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Vote Common Ground
To stop coronavirus, we must set aside partisanship. Here's how we can do it.
March 20, 2020 /in Common Grounder Blog, Main Featured Blog /by sasha
This USA Today piece by CGC Co-Founders Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen calls for citizens and politicians to stop using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to push partisan politics and cites cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians as an example we can follow. Three of the Common Grounder Attributes are used to show how we can put our differences aside.
We need to put political views on the back burner and focus on doing what is necessary to help ourselves and others make it through this pandemic
Something extraordinary happened in the Middle East. In the wake of this global pandemic, Palestinians and Israelis put aside their differences and pledged to work together to stop the spread of COVID-19.
It should be a lesson to all of us: if these two adversaries can find a way to stop fighting, why can't Americans?
Crises have a way of bringing us together but, unfortunately, partisanship is alive and well in the United States. A recent Reuters poll found that four in 10 Democrats view the pandemic as a threat while just two in 10 Republicans agree. Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac poll found similarly sharp divides when it came to the president's coronavirus response.
To be sure, collaboration hasn't been nonexistent. House Democrats and Republicans came together to pass a financial aid bill that awaits consideration in the Senate and there appears to be bipartisan support for sending stimulus money to Americans. But too many pundits and politicians are still using COVID-19 as an excuse to push partisan politics.
Legitimate concerns have been raised about how the Trump administration has handled the response to COVID-19 but telling the president that he needs to "shut up" only serves to inflame an already tense situation. Likewise, calling Vice President Joe Biden a "rotting corpse" is the kind of juvenile name-calling that has no place in government during a time of national crisis.
Shared humanity is what brought Palestinians and Israelis together and it can do the same for us. We lead an organization, Common Ground Committee, dedicated to highlighting what brings us together. Here are attributes Americans — from the halls of Congress to newsrooms to the streets of our cities and towns — should adopt in discussions about COVID-19 to focus our efforts on getting through this challenge.
Use and accept facts
According to the World Health Organization, there is about 142 times more disinformation about COVID-19 than there is legitimate information. Much of that comes from erroneous social media posts, but it's also a reminder that we need to leave our media echo chambers.
According to Pew, Republicans were more likely to trust Fox News than any other media source, while Democrats gravitated toward CNN and MSNBC. At a recent Common Ground Committee forum, we brought together Fox News' Chris Wallace and The New York Times' Maggie Haberman. One of the most important points they agreed on was the need to improve our media literacy.
Talking it out: Learning to discuss complicated issues ahead of the election.
USA Today wants to hear from you: Be a part of the solution to finding solutions. Tell us here.
As information about COVID-19 spreads, consider the source of any information you share. Make sure it is sourced from a recognized authority such as WHO rather than someone with an agenda.
Commit to seek agreement, solutions
In times like these, we must shelve ideological battles and focus on solving the problem. Approach discussions about coronavirus with an objective of trying to agree on how we can best solve the crisis and make the mental commitment not to push a partisan agenda. That's what past members of the Trump and Obama administrations did when they came together to call for the government to increase the federal Medicaid matching rate.
We're not going to agree on everything. Nor should we. But political objectives should not be a barrier to obtaining and sharing accurate information, and productive debate, especially when Americans are looking to their leaders for stability and solutions.
Identify and set aside personal biases
We all carry personal beliefs, biases and opinions. As conversations about the outbreak continue, be aware of yours. Be willing to test them against new information and recognize when they may be closing your thoughts to other views. Most important, be respectful of people's fears and concerns, even if you don't agree they are merited.
If you have a friend or family member concerned by the administration's response to COVID-19 your first instinct should not be to lash out because you agree with the president. Instead, take the time to understand why they are concerned. You may not ultimately agree, but you will both better understand each other's perspectives and thereby help each other make better decisions in this uncertain environment.
If two peoples who have a history as violent as Palestinians and Israelis can find a way to put their differences aside, there is no reason we can't do the same. Agreeing on bipartisan legislation was a great first step. Now we need to put political views and objectives on the backburner and focus on doing what is necessary to help ourselves and others successfully make it through this pandemic.
We all can do this. Let's make a pledge, across the political spectrum, to drop political agendas and work together.
– This article was published in USA TODAY on March 20, 2020.
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'It's a 50-50 nation': Chris Wallace on Fox News, Trump and America's great divide
March 11, 2020 /in Common Grounder Blog, Editorials /by sasha
This article from The Guardian explores Chris Wallace's thoughts on bias in the media and the role of journalists, quoting comments he made as a panelist at our Finding Common Ground on Facts, Fake News & The Media forum at Columbia University on February 25th, 2020.
The anchor doesn't want to talk about Ingraham, Hannity and Carlson – but he does think Jim Acosta of CNN should not be lecturing the president
When Chris Wallace grills politicians on his Sunday morning show, he can expect two men to offer feedback. One is Donald Trump, who is wont to tweet back in anger. The other is Wallace's boss: Rupert Murdoch.
"He cares tremendously about the news," Wallace says of the owner of the most watched cable news network in America. "And I will tell you, when I have contact with him, he never is asking about ideology, just: 'What's going on? What's happening? Tell me.'
"To give you a sense of how it's all about a newsman's instincts, the week of [the] New Hampshire [primary] I booked Bernie [Sanders] and [Pete] Buttigieg and the word came down through some of the executives, 'Good get', from Rupert. That's all he cared about. 'Good get'."
Few on the left would agree with such a benign view of Murdoch and his influence on US society and politics and the media landscape.
Fox News is seen by critics as a centrifugal force in the decay of consensus, the coarsening of political debate and the polarization of the country. It is also said to be the propaganda arm of Trump's White House or, in the words of one academic interviewed by the New Yorker last year, "the closest we've come to having state TV".
But – significantly – not Wallace's show.
Fox News Sunday stands out as an oasis of critical thinking and rapier questions that draw blood from administration allies and opponents alike. A pro of the old school, Wallace has also spoken out against Trump for perpetrating a sustained assault on press freedom.
"Wallace's presence on Fox News can seem like a hallucination for regular viewers of the pro-Trump network that is often a seamless extension of the White House's communications staff," the columnist Margaret Sullivan wrote in the Washington Post in December.
So, in short, why does he still work there? At a Common Ground Committee forum at Columbia Journalism School in New York recently, Wallace was repeatedly challenged about sharing a channel with prime-time opinion hosts such as Sean Hannity. Was he legitimizing them, one audience member wondered, and therefore complicit in "truth-washing"?
Wallace repeatedly deflected, insisting on a church and state separation between news and opinion that viewers are intelligent enough to understand.
"I don't think many people would mistake me for the prime-time opinion people," he said. "I think they know the difference."
Speaking alongside Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, Wallace made the questionable assertion that Fox News and the Times are two sides of the same coin. Yet countless articles and books and watchdogs have chronicled Fox News' influence as a purveyor of untruths, conspiracy theories, and race-baiting.
For a long time, like Trump, it pushed the baseless rumor that Barack Obama was not born in America. Last year, Fox News viewer Cathy Garnaat was stunned to learn from a town hall event that special counsel Robert Mueller's report contained anything at all negative about Trump.
And when Trump supporters chanted "Send her back! Send her back!" about Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born Muslim, the Fox News host Laura Ingraham offered no condemnation but cheerfully proclaimed: "The president was on fire."
Wallace said he was not in regular contact with all the prime-time hosts but gets on well with Ingraham.
In a joint interview with the Guardian and Hollywood Reporter, he said he no longer wished to talk about the issue.
"I'm here," he explains, friendly but firm. "You want to talk to me about what I do? I'm happy to talk about it. I don't want to talk about what somebody else does. It's silly."
Does he find himself in a tough spot now Fox News itself has inescapably become part of the Trump story, amplifying the president's views and influencing his thinking?
"No. I do what I do and I'm sitting there during the week trying to come up with the best guests and the best show I possibly can and I'm not sitting there thinking about how do we fit in some media commentary."
Cable news, accused of rewarding whoever shouts loudest and brings the most shock value, has been blamed for accelerating America's coming apart, Fox News and MSNBC offering alternative facts and realities. Wallace is uncertain.
"Yeah, I guess I think they're contributing to it, all of them together, in perhaps equal measure. I mean, the only hesitation I have in saying that is I don't know that the polarisation wouldn't be there if we weren't on the air.
"It's a 50-50 nation, it's a divided nation. People are constantly saying, 'Why can't we come together and get things done,' and part of the problem is we're just so divided on so many issues. Do I think media commentary plays a role in that? Perhaps. But when you look at the results and it's 51-49 and Trump wins the electoral vote but Hillary Clinton wins the popular vote, it's just the way the nation is at this point."
Hours earlier, at a press conference in India, Trump again attacked CNN, prompting Jim Acosta, its chief White House correspondent, to retort: "Mr President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes if you don't mind me saying."
Wallace was "horrified", he says, because reporters should be "umpires" and not getting into fights with presidents.
"Look, I think we're not meek but the point I guess I'd make is first of all he's the president of the United States, whether you like him or you don't like him, and I think there's a certain respect due to the office, even if you don't feel it for a particular man.
"Secondly, I think it falls into this trap of becoming an advocate or an opponent as opposed to being a reporter. We're not there to try to one-up the president or any politician. If it happened to Nancy Pelosi in a press conference, I would have said the same thing. It's not our place."
Now Wallace is in the thick of a presidential election. There has been much media soul searching since 2016, when Trump's outrageous conduct gained millions of dollars of free TV coverage at the same time reporters gave obsessive attention to Hillary Clinton's email scandal.
Wallace takes some different lessons.
"When I look back on 2016, things like over-coverage of rallies is certainly something but I think the thing that most serious political reporters feel worst about is that we didn't identify the support for Donald Trump early enough and that we didn't understand the degree to which he really was striking a chord among millions of Americans and the degree to which that was going to translate into votes, particularly in the upper rust belt.
"As you look ahead to 2020, you want to be sure you're striving to be as effective and as ahead of the curve as possible in identifying what is on the mind of voters and what's resonating with voters."
Wallace, the son of journalistic giant Mike Wallace, is now 72. He's about to publish a book, Countdown 1945, an account of the 116 days leading up to the US attack on Hiroshima in Japan, the world's first use of the atomic bomb in wartime. But he describes journalism as the best way to make a living and has no intention of quitting the day job.
"You're talking to a man whose father was still working at 88. When I went to a job interview with Roger Ailes, I was 55 years old and I said I can only give you 30 years. So I've got more than a decade left to go."
– This article was published in The Guardian on March 7th, 2020.
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Chris Wallace 'horrified' by CNN's Acosta's conduct: 'It's not our job to one-up presidents'
February 27, 2020 /in Common Grounder Blog, Editorials /by sasha
This article from The Hill focuses on panelist Chris Wallace's comments about Jim Acosta of CNN, quoting him as saying journalists should not be picking fights with the president. It is mentioned that the comments came from our Finding Common Ground on Facts, Fake News & The Media event on February 25th, 2020 and a link was included to our website.
Chris Wallace ripped Jim Acosta over a heated exchange the CNN chief White House correspondent had with President Trump during a press conference in India on Tuesday, saying Acosta made a "huge mistake" that "adds to the people questioning the credibility of the media."
"I was horrified by [Acosta]," Wallace said at a Columbia University event in New York City hosted by the Common Ground Committee on Tuesday night. "It's not our job to get in fights with presidents. It's not our job to one-up presidents. It's our job to report on presidents."
"But to the degree we have responded to his attacks on us with attacks or advocacy in kind, there's a huge mistake, and I think adds to people questioning the credibility of the media," the "Fox News Sunday" host said.
Acosta told Trump during a press conference in New Delhi that CNN's "record on delivering the truth is a lot better" than his "sometimes" after the president broached the topic of a recent report on Russia's election interference that CNN later walked back.
"I worry that the president's attacks have given too many straight news reporters — not talking about the opinion page or prime time — an excuse or license to cross the line themselves and become players on the field, and I think that is a huge mistake," Wallace said. "It's not our role. Our role is to be observers, umpires, fact-checkers, investigators — it's not to be advocates. It's not to be opponents."
Wallace was appearing with New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, also a CNN contributor, who said she agreed with Wallace on the media's role.
The exchange in question came after Acosta — who has repeatedly clashed with Trump — asked if Trump would pledge to reject any foreign interference in the upcoming presidential campaign.
"First of all, I want no help from any country, and I haven't been given help from any country," Trump replied. "And if you see what CNN, your wonderful network, said, I guess they apologized in a way for — didn't they apologize for the fact that they said certain things that weren't true? Tell me, what was their apology yesterday? What did they say?"
"Mr. President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes," Acosta responded without answering the president's question.
"Let me tell you about your record. Your record is so bad you ought to be ashamed of yourself," Trump shot back. "You have the worst record in the history of broadcasting."
"I'm not ashamed of anything and our organization is not ashamed," retorted Acosta.
CNN Vice President and spokesman Matt Dornic responded to Wallace's comments, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, by referring to Fox News as "State TV," a charge he has made against the rival network several times in the past.
"Chris Wallace literally works for state TV," Dornic wrote. "I don't think @Acosta or any real journalist ought to be taking advice from him. Chris, if only you spent as much time and effort sharing these morsels of wisdom with your own colleagues…"
Trump often refers to CNN as "fake news" and has not appeared on the network since he was a presidential candidate back in August 2016.
– This article was published in The Hill on February 26, 2020.
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Chris Wallace says Jim Acosta's behavior 'adds to people questioning the credibility of the media'
In this article from the Washington Examiner, they focus on Chris's comments about Jim Acosta of CNN and quotes him as saying journalists should not be picking fights with the president. It is mentioned that the comments came from our Finding Common Ground Facts, Fake News & The Media event on February 25th, 2020 and a link was included to our website
Fox News host Chris Wallace slammed CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta over a verbal altercation between Acosta and President Trump during a press conference.
Wallace, the host of Fox News Sunday, bashed Acosta for his behavior at Trump's Tuesday press conference in India during an event later that evening with New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman put on by Common Ground Committee, a group dedicated to bringing prominent leaders with opposing views together in public forums, at Columbia Journalism School.
"I was horrified by [Acosta]," Wallace explained. "It's not our job to get in fights with presidents. It's not our job to one-up presidents. It's our job to report on presidents. … But to the degree we have responded to his attacks on us with attacks or advocacy in kind, there's a huge mistake, and I think adds to people questioning the credibility of the media."
He also expressed fear over the belief that the president's attacks on the media have given reporters the justification to fight back.
"I worry that the president's attacks have given too many straight news reporters, not talking about the opinion page or prime time, an excuse or license to cross the line themselves and become players on the field, and I think that is a huge mistake. It's not our role," Wallace added. "Our role is to be observers, umpires, fact-checkers, investigators — it's not to be advocates. It's not to be opponents."
Haberman, after Wallace concluded, said she agreed with him.
In the viral exchange between the CNN White House correspondent and the president, Acosta began by asking if Trump would pledge not to accept foreign assistance in the upcoming elections, to which the president said, "I want no help from any country."
"I haven't been given help from any country. And if you see what CNN, your wonderful network, said, I guess they apologized in a way for — didn't they apologize for the fact that they said certain things that weren't true?" the president inquired of Acosta, referring to CNN's coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
"Mr. President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes, if you don't mind me saying," Acosta said to Trump, who fired back at the anchor's history of reporting.
"Your record is so bad, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You probably have the worst record in the history of broadcasting," the president said.
A CNN spokesman responded to Wallace's remarks on Twitter, saying journalists shouldn't take the Fox News anchor's advice.
"Chris Wallace literally works for state TV," he tweeted. "I don't think @Acosta or any real journalist ought to be taking advice from him. Chris, if only you spent as much time and effort sharing these morsels of wisdom with your own colleagues … "
— This article was published in the Washington Examiner on February 25, 2020.
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Chris Wallace Says He's "Horrified" by Jim Acosta's Press Conference Behavior
In this article from the Hollywood Reporter, they focus on Chris's comments about Jim Acosta of CNN and quotes him as saying journalists should not be picking fights with the president. It is mentioned that the comments came from our Finding Common Ground Facts, Fake News & The Media event on February 25th, 2020 and a link was included to our website
"It's not our job to get in fights with presidents," the Fox News anchor said Tuesday night of the CNN reporter. "It's not our job to one-up the president."
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace was not impressed with CNN reporter Jim Acosta's behavior during a presidential press conference Tuesday in India.
Responding to a question from Acosta, President Donald Trump criticized his network and said, "Didn't they apologize for the fact that they said certain things that weren't true? Tell me, what was their apology yesterday?"
Acosta replied, "Mr. President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes, if you don't mind me saying." (Trump's response: "Your record is so bad you ought to be ashamed of yourself.")
Wallace, speaking on Tuesday night at a Common Ground Committee event held at Columbia University, said he was "horrified" by Acosta's behavior. He said that White House correspondents of the past, himself included, would never have behaved the way he did.
"It's not our job to get in fights with presidents," he said. "It's not our job to one-up the president."
New York Times White House reporter Maggie Haberman, who appeared with Wallace at the event, said she agreed generally that reporters should not joust with the president.
Wallace, who hosts Fox News Sunday, has questioned Acosta's conduct before. In November 2018, Wallace said that Acosta "embarrassed himself" during a presidential press conference. After the White House pulled Acosta's press pass, Wallace said that Acosta "makes it awfully hard to have journalistic solidarity."
On Tuesday, a CNN spokesperson criticized Wallace on Twitter — from his personal account — for deriding Acosta.
"Chris Wallace literally works for state TV," Matt Dornic wrote. "I don't think @Acosta or any real journalist ought to be taking advice from him. Chris, if only you spent as much time and effort sharing these morsels of wisdom with your own colleagues…"
In a December 2017 email to then-Treasury Department spokesperson Tony Sayegh, Wallace called CNN anchor Jake Tapper "fake news" for asking Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin about Robert Mueller at the top of an interview.
During the Tuesday night event, Wallace faced numerous questions — both from the moderator and several audience members — about the divide between the news and opinion divisions at Fox News.
