text:
About the Homicide Report

-   How can I contact the people who work on the Homicide Report?
-   What is the Homicide Report?
-   Why does the Homicide Report give the race/ethnicity of victims and suspects?
-   Why does the Homicide Report list killings by police?
-   Are there cases in which a homicide reported by the coroner is not included?
-   What about when someone is hit by a vehicle?
-   Are some homicides included that were not on a coroner’s list?
-   Why is the neighborhood reported in the post sometimes different than what appears on the map?
-   How did we calculate our neighborhood rankings?
-   What is the history of the Homicide Report?
-   How can I get access to Homicide Report data?
-   What are the rules for posting comments?

How families of homicide victims can get help

-   When a family loses someone to homicide, where can they turn for help?
-   What do victim advocates do?
-   What is the Victim Compensation Program?
-   How does someone qualify?
-   After the initial shock of the event and the burial of the victim, what happens next?
-   What rights do I have as a family member?
-   How do I reach the Bureau of Victim's Services?
-   Where is the body of the homicide victim?
-   How do I obtain death records?
-   How do I apply for financial compensation?
-   How do I request victim services? (Such as notification of a sentencing, a parole hearing date, or scheduled release)
-   What support groups are available?

About homicide in Los Angeles

-   How does Los Angeles’ homicide rate compare to other big cities in the U.S.?
-   Are black vs. brown race tensions driving homicide?

About the Homicide Report

How can I contact the people who work on the Homicide Report?

You can reach us by emailing homicidereport@latimes.com.

What is the Homicide Report?

The Homicide Report is an interactive map, database and blog that chronicles homicides in Los Angeles County. Any death deemed a homicide by the coroner’s office — the death of a human being by the hand of another — is included in the database. Coroner's officials currently are providing a bi-weekly list of homicides to The Times. At a minimum, the Homicide Report provides basic details of each killing. In addition, the report includes in-depth reporting of cases and communities, as well as updates when arrests are made and suspects are tried in court.

The report has changed a number of times over the years. It began as a blog, then evolved into a blog with a Google map to track killings. In fact, the original map was created by a reader and then followed by one of The Times’ first interactive mapping efforts. In January 2010, the report was converted into a searchable database with interactive maps allowing readers to sort killings by neighborhood, cause of death, race/ethnicity, age, gender, day of the week and more.

The latest version of the Homicide Report combines the best pieces of the map, database and blog to give readers a better sense or who is being killed and where. It includes every homicide in Los Angeles County since Jan. 1, 2000.

Why does the Homicide Report give the race/ethnicity of victims and suspects?

The report includes information on race or ethnicity of each homicide victim, as well as the name, gender, and age and the time, place and manner of death. A number of readers have asked why race is include and some have criticized the practice.

Racial information was once routinely included in news stories about crimes, but in recent decades newspapers and other media outlets stopped mentioning racial or ethnic information because of public criticism. Racial information came to be perceived as irrelevant to the reporting of crimes because it could stigmatize some racial groups.

The Homicide Report departs from this practice with the goal of presenting the most complete and accurate demographic picture of who is dying, and in some cases, who the suspected killer might be.

Race and ethnicity, like age, gender and where you live, are stark predictors of homicide risk.

According to Homicide Report data and reporting since 2007, Latinos, about half Los Angeles County’s population of about 10 million, have accounted for nearly half of all homicide victims.

Blacks, just 8% of the county’s residents, have accounted for 32% of all homicides. In 2013, blacks were killed at more than seven times the rate of all other racial and ethnic groups combined -- a fact that has remained stubbornly high as homicides have plummeted in the county.

Given the magnitude of difference in homicides along racial and ethnic lines -- and the suffering that the killing inflicts on family members, friends and neighborhoods -- we opt to present the racial and ethnic contours so conspicuous in the coroner’s data.

In making racial designations, The Times relies largely on the coroner’s designation. Occasionally, additional reporting from law enforcement or the victim’s family will lead us to make changes.

Why does the Homicide Report list killings by police?

The Homicide Report relies on the coroner’s designation in what we include in the database. Any death of a human being by another is included. The coroner’s definition also includes criminal homicides and justifiable homicides by civilians acting in self-defense.

A coroner’s investigation is separate from law enforcement. Coroner’s investigators take intent, as well as other factors, into account. To the coroner, “homicide” is a medical examiner’s term of art, not a legal concept.

Our homicide statistics sometimes differ from law enforcement because we use the coroner’s definition of homicide. In homicide data provided to the FBI, law enforcement agencies are not required to include officer-involved shootings.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses the same rationale as the coroner in its national mortality reports and includes justifiable homicides, police killings and other deaths. In 2010, the latest year for which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has published data, there were 16,259 homicides in the United States. The FBI reported 12,996.

The Homicide Report presents this larger data set for the county. For the 114 neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles, for example, the report counts 262 homicides in 2013, compared with 251 reported to the FBI. The higher total is a measure of lethal conflict between human beings in any form.

Are there cases in which a homicide reported by the coroner is not included?

Yes. In some cases, the coroner provides so little information that The Times may wait to include the case until additional details can be learned either from the coroner or law enforcement.

In addition, the coroner sometimes reports a death as a homicide when later investigation does not substantiate that conclusion.

When we initially transferred the blog into a database in 2010, if we had not previously written about the death on the blog we did not include coroner cases that had since been ruled not a homicide. This is was true of fewer than a handful of cases at the time.

The Times routinely gets updated information from the coroner in order to classify deaths correctly. We do our best to reconcile initial findings with final determinations. A death that is changed from a homicide to a non-homicide will still appear in the blog, but the change in status is noted and the death is no longer counted in our homicide tallies.

What about when someone is hit by a vehicle?

Someone killed in collision with a vehicle is typically considered to be a homicide only if authorities determine the driver had intentionally used the vehicle as a weapon. Criminal charges, including murder, may be filed after an investigation.

In some cases, the coroner may list the death of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle as a homicide from the start, as was the case of Alice Gruppioni, 32. Gruppioni was killed when she was struck by a car that drove into a crowd at the Venice boardwalk. Because police reported that the driver, Nathan Campbell, had turned himself in for what appeared to be a deliberate act it was deemed a homicide, said Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner’s office.

Campbell was charged with nearly three dozen felony counts, including murder.

Are some homicides included that were not on a coroner’s list?

Yes. In unusual instances, police report a homicide even though the coroner is not involved. This can happen if a body is not found. In other cases, details of a homicide are available from law enforcement officials before they are released by the coroner.

Why is the neighborhood reported in the post sometimes different than what appears on the map?

In 2009, The Times began working to standardize how the newspaper referred to neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles through the Mapping L.A. project. Readers were invited to help the staff get it right and as a result, 114 areas within the city of L.A. were defined with specific boundaries.

There are some posts that were written prior to the creation of the maps that may place an incident in another area or call the same area by a different name.

How did we calculate our neighborhood rankings?

Many crime statistics are reported per capita, or per person (usually something like "20 crimes per 100,000 residents"). The Homicide Report uses both per-capita crime rates and per-square-mile rates to give you an idea of crime per resident and crime as compared to the size of the neighborhood.

Typically those statistics are reported at a citywide level. In large cities such as Los Angeles, they might also be reported by police district.

The Times took several factors into account to analyze the rates of homicide throughout the 114 L.A. city neighborhoods and 158 other cities and unincorporated areas of L.A. County included in the report. All areas are ranked from highest rates of homicides to lowest based on the number of people killed over the time period, the population of the neighborhood, and the size of the neighborhood.

We use a simple formula known as the geometric mean. This lets us average the per-capita and per-square-mile rates in a meaningful way. After calculating the per-capita and per-square-mile statistics, we use the geometric mean to come up with a number by which we can then rank the neighborhoods.

The result gives a fuller picture of homicides at the neighborhood and countywide level.

On the main Homicide Report map, the rankings fall into three broad categories, high (red), medium (orange) and low (yellow). In some cases, there are two few residents (or too few homicides) in a neighborhood to calculate a meaningful rate. We left areas with fewer than 1,000 residents unranked because the rate would be too volatile. Homicides in those areas remain on the map and can be found on that neighborhood's page. Those areas are shaded gray on the map.

What is the history of the Homicide Report?

The report was created in January 2007 by Jill Leovy as a reported blog. Leovy, who wrote nearly all of the unsigned posts from that year, launched the report as a way to balance crime coverage in the Los Angeles Times, where both tradition and the constraints of print space meant the focus of homicide reporting was on high-profile cases. The Homicide Report's aim from the start was to provide readers both a personal and a statistical story of who dies in violence. Leovy wrote posts regularly over the course of the next year and a half and established the Homicide Report as a key resources for readers.

Since then, the report has had several major contributors, including Anthony Pesce and Ruben Vives. Sarah Ardalani wrote the blog from 2009 to early 2013. Maloy Moore has been the report's researcher, maintaining the accuracy of the coroner's data. In June 2013, Nicole Santa Cruz was assigned to the project as a full-time reporter.

Iris Lee, a programmer on The Times Data Desk, currently maintains the Homicide Report. Ken Schwencke wrote the code to create the version that debuted in 2013. Lily Mihalik designed the current version.

How can I get access to Homicide Report data?

While we don't currently have a public API for accessing Homicide Report data, we provide data upon request for academic or research purposes. We do request that you credit the Los Angeles Times Homicide Report in any usage of the data, however, and of course that you let us know of your findings!

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How families of homicide victims can get help

Kathleen Cady, special assistant for the Los Angeles County Bureau of Victim Services, spoke to Los Angeles Times staff writer Jerome Campbell about resources available to people who have lost a loved one to violent crime. This interview has been edited and condensed.

