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Graphic showing the role of satellite images in tracking environmental damage

1 June 2012 , Volume 68, Number 4

Eyes in the skies keeping watch on a planet under stress. Click on the PDF link to view the graphic


Graphic




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Actor Boy Awards pays tribute to those we lost - Event goes online Saturday

Choreographer and designer Barry Moncrieffe; actress Lois Kelly Miller; New York-based broadcaster Gil Bailey; and actor and teacher Carl Samuels will all be remembered with a special tribute at Saturday’s staging of the annual Actor Boy Awards....




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Mountcastle tries 1B as O's preach versatility

Taking reps behind Chris Davis at first base, Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle became the most high-profile participant yet in the club's grand spring experiment.




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Blinding the randomisation

Allocation concealment - blinding which arm of a trial a patient is randomised to - is being questioned in an analysis published on thebmj.com. David Torgerson, director of the York Trials Unit at the university of York and colleagues have been looking at the way in which trials do this randomisation, and how they subsequently report it - and...




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"For the first time in 15 years the quitting rate has gone up" - ecigarettes smoking cessation

It’s been 10 years since electronic cigarettes hit the shelves in a big way - and since there controversy has reigned about their health effects - are they less unhealthy than smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes, and will they increase nicotine dependence? Its to that last point that new research, published on BMJ.com is looking into -...




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Preventing Overdiagnosis 2017 - Stacy Carter on the culture of overmedicalisation

In this interview from Preventing Overdiagnosis 2017 (preventingoverdiagnosis.net) Stacy Carter, associate professor at Sydney Health Ethics - and the author of a recently written BMJ essay the ethical aspects of overdiagnosis, joins us to talk about how the cultural context of medicine seeps into our decision making processes and affects how...




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Mendelian Randomisation - for the moderately intelligent

Mendelian randomisation - it’s a technique that uses the chance distribution of genes in a population, combined with big data sets, to investigate causative relationships. But there are a lot of questions we have in The BMJ about how the technique works - the association between genes and apparently non-biologically mediated behaviours, how much...




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I have never encountered an organisation as vicious in its treatment of whistleblowers as the NHS

Margaret Heffernan has thought a lot about whistleblowing, and why companies don't respond well to it. She wrote the "Book Wilful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril". In this podcast she talks about how culture, and groupthink, leads to a culture where whistleblowers are ignored, and why the NHS needs to change the way it treats...




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Organisational kindness during covid-19

Reports from Italy, and more recently from the U.S. show the strain the healthcare system is under during this pandemic. We know that staff will step up in an emergency, but this isn’t a fire or a bombing, this is going to last for months. So how can organisations be proactive in supporting staff, and how can leaders try to mitigate the...




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PAHO calls for continued immunisation amid COVID-19 pandemic

Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa Etienne, today urged for vaccination programmes to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. “If we fall behind on routine immunisations, particularly for children, we risk...




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Lords recommend “passive immunisation” if bird flu reaches UK




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Transatlantic Dialogue on Reducing Deforestation in Supply Chains of Agricultural Commodities

Invitation Only Research Event

23 October 2014 - 9:00am to 24 October 2014 - 5:00pm

Pew Charitable Trust Center, Washington DC

This transatlantic dialogue will bring together a number of stakeholders, focused on options for reducing deforestation in agricultural supply chains. Key questions will be asked such as: What are the current and projected patterns of supply and demand for key commodities, and their impacts on forests? Who are the key producers and what is their relative impact on forests? How are these patterns likely to change in the future? What are the key points of leverage in these supply chains? What is the scope of potential action by the US, the EU, and its member states?

