HERMOSA BEACH CITY COUNCILMEMBER HANY FANGARY ENDORSES BEN ALLEN FOR STATE SENATE

Allen Earns the Support from Prominent Environmental Lawyer and City Councilmember of Hermosa Beach in the South Bay

Santa Monica, CA -- Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District Board Member Ben Allen was endorsed today by Hermosa Beach City Councilmember Hany S. Fangary.      “As an attorney whose practice focuses on environmental and health care law, I am fully confident that Ben will promote policy that will effectively begin to remedy our environmental and healthcare concerns. We here in Hermosa Beach know that he’s an exceptional leader capable of representing our district and defending our interests,” said Councilmember Hany Fangary.   “Hany Fangary is an amazing politician who continues to be a role model on how elected officials keep our government moving forward. I'm proud to have Councilmember Fangary's endorsement,” said Ben Allen. Hany S. Fangary is a lawyer at Velasco Law Group, APC in Long Beach, California. Hany focuses his practice in litigation and arbitration involving environmental regulatory compliance, environmental due diligence, health care, pharmaceutical industry disputes, and consumer product matters. Hany’s trial experience dealt with environmentally impacted properties related to soil, groundwater and air emissions. He also has broad experience in litigation and regulatory compliance matters dealing with CERCLA, RCRA, NEPA, CEQA and the EIS/EIR process, Proposition 65, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund. Councilmember Fangary joins a growing number of elected officials in the South Bay who are backing Allen including former Assemblymember George Nakano, Hermosa Beach City Councilmember Nanette Barragan, Redondo Beach City Councilmember Bill Brand, Manhattan Beach City Councilmember Mark Burton, and former Manhattan Beach Mayor Portia Cohen. Ben Allen placed first among a crowded field in the open primary for the 26th State Senate District, held on June 3, 2014.  The 26th State Senate District consists of the cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, El Segundo, Avalon, Lomita, Torrance, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills; the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Westwood Village, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Little Holmby, Sunset Hills, Beverly Grove, Mar Vista, Mid City West, Miracle Mile, Larchmont Village, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Fairfax, Carthay, Fremont Place, Hancock Park, and Windsor Square; and the unincorporated Los Angeles County communities of Marina Del Rey, San Clemente Island, Santa Catalina Island, Franklin, Centinela, and Ocean View.

Face of Defense: Mother, Daughter Strengthen Bond in Kuwait

By Army 1st Lt. Isra Pananon and Army Staff Sgt. Laura Treangen 3rd Medical Command Deployment Support CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, Sept. 9, 2014 - Many have heard U.S. soldiers calling their comrades family, only a relatively small number of soldiers have served overseas with a member of their immediate family. Army Spc. Lydia Boll, left, and Army Capt. Andrea Boll receive Army Commendation Medals for their service with the 452nd Combat Support Hospital at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Sept. 5, 2014. The mother and daughter pair deployed together and work in the U.S. military hospital. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Isra Pananon  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. In November 2013, Army Capt. Andrea Boll and Army Spc. Lydia Boll of the 452nd Combat Support Hospital were mobilized to prepare for their deployment to Kuwait. Mother-and-daughter duo This mother-and-daughter duo has served in the same Army Reserve medical unit since April 2010, when Andrea joined the military. Andrea said she never would expect her children to do something she would not do, so she joined the Army Nurse Corps as a medical surgical nurse to give back to her country. "She followed me into the military, and I followed her into the medical field," Lydia said. Lydia joined the military in 2009, after being inspired by her grandfather, who served in the Army as a saxophonist in the Army Band. Back home, Lydia resides in Wisconsin with her mother and father and Lydia's four younger siblings. The experience of being deployed with her daughter has forced her two youngest children to grow up fast, Andrea said. Her husband, Jim Boll, has embraced this experience with open arms, and is bonding with their other kids at home, she added. The Bolls' middle child, Emerson, also is in the Army, and will be in Afghanistan when Andrea and Lydia return home. When they first heard of the mission to Kuwait, all three wanted to deploy together and get Emerson on the roster as a combat medic. But it was not to be, and Emerson is serving in Afghanistan on a forward surgical team. Health care careers In civilian life, Andrea and Lydia work at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Andrea in the cardiac intensive care unit as a critical care nurse and Lydia as a care partner in the surgical/medical ICU. Working together at home was good preparation for their current deployment, they said. Although many soldiers could not imagine having their parent or child overseas with them, the Bolls said they cannot imagine not having each other here. Andrea is a registered nurse in the ICU/intensive care ward here, and Lydia works in the medical regulating office. Special bond The bond that soldiers experience while deployed together is something unexplainable, but for the Bolls, it is special. They share the experience by exercising, shopping and sitting and enjoying coffee together. As with any deployment, their experience has had its ups and downs. Andrea's sister died in April, and although it was nice to have Lydia here to mourn with, it was difficult for Lydia to stay overseas while her mom traveled home for the funeral service. On the other hand, Lydia was excited to have her mother here to tell in person when she became engaged during the deployment. The Bolls will return to Wisconsin soon, when their tour here ends.

