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Nations in Transit
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2012 Scores
Democracy Score(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Regime Classification
National Democratic Governance(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Electoral Process(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Society(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Independent Media(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Local Democratic Governance(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Judicial Framework and Independence(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Corruption(1 = best, 7 = worst)
Capital: Riga
Population: 2.2 million
GNI/capita, PPP: US$16,320
Source: The data above were provided by The World Bank, World Development Indicators 2012.
*Starting with the 2005 edition, Freedom House introduced separate analysis and ratings for national democratic governance and local democratic governance, to provide readers with more detailed and nuanced analysis of these two important subjects.
NOTE: The ratings reflect the consensus of Freedom House, its academic advisers, and the author(s) of this report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s). The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest. The Democracy Score is an average of ratings for the categories tracked in a given year.
During the first years of the global economic crisis, Latvia experienced a greater decline in growth than any other country in the European Union. In 2011, Latvia's economy stabilized and even grew by approximately 5 percent; however, the social cost of this initial recovery has been significant. Austerity measures imposed in 2009–10 involved painful cuts to a wide range of state services and major cutbacks in public sector employment and salaries. The vitality of the private sector also declined, leading to widespread discontent among educated jobseekers and would-be entrepreneurs. Emigration of young people from Latvia, a country of less than 2.1 million people, has increased every year since 2007,[1] and unemployment is still more than twice pre-crisis levels. A 2011 census found that Latvia's population has decreased 13 percent since the year 2000.[2]
In 2011, continuing economic and social challenges fuelled public distrust and frustration with parliament and the government, particularly the so-called "oligarchs"—powerful businessmen with direct influence on Latvian politics. On May 28, the Saeima (parliament) voted against lifting the immunity of oligarch Ainārs Šlesers, a parliamentary deputy accused of money-laundering, bribery, and other crimes. President Valdis Zatlers responded to the vote by calling for a referendum on dissolution of the Saeima, which he said was controlled by oligarchs. The referendum took place on July 23, after Zatlers himself had lost a reelection bid in parliament to Andris Bērziņš, one of the richest men in Latvia and a member of the Union of Greens and Farmers party linked to oligarch Aivars Lembergs. The referendum to dissolve the Saeima succeeded with 94 percent support and a new government was elected on September 17. Incumbent prime minister Valdis Dombrovskis was elected once again to guide the government, along with 63 deputies from the previous parliament; however, two of Latvia's most notorious oligarchs, Ainārs Šlesers and Andris Šķēle, failed to win seats.
National Democratic Governance. The accumulated stress of the government's austerity measures and the political power of so-called oligarchs led to snap elections on September 17. Incumbent prime minister Valdis Dombrovskis was elected once again to guide the government, along with 63 deputies from the previous parliament. Two oligarchs who had become a focal point of public frustration lost their parliamentary seats and a party closely aligned with a third oligarch was left out of the ruling coalition. Three center-right parties with compatible ideologies won a total of 56 deputies in the 100-member chamber. The passage of the 2012 budget on December 15 was a significant indicator of solidarity. Latvia's national democratic governance rating remains at 2.25.
Electoral Process. Snap national elections called by President Valdis Zatlers in May and approved by a popular referendum on July 23 were held September 17. Five of thirteen contending parties were elected without any registered major incidents or accusations of overspending. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe commended the organization and competitiveness of the elections. Due to the administration of fair and transparent elections, Latvia's electoral process remains at 1.75.
Civil Society. Over thirteen thousand nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were officially registered in 2011, representing all major viewpoints and interests in Latvian society. Many of these groups routinely contributed to political decisionmaking, banding together in larger umbrella organizations. The most politically engaged and vocal civil society groups are the business community, labour unions, farmers, and environmental, religious, and ethnic groups. In view of the continued activism and acceptance of NGOs in policymaking, Latvia's rating for civil society remains at 1.75
Independent Media. Media in Latvia are experiencing great turbulence. As part of a larger trend in the media industry, newspapers are losing readers and advertising and print media faces growing threats to sustainability. Television is also undergoing a period of financial stress and losses, which may lead to consolidation through takeovers. Nevertheless, the country boasts a vast array of media sources in two major language streams. Latvia's rating for independent media remains at 1.75.
Local Democratic Governance. The reorganization of 530 municipalities into 118 larger and more cohesive units has progressed without major problems. The year saw increasing cooperation between local and central authorities through the Association of Local and Regional Governments (LALRG), whose chairman has become an effective lobbyist for municipal interests, meeting with ministers and the president on a regular basis. Also, certain local governments with common problems have created their own mechanisms for discussions and decisionmaking. Latvia's rating for local democratic governance remains at 2.25.
Judicial Framework and Independence. Latvia's judiciary manages cases with increasing efficiency, improving its image as a trusted institution. The court system is still overburdened and underfinanced, but certain improvements—including the use of modern technology, the acceptance of decisions by correspondence, and the diversion of certain uncontested cases to notaries—promise to expedite future judgements and reduce the backlog. The ombudsman's office has also expanded its ambit and is receiving greater public visibility. Latvia's rating for judicial framework and independence remains 1.75.
Corruption. The year 2011 saw several important developments in Latvia's fight against corruption. The September 17 parliamentary elections ousted two powerful businessmen from parliament and significantly reduced the representation of the Union of Greens and Farmers, a party controlled by the oligarch Aivars Lembergs. The deeply unpopular head of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) was dismissed in June 2011 and replaced with another, more respected KNAB official with a strong anticorruption track record. The organization actively pursued major corruption cases throughout the year; by September, KNAB had already begun 14 criminal proceedings—the same number initiated in all of 2010.[3] Effective in 2012, the state financing of parties and decision to criminalize violations of campaign finance laws will pose important obstacles to potential abuse. As a result of these improvements, Latvia's rating for corruption improves from 3.50 to 3.25.
Outlook for 2012. Latvia appears to have weathered the most difficult period of the economic crisis. However, one result of extensive austerity measures has been largescale outmigration by young, educated people. This will soon exacerbate existing labor shortages and strain the potential growth of economic enterprises. Weaker economic vibrancy may in turn limit investments in key Latvian institutions, including those integral to democratic accountability. There are economic and political pressures for Latvia to become more oriented towards Moscow. Many entrepreneurs want to tap into the potential economic opportunities they perceive in Russia. The Russophone party, Harmony Center, and most Russophone media outlets want an increased rapprochement with Russia. The present coalition of three parties appears stable, but forging new policies to deal with grave problems under severe financial constraints may lead to divisions and changes within the ruling coalition.
Widespread optimism and rising government approval ratings in the wake of the October 2010 Saeima (parliamentary) elections did not last long, as the ruling coalition of Unity and the Union of Greens and Farmers struggled to cope with the legacy of a precipitous economic decline and the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other world lending organizations. Tax increases, decreased social services, and cuts in public administration and other state employment soon soured the high expectations of the population, and trust in the Saeima and the government plummeted. Public confidence in government was also affected by disunity within the ruling coalition: on 30 occasions, the Union of Greens and Farmers voted against its coalition partner, Unity, and on 51 occasions it voted to support the opposition party, Harmony Centre.[4] Meanwhile, perceived tampering in policy and personnel appointment choices by a powerful businessman, Aivars Lembergs, the éminence grise of the Union of Greens and Farmers, further fanned public discontent.
By May, the perceived dominance of so-called oligarchs in the Saeima had become a trigger for the first dissolution of parliament in Latvia's history. Earlier in the year, Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) opened criminal proceedings against public figures engaged in "laundering of criminally acquired assets, providing false statements in the declaration of public officials, misuse of position, receiving and giving of bribes, illegal participation in property transactions and violation of restrictions imposed on public officials."[5] However, on May 28 the Saeima voted against lifting the immunity of oligarch Ainārs Šlesers, a deputy accused of money-laundering, bribery, and other crimes.
President Valdis Zatlers responded to the vote by calling for a referendum on dissolution of the Saeima, declaring that the parliament "feels comfortable in its atmosphere of lies, and this has strongly influenced the government."[6] Of the 44 percent of eligible voters who participated in the July 28 referendum, approximately 94 percent voted in favor of dissolving the Saeima—a rare moment of unity in a country that has usually been politically fragmented.
By the time Zatlers called for the referendum, his first presidential term was nearly over and he was up for reelection on by the same body he was attempting to dismiss. Zatlers was not reelected; instead, a majority of deputies chose a relatively unknown candidate, a wealthy businessman and deputy of the Union of Greens and Farmers, Andris Bērziņš. Many felt that Zatlers's replacement was an act of retaliation on the part of the Saeima, or a broader backlash against Zatlers's increasingly anti-oligarch tendencies.[7]
Snap elections on September 17 resulted in major losses for the two former coalition parties (Unity and the Union of Greens and Farmers), but increased representation for the social democratic and mainly Russian party, Harmony Center, and the nationalistically-oriented National Alliance. Harmony Center received the most votes with 31 seats, however, it proved unable to attract enough other deputies to form a working government with over 50 seats. The leading ethnic Latvian party was formed by former president Zatlers shortly before the elections, despite the expectations of Unity that he would appear on their ticket. With its 22 seats, the centrist Zatlers's Reform Party (ZRP) was allowed to take the initiative in forming a ruling coalition, in tandem with the Unity Party and its 20 deputies. Initially, Zatlers hoped to form a coalition including Harmony Center, purportedly to create a cross-national, inclusionary government; however, ZRP's failure to involve Unity in this decision caused the deal to fall apart. Zatlers also lost six deputies from his own party by repeatedly turning to his former presidential advisors on issues of coalition-forming and political strategy instead of consulting his own deputies. Ultimately, ZRP formed a ruling coalition with Unity and National Alliance. A new government led by incumbent prime minister Valdis Dombrovskis was finally approved on October 25 with the support of 57 out of 100 Saeima deputies.[8]
The most significant outcome of the election is undoubtedly the reduced presence in the Saeima of former heavyweight oligarchs such as Ainārs Šlesers and Andris Šķēle, both of whose parties were dissolved by year's end. The Union of Greens and Farmers now controls only 13 of 100 seats in the Saeima, having won only 12.22 percent of the vote.[9] In October 2011, several important changes were introduced which have the potential of further limiting oligarch power. New amendments to the party financing law provide a solid wall against improper donations, making them subject to criminal prosecution. Beginning in 2012, all parties receiving over 2 percent of the vote and still officially registered will receive annual state payments equivalent to US$1 per vote received at the previous national elections. Such payments should lessen dependence on outside donations by rich individuals with private agendas.[10]
The call for the dismissal of the Saeima by President Zatlers and the subsequent referendum affirming this dismissal appeared to energize and empower voters. However, subsequent squabbling between parties in the formation of a government soon led to disillusionment and pessimism. Russophones, in particular, felt neglected, with their party, Harmony Center—the election's biggest winner—relegated to opposition benches. Former president Zatlers has also lost much influence as a result of postelection conflicts. He was not elected speaker of the Saeima and by the end of October 2011, his personal approval rating was just 17 percent.[11] Prime Minister Dombrovskis's popularity also declined during the year, from nearly 60 percent in May 2011 to around 42 percent in December.[12]
Major economic, taxation, demographic, bureaucratic, and linguistic problems facing Latvia will no doubt test the capability and solidarity of the new coalition. The first major test of the coalition's cooperation—passage of the 2012 state budget—was achieved in December.