The current status and future trends in the global production and trade in major agricultural commodities will also be examined, along with the key leverage points for influence. Global forest footprint of major agricultural commodities and deforestation hotspots will be discussed and key drivers of deforestation will be examined. Finally, the potential roles of government in reducing commodity-driven deforestation will be analysed to gain a better understanding of the potential for state action in the EU and the US contexts.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Event attributes

External event




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A Conversation with John Sunderland, Johannes Czernin, and Thomas Hope




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Use of genetic variation to separate the effects of early and later life adiposity on disease risk: mendelian randomisation study




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Transatlantic Dialogue on China

A joint Chatham House-RUSI project that focuses on strengthening common understanding across the Atlantic and develop new ideas for how the US and Europe can better engage with and respond to China’s rise.

This will be done through examining transatlantic approaches and responses to China through the lens for four key themes (digital technology; trade and investment; governance of global commons; and climate change and the environment) that have been identified as crucial to developing effective policy responses and fostering collaboration.

The project will strengthen national, regional and international responses to the risks and opportunities posed by China’s changing role within the global economy and international rules-based order.

Department contact

Pepijn Bergsen

Research Fellow, Europe Programme
020 795 75748

More on Transatlantic Dialogue on China




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Britain Must Balance a Transatlantic Heart With a European Head

19 December 2019

Robin Niblett

Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House
Returning from an EU-rooted foreign and economic policy to one which is more international in outlook will be difficult, take time, and be more costly than the new UK government currently envisages.

GettyImages-1189074470.jpg

Boris Johnson chairs the first cabinet meeting after winning a majority of 80 seats in the 2019 UK general election. Photo by Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images.

The convincing general election win for the Conservative Party and Boris Johnson opens a new chapter in British history. On 31 January 2020, Britain will withdraw from the EU and return to its historical position as a separate European power.

Recognising the strategic significance of this change, the Queen’s speech opening the new parliament stated that 'the government will undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence, and foreign policy since the end of the Cold War'. But in what context?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other Brexit supporters have yearned for Britain to return to its exceptional trajectory. In their view, Britain can once again become a trading nation - more global in outlook and ambition than its European neighbours, freed from the shackles of an ageing and fractured European continent and its deadening regulatory hand.

This imagery makes good copy. But the 21st century does not offer Britain the same opportunities as did the 18th, 19th or early 20th centuries. This is a different world, and Britain’s position in it needs to be crafted with a sharp eye to what is possible.

Geopolitics undergoing wrenching change

This is not declinism. The UK remains an economically strong and politically influential country by relative global standards – it is currently the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world, and the second largest donor of official development assistance. It has ubiquitous cultural brands from fashion and music to the royal family, and an eminent diplomatic and security position at the heart of all of the world’s major international institutions and alliances, from NATO and the UN security council to the IMF, G7, G20 and Commonwealth. 

But Britain leaves the EU just as the geopolitical landscape is undergoing wrenching change. The United States has turned inwards, closer to its own historic norm, and is undermining the international institutions which it created alongside Britain in the 1940s. China’s international influence is on the rise alongside its vast and still growing economy, challenging traditional norms of individual freedom and public transparency.

Russia is navigating the cracks and crevices of the fracturing rules-based international order with ruthless efficiency. Sensing the change in the wind, many governments are now back-tracking on their post-Cold War transitions to more open and democratic societies.

The implications of this new context have yet to be fully internalised by those who look forward to Britain’s future outside the EU. Britain will be negotiating new trade deals in an increasingly transactional, fragmented and protectionist international economic environment. It will be trying to sell its world-class services into markets where national control over finance, law, technology and media is increasingly prized.

Making new diplomatic inroads will be no easier. The government will face strong internal and external criticism if it lends security assistance to states that are simultaneously clamping down on their citizens’ rights. With the number of military personnel in decline and investment in new equipment stretched across multiple expensive platforms, the UK could struggle to project meaningful defence cooperation to new security partners in Asia at the same time as upholding its NATO commitments and its deployments in conflict zones around the world.

Britain also opens its new global chapter at a time when it is changing domestically. There is no over-riding reason for a missionary British foreign policy – neither the economic returns or image of national glory that drove Empire, nor the existential defence of its land, interests and freedom that drove it during the Cold War.

