RT Anchor Quits Job on Live TV: Ron Paul Interview Cut, Putin"s Agenda Propaganda
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14 Ways to Live an Awesome Earth Friendly Lifestyle!
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Image Credit: Pixabay
By: Rob Greenfield,
This simple guide is written to help you lead a life that is good for you, your community, and the earth. Most of these tips will cost you nothing to implement and many of them will save you money. They will help you to increase your health and happiness and that of the people, animals, and environment that you interact with.
But Beware! People will think you are awesome. You will be flooded with compliments, love, and appreciation. People will want to talk to you and be around you. Your life will have purpose and you will be passionate to be alive.
1. Eat a whole food plant based diet which means more veggies, fruits, grains, and nuts and less animal products. Try to buy organic and unpackaged food as well.
2. Start riding a bike, walking and using public transportation and minimize your time in cars.
3. Go local. Eat local, shop local, play local.
4. Reduce- Reuse- Recycle and in that order. Recycling comes last and is a very energy intensive process. Much of the trash we create takes 100′s of years to biodegrade so try to cut back on the amount you make. Compost your food waste, repair items, and find new uses for old stuff.
5. Share! Share your stuff and share others stuff. Be a part of the sharing economy.
6. Buy less stuff and purchase used items when you can. When thinking of purchasing something ask yourself if you really need it. This will leave you money to buy the things that you really need and want.
7. Conserve water and electricity. Just be conscious of your usage. There are 100′s of ways to cut back and you will start to see them if you pay attention.
8. Use products that are reusable and avoid using disposable items such as bags, take out containers, bottled water, straws, dishes, and paper towels. There is an earth friendly alternative to almost any disposable item.
9. Practice Positive consumerism. Buy from businesses who practice corporate social responsibly. Businesses have a responsibility to people and the planet as well as profit. Support responsible companies and boycott companies who only care about profit.
10. Simplify. The less you need the easier it is to be friendly to our earth. And the less money you need the more time you will have to do what you love doing.
11. Be conscious. When you make decisions take into account where things come from and how they were produced. Take responsibility for your own decisions. Find out where the things you use come from and if you don’t like what you find then seek out an alternative.
12. Live beyond yourself. How do your actions affect other humans, animals, and the earth? Make your decisions based on the wellbeing of everyone and everything, not just you.
13. Be good to others. Good creates good. Smiles create smiles. If you want to be happy just make others happy.
14. Set your priorities. Is eating healthy more important than getting drinks at a bar or eating out? If so spend your money on the former rather than the latter.
Start small. Choose what will be easiest for you and do that first. Your confidence will build over time and each step will become easier as you progress in living a life that is good for everyone involved. Over time you’ll find yourself happier and healthier and you will likely feel liberated from the things that were holding you back. Your positivity and health will likely rub off on others and you’ll find yourself creating a more vibrant world around you.
Live Happy. Live Healthy. Live Free. Live beyond yourself.
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11.50: The Royal Mail float has got off to a strong start, with the shares still up a thumping 33 per cent at 438.9p in late morning trading.
The debut appears to have vindicated City players who claimed the company was undervalued, only to be slapped down by Vince Cable just before the launch – but commentators warn that IPOs tend to be volatile. Read more here.
The FTSE 100 has rallied 44.3 points to 6,474.8 amid optimism that warring US politicians might finally hash out a deal to avert the threat of a debt default.
US crisis: President Obama and Republican leaders in Congress could be edging towards a deal on raising the debt ceiling to prevent a default
‘Risk appetite is finally returning to the financial markets, with investors more optimistic over a deal on the debt ceiling now that both sides are finally showing a willingness to seriously negotiate,’ said Craig Erlam of Alpari.
‘While most people have believed all along that lawmakers from both sides would finally start taking these negotiations seriously, I think what we saw in the US and Asia overnight is a collective sigh of relief.
‘Relief that we may not have to wait for an eleventh hour deal on this one, which would create a certain amount of chaos in financial markets, or even worse that the deadline [on October 17] will be hit and no deal will have been struck. The only question now is, how far will they kick the can down the road this time?
