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Fidel Castro Death: Ladies in White Call Off Traditional Sunday Protest

Diane A. Wade
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Fidel Castro Death: Ladies in White Call Off Traditional Sunday Protest

Cuba’s dissident group The Ladies in White has called off its traditional protest for the first time in 13 years following Fidel Castro’s death.

The group says the decision is to avoid tensions.

The Ladies in White, formed by wives of jailed dissidents, has long defied a protest ban in Cuba with a weekly march.

Fidel Castro died on November 25 at the age of 90. Flags are flying at half mast as Cuba observes nine days of mourning.

From November 28, people will be able to pay their respects at memorials and rallies before Fidel Castro’s ashes are taken to Santiago de Cuba where he launched his bid for power.

Ladies in White members were detained during a protest march in Cuba

A mass public ceremony is planned at Havana’s Revolutionary Square on November 29.

There have been further celebrations in Miami where many anti-Castro Cuban exiles and their families have settled.

Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 and ushered in a Communist revolution.

Supporters say Fidel Castro returned Cuba to the people, and praise him for some of his social programs, such as public health and education.

Critics call him a dictator, who led a government that did not tolerate opposition and dissent, accused of numerous alleged human rights abuses.

The regular Sunday march of the Ladies in White is a rare expression of dissent largely tolerated by the government.

The women march in silence through the streets of Havana following Mass at a Roman Catholic Church, asking for the release of political prisoners and for human rights to be respected.

“We’re not going to march today [Sunday] so that the government does not take it as a provocation and so that they can pay their tributes,” the group’s leader, Berta Soler, said.

“We respect the mourning of others and will not celebrate the death of any human being.”

In a tweet reacting to Fidel Castro’s death, the Ladies in White said: “Fidel Castro has died, may God forgive him, I WON’T.”

Cuban authorities say the Ladies in White are in the pay of the United States and form part of Washington’s “decades-old effort to undermine Cuba’s socialist revolution”.

The government says there are no political prisoners in Cuba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgcDBwn3r88

New Orleans Shooting: Ten People Shot on Bourbon Street

Nancy Clayson
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New Orleans Shooting: Ten People Shot on Bourbon Street

At least one person has been killed and nine others injured in a shooting in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

According to police, the gunman opened fire shortly before 01:40 local time at the corner of Bourbon and Iberville streets.

Image source WDSU
Image source WDSU

Police Superintendent Michael Harrison told a news conference the victims were eight men and two women, aged 20 to 37.

Michael Harrison said two men were arrested on firearms charges – one of them a shooting victim.

He said police do not know what motivated the shooting, and that investigations were ongoing.

Michael Harrison added that the Bourbon Street area, which is full of bars and popular with tourists, had an increased police presence at the time due to the Bayou Classic, an annual college football game taking place the night before at a nearby stadium.

NOPD had made eight other firearms arrests over the past 24 hours, Michael Harrison said.

The man killed in the shooting died in hospital, where the other nine victims remain in various conditions.

This is the second mass shooting on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street in less than three years.

Wisconsin Recount: Donald Trump Attacks Hillary Clinton

Diane A. Wade
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Wisconsin Recount: Donald Trump Attacks Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump has attacked Hillary Clinton over her campaign’s support for a recount of votes in Wisconsin.

The president-elect reminded his Democratic rival that she had already conceded, and published remarks from the presidential debates in which she had urged an acceptance of the poll results.

Hillary Clinton was then reacting to Donald Trump’s refusal to respect the outcome.

The recount in Wisconsin was initiated by Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein.

Wisconsin was narrowly won by Donald Trump.

Photo CBS News
Photo CBS News

Jill Stein also wants recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania, citing “statistical anomalies”.

She reportedly wants to be sure computer hackers did not skew the poll in favor of Donald Trump.

Concerns over possible Russian interference had been expressed in the run-up to the vote.

The US government has said Russian state actors were behind hacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC), a claim denied by Moscow.

Results would need to be overturned in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania to alter the outcome of the November 8 election – something analysts say is highly unlikely.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign has said it will participate in Wisconsin’s recount.

Posting on Twitter, Donald Trump said the recount decision was “sad”.

“So much time and money will be spent – same result!” he said.

The president-elect had earlier accused Jill Stein of trying to “fill her coffers with money” on the pretext of asking for donations towards a recount.

Jill Stein’s website says more than $6 million has already been raised toward a $7 million target. It says this is enough to fund the recounts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

The deadline for the petition for the recount in Wisconsin was November 25, while Pennsylvania’s deadline is November 28, and Michigan’s is November 30.

Michigan is yet to declare its final results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8qii_iA5SQ

Donald Trump Describes Wisconsin Vote Recount as Scam

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Describes Wisconsin Vote Recount as Scam

Donald Trump has described the Wisconsin vote recount as a “scam”.

The president-elect, who narrowly won Wisconsin, said the results “should be respected instead of being challenged or abused”.

Green Party’s Dr. Jill Stein had initiated the recount. She also wants recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania, citing “statistical anomalies”.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign has said it would participate in Wisconsin’s recount.

Results would need to be overturned in all three states to alter the outcome of the November 8 presidential election.

In a statement released by his transition team on November 26, Donald Trump accused Jill Stein of trying to “fill her coffers with money” on the pretext of asking for donations towards a recount.

Photo AP
Photo AP

“The people have spoken and the election is over,” the statement said.

Jill Stein defended her recount initiative, telling CNN that “the point to drive home here is that having a secure elections process benefits us all”.

