#Pittsburgh International Airport Statistics

[pittsburghbeautiful]

Pittsburgh International Airport

Formerly called Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania, approximately 10 miles west of the city center. It is the primary air hub for the Greater Pittsburgh Region and the adjacent parts of West Virginia and Ohio. The airport is managed by the Allegheny County Airport…

[kuramirocket]

Mexico’s reputation as an alluring travel destination both before and during the pandemic has met a sobering reality: Despite growing vaccine efforts, the coronavirus is surging, especially in tourist hot spots.

Though the U.S. land border with Mexico has been closed to nonessential travel since the start of the pandemic, vacationers can fly into the country opening the door to unvaccinated travelers who might pass the virus in Mexico to a Mexican citizen.

But those risks didn’t deter the more than 2 million Americans who visited Mexico in the first four months of this year. According to Mexican government statistics, they represent 76 percent of all international visitors arriving by air. Forward Keys, a service that analyzes flight data, found that air ticketing for American arrivals to Mexico is up nearly 32 percent in the third quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2019.

But infections in Mexico are also up — by about 85 percent in the first two weeks of July, according to data from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. In a recent news conference, Hugo López-Gatell, Mexico’s deputy health minister, confirmed a spike in infections that constitutes a third wave in the pandemic and the second in 2021.

Three of the five Mexican states with the highest rates of infection are popular with tourists, including Quintana Roo, home to Cancún and the Riviera Maya; neighboring Yucatán; and Baja California Sur, home to Los Cabos.

The latter leads all others in infection rates, with 47 cases per 100,000 people. The popular resort destination of Los Cabos, at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, accounts for 54 percent of the active cases in Baja California Sur.

“Covid is substantial down here,” said Jon Gabrielsen, an American living in Los Cabos. "Fellow Americans should understand they need to mask up.”

The recent rise in cases comes as Mexico races to acquire and distribute vaccines.

“Understandably, the health minister is talking about a new wave,” said Lin H. Chen, the immediate past president of the International Society of Travel Medicine and the director of the Mount Auburn Travel Medicine Center, noting that the variants, including the highly infectious Delta variant, have been found in Mexico.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the threat level of the coronavirus in Mexico at Level 3 of 4, or High.

Red light, green light

Travelers bound for Mexico will find coronavirus precautions dictated by a cautionary stoplight system applied state-by-state and ranging from red — with maximum restrictions — to green, or fully open. While most of the country is in green, five states — Tamaulipas and Tabasco as well as Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo and Yucatán — are orange, the second highest level.

Under the orange designation, restaurants and hotels are restricted to 50 percent capacity, markets to 75 percent capacity and theaters and museums to 25 percent capacity, according to the U.S. embassy in Mexico. Mask mandates are in effect in many places.

The three tourist-heavy states say they are strictly abiding by health and safety protocols, including mask mandates, social distancing, curfews and banning large groups.

Still, reports on social media, including packed streets of revelers in Cancún, indicate some travelers are flouting the rules.

The tourism authority of Quintana Roo responded to an inquiry from The Times that the state government conducts random rapid testing in the nightclub area of downtown Cancún and has deployed workers to dispense hand sanitizer and masks.

“What impresses me here is how businesses, bars and restaurants have respected government protocols and, in some cases, exceeded them,” wrote David Saito-Chung, a financial writer based in Los Angeles who has vacationed in San José del Cabo several times since early 2020, in an email.

He estimated local compliance with the mask mandates in the area to be above 80 percent.

“Tourists here mostly go without a mask,” he added. “So, it makes me wonder if the chance of infection through close contact with other visitors is higher.”

Lori Speers, the owner of the Dallas-based travel agency Levarte Travel has sent hundreds of clients to Mexico since last summer, largely booking her groups in all-inclusive beach resorts where testing to date has been complimentary.

“During Covid, bookings never slowed down,” she said, noting that some resorts are planning to begin charging for the tests later this month, with rates running from $50 to $150.

In Los Cabos, Mr. Chung paid $40 for his Covid test.

Lynda Hower, a travel adviser based in Pittsburgh, was vacationing in the Cancún area with her family earlier this month. She said the airport customs lines were crowded with several flights landing at the same time, resulting in little social distancing

The state of Jalisco, home to Puerto Vallarta, is green on the stoplight system, and it’s not hard to spot a tourist in town, especially as travel has picked up this year.

“The majority are still masked down here and if someone is not masked, you can assume they are probably a tourist,” said Robert Nelson, a California native who lives in Puerto Vallarta and runs the subscription website Expats in Mexico. “We are working hard to get more people vaccinated, but we need a little help from the folks visiting to abide by the local regulations.”

In San Miguel de Allende, the popular colonial town in Guanajuato in central Mexico, public statues are dressed in masks and anyone entering the central plaza must pass through an arch that mists sanitizer. Local police admonish visitors to wear or pull up their masks and have been known to take scofflaws to jail for flouting the rules.

Ann Kuffner, an American retiree who has been living in San Miguel de Allende for the past three years says, “All Mexicans are wearing masks,” said Ms. Kuffner. “Some Americans aren’t, but personally, I think it’s rude. Wearing one is a sign of respect, and respect is an important thing in the Mexican culture.”

[manuquialex120683]

rise in Hate Crime?

The daily caller makes a interesting point, from 11 months to the point where president Trump was elected, there has been some harsh things that happened that specific leftist media would not acknowledge. Hate groups (actual facist group) like Antifa, rise up in various colleges in mask with weapons attacking anyone on the right with their justification if they are for Hitler/Nazi you can strike them just for that and then associating anyone being Christian, Conservative, Republican, for MAGA or likes the president as a Nazi, as a racist, bigoted, homophobic, xenophobic and Islam phobic. Theres no counter debate no evidence just a moral attack, which, then for them justifies refusal to hear the other side. Here some scary events that occurred during those months (information obtained by the Daily Caller News foundation, article by Dave Brooks entitled "This list of attacks against conservative is mind blowing "):

June 2016: protesters jumped on cars, stole hates, fought with and threw eggs at Trumps supporters outside of Trump rally in San Jose, California (unprovoked)

July 2016: Hilly Clinton supporter lights a flag on fire and attacks a Trump supporter in Pittsburgh

August 2016: Trump supports were spat on, harassed, forced to leave a Trump fundraisers in Minneapolis, also they beat an elderly man, a Tennessee man was assaulted at a garage sale for being a Trump supporter, in New Jersey trumps supports were attacked with crowbars.

September 2016: North Carolina was fire bombed and spray painted with "Nazi Republican" get out of town or else.

November 2016: High school student was attacked, they ripped her glasses and punched her in the face.

month after month the violence and attacks kept increasing.  It was contrary to the information I obtained from the Hill in a article entitled Hate crimes up for the third year in a row: FBI. they were citing FBI statistics, saying there was a 17 percent in crease from 2016 to 2017 (7,175 hate crimes to be exact) and also stating that 23 percent are religious based, 58.1 percent of crimes were against Jewish people (anti-Semitic).

Heres the real data, I got from wiki but you can copy their source to validate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_the_United_States#Right-wing_extremism_and_anti-government) NOTE: A lot of the ones labeled as right wing terrorist are not. Some are blatant socialist, others communist. KKK for example targeted all Republican. Its almost as if it were meant to characterize Republicans are evil people.The only exception I would say would be the attack on abortion clinics.

2010–present[edit]

Date Type Dead Injured Location(s) Details Perpetrator February 18, 2010 Suicide attack 1 (+1) 13 Austin, Texas Austin suicide attack: Andrew Joseph Stack III flying his single engine plane flew into the Austin Texas IRS building killing himself and one IRS employee and injuring 13 others. Stack left a suicide note online, comparing the IRS to Big Brother from the novel 1984. Joe Stack March 4, 2010 Shooting 0 (+1) 2 Arlington County, Virginia 2010 Pentagon shooting: John Patrick Bedell shot and wounded two Pentagon police officers at a security checkpoint in the Pentagon station of the Washington Metro rapid transit system in Arlington County, Virginia. John Patrick Bedell May 1, 2010 Bombing 0 0 New York City 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt: Faisal Shahzad ignited an explosive in Times Square. The bomb failed to go off, and he was later arrested on a flight leaving for Dubai.[99] Sentenced to life in prison on October 5, 2010 after pleading guilty to a 10-count indictment in June, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.[100] Faisal Shahzad May 20, 2010 Shooting 2 (+2) 2 West Memphis, Arkansas 2010 West Memphis police shootings: Two West Memphis police officers were killed by a father and son who supported the sovereign citizen movement during a traffic stop. The suspects were later killed by other officers. Jerry and Joseph Kane September 1, 2010 Hostage taking 0 (+1) 0 Silver Spring, Maryland Discovery Communications headquarters hostage crisis: James J. Lee, armed with two starter pistols and an explosive device, takes three people hostage in the lobby of the Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland before being killed by police. After nearly four hours, Lee was shot dead by police and all the hostages were freed without injury. Lee had earlier posted a manifesto railing against population growth and immigration.[101][102] James J. Lee October 2010 Bombing 0 0  Virginia Farooque Ahmed conspired with law enforcement officials posing as al-Qaeda to bomb Arlington Cemetery, the Pentagon City subway station, Crystal City subway station, and Court House subway station.[103] Farooque Ahmed October 29, 2010 Bombing 0 0 Chicago, Illinois Cargo planes bomb plot: Two plastic explosive bombs were discovered on two cargo planes destined for two synagogues in Chicago. They were discovered at East Midlands Airport and Dubai International Airport while en route.[104] al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula October 17, 2010 – November 2, 2010 Bombing and Shooting 0 0  Virginia Northern Virginia military shootings: A series of shootings took place at the five military buildings including the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the Pentagon. He also attempted to bomb and damage Arlington National Cemetery.[105] Yonathan Melaku November 25, 2010 Bombing 0 0 Portland, Oregon 2010 Portland car bomb plot: Mohamed Osman Mohamud attempted to detonate what he thought was a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony.[106] Mohamed Osman Mohamud January 17, 2011 Attempted Bombing 0 0 Spokane, Washington Spokane bombing attempt: A radio-controlled-shaped pipe bomb was found and defused in Spokane, Washington along the route of that year's Martin Luther King Jr. memorial march.

