NV Shooting

From the BBC:
"Nevada student kills teacher in deadly school shooting"

A student at a Nevada middle school shot a teacher dead and wounded two other students before turning the gun on himself, police have said. As many as 200 police officers responded to the scene but fired no shots, authorities said. The incident occurred at 07:15 local time (14:15 GMT) shortly before the scheduled start of classes. Students from Sparks Middle School and a nearby primary school were evacuated and classes were cancelled. A student told local media he witnessed the shooting outside on the basketball courts."I thought it was a firecracker at first but the student was pointing the gun at the teacher after the teacher told him to put it down," Kyle Nucum, 13, told the Reno Gazette-Journal.  "Then the student fired a shot at the teacher and everybody ran away… While we were running we heard four or five more shots." Family members of the slain teacher identified him as Michael Landsberry. "It doesn't feel real. It's totally surreal to have it happen," the victim's sister-in-law Chanda Landsberry told the Los Angeles Times. A spokeswoman for Renown Regional Medical Center said two male children were brought to the hospital. At a midday press conference, police said one student was out of surgery and the other was doing well. In a statement, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said he was "deeply saddened to learn of the horrific shooting at Sparks Middle School this morning".

Vegas club shooting

^ It's sad that these shootings keep happening at schools across the globe. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24613025

Sacked Scouts

From the BBC:
"Utah rock row: Dave Hall and Glenn Taylor sacked"

Two leaders of a US scout group shown in an online video toppling an ancient rock formation in Utah have been removed from their positions. The Boy Scouts of America had condemned the destruction, calling it "reprehensible behaviour". Dave Hall filmed Glenn Taylor pushing over the 170 million-year-old sandstone rock in Goblin Valley State Park and celebrating afterwards. The men argued the rock was loose and could have fallen on a passer-by. They now say they should have alerted park rangers to the potential danger. The Boy Scouts said in a statement the actions did not adhere to the group's "leave no trace" principle on the outdoors, and have asked all scout leaders to review those guidelines. The move provoked an international outcry, and the two men have said they have received death threats from around the world.  Utah State Parks spokesman Eugene Swalberg has said state authorities may bring charges against the men after the incident.

^ The Boy Scouts did the right thing by kicking these two idiots out. Not only did they commit a criminal act, but they also destroyed a 170 million year old artifact - something that can never be replaced. I hope the authorities take this seriously and give them a nice, long jail term. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24618109

No CIS Changes

From MT:

"Visas for CIS Citizens 'Won't Be Brought In'"

Russia is not about to institute visa requirements for visitors from neighboring countries, but instead wants to turn the problem of immigration into an asset by creating conditions that will help attract students and qualified professionals, a leading migration official said Monday. "The introduction of visa relations with adjacent countries is unlikely," Federal Migration Service head Konstantin Romodanovsky said in an interview with Kommersant. "In this case integration, actually of any kind, is advantageous for us — both for the economy and for simple citizens." In another interview published Monday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called for a visa regime to restrict the current influx of immigrants from the former Soviet republics. Under current law, people from the Commonwealth of Independent states are legally allowed to stay in Russia for 90 days without a visa.  The problem is not immigration itself, Romodanovsky said, but that "those who are coming to Russia are by no means the ones we need." In an attempt to change the face of immigration to Russia, the FMS is currently introducing both incentive and punitive measures. As of 2014, students will find it easier to receive work permits, with Russian employers no longer required to receive special permission in order to hire them, Romodanovsky said. However, a law recently approved by the State Duma bans entrance to Russia for those who have already violated immigration laws. In the past four years, "the total entrance of immigrants to the Russian Federation increased by 37 percent and we had to react somehow," Romodanovsky said.  Asked where the majority of immigrants to Russia originate, Romodanovsky named Ukrainians as those who most frequently cross the border, while the greatest number of people who illegally stay for more than 90 days are from Uzbekistan. "Oddly enough, our most highly developed relationship is with Tajikistan," Romodanovsky said, explaining that Tajikistan has made the greatest number of agreements with Russia on immigration and been most persistent in their enforcement. The FMS said in September that there are 11.2 million immigrants currently residing in Russia, of whom only 1.5 million are working legally.

^ I don't see Russia making the CIS countries need visas to visit for up to 90 days because then Russia would loose it's influence in what it calls the "near abroad." The Baltics (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) are not and never were part of the CIS nor was/is Turkmenistan. Georgia used to be until the 2008 War with Russia. The rest of the former Soviet Republics (Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) are part of the CIS and can travel to each country visa-free with either an internal passport or an international passport. The majority from the CIS go to Russia because there are more opportunities there. They come legally into the country and then stay to work (some register themselves while many don't.) One thing that people should know is that the Russian police in any city or town can legally stop you and check your documents (ie your internal passport if your Russian or your international passport if your not) to see if you have the correct papers, visas, stamps, migration card, etc and if they want they can hold you. I was only stopped once and had to deal with a not so smart officer. He kept asking me why I didn't have a Russian passport - I told him because I wasn't Russian. Then he was confused by my Russian visa - which was in English and Russian. In the end I played his game (I think he was waiting for a bribe - as is custom in Russia  - but I didn't give him one. I answered his dumb questions (in Russian as of course he didn't speak anything else) and went on my way. I have noticed that they also tend to stop pretty girls. I was with my girlfriend (a Russian) and they stopped her. They flirted with her and when they were done she was allowed to leave. The whole Russian Immigration/Migration system (both inside and outside Russia) needs to be fixed. The law-abiding Russians and foreigners should be treated as law-abiding while the illegals should be treated as such. I don't see that changing anytime soon, but one can hope. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/visas-for-cis-citizens-wont-be-brought-in/488248.html

Banned

From MT:
"3,000 People Banned From Russia Every Day, Migration Service Says"

Russia adds 3,000 names a day to a list of people banned from entering the country, the head of the Federal Migration Service said in an interview Monday. The bans are mainly for violating migration legislation and mean that more than 285,000 people are currently prohibited from visiting Russia, Konstantin Romodanovsky told Kommersant. He did not specify what term these bans are for, although Russian law mandates a three year ban for repeated migration offenses. "The number of people on whom we place a ban correlates with the number of logged violations of migration legislation committed by migrants living in Russia," Romodanovsky said. According to migration officials, 11.3 million foreigners entered Russia in the first six months of the year, including 3 million who work illegally. Russian law enforcement agencies seem keen to reassure the Russian public that they are taking a tougher line on migration after recent outbursts of inter-ethnic violence in Moscow.

On Oct. 13, an angry mob in the Moscow suburb of Biryulyovo targeted businesses that employ Central Asian migrants after a local man was fatally stabbed and initial police reports indicated the assailant was a migrant. However, while popular sentiment remains staunchly hostile to large-scale migration, the government is acutely aware that migrant labor is vital to the economy.

^ As someone who has personally dealt with Russian Immigration, OVIR and all the different agencies and departments I know how confusing and difficult a "simple" trip to Russia is. From learning who your sponsor is to getting the invitation (the original - not a copy), getting the visa, filling out the migration card, registering your visa (in every town/city you spend 3 days or more in) and having to leave the office to find a certain bank, pay the registration fee and then going back to the office and showing them you paid to leaving the country and making sure they take your migration card. It is very time-consuming. You have to run all over the place, visiting different people and departments and deal with people who don't seem to know the latest rules or regulations and don't seem to care to know them. With all that said. I am curious to know how many people a day are banned from places like the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, etc to compare if the 3,000 a day Russia bans follows the general trend or not. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/3000-people-banned-from-russia-every-day-migration-service-says/488247.html

Tito's Widow

From the BBC:
"Tito's widow, Jovanka Broz, dies in Belgrade, aged 88"

The widow of the Communist leader of what was once Yugoslavia has died in Belgrade of a heart attack, aged 88. Jovanka Broz joined the partisans led by Josip Broz Tito who fought the Nazi occupation in World War Two.  She became first Tito's personal secretary, then his third wife in 1952. When Tito died in 1980, she was under house arrest for a time. She lived her last three decades in isolation.  She was left stateless by the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. "With Broz's death, we are left without one of the last most reliable witnesses of our former country's history,'' Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said in a message of condolence.  Jovanka Budisavljevic, an ethnic Serb, was born into a farming family in what is now Croatia on 7 December 1924. She joined the partisans when she was just 17, remaining with them until the end of the war in 1945.  After her marriage to Yugoslavia's authoritarian President Josip Broz - known as Tito - she spent nearly three decades as first lady. But after he died she was accused of plotting a coup.  She lived in seclusion in the Belgrade suburb of Dedinje and rarely gave interviews.  However, in 2009 she spoke to the Politika daily about the period after her husband's death.  "They chased me out ... in my nightgown, without anything, not allowing me even to take a photo of the two of us, or a letter, a book," she said. "I was in isolation and treated like a criminal... I could not leave the house without armed guards." Mrs Broz had been admitted to hospital in August in a serious condition, suffering from heart problems.  Her last wish was to be buried in the House of Flowers in Belgrade, next to Tito.