TUCK LEADS IN POLL

Race for Schools Chief Heats Up as Tuck Surges Ahead of Incumbent

Los Angeles -- The hotly contested race for state schools chief between embattled incumbent Tom Torlakson and challenger Marshall Tuck just got even more intense as a new poll shows Tuck leading over his opponent despite Torlakson’s more than 3 decades as an elected official. The recently conducted Field Poll in the non-partisan contest for Superintendent of Public Instruction finds likely voters currently divided: 31% in support of educator Marshall Tuck, 28% for incumbent State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson, and 41% undecided. “Voters are ready for a change -- and when given a choice will choose the candidate with experience turning around public schools--not the Sacramento insider,” said campaign manager Cynara Lilly. “By standing with his political supporters on Vergara and refusing to debate Marshall on the real issues in this campaign, Torlakson is sending a message to voters that he doesn’t stand with kids. It’s no wonder that undecided voters are starting decide that the status quo isn’t good enough when it comes to kids.” Despite unprecedented outside spending to help Torlakson win the June primary, Tuck forced a runoff by winning 29% and holding Torlakson under 50%. At the end of June, a Pace/USC Rossier Poll showed Torlakson leading 27% to 16%. As the Field Poll demonstrates, Torlakson has hit a ceiling while Tuck’s support is surging. Since the June primary, Tuck has continued his streak of winning the endorsement of every major newspaper in California, adding the support of the San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, and Contra Costa Times. Tuck has been an outspoken supporter of the Vergara case while Torlakson has appealed the ruling, continuing to defend laws that are both unfair to students and unpopular with Californians. According to the PACE/USC Rossier Poll, an overwhelming majority of voters oppose the laws Torlakson is defending in the Vergara case. About Marshall Tuck Marshall Tuck is the only candidate for State Superintendent with a proven record of increasing graduation rates, improving student achievement, and turning around failing schools. Tuck served most recently as founding CEO of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s groundbreaking collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District to operate 17 struggling public elementary, middle, and high schools, serving 15,000 students. Under Tuck’s leadership, the Partnership schools increased four-year graduation rates by over 60%, improved school safety and student attendance, and launched the innovative Parent College, which became a national model for getting parents more involved in their kids’ education. Over the last 5 years, the Partnership schools ranked #1 in academic improvement among school systems with more than 10,000 students. Prior to launching the Partnership, Tuck was President of Green Dot Public Schools, a leading charter school operator based in Los Angeles. Tuck joined Green Dot in 2002, when it had one school, and helped them expand to 10 charter high schools by 2006. With a student-centered approach that empowered principals, teachers, and parents, Green Dot schools substantially outperformed comparable schools’ graduation rates and overall academic achievement. Before devoting his career to helping students, Tuck was an executive at Model N, a successful enterprise software company based in the Bay Area. Prior to that, he worked in finance, and spent a year teaching and doing service work internationally, primarily in Zimbabwe and Thailand. The son of a teacher, Tuck was born in Burlingame, CA and attended parochial elementary school and public middle and high schools. He graduated from UCLA and Harvard Business School. Tuck currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Mae, and their son Mason.

Is Your Wardrobe Stressing You Out?

International Styling Consultant Shares

Confidence-Boosting Clothing Tips

As if there weren’t enough to worry about in day-to-day life, people often find themselves frozen in front of their closets during the morning rush, panicking about what to wear.

“I think everyone has that terrible feeling of insecurity from time to time when you just knowyou have on the wrong outfit – as if it’s not just your clothes that are frumpy and outdated, but you, too,” says styling consultant Ashley Martini, author of the new book, “Styletini,” and founding member of Martini Fashions, (www.ashleymartini.com).

“Unfortunately, in today’s society, people do judge books by their covers – and perception is reality. You can sense how people respond to you, especially in relation to job opportunities and relationships.”

Getting your outfit right can be challenging, she concedes. People want to be confident yet comfortable; up-to-date yet not necessarily “hipsteriffic;” professional but not overly formal. Most have a favorite outfit or two, but those get old quickly when worn twice a week.

“One of the first things you should understand is that your criteria really isn’t conflicting – you can be stylish, professional and comfortable, all with that stamp of individuality,” Martini says. “You just have to know what to look for.”

Martini talks tips to take the stress out of the morning dress hour.

•  Not all trends work for all body types. “You have to be honest with yourself; skinny jeans may not work for you, and forcing yourself into a pair that’s semi-workable is not the best way to optimize your closet,” she says. “The trendiest thing any individual can do is answer the question: Is it flattering?”

Women have six basic body types: triangle, narrow above the waist and wider on the bottom; inverted triangle, with fuller shoulders and chest and slim hips and thighs; rectangle, also known as athletic with little definition in the waist and hips; diamond, high-sitting, full stomach with wide hips and full thighs; apple, similar to diamonds, but with a lower-sitting stomach – also know as oval-shaped; hourglass, with equal upper and lower halves with well-defined waists.

•  Know your measurements!Measure the parts of your body that most define your shape: your hips, shoulders, waist and bust. Wear underwear (but not shapewear) when measuring hips, and wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips and butt for the most accurate measurement. Don’t tug too tightly or loosely when measuring; the number in the center front is your hip size. 
To measure shoulders, keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed, and  extend the tape from the outer edge of one shoulder to the outer edge of the other.

To measure your waist, bend forward and note where your body creases – that’s where to measure.

For bust, wear a top without a bra, which often alters measurements. Wrap the tape across your back and under your shoulder blades and arms – and around the fullest part of your breasts.

•  Own your plus-size, petite or tall body. You’ve probably heard the statement, “Real women have curves.” Yes, they do, but there are also real women with smaller busts; long and lean women, and some built like the ancient fertility goddess statues. All of us are “real.”

One tip for plus-sized women: highlight your assets -- shapely legs and well-toned arms are meant to be flaunted. Petite women: Opt for pieces that come in naturally shorter lengths, such as cigarette pants, knee-length or higher skirts and three-quarter and shorter sleeve tops and jackets. Showing more skin will make your limbs look longer. Tall women: Wear high heels if you want to -- just because you’re taller doesn’t mean they’re off limits.

