Posts - Americans

Iran Nuclear Deal Critics Doubt U.S Can Enforce Remaining Sanctions

News

In the wake of concerns that the nuclear deal with Iran could boost its military capabilities, Obama administration officials have denied that the U.S. government has not strictly enforced arms sanctions against the middle east power.

Several high ranking officials who oppose the deal say they have doubts that the U.S. could or would maintain and enforce what sanctions will remain in place against Iran once the deal is in place, when it has not done so with previous sanctions.

The nuclear deal requires Iran to dismantle most of its nuclear power infrastructure in exchange for the removal of U.S. lead international sanctions.The lifted embargoes do not include weapons or military related imports.

The officials who do not want to be identified, say that a search of court records and interviews with senior officials show the U.S. has pursued much fewer arms embargo violations against Iran in the last year compared to previous years. The court records show that for the 2014-15 fiscal year, U.S officials filed only two charges against smugglers who had been suspected of selling weapons and associated technology to Iran.

In 2013-14 there were eight charges and in the preceding six years there was an average of 12 such cases per year.
They say the fall in prosecutions did not result from fewer attempts of breaking the arms embargo by Iran, but rather from the reluctance of enforcement agencies and prosecutors to continue committing already scarce resources when they did not know how cases would be affected under any new sanction agreements.

One of the officials says, “There’s been a precipitous drop-off. The facts are the facts – there’s no other explanation.” The official also added that there was a reticence to pursue the cases because they are so hard to prosecute and are time-consuming.

“And if we’re going to normalize things with Iran soon, people are asking, ‘Is it worth it?'” said the official

Obama administration officials say they have and will continue continue to “aggressively enforce sanctions”.

Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi says “The Justice Department continues to pursue criminal prosecutions against those that seek to circumvent U.S. sanctions involving Iran and other export controls.”

An Office of Export Enforcement senior official says it “continues to vigorously enforce sanctions on Iran” with most cases being Iran related.

Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence spokeswoman Elizabeth Bourassa says the department had enforced sanctions at the same rate for the past year and a half.

“Since the start of the negotiating period, OFAC imposed sanctions on more than 100 Iran-related individuals and entities, concluded more than 20 Iran-related enforcement actions, and assessed approximately $525 million in penalties for violations of Iran-related sanctions,” says Bourassa.

Renewed Interest Sparked For Centuries Old Sparkling Winemaking Style

News

Sporting a flavor that can be pungent and cider-like when compared to more common sparkling wines, pét-nat wines are making a comeback.

“Pétillant-naturel”, or pét-nat, is a term encompassing any sparkling wine that is bottled before the primary fermentation process has finished, known as “méthode ancestrale.” For comparison, champagnes and other sparkling wines utilize a secondary mode of fermentation through the addition of sugar and yeast.

The technique is hundreds of years old, but the name pét-nat is a term that came about in the 90s, according to wine director of Manhattan’s Contra and Wildair Jorge Riera. He states that winemakers Thierry Puzelat and Christian Chaussard looked into the method during their exploration of the French Loire Valley, “Puzelat and Chaussard were running around the Loire calling their sparkling wines ‘pét-nat,’ and from there that name just caught on and took off.”

The method has become popular in Italy, California and New York, where many wineries have begun to manufacture their own pét-nat offerings.

Because they are unfiltered, pét-nat wines can display a cloudy appearance, a fact that Brooklyn bar owner Joe Carroll believes will help bridge the divide between wine and beer consumers. At his rooftop bar Xanadu, many of his over 40 wine options are pét-nats. Carroll states, “Pét-nats show a lot of similar flavors to dry ciders and sour, funky beers, so it’s an opportunity to turn beer drinkers on to something new.”

The interest has led to many attempts at the style by California winemakers, but at Oakland’s Ordinaire wine shop, wine director Quinn Kimsey-White commented that many of them are non-starters.

“California winemakers sure are trying hard, but only a few have succeeded. One of my favorites is Twenty Five Reasons Sauvignon Blanc pét-nat from Kevin Kelley at Salinia. It’s cidery, herbal, and deeply refreshing.”

Either way, this revived practice is sure to bring some new tastebuds to the table.

Uber Continues To Grow Despite Worldwide Resistance

Finance

The popular ride-sharing app Uber is having a hard time continuing its intense pace of global expansion, as countries increasingly enact regulatory laws and competition from similar services becomes more aggressive.

Last week was a busy week for the ride-requesting service. One week ago, police raided the European headquarters of Uber, which is located in the Netherlands. In France, two of the company’s top executives faced a criminal trial. Plus, the company has recently been banned from Brazil’s capital city of Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, the major cities of London and Toronto have proposed new regulations that could hinder their services.

Uber’s alternative service known as Uber Pop, which allows people to receive rides from unregistered users of Uber has been banned in virtually all of Western Europe. In Australia, Uber is basically illegal, but the service remains popular. Major court cases are set to take place in the near future.

In Asia, Uber is facing major competition from alternative ride-sharing services and the expansion of local transportation markets. In some cases, Uber has expanded into the business of traditional car renting services. Some believe that this is the company’s response to local Asian market conditions. China in particular has not been an easy place for Uber to conquer.

Back in the United States, Uber is facing a lawsuit in California that might require contract drivers of the company to be treated as employees.

More than $7 billion of capital is invested into the service, as the company is seeking the possibly unrealistic goal of total global market share. Uber is now available in 60 countries worldwide. The company was founded in 2009. Since October of 2012, there have been at least 172 lawsuits against the company in the United States alone.

Uber might also be facing financial troubles. Leaked documents have indicated that Uber lost more than $100 million in the 2nd quarter of 2014. The company reportedly has a total fund of up to $2.5 billion to increase its expansion in China.

Many analysts say that Uber is adopting a “shock and awe strategy” that is of very high risk.

Uber has functioned in the United States by creating heavy amounts of enthusiasm and then pressuring local politicians to establish laws that enable the service to exist. It has adopted a similar strategy across seas.

The company admits that it has expanded at an extremely fast pace. However, leaders of Uber claim that if they hadn’t grown as fast as they had, clones of their services would have beaten them to the game in countries worldwide. Uber says they had to get there first.

However, some countries are not happy about Uber’s growth. Uber Pop has been banned in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Additionally, the company is appealing bans in the Netherlands and Belgium. Making matters worse is that the European Court of Justice might lay down more restrictions against Uber.

Even though Uber faces challenges worldwide, the company is still eyeing its next target. Uber wants to achieve success in China, the world’s most populated country. The company is willing to spend billions of dollars to make that happen. However, it faces competition from China’s dominant ride-sharing service, Didi Chuxing. Uber has responded by establishing a subsidy system to win over the Chinese.

While Uber’s path has not been easy, the company is doing whatever it takes to grow and succeed. It seems as if they will do whatever it takes to develop into the globe’s primary source of transportation. It remains to be seen if rules and regulations will ultimately be able to slow it down or if the company will just find the next loophole.

After Years Of Huge Growth Australian House Prices Poised For Correction

Entertainment News

There isn’t much good news on the horizon if you are an aspiring homeowner in Australia. Analysts warn that the already massive bubble in the nation’s real estate will likely get even larger, as government officials are too fearful to reverse the trend.