The Green Party’s candidate also suggested that she was open to looking at recounts in other states – not just Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton campaign’s general counsel, Marc Elias, said the camp and outside experts had been “conducting an extensive review of election results, searching for any signs that the voting process had been tampered with”.

Marc Elias said there was no evidence to conclude the election had been sabotaged, but “we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported”.

He noted that the number of votes separating Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the closest of the three states – Michigan – “well exceeds the largest margin ever overcome in a recount”.

However, Marc Elias said the campaign would join in “on principle” in the Midwestern states if Dr Stein followed through on her promise.

Jill Stein reportedly wants to be sure computer hackers did not skew the poll in favor of Donald Trump.

Concerns over possible Russian interference had been expressed in the run-up to the vote.

The US government has said Russian state actors were behind hacks on the Democratic National Committee, a claim denied by Moscow.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said it had received recount petitions, and the process would begin after Jill Stein’s campaign had paid the fee, which the commission was still calculating.

Jill Stein’s campaign needs to raise millions of dollars to cover the fees for the vote recount in all three states.

Her website says nearly $6 million has already been raised toward a $7 million target. It says this is enough to fund the recounts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

The deadline for the petition for the recount in Wisconsin was November 25, while Pennsylvania’s deadline is November 28, and Michigan’s is November 30.

Michigan is yet to declare its final results.

Wisconsin provides only 10 electoral votes in the crucial Electoral College that gave Donald Trump victory in the November 8 election.

Wins there for Hillary Clinton, as well as in Michigan (16 electoral votes) and Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR6WNh5bBwE

Powerball $421 Million Jackpot Won by Tennessee Ticket

Nancy Clayson
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Powerball $421 Million Jackpot Won by Tennessee Ticket

A Tennessee ticket had the winning numbers for a $421 million Powerball jackpot, officials said after November 26 draw.

The winning numbers were 17, 19, 21, 37, 44, with the Powerball 16. No one as yet had stepped forward to claim the prize.Powerball winning ticket January 2016

The Powerball prize grew in size since September 17, the last time anyone matched all six numbers.

The jackpot soared from $403 million to a reported $420.9 million on November 26 due to a spate of late ticket-buying.

The prize is paid out over 30 years, with the option of a lump sum payment, which officials said would add up to about $254.7 million.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

The largest ever US lottery prize of $1.6 billion was split between three winning tickets in January.

Powerball is played in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Players can either buy $2 tickets using their own numbers or have them randomly generated by a computer.

Hillary Clinton’s Campaign to Participate in Wisconsin Vote Recount

Diane A. Wade
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Hillary Clinton’s Campaign to Participate in Wisconsin Vote Recount

Hillary Clinton’s campaign will participate in a recount of election votes in Wisconsin, a lawyer said.

The recount was initiated by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, who is also seeking recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania, citing “statistical anomalies”.

Election results would need to be overturned in all three states to alter the outcome of the election.

Donald Trump, who narrowly won Wisconsin, called the move a “scam”.

He said it was a way for Dr. Jill Stein – who is funding the recount through public donations – to “fill her coffers with money”.

“The results of this election should be respected instead of being challenged and abused,” the president-elect said.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Hillary Clinton campaign’s general counsel, Marc Elias, said the Clinton team and outside experts had been “conducting an extensive review of election results, searching for any signs that the voting process had been tampered with”.

Marc Elias said there was no evidence to conclude the election was sabotaged, but “we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported”.

He noted that the number of votes separating Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the closest of the three states  - Michigan -  ”well exceeds the largest margin ever overcome in a recount”.

However, Marc Elias said the campaign would join in “on principle” in the Midwestern states if Dr. Jill Stein follows through on her promise.

Jill Stein reportedly wants to be sure computer hackers did not skew the poll in favor of Donald Trump.

Concerns over possible Russian interference had been expressed in the run-up to the vote.

The US government has said Russian state actors were behind hacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

In a statement on November 25, the Wisconsin Elections Commission said it had received two recount petitions from the Jill Stein campaign and from Rocky Roque De La Fuente, a businessman who ran unsuccessfully to be the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

Administrator Michael Haas said the count would begin in the week after Jill Stein’s campaign paid the fee, which the commission was still calculating.

Jill Stein’s campaign needs to raise millions of dollars to cover the fees for the vote recount in all three states.

According to her website, over $5.8 million has already been raised toward a $7 million target. It says this is enough to fund the recounts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Voting rights lawyers John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, who urged candidates to request recounts, have said the “physical evidence” that could signal a cyber-attack needs to be closely analyzed.

However, J. Alex Halderman said the fact that the results in the three states were different from what polls predicted was “probably not” down to hacking.

The deadline for the petition for the recount in Wisconsin was November 25, while Pennsylvania’s deadline is November 28, and Michigan’s is November 30.

Michigan is yet to declare its final results.

Wisconsin provides only 10 electors in the crucial electoral college that gave Donald Trump victory in November 8 election.

Wins there for Hillary Clinton, as well as in Michigan (16 electoral votes) and Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat.

Fidel Castro Death: Donald Trump Calls Cuban Leader “Brutal Dictator”

Diane A. Wade
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Fidel Castro Death: Donald Trump Calls Cuban Leader “Brutal Dictator”

President-elect Donald Trump has said Fidel Castro was a “brutal dictator”, hours after the former Cuban leader’s death was announced.

Donald Trump, who takes office in January 20, said he hoped Cubans could move towards a freer future.