About Ashley Martini

Ashley Martini, styling consultant and founding member of Martini Fashions, LLC, discreetly assists both men and women in unearthing and exhibiting their inner beauty through style, fashion and the top trends. Ashley is the author of the new book on style, “Styletini,” (www.ashleymartini.com). A business graduate of Lynn University, she specialized in fashion marketing and merchandising. She also completed her master’s degree in business with a focus on international business, and studied abroad in the world’s fashion capital, Paris, with a concentration in fashion styling and trend forecasting. She worked as a styling intern with Jennifer Lopez’s fashion company Sweetface/JustSweet/JLO, and earned numerous fashion awards.

The Virtue of Subtlety: A U.S. Strategy Against the Islamic State

Stratfor

By George Friedman

U.S. President Barack Obama said recently that he had no strategy as yet toward the Islamic State but that he would present a plan on Wednesday. It is important for a president to know when he has no strategy. It is not necessarily wise to announce it, as friends will be frightened and enemies delighted. A president must know what it is he does not know, and he should remain calm in pursuit of it, but there is no obligation to be honest about it.

This is particularly true because, in a certain sense, Obama has a strategy, though it is not necessarily one he likes. Strategy is something that emerges from reality, while tactics might be chosen. Given the situation, the United States has an unavoidable strategy. There are options and uncertainties for employing it. Let us consider some of the things that Obama does know.

The Formation of National Strategy

There are serious crises on the northern and southern edges of the Black Sea Basin. There is no crisis in the Black Sea itself, but it is surrounded by crises. The United States has been concerned about the status of Russia ever since U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt negotiated the end of the Russo-Japanese war in 1905. The United States has been concerned about the Middle East since U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower forced the British to retreat from Suez in 1956. As a result, the United States inherited -- or seized -- the British position.

A national strategy emerges over the decades and centuries. It becomes a set of national interests into which a great deal has been invested, upon which a great deal depends and upon which many are counting. Presidents inherit national strategies, and they can modify them to some extent. But the idea that a president has the power to craft a new national strategy both overstates his power and understates the power of realities crafted by all those who came before him. We are all trapped in circumstances into which we were born and choices that were made for us. The United States has an inherent interest in Ukraine and in Syria-Iraq. Whether we should have that interest is an interesting philosophical question for a late-night discussion, followed by a sunrise when we return to reality. These places reflexively matter to the United States.

The American strategy is fixed: Allow powers in the region to compete and balance against each other. When that fails, intervene with as little force and risk as possible. For example, the conflict between Iran and Iraq canceled out two rising powers until the war ended. Then Iraq invaded Kuwait and threatened to overturn the balance of power in the region. The result was Desert Storm.

This strategy provides a model. In the Syria-Iraq region, the initial strategy is to allow the regional powers to balance each other, while providing as little support as possible to maintain the balance of power. It is crucial to understand the balance of power in detail, and to understand what might undermine it, so that any force can be applied effectively. This is the tactical part, and it is the tactical part that can go wrong. The strategy has a logic of its own. Understanding what that strategy demands is the hard part. Some nations have lost their sovereignty by not understanding what strategy demands. France in 1940 comes to mind. For the United States, there is no threat to sovereignty, but that makes the process harder: Great powers can tend to be casual because the situation is not existential. This increases the cost of doing what is necessary.

The ground where we are talking about applying this model is Syria and Iraq. Both of these central governments have lost control of the country as a whole, but each remains a force. Both countries are divided by religion, and the religions are divided internally as well. In a sense the nations have ceased to exist, and the fragments they consisted of are now smaller but more complex entities.

The issue is whether the United States can live with this situation or whether it must reshape it. The immediate question is whether the United States has the power to reshape it and to what extent. The American interest turns on its ability to balance local forces. If that exists, the question is whether there is any other shape that can be achieved through American power that would be superior. From my point of view, there are many different shapes that can be imagined, but few that can be achieved. The American experience in Iraq highlighted the problems with counterinsurgency or being caught in a local civil war. The idea of major intervention assumes that this time it will be different. This fits one famous definition of insanity.

The Islamic State's Role

There is then the special case of the Islamic State. It is special because its emergence triggered the current crisis. It is special because the brutal murder of two prisoners on video showed a particular cruelty. And it is different because its ideology is similar to that of al Qaeda, which attacked the United States. It has excited particular American passions.

To counter this, I would argue that the uprising by Iraq's Sunni community was inevitable, with its marginalization by Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite regime in Baghdad. That it took this particularly virulent form is because the more conservative elements of the Sunni community were unable or unwilling to challenge al-Maliki. But the fragmentation of Iraq into Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish regions was well underway before the Islamic State, and jihadism was deeply embedded in the Sunni community a long time ago.

Moreover, although the Islamic State is brutal, its cruelty is not unique in the region. Syrian President Bashar al Assad and others may not have killed Americans or uploaded killings to YouTube, but their history of ghastly acts is comparable. Finally, the Islamic State -- engaged in war with everyone around it -- is much less dangerous to the United States than a small group with time on its hands, planning an attack. In any event, if the Islamic State did not exist, the threat to the United States from jihadist groups in Yemen or Libya or somewhere inside the United States would remain.

Because the Islamic State operates to some extent as a conventional military force, it is vulnerable to U.S. air power. The use of air power against conventional forces that lack anti-aircraft missiles is a useful gambit. It shows that the United States is doing something, while taking little risk, assuming that the Islamic State really does not have anti-aircraft missiles. But it accomplishes little. The Islamic State will disperse its forces, denying conventional aircraft a target. Attempting to defeat the Islamic State by distinguishing its supporters from other Sunni groups and killing them will founder at the first step. The problem of counterinsurgency is identifying the insurgent.