Stretching liberal interventionism to Iraq, as Tony Blair did when he was prime minister, and to Libya as David Cameron did in 2011, has injected a deep dose of popular scepticism to the idea that Britain - with or without allies - can or should help make the world in its own image.

This more defensive mindset – epitomised by parliament’s refusal to use military force to punish President Bashar al Assad’s regime for using chemical weapons against its citizens in 2013 – will not abate soon. Especially when the new government’s political bandwidth will be stretched by fiendishly complex trade-offs between its financial promises to support domestic renewal, the imperatives of striking and implementing a new free trade agreement with the EU, and the economic consequences of leaving the single market.

All this points to the fact that the most important step for Britain at the beginning of this new national chapter will be to establish an effective partnership with the EU and its member states. They face the same international risks as Britain and have as much to gain from the preservation of rules-based international behaviour. Recognising the continued interdependence between Britain and the EU will offer both sides greater leverage in a more competitive and hostile world.

A new transatlantic relationship

Once it has agreed its new relationship with the EU, Britain can turn to crafting its new relationship with the mighty United States. US-UK economic interdependence and close security ties should help discipline the bilateral economic relationship. The more difficult challenge will be for the UK to avoid falling into fissures between the US and the EU over how to manage bilateral relations with China and Russia, particularly if President Trump wins a second term.

Britain will have to get used to this difficult balancing act between its transatlantic heart and European head after Brexit. This makes it all the more important for the UK to develop new diplomatic and commercial initiatives with countries that are also struggling to cope with the current uncertain, transactional international environment.

Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand can grow as bilateral economic partners and as allies in international institutions, such as the G7, OECD and WTO. They may even open a door to British engagement in regional trade arrangements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CP-TPP), which do not require the same political commitments as EU membership.

Turning from an EU-rooted foreign and economic policy to one that is once again more international in outlook will be difficult, take time and be more costly than the government currently envisages. The irony is that for this to be successful requires sustained political investment by the Johnson government to build a strong relationship with the EU that it is focused on leaving.




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Britain’s Soft Power Potential: In Conversation with Penny Mordaunt

Members Event

5 February 2020 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

Event participants

Penny Mordaunt MP, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North; Secretary of State for Defence (2019); Secretary of State for International Development (2017-2019)

Chair: Thomas Raines, Director, Europe Programme, Chatham House

Drawing on her experience as secretary of state for defence and secretary of state for international development, Penny Mordaunt discusses how soft power can protect, promote and project Britain’s international interests and foreign policy agenda.

Often defined as the capacity to influence others without coercion or force, soft power differs from traditional military capabilities in favour of more subtle forms of influence rooted in values, culture and civic institutions.

Consistently upholding democratic values and human rights can contribute to a nation’s soft power as much as its cultural icons and legacies.  However, utilising soft power – the power of attractiveness – is not straightforward: the government is only part of a broad mix of institutions and actors with a role to play.

Can the UK develop a long term approach that brings together all of the components of its soft power for a common purpose?

What are the key sources of Britain’s soft power? How has Brexit affected perceptions of Britain internationally? And with the UK’s departure from the European Union now confirmed, how should we think about its soft power in the future?

Members Events Team




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A Conversation with António Vitorino, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration

In his first public address on his inaugural official visit to Washington, DC, IOM Director General António Vitorino discusses his vision for IOM; reforms in the UN system; coordination with other organizations in addressing humanitarian protection; and the operational steps IOM is taking to respond to forced migration and displacement.




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A Conversation with António Vitorino, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration

In his first public address during his inaugural formal visit to Washington, DC. International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General António Vitorino discussed his vision for the agency; reforms in the UN system designed to address migration matters better; the coordination of efforts between IOM, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and other international partners in addressing humanitarian protection; and the operational steps IOM is taking to respond to forced migration and displacement in hotspots around the world, including Venezuela, Bangladesh, and Libya.




