Friday, February 13, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.npr.org/2015/02/12/385471616/obamas-plan-to-tax-overseas-earnings-draws-scrutiny

Obama's Plan To Tax Overseas Earnings Draws Scrutiny
Jim Zarolli
February 12, 2015

Photograph – A an employee works at Amazon's fulfillment center in Rugeley, central England, in 2012. President Obama wants Amazon and other U.S. companies to bring more of their overseas earnings home.

American companies have about $2 trillion in overseas accounts — money they could be using to hire workers and pay dividends in the United States. But they're reluctant to do so, in part because of the way the U.S. tax system works.

President Obama proposed some big changes in the tax code last month that would encourage U.S. companies to bring more money home. A lot of people in Washington agree with the goal, but there's sharp disagreement about how to accomplish it.

Last month, the European Union issued a report about Amazon and the taxes it pays. The online retailer does a lot of business in Europe but its corporate tax rate is in the single digits, says Crawford Spence of the University of Warwick in England.

"They pay very little tax here, because most of their tax is paid in Luxembourg," he says.

And Amazon isn't alone. Big U.S. companies, includingStarbucks and Apple, have pared down their tax bill by funneling revenue into tax havens like Luxembourg and Ireland. Spence says it's totally legal.

"Currently the rules are very complicated, very convoluted, which suits companies very well, 'cause there are always loopholes," he says.

The rules proposed by Obama last month would change that. The president wants to lower the tax rate on overseas corporate revenue, but a 19 percent minimum tax would kick in if companies use too many loopholes and tax havens, says Edward Kleinbard of the University of Southern California law school.

"These kinds of games are exactly the reason why you need the minimum tax," he says. "The minimum tax is the safeguard against these kinds of abuses."

And the president has proposed something else: Under current law, U.S. companies can make all the money they want overseas, and as long as they keep it there, they'll never pay a dime of U.S. taxes. That gives them a big incentive to keep profits overseas, which is why Apple and other big companies have huge stashes of money sitting offshore.

Under the proposal, companies would pay a 14 percent tax on that money, regardless of whether they bring it back home. Whether these proposals will go anywhere is unclear. Kleinbard is optimistic.

"The last serious Republican effort from a year ago had exactly the same concepts," he says. "The numbers were lower, but that's what good-faith negotiations are all about."

In other words, the president's proposals represent the kickoff of a lengthy round of bargaining with Congress. So far Republican leaders say they're open to negotiating, but Ken Kies, managing director of the Federal Policy Group, says many business leaders don't like the White House proposals.

"A lot of multinationals think they would be put in a worse competitive situation than they are today, because at least today they don't pay U.S. tax on that income until they actually bring it back to the United States, whereas the president's proposal would impose an immediate 19 percent tax," he says.

Kies, who served chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation from 1995 to 1998, is skeptical that corporate tax reform can go anywhere in this political climate.

"It's hard to do tax reform under the best of circumstances — and I wouldn't say these are the best of circumstances, with a president who's in his last two years in office," he says. "It's really hard to do really big things."

Kies says a lot of people in the business world want to see tax reform because they're tired of the uncertainty surrounding the issue — but they won't go along with it if they end up paying more, and there isn't enough time left to resolve the issues Obama has placed on the table.




“And Amazon isn't alone. Big U.S. companies, includingStarbucks and Apple, have pared down their tax bill by funneling revenue into tax havens like Luxembourg and Ireland. Spence says it's totally legal. "Currently the rules are very complicated, very convoluted, which suits companies very well, 'cause there are always loopholes," he says. The rules proposed by Obama last month would change that. The president wants to lower the tax rate on overseas corporate revenue, but a 19 percent minimum tax would kick in if companies use too many loopholes and tax havens, says Edward Kleinbard of the University of Southern California law school... And the president has proposed something else: Under current law, U.S. companies can make all the money they want overseas, and as long as they keep it there, they'll never pay a dime of U.S. taxes. That gives them a big incentive to keep profits overseas, which is why Apple and other big companies have huge stashes of money sitting offshore. Under the proposal, companies would pay a 14 percent tax on that money, regardless of whether they bring it back home. Whether these proposals will go anywhere is unclear. Kleinbard is optimistic." The last serious Republican effort from a year ago had exactly the same concepts," he says. "The numbers were lower, but that's what good-faith negotiations are all about.".... Ken Kies, managing director of the Federal Policy Group, says many business leaders don't like the White House proposals. "A lot of multinationals think they would be put in a worse competitive situation than they are today, because at least today they don't pay U.S. tax on that income until they actually bring it back to the United States, whereas the president's proposal would impose an immediate 19 percent tax," he says.”

Yesterday's blog presented a similar article, though it affects individuals rather than corporations. They're both about tax shelters which I consider unfair and downright silly, since the US needs money for financing our infrastructure repairs, public schools, the VA health care system, providing more permanent homes for the destitute, and other useful causes. See the following article: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-record-number-of-americans-are-renouncing-citizenship/, "Record number renouncing American citizenship,” By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH – CBS. In that article it talks about US citizens actually renouncing their ties in this country due to a new law which compels them to pay tax on their often hidden overseas money. It's all about greed, not need. There are only two other countries I would voluntarily live, which are Canada and the UK, so these people can't be true “patriots.” When you have an income of a million a year, you should rightfully pay more tax. To use a crude popular phrase, they should just “suck it up” and pay a fair share.