"There really isn't a clash," he said. "They do their thing, I do my thing, and I have the full backing of my executives at Fox News. … All I can say is: I do what I do, opinion does what it does. I think people understand the difference. We at Fox have always had a firewall between the news side and the opinion side.
Added Wallace, "I don't think many people would mistake me for the primetime opinion people."
— This article was published in the Hollywood Reporter on February 25, 2020.
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Engaging in tough conversations is worth it. Even if we can't find agreement.
January 23, 2020 /in Common Grounder Blog, Editorials, Main Featured Blog /by sasha
In this opinion piece Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen co-founders of Common Ground Committee argued that the point of common ground is not to force an agreement on issues – it's to foster conversations that lead to greater understanding.
They also position CGC as one of many members of the common grounder movement, and a link to the 10 attributes of a common grounder is included.
The point of striving for common ground is not to force an agreement on issues — it's to foster conversations that lead to better understanding.
As we journey into a new decade, it's natural to consider where we stand as a nation and as a people. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, are we better off today than we were 10 years ago?
The only certainty is the uncertainty we face. The president of the United States has been impeached, a critical election cycle looms, and our nation appears more polarized than it was at the start of the last decade.
It's not all doom and gloom. A survey released in December by Public Agenda/USA TODAY/Ipsos found that almost 40% of Republicans and nearly 50% of Democrats would cross party lines to elect a leader who can bring us together.
This isn't exactly comforting to those on the political extremes, who tend to view bipartisan cooperation as working with the enemy and finding common ground as a capitulation of principles. As co-founders of the Common Ground Committee, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing light, not heat, to public discourse, it's a criticism that's all too familiar. But it's one that deeply misunderstands the meaning of the word. The value of common ground is not just the outcome. It's the conversation.
Conversations about politics should be productive and healthy. Instead, it's increasingly viewed as a pointless and destructive exercise. Almost 40% of Americans say politics has them "stressed," while 1 in 5 reported that a friendship had been "damaged" as a result of a political argument, according to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study.
This matches what we hear from folks all over the country: When given the choice to talk about politics with someone who holds different views, their instinct is to avoid conversation. After all, why risk a friendship when there isn't likely to be a consensus?
Not all conversations will end in agreement, which is fine. Inevitably, there will be areas where there is no common ground to be found. Even so, the point of searching for common ground is not to force-feed agreement on a particular issue — it's to foster a conversation that ultimately leads to greater understanding.
'Ignorance breeds fear'
That was the attitude of African American blues musician Daryl Davis when he decided to engage in dialogue with members of the Ku Klux Klan. "Ignorance breeds fear," Davis said, and his mission was to show these avowed racists that he was no different than them. Ultimately, he befriended 20 KKK members and even became godfather to one of their daughters.
The lesson here is not that we should brush aside hateful acts in the name of civility. It's that we are all human beings, and we do ourselves a disservice when we stop talking to each other, even with those we consider hateful. Davis' actions did not provide support or solidarity to the racist views held by these individuals. What his actions did prove is that even the most extreme in our society can change if we are willing to listen and engage.
To be sure, this is not easy, especially when most examples of dialogue in national media devolve into shouting matches. That's why there's a growing movement with the goal of showing Americans what good conversation looks like. Common Ground Committee is one such group, but organizations like Living Room Conversations and Better Angels also are bringing opposite sides together for conversations. At one Living Room Conversation we participated in, by the end, the group agreed that climate change had to be addressed but that it needed to be done in a way that considered the economic impact on everyday citizens.
Listening can lead to learning
Last fall, we released the 10 attributes of what we call Common Grounders. One of those attributes is to listen and learn from others' personal experiences. This is the essence of the commonground movement.
When we brought retired Army Gen. David Petraeus and former Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice on stage for a recent event, the audience was inspired by just how much they found agreement and how both made a point to listen to each other before responding. In an era of shouting and sound bites, it was a refreshing change of pace.
We live in a world full of ideas. The reality is we're not going to agree on everything. Nor should we. But disagreement should not be a barrier to conversation, to learning, to understanding. If we make the decision to avoid difficult conversations, we'll never be able to make progress on the issues that matter to all of us. We may start this decade deeply divided, but if we commit ourselves to engaging in dialogue, there's no reason we can't end it united.
— This article was published in USA Today on January 23, 2020.
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Finding common ground isn't about 'being nice' or losing values. It's about understanding.
December 13, 2019 /in Common Grounder Blog, Editorials, Main Featured Blog /by sasha
Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen co-founders of Common Ground Committee wrote a letter is in response to the new poll numbers from the Hidden Common Ground initiative.
They write that common ground can be found between Democrats and Republicans but, in order for that to happen, we have to dispel the myth that finding common ground is somehow compromising your values.
The letter also includes mention of the 10 common grounder initiatives and includes a link
As co-founders of an organization focused on the state of our political discourse, we are not surprised by the results of the newly-released USA TODAY/Public Agenda/Ipsos poll published in "America is dangerously divided. USA TODAY and partners launch 'Hidden Common Ground' to find solutions." Common ground can certainly be found between Republicans and Democrats — but first, we need to dispel a common myth.
One of the most consistent critiques we hear is that finding common ground means "being nice" at the expense of one's values. The real point of common ground is not to force-feed agreement on a particular issue — it's about a conversation that leads to understanding each other.
Before Thanksgiving, we released the 10 attributes of what we call common grounders. One of those attributes is to listen and learn from personal experiences. This is the essence of the common ground movement. When we brought Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Susan Rice on stage for an event recently, the audience was inspired by just how much they found agreement despite their different backgrounds.
The value of common ground is not just the outcome. It's also the journey that ultimately enables understanding and harmony. This is the kind of peace and goodwill that is the heart of the holiday season. This year, instead of refusing to engage with those we deem "evil," perhaps we can listen to understand their perspectives, and then we can explain ours.
You'll be surprised at what might come from that.
–This article was published in USA Today on December 13, 2019.
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Common ground in politics is possible. It just needs coverage.
October 24, 2019 /in Common Grounder Blog, Featured Blog /by sasha
Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen co-founders of Common Ground Committee seek to promote productive public discourse in this op-ed discussing the big picture of politics and civility in our events.
Turn on any cable news channel and you'll likely hear talk about the divisiveness of our politics, and there are numbers to back that up. Only 38 percent of Americans say the United States is heading in the right direction, and an annual poll tracking discourse shows 93 percent say America has a civility problem. As discouraging as these numbers seem, the tide may be turning.
A recent poll from Georgetown University found that 85 percent of voters want finding common ground to be a main goal of politicians. A survey from Hidden Tribes of America found that 77 percent of Americans believe that the differences between us are not so big that they cannot be bridged.
As the co-founders of Common Ground Committee, we've repeatedly seen this shift first-hand. Whether it's at one of our forums with political leaders or in conversations with family, friends and colleagues, we've found that people actually agree on more than they realize. They just have to engage in the conversation. What's more, people will often share experiences of seeking and finding common ground with those who hold different political beliefs.
Unfortunately, we rarely get the chance to witness agreement between political leaders from different parties. The media portrays politicians as constant adversaries rather than collaborators. This representation has consequences: Research suggests that negative feelings toward the opposite party's leadership are much stronger than those directed at individuals.
That's why it's important to show the country that leaders from the two parties can agree — and not just on "little stuff." When that happens, you can instantly see people light up. When we held a public forum earlier this year at the University of Notre Dame, the campus was abuzz after seeing former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice find consensus on a wide range of issues. Students walked in prepared to see them search for grains of agreement, but instead saw consistent agreement on issues including North Korea, climate change and Middle East policy. Following the event, students told us they would have assumed the Democrat Kerry and the Republican Rice were from the same political party if they hadn't known better.
At a striking point in the forum, Rice provided an in-depth explanation of her views on immigration policy. Kerry had a two-word response: "I agree."
Mainstream media rarely represents this aspect of our political leaders' lives: the vast areas of agreement, compromise, and collaboration that go into productive governing.
We recognize that healthy debate is necessary for democracy; Kerry and Rice certainly didn't agree on everything. Their perspectives differed sharply when the conversation turned to what to do about voter suppression. Still, the respect and rapport they had established earlier remained firmly intact and they kept their disagreement focused on the issues, not each other.
There's very little of this type of collegiality found in discussions that focus on rapid-fire debates, and this colors the way citizens view politics.
The more we see political leaders engaging civilly and empathetically with ideologies different from their own, the more the American people will be inspired to do the same. Earlier this year, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, In., participated in a town hall on Fox News, even though the Democratic presidential candidate knew he was communicating his policy stances not to a partisan base, but to an audience of over 2.5 million assumed to be completely antithetical to his approach. Former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona started a series for CBS highlighting areas of political unity for Democrats and Republicans. What this signals: Viewers from both sides of the aisle want to see more than polarization from their news sources.
When we get lost in the rhetoric of polarization, we forget that we're all on the same team. We're all Americans. While we have different ideologies and beliefs that should not be compromised, there is more that brings us together than drives us apart. The more those points of common ground are found by leaders — and highlighted in the media — the better chance we have to heal the anger and polarization that weaken our nation.
— This article was published in The Fulcrum on October 24, 2019
https://commongroundcommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cooperation-between-private-public-sector-thumbnail.jpg 321 580 sasha https://commongroundcommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/common-ground-logo-2.png sasha2019-10-24 18:24:132019-11-06 10:58:32Common ground in politics is possible. It just needs coverage.
Avoiding the snake in the grass: Let's not allow impeachment to divide us
October 21, 2019 /in Common Grounder Blog, Editorials /by sasha
Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen co-founders of Common Ground Committee seek to promote productive public discourse on the upcoming impeachment talks and hearings in this op-ed
Say you're at a race track, watching a horse come around the bend when, all of a sudden, the rider is thrown off. You may be tempted to jump to any number of conclusions about what happened — the rider was careless, the horse was not sufficiently trained. But if you look closer, you'll see the real problem: There was a snake in the grass.
Whether one supports or opposes the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, we should all agree that we need to avoid that snake in the grass — in this case, the demonization of the other side. Former UN Ambassador Susan Rice said it best in an appearance on MSNBC last week: The biggest threat to our national security is domestic political divisions.
Unfortunately, what we have seen thus far are conversations packed with vitriol. Recently, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) stated that the president needs to be "imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement." Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, meanwhile, said "What we are in the middle of now, folks, is a Cold Civil War," in describing how he sees Democrats' approach to the president. This kind of rhetoric doesn't just throw gas on the fire. It throws a tanker truck on it.
While it may be tempting to become absorbed by the disdain and cynicism that fuels our politics and the growing arguments over impeachment, Susan Rice's comments about the impact of our political divides reinforce what we have believed for years: We must stop demonizing those with whom we disagree and shift our default model for public discourse from immediately degrading the other side to engaging with them respectfully to better understand their positions and why they hold them.
That means opening our thinking to accept facts that might not fit our narratives. It means disciplining ourselves not to let our favorite pundits reinforce our views without questioning if they are supported by facts. By doing those things, we can engage in more productive, less tense conversations with others about the serious issue of impeachment — an important consideration as the holiday season approaches.
The openness to facts and resistance to demonization are attributes of what we call "common grounders." We describe common grounders as those seeking points of agreement on social and political issues through listening and productive conversation. Rather than shutting down friends or family members with differing opinions, common grounders listen to others in order to understand them. The goal is not necessarily to come to an agreement but to have a discussion based on facts, not insults. There will be much less risk of damaging relationships and you will be setting an example for others about what good looks like when it comes to political conversations.
While much of the discussion in D.C. has been toxic, there have been some politicians willing to favor facts over rhetoric. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) caused an uproar when he appeared to support an impeachment inquiry. While he later clarified those remarks, he still insisted we "have to respect the process." Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) promised her constituents that she would "look at the facts as they come and… do what my conscience calls me to do."
Reps Amodei and Slotkin aren't the only examples of politicians avoiding the trap of demonization. Recently, former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice shared a stage during a forum hosted in part by Common Ground Committee, the nonprofit we founded dedicated to bringing light, not heat, to public discourse. The leaders passionately but respectfully discussed high-stakes issues from North Korea to climate change and even found points of consensus.
All of these examples serve as models for our own public discourse as we continue to move deeper into the impeachment process.
We also implore media professionals to make a more concerted effort to not amplify party feuds and follies just for views and clicks. According to a late-2018 Gallup poll, only 45 percent of Americans trust that mass media reports the news "fully, accurately and fairly." Journalists are supposed to be a check on government power, but fanning the flames of hostility for ratings and subscriptions makes it harder for people to thoughtfully assess the situation.
The snake in the grass that is demonization will always be present, but it's within our power to avoid it.
As the impeachment inquiry continues, let us not become victims of its bite. Instead, refuse to demonize those with differing opinions. I sincerely seek to remain open to accepting facts as they become available and to understand our associates, friends, and family who disagree with us on the impeachment question.
This way we can heal the anger and polarization that pits us against each other and, as Susan Rice has warned, opens us up to trouble at the hands of America's adversaries.
–This article was published in The Hill on October 22, 2019.
https://commongroundcommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Oped-image.jpg 321 580 sasha https://commongroundcommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/common-ground-logo-2.png sasha2019-10-21 11:31:022019-11-06 11:46:58Avoiding the snake in the grass: Let's not allow impeachment to divide us
Where Do We Stand on the Brink of Inauguration? January 19, 2021
The Art of Compromise and Pragmatism January 7, 2021
2020 Special Moments: Our Search for Common Ground December 23, 2020
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text:
Woman Recovering, Man Arrested After Jenks Hit-And-Run Crash
Thursday, December 14th 2017, 9:14 PM CST
Friday, December 15th 2017, 8:10 AM CST
By: Ashley Izbicki
JENKS, Oklahoma - A Glenpool woman is recovering and a Bixby man is in jail after a hit-and-run crash.
The crash happened in Jenks.
Police said the driver was found passed out in his truck in Bixby about two hours after the crash.
He's booked at the Tulsa County Jail on several complaints.
"I woke up today and I feel like I've been hit with a battering ram," said Lauren Higgins, who owns the SUV that was hit.
Higgins was sitting at the blinking stoplight at 121st and Elwood in Jenks when her SUV was rear-ended around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
"It looks like I have no trunk left. It looks like an accordion. He hit me that hard," Higgins said.
So hard she was pushed into the middle of the intersection.
"I feel like it was in slow motion almost ... he hit me so hard my shoes came off," Higgins said.
Higgins said the driver came up to her with insurance information in hand when she was on the phone with 911, but then he went back to his truck.
"He gunned it and went south down Elwood and took off," Higgins said.
Several good Samaritans stopped to help.
"One of the bystanders jumped in his car and tried to chase him but church, everyone is getting out of church, a lot of small churches along Elwood and he couldn't keep up with him, he lost him in between," Higgins said.
Higgins posted about it on Facebook and said a Bixby Police officer reached out.
It wasn't long after that police say they found 49-year-old Jeffrey David Sutton passed out in his truck with open containers and a loaded gun.
"I am so unbelievably relieved," Higgins said.
Now she's hoping her SUV isn't a total loss since her father, who passed away last year, helped pick it out.
"His last Christmas he came to visit me here and gave me the down payment to get the car," Higgins said.
But, most importantly, she's thankful she's alive.
"I am so glad that he didn't hit anybody else, that no one was killed," Higgins said.
Police said Sutton failed a field sobriety test.
Higgins said one woman who commented on her Facebook post said her family was almost hit by him in Jenks, too.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Cross Justice (Alex Cross #21) (Mass Market)
This is book number 21 in the Alex Cross series.
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#12: Cross: Also published as ALEX CROSS (Mass Market): $10.00
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#24: Target: Alex Cross (Paperback): $16.99
#25: Criss Cross (Alex Cross #25) (Mass Market): $9.99
#28: Deadly Cross (Alex Cross #28) (Hardcover): $29.00
For Alex Cross, the toughest cases hit close to home-and in this deadly thrill ride, he's trying to solve the most personal mystery of his life.
When his cousin is accused of a heinous crime, Alex Cross returns to his North Carolina hometown for the first time in over three decades. As he tries to prove his cousin's innocence in a town where everyone seems to be on the take, Cross unearths a family secret that forces him to question everything he's ever known.
Chasing a ghost he believed was long dead, Cross gets pulled into a case that has local cops scratching their heads and needing his help: a grisly string of socialite murders. Now he's hot on the trail of both a brutal killer, and the truth about his own past-and the answers he finds might be fatal.
James Patterson holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. He is a tireless champion of the power of books and reading, exemplified by his new children's book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say: "PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK." He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and has over 400 Teacher Education Scholarships at 24 colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. James will be investing his proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books into pro-reading initiatives.
Publisher: Vision
Series: Alex Cross
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural
Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological
Fiction / Thrillers / Crime
Hardcover, Large Print (November 23rd, 2015): $35.00
CD-Audio (November 23rd, 2015): $35.00
Hardcover (November 23rd, 2015): $29.00
MP3 CD (November 23rd, 2015): $29.99
Compact Disc (November 23rd, 2015): $89.99


