Saturday, March 30, 2019

Trump’s pick for Federal Reserve has his own “economic issues”


Fed Pick Moore Says He's More Pro-Trade, Immigration Than Trump

Ryan Beene

,

BloombergMarch 30, 2019

Fed Pick Moore Says He's More Pro-Trade, Immigration Than Trump

Fed Pick Moore Says He's More Pro-Trade, Immigration Than Trump

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(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s latest pick to serve on the Federal Reserve Board said he’d be an independent voice in that role and that he doesn’t always agree with the president, particularly on trade and immigration.

“I think 75 percent of the time I agree with Donald Trump, I give him really high marks for his handling of the economy,” Stephen Moore said in a CNN interview on Saturday.

Moore, an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign, co-authored the 2018 book, “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Get Our Economy Back on Track.”

“There are many times I disagree with him. I’m pro-trade, I’m more pro free-trade than he is, I’m probably a little bit more pro-immigration than he is, so I will be an independent mind for growth and the American worker,” he said.

Long known a champion of free trade in the Republican mold, Moore pushed back earlier this month against the president’s repeated threat to slap new steep new tariffs of up to 25 percent on automobiles, which automakers, parts suppliers and dealers staunchly oppose.

In a March 10 opinion piece published in the Washington Times entitled “The Tariffs Nobody Wants,” Moore wrote “what is peculiar about President Trump’s proposed 25 percent auto tariff is that even most of the domestic car industry producers don’t want it. They seem to be telling Mr. Trump: Thanks, but no thanks to the restrictions on foreign import competitors.”

The economic commentator and senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation also praised Trump’s handling of the economy and echoed the president’s ongoing criticisms of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. He called the central bank’s late-2018 rate hikes “questionable,” after terming the December increase “a very substantial mistake” in a March 22 interview on Bloomberg Television.

“My objective when I get over to the Fed is to help Chairman Powell pursue the policies that will grow this economy, provide high wages, a lot of jobs and stable prices, and I don’t think that’s too controversial,” Moore said on CNN. Keeping prices stable would help maximize economic growth, he said.

Trump said on March 22 he’d tap Moore for the open Fed board seat. The White House hasn’t yet officially submitted Moore’s nomination to the Senate, which must vote to confirm him.

Responding to criticism that he lacks what Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw called the “intellectual gravitas” to serve at the central bank, Moore said on CNN that being a PhD economist wasn’t a prerequisite. Three of the five current Fed board members, notably Powell, have law degrees.

Earlier on Saturday the Guardian reported that Moore had been found in contempt of court after he failed to pay his ex-wife some $300,000 in alimony after their 2010 divorce, citing court records.

A judge in Virginia reprimanded Moore in 2012 after he didn’t make spousal support, child support and other payments required by the divorce settlement, and in 2013 ordered Moore to sell his house to satisfy the debt, the Guardian reported. Moore’s ex-wife halted the sale process after he partially paid what he owed her, the paper said, citing court filings.

Reports earlier this week showed that Moore owes more than $75,000 in taxes and other penalties to the U.S. government.

A federal tax lien filed in the circuit court for Montgomery County, Maryland, where Moore owns a house, says that the government won a judgment against Moore for $75,328.80. The January 2018 filing said the lien was for unpaid taxes from the 2014 tax year and could accrue additional penalties and other costs.

Above is from:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-30/trump-fed-pick-moore-skipped-300-000-in-alimony-guardian-says?srnd=premium

Friday, March 29, 2019

Where Pres Trump stands on Great Lakes Restoration


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POLITICS

03/29/2019 08:46 pm ET

Trump Vows Funding For Great Lakes Program He Just Proposed To Gut

“I support the Great Lakes” with their “record deepness,” the president said at a Michigan rally.

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By Mary Papenfuss

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President Donald Trump attempted to position himself as a hero to Michigan voters as he vowed to allocate funds for a Great Lakes restoration program — just days after he called for a 90% cut to the project in his federal budget proposal.

“I support the Great Lakes, always have,” Trump said during his speech at a campaign rally Thursday in Grand Rapids. “They’re beautiful. They’re big. Very deep. Record deepness.”

He told the crowd: “I’m going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which you’ve been trying to get for 30 years.”

In fact, Trump two weeks ago in his budget proposal called for slashing the program’s $300 million funding by massive $270 million. The money is to be used on projects to restore wetlands and improve water quality in and around the five Great Lakes.

Trump also called for decimating funds for the program in 2017 and 2018, but funding was saved both years by Congress, which would likely do so in the next budget as well. President Barack Obama supported funding for the program each year since it was established in 2010.

Yet Trump tried to portray himself at the Midwestern rally as the savior of the program.

Trump needs Michigan voters in the next presidential election. He eked out a 10,700-vote victory (a .23 percentage-point margin) over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton last time in the state. His popularity is sinking in the state as autoworkers lose jobs and farmers struggle against crippling tariffs brought on by Trump’s trade wars.

Donald Trump Jr. also crowed on Twitter about his dad’s sudden championing of the Great Lakes.

Donald Trump Jr.

@DonaldJTrumpJr

Tonight, @realdonaldtrump announced he’ll fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative! Let’s keep our Great Lakes beautiful! $300,000,000 amazing news for our natural rescources, the great outdoors and our sportsmen and women.

48.8K

7:54 PM - Mar 28, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

14K people are talking about this

Twitter wags had some very definite opinions about the Michigan ploy.

(One other thing: The Great Lakes do not have “record deepness” — not in the world and not in the U.S., where Crater Lake is the deepest.)

View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter

Sherrod Brown

@SenSherrodBrown

Last night, President Trump proclaimed he’d get full funding - $300 million – for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
That’s pretty surprising, since his budget slashes it by

Above is from:  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-great-lakes-funding-michigan-rally_n_5c9e9d7ce4b0bc0daca8bbf4?ncid=APPLENEWS00001

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Belvidere native wins commission for new O’Hare Airport



Studio Gang to Lead Winning Chicago O’Hare Airport Expansion

!

