IL: Tax breaks sought for Illiana toll road. In another sign the controversial Illiana Expressway still has a pulse, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is seeking legislative approval of tax breaks that could benefit the on-again, off-again project. . . . The project also has been the subject of a federal court ruling that found the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the project in 2013 violated U.S. environmental law. . . Howard, Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, was surprised to hear the administration was pursuing the sales tax exemption proposal in light of the federal ruling. “I don’t get it. Why in the world is the Department of Revenue proposing to grant a sales tax exemption for this project?” Learner said. “It’s time for the State of Illinois to stop wasting money on boondoggle projects like the Illiana Expressway.” The Southern Illinosian
WI: Private firm cashes in on public campsites. . . Base camping rates at state parks, which increased on Tuesday, and the cost of vehicle-admission stickers, make camping in those facilities too expensive for him and a lot of his peers, he said. It’s not just those fees that campers must pay to stay in state recreation areas. A reservation fee that is assessed in virtually every transaction involving a state campground reservation also is tacked on to the cost. Most of the revenue generated from that fee goes to a private contractor, which collects more than $1 million every year from residents and tourists, Gannett Wisconsin Media has found. The company, ReserveAmerica, has been paid an estimated $16.4 million since 1999, when it first entered a contract with the state Department of Natural Resources to manage online and phone reservations for state camping sites, according to data released by the DNR. Of the $9.70 reservation fee, the DNR keeps $1 and the rest goes to ReserveAmerica. Marshfield News-Herald
KY: Candidates for governor propose privatizing parks. . . Kentucky’s two major nominees for governor said Tuesday the state should consider privatizing at least some of its public park system as a way to save money to deal with upcoming budget issues. NewsOK.com
FL: Hundreds show up to voice complaints over plan for I-275 toll lanes. . . Speakers from several local community groups organized the town hall meeting to put pressure on the Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organization to stop plans for the Tampa Bay Express project that would widen portions of Interstate 275 with toll lanes. The Metropolitan Planning Organization will meet Aug. 4, and community organizers expect residents to show up in throngs. More than 2,000 people already have signed a petition on stoptbx.com to remove the project from road plans. At Tuesday’s town hall meeting, activists and businesses owners helped answer residents’ questions about the 175-page expansion plan TBO.com
OH: Audit: Dayton charter school board members overpaid themselves. Board members at a Dayton charter school over-paid themselves by a combined $4,350 last year, according to a state audit released today. Dayton Daily News
NJ: Freehold Twp. teachers reject outsourced assistants. The teachers union here is taking a stand against the school district’s move to outsource teacher assistant posts to a local agency, saying the cost-cutting move would diminish learning. Asbury Park Press
NJ: 911 dispatch – the next go-to service for privatization?. Lawrence Township became the first New Jersey municipality to make the move in early 2013. According to Mayor Cathleen Lewis, her town may see cost savings over time, but the main reason for the switch was to get more officers on the street. New Jersey 101.5 FM
OK: Editorial: No privatization: Keep Tulsa Jail under public control. . . Privatization turned out to be a bad deal for taxpayers the first time around — from 1999, when the new jail opened, until March 2005, when the sheriff’s office won a bid to take over jail operation. We don’t think a second experience would be any better. Tulsa World
Opinion: A job for government. Tucked into a dusty corner of the Senate’s pending Highway Trust Fund bill is a zombie proposal to hire private debt-collection agencies to hound delinquent taxpayers on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has actually tried outsourcing tax-collection activities before, at Congress’ behest. Twice, in fact, over the last two decades. Both times, the experiment was a disaster. Privatizing delinquent tax collections led to complaints from taxpayers who got harassed and bullied by an industry known for rampant harassment and bullying, particularly of low-income people who don’t know their rights. Perhaps more important, at least from a fiscal responsibility perspective, both times the program was scrapped because it actually cost taxpayers money on net, despite assurances ahead of time of the huge bounty it would lasso. The Leaf-Chronicle


The Latest: Australia won’t retrieve refugees in cease-fire
Turkish soldiers stand atop of their tanks at a staging area close to the border with Syria in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and State Secretary Mike Pompeo were scheduled to arrive in Ankara and press Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to accept a ceasefire in northeast Syria. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
BEIRUT (AP) — The latest on Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria (all times local):
Australia has ruled out retrieving dozens of Australian women and children from refugee camps during the cease-fire in Syria.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said Friday the situation remained too dangerous to send Australian troops or officials into the war-torn nation.
Dutton says he is hopeful the cease-fire will lead to lasting peace.
About 46 Australian women and children who fled Islamic State-held territory are being held at the al-Hawl refugee camp in northern Syria.
Eight Australian offspring of two slain Islamic State group fighters were removed from Syria in June, Australia’s only organized repatriation from the conflict zone.
Turkey’s president has responded to a tweet by Donald Trump in which the U.S. leader says a Turkish-U.S. cease-fire deal will save millions of lives.
In his response, Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted Thursday: “Mr. President, many more lives will be saved when we defeat terrorism, which is humanity’s arch enemy.”
Erdogan’s reply came hours after the U.S. and Turkey agreed to a five-day cease-fire in northern Syria during which Kurdish fighters would withdraw to roughly 20 miles from the Turkish border. Turkey regards the Syrian Kurdish fighters as terrorists due to their links to outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting in Turkey.
The arrangement appeared to be a significant embrace of Turkey’s position in the weeklong conflict.
The United Nations says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes any effort to de-escalate the situation in northeastern Syria and protect civilians.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a brief statement Thursday that “the secretary-general recognizes that there is still a long way to go for an effective solution to the crisis in Syria.”
Dujarric said Guterres is aware of the discussions between U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which led to the announcement of a five-day cease-fire.
Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish fighters who had been allied with U.S. forces in their campaign against the Islamic State extremist group. The incursion began after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from northern Syria.
The commander of Kurdish-led forces in Syria has told Kurdish TV that they will abide by a cease-fire agreement announced in Ankara by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
Mazloum Abdi tells Ronahi TV that the extent of the cease-fire stretches 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the town of Tal Abyad to Ras al-Ayn.
That appeared to conflict with Turkey’s insistence that its “safe zone” from which Kurdish forces must be removed should stretch the entire length of the border from the Euphrates River to Iraq.
“We will do whatever we can for the success of the cease-fire agreement,” Mazloum said Thursday, describing it as a “tentative agreement.”
U.S. and Turkey agreed to a five-day cease-fire in northern Syria during which Kurdish fighters would withdraw to roughly 20 miles away from the Turkish border.
The president of the U.N. Security Council says a cease-fire on Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria would be “a great thing if it happens.”
South Africa’s U.N. Ambassador Jerry Matjila, this month’s president, told reporters Thursday that members were waiting for details.
The U.S. and Turkey agreed Thursday on a five-day cease-fire that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said was aimed at ending the bloodshed from Turkey’s military offensive, which followed the withdrawal of American troops.
Matjila said a cease-fire would give the parties “the chance to go back to the political track” and encourage the first meeting of the 150-member committee that will draft a new constitution for Syria on Oct. 30.
“If it does happen, I think it’s a step in the good direction,” Matjila said.
Russia’s foreign minister says Moscow will try to promote a deal that would help Turkey secure its border while ensuring Syria’s territorial integrity.
Sergey Lavrov said Russia will work to “settle the Kurdish problem through a dialogue between the Kurdish leaders and the legitimate government in Damascus.” He added that a future agreement must ensure “Syria’s territorial integrity and Turkey’s security interests.”