Fidel Castro came to power in 1959 and ushered in a Communist revolution. He defied the US for decades, surviving many assassination plots.

His supporters said he returned Cuba to the people. Critics called him a dictator.

Raul Castro, who succeeded him as president, announced his death on state television on November 25.

In a statement, Donald Trump said that while Cuba remained “a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve”.

Image source Flickr
Image source Flickr

The US cut ties with Cuba in 1961 amid rising Cold War tensions and imposed a strict economic embargo which remains in place more than half a century on.

Under President Barack Obama, the relationship warmed and diplomatic ties were restored in 2015.

Donald Trump roundly criticized Barack Obama’s policy on the campaign trail but made no mention of his pledge to reverse it in his statement, saying his administration would do all it could to ensure Cubans could “begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty”.

Barack Obama, meanwhile, said history would “record and judge the enormous impact” of Fidel Castro. America was extending “a hand of friendship to the Cuban people” at this time, he added.

Fidel Castro was the longest serving non-royal leader of the 20th Century. He had been retired from political life for several years, after handing power to his brother in 2006 because of illness.

He will be cremated on November 26 at a private ceremony in Havana and a period of official mourning has been declared in Cuba until December 4, when his ashes will be laid to rest in the south-eastern city of Santiago.

In Miami, where there is a large Cuban community, there have been celebrations in some parts of the city, with people banging pots and cheering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Azpx4uT5Qw

Fidel Castro Death: Cuba Declares Nine Days of National Mourning

Diane A. Wade
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Fidel Castro Death: Cuba Declares Nine Days of National Mourning

Cuba has declared nine days of national mourning following the death of former President and leader of communist revolution Fidel Castro on November 25.

Cubans will be given a chance to bid farewell to Fidel Castro in a mass gathering to be held in Revolution Square in Havana on November 29, Cuba’s Council of State has announced.

Fidel Castro’s ashes will then be taken along the “Caravan of Freedom”, the path he and his guerrilla fighters took during the Cuban Revolution.

His ashes will be laid to rest on December 4. A period of official mourning has been declared until that day.

Photo Wikipedia
Photo Wikipedia

During the official mourning period, radio and television will broadcast “informative, patriotic and historic” programs, Cuba’s Council of State announced.

Flags will fly at half mast and there will be no public events apart from those related to Fidel Castro’s death.

His ashes will be laid to rest in the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in the south-eastern city of Santiago de Cuba.

A grandiose cemetery, Santa Ifigenia was built in 1868 for the victims of the War of Independence.

It is the resting place of Cuban independence hero Jose Marti.

Fidel Castro died on November 25 at the age of 90.His death was announced last night by his brother, President Raul Castro.

 

Fidel Castro’s Death: Pope Francis Prays for Cuban Leader’s Repose

Diane A. Wade
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Fidel Castro’s Death: Pope Francis Prays for Cuban Leader’s Repose

Pope Francis said the death of Fidel Castro was “sad news”, and that he was grieving and praying for his repose.

In a message in Spanish to Cuban President Raul Castro, Pope Francis said: “I express to you my sentiments of grief.”Fidel Castro criticizes US before embassy reopening

Pope Francis met Fidel Castro during a visit to Cuba in September 2015.

Fidel Castro was a self-professed atheist but as a child he attended Catholic schools in Santiago before going on to the Jesuit-run El Colegio de Belen in Havana.

The former Cuban president and leader of communist revolution died on November 25 at the age of 90.

Fidel Castro’s death was announced last night by his brother, Raul.

South Korea Protests: Hundreds of Thousands Demand Park Geun-hye’s Resignation

Diane A. Wade
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South Korea Protests: Hundreds of Thousands Demand Park Geun-hye’s Resignation

South Korea is seeing what is thought to be the largest protests so far demanding President Park Geun-hye steps down.

Park Geun-hye is accused of allowing her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to manipulate power from behind the scenes.

She has apologized twice on national TV, but has so far resisted calls to resign.

Image source Wikimedia
Image source Wikimedia

According to protest organizers, 1.3 million people had gathered Seoul on November 26, despite cold weather and snow.

They expect another half a million protesters to turn out in other regions.

However, police put the turnout at about 260,000. About 25,000 officers were being deployed in the capital, local media said.

The protests, which began five weeks ago, are the largest in South Korea since pro-democracy demonstrations of the 1980s.

Those attending on November 26 came from a cross-section of South Korean society, with farmers, Buddhist monks and university students all involved.

Park Geun-hye, whose approval rating has dropped to 5%, apologized earlier this month for putting “too much faith in a personal relationship”, and has pledged to co-operate in an official investigation into the scandal.

South Korea’s constitution does not allow a sitting president to be prosecuted, and Park Geun-hye has 15 months left in her term.

Now that prosecutors have directly linked Park Geun-hye to the scandal, it is possible she could be impeached for breaking the law.

Prosecutors are expected to bring charges against Choi Soon-sil, along with two former presidential aides. She was arrested earlier this month.

Choi Soon-sil is accused of trying to extort huge sums of money from South Korean companies, and suspected of using her friendship with President Park Geun-hye to solicit business donations for a non-profit fund she controlled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI7azXyveug

Fidel Castro Dead: Cuba’s Former President and Leader of Communist Revolution Dies Aged 90

Diane A. Wade
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Fidel Castro Dead: Cuba’s Former President and Leader of Communist Revolution Dies Aged 90

Fidel Castro has died at the age of 90, his brother, Cuban President Raul Castro, has announced in an unexpected late night broadcast on state TV.