Studio Gang to Lead Winning Chicago O’Hare Airport Expansion, O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD

Studio Gang has been selected to lead the $8.5 billon O'Hare 21 International Airport expansion in Chicago. Chosen from a list of firms including BIG, Calatrava and SOM, the Studio Gang team is part of the Studio ORD partnership. They won the project for the Global Terminal and Concourse with three volumes converging in a central hub. Designed to celebrate Chicago’s history as a city shaped by lines of movement, the project represents O’Hare’s first major overhaul in 25 years.

O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORDO'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORDO'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORDO'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD+ 8

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O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD

Studio ORD's winning proposal was made to establish a vibrant new neighborhood in the heart of O’Hare’s campus. The tripartite design merges terminal and concourse into a single building. At the branches’ confluence, an Oculus welcomes visitors under a six-pointed glass skylight. Beneath the Oculus, a Central Green was created with planters, trees and street furniture as a flexible space for diverse programming.

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O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD

Surrounding the Oculus is a rhythmic, pleated roof of long-span steel trusses. Clad in wood and emphasizing the building’s curving form, the pleats are spaced and oriented to maximize natural daylight and energy efficiency. When seen from above, the building’s form takes on a distinctly Chicago icon: the city’s “Y symbol,” or Municipal Device, that represents the branching Chicago River.

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O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD

The remaining four teams are in the running to design two new satellite concourses adjacent to Terminal 1. As the City of Chicago states, "In the coming months, a second team will be selected from the remaining four finalists to design two new satellite concourses to be built west of Terminal 1. This unprecedented expansion will elevate the travel experience for more than 83 million passengers relying upon O’Hare each year, and will create tens of thousands of jobs for the community. The expansion will be paid for by airport revenues, not taxpayer dollars."

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O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD O'Hare Global Terminal and Concourse. Image Courtesy of Studio ORD

"The City of Chicago called upon teams from across the city and around the world to lead O’Hare’s historic expansion, and Studio ORD answered that call," said Mayor Emanuel. "During this historic competition, the world’s best architecture firms submitted their incredible visions for the world to see—with each of these five world-class designs strengthening our plans to bring O’Hare into the 21st century. Today we congratulate Studio ORD who has proven they have the experience, expertise, and the talent needed to work with the City of Chicago as we usher in a new era at O’Hare."

The multi-phase O’Hare 21 project aims to break ground in 2023 with completion scheduled by 2026.

Above is from: https://www.archdaily.com/913991/studio-ord-wins-chicago-ohare-airport-expansion



Jeanne Gang

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Jeanne Gang

Jeanne Gang.jpg

Born
(1964-03-19) March 19, 1964 (age 55)[1]

Belvidere, Illinois[2]

Nationality
American

Alma mater
University of Illinois (B.S., 1986), ETH: Swiss Federal University of Technical Studies, Zurich Urban Design Studies (Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, 1989), Harvard University Graduate School of Design (M.Arch., 1993)

Occupation
Architect

Awards
2017 Louis I. Kahn Memorial Award (Philadelphia Center for Architecture), 2013 National Design Award (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum), 2011 MacArthur Fellow,

Buildings
Aqua, Vista Tower, WMS Boathouse at Clark Park

Aqua Tower

American architect Jeanne Gang (born March 19, 1964) is the founder and leader of Studio Gang (established in 1997), an architecture and urban design practice with offices in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. Internationally renowned for the Aqua Tower,[3][4] Gang has recently completed projects such as Solstice on the Park,[5] Writers Theatre,[6] the University of Chicago Campus North Residential and Dining Commons, City Hyde Park, the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College,[7] and two boathouses on the Chicago River, the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park and Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571.[8][9] Her Aqua tower in Chicago is currently the tallest woman-designed building in the world, a distinction soon to be passed to the new Vista Tower, also of her design nearby.

Contents

Biography[edit]

Gang is recognized as one of the most prominent architects of her generation[10] and is known for an interdisciplinary design process that foregrounds relationships between individuals, communities, and environments.[11] Raised in Belvidere, IL, Gang earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois in 1986 and a Master of Architecture with Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1993.[12] In 1989, she was an International Rotary Fellow and studied at the ETH Swiss Federal University of Technical Studies in Zurich, Switzerland. She also studied at the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Versailles -ENSAV-, in Versailles, France. Prior to establishing Studio Gang in 1997, she worked with OMA/Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam.[13][14]

A 2011 MacArthur Fellow,[15] Gang and her Studio were awarded the 2013 National Design Award for Architecture from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.[16] Gang was named the 2016 Woman Architect of the Year by the Architectural Review.[17] In 2017, she was honored with the Louis I. Kahn Memorial Award (Philadelphia Center for Architecture)[18] and Fellowship in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada[19] and was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[20] In 2018, she was elected an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), a lifetime honor.[21]

Currently a Professor in Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), Gang has also served as the John Portman Design Critic in Architecture and a visiting critic at the GSD (2017 and 2011), a visiting studio critic at the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (2015), the Cullinan Visiting Professor at Rice University School of Architecture (2014), a visiting lecturer at the Princeton University School of Architecture (2007), the Louis I. Kahn Junior Visiting Professor at Yale University School of Architecture (2005), and a studio critic at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Her studios have explored how design can help create beneficial connections between people and their environments, with a focus on cities, ecologies materials and other technologies of the 21st century.