‘Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they’re going to kick it very far. In fact, the House Republicans have proposed an increase in the debt ceiling that would give the US six weeks until its back in exactly the same situation again.
‘It would appear that US lawmakers are not a huge fan of national holidays. Last year they effectively cancelled Christmas in order to avoid going over the fiscal cliff, now it looks as though Thanksgiving will be the next casualty as the extension would push the deadline back to the end of November.’
Monex Capital said: ‘The punch-line may be that “it’s good to talk” and markets are applauding the fact that the two sides in Washington seem to be showing at least a veneer of wanting to make some progress in averting an all-out debt crisis.
‘Yesterday’s big gains on Wall Street translated into a solid end to the week for Asian markets, although it’s interesting to note the dollar giving back some of its recent gains, too.
‘That said, with the fact the first GOP [Republican] offer has been rejected by Obama, the risk of uncertainty is still lingering so there’s going to be plenty of investors out there who simply don’t want to be sitting on too much risk heading into the weekend break.’
Jim Reid of Deutsche Bank said: ‘Following talks with House Republicans at the White House late yesterday, President Obama stopped short of accepting the Republican proposal for a short six-week extension to the debt limit in exchange for wide-ranging negotiations on spending.
‘Importantly though, Obama did not outright reject the Republican plan, and the talks between House Republicans and White House remain constructive according to various accounts. As House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan put it, Obama “didn’t say yes, he didn’t say no”.
‘The President told Republicans during the meeting that he wants any proposal to also include an agreement to reopen government.
‘The exact parameters of the Republican proposal are not clear, but it does appear that negotiations are centred on how far to extend the debt limit and how much funding they would provide the government when it opens, according to Republicans. Significantly, defunding Obamacare [Obama"s signature health law] does not appear to be a condition of this short-term agreement.
‘Meanwhile, the latest opinion polls indicate that Republicans appear to be getting more of the blame for the standoff. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released on Thursday found approval of the Republican Party at 24 per cent, which is a record low. Democrats won the approval of 39 per cent of the U.S. public.
‘In addition to that, the two highest-profile leaders of the GOP’s “Defund Obamacare” effort, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, have also suffered a sharp fall in popularity according to the latest Gallup poll.’
Washington stand-off: Republican Speaker John Boehner leaves his office on Capitol Hill for talks at the White House, as a slew of polls say Americans are blaming his party for the crisis
9.30:
Royal Mail shares have jumped 35 per cent to 444.63p in early trading, creating an immediate windfall for ordinary investors who bought £750-worth of stock, Read more here.
The Government said that 95 per cent of all applicants for the heavily-oversubscribed offer had picked up stock but the price surge reignited claims that ministers had sold off public assets too cheaply.
The FTSE 100 was 24.9 higher at 6,455.4 as US politicians appeared to be nearing a deal on raising the debt ceiling to stave off a potentially disastrous default.
However the situation is fluid and there has been no retreat on the budget stand-off that has closed large parts of the US government.
Risers in London included insurer Standard Life, which climbed 6.6p to 353.1p, while Lloyds Banking Group added 0.6p to 75.5p after it sold its Australian operations to Westpac in a deal worth £900million.
Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital, said the Royal Mail stock market debut was ‘dazzling’.
‘The jump in the shares above 400p will certainly see the UK government being criticised for selling the company too cheaply, ripping off UK taxpayers but it must be noted that institutional allocations have been scaled back this time, allowing allocation to retail clients.’
He added: ‘Looking to the immediate future for Royal Mail, the threat of industrial action still looms, [and] structural problems such as a lack of adequate capital and unclear growth strategy are likely to weigh on the stock price.
‘Management and MPs will have to continue talking up Royal Mail in the run up to the UK elections next year, with the market now looking out for details on how this company will adapt, expand and deliver rewards to its investors.’
8.40:
The FTSE 100 has opened up 19.7 points at 6,450.2, bolstered by the prospect of US politicians reaching a deal on the country’s debt ceiling.
