February 20, 2018

Dennis Kucinich Wants to Ban Assault Weapons Across Ohio

Dozens of rain-soaked rallyers gathered in a meeting room at the downtown DoubleTree Hotel Monday afternoon as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dennis Kucinich and his running mate, Akron City Councilwoman Tara Samples, alongside a roster of speakers and sign-wielding supporters, promoted a grassroots effort to ban assault weapons in Ohio.

The massacre that left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last week prompted the rally. The school shooting has riled Republicans as well as Democrats. Student survivors have called out their elected representatives on social media for failing to create gun sensible gun laws.

Even Ohio Governor John Kasich has changed his tune. He deleted a pro-gun portion of his website, and on a CNN appearance this weekend, he called for gun regulations and pressure on city and state legislatures. If local entities enact gun control legislation, Kasich suggested, Washington would follow.

"If you're a strong Second Amendment person you need to slow down and take a look at reasonable things that can be done to answer these young people [from Parkland]," Kasich said.

Read more: https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2018/02/19/dennis-kucinich-wants-to-banassaultweapons-across-ohio

February 20, 2018

White nationalist Richard Spencer calls off University of Cincinnati speech for now

A planned speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer at the University of Cincinnati is off, for now, though its organizers vow to have Spencer visit campus sometime this year.

Kyle Bristow, an attorney for Spencer, tweeted on Monday that the date for the speaking engagement was off while the lawsuit goes through the courts.

Spencer was scheduled to speak March 14 at the 400-seat Zimmer Hall while UC students are on spring break. However, Cameron Padgett, a Georgia State University student who books speaking engagements for Spencer, filed suit against UC and its president, Neville Pinto, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Jan. 8. alleging that a $10,833 security fee UC is charging Spencer amounts to censorship.

The tentative March 14, 2018, date for @RichardBSpencer to speak at the University of Cincinnati has been derailed due to the unconstitutional speech tax that is cost-prohibitive. @CameronVPadgett is now shooting for this summer or fall so court motions can be ruled upon.
— Kyle Bristow

Bristow said in an email that Michigan State University is not charging Padgett a security fee per a settlement reached through mediation with the university.

Read more: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/02/12/white-nationalist-richard-spencer-calls-off-uc.html

February 20, 2018

Hearing digs deep into coal-mine issue

Dozens of concerned area residents gathered at Burr Oak State Park Lodge Thursday evening to comment on a draft permit that would allow a coal-mining company to dump chemical waste from its proposed strip and surface mine in Trimble Township into nearby Johnson Run.

Most of the comments opposed the mining plan, though some supported it.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held the public hearing to receive input on a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application submitted by Oxford Mining Company of Coshocton.

If approved, the permit will allow the nearly 300-acre mine to discharge wastewater into Johnson Run from five sediment ponds, which collect runoff from the strip mine area, spoil piles, topsoil piles, haul road and non-paved parking area, according to a state EPA news release issued Feb. 1.

Read more: https://www.athensnews.com/news/local/hearing-digs-deep-into-coal-mine-issue/article_5f5de55a-14e6-11e8-bb9a-330476a8dd31.html

February 20, 2018

Minnesota's $5B case over 3M chemicals heads to trial

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota officials will soon try to convince a jury that manufacturer 3M Co. should pay the state $5 billion to help clean up environmental damage that the state alleges was caused by pollutants the company dumped for decades.

The long-awaited trial begins Tuesday in Minneapolis. Experts say it could have wide-reaching implications if the state succeeds, in part because 3M and other companies legally dumped the chemicals for years in and outside Minnesota.

The case focuses on the company’s disposal of chemicals once used to make Scotchgard fabric protector and other products. The company denies it did anything wrong or illegal.

The state alleges the chemicals damaged Minnesota’s natural resources, including more than 100 miles of the Mississippi River, and contaminated drinking water, harmed wildlife and posed a threat to human health.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/minnesotas-5b-case-over-3m-chemicals-heads-to-trial/2018/02/19/a4d50df0-15b5-11e8-930c-45838ad0d77a_story.html

February 20, 2018

Future generations face massive US debt

An insightful LTTE by John Patrick Grace in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.


As an elective in my senior year in college, I took a challenging course titled "History of Economic Thought." It delved into the evolution of monetary systems, philosophies about macro-economics as diverse as those of Adam Smith, Karl Marx and Thomas Robert Malthus. The professor also delivered a definition that I've never forgotten and have always appreciated:

"Economics is the science of the allocation of scarce resources."

While not a "hard science," like physics or chemistry, economics relies on tabulating trends as accurately as possible and forecasting probable outcomes that are based on observable realities.

For this reason I have come to value panel discussions of two or more economists batting around interpretations of hard data, and taking their best shot at assaying where this or that political maneuver, such as a tax cut, may take us.

Over the last several weeks, we've seen economic prognosticators of various political stripes come together in expressing skepticism that the recent Trump tax cut will turn out, finally, to be something to celebrate.

