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|DO NOT REPLY [Bug 6606] - META-BUG problems with delegating classloaders
|Tue, 31 May 2005 21:37:39 GMT
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, BUT PLEASE POST YOUR BUG· RELATED COMMENTS THROUGH THE WEB INTERFACE AVAILABLE AT <http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=6606>. ANY REPLY MADE TO THIS MESSAGE WILL NOT BE COLLECTED AND· INSERTED IN THE BUG DATABASE. http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=6606 email@example.com changed: What |Removed |Added ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CC| |firstname.lastname@example.com ------- Additional Comments From email@example.com 2005-05-31 23:37 ------- (In reply to comment #22) > I changed the ant-junit.jar so it does not load/reference any > junit classes before it forks a new JVM. That way the classloader problems > disappear since junit classes are not loaded inside ant's JVM. This could be quite useful. E.g. the NetBeans IDE uses http://www.netbeans.org/download/dev/javadoc/org-apache-tools-ant-module/org/apache/tools/ant/module/spi/AutomaticExtraClasspathProvider.html from the module bundling junit.jar in order to force it to be added to Ant's primary classpath. Even though the build scripts that the IDE generates will have an explicit path for junit.jar - which is used e.g. when compiling unit tests - it cannot currently run <junit> unless this has been done. A patch such as is described here would make it possible to do omit junit.jar from Ant's primary classpath, and would mean that a command-line build incl. unit testing would succeed so long as the path was set up correctly, without requiring the user to run Ant with junit.jar in $CLASSPATH (or ant/lib/ or whatever). -- Configure bugmail: http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are the assignee for the bug, or are watching the assignee. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: email@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: email@example.com
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There are plenty of annoying music snobs in the world, but very few qualify to be considered truly Picky Bastards.
Fran has tried to be many things. He's tried to be an electrician, nearly tried to be a teacher, almost managed to be a successful student, and is still kind of attempting to be a novelist. He now wants to be a music critic. Stupid bastard. Fran likes folk, indie, hip-hop, and all sorts of other things that make sounds. If you're bored, you can check out some of his fiction here.
Nick has been an unsuccessful writer longer than literally anyone, having spent a ridiculously long time studying and teaching lit & writing, before he gave up and founded Picky Bastards with his arch nemesis Nirmal Trivedi. As it's grown into an empire, he's always claimed to be into experimental music, but really he just likes the sound of the phrase. He's also foolhardy enough to make music himself, under the name The Impulse Powers, so you can add that to the list of bands to avoid on Spotify.
Matt has no musical talent or experience in amateur or professional journalism. Yes, his first music love was The Spice Girls. Yes, he has spent a lot of time listening to Nu Metal. And yes, he still occasionally listens to Nu Metal. He does, however, listen to music nearly all the time, often to the point of irritation of those around him. For some reason he thinks this justifies him spouting his opinions at people.
Sam claims to have an eclectic taste in music, but can someone who has listened to Rude Boy by Rihanna over 300 times really make that claim? He started writing about Games as a kid and quickly realised that the people around him were much better at writing about games than him. Now he does the same for music, but usually only so he can pretend that the world has been anxiously waiting for his opinion on the latest Björk album. Sam can usually be found screaming along at a gig somewhere in Manchester.
James Spearing – James grew up in a household full of strong musical opinions, usually about Liam Gallagher. His career in music journalism began composing reviews in his head watching bands starting with "The…" in the early noughties. Next came university where writing for a student fanzine was about only thing he could later put on his CV that made him look like a proper person. He studied English, so go figure. Now that he is grown up, works full time, has recently become a parent and has no spare hours he has decided to pretend to be a music writer once again.
Tom Burrows – Inspired by his contemporary musical heroes, Tom bought a keyboard last summer. To date, he has switched it on three times and learnt to play Jingle Bells. To offset his own failings, he'll now disparage talented musicians in the name of 'criticism'. You should take his verdicts on music with a handful of salt.
Fat Roland – Fat Roland named himself after a synthesiser. He launched his music writing career during the thousand-week chart-topping reign of Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. He went on to hang out with the Backstreet Boys for a whole afternoon, and he once made Bjork cough. These days he is a columnist for Electronic Sound magazine. Fats is a techno-head: if music doesn't go bleep, he doesn't understand it. He also doesn't understand washing machines, long division or pelican crossings.
Kim Fernley – Kimberley was brought up in the picturesque town of Stockport, listening to Celine Dion and The Bee Gees. Her first gig was Boyzone. Now she enjoys her music dark, droney, distorted, and psychedelic. Kimberley likes reading menus. She would love to have a floppy eared dog called Puddles but can't due to her working hours. Kimberley tried to learn the guitar but her hands are too small. She attempted the ukulele but just couldn't.
Kathryn Halliday – Kathy inherited her questionable taste in music from her parents; a mix of Boston, Smokie and Fleetwood Mac. She once firmly believed she had been living next door to Alice for 24 years (despite being only 10 years old at the time of this revelation). As strange children tend to do, she grew up into an even stranger adult, with an unhealthy obsession for eyeliner and Stevie Nicks. More recently, she has been failing admirably at writing a novel and taking solace in music. She will listen to anything, but some of her favourites include Snowmine, OMAM and The Shins.
Mike Hull – Mike is an East Midlands boy who has emigrated to the north for the weather. He enjoys cosy nights in, romantic walks on the beach, and takes his coffee with precisely 2 sugars. Mike enjoys the music of Otis Redding, Beastie Boys, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Arab Strap, and a bunch of old hardcore bands. He can often be found drinking special brew and shouting at people down the local park.
Kirsten Loach – Also known in family circles as 'the person who painted the Blu-Tack black', Kirsten has recently finished a PhD. This is something that would probably surprise her old primary school teachers, given that she used to make regular escape attempts, barricade herself into classrooms, and once even went on hunger strike refusing to eat a mushy pea. Today she likes to listen to shouty women music, in a pitiful attempt to pretend that the Blu-Tack painting rebel child is still alive in there somewhere.
Sarah Moses – Sar is old enough to have seen grunge's heyday but debuted too late for much of R.E.M.'s IRS output, a fact which still chafes her to this day. She makes better cakes than your ma and enjoys thunderstorms with deep vigour. Play mini golf or Scrabble against her at your peril.
Joe Shervin – Joe likes to think his is an eclectic music taste, but the reality is an over-reliance on guitar-led, hairy, good ol' rock 'n' roll. And why not, eh? It's raw, uplifting, and honest. Just like him. He's also hairy.
Nirmal Trivedi – Nirmal spends an inordinate amount of time pretending to be an intellectual while secretly hoping to be discovered by a 80s hair metal producer who happens to be starting a Judas Priest reunion tour and needs a stand-in for Rob Halford. I know that love bites and some heads are gonna roll, and I can't wait to put on those leather pants again.
Pete Wild – Pete feels so old as to be practically Biblical. He's met the likes of Jeff Buckley and Bret Easton Ellis, published badly selling books that failed to change his life, and still writes fiction with the junkie fervour of a strung out Lottery card addict who thinks maybe, just maybe, this one will be the one that earns him a measure of something (he no longer has any clear idea what that something might be). The best he hopes for, really, is to be thought of as "one of those interesting hacks" MES sang about in the song 'It's a Curse'.
Lisa Whiteman – Lisa has grown up and has a sensible day job, as well as a child, which means she is often seen, headphones in, pretending she is 19 again. Having (mis)spent her youth in TJs and other South Wales indie haunts, she is fond of venues in which you stick to the floor and fill your boots with that disco cocktail of beer and sweat. Looking at her CD shelf as she types, she's pleased to confirm you'll find everything you need and dont need, from Alice in Chains to Zola Jesus, At The Drive In to Wu Tang Clan with lots in between, including Madonna's Immaculate Collection. And Moses, she will destroy your crazy golf game.

