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Bilateral Agreement Between USA – Russia (Alaska – Chukotka)
Credit: E Melikhova
The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation, (hereinafter referred to as the "Contracting Parties");
DESIRING to further the goals of the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears (hereinafter referred to as the "1973 Agreement");
AFFIRMING that the United States and the Russian Federation have a mutual interest in and responsibility for the conservation of the Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population;
ACKNOWLEDGING the vital interest of the Autonomous Region of Chukotka and the State of Alaska in the conservation and management of the Alaska-Chukotka population of polar bears;
RECOGNIZING that reliable biological information, including scientific data and traditional knowledge of native people, serves as the basis for development of an effective strategy for the conservation and management of this population;
RECOGNIZING that polar bears represent a valuable subsistence harvest species for the native people of Alaska and Chukotka;
AFFIRMING the authorization of the native people of Alaska and Chukotka, in accordance with each Contracting Party's domestic laws, to hunt polar bears to satisfy their traditional subsistence needs, and to manufacture and sell handicrafts and clothing;
DESIRING to meet the subsistence needs of native people while affording further protection to polar bears;
RECOGNIZING that illegal taking, habitat loss or degradation, pollution, and other human-caused threats could compromise the continued viability of the Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population;
RECOGNIZING the important ecological role and aesthetic value of the polar bear and the need to maintain broad public support for the conservation of polar bears;
AFFIRMING the essential role of the native people of Alaska and Chukotka in the conservation of the Alaska-Chukotka population of polar bears, welcoming the steps taken by those people with the goal of cooperation in the conservation and management of this population, and desiring to ensure their full involvement in the implementation and enforcement of this Agreement.
Article I
In this Agreement the following definitions shall apply:
(a) "sustainable harvest level" means a harvest level which does not exceed net annual recruitment to the population and maintains the population at or near its current level, taking into account all forms of removal, and considers the status and trend of the population, based on reliable scientific information.
(b) "taking" means hunting, killing or capturing.
(c) "native people" means the native residents of Alaska and Chukotka as represented by the Alaska Nanuuq Commission and the corresponding Union of Marine Mammal Hunters, or their successor organizations recognized as such by the Contracting Parties.
Article II
The Contracting Parties shall cooperate with the goal of ensuring the conservation of the Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population, the conservation of its habitat, and the regulation of its use for subsistence purposes by native people.
Article III
This Agreement applies to the waters and adjacent coastal areas subject to the national jurisdiction of the Contracting Parties in that area of the Chukchi, East Siberian and Bering Seas bounded on the west by a line extending north from the mouth of the Kolyma River; on the east by a line extending north from Point Barrow; and on the south by a line describing the southernmost annual formation of drift ice. The Contracting Parties may, by mutual agreement, modify the area to which the Agreement applies.
Article IV
The Contracting Parties shall undertake all efforts necessary to conserve polar bear habitats, with particular attention to denning areas and areas of concentration of polar bears during feeding and migration. To this end, they shall take steps necessary to prevent loss or degradation of such habitats that results in, or is likely to result in, mortality to polar bears or reduced productivity or long-term decline in the Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population.
Article V
Any taking of polar bears from the Alaska-Chukotka population inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement or the 1973 Agreement is prohibited.
Article VI
- Native people may take polar bears of the Alaska-Chukotka population for subsistence purposes, provided that:
(a) the take is consistent with Article III(1)(d) of the 1973 Agreement;
(b) the taking of females with cubs, cubs less than one year of age, and bears in dens, including bears preparing to enter dens or who have just left dens, is prohibited;
(c) the use of aircraft, large motorized vessels and large motorized vehicles for the purpose of taking polar bears is prohibited; and
(d) the use of poisons, traps or snares for the purpose of taking polar bears is prohibited. - Consistent with the 1973 Agreement, polar bears from the Alaska-Chukotka population may be taken for the conduct of scientific research, for the purpose of rescuing or rehabilitating orphaned, sick, or injured animals, or when human life is threatened. Animals being maintained in captivity for purposes of rehabilitation or which are determined by either Contracting Party not to be releasable to the wild may be placed on public display.
Article VII
- Nothing in this Agreement is intended to authorize the taking of polar bears for commercial purposes, or to limit the ability of native people, consistent with the domestic law of the Contracting Parties, to create, sell, and use traditional articles associated with native harvest of polar bears.
- The Contracting Parties shall undertake, in accordance with domestic law, measures necessary for the prevention of illegal trade in polar bears, including their parts and derivatives.
Article VIII
- To coordinate measures for the conservation and study of the Alaska-Chukotka population of polar bears, the Contracting Parties hereby establish the U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Commission, hereinafter referred to as "the Commission," to be composed of two national sections, a United States Section and a Russian Section.
- Each national section shall consist of two members appointed by the respective Contracting Party in order to provide for inclusion in each section of a representative of its native people, in addition to a representative of the Contracting Party.
- Each section shall have one vote in the Commission. A decision or recommendation of the Commission shall be made only with the approval of both sections.
- The Contracting Parties shall be responsible for organizing and supporting the activities of their respective national sections as well as the joint activities of the Commission.
- The Commission, at its first meeting, shall adopt rules of procedure, including provisions for accreditation of observers who can attend Commission meetings as representatives of interested organizations who can contribute to the Commission's work.
- The Commission shall hold an annual meeting and may hold other meetings at the request of either Contracting Party, or on such a schedule as the Commission may determine. Annual meetings shall alternate between the United States and Russia.
- The Commission shall carry out the following tasks:
(a) promoting cooperation between the Contracting Parties, between the native people, and between the Contracting Parties and the native people;
(b) determining on the basis of reliable scientific data, including traditional knowledge of the native people, the polar bear population's annual sustainable harvest level;
(c) determining the annual taking limits not to exceed the sustainable harvest level;
(d) adopting measures to restrict the take of polar bears for subsistence purposes by the native people within the framework of the established annual taking limits, including seasons and restrictions on sex and age additional to those in Article VI(1) of this Agreement;
(e) working to identify polar bear habitats and developing recommendations for habitat conservation measures;
(f) considering scientific research programs, including jointly conducted programs, for the study, conservation, and monitoring of polar bears, and preparing recommendations for implementing such programs, and determining criteria for reporting on and verification of polar bears taken;
(g) participating in the examination of disagreements between the native people of Alaska and Chukotka on questions regarding subsistence use of polar bears and their conservation and facilitating their resolution;
(h) issuing recommendations concerning the maintenance in captivity of orphaned and rehabilitated polar bears;
(i) examining information and scientific data about polar bears, including information on harvested polar bears and those taken in cases where human life is threatened;
(j) preparing and distributing conservation materials and reports of each Commission meeting; and
(k) performing such functions as are necessary and appropriate for the implementation of this Agreement. - The Commission shall establish a scientific working group and other working groups as it deems necessary to assist in carrying out its tasks.