Russia has deployed its forces to Syria’s north as a buffer force in the face of a Turkish after the U.S. troops pullout.
Lavrov spoke to Interfax on Thursday before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey has agreed to a cease-fire in Syria to allow for a Kurdish withdrawal from a security zone 20 miles south of Turkey’s border.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says the United States has accepted “the importance and functionality” of a “safe zone” long-pushed by Turkey and says Turkish Armed Forces will control such a zone under an agreement reached with the United States.
Cavusoglu on Thursday insisted that Turkey had agreed to a “pause” in fighting, rejecting the term cease-fire, which he said is only possible between “two legitimate sides.”
“We will only halt our operation after the terrorist elements depart,” northeast Syria, Cavusoglu added.
Cavusoglu added: “The pause does not mean that our soldiers and our forces will withdraw. We remain there and continue to be there.”
Cavusoglu spoke Thursday following more than four hours of talks between delegations headed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Turkey’s offensive in northeast Syria.
Turkey’s state-run news agency says a total of 71 Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters have been killed since the start of a Turkish-led incursion into northeast Syria.
Anadolu Agency said Thursday that another 207 fighters have been wounded in clashes since the offensive was launched on Oct. 9.
Seven fighters were killed on Thursday in “violent fighting” that occurred near the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al Ayn, Anadolu reported. Twenty others were wounded, the report said.
Turkey says it aims to create a “safe zone” along its border that would be cleared of Syrian Kurdish fighters that it regards as terrorists.
Turkish officials say a total of six Turkish soldiers have died since the start of the incursion. At least 20 civilians were also killed.
French President Emmanuel Macron is urging his European Union partners to unite in condemning Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria and warns the incursion could revitalize the so-called Islamic State group.
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday ahead of an EU summit, Macron told reporters that “I want us to speak again with a united, clear and firm voice to condemn this attack.”
He is urging the 28-nation bloc to agree “all together to stop arms exports to the Turks.”
Macron says the EU should work with its major international partners “to bring an end to this offensive that is today creating a real humanitarian drama and risks sparking a resurgence of Daesh
Syrian President Bashar Assad has blasted Turkey’s “criminal aggression” in Syria, vowing that Damascus will respond to the offensive.
Assad made his comments Thursday in Damascus while receiving Iraq’s National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayyadh, who is on a visit to Syria.
There have been concerns that the Turkish attack against Kurdish fighters might lead to a revival of activities by the Islamic State group that once controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Assad said the military operation is part of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ambitions and is being carried under “false slogans.”
The Syrian leader vowed to respond to the Turkish attack “in any area in Syria and through all available legitimate means.”
Turkey’s state-run news agency says a top aide of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met Russia’s envoy for Syria, Aleksander Lavrentiev in Ankara.
The meeting Thursday came as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Turkey to press Turkey to halt its military offensive in Syria.
Anadolu Agency reported that Lavrentiev met with Ibrahim Kalin to discuss Turkey’s ongoing incursion as well as the situation in Syria’s northern Idlib Province.
The two agreed on the need for continued Russian-Turkish cooperation to prevent the threat that “all terror organizations” pose to Syria’s territorial integrity, the agency reported.
Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia to discuss the military operation.
The Kremlin says Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will discuss humanitarian problems stemming from Turkey’s military operation into northern Syria when he meets with his Turkish counterpart next week.
Putin expressed his concern over the “possible humanitarian consequences of this operation” during a recent telephone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that the toll of Turkey’s operation, now in its ninth day, “will be a very important theme on the agenda of the talks.” The two leaders are set to meet Tuesday.
Peskov also said he was surprised by the harsh tone used in by U.S. President Donald Trump in a recent letter to Erdogan, warning the Turkish leader not to be a “tough guy.”
The Russian spokesman said: “Such language is not often encountered in communication of state leaders. It’s a pretty unusual letter.”
Iraq’s foreign minister says his country will only take back Iraqi citizens detained in Syria who were fighters with the Islamic State group and their families.
Thursday’s comments by Mohammed Ali-Hakim said that the home countries of other former IS members and their families should take the necessary measures.
His remarks followed a meeting with his French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Baghdad, and come amid worries about the fate of thousands of IS members held by Kurdish fighters in Syria.
Kurdish-led forces in Syria are warning that they might not be able to adequately guard some 10,000 IS fighters because of Turkey’s ongoing military operation into northern Syria, which began last week. That’s raised fears of potential IS jailbreaks.
Le Drian says his visit is to discuss the repercussions of the Turkish operation, warning that it “is threatening the gains that were achieved against IS.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has again called on Turkey to stop its military offensive in Syria.
Merkel said in a speech Thursday in parliament that the offensive “makes tens of thousands, among them thousands of children, flee.”
She’s calling the military operation “a humanitarian drama with big geopolitical consequences.”
She says it strengthens the role of Russia and Iran in the region and says the consequences of that “cannot be judged today.”
Merkel says both the Middle East and Europe are being made to feel insecure because prisoners of the Islamic State extremist group are no longer being adequately guarded by Kurdish-led forces. Those forces are now diverting their attention to the Turkish invasion.
Syria’s Kurdish fighters have allied with the U.S. since 2014 to fight IS militants.
Merkel also reiterated that Germany will not deliver arms to Turkey.
The commander of the Syrian Kurdish-led forces says U.S. President Donald Trump did not oppose a deal his group made with Russia and the Syrian government to protect against a Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria.
Commander Mazloum Kobani told Ronahi, a Kurdish TV channel, late Wednesday that Trump essentially gave the go-ahead for the deal. Kobani and Trump spoke by telephone Monday, a day after the Kurdish forces announced the agreement.
The deal came after Trump ordered U.S. troops to step aside as Turkey launched its attack last week. Syria’s Kurdish fighters have allied with the U.S. since 2014 to fight Islamic State militants. Kobani said the priority now is to stop Turkey’s invasion.
Kobani said his forces will decide what to do with detained IS prisoners and their families.


McClain sends out an email to local teachers inviting them to come and pick up the free supplies and selects a day, usually in July, to hold the giveaway out of her garage.
McClain is in the Sigma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international organization of female educators, both working and retired. Her friends from her chapter assist her with her efforts, but McClain does the majority of it on her own.
She taught art for 34 years, 25 of those at Kresson Elementary School in Voorhees, another 7-plus years at Estell Manor and Weymouth Township in Atlantic County and two years at Holy Spirit High School, her alma mater, before retiring in 2009.
“We just want to promote female educators and help them in any way we can,” said McClain, who has lived in Moorestown for 15 years. “When I was teaching, I would see all this wonderful stuff in the trash. I’d see scissors and new bottles of glue.
"I would say to the teachers 'so why is this in the trash, it looks like something I could use in the art room?' She’d say, ‘oh the kids are cleaning out their desks, they just throw everything away.’ I actually pulled out the scissors and the glue and the pencils from the trash, cleaned them up and used them in my classroom. That got me started.”
She underscored that it doesn’t create extra work for the teachers. Boxes are placed next to the trash can for the supplies to be placed in. McClain and her husband retrieve the boxes after the school year ends and she sorts the supplies.
The project has grown over the years by word of mouth. A teacher from a local school district contacted her about science books they were getting rid of, and asked if McClain wanted them. The same has happened with school libraries getting rid of books. She’s grabbed them up as well.