Sydney and Melbourne properties are estimated to be nearly 20% overvalued, according to Goldman Sachs, with Sydney prices now exceeding those in London. Furthermore, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) states that prices this year are expected to rise by almost 10%.

Strategist Kay Van-Petersen of Saxo Capital Asia worries that increasing economic instability in China could lead to a wave of capital into Australia. “The government has to try and talk it down and say it’s inflated, but at the same time all they can try and do is control the ongoing growth as best they can. If they wanted to prick it, they could, but Australia simply cannot afford to.”

China’s declining economy has led to decreasing demand for commodities produced by Australia’s mining industry. The instability in China coupled with the drop in commodity prices has led to more money moving into real estate as it seeks better returns.

As job losses continue to mount in the mining and construction industries, house prices will eventually have to follow. Australia’s central bank has already cut interest rates twice this year down to 2% and is expected to respond with further cuts.

Chinese investment in U.S. residential real estate amounted to 28% of foreign purchases in 2014, with the average price spent of $831,800.

Van Petersen noted the wise adjustment policies that have been pursued in New Zealand and Singapore markets, and stated that Australia should follow their example by dropping the property value that the current tax stamp is applied to on foreign buyers, from about AU$15 million (~$10.5 m), down to AU$1.5 million (~$1.05 m).

U.S. and Russia Spin Their Own Syrian Narratives

Entertainment News

Following the start of Russia’s military offensive in Syria Wednesday, Russian propaganda machines fired up alongside those in the U.S. as each side attempted to paint the other in a bad light.

The U.S. claims that this time we are supporting the “good” rebels in Syria, and that Russia was to blame for attacking sites in which they were located on Wednesday.

It may be time for the U.S. media to acknowledge that the situation, as it concerns Russia, is purely about power in the region. The Middle East in general is undergoing a re-alignment along Sunni-Shia lines, and has been trending that way for years now.

In Syria, that has already been demonstrated through Shia leader Bashar al-Assad’s campaign of exterminating the majority Sunni population, a fact which has helped the spread of ISIS.

In Yemen we have Iran-backed Shia Houthis fighting against Saudi Arabian backed Sunnis. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presided over the phenomenon of Baghdad’s transition of formerly mixed neighborhoods into predominantly Shia ones, defended by Shia militias. Discrimination towards Sunnis applying for government jobs in Iraq has been a common allegation, with similar behavior in academic institutions.

The idea that Putin is not aware of the current status between the two Muslim groups is naïve, and continuing to pursue such narratives will only further drop the already dim view the U.S. public holds towards both their news media and politicians generally.

U.S. officials went on to state that Russia’s involvement in Syria will only serve to produce more terrorist recruits. Radical Muslims already have more propaganda material than they know what to do with as a result of the United States’ now decade-old campaign in the region.

That fact was re-illustrated this week when U.S.-led efforts to retake Kunduz, Afghanistan resulted in at least 50 civilian casualties at the city’s main hospital.

As Russia strengthens its alignment with Iran and now Syria, it will be interesting to see how the U.S. responds in the event that Putin’s involved campaign in Syria results in an Assad victory. At least then we’ll really know who the bad guys are.

Personal Data From Millions Of Users Revealed In Massive Patreon Data Breach

News

The crowdfunding site Patreon was hacked this week as the email addresses, usernames and shipping addresses of millions of the website’s users were compromised. Patreon announced earlier this week that the personal information of roughly 2.3 million of its users had been revealed.

The information was made freely available so that anyone could download it.

The hackers have identified themselves in a readme file as the #SuperExtremeShitpostingTeam.

They have not expressed any sort of motive for the hack, except for the fact they were “doing it for the lulz”. This common internet expression means that they orchestrated the attack simply for their own amusement.

Patreon CEO Jack Conte has insisted that he is taking the situation very seriously, and he promises a very thorough investigation into the matter.

Conte wrote, “Patreon engineering has done a thorough analysis of the vulnerability that led to the breach. We are being meticulous and rigorous in the investigation, and based on conversations with dozens of advisors and security experts, I’m highly confident that we’re doing everything in our power to minimize the impact on our users.”

Users of Patreon have been recommended to change their email passwords as soon as possible in order to avoid having their personal information stolen.

Reports have stated that nearly 15 gigabytes of personal data had been posted. Security researchers are still looking into the situation in order to see what else they are able to uncover about the attack.

Patreon was founded in May of 2013 in San Francisco by musician Jack Conte and platform developer Sam Yam. The website allows artists to obtain funding from donors on either a recurring basis or per individual artworks. The website is particularly popular with users of YouTube.

The website has been featured in Forbes, Time, and Billboard magazines.

Pharma Companies Hiked The Prices Of 130 Drugs This Year And People Are Starting To Notice

Finance

Martin Shkreli, the widely condemned hedge fund executive turned pharmaceutical CEO, isn’t the only one engaged in the practice of overcharging for prescription drugs. Drug giant Pfizer has raised prices on over 130 of its medications this year, with over 75% of those drugs seeing an increase of 10% or more.

Drug companies don’t limit their bad behavior to price gouging either, with many also bribing the physicians that prescribe them.

Companies like Merck and Pfizer try to deflect any guilt by stating that insurers are responsible for negotiating the prices on drugs.

For Pfizer, the practice has paid off by adding over $1 billion in quarterly revenue between 2012 and 2015, even as it experienced a decline over that same period of $2 billion.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. experienced a contraction over the same three-year period, but by engaging in drug price increases, was able to limit its revenue decline to $280 million.

While the practice is commonplace in the industry the issue gained media traction following Shkreli’s price increase of a medication now decades old, from $13.50 per pill to $750.

In the most recent U.S. jobs report out Friday, healthcare and information were the only two sectors that gained jobs. It should be no surprise though, with banking being the only other industry that compares to pharmaceuticals when it comes to profit margins.

In 2013, Pfizer posted an astonishing 42% profit margin, and many are upset at what could be considered profiteering by these companies.

Oncologist Dr. Brian Druker of Knight Cancer Institute called out the practice, “If you are making $3bn a year on [cancer drug] Gleevec, could you get by with $2bn? When do you cross the line from essential profits to profiteering?”

In light of the fact that companies often spend more than double on marketing their drugs, than they do on development, the criticisms have weight.

Pharmaceutical companies argue that development of a patented drug may take up 10 years of the 20 patent lifespan, leaving the other 10 to make that money back. Sales can fall by up to 90% thereafter, according to Joshua Owide of the research firm GlobalData, “Unlike other sectors, brand loyalty goes out the window when patents expire.”

This Former Tesla Exec Is Looking To Disrupt The Bus Industry

Finance

Proterra, an electric vehicle startup focused on mass transit, is looking to expand the reach of electric vehicles with a new electrically powered bus. The design ditches the dirty, noisy diesel bus familiar to most city dwellers for a pleasantly quiet conveyance from Proterra.

CEO Ryan Popple pointed out the importance of the plan, “We’re taking a technology that’s used to power $100,000 sports cars, and we’re putting it into the absolute most accessible transportation asset in the country.”

