L,S| Landmark Srebrenica Trial Starts In Serbia

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YmkwCuthQ8Cs-wH3MkA7aOygCKF38x7XAaB1RbyA5HyDk9vYvWPUxA_8LZSxrij3Jp-Wqy7N0mywgX-_vdBRXaYn4HQQ9pAHrGeckApVb2hYhT7qeSSuT-eEpP7_4txuGWQ06gP0m4Mg/s1600/Landmark+Srebrenica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YmkwCuthQ8Cs-wH3MkA7aOygCKF38x7XAaB1RbyA5HyDk9vYvWPUxA_8LZSxrij3Jp-Wqy7N0mywgX-_vdBRXaYn4HQQ9pAHrGeckApVb2hYhT7qeSSuT-eEpP7_4txuGWQ06gP0m4Mg/s320/Landmark+Srebrenica.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>BELGRADE Serbia (AP)</b></i> The landmark trial of eight former Bosnian Serb police officers charged with taking part in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre has started in a Serbian court with judges rejecting another postponement.<br /><br />The long-awaited trial that opened Monday at the War Crimes court is seen as a test of Serbia's pledge to deal with its wartime past and an important step in Balkan reconciliation efforts more than two decades after the Bosnian war ended.<br /><br />Around 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb troops in Srebrenica — Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.<br /><br />Serbia has promised to punish war criminals to advance toward EU membership. Its nationalist government has faced criticism for stalling on that pledge.<br /><br />The trial was to start in December, but was postponed over legal wrangling.<br /><br />2017-02-06 10:39:17 GMT<br />

L,S| Landmark Srebrenica Trial Starts In Serbia

BELGRADE Serbia (AP) The landmark trial of eight former Bosnian Serb police officers charged with taking part in the 1995 Srebrenica mass...

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(G~I) Germany: Merkel Selfie Refugee Seeks Facebook Injunction

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_wHlitOCfQHWt3roUFzGCb1NhFrxiGMBRhq5Xhj8Xju176Vwr1LwXHIE4q-P6CKB36-uS0NkZ4PSEH2XDB41jHqERPuiRxpiynPGiuTAvEPZNW-a0NBL8fPmy5B8q_O8SMlcvWa6go60/s1600/Germany-Angela-Merkel-in-Turkey-to-address.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_wHlitOCfQHWt3roUFzGCb1NhFrxiGMBRhq5Xhj8Xju176Vwr1LwXHIE4q-P6CKB36-uS0NkZ4PSEH2XDB41jHqERPuiRxpiynPGiuTAvEPZNW-a0NBL8fPmy5B8q_O8SMlcvWa6go60/s320/Germany-Angela-Merkel-in-Turkey-to-address.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>BERLIN (AP)</b></i>  A Syrian refugee pictured in a 2015 selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking an injunction that would oblige Facebook to identify and delete posts on its site which wrongly link him to crimes committed by migrants.<br /><br />Anas Modamani's case is being heard Monday at the state court in the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg, where his lawyer Chan-jo Jun is based.<br /><br />At issue are two types of posts: one in which Modamani was identified as one of several migrant youths who tried to set fire to a homeless man at a Berlin subway station in December, and a second in which Modamani and Merkel appear in a photo montage with the truck used to attack a Christmas market in the city.<br /><br />The original posts have since been removed.<br /><br />2017-02-06 10:41:20 GMT<br />

(G~I) Germany: Merkel Selfie Refugee Seeks Facebook Injunction

BERLIN (AP)   A Syrian refugee pictured in a 2015 selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking an injunction that would oblige F...

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English v-s French Tensions In Cameroon Turn Deadly

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ny9i7odEwvN_l6hI4GgH75B2Ua0II6a2Io7fuiFFIHHVJcOYKKM7aC08PcYYKiBtRWShqFt6kuwHcVnP_h-chKJCgCky5zh4Nh-y3FEt6Ny6crhwkDSmJN9CJoJddi8wN3I7kpixp5Er/s1600/JUBY2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="English v-s French Image" border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ny9i7odEwvN_l6hI4GgH75B2Ua0II6a2Io7fuiFFIHHVJcOYKKM7aC08PcYYKiBtRWShqFt6kuwHcVnP_h-chKJCgCky5zh4Nh-y3FEt6Ny6crhwkDSmJN9CJoJddi8wN3I7kpixp5Er/s320/JUBY2.JPG" title="English v-s French" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>YAOUNDE</b></i>, Cameroon (AP) Only one high school student out of 4,000 showed up on the first day of Cameroon's new term in Bamenda, the English-speaking city at the heart of a deadly conflict over language in this bilingual West African country.<br /><br />Teachers have joined a strike led by lawyers resentful over the official use of French in the English-speaking part of the country. Recent protests have called for "ghost town" strikes in major cities. The government shut down the internet in the English-speaking region, digital advocacy group Access Now has said.<br /><br />Tensions are so high that 10 people were killed in demonstrations over language discrimination in Bamenda in December. The government sent in 5,000 troops to stabilize the city.<br /><br />Two officials with the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium have been charged with terrorism and rebellion against the state for their role in the recent protests and face the death penalty if convicted. The government has banned the consortium's activities. Another activist, Bibixy Mancho, faces the same charges.<br /><br />Amnesty International has called for the release of Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla and Fontem Aforteka'a Neba, saying that "this flagrant disregard for basic rights risks inflaming an already tense situation."<br /><br />Hundreds have been arrested, including protesters who stopped the singing of the Cameroonian national anthem, dismissing it as a foreign song. Some hoisted a new flag, declaring that they are no longer part of French-speaking Cameroon.<br /><br />Longtime President Paul Biya has said he is open to negotiations but will never accept any attempts to destabilize national unity.<br /><br />Over the weekend, state media reported that teachers' union leaders had agreed to suspend the strike and that classes would resume Monday, though opposition outlets said the report was incorrect.<br /><br />As the strike continues, one student, 17-year-old Oben Ashu, said he's afraid his education and his future will be compromised. "They should give us the room to go back to school and be studying while the government and the teachers sit down in a table and discuss how the problem can be solved," Ashu said.<br /><br />Cameroon is made up of areas that were once colonies of France and Britain until the early 1960s. English speakers constitute only 20 percent of Cameroon's population, though the constitution says English and French should be equally important. But most official documents are still available only in French, and teachers with little English ability are often sent to English-language areas of the country.<br /><br />The protests began late last year when lawyers asked that French-speaking judges be transferred out of English-speaking regions, saying justice cannot be rendered when the judge, the lawyer and the suspect cannot communicate. When the lawyer's requests were not granted, they went to the streets and refused to defend clients in court.<br /><br />Teachers also got involved, saying there is an overbearing influence of French in schools in the English-speaking regions. The impasse is frustrating students and parents who feel caught in the middle.<br /><br />"I am just pleading, government help us, so that our children, Cameroonians of tomorrow, should go back to school so that this country should be stabilized and peaceful," said parent Ndip Victor.<br /><br />Bernard Okalia Bilai, governor of the southwest region, has warned the striking teachers that they will not receive their salaries unless they return to the classroom.<br /><br />In response, Cameroon's government has ordered the recruitment of 1,000 bilingual teachers and the transferring of teachers out of the English-speaking region if they are not fluent in the language.<br /><br />Still, the chairman of Cameroon's main opposition political party cautioned the president and his government against taking the situation too lightly, saying that "if this thing stretches out ... it might be a little too dangerous for our country."<br /><br />2017-02-06 10:45:02 GMT

English v-s French Tensions In Cameroon Turn Deadly

YAOUNDE , Cameroon (AP) Only one high school student out of 4,000 showed up on the first day of Cameroon's new term in Bamenda, the En...

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M^M: First Major German Customer Sues VW Over Diesel Emissions

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagt0RUB4XM7H2e1mW6tXaUOqaAV5ffld7sZsZr6Yka1dLLmA9ygC3-gSdaKv4WyyYaSd2f-JM23tklwpBw_i2_lUT03D0uHKgor8RpKQO-mxFaiTKrUb9HHLPEF7XwK9S6uz6S3TGmqmi/s1600/snl-melissa-mccarthy-sean-spicer-00010505-640x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagt0RUB4XM7H2e1mW6tXaUOqaAV5ffld7sZsZr6Yka1dLLmA9ygC3-gSdaKv4WyyYaSd2f-JM23tklwpBw_i2_lUT03D0uHKgor8RpKQO-mxFaiTKrUb9HHLPEF7XwK9S6uz6S3TGmqmi/s320/snl-melissa-mccarthy-sean-spicer-00010505-640x360.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>BERLIN (AP)</b></i>  A fish wholesaler has become the first major Volkswagen customer in Germany to sue the automaker for selling diesel vehicles rigged to cheat on emissions tests.<br /> <br /> Deutsche See GmbH says it filed a lawsuit with a court in Braunschweig on Friday, alleging "malicious deceit" on the part of Volkswagen, after failing to reach an out-of-court settlement.<br /> <br /> Deutsche See says it wants Volkswagen to repay about 11.9 million euros ($12.8 million) in leasing fees paid for its fleet of 500 Volkswagen diesel vehicles since 2009.<br /> <br /> Volkswagen said Monday that it hadn't yet received official notification of the lawsuit and therefore couldn't comment on the case.<br /> <br /> Volkswagen has agreed to buy back up to 500,000 cars in the United States under a $15 billion settlement agreed with U.S. authorities and car owners.<br /> <br /> 2017-02-06 11:04:35 GMT

M^M: First Major German Customer Sues VW Over Diesel Emissions

BERLIN (AP)   A fish wholesaler has become the first major Volkswagen customer in Germany to sue the automaker for selling diesel vehicles...