If you empathize at all with my new must-get-to-Turkey-now plan, you'll have no problem understanding what drew me to Anil of FoXnoMad.com (He's traveled there extensively). Even if you aren't, the fact that he is sponsoring a contest that could get you 6 nights stay and airfare to almost anywhere of your choosing, is enough reason to read on. Beyond that, Anil earns the proud distinction of "Best in Travel Blogs" because he's serious about blogging and it shows. Not to mention, that fact that he is a formally educated anthropologist and self proclaimed former computer hacker (the good kind) gives a nifty twist to his travel insights.
FoXnoMad: I've been traveling my entire life and suppose my curiosity to do so is strongly influenced by my parents, both of whom are journalists.
Global Basecamps: You are running an amazing "Live the Backpacker Life" contest. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
FoXnoMad: I want to give the opportunity for one of my readers to take a backpacking trip to most anywhere they want in the world. It's a bit of a role-reversal. [Before October 5th] create a 3-5 minute travel video guide about a specific aspect of a given city and be the one traveling.
Global Basecamps: I loved your post on "Compelling Reasons Americans Shouldn't Make Their First International Trip to Europe." You did indeed come up with some compelling reason, care to share some of them with us?
FoXnoMad: For one it's expensive but also it's relatively similar to the US and can give many first-time travelers the sense that much of the world resembles back home. That said, international travel anywhere, including Europe, can be an enlightening experience and one that cannot be recreated at domestically; no matter where the first trip happens to be.
Global Basecamps: You've traveled extensively in Turkey. What are the off-the-beaten-path things we shouldn't miss in that part of the world?
FoXnoMad: Go east! Cities like Trabzon, Van, and Gaziantep are almost always overlooked by tourists coming to Turkey. Aside from varied histories and cultures, they each have wonderful local cuisines.
Global Basecamps: Have you had any experience with sustainable travel?
FoXnoMad: I haven't personally but it's an interesting trend. The unfortunate thing is that many companies claim to be eco-friendly but aren't and it's tough for consumers to recognize the differences. I hope that ultimately all travelers consider the environmental impact of their actions both at home and whilst traveling.
FoXnoMad: I'm not sure about places (although there are many that get a bad rap) but simple experiences in different places are often underrated. Shopping in a local grocery store, walking through a small town, and eating street food are some that come to mind.
Global Basecamps: What's your favorite travel gadget?
FoXnoMad: Lately it's been my e-Reader the Nook.
Global Basecamps: Which country has the best street food or most memorable meal?
FoXnoMad: Tough one! One of my most recent favorite foods is from Chile, a bean dish called "porotos granados". It's a wonderful (vegetarian) blend of cranberry beans, squash, onions, some spices and a few other ingredients I am no doubt forgetting. Another new taste that recently made it on my list of personal favorites is Ecuadorian ceviche. That's raw fish or shrimp marinated in citrus juice; throw in some plantain chips on the side and it makes for a refreshing afternoon meal.
Global Basecamps: You are living the full-time travel blogger dream. What advice to you for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
FoXnoMad: Work hard, read everything you can about travel blogging, and come up with a strategy to turn your desire into a reality. It takes a long time (for me nearly 4 years) to make it possible and it typically means more work (not less) in the long run. If you want to make money blogging so you don't have to work anymore you've got things backwards.
A very good resource and place to begin is Nomadic Matt's ebook, How To Make Money With Your Travel Blog.
FoXnoMad: If I had to narrow it down to one thing I'd say don't worry about the little things.
Global Basecamps: We couldn't agree more! What else would you like the online travel community to know about you?
To get better acquainted with Anil of FoXnoMad, follow him on Twitter and visit his other sites: How to Travel with Pets, Travel Blog Advice, and Tech Guide for Travel.


