July 28, 2014


News Clips For The Day


http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/07/paul_ryan_s_anti_poverty_plan_the_house_budget_chairman_s_paternalistic.html

The Poor Don’t Need a Life Coach
By Jamelle Bouie
JULY 25 2014

What if the poor need more than disposable income to escape poverty? What if they need a life coach?

That’s the position of House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, who in his new anti-poverty plan wants poor families to work with government agencies or charitable nonprofits to craft “life plans” as a condition of receiving federal assistance under his proposed “opportunity grants.” “In the envisioned scenario providers would work with families to design a customized life plan to provide a structured roadmap out of poverty,” Ryan writes. At a minimum, these life plans would include “a contract outlining specific and measurable benchmarks for success,” a “timeline” for meeting them, “sanctions” for breaking them, “incentives for exceeding the terms of the contract,” and “time limits”—presumably independent of actual program limits—for “remaining on cash assistance.”

The idea that life skills are necessary to climb out of poverty doesn’t jibe with the facts on the ground.

Even for conservatives—who champion welfare drug tests and robust work requirements—this is breathtakingly paternalistic. As Annie Lowrey notes for New York magazine, “[I]t isolates the poor. Middle-class families don’t need to justify and prostrate themselves for tax credits. Businesses aren’t required to submit an ‘action plan’ to let the government know when they’ll stop sucking the oxygen provided by federal grant programs.” What’s more, as she also points out, it treats the poor as if they want to stay that way and all but punishes “the poorest and most unstable families for their poverty and instability.” As with other measures that tie aid to “accountability”—like family caps for welfare—a sanction can spark a downward spiral to deeper poverty.

Still, this approach has defenders. Here at Slate, my colleague Reihan Salam defends the paternalism in Ryan’s plan as a necessary response to the diversity of the poor and the idiosyncrasy of American poverty:

People with low or no earnings, in contrast, face diverse obstacles. Some need short-term help to, say, fix their car, which will allow them to commute to work, or to make a deposit on a rental apartment. Others don’t have the skills they need to earn enough to support themselves and, for whatever reason, will have a very hard time acquiring them. Sure, you could give both kinds of people food stamps and call it a day. Or you could recognize that one-size-fits-all programs don’t do justice to the ways in which individual circumstances vary.

“The theory behind having smart, dedicated caseworkers working on behalf of people who are down on their luck,” Salam continues, “is that spending a bit more time and money now could help save time and money later.”

It’s a noble and compassionate approach to anti-poverty efforts. It’s also wrongheaded. The idea that life skills are necessary to climb out of poverty—that the poor are plagued by low income and bad habits—doesn’t jibe with the facts on the ground.

Mandatory life coaching makes sense if most poverty is persistent and generational. Even with federal assistance, adults with little-to-no market income—and little experience in the workforce—are at a long-term disadvantage and likely to pass those barriers on to their children. But poverty in America is fluid; depending on the season, the unstable nature of market work may force a period of personal retrenchment.

The research bears this out. According to the latest Survey of Income and Program Participation, which draws from three years of interviews from a representative sample of American households, almost one-third of Americans were poor for two months or more during 2009, 2010, and 2011. More importantly, 44 percent of those poverty “spells” ended within four months and only 15.2 percent lasted more than two years. By contrast, just 3.5 percent of the population was poor for all three years—a tiny constituency for the kind of generational poverty that needs a Ryan-esque intervention.

At the left-leaning think tank Demos, Matt Bruenig crunches the numbers of the Census Bureau’s 2012 social and economic supplement to its annual population survey and identifies the “officially poor” as “35 percent children, 8 percent elderly, 9 percent disabled, 8 percent student, 18 percent working, and 21 percent everyone else.” He concludes: “The adult, able-bodied, non-student poor who lack personal market income comprise 3 percent of the population.” It’s just a snapshot, but it tells us there aren’t many Americans who need the intense paternalism recommended by Ryan and others.

In his response to Ryan’s anti-poverty plan, Jared Bernstein—former chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden—writes, “The main problem faced by the American poor is not that there’s something fundamentally wrong with the safety net. It’s that they lack the employment and earnings opportunities necessary to work their way out of poverty.”

Bingo. At some point in their lives, millions of Americans will experience a short spell of poverty. Not because they don’t have a plan to fix their lives or lack the skills to move forward, but because our economy isn’t run to create demand for labor, isn’t equipped to deliver stable work to everyone who wants it, and wasn’t built to address the distributive needs of everyone who works.

The best way to confront this problem for most people is to just address those needs. Yes, on the margins, there will be Americans who need an intensive approach, and I endorse government support for voluntary life coaching. (For example, look at the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore.) But by and large, the easiest solution is to mail larger checks to more people. In other words, we need more solutions like Ryan’s expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit—the best part of his plan—and fewer life coaches for the poor.



http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/elizpl.html

The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law
Marjie Bloy, Ph. D., Senior Research Fellow, the Victorian Web
Last modified 12 November 2002

Before the Reformation, it was considered to be a religious duty for all Christians to undertake the seven corporal works of mercy. These were deeds aimed at relieving bodily distress: in accordance with the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 25 vv. 32-46) people were to:

feed the hungry
give drink to the thirsty
welcome the stranger
clothe the naked
visit the sick
visit the prisoner
bury the dead

After the Reformation and the establishment of the Church of England, many of the old values and moral expectations disappeared so it became necessary to regulate the relief of poverty by law. During the reign of Elizabeth I, a spate of legislation was passed to deal with the increasing problem of raising and administering poor relief.

