FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014


NEWS CLIPS FOR THE DAY


CBS/AP February 21, 2014, 11:15 AM
Opposition signs deal aiming to end Ukraine's deadly crisis
Last Updated Feb 21, 2014 11:15 AM EST

KIEV, Ukraine -- In a day that could significantly shift Ukraine's political destiny, opposition leaders signed a deal Friday with the country's beleaguered president that calls for early elections, a new constitution and a new unity government.

Violence resumes in Kiev
Dozens dead in worst violence since protests began in Ukraine late last year
Russian officials immediately criticized the deal and protesters angry over police violence showed no sign of abandoning their sprawling camp in central Kiev.

CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports from Kiev that before the agreement was signed there were scuffles Friday morning in Ukraine's Parliament as opposition members called for snap presidential elections. Some protesters in Kiev's Independence Square told CBS News that they were staying put until President Viktor Yanukovych was removed from power.

Ukraine truce explodes into worst bloodshed yet
More deadly violence rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, hours after a truce between anti-government protesters and police was announced.

If the deal holds, the ambitious agreement could be a major breakthrough in a months-long crisis over Ukraine's future, a standoff that worsened sharply this week and left scores dead and hundreds wounded in the worst violence the country has since seen it became independent in 1991.

Within hours of the signing, Ukraine's parliament voted to restore the 2004 constitution that limits presidential powers, clawing back some of the powers that Yanukovych had pushed through after being elected in 2010.

Although Yanukovych retains an apparent majority in parliament, his powers are now significantly reduced. Lawmakers also approved an amnesty for protesters involve in violence during a months-long standoff over Ukraine's future
European foreign ministers spent two days and all night trying to negotiate an end to the months-long standoff, prompted when Yanukovych aborted a pact with the European Union in November in favor of close ties with Russia instead.

Ukraine: U.S. threatens sanctions and warns American travelers
The State Department is warning Americans against traveling to Ukraine. Major Garrett reports on what other actions the White House is considering.

 The U.S., Russia and European Union are deeply concerned about the future of Ukraine, a nation of 46 million that has divided loyalties between Russia and the West.

The agreement signed Friday says presidential elections will be held no later than December, instead of March 2015 as scheduled. Many protesters say December is too late - they want Yanukovych out immediately.

Ukrainian authorities also will now name a new government including opposition figures within 10 days.

Ukrainian opposition activist says kidnappers "crucified" him
A Ukrainian opposition activist who went missing on Jan. 22nd has been brought to a hospital in Kiev. Dmytro Bulatov was in charge of a vocal pro...

 The deal says the government will not impose a state of emergency and both sides will refrain from violence. It says opposition protesters should hand over any weapons and withdraw from buildings they have occupied and protest camps around the country.

It is far from clear that the thousands of protesters camped out in Kiev on Friday will pack up and go home. One by one, protesters took to a stage on Independence Square to say they're not happy and didn't get what they wanted.

The capital remained tense. Shots were heard Friday morning, a day after the deadliest violence in Ukraine's post-Soviet history. It is unclear who was targeted and whether anyone was hurt or injured in Friday's incident.

The leader of a radical group that has been a driver of violent clashes with police, Pravy Sektor, said Friday he doesn't believe Yanukovych will honor the deal and "the national revolution will continue," according to the Interfax news agency.
The deal has other detractors too.

Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the committee in charge of relations with other ex-Soviet nations in the lower house of Russian parliament, told reporters Friday that the agreement serves the interests of the West.

"We realize where and by whom this agreement has been written. It's entirely in the interests of the United States and other powers, who want to split Ukraine from Russia," he said.

At the same time, Slutsky shrugged off claims that Russia could send its troops to Ukraine, saying Moscow will communicate with any government Ukraine has.
"No matter how bad and hard to deal with the new government is for us, we will deal with it," he said. "We must learn from mistakes we have made."

Protesters across the country are upset over corruption in Ukraine, the lack of democratic rights and the country's ailing economy, which just barely avoided bankruptcy with the first disbursement of a $15 billion bailout promised by Russia.
The violence is making Ukraine's dire economic troubles worse. Ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Ukraine's debt rating Friday, saying the country will likely default if there are no significant improvements in the political crisis, which it does not expect.