Did you know addiction recovery is 20% more effective when it is done out-of-state rather than someplace close to your Texas home? Addiction recovery is your time to get away from everyday life to focus on recovery and starting fresh. See why leaving your home in Texas to receive private rehab at Ranch Creek Recovery in Murrieta, CA is right for you.
At Ranch Creek Recovery, we know addiction treatment can't be one-size-fits-all. What you're struggling with isn't going to be the same as what our past clients went through. That's why we take a dual-diagnosis approach. We work with you to create an individualized treatment plan that targets your substance addiction plus any trauma, PTSD, depression or anxiety you might also be struggling with.
Medical treatment will always be part of our program, but we take it a step further by helping you grow and recover as an individual. Our holistic approach includes experiential therapies like yoga, exercise, meditation, acupuncture and equine-assisted therapy to improve your physical fitness and mental and spiritual health.
On top of the tranquility and healing Ranch Creek Recovery has to offer, there's so much to see and do in Murrieta, CA. The city is home to over 1,350 acres of trails, open spaces and parks for you to explore and enjoy the fresh air. From visiting the Tenaja Falls to hiking the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve or any of Murrieta's other beautiful parks, there's plenty of attractions to help you on your journey to recovery.
One of the top reasons people leave Texas for luxury rehab is because out-of-state recovery removes the influencers that led to addiction in the first place. This private rehab gets you away from the people and triggers that cause temptation, anxiety or trauma, and teaches you how to disassociate from them. Removing the burden of your everyday distractions and stressors increases the likelihood of you completing addiction treatment successfully.
When you're in a different state for addiction rehab, there's no chance of you running into your colleagues, friends and other family members who don't know about your addiction. Out-of-state rehab is completely private and confidential, removing that fear of running into someone you now so you can focus all your energy on recovering and becoming the person you want to be again.
No matter what your reason is for going out-of-state, travel itself has a lot of psychological benefits you don't want to pass up. Research has shown that extended travel helps you gain perspective on life, improves your emotional stability and mental state, and relieves the stresses of your everyday life.
Are you or a loved one ready to overcome alcohol or drug addiction once and for all? Our private rehab center in Murrieta, CA is the perfect place for treatment and recovery. Contact us today to learn more about our treatment programs and how we can help you break free from addiction.


