{"id":18675,"date":"2015-12-19T22:35:11","date_gmt":"2015-12-20T06:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/?p=18675"},"modified":"2015-12-20T01:11:06","modified_gmt":"2015-12-20T09:11:06","slug":"rouge-forum-dispatch-holiday-quickie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/rouge-forum-dispatch-holiday-quickie\/","title":{"rendered":"Rouge Forum Dispatch: Holiday Quickie!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>We Say Fight Back!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>and happy happy merry merry!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Marx-Santa-a.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18705\" src=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Marx-Santa-a.jpg\" alt=\"Marx Santa a\" width=\"200\" height=\"259\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Palestinians dressed as Santa Claus protest in Bethlehem   video   World news   The Guardian 2\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OA00qXb1oAQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">Nearly 4,000 DPS students affected by teacher sickout<\/h1>\n<p>. <em>Detroit<\/em> \u2014 Nearly 4,000 students at seven Detroit Public Schools buildings didn\u2019t have classes Thursday after teachers staged a sickout, according to the school district.<\/p>\n<p>Schools closed were: Gompers Elementary Middle School, Paul Robeson Malcom X Academy, Ann Arbor Trail Magnet K-8, Bates Academy, Cody Medicine and Community Health, Detroit Collegiate Preparatory at Northwestern and Bagley Elementary School.<\/p>\n<p>Altogether, the affected schools have 3,989 students, DPS spokeswoman Chrystal Wilson said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/01\/detroit-teacher-absences-force-school-closures\/76618414\/\">This is the second sickout<\/a> for the district this month as teachers express their disapproval of Gov. Rick Snyder\u2019s school reform plans. The governor has proposed paying off hundreds of millions of DPS debt, which would be left with the existing school district, and creating a new district to educate Detroit schoolchildren. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/10\/teacher-sickout-closes-several-dps-schools\/77083936\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/10\/teacher-sickout-closes-several-dps-schools\/77083936\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"cb-fi-standard wp-post-image\" src=\"http:\/\/www.uisio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/gargantua1-750x400.jpg\" alt=\"gargantua\" width=\"750\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"entry-title cb-entry-title cb-single-title\">The Nature of Greed<\/h1>\n<p>The obsessive emphasis on economic prosperity and development reflects how rooted consumerism became in modern societies, whose chief purpose is reduced to ensuring financial growth even at the cost of well-being of its members. When growth in a country stalls, a daunting apprehension takes over public, newspapers compete to list what went wrong, and government leaders start to give defiant and inspiring speeches to uplift the morale of people as if in war times. In order to stir growth and attract investors from foreign countries, human life is often disregarded by governments, success of which is mostly determined according to their performance in economy. Increasing production and creating a perpetual need to promote consumerism became the only way for countries to have a powerful and healthy economy; therefore, a halt in consumption causes great many problems for the governments around the globe. While the constant deterioration of nature and exploitation of labour stand as a horrible and solid reality before our eyes, it should not be difficult to discern at what expense the much-desired growth is ensured. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uisio.com\/the-nature-of-greed\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.uisio.com\/the-nature-of-greed\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefreeonline.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/11\/iww.png?w=710&amp;h=375\" alt=\"iww\" width=\"474\" height=\"251\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Little Red Box Of Protest Songs is a truly outstanding release. A three\u00a0CD box-set full of the finest protest folk music from the USA of the early 20th century.\u00a0Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first American protest song book,<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thefreeonline.wordpress.com\/2015\/11\/20\/protest-songs\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">thefreeonline.wordpress.com\/2015\/11\/20\/protest-songs\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h1 data-pb-field=\"customFields.web_headline\">Active-shooter training for office workers used to be about hiding. Not anymore.<\/h1>\n<p>Spooked by a year of high-profile rampages, hundreds of companies and organizations like NeighborWorks are racing to train their workers how to react to a shooter in their workplaces. And after decades of telling employees to lock down and shelter in place, they are teaching them to fight back if evacuating is not an option.<\/p>\n<p>The idea: Work as a team to disrupt and confuse shooters, opening up a split second to take them down.<\/p>\n<p>The paradigm shift in response \u2014 from passive to active \u2014 has been endorsed and promoted by the Department of Homeland Security. Last month, it recommended that federal workplaces adopt the training program \u201cRun, Hide, Fight,\u201d &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>three dozen employees were taught to throw things at a shooter \u2014 chairs, books, purses, pens, phones, anything \u2014 and swarm. Those items don\u2019t seem all that threatening compared with an AR-15, but that\u2019s not the point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you can move him from offense to defense, you have changed the outcome of the event,\u201d said Greg Crane, a former SWAT officer whose company, the ALICE Training Institute, taught workers at NeighborWorks as well as at Facebook and Apple. \u201cHe\u2019s thinking about what you are doing to him, not what he\u2019s doing to you. Mentally, he\u2019s going through a whole different process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/active-shooter-training-for-office-workers-used-to-be-about-hiding-not-anymore\/2015\/12\/19\/22c08a3e-a351-11e5-b53d-972e2751f433_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_activeshooter-715pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/active-shooter-training-for-office-workers-used-to-be-about-hiding-not-anymore\/2015\/12\/19\/22c08a3e-a351-11e5-b53d-972e2751f433_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_activeshooter-715pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Don&#8217;t miss ALICE!