The budget will include a $1.5 billion request for pilot schemes to determine construction methods and locations for Donald Trump’s promised wall between the US and Mexico.
The White House wants a 30% cut from an energy department office that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The energy department could see steep cuts for its 17 national laboratories, which conduct research into subjects including nuclear power and advanced materials for energy generation, storage and use.
There will also be a complete cut to funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the largest source of public broadcasting funding in the US.
The budget, known as a “skinny budget”, will be limited to the $1 trillion portion of the $4 trillion annual federal budget that pays for US agencies and departments.
The remainder of Donald Trump’s budget, which will include proposals on taxes, mandatory spending and deficits and projections on the economy, will not come out until May.
Judge Derrick Watson said the court had established a strong likelihood that, were the ban to go ahead, it would cause “irreparable injury” by violating First Amendment protections against religious discrimination.
Hawaii had argued that the ban would harm tourism and the ability to recruit foreign students and workers in the state.
The 43-page ruling argued that a “reasonable, objective observer” taking into account the context of the Executive Order would conclude it “was issued with a purpose to disfavor a particular religion”.
Image source Flickr
It notes statements made by Donald Trump such as a 2015 press release calling for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States”, and his adviser Rudolph Guiliani, who said in a TV interview in January: “When [President Trump] first announced it, he said, <<Muslim ban>>. He called me up. He said: <<Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally>>.”
It also says there is a “dearth of evidence indicating a national security purpose”.
Speaking at a rally in Nashville, Tennessee on March 15, Donald Trump said the ruling in Hawaii was “flawed” and a case of “unprecedented judicial overreach”.
The Trump administration argues that the constitution gives the president the power to suspend immigration when he deems it to be in the national interest of the country, and that neither the initial or revised orders discriminate on the basis of religion.
DoJ lawyers argue that the revised ban is an extension of President Barack Obama’s move towards stricter screening of travelers from the six countries.
Donald Trump said he will take the case “as far as it needs to go”, including to the Supreme Court.
An appeal against the Hawaii decision would be expected to go next to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – the same court which in February said it would not block a ruling by a Seattle court to half the original travel ban.
However, also on March 15, five judges at that court wrote a letter saying they believed that decision was an “error”, and the first Executive Order was “well within the powers of the presidency”.
California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington are all taking part in legal actions against the revised ban.
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is attending a court hearing in Seattle in his efforts to block the travel ban, described the ruling as “fantastic news”.
In a series of tweets, Donald Trump accused his predecessor directly, asking: “Is it legal for a sitting President to be <<wire tapping>> a race for president?”
Image source Wikipedia
Talking to Fox News in an interview that was broadcast in full on March 15, he made his first comments about the wiretap accusation he made two weeks ago.
Donald Trump said: “Wiretap covers a lot of different things. I think you’re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks.”
Despite repeated requests from reporters, the White House has not provided any evidence to support his claim.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has said President Trump “used the word <<wiretap>> in quotes to mean broadly surveillance and other activities”.
Donald Trump asked Congress to examine the allegation as part of an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in last year’s election.
Senator Lindsey Graham, who is leading the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of allegations of Trump-Russia ties, has pressed the FBI to come forward with more details of its own probe into the issue.
Lindsey Graham said on March 15 he would use a court order to force FBI Director James Comey to submit details on its Russian investigation and whether there was any evidence of Donald Trump’s phones being wiretapped.
Donald Trump has been dogged by claims that his advisers and staff had ties to Russian officials, but there has been no evidence of any collusion between his campaign and Moscow.
The Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25% for only the third time in a decade.
It voted to raise its key rate target to a range of 0.75% to 1%.
The central bank had been expected to raise rates after a robust February jobs report, solid pay gains, rising inflation and a dip in the unemployment rate to 4.7%.
The Federal Reserve aims to keep the cost of lending between banks within a specified band, which it does by buying or selling financial assets.
It is raising that band by a quarter of a percent.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the committee judged that a “modest increase” in the rate is appropriate “in light of the economy’s solid progress.”
She added: “Even after this increase, monetary policy remains accommodative, thus supporting some further strengthening in the job market, and a sustained return to 2% inflation.”
The decision was approved with a 9-1 vote. Neel Kashkari, the head of the Fed’s regional bank in Minneapolis, cast the dissenting vote.
This is the second time the Fed has raised rates in three months. It signaled that further hikes this year will be gradual.
The Fed’s statement said its inflation target was “symmetric,” indicating that after a decade of below-target inflation it could tolerate a quicker pace of price rises.
Wall Street stock indexes jumped after the announcement, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 112 points at 20,950 in afternoon trading.
