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NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” The Manhattan district attorney's office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.
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Degenerative Disc Disease Market Size in the 7MM was ~USD 3,600 Million in 2023, estimated DelveInsightThe big picture: TCL, one of the world's largest television manufacturers, has produce five AI-generated short films to air on its free, ad-supported streaming service. The movies, made over a 12-week period, are part of a pilot program meant to normalize AI-created TV shows and movies. While technically impressive at times, the flicks are plagued by the same shortcomings we've seen in other modern AI-generated content. For example, most human characters in the movies exhibit vacant expressions, struggle to vocalize emotion, and move unnaturally. Speech often isn't synched properly with mouth movements. Written words and text are also problematic, usually resulting in in a jumbled mess of undecipherable characters and symbols. And that's just scratching the surface. There are some positives to consider with the current state of AI video – namely, the fact that quality is improving at an impressive rate. As 404 Media highlights , "this is the worst it will ever be" and that's at least something. They were made using a variety of well-known AI tools including Runway, ComfyUI, and Nuke. For its part, TCL didn't simply phone it in. Each film had lots of real people working on them in pre-production and post-production roles. Chris Regina, TCL's chief content officer for North America, told 404 Media that more than 50 people had a hand in creating the content. "These are stories about people, made by people, but powered by AI." Paul Johansson, who directed Sun Day – a film about a girl living on a rainy planet that wins a lottery to see the Sun for the first time, said he understands that technology is coming – fast – and they have to be prepared for it. The fact that humans had a significant role in shaping the films helps push the narrative that AI isn't going to replace real actors in Hollywood – at least, not right away. Assuming AI continues to evolve like it has in recent years, the need for human oversight could taper. The short films, averaging five to 10 minutes in length, are available to view in TCL's streaming app and have also been shared on YouTube.
Dow ends at fresh record as oil prices pull back on ceasefire hopesCreating and maintaining an effective team, whether in business or education, has never been more important than today. After surviving the worst global pandemic in a century, and navigating economic challenges in an ever-changing political environment, ensuring you already have an effective team can be daunting. Perhaps in higher education, with the potential of lower enrollments, rising expenditures and more limited financial resources for funding higher wages, finding and keeping your IT team will be difficult. In some ways, just keeping your employees engaged has become a global challenge. According to a 2024 on the state of the global workplace, “the majority of the world’s employees continue to struggle at work and in life, with direct consequences for organizational productivity.” The study also estimated $8.9 trillion was lost in global GDP due to this problem. Given today’s nimble work population, if higher education cannot afford current salary levels, and the institutional environment is already poor, employees will simply move on to more promising job opportunities. So, to create and maintain a successful team, in your IT department and throughout your campus, you should carefully define, analyze and review your work environment from the top down. A September 2024 article on the business website Upwork titled, " ," lists a number of important and helpful steps you can take to achieve this goal. As we all reflect upon our staff and our general work environment in higher education, especially over the past several years, I pulled together a top 25 to-do list for the upcoming year. The list is in no particular order, but intended to recognize the dedication of the IT staff, which at times are forgotten or go unnoticed. The list is also intended to consider all the technological tools at our disposal, how to use them effectively, how to leverage educational technology in the future, and how to lead and manage our employees. 1. Work to recruit and retain the very best IT staff for my institution. 2. Protect my campus from a major cyber or ransomware attack. 3. Make certain all of our institutional data backups are both secure and fully tested, so we can confidently rely upon them for full operational use. 4. Before the next big decision at a meeting, ask the question, “Who should have been at the table who hasn’t been invited before?” 5. Provide special thanks to the staff at the help desk. Provide the staff with coffee, treats and make them feel they are valued. Offer them praise and validation for jobs well done. 6. Whatever direction the political winds are blowing, make sure our students, faculty and staff are thought of as essential to our country’s successful and peaceful future. 