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ALiCE Training Video-Middle School Students\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k6ksnSzsy6M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The Little Red Schoolhouse<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/capitalist-school.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18605\" src=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/capitalist-school.jpg\" alt=\"capitalist school\" width=\"486\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/capitalist-school.jpg 486w, https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/capitalist-school-300x160.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>WAPO discovers new book! Inequality has something to do with the &#8220;education gap&#8221;! It is good to feed kids breakfast and other meals! Rich people have more resources! But capitalist education in the empire really is well-meaning.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Wealthy\u00a0parents\u00a0aren&#8217;t just\u00a0able to send\u00a0their kids\u00a0to top pre-schools\u2014they can also purchase\u00a0the latest learning technology\u00a0and\u00a0ensure their children experience\u00a0as many museums, concerts and other cultural experiences as possible. Low-income parents, on the other hand, don&#8217;t have that opportunity. Instead, they&#8217;re often left to\u00a0face the reality of sending their kids to schools without having had the chance to provide an edifying experience at home.<\/p>\n<p>That might sound foreboding if not hyperbolic, but it&#8217;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2014\/10\/18\/poor-kids-who-do-everything-right-dont-do-better-than-rich-kids-who-do-everything-wrong\/\" target=\"_blank\">serious and widespread problem<\/a> in the United States,\u00a0where poor kids enter school already a year behind the kids of\u00a0wealthier parents. That deficit is among the largest in the developed world, and\u00a0it can be extraordinarily difficult to narrow later in life.<\/p>\n<p>This is one of the key takeaways from a new book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2015\/12\/17\/how-your-first-four-years-of-life-affect-the-rest-of-it\/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_wb-poorkids-210pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2015\/12\/17\/how-your-first-four-years-of-life-affect-the-rest-of-it\/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_wb-poorkids-210pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">Detroit Grand jury indicts ex-EAA principal, 2 others<\/h1>\n<p>A federal grand jury in Detroit has indicted a former Educational Achievement Authority principal and an after-school tutoring vendor on multiple charges, including conspiracy and bribery.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade unsealed the five-count indictment on Thursday that alleges Kenyetta Wilbourn-Snapp, former principal of Mumford and Denby high schools, conspired to commit bribery and money laundering from August 2012 through November 2014.<\/p>\n<p>Also charged in the indictment are Glynis Thornton, whose company, Making a Difference Everyday (\u201cM.A.D.E.\u201d), provided after-school tutoring services at Mumford and Denby; and Paulette Horton, who was an independent contractor working for M.A.D.E.<\/p>\n<p>According to the indictment, Wilbourn-Snapp selected M.A.D.E. as the after-school tutoring vendor for both high schools. In exchange, Thornton paid Wilbourn-Snapp kickbacks as a reward for selecting and retaining M.A.D.E. as a vendor, investigators said.<\/p>\n<p>Thornton disguised payments to Wilbourn-Snapp by having checks issued payable to Horton\u2019s company, rather than paying Wilbourn-Snapp directly. Horton would then deposit and withdraw the money and give it to Wilbourn-Snapp, according to the indictment.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment states Wilbourn-Snapp, hired by the EAA in 2012, received 90 percent of the amount of the checks, which totaled $58,0505 in cash kickbacks.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/10\/detroit-schools-eaa-indictment\/77093012\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/10\/detroit-schools-eaa-indictment\/77093012\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"irc_mi\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/43b6efccc5c4b658fdd5afe4a52737d6a8dbc704\/c=0-0-3107-2336&amp;r=x404&amp;c=534x401\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/10\/21\/DetroitFreePress\/DetroitFreePress\/635810296382307336-kenyetta-jump-1-1-4TC8M1CT-L693194867.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"228\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Corrupt Detroit Principal Tells How She Learned to steal&#8211;from other principals and bosses <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0one interview in person, Snapp\u00a0was\u00a0petulant and subdued and\u00a0appeared to be stunned by her circumstances. At times forlorn, and at other times incredulous, she seemed not to understand why she was in trouble for doing something she said so many other people were doing.<\/p>\n<p>She said she learned how to cheat from DPS educators.<\/p>\n<p>It all began, she said, with the principal who gave her her first teaching job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was her prot\u00e9g\u00e9,\u201d Snapp\u00a0said. \u201cShe would give us gift cards and the best tickets to the Pistons, and we never knew where it came from. And anytime we wanted to buy something that the district denied, she said \u2018Here, take a Visa.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>When that principal later died at her home, it was Snapp\u00a0and her mother who found her\u00a0body, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I\u2019m there . . . I saw gift cards, about $500 worth of gift cards. I used them to help pay for her funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Snapp described how easy it was to make money.\u00a0She mentioned one businessperson known as \u201cthe preferred vendor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you spent a certain amount of money with him \u2026 you\u2019d get a rebate in points,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of every transaction, the vendor would say: \u2018Well, KC, you have about 500 points. How do you want to use them?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d say \u2018Give me some gift cards,\u2019 and I\u2019d give them to my staff. Or he\u2019d say, \u2018It\u2019s\u00a0that time of year. Do you want Pistons tickets?&#8217; I gave them away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was at Mumford, now an EAA school to which she was assigned in 2013,\u00a0that Snapp\u00a0turned vendor spending into an art.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/news\/columnists\/rochelle-riley\/2015\/12\/10\/eaa-kc-wilbourn-scandal-federal-investigation\/76742980\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.freep.com\/story\/news\/columnists\/rochelle-riley\/2015\/12\/10\/eaa-kc-wilbourn-scandal-federal-investigation\/76742980\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"irc_mi\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nripulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/corruption-India.