Raul Castro said: “The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening.”

Fidel Castro was Cuba’s former president and leader of the Communist revolution.

He ruled the country as one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul Castro took over in 2008.

Rau Castro’s supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. But he was also accused of suppressing opposition.

Ashen and grave, the president told the nation that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated on November 26.Fidel Castro criticizes US before embassy reopening

There would now be several days of national mourning in Cuba.

Throughout the Cold War, Fidel Castro was Washington’s bête noire.

An accomplished tactician on the battlefield, Fidel Castro and his small army of guerrillas overthrew the military leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959 to widespread popular support.

Within two years of taking power, Fidel Castro declared the revolution to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied Cuba firmly to the Soviet Union.

Yet, despite the constant threat of a US invasion as well as the long-standing economic embargo on Cuba, Fidel Castro managed to maintain a communist revolution in a nation just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

Despised by his critics as much as he was revered by his followers, Fidel Castro outlasted ten US presidents and defied scores of attempts on his life by the CIA.

In April 2016, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of Cuba’s Communist Party congress.

He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people “will be victorious”.

“I’ll soon be 90,” he said, adding that this was “something I’d never imagined”.

“Soon I’ll be like all the others, to all our turn must come,” Fidel Castro said.

Fidel Castro temporarily handed over the power to his brother in 2006 as he was recovering from an acute intestinal ailment.

Raul Castro officially became Cuba’s president in 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i110M8pJ-y0

Jill Stein Files for Wisconsin Vote Recount

Diane A. Wade
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Jill Stein Files for Wisconsin Vote Recount

Wisconsin Elections Commission has received a request for a recount of the votes in the state narrowly won by Donald Trump on November 8.

The request was filed by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

Dr. Jill Stein has also pledged to file vote recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

However, a win by Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin alone would not overturn Donald Trump’s lead – it provides only 10 votes in the crucial electoral college that gave Trump victory.

If Hillary Clinton wins in Wisconsin, Michigan (16 electoral votes) and Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat.

“The Commission has received the Stein and Del La Fuente recount petitions,” Wisconsin Elections Commission tweeted.

Image source Flickr
Image source Flickr

It added that details would be released shortly.

Meanwhile, Jill Stein tweeted that Wisconsin recount would begin next week. November 25 was the deadline for the request.

Her campaign needs to raise millions of dollars to cover the fees for the vote recount in all three states.

Jill Stein’s website says nearly $5.3 million has already been raised toward a $7 million target. It says this is enough to fund the recounts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Voting rights lawyers who urged candidates to request recounts, John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, have said the results need to be closely analyzed.

The fact that the results in the three states were different from what polls predicted was “probably not” down to hacking, J. Alex Halderman said. Concerns over possible Russian interference had been expressed in the run-up to the vote.

“The only way to know whether a cyber-attack changed the result is to closely examine the available physical evidence ,” he wrote.

Pennsylvania’s deadline is November 28, and Michigan’s is November 30.

According to officials, there was no evidence of election tampering in the three states where Donald Trump had razor-thin victories over Hillary Clinton.

The Republican’s camp has made no public comments on the recounts issue.

Donald Trump won 290 electoral votes in the November election, while Hillary Clinton had 232 votes.

Michigan is yet to declare final results.

The Cost of Being an Average Joe in America

Clyde K. Valle
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The Cost of Being an Average Joe in America

During the 2016 presidential election both candidates discussed turning around the economy. It was the one topic that all Americans seemed to agree on. In 2014, the average American family earned $53,657 a year. CNN Money reports that this was the third year that the median household income stagnated. As Americans were not seeing a speedy recovery (we seem to forget the lesson of The Tortoise and the Hare) despite “[the] improving economy and falling unemployment [rate]…” they voted for someone who promised to cut their taxes in half and bring back jobs, but it’s not that easy.

Bills, Loans and Debt—Oh My!

According to U.S. News and World Report, there are five things preventing Americans from keeping their heads above water, we’re going to take a look at four:

  1. Student Loan Debt

Close to 70 percent of four-year degree graduates are in debt, including the writer of this article that you’re currently reading. The federal student loan balance is over $1.1 trillion and has quadrupled over the last decade. American adults aged between 18-34 years old are unable to buy a house, bringing the mortgage shares of this age group down to a 30-year low. Young people are unable to move out of their parents’ house upon graduation, with 36 percent still living with their parents as of 2012.

  1. Credit Card Debt

With the average credit card interest rate being just over 15 percent, it’s no wonder the average American household owes an average of $7,281 in debt, but, excluding the households that don’t carry debt, the average outstanding balance quickly spikes to $15,609. Time Magazine reports that it is in fact unusual for Americans to pay off their credit card bill in full. As the remaining credit card balance increases, Americans find it harder and harder to pay the bill at all.

Image source Flickr
Image source Flickr

Let’s breakdown how Americans are spending their money annually:

  • Food: $6,602
  • Housing: $17,148
  • Transportation: $9,004
  • Entertainment: $2,482
  • Healthcare: $3,631

This comes to a total of $38,867. Now subtract this number from the average American family’s take-home pay, and you have $14,790 leftover. What if you experience an accident? What if your car is totaled? What if your house burns down? What if your apartment is burgled and vandalized? You can’t prevent accidents from happening. If you forgo insurance to pay for other things, can you afford the repairs and replacements?

