text:
Central and East European Coalition
Established in 1994, the CEEC is composed of eighteen national, membership-based organizations representing Americans of
Armenian, Belarusan, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Ukrainian descent.
A note on Biden Campaign Response to CEEC Questionnaire
(October 27, 2020) Earlier in October, the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) sent policy questions relating to the interests of its member organizations' constituents to both the Trump and Biden campaign staffs. Topics included the current situation in Belarus, the role of the United States in NATO, U.S. relations with Russia, the Kremlin's disinformation and hybrid warfare operations, and more.
To date, the Biden campaign has submitted its response, which is published below. Publication of the response here in no way constitutes an endorsement of Vice President Biden's candidacy. The information is provided strictly as a tool for readers to assess Biden's policy views on the topics addressed. The Trump campaign's response will be published promptly upon receipt.
For more background on the questionnaire, please visit here.
Biden Campaign Response to CEEC Questionnaire
To inform our voters on the candidates' positions on our issues of interest, we respectfully request that the campaigns submit responses to the following questions:
What is your position on the implementation of U.S. sanctions in response to the elections in Belarus and their aftermath?
As President, I will defend our values and stand with all those who share them. I stand with the people of Belarus, who are courageously demanding their democratic rights and freedoms, and I reiterate my call for Alexander Lukashenka to cease his regime's violent repression of peaceful protesters, organize new elections open to international observers and free media, and release all political prisoners.
My administration will never shy away from standing up for democracy and human rights, and we will work with our allies and partners to speak with one voice in demanding these rights be respected. I support the expansion of U.S. sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities, in coordination with the EU and other like-minded countries, to pressure Lukashenka and his cronies to respect and honor the will of the Belarusian people. My administration will also engage with Belarusian democracy activists and expand existing support to independent media and civil society organizations working to create a more open and just Belarusian society.
What are your plans for the future of U.S. commitment to NATO? Please include comments on your views of the ideal level of U.S. troop presence and capabilities in the European theater, and any withdrawals from Germany.
The American people are unquestionably safer when the United States actively leads our democratic alliances and engages in international organizations. For 70 years, NATO has been the essential foundation for transatlantic security and a force multiplier for advancing U.S. interests around the world. Today it remains vital to deterring our enemies, defending our allies and our democratic way of life, and promoting a rules-based international order. As President, I will recommit the United States to our alliances and to NATO's bedrock principle of collective defense under Article 5.
The U.S. force posture in Europe, together with that of our allies, must be strong enough to ensure that NATO can credibly deter any adversary. It must also be able to manage crises, cooperate with partners, and deploy elsewhere if needed to defend American interests. President Trump surprised the Pentagon and our closest allies when -- with no notice -- he ordered U.S. forces to be drawn down from Germany. He treats many of our allies with disdain, and has erroneously said that Germany and other NATO member states "owe us a tremendous amount of money."
As President, my decisions will be based on our national interest, not on personal vendettas. I will freeze the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Germany and the proposed Combatant Command relocations in Europe, pending a strategic review of our global force posture requirements. I will work with our allies to ensure the Alliance, and especially NATO's eastern flank, has the capabilities needed to deter aggression and provide for the collective defense.
What are your policy goals for U.S. relations with Russia? Please include any concerns you have regarding adherence, or lack thereof, to the numerous standing agreements that both nations have signed on to. Examples include: Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Helsinki Final Act of 1975, NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997, and Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances of 1994.
My administration will reverse the Trump administration's disastrous policy towards Russia and stand up to Vladimir Putin's egregious violations of other countries' sovereignty, territorial integrity, and borders. First, we will re-invigorate and strengthen our alliances, particularly NATO, and recommit to upholding the bedrock principle of Article 5, which holds that "an attack on one is an attack on all." In contrast to President Trump, who has dangerously and irresponsibly questioned whether the United States would come to the defense of its allies, we will work from day one to strengthen NATO's collective deterrence and defense capabilities.
Second, we will not hesitate to impose costs on Russia whenever it violates another country's sovereignty, as it is currently doing in Ukraine, and the United States will rally our democratic allies and partners to present Moscow with a unified stance that imposes severe consequences for such behavior.
Third, we will marshal the democratic community of nations to work together to reduce our vulnerabilities to Russia's malign influence -- such as its disinformation, cyber, and dark money operations -- so that neither Russia nor any other authoritarian power can take advantage of our open, democratic institutions to undermine us from within.
Fourth, my administration will engage Russia from a position of strength. We will work to extend the New START Treaty and negotiate a comprehensive follow-on arms control agreement that includes other types of nuclear arms, such as non-strategic nuclear weapons. My administration will also seek to work with Russia on issues where U.S. and Russian interests potentially coincide, such as non-proliferation, countering climate change in the Arctic, and fighting infectious diseases.
My administration will seek to cooperate when it is clearly in our national interest, not just to "get along," as President Trump likes to say. Finally, my administration will reach out and promote greater interaction and people-to-people contact between Americans and Russians, and especially Russian youth, many of whom embrace democratic values and chafe at Putin's authoritarian kleptocracy.
What is your position on sanctions against Russia with respect to both Ukraine and Crimea?
As Vice President, I played a leading role in building an international sanctions regime to push back against the Kremlin for its occupation of Crimea and invasion of the Donbas. As President, I will make clear that those sanctions must remain in place unless and until Moscow reverses those actions, and I will reinvigorate diplomatic efforts to implement the Minsk agreements to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine. If Russian intransigence continues, the United States will work with our democratic allies and partners around the globe to increase the costs of Russia's continuing violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Just as important, my administration will strengthen U.S. assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of lethal weapons, to ensure the country has the means to defend itself against Russian aggression and to support its efforts to fight corruption and build a peaceful, prosperous, Western-oriented, democratic society. And just as the United States never recognized the Baltic states as part of the Soviet Union, my administration will recognize the Crimean Peninsula as sovereign Ukrainian territory.
How do you see the role of the U.S. in countering Russian hybrid warfare in the Caucasus region, including the creeping occupation of Georgia's sovereign territory?
In Georgia, Russia has transformed its invasion forces into occupation forces, as thousands of Russian military personnel occupy approximately 20 percent of Georgian territory in the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A gradual Russian "borderization" and "creeping annexation" process has sought to expand this footprint. Russia's hybrid warfare in places like Georgia and Ukraine is part of a larger Russian effort to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of countries in Europe and Eurasia, stealing from them the opportunity to achieve their Euro-Atlantic integration goals.
The United States must work to counter this Russian aggression. My administration would revitalize U.S. diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict and work to address Russia's creeping occupation. I would also work with Congress to ensure continued funding for the European Deterrence Initiative to bolster the security and defense capacity of U.S. partners such as Georgia and push back against Russia's activities and hybrid warfare. Enhanced defense training, to include training focused on conventional territorial defense and tools to counter Russia's use of hybrid warfare, would be a priority focus of U.S. bilateral defense assistance to Georgia.
What is your stance on disinformation coming into the U.S. and the CEE nations from sources within Russia and elsewhere, and the misinformation being fed to the Russian people about the U.S. and its allies?
Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of undermining public faith in U.S. democratic processes and to boost Donald Trump's chance of being elected. According to the U.S. Intelligence Community, Russia continues this interference to this day in the United States, the nations of Central and Eastern Europe, and beyond. Make no mistake: disinformation is a threat to democracies everywhere, and my administration will make countering it a priority.
We will pursue a comprehensive response that not only involves our national security community, but works with all levels of government to build societal resilience and reduce our vulnerabilities to foreign interference. We will work with rights groups and tech companies to ensure that social media platforms are bolstering, not undermining, democracy. My administration will also coordinate with Congress to reform our campaign finance laws and create more transparency in financial markets to shine light on the illicit funding of online influence campaigns. And we will work with our allies in Europe, who are intimately familiar with the Kremlin's disinformation campaigns and their effects, to impose costs on those who seek to undermine our citizens' democratic choice.
Finally, my campaign and my administration will never accept political dirt from a foreign government or deliberately amplify disinformation, hacked materials, or deep fakes. We will lead by example, working to restore trust in our officials and our government.
How would you characterize the effect of the Putin regime's policies toward central and eastern Europe on U.S. national interests? Are there Kremlin policies that you consider to be contrary to strengthening democracy, human rights, and stability in the region?
The United States has long pursued the goal of a Europe "whole, free, and at peace," because we know that our security and prosperity are tied to that of our European allies and partners. Unfortunately, Russia under Vladimir Putin has sought to weaken and divide Europe, whether via outright aggression in Ukraine and Georgia, or through hybrid tactics such as disinformation and election interference, cyber attacks, weaponized corruption, and assassinations. Through these efforts, Russia seeks to undermine European unity, democratic institutions, and multilateral organizations like the EU and NATO. Russia also seeks to destabilize its neighbors politically, economically, and militarily to keep them dependent on Russia and prevent them from pursuing the economic and security arrangements of their choosing, particularly if that choice is to join the EU and NATO.
A Biden-Harris administration will stand with our European allies and partners against Russian aggression and malign behavior. Just as it has since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States will support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of our European allies and partners and work to bolster democracy and respect for human rights. And for those that aspire to join the EU and/or NATO, the United States will support those aspirations and the reforms necessary to achieve those goals. Just as important, we will work with our European allies and partners to strengthen and build the resilience of our democratic institutions, while remaining ready to impose costs on Russia for future malign behaviors.
Considering the Kremlin's long history of using gas and oil as a means of political and economic pressure, what is your position on U.S. assistance to ensure energy security and independence in the CEE region, to include working to end the Nord Stream 2 project, and supporting the Three Seas Initiative?
The United States has a tremendous stake in Europe's energy security. It is important that U.S. allies, including in Central and Eastern Europe, are not dependent on any single actor, especially malign actors, for their energy. I believe that Nord Stream 2 is detrimental to European energy security, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.
I strongly support efforts to ensure a competitive and transparent energy market in Central and Eastern Europe to force Gazprom to act competitively. These efforts should include working with European partners, including Germany, to diversify energy supplies to Central and Eastern Europe. My administration will also work with the Three Seas Initiative to support North-South infrastructure development. In addition, we will urge cooperation to promote clean energy options to reduce dependence on gas, helping the environment while at the same reducing dependence on Russian energy.
I fully support Ukraine's efforts to rid itself of corruption and to reform its energy sector. A transparent and competitive energy sector is important to ensure that Ukraine remains free. It is imperative that Gazprom comply with its new gas agreement with Ukraine.
Central and East European Coalition Questions for the 2020 Presidential Candidates
The Central and East European Coalition is comprised of 18 national membership organizations that represent more than 22 million Americans of Central and Eastern European (CEE) descent. As we represent communities in the United States with heritage from countries that neighbor Russia, our constituents have a vested interest not only in U.S. relations with central and eastern Europe, but also the U.S.-Russia relationship, and U.S. policy toward the region. Since 1996, we have sent questionnaires to candidates on a fully nonpartisan and inclusive basis.
American Hungarian Federation • American Latvian Association in the U.S. • Armenian Assembly of America • Belarusan-American Association • Bulgarian Institute for Research and Analysis • Congress of Romanian Americans • Washington Chapter Czechoslovak National Council of America • Estonian American National Council • Georgian Association in the USA • Hungarian American Coalition • Joint Baltic American National Committee • Lithuanian American Council • Lithuanian American Community • National Federation of American Hungarians • Polish American Congress • Slovak League of America • Ukrainian Congress Committee of America • Ukrainian National Association
ceecoalition.us | 1612 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 | ceecoalition@gmail.com
CEEC Statement on Belarus
Washington, DC (October 22, 2020) -- Since the fraudulent presidential elections of August 9th in Belarus, there have been no signs of Aliaksandr Lukashenka stepping down. An estimated 15,000 Belarusians have been detained since the beginning of this crisis, security forces have consistently used force against protestors, and there are continued reports of widespread torture and abuse in jails.