When a family loses someone to homicide, where can they turn for help?

Contact the Bureau of Victim Services in the district attorney’s office: (800) 380-3811. In most cases, law enforcement and social workers will refer family members for help. Victim advocates may also learn of the homicide and reach out directly to a family. Family members also are free to call the office directly.

What do victim advocates do?

A victim advocate helps people through the process of dealing with a violent death or violent crime. Advocates are community members who are knowledgeable about local resources.

For instance, if the crime took place in your home and you are displaced, an advocate could help you find another place to live and contact the local food banks to help replenish your food supply.

The advocate also serves as a liaison to law enforcement to help get updates on the case. They can also help facilitate recovery of the body for the funeral service.

When they first meet with you, an advocate will try to handle immediate concerns. They will also help you fill out the paperwork to help you apply for the Victim Compensation program.

What is the Victim Compensation Program?

It is a state fund, paid by restitution fees, which is allocated to help victims of crimes of violence or threats of violence. Applications come to the California Victim Compensation and Government Board (VCGCB), and the board verifies eligibility and has the ability to approve allocations.

The money can be used for funeral and burial costs, clean-up of crime scenes, relocation expenses, medical bills, home security and counseling.

For emergencies, advocates have access to a small pool of money to handle immediate needs.

How does someone qualify?

The applicant must meet three criteria:

-   Applicant must be affected by a crime of violence.
-   Applicant must cooperate reasonably with law enforcement.
-   Applicant cannot have participated in the crime and cannot be be on parole or probation.

Victim advocates can help find low-cost or no-cost resources if the victim doesn't qualify.

After the initial shock of the event and the burial of the victim, what happens next?

The process for each family is never the same, so it is impossible to say what is normal. But the advocate helps people until there is some closure in the case.

If formal charges are brought against a suspect, the advocate can be available through the trial and escort family members into the courtroom.

In the event that no formal charges are made, advocates can help direct grieving family members to support groups in their communities.

If a suspect is charged and sentenced, there are other victim services through the appeals processes to help families.

Families can also contact the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to be notified of upcoming parole hearings or scheduled releases.

What rights do I have as a family member?

Marsy’s Law (also known as the California Victim’s Bill of Rights): www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim_services/Marsys_Law.html

How do I reach the Bureau of Victim's Services?

Los Angeles County district attorney's Bureau of Victim Services

//da.co.la.ca.us/victims

(800) 380-3811

Where is the body of the homicide victim?

Los Angeles County coroner

General: (323) 222-7041

Notification for release of body: (323) 343-0755

Family needs to have the following information for the coroner to release the body:

1.  Decedent's name
2.  Coroner’s case number (Victim advocate can help you get this)
3.  Your relationship to the decedent
4.  Name of the selected funeral director

Recover the victim’s personal property: (323) 343-0515

How do I obtain death records?

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: Vital Records Office, Death Section

(213) 240-7816

Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder / County Clerk's Office

(562) 462-2137

How do I apply for financial compensation?

The Bureau of Victim Services recommends that people seek the help of an advocate when applying for financial compensation, but you can also fill out the forms here: //vcgcb.ca.gov/victims/howtoapply.aspx.

How do I request victim services? (Such as notification of a sentencing, a parole hearing date, or scheduled release)

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Office of Victim Survivor Rights and Services

(877) 256-6877

What support groups are available?

Justice for Murdered Children

victimvoices@yahoo.com

(310) 547-5362

Project Cry No More

(310) 608-5774

Justice for Homicide Victims

JHVinfo@gmail.com

(310) 457-0030

justiceforhomicidevictims.com

The Compassionate Friends

(310) 474-3407

_This chapter offers Spanish-language support._

Comfort Zone Camp

Year-round free camp offered to children 7 to 17 who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling.

(310) 781-1032

www.comfortzonecamp.org

Parents of Murdered Children

lachapterofpomc@gmail.com

(310) 567-3540

www.pomc.com

Loved Ones Victim Services

services@lovs.org

(310) 337-7006

_This program offers support services in Spanish and English._

About homicide in Los Angeles

How does Los Angeles’ homicide rate compare to other big cities in the U.S.?

L.A. County accounted for nearly 32% of homicides in California and nearly 4% of all the homicides in the nation in 2012, the latest year for which the FBI has published statistics.

About 10 million people live in L.A. County, making for a high number of homicides when compared to other cities.

Over the last decade, homicide rates have plunged in Los Angeles County, as they have in most of the nation’s urban areas. In 1992 and 1993, peak years of a national homicide epidemic, the rates were more than double what they are today. There are, on average, almost two homicides daily in Los Angeles County now; six per day was the average in the early 1990s.

Some major cities have lower rates than city of Los Angeles, the county's largest municipality. For example, L.A’s homicide rate is not as low as New York City’s.

The average national homicide rate is 4.7 per 100,000. In the city of Los Angeles, the rate was 7.7 per 100,000 in 2012. In New York City, the rate was 5 per 100,000, according to FBI statistics and census data from 2012.

Citywide and countywide homicide rates are deceiving because, like all big metropolitan areas, Los Angeles County contains a combination of safe and dangerous neighborhoods. Areas with very few homicides, such as Brentwood, Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills Beverly Hills and Woodland Hills, form a patchwork with areas with a lot of homicides, such as Westmont, Watts, Vermont Vista, Broadway-Manchester and Green Meadows.

So when you scroll through the list of victims on the Homicide Report, think of the data not just as an L.A. picture but as an American one. This is the local version of a longstanding national homicide problem.

Are black vs. brown race tensions driving homicide?

No. Rarely are cases the result of racial tensions.

“The few black on brown or brown on black homicides that we have are usually gang-related or gang-motivated and driven by gang or narcotics disputes,” said LAPD Det. Sal LaBarbera, a detective supervisor in the Criminal Gang Homicide Division, which handled more than 40% of the city’s homicides in 2013.

LaBarbera said that in the jails and prisons, crimes are more likely motivated by racial tensions but rarely does the conflict spill into the street.

Tension between blacks and Latinos does exist in L.A. and sometimes, homicides result. For example, a string of racially motivated gang killings in Highland Park in the late 1990s went to trial in federal court in 2006.

question: Is this article a useful source for those who need to know about the Homicide Report?

answer: Yes, this article is very useful as it covers an extent of questions that one may have on the Homicide Report.

question: Do you think the Homicide Report is a useful took to Los Angeles County?

answer: Homicide Report is a useful tool to Los Angeles County ( police officers and citizens).

question: Do you think giving out racial information in the Homicide Report is justified?

answer: Giving out racial information in the Homicide Report is justified as it helps to collect data and will help law enforcement provide extra protection to those who are the most targeted.


split: train

text:
Knocking myself for my bout of self-indulgence I ran on. Now was not the time to think of such things. Now I just needed to return to my troop and figure out a plan to deal with those bios.
"Alright you mental little shits." We were gathering around Erwin, heads pushed together, limiting the power of our transmissions not to extend beyond the furthest of us.

"I hadn't seen an psychs over there Erwin."

"I still feel better not taking any chances - Hey Rocket, how many cells we have left?" Rocket, as he was known to our group, got his name from those legs of his. I had never seen a human outrun a car till I met him. He was one of the first after the crisis. One of the first to undergo extremely experimental surgery to become superhuman. When LeRoy had underwent the knife he was just your average military field surgeon - but when he came out half machine...well his legs weren't the only thing he lost in that surgery.

Three fingers. We only had three cells left. Three cells between 20 men, deep in enemy territory. Separated from the main force in what was supposed to be a simple scouting mission.
"Alright. We've been in worse straits." That was true enough, last week we had been surrounded 6 psychs...but never had we been separated by miles of, now enemy, urban sprawl. "All we have to do is keeping pushing north."

"We'll skirt this camp to the west," with that statement a map was transmitted to all of us with a rough arrow showing where he was talking about, "then we'll just continue our little stroll back to main force." I couldn't help but smile at his delivery of that last statement. That's why our force trusted him. He had a way of making light of every situation and keeping the rest of the them in good spirits. "All right then. Let's roll out."

With that we fell in behind our commander. Trusting the path that he blazed for us we actively hid our vital signs and those of us with EM suppression abilities tried to hide the telltale human mind from any psychs that may have been wandering about. As we jogged forward, avoiding areas that seemed 'jiggy' to Erwin, I let my mind wander back to before.

Before this shit storm. Back when I was just a researcher in a human enhancement team. A pang of guilt struck me as I looked at Rocket. What have we become. I quickly pushed that aside and firmly reminded myself that we are survivors. We will do what we must. We will fight to survive.

"Vitals." Erwin pulled up and glanced at me. "What do you see there Mr. Spook?" That was apparently his favorite name for me, it was a play on that fact I could essentially disappear and my scientist background.

"I'm not a Vulcan - but I see two heat signatures in that red brick house there."

"Are they others?" Erwin shot back at me. "No sir. Humans by the look of it. Their signature is not hot enough to be others" Erwin looked back at the fragged out brick house. "Alright. Let's see what we can do for them."

A quick jog and our 20 man recon team pulled up to the remnants of the ancient building. Erwin looked at me and shoved his head in the direction of the entrance and I grudgingly cloaked and went inside. As I found my way around old furniture and new destruction I wondered how anyone could be surviving out here, until I finally found the heat sources.

I looked at them. Lost for words.

"Whatcha seein in there Davis?" Erwin's voice came through clear but still somehow muddled by my thoughts. There was no way this was possible.