Investors are also watching the debut of Royal Mail group following a controversial but heavily subscribed floatation – the shares shot up from a starting price of 330p to 446.9p at the open.
In Washington, President Barack Obama and Republican leaders appeared ready to end the deadlock and raise the US debt ceiling after a meeting at the White House. Talks continued into the night and one senior Republican said an agreement could come today, though hurdles remain.
Global equities have lost ground this month after the US government partially shut down due to a stalemate over the country’s budget.
This has led to concerns that no deal will be reached to raise the $ 16.7trillion borrowing limit, which Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the government will hit no later than October 17.
Optimism over a breakthrough in the US impasse helped lift the Footsie 92.58 points or 1.5 per cent to 6,430.49 yesterday, its biggest one-day percentage gain since July. The index had fallen to its lowest level since July 4 on Wednesday.
Darren Courtney-Cook, head of trading at Central Markets Investment Management, said that even if all the US politicians did was to set a short-term debt-limit extension, the avoidance of a default would be enough to soothe investors’ nerves.
‘Even if they just kick the can down the road again, the fact that there won’t be a default is why the markets would take it so positively. There may be some volatility going up to the wire, but most people expect a year-end rally,’ he said.
Michael Hewson of CMC Markets said of the US developments: ‘The fact that the two sides are talking to each other is progress and as well known jaw-jaw is better than war-war.
‘While averting an imminent default, any agreement would not re-open the government, or repair the damage being done to the US economy, caused by the current shutdown, which makes yesterday’s market rally somewhat irrational, even if it is understandable in the context of the fact that politicians are actually starting to wake up the consequences of their actions, and inching back from the abyss of a potential default.
‘A look at the opinion polls may have also been rather sobering for the Republicans with a majority of Americans blaming them for the log jam, which may explain the slight softening of their positions.
‘As we head into day 11 and the weekend, one thing is certain, there is bound to be a lot more twists and turns in this saga over the next few days.
‘In any case an agreement to extend the deadline also only serves to shift the debate nearer to the Thanksgiving break, which would obviously mean potentially another six weeks of this political nonsense.’
ROYAL MAIL: Britain sold a majority stake in Royal Mail at 330 pence a share following massive investor interest that values the postal service company, known worldwide for its iconic red postboxes, at £3.3billion.
LLOYDS BANKING GROUP : The bank has sold its Australian operations to Westpac.
WHITBREAD: Shares in the leisure company rose, helped by revived speculation it might soon decide to hive off its Costa Coffee business, according to the Daily Mail market report.
CHEMRING: The military equipment maker warned that it would take an £8million hit to 2013 operating profit from continuing production and quality problems, and that it saw 2014 performance behind this year’s.
ASTRAZENECA: The drugmaker has signed a deal to co-promote Johnson & Johnson’s novel prostate cancer medicine in Japan, giving the company a new drug revenue stream and bolstering its Japanese presence.
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15:45: The Footsie remains in positive territory this afternoon spurred on by a rally on Wall Street which has raced ahead by 200 points in its first hour of trading as hope of a possible resolution to the US government shutdown.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now 206 points, or 1.4 per cent, higher at 15,009. Meanwhile the US dollar rose to a two-week high against a basket of major currencies.
Treasury prices have slipped, sending yields higher, as signs of progress in Washington buoyed risk appetite. The benchmark 10-year note rose 4.5 basis points to 2.709 per cent.
US crisis: Democrats want a no-strings budget resolution and debt ceiling hike passed before they negotiate with Republicans led by John Boehner, pictured right
In London the FTSE 100 Index has pushed higher by 0.5 per cent in the last hour as investors took heart from the rally across the Atlantic taking it 1.4 per cent higher on the day to 6,426.
Overnight a Republican leadership aide, U.S. House of Representatives Republicans are considering agreeing to a short-term increase in the government’s borrowing authority, keeping a possible default after October 17 at bay and buying time for negotiations on broader policy measures.
