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Subtext in the State of the Union (and its responses)
You can learn a lot about how our leaders (in both parties) view us by observing how they try to manipulate us.
Once upon a time, state of the union addresses contained major policy initiatives, like when President Johnson announced the War on Poverty in 1964. But nobody does that any more, especially not in a gridlocked era where nothing is going to get through Congress anyway. 21st-century state of the union speeches (and opposing-party responses) are about politics rather than policy. They're about moving public opinion, not moving the country.
So you might ask, "Why watch?" And there's an answer: You can learn a lot about how our leaders (in both parties) view us by observing how they try to manipulate us. When they try to scare us, they reveal what they think we're afraid of. When they reassure us, they reveal what they think we're insecure about. When they try to be likeable, they reveal what they think we like. They emphasize issues where they feel strong and avoid issues they have no answers for.
They have spent months polling and testing in front of focus groups. Each has carefully crafted the message it believes will best appeal to its part of the public. Listen hard, and you can tell what part of the public they see as their own.
President Obama. The best way to watch the SOTU is via the White House's enhanced video. (Here's their transcript.) You get the same video everyone else uses, plus elucidating slides.
President Obama focused on two themes: inequality (which I explore in "Occupying the State of the Union") and the dysfunctionality of Congress. Clearly he thinks Congress' unpopularity works to his advantage:
For several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government. It's an important debate – one that dates back to our very founding. But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy – when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States – then we are not doing right by the American people.
I know Ted Cruz comes from an alternate timeline in which Obama and Harry Reid shut down the government and provoked the debt-ceiling crisis, but here's all you need to know about that: Democrats applauded the President at this point, while Republicans sat on their hands. They all knew who he was calling to account.
The two themes came together in Obama's executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors, something he can do as federal CEO without congressional action. I hadn't realized the full political import of this until Rachel Maddow pointed it out: Obama has put every executive in the country on the spot. Are governors going to raise the minimum wage for state contractors? Mayors for city contractors? (Yes in St. Louis.) I'll bet the sound bite (at the 33-minute mark) tested really well:
No one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.
Any time the words Obama and executive order appear in the same news story, Republicans start yelling "tyranny", as if no previous president issued executive orders. (Sunday Paul Ryan described the Obama administration as "increasingly lawless".)
Clearly, they have identified a set of voters ready to believe this. In reality, though, Obama has been relatively hesitant about executive orders, issuing fewer of them than other recent presidents. He also has put forward no new theories of executive power, such as President Bush's sweeping notion of the unitary executive.
Republican response. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington gave the official Republican SOTU response (text & video).
I thought Rodgers' put forward a likeable image. (The conservative American Spectator protested that her "real message" was "PLEASE LIKE ME".) She expressed admirable sympathies, but presented little of substance to back up her good intentions. She talked about working to "empower people … to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be", but the policies behind those words implement the same old Republican wealth-trickles-down-from-the-rich ideas.
A larger question was: Why her? She's not a major player in the Republican leadership. She's not a rising star they're grooming for bigger things. Nothing about her record in Congress picks her out as the ideal person to speak to these particular issues. But she's a woman and Republicans want to put a token female face on camera to counter the war-on-women meme.
As Ian Haney Lopez says in Dog Whistle Politics:
The right slams affirmative action for making distinctions on the basis of race, even as it has developed its own perverse form of affirmative action, consciously selecting nonwhite faces to front its agenda.
Rodgers is the female version of Bobby Jindal or Marco Rubio, but without the presidential speculation: Republicans can't possibly be sexist. Look! They have a woman speaking for them.
But the war on women rages on, no matter who's in front of the camera. The House Republican majority passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, whose purpose is to get private health insurance plans to drop abortion coverage. Last week I pointed to its draconian limitations on rape exceptions.
Rodgers' talk was also noteworthy for invoking yet another bogus ObamaCare horror story. As Paul Krugman put it:
So was this the best story Ms. McMorris Rodgers could come up with? The answer, probably, is yes, since just about every tale of health reform horror the G.O.P. has tried to peddle has similarly fallen apart once the details were revealed.
Tea Party response. Mike Lee (text, video) did a good job countering the Tea Party's image as the dangerous lunatics who almost pushed the United States into default last October. The over-arching metaphor of his talk was the journey from Boston (the Boston Tea Party in 1773) to Philadelphia (the Constitution in 1787).
Now, as in 1773, Americans have had it with our out-of-touch national government. But if all we do is protest, our Boston Tea Party moment will occupy little more than a footnote in our history. Hopefully our leaders, reformers and citizens will join the journey from Boston to Philadelphia – from protest to progress. Together we can march forward and take the road that leads to the kind of government we do want.
He mentioned several positive Tea Party proposals in Congress without detailing what they would do. But the mere possibility of "the kind of government we do want" is a significant shift in Tea Party rhetoric. I'll be interested to see if it catches on inside the Tea Party, or if it's just for export.
Rand Paul's response. Rand Paul's talk was mostly a collection of offensive stereotypes and right-wing fantasies. He used the story of black conservative columnist Star Parker to smear welfare recipients:
She was 23 when she quit her job at the L.A. Times so she could go on welfare. By collecting $465 a month, plus Food Stamps, and by getting a part-time that paid cash under the table, she could rent a nice apartment and earn far more money than working an honest 40-hour week. Later, she said, she had no trouble dropping her daughter off at a government-funded day-care center, selling some free medical vouchers to buy drugs, and hanging out at the beach all afternoon.
It's Ronald Reagan's Cadillac-driving welfare queen all over again, or Fox News' lobster-loving Food Stamp surfer. Are those stories supposed to be typical of the people helped by government anti-poverty programs? Paul seems to think so. After putting a happy ending on Parker's story — she could only get a real job and climb out of poverty after she gave up her "dependence" on government assistance — Paul says:
I want Star Parker's story to be the rule, not the exception.
But how is that even possible unless her original situation is the rule? Unless welfare recipients in general are lying, cheating, drug-using, child-neglecting blacks who can get honest jobs whenever they want? I'm sure that's exactly what Paul's target audience wants to believe, but is it true? Like Reagan, Paul presents no evidence beyond the anecdote.
Another taffy-pull stretching of the truth was Paul's claim that Obama has "spent more than a trillion dollars on make-work government jobs". Actually, that number is somewhere close to zero. For example, a big chunk of the $800 billion stimulus was tax cuts. Some of the stimulus' other big-ticket items sent money to the states so that revenue shortfalls wouldn't force them to lay off teachers, and paid for repairs to roads and bridges.
So the next time you drop your kid off at public school or drive across an old bridge, remember that Rand Paul thinks teaching or keeping bridges from falling down are "make-work government jobs".
Thuggery. The weirdest story of the night was New York Republican Rep. Michael Grimm threatening to throw a reporter "off this fucking balcony" (i.e., the Capitol balcony) for asking a question he didn't want to answer. "I'll break you in half," Grimm warned.
Rudeness to the President. Well, at least this year nobody yelled "You lie!" during the speech, as Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina did in 2009. However, Texas Congressman Randy Webber tweeted:
On floor of house waitin on "Kommandant-In-Chef"… the Socialistic dictator who's been feeding US a line or is it "A-Lying?"
Another Texas congressman, Steve Stockman (who is Senator Cornyn's Tea Party challenger in the upcoming primary) walked out of the speech.
Isn't it an amazing coincidence how Southern Republican Congressmen lost their sense of decorum and their respect for the office of the presidency at the precise moment when a black man was sworn in? Did a memo go out, or did they just know what to do by intuition?
By weeklysift, on February 3, 2014 at 11:08 am, under Articles. Tags: framing, Obama, Republicans, Tea Party. 3 Comments
« Occupying the State of the Union
Unstable Equilibrium »
vagin fraîchement rasé On May 20, 2014 at 9:07 am
Excellent article : j'en discuterai dans la journée avec certains de mes collègues
By Unstable Equilibrium | The Weekly Sift on February 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm
[…] This week's featured posts: "Occupying the State of the Union" and "Subtext in the State of the Union (and its responses)" […]
By Fictions | The Weekly Sift on February 11, 2019 at 11:18 am
[…] the State of the Union as major news. For presidents of both parties, I've been known to do a featured article attempting to read between the lines. But this is another way in which this administration is different: Trump's speeches are just […]


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THE INNOCENCE
Title: THE INNOCENCE
Genre: Dramatic Comedy, Coming of Age
Language(s): Catalan
Director(s): Lucia Alemany
Screenplay: Lucia Alemany, Laia Soler
Producer(s): Lina Badenes, Belen Sanchez, Juan Gordon
Cast: Carmen Arrufat, Laia Marull, Sergi Lopez, Joel Bosqued
Lis is a teenage girl whose dream is to become a circus artist and leave the small village she calls her hometown, although she knows that doing so will imply a bitter confrontation with her parents.