The former Tesla employee explained the rationale behind the company’s choice to design the vehicle from the ground up, “I think it’s important to cut ties with the legacy technology. If you tell your engineering group one of the rules they have to stick by is they have to use all the old parts from the parts bin, you’re going to end up with a terrible product.”

The weight savings from a carbon fiber body allowed for a smaller battery system than would not have been possible with a steel frame. The lack of a large diesel engine, located at the rear of current buses, meant that the Proterra could take advantage of more even weight distribution, allowing for better handling and acceleration.

As if that weren’t enough, the carbon fiber design also allows for a more streamlined manufacturing process when compared to traditional buses, explains Popple, “They’re building buses like you’d build a house. They build a steel frame, they rivet things onto it. At our factory, we take in a composite body just like an aircraft fuselage.”

With a range of nearly 260 miles, and charging times as little as five minutes, the current estimates on the Proterra’s lifetime cost are less than those of other options like natural gas and diesel-hybrid. Average bus routes are around 130 miles, so the current design is more than capable, but Popple expects future designs to top 300 miles.

Popple explained what may be one of the most compelling facts about his firm, “I don’t know why we’re encouraging people to buy cars. It’s a terrible investment, you’re exposed to oil prices, you have insurance costs. What we should be doing is putting out low-carbon mass transit, and helping people get back to work for pennies a day as opposed to dollars.”

Proterra has sold its first vehicles to Foothill Transit in Southern California, but expects to see every diesel bus eventually replaced by an electric.

Here’s a look at Proterra’s bus of the future:

The Hottest Car Brand In America Isn’t Who You Might Suspect

Finance

The hottest car brand in America isn’t Tesla or one of Detroit’s big three: It’s quietly successful Japanese car maker Subaru, which reported a massive 28% increase in U.S. sales this September when compared to last year.

The announcement is the continuation of a trend of outcompeting rivals that dates back four years.

The sales growth numbers were only beat by Mitsubishi and Infiniti. However, these two companies were showing total vehicles sold that struggled to break the 10,000 mark, with Subaru increasing from 41,000 to over 53,000 vehicles sold.

September saw all car makers posting great sales results in part due to a change in accounting that included Labor Day sales, which were not counted in 2014.

Subaru’s repeated instances of monthly sales growth is a result of the weak yen and strong dollar. Another major factor is its plethora of SUV vehicles in a country that can’t seem to buy enough.

President of Subaru of America, Thomas Doll, stated that the success was rightly deserved. “This extraordinary success has been built on a foundation of the right product, the right positioning and most of all, a strong retail network.”

Doll went on to describe the company’s advertising shift years ago, when the focus became more about customers’ lifestyles and less about vehicle purchase programs. The company has also created philanthropic offerings for the communities surrounding its dealerships.

One of the company’s most popular models, the Forester, again received high marks for its 2016 offering, beating out the Ford Escape and Mazda CX-5. In the midst of the recent mess over Volkswagen’s emission troubles, it also held the best emissions classification from California regulators, the PZEV.

Subaru may not ever win any awards for their eye-pleasing designs, but Japanese car makers have often been known for their plain yet durable offerings.

It also doesn’t hurt that the company used to have little exposure in Midwest and Southern states, focusing on sales in Northern coastal states. Expansion in these regions coupled with the company’s relatively small size allowed Subaru to easily exceed the growth rates of its rivals.

Everyday Russians Are Scared And Skeptical About Military Action In Syria

Entertainment News

Russian citizens expressed dismay this week that their nation may soon be embroiled in a long and unwinnable conflict, with the memory of Russia’s war in Afghanistan (1979-89) still not forgotten.

The fall of the Soviet Union left many Russian people on the wrong side of a “line on a map” as Putin explained in a 60 Minutes interview last Sunday. That, he explained, is why many viewed his decision to annex Crimea as the right one.

On Syria, however, they are having their doubts.

Many are worried that a military engagement in Syria may lead to more terror attacks at home, and the fear appears to be warranted. In December 2013 a suicide bombing killed 34 people and a 2002 attack on a Moscow theater resulted in over 130 civilian deaths. Both attacks were the work of Islamic extremist groups.

Russian officials have claimed the offensive will not last more than a few months, but unless it plans on allowing the U.S. and its allies to clean up the mess once ISIS is defeated in Syria, it would be wise to doubt such statements.

All one has to do is look at the United States’ results in Iraq, which now finds itself under attack from Kurdish militias, in addition to ISIS.

Putin may have moved on the Syria question so quickly in order to spend the political capital he gained from his handling of the Ukraine invasion. Another factor may have been the U.S. coalition’s limited success in countering ISIS in the region.

If the coalition fails to stop the spread of ISIS, as it seems to be doing, Russia’s geographical proximity puts it in more danger than the U.S.

Yet despite the tactical considerations for involvement in Syria everyday Russians still remain deeply skeptical of another war.

“We are scared about the repercussions,” said Natalia, a retired 52-year-old, at Lyubyanka metro station, one of the sites of twin suicide bombings in 2010 that killed 39 people.

“Everyone remembers what happened here, right here at this station. Only a fool would say he wasn’t scared,” she said. “It’s scary what’s happening in Syria.”

A Colombian Drug Kingpin With A $5 Million Bounty On His Head Was Just Assassinated

Entertainment News

A prominent drug lord from Colombia, who had been targeted by investigators in the United States, has been killed. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed the news on Friday.

Victor Ramon Navarro-Cerrano was the ringleader of a massive cocaine operation that spanned North America and Europe. Colombian intelligence forces are said to have been responsible for his death.

Prior to his death a $5 million reward was posted for information leading to his eventual arrest and conviction.

President Santos announced the death on Twitter.

In his Tweets, Santos congratulated the Colombian intelligence forces on their success. He went on to say that those involved in the drug trade will eventually be captured or killed.

The President referred to Navarro-Cerrano as “Megateo,” which was one of the drug lord’s nicknames.

However, Santos did not reveal the details of the drug lord’s death.

Navarro-Cerrano was 39 years old and the leader of a major cocaine enterprise that was known as Librado Mora Toro Front of the El Ejercito Popular de Liberacion, or EPL.

The organization grew coca plants, operated cocaine production labs, and sold extremely large amounts of the drug to the United States, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Europe. The leaders of the gang had been sought by officials of the State Department of the United States.

According to authorities from the United States, Navarro-Cerrano also operated networks of money laundering that were responsible for relocating millions of dollars to Colombia.

The State Department of the United States wrote on their website, “Navarro-Cerrano uses his money and influence to corrupt officials in Colombia and even utilizes corrupt police officials to escort his cocaine shipments and investigate his rivals.”

In August of 2011, Navarro-Cerrano faced an indictment in Florida, and he was designated as a foreign drug kingpin by President Barack Obama under the Kingpin Act. The act denies known drug traffickers from accessing the financial system of the United States.

Designated Heritage Sites Under Threat From Resource Exploration

Entertainment News

The exploration for natural resources is posing a significant threat to Natural World Heritage Sites in Africa. More than 60% of heritage sites approved by the United Nations in Africa are under threat because of such exploration.

Additionally, almost one-third of heritage sites worldwide are in danger from resource exploration.

A report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) stated, “Our research shows that intrusion into natural World Heritage Sites is especially high in Africa, where 61% of these precious areas are subject to some form of extractive concession or activity.”