^ Broz was Tito's wife for the whole time he was leader of Yugoslavia. Tito kept the different ethnicities of the country together by force and when he died that strong hand also disappeared and led to the different Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. I don't know if Tito's authoritative hand did more harm than good or if he should have allowed the different provinces (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo) to become independent. On the one hand Tito kept Yugoslavia on a thin-line between both the East (Soviet Union and its satellites) and the West (the US.) Had the provinces been independent it could have made the Cold War in the Balkans more complicated than it already was. Tito's widow helped him to built Yugoslavia after World War 2, through the Soviet Split and into the 1970s when she became estranged from Tito. A woman who fought the Nazis, helped build a country and lived in the public eye for 3 decades died in obscurity 33 years after her husband. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24602696

CDN Us Taxes

From Yahoo Canada:
"What Canada’s snowbirds need to know about U.S. taxes"

With the weather getting colder, now’s the time for Canadian snowbirds to start preparing to head south of the border for the winter. They need to bring with them a keen awareness of all the potential tax hits they might face. For starters, proposed legislation in the U.S. could have serious tax consequences for Canadian visitors. Under the current rules, those who spend more than 182 days out of 365 days in the calendar year, or more than 120 days per year on average over a three-year period, may be considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes. The new JOLT Act, (Jobs Originated through Launching Travel), would allow Canadian retirees to spend up to 240 days each year in the U.S. without a visa. But snowbirds who spend that long in the U.S. may be required to pay U.S. income and estate taxes. To avoid U.S. taxation, IRS form 8840 (Closer Connection Exemption Statement for Aliens) needs to be filed annually with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Not filing it could result in a US$10,000 fine. There are several other possible tax implications. Those with a bank account in the U.S. need to know that interest earned on deposits could be subject to taxation. They should complete IRS form W8-BEN (Certificate of Foreign Status) with the U.S. financial institution to avoid possibly having 30 per cent of any interest earned withheld and sent to the IRS. Tax considerations come into play if you own property in the States, too. If you sell, a withholding tax of 10 per cent of the gross sales price is normally payable under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act. A government regulation stipulates that, if you own an American property when you die and your worldwide assets are worth more than US$2million, that property is subject to a 45-per cent estate tax. One solution to U.S. estate tax is to hold real estate in a Canadian corporation rather than personally, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham). Because shares of a Canadian corporation are not considered property within the U.S, no U.S. estate tax will apply.

Another way to reduce exposure to the U.S. estate tax is split interest ownership of the property. According to AmCham, an individual would acquire a life interest in American property under such an arrangement, and his or her children would acquire the remainder interest in the property. Upon the death of the individual, there would be no estate tax on the life interest.

^ I added this because of the point that if you stay in the US for 240 days a Canadian would need to pay US taxes if/when JOLT becomes law. ^

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/pay-day-/canada-snowbirds-know-u-taxes-161842793.html

Free Canada-EU

From the Globe and Mail:
"Canada, EU unveil ‘historic' free-trade agreement"

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed the Canada-European Union trade agreement as an historic opportunity for Canada even though the deal has yet to be finalized. Mr. Harper and EU President Jose Manuel Barroso announced the agreement Friday at a joint press conference in Brussels. “This is a big deal,” Mr. Harper said at a news conference. “Indeed it is the biggest deal our country has ever made. This is a historic win for Canada.”  Added Mr. Barroso: “Today is the beginning of a new era for the European Union and Canada.”The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, goes far beyond the North American Free Trade Agreement and is designed to eliminate thousands of tariffs, encourage foreign investment and promote movement of labour. Once implemented, 98 per cent of EU and Canadian tariffs will be eliminated immediately. That includes 95 per cent of EU tariffs on agriculture products such as grains, Canola and fruit. Other tariffs and restrictions will be phased out over seven years. But the text of the deal has yet to be released, mainly because it has to be translated into the EU’s 24 languages. It must also be approved by all 28 EU members as well as Canada’s provinces and territories. That process could take two years. Mr. Barroso expressed confidence the deal would be in place by 2015, although some countries have raised concerns. He said the agreement can be adopted provisionally while the ratification process is underway. “I expect the European Union member states to agree on this agreement because we kept them informed,” he said, adding that it has been well received. “I don’t see any reason to have doubts about its effective implementation. If I saw it, I would say it.” Mr. Harper too played down the approval process saying the provinces are on side and that he expects the deal to be in place by the next election in 2015. “The agreement as it now stands is not going to change,” he said. “I am certainly confident of its adoption in Canada. I think anyone who opposes it will lose and will make a big historic mistake in so doing.” The deal will have far reaching impacts, touching just about every sector of the Canadian economy as well as millions of workers and consumers. The final result could see Canadians paying less for thousands of products made in Europe, such as cars, which are currently subject to a 6 per cent tariff. European companies will also be able to bid on large provincial and municipal government contracts. Canadian companies and farmers will gain open access to the EU for hundreds of products, some of which now face tariffs as high as 12 per cent. Canada has been eager to reach the trade deal, believing access to the EU’s $17-trillion economy will boost gross domestic product by $12-billion and create 80,000 jobs. The EU is Canada’s second largest trading partner, far behind the United States.

^ This has to be agreed by all of Canada's Provinces and Territories as well as all 28 EU member countries. I see problems with the Czech Republic because Canada requires them to have visas to visit (Canada says it is because of all the Gypsies that come on Czech passports and then stay in the country illegally or requesting asylum. This Agreement could return visa-free access to the Czech Republic despite it not being in the document. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/eu-harper/article14924915/

NJ For Marriage

From USA Today:
"New Jersey court to allow same-sex marriages"

Gay couples in New Jersey will be able to marry starting Monday. The state Supreme Court Friday turned down Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration request to delay same-sex marriages, clearing the way for the weddings to begin Oct. 21. A lower-court judge had earlier ruled that same-sex weddings must be allowed starting Monday, and the administration requested a stay. The Christie administration has also appealed a lower court decision that the state should allow same-sex marriages, and the high court is expected to hear arguments and render a decision on the broader issue over the next three months. The ruling by the justices against the motion was unanimous, a sign that the administration's prospects for the full appeal are bleak.