Latvia holds popular elections for the national, local, and European parliaments, but the president of the republic is elected by the Saeima. On June 2, the Saeima elected a new president, leaving former president Valdis Zatlers free to form a new party, the ZRP, and compete in the snap parliamentary elections of September 17.
The September Saeima elections were organized in five electoral districts—Riga, Vidzeme, Zemgale, Kurzeme, and Latgale—using party-list proportional voting. The parties of the incumbent ruling coalition—Unity and the Union of Greens and Farmers—suffered significant declines compared to the October 2010 parliamentary elections, losing 13 and 9 seats, respectively. A large number of Unity's voters were siphoned off by the newly-formed ZRP, which won 20.82 percent of the vote and 22 seats in parliament. The Latvian nationalist party National Alliance also increased its presence in the Saeima, winning 14 seats compared to the previous year's 8. Harmony Centre, meanwhile, increased its seats from 29 to 31, drawing most of its support from Riga and largely Russophone eastern Latvia. Eight additional parties competed in the election but were unable to meet the 5 percent electoral threshold for representation in parliament.[13]
Of the 1092 candidates put forth by 13 parties, 70 percent were men. Seventy-two percent were ethnic Latvians and 11 percent were Russian. Voting activity declined somewhat with a total of 59.49 percent compared to 62.62 percent in the 2010 elections. Considering the apparent public antipathy towards the previous parliament, it is noteworthy that 63 of the 85 incumbent deputies listed on the 2011 ballot were reelected.[14]
According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers, the elections were democratic and marked by the rule of law. The elections were run with respect for citizens' fundamental freedoms as voters were provided genuine choices between diverse parties. The OSCE delegation did highlight the fact that 16 percent of Latvia's adult population are non-citizens and not allowed to vote.[15] These people do have the choice of acquiring Latvian citizenship with minimal language and other requirements commonly found in most other Western countries.
As of February 2011, there were 13,284 registered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Latvia, almost two-thirds of which were founded after Latvia joined the European Union (EU) in 2004.[16] The EU has encouraged the formation of interest groups and has also provided financing for various research and advocacy efforts by civil society organizations. In a largescale public survey released in April 2011, approximately 40 percent of Latvians claimed to have joined or participated in voluntary social groups or activities in the past three years. However, only 15.3 percent of respondents believe that by doing so they can influence political decisionmaking.[17]
Most nongovernmental activity relies on volunteers; only 27 percent of NGOs have one or more salaried employees.[18] Funding is largely dependent on individual projects, therefore most efforts are led by the demands of project sponsors, and longterm financial planning is extremely difficult.[19] The challenges to NGO sustainability have become particularly acute since the onset of the economic crisis.
The majority (62 percent) of registered NGOs are located in Riga and the Riga region. There are five permanent state-supported resource centers for NGOs in Latvia, with additional centers providing information on funding opportunities, legal issues, and technical support. Many groups are also served by umbrella organizations such as the Civic Alliance-Latvia which unites over one hundred organizations and provides advice and often acts as a more powerful instrument for reaching centers of decisionmaking.
One notable source of increasing public engagement in political decisionmaking has been the advent of online political petitions and webportals designed for communication between politicians and their constituents. Launched in June 2011, the portal ManaBalss.lv ("My Voice") allows individuals to circulate and sign social and political proposals that can later be heard in parliament if the number of signatures from eligible voters reaches 10,000. The platform gained some visibility in the summer through the support of former president Zatlers, who transmitted a widely supported initiative from ManaBalss.lv to the Saeima, eventually resulting in a law requiring publication of information about owners of Latvian offshore companies.[20] Another website, launched in late 2010 by the Riga-based public policy center Providus, allows individuals to submit questions directly to members of parliament.[21] A third web platform, launched by the government in the last three years, allows visitors to track the progress of legislative bills under consideration by the state and even offers commentary and explanation of proposed bills from legal experts.
In 2011, two major linguistic campaigns initiated via the internet reflected the more radical demands of the Latvian and Russophone communities. Many Latvians view Russian as the language of their former occupiers, and worry that Moscow is still attempting to wield influence in Latvia through the country's sizeable ethnic Russian minority. In 2010, a Latvian Language Action Committee made up of members from the National Alliance party and an organization called Sargi valodu un Latviju ("Guard the Language and Latvia") began gathering signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment making Latvian the only official language of primary education in public schools. By February 2011, the group had collected the 10,000 signatures necessary for the initiative to be presented to the Central Election Commission (CVK); however, when CVK organized a second, official petition for the same initiative, it did not collect the necessary support needed to qualify the measure for consideration in parliament.[22]
In response to the Latvian language initiative, the Russophone youth group Vienota Latvija (United Latvia) began a campaign to make Russian the second official language of Latvia. Russophone activists successfully collected the signatures required for both the first and second round of petitions. Therefore, although parliament voted against the demanded changes, a referendum on the issue was scheduled for February 18, 2012. Chances of the measure passing are very slim, but both language-focused campaigns caused a major uproar during 2011, deepening tensions between the country's two major ethnic groups and reducing the likelihood of any ruling coalition that would include Harmony Centre.[23]
Additional symbolic jousting between Russian and Latvian groups occurs annually in Latvia with the remembrance of certain historical events. In March 2011, the Latvian legionnaires, who gather every year to commemorate those who fought against Stalin's Red Army during World War II, were denied a permit to lay wreaths at the Freedom Monument by the Riga City Council, whose mayor is Russian. Ultimately, a regional court overruled the decision.
Latvians enjoy a diverse range of news and information services in two languages. However, economic pressures on the media have increased dramatically since 2007, threatening diversity and pluralism. Such pressures raise questions about the ability of the country's Fourth Estate to fulfill its watchdog function at a time when Latvian society is expressing its preference for more transparent and less corrupt governance.
There is widespread public speculation that the so-called oligarchs and political economic groups are consolidating their control over major media outlets. In October 2011, leaked recordings from an investigation by the anticorruption bureau KNAB revealed that the joint-stock media company Diena belonged to Latvia's three most notorious oligarchs, Šlesers, Šķēle, and Lembergs—not to the official owner, Viesturs Koziols. The same tape also records the oligarchs discussing a merger between the Diena newspaper and a daily newspaper Neatkariga Rita Avize, widely linked to the oligarch Aivars Lembergs.[24] These revelations followed the passage of a September 2011 amendment to the 1991 Media Law, requiring all media outlets to disclose their true beneficiaries. The same amendment includes provisions to safeguard editorial independence and clarifies some registration processes for media outlets.
Since 2007, Latvia's media have seen brutal declines in advertising revenues, which shrank by 46 percent in 2009 and 13 percent in 2010. Between 2007 and 2010, advertising in newspapers fell by 75 percent and by 74.9 percent in magazines. During the same period, television advertising dropped by 40.8 percent, radio by 50 percent, and internet advertising by 30.4 percent. Both television and online advertising appeared to stabilize during 2010; by the first half of 2011, there was an overall advertising growth of 4 percent.[25]
The public broadcasting service has also suffered during Latvia's economic crisis. Broadcast administrators have grappled with serious personnel problems related to insufficient funding and low salaries. In 2011, a popular public affairs program by investigative journalist Janis Domburs could not be renewed for budgetary reasons. Meanwhile, another popular public affairs critic, Karlis Streips, was fired in September from his political talk show of 16 years when he referred to the Union of Greens and Farmers as "whores" because of its close association with Lembergs. Streips' dismissal elicited sharp public criticism.[26] Latvian television is rapidly losing its audience share.[27] State-owned radio broadcasting stations, however, maintain over one-half of Latvia's radio audience.
Several Latvian internet portals have become major news purveyors, edging out traditional media sources. Among these are the online news portals Tvnet.lv (owned by Schibsted of Norway and Estonia), Delfi.lv (owned by Ekspress Grupp of Estonia), Apollo.lv (owned by Sanoma News of Finland), and the online magazine Baltic Course (owned by a Russian Latvian). The online magazine Kas Jauns ("What's New") provides a synthesis of news from other sources and is rapidly gaining in popularity. All three Latvian and three Russian language dailies provide online content, as well. A group of journalists that broke away from Diena in 2009 continues to publish a respected investigative weekly called Ir, available in print and online. Several investigative or Wikileaks-style websites are also active, including Pietiek.lv ("Enough"), which exposes scandals on a regular basis. For the moment, internet censorship does not extend beyond some basic rules regarding privacy and child pornography.