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"195\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>The San Diego Unified School District was served a warrant Thursday from the District Attorney\u2019s Office for a criminal investigation into trustee Marne Foster \u2014 two days after her controversial term as board president came to a close.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"target-bg\">\n<section id=\"content\"><\/section>\n<section class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row group\">\n<div class=\"row group\">\n<section class=\"span9 col clearfix\">\n<article class=\"story-wrap span12 clearfix\">\n<div class=\"story-copy clearfix\">\n<p>Since the warrant is sealed for 10 days, it\u2019s not publicly known exactly what the case entails, but San Diego Unified said the District Attorney\u2019s Office is \u201cseeking information relevant to a criminal investigation they are conducting into the conduct of\u201d Foster.<\/p>\n<p>The school district already had been conducting its own investigation into allegations that Foster was secretly behind a $250,000 claim filed last year against the district \u2014 which it rejected \u2014 accusing the School of Creative and Performing Arts of sabotaging Foster\u2019s son\u2019s college plans.<\/p>\n<p>When The San Diego Union-Tribune first reported last year that a claim had been filed against the district by John Marsh, the father of Foster\u2019s son, the trustee said she had no part in the complaint.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Marsh told the Voice of San Diego that Foster pressured him to sign a blank claim form that she later filled out and submitted.<\/p>\n<p>Marsh also told the online news organization that Foster used his email account and posed as him in responding to questions from the Union-Tribune.<\/p>\n<p>The school district investigation also was looking into a fundraiser Foster held in July \u2014 attended by district officials and contractors \u2014 to help raise money to cover college costs for two of her sons.<\/p>\n<p>Organizers of the \u201cBrothers 2 College\u201d benefit failed to properly register the event \u2014 and a prize drawing that was held \u2014 with the state. Participants paid $25 at the door or $20 in advance to attend the event at the Neighborhood House Association headquarters, which has a contract with the district. Among the attendees were district employees, trustee John Lee Evans, and<em><strong> San Diego teachers union President Lindsay Burningham.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Following questions about conflicts-of-interest regarding the event, Foster later apologized and promised to return some of the donations.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"irc_mut\" src=\"https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRGdOdwh9pdq2egcCWGo8WdQ40zyV-yALgwON6BrBZoNYE0N9eMOQ\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"158\" \/><\/p>\n<p>San Diego Unified announced Thursday it suspended its long-delayed investigation into Foster\u2019s alleged improprieties, which was commissioned Sept. 29 and launched Oct. 2 as a \u201c30-day independent investigation\u201d that would cost no more than $40,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t parallel the DA investigation with our own investigation because it might interfere. We will take a step back and let them do their job,\u201d Donovan said.<\/p>\n<p>In order to serve a warrant, a judge must agree that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed, according to legal experts.<\/p>\n<p>But Donovan said the warrant was required to obtain records that would otherwise be protected under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and which could not be released except pursuant to warrant or subpoena. A subpoena cannot be issued unless charges have been filed or a grand jury is convened, neither of which is required for a warrant, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Foster did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Neither did Michael McQuary, who was elected board president by trustees during the annual reorganization of officers on Tuesday. The District Attorney\u2019s Office also declined to comment.<\/p>\n<p>Foster also has been accused of forcing the district administration to suspend a counselor and reassign the principal at her son\u2019s school over an unflattering college assessment of Foster\u2019s son. After Foster obtained a copy of the confidential letter \u2014 which was included in the common college application \u2014 it was replaced with a more-flattering assessment written by another counselor. According to the Foster family\u2019s unsuccessful legal claim, the college assessment resulted in the loss of scholarships and financial aid.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, San Diego Unified released documents and emails intended to explain the personnel decisions that were handed down at the popular magnet school.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"irc_mi\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn.sandiegouniontrib.com\/img\/photos\/2013\/02\/27\/smhschool329072x0014_r900x493.jpg?122770e84b36f1c039d5c4c2ca15c2d8bc4ecd52\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"167\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Superintendent Cindy Marten has said Foster had a history of attempting to meddle in personnel issues. She went on to say that although Foster called attention to issues at her son\u2019s school, the personnel decisions were not made because of the trustee. Marten said problems at the school had been on the district\u2019s radar going back months, even predating her being named superintendent.<\/p>\n<p>Kim Abagat, the counselor who was suspended without pay for nine days over the college letter, accused the district of retaliation and discrimination in a legal claim filed with the district Nov. 24. The pending complaint, which seeks in excess of $10,000 in damages, is the necessary precursor to a lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>Attorney Dan Gilleon, who represents Abagat, said the DA\u2019s case could benefit his client if it forces the district \u201cto be more transparent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Marne Foster is convicted of a crime, her veracity would be called into question in trial,\u201d he said. \u201cThat would help my case.