The US dollar fell about 0.9% against the euro and more than 1% against the pound.
The Fed’s outlook for the economy changed little, with officials expecting economic growth of 2.1% this year and next year before slipping to 1.9% in 2019.
Those forecasts are far below the 4% growth that President Donald Trump has said he can produce with his economic program.
However, Janet Yellen told reporters that she didn’t believe it is “a point of conflict” between the Fed and the Trump administration.
“We would certainly welcome stronger economic growth in the context of price stability, and if policies were put in place to speed growth… those would be very welcome changes that we would like to see,” she said.
Governor Gary Herbert said he would sign a measure that reduces the legal alcohol limit from .08 to .05. Other states may follow suit, and some people are curious as to the possible effect on civil liability.
After a spirited debate, House Bill 155 cleared the Senate by a fairly wide margin. Republicans, including Majority Whip Stuart Adams, claimed the bill “helps prevent drinking drivers from getting behind the wheel in the first place.” Many other countries already have a .05 BAC limit, he added. Democrats, including Sen. Jim Dabakis, expressed concern that the bill would damage hospitality and tourism because it made Utah look like a “peculiar” place.
Advocacy groups were split as well. The American Beverage Institute said the bill would do very little to reduce drunk driving crashes, since most of these drivers have a BAC over .15. On the other side, the Sutherland Institute praised House Bill 155 as a “common sense policy” that is supported by a “mountain of evidence [which] suggests that moving Utah’s DUI blood alcohol content (BAC) standard to .05 will save lives and improve public safety on Utah’s roads.”
Criminal vs. Civil Court
In Utah and most other states, prosecutors can use either direct or circumstantial evidence to convict people in DUI cases. With a lower BAC limit, it’s obviously easier to obtain convictions based on the per se law, but circumstantial evidence cases (normally the field sobriety tests) would be largely unaffected.
Also in Utah and most other states, victim/plaintiffs have two ways to establish liability for damages, and these methods are outlined below. The biggest difference is that the burden of proof in criminal court is much higher than the burden in civil court.
Prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, which usually means that the evidence must be so overwhelming that guilty is the only possible verdict. Victim/plaintiffs must only establish liability for damages by a preponderance of the evidence, which means more likely than not. So, if one of the “scales of justice” is just a tiny bit higher than the other one, the plaintiff wins the case.
Image source Wikimedia
First Party Liability
Since drivers are impaired after just one drink, evidence of consumption is usually tantamount to evidence of impairment in civil court, because of the lower standard of proof. Such evidence often includes:
The point of departure (e.g. the negligent driver had just left a bar or restaurant),
Erratic driving,
Bloodshot eyes, and
An odor of alcohol.
If the tortfeasor (negligent driver) is arrested for DUI, the negligence per se shortcut usually applies. The exact rule varies from state to state, but typically the tortfeasor is liable as a matter of law if the driver:
Violated a safety law, and
That violation substantially caused the plaintiff’s damages,
The effect also varies. In some jurisdictions, negligence per se is conclusive proof of liability; in other places, negligence per se only creates a presumption in favor of liability.
Third Party Liability
Many states have dram shop laws that hold third-party alcohol providers, like bars, grocery stores, and party hosts, liable for damages in certain situations. Generally, if the tortfeasor was under 21, the provider is automatically responsible and there is no possible legal defense. If the tortfeasor was over 21, the plaintiff must also prove that the provider was somehow negligent, perhaps by serving someone who was obviously intoxicated.
Some states, including California, have done away with their dram shop laws. When asked why, Sherwin Arzani, an attorney that handles personal injury matters in California, responded, “It’s because some people believe such laws undercut personal responsibility in alcohol-related crashes.”
Third party liability may still apply even in the absence of a dram shop law, under a more complicated legal theory. For example, assume a party host promises to call a taxi for an intoxicated guest, the host does not make the call, the guest drives home, and causes a car crash along the way. Under these facts, the host could still be a responsible third party even if there is no dram shop law, under a theory called negligent undertaking.
Geert Wilders declared after casting his vote: “Whatever the outcome of the elections today, the genie will not go back into the bottle and this patriotic revolution – whether today or tomorrow – will take place.”
Protracted coalition talks are the likely outcome.
After casting his vote, PM Mark Rutte asked his fellow citizens to imagine how the world would react if the Freedom Party came first.
“I think the rest of the world will then see that after Brexit, after the American elections, again the wrong sort of populism has won the day,” he said.
Earlier, in TV debates, Mark Rutte and Geert Wilders clashed over how to stem immigration.
