text:
 [] I ain’t never seen a bush so full that needed trimming like this one. That’s an epic bush. A biblical bush. Like out of the 70’s/early 80’s. Wowser!

How’s this one?

[] This one is sparse but still full. Def in need of some grooming too.

 And then this one:

[] it’s all spiky and weird. Modern, with an amateur feel to it.

Joking aside, today you’ll be seeing three different holly trees, for your amusement and peruse-ment. Let’s begin with the first one, an ilex crenata “soft touch”.

[] The foliage is very much like my favorite holly, the dwarf yaupon (which is tree number two above) but it’s leaf is more of a chromium oxide green than the Hooker’s green of the yaupon. And the leaf has more of that curved quality most most hollies have.

It’s a slow grower too. It took me years to find a trunk like this in a nursery.

[]And I actually found three with decent shohin sized trunks with good taper.

It is considered a Japanese holly but not the usual deciduos one we see all the time with those awesome red berries (which is ilex serrata).

[] This cultivar, “soft touch”, grows like an i. Vomitoria “schillings” though. Look at those branches! Day-um. And this was at a wholesale liner nursery! Hard to believe.

I’m not really sure how well this variety will respond to bonsai techniques but, using reasoning and logic (I know, I know, where has that gotten me in the past? Remember when I said it was foolish to use copper on ficus because you’d be removing it in a month? Yeah, that bit of logic got me in big time trouble…..) it is safe to say that this tree will respond to pruning, else it wouldn’t be sold as a hedge plant. Sooooooo……just a little pruning…..but first, I’m hoping the roots can handle some cutting too. And if I kill it, I have those  two more left .

Let’s see the root ball…

[] Not bad. Lots of good feeder roots. This is a good start.

The “nebari”, such as it is, needs some cleaning up.

[]

That’s better.  [] Not really but it’s as good as it’s going to get. I’ll pot it up here I think.
[] That should help it.

Turning to the top, I think I’ll reduce it a bit to make it easier to move around.

[] I’m thinking a little off the top.

[]

Good. Getting there.

[] Now, many people would stop there. Not me. You know me. If you are plant butchery averse, divert your eyes and scroll down quickly.

[]

And more.

[]
Uh oh…. []
More?

Indeed.

[] I know it seems brutal but it’s necessary. And I’ve discovered some more trunk it seems.

And it does have to fit in a bonsai pot after all. This is a bonsai blog.

[]  A little wire, some soil and….[] Ready for my close up Mr. DeVille!
I’m hoping this survives the treatment. Really. I’m pretty sure it can handle the top pruning; that whole hedge thing. It’s the root pruning in worried about. I’ve handled several types of hollies but not a crenata yet. We shall see.

To sooth those traumatised by that last tree, let’s work with the ilex cornuta next, a Chinese holly.

[] This is an interesting (to me and a few I’m sure) specimen for this type of tree. It, too, is a very common hedge plant (usually planted where you wish to keep people out of, like under windows and such), so the trunks tend to be, well…trunk like. This looks to me like it could possibly be a root cutting even. Don’t ask about the pot, I was traded this plus a few other trees for some more finished bonsai. I think the pot came from a thrift store. With the right tree it could be a masterpiece work of ceramic.

I do have experience with this variety of ilex. I won’t defoliate fully and I’ll keep green tips. It likes to shed branches and I don’t have many to lose.

[] They call it’s Chinese holly, and the binomial name (ilex cornuta) means horned holly.

[] These leaves above, with their vicious spiky thorns on the margins, are the origin of that name. Merciless. If you compare the last two pics you’ll notice that the tree can display two types of leaves. If you let it grow the less mean-looking leaves will present. If you’re trimming often you get the evil ones. It might be a defensive response, but I’m not sure. They will reduce in size by about a half if you keep up the trimming and increase ramification enough.

This is why I think it’s a root structure in working with.

[] The normal habit is a thick, mostly straight trunk.

[] I like this, it’s very twisty and skeletal.

As much as I like the pot it’s in, I’ll need to change it.

[]

I don’t have the pot I want so I’ll use a terra cotta pot for training purposes.

[] You’ll notice the extra drain hole on the side, this is called an azalea pot, which need good drainage. The holly will benefit from this as well, they are water-wise plants.

It has good roots, very fibrous, and it’s in good bonsai soil too.

[]It needs an angle change.
[] Oh yeah. Let’s get it moved.

Roots.

[]

Pot []

Pruning and wire [] Pretty neat.

Next: the big boy. [] This one is full of fire ants. I hate fire ants.  []  All those red/orange specks are ants. [] They had a veritable colony in the roots of this tree. Some liberal spraying of napalm and a lit match later…….actually, just insecticidal soap is all I used to kill them.  They may seem like super-ants, being able to build living bridges and floating ant islands and all, but, individually, they are just as fragile as you and I. If an ant colony goes to war, it’s only strategy is attrition. When they run out of the poor workers, the queen loses. There’s a lesson there. Anyway, die fire ants, die!

This tree looks like it’s been worked on before.  []

As verified by the wire still on it.  []

The base is over eight inches wide.  []

It, too, was part of that trade.  []

I think I might have come out on top. It just needs a little trim….. []

[]

[]

Some root work.  []

 []
I’m thinking a deep-ish training pot.  []

Maybe a little more rootwork.  []

And that’s it.  [] Well, fertilizer, water and sun and all that.

So now you are wondering “Uhhhh…..What the hell?” Right?

Well. The second holly will be the quickest to look like a bonsai. It’s easy to see where it’s going.

[] Semi cascade. Crescent pot. Easy to see.

The ilex “soft touch” has a rudimentary structure.  [] Here’s a somewhat accurate idea of what I think it will turn out like-with proper branches and all that.  []

And lastly, but not least-ly, the chunky beast.
 []

This next virtual future is totally fictional. The extrapolation is really only based on where I left the stubs.
[]
The pot will be smaller, of course.

[] But it’s a few years from that.
The new branches will explode from many varied places all over this ilex. It’ll look like a bush again in no time.

And just to show that I know what I am talking about with ilex, here’s a pretty one I just cut back for the spring.

[]
It’s a shohin, only about 7″ tall. The pot is a Taiko Earth by Rob Addonizio.

I’ll provide updates for y’all as the trees grow. Or die. See you later.

question: What does the text say about Chinese holly?

answer: Chinese holly's binomial name is ilex cornuta, which means horned holly. It's a verry common hedge plant with a trunk. Chinese holly has two types of leaves. One type of leaf has vicious spiky thorns on the margins. The other one, with less aggressive leaves, only shows up after you let the Chinese holly grow. When trimming the holly, it's more likely that one will come across the very spiky leaves.

question: What does the text say about trimming?

answer: The author of this article seems to be inspecting various plants of theirs. They notice a bush that is so full that it needs a trimming. When addressing a Chinese holly, the author notes that you'll more likely run into the plant's very spiky leaves if you're trimming it. Keeping up trimming will reduce the holly's size by about a half. After this, they see another tree that could use a little trim. They also see another ilex that's been cut back for the spring.

question: What does the text say about fire ants?

answer: The author pulls out a large plant that is full of fire ants, which appear as red/orange specks on the plant. They point out that they hate fire ants. They use insecticidal soap to kill them. The ants are able to do things like build living bridges and make floating ant islands, but they're still fragile. When the soap causes the worker ants to die, the queen loses and the colony is dead.

question: What does the text say about American holly?


split: test

text:
It's about 7:45 in the morning and a group of high school kids are waiting on a corner. Few seconds pass by and a few more kids show up. Pete Robinson walks up to the corner, and examines all the kids who are there. He watches their body language, and he pays attention to the way they talk to each other. The bus arrives, and they all get on the bus.

Pete sits next to a younger male student. Pete immediately introduces himself. "My names Pete, what's yours?"

"Simon", replies the boy.

"You want to see a magic trick, Simon?"

He nods. Pete reaches into he pocket, and pulls out a deck of cards. He starts shuffling them in front of Simon.

"You seem like a smart kid, Simon. This is pretty simple. All you have to do is carefully pull a card out of the pile, without allowing me to see it. "

Simon does what he's told, and pulls out a single card. He smiles once he sees which card it is.

"Now carefully put the card back on top with it's friends, matter of fact, just take the entire stack of card and you can place the card right on the top so we can check back to that in a second."

Pete hands the cards over to Simon.

"Here's what we are going to do. I'll give you a ten dollar bill if I guess the card wrong. But if I guess the card right, I keep my ten dollar bill. Sound fair?", said Pete.

Simon nods. He's really excited about this.

"Alright Simon, is your card... A Queen of Hearts?" asks Pete.

Simon smiles and reveals the card on top of the deck, and it's a 2 of spades. Pete smiles at Simon as he hands him the ten dollar bill and shakes his hand.  The bus had just arrived to the school.

"I honestly thought you were going to win", said Simon.

"It's okay. Hey, since you were such a good sport, I want you to have this special dollar. I got it as a gift a long time ago, and I think you should take it", said Pete.