This past weekend, on October 18th, tens of thousands of citizens peacefully gathered and participated in pro-democracy rallies in Minsk and across Belarus. As of October 19th, 280 more people were unlawfully detained, of whom 237 people remain in detention. Meanwhile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is in forced exile in Lithuania, and the Coordination Council have renewed their call for Lukashenka to leave his post by October 25th or face a nationwide strike.
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) stands with the peaceful and freedom-seeking people of Belarus in their transition to democracy and against the dictatorship of Lukashenka. We support their renewed call for Lukashenka to step down and the continued nonviolent assembly of Belarusians to reclaim their right to free and fair elections. Most importantly, we strongly condemn violence of any kind.
CEEC strongly urges the international community, including the United States to: support the call for Lukashenka to resign, continue to condemn the use of force against peaceful protestors by security forces, and call for the immediate release of those who have been wrongly imprisoned.
The world is watching.
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) was established in 1994 and represents more than 20 million American voters whose heritage lies in this region. Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe. The CEEC regularly shares its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration.
ceecoalition.us | c/o Polish American Congress, 1612 K Street NW Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20006 | ceecoalition@gmail.com
Link to recording
Amb. William Courtney Bio
LTG. (Ret.) Ben Hodges Bio
Mr. David Kramer Bio
Debunk.eu
Viktoras Daukšas has more than 13 years of experience in development of online technologies. A physicist by education he is also a creative problem solver, helping organisations to tune internal processes and deliver outstanding platforms. Viktoras has worked on development of most popular and successful e-services in the Baltic states, including the online platform of one of the biggest media outlets. He is also an ardent advocate of IT progress and gladly shares his experience in conferences and other public events.
Last 3 years Viktoras leads Debunk EU.
About Debunk EU
Debunk EU is an independent technology think tank and non-governmental organization that researches disinformation and runs educational media literacy campaigns. Debunk EU conducts disinformation analysis in the Baltic states, as well as in the United States and Northern Macedonia together with the partners. Debunk EU was noticed by such media giants as "The Financial Times" and "Deutsche Welle". The organisation has presented its activities in 17 countries, including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Serbia, etc.
Press to go to Eventbrite!
The CEEC 2020 Autumn policy paper is published!
For more informed, please visit here.
(August 20, 2020) -- The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) expresses deep concerns regarding the fraudulent elections in Belarus held on August 9, 2020, as well as the violent crackdown against unarmed and peaceful protesters throughout that country. This is yet another tragic mark in the long record of systematic human rights abuses by the dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenka.
By all indications, Lukashenka lost the election and cannot be considered the legitimate President of the Republic of Belarus.
The CEEC calls upon all relevant branches of the United States government to:
Refuse to recognize the results of the fraudulent election of August 9;
Demand that Belarus hold new, free, and fair elections, with independent, international observers to ensure transparency;
Sanction all individuals responsible for election fraud and mistreatment of peaceful protesters under the Belarus Democracy Act and the Global Magnitsky Act;
Demand an investigation into the state-sponsored crackdown and the immediate release of all political prisoners;
Block any election meddling or use of force by the Russian Federation.
Injustice against one is injustice against all. The CEEC will continue to stand for a free, sovereign, independent, and democratic Belarus.
Letter to President Trump on Troop Withdrawal from Germany - July 15, 2020
Dear Mr. President:
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing over 20 million Americans of central and eastern European heritage, is writing to express our concern over the prospect of withdrawing large numbers of American troops from Germany. Such a move would directly weaken the security of frontline states like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – and of the United States and the rest of NATO by extension; reduce U.S. influence in Europe; and embolden Russian President Putin to continue or increase his aggressive policies that threaten European democracy and transatlantic security.
These U.S. forces in Germany are what give operational credibility to American and NATO forces operating out of Poland and the Enhanced Forward Presence battalions in the Baltic nations. Many members of our communities have served in the U.S. armed forces, often in the European theater, and understand that Germany holds a unique position in the transatlantic alliance. Cleary, it has not yet increased its defense spending to the 2% threshold members pledged over ten years at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales. At the same time, the German government has allowed the U.S. and other allies to build bases, airfields, hospitals and communities, and host tens of thousands of servicemembers and their families, on German soil. This is an indispensable contribution to the success of NATO and the deterrence the alliance has enforced since 1949. The infrastructure and force presence established in Germany cannot be reduced or replicated elsewhere without compromising the military power they have come to represent.
NATO's continued success depends on solidarity and strengthening the trust and relationships built among its allies over seven decades. Withdrawing U.S. forces from Germany would gravely undermine that trust and those relationships. The CEEC calls for U.S. policy and action that uphold the long history of American leadership in NATO to ensure that transatlantic security remains strong and effective. To this end, we ask that U.S. force levels in Germany remain at their current levels or higher.
The CEEC was established in 1994 and represents more than 20 million American voters whose heritage lies in this region. Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe. The CEEC regularly shares its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration.
We thank you for your consideration on this vitally important issue to U.S. national security. Please contact the undersigned at karinshueyeanc@gmail.com with any questions or comments.
On behalf of the CEEC,
Karin A. Shuey
Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Estonian American National Council
Cc: Secretary of Defense
Chairman and Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman and Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee
Statement regarding the E&C Joint Subcommittee Hearing on Disinformation
Washington, DC (June 22, 2020) ---- The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) welcomes and strongly supports the June 24 discussion on online disinformation, announced by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The CEEC stresses that fighting disinformation and promoting media literacy is crucial in the fast-changing media environment. CEEC members share much experience with dealing with and identifying the distorting effects of Russian disinformation.
In fighting disinformation, coordination and information-sharing is key, because many of the tactics and tools are similar across the world, no matter the geographical borders. That is why the CEEC encourages exchanges of best practices and even stronger cooperation between the United States and NATO, including efforts, for instance, within the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, based in Riga, Latvia.
We encourage strong U.S. cooperation with European allies where we have seen good examples of work in exposing Russian disinformation and false narratives. For instance, the European Union's External Action Service Task Force, dedicated to exposing Russian disinformation, provides new information and analysis on a regular basis.
In fighting disinformation, accountability of social media platforms is also crucial. Therefore, the CEEC supports a unified response within the U.S. and its transatlantic allies in NATO and Europe, in terms of coordinating the actions towards holding social media companies accountable, from both a legal framework and practical approach. A common Code of Practice against disinformation, currently in place within the European Union, could be one of such examples for cooperation.
CEEC Statement on the 75th Anniversary of the
Elbe Meeting and the End of the
Second World War in Europe
On April 25, 2020, the White House released a Joint Statement by President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Meeting on the Elbe. In honor of the May 8th anniversary of the end of World War II, the CEEC objects to this statement and calls for the United States government to recognize the anniversary's tragic historical significance as it marked the beginning of 50 years of oppression for the nations of our heritage.
In the statement, both parties highlighted the "historic meeting between American and Soviet troops, who shook hands on the damaged bridge over the Elbe River…herald[ing] the decisive defeat of the Nazi regime." In addition, the statement conveys "the 'Spirit of the Elbe' [as] an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause."
The CEEC is alarmed over the statement's disregard of the brutal legacy of the Soviet Union, its enabling of the Kremlin's historical revisionism, and its failure to recognize the Putin regime's revanchism in Europe. We find the statement to be inconsistent with a committed stance against Moscow's ongoing antagonism toward the U.S. and its allies.
We recognize that the end of Hitler and Nazism was a historic victory for the U.S., Europe, and the world. We also realize that nations across the globe today must work together to coordinate efforts against pandemics and other threats to the human race. However, this joint statement with Putin on the legacy of WWII fails on a number of fronts.
The statement does not include historical context acknowledging that the Allies' partnership with the Soviet Union precipitated almost 50 years of Moscow's subjugation of half of Europe. Under the totalitarian rule of the Soviet Union, Central and Eastern European nations suffered rampant human rights abuses, political and economic corruption, and loss of fundamental freedoms.
Indeed, the statement enables the Kremlin's dangerous historical revisionism that seeks to validate the Soviet Union and its post-Soviet incarnation as a partner to build "trust" with. We must remember the hegemony that the Soviets wrought in Europe, and how Americans led the West in the Cold War against it for nearly half a century. We must not let the U.S. be complicit in the Putin regime's false narrative of the Soviet Union's legacy.
In the context of this legacy, the statement also fails to acknowledge the Putin regime's calculated foreign policy to undermine U.S. interests and dominate democracies at its borders and around the globe. Putin has called the collapse of the Soviet empire "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century." In noting the U.S. and Russia "put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause … to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century," the statement in fact facilitates the military and political revanchism over Europe that Putin continues to plot.
Today, Putin's regime continues to antagonize the U.S. and its allies in Europe through a hybrid war of disinformation, election interference, cyber-attacks, and protracted occupation of parts of Ukraine and Georgia. It threatens the peace and stability that American leadership has enabled through decades of investment and partnership after WWII. We cannot afford to "put aside differences" of principle, rule of law, and aggressive actions.
As we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, the CEEC calls for U.S. policy and action that uphold democratic values and the long history of American leadership in protecting them. We urge President Trump to place those values ahead of engaging with a regime that fails to respect the sovereignty of other nations, promotes the corrupt legacy of a failed state, and continues to wage aggression against the U.S. and its allies.
CEEC Advocacy Day
The Central and East European Coalition is holding an advocacy day to meet with Senators and Representatives from DC, Maryland and Virginia. Local DC area community members are encouraged to join us as constituents to discuss issues important to U.S. policy for the CEE region.
#CEECAdvocacy2019
RSVP: jbanc@jbanc.org
116th Congress Policy Brief
Spring 2019 (effective as of March 25th)
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing more than 20 million Americans whose heritage lies in that region, regularly highlights legislation to share its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration. The legislation listed below reflects our concerns for the region and we advocate for the support of our Senators and Representatives.
(Click here to view the policy paper)
CEEC Advocacy Week - September 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2018
Washington, DC (CEEC) – During the week of September 17th, The Central and Eastern European Coalition (CEEC) will hold a timely in district advocacy week. This endeavor is especially critical considering the recent NATO Summit.
NATO remains salient to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to deter threats from the Russian Federation. CEE members in NATO provide key support and a rising number (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania) are providing 2% of their GDP towards defense spending to address the new realities. The Eastern flank of Europe remains nevertheless exposed to the Putin regime's continuous aggressive disregard for international law and attempts to disrupt the post-WWII liberal international order.
The goal for this advocacy week is to encourage Members of Congress to continue their support for the CEE region. Specific items include supporting the recently introduced Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act 2018 (S.3336) and full implementation of all existing sanctions legislation; continued support for military cooperation with CEE nations; enhancing military assistance to nations occupied by Russia; and reaffirming U.S. support for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in their efforts to retain political sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The CEEC encourages the active participation of all our communities in promoting the need for greater U.S. foreign policy engagement in Central and Eastern Europe. This advocacy week will provide an opportunity for members of our communities to meet and advocate issues of mutual interest.
For further information, please contact the CEEC via email at ceecoalition@gmail.com or by calling (301) 340-1954.
Established in 1994, the Central and Eastern European Coalition is comprised of 18 nationwide organizations representing more than 20 million Americans who trace their heritage to that part of the world.
Central and East European Coalition Questions Controversial Concert
Last month, an event titled "A Concert for Unity" was held at the Washington National Cathedral. It was billed as an invitation-only affair presented in cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation. The concert announcement listed sponsors including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute, among other, less prominent non-profit organizations whose mission statements assert support for the arts, Russian culture, democracy and/or religious freedom. The full announcement is available at wilsoncenter.org.
The concert caught the attention of the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) due to the controversial background of the artists listed. Two of the featured performers are known agents of Putin's campaign of economic and cultural influence to promote Putin's Russia and normalize relations with the Kremlin. Conductor Valeri Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev are both on record endorsing Russia's invasion of Ukraine and occupation of Crimea, and performed in Syria while Russian warplanes were bombing Aleppo. Gergiev also performed in Georgia days after the 2008 Russian invasion, effectively endorsing ethnic cleansing of Georgians.
