Zorro
Zorro's JournalGov. Brown declares California drought emergency is over
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Startlingly green hills, surging rivers and the snow-wrapped Sierra Nevada had already signaled what Gov. Jerry Brown made official Friday: The long California drought is over.
Brown issued an executive order that lifts the drought emergency in all but a handful of San Joaquin Valley counties where some communities are still coping with dried-up wells.
He also made it clear that the need for conservation is not going away.
“This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner,” Brown said in a statement. “Conservation must remain a way of life.”
Read more: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/california/la-me-brown-drought-20170407-story.html
Other Nations May Exploit Crisis In Venezuela: US Admiral
Mounting political and economic turmoil in Venezuela could lead to a humanitarian crisis and instability in Latin America, the admiral in charge of the U.S. Southern Command said in a report Thursday to the Senate. If such instability takes place in the region, Russia, China and Iran — who have ties with Venezuela — may take advantage of the situation, the admiral added.
"Over the past decade, China, Russia, and Iran have established a greater presence in the region. ... These global actors view the Latin American economic, political, and security arena as an opportunity to achieve their respective long-term objectives and advance interests that may be incompatible with ours and those of our partners," Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, the commander of the U.S. Southern Command, said in the report to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Recession-triggered shortage of food and other basic requirements has led to several protests and demonstrations in the South American nation against the government.
"Venezuela faces significant instability in the coming year due to widespread food, and medicine shortages; continued political uncertainty; and a worsening economic situation," Tidd said in the report. "The growing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela could eventually compel a regional response," he added in the document, which was first reported by TeleSur.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/other-nations-may-exploit-crisis-062145794.html
What is happening in Venezuela is a totally preventable tragedy. It's the outcome of feverishly adhering to failed political and economic policies.
Venezuelan opposition, security forces clash in anti-Maduro protests
Venezuelan opposition protesters and security officers clashed on Thursday as the country's fragmented opposition gained new impetus against a socialist government it blames for the country's social and economic collapse.
The demonstrations were sparked by Supreme Court action last week to assume control of the country's opposition-led congress in what demonstrators said was a lurch toward dictatorship.
While the widely condemned decision was quickly overturned, the opposition has stepped up street protests against President Nicolas Maduro, despite such demonstrations having achieved little in the past.
Thousands of people blocked a main Caracas highway on Thursday, chanting "Out with Maduro!" and "No more dictatorship!" and vowed to march to the office of the state ombudsman, the government's principal human rights advocate.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/venezuela-opposition-again-takes-streets-pushing-earlier-election-152125115.html
Governor latest opposition leader targeted in Venezuela
Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles said Friday that a government agency has banned him from seeking office for 15 years. The governor of Miranda state, who came within a whisker of defeating President Nicolas Maduro in 2013 elections, is the latest in a number of prominent opposition politicians to be targeted by the embattled socialist government. Among the others:
— LEOPOLDO LOPEZ: Venezuela's most-famous political prisoner was arrested in 2014 and later sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison on what are widely seen as trumped-up charges of inciting violence tied to 2014 anti-government protests. His Popular Will party, which President Maduro calls a terrorist organization, asserts that more than 260 of its members have either been detained, charged or face harassment related to their political activity.
— ANTONIO LEDEZMA: The mayor of Caracas was arrested in February 2015 for allegedly being part of a U.S.-backed plot to topple Maduro. Three months later, he was placed under house arrest while awaiting trial.
— MIGUEL HENRIQUE OTERO: The editor of El Nacional, the last remaining national newspaper critical of the government, was barred from leaving Venezuela in 2015 after the powerful head of the socialist party, Diosdado Cabello, sued him for slander for republishing an article from the Spanish newspaper ABC accusing him of ties to drug cartels. Otero, who was outside of the country when the court order was issued, runs the seven-decade-old newspaper from exile in Spain. Several other media executives were charged in the same case.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/governor-latest-opposition-leader-targeted-venezuela-223618101.html
Man Accidentally Shoots Himself at NRA Headquarters: Police
A National Rifle Association employee accidentally shot himself while doing firearms training at the organization's headquarters, according to police.
The 46-year-old man's pistol accidentally discharged Thursday afternoon as he holstered the gun in Fairfax County, Virginia, police said.
The accidental shooting happened at the NRA's National Firearms Museum at 11250 Waples Mill Road in Fairfax.