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sandiegouniontribune.com\/news\/2015\/dec\/10\/da-investigates-school-board-foster\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.sandiegouniontribune.com\/news\/2015\/dec\/10\/da-investigates-school-board-foster\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<li class=\"scroll_loader_stories recommended\">\n<div class=\"scroller_img_wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/media.utsandiego.com\/img\/photos\/2015\/12\/10\/2441786_sd_me_district_MV_001_t300x250.JPG?00d97145021545c22c9429bd126ca27988a7f3cd\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"headline-kicker\"><\/div>\n<h1 data-pb-field=\"customFields.web_headline\">College sports\u2019 fastest-rising expense: Paying coaches not to work<\/h1>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>The University of Illinois paid fired football coach Ron Zook $1.3\u00a0million while he spent a year trying a new career in banking and working on his water-skiing in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>The University of California paid Jeff Tedford $1.8\u00a0million while he took a year off and vacationed in New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Maryland paid Ralph Friedgen $2\u00a0million while he tried out retirement, played a lot of golf and cruised the South Carolina coastline in his 24-foot whaler, \u201cFishing with the Fridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ron Zook was fired as the football coach at Illinois after the 2011 season but, as in many cases, continued to collect money from the school. (Mark Gail\/The Washington Post)<\/p>\n<p>The University of Illinois paid fired football coach Ron Zook $1.3 million while he spent a year trying a new career in banking and working on his water-skiing in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>The University of California paid Jeff Tedford $1.8 million while he took a year off and vacationed in New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>The University of Maryland paid Ralph Friedgen $2 million while he tried out retirement, played a lot of golf and cruised the South Carolina coastline in his 24-foot whaler, \u201cFishing with the Fridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These are just a few examples of the golden parachutes that await many newly unemployed coaches in the lucrative world of major college sports, a phenomenon recently retired football coach Steve Spurrier once called \u201chitting that lottery ticket.\u201d Severance pay is the top-rising expense for athletic departments at some of America\u2019s largest public universities, according to a Washington Post review of thousands of pages of financial records from schools in the five wealthiest conferences in college sports.<\/p>\n<p>In a decade, the total annual amount spent on severance by athletic departments at 48 public universities in the \u201cPower Five\u201d conferences increased from $12.9 million combined in 2004, adjusted for inflation, to $28.5 million in 2014. That 120 percent jump outpaced rises on larger athletic budget items such as facilities spending (89 percent), coaches pay (85 percent) and administrative-staff pay (69 percent).\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/colleges\/college-sports-fastest-rising-expense-paying-coaches-not-to-work\/2015\/12\/10\/ec856b42-9d33-11e5-bce4-708fe33e3288_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_ncaaseverance_1045am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/colleges\/college-sports-fastest-rising-expense-paying-coaches-not-to-work\/2015\/12\/10\/ec856b42-9d33-11e5-bce4-708fe33e3288_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_ncaaseverance_1045am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The International Hot War of the Rich on the Poor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"spotlight\" src=\"https:\/\/scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-xtp1\/v\/t1.0-0\/s480x480\/12348015_506496952869296_1637670224980328175_n.jpg?oh=435355d5655efa4f37bd7718d418d373&amp;oe=571D63FC\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"syndicationHeadline\">\n<h1>Isis Inc: how oil fuels the jihadi terrorists<\/h1>\n<div>\n<p>High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut &amp; paste the article. See our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/servicestools\/help\/terms\">Ts&amp;Cs<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/servicestools\/help\/copyright\">Copyright Policy<\/a> for more detail. Email <a href=\"mailto:ftsales.support@ft.com\">ftsales.support@ft.com<\/a> to buy additional rights. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/cms\/s\/2\/b8234932-719b-11e5-ad6d-f4ed76f0900a.html#ixzz3upyzsatX\">www.ft.com\/cms\/s\/2\/b8234932-719b-11e5-ad6d-f4ed76f0900a.html#ixzz3upyzsatX<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Oil is the black gold that funds Isis\u2019 black flag \u2014 it fuels its war machine, provides electricity and gives the fanatical jihadis critical leverage against their neighbours.<\/p>\n<p>But more than a year after US President Barack Obama launched an international coalition to fight Isis, the bustling trade at al-Omar and at least eight other fields has come to symbolise the dilemma the campaign faces: how to bring down the \u201ccaliphate\u201d without destabilising the life of the estimated 10m civilians in areas under Isis control, and punishing the west\u2019s allies?<\/p>\n<p data-track-pos=\"1\">The resilience of Isis, and the weakness of the US-led campaign, have given <a title=\"US scrambles to respond to Russia\u2019s Syrian intervention - FT.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/cms\/s\/0\/bb2bfae4-67ef-11e5-a57f-21b88f7d973f.html#axzz3oL6XDY6Q\">Russia<\/a> a pretext to launch its own, bold intervention in Syria.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all these efforts, dozens of interviews with Syrian traders and oil engineers as well as western intelligence officials and oil experts reveal a sprawling operation almost akin to a state oil company that has grown in size and expertise despite international attempts to destroy it.<\/p>\n<p>Minutely managed, Isis\u2019 oil company actively recruits skilled workers, from engineers to trainers and managers. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ft.com\/intl\/cms\/s\/2\/b8234932-719b-11e5-ad6d-f4ed76f0900a.html?ftcamp=traffic\/social_promo\/ISIS_Inc_14Oct\/facebook_US_Reach\/essence_world\/auddev&#038;utm_source=facebook_US_Reach&#038;utm_medium=social_promo&#038;utm_term=ISIS_Inc_14Oct&#038;utm_campaign=essence_world#axzz3uiXBXSgV\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.ft.com\/intl\/cms\/s\/2\/b8234932-719b-11e5-ad6d-f4ed76f0900a.html?ftcamp=traffic\/social_promo\/ISIS_Inc_14Oct\/facebook_US_Reach\/essence_world\/auddev&#038;utm_source=facebook_US_Reach&#038;utm_medium=social_promo&#038;utm_term=ISIS_Inc_14Oct&#038;utm_campaign=essence_world#axzz3uiXBXSgV<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/im.ft-static.com\/content\/images\/a9d79bfa-7419-11e5-bdb1-e6e4767162cc.img\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Pick your Star Wars battle buddy: Military Times poll<\/h2>\n<p>You find yourself surrounded by rifle-carrying Tusken Raiders on Banthas. Who has your six? Is it Han Solo and his sharpshooting skills? Or perhaps Obi-Wan and his Jedi Mind Trick?