In November 2011, Latvia's National Electronic Media Council (NEMC)—the state regulatory body—brought charges against the predominantly Russian-language TV5 for discrediting it during a "street interview" in which passers-by were asked whether or not Russian should be established as Latvia's second state language. TV5 refuted NEMC's accusations, arguing that in a democratic country, people have the constitutional right to express their views. In the past, NEMC has made several similar accusations against TV5, forcing two of the station's journalists—anchorman Olegs Ignatjevs and news director Vladislavs Andrejevs—out of their jobs.
Latvia's municipalities underwent largescale structural reforms in 2009, reorganizing more than 530 local units into 109 municipalities and 9 cities. These reforms entailed major readjustments in leadership and administrative personnel, disrupted existing communications networks, and reassigned or removed various geographical reference points. Local governments received little publicity in the national media in 2011, signaling the adjustment and uneventful functioning of the new municipalities. However, throughout the year, local governments felt the pressure of decreased funding, unemployment, outmigration of young people to urban centers and other EU states, and lack of specialized labor.
The responsibilities of municipalities include primary and secondary education, social assistance (with the exception of pensions and family care benefits), healthcare, water supply and sewage works, country roads, solid waste collection and disposal, and stewardship of about one-fifth of all housing in Latvia. The processes of governance vary according to the size of the municipality, but all are based on fundamental democratic foundations, such as open council and committee meetings and freely available meeting minutes; voter access to council members and executive officials; procedures for review of complaints and suggestions; public discussions; and audited annual reports and reviews of government budgets, spending, assets, and activities. Citizens also have recourse to municipal elections every four years. Almost all local governments maintain webpages, with transcripts of council meetings, news, social events, and advice on a variety of issues from health to farming and gardening.
There was a time when local government representatives were known to be highly partisan, directly serving the interests of national parties. This frequently led to favoritism in national government funding of special projects at the local level. With the demise of the notoriously partisan People's Party in 2010 and the decline of the Union of Greens and Farmers, these practices have become much more muted. Municipal leaders from all parties voluntarily belong to the Association of Local and Regional Governments (LALRG), a powerful organization with the authority to represent municipalities in negotiations with the Cabinet of Ministers. The longtime chairman of the LALRG, Andris Jaunsleinis, has become an effective lobbyist for municipal interests and meets with ministers and the president on a regular basis. Additional, issue and interest–based groupings of municipalities exist, cutting across what were once rigidly partisan lines. For example, in October 2011, coastal municipalities came together to discuss sea coast jurisdictions, requirements for safe and clean beaches, and government support and subsidies for fisheries.[28]
Throughout 2011, local governments struggled with a decreasing income tax base caused by widespread unemployment and outmigration. Local government budgets have decreased significantly since 2007. Currently, 82 percent of income tax collected by the national governments goes to local government budgets, but in 2012, the assigned share will decrease to 80 percent.[29] Many municipalities are now faced with the burden of supporting a growing number of residents who rely on welfare, and many impoverished residents are unable to pay their heating bills. Negotiations are underway between the ministries of finance and the new minister of environmental protection and regional development over increasing mandatory contributions to the Municipal Finance Equalization Fund, which transfers money from rich municipalities to poor ones. The city of Riga has always been a reluctant contributor to municipal equalization; now with a substantial budget deficit, Riga must contribute 10.7 percent of its budget to the fund.[30] Under these circumstances, the distribution of EU structural funds has become increasingly contentious. At the 2011 LALRG congress, municipalities lobbied to have one full third of the LV 1 billion promised by the EU for the 2014–20 funding cycle given directly to local governments to address their greatest needs, including poor road conditions.[31]
Latvia, unlike neighboring Estonia, allowed its Soviet-era judiciary workers to retain their posts after the country gained independence, preserving a culture of cronyism and inefficiency within the court system. Through normal attrition most of these judiciary workers have been replaced by much younger cadres with Western judicial orientation. Moreover, many weak areas of the system have been reinforced or eliminated. The increased salaries and prestige of judges, the active work of anticorruption organizations, and the electronic processing of judgements have also strengthened the efficiency of the court system. A 2011 survey by the Latvian Judicial Training Center (LJTC) reported that 79 percent of citizens who have dealt directly with the court system trust the judiciary. This stands in contrast to the broader public's trust of the courts, which was as low as 36 percent according to a late 2010 Eurobarometer poll. Lawyers polled by the LJTC pointed to lengthy case decision periods, lack of privacy in waiting rooms, and parking as the most serious drawbacks of working in the Latvian justice system.[32]
The creation of the Judicial Council in September 2010 has encouraged collective problem-solving and initiative among judicial officers. While caseloads are still considered excessive, new steps have been taken by the Judicial Council to speed up the court process. Small court claims where the sum involved does not exceed US$3,000 can be processed by correspondence, although a court hearing option remains. Uncontested divorces are now settled by notaries. Notaries have also indicated their readiness to take over all uncontested court cases. Another cause of delayed judgements is the high absentee rates of litigants due to apparent illness. A new regulation of October 2011 requires a doctor's note outlining the particulars of the disability which will be evaluated by the judges concerned. More judges have also been appointed and some transferring of judges from the less burdened land registry courts to district and regional courts was underway at year's end.[33]
Despite these improvements, the court system still faces a number of challenges related to its budget. In 2011, administrative personnel in the judiciary received an average monthly wage of LVL 351.6 (US$703) compared to the national monthly average of LVL 467 (US$933.70); they have declared willingness to go on strike. Courts in 2011 had to cope with security problems, as local police refused to work because of budget cutbacks and courts had no finances for security guards. The courts lack the resources to store old documents, and state archives have refused to house them without additional financing. Judges have also expressed disappointment that their salaries have not increased as much as they originally expected. Base salaries for district court judges are fixed at 4.5 times the average income in the state sector with added differentiation for length of tenure and qualification. The sum is small by Western standards—only LVL 1,157 (US$2,314) a month for a base salary.[34]
On March 3, the Saeima elected a new ombudsman, Juris Jansons. Jansons, who boasts a law degree, a masters in economics, and the beginnings of a Ph.D in sociology, has already raised the visibility of the ombudman's office by speaking out on controversial or publicity-gathering topics. He has challenged the State Revenue Service for collecting taxes that had not received parliamentary acceptance. He has criticized the raising of electricity rates by Latvenergo, Latvia's biggest state-owned energy company. Beginning in November 2011, the ombudsman's office received funding from the Germany-based Ebert Fund to study emotional aggression and hate speech on the internet. In addition, the ombudsman office has asked the public to discuss the issue of same-sex marriages.[35]
In October, the constitutional court lifted the immunity of constitutional court judge Vineta Muizniece, allowing the prosecutor general's office to bring criminal charges against her. Muizniece is accused of falsifying documents in her previous position as chair of the Saeima legal affairs committee. Muizniece has been suspended as a judge until a final judgement is made.[36]
Latvia's twelve prisons, which are old and dilapidated, have also been the subject of ongoing criticism. In men's prisons, 20 to 30 people are crowded together into a single space creating many internal conflicts. The prison system has witnessed a dramatic drop in its budget allowance from LVL 36.8 million (US$73 million) in 2008 to LVL 20.5 million (US$41 million) in 2010. As a result, there have been cutbacks in food quantities, heating, construction of new prisons, and guard wages. At the beginning of 2011, Latvian prisons held 6,780 inmates or 301 inmates per 100,000 population—a decrease since 2009, when the ratio was 346 inmates per 100,000 population. The rate is very high compared to Scandinavia's, where the averages are below 80, but lower than in the United States (743) or Russia (577).[37]
Increasing frustration with corruption and the influence of oligarchs in parliament was a major theme in public discourse in 2011. When parliament elected Andris Berzins, an ex-banker and member of the Union of Greens and Farmers (a pocket party of oligarch Aivars Lembergs), president, several public figures and anti-oligarch activists organized a public demonstration called the "Oligarchs' Funeral" in Riga on June 8.[38] The demonstration attracted thousands of participants, reflecting public frustration with Latvia's slow economic recovery and a growing consensus that the 10th Saeima was ignoring the corruption concerns of its electorate.[39]
The anti-oligarch mood was echoed in the results of a popular referendum to dissolve parliament in July, which was instigated by outgoing President Zatlers in response to perceived corruption in the Saeima and approved by over 94 percent of voters.[40] A poll conducted one month earlier also reported that 89 percent of economically active participants agreed oligarchs Ainārs Šlesers, Andris Šķēle, and Aivars Lembergs wielded undue influence over the work of the Saeima, the government, and other state institutions.[41] The snap parliamentary elections held on September 17 ousted Šlesers, a member of the so-called oligarchs' bloc party For a Good Latvia, and largely diminished the representation of the Union of Greens and Farmers.
The newly-elected 11th Saeima includes deputies with strong anticorruption credentials. Among these are two returning deputies—former KNAB Director Aleksejs Loskutovs (Unity) and world renowned corruption specialist Rasma Kārkliņa—and also Lolita Cigane of Transparency International Latvia (a.k.a. Delna). Another new deputy, Valdis Liepins, is an articulate and business-savvy deputy in ZRP, known for his anticorruption work on the Riga city council.