Gang lectures frequently throughout the world. In 2016, she presented at the TEDWomen conference.[22][23]

Work[edit]

Gang's built work in the Chicago area includes the University of Chicago Campus North Residential Commons,[24] Writers Theatre,[25] City Hyde Park,[26] the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park[27] and Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571[28] on the Chicago River, Northerly Island, Aqua Tower, the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo,[29] the Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center,[30] and the SOS Children's Villages Lavezzorio Community Center,[31] among others. In 2014, Gang and her Studio completed the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College.[32] Her current projects under construction include 40 Tenth Avenue[33] in New York's Meatpacking District and Rescue Company 2[34] for the New York City Fire Department, as well as Vista Tower[35] and Solstice on the Park[36] in Chicago. Her Studio is currently engaged in projects such as the Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History; a new United States Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil;[37] high-rise towers in Toronto and Amsterdam; a unified campus for California College of the Arts in San Francisco;[38] the expansion and renovation of the Arkansas Arts Center;[39] and the Center for Arts & Innovation at Spelman College.[40]

Studio Gang's work has been honored, published, and exhibited widely. In 2018, the Studio presented the installation Stone Stories as part of the United States Pavilion exhibition Dimensions of Citizenship at the Venice Architecture Biennale; in 2017, the Studio was selected to design the National Building Museum's Summer Block Party installation;[41] in 2012, the Studio was featured in the solo exhibition Building: Inside Studio Gang Architects at the Art Institute of Chicago;[42] and in 2011, the Studio participated in the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Foreclosed: Rehousing the American Dream.[43] The Studio's work has also been shown at the Chicago Architecture Biennial (2015 and 2017) and Design Miami (2014).

Gang has authored two books—Reveal (2011), the first publication on the Studio's work and process, and Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago's Waterways (2011), which imagines a greener future for the Chicago River. She co-edited the Art Institute of Chicago exhibition catalogue Building: Inside Studio Gang Architects in 2012.

In 2018, Gang unveiled designs for the Arkansas Art Center, a $70 million art museum and nature conservatory in Little Rock, Arkansas. The project has been described as a "museum in a forest." [44]

On March 27, 2019, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that the design team led by Ms. Gang, Studio ORD, had been selected as the winner of an international design competition for the new $2.2 billion Global Terminal at O'Hare International Airport. The project is scheduled to begin in 2023.[45]

Projects[edit]

Awards and honors[edit]

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

City of Rockford lowers contract payment to Rockford Area Economic Development

City of Rockford proposes new contract with RAEDC, $100K less than previous agreement


ROCKFORD (WREX) — The City of Rockford has released a proposed contract with the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, and it’s for $100,000 less than the previous contract.

According to a memo dated March 20, 2019 by City Administrator Todd Cagnoni, the city is seeking a new agreement with the RAEDC, with a proposed annual budget of $100,000 for calendar year 2019 and 2020.

The difference compared to the most previous agreement is $100,000. In the 2017 and 2018 contract, the city agreed to pay $150,000 per year.

Besides the dollar amount, the proposed contract appears to require more oversight by the city. The 2019-20 draft requests that city staff and RAEDC officials meet six times per year, versus quarterly meetings like the previous agreement requires. Additionally, the RAEDC would meet with the mayor or city administrator once per month to discuss overall market activity within the greater region. Finally, the RAEDC would report to Rockford’s City Council through the planning and development committee annually.

Similarly to previous contracts, the city would still get to appoint two aldermen to serve on the RAEDC Board of Directors as ex-officio non-voting members.

This is the first negotiated contract since former RAEDC Vice President of Operations Leilani Hillis pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges. According to a criminal complaint, Hillis used the RAEDC’s credit card to make more than $600,000 in unauthorized purchases for her own benefit. Hillis concealed the crime by using the organization’s accounting codes to make it appear the purchases were for RAEDC, and she forged the initials of RAEDC’s president on expense reports.

According to previous interviews with Mayor Tom McNamara concerning a new contract with RAEDC, the $100,000 investment still makes the city, along with Winnebago County, the lead investor in the economic council. The council is charged with spurring economic growth, attracting new business and talent to the area, and supporting regional municipalities with vision, strategies and economic goals.

13 News has reached out to city officials, who say they are not commenting on the proposal for 2 more weeks. The proposal will have to be voted on by Rockford’s City Council. The previous contract was approved by all but three members, including Ald. Venita Hervey, Ald. Linda McNeely and then-Ald. Tina Newburg.

13 News has also reached out to RAEDC’s Executive Director Nathan Bryant. Calls for comment have not been returned as of Tuesday afternoon.

Above is from:  https://wrex.com/category/2019/03/26/city-of-rockford-proposes-new-contract-with-raedc-100k-less-than-previous-agreement/

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Mueller Investigation costed nothing!!!!




The Mueller probe was money well spent



Rick Newman

Senior Columnist

,

Yahoo FinanceMarch 24, 2019

Robert Mueller headshot, Special Counsel, graphic element on gray

Special counsel Robert Mueller. AP photo.

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Republicans are gloating. Democrats are despondent. If there’s a common thread among reactions to the first glimpse into the Mueller report, it’s a sense that it was much ado about nothing.

But the Mueller investigation was necessary and well worth the cost, no matter what the outcome. Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller special counsel on May 17, 2017 with a specific purpose: To determine what role Russian interference played in the 2016 presidential election.

President Trump has repeatedly mischaracterized the Mueller inquiry as a “witch hunt.” Trump is wrong. The Russians clearly did attempt to influence the outcome of the election, preferring Trump over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Americans deserve to know exactly what the Russians did, why they did it, how effective they were—and who worked with them.

Mueller’s headline finding is that Trump did not conspire with the Russians, according to a synopsis of Mueller’s findings provided by Attorney General William Barr. Assuming that’s true, all Americans—Republicans, Democrats, everybody—should be relieved. The US president did not work with a hostile foreign government to undermine the will of American voters.

Trump’s odd display of obsequiousness toward Russian president Vladimir Putin—at the same time Trump was seeking a business deal in Moscow—raised obvious and troubling questions. Was Trump offering Putin favorable treatment from the US government, in exchange for something that benefited Trump personally? Did Putin have something on him?

Without the Mueller investigation, we’d never know. But now we do know. Being able to close the book on that should end one of the scarier episodes in modern US history and reassure voters their government isn’t compromised in this one tangible way.

Muller also revealed that Trump’s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, was a crook who abused the powers of his office the moment he set foot in it. Mueller exposed the deep corruption of Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Manafort’s longtime No. 2, Rick Gates. Mueller laid the groundwork for the conviction of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who’s going to jail soon for fraud, tax evasion and campaign-finance felonies. Mueller explained how Russian operatives exploited gaps on Facebook and Twitter in an effort to manipulate American voters, create dissension and help get Trump elected. We don’t often get definitive, trustworthy outcomes in Washington. For once, we did.