- The Commission shall bring to the attention of the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties and of native people its determinations with respect to the matters covered in this Article.
Article IX
Each Contracting Party shall have the right to harvest one-half of the annual taking limit of polar bears determined by the Commission. If a Contracting Party does not intend to harvest one-half of the annual taking limit it may, subject to the agreement of the Commission, transfer to the other Contracting Party part of its remaining share of the annual taking limit and shall so notify the other Contracting Party through diplomatic channels.
Article X
- Each Contracting Party shall take such steps as are necessary to ensure implementation of this Agreement.
- Each Contracting Party shall monitor the harvest of polar bears in those areas subject to its national jurisdiction.
- Each Contracting Party shall report to the Commission annually on:
(a) steps taken in accordance with Paragraphs 1 and 2 above, including the adoption of laws and regulations, and measures to enforce them;
(b) steps taken to involve native people in the implementation and enforcement of this Agreement; and
(c) scientific data and information on the Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population, including harvest information provided by native people.
Article XI
Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted as limiting the right of each Contracting Party to take additional measures, including designation of specially protected natural areas, to protect polar bears in areas under its national jurisdiction.
Article XII
In the event of any disagreement with regard to the interpretation or application of the provisions of this Agreement, the Contracting Parties shall consult with a view to resolving the disagreement through negotiation. At the request of either Contracting Party, the Commission shall examine any point of disagreement. The recommendations of the Commission in such matters shall be presented to the Contracting Parties.
Article XIII
- This Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the date on which the Contracting Parties have exchanged written notification through diplomatic channels that they have completed their respective domestic legal procedures necessary to bring the Agreement into force, and shall remain in force unless terminated in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article.
- Either Contracting Party may terminate this Agreement upon written notification to the other through diplomatic channels. Any such notification shall be made not later than June 30 of any calendar year for termination to become effective on January 1 of the following year. Notifications made later than June 30 shall become effective on January 1 of the year after the following year.
DONE AT WASHINGTON, D.C. on October 16, 2000, in duplicate in the English and Russian languages, both texts being equally authentic.
David Sandalow
Ass. secretary Ocean Affairs
US Department of State
Yuriy Ushakove
Russian Ambassador to the US


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Angel Step Inn is a safe, confidential home for victims of domestic violence, who may or may not have a history of consuming alcohol and/or drugs. We assist all victims of intimate partner violence regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability, with or without children.
Our shelter holds approximately 30 people at a time and is staffed 24-hours a day to offer security and comprehensive support services to residents. Our shelter is a homelike atmosphere that encourages privacy and peace for healing from intimate partner abuse. Our shelter has five bedrooms, one community living room, a large dining area and two children's playrooms. Our carriage house, which is also located on the property, provides two additional bedrooms, a kitchen, a living, room and a shared bathroom
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Take Action
There are many ways you take action against domestic violence.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lawyer Who Pursued 'Stairway to Heaven' Case Against Led Zeppelin Suspended From Practicing Law
This hasn't been a very good month for attorney Francis Malofiy.
Shortly after losing a widely reported plagiarism lawsuit alleging Led Zeppelin pilfered a key "Stairway to Heaven" chord progression from Spirit, Malofiy has been slapped with a three-month suspension for disregarding "various rules of conduct" in the courtroom.
The Hollywood Reporter shares word of Malofiy's suspension, which stems from his behavior during another copyright infringement lawsuit. As previously reported, Malofiy clashed with the judge in his case against R&B star Usher, who stood accused of stealing his song "Bad Girl."
Accusing Malofiy of deliberately misleading a witness and acting overall "disgracefully," Judge Paul Diamond criticized his "sexist," "abusive" and "flagrantly unprofessional" behavior and warned, "Whether Malofiy should be removed from practice is a question properly answered in another forum."
According to THR's report, Diamond ultimately levied sanctions that included $28,000 in fines, but Malofiy appealed, arguing he hadn't done anything wrong — and that even if he had, the punishment didn't fit the infraction. A district court disagreed, and his suspension has now been upheld by an appellate panel.
Malofiy's suspension could leave him on the outside looking in if Michael Skidmore, the man who filed the "Stairway to Heaven" lawsuit on behalf of deceased Spirit founder Randy California, decides to appeal the verdict in his trial. Not that Skidmore would necessarily mind going ahead without his attorney's involvement: THR notes that "During the six-day 'Stairway' trial, Malofiy racked up more than a hundred sustained objections and multiple admonishments from Judge R. Gary Klausner."
Led Zeppelin Albums Ranked Worst to Best


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Miguel Ferrer (7 February 1955 – 19 January 2017; age 61) was the American actor who played the executive officer of the USS Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. He was born in Santa Monica, California, the eldest son of Academy Award-winning actor José Ferrer and singer-actress Rosemary Clooney. He was a cousin of Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney.
Ferrer is known for his role as Bob Morton in the 1987 film RoboCop and for playing FBI Agent Agent Albert Rosenfield on the cult television series Twin Peaks. He later became known for his role as Dr. Garret Macy on NBC's 2001-2007 drama series, Crossing Jordan and as Assistant Director Owen Granger on the CBS series NCIS: Los Angeles (2012-2017).
Ferrer died of throat cancer on 19 January 2017. [1]
Ferrer made his major feature film debut as a waiter in the 1983 science fiction comedy The Man Who Wasn't There, which was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Other actors who appeared in this film include Charlie Brill, Ron Canada, Michael Ensign, and Joseph Ruskin. Ferrer made his appearance in Star Trek III the following year. Ferrer's first significant acting role was in the 1984 thriller Flashpoint, in which he co-starred with Kevin Conway and Kurtwood Smith.
Ferrer and Smith reunited a few years later when both were cast in RoboCop. In the film, Ferrer played the power-hungry executive Bob Morton who creates the "RoboCop" program while Smith played gang leader Clarence Boddicker who kills the central character, played by Peter Weller. The film also featured Ronny Cox as the corrupt Dick Jones, Robert DoQui as Sergeant Warren Reed, and Ray Wise as gang member Leon Nash.
Ferrer made his television debut in an episode of Magnum, P.I. in 1981. This was followed by three appearances on Trapper John, M.D. between 1982 and 1985, the first of which also guest-starred LeVar Burton as well as David Andrews, Ed McCready, Bill Quinn, and Louise Sorel. Ferrer's second episode co-starred John Rubinstein and Byron Morrow, while all three episodes featured Madge Sinclair, who was a regular on the series.
In November 1984, Ferrer appeared in an episode of Hill Street Blues, on which James B. Sikking and Barbara Bosson were regulars. Ferrer had earlier worked with Sikking on Star Trek III, where Ferrer played the second-in-command to Sikking's Captain Lawrence H. Styles. Ferrer later worked with Barbara Bosson when the former guest-starred in a 1988 episode of Hooperman, on which Bosson was a regular. Ferrer's episode of Hill Street Blues also featured John Chandler, Louis Giambalvo, Janet MacLachlan, and David Spielberg.
