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Al Sharpton speaks out on race, rights and what bothers him about his critics
Monday, December 3, 2007
At Thanksgiving dinner David Shankbone told his white middle class family that he was to interview Reverend Al Sharpton that Saturday. The announcement caused an impassioned discussion about the civil rights leader’s work, the problems facing the black community and whether Sharpton helps or hurts his cause. Opinion was divided. “He’s an opportunist.” “He only stirs things up.” “Why do I always see his face when there’s a problem?”
Shankbone went to the National Action Network’s headquarters in Harlem with this Thanksgiving discussion to inform the conversation. Below is his interview with Al Sharpton on everything from Tawana Brawley, his purported feud with Barack Obama, criticism by influential African Americans such as Clarence Page, his experience running for President, to how he never expected he would see fifty (he is now 53). “People would say to me, ‘Now that I hear you, even if I disagree with you I don’t think you’re as bad as I thought,'” said Sharpton. “I would say, ‘Let me ask you a question: what was “bad as you thought”?’ And they couldn’t say. They don’t know why they think you’re bad, they just know you’re supposed to be bad because the right wing tells them you’re bad.”
Contents
- 1 Sharpton’s beginnings in the movement
- 2 James Brown: a father to Sharpton
- 3 Criticism: Sharpton is always there
- 4 Tawana Brawley to Megan Williams
- 5 Sharpton and the African-American media
- 6 Why the need for an Al Sharpton?
- 7 Al Sharpton and Presidential Politics
- 8 On Barack Obama
- 9 The Iraq War
- 10 Sharpton as a symbol
- 11 Blacks and whites and talking about race
- 12 Don Imus, Michael Richards and Dog The Bounty Hunter
- 13 Sources
Toll of the phosphor accident in Ukraine still rising
Friday, July 20, 2007
Between 143 and 152 people have now been hospitalized in the wake of Monday’s train derailment near Lviv, Ukraine, and subsequent phosporous cloud. According to the Ukrainian Healthcare Ministry’s spokesperson, Igor Gerych, 43 of the injured are children, 13 are firemen and three are medical personnel. None are considered to be in mortal danger, yet some cases remain at medium risk level.
Nearly 400 people are involved with the clean-up operations. Among them are military specialists for chemical warfare. The Ukrainian Army alert state was raised to “high readiness” state on Tuesday, when the scale of the accident became clear. 27 medical brigades, 13 consultants and seven specialists are inspecting the surrounding inhabited areas.
Two of the fifteen phosphor containers that were involved in the accident have been raised and put on new transports; nine of them need more work to treat leaking and damaged areas. All containers are to be transported to a more secure location by Saturday.
The situation on the ground appears to be confusing. Political TV channel, Kanal 5, reports that the village closest to the accident, Ozhidovo, is still requesting volunteers to send medicines and water, as they do not have any. Journalists of three TV channels (Inter, Novyj Kanal, ICTV) needed medical care themselves after being in the village.
TV channel, UT-1 reports this evening that the Ukranian President, Viktor Yushchenko, has called an urgent meeting of the National Security Council.
The accident appears to be likely to become a topic of contention in the long-standing rivalry between the President and the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. Yesterday, the President publicly criticized the government’s work.
Politicization of the disaster is likely to be the main reason behind the extreme differences among the versions of the Ukrainian media. Some declared the accident “ended” a few hours after it occurred, while others are still making alarming reports.
On July 18, the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) of the European Commission reportedly offered EU assistance to the Ukrainian government. The same sources say that Ukraine has not officially requested the help. Without a formal request, EU assistance cannot begin.
On the same date, NATO Spokesman in Brussels, Mr. James Appathurai, is reported by Podrobnosti to have declared that the Alliance is following the situation, and that NATO has not received any request for help from the Ukraine, either.
Claims from British quake may run into “low tens of millions of pounds” – Insurance association reps
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Representatives from the British insurance industry have said that the cost of the earthquake which hit Britain early yesterday could be over 10 million GBP. The Association of British Insurers has said in a statement that the cost for the earthquake is “likely to run into the low tens of millions of pounds.”
The Senior claims manager at the UK bank Norwich Union has described the damage by saying that at the moment most insurance claims regarding the earthquake describe “minor damage such as tiles off roofs, breakages inside the homes and brick walls collapsing.” It has also been reported that approximately 1,200 insurance claims were made in the first twelve hours after the earthquake hit Britain.
These reports come one day after the United Kingdom was hit by a 5.2 earthquake. Tremors were reported as widespread as Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Cambridge, London, Birmingham and Southampton .