While there are services out there that offer less than the average cost of auto, homeowners and renters insurance, bills are still bills. To afford what we need, we need to examine closely what it is we’re spending our money on.

  1. Über Consumerism

Every time Apple comes out with a new commercial about the latest iPhone, you might find yourself listing off reasons as to why you need to upgrade your plan to get it. When your friend gets a new car, you might question why you’re still driving a 2005 Honda Accord. The idea of needing the newest and best thing now is what gets us into trouble. We swipe our cards for purchase before we understand what it is we’re really getting into: bigger bills, more debt.

  1. Car Loan Debt

It’s okay to drive a vehicle that is 10-years-old. If it has low mileage and you perform regular maintenance checks, your car is going to continue to purr like a kitten for years to come. Why would you trade in a perfectly good vehicle for a newer model? Some argue it’s for the better safety features, others argue it’s because it won’t be long before parts stop being made for your car, making maintenance impossible. Here’s the thing: car loans are rising and the value of your vehicle depreciates over time. Is it really worth getting a $25,000 loan when your car won’t be worth even that in two years?

It costs money to live, but you shouldn’t be drowning in debt. Take care of yourself by taking care of your finances.

The Top 5 Attractive and Economical City Business Cars

Clyde K. Valle
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The Top 5 Attractive and Economical City Business Cars

Many people who conduct business in cities struggle to find the right vehicle. They will want a car that looks professional and portrays the right look, but you will also want good fuel economy so that the car is affordable to run. This also enables you to zip around the city with ease. Unfortunately, city cars often do not have the best MPG despite being smaller than most automobiles.

 

Any business person looking for a smart city car with high MPG should consider the following vehicles.

 

  1. Mini Hatchback 3dr

This fantastic new hatchback from Mini is a superb choice for those looking for a stylish yet practical city business car. It has an impressive official figure of 80.7 MPG which makes it affordable to run and means you do not have to worry about finding a petrol station in the city often.

 

  1. Dacia Sandero

The Sandero is known for being an extremely affordable car, which sometimes deters motorists. However, it is an impressive city car which is both great to drive and portrays the right look. It boasts real life fuel economy of 61.7 MPG, so it is both affordable to buy and to run. Although it is not the most exciting vehicle, it does have a certain charm to it and it will fulfil the needs of anyone using it for business.

Image source Wikipedia
Image source Wikipedia

 

  1. Fiat Panda

The Fiat Panda has a great look; it is full of character and it is terrific for town driving. Fiat is well-known for creating excellent city cars and this model is no exception as it is fun to drive and has real-life fuel economy of 61 MPG. It also features a button which lightens the steering, enabling you to easily navigate tight gaps and park with ease around the city.

 

  1. Hyundai i20

The Hyundai i20 has been receiving rave reviews and is a great choice for business use in the city. It is attractive, spacious, affordable to buy and cheap to run. The 1.4-litre diesel engine has a true MPG of 59.4 MPG. This all ensures that it is sophisticated, practical and enjoyable to drive in town environments.

 

  1. BMW i3

This superb all-electric car is superb for city use as it has agile handling, low running costs and it is extremely lightweight thanks to state-of-the-art construction techniques. Typical of BMW, it is also very sleek and sophisticated. It offers an impressive range of around 124 miles, but you can also invest in a range extender version. This features a two-cylinder petrol engine and adds another 80 miles of range. You will struggle to find a better city car for business use than the BMW i3.

Black Friday 2016: Best Deals and Offers

Nancy Clayson
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Black Friday 2016: Best Deals and Offers

The 2016 Black Friday lands on November 25.

The biggest shopping day is always the day following Thanksgiving which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Image source Pixabay
Image source Pixabay

Black Friday typically signals the beginning of the holiday shopping season. While Black Friday shopping used to be a late night to early morning venture, for better or worse many major stores now begin their Black Friday sales Thanksgiving evening as early as 5pm.

Check for the 2016 Black Friday best deals here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S3NtAcpM4g

Brazil’s President Michel Temer Named in Corruption Allegations

Diane A. Wade
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Brazil’s President Michel Temer Named in Corruption Allegations

Brazilian President Michel Temer has been accused of corruption after he allegedly pressured former Culture Minister Marcelo Calero to engage in corrupt practices.

Marcelo Calero, who stepped down last week, alleged that President Temer coerced him to help another minister in a personal business deal.

He said he was asked to allow construction of luxury apartments in a historic district of Salvador.

Marcelo Calero had previously blocked the plans. President Temer has denied the allegations.

Image source Wikimedia
Image source Wikimedia

However, he admitted talking to Marcelo Calero about the project.

Michel Temer has vowed to clean up corruption in Brazil, but has lost three ministers to corruption allegations.

The scandal involves government secretary Geddel Vieira Lima, who had bought a property in Salvador in Bahia state.

Marcelo Calero’s ministry vetoed the construction, on the grounds that the proposed building was on a heritage site.

He told the police both the president and the minister had pressured him to overturn the decision.

Earlier this week, an ethics panel decided to open an investigation into Geddel Vieira Lima over the allegations, before Michel Temer’s alleged involvement came to light.

Despite pressures to sack Geddel Vieira Lima, the president said the minister will keep his job.

Michel Temer came to power earlier this year, after former President Dilma Rousseff was impeached during a lengthy political crisis that gripped the country.

Dilma Rousseff was accused of manipulating the budget, but maintained her innocence and said that her political opponents have carried out a “parliamentary coup”.