^ With New Jersey now added there are fourteen states that allow gay marriage. It's nice to see that countries, states, etc are continuing to give equal rights to homosexuals despite the "trend" in some places to tighten discrimination against them. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/18/gay-marriage-nj/3009611/

Handful Of Passports

From MT:
"How Wealthy Russians Buy a 2nd Passport"

When Nuri Katz, founder of investment firm Apex Capital, heads for the customs gate, he gets to decide which of his three passports to use — a privilege that his Russian clients would pay up to 5 million euros to enjoy. Katz is in the citizenship-by-investment business. Select Western nations provide everything from fast-track visas to full citizenship in exchange for significant investments in their economy. Apex Capital, the oldest of a handful of Russian-centric investment advisories, guides clients through the citizenship-by-investment application process. While immigration for poorer Russians is filled with sacrifices, the modern Russian businessman chooses alternative citizenship for the luxuries it offers. "A lot of people do not know what they want," said Katz, who holds Israeli, Canadian, and U.S. passports. "'I want to go there,' clients say. Well, 'there' is 150 different countries." The U.S., Canada and Britain, as well as smaller nations like the Caribbean islands of Antigua and St. Kitts, all encourage applications. Still, these programs can be both expensive and difficult to navigate. Cypriot citizenship, which metals billionaire Alexander Abramov received in 2010, costs a minimum of 5.5 million euros ($7.4 million), in investments or real estate. St. Kitts, on the lower end of the spectrum, offers citizenship for real estate purchases of no less than $400,000. Advisory firms, at the least, prepare application documents and assist in finding suitable investments. The hardest part of the application is often explaining the applicant's financial history to immigration officials unfamiliar with Russian history and accounting practices. Applicants who made their start-up capital in the heady and legally ambiguous days of privatization can be the hardest to explain.  Public knowledge of a Russian's second citizenship, especially for the very wealthy, can also cause problems, and confidentiality is highly valued within the industry. Billionaire banker Vitaly Malkin was pressured into resigning from the Federation Council earlier this year after his Israeli citizenship and decades-long quest for Canadian citizenship was revealed. Irina Zozulya, whose family emigrated to the U.S. in 1998 from a town near Odessa, remembers an exhausting, year long process of trips back and forth to U.S. immigration services in Moscow. Even a nonimmigrant visa may be hard to get. Zozulya's aunt spent 15 years applying before getting her travel visa.

Immigrants can only receive permanent residency status in the U.S. if they have sponsors or win the green card lottery. Every year, the U.S. opens the door to 50,000 applicants from around the world. In 2013 the lottery let in less than 3 percent of the 109,156 Russians who applied.

 ^ I can understand a country giving away a visa or permanent residency for a price, but not it's citizenship. That only cheapens the citizenship of everyone from that country. The Russians mentioned here are what ordinary Russians call "New Russians." They spend money to spend money and be seen. I have two passports (Canada and the US) but I didn't pay for them. I had to wait years for the Canadian Government to "wake-up" and change it's stupid citizenship laws before it was given to me - making me a native - not naturalized - citizen. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/how-wealthy-russians-buy-a-2nd-passport/488087.html

Costs Shut

From USA Today:
"Shutdown cost billions in wages, shopping and more"

The 16-day government shutdown cost the economy jobs, delayed mortgages and lost retail sales — at least $12 billion worth, and maybe as much as $24 billion. As federal workers returned to work Thursday, statisticians and business people began toting up the damage:

• Estimates of the toll range from $12 billion to $24 billion for the U.S. economy, or as much as $1.5 billion per day, and as many as 250,000 jobs. The shutdown trimmed fourth-quarter growth by 20%, economist Joel Naroff said — an outcome any business would "consider a disaster.''

• At least 400,000 government employees will be paid for all 16 days they didn't work and roughly the same number will get paid for not working during part of the shutdown. The government has not disclosed that cost

• Consumer confidence plunged. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell to its lowest level since March in data released Thursday. The share of people predicting economic conditions will get worse fell faster than at any time since the 2008 collapse of investment bank Lehman Bros. One result: Hyundai's CEO John Krafcik said this week that October car sales could drop about 10%.

• The U.S. Travel Association said the shutdown cost $152 million a day in lost travel and related activity. Federal parks were closed, accounting for much of the losses. Washington-area hotel occupancy dropped 9% from late September levels in the first week of October, according to Destination D.C.  In Colorado Springs, home of the Air Force Academy, all six group events scheduled at Edelweiss Restaurant the past couple of weeks were canceled, reducing the eatery's revenue by about 10%, says owner Deiter Schnakenberg.

• The Mortgage Bankers Association of America said applications for mortgages dropped 7% last week, to the lowest levels seen since 2007. "The government shutdown had a notable impact on the mortgage market last week," the association said.

The impact on retailers may last into the crucial holiday season, said National Retail Federation chief economist Jack Kleinhenz — especially because the short-term deal reached by Congress and the White House may spark another showdown in early 2014.

^ After the human cost comes the financial costs. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/10/17/costs-of-shutdown/3002745/

Site Overhaul

From USA Today:
"Tech experts: Health exchange site needs total overhaul"

The federal health care exchange was built using 10-year-old technology that may require constant fixes and updates for the next six months and the eventual overhaul of the entire system, technology experts told USA TODAY. The site could be perfect, but if the systems from which it draws data are not up to speed, it doesn't matter, said John Engates, chief technology officer at Rackspace, a cloud computer service provider. "It is a core problem in the sense of it's fundamental to this thing actually working, but it's not necessarily a problem that the people who wrote HealthCare.gov can get to," Engates said. "Even if they had a perfect system, it still won't work." Recent changes have made the exchanges easier to use, but they still require clearing the computer's cache several times, stopping a pop-up blocker, talking to people via Web chat who suggest waiting until the server is not busy, opening links in new windows and clicking on every available possibility on a page in the hopes of not receiving an error message. With those changes, it took one hour to navigate the HealthCare.gov enrollment process Wednesday. Those steps shouldn't be necessary, experts said. "I have never seen a website — in the last five years — require you to delete the cache in an effort to resolve errors," said Dan Schuyler, a director at Leavitt Partners, a health care group by former Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt. "This is a very early Web 1.0 type of fix." "The application could be fundamentally flawed," said Jeff Kim, president of CDNetworks, a content-delivery network. "They may be using 1990s technology in 2.0 world." Outsiders acknowledged they can't see the whole system, but they said they feared HHS built a system that will need an expensive overhaul that would cause more headaches for people trying to buy insurance. "I will be the first to tell you that the website launch was rockier than we wanted it to be,'' HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, adding that people have until Dec. 15 to enroll to ensure coverage beginning Jan. 1.

^ Maybe it's not just the website that needs a complete overhaul? ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/17/health-exchange-week-three-start-over/2995989/

Shutdown Over

From USA Today:
"Congress passes deal to end shutdown, raise debt limit"

Congress approved a bipartisan deal Wednesday to reopen the federal government and avert an unprecedented debt default, ending a bitter and partisan 16-day impasse. President Obama said he will sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk. The Senate voted 81-18; The House voted 285-144.  The narrow deal includes a stopgap measure that would fund the government through Jan. 15, and suspend the debt ceiling until Feb. 7. Congress also established a framework for formal bipartisan budget negotiations to begin. Negotiators would be tasked with reporting out by Dec. 13 recommendations for longer-term spending levels and deficit reduction. The package will also provide back pay to the 800,000 federal workers affected by the shutdown, and keep in place a pay freeze for members of Congress through the upcoming budget year.

 ^ Finally, the US Government is open for business (the President just signed it.)We won't default on our bills (the way Russia did in 1998) and we can keep our standing in the world - while it is weakened it is not gone. While the Government is working again this deal doesn't fix much - it is not a cure-all. It only postpones the fight for another day. Hopefully, all sides (the extremist Democrats, the extremist Republicans and the President) will start to see just how their actions affected innocent, ordinary Americans. Those three factions bullied the country for their own goals and in the end the people were the ones "held" hostage. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/16/government-shutdown-debt-limit-congress-deal/2993181/

Throne Speech

From the Globe and Mail:

"26 key points you need to know from today's Throne Speech"

After delaying the return of Parliament, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has used a Speech from the Throne to kick off a new session. The speech Wednesday, delivered by Governor-General David Johnston, marks the return of MPs and senators from a summer break and is meant to lay out the Harper government’s agenda at the halfway mark between elections. The speech has been billed as a roadmap that will carry the government through the next two years.

  

1. Cyberbullying is on the agenda, and we’re getting a sexting law

Citing the cases of Amanda Todd, Rehtaeh Parsons and others, the government will “introduce legislation giving police and prosecutors new tools to effectively address cyberbullying that involves criminal invasion of privacy, intimidation and personal abuse.” Spreading photos by text or online could become illegal – a new law will ban the “non-consensual distribution of intimate images.”

 

2. You won’t have to order bundled cable TV

The speech included a nod to all those frustrated by the requirement to order dozens or hundreds of channels just to get the ones you want. “Our government believes Canadian families should be able to choose the combination of television channels they want. It will require channels to be unbundled while protecting Canadian jobs,” the speech said.