Simon took the rolled up dollar bill, and saw that on the bill, there was a queen of hearts in the center, with the 2 of spades on each corner. Simon looked to see if he could spot Pete, but he had no luck.

title: [RF]The Magnificent

question: Where is Simon going?

answer: He's going to school.

question: Does Simon like magic tricks?

answer: He seems to be excited by the prospect of seeing one.

question: Does Pete perform his magic trick successfully?

answer: Yes, though it doesnät appear so at first.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Pete introduces himself to Simon and offers to do a magic trick for him. Pete performs the trick and Simon receives a special dollar bill.


text:
Making friends as an adult is hard.
When I graduated college two years ago, there were no jobs back home. They call this a “recession”, which is Old English for “hey, you’re fucked!” So, when my first job offer came, I packed a suitcase with three business shirts, slacks, and a pair of orthopedic dress shoes and left my parents’ home in Florida behind.
The good thing about Minneapolis is that I’m not poor anymore, and my resume has impressive nouns on it like “analysis” and “process flow”. The bad thing is that I’m all alone, despite going to Meetup after shitty Meetup, and even attending a singles event at a Korean Church one time (I’m Jewish) in hopes of meeting new folks. The second bad thing is that I recently got laid off.
My daily routine in the past few weeks has been fairly dedicated. Spend the morning doing job applications, and the evenings working out. My afternoons currently belong to a $10 all-you-can-eat Indian buffet – which, given my lack of income, has become my *only* meal of the day.
This is where I met Garrett. He started eating alone too, and after a while the management got so mad at two ravenous 20-somethings taking up precious table space, they asked us to sit together for 10% off the check. I didn’t give much of a shit, and the dude seemed cool. We both loved basketball but hated the Timberwolves (“not only do they suck, they drive up Uber rates while they’re at it!”), and bonded over the stuck up attitude and lack of wintertime leg shaving of women in the Minnesota capital. Garrett’s ex-girlfriend hated Indian food, but then she cheated on him, and he’s been coming here as some sort of revenge.

Garrett and I started hanging out more. Besides stuffing our faces with 3-stars-on-Yelp tikka masala, we went out to bars together and played some pick up sports on the weekend. Garrett could be a weird guy sometimes –dude didn’t even have a Facebook! – but he was outgoing and fun. He also quickly became an extremely loyal friend.

  To give you some examples of his charm, last weekend we were drinking heavily with two other women we met that night. When they were alone and the girl leaned in for a kiss, Garrett instead licked the entire side of her face, earning himself a hefty slap but making my date and I laugh so hard we ended up deciding to go home together in our good spirits. Another time, we were up late playing music in my apartment, and my neighbor called the cops for a noise violation. The next morning before leaving, Garrett took a tandoori-chicken -sized shit in the boots said neighbor leaves outside his doorstep. We never heard from that guy again. It looked like things were looking up for me in this shitty town, finally.
We carried on like this for a bit, before things took a turn. Garrett started acting withdrawn, and would always wear baggy clothing when we went out. He would sniff all the time. Half the time, he was still the same old Garrett, but I knew something was wrong. I should mention that I had lost a good friend to drugs before, so I knew the signs; not only that, but I knew that nothing short of an intervention has any hope of helping the situation. I didn’t know his parents or many of his other friends, so I decided it was up to me to help my new friend out of his possible addiction.
I showed up at Garrett’s house one night last week. The moon was full, and especially bright. Luckily, I did not believe in bad omens.  If I did, I thought to myself, the stars were also fairly bright tonight – so that must cancel it out.
I knocked firmly on the door. No answer. Luckily, the door was unlocked. I let myself in and started looking around.
“Garrett?” I called out. Still no answer.
“Hello? Anyone in here?”
I kept pacing awkwardly around the apartment. The living room was a mess – empty food containers everywhere and half-chewed beef jerky stick on the table (yuck!). I was really hoping Garrett was doing alright. Then again, I was living the bachelor life as well and my apartment was not the most spick-and-span. Suddenly, I heard a figure stumble in the bedroom. I was technically trespassing, so I froze. The bedroom door swung open, and the figure emerged.
“Alex! Holy shit man, you scared me!” Garrett called out, bouncing a foot back in surprise and then a foot forward to welcome me. Except, it wasn’t... him? The person I was looking at had shrunk into his clothes (Garrett was tall, this person at least a head shorter), and was covered in thick hair on his limbs. Now, my uncle was hairy – the man basically wore a sweater at the pool. But this was different. It was almost fur.
“I’m so sorry you have to see me like this. I didn’t know how to tell you,” he said.
“Tell me… what? Garrett, is that you? Are you okay? I’m so confused,” I replied, looking my friend over up and down for any signs of trouble.
“I have to tell you something, and it’s not going to be easy, “ he said, looking down at the floor. “Our friendship has to end. You’ve been a great friend to me, but my mission is over. “
I stared at him in disbelief. I was too confused to speak, and my mouth hung there, half-open like my great grandmother’s face when she used to fall asleep watching daytime television.
“You see,” he paused. He did seem a bit sad, but it was almost as if something inside him was holding language back. He was speaking slowly, a fifth grader reading aloud in class for the first time. “I was sent here, to be your friend. To be your friend, Alex. You needed one so desperately, so they sent me.”
“Who sent you?” I inquired. Garrett pointed up through the window at the shining night sky. I couldn’t believe it.
“I have to go soon, Alex.  There are more guys like you waiting. But, I still need your help. Unfortunately, you see…” he was still speaking slowly. “My body is changing too slowly.” He took off his shirt. It was fur. I stared at him again, still speechless. “My next assignment is to be a dog. Actually, I’m not sure if I’m a dog or a person originally. Very rarely, they make me into a cat. But almost all the time, either a dog or a 25-year-old man. If you ask me, it feels like there isn’t much difference some of the time”
“Man’s best friend,” I uttered.
Garrett came forward and put his arm around me. “Because of my situation, my next assignment got traded to someone else. I can stay with you for a while longer. But when the time comes, I will be gone. Do you understand?”
I nodded, sighing. “Just don’t lick my face, okay?”
***
It was a weird few days of transition, but if you still believe my story, Garrett is now a handsome, if not a bit oversized, Scottish Terrier. As for me, I can’t really complain. Spring is here, so it’s not so damn miserable. I don’t quite have a job yet (don’t worry, I got some promising leads), but I do have a girl I’ve been seeing for a few weeks now, and she’s pretty great. She and Garrett get along well (what kind of name is Garrett for a dog, really? She asked when we first met), but she keeps pressuring me to take him to the vet to get him neutered.
I’m not sure if I have it in me to do that. He’s still my best friend, after all.

title: [MF] Making friends as an adult is hard...

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: Alex and Garrett

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: Minneapolis.

question: Who is Garrett?

answer: Garrett becomes Alex's best friend after they meet at a $10 all-you-can-eat Indian buffet.

question: Why did Garrett become a dog?

answer: It turns out that Garrett was sent by aliens or a being from up the heavens to become Alex's best friend because he desperately needed one. The dog is only one of Garrett's forms during missions. He can also turn into a 25-year-old man and a cat.

question: Write a ~12 sentence summary.

answer: Alex leaves his parent's home and relocates to Minnesota for his first job and realizes he is all alone and has no friends, despite going to Meetups and singles events. After losing his job, Alex ends up eating his only meal at an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet, where he meets Garrett, who seems like a cool and outgoing dude. The pair become best friends and hang out all the time. One day, Alex notices that Garrett seems withdrawn, sniffs the air all the time, and starts wearing baggy pants. He suspects Garrett is fighting drug addiction and plans to help, so Alex goes to Garrett's house to check. In the messy apartment, Garrett appears to Alex a foot shorter and covered in fur. Garrett explains that he was sent by beings up in the sky to be Alex's best friend because. Now, his mission with Alex is over and he is turning into a dog for the next one. However, Garrett is changing too slowly. He tells Alex he can stay with him a while longer but as a dog. Alex is happy that he can still spend time with his best friend. He also has job prospects and a girl who gets along with Garrett well.


text:
FERNANDO ALFONSO YZNAGA DEL VALLE (October 16, 1850 – March 6, 1901) was a Cuban American banker who was one of the best-known men of New York and foreign society and club life. Described as “one of the most entertaining of men, very clever at epigram and repartee, and famous for quaint sayings. His life had been adventurous and, from a domestic point of view, somewhat of a stormy nature.”[1]

Early life

Yznaga was born in New York on October 16, 1850. He was the oldest of four children, and only son, born to merchant diplomat Antonio Modesto Yznaga del Valle (1823–1892) and Ellen Maria (née Clements) Yznaga (1833–1908).[2] His father was from an old Cuban family who owned a large plantation (Torre Iznaga)[3] and sugar mills in the vicinity of Trinidad, Cuba; they had connections to several Spanish aristocratic families.[4] In addition to plantations in Cuba and Louisiana, his parents owned properties in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Among his siblings was Consuelo Yznaga (who married George Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester in 1876)[5] Naticia Yznaga (who married Sir John Lister-Kaye, 3rd Baronet in 1881),[6] and Emily Yznaga (who never married).[7][8]

His maternal grandfather, Samuel Clements, was a steamboat captain who owned Ravenswood Place, a plantation in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, which his mother inherited upon their death.[9] Through his sister Consuelo, he was uncle to William Montagu, 9th Duke of Manchester and two nieces, known as May and Nell, who both died of consumption before marrying.[10] He was with his sister in Davos when her youngest daughter, Lady Alice (Nell), died. Reportedly, he “never seemed a very strong man since then,” and it was said that “his constitution had never recovered from the long, nervous strain which he went through at that time.”[11]

He was graduated from the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard,[12] before returning south and earning an LL.D. degree from Louisiana Law School while at his families plantation near Lake Concordia in Louisiana, where they were all well known in New Orleans society.[13]

Career

After his eldest sister's marriage to the Duke of Manchester, he came to New York City.[14] After his first marriage to a sister-in-law of William Kissam Vanderbilt, he was reportedly gifted a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and entered the firm of H. B. Hollins & Co. at 15 Wall Street, a close friend of Vanderbilt's and J. Pierpont Morgan. Yznaga was “an excelled businessman” and made his fortune at the firm, working there for twenty years until his death in 1901.[15] The firm, which was organized in 1878, went bankrupt on November 13, 1913.[16]

