Sunday, 31 December 2017

Raspberry Pi Mouse Camera Part 2!

Easy project using a PIR sensor connected to an Arduino Nano which is also connected to a Raspberry Pi to record the video.So this is the second part of the mouse saga. And this time I have chosen to do things differently! For a start the ultrasonic (boxing ring) sensors have been replaced by one PI...
By: mr_fid

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2Cf87oz

1-2-3 Tarp Tent

This little bit of gear easily converts to this spacious and weather-tight tarp tent in a matter of minutes and weighs in at less than two pounds. Gear Set The biggest reason that campers don't use tarp tents is that they are intimidated about how to produce a self-standing weather-tight shelter ...
By: scottorlosky

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zRJYOH

Collapsible Playhouse

My wife works for one of the local school districts in an early childhood program. One of her co-workers in a children's room had an old refrigerator box playhouse that was wearing out and my wife wondered if we could do better than another box. The main requirements were that it was safe for litt...
By: oldjeep

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2CdU4zt

Cool Wood Stuff

null null DIY Wood Coasters Scrap Wood Money Clip Candle Polish Wood Wood Tie Bar How to Make Wooden Guitar Picks With Wood Veneer Cool Way to Finish Wood With Fire Perfect Detailed Paint With Spray Masks
By: beadude

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2lqCTjJ

Snowflake 3D

These 3D snowflakes offer a much better image than the flat ones.Even if we use flat ones to bild one, the result is remarkable. Plus they are really cheap. I got 12 pcs. set on Ebay for less than a dollar..Enough for four 3D snowflakesTo make a snowflake we need;-three flat glitter snowflakes ...
By: CalinC13

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zRhyUS

RGB Lamp Using Arduino

Hi! In this tutorial you will learn to make a mood lamp with arduino.I know that you may have seen a lot of mood lamp projects with arduino, but I wasn't very satisfied with them because they all change the color very abruptly. So, I decided to make a smooth mood lamp Materials Required - Arduin...
By: NassimBouyacoub

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2CoSaeq

Circadian Friendly LED Desk Lamp (no Programming Required!)

This lamp is circadian friendly. At night, it shouldn't keep you up because only the warm coloured LEDs can turn on. During the day, it can make you more alert because both the both the cool white and warm coloured LEDs can turn on. It has both ambient and workspace lighting. Since it relies on an o...
By: hanlin_y

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2CmGicR

IKEA Smart Plant

Gardening is very long task taking time every day .For this instructable i remix 3 of my old project the iot farm, the automated farm and the cocktail machine i took the ikea furniture I will provide a guide on how to control your plant remotly or with a code ,for me i used both to get full advant...
By: Thomas sxt

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2lu2VSk

Minecraft Inspired Desk

Minecraft in real life is real fun! Here is a fun piece of minecraft inspired furniture that i built for Astor Services. I really enjoyed building this custom piece of furniture for the kids to enjoy. And i hope that you enjoy this video!! And HUGE thanks to Hilarie Burton and Jeffery Dean Morgan fo...
By: Doingitwithjason

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2lnQZCx

LINE FOLLOWER ROBOT || ARDUINO CONTROLLED

IN THIS INSTRUCTABLE I SHOW HOW TO MODIFY A ROBOT CAR ( CARBOT) TO MAKE A LINE FOLLOWER ROBOT PARTS NEEDED ☻CARBOT REFER THE BELOW INSTRUCTABLE TO MAKE ONEhttps://www.instructables.com/id/SIMPLE-CARBOT-ARD...☻FEW JUMPER WIRES☻IR SENSOR MODULE X 2☻ BLACK TAPE☻SOLDERING IRON☻POWER BANK(JUST TO S...
By: magichtg

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQjmO4

Music Interactive Light Box

Hi guys. This is a light box interacting with music (or all kinds of sounds). I created this as one of my research project for physical computing. But it seems also good to decorate your home. So I am uploading step by step process for this project to share with you. Even though the design attached ...
By: chaitechraft

