Republicans' "Missing Millionaires" Turn Up Safe and Sound
For Republicans hoping to preserve the Bush-era tax cut windfall for the wealthy, the past week was not a happy one. While billionaire Warren Buffett asked Congress to "stop coddling the super-rich," GOP representatives found themselves under attack from constituents who polls show overwhelmingly support debt-reducing tax increases. So, it should come as no surprise that the Wall Street Journal and the right-wing echo chamber sought to drum up sympathy for the tragically rich by lamenting the "missing millionaires" supposedly beaten down by the Bush recession.
As it turns out, conservatives like Michele Bachmann who fretted that "we're running out of rich people in this country" need not have worried. As the data show, millionaires are not only making a rapid comeback. For the gilded class, the economic downturn is already over.
Neverthless, in "Millionaires Go Missing," the Wall Street Journal grumbled this week that "if equality of income is the priority, liberals should be thrilled with the last four years":
This month the IRS released more detailed tax data for 2009, and the nearby table records the decline of the taxpaying rich.
In 2007, 390,000 tax filers reported adjusted gross income of $1 million or more and paid $309 billion in taxes. In 2009, there were only 237,000 such filers, a decline of 39%. Almost four of 10 millionaires vanished in two years, and the total taxes they paid in 2009 declined to $178 billion, a drop of 42%.
Those with $10 million or more in reported income fell to 8,274 from 18,394 in 2007, a 55% drop. As a result, their tax payments tanked by 51%. These disappearing millionaires go a long way toward explaining why federal tax revenues have sunk to 15% of GDP in recent years. The loss of millionaires accounts for at least $130 billion of the higher federal budget deficit in 2009. If Warren Buffett wants to reduce the deficit, he should encourage policies to create more millionaires, not campaign to tax them more.
Fox News host Stuart Varney dutifully regurgitated the claim, declaring that "the number of millionaires, of people making the million dollars a year, down very, very sharply."
Of course, that won't be the case very long. As Froma Harrop explained the easily solved case of the "missing millionaires" earlier this year:
Did they really go poof? Or did the financial collapse of 2008 turn many million-dollar incomes into less-than-million-dollar incomes? Stock market crashes tend to do that.
A recent Deloitte presentation for wealth managers made precisely that point. Reaping most of their income from stocks, bonds and other assets, millionaires took a big hit in 2008, but are already making their way back:
The number of millionaire households in the U.S. seemed to peak in 2006. The most significant drop may have occurred during the financial crisis, although the number of millionaire households seems to have returned to its pre-crisis levels.
And to be sure, Deloitte predicts that for America's millionaires, happy days will be here again - soon. The total household wealth of American millionaires will more than double by the end of this decade:
Our analysis indicates that aggregate wealth of millionaire households in the U.S. in 2020 will likely reach $87 trillion, from $39 trillion in 2011.
The 97% of Americans who earn under $200,000 a year haven't been so quick to recover. As Reuters explained three weeks ago, "Average income in 2009 was at its lowest level since 1997 when it was $54,265 in 2009 dollars, just $18 less than in 2009."
That dip is explained in part by the temporary loss in stock market and other asset wealth for the 3% of Americans who earned over $200,000 a year. And it probably has a lot to do with the fact that in 2009, as Politico reported, a rising number of millionaires paid no taxes at all:
Though the tax rate for Americans earning a gross adjusted income of $1 million or more averaged 24.4 percent, up from 23.1 percent in 2008, that's still lower than the 28.5 percent rate they paid in 2002 when President George W. Bush was in office.
And, the data shows, the 235,413 taxpayers who reported earning seven digits or more in 2009 took in a total of $726.9 billion -- yet 1,470 paid not a penny of income taxes. In 2007, 959 Americans earning $1 million or more paid no income taxes.
But while America's so-called "job creators" didn't create jobs after receiving their decade-long Bush tax cut windfall, they did buy a lot of expensive shoes. That's word from the New York Times, which reported earlier this month that "sales of luxury goods are recovering strongly":
Nordstrom has a waiting list for a Chanel sequined tweed coat with a $9,010 price. Neiman Marcus has sold out in almost every size of Christian Louboutin "Bianca" platform pumps, at $775 a pair. Mercedes-Benz said it sold more cars last month in the United States than it had in any July in five years.
Even with the economy in a funk and many Americans pulling back on spending, the rich are again buying designer clothing, luxury cars and about anything that catches their fancy. Luxury goods stores, which fared much worse than other retailers in the recession, are more than recovering -- they are zooming. Many high-end businesses are even able to mark up, rather than discount, items to attract customers who equate quality with price.
As Arnold Aronson, managing director of retail strategies at the consulting firm Kurt Salmon, put it, "If a designer shoe goes up from $800 to $860, who notices?"
Certainly not America's rich and famous. After all, the recession that has proved so devastating for most Americans for the wealthy has been merely a hiccup.
Two years ago, David Leonhardt and Geraldine Fabrikant of the New York Times concluded, "After a 30-year run, [the] rise of the super-rich hits a sobering wall."
They began to pull away from everyone else in the 1970s. By 2006, income was more concentrated at the top than it had been since the late 1920s. The recent news about resurgent Wall Street pay has seemed to suggest that not even the Great Recession could reverse the rise in income inequality.
But economists say -- and data is beginning to show -- that a significant change may in fact be under way. The rich, as a group, are no longer getting richer. Over the last two years, they have become poorer. And many may not return to their old levels of wealth and income anytime soon.
As it turned out, that time wasn't just soon. It's now.
The Los Angeles Times announced the return of record-setting income inequality in June 2010 in an article titled, "Millionaires Make a Comeback." After getting pummeled as Wall Street plummeted in 2008, the rich have begun to recoup their losses. The short period of Gilded Interrupted is over:
In 2008, as the financial crisis raged, the stock market hit bottom and the Great Recession ate into the economy, the number of millionaires in the United States plunged.
But last year the number of millionaires bounced up sharply, new data show.
And after that decline and rebound, the millionaire class held a larger percentage of the country's wealth than it did in 2007.
"It's been a recession where everyone took a hit -- with the bottom taking a bigger hit," said Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin professor who studies economic inequality. But "the wealthy alone have bounced back."
Bounced back, it turns out, with a vengeance. The Boston Consulting Group found that "the number of U.S. households with at least $1 million in "bankable" assets climbed 15% last year to 4.7 million after tumbling 21% in 2008." Despite there being 10% fewer millionaires than in 2007, the percentage of Americans' total wealth held by those households was slightly higher, growing to 55%. Executive pay rose by 23% last year. By last summer, the Wall Street Journal proudly proclaimed, "U.S. Economy Is Increasingly Tied to the Rich."
Writing in the Washington Post in June 2010, Ezra Klein neatly summed up the dynamic which has restored income inequality to record highs even as the U.S. economy struggles to recover:
The basic story here is that assets have recovered so much more quickly than the broader economy that in 2009, "the millionaire class held a larger percentage of the country's wealth than it did in 2007." In other words, inequality has actually gotten worse. If you want to see why that's unexpected, check out the chart I cadged from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: After the Great Depression, inequality fell and didn't recover until 2007. That's about 80 years. After the Great Recession, inequality fell and didn't recover until ... 2009? That's one year.
For his part, Larry Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute argued, "The recession is going to end up accentuating the inequalities of income and wealth we've seen for 30 years," adding, "This requires attention if we're going to see robust wealth growth going forward."
And, as it turns out, begin paying down the national debt.
Between 2001 and 2007- a period during which poverty was rising and average household income had fallen - the 400 richest taxpayers saw their incomes double to an average of $345 million even as their effective tax rate was virtually halved. As Seth Hanlon of the Center for American Progress explained:
"As a percentage of their incomes, millionaires are now paying about one-quarter less of their income to federal taxes than they did in the mid-1990s...Millionaires paid an average tax rate of 22.4 percent in 2009, down by a quarter since 1995, when they paid an average of 30.4 percent."
But as Americans learned during the Republicans' just concluded debt ceiling hostage taking, the suggestion that the wealthiest people and most profitable corporations pay even a penny in new taxes produces a predictable response from the GOP.
At a time of record high income inequality and historically low federal taxes, Senators Dan Coats (R-IN) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) quickly called that common sense idea "class warfare." Utah's Orrin Hatch wasn't content to lament "the usual class warfare the Democrats always wage." (The poor, Hatch insisted, "need to share some of the responsibility.")
As for the sacrifice to be asked from the rich, Illinois Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren has a response to Warren Buffett and a plan. His proposal? More tax breaks for the upper class:
"I'm not out there trying to coddle anybody. In fact, I support a bill that allows the super-rich if they want to give more money to the federal government it could be a charitable contribution."
Five years before writing his New York Times op-ed this week, Warren Buffett explained that the side decrying the class war is the one winning it:
"It's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning."
And in this tale of two recessions, if you have to ask who won the class war, the answer is simple. Not you.