Markets have also been lifted by the nomination of Janet Yellen by US president Barack Obama to the post of Federal Reserve chair. Believed to be a fiscal policy dove, Ms Yellen is seen likely to postpone any tapering of the central bank’s massive monthly asset purchase programme until at least the start of next year.
14:35: Shares in London are just shy of 1 per cent higher in afternoon trading as hope of a resolution to the political deadlock over budget negotiations in the US were raised overnight.
The FTSE 100 Index is 0.97 per cent higher at 6,399 while in the US the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened just a few moments ago sharply higher also up 1 per cent at 14,947.16.
According to a Republican leadership aide, U.S. House of Representatives Republicans are considering agreeing to a short-term increase in the government’s borrowing authority, keeping a possible default after October 17 at bay and buying time for negotiations on broader policy measures.
President Barack Obama and congressional leaders are set to meet on Thursday for further discussions.
‘There is one major ‘if’ attached to the President’s potential olive branch, and that is reopening the government, something that still looks very unlikely in the interim as the partisan politics from both sides continues to rage,’ Evan Lucas, an analyst at IG, said in a morning note.
Markets have also been lifted by the nomination of Janet Yellen by US president Barack Obama to the post of Federal Reserve chair. Believed to be a fiscal policy dove, Ms Yellen is seen likely to postpone any tapering of the central bank’s massive monthly asset purchase programme until at least the start of next year.
12.15: The FTSE 100 has extended morning gains to move 66.5 points higher to 6,404.4.
‘Reassurances from the US that short-term measures will be instigated to avert the upcoming debt-ceiling deadline have given European equity markets a jolt upwards, helping to stem some of the risk aversion of the past few days,’ said Brenda Kelly of IG.
‘News that Hong Kong has raised collateral haircuts [increased its buffers against risk] on US treasury bills appears to be something of a warning shot to US politicians.
‘The implications are that US treasury bonds are considered broadly more risky and the Hong Kong exchange is clearly preparing for the worst case scenario – a US default. The more likely explanation is that Hong Kong is simply telling the US to get its act together.’
10.50:
The FTSE 100 has rallied 47.7 points to 6,385.6 on hopes that US politicians will cobble together some kind of deal to avoid a debt default, if only for a short while before they inevitably resume hostilities.
In London, SSE shares rose 22.5p to 1476.5p after the energy firm said it was increasing average bills by 8.2 per cent from November, while British Gas rival Centrica was 5.25p higher at 366.05p on expectations it will follow suit.
Charles Church housebuilder Persimmon was again prominent on the FTSE 100 risers board amid expectations that it will reap the benefit of the Government’s Help to Buy housing scheme. Shares rose 24.5p to 1155.5p, having climbed by 5 per cent yesterday.
Shares in retail chain WH Smith jumped 8 per cent or 66p to 901p in the FTSE 250 after it posted a 6 per cent rise in full-year profits to £108million and said it would return another £50million to shareholders.
And Ladbrokes was 6 per cent higher, up 10.9p to 190.7p, as fresh takeover talk was ignited by the mystery purchase of a near 3 per cent stake in the struggling firm.
Monex Capital said of the latest developments in Washington: ‘Lawmakers in Washington do seem now to be accepting just how big the fall-out would be for both the US and the global economy in the event of the debt ceiling being breached.
‘As such there have been murmurings that a short-term increase in the borrowing limit may be on the table, although with a week to run until doomsday, there will doubtless be further political grandstanding to be seen.
‘Regardless, both the dollar and equities across the globe are finding support off this news.’
Matt Basi of CMC Markets said: ‘Any evidence of politicians coming back to the negotiating table was always going to be met with some kind of relief rally, so today’s move will not be a huge surprise to the market majority, but reading between the lines it would seem that this optimism could still be short lived.
‘Firstly, while Republicans seem to be readying something to take to the President, reports still suggest that the proposal would have “attachments”, and Obama has continuously stated that there will be no concessions from the ruling house, so this would indicate someone has to swallow what is left of their pride and give in.