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China Ex-Deputy Intelligence Chief Graft Probe Proceeding

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZX3YNa6g1Eo1NbENAm3BEp0GI0xnpM3nqG17qqDWwNCYIHsmVpfHk36i8UXkISvga5IbuN4XZ80N-sbCBeAZkgmJuumwWCO92VcNrM47ZfnNmI8E_uxbhPvimnkLqcrPhedmOlJ48uwiy/s1600/50193171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZX3YNa6g1Eo1NbENAm3BEp0GI0xnpM3nqG17qqDWwNCYIHsmVpfHk36i8UXkISvga5IbuN4XZ80N-sbCBeAZkgmJuumwWCO92VcNrM47ZfnNmI8E_uxbhPvimnkLqcrPhedmOlJ48uwiy/s320/50193171.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>BEIJING (AP)</b></i> The corruption investigation into a former Chinese deputy intelligence chief is proceeding, prosecutors said Monday, signaling President Xi Jinping's determination to continue targeting high-level officials as part of his sweeping anti-graft campaign.<br /><br />The supreme state prosecutor's office said that Ma Jian, a former vice minister of state security, has been placed under "compulsory measures."<br /><br />The term can refer to arrest, detention, bail pending trial or house arrest. The proceedings in such investigations are shrouded in secrecy and Ma is believed to have already been under initial investigation for about two years.<br /><br />Prosecutors say Ma, who was in charge of counterespionage, is suspected of having taken bribes in return for favors and abusing his position to help his relatives' businesses. He's also accused of interfering with law enforcement and judicial activities, secreting away money and property relating to his case, and arranging for exit permits for his family members.<br /><br />Reports in the widely respected Chinese magazine Caixin, which were later reprinted by state media, said investigators found that Ma had been keeping six mistresses with whom he'd had a pair of sons, and owned a half-dozen mansions in Beijing.<br /><br />Ma, who had worked in the Ministry of State Security for three decades, was expelled from the ruling Communist Party in December, placing him in line for prosecution and almost certain conviction.<br /><br />High-level officials such as former Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang have received sentences of up to life in prison as President Xi seeks to purge the ruling party of corrupt officials seen as diminishing its standing among the public and weakening its mandate to rule.<br /><br />Though broadly popular among the public, the campaign is seen by some as a tool for Xi to eliminate political rivals and strengthen his hold on power.<br /><br />2017-02-06 11:08:27 GMT

China Ex-Deputy Intelligence Chief Graft Probe Proceeding

BEIJING (AP) The corruption investigation into a former Chinese deputy intelligence chief is proceeding, prosecutors said Monday, signali...

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(I,B) Iranian Americans Feel Stuck Confused Afraid of Travel Ban

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEUiZyM2P36m7z2ttAVqwIRMYfsyd3JyKsa86O0Be7o52jJEeC_vKAEeVbWRt2KcJptsH6hA2tWOjQva-WEY78M97RCgFesIxDJtj3C31FVitqU2mU7oMkSOr5-Afnu9qBbz8AaCEfoZh/s1600/1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEUiZyM2P36m7z2ttAVqwIRMYfsyd3JyKsa86O0Be7o52jJEeC_vKAEeVbWRt2KcJptsH6hA2tWOjQva-WEY78M97RCgFesIxDJtj3C31FVitqU2mU7oMkSOr5-Afnu9qBbz8AaCEfoZh/s320/1024x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>IRVINE</b></i>, Calif. (AP)  Iranian-American supermarket supervisor Alan Tahmasebi voted for Donald Trump last year, hoping a businessman would be more trustworthy than a politician.<br /><br />The 35-year-old now sorely regrets it, seeing the havoc wreaked upon his fellow countrymen and his family  since the new president issued a temporary travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, including his former home.<br /><br />Tahmasebi and his wife have spent more than $7,000 on green card applications for their parents. Now, their parents are in limbo overseas as the Irvine couple awaits the birth of their second child.<br /><br />"It was a land of opportunity but now, I don't think so," he said. "They wish to come here and visit my new baby. They never worked with the army, with the government (in Iran) I have no idea what is going on."<br /><br />The ban has rattled Americans with ties to the listed countries, and its effects are perhaps most widespread among the country's thriving Iranian American community. The U.S. has nearly 370,000 Iranian immigrants, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, far more than the other countries targeted by the order.<br /><br />While Tehran and Washington have a lengthy history of friction, personal ties between residents of the two countries have held strong. Many Iranian Americans travel back to visit family or bring aging parents to join them in the U.S.<br /><br />Since Trump imposed the travel ban, tension between the two governments has continued to rise.<br /><br />On Friday, Iran barred U.S. wrestlers from an important international tournament. The same day, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on 13 people and a dozen companies in response to Iran's recent ballistic missile test, increasing pressure on Tehran without directly undercutting a nuclear deal with the country.<br /><br />Later Friday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the travel ban following a lawsuit by Washington state and Minnesota that said Trump's order is causing significant harm to residents and effectively mandates discrimination.<br /><br />A federal appeals court on Sunday denied a Justice Department request for an immediate reinstatement of the ban, meaning the legal fight will continue for days at least.<br /><br />Iranian Americans said they are perplexed as to why Iran is even on Trump's list, noting the country is not mired in war like Syria and Yemen. In addition, many Iranians came to the United States after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in search of religious and personal freedom and continue to cherish those ideals.<br /><br />"There's two things in my country one is people, one is government," Tahmasebi said. "This new law is not for the government. It's for the people, who like the United States."<br /><br />In the Southern California suburb of Irvine, a tidy strip mall hosts a pharmacy, bakery and dental office that cater to clients in English and Persian. At the supermarket, Tahmasebi said customers relish persimmon and other produce from Iran, but if relations between the countries sour further the store may have to bring in Pakistani or Chinese goods instead.<br /><br />The vast majority of the country's Iranians and Iranian Americans live in California. The sizable community in Los Angeles — which includes members of diverse religious groups, including Muslims, Christians, Jews and Baha'i — has led some to adopt the nickname "Tehrangeles."<br /><br />Jeannine Stepanian, a 32-year-old lawyer who helped travelers detained at Los Angeles International Airport last weekend, said she comes from a family of refugees. First, her Armenian grandparents fled to Iran. Then, her parents, who are Christian and were born in Iran, sought safe haven in the United States after the Islamic Revolution.<br /><br />"I felt like it could have been any one of my relatives this could have been happening to," said Stepanian, adding she is outraged by the ban.<br /><br />Trump's order placed a temporary halt on visitors and refugees from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. But citizens of these countries who are legal permanent residents in the United States initially were held for long hours at airports, and those who have immigrant visas also were denied entry.<br /><br />Ali Vayeghan was stopped at the Los Angeles airport even though he had an immigrant visa. U.S. authorities put him on a plane back to Iran, but lawyers intervened to get him returned to the United States so he could reunite with his wife and son and get his green card.<br /><br />His niece, 32-year-old artist Marj an Vayghan, said her friends have been nervously asking each other since the ban whether they have green cards or U.S. citizenship.<br /><br />"There is this sense of, 'Are you a citizen, or do we need to Anne Frank you in our homes?' This is a situation where everybody is afraid," she said. "We don't know who among us is safe."<br /><br />Now, many Iranians even those who are legal permanent residents or American citizens are rethinking their plans.<br /><br />Mehran Sahraeian, a 51-year-old pharmacy technician, said he's been pleading with his mother not to visit his sister in Canada lest she face problems returning.<br /><br />Eli Majd, a 37-year-old mother of two, said her husband is visiting family in Iran and she worries about him being able to return  even though he is an American. Sam Yebri, a 35-year-old lawyer, said his family probably won't vacation abroad for now because although he is a U.S. citizen, his passport lists his birthplace as Tehran.<br /><br />"I have no problem with the security apparatus. There are concerns just about being an Iranian American at this time, I think, until cooler heads prevail," Yebri said.<br /><br />At the Irvine supermarket, 45-year-old Iranian American Mary Far said she hasn't returned to Iran in two decades. She was hoping to go this summer to visit her brother and sister, whom she hasn't seen since she left the country. But with the travel ban, she isn't sure she'll make the trip.<br /><br />"It affects a lot of people," she said. Then she burst into tears.<br /><br />Associated Press writer Christine Armario in Los Angeles contributed to this report.<br /><br /><i><b>2017-02-05 17:37:39 GMT</b></i>

(I,B) Iranian Americans Feel Stuck Confused Afraid of Travel Ban

IRVINE , Calif. (AP)  Iranian-American supermarket supervisor Alan Tahmasebi voted for Donald Trump last year, hoping a businessman would ...

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{C-B} Chicago Woman Says Beau Didn't Help Her Kill Mom In Bali

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBhA-h7AkXSuRKFYcVt4HnpfmtwLKewB402uHlU7wrH07mHgSr0Vq2JIntPEdH1D0ryH9m_FpIRB3Q-6OXs6nWGT_vkqLAq566SnETel5G7nbW_O4VFxdfzQV-WyGQ1NlC5D4Oxfez_77/s1600/20108c78d8abdd50232b5e6bbe2e54dc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBhA-h7AkXSuRKFYcVt4HnpfmtwLKewB402uHlU7wrH07mHgSr0Vq2JIntPEdH1D0ryH9m_FpIRB3Q-6OXs6nWGT_vkqLAq566SnETel5G7nbW_O4VFxdfzQV-WyGQ1NlC5D4Oxfez_77/s320/20108c78d8abdd50232b5e6bbe2e54dc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> CHICAGO (AP) A Chicago woman imprisoned in Indonesia for the 2014 killing of her mother says in videos posted on YouTube that she acted alone and her boyfriend at the time only helped her cover it up because she threatened him.<br /><br />In a series of three videos that were posted last week, 21-year-old Heather Mack says that her then-boyfriend Tommy Schaefer falsely confessed to striking her 62-year-old mother, Sheila von Weise-Mack, in the head with a metal fruit bowl during their trip to Bali. She says he only helped her stuff the body in a suitcase and clean up because she threatened to tell police that he committed the crime.<br /><br />Authorities have said that the two discussed killing von Weise-Mack in text messages, but in the videos Mack said that she took his phone when he was asleep and exchanged text messages with herself to make it appear the two were texting each other when they weren't. She said when she asked Schaefer to help her find someone who would kill her mother for $50,000 he refused.<br /><br />"Tommy's an innocent man," said Mack, who has cellphone and internet access in prison. She said one reason she framed Schaefer was because she knew there was a chance she would be arrested after she killed her mother and "I didn't want to get arrested by myself in a different country."<br /><br />The two were convicted in 2015. Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years in prison and Mack received a 10-year prison sentence. At the time, the three-judge panel said it decided to be lenient toward the then-19-year-old Mack because she had recently given birth.<br /><br />Schaefer's mother does not have a listed phone number and phone calls to Mack's Chicago-based attorney were not immediately returned.<br /><br />2017-02-05 18:00:01 GMT<br />

{C-B} Chicago Woman Says Beau Didn't Help Her Kill Mom In Bali

CHICAGO (AP) A Chicago woman imprisoned in Indonesia for the 2014 killing of her mother says in videos posted on YouTube that she acted al...