1552 — Parish registers of the poor were introduced so that there was an official record of those who fell into the category of 'poor'
1563 — Justices of the Peace were authorised and empowered to raise compulsory funds for the relief of the poor and, for the first time, the poor were put into different categories
those who would work but could not: these were the able-bodied or deserving poor. They were to be given help either through outdoor relief or by being given work in return for a wage.
those who could work but would not: these were the idle poor. They were to be whipped through the streets, publicly, until they learned the error of their ways.
those who were too old/ill/young to work: these were the impotent or deserving poor. They were to be looked after in almshouses, hospitals, orphanages or poor houses. Orphans and children of the poor were to be given a trade apprenticeship so that they would have a trade to pursue when they grew up.
1572 — the first compulsory local poor law tax was imposed making the alleviation of poverty a local responsibility
1576 — the idea of a deterrent workhouse was first suggested although nothing was done at this point
1597 — Justices of the Peace once more were authorised and empowered to raise compulsory funds for the relief of the poor and the post of 'Overseer of the Poor' was created. The position continued after the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act
1601 — the 'Elizabethan Poor Law' was passed

Provisions of the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601

It [43 Eliz I Cap. 2], consolidated all the previous legislation into one massive law and made provision for
a compulsory poor rate to be levied on every parish
the creation of 'Overseers' of relief
the 'setting the poor on work'
the collection of a poor relief rate from property owners

The law required each parish to elect two Overseers of the Poor every Easter: those who were elected were unpaid and often were unwilling appointees who acted under the supervision of the JPs. However, the means of poor relief did provide a way of controlling the 'lower orders' and reinforced a sense of social hierarchy. The Elizabethan Poor Law were appropriate for the society of the time.

The duties of the Overseers were to
work out how much money would be needed for the relief of the poor and set the poor rate accordingly
collect the poor rate from property owners
relieve the poor by dispensing either food or money
supervise the parish poor-house

Two types of relief were available

Outdoor relief: the poor would be left in their own homes and would be given either a 'dole' of money on which to live or be given relief in kind - clothes and food for example. This was the norm.

Indoor relief:
the poor would be taken into the local almshouse
the ill would be admitted to the hospital
orphans were taken into the orphanage
the idle poor would be taken into the poor-house or workhouse where they would be set to work

Part of the 1601 Law said that poor parents and children were responsible for each other, so elderly parents were expected to live with their children for example. However, everyone in need was looked after at the expense of the parish, which was the basic unit of poor law administration. There were 15,000 parishes throughout England and Wales, each based on a parish church. However, no mechanism was introduced to enforce any of the measures stated by the 1601 Act and the operation of the poor law was inconsistent. The legislation did not set down any administrative standards so parishes were at liberty to interpret the law in any way they wished. There were great differences between parishes which varied between extreme laxity and extreme stringency in the interpretation of the law. Some towns, such as Bristol, Exeter and Liverpool, obtained local by-laws that established corporations of the poor: their responsibilities extended over several of the urban parishes within their jurisdiction.

The Elizabethan legislation was intended to help the 'settled' poor who found themselves out of work (for example) because of illness, or during a hard winter or a trade depression. It was assumed that these people would accept whatever work or relief the parish offered, whether that was indoor or outdoor relief. Neither method of assistance was seen as punitive or harsh. It was intended to deter or deal with the 'sturdy beggars' who were roaming the roads, robbing travellers and generally posing a threat to civil order. The increase in the numbers of beggars was probably the historical background to the nursery rhyme

Hark! Hark! The dogs do bark!
The beggars are coming to town:
Some in rags, some in tags
And one in a velvet gown

The first adaptation of the 1601 Act came in 1607 and provided for the setting up of Houses of Correction in each county. Here, work was provided for the unemployed at local rates of pay; work could be forced on the idle and on vagabonds. The Houses of Correction were not part of the Elizabethan system of poor relief and were totally separate from the parish poor houses because the law made a clear separation between the settled and 'wandering' poor.
The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law continued with further adaptations — for example the 1662 Settlement Act,Gilbert's Act (1782) and the Speenhamland system of 1795 — until the passing of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act and formed the basis of poor relief throughout the country for over two centuries. It was a fair and equitable system run for and administered by local people at a time when the population was small enough for everyone to know everyone else and his/her circumstances. This meant that the idle poor were known as such and would be given short shrift at the hands of the Overseers of the poor.

One of the later complaints about the 1601 Act was that the basis of the law was that it rated land and buildings but not personal or movable wealth. Consequently it benefited the industrial and commercial groups in society who did not fall within the parameters of the legislation and so did not pay into the poor rates unless they also happened to own landed property.




“Even for conservatives—who champion welfare drug tests and robust work requirements—this is breathtakingly paternalistic. As Annie Lowrey notes for New York magazine, “[I]t isolates the poor. Middle-class families don’t need to justify and prostrate themselves for tax credits. Businesses aren’t required to submit an ‘action plan’ to let the government know when they’ll stop sucking the oxygen provided by federal grant programs.” What’s more, as she also points out, it treats the poor as if they want to stay that way and all but punishes “the poorest and most unstable families for their poverty and instability.” As with other measures that tie aid to “accountability”—like family caps for welfare—a sanction can spark a downward spiral to deeper poverty.”

With the article I clipped earlier this week for Ryan's poverty plan I praised his initiative. In my defense I have to say that the article didn't detail this series of hoops that the poor would have to jump through to get any money at all, and the “cap” on funds for each family. Too much interference in the lives of citizens by government is involved in Ryan's plan. I have clipped this description of Queen Elizabeth I' anti-poverty plan, for your comparison to Ryan's, because when I read his that was the first thing that came to my mind.

“In his response to Ryan’s anti-poverty plan, Jared Bernstein—former chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden—writes, 'The main problem faced by the American poor is not that there’s something fundamentally wrong with the safety net. It’s that they lack the employment and earnings opportunities necessary to work their way out of poverty.'” I have been underemployed and on a low wage since 2006, and have had a difficult time finding many appropriate job opportunities since 1995. We have had tight economic times in this country with losses on the job market and persistently low wages at least that long. This is what keeps the poor down. When you have a full time job, but you are only making $7.25 an hour it is impossible to save any money or upgrade your life.