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A New Migration Policy for A New Era: A Conversation with Mexico's Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero

On her first official trip to Washington, DC, Secretary of the Interior Olga Sánchez Cordero offered a public address on Mexico’s new approach to migration policy at MPI. Her remarks and the event discussion were mostly conducted in Spanish, and this recording is of the simultaneous English interpretation. 




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Curbing the Influence of "Bad Actors" in International Migration (Transatlantic Council Statement)

This Transatlantic Council on Migration Statement assesses the continuum of policies needed to disrupt illegal migration-related activities and addresses the conditions that make them possible. It examines the role of migration "bad actors"—human traffickers and unscrupulous employers, among them—who operate and profit in this environment, and considers how governments can deploy resources to discourage their actions.




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Immigration and the U.S.-Mexico Border during the Pandemic: A Conversation with Members of Congress

In this bipartisan discussion, two border-state members of Congress—Rep. Veronica Escobar and Rep. Dan Crenshaw—discuss the response to the coronavirus outbreak, how it is affecting the interconnected border region, and what the future might hold.




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Equipping Immigrant Selection Systems for a Changing World of Work (Transatlantic Council Statement)

As technological developments—from automation to artificial intelligence and machine learning—reshape the world of work, governments face the challenge of updating how they attract, select, and retain economic-stream immigrants. This report, concluding a series on building migration systems for a new age of economic competitiveness, lays out the key considerations for "future-proofing" immigrant selection systems.




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CROSSWORD! (or: Diversion as a vehicle for conversation on power and usage)

There is so much that is peculiar, irregular, silly, or downright twisted in mathematical verbiage that, certainly, we could all benefit from some soul-searching on the language of our culture. Some of mathematics usage is confusing (e. g. overuse of … Continue reading




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The Role of Think Tanks in Times of (Migration) Crisis: A Transatlantic Perspective

As European policymakers and publics continue to grapple with the migration crisis, this conversation offers an opportunity to reflect on the role and responsibility of experts in these politically sensitive debates.




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MPI’s Transatlantic Council on Migration Launches Research Series on Lasting Effects of Mixed Migration Flows

First report examines Canadian challenges & solutions in housing Syrian refugees

WASHINGTON — Four years after the peak of the 2015–16 migration and refugee crisis in Europe and amid swelling arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border and elsewhere, new evidence sheds light on how well countries have responded to an unprecedented surge in mixed flows of humanitarian, economic and family migrants.




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Rebuilding Community after Crisis: Striking a New Social Contract for Diverse Societies (Transatlantic Council Statement)

Addressing the deep-rooted integration challenges unearthed by large-scale migration and rapid social change will require a combination of strategies. Governments in Europe and North America must create a new social contract for increasingly diverse societies that are confronting cycles of disruption. This report sketches a blueprint for an adaptive process oriented by skill needs rather than national origins.




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Satay chicken with zucchini noodles

2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced 1 green chilli, sliced 3 large zucchini, spiralled into noodles 2 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded Toppings 1/2 cup cashew nuts, chopped spring onion Satay sauce 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce




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Malaysian chicken satay with roasted macadamia dipping sauce

I seriously love cooking on the Weber more in winter cooler temperature make us feel more cosy and accentuate the taste buds and smell . Replaced the traditional peanuts with our wonderful local macadamias




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Immigration and the U.S.-Mexico Border during the Pandemic: A Conversation with Members of Congress

In this bipartisan discussion, two border-state members of Congress—Rep. Veronica Escobar and Rep. Dan Crenshaw—discuss the response to the coronavirus outbreak, how it is affecting the interconnected border region, and what the future might hold.
 




