The Administrative State and Religious Freedom

Published on Nov 18, 2017

Views: 14

At both the federal and state levels, bureaucrats wield power to make decisions that substantially impact the exercise of religion. From interpreting and enforcing public accommodations laws to administering vast regulatory regimes and deciding how all of these laws interact with RFRAs, agencies headed by political appointees are often charged with determining --- at least in the first instance --- the extent to which generally applicable law will impinge on religious freedom. Who will be required to provide contraceptive coverage; how will religious accommodations be extended, and to whom? Must bakers and photographers with religious objections service gay weddings? Must doctors perform surgeries on patients that violate their faith and medical judgment? Even without a change in legislation, the answers to such questions often flip after new administrations appoint new agency heads. This panel will discuss whether the administrative state places religious freedom in too precarious a position, and if so, what can and should be done about it.

--Prof. William P. Marshall, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law

--Mr. Mark L. Rienzi, Senior Counsel, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and Professor of Law, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America

--Ms. Melissa Rogers, Nonresident Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, The Brookings Institute

--Mr. Roger Severino, Director, Office for Civil Rights, United States Department of Health and Human Services

--Moderator: Hon. Diarmuid O'Scannlain, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

THIS RUSSIAN HELICOPTER IS COMING TO THE MIDDLE EAST || WARTHOG 2017

Published on Nov 17, 2017

Views: 9,320

Russia’s lethal-looking Ka-52 attack helicopters have reappeared in video footage blasting targets in Syria—catching some journalists in Europe by surprise. Even if Russia withdraws the agile attack helicopters, the type will remain active in the Middle East in Egyptian service.
This story was originally published by The National Interest

Sébastien Roblin holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

Mesa Mayor John Giles Caught Prodding Jeff Flake On-Stage with Hot Open Mic

 Here's our self-described "non-partisan" Mayor getting caught on an open mike pinned to Flake's lapel pin encouraging him to run for President . . . Couple of nice LDS dudes, huh??

Published on Nov 17, 2017

Views: about 740

ABC15's microphone picked up a conversation between Senator Flake and Mesa's major Giles joking about President Trump.

In other coverage

Mesa, AZ Mayor Caught on Hot Mic Encouraging Jeff Flake to Run ... 

Posted By: Matthew K. Burke November 17, 2017

Outgoing establishment RINO Jeff Flake appeared in Mesa, Arizona — the city that in 2014 was rated the “most conservative big city in America,” on Friday to speak at a town hall event.
But the real fireworks came after Flake spoke when he was caught on a hot mic in a conversation with Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles, who was encouraging Flake to run for the presidency in 2020 against “idiot” President Donald Trump “just for fun. . .
“And I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy,” a grinning Giles responded. “Just for fun — think about how much fun it would be — just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy [Trump] is. . .
“As a lifelong conservative Republican, I am troubled when candidates like Roy Moore send the wrong message about my party’s ethics and policies,”  he said.
READ MORE >

https://thepolitistick.com/mesa-az-mayor-caught-hot-mic-encouraging-jeff-flake-run-i...

 

 

 

 

E Pluribus Unum? Getting The Nation Sorted-Out

Here's revisiting reporter Tyler Durden again writing on ZeroHedge yesterday, using as an original resource an intermediary blog Via Jim Quinn's Burning Platform blog,
In his fourth book, “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures in North America,” award-winning author Colin Woodard identifies 11 distinct cultures that have historically divided the US. . . Please read that again: 11 distinct cultures
The11 Nations Of The United States
by Tyler Durden    Nov 17, 2017 11:45 PM 
Blogger Note: Tyler Darden's report has attracted about 170,000 views and 240+ comments already since getting published just before midnight yesterday 
That may be the case for the purposes to explain three centuries of immigration patterns across the entire continent from European countries, some with religious origins, but he also takes the time and effort to feature another infographic at the end of his online report.
That is what you first in the opening of this post - it's that "Red-and-Blue" thing in liberal-conservative voting patterns from the last election. It's way more of a mosaic with red predominant. That works across what Woodard theorizes about eleven "nations". It's not exactly polarized since it's all spread out across the cultural settlement lines in the next image taken from Darden's report.
"Woodard also believes the nation is likely to become more polarized, even though America is becoming a more diverse place every day.
He says this is because people are “self-sorting.”
“People choose to move to places where they identify with  the values,”  Woodard says. “Red minorities go south and blue minorities go north to be in the majority. This is why blue states are getting bluer and red states are getting redder and the middle is getting smaller.”
___________________________________________________________________________

Please connect to the reporter's link at the beginning of this post that explains this map

American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America Paperback – September 25, 2012

by Colin Woodard                                                                                              

› Visit Amazon's Colin Woodard Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

Colin Woodard

Link to Sales site for the book ( includes an audio promotion )https://www.amazon.com/American-Nations-History-Regional-Cultures/dp/0143122029?tag=bisafetynet2-20 

Kinetic Inter-Active + Multi-Generational Art: El Paseo De Los Abuelos

The Cultural Coalition - and the Guerrero Family - will be presenting a "hands-on" experience for families tonight starting at 5 o'clock with a "Paseo" in masks. 
It promises to be one of the more colorful and moving experiences included in the Two-Day Pop-Up Prototyping Festival here on Main Street today and tomorrow.
BIENVENIDOS TODOS! Join us at the i.d.e.a. Museum for mask making experience then let's Paseo to Main Street to perform at the Bank of America Plaza during the #mesaprototyping #Festival. 
Free for kids and families! — with FE Lerma, Sunnee O'Rork, Monica Delgadillo, Zarco Guerrero and Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli - Chandler, AZ at IDEA Museum.

