Whether they stand stoic as a memorial, or lend a touch of European flair to our Mediterranean climate, fountains characterize much of the streetscapes and parkland of Los Angeles.

After all, were practically always dreaming of water here.

And even if youre a little more inland than youd like to be, you can enjoy the spouts and water shows in Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park Lake, at the San Pedro Waterfront, and even The Grove and The Americana at Brand.

For some, fountains are beacons; for others, a meeting place where they can come together and pass some time.

We dont always know the stories behind them or whats literally buried beneath them.

Here are eight of the best watery wonders in the L.A. region, where you can stop and feel the mist on your face, take in some artand pay tribute to those who have come and gone before us.

Cascades Park, 1930 | Photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library

Just six miles as the crow flies from Downtown L.A., Midwick View Estates was the brainchild of Peter N. Snyder, who meant for the Spanish-style development to be another affluent, whites-only enclave like Bel Air or Beverly Hills only, east of L.A., in the City of Monterey Park (incorporated 1916). Construction began in 1928,but in the advent of the 1929 stock market crash and the Depression that followed, it was never completed. The 356-acre development is now marked only by its original sales office (dreamily named El Encanto, which now houses The Greater Chamber of Commerce of Monterey Park) and Cascades Park, a manmade, terraced waterfall at the other end of the grand esplanade of El Portal Place.

Also known as Heritage Falls since 1991, the water feature still bears the coat of arms of the original development. Spanish tiles run along the cascading levels of the waterfall all the way up to a fountain at the top, which bears a statue meant to depict the Greek goddess Athena, a nod to Snyders Greek heritage. The original was stolen decades ago, so the one that stands today is a replica installed by the Monterey Park Historical Society in 2005. You can walk along staircases on either side of the waterfall to get to the top but the entire landscape provides a popular backdrop for photos, both in daylight and at night, with its colored lighting scheme.

Use 700 S. Atlantic Boulevard, 91754 as your destination address and park along De La Fuente Street.

Cascades Park |Sandi Hemmerlein

Cascades Park|Sandi Hemmerlein

Some might say that the series of eight water fountains and the floodlighting that illuminates them is essential for the headquarters of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to convey both water and power. And boy, does that 1.2-million-gallon reflecting pool make a statement! And not just because it circulates 20,000 gallons per minute or that it protects the A.C. Martin-designed buildings perimeter with a kind of glassy, lit-up moat (anchored by the large, wing-shaped sculpture "Colpo d'ala" by Arnaldo Pomodoro, a gift from Italy in 1988 in gratitude for the U.S. financing the restoration of Italys WWII-ravaged economy).

The water feature is actually a high-tech solution for the buildings heating and cooling system part of the HVAC system and instead of a boiler. Its the ultimate in making themonumental, International Style John FerraroBuilding known as the General Office Building of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power until 2000 self-contained and self-sufficient. Completed in 1965 and constructed at the same time as The Music Center, the LADWP headquarters became the first high-rise on the top of the newly flattened Bunker Hill.

The John Ferraro Building is open weekdays except Fridays and is closed weekends and major holidays. Enter on foot from Hope Street and take the pedestrian bridge across the water to the plaza. Free public parking spaces provided in Lot 6 during meetings of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, held monthly on the first and third Tuesday.

LADWP Headquarters|Sandi Hemmerlein

LADWP Headquarters|Sandi Hemmerlein

At the corner of Riverside Drive and Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Feliz, spitting distance from the Los Angeles River, youll find a shrine to the Father of L.A.s water system, William Mulholland built approximately on the site where Mulholland once lived in a cabin, worked as a water laborer (technically a ditch-tender)and taught himself to be a civil engineer. Designed by Walter S. Claberg, the William Mulholland Memorial Fountain was originally dedicated in 1940, five years after the former water supervisors death, thanks largely to contributions and donations from local schoolchildren. After occasional forced periods of dormancy (either because of oil rationing or droughts), the electrified fountain eventually fell into disrepair but its mechanisms were reconstructed and the fountain was rededicated in 1996. It now lights up gloriously and colorfully at night.

The park that surrounds the fountain, the Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Garden, was built by LADWP crews in conjunction with the centennial celebration of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 2013. A walking path recreates the aqueducts 340-mile journey from the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains to L.A.s San Fernando Valley, terminating at a replica of The Cascades. The commemorative garden also features a section of the original aqueduct pipe, 10 feet in diameter, water-wise landscapingand a bronze bas-relief portrait of Mulhollandby Grace Banks Eldridge that was added in 1959.

Park across Riverside Drive in one of the lots dedicated to Griffith Park facilities.

William Mulholland Memorial Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

William Mulholland Memorial Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

The L.A. areas first electrified water fountain in fact, the first in the nation to feature underwater lighting is the Electric Fountain in Beverly Hills. After a $1.5-million facelift, it was rededicated in 2016 but it was originally gifted to the city in 1931 by silent-screen star Harold Lloyds mother, Sarah Elizabeth (Fraser) Lloyd. TheWomens Club of Beverly Hills paid for it to be installed on land donated by the Rodeo Land and Water Company. Then known as the Electric Color Fountain, it provided a repeating, rainbow-colored water spectacle whose programmed lighting system dazzled spectators with an eight-minute water show with jets timed to colored lights. A total of 60 different combinations of spray were possible and at the time, the sight was so spectacular that reportedly thousands stopped their cars to ogle it.

Thirty feet in diameter and edged with ceramic tile, the fountain is the work of architect Ralph Carlin Flewelling. But at the 3-foot high circular base, a bas-relief designed by (Robert) Merrell Gage shows Californias Mission Period, and the Los Angeles Pobladores who settled here. At one time the president of the California Art Club, Gage was also responsible for sculpting the faade of the Los Angeles Times building in Downtown L.A. He also contributed a six-foot figure of a kneeling member of the Tongva tribe, the original inhabitants of the area who called Beverly Hills the gathering of the waters (translated in Spanish to El Rodeo de las Aguas).

Find it on the corner of Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards, at the western terminus of Beverly Gardens Park. The park is bookended at the citys eastern gateway by the Doheny Fountain, also circa 1931, designed by the first official resident architect of Beverly Hills, W. Asa Hudson. Park on Walden Drive or any of the residential side streets that intersect with Beverly Gardens Park north of Santa Monica Boulevard. Walk the rest of the way along the path.

Electric Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Known for his Prometheus sculpture at Rockefeller Center in New York City, Paul Manship contributed the design for the bronze sculpture in a large fountain at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood, The Flight of Europa. It depicts the famous scene in Greek mythology when Zeus transforms into a strapping bull to seduce Europa, a Phoenician maiden (and namesake of Europe). She perhaps unwittingly rides his back as he abducts her to Crete. All the while, Cupid whispers in her ear.

Although the sculpture was reportedly intended for a swimming pool with water symbolizing the Mediterranean it now graces the front entrance of the former Home Savings and Loan, circa 1968, which was built on the site where parts of Hollywood's first full-length motion picture, "The Squaw Man," were filmed in 1913. Formerly known as a Washington Mutual branch and now rebranded Chase Bank, its known for its Millard Sheets-designed mosaic mural of Hollywoods biggest stars in their star-making roles.

Plenty of metered street parking on both Sunset and Vine, or park in the surface lot in the back if youre going to do some banking at Chase. Its also a short walk from the Metro Red Line station at Hollywood / Vine.