If they would keep their operations in the US instead of South Korea we could have a better standard of living, as we had in the 1960s. I don't remember hearing about heavy unemployment in those days, and it never took very long for me to find work. Republicans in those days did worry loudly about “inflation,” but in a condition of inflation there is more green stuff (money) circulating, and the poor had a chance at some of it. Today's situation of the extremely low minimum wage and few jobs available, is making “poverty” more and more severe all the time. We need higher taxes on rich individuals and businesses so more of the green stuff could “trickle down” to the rest of us.





http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/02/10/385168206/is-now-the-time-to-fix-rather-than-scrap-obamacare

Is Now The Time To Fix Rather Than Scrap Obamacare?
NPR Kaiser Health News
FEBRUARY 10, 2015 

Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, "repeal and replace" has been the rallying cry for Republicans who opposed it. But now that most of the law's provisions have taken effect, some health experts are pitching ways to tweak it, rather than eliminate it. The apparent breakthrough comes as Ukraine, faced with a Russian-backed insurgency and a deep recession, has agreed to preliminary terms on an aid package that would bring some $40 billion to bolster its economy. That effort was led by the International Monetary Fund, which will contribute nearly half of the money in what would be a four-year deal.

An ideologically diverse panel at the National Health Policy Conference on Monday presented different ideas to make the law work better. But the panelists agreed on one thing: The Affordable Care Act is too complicated.

"We took the most complex health care system on God's green earth, and made it 10 times more complex," said Jon Kingsdale, the first head of the Massachusetts health exchange created under that state's forerunner to the ACA.

Kingsdale, now a health policy consultant, said many of the problems with implementation of the law over the past year and a half were not because of incompetence on the part of those doing the work, but rather that "implementing the ACA has been an impossible job."

Several panelists pointed out that the way financial aid for those with moderate incomes is determined is bound to fail because it is based on looking at tax returns that are more than a year old.

"People have to estimate their income in advance," said Judith Solomon of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "And they have to know who will be in their household," she said. That means people are expected to be able to predict marriages and divorces, and whether grown children will be getting jobs and moving out of their parents' basements. "We shouldn't rely on 2-year-old tax data as the back-end check" to determine who is eligible for tax credits and how large they should be, Solomon said.

Solomon said one of the changes she would make is to create a hardship exemption for people expected to pay back tax credits that were too big because they underestimated their incomes. Currently those earning more than four times the poverty line (just over $95,000 for a family of four) are required to pay back all tax credits for which they were ineligible, which can be thousands of dollars. Solomon would make the sliding scale more generous, allowing more leeway for middle-income taxpayers.

Joseph Antos of the conservative American Enterprise Intitute suggested simply repealing the individual mandate requirement once and for all. "Ninety percent of the uninsured won't pay any penalty anyway because they're exempt," he said, referring to the many situations in which taxpayers can avoid the sanction.

Rather, Antos said, the individual mandate could be replaced with a requirement that people who do not maintain continuous insurance coverage could be screened out or made to pay more by insurers if they have pre-existing health conditions.

Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University said she would eliminate the provision of the law that allows insurers to charge higher premiums to tobacco users. Several states have done that on their own. "It prices out of coverage low- and moderate-income people who could most benefit," she said. "And there's no evidence that it encourages people to quit."

Corlette also said she would urge lawmakers to get rid of the requirement that some insurers offer multistate plans. Such plans have not worked to boost competition as intended, she said. At the same time, they have "confused consumers — who think the plans offer multistate networks, which many of them don't."

The panelists acknowledged that none of the changes is likely as long as Republicans control Congress and continue to pursue a strategy of repeal and replace.

Kingsdale warned that the coming tax filing season could deepen political opposition, as people who remained uninsured are assessed their first penalties and those who got too much in tax credits are expected to pay the government back.

"It's going to be a bonanza for H&R Block, and a disaster for people who were supposed to be helped the most by the ACA," he said.




“Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, "repeal and replace" has been the rallying cry for Republicans who opposed it. But now that most of the law's provisions have taken effect, some health experts are pitching ways to tweak it, rather than eliminate it.... But the panelists agreed on one thing: The Affordable Care Act is too complicated.... Several panelists pointed out that the way financial aid for those with moderate incomes is determined is bound to fail because it is based on looking at tax returns that are more than a year old. "People have to estimate their income in advance," said Judith Solomon of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "And they have to know who will be in their household," she said. … Solomon said one of the changes she would make is to create a hardship exemption for people expected to pay back tax credits that were too big because they underestimated their incomes.... Solomon would make the sliding scale more generous, allowing more leeway for middle-income taxpayers. Joseph Antos of the conservative American Enterprise Intitute suggested simply repealing the individual mandate requirement once and for all. "Ninety percent of the uninsured won't pay any penalty anyway because they're exempt," he said, referring to the many situations in which taxpayers can avoid the sanction.... Rather, Antos said, the individual mandate could be replaced with a requirement that people who do not maintain continuous insurance coverage could be screened out or made to pay more by insurers if they have pre-existing health conditions.... Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University said she would eliminate the provision of the law that allows insurers to charge higher premiums to tobacco users. Several states have done that on their own. "It prices out of coverage low- and moderate-income people who could most benefit," she said.... Corlette also said she would urge lawmakers to get rid of the requirement that some insurers offer multistate plans. Such plans have not worked to boost competition as intended, she said. … "It's going to be a bonanza for H&R Block, and a disaster for people who were supposed to be helped the most by the ACA," he said.”

