Pope Francis may be "too liberal" to gain widespread Republican support in the face of House legislation that seeks to honor him.
The Hill reported that a resolution written by Catholic Reps. Pete King, R-N.Y., and John Larson, D-Conn., which seeks to congratulate Francis on his March 2013 election, has been stalled in the House Foreign Affairs Committee since December. On Friday, Larson sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio and a fellow Catholic, requesting a vote.
Only 19 of the 221 co-sponsors of the bill are Republicans, which is strange given the GOP's longtime positioning as the party of faith. One congressional Republican who wished to remain anonymous told The Hill that perhaps the lack of support stemmed from a view that the new Pope is "too liberal."
The source speculated that many Republicans are uncomfortable with the Pope "sounding like Obama."
"He actually used the term 'trickle-down economics,'" said the source, "which is politically charged."
The Huffington Post noted that among Pope Francis' more liberal viewpoints are his seeming support for same-sex civil unions (but not marriage) in March, and his unwavering support for extensive redistribution of wealth.
In Larson's letter to Boehner asking for a vote on the legislation, he reminded the Speaker of his own invitation to address Congress made in March, and suggested that failure to congratulate the new Pope on his office would be unprecedented.
"To my knowledge this would be an historic first. I ask that you take a look at a bipartisan resolution introduced by Representative Peter King and myself, acknowledging the first Pope from the Americas . . . it is my sincere hope that you will consider this resolution for the suspension calendar for a vote," Larson wrote in the letter.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Tom Apple fired as University of Hawaii Chancellor
University of Hawaii at Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple says he was forced out as head of the UH system's flagship campus Wednesday, two years into his five-year appointment.
Apple said he was removed "for alleged unsatisfactory performance" in his job.
"The community has a right to know from the horse's mouth, rather than wondering what happened," Apple said in an email to reporters late Wednesday. "I was handed a termination letter late this afternoon by President Lassner. … I asked one more time if there was any chance that he might reverse his intention to release me from the post, and was told ‘no.'"
Apple said he had provided David Lassner with a rebuttal of the allegations.
"I believe I have done my job to the best of my ability and in service to the true needs of this institution," he said in a statement released by his lawyer, Hawaii island attorney Jerry Hiatt.
Apple was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary under former UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, who recommended he be appointed to a five-year term through June 30, 2017, "subject each year to successful annual performance evaluations at the level of satisfactory or above."
Hiatt had previously said the chancellor had three years remaining on a five-year contract that included rights to a tenured faculty position.
Under the terms of a settlement agreement released to the media by Hiatt, Apple will be reassigned as a tenured chemistry professor at an annual salary of $299,000, effective Sept. 1. The settlement also includes a $100,000 lump-sum payout as compensation and for attorneys' fees.
Apple said he rejected a previous offer for a position at Manoa's medical school because he would have had to report to John A. Burns School of Medicine Dean Jerris Hedges.
"That would have created untenable conditions, under which I would have had to leave the university entirely," he said. (Apple reportedly tried to terminate Hedges.)
The move comes one day after UH President David Lassner alluded to an impending firing in a statement that said he had tried to maintain confidentiality about the situation "to provide the chancellor the privacy and dignity that any of us would want for ourselves in a difficult personnel situation."
Hiatt has said that Apple's efforts to curb expenses at Manoa have riled some deans and directors, who have lobbied for his removal.
Earlier this month, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice. The plan also stipulates that programs that ended the fiscal year in the red will have their negative balances applied against their 2014-15 budgets.
He's also been criticized for allegedly favoring the athletic department, last year "forgiving" a $14.7 million accumulated net deficit the department built up over the previous decade.
"Though I have been forced out of my post as chancellor, I remain willing to serve the university," Apple said.
He expressed gratitude and aloha "to the students, staff, faculty and administrators here on campus, and to the members of the larger community throughout the state, who have worked so tirelessly with me."