‘It seems from reports that the Republicans have given up on their attack on Obamacare to move to pastures new, perhaps giving room for the two sides to meet somewhere in the middle on other issues.
‘The other thing to note is that anything passed looks to at best stall, only to endure it all again in the near future. So yet again it appears the job of the US politician is simply to apply a strong foot to that poor old can on a never ending road, rather than to find a cure. So for the markets…relief yes, solution no.’
8.35:
The FTSE 100 has opened up 22.5 points at 6,360.4 amid signs of progress to end the US budget stand-off and prevent a possible debt default.
US Republicans are considering a short-term hike in the government’s borrowing authority to buy time for talks on broader policy issues, a party leadership aide said.
President Barack Obama has said he would accept a short-term ceiling debt increase as long as no strings were attached. House Republican leaders will visit the White House today as the search intensifies for a way to break the impasse.
But Capital Spreads commented: ‘This meeting already looks like a non starter. Although a positive start is expected today, traders should be wary about the meeting resembling a boxing match weigh-in and knocking any optimism about the political stalemate out for the count.’
Wall Street and Asian markets rose overnight. However, the FTSE 100 closed down 27.92 points at 6,337.91 yesterday, its lowest closing level since ending at 6,229.87 on July 3.
Investors will keep an eye on today’s meeting of the Bank of England, although it is expected to leave interest rates unchanged despite more signs of economic strength – sticking to its commitment of a freeze at 0.5 per cent while joblessness stays above target.
BARCLAYS: Senior investment banker John Miller was appointed to the newly created position of head of banking for the Americas, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL: Shell Nigeria said it had shut down its Trans Niger Pipeline owing to reports of leaks, deferring 150,000 barrels per day of crude oil just 10 days after the pipeline was re-opened.
GKN: Informa’s Adam Walker will join the GKN board next January as group finance director, succeeding William Seeger who intends to step down from the board on 25 February.
MELROSE: The corporate turnaround specialist agreed to sell Crosby and Acco to KKR for $ 1billion.
BAE SYSTEMS: The defence contractor said its earnings could be hit by 6-7 pence per share should it fail to reach agreement on a jet deal with Saudi Arabia this year.
SSE: The energy supplier said it would raise its household charges for electricity and gas by an average of 8.2 per cent next month.
ASHMORE: The asset manager reported total assets under management for the first-quarter were estimated at $ 78.5billion, up 1.4 per cent in the previous quarter and in line with management’s expectations.
HAYS: The recruiter reported net fees were up 2 per cent on an organic basis.
WH SMITH: The retailer said annual profit rose 6 per cent to £108million and its total dividend was up 14 per cent to 30.7 pence per share. It announced plans to buy back an additional £50million worth of shares.
AIR PARTNER: The aviation company reported full-year profit up 31 per cent on revenue down 3 percent to £220.6million. It said trading prospects for the six months to 31 January 2014 were currently in line with expectations.
SYNERGY HEALTH: The specialist servicer to healthcare providers said trading was in line with its expectations.
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10.50: Losses in London deepened this morning with still no end to the US budget stand-off in sight – the FTSE 100 was down 56.2 points at 6,397.7 in mid-morning trading.
Alastair McCaig, market analyst at IG, says there is an increasing ‘fear factor’ in play as the US stumbles towards hitting its debt ceiling and poor Chinese economic data is reported.
‘The news that US politicians have again put self-interest ahead of the greater good of the country by failing to make any progress in sorting out the budget or tackling the debt ceiling will have surprised few.
US crisis: Polls show most American people are against the government shutdown
‘As yet the US debt markets have remained calm but the closer we get to the mid-October deadline the less likely that is to remain the case.’
Futures trading is also pointing to a sharp fall when Wall Street reopens this afternoon.
Monex Capital Markets said: ‘Any resilience financial markets were showing at the start of last week to the impending fiscal carnage in Washington has evidently vanished, with traders now seriously having to consider the fact that the money could run out in 10 days time.’
