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Russia and its influence on the presidential election - PolitiFact - 02 Dec 2016 11:49

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[[html]]One of the most pervasive narratives of the presidential race was that Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to upend the election in a way that helped President-elect Donald Trump.<br><br>Politicians of both parties condemned the alleged actions of a U.S. adversary. Trump, however, often brushed off claims that Russia was meddling in the election to his benefit, while Hillary Clinton charged that Trump was encouraging Russia.<br><br>"Its pretty clear you wont admit that the Russians have engaged in cyberattacks against the United States of America, that you encouraged espionage against our people, that you are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list, break up NATO, do whatever he wants to do, and that you continue to get help from him, because he has a very clear favorite in this race," Clinton said to Trump at the third presidential debate in October.<br><br>Clintons rhetoric would lead you to believe that Putin wanted Trump to win, and his actions during the election helped ensure that outcome. Claims that Russian government hacked Democratic politicians, had undue influence over the Trump campaign and even that it compromised voting machines all contributed to this narrative.<br><br>We wanted to know the current evidence both for and against Russian involvement. While investigations may reveal more later, we found that there isnt conclusive proof of Russian involvement for some of these claims, and whether Putin truly prefers President Trump remains an open question.<br><br>"There is likely some truth to some of these allegations, but there has also been a bit of Russia hysteria recently on the part of some pundits, politicians and media," said Scott Radnitz, a professor at the University of Washington currently researching conspiracy theories in post-Soviet states.<br><br>Did Putin prefer Trump to Clinton?<br><br>Some of Trumps foreign positions happen to dovetail with Putins. This includes Trumps potential unwillingness to defend NATO allies, support for Russias takeover of Crimea in Ukraine, and willingness to consider lifting sanctions against Russia. He has also praised Putin as a "strong leader."<br><br>But experts said this alone is not evidence that Putin is Trumps puppeteer, or that he even wanted him as president. <br><br>"Trump's comments on Russia have been very unusual, strangely at odds with the dominant view of both parties in the U.S.," Radnitz said. "But that's literally all we know."<br><br>Its no secret that Putin doesnt like Clinton. She often tussled with Putin and his administration while serving as secretary of state, overseeing the so-called "Russian reset." But he also may not like Trumps unpredictable nature, said Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior research scientist at CNA, a think tank.<br><br>Putin believes Clinton stoked protests in Russia surrounding its 2011 elections. So if Putin did intentionally interfere in the U.S. election, it might have been to get back at Clinton rather than an attempt to prop up Trump, Gorenburg added.<br><br>DNC hack<br><br>The most concrete example of Russian involvement in the election was the Democratic National Committee email hack. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., resigned from the DNC chair position because of embarrassing emails revealed in the subsequent dump.<br><br>The federal intelligence community, as well as private cybersecurity analysts, are confident that Russian actors were behind the hack. The Homeland Security Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement Oct. 7 saying they believed people at the top levels of Russian government directed the attack in an attempt to interfere in the election.<br><br>Some private security researchers also believe Russians stole and leaked emails from Clintons campaign manager John Podesta.<br><br>Fake news<br><br>Some Russian media websites, like RT and Sputnik, are known to have spread some fake or false news reports during the election.<br><br>For example, Sputnik published an article that said the Podesta email dump included certain incriminating comments about the Benghazi scandal, an allegation that turned out to be incorrect. Trump himself repeated this false story.<br><br>But claims that the Russian government called for these fake news articles are unproven.<br><br>Its far more likely that these websites were being opportunistic, publishing them on their own accord to drive traffic, Gorenburg said.<br><br>Trump campaign<br><br>Trump certainly has conducted business in Russia or with Russian investments, like taking the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013. Without his tax returns, however, we dont know the full extent of his business dealings there. <br><br>Trump has taken on advisers with clearer-cut connections to Russia. Top adviser Paul Manafort, for example, consulted for Putin-backed Ukrainian politicians. Foreign policy adviser Carter Page advised Russian gas giant Gazprom, and national security adviser Michael Flynn attended an RT gala with Putin. <br><br>The experience of Trumps advisers might have shaped Trumps policy positions. But the FBI looked into the issue and found no evidence of a direct connection between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, according to news reports.<br><br>"Even if something is consistent with Russian government interests, it doesnt mean the Russian government did it," said Yoshiko Herrera, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies Russia and former Soviet states.<br><br>Election Day<br><br>Before the election, Russian actors gained access to the voter registration system in Arizona and possibly other states. It is not clear if the perpetrators were directed by the Russian government or if they were private criminals. <br><br>But regarding Election Day itself, President Barack Obamas administration said in a statement that it believes "our elections were free and fair from a cybersecurity perspective."<br><br>Some computer scientists flagged anomalies in the results of several counties that used electronic voting in three swing states Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan prompting calls for recounts. But claims that Russians are to blame for these vote tally anomalies, through hacking or other means, are baseless.<br><br>So what does it all mean?<br><br>Based on the evidence, it seems highly unlikely that actions by the Russian government contributed in any decisive way to Trumps win over Clinton.<br><br>There might have been some influence on the issues that made headlines during the campaign, such as Trumps Putin-friendly advisers pushing him to make Putin-friendly statements, or the hacking of DNC emails.<br><br>Still, Gorenburg said, policymakers should still be concerned about the possibility that a foreign government might have attempted to meddle in a domestic election.<br><br>"Regardless of the extent of the impact we should be concerned about the attempt," he said. "It is something to investigate regardless of whether we think it affected the result."<br><br>[[/html]] - Comments: 0