On a recent Monday morning, McClain’s garage was filled with goodies, despite visits from quite a few teachers already. She said most of the supplies would soon be snatched up, and the ones that aren’t will be donated to another cause.
Sue Yoder, president of the Sigma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, was among several women helping McClain.
“Sky is an amazing environmentalist. It always bothered her at the end of the year how much stuff got thrown away. Most of us are retired teachers. One of the things our organization does is support young educators. Schools don’t provide many school supplies these days," said Yoder, who was an elementary school teacher for 38 years in the Cherry Hill Public School District
“It’s amazing…It would’ve been in the trash and ended up in landfills," she said of the reclaimed supplies.
McClain has plans for what’s left of the three huge boxes of crayons. A.C. Moore is participating in a program called “The Crayon Initiative” and is collecting youth crayons through Aug. 2, which will be melted down. New crayons will be created and sent to children’s hospitals.
Leftover books will be donated to GreenDrop, which will send the books to Third World countries, she said.
“I want people who really need it,” she said.
“There will not be one pencil left.”
Celeste E. Whittaker; (856) 486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com


The University of Debrecen may be reserved by a foundation
January 11, 2021 Bácsi ÉvaLeave a Comment on The University of Debrecen may be reserved by a foundation
From the first of August, the universities of Debrecen and Szeged could be under private foundation control. A Hungarian employee of the University of Debrecen told Magyar Orange that the dean’s council of the institution had been convened a few days ago, and the rector explained that the concrete plans would be completed within a month.
According to the source, the teachers of the institutions have not yet been officially informed. One lecturer saw that the university management speaks openly and proudly about the foundation being reserved.
Szegeder wrote about the University of Szeged, and Chancellor Judit Fendler told the dean’s college earlier this year that they could initiate a transfer to a private foundation. This step was also supported by Rector László Rovó. The leader saw this as a way to get more development resources for the university.
According to an interviewed lecturer, there is an idea tied to Béla Merkely, rector of Semmelweis University, that a top medical university should operate nationwide. The medical courses of the universities of Debrecen, Pécs and Szeged would continue to operate as outsourced sites.
If the University of Debrecen really becomes a foundation property, it is not known what will happen with the Nagyerdei Stadium and the Kenézy Gyula University Hospital, since the university has an impact on both of them.
The Corvinus University of Budapest was maintained by the foundation in 2019, and last year the University of Theater and Film Arts would also have been transformed, but there were opposing views about that matter. No agreement has been reached with the protesting SZFEs since then, although the transfer of ownership of the foundation and the delivery to the Attila Vidnyánszky were still carried out over their heads.
From February 1, Szent István University in Gödöllő can also continue to operate as a foundation, called the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
A pedestrian died in a train accident


The Debonairs (3)
Par dion1 le 30 April 2017 à 10:17
The Debonairs (3) (New York)
Paul Dino (Lead)
1962 - Going To Town / Will You Marry Me (Carol Ann 1001)
Paul Dino
1960 - Goin' In Town / Will You Marry Me (Flame 301)
1961 - Ginnie Bell / Bye-Bye (Promo 2180)
1962 - That's How I Miss You / Tonight's The Night (United Artists 481)
1963 - I Like Your Style / Your Candy Kisses (Entré 101)
Paul Dino Bertuccini is a former American singer-songwriter and musician, who appeared fleetingly as a teen crooner in the early to mid-1960s. Paul Dino had decided to become a barber and in the late '50s he started a band called The Nite Caps, adopted the shortened professional name Paul Dino, and before long the job of singing an assortment of songs in nightclubs won out over warbling "Shave and a Haircut" a couple dozen times a day. Paul had learned to play several instruments during high school including piano, saxophone and drums; he even became quite the accordion assimilator.
No word on whether he was ever proficient with a pair of scissors. Songwriting was a passion as well and he began making regular excursions into New York City to knock on the doors of the various music publishing houses. He made overtures to some of the record labels too, but they didn't seem interested. After more than a year of attempts, he got his foot in the door at a very small company, Flame.
With his group, the Debonairs , Dino recorded two songs he had written "Goin' In Town" and "Will You Marry Me". The Record was released in early 1960 as Paul Dino. Two Years later the single was re-released as the Debonairs. Dino was signed to Promo label, and his single “Ginnie Bell” debuted in January 1961, which eventually broke into the Top 40 that year. Dino took advantage of this success by appearing on shows such as Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
Paul Dino & Justine Carrelli with The Paul Dino group
Promo didn’t bother to follow up “Ginny Bell”s success however, and Dino would record for a number of labels until his days as a teen idol were over and a new status as a one-hit wonder would loom. Dino and his wife Justine Carrelli (a former regular dancer on American Bandstand) moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where they performed at lounge bookings before going into a successful real estate business.
http://www.waybackattack.com/dinopaul.html
Going To Town / Goin' In Town Will You Marry Me
Ginnie Bell Bye-Bye That's How I Miss You
doo-wop - Créer un site personnel sur Eklablog - Terms and Conditions - Report abuse -


Ailsa Patterson
In March 2000 Ailsa Patterson B.Sc M.Chiro, became the owner and principal Chiropractor at the well time-honoured, City Centre Chiropractic, established 1973/4. Her qualifications include Bachelor of Science from The University of Queensland and a Master of Chiropractic from Macquarie University in Sydney. To gain broad industry knowledge she has previously worked in clinics in Perth and South East Queensland , before settling in Brisbane City.
Prior to becoming President of the Queensland Chiropractors' Association of Australia (2002-2005), she served for several years as an Executive member of the Queensland Chiropractors' Association of Australia, (2000 2006) holding the portfolio of Public Education. She was appointed by the Health Minister for a four year term on the Chiropractors Board of Queensland ( 2006-2010), a reflection of her commitment to helping others and to her profession.
During her time with the association she held a general interest in health promotion and the media. For nine years Ailsa nurtured a relationship with a local television program, Brisbane Extra, on Channel 9, until its final episode aired 2009, regularly appearing to promote healthy spines / lifestyles and chiropractic. The Public Education Campaign has also seen her contribute to print and radio mediums and other various television shows across the three commercial channels.
One area of focus for Ailsa whilst she was a member of the Registration Board was continuing professional development. She was heavily involved with the production and execution of seminars, both local and regionally for the Chiropractors Board of Queensland.
Ailsa is currently serving her second term as the Queensland practitioner member on the Chiropractic Board of Australia and enjoys helping to regulate the profession.
Douglas Scown
Unexpectedly in mid-March 2019 we said goodbye to Douglas Scown as he has injured his wrist. After thirteen years of working together (and twenty in the profession) it was not an easy decision for him to take early retirement from chiropractic.
Ailsa Patterson and Tony Roberts are happy to help any of Doug's patients who still required treatment in the city.
Doug Scown B.Ed B.App.Sci B. Chiro.Sci has been in clinical practice in Brisbane since 1998 after graduating from RMIT and moving from Melbourne with his family. Areas of interest are general spinal, musculoskeletal, disorders of balance, headache and chronic pain.
His work with Ailsa Patterson began after 2000 when they merged their efforts into City Centre Chiropractic. This meant that they could provide a broader service with extended hours as both their families grew. Since then they’ve also worked with a number of other practitioners, in particular Luka Botic, AKA The Muscle Therapist, as well as being openly collaborative with imaging and other medical specialties and services.
