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Armored and Dangerous

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The couple that killed at least 14 at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday were well-armed. They also were reportedly wearing body armor. After the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater massacre in 2012, *Slate*’s William Saletan pointed out that the gun control stance of the NRA and its supporters—that you could stop bad guys with guns with good guys with guns—no longer held up. The post is reprinted below. Reported by Slate 5 hours ago.

'The Originals' Season 3 Episode 8 Spoilers: Klaus Plays Along With Aurora; Elijah Deals With Tristan

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There would only be two episodes left before the hit supernatural drama TV series from The CW takes a bow for its season 3 fall finale. But before the show goes off-air for the holidays, it will first leave a bunch of interesting plotlines that will certainly make the fans anticipate its upcoming return. Reported by Christian Post 5 hours ago.

Fitch Rates Aurora West School District No. 129, IL's ULTGOs 'AA-'; Outlook Stable

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AA-' rating to the following Aurora West School District No. 129 (the district), Illinois unlimited general obligation bonds (ULTGOs): --$25.5 million GO school building bonds, series 2015C The GOs are scheduled for a competitive sale on Dec. 8. Proceeds will be used to fund a portion of projects related to installing geothermal equipment, replacing one elementary school and building additions on six existing schools. Fitch currently rat Reported by Business Wire 5 hours ago.

'The Originals': EP Michael Narducci On Klaus & Aurora, Marcel's Big Decision

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The first generation of Mikaelson sires have brought big trouble to the Big Easy on "The Originals."  Reported by Access Hollywood 4 hours ago.

Active Shooter Response Expert: Community Preparedness

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Source: Cascade Training Center, Jim Manson, VP of Strategic DevelopmentExpert: Former Assistant Chief of Education, Denver Health Paramedic Division Background: Aurora and Littleton Colorado Active Shooter events "I'm deeply... Reported by PR Newswire 4 hours ago.

Klaus Plays Another Game With Aurora On 'The Originals' Tonight

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Klaus Plays Another Game With Aurora On 'The Originals' Tonight Klaus (Joseph Morgan) has a midnight rendezvous with Aurora (Rebecca Breeds) in this still from tonight’s The Originals. In “The Other Girl in New Orleans”, after learning that Cami’s (Leah Pipes) life is in danger and Aurora may be to blame, Klaus is forced to engage in another one of her devious games and follows [...] Reported by Just Jared Jr 4 hours ago.

The Originals Recap 12/3/15: Season 3 Episode 8 “The Other Girl in New Orleans”

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Tonight on the CW their drama, The Originals continues with an all new Thursday December 3, season 3 episode 8 called “The Other Girl in New Orleans,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, Cami’s (Leah Pipes) life is in danger, which forces Klaus (Joseph Morgan) to engage in one of Aurora’s devious games and follow a … Keep Reading

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] Reported by Celeb Dirty Laundry 50 minutes ago.

Thousands to Attend Thirty-One Gifts Product Premiere

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Thirty-One Gifts to host theater events in 275 cities

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) December 03, 2015

Tens of thousands of guests are expected to flock to theaters across the U.S. and Canada December 5 for a product premiere presentation by Thirty-One Gifts. Guests will discover new prints and products Thirty-One will introduce in the coming spring/summer season, being unveiled publicly January 2.

The premiere will occur in 275 auditoriums and will provide sales training for Thirty-One Gifts’ independent sales consultant field of more than 85,000 people and their guests. The mass product premiere event is unique in the direct sales industry.

Thirty-One specializes in stylish and functional purses and totes, home organization solutions, travel bags, a line of artisan jewelry and much more, most of which can be personalized. They are the 28th-largest direct-selling company in the world, and 14th-largest in the U.S.

Thirty-One Gifts’ products are sold by more than 85,000 independent sales consultants at home parties, and 45,000 of them will attend the premiere at 275 movie theaters. The collective economic impact of the mass event is estimated at more than $1.6 million.

Those attending will see Thirty-One’s new spring/summer collection come to life on film and the company will for the first time reveal new upcoming products to sales consultants. Thirty-One expanded their product line within the last year to include new premium faux leather purses called Jewell by Thirty-One, and a line of artisan jewelry called JK by Thirty-One.

“This is the best, most exciting way to give our sales field the tools they need to help find solutions for their customers’ personal, family and home organization and fashion needs, and more,” explains Cindy Monroe, founder, president and CEO of Thirty-One Gifts. “Our product premiere allows thousands to see the reveal of our new products and patterns at once, and to be able to share that information with their customers at home parties in 2016.”

The video includes new products that are both functional and on-trend, according to Thirty-One’s fashion forecasting for spring and summer. Many new items accommodate busy moms’ lives on the go, and include a new palette of bright seasonal colors.

