Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

ST. CLOUD --This is Earth Science Week. The theme for this week is "Earth Materials in Our Lives".

Sarah Gibson is a professor who specializes in paleontology at St. Cloud State University. She says most people would be surprised how much we use the earth's materials every day.

Maybe you have granite countertops, that's an obvious piece of rock in your house. Things that you might not think about are for example our cellphones have like 75 or 80 different minerals that are mined from the earth and used in chip components.

A lot of research into our planet's past is being done right here in town at St. Cloud State University. She says there's saying that the past is the key to the present and the present is the key to the future. She says there's a lot to learn yet about a mass extinction event that happened 250 million years ago.

It killed about 95 percent of life on the planet, but of that five percent that survived it went on to diversify and explode in terms of the number of species and all of the organisms that are here today are descendants of that five percent that survived that mass extinction event.

Geologists, meteorologists, paleontologists, and astronomers are all part of the Earth Sciences.

Students who graduate from the Earth Sciences program at SCSU can go into a wide variety of careers including the oil, gas and petroleum companies, surveying and land planning, metal mining companies, or working for government agencies like MnDOT or the DNR.

More here:
Earth Science Week: Earth Materials in Our Daily Lives - WJON News

The research report on Countertop Burners market delivers a complete evaluation of this business sphere by highlighting the production and the consumption parameters. Numerous factors such as growth drivers, limitations & challenges as well as the opportunities that define the market scenario are scrutinized and provided in the report. Additionally, a detailed Porters analysis has been conducted in order to understand the competitive landscape of this industry vertical.

The study elaborates on the popular business-centric strategies which have a high profit potential. However, the advent of COVID-19 pandemic result in changes in the overall industry dynamics in the ensuing years.

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The report offers a complete company profiling of leading players competing in the global Countertop Burners marketSize with a high focus on the share, gross margin, net profit, sales, product portfolio, new applications, recent developments, and several other factors. It also throws light on the vendor landscape to help players become aware of future competitive changes in the global Countertop Burners market.

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Countertop Burners Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2026 - News by aeresearch

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KB Home (NYSE: KBH) today announced the election of Arthur R. Collins to its Board of Directors on October 8, 2020. Mr. Collins was also appointed to the boards Audit and Compliance Committee.

Art is an accomplished business leader and strategic thinker, who is highly regarded for his expertise in public affairs and public policy, which we believe will meaningfully enhance the existing capabilities of our Board, said Jeffrey Mezger, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. We look forward to Arts insights and valuable perspective, which we are confident will be beneficial to us as we continue to execute on our balanced approach of expanding our scale while increasing our returns.

Mr. Collins is Founder and Managing Partner of theGROUP, a government relations and strategic communications consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He has more than 30 years of experience advising corporate leaders, heads of state and their governments, and non-profit executives and their boards across a broad range of matters, including financial services, trade, energy, information technology, healthcare, consumer products, agriculture, transportation, manufacturing and national security. He currently serves on the board of directors of RLJ Lodging Trust, a NYSE-listed real estate investment trust. In addition, he serves as Vice Chair of the Brookings Institution Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Morehouse School of Medicine Board of Trustees.

About KB Home

KB Home is one of the largest and most recognized homebuilders in the United States and has been building quality homes for over 60 years. Today, KB Home operates in 42 markets across eight states, serving a wide array of buyer groups. What sets us apart is how we give our customers the ability to personalize their homes from homesites and floor plans to cabinets and countertops, at a price that fits their budget. We are the first builder to make every home we build ENERGY STAR certified. In fact, we go beyond the EPA requirements by ensuring every ENERGY STAR certified KB home has been tested and verified by a third-party inspector to meet the EPAs strict certification standards, which help to lower the cost of ownership and to make our new homes healthier and more comfortable than new ones without certification. We also work with our customers every step of the way, building strong personal relationships so they have a real partner in the homebuying process, and the experience is as simple and easy as possible. Learn more about how we build homes built on relationships by visiting kbhome.com.

See the original post:
KB Home Elects Arthur R. Collins to Its Board of Directors - Business Wire

Kitchen is the most used room in a house, so it should be a space that you enjoy spending time in. Aside from functioning appliances, the utmost important feature of any kitchen design is its appeal that will last for years to come.