There is no reason not to bomb the Islamic State's forces and leaders. They certainly deserve it. But there should be no illusion that bombing them will force them to capitulate or mend their ways. They are now part of the fabric of the Sunni community, and only the Sunni community can root them out. Identifying Sunnis who are anti-Islamic State and supplying them with weapons is a much better idea. It is the balance-of-power strategy that the United States follows, but this approach doesn't have the dramatic satisfaction of blowing up the enemy. That satisfaction is not trivial, and the United States can certainly blow something up and call it the enemy, but it does not address the strategic problem.

In the first place, is it really a problem for the United States? The American interest is not stability but the existence of a dynamic balance of power in which all players are effectively paralyzed so that no one who would threaten the United States emerges. The Islamic State had real successes at first, but the balance of power with the Kurds and Shia has limited its expansion, and tensions within the Sunni community diverted its attention. Certainly there is the danger of intercontinental terrorism, and U.S. intelligence should be active in identifying and destroying these threats. But the re-occupation of Iraq, or Iraq plus Syria, makes no sense. The United States does not have the force needed to occupy Iraq and Syria at the same time. The demographic imbalance between available forces and the local population makes that impossible.

The danger is that other Islamic State franchises might emerge in other countries. But the United States would not be able to block these threats as well as the other countries in the region. Saudi Arabia must cope with any internal threat it faces not because the United States is indifferent, but because the Saudis are much better at dealing with such threats. In the end, the same can be said for the Iranians.

Most important, it can also be said for the Turks. The Turks are emerging as a regional power. Their economy has grown dramatically in the past decade, their military is the largest in the region, and they are part of the Islamic world. Their government is Islamist but in no way similar to the Islamic State, which concerns Ankara. This is partly because of Ankara's fear that the jihadist group might spread to Turkey, but more so because its impact on Iraqi Kurdistan could affect Turkey's long-term energy plans.

Forming a New Balance in the Region

The United States cannot win the game of small mosaic tiles that is emerging in Syria and Iraq. An American intervention at this microscopic level can only fail. But the principle of balance of power does not mean that balance must be maintained directly. Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia have far more at stake in this than the United States. So long as they believe that the United States will attempt to control the situation, it is perfectly rational for them to back off and watch, or act in the margins, or even hinder the Americans.

The United States must turn this from a balance of power between Syria and Iraq to a balance of power among this trio of regional powers. They have far more at stake and, absent the United States, they have no choice but to involve themselves. They cannot stand by and watch a chaos that could spread to them.

It is impossible to forecast how the game is played out. What is important is that the game begins. The Turks do not trust the Iranians, and neither is comfortable with the Saudis. They will cooperate, compete, manipulate and betray, just as the United States or any country might do in such a circumstance. The point is that there is a tactic that will fail: American re-involvement. There is a tactic that will succeed: the United States making it clear that while it might aid the pacification in some way, the responsibility is on regional powers. The inevitable outcome will be a regional competition that the United States can manage far better than the current chaos.

Obama has sought volunteers from NATO for a coalition to fight the Islamic State. It is not clear why he thinks those NATO countries -- with the exception of Turkey -- will spend their national treasures and lives to contain the Islamic State, or why the Islamic State alone is the issue. The coalition that must form is not a coalition of the symbolic, but a coalition of the urgently involved. That coalition does not have to be recruited. In a real coalition, its members have no choice but to join. And whether they act together or in competition, they will have to act. And not acting will simply increase the risk to them.

U.S. strategy is sound. It is to allow the balance of power to play out, to come in only when it absolutely must -- with overwhelming force, as in Kuwait -- and to avoid intervention where it cannot succeed. The tactical application of strategy is the problem. In this case the tactic is not direct intervention by the United States, save as a satisfying gesture to avenge murdered Americans. But the solution rests in doing as little as possible and forcing regional powers into the fray, then in maintaining the balance of power in this coalition.

Such an American strategy is not an avoidance of responsibility. It is the use of U.S. power to force a regional solution. Sometimes the best use of American power is to go to war. Far more often, the best use of U.S. power is to withhold it. The United States cannot evade responsibility in the region. But it is enormously unimaginative to assume that carrying out that responsibility is best achieved by direct intervention. Indirect intervention is frequently more efficient and more effective. 

"The Virtue of Subtlety: A U.S. Strategy Against the Islamic State is republished with permission of Stratfor."

West Hollywood City Council Votes to Install Signalized Pedestrian Crosswalks On Santa Monica Boulevard

 

Council Decision Includes Coordinated Plan for

‘Engineering, Education, and Enforcement’

To Promote Pedestrian Safety

 

City’s Public Safety and Transportation Commissions

Will Convene Joint Meeting on Sept. 15

 

 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, September 8, 2014 – The City Council of the City of West Hollywood voted at its meeting tonight to pass an item directing City staff to develop a signalized crosswalk installation plan for Santa Monica Boulevard between San Vicente and La Cienega Boulevards. The decision also requires all crosswalks citywide to be comprehensively studied to identify additional potential locations for improvements.

The City will immediately develop a coordinated plan for “Engineering, Education, and Enforcement,” which will be presented at a joint meeting of the City’s Public Safety Commission and Transportation Commission, to take place on Monday, September 15, 2014. The joint meeting will provide input and comment on the plan, which will then move to the City Council for review at its meeting on October 6, 2014.