More recently Doug returned part time to teaching, his first profession, and began lecturing in the new chiropractic program at Central Queensland University primarily in the area of critical thinking. He briefly represented the profession at state level executive and is involved with research into education and professionalism issues.
Tony (B.Sc M/Chiro) works in Brisbane CBD and also at a clinic in Aspley, he is a fourth generation Chiropractor from a family practice of 100 years' standing. Tony has 22 years' extensive clinical experience and completed his Masters of Chiropractic from the Macquarie University, NSW.
Tony attended the University of Queensland where he obtained a Bachelor of Science (Anatomy) with a Masters qualifying in Embryology. Tony’s primary interest was in the creation of the spine and its congenital and developmental variants to aid in the understanding of how this may affect its form and function. This theme explains the need to involve both soft and bony therapeutic techniques in a single treatment regime.
Tony merged his clinic form George Street into the Edward Street clinic in March 2018.


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12-Jan-2020 18:28 by 2 Comments
Feeling almost like I’ve time travelled, I arrive at the school’s large doors that open directly onto a country kitchen turned home economics classroom with a huge teaching island that fits 10 pupils and an equally impressive oak dining table to the back where Kennedy and his wife, Lucy Moore, give a warm welcome.
Along with a post explaining how much blood the human heart pumps in a lifetime, she expressed her new motherly thoughts in the caption.'I love him to the moon and back times infinity,' she gushed, 'my son is my whole world now.Her brunette tresses, which featured copper-dyed tips, were parted in the middle and fell well past her shoulders.The designer and sometime model appeared mostly make-up free, save for a slick of light pink lipstick.Kennedy pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident and later received a two-month suspended sentence.The incident and its aftermath hindered his chances of ever becoming President.Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9, 1981, to March 9, 2005. Rather became embroiled in controversy about a disputed news report involving President George W. In 1953, he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Sam Houston State University After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Rather briefly attended South Texas College of Law in Houston, which awarded him an honorary Juris Doctor in 1990.
Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard and subsequently left CBS Evening News in 2005, and he left the network entirely after 44 years in 2006. The three all hosted their network's flagship nightly news programs for over 20 years, and all three started and retired or died within a year of one another. The Rathers moved to Houston, where Dan attended Love Elementary School and Hamilton Middle School. In 1954, Rather enlisted in the United States Marine Corps but was soon discharged because he had rheumatic fever as a child.
Along with Peter Jennings at ABC News and Tom Brokaw at NBC News, Rather was one of the "Big Three" news anchors in the U. Rather began his journalism career in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas.
Later, he was a reporter for United Press (1950–1958), several Texas radio stations, and the Houston Chronicle (1954–1955). Under the auspices of the Houston Police, he experienced the drug which he characterized as "a special kind of hell." During the 1959 minor league baseball season, Rather was the play-by-play radio announcer for the Houston Buffs team of the triple A American Association.
(born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News.
He was most recently managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel AXS TV.
And Mia Tyler was already out and about with new son Axton on Friday, when the two were seen making a beeline for their house in New York City.


Susan Keefe
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Articles for the Month of December 2016
The Witch’s Shadow (The Mind Traveller Book 2) by James McKenna
Author: susan	• Discussion: No Comments
Rosie is a 15 year old orphan who lives with her Uncle Hugo at Haston Manor, however, she is also very special as she has inherited the ability to travel into Mind Space from her mother. Mind Space is a mysterious realm which can be reached by special people called Mind Traveller’s, and it is inhabited by strange and mythical creatures, angels, demons and more.
This story begins on Rosie’s end of term sports day, at St Monica’s Boarding School for Girls, and her new adventure is about to begin…
That night, lying on her bed in the dorm, she is transported by Elissa, her SAS Angel to the Ministry of Procedures building, a special place where everything in her world and other parallel ones are organised. There Rosie learns that she must go into Mind Space again. Apparently she has inherited from her mother a section there, however, is overrun with scrowlers, and their owners, the Dark Angels are beginning to win the angel wars.
The Rule Maker Grubalot has decreed that as a Mind Traveller, and Warrior of Light, she must free Prince Tiago and his main army of Cloud Riders from a terrible place, so they can fight the Dark Angels, kill the scowlers, and save the human race.
However, this is not all, she is told that she must continue her mother’s mission and collect the pieces of the Dove of Peace, however the next piece is in a place soon to disappear forever!
As Uncle Hugo sets off with Rosie to Larkin Cottage in Southwold, Suffolk, for their holidays, little does he know that he is fulfilling his role in the plan, for the cottage has stood there for hundreds of years, and it, and its inhabitants have their own special part to play.
Soon Rosie is travelling through Mind Space again with the aid of her magic talismans, advice from her mother’s diaries, and her Three Musketeers (Charlie, Oliver and French boy Jean-Paul). However on their quest Rosie soon discovers that the mission and the researching her school project about the Battle of Sale Bay have combined, and have become a terrifying real life adventure.
Can the brave explorers find Princess Lavinia, her baby, and a piece of the Dove of Peace?
Will they survive the dangers which lurks at every turn, as Gizeda, the Dark witch, and her minions try desperately to thwart their mission?
Find out the answers to these questions, and so many more in this exciting story where the war against good and evil rages and mysterious creatures roam the lands.
This book is the second book in this series by this talented author, its sequel is called The Mind Traveller, however it also stands alone.
I was born while enemy aircraft bombed London, spent some of my childhood amidst the wretchedness of post-war Austria, then with siblings and mother, followed my military father across the world. At the age of 15 I joined the British Army and attended the apprenticeship college at Harrogate, then the Royal School of Military Engineering. At 17 I passed selection for the Paras serving in the Gulf and Europe. Afterwards, running my own electronic and physical protection company came easily and gave insider knowledge for my crime thrillers The Unseen, The Uncounted and The Unwanted. Now a father and grandfather, in parallel to these crime thrillers, I have ventured into the action/fantasy world of the young reader aged 12+16. The Mind Traveller is the first of a series where Rosie adventures deep into the unchartered universe of Mind Space. The Witch’s Shadow second in the series will be published on the 5th of June. As a fulltime writer I live between the UK, Portugal and Ireland.
About the Book: Once again Rosie enters Mind Space to fight in the Angel Wars. Her mission, to release Prince Tiago and the Cloud Riders trapped in the Valley of Stone so they can join battle against the scrowlers and Dark Angels.
Chased by the witch, Gizeda whose bite turns victims into spiders, Rosie and her pals must first rescue Tiago’s wife and child who are trapped in Southwold, 1672. Elissa from the Special Angel Service gives help but all are caught in the sea battle between the Dutch and English. Danger is everywhere, Gizeda closes in and Rosie has only her own determination and skills to save her friends.
Mind Space, where time future slips to time past through time present, that place of transition where all time is condensed by infinity, a place which must exist yet cannot exist except in our minds.
Available from Amazon in Paperback https://www.amazon.co.uk/Witchs-Shadow-Mind-Traveller/dp/099284004X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1481811754&sr=8-1
and Kindle format https://www.amazon.co.uk/Witchs-Shadow-Mind-Traveller-Book-ebook/dp/B00Y0SV4ZS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1481811754&sr=8-1
and Barnes and Noble in Paperback http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witchs-shadow-james-mckenna/1122050466?ean=9780992840044
The Time Traveler’s Son (Book 7) by Joe Corso
This book starts another chapter in the exciting Time Traveler series. It is spring in the 12th century and we find Lucky’s young 6 year old son Robert in the castle gardens, waiting for the chance to enjoy special time with his father. The bond between father and son is very close, and it is closer still when Robert reveal to his father that he can see sparkles, and Lucky realises that his son has inherited his father’s gift for seeing portals into other times in history.
