Bidzina Ivanishvili, a 56-year-old computer salesman who became a billionaire and later gained popularity by constantly donating, was recently elected the Prime Minster of Georgia on October 2.

The former Soviet Republic of Georgia is suffering from  unemployment, poverty, and political unrest. Ivanishvili led the opposition Georgia’s Dream Party, and became the nation’s new Prime Mister last week.

According to the Agency French Press (AFP), Ivanishvili, whose father worked in a manganese factory, started his career as a steel mill worker. He got a chance to make a lot of money in the 1990’s by selling U.S. computers. Once he got money, he did not let go of it. He made even more money by running various businesses in areas such as real estate, farming, and the mining business. Forbes Magazine listed him as the 153rd richest person in the world in 2012. His 6.5-billion-dollars fortune is almost half of Georgia’s GDP (14 billion dollars).

Ivanishvili became popular in Georgia thanks to his hobby of collecting unique animals and art pieces. Many people, however, started to idolize the successful businessman after he donated large amounts of money to the nation of Georgia. His money was used for rebuilding Georgia’s historical sites, building museums, schools, cinemas and churches in the nation. Many art and science studies also benefited from his money. His money was even used to change the uniforms of the army and police, to help their motivation. Lawmakers’ incomes were raised in the period to prevent political corruption.

Even though he became popular through his donations, he did not want to be seen in public.

It was reported that Ivanishvili was doing the charitable work in order to help his friend Mikheil Saakashili, who is leading Georgia’s former ruling party. Saakashili has tried to solve Georgia’s rampant problems, such as the economic recession, and the high unemployment rate. However, his efforts have not yielded visible results for a long time. In 2008, when Georgia had to deal with the damages of the territorial dispute with Russia, Saakashili and his party seemed to lose most of their public support.

As the ruling party of Georgia became less popular, the Georgian people saw Ivanishvili as an alternative who could save Georgia from the crisis.

Ivanishvili has participated in politics since October of last year, and thanks to public support, it only took one year for him to become the Prime Minster.

Image Courtesy of  milkybarkid78

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Georgia.  Of the top immigrant receiving states, Georgia’ immigrant population is one of the fastest growing in the country. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals a high rate of poverty with a corresponding high use of welfare.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Georgia’s Immigrants:

Georgia’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 63 percent from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

Immigrants account for 10 percent of Georgia residents in 2010, the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau for the state. Immigrants are 13 percent of workers in the state. Of Georgia immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 25 percent live in poverty compared to 18 percent of natives and their children.

Of Georgia immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 37 percent lack health insurance, compared to 18 percent of natives and their children (under 18).  Immigrants and their children account for 22 percent of those without insurance in the state.

Georgia immigrants’ home ownership is 56 percent, compared to 67 percent for natives.

Of households headed by immigrants in Georgia, 30 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 24 percent of native-headed households. One of the primary reasons a larger share of immigrants than natives in the state are poor is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 26 percent have not completed high school, compared to 8 percent of natives.

However, the share of immigrants in the state with at least a bachelor’s degree (30 percent) is similar to the 33 percent for natives.

In 2010, 17 percent of students in Georgia public schools were from immigrant households. Overall, one in seven public school students in the state speaks a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Georgia:

Our best estimate is that more than half of the immigrants in Georgia are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for seven percent of the state’s overall population, 12 percent of those in poverty, 16 percent of the uninsured and 8 percent of the school age population, 5 to 17.

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Washington, U.S.A.  – The states of Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas will receive grants totaling $3 million to develop strategies aimed at helping returning Army veterans find employment more quickly through the public workforce system, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced. This funding represents an initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Army under the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-service Members program.

“The Labor Department is deeply committed to providing employment services and benefits that best support the men and women who have served our country, and the grants announced today are an example of that commitment,” said Secretary Solis. “Ensuring Army veterans have expedited access to job training and job placement services is one way our nation honors their sacrifices.”

This initiative will provide each of the four states with $750,000 to develop new strategies to enhance outreach and re-employment services for Army unemployment compensation claimants.

Examples of strategies include improved tracking of claimants across federal programs to better link unemployed veterans to potential job opportunities; increasing staff capacity to help claimants understand which military skills can be transferred to civilian careers; expanding service delivery through agency partnerships, such as opening employment service satellite offices in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs locations; and expanding outreach activities to better connect these veterans to American Job Centers, job fairs and other services that can expedite their return to work.

“These grants are an important step toward ensuring that the soldiers who so valiantly and selflessly served our nation get the help they need transitioning back to civilian life,” said Secretary of the ArmyJohn McHugh. “By sharing information, improving access to re-employment services and increasing outreach opportunities, we can help Army veterans get better access to and information about job opportunities. I’m grateful to Secretary Solis and the Department of Labor for their support. This is great news for the Army and its veterans.”

The four states selected have large populations of Army veterans who are unemployment compensation claimants and have been actively collaborating with both the Labor Department and the Army to improve veterans’ access to the public workforce system. These grants will be implemented over the next two years, and the promising practices developed with these investments will be shared with other states and expanded to include other branches of the military.

Image Courtesy of  Anthony Correia / Shutterstock.com

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Tbilisi, Georgia - Two days after he appeared at a Tbilisi press conference warning that media freedom in Georgia was under attack by the Saakashvili government, Georgian authorities detained, interrogated, and allegedly physically pushed, shoved, and bruised U.S. citizen Alexander Ronzhes as he was about to board a plane to leave Georgia.

Rondzhes is the 17-percent shareholder of Georgian cable provider Global TV, an independent television network whose largest shareholder is Alexander Ivanishvili, the brother of Georgian Dream opposition coalition Bidzina Ivanishvili.

On June 14, unidentified Georgian authorities who said they were affiliated with the Georgia prosecutor’s office stopped Ronzhes, who lives in New York, at Tbilisi International Airport. After seven hours of interrogation, during which he says he sustained visible bruises after being shoved into a security office at the airport, and separated from his Georgian attorneys, and after direct intervention by U.S. consular officers based in Tbilisi, Ronzhes was released.

Ronzhes had arrived in Georgia earlier in the week following a pattern of Georgian government actions against Global TV, the country’s major independent cable and satellite station, which included claims by government authorities – rejected by the independent network – that the television station was broadcasting illegally by reaching citizens on the wrong frequency.

On June 12, Georgian media companies Global TV, Channel 9 and Stereo conducted a press conference with Ronzhes which highlighted the campaign being waged by Georgian authorities against the companies and other media in the lead up to Georgian Parliamentary elections scheduled for October. During the hour-long press conference, Ronzhes discussed the harassment, detention and abuse of supporters of opposition candidates, ongoing arrests of reporters, and other attacks on political freedoms in Georgia, in addition to the pattern of attacks against Global TV.

Local representatives of Global TV debriefed by Ronzhes at the airport following his release stated that he was stopped at 15:25 at passport control by four people who did not identify themselves, and who claimed they wanted to question him about a money laundering case. They told him that they had informed the US Embassy, that everything was fine, and that he would make his flight. In fact, according to the Global TV representatives, the U.S. Embassy was not notified by the Georgian authorities, who only found about the detention of the U.S. citizen from Global TV.

