text:
In July 2008, the European Union, International Labour Organization, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour signed a Partnership Protocol Agreement to start the implementation of the TACKLE project in Fiji. Concrete actions quickly followed ‘steered’ by a Child Labour Project Advisory Committee involving the Ministries of Labour and Education, Bureau of Statistics, Social Welfare Department, Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation and the Fiji Trades Union Congress and affiliate the Fiji Teachers Union. At the first Fiji National Child Labour Forum in 2008, social partners and other stakeholders were introduced to child labour concepts and they drafted a framework for actions to tackle child labour.
Output 1: Improved country level child labour and education legal framework
- The report Legislative Compliance Review on Child Labour Laws in Fiji was completed and endorsed. The Report recommendations lead to: elaborating a list of hazardous work for children in Fiji; and recommendations considered in current revision of the Education Act, Juveniles Act and Adoption of Infants Act.
Output 2: Strengthened institutional capacity to formulate and implement child labour strategies
Human resource and institutional capacity to tackle child labour strengthened through:
- National and international training programmes: (a) Child labour training programmes conducted on international and national legal frameworks, child labour research design and data analysis, child labour concepts and strategies, and technical design guidelines for interventions; (b) Training courses held at the ITC-ILO in Turin.
- Mainstreaming programmes: (a) Start Your Own Business (SYOB) programme is an initiative led by the Ministry of Education to provide children in vocational courses at secondary schools with business and entrepreneurial skills; (b) A Child Labour Module included in the Fiji Labour Force Survey 2010-2011 led by the Fiji Island Bureau of Statistics (see "Incorporating child labour datasets into national survey"); (c) Child Labour Unit established within the Ministry of Labour to develop systems and processes to mainstream child labour monitoring and enforcement of legislation in to the core functions of the ministry (see TACKLE Fiji: Case Study: Mainstreaming monitoring and enforcement).
Output 3: Targeted actions to combat child labour
- A demonstration model to tackle child labour designed based on the research findings of five child labour research studies on commercial sexual exploitation of children, street children, rural and agricultural communities, informal settlements and squatter communities, and school-based (see Child Labour in Fiji - A survey of working children in commercial sexual exploitation, on the streets, in rural agricultural communities, in informal and squatter settlements and in schools).
- Two pilot demonstration models began in 2011 and are currently in implementation phase: (a) the Building the capacity of communities to tackle child labour and poverty in squatter settlements (see Community based approach for the eradication of child labour), implemented by People’s Community Work (PCN) aims to build the capacity of squatter (informal) communities to address child labour issues and remove 200 children from hazardous child labour; (b) Eliminating the worst forms of child labour: preventing and removing children from commercial sexual exploitation in Fiji, implemented by Save the Children.
Output 4: Enhanced knowledge base and networks on child labour and education
Mechanisms for knowledge sharing and advocacy created through:
- Child labour information sessions, symposiums, stakeholder dialogues and forums (Pacific Sub-Regional Workshop for Workers' Organization on "Social Dialogue and Child Labor").
- National and international media coverage of child labour activities (null, Radio Australia article and interview: Family finance difficulties forcing children into the sex industry, Fiji One News TV - Launch of the Fiji survey on child labour).
- Endorsement of the Child Labour Committee as a sub-committee of the Fiji National Coordinating Committee for Children.
- The Child Labour and Development Course for Post-Graduate University Students launched with the University of the South Pacific and provided as a development studies special topic course in the second semester of 2011.
Good practices in tackling child labour through education - Selected examples from the IPEC TACKLE Project
10 October 2013
The objective of the TACKLE project was to contribute to the withdrawal of children engaged in child labour and to prevent further entry of children into employment by offering them alternative education and training opportunities and thereby contributing towards poverty reduction.
26 February 2013
Save the Children Fiji said that some children started sex work as early as 10 years.
26 February 2013
Minister for Labour acknowledged the assistance of the ILO in helping Fiji address child labour issues.
28 November 2012
24 May 2012
01 November 2011
01 November 2011
01 April 2011
Workshop report: Nadi, Fiji 7-9 February 2011. The training workshop on Social Dialogue and Child Labour for focal points of workers' organizations, is a step towards achieving the commitments made in the PAP-DW. In particular, the training workshop addresses the commitment in the PAPDW to continue progress on ratification of all eight ILO Core Conventions to have national laws and practices that are aligned with Core and Governance Conventions.
Child Labour in Fiji - A survey of working children in commercial sexual exploitation, on the streets, in rural agricultural communities, in informal and squatter settlements and in schools
01 December 2010
This research tells us that too many children in Fiji are being put at risk of exploitation. Too many children are missing out on their childhood and the benefits of education. Many children are victims of the worst forms of child labour, including commercial sexual exploitation and hazardous work. Among the important voices heard in this research are those of children themselves. We salute their courage in sharing their experiences.
01 September 2009
This report examines Fiji¿s compliance with the ILO Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No.138) and ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182). Fiji ratified Convention No. 182 in 2002 and Convention No. 138 in 2003. The Employment Relations Promulgation 2007 updated Fiji¿s labour laws and brought them more in line with Convention No. 138 and No. 182, however, there are still major gaps in the application of the Conventions in Fiji¿s laws.


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The week of Oct. 24 took a toll on a lot of students here at McDaniel. The passing of Dillan Krebs encouraged coaches in particular to have hard conversations with their teams about mental health. So, I decided to look at mental health and how it affects student athletes here at McDaniel College, both on the field and in the classroom.
As we attempt to return to a new “normal” in the aftermath of Covid shutdowns and remote learning, we are seeing many changes in our culture that impact mental health and emotional well-being in student athletes. Performance pressures accompanied with these cultural changes can create intense emotional responses to their college lives.
I interviewed students from the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and the football team. While these interviews don’t represent the thoughts of every McDaniel athlete, it is helpful to consider these views as we continue to evaluate mental health at McDaniel.
I first asked the student athletes how mental health affects their performance on the field. “Playing a sport both helps and hinders mental health.” said Bailey Boner, a senior lacrosse midfielder.
“I say both because working out naturally releases serotonin, but being an athlete is a commitment on and off the field all year long. It can be stressful balancing your time when fifteen plus hours a week are committed to practice, games and lifts.”
Emily Sheppard, a junior on the women’s lacrosse team said, “The environment can also impact your mental health. If you have unpleasant teammates, that can make going to practice and even school an unpleasant time.” Athletes make it clear that mental health plays a large role in the life of athletes because of the sacrifices they make and the team environment.
I then asked the student athletes their thoughts on how mental health affects them in the classroom. When I asked Owen Reese, a Junior football player, he said, “I feel that anxiety is one of the biggest problems athletes face, anxiety about getting hurt or getting bad grades and being ineligible. Mental illness can severely impact our performance on and off the field if not taken care of properly.”
Dylan Vitale, a junior on the men’s lacrosse team, said “I’ve been anxious plenty of times but I always try to do my best in the classroom and on the field. I try to stay motivated and be grateful that I get to play at the collegiate level. I know that if I do well in the classroom, I can do well on the field.” The pressure to perform in the classroom affects the motivation of athletes because they cannot do what they love if their grades are low.
I questioned how our coaches care for their athletes’ mental health. Owen Reese stated, “Our coaches care so much about us. Most of them have been athletes themselves and understand what we have gone through. They encourage us and help advocate what is best for us.”
Players look to their coaches when they are struggling on and off the field. They see each other everyday, and coaches can notice when something isn’t right. Athletic departments are challenged with the task of being aware of mental health warning signs, issues and in response be trained to respond.
Mental health and being a student athlete can take its toll on many. It is clear that all athletes have struggled at some point in their careers. They all know that their mental health is important and that it should take priority sometimes. Furthermore, it makes sense that mental health will not only affect athletic performance, but also academic and social success. Early recognition can shorten the time between mental health concerns and treatment, thereby decreasing undue suffering and moving toward health in all areas of a college athlete’s life.
This is an important topic to talk about and understand. If mental health concerns arise, players should talk to their coach, use counselors in the Wellness Center, and connect with an outside therapist. McDaniel also offers support through the Student Accessibility and Support Services Office for any student with a documented psychological, learning or physical disability. All students are continually encouraged to reach out to professors and deans. Creating awareness of available resources and supports, and prioritizing mental health is necessary for all students on campus.