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(C+B) Court Denies Trump Request To Immediately Restore Travel Ban

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFByzInvhp1R3BfVBvZzSjQxxiLcL4FiHVNvzVzLIGk4gOxyVO530ajqeS0vN4CjgLMDQz69wwJLJDZWaUIvSIHwl8oonihykerqOqRIN1rKtN6JHxwpTiC0Tj-_fUaK9c5LYrtkaQRwtV/s1600/1486289091164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFByzInvhp1R3BfVBvZzSjQxxiLcL4FiHVNvzVzLIGk4gOxyVO530ajqeS0vN4CjgLMDQz69wwJLJDZWaUIvSIHwl8oonihykerqOqRIN1rKtN6JHxwpTiC0Tj-_fUaK9c5LYrtkaQRwtV/s320/1486289091164.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>WASHINGTON (AP)</b></i> Rebuffed in its bid for a quick reversal, the White House said Sunday it expected the courts to reaffirm President Donald Trump's executive power and reinstate a ban on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.<br /><br />The case promised to extend into Monday at least, when fresh legal filings were due, and observers had no doubt the Supreme Court ultimately will have a say.<br /><br />The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a brief order overnight, denied the administration's request to set aside a Seattle judge's ruling that put a temporary hold on the ban nationwide.<br /><br />The lawsuit by Washington state and Minnesota said Trump's order harmed residents and effectively mandated discrimination. Their lawyers had until 2:59 a.m. EST Monday to submit briefs opposing the government's request. The Justice Department then had a 6 p.m. EST deadline to respond.<br /><br />"We'll accomplish the stay and will win the case on the merits," Vice President Mike Pence said.<br /><br />Members of Trump's Republican Party scolded him for Twitter attacks on U.S. District Court Judge James Robart, appointed by President George W. Bush, and lawmakers accused Trump of stepping over the line that separates the executive from the judiciary. To Trump, Robart is a "so-called judge" whose "ridiculous" ruling "will be overturned."<br /><br />"The president can criticize anybody he wants," Vice President Mike Pence said, adding that he believes the American people "find it very refreshing that they not only understand this president's mind, but they understand how he feels about things."<br /><br />At issue is the legality of a presidential action undertaken in the name of national security. Whatever the outcome and however the case drags on, a president who was used to getting his way in private business is finding, weeks in to the jobs, obstacles to quickly fulfilling one of his chief campaign pledges.<br /><br />"The president is not a dictator," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "He is the chief executive of our country. And there is a tension between the branches of government."<br /><br />The government had told the appeals court that the president alone has the power to decide who can enter or stay in the United States, an assertion that appeared to invoke the wider battle to come over illegal immigration.<br /><br />Congress "vests complete discretion" in the president to impose conditions on entry of foreigners to the United States, and that power is "largely immune from judicial control," according to the court filing.<br /><br />"We don't appoint judges to our district courts to conduct foreign policy or to make decisions about the national security," Pence said.<br /><br />Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, predicted the appeals court would not have the last word. "I have no doubt that it will go to the Supreme Court, and probably some judgments will be made whether this president has exceed his authority or not," she said.<br /><br />In his ruling, Robart said it was not the court's job to "create policy or judge the wisdom of any particular policy promoted by the other two branches," but to make sure that an action taken by the government "comports with our country's laws."<br /><br />Trump's order applied to Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen Muslim-majority countries that the administration said raise terrorism concerns. The order had caused unending confusion for many foreigners trying to reach the United States, prompted protests across the United States and led to multiple court challenges.<br /><br />Trump's criticism of Robart echoed campaign comments against a federal judge of Mexican heritage who was overseeing a lawsuit against Trump University. Justice Department lawyers could be called upon to answer for Trump's words as the travel ban case makes it way through the courts.<br /><br />"We all get disappointed from time to time at the outcome in courts on things that we care about," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "But I think it is best to avoid criticizing judges individually."<br /><br />Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., was blunter: "We don't have so-called judges. We don't have so-called senators. We don't have so-called presidents. We have people from three different branches of government who take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution."<br /><br />The State Department said last week that as many as 60,000 foreigners from those seven countries had had their visas canceled. After Robart's decision, the department reversed course and said they could travel to the U.S. if they had a valid visa.<br /><br />The department also advised refugee aid agencies that refugees set to travel before Trump signed his order would now be allowed in.<br /><br />The Homeland Security Department no longer was directing airlines to prevent visa-holders affected by Trump's order from boarding U.S.-bound planes. The agency said it had "suspended any and all actions" related to putting in place Trump's order.<br /><br />Pence appeared on ABC's "This Week," CBS' "Face the Nation," NBC's "Meet the Press" and "Fox News Sunday. McConnell was on CNN, Feinstein spoke on Fox and Sasse was interviewed by ABC.<br /><br />2017-02-05 18:14:08 GMT

(C+B) Court Denies Trump Request To Immediately Restore Travel Ban

WASHINGTON (AP) Rebuffed in its bid for a quick reversal, the White House said Sunday it expected the courts to reaffirm President Donald...

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'av' At Liberal Columbia u Gorsuch Raised A Conservative Voice

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeX2Re6G92Qq14Vk-m9bcgEXBSDYN7gj8yaPcArHvAWSr-8hDKEJcnCtpMljhOYRTMJudYENxY1OhBDLDnx-g_8Zjivxys-fvFiJZmchkKMyvVyg6cZbkmvSgbXr_Gtug5itmBRCNs64vU/s1600/bceded3496cf4d6b836dd696f4986de0-780x574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeX2Re6G92Qq14Vk-m9bcgEXBSDYN7gj8yaPcArHvAWSr-8hDKEJcnCtpMljhOYRTMJudYENxY1OhBDLDnx-g_8Zjivxys-fvFiJZmchkKMyvVyg6cZbkmvSgbXr_Gtug5itmBRCNs64vU/s320/bceded3496cf4d6b836dd696f4986de0-780x574.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <b>NEW YORK (AP)</b> As a conservative student at Columbia University in the mid-1980s, future Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was a political odd man out, and he was determined to speak up.<br /><br />"It is not fashionable at Columbia to be anything other than a pro-Sandinista, anti-Reagan" protester, the then-sophomore wrote in a campus newspaper. "Only in an atmosphere where all voices are heard, where all moral standards are openly and honestly discussed and debated, can the truth emerge."<br /><br />Gorsuch often sounded those themes a call for intellectual diversity and open debate, coupled with a dismissiveness of protesters as he became one of the right's most outspoken, though nuanced, voices on the Manhattan campus. He co-founded a conservative newspaper, wrote for the main campus daily and ran for the university senate.<br /><br />The Denver-based federal appellate judge also displayed a sense of humor back then, not unlike the late Antonin Scalia, the justice he could replace as President Donald Trump's candidate for the high court.<br /><br />"The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer," reads the Henry Kissinger joke that appears beside Gorsuch's 1988 yearbook photo.<br /><br />In his college writings, Gorsuch took on many of the most controversial issues of the day. He defended then-President Ronald Reagan early in the Iran-Contra scandal secret dealings to sell U.S. arms to Iran and funnel proceeds to Contra rebels fighting Nicaragua's Marxist Sandinista government. Yet Gorsuch also faulted Reagan's foreign policy as indecisive.<br /><br />In an era of anti-apartheid student activism that sought to pressure universities to sell investments in South Africa-related businesses, Gorsuch cautioned that divestment could harm the university's endowment and scholarships, while calling the cause "unquestionably an honorable one."<br /><br />Asked in a student candidate questionnaire whether military recruiters should be barred from campus at a time when gays were prohibited from serving in uniform, he pivoted to a defense of free speech. At a time of rampant national concern and often misunderstanding about the spread of AIDS, he said requiring AIDS patients at Columbia to report their illness to the university's health service would violate their privacy.<br /><br />As for whether Columbia's core curriculum should include more female and minority authors, an issue that was dawning as a major culture clash between multiculturalists and traditionalists on American campuses, Gorsuch wrote simply: "If possible, yes."<br /><br />To former colleagues on the start-up Federalist Paper, co-founder Gorsuch was a thoughtful, unseasonably mature student dedicated to fostering debate on campus.<br /><br />"He was not an ideologue," says M. Adel Aslani-Far, a former writer and editor for the paper. "At his core was that things should be thought through and presented and argued, not in a confrontational sense, but in the lawyer-judge sense."<br /><br />Even during bleary-eyed, wee-hours sessions of squeezing an issue into print, Gorsuch made sure any cuts to "pro" and "con" commentaries didn't chop either argument unequally, said Aslani-Far, now a corporate lawyer. Stephen Later, a former Federalist Paper editor who's now a corporate attorney in Pinehurst, North Carolina, remembers Gorsuch as "brilliant, reflective and fundamentally decent."<br /><br />Even Gorsuch's political adversaries from Columbia recall him as civil and genteel. But they also recall that he once suggested he might sue fellow students over what he said was an inaccurate claim that his newspaper got backing from a conservative foundation.<br /><br />And they can't forget how he sneered at campus activism, ridiculing Columbia's frequent student demonstrations as "rites of spring." Protests over issues that included student elections, punishment for blockading buildings and a fraternity system under scrutiny over its treatment of women and black students "inspire no one and offer no fresh ideas or important notions," Gorsuch, a fraternity member, wrote shortly before his ahead-of-schedule 1988 graduation as a political science major.<br /><br />Inspire no one? "Racial justice and freedom of speech and sexual assault and misogynistic behavior at frats, those were burning issues, and they remain burning issues to this day," says Andrea Miller, a former opinion-page editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator, who published Gorsuch's columns and was entangled in the controversy over the Federalist Paper's funding. She's now president of the National Institute of Reproductive Health.<br /><br />Gorsuch's court staff in Colorado referred questions about his college years to the White House, which didn't immediately respond.<br /><br />The son of a Reagan administration official, Gorsuch arrived in 1985 at a campus charged with liberal activism. The previous spring, students pushing for divestment had barricaded a campus building for three weeks.<br /><br />Late in his freshman year, he ran for the university senate. He was disqualified for violating campaign-poster placement rules; he said the breach was unintentional.<br /><br />But Gorsuch soon cemented his place in campus politics and commentary with the Federalist Paper, which he founded with three other students. Gorsuch's federalist views have stayed with him during a decade on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In many of his decisions, Gorsuch has favored extending greater power to states, counties, towns and American Indian tribes and has criticized what he views as government overreach.<br /><br />As a Federalist Paper editor, he wrote relatively few articles. It's unclear what role he played in unsigned editorials, including one that called on "everyone at this university to take a deep breath, count to 10 and relax" until more facts came to light about a melee involving black students and white fraternity brothers, some of them Gorsuch's. The university ultimately found "racial harassment" occurred and disciplined an unnamed white student for verbal abuse. But police said they were unable to make arrests because the black students had refused to be interviewed.<br /><br />Overall, Gorsuch was "someone who encouraged the floating of ideas for discussion," willing to play devil's advocate to spur conversation, said one of the writers and editors for the Federalist Paper, Eric Prager, now a corporate attorney.<br /><br />He describes the Fed as centrist. But to former campus activist-turned-civil rights lawyer Jordan Kushner of Minneapolis, Gorsuch was anything but.<br /><br />"He's good at sounding reasonable, but ... he took really right-wing positions" on protesters and the Iran-Contra affair, says Kushner, who tangled with Gorsuch on various issues. Congressional committees investigating Iran-Contra eventually found "the rule of law was subverted," and Reagan bore ultimate responsibility for aides' wrongdoing.<br /><br />By 1989, a newly graduated Gorsuch reflected on the Federalist Paper in another writer's Spectator article about conservatives on campus.<br /><br />"I'm not sure that conservatism and Columbia can be easily connected," Gorsuch said. "However, the debate has been opened up considerably, and this is good."<br /><br />The AP National Investigative Team can be reached at <br /><br />2017-02-05 18:32:47 GMT<br />