help and support the community here in Bray, along with an understanding of the work of Lions Clubs International.
100% of the funds raised by Lions Clubs from the general public are used exclusively for charitable purposes. Administrative costs are kept strictly separate and are paid for by the club members.


Reviews about the "Leatherman Skeletool Multi-Tool – Stainless Box"
Average Review 4.0 out of 5.0. Review is produced from 16 reviews. You can have a look for some recent reviews as per amazon bellow of this category Knives & Tools.
Review produced on July 28, 2013 by Outdoor Stuffs.
0 of 4 said this review was helpful to select the product. Review produced on July 28, 2013 by Outdoor Stuffs.


text:
What We Do – Services
Plan, Design & Build
Green Infrastructure Audits
Strategies and Briefs
Who We Are – Locations & People
Tweets by GreenInfraCons
The Green Infrastructure Consultancy The Green Infrastructure Consultancy Rain Gardens Living Walls Living Wall at the Rubens Hotel at the Palace The Green Infrastructure Consultancy Planning
Green Infrastructure Policy & Guidance
Local government, agencies and utility companies come to GIC for assistance in drafting policy and guidance documents relating to urban greening, roof greening, sustainable drainage and climate change adaptation. Our clients include the Environment Agency, the Mayor of London (we wrote London's living roof policy), the City of Westminster, the RSPB, Bat Conservation Trust and the HSY (Helsinki Metropolitan water company), amongst others
Mayor of London – Urban Greening Factor
As part of the background work on the new London Plan, working with The Ecology Consultancy and Temple Group, GIC recently undertook a review of Urban Greening Factor schemes operated in major cities across the world. Urban Greening Factor schemes assign scores to planning proposals and set targets, which enable planners to make simple and reliable assessments of the extent and functionality of green infrastructure. These schemes have already proven their worth in several cities, including Berlin and Washington DC, driving up the quality of green infrastructure in development. We held a workshop at City Hall and drafted a report recommending that London adopts its own scheme, targeting places where particularly dense development will benefit from a closer look at future green infrastructure provision.
Chobham Manor
City of London adopts the urban greening policy | UGF
The City of London's Planning and Transportation Committee, recently backed an ambitious Local Plan 'City Plan 2036' This marks a move to improve the quality of the environment of the Square Mile. Furthermore, it recognises the need to deal with the pressing issues of climate change, health and wellbeing. City of London | Local Plan… Read More
Cambridge green roof policy workshop and seminar May 2018
GIC recently provided a seminar/workshop for Cambridge City Council on green roofs. The council sees green roofs as an important element within the new the local plan. Therefore, with GIC's skill and knowledge of green roofs the purpose of the day was to help frame how to take this policy forward. GIC has been instrumental… Read More
Green roof inspections and sign offs are becoming increasing important
Green roof inspections are becoming increasingly important. Inspections are now being required by planning authorities, especially in London, to ensure that a green roof fulfils planning conditions. So where does GIC come in? Firstly, GIC specialises in detailed green roof specifications. This gets it right from the start. And secondly we have a track record… Read More
Copyright © 2020 Green Infrastructure Consultancy Ltd -|- site by visualeze