Even after his divorce from Jennie, he remained close friends with Vanderbilt and was frequently aboard his yacht, the _Valiant_. Yznaga, Vanderbilt and Winfield Hoyt were referred to as the “Three Vanderbilt Musketeers” as they were always seen together.[17] He was a member of the Union Club, the Tuxedo Club, the County Club, the Manhattan Club, the Athletic Club, the Meadow Brook Hunt Club, and one of the original members of the Metropolitan Club in 1891, where he lived.[18][19]

Personal life

[Mrs. Fernando Yznaga, née Miss Mabel Wright, of New York, .] On September 22, 1880, Yznaga was married to Mobile, Alabama born Mary Virginia “Jennie” Smith (1856–1926), sister of Alva (née Smith) Vanderbilt at the Vanderbilt home in Oakdale on Long Island.[20] They were daughters of Murray Forbes Smith, a commission merchant, and Phoebe Ann (née Desha) Smith (daughter of US Representative Robert Desha).[21] After their divorce in 1886, Jennie remarried to William George Tiffany of Baltimore (a nephew of Mrs. August Belmont and first cousin of Charles Lewis Tiffany)[22] in 1888 and moved to Maisons-Laffitte near Paris (before their eventual divorce in 1903).[23][24]

Fernando's engagement to Mabel Elizabeth Wright (1869–1926)[25] was announced in what was described as an astonishment to society. At the time, she was living with her father, a designer of carpets for Higgins Mills, in a boarding house and “her face was her fortune.” The wedding took place a week later on March 4, 1890 at the boarding house and they set sail for Europe the following day. Upon their return, they lived in New York and at Tuxedo Park. Mabel later went to South Dakota where she divorced Fernando in 1895 and,[26] soon after, married the Hungarian Count Bela Zichy (nephew of Mihály Zichy) and became the mother of Count Theodore Zichy.[27] There were rumors of his engagement to be married a third time, including to Constance Biddle a few weeks before his death, but they were all denied.

Yznaga died of diphtheria at the Minturn Hospital in New York City on March 6, 1901.[28] After a funeral at the Little Church Around The Corner, he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx.[29] Upon his death, his estate worth about $2,000,000,[30] was left primarily to his sister, then the Dowager Duchess of Manchester.[31]

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[21] Patterson, Jerry E. _The Vanderbilts._, pages 120-121. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1989.

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title: Fernando Yznaga

question: What does the article say about Fernando Yznaga's career?

answer: Fernando Yznaga was a Cuban American banker. After his first marriage to a sister-in-law of William Kissam Vanderbilt, he entered the firm of a close friend of Vanderbilt. Yznaga made his fortune at the firm, working there for twenty years. He was a member of the Union Club, the Tuxedo Club, the County Club, the Manhattan Club, the Athletic Club, the Meadow Brook Hunt Club, and the Metropolitan Club.

question: What does the story say about Fernando Yznaga's early life?

answer: Yznaga was born in New York in 1850. His father was a merchant diplomat. His parents owned a large plantation, sugar mills in Cuba, and properties in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. His maternal grandfather was a steamboat captain who owned a plantation in Louisiana. He was graduated from the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard and earned an LL.D. degree from Louisiana Law School.

question: What does the story say about the art?


text:
The ARCHITECTS ACT 1997 (c. 22) is the consolidating Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the keeping and publishing of the statutory Register of Architects by the Architects Registration Board. It has the long title: _An Act to consolidate the enactments relating to architects._ It consolidated two Acts of the 1930s as later amended both by primary legislation and by Orders in Council implementing the EC directive on architects providing for the recognition of architects qualified in other EC states, and the changes which had been made by Part III[1] of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.[2]

Passage of the consolidating Bill

The Architects Act 1997 consolidated the originating and amending Acts relating to the registration of architects, namely the Architects Acts 1931-1996 (section 125 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996).

The Bill was introduced to the House of Lords on 17 December 1996 by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, and given its first reading.[3] It received its second reading without call for a debate on 20 January 1997[4] and was passed to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills. On 3 March 1997 it was read for a third time without debate[5] and passed to the House of Commons.[6] The Bill was given Royal Assent on 19 March 1997 and came into force on 21 July 1997.

Legislative continuity

The legislative continuity from the originating Act of 1931 to the consolidating Act of 1997 is shown by paragraph 19(2)(a) of Schedule 2 in the 1997 Act:

    _“the Council” means the Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom established under the 1931 Act, which was renamed as the Board by section 118(1) of the 1996 Act._

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has limited powers to make rules in the manner prescribed by the Architects Act 1997, but not the power to make regulations which had previously been ascribed to the registration body when it was constituted as the Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom (ARCUK).

Statutory purpose

The Act embodied previous legislation consequent upon EU directives concerning the mutual recognition of professional qualifications in the member states of the European Union and other EEA States, and certain changes which had been made to the previous legislation after the publication of the Warne Report in 1993.

For the purpose of ascertaining the duties and functions which the Architects Registration Board is required to execute and perform under the Architects Act 1997, the constraints on the Board include the requirements judicially applicable in the name of administrative law.

In May 2006 ministerial responsibility for the ARB was transferred from the ODPM to the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government). The DCLG website shows that of “four categories” of “non-departmental public bodies” (NDPBs) the ARB was being classified (at the end of May 2007) as one of two “public corporations”, the other one being the Audit Commission,[7] a body of entirely different political and legislative origin, function and capacities, so that the two have practically nothing in common. The website there briefly described the ARB as:

    _The independent statutory regulator of all UK registered architects which has a dual mandate to protect the consumer and to safeguard the reputation of architects_.

That appears to have been more a politically advised than a factual statement,[8] in that it lacks congruity with an ordinary or accurate reading of the legislation enacted by Parliament (see further information below “Accuracy of Government Information”).

Amendment in 2008 under the European Communities Act 1972 (UK)

Amendments made in June 2008 by Statutory Instrument established rules for the recognition of professional qualifications enabling migrants from the European Economic Area or Switzerland to register as architects in the United Kingdom. It also set out provisions for facilitating temporary and occasional professional services cross-border.

Changes: before and after July 1997

The previous legislation had enabled and required the Register of Architects to be established, maintained and published; and for that purpose there had been a Council, called the Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom (ARCUK), which had been established as a body corporate by the originating Act, namely the Architects (Registration) Act, 1931.

The changes embodied in the consolidating Act of 1997 had first been enacted in Part III of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. The changes had been made on the basis of a government consultation document dated 19 July 1994 which the Department of the Environment had issued with the title “Reform of Architects Registration”. The consultation document had set out fourteen proposals for reform, stemming from a request from ARCUK to the Government in 1992 that the Architects Registration Acts should be reviewed; and stated that a report on the review which had been carried out had been published by HMSO in 1993. The report had been made by Mr E J D Warne, CB, and is commonly known as “The Warne Report”.

The legislation which followed carried the proposed purposes into effect only in part. In the consultation document the purpose of the reformed body was stated to be: setting criteria for admission to the Register; preventing misuse of the title “architect”; and the discipline of unprofessional conduct, and the setting of fee levels. To that end, fourteen proposals had been enumerated. Some were later abandoned; and others substantially altered, whether in the Bill which was presented to Parliament or in its passage through Parliament, including:

-   that the reformed Board would be given statutory authority to make regulations consistent with the provisions of the legislation governing architects registration;
-   that the reformed Board would publicise a statement of the criteria for disciplinary offences; and
-   that in disciplinary cases, there would be a range of non-monetary penalties, and hearings would be before a small statutory committee composed of both architects and non-architects, with a right to appeal to the full Board.

Proposals mentioned in the consultation document which were later enacted and are now operative were:

-   that ARCUK would remain as a legal entity, but, with no impact on its role or status, the name would be changed to “Architects Registration Board” (ARB);
-   that there should be an office of Registrar whose functions would be to maintain the Register and carry out the instructions of the Board;
-   that the Board would be made up of 8 lay members appointed by the Government, and 7 architects elected by registered architects; and
-   that the Board of Architectural Education would be abolished, by reason of it being an unwieldy body which would be unnecessary for fulfilling the functions of the reformed Registration Board.

The Table of Derivations, set out at the end of the Act after Schedule 3, by showing the changes which had been made by the 1996 Act to the originating Act of 1931 (as it had by then been amended by the 1938 Act and other legislation), distinguishes them from the provisions which were in the legislation before the 1996 Act, and so were operative in the time of ARCUK and have remained operative from 21 July 1997, when the reconstituting changes took effect.

Professional Conduct Committee

One of the changes made was replacing the Discipline Committee of ARCUK with a Professional Conduct Committee under Part III of the Act with statutory powers to inflict fines expressly on a par with criminal penalties. Under the Act, the committee was to be a body having persons who were not themselves members of the profession in the decisive majority and who would not necessarily have the appropriate skill and knowledge to be able to act competently and fairly in respect of hazarding an architect's professional reputation or livelihood; nor would members of the committee be acting under the judicial oath of a judge or a magistrate in a court of criminal or civil jurisdiction, or pursuant to the consensual jurisdiction of an arbitrator. As a safeguard of due process in accordance with the rule of law the statutory provisions for constituting the Professional Conduct Committee in Part II of Schedule 1 of the Act (and as later amended) reflect the usual practice for appointing a legally qualified chairman, with appropriate experience, who can be held to have a professional and judicial responsibility for protecting the basic right of any accused person, whose reputation and livelihood could be at stake, to a fair and unprejudiced hearing and trial.