The Flight of Europa Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

The Flight of Europa Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

One of the USC campuss staggering 30 fountains count em all! is Youth Triumphant by Bavarian sculptor Frederick William Schweigardt. Topped by a bronze dancing figure, this Neoclassical style is actually a replica of Schweigardts fountain The Four Cornerstones of American Democracy, both featuring four cast concrete figures representing Home, Community, Churchand, of course, School. The original fountain is still in the Hall of Youth in the grand foyer of the former Palace of Education (now the Balboa Park Club building) at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, for which Schweigardt was the official sculptor.Donated in 1935 by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carman-Ryles in memory of their son, Edward L. Prentiss, a former USC student who died in 1933, the replica became henceforth known as the Prentiss Memorial Fountain. It was renovated in 1979 and 2002.

Its located at Alumni Park by the front entrance of Doheny Memorial Library a four-story, Italian Romanesque-style landmark that was created in 1930 as a memorial to Edward L. Ned Doheny Jr., a USC trustee and alumnus who was tragically murdered at Greystone Mansion the year prior. Designed by Ralph Adams Cram of the Cram and Ferguson, it became the universitys first freestanding library.

Enter the campus via the private USC McCarthy Way. Parking is available for a fee in a nearby structure by McCarthy Quad.

"Youth Triumphant" Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

"Youth Triumphant" Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

"Youth Triumphant" Fountain|Sandi Hemmerlein

Besides its City Hall, one of the most recognizable icons of Pasadena may be the monumental, electrical power-generating Glenarm Power Plant, located at the northern terminus of the 110 Freeway and the southern end of town. The Municipal Light and Power Department first powered the City of Pasadena on July 4, 1907 and its now known Pasadena Water and Power, a not-for-profit utility thats owned and operated by the City of Pasadena. And although its an actively working power plant thats understandably fenced off and closely guarded, you can stand outside the landmark Glenarm Steam Plant Building by Pasadenas own Bennett & Haskell Architects (also the team behind the citys Civic Auditorium) built in 1928 and 1932 in the Moderne architectural style as an addition to the now-demolished original power plant and admire its adjoining electric fountain.

Together, the Art Deco fountain (circa 1938) and the intact steam turbine building comprise a city-designated historic monument. The fountain is actually an integral part of the plant, having replaced an original cooling tower (circa 1906) that cooled steam turbine #8 and the building itself.The electric fountain, the third and final example of such fountains in the L.A. region, retains its original cast-stone walls, tiled circular basin (featuring images of the Pasadena logo with lightning bolts coming out of it)and translucent glass paneled tower. Its underground mechanical, plumbing, and structural components were replaced in 2012. And its water is still flowing.

The fountain is located at the southeast corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and E. Glenarm Street at the west elevation of the power plant site. To get a closer look on foot, park on Fair Oaks north of State Street or on South Raymond Street north of Glenarm.

Electric Fountain, Glenarm Power Plant|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain, Glenarm Power Plant|Sandi Hemmerlein

Electric Fountain, Glenarm Power Plant|Sandi Hemmerlein

A. M. Parsons, founder of the Naples Co., was to Long Beachs Naples Island in 1903 what Abbott Kinney was to Venice in 1905. At the center of the island, Parsons designed a circular park, surrounded by the Rivo Alto Canal, before any roads reached it. Its ornate lampposts had to be carried in by barge. Decades after Parsons sold his Naples development, the Belmont Shore Development Company donated Circle Park to the City of Long Beach in 1933. The following year, Long Beachs Park Commission renamed it Bella Flora Park.

In 1971, a three-tiered circular fountain was added to the park, which was rechristened La Bella Fontana di Napoli (The Beautiful Fountain of Naples), part of The Colonnade park. This Neapolitan-type fountain, which was brought in from the East Coast, has now become synonymous with the charmingbeachside enclave and is tended to by the non-profit Naples Islands Garden Club, which has focused on maintenance and beautification of the fountain and park for much of its history, with as many as eight official cleanups a year.

Access the park and fountain by crossing over the Rivo Alto Canal via East The Toledo or Ravenna Drive. Limited parking is available on surrounding streets.

La Bella Fontana di Napoli|Sandi Hemmerlein

La Bella Fontana di Napoli|Sandi Hemmerlein

Bonus: "Topographic Map of Water Sources in County of Los Angeles," Hall of Records, Downtown L.A.

One of the civic artworks contributed by mosaicist Joseph L. Young just two blocks from his Triforium sculpture is a 1962 bas-relief mural and fountain made of Italian glass mosaic tile, polished and rough granite, and copper tubing known as "Topographic Map of Water Sources in County of Los Angeles." At 20 feet high by 80 feet wide, it provides a large-scale, abstract geologic view of Los Angeles County and its water resources.

Water hasnt always flowed through the mural it ran dry for 20 years until a 2007-8 refurbishment, just after Youngs death. And although the streams arent running down across the black mountains, brown valleys, and green and blue ocean as long as conservation efforts are underway, the large reflecting pool at the walls base is still filled.

Find it in Downtown L.A.s Civic Center, located on the northern face of the Richard Neutra-designed Los Angeles County Hall of Records, integrated into the exterior wall of the auditorium, along Temple Street between N. Hill Street and North Broadway.

Continued here:
Where to Find LA's Most Fascinating Fountains - KCET

Greater Manchester is a great place.

But sometimes, a trip to a beautifully quaint village, well away from the stresses of city life, is just what the doctor ordered.

And you don't need to go far to encounter the quiet life.

On the very outskirts of Greater Manchester are some unbelievably stunning villages.

These little gems, nestled in the sprawling green valleys and hillsides, are a short commute from the city, but a world apart from the urban bustle.

With gorgeous homes and an abundance of community spirit, it's hard not to be tempted to escape to one of these beautiful villages.

45 minutes from Manchester

Nestled in the scenic Hope Valley, the tiny village of Edale is the start - and end - of the UK's first and most famous long distance walking path - the Pennine Way.

As a gateway to the stunning Peak District, its surrounded by some of the best walking country in the UK, which includes a series of striking hills contoured by the waters of the River Noe.

The village itself is overlooked by the imposing peak of Kinder Scout and is comprised of picturesque stone houses and buildings, with two pubs, a caf, a local shop and two camp sites - all of which make up a truly beautiful place.

It's also easily accessible by train, with a frequent service in and out of the local station, which takes in some of the phenomenal views seen along the Sheffield line.

A little piece of paradise.

25 minutes from Manchester

Situated in the heart of a conservation area in a small valley, the village of Padfield is surrounded by greenbelt countryside.

Perched on the edge of the Peak District National Park, it's been designated for its special architectural and historical interest.

As well as a rich and diverse landscape and a wealth of local wildlife to discover, the village lies close to the stunning Longendale Trail and Valley.

The long-distance walking trail follows the former Woodhead Railway Line which once connected Manchester and Sheffield, which has since been reclaimed by nature.

Set against the backdrop of the green fells of the valley and a chain of six reservoirs, it's a beautiful spot to get back to nature.

The village itself is a close-knit community with streets lined with rows of quaint stone houses and leafy green spaces, with a pub, a chapel, an art gallery and a primary school.

You wouldn't believe it was so close to a major city.

40 minutes from Manchester

The small hamlet of Pott Shrigley is located in a beautiful corner of Cheshire, and a gorgeous example of modern rural life in the UK.

The buildings that make up the village are huddled together under the shadow of the traditional church spire, close to two stunning valleys and overlooked by woodland on the high ground.

A visit in spring will boast a wonderful display of bluebells along the road up to the Victorian manor house Shrigley Hall, but whatever the time of year there will be phenomenal views in all directions of the surrounding hillside.

With around 300 residents, the village is home to a small school, a church, a pub and a cricket ground and a babbling stream runs through the centre of this idyllic slice of country living.

A beautiful place, whatever the weather.