3. Your roaming charges will drop

The speech said the government will “take steps to reduce roaming costs and networks within Canada,” and said wireless rates have fallen nearly 20 per cent since 2008. It didn’t say how that would be done, but noted Canadians pay some of the developed world’s highest phone bills. “As families know – especially families with teenagers – the monthly bills add up,” the Governor-General said in the speech.

4. Victims of crime are getting their own bill of rights

The government will table the bill of rights “to restore victims to their rightful place at the heart of our justice system,” saying that “for too long, the voices of victims have been silenced while the system coddled criminals.”

5. Deficits will be illegal

The government will bring in a balanced budget law, one that will require “balanced budgets during normal economic times, and concrete timelines for returning to balance in the event of an economic crisis,” the speech says. The government also renewed a pledge to balance the budget by 2015, and return the debt-to-GDP ratio to pre-recession levels by 2017. Other provinces have anti-deficit laws on the books, but critics note that they’re frequently broken.

6. Canada doesn’t want another XL Foods

The government pledged to “strengthen food inspection regimes,” but didn’t say how it would.

7. Killing a police dog will be a crime

The government said it “recognizes the daily risks taken by police officers and their service animals. It will bring forward Quanto’s law in honour of them.” This is an apparent reference to Quanto, the Edmonton Police dog killed this month.

8. Your banking fees could drop

The government pledged to expand “no-cost basic banking services” and crack down on predatory payday loan lenders.

9. It’s not an inquiry, but it’s something

The government said it would “renew its efforts to address the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.” Many have called for an inquiry – the latest being a UN official following a nine-day visit to Canada.

10. Railways will carry more insurance

In the aftermath of Lac-Megantic, questions were raised about the level of insurance railways must carry. That’s about to change. “Railway companies must be able to bear the cost of their actions. Our government will require shippers and railways to carry additional insurance so they are held accountable,” the speech said. The government will also “take targeted action” to increase safety measures governing the transport of dangerous goods.

11. Alberta’s floods proved too expensive for the status quo

After devastating flooding hit southern Alberta, including the Prime Minister’s home city of Calgary, the government will “develop a National Disaster Mitigation Program” to reduce the impact of natural disasters. Under the current system, the government is on the hook for 90 per cent of the costs of the disaster – potentially billions of dollars. The speech also cited the Lac-Megantic derailment in underscoring the need for a disaster strategy.

12. Malala Yousafzai will be a Canadian

The girls’ education advocate and survivor of a Taliban assassination attempt will be given honourary citizenship, and had already confirmed the move through her Twitter account. In the speech, the Governor-General called her a “remarkable young woman” who “faced down evil and oppression and now speaks boldly for those who are silenced.”

13. Nothing new on the Senate - yet

Near the very end of the lengthy speech, which was given in the Senate chamber, the government addressed the elephant in the room in the aftermath of a series of Senate spending controversies. “The government continues to believe the status quo in the Senate of Canada is unacceptable. The Senate must be reformed or, as with its provincial counterparts, vanish,” the speech said, echoing a line used regularly by Conservatives. The government will wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling on what powers it has for Senate reform or abolition.

14. Voting laws are changing, but we don’t know how

Amid the robocall scandal and battles a handful of Conservative MPs had or are having with Elections Canada, the government is changing “Canada’s elections laws to uphold the integrity of our voting system.” No details were provided, other than the changes will be in effect by 2015, the year of the next federal election.

15. We’re close on an EU Trade deal

A key focus of the Harper government, the trade deal is within reach. Canada ‘will soon complete negotiations” on a deal, which it estimated could create 80,000 new jobs.

16. Beware, pipelines – standards are going up

Canada will set higher “safety standards” for companies “operating pipelines,” including increasing required liability insurance. That could be seen as an effort to address concerns over potential oil spills. The government will also create “a world-class tanker safety system in Canada,” the speech said.

17. Polluters will pay! But not through a carbon tax

After taking a shot at the notion of a “carbon tax” in a morning speech to his caucus, Mr. Harper’s government stressed that resource development “must respect the environment.” That means it will “enshrine the polluter-pay system into law,” but it’s unclear what that will mean. The government has long pledged rules on what emissions the energy sector can churn out, and they’ve been long-delayed. The Throne Speech renewed the pledge anyhow, saying it will work with provinces “to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sectors while ensuring Canadian companies remain competitive.”

18. We want to find Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition

Saying “the story of the North is the story of Canada,” the government pledged “renewed determination and an expanded team of partners to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin’s lost Arctic expedition.”

19. Red tape is still bad

The government will “enshrine” the “one-for-one” rule in a new law. That means that one regulation will be dropped for every new one added. The Throne Speech also pledged to “cut additional red tape” at the Canada Revenue Agency – for businesses, in particular.

20. It’s never too early to plan a birthday party

The government pledged a series of initiatives to mark Canada’s looming 150th birthday in 2017. Most of the options laid out are militaristic – including rededicating the National War Memorial and strengthening cadet and Junior Ranger programs – but Ottawa also pledged to “support community projects, local celebrations and other initiatives to commemorate this historic occasion.”

21. You can drive to the Arctic Ocean

The government announced its commitment to “completing the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean, linking Canada from sea to sea to sea.” That means extending the highway from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories.

22. The government really, really wants you to take up a trade

The government renewed its commitment to the Canada Job Grant, which has raised the ire of provinces who say it could download costs and trump existing job training programs. But the job grant was one of a series of employment measures in the speech, which said “there are too many people without jobs and too many jobs without people.”

23. Oops, never mind - your flight can still be oversold, for now

Industry Minister James Moore had suggested the government is eyeing new rules regulating whether an airline can overbook a flight, and turn away passengers if too many show up. But the Throne Speech made no mention of the changes.

24. Government currently has a crazy e-mail system

Apparently, in a bid to make government more efficient, Canada will consolidate its 63 different e-mail systems into one. That was one pledge in a section outlining moves to reduce “the size and cost of government.”

25. You may soon legally be able to bring booze and beer between provinces

The Throne Speech announced a plan to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act so that beer and spirits can be carried across provincial boundaries “for their own use.” Last year, the Tories repealed a law that banned people from bringing wine across provincial borders, but some provinces have been slow to adapt to the change – suggesting federal changes to beer and liquor rules may not be enough. Earlier this year, B.C. premier Christy Clark personally carted B.C. wine to a premiers’ meeting in Ontario in a bid to break down interprovincial trade barriers.

26. There was no mention of climate change

The Throne Speech contained a vague pledge to “improve air quality nationwide,” introduce oil and gas emissions regulations and make polluters “pay,” but didn’t say anything about how Canada would achieve its emissions reduction targets, which it is current not on pace to do. A lengthy section on the North also made no mention of climate change.

^ Most of these points didn't interest me. I am glad that Canadians will be able to buy individual channels (I never knew they couldn't) and, that they won't have in-country roaming charges, to transport alcohol from one province to another and that one law is made it will replace another one. The rest really didn't interest me - mostly because they don't affect me. I am interested to see how Canada will celebrate it's 150th birthday in 2017. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/highlights-from-harpers-throne-speech/article14890000/

Italy Remembers

From USA Today:
"Italy remembers 1943 roundup of Jews amid turmoil"

Italy on Wednesday marked the 70th anniversary of the roundup and deportation of Jews from Rome's ghetto amid turmoil over the late Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke and his Holocaust-denying final statement. Priebke died Friday in Rome, where he was serving a life term for his role in the 1944 massacre of 335 civilians at the Ardeatine Caves outside the capital. It was one of the worst atrocities of Germany's World War II occupation of Italy. His death unleashed a torrent of emotion because he left behind a testament in which he not only defended his actions but denied that Jews were gassed in Nazi concentration camps. His testament has enraged Rome's Jewish community, which gathered Wednesday in Rome's main synagogue to commemorate the Oct. 16, 1943, roundup of Jews and warn of the continued dangers posed by Holocaust deniers like Priebke. The head of Italy's Jewish communities, Renzo Gattegna, referred to Priebke in his remarks but refused, amid applause, to pronounce his name "to not profane this sacred place." He said the Nazis were assassins of innocents. On Tuesday, a Senate committee passed a bill criminalizing such Holocaust denial — passage that was given greater impulse because of the outcry over Priebke's final testament. The head of Rome's Jewish community, Riccardo Pacifici, said the uproar over Priebke has shown the "beautiful face of Italy," given the solidarity by both civil and Catholic Church officials to deny him a church funeral. The anniversary came during the continued debate about what to do with Priebke's remains. Plans by a fringe Catholic church to celebrate a funeral Mass for him were called off Tuesday amid clashes between Priebke's right-wing supporters and protesters. Rome's mayor and prefect announced that negotiations were underway with Germany to take in the remains, which reportedly were spirited out of the church compound overnight and taken to a military air base.