The CEEC considered the event an affront to the values of its member organizations and was surprised that the Kennan Institute and Kennedy Center would lend their names in support. Washington Post reporting indicated that the event was funded by a DC socialite who has a history of promoting cultural understanding between the U.S. and Russia, and that the Kennedy Center supported the event in name only. Even so, the CEEC has pursued the matter further by writing to three institutions – the Kennan Institute, the Kennedy Center and the National Cathedral – expressing dismay and requesting more information from the leader of each regarding their rationale for backing the event.
While the CEEC understands that the aim of the event may have been to keep politics and cultural pursuits separate, this message would have been more effective if the event's benefactor and featured artists didn't have clear political ties. These artists and the source of the event's funding certainly did according to Washington Post article linked above.
The CEEC hopes that the institutions in question will respond to its letters and will publish any pertinent updates as they are received. The organization was established in 1994 to coordinate the efforts of ethnic organizations whose members continue to maintain strong cultural, economic, and political ties to the countries of central and eastern Europe. It represents Americans of Armenian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Ukrainian descent. Its member organizations, including the Estonian American National Council, cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially regarding United States policy toward Central and East Europe.
By Karin Shuey, theEstonian American National Council (EANC)
invites you to a policy seminar
Russia on NATO's Doorstep:
The West's Response to the
Kremlin's Wargames
to examine the execution, outcomes and aftermath of Russia's large-scale
Zapad 2017 military exercise
Confirmed speakers:
Ambassador Kurt Volker, Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations
Stephen Blank, American Foreign Policy Council Senior Fellow for Russia
Eitvydas Bajarunas, Ambassador-at-Large for Hybrid Threats, Lithuanian MFA
Alex Tiersky, Global Security and Political-Military Affairs Advisor, U.S. Helsinki Commission
Invited speakers (responses pending):
John Lenczowski, President, Institute of World Politics
Coalition Moderator: Mamuka Tsereteli, Georgian Association in the U.S.A.
3:30-5:30 p.m.
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Room SVC-201
CEEC Statement on Sen. John McCain
CEEC and it's organizations have often met with Sen. McCain over the years.
In light of the unexpected recent news about his health, the Central and East European Coalition wishes Sen. John McCain well in his fight with cancer. We express thanks to the Senator for his dedicated support for allies in Europe. A great friend to the region, and an outstanding public servant, his record upholds American values, and he serves as a role model for all.
The Central East and European Coalition
[The CEEC has submitted the following questions to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in advance of the January 11, 2017 nomination hearing of Mr. Rex Wayne Tillerson
of Texas, to be Secretary of State]
Questions for the Senate Hearing to Confirm the
Nomination for Secretary of State
The Central and East European Coalition is comprised of 18 national membership organizations that represent more than 22 million Americans who trace their heritage to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We advocate for issues of key importance and interest to our respective constituencies, in particular matters that affect the stability and well-being of Central and Eastern Europe as well as U.S. strategic interests in the region.
As Secretary of State, what would your strategy be to deal with Russian aggression in Ukraine and other Russia-related threats in Central and Eastern Europe? How do you propose addressing Russia's perceived "spheres of influence" or national interests versus another country's territorial integrity and national interests? What options would you employ to achieve Russia's withdrawal from lands it unlawfully controls, such as Crimea, eastern Ukraine, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria?
2. What is your position on the sanctions against Russia with respect to both Ukraine and Crimea?
3. How do you view NATO's role in countering Russian aggression? What is your position on maintaining U.S./NATO equipment and troops permanently in CEE? Please provide specifics.
4. Where do you stand on NATO enlargement, to include countries such as Georgia and Ukraine?
5. What is your position on the Visa Waiver Program's expansion to include other CEE countries, such as Poland? How would you make that happen?
6. Considering Russia's long history of using gas and oil as means of political and economic pressure, what is your position on U.S. assistance to ensure energy security and independence in the CEE region?
7. What should the Administration's priorities be on countering and exposing foreign disinformation, cyber-, and information warfare? How can the U.S. be more effective in fighting on this front? What interagency efforts are needed to be more successful?
8. What is your position on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)? Are you in favor of moving forward with these negotiations? If so, what do you think are the key provisions that would benefit the U.S.?
9. Do you consider Russia's policies toward Central and Eastern Europe as being inimical or at least potentially inimical to U.S. national interests? If so, what concrete Russian policies do you consider as being contrary to U.S. geo-political interests in the region. How will the Trump administration address Russian policies in furtherance of its plans to make America great again?
10. Do you believe that U.S. interests are best served and cement long-standing friendships when Washington publicly lectures Central and Eastern European NATO allies about their internal matters, as the current Administration has done?
11. As a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States plays a critical role in maintaining stability in the South Caucasus region through its mediation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. While OSCE Co-Chairs have determined there is no military solution to the conflict, Azerbaijan continues to violate the 1994/5 cease-fire agreements and has committed ISIS-style atrocities. How will you hold Azerbaijan accountable for its actions and ensure a peaceful and just resolution to this conflict?
12. 2015 marked the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, which was condemned as a crime against humanity by the Allied Powers as it occurred, but which Turkey denies to this day. Pope Francis publicly affirmed the Armenian Genocide stating it is an open wound that must be healed. What steps will you take to end its denial and reaffirm the proud chapter in U.S. diplomatic history to help save the survivors of the first genocide of the twentieth century?
CEEC Hosts Successful Policy Forum on Russia's Information War
By Karin Shuey
(Washington, DC - October 3, 2016) --- The Central and East European Coalition hosted a timely and substantive event on Thursday, September 15, to discuss the topic "Russia's Info War: What is the Impact?" A panel of four distinguished experts shared their views of and experiences with the issue. Panel members were David Ensor, former Voice of America Director; Jeffrey Gedmin, former director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); Liz Wahl, former correspondent for RT America; and Marius Laurinavicius, Hudson Institute Baltic-American Freedom Foundation Fellow. The panel was moderated by Mamuka Tsereteli of the Georgian Association in the U.S.A. and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Discussion of the problem revolved around several themes, including declining journalistic standards, our flawed understanding of Russia's strategic goals, and lack of clarity on U.S. goals. The speakers noted that we are living in a post-factual world where we're becoming numb to shock value. The rules of journalism and regard for truth that guided the news media in the past are losing significance while public trust of the media and discrimination regarding reliable sources are also fading.
On the Kremlin's goals, it was noted that propaganda has always been a part of Russian and Soviet military doctrine. Russia calls its latest arsenal new generation warfare, fighting a total war on numerous fronts, to include political, economic, energy, cyber and information, in addition to more conventional military operations. The speakers saw a gap in U.S. policy that doesn't fully recognize the broad extent of Putin's aggression or his efforts to divide and weaken Europe and minimize or eliminate U.S. influence in the region.
Another U.S. shortcoming was identified as our loss of what we stand for. Putin may be playing a weak hand, but he's finding his way because we've lost ours. One aspect of this is our still treating as valid agreements that Russia broke long ago. We need to clarify our foreign policy goals and employ the right tools, rooted in accurate, reliable info. The recent trend in rising relativism is diluting our values and objectivity.
The event concluded with proposed steps for moving forward. Renewed confidence in the media and making facts matter again, among the producers of the news and consumers, was a top concern. One speaker observed that Putin must know Russia's population is interested in the truth; otherwise he wouldn't expend so much effort on containing and oppressing it. There's a large audience for RFE/RL and local media outlets to use the internet to present objective truth in an effort to counteract the Kremlin's control over state media. While there was consensus that recovering objectivity and values could be a long-term battle, on a more positive note, Western governments are growing more aware of the problems and working on effective ways to address them.
The CEEC was established to coordinate the efforts of ethnic organizations whose members continue to maintain strong cultural, economic, political, and religious ties to the countries of Central and East Europe. It represents Americans of Armenian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Ukrainian descent. Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe.
Panelists from left: Marius Laurinavicius, Jeffrey Gedmin, Mamuka Tsereteli, David Ensor, Liz Wahl.
CEEC Statement on NATO
Click to read our August 8, 2016 statement
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing more than 20 million Central and Eastern European Americans, strongly backs the United States' continued unconditional commitment to upholding the NATO Treaty as well as U.S. support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all Central and Eastern European nations. Our organization stands firm in its belief that America's close cooperation with all NATO allies and partners is fundamental to ensuring U.S. and European security. The CEEC urges both the current and future Administrations to continue developing allied relations with all NATO members and transatlantic partners, and to take such action as deemed necessary to maintain security of the Alliance, including the European Reassurance Initiative.
The renewed aggressive behavior and actions of Russia against Central and Eastern European nations have raised the importance of NATO's credibility and cohesiveness for regional stability. In February 2016, then-NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove stated at a hearing of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that "Russia has chosen to be an adversary and poses a long-term existential threat to the United States and to our European allies and partners." Earlier this year the CEEC sponsored a policy forum on NATO's stance on Russia on Capitol Hill. A major theme of our discussion characterized Russia's increasing aggression since 2008 not only in terms of fanning regional conflicts but as a fundamental assault on the post-World War II international order.
At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, NATO stated it was fully prepared to defend the alliance and pledged an increase in military spending, in response to Russia's unpredictable and aggressive behavior in the region. The CEEC believes the commitment by the United States to NATO countries should be based on collective defense, shared values, and democratic principles, as well as support for regional partners. We have, and continue to support the principle of NATO's Open Door policy, for all willing and qualified nations.
The Central and Eastern European region is facing a multitude of threats from Russia. It is imperative for NATO members and partners to share collective knowledge in key security areas for combating a multitude of hybrid war forms, including cyber, media and economic manipulation, and destabilization in energy security. The CEEC supports U.S. continued commitment and leadership in addressing these threats.
The security of the United States lies in the peaceful expansion of democracy, not in the appeasement of aggressor states making imperial claims. Proactive U.S. leadership is vital to NATO's continued effectiveness, to protect peace and security in Europe. The crisis driven by Russia in Central and Eastern Europe, and in Ukraine specifically, will not just go away. In an informationally interconnected and economically interdependent world, the United States must take the lead in promoting international norms and consolidating geopolitical stability.
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 1200 Washington, D.C. 20006
http://CEECoalition.us
CEEC Policy Seminar on
"NATO's Stance on Russia - Vision or Reaction?"
Opening Remarks: Marju Rink-Abel, Estonian American National Council
Keynote Address: Dr. Michael Carpenter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
Kurt Volker, McCain Institute, former U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO
Mindaugas Zickus, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Lithuania
Damian Murphy, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
Moderator: Mamuka Tsereteli, Georgian Association in the U.S.A.
4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Discussion
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Reception
Dirksen Senate Office Building - room 106
To RSVP:
ceecoalition@gmail.com or jbanc@jbanc.org
The region of Central and Eastern Europe is currently experiencing stress from a number of sources. The most serious one is that the peace and stability attained after the collapse of the Soviet Union are again severely threatened. Events in Ukraine are the most visible, but they are by far not the only troubling developments. The goals of building and sustaining democracy require ongoing implementation of economic and political reforms, such as fighting corruption. The current situation in Central and Eastern Europe is of major concern to Americans of Central and East European descent. The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) is an alliance of U.S.-based ethnic organizations representing over 20 million such Americans.
A number of Members of Congress and their staffs have recently visited the region. The CEEC is organizing a briefing session in the Capitol Visitor Center, on September 16, 2015, during which Members and staff have been asked to share their thoughts about visits to the region – why it was important to make the visits, with whom they met, what were their impressions, what was accomplished, what follow-up is expected, etc. Thus, we kindly invite you to attend.
The briefing session will begin at 4:45 p.m. and will last till 6 p.m. The briefing will take place in CVC (House) Room 200. Constituents from various CEEC organizations will be in attendance to ask questions and add their views.
For further information and to RSVP, please contact Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Director at the Ukrainian National Information Service (unis@ucca.org, tel. 202-547-0018), or Karl Altau, Managing Director, Joint Baltic American National Committee (jbanc@jbanc.org, tel. 301-340-1954).
Karl Altau
On Behalf of the Central and East European Coalition