I don't need to stress that Democrats need to fight against Ryan's plan tooth and nail, because if anything like it is enacted, our whole relief system will be ruined and the poor will again be literally starving as they were in the 1800s and early 1900s, before the rise of powerful labor unions and the enactment of the Graduated Income Tax of the 1930's. Some of these conservatives would willingly turn the clock back to the Middle Ages, I think, and call it progress. While we're at it we should make the Southern Baptist Church the required national religion, don't you agree?





Fighting rages around Flight 17 crash site
CBS/AP July 28, 2014

KIEV, Ukraine -- At least eight civilians have been killed by fighting and shelling in two Ukrainian cities held by separatist militants, officials in the rebellion-wracked east said Monday.

Authorities in Luhansk that five people were killed and 15 injured by overnight artillery strikes. Three were killed in Donetsk as a result of clashes, the city's government said.

Territory between the cities has seen intensified fighting as government troops try to gain controlover the area where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17was downed earlier this month. The pro-Russia separatists have been blamed for shooting down Flight 17 with a surface-to-air missile on July 17, killing all 298 people aboard.

Unreleased data from a black box retrieved from the Boeing 777's wreckage shows findings consistent with the plane's fuselage being hit multiple times by shrapnel from a missile explosion.

"It did what it was designed to do," a European air safety official told CBS News late last week, "bring down airplanes." The official said the data extracted showed a "massive explosive decompression" of the plane's cabin.

Dutch and Australian police set off for the crash site Monday morning in a convoy of 20 cars, aiming to secure the area so that investigations can continue and any remaining bodies can be recovered. They didn't get far. The convoy stopped in Shakhtarsk, a town around 20 miles from the fields where the aircraft was downed. Sounds of regular shelling could be heard from Shakhtarsk and residents were fleeing the town in cars. AP reporters saw a high-rise apartment block in the town being hit by at least two rounds of artillery.

As CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports, it was the second day in a row that a contingent of international police were forced to abandon their attempt to reach the crash site due to the heavy fighting.

The Australian and Dutch police in Ukraine are not armed, but they have been eager to reach the crash area in hopes of enabling investigators to get on with the now extremely delayed work of documenting the wreckage and the remains of dozens of bodies still believed to be entangled in the debris.

Both sides in the conflict have traded accusations over the mounting civilian death toll. The armed conflict that has been raging for more than three months has displaced more than 200,000 people.

Rebels accuse government troops of deploying artillery against residential areas. Authorities deny that charge, but also complain of insurgents using apartment blocks as firing positions.

Ukraine's National Security Council has said government forces have surrounded Horlivka, a city about 20 miles north of Donetsk, and D'Agata reports that fighting has also been reported in the town of Torez, the nearest town to the crash site.

While the Ukrainian military is trying to regain control of the region, D'Agata says in terms of the investigation, it's just making the situation worse.

As the government intensified its offensive, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin toldCBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that his government was eager for a bilateral cease-fire.

"We are for (a) peaceful settlement," Klimkin said. "But we can't negotiate directly with terrorists who shot down the plane, who have been killing people, taking hostages...The main leaders of the terrorists are Russian citizens with different connections with Russian special services."

The U.S. State Department on Sunday released satellite images that it says back up its claims that rockets have been fired from Russia into eastern Ukraine and heavy artillery for separatists has also crossed the border.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the claims Monday during a televised press conference, asking "why it took ten days" before the U.S. released the images.

A four-page document released by the State Department appears to show blast marks from where rockets were launched and craters where they landed. Officials said the images, sourced from the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, show heavy weapons fired between July 21 and July 26 - after the July 17 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

The images could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.

Lavrov said he is expecting OSCE observers to arrive at the Russian-Ukrainian border "in the coming days." He said they would see that accusations rebels are traveling freely into Ukraine from Russia are false.

Ukrainian officials have said the mission is largely pointless because it involves only about two dozen observers monitoring the 1,240-mile border between the two countries.




"We are for (a) peaceful settlement," Klimkin said. "But we can't negotiate directly with terrorists who shot down the plane, who have been killing people, taking hostages...The main leaders of the terrorists are Russian citizens with different connections with Russian special services." The fighting goes on, with 200,000 people being displaced, and both sides trading accusations. The Australian and Dutch policemen have been unable to reach the crash scene, and there doesn't seem to be any progress to report. It would be tiresome if it weren't so dangerous.





Hillary Clinton: Despite Russia "reset," I was "skeptical" of Putin
By JAKE MILLER CBS NEWS July 27, 2014, 3:43 PM

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended her handling of the U.S.-Russia relationship on Sunday, saying she remained "skeptical" of Russian President Vladimir Putin during her time as the top U.S. diplomat, despite a high-profile effort to "reset" relations between the two countries.

Clinton and other U.S. officials also urged the Europeans to step up their economic sanctions against Russia, stressing the need to exact a price from the Russians for their interference in Ukraine and their alleged involvement in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Critics have said Clinton's "reset" initiative was naive because Russia was never going to be an upstanding member of the global community, and that the U.S. should have taken a harder line against the Russians during President Obama's first term.

Clinton, though, told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that she approached Russia with eyes wide open.

"I was among the most skeptical of Putin during the time that I was there, in part because I thought he had never given up on his vision of bringing 'Mother Russia' back to the forefront," she said. "I think that what may have happened is that both the United States and Europe were really hoping for the best from Putin as a returned president, and I think we've been quickly, unfortunately, disabused of those hopes."

Russia's aggressive behavior in eastern Ukraine continued this weekend, with the State Department releasing what it says is new evidence on Sunday showing proof that Russian artillery have been firing across the border into Ukraine.