It's summertime and Lis spends her days hanging out on the village streets with her friends and flirting with her boyfriend, Nestor, who is a few years older than her. The lack of privacy and endless gossiping among the neighbors compel Lis to keep her relationship with Nestor a secret to ensure that her parents don't find out. When the idyllic summer comes to an end, Lis will have to fight to secure her independence and overcome the challenges that adulthood brings.
Critics reviews
"The film surprises with its freshness, realism, brightness and the outstanding work of its cast." LA VANGUARDIA
"A fresh and honest film." ELDIARIO.ES
"The events that take place are not extraordinary and yet the film so perfectly captures that rural, festive mood, that it sends a series of shockwaves down the audience's spine as they become fully immersed in the small, grand drama that's playing out in front of them. It sounds simple, but what "The Innocence" achieves is the mark of truly great cinema." ABC
"This is a model coming-of-age movie […] that portrays one decisive summer in the life of teenage Lis. Its realism and truth are second to none." LA RAZÓN
"The director transmits a wonderful sense of freshness in this film that is neither too much, nor too little. With her portrayal of the twists and turns of teenage life, at a time where the decisions we make will form us as adults, she has hit the nail on the head." EL CONFIDENCIAL
"Everything has been done honestly, thoughtfully and in good taste." FOTOGRAMAS
4th Sep 2019 - By John Hopewell - Variety
Toronto: Filmax Acquires Lucia Alemany's 'The Innocence' (Exclusive)... (Read more)

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Washington, DC: Mayor To Propose Doubling Marijuana Possession Limit For Patients
Fri, 09/30/2016 - 03:10 - derrickstanley
By Derrick Stanley
The possession and use of medical marijuana is legal in Washington, D.C. for those who receive a recommendation from a physician. Patients can purchase their weed from a licensed dispensary, although they can only purchase and possess up to two ounces in a given month. However, that may soon change as the district's mayor will soon introduce a proposal that would double this limit.
Mayor Muriel Bowser "will propose doubling to 4 ounces how much weed medical marijuana patients can buy a month," according to Aaron C. Davis, a reporter for the Washington Post.
Medical marijuana legalization was approved by voters in 1998 in the District of Columbia, just two years after the first state (California) legalized the medicine. However, the law wasn't implemented, and the first dispensary didn't open, until 2013 due to Congress continually blocking it. Now the system is up and running smoothly, though many patients and patient advocates do consider many portions of the law to be too restrictive, including the two ounce limit.
The possession and personal cultivation of recreational cannabis is legal for everyone 21 and older in D.C., in addition to the medical marijuana being legal, thanks to an initiative approved by voters in 2014.
derrickstanley's blog
Study: Marijuana Doesn't Affect Physical Health, Except For Gums
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 19:29 - steveelliott
By Steve Elliott
Chronic marijuana use has about the same impact on health as not flossing, according to an extensive new study.
A research team led by Madeline H. Meier of Arizona State University tracked the cannabis habits of 1,037 New Zealanders all the way from birth to middle age, to see exactly what effects marijuana has on common measures of physical health, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post. Those measures included lung function, systemic inflammation, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body weight, blood sugar, and dental health.
After controlling for other factors known to affect health -- especially tobacco use and socioeconomic status -- cannabis use had no negative effect on any measure of health, except for dental health. People who smoked more marijuana had a higher incidence of gum disease.
Even after controlling for dental hygiene, such as likelihood to brush and floss, the relationship between marijuana use and poor dental health persisted.
steveelliott's blog
U.S.: Federal Numbers Show Marijuana Smuggling Plummets After States Legalize
Sun, 05/29/2016 - 23:11 - steveelliott
Federal marijuana trafficking offenses are on a steep decline nationwide as more states legalize recreational cannabis.
According to the latest drug trafficking statistics from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), such offenses have fallen sharply since 2012, the year that Colorado and Washington residents decided at the ballot box to legalize weed, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post.
The decline continues through 2015, the most recent year for which numbers are available.
"The number of marijuana traffickers rose slightly over time until a sharp decline in fiscal year 2013 and the number continues to decrease," according to the report. This, mind you, while trafficking in other drugs -- particularly meth and heroin -- appears to be on the rise.
The USSC's numbers show that at the federal level, marijuana trafficking is becoming less of a problem. Legalization could be reducing demand for black market sales, state prosecutors could have changed how they charge defendants, or there could be another explanation altogether. The data doesn't provide enough details to draw a conclusion, according to researchers.
U.S.: Senate Hearing Reminds Americans That 'Good People Don't Smoke Marijuana'
Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control was light on actual facts and fully of heavy-handed rhetoric. At one point -- and I'm unfortunately serious in reporting this -- Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) said "this drug is dangerous, you cannot play with it, it is not funny, it's not something to laugh about ... good people don't smoke marijuana."
This seems to be a new low even for the dim-witted Sessions, who says stuff his constituents back in the Heart of Dixie really should be embarrassed about -- in 2014, he said providing healthcare to veterans is an "entitlement" we "can't afford" -- but who knows; they keep electing his dumb ass.
The hearing, hosted by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-California) was ostensibly held to investigate whether the Department of Justice has been enforcing federal marijuana laws harshly enough. What these yahoos did was bring forth a parade of anti-marijuana witnesses, not bothering to counter their testimony with anyone who actually knew what they were talking about.
U.S.: Support For Marijuana Legalization Hits All Time High Of 61%
Fri, 03/25/2016 - 20:05 - steveelliott
A new survey released on Friday by the Associated Press and the University of Chicago shows record support for marijuana legalization in the United States, at 61 percent.
The survey asks, "Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not?", which is the same wording as previous Gallup surveys, which had shown a previous high of 58 percent support for legalization last October, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post.
The AP asked a follow-up question which showed that 24 percent of legalization supporters said cannabis should be made available "only with a medical prescription." Another 43 percent wanted to restrict purchase amounts. One-third of legalization supporters said there should be "no restrictions" on purchase amounts.
"This is yet another demonstration of just how ready Americans are for the end of marijuana prohibition," said Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority. "The growing level of support for legalization that we see in poll after poll is exactly why we're not in a situation -- for the first time in history -- where every major presidential candidate on both parties has pledged to let states set their own marijuana laws without federal interference."
While cannabis legalization is very popular among Democrats (70 percent) and independents (65 percent), just 47 percent of Republicans support it.
Study: Smoking Marijuana Does Not Make You Anxious Or Depressed
Using marijuana as an adult is not associated with mood and anxiety disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, according to a new study published on Thursday.
The research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, challenges some previous studies which claimed an association between marijuana use and both depression and anxiety, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post.
Scientists examined the records of nearly 35,000 American adults who participated in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. They looked at the prevalence of cannabis use among study participants in 2001 and 2002, then checked on their rates of mental health problems three years later, in 2004 and 2005.
After controlling for confounding factors such as socioeconomic differences, family history, environment, and past and present psychiatric disorders, researchers found that "cannabis use was not associated with increased risk for developing mood or anxiety disorders."
Lead author Mark Olfson of Columbia University and his colleagues think that some prior evidence of supposed links between marijuana and psychiatric disorders could be due more to confounding factors than any actual connection.
Australia: Legislation Will Legalize Medical Marijuana Cultivation
Wed, 02/10/2016 - 18:37 - steveelliott
The Australian government on Tuesday introduced legislation to Parliament that would legalize cannabis cultivation for medicinal or scientific purposes.
The bill would amend the half-century-old Narcotic Drugs Act and create a licensing scheme, reports Rod McGuirk at the Associated Press. Marijuana is currently illegal in Australia, but two states are considering legalizing it for medicinal purposes.
"This government understands that there are some Australians suffering from severe conditions for which cannabis may have some applications and we want to enable access to the most effective medical treatments available," Health Minister Sussan Ley told Parliament.
The bill is guaranteed to become law; the principal opposition party has already pledged support. "In fact, I've had support across the chambers and around the country and I really believe this is bipartisan," Ley said, reports Alexandra Beech at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
A 2013 government survey of 24,000 Australians found that 69 percent supported allowing cannabis use for medicinal purposes.
U.S.: Obama Says Marijuana Reform Is Not On His Agenda For 2016
Sat, 01/30/2016 - 22:34 - steveelliott
It seems that cannabis activists who had hoped for a big shift in federal marijuana policies from the Obama Administration in its last year are likely to be disappointed.
White House press secretary John Earnest on Friday said any progress on cannabis law reform would have to come from Congress, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post. President Obama had, a day earlier, said marijuana reform isn't on his list of end-of-term priorities, according to Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee).
Cohen said he'd asked the President whether he wanted to reschedule marijuana; the federal government considers cannabis a Schedule I substance, the most dangerous category, under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I drugs are considered to have a "high potential for abuse and potentially severe psychological and/or physical dependence."