"Davis! Report."

"Sir. I found..." I paused finding the words not wanting to leave my tongue from simple incredulity. "What did you find boy?" "A live woman and a little girl sir."

Silence.

~~~~Let's see where this goes. I'm really enjoying this story and finding it as I write it. :)

title: [Sci-Fi] Rebirth of a Race [Part 2]

question: Why is the soldier surprised to encounter a woman and a little girl in the enemy territory?

answer: Because there seems a lack of women or girls in the world.


text:
[]

 Architect of the Capitol

In passing a major defense policy bill on Tuesday, the Senate also agreed to limit veterans’ preference in federal hiring.

Veterans’ preference would only apply to a vet’s first job in federal service under a provision in the Senate fiscal 2017 Defense authorization bill. The provision, which is new this year, would not allow veterans’ preference – a confusing and often controversial factor in federal hiring – to be an advantage in any subsequent federal jobs that an eligible employee applies for. In other words, vets would receive the additional points that veterans’ preference confers during the application process for their first jobs in federal government, but not for any future positions within the competitive service.

The measure also would affect certain close relatives of veterans, including spouses and parents, who are eligible for veterans’ preference under specific circumstances when applying for federal jobs. While the provision is part of the annual Defense policy bill, it would apply governmentwide.

The House NDAA, which lawmakers in that chamber passed last month, does not contain a similar provision.

It’s not clear whether the veterans’ preference limit will end up in the final version of the NDAA that the House-Senate conference committee crafts. The House Armed Services Committee would not comment on the issue. “Committee policy is not to comment on provisions that will be a subject of conference,” said Claude Chafin, the committee’s communications director, by email on Wednesday.

Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., who is chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and is a member of the Armed Services Committee, said vets’ preference shouldn’t be an issue.

“The way veterans preference works is that when a hiring decision comes down to two equally qualified candidates and one is a veteran, the veteran gets hiring preference. Anyone who believes otherwise is misinterpreting the law,” Miller said in a statement earlier this month on the subject.

Many hiring managers, human resources specialists and veterans do not understand how vets’ preference works in federal hiring. It’s played a role in complaints filed over whether the benefit -- designed to help former service members find jobs and increase diversity in government – was applied fairly. Veterans and non-veterans have complained about being shut out of government service because of it.

The “rule of three” in competitive service hiring required that eligible vets receive an extra 5 to 10 points during the application process. But since 2010, agencies have increasingly used the “category rating” system (the "rule of three" is still on the books, however) which splits candidates into different “qualified” categories, resulting in a list of the most qualified applicants that HR specialists send to hiring managers. So, if a veteran and a non-veteran are equally qualified for the job, the veteran will prevail because of vets’ preference. But not all applicants have the necessary basic qualifications for a job, and sometimes you might have two qualified vets competing against one another for a job that only one of them will get.

Cheston McGuire, press secretary for the American Federation of Government Employees, has said that the union opposes the proposed change to vets’ preference in the Senate NDAA, and doesn’t support “the limiting of veterans’ preference across government.”

Another provision in the Senate NDAA would repeal the Defense secretary’s authority to waive the 180-day restriction on military retirees leaving the service and taking a civilian job in the department, based on “a state of national emergency.” Lawmakers expressed concern over the influx of military retirees – more than 41,000 -- hired by Defense within 180 days of retiring between 2001 and 2014, according to the Senate Armed Services Committee’s NDAA report. More than one-third of those hires were made before the service member retired, and more than half were appointed within one pay period post-retirement.

“These figures strongly imply a significant number of these members were hired directly into the offices which they supported while in the military,” the report said. “While not improper, per se, it does, as the MSPB report noted, create suspicions.” The committee was referring to a 2014 Merit Systems Protection Board report on veteran hiring into the civil service.

“The committee appreciates the unique and broad experience military retirees bring to the civil service, but the committee also recognizes the virtues afforded by career civil servants,” the Senate report said. “Most military retirees and other veterans already receive hiring preferences in recognition of their service. Beyond that, the committee believes veterans and retirees should compete on equal footing with other qualified applicants.”

question: What is the broad theme of this document?

answer: Politics

question: What is the context of "does not contain a similar provision"?

answer: The House NDAA passed a provision a month before this document which did not apply governmentwide for the removal of veterans' preference.

question: What is the veterans' preference?

answer: When a hiring decision comes down to two equally qualified candidates and one is a veteran, the veteran gets hiring preference. It was designed to help former service members find jobs and increase diversity in government.

question: What is the "rule of three"?

answer: In competitive service hiring, the "rule of three" required that eligible vets receive an extra 5 to 10 points during the application process.

question: What people are cited in this document?

answer: Those cited specifically are Cheston McGuire, press secretary for the American Federation of Government Employees, and Jeff Miller, a Florida Representative and chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

question: What measure would affect certain close relatives of veterans?

answer: The removal of veterans' preference will affect those who are eligible for veterans' preference under certain circumstances when applying for federal jobs.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This document discusses when the Senate passed a bill to limit veterans' preference in federal hiring.


text:
JOHN S. DOUGLAS[1] (born 13 March 1961) is an English former footballer who played as a forward for Darlington in the Football League.

Douglas was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.[2] He played non-league football for Stockton before joining Darlington in January 1986.[3] He made his debut on 31 March 1986, in the starting eleven for the visit to Rotherham United in the Third Division; Darlington won 2–1. He played in three more matches in what remained of the 1985–86 season: two league starts and a substitute appearance in the Associate Members' Cup.[4]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: John Douglas (footballer)

question: What position did Douglas play?

answer: He played as a forward.

question: How old is Douglas in 2021?

answer: He's 60 years old.

question: Where was Douglas born?

answer: He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, in County Durham.

question: How did Douglas' debut turn out?

answer: His team, Darlington, won 2-1.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses John Douglass, a former English footballer who played as a forward for Darlington in the Football League. He made his debut with Darlington in March, 1986.


text:
I wrote this when I was bored one day. Feel free to critique and give your opinion! Thanks! :)

   How could I have come so close, only to let it go? I could’ve saved him. All I have to do was reach out my hand, and this all could have been avoided. But I hesitated. If only I could turn back the clock, and relive that moment. Be there for my friend. It is my fault that Brian is dead, and I will never forgive myself for that. The one time he needed me, I wasn’t there. The look in his eyes as he fell is one I will never forget. A look of sadness, despair, disappointment that his trusted friend had allowed him to die in vain. Why can’t I do it all over again? Grab him the instant he slipped? I’m sorry, Brian. I’m so so sorry…

title: My Biggest Regret

question: What was the narrator saving Brian from?

answer: Brian slipped and fell, but the narrator couldn't save him.

question: What is the narrator's relationship with Brian?

answer: They are friends.

question: What type of emotions does the narrator seem to experience?

answer: The narrator seems to be experiencing remorse, sadness, and shame.

question: What moment does the narrator want to relive?

answer: The narrator wants to relive the moment Brian slipped so that they could save him.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator expresses deep remorse over not being able to save their friend Brian when he died due to slipping and falling.


text:
From the WebMD Archives
By Alan Mozes

_HealthDay Reporter_

FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- For people who've battled certain common forms of skin cancer, use of a generic cream called 5-FU may greatly reduce the odds that the disease will come back, new research shows.

The study tracked outcomes for just over 930 U.S. veterans who averaged 70 years of age. All had already been diagnosed with a minimum of two basal cell carcinomas and/or squamous cell carcinomas.

That meant their risk for a skin cancer recurrence was high, the researchers said.

However, just a month's application of 5-FU (fluorouracil 5 percent) appeared to have a lasting impact in preventing a recurrence -- even after use of the cream was stopped. So concludes a study led by Dr. Martin Weinstock, professor of dermatology at Brown University in Providence.

"The most remarkable thing about this study is that now we have something to use that doesn't lose its effectiveness when you stop using it," Weinstock said in a Brown news release.

There was one drawback to the cream treatment, however: About one in every five of the men suffered "severe" skin side effects from using 5-FU, while 40 percent complained of moderate side effects.

One skin cancer specialist who reviewed the findings said that while 5-FU can prevent skin cancers, side effects remain an issue.

"5-FU has been used in the treatment of pre-cancers for decades and is a tried and true treatment, but it comes at a price in side effects and downtime from redness, scaling, irritation and even pain for those being treated," said Dr. Doris Day. She's a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Adjustments can be made to minimize these effects, she said, but "it is very important to have a thorough and clear discussion to explain what the patient can expect during treatment and to consider treating one area of the face at a time, such as forehead, nose, cheek or chin."

The new four-year trial involved older male veterans, most of whom were white. They'd typically spent a great deal of time in the sun during their service and had already developed at least two cases of a non-melanoma skin cancer.

Continued

The veterans were divided into two groups. For a month, one group applied the 5-FU cream twice per day on their face and ears, while the second group did the same with an inactive placebo cream that didn't contain the active drug.

All were also instructed to regularly use 30 SPF sunscreen.