domain: psychology


text:
Touring around the coast of Buenavista del Norte is one of the best options to see how great its landscapes are. The blue of the Atlantic Ocean contrasts with the green of the mountains that rise suddenly out of nowhere.
Almost the entire coastline can be explored on foot. It is a pleasant walk, where you can breathe the sea air and discover beaches and hidden piers. It reminds us that the fishing activity was the basis of the economy of many families in Buenavista del Norte and where, if the weather is good, taking a bath is a real pleasure.
One of the greatest attractions of Buenavista del Norte is the possibility of enjoying the coast and the mountains in just half an hour. The coast can be divided into two slopes: north and south. You will find sandy and pebble beaches.
Among them are Las Arenas beach, Las Mujeres beach, El Fraile beach and Los Barqueros one. On the southern slope, Masca’s beach can be found. Here you can only access it by descending its ravine or by boat. Punta de Teno is another spot to take a dip. It is possible to access it by bus or also by boat.
The majority of the coast of Buenavista del Norte is accessible by car or on foot. In addition to the beaches mentioned above, there are puddles and coves where you will see that our volcanic origin is also reflected in the coast. They consist of authentic lava oases where you can take a break.
There is a path that will take you from the centre of the municipality to the coast, in case you want to enjoy a complete visit. It is a simple route. You will pass through emblematic beaches that will tell you about the history of Buenavista del Norte.

domain: geography


Do you need an ultrasound scan in Seaford?
An ultrasound scan is a picture of part of the inside of the body. It uses sound waves of a frequency above the audible range of the human ear.
A small hand-held sensor pressed carefully against the skin surface generates sound waves and detects any echoes reflected back off the surfaces and tissues of our internal organs.
The sensor can be moved over the skin to view the organs from different angles. The images are displayed on a screen and recorded for subsequent study.
At our centre in Seaford, our ultrasound scans are carried out by highly experienced specialist radiologists. Ultrasound scans are reported on by highly experienced radiographers who are specialists in their field.
It’s easy to book a private ultrasound at our centre in Seaford. If you would like to make an appointment for a private ultrasound, you can request an appointment here or call us on 01293 534 043.


text:
This is CNET and hear the stories that matter right now.
Private equity firm KKR has purchased online health publisher, WebMD, in a deal worth roughly $2.8 billion which ones being about 20% premium over the site's current value
The purchase also includes WebMD owned sites Medscape.com and Medicinemet.com.
MS Paint, the beloved legacy painting program inside Windows might be erased from the operating system according to a Windows 10 fall creators update.
MS Paint is as old as Windows itself, first appearing in version 1.0 of Windows back in 1985.
During a computer vision and pattern recognition conference in Hawaii, Microsoft implied that a new chip outfitted with an AI co-processor would be implemented into HoloLens to improve the device's voice and object recognition.
This falls in line with Microsoft's heavy AR push for the product, including applications where it could help visually impaired people that are navigating
You can stay up to date with the latest by downloading c net tech today app in the Apple Google Play Store.
Facebook under scrutiny, a startup aims to bring AR to contact...
Netflix tests cheap mobile plans, Pixel 3 Night Sight now live
Amazon chooses HQ2 locations, Waymo's self-driving service may...
Samsung's foldable phone may arrive in March, Lyft's rewards...
Trump probed over AT&T, Amazon; Mars Rover gets a destination
MacBook Air reviews, Samsung's foldable phone
Google changes harassment policies, Tesla gets new chairperson
Kindle Paperwhite review, Amazon's first toy catalog
Apple iPad Pro and Mac Mini reviews arrive
iPad Pro reviews are in. Amazon to split HQ2 into 2?

domain: news


No swimming advisory issued for Yacht Club Beach
The Lee County Health Department has posted an advisory for the Cape Coral Yacht Club Beach, saying it is unsafe for swimmers due to high levels of bacteria identified in routine weekly testing.
Tests completed Tuesday indicate that the water quality at beach does not meet the safety criteria for enterococcus bacteria recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Florida Department of Health, officials said.
Water contact may pose an increased risk of disease, particularly for susceptible individuals.
The health department recommends not swimming at the river-front beach.
Enterococcus bacteria normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The presence of an elevated concentration of this bacterium is an indicator of pollution, which may come from storm water runoff, pets, wildlife, or sewage.
Elevated levels of enterococcus bacteria have been associated with an increased risk of swimming-associated gastroenteritis illness (diarrhea and abdominal pain).
This advisory will continue until bacteria levels are below the accepted EPA level. New test results for Cape Coral Yacht Club Beach will be in by 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. A new round of water samples on all Lee County beaches will be taken Monday, Oct. 3, with results showing 24 hours later.
For more information, view the website at www.doh.state.fl.us select Services, Environmental Health, and then Healthy Beaches, or call the Lee County Health Department at (239) 274-2200 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Source: Lee County Health Department


text:
Agar.io (Mod Menu)
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* Introducing Eggstravaganza Adventure, arriving 8 March 2024
- Collect tokens in any arena and in potions to unlock rewards galore
- Get the Golden Road to take your adventure to the next level for super exclusive rewards and skins

domain: hobby


Momentum Energy is lifting the lid on the energy hassles Aussies face, with the launch of its new creative platform Less hassle. More hustle. which goes live today.
In a bold move, the Victorian-based energy retailer is shining a light on the issues customers face when dealing with their energy retailer, as it pledges to tackle them one by one — from offshore call centres and poor customer service, to confusing discounts and pricing plans.
The fully integrated campaign launches via B.B.E following a week-long ‘teaser’ phase, where unbranded out-of-home ‘HASSLE’ billboards and street posters were scattered around Victoria.
From today, the ‘HASSLE’ billboard in Melbourne’s CBD is being painted over to unveil ‘HUSTLE’ and the new brand messaging.
Additional out-of-home static and digital creative will also go live, along with connected TV pre-rolls, digital display ads, radio commercials and live on-air radio promos with Melbourne’s Nova 100.
Commenting on the launch, Momentum’s recently announced Managing Director, Amy Childs, said: “We know energy isn’t working the way it should be.
“Somewhere along the line, this industry lost its way, and the focus moved away from what should always be our number one priority – making energy better for customers.
“Through this campaign, we aim to address these issues head-on, so that we can improve the way we interact with our customers. While we can’t fix everything immediately, we can make a start — one hassle at a time.”
In line with the launch, consumers are being directed to the new campaign page, which lists the ‘hassles’ reported by Australians, informed by consumer research, as well as how Momentum is hustling to tackle each one.
New hassles can also be added for consideration via the submission portal on the page.
Also going live is Momentum’s dedicated 1800 HUSTLE hotline, available to existing customers with queries, or those looking to make the switch.
Momentum head of marketing and communications Naomi Morton added: “This is more than just an advertising campaign.
“It’s a shift we’re carrying right through the business — from our head office to our locally-operated call centres.
“Our new 1800 HUSTLE hotline is just one example of this. After analysing calls and our current processes, we knew there was a clear need to make phone enquiries hassle-free.
“That’s why we upskilled our entire 1800 HUSTLE call team — so they’d feel more equipped to answer customer queries without the need to transfer the call.
“Since doing this, we’ve reduced call centre transfers by half.”
B.B.E strategy director Tim Evans said: “My favourite thing about Less hassle. More hustle. is that it’s being embraced across the whole business.
“From the new 1800 HUSTLE hotline to staff training. It’s a genuine business transformation and it’s all come from listening to customers.”
Strategy: Tim Evans
Creative: Simon Robins, Katja Vella, Simon Gross
Producer: George Fowler-Brady, Ebony Bell, Janita Patel
Design: Kristy Buchanan, Jordan Croome, Duc Ho
Development: James Grose, Matty Yeow
Account director: Ryan Gardiner
Account executive: Toni Penny
Managing director: Amy Childs
Head of marketing and communications: Naomi Morton
Campaign manager: Claire McClelland, Margot Ashburner
In-house studio: Kate Lightfoot, Nikki Berto, Alice Kenny
Twitter has just experienced its fastest growth in revenue since 2014, with the social media platform benefiting from increased interest from advertisers. Revenue was up 74 per cent YoY, according to the company’s Q2 results, reaching $US1.19 billion ($1.6 billion) from $US683.4 million ($925 million) 12 months ago. The strong results came in the same […]
Wild Turkey has announced the launch of its new global creative campaign and platform, ‘Trust Your Spirit’, featuring the brand’s creative director and spokesperson, Matthew McConaughey. The global campaign and platform ‘Trust Your Spirit’ is to encourage people to be bold, unapologetically themselves, and stay true to who they are. The global tagline and ethos […]
Telecommunications company Optus has announced it will launch the world’s first TikTok sign-language activated filter. Featuring Optus ambassador Ian Thorpe, Optus will unveil a branded effect that shows TikTok users how to say key phrases in Auslan sign language, including ‘How are you?’ and ‘It starts with Yes’, through the hashtag challenge #SignYes. Optus will […]
Podsights has revealed new insights into the effectiveness of advertising in podcasts, tracking global and Australian podcast advertising trends. This is the first Australian report to be published since ARN partnered with Podsights to set the standard for best-in-class podcast advertising measurement. The report includes additional analysis and follows a series of Measurement Masterclasses held for […]
NGEN’s 2021 charity cup has raised over $175,000 for UnLtd charity partner Gotcha4Life. Gotcha4Life is a not-for-profit foundation raising awareness and funding to provide educational workshops and innovative programs that build mental fitness in individuals and communities. While Sydney and Brisbane completed the Charity Cup in June, before Covid restrictions hit, the final leg in […]
Australian tech incubator Cicada Innovations and Biennale of Sydney are launching the ‘New & Sustainable Materials Challenge,’ in an effort to create a more sustainable future. The works of chosen material-makers will be showcased to millions of Biennale audiences, exhibition partners, and exhibition makers globally. The Challenge is open to any Australian and UK startups, […]