*** [8/1/14]
University of Hawaii President David Lassner said former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple's performance over the past two years raised serious red flags about his abilities to turn around a fiscal crisis, inspire his leadership team to carry out strategic goals, and champion the university's flagship campus.
For those and other reasons, Lassner said, he initiated discussions with Apple a couple weeks ago to remove him as chancellor.
"I have had concerns about his performance. I have tried to discuss them with him over this past year, and I have been unsuccessful in improving his performance," Lassner told a crowd of about 100 students and faculty who marched to his offices Thursday to protest his decision to fire Apple the night before.
He mostly read from talking points, and was clearly flustered at times as students and faculty peppered him with questions and at times booed him.
"I had several concerns. One was the financial condition of the campus," Lassner said. "I had concerns about (his) ability to lead a cohesive leadership team. I had concerns about divisiveness on the campus, and increasing zero-sum-game attitudes about who's getting whose money."
Apple announced Wednesday night he was forced out by Lassner, following an unsatisfactory job rating. Apple, who was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary, had three years remaining on a five-year appointment.
The school's Graduate Student Organization and the Association Students of the University of Hawaii organized Thursday's rally, which turned into a sit-in at Bachman Hall, where Lassner's offices are located.
Students blasted Lassner, wanting to know why the evaluation process didn't involve students and faculty.
"We had no opportunity, as the key stakeholders of our campus, to give you input before you made your decision," said Bonniejean Manini, a former chairwoman of the Manoa Faculty Senate.
Lassner said the evaluation process traditionally has not involved outside input, but added that he would revisit the policy.
He defended his decision to keep his discussions with Apple private.
"We went into a negotiation period, and his attorney advised us that Chancellor Apple had committed to him not to talk with the press," Lassner said. "It was during this period that Chancellor Apple began, clearly, to talk with people inside and outside the university, and this became news."
Manoa physics and astronomy professor John Learned said, "You had to have known this was going to cause an uproar."
"That was Chancellor Apple's choice," Lassner said, triggering boos from the crowd. "I haven't enjoyed this any more than you have or Chancellor Apple, quite frankly."
Lassner said the financial crisis at Manoa troubled him most.
He said he became aware of what Apple has characterized as a $20 million annual shortfall in operating funds soon after Lassner became interim president last fall.
"That did not exist in 2012. His vice chancellors have been trying to advise him of this, I have personally been trying to advise him of these challenges, and there was no apparent change in course of action until the freeze was announced, which was announced after we began our separation conversations," Lassner said.
In a July 15 memo, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice.
"As Chancellor Apple's line manager, if he's as bad as he is, shouldn't you be ultimately responsible for his performance? Shouldn't we therefore be talking about your termination?" questioned Margaret Maaka, a professor in the College of Education, drawing cheers.
"It is not my job to manage the Manoa campus. It is my job to try to help the leader of the Manoa campus succeed, and I have done so regularly throughout the course of this year," Lassner replied.
Lassner insisted that outside influences did not prompt his decision. "There was no outside political influence asking me or directing me or pressuring me to remove Tom Apple," he said.
He was asked whether the 14 Manoa deans who nominated him for the permanent president post had lobbied him to fire Apple. "Was there a quid pro quo for your nomination?" Maaka asked.
"No. No. No," Lassner repeated, his voice escalating.
He was also asked whether Apple's two failed attempts to fire UHCancer Center DirectorMichele Carbone factored into the decision. "Whether or not he believed that director should be removed was not a factor in my evaluation,"Lassner said.
Apple has agreed to a settlement that will reassign him as a tenured chemistry professor at a $299,000 annual salary, effective Sept. 1. He also will receive a $100,000 lump-sum payout. His chancellor duties have been rescinded.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on specific statements by Lassner.
He shared a five-page letter he sent Lassner in response to his job rating, outlining initiatives he's implemented and defending his performance.
"You seem to have forgotten that you personally voiced support for my vision for (Manoa) on many occasions,"Apple wrote. "I stood up and took the knocks that inevitably come with such hard decisions, so I admit that I am very disappointed by the absence of support shown by you when controversy arises. ... It appears that this was deliberately done to get the result you wished to achieve -- support for a false claim of unsatisfactory performance."
