NRA-backed task force pushes to arm teachers, school staff

By Kasie Hunt, Political Reporter, NBC News

A National Rifle Association-funded task force on Tuesday outlined a package of recommendations aimed at improving school safety, leaving aside the new gun controls that Congress is considering and instead advising schools to train teachers and other school personnel to carry guns to protect their students.

?I have not focused on the separate debate in Congress about firearms and how they should be handled," said former Republican Rep. Asa Hutchinson, who is heading up the National School Shield Program. The NRA has spent more than $1 million to back the task force, which was created in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut.?

The push to change the subject away from gun control and toward increasing the presence of guns in schools comes the week before Senate Democrats are expected to consider a package of new gun laws on the floor of the upper chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said the bill would expanded background checks for gun buyers and make gun trafficking a federal crime.

Former U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson announces recommendations arising from the NRA's National School Shield Program, an initiative aimed at providing schools with armed guards.

While the NRA has been working with members of Congress on legislative language for such proposals, it's publicly opposed to expanding background checks.

The group has also opposed a proposed ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, with some Republicans arguing that large and powerful weapons are necessary for self-protection.

The 225-page National School Shield report isn't offering specific recommendations for how many armed staff each school should have or the types of guns those people should carry -- though Hutchinson said the firearms could range from "sidearms, to shotguns, to AR-15s."

Hutchinson emphasized that the program should only be for those who are interested in going through 40-60 hours of firearms training.

"Let me emphasize -- this is not talking about all teachers. Teachers should teach," he said.??Hutchinson also said that the idea of arming community volunteers -- an idea floated after the Newtown shooting -- wasn't workable because of liability and other issues.

Instead, the focus is on arming staff who are employed at the school.??Joining Hutchinson on Tuesday was Mark Mattiolli, whose son was killed in the Newtown shootings. Other Sandy Hook parents have appeared at events on Capitol Hill and at the White House to advocate for stricter gun laws.??

Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

Mark Mattiolli, left, endorses new proposals laid out by Asa Hutchinson, right, after his announcement of the findings and recommendations of the the National School Shield Program at the National Press Club in Washington on April 2, 2013.

"As parents we send our kids off to school, and there are certain expectations and obviously at Sandy Hook those expectations weren't met," Mattiolli said. "This is recommendations for solutions. Real?solutions?that will make our kids safer."?

Arming school personnel is the first of eight recommendations included in the plan. Among the other ideas: an online self-assessment tool that schools can use to evaluate their facilities and safety policies; changes to state laws to allow school personnel to carry guns while they're in training; increasing coordination among law enforcement agencies; encouraging states to make school safety part of their educational requirements; making the task force a permanent group; creating a pilot program to assess threats and mental health; and increasing federal funding for school safety.

Hutchinson presented the task force's findings at the National Press Club, where he was protected by at least 10 security guards, some uniformed and some in plain clothes.??

"No, there's nothing I'm afraid of," he said when asked about the intense security presence. National Press Club executive director Bill McGowan said after the event that the security level was "unusual" and "definitely got our attention." ??

Task force officials plan to make the report available at www.nrachoolshield.com.?

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 2, 2013 11:31 AM EDT

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Apps help parents monitor children's Internet use

By Natasha Baker

TORONTO (Reuters) - With smartphone and tablet users getting younger, new apps can help parents of 2-to-13-year-olds monitor and control their children's use of the Internet.

A Pew Research Center study shows that more than one-third of American teenagers own a smartphone, up from more than a fifth in 2011. For nearly half of these users, the phone is their main way of getting online, making it difficult for parents to supervise their behavior.

"When you have a smartphone, you basically have the Internet in your pocket wherever you are - away from your parents' eyes," said Anooj Shah, a partner in Toronto-based company Kytephone, which develops apps.

Kytephone's namesake app allows parents to control the apps and sites their children use and the people they receive texts and calls from.

The company on Monday released Kytetime for 13-to-17-year-olds. The new app has many of the same features as Kytephone but does not include the ability to block calls.

Earlier this month, Net Nanny, a monitoring software company, released a browser app for Apple Inc's iOS devices to filter Web content and block profanity.

"Smartphones and tablets have added new technology, with new challenges (for parents) - full Web browsing capability, unlimited texting, access to hundreds of thousands of good, bad and malicious apps," said Russ Warner, chief executive officer of the Salt Lake City-based company.

The Android version of Net Nanny, which sells for $12.99, can control which apps a child uses. The app is also available for iOS devices, with fewer applications, for $4.99.

The company is also introducing Net Nanny Social, a subscription, Web-based tool to help parents monitor problems such as cyberbullying, sexual predators and identity theft on social networks including Facebook and Twitter. The service costs $19.99 per year.