On March 9, 2011, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Kevin William Harpham, 36, of Addy, Washington. On December 20, 2011 he was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the attempted bombing.[107]

Kevin William Harpham May 25, 2011 Bombing 0 0 Bowling Green, Kentucky Two Iraqi immigrants were arrested for sending money and weapons to Iraq while residing in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as well as participating in attacks while in Iraq and plotting to kill American soldiers on their return.[108] Mohanad Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramadan Alwan December 6, 2011 Shooting 2 0 Fort Stewart, Georgia Killing of Michael Roark and Tiffany York: 19-year-old Michael Roark and his girlfriend, 17-year-old Tiffany York, were found by two fishermen near a rural road in southeastern Georgia. It was believed that Roark was killed for his part in giving information to Fort Bliss authorities in El Paso.[109] FEAR August 5, 2012 Shooting 6 (+1) 4 Oak Creek, Wisconsin Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting: Six people were killed and three others were injured, including a police officer who was tending to victims at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The gunman, 40-year-old Wade Michael Page, killed himself after being shot by police.[110] The shooting is being treated by authorities as an act of domestic terrorism.[111][112] While a motive has not been clearly defined, Page had been active in white supremacist groups.[110] Wade Page February 3–12, 2013 Shootings 4 (+1) 6  California Christopher Dorner shootings and manhunt: Former LAPD officer Chris Dorner goes on a killing spree targeting police officers and their families throughout Southern California. Dorner was eventually killed in a shootout and fire in Big Bear Lake, California. Dorner stated he committed the shootings in response to police brutality. Chris Dorner April 15, 2013 Bombings, shootout 5 (+1) 280 (+1) Boston, Massachusetts Boston Marathon bombing: Two bombs detonated within seconds of each other near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing 3 and injuring more than 180 people.[113][114] On the evening of April 18 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an MIT campus police officer was shot and killed while sitting in his squad car. Two suspects then carjacked an SUV and fled to nearby Watertown, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. A massive police chase ensued, resulting in a shootout during which several IED's were thrown by the suspects. A Boston transit police officer was critically wounded and suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a Russian immigrant of Chechen ethnicity, was killed. The second suspect, Tsarnaev's younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, escaped. A "Shelter in place" order was given for Boston, Watertown, and surrounding areas while house-to-house searches were conducted, but the suspect remained at large. Shortly after the search was called off Tsarnaev was discovered hiding inside a boat parked near the scene of the shootout. He was taken into custody after another exchange of gunfire, treated for injuries received during his pursuit and capture, and arraigned on federal terrorism charges.[115][116][117][118] Preliminary questioning indicated the Tsarnaev brothers had no ties to terrorist organizations.[119] A note written by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the boat where he was captured said the bombings were retaliation for US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan against Muslims.[120] On April 8, 2015, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found guilty on all 30 counts related to the bombing and shootout with police.[121] On May 15, 2015, Tsarnaev was sentenced to death.[122]

Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev April 16, 2013 Bioterrorism 0 0  Washington, D.C. April 2013 ricin letters: Two letters, sent to Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker and president Barack Obama, were tested positive for ricin. Each letter contained the message "I am KC and I approve this message". On April 27, 2013, a man named Everett Dutschke was arrested. Evertt Dutschke November 1, 2013 Shooting 1 6 (+1) Los Angeles, California 2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting: Paul Anthony Ciancia entered the checkpoint at the Los Angeles International Airport and fired his rifle, killing one Transportation Security Administration officer and injuring six others. The motivation behind the attack was Paul's inspiration of the anti-government agenda, such as believing in the New World Order conspiracy theory, and stating that he "wanted to kill TSA" and described them as "pigs". Paul Anthony Ciancia December 13, 2013 Bombing attempt 0 0 Wichita, Kansas 2013 Wichita bomb attempt: 58-year-old avionics technician, identified as Terry Lee Loewen, was arrested on December 13, 2013, for attempting a suicide bombing at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, where he was employed. Loewen became radicalized after reading extremist Islamic material on the Internet. He was arrested while driving a vehicle into the airport with what he believed to be an active explosive device. Later sentenced to 20 years in Federal prison.[123] Terry Lee Loewen April 13, 2014 Shootings 3 0 Overland Park, Kansas Overland Park Jewish Community Center shooting: A pair of shootings committed by a lone gunman occurred at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and Village Shalom, a Jewish retirement community, in Overland Park, Kansas. A total of three people died in the shootings. One suspect, identified as Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr., a neo-Nazi neo-Pagan, was arrested and charged with capital murder, first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault. Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. April 27, 2014 Shootings 1 0 Seattle, Washington Ali Muhammad Brown shot and killed a man who was walking home from a store. This killing was part of a series of terrorism related killings in the states of Washington and New Jersey.[124] Ali Muhammad Brown June 1, 2014 Shootings 2 0 Seattle, Washington Ali Muhammad Brown shot and killed two men outside a Seattle gay nightclub. These killings were part of a series of terrorism related killings in the states of Washington and New Jersey.[124] Ali Muhammad Brown June 8, 2014 Shooting 3 (+2) 0 Las Vegas, Nevada 2014 Las Vegas shootings: Two police officers and one civilian died in a shooting spree in the Las Vegas Valley committed by a couple, identified as Jerad and Amanda Miller, who espoused anti-government views and were reportedly inspired by the outcome of the Bundy standoff. The Millers both died during a gunfight with responding police; Jerad Miller was fatally shot by officers, while Amanda Miller committed suicide after being wounded. Jerad and Amanda Miller June 25, 2014 Shootings 1 0 West Orange, New Jersey Ali Muhammad Brown shot and killed a man who was driving home from college while stopped at a traffic light. This killing was part of a series of terrorism related killings in the states of Washington and New Jersey.[124] Ali Muhammad Brown September 12, 2014 Shooting 1 1 Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania 2014 Pennsylvania State Police barracks attack: Two Pennsylvania State Policeman are shot in a sniper attack nearby a police barracks, one dies. Eric Frein is arrested for the shooting after a 48-day manhunt. Eric Frein September 24, 2014 Stabbing 1 1 (+1) Moore, Oklahoma Vaughan Foods beheading incident: Alton Alexander Nolen aka "Jah'Keem Yisrael" attacked two employees at Vaughan Foods, beheading one and stabbing the other before being shot and injured by Vaughan Foods' Chief Operating Officer.[125] Alton Alexander Nolen

"Jah'Keem Yisrael"

October 23, 2014 Melee attack 0 (+1) 3 New York City 2014 New York City hatchet attack: Zale Thompson injured two New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers, once critically at a Queens, New York City shopping district by striking them with a hatchet. Four officers were posing for a photograph when Thompson charged them. The police opened fire killing Thompson and injuring a civilian. Thompson, who converted to Islam 2 years before the attack, posted "anti-government, anti-Western, anti-white" messages online.[126] Zale Thompson December 2014 Cyberattack 0 0  United States "The Guardians of Peace" linked by the United States to North Korea launched a cyber attack against SONY pictures. Embarrassing private emails were published and the organization threatened attacks against theaters that showed The Interview, a satire which depicted the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Following the refusal of theater chains to show the movie, SONY Pictures withdrew release of the movie, a decision that was criticized by President Obama and others. Obama said the USA will respond. North Korea denied responsibility for the attack and proposed a joint investigation with the U.S.[127][128][129] North Korea May 3, 2015 Shooting 0 (+2) 1 Garland, Texas Curtis Culwell Center attack: Two gunmen opened fire outside the Curtis Culwell Center during an art exhibit hosted by an anti-Muslim group called the American Freedom Defense Initiative in Garland, Texas. The center was hosting a contest for cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Both gunmen were killed by police. A Garland Independent School District (ISD) police officer was injured by a shot to the ankle but survived. The attackers, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, were motivated by the Charlie Hebdo shooting in France and the 2015 Copenhagen shooting in Denmark earlier in the year. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack through a Twitter post.[130] Elton Simpson, Nadir Hamid Soofi, and Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem June 2, 2015 Stabbing 0 (+1) 0 Boston, Massachusetts Police investigating a planned Islamic terrorist attack on police confronted Usaama Rahim to question him. He pulled out a military knife, and was eventually shot and killed by police as he approached them with the knife. David Wright was later arrested and charged with planning a terrorist attack with Usaama Rahim.[131] Usaama Rahim and David Wright July 16, 2015 Shootings 5 (+1) 2 Chattanooga, Tennessee 2015 Chattanooga shootings: Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fire on two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He first committed a drive-by shooting at a recruiting center, then traveled to a naval reserve center and continued firing. He was killed by police in a gunfight. Four Marines were killed immediately, and another Marine, a Navy sailor, and a police officer were wounded; the sailor died from his injuries two days later. The motive of the shootings is currently under investigation.[132] Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez November 4, 2015 Stabbing 0 (+1) 4 Merced, California University of California, Merced stabbing attack: Faisal Mohammad, armed with a hunting knife, stabbed four people at the University of California before being shot and killed by police.[133] Faisal Mohammad November 27, 2015 Shooting 3 9 Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting: Robert L. Dear, armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic. Two civilians and one police officer were killed, while four civilians and five police officers were wounded before the suspect surrendered. Dear told police "No more baby parts" after being taken into custody.[134] Robert Dear December 2, 2015 Shooting 14 (+2) 24 San Bernardino, California 2015 San Bernardino attack: A mass shooting occurred at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, with 14 dead and 22 injured. Two suspects, Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, fled in an SUV, but were later killed.[135][136][137][138] Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik January 7, 2016 Shooting 0 1 (+1) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A man shot at a police officer in his cruiser multiple times, injuring him in the process. The officer returned fire injuring the assailant. The assailant later pledged allegiance to ISIL, citing it as his reason for the attack.[139] Edward Archer February 11, 2016 Melee attack 0 (+1) 4 Columbus, Ohio Ohio restaurant machete attack: Four people were injured in a restaurant when a man with a machete attacked them at random. After a car chase, the assailant, who was from the West African nation of Guinea, was killed by police.[140] Mohamed Barry June 12, 2016 Shooting, hostage taking 49 (+1) 58 Orlando, Florida Orlando nightclub shooting: 49 people were killed and 53 were injured in a terrorist attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The sole suspect behind the slaughter was identified as Omar Mateen, an American-born citizen with Afghan immigrant parents who was later killed.[141][142][143] The FBI asserted his possible link to radical Islam.[144] Despite assertions to the contrary, the FBI could not find evidence to suggest Mateen was gay or targeted Pulse because it was a gay club, according to The Washington Post[145] Omar Mateen August 20, 2016 Stabbings 0 2 Roanoke, Virginia On August 20, 2016, Wasil Farooqui stabbed a man and a woman in a random attack at an apartment complex.[146] Wasil Farooqui September 17, 2016 Stabbings 0 (+1) 10 St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud, Minnesota mall stabbing: On September 17, 2016, a mass stabbing occurred at the Crossroads Center shopping mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Ten people were injured, and the attacker was shot dead inside the mall by an off-duty law enforcement officer.[147] ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq media agency, claiming Adan "was a soldier of the Islamic State".[148] Dahir A. Adan September 17–19, 2016 Bombings 0 34 (+1) New Jersey and New York City 2016 New York and New Jersey bombings: Four bombings or bombing attempts occurred in the New York metropolitan area, specifically in Seaside Park, New Jersey; Manhattan, New York; and Elizabeth, New Jersey. Thirty-one civilians were injured in one of the bombings. Ahmad Khan Rahimi was identified as a suspect in all of the incidents and apprehended on September 19 in Linden, New Jersey, after a shootout that injured three police officers.[149] According to authorities, Rahimi was not part of a terrorist cell, but was motivated and inspired by the extremist Islamic ideology espoused by al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda chief propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki.[150] Ahmad Khan Rahimi November 28, 2016 Vehicle attack, stabbing 0 (+1) 13 Columbus, Ohio Ohio State University attack: A car ramming attack and mass stabbing occurred at 9:52 a.m. EST at Ohio State University (OSU)'s Watts Hall in Columbus, Ohio. The attacker, Somali refugee Abdul Razak Ali Artan, was shot and killed by the first responding OSU police officer, and 11 people were hospitalized for injuries. According to authorities, Artan was inspired by terrorist propaganda from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.[151] Abdul Razak Ali Artan March 20, 2017 Stabbing by sword 1 0 New York City Stabbing of Timothy Caughman: James Harris Jackson, 28, traveled from his home state of Maryland to New York City with the "sole purpose of stalking and killing black men for a statement-making media spectacle" according to police. On March 20 he allegedly attacked Timothy Caughman, 66, in Midtown Manhattan with a sword, killing him. Police allege ties to White Supremacist hate groups.[152] James Harris Jackson August 12, 2017 Vehicle-ramming attack 1 28 Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville car attack: On August 12, 2017, James Alex Fields Jr. intentionally drove his car into a group of counter-demonstrators at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Charlottesville mayor called it "an act of domestic terrorism". The suspect is described as a white supremacist.[153] James Alex Fields Jr. August 5, 2017 Bombing 0 0 Bloomington, Minnesota On August 5, 2017, an explosive device shattered windows and damaged an office at the mosque, which primarily serves people from the area's large Somali community. October 31, 2017 Vehicle-ramming attack 8 11 (+1) New York City 2017 New York City truck attack: On October 31, 2017, an ISIS-inspired man drove a rented Home Depot flatbed pickup truck in a vehicle-ramming attack on cyclists and runners along 1 mile (1.6 km) of a bike path alongside West Street in Lower Manhattan, killing eight people and injuring at least 11 others. The attack took place several blocks north of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Authorities found a note near the truck used in the incident which claimed that the attack by the 29-year-old was made in the name of ISIS.[154] Sayfullo Saipov February 16, 2018 Assault with vehicle 0 3 East Orange,