According to the report, the extraction of natural resources takes place at 25 of 41 Africans World Heritage Sites. Meanwhile, 70 of 229 designated World Heritage Sites are facing a similar threat worldwide.

CEO of the WWF in Great Britain David Nussbaum said, “We are going to the ends of the earth in pursuit of more resources. (Natural resources) are becoming more difficult and more expensive to extract.”

The report goes on to ask investors to help protect natural heritage sites by investing only in companies that conduct business responsibly.

The WWF cites the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania as one of the few remaining African World Heritage Sites that has been mostly untampered. The wildlife reserve was designated as a national heritage site in 1982.

However, legislation that was passed in 2009 permitted the extraction of resources from inside the Tanzanian wildlife reserve. Since that time, five active mines and six oil and gas extraction sites have appeared in the area. There were also a slew of more than 50 additional mining sites in the area that were once active in the region at one point or another.
“The reserve was added to the World Heritage danger list in 2014 in part due to concerns regarding extractive activities within the reserve,” said the report.

Unless humans make stronger efforts to protect the environment, heritage sites may become a thing of the past.

Unique Malware Protects Computers From Becoming Infected

Entertainment News

While botnets are usually known for infecting computers with malicious content and malware, one new botnet is working to do the opposite and protect computers from being infected.

The botnet is armed with coding that researchers have named Wifatch. Its goal is to secure devices from being attacked by hackers and becoming compromised. It is unknown who created the positive botnet.

Think of it like getting a flu shot. You get a small portion of the flu virus so that you don’t get the sickness later. In this case, electronic devices are getting their own version of the flu shot so that they don’t become infected with malicious content later.

Wifatch was first noticed by independent security researchers in November of last year. An analysis from researchers at Symantec showed that it is found on tens of thousands of devices worldwide. Most of these devices are located in China, Brazil, Mexico, and India.

Symantec researchers explained in a statement, “Once a device is infected with the Wifatch, it connects to a peer-to-peer network that is used to distribute threat updates. Wifatch’s code does not ship any payloads used for malicious activities, such as carrying out DDoS attacks, in fact all the hardcoded routines seem to have been implemented in order to harden compromised devices.”

There have been no reports of the botnet being used for any malicious purposes. Instead, this appears to be a rare case of the botnet acting in the role of a “good guy”.

While also protecting devices from malicious content, the Wifatch code additionally works by attempting to remove malware that is already installed on the devices.

There are other factors that lead researchers to believe that the Wifatch bot is on a mission of good. For instance, the program openly revealed Wifatch’s code. Debug messages have been included in the botnet’s operation to make analysis easier. There are also security measures put in place to prevent the Wifatch bot from being hijacked.

Wifatch’s source code also contains one particular quote, which was originally stated by software freedom activist Richard Stallman.

The quote reads, “To any NSA and FBI agents reading this: please consider whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden’s example.”

However, despite its seemingly positive intentions, Wifatch is still considered malware, since it infects a device without the consent of the user.

But in this case, Wifatch appears to be one instance of malware doing good rather than evil.

Major Conflict In New Mexico Over Inbred Wolf Population

Culture

Scientists from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are upset with a decision made by the Game Commission of New Mexico to deny permits to their organization that would have allowed Mexican wolves to be released onto federal land in the southwestern region of New Mexico.

FWS scientists claim that such releases are needed to diversify the gene pool of the wolf population, which has eroded over time.

Officials in New Mexico have stated that they will not allow new releases of wolves until the FWS updates its plan of recovery for the Mexican wolf.

The current plan of recovery was written in 1982.

State representatives want to know how many wolves the FWS plans to return to the wild in the long-term future. However, the FWS has not yet come up with a number.

Updating the recovery plan is most likely going to take about two years.

The FWS is considering going against the demands of the state. Federal policy mandates that the FWS consult with state agencies and comply with their permitting processes whenever they release endangered animals into the wild from captivity. This includes releases that are made on federal land.

However, there is an exception. If the agency of a state inhibits the FWS from fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, the FWS can override the decision made by the state.

In this case, the FWS has a duty to diversify the gene pool of the endangered Mexican wolf.

FWS spokesperson Jeff Humphrey said, “Our responsibility is to recover the Mexican wolf. Our recovery could be stalled, at best, by failing to be able to insert a more diverse gene pool into the existing wild population.”

The FWS is being unclear about its next move. The agency would have to come to a formal conclusion that it would be unable to save the Mexican wolf without releasing more wolves into the wild. Only once that conclusion is reached could the FWS act without approval from New Mexico.

Restoring Mexican wolves in Southwestern America has been controversial in the past. The recovery area for the wolves is national forest land that is grazed and hunted by humans. People have come into dangerous contact with the wolves.

New Mexico has been hesitant to allow the release of wolves into the state for many years. As a result, FWS agents have instead released wolves into Arizona, which also contains a recovery area.

Any wolves that roamed outside the area of recovery were either captured and kept in captivity or released back into their designated area.

Wolves that attacked cattle were often killed. Other wolves were killed by poachers.

However, once wolves were taken out of the wilderness, the gene pool of the wolf population became alarmingly reduced. This has resulted in an inbreeding problem for the wolves. Most Mexican wolves in this region of the wild are related.

Biologists from the FWS estimated last year that the population of Mexican wolves was at 109 wolves. This is double the estimated population of 2010. FWS scientists are urging the state to allow more wolves to be released to the wild while the wolf population is still small enough to manage.

The FWS was set to release wolves in New Mexico and expand their protected territory earlier this year.

However, New Mexico declined their request, stating that FWS officials have failed to provide specific criteria that must be met in order for the recovery of the Mexican wolf to be considered a success. FWS officials also failed to explain the steps that must be taken in order to achieve a successful Mexican wolf population recovery.

For now, officials at the FWS will continue to monitor the situation, and, if necessary, go against the demands of New Mexico.

Supreme Court Approval Ratings Reach Record Low

News

The Supreme Court currently has an all-time low of approval from the public, according to the most recent Gallup Poll. This comes as the Supreme Court is about to initiate its fall session.

In the most recent poll, only about 45% of American citizens stated that they approve of the country’s highest court at this time. This is the lowest level of approval since Gallup Polls began tracking the rating about 15 years ago.

While 45% percent of American citizens said that they approve of the Supreme Court, 50% said that they disapprove of the court. Another 5% of Americans said that they had no opinion on the matter.

While the percent difference between those who approve of the court and those who disapprove of the court is within the margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, this is still a historic low for approval ratings of the court.

Between 2000 and 2010, approval ratings of the Supreme Court had always been above 50%.

However, since 2010, the Supreme Court’s approval ratings have been somewhat slipping.

In terms of the approval ratings from people of specific political parties, the gap has slightly narrowed.

The most recent poll showed that 67% of Democrats approve of the court. This is down from the poll that took place in July that said that 76% of Democrats approved.

Meanwhile, 26% of Republicans currently approve of the court, up from a record low of 18% in July.

In the upcoming session, the Supreme Court is expected to address a variety of intensely debated issues, including capital punishment, affirmative action, and governmental redistricting and gerrymandering.