The People's Party of Andris Šķēle did not participate in the September 17 elections, having been dissolved in July to avoid a large penalty initiated by the anticorruption bureau KNAB. On September 22, the Administrative Affairs Senate of the Supreme Court upheld KNAB's decision to fine the People's Party LVL 1.03 million for spending illegal funds on its highly successful "positivism campaign" in 2006. While the fine cannot be collected now, the verdict sent a strong message about illegal party spending and confirmed the Supreme Court's immunity to pressure from oligarchs.[42]
Leading oligarch Aivars Lembergs, mayor of the port city of Ventspils, also suffered major legal and financial setbacks in 2011. He was charged in the United Kingdom by the co-owners of Latvian shipping company, "LASCO," for allegedly siphoning large sums of money from their corporation. Though Lembergs declined to participate in court proceedings, pleading illness, on April 20 the High Court of England and Wales froze Lembergs' assets, valued at US$135 million. A Latvian court also approved the freeze. As a result of missing his first British court appearance, Lembergs was fined an additional £10,000. On November 16, at a court session involving Lembergs, judges decided to meet several more times in the future to resolve the conflict.[43]
On June 16, the head of KNAB Normunds Vilnitis, who had been appointed in March 2009 by Prime Minister Godmanis under questionable circumstances, was dismissed. The dismissal was seen as another major turnaround in the struggle against corruption as Vilnitis was accused of purposely reducing the organization's capacity and seriously damaging its prestige. On November 17, parliament appointed KNAB Deputy Director Jaroslavs Strelcenoks chief of the organization. Strelcenoks has worked within KNAB since 2005 and is highly respected by his colleagues.[44]
KNAB is funded from the national budget and has therefore lost significant funding since the onset of the economic crisis. In 2011, the organization's annual budget was further reduced to LVL 2.4 million (it was LVL 3.58 million in 2007).[45] Nevertheless, by October 2011 KNAB had already begun 14 criminal proceedings, the same number initiated in all of 2010.[46] It also continued its investigation of several ongoing cases, some of which are several years old. The oldest case still pending concerns the September 2003 "digital-gate," where sophisticated operators, led by oligarch Šķēle, allegedly tried to illegally appropriate state shares of the Latvian Mobile Telephone company. Twenty people so far have been charged in the case. Another ongoing case, known as the Ludza contraband case (filed in October 2007) involves 13 customs individuals. The "Latvenergo" case (filed in June 2010) deals with largescale bribery and money laundering.
In February 2011, police made arrests in connection with alleged bribes given to Riga City Council officials by German carmaker Daimler from 2006–08. According to an investigation by KNAB and German law enforcement, Daimler officials paid more than €4 million in bribes to win contracts for supplying Mercedes buses to municipal authorities in Riga. Since early 2010, investigations of similar bribery by Daimler have been pursued in several countries, including Russia, Hungary, Greece, and China. The other widely publicized, ongoing investigation of 2011 was the so-called "oligarch case" built by KNAB and based on secretly taped conversations, confiscated diaries, and 40 raids on the homes or offices of Latvian oligarchs. The case, a complex story involving charges of bribery, money-laundering, and abuse of office. According to the newsportal Zz.lv, Ainars Šlesers had attempted to legalize his previously undeclared property holdings in the Riga Commercial Port through a complex, multilayered scheme involving Andris Šķēle.[47]
As investigations of corrupt actvities escalate, so does the necessity to monitor the legality of those investigations. In 2007, members of the Financial Police wiretapped conversations of journalist Ilze Jaunalksne and leaked them to the media, violating the confidentiality of Jaunalksne's sources. After years of legal appeals, three members of the financial police charged in the case were given prison sentences in June 2011.[48]
In June 2011, amendments to the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest in Activities of Public Officials entered into force, providing legal protection to government officials who "whistleblow" about conflicts of interest in their institutions. Other small but significant steps were undertaken to lessen opportunities for corruption among customs personnel and border police[49] In September, the government passed another new law designed to reduce corruption in politics by limiting illegal campaign donations. As of January 1, 2012, the state will pay an annual stipend to all officially registered parties receiving over 2 percent of the vote. Moreover, individuals tied to large, illegal campaign donations will now face criminal prosecution.
[1] "Eurostat: Emigration," Eurostat, 4 February 2012, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&plugin=0&language=en&pcode=tps00177.
[2] "Provisional results of the Population and Housing Census 2011 in Latvia," European Statistical System, 19 January 2011, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/pgp_ess/news/ess_news_detail?id=109483139&pg_id=2417&cc=LV_LATVIA.
[3] Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), Progress and Results in Preventing and Combating Corruption in Latvia (Riga: KNAB, January-September 2011), http://www.knab.gov.lv/uploads/eng/periodic_update_september_2011.pdf.
[4] "Atlaistas 10. Saeimas aktivakais debatetajs-Skele" [The most active debater of the dismissed 10th Saeima – Skele], Delfi, 13 October 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/atlaistas-10saeimas-aktivakais-debatetajs-skele.d?id=41161523; "ZZS atlaistas Saeimas laika 51 balsojuma blokejusies ar SC prêt Vienotibu 30" [The ZZS voted 51 times in concert with SC and 30 times against Vienotiba during the period of the dismissed Saeima], Diena, 14 August 2011, http://www.diena.lv/latvija/politika/zzs-atlaistas-saeimas-laika-51-balsojuma-blokejusies-ar-sc-pret-vienotibu-13897997.
[5] "The good guys are losing ground in Latvian struggle," EuropeanVoice.com, 1 June 2011, http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/the-good-guys-are-losing-ground-in-latvian-struggle/71240.aspx.
[6] "Zatlers calls for sacking Saeima," Baltic Times, 1 June 2011, http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/28792/.
[7] "Berzinu ievele par Valsts prezidentu" [Berzins is elected state president], TVnet, 2 June 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/379748-berzinu_ievele_par_valsts_prezidentu/video. Berzins received 53 votes for and 44 against. The other candidate, Zatlers, received 41 votes for and 56 against.
[8] "Saeima Ministru Prezidenta amata atkartoti apstiprina Valdi Dombrovski" [The Saeima again approves Valdis Dombrovskis as prime minister], Saeima.lv, 25 October 2011, http://www.saeima.lv/lv/aktualitates/saeimas-zinas/18943-saeima-ministru-prezidenta-amata-atkartoti-apstiprina-valdi-dombrovski.
[9] "Saiemas velesanas Rezultati" [Parliamentary elections results], Central Election Commission of Latvia, 5 October 2011, http://www.velesanas2011.cvk.lv/.
[10] "Jau tris partijas pieteikusas sanemt valsts budzeta finansejumu" [Already three parties have registered to receive financing from the state budget], Delfi, 15 October 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/jau-tris-partijas-pieteikusas-sanemt-valsts-budzeta-finansejumu.d?id=41198737; KNAB, "Kriminallikuma grozijumu mazinas iespejas nelikumigi finanset politiskas partijas" [Changes in criminal law will lessen the possibilities of illegally financing political parties], press release, 8 September 2011, http://www.knab.gov.lv/lv/knab/press/article.php?id=339015.
[11] "Gandriz 70% iedzivotaju sliktas domas par Zatlera politisko darbibu", [Almost 70 percent have negative attitude regarding Zatler's political activities], Delfi, 24 October 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/gandriz-70-iedzivotaju-sliktas-domas-par-zatlera-politisko-darbibu.d?id=41355527.
[12] "Kā Jūs vērtējat LR Ministru prezidenta Valda Dombrovska darbību?" [How do you assess Prime Minister Dombovskis's work?], Latvijas Fakti, April 2012, http://www.latvianfacts.lv/portals/pētījumi/grupa/26.
[13] Official election results from the Central Election Commission of Latvia.
[14] "11 Saeimas velesanas piedalisies 13 partiju saraksti" [In the 11th Saeima elections, 13 party lists will participate], Ir, 18 August 2011, http://www.ir.lv/2011/8/18/11-saeimas-velesanas-piedalisies-13-partiju-saraksti. "Saeima neieveletie deputati stasies bezdarbniekos" [The unelected Saeima deputies will join the unemployed], TVnet, 8 October 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/394870-saeima_neieveletie_deputati_stasies_bezdarbniekos.
[15] Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR),"Latvian parliamentary vote marked by pluralism and respect for fundamental freedoms, OSCE observers say," news release, 18 September 2011, http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/82573.
[16] Baltic Institute of Social Sciences (BISS), Parskats par NVO sektoru Latvija [Review of the NGO sector in Latvia], (Riga: BISS, April 2011), http://www.biss.soc.lv/downloads/resources/SIF_Parskats_par_NVO_sektoru_Latvija.pdf.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] "Web tool bolsters Latvians' political participation," DeutscheWelle, 25 August 2011, http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15343035,00.html.
[21] Andris Straumanis, "Public policy center opens website for discussion between voters, candidates," LatviansOnline, 3 September 2010, http://latviansonline.com/news/article/6914/.
[22] Latvian law dictates that once the initial 10,000 signatures have been verified by the Central Electoral Commission, the CKV must begin a second collection of signatures over a period of several weeks. This time, the project must receive signatures tallying more than 10 percent of voting participants in the previous national elections in order to be considered by parliament. If a project received the necessary 10 percent but is rejected by parliament, it must be put to a nationwide referendum.
[23] "Elerte: Referindums nav veids ka stiprinat latviesu valodas lietosanu skolas"[Elerte says the referendum is not the way to strengthen Latvian language use in schools], Diena, 10 May 2011, http://www.diena.lv/sabiedriba/politika/elerte-referendums-nav-veids-ka-stiprinat-latviesu-valodas-lietosanu-skolas-778914.
[24] Oligarhi grib apvienot laikrakstu "Diena" un "Neatkariga," [The oligarchs want to merge the newspapers "Diena" and "Neatkariga"], TVnet, 23 October 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/kriminalzinas/396743-oligarhi_grib_apvienot_laikrakstus_diena_un_neatkariga .
[25] See "The Latvian Media Advertising Market has Decreased by 13% with 45.89 million LVL in 2010," TNS Latvia, 9 March 2011, http://www.tns.lv/?lang=en&fullarticle=true&category=showuid&id=3409 and "The Latvian Media Advertising Market has Decreased by 46% with 52.7 million LVL in 2009, " TNS Latvia, 17 February 2010.