Geography of Ukraine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The geography of Ukraine varies greatly from one region of the country to another, with the majority of the country lying within the East European Plain. Ukraine is the second-largest country by area in Europe after the Russian Federation.

Ukraine has a strategic position in East Central Europe, lying on the northern shores Black Sea and Sea of Azov it borders number of European countries Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Belarus in the north, Moldova and Romania in the south-west and Russia in the east. Most of its territory lays within the Great European Plain, while parts of western regions reach into the Pannonian Plain.

Most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (or steppes) and plateaus. In terms of land use, 58% of Ukraine is considered arable land; 2% is used for permanent crops, 13% for permanent pastures, 18% is forests and woodland, and 9% is other.

Ukraine does have many environmental concerns. Some regions lack adequate supplies of potable water. Air and water pollution affects the country, as well as deforestation, and radiation contamination in the northeast stemming from the 1986 accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Significant natural resources in Ukraine include: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, and arable land.





What is really going on in Ukraine? The President gives a little bit, but not enough. I noticed some policemen joined the Opposition group. The opposition wants Yanukovych to step down immediately, enraged over corruption, lack of democracy, and economic failure. They also don't want to be linked so closely with Russia. The Western part of the country wants more contact with the West and the Eastern part allies more closely with Russia. Russia, meanwhile, is holding on stubbornly to their influence over Yanukovych, and therefore to the rich natural resources of the Ukraine. They have a great deal to lose.

The opposition, though not satisfied in all ways, has signed an agreement that will give democratic reforms immediately, with a new presidential election coming up in December 2014. Russia says it will communicate with the Ukrainian government, whoever they are at the time. That's good. That's civilized.




Did JPMorgan execs know of Bernie Madoff's fraud? – CBS
Reuters February 20, 2014

Two senior officials at JPMorgan & Co. (JPM) and predecessor companies repeatedly confronted Bernard Madoff over irregularities in his business, a new lawsuit said, suggesting that bank leaders had "direct knowledge" of his Ponzi scheme.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday on behalf of shareholders against Chief Executive Jamie Dimon and 12 other current and former executives and directors was based in part by statements made by Madoff himself during a series of interviews.

"JPMorgan was uniquely positioned for 20 years to see Madoff's crimes and put a stop to them," the lawsuit said.

"But faced with the prospect of shutting down Madoff's account and losing lucrative profits," it added, "JPMorgan -- at its highest level -- chose to turn a blind eye."
JPMorgan spokeswoman Tasha Pelio declined to comment on the lawsuit, one of several seeking to hold bank officials responsible for failing to uncover the fraud before it surfaced publicly in December 2008. Madoff, 75, is serving a 150-year prison term after pleading guilty to fraud in March 2009.

Trusting Madoff
The revelations came 1-1/2 months after JPMorgan agreed to pay $2.6 billion to settle lawsuits over its Madoff dealings.

Those lawsuits were brought by the U.S. government; Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC; and other shareholders. Picard has estimated that Madoff customers lost $17.3 billion.

The accords included a "deferred prosecution agreement," or DPA, to resolve criminal charges, under which JPMorgan acknowledged its responsibility for failing to stop Madoff, who was an important client of the bank for two decades.

Upper management was not implicated in that agreement.
But David Rosenfeld, a lawyer who filed the new lawsuit, said "many hours" of interviews with Madoff, including in person on Oct. 28 at the federal prison in Butner, N.C., suggested that top officials knew of the fraud.

"The DPA did not disclose how senior executives at JPMorgan knew that he was engaged in some kind of fraud, and that he should have been shut down years earlier," Rosenfeld, a partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, said in a phone interview.
Asked if Madoff could be trusted, Rosenfeld said: "I think he can. He certainly sounded credible to us, and there is no reason for him to lie at this point. He is remorseful, and he does feel compelled now to do what he can to help his victims. The things he said are also easily verifiable."

Amanda Remus, a spokeswoman for Picard, declined to comment. James Margolin, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan, declined to comment.