In 1985, Ferrer made an uncredited appearance in an episode of T. J. Hooker, which starred William Shatner in the title role. James Darren and Richard Herd were also regulars on this series, and Ferrer's episode also had appearances by TNG alumni Michelle Phillips and Patti Yasutake.
Twin Peaks and David Lynch[]
From 1990 through 1991, Ferrer played the recurring role of FBI Agent Albert Rosenfeld on Twin Peaks. Among the performers Ferrer worked with on this series were Mädchen Amick, Richard Beymer, Galyn Görg, Brenda Strong, Carel Struycken, David Warner, Kenneth Welsh and Ray Wise.
Ferrer reprised his role as Rosenfeld in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), which was directed, co-written, and executive produced by David Lynch. In the film, Ferrer again worked with Mädchen Amick and Ray Wise.
In 1992, Ferrer became a regular on David Lynch's sitcom, On the Air. Although seven episodes of this series were produced, only three were aired in the US. Besides Ferrer, Mel Johnson, Jr., David L. Lander, and Tracey Walter also had roles on the show.
Other film work[]
In 1990, Ferrer was seen in two films which were shot by a Star Trek cinematographer: Revenge, shot by Jeffrey L. Kimball; and The Guardian, shot by John A. Alonzo. The latter film also featured Natalia Nogulich in the cast.
Ferrer played the antagonist in the 1994 Disney film Blank Check, opposite recurring TNG guest star Brian Bonsall as the protagonist. In this film, Ferrer plays a bank robber who unwittingly gives Bonsall's character a blank check after running over his bicycle. Bonsall proceeds to cash the check for $1,000,000, prompting Ferrer and his associates to frantically try to find him.
Ferrer's other film credits during the 1990s include Point of No Return (1993, with Olivia d'Abo, Hot Shots! Part Duex (1993, with Brenda Bakke, Andreas Katsulas, Clyde Kusatsu, Mitchell Ryan, and Gregory Sierra), Another Stakeout (1993, with John Rubinstein), and Mr. Magoo (1997, with Malcolm McDowell). He also had the lead role in The Harvest (1992) and The Night Flyer (1997), as well as Where's Marlowe? (1998, co-starring Clayton Rohner.
Other television work[]
Ferrer was a regular on NBC's Shannon's Deal, which ran for two seasons from April 1990 through May 1991 (following a two-hour TV pilot which aired in June 1989). During the 1998-1999 television season, Ferrer was a regular on the short-lived NBC comedy LateLine, which also starred Robert Foxworth.
Between 1990 and 1994, Ferrer acted in three episodes of Tales from the Crypt. His first episode, "The Thing from the Grave," was directed by Fred Dekker and co-starred Teri Hatcher. All three episodes (and the entire series) had been hosted by the Crypt Keeper, voiced by John Kassir.
Ferrer also appeared in two episodes of CBS' early 1990s series Broken Bridges, one directed by James Whitmore, Jr. and the other directed by Kim Manners and co-starring Diedrich Bader. In 1994, Ferrer made an uncredited appearance on ER, which starred his cousin, George Clooney. The episode also featured Michael Cavanaugh, Shelly Desai, Scott Jaeck, Julianna McCarthy, and Liz Vassey.
Ferrer was part of the cast of the 1990 mini-series Drug Wars: The Camarene Story, along with Tony Plana, Rosalind Chao, Biff Yeager, and Daniel Zacapa. He played Lloyd Henrid in the 1994 mini-series The Stand, which also featured Steven Anderson, Matt Frewer, Sherman Howard, Patrick Kilpatrick, Richard Lineback, Jordan Lund, and the aforementioned Ray Walston.
Ferrer also acted in several made-for-TV movies in the 1990s. Among them were In the Shadow of a Killer (1992), which starred Scott Bakula; Incident at Deception Ridge (1994), with Ed Begley, Jr.; Project: ALF (1996), also with Ed Begley, Jr., as well as Erick Avari, John Schuck, Dell Yount, and Ray Walston; and Brave New World (1998), which starred Leonard Nimoy and featured Daniel Dae Kim. Ferrer also appeared in the unsuccessful pilot for Justice League of America, in which he played the villain, a terrorist known as the Weather Man. David Ogden Stiers and the aforementioned John Kassir had roles in this movie, as well.
In 2000, Ferrer was seen as a drug dealer in the acclaimed drama Traffic. This film also featured Clifton Collins, Jr. as a hit man who is ultimately hired to kill Ferrer's character. For their work in Traffic, Ferrer, Collins, and their fellow cast members shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture.
Ferrer co-starred in two films from writer-director John Sayles: 2002's Sunshine State (with Gordon Clapp, Bill Cobbs, and Tom Wright) and 2004's Silver City (with David Clennon). Ferrer was also part of the ensemble cast of 2004's The Manchurian Candidate, as were Jude Ciccolella, Charles Napier, Dean Stockwell, and Tracey Walter.
From 2001 through 2007, Ferrer starred as Dr. Garret Macy on Crossing Jordan, which co-starred Jerry O'Connell. Roxann Dawson frequently worked as director on the show, and served as producer at one point. Ferrer received an Imagen Foundation Award for his performance on this series, as well as nominations from the ALMA Awards and the Prism Awards. Ferrer also directed four episodes of Crossing Jordan; among those he directed in those episodes were David Clennon, Richard Cox, Mark Margolis, Zachary Quinto, and Michael Welch.
In 2002, Ferrer co-starred with Malcolm McDowell in an unaired episode of the FOX anthology series Night Visions. Although this episode never aired, it was edited together with three other unaired episodes to create the Sci-Fi Channel movie Shadow Realm.
After Crossing Jordan ended, Ferrer became a regular on NBC's Bionic Woman, playing the titular character's boss. He later guest-starred on such television series as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (starring Paul Guilfoyle and Wallace Langham, with Rick Worthy), Kings (with Susanna Thompson and Mark Margolis), and Psych (with Corbin Bernsen, Bruce Davison, and Chris Sarandon).
Ferrer's final project was the role of Assistant Director Owen Granger on NCIS: Los Angeles.
Voice-over work[]
Ferrer lent his voice to several projects. He voiced the villain, Hun leader Shan-Yu, in Disney's 1998 animated film Mulan. This film also featured the voices of Freda Foh Shen, Frank Welker, and George Takei.
In addition, Ferrer was the voice of Picasso in the 2001 short film Matisse & Picasso: A Gentle Rivalry, which was narrated by Salome Jens. Ferrer later voiced the role of Martian Manhunter in the animated 2008 direct-to-video feature Justice League: The New Frontier. Robin Atkin Downes and Phil Morris also had voice-over roles in this production.