Many lawmakers want to move pot to Schedule II, which would acknowledge the plant's medicinal potential, but would also effectively hand over control of it to Big Pharma, since prescriptions would be required.
Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders wants to DE-schedule marijuana, which means removing it from the federal list of controlled substances altogether.
U.S.: DOJ Suspends Asset Forfeiture Equitable Sharing; Police Take More Than Thieves
Federal Sharing Linked to Circumvention of State Reforms
The Department of Justice on Monday released a memorandum addressed to local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies to announce that the equitable sharing program for asset forfeiture funds has been temporarily suspended due to financial considerations.
This means that state and local law enforcement can no longer expect to receive a share of federal funds confiscated through the process of civil asset forfeiture, a method by which law enforcement can seize property and money from individuals without charging them with a crime.
Until now, the Department of Justice's Equitable Sharing Program allowed departments to keep up to 80 percent of assets seized in joint operations, a practice scholars have shown allows local agencies to circumvent reforms in their own states. At least one estimate puts the amount of assets confiscated by law enforcement agencies in 2014 above the total amount of robberies, suggesting, according to Reason Magazine, that "Your local police or sheriff's department is more likely to take your stuff than a robber."
Maryland: Medical Marijuana Sales Probably Won't Start Until 2017
Tue, 12/22/2015 - 00:16 - steveelliott
Patients who need to buy marijuana for medicinal purposes in Maryland are probably going to have to wait until 2017 -- nearly four years after the state made it legal.
The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission on Monday announced it won't award licenses to grow and process marijuana until sometime next summer, and industry officials said it would take another four to six months after than for cannabis to be ready to sell, reports Fenit Nirappil at The Washington Post.
The commission doesn't even have a target date for allowing retail dispensaries to start operation, and cannot say when cannabis will be available to patients.
The Maryland Legislature approved the medical marijuana program back in 2013, but adjusted it multiple times before applications could even be submitted.
The commission said this year it would start issuing licenses in January 2016, but abandoned that timetable last month after getting more than a thousand applications for people who want to be marijuana producers or dispensers.
Several prospective growers have already bought land and are leasing buildings so they can launch quickly if they are awarded licenses.
U.S.: Some Members Of Congress Ready To Call It Quits On Marijuana Eradication
The Drug Enforcement Administration is continuing its losing streak. Last week, 12 House members led by Democrat Ted Lieu of California wrote to House leadership asking for a provision in an upcoming spending bill that would strip half the funds from the DEA's Cannabis Eradication Program and instead spend that money on programs that "play a far more useful role in promoting the safety and economic prosperity of the American people": domestic violence prevention and overall spending reduction.
The DEA pisses away about $18 million a year in coordination with state and local authorities to pull up marijuana plants being grown both indoors and outdoors. The ineffectual program has been plagued with scandal, controversy, and ridicule. In the mid-2000s, it was revealed that most of the "marijuana" plants pulled up in the program were actually ditchweed, feral hemp plants that contain almost no THC, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post.
U.S.: DEA Chief Called Medical Marijuana A Joke; Patients Calling For His Resignation
Last week, acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg of the Drug Enforcement Administration called medical marijuana "a joke" while talking with reporters. Medicinal cannabis patients are now calling for Rosenberg's resignation, with an online petition getting more than 16,000 signatures on Change.org.
"What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal -- because it's not," Rosenberg said in a Q&A with reporters, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post. "We can have an intellectually honest debate about whether we should legalize something that is bad and dangerous, but don't call it medicine -- that is a joke."
"There are pieces of marijuana -- extracts or constituents or component parts -- that have great promise" medicinally, he said, obeying his masters in Big Pharma who seem to want to market individual cannabinoids, but not the whole, organic plant itself. "But if you talk about smoking the leaf of marijuana -- which is what people are talking about when they talk about medicinal marijuana -- it has never been shown to be safe or effective as a medicine."
Arizona: 28-Pound Brick of Marijuana Falls From The Sky, Smashes Doghouse
In what would likely have been a "Thank you, God!" moment for many of us, a 28-pound brick of marijuana fell from the sky in Arizona, crashing through a family's carport and crushing an empty doghouse.
Maya Donnelly said she and her husband Bill were awakened by what sounded like thunder on September 8, reports Murphy Woodhouse at Nogales International. Maya wasn't so sure it was thunder, but both soon fell back asleep.
But after the couple's children headed off to work and school the next morning, Maya looked out of her kitchen window toward the carport and saw splintered wood. She thought Hulk, the family's German Shepherd, had been up to some mischief.
"I went out to investigate, and sure enough, I looked up to see the hole, and then my eyes trailed down and the big dog's house was destroyed," Maya said. "It made a hole in that hard plastic doghouse and the bundle was inside..." Good thing Hulk wasn't in there!
The bundle, worth an estimated $10,000, according to Detective Robert Ferros, was likely dropped by an ultralight aircraft by accident, reports CNN. "Normally they don't land on houses," Ferros said.
Pakistan: Military Conflict Threatens Marijuana Crop
Pakistan's traditional marijuana crop, basis of its thriving hashish industry, is being threatened by Pakistan's decade-long war against terrorism and Islamist militancy.
Harvest would traditionally take place in October, and hashish production not long after that, reports Tim Craig at The Washington Post. But much of the crop in the Tirah Valley in Pakistan's tribal belt has been abandoned, and is in danger of becoming yet another casualty of the conflict.
After Taj Muhammad Afridi planted cannabis seeds in February, the Pakistani military began a series of operations in the Tirah Valley against Taliban fighters who were hiding out there. The operation forced Afridi and 250,000 other residents to leave their homes; many are still waiting to return.
"We know that our crops are still there," said Afridi, 65, who has for decades helped make stoners mellow around the world. "But I don't know what the future will be. Will the military allow this?"
U.S.: Evidence Shows Legalizing Marijuana Unlikely To Turn Kids Into Potheads
Supporters of the War On Drugs often claim that loosening restrictions on marijuana use -- such as decriminalization, allowing medicinal use, legalizing it completely, or even discussing legalization -- will "send the wrong message" to young people and lead to increased teen drug use. But the evidence has repeatedly shown this notion to be inaccurate.
According to two new studies published in the past month, teen marijuana use has fallen since 1996, during which time 34 states have passed some sort of medical marijuana bill, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post.
"Despite considerable changes in state marijuana policies over the past 15 years, marijuana use among high school students has largely declined," concludes one of the papers, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. That study looks at cannabis use among all high school students in the U.S., as measured every two years by the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Hawaii: Medical Marijuana Patients Rely On Down-Low Grower Network
Most of Hawaii's 13,000 medical marijuana patients first had to commit a crime to obtain and grow their medicinal cannabis under the state's laws. Though Hawaii voters legalized medical marijuana back in 2000, it didn't make provisions for legal dispensaries; it required patients to grow their own supply, but didn't specify where to get the seeds or plants.
"When the state passed the law, they allowed you to have a card, but they didn't provide you any way to get the product, grow the product or how to make the product into any form of medicine," said Jari Sugano, whose first cannabis plant came illegaly from another Hawaiian caregiver, reports News21. The plant was the only way she could grow medical marijuana for her now six-year-old daughter, who has Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy.
The sale or transfer or seeds and plants is still illegal in Hawaii, even between qualified patients. For 15 years, the absence of a legal solution has fueled a thriving black market and made it hard to know who's using weed legally and who's not. Only this year did the Hawaii Legislature finally get around to legalizing dispensaries.
Texas: Police Search Woman's Vagina For Marijuana - In Parking Lot
A Texas woman says sheriff's deputies violated constitutional protections by conducting a body cavity search in the parking lot of a gas station during a routine traffic stop last June.
Charnesia Corley, 21, was driving in Harris County about 10:30 p.m. on June 21 when a male deputy pulled her over, allegedly for running a stop sign, reports Dylan Baddour at the Houston Chronicle. He claimed he smelled marijuana, handcuffed Corley, put her in the back of his cruiser and searched her vehicle for almost an hour.
The officer found no marijuana, said Corley's attorney, Sam Cammack.
Returning to his cruiser, the deputy again claimed he smelled marijuana, and called in a female deputy to conduct a body cavity search. When the female deputy arrived, she ordered Corley, who is African American, to pull her pants down, but Corley protested, saying she was handcuffed and had no panties on.
The deputy ordered Corley to bend over, then pulled down her pants and began to insert her fingers into Corley's vagina. "She tells me to pull my pants down," Corley said. "I said, 'Ma'am, I don't have any underwear on. She says, 'Well, that doesn't matter. Pull your pants down," Corley said.
"I bend over and she proceeds to try to force her hand inside of me. I tell her, 'Ma'am, No. You cannot do this,'" Corley said.