text:
Can you play Forza Horizon 3 multiplayer?
1. Unfortunately the only multiplayer in Forza Horizon 3 is online; there's no split-screen local multiplayer and there's no offline multiplayer. For more information on the online modes in Forza Horizon 3, visit http://forza.wikia.com/wiki/Forza_Horizon_3/Horizon_Online. via
Can you play Forza 4 2 player?
Split Screen in Forza Horizon 4
We hate to bring the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, Forza Horizon 4 doesn't offer any split-screen features or capabilities. via
Can you play Forza 3 with friends?
For the first time, you can join up with friends to take on the campaign in a co-op mode. You can all explore together and then compete in races and other missions. via
Does Forza Horizon 3 have co-op?
Forza Horizon 3's most exciting new feature is 4-player online co-op. Xbox One and Windows 10 players can even play together, as the game is fully cross-play, with all progress shared between versions. Once the player has unlocked multiplayer, the new Co-op Campaign becomes available. via
Is Forza Horizon 3 or 4 better?
When launched, Forza Horizon 3 came out with a great list of 350 cars, which was certainly far from a disappointment. With an additional 200 cars, Forza Horizon 4 is the clear winner here, but we're sure that the 524 cars in Horizon 3 should keep you entertained for a while, too! via
Is Forza Horizon 3 online?
Horizon Online is a multiplayer suite in Forza Horizon 3 that features three different game modes; Online Adventure, Online Freeroam, and Online Co-op. Players can enter matchmaking for any of the three multiplayer modes with select variations or create a private session through the Social section of the Pause Menu. via
Is Forza a 2 player game?
Forza Motorsport 7 is also available on PC, but split-screen is only available on console at this time. Once both players are signed in, they can enjoy the free mode and race each other on various tracks. Playing split-screen with friends should help entertain dedicated fans until the new title is released. via
Does descenders have local multiplayer?
Downhill biking game Descenders adds multiplayer as it exits Early Access. Descenders is a downhill freeriding game where the worlds and trails are procedurally generated so you'll never quite know what to expect. It just left Early Access today and got a big feature update: Multiplayer. via
Does Forza 3 have split-screen?
The game does not have split screen/local multiplayer. The game features online multiplayer. 8 of 8 found this helpful. via
Is Forza Horizon 2 split-screen?
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Forza Horizon 2 features up to twelve-player simultaneous online multiplayer modes. However, it doesn't include support for split-screen racing. via
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Playground Games has revealed its latest open-world racing offering, Forza Horizon 5, will have the largest map yet when it drops later this year. Based on real-world Mexico, developers have confirmed via Twitter the environment is 1.5x larger than Horizon 4's. via
Is Forza Horizon 2 or 3 better?
horizon 2 is a better game than hoerizon 3. it feels so much better, the physics are more enjoyable and the map isn't bigger than horizon 3, but it has much more sweetspots and more exciting roads to discover. if u enjoy horizon 3 u will love horizon 2. via
Which Forza Horizon is best?
The top 10 best Forza titles so far:

domain: entertainment


text:
Return to Transcripts main page
Voters Rebuke Trump in Off-Year Elections; Republicans Pledge to Pass Tax Plan by End of Year. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired November 12, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:04] JOHN KING, CNN HOST (voice-over): Alabama's Bible-quoting Senate candidate is accused of pursuing teenaged girls. It's a moral crisis for the Republican Party. But somehow, a rallying cry for the alt-right.
STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: They're coming after Judge Moore. This was the politics of personal destruction.
KING: Plus, a big off-year Democratic sweep. Nancy Pelosi eyes the speaker's gavel. And Republicans promise tax cuts soon.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Trust me. We're going to get this over the finish line.
KING: And the big Asia trip. Cozy with China's leader, and then this -- first, the president says he believes Vladimir Putin. Then he pulls it back.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What he believes is what he believes. What I believe is that we have to get to work.
KING: INSIDE POLITICS, the biggest stories sourced by the best reporters, now.
KING: Welcome to INSIDE POLITICS. I'm John King.
To our viewers in the United States and around the world, thank you for sharing your Sunday.
A lot to talk about. The Republican Party torn apart by a morals crisis. Its Christian conservative Senate candidate in Alabama is accused of pursuing girls when they were in their teens and molesting one of them. But Roy Moore is ignoring calls to step aside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROY MOORE (R), ALABAMA SENATE CANDIDATE: My opponent is 11 points behind. That came out just days before this article came out. They're desperate. This article is a prime example of fake news. We do not intend to let the Democrats or the established Republicans or anybody else behind this story stop this campaign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Plus, the Republicans were already a bit of a mess. Racing now to pass a tax cut plan after a stunning off-year election rebuke that proved Democrats are energized and that President Trump is a big drag on Republican candidates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SCOTT TAYLOR (R), VIRGINIA: I think that last night was a referendum. I don't think there's any way that you can look at it in a different way, to be honest with you, and be intellectually consistent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Up first, though, President Trump is in the Philippines today, winding down his Asia trip with flashes of anger and walking back words critics labeled not only as unpresidential, but some called un- American. On Air Force One, the president called former intelligence agency chiefs hacks, and said he believed Vladimir Putin when the Russian president denied meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
But hours later in Vietnam, after pushback from his own national security team, the president changed his tune.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I believe that he feels that he and Russia did not meddle in the election. As to whether I believe it or not, I'm with our agencies, especially as currently constituted with their leadership. I believe in our intel agencies, our intelligence agencies. I've worked with them very strongly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: With us this Sunday to share their reporting and their insights, Abby Phillip of CNN, "TIME's" Molly Ball, Michael Warren of "The Weekly Standard", and Margaret Talev of Bloomberg.
Here's the question this Sunday morning, which President Trump do you believe?
On Air Force One Saturday, this was how the president characterized his Asia trip chat with Russia's president. Quote: He said he didn't meddle. He said he didn't meddle, the president told reporters. That was on Air Force One.
I asked him again. You can only ask so many times. Every time he sees me, he says, I didn't do that. And I believe -- I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it. I think he is very insulted by it.
In that same conversation, the president labeled as hacks the men who led the intelligence agencies that concluded Russia mounted an unprecedented effort to intervene in the 2016 campaign with the goal of helping Mr. Trump. But hours later, and after his own CIA put out a statement saying there's no doubt Russia did meddle, the president retreated. Sort of.
He said he agrees with the current leaders of the intelligence community, you just heard him, but he made clear, listen here, he sees little value in holding Putin's Russia accountable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm not looking to stand and start arguing with somebody when there's reporters all around and cameras recording and seeing our conversation. I think it was very obvious to everybody. I believe that President Putin really feels, and he feels strongly, that he did not meddle in our election. What he believes is what he believes. What I believe is that we have to get to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: By getting to work, it's very clear the president thinks the sanctions that Congress demanded are an impediment to him doing his work. Where are we here?
If you look at the president's Twitter feed in the last 24 hours, if you take what he said on Air Force One, when he was himself, unscripted, talking with reporters, take that and then take what he said when he got on the ground in Vietnam after his own national security team said, sir? Where are we?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, the -- he always needs to be, I think, under duress to kind of get to the place where the rest of the government is. And it's worth noting here that it isn't just that Trump's CIA director and Trump's intelligence officials believe this. Current officials believe what the former officials that Russia meddled in the election.
[08:05:02] And the only person that doesn't seem to believe that is President Trump. So, I think there are some issues with getting Trump to the right place. But clearly, he did a little bit of a 180-turn on this one. And I think that there is a secondary problem, which is going overseas as a president and essentially slamming the institution -- slamming the intelligence community as an institution, the credibility of the people who have held roles in the past.
It's just really -- I think that that's very unusual for a president to be overseas and to do something like that, especially on an issue of whether or not a foreign government tried to intervene in our elections. I think it sets really a different precedent for him to do that in this moment.
KING: And to add to that point, unusual for an American president, any American president, to criticize his own government, even prior administrations went overseas. On this trip, this president of the United States has also been in China, Vietnam and now the Philippines, and at least as of when we came on the air, not one public word about the human rights records in any of those places. So, he's giving them a pass, criticizing the United States. I didn't
mean to interrupt. But this is what John McCain said about that very point: There is nothing America first about taking the word of a KGB colonel over that of the American intelligence community. Vladimir Putin does not have America's interests at heart. To believe otherwise is not only naive, but also places our national security at risk.
MICHAEL WARREN, REPORTER, THE WEEKLY STANDARD: Well, this is the problem with the type of language, the way that the president speaks, which is you can't really be sure of what exactly he means. I mean, if you read actually the words that he said in that initial Air Force One discussion, he says that he believes that Putin believes this.
Well, what are we supposed to do with that? Are we supposed to -- is the president saying he accepts Putin's view of these things? Well, now, he says no. I think we should back up, though, a little bit and say that the intelligence community and sort of different intelligence agencies are not above criticism.
In fact, you know, just a couple of weeks ago that we found out fully that, for instance, the bin Laden documents that were received from his compound in Pakistan, there was an effort in some in the intelligence community to keep those under locks and key.
And this is something that the president is well aware of. The problem is, is that it's everybody in the administration, everybody in the intelligence community. There is nobody in the White House, even, no disagrees with the view that Russia did something, except for the president. And that's a problem.
KING: Except for the president. I want to jump in on this point, because he's ten months in office now. This is not a fact of dispute anymore.
Here's what we know: The FBI and other intelligence agencies say there is no question Russia was involved in the DNC hack and the Clinton e- mail hacks. There were 80,000 Facebook posts that have been linked back -- 80,000 Facebook posts seen by as many as 126 million people linked back to Russian accounts. Two hundred Twitter accounts linked back to Russia. Eighteen YouTube channels linked back to Russia, 170 Instagram accounts linked back to Russia during the campaign.
This is not an "if" anymore, except apparently to one man.
MOLL BALL, REPORTER, TIME: Well, and it's because, ironically, his insistence on taking everything personally, makes everything a story about him. It would have -- it would be, you know, conceivable or you could imagine a different president, perhaps, who could say that they accept these conclusions and it's not about them. This is a story about Russia. This is a story about our institutions.
But the fact that Trump believes this is about him, believes it is an attack on him and accusation against him and attempt to delegitimize him, that he is unable not to make it a story that's just about Trump and his victory and his relationships and so on. I mean, I think the second statement that he made about wanting to move past this issue to have a productive relationship with Russia, had he started there, it still would have been controversial. But it would not necessarily have just been a story about Trump.
KING: You can say -- you can say, Putin says he didn't do it. Of course, he did it. But he's not going to publicly admit it. So, my job now is to enforce the sanctions and try to do constructive business on other areas.
That's what Ronald Reagan did when he stared down the then Soviet Union. He said some tough things. He called them out. Called them what they were. But also did business with them. This president won't call them what they are.
MARGARET TALEV, BLOOMBERG POLITICS: There are many Republicans, both in Congress and inside the White House, who would like the president to start separating these issues. To talk about what needs to be done going forward in terms of what the Russians did and what they could do heading into the next election cycle and find a way to surgically remove the president from that process.
And the problem with what happened yesterday is that regardless of what he said second, we all heard what he said first. And what he said first is, in his mind, the way the situation should be viewed, the lens through which it should be cast. Everything that he says publicly is also material for the Mueller investigation as it moves forward.
And this is just very -- it's complicated for him to talk about it. And so his reluctance to talk about it is understandable. But he has to talk about it, because he's the leader of the United States and the free world and needs to send really clear, public signals.
[08:10:06] And it's understandable that he sees that if he really goes full bore on this, it will complicate Russian cooperation in Syria and Korea. He's got to find a way to talk about it without giving Russians a pass for what everybody else understands --
KING: Without doing exactly what the Russians want him to do. What he said on Air Force One is exactly what the Russians want him to say. It's not -- it's no not just he doesn't think it's a big issue, he is channeling their own lines, when he says this.
Let's step back. Does this become -- does this become sort of the legacy of his first big Asia trip, that he talked about in the sense we have seen him at the table and the president has talked about how well-received by the other leaders, the president has talked about how well received he has been.
But what do we have? The president has said he believes President Xi will increase the sanctions on North Korea. We'll keep an eye on that one. Are there any other deliverables for this president?
He has been talking about trade -- but he's been in office for ten months -- in China, in Vietnam, now in the Philippines. No trade deals with any of these countries. No single one-offs. What does he have?
PHILLIP: I mean, I think it's a little bit -- the challenge for this White House is that they want to be successful in some really tough areas. Trade, I think, is actually really difficult for them to kind of maneuver here, because Trump wants to go his own way and separate from the ethos of past presidents. He wants to have a little bit more of a strong arm on trade. I think that's going to take time to do.
And also, the North Korea issue is really the most vexing of them all. And it's really literally not one that he's going to resolve as a result of a ten-day trip. So, it is possible.
I mean, I think we should put the possibility out there that over time, there might be results of a strategy that basically says, we are going to put the goals of cooperation first, and, you know, minor disputes second. And if that brings China closer to where the administration wants them to be, if it brings Russia closer to where the administration wants them to be, then maybe we'll see results. We just haven't yet.
And I think that there are a lot of people who are smarter than me about foreign policy who say that it's not that easy, that on some level, you have to walk and chew gum at the same time. You have to uphold certain values, defend the United States against intervention while also demanding cooperation on issues where, you know, mutual agreement is necessary.
BALL: And I think particularly with regard to China, right? Because China was such a focus of the campaign. The idea that the Chinese are taking advantage of us. And then, you know, on day one he pulls out of the TPP, which, if anything, empowers China economically, and the administration has not then moved to, as you said, replace that with other bilateral agreements that might undercut China's economic dominance.
And so, you know, the Trump campaign said we have all this economic leverage over China, we're going to crack the whip and make them help us with problems on North Korea, that has not been a successful approach so far and in part because of these conflicting objectives. And so, but it's also possible that that's still coming. Something came out of this trip, and that we will see more pressure.