Ferrer voiced Tarakudo, the Shadowkhan King, in several episodes of Jackie Chan Adventures, which also featured the voice of Clancy Brown. In 2007, Ferrer was heard as the voice of INS Agent Hopkins in the "American Dream Factory" episode of Seth MacFarlane's animated series, American Dad! Besides MacFarlane and series regulars Scott Grimes and Wendy Schaal, the episode also featured the voices of Iggy Pop and TNG star Patrick Stewart. Ferrer's voice has been heard on several other programs, including Superman, Robot Chicken, and The Spectacular Spider-Man.
Ferrer can be heard as the Heretic Leader Sesa 'Refumee in the 2004 video game Halo 2. Hamilton Camp, John Kassir, and Ron Perlman also voiced characters in the game.
Other Trek connections[]
Additional projects not listed above in which Ferrer worked with one or more Star Trek alumni include:
- Truckin' Buddy McCoy (1984) with John Fleck
- DeepStar Six (1989) with Matt McCoy
- Valentino Returns (1989) with Jerry Hardin
- Arduous Moon (1990 short) with Diedrich Bader
- Death in Granada (1996) with Tony Plana
- Wrong Turn at Tahoe (2009) with Mike Starr
- Noah's Ark: The New Beginning (TBA), voice only) with the voices of Roger R. Cross and Tommy "Tiny" Lister, Jr.
TV guest appearances[]
- CHiPs (1 episode, 1983) with Robert Pine
- Cagney & Lacey (1984) with Susan French
- Hotel (1987) with Molly Hagan and Cliff Potts; directed by James L. Conway
- CBS Summer Playhouse: "Kung Fu: The Next Generation" (1987) with Victor Brandt
TV movies[]
- Downpayment on Murder (1987) with Jonathan Banks
- C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf (1988) with James Saito and Alan Scarfe
- Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North (1989) with Paul Dooley, Jim Fitzpatrick, Dakin Matthews, and Terry O'Quinn
- Murder in High Places (1991) with Michael McKean
- Cruel Doubt (1992) with Neal McDonough, Stefan Gierasch, and Jordan Lund
- Scam (1993) with Erick Avari
- Jack Reed: A Search for Justice (1994) with Elizabeth Dennehy
- A Promise Kept: The Oskana Baiul Story (1994) with Susanna Thompson
- The Return of Hunter (1995) with Brian Keith and Beth Toussaint
- In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice (1995) with John Carroll Lynch, Stephen Root, and Dell Yount


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Octo Telematics partners with SAS to enhance analytical capabilities across its insurance IoT platform
Global leader in insurance IoT to integrate SAS' analytics suite to help insurers more effectively price risk, manage claims and engage policyholders
SAS, the global leader in analytics, and Octo Telematics, the global leader in insurance IoT, have entered into a global partnership agreement to enable property and casualty insurance carriers to gain deeper business insights through the power of IoT.
The insurance industry is under intense pressure to improve their books of business and remain relevant in a burgeoning field of tech-driven competition. The billions of sensors connected to insurable things – people, vehicles, homes – provides the industry with the opportunity to completely transform their business with personalized insurance offerings and higher customer retention through engagement. Octo Telematics provides an IoT platform purpose-built for insurance that enables insurers to better price risk, manage claims and engage customers.
Insurers will be able to analyze their full set of driving and crash data alongside their traditional data directly in Octo's platform using SAS® tools. The combined analytics capabilities of SAS and Octo will provide insurers with prebuilt scores, interactive dashboards and smart visualizations as well as a suite of powerful SAS enterprise-level tools with which to build their own.
"SAS shares our vision for the transformative power of insurance IoT and best-in-class analytics," said Gianfranco Giannella, Chief Operating Officer at Octo Telematics. "Together, we are able to analyze huge data volumes and generate actionable insight at speed for insurers and customers."
"Octo is a pioneer in insurance telematics, and their insurance platform is a great example of how applied analytics combined with IoT can make insurance more profitable and personalized," said Jason Mann, Vice President of IoT at SAS.
SAS' analytics suite, deeply integrated into Octo's insurance IoT platform, will support the complete data life cycle – from data ingestion, normalization and validation to analysis to model deployment – and will reveal meaningful insights from IoT data regardless of its quantity, type or speed. Having both traditional and telematics data in a single platform enables insurers to make better decisions and act quickly using the real-time insights that arise from data visualization, machine learning and streaming analytics.
To learn more about SAS' approach to IoT analytics, with embedded AI capabilities, download the free product brief SAS Analytics for IoT.
About Octo Telematics
Octo is the number 1 global provider of telematics and data analytics solutions for the auto insurance industry. Founded in 2002, Octo is one of the pioneers of the insurance telematics industry. Today, Octo is the largest and most experienced insurance telematics company in the world, transforming auto insurance through behavioral, contextual and driving analytics for more than 100 insurance partners.
Octo has more than 5.6 million connected users and the largest global database of telematics data, with over 228 billion miles of driving data collected and 456,000 crashes and insurance events analysed (as of Dec. 31, 2018). Octo applies proprietary algorithms to this market-leading database to deliver powerful new insights into driver risk, informing solutions that benefit both auto insurance companies and policyholders.
The company is headquartered in Rome, with offices in Boston, London, Stuttgart, Madrid, and Sao Paulo. http://www.octotelematics.com/
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
Editorial contacts:
David Smith +44 1628 490 433
- SAS Česká republika
Jelena Stanković
00 381 63 430 117


text:
In the modern era, online gaming has emerged as a dominant force in the realm of entertainment, captivating millions of players worldwide with its immersive experiences, social interactions, and competitive challenges. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a multi-billion dollar industry, the landscape of online gaming has undergone a remarkable evolution, shaping the way people play and connect in virtual environments. In this article, we delve into the history, impact, and significance of online gaming in contemporary society.
The roots of online gaming can be traced back to the early days of computer networking, where developers first began experimenting with basic multiplayer games that allowed players to connect remotely. As technology advanced and internet connectivity became more widespread, online gaming experienced exponential growth, leading to the creation of diverse genres and experiences.
Today, online gaming encompasses a vast and diverse ecosystem, with games ranging from massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) to competitive shooters, strategy games, and casual mobile apps. The accessibility of online gaming has been further enhanced by the proliferation of internet-connected devices, including PCs, consoles, smartphones, and tablets, allowing players to engage in their favorite games anytime, anywhere.
One of the most compelling aspects of online gaming 123win is its ability to foster social connections and communities. Through online multiplayer modes, players can collaborate with friends, team up with strangers, and form lasting bonds with fellow gamers from around the world. The social aspect of online gaming has become an integral part of the experience, with players sharing strategies, participating in forums, and organizing events and gatherings.
Moreover, online gaming has emerged as a significant economic force, generating billions of dollars in revenue annually. Esports, in particular, has experienced explosive growth, with professional players competing in tournaments for substantial cash prizes and millions of viewers tuning in to watch the action unfold. Esports events have become major spectacles, drawing in sponsors, advertisers, and investors eager to capitalize on the industry's rapid expansion and popularity.