7. Ensure AI is utilized ethically and incorporate the elements of transparency, impartiality, accountability, reliability, security and privacy. 8. Continue working to ensure instruction can be supplemented and supported with educational technology which fosters individualized learning for each student. 9. Make use of technology which is translucent — meaning it’s there when you need it but doesn’t overtake the classroom or the moment, or interfere with important social interaction or conversation. 10. Make certain the CIO or CTO always has a seat at the table for administrative discussions and decisions. 11. Have all faculty, staff and students continually utilize good cybersecurity practices. 12. Create an environment where campus administrators support and practice cybersecurity protocols, and consistent cyber training occurs. 13. Ensure the IT department can communicate clearly, concisely, consistently and effectively to the campus community. 14. Work diligently to promote the concept of servant leadership throughout IT and the campus. Manage others as you would prefer to be managed yourself. 15. Foster IT leadership that leads with purpose, collaboration and teamwork. 16. When leading, celebrate successes as well as acknowledging failures. Learn from both to chart a successful course for the future. 17. Strive for a work-life balance, both for yourself and staff. 18. Provide training and professional development opportunities for team members. 19. Ensure you have developed a team atmosphere and a culture of trust. 20. Encourage IT leadership and staff to get out of the office and travel the campus to meet and greet faculty, staff and students on a regular basis. 21. Create a work environment with clear goals, measurable objectives and expectations. 22. Work to empower staff and appropriately delegate responsibility so there can be mutual professional growth and development. 23. Encourage staff to take calculated risks and learn from them. 24. Manage but don’t micromanage. 25. Continually motivate your IT staff with positivity. Tackling some or all of these items takes strong, resilient and empathetic leadership. Sam Walton, a well-known American businessperson and founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club, probably said it best: “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.” The upcoming months may bring a fair amount of uncertainty and dynamic challenges. The key for leaders and managers is to believe that positive change can pay long-term dividends. The one-word quote from the hit TV series , from the coach himself, makes for a perfect parting message: “BELIEVE.” We can achieve a great deal by following and sharing each of these wishes to ensure our mutually productive future. Believe me.
Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., delivers remarks on day four of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. FIRST ON FOX: A controversial judicial advocacy organization funded by left-wing nonprofits continues to work with judges and experts involved in climate change litigation despite publicly downplaying the extent of those connections. "CJP doesn’t participate in litigation, support or coordinate with any parties in litigation, or advise judges on how they should rule in any case," the Environmental Law Institute Climate Judiciary Project President Jordan Diamond wrote in a recent letter to The Wall Street Journal in response to criticism of the project. The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Law Institute (ELI) created the Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) in 2018, establishing a first-of-its-kind resource to provide "reliable, up-to-date information" about climate change litigation, according to the group. The project's reach has extended to various state and federal courts, including powerful appellate courts, and comes as various cities and states pursue high-profile litigation against the oil industry. A Fox News Digital review shows that several CJP expert lawyers and judges have close ties to the curriculum and are deeply involved in climate litigation. DARK MONEY FUND POURED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO ECO ACTIVIST GROUPS BLOCKING HIGHWAYS, DESTROYING FAMOUS ART According to NPR, people worried about climate change are turning to "eco-chaplains" to deal with their anxiety. (Barbara Alper/Getty Images) Princeton University professor Michael Oppenheimer contributed to the CJP curriculum and presented "Evidence of Change: Judging Climate Litigation" with CJP’s Sandra Nichols Thiam at the 2022 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference July 20, 2022. Oppenheimer has a long history of filing climate-related amicus briefs from 2019-2022 in litigation across several states. Robin Kundis Craig, a professor at the University of Utah's Law School, wrote a module for CJP in 2022 and has also filed several amicus briefs showing she is active in court cases. One example