Articles and More!: Union

Showing posts with label Union. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

International Astronomical Union rebukes Mars ‘name-a-crater’ scheme

At Alternate Viewpoint, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Alternate Viewpoint and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, Alternate Viewpoint makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Alternate Viewpoint does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Alternate Viewpoint.

Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Alternate Viewpoint and other sites on the Internet.

Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Alternate Viewpoint send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Alternate Viewpoint"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

International Astronomical Union rebukes Mars ‘name-a-crater’ scheme

Friday, February 14, 2014

Denmark Is About To Establish Even More Ambitious Climate Goals Than The European Union

At A Political Statement, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by A Political Statement and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, A Political Statement makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

A Political Statement does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on A Political Statement.
Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to A Political Statement and other sites on the Internet.
Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on A Political Statement send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

A Political Statement has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. A Political Statement"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

Denmark Is About To Establish Even More Ambitious Climate Goals Than The European Union

Sunday, February 9, 2014

VIDEO: Napolitano: Obama No-show Not A Snub Of Putin

The head of the U.S. delegation to the games says President Obama’s decision not to attend the Winter Olympics in Sochi is not a snub of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Janet Napolitano, the former secretary of homeland security, noted in a CNN interview that Obama has not attended any Olympics since taking office in early 2009. Napolitano said on CNN’s State of the Union, “I think the president chose a delegation that represent leaders from various walks of life.” That delegation includes gay members, a move largely seen as a critical comment on anti-gay laws in Russia.

Thanks for checking us out. Please take a look at the rest of our videos and articles.

To stay in the loop, bookmark our homepage.

VIDEO: Napolitano: Obama No-show Not A Snub Of Putin

Thanks for checking us out. Please take a look at the rest of our videos and articles.

To stay in the loop, bookmark our homepage.

VIDEO: Napolitano: Obama No-show Not A Snub Of Putin

Sunday, February 2, 2014

WikiLeaks - Julian Assange / Speaking at Cambridge Union [2011]

Log Files

Cookies and Web Beacons

DoubleClick DART Cookie

Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Alternate Viewpoint.

Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Alternate Viewpoint and other sites on the Internet.

Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

Alternate Viewpoint has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

WikiLeaks - Julian Assange / Speaking at Cambridge Union [2011]

A Lesson in Contradictions: The State of the Union

Obama

This year, President Obama decided to approach his State of the Union address with contradictions rather than content. From his claims of increased economic growth, to his assertion of the need to take further steps to improve the environment, our unemployment numbers and benefits, and the distribution of “affordable” healthcare, this speech was almost (unbelievably) more inconsistent than others have been in the past.

On the one hand, the president made several claims that Congress “should put bills on his desk” to increase American jobs and boost economic growth among other things, but in the same section made very clear that he can and will take steps without the aid of Congress to fix said problems through the use of executive order. So where does the blame lie? If Congress should have been acting and has not, then surely the blame lies with them, unless the president (who is ironically now focused on his “economic inequality” agenda) did not act to the full extent of his power to rectify the problem.

While I don’t condone excessive use of executive powers in any way, by his own logic, President Obama is at the very least equally to blame for American unemployment issues if he has not changed his policies either. It should be evident that his solution of using executive orders to “put Americans back to work” is a disaster and an over-reach of powers by the executive branch; the flaw in his argument is so obvious that I was amazed it made its way into the speech at all.

Then there’s the environment, which somehow seems to be of greater and greater importance every year. Maybe it’s just me, but does anyone else fail to see the connection between the increasing alarmism of the left on “green” issues (sometimes obvious just by its mere mention before things like education, healthcare, minimum wage increases, gun control, and war–all within speech), while we are apparently also a global leader in “going solar” and have decreased carbon pollution over the last eight years more than any other nation? I’ll only say it’s everything I can do not to pull my hair out every time this comes up. Are we killing the environment, or is Obama saving it one hybrid vehicle (that spontaneously catches fire) at a time? The inconsistency within the science and politics of the environment should be enough to convince anyone of its use as a mere pathos appeal and political ploy.