KING: We'll keep an eye on that. Up next, a shift to politics here at home, Roy Moore says allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers are false and he says they're politically motivated. And he tells the Republican establishment, back off. He isn't quitting the race.
First, though, politicians say the darndest things. "SNL's" Vice President Mike Pence offers advice to Alabama's Roy Moore.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alabama is a quite place. But we can't take chances. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike, look, it's all guys. I'm not that guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perhaps, Roy. Perhaps. But it's hard to convince people that you're not into young girls when you're just like Woody from "Toy Story".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, sir, do we have to do it this way? I mean, can't you call the boss?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, I'm not going to call Vladimir Putin about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:17:53] KING: Welcome back. Alabama's special Senate election is in a month, and Roy Moore says he isn't going anywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOORE: These attacks involve a minor, and they're completely false and untrue. I have not been guilty of sexual misconduct with anyone. These allegations came only four and a half weeks before the general election on December 12th. Why now?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Four women have come forward to say Moore pursued them years ago when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. One of the four, Leigh Corfman, told "The Washington Post" she was 14, when Moore helped her undress and touched her through her bra and her underwear. Alabama's age of consent is 16.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MOORE: I don't know Ms. Corfman from anybody. I've never talked to her. Never had any contact with her. Allegations of sexual misconduct with her are completely false. I believe they're politically motivated. I believe they're brought only to stop a very successful campaign, and that's what they're doing. I have never known this woman or anything.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KING: Roy Moore, quite emphatic there. The women say they stand by their accounts, which leaves us where, with a month to go?
One of the interesting questions is the Republicans, number one, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has pulled its money from the race. Number two, the Republican establishment wants Roy Moore to get out. He made clear over the weekend that he's not getting out.
I think -- is this now on the president in that a lot of Republicans want the president, when he comes home from Asia to, A, try to get on the phone with Roy Moore, will the president do that and say get out, and if not, maybe give the governor some cover to move the election. That would be controversial.
WARREN: The White House is saying they want Roy Moore to have a chance to defend himself. This is what they said before the Sean Hannity interview in a statement. Well, now, Roy Moore has defended himself. And it's at this point now where the question is, initially these Republican senators when being asked about it, the White House being asked about it -- well, if the allegations are true.
Now, we have Roy Moore denying them. We have just taking the one case, we have the then 14-year-old girl, now woman, telling us this. Her mother, and two friends she told contemporaneously.
[08:20:01] Who do you believe?
And I think that's the question right now for the White House. This is something that the president is going to have to address when he gets home. And I think it's an open question right now of whether or not he's going to be willing to believe and remember, he has an out here politically, which is he never endorsed Roy Moore until after he won that primary runoff.
TALEV: And certainly these women's allegations are very credible when you look at them en masse. The problem for the White House, other than the fact that this isn't really President Trump's brand to call out social injustice and eject people from elections, is that Roy Moore will appear on the ballot anyway and that the Republicans certainly have the ability to try to throw in a spoiler candidate or something on the side or up the middle. But ultimately, the control of the Senate does hang at a certain point in the balance and that explains what all -- not immediately, but chipping away towards it. So that explains sort of the conundrum for the entire party.
But the risk for the Republican Party, set aside the obvious kind of point that it maybe doesn't matter what the risk for any party is, matters to do something about this, is that the problem for the Republican Party is that this could translate beyond the Alabama race, beyond control of a chamber and affect the entire impression that American voters have about Republicans. And a lot of folks are concerned, both personally about it, they feel very uncomfortable standing beside him, given where these allegations are at this point. But also in terms of the political implications.
KING: Right. And you see that just in terms of politics here. You have a Christian conservative candidate whose whole career in politics has been about putting morality and the bible ahead of anything, even law, even orders from federal courts on occasion, now accused of reprehensible personal conduct that could take the whole Republican brand, playing out in the context of the national conversation now about sexual harassment, from Harvey Weinstein to everything else.
BALL: Well, and it's women voters that the Republican Party is so worried about. We're going to talk about the election results this week, particularly in Virginia. There was a surge in turnout among women voters.
Those are the voters that Republicans are very worried that their brand could be damaged with and that could have a real impact beyond this one Senate race, that these are the voters who have been the most sort of galvanized since 2016, where we see a surge in enthusiasm, and if they're looking at the Republican brand nationally -- and that's why you do have so many national Republicans running screaming in the other direction from Roy Moore, not equivocating, not calling it fake news, giving him a chance to defend himself.
But then a lot of Republicans in the Senate have called on him to drop out. They have tried to make this a clean break, not wanting to associate with him in any way, because they know the entire party brand risks being tainted by this.
PHILLIP: I think it's wishful thinking, though, that Republicans want to put this on Trump, or even that their lack of endorsement will matter in this case. I mean, remember, Roy Moore ran this race really because, in spite of Mitch McConnell saying I don't want this guy to win, in spite --
KING: Right, the president going there.
PHILLIP: -- the president not endorsing him. And you already have Steve Bannon coming out and saying, I'm going to stand by Roy Moore in this case.
And I think that it's important to just keep in mind that Roy Moore is not a candidate who cares about these kinds of endorsements, or whose candidacy was successful because of it. And so, I don't think it's -- it's not intellectually honest to expect that the lack of endorsement will make a difference one way or another, or that the president suddenly is going to signal to Republicans in Alabama. I'm just talking about regular old voters.
When Trump endorsed Roy Moore's opponent, he gave a wink and a nod to Roy Moore, saying, hey, this guy will be OK, anyway, even if I don't endorse him right now. If Trump comes back home and says, hey, I think this is reprehensible, don't be surprised if there is also a wink and a nod, saying, but we'll keep control of the Senate.
You know, Trump has been willing to sort of make those kinds of signals to his base, and they have paid attention to them.
WARREN: Well, let's not rule out the possibility that Roy Moore could lose the election. I mean, it's sort of an outside chance, but who knows? There's still a month.
PHILLIP: There is a Democratic candidate who Democrats might actually put some effort behind.
WARREN: Exactly. Now, I talked to a Republican campaign strategist this weekend who's had big concern for this, and speaking of women voters, would be if this story remains on local TV news, in places like Birmingham and Mobile. It's a sex story. So it's something that could lead, if you hear more allegations, more women come out, we haven't seen that yet.
But if that happens, that keeps the story going. This is the kind of thing you could really see a sort of reversal of the 2010 Massachusetts special election where Scott Brown surprised everybody and won.
TALEV: And a law and order Democrat as an alternative.
WARREN: That's right.
KING: So, we'll keep an eye on that Democratic money going in. The president when he gets back and behind the scenes Republicans are checking with lawyers to figure out if they have any options, ranging from moving the election to perhaps not seating Roy Moore, if he wins the election.
[08:25:07] We'll keep an eye on this sort of big week ahead.
Up next, the most unusual thing about last week's big elections, they followed the old rules, not the Trump rules.
KING: Welcome back.
An odd thing happened this past Tuesday. The election, the off-year election, followed the normal rules of politics. Something that hasn't happened much since Donald Trump switched from businessman to politician.
Mr. Trump bent, broke, rewrote the rules of politics on the path to the presidency. But he has historically horrible poll numbers as he approaches the ten-month mark. And the voters' message this Tuesday was a stunning rebuke of the president and his party.
Let's just look a little bit at Virginia. The Democrat won the governor's race in a blowout. Now, Virginia's blue, Democrats are supposed to win Virginia. But look at that margin. That is not normal.
Here's another thing to look at. Let's just come up here to the Washington, D.C., suburbs. That's Fairfax. This is Arlington. Yes, the Democrats are supposed to win in blue Arlington.
But what does that tell you? Eighty to 19. That tells you Democrats are swarming to the polls; huge Democratic turnout and very low Republican performance in a suburb.
That's one reason Democrats are very happy. Their voters are energized.
Let's come over here. Suburban Loudoun County, fast-growing county outside of Washington, D.C. -- a blowout; the Democrat winning with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
Let's go back just three years. Ed Gillespie, the same Republican candidate, ran in a senate race. Now, it's a different climate, but still, he won Loudoun County, just barely. But he won it just three years ago. Another warning sign for the Republicans; something that makes Democrats happy.
I just want to drop one more down here -- south of Richmond, Chesterfield County. This is Republican territory. Look how Ed Gillespie won big there three years ago. Now look now -- just barely winning -- just barely winning, essentially a dead heat.
Add all this up, Republicans underperforming in the suburbs, underperforming in the ex-urban areas that are traditionally good for Republicans.
Democrats flooding the polls, especially those women voters Molly talked about a few moments ago. The results caused an overnight shift in the 2018 landscape.
Just weeks ago -- Democratic hopes of retaking control of the House, a long shot at best. Now, some smart money puts the odds at even, maybe better.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The door is certainly open for us. In '05 right now we had President Bush down to 38 percent. That's approximately where President Trump is now.
That opens the door. That means we get the fresh recruits and they get the retirements.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: A fair read by Nancy Pelosi, or an over read?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think that she's actually kind of measured there. She's saying the door is open. The question mark is, are Democrats going to walk through the door, or are they going to trip at the doorstep. It's unclear.
I think there is a real opportunity here. I was really surprised after Tuesday by just the degree to which the numbers were so huge in -- just to the point that you just made. They were so huge in some of these Democratic counties and districts.
And it really -- highlighted to me how Hillary Clinton, even though she beat Donald Trump in Virginia, actually kind of underperformed to what the potential was there, given all of the kind of dynamics going on in northern Virginia.
And so, you know, there are a lot of Democratic candidates out there who are probably looking at the map and saying, you know, we can probably over-perform Hillary Clinton.
And if Republicans perform like Ed Gillespie, who was actually a pretty good candidate for the state of Virginia, and if you have another candidate in another state where there are pretty good candidates for the state, you might be able to edge them out and I think that's a real possibility in places where after last year Democrats were holding their hands, saying what happened here? There was a lot of underperforming from the Democratic side. And not necessarily over-performing from Trump in some of these swing district swing states.
MOLLY BALL, "TIME": I think Democrats are also breathing a sigh of relief that the culture war didn't work for Ed Gillespie. That he had tried to turn this into a campaign about the kinds of issues that Trump talks about instead of his more natural, I think, bailiwick of economic development and so on. Things he talked about in the primary and almost lost.
This became a campaign that was about MS-13 and confederate statues and NFL players taking a knee and felons being allowed to vote. And I think there was a lot of worry on the Democratic side that that -- as despicable as they found that, that it would be effective.
BALL: That it would have this galvanizing effect on the electorate, and they would come out to vote and they would overcome whatever edge the Democrats had.
Instead, the opposite happened. You had, according to the exit polls, a large amount of voters coming out specifically to send a message to the President. That helped the Democrats.
And then you had a lot of people voting on issues like health care, which is an issue that Trump had said we're not going to own it, right? People just still blame the Democrats and think it's Obamacare that's a disaster. This is a sign that Republicans are starting to own that issue and it's not a good thing.
KING: Right. It was not a big battle between Ralph Northam and Ed Gillespie but it was the number one issue for Virginia voters. So clearly the national debate -- I just want to put these numbers up because the point I made is that since Donald Trump came down that escalator and ran for president, forget the rules, right?
He wasn't supposed to win the Republican primary. He wasn't supposed to get Christian conservative votes. No way he could beat Hillary Clinton. But he did all that.
But look at this. This was a normal election. If the President has bad polling numbers, the other party does well.
