#CA New Scheme 2023

[alinawilson12]

How to obtain the CMA 2022 upgrading syllabus

You must also take into account the hiring platform's high-quality CSEET video lectures Online in addition to the availability of an experienced trainer if you plan to complete your CSEET training with online trainer help. This simply aids in exam preparation without cutting off your connection to a trainer and their instruction.

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together Announce 2024 U.S. Tour

Act: Promise will span 11 shows across eight cities including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington

K-pop band Tomorrow X Together announced on Tuesday that they’ll be embarking on the U.S. leg of their Act: Promise tour this spring. 

The trek, which launches in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, on May 3, promises to be “grander” than its 2023 predecessor Act: Sweet Mirage. The U.S. portion of their world tour kicks off May 14 in Tacoma, Washington, and features 11 total shows across eight cities including Oakland, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York.

According to a press release, Act: Promise “embodies the commitment to move forward together towards a hopeful future.” The concert is billed as an example of a “cohesive narrative, seamlessly weaving together captivating music, performances, VCRs, and set designs.” 

Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the general public on March 24 via Ticketmaster.

Earlier this month, the quintet —  Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai — announced their upcoming sixth mini album, Minisode 3: Tomorrow, due April 1, while also unveiling a new logo and color scheme for their upcoming era. The group previously dropped Minisode 1, featuring their massive hit “Blue Hour,” in 2020. Minisode 2, which included “Good Boy Gone Bad,” released in 2022.

Last summer, Tomorrow X Together performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago, stacking their set list with tracks like “Farewell, Neverland,” “Lonely Boy,” and “Anti-Romantic.” The group invited Coi Leray onstage for a surprise cameo during “Happy Fools,” sealing their set as one of the most memorable of the fest.

Tomorrow X Together 2024 U.S. Tour Dates

May 14 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome May, 18 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum May, 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena May, 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena May, 26 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park May, 29 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena June, 1 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June, 2 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June, 5 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena June, 6 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena June, 8 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

February 21, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

The centerpiece of Republicans’ case for impeaching Democratic president Joe Biden is the allegation that he and his son Hunter each accepted a $5 million bribe from Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma when Biden Sr. was vice president. But in the last week, that accusation has revealed quite a different problem, one that implicates Republicans. 

The accusation that the Bidens accepted bribes broke into public channels on May 3, 2023, when Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Representative James Comer (R-KY), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray saying they had received “highly credible…whistleblower disclosures” that said the Department of Justice and the FBI appeared to have “valuable, verifiable information that you have failed to disclose to the American people.” 

Grassley and Comer claimed there was “growing concern about the DOJ and the FBI’s track record of allowing political bias to infect their decision-making process,” and so Congress would be conducting its own “independent and objective review of this matter.” 

Comer then issued a subpoena for the document containing the information, a so-called FD-1023, which is the form used by FBI agents to record “raw, unverified” information from confidential informants. In it, informant Alexander Smirnov made a number of allegations about the Bidens, including that they had accepted bribes. 

In July, Grassley and Comer got the document and showed it to others in a secure facility. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) saw it there, took pictures of it, and posted them on social media. She claimed that “Joe Biden is a criminal and is compromised” and that he was backing Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion because Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky “has proof of more Biden crimes.” “IMPEACH BIDEN,” she wrote.

Grassley also released it, suggesting that the Justice Department and the FBI were trying to cover up a “criminal bribery scheme” implicating the Bidens. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) jumped in, saying: “Every day, the evidence keeps mounting and the evidence that is coming in is number one, of a widespread bribery scheme of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden and the entire Biden family, to extract bribes from foreign nationals.” 

The idea that Biden had accepted bribes was central to the House impeachment effort that then–House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced in September 2023.

That story fell apart a week ago, on February 14, 2024, when a federal grand jury indicted Smirnov for lying and “creating a false and fictitious record.” 

And the story became even more troubling yesterday, when Trump-appointed Special Counsel David Weiss of the Justice Department filed a document establishing that the informant, Alexander Smirnov, has “extensive and extremely recent” ties with “Russian intelligence agencies.” 

The filing revealed other, more recent, false allegations Smirnov had made, and concluded that “Smirnov’s efforts to spread misinformation about a candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States continues…. What this shows is that the misinformation he is spreading is not confined to 2020. He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November.” 

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, told reporters today that “the impeachment investigation essentially ended yesterday, in substance if not in form, with the explosive revelation that Mr. Smirnov’s allegations about Ukrainian Burisma payments to Joe Biden were concocted along with Russian intelligence agents. And it appears like the whole thing was not only obviously false and fraudulent but a product of Russian disinformation and propaganda. And that’s been the motor force behind this investigation for more than a year.”

The Republican release of Smirnov’s allegations in July 2023 did not happen in a vacuum: they came right after the Republican-led House censured Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) for “misleading the American public and for conduct unbecoming of an elected Member of the House of Representatives,” including “spread[ing] false accusations that the [2016] Trump campaign colluded with Russia.”