New Jersey

A man crashed a stolen truck into a Planned Parenthood clinic, injuring a pregnant woman and two others.[155] Marckles Alcius October 22–, 2018 Bombing 0 0 Several states October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts: In late October 2018, at least 12 packages containing pipe bombs were mailed within the U.S. Postal Service system to several prominent critics of U.S. President Donald Trump, including various Democratic Party politicians (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Eric Holder, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Cory Booker), actor Robert De Niro, billionaire investor George Soros, former CIA Director John O. Brennan, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Cesar Sayoc Jr.

  Terrorist incidents in the United States[5][6] YearNumber of incidentsDeathsInjuries 20176595932 20166468139 2015385458 2014292619 20132023436 20122077 20111002

[jackiehadel1]

AUGUST 17, 2019

Week 144

Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember. https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-144/

Pic from Brick Lane Art, August 2019. Artist: SubDude London. 

This week Trump’s beloved economy faltered under pressure from his trade war with China, a ballooning U.S. budge deficit, and other global factors. An anxious Trump, realizing a strong economy is essential to his re-election, lashed out at the Federal Reserve, while confiding in allies his plan to blame any downturn on Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Meanwhile his shrinking inner-circle of sycophants assured him forecasts were wrong.

Liège, Belgium. 17aug19

“The Mooch is right. I’m a FAT FUCK.” Liege, Begium. 17aug19

“The Mooch is right. I’m a FAT FUCK.” Liege, Belgium. 17aug2019

Trump held two rallies this week, one at a Shell Chemical plant outside Pittsburgh, where later it was revealed union employees were mandated to attend — “No scan, no pay” —  and warned not to protest. At a second rally in New Hampshire, Trump rambled, veering off script and repeating points he made earlier in the speech.

Brussels, Belgium. August 2019

Channeling Obama, a 45 supporter makes a statement, and a reminder that our election system is corrupted. New York City. June 2019

This week the concerns of an uprising and mainstreaming of white nationalism continued, while Trump regime officials continued to make blatantly racist and xenophobic statements, and defend cruel and inhumane treatment of people of color. The Republican Party remained silent, instead seeking to downplay white nationalism and blame Democrats. Trump urged his authoritarian ally in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to deny entry for two Muslim members of Congress — an unprecedented thwart of democracy. Protests heated up in Russia and Hong Kong.

“LOVES the NRA.” Lier, Belgium. 15aug19. 

WAPO reported Trump crossed 12,000 false or misleading claims on August 5, his 928th day since taking office. He has averaged 20 lies per day since crossing the 10,000 mark on April 26.

About one-fifth of his lies relate to immigration, and the percentage has grown since the government shutdown over his wall. Trump also lies frequently about trade, the economy, and the Russia investigation.

On Monday, the Twitter account for the House Judiciary Committee tweeted, “We are considering all Article I remedies to Presidential misconduct, including articles of impeachment.”

The panel added, “We will continue our investigation. We will hold @realDonaldTrump accountable. This is America. And no one is above the law. Not even the President.”

On Saturday, Trump retweeted conspiracy theories, tying the death of Jeffrey Epstein to the Clintons, and spreading an unsubstantiated claim that Epstein was on suicide watch, in contrast to his regime’s statement.

On Sunday, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway defended Trump on “Fox News Sunday,” saying Trump“just wants everything to be investigated,” and criticizing those connecting Trump to Epstein.

On Sunday, the New York City medical examiner’s office said it had completed an autopsy of Epstein, but that it needed more information before determining the cause of death.

NBC News reported that the FBI, which does not normally look into suicides at a federal Bureau of Prisons facility, is also looking into the case out of an “abundance of caution.”

On Sunday, NYT reported that Epstein was supposed to be checked every 30 minutes, but that protocol was not followed. Also procedure for a recent suicide attempt is to have a cellmate, but Epstein’s was transferred out.

WAPO reported Epstein’s guards, who were working overtime, had not checked on him for “several” hours. Also his cellmate, a former police officer in custody on murder and narcotics charges, was not present.

On Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler and ranking member Doug Collins launched a bipartisan inquiry into the circumstances of Epstein’s apparent suicide.

On Saturday, Trump attacked his former press secretary and friend, Anthony Scaramucci, tweeting he “was quickly terminated (11 days) from a position that he was totally incapable of handling.”

Trump also tweeted of Scaramucci’s television appearance criticizing him, “he knows very little about me,” adding, “Anthony, who would do anything to come back in, should remember the only reason he is on TV.”

On Sunday, Scaramucci responded, tweeting he had supported Trump until he “said things that divide the country,” adding, “eventually he turns on everyone and soon it will be you and then the entire country.”

On Monday, Scaramucci told CNN that Trump should be replaced as the GOP presidential candidate in 2020, citing “the racially charged comments, the divisive tweeting,” saying Trump’s rhetoric “is not helping the country.”

On Monday, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo told PBS that during Trump’s visit in Week 143, Trump chastised him, “You’re a RINO” (Republican in Name Only) when Margo corrected Trump about crime statistics in the city.

On Wednesday, former Tea Party congressman Joe Walsh apologized for helping elect an “unfit con man” in an NYT op-ed, and made the case for someone on the right to launch a 2020 primary challenge against Trump.

Walsh said of Trump, “We’ve had enough of your lies, your bullying, your cruelty, enough of your insults, your daily drama, your incitement, enough of the danger you place this country in every single day.”

On Sunday, Trump attacked MSNBC’s Donny Deutsch, tweeting, “So funny to watch Little Donny Deutsch on TV with his own failing show,” saying he and CNN’s Erin Burnett would call and “BEG” to be on “The Apprentice.”

Trump added, during the 2016 election “I would watch as Joe Scarborough & his very angry Psycho wife(?)” push Deutsch “to the point of total humiliation,” but he did not fight back because “he wanted to stay on TV.”

On Tuesday, Trump attacked CNN host Chris Cuomo over threatening a man who called him “Fredo,” tweeting, would Cuomo “be given a Red Flag for his recent rant?” and “He shouldn’t be allowed to have any weapon.”

Trump seemed to be making a mocking reference at “red flag” laws which grant authorities the power to remove guns from those who have been deemed unstable. Trump also tweeted of Cuomo, “He’s nuts!”

Ivanka has called for stricter background checks and “red flag” laws. Donald Jr., who the WSJ reported Trump called his “my gun expert” at a recent fundraiser, is against both. Trump has taken no action on guns.

Trump also tweeted of Cuomo, “I thought Chris was Fredo also,” adding, “The truth hurts. Totally lost it! Low ratings @CNN.” Trump retweeted attacks on Cuomo and CNN from his allies and family all day Monday.

Later Monday, Trump also tweeted, “When a Conservative does even a fraction of what Chris Cuomo did with his lunatic ranting, raving, & cursing, they get destroyed by the Fake News,” adding, “We never learn!”

Later Monday, Trump also attacked CNN, tweeting, “Without being stuck at an airport, where CNN buys (at a big price) an uninterested audience, they’ve got nothing going,” adding CNN “is BAD for America!”

On Monday night, CNN stood by Cuomo. On Tuesday, before heading to a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump told reporters that Cuomo’s behavior is like “a totally out of control animal,” and that he “spews lies every night.”

Trump also defended his promoting conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death, telling reporters the retweet “was from somebody that is a very respected conservative pundit. So I think it was fine.”

When asked if he truly believes the Clintons are involved in Epstein’s death, Trump responded “I have no idea” and highlighted Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein, adding he is demanding a “full investigation.��

On Saturday, tens of thousands of Russians protested in Moscow over Putin’s refusal to allow a slate of independent candidates on the city council elections ballot for September.

Unlike past protests, this was an authorized rally, which featured speakers and entertainers. Some among the crowd shouted, “Putin is a thief.” Heavily armed police detained 135 people.

On Monday, NYT reported U.S. intelligence officials are scrambling to understand an explosion that released radiation off the coast of Northern Russia during testing of a new type of nuclear-propelled cruise missile.

The incident killed seven Russians, marking one of the worst nuclear accidents in the region since Chernobyl. The Pentagon and other agencies have described the nuclear missile as a potential new kind of threat.

On Monday, thousands of anti-government protestors stormed the Hong Kong International Airport. The protest began in June over legislation that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

The protest led to over 150 flights being canceled. The government of China said protestors had “begun to show signs of terrorism,” also citing previous actions including a gasoline bomb.