VISION THING 1 > 2-Day Pop-Up Event: Main Street Prototyping Festival

Well, how does a diverse community - a not-so-urban city like Mesa - transform itself?
That's the question when 30 years of inconsistent visions, not enough imagination, and admitted failures year-after-year to engage and active citizens, have produced few results even after spending over $100 Million$-of-Dollar$ on the centerpiece of an "Arts-and-Entertainment Complex" . . .

Are we getting there yet?
Perhaps the $75,000 grant from The National Endowment for The Arts will help to create more interest and activate Main Street and the arts center complex for two days. We'll see how this works out.

Here's wishing everyone well - from the people who submitted applications and to all the people who have promoted this Pop-Up event.

Here's a press release from Casey Blake who's doing a great job for public relations:
Nov. 16, 2017

Contact: Casey Blake

480-390-1258 (cell)

casey.blake@mesaartscenter.com

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

What:              Main Street Prototyping Festival

When:             5 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, November 17,

                        noon-10 p.m. Saturday, November 18,

Where:            Downtown Mesa, AZ, on Main Street between Country Club and Sirrine Street

                        Mesa Arts Center, One East Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201

Who:               Media/public

Why:               Twenty temporary prototypes installed in downtown Mesa for a two-day festival to explore how inventive structures and gathering places could enliven public space and increase connectivity along Main Street. Created by artists, architects, students, designers and makers, the prototypes offer interaction, play time, entertainment, hands-on creative activities, virtual reality experiences and music making.

Cost:               FREE

More:              www.mesaartscenter.com/mesaprotoyping

 

                        Examples of visual opportunities include MEGA Mesa (enormous Spirograph tools), Living Topography (people-sized vertical shade panels reminiscent of pin impression toys), Wayward Beasties (a giant turtle-like experiential vehicle) and others. City of Mesa Director of Arts and Culture Department, Cindy Ornstein, will be available for interview, as will several of the participating prototypers.   

 

All media are invited to attend the free, family-friendly community event. Media parking may be available by calling 480-390-1258.

 

###

 

About Mesa Arts Center
The Mesa Arts Center mission is to inspire people through engaging arts experiences that are diverse, accessible, and relevant. Owned and operated by the City of Mesa, Arizona’s largest arts center is recognized as an international award-winning venue. The unique and architecturally stunning facility is home to four theaters, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, 14 art studios and The Store, an artists cooperative gallery.

 

For more information, visit mesaartscenter.com.

Bubbles In Mesa's H20??? What We Don't Know ...

Something again in the water here in Mesa? No worries - just bubbles

Air bubbles in water due to treatment plant maintenance

November 8, 2017 at 10:00 am

That's the headline in a news release and the official announcement from our friends in the City of Mesa Newsroom.

Here's more:

"City of Mesa water customers who reside in the area east of the Loop 101 to Val Vista and north of Baseline Road may experience subtle cloudiness in their water from November through January. Residents can rest assured that their water is safe and continues to meet all state and federal water quality standards. . . "
That's officially announced by the City's newsroom mesanow.org

Two months of what the newsroom  calls "subtle cloudiness" in the water when people turn on their home taps? Why?
Let's take a look to see how careful and edgy that statement might be in a temporary switch "to perform routine treatment plant maintenance" 
Cloudy water can result when the Water Resources Department temporarily switches from surface water to well water to perform routine treatment plant maintenance.
Readers - and Mesa taxpayers who pay off debt service on municipal bonds and are charged monthly services on top of actual use - will note in taking observation at a Budget Pie Chart for FY2017/18 that water treatment takes a HUGE BITE out the $189.9M project budget in this year's fiscal budget - 66.3% or $126,000,000. Do we or do we not have a right, and an obligation by the city to provide, safe clean water?
WHAT? Two months with "bubbles" from water plant maintenance?

What kind of maintenance and what chemicals are they using?

Please Note: What the newsroom states that Mesa's water quality meets "all state and federal water quality standards" might be accurate but research study data suggests strongly there are potential hazardous substances in both well water and surface water that are not required to be tested every 6 months in the small number of monitoring stations.
There are a number of posts about possible water contamination both in surface water and in underground water from wells and aquifers.

"Cloudy water can result when the Water Resources Department temporarily switches from surface water to well water to perform routine treatment plant maintenance. In this case, the Val Vista Water Treatment Plant is having maintenance performed beginning November 17, 2017 and will return to regular service February, 2018.
3 months!
"Dissolved air is often found trapped in groundwater," Water Quality Supervisor Ken Marshall said. "Our water distribution system is pressurized, causing any air that is present in groundwater to remain dissolved in the water until the pressure is released at the customer's tap. Dissolved air can cause water to have a cloudy or milky appearance, but it is safe to drink and will not damage plumbing or appliances."
For more information,

visit www.mesaaz.gov/water or

call the Water Quality Division at (480) 644-6461.

Contact: Kathy Macdonald,Water Resources Department
Tel. (480) 644-4364kathy.macdonald@mesaaz.gov