But the Mueller Report concluded that “[t]he Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion” and that “the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.” The Senate Intelligence Committee Report found that “the Russian government engaged in an aggressive, multifaceted effort to influence…the outcome of the 2016 presidential election” and that Trump campaign advisor Paul Manafort worked directly with Konstantin Kilimnik, “a Russian intelligence officer.”  

That effort continued in 2020, with the U.S. intelligence community assessing in March 2021 that “Russian President Putin authorized, and a range of Russian government organizations conducted, influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process, and exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the US.”

That foreign countries try to influence elections is far less a surprise than that one of the two major U.S. political parties now appears to be, wittingly or not, working on their behalf.

That willingness to do anything to win—even working with a foreign dictator—seems a logical outgrowth of the process begun during the administration of President Richard Nixon, when his people deliberately appealed to voters’ emotions with a picture of traditional America under siege by antiwar student activists, people of color, and feminist women. 

To rally voters to their party in the 1970s midterms, Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew engaged in what they called “positive polarization.” Nixon’s speechwriter Pat Buchanan wrote a memo to Nixon warning: “We are in a contest over the soul of the country now and the decision will not be some middle compromise…. It will be their kind of society or ours.” 

The theme that the Republicans' opponents were dangerous socialists out to destroy the country became the centerpiece of Republican rhetoric. From President Ronald Reagan’s welfare queen, who was scamming the system and thus taxpayers, through talk radio host Rush Limbaugh’s “feminazis,” to Trump’s claim that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” the party has defined itself as “true America” standing against enemies.

And if you believe you are fighting for the right, it only makes sense to do whatever it takes to win.

Meanwhile, that belief has now overlapped with the evangelical base that supports what it considers traditional values so that, as Alexander Ward and Heidi Przybyla outlined in Politico yesterday, the party is now advancing plans to impose Christian nationalism on the country. Leaders of the Christian nationalist movement incorrectly believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, so they intend to rest the government and public life on what they consider to be Christian values. 

In December, Trump promised: “Upon taking office, I will create a new federal task force on fighting anti-Christian bias to be led by a fully reformed Department of Justice.” 

What that might look like became clear this week when the Alabama Supreme Court decided in a wrongful death suit resulting from the accidental destruction of embryos that were part of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, in which doctors artificially fertilize eggs outside the womb and then transfer them into a person, that fertilized human eggs have the same status as children. Chief Justice Tom Parker declared in a concurring opinion that the people of Alabama have adopted the “theologically based view” that “life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.”

About 2% of U.S. births are a product of IVF. Today the largest healthcare system in Alabama has announced it is halting its IVF program out of fear of prosecution. 

Reworking the nation to impose Christian nationalism requires minority rule, which aligns with the ideology of authoritarianism, enabling Trump and those who share his views to praise someone like Vladimir Putin. And, it seems, to accept his help winning elections.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[reddancer1]

Heather Cox Richardson

March 22, 2023 (Wednesday)This week, news has been focused on the former president’s possible indictment for paying $130,000 in hush money to adult film performer Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their 2006 affair before the 2016 election. The information currently being thrown about has been shaped by Trump himself and is obviously suspect (among other things, he has apparently raised $1.5 million since he claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday).

NOTE:  his supporters are such MORONS!  The grift goes on..........

Although Republican lawmakers have no more idea than any of the rest of us do what the Manhattan grand jury might have seen, or what charges might be brought against Trump, they have tried to gloss over the scandal by claiming it is about a non-disclosure agreement or that it happened seven years ago or that its investigation is “a political witch hunt perpetrated by one of the far left radical socialist district attorneys,” as Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said. But as journalist Aaron Rupar and Noah Berlatsky explained today in Public Notice, the payment was a big deal in the larger scheme of American democracy.

Trump bought Daniels’s silence because he was willing to break laws in order to get elected. Then–Trump fixer Michael Cohen paid Daniels for her story in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. Cohen testified that he paid her through a shell company to keep Trump’s connection to the payment hidden. Then Trump reimbursed Cohen for “legal fees.” 

That’s a problem with regard to business filings and tax fraud. It is also a problem for the campaign finance laws intended to protect clean elections. Cohen’s payment was a contribution to the Trump campaign because it was made “in order to influence the 2016 presidential election.” The payment was intended to make sure voters didn’t hear another sex scandal in October 2016, just after the Access Hollywood tape came out in which Trump talked vulgarly about sexually assaulting women, when it might have hurt his chances at election. The $130,000 contribution was far above the individual limit of $2,700, and the Trump campaign did not disclose it. 

This is not small potatoes. When the issue came to light, Cohen pleaded guilty for his role in the payments, and he was sentenced to three years in prison. Cohen testified that he made the payments at Trump’s direction. 

This is also not an isolated incident. Trump has proved himself more than willing to cheat to win elections. In the 2020 presidential election season, before he tried to overthrow the election altogether, he tried to strong-arm Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky into announcing an investigation into the son of the Democratic candidate about whom he was most worried: Joe Biden. Trump knew that the media would run with an announcement of an investigation, wounding Biden’s candidacy by keeping the story in the news even without any real investigation behind it.