Dining with Madoff
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Fund in Pittsburgh and Central Laborers' Pension Fund in Jacksonville, Ill., both shareholders of JPMorgan.

According to the complaint, senior bank officials who dealt with Madoff included Walter Shipley, a former chief executive of Chemical Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank; and Robert Lipp, a former JPMorgan senior adviser and director.

Shipley and Lipp, the complaint said, repeatedly confronted Madoff with "significant concerns about irregularities" in his regulatory filings.

The lawsuit said JPMorgan examined reports that Madoff was required to produce on the late Norman Levy, a former client of JPMorgan and Madoff, and that the reports gave the impression that Madoff was not investing Levy's money or lending him money on margin.

Shipley and Lipp would meet Madoff for lunch from the 1990s through the 2000s, frequently along with Levy, and raise their concerns, the complaint said.
But in the end, the bank was "petrified" of losing business from Levy, "an extremely important, preferred top-tier client" of its private banking unit, the complaint added.

Shipley and Lipp did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Lawyers for both could not immediately be identified.

The case is Central Laborers' Pension Fund et al v. Dimon et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No 14-01041.





Norman Levy was a victim of Madoff, but unaware of it at the time, and the bank was afraid of losing Levy's business, so it did not confront Madoff. I wonder how many clients they have sheltered from prosecution due to similar situations. The lawsuit is brought by the federal government and included a DPA to “resolve criminal charges” in which J P Morgan acknowledged its failure to stop Madoff. I assume this means J P Morgan loses the suit and will have to pay a penalty. J P Morgan has agreed to pay $2.6 billion dollars to settle. I didn't know that much money was involved in the Madoff affair. In big business deals, the really big boys do tend to get away with only a fine, which they can usually afford to pay. “Joe the Plumber” doesn't have a chance in the same situation. That's the way it goes.







Woman's body lay slumped in car -- as parking tickets piled up – CBS
CBS News February 20, 2014

PHILADELPHIA - The body of a woman missing for more than a week was found Thursday inside a car that had been issued numerous tickets while it was parked near the city's main train station.

The body of 22-year-old Nadia Malik of suburban Philadelphia was found slumped in the front passenger seat of a Nissan Altima near the 30th Street Station.

"There is a book bag with stuff that is dumped out and placed on top of her," Lt. John Walker of the Philadelphia Police Department told CBS News Philadelphia.
Malik was reported missing in early February.


http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Young-Woman-Found-Dead-Near-30th-Street-Station-246370821.html


Delaware County, Pa. woman had been missing since Feb. 9 and her car spent 12 days parked on a Philadelphia street before being noticed

The body of a young mother missing for nearly two weeks was found Thursday slumped over inside her car, parked in the shadow of Philadelphia's busy 30th Street Station, as it collected parking tickets and snow.

Marple Township Chief of Police Tom Murray tells NBC10 Philadelphia the body of Nadia Malik was found inside her black Nissan along the unit block of S. 30th Street in Philadelphia around 12:15 p.m. Thursday. That is behind the Internal Revenue Service's Philadelphia headquarters and across the street from Amtrak's 30th Street Station.

Murray says police have been searching for the 22-year-old mother of two from Marple Township, Pa. and her car since family reported her missing on Feb. 9.

Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker says the woman's body was found slumped over in the passenger seat of the car, under a pile of books. "There was a book bag with stuff dumped out and on top of her," Walker said.

An autopsy scheduled for Friday could help determine an exact cause of death.
Detectives said the car had first been parked on 23rd and Market Streets right outside of the PEPCO Energy headquarters. It remained in that spot for four days until it was towed by the Philaelphia Parking Authority to the spot along 30th Street.
Since Feb. 10, the car has been ticketed seven times leaving people to wonder how the body was not seen with so much activity surrounding the vehicle.

The reason, Walker says, is because the car has darkly-tinted windows and was covered in snow most of the time it was parked along the street.

It took a 911 phone call complaining about the car's parking spot and most recently, a tip caller who recognized the vehicle's description through media reports about the missing woman to prompt further inspection by police.