subset: commoncrawl


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Keys to Masculine Power: Integrity. Commitment. Accountability.
May 4, 2016
Integrity. Commitment. Accountability.
As a man committed to supporting men living the most satisfying and empowered lives possible, these principles have become a center of gravity in the Men's Work I am involved in.
The questions every man who does men's work with me needs to answer every time we meet are these: What is the state of your Integrity? What are you Committed to? How are you Accountable?
These Masculine principles are foundational to healthy relationships and a safe community. A great deal of the suffering we are seeing in the world has to do with powerful men who lack integrity and are not being accountable for their actions.
When I started up this path I thought that Integrity meant perfection. I thought that if all of my actions were not in alignment with my commitments to live out the fantasy of who I was "supposed" to be, that I was failing. What this resulted in for me, the perfectionist, was desperately hiding my faults and failures as best I could. To myself. I relegated my mistakes to the shadows and overemphasized my success.
Since then my perspective has been tempered. Since then I have sat with hundreds of men in circles where integrity and commitment really matter, where we are all aware of our tendencies to bend the rules for ourselves, to make ourselves the exception, to cut corners and get away with whatever we can.
Enter: Accountability.
The key to living with integrity is being accountable when I fall short of my commitments. "Sorry" is just not enough. It has to be matched by, "How can I clean this up?" The key to integrity is not "always doing it right," but rather revealing myself to people I trust and submitting myself to the vulnerability of accountability.
This, in the circles of men I participate in, often means "consequences." We give and receive consequences for falling short of commitments. 50 push-ups for being late to the meeting or forgetting something promised. 2 minute cold shower for not communicating critical information. Etc.
When I started this work I was like, "What the fuck is this bullshit?" Now I have come to a radically different understanding of consequences than what I was raised with. Consequences used to be synonymous with punishment.
What I have come to see is that there are ALWAYS consequences to my actions and decisions. The question is, "For who?" When I say I am going to do something and I don't do it, that has an impact on others.
Growing up, I became adept at "outsourcing" consequences. Often they were deferred to my parents, or to my teachers. Many were deferred to my future self. And every time I succeeded in projecting my consequences onto someone else, the behavior was reinforced. I gamed life pretty hard for so long that I really had no idea what integrity was.
Now I sit regularly in circles with men where we speak our commitments to one another, we check in about those commitments, and we hold one another accountable to our word. We celebrate wins and submit when it is time to clean up mistakes and shortcomings.
When I have to put time and energy into cleaning up a breach, energy that I presumably "saved" in cutting that corner, I come closer to realizing that there really are NO short cuts. I remember that fact when I feel the impulse to act out an old pattern.
The more honestly and frequently I do this, the more trustworthy a man I become.
This Trustworthiness is so fundamental to the relationship between the masculine and feminine. For years I utterly failed to grasp that Trust is built on so much more than just not outright lying.
The confidence the feminine has that the masculine will do what he says, and be accountable for his mistakes, is essential to her sense of safety and her capacity to open. When there is a safe, stable place for her to dance, her gifts come spiraling out of her depths in ways they simply cannot when she is questioning the container.
This is NOT just about fidelity. This is about being on time. This is about taking care of the things you say you will when you say you will. This is about the thousand opportunities we get weekly to either demonstrate impeccability or make excuses. Even if she is not consciously tracking all the disappointments, making lists, or openly criticizing, she is on some level feeling the soft fabric of her precious trust erode.
And again, we are not playing the perfection game here! We are talking about Integrity.
This is about the masculine not making excuses when the thing happens, and instead being the one to
(1) raise the issue,
(2) take responsibility for the choices he has made,
(3) listen deeply to the impact of his actions, and, if possible,
(4) make it better by taking some action.
One of the greatest traps is for the masculine to "match" his impeccability to his feminine counterpart or expect her to be the same. This is intrinsically dangerous because the feminine operates on fundamentally different principles. This Integrity is for the masculine to hold. The pitfall of lowering standards to match another's is always present, but seldom more destructive than in intimate relationship.
Another is to misunderstand her attempts to repair the fabric of her trust with him as "criticism." If you are in integrity, then "criticism" will easily be handled as misunderstanding or a need to more fully communicate. If you are out of integrity, "criticism" is her gift to you. Her best attempt at holding you accountable to impeccability and restoring the safe ground she longs to dance on.
When the masculine is taking 100% responsibility for his integrity and not waiting for anyone else to lead him or meet him there, when he is consistently seeking the fellowship of others to hold him accountable in ways he cannot always hold himself, he becomes a safe place for the feminine. And our relationships, our communities, and our world become safer spaces for Life.
So, my friend, I must ask you:
What is the state of your Integrity? What are you Committed to? How are you Accountable?


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Superintendent's Message Fall 2018 As many of you are aware, the Board has passed a Bond Resolution and the voters will vote regarding passage of the bond on November 6th. Our information meetings have gone well and we have received some critical feedback that will allow us to move forward in a very purposeful way as we meet the needs of our students and educators. We also have begun the Strategic Planning process to better prepare and be purposeful in the academic, behavior and social services that we provide within our facilities. These are not two separate or stand-alone initiatives. Through the bond proposal we are seeking to provide for greater safety and security for our students, educators, and community as well as manage growth and aging facilities… all the while maintaining a welcoming environment for all who enter our buildings and facilities. The Strategic Planning process is allowing us to refine our focus regarding student services by identifying standards of quality that reflect and support our current mission, vision, and shared commitments. The Strategic Planning Committee consists of teachers, administrators, school psychologists, counselors, parents, students, community leaders, law enforcement, social services, and SUU and business partners. The following four standards of quality have been identified by the committee:
- Support a Culture of Collaboration and Learning for ALL
- Establish a sense of well-being for ALL through Social Emotional Learning
- Provide a Future Ready Education
- Strengthen Community Connections
The Strategic Planning Committee will create a Five-Year Strategic Action Plan, that will go to the School Board for approval in April. All of this is being done with the intent of empowering all within our school community to learn at high levels and experience a sense of well-being while doing so. This document will be short and concise and will serve as a reference for the district and each school as yearly goals are set, professional development is provided, and achievement toward our goals is measured. All of us play a critical role in educating the whole child and I am grateful for all that you do to meet the needs of Every child… Every day: Whatever it Takes. Shannon


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You are here: Home > Romania > Maramures > Casa Iurca
About Casa Iurca
The Casa Iurca guesthouse is located in Sighet, in the heart of Maramures Country, a land full of history and legend, carved in wood with diligence and steadfastness. The key ingredients of Casa Iurca are guests opportunity to dine in a local restaurant (with traditional menu with authentic music from Maramures and to celebrate local traditions) and accommodation with elegance and finesse that combines comfort with tradition and rustic modernism.
The Iurca family of Călineşti appears in mediaeval documents with other noble families in 1361. Over time, the family played an important role in community life in Maramures and this particular house was built in 1821 in the Hebrew style. In 2003, the house was renovated and arranged in Maramures style and opened in February 2004.
This hotel is available as part of any tailor made holiday with Rediscover the World.
Accommodation: Guest House Casa Iurca has 44 beds in 22 rooms equipped with free internet, TV and minibar.
Facilities: restaurant with a capacity of 150 seats plus 60 seats on the terrace. The menu includes traditional dishes and the atmosphere is complemented by authentic music of Maramures. Taste traditional Maramures dishes specific only to Calinesti Iurca House Restaurant; with a la carte menu you can taste the chef's secret recipes with horinca (local brandy) that will impress upon your memories.


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Funk continued the impressive form that earned her top spot in the semi-final, edging ahead of Australia's Fox with seemingly her final stroke as she crossed the line in 1 min 42.98sec, just 0.35 seconds quicker than her rival.
The 2015 world and European silver medallist had been the favourite to take the German K1W slot for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but was bettered by compatriot Melanie Pfeifer during their selection races.
"I'm so happy to win," said Funk.
"It's a great course here and with the German trials not going so well for me it's great to win again."
A runners-up finish for Fox earned her a second medal of the weekend following her podium-topping performance in the C1W yesterday.
The 21-year-old will perhaps be thinking what might have been having back paddled to maintain her line through the final section as she neared the end of her run, almost certainly costing her gold.
Austria's Corinna Kuhnle slipped from silver to bronze following Funk's clean run, rounding out the podium with a time of 1:45.66.
Kuhnle can take satisfaction, however, from the fact that by reaching the final she secured her spot at this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
France's Nicolas Scianimanico (left) and Hugo Cailhol won C2M gold ©Getty Images
France's Nicolas Scianimanico and Hugo Cailhol won C2M gold with an impressive penalty-free time of 1:47.37 and were followed by the German duo of David Schroeder and Nico Bettge in 1:48.48.
China's Hang Zhang and Xiao Deng collected bronze, laying down a clean run on their way to a time of 1:50.45.
Slovakian twin brothers Pavol and Peter Hochschorner continued their disappointing start to the season with the multiple Olympic gold medallists clipping gates 12 and 14 before picking up two 50-second penalties towards the end.
ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup action now moves to the Barcelona 1992 Olympic course in La Seu d'Urgell from June 10 to 12.
Source: insidethegames.biz