This is the President's approval rating. Back at his inauguration his approval rating was 44 percent. That was low to begin with. Now it is 36 percent.
Here's the part I wonder if Democrats can take advantage of. Look at the drop among non-white college graduates. This was a big part of the Trump base.
If you look at the President's drop, he had a 59 percent approval rating when he took office. That is down now to 46 percent. It's still one of the President's stronger groups, his still stronger group, but that was the big part of the Trump base.
[08:34:58] You can see Democrats winning House seats in the suburbs even the ex-urbs. If they're going to get to the magic number they need to turn the House, they're going to have to win some Midwest seats, some seats in places that President Trump did quite well.
MARGARET TALEV, BLOOMBERG POLITICS: So turnout has been this persistent question for the Democrats, right, which is can Democrats turn out voters with establishment, mainstream, quasi centrist candidates? Or does it need to be kind of a more progressive, edgier, on the edge of the Democratic Party?
And what you saw in Virginia with Ralph Northam, who is not a particularly dynamic candidate, kind of a goofy candidate, right? But I mean sort of establishment, you could be an independent voter or a conservative Democrat or maybe a Republican and vote for him anyway if you wanted to send a signal.
Potentially what you see in Alabama with their nominee there -- law and order, you know, law enforcement background -- these are establishment doctors, lawyers. These are establishment jobs, right?
If Democrats are motivated to turn out just to turn out, and swing voters can be turned out for Republicans, maybe it's a different model, at least in these senate and congressional races, than works in a presidential nominating context.
KING: And one thing the Democrats breathe a deep sigh of relieve about Virginia is they did have a contested primary and there was worry that their family wouldn't come together because they have a lot of candidates running next year.
There are going to be a lot of Democratic primaries. Some people worry about that. Nancy Pelosi thinks it's a good thing.
MICHAEL WARREN, "THE WEEKLY STANDARD": Yes, and turns out sometimes that conflict can be galvanizing.
I was struck by when you were at the board and you went back to the 2014 Senate race and said it was a different environment. It was also a different Republican Party.
WARREN: This was a party that had not quite decided it wanted to go to a white working class as -- and sort of recognize that is its base. Well, it's an important part of the base.
But another important part of the Republican base since the Reagan era has been white college-educated suburbanites. This Tuesday showed they are at real risk of losing them for a long time.
KING: Yes, and the 80s and the 90s, the Republican strength in the suburbs is why they were so strong in presidential politics --
(CROSSTALK) WARREN: Right.
KING: -- everything in America. Now you see those suburbs turning more and more blue. The Loudoun County, Fauquier County, the Stafford County -- those numbers stunned me in the sense that Democrats are coming to play and they've turned on the President.
Up next, Republicans say the election was proof they need to pass tax cuts and fast. But it's complicated.
[08:37:13] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Welcome back.
Republican leaders hope that big loss will give them focus to deliver a big win, meaning they hope the message key lawmakers take from Tuesday's election route is that they will get punished even more next year if they don't pass tax cuts in the remaining weeks of this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We have a promise to keep. We've got to get on with keeping our promise. And one of the chief promises we made when we ran for office, all of us, whether it's the President or Congress in 2016, was that we would do tax reform and tax cuts for families, for people.
If anything, this just puts more pressure on making sure we follow through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, you did see a jolt to act this past week. The key House committee on tax matters passed its version. Senate Republicans unveiled their plan.
The House slashes corporate taxes immediately. The Senate has a one year phase in.
The House keeps and an adoption tax credit, but ends deductions for medical expenses and student loans. The Senate plan keeps all three of those.
The House reduces to $10,000 max the amount of state and local taxes you can deduct from your federal tax burden. The Senate fully repeals those state and local tax deductions.
Now, most families would see a tax cut -- most. Not all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SENATOR TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: The business side is terrific. But there are some taxpayers who are losing exemptions, particularly in some high-tax states like New York or California that could conceivably be paying higher taxes. I think that is a mistake. I think tax reform needs to cut taxes for everybody. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Senator Cruz there just one example of Republicans who say I'm glad we're doing this, but I don't like where we are right now.
Can they get to a place where -- remember the Obamacare debate -- they can only lose two in the Senate and they have some issues in the house, as well. Can they get to the finish line here?
PHILLIP: They may be able to, but maybe not before Christmas. I mean I'm hearing a lot of pushback on this idea that this is going to magically get done in December before everybody goes away, just because there's a will from the administration and maybe from Congressional leaders to do it.
And I've also heard that -- that a lot of Republicans are really worried about the PR rollout for this bill. It is a disaster. I mean you have Republicans out there saying some people are going to pay more taxes.
That is not the way that you sell a tax bill especially not one that will increase the deficit, no matter which way you slice it.
So you can't go out there and say, oh, businesses are going to be really happy. Our donors are really pushing us to do this. But some middle class families, you might pay more in taxes.
There are a lot of people holding their hands in Washington right now saying, if you guys actually want to get this done, you need to tighten up the ship in how you sell this to the American people.
TALEV: This is the problem with the time line also because the longer that the legislation, and right now it's too separate in sometimes committing this to legislation but the longer this is out, the more kind of sunshine gets put on this.
And for middle class families, the pitch has been you're going to get like $1,100 back. But that's in the opening years of this. In the out years, the projections do show that for some middle class and upper middle class income groups, your taxes may actually go up.
There's also offsets, and right now in some of the -- you know, depending on the House and Senate bill, some versions of the legislation, your ability to deduct things like student expenses or medical expenses go away.
So you get the money up front, the debt in the long-term, and the inability to write off things that you've been able to write off before. So --
KING: But the politicians say they'll come back in five years and fix all that. You don't trust them?
TALEV: I think this is problematic. It's problematic for President Trump who has promised to be looking out for the little guys. It's problematic for a lot of the coastal Republicans who are in states where people will be disproportionately impacted by this.
[08:45:03] And so when your margins are this tight, and when the reason for doing it is ostensibly not just to spike, you know, the GDP by helping companies, but to actually give tangible relief to people, if -- most voters say, yes, I'll take the cash now and pay more later. It's complicated.
WARREN: But going back to that interview with Paul Ryan, and with all due respect to the Speaker, we're -- was this kind of tax relief or this kind of tax reform really what voters picked in November of 2016? Or were they actually voting for -- they're actually voting for making America great again for some kind of probably big infrastructure for building a wall?
I mean, this is the kind of proposal that maybe you can get through at the end of a first year after you've had a lot of successes previously for some of those big-ticket items that the President ran on.
But now this -- just limping across the finish line, there's just no political will. And except in the sense of we've got to get some kind of something to pass.
BALL: And there is a lot of political will for that. Republicans really do see this as do or die to do something. So Paul Ryan is exactly right about that.
But the Republicans are in a sort of worst of both worlds situation where on the one hand, if you want to do big things you have to be willing to upset people.
BALL: You have to be willing to gore some sacred cows or whatever. But this isn't a big thing. They have dialed it back so far that it's this incremental bill that doesn't really simplify the tax system in a big way. And yet it's also tough for them.
KING: And if they can't get it done by the end of this year, choices get harder in the actual election year.
Sit tight, everybody. Our reporters share from their notebooks next, including a new emerging alliance between the President's chief of staff and his attorney general.
[08:46:42] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Let's close by heading one last time around the INSIDE POLITICS table, ask our great reports to share a little something from their notebooks to help you get you out ahead of the big political news just around the corner.
PHILLIP: Well, this week we learned something really interesting about White House chief of staff, John Kelly. He made some calls from Asia on the President's trip to the acting department of Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, on the issue of protective status for Hondurans. And he pushed her to make a decision to expel, you know, a large group of Hondurans who have been in the country for about two decades.
What's interesting about this is that Kelly often stays on the margins of big decisions like this. And this was one of those key moments where he didn't just moderate the debate. He was involved in it in some meetings at the White House in the last couple of weeks.
So another big opponent of keeping Hondurans in the United States under this status was Attorney-General Jeff Sessions. So those two men are in some ways on the same page about some key immigration- related issues, and it will be interesting to see how much further that kind of potential alliance goes between Jeff Sessions, John Kelly -- especially when it comes to immigration.
We know Kelly is putting his former deputy over DHS if she is confirmed and that will be another key lever of power for him.
KING: Evolution for the chief.
BALL: Will Mike Flynn be indicted? And if not, why not? We have known for a while that the Mueller investigation has been looking at the former national security adviser and gathering evidence. And since the Manafort indictment two weeks ago, a lot of people are wondering if he's the next domino to fall.
And it was reported this week that they do have enough evidence to indict him if they wanted to. However, if he doesn't get indicted that raises the possibility that there is some cooperation going on with investigators, which could definitely scare the White House as the investigation threatens to move closer to the President's inner circle.
KING: It's a big one to keep an eye on.
WARREN: Well, we've been talking about tax reform now for days, weeks. A small change, but I think a big and significant sort of political change to the House tax bill was the restoration --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Testing 1, 2, 3 -- testing 1, 2, 3 --
WARREN: A lot of conservatives, a lot of pro-life groups were sort of up in arms about when the Republicans took that out. I asked the White House what kind of role did the White House have? Did they have a view on this tax credit? Did they push House tax writers to keep it back in?
They said -- what I was told was we encouraged this idea of keeping this in. It sort of shows you what the White House has been doing behind the scenes. Not publicly, you know, making their views known on the details of tax reform, but instead sort of urging quietly or if somebody brings up an idea that they support, just saying, yes, that sounds good to us.
It will be interesting to see how that changes once President Trump is back in the United States and is a little more directly engaged in these tax reform talks as we go to the next week.
KING: Watching the calendar.
TALEV: Jim Comey is back, although he was never really gone. But in the next week, I'm certainly going to be watching his Twitter feed. He's out now tweeting as himself, instead of this alias of Reinhold Niebuhr, the theologian who he was hiding behind for all these months.
But we saw him emerge over the weekend, of course, when President Trump suggested that, you know, Comey and Clapper, so-and-so, were hacks.
Comey tweeting another philosopher, religious philosopher, when he says, if you want truth to go around the world, you have to have an express train to pull it. And if you want a lie to go around the world, it will fly because it's as light as a feather.
So he's about a week into his official Twitter feed now. Keep watching for more.
KING: Shakespeare Comey on Twitter. Hope they got that.
I'll close with this. Both parties -- both political parties fired up their maps in modeling software after Tuesday's big election and both see obvious improved Democratic odds now of retaking the house in 2018. Most of us, of course, don't have access to that software. So here's a good way to keep score at home.
Pollsters ask what is called a generic ballot question. It goes like this. If the election were today, would you vote Democratic or Republican for congress?
Republicans expect to stay on the losing side of that question throughout the next year, because Congress is unpopular and because it's President Trump's first midterm election. It is the margin that matters.
[08:55:07] If the national lead for Democrats is in single digits next October, most Republican strategists think they'll lose seats but keep their House majority. If though the Democratic lead next fall is in low double digits, then the majority is at clear risk.
Now most strategists view 15 as the magic number, meaning if the Democratic edge hits 15 points, any remaining Speaker Ryan stationery becomes a collector's item.
Our new CNN poll this week had it Democrats plus 12. That's the danger zone for the GOP which tells you all you need to know about Nancy Pelosi's smile and Paul Ryan's tax cut urgency. We'll keep an eye on that one. That's it for INSIDE POLITICS. Again, thanks for sharing your Sunday.
Up next: the former director of National Intelligence and the former CIA director on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION".
Have a great Sunday.
[08:55:50] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)