45 minutes from Manchester

You'll find Marsden in the picturesque Colne Valley on the doorstep of a National Trust estate and a landscape steeped in history.

Surrounded on three sides by moorland, the brooding landscape is a contrast to the idyllic image of the village.

With peaks, canals, valleys and reservoirs there's a whole host of outdoor delights to see - and it's also home to the highest and deepest tunnel in Britain.

And, for real ale fans, Marsden is a haven for craft beer with the Riverhead Brewery Tap, The Sair Inn, Golcar Lily or Rose and Crown to name a few.

It's also a popular spot for TV and film - many will recognise the village from ITV''s Where the Heart Is, Jericho, BBC's Last of the Summer Wine and the blockbuster A Monster Calls.

A thriving village that embraces its industrial heritage while retaining its rural charm.

40 minutes from Manchester

Just a few miles out of Chorley you'll find the rural village of Rivington, nestled in miles of farmland, moors and several hill summits.

Dubbed 'The Little Lake District', the village attracted large numbers of visitors in the Victorian times - from the working class escaping the gloomy mills, to middle classes arriving on the newly build railway.

Its spectacular landscape has been the muse for many an artist, and its rolling hillside and gorgeous peaks play host to the Rivington Pike Fell Race, drawing scores of walkers, hikers and cyclists.

The tiny village has a thriving tourist industry thanks to its picturesque surroundings, sparkling reservoirs, the stunning Lever Park, along with the historic Rivington Pike, that sits atop a hill, and its nearby adventure centre.

Surrounded by gorgeous natural scenery, this sleepy village is perfect for those wanting to escape from the hustle and bustle of busy modern life.

35 minutes from Manchester

Perched on the very edge of the Pennines in the ancient royal hunting ground of the Rossendale valley is the small village of Crawshawbooth.

Surrounded by farm land and open green moors, it welcomes scores of walkers who come to visit the picturesque village and its surrounding hillside.

Home to a number of heritage properties, Crawshawbooth is also history-lovers dream.

Guests will find Crawshaw Hall, a Grade II* listed mansion which has since been transformed into a nursing home, and the Quaker Meeting house is the oldest in the world - dating back to 1716.

It also has its own art gallery, the See Gallery, which houses regular exhibitions from both national and international renowned artists.

The town also used to be the home of formerEnglandandManchester UnitedfootballerPhil Neville.

45 minutes from Manchester

The ancient village of Mytholmroyd has existed since the 13th century - and has the remains of human settlement dating back to the prehistoric times.

There's a Bronze Age urnfield on the moor top, complete with cremation urns dating between the 16th and 11th centuries BC - plus evidence of prehistoric farming.

A roman coin hoard has been found to the south of the village.

Today the village sits in a designated conservation area with over 21 listed buildings in the centre alone.

Regular markets and a high street boasting boutique shops and restaurants attract visitors all year round.

This idyllic location is the perfect place for unwinding after a busy day.

30 minutes from Manchester

The scenic Derbyshire village of Tintwistle is lucky enough to share its border with the stunning Peak District National Park and a designated conservation area, encompassing the beautiful countryside along the Longendale valley.

Some of the buildings in the old part of Tintwistle are said to date back as far as the 16th century, including the Bull's Head pub.

The historic Christ Church in the village is grade II listed.

The newer part is made up of buildings from the Victorian era onwards.

Head down in June and experience the annual village well dressing ceremony, a Derbyshire tradition where the local holy well is decorated with hand-crafted decorations.

30 minutes from Manchester

Situated on the banks of the Bridgewater Canal, the township of Lymm dates back as far as medieval times, and is even mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Today, the town is a designated conservation area, owing to its natural features and historical buildings and landmarks.

The Lymm dam is an area of great beauty and serenity, and the surrounding woodlands and meadow offer not only a stunning backdrop, but boast a wealth of nature and wildlife.

The canal is used as a leisure facility, by fishermen, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Narrow boats can be seen sailing idly along the waters.

A dedicated walking route, the Lymm Heritage Trail, is a self-guided route which features the best of the natural heritage of the village and is a great way to explore the sleepy Cheshire town.

30 minutes from Manchester

Surrounded by green-belt land in the Cheshire countryside, Pickmere, near Knutsford, sits on the banks of a mere, which has proven a popular attraction for day trippers over the years.

The lake's crystal clear waters have become a well-known spot for water sports, and around the water there are plenty of nature trails, all with breathtaking views of the lake, the countryside, and the local wildlife.

The village is also home to two Grade II listed buildings - both historic farm houses.

And if you want a breath of fresh air, there are plenty of walking routes to make the most of the great outdoors.

45 minutes from Manchester

An attractive old farming village, Goostrey occupies a particularly beautiful part of south Cheshire, close to the world-famous Jodrell Bank Observatory and the iconic Lovell Telescope.

Originally a dispersed farming community, Goostrey is now a mixture of both traditional and newer developments all located in miles of open countryside.

It contains 24 listed heritage assets as well as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (a bowl barrow near to Jodrell Bank Farm), and the observatory is one of a very limited number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites - listed alongside the likes of the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon.

But it's not all rural countryside and heritage - the village was one of the first in the UK to have a social media profile - on Myspace back in 2006.

Read the rest here:
The gorgeous villages on the outskirts of Manchester that will make you yearn for the quiet life - Manchester Evening News

The count as it was underway at Silksworth Sports Complex in Sunderland.

After a terrible election for Labour, seven of the regions former Labour heartland seats fell to the Tories, but looking at the results it could have been much worse for the party if the Brexit vote had been unified under one party.

If the votes for both the Conservatives and the Brexit Party had gone to one party there would have been a different outcome for Sunderland Central, Houghton and Sunderland South and Washington and Sunderland West.

Had those who backed the Brexit Party pledged their support to the Conservatives or vice versa it would have also impacted on Easington and Hartlepools outcomes.

Voters in all five constituencies voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.

The Sunderland Central seat was retained by Julie Elliott, who was first elected to the post in 2010, with 18,336 votes pledged to the former GMB regional organiser, a -13.4% share of the vote.

Conservative Tom DSilva lodged 15,372 vote, a 2% gain, and the Brexit Partys Viral Parikh got 5,047 votes to his name, with their combined vote amounting to 20,419.

Bridget Phillipson, the Houghton and Sunderland South MP also first elected in 2010, won 16,210 votes, a -18.7% share of those ballots posted.

In that constituency, Conservative Christopher Howarth polled 13,095 votes, an increase of 3.2%, and Brexit Party candidate Kevin Yuill gained 6,165 votes an combined total of 19,260 votes.

The electorate in Washington and Sunderland West pledged their support for Sharon Hodgson to return to the role, with 15,941 votes, a -18.2% share.

Valarie Allen, who stood for the Conservative Party, got 12,218 of the vote, a 3.7% increase, while the Brexit Partys Howard Brown was given the backing of 5,429, a combined vote of 17,647.

Ms Phillipson tweeted after the count: It is a privilege to be re-elected to serve my community in Parliament on what looks to be a truly terrible night for Labour.

Devastated by the impact this will have on working people right across our country.

A long and difficult road ahead.

Mrs Hodgson also said Brexit and leader Jeremy Corbyn were among the issues raised as concerns on the doorstep in the lead up to election day.

Sunderland Central Brexit Party candidate, Mr Parikh said the way votes were cast in the city underlines its backing for Brexit, but that it could have been a different outcome had the votes not been split between his group and the Tories.

In 2017, Ms Elliott got 25,056 votes, yesterday that had fallen to 18,336 votes.

The former University of Sunderland student said: In the last election, the Conservatives got 15,000 and they still got that this time, so there has been a change at all in the vote, and Labour were 13% down and we gained 12%, so we have taken every Labour vote, he said.