<\/p>\n<p>Maybe you&#8217;re one of those Dark Side sympathizers, with mad respect for Darth Vader&#8217;s death grip.<\/p>\n<p>We want to know: When things get tough on the battlefield, who from the Star Wars universe would you want to be your battle buddy?\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/ec.militarytimes.com\/polls\/starwars\/index.html\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">ec.militarytimes.com\/polls\/starwars\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Click to enlarge\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/files.polldaddy.com\/6243dee9a626f356f93582d47ccd42e7-567335198a801.jpg?w=133\" alt=\"Click to enlarge\" width=\"133\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">Beefed-up DoD voter education campaign to launch soon<\/h1>\n<p>Service members will get their first reminder about registering to vote on Jan. 15, when a Defense Department message will go out to everyone with a <a href=\"http:\/\/dot.mil\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">dot.mil<\/a> email address.<\/p>\n<p>The 2016 general election is almost a year away, but the primaries start in February, and the Federal Voting Assistance Program has been gearing up for months to fulfill its mission of helping voters vote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to make it loud and clear: the Defense Department is ready for election season,\u201d said Matt Boehmer, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program.\u00a0\u201cWe want to make sure everyone who wants to participate, can.\u201d\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/story\/military\/pentagon\/2015\/12\/19\/beefed-up-dod-voter-education-campaign-launch-soon\/77487144\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.navytimes.com\/story\/military\/pentagon\/2015\/12\/19\/beefed-up-dod-voter-education-campaign-launch-soon\/77487144\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"expand-img-horiz\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/f5165edfa19bcf273643df7b3770f5690bca06dd\/r=x404&amp;c=534x401\/http\/cdn.tegna-tv.com\/-mm-\/b826bb5e71c1b82a7cd9281f0d522f82aab768a5\/c=283-0-4645-3280\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/10\/26\/GGM\/NavyTimes\/635814799044506342-Lassen.jpg\" alt=\"130707-N-TG831-449 \" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/cdn.tegna-tv.com\/media\/2015\/10\/26\/GGM\/NavyTimes\/635814799044506342-Lassen.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/cdn.tegna-tv.com\/-mm-\/521cd80a4fb9f1f1edf37d025629b379daee5bba\/r=500x332\/local\/-\/media\/2015\/10\/26\/GGM\/NavyTimes\/635814799044506342-Lassen.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">U.S. Navy plans more South China Sea patrols in 2016<\/h1>\n<p>Heading in to 2016, U.S. officials say that more patrols by Navy ships and aircraft are coming. Legal experts say these patrols are the only way to protect freedom of\u00a0navigation rights disputed by China.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We need to remind ourselves that [the] U.S. Navy &#8230; has been conducting freedom of navigation operations since Jimmy Carter was in office,&#8221; said Craig Allen, a professor of marine and environmental affairs at the University of Washington School of Law. &#8220;If you simply acquiesce to somebody else&#8217;s claims, you could lose your rights.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Navy&#8217;s 7th Fleet, based in Japan, regularly patrols the South China Sea and other nations, including Japan, are considering joining the patrols. The Singapore-based littoral combat ship Fort Worth could also be tasked with a patrol but Navy officials say that is less likely \u2014 the Navy tends to dispatch front-line combatants such as destroyers and cruisers into contested waters.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/story\/military\/2015\/12\/19\/south-china-sea-patrols-will-continue-in-2016\/77314232\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.navytimes.com\/story\/military\/2015\/12\/19\/south-china-sea-patrols-will-continue-in-2016\/77314232\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h1 id=\"story-heading\" class=\"story-heading\">U.S. Airstrike Killed Iraqis by Accident, Officials Say Oopsie again<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RxfyuTG2IDE\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RxfyuTG2IDE<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"story-continues-1\" class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"171\" data-total-count=\"171\">An airstrike that mistakenly killed Iraqi troops on Friday was carried out by an American plane, United States officials said on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p id=\"story-continues-2\" class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"323\" data-total-count=\"494\">The episode poses a fresh challenge to the Obama administration\u2019s efforts to expand cooperation with the Iraqis in fighting the Islamic State, and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter was quick to call the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, to express his condolences and invite <a class=\"meta-loc\" title=\"More news and information about Iraq.\" href=\"http:\/\/topics.nytimes.com\/top\/news\/international\/countriesandterritories\/iraq\/index.html?inline=nyt-geo\">Iraq<\/a> to participate in an investigation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"242\" data-total-count=\"736\">Mr. Carter did not offer a detailed explanation for the errant airstrike, which killed nine Iraqi soldiers and one officer, according to Iraq\u2019s defense minister. But Mr. Carter said, \u201cIt seemed to be a mistake that involved both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"204\" data-total-count=\"940\">\u201cThese kind of things can happen when you are fighting side by side as we are, on a dynamic battlefield,\u201d Mr. Carter told reporters aboard the Kearsarge, an assault ship deployed in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n<p id=\"story-continues-3\" class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"329\" data-total-count=\"1269\">Another American official, who asked for anonymity to discuss an episode under investigation, said the plane that carried out the attack was a B-1B bomber, which dropped several bombs as it was supporting Iraqi forces battling Islamic State fighters near Falluja. At least one of those bombs, it appears, struck the Iraqi troops.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/12\/20\/world\/middleeast\/us-airstrike-killed-iraqis-by-accident-officials-say.html?hp&#038;action=click&#038;pgtype=Homepage&#038;clickSource=story-heading&#038;module=first-column-region&#038;region=top-news&#038;WT.nav=top-news&#038;_r=0\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.nytimes.com\/2015\/12\/20\/world\/middleeast\/us-airstrike-killed-iraqis-by-accident-officials-say.html?hp&#038;action=click&#038;pgtype=Homepage&#038;clickSource=story-heading&#038;module=first-column-region&#038;region=top-news&#038;WT.nav=top-news&#038;_r=0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The International Economic War of the Rich on the Poor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Depression-children.