*** [8/13/14] Bob Jone speculates (MidWeek, August 13, 2014):
What troubles me (from poring over Apple’s defense of himself) is my nagging feeling that much of this was about the unhappiness of a few Big Money contributors to UH Cancer Center when Apple tried to get rid of center director Michele Carbone. Apple makes that accusation himself in this letter:
“Your negative comments in my evaluation about interactions with community stakeholders thus do appear to refer to those few powerful people who support the Director of the Cancer Center, whom I tried to remove with your initial consent.
“Dr. Carbone has driven away two of our top researchers (Goodman and Kolonel), alienated two other top researchers (Le Marc-hand and Wilkens), and angered, alienated and persecuted several others. In addition to this thoroughly embarrassing and truly awful history, Dr. Carbone now requires one full-time $300,000 ‘assistant’ (Blanchette) and another $300,000 advisor (Hinshaw) to oversee his conduct.
“Had you not abruptly and unwisely reversed your earlier position on this issue, we would not now still have dysfunctional, erratic and incredibly expensive leadership at the Cancer Center.”
Those are very powerful accusations against Lassner. They suggest that he bowed to pressure from wealthy community philanthropists who have given heavily to the Cancer Center, and are close friends with and stalwart supporters of director Carbone.
That’s an issue never to be resolved. I don’t expect Lassner to say, “OK, you got me. They told me to either fire you or we lose their money. I chose the money.”
*** [9/18/14]
The University of Hawaii-Manoa Faculty Senate voted 43-16 Wednesday in favor of censuring UH President David Lassner over the group's displeasure with how Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple was fired.
The largely symbolic move apparently is a first for a UH administrator, and comes less than three months into Lassner's tenure as president and about two months after he terminated Apple following what he said was an unsatisfactory performance review.
Apple, who was two years into a five-year contract, says he was forced out and blamed for mismanaging Manoa's finances. He contends he was removed for his failed attempts to fire the controversial director of the UH Cancer Center and for budget cuts that angered the medical school dean, but Lassner insists no one influenced his decision.
The Faculty Senate considered amending the censure resolution language to a stronger vote of no confidence, which some equated to a call for Lassner to step down. But that effort failed in a tie vote that Faculty Senate Chairman Ron Bontekoe broke in favor of the original censure language.
The censure vote has no practical effect on Lassner but is meant to convey the faculty's disappointment with the new president.
Apple said he was removed "for alleged unsatisfactory performance" in his job.
"The community has a right to know from the horse's mouth, rather than wondering what happened," Apple said in an email to reporters late Wednesday. "I was handed a termination letter late this afternoon by President Lassner. … I asked one more time if there was any chance that he might reverse his intention to release me from the post, and was told ‘no.'"
Apple said he had provided David Lassner with a rebuttal of the allegations.
"I believe I have done my job to the best of my ability and in service to the true needs of this institution," he said in a statement released by his lawyer, Hawaii island attorney Jerry Hiatt.
Apple was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary under former UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, who recommended he be appointed to a five-year term through June 30, 2017, "subject each year to successful annual performance evaluations at the level of satisfactory or above."
Hiatt had previously said the chancellor had three years remaining on a five-year contract that included rights to a tenured faculty position.
Under the terms of a settlement agreement released to the media by Hiatt, Apple will be reassigned as a tenured chemistry professor at an annual salary of $299,000, effective Sept. 1. The settlement also includes a $100,000 lump-sum payout as compensation and for attorneys' fees.
Apple said he rejected a previous offer for a position at Manoa's medical school because he would have had to report to John A. Burns School of Medicine Dean Jerris Hedges.
"That would have created untenable conditions, under which I would have had to leave the university entirely," he said. (Apple reportedly tried to terminate Hedges.)