Mark Rutte dismissed Geert Wilders’s plan to close borders and mosques and to ban the Koran as “fake solutions”.
Lodewijk Asscher of the Labor Party, the junior party in Mark Rutte’s coalition, called Geert Wilders a man of “10,000 angry tweets and no solutions”.
Several of the smaller party leaders are being seen as potential power-brokers.
Seven of the 28 parties running could win more than 10 seats in the 150-seat parliament, the polls suggest.
Christian Democrat Sybrand Buma and liberal Alexander Pechtold might go into coalition in the event of Mark Rutte’s victory.
However, other parties could end up as king-makers too, such as the Green-Left under Jesse Klaver and the Socialist party.
None are likely to take part in a coalition with Geert Wilders.
All of the parties forecast to win 10 seats or more are led by men yet women made up more than a third of MPs in the outgoing parliament (58 out of 150).
In the past, the Green-Left was regularly led by a woman, including Femke Halsema, who held the post for more than eight years (2002-2010).
Now only some of the very small parties have female leaders: Sylvana Simons from Article One (which campaigns against discrimination) and Marianne Thieme from Party for the Animals.
The 44-year-old’s battles with drink problems stretch back more than 15 years, with his first reported stint in an alcohol treatment clinic taking place in 2001.
Photo PBS
In his new statement, Ben Affleck wrote: “I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be.
“I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step.”
The double Oscar-winner said: “I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do.
“This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”
Correspondents say that, despite the lack of detail in the 2005 documents, the leak is still significant because so little is known about Donald Trump’s tax affairs and the new information could increase pressure on him to release more.
The two pages show that President Trump paid $5.3 million in federal income tax and an extra $31 million in what is called alternative minimum tax (AMT).
Image source Flickr
AMT was set up nearly 50 years ago to stop the wealthiest people from using deductions and loopholes to avoid paying taxes. Donald Trump has called for it to be abolished.
The $38 million bill was an effective tax rate of about 24%, higher than the average American citizen would pay but below the 27.4% averaged by higher-earning taxpayers.
Although leaking federal tax returns is a criminal offence, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow argued that the network was exercising its right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment to the US Constitution to publish information in the public interest.
Journalist David Cay Johnston, interviewed on MSNBC, said he had received the documents in the post from an anonymous source.
In a statement issued before the broadcast, the White House said: “You know you are desperate for ratings when you are willing to violate the law to push a story about two pages of tax returns from over a decade ago.”
The statement said President Trump had a responsibility to pay no more tax than was legally required.
Every presidential candidate since 1976 has released their tax returns although there is no legal requirement to do so.
During last year’s election campaign, Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump in a head-to-head debate of paying no federal income tax.
In October 2016, the New York Times revealed parts of Donald Trump’s 1995 tax returns that showed losses of $916 million. The newspaper said this could have affected his returns for up to 18 subsequent years, allowing him to legally avoid paying federal income taxes.
The forms disclosed on March 14 do not say whether the $103 million write-down was connected to the 1995 losses.
South Korean animal rights groups have accused impeached President Park Geun-hye of abandoning her dogs when she left the presidential palace.
The row comes as Park Geun-hye was called for questioning and named as a suspect in the wide-ranging corruption scandal that eventually led to her downfall.
South Korea will hold its presidential election on May 9.
Park Geun-hye is South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be ousted.
Over the weekend she left the presidential palace, known as the Cheong Wa Dae, and moved into her house in an affluent district of Seoul.
Park Geun-hye’s nine Jindo dogs were not among the entourage that accompanied her.
The Busan Korea Alliance for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Busan KAPCA) noted the impeached president could have violated animal protection laws by leaving the dogs behind.
Image source BarkPost
The group, along with the Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (CARE), claimed Park Geun-hye had abandoned her pets, and both organizations offered to find new homes for the dogs.
A Cheong Wa Dae spokesman denied Park Geun-hye had abandoned her dogs, and told Reuters that they were left at the palace partly because it would not be good for them to be uprooted from their home.
“She told… staff to take good care of the dogs and to find good foster homes for the puppies if necessary,” said the spokesman.
Park Geun-hye was known to be fond of her pets, which had been dubbed the country’s “First Dogs,” the Korea Times reported.
When Park Geun-hye was inaugurated as president in 2013, she moved into Cheong Wa Dae with a pair of Jindo dogs which were given to her as a present.
The pair later produced several puppies, some of whom she kept while others were adopted. Jindo dogs are known for their loyalty and devotion.
The date for the next presidential election was set at a cabinet meeting on March 15.