Lucky recognises that it is important that Robert learns to respect the portals in due time, when he is old enough, however, for now, he needs to understand the danger they can put him in. Obediently Robert listens to his father’s words, and agrees never to go through one, until his father decides the time is right and takes him.
A year later, with the agreement of his wife, the Princess Krystina, Lucky is just about to take Robert on his first trip through the portal when there is an emergency at the palace, the King is ill. Lucky decides he has no choice but to take the King with them to the 21st century and seeking emergency help.
Well of course, young Robert is amazed at the 21st century the televisions, light, iphones, electricity and even has a ride in a car, everything is so magical to him. However soon the adventure takes a dark twist as Micky and Robert are kidnapped, by three men, trying to locate Lucky.
In fear of their lives, and needing to escape, Robert disobeys his father and takes Micky through a portal, and thus begins an amazing adventure. It leads them to the spot where the famous aviator brothers Wilber, and Orville Wright are trying out their flying machine, and Lucky catches up with them there.
Deciding not to go back through the same portal the trio start an amazing journey, leapfrogging through time and across continents, meeting famous people through history, like Alexander Dumas, and Queen Elizabeth I, and actually witnessing first hand world changing events like the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
A thrilling adventure for a young boy, certainly, however, sometimes he finds himself alone, facing real dangers, having to use his wits to survive, and needing his mother, as any young boy would.
I love the ‘Time Traveler’ series of stories, however, this book can stand alone. The bond between father and son is wonderful, and the clever links between time, events and historical figures make it not only an enjoyable book to read, but also very interesting.
About the Author: I Grew up in Queens, New York. I’m a Korea Veteran. I Retired from the FDNY and I started writing late in life hoping to help my grandchildren pay for their college education. I found to my surprise that I could tell a good story which resulted in my writing 30 books, garnering 27 awards and making me a 4 time top 100 best selling author and a 3 time top 5 best selling author. Go figure… If I would have known I could tell a good story. I would have started writing a half century ago.
About the Book: When king Robert of England falls deathly ill, it’s up to Lucky Campo to step in and same the day for all time’s sake. The problem is that the 12th century isn’t known for its cutting-edge medics, so Lucky is faced with the realization that he has no other option but to take Robert back to the 21st century hoping and praying that the doctors at the COMPOUND can save the ailing monarch. Meanwhile the other Robert, Lucky’s son, has inherited his father’s ability and can now see the shimmering gateways that crisscross the time stream, allowing him to travel through various points in time and space. When his son’t abilities become known to him, Lucky fears that Robert in his youthful ignorance may not fully understand he faces when entering a portal. Thus, out of necessity, a partnership is formed between father and son, one teaching, the other learning. But When Robert and Mickey are kidnapped, the young boy is forced to put everything his father taught him to the test without adult supervision. He and Mickey escape their kidnappers through a gateway, which plunges them into places no six-year old boy should ever have to go. Lucky desperately searches the time stream for his son and best friend. Will he find them in time? Or is time simply not on his side? Find out in this thrilling new roller coaster time travel adventure!
Available from Amazon in Paperback https://www.amazon.com/Time-Traveler-Travelers-Son/dp/1540334724/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481537316&sr=1-3&keywords=the+time+travelers+son
and kindle format https://www.amazon.com/Time-Traveler-Travelers-Son-ebook/dp/B01N0PRCZB/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481538076&sr=1-7&keywords=the+time+travelers+son
Barnes and Noble in Paperback http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-time-traveler-joe-corso/1125134874?ean=9781540334725
The Mind Traveller by James McKenna
This fast paced fantasy story opens with Rosie, hunting in her Uncle Hugo’s cellar at Haston Manor. It’s creepy down there, but she is on a mission, she’s searching for a family heirloom, a locket handed down through her mother’s line. Why? Because her mother told her in a letter given to her by Uncle Hugo on her 14th birthday, that the locket holds special powers, and she should ‘accept her fate,’ but what does that mean?
Rosie is soon to discover that her destiny lies before her, and that the locket is not the only legacy which is handed down from mother to daughter. Her uncle often fondly tells her that her mother used to see goblins and demons hiding in the grounds, strange creatures, just like she has started seeing. However, it is not until she loses a very special bracelet that her search to find it takes her through a magical portal into another place, Mind Space, and she realises that the creatures really do exist…
Mind Space is a mysterious realm which is inhabited by strange and mythical creatures. She and three friends, (who are transported with her by accident) find themselves trapped there until they can complete their quest. It is a land in torment, torn apart by the fierce angel wars between the Knights of Lousã and the Dark Angel and his demons.
This exciting adventure follows the brave friends’ quest through this strange land, where they find themselves fighting against evil side by side with strange creatures and a fire breathing dragon.
Who will win the angel wars?
Will Rosie find her bracelet, and if she does, how do they return to their time?
The answers all lie within the pages of this fantastic fantasy story which will enthral young adults of both sexes. However, not only is this an exciting story, but it also demonstrates the incredible powers of true friendship and loyalty, and the comradeship which can be shared.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thrilling story and look forward to reading its sequel.
About the Author: I was born while enemy aircraft bombed London, spent some of my childhood amidst the wretchedness of post-war Austria, then with siblings and mother, followed my military father across the world. At the age of 15 I joined the British Army and attended the apprenticeship college at Harrogate, then the Royal School of Military Engineering. At 17 I passed selection for the Paras serving in the Gulf and Europe. Afterwards, running my own electronic and physical protection company came easily and gave insider knowledge for my crime thrillers The Unseen, The Uncounted and The Unwanted. Now a father and grandfather, in parallel to these crime thrillers, I have ventured into the action/fantasy world of the young reader aged 12+16. The Mind Traveller is the first of a series where Rosie adventures deep into the unchartered universe of Mind Space. The Witch’s Shadow second in the series will be published on the 5th of June. As a fulltime writer I live between the UK, Portugal and Ireland.
About the Book: When Rosie inherits a Mind Traveller’s locket from her mother she is transported to Mind Space and thrown into the angel wars. With help from Elissa of the Special Angel Services, the SAS and three village boys who have been accidently transported with her, she joins with the Knights of Lousã in battle against Hisdrillo the Dark Angel and his Grolack tree monsters. Rosie is warned that if the sand in her locket runs out, she and her pals will be trapped forever in Mind Space. When Grolacks invade the castle, Rosie and friends are sent to wake the feared Dragon Queen and ask for her help. Together they fight the Grolacks but her friends are captured and the dragon killed. With sand in the timer nearly gone all seems lost, except Rosie’s will and determination.. Mind Space is where you are encapsulated when time future rolls into time past. A place somewhere in the infinite centre of time change, a place that must exist yet cannot exist.
Available from Amazon in Paperback https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Traveller-James-McKenna/dp/0956972381/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481105478&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mind+traveller
and Kindle format https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Traveller-James-McKenna-ebook/dp/B00DWZ4BJ6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1481105478&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mind-traveller-james-mckenna/1116092864?ean=9780956972385#productInfoTabs
Dying For Revenge (The Lady Doc Murders Book 1) by Barbara Golder
Author: susan	• Discussion: 1 Comment
This enthralling murder mystery is set in Telluride, Colorado, at Mountain Village, once a sleepy ranch town, it is now the place to live, with many of the rich and famous having homes there.