On Sunday, Malik's sister told NBC10.com she was on the phone with the woman, who was with her ex-boyfriend Bhupinder Singh at the time, when the phone suddenly cut off.

Singh, 25, was later arrested on a parole violation in Solon, Ohio. Authorities in Solon tell NBC10 they located him after tracing Malik's phone, which he was using. He has been questioned about Malik's disappearance, police said.

Police have not implicated Singh in the woman's death, but he is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania regarding the parole violation. He could be in the area as early as Friday morning.

Walker said there were no visible signs of trauma or signs of foul play.
Multiple police agencies continue to investigate the incident.

Malik leaves behind a 3-year-old son and 2-month-old daughter, her family tells NBC10. She was also a Pre-Med student at Temple University.



Ex-Boyfriend Questioned in Woman's Disappearance
By David Chang
| Thursday, Feb 20, 2014


Police are questioning the ex-boyfriend of a 22-year-old woman who went missing.
Nadia Malik, 22, of Broomall, Pennsylvania disappeared last Sunday. Her sister, Mona Malik, told NBC10 she spoke to her the day of her disappearance.

According to Mona, Nadia was with her ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Bhupinder Singh, while she was on the phone. Mona also says she heard her sister saying, “let me go," before she was cut off. 

While police have not yet confirmed this, they do say that they arrested Singh on Wednesday for a parole violation.

Investigators say Singh violated his parole by failing to report to his probation officer in Pennsylvania, changing his residence without permission and traveling outside the state without permission.

Singh, originally from Thornton, Pennsylvania, was in Solon, Ohio at the time of his arrest, police tell NBC10. Police said that they found Singh by using Malik’s cell phone.

Singh is currently being questioned in connection to Malik’s disappearance. According to police, Singh told them he last saw Malik in a parking lot with her car. Neither Malik nor her vehicle have been located.

Singh has a criminal record, including charges for DUI, disorderly conduct and driving with a suspended license, according to court records. 

Malik is described as a woman standing 5-foot-4 and weighing 120 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Police also say she may have been driving a 2007 Nissan Altima with a Pennsylvania license plate that reads “JFM-5047” at the time of her disappearance.

If you have any information on Malik’s whereabouts, please call Marple Township Police at 610-356-1500.




This original CBS article doesn't say if there has been an autopsy yet. Perhaps the police just concluded on their own that there was “no visible signs of trauma or signs of foul play”. How did the boyfriend get her cell phone, which was found on him in Ohio, unless he is at least aware of her death?

She was overheard by her sister as saying to someone (presumably Singh), “Let me go!” and then her phone cut off. Miraculously it was found in Singh's possession today. They need to do an autopsy on her, because somehow he killed her. I would bet on that. The story behind how the police put numerous tickets on her car and even moved the car without finding her when she was slumped over, but in plain sight on the seat, is something else again. They said the car was covered with snow, but it would seem to me that when it was moved that snow would have fallen off. The police must at least be embarrassed.




Infant's life saved by Good Samaritan on side of expressway – CBS
By Vinita Nair CBS News February 21, 2014

These heart-wrenching photos show the moment Pamela Rauseo cradles her nephew Sebastian and gives him a round of CPR, on the side of the Dolphin Expressway in Miami, Fla.

Beside her - Lucilla Godoy, who had given the five-month-old mouth-to-mouth just moments before.

 "I look up and a woman pops out of her car and started screaming my baby can't breathe, my baby can't breathe. Call 911," said Diaz.

Diaz was driving on the expressway, and pulled over when he saw the commotion.
"I ran out into traffic, looking for help, someone that would know CPR, so that's when Lucilla Godoy popped out of her car," he said.

 Godoy was able to resuscitate Sebastian but moments later he stopped breathing. Godoy and a police officer sprang back into action.

"I was just trying to help. I wasn't thinking, really. I was just holding the baby like it was my baby, I did what I thought I would do if my baby was in that situation," said Godoy.

 Godoy and Rauseo stood alongside first responders making sure Sebastian was safe.
"The hero is Lucilla and the baby's aunt," said Diaz.