Whether you are renovating or simply looking to make some changes in your kitchen, there are plenty of design plans varying from country casual to sleek and modern, with all the kitchen remodel inspiration. Here are a few rustic farmhouse kitchen ideas that are unique and will make you want to renovate your cooking space with statement features.

Featuring simply and traditional design style, rustic kitchens have become quite popular in the recent times. The design style generally features warm colors and natural materials. To bring out the old-fashioned charm to your farmhouse kitchen, you can try mixed textures.

Using natural materials such as wood, stone, marble, and metal for countertops and cabinets will not only create aesthetic charm but provide you with a sturdy and durable material as well. Take this kitchen for instance, its cobblestone wall, ceiling beams, and hand-painted terracotta tiles accentuate the rustic elements of this kitchen.

Installing a mid-century fireplace inside the kitchen space is something new for the modern times. The stone-built fireplace will not only bring out a unique rustic charm, but will keep you warm in the cold hard winters.

In this kitchen, the classic combination of wood and stone brings out a soothing aura, with geometric shapes balance any excess proportions of the traditional style, while the mid-19th century fireplace remains the focal point.

Nothing beats the washed and worn rustic elegance. This kitchen is almost entirely refurbished with reclaimed items. Retrieved wood became part of countertops and an old retail display cabinet provides the storage facility.

Worn out cabinet paint, corroded lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling and antique signs displaying on the walls bestow a country charm to this kitchen. You probably wont find exact replicas of these unique elements in this kitchen, but you can add your own statement pieces.

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Rustic farmhouse kitchen ideas thatll make you want to redo yours - dlmag

Global Countertop Microwave Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)

Global Countertop Microwave Market Report offers an entire study of the Impact of COVID-19 on Countertop Microwave Market, Industry Outlook, Opportunities in Market, and Expansion By 2025 and also taking into consideration key factors like drivers, challenges, recent trends, opportunities, advancements, and competitive landscape. This report offers a clear understanding of this also as a future scenario of the worldwide Countertop Microwave industry. Research techniques like PESTLE and SWOT analysis are deployed by the researchers. They need also provided accurate data on Countertop Microwave production, capacity, price, cost, margin, and revenue to help the players gain a clear understanding of the general existing and future market situation.

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Countertop Microwave Market competition by top manufacturers/Key player Profiled:Electrolux, Whirlpool, GE, Sumsung, Panasonic, Siemens, LG, Gree, Haier, Bosch, Sharp, Indesit, Fotile, Vatti

The study objectives of Countertop Microwave Market report are: 1.To identify opportunities and challenges for Global Countertop Microwave.2.To provide insights about factors affecting market growth. To analyze the Countertop Microwave market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, SWOT analysis, etc.3.To identify and analyze the profile of leading players involved within the manufacturing of worldwide Countertop Microwave.4.To provide country-level analysis of the market regarding the present Countertop Microwave market size and future prospective.5.To examine competitive developments like expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in Global Countertop Microwave.6.To provide a detailed analysis of the market structure alongside forecast of the varied segments and sub-segments of the worldwide Countertop Microwave market.

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Regions Covered in these Report:

Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia Pacific)Europe (Germany, the UK, France, and Rest of Europe)North America (the US, Mexico, and Canada)Latin America (Brazil and Rest of Latin America)Middle East & Africa (GCC Countries and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

Global Countertop Microwave Market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of Countertop Microwave Market for Global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.

Reasons To Buy: Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data associated with the Countertop Microwave market, and every category within it.Extensive price charts draw particular pricing trends within recent yearsPosition yourself to realize the most advantage of the Countertop Microwave markets growth potentialTo understand the latest trends of the Countertop Microwave marketTo understand the impactful developments of key players within the market, their strategic initiatives and comprehensively study their core competencies

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Table of Contents

Report Overview:It includes major players of the global Countertop Microwave Market covered in the research study, research scope, and Market segments by type, market segments by application, years considered for the research study, and objectives of the report.

Global Growth Trends:This section focuses on industry trends where market drivers and top market trends are shed light upon. It also provides growth rates of key producers operating in the global Countertop Microwave Market. Furthermore, it offers production and capacity analysis where marketing pricing trends, capacity, production, and production value of the global Countertop Microwave Market are discussed.