I know people will say we only took 5,000 votes, but if you look at the Tory vote, that would have taken us over, but I know because of the history of Sunderland, some people say they will not vote Conservative.

I think people were absolutely upset at Labour and we can see that in the election result.

I dont think well see another election for five years now, Boris Johnson has got a massive majority now.

Labour's Grahame Morris also kept hold of his seat in Easington, with 15,723 votes, a -18.2% share

His Conservative rival Clare Ambrosino gained 9,142 votes, a 3.7% gain, while Julie Maughan of the Brexit Party got 6,744, which adds up to 15,886, 163 more than Labours total.

Stefan Houghton, Conservative, got 11,869 votes, a -5.3% share, and Richard Tice, chairman of the Brexit Party, got 10,603 votes, a combined total of 22,472.

See the original post:
Labour hold onto North East seats in Parliament - but combined Conservative and Brexit Party vote could have transformed political landscape -...

Anyone who thinks that the recent protests in 100 cities throughout Iran were about gas prices did not pay attention to what the protesters were saying. The immediate spark that led to the Arab Spring was the 2010 self-immolation of a Tunisian fruit vendor, but the Arab Spring revolution was not about Tunisian citizens ability to obtain permits to sell fruit. Likewise, this unrest in Iran was not about the price of gas. Iranian protesters (and rioters) chanting No to Gaza, no to Lebanon! Leave Syria and think of us, and even Death to Palestine! indicates that something much larger than the price of gas drove their outrage.

Forty years after the Islamic Revolution, substantial numbers of Iranians are finally rejecting the priorities of their masters.

When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini consolidated power in Iran for himself in 1979, he risked being accused of a sin that Islamists of all stripes object to in any non-Sharia government making partners with Allah, something specifically prohibited by the Koran (see 3:64, 12:40 and 42:41, for example).This accusation is especially relevant to democracies. As Abu al-Ali al-Mawdudi, founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the first Islamist organizations, put it: Democracy is the deification of man. Or, as current al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri put it: Democracies raise up gods, establish masters and assign partners to Allah Most High.

So Khomeini established the velayat-e-faqih (governance of the jurist), which allowed him to pretend that Iran was controlled by divine, rather than human, laws.The premise is that Khomeinis hand-picked jurors (the mullahs), under the watchful eye of the Rahbar (Supreme Leader) Khomeini, were simply guiding the country until the 12th imam comes out of hiding to usher in the end of times. In the meantime, to placate the peoples clamoring for freedom, Khomeini established a parliament and president. There would be elections and the guise of competition, but no one would be permitted to run for office without approval from the mullahs. This arrangement created the illusion of democracy while maintaining clerical control.

Iranian democracy is like a landscape painted onto a concrete wall in a zoo.Artists skilled in trompe loeil mimic a jungle landscape on the walls of the lion cage, or a polar landscape for a penguin enclosure, with the aim of calming the beasts through a feeling of openness and freedom.But any lion who charges into the concrete jungle or any penguin that leaps into the nearby ocean quickly learns the cruel lesson of his captivity.The Iranian people seem to have realized that they are not free and that their version of democracy is an illusion.

The first indications of their dissatisfaction with the theocracy for which they traded the shah came in the summer of 1999 when university students protested for days, demanding better conditions and greater freedoms. After 9/11 video of spontaneous demonstrations against al Qaeda and terrorism emerged, people with candles and handmade American flags shouted Down with terrorists! in cities across Iran. Eventually those demonstrations subsided, only to be followed by the so-called soccer protests of 2003 where people used the excuse of their teams loss or victory in assemblies that quickly turned into anti-regime demonstrations.

But it was not until the Green Movement of 2009 that the Iranian people turned their attention to the faade of Iranian democracy. Public demonstrations erupted when former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi did not win the presidential election and the mullahs made sure that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged victorious. Mousavi, perhaps a genuine reformer, had slipped through the mullahs selection process. Today he lives under house arrest. Since President Obama spent 2009 courting the mullahs for his 2015 nuclear deal, he not only looked the other way but ordered the CIA to sever contacts with the dissidents supporting and controlling the nascent revolution.

Things are different now. During the height of the recent protests, Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoUS, Sudan to exchange ambassadors for first time in decades Iran expert: Trump's foreign policy approach aimed at instigating 'unrest' Fox's Napolitano says obstruction 'easiest' impeachment offense for Democrats MORE tweeted: After 40 years of tyranny, the proud Iranian people are not staying silent about their governments abuses. We will not stay silent either. I have a message for the people of Iran: The United States hears you. The United States supports you. The United States is with you.

In 2009, protesters chanted, Where is my vote? and Give us our votes back. Now there are reports of people shouting, We dont want the ayatollahs! and Death to the dictator! and of people pulling down anti-American banners and billboards. Rioters have burned government buildings, banks and police stations. November 2019 in Iran looked like the revolutionary zeal that brought down Mohammad Reza Pahlavis reign over 40 years ago except now the anger is directed at those responsible for taking down the shah. In fact, some protesters reportedly shouted: Oh, Shah of Iran, come back to Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani may have pronounced the protests over and his regime victorious, but he shouldnt rest too easily. Even President TrumpDonald John TrumpStates slashed 4,400 environmental agency jobs in past decade: study Biden hammers Trump over video of world leaders mocking him Iran building hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq: report MOREs critics concede that his maximum-pressure sanctions are causing serious pain in Iran, and many believe the regime is in the greatest danger of falling since its inception.

Every day that people openly defy the mullahs in the streets of Iran makes it harder for the clerics to maintain control. If the anti-regime protests continue throughout the winter, can a Persian Spring be far behind?

A.J. Caschetta is a Ginsburg-Ingerman fellow at the Middle East Forum and a principal lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Read more:
Iranian protests were not about the price of gas | TheHill - The Hill

The Senate Cybersecurity Caucus will hold a classified briefing Wednesday to address the ongoing spree of ransomware attacks on local governments, school districts and other entities nationwide.

Sens. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerHillicon Valley: House passes anti-robocall bill | Senators inch forward on privacy legislation | Trump escalates fight over tech tax | Illinois families sue TikTok | Senators get classified briefing on ransomware Senators sound alarm on dangers of ransomware attacks after briefing Hillicon Valley: Dueling bills set stage for privacy debate | Google co-founders step down from parent company | Advocates rally for self-driving car bill | Elon Musk defamation trial begins | Lawsuit accuses TikTok of sharing data with China MORE (D-Va.) and Cory GardnerCory Scott GardnerHillicon Valley: House passes anti-robocall bill | Senators inch forward on privacy legislation | Trump escalates fight over tech tax | Illinois families sue TikTok | Senators get classified briefing on ransomware Senators urge FERC to protect critical infrastructure from Huawei threats Senators sound alarm on dangers of ransomware attacks after briefing MORE (R-Colo.), the co-chairs of the caucus, will host the bipartisan event, which will feature a briefing for members from Christopher Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

According to a spokesperson for Warner, the briefing will include discussion of the current threat landscape including actors and vulnerabilities, current trends and resources available to address the threat, and what Senators can do to help protect their states.

Gardner told The Hill on Tuesday that while this weeks briefing is classified and closed to the public, he hoped there would be more in the open on risks from ransomware attacks in the future.

I think its important that the American people understand whats at risk, so to have something that it is out in the open that we can get out is needed, so the American people can be eyes open when it comes to the challenges that our country faces, Gardner said.

Ransomware attacks have been a growing concern nationwide this year following repeated attacks in various states. These cyberattacks involve an individual or group gaining access to an organizations systems, encrypting them, and demanding money to unlock the systems.