text:
YOU'LL NEVER TROT ALONE!
Prince the Liverpool International Horse Show mascot is backing Liverpool to win in the Champions' League Final against Real Madrid in Kiev this Saturday.
The cute 30-inch hight blue-eyed equine fan is a miniature Shetland pony and he says 'neigh' to a Spanish win! Prince will be watching the match and he'll be hoping that Liverpool will gallop to victory.
LIHS ambassador and life-long Liverpool FC fan, Olympic gold medal showjumper, Peter Charles said:
If Liverpool wins in Kiev it'll be like winning Olympic gold all over again. The whole LIHS team wish Jurgen Klopp and the team the best of luck in the Champions League Final. I've watched the team all my life and we all hope to see the greatest trophy in club football return to Merseyside with the best football team in the world.
Liverpool International Horse Show 2018 will be staged for the fourth year running at Echo Arena Liverpool on December 28, 29, 30 and 31 on the city's historic waterfront.
Along with the top showjumping and dressage action, the Liverpool International Horse Show will have live music, its own 'Grand National' of Shetland ponies and a breathtaking display from the Arenacross Freestyle Motocross crew.
Liverpool International Horse Show will include its world-famous VIP hospitality packages and exclusive viewing boxes with fine dining and excellent views of all the action. And for equestrian fans looking to spend some of their Christmas gift money, there'll be a huge shopping village, selling everything from jodhpurs to jewellery, stirrups to sparkling champagne.
LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW RETURNS TO ECHO ARENA
Liverpool International Horse Show Pirates at Tall Ships


text:
Engage is a British website, and briefly an online journal (from 2006–07), that aims to help people counter the boycott Israel campaign. Engage describes its mission as to "challenge left and liberal antisemitism in the labour movement, in our universities and in public life."

Anti boycott activity
In 2005, the Association of University Teachers (AUT) took a decision to boycott two Israeli universities.  Engage was founded, by David Hirsh, who teaches at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Jon Pike, who teaches at the Open University, in order to try to reverse this, which, with the involvement of Academic Friends of Israel, occurred within a few weeks. Supporters of Engage included the late Norman Geras and the late David Cesarani. In 2006, the AUT merged with the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, and proposed a Boycott Israel measure that Hirsh, speaking on behalf of Engage, called "nastier" than the 2005 proposal, because it proposed the boycott of individual academics who refused to disassociate themselves with Israel. Hirsh was also quoted in relation to a proposed boycott of Israeli academic institutions by the University and College Union in 2007. One effective takeaway from Engage's efforts has been that the UCU has conceded that their sought-after boycott efforts are largely theoretical and have been meaningless as the British government has made it clear that it will use legal means to dismiss those efforts if they're ever tried.

External views
In an essay, in the New Statesman, Nick Cohen described Engage's position as pointing out that "the act of singling out Israel as the only illegitimate state - in the absence of any coherent reason for doing so - is in itself anti-Semitic, irrespective of the motivation or opinions of those who make that claim," and noting that  the Association of University Teachers provided no justification for singling out the Jewish State. An article in the online journal of International Marxist Tendency described Engage as "a group of academics... ostensibly set up to combat 'left-wing anti-Semitism' (but which in reality devotes much of its website space to articles beautifying Israeli foreign policy from a 'liberal' standpoint.)" Leslie Wright observed that "Engage's activities range from earnest theoretical debates about left-wing ideology to practical campaigning to ensure the election of antiboycott candidates in academic union elections".

Positions
According to its founding statement, the organisation:
 Opposes Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Engage is in favour of the foundation of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel.
 Opposes the idea of an academic or cultural boycott of Israel.
 Aims to encourage, facilitate and publicise positive links between both Arab and Jewish Israeli, Palestinian, British and global academia.
 Stands up against antisemitism in universities, in unions and in students unions. In Engage's opinion, opposing the sometimes brutal actions of the Israeli government and army is not antisemitic, but certain expressions of criticism of Israel constitute antisemitism.

References

External links

Criticism of journalism
Non-governmental organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Zionism in the United Kingdom
Opposition to antisemitism in the United Kingdom
Labour Party (UK)
Left-wing activism

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Baby Vests: We stock many different sized baby vests from newborn to 18-24months. They are super soft and hard wearing, perfect from the moment your little one is born to when they are learning to crawl.
Unique: All our designs are created by us at the T Bird Gifts Limited, and as we're registered with ACID- you'll never find anything like us!
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text:
Circular Buffer

Circular buffer constructor.

Usage

var circularBuffer = require( '@stdlib/utils/circular-buffer' );

circularBuffer( buffer )

Returns a new circular buffer instance.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );
// returns <CircularBuffer>

The buffer argument may either be a integer which specifies the buffer size or an array-like object to use as the underlying buffer.

var Float64Array = require( '@stdlib/array/float64' );

// Use a typed array as the underlying buffer:
var buf = circularBuffer( new Float64Array( 3 ) );
// returns <CircularBuffer>

circularBuffer.prototype.clear()

Clears a buffer.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );
// returns <CircularBuffer>

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );
buf.push( 'beep' );

// Get the number of elements currently in the buffer:
var n = buf.count;
// returns 3

// Clear all buffer items:
buf.clear();

// Get the number of elements in the buffer:
n = buf.count;
// returns 0

circularBuffer.prototype.count

Read-only property which returns the number of elements currently in the buffer.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );
// returns <CircularBuffer>

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );

// Determine how many elements are in the buffer:
var n = buf.count;
// returns 2

circularBuffer.prototype.full

Read-only property which returns a boolean indicating if a buffer is full.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );
// returns <CircularBuffer>

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );

// Determine if the buffer is full:
var bool = buf.full;
// returns false

// Add another value to the buffer:
buf.push( 'beep' );

// Determine if the buffer is full:
bool = buf.full;
// returns true

circularBuffer.prototype.iterator( [niters] )

Returns an iterator for iterating over a buffer. If an environment supports Symbol.iterator, the returned iterator is iterable.

var buf = circularBuffer( 2 );

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );
buf.push( 'beep' );
buf.push( 'boop' );

// Create an iterator:
var it = buf.iterator();

// Iterate over the buffer...
var v = it.next().value;
// returns 'beep'

v = it.next().value;
// returns 'boop'

v = it.next().value;
// returns 'beep'

v = it.next().value;
// returns 'boop'

v = it.next().value;
// returns 'beep'

By default, provided a buffer is full, the method returns an infinite iterator. To limit the number of iterations, provide an niters argument.

var buf = circularBuffer( 2 );

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );
buf.push( 'beep' );
buf.push( 'boop' );

// Create an iterator:
var it = buf.iterator( buf.length );

// Iterate over the buffer...
var v = it.next().value;
// returns 'beep'

v = it.next().value;
// returns 'boop'

var bool = it.next().done;
// returns true

A returned iterator does not iterate over partially full circular buffers.

var buf = circularBuffer( 5 );

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );

// Create an iterator:
var it = buf.iterator();

// Determine if the buffer is full:
var bool = buf.full;
// returns false

// Iterate over the buffer...
bool = it.next().done;
// returns true

If iterating over a partially full circular buffer is necessary, use buf.toArray() and iterate over the returned array.

circularBuffer.prototype.length

Read-only property returning the buffer length (i.e., capacity).

var buf = circularBuffer( [ 0, 0, 0 ] );

// Get the buffer length:
var len = buf.length;
// returns 3

circularBuffer.prototype.push( value )

Adds a value to the buffer.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );

// Fill the buffer...
var v = buf.push( 'foo' );
// returns undefined

v = buf.push( 'bar' );
// returns undefined

v = buf.push( 'beep' );
// returns undefined

// Now that the buffer is full, each push will cause a value to be removed:
v = buf.push( 'boop' );
// returns 'foo'

When a circular buffer is empty or partially full, this method returns undefined. Once a circular buffer is full, the method returns removed values.

circularBuffer.prototype.toArray()

Returns an array of buffer values.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );
buf.push( 'beep' );
buf.push( 'boop' );

// Get an array of buffer values:
var vals = buf.toArray();
// returns [ 'bar', 'beep', 'boop' ]

circularBuffer.prototype.toJSON()

Serializes a circular buffer as JSON.

var buf = circularBuffer( 3 );

// Add values to the buffer:
buf.push( 'foo' );
buf.push( 'bar' );
buf.push( 'beep' );
buf.push( 'boop' );

// Serialize to JSON:
var o = buf.toJSON();
// returns { 'type': 'circular-buffer', 'length': 3, 'data': [ 'bar', 'beep', 'boop' ] }

Note: JSON.stringify() implicitly calls this method when stringifying a circular buffer instance.