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18710\" src=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Depression-children.png\" alt=\"Depression children\" width=\"478\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Depression-children.png 478w, https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Depression-children-293x300.png 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"headline\">Officials dodge blame for Flint water crisis (video)<\/h1>\n<p>As those who&#8217;ve watched the the crisis in Flint play out over the last few months know, water flowing into homes and schools in that city had dangerously high levels of lead. That problem stemmed from the switch from Detroit water to water from the Flint River, without the corrosion control chemicals needed to ensure the hazardous metal does not leach into the water supply.<\/p>\n<p>Say what you will about the state and local officials involved in this crisis, but they certainly have their story straight. Though they claim they don&#8217;t want to assign blame, they do reserve some culpability for Detroit, which, they say, cut off Flint&#8217;s water supply, forcing the beleaguered city to resort to drawing water from the river. It&#8217;s a story they have repeated over and over again.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that the claim is almost certainly a lie. As the ACLU points out, they have obtained a document proving that the city deliberately decided to switch from the Detroit water system to the river.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Circle of Lies: Dodging Blame for the Flint River Disaster\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qEWBGE31qCY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"post-title\">Listen to &#8220;Not Safe to Drink,&#8221; a special documentary about the Flint water crisis<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/michiganradio.org\/post\/listen-not-safe-drink-special-documentary-about-flint-water-crisis#stream\/0\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">michiganradio.org\/post\/listen-not-safe-drink-special-documentary-about-flint-water-crisis#stream\/0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>NYTimes: Study Finds DIFFERENCES between Rich and Poor Children! <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"story-continues-1\" class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"105\" data-total-count=\"105\">The lives of children from rich and poor American families look more different than they have in decades.<\/p>\n<p id=\"story-continues-2\" class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"293\" data-total-count=\"398\">Well-off families are ruled by calendars, with children enrolled in ballet, soccer and after-school programs, according to a <a title=\"The Pew survey.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pewsocialtrends.org\/2015\/12\/17\/parenting-in-america\/\">new Pew Research Center survey<\/a>. There are usually two parents, who spend a lot of time reading to children and worrying about their anxiety levels and hectic schedules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"307\" data-total-count=\"705\">In poor families, however, children tend to spend their time at home or with extended family, the survey found. They are more likely to grow up in neighborhoods that their parents say aren\u2019t great for raising children, and their parents worry about them getting shot, beaten up or in trouble with the law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"399\" data-total-count=\"1104\">The class differences in child rearing are <a title=\"Times story on the education gap. \" href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/02\/10\/education\/education-gap-grows-between-rich-and-poor-studies-show.html\">growing, researchers say<\/a> \u2014 a symptom of widening inequality with far-reaching consequences. Different upbringings set children on <a title=\"Study on inequality and college entry. \" href=\"http:\/\/www.nber.org\/papers\/w17633.pdf\">different paths<\/a> and can deepen socioeconomic divisions, especially because education is strongly linked to earnings. Children grow up learning the skills to succeed in their socioeconomic stratum, but not necessarily others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"352\" data-total-count=\"1456\">\u201cEarly childhood experiences can be very consequential for children\u2019s long-term social, emotional and cognitive development,\u201d said <a title=\"His biography and research. \" href=\"https:\/\/ed.stanford.edu\/faculty\/seanreardon\">Sean F. Reardon<\/a>, professor of poverty and inequality in education at Stanford University. \u201c\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/12\/18\/upshot\/rich-children-and-poor-ones-are-raised-very-differently.html\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.nytimes.com\/2015\/12\/18\/upshot\/rich-children-and-poor-ones-are-raised-very-differently.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The Emergence of Fascism as a Popular Mass Movement<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"spotlight\" src=\"https:\/\/scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-xtf1\/v\/t1.0-9\/12368979_10154420362218275_2678635878431124233_n.jpg?oh=19ee4ee12e7a15117afb33e49c621b0c&amp;oe=571A5FE8\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Man Charged With Vincent Chin&#8217;s Death Seeks Lien Removed, Still Owes Millions<\/h1>\n<div class=\"article_col-main article_col-main-left article_main\">\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>For years, the estate of Vincent Chin \u2014 the man whose death in 1982<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/06\/23\/opinion\/why-vincent-chin-matters.html?src=recg\"> galvanized Asian-American activism<\/a> in the United States \u2014 has been seeking payment in a wrongful death claim against Ronald Ebens, the man responsible for the fatal beating of Chin.<\/p>\n<p>Now Ebens, 76, whose prison sentence was overturned on appeal, wants the lien the Chin family&#8217;s representatives have placed on his residence in Nevada removed, despite still owing the estate<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/asian-america\/vincent-chins-estate-still-seeking-millions-settlement-money-n380171\"> more than $8 million.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ebens&#8217; attorneys <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarkcountycourts.us\/Anonymous\/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=8957202\">filed the motion<\/a> to remove the lien in November in Nevada, where Ebens now resides, stating the lien on Ebens&#8217; home is prohibited by Nevada&#8217;s Homestead Act and was placed &#8220;with malice\u2026to annoy and harass&#8221; him. In court documents, Ebens claims he&#8217;s been harmed by his inability to sell or refinance his home. The motion also asks for attorney&#8217;s fees.