occurred in 2023, when Craig is listed on an order granting legal scholars' request to file amicus, which was signed by Justice Mark Recktenwald, who, Fox News Digital previously reported , quietly disclosed last year that he presented for an April course in collaboration with the Environmental Law Institute Climate Judiciary Project. Recktenwald co-presented at a December 2022 National Judicial College webinar sponsored by CJP, "Hurricanes in a Changing Climate and Related Litigation." In 2023, he co-presented with Professor Robert DeConto at a National Judicial College seminar, "Rising Seas and Litigation: What Judges Need to Know about Warming-Driven Sea-Level Rise." RADICAL CLIMATE ACTIVIST ENDORSES BLOWING UP PIPELINES IN STARTLING INTERVIEW, ADMITS PEOPLE COULD BE KILLED President Ali pushed back on suggestions his country was harming the environment by claiming Guyana has the lowest deforestation rate in the world. (Adobe Stock) In October 2023, Recktenwald’s Hawaii Supreme Court denied an appeal from oil companies to toss a Honolulu climate misinformation suit. Craig also filed an amicus in Hawaii state court in July 2022, where an order was signed by Judge Jeffrey Crabtree allowing the brief to be filed. Crabtree is a member of the National Judicial College Curriculum Development Committee, which creates curricula for " Environmental Law Essential for the Judiciary." "Don’t underestimate the importance of the role of state court judges in environmental law," the curriculum's website states. Ann Carlson, who joined the Biden administration in 2021 , served on ELI's board of directors for years while also "providing pro bono consulting" for Sher Edling, an eco law firm representing a number of jurisdictions, on litigation against oil companies, financial disclosures showed. Sher Edling counsel Michael Burger has also participated in multiple ELI events, and former Sher Edling lawyer Meredith Wilensky was previously an ELI Public Interest Law Fellow. BIDEN ADMIN REPORT COULD SLOW TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO UNLEASH DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS, EXPERTS SAY Burger is the executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and an ELI presenter who has filed amicus briefs in support of plaintiffs in climate cases across the United States. UCLA’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment hosted a talk in October 2017 with Sher Edling’s Vic Sher, " Suing Over Climate Change Damages: The First Wave of Climate Lawsuits ." Ann Carlson was the moderator for that discussion. John Dernbach, listed as an expert on CJP’s website, filed an amicus brief in 2019 as part of a brief of legal scholars in support of plaintiffs in City of Oakland v BP. In this June 1, 2017, file photo, protesters gather outside the White House in Washington to protest President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate change accord. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) "Judges attending Climate Judiciary Project events are advised that they are walking into a left-wing lobbying shop," American Energy Institute President Jason Isaac told Fox News Digital. "Under the guise of ‘judicial education,’ CJP uses activist academics to give a pro-plaintiff sneak peek at climate change lawsuits. This kind of politicking underlines that the climate change lawsuits themselves are a left-wing attack on our quality of life. "The Supreme Court will have an opportunity early next year to hear a case asking whether blue states and far-left mayors like Brandon Johnson can sue energy providers for climate change. Let us hope the court takes the case and ends Green New Deal lawfare." Fox News Digital previously reported that since it was founded more than five years ago, the project has crafted 13 curriculum modules and hosted 42 events, and more than 1,700 judges have participated in its activities. And multiple judges serve as advisers at CJP, potentially having an impact on its curriculum and modules. "So-called ‘climate change lawsuits,' lawsuits claiming that private companies should be monetarily liable for damage to public infrastructure allegedly caused by climate change, have exploded in the past five years," GOP Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in a letter to Environmental Law Institute earlier this year. "In tandem with this unprecedented litigation, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) launched a ‘first-of-its-kind effort’ to provide judges with ‘education on climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the ways climate science is arising in the law.’ It appears that ELI’s goal in providing this ‘education,’ however, may be to influence judges to side with plaintiffs in climate change cases." The letter went on to label Carlson as "one of the program’s architects" and requested "information to allow the Committee to evaluate the efforts of both Ms. Carlson and ELI to influence the federal judiciary in its adjudication of climate litigation." Cruz alleged that "ELI intends to accomplish via the courts what it cannot get enacted into law: a radical environmental agenda." "To help judges reach those ‘appropriate’ decisions, the Project developed the ‘Climate Science and Law for Judges Curriculum’ (the Curriculum). While ELI claims the Project is ‘neutral' and ‘objective,’ the Curriculum reads like a playbook for judges to find in favor of plaintiffs in artificial climate change cases against traditional energy companies: it includes courses that ‘show how climate science is built on long-established scientific disciplines' and 'explore the human-caused component of [global] warming,’ such as the ‘causal connections between emissions’ and ‘changes in the climate.’" Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, talks with reporters after Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., attended the Republican Senate luncheon in the U.S. Capitol Nov. 1, 2023 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) An American Energy Institute report earlier this year alleges CJP "hides its partnership with the plaintiffs because they know these ties create judicial ethics problems." AEI says Sandra Nichols Thiam, an ELI vice president and director of judicial education, acknowledged as much in a 2023 press statement, saying, "If we even appeared biased or if there was a whiff of bias, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing." "Taken together, it appears CJP made the thinnest possible disclosures to create the appearance of rectitude," AEI states. "But their admissions confirm that CJP exists to facilitate informal, ex parte contacts between judges and climate activists under the guise of judicial education. And secrecy remains essential to their operation, whose goal, as Thiam has said, is to develop ‘a body of law that supports climate action.'" AEI, a group self-described as "dedicated to promoting policies that ensure America’s energy security and economic prosperity," says CJP’s work is "an attack on the rule of law." Climate activists protest in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "In America, the powerful aren’t allowed to coax and manipulate judges before their cases are heard," the report states. In a statement to Fox News Digital, an ELI spokesperson said, "CJP doesn’t participate in litigation, support or coordinate with any parties in litigation, or advise judges on how they should rule in any case. Our courses provide judges with access to evidence-based information about climate science and trends in the law. "Of course, experts in the field are welcome to provide their expertise to CJP programs while separately and independently providing that same expertise in another setting that is unrelated to the CJP program. It is routine and encouraged for judges to participate in continuing education that exposes them to expertise in a wide variety of disciplines." Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.( MENAFN - GetNews) In the vast landscape of electronic components, solid-state lamps hold a unique and significant place. Among these, the Kingbright L-7113LYD T-1 3/4 (5mm) Solid State Lamp stands out for its efficiency, reliability, and vibrant yellow hue. This compact, low-power consumption device is not just another light-emitting diode (LED); it's a technological gem crafted with precision and innovation. This article delves into the specifics of the L-7113LYD, examining its construction, performance, availability, and the unique advantages it offers to engineers and designers across various industries. Manufacturer and Brand Reliability Kingbright, the manufacturer behind the L-7113LYD, is a well-established name in the electronics industry, known for its commitment to quality and innovation. 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This quantity is well-suited for manufacturers and OEMs who require large volumes of this component for their production needs. The manufacturer's standard lead time of 4-6 weeks provides a clear timeline for ordering and delivery, enabling customers to plan their production schedules accordingly. For designers and engineers looking to incorporate the L-7113LYD into their projects, it's important to note that availability may vary depending on market demand and production cycles. To ensure timely delivery and avoid potential delays, it's advisable to check with Kingbright or their authorized distributors for the latest stock information and lead times. Conclusion In conclusion, the Kingbright L-7113LYD T-1 3/4 (5mm) Solid State Lamp is a versatile, reliable, and energy-efficient LED that offers a wide range of benefits across various industries. Its compact size, vibrant yellow light, and long lifespan make it an excellent choice for applications requiring bright, consistent lighting without compromising on power consumption or durability. With Kingbright's commitment to quality and innovation, the L-7113LYD is poised to become a staple in the toolkits of engineers and designers who demand the best from their electronic components. As technology continues to evolve, the demand for energy-efficient, reliable lighting solutions will only grow. The L-7113LYD, with its combination of performance, versatility, and cost-effectiveness, is well-positioned to meet these demands and contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future. Whether you're designing a new product or looking to upgrade an existing one, the L-7113LYD is a component worth considering for its unique blend of features and benefits. MENAFN13122024003238003268ID1108991858 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Trump calls for end to 'spring forward, fall back' clock changes