[26] Juris Kaža, "Latvian Talk Show Host Booted After 16 Years for Calling Politicians 'Whores'," Free Speech Emergency in Latvia, 22 September 2011, http://freespeechlatvia.blogspot.com/2011/09/latvian-talk-show-host-booted-after-16.html.
[27] "Premjers: butiskakas problemas patlaban ir LTV vadiba", [The premier: the most substantial problems presently are in the leadership of LTV], Delfi, 12 October 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/premjers-butiskakas-problemas-patlaban-ir-ltv-vadiba.d?id=41143783.
[28] "Latvijas piekrastes pasvaldiba sanaksme Roja" [ Latvian shoreline local government meeting in Roja], Latvijas Pasvaldibu Savieniba [Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments] , http://www.lps.lv/?task=view&article_id=2164.
[29] "Dombrovskis un Jaunsleinis paraksta valdibas un LPS vienosanas un domstarpibas protokolu" [Dombrovskis and Jaunsleinis sign the government and LPS agreement and differences protocol], Diena.lv, 5 December 2011, http://www.diena.lv/latvija/zinas/dombrovskis-un-jaunsleinis-paraksta-valdibas-un-lps-vienosanas-un-domstarpibu-protokolu-13918926.
[30] "Riga City Council's Budget Amended by 17 Million Lats," Baltic News Network, 11 November 2011, http://bnn-news.com/riga-city-council%E2%80%99s-budget-amended-17-millio...; "Riga City Council approves 2012 budget," Baltic News Network, 15 December 2011, http://bnn-news.com/riga-city-council-approves-2012-budget-43640.
[31] "Pasvaldibam sola Saeimas atbalstu fondu pardale" [The local governments are promised support in the distribution of EU funds], Delfi, 20 May 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/pasvaldibam-sola-saeimas-atbalstu-es-fondu-pardale.d?id=38621579.
[32] "Survey: people with court experience trust judicial systems more", Baltic News Network, 21 March 2011, http://bnn-news.com/survey-people-court-experience-trust-judicial-system...; "Petijums: tiesam uzticas 79% to klientu" [Research: 79% of clients trust the courts], Delfi, 21 March 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/petijums-tiesam-uzticas-79-to-klientu.d?id=37504939.
[33] Latvijas Tiesu Portals, "Tieslietu padome ierosina palielinat rajonu (pilsetu) un apgabaltiesu tiesnesu skaitu samazinot vakances zemesgramatu nodalas" [The Judicial Council initiates the enlargement of district (city) and regional number of judges by diminishing the vacancies in the land registry courts], 28 January 2011, http://www.at.gov.lv/information/about-notable-events/2011/201101/20110126-3/.
[34] "Par Tieslietu padomes 30.marta sedes jautajumiem" [Regarding the March 30 Judicial Council sitting], Latvian Supreme Court, 31 March 2011, http://www.at.gov.lv/information/about-notable-events/2011/201103/20110330-1/.
[35] See ombuds web portal: www.tiesibsargs.lv.
[36] Aivars Ozolins, "Viltota tiesnese" [The fake judge], TVnet, 6 October 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/viedokli/394573-viltota_tiesnese; "ST aptur Muiznieces pilnvaras", [The Constitutional Court abrogates the [judge] powers of Muizniece], TVnet, 3 June 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/380049-st_aptur_muiznieces_pilnvaras.
[37] "Gada laika no cietuma atbrivotas 2315 notiesatas personas" [In one year 2315 incarcerated persons have been freed from prison], Delfi, 6 February 2011, http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/gada-laika-no-cietuma-atbrivotas-2315-notiesatas-personas.d?id=36678657; "List of Countries by Incarceration Rate," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate.
[38] "Dule ar kampanu 'oligarhu kapusvetki' cer sapurinat tautu" [Dule, with the campaign 'funeral for the oligarchs' hopes to shake the nation], TVnet, 3 June 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/380116-dule_ar_kampanu_oligarhu_kapusvetki_cer_sapurinat_tautu.
[39] "Oligarchs' Funeral," PhotoRiga, 8 June 2011, http://www.photoriga.com/2011/06/oligarchs-funeral.html.
[40] "Latvian Parliament Dissolved in Referendum on July 23," Baltic Review, 26 July 2011, http://baltic-review.com/2011/07/latvian-parliament-dissolved-in-referen....
[41] "81% iedzivotaju Sleseru, Skeli un Lembergu uzskata par oiligarkiem" [81 percent of inhabitants consider Šlesers, Skele and Lembergs to be oligarchs], TVnet, 7 June 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/380454-81_iedzivotaju_sleseru_skeli_un_lembergu_uzskata_par_oligarhiem.
[42] "Tautpartijiesiem liek atmaksat miljonu" [The People's Party forced to repay a million], TVnet, 22 September 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/392940-tautas_partijai_bus_jamaksa_miljons.
[43] "London Court to decide on action against Lembergs in LASCO case," Baltic News Network, 17 November 2011, http://bnn-news.com/london-court-decide-action-lembergs-latvian-shipping....
[44] "KNAB vaditaja amatam virza darbinieku Strelcenoku" [KNAB worker Srelcenoks is being guided to the position of KNAB chief], TVnet, 31 October 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/397635-knab_vaditaja_amatam_virza_darbinieku_strelcenoku; "Strelcenok's appointment to CPCB chief's post forwarded for review," Baltic News Network, 15 November 2011, http://bnn-news.com/strelcenok%E2%80%99s-appointment-cpcb-chief%E2%80%99....
[45] KNAB, Progress and Results in Preventing and Combating Corruption in Latvia, (Riga; KNAB, January-September 2011), http://www.knab.gov.lv/uploads/eng/periodic_update_september_2011.pdf. ; KNAB, Progress and Results in Preventing and Combating Corruption in Latvia, (Riga: KNAB, 2007), 64, http://www.knab.gov.lv/uploads/eng/knab_public_report_2007.pdf
[46] KNAB, Progress and Results in Preventing and Combatting Corruption in Latvia (Riga: KNAB, January-September 2011), http://www.knab.gov.lv/en/knab/results/2011/.
[47] "Slesers velejies legalizet ipasumtiesibas Rigas Tirdzniecibas osta" [Šlesers wanted to legalize the ownership of the Riga commercial port], Zz.lv, 23 October 2011, http://www.zz.lv/portals/latvijas/raksts.html?xml_id=33811.
[48] "Jaunalksnes izspiegotajiem piespriez cietumsodu" [Jaunalksne spies given prison sentences], TVnet, 1 June 2011, http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/kriminalzinas/379775-jaunalksnes_izspiegotajie....
[49] See website of KNAB, www.knab.lv.


text:
Sania Mirza is the current youth icon in India. Coming from Hyderabad, this teenager is creating history in Indian tennis by becoming the first ever Indian to break into the top-50 WTA rankings. She also became the first Indian woman to win a WTA tourney when she lifted the Hyderabad Open trophy in February 2005.
Still not out of her teens, Sania Mirza has got a huge fan following, both inside and outside the country. Having trained under C.G.Krishna Bhupathi (father of another famous Indian tennis star, Mahesh Bhupathi), Sania's ambition is to one day become one among the top-20 in the world. At the rate in which she is going currently, that day is not far off.
Sania Mirza has also been honoured with the prestigious Arjuna award by the Indian government for the year 2004.
With the goodwill and support of an entire nation behind her, Sania Mirza is sure to reach great heights and do her country proud. This website is dedicated to the tennis sensation and is regularly updated to bring you the latest news, rankings, tournament results and photos of Sania Mirza.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- The Gannett Co. has placed senior notes totally $500 million that will be due in 2015 and 2018. The notes financed at 6.375% and 7.125% will give the company some financial breathing space by being used to pay a maturing loan and revolving credits. In addition it negotiated an extension on $2.7 billion in revolving credit with Bank of America from 2012 to 2014.
- The New York Times Co. has cut its debt by 40 percent in past 2 years and is beginning to look at small investments in digital media that may position it for future growth. It recently provided $4 million in financing for Ongo, a start-up news sharing site that will aggregate stories from a number of newspapers.
- The Washington Post Co. announced it would repurchase 750,000 of its outstanding shares. Such a move will increase future earnings per outstanding share and boost shareholder equity in a tax beneficial way. This type of buyback typically occurs when cash is accumulating in the company and its stock is undervalued.
Newspaper Companies Start to Think Beyond Today's Bills
The somewhat improving condition of the newspaper industry is permitting companies to move from merely paying operating expenses to finding ways to improve their balance sheets and looking for new opportunities. In recent weeks:
2 comments:
A glimmer of hope for the beleaguered newspaper industry? Well, perhaps, but the legions of hometown dailies still have a long way to go to climb out of the abyss. Will Gannett use those revenues to restore it's local papers, and perhaps purchase more? I think this is good news for the strongest national outlets, but there are only a few of those. The challenge remains to provide local coverage in local circumstances.
- October 5, 2010 at 7:23 PM
How does it cost them
(paper & ink)to print one newspaper
and how much does they profit per
each newspaper they sell?
Best Regards .
- October 5, 2010 at 7:27 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text: One against all.... No, this is not the delusions of a suffering teenager, it's an ordinary day in the life of our hero. Do you want to kill? Have a good time, carving the eyes of a sobbing victim? Each of his actions drags on the death penalty, and together they make an amazing cocktail of insanity, excitement and unreasonably good mood. Today, mankind will once again face its reflection in a huge crooked mirror.