At that meeting, Hwang Kyo-ahn said he would not run in the election, dealing a blow to conservatives looking for viable candidates, reported Yonhap news agency.
Cars do not always die at the most opportune moment. If your car was totaled in an accident or needs an expensive repair that is not worth making, you may find yourself car shopping before you were ready to. If your finances are tight, the last thing you may want is an expensive car payment. As such, you may be looking for the top 10 Disneyland secrets or to buy a car at a discounted or bargain price. Knowing where to begin your search is half the battle. You aren’t likely to find a discounted price at a dealership, as they mark up their cars to make money. Fortunately, there are plenty of other places you can look for a bargain when you are car hunting. Here are three of the best places to buy discounted cars.
From Private Sellers
One of the best places to look when you are looking for a discounted car is with private sellers. Some private sellers just want to sell their car. They do not want to deal with the hassle of meeting person after person to test drive the car or they may want the money because they already bought a new car and don’t want to insure two cars. Whatever the case, some private sellers price a car low in order to move it fast. Drive around your neighborhood and look for people who have for sale signs in the window of the car or look on street corners for make shift car lots. Also, be sure to check out online classified sites. However, when you are buying a car from a private seller, be aware that the car has no warranty and lemon laws do not apply. Be sure you inspect the car well to ensure there are no problems.
From Auto Auctions
Another place to look for discounted cars is from auto auctions. There are many different entities that offer auto auctions. You can find auto auctions being held for repossessed cars, police impound cars or government car auctions. A repossessed car is a car that someone took out a loan and did not pay for. The lender wants to get what they still owe on the car, not necessarily what the car is worth. A police impound auction is done on cars that were impounded by the police and never picked up. This may be because someone had outstanding traffic tickets, did not register their car or were involved in criminal activity in the car. Regardless, these cars can go for less than blue book value. Government car auctions typically include cars that were used by government officials. When the government is ready to sell the cars and buy new ones, they auction off the old cars. Most agencies take good care of the cars, so this can be a great way to get a clean, well-maintained car.
Through Insurance Salvage Programs
The last place you can look for a discounted car is through insurance salvage programs. When a car is involved in an accident, and the cost to repair the car is more than blue book value, the insurance company salvages the car out. However, they take these cars and auction them off. Some of them are only good for the parts that are not damaged. Others can be repaired and become great cars. If you are handy with cars or don’t mind investing some money to make a car operable, buying a car through an insurance program may be a great way to get a car inexpensively. No matter where you purchase your car, auto insurance companies will usually give you a better rate if you have passed a defensive driving course.
If your current car is no longer operable and you need a new one quickly and cheaply, be sure to look for a car being sold by private sellers, through an auto auction or being offered from an insurance salvage program.
Saudi Arabia said it was “committed” to stabilizing the global oil market, and that its output was still in line with its OPEC target.
OPEC said in its report: “Despite the supply adjustment, stocks have continued to rise, not just in the US, but also in Europe.
“Nevertheless, prices have undoubtedly been provided a floor by the production accords.”
Photo Getty Images
In February, Saudi Arabia’s production increased to 10.011 million barrels per day, compared with 9.748 million barrels per day in January.
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said the country “is committed and determined to stabilize the global oil market by working closely with all other participating OPEC and non-OPEC producers”.
Oil prices fell after the release of the OPEC report to trade close to $50 a barrel, their lowest since November.
Crude prices are still higher than $40 per barrel a year ago and a 12-year low of about $28 in January 2016.
Brent crude oil price settled about 0.5% down at $51.09 per barrel, while US crude was at $47.90.
Children born into the current times are growing up with technology thrust at them from every angle. Gone are the days you needed to have wires plugged into the computer to connect to the internet. Gone are the days you could only make a phone call with a house phone. Companies are going digital more than ever before and we are becoming comfortable with the advancements in our home technology. The thing is, it’s important to remember that these advancements do not appear out of thin air. They take a lot of work, a lot of creativity and they need continuous monitoring and upgrading.Technology can change lives, and coding is part of that change.
Coding is changing the world around us, and so many people are unaware of what coding is. Coders are making a huge contribution every day and it is, centrally, a very creative process. It’s the language of the technology that you use on a daily basis and you can read so much more about what it is used forhere. The world of technology is advancing because of coding and here are four ways coding is making the world evolve at a faster pace:
The Web: Quite an obvious one, but the internet has changed lives in a way we cannot measure. Communication has advanced to be instantaneous from across the world. Companies are switching online on every platform possible and the amount of HTML that sits behind websites – both on computers and on smart phones and tablets is immense. Coding requires a lot of support and companies are studying up on theultimate log4net tutorial for their business website with great interest.