I'm glad I'm too old to have to contend with a mandate to pay for health insurance. On the issue of citizens paying more if they use tobacco, I think that is fair because of the number of health problems that are caused, from mouth and throat cancer to stomach ulcers. When I quit smoking the number of nasty sinus infections and an ongoing problem of acid reflux stopped. I did get emphysema, but it's a minor case, so the simple fact that I'm not inhaling smoke anymore has put a stop to my symptoms. The involvement of the federal income tax system with financing the individual penalties or subsidies is efficient and logical, but it does complicate tax filing. I wonder how other countries finance their healthcare plans? The much criticized “one payer system” would be simpler, if more directly expensive. I'll keep my eyes open for more articles on revamping the ACA.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-isis-member-explains-why-he-left-terror-group/

Former ISIS member explains why he left terror group
By CLARISSA WARD CBS NEWS
February 9, 2015

A former member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has given CBS News a detailed look at what life is like under the terror group's reign. The man, whose voice is altered and whose face we cannot show, recently left ISIS and is trying to get home. He was interviewed by CBS News correspondent Clarissa Ward.

Photograph – CBS News' Clarissa Ward interviews ex-ISIS member Abu Ibrahim

Abu Ibrahim is one of thousands of westerners who have traveled to Syria to fight jihad.

"A lot of people when they come, they have a lot of enthusiasm about what they've seen online or what they've seen on YouTube," Ibrahim told me. "They see it as something a lot grander than what the reality is. It's not all military parades or it's not all victories."

A convert to Islam, Ibrahim wanted the chance to live under strict Islamic Sharia law so he joined the most extreme group there - ISIS. During his six months with the militants he saw crucifixions. In December, he witnessed the stoning to death of a couple convicted of adultery.

"It was done publicly," said Ibrahim. "There were many hundreds of people there who observed. While seeing someone die is not something anyone would probably want to see, having the actual Sharia established is what many Muslims look forward to."

Ibrahim told me the methods don't strike him as medieval: "It's harsh, it's real but it's the Sharia," he said.

He described the role of the Hisbah - the religious police - in the Islamic State. He says their role is to enforce Islamic code.

"Their presence which may deter any thieves or any bad behavior but also look out for things like music isn't being played or women are covered up appropriately or that men are growing their beards," he said.

Life for western jihadists under ISIS' rule is almost completely subsidized. Ibrahim told us they provide housing, food and an allowance.

"Initially it was approximately $50 a month," Ibrahim said. "During winter it went up to $100 so people could purchase warm clothing or items for the house. They provided heaters for each house and for married couples they provide housing for them - furniture, the essentials."

But there is one condition: once you join ISIS, it is virtually impossible to leave.

"The restrictions on leaving made it feel a bit like a prison in that respect that you couldn't leave the state," Ibrahim told me. "Myself if I was caught I would probably be imprisoned and questioned."

Ibrahim says ISIS is paranoid about spying and is worried about infiltration. Those found guilty of spying are executed.

Despite the risk, Abu Ibrahim began to look for a way out. He was increasingly disillusioned by the executions of western aid workers and journalists.

"Some of the policies such as the beheadings of non-combatants, therefore innocent, some of those things I didn't agree with," Ibrahim said.

He missed his family and felt bored - jihad wasn't what he thought it would be.

"My main reason for leaving was that I felt that I wasn't doing what I had initially come for and that's to help in a humanitarian sense the people of Syria," he told me. "It had become something else. So, therefore, no longer justified me being away from my family."

He described morale within the ranks as "pretty strong," but mentioned there are some who are growing disillusioned.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm but there's also some people who are not so enthusiastic, who are even scared," Ibrahim said. "Obviously with the coalition, things have become much more difficult."

Ibrahim told me his departure from ISIS isn't something he thinks he'll miss.

"I'll miss the friends I made and the brotherhood, but ISIS itself - no."




“Abu Ibrahim is one of thousands of westerners who have traveled to Syria to fight jihad. "A lot of people when they come, they have a lot of enthusiasm about what they've seen online or what they've seen on YouTube," Ibrahim told me. "They see it as something a lot grander than what the reality is. It's not all military parades or it's not all victories."... While seeing someone die is not something anyone would probably want to see, having the actual Sharia established is what many Muslims look forward to." Ibrahim told me the methods don't strike him as medieval: "It's harsh, it's real but it's the Sharia," he said. He described the role of the Hisbah - the religious police - in the Islamic State. He says their role is to enforce Islamic code.... Life for western jihadists under ISIS' rule is almost completely subsidized. Ibrahim told us they provide housing, food and an allowance. "Initially it was approximately $50 a month," Ibrahim said. "During winter it went up to $100 so people could purchase warm clothing or items for the house. They provided heaters for each house and for married couples they provide housing for them - furniture, the essentials." But there is one condition: once you join ISIS, it is virtually impossible to leave.... Ibrahim says ISIS is paranoid about spying and is worried about infiltration. Those found guilty of spying are executed. Despite the risk, Abu Ibrahim began to look for a way out. He was increasingly disillusioned by the executions of western aid workers and journalists. "Some of the policies such as the beheadings of non-combatants, therefore innocent, some of those things I didn't agree with," Ibrahim said. He missed his family and felt bored - jihad wasn't what he thought it would be.... He described morale within the ranks as "pretty strong," but mentioned there are some who are growing disillusioned. "There's a lot of enthusiasm but there's also some people who are not so enthusiastic, who are even scared," Ibrahim said. "Obviously with the coalition, things have become much more difficult." Ibrahim told me his departure from ISIS isn't something he thinks he'll miss. "I'll miss the friends I made and the brotherhood, but ISIS itself - no."