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Miami Chef Tasos Chasekioglou
Chef Anastasios Chasekioglou offers a curated selection of traditional Greek dishes, tailored to Miami.
Meet Chef Anastasios “Tasos” Chasekioglou
Chef Anastasios “Tasos” Chasekioglou offers a curated selection of traditional Greek dishes, tailored to Miami. Meant to be enjoyed as a shared experience, the Atlantikós menu takes guests on a journey of exceptional flavors from the Greek mainland to the islands.
Chef Tasos envisioned a restaurant with the highest quality products from the Greek Coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Both worlds come together on this menu with our daily selection of fresh fish sourced from Miami’s local fishermen and directly from the Greek fish market in Piraeus. Enjoy the authentic flavors of a unique culinary journey.

domain: food


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Stocks finish little changed
Stocks ended little changed Wednesday as meeting minutes from the Federal Reserve raised concerns about the economy after Intel's earnings strength renewed optimism about corporate results.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained about 4 points to close at 10,366. The S&P 500 index lost less than one point, while the Nasdaq composite rose nearly 8 points, or 0.3 percent.
Stocks staged a modest rally early in the session on optimism about second-quarter corporate profits. But the advance faded after the central bank released minutes from its June policy meeting showing that Fed officials have a more pessimistic view of the economy, stoking fears about a slowdown in the second half of the year.
Oil prices hit highest level in 2 months, near $80Â
Oil prices continue to swing in the mid- to upper-$70s this week as investors digest the first wave of quarterly corporate results, and mixed economic and supply data.
A strong outlook for global crude demand pushed prices upÂ three percentÂ Tuesday, and oil continued to climb slightly higher Wednesday following a better-than-expected weekly government inventory report.
Prices have been trading between $70 and $80 a barrel since May. Last week, they posted their biggest weekly gain since May, jumping 5.5 percentÂ to hit $76.09.
But on Monday prices retreated ahead of the start of earnings season and the release of a slew of economic reports. However, prices spiked again on Tuesday and Wednesday, pushing them back to two-month highs.
Treasurys gain on weak retail sales
Treasury prices rose Wednesday after a disappointing U.S. retail sales report, and a moderately strong auction of $13 billion in long bonds.
The benchmark 10-year note was up 22/32 to 103-17/32 and its yield fell to 3.05 percent. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.
The 2-year note edged up 4/32 to 100-1/32 with a yield of 0.61 percent, while the 30-year bond added 1-13/32 to 106 and yielded 4.01 percent.
The Commerce department released a report earlier Wednesday that said retail sales fell for the second straight month in June. Total retail sales fell 0.5% to $360.2 billion last month.
Economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected that sales would slip by only 0.2 percent. The downbeat data pushed investors toward the safe haven of bonds, pulling prices higher - even though bond prices often fall ahead of auctions.
CNNMoney.com reporters Julianne Pepitone, Ben Rooney andÂ Hibah Yousuf contributed to this report.
The five most popular CNN.com stories during the last 24 hours, according to Newspulse.
Texas mayor, daughter die in murder-suicide: Police in a Dallas, Texas, suburb indicated Wednesday that the town's mayor likely killed her daughter before turning the weapon on herself.
BP: First steps of test on oil well begin: BP is proceeding with a critical test of its crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico - a test that could show whether an end finally is in sight to the environmental disaster that's been unfolding for nearly three months.
The secrets of a 72-year marriage from the 'Original Grandparents': Internet sensations Harry and Barbara Cooper - 98 and 93, respectively - are telling everyone how their marriage has lasted seven decades.
Oscar winners Cruz, Bardem marry: Spanish actors Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz tied the knot in the Bahamas earlier this month, the latter's publicist says.
Got an iPhone 4? You'll need duct tape: Apple's iPhone 4 has a design flaw that's best fixed with a sliver of duct tape, according to Consumer Reports.
BP is proceeding with a critical test of its crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico - a test that could show whether an end finally is in sight to the environmental disaster that's been unfolding for nearly three months.
The U.S. government told BP Tuesday to proceed with an "integrity" test on the well in the Gulf of Mexico, and BP began the process of shutting off valves on its new capping stack, to see whether the well can hold the pressure.
It's hoped the tests will show whether the well can be contained, either by closing the 30-foot, 75-ton cap stack or siphoning off oil to the surface.
That would signal a beginning of an end to the catastrophe that began when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and launching the relentless oil spill. But even if the well is contained, the cleanup could take years.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has announced the resignation of Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont, who oversaw security efforts against drug cartels in Mexico.
Read more on CNN.com.
The European Union says it has reinforced security at the training base it runs in Uganda for Somali soldiers, in the wake of the Kampala terrorist attacks Sunday.
An EU military training team is putting a total of 911 Somali recruits through their paces at a camp in Bihanga, in the hills of south-west Uganda. A Portuguese squad is training the recruits to fight in built-up areas, while French and Spanish trainers are developing an officer corps.
A European official told CNN that while security at the base was being tightened, the attacks in Kampala would not affect the program. She said the attacks â€“ in which 74 people were killed – underlined the need for the training, so that a new Somali army could confront Islamic extremists. The al Qaeda affiliate Shabaab, which is fighting to overthrow the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks. FULL POST
A patient pleaded with a Food and Drug Administration panel to keep the diabetes drug Avandia on the market as a second day of hearings on the safety of the medication got under way Wednesday.
The 33-member advisory committee had heard Tuesday from researchers who blasted a safety study funded and organized by the drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, as well as company scientists who defended the product against accusations that Avandia increases the risk of heart attack or stroke in its users.
The committee is expected to vote on whether to recommend yanking the drug from the market Wednesday afternoon.
Debate was under way Wednesday in Argentina's Senate on a same-sex marriage bill that already has passed the lower chamber of Congress. A vote was expected later Wednesday.
The bill would give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, including the ability to adopt children.
Addressing claims that church leaders have been lobbying lawmakers about the proposal, Sen. Miguel Angel Pichetto told the state-run Telam news agency that he had not been pressured.
"There is some pressure in some provinces where the church plays a prominent role, but such is democracy," he said.
As the recession continues to play a monumental role in the mid-term election battle, CNN has learned that President Barack Obama quietly met with billionaire Warren Buffett for an hour-long meeting at the White House Wednesday, according to senior officials familiar with the chat.
The 11:15 a.m. meeting was not listed on Obama's public schedule, the officials said, but the White House released a photograph of the encounter after it had ended.
In addition to the economic crisis, the two men discussed energy reform and other issues, according to the officials.
The Catholic Church Thursday will release its new rules to try to prevent clergy from abusing children, a source close to the Vatican told CNN.
They will be aimed more at firming up existing practices than announcing new rules, said the source, who asked not to be named because they were talking about the regulations before they are made public.
The Vatican will add the possession of child pornography to the list of most serious crimes, declare the abuse of any mentally retarded person to be as bad as the abuse of children, and double the statute of limitations on the Vatican's own prosecution of suspected abuse.
[Updated at 2:18 p.m.] Police in Newark said during a briefing that there was no bomb found in a vehicle parked near a Newark overpass.