The move comes one day after UH President David Lassner alluded to an impending firing in a statement that said he had tried to maintain confidentiality about the situation "to provide the chancellor the privacy and dignity that any of us would want for ourselves in a difficult personnel situation."
Hiatt has said that Apple's efforts to curb expenses at Manoa have riled some deans and directors, who have lobbied for his removal.
Earlier this month, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice. The plan also stipulates that programs that ended the fiscal year in the red will have their negative balances applied against their 2014-15 budgets.
He's also been criticized for allegedly favoring the athletic department, last year "forgiving" a $14.7 million accumulated net deficit the department built up over the previous decade.
"Though I have been forced out of my post as chancellor, I remain willing to serve the university," Apple said.
He expressed gratitude and aloha "to the students, staff, faculty and administrators here on campus, and to the members of the larger community throughout the state, who have worked so tirelessly with me."
*** [8/1/14]
University of Hawaii President David Lassner said former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple's performance over the past two years raised serious red flags about his abilities to turn around a fiscal crisis, inspire his leadership team to carry out strategic goals, and champion the university's flagship campus.
For those and other reasons, Lassner said, he initiated discussions with Apple a couple weeks ago to remove him as chancellor.
"I have had concerns about his performance. I have tried to discuss them with him over this past year, and I have been unsuccessful in improving his performance," Lassner told a crowd of about 100 students and faculty who marched to his offices Thursday to protest his decision to fire Apple the night before.
He mostly read from talking points, and was clearly flustered at times as students and faculty peppered him with questions and at times booed him.
"I had several concerns. One was the financial condition of the campus," Lassner said. "I had concerns about (his) ability to lead a cohesive leadership team. I had concerns about divisiveness on the campus, and increasing zero-sum-game attitudes about who's getting whose money."
Apple announced Wednesday night he was forced out by Lassner, following an unsatisfactory job rating. Apple, who was hired in May 2012 at a $439,008 annual salary, had three years remaining on a five-year appointment.
The school's Graduate Student Organization and the Association Students of the University of Hawaii organized Thursday's rally, which turned into a sit-in at Bachman Hall, where Lassner's offices are located.
Students blasted Lassner, wanting to know why the evaluation process didn't involve students and faculty.
"We had no opportunity, as the key stakeholders of our campus, to give you input before you made your decision," said Bonniejean Manini, a former chairwoman of the Manoa Faculty Senate.
Lassner said the evaluation process traditionally has not involved outside input, but added that he would revisit the policy.
He defended his decision to keep his discussions with Apple private.
"We went into a negotiation period, and his attorney advised us that Chancellor Apple had committed to him not to talk with the press," Lassner said. "It was during this period that Chancellor Apple began, clearly, to talk with people inside and outside the university, and this became news."
Manoa physics and astronomy professor John Learned said, "You had to have known this was going to cause an uproar."
"That was Chancellor Apple's choice," Lassner said, triggering boos from the crowd. "I haven't enjoyed this any more than you have or Chancellor Apple, quite frankly."
Lassner said the financial crisis at Manoa troubled him most.
He said he became aware of what Apple has characterized as a $20 million annual shortfall in operating funds soon after Lassner became interim president last fall.
"That did not exist in 2012. His vice chancellors have been trying to advise him of this, I have personally been trying to advise him of these challenges, and there was no apparent change in course of action until the freeze was announced, which was announced after we began our separation conversations," Lassner said.
In a July 15 memo, Apple announced a plan to save $10 million in each of the next two years by imposing a hiring freeze and suspending salary increases for nonunion employees until further notice.
"As Chancellor Apple's line manager, if he's as bad as he is, shouldn't you be ultimately responsible for his performance? Shouldn't we therefore be talking about your termination?" questioned Margaret Maaka, a professor in the College of Education, drawing cheers.
"It is not my job to manage the Manoa campus. It is my job to try to help the leader of the Manoa campus succeed, and I have done so regularly throughout the course of this year," Lassner replied.
Lassner insisted that outside influences did not prompt his decision. "There was no outside political influence asking me or directing me or pressuring me to remove Tom Apple," he said.