Ronzhes was then subjected by the unidentified Georgian officials to extensive questioning regarding a property he sold during the current visit which he had owned since 2004. During that questioning, three officials restrained him and two pushed him behind, allegedly leaving physical bruises on his body, which were later filmed by a Channel 9 film crew that rushed to the scene. The officials interrogated Ronzhes about money from the sale that he had placed in a safe deposit box, repeatedly demanding that he provide them with access to his safe deposit box, where a portion of the proceeds were stored in cash.

Following interventions by local attorneys and the U.S. consular office, Ronzhes was released from detention shortly before midnight, and thus remains in Georgia.

On June 7, U.S. Congressman Howard Berman (D-Calif.), ranking member on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs expressed  concerns about Georgian authorities “preventing a prominent political opponent from running in the parliamentary election and reported attempts to intimidate local opposition leaders, including denying them access to media.”

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Chicago, U.S.A - Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, has released the latest edition of its Global Catastrophe Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide during May.

Published by Impact Forecasting, the firm’s catastrophe model development center of excellence, the report reveals that two earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks struck northern Italy within a nine-day period, killing 25 people, injuring more than 400 others and causing extensive damage to the cultural heritage throughout the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, in addition to businesses and personal property.

An initial, combined economic loss estimate from both tremors stood at EUR5 billion (USD6.25 billion), following significant damage in the provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Reggio Emilia, Rovigo and Mantua.

In Asia, severe and prolonged periods of rain impacted China throughout the month, affecting at least 22 provinces and killing at least 102 people.

According to China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), at least 143,000 homes were damaged or destroyed during one prolonged event. More than 949,400 hectares (2.34 million acres) of cropland were also affected, contributing to a total economic loss listed at CNY16.88 billion (USD2.68 billion).

Meanwhile, powerful thunderstorms struck eastern Japan, resulting in high winds and tornadoes that killed at least three people, injured 59 others, and damaged more than 1,845 buildings in six separate prefectures.

Steve Jakubowski, President of Impact Forecasting, said: “The Italian earthquakes resulted in the largest natural disaster loss for the country since the L’Aquila earthquake event in 2009. The seismic activity was not unexpected, as Italy has long been recognised as a region exposed to the possibility of significant earthquake activity. Given the level of insurance coverage in the region, it is anticipated that insured losses would reach minimally into the hundreds of millions of dollars (USD). However, it remains too early to determine how negligible re/insurance losses may be from this event.”

In the United States, two periods of severe weather impacted central and eastern sections of the country; the first causing widespread hail and wind damage from the Dakotas to Maryland, resulting in an economic loss estimated at USD275 million, and more than 30,000 insurance claims valued atUSD150 million. A secondary severe weather outbreak across the central and eastern U.S. at the end of the month spawned significant damage as well. According to a preliminary report from the South-western Insurance Information Service, insured losses in Oklahoma alone were estimated at USD400 million.

Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall near Jacksonville Beach, Florida at peak intensity with 70 mph (110 kph) winds but did not cause any significant damage, injuries or fatalities.

And wildfires burned in several U.S. states during the month, including the largest fire ever recorded in New Mexico.

Excessive rainfall affected areas of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec in May. In Thunder Bay, at least 1,100 homes were damaged as well as businesses and infrastructure, and flood damage with a 100-year return period was recorded in Montreal, where personal property and infrastructure were widely affected.

Additional flood events were recorded in Nepal, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Georgia, Brazil and Venezuela.

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Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine intends to build transport and energy infrastructure facilities in Afghanistan, as well as help repair military equipment produced in the USSR, said the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych at the meeting with Hamid Karzai, the Afghani President. The meeting took place in the framework of the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago.

Ukraine also aims to continue providing NATO with air transport support to finish the peacemaking campaign in Afghanistan by 2014, mentioned the Ukrainian leader. In addition to the listed intentions, President Yanukovych supported the security transition in Afghanistan by 2014, as outlined in the Lisbon Roadmap.

As a nation contributing to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Ukraine also supports the 2014-2024 strategic partnership that involves the USA and NATO and is set to help establish peace on the territory of the Central Asian country.

Addressing the summit, Ukrainian leader also expressed the country’s readiness to join the Danish initiative Coalition of Committed Contributors. The so-called 3C-initiative will help fund Afghani security forces after 2014. So far 23 nations joined the initiative, reported Stephen J. Flanagan, PhD, at the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia hearing on April 26, 2012.

Ukraine has already joined the Central Asia Counternarcotics Initiative, countering threats of stability from Afghan and Pakistani violent extremist groups which use drug trafficking to fund their activities.

Currently, 22 Ukrainian peacekeepers are stationed in Afghanistan. The team from Ukraine features mine clearance experts, medics, army aviation advisors, and staff officers. It was recently announced that Ukraine planned to add to its ISAF mission a dog handler who specializes in mine and explosives detection.

Ukraine sent its first ISAF representatives to Afghanistan in May of 2007. A team of 10 to 30 Ukrainians (depending on the stage of the mission) performed tasks along with the peacekeepers from Denmark, Croatia, Georgia, and Lithuania. Among other peacekeeping jobs, Ukrainian team helped construct a mosque in a refugee camp in Chaghcharan.

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reveals the results of an unprecedented investigation exposing more questionable test results in schools across America. Questioning whether the 2011 cheating scandal was unique to Atlanta Public Schools, the AJC found drastic swings in test scores that were considered virtually impossible in Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Suspect test score changes were also identified in many other cities, which will appear in the report. This story is set to spark a national debate over the policy and integrity of standardized testing.

Evidence that suggests possible cheating – the same kind that led AJC reporters and state investigators to uncover widespread and systematic test score manipulation in Georgia – exists across America. In an unprecedented effort, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spent months gathering and analyzing data and conducting dozens of interviews.

“The implications of our findings are profound, and it’s hard to find a more important story to tell,” AJC Editor Kevin Riley said. “This is about America’s future, and the integrity of standardized testing is central to the policy direction of American schools. Policies require states to test all students in grades 3 through 8 to measure performance in reading and math. Success in America’s schools is now defined by showing improvement in test scores. These results raise troubling questions about the reliability of these tests.”

To reach this conclusion, the AJC’s investigative team gathered data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The AJC analyzed test scores in more than 14,000 school districts — and verified the information through four separate independent academic experts.

In addition to Atlanta, the AJC found drastic swings in test scores that were considered virtually impossible in Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis. More than 100 school districts with highly improbable swings in test scores, a finding that strongly points to tampering.

Changes in test scores that were statistically improbable in nearly 20 cities, with swings in scores that were virtually impossible in about a half dozen. According to experts consulted by the AJC, human intervention is the most likely explanation.

In some cities, the AJC found so many dramatic shifts in scores that the odds of that happening by chance are virtually zero. In cities such as Houston, the results for entire grades of students jumped two, three or more times the amount expected in one year. The next year, when children moved to a new grade, their scores plummeted. Suspect scores were found in a few districts that have been hailed as cutting edge reformers.

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Ghost Of, a new rock band based in Savannah, Georgia, are getting ready to release their first single “Lost in my Mind.” Ghost Of are collaborating with Director Todd Wood to film the official music video to “Lost in my Mind.”

Ghost Of consist of former Dead Stays Alive bassist, songwriter and Savannah native Tony Allen, singer and co-writer Alex Gold, guitarist James Lee Smith, and drummer Nick Barnhill.