The employee suffered a minor wound to his lower body and was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Man-Accidentally-Shoots-Himself-at-NRA-Headquarters-418677433.html
Trump Confident U.S. Military Strike On Syria Wiped Out Russian Scandal
WASHINGTON—After ordering the first U.S. military attack against the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, President Donald Trump held a press conference Friday to express his full confidence that the airstrike had completely wiped out the lingering Russian scandal.
“Based on intelligence we have received over the past several hours, the attack on the al-Shayrat air base in Homs has successfully eliminated all discussions and allegations about my administration’s ties to the Russian government,” said Trump, adding that at approximately 4:40 a.m. local time, 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from U.S. naval ships obliterated all traces of the widespread controversy in news outlets across the media.
“Ordering this strike was not a decision I took lightly, but given that it was the only way to decisively eradicate any attention being paid to congressional investigations into possible collusion between key members of my staff and high-ranking Kremlin officials, I decided it was a necessary course of action. If we learn that any remnants of this scandal remain after this attack, I will not hesitate to order further strikes.”
Trump went on to say that he is leaving the option open for a potential ground invasion of Syria if any troubling evidence emerges that the Russian government manipulated the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
http://www.theonion.com/article/trump-confident-us-military-strike-syria-wiped-out-55722
Venezuela representative storms from regional meeting
Venezuela's representative to the Organization of American States stormed out of a session of the 34-nation bloc on Monday, calling the meeting a "coup d'etat," as regional pressure grew for President Nicolas Maduro to fully restore democratic rule.
The meeting of the OAS Permanent Council was called at the weekend by 20 countries, including the United States, concerned about democratic erosion in Venezuela under Maduro.
In a controversial move last week, Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that it was assuming functions of the opposition-led National Assembly.
Critics viewed the ruling as a step toward dictatorship by Maduro's Socialist Party, which has ruled for 18 years. The head of the OAS, Luis Almagro, has called for Venezuela to be expelled from the group, which would further isolate Maduro.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/venezuela-representative-storms-regional-meeting-004111816.html
Tesla Passes Ford in Market Value as Investors Bet on the Future
The record pace of auto sales in the United States is slowing down, leaving investors increasingly bearish on auto stocks.
But there is one exception. Tesla, the electric-vehicle upstart, continues to surge.
On Monday, Tesla surpassed Ford Motor in market value for the first time and moved within striking distance of General Motors, starkly illustrating the growing gap in investors’ optimism over its future versus the prospects for the traditional carmakers from Detroit.
While G.M. and Ford may have strong profits and healthy balance sheets, Tesla offers something Wall Street loves much more: the potential for dramatic growth.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/business/tesla-ford-general-motors-stock-market.html
How SpaceX's Historic Rocket Re-Flight Boosts Elon Musk's Mars Plan
Elon Musk's Mars-colonization vision just got a step closer to reality.
On Thursday (March 30), Musk's company SpaceX successfully launched the SES-10 communications satellite to Earth orbit using a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket whose first stage already had one spaceflight under its belt.
The mission demonstrated the type of technology that could help make Mars settlement economically feasible, Musk said. ['Huge Revolution in Spaceflight': Elon Musk Comments on 1st Reused SpaceX Rocket (Video)]
"There needs to be at least a 100-fold, if not perhaps a 1,000-fold, reduction in the cost per ton to Mars — actually, maybe 10,000-fold," he said Thursday during a postlaunch teleconference with reporters.
http://www.space.com/36300-spacex-rocket-reflight-elon-musk-mars-colony.html
Homebuilder legend Arthur Rutenberg dead at 89
Arthur Rutenberg, who started in the appliance business in Chicago but became one of the nation's best-known homebuilders, died suddenly late Wednesday. He was 89.
Until a few hours before his death, the legendary co-founder of megabuilder U.S. Home was at his desk in the Clearwater headquarters of Arthur Rutenberg Homes Inc. That firm, which he started in 1978 after leaving U.S. Home, is the nation's largest franchisor of custom homebuilding companies.
"There was no sign when he left us" of any problems, his son Barry, said Friday. "My wife and I affectionately refer to him as a force of nature and a couple of people said, 'We all knew we'd lose him some time' but didn't expect it because of his focus and determination."
Throughout Rutenberg's long career, his companies built tens of thousands of homes in Florida and other states. When wearing a company shirt while traveling, his son is still approached by people who say, "I grew up in a Rutenberg home" or "I live in a Rutenberg home." Many Rutenberg houses are in Clearwater and other parts of the Tampa Bay area.
http://events.tbo.com/news/business/realestate/homebuilder-legend-arthur-rutenberg-dead-at-89/2318742
The Rutenberg name is pretty synonymous with Florida Mediterranean style home designs.
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