And then we come to my favorite part of the night: the “economic inequality” portion of the evening, where we hear the personal stories of countless Americans who have and I quote “never before relied on the government,” but are being denied their basic right to escape poverty by a congress that’s holding them hostage. President Obama asked for Congress to give back unemployment insurance to around 1.6 million people whose benefits recently expired. While claiming tonight that our economy “need(s) them in the game,” our Spender-in-Chief seems to forget that when he eliminated work requirements from welfare, he created a culture in which recipients of welfare benefits don’t search for work because they aren’t required to in order to receive government money. Thus, rather than an investment in Americans as the president wants us to see, haphazardly placing more people on welfare is simply a drain on the economy.

When it comes down to it, President Obama was right about one thing on Tuesday night: “nothing in life worth anything is easy.” So might I suggest taking fewer golf outings and spending less time at Martha’s Vineyard so we can have some real economic growth?

Conner Dwinell | Hillsdale College | @ConnerDwinell

The post A Lesson in Contradictions: The State of the Union appeared first on TheCollegeConservative.

TheCollegeConservative

A Lesson in Contradictions: The State of the Union

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Boeing machinists to vote on revised offer, union says

Boeing machinists to vote on revised offer, union says
http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20131221&t=2&i=823434047&w=580&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBRE9BK1OAZ00

SEATTLE Sat Dec 21, 2013 8:38pm EST

Construction cranes and palm trees line the entrance at South Carolina Boeing in North Charleston, South Carolina December 19, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Randall Hill

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Unionized workers at Boeing Co (BA.N) who resoundingly rejected a proposed contract last month will get a chance to vote on the company’s latest offer, the union’s national office said on Saturday, despite opposition to the revised deal from local labor leaders.

“I can confirm that a vote will take place,” Frank Larkin, a spokesman for International Association of Machinists, told Reuters. “But the date and details are still being finalized.”

Boeing on Saturday said its offer was still valid, countering suggestions at a union rally last Thursday that said there was no offer because the local leaders had rejected it.

“The terms of Boeing’s enhanced contract offer to the IAM on December 12 stand,” Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said in an email. “If ratified by the membership, Boeing would honor that contract.”

In November, machinists at the Everett, Washington, plant where Boeing’s 777 jet is built voted 2-to-1 against the company’s initial offer.

The eight-year contract would have kept production of Boeing’s next jet – the 777X – in Washington state. But in exchange, management wanted to replace the workers’ pension plan with a 401(k)-style retirement savings account and raise their healthcare costs.

In the aftermath of that vote, Boeing said it would look for other locations to build the 777X, the only jet the company is likely to develop in the next 15 years.

Boeing later made a revised offer that included a larger signing bonus and other concessions, and asked union leaders to endorse it. But the leaders of IAM District Lodge 751, which represents the 31,000 workers, refused endorse it or put it up for a vote, saying the changes were not significant enough.

In an email to Reuters on Saturday, Bryan Corliss, a spokesman for District Lodge 751, said “our leadership is trying to contact our International President for details. As soon as we have them we will pass them on to our members.”

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher in Chicago and Alwyn Scott in Seattle; Editing by Sandra Maler and Eric Walsh)

Link this

Share this

Digg this

Reprints

Reuters: Business News

Read more about Boeing machinists to vote on revised offer, union says and other interesting subjects concerning Business at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Friday, November 15, 2013

AP Exclusive: US union vote won"t affect VW plans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A top Volkswagen labor official says a pending decision about union representation for workers at the automaker’s lone U.S. plant will have no bearing on whether the company will decide to add the production of another vehicle there.
Business Headlines

Read more about AP Exclusive: US union vote won"t affect VW plans and other interesting subjects concerning Economy at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Monday, October 28, 2013

Empire - The Debate - A German Europe? The Union disunited

Empire - The Debate - A German Europe? The Union disunited
http://thedailynewsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/db8e0__Al_Jazeera_English__default.jpg

Read more about Empire - The Debate - A German Europe? The Union disunited and other interesting subjects concerning World News Videos at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

European Union To Curb Transfer Of Internet Data To United States

The Guardian reports that under new laws, American internet companies improperly sharing Europeans’ personal data (with the U.S. government or otherwise) will face billions of dollars in fines:

New European rules aimed at curbing questionable transfers of data from EU countries to the US are being finalised in Brussels in the first concrete reaction to the Edward Snowden disclosures on US and British mass surveillance of digital communications.

The draft would make it harder for the big US internet servers and social media providers to transfer European data to third countries, subject them to EU law rather than secret American court orders, and authorise swingeing fines possibly running into the billions for the first time for not complying with the new rules.