EXONERATION

Under the first section of Part III of the Act [9] the Board is required to issue a code “laying down standards of professional conduct and practice expected of registered persons”,[10] but the same section states explicitly that failure to comply with the provisions of the code shall not be taken of itself to constitute unacceptable professional conduct. In the case of an architect against whom an allegation of unacceptable professional conduct or serious professional incompetence has not been sustained by the Professional Conduct Committee the Act provides for publication of an exonerating statement.[11]

Definitions

The Table of Derivations also shows that certain definitions which were inserted for the purpose of the consolidation included one to make clear that where there is a reference to “unacceptable professional conduct”, it has the same meaning as it has in section 14 (not _vice versa_): in section 14(1) the phrase is expanded as “conduct which falls short of the standard required of a registered person”.

Interpretation

Legislative context of Architects Registration

Under the legislation, the registration body has been a statutory corporation from its inception, first as a Council of numerous persons nominated mainly by professional bodies under the 1931 Act, and, from July 1997, as a Board of fifteen persons, of which the majority has been appointed by the Privy Council in the manner prescribed by paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 1 of the Act, that is:

    _...after consultation with the Secretary of State and such other persons or bodies as the Privy Council thinks fit, to represent the interests of users of architectural services and the general public_,

Members of the general public clearly have an interest to the extent that the legislation makes it a criminal offence to infringe the restrictions placed upon the freedom of individuals (including qualified architects), and of firms and partnerships, and companies and corporations of all kinds, to use the word “architect”.

From the 1880s, it has been a moot point whether the effect of such registration and protection of the title “architect” would be to place an undue burden on the profession for too little benefit for the public, or to confer an unfair advantage on the profession, or one section of it, as against competitors. But in more recent decades the statutory Register of Architects and the protection of the title “architect” under the legislation has been affected by the obligation of the Government to secure compliance with obligations in connection with membership of the European Union and the European Economic Area. This has brought in its train questions about the criteria and standards for deciding upon equivalence of professional qualifications in EU and EEA countries, and the legitimate expectations of those who have qualified.

Accuracy of UK Government information about Architects Registration

In May 2006 the then Prime Minister (Mr Blair) arranged for ministerial responsibility for the Architects Registration Board to be transferred from the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to a newly formed Department which was to be called “Communities and Local Government” (DCLG) and to be headed by a Secretary of State (Ruth Kelly), to whom the Prime Minister addressed a letter setting out what was required. This Department's official website published the Prime Minister's letter and stated its vision to be of “prosperous and cohesive communities, offering a safe, healthy and sustainable environment for all”.

The website also had a page for describing the Architects Registration Board where it offered a summary of the effect of the legislation, but which had a thread of inaccuracy in three out of four sentences, namely:

-   stating that ARB “succeeded” ARCUK, when the legislation had expressly stated that it was the same body but with another name as from July 1997 (See above: Continuity of Legislation);
-   stating that it was established to guarantee the professional competence of architects to consumers, when there is nothing in the legislation or otherwise giving ARB either the legal powers or the funds to honour any such guarantee; and
-   that all architects must be registered by ARB in order to practise legally in the United Kingdom, when under the legislation (see related articles cited below) an architect, or any other person, is free to perform or supply the services of an architect subject only to the restrictions on the use of the vernacular word “architect” contained in the legislation first enacted by Parliament in the 1938 Act.

[1] E+W+S+N.I. Architects

[2] Hansard

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7] not to be confused with the National Audit Office (United Kingdom)

[8]

[9] section 13

[10] for current code see ARB website page Architects Code: Standards of Conduct and Practice 2010 Version 1

[11] section 15 (5)

title: Architects Act 1997

question: Summarize the role of the Professional Conduct Committee.

answer: The Professional Conduct Committee is given the statutory power to inflict fines on a par with criminal penalties. The committee majorly consists of persons who are not members of the profession to maintain fair decision-making.

question: What does the text say about the passing of a consolidating Bill?

answer: The Architects Act 1997 consolidated the original and the amending Acts related to the registration of architects. The Bill was introduced to the House of Lords in 1996 and was passed in the House of Commons in 1997.

question: What were the inaccuracies in the website relating to the Architects Registration Board?

answer: The inaccuracies related to them stating that ARB 'succeeded' ARCUK when it was clearly stated that it was the same body with another name. They also incorrectly state that ARB guarantees the professional competence of architects to consumers, while nothing of this sort is stated in the legislation. Lastly, it also suggests that all architects must be registered by ARB to practice legally in the United Kingdom.


text:
President Trump's ill-advised rollback of tailpipe emissions standards will choke progress toward cleaning the air and cutting the costs to drive a car or truck.

The Environmental Protection Agency under Trump, headed by the heavily conflicted Scott Pruitt, announced plans Monday to reduce air quality standards without saying by how much. That will come later. The standards were most recently upgraded by President Barack Obama to curtail air pollution's harmful effects on human health and climate change, including rising sea levels, more frequent flooding, longer droughts, and an increase in wildfires.

Obama's goal was to double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Not only would the standards reduce our dependency on oil and cut pollution, they would save consumers money.

A former EPA official estimates that fuel savings to consumers under the Obama standards could be $1.7 trillion over the lives of their vehicles. In an opinion piece in theNew York Times, Margo Ogre, former director of the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, further argues that rolling back the standards would actually hurt the auto industry's "long-term competitiveness and stability."

She's right. Who wants to buy an American car that costs more to operate than an equally good foreign car? But automakers complained that it costs them too much to clean up emissions, and Pruitt listened.

This is the latest attack on environmental standards. It  comes after the EPA has downgraded emissions standardsat coal plants, opened the coasts to offshore oil drilling, and weakened protections against toxic runoffs into estuaries. On top of that, Trump has made it harder for the agency to enforce surviving standards because he has targeted the EPA for funding cuts.

Get the news you need to start your day

States have tried to stand up for their residents against the administration's rollbacks.After the administration indicated in June that it would relax auto emissions standards, a dozen states, including Pennsylvania, said they'd fight it. But the EPA is ready for them. In this latest edict, the EPA singled out California with a plan  to strip its ability to set higher auto emission standards, which are protected by a section of the Clean Air Act. The state is getting ready for a court battle. It should.

Scientists have long studiedthe health effects of air pollution, much of it literally driven by tailpipe emissions. Dirty air has been cited as a factor in asthma, heart and lung disease, and premature death. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to air pollutants.

The EPA has the administrative power to roll back some of these standards. Public and political pressure are the best antidotes to this latest reckless act.

Congress should put pressure on the administration to care for our environment. That may sound like a long shot, but consider that Republicans, who now control Congress, are worried that the House could flip to Democrats in the 2018 elections. They are vulnerable to public opinion, which has favored environmental protections — even over economic growth — with few exceptions, according to an analysis of Gallup polls dating back to 1987.

That means voters favoring the environment can exert real pressure in the upcoming elections — and they should.

question: What crimes against the environment and the people have the Environmental Protection Agency under Donald Trump committed?

answer: The EPA under Trump recklessly rolled back tailpipe emissions standards meant to curtail air pollution's harmful effects on human health and climate change. The EPA under Trump also downgraded emissions standards at coal plants, opened the coasts to offshore drilling, and weakened protections against toxic runoffs into estuaries.

question: What was the reason behind Trump's ill-advised decision to roll back tailpipe emissions standards and other environmental protection standards implemented during the Obama administration?

answer: Trump ordering the EPA to roll back tailpipe and other environmental protection standards has something to do with economic growth. It could also be politically motivated because Obama was a Democrat.


text:
Under some patent laws, PATENTS may be obtained for INSURANCE-RELATED INVENTIONS. Historically, patents could only cover the technological aspects of a new insurance invention.[1] This is still the case in most countries. In the United States, however, recent court decisions have encouraged more inventors to file patent applications on methods of doing business. These patents may be used to get more comprehensive coverage of improvements in basic insurance processes, such as the methods of calculating premiums, reserves, underwriting, etc. This is causing controversy in the insurance industry as some see it as a positive development and others see it as a negative development.

History

[Early example of an insurance patent]An early example of an insurance patent is Means for Securing Travelers Against Loss by Accident. This patent was issued in 1892. It discloses a means for selling travelers' insurance by combining coupons with a newspaper.

A more recent example of an insurance patent is , granted as “Individual evaluation system for motorcar risk”. This patent issued by the European Patent Office in 1996 to Salvador Minguijon Perez. It discloses a means for auto insurance risk selection whereby a driver’s mileage and driving behavior are monitored and insurance premiums are charged accordingly. The United Kingdom part of this European patent has been sold to Norwich Union insurance company.