<\/p>\n<p>NBC News reached Ebens by phone Friday, but Ebens hung up when asked about the lien.\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/asian-america\/man-convicted-vincent-chins-death-seeks-lien-removed-still-owes-n478766\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.nbcnews.com\/news\/asian-america\/man-convicted-vincent-chins-death-seeks-lien-removed-still-owes-n478766<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Who Killed Vincent Chin  excerpt 2 MPEG 4\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1qM1GIgBktE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\">Nonconformity and Freethinking Now Considered Mental Illnesses<\/h1>\n<p>Is nonconformity and freethinking a mental illness? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naturalnews.com\/044862_psychiatrists_mental_illness_oppositional_defiant_disorder.html\">According to the newest addition<\/a> of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it certainly is. The manual identifies a new mental illness called<em> \u201coppositional defiant disorder\u201d<\/em> or ODD. Defined as an <em>\u201congoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior,\u201d<\/em> symptoms include questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.<\/p>\n<p>The DSM-IV is the manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental illnesses and, with each new edition, there are scores of new mental illnesses. Are we becoming sicker? Is it getting harder to be mentally healthy? Authors of the DSM-IV say that it\u2019s because they\u2019re better able to identify these illnesses today. Critics charge that it\u2019s because they have too much time on their hands.<\/p>\n<p>New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior. In the past, these were called<em> \u201cpersonality traits,\u201d<\/em> but now they\u2019re diseases.\u00a0And there are treatments available. <a href=\"http:\/\/themindunleashed.org\/2013\/11\/nonconformity-and-freethinking-now.html\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">themindunleashed.org\/2013\/11\/nonconformity-and-freethinking-now.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Solidarity for Never<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/data\/000\/021\/778\/original\/Screen_Shot_2015-12-10_at_11.41.33_AM.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Vacillating Reactionary Ravitch, NEA, and Especially AFT love the New Ed law for the Empire\u00a0 <\/strong>ESSA represents a significant course correction acknowledging that more than a decade&#8217;s worth of education reforms based on test-and-sanction policies were a failure, and sends a strong signal to states that these failed policies should not be pursued.<\/p>\n<p>We have a lot of work ahead. Join our telephone town hall next Thursday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern time to hear more from AFT leaders and a special guest from the White House policy team about what this means for public education.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/actionnetwork.org\/forms\/join-the-telephone-town-hall?can_id=a64823b3f6e1b73aab7e3aef8d5afcf8&#038;source=email-we-won-rip-no-child-left-behind&#038;email_referrer=we-won-rip-no-child-left-behind&#038;email_subject=we-won-rip-no-child-left-behind&#038;link_id=0\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">actionnetwork.org\/forms\/join-the-telephone-town-hall?can_id=a64823b3f6e1b73aab7e3aef8d5afcf8&#038;source=email-we-won-rip-no-child-left-behind&#038;email_referrer=we-won-rip-no-child-left-behind&#038;email_subject=we-won-rip-no-child-left-behind&#038;link_id=0<\/a><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">AFT names administrator for Detroit teachers union<\/h1>\n<p>The American Federation of Teachers has named an aide to President Randi Weingarten as administrator of the Detroit teachers union.<\/p>\n<p>Ann Mitchell, the AFT\u2019s assistant to the president for field coordination, will take over operation of the Detroit Federation of Teachers on Tuesday, the AFT said Thursday in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>The AFT executive council voted Monday to accept a request from DFT leaders to put the local under voluntary administratorship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy appointment of Ann Mitchell comes at a time when the local and our members are facing internal divisions and external challenges such as austerity, benefit cuts and a threat of widespread charterization and layoffs,\u201d said Weingarten. \u201cThe future of Detroit\u2019s public schools is at stake, and our members \u2014 despite their tremendous and justified frustrations at the terrible way they have been treated \u2014 have been a lifeline for Detroit\u2019s kids and parents.<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell is a former elementary school teacher who directs programs to strengthen AFT locals and build community and political support for the union\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis partnership is intended to rebuild the DFT and make it a stronger union for its members,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The local\u2019s interim president, Ivy Bailey, wrote to Weingarten Oct. 14, asking for help fighting health care cuts and school closures in Detroit Public Schools and Gov. Rick Snyder\u2019s plans to overhaul education in Detroit and split the financially troubled district in two.<\/p>\n<p><em>The DFT also has faced internal division. The local\u2019s executive board removed then-President Steve Conn and expelled him from the union in August after finding him guilty of internal charges of misconduct. (The Takeover means there cannot be another DFT presidential election, which Conn would win again) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/10\/detroit-teachers-union-administrator\/77114936\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/detroit-city\/2015\/12\/10\/detroit-teachers-union-administrator\/77114936\/<\/a><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Turncoat-logo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18713\" src=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Turncoat-logo.jpg\" alt=\"Turncoat logo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Turncoat-logo.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Turncoat-logo-300x146.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">Feds: Union chief extorted funds, financed a wedding<\/h1>\n<p>The former top official of the Operating Engineers Local 324 in Detroit was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday on accusations\u00a0of forcing employees to pay $5,000 per year into an election fund and spending the money for his daughter&#8217;s wedding, expensive auto rims and to boost his own salary.