Databases: More than just something you use to sort your finances, programmers everywhere use databases to help computers to store information that a computer can read and write. They can also delete that information. Facebook holds huge databases of information about its users and businesses need to be able to hold information about their products, consumers and services.
Online Shopping: The amount of coding that supports a website is already huge, but to support the services offered with online shopping, coders have their hands full. Programming that is required for the websites we often take for granted as easy to use is not always easy to implement. Online shopping is still somewhat of a revelation across the globe and programmers work tirelessly to make constant upgrades and changers to improve the user experience.
Blogging: The blogging world is so popular and is evolving at a rapid pace. Coders are part of this evolution. Everyone has a voice and blogging is a platform that allows that voice to be heard. Without coding, the rapid growth of the blogging world would stall. Themes and templates are created by coders at great length and are always available online to look at such as here.
If you can create technology, you have the power to help the world evolve. Companies that understand this are those that will be successful in their technological ventures.
Until recently, he was the favorite to win the elections in April and May.
However, the former prime minister has now slipped behind far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron.
Image source Wikimedia
On March 14, Francois Fillon, 63, was personally placed under formal investigation over suspicions that he arranged for his wife Penelope to be paid public money for work as his parliamentary assistant which she did not actually carry out.
Francois Fillon is also being investigated over payments to his two children Marie and Charles when he was a senator. He has said his children were paid as lawyers, for specific tasks. But neither was a qualified lawyer at the time.
A magistrate had already been investigating the case, but until now the inquiry did not mention directly Francois Fillon.
The embarrassment is acute because this is the same Francois Fillon who before the campaign said it would be inconceivable for someone to remain as a candidate if placed in this legal situation, our correspondent adds.
In a separate development on March 14, French media report that Marine Le Pen is now suspected by the country’s tax authorities of undervaluing her share of two properties jointly owned with her father Jean Marie Le Pen.
Marine Le Pen has made no public comment on the issue.
President Donald Trump will donate his $400,000 salary to charity at the end of 2017, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has confirmed.
In an unexpected twist, the president wants the White House press corps to decide where it should go.
Before taking office, Donald Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes that he would not claim his presidential salary.
It was confirmed that it would be donated after multiple media outlets asked if he was keeping that pledge.
Sean Spicer told a press briefing: “The President’s intention right now is to donate his salary at the end of the year, and he has kindly asked that you all determine where that goes.”
Image source Wikipedia
He joked that letting the media choose a beneficiary would be “a way to avoid scrutiny”.
“In all seriousness, I think his view is he made a pledge to the American people he wants to donate it to charity and he’d love your help to determine where it should go,” Sean Spicer told the press.
President Trump’s salary has been fixed at $400,000 a year since 2001. Donald Trump had previously said he would take only $1 a year, because the president is required by law to receive a salary.
It is unclear which organization the press corps will choose to support.
Suggestions have included setting up a fund for journalism scholarships via the White House Correspondents’ Association.
Donald Trump is not the first president to forego a salary. Herbert Hoover, who made his fortune in mining before taking office, and John F. Kennedy, who inherited his wealth, both donated their pay to charity.
A 24-hour blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service from midnight for New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Image source Flickr
Storm warnings were also posted from southern Maine to Virginia.
“During its height we could see snowfall rates of 1-3 inches (2.5-7.6cm), even up to four inches per hour,” said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist based in Taunton, Massachusetts.
More than 6,500 flights have been canceled, tracking service FlightAware reported, with airports in New York, Washington, Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia worst hit.
Schools will be closed on March 14 in New York, Providence, Rhode Island and in some towns across Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Declaring a state of emergency, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said people should expect road closures, delays and cancelations.
He said in a statement: “I strongly urge everyone to limit unnecessary travel on Tuesday and if you must drive, please plan ahead, be careful, and stay safe.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also declared a state of emergency and ordered all state employees not involved in the response to stay at home.
Angela Merkel’s visit was planned for March 14 and has been rescheduled for March 17.
Winter Storm Stella follows a spell of unusually mild weather in the north-east, with last month being the second warmest February since record-keeping began in 1895.
President Donald Trump’s claims that he was wiretapped by former President Barack Obama were not meant literally, White House press secretary Sean Spicer says.
He said President Trump had broadly meant “surveillance and other activities” when he made the allegation in a tweet earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the DoJ has asked for more time to provide information about the allegations.
A congressional committee had set a March 13 deadline for the department to provide any evidence of President Trump’s claims but a spokeswoman said it needed “additional time… to determine what if any responsive documents may exist”.
