles even before the monarchies fell (look at e.g. Germany pre-WW1). Socialists in Europe were never quite equated to Communists. Socialism in Europe is seen as more related to the struggle for social justice and workers rights. Rather than been seen as some sort of foot-in-the-door for communists, it is seen as a cornerstone of the development of political parties that supported union rights, workers rights, freedom of political action, welfare and universal health care.
The fact that US politics is extremely polarized and has evolved to a two party system driven by what, by European standards, are simplistic black-and-white principles, means there is practically no middle ground in the US. Workers in the US never united in parties like the Labor Party (in the UK and Ireland). US politics has become confrontational and the label "socialism" is avoided by both sides. In Europe politics is not as confrontational - collation governments are common. working politics, even between superficially opposing groups, means a lot of middle ground compromise politics is done to keep things working.
So the atmosphere of European politics combined with the less-negative view of socialism means socialist politics are not seen negatively. The benefits are tangible and real.
In the US, socialist policies have never really been tried. There is a confrontational bi-party system that is deeply entrenched and no movement that challenges this. With no experience of socialist policies there is only the negatives of communism (and failed communism at that) to gives a false impression of negativity to socialism.
StephenGStephenG
"The US also has a historical tendency to equate socialism with communism. The two are completely different" That's false/linguistic prescriptivism.
– Acccumulation
@Acccumulation You are free to hold your opinion. Your viewpoint seems to be dictionary definition based, rather than an observation of real world politics. Again, in Europe socialism is very much differentiated from communism. Socialists do not identify as communist and, as I point out in my answer, in Europe socialist policies are mixed into all mainstream political parties' policies. I think you are obsessing over a book definition of the terms rather than the real world use of them. You won't understand European politics thinking that way.
– StephenG
Socialism - Capitalism is not a binary state, but a spectrum, so for example one could say that US is socialist compared to Singapore and that France is socialist compared to Switzelrand.
Also most of politics is based on shouting simplified statements, so socialist for some people is a short way to say "high taxes, a lot of welfare, etc.", for some it is a short way to say"high taxes, stagnant economy, no free speech"...
NoSenseEtAlNoSenseEtAl
Hmmm. I'm not sure it is continuous, because, you see, there is a transformation (a revolution) that changes things both qualitatively and quantitatively.
– ajbg
@ajbg which revolution are we talking about? (since the question is about how countries in Europe are labeled "socialist", typically Denmark, Sweden, ...)
– njzk2
I agree with you, EU is capitalist; thus, not socialist. Some of these states do vindicate certain social rights (e.g., social/public health system, free education, etc.), but that doesn't imply a change of their socio-economic system and relations. To answer the question you asked, this is due to conservative misinformation and propaganda. Conservatives in the US propose a small government (which imply minimum cost and minimum tax to maintain), where individual rights and freedom are sufficient and enough condition to achieve success and happiness; to them, social programs/rights equates to a welfare state for the lazy...
ajbgajbg
This is just wrong. Many European countries DO have, or have had in the past (e.g. Britain post WWII) economic and social policies that are much more socialist than those of the US. So the perception is due to ACCURATE information. I suppose you could stretch a point and call that information propaganda :-)
I disagree. The fact that social-democrats may have introduced some "socialist" measures (for the 8 hour labor, etc.) doesn't make that society socialist. Properly speaking, when was private property or the bourgeoisie abolished in England or any other European country (not talking bout soviet satellite countries)?
– JJJ ♦
The lengthy discussion, hence moved to chat, just proves my point. The actions of certain European governments may not be socialist by a strict, socialist definition of the term, but they look socialist by the definitions employed by some other people. In Germany many such policies were introduced by Bismarck, hardly a revolutionary himself, to undercut the labour movement.
@o.m.: Re "strict, socialist definition", is it really reasonable to use the socialists' own definition? That would seem to get you into the Animal Farm definition of equal, if not the Alice In Wonderland one :-)
"Socialist" can be defined in a variety of ways and can be used as a relative term rather than an absolute one. The days of pure laissez-faire capitalism are over, and almost every country in the world, including Switzerland and China, practices some mixture of capitalism and socialism. Europe's political center of gravity lies to the left of the US, so Europe is correctly described as more socialist than the US.