Officials did say however they were still looking for the person who owned the car - to see if it was a hoax that attempted to bring police to the scene.
[Posted at 12:42 p.m.] A "possible explosive device" is being investigated in a Dodge vehicle parked near a railroad overpass, Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy tells CNNâ€™s Allan Chernoff.
McCarthy told CNN that there are two gas containers and wires in the vehicle, located just off McCarter Highway in Newark, New Jersey. He stressed there are wires in the vehicle, but he is not saying the containers are "wired."
Two robots are at the scene as part of the bomb squad.
Train service has not been affected, New Jersey Transit spokesman Dan Stessel told CNN.
The Arabic news network al Arabiya has broadcast part of a video made by Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American convicted of trying to blow up a vehicle packed with cylinders and other bomb-making material in New Yorkâ€™s Times Square.
Shahzad speaks in English, a gun at his side. His remarks include the following:
This attack against the United States will also be a revenge attack in the name of all the mujahideen, the fighters and the weak and the oppressed Muslims, like the martyrs Baitullah Mehsud and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and all Muslims and Arabs who were martyred, I will carry out this operation on their behalf, and I hope that this will bring joy to the hearts of Muslims".Â (Mehsud was the leader of the Pakistani Taliban and is thought to have been killed in a US drone attack in August 2009. al-Zarqawi was the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.)
"Eight years have passed with the war in Afghanistan and you will see that the war of the Muslims have just begun, and we will show you how Islam will spread throughout the world."
"Jihad is one of the prominent pillars in Islam. People are praying and they pay the Zakat, they fast and they travel for pilgrimage.Â They may follow one portion of their faith and they may leave the other which is fighting in the name of God. And the interpretation of jihad is fighting the holy fight in the path of God, and it is the most noble act of sanctity in Islam and one of its main pillars. Jihad strengthened the basis of Islam and with Jihad, the word of God will rise and his religion will prevail. Staying away from Jihad will lead to destruction of the true faith and will place Muslims in a humiliating situation where their land gets robbed and they lose their power. "
More as the full video becomes available.
A Rwandan opposition politician was found dead Wednesday after he went missing the day before, according to an official with the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda.
Andre Kagwa Rwisereka, deputy-president of the party, was last seen alive by his sister Monday night, and was planning to make his way to the Rwandan capital of Kigali for a meeting Tuesday, said Frank Habineza, the party's president.
Rwisereka's car was found abandoned Tuesday, Habineza said. His car and house keys and driver's license were inside, but there was no sign of him.
Rwisereka's body was found by residents in a wetland area about 3 kilometers from the city of Butare and 2 kilometers from the National University of Rwanda, Habineza said. Rwisereka's head was nearly severed from his body, he said.
The city of Oakland, California, has laid off 80 police officers, citing budget concerns.
Negotiations between the city and the officers' union collapsed Tuesday over the issue of job security. According to the city's website, Oakland's final offer to the Oakland Police Officers Association guaranteed one year of no layoffs, with union members paying an escalating percentage of their city pension, topping out at 9 percent in January 2013.
A Seattle cartoonist who drew a cartoon about the Prophet Mohammed has been warned by the FBI about death threats made against her by a radical cleric with ties to al Qaeda, an FBI agent said Tuesday.
"She should be taken as a prime target of assassination," terror suspect Anwar al-Awlaki purportedly wrote about cartoonist Molly Norris in an English-language magazine called Inspire that claimed to be a publication of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
"This campaign is not a practice of freedom of speech, but is a nationwide mass movement of Americans" who are "going out of their way to offend Muslims worldwide," the article signed by al-Awlaki continued. Al-Awlaki is himself being sought in Yemen for his alleged role as a planner of the failed bombing of a Detroit-bound passenger plane on Christmas Day last year.
Norris has been advised to take precautions to ensure her safety, said FBI Special Agent Marty Prewett. FULL POST
"This talk is a little bit insane," confided Peter Molyneux, the head of the European games division of Microsoft, as he prepared to demo a game called "Milo" at the TED Global conference in Oxford on Tuesday.
He asked audience members to cross their fingers as they waited to see if the live demo would work.
"Milo" is a story-telling game about a little boy who's unhappy because his family has moved from London to New England and his parents are too busy to listen to what's on his mind. Molyneux said his goal with the game, which is still under development, is to recreate the feeling he had as a 4-year-old child when his father told him a story about a robot.
The idea, he said, is to create a real, living boy in a computer.
Three Yemen security force members and two militants were killed in strikes on separate security buildings in the southern region of the Arab nation Wednesday, an official who is authorized to talk to the media confirmed to CNN.
The attacks took place in the Abyan province as security forces were lining up for morning marches, other local officials told CNN. One of the buildings is used by Yemeni intelligence and the other by police.
The Yemeni official, who asked not to be named, said more than 10 people on motorbikes staged the attacks, which also left more than a half dozen injured.
Walking past the AK-47s at the gates of Yemen's Central Security Forces seemed rather easy although it was not Yemeni soldiers asking questions - it was Americans in a Land Cruiser.
The anti-terror headquarters in Sana'a has a number of foreign guests these days, but until now they have never been caught on camera.
Beneath hats and behind sunglasses, U.S. and British military trainers put Yemeni security forces through their paces - teaching them how to fight al Qaeda.
At the training grounds in the mountains surrounding the ancient city, they were finishing up classes for the day. FULL POST
Ground zero mosque - Those for and against a proposed mosque near ground zero butted heads Tuesday night during a passionate three-hour hearing of New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission. Officially, the hearing was for testimony on whether a more than century-old building near ground zero is worth preserving. Supporters of the landmark status are opposed to a project to build a mosque and community center at the site where Islamist hijackers destroyed the World Trade Center twin towers on September 11, 2001. The commission is expected to vote on whether to grant the building landmark status in August.
Gulf oil disaster - BP was set to continue reviewing testing procedures Wednesday, a day after delaying crucial "integrity tests" on a new stacking cap placed on its ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil giant had expected the tests - to check pressure in the well and determine if it can be sealed once and for all - to get under way Tuesday afternoon. But Tuesday night,Â officials announced that additional analysis of the well testing procedure was needed.
The actor known for portraying the scheming Texas oil baron J.R. Ewing in the classic prime-time soap opera â€śDallasâ€ť has become a solar energy pitchman.
The Oregonian newspaper reports that Hagman, 78, has recorded commercials for SolarWorld, a German manufacturer of solar cells in Hillsboro, Oregon. The company is using a slogan that parodies Sarah Palinâ€™s famous â€śDrill, baby, drillâ€ť declaration from the 2008 presidential campaign. "'Shine, baby, shine' is an inexhaustible source of energy," said Hagman, who boasts what may be the countryâ€™s largest residential solar energy system at his home north of Los Angeles, California. "When affordable oil gives out, we're in real trouble - I mean the collapse of civilization, within 15 to 20 years," he said.
Hagman told the newspaper that his push for solar energy solutions is not only about finding alternatives to fossil fuels. "We've got a work force that's looking for jobs," he said. "We've got a long line of people returning from wars."
Oregonlive.com: Larry Hagman becomes the new face of SolarWorld
Ongoing coverage - BP webcam of Gulf oil disaster
9:30 am ET - Immigration reform hearing - A House judiciary subcommittee holds a hearing on whatâ€™s being called the â€śethical imperativesâ€ť for reforming the U.S. immigration system.