U.S.: Department of Justice Admits Lying To Congress About Medical Marijuana
The U.S. Justice Department warned Congress last year that a medical marijuana provision included in an appropriations bill could "limit or possibly eliminate the Department's ability to enforce federal law in recreational marijuana cases as well." But it turns out that was wrong, according to a just-revealed DOJ memo.
The "informal talking points" obtained by Marijuana Majority's Tom Angell were "intended to discourage passage" of the provision, which passed and was signed into law, reports Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post.
The memo was written by the chief of the Justice Department's appellate section and dated February 27, 2015. In it, the DOJ says the provision does not place "any limitations on our ability to investigate and prosecute crimes involving recreational marijuana."
The memo's talking points were repeated by a number of House members who opposed the medical marijuana provision.
Andy Harris (R-Maryland), one of the worst enemies of medicinal cannabis in the entire House, claimed "the amendment as written would tie the DEA's hands beyond medical marijuana." Rep. John Fleming (R-Louisiana) claimed that the provision would "take away the ability of the Department of Justice to protect our young people ... it would just make it difficult, if not impossible, for the DEA and the Department of Justice to enforce the law."
D.C.: No Legal Marijuana Sales For 2 More Years Under GOP House Budget Bill
After the District of Columbia's voters chose to legalize recreational marijuana, Republicans in Congress flirted with the idea of limiting D.C.'s ability to implement the law, although it was ultimately put into place. Now they're taking another try at blocking legalization: The GOP-controlled House on Thursday advanced a budget resolution saying cannabis can't be sold for two more years in D.C.
The House budget resolution seeks to delay implementation of the measure approved by D.C. voters, reports Clark Mindock at International Business Times.
Voters approved cannabis legalization last November; under the law, residents can grow and possess marijuana, but can't smoke it in public.
Advocates for legal pot said the fact that an outright ban did not appear to be an early budget priority added to other signs that a GOP-controlled Congress may be softening its opposition to marijuana, reports Aaron C. Davis at The Washington Post.
Indiana: First Church of Cannabis Approved After 'Religious Freedom' Law Passed
Turning around a new law originally intended as a tool of intolerance against gays, the First Church of Cannabis Inc. has been approved by Indiana's secretary of state after the state's "religious freedom" legislation came into effect last week.
Church founder Bill Levin said he filed the paperwork in direct response to Gov. Mike Pence's signing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law last Thursday, reports Sarah Pulliam Bailey of The Washington Post. Secretary of State Connie Lawson approved the church as a religious corporation with the stated intent "to start a church based on love and understanding with compassion for all."
Cannabis is listed as a sacrament in the church's doctrine, according to Levin, who set he was setting up a church hierarchy. Levin wrote out the new "Diety Dozen," a list of suggestions for better living comparable to the 10 Commandments.
The church will grow hemp, he said, though it will not buy or sell marijuana.
"If someone is smoking in our church, God bless them," Levin said. "This is a church to show a proper way of life, a loving way to live life. We are called 'Cannataerians.'"
Study debunks claims against cannabis retail
Michigan: Cannabis Industry Association Capitol Protests
The First Obituary of Steven Hager
Washington: Adult Cannabis Cultivation Bill, HB 2559, Seeking Public Comment
U.S.: Former US Deputy Attorney General Cole's reaction to Sessions' Rescission
Vermont: Senate Passes Recreational Cannabis Bill, Governor Expected to Sign
Global: Oregonian Being Held In El Salvador for 36 Grams of Cannabis
U.S.: Attorney General Sessions to Rescind Memo on State Cannabis Laws
Wisconsin: Medical Cannabis Advocate, Jacki Rickert, Passes Away
South Carolina: Twenty Farmers Selected for Industrial Hemp Pilot Program
Weed News
Americans For Safe Access Releases Patient's Guide To CBD
Majority Of Voters Support Sealing Records For Federal Marijuana Offenders
Can CBD Oil For Dogs Ease Pain?
MCIR Magazine Presents Calendar of Events
Presence Of THC In Blood Not Associated With Crash Culpability Per Study
Oregon: Lawmakers Advance Marijuana Expungement Measure
NORML KC to Kick Off Series of Educational Seminars
Federal Appropriations Bills Include Limited Cannabis Protections
Nevada: Governor Signs Measure Sealing Past Marijuana Convictions
Weekly Legislative Roundup 5/31/19
Marijuana Moment
Presidential Candidate Gillibrand Unveils Wide-Ranging Marijuana Legalization Plan
West Virginia Voters Reject Marijuana Decriminalization Measure
12 governors call on Congress to pass cannabis legislation (Newsletter: June 5, 2019)
Oakland Officials Decriminalize Psychedelics And Say They'll Work To Legalize Sales Next
Congressional Report Raises Questions About Whether Marijuana Impairs Driving
Canadian study finds saliva tests don't work
Celebrate Hemp History Week: Buy hemp.
Illinois a signature away from legal adult cannabis
Five ways states can benefit from cannabis legalization
Cannabusiness leaders lobby DC for federal reform
Cannabist
Marijuana odor could be "public nuisance" under proposed Vermont bill
Alaska marijuana tax collections hit new high in January
Nebraska State Patrol seizes 199 pounds of marijuana in I-80 traffic stop
All charges dismissed for Tennessee stores accused of selling CBD candy
Illinois voters may be able to voice opinion on marijuana legalization under legislative proposal
Want to get the latest news in your feed? Like Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp on Facebook
Benjamin Franklin started one of America's first paper mills with cannabis, allowing a colonial press free from English control.
Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp, www.CRRH.org 1991-2017
This site is dedicated to Edwin 'Captain Ed' M. Adair III


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    printf("Connect failed: %s\n", mysqli_connect_error());
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Russian porcelain figure of a clown. Porcelain, paintings. Polonne porcelain factory, Ukraine, 1973-1996. Dimensions: 7.5 x 7 x 13 cm.
Russian porcelain figure "Girl with a samovar". Porcelain, paintings. Porcelain factory in Dulevo, Russia, 1989. Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 13 cm.
Meissen porcelain figure of a man. Porcelain, paintings, gilding. Meissen?, Germany, 20th century. Height: 26.3 cm.
Soviet porcelain figure of a deer. Signed on Russian language. Riga, mid-20th century. Height: 14.3 cm. Length: 14 cm.
Soviet porcelain figure of a ballet dancer. Porcelain, paintings, gilding. Verbilki manufactory, Russia, 1950-1960s. Height: 24.4 cm.
Soviet Ukrainian porcelain figure "Spanish dance". Porcelain, paintings, gilding. Kiev experimental porcelain factory, 1960s. Sculptor – Oksana Zhnikrup. Height: 23 cm.
Russian porcelain figure "Boy with a ball". Porcelain, paintings, gilding. Porcelain factory "Krasnyj traktorist", 1959. Diameter: 11 cm. Height: 13 cm.
Meissen figure of a cherub "Je le captive". Porcelain, paintings. Meissen, Germany, 19th century. Height: 12 cm.
Meissen porcelain figure. Porcelain, paintings. Meissen, Germany. Height: 25 cm.
Swedish Rörstrand porcelain dog figure. Porcelain, painting. Dimensions: 15 x 8.5 cm.
Meissen porcelain figure of a boy on a goat. Porcelain, gilding, paintings. Germany, 19th century. Height: 17 cm.
Soviet porcelain figure of a marine with a guitar. Porcelain, Ukrainina SSR, mid-20th century. Height: 19 cm.
Massive Meissen porcelain cup & saucer. Porcelain, gilding, floral paintings. Meissen, 1934-1960s. Cup height: 8 cm. Saucer diameter: 18 cm.
Meissen? porcelain figure of a clown. Porcelain, paintings, gilding. Height: 17 cm.
Soviet porcelain figure "On the icerink". Porcelain, painting, gilding. Sculptor Oksana Zhnikrup, Polonne porcelain factory, Ukrainian SSR, 1960s. Height: 14.5 cm.
Porcelain figure of an earless seal. Porcelain, paintings. Europe, 20th century. Height: 13 cm.
Biscuit figure of a girl with a big basket. Biscuit, Europe, 20th century. Height: 14 cm.
Biscuit figure of a girl with a ball. Biscuit, paintings, 20th century. Height: 15 cm.
Russian porcelain figure of a boy in a national dress. Porcelain, paintings. Soviet Union, mid-20th century. Height: 10 cm.
Oriental porcelain figure. Porcelain, paintings, 20th century. Height: 10 cm.
Porcelain figure of a boy. Porcelain, paintings, 20th century. A small chip on the left hand. Height: 11.5 cm.
Porcelain bust of a Russian writer Maxim Gorky. Lomonosov Porcelain Factory in Leningrad, LFZ, 1950-1960s. Height: 11 cm.