text:
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Courtyard By Marriott West Point properties are provided below. Search for cheap and discount Courtyard By Marriott hotel prices in West Point, NY for your personal or business trip. We list the best Courtyard By Marriott West Point hotels/lodging so you can review the West Point Courtyard By Marriott hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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text:
While doing HALS research is a serious and important endeavor, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be fun. Hopefully, you've figured that out if you've read any of my postings. There are few sites more fun than Children's Fairyland in Oakland's Lakeside Park. Fairyland was the first storybook theme park in the United States, and one of the main inspirations for the development of Walt Disney's Disneyland amusement park.
Children's Fairyland is the first amusement theme park created to cater to families with young children. The park's ten acres include small rides, play sets, and animals. It is home to the Open Storybook Puppet Theater, one of the oldest continuously operating puppet theaters in the United States.
Fairyland was researched by Jennifer Liw of PGAdesign and when her submission was presented to the Northern California chapter of HALS, the group was so enthused they got the idea to issue a challenge to the rest of the nation to submit HALS inventory forms for theme parks in their state. Submissions will be displayed at this year's American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) annual conference in Washington DC. Anyone can participate. For more information visit the group's website at: www://HALSca.org
While visiting the Detroit Children's Zoo, Arthur E. Navlet, founder of Navlet's Garden Centers saw a group of nursery rhyme themed buildings, and was inspired to create large sets for children in Lakeside Park. He presented the idea to the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club and William Penn Mott, Jr., then the director of Oakland's Parks Department, and later director of the National Park Service. Navlet and the Breakfast Club raised $50,000 to create the park. They hired William Russell Everett, a fantasy architect to design the sets. Initially, Everett presented 17 original models with straight-sided buildings of gingerbread and candy, which he later gladly destroyed, after learning the buildings were too reserved. He created new sets featuring buildings with no straight sides decorated with bright and unusual colors and textures.
The park opened on September 2, 1950. The park's entrance, the shoe from The Old Woman in the Shoe nursery rhyme, was sized for children; adults needed to bend over to get through. The original sets of the park included Pinocchio's Castle, Thumbelina, Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Merry Miller, The Three Little Pigs, and Willie the Whale, in addition to the Old Woman and the Shoe.
Over the years, the park has added features including The Open Storybook Puppet Theater in 1956 and the Fairyland Talking Storybooks with Magic Keys. Today Aladdin's Genie overlooks the park entrance along with The Woman In The Shoe. The ticket booth is guarded by fairies floating in a domed ceiling. Once inside The Man on a Flying Carpet flies overhead, Mother glides on her goose in the top of a live oak tree, while the tail of a brightly painted dragon coils around the base of the oak. A giant toadstool offers shade opposite a drinks stand housed inside Cinderella's pumpkin. Willie The Whale still invites guests into his belly as does the White Rabbit to venture down the hole from Alice In Wonderland.
There are 3 separate stages for live performances and guests can reserve a party area with a Cinderella theme that includes a slide built into her slipper. The Three Men in the Tub have not sunk at the Merry Miller, and Alice and her Seven dwarfs still greet visitors. Miss Muffet is still frightened by a spider. River Rat's house is tucked under a tree and even the boys and girls restrooms are decorated with fanciful entries. Children climb up to an elevated pagoda where they view over the tree tops to the park and city beyond, and they can also climb the mast of a pirate's ship laden with trunks of treasure. The Crocked Man's House is still standing lopsided as ever. A fanciful train - The Jolly Trolly, a merry-go-round, and snack counters have been added. The park includes a small petting zoo near a little red schoolhouse. Children's Fairyland continues as a popular family attraction drawing visitors to more than 50 exhibits.
To visit Fairyland you must be accompanied by a child, so get your kids, grandkids or family friends and be prepared to be enchanted in this fanciful cultural landscape.


text:
The two new judges fell out as auditions got underway last year (12), and one spat over a contestant allegedly led to Minaj threatening to shoot Carey.
The pair sat before journalists on the Television Critics Association Tour in Pasadena, California on Tuesday morning to promote Idol's upcoming 11th season - and appeared to be on good terms.
Addressing the 2012 conflict, Carey stated, "This is a very passionate panel. I think there are a lot of strong personalities and starting this process, I thought it was a possibility there could be differences of opinions. The fighting is what it is. This is American Idol, it's bigger than all that. It's bigger than some stupid trumped up thing. It's about the next superstar.
"Haven't you ever had an argument with someone you work with? I think time heals all wounds. The whole thing is convoluted. It's a distraction from the show. It's a distraction from the contestants. It shouldn't be about any of us sitting up here, it should be about the contestants."
And Minaj added, "We're professionals."
The hip-hop star was also asked to "say something nice" about Carey, and stated, "I say nice things about Mariah all the time. I tell her all the time what a fan I am of her. She's one of my favourite artists of all time. She's really shaped a generation of singers. To be on a panel with her is crazy."
However, it's what they didn't say that seemed to suggest they're far from the best of friends - both pulled faces and rolled their eyes while the other spoke.


text:
Investigators are examining a construction crane collapse atop a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan due to high winds during Hurricane Sandy.
The crane dangled precariously, causing some buildings, including 900 guests at the Parker Meridien hotel, to be evacuated as a precaution, and the streets below were cleared.
The nearly completed high-rise is known as One57 and is in one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, near Carnegie Hall, Columbus Circle, and Central Park. The crane had been inspected, along with other city cranes, on Friday and was found to be ready for the weather.
Click here to learn more. +


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Willow River Days button features First United Presbyterian Church
The First United Presbyterian Church is the featured building for this year's Willow River Area Days button.
Around 1885, there was only a loading platform at what now is called Willow River. Soon afterward, the Fox and Wisdom Lumber Company built a sawmill at the dam, and certain families moved to the Willow River area to work. In the fall of 1891, meetings were held among the early settlers to organize a church. October 24, 1891, the schoolhouse became a Presbyterian church under the lead of Miss Hood.
Over the course of several years, the planing mill burned several times. Finally the sawmill moved to Park Falls, and many members of the church moved along with it. Nevertheless, the church continued. On August 11, 1918, the church was incorporated under the name of First United Presbyterian Church of Willow River.
In July 1978 the Parish of the Pines was organized with the Presbyterian churches of Askov, Markville and Willow River as members. The purpose of bringing these congregations together was to enable them to call a full-time pastor to serve in the three communities. However, in March 1990 the parish was dissolved and each congregation agreed to be independent. Today, the First United Presbyterian Church of Willow River continues to celebrate God's grace and assists the surrounding communities.
First United Presbyterian is very active. Every Tuesday night the church has a Bible study called Walking Psalms. The name was created one night during Bible study while a few members were reading Psalms — members realized that people are walking psalms.
"People gather from four different churches and some travel from as far as Minneapolis," a member said of the study group.
The church hosts a rummage sale every year for a fund raiser, and the children active in the church help at a 25 cents table. In the summer, the church puts a twist on the usual Vacation Bible School and calls it "camp in a van," which is a fun time for the younger members of the church to worship together.
There are multiple ways to worship with others, and First Presbyterian tries to include everyone. The Rev. Betty Starky has made the church bloom in the past five years.
According to one member of the congregation, "She is by far the best thing that has happened to our church. She is compassionate, hardworking and similar to super-woman." Others agree.
Starky has a special way of communicating with the members of the church.
"We text her different song titles and help her come up with ideas," a younger child from the church said. The youth in the church teach the adults new music, creating a special balance between all of the members in the church.
In an upcoming service, First Presbyterian is having "cowboy church," which rotates around some of the youth who participate in the saddle club and 4-H. The church also has a "blessing of the bikes" service, which fills up the church. Children bring their bicycles, and the older members of the church bring their motorcycles to have them blessed. Even the Christmas program is all inclusive.
"Anyone that walks into the church has a part during the service. Whether they are a star, cow, sheep or Mary, everyone is included," Starky stated.
The Presbyterian church plays a large role in helping and supporting the community. Each month the congregation chooses a different mission. They collect food for the local food shelves, donate various items to the thrift stores and create "thank you" boxes for local veterans.
Young people are a focus of the church, and every fall when the school year begins, it provides students with crayons, paper, pencils and backpacks. As the weather gets colder, the church donates hats and mittens to those in need. Every Christmas the members create present boxes which bring joy to different children.
The church also allows AA meetings to be held in the building as an extra support for the community.
With such an active role in the community, it is not a surprise the Presbyterian church is being featured during the 2013 Willow River Days celebration. The First United Presbyterian Church members feel honored to be recognized by the community.


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The business of minor league baseball is exactly that, a business.
Wins and losses are a big issue for fans, but not so much for the parent Major League Baseball clubs which mainly put young prospects in smaller cities and towns across the nation to get experience and training. A handful of them climb the ladder from the lowest classifications of the minor leagues to one day play at storied venues like Yankee Stadium.
And the local ownership that oversees these minor league teams are in it to make a profit. Minor league baseball is an enterprise that exists not on lucrative TV contracts but on ticket sales, soft drinks, hot dogs, warm pretzels, ice cream and beer.
Lately, not much of any of those things are being sold at Burlington Athletic Stadium, home of the Appalachian League�s Burlington Royals.
That�s becoming a problem. A period of incessant rainfall and what appears to be a drainage problem at Burlington Athletic Stadium has conspired to rob local owners of home games at an alarming rate. In fact, the Burlington team has played nearly as many games in Bluefield, W.Va. as it has right here in town.
Lost in the deluge and standing outfield water are critical dollars in ticket sales, and most importantly, concessions. Particularly costly was a lost game on July 4, when fireworks were scheduled and neighboring teams in Winston-Salem, Durham and Greensboro had record or near-record crowds. A recent six-game homestand was washed out, save for four meager innings one night. Desperate to get some games played, especially with representatives of the parent Kansas City Royals watching, local management opted to play three games at venues in Winston-Salem and Cary.
Not the optimum scenario for anyone involved.