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Written by William Hillis, Research Editor, RSIR
Reflections on the head tax enacted by the Council
If you were raised before the Game Boy generation, you'll probably recall the story of "The Fisherman's Wife" from Grimm's Fairy Tales. This familiar fable is that of a fisherman who spares the life of a wish-granting fish. The poor troller is then brow-beaten by his wife into calling upon the fish for progressive improvements to the family hovel and his wife's social position. When the wife's demands reach the point of blasphemy, the fish renounces all the upgrades, returning the aspiring couple to their humble beginnings.
And that may be what will soon happen to the Seattle City Council.
We seek to tone down political bias and don't often make predictions on these matters, but what happened earlier this week is a strategic blunder that is sure to arouse dismay among current Council supporters and to drive changes at the ballot box later next year (2019). It was an overambitious move by the Trotskyite faction on the Council that is likely to strengthen the hands of local businesses on local government tax, housing, and development policy.
Here are several reasons why:
- The head tax will ensnare smaller fish, with little effect on big ones. Despite the near-universal focus on Amazon, the head tax will impact 585 businesses in Seattle. Those hardest hit will be high-volume, low-wage businesses like Dick's Drive-In, as CEO Saul Spady explained to KING5 News.[1] The fact that low-wage workers will end up on the short end of the head tax is entirely consistent with other recent Council initiatives, such as the $15 minimum wage, that perversely reduce the employment of those they are intended to help. The Council's 2017 effort to impose a constitutionally prohibited income tax on high earners was overturned by the Washington State Supreme Court.
- Head tax revenues will not deliver new housing soon, if ever. Little attention has been given by the press as to how the proceeds from the tax will be used. The original compromise plan proposed by Mayor Jenny Durkan would first allocate revenues to fill budgetary deficits in existing shelter and "vehicular living" programs. Durkan aims to get the homeless into shelters immediately, while Council members speak of long-term solutions. Yet the spending plan adopted by the Council will not fund even 600 units of housing; while a year ago, there were already more than 8,500 homeless on the streets of Seattle.[2] The tax has therefore set the table for interrupted hiring by high-volume businesses before any new affordable housing opens to residents.[3]
- The tax is the latest in a series of Council measures out-of-sync with the region. In proceeding from one ill-considered act after another, the Seattle City Council has gone their own way, scarcely bothering to consult with other municipal governments in the region other than King County. While this may appear to enhance the competitive positions of cities nearby, it also muddies the water for prospects. The mayor of neighboring Bellevue said, "Businesses make their decisions on where to locate based on lots of different data points," adding that "One of those is the tax system, but they make that decision based on a number of different data points. From my perspective, if there is someone who wants to move within the region, our doors are certainly open to them in Bellevue but … we want to make sure that we show that the Puget Sound region has a really strong economic climate."[4]
- The head tax ignores the most obvious and least costly solution. The one fix that would actually resolve Seattle's housing shortage—upzoning some of the city's single-family neighborhoods to multifamily densities—would spur condominium investment to meet burgeoning demand. Yet residential zoning remains politically contentious and untouched by the Council.
Dean Jones, President of Realogics Inc., says that what is most needed for more affordable housing is more housing generally, delivered by the private sector. "Supply is king. The Council should absolutely offer greater incentives for developers to play their role and contribute to a fund to build housing and subsidized communities for homeless in transition." Instead, the City has settled upon a distraction that embitters employers, further threatens entry-level employment, and adds insufficient new housing.
So current and would-be homeowners, take heart. If the city's voters haven't already been brought to their senses, a failure of the head tax to produce meaningful results might finally convince them.
[1] Greg Copeland, "'How is that a compromise?': Iconic Dick's Drive-In slams Seattle head tax," KING5 News, 15 May 2018.
[2] All Home, Count Us In: Report Release, http://allhomekc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/COUNT-US-IN-Presentation-_-May-31-2017.pdf
[3] Erica Barnett, "Six Things to Consider about the Head Tax," South Seattle Emerald, 16 May 2018, https://southseattleemerald.com/2018/05/16/six-things-to-consider-about-the-head-tax/; https://thecisforcrank.com/category/city-council-2/.
[4] Monica Nickelsburg, "After Seattle passes 'Amazon tax,' mayor of neighboring city says 'Bellevue is open for business'," Geekwire, 15 May 2018, https://www.geekwire.com/2018/seattle-passes-amazon-tax-mayor-neighboring-city-says-bellevue-open-business/.


text: Phase: Post Your Images Missions: City Image Miami's West Kendall You won't find an arts district or a lot of bars or fine dining but WK is a proud community where parks and recreation are the lifestyle. 2 0 Written by Veronica Barrios-Garcia 12:40, Oct 22, 2018 Which City? Miami-Dade County Written by Veronica Barrios-Garcia Share this Applaud Inspired by (1) Domino Park 2 comments Join the conversation: Comment Wilda Previl 00:07, Nov 01, 2018 Hi @Veronica Barrios-GarciaI'm the Miami community facilitator. What's your favorite thing to do in West Kendall? I'm not in the area too often but have had colleagues come from there link report Veronica Barrios-Garcia 10:07, Nov 08, 2018 the outdoors! West Kendall is reported to have the most public space areas than any other neighborhood in dade county. Other than the summer, I love spending time at one of the many parks here. I'm either attending a local league game, walking, cycling or sometimes picnicking. link report


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The Government Digital Service (GDS) is a member of a consortium of leading European private and public sector organisations which has said it will start a pilot into the use of a citizen's national digital identity from France to open a bank account in the UK.

The consortium comprises HSBC, Barclays, GDS, Orange, OT-Morpho and the Open Identity Exchange (OIX UK), a trade organisation dedicated to building the volume and velocity of trusted transactions online.

The project is being co-financed by the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility, a European funding instrument that supports the development of interconnected trans-European networks in the fields of transport, energy and digital services.

The consortium plans to carry out the work using eIDAS (Electronic Identity and Signature) standards, which is a set of official standards for electronic identification and transactions in the European Single Market that were built for the public sector. The project will test how these can also be used for the private sector.

The consortium will utilise the Mobile Connect authentication process that allows the user to request a digital ID that is validated via eIDAS, with further attributes being collated and shared with the banks.

This project plans to develop and test a prototype as well as building the service design, infrastructures and operational framework that leverage eIDAS to enable a more trustworthy and efficient account opening process for EU citizens.

Orange is to create the services that will allow a digital identity to be set up for use by a French citizen through Mobile Connect. OT-Morpho will develop services and infrastructure for the identity authentication process needed, while HSBC and Barclays will evaluate how eIDAS services and other attribute information can be used to fulfill their account opening processes for international customers.

Trista Sun, HSBC's global head of international and cross border said, "We are embracing digital and technology innovation to do more for our customers. We already have a world-class international account opening service.

"However, currently, customers often have to produce a separate set of identification paperwork when they open a bank account in a new country. The use of recognised, trusted digital IDs across borders will revolutionise this process."

Jessica Westerouen van Meeteren, executive vice president of Government Identity Solutions Division at Morpho said, "As consumers, we have to prove our identity every day, one way or another, and we will be doing this more and more in digital form, primarily through our smartphones and tablets.

"There is a huge need for technologies to enable remote authentication solutions that are fast, simple and safe. In this innovative project, we are proud to leverage our expertise in digital identity to accelerate the development of identification solutions across borders for users and banks."

Frank Joshi, director at Mvine Ltd said, "I welcome the announcement by OIX UK. It's essential to test the feasibility of digital identity across borders. I think eIDAS and Mobile Connect are great choices for the pilot. I wish all members of the consortium every success and will watch with interest as it progresses.

"I think it is great these cross border projects are starting to grapple with the nitty gritty. Understanding the various attribute sets that the two different countries will utilise is vital. Cross border collaboration on protocols and on how you structure the exchange for accurate data format mapping is equally vital, e.g. First Name, Last Name / Prenom, Nom not to mention formatting the postal address. Such basic information has to be faultless," he said.

One identity specialist commented that the current pilot was very similar to work carried out as part of the EU's STORK project "circa 2009". He added, "It would seem sensible to address the issues raised before repeating the same experience. Of course there has also recently been a trial of using something good enough for a Norwegian Bank to see if it is OK for the UK (but not vice versa), which is hardly re-use in another context, and not a wonderful EU-exemplar as Norway isn't in the EU."


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Hallsboro: Helen B. Pope, 102, went to be with her Lord Monday, September 17, 2018 at Premier Living and Rehab Center.
She was the daughter of the late Nettie Jane Clemmons and Clarence M. Barefoot and the widow of Marion Ernest Pope Sr., that preceded her in death in 1984. She was also preceded in death by her daughter Elaine Pope Corbett, six brothers; William Barefoot, Robert Barefoot, Troy Barefoot, Royal Barefoot, Carson Barefoot and Howard Barefoot; four sisters, Bertha Dew, Maybelle Ward, Latha Pope, Frankie Connor; and she is survived by one sister, Margie Wooten Landhart.
She worked 25 years at Hallsboro School as a cafeteria manager. After she retired , she loved to travel and lover her church and friends.
To cherish her memories, she leaves her two sons, Marion (Buddy) Pope (Beverly) and Mike Pope. Her grandchildren, Christy Jenkins, Debra Carter, Barry Corbett, Scott Corbett, Amber Grainger, Kimberly Pope and seven great grandchildren.
The Family will receive friends from 1:45 p.m. til 2:45 p.m. September 22,2018 at Hallsboro Baptist Church. Funeral service will follow at 3:00 p.m. at the church with Rev. Scott Lewis officiating. Burial will follow at Pierce Cemetery.
Thanks to all of the staff at Premier Living for the wonderful care that was given to her for nine months. We would also like to thank Dr. Hugh Daniels and staff at Columbus Regional Healthcare Systems for the great care for nine months and also Dr. Peggy Barnhill.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hallsboro Baptist Church @ 551 Hallsboro Rd. S. Hallsboro, N.C. 28442
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Helen Barefoot Pope, please visit our floral store.


text: We know that calling a designer for help can be a bit intimidating. Please know that we do not pass judgment or make anyone feel bad. We simply love to bring the beauty out in your home that is there but simply hiding. ADDRESS 502 Custer Way SE Tumwater, WA 98501 PHONE RD shady orders: 360-481-6473 Design and Refresh inquires: 360-528-1052 EMAIL RD shady orders: email Kathy Design and Refresh inquires: email Lara Name First Last Email* How can we help you? This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.