Guests also will learn about the opportunities that come with being a Thirty-One Gifts independent sales consultant where, for a $99 start-up expense, they can own their own business and earn extra income. For more information, visit their website at http://www.thirtyonegifts.com.

# # #

Contact: Sara West, Senior Manager, PR
(614) 414-4900 swest(at)thirtyonegifts(dot)com
Date: December 3, 2013

Product Premiere Theater Locations
State    City
AK    Anchorage
AL    BIRMINGHAM
AL    HUNTSVILLE
AL    MOBILE
AL    MONTGOMERY
AR    FAYETTEVILLE
AR    LITTLE ROCK
AZ    GILBERT
AZ    GLENDALE
AZ    TUCSON
CA    BAKERSFIELD
CA    CLOVIS
CA    DUBLIN
CA    EL CAJON
CA    RANCHO CUCAMONGA
CA    SACRAMENTO
CA    SALINAS
CA    SIMI VALLEY
CA    TEMECULA
CO    BROOMFIELD
CO    COLORADO SPRINGS
CO    GREELEY
CT    PLAINVILLE
DE    NEWARK
FL    BRANDON
FL    FORT LAUDERDALE
FL    GAINESVILLE
FL    JACKSONVILLE
FL    Lakeland
FL    MARY ESTHER
FL    Naples
FL    OCALA
FL    ORLANDO
FL    PANAMA CITY
FL    PORT RICHEY
FL    SANFORD
FL    TALLAHASSEE
FL    VERO BEACH
GA    AUGUSTA
GA    DACULA
GA    MCDONOUGH
GA    NEWNAN
GA    SAVANNAH
HI    HONOLULU
HI    PEARL CITY
IA    AMES
IA    DAVENPORT
IA    DUBUQUE
IA    WEST DES MOINES
IA    SIOUX CITY
ID    AMMON
ID    BOISE
IL    CHAMPAIGN
IL    GALESBURG
IL    JOLIET
IL    MATTOON
IL    NORTH AURORA
IL    NORTH PEKIN
IL    QUINCY
IL    ROCKFORD
IL    SPRINGFIELD
IL    VERNON HILLS
IN    AVON
IN    EVANSVILLE
IN    FORT WAYNE
IN    KOKOMO
IN    MISHAWAKA
IN    MUNCIE
IN    NEW ALBANY
IN    SEYMOUR
IN    TERRE HAUTE
KS    OLATHE
KS    TOPEKA
KS    WHICHITA
KY    ASHLAND
KY    BOWLING GREEN
KY    FLORENCE
KY    LEXINGTON
KY    LOUISVILLE
KY    PADUCAH
LA    Baton Rouge
LA    BOSSIER CITY
LA    Covington
LA    LAKE CHARLES
MA    METHUEN
MA    WEST SPRINGFIELD
MD    ABINGDON
MD    FREDERICK
MD    HAGERSTOWN
MD    HANOVER
MD    SALISBURY
MD    WESTMINSTER
ME    BRUNSWICK
ME    BANGOR
MI    CLINTON TOWNSHIP
MI    FLINT
MI    GRAND RAPIDS
MI    HOLLAND
MI    YPSILANTI
MI    PORTAGE
MN    EAGAN
MN    MANKATO
MN    MAPLE GROVE
MN    WAITE PARK
MO    COLUMBIA
MO    FENTON
MO    HAZELWOOD
MO    INDEPENDENCE
MO    JOPLIN
MO    KANSAS CITY
MO    O'FALLON
MO    ROLLA
MO    SAINT JOSEPH
MO    SPRINGFIELD
MS    GULFPORT
MS    RIDGELAND
MS    TUPELO
MT    Missoula
NC    ASHEBORO
NC    ASHEVILLE
NC    BOONE
NC    FAYETTEVILLE
NC    GARNER
NC    GREENSBORO
NC    GREENVILLE
NC    HUNTERSVILLE
NC    RALEIGH
NC    SALISBURY
NC    WILMINGTON
ND    BISMARCK
NE    NORTH PLATTE
NE    OMAHA
NH    CONCORD
NH    HOOKSETT
NH    NEWINGTON
NJ    ROCKAWAY
NJ    TOMS RIVER
NJ    TRENTON
NJ    VINELAND
NM    ALBUQUERQUE
NV    HENDERSON
NV    RENO
NY    BINGHAMTON
NY    CLAY
NY    CLIFTON PARK
NY    HORSEHEADS
NY    MIDDLETOWN
NY    ORCHARD PARK
NY    PLATTSBURGH
NY    QUEENSBURY
NY    STONY BROOK
NY    VICTOR
NY    WATERTOWN
OH    BEAVERCREEK
OH    COLUMBUS
OH    COLUMBUS
OH    DAYTON
OH    Findlay
OH    GROVE CITY
OH    HAMILTON
OH    LIMA
OH    MASSILLON
OH    MILFORD
OH    ONTARIO
OH    TOLEDO
OH    WILLOUGHBY
OH    YOUNGSTOWN
OH    ZANESVILLE
OK    BROKEN ARROW
OK    OKLAHOMA CITY
OR    EUGENE
OR    SALEM
PA    BUTLER
PA    ERIE
PA    HAZLETON
PA    LITITZ
PA    MONROEVILLE
PA    MUNCY
PA    WASHINGTON
PA    YORK
PA    HARRISONBURG
RI    Providence
SC    ANDERSON
SC    COLUMBIA
SC    FLORENCE
SC    GREENVILLE
SC    LEXINGTON
SC    MYRTLE BEACH
SC    SUMMERVILLE
SD    SIOUX FALLS
TN    CHATTANOOGA
TN    CLARKSVILLE
TN    Johnson City
TN    KNOXVILLE
TN    MOUNT JULIET
TN    NASHVILLE
TN    TULLAHOMA
TX    BEAUMONT
TX    BROWNSVILLE
TX    CEDAR PARK
TX    CORPUS CHRISTI
TX    CYPRESS
TX    EL PASO
TX    Fort Worth
TX    FORT WORTH
TX    GRAPEVINE
TX    Killeen
TX    LIVE OAK
TX    LUBBOCK
TX    MIDLAND
TX    PEARLAND
TX    ROCKWALL
TX    SAN ANTONIO
TX    SHERMAN
TX    THE WOODLANDS
TX    Tyler
TX    VICTORIA
TX    WICHITA FALLS
TX    KYLE
UT    OGDEN
VA    BRISTOL
VA    CHARLOTTESVILLE
VA    CHESAPEAKE
VA    CHESAPEAKE
VA    CHRISTIANSBURG
VA    COLONIAL HEIGHTS
VA    FREDERICKSBURG
VA    GLEN ALLEN
VA    HAMPTON
VA    HARRISONBURG
VA    LYNCHBURG
VA    MIDLOTHIAN
VA    ROANOKE
WA    BELLEVUE
WA    KENNEWICK
WA    LACEY
WA    LAKEWOOD
WA    SPOKANE
WI    FITCHBURG
WI    GREEN BAY
WI    JOHNSON CREEK
WI    Lake Delton
WI    MILWAUKEE
WV    BARBOURSVILLE
WV    Bluefield
WV    BRIDGEPORT
WV    MARTINSBURG
WV    VIENNA
WY    CHEYENNE Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