The most recent poll showing record low approval ratings was conducted via telephone between September 9th and September 13th. More than 1,000 American adults participated in the survey.

More Governments Conducting Investigations Into VW Scandal

Finance

The recent Volkswagen (“VW”) scandal has definitely rocked the automotive industry. Now, authorities from governments across the world are doing something about it.

The scandal was reported when it was discovered that people at VW utilized “defeat device” software to fool United States emissions tests on diesel cars into believing they met certain environmental standards. The defeat devices made sure that the actual emission levels, which were in some cases 40 times the level legally permitted in the United States, were hidden. This hidden software, which switches a vehicle’s engine to a much cleaner mode during testing, may have been installed in over 11 million cars worldwide.

The fallout has been extreme, to put it mildly. At least 482,000 cars will be recalled and VW could face penalties of greater than $18 billion in the United States alone. Already, a United States law firm indicated that it was suing the company, stating that car buyers had not gotten what they paid for. Not to mention the criminal investigations that will be conducted, led by the United States Justice Department as well as various state attorneys general.

Meanwhile, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged VW to move “as quickly as possible” to restore confidence in the company. German prosecutors indicated they were conducting an initial investigation into the vehicle testing manipulations. French Energy Minister Segolene Royal stated that French penalties would be “extremely severe” if any evidence of wrongdoing was uncovered.

Now, French prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine if VW committed “aggravated deception.” The decision was made following the results of a preliminary investigation conducted by French officials. The French inquiry will involve the public department for environment and health protection as well as the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police.

VW’s CEO, Martin Winterkorn, resigned last week amidst the scandal. Winterkorn said that he acknowledged responsibility for “irregularities found in diesel engines” but claims he did not know anything about the alleged engine manipulation. He stated that, “I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group. . . I am convinced that the Volkswagen Group and its team will overcome this grave crisis.”

Uruguay Grants Licenses To Grow Marijuana For Pharmacies

Entertainment News

Representatives from Uruguay have stated that the country has granted two licenses to companies to grow marijuana for the purpose of commercial distribution. They expect that the plant should be available in pharmacies by next year.

Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize the cultivation and distribution of marijuana. The South American country hopes the action will take power away from drug gangs. The country also hopes to make money by taxing marijuana sales.

The government of Uruguay passed the legislation almost two years ago, but it has experienced difficulties in implementing new policies. The country had originally planned to distribute licenses allowing companies to grow marijuana one year ago.

According to the head of the Uruguayan National Drug Board Juan Andrés Roballo, “Twenty-two proposals were presented, and two licenses for production and distribution were given out.”

The two companies that were selected were Symbiosys and Iccorp. Both are startup companies that are being financed by funding from the government of Uruguay and foreign capital. The companies are now permitted to cultivate up to 4,000 pounds of marijuana on an annual basis. The government says that they plan to provide security for the facilities of the two companies.

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica’s decision to legalize marijuana placed the small South American country on the global map, as the country became the first country in the world to outright legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The country makes the majority of its money in the agricultural sector by producing cattle.

The law allows each household in Uruguay to grow up to six marijuana plants, and users will be permitted to purchase up to 40 grams of marijuana per month at designated pharmacies. Growers and users will be required to register with the country.

Roballo said that marijuana would be for sale in the country’s pharmacies in less than eight months. The country has faced challenges in regulating and pricing marijuana.

The new policy is being closely monitored in Latin America, where the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana is widely gaining attention as a better way to end violence caused by drug trafficking than a traditional “war on drugs”.

GE Using Podcast Series To Reach Out To Younger Consumers

News

In an increased effort to raise its profile among young, tech-savvy consumers, American company, General Electric (GE) is producing an original science fiction podcast series.

GE has created a partnership with The Slate Group’s podcast network, Panoply, that will run the new series. Titled “The Message,” the series consists of an eight-episode podcast that will chronicle the attempts to decode a 70-year old message delivered from outer space. The scientists decoding the message use real ultrasound technology developed by GE, naturally.

Andy Goldberg, GE’s global creative director observed that, “It’s science fiction meets real science.” The idea for the podcast series was developed after company officials took another look at the company’s historic “GE Theater” television series airing in the 1950s and hosted by actor Ronald Reagan.

GE has decided to develop and produce its own original podcast series rather than run ads on other podcasts because it does not want the show to appear like advertising. Rather, the company wants the series to raise GE’s brand awareness among younger audiences.

The episodes, running between 40-60 minutes in length, will begin streaming October 4th. They will be commercial-free and free to download.

Goldberg did not state how much the venture is costing GE.

GE is just one company showing an interest in the possibility of using podcasts for marketing. Interest in podcasts has increased since the series, “Serial,” was aired last year. That series focused on the chronicling of a murder investigation. Golberg observed that, “It flipped a switch for us that podcasting was no longer going to be informational pieces but could be entertainment.”

Like other media innovations, podcasts are becoming a growing part of the digital marketplace. According to Edison Research, in 2014, 15% of teens and adults listened to one podcast per month. In 2015, that number has increased to 17%.

Because the medium has generated so much interest, the Interactive Advertising Bureau is actively assisting companies in promoting their podcasts to advertisers this fall.

It is likely that more companies will follow GE’s lead and develop their own podcasts rather than just run advertisements on the podcasts of others.

New Requirement For Brothel Owners In Amsterdam

Entertainment News

Business operators in Amsterdam’s infamous red light district are now being required to communicate with sex workers in the language chosen by the workers. The mandate is being put into place in order to protect the sex workers from being abused.

Some brothel owners have been refused permission to continue operations because they were unable to speak the languages of their workers.

Brothels are considered to be legal in the Netherlands, but they must be locally licensed.

Authorities are making the change in regulation in order to help prevent cases of human trafficking and sexual abuse.

The new laws have been established throughout the European Union by the European Court of Justice. However, they are most applicable to the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, which is well-known for its prominent red light district and coffee shops.

The European Court of Justice said in a statement, “The court considers it is possible to require that a brothel owner be able to communicate in the same language with the prostitutes who work there.”

The ruling comes after officials in Amsterdam did not allow new permits to be provided to the owner of a brothel who rents windows to prostitutes in the city. The court responded by stating that the decision was justified because the brothel owner was unable to speak Hungarian or Bulgarian, which are the languages used by the sex workers.

As a result of being unable to speak their languages, the owner was unable to ask them whether or not they had been trafficked or forced to sell sex. This lack of clarity made the situation illegal.

The owner of the brothel wanted to use interpreters or online translators to ask the prostitutes of their statuses, and he claimed that the ruling was discriminatory and inappropriate. However, the court rejected this claim, stating that it was not in the interest of the public.

The Netherlands and Germany legalized prostitution in 2002. In the Netherlands, sex workers are required to register at the chamber of commerce and pay taxes.

However, in recent years, officials have tried to place restrictions on the practice in order to combat the human trafficking and organized crime that came with the trade.

Reports show that about 75% of the women involved in the sex industry of the city are foreign, entering the country from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Demands For Russia To Stop Involvement In Syria Grow After Bombings Continue

Entertainment News

Russia has unleashed airstrikes against Syria for the third day in a row on Friday, and many Western leaders are quickly growing tired of the country’s involvement in the region.