text:
Links in
ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
of December 29, 2018 No. 936
About some questions of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and modification and amendments in some decisions of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
(as amended on 24-10-2019)
For the purpose of increase in system effectiveness of public administration the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan DECIDES:
1. Approve enclosed:
1) Regulations on the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan (further - the Provision);
2) changes and additions which are made to some decisions of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
2. Rename:
1) republican public institution "Committee on investments of the Ministry for Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan" into republican public institution "Committee on investments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.";
2) republican public institutions according to appendix 1 to this resolution;
3) republican legal entities according to appendix 2 to this resolution.
3. To transfer to committee of state-owned property and privatization of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the procedure established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
1) to the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its departments of right of possession and uses of the state blocks of shares and shares of the organizations according to appendix 3 to this resolution;
2) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan of right of possession and uses of the state blocks of shares of joint-stock company "KAZAKH INVEST national company.
4. To the ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan to take other measures following from this resolution.
5. Recognize invalid some decisions of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan according to appendix 4 to this resolution.
6. This resolution becomes effective from the date of its signing, except for subitems 578-1), 578-2), 582), 590), 591), 592), 597), 600), 601) and 612) of function of central office and subitems 333), 334), 335), 337), 338), 339), 340), 341), 342), 345), 346), 348), 349), 350), 353), 353), 354), 356), 357), 359), 360), 361), 362), 363), 364), 365), 367), 368), 369), 373), 374), 375), 376), 377), 378), 379), 380), 381), 382), 383), 384), 385), 386), 387), 388), 389), 390), 394), 395), 396), 397), 398), 399), 400), 401), 402), 403), 404), 405), 406), 407), 408), 409), 436), 437), 438), 439), 440), 441), 442-1) and 442-2) functions of departments of Item 16 of the Provision, which become effective since August 1, 2019 according to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan of April 19, 2019 "About modification and amendments in some legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning transport".
Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan
B. Sagintayev
Approved by the Order of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of December 29, 2018 No. 936
Regulations on the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan
1. General provisions
1. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the state body of the Republic of Kazakhstan performing management in spheres of the industry and industrial development, mining and metallurgical complex, development of local content, mechanical engineering, the coal, chemical, pharmaceutical and medical industry, light, woodworking and furniture industry, the construction industry and production of construction materials, safety of machines and the equipment and safety of chemical products according to industry orientation; export control; industrial safety; energy saving and increase in energy efficiency; regulations of production of precious metals and turnover of precious metals and gemstones, the primary goods containing precious metals, jewelry and other products; creations, functioning and abolition of special economic zones; public administration by subsurface use regarding solid minerals, except for uranium production; in spheres railway, automobile, inland water transport, merchant shipping, in the field of use of airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan and activities of civil and experimental aviation, natural monopolies in the field of services of air navigation and the airports and in the socially significant markets in the field of services of the airports, highways; architectural, town-planning and construction activities, the housing relations, municipal services and the address with municipal waste (except for municipal solid waste), state regulation in the field of water supply and water disposal, heat supply (except the combined heat and power plants and boiler rooms performing production of heat energy in zone of centralized heat supply) within settlements; equity in housing construction; defense industry, participation in carrying out single military and technical policy, implementation of military and technical cooperation, management in the field of forming, placement and accomplishment of the state defensive order (further - regulated spheres).
2. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan has departments:
1) Committee of industrial development and industrial safety of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
2) No. 497 is excluded according to the Order of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 10.07.2019;
4) Committee of highways of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
5) Committee of civil aviation of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
6) Committee of transport of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
7) Committee on cases of construction and housing and communal services of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
8) Committee of the state defensive order of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
3. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan performs the activities according to the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan, acts of the President and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, other regulatory legal acts, and also this Provision.
4. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan is legal entity in form of business of public institution, has seals and stamps with the name in state language, forms of the established sample, according to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the account in bodies of treasury.
5. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan enters the civil relations from own name.
6. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan has the right to act as the party of the civil relations on behalf of the state if it is authorized on it according to the legislation.
7. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning the competence of the procedure established by the legislation makes the decisions which are drawn up by orders of the head of the Ministry.
8. The structure and limit of the number of staff of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan affirm according to the current legislation.
9. Location of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Republic of Kazakhstan, 010000, Nour-Sultan's city, area Esil, Prospekt Kabangbai of the batyr, 32/1, building "Transport Tower".
10. Full name of the Ministry - public institution "Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan".
11. This Provision is the constituent document of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
12. Financing of activities of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan is performed from the republican budget.
13. The ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan is forbidden to enter contractual relations with subjects of entrepreneurship regarding accomplishment of the obligations which are functions of the Ministry.
If the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan by legal acts is granted the right to perform the activities which are bringing in incomes, then income gained from such activities go to the income of the republican budget.
2. Mission, main objectives, functions, rights and obligations of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan
14. Mission of the Ministry of the industry and infrastructure development of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
forming of state policy in spheres of the state support of industrial activities, development of local content in the sphere of industrial activities, in the field of industrial safety, the coal industry, regulation of production of precious metals and turnover of precious metals and gemstones, the primary goods containing precious metals, jewelry and other products; scientific and technical development of the country in spheres railway, automobile, inland water transport, merchant shipping, in the fields of use of airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan and activities of civil and experimental aviation, highways, for the purpose of development of the transport and communication complex satisfying requirements of economy and society; architectural, town-planning and construction activities, the housing relations, municipal services and the address with municipal waste (except for municipal solid waste), water supply and water disposal, heat supply (except the combined heat and power plants and boiler rooms performing production of heat energy in zone of centralized heat supply) within settlements, export control, support and development of defensive and industrial potential.
15. Tasks:
1) participation in forming and realization of state policy in the sphere of the state support of industrial and innovative activities, development of local content in the sphere of industrial activities, mining and metallurgical complex, mechanical engineering, the coal, chemical, pharmaceutical and medical, light, woodworking and furniture industry, the construction industry and production of construction materials, safety of machines and the equipment and safety of chemical products according to industry orientation; export control; industrial safety; energy saving and increase in energy efficiency; state regulation of entrepreneurship, state support of private entrepreneurship; productions of precious metals and turnover of precious metals and gemstones, the primary goods containing precious metals, jewelry and other products; creations, functioning and abolition of special economic zones; public administration by subsurface use regarding solid minerals, except for uranium production; in spheres railway, automobile, inland water transport, merchant shipping, in the field of use of airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan and activities of civil and experimental aviation, highways; architectural, town-planning and construction activities, the housing relations, municipal services and the address with municipal waste (except for municipal solid waste), water supply and water disposal, heat supply (except the combined heat and power plants and boiler rooms performing production of heat energy in zone of centralized heat supply) within settlements; equity in housing construction; defense industry;
2) implementation of cross-industry coordination of state bodies in the field of activity carried to competence of the Ministry;
3) planning, monitoring, stimulation, development of industrial and innovative system;
4) implementation of coordination of processes of diversification and the forced industrial and innovative development of economy;
5) safety of transport and processes of its lifecycle for life and health of the person and the environment;
6) forming and carrying out investment, scientific and technical and social policy in the field of transport;
7) development of forecasts of needs of the state and the population in transportations;
8) protection of interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of transport;
9) creation of conditions for ensuring requirements of economy and the population of the republic in transportations, including socially important passenger traffic, and the related services;
10) use of new technologies, including information and communication technologies, the means facilitating mobility of devices and technologies, adapted for disabled people when implementing passenger traffic;
11) training of the transport workers performing passenger traffic, to skills of communication and provision of services to disabled people including training in sign language;
12) control and supervision of observance of the rights of consumers of transport services;
13) coordination of work and implementation of function of state regulation of activities of transport complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
14) the prevention of harmful effects of the dangerous production factors arising in case of accidents, incidents on hazardous production facilities;
15) implementation of the state control in regulated spheres;
16) public administration in regulated spheres;
17) observance of gender balance in case of acceptance for work and promotion of employees;
17-1) creation of effective system of defense industry complex;
17-2) providing Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, other troops and military forming, special state and law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan modern goods military (products), goods (products) of dual purpose (application), military works and military services;
17-3) use of scientific and technological and potential production of the organizations of defense industry complex in civil industries of the industry;
17-4) ensuring creation of modern types of arms, the military and special equipment for the benefit of increase and strengthening of defense capability, safety and law and order in the state;
17-5) supports and further development of the export potential of the organizations of defense industry complex;
17-6) development of applied researches and developmental works and their further commercialization;
17-7) participations in carrying out single military and technical policy and implementation of military and technical cooperation;
17-8) management in the field of forming, placement and accomplishment of the state defensive order;
18) implementation of other tasks assigned to the Ministry within the competence.