Market Share by Manufacturers:Here, the report provides details about revenue by manufacturers, production and capacity by manufacturers, price by manufacturers, expansion plans, mergers and acquisitions, and products, market entry dates, distribution, and market areas of key manufacturers.

Market Size by Type:This section concentrates on product type segments where production value market share, price, and production market share by product type are discussed.

Market Size by Application:Besides an overview of the global Countertop Microwave Market by application, it gives a study on the consumption in the global Countertop Microwave Market by application.

Production by Region:Here, the production value growth rate, production growth rate, import and export, and key players of each regional market are provided.

Consumption by Region:This section provides information on the consumption in each regional market studied in the report. The consumption is discussed on the basis of country, application, and product type.

Company Profiles:Almost all leading players of the global Countertop Microwave Market are profiled in this section. The analysts have provided information about their recent developments in the global Countertop Microwave Market, products, revenue, production, business, and company.

Market Forecast by Production:The production and production value forecasts included in this section are for the global Countertop Microwave Market as well as for key regional markets.

Market Forecast by Consumption:The consumption and consumption value forecasts included in this section are for the global Countertop Microwave Market as well as for key regional markets.

Value Chain and Sales Analysis:It deeply analyzes customers, distributors, sales channels, and value chain of the global Countertop Microwave Market.

Key Findings: This section gives a quick look at important findings of the research study.

About Us:Report Hive Research delivers strategic market research reports, statistical surveys, industry analysis and forecast data on products and services, markets and companies. Our clientele ranges mix of global business leaders, government organizations, SMEs, individuals and Start-ups, top management consulting firms, universities, etc. Our library of 700,000 + reports targets high growth emerging markets in the USA, Europe Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific covering industries like IT, Telecom, Semiconductor, Chemical, Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Energy and Power, Manufacturing, Automotive and Transportation, Food and Beverages, etc. This large collection of insightful reports assists clients to stay ahead of time and competition. We help in business decision-making on aspects such as market entry strategies, market sizing, market share analysis, sales and revenue, technology trends, competitive analysis, product portfolio, and application analysis, etc.

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Covid-19 impact on Countertop Microwave Market Manufacturers Analysis And Industry Insights 2020-2026| Electrolux, Whirlpool , GE, Sumsung - PRnews...

As Halloween approaches, you may be looking for some spooky inspiration for your own movie night.

To help, weve compiled a list using metrics that are sure to ensure a quality horror film experience.

Here are the best 20 horror films as ranked by review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, that are readily available to stream in the UK.

This excitingly original thriller sees Hollywood husband-and-wife team John Krasinski (who also directs the film) and Emily Blunt play Lee and Evelyn Abbott, a couple desperately trying to keep their children safe from monsters that hunt sound. Therefore, they are forced to navigate their entire lives in silence.

Because their daughter is deaf, the whole family knows American Sign Language, and this helps them to stay safe. But the creatures can pop out in any place and at any time, as soon as they hear noise.

Jordan Peele followed up Get Out with an equally acclaimed second movie - another original nightmare that he wrote, directed and produced - which follows Adelaide Wilson as she returns to her North Carolina home with her husband and their two children.

Intended as a dreamy summer getaway, Adelaide starts to feel paranoid that something bad is going to happen to her family. And, sure enough, they return from the beach one day to find silhouettes of four figures in their driveway.

But the creepiest thing? The monsters theyre facing are doppelgangers of themselves.

Ridley Scotts iconic sci-fi horror follows the crew of the commercial space tug, Nostromo, who encounter the eponymous Alien, a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set loose on the ship.

Trapped aboard the vessel in deep space with no means of escape, Aliens blend of science fiction and horror has aged extremely well, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

It's no wonder the film spawned a media franchise of films, novels, comics, games, and toys which remains popular to this day.

Alfred Hitchcocks most infamous movie essentially rewrote the rules of the horror genre, and gave us that famous shower scene which has been parodied countless times in popular culture.

The film remains an iconic addition to the genre, and centres on the encounter between Marion Crane - a female embezzler on the run - and Norman Bates, the shy proprietor of a secluded old motel.

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)

If you're really looking to do a deep dive on the history of the genre The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is essential viewing - a German silent film which is considered by many to be the first true horror movie.