Russia claims that it is targeting the Islamic State, but it is really attacking areas that are held by Syrian rebel groups. Russia is taking these actions in an effort to keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in office.

A coalition led by the United States to fight against ISIS has demanded that Russia immediately stop its attacks against targets other than ISIS.

The coalition includes the United States, major European powers, certain Arab countries, and Turkey.

The coalition said in a statement, “We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its attacks on the Syrian opposition and civilians and to focus its efforts on fighting ISIS. We express our deep concern with regard to the Russian military build-up in Syria and especially ‎the attacks by the Russian Air Force on Hama, Homs and Idlib since yesterday which led to civilian casualties and did not target (the Islamic State).”

ISIS has set up a government across an area of eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

The terrorist organization is one of many groups fighting against Syrian forces that are trying to keep President Assad in power. The United States and its allies say that Russia is using its desire to defeat ISIS as an excuse to attack groups that oppose Assad.

Russia is known to be an ally of Syria and President Assad.

Many of the Syrian rebel forces that have been attacked by Russia have received weaponry from the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently gave an address at the United Nations, urging countries to support Assad.

Meanwhile, as a result of Russian airstrikes, Friday prayers in the province of Homs in Syria were cancelled. Residents expressed concern that their mosques might be targeted. The area remains in control of Syrian rebel forces. There has been no significant pressure from ISIS forces in the area.

ISIS also reportedly cancelled its prayers.

Russia recently stated that 12 of its airstrikes hit establishments of ISIS. However, most of these attacks took place in the western and northern parts of Syria, while ISIS maintains its largest presence in eastern Syria.

However, reports do indicate that Russia has indeed conducted a small number of confirmed attacks against ISIS fighters.

Russia’s military involvement in Syria is part of a dramatic escalation of foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War, which has now lasted for more than four years.

FAA Fails to Meet Regulation Deadline Leaving Drone Laws Unclear

News

The Federal Aviation Administration has missed the deadline mandated by Congress to determine how to integrate unmanned aircrafts, commonly known as drones, into the airspace of the United States.

Congress passed the FAA Modernization Act in 2012, which gave the FAA until the end of September of 2015 to establish regulations for commercial drones in the United States.

With the start of October, that deadline has passed.

So far, the FAA has done nothing more than provide murky guidelines and regulatory patches. One small law regarding drone usage has not yet gone into effect.

The FAA has done a poor job of meeting deadlines provided by Congress in the past. Over the previous two years, there have been many lawsuits and confusions regarding the enforcement of drones. There exist several conflicting guidelines regarding who can fly a drone, where they can operate one, and for what purposes they can be utilized.

In 2014, the FAA disallowed drones from being used for commercial purposes. However, the administration has somewhat backed off from thiat mandate this year. The FAA has allowed certain drone businesses to opt out of the current regulations, and this has resulted in a large amount of confusion.

The FAA, despite being provided a timeframe of three years, has failed to finalize the rules regarding drone usage. Without these regulations, people involved in the drone industry are left wondering where federal regulations stand.

Meanwhile, smaller authorities, including state and local governments, have started creating their own laws regarding the operation of drones. However, these smaller authorities may not the ability to enforce these laws.

Despite the passing of the deadline, the FAA is still unlikely to speed up the establishment of any useful drone laws. In May of 2014, Congress even admitted that the FAA would probably fail to meet its established deadline.

The issue is only going to become larger, as the FAA expects that more than 1 million drones will be sold to consumers this upcoming holiday season.

The U.S. Continues To Try And Infiltrate The Cuban Market So It Can Sell Internet Based Services

Entertainment News

The United States has indicated that it wants to sell Internet software, hardware and services in Cuba, but so far, it has not gone smoothly.

In late 2014, the U.S. government announced that it was taking “historic steps to chart a new course in [its] relations with Cuba and to further engage and empower the Cuban people.” Thereafter, the United States International Trade Commission began studying the effects of U.S. travel and trade restrictions with Cuba.

Earlier this year, the United States sent a delegation to Cuba to discuss the Internet and telecommunications industries. As a result, Internet equipment and service providers saw a huge potential in cracking the Cuban market. In fact, Google visited the country multiple times and made a proposal to install a wireless infrastructure. Cuba rejected the offer, however, most likely due to its lingering distrust of the company as well as the United States government.

The United States administration has now expanded its policies and are making it easier for American companies to create business relationships in Cuba. The companies are also authorized to provide some “certain” Internet-based and telecommunications services.
So far, only a few small Internet deals have taken place, such as Netflix offering accounts to Cuban citizens and Verizon offering cell-phone roaming in Cuba.

It appears that Cuba is turning to China rather than America for its Internet and cable needs. With respect to the presence of WiFi in “navigation rooms,” Youth Clubs and hotels, there are now 683 public access points in Cuba, all connected by an infrastructure provided by China. Chinese equipment was also used in the recent installation of many WiFi hotspots across Cuba and it is committed to adding more. Chinese companies are also providing DSL modems for network users.

Recent market studies show that Chinese Internet-related equipment and service sales are growing rapidly, given the large Cuban market.
Despite China’s success in breaching the Cuban market, it has become clear that China has experienced difficulty in collecting Cuban debt. Cuba still remains a tough place to do business.

As of now, it looks like China has beaten the United States to the punch for establishing successful Internet-related ventures in Cuba. While that is bad news for American companies, it should be noted that much of the equipment sold by China to Cuba is already becoming obsolete in today’s world. Therefore, more up-to-date technology will be needed. As American companies continue to try and impress the Cubans, hopefully they will succeed.

Utah Trying To Keep People Out Of Prison To Save Money

News

Utah is taking action to reduce its prison population. The state has introduced new reforms designed to give small-time offenders second chances, while ensuring that only the most serious offenders end up in prison to eat away at the state’s tax dollars.

Under new laws, first-time and second-time convictions for possession of drugs will be converted from felonies to misdemeanors. Offenders will also have better access to substance abuse treatment services, and inmates will have the ability to reduce their prison sentences by completing specified programs. Inmates will also be offered greater assistance once they are released from prison in order to help prevent them from returning there in the future.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert said at an event, “This is an example of a state leading.”

Meanwhile the United States Senate is following the example set forth by Utah by agreeing to a legislative proposal that will reduce mandatory sentences for nonviolent offenders.

Utah Senator Mike Lee said, “The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country on Earth. Mandatory minimum sentences were once seen as a strong deterrent. In reality they have too often been unfair, fiscally irresponsible and a threat to public safety.”

While crime decreased in Utah from 2004 to 2013, the state’s prison population grew by about 18% during this time period. This was six times faster than that of the national average. This led to Utah exploring methods for reducing its population of prisoners. Eventually, new reforms were passed in response to the growing problem.

If no action had been taken, Utah’s prison population would have been expected to increase by 34% by 2034. That would have brought major rises in prison spending.

Another big issue was that people sent to prison were often sent back. As of January of 2014, roughly 46% of former prison inmates in Utah returned to prison after violating parole or probation.

Gary Herbert said of the situation, “It was a revolving door. That was not a good thing for the taxpayer, certainly not a good thing for society.”