Wednesday's commemorations began at 5:30 a.m. with the sounding of the shofar, a ram's horn trumpet, to commemorate the moment when Nazi forces began rounding up more than 1,000 Jews from Rome's ghetto and nearby neighborhoods. The Jews spent two days in a military college before being deported by train to Auschwitz. Only 16 survived.

^ 70 years have passed since the Germans rounded-up the Jews of Rome. Back then many people looked the other way (Italians, the Pope, etc) and it seems today, many decades later, people have changed their indifference. The Catholic Church refused the Nazi war criminal to have his funeral there, the Italian authorities want him out of the country and sent back to Germany - where he belongs - and also made Holocaust denial illegal (which is long over-due.) The only thing I wonder is if it would make a difference had the Nazi murdered Jews instead of Italians. Would he receive the same kind of treatment? I hope so. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/16/italy-remembers-1943-roundup-of-jews-amid-turmoil/2992429/

Honary Canadian

From the Globe and Mail:
"Ottawa to name Malala Yousafzai an honorary Canadian citizen"

Malala Yousafzai, an advocate for girls’ education and the target of a Taliban assassination attempt, will be made an honorary Canadian citizen. A senior government source confirms that Wednesday’s Throne Speech will confer the honour on the 16-year-old international figure. Yousafzai was shot in the head in her native Pakistan by the Taliban in October, 2012, while she was on a bus going home from school.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Yousafzai in New York on Sept. 26 where she discussed her efforts to promote education for women and girls. Harper also invited her to visit Canada. Yousafzai, who now lives in England with her family, was the youngest ever nominee last week for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was won by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Her memoir, I Am Malala, was published last week.

^ It is good for countries to honor non-citizens who do good things for the world in general. Giving an honorary citizenship is the highest honor a country can give. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-to-name-malala-yousafzai-an-honorary-canadian-citizen/article14883524/

Ukrainian Draft

From MT:
"Ukraine Scraps Military Conscription to Professionalize Army"

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a decree scrapping military conscription as of 2014. Yanukovych announced the move during an award ceremony for the country's highest honor, the title Hero of Ukraine, on Oct. 14. "Today our military arsenal, our technology is of such a standard that we require highly trained professionals. The technology being used is highly complex, which is why we need a professional army. These professional soldiers will have to safeguard the security of our country," the president said, Itar- Tass reported. The transition towards a professional army will reduce Ukraine's armed forces from the current 180,000 to 120,000. Out of this number, 70,000 will serve in combat units, Itar-Tass said. Ukraine's Interior Troops will continue to be staffed by conscripts.

^ The Ukraine announced that it is getting rid of most of it's military conscription next year. The military will become a professional one while the Interior Troops will continue to have conscripts. I don't believe the majority of countries in the world need military conscription anymore. The only countries I think still need it (because of a real threat) is: Israel and South Korea. All the other countries seem to only keep conscription because it is part of their past and not because of any modern-day threats. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/ukraine-scraps-military-conscription-to-professionalize-army/487899.html

Open-Minded?

The cool trend nowadays is for people to claim they are "open-minded" and that everyone has a right to their opinions/views, etc. What I have found with dealing with these self-proclaimed open-minded people is that they are all talk. They can claim they are tolerant and understanding until they are blue in the face, but when push comes to shove they are just as intolerant as everyone else. They only mean they will be "open-minded" with those that fully support their views and opinions. Anyone else infuriates them. They post and share their views on social media, on the news, in public yet when someone does the same with an opposing view they act "holier than thou." They aren't capable of holding a civil, respectful dialogue as they only focus on their point of view and stop anyone else before they can even start. In this case I don't claim to be open-minded. I have my views and opinions and sometimes they are very strong feelings. The difference between what I do and what a so-called open-minded person does is I will listen to your viewpoint (that doesn't mean I will agree with you and that I won't try to show examples, etc to disprove you) but I don't simply disregard your case before even hearing it. I am not closed-minded and claim to be open-minded. If people stopped trying to be cool, modern and be all the trendy phrases (like open-minded) and started being honest then we would get along much better since you would know exactly who you were dealing with instead of wondering if you were really dealing with a hypocrite.

Native Health

From USA Today:

"Affordable Care Act a hard sell for Native Americans"

For most uninsured Americans, the motivation for checking out the health insurance exchanges is simple – they could face stiff penalties if they don't sign up. For Native Americans, the decision is more complicated. Longstanding treaties with the federal government guarantee all Native Americans free health care. As a result, the Affordable Care Act exempts them from paying a penalty if they choose not to purchase insurance. More than 2 million Native Americans receive free health care at federally supported Indian health facilities. Many others receive care from tribal facilities and urban Indian organizations. Although tribal members are entitled to free health care, most Indian health facilities do not offer a full array of services. When patients need major surgery or cancer treatments, for example, they are referred to specialists outside of Indian lands. At least two-thirds of those referral claims are rejected, Bly said. That puts Indians at risk of either paying major medical bills themselves or doing without needed treatments. In addition, about half of Native Americans live in urban areas that are great distances from tribal health facilities. As a group, the nation's 5.2 million Native Americans have poorer health and less access to health care than the rest of the U.S. population. Their uninsured rate is nearly 30 percent, compared to 15 percent for the country as a whole. And nearly half of all Indians have incomes low enough to qualify for Medicaid in states that have chosen to expand coverage, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. More than 1 million Native Americans are already enrolled in Medicaid. Still, Bly and others said the idea of purchasing health insurance, even if deeply discounted, is a foreign concept for most tribal members. Even optimistic advocates for Indian enrollment in the exchanges said convincing tribal leaders and individuals to sign up could take years. Bly's goal is to sign up 10 percent of New Mexico's eligible Native Americans by the end of 2014. The ACA includes provisions for American Indians and Native Alaskans that make purchasing insurance on the exchange an even better proposition than it is for everyone else. They can sign up at any time – there are no open enrollment deadlines. Tribal members with incomes below 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($34,470 for an individual) are exempt from paying deductibles and copays, so they can purchase the cheapest plans without worrying about out-of-pocket expenses. All tribal members, no matter what income level, are exempt from out-of-pocket payments if they receive services from Indian health facilities. And unlike employers, tribes can pay exchange premiums for their members without paying taxes. In addition, a separate law that has governed Native American health care for decades – the Indian Health Care Improvement Act – was amended when the ACA was signed. New provisions make it easier for Indian health facilities to accept payments from other insurers, including Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance. The new law also expands the types of services the facilities can offer and requires inclusion of behavioral health and substance abuse treatments. For Indians enrolled in Medicaid, Indian health providers receive a fee-for-service that is much higher than other providers receive. In addition, they can collect fees from private insurers if Native Americans take advantage of the exchanges.

^ It seems everyone in the country is confused about Obamacare. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/15/stateline-obamacare-native-americans/2986747/

Suing Your Children

From USA Today:

"5 things about China's new aged-care law"

Elderly parents in China can now sue their grown children for both financial and emotional support.

The changes in the law in China reflect an increasingly urgent dilemma across the world: As populations age faster than ever before, families and governments are struggling to decide who will protect and provide for the old. Too often, the answer is nobody. The Associated Press spent months reporting across formats on population aging and the growing problem of elder abuse and neglect for an occasional series, Old World. Here are five things to know about the situation in China, where filial piety, or respect for one's parents, was once a given:

HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER - IT'S THE LAW

A handful of countries, such as China, India, France and Ukraine, require adult children to financially support their parents. Similar laws are in place in 29 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and most of Canada, but they are rarely enforced because government aid helps support the old. In Singapore, adult children who do not give their parents an allowance can face six months in jail.