“Tonight West Hollywood took a big step toward improving our walkability and pedestrian safety. Cities across the nation are struggling with the ways that new technologies, such as smart phones, impact how we share public space.” said West Hollywood Mayor John D’Amico. “Distracted driving and, now, ‘distracted walking’ are very real concerns. Tonight’s decision will help us engineer better crosswalk solutions and educate community members about stepping up awareness when it comes to driving and walking on our City’s streets and crosswalks.”

“We are constantly looking for ways to make West Hollywood safe and accessible,” said Mayor Pro Tempore John Heilman. “This is just one option that we think can help with pedestrian safety without increasing traffic and gridlock.”

Public safety is the City of West Hollywood’s number-one priority. The constant movement of dense vehicular traffic and pedestrians in close proximity is an ongoing struggle in West Hollywood and in cities across the nation. The City is continuously exploring a mix of measures to address pedestrian safety and manage traffic congestion and gridlock.

A review of Sheriff’s Department data from Saturday, January 1, 2011 to Monday, September 8, 2014, indicates there were 83 vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents in crosswalks within the City of West Hollywood. There were three pedestrian fatalities during this time period — the investigations in two of these cases faulted the driver and the third investigation is ongoing. Deputies from West Hollywood Sheriff's Station regularly issue citations for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk; 752 citations were issued during the time period from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2014.

At its meeting on Monday, May 7, 2012, the West Hollywood City Council directed staff to conduct a trial test of Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFB) at the crosswalk located on Westmount Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard. The RRFB devices were installed in December 2012. RRFB devices were also tested at two otherunsignalized crosswalks: 1) Santa Monica Boulevard at Orange Grove Avenue; and 2) Crescent Heights Boulevard at Norton Avenue. The City conducted before-and-after studies for the RRFB devices and improvements in safety were measured.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2013, the City’s Transportation Commission supported a staff recommendation to maintain RRFB devices and at its meeting on Monday, February 3, 2014, the City Council approved a staff recommendation to keep RRFB devices at the three trial test locations. Additional RRFB devices were approved, but it was determined to hold off on installation plans pending review of additional strategies for pedestrian safety.

At its Monday, March 3, 2014 meeting, the City Council approved a date for a joint mobility workshop and study session with the City’s Transportation Commission — this meeting was held on Monday, May 5, 2014. During that session, several options were discussed at length to promote pedestrian safety and aid in vehicular traffic flow. Following that meeting, the City contracted with Fehr & Peers, specialists in providing transportation planning and engineering services, to evaluate further opportunities to improve safety where pedestrians and automobiles conflict. The complete Fehr & Peers study will be presented at the upcoming joint meeting of the City’s Public Safety Commission and Transportation Commission, to take place on Monday, September 15, 2014. The City Council will review this report for its meeting on October 6, 2014.

For more information about pedestrian safety, including safety tips for walkers, visitwww.weho.org/pedestriansafety.

For additional information about pedestrian safety in the City of West Hollywood, please contact the Public Safety Division at (323) 848-6414 or the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Join Me In Supporting Ted Lieu

Friend --

A week ago today was the last day of the 2014 session of the California legislature -- and the last day of session for both me and Senator Ted Lieu.

Ted is the progressive Democrat running -- with my endorsement and Congressmember Henry Waxman's endorsement -- for Waxman's congressional seat.  I know Ted well.  He served with me in the legislature through one of the starkest recessions in California's history and helped me turn the state around.  As a result of difficult but necessary actions we took, California now has a budget surplus and the lowest unemployment rate in six years.    

What's great about campaigning for Ted is that you don't have to rely on telling people about campaign promises; all you have to do is tell them about what he has already accomplished.  From holding shady mortgage bankers accountable to writing the first bill to outlaw so-called "gay conversion therapy," Ted has always been on the cutting edge of progressive legislation in California. 

Ted should be a shoe-in for the CA-33 congressional seat.  But the Republican running against him is a protégé of Las Vegas gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson.  Mr. Adelson and his network are pouring vast sums into the district to try to slip in a conservative Republican that doesn't share the strong progressive values of the district.  The NRCC has even designated Ted's opponent as one of their "Young Guns."  You can help Ted win by contributing to Ted's campaign onACTBLUE. This special page that will be open for one week. 

Fleetwood Mac is an iconic band that hails from Ted's district. Our friends at Blue America are going to give one lucky, randomly-selected donor -- regardless of how big or small the contribution is -- a very rare and very collectible quadruple platinum award for the band's album, The Dance. The gorgeous, RIAA-certified custom plaque was never available to a store and was awarded to the president of their record label, who now works at Blue America. 

This is a two-fer -- helping a proven progressive champion get into Congress and … getting a chance to win the Fleetwood Mac platinum award. Just contribute to Ted's campaign on this ActBlue page this week.

 

Sincerely

 

JOHN A. PÉREZ

CONVOY VIEW

09/08/2014 08:08 PM A U.S. Army Stryker infantry carrier vehicle convoys across the flightline during Steadfast Javelin II, a NATO exercise, on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 3, 2014.

LUCKY LEAP

09/08/2014 07:41 PM CDT

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Mitchell D. Crowther leaps into the water from an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter in the Arabian Gulf, Sept. 4, 2014.The Seahawk is assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, which is embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan. Crowther is an aircrewman, helicopter.

PULLUP POWER

09/08/2014 07:18 PM CDT

Marine Corps Sgt. Matt Boulis performs a supine pullup during an all-hands physical training session in Holt, Mich., Sept. 4, 2014. The event, which drew more than 60 Marines, included pullup variations, kettlebell exercises, medicine ball throws and partner abdominal workouts. Boulis is a recruiter assigned to Recruiting Substation Grand Rapids North, Recruiting Station Lansing, Mich.

