n2doc
n2doc's JournalThe US government is already quietly backing out of its promise to phase out private prisons
Critics have long denounced private prisons in the US as unsafe, inefficient and at times, inhumane. Those critics, who include inmates and activists, seemed to find a powerful ally earlier this year when the Department of Justice announced it would phase out its use of private prisons for federal prisoners. This wouldn’t mean the end of privately-run incarceration facilities (they’re also used by immigration authorities and states), but it was seen as a step forward. Except, that when the first contracts came up for re-negotiation this fall, the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) quietly decided to renew them anyway. That decision, along with the election of Donald Trump, mean that the US is unlikely to see the use of private prison operators diminish any time soon.
Last week, CoreCivic (CCA), one of the country’s two largest prison operators, announced that the BOP had renewed its contract for two years to run the McRae Correctional Facility in Georgia. According to the company, the new agreement was barely changed, with only an 8% reduction in inmate beds. This despite an August memo from the deputy attorney general Sally Yates that stated that the Department of Justice, which oversees BOP, would either nix the contracts, or “substantially” reduce them when they came up for renewal.
Curiously, the BOP said the new contract, reduced the number of beds by 24%, and saved $6 million in costs, and followed DOJ instructions. The reason for the discrepancy? BOP initially provided Quartz only the maximum capacity of the facility as a basis for the calculation. CoreCivic presented the minimum number of beds it would get paid for—the fixed amount it is guaranteed by the contract.
Either way the contract renewal is spun, activists are disappointed. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the McRae facility neglected the medical care of some inmates, and unduly punished inmates with solitary confinement. In 2011, the group asked the BOP to shut the prison down.
more
http://qz.com/840337/the-us-government-is-already-quietly-backing-out-of-its-promise-to-phase-out-private-prisons/
One dead, 9 injured in Bourbon Street mass shooting in New Orleans; 2 arrests made
Source: New Orleans Advocate
One person was killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting on Bourbon Street early Sunday morning, according to New Orleans police.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Bourbon Street near the intersection of Iberville Street.
The extent of the victims' injuries is unknown. NOPD Supt. Michael Harrison told reporters at the scene that the victims range in age from 20-37. Two victims are women; eight are men.
Harrison said officers were able to arrest two men at the scene for illegally carry of a firearm. One of the men arrested is a victim.
Read more: http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/crime_police/article_787af20a-b482-11e6-9523-27a01d744e17.html
Goldman Sachs sez: Economy needs higher oil prices
OPEC is closing in on a deal to cut production, which will surely cause oil prices to rise. Oil is already almost back to $50 per barrel, so cuts of nearly 1 million barrels per day could boost prices well into the mid-$50s, even up towards $60 per barrel. That will provide a windfall to oil producers around the world and the sacrifice for OPEC members will be more than paid for by higher revenues. For example, Iraqi officials say that for every $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil, their revenues jump by $1 billion per year.
As a result, the odds of rising crude oil prices are high. But while that could be welcomed by the industry, consumers might not be as excited to see cheap gasoline disappear. After all, U.S. motorists have enjoyed two years of incredibly cheap fuel. Will rising oil prices put a dent in already tepid U.S and global economic growth?
Perhaps not. As Bloomberg reported, Goldman Sachs wrote in a Nov. 22 research note that the global economy could benefit from higher oil prices. That conclusion may not be obvious, but here is the logic the investment bank lays out: Higher oil prices lead to a wave of capital that flows into major oil producing countries such as Saudi Arabia. Unable to use all the capital, Saudi Arabia sends the excess savings back into the global financial system. Banks then use that capital to lend. Interest rates also fall as the financial markets are more liquid. The end result is lower interest rates, more financial liquidity, higher asset values and ultimately greater consumer confidence. In short, higher oil prices could boost economic growth.
more
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2016/11/26/economy-oil-prices-goldman-sachs/94431546/
Oh Boy! Trump reportedly considering Rohrabacher for SoS
California GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Friday he is on President-elect Donald Trump’s list of potential picks for secretary of State.
“I have been told that I am under consideration to join President Trump’s team as Secretary of State. While my present intention, of course, is to continue to fight for liberty and freedom as a member of the House of Representatives, as a strong supporter of President-Elect Trump’s vision for America, it would be a privilege and an honor to serve as his Secretary of State,” he said in a statement.
Rohrabacher has served in the House since 1989 and worked as an assistant press secretary and speech writer for President Ronald Reagan. He is chair of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee for Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.
Rohrabacher has made headlines for his friendly outlook on Russia, and he supported the right of Crimea to secede from the Ukraine. He also reportedly met with a Vladimir Putin confidant in Russia who had been sanctioned by the U.S.
more
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/307540-california-rep-says-hes-under-consideration-for-secretary-of-state
What a maroon!
Bringing carbon-silicon bonds to life
Organic compounds containing silicon are important for a number of applications, from polymers to semiconductors. The catalysts used for creating carbon-silicon bonds, however, often require expensive trace metals or have limited lifetimes. Borrowing from the ability of some metallo-enzymes to catalyze other rare carbene insertion reactions, Kan et al. used heme proteins to form carbon-silicon bonds across a range of conditions and substrates (see the Perspective by Klare and Oestreich). Directed evolution experiments using cytochrome c from Rhodothermus marinus improved the reaction to be 15 times more efficient than industrial catalysts.
more
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6315/1048
CNN accidentally airs 30 minutes of non-stop hardcore porn (hoax)
Sorry folks, turns out to be a lie-
http://www.snopes.com/cnn-half-hour-porn/
4,000-Year-Old 'Thinker' Sculpture Uncovered in Israel
A ceramic vessel bearing the sculpture of a pensive-looking figure has been found in the Israeli city of Yehud.
The vessel dates back about 4,000 years, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Archaeologists found the artifact during excavations in advance of a new housing development.
"It seems that at first the jug, which is typical of the period, was prepared, and afterwards, the unique sculpture was added, the likes of which have never before been discovered in previous research," Gilad Itach, the IAA excavation director, said in a statement. [See Photos of the Sculpture and Vessel from Yehud]
more
http://www.livescience.com/56986-ancient-thinker-sculpture-uncovered-in-israel.html
Profile Information
Gender: Do not displayMember since: Tue Feb 10, 2004, 01:08 PM
Number of posts: 47,953