text:
World Australia and New Zealand 31 Oct 2016 Australia: Indian-or ...
World, Australia and New Zealand
Australia: Indian-origin bus driver's killer was former mental patient
Published Oct 31, 2016, 8:56 am IST
Updated Oct 31, 2016, 9:02 am IST
Indian-origin bus driver Manmeet Alisher. (Photo: Facebook)
Melbourne: A 48-year-old man accused of murdering Indian-origin bus driver Manmeet Alisher in Brisbane by dousing him in a flammable liquid has been confirmed as a former mental health patient.
According to state Health Minister Cameron Dick, Anthony Mark Edward O'Donohue had undergone treatment at Queensland Health's mental health services. The minister also announced launching an independent external inquiry into the treatment given to O'Donohue.
Dick said an independent investigation regarding his treatment will be conducted by forensic psychiatrist Paul Mullen and it would be completed within eight weeks.
Read: Narendra Modi takes up killing of Indian-origin bus driver with Australian PM
"To the extent possible, any findings and recommendations of this investigation will be released publicly," Dick said, adding, "Queensland Health will also assist with any investigation or inquiry conducted by the Queensland Police Service and State Coroner in relation to this incident."
"Metro South Hospital and Health Service will conduct an internal review of treatment and services provided to the accused. This is a mandatory process in cases such as this," he said.
"However, given the very serious nature of this incident, I believe it is appropriate that there be an independent external investigation into the treatment provided within the health system to the accused. Accordingly, I have requested the Director-General of Queensland Health to commission an independent investigation under the Hospital and Health Board Act 2011 regarding treatment provided to the accused," the Health Minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had raised with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull India's concern over the brutal killing of 29-year-old Alisher.
Turnbull had expressed shock at the killing and conveyed to Modi that the matter was being investigated.
Meanwhile, parents of the Brisbane city council bus driver Alisher were still unaware of the death of their son, a family friend, Winnerjit Goldy, said.
Alisher, who was also popular as a Punjabi singer, died when an incendiary device similar to a Molotov cocktail was allegedly thrown inside his bus, setting him on fire at a Moorooka bus stop.
His brother Amit Alisher had already arrived in Brisbane on Sunday morning on a flight from India to take his brother's body home.
"We haven't told the parents that he's no more, we just say it's an accident, he's in a coma," Goldy said.
"It is a really hard time for us. This is a bad day in the history of Australia. It is a country of justice and we feel we will get justice. Manmeet was not only a bus driver, he was a gem. He was the one, he was the main family member, all the family was dependent on that person," he said.
O'Donohue faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday and is facing charges of murder, arson and 11 counts of attempted murder. He is due to appear in court again next month.
Tags: indian-origin, bus driver, mental patient
■Narendra Modi takes up killing of Indian-origin bus driver with Australian PM
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ekonomická liberalizace je omezení zásahů správních úřadů státu do ekonomiky. Po liberalizaci mají mít možnost na trh vstoupit další společnosti. To vede k narovnání hospodářské soutěže a skutečné konkurenci, což se projeví snížením cen, zvýšením produkce zboží a služeb, jejich zkvalitněním.