Mueller may have uncovered much more we don’t yet know about. While Barr told Congress the Mueller probe found no conspiracy between Trump and Russia, he left the door open regarding other charges of wrongdoing. “While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime,” Barr wrote, “it also does not exonerate him.”

Trump is clearly complicit in the hush-money payments Cohen arranged to two women Trump had affairs with. If Cohen’s going to jail for those felonies, what about Trump? There are other lingering questions about Trump’s personal and business tax payments, his scammy charity and the profits his business might be making thanks to his position as president. It’s possible Mueller found incriminating evidence regarding Trump, but chose not to prosecute on his own, instead handing his findings to traditional channels in the Justice Department, particularly the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. If so, the whole affair is far from over.

Even with the all-clear on Russia, the Mueller probe has hurt Trump. Seven Trump associates have been convicted of crimes or indicted, and Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, has supposedly provided further leads. Trump can claim a win on Russia, but Mueller has exposed a griftiness at the core of Trump’s operation, and provided evidence to back it up.

The whole Mueller probe could end up costing around $35 million, at most. That might sound like a lot, but it’s just 0.6% of the $5.7 billion Trump wanted as a border wall down payment when he shut down the government late last year. Independent-counsel investigations into Bill Clinton in the 1990s cost roughly twice what Mueller’s probe will end up costing, and lasted for 8 years. On top of that, the Manafort conviction forced the forfeiture of $42 million in fines and penalties, generating a positive net return for the Mueller probe, if you run the numbers that way.

It’s not often Washington produces something taxpayers can consider a bargain. But Mueller just did. Americans got clarity and ground truth, and can now evaluate Trump knowing what is true and what is not

Above is from:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-mueller-probe-was-money-well-spent-015006842.html

Thursday, March 21, 2019

More about the 2 personality disorders Mr. Conway believes the President has


Narcissistic Personality Disorder DSM-5 301.81 (F60.81)


DSM-5 Category: Personality Disorders

Introduction

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), a cluster B personality disorder, is considered to be one of the least identified personality disorders (Pies, 2011). On the other hand, a good number of patients with narcissistic traits present at the psychiatrist's office with other types of issues such as anxiety or depression. A common finding in clinical practice, NPD frequently coexists with other psychiatric disorders. NPD is a relatively recent diagnostic category. Its origins stem from a great effort between psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists to recognize a cluster of predominantly difficult patients who could not be classified as psychotic, not typically neurotic and overall not responsive to conventional psycho therapeutic treatment options (Gildersleeve, 2012).

NPD appears to be more widespread in males than females for unknown reasons. In the past there has been some speculation that the limited spotlight on grandiosity likely adds to the extensive discrepancy that is seen with small NPD prevalence rates in epidemiological research and elevated occurrences of NPD seen in clinical practice (Campbell, Miller, & Widiger, 2010).

The most important characteristics of NPD are grandiosity, seeking excessive admiration, and a lack of empathy (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). These identifying features can result in a negative impact on an individual’s interpersonal affairs and life general. In most cases, on the exterior, these patients act with an air of right and control, dismissing others, and frequently showcasing condescending or denigrating attitudes. Nevertheless, internally, these patients battle with strong feelings of low self esteem issues and inadequacy. Even though the typical NPD patient may achieve great achievements, ultimately their functioning in society can be affected as these characteristics interfere with both personal and professional relationships. A large part of this is as result of the NPD patient being incapable of receiving disapproval or rebuff of any kind, in addition to the fact that the NPD patient typically exhibits lack of empathy and overall disrespect for others.

Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

The definition of NPD states that it comprises of a persistent manner of grandiosity, a continuous desire for admiration, along with a lack of empathy. It starts by early adulthood and occurs in a range of situations, as signified by the existence of any 5 of the next 9 standards (American Psychiatric Association, 2013):

  • A grandiose logic of self-importance
  • A fixation with fantasies of infinite success, control, brilliance, beauty, or idyllic love
  • A credence that he or she is extraordinary and exceptional and can only be understood by, or should connect with, other extraordinary or important people or institutions
  • A desire for unwarranted admiration
  • A sense of entitlement
  • Interpersonally oppressive behavior
  • No form of empathy
  • Resentment of others or a conviction that others are resentful of him or her
  • A display of egotistical and conceited behaviors or attitudes

Another model, characterizes NPD as having fair or superior impairment in personality functioning, apparent by characteristic troubles in at least 2 of the following 4 areas (American Psychiatric Association, 2013):

  1. Individuality
  2. Self-direction
  3. Empathy
  4. Closeness

No actual physical characteristics are seen with NPD, but patients may have concurrent substance abuse, which may be seen in the clinical examination.

Epidemiology

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is more prevalent in males, with about 18 percent of males presenting with NPD, compared to six percent of females (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). Within the general population, the prevalence rate is less than one percent, yet within the clinical population, this number rises to about 2 to 16 percent.

Differential Diagnosis

NPD has similar characteristics with the other 3 cluster B personality disorders, and thus should be differentiated accordingly. These are Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and Histrionic personality disorder (HPD). Additionally individuals with NPD may also meet the definition for also having axis I disorder, or exhibits features that similar to axis I disorders (CITE).

While no particular laboratory tests help with the diagnosis of NPD, a urine toxicology screen may be important to exclude substance abuse such as alcohol and drugs as likely reasons of the pathology.

Co-morbidity

Several comorbid disorders occur with NPD, with the most common being major depressive disorder, seen in about 45 to 50 percent of NPD patients (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). Bipolar disorder presents in 5 to 11 percent of NPD patients (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). On the other hand, the most prevalent comorbidity seen is that of substance abuse. Approximately 24 to 64.2 percent of NPD patients have substance abuse disorders (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013).

Treatment for Narcissistic Personality Disorder

The treatments for NPD are forms of therapy, as well as pharmacologic (Narcissistic Personality Disorder, 2011). The core of treatment lies with individual psychotherapy, which consists mainly of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. In addition, other types of therapy may be utilized, such as family, group, couples therapies, plus cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Since NPD patients commonly have other psychiatric ailments like depression, anxiety or other mood disorders, certain psychotropic medications may also be administered.