Data privacy in the EU is currently under the authority of national governments with standards varying enormously across the 28 countries, complicating efforts to arrive at satisfactory data transfer agreements with the US. The current rules are easily sidestepped by the big Silicon Valley companies, Brussels argues.

The post European Union To Curb Transfer Of Internet Data To United States appeared first on disinformation.

disinformation

European Union To Curb Transfer Of Internet Data To United States

Can Israel Become a Member of the European Union?

It is a welcome sign of changing times in the Middle East that a mission of 65 industry associations and representatives from 17 member states of the European Union is visiting Israel for two days in late October on a “mission for growth.” The mission is led by Antonio Tajani, the Italian politician who was a cofounder of the Forza Italia party in 1994 and was the former spokesman for the government of Silvio Berlusconi, and who is now European Commission vice-president responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship. The aim of the mission is to strengthen business relations between the EU and Israel and to explore opportunities for cooperation between European and Israeli SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises).

The mission is to discuss various sectors of the economy: among them are space technologies, information and communication technology, water and environmental technologies, raw material, and homeland security. Commissioner Tajani in May 2012 called for Europe to become more innovative in order to compete with other countries and engage in “robust and sustainable growth.” In September 2013 he was even more downright: “We (Europeans) face a systematic industrial massacre.” The conclusion was that European industry must be made more robust, sustainable, and more growth-oriented.

The premise of the mission to Israel is that the dynamic economy of Israel can help the growth and competitiveness of industry in the EU countries. The expectation is that this can be done by promoting innovation and sustainable growth, by helping EU companies operate in Israel, and by promoting partnership between Israeli and European companies in those sectors identified as leading industries in Israel. The EU appears to have acknowledged the significant strides made by Israel in research and development.

All this is flattering to Israel and is a welcome change from the less than cordial political posture of the EU towards Israel in recent years. Conflicts have arisen over the EU Venice Declaration of 1980 which was the EU’s first official statement on the Arab-Israeli conflict, over the participation of the EU in the 1991 Madrid peace conference, over the Israeli Operation Grapes of Wrath when Israel in April 1996 was defending itself against terrorism by Hezbollah in South Lebanon, and especially over the Israeli settlements in the disputed territories.

The most recent contentious decisions of the EU came in 2013 when the EU issued a directive that the Israeli government declare in any future arrangements with the EU that settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are outside the State of Israel. EU grants, funding, prizes, or scholarships will not be given to Israelis unless this is made clear. Since 1998 the EU has held that the territories are not part of Israel and therefore products produced in them must not benefit from preferential treatment.

The October 2013 mission must be put in the context of trade and cultural relations between the two sides already in existence. The EEC, the forerunner to the EU, established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1959, and reached a free trade agreement in 1975. On November 20, 1995 an Association Agreement was signed, and entered into force on June 1, 2000. Included in it are free trade arrangements for industrial goods and concessions for agricultural products, and liberalization of trade in services. Regular meetings are supposed to take place to discuss political and economic issues. Trade between the two sides has grown: in 2012 EU exports to Israel reached 17 billion euros, while EU imports from Israel were 12.6 billion euros.

Israel has relations with the EU directly and indirectly in various ways. The most important indirect forms are the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that Israel joined in 2010. Equally significant is the participation of Israel in the European Research and Development (ERD) program. Since 1993, specifically after the Oslo Accords, Israel has been accepted as a full partner in the program. The relationship was reinforced in 1995 when the EU accepted Israel’s request for researchers to be included in management committees with the same standing as EU member countries.

In the 6th program of the ERD Framework, 2002-2006, a considerable number of Israeli projects were involved: 429 academic projects, 209 industrial, and 145 others. In the present 7th program, 2007-2013, Israelis are again participating in considerable numbers, benefiting from working with large European organizations. Israel is also part of the MEDA program, launched in 1996 and amended in 2000, which is an instrument of economic and financial cooperation under the Euro-Mediterranean partnership which seeks to reinforce political stability, create a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area and develop economic and social cooperation.

Interestingly, Article 2 of the 1975 Association Agreement states “Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential part of this Agreement.” This allows one to raise the question of whether there can be closer ties between Israel and the EU. Israel already takes part in a number of European events and activities. The argument was made by Silvio Berlusconi in his visit to Israel in February 2010 that his “greatest desire” was that Israel should join the EU.