The Trump campaign had done much the same thing in 2016. According to the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, which investigated the ties between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, Trump’s people were willing at the very least to work alongside Russian operatives to weaken Trump’s Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Trump campaign also boosted Trump’s standing in the 2016 election season with the recurring refrain of the investigation into Secretary Clinton’s emails, convincing voters—falsely—that she had committed crimes. 

The pending issue of the hush-money payment is not just about 2016, and it is not just about Trump. That today’s Republican leaders have not condemned any of his attempts to cheat speaks volumes about the party. As Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) pointed out today, when “Cohen was arrested, indicted, convicted, and went to prison for participating in an illegal hush money payment scheme to Stormy Daniels, not a single Republican leader complaining now said a thing about what happened to Michael Cohen.” So why the rush to defend Trump in the same case?

It appears Republicans have gotten to the point that they don’t believe they can win a free and fair election, and in their conviction that Democrats will destroy the country, they believe cheating to win is justified. They cannot condemn Trump because he delivered what they wanted: a victory. 

In a democracy, the way parties are supposed to win elections is by making a better case for being in power than their opponents do. Losing elections is supposed to make leaders think deeply about how better to appeal to voters. That system keeps all parties constantly honing their policies, thinking through problems, benefiting their constituents. 

Our election laws are designed to try to hold the playing field level, and a party should want to keep the system fair in order to keep itself healthy. But if a party is willing to cheat to win, it no longer has to work on policies that appeal to voters; it can simply game the system to dismantle the competition on which democracy depends and instead create a one-party state.

There are many legal problems in Trump’s front yard these days. Some, like his theft of documents with markings bearing the highest level of classification and his attempt to overturn the Georgia results for the 2020 presidential election, are heating up fast, and their significance is clear. 

But for all that the case we are currently hearing so much about seems less serious on its face than the other things charged to Trump's account, a hush-money payment to silence someone whose story might have affected the 2016 election is no laughing matter.

[xieyouji-xiegushi]

I finally escaped my work dinner, so here is the list of fics I have commented on today for @justleaveacommentfest! My comment total for the July 10/11th category is 8. Go team!

Fic list under the cut:

Our Tribe (2059 words) by ignaz Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: House M.D. Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Greg House, James Wilson, Michael Tritter Summary: The conditions have changed. House makes a sacrifice. Publication Date: 2006-11-27 (can you believe the URL for this fic is /works/311 ???)

A Prescription For Deception (1569 words) by MalloryB Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: House M.D. Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Gregory House & James Wilson, Gregory House/James Wilson, (if you squint) - Relationship Characters: Michael Tritter, James Wilson (House M.D.), Gregory House, (mentioned) Additional Tags: Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Manipulation, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Interrogation, Wilson is a psychopath, Dark Wilson, Punching, Tritter Arc (House M.D.), Missing Scene, Threats, It’s really not as dark as it seems, can be read as platonic or otherwise Summary: Michael Tritter has been a cop for a long time. He could spot a psychopath from a mile away. He spotted House. He also spotted Wilson. Or, Tritter interrogates Dark!Wilson. Publication Date: 2023-06-20

I Will Remember You (1534 words) by labelladonna99 Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Heroes (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Nathan Petrelli & Peter Petrelli, Nathan Petrelli & Sylar | Gabriel Gray, Peter Petrelli & Sylar | Gabriel Gray, Peter Petrelli/Sylar | Gabriel Gray Characters: Sylar, Nathan Petrelli, Peter Petrelli Additional Tags: Angst, Memories, Clairsentience, Post-Coyote Sands, Deviates From Canon, A new plot Series: Part 1 of As Though Nothing Could Fall Summary: After Coyote Sands, Sylar appeared on TV, shape-shifted as Senator Nathan Petrelli, and pledged to shake the president's hand. A visit to Nathan's office to acquire memories for launching his scheme changes everything. This is a short one-shot that can be considered a prologue to the next work, coming soon. Publication Date: 2023-06-12

Wish You Were Here (2316 words) by casperskitty Chapters: 4/6 Fandom: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural) Additional Tags: Canonical Character Death, Drinking to Cope, Pining Dean Winchester, Self-Hatred, Sad with a Happy Ending Summary: After the empty took Cas, Dean spent the next five years living without him but wishing every day that he was there with him… Publication Date: 2023-07-06

Wanted: Dead or Alive (1056 words) by DeanandSamsGirl Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Western, Eventual Romance Summary: Castiel is a lonely ranch owner, living a peaceful and quiet life when a mysterious stranger knocks on his door seeking work from an ad looking for a ranch hand… The only problem? Dean Winchester is a known outlaw seeking refuge from being sought after by bounty hunters. Publication Date: 2023-07-11

i loved you all along (2253 words) by snowflick Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Magicians (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh Characters: Quentin Coldwater, Eliot Waugh, Margo Hanson, Eleanor Lipson Additional Tags: Fix-It, Fuck S5, all my homies hate s5, no beta we die like ember & umber, canon was taken out back and shot, Nightmares, vague talk of injuries, less vague anti-todd sentiments Summary: "If I ever get out of here, Q, know that when I'm braver, it's 'cause I learned it from you." Publication Date: 2023-07-09