The film tells the story of an insane hypnotist who claims his somnambulist, Cesare, can see into the future. When he predicts the death of a carnival goer (which subsequently comes to pass), Cesare becomes the prime suspect. But is he guilty, or is the doctor controlling him?

A hundred years on, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari remains terrifying.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

Considered the first modern blockbuster, Steven Spielbergs seminal shark caper may not toy with the supernatural as much as some other horror classics on this list, but is a suspenseful, heart-pounding thriller nonetheless.

Besides, what could be more terrifying than a rabid shark terrorising unsuspecting bathers in the waters of Amity Island? That iconic music will always get the blood pumping.

A true psychological thriller, The Babadooks classic status is sure to only grow with age.

As close to a modern Grimms fairytale as were ever going to get, it tells the story of a troubled widow who discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster which entered their home through the pages of a children's book.

Fans of cheap jump scares need not apply - The Babadooks relies on tried and tested horror techniques to build tension to almost unbearable levels.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

Even the toughest horror viewers will be left troubled by Ari Aster's directorial debut, which tells the story of a family haunted by a mysterious presence after the death of their secretive grandmother.

Not for the faint-hearted, the horror fans will struggle to not absolutely love it.

An STI horror is something most fans of the genre never knew they needed, but watch It Follows and youll definitely think twice before your next promiscuous encounter.

It tells the story of a carefree teenager who learns she is the latest recipient of a fatal curse that is passed from victim to victim via sexual intercourse, after sleeping with her new boyfriend for the first time.

Its certainly an original premise, which won the praise of film fans and critics alike on its release.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Legendary horror director, George A Romero, made his debut with this late 1960s classic which essentially set the template for the zombie film. It tells the story of a group forced to take refuge in an abandoned house when corpses begin to leave the graveyard in search of fresh human bodies to devour.

When the reanimated bodies surround the house, the survivors begin to panic. As the zombies start to find ways inside, one by one, the living humans become the prey of the deceased ones.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The first and only Best Picture winner widely considered to be a horror film, The Silence of the Lambs often nears the top of best of film lists, no matter the genre being considered.

Anthony Hopkins legendary performance as the cannibalistic serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter remains one of cinemas most unsettling watches, and the film was as controversial as it was critically acclaimed upon its early 90s release.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

For many, Halloween is the quintessential slasher flick, introducing the world to the relentlessly vengeful Michael Myers, as well as the directorial skills of John Carpenter, who also provided the iconic soundtrack.

Halloween wrote the rulebook on slasher films, a rulebook which has been retread time and time again in the years since. So, while you might see the films twists and turns coming a mile off, there's no denying it remains a bonafide horror classic.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

When five college friends arrive at a remote forest cabin for a holiday, little do they expect the horrors that await them in this 2012 comedy horror.

One by one, the youths fall victim to backwoods zombies, but there is another factor at play - two scientists are manipulating the ghoulish goings-on. Even as the body count rises, there is yet more at work than meets the eye in this meta thriller.

Available on Amazon Prime Video

Read more:
13 of the best rated horror films you can stream in the UK: Amazon Prime, Netflix, Now TV and more - Yorkshire Evening Post

Jordans King Abdullah swore in an interim government on Monday that takes office facing historic levels of unemployment and a coronavirus pandemic that its predecessor failed to contain.

Bisher Al Khasawneh, the replacement for prime minister Omar Razzaz, is a longtime diplomat who is new to governance. He formed an administration made mostly of Cabinet veterans, former ministers and ambassadors.

Sources at the prime minister's office and those close to the Royal Court said the safe hands were selected to guide Jordan through the biggest economic crisis and wave of public discontent in modern history.

At a socially-distanced swearing-in ceremony in front of the king at the Husseini Palace on Monday, Mr Al Khasawneh said the government will give the pandemic file special importance.

He vowed to enhance health services, improve the co-ordination between partners in the health sector, and develop a new epidemiological monitoring and investigation strategy to cope with the communal transmission phase of the virus and better contact tracing.

For interior minister, Mr Al Khasawneh replaced Salamah Hamad with Gen Tawfiq Al Halalmeh, the first director of Jordans gendarmerie, who helped develop the service into an elite internal security and counter-terrorism force. Gen Al Halalmeh is an influential voice in Jordans security sector.