HONEY, SO NICE THAT YOU CAME

More than 1,000 parents in China have sued their children for financial support over the last 15 years. But the law now goes further to require that adult children regularly visit their parents. Employers are required to give workers time off to do so, although that provision may be hard to enforce.

GOING GRAY BEFORE GETTING RICH

China is not yet wealthy enough to keep up with its rapidly aging population. It is projected to have 636 million people over age 50 by 2050, or nearly 49 percent of the population — up from 25 percent in 2010. Although a recent expansion of the medical system covers most Chinese, reimbursement rates remain low and out-of-pocket costs high. Many rural families cannot afford hospitals' huge up-front deposits.

THE FIRST AMONG 100 VIRTUES

A Chinese proverb calls filial piety, or respect for one's parents, "the first among 100 virtues." The ancient philosopher Confucius credited it as the bedrock of social harmony, and a popular song urges grown children to visit their parents often. Communities hold "best children" contests, complete with cash prizes. One county even made filial piety a condition for the promotion of local officials. And generations of Chinese have read the classic morality guide, "The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars," where sons strangle tigers, let mosquitoes feast on their blood and proudly scrub bedpans for the sake of their parents.

AT HOME OR AWAY

Nursing homes are not an option for most Chinese. The few nursing homes in China supply only 22 beds for every 1,000 seniors, and most are too expensive for the average family. Even children who can afford nursing homes fear sending their parents away will mark them as un-filial.

 ^ I didn't know that so many countries and states have these laws. I would never need a law to force me to care for my parents, but I guess many do. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/14/5-things-to-know-about-chinas-new-aged-care-law/2980659/

FB Pic

I found this on Facebook and it summed everything up.

There's a picture of Obama and says:

"I don't always shut down the government and refuse to negotiate with anyone when people oppose my commandments. ...........   but when I do, it's all the Republicans' fault, you're a terrorist and if you don't bow down then you are a racist. "

Thanksgiving

From the GG of Canada:
"Thanksgiving"

Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston,
Governor General of Canada, on the occasion of Thanksgiving

OTTAWA— Thanksgiving, which is celebrated throughout North America, is rooted in the European agricultural tradition. However, even before settlers arrived in the promised land, once a year First Nations members also celebrated the fertility of their lands, the abundance of the harvests and the fruits of their labours. Thanksgiving customs have evolved over time. The occasion was formerly marked by proclamation, mentioning a specific theme. The holiday is now an opportunity for many people to give thanks for their good fortune. Most of us share a traditional meal with our families, spend time with loved ones visiting from far away, or simply enjoy the company of friends.

On this special day, my wife, Sharon, and I encourage Canadians to do just that, and we wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.

^ Today is Thanksgiving in Canada (which often confuses my American friends since they can't understand why I say "Happy Thanksgiving eh!" On Facebook today and not "Happy Columbus Day." I enjoy celebrating two Thanksgivings every year-  one month apart - because I love the food and the meaning behind it. ^

http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=15352

Affected Agencies

From Wikipedia:

"The following is a list of government agencies and operations affected by the United States federal government shutdown of 2013"

American Battle Monuments Commission:

The American Battle Monuments Commission operates 24 cemeteries on foreign soil for American servicemen killed overseas. These cemeteries, as well as 26 monuments to American servicemen, will stay closed through the shutdown.

Congress:

Although members of Congress are themselves guaranteed to get paid during the shutdown, they have wide latitude in deciding which employees to keep on the job and which, if any, to furlough. Many members have elected to keep their entire staff on payroll "in order to continue serving...constituents". Other members have furloughed half or most of their staffs, possibly on a rotating basis, or closed their local office while keeping their Washington office open and at least partially staffed. The House members' gym has been directed to remain operational while the gym for Congressional staff will close as planned. Dozens of House members live in their government offices to save personal expenses and use the House gym to shower.

Consumer Product Safety Commission:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission won't investigate or recall products that might cause injuries but don't pose an imminent danger to safety. CPSC has furloughed port inspectors who test to make sure that imported products meet safety standards, for instance verifying that children's toys do not contain excessive amounts of lead or that sleepwear meets flammability standards. The Commission furloughed all but 23 of its 540 employees.

Department of Agriculture:

Meat, poultry, and grain inspectors will keep working. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will not issue any statistical or economic reports, including those on the prices and supply levels of agricultural goods. These reports are especially important to commodities markets. Campgrounds and other recreational sites will be closed. The Agricultural Research Service and the Foreign Agricultural Service will shut down. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, may be greatly curtailed. The government will not contribute any new money into the program, which gives food for low-income pregnant women, mothers, and young children. Some states may be able to keep running the program with current money for about a week. The larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also called food stamps or EBT cards, is funded by the Recovery Act and will last through 2014.

The Forest Service closed its offices and furloughed the vast majority of its staff, with only some law enforcement and firefighting staff staying on duty. As a result of the furloughs, timber companies have been ordered to stop logging operations in the 155 National Forests within seven days. Initially, the agency was able to keep a number of campgrounds and recreation areas open, but as the shutdown extends into its second week, many of those sites are being closed as well. Forest Service spokesman Leo Kay said the closures of concession-operated campgrounds were necessary because the staff who manage and oversee concession contracts have been furloughed. Regarding the closure of the Maroon Bells Recreation Area, Scott Fitzwilliams, forest supervisor of the White River National Forest in Colorado, said “We have no funding to pay rangers to manage the site or collect fees, no funding to pump toilets, test water supplies and extremely limited law enforcement capabilities. If we allowed vehicles to access the area, where would the people go to the bathroom? Where would they put their garbage?”

The National Organic Program, which confirms that food labeled as organic actually meets organic standards, has been suspended as has a program that confirms that imported foods are correctly labeled with their country of origin.

The USDA stopped issuing mortgages to families in rural areas, causing delays for some people who were in the process of purchasing a new home. USDA's Rural Housing Service handles about 132,000 mortgages a year, or about 1.4% of all mortgages in the United States. Families can qualify for a USDA mortgage if they make up to 115% of the median income in their area.

Department of Commerce:

The Commerce Department will furlough 40,234 of its 46,420 employees. The United States Patent and Trademark Office will stay open for three to four weeks using funds from the fees it collects. The National Weather Service will keep providing weather forecasts, watches, and warnings normally, as they are critical to protecting lives and property. Some activities related to weather research and developing improvements to the Global Forecast System will cease. The Commerce Department will not release data on the state of the economy.

Department of Defense:

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter issued a memo detailing which employees would be furloughed. On September 28, 2013, Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado introduced the Pay Our Military Act.  The bill would "appropriate funds to pay the military at any time in FY 2014 when appropriations are not in effect", a situation which would include any potential shutdown. It passed both the House and Senate,  and the President signed it into law, recording a video message for members of the military. Food prices for many military personnel, their families, and retirees are expected to rise due to the closure of the Defense Commissary Agency. This agency runs 178 commissaries, or grocery stores, in the US which offer food at about a 30% discount for military families. The 68 commissaries overseas will stay open. Furloughs of Defense Department civilian employees have grounded Air Force fighter squadrons. Air Combat Command has grounded squadrons based in the US that aren't set to deploy abroad until after January. This includes the 366th Fighter Wing based out of Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The Pentagon has also furloughed civilian specialists who help craft military policy towards the Middle East. As of October 6, the Pay Our Military Act was interpreted by lawyers from the Defense and Justice Departments to allow nearly all civilian Defense personnel to return to work, on the basis that they "contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of service members." Death benefits for the families of soldiers killed in action during the shutdown will be provided by funds from a private foundation, which will then be repaid by the Defense Department after appropriations are enacted.

Military Academies:

The United States service academies have been affected by the shutdown in various ways. Civilian faculty members have been furloughed, and many classes have been canceled. The library at the United States Air Force Academy has been closed. The libraries at the Academy United States Naval and the United States Military Academy are open, but students can't check out books. The library at the United States Military Academy is currently being staffed by the musicians of the West Point Band. Intercollegiate athletics have been suspended.