V současnosti se mluví o probíhající liberalizaci v Česku především z úředních nařízení Evropské unie. Prý proběhla nebo probíhá v odvětvích:
 bankovnictví (po sametové revoluci),
 telekomunikace (od roku 2001),
 energetika
 elektřina (od roku 2005),
 zemní plyn (od roku 2007).
Přitom EU do těchto trhů naopak zavádí další regulace: povinnosti bankám, státní garance, navíc jen pro některé skupiny, diktát maximálních cen telekomunikačních služeb, dalším z důkazů regulací je už sama existence Energetického regulačního úřadu. Odpůrci tohoto intervencionismu vidí kořeny této pokřivenosti trhu např. ve státním monopolu na prodej licencí, např. telekomunikačních.

Související články
 ekonomický liberalismus
 dumpingová cena
 dotace
 subvence
 intervencionismus
 protekcionismus
 ekonomická regulace
 Laissez faire
 deregulace

Externí odkazy
 Liberalizace obchodu na europa.eu, ec.europa.eu
 Článek o státní podpoře exportu na businessinfo.cz, businessinfo.cz

Hospodářská politika
Makroekonomie
Liberalismus v Česku

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
A Harvard Scientist Who Took Extra-Terrestrial Abduction Seriously
Growing up alien
By Alexa Clay
Aeon Magazine
John Mack was a Harvard scientist who took extra-terrestrial abduction seriously. Is he the reason I like misfits?
My younger brother and I called him 'the old lizard' (on account of his reptilian resemblance — and to irk our mother, his partner at the time). To his enemies, he was a crackpot, fraud, and a cheat. And to his patients, and many of his friends, he was a source of support, an open listener, a sage and protector.
Dr John E Mack was many things to many people. A Harvard-trained psychiatrist, tenured professor, and one of the founders of the Cambridge Hospital Department of Psychiatry (a teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard University), John held an impressive command and was respected in his field. After an early career spent working on issues of child development and identity formation, he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1977 for his psychoanalytic biography of Lawrence of Arabia, entitled A Prince of Our Disorder (1976). Then, in the late 1980s, John put his reputation on the line when he started investigating the phenomenon of alien abduction.
It all started innocently enough. He began holding sessions with patients or 'experiencers' (as they're called) who believed they'd been abducted. He ran hypnotic regressions from our home, and he gradually came to furnish enough evidence for a book, Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens (1994). This was followed in 1999 by Passport to the Cosmos: Human Transformation and Alien Encounters. His standard line with the outside world was (as given to the BBC): 'I would never say, yes, there are aliens taking people. [But] I would say there is a compelling powerful phenomenon here that I can't account for in any other way, that's mysterious… I can't know what it is but it seems to me that it invites a deeper, further inquiry.'
In the privacy of our home, where he was a regular presence, John was bolder in his claims. Aliens were real — it was just that their existence threatened the dominant logic of our worldview. . . .
Alien Nation: Have Humans Been Abducted by Extraterrestrials?
UFOs & LSD: The Secret Connection
"The Science Behind UFOs" – Stanton Friedman Lambastes Phil Plait & Astronomy Magazine in Open Letter!
Labels: Abduction , Abduction Phenomenon , Aliens , By Alexa Clay , ET , Extraterrestrials , Harvard University , John Mack , Psychiatrist