A Ballad Reprised (1999 words) by StAnni Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Magicians (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh Characters: Quentin Coldwater, Eliot Waugh Additional Tags: Angst, Post-Break Up, Past Relationship(s) Summary: The day that he dies Quentin is tottering on the mosaic, up and down, shakily rearranging the tiles in the hundredth thousandth different way. What he wanted to ask was why it even mattered. And not in a mean way, not in his usual mean way, but in a way that was sated, full of love and full of life. Publication Date: 2023-05-17

Falling Into This Again (551 words) by KanraKixystix Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Magicians (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh Characters: Quentin Coldwater, Eliot Waugh, Margo Hanson, William "Penny" Adiyodi Additional Tags: Eliot crying because he gets attached to a certain first year nerd, Quentin is oblivious as always, queliot, tw: cheating, Drabble Summary: Eliot jumps to conclusions when he sees Penny and Quentin in the storage closet during the first trial. Publication Date: 2016-05-05

[dealgemeneverwarring]

De Algemene Verwarring #113 - 27 May 2024

Episode one hundred and thirteen of De Algemene Verwarring was broadcast on Monday, May 27, 2024, and you can listen to it by clicking on the link below that will take you directly to the Mixcloud page:

Pictured below are Crystal Stilts, band from Brooklyn, New York, who released three albums between 2008 and 2013, two on Slumberland Records and the last one on Sacred Bones Records, and then they disappeared. I saw them live just once in Ghent, in a club where a band like Crystal Stilts doesn't fit but still it was a magnificent gig. They played some kind of dark power garage pop, with edgy Velvet Underground guitars and a singer who sounded like a miserable Jim Reid. In those days. there were a lot of that kind of lo-fi fuzzpop bands such as Blank Dogs, Intelligence, Vivian Girls, The Pink Noise, and so on, but somehow I keep coming back to Crystal Stilts because they sound a lot more timeless than their contemporaries. Three much loved records at De Algemene Verwarring headquarters, and let's not forget the Love Is A Wave and Shake The Shackles singles.

Apologies again for the late update, by the way. I don't seem to get into my normale scheme anymore. Anyway there's also some new music in this episode from Exek, 番長 Taste, Sewer Election, Demeters Döttrar and Lise Barkas/Lisa Kaüffert, and old rockers from The Cramps, Les Olivensteins, Chrys Alice, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Siglo XX, Litovsk, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and more. And beneath the photo you can find the playlist for this show.

Playlist:

The Cramps: All Women Are Bad (LP “Stay Sick” on Enigma Records, 1989)

Chrys Alice: Qu'est C'que J'deviens Dans Tout Ça (7” “Qu’est C’que je deviens Dans Tout Ca” on Triangle Records, 1979)

Les Olivensteins: Euthanasie (LP V/A “Panik - French Punk Anthems 1977-1982” on Born Bad Records, 2013)

Crystal Stilts: Future Folklore (LP “Nature Noir” on Sacred Bones Records, 2013)

Mirrors: She Smiled Wild (LP V/A “Punk 45 - Sick On You! One Way Spit! After The Love & Before The revolution Vol. 3: Proto-Punk 1969-1976” on Soul Jazz Records, 2014, originally released on a 7” in 1977 on Hearthan Records)

Siouxsie & The Banshees: Jigsaw Feeling (LP “The Scream” on Polydor, 1978), 

Siglo XX: Baby Divine (LP “Under A Purple Sky” on Play It Again Sam, 1989)

Litovsk: Nergenst (LP “Litovsk” on Symphony Of Destruction, Contraszt! Records, Et Mon Cul C’est Du Tofu?, 2016)

Lizzy Mercier Descloux: Jim On The Move (LP “Press Color” on Philips & Ze Records, 1979)

Exek: On The Ground Floor (LP “The Map And The Territory” on Foreign Records, 2023)

番長 Taste: Kawasaki Creepers (LP “I Dipped My Comb In Shochu And Ran It Through The Hair Of The Night” on Carbon Records, 2024) 

NON: Out Out Out (CD V/A “Rough Trade Shops Electronic 01” on Mute Records, 2002, originally released on the LP “God And Beast”, 1997)

Sewer Election: Disintegrate (CD “Psychic Panorama Volume Two” on Discreet Music, 2024)

April Magazine: Another Day (LP “Wesley’s Convertible Tape For The South” on Digital Regress, 2024, originally released on tape in 2023 by Discontinuous Innovation)

Hydroplane: Museum Station (LP “Selected Songs 1997-2003” on World Of Echo, 2023)

Demeters Döttrar: En Själ I Dina Händer (LP “Søndag I Spejlet” on Discreet Music, 2024)