Even though it is in the Middle East and not on the European mainland, Israel can be regarded as sharing the values of Western civilization, democracy, freedom, rule of law, and an open economic system based on market principles. A convincing argument can be made that Israel could become a member of or associated with NATO and OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). Since NATO extends to Turkey, it may embrace Israel on the way. An equally compelling argument can be made that it could be accepted into the EU. Among other things, Israel can provide a model for European countries for successful integration of immigrants into their societies. With political vision, the way is open from Israeli partnership and association with the EU in a variety of activities to full membership.

Michael Curtis is author of Jews, Antisemitism, and the Middle East.

American Thinker

Can Israel Become a Member of the European Union?

Monday, September 23, 2013

Union Leaders Denounce ObamaCare

40-Hour Work Week…Gone

Not only is the oxymoronically named Affordable Care Act wreaking havoc within the health care and insurance industries, but it’s creating havoc with jobs, and the livelihoods of the very middle class that the ruling class in Washington claims to be so supportive of. Frankly, the union representatives are exactly right. The ACA is in the process of destroying our healthcare system as well as the 40 hour work week and full-time employee status of middle class workers.

Contrary to what former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, the time to find out what was in the dubiously named Affordable Care Act (ACA) legislation was before they passed it, not after. Even before full implementation next year, most Americans have recognized the threats posed by the massive, arguably worse legislation ever passed by any legislative body. Now we’re seeing the worst of those threats materialize.

Some of the most vociferous denunciation of Obamacare is coming from those who were so ardently supporting its passage, and the party that was forcing it upon the nation. Last week representatives of three of the nation’s largest unions sent a warning letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. They accurately identified some of the unintended negative consequences of their onerous legislation, declaring that the health care law would “shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.”

James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Joseph Hansen, the international president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and Donald Taylor, president of UNITE-HERE which represents hotel, food service, textile, gaming, and airport workers, signed the letter.

They began their diatribe, “When you and the President sought our support for the Affordable Care Act, you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, that promise is under threat…We have been strong supporters of the notion that all Americans should have access to quality, affordable health care. We have also been strong supporters of you. In campaign after campaign we have put boots on the ground, gone door-to-door to get out the vote, run phone banks and raised money to secure this vision. Now this vision has come back to haunt us.”

They continued, “The unintended consequences of the ACA are severe. Perverse incentives are causing nightmare scenarios. First, the law creates an incentive for employers to keep employees’ work hours below 30 hours a week. Numerous employers have begun to cut workers’ hours to avoid this obligation, and many of them are doing so openly. The impact is two-fold: fewer hours means less pay while also losing our current health benefits.”

These observations have been validated by what’s happening with employers across the country. In April, the Society for Human Resource Management conducted a survey of small business owners. According to their study, 41% of 603 small business owners have put a hold on hiring because of Obamacare. Over 20% had already cut hours for their employees and reduced payroll.

So far this year dozens of private sector employers have announced reductions in hours for employees because of the demands of the health care law. Walmart’s reaction has drawn perhaps the most attention since they are the largest private sector employer in the country. Reuters revealed that nearly all of the retail giant’s new hires are part time employees. Nearly 10% of their employees are now part-timers, versus their previous 1-2% average. And they’re not alone, as over 200 public sector employers have had to make similar adjustments to avoid the penalties of not providing health care insurance for employees who work 32 hours or more.

Towers Watson, a human relations consulting firm, surveyed nearly 500 companies earlier this year regarding their health care plans. Over 40% of them indicated they are significantly altering their health insurance plans as a result of the ACA. They also found that 60% of the companies surveyed will look to the new health insurance exchanges as a means of reducing insurance and administrative costs. They’ll simply drop their company sponsored health insurance plans and send their employees to the exchanges to buy their own. Many indicated they will provide at least some pecuniary assistance in the transition.

The union leaders concluded their letter by declaring, “on behalf of the millions of working men and women we represent and the families they support, we can no longer stand silent in the face of elements of the Affordable Care Act that will destroy the very health and wellbeing of our members along with millions of other hardworking Americans.”

The ACA never was the prescription for the ailments its sponsors claimed it was. It should be defunded, repealed and replaced before our health care system is irreparably broken, and the middle class downsized to part-time status. Sen. Max Baucus was right, it is a “huge train wreck coming down.”