‘We’ve already seen short dated US bond yields [short term interest rates on US government debt] spike, the dollar is broadly finding itself under attack and global equities are plotting a course lower, too.’
It added: Expect every move from Washington to be watched with increasing scrutiny as the week unfolds, but if we don’t see any real progress then next week has the potential to be nothing short of chaotic.’
9.20:
The FTSE 100 has opened down 47.4 points at 6,406.5 as investors fret over the lack of progress in breaking a political stalemate over the US budget and debt ceiling.
US Democrats and Republicans came no closer over the weekend to a budget agreement that would end a government shutdown, let alone a deal on the borrowing limit needed by October 17 to avoid an unprecedented default.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he would not raise the debt ceiling without a ‘serious conversation’ about what is driving the debt. Democrats said it was irresponsible and reckless to raise the possibility of a default.
Many in the markets still expect a deal to be reached to avoid the potentially catastrophic fallout of a default by the world’s biggest economy. However, Asian markets were down overnight and top German and French markets have also opened in the red this morning.
‘We’re going to wobble our way down until about Thursday and then there’s going to be a solution and there will be a melt-up,’ predicted Justin Haque, a broker at Hobart Capital Markets.
Michael Hewson of CMC Markets said: ‘Financial markets continue to seem remarkably sanguine about the goings on in Washington as we head into day seven of the US shutdown.
‘This perception appeared to be reinforced on Friday with reports that Republican House leader John Boehner was determined to do all he could to avert a government default.
‘This prompted some suggestions that he might be prepared to push a bill through to end the budget deadlock and raise the debt ceiling with the help from the moderates within his own party and all the Democrats in the chamber, in defiance of the majority of his party.
‘Mr Boehner appeared to pour cold water on that speculation over the weekend by saying that he didn’t have the votes to pass an unconditional funding bill, adding to concerns that the two parties are becoming more entrenched than ever.
‘Mr Boehner’s comments that no votes would be held on either issue unless President Obama compromises on healthcare doesn’t really leave the Republicans much in the way of wriggle room as the October deadline looms, especially given that President Obama is unlikely to negotiate on what is one of his flagship reforms.
Mike van Dulken of Accendo Markets said: ‘The congressional stalemate shows no signs of progress with House Speaker Boehner adamant that a clean spending bill will not be approved while Treasury Secretary [Jack] Lew says congress is playing with fire putting the nation’s sovereign reputation at risk, on top of President Obama’s highlighting of the potential impact on fourth quarter GDP.
‘There are also fears that October could be a lost month for important official US macro [economic] data meaning November lacks a comparable and pushes analysis into December, possibly even January.
‘Rating agency Moody’s says US default [is] extremely unlikely with debt payments being made even after the deadline.’
SERCO: The global outsourcing group faces a wide-ranging government investigation into its largest state contracts, the Sunday Times reported, adding that its UK and Europe chief executive Jeremy Stafford is expected to leave.
NATIONAL EXPRESS: The transport group said it had been shortlisted for a Berlin rail contract.
THOMAS COOK: The travel and tourism company said it had sold businesses serving customers in Egypt and Lebanon.
SABLE MINING : Guinea-focused iron ore miner Sable Mining said it had been granted permission to export through Liberia by the Guinean government, which could increase the viability of its Nimba project.
PETRA DIAMONDS : The company said it was on track to meet its production targets.
ADRIATIC OIL: The oil group said it aimed to list its shares on AIM.