16. Functions:
functions of central office:
1) forming and realization of state policy in regulated spheres;
2) realization of state policy in the field of the state control and supervision in regulated industries (spheres) in which the state control and supervision are exercised;
3) taking measures to development of the competition in case of realization of state policy in the corresponding industries of economy and not to making of the actions (failure to act) which are negatively influencing the competition;
4) development, coordination with authorized body in the sphere of permissions and notifications and approval of regulatory legal acts about approval of qualification requirements and the list of the documents confirming compliance to them, except for qualification requirements, and the list of documents to the licensed types of activity in the sphere of gaming;
5) implementation of international cooperation in regulated spheres;
6) development and approval together with authorized body on entrepreneurship of the acts concerning criteria for evaluation of risk degree for selection of subjects (objects) of control and supervision, checking sheets, for carrying out preventive control and supervision with visit of subject (object) of control and supervision;
7) implementation of the organization of the state control and supervision according to the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
8) implementation of monitoring of efficiency of the state control and supervision;
9) creation of protocols, hearing of cases about administrative offenses and imposing of administrative punishments according to the procedure, established by the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan about administrative offenses;
10) implementation of counteraction to terrorism within the competence established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
11) development, coordination and approval within the competence of regulatory legal acts of regulated spheres;
12) carrying out the analysis of regulatory impact concerning the drafted draft documents, stipulated in Item 3 articles 82 of the Entrepreneurial code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, according to the procedure, determined by authorized body by entrepreneurship;
13) submission to authorized body on entrepreneurship of status reports of regulation of business activity in separate industry or the sphere of public administration in which it is entered or is planned to introduction the regulatory tool;
14) implementation of cross-industry coordination in regulated spheres;
15) presentation in courts of claims according to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
16) implementation of accreditation of associations of the subjects of private entrepreneurship applying for participation in conducting examination of projects of regulatory legal acts, concepts of drafts of the laws, drafts of international treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and also international treaties which participant the Republic of Kazakhstan, the subjects of private entrepreneurship infringing on interests intends to become;
17) statement of structure of advisory council concerning private entrepreneurship according to the Entrepreneurial code of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
18) formation of Public council;
19) consideration of recommendations of Public council;
20) coordination of participation of members of Public council in work of other working bodies of the Ministry;
21) determination of staff of representation from the Ministry as a part of the working group on forming of Public council;
22) statement of structure of the working group on forming of Public council;
23) statement of structure of Public council and regulations on it;
24) implementation of organizational support of activities of Public council;
25) the direction of the project of the regulatory legal act concerning the rights, freedoms and obligations of citizens in Public council;
26) coordination of terms of carrying out public hearings by Public council;
27) submission of the report to Public council about results of work of the Ministry;
28) approval of standards and regulations of the state services;
29) interaction with the international financial and economic organizations, and also integration associations for the competence;
30) the conclusion of international treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan with foreign states and (or) the international organizations;
31) determination of need for personnel in regulated spheres;
32) implementation according to the decision of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of right of possession and uses of the state block of shares (shares in the authorized capital), and also functions of authorized body on management of the corresponding industry (sphere) of public administration concerning the republican state companies and public institutions;
33) No. 501 is excluded according to the Order of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 12.07.2019;
34) development of regulations on Coordination council on the development forced industrial innovatively under the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and entering into the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of offers on forming of its structure;
35) annual submission to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of information on efficiency of measures of the state support of industrial and innovative activities;
36) implementation of monitoring and cross-industry coordination of state bodies in the sphere of industrial and innovative development and participation in realization of the state support of industrial and innovative activities;
37) determination of the operators performing the state support of industrial and innovative activities;
38) implementation of planning, monitoring, stimulation, development of industrial and innovative system;
39) development of the card of industrialization;
40) development of procedure for inclusion of projects in the card of industrialization and card of support of entrepreneurship of regions;
41) approval of procedure for competitive selection of territorial clusters;
42) approval of rules of provision of the state support to subjects of the industrial and innovative activities directed to performance improvement of work and development of territorial clusters;
44) participation in forming and realization of state policy in the sphere of the state support of industrial and innovative activities;
45) realization of state policy in the field of regulation of production of precious metals, turnover of precious metals and gemstones, the primary goods containing precious metals, jewelry and other products;
46) approval of rules of conducting examination of gemstones, jewelry and other products from precious metals and gemstones;
47) approval of regulating documents on the primary goods containing precious metals;
48) confirmation of regulations of exit of products of conversion from the precious metals and primary goods containing precious metals, reflected in the submitted documents in case of their import to the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and export from the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for conversion;
49) approval of rules of determination of threshold values of content of harmful impurity and precious metals in the primary goods containing precious metals;
50) establishment of threshold values of content of harmful impurity and precious metals in the primary goods containing precious metals for each subject of the production of precious metals consisting in the list of subjects of production of precious metals taking into account their individual technological capabilities by types of primary goods;
51) approval of rules of forming of the list of subjects of production of precious metals;
52) determination of procedure for receipt of refusal of subjects of production of the precious metals consisting in the list of subjects of production of precious metals from conversion and (or) refining of the precious metals and primary goods containing precious metals, or confirmations of authorized body about availability of such refusal;
53) approval of the list of subjects of production of precious metals;
54) determination of form and procedure for execution of the act of selection of representative tests from the exported primary goods containing precious metals;
68) the conclusion with national managing directors of holdings, national holdings, the national companies and legal entities of the technological memorandums determining the list of the purchased goods, works and services affiliated with them;
69) approval of procedure for forming and maintaining database of goods, works, services and their suppliers;
70) approval of rules of compensation of part of costs of subjects of industrial and innovative activities for promotion of the domestic processed goods, works, services in the domestic market;
71) forming on the basis of the data on the needs for the corresponding specialists of offers on determination of the list of specialties represented by subjects of industrial and innovative activities according to which training of specialists for priority sectors of economy is required;
72) provision with involvement of national institute of development in the field of development of local content of service support and compensation of part of costs of subjects of industrial and innovative activities for promotion of the domestic processed goods, works and services in the domestic market;
73) allocation on the basis of the agreement signed with national institute of development in the field of development of local content, funds for cost recovery of subjects of industrial and innovative activities for promotion of the domestic processed goods, works and services on the domestic market;
75) provision with involvement of national institute of development in the field of development of the industry of measures of the state support to subjects of industrial and innovative activities in performance improvement of work and development of territorial clusters;
76) development and approval of rules of conducting examination according to local content;
77) development of the single card of priority goods and services;
78) approval of the list of the domestic processed goods on which costs on their promotion are partially compensated;
79) approval of rules of compensation of part of costs of subjects of industrial and innovative activities for promotion of the domestic processed goods;
80) development, approval or coordination of regulatory legal acts in the field of safety of machines and the equipment, except for approvals of the technical regulation;
87) ensuring realization and execution of state programs within competence;


In our pilot episode, we meet with Michael Saucier, CEO of Transpara Software (http://www.transpara.com/) to look at the "Visual KPI" software they produce and how it might be able to get a facelift which will provide a more streamlined interface which is both easier to use as well as being visually appealing. The challenge here is how to work within their requirements of being a web based interface designed to be viewed on a variety of mobile devices.
This was a very interesting project to work on. Robert, Hans, and Michael provided invaluable feedback and we were able to make significant improvements in their product.
I'm looking forward to doing more of these.
Great idea for a show.
Have you already planned the next one? I'd like to see a business WinForms app pimp'ed up with WPF.
We REALLY enjoyed working with you and your team, Robert! Thanks for helping us get a leg up on the competition. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help "Pimp" the show!
We had intermittent hardware failures on the web site starting on Wed so we are ripping and replacing the blade tomorrow.
I will be back to commission Visual KPI at the Microsoft data centers in February, so I will be sure to stop by and say hi.


Module 2 takes you through the first historical and 'other cultures' study - specifically at Opus Anglicannum, the exquisite medieval ecclesiastical 'English' embroidery and the rich exuberantly decorated textiles from countries like India using metal threads and other glittering items such as shi-sha mirrors. This study will discover different uses of metallic threads and other shiny non 'thread' materials, learning fresh ideas for your contemporary study of embroidery and design. Both the embroidery methods and the designing ideas will then be taken forwards into a more contemporary sphere, where parallels will be drawn using our modern equipment and materials - all of which the embroiderers of the historical study period and different countries would have embraced had they been available to them at the time. The design work based on figure and face within this Module will be used to initiate the metallics assessment piece, a design idea already started in Module 1 or from Chapters in Module 2.


text:
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    <title>Firestore Offline Handbook</title>


Are you a tablecloth or a placemat kind of family? I've always preferred placemats, they just seem easier to use and keep clean. My current placemats are starting to show their age and I decided it was time to make a new set.
Have you ever tried to make reversible placemats? Seriously, they are one of the easiest projects to sew!
I chose a pretty rust colored damask fabric that complemented my decor for the top. Since the placemats are reversible (and the Holidays are in full swing,) I went with a red and gold print for the back.