AP award winning columnist Richard Larsen is President of Larsen Financial, a brokerage and financial planning firm in Pocatello, Idaho and is a graduate of Idaho State University with degrees in Political Science and History and coursework completed toward a Master’s in Public Administration. He can be reached at rlarsenen@cableone.net.

Photo Credit: Standard Compliant

Please share this post with your friends and comment below. If you haven’t already, take a moment to sign up for our free newsletter above and friend us on Twitter and Facebook to get real time updates.

Western Journalism

Union Leaders Denounce ObamaCare

40-Hour Work Week…Gone

Photo Credit: Standard Compliant

Western Journalism

Union Leaders Denounce ObamaCare

Monday, August 19, 2013

Video: Sean Malone"s "No Vans Land" - How a Small Businessman Beat NYC"s Public Transit Union

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Meets With Ousted Egyptian Leader

Manu Brabo/Associated Press

A picture of Egypt’s ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, on a barricade in Nasr City, Cairo, the site of a sit-in by Islamists angry about the change in leadership.

CAIRO — The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, met with former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Monday, marking the first time the former president has been allowed to meet with an international diplomat since he was taken into military custody almost a month ago.

The meeting took place around 9 p.m. and lasted two hours, a spokeswoman for Ms. Ashton, Rasha Serry, said on Tuesday. She did not provide details on the subject of Ms. Ashton’s discussions with the former president or disclose the location of the meeting. Ms. Ashton was expected to release a statement later Tuesday.

Mr. Morsi has not been seen in public since July 3, when Egypt’s military removed him from power, taking the former president and several of his aides into custody and holding them without charge. Members of his family said that they had not been allowed to communicate with him. For weeks, the military resisted calls, including from western allies and the United Nations, to release Mr. Morsi as a good will gesture to his Islamist supporters, who have held continuous sit-ins demanding that he be restored to the presidency.

Last week, prosecutors ordered Mr. Morsi’s formal detention for 15 days pending an investigation into charges related to his escape from prison during the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak. The charges were part of an intensifying crackdown against Mr. Morsi’s movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other Islamist groups that have resulted in arrest warrants or detention for dozens of Islamist leaders.

On Monday, the police arrested Aboul-Ela Maadi and Essam Sultan, senior figures in the Islamist al Wasat, or Center Party, according to state news media. Prosecutors issued warrants for their arrests last week, accusing the men of inciting violence and “insulting the judiciary,” a crime under Egyptian law.

Mr. Morsi’s ouster has plunged Egypt into its worst political crisis since the revolution that felled his autocratic predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, in February 2011. The Muslim Brotherhood has demanded the reinstatement of Mr. Morsi, even as the military has laid the ground for an intensifying crackdown on the group.

Ms. Ashton arrived on Sunday, the day after the police officers and armed civilians killed at least 80 of Mr. Morsi’s supporters in the worst mass killing by Egypt’s security services in recent memory. It was the second time in three weeks that the authorities have fired on Islamist protesters. On July 8, more than 60 people were killed outside the Republican Guard House in Cairo, where Mr. Morsi’s supporters had been demonstrating in the belief that the former president was being held inside.

Since her arrival, Ms. Ashton has met with the interim president, Adli Mansour, his vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, and the defense minister, Gen. Abdul Fattah el-Sisi, as well as Muslim Brotherhood leaders who have not been arrested.

In a statement, Ms. Ashton said she was urging Egypt’s interim leaders to make good on their pledge for a cohesive, civilian-led government that included all political factions, including the Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies. “This transitional process must lead — as soon as possible — to a constitutional regime, the holding of free transparent elections and the forming of a cabinet with a civilian leadership,” Ms. Ashton said.

In Washington, a State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, told reporters that Secretary of State John Kerry had conferred with Ms. Ashton by phone. “We fully support and appreciate her efforts to calm tensions, prevent further violence, bridge political divides and help lay the basis for a peaceful, inclusive process,” she said.

There were no immediate details on the outcome of Ms. Ashton’s meetings. Mr. ElBaradei told Ms. Ashton that Egypt’s post-Morsi leadership was doing “all that it could in order to reach a peaceful exit to the current crisis,” according to an account of their meeting on Ahram Online.