Michel Temer has since tried to maintain a stable government, but has been plagued with corruption allegations against his own party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_CYChLdlBQ

Israel on Fire: 80,000 People Told to Evacuate Haifa

Diane A. Wade
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Israel on Fire: 80,000 People Told to Evacuate Haifa

Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate their homes as wildfires swept into Israel’s third largest city of Haifa.

The fires follow a two-month drought and are being fanned by strong winds in the north of the city.

Wildfires are also threatening homes near Jerusalem and in the West Bank.

According to Israel’s police chief, arson was suspected in some cases.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any such attacks would amount to “terror”.

“Every fire that was the result of arson or incitement to arson is terror in every way and we’ll treat it as such,” the prime minister was quoted by Haaretz newspaper as saying.

“Anyone who tries to burn parts of the state of Israel will be severely punished.”

Image source Times of Israel
Image source Times of Israel

Police chief Roni Alsheich said that if fires had been started deliberately it was “safe to assume… it is politically-motivated”.

The education minister and leader of the right-wing religious Jewish Home party, Naftali Bennett, also appeared to suggest Arab or Palestinian involvement in the fires, writing on Twitter: “Only those to whom the country does not belong are capable of burning it.”

The comments brought an angry reaction from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement, which said Israeli officials were “exploiting the fire” to accuse Palestinians.

“What is burning are our trees and our land of historical Palestine,” it said in a statement.

On social media, the Arabic-language hashtag #Israel_on_fire began trending, with most tweets expressing pleasure over the outbreak.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Channel 10 TV news that eight people had been arrested.

Gilad Erdan said arson was suspected in about half of the fires and police had found “flammable materials and liquids poured in certain areas”.

“We need to be prepared for a new type of terror,” he added.

According to Israeli media, the Shin Bet internal security agency was involved in the investigation.

Meanwhile, hundreds of military reservists have been called up to help battle the three-day outbreak of fires.

Haifa city council said several neighborhoods will be without electricity overnight.

People loaded up supermarket trolleys with belongings, while schools, kindergartens, universities and an old people’s hospital were evacuated.

More than 130 people have been taken to hospital with minor injuries, mainly from smoke inhalation, but most were later discharged, Haaretz reported.

Two prisons near Haifa have also been evacuated.

Highway 443 – which links Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, crossing through the West Bank – was closed to morning traffic on November 24 as another blaze reached the city of Modi’in.

Homes and cars were damaged, and 300 students were evacuated from a school in Talmon, an Israel settlement in the occupied West Bank, police said.

Firefighters have been battling fires in several locations since November 22 and forecasters are warning that the dry conditions and strong winds are likely to continue until early next week.

Several countries – including Cyprus, Russia, Italy, Croatia and Greece – have sent help and equipment, including aircraft, to help tackle the blazes.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu said officials were also contacting the US company which operates a huge firefighting plane known as the “Supertanker”.

What Are the Unique Challenges Faced by Charities When Driving Productivity?

Clyde K. Valle
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What Are the Unique Challenges Faced by Charities When Driving Productivity?

When we think about charitable organisations, we always consider their purpose and the people that they aspire to help on a daily basis. As they are not businesses, however, we often overlook the fact that they need to generate money in order to fund their endeavours, raise awareness and affect lives across the globe.

 

More specifically, there are considerable gaps in knowledge regarding the challenges facing charities and the ways in which they leverage the money that has been entrusted to them. So while the UK’s charity sector is worth a staggering £60 billion each year, many nonprofits struggle to deploy this money in a way that drives productivity and promotes their message.

Image source Pixabay
Image source Pixabay

 

3 Challenges Facing Charities and How They Can Overcome Them

 

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the key financial challenges that face charities as they look to create productive and successful campaigns. These include: –

1. The Failure To Manage Finances Professionally

 

The nonprofit sector is notoriously complex and constantly changing, particularly in terms of compliance and the need for transparent financial management practices. These skills usually come at a cost, however, while it can be difficult to source service providers with the necessary expertise to deal with charitable organisations.

 

Fortunately, outlets such as Just Accountants have a team of accountants who are well-versed in the needs of nonprofit organisations, from the cultivation of a viable infrastructure to the deployment and everyday management of funds. This will not only drive transparency and compliance, but it will also optimise productivity and ensure that as much money as possible is committed to an underlying cause.

2.The Issue of Administration Costs

 

Unfortunately, the vast majority of charitable communications were historically sent by letter, which incurred numerous administration costs in terms of creation and distribution. This instantly deterred potential contributors, many of whom were unsure as to how much of their money would be used by the organisation to cover their costs.

 

Thankfully, the adaptation of email and more recently social media has enabled proactive charities to negate this issue, primarily by using the global reach of channels such as Facebook and Twitter to inspire, engage and raise awareness. These flexible and freely accessible channels help nonprofits to reduce operational costs without compromising on their message, ensuring that they can raise huge sums of money and reinvest this into their chosen cause.

3. The Motivation of Advocates and Ambassadors

 

Aside from the power and reach of technology, the typical nonprofit organisation is only ever as effective as the people who represent it. These individuals must be strongly motivated and engaged with the cause if they are to help the charity to achieve its goals, but nonprofits lack the financial resources or infrastructure to pay the individuals who work for them.

 

Charities must therefore learn invaluable lessons from the worlds of business and commerce, where financial incentives have gradually become less impactful over time. Instead, modern employees are motivated by job security and the ability to add value to a business, as this delivers greater satisfaction and more tangible rewards. Charities must therefore ensure that their volunteers do not become mired in everyday administration and nonprofit bureaucracy, as they instead empower them as influential advocates of a powerful and impactful message.