US elections and the media: How did we get here? - Aljazeera.com - 17 Sep 2016 16:53

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[[html]]In this special edition of The Listening Post from New York City we explore how a lack of regulation and absence of a strong public broadcaster in America has impacted the coverage of US politics.<br><br>As the 2016 presidential election campaign heads into the home stretch, many Americans are accusing their news outlets, particularly on the broadcast side, of not just reporting on the race for the White House - but actually affecting the outcome, through their commercial agendas, prioritising ratings and revenues over journalism and responsible reporting.<br><br>So how did we get here? Measuring the totality of media coverage over the entire presidential campaign - the content, the tone, the ideology - is near impossible. But what we can do is examine structural issues in the broadcasting landscape that are unique to the US.<br><br>First, America's regulatory requirement for editorial fairness is almost non existent. Broadcasters in the US can be editorially and ideologically biased whether Fox News on the right, MSNBC on the left.<br><br>The second thing that sets the US media apart is that unlike every other advanced country in the world, America does not have a publicly-owned broadcaster provided with the resources - the budgets - to actually compete with privately-owned media outlets. So broadcasting in the US is almost entirely corporate-controlled.<br><br>We examine the corporate domination of the American airwaves, the ratings and profit imperative related to that and the effect that that has on media coverage and public discourse.<br><br>Talking us through the story are: Dan Rather, former anchor, CBS Evening News? Cenk Uygur, host, The Young Turks? Amy Goodman, host, Democracy Now! ? Nicholas Lemann, dean emeritus, Columbia Journalism School? Robert McChesney, communications professor, Illinois University? Janine Jackson, programme director, Fairness &amp; Accuracy In Reporting? Daniel McCarthy, editor, The American Conservative? and Patricia Diaz Dennis, former federal communications commissioner.<br><br>Source:Al Jazeera News<br><br>[[/html]] - Comments: 0

Turkish TV News Head: Military Pulled the Plug - USA TODAY - 16 Jul 2016 12:58

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[[html]]<img class="util-bar-share-summary-image" height="60" width="60" data-src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/7a8dcca4e0f11149f33dacb6fc38f00f76e887e5/r=x63&amp;c=60x60/http/videos.usatoday.net/Brightcove2/29906170001/2016/07/29906170001_5037858765001_5037817748001-vs.jpg?pubId=29906170001" alt=""/>Turkish TV News Head: Military Pulled the PlugThe director of news at Turkey's state-run English-language broadcaster says the military stormed offices, taking phones and pulling the plug on the network's broadcasts as armed forces began to size control of the country. (July 15)<br><br>[[/html]] - Comments: 0