This really sounds like other cults that have made the news. It is typically young men and women who are attracted, and who are alienated from their birth culture. They want something larger than themselves to belong to and even to serve. I've never had an urge like this, have no desire to live under ridiculous or uncomfortable restrictions, and am very individualistic, so I really don't fit into a controlling group of any kind – especially mind control. That's why I knew when I was young that, though I really did want to “see the world,” I didn't want to join the military or an alternative political group, no matter what ills it was trying to cure. I believe in normal social, religious or political activities that in a free society won't get me thrown into jail and don't include sins like participating in a group that is beheading anybody at all, especially someone whose only sin is that they believe in another religion. I'm too ordinary to join ISIS.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/suicide-bombers-iraq-ain-al-assad-airbase-us-marines-near-isis/

Bombers make it onto Iraq base used by U.S. troops
CBS NEWS
February 13, 2015

Eight suicide bombers managed Friday to get onto a sprawling Iraqi military base where hundreds of U.S. Marines are training their Iraqi counterparts, but were killed by an ISF counter attack almost immediately.

Sean Ryan, chief of foreign affairs for the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq, confirmed to CBS News that the attackers made it onto the secluded Ain al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad, but said the attackers made it "nowhere near" the American forces on the base before they were killed.

A U.S. defense official, speaking to CBS News on background, said the militants were believed to have been members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who hold positions just a few miles northeast of the base, in the al-Baghdadi area.

The official said coalition forces were at least a mile and a half away from the attack, and at no point were they under direct threat from the militants. Ain al-Asad is one of the largest bases the U.S. military has used in Iraq -- roughly the size of the city of Boulder, Colorado, according to a Pentagon spokesman speaking to the Defensenews.com website last year.

According to reports, ISIS has been regularly shelling Ain al-Assad for the past couple days, but there have been no reports of damage from the shelling or the attempted bombing on Friday.

It remained unclear how the militants managed to get past the approximately 12-mile-circumference security fence around the base, which includes watch towers, barbed wire, and a bridged entrance over a river.

As of the end of last year, there were more than 300 U.S. military personnel at Ain al-Asad, their primary role being to train tribal fighters to take on ISIS. According to the BBC, who sent a correspondent to visit the base late in 2014, the Americans are situated in a "private corner" of the camp.

The BBC quoted a fighter from the Al Bu Nimr tribe, hundreds of whom were massacred by ISIS in October, as saying: "We know that Ain al-Asad will never fall while the Americans are here. They won't let it happen."




“Sean Ryan, chief of foreign affairs for the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq, confirmed to CBS News that the attackers made it onto the secluded Ain al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad, but said the attackers made it "nowhere near" the American forces on the base before they were killed. A U.S. defense official, speaking to CBS News on background, said the militants were believed to have been members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who hold positions just a few miles northeast of the base, in the al-Baghdadi area.... According to reports, ISIS has been regularly shelling Ain al-Assad for the past couple days, but there have been no reports of damage from the shelling or the attempted bombing on Friday. It remained unclear how the militants managed to get past the approximately 12-mile-circumference security fence around the base, which includes watch towers, barbed wire, and a bridged entrance over a river.”

It's just another day fighting ISIS. A member of the Al Bu Nimr tribe has faith in us: "We know that Ain al-Asad will never fall while the Americans are here. They won't let it happen." I certainly hope that's true. The conflicts in the Middle East are endless in number, difficulty and duration. I want it to be over soon, with ISIS defeated.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pressure-grows-label-killing-muslim-students-hate-crime/

Pressure grows to label killing of Muslim students a hate crime
By VICENTE ARENAS CBS NEWS
February 12, 2015

RALEIGH, N.C. - More than 5,000 people attended funeral prayers for the three murdered Muslim students in North Carolina Thursday. The massive crowds that came to mourn made it clear that Muslims here feel a bubbling tide of resentment that has boiled over.

Khadidja Berriziga, a friend of the murdered couple, told me she doesn't believe the killing was over a parking dispute, as police have suggested.

"They were just three innocent souls" she said through tears. "Definitely a hate crime."

She joined the prayers as the caskets carrying Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were carried across the university soccer field.

"Please investigate, please look carefully" Mohammed Abu-Salha, the girls' father pleaded. "I have talked to lawyers, I have talked to law professors this has hate crime written all over it."

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, allegedly shot the three victims on Tuesday night. But police have said they believe the shooting happened over a dispute about a parking space outside the building where the suspect lives.

Police stood with Muslim leaders Thursday and said they continue to investigate every angle - including whether a hate crime was committed.