domain: news


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European Stock Markets Set to Open Lower Over Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Arslan Butt • 1 min read
Earlier this week, the market sentiment had started improving over reports that US and China were planning to resume their trade negotiations. But now, tensions between US and Iran are flaring up in the Middle East, hurting the sentiment once again.
European stock markets are expected to open lower on Friday over reports that US President Trump was considering an attack on Iran in retaliation to the US drone being shot down yesterday. At the time of writing, DAX is trading slightly over 12344, lower than the 12367 close on Thursday.
On Thursday, Revolutionary Guards had claimed that they shot down a US spy drone within Iranian airspace – a claim that the US had initially denied. However, later during the day, US officials backtracked and stated that a missile attack had downed their surveillance drone which was flying over the Strait of Hormuz – the same region where oil tankers were attacked a few days ago.

domain: finance


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Eight hundred thousand. That's the most remarkable number to emerge in reports from the typhoon-hit Philippines in the last few days. In a story of lives lost, homes destroyed and people uprooted, 800,000 people were reportedly moved by the authorities to safe shelters as the storm approached.
ONE's DATA Report, released today, a publication associated with berating the G8 for not keeping aid promises, this year turns its forensic eye on African leaders promises to the poor. It finds that $243bn dollars more will be available for health and agriculture and education between 2013-2015 if African leaders keep their promises.
Asking 'does aid work?' is as absurd a question as 'do schools work?' or 'is government good?' Some aid works well and some doesn't. Sometimes schools fail. Sometimes governments get things wrong.
A UK taxpayer earning £30,000 per year will pay £7,065 in tax. Of that, £67 will go to the aid budget and £403 towards defence. That leaves £6,595 for everything else. A proper debate about government spending should surely recognise that pitching defence spending against aid is like robbing a pretty hard-up Peter to pay an even more impoverished Paul.
The credit for these achievements doesn't lie with celebrity rockstars, though they've certainly helped. It belongs to African citizens and the millions who campaign in solidarity with them such as those who marched for Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History.
The prime minister is a development champion at home. He has yet to show whether he will do so in Europe. He made a promise to the world's poorest. Today he can deliver.
Our Olympic and Paralympic heroes deserved every bit of the great parade we saw last week. But why didn't this celebration happen again yesterday? That's when the UN announced that the number of children dying each year under the age of five has fallen by 41% since 1990. While 12 million died in 1990, just under seven million lives were lost in 2011. That's 14,000 a day less than were dying in 1990. The progress made in reducing child deaths must be one of the biggest success stories of the last decade. Yet there was no tickertape parade.
I'm not saying everything I know in life I learned from Hong Kong Phooey. But somehow, it was the opening seconds of that legendary TV cartoon that sprung to mind recently when news broke from Washington of a big step forward in the fight for transparency in the oil, mining and gas industries, meaning African citizens can begin to ensure the rewards of natural resources don't end up in the wrong hands.
This week we celebrated Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday and it is a time for us to reflect on the achievements of the great man. I was lucky enough to share a stage with him in Trafalgar Square in 2005 for Make Poverty History. Today we still share a belief that what we pledged to do that day can be achieved.
Today we are squaring up to big oil. Adverts will appear in papers across Europe shining a spotlight on a few corporate lobbyists who are trying to water down a new law that could transform millions of lives. It's an unusual move for us. But it might be the most important campaign we have ever run. Here's why...
It is one of Africa's cruelest ironies that as the planting season begins, as it is now across much of the continent, so does the hunger season. The food stocks from the previous harvest are running low and it will be several months before the next harvest comes in. In this crisis, nearly one billion people go to bed hungry every night...
ONE's new campaign ad is getting a lot of attention. Not all of it of the admiring kind. Yahoo's news pages brand it the "shocking F-word vid". In the UK, the folk who decide what is fit and proper content for TV ads are stewing over it.
Stricken Somalians are desperate for humanitarian aid after the worst drought for decades continues to blight the south of


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How long does it take to travel from Netherlands to London?
The travel time between the UK and Holland takes approximately 6.5 hours and you have the option of travelling during the daytime or overnight.
How many hours is it from Netherlands to UK?
The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Netherlands and England is 442 km= 275 miles. If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Netherlands to England, It takes 0.49 hours to arrive.
How far is Netherlands from London by plane?
The shortest distance (air line) between Holland and London is 255.88 mi (411.80 km). The shortest route between Holland and London is 341.32 mi (549.31 km) according to the route planner.
How do I get to the Netherlands from London?
Take the train to the Netherlands
Our daily trains run direct from London to Amsterdam via Rotterdam. It takes just 3 hours 52 minutes to get to Amsterdam Centraal, and only 3 hours 13 minutes to get to Rotterdam Centraal.
What is the cheapest way to get from London to Amsterdam?
London to Amsterdam by train + ferry
This is the cheapest & most leisurely way to go, with combined train+ferry fares from as little as £29 one-way from central London to central Amsterdam or any station in the Netherlands.
Do you have to quarantine after coming back from Amsterdam?
You must self-quarantine for 10 days if you travel to the Netherlands after staying in an area where the risk of coronavirus infection is very high. … If you get tested on day 5 you might be able to shorten the quarantine period. From 22 September onwards, you do not need to quarantine if you are fully vaccinated.
Is there a ferry from UK to Netherlands?
There are 3 ferry routes operating between England and Holland offering you combined total of 28 sailings per week. … Stena Line operates 1 route, Harwich to Hook of Holland which runs 14 times weekly. DFDS Seaways operates 1 route, Newcastle to Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) which runs 7 times weekly.
Is there a train from Netherlands to UK?
No, there is no direct train from Netherlands to England station. However, there are services departing from Amsterdam Centraal and arriving at Covent Garden station via King’s Cross St. Pancras station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 4h 19m.
Is Netherlands close to UK?
Distance from United Kingdom to Netherlands is 679 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 422 miles. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between United Kingdom and Netherlands is 679 km= 422 miles.
Is Netherlands near London?
The distance between Netherlands and London is 261 miles.
Is Paris near Netherlands?
The distance between Paris and Netherlands is 470 km. The road distance is 496.2 km. … Train, bus or fly from Paris to Netherlands?
Is Netherlands close to Germany?
The distance between Netherlands and Germany is 358 km. The road distance is 661.2 km.
Is Netherlands on UK quarantine list?
The Netherlands is on the amber list for entering England. Check what you must do to enter England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The Netherlands is on the amber list for entering England. Check what you must do to enter England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
How much is a Eurostar ticket?
Eurostar fares from London to Paris or Brussels start at £52 one-way or £78 return in 2nd class, if you book in advance. Standard Premier (1st class) fares start at £115 one-way, £199 return. Booking usually opens 180 days ahead.

domain: geography


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More levels more music and better graphix!
(too get past the super fast flash's hide in the door near the lasers)
(title in work)
This was a pretty cool avoider game. It was Newgrounds themed, which is always a plus for me. Nice graphics and game play as well. The only thing I would suggest adding is some sort of health bar so that you know where you are in terms of getting a game over.
Nice try, keep going!
Well the game is great, nothing like a good ol' avoider game :) but if you something more to the game that makes it even more challenging. Like guns shooting at your flash can shoot at you. Just something to spice it more up. If you do that, post it here again :) and it will be exiting how that will go, if you decide to remake it that is.
That wasn't half bad, but it could use a little more sugar and spice. Maybe add something that changes your character and.or enemy icons. Music changer? A change of stage setting? different enemies? It was pretty good.
I got all the way to the level where when it starts, there are two quick blue ones coming right at you really fast... I died on that one.
y didnt u put a checkpoint in#!
Snake Re-imagined And Taken To The 3rd Dimension!
Be a badass and go on an epic kung fu quest!
Learn puppet reptile's best ABCs in this physics-driven interactive storybook
newgrounds.com — Your #1 online entertainment & artist community! All your base are belong to us.

domain: entertainment


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Archive for March 2023
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day
10:00–11:00AM Always the last Saturday in April. April 29, 2023
Library Courtyard (weather permitting). The Allen Chapter of Lu Tai Chi Players will perform their Forms at the Allen Public Library to celebrate World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. Enjoy the demo and then join them to “Paint the Numbers the Tai Chi way”. Free; no registration, all ages
Always the last Saturday of April.

domain: library


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Inspired while living in Hawai’i and prompted by the crisis of ghost nets washing ashore on to the gorgeous beaches, I created Endangered Oceans.
Embedded throughout the hand-crafted rug hooking project are pieces of ghost nets, which are abandoned fishing nets that drift throughout our oceans, deadly to any and all in its path from whales to sea turtles. They end up washing ashore in various places around the world far from where they originated from.
Including ghost netting in my work of art is a small act in removing it from the pristine environments in and around Hawai’i.
Lightweight – all pieces can easily be hung with dressmaking pins, no heavy frame
- Each piece is also comes with thin plastic coated wire ready for immediate hanging right from the box
- Each piece of the 5 pieces is fabric backed to ensure no damage to walls
Multiple configurations to suit most spaces or throughout a room
Ghost Net Environmental artwork
Beautiful artwork for your home office
Free Shipping Worldwide
Dimensions: Approximately 42” x 38” (1067mm x 97mm)
Materials: Natural and manmade fibers, Plastic yarn, Ghost Nets, Aluminum, Fabric, Wire
Endangered Oceans is a piece in which I also explore color. Blues; warm tropical blues to the deeper and darker ocean blues. I have spent my life not liking the color blue, yet when I moved to Hawai’i, blue became a fascination for me. I felt like I saw the color blue for the first time and much of my work most recently has been around the color blue and its various facets.
My life and travels have been surrounded by the ocean and each place I go it is common to see ghost nets washing ashore entangled with wildlife. It is ubiquitous. Destroying so much more than the fish it was originally meant to capture.

domain: design


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ADDITIONAL CDBG-DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that the State of Florida will receive $616 million in funding to support long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Irma through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program. This funding is designed to address needs that remain after other assistance has been exhausted, including federal assistance as well as private insurance. The State’s action plan details how this funding will be allocated to address remaining unmet needs in Florida. The plan is available for review at https://tinyurl.com/ybebzs9x.
Offices located in the Daytona Beach International Airport (passenger terminal)
700 Catalina Drive, Suite 200
Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
386-248-8048 · 800-554-3801