Jill Stein Seeks Election Recount in Key States

Diane A. Wade
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Jill Stein Seeks Election Recount in Key States

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein looks likely to spur a last-minute recount of part of the result of the election.

Donald Trump narrowly beat Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin, but two voting rights experts say the result needs to be more closely analyzed.

Jill Stein says she has gathered enough money to fund a recount in Wisconsin.

There is no indication Donald Trump’s win was down to cyberhacking, one of the experts said on November 23.

One election official in Wisconsin said they are preparing for a possible recount.

On November 22, New York Magazine first reported that a group of experts, led by voting-rights lawyer John Bonifaz and J.Alex Halderman, the director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, had contacted Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Image source Flickr
Image source Flickr

The experts urged Hillary Clinton’s campaign to request recounts in two states narrowly won by Donald Trump – Wisconsin and Pennsylvania – as well as Michigan, where he has a small lead.

In a Medium post on November 23, J. Alex Halderman repeated concerns he has voiced in the past over the vulnerabilities of paperless voting machines.

The fact that the results in the three states were different from what polls predicted was “probably not” down to hacking, Halderman said. Concerns over possible Russian interference were expressed in the run-up to the vote.

“The only way to know whether a cyberattack changed the result is to closely examine the available physical evidence ,” he wrote.

There is a deadline for any candidates to demand a recount, and they need to pay fees to file a request.

The deadline for Wisconsin is November 25. Pennsylvania’s is November 28, and Michigan’s is November 30.

This is where Jill Stein comes in – on her website, the Green Party candidate wrote that recounts were needed “to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is”.

By yesterday, Jill Stein had raised, through a crowdfunding campaign, more than $2.5 million, enough to fund a recount request in Wisconsin. The campaign estimates that up to $7 million may be needed to pay for recounts in all three states.

Unofficial results from Wisconsin showed Donald Trump won by only 27,000 votes, media in the state say.

Jill Stein won only 1% of the votes in Wisconsin.

Before then, Wisconsin had gone with the Democrats for seven elections running.

A Clinton victory in Wisconsin alone would not have been enough to overturn Donald Trump’s lead – it provides only 10 votes in the crucial electoral college that gave him victory. But wins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat.

The Wisconsin State Journal quoted the state’s election commission director Michael Haas as saying that the organization had not seen “any reason to suspect that any voting equipment has been tampered with”.

The commission was now preparing for a recount, Michael Haas told the Journal, adding that such a move would be “unprecedented”.

Thanksgiving 2016: Aerial Footage of LA Massive Traffic Jam Goes Viral

Nancy Clayson
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Thanksgiving 2016: Aerial Footage of LA Massive Traffic Jam Goes Viral

Images of a massive traffic jam, captured during the great Thanksgiving getaway in southern California have gone viral.

A news helicopter captured the miles-long gridlock on the I-405 in the Los Angeles area on November 22.

Image source ABC News
Image source ABC News

Almost 49 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving Day.

That’s a million more than 2015, and the most since 2007, according to the American Automobile Association.

Some social media users said it looked like the I-405 – which is no stranger to congestion – had been decorated with Christmas lights.

Another called the gridlock “the Most Epic Mannequin Challenge EVER!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnGlYG8UjFk

New Ancient City Unearthed in Egypt

James J. Williams
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New Ancient City Unearthed in Egypt

An ancient city that dates back more than 5,000 years, containing houses, tools, pottery and huge graves has been unearthed in Egypt.

The city lies by the river Nile, close to the Temple of Seti the First in Abydos.

According to experts, the size of the 15 newly discovered graves indicates the high social standing of those buried.

Image source Wikimedia
Image source Wikimedia

It is believed the city was home to important officials and tomb builders and would have flourished during early-era ancient Egyptian times.

Archaeologists say the discovery could be a boost for Egypt’s struggling tourism industry which has been in the doldrums since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011.

They have made a range of finds in the newly-discovered city including buildings, shards of pottery and tools.

It is believed that this location was home to important officials and tomb builders who may have been engaged in the construction of royal graves in the nearby sacred city of Abydos – a place of many temples, and a capital in an early period of ancient Egyptian history.

The discovery comes at a time when Egypt is trying to re-energize its hugely important tourism industry, which has suffered badly as a result of protracted political turmoil.

Officials quoted in the Egypt Independent said the discovery was made by an archaeological mission that belongs to the country’s Antiquities Ministry, and not a foreign group.

Tokyo Records Its First November Snowfall Since 1962

Nancy Clayson
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Tokyo Records Its First November Snowfall Since 1962

Japan’s capital is experiencing its first November snowfall in 54 years.

The last time it snowed in Tokyo in November was in 1962.

Photo Japan Times
Photo Japan Times

Tokyo residents were taken by surprise, as the temperatures around this time of the year usually range from 10C to 17C.

It is the first time fallen snow has been seen on the ground in Tokyo in November since records started to be taken in 1875.

The snow, caused by an unusual cold front over the Japanese capital, caused slight delays on public transport

According to the Japan Times, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also warned of possible icy roads, snow on electric wires and trees, and the collapse of plastic greenhouses.

China Power Plant Collapse Kills at Least 40 People in Fengcheng

Nancy Clayson
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China Power Plant Collapse Kills at Least 40 People in Fengcheng

A power plant collapse has killed at least 40 people in China’s Jiangxi province.