The FBI said Thursday that it had "opened a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether any federal laws were violated." U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand, the district's top federal prosecutor, had said Wednesday that there was no immediate evidence Muslims were being targeted.

The killings have gained worldwide attention on social media sites with the hashtag, "MuslimLivesMatter."

The murders have exposed a feeling among some Muslims that they are facing racial intolerance. Osama Abu Irshaid is with The American Muslims for Palestine.

"We won't demand we be treated in a privileged way but we demand to be treated no less than any average American," said Irshaid.

Vigils started Thursday night at North Carolina State University for the victims. All three attended classes at the university.



http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/overview

Civil Rights

Hate Crime—Overview

Investigating hate crime is the number one priority of our Civil Rights Program. Why? Not only because hate crime has a devastating impact on families and communities, but also because groups that preach hatred and intolerance plant the seeds of terrorism here in our country.
Defining a Hate Crime

A hate crime is a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, Congress has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties.

FBI Jurisdiction

A hate crime is not a distinct federal offense. However, the federal government can and does investigate and prosecute crimes of bias as civil rights violations, which do fall under its jurisdiction. These efforts serve as a backstop for state and local authorities, which handle the vast majority of hate crime cases. A 1994 federal law also increased penalties for offenses proven to be hate crimes.

In 2009, the passage of a new law—the first significant expansion of federal criminal civil rights law since the mid-1990s—gave the federal government the authority to prosecute violent hate crimes, including violence and attempted violence directed at the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, to the fullest extent of its jurisdiction. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act also provides funding and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to help them to more effectively investigate, prosecute, and prevent hate crimes.

The FBI’s Role

As part of its responsibility to uphold the civil rights of the American people, the FBI takes a number of steps to combat the problem of hate crimes:

Investigative Activities: The FBI is the sole investigative force for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes. In 2012, we initiated 200 hate crime investigations, many jointly with our state and local law enforcement partners.

Cold Case Initiative: In 2007, we announced this renewed focus on racially-motivated killings from the civil rights era, involving FBI agents from more than a dozen field offices who—with the assistance of our law enforcement partners, community leaders, and the media—identified cases and then began tracking down witnesses and locating family members, pursuing leads, reviewing law enforcement records and other documents, and seeking closure for family members. As reported in the October 2012 Attorney General’s Fourth Annual Report to Congress Pursuant to the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007, investigations into 92 of the 112 cold cases identified have been concluded (in most of these 92 cases, the subjects are deceased). The initiative has, so far, resulted in one successful federal prosecution and one successful state prosecution.

Law Enforcement Support: The FBI works closely with state/local authorities on investigations, even when federal charges are not brought. FBI resources, forensic expertise, and experience in identification and proof of hate-based motivations often provide an invaluable complement to local law enforcement. Many cases are also prosecuted under state statutes such as murder, arson, or more recent local ethnic intimidation laws. Once the state prosecution begins, the Department of Justice monitors the proceedings in order to ensure that the federal interest is vindicated and the law is applied equally among the 95 U.S. Judicial Districts.

The FBI forwards completed reports to U.S. Attorneys and the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, which decide whether a federal prosecution is warranted. They may move forward, for example, if local authorities are unwilling or unable to prosecute a crime of bias.

Hate crimes directed at the U.S. government or the American population may be investigated as acts of domestic terrorism. Incidents involving hate groups are also investigated as domestic terrorism (the FBI’s Civil Rights Program cannot investigate groups, only individuals).




"Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, allegedly shot the three victims on Tuesday night. But police have said they believe the shooting happened over a dispute about a parking space outside the building where the suspect lives. Police stood with Muslim leaders Thursday and said they continue to investigate every angle - including whether a hate crime was committed. The FBI said Thursday that it had "opened a parallel preliminary inquiry to determine whether any federal laws were violated." U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand, the district's top federal prosecutor, had said Wednesday that there was no immediate evidence Muslims were being targeted.... "Please investigate, please look carefully" Mohammed Abu-Salha, the girls' father pleaded. "I have talked to lawyers, I have talked to law professors this has hate crime written all over it."

Hicks is not a Christian, whom I would have suspected of a hate crime against Muslims, but an avid and outspoken Atheist – an extremist, dogmatic and generally hostile Atheist. His Facebook page is full of anti-religious commentary, and he had shown up at the student's door several times to complain, especially about the “extra” parking space being taken up by one of the Muslims. He was carrying a pistol in a holster at those times. The victim's mother had told her to call the police when he harassed them, but the article yesterday didn't say that she had made a complaint against Hicks. That is unfortunate. Maybe the crime could have been prevented if Hicks had been jailed at that time.