One of its residents is the favourite leading man of the moment, Mitch Houston, who seems to have it all, however, all this changes when his wife receives a phone call from a reporter, giving her news which will change their lives forever.
For the Western Slope of Colorado Chief Medical Examiner, Jane Wallace, Tuesday June 6th starts very early with a phone call from Sheriff Tom Patterson, there’s been a murder, and of course she must attend.
Five years have passed since the death of her beloved husband John, and Jane has never come to terms with the loss, she is living with it every day. Her other children have flown the nest, and now she lives with her son Ben, finding great comfort in her church, and she enjoys the company of the new young priest Father Matt. It is he who introduces her to Eoin Connor, a true crimes author.
One death is a tragedy, however, as the death toll steadily rises, it soon becomes apparent that the killer must be found, but there is only clue, the killer’s weapon of choice is a .22 rifle. Not much to go on.
Throughout the book there are many small stories giving the reader snapshot insights into the varied lives of its main characters, and building such a depth to the story that it is simply totally enthralling.
I loved reading this very cleverly written murder mystery, which was packed full of suspense, and can’t wait for Book 2 to be released.
About the Author: Dr. Barbara Golder is a late literary bloomer. Although she’s always loved books (and rivals Jane in the 3-deep-on-the-shelf sweepstakes), her paying career gravitated to medicine and law. She has served as a hospital pathologist, forensic pathologist, and laboratory director. Her work in forensic pathology prompted her to get a law degree, which she put to good use as a malpractice attorney and in a boutique practice of medical law, which allowed her to be a stay-at-home mom when her children were young. She has also tried her hand at medical politics, serving as an officer in her state medical association; lobbying at a state and national level on medical issues, writing and lecturing for hire, including a memorable gig teaching nutritionists about the joys of chocolate for 8 straight hours, teaching middle and high school science, and, most recently, working for a large disability insurance company from which she is now retired. Her writing career began when she authored a handbook of forensic medicine for the local medical examiner office in 1984. Over the years she wrote extensively on law and medicine and lectured on medicolegal topics. On a lark, she entered a contest sponsored by the Telluride Times Journal and ended up with a regular humor column that memorialized the vagaries of second-home living on the Western Slope. She currently lives on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee with two dogs, two cats and her husband of 41 years.
About the Book: “Barbara Golder joins the ranks of Chesterton’s bloodthirsty heirs as she spins a tale that will delight mystery fans. With Dying for Revenge in hand, your beach experience is now complete!” Mark P. Shea, Author of Mercy Works Someone is killing the rich and famous residents of Telluride, Colorado, and the medical investigator, Dr. Jane Wallace, is on a collision course with the murderer. Compelled by profound loss and injustice, Jane will risk her own life to protect others from vengeful death, even as she exacts a high price from those who have destroyed her world. DYING FOR REVENGE is a story of love, obsession and forgiveness, seen through the eyes of a passionate, beautiful woman trying to live her life — imperfectly but vibrantly — even if she won’t survive.
Available from Amazon in Paperback https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Revenge-Lady-Murders-Book/dp/1987970004/ref=cm_rdp_product_img
and Kindle format https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Revenge-Lady-Murders-Book-ebook/dp/B01F9IGQVE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
and Barnes & Noble in Paperback http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dying-for-revenge-barbara-golder/1123872527?ean=9781987970005
The Jerusalem Assassin by Avraham Azrieli
In this superb spy thriller, the author has revisited the weeks leading up to the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The assassination itself is shrouded in mystery, of course being such a radical leader, Yitzhak Rabin knew that was never going to be popular with everyone, however, he did what he believed to be right in his search for peace, by extending his hand to Yasir Arafat, leader of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization).
And so the story begins…
It is the 11th October, 1995, and Al-Mazir arrives at Charles De Gaulle airport. He has been sent for a meeting with Abu Yusef, and a rich Saudi prince, their sponsor. The men are eager to show the world the power and strength of the Palestinian resistance as it unites against the Zionist enemy. However, Elie Weiss is head of the Special Operations Division in Europe. Al-Mazir’s arrival has been noticed by his agents Gideon and Bathsheba, and they have other plans…
Soon, readers of this book’s prequel ‘The Jerusalem Inception’ will see ghosts from the past arising. We discover that Lemmy, the thought to be dead son of Rabi Abraham Gerster, (one time leader of the Neturay Karta, an ultra-orthodox sect), is very much alive, and is now married with a son of his own. With a false identity he is living under the name of Herr Wilhelm Horch, and is vice-President of his father-in-law’s Hoffgeitz Bank in Zurich.
Cleverly set in place years before for long term infiltration, Lemmy has been clandestinely working for Special Operations leader Elie Weiss all along. Despite the years not having been kind to him, aged and ill, Elie is determined to lay claim to the billions of dollars in blood money secreted for General Klaus Koenig, by his old school friend and banker Armande Hoffgeitz. The money had come from the selling of the jewels and gold from the WWII holocaust victims, and the amounts had been noted in a ledger. Many years may have passed since that day, but Elie’s memory of that time is still vivid. A survivor of such a terrible war, how could he forget its horrors, or the day, right at its end, when he and a young Abraham Gerster, after killing the general had found the ledger, and a beautiful pregnant girl, now Mossad agent Tanya.
This gripping spy thriller, has a fantastic plot, which, set at such a tremulous time, in such a vehemently religious part of the world makes it enthralling reading. I found the insight into the fanaticism of the members of the PLO, and the acts they commit horrifying. That people such as the characters in this book exist is without doubt true, however, the true depths they are prepared to go to, the taking of lives without a second thought, and the lies they are prepared to tell in pursuit of their goals are incredible.
I loved reading this action packed, exciting, and sexy take on a real event in fairly modern history by this talented author.
About the Author: Avraham Azrieli’s new novel, Deborah Rising (Harper Collins, 2016), portrays the dramatic (and unlikely) rise of the first woman to lead a nation in recorded human history. A graduate of Columbia Law School in New York City, Azrieli tried many complex court cases before his first novel, The Masada Complex (a political thriller) was published in 2010. A full-time author since then, his other books include the Israeli spy novels The Jerusalem Inception and The Jerusalem Assassin, as well as Christmas for Joshua (a family drama dealing with interfaith conflicts), The Mormon Candidate (a political thriller), Thump (a courtroom drama featuring sexual harassment and racism) and The Bootstrap Ultimatum (a mystery involving the commercialization of Memorial Day). He also authored Your Lawyer on a Short Leash (a guide to dealing with lawyers) and One Step Ahead – A Mother of Seven Escaping Hitler’s Claws (a WWII biography, which inspired the musical By Wheel and by Wing). Azrieli grew up in Israel, where he received extensive Talmudic education, served as an intelligence officer and, after attending law school, clerked for the Israeli Supreme Court in Jerusalem. Residing primarily in the United States since 1990, he currently lives near Washington DC with his wife and children. Like Ben Teller, the protagonist in The Mormon Candidate, Azrieli often rides his motorcycle in the mountainous forests of western Maryland. To learn more, visit www.AzrieliBooks.com]
About the Book: In the wake of the 1995 Oslo Peace Accords, a wave of Palestinian terror hits Jewish targets. Israel responds with a clandestine war in Paris, Zurich, and Tel Aviv. When a beautiful Mossad agent is critically wounded in Amsterdam, master spy Jerusalem Gerster pursues the attackers back to Israel, where he uncovers a sinister conspiracy to perpetrate an unprecedented national catastrophe—the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.