Over the past year, the city governments of Atlanta and Baltimore have spent millions to recover their systems instead of paying the ransoms demanded, while almost two dozen small town governments in Texas were hit by a coordinated ransomware attack in August.

In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) has declared a state-wide emergency twice this year due to ransomware attacks, first after attacks on several school districts in July, and then again in November following attacks on multiple state agencies.

In response to ongoing attacks, the FBI issued a warning in October to U.S. businesses and organizations to guard against ransomware attacks.

CISA also issued a joint statement along with other national groups in July recommending that state and local government entities step up security in response to ransomware threats, with CISA recommending that groups backup systems daily and prioritize cybersecurity awareness and education.

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Senate cyber caucus to hold briefing this week on ransomware attacks | TheHill - The Hill

Some local schools are focused on how they can stand out from their high-profile neighbors.

By Michael Bradley

Saint Joseph's University president Mark Reed. All Photos By Tessa Marie Images

As president of Saint Josephs University, Mark Reed could hardly be blamed for focusing all of his attention on its City Avenue campus. But Reed is by no means a myopic man. Though he spent much of his professional career away from the area, he grew up in Montgomery County, went to St. Josephs Prep and is quite familiar with the crowded Catholic collegiate landscape in our region.

So, while his primary focus is obviously Saint Joes, he cant help but see the university in a greater context. And these days, that can be a little scary.

As tuition costs rise, and state schools become more enticing options for college-bound students and their sticker-shocked families, the glut of Catholic institutions suggests a coming shakeout that could lead to mergers or closings.

"As college loan debt cripples millions of graduates and the number of schools remains quite high, its imperative that institutions like Saint Joes create compelling pitches to potential applicants."

Reed knows he and his staff must operate within a shifting landscape while boosting the Saint Joes brand in the growing shadow of NCAA darling Villanova University several miles to the west. We have to make sure were not distracted by too much of that, he says. Were executing our own plan.

Those sentiments are a common refrain among many of the 30-plus local colleges and universities as they try to differentiate themselves at a vital time in the history of post-secondary education. As college loan debt cripples millions of graduates and the number of schools remains quite high, its imperative that institutions like Saint Joes create compelling pitches to potential applicants. Just being Philadelphias Jesuit University isnt enoughespecially as the areas primary Augustinian university, Villanova, is soaring on a blur of national acclaim and campus expansion, successfully moving from regional to national in scope.

But expanding too broadly can lead to a crisis of scale and sustainability. We have no desire to be all things to all people, Reed says.

Four decades ago, many people saw Saint Joes as a commuter school. There are still old-school Hawks from that era for whom Villanova is a sore subjecteven beyond the basketball court.

In the 60s, 70s and 80s, the two schools had distinct similarities. Each had its share of commuters, both were defined by their local presence with limited regional appeal, and the friction created by the city-vs.-Main Line dichotomy was quite real.

Today, things are different.U.S. News and World Reporthas Villanova tied for 49th among national colleges, a list that also includes the University of Pennsylvania at ninth overall. Meanwhile, Saint Joes is ranked 12th among northern regional universities, a much more tightly defined grouping. Villanova has an acceptance rate of 27 percent, while Saint Joes is 75. Recent construction has increased Novas curb appeal, much of it funded by a capital campaign that raised a staggering $759 million. Saint Joes, meanwhile, is about to execute a more modest strategic plan designed to bolster its footprint. The school has managed to increase its endowment from $200 to $300 million in five years, according to Reed, who understands the circumstances and doesnt hide from them. I have fun with it, he says. The rivalry piece is fun.

When it comes to the future, Saint Josephs University may be in same boat as the regions other Catholic institutionsbarring Villanova. At a time when higher education is more competitive than ever, its largely unfeasible that smaller independent schools like Rosemont and Chestnut Hill colleges, not to mention Gwynedd Mercy, Neumann, Cabrini, Immaculata and Holy Family universities, will survive in their current forms. Some might close; others could merge. Do I think there will be a shakeout? The easy answer is to say yes, says Reed. I do believe the answer is yes. And I think its already happening.

For Reed, its crucial to stay focused. We look at opportunities, and we look at our strategic plan. What does our strategic plan call us to do? Focus on, first and foremost, our academic quality and the experience we provide. From there, it moves into the student experience, and is the student experience truly delivering on what we say we are and what we provide. Does this provide the value that we articulate?

And what of the debate over the importance of athletics to a universitys success? Some adhere to the front porch stance, which suggests that successful sports programs bring eyes to the school and boost admissions. Others believe athletics can be beneficial, but a schools academic reputation, location, evidence of student happiness and other factors are far more important.

While that tug-of-war plays out, the Saint Joes mens basketball program is moving forward with new coach Billy Lange, whos been hired to take over for Phil Martelli. The university fired Martelli on March 19Saint Josephs Dayafter a 34-year career at the school, the last 24 as head coach. The way it was handled was not received well locally, as there was no established long-term succession plan.

Not long after the Martelli firing, the school jettisoned highly respected sports information director Marie Wozniakmuch to the consternation of veteran media types whod enjoyed strong working relationships with both. Among the other changes at Saint Joes, Jill Bodensteiner took over as athletic director in June 2018, replacing Don DiJulia, whod served in that capacity for 35 years and whose body of work established him as one of the nations foremost ADs.

Operating as a local and regional concern, the schools athletic program needed upgrades in facilities, marketing and its overall approach to business. In an interview withPhiladelphia Inquirercolumnist Mike Sielski earlier this year, Bodensteiner reported that when she was hired, department expenses topped out at $21 million and revenues were $4 million.

Martelli has said that when Bodensteiners called him into her office the day he was let go, he expected a discussion on next steps and what he believed would be a bounce-back season. Granted, Martelli had a strong overall record: 444 wins and seven NCAA tournament appearances. And his dedication to the institution and rock-solid standing in the local basketball community was undeniable. Still, some saw the move as justified, given that the Hawks have gone 41-55 over the past three seasons.

When she spoke with Sielski, Bodensteiner refuted the notion that shed blindsided Martelli. Everybody in this department knows exactly where they stand and has since the day I got here, she said, while also noting that, in some ways, mediocrity had become the rule.

Its no secret that Villanovas two national titles have spurred interest in the institution. Bodensteiner cant promise similar success, but she sees the program as a gateway to the school for many. Mens basketball should align with the universitys goals of building community and building the brand, she says. It should be part of what attracts students. It should bring alumni back. We saw what [success] did at Loyola Chicago and for UMBC (both of which earned recent NCAA tournament headlines). It can generate excitement."

St. Joseph's University athletic director Jill Bodensteiner.

Thats not likely to happen this year, as the Hawks are facing what could be a drastic step back. Martellis ouster led to an exodus of current and recruited playersmost notably starting guard Lamarr Kimble, who transferred to the University of Louisville. But Bodensteiner is thinking more long term. She envisions improved facilities, including a practice center tacked onto the back of Hagan Arena. She also wants to reestablish a commitment to supporting and branding the schools overall program, which has taken on something of a mom-and-pop personality of late.

Those ideas come straight from Notre Dame University, Bodensteiners alma mater and former employer, which has effectively used athletics to promote and improve the university. Being good is no longer the same thing as it was last year, Bodensteiner says. Students are choosing schools on Instagram. Part of being good now is continuing to evolve.

When Michael Gaynor began working for Villanovas office of undergraduate admissions back in 1982, he was three years removed from his graduation from Saint Joes. That year, a modest 6,914 students applied for 1,657 spots at Nova. Thirty-seven years later, 22,881 applications flooded his office, and the number of openings has increased by just 18. Comparison is the thief of joy, Gaynor says.