Lise Barkas & Lisa Käuffert: Face A (excerpt) (LP “Lo Becat” on Morc Records, 2023, originally released on cd-r in 2017 on Soleil’s Blue)

[24-news-press-things]

AMERICAN FRAUDSTERS ATTEMPT TO BULLY BLITZ

While in 2023 an investigation led by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in collaboration with multiple international media partners, did unveil the widespread abuse of citizenship by investment programs in the Caribbean, particularly in Dominica, and where the probe shed light on the intricate web of fraudulent schemes that allowed criminals to secure citizenship in exchange for substantial investments, tarnishing the reputation of these programs, one of the prime accused in the investigation was Danhong “Jean” Chen, an immigration lawyer from Atherton, California, who was indicted in 2018 for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme with her husband. The couple amassed over US$12 million by embezzling funds from foreign investors seeking US residency over nearly a decade. Chen’s escape from the US using a Dominican passport under an assumed name – Maria Sofia Taylor – raised serious questions about the program’s oversight and due diligence protocols.

On October 30, 2023, Blitz published a report giving details of the matter, on February 1, 2024 – more than two months of publication of it, a suspicious email was received by this newspaper from an individual named Shifeng Yue, who pretended to be a lawyer.

Dear Editor,

Upon examination, the following URLs is untrue and contain defaming content regarding my client Law Offices of Jean D. Chen. Please remove defaming images.

Thank you.

Shifeng Yue

Attorney at Law

Mission Pacific Global Law Group

226 Airport Parkway Suite 600

San Jose, CA 95110.

In addition to sending such ridiculous emails directly to newspaper, the individuals involved in visa scams and connections with controversial citizenship and passport selling ventures of Dominica and other Caribbean island nations, have also been attempting to get news links removed from Google search by employing ‘Reputation Management Firms’ through pressing fictitious copyright claims under the under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act. While searching information on Danhong “Jean” Chen (Jean Danhong Chen, age 54), alias Maria Sofia Taylor and her business partner Jianyun “Tony” Ye (Tony Jianyun Ye, age 51), the Google search result says: “In response to multiple complaints that we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 8 results from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaints that caused the removals at LumenDatabase.org: Complaint, Complaint”.

Danhong Jean Chen alias Maria Sofia Taylor with Michelle Obama It may be mentioned here that most of the criminals looking to getting contents removed from Google search engine are using Tumblr for creating back-dated posts on this site for their attempted copyright claims.

According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) Danhong “Jean” Chen (54), alias Maria Sofia Taylor and her business partner Jianyun “Tony” Ye (51) “submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraudulent documents that contained false signatures and falsely described how applicants would qualify for the EB-5 program”. They were charged under the US penal codes on allegations of visa fraud, obstruction of Justice, and aggravated identity theft.

Immediately after completion of investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and before being indicted by the US court, Danhong “Jean Chan (54) fled the United States and became a naturalized citizen of Dominica in October 2018. She might have used a different name – Maria Sofia Taylor while buying Dominica citizenship.

It may be mentioned here that on March 26, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office in a press release titled ‘Owner Of South Bay Law Firm And Office Manager Charged With Committing Large-Scale Immigration Visa Fraud’ said:

A federal grand jury indicted Danhong “Jean” Chen, a/k/a Maria Sofia Taylor, and her business partner Jianyun “Tony” Ye in connection with an immigration visa fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett, Securities and Exchange Commission Office of the Inspector General, Inspector General Carl Hoecker. The 14-count indictment, filed March 7, 2019, and unsealed late yesterday, alleges the defendants committed visa fraud and related crimes to obtain immigration benefits for more than 100 foreign investors through the government’s Employment-Based Immigration Fifth Preference, or “EB-5,” visa program.

According to the indictment, Chen, 54, of Atherton, was the sole partner at the Law Offices of Jean D. Chen, which held itself out as specializing in immigration law. Ye, 51, also of Atherton, was formerly married to Chen and held himself out as the manager of Chen’s law office. The indictment alleges Chen and Ye prepared and submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraudulent documents that contained false signatures and falsely described how applicants would qualify for the EB-5 program.

Under the EB-5 program, foreign nationals may obtain permanent United States residency, commonly known as “green card” status, by investing in qualifying American businesses. Alien investors who comply with program requirements initially receive a grant of conditional permanent residency status for a two-year period. After two years, the alien investor can petition for permanent residency. To obtain permanent residency status, the applicant’s investment must amount to $500,000 if made in certain geographical areas with low employment rates; if the investment is not in a designated low-employment area, the investment must amount to a minimum of $1,000,000. In addition, under the EB-5 program, applicants may make use of “regional centers.” Entrepreneurs seeking investments for American businesses may establish regional centers to promote investment opportunities and make such opportunities available to EB-5 applicants. The regional centers generally promote investment opportunities within designated geographic areas. The Law Offices of Jean D. Chen represented clients who invested a total of approximately $52,000,000 into projects under the EB-5 program.