"This isn't just Russia backing the separatists," said CBS News State Department Correspondent Margaret Brennan. "This is Russia fighting for the separatists."

That sort of provocation has coincided with renewed calls from Clinton and others for a quick strengthening of sanctions.

"They need to understand they must stand up to Vladimir Putin," Clinton said of Europe's leaders. "If the United States and Europe don't present a united front, I think Putin's the kind of man who will go as far as he can get away with. I think he is still smart enough and cautious enough to be pushed back, but there has to be a push in order to make that happen."

She urged European leaders to reduce their reliance on Russian energy to minimize their own pain under a stronger sanctions regime - a message she also said she delivered while she was still at the State Department.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., seconded the call for more action from Europe on NBC News.

"Putin has shown he has no conscience. He takes advantage of this horrible downing of the airliner. And then just redoubles his efforts and rearms the rebels," Schumer said. "It's about time we took tougher action against Putin. He's a schoolyard bully."

Schumer said the Europeans "have to be part of the sanctions," and he urged them not to appease Putin as their predecessors did Nazi Germany in 1938.

"If they appease Putin, they will not stop him, he will get worse," he said.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she's been "appalled" at how slowly Europe has responded to Russian aggression.

"The president has been pushing the Europeans," she said on CBS News' "Face the Nation." "The Europeans have to step up...on supporting Ukraine, on making clear that the kind of behavior that Putin is engaged in is illegal."

Ben Rhodes, a national security adviser to the president, said the Europeans are preparing to do just that, predicting new action from Europe by the "end of July."

"We still think the best thing the United States can do is send a message to Russia through very strong sanctions, coordinated with the Europeans. And I'd expect in the coming days...you will see the Europeans move out on stronger sanctions," Rhodes said on CNN. "The president has spoken to these leaders and they indicated in their meetings last week at the European council that the energy sector, the arms sector, and the financial sector [are] on the table for European sanctions...And we are confident that there's going to be strong action."




Hillary Clinton said that she “remained 'skeptical' of Russian President Vladimir Putin during her time as the top U.S. diplomat, despite a high-profile effort to 'reset' relations between the two countries.” That cynicism is proving to be an accurate appraisal of Putin's goals and methods, judging from his actions in regard to Ukraine. To say he is a very pragmatic person is a huge understatement. He goes by no rules of conduct except “winner takes all.” “'I think Putin's the kind of man who will go as far as he can get away with. I think he is still smart enough and cautious enough to be pushed back, but there has to be a push in order to make that happen.'... She urged European leaders to reduce their reliance on Russian energy to minimize their own pain under a stronger sanctions regime...”

“Schumer said the Europeans "have to be part of the sanctions," and he urged them not to appease Putin as their predecessors did Nazi Germany in 1938.... Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she's been "appalled" at how slowly Europe has responded to Russian aggression. 'The president has been pushing the Europeans,' she said on CBS News' 'Face the Nation.' 'The Europeans have to step up...on supporting Ukraine, on making clear that the kind of behavior that Putin is engaged in is illegal.'" European leaders are expected to make moves soon – “'they indicated in their meetings last week at the European council that the energy sector, the arms sector, and the financial sector [are] on the table for European sanctions...And we are confident that there's going to be strong action.'"

I do hope the EU nations will act decisively with strong sanctions, as the US alone can't make the Russians stop what they're doing. Russia pays attention to world opinion, Putin is not dumb, but he doesn't mind getting a little bit dirty unless Russia's interests are effectively threatened. I hope to see more united European and US action over the next weeks. Sending in unarmed policemen, even if there are several hundred of them, doesn't effectively stop the Russian rebels. A peace plan would be the best solution, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Weapons to supplement the Ukrainian arsenal would be second best, from both the US and from Europe, especially as Russia keeps sending tanks and other equipment in across the border. If the US has clear pictures of Russian armaments being moved across the Ukrainian border, we should publish them on the news so the world can see them clearly. I am glad to see that the Ukrainians are making headway against the Russians. This tragic situation with the downed civilian plane is still not being solved, though. Day by day it goes on. I will keep tracking the situation in the news.




http://www.today.com/news/red-ruby-alert-major-stores-selling-gems-filled-glass-1D79975847

Red ruby alert: Major stores selling gems 'filled with glass'
Jeff Rossen and Charlie McLravy TODAY
July 28, 2014

It's July, and if you have a birthday this month, the ruby is your birthstone. Rubies have been called the "king of gems," symbolizing strength, power and love. And they don't come cheap.

You can buy them at just about every major department store. But a Rossen Reports investigation found that some of the "rubies" in those display cases may actually be filled with cheap glass. 

With hidden cameras rolling, the Rossen Reports team went shopping for ruby jewelry at New York City-area outlets of four major retailers, joined by Antoinette Matlins, professional gemologist and author of "Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide." The team bought ruby rings at Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Littman Jewelers, and a ruby pendant at JCPenney, paying thousands of dollars.

The ring from Macy's, for example, had a $1,200 price tag. Asked if the ruby was natural, the Macy's saleswoman said: "It is real. It is natural."

Want an issue or rip-off investigated? Email Rossen Reports

At Littman Jewelers, when asked "Is this a real ruby?" the saleswoman responded similarly: "Oh absolutely. Absolutely."

When asked about a ring on display, the Lord & Taylor salesman first said, “They did something like remove the inclusions and then filled it with lead glass." But then he later said, "They're real rubies. It's a real ruby." And when asked if it was a natural ruby, he said "yes."

And the JCPenney saleswoman called the item we purchased a "ruby lead-glass pendant." But when asked if the ruby was real, she said, "It's a genuine ruby."

“These are not real rubies; period!” Matlins told NBC News, calling them impostors.  
The Rossen team had all four pieces of jewelry they purchased analyzed by two independent labs.