Step 1: Wash and iron fabric. Cut front and back fabric into 19.5 by 14.5 inch rectangles (as many as you want.) If you are adding interfacing, cut it out to the same dimensions and following the package directions, iron the interfacing to the wrong side of one of the fabric pieces.
Step 2: Line up the front and back pieces, right sides together. Pin and sew 1/4 inch from the edge, leaving a 2 inch opening to turn the fabric.
Step 3: Trim the edges 1/8 inch, clip corners on the diagonal and flip the placemat right side out.
Step 4: Iron the the edges flat, taking care to evenly tuck the edges of the 2 inch opening in.
Repeat for as many placemats as you want!
My table looks so pretty!
Come back tomorrow to see the tutorial!
These look lovely and so easy to do., maybe I will try and have a go for Christmas Thank you for sharing.
Im a new follower from Strut your Stuff Saturday!
Very nice and so easy! Love It! Thanks for tut. Found you on SMW-Linking party.


text:
Q: Package error that moves when saving source files I've started building a small web app with Go in VS Code and I keep getting this error on the package line:
can't load package: package fantasy_stats: found packages jsontest (jsontest.go) and main (main.go) in /home/scott/programming/golang/src/fantasy_stats

What's strange is whenever I save one of my 3 source files, the error disappears from the other files and appears in the most recently saved file.
My $GOPATH is set to $HOME/programming/golang and the 3 files are in the directory shown in the error: $HOME/programming/golang/src/fantasy_stats.  Two of the files (main.go and results_handler.go) are package main and the one other (jsontest.go) is package jsontest (this is just a tiny side program to generate test data and isn't used in the other files).  func main() is also only in main.go for the package main files.  Renaming main.go to fantasy_stats.go has no effect on the error.
How can I fix this error?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Helping Farmers Shift to Regenerative Agriculture
Sustainable farming techniques, such as cover crops, nutrient management, crop rotation, and low tillage, could reduce emissions by more than half.
By Fernando Martins, Tyson Atleo, Grace Mbazima, and Sam Israelit
Regenerative agriculture—namely, a set of practices that promote healthier soil and fewer negative effects on the ecosystem—is gaining attention as a way to help countries reduce emissions, sequester carbon, and improve the economics of farming. Globally, agriculture and waste represent about 15% of greenhouse gas emissions, so reducing that impact will be essential to meet the net zero goals of countries over the next few decades.
Only a small percentage of farmers deploy some (or all) of the main components of regenerative agriculture today. To have a meaningful effect on reducing emissions, many more farmers will need to adopt regenerative principles. One thing working against widespread adoption is the perception that regenerative agriculture is something for small-scale, organic, or heirloom farms. But a recent, peer-reviewed natural climate solutions (NCS) study by Nature United and 16 research partners in Canada has shown outsized potential in regenerative agriculture. The study examined how protecting, managing, and restoring nature can help contain the climate crisis. Combined with business analysis by Bain & Company primarily on farms in Ontario, Canada, these studies suggest that regenerative agriculture could be deployed over millions of hectares of croplands on large farms with major crops such as corn, wheat, and soy. Once in place and running at scale, the effects would benefit not only the environment but also, in many cases, they should improve the yields and the economics of those farms (see Figure 1).
Adopting all four practices could cut emissions per hectare by more than half
Early studies on the economics of regenerative agriculture show that farmers using these techniques can increase their profit margins by as much as 30%—but not right away. Farmers typically experience some yield loss during the first two seasons as they learn new techniques and the soil is reconditioned. They may break even in the third and fourth seasons, and by the fifth or sixth season, they begin to see greater profitability (see Figure 2). Since few farmers have the resources to weather a two- to four-year dip in revenue, they will have to receive support during this transition. Farmers' supply chain partners could invest in this type of support as part of their sustainability efforts and make progress toward their own goals for reducing scope 3 emissions.
With four years to break even, most farmers will need incentives and financial support to adopt regenerative practices
Four elements of regenerative agriculture
Regenerative agriculture means different things in different places and depends on a wide range of factors, including climatic and soil conditions. While there are many practices that could be considered as aspects of regenerative agriculture, this brief focuses on four that tend to be recognized as generally practical, useful, and not overly disruptive to ongoing farm operations.
Cover cropping: One of the most widely known and accepted practices in regenerative agriculture is cover cropping—that is, planting crops in fields that would otherwise lay fallow between growing seasons or that can grow simultaneously with cash crops. For centuries, farmers in Europe and North America followed this practice, but it fell out of favor during the 20th century as agriculture industrialized and cover cropping wasn't seen as economical. Encouraging farmers to bring it back by planting oat, mustard, buckwheat, alfalfa, clover, or other crops could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 0.5 and 1 metric ton per hectare of land each year. Cover crops put more carbon into the soil, which helps retain moisture, reduce irrigation, and strengthen crops to fight off diseases or withstand drought. Other benefits include weed control, less erosion, a reduced need for fertilizers, and up to a 10% boost in yields.
Of course, many more farmers would need to take up the practice to have an effect. In Canada, somewhere between 2% and 10% of farmers plant cover crops each season. About 20 million hectares of croplands in Canada could adopt cover crops, but several barriers lie in the way, including constraints related to soil moisture and growing season length. In northern areas, growing seasons can be short, making it difficult to establish cover crops between seasons. The additional cycle also adds complexity and costs for farmers, about US$150 per hectare in Canada. In other countries, the potential for cover cropping may be greater.
Nutrient management: More precise management of fertilizers and manure could also reduce emissions. The NCS study indicates that emissions reductions of as much as 9 megatons a year in Canada are possible by 2030. As with cover cropping, only a small percentage of farmers follow these practices today, but more could if they receive the proper training and support.
Advocates of smarter fertilizer application talk of the four Rs: the right fertilizer source, applied at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place. The benefits extend beyond soil health to include cleaner air and water, better biodiversity in the nearby area, plus a financial upside for the farmer. When applied correctly, farmers can avoid fertilizer runoff or volatilization, thereby reducing waste, unnecessary costs, and impacts on fresh water. Better management of manure usually occurs in places where crops and animals are grown in the same area. The storage and sustainable use of manure applied as fertilizer creates a more circular economic system, reducing the amount of methane released, cutting the costs of commercial fertilizer, and improving soil quality.
Reduced tillage: Traditional tilling breaks up the soil, which can help keep weeds down but also leaves soil dried out and subject to crusting on its surface. A number of low- and no-till methods aim to make better use of the soil's natural ability to build and retain organic material, including fungi, which may be beneficial to crops and biodiversity. The learning curve can be steep, and fields often take several years to adjust. But the resulting landscape can retain moisture and nutrients better than when fields are tilled.
Crop rotation: Crop rotation improves the health of soil, reduces erosion, and allows farmers to use less fertilizer. Centuries ago, farmers rotated crops on a three- or four-year cycle, mixing in years for grazing or laying fallow. Today's regenerative techniques can deliver better performance by alternating between, for example, corn or wheat (which extract nitrogen from soil) and soybeans or other legumes (which restore nitrogen to the soil), supplemented by seasonal cover crops and natural fertilizers such as manure.
Supporting farmers to reduce scope 3 emissions
Agribusiness companies that maintain large networks of supplier growers may be in a strong position to support farmers through their transitions to regenerative agriculture. These companies are setting ambitious targets for emissions reductions. They will have the most control over scope 1 emissions, those resulting directly from their own operations. Scope 2 emissions could be more challenging, but they can work with their energy providers to manage and reduce their emissions from energy use. Scope 3 emissions, those resulting from upstream suppliers and downstream customers, may be the most difficult to manage but nevertheless hold considerable promise.
Supporting the farmers who supply commodities to these large companies may be one way in which the companies can make progress toward reducing these scope 3 emissions and reaching their net zero goals. Nestlé, for example, has pledged to invest US$1.3 billion over the next five years in training farmers, paying premium prices for products of regenerative agriculture, and direct investment and lending support to help suppliers through the transition period. Danone says it is supporting regenerative agriculture by providing financial and technical assistance to more than 100,000 farmers worldwide and by signing longer-term contracts that help guarantee stable revenue to farmers to help them navigate the transition.
What's more, unlike other sustainability efforts that represent an ongoing cost—for example, a pledge to invest in bioplastic packaging—helping farmers through their transitions to regenerative agriculture is a limited-period investment that becomes self-sustaining after a few years. In fact, the transition to regenerative agriculture becomes a virtuous cycle: Improved soil organic matter resulting from these practices can, in turn, improve soil biodiversity and water utilization, which can reduce the need for (and costs of) irrigation, fertilizer, and pest management (fungicides and herbicides).
For large agriculture companies and the farmers who supply them, regenerative agriculture offers a pathway to a more sustainable food system. By investing in the transition to these techniques, companies can help lead the way to a food system that feeds the world while sustaining healthy farmlands and reducing emissions.