However, online gaming also presents challenges and concerns, including issues related to gaming addiction, cyberbullying, and online harassment. It is crucial for players, parents, educators, and policymakers to address these issues and promote responsible gaming practices to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming environment for all.
In conclusion, online gaming has evolved into a dynamic and influential medium that has revolutionized the way people play, interact, and connect in the digital age. Its evolution has been driven by advancements in technology, changes in consumer preferences, and the universal appeal of interactive experiences. As online gaming continues to evolve and expand, it will undoubtedly remain a central aspect of modern entertainment, providing endless opportunities for exploration, socialization, and enjoyment.


text:
Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.
The key to the real estate is location, location, location. In this case, the location is a jail. Authorities in Yonkers, New York put a lockup on the market. They're asking two-a-half-million dollars for a building that may need renovation, but does have a Hudson River view. Rent laws can make it hard for the buyers of a building to evict the old tenants, but not in this case. We're told the inmates will be moved out on Sunday.
It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Douse the lights and sharpen your imagination for this collection of unforgettable thrillers, based on the works of some of the world's greatest mystery authors!
These spine-chilling tales by Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, Washington Irving, Nathanial Hawthorne, and more are brought to life by radio favorites Santos Ortega, Lesley Woods, Ted de Corsia, Alfred Shirley, Stacy Harris, and Edwin Jerome.
Includes a Program Guide by Karl Schadow.
Episodes Include: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1943); A Terribly Strange Bed (1943); The Horla (1943); The Lifted Veil (1943); A Terrible Night (1943); Frankenstein (1943); The Spectre of Tappington (1944); The Cask of Amontillado (1944); Falkland (1944); The Trial for Murder (1944); The Phantom Picture (1944); The Burial of Roger Malvin (1944); The Fatal Love Potion (1944); The Spectre Bride (1944); The Thing in the Tunnel (1944); The Pistol Shot (1944)
Please note: This CD-R product is manufactured on demand using recordable media. This allows us to make a wider range of series and episodes available.
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14 Biggest Harry Potter Scandals of All Time
Rags-to-riches billionaire author J.K. Rowling is nothing if not protective of her life's work. Since the release of the first novel in the Harry Potter series in 1997, Rowling and her corporate sidekicks Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Warner Bros. have gone after everyone from the U.S. Army, adolescent girls and sweet old librarians – and Rowling herself was accused of stealing her entire storyline from a penniless writer who wrote an 18-page book before he died. In the meantime, the teenage stars of the Harry Potter films found time to do a little damage as well: They got high, lost their virginity to a cougar and flashed their undies to the world.
Here are the 14 most shocking Harry Potter scandals of all time.
From Rolling Stone US


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Only original SWG client allowed
Updated: September 2014
SWGEmu Team
In order to use any SWGEmu game server, you must legally own either Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, Star Wars Galaxies: Starter Kit, Star Wars Galaxies: Total Experience or Star Wars Galaxies: Complete Adventures Online.
There are multiple legal ways to acquire a legitimate copy of SWG, should you need one. Amazon.com, Ebay, etc. are examples of online stores that sell SWG. You only need "An Empire Divided" (the original boxed game from '03), however, any non-trial version including "The Total Experience", "Starter Kit", "Access Station Kit" and "The Complete Online Adventures" will work on SWGEmu servers.
Anyone found to be using an illegal client to attempt to log into any SWGEmu server will potentially lose part or all of their privileges on all SWGEmu Properties.
- The use of a copy obtained through Warez or Torrent websites (P2P downloads) is illegal due to the software still being covered under copyright law
- The use of the Sony SWG 14-day Trial client is considered illegal
Thanks for your cooperation. We look forward to seeing you on our servers.
~ SWGEmu Team


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So now that you have decided to sell your home, the next step is to determine the best sales method for your circumstances and the home's condition. So naturally, calling a real estate agent was likely the first option that came to your mind for selling. On second thought, however, for many owners, the idea of paying the hefty real estate commissions probably stopped you from picking up the phone, bringing us to the second option available to homeowners, selling their homes independently or as an FSBO.
So read on as we explore these three important things you should know before selling your house on your own in Orange County.
FSBO Final Sales Prices
Before selling your house on your own in Orange County, it's worth noting that, on average, FSBO properties sell for around 26 percent less than those listed with an agent. If you're trying to save money on selling your home by avoiding commissions, selling as an FSBO might not be the correct answer. You can save valuable time and money by selling directly to a local professional home buyer like those at H&M Realty Group; we never charge commissions, and there are no hidden fees to come off your profits at closing. At H&M Realty Group, our professional home buyers will detail how much you could sell by listing vs. what you'll earn through a direct sale, so you can make an educated decision about what is best in your situation.
Buyer Pool
Another relevant fact you should know before selling your house on your own in Orange County is that according to the National Association of Realtors, around 90 percent of buyers turn to a real estate agent to find a home. So, unless you already have a buyer lined up among friends or family, you should be aware that only about 5 percent of buyers choose to purchase directly from the seller. The silence of waiting for a qualified buyer to arrive can be gut-wrenching when you've gone to so much effort and expense to sell your home. Working with a professional home buyer like those at H&M Realty Group means you'll have a guaranteed closing date, typically within weeks. If you're not quite ready to move so soon, just talk to your direct buyer from H&M Realty Group about what day works best for your upcoming move, and we'll be happy to schedule the most convenient closing day for you.
Out-Of-Pocket Expenses Pre-Sale
A crucial thing you should know before selling your house on your own in Orange County is that the same industry standards for listings must be utilized with an FSBO for your listing to stand out against the competition. Real estate agents heavily employ technology in their marketing tools to meet the digital online marketplace's demands, including professional high-quality digital photographers and 360-degree videographers. They also employ the sales strategy of staging; these marketing strategies all come at the seller's expense. You could skip the marketing, prep work, showings, and even the repairs, saving yourself even more time, effort, and out-of-pocket costs by selling directly to a professional home buyer like those at H&M Realty Group; we buy homes as-is for cash.
The third option to sell your home is through a direct sale to a professional home buyer at H&M Realty Group, which is an essential thing you should know before selling your house on your own in Orange County. If you have concerns about the process or believe there are hurdles standing in the way of selling your home, talk to one of the professional home buyers at H&M Realty Group today, with no obligation and find out how we can help you. Call H&M Realty Group at 949-625-4533.


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At least three times a week, Leslie Johnson, who has Alzheimer's Disease, may be seen working out at a gym.
"It isn't anything great that I do. But I have to feel like I'm doing something," Johnson said.
Paired with her vegan diet, this is how she keeps the Alzheimer's Disease from progressing, she said.
"You lose so much, and so you'll try anything," Johnson said.