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Hunter S. Reisner Chief Investment Officer
The Fund experienced its third consecutive year of positive performance in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 (FY 19), and finished with $7.1 billion in investment assets. FY 19 was distinguished by three quarters of strong performance, broken up by a December quarter that featured an extreme, risk-off bear market, as can be seen in Table 1. Altogether, over these four quarters, the Fund gained 5.3% (shown net of all manager fees and internal investment costs, as are all returns below).
Table 1
Total Returns for
Quarter Ending:
Global Stocks (ACWI)
U.S. Stocks (Russell 3000)
YMCA Retirement Fund
Sept. 30, 2018
Dec. 31, 2018
March 31, 2019
June 30, 2019
Total Returns for Fiscal Year 2019:
Table 2
Period Through 6/30/19
YMCA Retirement Fund
Performance vs. Composite Benchmark
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
7 Years
10 Years
Our Fund is focused on the long term, so one-year returns are just part of the results picture for a retirement plan like ours. Even returns over 3 years (9.2% annualized return), 5 years (5.4%) and 7 years (7.7%), as shown in Table 2, represent only short- and intermediate-time periods for measuring results.
When we consider the results over 10 years (8.9%) or 20 years (5.6%), the outcomes have a greater bearing on the retirement benefits we can sustainably provide. These two periods represent a stunning contrast in returns, primarily because the 10-year period began with markets close to a historic low level during the Great Financial Crisis, whereas the 20-year period began with markets near a tech-boom high.
Management and Trustees use a variety of benchmarks over multiple time periods to measure and monitor the Fund's performance. As of June 30, 2019, the Fund outperformed each of its benchmarks over the last 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. However, the Fund underperformed each of the benchmarks in FY 19 – only the second time this has occurred in the last 10 years. While we pay close attention to short-term results and make course corrections along the way, our ability to take a long-term perspective is one of the Fund's key investment advantages.
We remain cautious on the macro environment, as many seemingly incompatible indicators have begun to co-exist: growing geopolitical tensions in nearly all parts of the globe and yet rising financial markets; strong economic growth and yet modest inflation; expanding national deficits and yet low interest rates; and sinking corporate confidence and yet record consumer confidence. These inconsistencies create the likelihood of considerable volatility ahead in investment markets.
During FY 19, equity markets often reacted positively to the expectations of sustained growth propelled by lower interest rates. However, at some times such as during the December quarter, fear was the prevailing emotion — fear of the impact that escalating U.S.-China tensions could have on global growth and asset prices. During these times, faced with elevated uncertainty and dampened investor sentiment, central banks adopted a more dovish tone. As a result, interest rates globally remained quite low, with $13 trillion in debt having negative yields. Easy monetary policy may continue as long as the global growth outlook remains low and slow.
In the U.S., at the start of FY 19, most investors expected the Federal Reserve Bank to continue hiking rates. However, in December, the Fed signaled no further rate hikes and, in early 2019, hinted at rate cuts. Soon after, for the first time since 2007, the U.S. yield curve (measuring the difference between the three-month and ten-year treasury yields) inverted. Such a phenomenon has historically been a recession indicator, leading many to believe the Fed would or should cut short-term rates and remain accommodative for the foreseeable future in an attempt to forestall a downturn in growth in an economy whose expansion is now at record length.
The Fund manages an investment portfolio to meet our current and future obligations over the long term, including paying benefits in a timely fashion, generating 6–7+% long-term annualized returns, and minimizing the likelihood of a substantial, sustained drawdown of our assets. We will continue to accomplish this by doing the following:
Fund Management focuses on (a) setting a well-thought-out asset allocation (see Chart 1) that balances the collection of risks we accept, as well as (b) carefully selecting and sizing a range of strategies and managers that we believe can achieve our investment objectives.
We are committed to the Fund's mission and aim to achieve attractive returns that, over the long run, will enable us to provide our participants with sound benefits that empower them to achieve economic security after a career of service to the YMCA. We are confident that the combination of the Fund's skilled staff and Trustees, well-considered investment strategy, and capable investment managers will enable the Fund to deliver strong performance over the long term.
© Copyright 2020 YMCA Retirement Fund. All Rights Reserved.
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View Classes
Earl Newman III
Position:Attended Fall 2012 Teacher Training
Earl Newman III LMT Earl is a 2012 Graduate of The National Massage Therapy Institute in Falls Church, Virginia. He is currently a Five Star Rated LMT for Zeel Massage, and was also a recipient of Massage Envy's 2016 Rising Star Award for LMT's in the region. Earl was drawn to massage at an early age when he and his younger sister were given the chore of rubbing the feet of their mother after her long days at work. Both hated the task initially, but for Earl, it became a labor of love when he began to see the relief his hands gave his mom.


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If you missed the Show, there is the recording from it:
We have the greatest pleasure to announce that this Sunday we will have Uncle Kage on our show.
Dr. Samuel Conway, also known as Kagemushi Goro or Uncle Kage, is Chairman of Anthrocon, and regularly attends many other furry conventions. He has been a guest of honor at numerous conventions, both in and out of the furry world, including Albany Anthrocon, Feral! 2001, ConClave, Duckon, Eurofurence 8 (2002), I-CON, MiDFur X (2008), ConFuzzled 2011, Furlaxation 2012, Philippine Anthro Festival 2014, Fur Reality 2015, and Arizona Fur Con 2015. He holds a doctorate in chemistry from Dartmouth College, and is a professional research scientist. Uncle Kage has also also written several short stories such as "Tweaked in the Head" he was also nominated twice for the Ursa Major for his "Six" and for "Breaking the Ice: Stories from New Tibet" in 2002. Little known to many furs out there Uncle Kage was also a singer in college (we hope to coax him into using his voice for a few seconds…possibly something from Cats…or Joe's Apartment, whichever's more appropriate). But as the man who has stood through many difficult times within the many years he'd been associated with the furry fandom (joined in 1989) as well as the many times he's been a media representative and ambassador for furries as a whole, we are honoured to have Uncle Kage on the show, where we will speak about his experiences, some of his memorable stories and what he may have in store for the future.
Be sure to join us for this exclusive podcast at 8pm CAT, 7pm CET, 6pm GMT, 1pm EST here on Furry.FM or Furstre.am
If you happen to miss out, we'll also be posting the interview on YouTube
Bottom: Susan Packard
Top: Youtube


text: Lacapelle-Livron end of the fifteenth century , A private foundation Isolated and resting on the rock, the Chapel of Our Lady of Grace overlooks the Bonnette Valley. The origin of this small building is a private funeral foundation. March 18, 1471, Catherine Gorsse, widow of Peter Pause, rich merchant of Lacapelle-Livron, newly knighted dedicates a chapel to the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Grace. This place will serve as a burial for family members of Pause de Mondésir indefinitely. While it is quite common in medieval times,for rich notables to build funeral chapels to house their family tombs, it is however rare that these buildings are raised away from the parish church or cemetery. However, in this case, Catherine Gorsse chose a dominating isolated place, away from the village of Lacapelle Livron.


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Low attendance due to illness causes Winters ISD to close
WINTERS — Winters Independent School District announced on Facebook on Wednesday that it will be closed Thursday and Friday due to illness and low attendance.
The Educational Summit originally scheduled for Jan. 31 will be rescheduled in the near future. Thursday's junior high girls basketball tournament in Stamford will be rescheduled to Sunday.
Winters High School basketball will still play its home game against Ozona on Friday, but all athletic practices for Thursday and Friday have been cancelled.
To stay informed about any other cancellations, follow Winters ISD on Facebook.
Other news:
- CDC estimates more than 6 million people have been sick with the flu this season
- San Angelo blood center needs type O blood as inventory levels struggle
Read or Share this story: https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/local/2019/01/30/winters-isd-texas-high-school-closes-two-days-due-illness-2019/2722633002/


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Internship, job possibilities in sports
Would-be sports journalists might consider a new venue for internship training and job opportunities — university athletic media relations.
According to a recent article in The Daily News Record, the crossover from journalist to media relations specialist is becoming a trend as news outlets face increasing pressure during a tight economy:
With the newspaper industry in an economic downturn and new media competing for sports fans' attention, athletic departments have begun looking for ways to add better content to their official Web sites. White, a sports journalist in Richmond for 21 years, is one of several reporters nationwide who have recently moved over to what he referred to in his first U.Va. blog as the "Dark Side" – working in the media/public relations departments of schools they once covered.
According to a survey provided to the News-Record by Tiffany Carpenter, the director of public relations at Tennessee's athletic department, 10 Division I-A schools and one major conference had former sports writers working on their Web sites in mid-July. Since then, at least two more major colleges – Tennessee and Northwestern – have added former journalists to the staff.
It's a recent trend. All came aboard since 2004, and 12 of the 13 were hired since 2007.
[Continue reading College Sports]