Tony Allen, who has reached previous successes with Dead Stays Alive, is excited to unveil Ghost Of. Allen plays the bass guitar and writes much of the band’s music and lyrics. Allen has obtained achievements throughout his 8 year music career including making the Top 40s Rock list in the U.S., holding a spot on the Top 10 Rock requests in Italy, being featured in magazines such as O.K., UsWeekly, Virgin Radio’s Italian magazine The Rocket, and The South magazine.

E! Television ran a feature story on Allen, 99x interviewed the bassist, and Extra TV claimed an exclusive interview with Allen. Allen and his music have also received reviews from Wildysworld.com and Popcruch.com. Singer Alex Gold comes from a well-versed early career in Hip-Hop.

Gold, at 22, has received many honors in the music industry. Gold’s single “Doubted” was featured on the popular mix tape “Coast 2 Coast 50: the Celebration Edition” alongside major artists like T.I. and Yung Joc. Gold was booked as an opening act for Soulja Boy’s “Tell ‘Em Tour” stop in Savannah, GA.

He received a contract offer from local label 9Twelve Records to be their signature artist as a solo rapper. Gold performed the first and only live rap show at Savannah’s esteemed Saya Lounge, along with many other performances and appearances at popular Savannah clubs and bars.

Guitarist James Lee Smith has over 16 years of playing experience. Smith is one of the most sought after guitarists in the southeast and says he is influenced by the likes of George Benson, Earl Klugh and Stevie Wonder. A former member of local groups Savannah Avenue and One Sound Band, Smith continues to perform and write original music with both on occasion.

Smith has played with celebrated and Grammy nominated artists, including Trae Gurley, Jackson Evans, Billy Currington and Greg Williams. Professionally trained, Smith’s sound consists of a unique blend of jazz, bluegrass, and rock. Ghost Of put emphasis on Smith’s eclectic guitar style.

Nick Barnhill claims his spot on the drums. Barnhill hails from Savannah, Georgia, and has perfected his skills on drums over the last nine years. He has played with several bands throughout the Southeast region of the country. Barnhill is trained by Mark Vaquer, a legend in the local music scene who has more than 30 years of experience performing with the likes of The Long Awaited, Shut Up and Drive, and Monajam, as well as touring in the Mystic Orchestra – The Classic Rock Experience.

Multiple Georgia Press Association-award winning “Lost in my Mind” video director Todd Wood has worked as a cinematographer and as an international photojournalist earning a reputation for capturing memorable news and sports images. Wood has been contracted by ESPN for his unique and brilliant skill. Wood’s talent and knowledge have enabled him to form a creative and recognizable look to his work.

Multi-platinum Atlanta-based record producer Joel Mullis, who requested to work with Ghost Of on this single, speaks highly of the potential this group contains. Mullis has worked with many well-known talents, including Shinedown, Ludacris, Bubba Sparxx, Gucci Mane, Yung Joc, YoungBloodz, Faith Evans, and the Ying Yang Twins.

Ghost Of describe their sound as “haunting guitar rock with Gold’s soulful vocals adding to the ethereal experience.” The music has a bold bass sound, a rhythm undeniably deep and strong, and guitar tones that are yet to be exploited. Ghost Of are excited for the upcoming release, and to give the public their first taste of what this band is bringing to Rock music as a genre. Their first single “Lost in my Mind” is new, fresh, and, as their band name alludes to… haunting.

The single “Lost in my Mind” is mastered by multi-platinum engineer Chris Griffin. Griffin has worked with Live and Drivin N Cryin. Ghost Of are rehearsing in preparation for their upcoming projects including a full LP projected to be completed later this year with “Lost in my Mind” expected to be released in the next month.

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Two pro sports women’s associations are teaming up to form a credit union with an educational wealth empowerment program for pro athletes and their families.

“We’re sick and tired of seeing pro players and wives go broke, divorce, and suffer after playing pro sports,” says Gena Pitts, Founder of the Professional Sports Wives Association (PSWA), a not-for-profit association that provides resources to peers in over 16 Pro Sports leagues through their multi-media and sports talk show on WAFS, Biz 1190 AM from Atlanta, Georgia.

Seeing the staggering percentage of those that fall victims of their own success, Leagues of Their Own and PSWA are teaming up to form a credit union with an educational wealth empowerment program for pro athletes and their families.

“Our mission of chartering a Federal Credit Union is to implement education focused on ‘total wealth family leadership and legacy planning’ that redefines what we are doing in our own lives and in the larger community. We believe that a family’s human capital is just as important as financial capital,” says Stacey August, founder of Leagues of Their Own Inc. and mother of Prince Fielder, 2011 major league all-star MVP and newly signed Detroit Tigers 1st baseman.

“The sudden success of the athlete marks a turning point in the athlete’s life that can sometimes be overwhelming.  It is through research and personal experience that we understand the complex issues of our community and are here to transform it with the implementation of systems that focus on all aspects of one’s wealth, to include the human capital as well as the financial capital for a more balanced life. Our programs are two-fold offering wealth empowerment coaching and financial literacy programs,” continues August.

Pitts added, “Until now, there has been a void to provide professional athletes and their families with a practical, viable educational training program to learn how to preserve and protect athletes’ wealth in an industry where nearly eighty-five percent of pro athletes are divorced and a quarter of a million dollars in debt when they retire.”

Image Courtesy of   Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com

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Walmart’s 2012 Acres for America program is helping conserve more than 49,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat across the United States. Acres projects connect existing lands to protect migration routes, provide access for people to enjoy the outdoors and help ensure the future of rural economies that depend on forestry, tourism and recreation.

Acres for America is a 10-year, $35 million commitment that began in 2005 between Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to purchase and preserve one acre of wildlife habitat in the U.S. for every acre of land developed by the company through 2015.  To date, Acres for America has invested in projects in 24 states, protecting more than 687,000 acres.

“It is estimated that America loses nearly three million acres of open space each year,” said Jennifer May-Brust, Walmart vice president of realty supplier management and compliance. “Our strategic partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is helping save important wildlife habitats and fits perfectly with Walmart’s larger goal to bring sustainability into the communities we serve.”

In the summer of 2011, Walmart expanded its Acres investments to include urban conservation projects inChicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.  The six awards announced today will support projects in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“With these new projects, Acres for America extends into five additional states to protect vital areas for wildlife and people,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These investments will not only benefit endangered species like the Florida panther – they will also expand open space near urban areas and conserve forests and streams along the Appalachian Trail, one of our most treasured natural resources.”

The 2012 Acres for America projects:

Southern Sierra Partnership: Tehachapi Linkage, California

• While protecting more than 22,000 acres of rare blue oak habitat in the Sierra foothills, this project completes a key 50-mile ecological corridor linking the Sierra-Cascade ranges to the California Coast ranges and the lowlands of the Great Central Valley to the Mojave Desert.

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Expansion: Colorado

• This project protects 1,334 acres of tallgrass prairie adjacent to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and connects to 70,000 acres of locally protected open space, greatly expanding recreation opportunities in metropolitan Denver.