For parents of 2-to-8-year-olds, Boston-based Playrific has a free app with a locked browser that allows only content suitable for children, including educational videos, interactive games and books.

The app, available for Android, iPad and on the Web, curates content based on a child's interests, which it learns over time.

"Kids feel the limitless sense of what's on the Internet," said Playrific CEO Beth Marcus, "but the parents know that it's not really limitless."

(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Lisa Von Ahn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apps-help-parents-monitor-childrens-internet-154453413--sector.html

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In the UK, a DIY approach to mental health help

In this Feb. 5, 2013 photo, psychological well-being practitioner Nabila El-Zanaty talks to a self-help psychological course class run by Britain?s publicly funded health system, during a session in east London. With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild to moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises. While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

In this Feb. 5, 2013 photo, psychological well-being practitioner Nabila El-Zanaty talks to a self-help psychological course class run by Britain?s publicly funded health system, during a session in east London. With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild to moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises. While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

In this Feb. 5, 2013 photo, psychological well-being practitioner Nabila El-Zanaty, center, talks to a self-help psychological course class run by Britain?s publicly funded health system, during a session in east London. With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild to moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises. While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

In this Feb. 5, 2013 photo, a woman poses for a photograph during a self-help psychological course class run by Britain?s publicly funded health system in east London. With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild to moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises. While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

In this Feb. 5, 2013 photo, a woman talks during a self-help psychological course class run by Britain?s publicly funded health system, in east London. With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild to moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises. While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

In this Feb. 5, 2013 photo, psychological well-being practitioner Nabila El-Zanaty talks to a self-help psychological course class run by Britain?s publicly funded health system during a session in east London. With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild to moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises. While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

LONDON (AP) ? After crocheting a colorful blanket, Joan Ferguson snuggled up under it one night and proudly thought: "This is one groovy blanket. I'm brilliant."

Ferguson, 53, who struggles with low self-esteem, said it was the first time she had ever praised herself. She attributed the breakthrough in part to free self-help classes on mental health run by Britain's government-funded medical system.

With a long wait to see a psychologist, the British government is turning to the classroom to treat people with mild-to-moderate mental health problems with a mix of PowerPoint presentations and group exercises.

Ferguson's class of about 10 people, which meets once a week in east London, is led by two "psychological wellbeing practitioners." The instructors are trained for a year on how to help people change their behavior or thinking but they aren't fully fledged psychologists.

While some dismiss the approach as do-it-yourself therapy, experts say there is convincing evidence that people with conditions like depression and anxiety can be successfully treated without ever seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

The strategy was adopted after Britain's independent health watchdog ruled that classes and self-help books are cost-effective. Treating people with mental health problems this way could get them back to work quicker and save the U.K. an estimated 700 million pounds in lost tax revenue over four years, a previous study found.

The government is aiming to use the classes to treat least 15 percent of the more than 6 million who need treatment for anxiety or depression. In 2011, only about 5 percent got some kind of therapy; about half were treated in classes or settings such as telephone sessions or computer therapy.

Those with more serious problems, like schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder, are usually offered traditional psychotherapy.

The self-help classes have a recovery rate of about 46 percent, slightly lower than the 50 to 60 percent recovery rates for those who get personal psychological counseling, according to statistics from the department of health.

The British Psychological Society, a professional group, helped design the training received by the class instructors. The society's David Murphy, however, said the classes might not be a fit for everyone.

"Some people are wary about going to a class instead of seeing a psychologist," said Murphy, who isn't involved with the program.

The classes often require more effort by the individual than working with a psychologist, he said.

"For the (self-help) classes to be effective, the onus is on the patient to change what they're doing in between sessions," Murphy said.

Some American experts weren't sure the approach would work in the United States.

"The expectations of treatment are very different in the U.S.," said Michael Otto, a professor of psychology at Boston University who has studied self-help approaches. "People think, 'if I'm going to be paying for care, I want to get the treatment I want and that's often personal therapy."

Otto said the downside to such self-help programs is that people who don't get better might just give up.

Instructor Nabila El-Zanaty said the classes aren't meant to be like group therapy.

"It's more like psychological education," she said, after leading a session that taught participants how to spot negative thoughts about themselves.

She said patients must be monitored closely in case they need more intensive help. At the start of every class, they fill in a survey about their recent behavior, including whether they have hurt themselves or had suicidal thoughts.

El-Zanaty said she's been surprised by how much the participants are willing to share in class. She said one woman who cried during every session and talked about suicide attempts was referred to personalized therapy.

Most courses run about eight to 12 weeks. El-Zanaty said they check in with participants a month after the classes end. After three months, they can apply to do another course if they still need help.