Are You Embarrassed By Your Plumbers Skills? Here'S What To Do. - 30 Jun 2016 18:27

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[[html]]Each state varies as well as the certifications will be various according to your very own local regulations too. Training to be a plumbing is actually a rewarding profession option that may lead to a lifelong career. Not only can this offer you a great notion of the day-to-day life of the plumbing professional, nevertheless it will likewise offer you with a head-start when you come to do your certifications and training. The most essential requirements so as to be considered a plumbing technician in britain is having a minimum of the C grade within the GSCEs of Math and English. This course supplies the foundation training for anyone who want to train for a profession in plumbing in the united kingdom and can be discovered in plumbing and building and construction training centres around the country. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uXLDMwNjji8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>This supplies the student with all the knowledge and comprehending required to complete a Level 2 NVQ.
<br><br>This short article briefly analyzes the qualifications a person must have in order to become a plumbing professional in the united kingdom. It for that reason follows there is a have to have relevant certifications for a greater chance to secure these jobs. The working conditions can alter from task to task and with differing rates of experience and credentials, but usually the majority of conditions are going to be within somebody else's personal environment. Unfortunately, recently, there's been a sharp growth in rogue training organisations offering fast-track courses. Besides these capability, companies are going to wish to see an established history of excellent communication abilities that will help in public relations with the prospective clients. A credentials can likewise be identified overseas.
<br><br>Achieving your qualifications and possible jobs you might perform. Some apprentice programs can assist you work to this objective too, and you ought to inspect with possible companies in concerns to what certifications you'll require to pass these exams. Additionally, You will need to get in touch with your very own state to determine the precise qualifications prior to taking these examinations. Once again there are some training centres who'll integrate this in their training bundles, only make sure you know if it's before registering for your program. Although, you are going to be making an enduring income when you are training, which is why lots of people choose to decide on the apprenticeship programs. To do the Certificate III you will have to find an apprenticeship.
<br><br><img style="float:right;margin:10px;border:none;" src="http://dandsfurniture.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/modern-bathroom-vanity-230.jpg" width="358" /><br><br>Plumbing technician is ending up being an outstanding and satisfying career choice. Pipes is an exciting and fulfilling profession with superior potential customers for development. In any occasion, you'll have to get an incredibly strong work principles and a lot of persistence to get there. In reality, it wasn't even near the expectations he had considering his previous experience in addition to educational background. Our resource addresses the difference in between merely Realizing the material and comprehending the best ways to use the product to do on test day.
<br><br>Pipes integrates a huge option of jobs and duties. This is really the level you should remain in the launch your very own own small company. You require to be extremely personalized too as you'll be dealing with customers on an everyday basis. Additionally, certain schemes will be able to help you to find work and supply help in handling your business and keeping up with advancements in legislation. If you prepare to use personnel, additionally, you will need employers liability insurance coverage. Aside from the determination of bad high quality jobs, tasks are getting postponed and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXLDMwNjji8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXLDMwNjji8</a> in particular cases stalled.
<br><br>Certainly, should you be targeting the local locations, it might produce more sense to genuinely have a local contact number. The disadvantage is that candidate is not going to get site experience unless they can be able to organize their certain work experience or they're dealing with site in a different job. These numbers could be set-up extremely quickly for barely any expense yet they give an impression to your own possible clients which you are established, expert along with a big trustworthy company.
<br><br>The Level 2 credentials was developed particularly for those who are simply going into the plumbing industry they'll be offered with each of the fundamental skills and experience required within the trade. All apprentices utilizing an official training contract are actually required to have a limited licence. A lot of these certifications can regularly be finished at your very own area professional college. This permits the prospect to carry out supervisory functions and a lot more specialist agreements. If you're an individual that has been working within the industry for five years or more undertaking the basic type of work that plumbing professionals do, subsequently you might handle to sign up for direct entry into the NVQ and get the credentials by making a portfolio of site based proof as well as on site evaluation. This is meant for newbies and covers the important areas of the profession.<br><br>[[/html]] - Comments: 0


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