Trump calls for end to 'spring forward, fall back' clock changesTim Dankha And Prolific Mortgage: Redefining Excellence In The Mortgage IndustryThe Beckley Common Council will vote Tuesday on an ordinance solidifying the transfer of the Pinecrest Business and Technology Park to the Raleigh County Commission. Council will vote on the Pinecrest property transfer agreement at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at Beckley City Hall. Before the vote, a public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled. This marks the final step in a process that has consumed council meetings for the better part of five months. The Beckley Council began considering transferring the 131-acre Pinecrest property to the Raleigh County Commission in July after being hit with news that it did not have the funds available to finance the development of the property. The city was also facing a lawsuit by the property’s former owners, the Pinecrest Development Corporation, for failure to develop infrastructure on the property, claiming the city was in breach of an agreement. Beckley Council approved the transfer of the Pinecrest property to the Raleigh County Commission in October. The final step in the transfer process is to approve the transfer agreement, which outlines how the property will be used and developed. The transfer agreement before the Beckley Council is an updated version of what Beckley officials signed when it was deeded the property by the Pinecrest Development Corporation in 2022. As part of the updated Pinecrest transfer agreement, the commission will allow Beckley to use Pinecrest for its annual Fourth of July fireworks display as long as it is feasible. Also included in the new agreement is granting an easement to the Beckley Sanitary Board for the Hartley Ave/Beckley Little League/Pinecrest Stormwater and Sewer project. The new transfer agreement also states that the construction of new facilities within the property must receive preapproval by the architectural review committee of the Pinecrest Development Corporation. The agreement also states that, while the county will own the property, it will remain within Beckley city limits and must follow all Beckley codes. In accepting the property, the commission will also be required to adhere to the requirements from the original transfer agreement that Beckley signed in 2022, which stipulates that Pinecrest is to be used for business development and job creation, along with other requirements. The Raleigh County Commission has already approved the transfer agreement and committed $1.4 million of its federal Covid relief funds to develop infrastructure on 30 acres on the north side of Pinecrest. Sam Rich, a project manager with The Thrasher Group, the engineering firm designing the Pinecrest infrastructure project, estimated that the project could cost between $2.6 million to $5.4 million. It has been recommended that the commission pursue lease revenue bonds to secure the funds necessary for the project. The property currently generates about $280,000 annually via lease agreements. In other business, council is scheduled to address the following items: • Receipt of bids for DLAP grant demolition of 322 Neville St. and 324 Neville St. • Second reading and public hearing of ordinance authorizing city of Beckley to accept donation of real estate located in the city identified as SurLot 1, BLK 20, Beckley Ct. Add • Public hearing and adoption of resolution authorizing city of Beckley to lease real estate identified as 213 S. Kanawha St., Beckley to Piney Creek Watershed Association, Inc. • Resolution for a one-time pay supplement for all full-time city employees. • Reappointment of Dr. Kurt Reiber to the Beckley Building Commission (term expiring 12-31-28). • Reappointment of Sandy Sheatsley to the Board of Zoning Appeals (term expiring 6-30-28). • Appointment of the Beckley city manager to the Fayette-Raleigh Metropolitan Planning Organization’s board of directors. • Appointment of Ann Haley Donegan to the Beckley Housing Authority board of commissioners (term expiring 6-30-29). • Appointment of Matt Morris to the Beckley Planning Commission (term expiring 6-30-28). • Possible executive session regarding contract negotiations. The public can attend the council meeting in person or listen to the meeting by computer or phone using the weblink or phone number provided on the city’s webpage or Facebook page the day of the council meeting.
