Sen. Lee Introduces Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act Monday, a bill that would codify President Trump’s 2017 executive order prohibiting the availability of foreign aid to organizations that provide or promote abortions.
“The administration’s ban on funding overseas organizations that promote abortion has already saved and will continue to save countless lives across the globe,” Sen. Lee said. “The Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act would save countless more lives by making this ban on abortion promotion permanent.”
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan first instituted the Mexico City Policy, prohibiting the availability of family planning foreign assistance funds to organizations that provide abortions, promote or counsel for abortions, or advocate to change abortion laws in a foreign country.
Since then, the policy has been alternately rescinded and reinstated with changing administrations. President Trump reinstated this policy, renamed the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, to prohibit any foreign assistance funding from being granted to groups who perform abortions or promote abortion. The State Department also expanded this policy under Secretary Pompeo by refusing to fund foreign NGOs that give money to other foreign NGOs engaged in the international abortion industry.
This bill acknowledges the sanctity of life of all people, including the unborn in other countries, and seeks to ensure that citizens of the United States are not made complicit in abortion through taxpayer funding to non-profits and non-governmental organizations that act overseas. The United States should administer its foreign aid programs with respect for the inherent dignity of each and every human life.
Cosponsors include: Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AK), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Roy Blunt (R-MO), James Lankford (R-OK), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).
Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has introduced companion legislation in the House.
An online version of this release can be found here.
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SafePost: A 100% confidential encrypted messaging service that puts an end to spam and fraudulent emails
With the ever-present risk of personal data breaches on social media, not to mention the systematic analysis of the contents of our emails for advertising purposes and scams, SafePost offers a new way to exchange messages safely and confidentially. Breaking away from the email technology, this new messaging service relies on open source libraries, including blockchain, to encrypt the contents of messages exchanges and definitely eliminate spam, spyware, and other fraudulent posts.
Email confidentiality: Respect for privacy and economic challenge
Lack of confidentiality, privacy breach, flow of SPAM and scam emails: with nearly 4 billion users worldwide, email security is a real challenge for both professional and private life.
SafePost: an unpublished encrypted email
Developed by Token Economics, a subsidiary of the financial data provider Symex Economics, SafePost revolutionizes the way messages are sent by guaranteeing a complete confidentiality and putting an end to the avalanche of spam and other fraudulent emails. To do this, SafePost is based on the principles of blockchain, i.e. the exchange of information without the use of a trusted third party. Thanks to a secret private key of their own, messages can only be read by their senders and recipients, without any passwords or confidential data being stored on SafePost's servers. A disruptive patented process, which could ultimately render obsolete the email technology developed more than 50 years ago.
How does it work?
The first level of security is based on the prior acceptance of contacts. In other words, a user “A” can only exchange with an interlocutor “B” if he has previously accepted him in his SafePost contact list. Therefore, no more advertising messages, unwanted or fraudulent emails.
The second level of security is related to the messages themselves. These are segmented and encrypted before being sent to SafePost. They are then stored in an Apache Cassandra database, accessible in high availability. The decentralized architecture adopted by SafePost guarantees its reliability. In case of theft (or failure) of a server, the SafePost service will continue to work and messages will always be accessible. The thief, on the other hand, will be unable to decipher the contents of messages and documents attached.
Last but not least, with SafePost the ability to send messages is unlimited, unlike traditional email messaging systems that accept files up to 4 megabytes.
STAMP: the electronic stamp 2.0
Messages are sent using STAMPs, a cryptocurrency developed for the SafePost network. The price to send a message up to 25,000 characters to 1 person is 1 STAMP, i.e. one-tenth of a euro cent VAT incl. Based on 40 messages/day, the cost is under €15/year. No subscription is required.
As a welcome gift, each new user receives 1,000 STAMPs. He then receives an additional 100 STAMPs each time one of his contacts joins SafePost. Sharing URLs or writing articles on social networks also yields additional STAMPs.
Rémy Eisenstein, CEO of Token Economics, expects the SafePost network to expand in a virtuous way, hoping to reach one million users by the end of 2020. "Thanks to time saved and confidentiality guaranteed, SafePost is a real space of freedom that will win over a wide audience." After the launch of the web version in October, the app for smartphones and tablets will be available soon.
To go further:
Out of 100 received emails, only 26 are visible and 74 are found in spam. (Survey published by Harvard Business) and despite filters, we still receive SPAM and fraudulent emails in our message box.
According to Spamlaws, 14.5 billion spam emails are sent every day.
One out of every 9 email users was exposed to malware in the first half of 2017 (Symantec study).
8,000 businesses are scammed via email every month.
Since it was launched online on October 15th, SafePost has already gathered more than 15,000 users.