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I’m not exactly sure why I made this – I thought Larry had requested it, but it turns out neither one of us really loves gumbo. And since I have a rice allergy, I was forced to eat it with cauliflower rice. Cauliflower rice is fine, especially with lots of butter, but gumbo doesn’t seem right without rice.
So, I made this, we ate some, but not a lot. Larry didn’t like the okra. It’s not gumbo without okra, right? Recipe is here.
- Shrimp & Chicken Gumbo (Brown Sugar Kitchen)


Cape Town - New York Red Bulls have no interest in signing out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, according to Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer, Oliver Mintzlaff.
The former Germany international, 32, has been consigned to United's reserve team since the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.
And, with his first-team prospects not expected to improve this season, Schweinsteiger has been linked with a move to MLS in the United states.
New York Red Bulls was recently mooted as his next potential destination, but Mintzlaff has moved to dismiss such notions.
"Schweinsteiger is a great player who has had an amazing career," Mintzlaff told Bild.
"But there are no talks [over a move to New York RB]. He is not an issue for us and he will not become an issue."
While New York Red Bulls seemingly have no interest in acquiring Schweinsteiger's services, there could be several other MLS teams who are keen.
MLS chief Don Garber indicated as much when he revealed that Schweinsteiger would be welcomed to the MLS "with open arms".
"We would welcome Bastian with open arms," Garber told Kicker.
"We know him from the 2014 World Cup, when he played against the USA. Plus he played an All-Star game here with Bayern. We are keeping a close eye on his situation."


mp3: Helpless - Patti Smith (from the album Twelve)
mp3: After the Gold Rush - KD Lang (from the album Hymns of the 49th Parallel)
Album artwork by Katy Horan
Whilst we are (kind of) on the subject of Kristin Hersh, have you checked out CASH Music recently? Kristin has now released three songs over there, and Donita Sparks and Xiu Xiu have also joined up. Keep your eye on it, as it's all getting pretty exciting!


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An essential doctrine of the Christian Church states that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was buried. The Church also confesses, “The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures” (Nicene Creed).
The phrase “rose again‚” is a teaching from the Bible, as the Nicene Creed says, quoting the New Testament, “And that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4).
But when the Nicene Creed uses the words “according to the Scriptures,” the expression really refers to the Scriptures as they existed at the time Jesus rose, and later when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15:4. In other words, it means the Old Testament.
One such Old Testament passage is, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol [the grave], nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10). Like many of the Psalms, this expresses a prayer of God the Son to God the Father, so that the word “You” means the Father, while “my soul” and “Your Holy One” refer to Jesus. This passage means that the Father participated in the resurrection of the Son.
The New Testament speaks this way, too. St. Paul told the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia, “But God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:30). And Paul also wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
When St. Paul introduces his letters, he often summarizes the essential core of the Christian faith in connection with himself and his readers. So in Ephesians, he expressed his desire for them, writing: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory… that you may know… what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:17–20).
In a similar way, the holy apostle connects the death and resurrection of our Lord to the Baptism that Christians receive: “In Him you were… buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11–12). And in the passage cited in the Small Catechism of Dr. Luther, St. Paul writes, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
Who raised Jesus to life from the grave? It was God. When Scripture describes Christ’s resurrection as His own doing, this fully agrees, because Jesus is God the Son. But more often we see it described as Jesus being raised by God, and specifically by God the Father. The Father is the One whom Jesus mentioned in John 12:45, “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me” (John 12:45). The Son was sent by the Father and reveals the Father to us. As John also wrote in his first letter, “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14).
The task that the Father assigned to the Son was the salvation of the world. This was to be accomplished through His death by crucifixion, as He bore the guilt of the whole world. Jesus put it this way: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14–15).
When Jesus’ task was finished, He was raised to life again because the guilt of all humanity that had been laid upon Him was no more. There was nothing left to hold Him in the grave. The Father confirmed this for the world by raising Jesus to life. As death has no more hold on Jesus, so it also has no hold on us (Romans 8:38–39).
St. Paul proclaimed this truth and hope for all time: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22).
Reverend Jesse Jacobsen
Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Dalles, OR
Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church
Hood River, OR

domain: literature


The Magpies already have the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, new signing Dwight Gayle, Ayoze Perez and Adam Armstrong on their books.
But as Rafa Benitez looks to add yet more firepower to the squad, what do the statistics say about the need for a 20-goals-a-season player to get out of the Championship.
Well, it’s obviously – but not essential.
Only half of the teams to have won the division over the last 10 seasons have had a player who either reached or passed the mark, although, Adel Taarabt did score 19 for QPR when they won the league back in 2010-11.
Who should wear the Newcastle United No 9 shirt now?
5000+ VOTES SO FAR
The top scorer of the league champion has scored only 17.8 goals on average.
Teams have gone up with top scorers who didn’t score that many goals.
Cardiff’s three joint top scorers in 2012-13 only scored eight league goals apiece. Reading won the league in 2011-12 with a top scorer, Adam Le Fondre, who scored just 12 goals, while Sunderland’s top scorer in 2006-07, David Connolly, scored just 13.
Only four clubs to go up as runners up over the last 10 seasons have had a 20-goals-a-season player.
On average, Championship runners-up have a top scorer with 16.2 goals.
Middlesbrough’s top scorer last season, David Nugent, only scored eight, while Hull’s top scorer in 2012-13, Robert Koren, only had nine.


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Nullmaze PC Download Full Game For Mac. This PC game is working perfectly fine without any problem. Download the free full version of Nullmaze for Mac OS X and PC. Nullmaze PC Game with all files are checked and installed manually before uploading, Nullmaze Game It Is Full And Complete Game. Just Download, Run Setup, And Install.
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Complex combinations of items
In the pursuit of quick profit you can fight with stronger enemies, but defeating them with bare hands is not easy – use complex chains of items and crafting to get strong weapons and armor.
The game world is infinite and made of bought items
Getting coins you get new opportunities for the game world, from an empty piece of land it revolves into a world full of opportunities and dangers.
Find answers to the mysteries of this world and fight the legendary villain!
- OS: Windows 7, 8, or 10
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How to Install Nullmaze Full Games for PC
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domain: game


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Improve Immunity With Herbs And Supplements?
However, over the past few many years, refined (processed) grains grew to become high GI meals. It appears that the effect of refined grains just isn’t merely a matter of elevated price of digestion and absorption of carbohydrate, but a matter of elevated insulin resistance. Therefore, it is possible that the increased GI of processed grains may be due to their elevated ranges of B nutritional vitamins. Among the B nutritional vitamins fortified in meals, niacin is thought to induce insulin resistance and glucose intolerance[ninety two-ninety five]. As mentioned above, low SES groups in developed international locations however high SES teams in developing counties might have a high artificial vitamin intake from fortified foods.
Increased Vitamin Intake From Vegetable/fruit Sources
It is understood that formulation feeding[sixty five-sixty seven] and micronutrient-fortified human milk feeding can lead to fast toddler weight achieve, a identified main risk factor for children growing weight problems[70-seventy two]. Therefore, excess vitamin consumption may mediate the link between method feeding and childhood weight problems. People focus on E to prevent Alzheimer’s, heart illness, macular degeneration, most cancers, “the record goes on,” says Blumberg.
Vitamin C is also an antioxidant so is used readily by the physique. The finest sources are blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, papaya, strawberries and sweet potatoes.
Stay optimistic and do your greatest to keep up a wholesome life-style that may complement your hair remedy plan. Sebum is an oily substance created by our hairs sebaceous glands and offers a pure conditioner for a wholesome scalp. Include animal products and orange/yellow coloured vegetables which are excessive in beta-carotene (which makes vitamin A) such as carrots, pumpkins and candy potatoes. Vitamin C aids the absorption of iron so meals excessive in vitamin C are good to eat at the side of iron-rich meals.
Therefore, it’s potential that excess vitamin consumption may contribute to epigenetic modifications. For instance, a minimum of 18 metabolites of vitamin B1 are identified within the urine, of which six are major. Niacin is degraded mainly to numerous methylated metabolites. Vitamin C is degraded via sulfation and glutathione conjugation. Vitamin E additionally undergoes in depth metabolism and its conjugated metabolites (together with sulfated) are also identified.
This could explain the findings that obesity is extra prevalent in low SES teams in developed countries[6-10] but in high SES teams in developing nations[10-12,55]. Studies have demonstrated that formula-fed infants have the next plasma stage of nutritional vitamins in contrast with human milk-fed infants[fifty one-53].
They may include different components like herbs, amino acids, and fatty acids. Multivitamins are supplements that contain many alternative vitamins and minerals, generally alongside different components . An evaluation of research involving 450,000 people, which discovered thatmultivitamins didn’t reduce threat forheart diseaseor cancer. It’s necessary that you just take time every day to concentrate on nourishing your hair to get the luscious locks you want. Taking this step and practicing self-care shall be extra beneficial if your hair loss is said to any emotional or stress-related issue.
Because nutritional vitamins and neurotransmitters share the same biotransformation and detoxification system in the body, excess nutritional vitamins might have an effect on the degradation of neurotransmitters by competing for the cleansing resources. For instance, vitamin C has been known to inhibit the sulfation of other chemicals by competing for limited sulfate. Thus, in concept, the impact of vitamins on the metabolism of monoamine neurotransmitters may affect the operate of the nervous system. Historically, excessive grain consumption was related to a low incidence of weight problems.
If you take multivitamins and eat a lot of nutrient-dense foods, you possibly can easily exceed the really helpful daily intake of many nutrients. Keep in mind that the vitamins in multivitamins could also be derived from real meals or created synthetically in laboratories. Multivitamins might provide many of these nutritional vitamins and minerals ”” but in varying types and quantities.
The upper tolerable stage is 1,000 milligrams (1,500 IU); the RDA is 30 IU. Other people who could benefit from multivitamins embrace those who’ve undergone weight loss surgical procedure, are on low-calorie diets, have a poor appetite, or do not get enough vitamins from food alone.