BERLIN (AP) — Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recalls Vladimir Putin's “power games” over the years, remembers contrasting meetings with Barack Obama and Donald Trump and says she asked herself whether she could have done more to prevent Brexit, in her memoirs published Tuesday. Merkel, 70, appears to have no significant doubts about the major decisions of her 16 years as German leader, whose major challenges included the global financial crisis, Europe’s debt crisis, the 2015-16 influx of refugees and the COVID-19 pandemic. True to form, her book — titled “Freedom” — offers a matter-of-fact account of her early life in communist East Germany and her later career in politics, laced with moments of dry wit. Merkel served alongside four U.S. presidents , four French presidents and five British prime ministers. But it is perhaps her dealings with Russian President Putin that have drawn the most scrutiny since she left office in late 2021. Putin's power games Merkel recalls being kept waiting by Putin at the Group of Eight summit she hosted in 2007 — “if there's one thing I can't stand, it's unpunctuality.” And she recounts a visit to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi that year in which Putin's labrador appeared during a photo opportunity, although Putin knew she was afraid of dogs. Putin appeared to enjoy the situation, she writes, and she didn't bring it up — keeping as she often did to the motto “never explain, never complain.” The previous year, she recounts Putin pointing to wooden houses in Siberia and telling her poor people lived there who “could be easily seduced,” and that similar groups had been encouraged by money from the U.S. government to take part in Ukraine's “Orange Revolution” of 2004 against attempted election fraud. Putin, she says, added: “I will never allow something like that in Russia.” Merkel says she was irritated by Putin's “self-righteousness” in a 2007 speech in Munich in which he turned away from earlier attempts to develop closer ties with the U.S. She said that appearance showed Putin as she knew him, “as someone who was always on guard against being treated badly and ready to give out at any time, including power games with a dog and making other people wait for him.” “One could find this all childish and reprehensible, one could shake one's head over it — but that didn't make Russia disappear from the map,” she writes. As she has before, Merkel defends a much-criticized 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine that she helped broker and her government's decisions to buy large quantities of natural gas from Russia. And she argues it was right to keep up diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow until she left power, Obama and Trump Merkel concluded after first meeting then-Sen. Obama in 2008 that they could work well together. More than eight years later, during his last visit as president in Nov. 2016, she was one of the people with whom she discussed whether to seek a fourth term. Obama, she says, asked questions but held back with an opinion, and that in itself was helpful. He “said that Europe could still use me very well, but I should ultimately follow my feelings,” she writes. There was no such warmth with Trump, who had criticized Merkel and Germany in his 2016 campaign. Merkel says she had to seek an “adequate relationship ... without reacting to all the provocations.” In March 2017, there was an awkward moment when Merkel first visited the Trump White House. Photographers shouted “handshake!” and Merkel quietly asked Trump: “Do you want to have a handshake?” There was no response from Trump, who looked ahead with his hands clasped. Merkel faults her own reaction. “He wanted to create a topic of discussion with his behavior, while I had acted as if I were dealing with an interlocutor behaving normally,” she writes. She adds that Putin apparently “fascinated” Trump and, in the following years, she had the impression that “politicians with autocratic and dictatorial traits” beguiled him. Could Brexit have been avoided? Merkel says she tried to help then-Prime Minister David Cameron in the European Union as he faced pressure from British Euroskeptics, but there were limits to what she could do. And, pointing to Cameron's efforts over the years to assuage opponents of the EU, she says the road to Brexit is a textbook example of what can arise from a miscalculation. After Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, an outcome she calls a “humiliation” for its other members, she says the question of whether she should have made more concessions to the U.K. “tortured me.” “I came to the conclusion that, in view of the political developments inside the country at the time, there would have been no acceptable possibility for me to prevent Britain's way out of the European Union from outside,” Merkel says. Giving up power Merkel was the first German chancellor to leave power at a time of her choosing. She announced in 2018 that she wouldn't seek a fifth term, and says she “let go at the right point.” She points to three 2019 incidents in which her body shook during public engagements as proof. Merkel says she had herself checked thoroughly and there