Ferguson and her classmates in El-Zanaty's course realize it's up to them to make sure the classes work.

"They only give us the tools," she said. "I know if I don't practice the techniques, it will be back to square one."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-04-02-DIY%20Therapy/id-fd5bc0b51c17416397c8af2b1bdfa425

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Ritz-Carlton Riyadh redefines business travel in Saudi Arabia ...

The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh has redefined luxury business travel for global visitors in the Kingdom?s capital with a range of services and facilities tailored to the high-end international business traveler.

Recognised as the home of business in the city, the hotel aims to turn its guests? normal business trips into memorable experiences through personalized touches that ensure that their every need is catered to even before they ask for it.?

The experience begins with a warm welcome at the airport by a Ritz-Carlton gentleman member, followed by a limousine transfer to the hotel in a luxury Mercedes S350, BMW 5 or 7 Series, complete with the use of a Wi-Fi-connected iPad.

As the limousine enters the palatial driveway that leads to the grand entrance of the hotel, guests can see how The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh can truly offer the best of both worlds.

While the hotel is conveniently located close to the busy Diplomatic Quarter and adjacent to the King Abdul Aziz Convention Centre, it still offers a grandiose retreat from the commercial buzz of the city.

Once inside the hotel, the elegantly-styled rooms and lavish suites fuse luxury with practicality, and come equipped with comfortable working desks, iPod docks, high-speed Internet access, flat-screen televisions and DVD players.

Created especially with business guests in mind, The Ritz-Carlton Club rooms and Executive Club suites provide a raft of added-value extras including complimentary wireless Internet and exclusive 12-hour access to The Club Lounge which offers a ?hotel within a hotel? experience.

Business travelers are also able to take advantage of the on-site expertise available in the hotel?s business center, which offers an A-to-Z of services from document binding to photocopying and printing.

For more formal appointments, the hotel?s extensive meeting and conference facilities include a collection of flexible-use meeting rooms as well as two auditorium-styled theatres, both complemented by a dedicated restaurant.

?Many frequent business travelers across the world have become accustomed to ?living out of a suitcase?, and traveling from country to country or back and forth within the same country as part of their work routine.

?We try to break that monotony by offering them an experience that they will always remember, from their exemplary surroundings and luxury services to the thoughtful extras that guarantee a seamless stay for them,? said Mikel Ibrahim, director of sales & marketing, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh.

Dining occasions are always a pleasure at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh with a choice of six venues that celebrate the best of international cuisine, whether it?s a hearty breakfast at Al Orjouan ahead of a morning meeting, a deal-concluding business dinner at fine dining Chinese restaurant Hong or Italian destination Azzurro, or a late night conversation at Turquoise, the Piano Lounge.

Equal attention is given to leisure downtime, with the hotel?s recreational facilities providing much-needed respite at the end of the business day, and including a full-service men?s health club, dedicated male-only spa and indoor swimming pool.

For the frequent business traveler, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards program is a must for guests, offering access to a variety of memorable experiences across the hotel portfolio with members earning points or airline miles for stays at participating locations worldwide, as well as similar benefits at the Marriott global family of participating hotels.

Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/ritz-carlton-riyadh-redefines-business-travel-in-saudi-arabia/

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Tax Increment Financing: The Case of Bloomington Central Station

What is Tax Increment Financing?
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is source of revenue for local governments that is a targeted form of property tax.? The funding formula is based on expected future increases in property value from an economic development project.? The key assumption underlying TIF is that the project will increase property values, and thus assessments, leading to a more robust tax base for the locality.? California was the first state to use the tool, and many states since then have adopted the practice into law.? Minnesota legalized TIF financing approximately 50 years ago and has?benefited?from the ability to earmark future property tax revenue to support economic development projects.

The Case: Bloomington Central Station

Located along the Hiawatha Light Rail Line, Bloomington Central Station is used here as a case study to evaluate TIF among four dimensions: adequacy, efficiency, equity, and feasibility.? Constructed by McGough Company, the development will be one of the first mixed-use ?urban-villages? located on the Hiawatha line.? When complete, Bloomington Central Station is expected to provide 7,000 jobs and homes for 2,000 residents, and a 1.59 acre public park, among many other community amenities.? The site is located in South Airport Loop, southeast of Interstate 494 and Cedar Avenue and adjacent to the Minnesota River and Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.?