While treatment for NPD largely remains outpatient, an indication for inpatient stay should occur if the patient severely worsens or becomes a threat to their own safety as well as others. Even with inpatient care, it is best to opt for shorter hospital times, as extended stays have not been reported to transform the course of the illness. The use of hospitalization ought to only be used as a short-term method which facilitates either the stabilization of environmental stressors, and/or regulation of drug dosages .

Psychotherapy

With individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy, much debate exists between the 2 key school of thoughts Kernberg and Kohut, both offering conflicting methods regarding the therapist’s role in treating NPD patients. Kernberg advocates a direct confrontation of the NPD patient during therapy, with the goal of eliminating or weakening the patient’s grandiosity. On the other hand, Kohut supports a more empathic role, that encourages the patient’s grandiosity, thus strengthening the patient’s naturally deficient self image (Gildersleeve, 2012). In therapy, a common form of treatment is a combination of both.

Other Forms of Therapy

Some speculate that NPD patients may experience difficulty handing group sessions, since they lack the traits needed for group therapy like patience, connectivity, and empathy. Research maintains that the use of long-term group therapy offers NPD patients the avenue to improve trust with others and other crucial relationship aspects in a safe and controlled environment (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013).

The use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in treating NPD mainly involves the particular form of CBT recognized as schema-focused therapy, that focuses on fixing narcissistic schemas and the flawed moods and coping mechanisms (Matusiewicz, Hopwood, Banducci, & Lejuez, 2011).

Pharmacologic Therapy

No actual medications are indicated for the treatment of NPD. Given that patients may have other co-morbid psychiatric issues, these patients sometimes benefit from using medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, as well as mood stabilizers (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013).

Long-Term Monitoring

It is important for NPD patients to receive close long-term monitoring as there may be a potential risk for suicide, especially in patients who also have depression. While one can assume that giving the low self-esteem and high impulsive nature, suicidal behaviors should be directly linked with NPD (Campbell, Miller, & Widiger, 2010).

Social Impact

Ironically patients with NPD, also known as narcissists are reportedly happier than others in society. Being highly materialistic, self-enhancing, entitled and impulsive, they may not learn from mistakes, and have a tendency to get into even greater trouble, notably legal and disciplinary (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). These maladaptive coping mechanisms can result in issues in the work place or in school, or unemployment.

Patients with NPD tend to be drawn to people of a high societal class, who think very highly of them (Campbell, Miller, & Widiger, 2010). The constant desire for admiration may cause romantic relationships to be short lived, as they constantly seek for something better, or when their lack of empathy becomes apparent to their partners (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). So patients with NPD may exhibit an unforgiving nature and showcase anger and aggression in such close relationships (Ronningstam & Weinberg, 2013). This can also affect work relationships or any close group activities.


References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Personality disorders. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.

Campbell, W. K., Miller, J., & Widiger, T. (2010). Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the DSM–V. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(4), 640 – 649. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://wkeithcampbell.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MillerWidigerCampbell20101.pdf

Gildersleeve, M. (2012). Demystifying Paradoxical Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 34(4), 403-404. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.ijpm.info/article.asp?issn=0253-7176;year=2012;volume=34;issue=4;spage=403;epage=404;aulast=Gildersleeve

Matusiewicz, A., Hopwood, C., Banducci, A., & Lejuez, C. (2011, Sep 1). The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Personality Disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am, 33(3), 657–685. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138327/

Narcissistic Personality Disorder. (2011, Aug 29). Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from Cleveland Clinic: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/neurological_institute/center-for-behavorial-health/disease-conditions/hic-narcissistic-personality-disorder.aspx

Pies, R. (2011, Feb). How To Eliminate Narcissism Overnight. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(2), 23–27. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3071092/

Ronningstam, E., & Weinberg, I. (2013, Spring). Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Progress in Recognition and Treatment. The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, XI(2), 167-177. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://focus.psychiatryonline.org/data/Journals/FOCUS/926935/167.pdf

Above is fromhttps://www.theravive.com/therapedia/narcissistic-personality-dis

SM-5 Category: Personality Disorders

Introduction

APD (Antisocial Personality Disorder) is a DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), diagnosis assigned to individuals who habitually and pervasively disregard or violate the rights and considerations of others without remorse. People with Antisocial Personality Disorder may be habitual criminals, or engage in behavior which would be grounds for criminal arrest and prosecution, or they may engage in behaviors which skirt the edges of the law, or manipulate and hurt others in non-criminal ways which are widely regarded as unethical, immoral, irresponsible, or in violation of social norms and expectations. Those with APD often possess an impaired moral conscience and make decisions driven purely by their own desires without considering the needs or negative effects of their actions on others.  Impulsive and criminal behavior is common.  The terms psychopathy or sociopathy are also used, in some contexts synonymously, in others, sociopath is differentiated from a psychopath, in that a sociopathy is rooted in environmental causes, while psychopathy is genetically based.

The term antisocial may be confusing to the lay public, as the more common definition outside of clinical usage is an individual who is a loner or socially isolated. The literal meaning of the word antisocial can be more descriptive to both the lay public and professionals.  To be anti-social is to be against society: against rules, norms, laws and acceptable behavior. Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder tend to be charismatic, attractive, and very good at obtaining sympathy from others; for example, describing themselves as the victim of injustice. Some studies suggest that the average intelligence of antisocials is higher than the norm. Antisocials possess a superficial charm, they can be thoughtful and cunning, and have an intuitive ability to rapidly observe and analyze others, determine their needs and preferences, and present it in a manner to facilitate manipulation and exploitation. They are able to harm and use other people in this manner, without remorse, guilt, shame or regret.  It is widely stated that antisocials are without empathy, however this can be disputed, as sadistic antisocials will use empathy to experience their victim's suffering, and derive a fuller pleasure from it (Turvey, 1995). This is depicted in the classic work A Cask of Amontillado by Poe, as the main character entombs another man alive “...then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labours and sat down upon the bones.” (Poe, 1846 ). Some research also suggests that sociopaths and psychopaths do have degrees of empathy, but with an innate ability to switch it off at will. (Meffer, Gazzola, den Boer, Bartells, 2013). This connection to empathy may give hope to future successful treatment as it suggests individuals with APD may be trained.