Ali Al Ayad, a former minister and ambassador to Israel, returned to the post of minister of media affairs and government spokesman, nine years since he last served in the post.

For the post of deputy prime minister and minister of state for economic affairs, Mr Al Khasawneh called on Umayya Toukan, a former finance minister and longtime governor of the Central Bank of Jordan.

Nayef Al Fayez is another former minister returned to an old post, serving again as minister of tourism to address a critical sector that accounts for 14 per cent of the kingdoms GDP and has been badly hit by the pandemic.

Mr Al Fayez has served as tourism minister three times over the past decade, most recently in 2016.

Most notably, the new government replaced Saad Al Jaber, the health minister who relied heavily on his casual and personable media presence to convince Jordanians of the seriousness of the coronavirus and the need for a costly three-month lockdown.

Mr Al Jabers sometimes flippant and often quotable approach made him a polarising figure. His claims that coronavirus had dried up and died in Jordan in June after a three-month lockdown was emblematic of the governments squandering of its hard-earned gains against the virus.

Replacing Mr Al Jaber is Dr Nathir Obeidat, spokesman for Jordans Covid-19 taskforce whose measured, sober and facts-based discussion on the pandemic with media throws Mr Al Jaber's approach into sharp relief.

The post of foreign minister was one of the few left unchanged, with Ayman Safadi retaining the post as the kingdoms top diplomat, a position he has held since 2017. Minister of Education Tayseer Naimi also kept his role.

King Abdullah selected Mr Al Khasawneh, who served as Jordans ambassador to Egypt, France and the Arab League, as prime minister on Wednesday, noting in his letter of designation that the new government arrived at an exceptional time.

Although constitutionally the king-appointed prime minister forms a government independently, former ministers and royal court officials told The National that the palace and security services have great sway over Cabinet selections.

The interim government has several tall tasks at hand, the most immediate of which is the coronavirus.

Despite crushing the curve in the spring and pushing cases down to zero for weeks, mismanagement at the countrys borders with Syria and Saudi Arabia allowed infected lorry drivers and border staff to take the virus into Jordanian communities.

Since then, the Razzaz government struggled to find a balance between reviving the economy and stopping the spread of Covid-19, following a strategy of localised lockdowns and weekend curfews that did little to prevent the infections jumping to more than 1,000 new cases and 10 to 15 deaths a day.

Health experts are speaking of a potential collapse of the health system, after dozens of nurses and doctors caught the virus and hospital beds became scarce.

The economic crisis is just as immediate and, for Jordan, with longer-term implications. Jordans economy has struggled to recover from the three-month coronavirus lockdown imposed in March.

Its debt crisis has widened to more than 100 per cent of GDP, exacerbated by a drop in tax revenue and costly social measures designed to keep citizens afloat.

Jordans unemployment is at a historic high of 23 per cent, according to official statistics, but independent researchers and think tanks put that at close to 40 per cent.

The vast majority of Jordanians still in work receive 50 per cent to 75 per cent of their normal monthly salaries.

Compounding the challenges facing the government is the uncertainty surrounding its shelf-life and its constitutional mandate.

The countrys constitution mandates that once parliament is dissolved upon completion of its ordinary session to pave way for elections, government must also resign to prevent a prime minister running the government without the constitutional check of the legislative body.

King Abdullah instructed Mr Al Khasawnehs interim government to serve until parliamentary elections scheduled for November 10 are complete and a new government is sworn in.

But the countrys Independent High Electoral Commission hinted several times this month that elections may be postponed should Jordans coronavirus case numbers continue to climb.

Hanging over the elections, as with everything else in Jordan, is the prospect of a second national lockdown.

To prevent a collapse of the health system, experts in the Covid-19 taskforce have pushed the government to impose a two or three-week national lockdown to slow transmission.

Incoming health minister Dr Obeidat, in his capacity as Covid-19 taskforce spokesman, said last week that weekend and local lockdowns as enacted by the previous government were ineffective at this stage and that a two or three-week lockdown would be needed to curb communal transmission.

It is unclear how a national lockdown would delay an election campaign season that is already in full swing, and whether the Khasawneh government will serve past its interim period.