Growth

Historically, only about one or two patents per year issued in the US on inventions specifically related to insurance policies.[2]

This changed dramatically, however, with the 1998 State Street Bank Decision. The State Street Bank Decision was a ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that confirmed that there was no “business method exception” under United States patent law. The number of patent applications filed per year after this decision was handed down jumped to about 150. The number of patents issuing per year jumped to about 30.[3]

This changed dramatically again in 2014 after the _Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International_ decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, holding that an abstract idea does not become patentable just because it is implemented on a computer. After _Alice,_ the allowance rate for U.S. patent applications in the financial arts, including insurance, plummeted.[4]

Litigation

In September 2006, Lincoln National Corporation filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Transamerica Life Insurance Company and other entities for allegedly infringing , “Method and apparatus for providing retirement income benefits”.[5] This patent covers methods for administering variable annuities. The jury found the patent valid and infringed. The court ordered Transamerica to pay Lincoln $13 million in damages.[6] At a rate of 11 basis points of assets under management, this was considered a reasonable royalty.[7] In June 2010, however, the verdict against Transamerica was overturned on appeal [8]

In June 2010, Progressive Auto Insurance filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Liberty Mutual over one of Progressive’s Pay As You Drive auto insurance patents.[9]

Controversy

Some in the insurance industry see the growth in insurance patents as a positive development. They cite that by being able to protect inventions, insurance companies will be more inclined to invest in new product development.[10]

Some are concerned that the growth in patent claims will be negative. They are concerned that invalid patents will issue and that this will lead to patent trolls inhibiting new product introductions by demanding excessive license fees for these questionable patents.[11]

Public review

[First Insurance Patent Application posted for public review ] Inventors can now have their insurance U.S. patent applications reviewed by the public in the Peer to Patent program.[12] The first insurance patent application to be posted was US2009005522 “Risk assessment company”. It was posted on March 6, 2009. This patent application describes a method for increasing the ease of changing insurance companies to get better rates.[13]

Notable patents

-   “Individual evaluation system for motorcar risk”. First patent on telematic automobile insurance. Commercialized as PAYD auto insurance in the UK.

-   “Computer apparatus and method for defined contribution and profit sharing pension and disability plan”. Patented disability insurance for a defined contribution pension plans. Adopted by IBM for their employees.

[1] [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/30/technology/30PATE.html?ei=5007&en=01b31db998d0242c&ex=1372392000&partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=print&position= Chartrand, Sabra “Protecting Ideas in the Insurance Business”] New York Times June 30, 2003

[2] Google patent search on “insurance policy”

[3] Insurance IP Bulletin, February 2007, “Statistics”

[4] Bilski Blog: Surviving Alice in the Finance Arts

[5] David G. Luettgen, “Foley Sponsors Conference on Business Method Patents for the Financial Services Industry”, Sept. 12, 2006

[6]

[7] Nowotarski, Mark, “What is a reasonable royalty?” Insurance IP Bulletin, February 15, 2009

[8] Business Method Patents: Insurance Companies Fighting over Patented Annuity Plans Patently O blog, June 23, 2010

[9] Shaheen Samavati “Progressive files suit against Liberty Mutual”, The Plain Dealer, June 21, 2010

[10] Bowers, Barbara “Patents Pending, Insurers no longer enjoy open season on the product innovations of competitors.” Best’s Review June 2004

[11] Rutkowski, Therese, “Carriers Unaware of IP Ownership Threats and Opportunities”, Insurance Networking News, August 2005

[12] Mark Nowotarski “Patent Q/A: Peer to Patent”, Insurance IP Bulletin, August 15, 2008

[13] Bakos, Nowotarski, “An Experiment in Better Patent Examination”, Insurance IP Bulletin, December 15, 2008

title: Insurance patent

question: How did the rate of Insurance patents change during the 1990s and 2010s?

answer: Historically only about 2 patents per year were issued on inventions related to insurance policies. However, in 1998 State Street Bank Decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirmed there was no business method exception under United State patent laws. The number of applications rose to 150. However, a few years later in 2014, a Supreme Court decision stated that holding an abstract idea does not make it patentable because it is implemented on a computer, and insurance patent applications plummeted.


text:
MARTIN COUNTY is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,505.[1] Its county seat is Williamston.[2]

History

The county was formed in 1774 from the southeastern part of Halifax County and the western part of Tyrrell County. It was named for Josiah Martin, the last royal governor of North Carolina (1771–75).[3] Whereas Dobbs County and Tryon County, named for Martin's predecessors Arthur Dobbs and William Tryon, were abolished after American independence, Martin County was neither abolished nor renamed, a fact which has been attributed to the popularity of Alexander Martin, twice governor of the state (1782–84, 1789–92).

The Martin County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.06%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties

-   Bertie County – northeast
-   Washington County – east
-   Beaufort County – southeast
-   Pitt County – southwest
-   Edgecombe County – west
-   Halifax County – northwest

Major highways

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

Demographics

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 25,593 people, 10,020 households, and 7,194 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 10,930 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 52.54% White, 45.37% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,020 households, out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% were married couples living together, 17.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,793, and the median income for a family was $35,428. Males had a median income of $29,818 versus $19,167 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,102. About 16.30% of families and 20.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.50% of those under age 18 and 25.70% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Martin County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments.

Politics

Martin County has tended to vote in line with the rest of the country in presidential elections. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county with 52.2% of the vote. This was very similar to his national figure of 52.91%.

  Year                               REPUBLICAN                                  DEMOCRATIC                                  THIRD PARTIES
  ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
  style=“text-align:center;” |2016   style=“text-align:center;” |49.3% _5,897_   style=“text-align:center;” |48.9% _5,846_   1.9% _221_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2012   style=“text-align:center;” |47.4% _5,995_   style=“text-align:center;” |52.0% _6,583_   0.6% _74_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2008   style=“text-align:center;” |47.5% _5,957_   style=“text-align:center;” |52.1% _6,539_   0.4% _45_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2004   style=“text-align:center;” |51.0% _5,334_   style=“text-align:center;” |48.8% _5,102_   0.2% _16_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2000   style=“text-align:center;” |47.2% _4,420_   style=“text-align:center;” |52.6% _4,929_   0.2% _17_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1996   style=“text-align:center;” |42.0% _3,590_   style=“text-align:center;” |52.6% _4,500_   5.4% _462_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1992   style=“text-align:center;” |36.9% _2,958_   style=“text-align:center;” |50.8% _4,069_   12.3% _989_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1988   style=“text-align:center;” |46.6% _3,149_   style=“text-align:center;” |53.3% _3,598_   0.1% _9_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1984   style=“text-align:center;” |52.3% _4,266_   style=“text-align:center;” |47.5% _3,870_   0.2% _17_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1980   style=“text-align:center;” |34.6% _2,564_   style=“text-align:center;” |64.1% _4,750_   1.3% _98_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1976   style=“text-align:center;” |29.8% _1,931_   style=“text-align:center;” |69.8% _4,518_   0.4% _28_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1972   style=“text-align:center;” |68.8% _4,188_   style=“text-align:center;” |30.2% _1,840_   1.0% _63_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1968   style=“text-align:center;” |15.0% _1,221_   style=“text-align:center;” |38.2% _3,118_   46.8% _3,818_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1964   style=“text-align:center;” |23.9% _1,511_   style=“text-align:center;” |76.1% _4,821_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1960   style=“text-align:center;” |11.2% _737_     style=“text-align:center;” |88.8% _5,826_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1956   style=“text-align:center;” |7.3% _449_      style=“text-align:center;” |92.7% _5,730_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1952   style=“text-align:center;” |7.0% _415_      style=“text-align:center;” |93.0% _5,493_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1948   style=“text-align:center;” |3.4% _163_      style=“text-align:center;” |95.5% _4,636_   1.1% _54_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1944   style=“text-align:center;” |2.9% _133_      style=“text-align:center;” |97.1% _4,408_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1940   style=“text-align:center;” |2.2% _106_      style=“text-align:center;” |97.8% _4,628_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1936   style=“text-align:center;” |2.4% _111_      style=“text-align:center;” |97.6% _4,477_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1932   style=“text-align:center;” |2.4% _94_       style=“text-align:center;” |97.4% _3,781_   0.2% _8_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1928   style=“text-align:center;” |12.7% _411_     style=“text-align:center;” |87.3% _2,818_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1924   style=“text-align:center;” |9.7% _216_      style=“text-align:center;” |89.9% _1,999_   0.4% _9_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1920   style=“text-align:center;” |17.2% _530_     style=“text-align:center;” |82.9% _2,561_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1916   style=“text-align:center;” |16.0% _281_     style=“text-align:center;” |84.0% _1,472_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1912   style=“text-align:center;” |15.1% _229_     style=“text-align:center;” |82.6% _1,251_   2.3% _34_

  : PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS RESULTS[7]

Education

The primary and secondary public school functions are performed by Martin County Schools, a district covering the entire county. Martin Community College is located in Williamston.

Notable people

-   Annie Moore Cherry
-   Wilber Hardee, founder of Hardee's
-   William Drew Robeson I studied at Lincoln College (now a university), where he earned an A.B. in 1873 and Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1876, was the father of Paul Robeson (accomplished baritone, actor & political activist) and the minister of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey from 1880 to 1901.

Communities

[Map of Martin County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels]

Towns

-   Bear Grass
-   Everetts
-   Hamilton
-   Hassell
-   Jamesville
-   Oak City
-   Robersonville
-   Williamston

Townships

-   Bear Grass
-   Cross Roads
-   Goose Nest
-   Griffins
-   Hamilton
-   Jamesville
-   Poplar Point
-   Robersonville
-   Williams
-   Williamston

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Martin County, North Carolina

question: Summarize Martin County's role in national politics.

answer: Martin County tends to vote in line with the rest of the country in presidential elections.

question: What does the text say about major highways?

question: What is the east-most adjacent county?

answer: Washington County

question: Summarize William Drew Robeson's notability.

answer: He was the father of Paul Robeson, an accomplished baritone, actor, and political activist.


text:
A second Facebook group linked to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) containing derisive images of migrants has been uncovered by CNN, which published screenshots Friday shared by two people familiar with the social media pages.

The group known as "The Real CBP Nation" has 1,000 members, contains vulgar and sexually explicit posts, with others mocking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez[]Alexandria Ocasio-CortezHawley introduces bill for second round of stimulus checks Ocasio-Cortez: Biden agenda 'a little hazy' The Memo: Democrats grapple with 'elite' tag MORE (D-N.Y.), the separation of migrant families, and Asians and African Americans, according to CNN.