Symptoms & Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder

According to the DSM-5, there are four diagnostic criterion, of which Criterion A has seven sub-features.

A. Disregard for and violation of others rights since age 15, as indicated by one of the seven sub features:

  1. Failure to obey laws and norms by engaging in behavior which results in criminal arrest, or would warrant criminal arrest
  2. Lying, deception, and manipulation, for profit or self-amusement,
  3. Impulsive behavior
  4. Irritability and aggression, manifested as frequently assaults others, or engages in fighting
  5. Blatantly disregards safety of self and others,
  6. A pattern of irresponsibility and
  7. Lack of remorse for actions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

The other diagnostic Criterion are:

B. The person is at least age 18,

C. Conduct disorder was present by history before age 15

D. and the antisocial behavior does not occur in the context of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

Onset

The DSM-5 notes that Antisocial Personality Disorder cannot be diagnosed before age 18, so while an adolescent may display antisocial features, prior to age 18, if diagnostic criteria are met, the appropriate diagnosis would be Conduct Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Prevalence

According to the DSM-5, the annual prevalence of Antisocial Personality Disorder is .02% to 3.3.% when the criteria from prior DSM editions are applied (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Risk Factors

The DSM-5 indicates that risk factors for Antisocial Personality Disorder are having a first degree biological relative with APD, and being a male, (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). If Antisocial Personality Disorder is primarily genetic or a product of social learning and other environmental factors has been widely debated by behavioral scientists. There are indicators that Antisocial Personality Disorder is a result of a genetic predisposition in that the individual is born without conscience. There is evidence for neuroanatomical differences in antisocials. A rs-fMRI (resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) study of n=480 adjudicated antisocial offenders showed “uncoupled connections”in areas of the frontal and parietal lobes which are associated with attention, self regulation, the ability to control oneself, and resolve conflicts . It was noted that physiological and anatomical deficits observed in the frontal /parietal areas, as well as the cerebellum, may account for the chronic low arousal, high impulsivity, lack of conscience, callousness, and decision-making problems commonly seen in individuals with APD (Tang, Jiang, Liao, Wang, & Luo, 2013). There is also evidence that environmental factors, such as internalizing messages from antisocial peers or parents are at work in Antisocial Personality Disorder. One possible developmental pathway if there are not appropriate treatment interventions is ODD, or RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) , and CD leading to APD.

Comorbidity

The DSM-5 indicates that Antisocial Personality Disorder is comorbid with substance abuse disorder, and other personality disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Treatment of Antisocial Personality Disorder

The DSM-5 does not specify treatment options for APD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

The consensus is there is very little in the way of effective treatment for Antisocial Personality Disorder. Individuals with APD may have to be contained by the criminal justice system, through some combination of incapacitation (incarceration), supervision and monitoring (parole, probation, or house arrest), or informal monitoring by local law enforcement to contain their harmful behaviors to others to the greatest extent possible. Some research has shown that individuals with APD do feel degrees of empathy suggesting that at the very least some form of training may be possible (Meffer, Gazzola, den Boer, Bartells, 2013). There are also cases of individuals with APD converting to religion and finding strong conviction within themselves to reform and successfully integrate with society ("Confessions of a Christian Psychopath", 2011). The role of religion and spirituality as a possible treatment for APD is not well studied, and future research is warranted.

Incarceration may not be an effective deterrent to the antisocial individual, as those with APD have difficulty learning from mistakes, are rigid in decision making, and are typically unresponsive to punishment (De Brito, Viding, Kumari, Blackwood, and Sheilagh, 2013). A primary reason that individuals with APD are often non responsive to punishment and deterrence is an inner belief system that views constraints and consequences as a rudimentary function of society, a group which they do not see themselves a part of.  The antisocial may see themselves as existing above or beyond society, and thus their existence need not be confined to society's limitations and restraints; and on the contrary, those limitations and restraints are best utilized when exploited to the full advantage of the individual. As a result, for many with APD, incarceration may only serve to reinforce their primary belief system and have little effect towards future deterrence. 

The DSM- 5 as well as other sources note that individuals with APD may cease behavioral expression of their antisocial belief system in their 40's (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) although this is inconclusive.  Other sources argue that antisocials become too emotionally battered from a long term resisting of society and accumulate physical injuries from a lifestyle of neglect of medical and dental care, untended injuries, and drug and alcohol abuse.  This eventual emotional depletion may result in the antisocial reducing destructive behavior or criminal activity simply due to being no longer physically capable.   But even in this case, the individual will still retain an antisocial belief system in their day to day dealings with others, and may hide their behavior better through practice effects- learning to be more subtle and not draw attention to themselves and risk arrest or other containment. A specific form of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) called CSC (Cognitive Self Change) based on Samenow and Yochelson's seminal work with offenders has documented marginal success at modifying the behavior of violent offenders, both antisocial and otherwise (Barbour, 2013; Powell, & Sadler, n.d. ).

Impact on Functioning

Antisocial Personality Disorder will typically have strong impacts on most areas of functioning. According to the DSM-5, persons with APD may face incarceration as a result of their criminal actions, premature death from violence or accidents, or loss of assets or property from reckless spending (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) or civil forfeiture of assets. Divorce, separation, unemployment, financial dependency on state relief sources, homelessness, anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are all elevated in individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder when compared to the general population (Goldstein, Dawson, Smith, & Grant, 2012). Antisocials also have the potential to cause great harm to those around them, including family, associates, neighbors, and complete strangers, through financial exploitation, theft, emotional abuse, assault, sexual assault, and homicide.

Differential Diagnosis

There are diagnostic rule-outs for the clinician to consider, in the DSM-5, disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as substance abuse disorders should be considered. Even very violent offenders may not be sociopaths, but sociopathy should be considered on a continuum, rather than a dichotomy of present or absent.


References:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (5th Edition). Washington, DC.