were no neurological or other findings. An osteopath told her that her body was letting off the tension it had accumulated over years, she adds. “Freedom” runs to more than 700 pages in its original German edition, published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch. The English edition is being released simultaneously by St. Martin's Press. Geir Moulson, The Associated PressBack in 2019, only 23% of the U.S. Latin population was familiar with the term “ Latinx ,” according to an extensive study published in 2021 by the Pew Research Center. See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Five years and one pandemic later, awareness for the term has doubled: Today, 47% of U.S. Latins say they are aware of the word “Latinx,” according to a new Pew report published in September. But most of them still don’t like it. Only 4% of Latino adults say they have used Latinx to describe themselves, a fraction above the 3% who said the same in 2019. More telling, 75% of Latinos who have heard of the term say it should not be used to describe the Hispanic or Latino population, according to the new report. In fact, the report concludes, Latinx is “broadly unpopular among Latino adults who have heard of it.” And the dislike has grown. Five years ago, when Pew published its first research on the recognition and use of Latinx, it found that 65% of adults familiar with the term rejected it. In other words, as awareness of the word Latinx went up, its embrace by the U.S. Latinos has gone down. Why is that? As Billboard reported back in 2021, when Pew published the surprising findings of its 2019 research, Latinx is a term born from good intentions. Spawned as part of the global movement to use gender neutral pronouns, it was seen as a term of inclusivity in Spanish, a language where many words are differentiated by gender (Spanish, for example, does not have an equivalent of the gender-neutral “the;” instead it uses “la” and “el” to refer to feminine and masculine respectively). The term gained popularity on college campuses and in marketing materials, and by 2018, Merriam Webster added it to its dictionary — where it defines the word as “of, relating to, or marked by Latin American heritage.” As an inclusive word, Latinx made some inroads. According to the Pew study, 40% of the LGBQT community says the term should be used to identify the Latino or Hispanic population. But a majority in the LGBQT community, 60%, still says it should not. All other segments of the population dislike the term to an even bigger degree. Those who say it shouldn’t be used include immigrants (77%), U.S. born (74%), English dominant (74%), bilingual (75%), young adults between 18-29 (69%) and even those with college degrees (74%). The antipathy may be the result of “Latinx” feeling like an imposed term divorced, from the people it’s supposed to describe. There is no way to adequately pronounce the word in Spanish, a fact Merriam Webster itself acknowledges in some of the articles it published about the word, writing : “More than likely, there was little consideration for how it was supposed to be pronounced when it was created.” This is a problem. For one, those who don’t speak English simply don’t know how to pronounce the word; in Spanish, the x ix pronounced eh-quis , not ehks . Moreover, it would appear the word was not conceived by, or for, Spanish speakers, marking a clear demarcation for those who identify as Latin to begin with. The dislike has been duly noted in many sectors. LULAC, one of the country’s oldest Hispanic rights associations dropped the term from its communications in 2021, saying it was “very unliked” by most Latins. And some government officials have gone as far as to propose the word be banned from official government communication. In the wake of the presidential election this month, the validity or not of the word Latinx was again brought up, but all the handwringing and dramatic reaction feels like overkill. Truth is, there is no consensus among U.S. Latins on how to describe themselves — which in itself, is a reflection of the vast plurality of the population. According to the Pew study, the majority of respondents, 52%, prefer “Hispanic,” followed by 29% who prefer “Latin” or “Latino” and just 2% preferring Latinx. “Latine,” another gender inclusive adjective that is much easier to pronounce, is nevertheless lesser known; only 18% of respondents had heard the term. When it comes to “Latin” music, which is defined as music predominantly in Spanish, most artists identify as “Latin,” “Latinos” or “Latinas.” But Spaniards identify as Spaniards, even if they’re doing “Latin” music. Which is all to say, how individuals or groups identify themselves should be up to those individuals or groups, and certainly not to outside commercial and political interests to ban, impose or even give an opinion about. As far as Billboard goes, Latin music will continue to be referred to as “Latin.” And artists who make music in Spanish will continue to be referred in whatever terminology they prefer. Overwhelmingly, their term of choice is “Latin.”