Available from Amazon in Paperback https://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-Assassin-Avraham-Azrieli/dp/1460906551/ref=cm_rdp_product_img
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-Assassin-Avraham-Azrieli-ebook/dp/B005GMUU8Y/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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Kobo.com https://www.kobo.com/fr/en/ebook/the-jerusalem-assassin?open=true
Important Information for Authors and Publishers – How the New York Times Selects Books for Review for 2021 by Scott Lorenz
The Rugged Entrepreneur: What Every Disruptive Business Leader Should Know by Carlton Scott Andrew
The Broken II: Tainted Trail by A. L. Frances
The Broken by A. L. Frances
Conceal Reveal: The Space between Entrepreneurs and the Defense Industry by Julie Willis
Aimee Anderson
Alan Brenham
Alison Roundtree
Alpaca's
Atlas Jordan
Barry Jordan Jr.
Boys adventure
Brian Heffron
Broken Cats and Cowboy Hats
C. L. Murphy
Carrie Regan
chic lit
Connie Manero
Conny Manero
D. C. Rush
David Pickering
Declan Harney
Diane Condon-Boutier
Diane Marie Lumpkins
Diem Carpe
Erica Snyder
For the very young
Gabriel Valjan
Gary A. Stewart
girls adventure
Inter-racial
James R. Vance
John Needham
Julia Dweck
Kathleen Jarvis
Khaled Talib
Kimberley Jane Pryor
Lisa Dennis
llamas.
Lynn Petronella
Marie Maiden
Marilyn Z Tomlins
Mary Clark Dalton
Mayra Calvani
Michael Soward
Michelle Caruso
Mike Nach
murder.mystery
Nina Carothers
Nina Faust
Olyn Warfield
Paddy Bostock
Pamela Sisman Bitterman
Patricia Cardello
Peggie Biessmann
Peggy Krause
Radford Lee
Ramshed Akhtar
Randa Handler
Randy Siegel
Renee Heiss
Robyn Opie
Roger Knowles
Ronda Caudill
Scott T. Gill
sex-trafficking
Simone Da Costa
Susie Kelly
Tegon Maus
Terry Clark
Terry Sirrell
Timothy Hugee
Todd M. Thiede
Tony Sandall
Tottie Limejuice
Tracy Kauffman
turkish folklore
Walter Jacobson
Wamboee Geekenye
Wander Stories
Womans Fiction
writing and publishing skills


From endangered species to commodities: report reveals scale of wildlife crime
by Apoorva Joshi on 10 June 2016
The report was produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime using data on thousands of species and seizures from more than 120 countries.
It found that trafficking is faciliated by widespread corruption at many levels of government and society, and that crimes are generally not restricted to certain countries.
To better fight wildlife crime, officials urge a stepping-up of enforcement and monitoring, as well as increased transnational cooperation.
Wildlife trafficking is a global problem, revealed the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in their first-ever World Wildlife Crime Report. Released late last month, the report finds, among other things, that more ivory has been seized than cocaine, and that broad corruption is facilitating illegal trade in plants and animals.
Developed by and part of UNODC’s ongoing Global Programme on Wildlife and Forest Crime, the report uses data provided by partner organizations under the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime like the CITES Secretariat and the World Customs Organization, and included an analysis of 164,000 wildlife crime related seizures from 120 different countries.
“Based on the latest and best available data, and building on UNODC’s established expertise in researching and analysing multifarious aspects of transnational organized crime, this report comes at a decisive time, when the international community has clearly recognized the urgency of saving our planet’s flora and fauna from the predations of organized criminals,” Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC said during his remarks at the report’s launch.
Image courtesy of UNODC, World Wildlife Crime Report: Trafficking in protected species, 2016.
Iconic species like tigers are now hanging on by a thread, he said, adding that populations of African elephants and rhinos, too, are under constant pressure from poaching. “But the threat of wildlife crime does not stop with these majestic animals….it also includes thousands and thousands of lesser-known animals, as well as marine and plant life, that are under serious pressure, and that cannot survive without our attention and help,” he said.
A global issue
Highlighting the sheer diversity and scale of this trade, nearly 7,000 species were included in the World WISE database of seizures analyzed by experts. Despite that, the report found not a single species represented more than 6 percent of the total seizures, neither is a single country the source of more than 15 percent of the seized shipments. In other words, these crimes are not restricted to certain countries, but are a global phenomenon.
“One of the critical messages to emerge from this research is that wildlife and forest crime is not limited to certain countries or regions. It is not a trade involving exotic goods from foreign lands being shipped to faraway markets,” Fedotov said. “All countries play a role as either source, transit or destination countries, and we share a responsibility to act.”
The report also showcases how gaps in legislation, law enforcement and the criminal justice system can cause serious problems. Traffickers and criminal syndicates, Fedotov said, will always look to exploit loopholes and the system wherever they can.
The amount of illegal ivory seized worldwide in recent years was more than the amount of cocaine seized globally. According to the Elephant Trade Information System [ETIS], an average of about 30 metric tons of ivory was intercepted every year between 2009 and 2013. The report fortifies what conservationists have been worried about for a long time – the commodification of endangered species.
An African elephant calf (Loxodonta africana) surveys visitors in Namibia. Photo by Rhett A. Butler
Linking ivory to cocaine further signifies how vast and profitable this trade is — with one major caveat. “Unlike cocaine or heroin, there is an absolute limit on the amount of ivory that can be produced, so there is a danger of a vicious cycle ensuing where each elephant poached increases scarcity, and thus the incentives for poaching another,” the report reads.
A massive enterprise
Released this week by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and INTERPOL, another report titled Rise of Environmental Crime estimates global environmental crime to be worth as high as $258 billion –26 percent higher than previous estimations. Environmental crime encompasses illegal wildlife trade, forest crimes, exploitation of minerals, illegal fisheries, trafficking of hazardous waste and carbon credit fraud.
The UNEP/INTERPOL report finds environmental crime is the world’s fourth largest criminal enterprise following drug smuggling, counterfeiting and human trafficking, but that international agencies spent only $20 to $30 million combatting it. For perspective, the report states that a single fishing vessel targeting Patagonian toothfish was estimated to have taken in $200 to $300 million in illegal harvests.
“It’s not just an environmental problem, it’s a threat to our societies,” Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP told Al Jazeera. “First, it’s stealing from nations; secondly the proceeds finance conflicts and divisions in society. It’s a way of undermining our economies, let alone killing vital biodiversity and pushing some species to the point of extinction. It is something that the whole world has to work together on, it’s part of the phenomenon of globalisation,” he said. “We’re dealing with environmental crime, which is about much more than the poacher – it’s about criminal syndicates that are one day smuggling people, the next day weapons, the next day drugs.”
Compounding the problem, not all illegally-obtained wildlife products (e.g., through poaching) are sold illegally. The UNODC report finds that when illegally traded wildlife is introduced into legal commercial channels, criminals have access to a much larger source of demand than they would have had on the black market alone. And just as with other sensitive products like firearms or pharmaceuticals, protected species can be legally traded internationally if accompanied by the right paperwork. The report says permits for around 900,000 legal shipments of protected wildlife products are issued annually and studies show that forged or fraudulent permits, sometimes acquired through corruption, have been used to traffic wildlife.