“All four gems we tested contain high contents of lead glass,” said Christopher Smith, president of American Gemological Labs in New York City.

Gary Smith, master gemologist appraiser at Pennsylvania Gem Lab, also found high amounts of lead glass.

"Ninety percent glass, it's almost all glass," Smith said while examining one of the purchased rings under a microscope. "This is fish tank gravel that's been modified."

"Fish tank gravel?" Rossen asked.

"Yeah, that's what I call it," Smith affirmed. He went on to explain that lead-glass rubies are not found naturally in the earth, but are instead made using a combination of low-quality corundum, the mineral found in ruby, which is then infused with high amounts of lead glass. The mixture is heated at high temperatures and then cooled, cut and polished. Smith says these lead-glass stones lack the durability and value of genuine rubies. 

Smith said that the $1,200 ring from Macy's was worth only about half that price because lead-glass rubies can be found for less than $20 per karat wholesale.

While the Federal Trade Commission is not investigating these stores, the agency says it's "unfair or deceptive" to tell consumers stones like the ones the Rossen team purchased are "natural" rubies.

Under a microscope, rubies containing lead glass reveal a telltale sign: air bubbles trapped inside. "There's never air bubbles in a natural ruby," Smith said.  

Smith demonstrated another difference between natural rubies and ones containing lead glass by putting samples of both in what he called "a cleaning solution that you would find at any jewelers." When he pulled them out of the solution, the natural ruby looked beautiful, but the other one was visibly damaged. Smith explained that the lead glass in that ruby had started to eat away, leaving behind a honeycomb pattern of unattractive white lines across the stone. "If you left it alone long enough, it would literally fall apart," he said.

Smith advised consumers in the market for rubies to have jewelry they've purchased appraised by a qualified gemologist. And to demand a refund if they learn the ring or pendant they bought is something other than what it was sold as.

Matlins added: “It breaks my heart, because ruby is one of the most valuable and most precious and most durable of all the gemstones. And these are the exact opposite. They are not rare, they are not valuable, and they are not durable.”

The stores all say full disclosure is company policy and they do mark lead-glass rubies with tags, and some mention it online. But after the Rossen Reports investigation, Littman Jewelers and Macy's told NBC News they're retraining their sales associates. And both JCPenney and Lord & Taylor are now offering refunds for dissatisfied customers. 

In a statement, a spokesperson for JCPenney said: “…there was never any intention to mislead the consumer. Glass-filled rubies are a new product to JCPenney that were introduced this spring. Given its unique qualities, the sales associate was likely under the impression that the pendant was a genuine stone because it was incorrectly labeled in our system. Moving forward, JCPenney will be removing any references to "genuine" from these tags and updating the description so that customers and associates clearly understand the nature of this enhanced gemstone.”

Macy’s told NBC News: “Almost all of the ruby merchandise sold in Macy's Fine Jewelry department has a base of the mineral corundum and is lead-glass filled. In addition, some have been heated to improve appearance. Macy’s does not carry synthetic lab-created rubies that are sold by some other retailers. We have signs in Macy’s precious and semi-precious gemstone departments informing our customers that gemstones may have been treated and may require special care.”

A company spokesperson for Lord & Taylor said: “Our commitment remains to our customers. Lord & Taylor will fully refund any EFFY jewelry purchase made at our stores if a customer is less than fully satisfied.”

EFFY, one of the makers of lead-glass rubies, told NBC News their rubies meet all FTC guidelines, and said they will work to improve disclosures. A company representative added further: “What should not be overlooked is protecting the interest of the consumer, who should be aware that the ruby they are purchasing has been filled with lead glass, and that they should follow special care instruction, mainly to not expose their stone to chemicals and household detergents, so as to maintain the appearance of the stone through its lifetime.”




At Lord and Taylors the clerk said “'They did something like remove the inclusions and then filled it with lead glass.' And the JCPenney saleswoman called the item we purchased a 'ruby lead-glass pendant.' But when asked if the ruby was real, she said, 'It's a genuine ruby.' Antoinette Matlins, professional gemologist and author of 'Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide,' said simply “'These are not real rubies; period!'....EFFY, one of the makers of lead-glass rubies, told NBC News their rubies meet all FTC guidelines, and said they will work to improve disclosures.”

“Smith advised consumers in the market for rubies to have jewelry they've purchased appraised by a qualified gemologist. And to demand a refund if they learn the ring or pendant they bought is something other than what it was sold as.” I personally, after reading this simply would never buy a gemstone at a department store, even if it is a high end store. When I want to eat seafood I never go to a restaurant specializing in “American style” cooking, but to a seafood restaurant. Sometimes it will be well cooked in an Asian or Mediterranean restaurant, but American cooks overcook it almost always. Likewise with gem stones, there is no such thing as an inexpensive gemstone unless it has flaws or is small. Semi-precious stones make pretty jewelry, but don't cost as much. They also aren't as durable, but they may be the best deal for the person on a budget.





http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/lower-income-students-getting-shut-out-sports-n164941

Lower-Income Students Getting Shut Out of Sports – NBC
BY KELLEY HOLLAND
First published July 27th 2014, 7:15 pm

As the chairman of the department of tourism, recreation and sport management at the University of Florida, Michael Sagas had a pretty good idea what to expect when his daughter started playing travel soccer. But even he was taken aback by the tally when her team started playing in regional and national tournaments.

Her latest season, which ended July 24, cost the family $18,115.41, Sagas said. "It's ridiculous."

Sagas' daughter is lucky: Her parents have the resources to make high level soccer happen for her. Yet in soccer and other sports, the rising popularity of expensive club and academy teams and the spread of costly tournaments all over the country are making it harder for low-income youth to participate.