Image source Wikipedia
The House Intelligence Committee said it would give the department until March 20 to comply with its request.
In his tweet President Trump said: “Just found out that Obama had my <<wires tapped>> in Trump Tower just before the victory.”
He added: “Is it legal for a sitting President to be <<wire tapping>> a race for president?”
The White House has instead asked Congress to examine the allegation as part of an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in last year’s election.
Earlier, Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said she did not have any evidence to back up the wiretapping claim but said there were “many ways to survey each other now”.
“You can survey someone through their phones, certainly through their television sets – any number of ways… microwaves that turn into cameras. We know this is a fact of modern life,” Kellyanne Conway told New Jersey’s Bergen County Record.
Around 14 million more people would lose health insurance coverage in 2018 under the new Republican healthcare plan, according to a budget analysis.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan group of budget analysts and economists, released its assessment on the long-awaited Republican bill.
The CBO said the number of extra uninsured would jump to 24 million by 2026.
The bill would also reduce the federal deficits by $337 billion over the 10-year period, according to the CBO.
Those savings could help House Republicans sell the legislation to some conservatives who remain skeptical about costs.
Republicans have said the goal of the American Health Care Act is to lower costs and that coverage statistics are misleading due to the high out-of-pocket costs under President Barack Obama’s signature health law.
House Speaker Paul Ryan highlighted the CBO analysis’ conclusions on deficit reduction and decreased premiums.
He said: “I recognize and appreciate concerns about making sure people have access to coverage.
“[O]ur plan is not about forcing people to buy expensive, one-size-fits-all coverage. It is about giving people more choices and better access to a plan they want and can afford.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said the administration “strenuously disagreed” with the report’s findings on the number of people who would lose coverage.
He said after the assessment was released: “Right now, current law, we’ve got individuals who have health coverage but no healthcare.”
Tom Price contended the new plan would cover more individuals at a lower cost.
California Representative Adam Schiff tweeted that the numbers in it were “appalling” while Virginia Representative Don Beyer called it a “disaster”.
He tweeted: “Now we know why @Speaker Ryan rushed to pass his repeal bill; CBO says it kicks 24 million off their healthcare in next 10 years. Appalling.”
The CBO, along with the Joint Committee on Taxation, also found that five million fewer people would be covered under Medicaid, which covers low-income people, by 2018.
An estimated 14 million fewer people would enroll in the Medicaid program by 2026.
The report found that by 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with the 28 million who would not be covered that year under the current law.
On March 13, the Dutch foreign ministry issued a new travel warning, urging its citizens in Turkey to take care and noting the new “diplomatic tensions”.
The warning to “avoid gatherings and crowded places” came as Turkey’s foreign ministry lodged a formal protest with the Dutch envoy.
Meanwhile, Dutch deputy PM Lodewijk Asscher said that “to be called Nazis by a regime which is walking backwards in regards to human rights is just disgusting”.
The row spilled over into the campaign for March 15 general election in the Netherlands, with PM Mark Rutte defending in a live TV debate his decision to stop Turkish ministers addressing Dutch Turks.
His opponent, Geert Wilders of the far-right, anti-Islam Freedom Party, said the real problem was that Turks waving Turkish flags on a Dutch street had shown where their loyalties lay.
European Union leaders called for calm.
The proposed rallies aimed to encourage a large number of Turks living in Europe to vote Yes in a referendum on April 16 on expanding the president’s powers. The plans were criticized by senior EU officials on March 13.
In Germany, for example, there are more than three million people of Turkish origin, of whom an estimated 1.4 million are eligible to vote in Turkish elections. In effect, the diaspora is Turkey’s fourth-largest electoral district.
Planned rallies in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands were blocked after officials cited security concerns or said the rallies could stoke tensions.
A gathering in France went ahead, however, after officials said it did not pose a threat.
Two Turkish ministers were barred from addressing rallies in Rotterdam, with one of them escorted to the German border.
Police used dogs and water cannon against protesters waving Turkish flags in Rotterdam.
“I have said that I had thought that Nazism was over, but I was wrong,” he said.
He later lashed out at the German chancellor.
“Mrs. Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country? Why are you not doing anything?” he said, in comments quoted by AFP.
“Mrs. Merkel, you are supporting terrorists.”
Turkey has previously accused Germany of harboring Kurdish militants and suspects wanted over the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016.
Turkey’s EU affairs minister, Omer Celik, said Ankara would retaliate against the Netherlands. He later suggested reconsidering part of a deal with the EU aimed at curbing an influx of migrants, namely Turkey’s efforts to prevent them crossing by land to Greece and Bulgaria.