Adequacy Expectations and the Recession

TIF is an adequate source of revenue for local governments because its purpose is to fund specific projects, which leaves little ambiguity between expected and actual revenue.? Further, property values generally follow an upward slope, leading few localities to question its adequacy over time.? For these reasons, TIF has leveraged the adequacy of property tax to expand from small to large scale adoption among cities. However, the case of Bloomington Central Station shows that the recent market downturn changed this certainty.? The following table depicts the reality faced by community development officials mid-way through the project, as revenue was declining just as the development was beginning.? This fact has impacted the timeline for completion. In order to remedy the unstable nature of this concentrated revenue source, the State laws governing TIF should include a measure of flexibility.? For example, projects approved under the laws prior to the new law should not be subject to the changes.? ?The bigger question that remains is: How will the recession impact the popularity of TIF as a revenue tool?

Bloomington Central Station Project
	?$???????????????? 845,337
	?$???????????????? 845,096
	?$???????????????? 731,627
	?$???????????????? 552,475
	?$???????????????? 507,290
	?$???????????????? 485,000
Data from City of Bloomington Port Authority, 2013

Recommendations to Increase Equity and Efficiency

TIF scores low in equity and efficiency because its purpose is to reduce development costs in blighted areas by earmarking future property tax revenues to pay for infrastructure costs that the developer would in other cases assume.? This cost shift makes the development more attractive by reducing high risk in the blighted area.? The process reduces efficiency by changing the behavior of developers, and can also have implications for low-income and other vulnerable populations.? In the case of Bloomington Central Station, redevelopment of an existing neighborhood is not an issue as it?s a previously undeveloped site.? Thus, there is a balance between incentives for economic development and preservation of existing neighborhood dynamics.? The question remains: How can localities provide economic development incentives in transit-oriented areas while?benefiting?existing residents?

Generating Revenue: Feasibility in Light of Equity Considerations

TIF may be more feasible than property tax because of cost shifting to future tax revenue.? ?This prevents localities from raising taxes on current residents, which is a highly visible form of revenue generation.? Localities implementing TIF districts may be able to increase its feasibility among equity advocates by establishing a clear nexus between the benefit received and cost paid.? One method to accomplish this can be to explicitly tie TIF-related expenditures to comprehensive plan goals and policies through a community benefits agreement.? Bloomington Central Station has not done this, however 20% of condo units are affordable to households with incomes at 80% of the area median income.

Team 2

Bethany Brandt-SargentKaren Dewanz
Ashley JamesLexi Prahl

Source: http://pa5113.blogspot.com/2013/04/tax-increment-financing-case-of.html

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Ex-ambassadors urge US, Russia to mend rift

MOSCOW (AP) ? The United States and Russia should overcome their current cold spell by focusing on their common economic and security challenges, former diplomats to Moscow and Washington said Tuesday.

The ex-ambassadors, speaking at an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic ties, said the strains have been driven by emotions and misperceptions rather than fundamental differences. They strongly urged the Kremlin and the White House to move past mutual grievances and deal with common threats.

President Barack Obama's initiative to "reset" relations with Russia has run into obstacles as the Kremlin accuses Washington of meddling in Russia's domestic affairs. Ties also have been strained by differences over the civil war in Syria.

U.S.-Russian relations hit a new low in December when Russia banned U.S. adoptions of Russian children to retaliate against a U.S. law calling for sanctions on Russians who are identified as human-rights violators.

"In many ways, people are passing legislation in both countries that is undermining some of the most important achievements of the last three-four years," said James Collins, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia from 1997 to 2001.

He voiced hope that Moscow and Washington would find a way to approach their differences in a "more reasonable and rational way."

"We don't really see a reason, any fundamental reason, why Russia and the United States can't find common purpose and find means of cooperation to address the real issues that face both of our people," Collins said.

He added that "neither Russia, nor the United States really knows what to do about Syria," where a civil war has killed an estimated 70,000 people in two years.

Russia has blocked attempts to pass new U.N. sanctions against Syrian President Bashar Assad but says it is not supporting Assad outright.

Vladimir Lukin, the Russian ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s who is now the nation's rights ombudsman, suggested that Washington was too focused on its own interests to pay attention to the nuances in Moscow's approach to Syria.

"It's like an elephant passing by a bear and accidentally stamping on its foot. The bear would feel hurt, but the elephant wouldn't even notice he did it," he said.

Lukin recalled a conversation last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who asked him about U.S. policy goals in Syria.

The president asked me... what the Americans want in Syria, saying he couldn't understand what they want," he said. "I honestly acknowledged that that I can't make out what they want, but that I know for sure that they want us to join the U.S. in its failure to understand what to do in Syria and to not act independently."

Moscow has argued that international efforts should focus on encouraging peace talks between Assad and his foes, even though the Syrian opposition has refused such negotiations. The rebels say the Syrian strongman must step down over his violent crackdown on the uprising against his rule.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-ambassadors-urge-us-russia-mend-rift-120720854.html

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Video: First Trading Day of Q2

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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51401901/

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