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(Even) God is a Satisficer

To 'satisfice' means "To decide on and pursue a course of action that will satisfy the minimum requirements necessary to achieve a particular goal." (Oxford English Dictionary). Herbert Simon (1978 Nobel Prize in Economics) was the first to use the term in this technical sense, which is an old alteration of the ordinary English word "satisfy". Simon wrote (Psychological Review, 63(2), 129-138 (1956)) "Evidently, organisms adapt well enough to 'satisfice'; they do not, in general, 'optimize'." Agents satisfice, according to Simon, due to limitation of their information, understanding, and cognitive or computational ability. These limitations, which Simon called "bounded rationality", force agents to look for solutions which are good enough, though not necessarily optimal. The optimum may exist but it cannot be known by the resource- and information-limited agent.

There is a deep psychological motivation for satisficing, as Barry Schwartz discusses in Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. "When people have no choice, life is almost unbearable." But as the number and variety of choices grows, the challenge of deciding "no longer liberates, but debilitates. It might even be said to tyrannize." (p.2) "It is maximizers who suffer most in a culture that provides too many choices" (p.225) because their expectations cannot be met, they regret missed opportunities, worry about social comparison, and so on. Maximizers may acquire or achieve more than satisficers, but satisficers will tend to be happier.

Psychology is not the only realm in which satisficing finds its roots. Satisficing - as a decision strategy - has systemic or structural advantages that suggest its prevalence even in situations where the complexity of the human psyche is irrelevant. We will discuss an example from the behavior of animals.

Several years ago an ecological colleague of mine at the Technion, Prof. Yohay Carmel, posed the following question: Why do foraging animals move from one feeding site to another later than would seem to be suggested by strategies aimed at maximizing caloric intake? Of course, animals have many goals in addition to foraging. They must keep warm (or cool), evade predators, rest, reproduce, and so on. Many mathematical models of foraging by animals attempt to predict "patch residence times" (PRTs): how long the animal stays at one feeding patch before moving to the next one. A common conclusion is that patch residence times are under-predicted when the model assumes that the animal tries to maximize caloric intake. Models do exist which "patch up" the PRT paradox, but the quandary still exists.

Yohay and I wrote a paper in which we explored a satisficing - rather than maximizing - model for patch residence time. Here's the idea. The animal needs a critical amount of energy to survive until the next foraging session. More food might be nice, but it's not necessary for survival. The animal's foraging strategy must maximize the confidence in achieving the critical caloric intake. So maximization is taking place, but not maximization of the substantive "good" (calories) but rather maximization of the confidence (or reliability, or likelihood, but these are more technical terms) of meeting the survival requirement. We developed a very simple foraging model based on info-gap theory. The model predicts that PRTs for a large number of species - including invertebrates, birds and mammals - tended to be longer (and thus more realistic) than predicted by energy-maximizing models.

This conclusion - that satisficing predicts observed foraging times better than maximizing - is tentative and preliminary (like most scientific conclusions). Nonetheless, it seems to hold a grain of truth, and it suggests an interesting idea. Consider the following syllogism.

1. Evolution selects those traits that enhance the chance of survival.

2. Animals seem to have evolved strategies for foraging which satisfice (rather than maximize) the energy intake.

3. Hence satisficing seems to be competitively advantageous. Satisficing seems to be a better bet than maximizing.

Unlike my psychologist colleague Barry Schwartz, we are not talking about happiness or emotional satisfaction. We're talking about survival of dung flies or blue jays. It seems that aiming to do good enough, but not necessarily the best possible, is the way the world is made.

And this brings me to the suggestion that (even) God is a satisficer. The word "good" appears quite early in the Bible: in the 4th verse of the 1st chapter of Genesis, the very first book: "And God saw the light [that had just been created] that it was good...". At this point, when the world is just emerging out of tohu v'vohu (chaos), we should probably understand the word "good" as a binary category, as distinct from "bad" or "chaos". The meaning of "good" is subsequently refined through examples in the coming verses. God creates dry land and oceans and sees that it is good (1:10). Grass and fruit trees are seen to be good (1:12). The sun and moon are good (1:16-18). Swarming sea creatures, birds, and beasts are good (1:20-21, 25).