domain: medical


Biotechnology company news
At the start of this month (April 2020) Novavax, a Maryland-based biotech company, said it would begin human trials in Australia in mid-May for its vaccine candidate. However, Novavax is only one of more than 25 companies that have announced various vaccine research and potential treatments with accelerated schedules, and early stages of testing unlike we have ever seen before.
Novavax confirmed it will begin human trials in Australia from mid-May for its vaccine which has stimulated a powerful immune response in lab and animal experiments, producing antibodies that could fight off the coronavirus.
Under normal circumstances such vaccines can take years, even decades. However, given the severity and unprecedented rates at which SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads, pharmaceutical companies are racing to compress this timeline.
Coronavirus Vaccine Clinical Trials
On 6th April 2020, the New York Times reported
A vaccine made by the biotech company Moderna is already in a clinical trial, which started March 15. Another one, developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals, was injected into the first adult volunteers on Monday. The health care giant Johnson & Johnson expects to start clinical trials in September, and has received a nearly $500 million partnership via a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And experimental vaccines developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston are also waiting for permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin testing in people.New York Times
Moderna, Inc. is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biotechnology company that is focused on drug discovery and drug development based on messenger RNA. Moderna Inc creates synthetic mRNA that can be injected into patients to help them create their own therapies.
Their work on a Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is called mRNA-1273. It was developed by NIAID scientists in collaboration with Moderna Inc. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) supported the manufacturing of this vaccine candidate for the Phase 1 clinical trial.
“Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”Source: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/nih-clinical-trial-investigational-vaccine-covid-19-begins
These companies must also be prepared for the possibility that some candidates will fizzle out or that demand for a vaccine will decrease by the time one is ready for widespread use. Remember some vaccines have taken over 10 years to reach the stage of widespread approval and distribution. While this is always a possibility, pharmaceutical companies are not waiting for this to happen.
Dr. Peter Hotez, the co-director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine said, “the virus is racing through crowded urban areas and slums in certain countries,” Dr. Hotez said. “How do you do social distancing in those places? You don’t.”
“We are building out a road map for how we work as a country for the next two or three years,” he continued. “That’s roughly the time frame that we saw for the 1918 flu pandemic and that’s probably likely for Covid-19.” Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/health/coronavirus-vaccines.html


Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics Ammunition 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) 40 Grain Jacketed Soft Point Box of 500 (10 Boxes of 50)
You must be 21 years or older to order ammunition. Ammo must ship UPS ground. Due to Department of Transportation regulations, we cannot accept returns on ammo. Please check local laws before ordering.
Where are Fiocchi products made?
While most of Fiocchi ammunition is loaded at their plant in Ozark, Missouri, Fiocchi is also importing ammunition and reloading components from their plant in Italy because of the high demand the industry has been experiencing. All products are loaded to either C.I.P. or SAAMI specifications.
- Cannot ship via air
- Cannot ship via USPS
- Cannot ship to PO Box
- CCI Maxi-Mag Ammunition 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) 40... $11.29 - $102.99 View More Options
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- Marble's Catch 22 Storage Dispenser for 22 Long Rifle... $11.29 Available
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- Caldwell Plink N' Swing Swinging Target Triple-Spin 22 Caliber... $24.99 Available


Report: GTA Online to become a full blown MMO by 2020, entire DLC schedule leaked
a few sites talking about it now.
It goes without saying that rumours and speculation should always be taken with a pinch of salt—and the latest pertaining to the direction of Grand Theft Auto over the next few years is no different. But, and this is a relatively big but, should the information posted by one GTAForum user in fact turn out to be true, then it seems fans of the open-world crime series have a lot to look forward to.
Before we discuss the meat of the predictions, it's worth pointing out that the user in question, Softsecret, has only posted three times to the GTAForums—twice in August with the speculations listed below, and once back in 2013 months before the release of GTA 5.
Speaking first to the latter, his or her predictions were related to the then incoming game and what its single-player and multiplayer campaigns would comprise. As some users have since pointed out, though, while some of their insights have turned out to be true, some haven't. Nevertheless, Softsecret's latest guesses go into some pretty specific detail.


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- Speakers at Donald Trump's inauguration went home with some swag - TMZ
- Ed Sheeran loves children's toys - Gossip Cop
- Joe Jonas seems to approve of Demi Lovato's new bae - Just Jared Jr
- Britney Spears just sold her Louisiana home to her dad - Radar
- Adele is performing at the Grammys - Lainey Gossip
- Kristen Stewart is directing a short film on gun control - The Hollywood Reporter
Gwen Stefani: New Year's Day with the Family in Mammoth!
About Photo #3021424: Gwen Stefani shares a sweet moment with her adorable son Zuma, 5, while enjoying their snowy vacation on Wednesday (January 1) in Mammoth, Calif. The 44-year-old… Read More Here

domain: celebrity


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David A. Graham: Trump is now in open defiance of Congress
During my time on Oversight, the chief justice’s words were often cited as justification for our vigorous supervision of the Obama administration. Led by Representative Darrell Issa, my former boss, Republicans issued more than 100 subpoenas, held Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, created a select committee to investigate Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s handling of the Benghazi crisis, and filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging President Obama’s use of executive privilege.
In 2011, we sent a letter to Secretary Clinton that stated: “The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight committee of the House of Representatives and may at ‘any time’ investigate ‘any matter’ as set forth in House Rule X.”
Also in 2011, when we suspected an effort to intimidate a witness called to testify at a hearing, Issa sent a letter warning the Obama administration that the “inappropriate effort to intimidate” and “discourage” someone from testifying before Congress was “an unlawful attempt to interfere with a Congressional inquiry.”
Yet when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week ignored a deadline to produce Trump’s tax returns, House Republicans refused to speak out against this blatant disregard for legislative authority.
And Republicans did nothing when the White House last week instructed an administration official to ignore a subpoena and not testify at a hearing regarding White House security-clearance procedures.
Paul Rosenzweig: Republicans used to care about obstruction of justice
Contrast that with the time an IRS official refused to answer questions from Oversight Republicans—they held that official in contempt of Congress. During the contempt proceeding, Representative Jim Jordan, now the ranking Republican on the Oversight Committee, justified his vote in favor of contempt by saying, “The only remedy we have to get to the truth is to use every tool at our disposal” to get that official to “testify and answer the questions. That is the only remedy we have. The only route to the truth is through the House of Representatives.”
President Trump and Republicans complain about the pace of oversight; Trump declared on Twitter on Wednesday that “there has NEVER been a President who has been more transparent.” But the simple truth is that this White House is more obstructionist than the Obama White House, or any other White House, and Republicans are enabling this behavior.
During the two years that Trump’s presidency overlapped with the Republican majority in the House, Republicans issued a total of zero subpoenas to the Trump administration. To date, Trump has refused to cooperate with subpoenas issued by congressional Democrats.
Trump’s desire to shield his tax returns may provoke a constitutional standoff with Congress. He wants to slow the pace of oversight as much as possible, which means a long and tedious legal battle that will likely be decided by the Supreme Court. Trump is betting that the American people simply do not care whether or not he cooperates with congressional investigations. He’s betting that they do not have the attention span to follow a long court battle about constitutional authority. Trump believes that his stranglehold on the GOP is so tight that his flagrant disregard for checks and balances won’t matter to the Republican base or Republican elected officials.