Panther Crossing Protection Project: Florida

• This 1,530-acre property protects a key migratory corridor for the endangered Florida panther, of which less than 165 exist in the wild.  It connects existing panther habitat to the south with 1.5 million acres of new habitat in the Northern Everglades, and will also benefit the American black bear, red-cockaded woodpecker, swallow-tailed kite and snail kite.

Almo Tract: Fort Benning, Georgia

• This 7,550-acre tract in Georgia’s Fall Line Sandhills is the eastern anchor of a larger 30,000-acre conservation corridor adjacent to Fort Benning. The project protects longleaf pine forest and provides important habitat for the gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpecker, among other species.

The Palila Protection Project: Hawaii

• On the Big Island of Hawaii, two protected parcels (4,469 acres) provide critical habitat to the palila (Loxioides bailleui), one of the rarest birds in the world, and contribute significantly to its recovery.

Appalachian Trail Habitat Protection Project: North Carolina and Tennessee

Partners: The Conservation Fund, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Blue Ridge Forever and Conservation Trust for North Carolina

• This group of seven key parcels collectively protects nearly 13,000 acres of forest and 40 miles of freshwater streams along the Appalachian Trail Corridor, which are home to the imperiled southern Appalachian brook trout, 1,000 species of plants, at least 300 species of birds and 20 species of rare and declining salamanders.

For more information on Acres for America or to apply for a grant, visit www.nfwf.org or http://walmartstores.com/sustainability.

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Nearly one in four American children attend rural schools and enrollment is growing at a faster rate in rural school districts than in all other places combined, according to ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’, a biennial report by the Rural School and Community Trust.   In addition, rural schools show increasing rates of poverty, diversity, and students with special needs.

These widespread trends are most evident in the South, Southwest, and parts of Appalachia. ”As the evidence mounts that rural education is becoming a bigger and even more complex part of our national educational landscape, it is becoming impossible to ignore in the quest to improve achievement and narrow achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

The day of closing our eyes and hoping rural education will just go away are ending,” said Jerry Johnson, a co-author of ‘Why Rural Matters 2011-12’. More than 9.6 million students are enrolled in rural school districts in the United States, which is over 20 percent of all public school students in the United States.

An additional 1.8 million students are enrolled in rural schools in districts not classified as rural by the federal government.  Together, these 11.4 million students who attend rural schools comprise more than 23 percent of all public school students, according to the Rural School and Community Trust, a respected national nonprofit organization.

Of those students attending schools in a rural district, two in five live in poverty, a rate that has increased by nearly a third in nine years.  One student in four in rural areas is a child of color, and one in eight has changed residence in the past 12 months.

Between the 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 school years, rural districts’ enrollment increased by well over 1.7 million students, showing a growth rate of more than 22 percent.  In comparison, non-rural enrollment increased by only 673,000, or by a 1.7 percent increase, for the same time period.  As a result, the rural districts’ share of national public school enrollment increased from 17.4 percent to 20 percent over the decade, according to federal data in the report.

These enrollment gains were particularly strong in the most rural states in the South and Southwest.  Ten states are among the top 13 in both the number and the percentage of rural enrollment growth — Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

The top five states with rural enrollment increases — Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona — had a total gain of over 1.1 million, more than half the gain for all states that gained rural enrollment.

“Rural minority students are concentrated in certain states, and that concentration is increasing,” said Jerry Johnson. Over 69 percent of all rural minority students now attend school in states where they represent more than one third of the rural student enrollment.  That is up from 58 percent as reported in ‘Why Rural Matters 2009’.

The report uses 25 statistical indicators grouped into five “gauges” to take the measure of rural education in each of the 50 states.  The five gauges are then combined to produce a “rural education priority” gauge.  The higher the ranking, the more important and challenging rural education is in a state’s overall education system and the more urgent it is for policy makers to pay attention to it.

The 13 highest priority states are all in the South, Southwest, and Appalachia, except Alaska, and all, but three, of the 12 next highest priority states are adjacent to them with the exception of Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The report notes that rural education ranks high in importance in many Northern states, including Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, and Vermont.  However, these states tend to rank low on other measures such as student poverty, diversity, or poor student performance and low graduation rates.

“These states symbolize rural education to many people. They are the basis for a myth that all of rural America is uncomplicated, stable, and reasonably well-off. That myth is part of what keeps rural education on the margins of the national debate about education policy,” said Marty Strange, the policy director for the Rural School and Community Trust and co-author of the report.

“But these classic Yankee and Prairie-Plains states are simply an important part of a much more varied, complex, and challenging rural America that education policy makers must better understand,” said Strange. The report found that states most responsive to rural schools have above average fiscal capacity.

For example, the report points out that of the 13 states with the lowest expenditures for rural teachers, all but Nebraska and South Dakota are below the national average in state fiscal capacity.  On the other hand, states with the highest rural teacher salaries are primarily in the Northeast, the West, and the Mid-Atlantic. All these states are above the national average in state fiscal capacity per capital.

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American and Canadian union members who work for forest industry giant Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater) have joined forces to “speak with one voice” to the company.

About 100 union delegates from 10 Canadian Resolute mills in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and 4 U.S. mills in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama met recently in Montreal. They adopted a solidarity pledge to coordinate activities and work together, leading to the 2014 pattern and master agreement negotiations with the company in both countries.

“Resolute is on notice that American and Canadian workers will not compete against each other,” said United Steelworkers International Vice President Jon Geenen. “We have decided instead to make sure that we are informed and coordinated across the border and Local to Local about how this company is treating workers and communities.”

“We believe that it was the sacrifices of our members in both countries that made it possible for AbitibiBowater to restructure and become Resolute. We have every right now to insist on consultation and discussion of alternatives before more corporate decisions are taken that affect our members and their communities,” said Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) National President Dave Coles.

At the two-day joint meeting in Montreal, Local delegates reported to each other on cost reduction and job cut demands by the company at every location, often on the basis of comparisons to other mills in each country.

A statement adopted December 18 called for an end to “job blackmail.” “USW and CEP members at Resolute Forest Products today demand respect and fairness,” said the joint statement. “We reject absolutely any form of contrived intimidation between workers and mills. We insist that the company respect our bargaining caucuses, our pattern agreements and end any form of job blackmail between the Local unions.”

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LSU Tramples Arkansas; 41-17

Jordan Jefferson passed for 208 yards and rushed for 53 more as his two touchdowns helped lift LSU to a 41-17 decimation of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Friday night. Kenny Hilliard rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Michael Ford added in another 96, as No. 1 LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC) further solidified their standing as the most dominant team in college football.

The Razorbacks (10-2, 6-2 SEC) took an early 14-point lead, taking a recovered fumble to the house early in the first quarter. But that resilient, grind-it-out LSU offense never cracked, sticking to the running game and pounding Arkansas’ defense into the dirt. The Tigers scored three touchdowns, gave up an Arkansas field goal, and then capped the game off scoring three more unanswered touchdowns.

LSU looks towards facing No. 14 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game next Saturday, and will likely be voted into the BCS Championship Game regardless of the outcome.

Oregon Routs Oregon State, Clinches Pac-12 Championship Game

After a relatively slow start, the Oregon Ducks picked up steam, putting up big numbers in their routing of state, Pac-12 rival Oregon State Beavers on Saturday.