"I'm not a hero, I just did what you would have done, I'm sure, if you were there and you see what I saw. You would have stopped I'm sure," said Godoy.




The truth is most people don't stop. They just keep on going. I always admire people who try to help even if they aren't professional healthcare workers. I have seen mouth to mouth done while I was in the Girl Scouts, but have had no experience doing it. I think with babies you are supposed to cover both their mouth and nose when you blow, but it is possible to blow too hard on a baby, causing more problems as their lungs are more fragile than an adult's. These people stepped up in time to save the baby, and deserve great credit. Maybe they will get a civic award or something. I hope so.





NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s motorcade caught speeding – CBS
By Stephanie Condon CBS News February 21, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s motorcade ran through stop signs, exceeded the speed limit and violated other traffic laws on Thursday, WCBS reported, just two days after the mayor unveiled a 62-point “safe streets” initiative.

The mayor’s motorcade is operated by police, and the New York Police Department told the WCBS that the security personnel receive specialized driving training that focuses on security and safety.

NYC mayor to skip St. Patrick's Day Parade over gay rights
“At certain times, under certain conditions, this training may include the use of techniques such as maintaining speed with the general flow of traffic, and may sometimes include tactics to safely keep two or more police vehicles together in formation when crossing intersections,” the NYPD said in a statement.

When he announced his “safe streets” initiative, de Blasio proposed lowering traffic speeds in New York City from 30 to 25 miles per hour. “The likelihood of a fatal crash drops significantly for speeds below 30 mph. If we get those speeds down, it will be the difference between losing a life and saving a life,” he said.

Yet on Thursday, WCBS tracked his caravan as it traveled 45 mph in a 30 mph zone, and up to 60 mph in a 45 mph zone.

The mayor’s office released a statement saying “public safety is everyone’s responsibility.”

“We also recognize NYPD’s training and protocols, and refer questions related to security and transportation to them,” the statement said. 




So the mayor is off the hook because he defers to the Police to set the speed, and the police said they were just “keeping up with the traffic flow,” though the traffic was flowing faster than the posted speed limit apparently. Why didn't the police just use their sirens and stop all traffic until the Motorcade could get by? That's what they do in Jacksonville when there is an escorted group of cars, such as a funeral procession. I feel sure that's what they would do if President Obama came to town. That's the fun of having sirens!




Why one Girl Scout is selling cookies outside a pot clinic --CBS
By Aimee Picchi Money Watch February 21, 2014

Aside from selling long-time fan favorites such as Thin Mints and Samoas, the Girl Scouts' cookie program has another goal: To teach girls and young women to become savvy business thinkers. 

One 13-year-old Girl Scout is exemplifying that mission with her clever selling strategy: Pitching her cookie stand outside a medical marijuana dispensary.  
Headlines at 8:30: Girl Scouts selling cookies outside marijuana dispensaries
"CBS This Morning" takes a look at some of the day's headlines from around the globe.
The girl, Danielle Lei, set up the stand outside The Green Cross medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco, stocking her table with favorites such as Tagalongs and Samoas. She sold about 117 boxes in two hours. 

Lei's mother told CBS station KPIX by phone that the location allowed her to talk to her daughter about the sensitive topic of drugs. Lei's local council, the Girl Scouts of Northern California, told Mashable that the organization was fine with the location. 

"They and their parents pick out places where they can make good sales," a council representative told the publication. 

Lei's strong sales demonstrate her savvy in picking the creative location, especially given that the Girl Scouts of Northern California this year raised its cookie price this year to $5 a box, making it the most expensive Girl Scout cookies within mainland U.S.A. 

What better way to demonstrate "out of the box" business thinking than targeting a location that's guaranteed to churn out people with the munchies?

As a co-leader of a Girl Scout troop, I've witnessed my scouts set sales goals, learn how to count change, meet and exceed their sales goals and deadlines, and then decide how they'll use their troop funds. 

It's the type of experience that they're not likely to find elsewhere. While other educational groups have fund-raising sales, one key aspect of the Girl Scout cookie sale is that the girls then work as a group to decide how to use the money, which includes a philanthropy portion. Our scouts have opted to donate a chunk of their funds to a local animal shelter and a homeless charity, for instance. 