The result: For men who'd used the active cream, the odds of developing another squamous cell carcinoma -- one bad enough to require surgery -- fell by 75 percent over the following year.

A similar but weaker trend was seen in terms of basal cell carcinomas, the researchers said.

The benefit did seem to fade after a year, the Brown team noted.

Side effects were also somewhat of a general concern, with about one-fifth of the vets reporting "severe" issues in terms of skin sensitivity, reddening and crustiness.

All of the skin reactions cleared up, however, when cream use stopped, and nearly 90 percent of those who had used 5-FU said they would do it again if it helped prevent cancer.

According to Weinstock, "This is the first study of its type. I'm hopeful there will be other studies that show other sorts of regimens that last longer and do a better job over time as science progresses. This is an important first step."

For her part, Day stressed that patients do have choices when it comes to skin cancer care.

"There are also other treatment options that can help clear sun damage" and the odds for a skin cancer, she said, including photodynamic ("light") therapy and a medicinal cream known as imiquimod.

"Patients should know their treatment options and be able to select the one that would be most comfortable and easiest for them," Day said.

The new findings were published online Jan. 3 in _JAMA Dermatology_.

Pagination

question: What does the text say about a diet for healthier skin?

question: What does the text say about 5-FU?

answer: 5-FU (fluorouracil 5 percent) is a generic cream that may greatly reduce the odds that certain common forms of skin cancer coming back after treatment. A month's application of 5-FU on patients diagnosed with a minimum of two basal cell carcinomas and/or squamous cell carcinomas appeared to have a lasting impact in preventing a recurrence even when the cream was stopped. However, while 5-FU can prevent skin cancers, side effects remain an issue.

question: What does the text say about the side effects patients get from using 5-FU?

answer: About one in every five of the men in the study suffered "severe" skin side effects from using 5-FU, while 40% complained of moderate side effects. Side effects include redness, scaling, irritation, and even pain, not to mention the downtime patients have to deal with waiting for these effects to heal. Adjustments can be made to minimize side effects. It is also recommended that 5-Fu treatment be done on one area of the face at a time.

question: What does the text say about Dr. Weinstock and Dr. Day?

answer: Dr. Martin Weinstock is a professor of dermatology at Brown University in Providence. He came up with the study involving 930 U.S. veterans (average age: 70) whose risk for skin cancer recurrence was high. Dr. Doris Day is a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She says that while 5-FU has been a tried and tested treatment for pre-cancer, side effects remain an issue. Dr. Day stresses that there are other treatment options available that can help clear sun damage, including photodynamic (light) therapy, and a medicinal cream known as imiquimod.


text:
“TUMHE DILLAGI” is a ghazal song written by lyricist Purnam Allahabadi and composed by prominent Sufi singer of Pakistan Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.[1]

2013 remix

It was recreated and released as a single on 5 August 2013 by A1melodymaster for the album _Reformed_; which released on 16 March 2017 with different renewed songs of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.[2]

2016 versions

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's nephew; Rahat Fateh Ali Khan; also recreated the song several times.

_MTV Unplugged_

His live performance for _MTV Unplugged_ (India) season 5 episode 6 was released in 2016.[3]

ARY Digital

ARY Digital also adopted his voice and released few days later for Nadeem Beyg's Pakistani drama serial _Dil Lagi_; starring Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat. Music has been composed by Sahir Ali Bagga.[4][5]

T-Series

The song was recreated by composer duo Salim–Sulaiman as a single music video. Producer Bhushan Kumar said, “Instead of just remixing the number, we have recreated the track with new lyrics” by Manoj Muntashir.[6][7] The video, that has been directed by Kiran Deohans, stars actors Huma Qureshi and Vidyut Jammwal.[8][9]

[1]

[2] Reformed. Amazon.com. Retrieved 1 August 2017.

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

title: Tumhe Dillagi

question: Who wrote the song?

answer: Purnam Allahabadi

question: Who composed the song?

answer: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a prominent Sufi singer from Pakistan

question: When was Khan's live performance for MTV Unplugged released?

answer: 2016

question: When was the song released?

answer: That information can't be found, but a remix was released on August 5, 2013

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: "Tumhe Dillagi" is a ghazal song written by Purnam Allahabadi and composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a prominent Sufi singer from Pakistan. A remix was released in 2013, and several other versions have been released since then.


text:
The ALICE LORD GOODINE HOUSE is a historic house at 1304 Scott Highway (United States Route 302) in Groton, Vermont. It presently houses the GROTON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY. The building has a complex history, and is tied to the earliest settlement period of the village. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[1]

Description and history

The Goodine House is located in the linear village center of Groton, on the north side of Scott Highway near its junction with Powder Spring Road. Scott Highway (US 302) is a major regional east-west route, connecting to Montpelier in the west and Littleton, New Hampshire in the east, and points beyond. The house is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, with a gabled roof and attached carriage barn on the west side. Its traditional main entrance faces the street, but the current library entrance is located on the long western facade. The street facade has a commercial storefront on the ground floor, with rectangular display windows flanking a now-disused recessed entrance. Above this on the second floor is a hip-roofed porch with turned posts and balustrade in the Victorian style. The library entrance on the side has flanking sidelight windows, and is sheltered by a deep gabled hood, supported by simple angle brackets.[2]

The building has a complex building history, originating in the construction of a single-story Cape style building that was attached to what is now known as the J.R. Darling Store, just to the west. It was operated as a tavern in that setting for many years, and also hosted town meetings for a time. In 1877 it was acquired by businessman J.R. Darling. He separated the two buildings, moving the tavern to this site, raising it, and building a new first floor underneath it. At this time it was described as serving as an inn, with the innkeeper living on site. The street-facing commercial storefront is probably an early 20th-century addition. In 1930 it was acquired by Etta M. Wilds Lord, mother of Alice Lord Goodine. The Lords were locally prominent; father Charles was the owner of a local newspaper. The Goodines were also prominent in the life of the community: Alice was a schoolteacher and gave music lessons, while Henry was a barber and operated a local diner. Alice Goodine died in 1998.[3]

[1]

[2]  with

[3]

title: Alice Lord Goodine House

question: Who was Alice Goodine?

answer: Alice Goodine was a schoolteacher. Her mother, Etta M. Wilds Lord, acquired the Goodine House in 1930.

question: When was the Goodine House built?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: What was the purpose of the Goodine House?

answer: For many years, it operated as a tavern and hosted town meetings. After being acquired by J.R. Darling, it was used as an inn. It presently hosts the Groton Free Public Library.

question: Where is the Goodine House located?

answer: 1304 Scott Highway in Groton, Vermont

question: Summarize everything relating to J.R. Darling.

answer: J.R. Darling was a businessman who acquired the Goodine House in 1877. The house was originally attached to what is now known as the J.R. Darling Store. Darling separated the two buildings.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The Alice Lord Goodine House is a historic house in Groton, Vermont. It dates back to at least the 1800s, and throughout its history has operated as a tavern and an inn. It now hosts the Groton Free Public Library.


text:
[]

“TRUST YOUR OWN INSTINCT. YOUR MISTAKES MIGHT AS WELL BE YOUR OWN, INSTEAD OF SOMEONE ELSE’S.” ~BILLY WILDER

I’ve had my share of toxic relationships. Is it fair to say you have too? My guess is that we’ve all endured the company of people who weren’t rooting for our highest good.

As for me, the relationships that were the most debilitating and unhealthy gave me the feeling that I wasn’t taking care of myself spiritually, mentally, or physically.

I felt like less than myself, like I was compromising my life goals with each second I stayed around those people. Mind you, these were both friendships and romantic relationships.

I call these relationships toxic because my authentic self withered away into someone I didn’t recognize as I denied all that was natural for me.

The label “toxic” means something that drains life and energy. Before I knew it, I was weak and feeble, subject to the whim of the person to whom I’d given my power.

I hung around those people too long in an effort to do what was supposedly right by societal standards—fighting to stay in a relationship instead of giving up “too soon.”

LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT MY DESIRE TO BE AGREEABLE AND ACCEPTED WAS SUFFOCATING WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR ME.

Why did I have to sacrifice my happiness for what society says is right? I was living stifled in self-judgment and fear, and I’m sure society couldn’t have cared less!

While some difficult relationships can open our eyes to new perspectives and expand our awareness, some obviously shut us in and hinder our development. Our intuition will alert us one way or the other. It tells us change and growth should feel good!

When I was in my toxic relationships, I ignored my intuition in favor of my logical mind, which told me that losing that person was worse than having him/her around.

But our intuition knows best. Unlike our mind, its only motive is our happiness.

“Toxic” doesn’t only entail obvious damage like physical abuse, stealing, or name-calling. It also represents all the internal turmoil that results from an unhealthy relationship. I’d like to share how I learned to recognize when I was in a relationship that wasn’t suitable for me.

These are five signs that you are in a toxic relationship:

1. It seems like you can’t do anything right.

The other person constantly puts you down and treats you like you’re not good enough. They mock your personality, and you feel ashamed most of the time. You only feel pardoned when you take on the traits of the person doing the condemning or judging.

2. Everything is about them and never about you.

You have feelings, too, but the other person won’t hear them. You’re unable to have a two-sided conversation where your opinion is heard, considered, and respected. Instead of acknowledging your feelings, they battle with you until they get the last word.

3.  You find yourself unable to enjoy good moments with this person.

Every day brings another challenge. It seems as though they are always raising gripes about you. Their attempt to control your behavior is an attempt to control your happiness.

4. You’re uncomfortable being yourself around that person.