text: From the moment the Ottoman Empire, the last Muslim Empire, adopted the Mecelle-i Ahkam-ý Adliye[ii] under the influence of the Code Napoleon of 1807 until now, Islamic Sharia has addressed principles, concepts and institutions of modern law, particularly human rights, without any open, inclusive or trustful reconciliation. A history of conflicting legal dualism among Muslim countries starts with the Majallah, which are on the one hand attached to traditional perceptions of Sharia and on the other forced to adopt modern model of codes of law. Despite a long period of encounter with the law of the modern world, considering the actual dilemmas of Sharia in most Muslim countries, one can still firmly claim that Sharia, particularly its criminal and family justice rulings, may be regarded as the harshest system of law facing modernity in comparison with other traditional legal systems throughout the world. While the world community is deeply concerned about Islamic Sharia, especially after the events of 11 September disclosed its acute crisis, it seems that progressive Muslims within the Muslim world who witness the actual problems of established Sharia in their own communities are also losing their patience for Sharia to be transformed into a modern system of law based on human rights in the near future. What makes this transition more urgent is not the aftermath of New York events, but instead the last decade of the twentieth century and the aftermath of merging information in post-industrial societies with their postmodern philosophies and literature. The more the modern world enters the age of information and communication, the more Muslim societies find that the timely transition from the current Sharia is inevitable. Owing to rapid developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) and their prevalence across the world, many Muslim societies have access to these technologies, especially the World Wide Web. Along with this increase in the access of many Muslims to the Internet, calls have arisen for instant resolution of the dilemma of Sharia and modernity. Currently, many strong online voices from all over the world (including most of the western strategic studies centers) are calling for emergency, short-run transformation in Islamic Sharia. As ICT technologies expand within the Muslim societies and the Internet in particular gains increasingly more validity among middle-class Muslims, we can see more reflection on the how the kernel of these societies (i.e., Islamic Sharia) is represented in Cyberspace, and about the impacts of the information society and its main component, the Internet, on the development of Sharia in the future. By considering the existing features of online Sharia with a Shia reading of it in the Iranian context, this article seeks to show that with the expansion of Cyberspace among the masses, people become conscious about the historicity of Sharia rulings, and that one can expect a revolution in Shia Islam through this public consciousness. Without depicting any utopian, emancipatory account of the information revolution, I want to argue that the “open” networks that are increasing rapidly among Iranians, when added to the historical discourses of rationalism and justice in Shia and the very young and well-educated majority of the Iranian population (40 millions under 30 years old), will create an historical openness in the closed space of existing understandings of Sharia. Two main assumptions ground this argument. First, a peaceful transition of Iranian society to an open, democratic one is only possible through a paradigm shift in Sharia. In other words, a sustainable, authentic democracy is not foreseeable in Iran without the advent of a rights-based legal system evoked from Sharia traditions. In order to avoid being labeled as a foreign or alien plan, this goal must be pursued by means of a serious criticism from inside Muslim society. As Iran’s century-long experience shows, modernist or secular discourses that see no role for Sharia discourse in the public sphere of Muslim societies cannot further the institutionalization of democracy and tolerance in societies with such strong roots in tradition. Secondly, there is currently an understanding of Islamic Sharia developed by various social, non-violent members of Iranian society, in particular women and youth, which can pave the way for the peaceful advent of a right-based legal system which is compatible with the emerging postmodern information society. When all Sharia judgments become available online, then the free flow of information and knowledge will electronically deconstruct existing Sharia-subjectivism whether the autocratic, hard-line clerics like it or not. The mechanism for this deconstructive process, for which Iranians made three revolutions during the last century, is the emergence of a cyber, democratic public sphere in which a paradigm shift in assumptions and preconceptions of classical power-based Sharia will take place. This time the Internet revolution will be matched by a revolution in Islamic Sharia because a soft, open and transparent Cyberspace will break the hegemony of Sharia institutions and their hard rules over individuals. The new Sharia that will show itself primarily in Cyberspace and which feeds from it will be a system of rights, including the rights of both human beings and nature; its discourse is not power, but freedom. The Iranian Internet, through alliance building and community networking,[iii] not only develops ways to foster individual enlightenment, but only facilitates ways to develop a higher social awareness. In the young Iranian cyberspace we can easily hear the voices of future, the aspirations of a new generation born after the revolution to live in an open, free and happy society and to enjoy their God-given rights. Interestingly, these voices are largely stressing nonviolence. The more Iranian cyberspace grows, the more Sharia discourse becomes public and intersubjective and reaches out to the broader world. The emergent Iranian right-based readings of Sharia in cyberspace contain new promises and aspirations, not only for the Iranian people, but also for the entire Muslim world and even for the world community. In conclusion, the absence of power, in a Foucaultian sense, is necessary for a new paradigm of Sharia to be. In other words, the context of the Being of the new Sharia is an interactive, dialogic and intersubjective one which evolves constantly. It is freed from any discourse of power. Hence, it is inevitably through the discourse of freedom that Sharia justice will be legitimated, renewed, universalized and, of course, resonated to the only Self there is in the entire universe. It will do this by transcending the letter of the canonical scriptures and the ego of fundamentalists. This Sharia is secular (not secularist) because it is rooted in Being that does not suffer a dualism of matter and spirit.[iv] It is revealed. It is always present and open towards the future because it crosses in time and space. It is in our nearness and comprehensibility because it is in dialogue with us; here, hierarchy has no place. It discloses itself constantly. We do not need to make it. It is simply in-the-world-with-us. It is our Existential. It discloses itself in our Sites. We are all in the Site of its disclosedness. To give a schema of this paradigm shift in Sharia discourse, in the following table I compare some significant preconceptions of the two paradigms as they relate to criminal justice. Concept Power-based Sharia Right-based Sharia Justice 1) Exclusive, monologic, perceived as the consequence and effect of Fiqh Norms 2) Permitting a broad range of discriminations in law 1) Inclusive, dialogic, perceived as the Cause and Scale of Legal Norms 2) Negating any from of discrimination in law Jihad Using violence against Enemies (Others who are opposed to us) Striving for peace and justice universally, Responding to injustice Crime 1) To perpetrate a haram act 2) defined as violation of the authority of the Islamic Ruler and his Rulings which create guilt before both Allah and the Ruler, deserving pain in both this world & another world (Double jeopardy) 3) Offence understood in Arabian-shaped, religious morality terms 4) Stigma of crime unremovable, specially in corporal punishments 1) Violation of codified rights with criminal sanctions 2) defined as violation of right-based relationships 3) Offence understood in its whole context – moral, social, cultural, economic, political and global (both social /individual harms and needs) 4) Stigma of crime removable through restorative practices Responsibility Paradoxically focus on establishing blame, on guilt, on pain, on past wrongdoings (did he/she do it?) and taking punishment, on one hand, and stressing on minority of the most people except with authoritarian Fuqaha Focus on problem solving, on future, on mutual liabilities and obligations of all members of community to repair relationships and making thinks as right as possible (who has been hurt, what are their needs & whose responsibilities are these?) Life 1) Dependent on the certainty/speculation of the Faqih 2) Prevalence of retaliation and execution 3) No consideration of moral damages 4) Sectarian and ideological definition of life 5) Priority of religious beliefs over life (e.g. execution of apostates), reason (e.g. execution on third repetition of drinking alcohol), offspring (stoning and execution of sexual offenders), and property (execution on third repetition of theft) 1) Abolishment or tight restriction of execution (only for serious murder such as genocide.) 2) Definition of life includes physical and moral aspects, humans and other beings. 3) Life as the ultimate goal of the legislator. Sexual Relations Maximal involvement of the criminal law by stoning, whipping, and execution Involvement of the criminal law as last resort to protect rights *Research Fellow of the Max- Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Freiburg-Germany [i] Islamic Sharia herein means what Muslim societies, specifically Iran in our present discussion, made and make of Islamic texts in the Koran and Sound Sunna. Unlike abstract, subjective definitions of Sharia as Allah’s injunctions or intentions, this concept of Sharia is an objective matter which is not only related to the established texts, but which can also be easily traced throughout the history of Muslim societies in the form of authoritative Fatwas (scholarly judgments) and institutions established in accordance with them. [ii] The Mecelle in Turkish or Al-Majallah in Arabic, compiled from 1868 to 1876, was the first codification of Islamic Sharia in modern history. Based on the Hanafi school of Sharia, it codified the Sharia decrees on property in addition to some general principles of Sharia, in particular a number of general rules related to ownership and transaction. It was published in 1868 under the name of “Compilation of Juridical Provisions”. The Ottoman Penal Code, also called the Mecelle, was adopted 11 years later. The Majallah, which was a product of the first systematic reform movement among Muslims, had been implemented in the large territory of the Ottoman Empire before its destruction, including present-day Turkey, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some provisions of Mecelle are still in effect in Arabic countries. See S. S. Osnar, The Majalla in M. Khadduri (ed.), Law in the Middle East, Vol. 1 (New York: AMS Press, 1984), pp. 292-308. [iii] Particularly by considering the phenomenon of the Weblogs that are probably the most advanced examples of Social Software today. [iv] Traditional and power-based Sharia readings suffer from an infinite dualism that is essential; between the Creature and the Created, between matter and spirit, between man and woman, between the world and the hereafter, between Self and Other , between Imam/ Vali (ruler) and people, between Muslim and Non-Muslim, between expert and layperson, etc. A short look at the post-revolutionary legislations which are basically discriminatory reveals the broad consequence of this worldview.