VEHICLE CONVOY

09/08/2014 07:24 PM CDT

U.S. Army Stryker infantry carrier vehicles convoy across the flightline during operations to support Steadfast Javelin II, an exercise on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 3, 2014.

WREATH RECOGNITION

09/08/2014 06:57 PM CDT

Turkish soldiers march a wreath bearing the name of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel as Hagel follows several paces behind at Anitkabir in Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 8, 2014. The tomb at Anitkabir is the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who lead the Turkish War of Independence.

PORTRAIT PALS

09/08/2014 06:30 PM CDT

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, right, presents U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel with a photo of the two of them taken shortly before their meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 8, 2014. 

Assistant Attorney General Caldwell Announces Sung-Hee Suh to Serve as Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General

USDOJ: Justice News

Assistant Attorney General Caldwell Announces Sung-Hee Suh
to Serve as Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced that Sung-Hee Suh has been appointed to serve as Deputy Assistant Attorney General overseeing the Appellate, Capital Case and Fraud Sections.

more info...

Airstrikes in Iraq 'Tremendously Effective,' Pentagon Official Says

By Claudette Roulo
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2014 - Airstrikes in Iraq have been extremely successful against terrorists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.

"The airstrikes in support of Mount Sinjar -- the airstrikes and humanitarian drops were effective," he said. "The airstrikes that we conducted in support of Mosul Dam operations led to Iraqi forces retaking Mosul Dam. The airstrikes that we took in and around Amirli broke the back of the ISIL forces that were attempting to take Amirli. And now, over the weekend, these airstrikes conducted in support of Haditha Dam ... were tremendously effective."

"Certainly, ISIL forces realize that when American airpower is deployed, their chance of survival goes to nil," Warren said.

The decision to conduct airstrikes near Haditha Dam came after enemy forces were observed building up and moving heavier weapons into the area, he said.

"It became clear that they were potentially planning to increase the pressure on the Haditha Dam area," the colonel said. At the same time, Iraqi and Kurdish security forces had been reinforced and fortified their positions in the area, Warren added. "The time was right for a counterattack," he noted.

In response to a question about the reported deaths of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and some of his advisors in an air strike, Warren said the U.S. has not conducted any targeted airstrikes against specific ISIL personnel.

"I hope he's dead. We certainly hope he's dead, but we haven't conducted any strikes against him," he said.

"With every terrorist that we kill from the air, that is one less terrorist on the ground," the colonel added.

The airstrikes have hurt ISIL's effectiveness, but the organization is still a threat, Warren said.

"The presence of American air power restricts their freedom of maneuver," he said. "... ISIL is beginning to realize that American air power is lethal and that, if they move, they'll be seen and destroyed."

A total of 10 nations have joined the fight against ISIL, Warren said. "I won't speak for any of those other nations and what their participation will be, but what I will say is that we welcome the participation of any nation in this critical fight against a legitimate terrorist organization.

First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary Duncan Launched Fifth Annual Back-to-School Bus Tour Today in Atlanta

First Lady Michelle Obama joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to launch the fifth annual back-to-school bus tour Monday in Atlanta. This year’s “Partners in Progress” trip will include stops in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, (see map) highlighting the states' commitment to encourage reform and innovation and help all students achieve success. Traveling through places that represent the cradle of America’s civil rights effort, the tour places a focus on important work that is closing gaps of opportunity many young Americans face. Secretary Duncan will also showcase the investments the Department has made in each state and discuss initiatives such as Investing in Innovation (i3), Race to the Top state grants, Preschool for All, College Access and My Brother’s Keeper that are aimed at improving outcomes for students.

On Monday Secretary Duncan’s day hosted a roundtable with students at Spelman College to spotlight the importance of teacher recruitment. Teachers are needed at all K-12 levels, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Afterwards Mrs. Obama joined Secretary Duncan atBooker T. Washington High School – which opened in 1924 as the first public high school for African-Americans in Georgia that includes Dr. Martin L. King Jr. among its graduates. Mrs. Obama and Secretary Duncan delivered remarks at a “Prep Rally” in the high school’s gymnasium as part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative, which aims to increase college access and opportunity for all students. Reach Higher focuses on the importance of pursuing and completing some form of higher education and encourages students to do their part to answer the President’s call to ensure that by the year 2020, America once again has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

Secretary Duncan will then travel to Carrollton, Georgia to showcase the Southwire Company’s 12 for Life program. Southwire, North America’s leading manufacturer of wire and cable used in the transmission of electricity, has joined with the Carroll County School System to place at-risk students in jobs at Southwire, allowing them to earn wages while working toward a diploma.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will then proceed on to Alabama and Tennessee on Tuesday, Sept. 9, where he will visit Birmingham, Huntsville and Chattanooga.  The Secretary will discuss President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative in Birmingham and then highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in Huntsville. In Chattanooga he will spotlight the importance of high-quality early learning opportunities in young children’s educational development.

Secretary Duncan will participate with U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, Birmingham Mayor William Bell, young men and women from local high schools and community members in a My Brother’s Keeper Roundtable Discussion at John Herbert Phillips Academy in Birmingham, Alabama.  Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education will moderate the discussion. 

Secretary Duncan will also visit the NASA Davidson Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base, in Huntsville, Alabama for a Space Camp tour and a STEM Education Town Hall. 

On Wednesday, Secretary Duncan will conclude the tour in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with an event at the Chambliss Center for Children. 

He will then host an “Early Learning Town Hall” in the center’s gymnasium, exchanging ideas with about 100 parents, teachers and stakeholders on what works in effective early learning programs.

As part of the "Partners in Progress" tour, senior Department officials will hold additional events highlighting the Obama administration's work to increase access and opportunity for students.