Herbert also mentioned that the majority of people imprisoned in the state were not violent offenders and were not a serious threat to the well-being of society. Many were simply victims of addiction.

The new reforms by Utah are predicted to stop prison growth in the state and save taxpayers more than $25 million per year.

New Study Find That Taller People Have An Increased Risk Of Cancer

Health & Wellness

A new Swedish study has found that taller people have an increased risk of skin cancer and breast cancer, as well as some other cancers. Five million people were studied in order to determine whether height and the risk of cancer are connected.

The results found that in fully-grown adults, an extra four inches of height resulted in an increased risk for developing cancer. In women, that risk increased by 18%, while in men, the risk increased by 11%.

The new study was conducted by researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and presented at a conference of the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology. The scientists (and their successors) tracked its subjects for more than 50 years.

Findings indicate that taller men and women increased their risk of melanoma by 30% while taller women had a 20% greater risk of getting breast cancer.

Lead researcher Dr. Emelie Benyi noted that the study’s results could aid in identifying risk factors that in turn could lead to treatment developments. She noted however that, “As the cause of cancer is multi-factorial, it is difficult to predict what impact our results have on cancer risk at the individual level.”

Scientists pointed out that height is not the cause of cancer, but it is likely a marker for other factors related to growth. Taller people have more growth factors and more cells in their body than shorter people.

Professor Dorothy Bennett, the head of the molecular cell sciences research center at St. George’s, University of London, agreed that it was “very plausible” that the cancer risk in people could very well be related to the number of cells in their body. More cells means a greater likelihood that some of those cells could develop into cancer. “A cancer arises by mutations from a single normal cell. Bigger people have more cells. So melanoma risk, for example, might be expected to increase with surface area (amount of skin), which is related to the square of height.”

The researchers and other experts acknowledge that the study did not take into consideration several other risk factors and that people who happen to be tall should not be overly worried.

Almost all experts agree that in order to reduce the risk of getting cancer is to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Health information manager Sarah Williams articulated this importance. “Whatever your height, there are lots of things you can do to reduce the risk of cancer – not smoking, cutting down on alcohol, eating healthy, being active, having a healthy weight and enjoying the sun safely can each help you stack the odds against the disease.”

Citizen Review Agencies Being Corrupted By Law Enforcement

News

Police in Chicago are not happy with civilian oversight, as an agency that is led by the public to investigate police shootings has been asked to attend some unusual training courses.

Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority will partake in a five day training sequence. Bill Lewinski will lead the training. Lewinski is a psychologist who focuses on helping cops implicated in shootings get exonerated in court hearings.

Chicago led all major cities of the United States in the amount of killings involving police officers from 2010 to 2014.

The Independent Police Review Authority was established in 2007 in order to establish civilian oversight regarding matters in which police use force.

Lewinski has a history that suggests that he’s more interested in getting police officers off the hook for shootings than holding them responsible. In the past, Lewinski has managed to convince several courts to not convict officers who shot and killed unarmed civilians.

Lewinski stated that the officers were involved in high-stress situations and were unable to make proper judgement. This got the officers off scot-free.

The psychologist is now being paid $50,000 by the city of Chicago to train the city’s Independent Police Review Authority.

Obviously, some people are not satisfied with the decision.

Lawyer Melvin Brooks says that neutrality is taken away when Lewinski is involved. Brooks has squared-off against Lewinski in court in the past.

While law enforcement officers in Chicago have supposedly agreed to civilian oversight, this is an example of police officers not following through on their commitment. The Independent Police Review Authority is increasingly becoming under the control of people who are protecting the interests of law enforcement officers rather than neutral parties that are supposed to be examining unique situations on a case by case basis from an unbiased position.

A similar situation is also taking place in New Orleans, as the city’s own review authority is under fire from city officials after the independent agency released information regarding unnecessary acts of violence by police officers to the public.

If police are unable to have their actions reviewed by a neutral and unbiased party, then there is no point in having these citizen review agencies exist in the first place. This is clearly another example of law enforcement officials using their power and influence to get away with unethical actions.

Chinese Bombing Suspect Has Been Confirmed Dead

Entertainment News

The individual responsible for a series of bomb attacks in the Liuzhou prefecture of China has been confirmed as dead.

Wei Yinyong was killed in an explosion of his own doing on Wednesday. Wei was 33 years old.

Wei produced several time bombs, some of which he delivered to locations in Liucheng County himself. Others he delivered using parcel services. Some of the places which received the bombs included hospitals, shopping malls, government offices, and prisons.

By sending the bombs to crowded places, it suggests that his goal was to kill as many people as possible.

Meanwhile, authorities increased the death count from the blasts from seven people to ten people. An additional 51 people have also been injured.

Authorities believe that Wei orchestrated the attacks because he was angry with villagers living near his quarry, as well as government departments that had declined some of his requests. Some local villagers have claimed that they had been involved in conflicts with Wei in the past.

The first attack occurred on Tuesday, as a series of 17 bomb explosions killed at least seven people and wounded 51.

The second strike occurred one day later on a residential building. At least three people have been declared dead as a result of the blast.

China has been somewhat uneasy as of late because of economic concerns and slowing rates of growth. The slowdown in China has caused declines in commodity prices throughout the globe. This has led to major commodity trading companies, such as Glencore, experiencing severe losses in value.

Mailing services have been temporarily suspended in the areas of the bombings, but they are set to resume tomorrow.

The news of Wei’s death comes as China is kicking off a week-long national public holiday.

It is somewhat unusual that China is not censoring this sort of news. The country has historically downplayed attacks conducted by its citizens.

United States And Allies Demand That Russia Stop Airstrikes In Syria

Entertainment News

It is well known that the United States and its allies support Syrian rebels in their quest to remove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power. As Russia does not support this goal, the alliance has called on Russia to stop its recently-launched attacks against the rebels so as to avoid escalating the Syrian conflict.

The U.S.-led coalition reiterated to Russia that its bombing campaign, launched on Wednesday, led to civilian casualties and did not target ISIS militants despite Russia’s claims to the contrary. The U.S. insists that Russia’s primary goal is to keep al-Assad in power and that targeting ISIS is only secondary.

The alliance released a statement that, “[The Russian] military actions constitute a further escalation and will only fuel more extremism and radicalization. We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its attacks on the Syrian opposition and civilians and to focus its efforts on fighting [ISIS.]”

Indeed, Russia’s military actions “surprised” and angered the United States and its allies. While the alliance hopes that al-Assad will step down as president due to his atrocities committed against the Syrian people, Putin has a vested interest in seeing that al-Assad remain in power. A Russian-Syrian-Iranian alliance means that Russia can increase its presence in the Middle East.

Moreover, while the United States considers ISIS and other extremist militant groups as the only targets of its airstrikes, Russia considers the Syrian rebels as “terrorists” as well. Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that, “[Russia’s] goal is terrorism. And we are not supporting anyone against their own people.”

Syrian lawmaker Sharif Shehadeh observed that, “They’re hopping mad in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Qatar because of their defeat and the victory of Russia and Syria and the unraveling of the fact that the U.S. and its allies are not serious about fighting [ISIS.] Those who claim to be concerned about the Syrian people are the ones slaughtering the Syrian people through the terrorists.”