'av' At Liberal Columbia u Gorsuch Raised A Conservative Voice

NEW YORK (AP) As a conservative student at Columbia University in the mid-1980s, future Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was a politica...

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[RC] Romanian Protesters Get Key Concession Seek More Changes

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_N4lzrp61XK1P5KjX8rD2zofxHiCc1xyx1ldGWMy0VIPYow9I8NraRobwKoApm6LZMmsMxJ5TQDpqmYFt0eFtaV8Ix8Dvzk9cATunSmL7Midu2cDBQj5iCjqI2ZCRlT1EKGjYQbJ86loJ/s1600/13063033_G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Romanian Protesters Get Key Concession Image" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_N4lzrp61XK1P5KjX8rD2zofxHiCc1xyx1ldGWMy0VIPYow9I8NraRobwKoApm6LZMmsMxJ5TQDpqmYFt0eFtaV8Ix8Dvzk9cATunSmL7Midu2cDBQj5iCjqI2ZCRlT1EKGjYQbJ86loJ/s320/13063033_G.jpg" title="Romanian Protesters Get Key Concession Seek More Changes" width="320" /></a></div> <b>BUCHAREST</b>,<i><b> Romania</b></i> (AP) The largest anti-government crowds since the violent 1989 revolution that toppled dictator Nicolae Ceausescu succeeded Sunday in pressuring Romania's new government to repeal a hastily adopted decree that would have eased penalties for official corruption.<br /><br />The law, opposed by the influential Romanian Orthodox Church, would have weakened the country's emerging anti-corruption effort, which has begun to make progress against a ruling culture accustomed to acting with impunity.<br /><br />The government backed down Sunday following six days of street protests, but plans to introduce another version of the law in Parliament, where it would be debated and possibly passed.<br /><br />The late-night introduction last week of an emergency ordinance to turn a blind eye toward abuse in office by officials if the amount involved was less than about $48,500 provoked a lightning response from Romania's civil society.<br /><br />Nightly throngs in Bucharest and other major cities pit angry citizens who believe a modern, pro-European Romania must not condone corruption in high places against a moneyed elite that stands to benefit, if the law eventually passes.<br /><br />"We want all people to be equal before the law, and no privileges for the people in Parliament," said retired engineer Profira Popo, protesting in crowded Victory Square. "This government is organized from the high level to the low like a mafia, and we don't want something like this."<br /><br />Opponents see it as legitimizing criminal activity if it's done by people with influence. It would not only go lightly on future offenses, but take some politicians off the hook for cases pending against them.<br /><br />"The law protects a layer of ex-Communist politicians who kept stealing for years," said software engineer Dorin Popa, 36, who was carrying a somewhat vulgar sign about the government. He said the tough anti-corruption drive which began in 2008 had "panicked" the ruling elite.<br /><br />"The rule of law is kind of working, so the only thing they can do is change the law," he said. "They think the Romanian people are fools."<br /><br />The protests so far have been largely peaceful, even festive. Parents brought young children and large pets, while volunteers distributed fresh-baked sweets to kids bundled up in wool hats and winter wear.<br /><br />Even after the repeal, tens of thousands packed the Victory Square outside the government offices Sunday evening, waving Romanian flags, blowing horns and carrying giant puppets of politicians dressed as convicts. They yelled, "You thieves!" and "Resign!"<br /><br />Thousands protested in the cities of Cluj, Timisoara, Craiova, Ploiesti and even in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau.<br /><br />There was also a pro-government demonstration Sunday as several hundred people gathered around the presidential palace to protest President Klaus Iohannis' decision to side with the protesters seeking repeal of the measure.<br /><br />One part of the ordinance that gained less attention also would weaken human rights protections and ease penalties for related crimes.<br /><br />It would have substantially reduced the sentences for officials who violated or restricted the rights of people based on race, religion, disability or HIV status.<br /><br />It would also, in some cases, decriminalize discrimination committed by officials.<br /><br />Cristi Danilet, a judge at the Cluj Court, and a former member of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, said the changes would open the door toward future abuses.<br /><br />"It creates the possibility of issuing racist legislation," he said.<br /><br />Amid the sounds of the Romanian national anthem and the red, yellow and blue colors of the national flags waving at Victory Square, gymnasium owner Cornel Sain, 53, carried an American flag. Sain said he wanted to thank U.S. officials for calling for a repeal of the law.<br /><br />He said the huge crowds of the last six days reminded him of the 1989 revolt that ushered in the post-communist era as Soviet rule collapsed in Romania and much of Eastern Europe.<br /><br />"This fight is different than 1989 no bullets, no casualties. It's a moral fight. But it's almost as important," Sain said. "That fight was... with death and suffering. This is a fight for hope."<br /><br />Romania's Constitutional Court is still scheduled to rule on the legality of the just-repealed proposal. Among those it might have benefited is Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea, whose path to becoming prime minister is effectively blocked by corruption charges.<br /><br />Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, who is also a Social Democrat, said the draft should respect the court's rulings, European directives and Romania's criminal code.<br /><br />Sain said the new government, in power just one month, must step down despite its reversal on the emergency decree.<br /><br />"It's too late," he said of the government's about-face on the new law. "Their credibility is zero."<br /><br />2017-02-05 19:29:02 GMT<br />

[RC] Romanian Protesters Get Key Concession Seek More Changes

BUCHAREST , Romania (AP) The largest anti-government crowds since the violent 1989 revolution that toppled dictator Nicolae Ceausescu su...