Area rainfall has been far above normal for a Piedmont summer, to be sure. Some of the storms have been gulley-washers, dumping buckets of water onto the already soggy ground in what seems to be a moment�s notice. Rainfall is nearly six inches above the norm for the year to date and we�re three inches above the average for July.
Still, it�s hard to believe some of the issues don�t involve the overall condition of the field, which is maintained by the city of Burlington and leased to the Royals. During the frustrating, lost six-game homestand, the Durham Bulls played five games with just a 41-minute delay one night, according to a Times-News story by sports editor Bob Sutton. And on July 4, the night of a revenue-soaking rainout at Burlington Athletic Stadium, an American Legion baseball game was played at Graham Middle School�s Tom Zachary field after a 30-minute rain delay. It�s just two miles away.
City officials are aware that field conditions are becoming a problem. It�s hard not to take notice when the baseball team hires a helicopter in a last-ditch effort to dry the field with the whirring blades of the chopper. The previous day, team employees were scooping up standing water on the outfield swamp with cups.
At the moment, though, there is little the city can do to mitigate the problem. City Recreation and Parks director Tony Laws can only hope the weather improves and the team can get through the current season without any more rainouts, which will give the city time to address the outfield this coming fall. The infield was resurfaced this past offseason with plans to take on the outfield when the rookie league team completes its schedule in late August.
�It�s really unfortunate because I know it will hurt the Royals� bottom line and that�s never a good thing to happen,� Laws said of the recent problems. �They do a lot to bring baseball here and we certainly don�t want to hurt that.�
Indeed. Having a minor league baseball team is a positive for the city but its existence is certainly not guaranteed. If an ongoing problem with facilities becomes untenable then the team might look elsewhere for a home.
It is, after all a business.


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Café Orleans
May 1, 2012 | Add Your Review
Located in New Orleans Square Disneyland
Where to start with Cafe Orleans….we had such a great dining experience a few weeks ago. The Cafe is located right in the middle of New Orleans Square close to Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. It is so charming and looks just like the streets of New Orleans in the French Quarter. There is outside inside dining under the shady patio's blue striped umbrellas and some indoor seating as well. If you choose to sit outside you get a lovely view of the boats on Rivers of America.
As you make your reservation at the desk, this is the area you will be in. Lovely New Orleans architecture.
I had to snap a picture of this beautiful horse on our way to lunch and there is another beautiful shot of a New Orleans style building on the right.
Here's a glimpse of the outside patio area. Lots of tables and very relaxing environment.
I was oh so grateful that the waitress brought the boys some crayons and activity books. Kept their minds off of how hungry they were:)
We started with these fabulous Pommes Frites. The fries were tossed with Parmesan, garlic, parsley and served with a Cajun Spice Remoulade. Drool!
I almost asked for another sauce, because it was so good. We couldn't keep our fries out of it 🙂
We also shared a bowl of the New Orleans Gumbo. It was a rich, flavorful stew with chicken, andouille sausage and ham, served with Cajun-style "dirty rice". Very delicious.
My youngest little guy ordered Mickey's Cheesy Macaroni. It comes with a side of fruit as well. There were zero complaints from him and his mac and cheese 🙂
My other son ordered the Chicken Breast with pasta, marinara and a side of fruit. He enjoyed his meal as well.
My dad and I shared a couple entrees including the Chicken Gumbo Crepe. Isn't it gorgeous? There was asparagus spears, sauteed chicken, andouille sausage, ham and creole gumbo sauce over a soft perfect crepe with some browned seasoned red potatoes. I would order this again for sure.
Some of our beautiful sides.
The famous Monte Cristo Sandwich….finally! I had heard so much about this sandwich and was so excited to finally try it. Can I just say it was definitely worth the wait. Soft fried dough surrounds ham, turkey and cheese then the whole thing is dusted with powdered sugar. You almost just have to try it to understand what I am talking about. They also give you a berry puree sauce to dip. Take a look below.
It's sweet and salty heaven my friends. Hope you get to try one for yourself!
A few things:
If you are going on a weekend you will definitely want to make reservations here: (714) 781-3463
This is a nicer dining experience so expect to spend between $15-35.99 per person
Here is the entire menu as of Jan 2012
French Onion Soup – Sauteed sweet-onion medley in a traditional broth with Croutons and Melted Gruyere. $8.49
New Orleans Gumbo – A rich, flavorful stew with chicken, andouille sausage and tasso ham, served with Cajun-style "dirty rice". Cup $5.49, Bowl $8.49
Pommes Frites – Traditional French-fried potatoes tossed with Parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley, served with a Cajun spice remoulade $5.49
La Salade de Maison – Our Cafe Orleans signature house salad, featuring tossed baby greens in a raspberry vinaigrette, topped with cherry tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese and caramelized pecans. C'est bon! $5.49
Split Plate Charge $4.00
Cafe Orleans Salmon Sandwich – Grilled Atlantic Salmon with fresh Cucumber-Tomato Relish, Bacon, and our Cafe Remoulade served on a Multigrain Roll with seasoned Sweet Potato Fries. $18.99
Monte Cristo Sandwich – Sliced turkey, ham and Swiss cheese fried in a light batter and served with berry puree dusted with Powdered Sugar. $17.49
Three-Cheese Monte Cristo – Swiss, mozzarella and Double Creme Brie fried in a light batter and served with Berry Puree dusted with Powdered Sugar. $17.49
Mardi Gras Chicken Sandwich – Blackened Chicken Breast with Cajun Spices and Avocado Relish served on a Multigrain Roll with seasoned Sweet Potato Fries. $17.49
N'awlins Vegetable Ragout – Vegetable Ragout with Eggplant, Red Onions, Bell Peppers, Squash, Zucchini, and fresh Garlic served with Corn Cakes topped with Grana Padano Cheese. $14.99
— With Blackened Chicken $16.99
— With Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon $18.99
"Crescent City" Salad – Choose Blackened Chicken or Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon on top of fresh Spinach and Mixed Baby Greens, tossed with Carmelized Pecans, Red Grapes, Navel Orange Segments, Caramelized Onions, Chopped Green Onions, Roasted Sweet Corn, and Orange-Cilantro Vinaigrette.
— With Blackened Chicken $14.99
— With Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon $16.99
Freshly Prepared Crepes
Delicate Crepes – made to order. Served with Sauteed Asparagus and New Potatoes.
Chicken Gumbo Crepe – Sauteed chicken, Andouille Sausage, Tasso Ham, and Creole Gumbo Sauce. $17.49
Seafood Herb Crepe – Pan-seared Mahi Mahi, Shrimp, and Scallops in a Creamy Tomato-Fennel Sauce. $17.49
"Mickey" shaped Beignets – Topped with Powdered Sugar served with Raspberry Coulis and vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise $7.99
Royal Street Bananas Foster Crepe – Delicate Handmade Crepe filled with Sauteed Bananas and topped with Caramelized Bananas and Caramel Rum Sauce. $7.99
St. Charles Mixed-Berry Crepe – Delicate, hand-made Crepe, filled with Raspberries and Blueberries tossed with a Warm Spiced Apple Glaze and topped with a Balsamic-Orange Reduction Sauce. $7.99
French-Quarter Thirst Quencher
Glowing Character Punch – Minute Maid Light Lemonade Punch served in a souvenir cup with a glowing Disney Character Light. $6.99
Coke, diet Coke, Sprite, Light Lemonade, or Fanta Orange $2.99
Coffee, regular or decaf $2.79
Hot Tea $2.79
Hot Chocolate $2.79
Espresso – $3.19
Cappuccino – $4.29
Caffe Latte – $4.29
Caffe Mocha – $4.49
To see the kids menu click HERE.
Have you tried something that I haven't?! Do share!
Disclosure: We are in no way associated or sponsored by Disneyland. Just a family who enjoys visiting the parks and giving you are honest reviews.
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Oh man, that all looks wonderful! I am drooling over that Monte Cristo! Looks heavenly!
Wow! Everything looks so amazing! Beautiful photos!
Wow. Everything looked so tasty! As many times I've visited Disneyland, I haven't ever dined at Cafe Orleans before. However, we do love stopping by Jazz Kitchen Express in Downtown Disney for beignets. They're not Mickey-shaped but still delicious, especially hot out of the fryer and so much fun shaking in a paper bag to coat with powdered sugar.
Ooh, those fried potatoes, alone, look like enough reason to go! And I've never had a Monte Cristo, but I think it's time!
Thanks for sharing all of your descriptions and pictures! 🙂
love when you do these!
that monte cristo is to die for good!
oh my this looks amazing. where is cafe orleans? oh and i'm just noticing this is Disneyland, as in California, right? I went to the one in Florida, so just wanted to make sure. I love the flower pots .. it's all so French. 🙂
My husband and I ate at Cafe Orleans when we went in 2010. Unfortunately, it was raining so we couldn't sit outside. But that wasn't a huge problem once we got our food!! We had the pommes frites and the three-cheese Monte Cristo. Both were soooo good!! I still dream about those pommes frites with that remoulade!!
I love when you post about Disney food – helps with my Disney withdrawals. 😉
The plate sharing charge surprises me. Disney World is happy to let you share entrees at no extra charge. Most of the time the split it in the kitchen for you. I didn't realize the parks had different policies.
The plate sharing charge is because when they split the entree they just split the main part of it, and each plate gets its own portion of the accompaniments.
The Monte Cristo is a MUST when we go to Disneyland! I cannot leave without having one!
All that food has me literally drooling from how absolutely delicious it looks.
My MIL went to Disneyland a few years ago with my SIL and her family, and they ate at Cafe Orleans. When we brought MIL to Disneyland with us last year, she would NOT let us eat there because "the food was so weird." She was telling me all about ordering a ham and cheese sandwich that ended up being made with doughnuts instead of bread. It was hard not to laugh. I guess she didn't know what a Monte Cristo was, and she couldn't wrap her head around it. She didn't believe me when I told her people absolutely LOVE it and make sure to eat there just for a Monte Cristo when they visit Disneyland. Maybe I should send her this post. I have yet to try it, but it's on my list for our next trip!