domain: politics


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RHB-104 is a proprietary antibiotics drug combination for treatment of Crohn’s disease.*
RHB-104 was acquired from Sydney-based Giaconda [ASX: GIA] in August 2010.
RHB-104 will be indicated for treatment of Crohn’s patients. There is currently no other effective, long-term cure for Crohn’s disease. Current standard of care includes 5-ASA agents, corticosteroids, immunomodulating drugs (e.g. Methotrexate) and anti-TNFα (e.g. Remicade, Centocor (J&J)). However, standard care leaves an unmet medical need for a long lasting treatment with low side-effects. RHB-104 holds promise for providing long term remission with reduced side-effects allowing affected patients to lead normal lives. The combination therapy demonstrated promising results in phase II and phase IIIa trials in Australia.
RedHill is expected to commence a Phase III clinical trial in North America and Israel with RHB-104, planned to begin in the third quarter of 2013 and is also planning a European Phase III clinical trial.
RedHill further acquired an exclusive license from the University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc. to a patent-protected diagnostic test for the detection of MAP (Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis) bacterium, and is developing the diagnistic test with Quest Diagnostics.
1- Greenstein. R.J. Is Crohn’s disease caused by a mycobacterium? Comparisons with leprosy, tuberculosis, and Johne’s disease. THE LANCET Infectious Diseases 2003, Vol 3, PP 507-514.
2- Behr. A. M.; Kapur. V. The evidence for Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in Crohn’s disease. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. 2008, Vol 24, PP 17–21.
3- Borody T.J.; Leis. S.; Warren. E.F.; Surace. R. Treatment of severe Crohn’s disease using antimycobacterial triple therapy–approaching a cure? Digestive and Liver Disease 2002, Vol 34, 1, PP 29-38.
4- Taylor, J. H. Treatment with drugs active against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis can heal Crohn’s disease: more evidence for a neglected Public Health tragedy. Digestive and Liver Disease. 2002, Vol 34, PP 9-12.
5- Borody. T.J.; Bilkey. S.; Wettstein. A. R.; Leis. S.; Pang. G.; Tye. S.; Anti-mycobacterial therapy in Crohn’s disease heals mucosa with longitudinal scars
Digestive and Liver Disease. 2007, Vol 39, 5, PP 438-44.
6- Chamberlin. W.; Ghobrial. G.; Chehtane. M.; Naser. S. A. Successful Treatment of a Crohn’s Disease Patient Infected with Bacteremic Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis. American Journal of Gastroenterol. 2007, Vol 102, PP 689-691.
7- Chamberlin. W.; Borody.T.; Naser. S. MAP-associated Crohn’s Disease: MAP, Koch’s postulates, causality and Crohn’s Disease. Digestive and Liver Disease. 2007, Vol 39, PP 792-794.
8- Kirkwood. C.D.; Wagner. J.; Boniface. K.; Vaughan. J.; Michalski. W. P.; Catto-Smith. A. J.; Cameron. Don .J.S.; Bishop. R. F.Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in children with early-onset Crohn’s disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 2009, Vol 15, 11, PP 1643-1655.
9- Hruska. K.; Kaevska. M. Mycobacteria in water, soil, plants and air: a review. Veterinarni Medicina. 2012, Vol 57, 12, PP 623-679


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- The Enterprise
- The Recorder
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. today. Heat index values are forecast to be around 105 degrees and temperatures will be in the upper 90s to 100 degrees.
The Charles County commissioners are reminding citizens that the public buildings listed below are open during regular business hours for use by residents as cooling centers during the extreme heat:
Capital Clubhouse, 3033 Waldorf Market Place, Waldorf, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Nanjemoy Community Center, 4375 Port Tobacco Road, Nanjemoy, Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Charles County Public Libraries, all branches open 9 a.m.-8 p.m., La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Ave.; P.D. Brown Memorial Branch, 50 Village St., Waldorf; Potomac Branch, 3225 Ruth B. Swan Drive, Indian Head
Outdoor pools are open noon-8 p.m. at La Plata High School at 6035 Radio Station Road in La Plata, Maurice J. McDonough High School at 7165 Marshall Corner Road in Pomfret, and Thomas Stone High School at 3785 Leonardtown Road in Waldorf.
Indoor pools are open noon-5 p.m. at North Point HIgh School at 2500 Davis Road in Waldorf and Henry E. Lackey High School at 3000 Chicamuxen Road in Indian Head.
Daily pool admission is free for kids 2 and younger; $4 for ages 3 to 12; $5 for ages 13 to 59; and $4 for ages 60 and older. On heat advisory, heat warning, or code red air quality index days, the Department of Community Services will offer reduced pool admission fees of $2 for all age levels from 3 p.m. to close on weekdays and noon to close on weekends.
With the extremely hot weather forecast for Charles County, the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity may combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible.


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Ill-Handling Car Sees Outback Steakhouse Driver Just Miss Top-10 Finish
Date: April 26, 2014
Event: Richmond 400 (Round 9 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 5th/11th (Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), struggled with an ill-handling racecar and finished 11th in the Richmond 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.
“We never could get the car to turn through the center of the corner,” Harvick said. “We lacked rear grip and got behind on one run with a funky set of tires there. We kind of got caught back in the swarm and were never able to quite make it up. It all just didn’t line up right on the restarts there at the end. We were just a little bit off tonight with our Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet.”
Harvick started fifth in the 43-car field and, despite battling a tight-handling condition on corner entry and loose-handling condition on exit, was able to overtake Brad Keselowski on lap 32 for the lead. Harvick continued to maintain presence toward the front of the pack for much of the first half of the race thanks to fine-tuning adjustments by his Rodney Childers-led crew.
Shortly after halfway, Harvick’s No. 4 began moving the wrong way down the scoring pylon. He reported to his crew that he was dealing with an extremely tight-handling situation and, thanks in part to an extended green-flag run, fell back as far as the 12th position on lap 290. The team surmised that it was likely a bad set of tires and that Harvick would have to weather the storm until they had an opportunity to solve his handling woes.
A timely caution period on lap 295 saw Harvick hit pit road to rectify the situation. He was able to advance as high as eighth when the caution flag waved once again, on lap 367, giving Childers one last chance at making air pressure and chassis adjustments. Despite the crew’s best efforts, Harvick was unable to return to the form he showed early in the race. A series of late-race cautions limited the laps that Harvick needed to make his move toward the front of the field. When the checkered flag dropped, Harvick was 11th.
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for SHR, started 21st and finished 23rd.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, started 20th and finished 25th.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, started 35th and finished 34th.
Joey Logano won the Richmond 400 to score his fifth career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his first at Richmond.
Jeff Gordon finished .946 of a second behind Logano in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. A.J. Allmendinger, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr. comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were nine caution periods for 66 laps, with three drivers failing to finish the 400-lap race.
With round nine of 36 complete, Stewart leads the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He is 15th with 243 points, 98 behind first-place Gordon. Harvick is 20th with 220 points, 121 out of first. Kurt Busch is 25th with 185 points, 156 out of first. Patrick is 29th with 153 points, 188 out of first.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Aaron’s 499 on Sunday, May 4 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its prerace show at 12:30 p.m.

domain: sports


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Our experienced design team can quickly and inexpensively create innovative and distinctive custom counter top sign and poster holders, wall mount poster frames or poster floor stands in wood, metal and acrylic that effectively sell your product and increase brand recognition.
|RLD-20||55"h x 20"diam||$990|
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We offer a complete line of top quality rotating counter acrylic brochures holders fabricated with polished black and clear plexiglas. Our superbly constructed floor, wall and ceiling hung acrylic literature displays create an attractive, orderly display for your brochures, clearly visible from any angle. We welcome your custom sizes and configurations.

domain: artistic


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(Continued from previous part...)
The constitution (typically number and size) of chromosomes in a cell or individual.
Knockout mice (gene targeting)
Mice which have been engineered to lack a chosen gene. The gene is inactivated in so called embryonic stem cells using the technique of homologous recombination. These cells are then introduced into a early stage embryo (blastocyst) and this is then transplanted into a recipient mouse. The subsequent progeny lack the targeted gene in some cells. This technique is used to determine the function of the chosen gene.
(Continued on next part...)

domain: biology


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If you think that you can only find a castle, built on the top of hill, on fairytale story books or Disney’s cartoon movies, you should go to Germany for the real thing. Yup, located on a rugged hill near Füssen, the southwest part of Bavaria, there is Neuschwanstein castle you can visit. Even the Sleeping Beauty castles in Disneyland parks were built by the inspiration from the Neuschwanstein castle.
The most interesting part of the castle is the history behind the construction. It was built in 1886 based on the idea of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Instead of commanding an architect to start the construction, the king commissioned Richard Wagner, a stage designer, to build it as retreat. Unfortunately, the king, who was reported mad, could never enjoy the castle that was built based on his imagination because of his death before the castle had completely built.
Today, more than a million of visitors visit the castle each year. It becomes one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany. On April to September, the castle opens for visitors at 09:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. while on October to March the visitors can enjoy the castle’s beauty at 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.