In this case, the indictment describes steps taken by Chen and Ye to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits through the EB-5 program on behalf of their clients. First, the indictment alleges that Chen and Ye falsified documents to hide the true ownership and nature of a regional center. Specifically, the indictment alleges that in 2014, Chen and Ye purchased the Golden State Regional Center and other entities, and almost immediately after the purchase, transferred ownership to a straw owner. The person to whom the entity was transferred did not know she was being named as the owner. Also, Chen and Ye filed papers with USCIS, requesting that the government continue to recognize Golden State Regional Center as a regional center qualified to promote EB-5 investment within the South Bay. The papers contained false signatures of the purported straw owner. Second, defendants prepared and submitted falsified EB-5 applications. For example, visa applications contained false signatures of the purported straw owner, false statements about the extent to which the Law Offices of Jean D. Chen represented both the investor and Golden State Regional Center, and false statements about the manner in which investor funds would be used.

The indictment also charges defendants with obstruction of justice related to investigations being conducted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the FBI. On October 18, 2018, the SEC filed a civil complaint against Chen, Ye, and other individuals and entities, alleging, among other things, that Chen and Ye improperly solicited investments and committed other violations of law. The indictment alleges that during the course of the SEC’s investigation, defendants made demands of the straw owner of Golden State Regional Center that she provide false answers to SEC investigators. Further, the defendants allegedly logged onto someone else’s email account and deleted emails relevant to the FBI’s investigation into the visa fraud.

In sum, Chen and Ye both are charged with ten counts of visa fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a); one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505; one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. In addition, Ye is charged with one count of identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1018(a)(7).

[sejal-hbx]

Method of Conversion from CA Old Syllabus to New Syllabus for May 2024 Exams

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has introduced the CA New Scheme of Education and Training 2023, bringing significant changes to the CA Course curriculum and practical training duration. This blog provides a comprehensive guide on how to convert from the CA Final Old Syllabus to the New Syllabus READ MORE

[sldindore]

ICAI CA Foundation Admit Card Dec 2023 (Soon) - Exam Syllabus and Dates

CA Foundation Admit Card: 

The Chartered Accountants Institute of India (ICAI) will soon make the CA Foundation Dec 2023 admit card available online. To get it, candidtes who have registered successfully must log in to the website eservices.icai.org using their ID and password.

All candidates appearing for the CA Foundation exam in December 2023 must ensure they download their admit card. Entry to the exam center will not be permitted without a physical copy of the admit card, which contains crucial details about the CA Foundation exam in 2023.

How to download CA Foundation admit card?

To download the CA Foundation 2023 admit card, candidates can follow these steps:

Go to the official ICAI website.

Click on the "Login" tab.

Enter your login details, including registration ID and password.

Access your candidate dashboard.

Click on the 'CA Foundation admit card' link.

Review the details on the CA Foundation hall ticket carefully.

If there are any errors, contact the ICAI helpdesk.

Download and save the ICAI CA Foundation Admit Card for December 2023 for future reference.

CA Foundation Exam 2023:

The CA Foundation 2023 exam has been rescheduled to take place on December 31, 2023, and January 2, 4, and 6, 2024. This change in exam dates was announced by ICAI due to unavoidable circumstances. The initial schedule, disclosed on July 5, 2023, had set exams for December 24, 26, 28, and 30, 2023. Candidates interested in applying for the CA Foundation exam need to register before the deadline, which was July 1, 2023, for the December 2023 session.

CA Foundation Exam 2023 Important Dates: 

The CA Foundation exam 2023 is held biannually, with the most recent session taking place in June 2023. The upcoming session of the CA Foundation exam is scheduled for December 2023. Notably, the inaugural CA Foundation exam under the new scheme is set to commence in June 2024. 

CA Foundation Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants who want to apply for the CA Foundation exam in December 2023 should know about the eligibility criteria for CA Foundation 2023. This is important to prevent any confusion or rejection during the registration process. The main eligibility requirement is having CA Foundation registration for 2023. This registration allows the candidate to log in, complete, and submit the online exam form on the ICAI website for the CA Foundation exam in 2023.

 

About Smart Learning Destination:

Smart Learning Destination is the top online place in India for getting ready for exams. We provide more than 2000 high-quality video courses and connect you with over 200 excellent professors. We cover various exams like CA| CS| CMA| ACCA| CFA| FRM. You can watch classes online or get them on pen drives and google drive giving you the freedom to study at your own pace, whenever and wherever you want.

Benefits: 

👉Lowest Price 👉Instant Delivery 👉 Instant Support 👉 Our Professionals Provide Proper Counseling as & when students needed.

✅Your Dream Depends On Your Decision, Decide Now...🤔

👉For more information 🤙Call us Now at 8448072073 /8871374677

👉👉Visit -smartlearningdestination.com

Thank you for choosing Smart Learning Destination as your partner in exam preparation.

[alinawilson12]

Classes on a pen drive will be equivalent to classes online.

The pen drive class gives you access to the cs executive video lessons, which cover every subject and every issue. Even in online calls, there will be lost topics since the trainer may have decided that the topics' depth was not as important for the exam.