Darron Thomas ran the show, passing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. Electrifying freshman, De’Anthony Thomas, also kept the Oregon offense rolling, hauling in 10 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown, and adding in 71 yards on the ground, as the No. 9 Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) rolled over division rival Oregon State to solidify home field advantage in the Pac-12 Championship Game vs. UCLA next Saturday.

LaMichael James rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown through three quarters, but left the game early with what looked like a hyper-extended left elbow.

Alabama Cruises Past Auburn

Auburn didn’t even stand a chance. Trent Richardson destroyed the Tigers’ defense, stomping all over them for 203 yards on the ground, and the Alabama Crimson Tide sailed over rival Auburn in a 42-14 smack down in this year’s Iron Bowl.

A.J. McCarron picked up 184 passing yards and three touchdowns, but kudos went to Alabama’s stingy SEC defense. The No. 2 Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 SEC) held Auburn (7-5, 4-4 SEC) to 140 yards of total offense, limiting their electrifying running back, Michael Dyer, to a menial 48 yards through four quarters.

Houston Dismantles Tulsa, Remains Undefeated

Case Keenum continued to plead his case for Heisman candidacy, picking apart the Tulsa secondary for 457 yards (33-47) and five touchdowns in Houston’s 48-16 rout of the Golden Hurricane, Friday afternoon.

Keenum hit eight different receivers, including Patrick Edwards, who was on the receiving end of four touchdown passes and 187 yards worth of receptions and yards after the catch.

No. 6 Houston (12-0, 8-0 C-USA) will take on No. 24 Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA Championship Game next week, where the Cougars will look to expand on what has already been a golden season.

Wisconsin Smashes Penn State, Clinches Big Ten Championship Game

Montee Ball further padded his Heisman resume, adding in 156 yards and four touchdowns as the Wisconsin Badgers burrowed through Big Ten rival Penn State, 45-7 blowout. Russell Wilson picked up 186 passing yards and two touchdowns, and No. 15 Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) solidified their position in the Big Ten Championship Game next week against No. 13 Michigan State.

Justin Tucker Saves the Day, Texas Squeezes Out Over Texas A&M.

Justin Tucker knocked down a clutch 40-yard field goal with time expiring, and the Texas Longhorns barely came out victorious over state, Big-12 rival, Texas A&M, squeezing out a 27-25 road win for all of the chips.

Led by QB Ryan Tannehill, A&M had marched down the field and scored on the Longhorn secondary, leaving just under two minutes for Texas to mount a game-winning drive. But Case McCoy would not be denied, scrambling to the A&M 23-yard line for a 25-yard pickup that would move Tucker into field goal position and seal the deal for the Longhorns.

Georgia Coasts Past Rival Georgia Tech, Clinches SEC Championship Game

Aaron Murray was the crutch for Georgia, passing for 252 yards and all four of his team’s touchdowns, and the No. 14 Bulldogs (10-2, 7-1 SEC) got the win over rival Georgia Tech in the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” game on Saturday.

Though they allowed 243 yards on the ground, the Georgia defense forced two interceptions and held Georgia Tech to 112 passing yards. Georgia can only hope to improve on their rush defense, as they’ll have to take on a run-heavy No. 1 LSU in the SEC Championship Game next week.

Virginia Tech Zips UVA, 38-0

The score tells it all. David Wilson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and Virginia Tech completely dominated rival Virginia, leaving them scoreless through four quarters. Tech’s defense picked off UVA QB Michael Rocco twice, and No. 5 Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1 ACC) smashed their division rival while advancing to the ACC Championship Game against No. 20 Clemson, next week.

Baylor Outscores Texas Tech, 66-42

Heisman hopeful, Robert Griffin III, looked on from the sidelines after suffering a concussion in the second quarter. But the damage had already been done. RG3 reached the endzone three times in the first half (once in the air, twice on the ground), and second string quarterback Nick Florence added in two more passing touchdowns as No. 17 Baylor advanced to 8-3 (5-3 Big-12)  in their win over rival Texas Tech.

Terrance Ganaway trampled over the Tech defense, rushing for 246 yards and two touchdowns and the Baylor Bears moved on to the Big-12 Championship Game vs. No. 22 Texas next week.

Andrew Luck Picks Apart Notre Dame, Stanford Wins; 28-14

Andrew Luck proved why he’s the best QB in college football, completing 20 of his 30 pass attempts for 233 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Stanford Cardinal to a two-touchdown victory over the Fighting Irish.

Stepfan Taylor rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries, and the No. 4 Cardinal (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) recorded their eleventh win of the season. They won’t, however, play in the Pac-12 Championship game because they lost the tiebreaker to Oregon earlier in the season.

South Carolina State Defeats Clemson

Connor Shaw did it all, passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 107 yards and another touchdown, as he led his South Carolina State Gamecocks to their tenth win of the season.

Kenny Miles also added in 71 rushing yards, but it was Shaw’s picture-perfect performance that got South Carolina State (10-2, 6-2 SEC) the win over Clemson, Saturday night.

Oklahoma Comfortably Crushes Iowa State.

After upsetting a perfect Oklahoma State the week before, Iowa State looked to make Oklahoma their next victim. The Sooners were not on board. Though Landry Jones was picked off twice, he still decimated the Iowa State defense for 256 yards. Blake Bell picked up two rushing touchdowns, but the MVP award would go to kicker, Michael Hunnicutt, who knocked down four field goals (20, 28, 37 & 21) and gave the Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 6-2 Big-12) some desperately needed points.

Boise State Spreads Out Wyoming. Broncos Win; 36-14

At the helm of one of the nation’s most potent offenses, Kellen Moore stood tall, delivering three touchdown strikes and 279 passing yards in Boise State’s tenth win (10-1, 5-1 MWC) of the season.

Doug Martin rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bronco defense picked off Wisconsin QB, Brett Smith twice, as No. 7 Boise State advanced to the Midwest Conference Championship Game vs. New Mexico next week.

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The world is still coming to terms with the shocking execution of Georgia inmate Troy Davis as more details emerge of Davis’ final moments. Davis spoke to the spectators gathered to watch him be put to death on Tuesday night. His final words before the lethal injection took his life were chilling.

Addressing some of his last words to the family of the victim, Mark MacPhail, who were in the viewing gallery, Davis lifted his head as needles were inserted into his arm, and insisted, as he always has done, that he was not responsible for killing the young, off-duty police officer.

“I am innocent. The incident that happened that night was not my fault,” he said, according to the four US media representatives who attended. “I personally did not have a gun. I was not the one who took the life of your father, son, brother.” Davis then turned to prison officials. “For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.”

Outside, the crowd of nearly 700 people cried and held hands as Troy Davis was killed. Over a million people from around the world signed petitions in support of Davis. Riot police and helicopters were dispatched as the execution approached, however there were no incidents of violence. Even though, many protesters were angry.

Davis’ lawyers amounted the execution to a “legal lynching.” “In the state of Georgia 48.4 percent of people on death row this morning were black males, and in Georgia they make up no more than 15 percent of the population,” his lawyers told reporters outside the jail.

Polls show that 57 percent of Americans believe Davis is innocent. This may be, as I have been saying, the catalyst that ends capital punishment in America. The US currently executes more people than any country in the world except China, Iran, North Korea and Yemen.