Names of San Bernardino shooting victims released

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SAN BERNARDINO — The 14 people who died in Wednesday’s horrific shooting spree in Southern California were identified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday. Most, if not all, are believed to be county public health employees who were attending a workplace Christmas party at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. The victims are Shannon Johnson, 45, of Los Angeles; Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46, of Rialto; Aurora Godoy, 26, of San Jacinto; Isaac Amanios, 60, of Fontana; Larry Kaufman, 42, of Rialto; Harry Bowman, 46, of Upland; Yvette Velasco, 27, of Fontana; Sierra Clayborn, 27, of Moreno Valley; Robert Adams, 40, of Yucaipa; Nicholas Thalasinos, 52, of Colton; Tin Nguyen, 31, Santa Ana; Juan Espinoza, 50, Highland; Damian Meins, 58, of Riverside; and Michael Wetzel, 37, of Lake Arrowhead. Reported by SFGate 3 minutes ago.

San Bernardino Shooting Victims Identified, Deceased Include Father of Six

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Authorities have identified all 14 victims from Wednesday’s deadly shooting in San Bernardino, California.

Those who died ranged in age from 26 to 60, with many of them making their livings inspecting restaurants, pools and other public facilities for San Bernardino County. They had gathered at the Inland Regional Center for a holiday party.

Among the victims, Michael Raymond Wetzel, a 37-year-old father of six; Nicholas Thalasinos, a 52-year-old husband who was a devout Messianic Jew and 27-year-old Sierra Clayborn, who began working with the environmental health department in 2013.

“This shooting has caused each victim’s family, friends and co-workers, along with the first responders, to suffer an enormous personal tragedy. We must stand strong and offer support to each individual affected by this senseless attack,” San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon said in a statement Thursday.

*Also Read:* San Bernardino Shooters Contacted Islamic Extremists With Terrorist Ties: 9 Latest Developments

The shooting occurred at approximately 11 a.m. The two suspects — Syed Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27 — were killed in a shootout with law enforcement hours later about a mile from the shooting scene.