The authors would like to thank Deborah Froeb, Hadley Archer, and Ronnie Drever, all with Nature United, for their contributions to this work.
Fernando Martins
Expert Partner, Toronto
Tyson Atleo
Natural Climate Solutions Program Director, The Nature Conservancy, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Grace Mbazima
Senior Manager, Toronto
Sam Israelit
Chief Sustainability Officer, San Francisco
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Canton Film Festival 2016 Releases Schedule for This Year's Event
Film festival junkies who don't get their fix at the forthcoming Cleveland International Film Festival, can look forward to the Canton Film Festival 2016. The festival, which takes place from April 21 to 23, functions as "part short films and then part viewing and speaker series" as organizers aim to give audience members access to working filmmakers. Robert Kurtzman, who has done special effects and make-up for movies such as Austin Powers, Bad Boys 2 and From Dusk till Dawn, will be on the guest main speakers. The films screen at the Canton Palace Theatre, and tickets are $5.
Here's the complete schedule:
6 p.m. — Doors Open
6:30 p.m. — Sci-Fi / Horror Category Submissions
7:30 p.m. — Beast of White Hall with a post-movie Q& A with director Seth Breedlove
6:30 p.m. — Music Video Category Submissions
7:30 p.m. — Force Perspective: The Story of Artist Derick Hess with a post-movie Q&A with director Nick Cavalier
2:30 p.m. — Comedy, Action, Short Fiction Drama and Documentary Category Submissions
6 p.m. — Presentation by Robert Kurtzman discussing his lengthy career in film
7:30 p.m. — Sweet Mickey for President with a post-movie Q & A with Ben Patterson. Category Submission Winner Announcement following the Q & A.
Film Canton Film Festival 2016


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Home/Industry/Adult Services
Chris Smith2021-08-04T11:32:22+01:00August 4th, 2021|Adult Services, Covid-19, Industry, Mental Health, Spotlight|
NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS Kernow) today announced that it has commissioned Qwell to provide online counselling and emotional support to young people between 18 and 25 years of age
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NHS Bolton CCG commissions digital mental health provider Qwell to support adults living in the region.
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Kooth and East Riding Football Association announce social media takeover to showcase men's mental health
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Chris Smith2021-05-11T16:34:45+01:00May 11th, 2021|Adult Services, Anxiety, Covid-19, Male Mental Health, Mental Health, Self-Esteem, Self-Harm, Spotlight, Suicide|
Critical need for early intervention, and wider access to mental health support
Free NHS Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing Service Launches in Newcastle Gateshead
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Similar to the deals struck with both Comcast and Verizon earlier this year, Netflix has agreed to a paid, peering contract with AT&T that will provide faster streaming speeds for Netflix subscribers. While the details of the contact were not released, it's likely that Netflix paid a sum of money to AT&T that's similar to previous deals with other providers. While the details of the contract were solidified during May 2014, AT&T is finally starting to increase speeds as of late July. Assuming the increased speeds work well, Netflix subscribers should experience less buffering and potentially increase the picture quality of television shows and movies.
At the moment, both AT&T U-Verse as well as AT&T DSL rank at the bottom of Netflix's monthly ISP speed index. Assuming AT&T implements the same network conditions as Comcast, AT&T customers could see Netflix streaming speeds skyrocket as much as 30 to 40 percent in the next month.
Alternatively, Verizon hasn't been able to offer the same level of speed boosts to customers, despite the paid deal. In fact, Customer.io co-founder Colin Nederkoorn recently discovered that he could stream Netflix faster through a VPN service over his Verizon FIOS Internet service that promises 75 Mbps download speeds in his area.
Regardless of streaming issues in the past six months, Netflix has continued to grow the streaming subscriber base over the last year. With approximately 36 million U.S. streaming subscribers generating more than $3.4 billion a year in subscription fees, the company continues to invest in original programming as well as licensing agreements that offer streaming access to popular television shows and movies.


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Thursday, May 10 2012
Policy Responses Needed To Address Global Water Security
In his Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) blog "The Internationalist," Stewart Patrick, senior fellow and director of the CFR Program on International Institutions and Global Governance, writes about the first U.S. Intelligence Community Assessment of Global Water Security (.pdf), which "predicts that by 2030 humanity's 'annual global water requirements' will exceed 'current sustainable water supplies' by 40 percent." According to Patrick, the document says "[a]bsent major policy interventions, water insecurity will generate widespread social and political instability and could even contribute to state failure in regions important to U.S. national security." He describes several factors that are pushing a "combination of surging global demand for increasingly scarce fresh water in certain volatile regions of poor governance." Though "the intelligence community has performed a great service" with this report, "the policy response to date has been just a drop in the bucket," Patrick concludes (5/8).


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Rivers returns to play Panthers in sad sack bowl
Neither the Panthers or Chargers are any good but theyll play football on Sunday
December 11, 2016 NSJ Staff Sports
Neither the Panthers nor Chargers are any good but they'll play football on Sunday and plenty of North Carolinians will watch with interest. Many will want to see the Panthers try and come back from a gut-wrenching pair of losses on the team's West Coast road trip, including a humiliating effort against the Seahawks last Sunday night that was highlighted by a single-series suspension for Cam Newton.But folks around the state will also be watching for the return of Philip Rivers. The former NC State standout quarterback is returning to play his first professional game in the state of North Carolina since being drafted by the Giants and traded to the Chargers in 2004. That year San Diego did travel east to play Carolina, but Drew Brees was still holding the keys to the car.It's not a homecoming technically, because Rivers is from Alabama, but you can bet he'll have plenty of friends and family attending the game.Unfortunately for both teams, the game doesn't matter in the long run. Both teams will miss the playoffs — the Panthers are a four-win team in the NFC South basement and the Chargers are the ultimate "woulda coulda shoulda" squad, gagging away multiple games by one score.Whoever wins ends up losing when it comes to their draft pick.Keys to the gameResidual reaction to Tie-gate continued through Wednesday, when Newton usually speaks to the media. He did not, thereby avoiding questions about his being benched for the first play against the Seattle Seahawks. Coach Ron Rivera sat the 2015 NFL MVP for not wearing a tie, per pre-game dress code. Backup QB Derek Anderson's game-opening pass bounced off fullback Mike Tolbert and was intercepted. The Seahawks won, 40-7. Rivera pleaded Wednesday to "move forward and start focusing on the Chargers."The Panthers have struggled to run the ball for more than a month, and that may not change against San Diego's third-ranked run defense. So this one could be on the arm of Newton, who needs to take advantage of a Chargers pass defense that ranks 27th. As long as Newton's makeshift offensive line can keep him upright, there will be chunks of yards there for the taking.For San Diego, the usually reliable Rivers has been uncharacteristically careless with the football. Every interception has a story but it's been a tale of two halves lately for the Rivers — his interceptions are piling up in the final 30 minutes of games; he had two more last Sunday.So, to take the pressure off Rivers, the Chargers need to lean on RB Melvin Gordon more often. Gordon had 10 carries in the second half last week, despite the Chargers having the lead for the majority of it. The Panthers are giving up nearly 108 rushing yards per game, but starting linebacker Luke Kuechly is due to return from concussion protocol.Matchups to watch• Chargers TE Antonio Gates vs. Panthers LB Luke Kuechly. Kuechly is due to return from a concussion after a two-game absence. Gates, in his 14th season, is still going strong, although maybe not as fast. The Panthers have been gashed by opposing TEs — with or without Kuechly — and Gates is a dangerous target for QB Philip Rivers.• Panthers' offensive line vs. Chargers DE Joey Bosa. Carolina's O-line allowed no sacks against the Seahawks. Bosa has 5.5 sacks and seven QB hits in his first eight games. The Panthers used plenty of max protection to keep QB Cam Newton clean in Seattle and Bosa will be a handful for a banged-up line.Player spotlightPanthers C Tyler Larsen. Undrafted out of Utah State in 2014, Larsen wasn't even on a practice squad the past two seasons. But he's turned what was likely his final chance into a season-ending audition. In his first career start, Larsen was part of a line that held the Seahawks without a sack; and, with the Panthers' top two centers on injured reserve, Larsen is set to play four more games in the middle of the line.Fast FactRivers has thrown two or more touchdown passes in each of the last five games, which is tied for the third-longest active streak in the league and is also tied for the second-longest streak of his career. His longest streak of multi-touchdown games was seven, set in September-October 2014. … Gordon, who ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing, needs eight yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark. Gordon is averaging 155 scrimmage yards per game since Week 8, the highest mark in the league. … Newton has completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes in each of his last three games, which is a career high, or low. The last quarterback to make at least 25 attempts and complete fewer than half of them in four or more straight games was Andrew Luck in December 2012 (five straight). Reuters and the Sports XChange contributed to this report.
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