Nonetheless, the school has experienced some amazing growth. Its not lost on us how extremely fortunate we are, says Gaynor. I subscribe to the adage that there are two types of people: Those who are humble and those who are about to be.

Villanovas growth has been a result of many thingsnot just basketball success, says Gaynor. Still, theres no denying its impact. In 2016, Bloomberg Businessweek named Villanovas undergraduate business school number one in the country, and the school is now a national player in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. The campus has new dorms, an arts center and more, and $62 million went to upgrading the basketball arena.

Last year, 57,500 visitors came to the Villanova campus. Among the students who do get in and decide to matriculate, 96 percent of them stick around. But Gaynor maintains that some things havent changed. We still have that small-college hustle, Gaynor says. We dont take anything for granted. Were still relationship building for the long haul.

For the 2019-20 school year, Villanova received applications from all 50 states and Puerto Rico, plus 112 countries. Tuition was $54,550, and unlike many schools, Nova doesnt discount much (although it does attempt to meet students demonstrated financial needs). Mens basketball coach Jay Wright has said that his program strives to reflect the schools personality and ideals. Because of that, he and his staff eliminate about half of the top recruits in the nation every year because they dont fit the universitys mission.

But what happens if Wright accepts one of the many offers hes received from larger school like UCLA, which reportedly promised to double his salary? The hoops program could lose its elite status. And theres no guarantee Villanova will retain its top spot in the Bloomberg rankings. Were all concerned about growing too fast, but that doesnt dominate our thinking, say Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson. Our president understands our culture and understands the balance of growth and being responsible.

Theres another Big 5 growth story happening in our region. In the early part of this decade, Temple University was receiving fewer than 30,000 applications for its freshman class. Now, its nearing 40,000. At a time when parents are steering away from steeper private school tuitions, state institutions are gaining favor. The University of Pittsburgh received a record number of applications for the 2019-20 school year31,198 for a class of 4,205and though Penn States application total dropped slightly, it still hovers around 100,000.

Though the discount rate at Saint Joes is about the national average, according to Reed, private colleges arent for everybody. I always tell students, Theres a lot of noise out there in this process, whether its guidance counselors, teachers, others, he says. This is an important decision youre going to make. It may or may not be the most important decision of your life. Youve got to block out the noise. What do you feel the right fit is? Where do you think you can be successful? Were fortunate at Saint Joes, with our retention numbers, our graduation numbersstudents have a lot of success here.

Related Article:University and Residents Clash Over Villanova's Recent Expansions

Temple isnt worried about its status within the local hierarchy. The school has made significant strides over the past two decades and wants to continue its growth in applications and academic reputation. We have a grittiness to us, says Patrick Kraft, Temples athletic director. We work hard, and that resonates with our Temple Tough attitude. That doesnt mean were getting into bar fightsit means were making the right decisions.

La Salle University has a similar inward focus. It wants to be the best version of itselfa mantra repeated across the area. I look at the opportunities that are here, the value in education were able to offer and the ability for us to transform lives, La Salle athletic director Brian Baptiste says. As I interact with alums, thats one of the consistent things I hear, how the experience at La Salle transformed their lives and their families.

Its about finding an identityand, perhaps most importantly, a value proposition that allows for sustainability in a jam-packed higher-educational climate. Reinvention can bring excitement, but it can also create confusion. And, these days, if you stay too grounded in traditional messaging, you risk irrelevance. We just have to sharpen our focus a little, Saint Joes Reed admits. This is a very, very competitive market. As a result, being good is not enough. We have to do some things differently, like any good institution would do. We have something to build upon.

Among the regions Catholic universities, there may well be a shakeout coming. In response, smaller schools have been offering course credit to high school students in hopes of attracting applications from those who like what they see and appreciate the value of what theyve acquired. Saint Joes will move forward with its strategic plan in an attempt to make its campus more vibrant and its academic profile stronger. It has turned to Bodensteiner to create an athletic program that resembles those mid-major departments that thrive on the fields and courtsone that also generates more revenue from fans and alumni who embrace the experience. I think its helpful to focus on what other institutions are doing, because you get inspired and you get ideas, Reed says. But if everybody is chasing something, it worries me. We want to make sure were not distracted by too much of that.

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How Saint Joseph's University is Tackling an Increasingly Competitive Higher Education Landscape - Mainline Today

Three decades after she began working as a landscape architect with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Katherine Bridges BLA 77 is right back where she started.

Jacob K. Javits Playground in Fort Tryon Park is a 1-acre oasis at the northern tip of Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River. Bridges first assignment after joining the parks department in 1989 was project managing the work being done on the playground. Now, as she is about to retire, her last job is the renovation of that same playground.

In between, Bridges has either led or contributed to the design of more than 50 parks scattered across New Yorks five boroughs. Odds are, if you have visited New York anytime in the last 30 years, youve enjoyed her work.

Bridges most well-known projects include Blue Heron Park, which she created out of a woodland and wetland area on the south side of Staten Island, the borough where she grew up; Maria Hernandez Park, the largest greenspace in Brooklyns bustling Bushwick neighborhood; and Canarsie Park on the Brooklyn waterfront.

Prior to joining the parks department, Bridges worked for the Central Park Conservancy, where she was on the team (whose leaders included Marianne Cramer MLA 78) that created the 15-year master plan for the restoration of Central Park. Bridges created the master plan drawing, which was 13 feet long, and she still has it.

Bridges has actually been working on Jacob Javits for several years. The design was approved back in 2017. Construction didnt start until mid-2018 and continued throughout all kinds of weather, finally wrapping up this past fall when the playground reopened.

Jacob Javits is for everyone, from babies to senior citizens, Bridges says. I had to find a way to harmoniously integrate all these needs yet still create a beautiful comprehensive design that functions well.

Subtle isnt necessarily the first word that comes to mind with regard to a playground, but Bridges incorporated a variety of features to serve Jacob Javits many visitors. Multiple play areas serve specific ages (6-23 months, 2-5 years, and 5-12 years), and there are separate exercise areas for kids and adults. The new design also added ample strolling space, benches, and game tables, and it even kept intact a wilderness area. One acre isnt a large area, but at Jacob Javits theres space for everyone.

Bridges early career experience with the Central Park Team gave her the expertise to subsequently develop master plans for Blue Heron Park and Canarsie Park, both award-winning projects. Over the decades, Bridges has seen most of the ideas from those master plans become fixtures of the respective parks, beginning with the landscaping of the Great Hill in the northwest part of Central Park.

As Bridges looks back on her 30 years at the parks department, she says she is most proud of her mentorship of younger staff members. Im teaching them not only about design and the attention to detail but also the importance of listening, of process, of ecology and the continuum of landscape through time. And then theres always that scintilla di belleza, that spark of beauty.

Bridges attended UGA Cortona as a student and worked professionally in Italy for several years before moving back to New York, so she occasionally uses Italian to drive her points home.

Everything we do has to have that spark, she says. Im very happy that my work will stand the test of time.

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Katherine Bridges: Parks and Recreation - Georgia Magazine - University of Georgia

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a potentially landmark Second Amendment case, the first time in roughly a decade that the justices will consider gun rights.

At issue is a New York City handgunregulationthat put tight limits on licensed gun owners' ability to transport firearms outside the home. The case presents the justices an opportunity to go further than ever before in defining the scope of the individual right to bear arms.