And now comes a real innovation. God reviews the entire creation and sees that it is very good (1:31). It turns out that goodness comes in degrees; it's not simply binary: good or bad. "Good" requires judgment; ethics is born. But what particularly interests me here is that God's handiwork isn't excellent. Shouldn't we expect the very best? I'll leave this question to the theologians, but it seems to me that God is a satisficer.




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5 Secrets to Increase Your Sexual Satisfaction: Tips From a Sex Therapist

As a practicing sex therapist, I often see two partners legitimately trying to bridge a satisfaction gap between each other, but they can’t seem to get the moves just right. If left unchecked, this can lead to resentment and conflict; however, couples who figure out how to speak to each other sexually (both verbally and nonverbally) have the highest success in terms of finding something that works for both of them. Making an environment conducive to this sort of positive growth requires a little bit of effort and the ability to listen. Drawing on my clinical experience, here are my top tips for increasing sexual satisfaction:



  • Sexual Problems and Solutions

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ESSA Forces Uncomfortable Conversations in Massachusetts Over School Spending

Relying on newly available data under ESSA, a local advocacy group found several districts that spend more money on wealthy students than poor students, despite the state's intentions.




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Straight Up Conversation: A Community College and a University Rolled Into One

Utah Valley University offers career and technical education, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees under one roof, all for the average out-of-pocket tuition of $1,700.




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Conn. Stumbles in Quest to Use SAT as Achievement Test

The state's closely watched bid falls shy of full approval from federal reviewers.




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A Conversation With U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, an Award-Winning Teacher

Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year who was sworn into U.S. Congress last week, shares her education priorities, thoughts on the secretary of education, and her motivation to run for office.




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NFL wants college football to proceed (but if not would likely move games to Saturdays)

The NFL is indeed discussing the possibility of playing games on Saturdays in the event that college football doesn't proceed with a season from September through December. As one source with direct knowledge of the discussions tells PFT, however, the league's strong preference is for college football to happen, as scheduled. No college football season [more]




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2003 California-USC thriller available to all fans Saturday at 1:30 PT/ 2:30 MT on Pac-12 Now

Download the Pac-12 Now app to watch an epic, triple-overtime 2003 battle between USC and California this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PT/ 2:30 p.m. MT. The game will be available to all fans.




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Conversation with the DC Masters Some Miscellaneous Points.




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Recoveries and Preclusions in Compensation Claims.




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Intimate conversations : the sequel to Out of control.




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Utilisation of carp biomass : final report / Dr Janet Howieson, Andrew Tilley, Ewan Colquhoun, Elise O'Keefe, Steven Nash, Declan McDonald, Tony Evans, Gerry Gillespie, David Hardwick, Dr Sarah Beavis, Charles Francina, Daniel McCorey, Luke Wheat.




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Data cities : how satellites are transforming architecture and design / Davina Jackson.

City planning -- Remote sensing.




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Oliver Sacks : the last interview and other conversations.

Sacks, Oliver, 1933-2015 -- Interviews.




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Talking sideways : stories and conversations from Finniss Springs / Reg Dodd and Malcolm McKinnon.

Dodd, Reg, 1940-




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Global discontents : conversations on the rising threats to democracy / Noam Chomsky ; interviews with David Barsamian.

Chomsky, Noam -- Political and social views.




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[Tamra rak sat]

19th century




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Deutschlands Gesundheitswesen : Organisation und Gesetzgebung des Deutschen Reichs und seiner Einzelstaaten, mit Anmerkungen und einem ausführlichen Sachregister / von Albert Guttstadt.

Leipzig : G. Thieme, 1890-1891.




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Die Behandlung der crouposen Lungenentzundung : nach den Grundsatzen des Professors von Jurgensen in Tubingen / von H. Wehberg.

Berlin : Heuser, 1889.




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Die Localisation der Hautkrankheiten : histologisch und klinisch / bearbeitet von Oscar Simon.

Berlin : A. Hirschwald, 1873.