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Not so cheap after all: Help to Buy mortgage interest rates…FILE – In this undated file photo provided by the U.S. Army, Pfc. Bradley Manning poses for a photo wearing a wig and lipstick. Manning plans to live as a woman named Chelsea and wants to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible, the soldier said Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, a day after he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sending classified material to WikiLeaks. (AP Photo/U.S. Army, File)
FILE – In this undated file photo provided by the U.S. Army, Pfc. Bradley Manning poses for a photo wearing a wig and lipstick. Manning plans to live as a woman named Chelsea and wants to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible, the soldier said Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, a day after he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sending classified material to WikiLeaks. (AP Photo/U.S. Army, File)
FILE – In this Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013 file photo, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted to a security vehicle outside a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., after a hearing in his court martial. Manning plans to live as a woman named Chelsea and wants to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible, the soldier said Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013, a day after he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sending classified material to WikiLeaks. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Manning supporter Ching Fong, front, listens as Manning defense attorney David Coombs speaks at a news conference in Hanover, Md., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, after Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for giving hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
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WASHINGTON (AP) — By asking to be known as a woman named Chelsea, Bradley Manning has created a host of possible challenges for the military as the soldier began serving a 35-year prison sentence for giving secrets to WikiLeaks.
Manning’s gender-identity struggle — a sense of being a woman in a man’s body — was brought up by the defense at the court-martial, and a photo of the soldier in a blond wig and lipstick was submitted as evidence.
But the latest twist, announced Thursday, surprised many and confronted the Pentagon with questions about where and how the Army private is to be imprisoned.
The former Army intelligence analyst disclosed the decision in a statement provided to NBC’s “Today” show.
“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible,” the statement read.
The statement asked people to use the feminine pronoun when referring to Manning. It was signed “Chelsea E. Manning” and included a handwritten signature.
The soldier’s attorney, David Coombs, told “Today” he hopes officials at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., accommodate Manning’s request for hormone treatment, which typically involves high doses of estrogen to promote breast development and other female characteristics.
However, George Wright, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said the Army does not provide such treatment or sex-reassignment surgery. He said soldiers behind bars are given access to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.
A lawsuit could be in the offing. Coombs said he will do “everything in my power” to make sure Manning gets his way. And the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign and other advocates for gays, bisexuals and transgender people said Manning deserves the treatment.
“In the United States, it is illegal to deny health care to prisoners. That is fairly settled law,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Now the Army can claim this isn’t health care, but they have the weight of the medical profession and science against them.”
With Manning in custody and unavailable to comment, the AP is seeking additional information about the statement from Coombs, who did not immediately respond to email and telephone messages. For the time being, AP stories will use gender neutral references to Manning and provide the pertinent background on the transgender issue.
A Federal Bureau of Prisons policy implemented last year requires federal prisons to develop treatment plans, including hormone treatment if necessary, for inmates diagnosed with gender-identity disorder. But the bureau oversees only civilian prisons.
Manning’s case appeared to be the first time the therapy had come up for a military prisoner.
Manning, 25, was convicted of Espionage Act violations and other crimes for turning more than 700,000 classified military and diplomatic documents over to the secrets-spilling website WikiLeaks. Coombs said the soldier could be paroled from prison in as little as seven years.
After sentencing, Manning was returned Thursday to Fort Leavenworth.
Fort Leavenworth is an all-male prison. But the staff has some leeway to separate soldiers from the other inmates based on the risk to themselves and others, prison spokesman George Marcec said.
Manning would not be allowed to wear a wig or bra, and would have to meet the military standard for hair, Marcec said. In addition, Marcec said if Manning wants to go by Chelsea in the prison, a name change would have to be approved in court and then a petition submitted with the Army to change its records.
Advocates said gays and transgender people are more susceptible to sexual assault and other violence in prison.
“She most likely will need to be placed with a female prison population because she identifies as female,” said Jeffrey Parsons, a psychology professor at Hunter College in New York.
Under a special agreement, the Army sends its female prisoners to a Navy women’s jail in Miramar, Calif. It also has an agreement under which it can send soldiers to federal civilian prisons.
Greg Rinckey, a former Army prosecutor and now a lawyer in Albany, N.Y., said Manning’s statement could be a ploy to get transferred to a civilian prison.
“He might be angling to go there because he believes life at a federal prison could be easier than life at the disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth,” Rinckey said.
He also said the military is adamant about not providing hormone treatment: “You enlisted as a male, you’re a male, you’re going to be incarcerated as a male.”
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Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard and Sagar Meghani in Washington and John Milburn in Topeka, Kan., contributed to this report.