Authorities have not ruled out terrorism in the deadly attack, though it’s also possible that the shooting was workplace-related. Farook worked for San Bernardino County and attended the party where the shootings took place.

The deadly rampage also left 21 injured. A police officer was injured in the shootout, but is expected to recover.

*Also Read:* After San Bernardino Massacre, We Feel Powerless - But Hollywood Isn't

Read the victims’ names below:

Shannon Johnson, 45, Los Angeles (DOB: 03/06/70)
Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46, Rialto (DOB: 03/08/69)
Aurora Godoy, 26, San Jacinto (DOB: 02/01/89)
Isaac Amanios, 60, Fontana (DOB: 06/29/55)
Larry Kaufman, 42, Rialto (DOB: 08/12/73)
Harry Bowman, 46, Upland (DOB: 06/08/69)
Yvette Velasco, 27, Fontana (DOB: 04/03/88)
Sierra Clayborn, 27, Moreno Valley (DOB: 06/15/88)
Robert Adams, 40, Yucaipa (DOB: 05/02/75)
Nicholas Thalasinos, 52, Colton (DOB: 10/14/63)
Tin Nguyen, 31, Santa Ana (DOB: 04/06/84)
Juan Espinoza, 50, Highland (DOB: 06/24/65)
Damian Meins, 58, Riverside (DOB: 02/02/57)
Michael Wetzel, 37, Lake Arrowhead (DOB: 04/29/78) Reported by The Wrap 1 day ago.

The Philippine People Are Under Attack from Washington -- and Their Own Government

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A tribunal this year uncovered grave violations against the human, economic, and cultural rights of Filipinos by Washington and their own leaders.

By Vanessa Lucas and Azadeh Shahshahani

The Filipino people are under attack.

The Lumad, for example -- an indigenous group in the southern Philippines -- are being forced to leave their ancestral lands and the source of their livelihood to make way for mining operations and land conversion. Resistance is deadly.

In the month of August alone, there were two massacres that left nine dead. On August 30, the army and paramilitary forces occupied the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development, an award winning school for indigenous youth. The director of the school, Emerito Samarca, was taken by force and was found dead in a classroom the next day. He had an ear-to-ear slit across his throat and gunshot wounds in his chest.

The same day Samarca's body was found, Dionel Campos -- the chairman of a Lumad organization campaigning against mining -- and his cousin Datu Juvillo Sinzo were executed in front of hundreds of residents in Lianga. Sinzo, who was separated from the crowd, was tortured by paramilitaries. They smashed his arms and legs with a wooden stick before shooting him.

Karapatan, a Filipino human rights organization, has raised the issue of the Lumad peoples at the United Nations Human Rights Council. But given the culture of impunity in the Philippines -- often exacerbated by implicit support from the U.S. government -- activists are pursuing other means to hold the perpetrators of crimes like these to account.

To help give voice to the victims of human rights violations, for three intense days this summer we participated in the International People's Tribunal on Crimes Against the Filipino People. The tribunal was convened in Washington by human rights defenders, peace and justice advocates, lawyers, jurists, academics, people of faith, and political activists. It was held at the behest of victims of human rights violations to shine a spotlight on official crimes and hold the responsible governments accountable.

Evidence supporting the allegations of rights abuses -- including testimony from over 30 lay and expert witnesses -- was provided to an international panel of prosecutors led by former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark and considered by an international group of jurors from a range of disciplines. The tribunal found the Aquino regime responsible for systematic violations of the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of the Filipino people. The conveners also held the U.S. government responsible on account of its military intervention, economic and environmental exploitation, and imposition of neoliberal globalization on the Philippines.

Here's what we learned.

*Violations of Civil and Political Rights*

The first group of charges focused on gross violations of civil and political rights, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, massacres, torture, and arbitrary arrests and detention, as well as other brutal and systematic attacks on the basic democratic rights of the Filipino people.

A key driver of the most egregious abuses has been the U.S.-inspired counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan. Launched in 2011 by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, it's supposedly a program to fight communist guerillas, but in practice doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The reality is that Oplan Bayanihan is used to target any individuals or groups the government classifies as a threat to its agenda.

Amaryllis Hilao Enriquez, a former Marcos-era political prisoner, described Oplan Bayanihan as a "repackaging" of the U.S.-led "war on terror" for the Philippines. The operation was devised with the help of the U.S. government, which provides technical assistance, military aid, and occasionally actual U.S. military personnel.

Following Enriquez's testimony, the jurors heard personal accounts of gross human rights violations.

