'If I was raped, I would move': Speaker Glen Casada doubles down on support of Rep. David Byrd

House Speaker Glen Casada says he will continue to defend a Republican lawmaker accused of sexual assault against multiple former students, recently questioning the credibility of the women who came forward and implying that victims of rape should move.

In a video published by The Tennessee Holler, a newly created liberal media website, former Democratic candidate for Congress Justin Kanew questioned Casada about his support of Rep. David Byrd, R-Waynesboro.

Three women last year accused Byrd of sexually assaulting them in the 1980s when they were teenagers playing on the Wayne County High School girls basketball team, which Byrd coached.

In a story last spring, WSMV included audio from a phone call recorded by one of the women as she talked to Byrd about what happened when she was 15. Byrd said he was sorry, though he does not say specifically for what he is apologizing.

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On the topic of the women's credibility, Kanew told Casada that the women had been ostracized in their community as a result of coming forward with allegations against Byrd.

"If it's important, and it is —  it’d be important to me if I was raped, I would move," Casada said. "And hell would have no fury."

Kanew replied that he believed Casada couldn't answer what he would do if he were "raped as a woman in rural Tennessee."


https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/19/tennessee-house-speaker-defends-rep-david-byrd-accused-sexual-assault-if-i-was-raped-i-would-move/2915021002/?utm_source=TN-TopStories

Why America’s New Apartment Buildings All Look the Same
Cheap stick framing has led to a proliferation of blocky, forgettable mid-rises—and more than a few construction fires.





https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-02-13/why-america-s-new-apartment-buildings-all-look-the-same

These buildings are in almost every U.S. city. They range from three to seven stories tall and can stretch for blocks. They’re usually full of rental apartments, but they can also house college dorms, condominiums, hotels, or assisted-living facilities. Close to city centers, they tend toward a blocky, often colorful modernism; out in the suburbs, their architecture is more likely to feature peaked roofs and historical motifs. Their outer walls are covered with fiber cement, metal, stucco, or bricks.

They really are everywhere, I discovered on a cross-country drive last fall, and they’re going up fast. In 2017, 187,000 new housing units were completed in buildings of 50 units or more in the U.S., the most since the Census Bureau started keeping track in 1972. By my informal massaging of the data, well over half of those were in blocky mid-rises.

The number of floors and the presence of a podium varies; the key unifying element, it turns out, is under the skin. They’re almost always made of softwood two-by-fours, or “stick,” in construction parlance, that have been nailed together in frames like those in suburban tract houses.

The method traces to 1830s Chicago, a boomtown with vast forests nearby. Nailing together thin, precut wooden boards into a “balloon frame” allowed for the rapid construction of “a simple cage which the builder can surface within and without with any desired material,” the architect Walker Field wrote in 1943. “It exemplifies those twin conditions that underlie all that is American in our building arts: the chronic shortage of skilled labor, and the almost universal use of wood.” The balloon frame and its variants still dominate single-family homebuilding in the U.S. and Canada. It’s also standard in Australia and New Zealand, and pretty big in Japan, but not in the rest of the world.

In the U.S., stick framing appears to have become the default construction method for apartment complexes as well. The big reason is that it costs much less—I heard estimates from 20 percent to 40 percent less—than building with concrete, steel, or masonry. Those industries have sponsored several studies disputing the gap, but most builders clearly think it exists.

They’re also comfortable with wood. “You can make mistakes and you can cut another piece,” says Michael Feigin, chief construction officer at AvalonBay Communities Inc., the country’s fourth-biggest apartment owner. “With concrete and steel, it’s just a lot more work to fix problems.” If supplies run out, adds Kenneth Bland, a vice president at the trade group American Wood Council, builders “know they can run to the nearest big box and get what they need.”

They can also run to the nearest big-box store to find workers. Stick construction allows builders to use cheaper casual labor rather than often-unionized skilled tradespeople. And it makes life easier for electricians, plumbers, and the like because it leaves open spaces through which wires, pipes, and ducts can run. Still, there’s a reason why stick wasn’t the default for big apartment buildings until recently, and why these buildings are limited in height: Sticks burn.

Trump... stop embarrassing us


https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/02/17/japans-leader-nominated-trump-for-nobel-prize-at-washingtons-urging-report/23671406/

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize — but he did so at the U.S. government’s prompting, according to a Sunday report in Japan’s Asahi Shimbun.