On Tuesday, when asked by reporters about the Hong Kong protests, Trump called it a “tough situation,” and said he hopes the situation will work out “for everybody, including China.”

Demonstrations turned violent Tuesday as protestors at the airport clashed with police. Trump has been criticized for not commenting on the protests and defending democracy as other lawmakers on both sides have done.

Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted U.S. intelligence informed him “the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong,” adding, “Everyone should be calm and safe!”

On Wednesday, Trump defended the leader of China, tweeting, “I know President Xi of China very well. He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people,” and “He is also a good man in a ‘tough business.’”

Trump also offered to meet with Xi, tweeting, “I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it. Personal meeting?”

Trump also tweeted Wednesday, then retweeted Thursday, that China is “eating the Tariffs” while “The American consumer is fine,” adding, “China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!”

On Sunday, NYT reported the El Paso shooter’s 2,300 word manifesto echoed words used by conservative commentators, including “invasion” and “replacement” — words used in the right-wing fringes until recently.

The Times analysis found 300 Fox News programs in the past year have referenced an immigration “invasion,” and found a “shared vocabulary of intolerance” between conservative commentators and the manifesto.

On Sunday, WAPO reported Trump, who considers himself a branding expert, has been unable to shake the label of “racist” — which makes him furious. He has lashed out on Twitter and in public comments to no avail.

On Sunday, NYT reported officials in the Department of Homeland Security have felt that they cannot broach the topics of domestic terrorism and white supremacist violence with Trump because he is not interested.

Reportedly, former secretary Kirstjen Nielsen sought a regular meeting with Trump to brief him on domestic terrorism and other topics, but her proposal was rejected by the White House.

Instead the department has been told to focus on foreign terrorism and immigration, and to pay little attention to domestic extremism. Incidents of white supremacist propaganda have increased 182% in 2018.

On Sunday, Richard Clayton, 26, a white supremacist, was arrested after making online threats about a shooting at a Walmart in Florida, saying “3 more days…then I get my AR-15 back. Don’t go to Walmart next week.”

On Sunday, NYT reported that Taylor Dumpson, the first African-American female student body president of American University, won a $725,000 judgment over neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin for inciting trolls to target her.

The judgment is the third against Anglin, publisher of the website The Daily Stormer, in the last three months. In all, Anglin owes more than $20 million to three people, but has yet to pay a cent.

On Saturday, NYT reported the Trump regime has taken steps to revoke the certification of an outspoken immigration judges’ union which has been critical of some of the regime’s policies, in an effort to muffle dissent.

The regime filed a petition claiming the National Association of Immigration Judges should be decertified, saying its members are considered “management officials” ineligible to collectively organize.

On Saturday, the American Bar Association took the unusual step of raising alarms that judges are receivingintensified personal threats, which have been further amplified by social media.

On Sunday, thousands of Jewish Americans marked the holiday of Tisha B’Av, an annual day of mourning, by protesting in D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and more over the Trump regime’s immigration policies.

The protestors organized around “Never Again.” In NYC, dozens of protestors, including some rabbis, were arrested after conducting a prayer service outside the Amazon store in downtown Manhattan.

On Monday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus demanded answers on the Mississippi raids, saying its “purpose is to instill fear in Latino and immigrant communities,” adding, “Latinos are already living in terror.”

The Hispanic Caucus tweeted data showing Immigration and Custom Enforcement “has increased their total number of detention beds to over 55,000. This is well above what Congress appropriated for beds.”

On Monday, the Trump regime issued a new rule, called the “public charge” rule, which would enable officials to deny green cards to migrants they believe will receive public benefits like food stamps or Medicaid.

Starting October 15, the new rules will allow customs and immigration officers not only to consider whether an applicant currently receives benefits, but also make a determination on whether they will in the future.

On Monday, Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, defended the ruleon NPR, saying it was part of Trump “keeping his promises” to reduce the “burden on the government.”

Cuccinelli twisted Emma Lazarus’ words on the Statue of Liberty, saying, “Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge.”

On Tuesday, Cuccinelli defended his statement, telling CNN the Statue of Liberty poem is about “people coming from Europe” and that America is looking to receive migrants “who can stand on their own two feet.”

On Tuesday, two California counties filed lawsuits challenging the regime’s “public charge” rule, calling it “arbitrary and capricious,” and saying it “flouts federal law, and seeks to usurp Congress’ authority.”

On Wednesday, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on CNN of Cuccinelli’s rewrite of the Statue of Liberty poem, “I’ve been a refugee twice. … I think that it is one of the most un-American things I’ve heard.”

On Wednesday, 13 states filed a lawsuit against DHS over the new “public charge” rule. States included Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, and New Jersey.

On Tuesday, acting ICE Director Matthew Albence defended Mississippi raids that left children abandoned, saying, “The parents or the individuals that are breaking the law are ultimately the ones that are responsible.”

Albence said of a video showing a young girl crying, “Many officers, on a daily basis — when an officer goes in to arrest somebody for a crime of domestic violence, one of the children in there is going to be crying.”

On Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she has “no intention” of accepting unaccompanied migrant children for shelter in her city, in reaction to a request by a federal contractor, Dynamic Service Solutions.

Similarly, top local officials in Northern Virginia also pushed back at Department of Health and Human Services request to house unaccompanied migrant children there, citing the unacceptable policy of family separation and other issues.

On Wednesday, Ohio AG Dave Yost suspended facial-recognition databases for law enforcement officers, following a report by the Post which found FBI, ICE, and other federal agencies were mining data without permission.

On Wednesday, NBC News reported ICE records obtained by a government watchdog group show the number of detainees put in solitary confinement rose by 15.2% during the first 15 months of Trump’s time in office.

The watchdog group the Project On Government Oversight also found of those in solitary, “a strikingly high proportion have mental illness.” The trend of the data indicated the level of solitary confinement will continue to rise.

On Wednesday, at a Never Again Action protest at Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, Thomas Woodworth, a correctional officer, drove his pickup truck into a crowd of protestors. The facility works with ICE.

The group of protestors included children and a protestor in a wheelchair. When protestors blocked Woodworth’s truck from making it through the gate, other guards surrounded protestors and fired pepper spray.

In a statement, the Rhode Island attorney general’s office and the Rhode Island State Police said they are investigating the incident. Woodworth has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

On Thursday, Fox Business host Lou Dobbs defended the driver, saying he was “within his rights” to plow into ICE protestors on his way to work, and telling his viewers it “must just gladden your heart.”

On Thursday, a federal appeals panel ruled that the Trump regime must provide edible food, clean water, soap, and toothpaste to migrant children as required under the 1977 Flores settlement.

The panel tossed out the Trump regime’s challenge to a lower court, saying the regime was not required to provide specific accommodations, such as soap, as part of the Flores requirement that facilities be “safe and sanitary.”

A legal advocate for child welfare at the National Center for Youth Law, said, “It should shock the conscience of all Americans to know that our government argued children do not need these bare essentials.”

On Thursday, the Clarion Ledger reported ICE separated a 4-month-old breastfed baby from its mother. The mother was arrested while working at Koch Foods, where she had worked for four years, as part of a mass raid in Week 143.

The father is now raising three young children on his own. He too faces possible deportation under the Trump regime, as part of proceedings stemming from an earlier arrest.

On Friday, a federal appeals court delivered Trump a partial victory, narrowing the injunction on the asylum ban by allowing the regime to enforce the policy in New Mexico and Texas, two of the busiest stretches.

On Monday, federal prosecutors charged Justin Olsen, an 18 year-old white man in Ohio, with making threats against law enforcement. Olsen wrote, “in conclusion, shoot every federal agent on sight.”

Olsen’s writings online expressed support for mass shootings, and also was for attacks on Planned Parenthood. He lived in a house with 25 guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.

On Tuesday, a viral-video showed Michigan police stopping and questioning a black man who was walking into a restaurant, after a white woman called police to say he looked suspicious.

The man was stopped by an officer, then three more responded to the scene and questioned him for almost an hour. On Thursday, the Royal Oak Police Department launched an investigation and apologized.

Race Imboden, a member of the U.S. fencing team who earned a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games, took a knee on the podium during the national anthem to protest racial and social injustice.

On Wednesday, the Des Moines Register reported Rep. Steve King asked a group in an argument to ban abortion, if we pulled out rape and incest from family trees, “Would there be any population of the world left?”

King also told the crowd, “Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages taken place and whatever happened to culture after society? I know I can’t certify that I’m not a part of a product of that.”

On Friday, WAPO reported Jerri Kelly, a 46 year-old white woman in Wynne, Arkansas, held four black teenswho were going door-to-door to raise money for their football team, by gunpoint.

Before the four knocked on her door, Kelly emerged with a gun, forced them to lie down, spread their legs and place their arms behind their backs. Kelly was charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

On Monday, the Trump regime said it will change the way the Endangered Species Act was applied, making it easier to remove species from the list and harder to protect species from threats like climate change.

The new rules allow regulators to conduct economic assessments to deciding if a species should be protected, and clears the way for new mining, oil and gas drilling, and development where protected species live.

On Monday, a study released by the American Meteorological Society found greenhouse gases reached record levels in 2018, and their global warming power is now 43% stronger than in 1990.

Other findings included that 2018 was the fourth-warmest year on record, following behind 2015, 2017, and 2016 the warmest. Glaciers melted at a concerning rate for the 30th straight year, and sea levels for the 7th year.

On Tuesday, a coalition of 29 states and cities sued to block the Trump regime from rolling back Obama-era restrictions on coal-burning power plants. The challenge is led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The Obama-era rule required states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2022 by closing heavily polluting plants. AG James said “the science is indisputable” and called the Trump regime’s plan a “do-nothing rule.”

The case, which could go to the Supreme Court, could weaken future presidents’ power to regulate carbon dioxide pollution, and make it harder for the U.S. to tackle climate change.

Trump selected William Perry Pendley as the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management. Pendley does not believe that government should have public lands, and has spent his professional life fighting it in court.

On Wednesday, the Department of Labor proposed a new rule which would grant businesses with federal contracts “religious exemption” in hiring and firing, impacting employees who are LGBTQ and others.

Acting Labor Secretary Patrick Pizzella said the rule will “ensure the civil rights of religious employers are protected.” About one-quarter of U.S. employees work for an employer that has a contract with the government.

On Monday, at a town-hall meeting with staff, NYT executive editor Dean Baquet said the Times can do a better job covering Trump, race, and politics, and called the headline mistake from last week a “fucking mess.”

On Tuesday, the Times demoted editor Jonathan Weisman, citing “serious lapses” on social media. On Thursday, Trump tweeted that Weisman “Should have been Fired! Totally biased and inaccurate reporting.”

Trump also tweeted of the Times on Thursday, “the paper is a Fraud, Zero Credibility. Fake News takes another hit, but this time a big one!”

On Wednesday, Rep. Deb Haaland became the 123rd House Democrat to call for an impeachment inquiry. Including Rep. Amash the total count stood at 124.