You don’t feel free to speak your mind. You have to put on a different face just to be accepted by that person. You realize you don’t even recognize yourself anymore, and neither do your closest friends and family.

5. You’re not allowed to grow and change.

Whenever you aim to grow and improve yourself, the other person responds with mockery and disbelief. There is no encouragement or support for your efforts. Instead, they keep you stuck in old judgments insisting that you will never be any different than you are now.

If you’re experiencing even just one of these signs, check in with yourself to see if the relationship is doing more damage than good. Evaluate the relationship and what it’s worth to you.

Embrace the answers that come from your intuition, as it wants the best for you—and this relationship might not be it.

Take deliberate action according to your gut feeling. You won’t be sorry.

You may choose to talk about your feelings with the other person, or you may decide to put more space between the two of you.

If you’re feeling uncomfortable or unsettled in the relationship, it’s important that you not wait around until the effects of the misery settle into depression. Taking any action is the best medicine.

Now it’s your turn: Without giving names, do you find yourself in a toxic relationship? Have you left a toxic relationship and want to share how that decision has changed your life? Or are you afraid to leave a toxic relationship because you fear the repercussions? Leave a comment and share your experience.

_An added note: If you’re in a physically abusive relationship, get help today. Don’t wait._

[]

About Yvette Bowlin

Yvette Bowlin, an expert in decluttering your life, coaches on how to clear clutter from the inside out. Her trademarked philosophy and techniques are the first of their kind to help business owners declutter for clarity, balance, peace, and productivity. Find Yvette on Twitter and Facebook and visit her site at mind.declutterist.com.

See a typo or inaccuracy? Please contact us so we can fix it!

question: Describe in a few words how to identify when a person is in a toxic relationship.

answer: When they always try to please the other, the other person always insists on being right, they are never happy around the other person, and they cannot be themselves around the other person.

question: How does a person in a toxic relationship give power to the other person.

answer: By allowing them to have control over their emotions.

question: Can a person in a toxic relationship seek professional help?

answer: Yes.

question: How does a person overcome toxic relationships?

answer: By taking necessary actions to embrace the truth about the relationship and walk away from it.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The author talks about the reality of toxic relationships, using herself as an example of experiencing one. She highlights some signs to identify if a person is involved in a toxic relationship, be it romantic or not. She talked about how toxic relationships can affect a person's personality; they cannot recognize themselves, so they need to examine the damage the relationship is causing them and take time off the relationship. Furthermore, she advises people in abusive relationships to seek necessary help instead of suffering in silence.


text:
The 2017 TEXAS LONGHORNS FOOTBALL TEAM, known variously as “Texas”, “UT”, the “Longhorns”, or the “Horns”, was a collegiate American football team representing the University of Texas at Austin as a member of the Big 12 Conference in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season; the 2017 team was the 125th to represent the university in college football. The Longhorns were led by first-year head coach Tom Herman with Tim Beck as the team's offensive coordinator and Todd Orlando as the team's defensive coordinator. The team played its home games at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Following a 5–7 season the previous year, the 2017 preseason involved a complete overhaul of the coaching staff for the Texas Longhorns football team. On November 27, 2016, Houston head coach Tom Herman was hired as the Longhorns head coach, replacing Charlie Strong.[1]

Recruiting

Position key

  ------------------ ---- ------------------- -------- ------------------- ---- --------------- ---- -- ---------------- ----
  Back               B                        Center   C                        Cornerback      CB      Defensive back   DB
  Defensive end      DE   Defensive lineman   DL       Defensive tackle    DT   End             E
  Fullback           FB   Guard               G        Halfback            HB   Kicker          K
  Kickoff returner   KR   Offensive tackle    OT       Offensive lineman   OL   Linebacker      LB
  Long snapper       LS   Punter              P        Punt returner       PR   Quarterback     QB
  Running back       RB   Safety              S        Tight end           TE   Wide receiver   WR
  ------------------ ---- ------------------- -------- ------------------- ---- --------------- ---- -- ---------------- ----

Recruits

Texas signed a total of 18 recruits.

Personnel

An entire staff needed to be built as Coach Herman chose not to retain any current staff members that were under Coach Strong. The initial group of 6 that followed Herman from Houston to Texas included four assistant coaches, all of whom have extensive coaching experience in the state of Texas with three being Texas natives. Former Longhorn great Oscar Giles, Corby Meekins, Derek Warehime and Jason Washington all were coaches on Herman's Houston staff and will join him in Austin. Positions and titles for the assistant coaches will be announced after the completion of the staff. In addition, Fernando Lovo will serve as Assistant AD for Football Operations, while Derek Chang will be Director of Player Personnel. Both also come from Herman's UH staff.[2]

Texas then added another former Herman UH assistant, the one year offensive coordinator from Rutgers Drew Mehringer as the passing game coordinator.[3] 4 more pieces of the puzzle then were announced on Dec 19, more from his Houston staff. Todd Orlando, who was Hermans Defensive Coorindator at Houston comes over in the same role. Assistant Coach Craig Naviar also joins him. Additionally, Yancy McKnight will serve as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Football, while Tory Teykl will be Director of Football Operations.[4] Herman also added the recently retired NFL player and former Longhorn Michael Huff as a quality control/assistant DB coach.[5]

Roster and coaching staff

Schedule

Media affiliates

Texas' flagship radio station is KTXX-FM (“The Horn”, 104.9 FM) based in Austin, Texas. Fourteen other FM stations and twenty-one AM stations cover UT's football games around Texas, while a pair of FM and AM stations based in Austin cover Texas games in Spanish. Texas Longhorns football games are broadcast via satellite radio on Sirius channel 117, XM channel 202, and SiriusXM channel 969.[6]

Rankings

[1] http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18140313/texas-longhorns-hire-tom-herman-replace-charlie-strong

[2] http://texassports.com/news/2016/11/29/football-herman-hires-six-staff-members-at-texas.aspx

[3] http://www.burntorangenation.com/2016/12/11/13914786/drew-mehringer-texas-longhorns-tom-herman-rutgers-scarlet-knights

[4] http://www.texassports.com/news/2016/12/19/football-herman-hires-four-staff-members-at-texas.aspx

[5] http://www.hookem.com/2016/12/07/former-american-safety-michael-huff-joins-texas-staff/

[6]

title: 2017 Texas Longhorns football team

question: What is the Texas Longhorns?

answer: The Texas Longhorns is the name of a football team.

question: Who is the coach of the Texas Longhorns?

answer: Tom Herman is the coach, he replaced Charlie Strong.

question: How many recruits did the team sign in 2017?

answer: They signed 18 recruits in 2017.

question: What radio stations are affiliated with the Texas Longhorns?

answer: KTXX-FM, the Horn (104.9 FM) is the flagship station for Texas. This, along with 14 other FM stations in the state covers the Longhorn's games.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Texas Longhorns Football Team, led by coach Tom Herman, recruited 18 new recruits in 2017. For those interested in hearing more about the team, tune in to KTXX-FM, the Horn.


text:
JAM (or may called _JA'AM_) is a native title of rulers of a few princely states, notably born in western British India by the Samaa dynasty and their Jadeja branch.

JAM:

-   The leaders of the Islam-converted Samaa dynasty Rajputs of the Greater Sindh Sultanate

JAM SAHIB :

-   The rulers of Nawanagar State, a Salute state, since its 1535 foundation, until their promotion to MAHARAJA JAM SAHIB in 1895
-   The rulers of Las Bela State in Pakistan, descended from the Samma dynasty

Notable Jams

-   Jam Tamachi (Jam Khairuddin) (1367–1379 AD) or Jam Khairuddin bin Jam Unad, a famous sultan of the Samma dynasty
-   Jam Nizamuddin II (866–914 AH, 1461–1508 AD), the most famous sultan of the Samma dynasty
-   Jam Rawal or Jam Shri Rawalji Lakhoji Jadeja (1480-1562), Jadeja Rajput ruler of Kutch State (1524-1548) and founder-ruler of Nawanagar State (1540-1562)
-   Jam Ferozudin (1508–1527) or Jam Feruz bin Jam Nizam, last ruler of the Samma dynasty 926 AH (1519 AD)
-   jam Bhamboo khan Dahar (1820-1870)[ [chief sardar of Dahars]] governor of south sindh sukkur to multan His generation still lives like Jam bhamboo boo dahar 3 his grandfather was very famous men Jam muneeer ahemd dahar and former minister.His heir still lives like Jam Hassnain,his great great grandsons for other info check the sardar dahars*Jam Sadiq Ali (1899-1992), former Chief Minister of Sindh
-   Jam Ghulam Qadir Khan (1920-1988), former Chief Minister of Balochistan, Pakistan and Jam of Lasbela
-   Jam Mohammad Yousaf Alyani (1954-2013): former Chief Minister of Balochistan and Jam of Lasbela

Cities named after Jams

-   Jam Nawaz Ali
-   Jam Shoro
-   Tando Jam
-   Jampur
-   Torbat-e Jam, Iran
-   Jamnagar, Gujarat, India

title: Jam (title)

question: What dynasty were the rulers of Las Bela State descended from?

answer: The rulers of Las Bela State were descended from the Samma dynasty.

question: Who was the last ruler of the Samma dynasty?

answer: Jam Ferozudin was the last ruler of the Samma dynasty.

question: Who founded the Nawanagar State?

answer: Jam Rawal founded the Nawanagar State.

question: When was Jam Ghulam Qadir Khan born?

answer: Jam Ghulam Qadir Khan was born in 1920.

question: What country is Jamnagar in?

answer: Jamnagar is in India.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Jam is a native name for a ruler in certain princely states, particularly of the Samma dynasty. Included is a list of notable Jams and cities named after Jams.


text:
New details are emerging about a UFO sighting recorded by the U.S. military in the waters off the coast of California 14 years ago.

The 2004 incident involving the “Tic Tac” UFO, named because it was a fast-moving white object that resembled one of the mints, was first revealed late last year by The New York Times and The Washington Post.

KLAS, the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, obtained a copy of a report “prepared by and for the military” in 2009 that details multiple interactions with anomalous aerial vehicles (AAVs) over two weeks in late 2004. The report also discussed the high speed and advanced cloaking capabilities that allowed the AAVs to evade observation and detection.

“The AAVs would descend ‘very rapidly’ from approximately 60,000 feet down to approximately 50 feet in a matter of seconds,” the report noted.

Pilots indicated there may have been something in the water as well. One pilot detailed a disturbance up to the size of a football field:

  “The disturbance appeared to be 50 to 100 meters in diameter and close to round. It was the only area and type of whitewater activity that could be seen and reminded him of images of something rapidly submerging from the surface like a submarine or a ship sinking.”

The disturbed area also resembled shoal water around “a barely submerged reef or island,” but as the pilot flew away, he could see that the disturbance had cleared and seas calmed. Although he never made visual contact with whatever caused the disturbance, the report stated that it may have been caused by an AAV, which was unseen due to cloaking “or invisible to the human eye.”

Another pilot described a disturbance beneath the water of an AAV that “looked like frothy waves and foam almost as if the water was boiling.”

A submarine in the vicinity did not detect anything unusual underwater. If an object was indeed in the Pacific Ocean, “it would represent a highly advanced capability given the advanced capability of our sensors.”

One aircrew reporting on the events received “a high level of ridicule” about the incident, the report noted.

The military did not confirm nor deny any of the details in the report and had little to say about other recent footage, including a video released in March of a 2015 encounter.

The videos of the “Tic Tac” UFO caused a sensation when they were first released last year as the Times reported on a secret Pentagon UFO program that has now concluded with no evidence of alien life visiting the Earth. However, Luis Elizondo, the former military intelligence official who led the program, indicated that there was more information the public had not yet seen.

“My personal belief is that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone,” he told CNN last December.

Other possible explanations include advanced capabilities by the U.S. military or foreign governments that have not yet been made public.

KLAS HAS POSTED THE ENTIRE MILITARY REPORT ONLINE HERE.

question: Where was the UFO sighting?

answer: It was off the coast of California.

question: Why are details about a UFO coming out at the time of the document, 14 years after its initial sighting?

answer: It's not totally clear, but it seems the details came after a copy of the report from 2009 was obtained by KLAS.

question: What is referred to as the "disturbed area"?

answer: The disturbed area is where the supposed UFO was spotted in the ocean. The area was about the size of a football field and had frothy waves that looked like boiling water.

question: Who were the ones to spot the UFO?

answer: It was spotted by pilots.

question: What does the government have to say about this UFO video?

answer: The military did not confirm or deny any details of the report on the UFO. A former military intelligence official, Luis Elizondo, suggests there is compelling evidence that humans may not be alone.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This document discusses when new details emerged about a UFO sighting recorded by the U.S. military in the waters off the coast of California 14 years prior to this document.


text:
November 27th, 1933 a sweet little girl with red hair and curls was born in County Cavan, Ireland. With the face of a cherub, this little girl had brothers and sisters and strong willed parents with a beautiful and interesting history following behind her. Born not only into a prominent family history, but money as well, this sweet little red headed girl with curls like ringlets went off to boarding school where the Nuns would teach her right from wrong, how to be a lady and where she would ask questions they would deem inappropriate. Running around with friends causing mayhem, this little girl would grow up with hands often touched by a ruler’s edge, and permanently scared knees due to kneeling on raw rice. As this tiny little girl began to grow into a woman, she began to experience changes-both emotionally, and physically-this was all under the wide umbrella of topics deemed inappropriate to discuss with anyone according to the Nun’s, so the little girl turning into a young lady remained silent. She remained silent for many moons, until one night on a train back from a field trip she went to use the train lavatory and ran out screaming and crying. She was bleeding to death. She was going to die. She wouldn’t make it home to see her family again. By now, a dear, lovely Nun found it impertinent to intervene and clear the matter up as efficiently as possible without going into too much detail about the inappropriate topic of womanhood.

“My dear little child, what are you screaming about?,” said the Nun.

“Oh Sister! I need you to give me my last rights! I’m bleeding to death!” said the young lady.

“You are? Where?”

“I’m bleeding…I’m bleeding from…” the young lady began to blush and could not finish her sentence without stumbling over her words.

“Yes child? I need you to tell me. Where are you bleeding from?

“I…I’m bleeding from…my genitals sister. I’m bleeding to death!” At this, the young girl began to sob with her face in her hands, and shoulders shaking profusely.

“Oh my child. You are not dying. But I do believe it is time we have a long talk. Come with me”

And that was the day this little girl, became a young lady.

Years later and this same young woman was carving a path for herself all through Europe, leaving a trail of blazing fire wherever she went. Full of life and love and adventures ready to be had she made her way to London at the very ripe age of 18. There may have been bad times happening, but my god she was not going to let that bring her down. With a wealthy family along side her, she was trailing through London leaving a string of broken hearted young men behind her. Until the day this fresh faced 18 year old beautiful woman met an American man here in the American Air force. It was a quick romance before, with the support of her family, this young and handsome couple decided to be joined in holy matrimony.  A few very short months later, the newly wedded couple was expecting their first child, but alas, the young husband had to fly home to America for his military and family duties. The young, pregnant wife was to follow shortly. At 8 months pregnant, she did. She missed her family and home in Europe already, but she was ready to join her husband and begin their American life together with their new baby. It was a future full of promises.

title: Joan Lovendoski, Part 1

question: Why is the child panicking?

answer: She believes she is dying when has her first menstruation.

question: Where did the girl grow up?

answer: At a boarding school in Ireland

question: Why did the woman immigrate to the United States?

answer: She married an American soldier and move to live with him.

question: How long was the woman pregnant before her husband left for the United States?

answer: More information is needed to answer the question.

question: How does the woman feel about the future?

answer: She seems to be optimistic.

question: Does the woman like living in the United States?

answer: She misses her family in Europe, but she appears to be happy.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This story covers the early life of a young Irish woman. She grows up at a boarding school, experiences puberty then marries an American man and moves to the US.


text:
The American Medical Association is suing North Dakota to block two abortion-related laws, the latest signal the doctors’ group is shifting to a more aggressive stance as the Donald Trump administration and state conservatives ratchet up efforts to eliminate legal abortion.

The group, which represents all types of physicians in the U.S., has tended to stay on the sidelines of many controversial social issues, which, until recently, included abortion and contraception. Instead, it has focused on legislation affecting the practice and finances of large swaths of its membership.

But, says AMA President Patrice Harris, the organization feels that, in light of new state laws in the U.S. that would force doctors who perform abortions to lie to patients—put “physicians in a place where we are required by law to commit an ethical violation”—it has no choice but to take a stand. One of these laws, set to take effect Aug. 1, requires physicians in North Dakota to tell patients that medication abortions—a procedure involving two drugs taken at different times—can be reversed. The AMA said that is “a patently false and unproven claim unsupported by scientific evidence.” North Dakota is one of several states to pass such a measure.

The AMA, along with the last remaining abortion clinic in North Dakota, is also challenging an existing state law requiring doctors to tell pregnant women that an abortion terminates “the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being.” The AMA argues in a statement on the lawsuit that law “unconstitutionally forces physicians to act as the mouthpiece of the state.”

It’s the second time this year the AMA has taken legal action on an abortion-related issue. In March, the group filed a lawsuit in Oregon in response to the Trump administration’s new rules for the federal family planning program. Those rules would, among other things, ban doctors and other health professionals from referring pregnant patients for abortions.

“The Administration is putting physicians in an untenable situation, prohibiting us from having open, frank conversations with our patients about all their health care options—a violation of patients’ rights under the [AMA’s] Code of Medical Ethics,” wrote then-AMA President Barbara McAneny.

It’s an unusually assertive stance for a group that has taken multiple positions on abortion-related issues over the years.

Mary Ziegler, a law professor at Florida State University who has written several books about abortion, says the AMA’s history on abortion is complicated. In general, she says, the AMA “didn’t want to get into the issue because of the political fallout and because historically there have been doctors in the AMA on both sides of the issue.”

In its earliest days, the AMA led the fight to outlaw abortion in the late 1800s, as doctors wanted to assert their professionalism and clear the field of “untrained” practitioners like midwives.

Abortion was not an issue for the group in the first half of the 20th century. The AMA became best known for successful fights to fend off national health insurance. Leading up to _Roe v. Wade_, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, the AMA reentered the fray, and appeared to soften its opposition. In 1970, the AMA board called for abortion decisions to be between “a woman and her doctor.”

But the organization declined to submit a friend-of-the-court brief to the high court during its consideration of _Roe_. Then, in 1997, in a surprise move, the AMA endorsed a GOP-backed measure to ban what opponents called “partial-birth abortions,” a little-used procedure that anti-abortion forces likened to infanticide.

In recent years, the AMA has taken mostly a back seat on abortion issues, even ones that directly addressed physician autonomy, leaving the policy lead to specialty groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which has consistently defended doctors’ rights to practice medicine as they see fit when it comes to abortion issues.

Ziegler said it is not entirely clear why the AMA has suddenly become more outspoken on women’s reproductive issues. One reason could be that the organization’s membership is skewing younger and less conservative. This year, for the first time, the AMA’s top elected officials are all women.

One reason the organization may be moving on the issue now could be shifting public opinion on abortion. In 1997, the abortion procedure ban that the AMA endorsed “polled well and allowed abortion opponents to paint the other side as extremist,” Ziegler says.

Exactly the opposite is true today, she says: most public opinion polls show a majority of Americans want abortion to remain legal in many or most cases.