Her approach to prevention is good: According to new guidelines from the World Health Organization, exercise and a proper diet can help prevent dementia and other brain issues.
The report says some things don't work, though. One of those is vitamin pills promoted for brain health, such as Vitamin B or E, fish oil and multi-complex supplements. The research says they can even be harmful in high doses.
"People are really looking for something they can do, not just take a pill," said Dr. Jack Klapper, founder of the Mile-High Research Center in Colorado.
The center treats dementia patients.
"They go downhill very quickly, whereas people who say well, what can I do to slow this down or make it better?
"They do a lot better," Klapper said.
He suggests patients take care of other health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure. And implementing exercise doesn't have to be hard, he said.
"It doesn't have to be you know crazy exercise it can be something simple like walking your dog around the block three times a week," Klapper said.
The World Health Organization didn't endorse games or other activities aimed at boosting thinking skills — there is low evidence of benefit.
Johnson says she doesn't know how much benefit she'll see from her time in the gym, but she's still going to show up.
"I do it," she said. "And I hope that I can, you know, make it work."


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Thank you for visiting our new Internet site. As an up-to-date business, we want to give you the opportunity to stay in touch with our company and our offers. A new content management system will enable us to always keep you up to date.
At present, our web site is still under construction. We are making an effort to present you with our entire spectrum of offers as soon as possible. Soon we will add our weekly specials and try to keep our site up to date!!! Feel free to check out our hours of operation, how to find us, and our contact information. Thanks for your interest in Lakeshore Cafe hope to see you soon!!!!


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One of my favorite experiences during vacation was going to the beach at Mattinatella, in the Parco Nazionale del Gargano in Puglia, Italy. Other than the beautiful beach, the water was great and though I sometimes miss the waves of a raging ocean, it's nice to float and swim for hours as if I was in a lake.
One of the favorite seaside flavors in Italy are the Ricci di Mare, or Sea Urchins. If you are in Italy during the summer, you may find families hunched around a large bag of sea urchins at lunchtime, enjoying a nice aperitivo.
These are considered a bit of a delicacy for several reasons: the amount of effort it takes to collect them, and the amount of edible material you actually receive for pounds collected. You could buy these from a fishmonger or the pulp in a can, but why? The joy of collecting them yourselves and then eating them directly on the beach is what a ricci di mare lover enjoys. Once you find where they are, the ricci di mare can be pulled off with gloves or using tools (bring a big bag!) Though they are spiny, the don't hurt when they walk across your hand, and rather tickle.
Opening the sea urchin is an important process because the edible part rests completely on one side, so you don't want to open (and destroy) the wrong end! This is an instrument used specifically for this purpose. If you don't have it on hand, here is a video that shows you how to open them with scissors, but a cleaner cut will probably preserve the edible part better and is worth the investment.
The edible part is commonly referred to as "roe" which is synonymous with fish eggs, but in this case, it's actually the organ that produces the eggs rather than the eggs themselves and therefore considered gonads. They can be rinsed with fresh water or salt water before eating or you can pick around the internal parts of the sea urchin without rinsing. They definitely have a salty, complex sea taste that my brain associates with the smell of fresh fish my stepfather would catch and clean for us to eat that evening, and a consistency that is so light that it's almost foamy.
Most ricci di mare lovers will tell you that eating the roe fresh and on its own is the best way to eat them, but often people will make a simple pasta dish with them. Susan from Porcini Chronicles made Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare con Limone. Risotto is also a popular option for eating ricci di mare.
To eat the sea urchin, tip it to drain out any remaining liquid, and you can scoop out the rows with your tongue one at a time, or use a knife or small spoon. You may be able to find the Ricci di Mare pulp or roe in Korean or Japanese food markets ("uni" in Japanese).


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Pope Benedict XVI arrives today in León, Mexico, to kick off the 23rd foreign trip of his papacy but his first to Spanish-speaking Latin America. (He visited Brazil in 2007.) Benedict will spend the weekend in Mexico, then move Monday to Cuba before returning to Rome late Wednesday.
At one level, this is a tale of two different trips.
The pope's swing in Mexico will likely amount to a celebration of popular Catholicism, with about 3 million exuberant faithful expected to turn out. It also comes just ahead of national elections in July, raising fears of manipulation of the trip for political ends, especially given perceptions that the Mexican church is aligned in favor of the conservative National Action Party. However, Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, a retired Vatican official who will accompany the pope, recently insisted that trying to see the trip through the prism of electoral politics "would be like forcing the ocean into an oyster."
In Cuba, meanwhile, the pope comes to bring aid and comfort to a church that has long been suffocated by a hostile regime, shrunk by decades of state-imposed atheism to just 10 percent of the population, as measured by regular Mass attendance. Yet Cuban Catholicism still possesses impressive resilience, and is widely seen as the lone social institution able to extract concessions on human rights from the Castro government.
Officially, Benedict is visiting Mexico to commemorate the 20th anniversary of full diplomatic relations with the Holy See, while the occasion in Cuba is the 400th anniversary of the El Cobre sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity, Cuba's Catholic patroness. Wags have long joked that under Castro, the real patron saint is actually Che Guevara, but devotion to the Virgin of Charity is undergoing a renaissance as the state's grip on the church has loosened.
As has happened to Benedict on many of his other foreign trips, he may benefit from low expectations.
Set-up pieces have depicted Benedict as a Eurocentric intellectual who lacks any real popular flair, asserting that he doesn't command the same affection from Latin Americans as his charismatic predecessor, John Paul II. A vial of John Paul's blood, one of the relics from his beatification process, recently made its way up and down Mexico for 91 days, seen by an estimated 27 million devotees -- a sign, perhaps, that John Paul's memory still elicits more grassroots fervor than Benedict's present.
Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago of León actually felt compelled to chide people for such comparisons, saying this week, "All popes are equal and deserve our respect and adherence, regardless of whatever their personal charism might be."
In Mexico, Benedict also faces the shadow of the scandals associated with the late Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionaries of Christ, who has become a global symbol of the clerical sexual abuse crisis. Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi said this week Benedict will not meet with victims of Maciel in Mexico, because such an encounter had not been requested by the local bishops. On Saturday in León, one of Maciel's victims is scheduled present a new book critical of the church's response to the Maciel case, titled "The Will Not to Know."
Given that context, even a modest show of popular enthusiasm for Benedict XVI, as well as anything he says or does that's at all relevant or engaging, may be enough to label the trip a success.
The trip seems likely to draw strong media interest, barring an "x factor," such as what happened the last time a pope visited Cuba. John Paul's January 1998 trip was set to be the world's dominant headline that week, symbolizing what Newsweek declared a "battle for Cuba's soul," until all the American media talent bugged out for Washington to cover an even juicier story -- the outbreak of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Although it's not been officially confirmed, it's widely expected that while he's in Havana, Benedict will meet Fidel Castro. Rumors have suggested that the aging father of the revolution might announce his reconciliation with the Catholic church, speculation given legs by an interview with his daughter in an Italian newspaper claiming Castro has "come closer to religion and to God."