1) Europe is socialist compared to USA. Therefore, Europe is socialist. 2) Europe is extremely capitalist compared to theURSS. Thus, it must be capitalist. 3) Well, I arrive at a contadiction...
The reason is that everybody can use words any way they like. You can call your main course "appetizer" (entrée), you can call the list of available dishes "meal" (menu), and you can call capitalist nations "socialist" (socialist).
It doesn't matter that many regulations in the U.S. are stricter than in Europe; it is the home owners association that decrees that you cannot paint your own house on your own property any other color than the color of shit, it is not the federal government — if the Federal Government dared infringe on the inalienable rights of the American people that would cause an armed raid of the Capitol. Socialism! SOCIALISM, I say!
Peter - Reinstate MonicaPeter - Reinstate Monica
So, if you define levitation as the force that makes you fall onto Earth at 9.8m/s^2, what's the practicality of it? Language must have some commonality of terms to serve as a practical mean of communication. If I say taxes is wages, and wages taxes, that'll be very confusing... I think.
@ajbg All you say is true and supports what I wrote.
– Peter - Reinstate Monica
@Perter - Reinstate, I forgot to say all this "contradiction in subjects" makes the discourse very entertaining and funny... :)
@ajbg Entertainment while we are learning is why we are here ;-).
1 Because American politicians call themselves this.
It doesn't help that the U.S has politicians which call themselves (Bernie Sanders, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez for examples) which calls themselves a Socialist. In general, the American left creates blanket terms, which in turn creates a general unity and confusion for a clear definition of the group. Unfortunately, the American Right follows suite and punishes the entire created group on the atrocities of the real definition.
2 Americans do NOT know the difference between Socialism and Social Democracy.
Socialism is the middle stage of the step towards Communism. It is also the abolition of capitalism and private ownership of the means or production. I have defined this cleanly here Why was the USSR Socialist and what are the steps to this
Bernie Sanders and the types are actually Social Democrats and the government type is a Social democracy. This primitively defined considered a high tax welfare form of capitalism.
3 Americans think any Social program means it is socialist
Despite the belief of many Americans, a Social program doesn't make the government Socialist. In fact, most countries have what is called a mixed economy. You can argue that there are social programs which exist which wouldn't exist in a Socialist mode of production.
At which point does a government become Socialist is a question for debate, considering some countries will have a large portion of state owned businesses.
LUserLUser
Some people decided to downvote without a comment. Perhaps an explanation rather than being passively offended by my words would be more helpful.
– LUser
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged europe socialism capitalism north-america .
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Why aren't nationalizations in Russia described as socialist?


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test-integration: vendor ## run integration tests (tests/integration)
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	$(DC) run -T php vendor/bin/phpunit --config=phpunit.xml

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test-validation: vendor ## run validation tests (tests/validation)
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A representative from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville meets with high school juniors Tuesday during Woodstock School District 200's second annual College Fair at Woodstock North High School. About 650 juniors from area schools attended.
Woodstock North High School hosted its second annual College Fair on Tuesday for juniors from both Woodstock School District 200 high schools and several other area schools.
District 200 career facilitator Amanda Harmer said about 650 students attended the fair to meet with representatives of 33 colleges and universities.
The fair is organized by Career Council Inc. and National Hispanic College Fair Inc.
In addition to students from Woodstock High School and Woodstock North, students from McHenry East, Jacobs, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central and Wauconda high schools also attended.
Among the colleges represented at the event were Southern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northern Illinois University, Columbia College, University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Western Michigan University.
Harmer said this year's fair had a mix of mainly regional colleges and universities, which could be more practical for McHenry County students.


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As many of the regular members know that the OP is a learner (and attending interviews), I sincerely request people here not to provide direct answers for the basic questions but to GUIDE him in doing it on his own. He is posting many basic questions since so many months and as 'well wishers' of this person we should help him in understanding the concepts and handling issues on his own. Instead of others doing tests in IDES, please guide him to do the tests by himself. This will make him learn the concepts better and he will remember it for longer time.