Even school teams are getting more expensive. A study by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that 61 percent of respondents reported paying to participate in middle school and high school sports.

"From a sport development perspective I think we're in trouble."

The end result is that a significant share of lower-income children and adolescents find themselves shut out of team sports.

"From a sport development perspective I think we're in trouble," said Sagas, who just left the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships. He said the crowd there was "a sliver of the upper middle class, mostly upper middle class to wealthy. We're seeing the best of that group, but we're definitely not reaching the entire population." The rate of sports participation has a direct relationship to income. About 25 percent of the population has household income under $25,000, but only 15 percent of sports participants are in that group and only 11 percent of soccer participant households, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

About 20 percent of households have incomes over $100,000, but 33 percent of households participating in sports have incomes at that level, and 37 percent of soccer participants are in that income category.

In the C.S. Mott study, only 5 percent of families with incomes over $60,000 said the costs associated with school sports caused a drop in their child's participation. But in families with incomes under $60,000, 19 percent said costs led their kids to participate less.

Amount of playing declines

Not surprisingly, then, as the cost of playing rises, the amount of playing declines. Between 2011 and 2012, participation in team sports fell to 50 percent, from 54 percent, for kids ages 6 to 17, according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association data.

"Although our industry continues to grow, it's on the backs of fewer kids every year," said Don Schumacher, executive director of the National Association of Sports Commissions.

To some extent, both the rise in pay–to–play policies at schools and the ascent of club and academy teams are natural responses to tight state and local budgets. When school districts cut funding for sports teams, some decide that participating students can pay to participate. In addition, when sports budgets are cut, families with means may seek out club and academy teams.

But the rising financial barriers in youth sports have side effects. Children and adolescents who do not play sports are at greater risk for obesity. And if low-income kids do decide to go outside and move around, they are more likely than wealthier kids to live in high crime neighborhoods where the chances of getting in trouble are greater.

"What communities think they are saving in making these cutbacks will cost them in the long run," said Darryl Hill, founder of Kids Play USA, a fledgling organization advocating greater access to youth sports. "In the long run, the community is losing because these kids become a health burden and in some cases a societal burden." He cited research showing that girls who participate in sports are less likely to get pregnant and more likely to graduate.

"We have more young people between the ages of 6 and 16 playing soccer. But you are leaving a big chunk of the talent out."

The have–have not element of team sports is not great for the sports themselves, either.
"We have more young people between the ages of 6 and 16 playing soccer," Hill said. "But you are leaving a big chunk of the talent out. You can't be competitive if you are going to do that."

It's also not great for the youth sports industry. Young people "are playing a lot of games and entering a lot of tournaments. The spending keeps increasing," Schumacher said. But at some point, the rising cost to play will backfire, he warned. "In any other human endeavor, if you charge too much for too long, your business is not going to do well."

Making sports more inclusive

There are efforts under way to make youth sports more inclusive.

Hill's organization is just getting some programs off the ground, like a lacrosse academy, a volleyball academy and an inner city soccer league.

Sports leagues do offer some financial aid and make some effort to promote greater access to sports. For example, Major League Baseball has a program called RBI, or Return Baseball to the Inner City. Club teams may also offer financial aid.

The Aspen Institute has created a program called Project Play, which promotes creative approaches to reimagining youth sports.

But are these efforts enough to meaningfully boost access to youth sports? Dev Pathik, founder of Sports Facility Advisory, a planning and management firm, is skeptical.

"There are access issues,and groups doing things about it. There are foundations supporting lower-income athletes and their access, but it's a needle in the haystack in terms of where the real need is," he said.

Sagas pointed out that for families, the issue is not just money but time. "I took three weeks off this year just to get to tournaments," he said. "How many blue-collar families can take that time?"

In the meantime, club and academy sports teams remain busy. Sagas, for one, sees little time to rest. The new soccer season starts Aug. 15.




Michael Sagas of the University of Florida's daughter followed her interests and joined a travel soccer team. His position at the University concerns athletics and he was aware that it wasn't inexpensive, “but even he was taken aback by the tally when her team started playing in regional and national tournaments. Her latest season, which ended July 24, cost the family $18,115.41,' Sagas said. 'It's ridiculous.'"

Even school teams are getting more expensive. A study by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that 61 percent of respondents reported paying to participate in middle school and high school sports. “To some extent, both the rise in pay–to–play policies at schools and the ascent of club and academy teams are natural responses to tight state and local budgets.'....'In the long run, the community is losing because these kids become a health burden and in some cases a societal burden." He cited research showing that girls who participate in sports are less likely to get pregnant and more likely to graduate.'

I hope society is not forgetting, when they set up school budgets, what the purpose of schooling is – for the kid to learn enough to make good grades and graduate and then, hopefully, to go to some kind of institution of higher learning. Getting pregnant or joining a violent gangs are not part of the plan.

Some teams are offering financial aid to cover the costs, and professional baseball has started a program called Return Baseball to the Inner City. Sports should be about the activity called “play” on the grammar school and high school level, developing friendships, good sportsmanship, physical skills and personal pride, rather than just another kind of work or “winning” at all costs.

Kids in city neighborhoods used to get together informally to play games, before it all became so highly organized. “The Aspen Institute has created a program called Project Play, which promotes creative approaches to reimagining youth sports.” I can't tell exactly what these “reimagined” sports activities would be like, but it sound to me like what I envision as “neighborhood” sports. Maybe if this were the approach it would help keep the price tag down and the sports players less aimed at status seeking behavior. Too often the members of the football team become bullies or get into “wild” behavior. When I was in high school the band traveled to games in our own bus and we had to be well-behaved, but the cheerleaders and football team went in buses together. I can't swear to the truth of it, but I heard some stories about what they did that their parents would be shocked to find out.