In the absence of a dramatic "trophy conversion" by the world's most prominent remaining communist, the following four storylines are likely to be where the action lies on the pope's Latin American swing.
Catholic attrition
Although Latin America is home to more than 40 percent of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, not all is well for the church. In some parts of Latin America, secularism is eating away at both Catholic populations and a Catholic cultural ethos. Even more serious to Catholic fortunes has been the deep losses sustained in recent decades to various forms of mostly nondenominational Pentecostal and evangelical Christianity.
Belgian Passionist Fr. Franz Damen, a veteran staffer for the Bolivian bishops, concluded in the 1990s that conversions from Catholicism to Protestantism in Latin America during the 20th century surpassed the Protestant Reformation in Europe in the 16th century. A study commissioned in the late 1990s by CELAM, the Conference of Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, found that 8,000 Latin Americans were deserting the Catholic church every day.
Facing those setbacks, the Latin American bishops who met with Benedict in 2007 called for a "Great Continental Mission" driven by old-fashioned, door-to-door pastoral outreach rather than sitting around in parishes and waiting for people to show up. As the bishops conceived it, this mission would be driven mostly by lay evangelists and would be directed especially at the favelas and barrios of the continent's mega-cities.
In other words, Latin America offers a good test case for Benedict's much-ballyhooed "New Evangelization," directed primarily at erstwhile Catholics who are lapsed or alienated from the faith.
Benedict's visit offers the opportunity for a check-up to see whether the "Great Mission" has actually gotten off the ground, especially on Sunday, when he celebrates a vespers service with the bishops of Mexico and Latin America. So far, it seems a work in progress; the most recent numbers released by the Vatican show the Latin American share of the global Catholic population registering a decline.
On the other hand, the pope can also celebrate some signs of new life.
In his 2008 book Conversion of a Continent, Dominican Fr. Edward Cleary argued that Latin America is in the grip of a religious upheaval, with Pentecostalism as its leading edge. Catholicism, Cleary says, is also becoming more dynamic in Latin America, generating higher levels of commitment among those who remain. Cleary believes that this Catholic awakening had its roots in lay movements that go back to the 1930s and '40s, but it's been jump-started by healthy competition from the Pentecostals.
In Cuba, Benedict may argue that the Cuban church has a special vocation in the "new evangelization" of Latin America. Just as John Paul insisted that the churches of Eastern Europe, battle-hardened by their fight with communism, could supply a shot in the arm to the churches of the secular West, Benedict may make a similar pitch to the Cubans about their role in Latin America today.
Faith and politics
Three big-ticket social and political concerns are likely to surface during the pope's time in Mexico. First up is the church's defense of human life and the family, with special focus on the hot-button issues of gay marriage and abortion.
Although Mexico City legalized first trimester abortion in 2007, the backlash against that move was strong enough that 19 of Mexico's 31 states actually tightened their laws. In some cases, women who have had abortions have been jailed, including 160 women in Guanajuato state, where León is located.
Second, Benedict will likely try to strike the Vatican's usual balance on immigration, between the right of a nation to regulate its borders but also the importance of compassionate policies and recognition of the benefits immigrants bring to host countries.
Mexico is both a source of new immigrants to the United States and a destination for migrants moving up from other parts of Latin America -- some in transit to Europe or North America, but others who stick around. Recently, Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Sanchez Martinez of Durango, Mexico, pointedly insisted that Mexicans must show the same toleration for immigrants crossing their own southern border that they demand from the United States, and Benedict may well echo that point.
Third, Benedict will have something to say about the drug trade, especially the violence and corruption associated with Mexico's notorious cartels. Recently one such outfit, which goes by the name of the Knights Templar, announced a truce while the pope's in town, but that hardly cancels out the estimated 50,000 lives lost in Mexico from drug-related violence since the government launched a crackdown in 2006.
One of the most harrowing new Catholic martyrologies of 2011 came out of Mexico, a product of this wave of violence. A leader in the Scalabrian Lay Movement and a blogger named Mary Elizabeth Mac'as Castro was beheaded for exposing the activities of a drug cartel; according to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, she was the first journalist in the world killed for use of social media.
Many Mexicans lay at least part of the blame for the violence at the feet of the voracious appetite for narcotics in the United States, raising the possibility that Benedict may address not just the cartels but also the northern consumers who bankroll their activities. At the same time, some critics charge Catholic leaders in Mexico with not doing enough to confront the drug violence. While priests and laypeople have been threatened, kidnapped and killed, some local pastors actually take money from the drug barons to build chapels or for other charitable purposes.
In Cuba, meanwhile, the primary church/state issue on the pope's docket will be the relationship with the regime.
Benedict will doubtless applaud a gradual détente that seems to have accelerated in recent years. In 2010, for instance, Raul Castro attended the inauguration of a new Catholic seminary around the same time that Cardinal Jaime Ortega had helped negotiate the largest prisoner release in a decade. Recently, Ortega was given a rare chance on national television to talk about the importance of the pope's visit.
That's not to say, however, that everything is peaches and cream. Recently, about 70 members of the staunchly Catholic Damas de Blanco dissident group, or "Ladies in White," were arrested and released after being warned not to cause disruptions during the papal visit.
Indeed, some voices among Cuban dissidents have opposed the very idea of a papal trip on the grounds that it serves to legitimize the regime and its purported reforms. Recently, Lech Walesa, founder of the Polish solidarity movement, publicly called on Benedict to meet leaders of Cuba's democratic opposition and not just the Castro brothers. There's long been frustration among dissident leaders who accuse the Cuban church of being overly passive and "soft," contrasting it with the strong opposition role played by Catholicism in Poland and elsewhere behind the former Iron Curtain.
On that score, Benedict is likely to encourage progressive normalization along the lines of post-Franco Spain, trying both to acknowledge the greater breathing space the church now enjoys without suggesting that reform is effectively over. Vatican sources suggest the pope may meet with a group of dissidents outside his formal program.
The Vatican has long been on record opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba, and though Benedict is unlikely to engage in any direct finger-pointing on the issue, he will likely repeat standard rhetoric to the effect that engagement, not isolation, is the best approach.
Papal health watch
Benedict XVI will turn 85 next month, and the trip to Mexico and Cuba is his most significant road test ahead of that milestone. How well he seems to hold up will be subject to intense scrutiny, since it's really the only way outsiders have of measuring his health and stamina.
Already, Benedict's itinerary reflects concessions to his age. He's visiting León rather than Mexico City, in part because the capital city's high altitude was considered inadvisable. Even though he arrives Friday afternoon, he doesn't have any formal activity scheduled until he meets President Felipe Calderón at 6 p.m. Saturday -- to afford the pontiff time, organizers say, to get over jet lag.