Government sources told Asahi, one of Japan’s oldest and largest national newspapers, that Abe nominated Trump last fall for the peace prize at the “behest of Washington.” The U.S. had “informally” asked Japan to nominate Trump for the accolade following the president’s landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources.

https://twitter.com/AkkiJ_/status/1097156065425321984

A journalist went to cover a story about a shelter for abandoned dogs . That beautiful and innocent puppy, wanting affection and a home , grabbed him with his legs ..
the journalist , adopted him

https://nypost.com/2019/02/17/trump-rages-against-snl-after-latest-alec-baldwin-skit/

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President Trump accused TV networks of teaming up against his administration on Sunday and questioned why shows like “Saturday Night Live” can take shots against him and other Republicans without “retribution.”

“Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!,” the president wrote on Twitter.

Moments later he drove the point home in an all caps tweet.

“THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!,” he wrote.

“Marco Rubio is a soft, lukewarm nothing with dead eyes & a haircut so standard & boring it defies description. Rubio should be shipped deep into the Everglades & left to live out his days in a small, isolated cabin.Instead, he writes the nation's laws.”
-Miami News Times

https://twitter.com/InactionNever/status/1096887672029827073

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — UPDATE (February 16, 2019 8 a.m.) As of 8 a.m., Rosa posted bail and is no longer in custody.

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UPDATE (February 16, 2019 7:15 a.m.): Elaine Rosa has been booked for one felony charge of cruelty to an animal and one misdemeanor charge of failing to provide animal care.

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Elaine Rosa, who was accused of dragging a dog behind a scooter has been charged with animal abuse and neglect.

Charges were filed on Friday, February 15 by the District Attorney's Office against Elaine Rosa for animal abuse and neglect. One felony charge and one misdemeanor charge have been filed.

Rosa faces 3 years jail time and a $20,000 fine.

Bo Koenig, Attorney for Rosa has released a statement.


“We were recently advised by law enforcement that official charges have been filed against my client. I’ve reached out to my client and we plan on cooperating with law enforcement 100 percent. She is in the process of turning herself over to the authorities this evening.”

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Rosa was a contracted psychologist at Kern Valley State Prison beginning on Jan. 3, 2018. Her contract was terminated on Jan. 7, 2019.

Bakersfield Police say that they have begun making efforts to take her into custody for her arrest warrant.

The viral video that showed Elaine Rosa dragging a small dog behind an electric scooter in January sparked an uproar on social media. Rosa was a former employee of the Kern Valley State Prison as a contracted psychologist. Her contract was terminated on January 7. https://www.turnto23.com/video-appears-to-show-person-dragging-dog-on-electric-scooter-in-downtown-bakersfield

It is unknown if the video played into her termination.

According to Bakersfield Police, Rosa was not the owner of the dog . The dog has since been returned to its owner and received medical treatment.

https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/district-attorney-charges-filed-against-woman-accused-of-dragging-dog-behind-scooter

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On Monday, another viewer contacted 23ABC with surveillance videos appearing to show the same woman dragging a dog on the ground while riding a scooter.

“It looked like a stuffed animal at first, because it was motionless,” said Brandon Sanders, who told 23 ABC he witnessed the incident with his girlfriend during a Sunday afternoon bike ride.

Sanders said, him and his girlfriend followed the woman yelling at her to stop, but the woman she was wearing headphones at the time and he wasn't sure if she heard them.

The video appears to show the person stop the scooter look at the dog and then drag it by the collar closer to the sidewalk before picking the dog up.

As Sanders got closer to the woman, he said he asked her if she and her dog were OK. Sanders said the woman said, "S--t happens just like it does with kids." "We told her no you don't drag your kids behind a scooter at 15 miles-per-hour," Sanders told 23ABC.

Sanders said “the dog popped it’s head up. It wasn’t making any noises or anything like that. It was kind of surprising, and when I got up closer, I could see all the bloody paws. It wasn't just one paw; it was all four."
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The dog, named Zebra, received medical treatment, and a medical plan was established with a veterinarian and the dog's legal owner to address its injuries, police said.

The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail and up to a $20,000 fine, and the misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in jail.

News of Rosa's charges being filed against Rosa brought swift reaction on social media.

"Wiped that smirk off her face," wrote Barbara Rogers on Facebook.

Another person with the account of Jason N. Tina Tiner wrote, "Please make a felony charge stick! It's important."

And Jay Williams wrote, "Put me on the jury."