Maria Aurora Santiago, for example, recounted the death of her partner, Wilhemus Geertman -- a Dutch lay missionary who was targeted by the Philippine military due to his involvement in peasant organizing and advocacy. He was the executive director of Alay Bayan-Luson, a grassroots organization involved in disaster preparedness, mitigation, and victim assistance, especially to poor communities. Geertman was also involved in numerous environmental campaigns against mining, logging, and dam projects. Accused of belonging to the New People's Army -- the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines -- he was shot to death in his office by military and police assets.

Attorney Maria Catherine Salucon, a founding member of the National Union of People's Lawyers, then opened the jurors' eyes to the fact that even lawyers working on human rights cases are subjected to open harassment and intimidation. Like Geertman, Salucon -- who represents clients in cases involving violations of human rights and political prisoners -- has been subjected to red tagging and vilified as a member of Communist Party.

One day, Salucon and her paralegal William Bugatti had lunch with relatives of their detained political prisoner clients. During the meal, Bugatti told Salucon that he was taking precautionary security measures and advised her to do the same. Later that night, he was gunned down by government security forces.

After learning of Bugatti's death, Salucon was told by a client -- a civilian asset for the Philippine National Police -- that the PNP was investigating her to "confirm" that she was a "red lawyer." Salucon also learned she was being secretly followed by military intelligence officers. Salucon took the matter to the courts and was granted a protective order that allowed her access to military records pertaining to her, but the military continues to deny conducting any surveillance activities against her at all.

Melissa Roxas, a Filipina-American activist, then testified concerning her May 2009 abduction and torture at the hands of Philippine military. She was captured while conducting health surveys organized by a social justice alliance.

Roxas, who has also conducted fact-finding missions into rights abuses, and two Filipino volunteers -- John Edward Jamdoc and Juanito Carabeo -- were abducted by approximately 15 men armed with high-powered rifles, some of them wearing ski masks or bonnets. They were handcuffed and blindfolded and forced into a van.

Roxas was held for six days at a military camp, most of which she spent in handcuffs and blindfolded, and accused of belonging to the New People's Army. She was subjected to food deprivation, forced into stress positions, beaten, choked, suffocated with plastic bags, and repeatedly smashed headfirst against a wall. She was lectured on the evils of communism by torturers who threatened her with death and tried to force her to sign documents confessing that she was a militant. Despite her ability to describe some of her abductors and torturers in court, no one has been arrested or charged for her abduction and torture.

*Violations of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights*

The second group of charges concerned an array of abuses against Filipinos' economic, social, and cultural rights -- especially through the imposition of neoliberal economic policies, various attacks on the livelihoods of ordinary people, the transgression of their economic sovereignty, and the destruction of the environment.

The scope of these violations was put into perspective by economist Jose Enrique Africa, who presented an overview on the general socio-economic situation of the Philippines. Notably, he pointed out, around two-thirds of Filipinos -- some 66 million people -- are poor, living on just $2.80 or less per day. However, the wealth of the 10 richest Filipinos has more than tripled under the Aquino administration.

While ordinary Filipinos struggle to make ends meet, foreign investors favored by the government are making out like bandits. Foreign investment makes up 40 percent of approved investment in the Philippines over the last decade and a half, he said -- not even counting dummy corporations that would increase those numbers. According to Africa, the equivalent of some 98 percent of domestic production is exported for the benefit of foreign firms and economies. Trade and investment liberalization have made the Philippines one of Asia's most open economies while destroying its national wellbeing.

Mining companies in particular boosted their profits some 115 percent between 2010 and 2014. Yet the Philippines doesn't benefit from its mineral resources. In the last five years, dozens of communities and thousands of families have been temporarily or permanently displaced -- often violently -- to give way to mining projects, especially in Mindanao.

Despite the Philippines' rich natural resources and large, productive labor force, the country has become a service and trading economy more than a producing economy. The manufacturing sector, at a little under a quarter of gross domestic product, has contracted to as small a share of the economy as it was six decades ago. And agriculture, at 10 percent of GDP, is the smallest it's been in history. The result has been widespread joblessness and poverty.

Africa noted that the U.S. is the biggest foreign investor in the Philippines, and American corporations often dominate local firms.

Unsurprisingly then, U.S. corporations are among the biggest direct beneficiaries of the neoliberal economic policies favored by Washington. For example, the Philippine government has hailed the creation of 1 million jobs in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, especially call centers. However, BPOs are dominated by foreign investors, with U.S. companies alone providing up to 31 percent of foreign equity.

Another example lies in the country's drive towards privatization, which is likewise supported by the U.S. Power privatization has made Philippine electricity the most expensive in Asia, even more so than in Japan or South Korea. Water privatization has made its water the third most expensive after Japan and Singapore. According to Africa, U.S. firms account for 45 percent of the Philippine electric power system's imports and 10 percent of its water equipment and services imports.