Does Your Aged Loved One Need In Home Care, Find It Near Elmhurst
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byAlma Abell
For many seniors, in-home care is a wonderful option. Although there are assisted living facilities and nursing homes near Elmhurst, the majority of seniors want to remain in their homes where they feel safe and secure. Choosing in-home care has many benefits for the senior as well as the family.
- Remain Independent: It is natural for people to want to remain independent for as long as possible. However, the day may come where some care and assistance is needed. When this day comes, in-home care is a wonderful option.
- The Comforts of Home: For many elderly individuals, the feeling that they get by being at home is something that cannot be duplicated. The ability to maintain relationships with family and friends, as well as the feeling of comfort they get, is conducive to physical and emotional well-being.
- One to One Care: Professional caregivers that are responsible for providing services for your loved one in their home have one purpose. They are there to focus exclusively on the non-medical needs of the senior; they give exclusive attention and provide quality one to one care.
- Less Restrictive: For seniors, the fear of having to leave the comfort of their home is very real. Repeated studies have shown that seniors want to grow old in surroundings that they know. There is little doubt that the home setting is the least restrictive. Seniors that stay in their home have the ability to remain engaged with the daily activities with which they are accustomed. With the wide range of services available, your loved ones can maintain control. They can lead a meaningful and independent life as they age. In-home care providers can do everything from preparing meals, help with the shopping, help with prescribed exercise, and much more.
When you make the decision to bring in a professional caregiver, you are doing more than just ensuring your loved ones will get the care and attention they need. You are also ensuring your peace of mind when you are not in a position to provide the level of care they need.
If you are looking for professional in-home care in Elmhurst for an elderly family member, contact Home & Hearth Caregivers. For an introduction to the care team and the services provided, visit their website.
Annual Perseids meteor shower visible in northern hemisphere
Monday, August 13, 2007
The peak of the Perseids meteor shower occurred last night during the new moon, bringing both amateur and professional astronomers out in full force. Low moonlight on Saturday and none at all on Sunday night made this year a brilliant opportunity for astronomers and stargazers. An added bonus was the presence of Mars, which shone bright red near the constellation Taurus.
The show started between 9:00 and 10:00 Sunday night. Sightings grew more frequent until the peak just before sunrise when as many as 80 meteors per minute could be seen in clear skies.
Perseids, which gets its name due to its appearance close to the constellation Perseus, a major feature of the night sky, occurs every year and is one of the most reliable meteor showers to watch in the northern hemisphere.
A meteor shower occurs when the Earth’s orbit intersects debris in the tail of a comet. Every meteor shower has an associated comet. In the case of the Perseids meteor shower, the associated comet is Swift-Tuttle.
Nadal withdraws from French Open 2016, suffers from wrist injury
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Yesterday, nine-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal withdrew from this year’s tournament suffering from a wrist injury.
| I feel myself with the right motivation and the right energy to be back at Roland Garros the next couple of years | ||
On Thursday, Nadal defeated Facundo Bagnis with his wrist anesthetized. With that victory, he became the eighth man in history to achieve 200 wins in Grand Slams. Nadal won his ninth Monte Carlo Masters title in April.
In the press conference, Nadal said, “It’s not broken but if I continue to play, my wrist will break in a few days” ((fr))French language: ?Ce n’est pas cassé mais si je continue à jouer, mon poignet se cassera dans quelques jours. Nadal said he felt wrist pain two weeks before he arrived at the French capital Paris. He also said, “This is one of the toughest press conferences of my career”.
The Spaniard, seeded number 4, also admitted he could not play with his forehand.He was scheduled to play against Marcel Granollers. Nadal has an 87% win record in Grand Slams winning 200 matches out of 230.
He concluded the press conference by saying, “I feel myself with the right motivation and the right energy to be back at Roland Garros [the French Open] the next couple of years[…] It’s a tournament that I love so much.”
US intercity passenger train collides with truck, derails
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
An Amtrak passenger train de-railed after hitting a pickup truck in Plant City, Florida, in the United States. The driver of the pickup truck was killed on impact. The crash occurred at a marked railroad crossing inside of an industrial area, according to an Amtrak spokesperson.
None of the 133 passengers were seriously hurt, however, the train’s engineer and five passengers were taken to a local hospital after suffering minor injuries. The remaining passengers were taken to a local bowling alley. Although the train’s two locomotives and nine cars de-railed, they remained upright.
Witnesses report the train sounded its horns at the appropriate times. It was reported the pickup truck simply drove in front of the train.