domain: law


Greece managed a top 10 placing on a Winter Sun Destinations list recently released as part of On the Beach’s “Big Winter Sun” report.
Founded in 2004, On the Beach is one of UK’s leading beach holiday specialists with more than 60 million website visitors every year.
Its inaugural “Big Winter Sun” report used exclusive company data and consumer research, to reveal which winter sun destination for 2022/23 Brits choose for their holidays.
Greece, with a 6.9 percent preference, came in 5th place on the list, while the Canaries were named the top destination amounting a 40 percent preference by British travelers.
“It’s no surprise seeing the Canaries taking top spot for winter destinations since it’s been a firm favorite of many Brits for a good number of years,” said Zoe Harris, Chief Customer Officer at On the Beach.
The company’s travel experts also found that of those heading to the Canaries, more than a third are heading to Tenerife, closely followed by Lanzarote.
Mainland Spain is another top destination with 17 percent of sunseekers heading to the sunspot followed in third place by Balearics’ Majorca.
Rounding of the top 5, came Turkey at 4th place managing the same preference percentage as Greece.
Other key findings of the “Big Winter Sun” report are:
– Since 2019, the number of UK holidaymakers who are now choosing an all-inclusive holiday has risen 8 percent, as they look to make their money go further during the cost-of-living crisis.
– A simultaneous shift of holidaymakers looking to book five-star hotels has also been observed that amounts to a 20 percent rise since 2019.
– Malta comes out as one of the cheapest destinations for a seven-night all-inclusive break with the Balearics and mainland Spain following.
“With cost being at the forefront of everyone’s mind, we’re seeing destinations such as Turkey and Egypt make a significant rise as a go-to winter sun escape,” added Harris.


California legislators need to hear from miners tonight or tomorrow morning because Senate Bill 637 goes up for a vote today or tomorrow. Urge your representatives to VOTE NO on this bill: http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
Find your representative. Make a call. Send an email. Your rights and your future as a prospector and miner are at stake.
Go to StopSB637.org


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text:
Today I am going to share the 12th card from my collection that I recently acquired.
I am sharing these cards in sequence of least valuable, to the most valuable card I own.
Any input regarding these cards, or the game, is highly welcome, and encouraged!
The 12th card in the collection is:
Xathrid Gorgon (GF)
Value - 0.35 Cents USD.
Card Count - (2)
Condition - Near Mint.
Mana Cost: 5Black
Converted Mana Cost: 6
Types: Creature — Gorgon
Card Text: Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
2Black, Tap: Put a petrification counter on target creature. It gains defender and becomes a colorless artifact in addition to its other types. Its activated abilities can't be activated. (A creature with defender can't attack.)
P/T: 3 / 6
Expansion: Magic 2013 (Rare) Magic 2013
Card Number: 11
Thoughts regarding card:
This card looks super evil, and kind of cool. I like it.
Please considering voting helpie for witness