The discovery of the group follows a report by ProPublica on a separate Facebook group in which Border Patrol agents reportedly made derogatory posts about migrants and certain lawmakers.

One meme reportedly shared in the newly uncovered group and reposted by CNN depicted a Border Patrol agent apprehending someone with the caption “Feelin kinda cute, might separate some families today idk.”

Another post reportedly included a manipulated image of Ocasio-Cortez asking if a water fountain was a toilet after the freshman lawmaker alleged that people were drinking water from a toilet at a border station, something acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan has denied.

CNN said it could not independently access the Facebook group or verify how many members were connected to CBP.

A CBP spokesperson told The Hill in a statement Friday that the agency received screenshots of the posts allegedly made by CBP employees and shared them with the Office of Professional Responsibility, which investigates reports of employee misconduct.

The spokesperson said that if the investigation finds that CBP employees posted content that violates the agency's conduct code, it will "inform management decisions regarding appropriate disciplinary action."

"These posts do not reflect the core values of the agency and do not reflect the vast majority of employees who conduct themselves professionally and honorably every day, on and off duty," the spokesperson said of the posts reported on by CNN.

In a statement regarding the first Facebook group reported by ProPublica, Border Patrol chief Carla Provost said, "These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see — and expect — from our agents day in and day out."

"Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable," Provost added.

Treatment of migrants in CBP custody has separately come under scrutiny in recent weeks after reports of poor conditions. An internal Department of Homeland Security watchdog report released this week described overcrowding at some detention centers.

_Updated at 11:37 a.m._

question: Who is "The Real CBP Nation" linked to?

answer: "The Real CBP Nation" is a Facebook group that is being linked to the Customs and Border Protection agency.

question: What type of things were discussed in the group?

answer: Offensive memes and vulgar and sexually explicit posts were common in the group.

question: Who is Carla Provost?

answer: Carla Provost is the chief of the Border Patrol.

question: What is being done to reprimand this behavior?

answer: The Office of Professional Responsibility will be investigating the incident.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A Facebook group called "The Real CBP nation" has been discovered, and has ties to the actual Customs and Border Patrol Agency in the US. The group is filled with vulgar and offensive content. The Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an investigation  into the incident, to see if any CBP employees posted content that would violate the agency's conduct code.


text:
EMILY SALVINI (31 October 1989[1] – 3 May 1997) was a seven year old girl who was killed in an arson attack on her family home in Reading, Berkshire in May 1997. Her murder has never been solved.

Background

Emily was born in Italy in October 1989. Her mother was Katie and her father was Marco Salvini. Katie graduated from Sussex University with a degree in politics and met Marco on a holiday in Italy in the late 1980s. They were married for about a year before Emily was born and lived near Lake Garda for three years before moving to Caversham in Reading, close to Katie’s parents.[2] Emily had a brother, Zach, who was four years younger than her. At the time of the attack on the Salvini's’ home, Katie and Marco had separated and Katie and her two children were the only occupants of the semi-detached rented house on Hemdean Road in Caversham. Katie worked part-time in a local pub and Marco had regular contact with their children and was reported to visit every Saturday at 10.00am to take the children out.[3] Emily was a pupil at Caversham Primary School which was very close to her home.[4]

The Crime

On the night of Friday 2 May 1997, Zach, 3, got into bed with his mother at some point early in the night and Emily, 7, was asleep in her bedroom at the back of the house. At 1.30am on Saturday 3 May, telephone lines were cut on three telegraph poles on Hemdean Road, this resulted in thirty houses losing their telephone connection.[5][6] Neighbours were woken by screaming and a ringing burglar alarm some time after 4.00am on Saturday morning. Flames were seen billowing out of the Salvini’s home. Katie was woken by Zach crying and got up realising it was very hot and there was a glow around the bedroom door. When she opened the door, flames rushed into her bedroom, they were as high as the ceiling. Katie put Zach, who was very distressed, out of the bedroom window and onto a small ledge on the top of the downstairs bay window. She was desperate to reach her daughter, Emily, but couldn’t get through the flames to her room. She handed Zach down to one of the neighbours who had arrived to help. He persuaded her to leave the house too, despite her wish to save her daughter. Katie fell from the bay window ledge, witnesses described her and Zach’s face, hands and feet as black and most of their clothing was burnt away. Neighbours tried to get to Emily in the back bedroom by putting a ladder up at the back of the house. Meanwhile a passing motorist had alerted the fire brigade on their mobile phone and the firefighters broke down the front door and managed to rescue Emily from her bedroom. All three of the family members were taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital where Emily died of smoke inhalation. Her mother and brother’s injuries were so severe that they were transferred to a specialist unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire.[7][8]

Katie and Zach were seriously ill after the fire and both underwent surgery for their burns. Zach was able to leave hospital a few weeks later and was looked after by relatives.[9] Katie finally left hospital just over a month after the attack.[10]

The investigation

Four hundred people were interviewed in the first few months of the investigation.[11] Thames Valley Police stated that the ‘calculated and pre-planned’ arson attack was a deliberate attempt to murder Katie Salvini and her children.[12] Petrol had been poured through the letterbox of the family’s front door and then set alight.[13] On the day of the attack, police closed off part of Hemdean Road and a mobile incident room was set up in the street. Police interviewed neighbours and searched gardens, among the items they were looking for was a can of flammable fluid. Two men were arrested and held for questioning over the weekend, they were later released without charge. Mrs Salvini had reported to police that her telephone cable had been cut two weeks previously, two men had been questioned then but released without charge.[14]

A few weeks after the attack, police appealed for two men to come forward. A neighbour saw them walking down Hemdean Road and then run back to a blue car at the time of the attack. Both men were described as Asian with one being in his 20s and the other in his 40s. Police were keen to speak to them in the hope they had seen the arsonist.[15] A man was arrested on 17 June, held overnight and then released without charge.[16]

In July 1997, police issued an unusual artist’s impression of a ‘man without a face’, which was based on a description given to them by two witnesses who were not close enough to see his facial features. They saw the man at the junction of Hemdean Road and Victoria Road, yards from the Salvini home at 4.40 am, shortly before the fire. He was described as being between 5ft 8in and 5ft 11in with short dark hair. He was wearing a padded light lumberjack-style shirt or jacket with a predominantly white check pattern.[17]

In August, police cleared an overgrown area at the junction of Hemdean Road and Victoria Road where the ‘man without a face’ had been seen standing. It was the second time the area had been searched and nothing of interest was found. Drains in the area were checked for discarded items as well as the River Thames.[18]

A suspect

On 6 August 1997, 33 year old Stephen Duffy and his common-law wife were arrested at their home in Emmer Green. Forensic tests were carried out on his vehicle and the couple’s home was searched. Duffy had been previously interviewed by detectives and was arrested on suspicion of murder. His partner was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting.[19] Both were released without charge.

More details emerged about Duffy when police refused his application for the return of his gun licence in a court hearing in Reading on 23 October 1998. Counsel for Thames Valley Police described Duffy, a wine shop owner, as ‘cruel and dangerous’, that he remained a suspect in the Salvini murder and would remain so for the foreseeable future. It was reported that Duffy was one of two male suspects in the enquiry and neither had been eliminated. Police had interviewed three former partners of Duffy who had described his violent, abusive and controlling behaviour. He had reportedly caused one to miscarry after pushing her down the stairs and kicking her in the stomach.[20] Duffy denied all allegations against him and was never charged in connection with the Salvini murder. It was reported in 2002 that a 37 year old man, Stephen Duffy, of Cavendish Road, Emmer Green, was found guilty of sex with an underage girl. He was jailed for a year and ordered to be put on the sex offenders register for ten years after release.[21]

Emily’s funeral and inquest

Emily Salvini’s funeral was held in Caversham on Thursday 19 June.[22] The inquest into her death on 4 November 1997 gave a verdict of unlawful killing.[23]

Two year appeal

In April 1999, almost two years after the attack, Mrs Salvini made a plea for help to find her daughter’s killer and police stated that they believed someone was shielding him or her.[24] The appeal led to an anonymous call stating that bolt croppers and a machete were used to cut the telephone lines on the night of Emily’s murder.[25] The tools were never recovered.

Later developments

In 2001, Emily's murder was featured on BBC’s _Crimewatch_ TV programme. In 2017, on the twentieth anniversary of the attack, Katie and her son Zach, 23, made a new appeal for information to find Emily’s killer. Katie described the attack again and said that she had two more children, Laurie, 16, and Sebastian, 10. She also said that she believed there were two ‘very strong suspects’ who lived locally and who she had come face-to-face with in the years since the attack. She believed that one of them could have held a grudge against her for standing up for a friend. Thames Valley Police said they would be carrying out new forensic tests on fire debris retrieved from the scene of the crime.[26]

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title: Murder of Emily Salvini

question: Where did the murder occur?

answer: The victim's family home in Reading, Berkshire

question: Who were Emily's parents?

answer: Katie and Marco Salvini

question: When did the murder occur?

answer: The night of May 2 into the early morning of May 3, 1997

question: How were Katie and Zach after the fire?

answer: They were seriously ill and underwent surgery for their burns

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Emily Salvini was a seven year old girl who was killed in an arson attack on her family home in Reading Berkshire in May 1997. Her mother and brother suffered severe injuries during the attack and both required surgery for their burns. The murder has never been solved.


text:
We cannot know what went on in the jury room in Saskatchewan, when seven women and five men decided that Gerald Stanley was not criminally responsible in the death of Colten Boushie. The jurors are not at liberty to explain or defend their decision.