He was asked whether the 14 Manoa deans who nominated him for the permanent president post had lobbied him to fire Apple. "Was there a quid pro quo for your nomination?" Maaka asked.
"No. No. No," Lassner repeated, his voice escalating.
He was also asked whether Apple's two failed attempts to fire UHCancer Center DirectorMichele Carbone factored into the decision. "Whether or not he believed that director should be removed was not a factor in my evaluation,"Lassner said.
Apple has agreed to a settlement that will reassign him as a tenured chemistry professor at a $299,000 annual salary, effective Sept. 1. He also will receive a $100,000 lump-sum payout. His chancellor duties have been rescinded.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on specific statements by Lassner.
He shared a five-page letter he sent Lassner in response to his job rating, outlining initiatives he's implemented and defending his performance.
"You seem to have forgotten that you personally voiced support for my vision for (Manoa) on many occasions,"Apple wrote. "I stood up and took the knocks that inevitably come with such hard decisions, so I admit that I am very disappointed by the absence of support shown by you when controversy arises. ... It appears that this was deliberately done to get the result you wished to achieve -- support for a false claim of unsatisfactory performance."
*** [8/13/14] Bob Jone speculates (MidWeek, August 13, 2014):
What troubles me (from poring over Apple’s defense of himself) is my nagging feeling that much of this was about the unhappiness of a few Big Money contributors to UH Cancer Center when Apple tried to get rid of center director Michele Carbone. Apple makes that accusation himself in this letter:
“Your negative comments in my evaluation about interactions with community stakeholders thus do appear to refer to those few powerful people who support the Director of the Cancer Center, whom I tried to remove with your initial consent.
“Dr. Carbone has driven away two of our top researchers (Goodman and Kolonel), alienated two other top researchers (Le Marc-hand and Wilkens), and angered, alienated and persecuted several others. In addition to this thoroughly embarrassing and truly awful history, Dr. Carbone now requires one full-time $300,000 ‘assistant’ (Blanchette) and another $300,000 advisor (Hinshaw) to oversee his conduct.
“Had you not abruptly and unwisely reversed your earlier position on this issue, we would not now still have dysfunctional, erratic and incredibly expensive leadership at the Cancer Center.”
Those are very powerful accusations against Lassner. They suggest that he bowed to pressure from wealthy community philanthropists who have given heavily to the Cancer Center, and are close friends with and stalwart supporters of director Carbone.
That’s an issue never to be resolved. I don’t expect Lassner to say, “OK, you got me. They told me to either fire you or we lose their money. I chose the money.”
*** [9/18/14]
The University of Hawaii-Manoa Faculty Senate voted 43-16 Wednesday in favor of censuring UH President David Lassner over the group's displeasure with how Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple was fired.
The largely symbolic move apparently is a first for a UH administrator, and comes less than three months into Lassner's tenure as president and about two months after he terminated Apple following what he said was an unsatisfactory performance review.
Apple, who was two years into a five-year contract, says he was forced out and blamed for mismanaging Manoa's finances. He contends he was removed for his failed attempts to fire the controversial director of the UH Cancer Center and for budget cuts that angered the medical school dean, but Lassner insists no one influenced his decision.
The Faculty Senate considered amending the censure resolution language to a stronger vote of no confidence, which some equated to a call for Lassner to step down. But that effort failed in a tie vote that Faculty Senate Chairman Ron Bontekoe broke in favor of the original censure language.
The censure vote has no practical effect on Lassner but is meant to convey the faculty's disappointment with the new president.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
House authorizes lawsuit against Obama
(CNN) -- The Republican-led House approved a resolution on Wednesday authorizing Speaker John Boehner to sue President Barack Obama over claims he abused his powers at the expense of Congress and the Constitution.
The vote was 225-201.
Republicans argue Obama's executive orders in a number of areas were unlawful because it's the job of Congress to make or change laws. But they believe his handling of the Affordable Care act gives them the best chance at proving their case, and are basing the suit on that issue.