Read more: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinion/future-generations-face-massive-us-debt/article_d914dd1f-7e84-50ee-bce7-a2a041769e0c.html

February 20, 2018

R. Kelly evicted from N. Fulton homes, owes $30K, court documents show

If R. Kelly wants to keep stepping in the name of love in north Fulton County, he’ll have to find a new home.

Filings with the magistrate court of Fulton County from Feb. 13 show that the Grammy-winning R&B singer has been evicted from two homes he was renting in Johns Creek. The documents show that Kelly owes SB Property Management Global, LLC more than $31,000 in past due rent payments.

Online records for Fulton County don’t show any criminal filings against Kelly. A spokesperson for the singer, Trevian Kutti, told the AJC that Kelly has “no comment at this time” on the dispossessory affidavits filed against him.

When reached by the AJC on Monday, Edmond Green of SB Property Management Global, LLC said he could not comment on the filings. The court documents carry Green’s signature as the affiant.

Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/local/kelly-evicted-from-fulton-homes-owes-30k-court-documents-show/rYeJcL1sF0ix74GDtA9a6J/

February 20, 2018

Local church on verge of dis-fellowship for pastor's stance on homosexuality

FAIRMONT — First Baptist Church of Fairmont may soon be voted out of the Fairmont Baptist Association, and thereby the West Virginia Baptist Convention, because of its pastor's stance on homosexuality.

Pastor Valerie Gittings has publicly supported homosexuality, and since her parishioners did not want her to leave as pastor, the Fairmont Baptist Association has now moved for a vote of dis-fellowship.

"I don't think this severance of the ties is necessary," Gittings said. "I think we could work through something like we did at the church. We've had a long standing relationship with West Virginia Baptist through the Fairmont Association and it seems a shame to just dissolve that, but they have a totally different view on this apparently."

At tonight's meeting of the association, the executive board voted to recommend dis-fellowship of the church to the full board, which will meet soon for a vote on the matter, according to Gittings.

Read more: http://www.timeswv.com/news/local-church-on-verge-of-dis-fellowship-for-pastor-s/article_6b66499e-15c9-11e8-8b71-e33275be7b3f.html

February 20, 2018

Beckley man enters guilty plea in Boston federal court for art fraud

A Beckley man pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Boston for fraud related to stolen paintings.

Todd Andrew Desper, also known as "Mordokwan," 48, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud and attempted wire fraud. He admitted he tried to sell paintings on Craigslist that were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990.

Desper was arrested in West Virginia and charged in a criminal complaint in May 2017.

Desper, acting under the pseudonym "Mordokwan," solicited foreign buyers for both the Storm on the Sea of Galilee and Vermeer's The Concert on Craigslist in a number of foreign cities including Venice and London. Desper directed interested buyers to create an encrypted email account to communicate with him.

Authorities were notified of the foreign Craigslist notices by individuals seeking to assist in the recovery of the artwork, as well as those seeking the multi-million dollar reward offered by the museum.

Read more: http://www.register-herald.com/news/crime/beckley-man-enters-guilty-plea-in-boston-federal-court-for/article_7c84df01-280e-5a0d-a7f9-d9a23b540d9b.html

February 20, 2018

House passes corrections pay raise bill

CHARLESTON — The House of Delegates unanimously passed a bill Monday that would increase salaries of certain corrections employees.

The bill, which was requested by the governor, provides for a $2,000 increase over the next three years for employees of the Division of Corrections, the Division of Juvenile Services, and the West Virginia Regional Jail Facility Authority.

The committee substitute for House Bill 4142 added language to say correctional officers, correctional trainers, parole officers, or employees at correctional facilities, or complexes, regional jails, detention centers or correctional facilities would be included in this group.

“This is a big emergency that we heard about from the secretary of corrections,” Delegate Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, said.

Read more: http://www.register-herald.com/news/state_region/house-passes-corrections-pay-raise-bill/article_804cfcd1-4dd9-5f2a-95f6-dd493e93d827.html

February 20, 2018

West Virginia House of Delegates advances co-tenancy bill

CHARLESTON — While the Legislature figures out longterm revenue sources to fund the Public Employees Insurance Agency plan for teachers and state workers, a Democratic delegate from Randolph County has a plan — and his amendment narrowly passed in a 49-47 House vote Wednesday.

Delegate Phil Isner's amendment to House Bill 4268, a co-tenancy bill which would allow oil or natural gas development provided that three-fourths of the royalty owners of a piece of property agree, is up for passage Thursday.

The bill creates a fund known as the Unknown and Unlocatable Interests Owners Fund. Interests owned by unknown or unlocatable owners would be reserved and deposited in that created fund until they are either claimed or transferred to the Oil and Gas reclamation Fund, which, under the original version of the bill, would go toward plugging abandoned oil and gas wells.

Isner's amendment sought to split proceeds from the Oil and Gas Reclamation Fund evenly between efforts to reclaim abandoned gas wells as well as the PEIA Stability Fund.

Read more: http://www.register-herald.com/news/state_region/west-virginia-house-of-delegates-advances-co-tenancy-bill/article_9db5da79-a473-5f57-a815-99477a928ec3.html