The reaction to Lei's pot-dispensary stand has been overwhelmingly positive, with people on Twitter cheering her on for her strategy. 

Still, some are less than enamored with the idea. The Girl Scouts of Colorado, another council, wrote in a tweet, "If you are wondering, we don't allow our Girl Scouts to sell cookies in front of marijuana shops or liquor stores/bars."

The attention Lei has received is likely to boost her sales this weekend. She'll be back on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m., Mashable notes. 




“She sold about 117 boxes in two hours,” what's more, she sold them at the price of $5.00 a box, which probably has no more than 20 or 30 cookies in it. You can't argue with results, I guess. I notice the Colorado Girl Scout council disapproved the choice of location. I can certainly see why, though it isn't the same as it would be if the scouts were selling marijuana laced cookies along with their Thin Mints. That would be a true scandal. Realistically, though, I think ' kids are so much more streetwise in all ways today than when I was a scout that there is no real problem here. I don't think this girl's personality was damaged by this incident.




Obama meets with the Dalai Lama over China’s objections
CBS/AP February 21, 2014

President Obama on Friday morning hosted the Dalai Lama at the White House over the stern objection of China, which warned the meeting would "inflict grave damages" on the U.S. relationship with the Asian powerhouse.

The Dalai Lama has visited Mr. Obama at the White House twice before, with both of those visits eliciting the same objections from China. The Tibetan spiritual leader is stopping in Washington Friday while in the U.S. for a three-week speaking tour.
Urging Mr. Obama to cancel the meeting, China's government accused the president of letting the Dalai Lama use the White House as a podium to promote anti-Chinese activities.

"The U.S. leader's planned meeting with Dalai is a gross interference in China's domestic politics," said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry. "It is a severe violation of the principles of international relations. It will inflict grave damages upon the China-U.S. relationship."

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Chinese officials denounce the Dalai Lama as a separatist responsible for instigating self-immolations by Tibetans inside China, but he is widely respected around the world for his advocacy of peace and tolerance.

Mr. Obama hosted the Dalai Lama in the White House's Map Room, rather than the Oval Office, where the president traditionally brings a visiting leader for a round of photographs. The private meeting, closed to reporters, suggested an attempt to avoid the appearance of a formal meeting between two heads of state.

The U.S. had no immediate response to the rebuke from China. But in announcing the meeting earlier Thursday, the White House said Mr. Obama was meeting with the Dalai Lama in his capacity as a cultural and religious leader.

"The United States supports the Dalai Lama's `Middle Way' approach of neither assimilation nor independence for Tibetans in China," said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council. She added that presidents of both parties have met with the Dalai Lama for decades.

At the same time, officials said they were concerned about tensions and deteriorating human rights in China's Tibetan areas, urging Beijing to resume talks with the Dalai Lama or his followers without preconditions.

China, in its response to the meeting, said it had relayed its concerns formally to the U.S. and urged Washington to treat its concerns seriously. China bitterly opposes the Dalai Lama's quest for greater Tibetan autonomy and is wary of Obama's efforts to increase U.S. influence in the region.

Relations between the U.S. and China are already on edge over Beijing's increasingly aggressive steps to assert itself in the region, including in territorial disputes with its smaller neighbors. China's emergence as a leading global economic and military power has strained ties with Washington, and the two have also clashed over cyber theft and human rights.

A frequent visitor to the U.S., the Dalai Lama has lived in exile in northern India since fleeing China in 1959.





I wasn't yet in high school when the Dalai Lama was exiled to India, but I remember it from the news. I was impressed by his calm and benign demeanor and his perfect English speech. He is the epitome of a worthy leader, and as far as I can see does not espouse radical behavior, so I doubt that his influence has been the cause of self-immolations.

That technique has been used in a number of other places even including the US at times within the last 30 years or so. It is effective because it elicits sympathy for causes that aren't approved by the majority of the populace, such as breaking away from the established government, but which could possibly be justified by argument. I personally prefer less activist behavior, but that is partly because I live in a society with a great deal of freedom of expression, with which to influence authorities. How would I feel if we were repressed here as they are in China in many ways? China needs to look at its own policies for the cause of immolations.