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Monday, February 20, 2012
New 120 bbl fermenters set to arrive this week...
We'll have two new 120 bbl fermenters arriving this Wednesday (if they don't get clipped by a low-hanging overpass). We'll be setting them up in the space in front of the window from the taproom, unfortunately cutting down on the view of the bottling line from the taproom (or, fortunately, depending on what's going on with the bottling line on any given day).
It's starting to get a little tight in the brewery again, kind of like it was at Marathon before we ran out of room. I'll post some more pics of the tanks and our attempts to stand them up later this week.
Here's a pic from Friday of the tanks being loaded at Newlands Systems in Vancouver. They always look smaller on their sides than once you stand them up, but they are 19' tall and about 9' in diameter.
2 comments:
- Troy said...
Does that mean you'll have capacity to get back to brewing the ESB?
- February 20, 2012 at 12:21 PM
- Unknown said...
Latest News Updates Bollywood, Hollywood, Dating & Fashion
Online Bollywood News and Reviews
- March 5, 2012 at 6:15 PM
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20 Nov 2018 12:11
As perfect as a quick divorce sounds, it's essential that your divorce process does not bypass important authorized methods. Here are a couple of suggestions to get a fast divorce that you won't regret in the long term.Is it getting that way for extramarital affairs? Not quite even although more than a few have gotten extremely brazen in their mindset and openness. Nonetheless for the overwhelming majority it continues to be a game of conceal and seek. They normally fear the implications. These can variety anywhere from a violent reaction from their substantial other to evidence which can be utilized against them in courtroom if the spouse decides to file for divorce.What happens following you file for personal bankruptcy? When you file for personal bankruptcy, an automated stay goes into effect , which stops all threatening letters inquiring for debts to be repaid. It ought to come as a fantastic relief to people not able to pay their bills.Now you may be wondering what this has to do with the details about File Quick divorce. The online divorce process requires the two spouses to have currently agreed to how the division of all home and money owed has been determined. As soon as this is done its just a make a difference of filling out a questionnaire to allow the Online Divorce Supplier to draft the correct forms to take to the nearby court to be filed.Are you guys heading into a contested or uncontested divorce? With my experience a contested divorce tends to be costly and tends to get unsightly and can take up a extremely lengthy time. (Not great for the kids.) Sometimes it is essential simply because of all the legal aspects regarding custody, financials and so on. That is only if you do not know or have the time for a bit of digging and writing out forms. You got with each other into this marriage, now go out together via this divorce.Once your partner has agreed to stay in the relationship, you ought to inspire her to seek out authorized help to quit the divorce proceedings. This should be carried out quickly prior to the judgment is finalized.Do you need an attorney to assist you come to an agreement with your partner? Most most likely not. With online divorce, you already have an concept of how you want to split home, money owed and kid custody. You gained't have an lawyer charging you a charge to tell you that you need to agree on some issues. What an online divorce provider will do is prepare the Separation Arrangement for you following you have already agreed to the phrases. This arrangement is usually included with most File Quick divorce services. There even some that provides a totally free Separation Arrangement. All you would have to do is signal and have your partner sign and get notarized.Quite frankly, numerous partners alter their mind about the divorce. Many people file for divorce (or say they intend to file for divorce ) and are ultimately nonetheless very happily married. So don't presume that his speak means you are most certainly going to get a divorce. Absolutely nothing says this is true. He does adore you and, with a very workable plan, I think that some women in this situation will be in a position to save their marriage and steer clear of a divorce simply because this was true for me.The use of dialogue can't be over emphasised at this stage. Through dialogue the wrongs can be produced right. Your spouse can be known as to his senses. You may want to inquire how feasible it will be for you now that he doesn't even want to see you. Dialogue is not synonymous with confrontation. So, you are not known as upon to quarrel with him or problem his decision. You only need to get across to him both via his closest family members members or buddies. They are in the great place to bring you with each other for discussions and clarification of problems.Once your partner has agreed to remain in the relationship, you ought to encourage her to seek out legal help to quit the divorce proceedings. This should be carried out quickly prior to the judgment is finalized.Successful dating begins with self-confidence. In purchase to establish confidence you require to know about the subject matter, such as understanding how to entice women. There is a great deal of info, alongside with everything else, on the internet.Eddie Montgomery Steakhouse was opened in late 2009 with a grand opening celebration in the drop of 2010. Shortly following, Tracy Nunan would file for divorce and the restaurant would be offered to her as part of the settlement.We are hardly creating ends meet following to foods stamps and basic assistance and I have not worked at adjectives in the course of the marriage. We have a person little 1, and I know I'll obligation a relatives laws lawyer but I delight in no way of acquiring 1. Can the state provide me.Always make sure that your kids comprehend they're not the cause of the divorce. Clarify to them the reason you're obtaining divorced (with out going into too a lot depth), and reassure them that you love them and are there for them now and for always.