House authorization now allows GOP-leaders to have the unusual challenge filed in federal court. The time frame for that is not clear and many legal experts question whether any judge would take it on.
Obama tells Congress: Stop hatin'
Not a single House Democrat voted for the resolution and five Republicans opposed it. They were: GOP members Paul Broun of Maryland, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Steve Stockman of Texas, and Walter Jones of North Carolina.
The vote takes partisan rancor in Washington to a new level less than four months before congressional midterms with control of the Senate at stake.
The focus on Obamacare also magnifies politics around the sweeping health law Republicans didn't support and have tried to derail since its approval in 2010. It also illustrates Obama's attempts to act on his own with he and Congress getting nowhere on top-shelf legislative initiatives.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
ACA subsidies in danger
WASHINGTON – A powerful federal appeals court dealt a major blow to ObamaCare on Tuesday, ruling against the legality of some subsidies issued to people through the Affordable Care Act exchanges.
A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that the IRS went too far in reinterpreting the language in ObamaCare to extend subsidies to those who buy insurance through the federally run exchanges, known as HealthCare.gov.
The case, Halbig v Sebelius, is one of the first major legal challenges that cuts to the heart of the Affordable Care Act by going after the legality of massive federal subsidies and those who benefit from them.
In the case, the plaintiff claimed the Obama administration – in particular, the Internal Revenue Service -- is breaking the law by offering tax subsidies in all 50 states to offset the cost of health insurance. The suit maintains that the language in ObamaCare actually restricts subsidies to state-run exchanges -- of which there are only 14 -- and does not authorize them to be given in the 36 states that use the federally run system, commonly known as HealthCare.gov.
The ruling, though likely to be appealed, could threaten the entire foundation of the newly devised health care system. Nearly 90 percent of the federal exchange’s insurance enrollees were eligible for subsidies because of low or moderate incomes that the outcome of the case could potentially leave millions without affordable health insurance.
“We reach this conclusion, frankly, with reluctance. At least until states that wish to can set up Exchanges, our ruling will likely have significant consequences both for the millions of individuals receiving tax credits through federal Exchanges and for health insurance markets more broadly,” the ruling stated.
A total of $1 trillion in subsidies is projected to be doled out over the next decade.
A U.S. District Court previously sided with the Obama administration on Jan. 15.
A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that the IRS went too far in reinterpreting the language in ObamaCare to extend subsidies to those who buy insurance through the federally run exchanges, known as HealthCare.gov.
The case, Halbig v Sebelius, is one of the first major legal challenges that cuts to the heart of the Affordable Care Act by going after the legality of massive federal subsidies and those who benefit from them.
In the case, the plaintiff claimed the Obama administration – in particular, the Internal Revenue Service -- is breaking the law by offering tax subsidies in all 50 states to offset the cost of health insurance. The suit maintains that the language in ObamaCare actually restricts subsidies to state-run exchanges -- of which there are only 14 -- and does not authorize them to be given in the 36 states that use the federally run system, commonly known as HealthCare.gov.
The ruling, though likely to be appealed, could threaten the entire foundation of the newly devised health care system. Nearly 90 percent of the federal exchange’s insurance enrollees were eligible for subsidies because of low or moderate incomes that the outcome of the case could potentially leave millions without affordable health insurance.
“We reach this conclusion, frankly, with reluctance. At least until states that wish to can set up Exchanges, our ruling will likely have significant consequences both for the millions of individuals receiving tax credits through federal Exchanges and for health insurance markets more broadly,” the ruling stated.
A total of $1 trillion in subsidies is projected to be doled out over the next decade.
A U.S. District Court previously sided with the Obama administration on Jan. 15.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Malaysian Airlines plane crashes in Ukraine
(CNN) -- A Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, crashed Thursday in eastern Ukraine.
Malaysia Airlines confirmed that it lost contact with Flight 17 and that the plane's last known position was over Ukrainian airspace, the airline said on Twitter.