Among the U.S. government's more egregious interventions, Africa testified, is the Arangkada Philippines Project, or TAPP. Funded with $1 million from USAID since 2010, the project has lobbied Philippine policymakers on hundreds of regulatory issues. Administered by the American Chamber of Commerce and the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in the Philippines, TAPP is among the most aggressive entities seeking to change the 1987 Philippine Constitution and remove the last legal impediments to foreign capitalism in the country. Meanwhile there are at least five other USAID economic policy intervention projects cumulatively worth $74 million.

Following Mr. Africa, multiple witness took the stand to describe how these investment policies have negatively affected the Filipino people -- particularly in agriculture and agrarian reform (or lack thereof), the situation of the urban poor, the displacement of indigenous peoples, attacks on unions and labor rights, human trafficking, illegal rate hikes for mass transportation, the privatization of health care, and other violations of economic, social, and cultural rights.

Rafael Mariano testified about an incident concerning Hacienda Luisita, a landholding of more than 6,000 hectares owned by the family of President Aquino (and the site of violent labor repression in the recent past). Under land reforms passed in the late 1980s, Hacienda Luisita should have been subject to redistribution to poorer farmers. Yet the Aquino family and its allies devised a stock scheme to circumvent the reforms. Small farmers took the case to the Philippine Supreme Court, which ordered the redistribution of vast tracts of the land. Yet the Philippine government's Department of Agrarian Reform -- an agency under Aquino's direct control and supervision -- refused to comply. Instead, it harassed the farmers and destroyed their crops and huts. To date no actual distribution has been made.

Marieta Corpuz testified about instances of land grabbing, where peasants and indigenous peoples are being dispossessed of their ancestral domains to make way for foreign investment projects. For example, the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone Freeport (APECO) project -- which was supposed to transform a town in Aurora province into a commercial and industrial district and eco-tourism zone -- is resulting in massive dislocations of indigenous Dumagat and Agta tribes on behalf of big businesses linked to a Philippine senator and his family. Corpuz testified that fisherfolk, farmers, and indigenous activists who have opposed the project have been subjected to threats, harassment, and extrajudicial killings.

*Violations of National Self-Determination and Liberation*

A final group of charges concerned violations of the rights of the people to national self-determination. This includes crimes against humanity against national liberation movements and dissidents, who are often falsely characterized as "terrorists."

Professor Marjorie Cohn of Thomas Jefferson Law School noted that the U.S. war of terror -- though imposed in the Philippines as early as 2002 under the Gloria Arroyo regime -- was officially codified in Manila with the passage of the Human Security Act of 2007, which can be thought of as the Philippine version of the U.S. Patriot Act. The law, which contains an overly broad definition of "terrorism" and harsh mandatory penalties -- including 40 years imprisonment without parole for even minor offenses that could be construed as "terrorism" -- can be used to hold dissidents indefinitely. And it allows the government to engage in all manners of spurious prosecutions, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Obama administration, Cohn added, enlisted the Aquino government last year to negotiate the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement -- a military basing agreement that could reintroduce U.S. troops to some of the same Philippine military facilities they were expelled from back in the 1990s. It has officially roped the country into the U.S. "pivot to Asia," an effort by the Obama administration to encircle China through alliances with its neighbors.

"Although it gives lip service to the Philippines maintaining sovereignty over the military bases," Cohn explained, "it actually grants tremendous powers to the U.S." She added, "The U.S. also seeks to return to its two former military bases in Subic and Clark, which they left in 1992. These bases were critical to the U.S. imperial war in Vietnam. This violates the well-established right to of peoples to self-determination."

Dante C. Simbulan, a former college dean at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, convincingly argued that the adoption of U.S. counter-insurgency techniques by the Philippine government had produced an array of grievous rights violations.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, for example, receive their training in counter-insurgency from the Americans. Various counter-insurgency operations, from Oplan Lambat Bitag and Oplan Bantay Laya under Arroyo to Oplan Bayanihan under Aquino, were patterned after U.S. counter-insurgency guides. Oplan Bayanihan, Simbulan testified, is "presented in the guise of peace and development. In reality, it is an operational guide to crush any resistance from those who work for social justice and support the poor and the oppressed."

*Verdict*

After extensive deliberations, the jury reached a verdict of guilty on all three counts.

The tribunal called on the defendants to stop the commission of illegal and criminal acts, to repair the damages done to the Filipino people and their environment, compensate victims and their families for atrocities, and rehabilitate communities, especially indigenous communities, who have been gravely affected by the acts of the defendants.

Considering the serious violations of international law by the defendants, the tribunal also called for violations to be brought before international bodies, including the International Criminal Court, as well as the Inter-American, European, African, and Asian regional courts in order to expose the defendants and stop their impunity.