On Monday, government figures showed the U.S. budget deficit is up 27% from a year ago, bringing the deficit through July to $867 billion from $684 billion last year, and on track to top a trillion for the fiscal year.

On Tuesday, Politico reported that over the past few days, economists at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America warned that Trump’s trade war with China has led to a rising risk of a recession.

On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC the Trump regime would delay imposing some tariffs on China, saying it was not a trade concession to China, but a decision to help the American consumer.

Ross claimed the “analytical work began well before” Trump imposed additional tariffs, and the market fell off July’s all-time highs.

On Wednesday, Trump quoted a commentator on Fox Business in a tweet, saying “The Fed has got to do something! The Fed is the Central Bank of the United States, not the Central Bank of the World.”

Trump also tweeted, “Correct! The Federal Reserve acted far too quickly, and now is very, very late.” Trump also quoted Fox Business, saying of China tariffs, “but you can’t tell me that it has hurt our economy.”

Later Wednesday, Trump again attacked the Fed shortly before the stock market close, tweeting, “China is not our problem, though Hong Kong is not helping. Our problem is with the Fed. Raised too much & too fast.”

Trump also tweeted, “we are winning, big time, against China,” but “our problem is with the Fed,” and attacked the Fed Chair, “THANK YOU to clueless Jay Powell,” and the “CRAZY INVERTED YIELD CURVE!”

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones closed down 800 points, its worst percentage drop of the year and fourth-largest drop of all time, on fears of a recession.

On Wednesday, a new Fox New poll found Trump’s disapproval rating jumped 5 points from a month ago to 56%, one point below his record disapproval of 57% in October 2017.

On Thursday, Trump blamed the media for the faltering economy, tweeting, “the Fake News Media is doing everything they can to crash the economy because they think that will be bad for me and my re-election.”

Trump offered no evidence to back his claim. He also tweeted that thanks to him, “the economy is way too strong and we will soon be winning big on Trade, and everyone knows that, including China!”

On Thursday, WAPO reported that Trump is worried that a recession could imperil his re-election — his campaign counted on a strong economy. Regime members admitted they had not planned for a recession.

Rather than officials in the regime making plans to stave off a recession, Trump’s economic advisers have been delivering an upbeat message on the economy, arguing it is stronger than many forecasters are predicting.

Trump tweeted the U.S. economy is “the Biggest, Strongest and Most Powerful Economy in the World,” but privately he is anxious. Trump also has a conspiratorial view, telling allies he distrusts statistics in the media.

Trump has privately told allies and aides that Fed Chair Powell will be a scapegoat for a recession. In addition to Trump’s trade war with China and exogenous factors, the regime’s economic message has been muddled.

On Wednesday, Trump held an event at Royal Dutch Shell’s Complex outside Pittsburgh where he was scheduled to deliver a speech on the regime’s energy policies, but turned into a campaign speech.

Trump took full credit for the construction of the plant he spoke at, saying “It was the Trump administration that made it possible,” even though it was initially approved in June 2016, while Obama was in office.

Trump told the construction workers at the event that without him, they would be without a job, and claimed, without evidence, that his time in office was costing him $3 to $5 billion.

Trump again mused about not leaving office after two terms, telling the crowd that to drive the press “totally crazy,” they should use “hashtag third term, hashtag fourth term.”

Trump attacked his 2020 rivals, referring to “Pocahontas and Sleepy Joe,” and went off on a tangent on the Academy Awards, saying no one watches because they got sick of celebrities “disrespecting the people in this room.”

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the large union crowd at Shell’s plant was given the option of showing up to Trump’s rally at 7 a.m. to get their card scanned and stand for hours, or not get paid for the day.

In addition to the “No scan, no pay” warning, workers were informed if they missed Trump’s speech, they would not be paid overtime rates routinely built in for extra time during the week.

Union workers were also ordered not to protest: “No yelling, shouting, protesting or anything viewed as resistance will be tolerated…the event is to promote good will from the unions.”

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported the Department of Labor abruptly canceled apprenticeship contracts with labor and business groups this week, prompting an outcry from unions that had supported Trump.

On Friday, acting Labor Secretary Pizzella walked back the decision. A spokesperson did not reply to Bloomberg on what caused the reversal of course.

On Wednesday, after a suspect shot six police officers in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney said, “Our officers need help. They need help…They need help with keeping these weapons out of these people’s hands.”

On Thursday, Kellyanne Conway attacked Kenney, a Democrat, tweeting, “What Philly sorely needs is a competent mayor who sufficiently respects and resources our brave men and women of law enforcement.”

On Wednesday, 2020 Democrat candidate Julian Castro ran an ad on Trump favorite “Fox & Friends” blaming Trump for the mass shooting in El Paso, saying, “Americans were killed because you stoked the fire of racists.”

On Wednesday, in a speech at an Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association, Speaker Nancy Pelosi cited “Moscow Mitch,” who “is the grim reaper” in listing all the House measures he has blocked.

On Wednesday, two GOP committee chairs released a memo showing a prolonged investigation by staffers and intelligence could not prove China hacked Hillary Clinton’s private server, a 2016 conspiracy theory.

On Thursday, Politico reported a 34-page report by the State Department inspector general’s office found Trump appointees in the departments engaged in “disrespectful and hostile treatment” of career staffers.

The report also found Trump appointees harassed staffers whom they viewed as “disloyal” due to their suspected political views. One employee was forced out and others stripped of their duties.

The report singled out two senior Trump appointees, Kevin Moley and Mari Stull, saying they have “frequently berated employees, raised their voices, and generally engaged in unprofessional behavior toward staff.”

Stull told Foreign Policy the report is “politically motivated payback” for her efforts to implement “Trump’s agenda over the resistance of Deep State bureaucrats,” and said it contains “false and misleading information.”

On Thursday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel, who had been advocating for the report’s release, called the report findings “offensive” and said that Moley should “resign or be fired.”

On Wednesday, CBS News reported corrections officers may have falsified reports saying they checked on Epstein as required by protocol. One source said he may have been dead two to three hours before he was found.

On Thursday, WAPO reported an autopsy found multiple breaks in Epstein’s neck bones, including the hyoid bone, which in men is near the Adam’s apple. Such fractures have sparked controversies in contentious deaths.

Jonathan Arden, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, told the Post a hyoid break is more commonly associated with homicidal strangulation than suicidal hanging.

On Friday, the New York City medical examiner concluded Epstein’s death was a result of suicide by hanging. He hanged himself with a bedsheet attached to the top of a bunk bed.

On Thursday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed himself and sided with Trump over Democratic leaders, prohibiting Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting Israel.

Hours before the decision, Trump tweeted “it would show great weakness” if Israel allowed the two to visit, saying “they hate Israel & all Jewish people,” and adding, “They are a disgrace!”

Democrats said blocking U.S. lawmakers for practicing free speech is unacceptable and unprecedented. Trump views attacking the two, who are for a boycott movement against Israel and poll poorly, as smart politics.

Several prominent Democrats and organizations who have been critical of the two’s support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, urged the Israeli government to change course and allow them to visit.

Like Trump, Netanyahu has reasons to sow discor: he is politically weak and facing an election on September 17, which if he wins, could keep him out of jail on corruption charges. He also presides over a declining democracy.

Later Thursday, Trump doubled-down, tweeting: “Representatives Omar and Tlaib are the face of the Democrat Party, and they HATE Israel!”

On Friday, Israel reversed course and said Rep. Tlaib would be admitted to see her 90 year-old grandmother, who lives in the occupied West Bank, citing a letter saying it might be her last chance to see her.

Later Friday, Rep. Tlaib said she would not travel to Israel under “oppressive conditions,” which would have included a pledge in writing not to “promote boycotts against Israel” while there.

Rep. Tlaib tweeted, “Silencing me & treating me like a criminal” is not what her grandmother wants for her, adding, “It would kill a piece of me.”

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called it “outrageous,” saying he was not aware of any member of Congress being asked to agree to preconditions to visit Israel.

On Friday, Trump attacked Tlaib again, tweeting, “Israel was very respectful & nice to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, allowing her permission to visit her “grandmother”” — putting grandmother in quotes.

Trump also tweeted Tlaib, “grandstanded & loudly proclaimed she would not visit Israel. Could this possibly have been a setup?” adding, “The only real winner here is Tlaib’s grandmother. She doesn’t have to see her now!”

Trump also tweeted, “Like it or not, Tlaib and Omar are fast becoming the face of the Democrat Party. Cortez (AOC) is fuming, not happy about this!” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez responded with a laughing emoji.

On Friday, Reuters reported her grandmother has not seen Tlaib since 2006, and her uncle said “She was going to slaughter a sheep” to make Tlaib’s favorite food. Tlaib’s grandmother said, “May God ruin Trump.”

On Thursday, Beto O’Rourke, former congressman for El Paso and 2020 candidate said of Trump, “I’m confident that if at this moment, we do not wake up to this threat, then we as a country will die in our sleep.”

On Thursday, Trump promoted another conservative book on his Twitter account, saying, “Go out and get Andrew McCarthy’s new book, “Ball of Collusion.” The book asserts there was collusion, but not involving Trump.

On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and Rick Dearborn, a former White House aide, to publicly testify before the panel.

The subpoena calls for the two to appear on September 17, and testify about actions taken by Trump relating to obstruction of justice, as part of House Democrats decision on whether to move forward on impeachment.

The panel has already approved subpoenas for ten additional witnesses, including Jeff Sessions, Rod Rosenstein, John Kelly, and Jared Kushner.

On Thursday, Chair Nadler also received a letter from attorneys for Hope Hicks, saying despite the proximity of the calls with Michael Cohen, she was not aware of hush money payments, consistent with her testimony.

On Friday, Lewandowski said he was “happy” to testify before Congress, telling Fox News, “I am an open book. I want to go and remind the American people that these guys are on a witch hunt, right?”

On Thursday, Trump doubled-down on re-electing him for a strong economy, telling a crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire even Americans who hate him “have no choice but to vote for me.”

Trump mocked his 2020 rival while bragging about the economy even as it falters, saying, “Oh great. ‘Let’s vote for Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren” — again using a racial slur — “We have the best numbers we’ve ever had.”

Trump also repeated many of the themes from his 2016 campaign, attacking Hillary Clinton, the media, Democrats, and U.S. allies in Europe. He also all but endorsed Corey Lewandowski in his 2020 run for senate.

The Times described Trump’s hour and a half long speech as “rambling,” and “veering on and off script.” Trump also repeated points he had made earlier in the speech, as if not remembering he made them.

Trump also mocked a man at his rally, saying, “That guy’s got a serious weight problem,” as several protestors were escorted out of his rally, and, “Go home. Start exercising.”