Reindeer get fluorescent antler makeovers in Finland – CBS
AP February 19, 2014

HELSINKI -- Rudolph the reindeer is having a glittering antler makeover - the latest attempt to halt some of the thousands of road deaths of the roaming caribou in the wilds of Finland.

Anne Ollila of the Finnish Reindeer Herder's Association says the antlers of 20 reindeer have been painted with various fluorescent dyes to see how the animals react and whether the paints are resistant to the harsh Arctic climate.

If successful, animals with glittering antlers will be free to roam Lapland - a vast, deserted area in northern Finland where herders tend to some 200,000 reindeer.
Ollila says reflectors and reflective tape have proven unsuccessful as reindeer have torn them off - and road signs warning drivers of roaming reindeer often are stolen by tourists as souvenirs.

Please see the following NPR article for more information.

­
These Reindeer Really Do Shine, And It's For Their Own Good – NPR
by Mark Memmott
February 20, 2014
­
Correction Feb. 21, 2014
The spray being put on the antlers of some reindeer is reflective, not fluorescent. Scroll down to read about our mistake on that point.
­
Feeli the Finnish reindeer,
Had some very shiny horns ...
OK, we'll stop there.
Here's the news:
"Herders in Lapland are spraying their reindeer with reflective paint to help drivers see them in the dark," the BBC writes.

It's an experiment to see if shiny antlers might help herders reduce the number of reindeer killed each year on highways. According to Helsingen Sanomat, the largest circulation newspaper in Scandinavia, on average 4,000 reindeer die in Finland each year when they're hit by vehicles.

So, Finland's Reindeer Herders' Association is testing a reflective spray — on the animals' fur as well as their antlers.

Reindeer herding is a big business in Finland. According to data kept by the Finnish Forest Association, there are more than 7,000 reindeer herders in the country. About 5.5 million pounds of reindeer meat is produced in the country each year, the Forest Association says.

Even though the Herders' Association has built a 1,200-mile-long fence on the borders of the animals' grazing lands, it's not possible to keep all of the 200,000 or so reindeer that the herders' care for from crossing highways.

Perhaps the paint will help drivers avoid some collisions.
By the way, we're aware that horns and antlers "are often used interchangeably" but aren't really the same thing. But you try fitting "antlers" into the opening lines of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Seriously, try it in the comments thread!
Correction at 9:55 a.m. ET, Feb. 21. It's "Reflective," Not "Fluorescent":
We were, rightfully as it turns out, taken to task in the comments thread for saying earlier that the spray being used on the antlers is fluorescent and glows in the dark. We had used those words because that's what Anne Ollila of Finland's Reindeer Herders' Association told the AP.

Well, after seeing the comments about our likely mistake, we took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and called Ollila.

Though she speaks English well, Ollila conceded to us that it's not her first language. She shouldn't have said fluorescent, she says. The spray is reflective and the antlers will only "glow" if a light is shined on them.

We've gone back through the post to clear things up.
Our thanks to those who shed some light on our mistake.




Do you find it interesting that the Lapps, or Sami, of Scandinavia are still making a living by herding reindeer? At one point in human history there were many nomadic herding peoples, and it was definitely an improvement over being a “hunter gatherer,” which most of the other groups at the time were. Now it seems primitive, or at the very least, extremely conservative culturally. There was a great documentary about them on Pubic Television a few years ago in which the cameras went into their tents for a meal and story time with their elderly matron, and showed them milking and caring for their reindeer. The reindeer are fully domesticated and serve in death as food and the source of hides for their tents. I don't know, but I would expect that their fur could be used to make thread and fabric. I was very impressed with the Sami.

Wikipedia has the following about the Sami: “Traditionally, the Sami have pursued a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding. Currently about 10% of the Sami are connected to reindeer herding and 2,800 are actively involved in herding on a full-time basis. For traditional, environmental, cultural and political reasons, reindeer herding is legally reserved only for Sami people in certain regions of the Nordic countries.”