The aircraft was "shot down" over Ukraine by "terrorists" operating a Buk surface-to-air missile system, according to the Facebook page of Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry. There were 280 passengers killed as well as 15 crew members, Gerashchenko's post reads.
The plane was shot down near the town on Torez in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, according to the post, as it flew at about 10,000 meters (32,000 feet).
"We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine Armed Forces did not fire at any targets in the sky," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, according to his website.
Tensions have been high between Ukraine and Russia since street protests forced former pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February. Russia subsequently annexed Ukraine's southeastern Crimea region, and a pro-Russian separatist rebellion has been raging in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Malaysia Airlines confirmed that it lost contact with Flight 17 and that the plane's last known position was over Ukrainian airspace, the airline said on Twitter.
The aircraft was "shot down" over Ukraine by "terrorists" operating a Buk surface-to-air missile system, according to the Facebook page of Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry. There were 280 passengers killed as well as 15 crew members, Gerashchenko's post reads.
The plane was shot down near the town on Torez in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, according to the post, as it flew at about 10,000 meters (32,000 feet).
"We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine Armed Forces did not fire at any targets in the sky," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, according to his website.
Tensions have been high between Ukraine and Russia since street protests forced former pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February. Russia subsequently annexed Ukraine's southeastern Crimea region, and a pro-Russian separatist rebellion has been raging in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
car bombing in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — A sport utility vehicle packed with explosives detonated in a market in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, bringing down shops and leaving the bloodied remains of men, women and children in the rubble. By late afternoon, at least 89 people were known to have been killed, the Defense Ministry said.
The bombing, in Paktika Province, was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Afghanistan since 2001, and suspicion immediately fell on the Taliban or their Islamist militant allies. But the insurgents denied any involvement. The market was filled mainly with civilians and had little strategic value to either side in the war here.
The bombing, in Paktika Province, was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Afghanistan since 2001, and suspicion immediately fell on the Taliban or their Islamist militant allies. But the insurgents denied any involvement. The market was filled mainly with civilians and had little strategic value to either side in the war here.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Iraq in crisis
In Baghdad, gunmen in four-wheel drive vehicles raided two buildings in a
housing complex in the Zayounah neighborhood late Saturday, killing at
least 33 people, including 29 women, police said. They say at least 18
people were wounded.
The U.N. urged Iraq's leaders Saturday to overcome their deep divisions and move quickly to form a new government that can unite the country and confront a surging militant threat, warning that failure to do so "risks plunging the country into chaos."
The Sunni insurgent blitz over the past month has driven Iraq into its deepest crisis since the last American troops left in 2011, pushing bloodshed to levels unseen since the height of the Iraq war, sending Sunni-Shiite tensions soaring and raising the specter of a nation cleaved in three along ethnic and sectarian lines.
Iraq's new parliament is scheduled on Sunday to hold its second session amid hopes that lawmakers can quickly decide on a new prime minister, president and speaker of parliament — the first steps toward forming a new government. It failed to make any progress in its first session, and postponed its second session until Sunday.
The U.N. urged Iraq's leaders Saturday to overcome their deep divisions and move quickly to form a new government that can unite the country and confront a surging militant threat, warning that failure to do so "risks plunging the country into chaos."
The Sunni insurgent blitz over the past month has driven Iraq into its deepest crisis since the last American troops left in 2011, pushing bloodshed to levels unseen since the height of the Iraq war, sending Sunni-Shiite tensions soaring and raising the specter of a nation cleaved in three along ethnic and sectarian lines.
Iraq's new parliament is scheduled on Sunday to hold its second session amid hopes that lawmakers can quickly decide on a new prime minister, president and speaker of parliament — the first steps toward forming a new government. It failed to make any progress in its first session, and postponed its second session until Sunday.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
happy with healthcare?
Republicans who signed up for Obamacare this year are liking their new insurance coverage, according to a new survey.
A poll of Obamacare enrollees published Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund found that 74 percent of newly insured Republicans are happy with the plans they bought. Overall, 77 percent of people who had insurance prior to the rollout of the Affordable Care Act said they are pleased with the new coverage they obtained in the last year.