The big question is whether the conservative justices want to use this case which features an arguably extreme and silly form of gun control as a vehicle for expanding Second Amendment rights and further constricting governmental options for meaningful gun control, said Carl Bogus, a law professor and Second Amendment expert at Roger WilliamsJohn (Roger) Roger WilliamsSupreme Court poised to hear first major gun case in a decade Live coverage: Zuckerberg testifies before House on Facebook's Libra project Population shifts set up huge House battleground MORE University.

This latest chapter in the nations long-running debate over Second Amendment rights has drawn in familiar interest groups. It has also intensified the political fight over the high court's future, with Senate Democrats warning about a rightward shift under President TrumpDonald John TrumpStates slashed 4,400 environmental agency jobs in past decade: study Biden hammers Trump over video of world leaders mocking him Iran building hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq: report MORE.

The plaintiffs are three licensed handgun owners who sued New York City for, among other things, infringing on their constitutional right to bear arms. They are backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) as well as an NRA-associated firearms advocacy group, the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, which is also a plaintiff.

In the spring of 2013, the three New York City men sued the city over its handgun licensing scheme. Under the ordinance, residents could apply for a premises license, which allowed for the possession of a handgun in the home. Outside a gun owners specified address, however, the law granted few rights.

Gun owners could carry their firearms to about a half-dozen authorized shooting ranges in New York City. Even transporting a gun to a second home outside the city was forbidden. Guns also had to be unloaded and locked in a container during transport.

The lawsuit arose after the city denied the mens request to travel with their handguns outside the city to participate in target practice and marksmanship contests. The district court sided with New York City, as did the U.S. Court of Appeals for the2nd Circuit. The Supreme Court in January granted the gun owners petition for an appeal.

The decision to take up the first major gun rights case in years alarmed some Democrats who fear the court, with two Trump nominees, is poised for a rightward shift.

In an unusual move, five Democratic senators filed a sharply worded amicus brief in support of New York City. In it, they suggested that a win for the NRA and gun rights advocates would raise questions about the court's legitimacy.

Indeed, petitioners and their allies have made perfectly clear that they seek a partner in a project to expand the Second Amendment and thwart gun safety regulations, wrote Sen. Sheldon WhitehouseSheldon WhitehouseRepublicans raise concerns over Trump pardoning service members Overnight Energy: Pelosi vows to push for Paris climate goals | Senate confirms Brouillette to succeed Perry at Energy | EPA under attack from all sides over ethanol rule Pelosi: Congress has 'iron-clad' commitment to climate crisis MORE (D-R.I.), the lead author of the brief, which implored the justices not toexpand gun rights. Sens. Mazie HironoMazie Keiko HironoSupreme Court poised to hear first major gun case in a decade Overnight Defense Presented by Boeing Senate eyes sending stopgap spending bill back to House | Sondland delivers bombshell impeachment testimony | Pentagon deputy says he didn't try to block official's testimony Pentagon No. 2 denies trying to block official's impeachment testimony MORE (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),Dick DurbinRichard (Dick) Joseph DurbinSupreme Court poised to hear first major gun case in a decade Protecting the future of student data privacy: The time to act is now Overnight Health Care: Crunch time for Congress on surprise medical bills | CDC confirms 47 vaping-related deaths | Massachusetts passes flavored tobacco, vaping products ban MORE (D-Ill.), and Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandHarris posts video asking baby if she'll run for president one day Warren hits Bloomberg, Steyer: They have 'been allowed to buy their way' into 2020 race Supreme Court poised to hear first major gun case in a decade MORE (D-N.Y.) also joined.

Eric Freedman, a law professor at Hofstra University, said the Senate Democrats unusual warning to the courts conservative bloc has fueled suspicions that the law is being bent to politics, and he questioned how the court would react.

That is a perception that [Chief Justice John] Roberts, [Justice Brett] Kavanaugh and, perhaps more surprisingly, [Justice Clarence] Thomas may be eager to dispel, he said. Keep an eye on them.

The case also poses a complicated legal question for the justices.

Freedman and other court watchers say its a very real possibility the justices choose to sidestep the Second Amendment question altogether. Thats because New York City and the state of New York changed their gun laws between the lawsuits initial filing in 2013 and this weeks Supreme Court oral arguments.

The New York regulation, which was unique to begin with, has already been repealed and replaced with a state law, which seems to render the case entirely moot, said Joseph Blocher, a law professor and Second Amendment expert at Duke University. Ruling the regulation unconstitutional literally changes nothing in the larger landscape of gun laws.

But if the justices do decide to address the Second Amendment issue head on, Blocher said, the impact could be felt across the country.

The real question and the reason that the case is so important is whether the justices will announce a new test for evaluating the constitutionality of gun laws going forward, said Blocher, who co-directs the Center for Firearms Law at Duke.

In a landmark 2008 case, District of Columbia v. Heller, the court said the Second Amendment enshrines an individuals right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. The court decided two years later that right applies at both the federal and state levels.

But the late Justice Antonin Scalias decision in the Heller case left key questions unanswered about the scope of the Second Amendment and how courts should determine when those rights were infringed.

Lower courts have filled the gap over the past decade. In more than 1,000 cases decided since Heller, lower courts have generally embracedatwo-step testto figure out if a gun control measure passed by a state or city is unconstitutional, according to research by Blocher and co-author Eric Ruben,a law professor at Southern Methodist University.

The test first asks whether the law under review is covered by the Second Amendment and then if the law's burdens are justifiable in regard to the public interests being served. Courts have effectively used this legal test to strike down overly strict laws but have upheld most mainstream gun regulations.

The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to adopt that standard, modify the test or even generate an entirely new one.

If the court decides to replace that consensus with some other test, then everything could change,Blocher said.

The NRA hopes the justices do exactly that. The national gun rights advocacy group told the court in an amicus brief that the judicial test developed in the lower courts is mistaken.

"This approach is contrary to the text and purpose of the Second Amendment which was enshrined in our Constitution because the People already weighed the competing interests at stake, and solemnly concluded that 'the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,'" the group wrote.

For gun control advocacy groupssuch as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the prospect of a new legal standard is cause for concern.

If [the NRA-backed plaintiffs] are successful, Americans could lose their longstanding rights to enact the public safety laws they want and need to protect their communities, said Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Campaign.

The stakes could not be higher.

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Supreme Court poised to hear first major gun case in a decade | TheHill - The Hill

As much as things change from year to year, Michael Herson understands that when it comes to Congress, its just business.

The president and co-owner of American Defense International (ADI) has long stood as one of Washingtons top defense industry lobbyists, but sometimes the desires of his clients simply dont line up with the political climate on Capitol Hill.

Im from New Jersey, so my favorite movie is The Godfather; my favorite line is its not personal, its strictly business, Herson told The Hill in a recent interview.

The key in a lot of this is not taking things personally. Im fortunate to have a lot of great friends on the Hill, and I understand that sometimes the answer is going to be no when I ask to help a client.

Through ADI, Herson lobbies for 75 clients based in six countries, including top defense contractors Raytheon, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, L3-Harris, Textron, United Technologies, Leidos, SpaceX and General Atomics.

He also counts the United Arab Emiratess Embassy in D.C. as a client, as well as German firearms manufacturer Sig Sauer.

Currently, its the annual defense policy bill that takes up most of Hersons time, as House Democrats and Senate Republicans fight over provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with President TrumpDonald John TrumpStates slashed 4,400 environmental agency jobs in past decade: study Biden hammers Trump over video of world leaders mocking him Iran building hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq: report MOREs border wall a main point of contention.

While his clients dont have conflicting wants when it comes to what is or isnt in the NDAA I couldnt represent them if they did, Herson said he allowed that he has lots of issues with whats included and whats been left out.

The NDAA covers a lot of issues beyond just weapons systems. It covers health care, energy, families and schools. Theres always winners and losers; not everybody comes out as a winner every year, Herson said.