It is time to hold the perpetrators of serious human rights violations against the Filipino people accountable.

Vanessa Lucas is a partner at the law firm of Edelstein & Payne in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her practice focuses on civil rights and employment law. Lucas, who is chair of the National Lawyers Guild Philippines Subcommittee, participated as a member of the convening group for the International Peoples Tribunal on Crimes against the Filipino people on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild.

Azadeh Shahshahani (@ashahshahani) is a human rights attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia and a past president of the National Lawyers Guild. In July 2015, she took part in the International Peoples Tribunal on Crimes against the Filipino people as a member of the jury.

This article originally appeared in Foreign Policy in Focus.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 23 hours ago.

Aurora, Denver police search for man wanted for two murders

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A man is wanted by Aurora and Denver police on suspicion of committing two separate murders. Reported by Denver Post 1 day ago.

Critical Injury in Multivehicle Crash: Report

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Patch Montgomery, IL -- The victim was taken to Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora. Reported by Patch 23 hours ago.

Chaplains, Counselors, Pastors Rush To Help In San Bernardino

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A day after a shooting during a holiday party at a social services center in San Bernardino, California, left 14 people dead and 21 injured, communities in Southern California and around the country are coming together to offer support, counseling and comfort to those affected.

Faith-based chaplains are ministering to victims and their families in San Bernardino, professional counselors are offering their help, and communities nearby have vigils planned for Thursday night.

One group responding is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which has sent eight of its local chaplains to San Bernardino churches to be available to victims and victims families, and to people having difficulty processing the attacks.

“The first chaplains arrived yesterday afternoon, in the hours after the shooting. The others arrived today," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Rapid Response Team. "All are from the southern California area, and several are veteran chaplains who have responded to other shootings such as Sandy Hook Elementary and the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater.” 

The organization's volunteer chaplains, who are Christian, are trained to offer “God’s compassion and hope through Jesus Christ to those affected by a man-made or natural disaster,” according to its website.

“Chaplains are currently meeting with area churches and first responders to ascertain how we can best serve them," Munday added. "They are also comforting people who are emotionally hurting following yesterday’s attack.”At San Manuel Stadium, where the Inland Empire 66ers minor league baseball team usually plays, city officials organized a candlelight vigil that began at 5 p.m. local time. The stadium can seat 8,000 people.

“Our community has been put in unfamiliar territory because of this terrible tragedy,” Inland Empire 66ers General Manager Joe Hudson said in a statement. “We know that our ballpark is a community gathering place and that is what we need now. We need somewhere that all of us can come together and grieve for the senseless loss of life and assault on our home.”

The stadium vigil won’t cater to any particular faith, but several houses of worship are also separately opening their doors. Baitul Hameed, an Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in San Bernardino County, has scheduled a vigil for Thursday evening. So has St. Paul's United Methodist Church of San Bernardino, which will host seven Methodist churches in a vigil that begins at 6 p.m.


We want to offer comfort and compassion, it’s not about just shoving the gospel down as the only answer, but being understanding of people in a really difficult time.
Pastor Jeff Lasseigne
In Riverside, about a 20-minute drive from San Bernardino, pastors at Harvest Christian Fellowship church said they are preparing volunteering ministers to be ready for anyone who needs help in the aftermath of the attacks.

“We had a lot of texts yesterday from congregants who were working in adjacent buildings to where the shootings happened. They were emailing us, asking us to pray for them and their safety,” said administrative pastor Jeff Lasseigne, whose church has 12,000 members, many of whom live or work in San Bernardino. “At our midweek study on Wednesday night, we found a lot of people who were traumatized. They are fearful. We're here for people who need crisis counseling and comfort in managing with emotional distress. A lot are wondering how to talk to their kids about this.”

“We want to offer comfort and compassion, it’s not about just shoving the gospel down as the only answer, but being understanding of people in a really difficult time.”The website of Loma Linda Medical Center, where some of the shooting victims are being treated, describes a staff that includes a chaplain who “is assigned to each unit who will make every effort to visit all patients regularly.” It’s unclear if chaplains are working with victims. A member of the chaplain’s office told The Huffington Post she wasn’t allowed to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, in Highland, just east of San Bernardino, county officials have set up a temporary counseling center for people directly affected by the attacks, including victims' families. Friends and family members of victims have been going to the center to confirm with police that their loved ones had died.

The Desert Sun described the scene when Calvin Nguyen, whose cousin Tin Nguyen attended the holiday party where the attack took place, found out about Tin’s death.

Calvin and about 10 other family members huddled together as they approached the grief counseling center set up by the county in Highland. An older woman in the group stopped just short of the curb leading into the building, threw her head back and screamed. Several other family members held her as they escorted her into the small banquet hall.