Updated: October 13, 2020 09:30 AM

Here is the original post:
Jordan's King Abdullah swears in new government of old faces - The National

Wellingtons fern orb returns to public view stronger than ever after a long hiatus.

Neil Dawsons Ferns 2 was initially taken down May 2019 because of metal fatigue but had seen delays in its return to Te Ngkau Civic Square.

Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said lockdown played a role in this delay, as did the pieces redesign to make it less fragile.

The hope was fewer alterations would be needed going forward.

READ MORE:* Civic Square fern orb turns up in industrial depot after being hidden for years * Len Lye's former assistant says artist would have been 'deeply hurt' by broken sculpture* New Ferns 'orb' sculpture to be raised in Wellington's Civic Square

MONIQUE FORD/Stuff

Ferns 2 has been redesigned to prevent it from being taken down again.

Ferns 2 was already a replacement for the original commission, Ferns, that sustained significant wind damage and had to be removed permanently. The original Ferns sculpture was last seen in an industrial zone in Grenada North.

Weve had to do serious thinking about redesigning the piece to the situation of pulling it down repeatedly, said MacLean.

The replacement and reinstallation was covered by insurance.

MONIQUE FORD/Stuff

Neil Dawsons fern sculpture has been reinstalled after it was repeatedly taken down for repairs.

It took three cranes and a cherry picker to secure the orb in position at 10am on Tuesday.

Wellington Sculpture Trust chair Sue Elliot said it has been a highly anticipated return.

Elliot was thrilled to see the sculpture back, especially at the start of summer, when Wellingtonians could make the most of its presence.

Wellington City Council/Stuff

Te Ngkau Civic Squares fern orb has been restored after metal fatigue degradation.

We originally raised all the money for the commission. The Trust has its heart and soul in this piece.

Len Lyes Water Whirler sculpture would also be returning to the waterfront on Thursday, October 15.

Stuff

The broken Len Lye Water Whirler, worth an estimated $300,000, sits next to its base on Wellingtons waterfront in 2018.

The work was vandalised in 2018, and returned in June 2019, however the replacement did not function correctly and was taken down once more last summer for further repairs.

The piece was originally commissioned for $300,000 and its replacement was not covered by insurance, yet Elliot could not say how much the overall cost was.

Ross Giblin

Len Lye's waterfront sculpture, Waterwhirler, has been repaired twice after it was vandalised.

I dont like to use the word iconic but these sculptures are iconic and have come from two of the best public sculptors that have ever existed.

The council had put up signs to deter anyone tempted to touch the sculpture.

We are depending on people behaving themselves, MacLean said.

Read more:
Wellington's fern orb returns to Te Ngkau Civic Square after more than a year - Stuff.co.nz

Commentary: I fear the unfortunate timing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death may break the U.S. Senate.

It is, perhaps, the inevitable culmination of a battle between Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid that started years ago, where every time the majority changed, so did the rules. About the only thing left protecting the minority party is the filibuster rule, and its days may be numbered.

With his term as majority leader in danger, McConnell is rushing to get Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court before the election.

To do so, he has changed the rules established four years ago in declining to consider the nomination of Merrick Garland. Back then it was critical that voters had a voice. Now it is critical that they dont.

Republicans in the Senate can confirm Coney Barrett with a single-vote majority because McConnell changed the rules in 2018 to remove the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, ensuring confirmation at that time for Neil Gorsuch.

Democrats changed the rules in 2013, when Reid eliminated the filibuster on lower court and cabinet nominees, which were being systematically blocked by McConnell.

Everytime the rules were changed, it took away from the protections of the minority party and made it easier for those in power to avoid compromise.

If Democrats win both the White House and the Senate this year, which appears to be possible, more rule changes are likely. And for good reason.

Because of the electoral college, we are likely to end up with a Supreme Court in which five of the nine justices were appointed by a president who lost the popular vote. A court with a solid 6-3 conservative majority for the next two decades would be wildly out of step with the nation as a whole, and would be in danger of losing its legitimacy.

Sen. Chuck Schumer has said that all options are on the table if Democrats win, including adding new seats to the court. To do so, they would have to get rid of the filibuster entirely.

And that would break the Senate, at least the version that our founders envisioned. No more cooling saucer. It would become the House, but with longer terms.