Notes

The constructor supports array-like object buffer arguments which use getter and setter accessors for element access (e.g., Complex64Array, Complex128Array, etc).

Examples

var circularBuffer = require( '@stdlib/utils/circular-buffer' );

// Create a circular buffer capable of holding 5 elements:
var buf = circularBuffer( 5 );
console.log( 'Buffer length: %s', buf.length );

// Continuously add values to the buffer...
var v;
var i;
for ( i = 0; i < 100; i++ ) {
    v = buf.push( i );
    console.log( 'Count: %d. Added value: %s. Removed value: %s.', buf.count, i, ( v === void 0 ) ? '(none)' : v );
}

See Also

@stdlib/utils/fifo: first-in-first-out (FIFO) queue.

@stdlib/utils/stack: stack.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
ACLU and Partners Vow to Appeal Ruling that Michigan Absentee Ballots Must be Received by Election Day
Inga Sarda-Sorensen, ACLU National, 347-514-3984, isarda-sorensen@aclu.org
Dana Chicklas, ACLU of Michigan, 734-945-8857, dchicklas@aclumich.org
DETROIT, Mich. — Today the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld that local clerks must receive absentee ballots by Election Day in order to be counted. This means all eligible Michigan voters must mail or drop off their absentee ballot in time for their clerk to receive it by the Aug. 4 Primary.
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Michigan, Arnold & Porter, and Goodman Acker vowed to appeal this decision to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Other states have similar policies in place to help ensure that every vote cast is counted, including Alaska, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
The lawsuit, League of Women Voters of Michigan v. Benson, was filed in the Michigan Court of Appeals on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Michigan and individual voters.
The following is reaction to today's ruling:
Theresa Lee, staff attorney with the ACLU's Voting Rights Project: "Michigan's restrictive Election Day deadline is a clear violation of the will of the people and the state Constitution. We will continue fighting for Michiganders' voting rights and plan to appeal."
Sharon Dolente, ACLU of Michigan voting rights strategist: "An Election Day receipt deadline for absentee ballots, as opposed to a postmark deadline we are fighting for, violates the right of the people of Michigan to submit an absentee ballot by mail during the 40 days before an election. This could lead to tens of thousands of voters being disenfranchised this year. We must ensure voters have the full timeline to submit their ballots from home by mail and give Michigan clerks and staff more time to process ballots. This is what Michiganders overwhelmingly voted for when they passed Proposal 3 in 2018."
pdfLWV-MI_v_Secretary_Decision.pdf
https://www.aclumich.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/lwv-mi_v_secretary_decision.pdf
ACLU Commends Oakland County Voters for Choosing the Oakland County...
ACLU Urges Clerks to Inform Michigan Voters: Photo ID is Not Needed...
Detroit City Clerk and ACLU Announce that the Backlog of Absentee...


After thorough investigation, we have ascertained that auto focusing does not work properly when some Sony fitting Sigma lenses are used with Sony α77 and α65 interchangeable lens digital cameras. To overcome this, we will be supplying a free update to our customers. This phenomenon will only occur with the combination of any lenses listed below and the Sonyα77 or α65. Future production of Sigma lenses for Sony fitting will be fully compatible with these cameras.
We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers.
When shooting with a Sony α77 or α65 camera, auto focusing does not work properly.
We will be offering firmware update service for above lenses free of charge. Please contact your nearest authorized Sigma Service Station for further details.


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By Dan Kennedy • The press, politics, technology, culture and other passions
The Return of the Moguls
The Wired City (2013)
Little People (2003)
Other Published Work
Woburn Files
Won't get fooled again: Why the pundits didn't swoon over Trump's speech
On January 31, 2018 February 6, 2018 By Dan KennedyIn Uncategorized
Van Jones: From gushing praise to contempt for Trump's "poison."
Previously published at WGBHNews.org.
Two days before President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address, New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen issued a plea/prediction/warning. "I hope you're ready for three days of 'presidential,'" he tweeted. "Because they're coming."
In fact, much of the day-after media commentary took Trump's relatively normal speech for what it was: a performance entirely at odds with his outrageous pronouncements and actions over the past year. Lede-of-the-day honors go to John Barron of the Australian Broadcasting Corp., who wrote:
If Donald Trump's first State of the Union address had been a true reflection of his first chaotic, headline-grabbing year in office it would have been delivered in 280-character bursts on Twitter from his bed with a Filet-o-Fish in one hand and a TV remote in the other.
A strong whiff of won't-get-fooled again permeated much of the post-speech analysis. Last year, Trump's first joint address to Congress was greeted by rapturous reviews. According to Michael Wolff's book "Fire and Fury," First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner saw it as "a total reset." Perhaps no one was more smitten that night than Van Jones, a liberal commentator on CNN, who said of Trump's tribute to the widow of a fallen Navy Seal: "He became president of the United States in that moment, period." A year later, Jones was having none of it, tearing into Trump's latest immigration proposal as "sweet-tasting candy with poison in it."
Nothing characterized Trump's first year in office so much as his racist demagoguery, from his description of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, as "some very fine people" to his angry outburst that Haitians and Africans seeking to immigrate to the United States live in "shithole countries." In keeping with that theme, Trump's subdued delivery Tuesday night barely masked the racial dog whistles. I was particularly struck by his remark that "Americans are dreamers, too," an unsubtle echo of the "All Lives Matter" retort that is so often used to rebuke the #BlackLivesMatter movement. As Rebecca Morin reported in Politico, Trump's words were immediately hailed by David Duke and Richard Spencer, the two best-known figures of the racist far right.
Trump also equated immigration with the vicious MS-13 gang and exploited a patriotic little kid to renew his criticism of African-American NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem to protest police shootings. "For all of his gestures toward unity," wrote Jamelle Bouie of Slate, "the substance of Trump's speech rested on the same racism and demagoguery that has marked his entire career in political life." Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo characterized the speech as "aggressive ethno-nationalism," and continued:
The key theme is the extreme valorization of soldiers, police officers and immigration patrol officers as the central element of patriotism. Each of these are merited as part of a range of beliefs and values and commitments that make us American. Trump makes them central and almost sacral in a way that is at war with elemental American traditions, though we would be naive and dishonest to say his reactionary posture doesn't also have deep roots in our history. We must remember both realities.
Conservative pundits, for the most part, have leaned anti-Trump from the start of his presidential campaign. Although there has been an uptick of support on the right following the recent tax cuts, enthusiasm remains in short supply. At National Review, Jim Talent gave pro-Trumpism a shot, calling the speech "a very strong effort, both substantively and emotionally powerful" as well as the capstone to "a good week for the Trump administration." Dan McLaughlin was less enamored, writing that "just as hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue, Trump's periodic efforts to speak in the language of normal American politics is a reminder of why normal American politics remains a thing of value worth preserving."
John Podhoretz, a leading anti-Trump conservative, had some fun with the first half of Trump's speech, in which he gave shout-outs to so many heroes and other admirable folks in the crowd that you might have wondered if he was there to give a speech or to emcee a charity event. "The true inspiration for Donald Trump's State of the Union speech was not Ronald Reagan or Abraham Lincoln. It was Paul Harvey," Podhoretz wrote in the New York Post, adding: "So maybe this is what Trump should do. He was a TV star. Maybe he needs an actual TV show."
And just in case you were wondering if Trump's conciliatory rhetoric on immigration reform might lead to an actual deal, his old friends at Breitbart — now 99 and 44/100 percent Bannon-free — called the president "Donny DACA" on its home page this morning. If you missed the point, Neil Munro drove it home: "Pro-American reformers describe his amnesty offer as ill-timed, counterproductive and as a betrayal of his voters and his supporters on Capitol Hill."
It has long since become a cliché, but Trump's main purpose Tuesday night was to play to his base — to come across as a "warm glass of milk," as The Washington Post's Marc Fisher put it, to deliver a fundamentally extremist message, especially regarding the threat posed by foreigners of all sorts.
And it worked, sort of. A CBS News instant poll revealed that 75 percent of viewers approved of Trump's speech. But the viewing audience was 42 percent Republican and only 25 percent Democratic, an indication of the extent to which the president's divisiveness has super-charged the polarization that has characterized American politics for the past several decades.
Trump remains deeply unpopular. In the latest Gallup tracking poll, 58 percent disapprove of his job performance while just 38 percent approve. The Russia investigation has descended into chaos. Trump may be getting ready to fire special counsel Robert Mueller or Mueller's boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Congressional Republicans, goaded by Trump, may release a memo containing classified information aimed at impugning the integrity of the FBI.
For one night, Trump was able to set that aside. With few exceptions, though, Jay Rosen's pessimistic prediction did not come true. After all, we've been watching this act for a long time, and we know what always comes next.
Talk about this post on Facebook.
Let's end the state's casino gambling disaster right now
No bang, just fizzle: Why Apple's iPad flopped as a news platform
"Excellent, valuable research, written in a clear, concise style."
— Bob Schieffer, CBS News
"There is no 'fake' news in Dan Kennedy's important, scrupulously reported account of why news and newspapers are vital to a democracy."
— Ken Auletta, The New Yorker
"A former media critic for the Boston Phoenix, Dan Kennedy continues to write incisively about the print and digital universe at his blog, Media Nation."
— New York Observer, 5/15/2015
"Dan Kennedy ... exercises the blogger's imperative to bloviate beyond his expertise."
— Boston Globe, 11/30/2008
You can email me at dan dot kennedy at northeastern dot edu
Media Nation is published under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial- Share Alike 4.0 United States License. Some rights reserved. You must attribute this work to Media Nation (with link). For more information, please contact Dan Kennedy at dan dot kennedy at neu dot edu.
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HomeSouth Asia
US Expert Calls India's 'Mysterious' Ballistic Missile Submarine A Formidable Deterrent To Regional Opponents
By Ayush Jain
Indian Navy's new ballistic missile submarine, INS Arighat, which is the second in the Arihant-class SSBN, is expected to join the service this year.
The two submarines that still remain a mystery could significantly boost India's naval might vis-a-vis its adversaries — Pakistan and China.
Last month, the Indian Navy had expressed its willingness to go for the procurement of six more nuclear submarines instead of a third aircraft carrier, a move stated to significantly boost its capabilities against the rising aggression of the People's Liberation Army Navy in the Indian Ocean.
Even India's arch-rival Pakistan has a fleet of at least five conventionally-powered attack submarines.
Closely guarding the Malacca Straits, the Indian Navy's presence in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been an important strategic asset for New Delhi in the Indian Ocean Region.
These quiet predators lurking under the sea can operate indefinitely without needing to refuel until supplies run out for the crew.
What's more interesting is the fact that these super-secretive Indian nuclear ballistic missile submarines are perhaps one of the world's least-photographed vessels ever, according to the defense analyst H I Sutton.
Dhanteras gets even more special!
India's pride, nuclear submarine INS Arihant successfully completed its first deterrence patrol!
I congratulate all those involved, especially the crew of INS Arihant for this accomplishment, which will always be remembered in our history. pic.twitter.com/tjeOj2cBdX
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 5, 2018
Nearly all the photos available on the internet themselves are many years old. These two Arihant-class submarines also complete India's nuclear triad, capable of carrying the nuclear-tipped submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), K-15 'Sagarika' and K-4.
The K-4 is an intermediate-range SLBM, which can be armed with nuclear warheads delivering payloads up to 1900 nautical miles. This is almost four times the range of the K-15 'Sagarika' SLBM, which is stated to be an interim solution having a range of 400 nautical miles with a 1,000-kg warhead.
Four large-diameter missile silos are arranged in a single line behind the submarine's sail. Initially, these are fitted with triple tubes for the K-15. However, each missile tube is expected to fit a single K-4 in the future.
Meanwhile, Sutton believes that the commissioning of the second Arihant-class submarine, the INS Arighat, sometime this year would not change the secretive approach of the Indian Navy towards the boat's capabilities.
But its commissioning may provide new clues to the classes' capabilities. And any differences between the two boats. Also, the third of the class my emerge from its construction hall soon, he writes for Naval News.
"The defense world is patiently waiting," he remarked.
The Arighat was quietly launched in November 2017 by then-Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A total of 4 vessels are planned in the class, the first two being INS Arihant and INS Arighat with a total displacement of 6,000 tonnes.
The remaining two are yet to be named and would be bigger having a displacement of 7,000 tonnes with enhanced capability of carrying 12-15 long-range ballistic missiles.
Previous articleFrance Sends 3 More Rafale Fighter Jets to India – Indian Embassy
Next articleTrouble Erupts Between NATO Allies UK & France; Both London & Paris Deploy Naval Vessels
Exhausting Japanese Air Force, Chinese, Russian Incursions Forced Tokyo To Scramble Its Fighters Over 700 Times In 9 Months
France 'Joins The Club' To Thwart Chinese Monopoly In The Indo-Pacific; Looks To Assert Power In The Region
After S-400 Missiles, Russia Deploys Its 'Most Powerful' Dogfighter To Belarus Amid Escalating Tensions With NATO
JF-17 Thunder: Argentine Ambassador Visits Chinese Aerospace Firm In Beijing, Discusses Acquisition Of Sino-Pak Jets — Reports
Russian 'Invasion' Of Ukraine: Ten Major Countries That Could Support Vladimir Putin In Case Of A War With NATO