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: Rennes_France.InsectComparativeGenomics

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: Rennes_France.InsectComparativeGenomics > Date: 16 December 2023 at 07:41:52 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > THREE-YEAR POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN COMPARATIVE GENOMICS OF INSECTS > ERC-FUNDED ALTEREVO PROJECT > INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment), > Rennes, France > > Context. This postdoctoral position is to take part to the ERC-funded > ALTEREVO project (2023-2027) coordinated by Dr Jean-Christophe > Simon, which aimsat identifying the evolutionary and molecular > determinants of plant-aphid interactions with a particular > focus on host alternation. For more details on the project: > https://ift.tt/LOgnH93. > > Research environment. The research will be performed in JC Simon's > team at INRAE IGEPP, in Le Rheu nearby Rennes, Brittany, France > (https://ift.tt/KAMb7YF). IGEPP is a joint research > unit from three institutional bodies (INRAE, University of Rennes > and Institut Agro). It provides excellent infrastructure to carry out > comparative genomics in insects, including a bioinformatics platform > (BIPAA at https://ift.tt/YLCFZQq) hosting dedicated genomic > resources, databases and tools, fully equipped facilities for molecular > and biological experiments on plants and insects, confined laboratories > to work on genetically modified or quarantine organisms. > > Research objectives of the position. Under the supervision of JC Simon, > within an ambitious project involving other permanent and ERC-funded > staff, the postdoc will perform comparative genomics to elucidate the > evolution of the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation to host > plant in aphids. The postdoc will analyse whole-genome sequences from > multiple aphid species (50genomes are already available). He/she will > also contribute to generate new high-quality assembled genomes for > additional aphid species. The postdoc will benefit from scientific and > methodological support from partners with excellent skills in evolutionary > genomics (Dr Julie Jaquiéry), and bioinformatics (Fabrice Legeai and > Stéphanie Robin). > > Expected skills. The applicant should hold a PhD in the field of > comparative genomics or phylogenomics and an ability to conduct a research > project inautonomy while being able to collaborate within a team. Skills > and knowledge in molecular evolution and phylogenetics are crucial for > the project. Experience in bioinformatics (genomics data analysis) is > also required. Excellent skills in writing and communicating in English > are expected. > > Duration and salary. This 3-year (full-time) position will ideally > start inFebruary-March 2024. Net salary of ca. 2,500 euros per month > (before taxes). Health care and social security are deducted directly > from your salary, but you may need to take out a supplementary health > insurance scheme. > > How to apply. Application should contain a motivation letter, indicating > the names and email addresses of two references, and a 2-page max > curriculum vitae including publications. Send your application to > jean-christophe.simon@inrae.fr by December 30th. Pre-selected applicants > will be interviewed through Zoom or an equivalent video-conference > system in January 2024. Call for applications is open until the position > is filled. > > Jean-Christophe SIMON, PhD > INRAE, UMR IGEPP (Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection > des Plantes) > Domaine de la Motte, 35653 Le Rheu Cedex, France > Tel. +33 (0)223485154 > Email : jean-christophe.simon@inrae.fr > > > Jean-Christophe Simon

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power. — Dwight D. Eisenhower

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 22, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