Indeed, Benedict is only scheduled to speak in public 10 times over the course of these six days, an average of less than two speeches a day. By way of contrast, when John Paul II made his first visit to Mexico in 1979 (along with the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas), he delivered 39 speeches over seven days, an average of five and a half per day.
American bishops who have recently met Benedict XVI as part of their ad limina visits to Rome generally report that they found the pontiff visibly aged and fatigued, though still sharp mentally.
While there's no sign of any imminent health crisis around Benedict XVI, pope-watchers will be paying careful attention to his limited public appearances in Mexico and Cuba, as they will when he gets back to Rome to lead the demanding stretch of liturgies and other public events from Palm Sunday through Easter, April 1 through April 8.
Possible popes
Given the dramatic population shift in global Catholicism from north to south, many analysts believe it's only a question of time until the church is led by a "Third World pope," and usually Latin America is where they start looking for candidates.
The smart money, however, says that the two most visible Catholic prelates Benedict will encounter on this Latin swing -- Cardinals Noberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City and Ortega of Havana -- probably aren't serious contenders.
Rivera is still just 69, though he's been around a long time, named archbishop of Mexico City in 1995, at the tender age of 53, and made a cardinal by John Paul II in 1998. He drew some buzz last time around as a possible papal candidate, but in the end didn't have any traction in the conclave of April 2005 that elected Benedict XVI. This time around, Rivera is even less likely to take off given his long-standing public support for Maciel.
Even the most PR-challenged cardinal would likely shrink from the prospect of day-one headlines after next conclave reading, "New pope implicated in church sex scandals."
As for Ortega, he's already near the upper age limit of electability at 75. Although Ortega is widely admired in Catholic circles for his moral courage, the situation in Cuba is so deeply unique that many observers wonder how well he'd be positioned to respond to the radically different challenges facing Catholicism in other parts of the world.
If there is a possible future pope lurking in the background this week, it may be another Mexican: Cardinal José Francisco Robles Ortega of Guadalajara.
Just 63, Robles has a lot going for him as a potential papabile, or papal candidate. He lived at Rome's Pontifical Mexican College from 1976 to 1979 while studying at the Jesuit-run Gregorian University, and he was part of the Mexican delegation to the 1997 Synod for America, all of which gives Robles some Roman seasoning. That's especially important in a conclave in which capacity to take control of the Vatican machinery is likely to be an important voting issue. (Robles also has a great calling card in Italian popular Catholicism, which is a strong personal devotion to Padre Pio.)
Robles is widely considered less conservative, both theologically and politically, than River or the man he replaced in Guadalajara, Cardinal Juan Sandoval. He comes from a working class family in Jalisco state, and though he's never been part of the liberation theology movement, he reportedly has good relationships with the more progressive sectors of the Mexican church.
Yet Robles also enjoys strong papal support. Benedict made him a cardinal in 2007, while Robles was still in Monterrey, and then transferred him to Guadalajara in 2011 even though Sandoval was still 78, thus creating the anomaly of two cardinal-electors in the same diocese, something Benedict has clearly signaled he prefers to avoid. Robles is also the lone Spanish-speaking Latin American named by Benedict as a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, a project that is the apple of the pope's eye and thus a clear sign of papal esteem.
As a result, Robles could have appeal to both the moderates and the conservatives within the College of Cardinals.
Both spiritually and politically, Robles is seen as a figure who's close to the poor and who advocates a spirit of humility among people in positions of power.
"Humility is a virtue that God rewards," Robles said in a 2007 homily, around the time he was named to the College of Cardinals. "How dangerous is haughtiness for whoever has power, whatever kind of power, political or economic."
Robles entered the College of Cardinals along with two other Latin Americans who are themselves often touted as papal candidates -- Cardinal Leonardo Sandri of Argentina, a veteran Vatican official, and Odilo Pedro Scherer of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
[John L. Allen Jr. is NCR's senior correspondent. His email address is email@example.com.]
More coverage of Benedict's trip to Mexico and Cuba:
- Cuban dissidents attend Mass, hold protest, day before pope's arrival, March 25
- Pope greets Mexicans affected by notorious crimes,March 25
- Trust in God to help change society, pope says in Mexico's heartland,March 25
- Book released as Pope arrives in Mexcio says: Ratzinger altered canon law to soften Maciel punishment, by Jason Berry March 24
- Pope arrives in Mexico as 'pilgrim of faith, of hope, and of love',March 23
- Waiting for the pope: Vatican flags, human wall -- and hope for peace,March 23
- Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Cuba benefits both Vatican and the Castros, March 23
- Pope tells Cubans to look beyond Marxism, March 23
- The pope in Mexico and Cuba, John Allen's weekly column. March 23
- Pope to find mixed political messages in Mexico trip, March 22


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As his first major move in the job, Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick has revealed plans that would help more first-time buyers get onto the property ladder. The plans involve overhauling the shared ownership scheme, allowing people to increase their home share in smaller increments.
Shared ownership increments
Under the current model, homeowners who have bought through a shared ownership scheme are only able to buy back the government-owned part of their property in 10% increments. Jenrick has said that he would like to change this so that homeowners would be able to increase their stake by just 1% at a time. The Guild of Property Professionals, CEO, Iain McKenzie, says: "A 10% jump for many is just too much, especially in expensive areas, whereas 1% increments will be far more financially manageable and will help shared-ownership buyers work towards owning their property outright. Considering that shared ownership buyers have to pay rent on the government-owned portion of their property, it is important for them to have a plan in place to increase their share of ownership over time. Smaller increments will make this more accessible."
35-year mortgages on Help to Buy
Jenrick also announced that he would make the Help to Buy incentive more affordable by enabling buyers to take out 35-year mortgages. A loophole had prevented buyers from taking a mortgage of more than 25 years, however, in the announcement the Government has said this has been rectified.
The changes are to ensure that younger generations will be able to own property. "We will be looking at ensuring young people from Cornwall to Cumbria aren't priced out of their home areas and how we can build public support for more housebuilding and better planning," says Jenrick. "This Government will help a new generation to own their home."
McKenzie adds: "Any changes that would help people get onto the property ladder are welcomed. The upcoming generations have struggled to get their foot in the door, and any changes that could assist them would be good for the market and buyers who have been forced to sit on the side-lines because they simply could not afford to be a part of it."
More house building
In addition to the shared ownership changes and mortgage terms, the minister also said that he would look into reforming the planning system with the goal of increasing housing delivery. "My mission is to increase the number of homes that are being delivered and to get more young people and families on to the housing ladder, particularly those on lower incomes," said Jenrick. "Building the houses this country needs is a central priority of this Government."
"The country has faced a housing shortage for some time, so further effort from the Government to address this is needed and overdue," says McKenzie. "Hopefully Jenricks changes will open doors to many more first-time buyers and drive activity in that sector of the market," he concludes.
Looking to buy or sell a property, find your local Guild Member.