My apologies if anybody finds this post offensive and moderators can delete this post.
Let us keep this place a learners' paradise but not a coaching space.
In VBN1, for field Minimum Quantity (Min. Qty) have you tried with value 1?
Test this in IDES and update us.
Side comment: Work hard...read theory...learn concepts...practice in IDES, that is the return you can give to members who are replying to questions.


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The Obama administration has not been a friend of the media — and the latest example comes from Ferguson, Missouri, where in August a white police officer shot to death 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed black man, sparking weeks of sometimes violent street protests.
With the eyes of the world upon the community, what did police do? They went to the Federal Aviation Administration and got a no-fly zone imposed over Ferguson for nearly two weeks under the pretext that reports had indicated shots fired at a police helicopter.
The 37-square-mile restriction limited flights to police helicopters and commercial flights. The White House insists that the FAA's restriction was prudent in the immediate aftermath of the reported shots and that the restriction was eased within 12 to 14 hours to allow TV news helicopters over the area. But, as The Associated Press reported, none of the St. Louis television stations were advised that the restriction had been updated.
For its part, the St. Louis County Police Department denied making any request that only media be kept out of the airspace. But the audio recordings of negotiations between police and the FAA, obtained by the AP, tell a different story.
The police say this conversation was taken out of context, but the context seems plain enough: As Ferguson erupted, police didn't want the news media — and, by extension, the public — to have a bird's eye view of the news. Despots around the world would applaud this move. When civil unrest is rife, the citizenry can't be trusted to watch.
While a grand jury is yet to decide the rights and wrongs of the fatal shooting, the press has never been the underlying problem in Ferguson. Shame on the FAA for making news gathering more difficult.
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Brighton Fringe Statement Regarding Otherplace Productions
The Warren will not be taking place in 2022 as Otherplace Productions works to improve its operations. The company, which has run the pop-up venue for the past decade, will step back from this year's Brighton Fringe as it addresses the financial challenges it experienced in 2021. Otherplace deeply regrets any distress caused by late payment of artists, staff and suppliers during the 2021 Fringe. The company will work towards a return to Brighton Fringe in 2023.
Brighton Fringe Ltd is a registered charity and runs the central administration of England's largest annual arts festival, Brighton Fringe, which will take place between 6 May and 5 June 2022. Tickets for 350 events are now on sale, with over 60 venues across the city participating so far, with many more appearing online over the coming weeks. Tickets are available now at www.brightonfringe.org and the Brighton Fringe mobile app.
If you have any queries or concerns, please contact us.
If you were programmed at an Otherplace Productions venue (The Warren or the Electric Arcade) for Brighton Fringe and need help in finding an alternative venue, please get in touch with Amy and Cameron from our Participant Services team on [email protected] or call 01273 764 907.
Brighton Fringe 2022 First Release
The First Release of Brighton Fringe events go on sale to the general public this...
Brighton Fringe Awards 2022
#CURIOUSLYFRINGE


Is there a support in smartgwt of creating breadcrumbs?If no,any idea how can we actually do this?any reference?
Hi, can anyone answer this question? I also need Breadcrumbs in Smartgwt.
You're asking for some sort of History API in SmartGWT like we provide on the SmartClient side?
which each item is clickable.
That can be built as just an HStack of Buttons, styled appropriately.
When using SmartGWT, just use the core GWT History API.


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West China's Guian New District Pioneers Digital Economy Development
AnalyticsNews
Guian New District, the eighth national new area in China, has 15 large and super-large data centers in the pipeline or under construction, making it one of the regions with the largest number of super-large data centers in the world. In the near future, this cloud center surrounded by mountains will also give impetus to China's project of processing the data from the country's east in the country's west to accelerate the development of digital China.
With the construction of a new batch of contracted projects, the investment scale of data center in the new district is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan by 2025, according to Guian New District's big data development service center.