People Who Feel They Have A Purpose In Life Live Longer – NPR
by PATTI NEIGHMOND
July 28, 2014 4:57 AM ET

We know that happiness and social connection can have positive benefits on health. Now research suggests that having a sense of purpose or direction in life may also be beneficial.

To find out if having a sense of purpose has an effect on aging and adult development, Patrick Hill, an assistant professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, looked at data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging.

Hill and his colleague Nicholas Turiano of the University of Rochester Medical Center looked to see how more than 6,000 people answered questions like "Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them," and other questions that gauged positive and negative emotions.

They found that 14 years after those questions were asked, people who had reported a greater sense of purpose and direction in life were more likely to outlive their peers.

In fact, people with a sense of purpose had a 15 percent lower risk of death,compared with those who said they were more or less aimless. And it didn't seem to matter when people found their direction. It could be in their 20s, 50s or 70s.

Hill's analysis controlled for other factors known to affect longevity, things like age, gender and emotional well-being. A sense of purpose trumped all that.

Hill defines it as providing something like a "compass or lighthouse that provides an overarching aim and direction in day-to-day lives."

Of course, purpose means different things to different people. Hill says it could be as simple as making sure one's family is happy. It could be bigger, like contributing to social change. It could be more self-focused, like doing well on the job. Or it could be about creativity.

"Often this is individuals who want to produce something that is appreciated by others in written or artistic form, whether it's music, dance or visual arts," Hill says.

It's not exactly clear how purpose might benefit health. Purposeful individuals may simply lead healthier lives, says Hill, but it also could be that a sense of purpose protects against the harmful effects of stress.

An experiment in Chicago tested this theory. Anthony Burrow, a developmental psychologist at Cornell University, had college student volunteers of different races and ethnicities ride rapid transit through the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago, recording their emotions as individuals of different racial and ethnic groups boarded.

Earlier research has shown that when people are surrounded by people of different ethnic or racial groups than their own, their level of stress increases. Burrow wanted to know if thinking about their sense of purpose might reduce that stress.

He had about half the students write for about 10 minutes about their life's direction. The other half wrote about the last movie they saw. They were all then given packets that listed the name of every stop. When they got to a stop, they were asked to assess how they felt and how much they felt that way by placing an "X" in a box next to negative emotions such as feeling scared, fearful, alone or distressed.

It turned out that the students who wrote about the last movie they saw experienced the expected levels of stress as the percentage of people of different ethnicity increased. But the students who wrote about their sense of purpose reported no feelings of increased stress at all.

More research is needed, but Burrow says his findings suggest that having "a sense of purpose may protect people against stress," with all of its harmful effects, including greater risk of heart disease. And that may explain why people with a sense of purpose live longer.




The Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study which is funded by the National Institute on Aging results were studied by Patrick Hill and Nicholas Turiano to detect the effects on health of having a sense of purpose in life. Some 6,000 college students were tested to cause them to think about their purpose in life and reveal how they individually felt about the question. They were then examined 14 years later to see how they were faring. Those who showed a greater sense of purpose “were more likely to outlive their peers.” Hill speculates that it provides “a compass or a lighthouse” to them in their daily life.

Their purpose could be improving their family life, working toward social change or an artistic, creative activity. He attempted to determine whether the sense of purpose “protects against the harmful effect of stress,” by having one group of students write about their own sense of purpose and then go on a subway train where various ethnic and racial groups came on, a factor which causes stress for some people. The control group only wrote about the last movie they had seen. The “purposeful” group of students did not feel any stress when meeting the strangers, but the control group did.

It occurs to me that pondering our sense of purpose in life probably temporarily increases our sense of personal confidence and achievement. I do not believe, though, that all people are equally afraid of a different skin color or eye shape. I think a test like viewing a snake or spider or standing on a high place and looking down would show more of the real fears that people typically feel.

That characteristic of xenophobia is one of the key factors, unfortunately, in what makes a socially and politically “conservative” person think as he does. That's why there are more racists, anti-immigration people, sex and gender bigots and just plain social snobs in the far right political groups. People who want to carry a gun around with them everywhere they go are frightened, though their gun may make them think they are being “powerful.” They have a strong desire to have a more uniform group of people with whom to associate than less fearful people. That peer group gives them a sense of safety. Being members of the Country Club makes them feel safer. Maybe they should all take up an active hobby – paint pictures, grow a garden, play a sport, thus giving themselves a sense of purpose.




The Long History Of The Gaza Tunnels – NPR
by EMILY HARRIS
July 26, 2014 4:15 PM ET

During the current round of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Kareem, a 40-year-old Palestinian, witnessed a Hamas tunnel exposed.

"There is a chicken coop near us," said Kareem, who lives on the eastern edge of Gaza City, bordering on farmland. "We know it's a chicken coop."

But an Israeli attack, which destroyed the chicken house, revealed a tunnel heading east toward Israel, he said.

"We didn't know about it, but we faced a risk because of it," he said.

More than a risk. The Shejaiya neighborhood where he lives was the target of first Israeli airstrikes, then intense shelling shortly after the ground invasion started. Thousands of Gazans fled their homes.

The last word Kareem heard from neighbors who left after him was that his house, from where he used to be able to see the chicken coop, had been badly damaged, if not destroyed.

The Israeli military called Shejaiya "reknowned for terrorist activity" and said troops encountered significant resistance from militant fighters there.

This week, the military published a map showing six tunnels beginning in Shejaiya snaking under the double fence at the border, and into Israel.

This is one area Israeli leaders would likely try to keep troops on the ground as long as they are able, even during a ceasefire, to shut down militant activity, including tunnels.
"We're not willing for [Hamas] to come and meet us in our backyard," said IDF spokesman Peter Lerner. "We want to meet them in theirs."

Overall, Israel says its found more than 30 tunnels in Gaza since the fighting began.