At the end of the day we dont know whats going to be in the NDAA until it comes out. Conference discussions are very closed-lip. The most important thing, really, is getting the bill done. Its important to all my clients, its important to the industry and the people that we support.

Another battle from this year: ADI lobbied for continued U.S. military aid to Yemen, where the UAE, alongside Saudi Arabia, is involved in a proxy war against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The effort stands in stark contrast to the agenda of most lawmakers, who have pushed for an end to American involvement in the country.

The House in April advanced a bipartisan resolution calling for an end to the U.S. role in the four-year civil war, though it was ultimately vetoed by Trump.

While Herson couldnt comment specifically on his work with the UAE, he acknowledged that sometimes people are going to agree with us and sometimes theyre not going to agree with us.

Our job is to inform and educate ... If Im pushing something Congress doesnt agree with and we lose, OK. But eventually, hopefully well be able to win in the long run.

The ever-shifting political landscape, Herson said, keeps things interesting.

Not only is each administration different, but I think every year is different, he said. We always have to advise our clients differently depending whats going on that year, how much money is going to be spent on defense, whats the climate, whos in charge of the House, whos in charge of the Senate, who has the administration [and] who the players are in the administration that are overseeing defense.

He conceded that the Trump administrations unorthodox approach has led to more uncertainty in the defense world compared to the Obama White House.

Democrats retaking the House in the 2018 midterm elections also caused a new ripple, with the House Armed Services Committee gaining 18 new members a third of the 62-member panel with whom Herson had not interacted before.

So a lot of people we didnt know and also of those half, the vast majority ... their engagement with my clients and the rest of our industry downtown is different than it has been with members in the past.

And of course every year brings a new budget request, which always includes unexpected changes.

There are always surprises when the budget request comes out, which will force people to gear up on other things when certain programs arent funded at certain levels or programs are canceled. That starts a whole new campaign sometimes, he said.

The end of 2019 marks ADIs 25th year of operations.

Herson, who served in the Pentagon under former President George H.W. Bush and was an intern in the Reagan White House, has been pondering how much longer hed like to stay in the lobbying game.

Asked how long he foresees himself at ADI, he replied, Depends on what day of the week you ask me that question.

Sometimes I see myself doing it forever, and sometimes I think about going back into the government again. It would be fun to go back in the right job and the right administration to really make a difference, to have the job when you dont need the job so youre not afraid to make decisions.

Herson said he is open to working at the White House, Pentagon, State Department or the United Nations, but a lot is luck and timing. When the opportunity might present itself I might decide I dont want to do that, but Id like to keep that option open.

Original post:
Defense lobbyist on Congress, NDAA: 'Every year is different' | TheHill - The Hill

There I was minding my own business in a secluded corner of a mellow little coffee shop when a phone call shattered the tranquillity. It was environmental centre, Cabragh Wetlands, inquiring had I anything in mind for a talk celebrating National Heritage Week.

This request took me somewhat aback, for the honest answer was I had nothing at all in mind. I had given a presentation in Cabragh for the celebration of Heritage Week the previous year, but that was easy; I had been speaking on the subject of my recently published guidebook, Pilgrim Paths in Ireland. Now, I was being asked to return for a new subject to a wellspring of imagination that, at the moment, appeared dry as a dyke in a desert.

The word no never features in our Gaelic language; from distant times we have clearly been a nation of satifisers. So, in the best Irish tradition, I obfuscated. Give me a couple of days to think about this, I replied without committing. Heading for the counter, it was then, Large Americano three shots, please, before settling down to think through my unexpected dilemma.

Immediately, a disconcerting thought assailed me. Could I be just a literary one-trick pony, condemned forever to recount tales of individuals putting one foot in front of the other? But then people, and particularly upland folk with their rugged individualism and many incomprehensible ways, had always fascinated me.

Encountering an abundance of upland inhabitants, I had heard many captivating stories throughout my 30 years of rambling the benign Irish uplands. Unassuming in stature but rich in heritage, our low-slung mountains and hills have, throughout the ages, been interwoven with the ebb and flow of Irish history. Our high country has been, through the generations, an accessible part of the landscape in the way the worlds greatest mountain ranges have not.

Could my many upland encounters form the basis of a Heritage Week chat? Gradually, I began to tease out the idea. There was the colourful Tipperary based outlaw of the Slievefelim Hills, Eamon an Chnoic; Republican leader Liam Lynch, gunned down in the Knockmealdown Mountains during the Civil War; and the discovery, as late as the 1980s, of a new geographic feature on Carrauntoohil, dubbed Howling Ridge.

St Brendan came to mind for his ascents of Mount Brandon and a momentous ocean voyage that began beneath the mountains western shadow. There was unswerving Fenian and renowned Tipperary wordsmith Charles Kickham, who is forever associated with mythical Slievemanon along with the great War of Independence escape by IRA leader Tom Barry across the Shehy Mountains. Ringing back to Cabragh I said you can put me down to speak about the stories handed down to us from the Irish Uplands.

About 60 people turned up on the night with the talk appearing to go well as it drew plenty of questions. That was the end of it, though, for I was immediately back to working on a book titled, A Walking Guide to the Comeragh, Galtee, Knockmealdown and Slieve Bloom Mountains. All the while, however, stories of upland exploits and mountain people kept popping into my consciousness like an annoying jingle from some ubiquitous TV ad. The good news from all this was that when Currach Books came calling, I was ready with an idea. Wild Stories from the Irish Uplands would be my next book.

Ideas are, of course, two a penny in publishing so there still remained the hard slog of transforming a concept into a printed work. I decided to search for stories with strong central characters who had been associated with the Irish uplands. I was most pleased when they gradually began to emerge from the hill country. First added to my preexisting list was Hugh ODonnell. Thorn in the side of English rule in Ireland, he escaped dramatically from Dublin Castle through the Wicklow mountains during a blizzard and went on to create an immense headache for Queen Elizabeth 1.

Next to visit my consciousness was larger than life Irish-American, Michael Reardon, who came to our shores in order to ascend great cliffs without the encumbrance of safety ropes. There was rebel and namesake Michael Dwyer, whose extraordinary life seemed too fantastic for fiction, while the re-awakening of Irelands oldest pilgrim path and the coming of the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team also made for compelling stories.

The USP for the book would, I decided, involve lacing up the boots and following in the footsteps of the succession of rebels, rapparees, saints and sometimes scoundrels who would be central to the storylines. This I hoped would allow me provide readers with a real sense of place and purpose. Many of the areas I had, of course, visited previously but still I was amazed by the amount of new detail that became apparent when I viewed the landscape with the freshness of an authors eye.

Most interesting were the places I hadnt been too before. I panted my way up to a remote part of the Wicklow Mountains to visit Arts Cross where Ulster chieftain, Art ONeill, reputedly died of exposure, having escaped from Dublin Castle. The most enjoyable day was, however, spent following minutely in the footsteps of IRA chief of staff, Liam Lynch, on the day he was gunned down in the Knockmealdown Mountains while fleeing from Free State soldiers. It put me in mind of walking through a great outdoor museum, and I was genuinely taken aback by how accurately those present had described details of the local landscape.

Finally, the book is out of my hands. All 14 stories will now, like a political party on election day, be judged by others. What strikes me about the whole experience of writing is, however, the importance of happenchance in all our lives. Were it not for a single, brief phone call received in July 2016, Wild Stories from the Irish Uplands would never have made it to the bookshelves.

Wild Stories from the Irish Uplands by John G ODwyer is published by Currach Books

See more here:
High achievers: following in the footsteps of the heroes of Irelands hills - The Irish Times