Pangolins – or scaly anteaters – are considered a sought-after delicacy in China. The report found more than 100,000 illegally trafficked pangolins were seized between 2007 and 2013. All species are threatened, and several are endangered. Photo of an endangered Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) by Sandip Kumar via Wikimedia Commons (CC 3.0).
Corruption is one of the major drivers of the illegal wildlife trade, the report confirms. It uses the example of live apes, saying the illegal trade of such large, valuable animals would not be possible without fraudlent paperwork from corrupt officials. The report also asserts the rhino horn trade is facilitated by “pseudo-trophy hunters” operating via exploited hunting permits.
“The World Wildlife Crime Report shows the extensive involvement of transnational organized criminal groups in these highly destructive crimes and the pervasive impact of corruption, demonstrating that combating wildlife crime warrants even greater attention and resources at all levels,” said John Scanlon, Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
In fact, the report further substantiates the recent raid on a Buddhist monastery in Thailand and subsequent revelations of wildlife trafficking. “Case studies suggest that some wildlife farms, captive-breeding operations, or even zoos may play a role in laundering illegally acquired wildlife,” the report says. It references World WISE database numbers that list 380 tiger skin seizures occurred between 2005 and 2014. Given that there may be only 3,000 tigers left in the wild, the report estimates the ecological impact of those skins is far greater than their $4 million value.
Fedotov said the report’s findings help identify key policy implications that could help address gaps in current responses to wildlife crime. Outside the CITES system, he said, most national laws do not criminalize possession of wildlife that was illegally harvested or traded from abroad. One of the authors of the study, Theodore Leggett, told The Guardian, that laws could be proposed on national, international or regional levels to address this by, “effectively saying: ’If it is illegal in your country, it is illegal in my country’.”
Rosewood is a catch-all term for multiple species of trees that are particularly sought-after for furniture production. Because of this demand, several species have been protected under CITES. Illegal logging is one of the most destructive environmental crimes since it can destroy habitat along with targeted trees. Photo of rosewood logs in Madagascar by Rhett A. Butler.
In addition, Fedotov said, range countries must be supported in developing sustainable livelihoods for communities and to better protect their natural heritage. He also recommends strengthening customs security at ports and national borders, as data show most trafficking interceptions occurr there, as well as increasing the use of wildlife forensic science to ensure the proper identification of species. Fedotov urges the estalishment of new protected areas to overcome the ongoing problem of habiat loss, as well as addressing the major facilitators of wildlife crime and corruption must be addressed through the supply chain. He called on governments to use the UN Convention on Corruption and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime to fight these crimes, and for the global demand for illegal wildlife products to be reduced.
“If we want to get serious about wildlife and forest crime, we must shore up our collective responses and close these gaps,” Fedotov said. “All these efforts must be coordinated for optimal strategic effect and maximum impact.”
For many, wildlife trafficking isn’t just concerning the plants and animals themselves, but is a larger issue that stands to affect the world as a whole.
“Each year, thousands of wild animals are illegally killed, often by organized criminal networks motivated by profit and greed. I call on governments and people everywhere to support the new United Nations campaign, Wild for Life, which aims to mobilize the world to end this destructive trade. Preserving wildlife is crucial for the well-being of people and planet alike,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Article published by Morgan Erickson-Davis
Animals, Crime, Elephants, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Crime, Logging, Mammals, Pangolins, Plants, Reptiles, Rosewood, Tigers, Traditional Chinese Medicine, trafficking, Wildlife, Wildlife Crime, Wildlife Trafficking


Facebook has a window to self-regulate, and it's taking advantage
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo, Alex Brandon)
During Facebook (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to the Senate on Tuesday, the European Union’s General Data Protection Act, known as GDPR, was the elephant in the room.
The landmark legislation, going into effect on May 25, was only mentioned by name once in response to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asking whether Zuckerberg believed “European regulations should be applied here in the U.S.”
Zuckerberg gracefully responded some version of no, but added that Facebook would roll out “affirmative consent” controls required in GDPR. “We’re doing that around the world,” he said, “regardless of what the regulatory outcome is.”
Anyone familiar with a 10-K, an annual report the SEC requires companies to file, knows that “risk factors” is one of the most interesting chapters in an otherwise rather dry document. In Facebook’s, it plainly references the European regulation, noting its severe penalties for non-compliance. With penalties up to 4% of global revenue, there is no doubt that neither Facebook nor its chief executive enjoys the European regulations.
Throughout his Congressional testimony on Wednesday and Thursday, lawmakers threatened Zuckerberg with a “if you don’t fix it, we’ll fix it for you” approach, with Republicans adding gravitas by reminding the CEO that in general they don’t like regulations.
A consensus has emerged in the Beltway based on the lawmakers’ shaky grasp of Facebook and the lack of a unified vision for regulation: nothing much will happen, probably.
An American GDPR is probably not coming, and Facebook can keep it away
Scott Vernick, a trial lawyer at Fox Rothschild, who deals in tech and privacy law, considers this to be a bit of a reprieve for Big Data, a moment they can have to self-regulate, which Congress showed may actually not be too late.
“The grand bargain is being re-examined — free services for your data,” Vernick told Yahoo Finance. But for the private sector, he continued, and particularly for data-rich companies and social media platforms, “they have a window now to take the initiative to get their house in order. If they don’t, I think someone else is going to do it for them.”
The companies of Big Data – Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Microsoft, to name a few – have already prepared for GDPR’s arrival, to fall in compliance with the new law. In February, Yahoo Finance spoke to GDPR experts like Lydia de la Torre, a fellow at Santa Clara University School of Law and former privacy counsel for eBay, who expressed doubt that Facebook or other companies would roll out GDPR-mandated tools for users outside of Europe.
The U.S., for example, would likely not get the tools to take control of data.
But with the Cambridge Analytica scandal rocking Facebook’s foundation, the landscape has changed enough for Zuckerberg to say over and over again to lawmakers: we’re doing some of the stuff in GDPR on our own.
An aide to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg closes a binder of notes left on the table as Zuckerberg takes a short break from testifying before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Zuckerberg’s hearing notes, photographed by an AP photographer, had a few bullet points on GDPR — capped off with “(Don’t say we already do what GDPR requires)” in bold. The rest of the points were essentially what he told the government: the company would be putting in place better consent forms and will revamp the terms of service so the bargain is clear.
“There’s a real opportunity right now, not just for Facebook, but for any data-rich company generally to take the initiative,” said Vernick. “Be very aggressive and very public and transparent putting in place something like GDPR — call it GDPR lite, or whatever — so the company is controlling its destiny.”
The initiative, Vernick notes, is important. Regulation would obviously include fines for non-compliance, because why even have regulation otherwise? “Even if you don’t have fines,” Vernick said,” when the government tells you to do it, obviously that’s different.” If this move staves wards off government intervention — and helps rebuild user trust — it have been be worth it.
So when will this “GDPR lite” happen? One of the more savvy lawmakers, Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), asked Zuckerberg to shine a little light on when exactly American users will have the “similar protections” to GDPR.
All McNerney was able to get out of the CEO was a “we’re working on it,” indicating that it probably won’t be in place when the Europeans get it next month. But with Congress watching, un-unified and on their back feet, Facebook probably won’t need to be told twice.
Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Confidential tip line: FinanceTips[at]oath[.com].
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