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Russia Analytical Report, Aug. 5-12, 2019
This Week's Highlights:
- Americans tend to think of Russians as skilled chess players, yet Putin's sport is judo, writes Angela Stent, director of Georgetown's Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies. One basic judo technique involves putting an opponent off balance and taking advantage of his temporary disorientation to strike a winning blow, Stent writes, arguing that Putin has proved adept at seizing opportunities presented by the West's disarray and its leaders' indecisiveness.
- Treating Moscow as an enemy may very well result in a self-fulfilling prophecy, triggering mortal threats to Moscow's vulnerable neighbors which otherwise would probably not be in the cards, cautions Dimitri K. Simes, president of the Center for the National Interest.
- Twenty-one percent of young Russians think about moving to an EU country and 7 percent think about moving to the U.S., according to a 2018 survey conducted by the Berlin-based Center for East European and International Studies (ZOiS). The survey, focused on Russians ages 16 to 34, asked with which country young people would like to see Russia have closer relations, write Félix Krawatzek and Gwendolyn Sasse of ZOiS. China led with 28 percent, followed by the U.S. at 19 percent.
- If Putin had left power in 2008, he would have gone down in history as one of Russia's most successful leaders, writes political scientist Kirill Rogov. After 15 years of crises and upheaval in the country, a relative stability had arrived, but most importantly, a period of intense economic growth had begun, Rogov writes. Today, Putin is very unlikely to abandon his efforts to de-Westernize Russia, Rogov argues, and this fruitless, from a historical perspective, tug-of-war is likely to remain the defining characteristic of the final phase of his political career.
- The brutal beatings of non-resisting young people in Moscow protests by officers in full riot gear seemed like a replay of Kiev, 2013, writes Bloomberg columnist Leonid Bershidsky. And yet Muscovites didn't quite rise up in response to the beatings as Kievans had done; Bershidsky argues that while Muscovites have more to lose thanks to a low unemployment rate, a more important reason is the success of the Putin regime's intimidation tactics, especially in the years since the last major protests in 2011.
- The bigger issue is not who wins the standoff between a former president and the current one in Kyrgyzstan, but whether any post-Soviet leader can safely hand off power after an election, writes Bloomberg columnist Leonid Bershidsky. This has a direct bearing on Putin's plans for 2024, Bershidsky argues, when Putin's last constitutionally allowed presidential term ends.
I. U.S. and Russian priorities for the bilateral agenda
Nuclear security:
"US Officials Suspect New Nuclear Missile in Explosion That Killed 7 Russians," David E. Sanger and Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 08.12.19: The authors, a correspondent and a reporter for the news outlet, write:
- "American intelligence officials are racing to understand a mysterious explosion that released radiation off the coast of northern Russia last week, apparently during the test of a new type of nuclear-propelled cruise missile hailed by President Vladimir V. Putin as the centerpiece of Moscow's arms race with the United States."
- "Thursday's [Aug. 8] accident happened offshore of the Nenoksa Missile Test Site and was followed by what nearby local officials initially reported was a spike in radiation in the atmosphere. Late Sunday night [Aug. 11], officials at a research institute that had employed five of the scientists who died confirmed for the first time that a small nuclear reactor had exploded during an experiment in the White Sea, and that the authorities were investigating the cause. Vyacheslav Solovyov, the scientific director of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, said in a video interview with a local newspaper that the institute had been studying 'small-scale sources of energy with the use of fissile materials.'"
- "But United States intelligence officials have said they suspect the blast involved a prototype of what NATO calls the SSC-X-9 Skyfall. That is a cruise missile that Mr. Putin has boasted can reach any corner of the earth because it is partially powered by a small nuclear reactor, eliminating the usual distance limitations of conventionally fueled missiles."
North Korea's nuclear and missile programs:
- No significant commentary.
Iran and its nuclear program:
- No significant commentary.
New Cold War/saber rattling:
"Escalation for De-Escalation? Hazy Nuclear-Weapon 'Red Lines' Generate Russian Advantages," Polina Sinovets, PONARS Eurasia, 08.08.19: The author, an associate professor of international relations and head of the Odessa Center for Nonproliferation at Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, writes:
- "According to the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review … Russian nuclear strategy calls for the early use of nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict with NATO. It would be meant as a coercive tool to stop a major adversary from interfering in a regional conflict between Russia and its neighbors."
- "Nonetheless, it remains vague as to whether the Kremlin's military strategies contain an 'escalation for de-escalation' procedure. Since the introduction of the concept in the early 2000s, it appears that Moscow keeps the specific conditions for when it can use nuclear weapons intentionally ambiguous in order to give itself the opportunity of being able to widely interpret the character of a conflict."
- "To some extent, Russia's 'escalation for de-escalation' strategy has evolved since 2000 when it was mostly aimed at preserving Russia from the fate of Serbia in 1999. It was used again around the Russia-Ukraine crisis of 2014 in order to protect Russia's sphere of influence. … The growth of Russia's military might, along with effective nuclear coercion methods, has made Moscow's threats real, while the dual capability of the latest Russian weapons makes it practically impossible to avoid the increased, intentional ambiguity of its operational doctrines."
"America Could Lose a Real War Against Russia," Timothy A. Walton, New York Times, 08.05.19: The author, a research fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, writes:
- "Some observers in the arms control community think that leaving the INF Treaty is dangerous and could cause an arms race. The truly dangerous choice is to continue to watch China and Russia field missile arsenals while we do little more than protest and analyze our options. Thankfully, the United States now has effective options."
- "With the treaty dead, the Army and Marine Corps can develop and field conventionally armed, ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles. … A mix of missiles based on new and repurposed designs should allow the Department of Defense to field significant numbers of missiles within a few years at moderate cost. China and Russia have been sprinting to build their missile forces; with the United States now out of the INF Treaty, it is time to level the playing field."
"Is Russia Testing Nuclear Weapons Again?" Mark B. Schneider, The National Interest, 08.08.19: The author, a senior analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy, writes:
- "In May 2019, Lt. Gen. Robert P. Ashley, Jr., Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency … stated: 'Russia's development of new warhead designs and overall stockpile management efforts have been enhanced by its approach to nuclear testing. The United States believes that Russia probably is not adhering to its nuclear testing moratorium in a manner consistent with the 'zero-yield' standard.'"
- "Despite the uproar in the arms control enthusiast community about his remarks, there is substantial open-source evidence going back over two decades to support his statement. … The 2009 U.S. Strategic Commission report stated, 'Apparently Russia and possibly China are conducting low yield tests.'"
- "Russian press reports concerning Russian conduct of very low-yield hydro-nuclear tests have appeared since the 1990s. … There are declassified, but highly redacted CIA reports from the late 1990s that clearly discussed Russian hydro-nuclear testing."
- "Today, we do not have 'science-based stockpile stewardship,' but more like 'political science-based stockpile stewardship' while, conversely, Russia has science-based development of new and improved nuclear weapons."
"The US Needs More Nukes. Russian Cheating Requires a Strong Response," Bret Stephens, New York Times, 08.09.19: The author, a columnist for the news outlet, writes:
- "The problem with all arms-control treaties isn't that they lack for good intentions. It's that the bad guys cheat, the good guys don't and the world often finds out too late."
- "Right now, the U.S. arsenal does have gaps, thanks to Russian [INF] treaty violations, is increasingly decrepit, thanks to delayed modernization and may not be large enough in the face of not one, but two, major nuclear adversaries."
- "It was Carter's tough decision to field the missiles to Europe, more than Reagan's lauded decision to remove them, that did more to win the Cold War."
NATO-Russia relations:
- No significant commentary.
Missile defense:
- No significant commentary.
Nuclear arms control:
"The Return of Doomsday. The New Nuclear Arms Race—and How Washington and Moscow Can Stop It," Ernest J. Moniz and Sam Nunn, Foreign Affairs, 08.06.19: The authors, a former U.S. energy secretary and a former U.S. senator, write:
- "The United States and Russia are now in a state of strategic instability; an accident or mishap could set off a cataclysm. Not since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis has the risk of a U.S.-Russian confrontation involving the use of nuclear weapons been as high as it is today. Yet unlike during the Cold War, both sides seem willfully blind to the peril."
- "In Washington, the first step toward rebuilding a productive dialogue with Moscow is rebuilding a working relationship between the Trump administration and Congress on Russia policy. … To increase transparency and trust between their militaries and among militaries Europe-wide, the United States, NATO and Russia should restart a crisis-management dialogue. … The United States, NATO and Russia should also reopen channels of engagement between their respective nuclear scientific and expert communities on a variety of shared interests."
- "[New START Treaty:] Here, too, Congress can provide support and make clear … that funding for nuclear modernization comes with the expectation that Washington will work with Moscow to reduce nuclear risks and continue to impose verifiable limits on both sides' arsenals. … Another top priority is finding ways to give leaders of nuclear weapons states more time to reach a decision on whether to use their nuclear weapons in a moment of crisis."
- "Washington and Moscow should also work together to develop clear redlines in cyberspace and outer space. … Finally, and perhaps most important, both sides should develop a set of core nuclear weapons principles, starting with the understanding … that 'a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.'"
- "Dialogue between the two presidents remains essential: only that can create the political space for civilian and military officials in both nations to engage with one another … Congress must set a tone of bipartisan support for communicating and cooperating with Russia to reduce military risks, especially those involving nuclear weapons. To do otherwise puts Americans at grave risk."
"The Finances and Prospects of the Islamic State After the Caliphate," Patrick B. Johnston, Mona Alami, Colin P. Clarke and Howard J. Shatz, RAND Corporation, August 2019: The authors, political analysts and economists, write:
- "With the end of its territorial caliphate, the Islamic State will almost certainly attempt a comeback. Such efforts will require money. … As a territorial caliphate, it could openly levy taxes and fees and sell oil from fields it controlled to cover its expenses."
- "Now that it can no longer rely on such sources, the group will go with activities that it has used successfully in the past, as an insurgency. … Criminal activities will prove useful, with its members seeking to extort, kidnap, steal, smuggle and traffic to obtain the money they need … On top of this, the Islamic State likely has detailed information on the population it once ruled, and it appears to have sizable assets in reserve."
- "The United States will need to stay involved with counter–Islamic State activities across several lines of effort, including counter-finance and potentially including military action. … The most important measures in Iraq and Syria will be domestic intelligence gathering and law enforcement. Ground operations to seize the money … would preserve the money for use by legitimate governing authorities in Iraq or Syria."
- "It will also be important for law enforcement entities to protect affected populations in Iraq and Syria as reconstruction progresses. Better government will help alleviate some of the problems that led to the formation of the group in the first place. This will be more difficult in Syria. Military action will still be required; sanctions, for instance, are unlikely to be enough."
Conflict in Syria:
"The Enduring American Presence in the Middle East," Daniel Benaim and Michael Wahid Hanna, Foreign Affairs, 08.07.19: The authors, a fellow and a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, write:
- "Under Trump, the U.S. military presence in the Middle East has not changed much at all. Hundreds of U.S. forces remain in Syria with an open-ended mandate (one that goes beyond the initial rationale for deployment, which was focused squarely on fighting the Islamic State)."