These could have been my pictures from our trip last summer! We went to the cafe on our last night to use up our meal vouchers. We also ordered the pommes frites, chicken gumbo crepe and the Monte Cristo sandwich. All three were delicious!
We had the monte cristo when we were there and absolutely loved it. Our waiter bagged up the other half for me and gave me some of that delicious berry sauce to go since I loved it so much. I ate some of the leftover berry sauce with fresh brie and whole wheat crackers. It was pure heaven! If anyone knows how to make that berry sauce, I would be forever grateful!
OH MY!! You HAVE to order the MICKEY beignets at Cafe Orleans, one of our most favorite things at the PARK! Love Cafe Orleans!!!
Wow! That Monte Crisco sandwich looks delicious! I want to try to make that at home sometime!
Wow! This place looks delicious! I have to say, I absolutely love reading your Disneyland posts! Everything about your blog is so fun!! Thank you for taking the time to share with us!
I asked the waiter at Cafe Orleans the difference between their gumbo and the bread bowl of gumbo they sell across the way (which my husband was standing in line buying). He said the bread bowl gumbo is just heated up and Cafe Orleans (like the Blue Bayou) Gumbo cooks for like 17 hours. My husband brought his over and we were able to try both side by side. There was definitely a difference! Cafe Orleans was so delicious.
We also bought the Bananas Foster Crepes- YUM! I need to try to make that one at home.
It would have been great if you put these frites and dipping sauce recipe on here as well. That is what I don't like about review websites. This was pinned in the food category. I was expecting a recipe not bragging.
When it is placed in the food category we automatically think recipes not disappointment
Because there is no recipe.


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Donald H. Wendorf, age 81 of Delavan, WI, passed away on Saturday, January 11, 2014 at Ridgestone Village in Delavan, WI. He was born on January 17, 1932 in Delavan, the son of Emil and Clara (Smith) Wendorf. Don graduated in 1950 from Delavan High School and was united in marriage to Nancy Ingersoll on June 6, 1952 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Delavan. He was employed at Borg Products prior to serving four years in the U.S. Air Force and spent a year in Korea. After his service in the Air Force, Don worked as a city mail carrier and then as a rural carrier in Delavan for 33 years. He was a very active member at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.
Don is survived by his wife, Nancy, three sons; Rory of Delavan, Bruce (Gina Dilly) of Onalaska, and Mark (Deanna) of Delavan, grandchildren, Jeff (Allie) of Indianapolis and Kelly of Onalaska, and one step-grandson, Patrick Cleveland (Jessica Hamlin) of Darien. He was preceded in passing by his parents, and daughter-in-law, Sue.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Delavan WI, with Reverend Robert P. Rickman officiating. Visitation will be held from 9:30am until service time at the church. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church or VNA Hospice. MONROE FUNERAL HOME, in Delavan, WI, is assisting the family. Visit us at monroefh.com.


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Guest blog post by U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson
This morning at Capitol Hill Oceans Week, I spoke about the key role that oceans play in our economic recovery. America's waters have always been a strong economic engine. After all, more than half of Americans live in coastal watershed counties. And even though this area makes up only 17 percent of U.S. land area, those counties support about 66 million jobs. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that the blue economy is strong and growing.
And here is one thing we need to do to make sure that happens: ratify the Law of the Sea Convention. The U.S. Senate is now taking a hard look at having the U.S. join the Convention, which sets forth a comprehensive legal framework governing uses of the oceans. The Law of the Sea Convention will support American businesses and create American jobs, as well as bolster U.S. national security and promote energy security. We need to join the Convention now.
The economic benefits of this treaty are clear:
First, it will give our energy companies the certainty they need to make crucial investments and create jobs. The Convention would allow the United States to secure rights to the resources of our continental shelf beyond our exclusive economic zone (EEZ). For years, American oil and gas companies did not have the technological capability to take advantage of these provisions. Companies are now ready and able to explore this area, but they are only willing to make the substantial investments needed to extract these resources if they have maximum international legal certainty. As a party to the Convention, the United States would gain international recognition of our sovereign rights and therefore be able to give our companies this legal certainty.
Second, the Law of the Sea Convention will also help U.S. companies secure access to rare earth minerals, which are needed to make things like computers and cell phones. These important minerals are in high demand and are currently produced almost exclusively by China. Technological advances make deep seabed mining possible, but it's also very expensive. Any company exploring a mine site will insist on having a secure title to the site and indisputable title to the minerals that it will recover; only as a party could the United States secure such title for its companies.
The Convention would also afford the U.S. a seat at the table in developing and implementing law of the sea rules that reflects its maritime status.
Additionally, the United States is the only Arctic nation outside the Convention. As a party to the Convention, we would have a much stronger basis to assert our interests throughout the entire Arctic region.
And it will help us to urge other countries to preserve and protect marine habitats and species.
The Convention has strong bipartisan support from members of Congress and both Republican and Democratic past administrations, as well as the U.S. military, relevant industry and other key stakeholders. Already, over 160 countries have signed onto this treaty. We need to join now in order to fully protect our navigational freedoms, economic rights, and the interests of our oceans' marine life. The oceans and the rules governing them will only increase in importance in the 21st century.
America has never been content to sit back and let others make decisions that could affect our security, our economy, or our environment. The benefits of this Treaty are too great to ignore, especially at this crucial moment in our recovery.
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Staff Picks: Favorite Burgers for $5 and Under
Published: Last Updated:
So far this year we've picked our favorite fast food burgers and fancy-pants burgers. Today, we're giving love to our favorite good, cheap burgers from local burger joints—nothing over $5 and nothing from non-local chains (sorry, In-N-Out and Shake Shack). Tell us your favorites in the comments!
- Sliders at White Manna, Hackensack, NJ »
- Cheeseburger at Little Big Burger, Portland, OR »
- Jimmy Rhea's Special Cheeseburger at Rhea's, Atlanta »
- Mini Cheeseburger at Hodad's, San Diego »
- Burgers from Bill's Hamburgers (Bill and Hiroko's), Van Nuys, CA »
- Mini Burger at Super Duper, San Francisco »
- Single Fatso with Cheese at Phil's Last Stand, Chicago »
- 1/4-Pound Beefburger at Top Notch Beefburger, Chicago »
- Classic Slider at Mark, NYC »
- Double with Cheese and Bacon at Clark White Diamond, Clark, NJ »
Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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Ideas for upcycling before you are recycling. 34 recycled kids crafts & activities!
I don't think its possible to be a hands on mom without saving anything and everything imaginable. Ever since I started doing crafts and activities with Henry, we've been hoarding recyclables. Henry actually has his own 'recycling center' now.
So, what is worth saving? What can be upcycled and put to good use for the kids?
I've come up with a list of 34 items to reuse that tend to be in your recycling bin. Try setting them aside before taking them out to be recycled.
What can this recyclable become? What can it be upcycled into?
A collection of 34 Recycled Kids Crafts and Activities to reuse what you already have, instead of buying something new.
Believe me though, its not just limited to these! I'm collecting more and more ways to upcycle your recyclables on Pinterest. Its never ending.
|Milk Jugs
Jug Toss
Creative Connections for Kids
|Water Bottle
Big Bubbles
Projects for Preschoolers
|#6 Plastic
Shrinky Dinks
Creative with Kids
Frugal Family Fun Blog
|Paper Towel Tube
Hot Glue Prints
Creative Jewish Mom
|Toilet Paper Tubes
Choo Choo Train
Homeschool Creations
|Plastic Bottle Caps
A Little Learning for Two
Itsy Bitsy Spider
My Creative Family
|Cereal Box:
Centers & Circle Time
|Baby Wipe Containers
Giant Flip Flops
Having Fun at Home
|Baby Food Jars
Baby Play
|Baby Food Containers
Homemade Blocks: The Nature of Grace
|Tissue Box
Tie Shoe Strings
Adventures at Home
|Upright Tissue Box
Fabric Scrap Toy
My Silly Little Life
|Foam Tray
Play Create Explore
|Oatmeal Container
Fine Motor Activity
Merriment Design
(more: 30 Fine Motor Activities)
|Metal Lids
Magnet Play
Sense of Wonder
|Tin Cans
Wind Chimes
(more: 26 tin can ideas)
|Paper/Fabric Tube
Marble Run
A Little Learning for Two
|Cornstarch Peanuts
Sculpture with Water
Pink and Green Mama
|Packing Peanuts
Creativity My Passion
|Egg Carton
Flower Craft
Kitchen Counter Chronicles
|Milk Carton
Bus Craft
Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
|Glass Jar
Adventures at Home
|Plastic Jar
Firefly Jar
Come Together Kids
|Bubble Wrap
|Cardboard Box
DIY Sled: JDaniel4's Mom
|Yogurt Containers
Counting with Cups
Teach Mama
|CD or DVD
The Chocolate Muffin Tree
|Paper Bag
Guessing Game
Amy's Cooking Adventures
|Plastic Bag
Mama Smiles
|Tissue Paper
Busy Baby Play
|Shredded Paper
Sensory Tub
Counting Coconuts
And there's so much to do with an assortment of recyclables.
- Inspiration Sounds Creativity Abounds: Play with Recyclables
- Inspiration Sounds Creativity Abounds: Junk Collage
- NurtureStore: Junk Model Marble Run
- NurtureStore: Junk Model Robot
- The Imagination Tree: Junk Box and Tubes Free Play
- and Tinkerlab has a lot of Creative Challenges that often use recycled items!
Don't forget my Pinterest Board with more ways to upcycle your recyclables!