The accident took place in Fengcheng where a cooling tower was under construction.

Photo XHnews
Photo XHnews

According to China’s Xinhua news agency, there were a number of people still trapped at the scene.

Jiangxi province’s fire services said 32 fire trucks and 212 soldiers had been deployed.

A total of 68 people were at the construction site at the time of the accident.

Images posted by Chinese media showed iron pipes and concrete slabs lying on the ground inside the large cooling tower.

According to Jiangxi Daily, two 550ft-high cooling towers were being built at the site as part of a project to add two 1,000-megawatt coal-fired power units to the power plant.

The project will cost 7.67 billion yuan ($1.11 billion) .

Fatal accidents are common at industrial sites in China and there have been growing demands for more stringent safety standards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLhvXhOZYwE

Donald Trump’s First Thanksgiving Address

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump’s First Thanksgiving Address

In his Thanksgiving address, Donald Trump has called for national unity.

In the wake of what the president-elect called a “long and bruising” election campaign he said emotions in the country were raw.

The time had come, Donald Trump said, “to begin to heal our divisions” but added that “tensions just don’t heal overnight”.

Earlier the president-elect announced the appointment of two women to his cabinet, both of whom had been fiercely critical of him during the presidential campaign.

In his Thanksgiving address, Donald Trump acknowledged the bitterness still remaining after the bruising election campaign: “It doesn’t go quickly, unfortunately, but we have before us the chance now to make history together to bring real change to Washington, real safety to our cities, and real prosperity to our communities, including our inner cities.”

On November 23, Donald Trump announced that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was his pick for US ambassador to the United Nations, while Betsy DeVos has been chosen to be secretary of education.

Image source U.S. Marine Corps
Image source U.S. Marine Corps

Both are former critics of Donald Trump, with Nikki Haley once saying she was “not a fan”, and Betsy DeVos branding him an “interloper”.

The appointments will need to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Donald Trump called Nikki Haley “a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals”.

“She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage,” he added.

Nikki Haley said she was “moved” to accept the assignment and would stay on as South Carolina governor, pending her congressional confirmation.

During the Republican primaries, Nikki Haley supported Florida Senator Marco Rubio and then Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

She also strongly attacked Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslim immigrants, describing it as “un-American”.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton’s lead over Donald Trump in the popular count of the presidential election has increased to two million votes.

Donald Trump won the election by winning a majority of the Electoral College votes, but with ballots still being counted, two weeks after Election Day, the Cook Political Report has Trump’s tally at 62.2 million and Hillary Clinton’s at 64.2 million.

It is the fifth time the winner of the popular vote has lost the election.

In 2000, Democrat Al Gore’s final lead over George W. Bush, who won the election after a prolonged legal challenge, was nearly 544,000.

The Supreme Court ultimately decided that election by awarding George W. Bush a win in the contested state of Florida.

This year, Hillary Clinton scored large tallies in states like California but Donald Trump won most of the so-called swing states, which ultimately decide the outcome of elections.

The Electoral College system favors candidates who win by a small margin in lots of states over ones that win by a landslide in just a few.

Donald Trump Names First Women for Cabinet: Nikki Haley and Betsy DeVos

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump Names First Women for Cabinet: Nikki Haley and Betsy DeVos

Donald Trump has unveiled the names of the first women in his incoming administration.

Betsy DeVos has been nominated as education secretary and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as US envoy to the UN.

Both of them are former critics of Donald Trump, with Nikki Haley once saying she was “not a fan”, and Betsy DeVos branding the Manhattan tycoon an “interloper”.

Donald Trump’s presidential primary rival Ben Carson also hinted he would soon be named for a post.

Ben Carson wrote on Facebook: “An announcement is forthcoming about my role in helping to make America great again.”

Photo AP
Photo AP

Donald Trump tweeted on November 22 that he was “seriously considering” Ben Carson for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The appointments of Nikki Haley and Betsy DeVos will need to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Donald Trump called Nikki Haley “a proven dealmaker, and we look to be making plenty of deals”.

“She will be a great leader representing us on the world stage,” he added.

Nikki Haley, 44, said she was “moved” to accept the assignment and would stay on as South Carolina governor, pending her congressional confirmation.

During the Republican primaries, Nikki Haley supported Florida Senator Marco Rubio and then Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

She also strongly attacked Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslim immigrants, describing it as “un-American”.

In response, Donald Trump had called her “very weak on illegal immigration” and said people in South Carolina were “embarrassed” by her.

Nikki Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina.

Born Nimrata “Nikki” Randhawa to Indian parents, Nikki Haley was raised in a Sikh household and now identifies as a Christian.

She was praised by members of both parties in 2015 when she ordered the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the grounds of the state capitol.

Betsy DeVos said she was honored to accept her appointment.

The billionaire Republican donor from Michigan once described Donald Trump as an “interloper” who “does not represent the Republican Party”.

Betsy DeVos also contributed to Donald Trump’s rivals – Carly Fiorina, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush – during the election race.

She previously supported the Common Core education standards that Donald Trump and many conservatives have pilloried.

Donald Trump, however, said Betsy DeVos would be “a brilliant and passionate education advocate”.

Betsy DeVos’ husband is heir to the Amway fortune, with a wealth estimated by Forbes at $5.1 billion.

So far, Donald Trump has appointed Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, Mike Pompeo for CIA director, Reince Priebus for Chief of Staff for his top team.

More announcements are expected after the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifzHRt2tiA8

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