New Year, New Features
A Christmas Gift from Google
Just after the turn of the year Google has granted us in the PPC game three very-late Christmas presents, presumably because we were all very good last year!
Two of the new features related to phone numbers, and are very much in line with Google’s even-more mobile focused approach in 2017; don’t forget the new Mobile-first index is coming soon!
Google knows that when it comes to digital marketing, what sets it apart, from other forms of marketing, is the tangible data analysis – that ability to track a user from their first landing page to their final conversion (hopefully a big sale!). In order to ensure that your campaigns are working to their optimum you need to be able to track all possible conversions, and black holes in that user journey need to be avoided and were possible removed. This is where call tracking comes in to play.
Call tracking allows digital marketers to track calls to key phone numbers from your website and what advertising has lead them to that page; and ultimately to make that call. There are a variety of paid solutions available (infinity call tracking and response tap to name a couple) as well as Google AdWords-only free option. But wouldn’t it be great if we could give those users who want to call a direct call-to-action within the SERP?
Extending the Call Extensions
That’s where call extensions (and call-only Ads) come in. This is where Google is upping it’s mobile game, ensuring we can cover as many conversions possible in order to understand the worth of those mobile visitors. Coming February 6th Google will be launching automated call extensions: a move which is specifically aimed at forcing the hand of all those people who are still not using a call ask within their Ads. The new automated call extensions will automatically show a call extension for ad groups where the ads are pointing to a page with a prominent phone number. Whilst this may seem like helpful move from Google, the chances are that if you wanted to show a phone number, you would already have the call extension live and if you don’t want it to show it’s for a reason! The good news is that you can untick this solution, the bad news is that unless you do so you will start showing a phone number (if the landing page is applicable) whether you like it or not.
But that’s not all! As of January 19th, advertisers who use Location extensions and call extensions ‘may’ find that the number showing in their call extension is not the one they have previously specified. Google has emailed affected AdWords users to notify them that the phone number linked to the Local listing used in AdWords is likely to show instead.
A Google rep told Search Engine Land that: “it ‘may’ show the local retail phone number when that store’s location extension shows in an ad even if a call extension in the campaign uses a different phone number in order to increase the relevance of ads that feature specific business locations.”
This is a potential problem for users wanting to use tracking phone numbers within their AdWords call extensions or to use a centralised phone number for their Ads. You can opt-out of this by filling in a form within Google Support if this is something which will effect your call tracking. With Google showing Ads with location extensions across Google Maps, this feels like a move from their part in maintaining the consistency that the user will see between the Google Maps Ad and the organic listing.
Positive, Negative Developments
Finally, and a nice surprise for MCC (My Client Centre) AdWords users: Google has announced the expansion of the Negative Keywords lists to allow them to be shared across accounts. One immediate use would be to simplify the mass-sharing of keywords which are applicable across all accounts and that you would never want to show against (likely mature/illegal themes).
Another use would be for those clients that use multiple AdWords accounts (presumably due to different departmental budgeting), and you want to make sure that there is no cross over between the Accounts on their keywords. This will now allow the process of negative matching an accounts keywords against all other accounts a lot simpler and one which I look forward to using.
I’m sure that this is just the start of the new developments for this coming year; we were promised a whole new interface would arrive! But if the start of the new AdWords developments is anything to go by – I think this will be another year with big movements towards mobile and location based optimisation…and I for one look forward to it!
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#18 Pekin South Route Adjustment 3/5/18
Posted: February 28, 2018
CityLink has made a minor adjustment to the #18 Pekin South Route to provide service to the UnityPoint Pekin East facility and the Avanti’s Dome, both located on Griffin Street, effective March 5, 2018.
#18 Pekin South Outbound: Will no longer serve the Griffin Street and Aldi area, but will stay on Court Street turning right on Veterans. The arrival time to Walmart will be 3 minutes earlier.
#18 Pekin South Inbound: Will depart from Walmart 2 minutes earlier. The bus will operate down Veterans, turn left on Griffin Street and stop at the Unity Point entrance. Continue on Griffin to the Avantis Dome and stop at the entrance. Turn left on Van de ver Avenue, turn right on Court Street. The approximate time of arrival at the UnityPoint Health facility will be 14 minutes after the hour. The first bus will be there at 7:14 a.m., and the last bus will be there at 5:14 p.m.
Click HERE for the updated #18 Pekin South Route and Schedule pages from the Mar. 2018 Rider’s Guide.
For questions regarding CityLink service and routes, please call 676-4040.


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polymorph is an RPG platform – it's not a universal rules engine, or even a game in and of itself. polymorph is a tool kit and a set of development assets that gives a game designer the ability to create easy to use and learn TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAMES (TTRPGs). As a framework, it eliminates complex systems and esoteric rules mastery in favor of an elegantly simple yet satisfying core mechanic: ROLL YOUR DIE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
In a polymorph game, each player only ever uses a specific polyhedral die – a d4, a d6, a d8, or a d10. Each die represents a different “way to play” or a different “role” that they have in the group. Whenever a player asks “can I do something?” they roll their die and with a quick glance at a resolution matrix, know if they succeed.
There is NEVER any math involved (no modifiers, no masters). Depending on the game world and what kind of character that you are playing – you may roll with advantage or disadvantage (or not need to roll at all); and the MC (the person running the game) never rolls dice.
polymorph can run games as varied as traditional dungeon-ing and dragon-ing; feel good cartoon princesses; or an experimental group game where you share control of a living algae colony in a tank. From superheroes to gods, to talking animals to inanimate objects, polymorph can handle it. In fact polymorph won BEST RULES 2020 from the IGDN and has been nominated for ENnie Awards for both Best Rules and Product of the Year (Mazes and The Excellents).
At its core, polymorph provides a framework for resolving actions, creating interesting characters that have mechanical differences, and providing a structure for building up and emulating group stories. RPGs powered by polymorph are modern, rules-lite games designed to allow for strong, narrative game play – but still having the same core crunch and fun of the dice rolling roleplaying game experience. Since each polymorph game is built using the same “you always roll your die” mechanic – but with a specific game world built to emulate and deliver the experience for that game – you can easily pick up and play any polymorph game and focus on the play, not learning the rules.


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De Rossi plays down Roma title expectations
Rudi Garcia's men finished second in the Italian top flight last term in the Frenchman's maiden year in charge at the Stadio Olimpico.
Despite going 17 league games unbeaten at the start of the season, Roma finished 17 points behind Juve as the Turin club won their third consecutive title.
However, the departure of Antonio Conte from the Juve dugout has led many to question their title credentials for this year, while Roma have recruited extensively to sign the likes of Ashley Cole, Davide Astori and Juan Iturbe.
But, speaking after a 2-0 loss to Inter in the International Champions Cup in Philadelphia on Saturday, De Rossi still believes it will be a difficult ask for Roma to win their first Scudetto since the 2000-01 season.
"This year for the first time I will say we have to target the Scudetto, but targeting is not the same as achieving and it's not as easy as people think," De Rossi told Roma Channel.
"From what I hear people seem to say Inter are weak and Juve without Conte are an amateur team.
"On top of that, Romanisti [Roma fans] might make fun of Lazio, but they have constructed a good squad, while Fiorentina recovered two important players like Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez.
"Our objective is the Scudetto, but it won't be easy."