Department of Education:

The U.S. Department of Education will furlough 3,983 of its 4,225 employees. The government will continue to disburse Pell Grants and other student loans, but the furloughs may cause delays and will limit the department's ability to respond to questions. In its contingency plan for a shutdown, the Department of Education warns that a "protracted delay in Department obligations and payments beyond one week would severely curtail the cash flow to school districts, colleges and universities, and vocational rehabilitation agencies that depend on the Department's funds to support their services". The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has suspended investigations into whether certain colleges and universities have mishandled their response to sexual assault on campus as well as investigations into whether colleges have failed to report crimes as required by the Clery Act.

Department of Energy:

The U.S. Department of Energy will furlough 9,584 of its 13,814 employees. Those working will continue to work and be paid until reserve funds are exhausted.

Department of Health and Human Services:

A reported 52% of Health and Human Services employees are to be furloughed. The Head Start Program, which provides preschool and other services to young children nationwide, did not provide grant money to 23 programs in 11 states. These programs were scheduled to receive funding on October 1. Among the Head Start programs that temporarily closed was one serving 900 children in Prentiss, Mississippi. Child agences of the HHS were also affected:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not be able to conduct "in-depth investigations to identify and link outbreaks that may be occurring simultaneously in multiple states" or provide flu surveillance due to the furloughing of 68% of its employees.

Food and Drug Administration:

Approximately 45% of the Food and Drug Administration's 14,779 employees will be furloughed. The FDA will stop routine food safety inspections as well as most of its laboratory research. Employees will still handle emergencies and high-risk product recalls.

National Institutes of Health:

The National Institutes of Health will cease research conducted at its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland and will not enroll new patients in medical trials. NIH recently completed one round of grantmaking to outside researchers and applications for the next round are due on October 5. If the shutdown is not prolonged, approval of new grants should not be disrupted. In rare cases, medical researchers who have received grants from NIH may have difficulty accessing funds. The related National Institute of Environmental Health Science will also cease research conducted at its headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. On the NIH official website, a warning was posted as a banner headline on all of its pages that read, "Due to the lapse in government funding, the information on this web site may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the web site may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted."

Department of Homeland Security:

About 86% of the Department of Homeland Security's 231,000 employees will continue to work during the shutdown. Airport screeners at the Transportation Security Administration will not be affected. 92% of the United States Secret Service, 88% of the United States Coast Guard, 88% of Customs and Border Protection and 78% of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue working. 97% of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will stay on the job. The Department of Homeland Security shut down the E-Verify system, which enables employers to check whether the people they hire are eligible to work in the United States. A number of states require employers to use E-Verify for all new employees. For instance, Georgia requires all companies with more than 10 employees to use the system. The Department of Homeland Security will not accept or investigate civil liberties complaints and will not provide civil liberties training to state, local and federal officials. The Coast Guard will not issue licenses for commercial or recreational boats or their crews.The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia is closed. The center provides training for about 70,000 state, local, federal and international law enforcement officers every year.

Department of Housing and Urban Development:

The Federal Housing Administration will continue to process applications for new home loans. However, the agency will furlough more than 96% of its staff, resulting in delays.

Department of the Interior:

All 401 units of the National Park Service were closed, with only a limited number of law enforcement rangers and firefighters remaining on duty. On Oct 11, a small number of units, including Zion, Rocky Mountain and Capitol Reef national parks, were reopened temporarily, as some state governments agreed to provide bridge funding for a limited time to enable the parks to open. The United States Park Police will erect barriers around National Monuments in Washington D.C. and across the country. The list of closed sites includes Yosemite National Park, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Philadelphia's Independence Hall and City Tavern, Alcatraz, and numerous monuments in Washington D.C. including the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. The National Park Service will give visitors who are staying overnight in a National Park 48 hours to leave. Furthermore, its Flickr page became inactive. The Bureau of Land Management will stop processing new permits for oil and gas exploration but will continue to monitor and inspect existing production sites and pipelines. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will stop nearly all work on new offshore energy production. The shutdown has hampered efforts to find a hiker who has been reported missing at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve since September 23. The body of the hiker's companion was found previously. The search had been ongoing, but with the start of the shutdown, 16 park staffers were furloughed, hampering the response. The hiker's family has taken to asking for volunteers to continue the search.

Department of Justice:

85% of Justice Department employees will stay on the job. Law enforcement officers will stay on the job, but work on civil litigation will stop. For instance, the Justice Department filed a motion requesting to delay the antitrust trial over the American Airlines–US Airways merger.  The Justice Department is also seeking to delay a lawsuit brought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation seeking information about government surveillance and a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking information on the use of armed drones. The nation's immigration courts have furloughed about 70% of their employees, including judges. The only cases that will be heard involve individuals who have already been detained. Since the courts were severely backlogged before the shutdown, those whose hearings were delayed might have to wait a year or more for another opportunity.

Department of Labor:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will stop all workplace safety inspections that do not involve immediate danger or death. Investigations into wage theft and employment discrimination will stop. The Labor Department will continue to pay unemployment insurance and workers' compensation claims. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will stop conducting research on employment and the economy. The Bureau will stop work on the monthly report on employment. This report, which was scheduled for release on October 4, is widely used by financial markets to assess the state of the US economy. The Labor Department's weekly report on jobless claims will not be affected. Of the Labor Department's 16,304 employees, 82% will be furloughed, while 2,954 will stay on the job.

Department of State:

The U.S. Department of State will continue to process visa and passport applications, using funds from fees. Consular services will also continue. The department's Office of the Inspector General will shut down. The State Department has also instituted a hiring freeze and delayed the start dates of applicants who received job offers.

Department of Transportation:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not issue any new automotive recalls. Consumers will be able to file car safety complaints but these complaints will not be acted on. The agency has suspended field investigations of automotive crashes. NHTSA did not send personnel to investigate a battery fire that destroyed a Tesla Model S electric car in Kent, Washington.  The agency furloughed 333 of its 597 employees. The United States Merchant Marine Academy suspended classes. The United States Maritime Administration, which runs the academy, furloughed 451 of its 830 employees. The Federal Aviation Administration will furlough 15,500 of its 46,000 employees. Air traffic controllers will continue to work, but about 3,000 airline safety inspectors were furloughed and 800 of them were recalled again. Work on the Next Generation Air Transportation System will cease as will training for air traffic controllers and aviation policymaking.

Department of the Treasury:

The shutdown will undermine efforts by the United States to prevent money laundering and to enforce economic sanctions on Iran, North Korea and other countries. The Treasury Department has furloughed 90% of the staff of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and 91% of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These agencies handle reports of suspicious activity from banks and financial institutions and implement sanctions. The shutdown will delay the release of new alcoholic beverages. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau will not approve labels for alcoholic products and will not approve permits for distilleries, wineries, and breweries. The shutdown also delayed the signing of a treaty with France about the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

Internal Revenue Service:

The Internal Revenue Service will not provide assistance to taxpayers during the shutdown. Tax refunds are likely to be delayed, but taxpayers with an extension of their 2012 income tax return will still be required to submit the return by October 15. The IRS will suspend audits of taxpayers during the shutdown; however, IRS criminal investigations will continue at nearly normal levels. 90% of IRS employees will be furloughed. The IRS stopped issuing forms that are used to verify the income of mortgage applicants. These forms are often required by banks in order to close a mortgage. Because these forms are typically requested weeks before closing, the mortgage market is unlikely to experience a significant impact if the shutdown is of a brief duration. However, a shutdown that lasts beyond 1–2 weeks may cause a disruption.

Department of Veterans Affairs:

Medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs will be unaffected by the shutdown. Veterans have already received pension, disability, and GI Bill payments for the month of October. If the shutdown lasts for more than two or three weeks, the VA may not be able to pay benefits for the month of November. The VA will continue to work on disability claims that were filed before the shutdown, but veterans may experience delays. New disability claims will not be processed during the shutdown and all appeals of disability claims will be suspended.[68] The VA will furlough 14,224 of its 332,025 employees.