But is this a hate crime? It would have been more conclusive if Hicks had gone on a rant about Muslims before witnesses, and therefore had his hatred on the record as an issue. From his Internet posts, I have no doubt that he was a hater. I think his Facebook writings will certainly be used against him in court, and may be enough to prove a hate crime. It certainly does look like a hate crime – it is irrational and heinous, and the people are a minority in the US. His overall angry personality, as witnessed by all those who knew him, would go against him, too. The only thing I would say is that he looks angry at the whole world, not just at Muslims and Christians, so maybe his crime comes from a more general mental imbalance, rather than specifically group hatred. Some people are capable of boiling with fury at what may look like a simple slight such as the student's commandeering his parking space. I can see his being annoyed at an extra car being parked in the lot and causing him inconvenience about his own parking, but that is for the apartment manager to sort out, not for a personal vendetta. This incident is so out of proportion to the crime that it looks like a borderline case of insanity to me. However the issue of hate crimes is being brought up almost inevitably, because our society has become more and more intolerant during the last few years, with racial and religious groups being the victims. I suspect that a lot of it is unfortunately because many hate Obama as a black president, and there is spillover from that into community relationships.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-troubling-college-divide-between-rich-and-poor/

A troubling college divide between rich and poor
By LYNN O'SHAUGHNESSY MONEYWATCH
February 13, 2015

During the last 45 years, the college-completion gap between the richest and poorest young Americans rose from a 34-percentage-point difference to 46 percentage points.

A recent study by the Pell Institute for the Study of Higher Education captured this reality and revealed that most low-income students never graduate from college, unlike their affluent classmates.

Since 1970, the percentage of dependent students coming from the poorest families, those making roughly $34,000 or less a year, who earn a bachelor's degree inched up from six percent to nine percent.

In comparison, the college-completion rate for students growing up in the richest households jumped from 44 percent to 77 percent.

The gloomy statistics were released at a time when a great deal of focus is on increasing access to higher education among low-income Americans. A debate is rightfully underway about whether the primary focus should be to encourage even more young Americans to enter college or to devote more resources to help the most vulnerable students actually obtain college degrees.

The gap in college-completion rates has also exasperated the nation's income inequality because obtaining a college degree is a prerequisite for most good-paying jobs.

The researchers suggested a variety of reasons for why the vast majority of lower-income students never earn a bachelor's degree: These at-risk students don't receive the support they need in school, they're more likely to be unprepared for the rigors of college courses, they can have limited transportation and they're more likely to have to work to put themselves through school.

Low-income students are also more likely to attend community colleges and for-profit schools, which in general have poor track records on college completion. More affluent students favor four-year state schools and nonprofit private colleges and universities.

Cost, the report points out, is also huge stumbling block for these students. The Pell Grant, which maxes out at $5,730, covers just a fraction of the college costs that it did many years ago.

The millions of students who don't attend college or ultimately drop out also pay a huge financial price. The earnings gap is huge between students with college degrees and those without.

The federal jobs report for January, for instance, showed an unemployment rate of 2.8 percent for workers with at least a bachelor's degree, while the overall unemployment rate was 5.7 percent. Anthony P. Carnevale, the director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, now predicts the country is headed toward full employment for workers with bachelor's degrees.

People without a bachelor's degree also face credential creep. A study conducted last fall by employment firm Burning Glass Technologies said companies are more likely to replace departing workers who do not have bachelor's degrees with those who do.




“A recent study by the Pell Institute for the Study of Higher Education captured this reality and revealed that most low-income students never graduate from college, unlike their affluent classmates. Since 1970, the percentage of dependent students coming from the poorest families, those making roughly $34,000 or less a year, who earn a bachelor's degree inched up from six percent to nine percent. In comparison, the college-completion rate for students growing up in the richest households jumped from 44 percent to 77 percent.... A debate is rightfully underway about whether the primary focus should be to encourage even more young Americans to enter college or to devote more resources to help the most vulnerable students actually obtain college degrees. The gap in college-completion rates has also exasperated [sic] the nation's income inequality because obtaining a college degree is a prerequisite for most good-paying jobs.... These at-risk students don't receive the support they need in school, they're more likely to be unprepared for the rigors of college courses, they can have limited transportation and they're more likely to have to work to put themselves through school. Low-income students are also more likely to attend community colleges and for-profit schools, which in general have poor track records on college completion. More affluent students favor four-year state schools and nonprofit private colleges and universities.... The Pell Grant, which maxes out at $5,730, covers just a fraction of the college costs that it did many years ago.... People without a bachelor's degree also face credential creep. A study conducted last fall by employment firm Burning Glass Technologies said companies are more likely to replace departing workers who do not have bachelor's degrees with those who do.”

There is already an unnecessary emphasis on 4 year college degrees, in my opinion. Businesses need workers who can spell and write logically, with a decent vocabulary, but they don't need lots of English lit, philosophy or science courses in most cases. I think businesses are trying to make sure they get a broadly educated person, which does make sense, but it isn't necessary for being a bank teller. They need good manners, speech, the ability to get along with a variety of types of people without causing conflict. They also need a lively mind, and perhaps some specialized training – IT, Accounting, Paralegal, marketing, healthcare specialties, teaching certificate and training, etc. The characteristics that I think businesses are so often looking for could be discovered in that almost extinct creature, a one-to-one interview. The fact that all job searching these days is done over the cold and faceless means of the Internet really appalls me. Without that 4 year degree we may not even get a first contact from the employer.

The “gap in college-completion rates” is uncomfortable because we are moving toward a job environment that mandates such a degree, but isn't rewarding successful scholars with sufficient salaries when they graduate to pay the loans off in a reasonable time. Also, businesses are still offering too few openings no matter the background, while the number of job applicants climbs higher – the birth rate in this country hasn't declined much, so every 20 years or so there are more and more potential job applicants.