This week, news has been focused on the former president’s possible indictment for paying $130,000 in hush money to adult film performer Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their 2006 affair before the 2016 election. The information currently being thrown about has been shaped by Trump himself and is obviously suspect (among other things, he has apparently raised $1.5 million since he claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday). Although Republican lawmakers have no more idea than any of the rest of us do what the Manhattan grand jury might have seen, or what charges might be brought against Trump, they have tried to gloss over the scandal by claiming it is about a non-disclosure agreement or that it happened seven years ago or that its investigation is “a political witch hunt perpetrated by one of the far left radical socialist district attorneys,” as Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said. But as journalist Aaron Rupar and Noah Berlatsky explained today in Public Notice, the payment was a big deal in the larger scheme of American democracy. Trump bought Daniels’s silence because he was willing to break laws in order to get elected. Then–Trump fixer Michael Cohen paid Daniels for her story in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. Cohen testified that he paid her through a shell company to keep Trump’s connection to the payment hidden. Then Trump reimbursed Cohen for “legal fees.” That’s a problem with regard to business filings and tax fraud. It is also a problem for the campaign finance laws intended to protect clean elections. Cohen’s payment was a contribution to the Trump campaign because it was made “in order to influence the 2016 presidential election.” The payment was intended to make sure voters didn’t hear another sex scandal in October 2016, just after the Access Hollywood tape came out in which Trump talked vulgarly about sexually assaulting women, when it might have hurt his chances at election. The $130,000 contribution was far above the individual limit of $2,700, and the Trump campaign did not disclose it. This is not small potatoes. When the issue came to light, Cohen pleaded guilty for his role in the payments, and he was sentenced to three years in prison. Cohen testified that he made the payments at Trump’s direction. This is also not an isolated incident. Trump has proved himself more than willing to cheat to win elections. In the 2020 presidential election season, before he tried to overthrow the election altogether, he tried to strong-arm Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky into announcing an investigation into the son of the Democratic candidate about whom he was most worried: Joe Biden. Trump knew that the media would run with an announcement of an investigation, wounding Biden’s candidacy by keeping the story in the news even without any real investigation behind it. The Trump campaign had done much the same thing in 2016. According to the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, which investigated the ties between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, Trump’s people were willing at the very least to work alongside Russian operatives to weaken Trump’s Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Trump campaign also boosted Trump’s standing in the 2016 election season with the recurring refrain of the investigation into Secretary Clinton’s emails, convincing voters—falsely—that she had committed crimes. The pending issue of the hush-money payment is not just about 2016, and it is not just about Trump. That today’s Republican leaders have not condemned any of his attempts to cheat speaks volumes about the party. As Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) pointed out today, when “Cohen was arrested, indicted, convicted, and went to prison for participating in an illegal hush money payment scheme to Stormy Daniels, not a single Republican leader complaining now said a thing about what happened to Michael Cohen.” So why the rush to defend Trump in the same case? It appears Republicans have gotten to the point that they don’t believe they can win a free and fair election, and in their conviction that Democrats will destroy the country, they believe cheating to win is justified. They cannot condemn Trump because he delivered what they wanted: a victory. In a democracy, the way parties are supposed to win elections is by making a better case for being in power than their opponents do. Losing elections is supposed to make leaders think deeply about how better to appeal to voters. That system keeps all parties constantly honing their policies, thinking through problems, benefiting their constituents. Our election laws are designed to try to hold the playing field level, and a party should want to keep the system fair in order to keep itself healthy. But if a party is willing to cheat to win, it no longer has to work on policies that appeal to voters; it can simply game the system to dismantle the competition on which democracy depends and instead create a one-party state. There are many legal problems in Trump’s front yard these days. Some, like his theft of documents with markings bearing the highest level of classification and his attempt to overturn the Georgia results for the 2020 presidential election, are heating up fast, and their significance is clear. But for all that the case we are currently hearing so much about seems less serious on its face than the other things charged to Trump's account, a hush-money payment to silence someone whose story might have affected the 2016 election is no laughing matter.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[dertaglichedan]

President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has been indicted on nine charges, including three felonies, for allegedly failing to file taxes, evading an assessment, and filing a fraudulent form.

The 56-page indictment filed in a federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday alleged that the president’s son “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle” rather than pay his taxes, per NBC News. The indictment also alleges that Hunter Biden “willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time, despite having access to funds to pay some or all of these taxes.”

Hunter Biden hit with 9 new charges – filed in CA. Includes:

Evasion of Taxes

Failure to File/Pay Taxes

False/Fraudulent Tax Return

Indictment details a "four-year scheme" to avoid his $1.4+ million tax obligations and to file false returns. pic.twitter.com/W4W3teGyky

— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) December 8, 2023

Special counsel David Weiss brought the charges, and the case was assigned to Donald Trump-appointee Judge Mark Scarsi.

***Joe will hold out long enough to pardon the kid. Everyone knows hunter will turn on them if he isn’t pardoned

[spacenutspod]

Palmdale CA (SPX) Nov 21, 2023 NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, a groundbreaking project aiming to revolutionize supersonic travel, recently marked a significant milestone in its development. The aircraft has been moved to the paint barn at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works' facility in Palmdale, California, indicating progress towards its completion. The X-59's new paint scheme is not just a cosmetic upgrade but also p

[ksacademycasblog]

ICAI New Scheme for CA Foundation, Inter and Final New Syllabus 2024

CA Foundation New Syllabus 2024

The ICAI has changed the CA Foundation syllabus 2024 for the upcoming May and November examination terms. You can download the whole curriculum for each subject of the CA Foundation course in PDF format. The revised Scheme of Education and Training for the Chartered Accountancy course will be implemented on July 1, 2023.

CA Intermediate New Syllabus 2024

On July 1, 2023, the ICAI notified the CA Intermediate syllabus under the new plan of education and training. The first CA Intermediate exam based on the new CA Intermediate syllabus will be held in May 2024. 

Read More: https://ksacademy.co.in/blogs/ca-intermediate-new-syllabus/

CA Final New Syllabus 2024

The revised CA Final syllabus under the new ICAI scheme will be announced by ICAI on July 1, 2023. In May 2024, the first CA Final test to be conducted using the updated CA Final course syllabus, will take place.

Read More: https://ksacademy.co.in/blogs/ca-final-new-syllabus/

[padhaiwale]

CA Inter SM Regular Batch New Scheme by CA Namit Arora

CA INTER SM by CA NAMIT ARORA CA Inter SM by CA Namit Arora are beneficial for the May 2024 and Nov 2024 exams. The course includes study materials that will be provided to students. Notes: Batch Start: 1st Dec – 15th Dec 2023 Applicable for May 2024 and Nov 2024 Course CA Inter Paper Strategic Management Faculty CA Namit Arora Lecture Language Hindi + English Mix ICAI Syllabus New…