“As abortion opponents take more extreme positions”—as states pass abortion bans more sweeping than those seen at any time since _Roe v. Wade—_ “the AMA is probably a little more comfortable intervening,” Ziegler says.

Molly Duane, a lawyer from the abortion-rights legal advocacy group Center for Reproductive Rights, who is arguing the case for the AMA and North Dakota’s sole remaining abortion clinic, says the laws they’re challenging are “something all doctors should be alarmed by.… This is an unprecedented act of invading the physician-patient relationship and forcing words into the mouths of physicians.”

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

_Kaiser Health News_ _(KHN) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente._

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CONTACT US at letters@time.com.

question: What does the article say about AMA's stance on abortion?

answer: While the AMA was against abortion during the time of its inception, but Mary Ziegler says that was to assert doctors as the medical decision-makers and force midwives out of the picture. For most of its operational lifetime, the AMA didn't take an official stance on abortion. The AMA opined that abortion should be a decision made between a woman and her doctor in 1970. While the organization refused to engage in the court decision of Roe vs Wade, it supported the ban of partial-birth abortions in 1997. Their current stance is that physicians shouldn't be forced to be mouthpieces of the government as the new laws force them to lie to their patients.

question: What does the article say about the latest laws about abortion?

answer: The new laws are contested by the American Medical Association (AMA) because they force doctors to lie to their patients. One of the laws requires doctors in North Dakota to tell their patients that medication abortions are reversible while the other one requires them to say the life of a whole person is terminated in abortions. The public stance favors abortions to remain legal, which is why the AMA is thought to be actively resilient against these laws, Mary Ziegler says. Center for Reproductive Rights lawyer Molly Duane says these laws should alarm all doctors.

question: What does the article say about forced abortions?


text:
_I need to wake the fuck up. I’m dreaming. But it feels too good to get up. The children’s voices ring in my dreamy memory, unconsciously serenading me to them. The children are playing in the playgrounds. It’s not their fun that attract some to them. Their shorts, almost exposed young white legs tamed by their pasty melanin, has me mesmerized. I’m not waking up. I’d rather stare. I don’t know to stop._

_My calendar reads: September 26, 1997. I’m 43 years today. I want me a young victim, I say to myself. Seven, to be exact._

_I call in sick. The chocolate factory is a doozy. Not much work; I just stand by the chocolate mixer and watch chocolate mix in with the almonds. I just push the big green button to start the process. Eight bucks an hour for that?_

_I tell my boss that I’m going out with my wife. Nobody knew much about my life, only that I was married. OK, was all he said._

_Bullshit, though. I never married. I, in my dream, awake to a nice and warm fall morning. Florida is all summer, so the fall was a false allusion to what I missed back in New England. It was 87 degrees in the morning, 95 tops. When you want little boys, I said to myself, there’s no place better than the young boys swinging in monkey bars in Florida._

_My hair is curly—a mess, I admit—but the boys like it. They are unforgiving bouncy curls that extend as the hair grows; the more hair, the tighter the curls. The healthier they look, too. I look to my left to see my white hamper, open and emitting a scent of musty sweat. Nerves left pits of sweat throughout my pile of dirty clothing. And I’d tell my ex that I worked out too much. Yeah, OK, she said, looking at my expanding stomach._

_I went straight into the hamper, and I took the clothes the smell the last offensive: Superman shirt (boys like that, I know), khaki cargo shorts, and black flip-flops. No deodorant, too._

_I leave my apartment and the heat tackles my arms and neck. At least I thought it was the heat. I’m nervous. Will he like me? I asked myself. I go to the playground near my home. It caught my attention. It always did. This playground was plain. Nobody paid attention to it. Perfect place to pick me a fresh young boy. The fresher the meat, the better the picking. Bunche Park is the name of this playground I snipe my targets at._

_The playground had the standard yellow slides, blue monkey bars, and hard plastic playhouses. Who woulda thought, I’d say to myself, walking twenty minutes to find little boys. On my birthday. Turning 43. Curls graying while the boy I want has no conception of the pubic hair. I liked it. I couldn’t help myself._

_I lived on 158th Street in Opa-locka. Not a bad distance from the incognito parks. Easy targets, barely any help available for the scared little boys._

_I make my way to the Bunche playground. I stop and smile, marveling the children and their ability to forget that they’re risking their lives to low lives who skip a full paycheck in order to fill their heads with false promises of hard candy, soda, and cookies. I couldn’t help myself, though._

_I see a small Cuban boy with hazel eyes. The sun assaulted me even more. The nerves were attacking me to strike. I felt the heat much more then before. My legs broke out in cold sweats under the 87 degree clouds._

_I’m nervous, I say to myself, but here I am. No turning back._

_I see him chasing a little girl in a purple skirt and gray top. She was one he seemed to have wanted. I felt envy coursing through my veins._

_I approached him._

_Hey, I said._
_Hola, said the boy._
_How old are you?_
_Turning seven._
_When?_
_In a few hours, Mister._
_Nice! Hey, want candy?_
_OK, Mister…_

_As I brought him closer to the exit of the park, I held his hand. His confused but clear eyes stared into my eyes. My palms started to sweat. He held my hand._

_I felt at ease with him, the little Cuban boy, who was turning seven in a few hours. We had walked the twenty minute to my home. I was going to wait to fondle him after I tell him that the closest I have to hard candy, cookies, and soda is a licorice in the pockets of my cargos. He had to find it. Putting his soft white hands into my pocket would help him._

_As we approached the entrance of my home,_

I yelled myself back to reality. 7:01 A.M. I was a minute late to getting ready to go to work. But before I lefty head, I reached over to my nightstand, over my girlfriend, and got my phone. I called my psychologist.

Hey Michael, she said. Good morning. Beautiful day out, eh?
Yep, I said.

I got nervous. It was hot out. I turned on the TV.

87 degrees this morning. 95 tops, the meteorologist said.

title: [RF] Bunche Park

question: Summarize the plot twists in the story.

answer: The narrator seems to go through with the kidnapping of a small child. In the beginning, he (Michael) says it's a dream, but the wording makes it seem possible that he did wake up at some point. However, the reader discovers in the end that he wakes up. There is an additional twist that denotes the idea that Michael might have just lived the future-the weather stats are the same as in his dream.

question: Explain if the kidnapping event did or did not take place at any point in the present, future, or past.

question: Summarize what is meant by "easy targets".

answer: It seems the author is set on kidnapping a child that day. In an area such as a busy park where there are tons of children milling about with little adult supervision, it should be easy to select a child who looks isolated. The narrator also seems to be seeking a child who wants attention; he also mentions that predators use their money to fund enticing treats.

question: Summarize whether or not the narrator is a bad person.

answer: The term "bad person" is a subjective term; however, sometimes the actions and/or behaviors of a person can allude to whether or not their character is upstanding. Michael, the narrator, does seem rather unsavory, as he is fantasizing about luring a young boy and kidnapping him. In one particularly disgusting segment, he discusses curly hair and pubic hair, alluding to possible plans to sexually assault the boy. It is unusual and widely reviled for a man of 43 years to be this interested in a child who is a stranger, and the part about a sexual area of the body makes it even worse. In conclusion, Michael seems like a very bad person, indeed.


text:
The Maniac

By: Leah Pagano

Chapter 1: Introducing a maniac
Brett grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. He went to church every Sunday and had a very loving family. But from the time he was a small boy he knew there was something different about him. He could always feel this rage inside of him waiting to burst out. He always held it in for fear of his parents sending him away to the looney bin. But one day when he was about thirteen years old, he stumbled upon a stray cat when he was walking home from school. Normally these cats were afraid of people, but not this one. He was very friendly. So Brett picked him up and took him home knowing his parents wouldn't be home for hours. This was the first time Brett would kill. He thought about it the whole way home. Every step he took the rage grew stronger. He started perspiring profusely. He finally hit the front door of his house but instead of going in he just stood there a few minutes. He turned and decided to go into the basement. He would remain down there for two hours. No sounds. No wails. Just a pool of blood spilling out from under the door. Brett had just unlocked his rage. The worst was yet to come.
	He had just figured out the way to control his rage. Killing. He knew it was wrong but he figured it was just animals so it was okay. What he didn’t realize was that he was slowly turning into a monster. Day after day he slaughtered these poor animals and each day he became stronger, more violent. His fits of rage lasted longer and longer until he finally snapped. This was it. Today would be the day he took it one step further.
Chapter 2: It’s only A Crime If You Get Caught
	He waited patiently outside the grocery store day after day looking, hoping to find The One. The One that would set him free. The One that would finally unlock his brain and let him be normal. Or so he thought inside his twisted head. He saw little girls, little boys and their parents. He decided it would be an adult. Someone bigger than him so he could feel faster, stronger and smarter than them. He knew it would be hard to get them alone. So he went home and thought about his plan. In the middle of the night it came to him. Act like he was lost and ask for a ride. No one would leave a little boy stranded would they? His plan would be put into action Friday night. His parents would be gone for the weekend and no one would be around to interrupt his deadly deeds.
	He waited anxiously through the whole week for Friday to finally arrive. When the day came he quickly packed up his backpack and got on his bike to head to the grocery store. He walked in and saw that the store manager was working the evening shift and would be leaving around midnight. He thought this was the perfect opportunity.
	He waited in the bushes until the manager was walking towards her car. He waited until she had the key in the door and then jumped out, hit her in the head with a rock and then he dragged her body into the bushes. He only lived a few blocks from the store so he knew he had to move in the darkness to not be seen. He slowly and carefully moved the body step by step through yards and driveways. He had left the basement door open for easy access. He quickly threw the body down the steps, closed the door and locked it behind him. What madness lies in store for the night shift manager? Only Brett knew and he was about to unleash a whole new kind of evil.