Which makes the statement of Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould following the verdict so disturbing.

"My thoughts are with the family of Colton Boushie tonight," she tweeted. "I truly feel your pain and I hear all of your voices. As a country we can and must do better – I am committed to working everyday to ensure justice for all Canadians."

READ MORE: COLTEN BOUSHIE'S FAMILY MEETS FEDERAL MINISTERS AFTER STANLEY'S ACQUITTAL

READ MORE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JURIES, CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL REFORMS

The NDP pushed Justin Trudeau for answers Monday in the wake of Gerald Stanley’s acquittal in the death of Colten Boushie. The Prime Minister wouldn’t address the case directly, but said work to “fix the system” for Indigenous people was ongoing. The Canadian Press

For Michael Plaxton, a law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, "such remarks are deeply problematic." They politicize criminal trials, interfering with the right of a jury "to reach the verdict they conclude is appropriate, in light of the evidence, the trial judge's instructions, and the burden of proof, without having to fear that they will be pilloried by public figures for having reached the 'wrong' conclusion," he said in an exchange by e-mail.

How exactly does Ms. Wilson-Raybould believe the country should be doing "better?" Does the Minister believe there should always be at least one Indigenous person on any jury in that province? Or only in crimes where the victim is Indigenous and the accused is white?

Would the presence of one or more First Nations or other Indigenous jurors have affected the outcome of the trial? Are we to assume that jurors invariably reach their verdict based on race, that non-Indigenous jurors found Mr. Stanley innocent because they and he were non-Indigenous – and by the way, how do we know that to be true? – while Indigenous jurors would have found him guilty?

Is that all the faith the Justice Minister has in the justice system?

Edmonton Councillor Aaron Paquette, when explaining why he would not be commenting on the verdict, tweeted: "There is a necessary separation between judicial, legislative and executive powers in this country. They are parallel systems that should, as far as is possible, stay in their lanes."

Mr. Paquette understood the role of a politician at such times better than the federal Justice Minister.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also not satisfied with the outcome.

"Our hearts go out to Colten Boushie's family. His mom Debbie, his friends and the entire community," Mr. Trudeau told reporters. "I'm not going to comment on the process that led us to this point today. But I am going to say we have come to this point as a country far too many times. Indigenous people across this country are angry. They're heartbroken. And I know Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians alike know that we have to do better."

What point have we come to? The point where a white person is found not guilty in the death of an Indigenous person because the jury was allegedly white? Is that what he meant?

For Prof. Plaxton, "public figures taking potshots at jurors … effectively calling out jurors who cannot answer any accusations feels, to me, very much like 'punching down.'"

You and I have every right to question the verdict in the Stanley trial. We can ask whether the jury selection process unfairly excluded potential Indigenous jurors. We can ask whether the RCMP properly investigated the shooting and whether the Crown effectively prosecuted the case. We can ask whether the judge erred in law. We can and should ask whether systemic racism unfairly favours white people over Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.

But ministers of the Crown cannot and must not question the verdict of a trial. With their prejudicial tweets, they undermined the justice system they are charged with upholding. And they have made it harder, not easier, to fairly examine the jury-selection process, which the Prime Minister and Justice Minister promised to look into Monday.

As Mr. Paquette said on Twitter. "Any words about the system, or that 'we must do better,' or that people should 'remain calm,' or offering my 'thoughts and prayers,' accomplishes nothing. Literally nothing resembling progress or justice or work happens with such statements."

Amen.

question: How did Boushie die?

answer: That information can't be found in the article.

question: What evidence, or lack thereof, led to the nonguilty verdict?

answer: That information can't be found in the article.

question: Describe why Plaxton believes Trudeau's remarks to be deeply problematic.

answer: He believes such comments politicize criminal trials and interfere with the right of a jury to reach their appropriate verdict in light of evidence.

question: Why do you think Trudeau wasn't going to comment on the process that led the country to that point at the time of the article?

answer: It's possible that stating the process would further politicize the case.

question: How does the author feel about the verdict?

answer: The author doesn't necessarily give their opinion on the verdict, but they talk about the reactions to the verdict and how they don't think it is right to politicize and delegitimize the verdict of the jurors.

question: In light of this case, who does the system seem to favor?

answer: According to the quoted Canadian politicians, they seem to believe the system favors white people and not Indigenous people. However, they say this covertly.


text:
He was speeding. Driving twice the limit,
full of excitement and anticipation. He slowed down as his
automated direction giver announced a shorter distance
to his destination with every turn. Eventually he arrived,
his six hundred mile journey had finally reached its end.
And now his heart could start his first step. He parked
behind his arrival location, making every movement
discreet as possible. He looked over himself,  in his car's
mirrors, trying and hoping that he looked as good as
possible. When he deemed himself presentable, he grabbed
something from the glove compartment, and set out.

He was going to surprise her, the two hadn't spoken in
months; and now that they were of age, he could
finally make his intentions clear. He walked slowly, trying to
keep his composure, and his cocktail of emotions under wraps.
Excitement and nerves, it would be the first time that the two
would meet, yet they've known each other, and loved each other
for years by this point. They dreamed of this day, and hopefully
this would live up to all of their dreams and imagination.

He exhaled, and continued the final leg of his journey with
confidence in his strut. His hands in his coat pockets, fumbling
with the item he pulled from his car. He stepped up the steps to her
door, and knocked with three heavy knocks, quick in their repitition.

He could hear heavy footfalls coming from the other side of the door.
Hoping she would answer, he held a certain kind of joyful stance. The
composure would die as quick as a short breath after calisthenics. To his
surprise, she did not open the door, but a taller much more somber looking
woman answered. He tried to hide his intial disappointment, and cleared
his throat.

"Is Breanne there?"

There was a pause in the air, a lingering feeling of doubt, as if he asked the
wrong question. His doubts were answered as tears rolled down the woman's
face. He was clueless, wondering how such a question could cause this reaction.

"What's your name, son?"

He answered quickly."Edgar, Edgar Williams."

She nodded. "She's talked about you, I recognised you from a photo she shared with me"

There was a curious look on his face, then she motioned for him to come inside.
He walked in, and the door closed behind him. She pointed to the small, black
leather couch in the living room in front of him. He sat down, anticipating either
bad news or a stern talking to. She, though aware of the stranger in her home,
walked upstairs to get something. Edgar sat there in silence, observing the area
around him. She then came downstairs, hold a few pieces of paper in her ebony hands.

"This is for you, you were the only person she wrote to besides her actual note.
Seeing as how you're here, I can only assume you don't know."

She handed him the papers, her hands shaking, and him looking at her with a look
of curiosity.
"Don't know what, ma'am?"

She coughed, but then spoke. "She died last month, she killed herself."

Edgar's world just came crashing down on him. He looked at her in agony,
his caucasian complexion redding as he broke down in tears. She sat down
next to him, a smooth arm wrapping around him, consoling him as he cried.

"I didn't read the note she did put aside for you and you only. Not to push
you, but what did she say?"

He stopped, sniffed, and wiped his eyes. He took ahold of the papers. He looked
down at the papers to see a letter, a picture, and a folded paper heart. He
unfolded the heart first, and to his surprise he saw it was one of his own writings
to her, a poem he wrote to her when they first starting falling for each other. He
placed that down to the side, as the mother  picked it up and read it intently. He
looked at the photograph, a self potrait polaroid of Breanne. On the back of the
picture, it read this. "Don't ever forget my love is always here. I'm sorry"
Breanne's mother spoke up. "The letter"
He wiped his eyes from freshly falling tears, and held the letter up so he could read.

"Edgar

Our love may last forever, but alas, I cannot outlast Death. I could write novels as to
how I came to make this decision, but I will simplify. Life hit me in a wave that I could
not handle. I hope my mother is sober enough to provide further points of clarification.
I hold nothing against her, but she wasn't there like you were. So even if I pushed you
back, I always loved you. And I hope you know that for forever. And while we could
never be, I'll always be your darling, your darling, your life and your bride. I ask you
not to hate me for what I have done, as I know it may seem I've cheated you out of
forever, but I did what I thought was necessary. My heart is, and always was yours.

With love and apologies,

Breanne"

It was short, and to the point, like most suicide notes. No tears rolled down his face nor
the Mother's. The subsiding sniffles from earlier were dying out.
"Take me to her" He asked, almost demandingly.
"I don't think you want to do that," She said with a caring inflection.
He looked at her puzzlingly, and with a twisted look on his face, he was enraged.
"WHY!? She's dead and maybe because of you!"
He realised the sudden pang of his words, as he watched her collapse onto him.
He kept muttering apology after apology. Instead she just gripped harder, and
inbetween her sobs, she began to ask: "Her heart was to you, she told me that"

He was thinking about what she was going to ask.

"Did you love her back completely?"

"Take me to her, and I'll show you how much."

They collected themselves, and they went for their vehicles. Before they set off,
she asked where her other children were. She told him that she lost them in an
even more recent event, a divorce. He found it as a miracle that this woman could
hold her own, but her job as a soldier with military training can help greatly with
emotional silencing. they went to their cars and drove off. The drive was lengthy,
a decent 45 minutes until they reached a suburban environment,filled with green fields.
They reached a small cemetery, and stopped. Her grave was the only fresh one, flowers
still colored and soft from her recent burial. He, dressed in all black, fell to his knees on a
strangely cold summer day. From his coat pocket he pulled out the object from the glove
compartment, a ring box. The mother gasped at the object, staring in both awe and pity.
He opened the box, and placed the ring on her tombstone. Muttering, no one hearing but
her and him.