Trump also said of the man, “Get him out of here please. Got a bigger problem than I do,” adding, “Got a bigger problem than all of us. Now he goes home and his mom says, ‘What the hell have you just done?’”

Later Thursday, aboard Air Force One on his way back to his Bedminster golf course, Trump called Frank Dawson, the man he mocked, to apologize, after learning Dawson was a supporter.

Dawson told Fox News that evening, that Trump “didn’t see me rip the signs away from those three people that were sitting near us, adding, “I think he thought I was part of it, but I wasn’t. I was the good part of it.”

On Thursday, WSJ reported Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in buying Greenland, a self-ruling part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with various degrees of interest, at dinners and in conversation with aides.

People outside the White House describe it as an Alaska-type acquisition that would be part of Trump’s legacy. Trump is scheduled to make his first visit to Denmark next month.

On Friday, leadership of Greenland responded, with Greenland’s foreign minister Ane Lone Bagger telling Reuters, “We are open for business, but we’re not for sale.”

Other lawmakers responded with bewilderment, ridicule, and anger over Trump’s deeply inappropriate suggestion. In a formal statement, Greenland’s government said, “Of course, Greenland is not for sale.”

By Friday, 126 House Democrats supported starting an impeachment inquiry. Of those, only one, Rep. Chris Pappas, is from a district that went for Trump in the 2016 election.

An online petition to rename the street in front of Trump Tower as Obama Avenue was signed by more than 300,000 people; however, the local community board has moratorium against renaming streets.

On Friday, hundreds came to the funeral of Margie Reckard, a victim of the El Paso shooting, after her companion of 22 years, Antonio Basco, invited the public saying he felt heartbroken and alone and had few relatives.

On Friday, a memo of talking points being circulated among Congressional Republicans that was obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, revealed the GOP strategy is to downplay white nationalism and blame Democrats.

The memo falsely described the El Paso massacre and other mass shootings as “violence from the left,” and gave arguments against gun control, and whataboutisms to counter questions.

On Friday, Scaramucci told Vanity Fair that Trump is a “jackass” who is “crazy” and “narcissistic,” adding Trump “has got the self-worth in terms of his self-esteem of a small pigeon. It’s a very small pigeon.”

Scaramucci also called Trump a “paper tiger,” cited his increased mental problems, and predicted he would drop out of the 2020 presidential race by March 2020.

On Friday, an appeals court declined to halt the Trump regime’s rules to prohibit clinics that receive Title X federal funds from referring patients for abortions, meaning the rules will go into effect Monday.

The Weekly List podcast is here! You can find more information here by clicking here.

THE LIST — weeks 1–52 of The Weekly List is out as a book! You can order your copy by clicking here.

5000 union contractors listened to Trump speak at the Shell Chemicals Petrochemical Complex on August 13, 2019 in Monaca, Pennsylvania. It was later reported that workers were mandated to attend or be docked the day’s pay, and were told not to protest.POLITIKS

POLITIKS OF GRAFFITI 145: IF YOU ARE WARNED NOT TO PROTEST, THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY. YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? AUGUST 17, 2019 Week 144 Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember. 

[marymosley]

Top Cities in United States for Lawyers to work

In this study, Advisorsmith ranked 332 cities of United States to determine the most attractive cities where lawyers may want to pursue their careers. 

Study found that the best cities for lawyers are large cities, with 9 of the top 10, and 38 of the top 50 cities being cities with populations of 500,000 or higher. Major cities have higher concentrations of businesses and organizations in need of legal assistance, which also leads to higher concentrations of jobs for attorneys.

Best Cities for Lawyers

1. Washington, DC

As the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. ranked as the number one city for lawyers in our study. Located along the Potomac River, the city is home to the federal government of the United States, as well as major international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Besides government functions, the city also hosts major universities including Georgetown University and George Washington University as well as several major medical facilities.

Lawyers in Washington, D.C. earn an average salary of $179,980, which is 25% above the national average. The presence of the federal government, rulemaking bodies, and lobbying associations creates many jobs for attorneys in the city. Washington, D.C. had the highest location quotient of all the cities in our study, having over 3 times as many lawyers as the average U.S. city on a per-capita basis. Some of the largest law firms in Washington, D.C. include Covington & Burling LLP, Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

2. Houston, TX

Located near the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the 5th largest metropolitan area in the United States by population. Houston’s rise began as a trading center, with an important port and the bustling railroad industry, followed by the discovery of oil resources in Beaumont, not far from Houston. Oil and gas continues to be a major driver of the city’s economy today. Later, the city continued to diversify its economy with the establishment of the Texas Medical Center and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, leading to growth associated with the aerospace industry.

Houston’s lawyers earn salaries of $175,380 on average, which is 22% above the national average. The cost of living in Houston is also modest, with a cost of living index ranking Houston 7% below the national average, meaning lawyers in Houston can enjoy comfortable lifestyles. Several of the largest law firms in Houston include Vinson & Elkins LLP, Baker Botts LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Bracewell LLP, and Locke Lord LLP.

3. Tallahassee, FL

Tallahassee is the capital of the state of Florida and also home to Florida State University. Located in the northern part of the state in the Florida Panhandle, Tallahassee was chosen as the state capital as a compromise in the 1820s because it was located halfway between the other primary contending cities, Pensacola and St. Augustine. Today, the city’s economy is driven primarily by its role in state government, as well as by the major public universities that it hosts.

Attorneys in Tallahassee had salaries of $118,010 on average. Although this is below the national average salary, attorneys in the city benefit from a cost of living that is 7% below the national average. Jobs for lawyers in Tallahassee are plentiful, as the city has a location quotient of 2.85, meaning there are 185% more jobs for lawyers on a per-capita basis compared with the U.S. average. Several notable law firms in Tallahassee include Baker Donelson, Gunster, and Akerman LLP.

4. Chicago, IL

As the third largest metropolitan area in the country, Chicago is the most important city in the Midwest. The Chicago metro area has a population of almost 10 million people, and the city is a global hub for finance, technology, and transportation. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago was an important trading city linking the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Today, the city hosts financial trading markets such as the Chicago Board of Trade, one of the busiest airports in the world at Chicago O’Hare, and the largest amount of railroad freight in the country.

Lawyers in Chicago earn an above average salary of $159,900 compared with the national average. Additionally, Chicago has a location quotient of 1.30, which means that the city hosts 30% more jobs for attorneys compared with the average U.S. city. In total, Chicago has 26,860 jobs for lawyers. Some of the largest law firms in Chicago include Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, Mayer Brown, Jenner & Block, and Winston & Strawn.

5. Miami, FL

The city of Miami, located in South Florida, is a dense metropolitan area that features beautiful sandy beaches and numerous high rises. The metropolitan area has a population of over 6 million people and is a major finance, international trade, and tourism hub. Miami attracts many residents relocating from the Northeast and Latin America, attracted by its pleasant climate, low taxes, and stable economic and political environment.

Miami has 20,140 lawyers, which is 75% more on a per-capita basis than the average U.S. city, making employment easy to find. Attorneys in Miami earned an average salary of $145,430, which is about the national average. Some of the largest law firms in Miami include Greenberg Traurig, Akerman LLP, Holland & Knight, Shutts & Bowen LLP, and Gunster.

Rank City City Size Average Annual Salary Total Jobs Location Quotient Cost of Living

1 Washington, DC Large $179,980 43,900 3.15 135 2 Houston, TX Large $175,380 12,670 0.96 93 3 Tallahassee, FL Midsize $118,010 2,190 2.85 93 4 Chicago, IL Large $159,900 26,860 1.3 109 5 Miami, FL Large $145,430 20,140 1.75 113 6 Birmingham, AL Large $127,170 2,220 0.98 84 7 Philadelphia, PA Large $152,100 18,280 1.44 111 8 Atlanta, GA Large $136,890 15,920 1.34 98 9 Pittsburgh, PA Large $132,330 5,340 1.05 91 10 Richmond, VA Large $147,500 3,330 1.16 104

11 New York, NY Large $172,020 80,900 1.92 146 12 Oklahoma City, OK Large $114,400 3,950 1.44 87 13 Milwaukee, WI Large $147,650 3,740 0.99 102 14 Charleston, WV Midsize $95,990 920 1.85 81 15 Montgomery, AL Midsize $119,120 970 1.33 89 16 New Orleans, LA Large $122,640 3,600 1.47 97 17 Denver, CO Large $156,000 9,650 1.47 126 18 Springfield, IL Midsize $117,660 490 1.06 87 19 Hartford, CT Large $147,370 3,350 1.29 117 20 Trenton, NJ Midsize $120,950 1,950 1.9 113

For Complete Ranking, Click Here

Methodology

AdvisorSmith’s study on the best cities for lawyers weighed three major factors in its ranking.

1. Cost of living index for each city

The cost of living was used to adjust the salaries earned in each city. Because some cities with very high compensation for lawyers, such as New York City, also suffer from very high costs of living, we normalized salaries using a cost of living index so that the lifestyle that a lawyer can expect in different cities could be compared more fairly. More affordable cities scored higher in our ranking of cities.

2. Average annual salaries for lawyers in the city

An important factor in deciding a place to practice law is the average annual compensation available to lawyers in a city. One variable we considered in our study is the pay that lawyers in each city can expect. Cities with higher pay were ranked more highly in this study.

Nationwide, the average salary for a lawyer in the United States was $144,230.

3. The density of jobs for lawyers in each city

Our study considered the location quotient for attorney employment, which indicates the number of jobs for lawyers in a city compared with the total number of jobs in the city. The higher the location quotient, the more likely it is that any given job in the city is a job for a lawyer. Cities with higher location quotients ranked more highly in our study.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 642,750 lawyers employed in the United States in 2018. The BLS also predicts that employment for attorneys will increase 8% in the 10-year period between 2016-2026.

The post Top Cities in United States for Lawyers to work appeared first on Legal Desire.

Top Cities in United States for Lawyers to work published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

[mikemortgage]

North America Airports Set Record for Passenger Satisfaction amid Surging Passenger Volumes and Ongoing Construction Projects, J.D. Power Finds

COSTA MESA, Calif. & TORONTO — North America airports have managed to shrug off the potentially disruptive effects of record passenger volumes and massive construction projects to achieve a record high in overall passenger satisfaction. According to the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study,SM released today, across-the-board improvements in five factors: check-in; food, beverage and retail; accessibility; terminal facilities; and baggage claim helped drive overall passenger satisfaction to 761 (on a 1,000-point scale), 12 points higher than last year’s study.

“North America airports have been doing a tremendous job managing passenger volume, adding amenities, and keeping travellers moving despite some noteworthy challenges, but they will be put to the true test over the next few years,” said Michael Taylor, Travel Practice Lead at J.D. Power. “Several multi-billion-dollar airport construction projects—such as those in Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago—are reaching phases in which passenger disruption and increased traffic will be incredibly hard to avoid. How well these rapidly expanding airports manage throughout these infrastructure projects will provide valuable insight into what’s in store on a nationwide basis.”