Chapter 3: In The Torture Chamber
	A few hours passed and there was a lot of clinks and clanks during this time. The manager started to open her eyes. She didn't know where she was. Brett had a mask on his face just in case she would escape. He didn't want to be incriminated for his crime. He walked up to her and saw her name tag. It said Ashley. He looked into her eyes and he could see she was weak. She opened her mouth to speak but then realized she was tied up and gagged. Before she could process all this Brett slammed a white hot brand into her side. With this Ashley screamed and her eyes filled with tears. Brett took great pleasure in this. After all, he was just beginning. He seared her flesh over and over again with the brand before she passed out again. He then moved onto phase two of his plan.
	He grabbed his fathers nail gun. He put Ashley's hands and feet flat against the table and then woke her up with smelling salts. Just as her eyes opened he pulled the trigger on the nail gun and shot a nail into her right hand. He followed the same pattern with the rest of her limbs. He couldn't stand it anymore. He had to end it. He was too pumped to handle anymore. He grabbed a bucket, put it underneath the table and turned around. He returned with a butcher knife. He took his mask off. He told Ashley he wanted her to know what her murderer looked like. And with that, he slit her throat. She was dead in minutes. Now what to do with the body? This had already been planned out as well.
Chapter 4: The Master Plan
	Brett watched as the last few drops of blood left Ashley's body. He was so proud of himself. He finally got all the rage out. He felt “normal”. Now what to do? Get rid of the body of course. He got out his dads saw and began the slow process of hacking her body to pieces. He boiled them up and put them into mason jars. He buried the blood in the backyard. You may ask, what happened to the pieces of her body? Well Brett was slowly feeding his dog Milo the pieces little by little in his dog food. He thought he had committed the perfect crime. How would anyone ever find out. Three months had past and everything was going fine. Brett only had a few pieces left to feed Milo and it would be over forever. That is, until Milo got sick. He begged his dad not to take him to the vet. He said he just had an upset stomach for a few days. But his dad took him anyway. And that's when the truth finally came out. When they x-rayed Milo's stomach they saw all of Ashley's fingernails in there. Brett's dad had no idea what happened. Brett told him he didn't know how they got there. But the vet called the police after they had left and told them what had happened. A few hours later the police arrived at Brett's house with the surveillance tapes from the grocery store. They had seen everything Brett had done until he reached the neighbors yard. Brett ran out of the house as fast as he could. The police said when they caught him he would go to trial for murder. They found the blood in the backyard and the few pieces left of Ashley down in the deep freeze. Brett was done for and he knew it. How long could he avoid the police?
Chapter 5: The Death Of A Maniac
	Brett ran for what seemed like hours. Had it been worth it? All the years of rage finally gone only to go to jail for the rest of his life. No way. He stayed hidden for a few days before the police finally caught up with him. They pulled him out of his hiding space and put handcuffs on him. He went to trial, was found guilty, and sent to a maximum security prison. His first night in he couldn't stand it. He waited until everyone had gone to sleep and the guards were busy bringing in a new prisoner. He tied his bed sheets into a noose and hung himself. By the time the guards found him it was too late. Brett killed himself at age eighteen. Two months shy of graduating and starting his life for real. His parents grieved for him. Ashley's family was happy to have justice served. So this brings us to the end of the story. Or does it? It turns out Brett's girlfriend had just found out she was pregnant a few weeks before he was caught. Will his child have the same mental problems? Will he be a maniac like his father? Or would he live a normal, peaceful life like everyone else? We may never know. Or will we?

title: The Maniac

question: Explain everything that happens to Brett.

answer:
Brett does not feel normal, he feels like he has a lot of rage bursting inside him. Brett soon finds out that the only way to control his rage or put an end to it was to kill. He begins with killing animals and then wants to end his rage by killing a human.

Brett kills Ashley and thinks of it as a perfect crime but things turn around when the police find out about the crime and they convict Brett. He is put in a cell where he hangs himself and dies.

question: Why does Brett take pleasure in killing?

answer: It may be implied that Brett is mentally unstable. He believes that killing is the only way to reduce his inner rage.

question: Does Brett in reality kill an adult?

answer: Yes, Brett kills a nearby grocery store's manager, Ashley.

question: Why was Brett torturing Ashley?

answer: It may be implied Brett felt a sort of inner satisfaction in seeing Ashley get tortured. Maybe a sense of achievement in succeeding to fulfill his idea of killing a human.

question: Write a ~9 sentence summary.

answer:
Brett is a small boy who believes he is filled with rage. He feels the only way to get rid of this rage would be to kill.

The young boy begins by killing animals reaching a satiable point. Brett wants to end his rage by killing an older human. He identifies Ashley, a nearby grocery store manager, as her victim.

One night, he hits Ashley in the head outside the store and drags her to his basement. He tortures Ashley until he is satisfied and ultimately, kills her. Brett believes he has committed the perfect crime until the police find out and convict him.

Brett is put in a cell where he hangs himself and dies.


text:
Americans went to the polls this month to vote in a presidential election that in many ways was a referendum on Barack Obama’s economic and fiscal policies. The United States has emerged from the worst recession since the Great Depression, but economic growth remains weak and unemployment stubbornly high. Another challenge: how its business climate stacks up globally.

The U.S. continues to lose ground against other nations in Forbes' annual look at the Best Countries for Business. The U.S. placed second in 2009, but it has been in a steady decline since. This year it ranks 12th, down from No. 10 last year. The U.S. trails fellow G-8 countries Canada (No. 5), United Kingdom (No. 10) and Australia (No. 11).

Corporate taxes continue to put a damper on American businesses. Following a tax cut in Japan this year, the U.S. now has the highest statutory corporate tax rate in the world. The effective rate is much lower thanks to numerous breaks, but owning the highest published rate makes for poor perceptions.

It is not just the rate that hinders the U.S., but also the complexity of the tax code. The typical small or medium-size business requires 175 hours a year to comply with U.S. tax laws, according to the World Bank. Overall the U.S. ranks 55th out of the 141 countries we examined in terms of its tax regime. The world’s biggest economy at $15.1 trillion, it also scores poorly when it comes to trade freedom and monetary freedom.

New Zealand ranks first on our list of the Best Countries for Business, up from No. 2 last year, thanks to a transparent and stable business climate that encourages entrepreneurship. New Zealand is the smallest economy in our top 10 at $162 billion, but it ranks first in four of the 11 metrics we examined, including personal freedom and investor protection, as well as a lack of red tape and corruption.

IN PICTURES: THE BEST COUNTRIES FOR BUSINESS

New Zealand’s economy is closely tied to Australia’s, and both held up better than most during the global financial crisis. The downside to the resilience of its economy is that the New Zealand dollar has appreciated, making the country’s agricultural exports more expensive. The higher prices have helped to push up unemployment to 7.3%—the highest level since 1999.

New Zealand cut its corporate tax rate from 30% to 28% last year and eliminated certain deductions, making the cut fiscally neutral. Investors have prospered, with the country’s benchmark stock index, the NZX 50, up 24% over the past 12 months.

We determined the Best Countries for Business by grading 141 nations on 11 different factors: property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape, investor protection and stock market performance.

Forbes leaned on research and published reports from the following organizations: the Central Intelligence Agency, Freedom House, Heritage Foundation, Property Rights Alliance, Transparency International, World Bank and World Economic Forum.

Ranking second on our list is Denmark, on the strength of its technology, trade freedom and property rights. Its GDP per capita is one of the highest in the world at $59,684 last year, according to the World Bank (America's was $48,442). Like the U.S., Denmark is struggling to recover from the bursting of its real estate bubble. GDP rose 1.1% last year and contracted 0.4% in the second quarter of 2012. Yet, with its business-friendly climate, the country is poised to rebound stronger than most of Europe.

Hong Kong ranks third. Its economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance, remains one of the most vibrant in the world. Credit one of the world’s lowest tax burdens and a high level of monetary freedom. Hong Kong’s economy grew 5% last year and the unemployment rate is a scant 3.2%.

Singapore comes in at No. 4, ranking in the top 20 in all but one of the 11 metrics we measured. The only thing keeping Singapore from the top spot is a low score on personal freedom, as measured by watchdog organization Freedom House. Singapore’s economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics and IT products. Its trade surplus was 24% of GDP in 2011. The $240 billion economy grew 4.9% last year.

Canada slid from the top of the rankings in 2011 to No. 5 this year, losing ground on innovation and technology. The World Economic Forum’s annual Global Competitiveness Report says Canada is being weighed down by “a less favorable assessment of the quality of its research institutions and the government’s role in promoting innovation through procurement practices.” However Canada remains among the best countries in the world when it comes to trade freedom, investor protection and the ease of starting a new business.

IN PICTURES: THE BEST COUNTRIES FOR BUSINESS

COMPLETE COVERAGE: THE BEST COUNTRIES FOR BUSINESS

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question: How does the author feel about taxes on businesses in the U.S.?

answer: The author feels that the U.S. tax rate is too high and the tax code is too complicated for businesses

question: What is the main subject of the article?

answer: The best countries in the world for business, and the U.S.'s place among them

question: Approximately when was this article written?

answer: Since the author refers to a presidential election the previous month, which they call a referendum on Obama, and they reference information from 2009 and 2011, we can infer that it was written in December of 2012.

question: How long does the author claim it takes for a small to medium-size business to do their taxes?

answer: 175 hours

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author states their belief that the tax rate is too high and the tax code is too complicated in the U.S. for businesses to thrive. The author then lists what they believe to be the best five countries in the world for businesses.