- "The next administration should think hard about the opportunity costs of continuing the current disproportionately heavy focus on the Middle East. … The next administration can and should consider carefully what is actually needed to fight jihadist terrorism, deter and contain Iran and be prepared for various contingencies."
- "At the same time, a new administration will need to focus on reconstructing the diplomatic and development capacity that has been lost in recent years. … While the United States is almost certainly not leaving the Middle East any time soon, its presence has grown out of proportion and out of balance."
Cyber security:
"'The Fifth Domain' Review: A War Zone's New Weapons," L. Gordon Crovitz, Wall Street Journal, 08.09.19: In his review of "The Fifth Domain" by Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake, the reviewer, co-CEO of NewsGuard, writes:
- "A decade ago, the book 'Cyber War' sounded an alarm about the open internet being built for innovation but not for security. Now its authors, Richard Clarke and Robert Knake, counter-terrorism officials in several U.S. administrations, revisit the topic, delivering good news and really bad news."
- "The good news … is that companies have made surprising progress in limiting the effects of cyberattacks, though without much help from Washington. … The bad news … is that the U.S. government has fallen further behind over the past decade. The authors predict that the next major U.S. war 'will be provoked by a cyberattack.'"
- "The U.S. government, according to Messrs. Clarke and Knake, has failed to keep up with threats from abroad. China and Russia have re-routed internet traffic to their own servers. Iran has disrupted the websites of the largest eight U.S. banks. This year's threat analysis by the U.S. intelligence agencies acknowledged that Russia has the ability to disrupt America's power grid and that China can take control of the natural-gas pipeline."
- "The authors propose a new backup national power grid that would not be connected to the internet. Without it, they say, the U.S. is defenseless against 'somebody like the Russian GRU, engaging in a cyberattack that would technologically revert us to the nineteenth century, but without all the equipment that people in the nineteenth century had to deal with life in a society without electricity.'"
- "The authors' most provocative idea is for the U.S. to kick authoritarian regimes off the open internet."
Elections interference:
- No significant commentary.
Energy exports from CIS:
- No significant commentary.
U.S.-Russian economic ties:
- No significant commentary.
U.S.-Russian relations in general:
"Delusions About Russia," Dimitri K. Simes, The National Interest, 08.08.19: The author, president of The Center for the National Interest, writes:
- "When I hear media pundits and members of Congress describe Russia as a major adversary and, at the same time, speak and act as though America is immune to the threat posed by the Russian military, I often wonder whether they know something that I do not. The same experts who are terrified of confrontation with North Korea, with its rudimentary nuclear arsenal, or Iran, which has no nuclear arsenal at all, take a remarkably cavalier approach towards the prospect of a clash with Russia."
- "Unfortunately, the threat of unintentional [U.S.-Russian] conflict escalation is not a hypothetical one. … If the survival of the country, dignity of the Russian civilization and yes, legitimacy of the regime are at stake, Russia may be prepared to accept much higher risks and absorb much greater losses than would be acceptable to Western democracies."
- "Russia's grievances, real or imagined, are not justifications for the United States abandoning the pursuit of its own interest and allowing Russian domination of Eurasia. … While it is legitimate to view Russia as America's adversary, it is mistaken to approach the relationship through a zero-sum lens."
- "If the United States starts treating Putin's Russia like it is Hitler's Germany, moves from supporting Ukrainian and Georgian sovereignty to encouraging these states to conduct hostile policies towards Moscow, and strengthens NATO's military position in the Baltics, Russia may feel confronted by an existential threat."
- "Treating Moscow as an enemy may very well result in a self-fulfilling prophecy … Confrontation with Russia would force America to choose between abandoning its Eastern European client states to their fate and suffering potentially irreparable reputational damages or fighting World War III not to defend Berlin or Warsaw, but rather Mariupol or Gori. History will not forgive U.S. policymakers if they needlessly present the United States with this kind of fateful choice."
II. Russia's relations with other countries
Russia's general foreign policy and relations with "far abroad" countries:
"Putin Plays Judo, Not Chess: Russia is weak, but its leader makes the most of the West's disarray and indecisiveness," Angela Stent, Wall Street Journal, 08.08.19: The author, director of Georgetown's Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, writes:
- "In his two decades as either president or prime minister, Mr. Putin has seen four U.S. presidents and countless other world leaders come and go. … Americans tend to think of Russians as skilled chess players. Yet Mr. Putin's sport is … judo."
- "In judo, a seemingly weaker practitioner can rely on inner strength and force of will to defeat a larger, stronger foe. One basic technique involves putting an opponent off balance and taking advantage of his temporary disorientation to strike a winning blow. Mr. Putin has proved adept at seizing opportunities presented by the West's disarray and its leaders' indecisiveness."
- "Mr. Putin's skills are on display in the Middle East, where Russia has returned as a key player … [He] has exacerbated tensions within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by befriending Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. … Russia also took advantage of the estrangement between the Obama administration and Saudi Arabia to build a strong relationship with the Saudis for the first time. More recently Mr. Putin has seized on the opportunity presented by the Trump administration's escalating trade war with China to expand the burgeoning Sino-Russian partnership … Finally, Mr. Putin has jabbed the pressure points in the European Union."
- "As he marks two decades in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin has proved himself the champion judoist, profiting from divisions in the West, alert for the next opening to reinforce Russia's international clout and quick to act."
China-Russia: Allied or Aligned?
"Why the China-Russia Alliance Won't Last," James Jay Carafano, The National Interest, 08.05.19: The author, vice president for foreign and defense policy at the Heritage Foundation, writes:
- "Any notion that the United States could somehow seduce Russian President Vladimir Putin from playing house with Beijing is fanciful. Putin doesn't do something for nothing; his price would be quite high. He could demand a free hand in Ukraine, or lifting sanctions. … Any of these 'deals' would greatly compromise American interests. … What leverage does Russia have on Beijing? The answer is not near enough to justify any of these concessions."
- "On the other hand, what leverage would a Russia-China alliance have on the United States? They wouldn't jointly threaten Washington with military action. … One more thing inhibiting a Sino-Russian hookup. Russian and Chinese power is largely asymmetrical."
- "The primary interest of both Putin and Xi is to assure the survival of their regimes. The American squeeze play will leave them with little choice but to accept the fact that America is strong, it's here to stay, and their regimes have to live with it."
"History Offers Ukraine a Second Chance.," Martin Sandbu, Financial Times, 08.06.19: The author, a columnist for the news outlet, writes:
- "History does not often grant second chances. But it just has in Ukraine, where new president Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party has won parliamentary elections in a landslide. It is … an opportunity for Ukraine to throw off a legacy of dysfunction that has held the country back and follow its neighbors into the European fold 30 years on."
- "Ukraine's travails since independence are in a class of their own, with not one lost decade but three. The chief economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Sergei Guriev, points out that in 1989, Polish gross domestic product per head was comparable to Ukraine's; today it is three times larger."
- "The immediate priority is to cement new foundations for de-oligarchisation … and reinforce those already in place. Strong reformers have been allowed to do good work in institutions such as the finance ministry and the central bank. It is imperative to stand by the latter's independence, in particular its nationalization of a troubled bank previously owned by Mr Kolomoisky."
- "Then comes further economic reform, which should aim to improve productivity but also erode the oligarchs' grip on the economy. A wealth tax ought to be in the mix. More competition is essential."
- "Europe has a particular responsibility and ability to help. … While the EU must of course demand adherence to its fundamental principles, it must do so in good faith, so as to allow Ukrainians the space to formulate policies with broad ownership in the population. To be sustained, technocracy depends on strong representative politics."
"How to Revive and Reintegrate the Region After the Russian Invasion," Melinda Haring, Foreign Affairs, 08.12.19: The author, editor of the Atlantic Council's UkraineAlert blog and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, writes:
- "The Russians took and held Kramatorsk, a small city in eastern Ukraine, for about three months in 2014. Since then, the only battles this town has seen have taken place in the kitchen. Or several kitchens, to be exact. Last year, on the anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day, government officials sparred for the titles of 'Best Plov,' 'Best Borscht,' and 'Best Goulash.' This year there will be no Independence Day competition, since the organizer of the borscht battle was recently sacked."
- "A sense of difference between east and west pervades Ukraine in both directions. For Ukraine to succeed as an independent European country free from Moscow's machinations, a strong sense of civic identity must take root."
- "One way to bridge the divide is to invite young people from western and central Ukraine to live in the east for a year. … The larger project in Ukraine is to increase levels of trust … Reopening the Kramatorsk airport would connect not only these businesses but the whole region to the outside world."
"I Spent 25 Years Fighting Jihadis. White Supremacists Aren't So Different," Ali H. Soufan, New York Times, 08.07.19: The author, a former FBI special agent, writes:
- "White supremacists have the war in eastern Ukraine, in which they are fighting on both sides. Dr. Kacper Rekawek … estimates that 17,000 people from 50 countries, including the United States and many of its allies, have traveled to fight in Ukraine. Those with ties to far-right militias in Ukraine include at least one of four Americans indicted on a charge of promoting the deadly violence … in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. "
- "The New Zealand mosque attacker claimed in his manifesto that he had traveled to Ukraine. What we know for sure is that during his attack he wore a flak jacket bearing a symbol of one of the country's main ultranationalist groups."
- "Against this backdrop, it is hardly surprising to see the white-supremacist threat growing inside the United States. A study by the Anti-Defamation League found that, in 2018, right-wing extremists were responsible for three times as many deaths in the United States as were Islamists."
Russia's other post-Soviet neighbors:
"A Bloody Raid Shows Why Post-Soviet Leaders Hate to Hand Off Power," Leonid Bersidsky, Bloomberg/The Moscow Times, 08.08.19: The author, a columnist and veteran Russia watcher, writes:
- "Soviet leaders are so reluctant to part with power peacefully: It's hard for any of them to get any kind of credible guarantee that his successor won't try to lock him up, or worse. On Wednesday night [Aug. 7], Kyrgyz special forces tried to arrest the country's former president, Almazbek Atambayev, at his residence near the capital, Bishkek. Atambayev, wanted on corruption charges, wasn't easy to take, though."
- "Sooronbai Jeenbekov was Atambayev's chosen successor as president. … In 2017, he won an election European observers described as competitive and praised as a peaceful power transfer. This was the first time an elected Kyrgyz leader had left his post without being overthrown … Problems arose, however, when Atambayev refused to recede quietly into the background and Jeenbekov showed a reluctance to share power with him."
- "The bigger issue is not who wins the standoff in tiny Kyrgyzstan … It's whether any post-Soviet leader can safely hand off power after an election. That's also a question Ukraine's former president Petro Poroshenko must be asking himself."
- "A peaceful, democratic (or at least relatively democratic) power transition isn't everything. With post-Soviet justice systems largely unreformed and law enforcement agencies serving each master individually rather than the state, a ruler who gives up power is in grave danger, especially if he continues to dabble in politics and speak his mind. There will always be past transgressions for which he can be held responsible."
- "All this has a direct bearing on Putin's plans for 2024, when his last constitutionally allowed presidential term ends."
"How Far Did the Armenian Genocide Extend?" Dov S. Zakheim, The National Interest, 08.09.19: In his review of "The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of Its Christian Minorities, 1894–1924" by Benny Morris and Dror Ze'evi, the reviewer, a former undersecretary of defense and chief financial officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, writes:
- "In 'The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of Its Christian Minorities, 1894–1924,' Morris and Ze'evi make a compelling case that Turkey carried out a gruesome genocide on its Armenian population, but are unpersuasive in arguing that it was extended to all Christians living within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire and then what became modern Turkey."
- "Christians other than Armenians were certainly victims not only of ethnic cleansing but also of crimes against humanity. But successive Turkish governments did not seek to eradicate either Greeks or Assyrians simply because they were members of a distinct group. On the other hand, that was precisely the objective of the crimes that the Turks perpetrated on the Armenians, and the book certainly puts paid any lingering Turkish claims that what took place against these unfortunate victims, especially in 1915–16, was anything other than a genocide. When Hitler referred to the 'annihilation of the Armenians,' he knew exactly what he was talking about."
III. Russia's domestic policies
Domestic politics, economy and energy:
"Ukrainian Villain Is Now Cracking Heads in Moscow," Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg/The Moscow Times, 08.06.19: The author, a columnist and veteran Russia watcher, writes:
- "On the evening of Nov. 29, 2013, Col. Sergei Kusyuk was deputy commander of the special forces unit of the Ukrainian police, the Berkut. There had been protests that day in Kiev's Independence Square … But by nightfall, only a handful of young people remained. … But then … the president ordered the remaining protesters dispersed … Kusyuk carried out the order with needless cruelty … The episode was the starting point of much bigger protests, which ended in Yanukovych's overthrow and escape to Russia."
- "It is not likely that Ukrainian law enforcement will get its hands on Col. Kusyuk. Along with a number of his Berkut colleagues, he fled to Moscow, where he now serves in a special police unit of Russia's National Guard called the OMON. … He was first recognized in his new role at a Moscow protest in 2017. On Saturday [Aug. 3], he was out again, commanding a huge riot police force ordered to disperse an unsanctioned protest in central Moscow."
- "The brutal beatings of non-resisting young people [in Moscow] by officers in full riot gear seemed like a replay of Kiev, 2013 … And yet Muscovites didn't rise up in response to the beatings as Kievans had done."
- "The reasons for the difference are complex. … Muscovites have more to lose than the relatively poorer Kievans did by joining the protests, which can result in jail terms and getting effectively blacklisted for employment. … The city council is one of the country's weakest regional legislatures, elections to it usually attract low turnouts and Muscovites care little about it."
- "But a more important reason, I think, is the success of the Putin regime's intimidation tactics, especially in the years since the last big protests, against a 2011 parliamentary election widely seen as stolen."
"Moscow's Crisis Is Now Russia's Crisis," Alexander Baunov, Carnegie Moscow Center, 08.08.19: The author, editor in chief of Carnegie.ru, writes:
- "By agreeing to the brutal suppression of peaceful protests about Moscow city elections, Mayor Sobyanin has submitted to collective responsibility. For Putin and the Kremlin, it is impermissible that elections can be lost. This is a message for Russia's next parliamentary and presidential polls."
- "Moscow has lost its status as a special political enclave in the country. The crackdown on protest is being directed not by the mayor but from the Kremlin. Both Russia's rulers and the opposition see the confrontation as a trial run for a bigger showdown in the parliamentary elections of 2021 and the next presidential election of 2024."
- "This is not a regime that has a considered strategy and a consistent ideology; it acts in response to events. The crises, threats and successes it has experienced all leave their mark and condition future behavior. When immediate crises are over, the limits of permissible action are stretched each time. The ruling elite sees the suppression of the current demonstrations in Moscow as a kind of training exercise for putting down a future revolution. It's an experience that they feel deeply and will remember for next time."
"There's More to Russia Than Putin: How the country's governors will shape its future," Emily Ferris, Foreign Policy, 08.06.19: The author, a research fellow in the International Security Studies department at RUSI, writes:
- "In September, 16 Russian regions—as diverse as the northern Arctic region of Murmansk and southern Stavropol—will be holding direct local and regional elections."
- "Although Putin is undoubtedly an important and influential figure, his domestic reach has its limits. Examining the appointment of regional governors—and where their expertise lies—could give observers a greater sense of Russia's economic and political trajectories."
- "Looking to Russia's Far East, it appears that the Kremlin—out of economic necessity rather than political power dynamics—is altering its approach to regional governorships. Instead of appointing former intelligence officials or military officers to the administration, the need to develop the Far East and fuel the Russian economy's dependence on natural resources might be driving a demand for technocrats, with the industrial knowledge of how development works."
- "In turn, Russia's strategy sheds light on what it might be prioritizing in its economic and political future, where personnel and financial resources might be allocated, and how the country might approach its neighbors. These rotations also highlight the fact that Russia is more than Putin, and that there are political changes at play beyond the Kremlin."
"Russia's Latest Political Protests Are a Dramatic Rejection of Business as Usual," Konstantin Dobrynin, The Washington Post, 08.06.19: The author, a former member of Russia's Federation Council, writes:
- "As the West awoke Sunday [Aug. 4] to viral videos of police beating protesters bloody in the streets of Moscow, they might not have realized that this was merely the latest in a series of similar events that the city has experienced over the past month and a half. For Russian citizens like me, this is not just business as usual."
- "These latest protests have left the city of Moscow on edge. Unabashed public dissent is growing quickly. When Putin held his annual press conference recently, online viewers were shocked to see dislikes outnumbering likes by ten to one—as well as comments such as 'when will you leave?'"
- "More missteps by the Putin regime could provoke steady movement toward change. That's because less flexibility means greater fragility. Today, as we Russians look to the sky, we can see more black swans circling."
"Putin Can't Afford to Speed Up Russia's Economy," Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg/The Moscow Times, 08.07.19: The author, a columnist and veteran Russia watcher, writes:
- "Even as President Vladimir Putin has turned Russia into an aggressive, backward-looking police state, competent economic management has saved the nation from an economic collapse. It's still helping, and, according to the International Monetary Fund's new assessment, some recent government moves that have not been appreciated in Russia are likely to lead to improved growth."
- "The basic strategy revolves around the 13 so-called national projects, which increase spending on infrastructure, health and education by about 1.1 percent of economic output per year from 2019 through 2024. The government has raised value-added tax starting this year to fund the increases, and it has announced an extremely unpopular pension reform."
- "IMF calculates that the combination of policies should lead to an acceleration of the economic growth rate by 2024 to between 1.6 percent and 2 percent … None of this, however, is particularly ambitious, and a 2 percent growth rate won't help Russia to start catching up with its peers. The problem, though, is that almost nothing the IMF proposes to achieve a faster pace is politically feasible."
- "Given the regime's political constraints, it's hard to see how Russia can defuse economic time bombs like falling private investment, chronic capital outflow and a frightening structure of household debt (households paying out 50 percent of their income to service consumer loans account for 37 percent of the total debt amount)."
"20 Years of Vladimir Putin: The Rise and Decline of a Regime," Kirill Rogov, Vedomosti/The Moscow Times, 08.09.19: The author, a political scientist, writes:
- "Twenty years ago, Vladimir Putin appeared … in the guise of an effective bureaucrat with a security services background; a market-oriented statesman and pragmatist without ideological pretenses."
- "Today Putin is a powerful authoritarian leader of the 'strongman' type, engaged in a political confrontation with the West and an ideological struggle with global liberalism, in the service of which he is decisively sacrificing any pragmatic goals for developing the country."
- "If Putin had left power in 2008, he would have gone down in history as one of Russia's most successful leaders. After 15 years of crises and upheaval in the country, a relative stability had arrived … but most importantly of all, a period of intense economic growth had begun. … Putin did not simply fail to leave in 2008. In fact, this was the point at which his goals underwent a decisive change. … The change … refused to recognize the borders that had resulted from the collapse of the USSR, leading to a decisive turn away from cooperation toward confrontation with the West."
- "It is possible that all of this would have been a great success, if the emerging Putin system had demonstrated economic effectiveness, at least at a level comparable to that achieved in authoritarian Kazakhstan ... But the Putin system was unable to do this. … While in 2000 GDP per capita in Russia was 14.5 percent of that of the U.S. and 21.5 percent of the EU average, in 2008 it was 22.5 and 32 percent respectively, and in 2018—21.5 and 31 percent. This is stagnation … despite the fact that the average annual oil price was $54 per barrel during the first period, and $74 in the second."
- "Putin is very unlikely to abandon his efforts to de-Westernize Russia. And this fruitless, from a historical perspective, tug-of-war is likely to remain the defining characteristic of the final phase of his political career."
"Two Decades of Putin," Kadri Liik, European Council on Foreign Relations, 08.09.19: The author, a senior policy fellow at ECFR, writes:
- "Two decades on from his ascent to power, Putin cuts a lonely figure in a political desert. Every now and then, one can feel his frustration with this. He probably wants to see the emergence of an energetic and loyal political class who will show initiative, bear responsibility, take over some of his duties and, indeed, one day allow him to retire. But, alas, the many people out there he might choose from all seem to lack initiative, ideas and imagination."
"One Out of Five Russians Wants to Leave the Country. Here's Who They Are," Félix Krawatzek and Gwendolyn Sasse, The Washington Post/Monkey Cage, 08.12.19: The authors, a senior researcher at the Center for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) in Berlin and the academic director of ZOiS, write:
- "A recent Gallup poll made headlines in Russia with the revelation that a record 20 percent of the population wanted to leave their country. Among younger Russians, the figure was far higher: For 15- to 29-year-olds, a staggering 44 percent indicated that they would like to migrate. Where did they hope to go? Germany (15 percent) and the United States (12 percent) were the most popular."
- "[W]e conducted a survey in 2018 that focused on the younger cohort, ages 16 to 34. Our online survey includes 2,000 respondents who live in the 15 Russian Federation cities with a population of 1 million or more. … In the ZOiS survey, 54 percent of respondents voiced the intention to migrate—of these 50 percent consider moving within the Russian Federation, 21 percent … to a European Union country and 7 percent to the United States."
- "There's a strong correlation with preexisting transnational links—a previous migration experience, having family or friends abroad, having traveled beyond Russia or receiving financial remittances from friends or family living abroad. We noticed a strong link between travel experience and preferred migration destination."
- "Our survey includes a question about the country with which young people would like to see Russia have closer relations. The most frequently mentioned individual country is China (28 percent), followed by the United States (19 percent). EU countries as a whole were mentioned by 19 percent … with Germany (7 percent) claiming the top spot."
- "It's not possible to predict if and when anyone's migration intentions might materialize, but these findings flag an important challenge for the Russian regime. Unfulfilled economic and political expectations of the younger generation could lead to higher migration rates, and the loss of highly qualified labor."
"What's Behind Russia's New Offensive Against the Internet Economy?" Alexandra Prokopenko, Carnegie Moscow Center, 08.12.19: The author, an independent journalist, writes:
- "In recent months, Russia has launched a new attack on web-based companies. Often, these measures are presented as efforts to combat terrorism. However, behind them lies a union of bureaucrats and security agents, the business aspirations of state capitalists, and the Russian authorities' desire to control the internet."
- "In these conditions, competitive development and innovation simply cannot occur. And the cost of the bureaucrats and security agents' joint efforts can be easily measured: major losses due to technological and innovation lag in the medium term as the country tries to digitalize the economy."
Defense and aerospace:
- No significant commentary.
Security, law-enforcement and justice:
- No significant commentary.


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