The Southport by Paran Homes is brilliantly design, this home is great for entertaining and family time w/ an sought after open concept floor plan. The gourmet/chef inspired kitchen equipped w/ a large kitchen island, walk-in pantry & open view and access to the family room. Huge separate dining rm excellent for family dinners and entertaining. Upstairs is the grand owner's suite w/ double vanity, water closet, separate shower, soaking tub and enormous WIC. Hurry, this home won't last!


1 day ago· Through a deal struck between the Spanish government and coal mining companies and unions, almost all the country's mines closed by the end of 2018, and around 1,500 miners were laid off.
Managing Coal Mine Closure : Achieving a Just Transition for All (English) Abstract. Over the last half century, largescale changes to coal industries across Europe, and more recently in the United States and China, have resulted in as many as 4 million coal workers losing their jobs.
A coal mine that supplies the Paradise Fossil Plant is owned by a subsidiary of Ohiobased Murry Energy Corporation, whose CEO Robert E. Murray is a major campaign donor to Trump's campaign.
Annual coal production also rose at Blackhawk's two largest mining operations, the East Mac Nellie and Samples mines. Blackhawk is the mines' controller, with JMP Holdings LLC, T A Potter Enterprises LLC, JMP Coal Holdings LLC and RWE AG holding ultimate ownership.
Ive a coal mine near Calcutta. Tengo una mina de carbón cerca de Calcutta. Many workers were trapped in the coal mine. Muchos trabajadores quedaron atrapados en la mina de carbón. They came to Xintai city's Shuang'gao coal mine, Shandong province and took interviews about a case of worker's injury.
Ceremonies have been held to mark the end of 155 years of coal mining at ProsperHaniel in the industrial Ruhr Valley. RWE's Hambach Garzweiler brown coal, lignite open mine continues to expand.
About 39 percent of coalmining jobs have disappeared over the past 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accounting for tens of thousands of lost jobs in largely rural communities.
Managing Coal Mine Closure: Achieving a Just Transition for All outlines the lessons learned from countries' experiences closing coal mines and key steps governments can take to minimize social conflict and economic distress associated with the closures.
Posts about Dolet Hills Coal Mine. Michael Tanner Jr. was at Dolet Hills Coal Mine. January 18 at 11:01 AM · Mansfield, LA · Dolet Hills Coal Mine. Local Business · Mansfield, LA. 612 people checked in here. ... English (US) · Español · Português (Brasil) · Français (France) · Deutsch.


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Transsexuality was first removed from the list of mental illnesses
Denmark is the first country in the world not to classify transsexuality as a mental illness
Denmark is the first country in the world to no longer classify transsexuality as a mental illness. However, this does not change the hurdles that have to be overcome before a sex change or hormone treatment.
Discriminatory categorization abolished
According to estimates, around 170,000 people with a transgender identity live in Germany. However, because many of those affected live anonymously, the number of unreported cases is probably much higher. In the international diagnosis catalog of the World Health Organization (WHO), transsexuality is currently still classified as a "gender identity disorder". There has been criticism of this for a long time. Discriminatory categorization has now been abolished in Denmark.
Transsexuality removed from list of mental ailments
According to a report by the dpa news agency, transsexuals in Denmark have not been classified as mentally ill since this year. The health authority therefore removed transsexuality from the list of mental illnesses on January 1.
Many transsexuals found this classification to be discriminatory. As the Ministry of Health in Copenhagen explained, transsexuality in the system is now formally assigned to a different category.
No relief of treatment options
However, this does not change the treatment options for people who felt wrong in their bodies and preferred to belong to the opposite sex.
According to the information, transsexuals have to go through long psychological examinations in order to undergo a sex change or hormone treatment.
The symbolic decision was celebrated by the LGBT community ("LGBT" stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender) in Denmark. The head of the Danish LGBT state association, Soren Laursen, told the Ritzau news agency: "This removes the stigma that applied to health care professionals."
The German self-help group Trans-Ident e.V. writes on its website: "This welcome classification finally ends the stigmatization that transidents have had in the healthcare system. Those affected are no longer labeled as mentally ill, but rather for what they are - a simple variation in the broad spectrum of personal identities. (ad)
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Video: Jordan Peterson On Why He Refuses To Use Special Pronouns For Transgender People - LBC (January 2022).
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