Rosa worked as a contracted psychologist at Kern Valley State Prison. Her contract was terminated a day after the incident, which occurred in the 2100 block of Pine Street.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/breaking/felony-animal-cruelty-charge-filed-against-woman-accused-of-dragging/article_42542d48-317d-11e9-8e20-af9752a9a840.html

https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190216/senator-pushes-for-automatic-payroll-deduction-of-student-loan-payments

What if student loan payments were treated like Social Security taxes — automatically withheld from a person’s paycheck? Fewer people would fall behind and risk having their wages garnished or credit score plummet. But some might struggle to cover living expenses if their education debt took priority.

Those are some of the central arguments for and against a novel policy gaining traction in Washington. Automatic payroll deduction for student loan repayment has long had broad support among liberal and conservative policy wonks, but it could come to fruition with the backing of Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

The chairman of the Senate education panel hailed the idea last week in a speech outlining his priorities for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965, a federal law that governs almost every aspect of the sector. Although reauthorization has endured fits and starts in a divided Congress, Alexander has pledged to complete the task before he retires next year. As a result, his support for payroll deduction is giving new life to debates over the issue.

Speaking before the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute recently, Alexander proposed consolidating the existing nine repayment plans into two options.

One would maintain the standard 10-year repayment plan, while the other would expand the Obama-era plan Revised Pay as You Earn, or REPAYE. That program caps payments to about 10 percent of discretionary income — that means earnings above 150 percent of the federal poverty line ($18,735 for a single person) — and forgives any existing balance after 20 years. Alexander would marry that option to automatic payroll deduction.

“Borrowers would never have to pay more than 10 percent of their income that is not needed for necessities,” Alexander told the audience. “And if a borrower loses his or her job and doesn’t make enough to make a payment, they would not pay anything, and it would not hurt their credit score.”

TULSA — Vanessa Hall-Harper, a lifelong resident of this city’s poorest area, has viewed the opening of dollar stores in recent years with trepidation. The stores were a reminder of the blight, she said, and they blocked grocers and others from opening. So when she was elected to the City Council, she fought back, ushering in restrictions on new stores.

“The community said, ‘We don’t want any more dollar stores,’ ” she said. “We need grocery stores, clothing, shoes — things that you need to live.”

Tulsa is one of several cities grappling with uncomfortable questions from the rise of dollar stores in urban America. These stores have gained attention as success stories in the country’s most economically distressed places — largely rural counties with few retail options. Two main chains, Dollar General and Dollar Tree (which owns Family Dollar), operate more than 30,000 stores nationally and plan to open thousands more, vastly outnumbering Walmarts and other retailers.


In cities, dollar stores trade in economic despair, with many residents saying they are a vital source of cheap staples. But as the stores cluster in low-income neighborhoods, their critics worry they are not just a response to poverty — but a cause. Residents fear the stores deter other business, especially in neighborhoods without grocers or options for healthful food. Dollar stores rarely sell fresh produce or meats, but they undercut grocery stores on prices of everyday items, often pushing them out of business.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/as-dollar-stores-move-into-cities-residents-see-a-steep-downside/2019/02/15/b3676cbe-2f09-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.b3abe2c75af4

http://www.trbimg.com/img-5c59eb64/turbine/ct-1549396830-nzf12pbrh1-snap-image/750/750x422


There's no such thing as a free lunch anymore at Panera.

The sandwich chain will close its last pay-what-you-can location next week after determining the model wasn't sustainable. It's already shut the other free-meals cafes around the country, including locations in Chicago; Clayton, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; and Dearborn, Mich., and its Boston concept will close its doors Feb. 15 after a six-year run.

The original idea was to allow customers to give a suggested donation for their food in a bid to raise awareness about hunger across the U.S. The funds collected were supposed to cover the store's operating costs while also paying for those who couldn't afford their food.

"Despite our commitment to this mission, it's become clear that continued operation of the Boston Panera Cares is no longer viable," Panera Bread said in an emailed statement. "We're working with the current bakery-cafe associates affected by the closure to identify alternate employment opportunities within Panera and Au Bon Pain."

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The JAB Holding Co.-owned chain said that those who couldn't afford their food, including homeless patrons, were supposed to eat in-store. That was intended to create a feeling of community, but it also highlighted the tensions that arise when private businesses try to be welcoming for everyone — a challenge rival Starbucks Corp. has also faced.