Nine years ago I held my first DSLR. It was so big and bulky in my hands, I couldn't understand why my friend had paid so much money for it when our little pocket-sized cameras seemed to do the job just fine. Then a few months later, I was checking out profiles on Facebook (this was before the creation of the news feed) and happened to land on hers. I was blown away by the quality of her photos, and more than a little jealous knowing I'd never be able to capture anything near that nice with my old Kodak point-and-shoot. That was the first day I started saving for my own DSLR. It took me over five years to do it, but in 2011 I purchased my very first "professional" camera, and I've never looked back.
I'm not a photographer, at least in any professional sense, and I've never had any formal training or classes. Everything I know I've learned from books and online tutorials and the old tried-and-true practice-makes-perfect method. Taking photos is just a hobby for me, and I'm fairly certain I never want it to be any more than that, but I do get pretty passionate about this little hobby of mine. So much so that I'd rather wear shoes with holes in the soles and keep saving for the next lens than buy new shoes that'll make me look like less of a hobo. That's a true story. I finally just threw those shoes out last week.
Camera bodies. Lenses. Filters. Flashes. Tripods. Photography equipment, even the cheap stuff, doesn't come cheap. When I bought that first camera with its accompanying kit lens, I thought that was it. I thought I'd never buy a single other piece of equipment ever again. (Go ahead – take a moment to laugh at my naivety for a moment. I'll wait.) Photography is addictive – you're never done learning and improving, and it just generally follows that you're never done buying the bits and pieces that will help you produce the shots you're learning to take.
So today, since I love learning what equipment other bloggers and photographs choose to shoot with, I thought I'd share what's in my camera bag!
First off, you probably need to know I only shoot with Canon bodies and lenses. I know very little about Nikon or companies like Tamron and Sigma that makes lenses for multiple camera brands. There is no scientific reason why I first went with Canon – I had done my research between Canon and Nikon which led me to believe I'd probably be happy with whichever brand I chose, but when I went to the store, the Canon fit most naturally in my hands. Simple as that.
Currently I'm shooting with a Canon EOS 6D. It's my first full frame and I've only been using it since July, so I'm still getting to know it, but I can already tell I'm going to be happy with it for a long time. It performs remarkably well in low light, and I'm amazed at how much of a difference a full frame sensor makes in my photos, particularly when using a wide aperture. In some ways, I feel like I'm having to learn things all over again, but when I get it right, the quality is just outstanding.
When I bought the 6D, I purchased it as part of a package deal that came with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens. This lens is my first L-lens, which is Canon's top-of-the-line series of lenses. The 24-105mm is a rather large lens, but it does just about everything I need it to do, making it the perfect walk-around lens. At 24mm, I can take wide landscape shots, but also get those lovely sharp shots with bokeh in the background if I zoom in and use a wide aperture. I use this one most often when we're traveling because it's so versatile, but its size and weight can be a burden after awhile which leads me to my second favorite lens, the 50mm.
Two years ago I bought the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, and after I put it on my camera for the first time, I hardly ever took it off again. It's a very fast lens that produces a perfectly crisp shot for me nearly every time. Considering the price and the quality of the shots it takes, if I had to recommend only one lens to someone, this one would probably be it. While it definitely has its limitations, especially when I need to zoom further in than my feet can go, its portability and light weight make it a great choice for traveling as well.
As for my accessories, I use a Manfrotto Compact Tripod. It's good for the price, but you'll certainly get much sturdier material if you're willing to spend a little more. Right now, this one works for me, but I do see an upgrade some day in the future. My camera bag is the ONA Bowery Bag pictured above in Antique Cognac. This bag isn't large, but I was specifically looking for something small that wouldn't feel bulky. It fits my 6D with the 24-105mm lens attached, but that's pretty much it. With a smaller lens attached, like the 50mm, there's plenty of extra space.
Just in case you're looking for a little reading material, I highly recommend all three of these books, especially if you're just beginning to move into manual photography. The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby is not a technical book by any means, but more of a here's-what-you-should-do-in-this-type-of-situation book. Very easy to read and understand. The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman is without a doubt the prettiest book I own. This one is all about teaching composition and taking creative photos. And finally, Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson – my favorite of the three. Teaches exactly what the title states. I'm already looking at more of his books just because I'm learning so much.
Everything I just listed above is perfect for an intermediate photographer, but what if you're just a beginner and you're not sure you want to shell out $3,000 for a camera and lens? In that case, this is what I'd recommend.
I started with a Canon Rebel T3i, but that particular model has since been improved upon a good deal. The current model is the Canon EOS Rebel T7i. As far as beginner DSLRs go, this series is a really good one, especially if you're not sure you want to jump right into using full frame.
When purchased as a package deal, the T7i comes with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens. Kit lenses are not always the best lenses, but they're enough to get you started. The price of upgrading to the package deal vs body only is not really that much different, so in my opinion it's worth it. Use the kit lens for a few months while you start figuring out the kind of shots you like to take the most and then you can think about purchasing other lenses.
The first lenses I bought after playing around with the kit lens for a year were the 50mm prime lens I mentioned above and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens. While I didn't use this telephoto lens on a day-to-day basis, I loved it for photographing the wildlife around our house in Tennessee and even used it in Paris when we climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower. But keep in mind, if you purchase an EF-S lens, it will work with the T7i and any other crop body Canon, but not on full frame camera. So I'll say it again, if you can only buy one, buy the 50mm – it works with both!
If you're a real beginner and don't have the first clue where to start, the Canon Rebel For Dummies series books are a great supplement to your camera manual. This book, combined with more YouTube tutorials than I care to recall, was a decent alternative to paid classes. Of course, if you can afford classes – do that!
And that about sums it up. I know this is a lot of information for one post, but I hope it has been at least somewhat helpful. Now that I'm starting to get the hang of using a full frame, I think I'm just about ready to start my first foray into editing. I'm starting out with Lightroom 5, so if anyone has any tips or suggestions, please send them my way!
Hey Sarah, for a couple of years I had a DSLR, two lenses (a zoom and a prime), and a tripod in my travels. After a while the equipment began to feel heavy (like lugging a kettlebell around!) and I left tripod and zoom lens at home. And then I downsized again and have been only taking my iPhone with me.
Reading your post made me want to go back to my DSLR days or perhaps buy a full-frame mirrorless camera.
What would you say are the main disadvantages of just using a smartphone? Nowadays, most phones can capture RAW and, as far as composition goes, that resides in the photographer's eye.
Ah, and I almost forgot to say one thing: your photos are magnificent!
Oh, man, that's such a good question! And unfortunately I don't have a straightforward answer for you, ha! Personally, despite my equipment weighing 10 pounds when I travel, I don't think I'd ever feel complete just traveling with my iPhone. I hardly use it to take photos, to be honest. I love the flexibility of my DSLR, and being able to set everything just the way I like it (re: shutter speed, aperture, etc). I think I'd feel way too restricted using just my phone. That being said, I know there are special lenses you can buy specifically for an iPhone and apps that extend what you can do via photo settings on your phone, but I just don't know enough about that area of photography to consider using it over my DSLR.
What I have been considering is switching to a full-frame mirrorless system. I've only gone so far as looking at what's out there, but I have been thinking about it. I've been attached to my DSLR for so long, though, I'm not sure I'll be able to make the leap!
I'm going to predict that the switch to a mirrorless system is inevitable!
First of all, I love your blog. It inspires to take more photos daily. I currently use Canon rebel t3i with either canon 24mm f2.8 or 50mm f1.8, depending on what I shoot. I've been wanting to upgrade for awhile. Of course, my dream camera has been canon 5d mark iii but it is too expensive and I won't need that much of a high end camera. So I narrowed it down to either canon 7d mark ii or 6d. I've been wanting a full frame camera so your post helped me lean towards 6d. I love the features of sharper image and ability to use with low light settings. Which lens is your go to lens for everyday use?? I hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Mindy! Thanks for your comment! For everyday use, I tend to stick with my Canon 24-105mm f/4. The range this lens has makes it ideal for photographing in many different situations, which is why I love it for traveling. Occasionally I wish it had the ability to open wider than f/4, particularly in low light or when I need to shoot fast, but those situations are few and far between for me personally. That said, it has some drawbacks, weight mainly, so when I feel like weight will be an issue, I just use my 50mm f/1.8. Since you use that lens as well, I'm sure you already understand its limitations. :) Let me know if you have any more questions. And good luck making your decision!
Oh, boy! The T1i! I'd say it's about time for an upgrade! ;) I've been using the 6D for almost a year now and I don't have a SINGLE complaint about it. I love the lens that came with it, the camera itself, how the menus are laid out, where the buttons are, how much less noise I get even at a high ISO… really, everything.
The only thing that took a little getting used to was moving from a crop sensor to a full frame. I love it now, but it threw me off a lot in the beginning because I'd grown so accustomed to how lenses work with a crop body. I noticed it the most in regards to depth of field. A few weeks and a lot of usage, though, and you'll adapt!
Sorry for the novel. :) I could talk cameras all day long!
The 6D is still a pretty big purchase, so I'm glad to hear you've been so happy with it. I'm definitely due for an upgrade and I'm actually excited about learning and getting used to something new- I feel like I keep pushing my T1i to do things it's just not capable of and I'm getting frustrated with the limitations. But this is a very recent issue, otherwise it has been a wonderful starter DSLR for the last 6 years [in case anyone is considering the Rebel series!!].
I have the EF 50 on my Amazon wish list!! I just got my Canon Rebel T3i last Christmas, and it has definitely proven to be a great DSLR for beginners. It came with that standard lens you mentioned, and I since added the telephoto lens (because I am addicted to trying to shoot the moon), and a wide angle/macro lens (that one is cheap and I am not thrilled, but it is workable for now.) What I really need is a portable tripod to add to my camera backpack. I have one at home, but it is not portable.
Who am I kidding? I have lots of accessories and lenses I want to buy. ha!
I'd love to have one of those tripods that can grip onto anything, like the sides of buildings or lightpoles. That would come in so handy for city shooting!
I do love a peek into other peoples camera bags (and wardrobes!) I definitely need to get myself sorted…!
Thanks for writing such a thorough post! It's so interesting to learn what other bloggers use and how they've developed their technique. And you know what? I have both the Scott Kelby book and the Michael Freeman book. When I saw that picture, I was like, no way.
That is too funny! They're great books, so I'm not surprised! Do you have any others that you'd recommend?
Great camera bag! I have been looking for some resource books, thank you-I will be checking into these.
I hope you are well! Hugs!
These are all really good – let me know if you get one of them! By the way, I've seen the shoots you've done recently on your photo blog – great job!
I'm pretty hesitant to make the DSLR jump… this post was really helpful! Thanks!
I was, too, so I totally get that. You can get really decent point-and-shoot cameras if you're not ready to delve into the world of DSLRs. Let me know if you need any advice choosing one of those. Another blogger friend of mine takes fabulous photos with her point-and-shoot – you'd never know the difference between her photos and those of an amateur DSLR user!
I bought the Canon 50mm lens and then took it back because on my cropped body camera, I felt it was too zoomed in—just 5mm short of my kit lens. But, I am hoping to get the equivalent lens for Christmas though!
The 50mm definitely looks different on a crop body than a full frame, but I still loved it on my crop body, too. But you're right, it is very "zoomed in". Maybe try a 35mm – that will give you a wider view than the 50mm on your camera, but you'll still be able to use a wide open aperture for pretty shots.
This is a great post, thank you so much for sharing! You are a fantastic photographer and I always enjoy seeing your work. I got my first DSLR camera a couple of months ago but still did not find the time to completely figure it out. I guess I need to get such a Dummies book. :) I really want to learn how to use the camera. It is just a beginner's camera but that's fine for now.
A beginner DSLR is where I started, too. No shame in that! When I got my first one, I read the manual front to back and was still confused. That's why I bought the Dummies book. That book really helped me to understand things better because the language used was a lot less technical. And if the author did get technical, she made sure to explain herself. It really is a good investment!
The beginner camera is absolutely fine for me for now. But I agree, the manual was not very helpful since I do not know much about photography. So I guess I will get the Dummies book and try to learn something! Thank you!
Buying lenses is the most fun part, I think! I have yet to get into filters. I know many people will keep a UV filter on their lenses for protection, but I normally shoot with a lens hood on anyway, so I feel like that will at least help were I to drop the camera or slam it into something. :) Eventually I'd like to get a polarizing filter though – I love seeing the photos people are able to get with one of those on.