Increased use of high technology in the workplace has also narrowed the number of applicants who can fulfill the more technical needs. Unfortunately most of our students aren't studying IT or engineering. The best use of a four year liberal arts, math or science degree is as a base for a further two or four year professional degree. It is still possible to get a teaching certificate on a four year degree, but it is better if the would be teacher majors in an academic subject – history, etc. – and then gets a Masters in Education afterward. The same is true for librarians. When it comes to getting a job of any kind, some specialization is much better than a BA, but for showing the worker is a little bit bright, the BA is helpful. This article didn't dig into the matter of whether it is the high cost of tuition or the difficulty of the subject material that is causing more lower income people to fail to get a four year degree. The issue of cost effectiveness of a simple BA or BS should be examined, and the student needs to plan to get a Masters or Doctorate, a highly specialized degree (such as nursing, science or law), and pursue that while working if necessary, since it is going to be a long haul and requires not only brains, but “sticktoitiveness.” Stubbornness can be a virtue.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-your-internet-home-devices-could-be-hacked/

Your "smart" home devices can easily be hacked
By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH
February 13, 2015

The "smart" home may not be quite as clever as you think.

With the arrival of the so-called Internet of things -- where household items such as thermostats and washing machines and webcams are connected to the global network -- security problems may also be on the rise. A study from security research company Synack found that commonly connected products opened up a host of safety issues. One of the firm's analysts noted it took him only 20 minutes to break into a range of devices, according to GigaOm.

The study comes amid heightened concern about hackers and the vulnerability of everything from credit cards to automobiles. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) issued a report this month warning about the dangers of hacking attacks against vehicles. In the Synack study, the only device that didn't have a major security flaw was a Kidde smoke detector, which wasn't actually connected to the Internet.

"Right now the 'Internet of things' is like computer security was in the nineties, when everything was new and no one had any security standards or any way to monitor their devices for security," Synack security research analyst Colby Moore told GigaOm.

You do have some ways to protect your home against hackers, such as hard-wiring devices to the Internet rather than relying on WiFi. But if a device is linked via a wireless network, make sure it alerts you if it's bumped off the connection.

Plus, connected devices require strong passwords, so don't enter useless ones such as "123" or "password." Still, GigaOm notes that might be difficult for devices, such as thermostats, that don't come with keyboards.

Manufacturers of networked home devices aren't thinking about security front and foremost, according to Network World. That means it's up to consumers to evaluate the safety and security issues of each thermostat or home automation center on their own.

According to the Synack study, connected cameras have the greatest number of security flaws, including unencrypted data and weak password policies. All of the connected thermostats the firm studied have security issues (including poor password protection), as well as the home automation centers. The smoke and carbon monoxide alarms had issues, except for the Kidde version, which doesn't connect to the Internet.

The report backs up some findings published last year by Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), which found that security issues are exploding as the Internet of things makes its way inside our living rooms.

The HP study noted: "A couple of security concerns on a single device such as a mobile phone can quickly turn to 50 or 60 concerns when considering multiple (Internet of things) devices in an interconnected home or business."




“A study from security research company Synack found that commonly connected products opened up a host of safety issues. One of the firm's analysts noted it took him only 20 minutes to break into a range of devices, according to GigaOm. The study comes amid heightened concern about hackers and the vulnerability of everything from credit cards to automobiles. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) issued a report this month warning about the dangers of hacking attacks against vehicles. In the Synack study, the only device that didn't have a major security flaw was a Kidde smoke detector, which wasn't actually connected to the Internet.... You do have some ways to protect your home against hackers, such as hard-wiring devices to the Internet rather than relying on WiFi. But if a device is linked via a wireless network, make sure it alerts you if it's bumped off the connection. Plus, connected devices require strong passwords, so don't enter useless ones such as "123" or "password." Still, GigaOm notes that might be difficult for devices, such as thermostats, that don't come with keyboards.... According to the Synack study, connected cameras have the greatest number of security flaws, including unencrypted data and weak password policies. All of the connected thermostats the firm studied have security issues (including poor password protection), as well as the home automation centers. The smoke and carbon monoxide alarms had issues, except for the Kidde version, which doesn't connect to the Internet.”

Even if I do win the lotto, I don't want a “smart” house. I'm just not into technology, especially devices that are going to spy on me or which need to be programmed. I wouldn't want to do without my computer, but the only portable phone I have is a Tracfone and it does all I need for it to do – it makes and receives calls. As for the rest of it, I say “Humbug!”





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mega-droughts-to-become-the-new-normal/

Mega-droughts to become the new normal
By MICHAEL CASEY CBS NEWS
February 12, 2015

Photograph – A representation of the summer moisture in the US Central Plains and Southwest is shown. The brown line represents the variation in dryness since the year 1000; the lower the line on the graph, the drier the conditions. Colored lines to the right side of the graph represent what climate models see ahead: a trend toward dryness not seen in the previous millennium.
 COOK ET AL., SCIENCE ADVANCES, 2015

Large sections of the United States will endure "persistent droughts" in the coming decades that will be worse than anything experienced in the past 1,000 years.

Comparing the conditions to the Dust Bowl but lasting several decades, researchers writing in the journal Science Advances warned Thursday that the Southwest and Great Plains will be hit by these "mega-droughts" in the later part of the 21st century. Such events have been linked to the fall of civilizations, including the decline of the Anasazi, or Ancient Pueblo Peoples, in the Colorado Plateau in the late 13th century.