There has always been a random nature to Supreme Court vacancies, just as there is to any lifetime position. To bring some order to the process, justices often step down when their party is in power to ensure a like-minded replacement.

Ginsburg will rightly be remembered as a champion for equality and a pioneer for women of all professions; and she was widely praised for her grit and toughness. But, she was urged to step down when Barack Obama was in power. In declining, she gambled twice - first that Hillary Clinton would win; and second, that she would survive for at least four years if Clintpn lost.

Only the party in power can stop the constant ratcheting up of partisan advantages. Thats clearly not going to happen in the next few weeks.

If Democrats win, instead of adding seats to the court, they should apply term limits to the position of Supreme Court justice. That would give each president a more equal opportunity to appoint justices, and would make for a more orderly transition.

To do so may require Democrats to end the filibuster. Then, after taking that one vote, they should do the unthinkable - give back all of the powers that have been stripped from the minority during the past decade and start working together to find compromise.

Walter Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.com.

Original post:
A plan to avoid breaking the U.S. Senate - KRWG

The provincial government's decision to put the brakes on its proposed revamp of the way oil and gas operations are assessed for taxation is being applauded by the head of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta.

Earlier this year, the province laid out four possible new taxation models aimed at providing relief to Alberta's struggling oil and gas companies by reforming the assessment process for their wells and other operations.

The current system evaluates them on replacement cost not market value a practice industry and government officials say overvalues industry assets and inflates tax bills.

But the RMA reacted with alarm and says 69 counties and municipal districts could lose up to 40 per cent of their tax base.

"There's no doubt about it, it's created some tremendous angst among my member municipalities, the proposals that they've had," said RMA president Al Kemmere.

But Tracy Allard, newly installed as minister of municipal affairs in a summer cabinet shuffle, says no decision has been made on a new assessment model and consultations will continue.

"While we of course want our oil and gas businesses to be strong and viable so they can invest, create jobs, and pay taxes in our municipalities, we must also carefully consider the impact a reduction in assessment would have on the municipalities these employers operate in," said press secretary Justin Marshall in an emailed statement.

'We're encouraged'

Kemmere says the RMA in encouraged by that statement.

"She definitely has a desire to hear from all those affected, and then come up with a solution that the industry can live with, that the municipalities can live with and that the province can live with."

The reeve of Ponoka County agrees that some fundamental changes need to be made, but he's not convinced that just changing the way oil and gas operations are taxed is the right approach.

Emilio Avalos/Radio-Canada

For Ponoka, the reforms as proposed would result in an increase in residents' taxes varying from 150 to 200 per cent to maintain the same level of services.

"We need to look at it as a system. It's extremely complex. There's multiple components of it and multiple categories, and you can't just look at one and make modifications to that," said Paul McLauchlin.

The difficulties that the energy sector has been facing for the past five years are affecting the county's bottom line, too, he says.

"We've actually had to write down about $3 million in taxes, which represents roughly 20 per cent of our taxes over the course of the last three or four years," he said.

But according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, some businesses are not going to be able to survive unless the province gets on with its changes.

"We still strongly recommend that the government proceed with a decision on reforming the assessment system this year. There will really never be a better time to do it," said CAPP's vice president of oilsands and fiscal policy, Ben Brunnen.

"This is a difficult choice in the best of circumstances."

Brunnen says CAPP's own analysis found that, under the proposed changes, the vast majority of municipalities could get by without a deficit by drawing on their reserves. In some areas even, counties would win, he said.

That's because oil and gas firms will be better able to boost investment in existing operations if they feel they're being taxed under a fairer assessment model, he said.

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McLauchlin says it's important to realize that in rural areas like his, there's lots of overlap between the energy business and the farmers who let companies operate on their land.

"A lot of folks around here actually support their farming habit with being oil and gas operators or working in the industry," he said.

"So we're very aware of the stress on the industry and the stress that's occurred for a few years now. And so I think the tension might be falsely created by some advocacy by some groups."

McLauchlin also noted that the taxes paid by oil and gas companies largely gets reinvested to maintain and improve the infrastructure used disproportionately by those firms.

"I think most people don't understand the wear and tear the oil and gas industry has on our assets, on our roads," he said.

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Pause on tax reform for oil and gas firms welcomed by rural leaders - Yahoo News Canada