On March 13, the Dutch charge d’affaires in Ankara was summoned for the third time in three days in protest against the treatment of the minister escorted to Germany and the treatment of protesters in Rotterdam.
Mark Rutte said President Erdogan’s comment that the Dutch were “Nazi remnants” was “unacceptable”, and demanded an apology.
Responding to Turkish calls for sanctions, he said the Netherlands would “never negotiate under threat”.
“This rejection is also valid for our allies. These comparisons are completely misguided… particularly in the Netherlands that endured so much agony through the National Socialists,” she said.
“That’s why the Netherlands can count on my complete support and solidarity in this.”
Danish PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he had postponed a meeting later this month with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim because “with the current Turkish attacks on Holland the meeting cannot be seen separated from that”.
Shree Chauhan, an American citizen of Indian descent, has accused White House press secretary Sean Spicer of racism after an exchange in an Apple store in Washington.
The 33-year-old woman challenged Sean Spicer as he was shopping, asking: “How does it feel to work for a fascist?” – referring to President Donald Trump.
Sean Spicer replied: “It’s such a great country that allows you to be here.”
Shree Chauhan recorded the encounter and posted it online, drawing 300,000 views since March 11.
She has been attacked online since posting the video, with critics branding her “vile” and accusing her of harassment.
Image source Wikimedia
When asked by reporters about the encounter, Sean Spicer said: “I interact with individuals all day long. Ninety-nine percent of them are pleasant, even with people who may not agree with our philosophy or programs, whatever.”
“It’s a free country and people can act how they want, no matter how that’s interpreted.
“And as long as they stay on the right side of the First Amendment, we’re good.”
The footage shows Sean Spicer responding to the initial barb, about working for a fascist, by smiling and saying: “We have a great country.”
Shree Chauhan, the founder of an education start-up, then asks him: “Have you helped with the Russia stuff – are you a criminal as well? Have you committed treason, too, just like the president?”
“What can you tell me about Russia, Mr. Secretary?” the questioner persists.
Sean Spicer then walks away saying: “Thank you very much,” while Shree Chauhan repeats: “You know you work for a fascist, right?”
In a blog post, Shree Chauhan wrote that she is an American citizen who was born and raised in the United States.
She said she was “stunned” by the press secretary’s comment, writing: “That is racism and it is an implied threat.”
Shree Chauhan, who is the daughter of immigrants, acknowledged that she was “impolite” in her comments to the Trump aide.
She said she wanted to seize the “enormous opportunity… to get answers without the protections normally given to Mr. Spicer”.
Shree Chauhan hit back at her online critics, writing on Twitter: “I have clear feelings for the man who is a fascist’s spokesperson. Nazis weren’t stopped with niceties.”
It has been claimed that Sean Spicer’s remark – “it’s such a great country that allows you to be here” – may have meant it’s great that Americans can approach presidential aides even while they are out shopping.
Shree Chauhan has rejected that interpretation, saying that Sean Spicer should have said “it’s such a great country that allows dissent” if that was what he meant.
A house on the shore of Lake Ontario was completely encased in ice after cold weather hit New York State.
The home was captured by a local photographer after being battered by water whipped up from the lake by freezing winds.
John Kucko said many people on social media refused to believe the images were genuine.
Photo John Kucko
The photographer said he was “amazed at how many people think I sprayed foam on the place” and posted video footage as proof.
John Kucko said he found the house after being “tipped off” by a local and “was on a mission to find the place before sunrise.”
A frigid windstorm last week in New York was strong enough to knock out power to tens of thousands of people. Many were still without power days later.
The state remains subject to a blizzard warning from the US National Weather Service, with 12 to 20 inches of snow expected in New York City and surrounding areas on March 13 and 14.
Our health is incredibly important- after all, we only get one body and one life. And to live the best one possible we need to stay strong and healthy. But with such busy lives and schedules, how many of us can really get in an hour at the gym before work- and with so little time are you really going to get chance to cook healthy food from scratch each evening? Actually, living well doesn’t have to be difficult, and there’s plenty of hassle free things you can do for better health. Here are just a few of them.
Find An Activity You Love
Exercise is hard work, but it shouldn’t feel like punishment. If it takes everything you have to drag yourself to the gym or to go outside and run, then it’s probably not going to be a long-term thing. The trick is to find something you enjoy. It could be swimming, a spin class, martial arts- anything you life. If you can rope some friends into coming along, you get the social element as well as exercise, so you effectively kill two birds with one stone.
You could find out more information about why this is beneficial on livescience.com. Either way, it’s perfect when you lead a busy life.