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'BL' Anger & Confusion Over Trump’s Wall

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIG_xiiu9nUiOxFfVulMQpj78NQW_CLITqLfdBHCeWNGi2fUo_QVvjb6zjJghP5-Ypa8NJT7hYVg3YS7XwRISRDppWl7Mp539ipuFUAb3KS4UCabxFS4FVhuIHJ5AWA5Rq-rkoAGperrIx/s1600/AFP_KV8H8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIG_xiiu9nUiOxFfVulMQpj78NQW_CLITqLfdBHCeWNGi2fUo_QVvjb6zjJghP5-Ypa8NJT7hYVg3YS7XwRISRDppWl7Mp539ipuFUAb3KS4UCabxFS4FVhuIHJ5AWA5Rq-rkoAGperrIx/s320/AFP_KV8H8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <i><b>PHILADELPHIA</b></i> - On a chaotic sixth day of Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House on Thursday appeared to back a 20 percent tax on all imports from Mexico to the United States to pay for a proposed border wall, only to insist a few hours later that it was not endorsing the plan.<br /><br />The mixed messages from White House press secretary Sean Spicer came hours after Mexico’s president pulled out of next week’s planned visit to Washington, D.C., part of a day that also saw a wave of resignations by senior State Department officials, a presidential visit to Philadelphia that was greeted by huge street demonstrations, and White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon telling The New York Times that the media should “keep its mouth shut.”<br /><br />Separately, the Times reported that the Trump White House is drafting a presidential directive that calls on Defense Secretary James N. Mattis to devise plans to more aggressively strike the Islamic State, which could include US artillery on the ground in Syria and Army attack helicopters to support an assault on the group’s capital, Raqqa.<br /><br />Trump, who is to make his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief on Friday, will demand that the new options be presented to him within 30 days, the officials said. During the presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly said that he had a secret plan to defeat the Islamic State, but he also said that he would give his commanders a month to come up with other options.<br /><br />Trump traveled to Philadelphia Thursday to attend a retreat for GOP members of the House and Senate where he called on fellow Republicans to help him enact ‘‘great and lasting change.’’<br /><br />The president was greeted by cheers as he took the stage in a hotel ballroom, telling lawmakers, ‘‘This Congress is going to be the busiest Congress in decades - maybe ever.’’<br /><br />He addressed lawmakers shortly after Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto canceled a trip to Washington next week for his first meeting with the new president due to their disagreement over which of their countries would pay to build Trump’s promised wall on the border between them.<br /><br />The wall is part of Trump’s plan to halt illegal immigration to the United States, and he has long insisted that Mexico will pay. Peña Nieto insists his country will not.<br /><br />On the flight back to Washington, Spicer told reporters traveling with the president that Trump will seek a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall, the most specific proposal Trump has ever floated for how to cover a project estimated to cost between $12 billion and $15 billion. Congressional approval would be needed for such a step.<br /><br />‘‘By doing that, we can do $10 billion a year and easily pay for the wall just through that mechanism alone,’’ Spicer said. ‘‘This is something that we've been in close contact with both houses in moving forward and creating a plan.’’<br /><br />But the announcement sparked immediate confusion across Washington, and the White House tried to backtrack. At the White House, Spicer and other officials tried to take back his earlier comments.<br /><br />During a hastily arranged briefing in the West Wing, chief of staff Reince Priebus said a 20 percent import tax was one idea in ‘‘a buffet of options’’ to pay for the border wall.<br /><br />Business groups and lawmakers immediately threw cold water on the tax, saying it would ultimately be passed on to US consumers.<br /><br />“Simply put, any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina tweeted.<br /><br />In Trump’s remarks to lawmakers, he cast the cancellation of his engagement with Pena Nieto as a mutual decision.<br /><br />He said that ‘‘unless Mexico is going to treat the United States fairly, with respect, such a meeting would be fruitless, and I want to go a different route. We have no choice.’’<br /><br />Both Peña Nieto and Spicer said on Thursday that their countries were interested in maintaining positive relations. ‘‘We will keep the lines of communication open,’’ Spicer told reporters in Washington, adding that the White House would ‘‘look for a date to schedule something in the future.’’<br /><br />Mexicans view a wall across the 2,000-mile border as a symbolic affront, part of a package of Trump policies that could cause the country serious economic pain.<br /><br />They include a crackdown on illegal immigrants, who send billions of dollars home, and renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.<br /><br />The treaty has allowed trade between the neighbors to mushroom. Every day, goods valued at $1.4 billion cross the US-Mexico border, and millions of jobs are linked to trade on both sides.<br /><br />Mexico is the world’s second-largest customer for American-made products, and 80 percent of Mexican exports - automobiles, flat-screen TVs, avocados - are sold to the United States.<br /><br />Major harm to Mexico’s economy could spur more people to somehow cross the border to the United States — undercutting Trump’s major goal of stopping illegal immigration.<br /><br />Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain also spoke at the Republican gathering, embracing Trump as a friend and ally, but cautioning him not to turn his back on global institutions and long-established political values.<br /><br />On her first visit to the United States as prime minister, May called the start of Trump’s term ‘‘a new era of American renewal’’ — but firmly rejected the president’s suggestion that torture of suspected terrorists might be acceptable, and rebuffed some of his foreign-policy views.<br /><br />May flew to Philadelphia a day before she will hold talks with Trump at the White House and become the first foreign leader to meet the president since his inauguration.<br /><br />Thousands of anti-Trump protesters marched in the area around the hotel where the retreat was being held, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.<br /><br />The State Department said Thursday that several senior management officials as well as a top arms control diplomat would be leaving the agency.<br /><br />All had submitted their resignations prior to Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration as is required of officials holding jobs appointed by the president.<br /><br />They were not required to leave the foreign service but chose to retire or resign for personal reasons, the department said.<br /><br />While none of the officials has linked their departure explicitly to Trump, many diplomats have privately expressed concern about serving in his administration given the unorthodox positions he’s taken on many foreign policy issues.<br /><br />Turnover among senior leadership during presidential transitions is not unusual, although the career diplomats who are leaving the foreign service entirely had served under both Republican and Democratic presidents.<br /><br />In an interview published by The New York Times on Thursday, Bannon argued that news organizations “ should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while.”<br /><br />“I want you to quote this,” Bannon added. “The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.”<br /><br />The conversation was initiated by Bannon to offer praise for Spicer, who has been criticized this week for making false claims at the White House podium.<br /><br />Asked whether he was concerned that Spicer had lost credibility with the press, Bannon chortled. “Are you kidding me?” he said. “We think that’s a badge of honor. ‘Questioning his integrity’ - are you kidding me? The media has zero integrity, zero intelligence, and no hard work.”<br /><br />Material from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press was included in this report.<br />

'BL' Anger & Confusion Over Trump’s Wall

PHILADELPHIA - On a chaotic sixth day of Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House on Thursday appeared to back a 20 percent tax on all ...

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BL: Burdened With Debt, Law School Graduates Struggle in Job Market

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DFF7eMCf8XgyaqBmZQvp7cK_i1hEgppGbOFeHgWS-wuJXld4KqTYBolAWD61yRrO9Kyx4YlmYBAJ_jhHLhfzuyGpYAGU8kt5KFMMQUgbCiC5V-B3HILi6RNbfo91RDVqztaZhWKT2MUI/s1600/27db-law-master1050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DFF7eMCf8XgyaqBmZQvp7cK_i1hEgppGbOFeHgWS-wuJXld4KqTYBolAWD61yRrO9Kyx4YlmYBAJ_jhHLhfzuyGpYAGU8kt5KFMMQUgbCiC5V-B3HILi6RNbfo91RDVqztaZhWKT2MUI/s320/27db-law-master1050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Jonathan Wang has not practiced law since he graduated from Columbia Law School in 2010, but he did not plan it that way.<br /><br />When he entered law school, the economy was flourishing, and he had every reason to think that with a prestigious degree he was headed for a secure well-paying career. He convinced his parents, who work in Silicon Valley, that he had a plan. “I would spend three years at school in New York, then work for a big law firm and make $160,000 a year,” said Mr. Wang, 29. “And someday, I would become a partner and live the good life.”<br /><br />Mr. Wang, who works in Manhattan as a tutor for the law school admissions exam, is living a life far different from the one he envisioned. And he is not alone. About 20 percent of law graduates from 2010 are working at jobs that do not require a law license, according to a new study, and only 40 percent are working in law firms, compared with 60 percent from the class a decade earlier. To pay the bills, the 2010 graduates have taken on a variety of jobs, some that do not require admission to the bar; others have struck out on their own with solo practices. Most of the graduates have substantial student debt.<br /><br />Even as law school enrollment was peaking in 2010 - reaching 52,488, according to American Bar Association figures - those graduating were not receiving job offers from firms where they were interning. And offers to some students were rescinded.<br />Continue reading the main story<br />Related Coverage<br /> <br />Welcome to Your First Year as a Lawyer. Your Salary Is $160,000. 16 April, 2015<br /><br />“None of this was on my radar,” Mr. Wang said, “but it began to be obvious by the time second-year summer internships were over. We knew things were depressed, but then the legs were cut out from under us.”<br /><br />After the economic collapse in the fall of 2008, corporations began to cut spending on legal matters, and law firms, in turn, began to reduce their hiring and even laid off employees. The legal profession was undergoing the early wave of turbulence that left graduates in subsequent classes facing a harsher job market that has shown few signs of a robust recovery. But the class of 2010 was the first to experience it full force.<br /><br />At the time, legal scholars predicted that when the economy turned the corner, the new graduates would find jobs. But the checkered job outcomes for the 2010 law graduates could be predicted by their early employment numbers, said Deborah J. Merritt, a law professor at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.<br /><br />She wrote “What Happened to the Class of 2010? Empirical Evidence of Structural Change in the Legal Profession,” a study published in March that examined the careers of those graduates and the legal marketplace.<br /><br />Professor Merritt combined public data, including court records and the employment outcomes of more than 1,200 lawyers who received their law degrees in 2010 and then passed the Ohio bar, with information from the National Association of Law Placement recorded for the same class nationally. She concluded that the 2010 class had not recovered in the ensuing years.<br /><br />“Employment has improved only marginally for the class,” she said, “with unemployment at 6 percent, many fewer lawyers working at law firms and a leap in the percentage of solo practitioners.<br /><br />“These outcomes contrast markedly with those from the 2000 graduating class, which was also shadowed by an economic recession but were later able to better their positions,” she said. “But that type of progress has not occurred for the Class of 2010.”<br /><br />With law firms cutting back, she said, most available positions “fall within modest-paying categories: solo practice, small firms, government work and business jobs that do not require bar admission.”<br /><br />And they might be the lucky ones, according to some 2010 graduates who said they were “too ashamed that I have not found a legal job” to allow their names to be mentioned. One law school graduate who said he did not want to draw attention to his lack of permanent employment said he was “doing rote legal temp work on the side to pay rent.”<br /><br />“I dare not put it on my resume because it makes you instantly non prestigious and unemployable,” he added.<br /><br />Others, like G. Troy Pickett, 44, of Houston, who worked as a bartender in Austin before going back to school with the intent of becoming a big-firm mergers and acquisitions lawyer, opted to set up their own practices.<br /><br />“I began to realize that I had set the bar too high, but I kept thinking that if I could get my foot in the door, I could do it,” he said of his decision to attend South Texas College of Law in Houston.<br /><br />Then he saw that fewer firms were recruiting on campus and job offers were evaporating.<br /><br />“It was a double whammy. Our class was also competing with third- and fourth-year associates who had been laid off,” he said. He took the Texas bar exam six months early while still in law school to save time and money. The same day he passed, in June 2010, he and a fellow student formed a law practice, which handles family law issues like divorces and child custody.<br /><br />Another 2010 graduate, Hyatt Shirkey, 30, who received his diploma in May 2010 from Ohio State’s law school, moved to Virginia, where he passed the bar the following July, and decided to open his own practice after juggling several jobs.<br /><br />“When I started law school, it was still a great era,” he said. “I had some good experiences, including working for a federal judge in Columbus, Ohio. Then, the end of my second year in school, I saw that law firm offers were being pushed back.”<br /><br />“There was a glut of people in the job market, and the only job I could find did not require a law license,” added Mr. Shirkey, who first ran the paralegal studies program for a private college in Roanoke, Va. He eventually found work at the Roanoke public defender’s office but kept his part-time job at the paralegal program and another as a server at a Cracker Barrel restaurant.<br /><br />Since then, he found a job teaching contract law at a local community college and opened a solo practice in criminal defense to “build up my experience and reputation” so he could qualify for an opening in the United States attorney’s office. For now, he receives referrals for cases that the public defender cannot take on, but he said practicing on his own was uncertain financially. And, like more than 80 percent of law school graduates, he has substantial student debt.<br /><br />Over all, nearly 85 percent of law graduates have taken out student loans, according to the website Law School Transparency, and 2010 law graduates accumulated debt averaging $77,364 at public law schools and $112,007 at private ones.<br /><br />Many have received financial hardship deferments or, like Mr. Shirkey, who accumulated $328,000 in student debt, including some undergraduate loans, received credits for public interest work. Federal government rules, revised last year, allow student borrowers who work in nonprofit and public sector jobs to have their loans forgiven after 10 years and to pay back their college loans based on their income and expenses.<br /><br />“Otherwise, I would be very, very much in a pickle,” Mr. Shirkey said. “I anticipate that I will wind up working for the government or a nonprofit because I will need the credits to take care of my loan burden.<br /><br />“Every time I look at the debt amount,” he said, “my heart beats a little harder.”<br /><br />After he graduated, Mr. Wang had a yearlong fellowship with a state court judge, but when that ended in 2011, the “market was still awful,” he said. After he was admitted to the New York State bar, he turned to tutoring and law school advising to pay his rent and loans.<br /><br />“I thought the LSAT tutoring gig was going to be a temporary thing, but five years and one bar admission renewal later, here I am,” he said. His business has greatly expanded and he makes over $100 an hour, but that is far below what he would make at a law firm. “I waffle constantly, but I’m still in the mind-set that I need to find a real job,” he said.<br /> <br />