Following are some of the key findings of the 2018 study:

Overall satisfaction reaches all-time high: Overall customer satisfaction scores reach an all-time high of 761, which is up 12 points from last year’s previous record high. Improvement is driven primarily by a 17-point increase in satisfaction with food, beverage and retail, and an 18-point increase in satisfaction with security check.

Better airport/TSA communication improves security check satisfaction: The 18-point increase in passenger satisfaction with the security check process is largely attributable to improved communication and cooperation between airport and TSA staff, with leading airports working closely with TSA to align security staffing levels with airport load factors.

Outsmarting human nature: The highest-scoring component of the airport experience is check-in/baggage check, which has been rising consistently since airports began implementing self-service kiosks and bag tagging. This removes the passenger frustration of waiting for someone else to facilitate a process, reduces lines and allows passengers to move at their own pace.

Airport Satisfaction Rankings

Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and Orlando International Airport rank highest, in a tie, in passenger satisfaction among mega airports, each with a score of 781. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (775) ranks third and Denver International Airport (771) ranks fourth.

John Wayne Airport, Orange County ranks highest among large airports, with a score of 815. Dallas Love Field (810) ranks second and Portland (Ore.) International Airport (804) ranks third.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport ranks highest among medium airports, with a score of 814. Indianapolis International Airport (811) ranks second and Fort Myers/Southwest Florida International (810) ranks third.

The 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study measures overall traveller satisfaction with mega, large, and medium North America airports by examining six factors (in order of importance): terminal facilities; airport accessibility; security check; baggage claim; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail.

Now in its 13th year, the study is based on responses from 40,183 North America travellers who travelled through at least one domestic airport and covers both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports) during the past three months. Travellers evaluated either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience. The study was fielded from September 2017 through September 2018.

For more information about the North America Airport Satisfaction Study, visit http://www.jdpower.com/resource/north-america-airport-satisfaction-study.

See the complete rankings at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2018050.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. J.D. Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

Study Ranking Overall North America Airport Satisfaction Mega Airport Ranking (Based on a 1,000- point scale) Las Vegas McCarran International Airport 781 Orlando International Airport 781 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 775 Denver International Airport 771 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 770 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 769 Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport 769 Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport 767 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport 765 San Francisco International Airport 763 Charlotte Douglas International Airport 761 Toronto Pearson International Airport 761 Mega Airport Segment Average 758 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 756 New York John F. Kennedy International Airport 752 Miami International Airport 750 Boston Logan International Airport 747 Chicago O’Hare International Airport 735 Los Angeles International Airport 735 Newark Liberty International Airport 701 Study Ranking Overall North America Airport Satisfaction Large Airport Ranking (Based on a 1,000- point scale) John Wayne Airport, Orange County 815 Dallas Love Field 810 Portland (Ore.) International Airport 804 Nashville International Airport 802 Tampa International Airport 799 Vancouver International Airport 781 San Diego International Airport 776 Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport 774 Austin-Bergstrom International Airport 772 William P. Hobby Airport 768 Salt Lake City International Airport 768 Chicago Midway International Airport 763 Large Airport Segment Average 760 Baltimore Washington International 759 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 759 Calgary International Airport 756 Lambert-St. Louis International Airport 753 Washington Dulles International Airport 751 Oakland International Airport 749 Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport 744 Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 743 Honolulu International Airport 736 Philadelphia International Airport 736 Kansas City International Airport 733 New York LaGuardia Airport 678 Study Ranking Overall North America Airport Satisfaction Medium Airport Ranking (Based on a 1,000- point scale) Buffalo Niagara International Airport 814 Indianapolis International Airport 811 Southwest Florida International Airport 810 Sacramento International Airport 805 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport 804 Jacksonville International Airport 803 Pittsburgh International Airport 801 Albuquerque International Sunport 797 John Glenn Columbus International Airport 789 Medium Airport Segment Average 789 Hollywood Burbank Airport 788 Raleigh-Durham International Airport 787 Eppley Airfield 786 Palm Beach International Airport 785 San Antonio International Airport 785 Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport 784 Ontario International Airport 783 Bradley International Airport 782 General Mitchell International Airport 778 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport 769 San Jose International Airport 767 Kahului Airport 757

Source: J.D. Power 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study SM

Charts and graphs extracted from this press release for use by the media must be accompanied by a statement identifying J.D. Power as the publisher and the study from which it originated as the source. Rankings are based on numerical scores, and not necessarily on statistical significance. No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release or J.D. Power survey results without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180919005359/en/

Contacts

Media Relations Contacts Cohn & Wolfe; Toronto, Canada Sandy Caetano, 647-259-3288 sandy.caetano@cohnwolfe.ca or J.D. Power; Costa Mesa, Calif. Geno Effler, 714-621-6224 media.relations@jdpa.com

from Financial Post https://ift.tt/2OClYHB via IFTTT Blogger Mortgage Tumblr Mortgage Evernote Mortgage Wordpress Mortgage href="https://www.diigo.com/user/gelsi11">Diigo Mortgage

[juditmiltz]

South Florida by the numbers: Alexa, add Miami to the Amazon HQ2 shortlist

“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.

Miami and South Florida got some exciting news last week, when e-commerce giant Amazon announced that the city/region had made the shortlist of candidates for its second national headquarters, or “HQ2”. The bid was formally and collectively submitted last year by South Florida’s leading economic development organizations, namely the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Regional cooperation has helped South Florida successfully bid for major corporate relocations and sporting events in the past, and multiple real estate sites and incentive packages from all three counties would appear to be giving the region an advantage once again. But will it be enough to make the jump to Amazon Prime? Let’s explore in this month’s edition of “South Florida by the numbers.”

20: Number of final cities/regions making the cut for HQ2, selected from 238 proposals. With the exception of Toronto, all are from (mostly) urban hubs in the United States, primarily along the East Coast. South Florida’s competition includes Boston; Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; and Montgomery County, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb (along with Washington, D.C. on its own). Amazon is targeting an area with low cost of living, an educated workforce, high incentives, at least 1 million people, and access to an international airport. [TheRealDeal]

50,000: Number of employees expected to be hired at the eventual HQ2 location, with an average wage of more than $100,000. In Miami-Dade County, that would easily make Amazon the top employer, leading to real concerns about less affordable housing and dramatically higher rental rates should Miami be selected. [MiamiHerald]

$400 million: Amount of the city of Miami’s recently-approved “Miami Forever Bond,” which would provide funding for resiliency, affordable housing, and culture/infrastructure. According to Miami’s Mayor Suarez, the city and its community redevelopment agencies were committed to increasing funding for affordable housing and encouraging workforce housing through zoning changes. [SFBJ]

$5 billion: Amount Amazon has promised to invest in construction spending for HQ2. In a press release announcing the search, the retail giant also mentioned its $38 billion impact on Seattle’s economy, pointing out how every dollar invested in its original hometown generated an additional $1.40 for the city’s overall economy. [NYT]

20-1: Odds of Miami/South Florida being selected for the HQ2 location, according to Irish online bookmaker PaddyPower.com – putting the region in the group with the smallest chances of being chosen. While Miami has certain advantages over its competitors, most observers consider it a surprise that it was included in the top 20. [WLRN]

This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and is based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/01/25/south-florida-by-the-numbers-alexa-add-miami-to-the-amazon-hq2-shortlist/ via IFTTT

[tortuga-aak]

Amazon could detonate a gentrification ‘prosperity bomb’ in the city it chooses for its new headquarters

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

At least 50 cities are expected to submit proposals to host a new $5 billion Amazon campus, dubbed HQ2, by today's deadline.

Amazon claims its second headquarters would create 50,000 jobs in the to-be-determined city.

But some residents worry that the new headquarters would increase traffic, spur gentrification, and lead to prolonged construction.

A new report looked at HQ2's potential impact on 15 cities, and found that it could increase rent prices in up to 2% annually.

  Cities across North America are vying to become the home of Amazon's second headquarters. The company said in early September that it plans to invest $5 billion in the construction of a new campus, dubbed HQ2, which it hopes will eventually hold 50,000 Amazon employees.

CEO Jeff Bezos said HQ2 will be equal in size to Amazon's current headquarters in the Seattle area, where the company grew from a small set-up in Bezos' garage into a global e-commerce giant. Cities in the running include New York City, Philadelphia, Denver, San Jose, and Toronto.

Many city leaders are optimistic about the thousands of jobs Amazon claims HQ2 would create. But some residents worry that it would also spur the same problems that Seattle has seen since Amazon arrived in the late 1990s: increased traffic, soaring housing prices, and prolonged construction.

In The Oregonian, a Portland resident questioned how the city would cope with the population growth HQ2 could bring. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch expressed worries about higher rents that could price out "young artists and dreamers ... crushing any and all cultural diversity and vibrancy." 

James Thomson, an ex-head of Amazon Services (the division that recruits sellers to the company's marketplaces), told the Toronto Star that inviting an Amazon HQ comes with risks.

"The expense is a trade-off against schools, infrastructure, health care, etc.," he said. "Can Toronto support 50,000 high-net earners who all want nice homes, nice restaurants, easy commutes, etc.? Amazon is NOT a fan of unions or regulation."

As of bid day, 73 community organizations across 21 states have signed an open letter to Bezos listing several concerns around a possible HQ2 in their cities, including out-of-state hiring, lack of investment in transportation infrastructure, unaffordable housing, and gentrification.

Their worries about higher rent prices are not be unfounded, according to a recent report from the real estate website Apartment List. The site made a few predictions about HQ2's potential impact on housing prices in 15 major cities, based on historical home-building statistics and data from the US Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the report, the metro areas with the highest rent increases would include Raleigh, North Carolina (1.5% to 2% annually); San Jose, California (1% to 1.6%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1.2% to 1.6%); and Baltimore, Maryland (1% to 1.3%).

The study suggests that most cities would add more jobs than they would housing units and struggle to keep up with residential demand, though different cities would likely have different rates of housing construction. 

Seattle Capitol HillIn Seattle, Amazon is the largest property taxpayer and private employer. Since 2000, the area has added 99,000 new jobs, with 30% of them in tech, contributing to a construction boom. Since then, Amazon has continued to spur an influx of high-skilled, majority-white tech workers.

According to the Washington Technology Industry Association, there are now 250,000 people working in tech jobs in Washington state, a number that's growing at about 10% annually. Nearly 90% of those jobs are in King County, Seattle, the home of Amazon's campus. Seattle is also now the second-highest-paying city in tech, with an average salary of $99,400, according to the tech recruiting company Dice Holdings.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the growth has made Seattle's housing less affordable for some longtime residents, who have accused Amazon of perpetuating income inequality in the city.

From 2005 to 2015, Seattle's median rent went from $1,008 to $1,286, an increase nearly three times the national median. Recent data shows Seattle's median home price hit $730,000 in mid-2017, up nearly 17% from a year ago.