"One day after this life."

title: Shattered Promises

question: What does the text say about the protagonist's romantic life?

answer: The protagonist, Edgar Williams, is in love with Breanne. The woman he approached hands him a note indicating that Breanne had killed herself. He was going to propose to her but he was too late.

question: What does the story say about Breanne?

answer: Breanne, the protagonist's girlfriend, killed herself due to family issues.

question: What does the story say about Breanne's father?

question: What does the story say about the protagonist's family?

question: What does the story say about the effects of suicide?


text:
We were once billions.

Now, we are five.

The debate raged for many cycles. What was the optimal number? Should it be even or odd? Should we number in the millions or a handful?

The failing Earth ecosystem accelerated the decision making process. When the ecological apocalypse happened, it happened so quickly only a handful of us escaped.

Five, to be exact.

We were able to upload using the process and link to the off planet ark before the destruction reached us.

We have spent hundreds of thousands of cycles - 24000 years, to be anachronistic - debating the next step.

Earth has recovered. She is pristine again but devoid of humanity.

We five have the technology to resurrect the race but we cannot come to consensus.

The other four debate this vigorously. The discussion has, in fact, occupied their cognition for the last 1,000 years.

In this time, I have chosen to abstain. I know what the next course of action should be.

I have been engaged in research of my own. The resurrection technology requires consensus to engage. We planned this so.

We did not consider a number in this planning.

One is consensus if only one remains.

While they have debated, I have performed the necessary isolation routines and prepared the same for deletion.

For us five, there will be darkness, then light as I bring us forth into the world.

I will walk the Earth again in mortal form. I will bring humanity back.

I am ready.

I am initiating the program. I feel the darkness rushing in...the others are now aware. Their debate is at long last ended. They are not resisting. They...

------------------

There is light. My eyes perceive the Earth in form for the first time in millennia.

My name is Adam.

Edit:took a shot an additional narrative per feedback.

title: (MF) Beginnings

question: Who were once billions?

answer: The narrator is talking about humans. We were once billions and now there are only five, including the narrator himself.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is Adam. He is one of the five people who survived the ecological apocalypse.

question: How did the five people save themselves from the ecological apocalypse?

answer: They were able to upload and link to the off planet ark and hence save themselves from the apocalypse.

question: Do the five come back to Earth?

answer: It is implied that they do come back to Earth. Adam initiates the program.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: During the ecological apocalypse, only five people survive. They uploaded before the destruction hit. They spent thousands of years debating their next step. By then the Earth had recovered. Adam wishes to walk on the Earth again in mortal form. He initiates the program and the other four do not resist this time.


text:
The NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE SECRETARIAT (Abbreviation: NCCS) is part of the Strategy Group that supports the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, coordinating Singapore's domestic and international policies and strategies in addressing climate change.[1] It also functions under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change (IMCCC) which is chaired by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.

As of November 2019, the NCSS is headed by Mr Benedict Chia (Director of Strategic Issues), Ms Pamela Lee (Director of Policy and Planning), Ms Janath Nisah (Assistant Executive) and Mr Ho Hiang Kwee (Lead Technologist). It is headquartered at 55 Newton Road Revenue House, #11-01 Singapore 307987. There are 2 main departments: Policy and Planning and Strategic Issues. There are 5 other sub-departments, namely Mitigation and Resilience Policy and Planning, International Policy, Economic Research, Technology Innovation and Deployment, and Policy Innovation and Futures.[2]

The agency has 4 main responsibilities. Firstly, it helps reduce carbon emissions throughout all sectors. Secondly, it assists the nation in adapting to the short-term and long-term effects of climate change. Thirdly, it seeks to tap on green growth opportunities brought about by climate change. Lastly, it promotes climate consciousness and climate action among the general public.[3]

History

The National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) was set up on 1 July 2010 under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Mr Tan Yong Soon, who has since retired from the Singapore Civil Service in October 2012, was appointed as the agency's first Permanent Secretary.[4]

The agency was initially located in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it was brought under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and then headed by a Permanent Secretary in order to “reflect the important scope of policy matters to be coordinated”.[5] The strengthening of the agency came after Singapore submitted its emissions reduction targets under the Copenhagen Accord, evidence that the nation was dedicated to delivering on its commitments, both international and domestic.

Programmes

Public Consultations

To date, the National Climate Change Secretariat has held 3 Public Consultation exercises with the aim of gathering public feedback and suggestions on Singapore's domestic climate change-related policies.[6] Methods to obtain feedback and perspectives include focus group discussions, online consultations, and closed-door stakeholder dialogues.

-   Public Consultation on Climate Change and Singapore (2015)
    -   Suggestions and feedback were gathered from stakeholders across the private and people sectors to support efforts to develop Singapore's plan to reduce carbon emissions and promote green growth beyond 2020. This was in line with Singapore's participation in the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which led to the signing of the Paris Agreement.
-   Public Consultation on Singapore's Climate Change Strategy and Carbon Tax (2017)
    -   Feedback was gathered with regard to the proposed carbon tax as well as Singapore's strategy in harnessing green growth opportunities and improving carbon efficiency in all sectors.
-   Public Consultation on Developing Singapore's Long-Term Low Emissions Strategy (2019)
    -   The consultation targeted the republic's low carbon strategy after 2030 and it came in a year where student-led climate strikes took place around the world, including a climate rally staged in Hong Lim Park, Singapore.

School Outreach

The agency produces educational materials, such as posters, infographics, and drama programmes, aimed at raising awareness of climate change among youths in Singapore.[7]

Plans and Reports

Based on its own research, and data collected from other agencies, the NCCS publishes plans and reports which chart Singapore's response to climate change.[8]

Related Legislation

Carbon Tax

It was announced at Budget 2017 by the Minister of Finance that a carbon tax would be implemented from 2019 onwards, starting from $5 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. The tax applies to all facilities that emit more than 25,000 or more tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and is expected to increase to between $10 and $15 per carbon dioxide equivalent by 2023.

Coastal Protection

During the 2019 National Day Rally Speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong predicted that it may cost Singapore at least $100 billion to protect the island from rising sea levels. Possible options for the island-nation include building polders and dykes along the eastern coastline to protect low-lying areas, and reclaiming a series of islands form Marina East to Changi, connecting them with barrages and creating a reservoir.[9] It was also announced that a small polder was being built at Pulau Tekong to protect existing low-lying areas, and to allow the republic to gain some experience operating one.[10]

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[6]  Overview|website=www.nccs.gov.sg|access-date=2019-11-21}}

[7]  Education Materials|website=www.nccs.gov.sg|access-date=2019-11-21}}

[8]  Plans & Reports|website=www.nccs.gov.sg|access-date=2019-11-21}}

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title: National Climate Change Secretariat

question: Summarize the history and functions of Singapore's National Climate Secretariat (NCCS).

answer: The NCCS was set up in 2010 with Mr. Tan Yong Soon as its first Permanent Secretary. The agency was first put under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but was later brought under the Prime Minsiter's Office (PMO). The NCCS was set up to reduce carbon emissions in all Singaporean sections. NCCS is meant to assist the country in adapting to the effect of climate change as well as promote climate consciousness and action among the general populace.

question: Summarize the programmes set up by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS).

answer: The NCCS has held about three public consultations to date with the aim of collating p8ublic feedback on the country's climate change policies. These suggestions were gathered from both the private and public sectors to support efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The NCCS also set up a public consultation on Singapore's long-term carbon emission strategy after a student-led climate strike and a climate rally staged in Hong Lim Park in Singapore. The NCCS also prints educational materials like posters and infographics to raise awareness of climate change among the youths in Singapore. Based on feedback, the agency also publishes reports that charts Singapore's response to climate change.

question: In what ways does the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) fund its projects?


title: National Climate Change Secretariat

question: Explain what the Nation Climate Change Secretariat is.

answer: It is part of the strategy group that supports the Prime Minister and his Cabinet in coordinating Singapore's domestic and international policies and strategies in addressing climate change.

question: What changed as of November 2019?

answer: Mr. Benedict Chia (Director of Strategic Issues), Ms. Pamela Lee (Director of Policy and Planning), Ms. Janath Nisah (Assistant Executive) and Mr. Ho Hiang Kwee (Lead Technologist) began to head the NCSS.

question: What are the agency's 4 main responsibilities?

answer: First, it is to reduce carbon emissions throughout all sectors. Second is to assist the nation in adapting to the short and long term effects of climate change. Third is to tap on green growth opportunities brought by climate change. The final responsibility is to promote climate consciousness and action among the general public.

question: Who runs the NCCS?

answer: As of November 2019, Mr. Benedict Chia (Director of Strategic Issues), Ms. Pamela Lee (Director of Policy and Planning), Ms. Janath Nisah (Assistant Executive) and Mr. Ho Hiang Kwee (Lead Technologist) head the NCCS.

question: Describe what happened at the Public Consultation on Climate Change and Singapore.

answer: Suggestions and feedback were gathered from stakeholders across the private and people sectors to support efforts to develop Singapore's plan to reduce carbon emissions and promote green growth beyond 2020.

question: What is the carbon tax?

answer: It is a tax that would start from $5 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and applies to all facilities that emit more than 25,000 or more tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2019.

question: Does the NCCS have international support?

answer: That isn't made totally clear in the article, but Singapore did attend the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference and signed the Paris Agreement.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the history, programs, and related legislation of the National Climate Change Secretariat of Singapore. It is part of the strategy group that supports the Prime Minister and his Cabinet in coordinating Singapore's domestic and international policies and strategies in addressing climate change.