Although just over 60 percent of the public still support capital punishment, that number appears to have been slowly falling since the 1990s. DNA technology has allowed several death row inmates to be exonerated in recent years, denting faith in the system. Davis released a final message to supporters earlier in the day.

Edward Dubose, a member of the Georgia NAACP, met with Troy before his execution. “Troy wanted me to let you know – keep the faith. The fight is bigger than him … The death penalty in this country needs to end. They call it execution; we call it murder.”

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The Supreme Court unanimously rejected Troy Davis’ appeal. Davis was killed at 11:0PM EST  in Georgia. Troy Davis’ case was long and complicated. Davis has been scheduled for execution four times, appealing the decision successfully each time.

Although Davis was scheduled to die at 7 PM EST on Wednesday night, a last minute plea by Davis’ lawyers to the Supreme Court, caused a delay in his execution while the Supreme Court weighed in on the controversial case. Troy Davis reportedly was strapped to a gurney waiting to die for four hours.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the jail while dozens of riot police officers barricaded the jail and arrested those that crossed the line. During the lengthy delay, Davis’ family remained quiet outside the jail. The slain officer’s family waited inside to watch the execution. Laura Moye, an organizer with Amnesty International, was on prison grounds all evening long.

“We are just profoundly saddened and upset,” Moye said. A prayer circle had formed around the Davis family earlier in the evening and remained through the execution. “We knew that it was a long shot,” Moye said. “Troy Davis has always had difficult odds. He’s faced executions three times…We always held on to our hope.

We got this far by believing in the power of human rights. Now it seems there’s nothing that can intervene to stop this execution.” “People are trying to rally around this family. Everybody wants to be there standing in support of the Davis family,” Moye explained. “A lot of people standing in disbelief.”

All around the world, protesters held demonstrations. Residents around the world tweeted, “Dear Georgia,” reminding the state that the world is watching their decision. Earlier in the day, many people weighed in on the impending execution. Moye said that the support Davis’ case has received from the public has been very moving. ”What is a miracle in this case is so many people have raised their voices,” Moye said.

Troy Davis was convicted of the 1989 killing of an off-duty police officer, primarily of witness testimony. Since that time, Davis has maintained his innocence and the majority of witnesses have recanted their testimony. A group of former death row wardens wrote to Georgia authorities calling on them to halt the death sentence due to doubts about Davis’ guilt.

Among the group was the former warden in charge of the Georgia death chamber. ”While most of the prisoners whose executions we participated in accepted responsibility for the crimes for which they were punished, some of us have also executed prisoners who maintained their innocence until the end,” the wardens wrote in a press release.

“It is those cases that are most haunting to an executioner.” Meanwhile, the family of the murdered officer and the case’s original prosecutor have argued strenuously for Davis’s execution, and have asserted that there is no doubt that he is guilty of the murder.

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The Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardons has, inexplicably, denied clemency to death row inmate Troy Davis. Offering little explanation, the Board announced that the appeal for clemency was denied and that Davis will be executed on Wednesday. Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles said it considered “the totality of the information presented” before deciding to deny clemency.

“The Board members have not taken their responsibility lightly and certainly understand the emotions attached to a death penalty case,” the five-person panel said in a statement. The board’s statement noted that it has commuted three death penalty sentences since 2000 and “thoroughly deliberated” the Davis case.

During the clemency hearing on Monday, Davis’ legal team and supporters provided testimony from one of the original jurors who believes she made a mistake. Another person testified that a different person confessed to the killing of the off-duty police officer that Davis was convicted of killing. Despite all of the doubt, the victim’s family believes that Davis is the killer and wants the execution to proceed.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who plans a noon EDT vigil at the state prison in Jackson on Wednesday, said he’s asking his supporters to urge the pardons board to reconsider. Sharpton is also asking Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm to block the execution, although that seems unlikely.

“This is probably the most egregious injustice I have seen in a long time, to set a precedent that a man can be executed when the evidence against him has mostly been recanted,” said Sharpton. “It’s unthinkable.”

Amnesty International USA director Larry Cox called the pardon board’s decision “unconscionable.” “Should Troy Davis be executed, Georgia may well have executed an innocent man and in so doing discredited the justice system,” Cox said. Davis’ legal team said in a statement it was “incredibly disappointed” by the board’s decision.

“The death penalty should not be exercised where doubt exists about the guilt of the accused. The Board did not follow that standard here,” their statement said. “The state’s case against Mr. Davis, based largely on discredited eyewitness testimony and an inaccurate ballistics report, cannot resolve the significant, lingering doubts that exist here.”

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By the time you read this, Troy Davis may know his fate. On Monday, Troy Davis and supporters pleaded for clemency in front of the Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardons amid unprecedented support for his imminent death sentence to be commuted. The hearing and decision is expected on Tuesday.

Georgia legal system sentenced Davis 20 years ago for the murder of an off-duty police officer. Since that time, Davis and family members have maintained his innocence. With no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime, he was convicted on eyewitnesses’ testimony. The majority of witnesses have since recanted.

In fact, one witness has come forward stating that another man confessed to killing the officer at a party. Despite this, the execution has been scheduled for Wednesday.

A trending topic on Twitter, more and more people are convinced that Georgia may be taking the life of an innocent man. Nearly one million signatures have been collected on a petition requesting clemency for Davis. Three hundred demonstrations and vigils have been held around the globe in the past few days, with protesters holding signs stating “I am Troy Davis” and “Justice for Troy Davis.”

The parole board heard from one of the jurors who originally recommended the death penalty for Davis. Brenda Forrest told the panel that she no longer trusted the verdict or sentence: “I feel, emphatically, that Mr. Davis cannot be executed under these circumstances,” she said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The board also heard from Quiana Glover, who testified that she had heard Sylvester Coles, one of the witnesses that fingered Davis, confess in June 2009 to having been the killer, at a party where he had been drinking heavily. Members of the murdered officer’s family still believe Davis is the killer and ask that the execution go forward.

We are at an important point in our legal history. If Georgia decides to go forward with the execution, as they have in the past, the death penalty will no longer be sustainable in the United States. Yes, it may take awhile to pitter out, especially in pro-death states like Texas. But, the majority opinion in the U.S. will change. The tides are already changing and executing Troy Davis will be the final push.

Whether he is guilty or innocent is not the point. There is simply too much doubt to kill someone. Even if the witnesses had not recanted and pointed their finger at Troy, eyewitness testimony is not enough. Study after study has proved that. How in the hell did the jury ever sentence this man based on no physical evidence?

And how has court after court upheld this freaking travesty of a conviction? And how can the country be so blind to these injustices? The West Memphis Three, an equally horrendous case, received more media attention because the media could get to them. The Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardon has never allowed media to interview Davis. Why???

Because they know they royally screwed this up. And this is your chance, Georgia, to make amends. Grant Davis clemency once and for all. Allow him a new trial. If you were right, you have nothing to lose. And if you were wrong, that is the very least you can do for Davis.

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A clemency hearing has been set for Monday in the case of Troy Davis. Davis is scheduled to be executed on September 21 at 7 PM in Georgia despite the lack of evidence. Davis and supporters will plead their case before the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles next week. Meanwhile Amnesty International are ramping up their ongoing petition drive to plead with Georgia to stay Davis’ execution once again.