Environmental Protection Agency:

The Environmental Protection Agency will furlough over 93% of its 16,205 employees. The Agency will almost entirely cease issuing licenses and permits, which may cause delays for companies seeking to build or expand facilities. The agency will stop working on new policies in areas such as air pollution and renewable fuels. The EPA suspended cleanup work at 505 Superfund sites – areas contaminated by hazardous chemicals.

Federal Communications Commission:

The Federal Communications Commission will furlough about 98% of its 1,754 employees. The FCC will stop working on its approvals of mergers in the broadcast television industry. Among the deals that will be delayed are the $1.5 billion purchase of Belo by the Gannett Company, the $2.7 billion purchase of Local TV by the Tribune Company and the $985 million purchase of Allbritton Communications Company by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The FCC will suspend work on the testing and approval of new wireless products, such as cell phones. A prolonged government shutdown may delay the release of new products.

Federally funded research and development centers:

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) were affected in the shutdown. The Aerospace Corporation, which is the FFRDC for national security space, was directed to issue a stop work order to all but mission-critical tasks by United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, effectively furloughing 2,000 of its 3,500 employees.

General Services Administration:

The General Services Administration will furlough a large part of its 11,821 employees while maintaining an active workforce of about 4,094 to continue maintenance of federal property and to continue ongoing construction projects through the Public Buildings Service. Employees of the Federal Acquisition Service will not be immediately furloughed but may be subject to a phased shutdown that could take 25 business days.

Intelligence agencies:

Intelligence agencies will continue to operate but 70% of the civilian workforce will be furloughed. Reuters reported that the Central Intelligence Agency will furlough approximately 12,500 employees. There will be less of an impact at the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, as a large percentage of the workforce of these agencies are uniformed members of the military. However, NSA Director Keith B. Alexander said that the agency had furloughed "over 960 Ph.D.s, over 4,000 computer scientists, [and] over a thousand mathematicians." A spokesman for the Director of National Intelligence said: "The Intelligence Community's ability to identify threats and provide information for a broad set of national security decisions will be diminished for the duration. The immediate and significant reduction in employees on the job means that we will assume greater risk and our ability to support emerging intelligence requirements will be curtailed. The fraction of Intelligence Community employees who remain on the job will be stretched to the limit and forced to focus only on the most critical security needs."If the shutdown lasts for more than a few weeks intelligence operations could also be affected by delays in awarding new contracts or paying existing contractors. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board postponed hearings on NSA surveillance that were scheduled for October 4.

Library of Congress:

The Library of Congress has shut down. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped ceased operations and all Library of Congress websites except for two sources of legislative information, THOMAS and congress.gov, were inaccessible. On October 3, 2013, access to all loc.gov websites was restored.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration:

NASA will furlough 97% of its staff, leaving fewer than 600 out of more than 18,000 employees on the job. NASA will continue to support the astronauts on the International Space Station and the agency will maintain spacecraft that have already launched. However, work with unmanned spacecraft will be minimal. The Hubble Space Telescope, Curiosity and Opportunity Mars rovers will continue to operate, but analysis of the data they collect will cease. Work on any spacecraft that have not yet launched will stop. The NASA.gov website, NASA TV, the organization's cable and IPTV network, were replaced by messages referring to the shutdown. NASA's LADEE mission will be in the critical phase of entering the Moon's orbit and so a few crews will be working on maintaining the spacecraft. No experiments will be conducted, however. An extended shutdown initially threatened to force a 26-month postponement of NASA's MAVEN mission to Mars. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch on November 18. If it does not launch by December 7 Mars will move too far out of alignment with the Earth. The next launch window will not occur until 2016. Bruce Jakosky, who is directing the mission, said that a 2016 launch would be less useful scientifically because the timing would correspond with a low point in the solar cycle. On October 3, Jakosky reported that NASA had deemed a 2013 MAVEN launch essential to ensuring future communication with current NASA assets on Mars—namely the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers—and that spacecraft processing had already been restarted in preparation for an on-time launch.

National Archives:

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will shut down all its archival facilities and the NARA-operated parts of Presidential Libraries. The NARA Federal Records Centers will remain open. Most NARA employees will be furloughed.

National Labor Relations Board:

The shutdown of the National Labor Relations Board, which furloughed all but 11 of its 1,600 employees, has led to delays in the process that handles disputes between labor and management. In New York City, a trial involving Cablevision and its employees has been delayed. The agency also oversees elections where workers vote on whether or not to unionize. These elections will be delayed for the duration of the shutdown. In one case, adjunct professors at Bentley University in Massachusetts held a vote over whether to unionize, but these votes may not be counted until after the shutdown ends.

National Science Foundation:

The National Science Foundation will not make payments to scientists during the shutdown. The NSF will not accept reports from grantees and will not respond to inquiries. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which is funded by the NSF, shut down three radio telescopes: the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the Very Large Array in New Mexico and the Very Long Baseline Array which stretches from Hawaii to the US Virgin Islands. These telescopes are used by thousands of astronomers. One radio astronomer told the journal Science that a shutdown could render useless a yearlong project to trace the shape of the Milky Way which had already cost $500,000. 385 NRAO employees were furloughed. The United States Antarctic Program announced that it will move its three research stations to "caretaker" status, meaning that "[a]ll field and research activities not essential to human safety and preservation of property will be suspended". Most work at Antarctica is done between the months of October and February, when the region experiences summer. Because of the logistical difficulties involved in working in Antarctica, the shutdown may result in the cancellation of all American research in Antarctica for the entire 2013–2014 season. Scientists at McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Palmer Station study topics such as biology, astrophysics and climate change.

National Transportation Safety Board:

The shutdown has reduced the ability of the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate aviation accidents. After the fatal crash of a Cessna Citation in Santa Monica, California, investigators collected perishable evidence from the scene but were then sent home.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees nuclear power in the United States, announced that it would furlough 3,600 of its 3,900 employees on October 10. About 300 personnel, including safety inspectors and a small emergency response unit will continue working. Operations that will cease include routine inspections involving nuclear materials and waste, emergency preparedness exercises, licensing of nuclear plants, and rulemaking. The NRC was able to delay furloughs by using leftover money from the previous year, but this funding ran out.

Office of Special Counsel:

The Office of Special Counsel has stopped investigating cases of government wrongdoing. Of the pending investigations that have stopped, 37 involve health and safety, including 19 that involve complaints of improper medical care at Veterans Administration hospitals. Investigations of overtime abuse have also stalled. Whistleblowers cannot report wrongdoing during the shutdown. The agency furloughed 107 of its 110 staff.

Small Business Administration:

The Small Business Administration will stop processing new loans to small businesses with the exception of loans to businesses affected by natural disasters. Existing loans will be unaffected. Programs that help mentor business owners, including businesses owned by veterans, will be shut down. About 62% of SBA employees will be furloughed.

Smithsonian Institution:

The Smithsonian Institution will shut down. Among the attractions that will be closed are the National Museum of Natural History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the National Zoological Park. Skeleton crews will be on site to provide security and to feed and care for the animals.

Social Security Administration:

The Social Security field offices would offer limited services, including hearings offices before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), though the card centers were closed. Beneficiaries of payment would continue to receive their dues. Online services would also continue, while the agency had a contingency plan.

The White House:

The Executive Office of the President furloughed 1265 employees out of a total of 1701. Within that total, the White House Office retained 129 staff members as exempt under the Antideficiency Act. (The other 117 are exempt under the Annual and Sick Leave Act.)


The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will shut down as well as the United States Institute of Peace, a government think-tank. Another research institute, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, will continue operating with reduced staffing. Some parts of the Broadcasting Board of Governors have had to shut down due to a lapse in appropriations for the U.S. federal government, but BBG-supported media are still bringing news and information programs to audiences around the world. U.S. international media activities under the BBG that are deemed “foreign relations essential to national security,” such as news programming and distribution, are excepted from the shutdown and will continue.

^ I am including this list to show the numerous agencies. parks, monuments, museums, etc that people use everyday and how they are being affected by the Shutdown. ^

 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_federal_government_agencies_and_operations_affected_by_the_shutdown_of_2013