A Long History Of Gaza Tunnels

Israel certainly had been aware of Gaza tunnels before this war. First, it's an ancient practice.

In his forthcoming book, Gaza: A History, Jean-Pierre Filiu describes the "first historic reference to the loose subsoil of Gaza" during Alexander the Great's 332 BC siege of this Mediterranean city, then under Persian rule.

Filiu writes that Alexander expected quick victory. But "the siege of Gaza involved 100 days of fruitless attacks and tunneling." When Gaza finally fell, Alexander was infuriated and went on a vengeful rampage.

In more recent times, Palestinians subverted Israeli controls over travel, imports and exports to and from the Gaza Strip by digging tunnels to south, into Egypt.

Cars, cows, and cigarettes came through what were commonly called smuggling tunnels, although Hamas taxed what it could after it came to power 2006. Cheap Egyptian gasoline kept Gaza going when Israel fuel was too expensive. Weapons and sometimes people travelled through those commercial tunnels too.

Hamas also used a tunnel from Gaza to enter Israel and kidnap an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in 2006. He was held for five years, until Israel agreed to free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The tunnels to Egypt have been largely shut down in the past year, following the ouster of Egyptian leader Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood was sympathetic to Hamas. Under the current Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt has bulldozed those tunnels, stifling the already weak Gazan economy.

Uncovering The Tunnels

The network of military tunnels snaking north and east into Israel were likely dug over several years. But they only began to be exposed in the past year or so, even as the commercial tunnels to Egypt were being shut down.

Heavy flooding last year revealed some. The Israeli militaryfound one last fall near a kibbutz and much bigger one this spring. Extensive Israeli media coverage may have helped cement worry of infiltration in the Israeli public's mind.

In retaliation, Israel stopped permitting concrete to be brought into Gaza — a concession that had only recently been won.

These militant tunnels are not mole holes. Some are tall enough to stand in, reinforced with concrete and equipped with electricity and phone lines in some cases.

Over the past week, Israel said its troops had at least two separate firefights with militants coming out of tunnels into Israeli territory. The military said weapons, Israeli uniforms, plastic handcuffs, and tranquilizers have been found in tunnels — tools for both potential attacks and potential kidnappings, Israel says.

One of those tunnels emerged near Israel's Kibbutz Nir Am, a lush gated community just a few hundred yards away from the northern tip of the Gaza Strip. Five Hamas gunmen shot dead four Israeli soldiers before they were killed themselves in a battle Monday.

"Sometimes I do my Saturday walks, I go there, and never imagined that there would be, maybe on some paths that I was walking, an opening from where terrorists could just come and attack me," said Israeli Ben Hillel, a resident of the kibbutz. "They had heavy ammunition ... so they probably wanted to enter one of the kibbutzim — in this case our kibbutz — and kill people."

The Israeli military on Friday showed journalists another tunnel in the area that had been uncovered two months ago outside Nir Am. The tunnel was lined with concrete plates and was big enough for armed men wearing body armor to walk through, single file.

Israel says it did not realize the scope of the tunnel network until it got troops on the ground last week. This has been described by some as a "resounding security failure" demanding a public inquiry.

But before that, Israel insists the tunnels must be destroyed for peace.

Mkahimar Abusada, a Gazan political analyst says Hamas may accept that if it includes a long-term truce and opening Gaza's borders, the militant group's central demand.

"If there's going to be a long ceasefire and there's going to be an end to the siege on Gaza, why would Hamas need those tunnels anymore?" he says.

But he also says the fundamental Palestinian goal of an independent state must be addressed for tunnels to stay shut down.

"It's not like Hamas is going to liberate Palestine by tunnels," he says. "This conflict is going to explode again and again if the roots of this conflict are not resolved," he said.




There are tunnels like this along the length of the US/Mexican border, too, even some with lighting and concrete walls. The coyotes and the drug runners have dug them, and undoubtedly continue to do so. It's such a long border that it can't be effectively patrolled so that smugglers can't get into the US. It's a never ending struggle. The Israelis clearly have the same problem. It's interesting that Alexander the Great reported similar tunnels, which made a conquest of the area more difficult. See the following article on stone age tunnels. Mankind, no matter how “primitive” he was, has always been a builder and a doer -- it's that old "sense of purpose."



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2022322/The-massive-European-network-Stone-Age-tunnels-weaves-Scotland-Turkey.html

Going underground: The massive European network of Stone Age tunnels that weaves from Scotland to Turkey
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER 
UPDATED: 03:23 EST, 8 August 2011

Stone Age man created a massive network of underground tunnels criss-crossing Europe from Scotland to Turkey, a new book on the ancient superhighways has claimed.

German archaeologist Dr Heinrich Kusch said evidence of the tunnels has been found under hundreds of Neolithic settlements all over the continent.

In his book - Secrets Of The Underground Door To An Ancient World - he claims the fact that so many have survived after 12,000 years shows that the original tunnel network must have been enormous. 'In Bavaria in Germany alone we have found 700metres of these underground tunnel networks. In Styria in Austria we have found 350metres,' he said.

“Across Europe there were thousands of them - from the north in Scotland down to the Mediterranean. 'Most are not much larger than big wormholes - just 70cm wide - just wide enough for a person to wriggle along but nothing else.
'They are interspersed with nooks, at some places it's larger and there is seating, or storage chambers and rooms.
'They do not all link up but taken together it is a massive underground network.'

Some experts believe the network was a way of protecting man from predators while others believe that some of the linked tunnels were used like motorways are today, for people to travel safely regardless of wars or violence or even weather above ground.

The book notes that chapels were often built by the entrances perhaps because the Church were afraid of the heathen legacy the tunnels might have represented, and wanted to negate their influence.

In some cases writings have been discovered referring to the tunnels seen as a gateway to the underworld.