text:
Page: CreateNewPage
XWiki Standard 9.8.1 Documentation » Pages Overview » Wiki Pages
XWiki Page Structure
Create a New Blank Page
Create a Dashboard
Page Hierarchy
New Default Templates
Starting with XWiki 7.2, we have introduced the possibility to create pages inside other pages - this new feature is called Nested Pages and comes with 2 new concepts:
Nested Page or Non-Terminal Page is a wiki page that can have child pages.
Non-Nested Page or Terminal Page is a wiki page that cannot have children and it is usually created by applications and scripts.
Simple users can create only nested pages, whereas Advanced users can create both nested and terminal pages.
The advantages or using nested pages include:
improved and simplified manner to organize your content hierarchically
ability to set permissions at each level
the page hierarchy is reflected in the URL
the entire hierarchy is updated whenever a page is renamed or deleted
You can still use the sub-wiki alternative in 2 main cases:
the need to provide custom applications and/or extensions to a group of wiki users but not to others
the need to implement a wiki farm where each sub-wiki has its own users and applications
To create a new wiki page, go to anywhere in the wiki and click the "+ Create" button.
If you are an advanced user, the page creation form has 4 elements, otherwise, you will see only the first 3 of them:
Title - the page title
Type - in case there are page templates available, you can choose either one of them or the "Blank Page" template, which is the default one. Moreover, you have the possibility to filter page types thanks to a dedicated text input.
Location - the place in the page hierarchy where the new document will be created.
Terminal Page - this option is available only for advanced users and it allows to create a non-nested page i.e. a document that cannot have child pages.
More information about how to create and manage generic page templates is available in the "Template Providers" documentation listed under "Related Pages".
To set the page location, click the blue editing pen icon, which will load 2 more fields:
Parent - the parent of the new page; right after starting to type the name, the suggest feature will display the list of all the occurrences, so that you can select from them. To collapse the suggestion results, just click on "hide suggestions". As soon as you select a parent, the breadcrumb is updated in order to reflect the location of the page in the reference hierarchy.
By leaving this field empty, you will create a top-level page which is the equivalent of an old space home page.
Name - the name of the page i.e. the string appearing in the URL.
Another way of selecting a location is to click on the blue hierarchy icon
and select a space from the document tree or to search it using the integrated finder.
The editing pen icon and the advanced edit fields like the wiki, parent and page name are hidden for simple users who will have to use the tree picker to select the target location.
Once you are done filling the form, click on "Create". Your new document will open in edit mode, Wysiwyg or text, depending on what you have chosen in your user preferences page. In the editor window you may add content to the newly created page.
Once you are done adding content, save the page to finalize the process.
If you decide to create a terminal page, it is mandatory to set a parent for it.
When creating a new page, the system automatically creates a [PageName].WebHome, which creates a space, though this is hidden in the URL. For instance, the nested page "MarketingMeetingNotesNovember2017" has a corresponding "MarketingMeetingNotesNovember2017.WebHome".
Another way to create a new blank page is straight from the URL, by entering the new page name in the address bar of your browser. If the page doesn't exist, you will get the message "The requested page could not be found". Also, there will be an "edit this page" link in order to create it.
We have added partial matches to the "Notice" screen for both not found pages and attachments, in addition to the existing stemmed (using indexed Solr data) and fuzzy matches (string difference of 2). The list of suggestions addresses minor typos and misspelling - including lower case versus upper case - and also bad location requests.
To create a dashboard, go to any page and click the "+ Create" button, as explained in the previous section and:
fill in the title and name - in our case they are both set to "Applications"
leave the "Parent" field empty in order to create a top-level nested page
select the "Dashboard - Customisable gadgets" option under "Page Type" -> "Templates"
After clicking on "Create", the new page will open in "Inline" mode. The dashboard already has 2 columns and 3 default gadgets:
Page index using the Document Tree Macro
but you can further customize it by adding gadgets and columns.
Due to the decision to start using Nested Pages, the old Parent-Child relationship was dropped. Thus, the functionality is turned off by default. A system administrator can enable it at any time by setting the core.hierarchyMode property to parentchild in the /WEB-INF/xwiki.properties configuration file, followed by a server restart.
The new breadcrumb has been reworked to reflect the location of a page in the reference hierarchy. Each breadcrumb element has a drop-down tree that shows the siblings and the children, helping you navigate easily around the wiki. In the table below you can see the breadcrumb for terminal and non-terminal pages and also what appears in the "Spaces" widget after creating a nested page (top-level or not).
Non-Terminal Page
Terminal Page
Non-Terminal Top-Level Page
Since adopting the nested pages feature, the ability to modify the page parent has been removed in edit mode.
This is why, to change the parent of a page, you will have to rename it, as indicated in the 'Nested Page Actions' documentation.
XWiki provides 4 new default templates containing pre-created page structures that can be used immediately.
The "Simple Page" template is basically the "Blank Page" template with 2 extra macros: "Box" and "Table of Contents".
The "Article Page" template allows to create a news article-like page with:
a summary wrapped in a Jumbotron component
the content of the article displayed in the column on the left
a table of contents (generated using the "Box" and "Table of Contents" macros) and associated images displayed in the column on the right
Simple Page Template
Article Page Template
The "Encyclopedia Page" template is similar to "Article Page" with one difference: the images from the column on the right are replaced with a single image and a table wrapped in a box container.
The "Meeting Report" template allows to easily store meeting notes and agenda.
Encyclopedia Page Template
Meeting Report Template


The behavior of Legality presents a wide survey of yankee felony justice in a time of problems. It asks the valuable questions: In what measure are the justice system's capabilities guided through ascertainable felony norms? How in charge are public officers who wield the rigorous sanctions of the penal legislation?
There's a huge physique of study that offers tips for these operating with offenders on how they need to be taken care of after they are within the correctional approach. the matter is that the majority, if no longer all this study has been performed on all male populations and it's assumed that girls offenders are an analogous.
Restoring Justice: An advent to Restorative Justice bargains a transparent and convincing rationalization of restorative justice, a move inside of felony justice with becoming all over the world impact. It explores the vast allure of this new imaginative and prescient and provides a short heritage of its improvement. The e-book provides a theoretical origin for the foundations and values of restorative justice and develops its 4 cornerpost principles of come across, amends, inclusion and reintegration.
This textbook presents a carefully-planned creation to the major matters and debates inside of family members legislation from a few of the best experts inside their box. content material: advent 1. Marriage and divorce: the law of intimacy, Stuart Bridge 2. department of estate upon courting breakdown, Louise Tee three.
The advantages of these kinds of designs have been discussed by Clarke (1976). In randomized experiments, prediction scores can be very useful in checking the success of the random assignment in producing comparable groups (see Kassebaum, Ward, and Wilner, 1971). Mannheim and Wilkins (1955) were perhaps the first to use prediction techniques in evaluating penal treatments. They compared reconviction rates of open and closed institutions within different Page 12 risk categories and found that the open institutions had consistently lower reconviction rates.
Employment for less than half of the two-year period preceding the current arrest. Each person was scored 0 or 1 according to the presence or absence of each item, leading to a prediction score between 0 and 7 for each offender. Greenwood showed how these prediction scores were related to crime rates. 9 for those scoring 4 or more. Greenwood argued that decisionmakers acting on the basis of incapacitation should be more selective: predicted high-rate offenders should receive longer prison sentences, while predicted low-rate offenders should receive shorter ones.
Evaluation of Penal Treatments and Parole Prediction scores have often been used in research evaluating the effects of different penal treatments. One of the methodological problems faced in this type of research is how to disentangle the effects of the treatments from those of the kinds of people who receive them. The best way of ensuring that comparable people receive different treatments is to assign the people at random to the treatments. However, because of ethical, legal, and practical problems, randomized experiments in criminology are often difficult to arrange (for a review, see Farrington, 1983).


text:
using System.Windows;

namespace Sample.Shell
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Interaction logic for ShellView.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class ShellView : Window
    {
        public ShellView()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package io.gravitee.am.repository.jdbc.common;

import io.r2dbc.spi.ConnectionFactoryOptions;
import org.testcontainers.containers.MySQLContainer;
import org.testcontainers.containers.MySQLR2DBCDatabaseContainer;

/**
 * @author Eric LELEU (eric.leleu at graviteesource.com)
 * @author GraviteeSource Team
 */
public class MysqlR2DBCContainer implements R2dbcDatabaseContainer {
    private MySQLContainer dbContainer;
    private MySQLR2DBCDatabaseContainer r2dbcContainer;

    public MysqlR2DBCContainer(MySQLContainer dbContainer) {
        this.dbContainer = dbContainer;
        this.r2dbcContainer = new MySQLR2DBCDatabaseContainer(dbContainer);
    }

    public void start() {
        r2dbcContainer.start();
    }

    public void stop() {
        r2dbcContainer.stop();
    }

    public ConnectionFactoryOptions getOptions() {
        return MySQLR2DBCDatabaseContainer.getOptions(dbContainer);
    }

    @Override
    public String getJdbcUrl() {
        return dbContainer.getJdbcUrl();
    }
}


The OOI Program will continue to accept comments regarding the installation, operation, and data products of the Pioneer and Endurance Arrays through the Question & Comments link on the OOI homepage. The descriptions of the final Pioneer Array design, Endurance Array design, and summaries from past meetings are listed below.
During the course of several public meetings, members of the mid-Atlantic commercial fishing community suggested the dialog regarding micro-siting and navigational safety concerns continue through smaller, informal meetings to better address issues and concerns associated with the installation and operation of the Pioneer Array. The Consortium for Ocean Leadership (OL) provided funding to the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) to facilitate a series of four workshops between representatives from the regional fishing community and regional scientists during the fall of 2011. These meetings were summarized in a report titled Pioneer Array Workshops – Exploration of Issues and Concerns Connected with the Planned OOI Pioneer Array Project Summary Report (CFRF 2012). Recommendations from this report informed the final configuration of the Pioneer Array.
The description of the Final Pioneer Array Design and related micro-siting documentation are posted below.
Additional site-specific activities and coordination with Pacific Northwest marine users were conducted after the completion of the Final SSEA as part of an on-going micro-siting process to ensure the selection of the best mooring site locations that meet the science goals of OOI as well as avoiding and minimizing conflicts with other marine users in the region. The final mooring site locations of the Endurance Array – Oregon Line are the result of discussions with the commercial fishing communities, additional site-specific bathymetric surveys, and at the offshore site, acceptable route for cable burial. Following suggestions of the local fishermen and other marine users and with agreement of the Quinault Indian Nation, the Endurance Array – Washington Line Inshore site was moved approximately 9 nautical miles north of the site assessed in the Final SSEA. Small adjustments to the final locations of the Washington Line Shelf and Offshore mooring sites have been made based on discussions with the fishing communities and additional site-specific bathymetric surveys.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences has issued the Final Site-Specific Environmental Assessment (SSEA; NSF 2011) for the OOI. The Final SSEA was prepared to assess the potential impacts on the human and natural environment associated with proposed site-specific requirements in the installation and operation and maintenance of the OOI that were previously assessed in a 2008 Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and a 2009 Supplemental Environmental Report (SER). The scope of the environmental impact analysis of the SSEA is tiered from the previously prepared 2008 PEA, associated Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), and 2009 SER. It focuses only on those activities and the associated potential impacts, including cumulative impacts, resulting from the site-specific installation and operation of OOI assets that were not previously assessed in the 2008 PEA and 2009 SER.
The NSF has issued the Final Supplemental Environmental Report for Modifications in the Design, Infrastructure, and Installation of the Coastal-Scale Nodes, Regional-Scale Nodes, and Global-Scale Nodes of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) (February 19, 2013). This 2013 SER, a tiered document under the SSEA, contains the assessment of the potential impacts on the human and natural environment associated with proposed modifications in the design, installation, and operation of components of the OOI not previously assessed in the SSEA.