Shehadeh is certainly right about the United States being angry. White House press secretary Josh Earnest stated that, “It certainly is not in the interests of the United States and Russia to exacerbate this sectarian conflict. But ultimately, it’s the Russians that will pay the highest price for that.”

Saudi Arabia feels the same way. Saudi ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi spoke at the UN in New York yesterday and stated that, “The delegation of my country expresses its profound concern regarding the military operations which Russian forces have carried out in Homs and Hama – places where ISIS forces are not present. These attacks led to a number of innocent victims. We demand it stop immediately and not recur.”

Hurricane Joaquin Likely To Miss United States

News

The severe hurricane that Americans have been concerned about over the past few days now might miss the east coast of the country altogether.

Hurricane Joaquin recently was upgraded to a category four hurricane, with top winds in excess of 130 miles per hour. The hurricane pounded the Bahamas on Thursday.

However, meteorologists have not ruled out an east coast strike entirely.

The National Hurricane Center posted on its website, “The forecast models continue to indicate a track offshore of the United States east coast from the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic states, and the threat of direct impacts from Joaquin in those areas is decreasing. Joaquin’s slow motion means that extremely dangerous conditions will continue over portions of the warning areas in the Bahamas today.”

Current prediction models suggest that the storm will continue on a northern path to the east of the Atlantic coast of the United States.

Meanwhile, Bermuda, Cape Cod and Nova Scotia remain in particular danger of the hurricane. Bermuda might be forced to post hurricane watch by the end of Friday.

As of yesterday, many prediction models showed the storm turning towards the coastline of the United States. However, weather forecasts can change quickly.

New Hampshire meteorologist Gary Best said, “This is probably going to be a non-issue. It’s a little bit early, but what we are seeing now looks pretty good.”

Meanwhile principal scientist at Weather Services International Todd Crawford said that there was more than an 80% chance that the storm would remain offshore.

However, analyst from Weather 2000 Inc. Michael Schlacter was not as optimistic.

Schlacter said, “I still contend we have to wait and see when and how this southwesterly drift stops. You are not going to be able to tell your forward speed and what influences are going to bounce it this way and bounce it that way until it starts moving north.”

Areas of Cuba have been issued tropical storm warnings, as the island country expects the outer winds of the hurricane to scrape the country. Meanwhile, islands off the Bahamas remain under hurricane warnings.

Estimates show that as much as 12 to 18 inches of rain might be dumped on the central Bahamas by the time the storm passes. Isolated cases could bring as much as 25 inches. Storm surges have the potential to raise seas by up to eight feet above normal tide levels.

Despite the positive outlook for the United States, New York is still preparing for the potential of the hurricane making landfall. Hurricane Sandy, which hit the state in October of 2012, was considerably weaker than that of Hurricane Joaquin. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says that the state is better prepared this time around.

Cuomo said, “There’s no comparison to where we were before. I just don’t want to get arrogant or cocky because I’ve been knocked to the ground a couple of times by Mother Nature.”

Even if the hurricane does not make landfall in the northeastern region of the United States, the area is still likely to receive heavy rainfall from the storm’s outer bands.

Many Hedge Funds Displaying Worst Performances Since 2008 As Stocks Decline

Finance

Some hedge fund managers are experiencing their worst losses since the financial crisis of 2008, even though the economy is performing well now.

Hedge fund managers David Einhorn and Michael Novogratz have seen losses of about 17% so far this year. The fund of fellow manager Bill Ackman declined in value by 13%. The firms of Sean Fahey and Michael Platt have lost billions of dollars, as they are now managing less than one-third of what the possessed at their peaks.

There are many reasons why some hedge fund managers are struggling. September was a rough month for Ackman in particular, as six of the most critical stocks to his fund fell by at least 20% during the month. Ackman’s Pershing Square Holdings lost 12.6% of its value last month.

The year has been full of surprises so far, including the unexpected rise of the Swiss franc, the rally of European bonds, and the decline of the Chinese yuan.

Chief research officer at Novus Stan Altshuller wrote, “Hedge funds are reeling from a relentless rout that has all but killed a year’s worth of alpha in a matter of two weeks.”

Most hedge funds have not performed all that badly, declining by just 3% on average. But clearly some have not been as fortunate.

Greenlight Capital, which is managed by David Einhorn, fell by 3.6% last month. Einhorn stated that current markets are acutely unfavorable to his preferred style of investing. Greenlight Capital lost money in the sectors of energy and technology. The decline of Gold also hurt Einhorn.

Michael Novogratz’s Fortress Investment Group LLC declined by 4.3% through the 25th of last month. This represents the second time in three months that the fund has declined in value.

Stocks have declined 10% since this peak in May earlier this year. The result has been tough for managers of hedge funds that do not rely on short selling.

Managers say that they are able to weather the storm for the time being because they are focused on long-term investing. However, this hasn’t stopped some funds from shutting down, such as Cargill Inc.’s Black River Asset Management and Carlyle Group LP’s Vermillion Asset Management.

As for now, the lackluster performance could continue for hedge fund managers in the near future, as they continue to rely on declining stocks. However, one would expect the hedge fund market to stabilize once stocks bounce back.

Knife Wielding Attackers Massacre More Than 50 In Eastern China

Entertainment News

At least 50 dead as militant and separatist attacks dominate Xinjiang, north-western China. Security in the far-western region of China is on a drastic decline. The north-western province of Xinjiang has had a troubled past and the situation does not seem to be getting any better.

According to Radio Free Asia’s report on Thursday, more than 50 people were killed in a coal mine attack in Xinjiang in September. A senior official further warned that the state of security was wanting as the region was prone to violence.

The attack happened on Sept. 18 at the Sogan colliery in Asku, claiming the lives of at least 50 people, most of whom were members of the Han Chinese ethnic group. Authorities at the scene blamed the attack from the knife-wielding attackers as members of a separatist group in the region.

This occurred as China marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The ethnic minority communities celebrated the anniversary by holding festivities across the provinces. The state television portrayed images of happy nationals embracing their ethnic diversity and putting aside their differences.

Yu Zhengsheng, a leader in the Communist party and in charge of religious groups and ethnic minorities, urged authorities to put measures in place to maintain peace in the region and prevent the escalating security threats. He said this during the Wednesday anniversary celebrations in Urumqi, the regional capital.

During a live television broadcast, Zhengsheng said, “We must fully recognise that Xinjiang faces a very serious situation in maintaining long-term social stability, and we must make a serious crackdown on violent terror activities the focal point of our struggle.”

The Chinese government admitted that it faces serious imminent threats from extremists in Xinjiang, a region highly valued due to energy production. Hundreds of people have died in this region in the recent past, and the situation does not seem to be getting any better.

According to exiles and rights groups, however, there is no evidence pointing to the existence of a militant or separatist group fighting the government. They said that the cause of these threats stems back to the cultural and religious frustrations and mismanagement of the Uygur people living in Xinjiang. Beijing seems to disagree with this claim.

Radio Free Asia said that police officers and their vehicles were attacked when they arrived at the mine. Ekber Hashim, a police officer, said, “Nearly all the workers who were not on shift at the time were killed or injured.” He added that the attackers raided the officers’ building after killing the guards.