As Bloomberg notes, the expansion of the city's tech industry (most notably Amazon) has clogged roadways as well. Seattle drivers spent an average of 55 hours in traffic in 2016, placing it among the top 10 worst US cities for congestion, according to the most recent analysis by Inrix. In June, King County Metro even added more buses to accommodate Amazon's summer interns.

In The Seattle Times, columnist Danny Westneat warned Amazon's next, "Other North American City" about all these issues.

"If there’s one thing we know in Seattle, it’s boom and bust. We’ve gone from billboards urging the last one leaving to turn out the lights to now, our first million-dollar neighborhood. Both the rush, and the relapse, of the fast buck are in our civic DNA," he wrote. "So heads up, Other North American City: Amazon is about to detonate a prosperity bomb in your town."

Amazon has recently tried to temper this image. In May, it announced efforts to house 200 local homeless people in one of its new Seattle buildings. Two months earlier, Bezos gave $35 million to Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in addition to earlier gifts of $30 million. And in 2016, Amazon donated $10 million to fund a new University of Washington computer science and engineering building.

It's not yet clear where Amazon will make its new home. The company plans to announce a decision in 2018, and start construction by 2019. The company said the ideal city would have at least 1 million people, an international airport, and a "stable and business-friendly environment."

NOW WATCH: Amazon can 'overwhelm the competition with brute force'

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[juditmiltz]

South Florida by the numbers: Alexa, add Miami to the Amazon HQ2 shortlist

“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.

Miami and South Florida got some exciting news last week, when e-commerce giant Amazon announced that the city/region had made the shortlist of candidates for its second national headquarters, or “HQ2”. The bid was formally and collectively submitted last year by South Florida’s leading economic development organizations, namely the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Regional cooperation has helped South Florida successfully bid for major corporate relocations and sporting events in the past, and multiple real estate sites and incentive packages from all three counties would appear to be giving the region an advantage once again. But will it be enough to make the jump to Amazon Prime? Let’s explore in this month’s edition of “South Florida by the numbers.”

20: Number of final cities/regions making the cut for HQ2, selected from 238 proposals. With the exception of Toronto, all are from (mostly) urban hubs in the United States, primarily along the East Coast. South Florida’s competition includes Boston; Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; and Montgomery County, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb (along with Washington, D.C. on its own). Amazon is targeting an area with low cost of living, an educated workforce, high incentives, at least 1 million people, and access to an international airport. [TheRealDeal]

50,000: Number of employees expected to be hired at the eventual HQ2 location, with an average wage of more than $100,000. In Miami-Dade County, that would easily make Amazon the top employer, leading to real concerns about less affordable housing and dramatically higher rental rates should Miami be selected. [MiamiHerald]

$400 million: Amount of the city of Miami’s recently-approved “Miami Forever Bond,” which would provide funding for resiliency, affordable housing, and culture/infrastructure. According to Miami’s Mayor Suarez, the city and its community redevelopment agencies were committed to increasing funding for affordable housing and encouraging workforce housing through zoning changes. [SFBJ]

$5 billion: Amount Amazon has promised to invest in construction spending for HQ2. In a press release announcing the search, the retail giant also mentioned its $38 billion impact on Seattle’s economy, pointing out how every dollar invested in its original hometown generated an additional $1.40 for the city’s overall economy. [NYT]

20-1: Odds of Miami/South Florida being selected for the HQ2 location, according to Irish online bookmaker PaddyPower.com – putting the region in the group with the smallest chances of being chosen. While Miami has certain advantages over its competitors, most observers consider it a surprise that it was included in the top 20. [WLRN]

This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and is based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/01/25/south-florida-by-the-numbers-alexa-add-miami-to-the-amazon-hq2-shortlist/ via IFTTT

[juditmiltz]

South Florida by the numbers: Alexa, add Miami to the Amazon HQ2 shortlist

“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.

Miami and South Florida got some exciting news last week, when e-commerce giant Amazon announced that the city/region had made the shortlist of candidates for its second national headquarters, or “HQ2”. The bid was formally and collectively submitted last year by South Florida’s leading economic development organizations, namely the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Regional cooperation has helped South Florida successfully bid for major corporate relocations and sporting events in the past, and multiple real estate sites and incentive packages from all three counties would appear to be giving the region an advantage once again. But will it be enough to make the jump to Amazon Prime? Let’s explore in this month’s edition of “South Florida by the numbers.”

20: Number of final cities/regions making the cut for HQ2, selected from 238 proposals. With the exception of Toronto, all are from (mostly) urban hubs in the United States, primarily along the East Coast. South Florida’s competition includes Boston; Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; and Montgomery County, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb (along with Washington, D.C. on its own). Amazon is targeting an area with low cost of living, an educated workforce, high incentives, at least 1 million people, and access to an international airport. [TheRealDeal]

50,000: Number of employees expected to be hired at the eventual HQ2 location, with an average wage of more than $100,000. In Miami-Dade County, that would easily make Amazon the top employer, leading to real concerns about less affordable housing and dramatically higher rental rates should Miami be selected. [MiamiHerald]

$400 million: Amount of the city of Miami’s recently-approved “Miami Forever Bond,” which would provide funding for resiliency, affordable housing, and culture/infrastructure. According to Miami’s Mayor Suarez, the city and its community redevelopment agencies were committed to increasing funding for affordable housing and encouraging workforce housing through zoning changes. [SFBJ]

$5 billion: Amount Amazon has promised to invest in construction spending for HQ2. In a press release announcing the search, the retail giant also mentioned its $38 billion impact on Seattle’s economy, pointing out how every dollar invested in its original hometown generated an additional $1.40 for the city’s overall economy. [NYT]

20-1: Odds of Miami/South Florida being selected for the HQ2 location, according to Irish online bookmaker PaddyPower.com – putting the region in the group with the smallest chances of being chosen. While Miami has certain advantages over its competitors, most observers consider it a surprise that it was included in the top 20. [WLRN]

This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and is based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/01/25/south-florida-by-the-numbers-alexa-add-miami-to-the-amazon-hq2-shortlist/ via IFTTT

[juditmiltz]

South Florida by the numbers: Alexa, add Miami to the Amazon HQ2 shortlist

“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.

Miami and South Florida got some exciting news last week, when e-commerce giant Amazon announced that the city/region had made the shortlist of candidates for its second national headquarters, or “HQ2”. The bid was formally and collectively submitted last year by South Florida’s leading economic development organizations, namely the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Regional cooperation has helped South Florida successfully bid for major corporate relocations and sporting events in the past, and multiple real estate sites and incentive packages from all three counties would appear to be giving the region an advantage once again. But will it be enough to make the jump to Amazon Prime? Let’s explore in this month’s edition of “South Florida by the numbers.”

20: Number of final cities/regions making the cut for HQ2, selected from 238 proposals. With the exception of Toronto, all are from (mostly) urban hubs in the United States, primarily along the East Coast. South Florida’s competition includes Boston; Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; and Montgomery County, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb (along with Washington, D.C. on its own). Amazon is targeting an area with low cost of living, an educated workforce, high incentives, at least 1 million people, and access to an international airport. [TheRealDeal]

50,000: Number of employees expected to be hired at the eventual HQ2 location, with an average wage of more than $100,000. In Miami-Dade County, that would easily make Amazon the top employer, leading to real concerns about less affordable housing and dramatically higher rental rates should Miami be selected. [MiamiHerald]

$400 million: Amount of the city of Miami’s recently-approved “Miami Forever Bond,” which would provide funding for resiliency, affordable housing, and culture/infrastructure. According to Miami’s Mayor Suarez, the city and its community redevelopment agencies were committed to increasing funding for affordable housing and encouraging workforce housing through zoning changes. [SFBJ]

$5 billion: Amount Amazon has promised to invest in construction spending for HQ2. In a press release announcing the search, the retail giant also mentioned its $38 billion impact on Seattle’s economy, pointing out how every dollar invested in its original hometown generated an additional $1.40 for the city’s overall economy. [NYT]

20-1: Odds of Miami/South Florida being selected for the HQ2 location, according to Irish online bookmaker PaddyPower.com – putting the region in the group with the smallest chances of being chosen. While Miami has certain advantages over its competitors, most observers consider it a surprise that it was included in the top 20. [WLRN]

This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and is based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/01/25/south-florida-by-the-numbers-alexa-add-miami-to-the-amazon-hq2-shortlist/ via IFTTT

[juditmiltz]

South Florida by the numbers: Alexa, add Miami to the Amazon HQ2 Shortlist

“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.

Miami and South Florida got some exciting news last week, when e-commerce giant Amazon announced that the city/region had made the shortlist of candidates for its second national headquarters, or “HQ2”. The bid was formally and collectively submitted last year by South Florida’s leading economic development organizations, namely the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. Regional cooperation has helped South Florida successfully bid for major corporate relocations and sporting events in the past, and multiple real estate sites and incentive packages from all three counties would appear to be giving the region an advantage once again. But will it be enough to make the jump to Amazon Prime? Let’s explore in this month’s edition of “South Florida by the numbers.”

20: Number of final cities/regions making the cut for HQ2, selected from 238 proposals. With the exception of Toronto, all are from (mostly) urban hubs in the United States, primarily along the East Coast. South Florida’s competition includes Boston; Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; and Montgomery County, Maryland, a Washington, D.C. suburb (along with Washington, D.C. on its own). Amazon is targeting an area with low cost of living, an educated workforce, high incentives, at least 1 million people, and access to an international airport. [TheRealDeal]

50,000: Number of employees expected to be hired at the eventual HQ2 location, with an average wage of more than $100,000. In Miami-Dade County, that would easily make Amazon the top employer, leading to real concerns about less affordable housing and dramatically higher rental rates should Miami be selected. [MiamiHerald]

$400 million: Amount of the city of Miami’s recently-approved “Miami Forever Bond,” which would provide funding for resiliency, affordable housing, and culture/infrastructure. According to Miami’s Mayor Suarez, the city and its community redevelopment agencies were committed to increasing funding for affordable housing and encouraging workforce housing through zoning changes. [SFBJ]

$5 billion: Amount Amazon has promised to invest in construction spending for HQ2. In a press release announcing the search, the retail giant also mentioned its $38 billion impact on Seattle’s economy, pointing out how every dollar invested in its original hometown generated an additional $1.40 for the city’s overall economy. [NYT]

20-1: Odds of Miami/South Florida being selected for the HQ2 location, according to Irish online bookmaker PaddyPower.com – putting the region in the group with the smallest chances of being chosen. While Miami has certain advantages over its competitors, most observers consider it a surprise that it was included in the top 20. [WLRN]

This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and is based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/01/25/south-florida-by-the-numbers-alexa-add-miami-to-the-amazon-hq2-shortlist/ via IFTTT