"She was very intelligent, a good girl, takes care of mom and family," Calvin later told the newspaper. "We very sad that we lose her. Pray for us.”

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 23 hours ago.

Cops: Man who attacked Aurora officer used a meat cleaver

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An Aurora police officer who was attacked early Monday morning as he checked on a stranded vehicle was hit in the head with a meat cleaver, police say. Reported by Denver Post 21 hours ago.

RE/MAX Agent Beth Davis Helps Holiday Home Sellers Bring in the Buyers

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Beth Davis, of RE/MAX Masters Millennium, shares her top five tips for selling a home during the typically hard-to-sell holiday season.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) December 04, 2015

“Many people don’t think about selling during this time of year due to the holidays but most markets across the country are still going strong,” said Beth. “There are certain advantages to listing your house during the holidays, as the dearth in homes on the market brings in serious buyers and the competition is less intense.”

If selling your home during the holiday season, the following five tips are essential for bringing in the buyers.

No. 1: De-clutter your home. Living in a home and selling a home are two different things. You want to clear out your home of all clutter and unnecessary items, as you want buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.

No. 2: Stage it, stage it, stage it. When you list your home during the holiday season, you want it to stand out as the most beautiful home in the area. Strategic staging will help you achieve this by showcasing the amenities of your home. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), taking the extra step to stage a home can make a difference in how a buyer values it and the price a seller might get for it.

No. 3: Take quality photos and create a virtual tour. Professional photography will help sell a home before buyers even step foot inside. Make sure your real estate professional takes the time to have the home professionally photographed. Buyers do their research online prior to looking at homes, especially during the holiday season, and great photography will help sell your home before someone even enters it.

No. 4: Keep your holiday decorations to a minimum. It can be hard to keep your holiday spirit low key this time of year, but doing so will help your home sell. It’s OK to present a festive house, but do not go overboard with the decorations. Too many decorations, particularly Christmas lights, can be distracting, and a potential buyer still needs to be able to envision what the house looks like without them.

No. 5: Hire the right real estate professional. The right real estate agent is worth their weight in gold (or commissions) by negotiating the top dollar for you. In fact, the NAR states “FSBOs typically have a lower median selling price: $208,700 compared to $235,000. Thus the typical agent-assisted home sale typically has a 13 percent higher sales price than the typical FSBO sale.” It is also imperative to find a Realtor who will be around during the holidays that will go that extra mile for you.

“Additionally, keep in mind that curb appeal is always important, despite the season,” said Beth. “During the holiday season, when we usually experience inclement weather, keep walkways and driveways clear of snow and ice at all times when showing your house to ensure safe passage for potential buyers.”

About Beth Davis, RE/MAX Masters Millennium
Beth Davis services Greenwood Village, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Aurora, Parker, Denver, Littleton and Castle Rock, CO. For more information, call Beth at (303) 517-3020. The office is located at 6020 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Suite 100, Greenwood Village, CO.

About the NALA™
The NALA offers local business owners new online advertising & small business marketing tools, great business benefits, education and money-saving programs, as well as a charity program. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Reported by PRWeb 16 hours ago.

Aurora Hellfire OZ26 V8 Bike Packs 417 HP and 319 Nm, and Nothing Else Matters - Photo Gallery

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Aurora Hellfire OZ26 V8 Bike Packs 417 HP and 319 Nm, and Nothing Else Matters - Photo Gallery The Land Down Under seems to be a lot different from the rest of the world when it comes to motorcycles. Bikes and riders alike, what comes from Australia is a tad weird and highly competitive, even if at a scale that isn't always enough to make a definitive change in the world. If you thought the Britten was crazy, prepare to meet Aurora Hellfire OZ26, a superbike that will put to shame even the most brutal motorcycles out there. Co... Reported by autoevolution 15 hours ago.

Police: Drunken driver crashed box truck under Aurora bridge on I-225, jamming traffic

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Aurora police have arrested an alleged drunken driver after he crashed a box truck into the Alameda Parkway bridge on Interstate 225 early Friday morning, causing long backups on the key Reported by Denver Post 12 hours ago.

Police: Drunken driver crashed box truck under Aurora bridge on NB I-225, jamming traffic

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Aurora police have cited an alleged drunken driver after he crashed a rental box truck into the Alameda Parkway bridge on northbound Interstate 225 early Friday morning, causing long backups on the key highway. Reported by Denver Post 11 hours ago.

New Trampoline Park Lets You Reach for the Sky

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New Trampoline Park Lets You Reach for the Sky Patch Montgomery, IL -- The Aurora business has plenty of fun activities for kids and adults. Reported by Patch 10 hours ago.
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