HR Technology News: New Research From Valoir Shows Clear Correlation Between Digital Transformation and Revenue Growth
In the new district, with the clustered data centers have attracted many leading enterprises in software and information technology services such as Guizhou-Cloud Big Data and Huawei Cloud Computing. Various cloud services are being rolled out at a fast clip.
Statistics showed that in the first quarter of 2021, the software and information technology service industry in Guian New District raked in 2.43 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 114.71 percent.
"Guian New District has become a strong magnetic field for the development of digital economy. At present, with Tencent Guian Seven Star Data Center as the center, 12 super-large data centers are planned within a radius of 4 kilometers and an area of no more than 50 square kilometers, which can carry more than 4 million servers. The average PUE value of data centers is below 1.4, and the average energy consumption of data centers basically reaches the international advanced level," said Wang Jun, director with Guian New District's big data development service center.
On January 6, 2014, the State Council, China's cabinet, approved Guian New District as the eighth national new district which shoulders three strategic tasks: building an important economic growth engine in the western region, a new highland of inland open economy and an ecological civilization demonstration zone.
HR Technology News: Namely Recognized in Software Advice's Top HR Software Report
Focusing on the three strategic tasks, Guian New District has taken the development of big data as an important engine for leapfrogging growth. It has made advance layout, started data center construction, and focused on drawing a cloud computing blueprint.
In February 2016, Guizhou Province was approved to build the country's first big data (Guizhou) comprehensive pilot zone. In the big data industry push, Guian leverages its geological stability, cool climate, rich ecological advantages and abundant energy to seek rapid development by creating world-class business environment and attracting industrial leaders.
In 2018, Guian New District was rated as the most suitable city and region for data center investment by China Data Center Industry Development Alliance. In May this year, the iCloud (Guian) data center jointly built by Guizhou-Cloud Big Data and Apple Inc. was officially put into operation.
The data center, which took two years to build, is the first data center in China that completely uses green and renewable energy. It has also obtained LEED Gold certification, a global recognition for green level.
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big data developmentcloud centerdigital ChinaDigital Economy DevelopmentHuawei Cloud Computinginformation technology services
Phenom Emphasizes Critical Role of AI-Powered Talent Experiences in the Future of Work
Voya Financial Strongly Supports the ABLE Employment Flexibility Act


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Christmas comes early for hundreds at Goodfellows party
HENDERSON, Ky. - Inside South Middle School on Sunday afternoon, you could literally hear the spirit of Christmas swelling up at the Goodfellows party.
Christmas comes early for hundreds at Goodfellows party HENDERSON, Ky. - Inside South Middle School on Sunday afternoon, you could literally hear the spirit of Christmas swelling up at the Goodfellows party. Check out this story on thegleaner.com: https://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/2019/12/23/christmas-comes-early-hundreds-goodfellows-party/2680353001/
Douglas White, Henderson Gleaner Published 4:02 p.m. CT Dec. 23, 2019 | Updated 10:06 a.m. CT Dec. 24, 2019
Gallery: Goodfellows Christmas Party's 80th celebration
Kamryn Kissel, 4, decided she was close enough to Santa during the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Sunshine was one of four clowns who offered their face-painting skills to the kids at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Members of the Henderson County High School Junior ROTC program hand out goodies to youngsters visiting the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Michelle Eadens, 7, and her mom, Venus Wheaton, take in the puppet show during the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. Michelle's cousin, Chad Eadens, 6, is pictured at the left. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Mar-Kendrick Hall, 7, laughs at the puppet show during the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Journee Carter, 3, center, isn't too sure about visiting the Minion at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. Her mom, Jasmine Hancock and sister, Jazaree Carter, 2, encouraged her to say hello. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Kylee Walters, 4, couldn't wait to hug Santa when it was her turn at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Volunteers stand at-the-ready to fit the 4-11-year-old youngsters with winter coats at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
Isaiah Hughes, 5, is fitted with a new winter coat at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER
HENDERSON, Ky. - Inside South Middle School on Sunday afternoon, you could literally hear the spirit of Christmas swelling up.