BL: Burdened With Debt, Law School Graduates Struggle in Job Market

Jonathan Wang has not practiced law since he graduated from Columbia Law School in 2010, but he did not plan it that way. When he entered ...

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[BL] The 20 American law school programs that lead graduates to the highest salaries

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ4kuGZXOR_jZ5Q0ifm_aJIWNw08ouJe8XqRLIX2f5NPleqHLIfNwiM7A4a_ZGHUMz3gVMl1XFjC_NXV2pw7dcRDsiaxTNNH0sfr0XbaOY51HIzqx7Ma10XBGqs1ROYsqvrdyYyMmvaSV/s1600/112894118681226232553784756364140436404192o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ4kuGZXOR_jZ5Q0ifm_aJIWNw08ouJe8XqRLIX2f5NPleqHLIfNwiM7A4a_ZGHUMz3gVMl1XFjC_NXV2pw7dcRDsiaxTNNH0sfr0XbaOY51HIzqx7Ma10XBGqs1ROYsqvrdyYyMmvaSV/s400/112894118681226232553784756364140436404192o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Earning a law degree was once a sure-fire path to a lucrative career. Law school <a href="http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/reports/2015_law_graduate_employment_data.authcheckdam.pdf" target="_blank">enrollment remains high</a>, but an over saturation of lawyers has left graduates <a href="http://bostonbusinesslayers.blogspot.com/2017/01/bl-burdened-with-debt-law-school.html" target="_blank"><b>struggling in the job market</b></a>. Even the grads who find jobs aren't guaranteed a six-figure salary, leaving many stuck under a mountain of student debt.<br /> <br /> For its new report exploring the value of a law school degree, online lender SoFi culled data from 60,000 of its student loan refinancing applicants who self-identified as having a law degree and, on average, three years of work experience.<br /> <br /> They used the applicants' self-reported data to determine which schools produce the highest-earning graduates and how that salary compares to the amount of student debt they incurred. About 20% of applicants reached the underwriting stage where their degree and salary were verified by SoFi.<br /> <br /> SoFi ranked 218 law school programs, excluding schools for which they didn't have sufficient data. When ranked solely by average salary, the data shows that while banner laws schools like Harvard and Yale expectedly produce high earners, a degree from a prestigious school isn't the only ticket to big earnings.<br /> <br /> Grads of the top-20 law schools on SoFi's list earn an average salary of $166,155 three years after graduating. And the top-3 schools - all located in New York - earn upwards of $175,000. Moreover, each school on the list leaves grads with a positive salary-to-debt ratio where they earn more money in a year than they owe in student debt.<br /> <br /> Below, check out SoFi's ranking of the 20 law schools that lead grads to the highest salaries.

[BL] The 20 American law school programs that lead graduates to the highest salaries

Earning a law degree was once a sure-fire path to a lucrative career. Law school enrollment remains high , but an over saturation of lawye...

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(NY) New York State cracking down on fake 'going out of business' sales

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1euGeNk3k8Gds087dy5_Sx4e-_VG8UyeU758Qa3mGOX5ZJt-KWnMSnmDxolObevK41XaBlAjHvum2lkOCxw8f0ApOFQ7nOsuY11xD_j_vxr8xf-2HXJvAGZSOk7rmV2C1YdxHogRk8tAf/s1600/dffdffs.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1euGeNk3k8Gds087dy5_Sx4e-_VG8UyeU758Qa3mGOX5ZJt-KWnMSnmDxolObevK41XaBlAjHvum2lkOCxw8f0ApOFQ7nOsuY11xD_j_vxr8xf-2HXJvAGZSOk7rmV2C1YdxHogRk8tAf/s400/dffdffs.PNG" width="400" /></a></div> As you walk through a mall or shopping plaza, you might run into the occasional "going out of business" sale sign.<br /> <br /> But sometimes there are stores that put those signs up just to lure people in – and they're not really closing.<br /> <br /> New York State has a law that bans this practice – and now Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Bruce says they’re cracking down to protect people from becoming victims of false advertising.<br /> <br /> The state Attorney General's office says some retailers advertise anywhere from 60 percent to 90 percent off in phony closing sales just to get you to buy merchandise.<br /> <br /> "I have seen stores that have one price, and then you go in and it's a totally different price,” said shopper Roxanne Reid. “Even on the display it'll say a certain price, then when you take it to the register it's a lot higher than what it is."<br /> <br /> In New York State, there's a law meant to protect consumers called the New York State Going out of Business Law.<br /> <br /> "The law was put into place to handle what had been widespread fraud in going out of business sales,” said Bruce. “When consumers consider the most attractive offers for products that they might buy, it's in a situation when a company is going out of business."<br /> <br /> And when that happens, consumers have a right to expect that the inventory that's on hand is what's for sale.<br /> <br /> "They can expect that the prices are going to be lower prices, because they're trying to sacrifice that inventory so that they can close,” Bruce said. “And the law is intended so that the expectation is met by companies."<br /> <br /> In order for companies to abide by that expectation, they must receive a permit from the town or city where the business is located indicating that the company is going out of business. This lets customers know it's real.<br /> <br /> "The law also requires that when a company gets its license to go out of business, that it puts the license number on its advertising,” said Bruce. “So you'll see this on television ads or you'll see this on print ads or newspapers – or if you see this online, that number has to be there as well."<br /> <br /> "If they're advertising that the products are 50 percent off or 75 percent off, and they're really selling it at the regular price that would be another form of false advertising," Bruce added.<br /> <br /> The Attorney General's office says it's a big issue. But shoppers we spoke with say they're used to the tactic, and know better than to fall victim to it.<br /> <br /> "I've seen advertisements for stores doing that,” shopper Barbara Demay said. “You kind of don't believe it after a while."<br /> <br /> "It's a way for the store, I guess, to make a buck," said shopper Bob Teeter.<br /> <br /> The New York Attorney General's office also tells us that the only exception to this law is for businesses that sell to other businesses, because those companies don't directly sell to the consumer.

(NY) New York State cracking down on fake 'going out of business' sales

As you walk through a mall or shopping plaza, you might run into the occasional "going out of business" sale sign. But sometim...