Swapping one thing out for another takes very little effort, but could do your body a huge favour. Instead of smoking, you could try vaping, this doesn’t burn tobacco, so you get a hit of nicotine without any of the toxic chemicals in cigarettes. You can find more info and buy the equipment on sites like lizardjuice.com. Instead of eating white bread, pasta and rice which sends your blood sugar soaring and lacks in fibre, you could switch to wholemeal instead. These are good for your heart and digestive system, keep you fuller longer and your blood sugar stable. Eating organic instead of regular produce is another easy switch. A good rule of thumb is if you eat the skin (apples, grapes, tomatoes) go organic. If you don’t (melons, bananas, oranges) you don’t need to. By doing this, you avoid harmful pesticides which are linked to all kinds of cancers and diseases such as dementia.
Batch Cook
Healthy food generally requires prepping and cooking. Unlike convenience food which is all ready to heat up and go (but at the cost of added salt, sugar, oils and chemicals) when you’re making things yourself it does involve effort. One way you can get around this is to batch cook meals. Make a huge portion and then divide it into individual Tupperware containers and pop in the freezer. This way you have your own, healthy home cooked meals and know exactly what’s gone into them. Stews, bolognese, curry and chilli all freeze well- sites such as jamieoliver.com have more ideas. You could spend one day a week making a couple of different meals, then you have dinners for ages with no additional cooking or hassle.
Would you try any of these hassle-free tips for better health?
Carlos the Jackal, who was behind a series of attacks in France in the 1970s and 80s, is on trial again over a deadly shopping center attack in Paris.
The Venezuelan man, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, is already serving two life terms for several killings in the name of Palestinian and communist causes.
Two people were killed and 34 others were injured in the attack.
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer, Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, said the trial was a waste of time and money.
“What exactly is the point of having a trial so long after the events?” she said.
However, Georges Holleaux, a lawyer representing the victims, said the families relished the chance to see him in court.
“The victims have been waiting so long for Ramirez to be judged and convicted. Their wounds have never healed,” he said.
In a newspaper interview which he later disavowed, Carlos the Jackal allegedly said he had carried out the attack in a bid to persuade France to release a Japanese communist militant.
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez was dubbed Carlos the Jackal by the press, named after the fictional terrorist in the 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel, The Day of the Jackal, which was turned into a popular movie.
Born in Venezuela, Carlos the Jackal was considered one of the most notorious political terrorists of the 1970s and 80s.
By the age of 24, he had joined the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and began his training as a militant revolutionary.
A few years later, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez launched his first attack – on Joseph Edward Sieff, the then president of the Marks and Spencers retail chain in London. Sieff, a prominent Jewish figure, survived a gunshot wound to the head.
The self-professed “professional revolutionary” has since been found guilty of four bomb attacks in Paris and Marseille in 1982 and 1983, which killed 11 people and injured 150.
Carlos the Jackal was first convicted by a French court 20 years ago, and again in 2011 and 2013. If convicted of first degree murder charges, he could get a third life sentence.
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez was arrested in the Sudanese capital in 1994 by elite French police, 20 years after the first attack for which he was accused.
Congressman Steve King has sparked a backlash on social media after tweeting his support for the Dutch anti-Islam politician, Geert Wilders.
The senior Republican tweeted on March 12: “Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny.”
“We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies,” he added.
The Republican Representative of Iowa is a strong advocate of putting a stop to birthright citizenship.
All children born in the United States currently get citizenship under the constitution, including the children of families living in America illegally.
Image source Flickr
Steve King has pushed for radical reform of the interpretation of the 14th amendment of the US constitution so that it no longer gives the children of undocumented migrants the right to a US passport.
His comments led to accusations that he was “openly peddling white nationalism”.
Geert Wilders, whose populist Freedom Party is expected to do well in Dutch parliamentary elections on March 15, has been under 24-hour police protection for more than a decade due to death threats.
The anti-Islam politician was found guilty of hate speech over his promise to reduce the number of Moroccans in the Netherlands in 2016, but no penalty was imposed.
A crush at a large open-air rock concert in Argentina killed two people and injuring several others.
Saturday night’s concert in Olavarria turned dangerous after the crowd rushed towards the stage at the end of the performance.
According to organizers, over 250,000 fans attended the concert by popular performer Indio Solari and his band – many more than initially expected.
The local mayor said the situation “got out of hand” due to the high numbers.
Indio Solari stopped performing several times, and urged security to help fans who had fallen.
At one point, the singer said: “Has someone fainted? What is going on there? There are people on the floor, please! Security! Get up, please, get them out of here.”