Row after row of children ages 4 to 11 bobbed excitedly in their seats and sang together:
"Here comes, Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! Right down Santa Claus Lane ..."
Right on que, jolly old Saint Nick and two elf helpers came down the aisle of the auditorium to hand out big gift bags for the 600 or so kids attending the annual Goodfellows Christmas Party.
Kamryn Kissel, 4, decided she was close enough to Santa during the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. (Photo: DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER)
White bags for the girls, and brown bags for the boys. At the beginning, when the youngest kids are coming up -- the bags are sometimes bigger than the children.
It's a sight to behold.
The gifts of clothing and toys inside are age appropriate, and on the way up the hall after sitting with Santa and getting their picture taken, the kids get to stop and select new winter outwear as well as more small toys and candy.
Their parents and grandparents beam; the children are on Cloud Nine.
It's Christmas, and for a short time, all is right with the world.
Kylee Walters, 4, couldn't wait to hug Santa when it was her turn at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. (Photo: DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER)
Goodfellows is the culmination of a year's worth of planning, gathering information, bargain buying and more. But more than anything, it's an expression of the love that the Henderson community has for their own.
Hundreds and hundreds of people give money to the Goodfellows effort each year. And scores give their time and labor. Some do it faithfully, year after year.
Richard Pendergraft, longtime head elf in the 80-year-old effort, said the personal connection people have to Goodfellows is what keeps the Henderson tradition going strong, year after year.
"There are so many people touched by this program," he said. "It really touches me and my family, I can promise you that. And there are so many people who take part and then they grow up and they want to help others. It just keeps going.
"It's because the people see first-hand what good it does."
As it has been for multiple years, the Goodfellows goal this year -- which was met just in time on Friday -- was $35,000. That amount might seem large at first. But when you break it down, it allows Pendergraft, his wife Jody, his brother Larry and others to spend about $58 per child.
Mar-Kendrick Hall, 7, laughs at the puppet show during the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. (Photo: DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER)
Almost all of the kids are recommended by the school system.
The Pendergrafts buy in bulk, hit the post-holiday sales, and work year after year with companies like Fruit of the Loom, JC Penney and others to get special deals.
High school students and other volunteers pitch in with "Sack Day" on the Saturday before the party and then man different stations during the party, which includes cake, ice cream, music, magic and more.
It's an amazing event to watch unfold: organized, happy Christmas chaos.
And in the middle of it, even as the party is well underway, you can see Richard Pendergraft helping late-comers while kids carrying their Christmas treasures stream smiling past him in the school lobby.
Just like Santa, it seems his work -- much of it behind the scenes -- is never done.
Journee Carter, 3, center, isn't too sure about visiting the Minion at the Goodfellows Christmas Party at South Middle School Sunday afternoon, Dec. 22, 2019. Her mom, Jasmine Hancock and sister, Jazaree Carter, 2, encouraged her to say hello. (Photo: DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER)
More: Goodfellows 2019 is a far cry from yesteryear
Read or Share this story: https://www.thegleaner.com/story/news/2019/12/23/christmas-comes-early-hundreds-goodfellows-party/2680353001/


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Home Events An Afternoon with Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro "Bringing the Humanities to the World of Economics"
Barrington's White House offers outstanding performances and cultural events. Each season, we'll host some of the most renowned artists and speakers in the world. For ticketing information, see the calendar below. If you have questions about events, a cultural programming suggestion or would like to sponsor an event, please call 224.512.4066 or email culturalevents@barringtonswhitehouse.com.
3rd Thursday Artist Application
Our 3rd Thursday Art Night Out receptions feature local visual artists and are free and open to the public. If you'd like to be considered, please complete our Artist Application and include samples of your work.
An Afternoon with Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro "Bringing the Humanities to the World of Economics"
« Old World-Inspired Classical Fine Art by Diane Hynes
Courageous Conversations: Practicing Courage »
Morton Schapiro is among the nation's leading authorities on the economics of higher education, with particular emphasis on college financing and affordability and on trends in educational costs and student aid. Our intimate ballroom is a wonderful place to hear this renowned professor discuss his perspectives on the humanities and economics. Enjoy a pre-lecture reception and meet-and-greet at 2:30 p.m. with President Schapiro and other Northwestern alumni. All are welcome!