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David W. White

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uvK4-3398EQILN1eyplUjVUEgzmZp-G_ley5VupV_EIoYSgAjPFQJSuDfHW-UNoGBLJMNeARIa6Pc8Tc8t3JH_mzh_i0IDlP13Sj_kBEW3FwKp1IWfYHIemifq_lIzfYaPo26gX97aYY/s1600/White-David-W_4dae045c-68c3-4577-8feb-30abe1106c13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="David W. White Image" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uvK4-3398EQILN1eyplUjVUEgzmZp-G_ley5VupV_EIoYSgAjPFQJSuDfHW-UNoGBLJMNeARIa6Pc8Tc8t3JH_mzh_i0IDlP13Sj_kBEW3FwKp1IWfYHIemifq_lIzfYaPo26gX97aYY/s1600/White-David-W_4dae045c-68c3-4577-8feb-30abe1106c13.jpg" title="David W. White" /></a></div> <ul> <li>Breakstone, White & Gluck, P.C.</li> <li>Two Center Plaza, Suite 530</li> <li>Boston, MA 02108</li> <li>Visit: www.bwglaw.com</li> <li>Phone: 617-723-7676</li> <li>Email: David W. White</li> <li>Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2016</li> <li>Licensed Since: 1985</li> <li>Education: Northeastern University School of Law</li> <li>Practice Areas: Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff (80%), Insurance Coverage (10%), Business Litigation (10%)</li> </ul> <h3> <span style="color: red;">Attorney Profile</span></h3> <br />I have been practicing law in Massachusetts since 1984, and have devoted my career to helping people who have been injured as a result of negligence. My practice includes all types of personal injury matters. I also handle cases against insurance companies for bad faith and unfair claims practices; I represent lawyers in disputes with their firms; and I handle business litigation.It is my goal to serve the needs of my clients, and to solve their problems as best I can. I have successfully handled personal injury cases of all types, including<br /> <br /> wrongful death, construction accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, brain injury, premises liability, train and bus accidents, spinal cord injuries, pedestrian injuries, and others. I have had experience trying cases throughout Massachusetts, including the Superior Courts, the District Courts, and the Federal District Court.Being a lawyer has helped me contribute to my community in many ways. I had the privilege of serving as the president of the<br /> <br /> Massachusetts Bar Association in 2007-2008. I actively volunteer in a variety of legal organizations. I have also volunteered in my town of Westwood, Massachusetts, and have been active in open space preservation efforts for the town. I enjoy being a lawyer, and I hope that I have a chance to help you with any legal needs you may have.

David W. White

Breakstone, White & Gluck, P.C. Two Center Plaza, Suite 530 Boston, MA 02108 Visit: www.bwglaw.com Phone: 617-723-7676 Email: Da...

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Robert P. Powers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQw0EUixkZq05iUfoFlaxaSK8RXnRU7aSeq0udASqgiN7uqsDmwn2D06uOu1AuaaXWn6qG_X9rwk5vQikUgPEfPG4cs6fl7T0jDxnEiIfCPb6pcpwZgZAefk5G1ETtT7vf28lrR8pcqev/s1600/Powers-Robert-P_7700502f-d916-4d7c-b7ac-c823e6775e27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQw0EUixkZq05iUfoFlaxaSK8RXnRU7aSeq0udASqgiN7uqsDmwn2D06uOu1AuaaXWn6qG_X9rwk5vQikUgPEfPG4cs6fl7T0jDxnEiIfCPb6pcpwZgZAefk5G1ETtT7vf28lrR8pcqev/s1600/Powers-Robert-P_7700502f-d916-4d7c-b7ac-c823e6775e27.jpg" /></a></div> <ul> <li>Melick & Porter, LLP</li> <li>One Liberty Square, 7th Floor</li> <li>Boston, MA 02109</li> <li>Visit: <a href="http://www.melicklaw.com/">www.melicklaw.com</a></li> <li>Phone: 617-502-9610</li> <li>Email: Robert P. Powers</li> <li>Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2016</li> <li>Licensed Since: 1985</li> <li>Education: The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law</li> <li>Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage (40%), Appellate (30%), Employment & Labor (30%)</li> </ul> <br /> <br /> <h3> <span style="color: red;">Attorney Profile</span></h3> <br />Bob joined the firm in 1984 after graduating from law school and has made it his professional home. In the years since, he has tried numerous jury cases in both federal and state courts involving a variety of civil matters, including professional malpractice, insurance coverage and general liability claims. Bob oversees our firm's appellate practice and has successfully argued cases before the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Among his reported decisions are Carr v. Howard, 426 Mass. 514 (1998), a seminal Massachusetts decision addressing the scope of the medical peer review privilege in malpractice litigation, and Hip saver v. Kiel, 464 Mass. 517 (2013), a key Massachusetts decision protecting medical professionals and scientists against claims of commercial disparagement based on published results of their research.<br />

Robert P. Powers

Melick & Porter, LLP One Liberty Square, 7th Floor Boston, MA 02109 Visit: www.melicklaw.com Phone: 617-502-9610 Email: Robert P...

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Emily G. Coughlin

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IVzJoPBogIBi1dMlnaXevgdtS0Zia484BcDJlUjRldRWCtC7O3MOqUH_GV-_tknwESX7eQ9U7F7x_mkqFqi7tPplFl3HwkkzLqKHHe6F-9cJVE8iNBCzVLhoEYJrmWIYlc_6yUrR991K/s1600/Coughlin-Emily-G_a9c37aea-6f7a-446b-ab16-41d4107b3a55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IVzJoPBogIBi1dMlnaXevgdtS0Zia484BcDJlUjRldRWCtC7O3MOqUH_GV-_tknwESX7eQ9U7F7x_mkqFqi7tPplFl3HwkkzLqKHHe6F-9cJVE8iNBCzVLhoEYJrmWIYlc_6yUrR991K/s1600/Coughlin-Emily-G_a9c37aea-6f7a-446b-ab16-41d4107b3a55.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <ul> <li>Coughlin Betke, LLP</li> <li>175 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110</li> <li>Visit: <a href="http://www.coughlinbetke.com/">www.coughlinbetke.com</a></li> <li>Phone: 617-988-8050</li> <li>Selected to Super Lawyers: 2015 - 2016</li> <li>Licensed Since: 1989</li> <li>Education: Suffolk University Law School</li> <li>Practice Areas: Civil Litigation: Defense (20%), Insurance Coverage (20%), Employment Litigation: Defense (20%),</li> <li>Professional Liability: Defense (20%), Personal Injury - General: Defense (10%), Construction Litigation: Business (10%)</li> </ul> <br /> <h3> <span style="color: red;">Attorney Profile:</span></h3> <br /> <br />Emily G. Coughlin, a founding partner of the law firm of Coughlin Betke, LLP, provides knowledgeable and astute representation to her clients in Boston, Massachusetts, Massachusetts statewide, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Ms. Coughlin's civil litigation practice is broad, divided between business and commercial law, construction and environmental law, employment law, fire and casualty, insurance, premises liability, products liability, professional liability, and tort law.<br /><br />Prior to attending law school, Ms. Coughlin first received her undergraduate degree from Brown University, from which she graduated cum laude. She then matriculated at Suffolk University Law School, graduating cum laude with her Juris Doctor. Admitted to practice in Massachusetts, Ms. Coughlin is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.<br /><br />Ms. Coughlin's work experience has been rich and varied. Her successes as an attorney in her more than 26 years of practice have led her to receive the respect of her clients and peers alike. She has received an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating an attorney can receive for a combination of legal skills and ethics. She served as a Massachusetts state representative for three years and now is in the midst of a three-year term serving as a national director on the board of directors of the Defense Research Institute.<br /><br />Ms. Coughlin is actively involved in a number of professional organizations. She is a past president of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association and currently serves on its board of directors. Ms. Coughlin is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, an organization in which membership is made by invitation only following an intensive review by other lawyers. She is additionally a member of both the American and Massachusetts bar associations.<br /><br />*AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent® and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general practice standards.<br /><br />

Emily G. Coughlin

Coughlin Betke, LLP 175 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110 Visit: www.coughlinbetke.com Phone: 617-988-8050 Selected to Super Lawyers:...

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Anthony J. Antonellis

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABzjJYb5iWY2dz6iH1pB85eiUsSZM8UP-1s1_YzlUeMg8l6ErCg8Mv6odhvtQmPnwR5cdyf3SaTcjlGG2sIszx0c7t0ZomD5g8-vG_wf38nKViNblzatf0UVjFnT3QCuRaYZvCqoHUYJj/s1600/Antonellis-Anthony-J_99872ced-7f0f-45f3-9996-14d83d8e10ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABzjJYb5iWY2dz6iH1pB85eiUsSZM8UP-1s1_YzlUeMg8l6ErCg8Mv6odhvtQmPnwR5cdyf3SaTcjlGG2sIszx0c7t0ZomD5g8-vG_wf38nKViNblzatf0UVjFnT3QCuRaYZvCqoHUYJj/s1600/Antonellis-Anthony-J_99872ced-7f0f-45f3-9996-14d83d8e10ed.jpg" /></a></div> <ul> <li>Sloane and Walsh LLP</li> <li>Three Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108</li> <li>Visit: <a href="http://www.sloanewalsh.com/">www.sloanewalsh.com</a></li> <li>Phone: 617-523-6010</li> <li>Selected to Super Lawyers: 2013 - 2016</li> <li>Licensed Since: 1991</li> <li>Education: Suffolk University Law School</li> <li>Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage (50%), Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff (10%), Class Action/Mass Torts (10%), Civil Litigation: Defense (10%), Construction Litigation: Business (10%), General Litigation (10%)</li> </ul> <h3> <span style="color: red;">Attorney Profile</span></h3> <br />Attorney Anthony J. Antonellis is a senior partner at Sloane and Walsh LLP. Concentrating his practice on insurance defense, Mr. Antonellis represents both businesses and individuals in Boston and throughout Massachusetts in matters involving accidents, property loss, product liability and other insurance-related disputes.<br /><br />A graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, Mr. Antonellis earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in Boston. After graduation, Mr. Antonellis worked as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He also held several roles in the United States Navy, including serving as a trial lawyer. He is admitted to practice in the state courts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as the U.S. district courts for those states, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.<br /><br />Many of the cases Mr. Antonellis works with involve large commercial properties and developments. He has worked as an insurance umpire and appraiser and is a graduate of Vale Training Solutions' construction program.<br /><br />Committed to professional education, Mr. Antonellis has served as an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has also lectured for institutions including the National Park Service, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and Boston University School of Law, and he also participated as an instructor at the Naval Justice School.<br /><br />Mr. Antonellis belongs to professional organizations including the Defense Research Institute, the National Association of Subrogation Professionals, the National Fire Protection Association and the Property and Liability Resource Bureau. He also belongs to numerous bar associations and is a member of the United States Power Squadrons.<br />

Anthony J. Antonellis

Sloane and Walsh LLP Three Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108 Visit: www.sloanewalsh.com Phone: 617-523-6010 Selected to Super Lawyers: 2...