Barbour, P. (2013). Criminal Thinking: A cognitive- behavioral therapy approach. ATTC. Retrieved March 4, 2014 from http://madcp.dreamhosters.com/sites/default/files/4F_Barbour_Criminal_Thinking.pdf

De Brito, S.A.. Viding,E., Kumari,V., Blackwood, N., Sheilagh (2013) ; Cool and Hot Executive Function Impairments in Violent Offenders with Antisocial Personality Disorder with and without Psychopathy 8(6): e65566. doi:0.1371/journal.pone.0065566 PMCID: PMC3688734

Meffert, Harma, Gazzola, Valeria, den Boer, Johan, Bartels, Arnold, and Keysershttp, Christian (2013) Reduced spontaneous but relatively normal deliberate vicarious representations in psychopathy. Retrieved Nov 2016 from http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/136/8/2550

Goldstein, R.B., Dawson, D.A., Smith, S.W., and Grant, B.F. (2012). Antisocial Behavioral Syndromes and Three-Year Quality of Life Outcomes in United States Adults. Acta Psychiatria Scandinavia 126(2): 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2012.01848.x. 2012. doi: 10.1111/j.1600 0447.2012.01848.x PMCID: PMC3837547 NIHMSID: NIHMS523921

Tang, Y., Jiang, W., Liao, J., Wang, W., and Luo, A. (2013). Identifying Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder Using Resting-State fMRI. Plos One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060652 PMCID: PMC3625191

Turvey, B.E. (1995). The Impressions of a Man: An Objective Forensic Guideline toProfiling Violent Serial Sex Offenders. Knowledge Solutions. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.corpus-delicti.com/impress.html

Poe, E. A. (1846). The Cask of Amontillado. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://archive.org/stream/thecaskofamontil01063gut/1063.txt

Powell, T. and Sadler, C. (n.d.). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Inmates: An Outcome Study Castleton State College, Castleton, Vermont Retrieved March 7, 2014, from www.vtfa.com/presentations/cognitive.ppt‎

Confessions of a Christian Psychopath. (2011, November). Retrieved from https://healingaspd.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/hello-world/

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Above is from:  https://www.theravive.com/therapedia/antisocial-personality-disorder-dsm--5-301.7-(f60.2)

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Rockford Diocese relatively untouched by new Anderson Abuse Report


About 390 Catholic priests, 6 nuns in Ill. named as alleged sexual abusers on massive list

Some known abusers were moved to parishes "with direct access to children," according to the new report.

US-VATICAN-BISHOPS-RELIGION-ABUSE

Patricia Gallagher Marchant, a victim of clergy abuse, speaks during a press conference outside the Archdiocese of Chicago on Jan. 2, 2019 in Chicago.Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP - Getty Images file

March 20, 2019, 5:58 PM CDT

By Corky Siemaszko

A law firm that represents clerical sexual abuse victims released a massive list Wednesday of Roman Catholic priests in Illinois, along with six nuns and a handful of lay people, who have been credibly accused of molesting children.

Some of the accusations in the 185-page Anderson Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese and Dioceses in Illinois stretch back more than half a century. The 395 names listed are nearly double the number that church officials in the state had previously released.

“The data reveal the horrifying scale of priests sexually assaulting minors to the present day,” the report states. “Perhaps most shocking among the discoveries is that some perpetrators were intentionally transferred and retained in trusted positions with direct access to children even after they were known to sexually abuse children.”

But only one of the priests in the report, Father Michael O’Connell in Chicago, continues to tend to a flock, attorney Jeff Anderson said at a press conference in that city where the report was unveiled. The rest are either dead or no longer in the ministry.

“It’s incomplete, but it is a start,” said clerical abuse survivor Cindy Yesko. “What this means to me is transparency. These names are now brought to light.”

Image:Joe Iacono, right, pauses as he is comforted by attorney Jeff Anderson during a news conference on March 20, 2019, in Chicago.Kiichiro Sato / AP

Yesko first came forward with allegations in 2006 against two priests from the Diocese of Springfield who are named in the report, Father Louis Schlangen and Father Stanislaus Yunker. Both are now deceased.

“The priest that abused me was moved to eight different parishes,” said survivor Joe Iacano, who claims he was abused by a now-dead Chicago priest, Father Thomas Francis Kelly. “He abused in every parish he went to.”

Anderson’s report was unveiled four months after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan revealed that officials have received allegations of sexual abuse against nearly 700 priests and clergy members in the state. Those complaints are now under investigation.

The Archdiocese of Chicago and the dioceses of Belleville, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford and Springfield orchestrated “an institutional coverup of enormous magnitude,” Anderson said.

Even with 395 names in the report, it’s an undercount, the report says.

“It is believed that the Dioceses in Illinois have not publicly made available the full histories and their knowledge of their sexually abusive agents and employees,” the report states.

Several of the names in the Anderson report had been released earlier by the Jesuits, including the names of several priests who taught at St. Ignatius College Prep, an elite Catholic high school in Chicago — Father Allan Kirk, Father James Condon, Father Stanley Wisniewski and Father Bernard Knoth.

Kirk, Condon and Wisniewski are dead. Knoth is living in Florida and declined to be interviewed.

The Anderson report listed 116 priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago who had been accused. In a statement, the archdiocese said “it reports all allegations we receive to the civil authorities.”

Asked specifically about the status of Father O’Connell, spokesman Alejandro Castillo said both allegations against him “were reported and were judged by civil authorities and the archdiocese to be unsubstantiated.” He remains a parish priest.

The Diocese of Rockford said in its statement that only one of the 22 priests named by Anderson, Ivan Rovira, had not previously been divulged. It said Rovira was a parish priest in the diocese for just two years.

“The Rockford Diocese has never received an allegation against Ivan Rovira, and was unaware he was accused in another Diocese until the list was issued today,” it said.

Rovira’s last posting was in Texas and his current whereabouts are unknown, according to the Anderson report.

The Diocese of Joliet said the Anderson report “includes the names of some diocesan priests, living and deceased, who have been accused of abuse, but the claim was unsubstantiated or deemed not credible by the Diocese of Joliet Review Board, or the claim did not involve child abuse.”