The Muslim Brotherhood said on its Web site that Ms. Ashton was meeting with at least four members of the Anti-Coup National Alliance, a protest coordination group formed by the Brotherhood and its supporters, at a hotel in Egypt’s Giza district, where the Islamists have been staging a mass sit-in since Mr. Morsi’s ouster. The Brotherhood said the delegation would be “embarking from the platform of constitutional legitimacy, aiming to end the military coup.”

Tensions remained high during Ms. Ashton’s visit, as the Brotherhood and its allies held a number of protest marches Monday — including one to a military location — in defiance of the military’s warnings. Egyptian security officials have issued threats to forcefully dismantle the main Islamist protest sit-in at an intersection in northeast Cairo where tens of thousands of supporters have been living for weeks.

Mr. Morsi’s supporters have called for further mass rallies later on Tuesday.

NYT > Global Home

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Meets With Ousted Egyptian Leader

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Union says drug bans likely not served this year

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez reaches for a ground ball during warm ups for a Class AA baseball game with the Trenton Thunder against the Reading Phillies, Monday, July 15, 2013, in Reading, Pa. Rodriguez is doing a rehab assignment with the Thunder recuperating from hip surgery. (AP Photo/Reading Eagle, Jeremy Drey)

Milwaukee Brewers’ Ryan Braun is seen in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday, July 10, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Buy AP Photo Reprints

NEW YORK (AP) â€” The baseball players’ association says any suspensions resulting from the sport’s latest drug investigation likely won’t be served until next year if the discipline is challenged before an arbitrator.

Union head Michael Weiner expects Major League Baseball will notify the union of its plans for penalties in the next month, and the association will maintain any discipline should not be announced until after a grievance hearing, and then only if arbitrator Fredric Horowitz upholds a ban.

“We’re going to have a discussion with them. That discussion will include whether or not names of suspended players will be announced publicly,” Weiner said Tuesday during a meeting with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Former MVPs Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun are among the more than a dozen players under investigation for ties to Biogenesis, a closed anti-aging clinic in Florida linked with the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs. MLB officials have been interviewing players, who have been represented by the union and their own lawyers.

A provision in baseball’s drug agreement says discipline for first offenders can be announced before a hearing if the penalty results from an allegation that became public other than through MLB or a team. Miami New Times published allegations in January, but the union could argue that a penalty results from evidence baseball has gathered rather than the newspaper account.

After MLB and the union decide how to process grievances, hearings will be scheduled before Horowitz â€” but not before September and possibly later. Each player is entitled to a separate hearing, and Weiner said the union wants Horowitz to hear all cases.

“When all the interviews are done, we will meet with the commissioner’s office and we’ll try to work something out,” Weiner said. “Our players that deserve the suspensions, we’ll try to we’ll try to come up with a fair suspension. Our players that don’t deserve suspensions, we will argue that they don’t deserve a suspension. And I hope we have success. We may not have success on every single player, but I hope we have a fair amount of success.”

MLB Executive Vice President Rob Manfred declined comment.

Weiner spoke from a wheelchair and said symptoms have increased in the last month from a brain tumor he was diagnosed with last summer. He currently can’t move his right side or right arm and must use a wheelchair.

Weiner said the union will appoint a deputy executive director within a week or two.

Most of his talk was dominated by the drug investigation.

While most suspensions have been for positive tests since the joint drug agreement was reached in 2002, players also can be penalized for “just cause,” based on other evidence.

“In theory, they could be suspended for five games or 500 games,” Weiner said. “We could then choose to challenge or not, but the commissioner’s office is not bound by the 50-100-life scale.”

If multiple players are disciplined, management and the union would have to decide the order of the grievance hearings.

“They’ve got to prove all those cases. I like Dan Halem, a lot, but he’s going to be running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off,” Weiner said, referring to an MLB senior vice president. “If that’s the circumstance, we’ll just have to schedule them and get them done as quickly as we reasonably can. And if we have the number that you suggest, it’s going to take a while.”

Weiner said the union has taken the position that players can’t be penalized for refusing to answer MLB’s questions in the investigation. Arbitrator Raymond Goetz overturned Bowie Kuhn’s suspension of Ferguson Jenkins in 1980, ruling the pitcher couldn’t be penalized for refusing to answer questions while criminal charges were pending in Canada.

“Obviously we have looked at Jenkins in connection with this matter and whether or not it would apply, and our conclusion is that it clearly does,” Weiner said.

Speaking before Weiner in a separate session, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig repeated his call to toughen penalties in the drug agreement for 2014.