<\/p>\n<p>John Hamilton, 61, of Riviera Beach, Fla., was indicted on nine separate charges of extortion, embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy.<\/p>\n<p>He is accused of forcing business agents and employees of Local 324 to contribute annually to the &#8220;Team Hamilton Slate Fund,&#8221; according to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office in Detroit.<\/p>\n<p>Hamilton threatened to fire employees who complained and did fire one employee and orchestrated the termination of a former president, authorities said. The funds were supposed to be used for union election campaign expenses. However, Hamilton used the money for meals, liquor and his daughter&#8217;s wedding and a set of rims for his Cadillac DTS that cost $50,000, according to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/money\/business\/michigan\/2015\/12\/16\/union-embezzlement-indictment-extortion-operating-engineers-local-324-federal-indictment-labor-union-corruption\/77443940\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.freep.com\/story\/money\/business\/michigan\/2015\/12\/16\/union-embezzlement-indictment-extortion-operating-engineers-local-324-federal-indictment-labor-union-corruption\/77443940\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Spy versus Spy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The Magical Mystery Tour<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"irc_mi\" src=\"https:\/\/thenypost.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/12\/rev-_peter_miqueli.jpg?quality=100&amp;strip=all&amp;w=664&amp;h=441&amp;crop=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"202\" \/><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline\">Priest named in sex-slave prostitute suit<\/h1>\n<p>A Catholic priest is accused of <a href=\"http:\/\/on.app.com\/1QB4xU1\">embezzling nearly $1 million<\/a> in church donations to pay a male prostitute and buy a $264,000 home here for the two of them to live in, according to a lawsuit filed by parishioners.<\/p>\n<p>The complaint, filed Thursday in the Supreme Court of New York, alleges the Rev. Peter Miqueli of New York City funneled church money for his personal use, which included paying a prostitute $1,000 a session to act out his &#8220;sexual fantasies.&#8221; The prostitute, identified as Keith Crist in court papers, engaged in a bondage-sadism-masochism relationship in which he role-played as the &#8220;sexual master&#8221; and made Miqueli the &#8220;slave,&#8221; the complaint states.<\/p>\n<p>Miqueli, a pastor at St. Frances De Chantal parish, could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit also names the Archdioceses of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Crist, and seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The Archdiocese did not return a request for comment, but a spokesman told the <em>New York Post<\/em> that it \u201chas &#8230; taken these allegations seriously and has been investigating them.\u201d Crist could not be located for comment.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/news\/nation-now\/2015\/12\/11\/priest-named-sex-slave-prostitute-suit\/77191666\/\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.freep.com\/story\/news\/nation-now\/2015\/12\/11\/priest-named-sex-slave-prostitute-suit\/77191666\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h1 id=\"story-heading\" class=\"story-heading\">Archdiocese of St. Paul Settles Civil Complaint on Child Sexual Abuse<\/h1>\n<p id=\"story-continues-1\" class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"183\" data-total-count=\"183\">The Roman Catholic archdiocese here has reached an agreement with prosecutors in a civil case accusing church officials of failing to protect children from sexual abuse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"story-body-text story-content\" data-para-count=\"250\" data-total-count=\"433\">The unusual settlement, announced Friday in a Ramsey County courtroom, calls for more transparency when claims of child sexual abuse are raised and would allow prosecutors and courts to monitor the church\u2019s progress on such matters for three years.<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/12\/19\/us\/archdiocese-of-st-paul-settles-civil-complaint-on-child-sexual-abuse.html?hp&#038;action=click&#038;pgtype=Homepage&#038;clickSource=story-heading&#038;module=second-column-region&#038;region=top-news&#038;WT.nav=top-news\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">www.nytimes.com\/2015\/12\/19\/us\/archdiocese-of-st-paul-settles-civil-complaint-on-child-sexual-abuse.html?hp&#038;action=click&#038;pgtype=Homepage&#038;clickSource=story-heading&#038;module=second-column-region&#038;region=top-news&#038;WT.nav=top-news<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spotlight Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton Movie HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/56jw6tasomc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>The Best and Worst Things in the History of the World<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"spotlight\" src=\"https:\/\/scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net\/hphotos-xpf1\/v\/t1.0-9\/11224523_979943268732212_4280690401591278886_n.jpg?oh=a37c92163b7b7c2199e884c71c5c1837&amp;oe=56D8FC96\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/mXtBZPONSCc\" class=\"autohyperlink\" target=\"_blank\">youtu.be\/mXtBZPONSCc<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>So Long<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>2015<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Marx-new-years.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18714\" src=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/New-Years-Revo-Baby-2.jpg\" alt=\"New Years Revo Baby 2\" width=\"116\" height=\"129\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18706\" src=\"http:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Marx-new-years.gif\" alt=\"Marx new years\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><\/a><strong>As We Remember Adam Renner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"irc_mi\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ross\/files\/2014\/05\/renner-adam.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"144\" height=\"216\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We Say Fight Back! and happy happy merry merry! Nearly 4,000 DPS students affected by teacher sickout . Detroit \u2014 Nearly 4,000 students at seven Detroit Public Schools buildings didn\u2019t have classes Thursday after teachers staged a sickout, according to the school district. Schools closed were: Gompers Elementary Middle School, Paul Robeson Malcom X Academy, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18675"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18716,"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18675\/revisions\/18716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richgibson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}