Davis has been on death row since 1999 for the killing of an off-duty police officer in 1989. Although no physical evidence connected Davis to the crime, nine witnesses reported he shot the officer in a Burger King parking lot. Seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their testimony. Support for Troy Davis has been world wide and include the Pope, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson and others.

Amnesty International says “support for Davis’s clemency campaign has swelled with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide taking action, from luminaries such as Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta to singer-songwriter Cee Lo Green.”

Amnesty International also says that among the petition signatures from around the world, 26,000 come from Georgia residents and that “support has also come in form of letters to the parole board from former President Jimmy Carter and Norman Fletcher, former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, to Tweets from R.E.M.”

“This is a case that has resonated with Americans of all stripes,” said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA.  “When serious questions about someone’s guilt permeate a case, it brings together liberals and conservatives, those who oppose the death penalty and those who are staunch supporters.  In the case of Troy Davis, hundreds of thousands are raising their voices to say there is simply too much doubt to execute.”

Earlier this week, former Georgia republican Congressman Bob Barr appeared on MSNBC’s as a guest of Al Sharpton. Barr is an advocate of the death penalty, but opposes Troy Davis being executed. Barr said the “recantations of seven witnesses make the Davis case one of those where the death penalty should not be applied.”

Supporters from Amnesty International will present their petition to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles this week. Davis’ family is also collecting signatures for their own petition which has over 200,000 names so far.

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An execution date was set for Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis. Davis, 42, is scheduled to be executed on September 21. This is the fourth time an execution date has been set for Davis. Amnesty International has renewed the call for clemency amid news of the new execution date.

Davis “could very well be innocent,” said Laura Moye, the head of Amnesty’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign. “It’s difficult to believe that a system of justice could be so terribly flawed.” Davis was convicted for killing an off-duty police officer in 1989. Davis has maintained his innocence throughout the twenty years he has remained on death row.

Many celebrities, including Susan Sarandan, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson and the Pope, have asked Georgia to give Davis a new trial. No DNA evidence was used and the conviction was based primarily on eyewitness testimony. Since the conviction, seven out of nine eyewitnesses have since recanted their stories. However, Davis has been unable to get a new trial.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Davis’ request that his execution be delayed in order to gain more time to prove his “actual innocence.” Upon reviewing Davis’ claims of innocence, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia found last year that Davis “vastly overstates the value of his evidence of innocence.”

“Some of the evidence is not credible and would be disregarded by a reasonable juror,” Judge William T. Moore wrote in a 172-page opinion. “Other evidence that Mr. Davis brought forward is too general to provide anything more than smoke and mirrors,” the court found.

Families react to the news on Wednesday of the new execution date. “The family’s still feeling optimistic. We’ve been down this road countless times to where you know executing date, clemency hearing, and then at the execution things get changed so we’re still playing very cautious,” Mark MacPhail Jr., son of the murdered police officer, told local news on Wednesday.

Davis’ sister Martina Correia has always been his biggest advocate. ”I’m very disappointed in Georgia because there’s still doubt, but I’m holding the parole board to their standard that when there’s doubt that they won’t execute,” Correia stated. A clemency hearing has been set for September 19^th.

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An area most people would be unable to point out on a map, the narrow strip of land bordered by both the Black and Caspian seas has been a point of contention for centuries.

Strategically located and historically known as where Europe fades into Asia, this mountainous region is reminded of policies enacted by Communist leader Josef Stalin twenty-plus years after the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia (Stalin’s birthplace), declared independence from the Soviet yoke. But this region is not so easily divided.

There are more than three types of people here, with at least fifty different ethnic groups all trying to establish themselves.  With no Kremlin and powerful military to qualm nationalistic interests, tribal feuding emerges resulting in a multitude of regional conflict.

The Chechens, with their terrorist attacks in Moscow railways may be the most notorious of this lot, but are just one example of post Soviet problems presented in the 21^st century.

Societies that may be similar, but speak drastically different dialects crowd these narrow and ancient settlements, a region that harbors the most ancient forms of Christianity and churches. This small area has spent time being ruled by such superpowers as Persia, Turkey, Byzantium and Russia, but managed to keep their way of life alive against such odds.

Armenians have had a glorious history; only to have experienced such tragedy during their vast existence. A nation known to be passionate with the written language, their chronicles cover a range of history, and even translations of neighboring literature.

The holocaust of World War two even has ties to this enigmatic region. Hitler mentioned the forgotten Armenian genocide prior to his invasion of Poland in 1939. In the years between 1915-1918, 1.5 million Armenians would die from unnatural causes, and continue to suffer from the humiliation of denial.

By creating an ethnically Armenian exclave within the borders of Azerbaijan in 1923, Stalin caused conflict amongst both peoples claiming the area to be their own, creating internal strife that would in turn, weaken both nations of any potential cooperation against Moscow.  The plan worked and is still working nearly nine decades after it was initiated.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 1988-1994 was a result of borders created by Stalin to create disunity between the peoples of this region. The effects are still relevant today as both Turkey and Azerbaijan have a closed border policy resulting from Armenia’s victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The war ended in bitter peace and severed trade routes with the West. This currently strains Armenia economically, falling further behind her neighbors while oil-rich Azerbaijan bypasses  Armenia and routes their new pipeline from the Caspian, to Georgia, and out through the Black Sea.

War between Georgia and the territory of South Ossetia has been declared three times in the past two decades. The Ossetians are an ancient Indo-Iranian ethnic group that presently has both a north territory within Russian borders, and an adjacent southern province that is a continuing point of conflict with Georgia claiming ownership.

The first war was in 1991-1992 and would break-out again in 2004.

With the Georgian-Russian war over South Ossetia contained since 2008, the conflict lasted ten days and resulted in a cease-fire.  Presently, Russia and Venezuela are the only countries that recognize South Ossetia as a separate government from Georgia, who was receiving and implementing weapons provided by the USA and NATO.

With Ossetia backed militarily by Russia, comparisons can be made to the ideological cold-war conflicts in Southeast Asia. Poor host countries serving as the battleground for empires to show off weaponry.

The notorious Chechens still have animosity toward Moscow and are not afraid to hide it. After Stalin deported the entire Chechen population to Siberia or Kazakhstan, some returned home to the mountains and developed national identity once Communism fell. The Islamic Chechnyns committed jihad acts against their northern neighbor, and former ruler, Russia in recent history.

Numerous suicide bombs in and around Moscow, and the immensely tragic hostage situation at a North Ossetian elementary school in 2004 are just more examples of a region in strife.

The Armenian Genocide is a hotly debated subject to this day, as Turkey and the United States do not declare this loss of life due directly toward the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Many Armenians will agree on the contrary, and place the systematic slaughter off their people and culture on Turkish sabers and rifles.

Obama had addressed this issue during his campaigning, assuring the world that the tragedy would finally be recognized appropriately. The promise is left unfulfilled to this day, as the USA has a vested interested in Turkey’s strategic location, operating several air-bases in the most ‘western’ of Middle Eastern countries.

What can explain an area so small and isolated, yet, so full of war and conflict? The easy explanation is to blame communism as a failed social experiment, with Transcaucasia as a result of it. Or is it that diversity and multiculturalism doesn’t work? That when you have dozens of different peoples all vying for domination in a confined area, that such aspirations will turn violent toward your neighbor?