The survey revealed the current uninsured rate among working-age adults in the U.S. has dropped to 15 percent, down from 20 percent in July-September 2013 -- meaning an estimated 9.5 million people have gained coverage since then.
A poll of Obamacare enrollees published Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund found that 74 percent of newly insured Republicans are happy with the plans they bought. Overall, 77 percent of people who had insurance prior to the rollout of the Affordable Care Act said they are pleased with the new coverage they obtained in the last year.
The survey revealed the current uninsured rate among working-age adults in the U.S. has dropped to 15 percent, down from 20 percent in July-September 2013 -- meaning an estimated 9.5 million people have gained coverage since then.
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
legal weed in Washington
They came from all over to buy marijuana — the first legal weed in Washington, second in the U.S.
Customers lined at a handful of new retail locations for what will be a sell-out amount of marijuana grown and packaged so far under rules setup by the Washington Liquor Control Board and based on Initiative 502.
“I voted for it, and I’m just so excited to see it come to be in my lifetime,” she told The Associated Press. “I’m not a heavy user, I’m just proud of our state for giving this a try.”
***
Everything you need to know
Customers lined at a handful of new retail locations for what will be a sell-out amount of marijuana grown and packaged so far under rules setup by the Washington Liquor Control Board and based on Initiative 502.
“I voted for it, and I’m just so excited to see it come to be in my lifetime,” she told The Associated Press. “I’m not a heavy user, I’m just proud of our state for giving this a try.”
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Everything you need to know
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
the worse president (until the next guy)
The big political news of the day is the Quinnipiac poll that shows 33 percent of Americans say President Obama is the worst president since World War II -- the most of any president who served over that span.
The poll demonstrates Obama's problems -- which are many -- but it probably says more the American people and their nearsightedness.
As our own Philip Bump noted, the last time Quinnipiac asked the same question, in 2006, the American people also chose the current president, then George W. Bush.
Going back even further, this question has proven similarly unkind to those who have made the poor decision to be president too close to when the poll was conducted.
Here's are similar polls from Gallup in 1999 and 2000. Guess who just happened to place second? The guy who was in the White House! Bill Clinton even got more votes than Jimmy Carter, who to this day is basically the guy Republicans point to when they want to reference a bad Democratic president.
Back in 1998, ABC News conducted a similar poll, asking who was the worst president "in your lifetime." The deck was even more stacked in favor of the older presidents here (given younger people's short lifespans disqualified them), but it's still worth noting that the top four finishers were four of the last six presidents.
The poll demonstrates Obama's problems -- which are many -- but it probably says more the American people and their nearsightedness.
As our own Philip Bump noted, the last time Quinnipiac asked the same question, in 2006, the American people also chose the current president, then George W. Bush.
Going back even further, this question has proven similarly unkind to those who have made the poor decision to be president too close to when the poll was conducted.
Here's are similar polls from Gallup in 1999 and 2000. Guess who just happened to place second? The guy who was in the White House! Bill Clinton even got more votes than Jimmy Carter, who to this day is basically the guy Republicans point to when they want to reference a bad Democratic president.
Back in 1998, ABC News conducted a similar poll, asking who was the worst president "in your lifetime." The deck was even more stacked in favor of the older presidents here (given younger people's short lifespans disqualified them), but it's still worth noting that the top four finishers were four of the last six presidents.
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
Obama compared to King George by...
Karl Rove (6/29/14)
Rick Santorum (1/24/12)
Ted Cruz (5/7/14)
Allen West (6/18/12)
Gun Owners of America (2/15/13)
Virginia Attorney General (10/18/10)
Tim Donnelly (3/4/14)
Rick Santorum (1/24/12)
Ted Cruz (5/7/14)
Allen West (6/18/12)
Gun Owners of America (2/15/13)
Virginia Attorney General (10/18/10)
Tim Donnelly (3/4/14)
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