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Top Rated And Verified Insurance Coverage Lawyers in Boston, MA

<h3> Nearby Cities:  Beverly, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton</h3> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-I3Ogc1S9fWAfOPWliXKtSMb7IWak_AGM9E0Ii6q8OpVE5JxcDgSADVrnDcgdLwVeS1VUOC3GR616FODtQvjo0po_Ind7p9qRkWvhSPHgCcpu26zVq616886F-xutOGifSc0KMlaNmJy/s1600/Antonellis-Anthony-J_99872ced-7f0f-45f3-9996-14d83d8e10ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-I3Ogc1S9fWAfOPWliXKtSMb7IWak_AGM9E0Ii6q8OpVE5JxcDgSADVrnDcgdLwVeS1VUOC3GR616FODtQvjo0po_Ind7p9qRkWvhSPHgCcpu26zVq616886F-xutOGifSc0KMlaNmJy/s1600/Antonellis-Anthony-J_99872ced-7f0f-45f3-9996-14d83d8e10ed.jpg" /></a></div> <ul> <li><a href="http://bostonbusinesslayers.blogspot.com/2017/01/anthony-j-antonellis.html" target="_blank"><b> Anthony Antonellis</b></a></li> <li> Top Rated Insurance Law Lawyer</li> <li> Sloane and Walsh, LLP</li> <li> Boston, MA</li> <li> We provide insurance defense and coverage representation to all major insurance companies and their insureds</li> <li>Visit: <a href="http://www.sloanewalsh.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sloanewalsh.com/</a> </li> <li>617-523-6010 </li> </ul> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSy4pPymfhqGvK4v5iW6lrDQ21YD6PXJL7vK8ayHotGrp9vE1mUl644UqRskXW69fFkZAe2iSXmgt66fxuRoIrDx5ixDBVcKpAfQfe_05eIVtyBGlK0AETho7jY-BgFM8JCnmcIzEhnbo/s1600/Coughlin-Emily-G_a9c37aea-6f7a-446b-ab16-41d4107b3a55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSy4pPymfhqGvK4v5iW6lrDQ21YD6PXJL7vK8ayHotGrp9vE1mUl644UqRskXW69fFkZAe2iSXmgt66fxuRoIrDx5ixDBVcKpAfQfe_05eIVtyBGlK0AETho7jY-BgFM8JCnmcIzEhnbo/s1600/Coughlin-Emily-G_a9c37aea-6f7a-446b-ab16-41d4107b3a55.jpg" /></a></div> <ul> <li><a href="http://bostonbusinesslayers.blogspot.com/2017/01/emily-g-coughlin.html" target="_blank"><b>Emily G. Coughlin</b></a></li> <li>Top Rated Insurance Coverage Lawyer</li> <li>Coughlin Betke</li> <li>LLPBoston, MA</li> <li>Visit: <b></b> <a href="http://www.coughlinbetke.com/">www.coughlinbetke.com</a></li> <li>617-988-8050</li> </ul> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUIaLGy5GYtqgLYNSO3HzFlgGStnZVfN918paB6gAUQnGyDZAGoGjMSxxxFqgy6iuEzCZaDXOrQAawiS8Qpb24fBrgJNtWhc-rOJBegin9GnRULZM-DxXy0LWjdirCVcPLpgYdIE37BKi/s1600/Powers-Robert-P_7700502f-d916-4d7c-b7ac-c823e6775e27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUIaLGy5GYtqgLYNSO3HzFlgGStnZVfN918paB6gAUQnGyDZAGoGjMSxxxFqgy6iuEzCZaDXOrQAawiS8Qpb24fBrgJNtWhc-rOJBegin9GnRULZM-DxXy0LWjdirCVcPLpgYdIE37BKi/s1600/Powers-Robert-P_7700502f-d916-4d7c-b7ac-c823e6775e27.jpg" /></a></div> <ul> <li><a href="http://bostonbusinesslayers.blogspot.com/2017/01/robert-p-powers.html" target="_blank"><b>Robert P. Powers</b></a></li> <li>Top Rated Insurance Coverage Lawyer</li> <li>Melick & Porter</li> <li>LLPBoston, MA</li> <li>Visit: <a href="http://www.melicklaw.com/">www.melicklaw.com</a></li> <li>617-502-9610</li> <li>Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004 - 2016</li> <li>Licensed Since: 1985</li> </ul> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC1si7FCPR4czUMNaVi8Btnb0yIqNN_wCfRqu1BA6byt-PYk9HNGF96-pyZCSN1CXXzr07oDE6GRwhYK4ntGYpsETpf8he8ed6yknOnxj-OLR22zaBgH07Pd5NF_Jt-fmREWEx5MkqUha/s1600/White-David-W_4dae045c-68c3-4577-8feb-30abe1106c13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC1si7FCPR4czUMNaVi8Btnb0yIqNN_wCfRqu1BA6byt-PYk9HNGF96-pyZCSN1CXXzr07oDE6GRwhYK4ntGYpsETpf8he8ed6yknOnxj-OLR22zaBgH07Pd5NF_Jt-fmREWEx5MkqUha/s1600/White-David-W_4dae045c-68c3-4577-8feb-30abe1106c13.jpg" /></a></div> <ul> <li><a href="http://bostonbusinesslayers.blogspot.com/2017/01/david-w-white.html" target="_blank"><b>David W. White</b></a></li> <li>Top Rated Insurance Coverage Lawyer</li> <li> Break stone</li> <li>White & Gluck</li> <li> P.C</li> <li> Boston, MA</li> <li> 617-723-7676</li> <li> E-mail: David W. White</li> <li>Visit: <a href="http://www.bwglaw.com/">www.bwglaw.com</a></li> </ul>

Top Rated And Verified Insurance Coverage Lawyers in Boston, MA

Nearby Cities:  Beverly, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton  Anthony Antonellis  Top Rated Insurance Law Lawyer  Sloane and Wal...

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PN: Trans Canada Makes New Application For Keystone XL

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKv8Fp2ajjVjFkfRCais5TINBogu_EfBSn6E1SYIVQphzQIovH8MCY5VuKJSVsbOwpdE1J1liVdprym9yfrirDzo0AgauvNbTspeBaRw8M6EkRZFy6aJGIeSTQ3gQ1hAywyYP1gFRehw1j/s1600/694940094001_5295828536001_Trump-takes-steps-to-resurrect-Keystone--Dakota-pipelines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKv8Fp2ajjVjFkfRCais5TINBogu_EfBSn6E1SYIVQphzQIovH8MCY5VuKJSVsbOwpdE1J1liVdprym9yfrirDzo0AgauvNbTspeBaRw8M6EkRZFy6aJGIeSTQ3gQ1hAywyYP1gFRehw1j/s320/694940094001_5295828536001_Trump-takes-steps-to-resurrect-Keystone--Dakota-pipelines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> TORONTO (AP) - The company behind the Keystone XL pipeline submitted on Thursday a new presidential permit application to the United States Department of State for approval.<br /><br />The project would move 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta to refineries along the United States Gulf Coast.<br /><br />The application by Trans Canada comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order earlier this week to expedite the project.<br /><br />Trump directed the State Department and other agencies to make a decision within 60 days of a final application. He also declared that a 2014 environmental study satisfies required reviews under environmental and endangered species laws.<br /><br />But Trump has also made a new requirement for the pipeline to be made with American steel and fabricated in the United States.<br /><br />"We're gonna make that pipe right here," Trump said to Republicans in Philadelphia on Thursday.<br /><br />Calgary, Alberta-based Trans Canada made no mention of using American materials in a statement Thursday but stressed the project would create thousands of American jobs.<br /><br />"KXL will benefit American workers, their families and the communities they live in as well as the United States economy," the company said. A spokesman for Trans Canada declined to release the application.<br /><br />Asked about possible buy American requirements, Trans Canada spokesman Terry Cunha said they know the U.S. Secretary of Commerce will come up with a plan to implement Trump's executive order.<br /><br />"We will need time to review and analyze the plan when it is released to determine its impact to KXL," Cunha said in an email.<br /><br />Former President Barack Obama rejected Keystone XL in 2015, saying it would undercut efforts to cinch a global climate change deal in his environmental agenda.<br /><br />That didn't go over well in Canada which needs infrastructure to export its growing oil sands production. Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world and is America's largest supplier of foreign oil. Ninety-seven percent of Canada's oil exports go to the United States<br /><br />Keystone XL would carry more than one-fifth of the oil Canada exports to the United States of America.<br /><br />2017-01-27 00:07:41 GMT<br />

PN: Trans Canada Makes New Application For Keystone XL

TORONTO (AP) - The company behind the Keystone XL pipeline submitted on Thursday a new presidential permit application to the United State...

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