President Schapiro began his term as the 16th president of Northwestern University in 2009. He has written or edited nine books and over 100 articles. He has received research grants and contracts from numerous foundations and boards including the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.
President Schapiro received his bachelor's degree in economics from Hofstra University and his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education.
This event features a pre-concert reception with full bar at 2:30 p.m.
www.BarringtonsWhiteHouse.com
Barrington Cultural Commission
Barrington's White House
Barrington, IL 60010 United States + Google Map
Barrington Town Warming
A Conversation with Chicago Bears Legend Gary Fencik
Courageous Conversations: Confronting Prejudice
An Afternoon with Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro "Bringing the Humanities to the World of Economics" | Barrington's White House
Arts & Events Calendar
© 2018 Barrington White House.
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EVERETT (Nov. 16, 2018) — On Thursday, scores of nurses, chaplains, nurse assistants, social workers, physical therapists and other caregivers rallied with community members to launch "Providence Has Lost Its Way," an effort to inform the community that Providence St. Joseph Health is putting corporate greed before patient need and not agreeing to a fair contract. Nurses and caregivers say that Providence Health has forsaken the original, founding core values of the Sisters of Providence and is now focused more on increasing executive compensation, profits and expansion.
Supporters gather for Thursday night's launch of Providence Has Lost Its Way.
For over two and a half years, nurses and healthcare workers at Providence Hospice and Homecare of Snohomish County have been advocating for improved staffing levels, fair wages that will recruit and retain qualified caregivers and a just union contract. But Providence has refused to listen, resulting in an alarming 30% turnover rate last year.
Providence Has Lost Its Way will inform patients about the worsening problems with the Hospice and Homecare program, and also spread the word about Providence's growing scandals throughout all the markets in which it operates, for example: the ways that Providence could be driving up the cost of healthcare for patients; problems with the safety and quality of patient care, such as the neurosurgery scandal at Providence's Swedish Medical Center; hundreds of recent staffing cuts to Labor and Delivery nurses and other vital healthcare workers at Swedish; the unaffordable health insurance deductibles that many Providence healthcare workers are forced to pay, and the harsh medical debt collection that the corporation subjects many employees to; and a recent lawsuit that claims Providence defrauded Medicare through systemic overbilling.
The effort will utilize every platform available for communicating with patients and community members, eventually expanding to all seven states where Providence St. Joseph Health operates, including: an extensive website, ProvidenceHasLostItsWay.org; Facebook, Instagram and Youtube channels with the handle @ProvidenceHasLostItsWay and a Twitter account @PSJHLostItsWay; press outreach; advertising online, in newspapers and on the radio; speaking at government and regulatory hearings; reaching out directly to elected officials; and holding escalating workplace actions.
Providence Has Lost Its Way is an effort to inform the community by the nurses and caregivers of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, calling on executives to return to the Sisters of Providence's original core values and agree to a fair contract. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW represents over 30,000 nurses and healthcare workers throughout Washington State, including 9,000 workers within the Providence Health system and 230 caregivers at Providence Hospice and Homecare of Snohomish County. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW's mission is to advocate for quality healthcare and good jobs for all Washingtonians.
Posted by David Groves on Nov 16 2018. Filed under LOCAL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


Among the Turks and Caicos Islands(TCI) Grand Turk is unique. While some islands are rocky for long stretches, most of Grand Turk's coastline is beach. At six and half miles long, this island is tiny, but the snorkeling, diving and beautiful beaches is the essence of the quiet peace found there.
TCI has one of the largest coral reefs and some of the best beaches in the world making them ideal for the family, nature-enthusiast or adventurer.
Located at the southern tip of the island and a third of a mile from the Cruise Center Boaby Rock Point is a great place to get away from the crowds. The swimming is not as nice as Governor's beach, but the beach-combing is good. If you like out of the way beaches to explorer, remember Boaby Rock.