"The story is a bit bleak," said Jason E. Smerdon, a co-author and climate scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, part of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. "Even when selecting for the worst mega drought-dominated period, the 21st century projections make (those) mega droughts seem like quaint walks through the Garden of Eden."

To come up with these projections, researchers turned to the North American Drought Atlas which recreates the history of drought over the previous 2,005 years, based on hundreds of tree-ring chronologies, gleaned in turn from tens of thousands of tree samples across the United States, Mexico and parts of Canada.

Taking the Atlas data, they then applied three different measures of drought - two soil moisture measurements at varying depths, and a version of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which gauges precipitation and evaporation and transpiration. After that, the researchers applied 17 different climate models to analyze the future impact of rising average temperatures on the regions and compared two different global warming scenarios - a continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions and one where they are moderated.

The results, according to the study, point to a "remarkably drier future that falls far outside the contemporary experience of natural and human systems in Western North America, conditions that may present a substantial challenge to adaption."

"The surprising thing to us was really how consistent the response was over these regions, nearly regardless of what model we used or what soil moisture metric we looked at," said lead author Benjamin I. Cook of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "It all showed this really, really significant drying."

Today, 11 of the past 14 years have been drought years in much of the American West, including California, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona and across the Southern Plains to Texas and Oklahoma, according to the U.S. DroughtMonitor, a collaboration of U.S. government agencies.

The current drought directly affects more than 64 million people in the Southwest and Southern Plains, according to NASA, and many more are indirectly affected because of the impacts on agricultural regions. As a result, states have imposed water restrictions, aquifers have been drawn down and reservoirs such as Lake Meade and Lake Powell are at historic low levels.

"Changes in precipitation, temperature and drought, and the consequences it has for our society - which is critically dependent on our freshwater resources for food, electricity and industry - are likely to be the most immediate climate impacts we experience as a result of greenhouse gas emissions," said Kevin Anchukaitis, a climate researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Anchukaitis said the findings "require us to think rather immediately about how we could and would adapt."

The current study on so-called medieval droughts adds to a large body of research linking climate to worsening droughts in parts of the Southwest. The driver, for the most part, is warming in recent decades brought on by increasing greenhouse gas emissions mostly from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities.

"The results ... are extremely unfavorable for the continuation of agricultural and water resource management as they are currently practiced in the Great Plains and southwestern United States," David Stahle, professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arkansas and director of the Tree-Ring Laboratory and who was not involved in the study, said.

Aiguo Dai, a University associate professor who did not take part in the study but has done studies on past and future droughts across the globe including the United States, said its findings were "fairly convincing" and hopefully will motivate policy makers to take action.

"This provides huge warning sign for society, for the governments to take action to slow down global warming," Dai told CBS News. "If they don't, its likely the Southwest could become unsuitable for agriculture or many other activities."




“Comparing the conditions to the Dust Bowl but lasting several decades, researchers writing in the journal Science Advances warned Thursday that the Southwest and Great Plains will be hit by these "mega-droughts" in the later part of the 21st century. … To come up with these projections, researchers turned to the North American Drought Atlas which recreates the history of drought over the previous 2,005 years, based on hundreds of tree-ring chronologies, gleaned in turn from tens of thousands of tree samples across the United States, Mexico and parts of Canada. Taking the Atlas data, they then applied three different measures of drought - two soil moisture measurements at varying depths, and a version of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which gauges precipitation and evaporation and transpiration. After that, the researchers applied 17 different climate models to analyze the future impact of rising average temperatures on the regions and compared two different global warming scenarios - a continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions and one where they are moderated. The results, according to the study, point to a "remarkably drier future that falls far outside the contemporary experience of natural and human systems in Western North America, conditions that may present a substantial challenge to adaption."... Today, 11 of the past 14 years have been drought years in much of the American West, including California, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona and across the Southern Plains to Texas and Oklahoma, according to the U.S. DroughtMonitor, a collaboration of U.S. government agencies. The current drought directly affects more than 64 million people in the Southwest and Southern Plains, according to NASA, and many more are indirectly affected because of the impacts on agricultural regions. As a result, states have imposed water restrictions, aquifers have been drawn down and reservoirs such as Lake Meade and Lake Powell are at historic low levels.... Aiguo Dai, a University associate professor who did not take part in the study but has done studies on past and future droughts across the globe including the United States, said its findings were "fairly convincing" and hopefully will motivate policy makers to take action. "This provides huge warning sign for society, for the governments to take action to slow down global warming," Dai told CBS News. "If they don't, its likely the Southwest could become unsuitable for agriculture or many other activities."

This is just another scientific study that confirms what is basically the evidence of the eyes in the last 5 or 6 years. Before California, there was a severe drought in the Atlanta, GA region, and the whole of the Midwest tends to be dry. Florida is dry every year to one degree or other. Maybe its time for some geoengineering such as cloud seeding to be done on a regular basis, along with, of course, planting trees and curbing CO2 emissions. Its also time for desalination to become commonplace, the recycling of waste water, etc. We must adjust to new ideas and cope on the national level to set up a society that is prepared for this change.