Preceding Secretary Duncan’s visit on Monday, Sept. 8, David Johns, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans will visit Memphis, Tennessee for a rally and panel discussion at Shelby County Schools Frances E. Coe Auditorium.

Also on Monday, Libby Doggett, deputy assistant secretary of education for policy and early learning, will join a roundtable discussion on pre-kindergarten education at the Normal Park Museum Magnet School - Lower School Campus in Chattanooga. On Tuesday, she will visit the Siskin Children's Institute, followed by a tour of the Creative Discovery Museum, both in Chattanooga.  Later she will participate in an early learning roundtable at the Chambliss Center.

Meanwhile, Johan E. Uvin, acting assistant secretary in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, will tour the Carroll County Career Academy on Monday in Carollton, Georgia.  On Tuesday he will visit the Volkswagen Academy in Ooltewah, Tennessee.  Afterwards, he will tour the Chattanooga State Technical Community College’s Wacker Institute.  On Wednesday, he will visit Walker Valley High School in Cleveland, Tennessee.

Alejandra Ceja, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, will participate in a “Partners in Progress Promoting Education – Youth Town Hall” Wednesday at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia.

In addition, Jill Levine, principal at Normal Park Museum Magnet School in Chattanooga and a U.S. Department of Education principal ambassador fellow, will participate in a teacher leadership roundtable at the Public Education Foundation in Chattanooga.

This is the fifth back-to-school bus tour for Secretary Duncan. Last year, the tour traveled throughout the Southwest. In 2012, the Department’s tour went coast to coast; in 2011, the tour rolled through the Midwest; and in 2010, Duncan and his team visited the South and the Northeast.

Unrest in Sanaa

Conflict Alert: Unrest in Sanaa

Sanaa/Brussels, 8 September 2014:

Yemen’s troubled transition is at a crossroads more dangerous than any since 2011. The Huthis, a Zaydi Shiite movement also known as Ansar Allah, are mobilising in the capital, organising demonstrations calling for the government’s demise and reinstating the fuel subsidies that were lifted in July. More worrying, their tribal supporters, many of whom have ties to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, ousted in the 2011 uprising, are setting up protest camps on the outskirts of the city, implicitly threatening a siege or military invasion. The situation is tense and the possibility of violence real. Overcoming the impasse requires returning to the basic principles agreed upon in the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) that concluded in January 2014: rejecting political exclusion and resolving differences through peaceful negotiation.

For over a year, the Huthis have been battling various foes in the far north, expanding their territorial control even as they debated the country’s future in the NDC. Many Yemenis, including Saleh’s General People’s Congress (GPC) party and supporters of President Abdo Robo Mansour Hadi, quietly cheered as the Huthis fought and weakened a loose coalition of their common foes – the al-Ahmar clan, Salafis, and tribal and military affiliates of the Sunni Islamist party, Islah. But when Huthis captured Amran city, 50km north of Sanaa, overrunning a military base and killing its commander, the political dynamics shifted. International and domestic concern grew that the Huthis – whose positive contributions to the NDC had gained them respect in many quarters – in fact might not be committed to peaceful change or competition, as their critics long had charged.

The debate over the Huthis’ ultimate intentions escalated at the end of July, after the consensus government, split evenly between the GPC and the former opposition bloc including Islah, lifted fuel subsidies. With bankruptcy looming, the state had little choice, but the way it was implemented – suddenly and absent a public awareness campaign or a larger, transparent economic reform strategy – was politically disastrous. The Huthis quickly took advantage, mobilising Yemenis from across the political spectrum. The protests called for reinstating subsidies, replacing the government and implementing NDC recommendations, including fighting corruption and adding other groups and parties to the cabinet.

Huthi demands resonate widely and if addressed through compromise could strengthen popular support for the country’s faltering transition. This is an opportunity to build an accord clarifying post-NDC power-sharing arrangements and timelines for implementing NDC outcomes. As Crisis Group warned in June 2014, the absence of such an agreement poses a threat to the transition and has been a core driver of conflict. Yet the Huthis’ continued mobilisation around the capital is dangerous and counterproductive, threatening violence should the government rebuff their demands.

While the Huthis’ ambitions are unclear and evolving, the protests are part of a bargaining process through which the movement hopes to become dominant in the north and more powerful on the national level. Even as their leaders make demands of the central government in Sanaa, their militias are fighting Islah-affiliated tribesmen and military units in Jawf governorate in what is widely viewed as an effort to create facts on the ground to force a renegotiation of the six-region federal structure proposed by the NDC.

The protests put President Hadi in a difficult position. They initially offered him an opportunity to push for changes to his ineffective government and to strengthen his position vis-à-vis the Saleh and Islah power centres. But when he hesitated and initial negotiation efforts failed, both sides escalated. Huthis set up camps in front of government ministries and around Sanaa, while the president supported a “National Alliance” to organise counter-rallies.

On 2 September, Hadi announced a compromise that partially addressed Huthi demands. It proposed, among other things, installing a more inclusive government and lowering fuel prices by approximately 30 per cent, a price change that was implemented the following day. The initiative was far from perfect: it was presented to the Huthis as a fait accompli and granted the president extraordinary power to appoint the prime minister, as well as the defence, interior, finance and foreign ministers, with little input or oversight. GPC and Islah members signed the initiative, but some party members have expressed reservations. Huthi representatives refused the offer, calling the fuel price reduction insufficient, demanding broader economic reform and criticising the proposed method of forming the government. The movement has escalated protest activities in the capital, seemingly convinced that agitation can achieve more. On 7 September, in a dangerous sign of what could come, government forces injured scores and killed at least two in an effort to prevent protesters from setting up tents and blocking a main road to Sanaa’s airport.