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Legislation Proposes to Merge the Utah System of Higher Education and the Utah System of Technical Colleges SALT LAKE CITY – Speaker Brad Wilson and Sen. Ann Millner are sponsoring S.B. 111 Higher Education Amendments. This bill proposes to create a unified system of higher education in Utah, bringing Utah’s two- and four-year public schools and Utah’s technical colleges under the same umbrella. “We are working with stakeholders to reimagine Utah’s postsecondary education system to be more nimble, forward-thinking, and responsive to the needs of both students and employers,” said Speaker Wilson. “This bill will make it easier for our students to take individualized education and career paths by making post-secondary education more affordable and accessible. By redefining education, we are paving the way for student success and opportunity.”
S.B. 111 aims to help Utah students in a variety of ways. First, it would allow school credits to transfer smoothly between state colleges and universities, protecting students’ investments of time and money. Second, it would reduce student loan debt and increase graduation rates by making postsecondary degrees and certificates more affordable and manageable for students. Finally, S.B. 111 would make higher education more accessible for Utahns—including students in rural areas.
“A streamlined education system will create a seamless education pathway from certificates to degrees while better suiting the needs of both students and employers,” said Senator Millner. “Merging USHE and UTECH will allow better coordination between institutions, make degrees and training more affordable, improve graduation rates, and increase access and opportunities for all Utah citizens.”
Unified articulation and clear career pathways will help higher education institutions better serve Utah’s students. Combining USHE and UTECH will also make administrative efforts more efficient, allowing state education funds to be utilized in new and important ways.
“We support this effort to create additional efficiencies in Utah’s combined higher education and technical college systems, and to provide greater clarity for students with respect to the opportunities available to them upon completing high school. We look forward to continuing to work with the legislature as this bill is shaped into law,” said Harris H. Simmons, and Nina Barnes, chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the Utah System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents.
Creating a new statewide leadership body—the Utah Board of Higher Education—will help promote comprehensive strategic planning and position state institutions to identify and adopt efficiencies, improve institutional alignment, develop programming partnerships, and reduce overlap.
“As the UTECH Board of Trustees leadership, we are excited about the positive benefit for the students of Utah that can come from combining the best of the two higher education systems together,” said Steve Moore, chair of the Board of Trustees for the Utah System of Technical Colleges. “This legislation focuses on what is best for Utah’s students and employers and enhances their educational opportunities and employment pathways. The vision and collaboration that UTECH’s leadership has had with Senator Millner, Speaker Wilson, and the Board of Regents leadership on this governance bill is unprecedented and groundbreaking.”
Speaker Wilson and Sen. Millner will be holding media availability to answer questions about S.B. 111 on Tuesday, February 11 at 3:30 p.m. in Speaker Wilson’s office - Utah State Capitol, Suite 350. Click here to read more and track the bill.
### Governor appoints Annette Jan to the Third District Juvenile Court
SALT LAKE CITY (February 10, 2020) – Gov. Gary R. Herbert has appointed Annette Jan as a judge to the Third District Juvenile Court.
“Annette has a wealth of experience in the legal community and a strong commitment to equality and justice,” said Gov. Herbert. “I am confident she will serve extraordinarily well in her new position.”
Since 2006, Jan has served in the Utah Office of the Attorney General as the section director for the child protection division. Previously she served as the assistant attorney general within the same division. She has been providing legal aid since 1995. Jan holds a JD from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, as well as a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Utah.
“I am extremely humbled, grateful and honored that Gov. Herbert has entrusted me with this opportunity to serve Utah as a juvenile court judge,” Jan said. “If confirmed, I will uphold the oath of office and always hold true to my responsibility to serve the children and families of Utah with compassion, integrity, and fidelity to the law. I pledge to make the juvenile court a place where the law and families are respected.”
This appointment is subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.
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With immigration reform remaining one of the most prominent political issues and the Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration’s public charge rule to take effect, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Most & Least Ethnically Diverse Cities as well as accompanying videos.
To identify the most ethnically diverse places in America, WalletHub compared more than 500 of the largest U.S. cities across three key metrics: ethnoracial diversity, linguistic diversity and birthplace diversity.
Most Ethnically Diverse Cities
Least Ethnically Diverse Cities
1. Jersey City, NJ
492. Wheeling, WV
2. Gaithersburg, MD
493. Augusta, ME
3. Germantown, MD
494. Miles City, MT
4. Spring Valley, NV
495. Laconia, NH
5. Silver Spring, MD
496. Rutland, VT
6. New York, NY
497. Clarksburg, WV
7. Rockville, MD
498. Barre, VT
8. Oakland, CA
499. Watertown, SD
9. San Jose, CA
500. Hialeah, FL
10. Kent, WA
501. Parkersburg, WV
Key Stats
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-with-the-most-and-least-ethno-racial-and-linguistic-diversity/10264/