Governor's Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Grand Turk. This place is known for its great snorkeling and swimming. Governors is located in the Columbus Landfall National Park and has a view of the Grand Turk Cruise Center.
Known for its neon turquoise waters, Pillory Beach is one of the prettiest beach on the island. For the snorkeling-enthusiast, this beach has great snorkeling and swimming. In addition there are food, drink and toilet facilities available.
White Sands is a secluded stretch of coastline on the southeast side of Grand Turk. It is known to cruise ship travelers as the beach to visit to get away from the cruise ship crowds; yet it allows easy access to the cruise ship terminal and shops. However, the water is shallow and is not good for snorkeling or swimming. For visitors wanting to see some of the island, White Sands is roughly 1.5 miles from the Cruise Center.
This beach is next to Cockburn Town. The snorkeling areas are located along the beach and there are sea walls to sit & enjoy the view. Located within walking distance are various vendors and restaurants.
Gibbs Cay is located roughly three-quarters of a mile off the east coast of Grand Turk. Once you are there, the white sanded beach will beckon you to enjoy your time on this exquisite beach. In addition to the beaches, Gibbs Cay is also known as the place to see the stingrays. Whether you're looking to snorkel, hike or just explore the beaches, you wont be disappointed.


Picture Esk – Be That Dog!
I'm Esk! And I'm so beautiful I should be made into a picture.
Even my dating profile on the Glendee Rescue site opens with the fact that I am a very beautiful girl.
You may be surprised to hear that despite my undeniable beauty, I don't think I've ever had a proper home before. But life in rescue has been great, perhaps even better than any life I've known before. And my beauty is more than just being as pretty as a picture. My rough start and a few battle scars are not going to stop me. My sense of play is poetry in motion! My curiosity and love of learning is both charming and delightful. My proficiency at training is the splendour of my intellectual life. And my cultured elegance is most certainly a thing of beauty. I am even lovely to cats. I am, quite simply, ravishing.
If you would like a bit more beauty in your life, please contact Glendee Rescue to adopt me!


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Why Some NCIS Fans Think Tony's Character Has Aged Poorly – Looper
From the day "NCIS" was stealthily introduced to the world in "JAG" Season 8 to his departure from the show after Season 13, Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo Jr. (Michael Weatherly) was one of the most important characters in the long-running police procedural. The happy-go-lucky Senior Field Agent is a crucial part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' (Mark Harmon) NCIS Major Case Response Team, and proves himself on the field time and time again.
Tony is an extremely capable agent, and responsible for many of the show's greatest moments, being the kind of character that's able to entertain viewers with just a simple, throwaway bucket list. However, he can also be somewhat immature, and has been known to do terrible things fans might have forgotten. As some "NCIS" viewers have pointed out, this side of Tony doesn't always present him in the best possible light. In fact, some "NCIS" fans think Tony's character has aged pretty poorly.
In a Reddit discussion about "NCIS," a fan opined that Tony DiNozzo's workplace behavior ranges from annoying to highly inappropriate. "Upon rewatch, I have to admit, Tonys immaturity and constant flirting with sexual innuendos was very annoying," they wrote. "I get that he had redeeming qualities as an agent; as a person though, his character was very annoying some too mrs [sic]. Always in peoples personal business, constant mocking of his teammates, and the only woman who remotely put up with it was Ziva [Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo]." They also pointed out that while Tony is very good at his job, many characters are put off by his behavior — which is particularly glaring because of his line of work, which should require far more professional conduct. "And seemed many of the women he flirted with found him annoying too. They always ended up walking from him or running in the opposite direction. I think for a federal agent, he was very immature and often inappropriate."
Another redditor agreed with this analysis, and pointed out that Tony would be in hot water in a modern working environment — as would certain other characters. "I was thinking a similar thing – in today's workplace, Tony would have lasted about three minutes," they wrote. "HR would have had a file a mile long on him and he would be gone. And same for Gibbs hitting him in the head. That would never fly in today's workplace."
Performer shares magic of 'Disney on Ice' – Niagara Frontier Publications