The president’s initiative, with amendments, could and should serve as a basis for an inclusive settlement. The alternative is a conflict at least as grave as that of 2011, when two parts of the army, one supporting Saleh and the other the uprising, faced off in the capital. The situation today is more dangerous, since the domestic political landscape is deeply fractured and multipolar. None of the major political forces – the Huthis, Saleh’s GPC, Islah or Hadi – can alone control the capital, nor is it clear that they would be able to restrain their supporters if fighting erupts. Moreover, a conflagration in Sanaa almost certainly would lead to a chaotic independence bid in the south, which is wracked by political infighting and al-Qaeda activity. Regionally too the landscape has changed, polarised along sectarian lines; widespread violence could draw Yemen deeper into that divisive fight.

Continued mediation by UN Special Envoy Jamal Benomar is necessary to achieve a compromise, but primary responsibility lies with Yemenis to act in their national interest. Many principles already have been agreed: a new, more inclusive government with ministers whom the Huthis will have a role in nominating; clarifying the competencies of the National Authority for implementing NDC agreements; specifying an implementation timeline for NDC outcomes; and more. Finding a compromise on the fuel subsidies and guarantees for wider economic reform are the immediate sticking points. Now is the time to reach a deal on this issue so that de-escalation and talks over the details of NDC implementation can begin. Otherwise, growing tensions could undermine the progress made thus far in negotiations – and even scuttle the country’s nascent political settlement achieved through the NDC.  

For his part, President Hadi should streamline negotiation efforts, which thus far have involved too many mediators and too few decision-makers. Further, the president should take additional measures to ensure the state security services do not needlessly provoke an already volatile situation. The Huthis must do their part as well. Critics have long accused the movement of nefarious intent, ranging from establishing an Iranian-inspired theocracy to building a Hizbollah-style state within a state. Now they should demonstrate otherwise by constructively engaging the president’s offer, where they disagree with it recommending clear amendments, and ultimately accepting a solution that falls short of all of their demands. The alternative is a conflict in which no group will win and Yemen will lose.

How to Support a Loved One Who’s Fighting Cancer

How to Support a Loved One 

Who’s Fighting Cancer

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Woman Living 

with Incurable Cancer Offers 4 Suggestions

Shy about asking, “What’s the etiquette for supporting my loved one, friend or  colleague in their battle against cancer?” many people simply avoid the question altogether – and offer nothing.

“It’s okay to wonder, and it’s okay to ask. Be direct!” says Jane Schwartzberg, who has been battling stage 4 metastatic cancer for several years. She’s the co-author with Marcy Tolkoff Levy of “Naked Jane Bares All,”www.nakedjanebaresall.com, which shares her story with candor and humor.

Jane was a 31-year-old newlywed when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent treatment and eventually was declared cancer free. She moved on with her life, giving birth to two children and launching a technology company. Then, when she was 42, the cancer returned. She’s now 45.

“I’m a fighter, and the support I’ve received from my family and friends has given me  an immeasurable amount of strength, without which I don’t know what I would do,” Schwartzberg says.

What are some suggestions for providing support? She offers these:

•  Do it without any expectations or requirements for a response.“I’m often asked, ‘What can I do to help?’ ” she says. “What I’ve suggested: Be in my life at my pace, let me take the lead; make your presence, availability and support known, but do it without any expectations or requirements for a response.”

•  Embrace their big dream, even if it doesn’t sound realistic. During a very low point, Schwartzberg was asked by a friend: If you could have anything, swinging for the fences, what would help you get out of this pit? Without skipping a beat, she answered, “I want to take [comedian] Larry David out to lunch.” As impossible as it seemed, her friend encouraged her to write to the co-creator of “Seinfeld” -- and he accepted.

“As terrible as having terminal cancer is, there is that undeniable quality of embracing every moment, including asking your heroes out to lunch,” Schwartzberg says. “Cancer brings out the boldness in people, which may entail a dream vacation to Hawaii. Don’t be afraid to embrace their wishes.”

•  Don’t hesitate to say, “You look beautiful,” when health has returned. After her chemotherapy treatments ended, Jane slowly started looking like her old self – healthy Jane, not cancer Jane. Part of reengaging with life is caring about the superficial things, at least to some extent. On the unforgettable day she met Larry David, the maître d had beforehand told her that she looked beautiful, to which Jane responded, “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”

•  Don’t sugarcoat it. “If you want to really infuriate me, you’ll tell me that this whole mess is beshert, Yiddish for ‘meant to be’ – that it’s all part of a plan from a higher power,” she says. “Maybe terminal cancer is part of some crazy plan, but I promise you that these are the last things I want to hear from anyone.”

Don’t sugarcoat or try to put a positive spin on what’s going on – in fact, it’s more of a comfort to Jane when others acknowledge that her situation stinks and that she is looking at a life that’s far different from, and likely to be shorter than, anything she’d imagined.  

About Jane Schwartzberg

Jane Schwartzberg, 45, is the co-author of the new book, “Naked Jane Bares All,”www.nakedjanebaresall.com, the many-layered story – told with humor and candor -- of how she learned to embrace life when she was down for the count. Jane is a financial services executive and founder and former CEO of a start-up technology company. 
“Naked Jane Bares All” was co-written by veteran writer Marcy Tolkoff Levy. Following a year of interviews and many late nights with Jane, her family and friends, Marcy formed the foundation of a colorful, poignant and even humorous collection of vignettes about how Jane continues to get back up when life throws her down.