“Each of those claims was forwarded to the civil authorities for investigations and potential prosecution,” the Joliet diocese statement read.

The Diocese of Springfield said as far as they are concerned, Anderson's report is out of date. "The majority of instances of abuse occurred more than 30 years ago, and only one instance has occurred in the past 20 years," it said in a statement.

The Diocese of Peoria said in a statement most of the 29 diocesan priests named in the report are dead. It said one of the priests, Father Frank Martinez, was never accused of anything and is now a parish priest in Davenport, Iowa. It said another, Monsignor Charles Beebe, was cleared after an investigation by the Peoria Police Department. He retired in 2016.

There was no immediate response from the Diocese of Belleville.

Six nuns are named in the report. Sister Norma Giannini is dead. So is Sister Benen Kent. And Sister Agnes Santomassimo is also believed to be dead.

The whereabouts of the remaining nuns, Sister Mary Jane, Sister Cheryl Porte and Sister Josephine Schmitz, were not known, according to the Anderson report.

A longtime advocate for clergy abuse survivors, Anderson’s team released a report on the Archdiocese of New York in February which also included two nuns on its list of more than 100 priests and other clergy staff accused of sexually abusing children.

Anderson’s team also released a similar report two years ago in which 263 priests in three San Francisco Bay dioceses were branded accused sexual predators.

Just as in Illinois and New York, the names were culled from publicly available documents, including legal settlements and news accounts.

Most of the Illinois priests were never charged with crimes. Asked if he had any qualms about making their names public, Anderson said no.

“We always have qualms about ruining the reputations of people,” he said. “I rigorously vet this information to make sure it has already been publicly disseminated..This is not just a random assortment of individuals.”

Corky Siemaszko

Corky Siemaszko is a senior writer at NBC News Digital.

Above is from:  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/about-390-catholic-priests-6-nuns-ill-named-alleged-sexual-n985581



Up to one third of grant to land bank goes for administration



Rockford area land bank gets to work

By Isaac Guerrero
Staff writer

Posted Mar 19, 2019 at 3:04 PMUpdated Mar 19, 2019 at 9:02 PM

ROCKFORD — The Rockford region’s new blight-fighting tool took its first steps Tuesday as members of the Northern Illinois Land Bank Authority adopted policies to guide its mission of putting vacant, dilapidated properties back to productive use.

The Region 1 Planning Council was awarded a $225,000 grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to establish the land bank, which now includes Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park, South Beloit, Belvidere and Boone and Winnebago counties.

Appointees from six of those local governments convened Tuesday — no South Beloit representative was present — for the land bank board’s inaugural meeting.

The board approved policies about how the land bank will acquire property, how members of the land bank may withdraw their membership and a symbolic policy stating that the land bank will not use eminent domain because it doesn’t have such power.

The land bank will rely on staff from R1 Planning Council — namely landbank coordinator Eric Setter — to locate, acquire and then sell or deed the properties to buyers who have a more productive use in mind for parcels that are tax delinquent, blighted and vacant.

Up to $75,000 of the $225,000 IHDA grant can be spent to pay for the staff time of the planning council. The remaining $150,000 can be used for land acquisition. Setter said he’s actively looking for properties so the land bank can begin its work.

The Boone County Board appointed one of its own — board member Sherry Giesecke — to serve as the county’s representative on the land bank board. Giesecke said she has high hopes for new blight-fighting tool.

“I hope that this will be a very powerful tool for the northern Illinois region to pursue prosperity for everyone,” Giesecke said. “I think there are so many jewels around here that have been long forgotten and this will be a way for us to restore these jewels.”

The land bank board will convene for its next meeting in May.

Isaac Guerrero: 815-987-1361;iguerrero@rrstar.com; @isaac_rrs

Above is from:  https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190319/rockford-area-land-bank-gets-to-work

Monday, March 18, 2019

Beloit’s Casino on track for decision in May



CASINO ADVANCE PROJECTED

March 14, 2019 at 9:50 am | By AUSTIN MONTGOMERY Staff writer

 


  • Luther

  • Casino advance projected 1

    Price

    Casino advance projected


BELOIT - Officials involved with the Ho-Chunk Nation's Beloit casino/resort development say the plan could see movement as soon as May, setting the stage for a long-awaited federal ruling on the project.

Beloit City Manager Lori Curtis Luther said a trip she took last week to Washington D.C. with Forward Janesville to meet with federal leaders "reaffirmed optimism for the plan," suggesting a May date for the tribe's project to net a final environmental impact statement (EIS).

The document is needed before land can be transferred into public trust as part of the project, and before federal officials in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) at the Department of the Interior support or deny the plan. If the plan is approved by BIA, the proposal would come before Gov. Tony Evers, who as a candidate told the Beloit Daily News he would support the project. In December, BIA hosted a public hearing in Beloit on the proposal, marking a key point for Ho-Chunk.

"There aren't any current obstacles to meeting that date short of another government shutdown," Luther said, noting the previous shutdown pushed back when the EIS was originally expected, this spring, before stalling.

Ho-Chunk officials previously said the tribe hopes to break ground on the $400 million complex in 2020, with an estimated opening in 2021. The optimism for the plan's success is in direct contrast with a state report obtained and published by the Beloit Daily News on Feb. 8 that cites the Department of Administration's Division of Gaming as estimating the plan "is four years from approval."

Nevertheless, Ho-Chunk Nation Public Relations Officer Collin Price said the tribe expected the final EIS document to be completed "in the next few months," confirming the only steps left following the final EIS would be the recommendation from BIA before potentially heading to Evers.

"We're patient and persistent so whenever the approval process wraps up, we will be ready," Price said.

Price also pointed to development growth around the casino along Interstate 39/90 and Willowbrook Road, if approved, noting it was "something we're really excited about." Price said Ho-Chunk was in contact with consultants and development firms from across the country "to round out the best fit and business opportunities that will compliment the property."

Price added he expected more details about ancillary developments to be released in the coming months alongside the proposal's progress.

Above is from:  https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/20190314/casinoadvanceprojected