Either way, it is a tragic circumstance for a place that is used to being controlled by someone else.

Sergey Kamshylin / Shutterstock.com

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At first glance, General Orders No. 9 seems like a combination between a science fiction flick and a film on conservation. In reality, this documentary focuses on the state of Georgia, and its development from a land of beauty to an urban desert. Filmed unlike any other documentary before it, critics have raved about its unique take on a familiar concept. Although it is called a documentary, it seems to almost defy any known category. Instead of the traditional interviews, and historical voiceovers, Persons ops instead for dramatic still shots of Georgia landscape, a haunting poetic narrative, and an organic flow. This is director Robert Persons’ first film, but it seems he has started off quite strong.

One of the most striking aspects of this film is the breathtaking cinematography. It even won an award for its quality cinematography at Slamdance Festival this January. Done in stationary camera shots instead of moving film, Persons focuses first on the beauty that is present in nature, and then juxtaposes that with the cold, concrete Atlanta that has begun to take over. Atlanta suddenly changes from an average city into a nefarious force that is slowly destroying the natural beauty that once dominated the area. Persons is not demanding an end to urban life; he is simply mourning the inevitable loss of nature in the face of industrial progress.

It is this inevitable loss that inspired the title. General Orders No. 9 references the letter that General Lee penned to his troops upon his surrender to General Grant at the end of the Civil War. In a Q&A session after his film showed in Toronto, Canada, he reportedly said that “it came across as a letter of surrender with love and admiration after a great failure and screw-up, and to me that was a metaphor for the film. The film can be seen possibly as a letter of a sort of spiritual surrender.” It is this wistful surrender that gives the film its mournful undertones, but it still manages to retain some hope in the end. This is not complete destruction. It is simply remembrance for something lost, and the acceptance that the new is inevitably coming.

As a part of explaining this loss in the context of Georgian history, the poetic narrative focuses on the gradual transformation of landscapes. The phrase, “deer trail becomes Indian trail, becomes county road” is narrated as the audience sees the dissection of Georgia from a whole land into a series of jagged lines and creates a very moving scene. It is this marriage between the unconventional poetic narrative and the visuals that leaves the audience haunted by this film.

Because this film has been done unlike any other, and the approach to the subject matter is so dark, reception to this film has been mixed. Mike Ryan on hammertonail.com hailed this film as being one of the best documentaries of either Slamdance or Sundance, but at the same time, even he admits that “it might just be too mysterious and challenging” for just any audience. It comes out this June 24 to a limited release, and if you can stomach the unique qualities of the film, it can be a richly rewarding experience.

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The article General Orders No. 9: A Tragic History of Georgia appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Troy Davis may be running out of time.  The Georgia man has spent more than half of his life sitting on death row. Despite lack of evidence and witnesses recanting testimony, Georgia judges and the Parole Board have steadfastly refused to release Troy Davis.  Davis has escaped execution through last minute appeals and court decisions four different times.

Davis is accused of murdering an off duty Savannah police officer in 1989.  The details of the night remain murky but it is clear that someone shot and killed Mark MacPhail. Davis and a friend had seen Sylvester “Redd” Coles that night arguing with a homeless man over a beer.  MacPhail was working as a security guard at a Burger King restaurant in Savannah the same night.  At about 1:15 a.m., seeking to help the homeless man who was being attacked in a nearby parking lot, MacPhail was killed. He had been shot twice, once through the heart and once in the face. He had not drawn his pistol. Witnesses to the shooting agreed that a man in a white shirt had struck the homeless man, who would later be identified as Larry Young, and then shot MacPhail. The first and most obvious suspect, Coles was the one who initially implicated Davis in the murder.  The very next evening, Coles went to the police station and stated that he had seen Davis fighting with Young and had seen Davis with a gun.  After that, the man hunt was on.  Unfortunately for Davis, he was tried and convicted in the public’s view before his trial took place.  Macphail’s murder angered police officers to such an extent that they had “shoot to kill” orders with pictures of Troy, now rechristened the cop killer, flashed across the airwaves.   There was no evidence that connected Davis to the crime.  The manhunt was based on Coles accusation.

Since Davis’ conviction in 1991, he has steadfastly maintained his innocence.  Between the trial and the first set of appeals, seven of the nine prosecution witnesses that had linked Davis to the killing had recanted or contradicted part of their original testimony.  These witnesses have signed sworn affidavits stating that they were coerced or pressured by police.  Three witnesses that did not testify have stated that Coles is the actual murderer.  Coles has not recanted his testimony.  Later, it was determined that Coles owned a .38 caliber gun like the alleged murder weapon.

Davis and his attorneys have asked for a new trial to prove his innocence and have been repeatedly denied.  Celebrities, such as Desmond Tutu, the Pope, and Jesse Jackson have all decried the sentence. Even with the star power, another execution date will be scheduled for Davis soon.  In January, Davis and supporters received another blow. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Davis’s final appeal and did not seem very concerned about the possibility of killing an innocent man.  Georgia temporarily halted executions after a federal seizure that took the state’s execution drugs.  The state will resume executions now after finding another lethal cocktail to kill people with.  Alicia Johnson, a spokesperson for the Chatham County District Attorney, told the Associated Press that the office “was ‘not immediately’ filing paperwork to seek an execution order for Davis.”

The article Troy Davis Awaits New Execution Date in Georgia appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

UFO sightings continue to be reported during this winter from all across the world.  Although many have been dismissed as hoaxes, many more still remain unexplained mysteries.  The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) has had a more active than usual past few months of unexplained lights in the sky and other UFO type sightings.

In the middle of March, there were numerous reports of lights over night skies across the United States.  In two separate California events, witnesses filed reports for red-orange lights in the sky on March 8 and March 9.  “We look up after last night’s sighting and see a reddish orange light moving across sky – too slow to be a plane or satellite – in the southern view of the sky,” the reporting witness stated. “It came from the west above the ocean and headed east.”

Another witness reported that in Golden Valley, Arizona, there was a “yellow to amber” orb in the sky on March 9, 2011.  The strange object traveled silently below the normal flight path of an airplane and dimmed to a “dull gray” color according to the report on MUFON.  “Notably about these objects is ‘how’ they move,” the report read. “If you watch very carefully you will notice their movement is not in a straight path but in a jittery, wobbly type of motion. It is not extremely noticeable but you can see it.”  Three photographs were also submitted with the report from Arizona.   – Photo # 1, Photo # 2, and Photo # 3.

Over Georgia, a witness reported a sphere shaped object hovering over trees on March 9^th.  The report stated it was not the first time the objects had been seen.  “I observed a shining oval/sphere shaped object hovering above some trees for about 20 seconds, then it disappeared,” the witness stated. “It seemed very close. This has been happening here for several months now, but this is the first time I have reported it.”

Another report from California stated that a couple saw three star-like objects hovering in the sky for a 15 minute period, also on March 9^th.

“… we noticed an orange light traveling in the western sky, from north to south,” according to the report. “This object seemed to be at a much lower altitude compared to the other two objects. This object traveled in a generally strait (sic) direction but it did appear to slightly change direction at times. It also changed speed, sometimes slowing down, then speeding back up. We watched it for about 40 seconds, until it disappeared, possibly behind some clouds.”

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