“We’ve heard from a lot of players that increased penalties are called for. We’ve heard from a lot of other players that don’t think increased penalties are called for,” Weiner said. “And I imagine we will work it out at or near in early December and then have a negotiation with them over that very subject.”

Associated Press

Top Headlines

Union says drug bans likely not served this year

Friday, June 21, 2013

Union Thugs Threaten Families

This story is a chilling reminder of the evil alliance of Democrats and unions.

When super-storm Sandy slammed into the northeast last October, it left destruction and dangerous debris in startling amounts. Homes were folded up and rolled down streets. Civil buildings and churches were flattened, and dangerous toxic materials covered the landscape. The enormity of the clean-up was such that local governments had to work fast and work cheap to clean up their streets. Since “fast and cheap” are not words associated with unions, the emergency demanded non-union labor as the only available and affordable course of action.

To honest Americans, this is simple common sense; but unions want what they want when they want it, your “common sense” be damned.

After the storm, Looks Great Services (LGS), a clean-up firm based on Long Island’s Nassau County, was awarded the contract to clean up the county’s streets and other public areas. Upon learning this, a union thug named Phil Capobianco, the vice president of local 138, started making demands that LGS hire his members. When demands didn’t work, he started to talk about the wife and children of a LGS worker in mock concern for their welfare.

Nevertheless, when Capobianco said “I would just hate for anything to happen,” and spoke in specific terms about the man’s home address, his wife’s name, and where she and his children were at that very moment, the worker decided to act. Refusing to be intimidated, he called the police and took measures to protect his family – remember, this is in America in the year 2012.

When the union gangster realized his threats were not working, he cried for help from the Democrats and their media. The Democrat County District Attorney obligingly opened an investigation into LGS after the local Democrat newspaper ran a phony story about the company unnecessarily removing trees to pad its bill.

The media piously reported that the owner of LGS donated over $ 16,000 to the successful campaign of the Republican County Executive without adding that LGS was approved for disaster clean-up work before the Republican won his seat. The truth doesn’t matter to the media when it is trying to destroy an enemy.

Western Journalism

Union Thugs Threaten Families

Monday, June 3, 2013

Merkel To Brussels On Fiscal Union: "Nein"

Submitted by Pater Tenebrarum via Acting-Man blog,

Merkel: Let"s Rather Not

A German election is drawing close and it is evident in many small things that are happening lately. The latest is that Mrs. Merkel is now apparently distancing herself from her erstwhile demands to create a "fiscal union" and give the eurocracy in Brussels more powers. Incidentally, her change of heart comes shortly after her summit with France"s president Hollande, which indicates that the latter has probably let her know that France is none too happy with the idea either. Since this means that the drive toward more centralization will be slowed down, we take it as good news.

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come out against handing the European Commission more powers, in the clearest sign yet that she is reining in her ambitions to create a "fiscal union" in which euro members cede control of their budgets to Brussels.

The comments, made in an interview with weekly Der Spiegel, come days after Merkel held talks with President Francois Hollande in Paris and the two unveiled joint proposals for the future shape of the euro area, including the creation of a permanent president of the Eurogroup forum of finance ministers.

Merkel spoke out strongly in favour of closer fiscal integration last year, but France and some other euro members have deep doubts about ceding sovereignty — a step which would require politically sensitive changes to the EU treaty — and Berlin appears to have realized that this resistance is too great to overcome for now.

With a German election looming in September and a new anti-euro party threatening to eat into support for her conservative bloc, Merkel may also be adjusting her message for voters at home, many of whom are leery about ceding national powers.

"I see no need in the next few years to give up more powers to the Commission in Brussels," Merkel said in the interview, adding that she agreed with Hollande on EU member states cooperating more on economic issues.

"We are thinking for example of the labour and pension markets but also of tax and social policy. Economic policy coordination in Europe is far too weak, it must be strengthened and this is rather different to giving more competences to Brussels," she said.”

(emphasis added)

She still talks about the alleged need for "more policy coordination", but luckily handing more powers to the bureaucrats in Brussels seems to be off the table for now. It will be interesting to see how the bureaucratic caste ensconced in Brussels will react to these news.

Merkel1
"Frau Europa" becomes "Frau Deutschland" again.

Zero Hedge

Merkel To Brussels On Fiscal Union: "Nein"