A PLC Programmer is needed on a permanent basis for a client based in Telford paying between £20,000 – £50,000.
As cliché as it sounds, this is a growing organisation with plans to increase their numbers significantly over the next 18 months.
The company itself offers a wide range of capabilities, however, they're a leading supplier of bespoke welding robotic systems to a wide and varied client base. This is where you would fit in.
As the PLC Programmer, you would need to have the ability to develop from scratch due to client needs and demands. This is a must.
They're looking for someone that wants to grow with the business and are willing to look at junior or senior level programmers.


TACOMA, Washington – The final home meet of the season is poised to be a big one as the Puget Sound track & field teams host the JD Shotwell Invitational, Saturday, March 31. The first event is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Click HERE to keep up with live results during the meeet.
Puget Sound welcomes 10 collegiate teams from: Alaska-Fairbanks, Central Washington, Everett Community College, Evergreen State, Green River College, Olympic College, Pacific Lutheran, St. Martin's, Spokane Community College, Western Washington, and Whitworth. Several clubs and unattached athletes will also partake in the JD Shotwell Invtiational.
Junior Emery Bradlina was named the Logger of the Week after winning three races in the Peyton Scoring Meet last week. Click HERE to learn more.
Samantha Schaffer won two women's events during the Peyton Scoring Meet last week. She finished the 1,500-m run in 4:54.86, and crossed the finish line in the 5,000-m run in 18:12.77.
Liam Monaghan won the men's 3,000-m during the Peyton Scoring Meet, timing in at 10:16.45. He was also second in the steeplechase during the Pacific Lutheran Open (March 10), and he won the event in the Ed Boitano Invitational (March 3).


text:
DPIC in the Media
DPIC Testimony
Work for DPIC
Publications & Testimony
DPIC Podcasts
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Arbitrariness
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Victims' Families
Facts & Research
Crimes Punishable by Death
History of the Death Penalty
Innocence Database
Murder Rates
Recent Legislative Activity
Sentencing Data
Executions Overview
Upcoming Executions
Execution Database
Methods of Execution
Botched Executions
Lethal Injection
Death Row Overview
Conditions on Death Row
Foreign Nationals
Time on Death Row
State & Federal Info
Federal Death Penalty
Twenty-One Virginia Prosecutors Sign Letter Urging Repeal of Death Penalty
Calling the death penalty "a failed government program," 21 current and former Virginia prosecutors have signed on to a letter to the commonwealth's General Assembly urging the legislature to abolish capital punishment. The letter was signed by former Attorneys General Mark L. Earley, Sr., a Republican who presided over 36 executions during 13 years in office, and Democrat William G. Broaddus, nine current or former Commonwealth's Attorneys elected across the state, and 12 other former homicide prosecutors.
"As prosecutors with different beliefs and backgrounds, we do not all agree on the morality of capital punishment," the letter says. "However, all of us do agree on the public policy goal of death penalty repeal." Repeal bills have been introduced in both chambers of the legislature. The Senate Judiciary Committee included the repeal bill, SB 449, in a slate of bills heard February 3, 2020, and the House Courts of Justice Committee is expected to consider its version of the bill, HB 85, later in the week.
The letter highlights the geographically arbitrary application of capital punishment across Virginia and juries' increasing reluctance to impose it. "Nearly two-thirds of Virginia jurisdictions have not pursued a death sentence in over 50 years," the prosecutors wrote. "Virginia juries have not imposed a death sentence in over eight years."
The prosecutors emphasize several factors they believe call for repeal: the high cost of death-penalty cases, the arbitrary application of death sentences, the risk of wrongful convictions, and the lack of deterrent effect. "Whether the death penalty is 'right' or 'wrong,' we all conclude that there is a more cost-effective, constitutional way to respond to the most heinous crimes: a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole," they say. "Life without parole sentences help preserve our limited resources, give more finality to victim families, and leave the opportunity to free the wrongfully convicted. Most importantly, a life without parole sentence ensures that the most dangerous criminals can never threaten the public again, and that they will die in prison without any fanfare or publicity."
Repeal, they write, will also free up "further resources for crime victims around the Commonwealth" and alleviate the recurring pain experienced by victims' families as a result of the "potential multi-decade wait between a death sentence and execution," if the sentence is eventually carried out.
Seven current Commonwealth's Attorneys joined the Attorneys General in their call for repeal, including two prosecutors whose jurisdictions have active capital cases. Three recently elected prosecutors – Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Jim Hingeley, and Steve Descano – explicitly campaigned against the death penalty. The letter was also signed by Amy Ashworth, the newly elected Commonwealth's Attorney in Prince William County, which has historically been one of the most active death-penalty jurisdictions in Virginia. It ranked among the 2% of U.S. counties responsible for a majority of all executions as of 2013.
On January 30, the Virginia Senate passed SB 116, a measure that would prohibit the death penalty for defendants with severe mental illness, on a bipartisan 32-7 vote. No one has been sentenced to death in Virginia since 2011, and only three prisoners remained on death row as of October 1, 2019.
Prosecutors and Attorneys
Virginia Prosecutors Call Death Penalty a 'Failed Government Program,' The Crime Report, February 3, 2020; Chris Graham, Prosecutors call for end to death penalty in Virginia, Augusta Free Press, February 3, 2020.
Read the letter and the accompanying press release from Justice Forward Virginia and Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
Commentary: 'Southern Pride,' White Mob Mentality, and the Death Penalty
DPIC Podcast: Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton on Bringing Fairness and Equity to Criminal Legal Reform and Ending the Death Penalty
Disability Rights Groups, Legal Experts, and Conservative Advocates Urge Supreme Court to Strike Down Georgia's Uniquely Harsh Proof Requirements in Death-Penalty Intellectual Disability Cases
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Privacy Policy | ©2022 Death Penalty Information Center


text:
Home » Sports » Soccer
Inzaghi notches hat trick, Totti enters top 10
Source: Agencies | April 20, 2009, Monday | Online Edition
FILIPPO Inzaghi scored a hat trick yesterday as AC Milan beat Torino 5-1, lifting the Rossoneri into a tie with Juventus for second place in Serie A.
Inzaghi scored in the 13th, 37th and 60th minutes at the San Siro - with his first two goals set up by passes from David Beckham.
"Everybody knows he's one of the best goalscorers in the world," Beckham said. "You put the ball in the right place and he scores."
Milan and Juventus both now have 64 points, 10 behind leader Inter Milan.
Meanwhile AS Roma captain Francesco Totti found the net twice to move into the top 10 on Serie A's all-time scoring list.
Totti's goals in a 3-2 win over 10-man Lecce gave him 175 for his career - played entirely with Roma.
He moved past Amedeo Amadei, who led Roma to the 1942 title, on the all-time scorers list. Silvio Piola, who won the World Cup with Italy in 1938, tops the list with 274 goals.
Inzaghi, who has scored nine goals in his last six games, improved his tally to 149.
Totti's goals helped put Roma back in the hunt for fourth place and Serie A's final Champions League spot.
"We're thinking game by game, you do the math at the end," Totti said. "Certainly today's victory and the other results allow us to still believe in fourth place. We're going to fight for it until the end."
Fiorentina, meanwhile, wasted an opportunity to close in on fourth place with a 3-1 loss at Udinese.
Gaetano D'Agostino scored twice for Udinese after Ghana forward Kwadwo Asamoah opened the scoring against Fiorentina.
Genoa, which lost to Lazio 1-0 Saturday, is fourth with 57 points. Fiorentina is next with 55 points and Roma has 52.
Defender Zdenek Grygera scored on a header in injury time to earn 10-man Juventus a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Saturday, after 18-year-old striker Mario Balotelli had given Inter the lead.
Also, it was: Atalanta 0, Reggina 1; Cagliari 2, Napoli 0; Catania 2, Sampdoria 0; Palermo 4, Bologna 1; and Siena 0, Chievo Verona 2.
The 35-year-old Inzaghi's first goal came off a cross Beckham and his second, also a header, followed a deft chip from the former England captain.
He completed his hat trick after taking an upfield pass from Ronaldinho on the hour mark.
Ambrosini was tripped by Torino goalkeeper Matteo Sereni to set up a penalty by Kaka in the 68th, Ivan Franceschini pulled one back for Torino in the 80th and Ambrosini took a pass from Kaka before finding the target in the 89th.
Roma was booed for its 4-2 derby loss to Lazio last week as it took the field, but the boos were quickly replaced by cheers when Totti redirected in a rebound off a free kick from Julio Baptista in the third minute. Matteo Brighi made it 2-0 in the 12th by redirecting a cross from Marco Motta.
Lecce pulled one back with a bouncing shot from Gianni Munari in the 31st and Dimitris Papadopoulos equalized in the 55th with an angled shot. But four minutes later, Roma was awarded a controversial penalty and Totti scored his 175th league goal - all with Roma - from the spot.
Lecce was reduced to 10 men in the 72nd when defender Luca Ariatti picked up a direct red card.
Fiorentina could have moved into the coveted fourth place with a win but the Viola struggled from the start in Udine.
Asamoah beat Sebastien Frey with a long, angled shot in the 10th and D'Agostino scored on a penalty to make it 2-0 in the 47th after Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini was called for a controversial handball.
Fiorentina captain Dario Dainelli scored with a header in the 67th but D'Agostino restored Udinese's two-goal lead with a free kick around a wall in the 69th.
Fiorentina forward Alberto Gilardino bounced a header off the post in the 81st.