The crash is the second to occur this week with a train; on Monday, a driver in a Pontiac Grand Am deliberately ignored the lights and crossing arms at another railroad crossing in the area, and drove around them, into the path of a different Amtrak train on the same route. The impact caused the car to go airborne. All four people in the car were killed; no one on the train was injured.
News briefs:June 2, 2006
The time is 18:00 (UTC) on June 2nd, 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews News Briefs.
Contents
- 1 Headlines
- 1.1 Consensus reached on incentive package for Iran
- 1.2 Two Iraqi women, one pregnant, killed by US soldiers
- 1.3 90 days of hard labor for Abu Ghraib dog handler
- 1.4 World conference of expatriate Greeks to take place in Athens
- 1.5 Federal and NSW governments withdraw Snowy Hydro shares
- 1.6 “Metric tonne” of date rape drug was bound for US
- 1.7 US accused of sinking The Pirate Bay
- 1.8 New Zealand’s Taupo Airport worst in the world
- 1.9 Katharine Close, 13, wins Scripps National Spelling Bee
- 2 Closing statements
Rollovers To Ir As Rules, Tips And Cautions
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By Robert D. Cavanaugh, CLU
Rollovers can be a confusing subject. This is because rollovers can come from qualified plans, tax sheltered annuities, eligible Section 457 government plans and the five types of IRAs.
Here, I will focus on rollovers that come from qualified plans such as 401(k), pension and profit sharing plans. The rollover will be to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. Confining the explanation to a common rollover scenario keeps it simple by eliminating a discussion of the many other rollover situations.
You have worked hard, built up a big 401(k) and are ready to retire. Your plan is to roll your 401(k) into an IRA. What are the rules? What are your choices? What are the cautions?
The Rules
The transfer of assets from your 401(k) to an IRA must be completed within 60 days. Failure to do so within this time frame would treat your intended rollover as a distribution. This would subject it to taxation and, if you are under age 59 1/2, a 10% premature distribution penalty.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k3HHIFEQS4[/youtube]
If you are unfortunate enough to have your plan assets invested in an institution in bankruptcy, the IRS will cut you some slack. While your money is frozen, the 60 day clock isn’t running. While this may not come into play very often, it’s reassuring to know.
The cleanest way to do the rollover is to do a trustee-to-trustee transfer. If you receive the qualified plan proceeds personally, 20% withholding is required.
Your Choices
Until 2008, you only have two IRA choices to accept your qualified plan rollover: A traditional IRA or a SEP IRA. You can’t roll it over to a Roth IRA.
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 provides that rollovers from qualified plans can be rolled over to a Roth IRA starting after 2007. Until then, there is a work-around. You will need to roll your plan assets over to either a traditional IRA or SEP IRA and then roll that into a Roth IRA. In any case, remember that when the assets are rolled into a Roth IRA, they are taxable.
The best timing of a rollover can be a function of several things. A number of people would prefer not to take the required minimum distributions beginning at age 70 1/2. Here’s a way to defer that requirement or eliminate it altogether.
If you continue to work, you don’t have to start taking RMDs until you retire. If that is later than your age 70 1/2, you have followed the rule that says RMDs start at the later of retirement or age 70 1/2 and accomplished your postponement goal.
While you would have to pay tax on a rollover that eventually winds up in a Roth IRA, distributions from Roth IRAs aren’t required until your death. If your spouse makes the election to treat your Roth IRA as his or her own, distributions are not even required until your spouse’s death.
If these facts match your circumstances and objectives, you will want to wait to do your rollover until you actually retire.
The Cautions
There are certain things that cannot be rolled over from a qualified plan to an IRA. They are technical in nature and don’t come up often. Examples would include hardship distributions from a 401(k) plan, loans that are deemed as distributions and required minimum distributions. Nevertheless, I would suggest seeking qualified tax advice prior to your rollover to make sure prohibitions do not exist.
One common limitation, however, is life insurance. If your qualified plan includes life insurance, this cannot be rolled over as IRAs cannot invest in life insurance.
This covers most of the common elements of rolling your qualified plan at work over to a traditional or Roth IRA. Armed with this working knowledge, be sure to sit down with your financial planner and accountant to make sure the transaction is done properly and matches your objectives.
About the Author:
Robert D. Cavanaugh, CLU is a 36 year financial and estate planning veteran and author of the free newsletter, ‘The Estate Preservation Advisor’. To subscribe and get the free video, ‘How to Sell Your Life Insurance Policy for More Than the Cash Value’, go to theestatepreservationadvisor.com/freevideo.htm
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