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQ89Nk

Arduino Controlled Car (Bluetooth)

All we know that Arduino is an excellent prototyping platform, principally because it uses a friendly programming language and there are a lot of extra incredible components that provide us great experiences.We can integrate the Arduino with differents shields or modules and build fantastic things. ...
By: NassimBouyacoub

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQI6G1

Boat Platform Wine Bar

This is more of an assembly/mod project than built from scratch. I wanted to build my wife a nice wine bar for Christmas and this is what I came up with. We are both avid watersports people so I thought that a bar height wine rack with a teak swim platform from a ski boat would be a good look. P...
By: oldjeep

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zRpcyu

Alexa Go Go Robot

i am figuring that how to embedding an AI system into a pi_zero tiny platform and made it run remotely out.Alexa go go robot...... Materials pi zero * 1cell-phone * 1dc-motor gears * 1 micro servo motor * 1 USB wireless keyboard*1 (for setup) USB wifi dangle * 1(0 for pi_zero W)USB connector ...
By: David_Lin

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQTQs2

Build BLOKL or SOMA Cube X 8

I have used the SOMA Cube puzzle for several years as part of hands on math education programs atLeonardo's Basement in Minneapolis (leonardosbasement.org). Two big observations from these experiences: 1. The more SOMA cubes you have the more fun they are to play with. 2. 7 out of 10 people will say...
By: MPLS_CBG

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQjgWI

Easy Canvas Frame

Check the above video for all the steps Choose the type of wood, in this case i used 2x2x50 cm Mark the wood using the picture, i used one milimeter more on each side of the wood, cut in a 90 degree angle. Glue and staple all sides, front and back also Reinforce the corners using the...
By: D-TeK

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQjddu

How to Make an Inverter at Home With MOSFET

Hi, there friends today we will make an inverter at home with Mosfet transistor and a special oscillator board.A power inverter, or inverter, is an electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). 12v to 220v inverter A typical power inverter device or ...
By: NoskillsrequiredN

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQNoBg

Timers of 8051 With Blinking Led Example Part-1

In this tutorial I'm going to tell you about how to timers of 8051. Here we will discuss about timer 0 in mode 1. Next tutorial we will discuss other modes as well. Software Used: As we are showing proteus simulation so FOR CODING AND SIMULATION YOU REQUIRED:1 Keil uvision: Their are lots of prod...
By: embedotronics

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zTlF2S

LED Matrix VU-Meter

The inspiration for this project came from a big electronics youtuber GreatScott, where he created a LED matrix with 100 LEDs. I really wanted to recreate this project so I went and created a matrix with twice the number of LEDs.Also, I love the look of music being displayed with color, that being a...
By: mrDzAnej

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2CkzZqh

Make a Child's Country Chair

Why not have a go at making this country chair for a child! It will become a family heirloom without a doubt.You'll need some hardwood:The end of a fairly wide plank of elm, oak, or similar will make the seatEighteen inches of a half inch or three quarter inch thick and seven inch wide board for the...
By: WOmadeOD

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2q0UZ0r

Quick Start Guide to Arduino IDE With NodeMCU ESP8266

Arduino IDE Configuration for NodeMCU ESP8266 Update Preferences - Additional Boards Manager URL After installing Arduino IDE downloaded from its official website, add the below URL under preferences.URL: http://ift.tt/1TACV3v... Download ESP8266 Package Type "ESP8...
By: Netaji Bandi

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2lmPgNQ

SAP Arduino Tiny Calc Part_ 2

1)3V 2)easy 3)simple 4)home made5)portable How to Run It Independent ? Reference link : http://ift.tt/2zPPjWP am figuring about how to disconnectthe COM cable from the arduino out !after the tiny calc part 1 finished ......so , i add some elements here. Mater...
By: David_Lin

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2zQ9aVG

ESP8266/ESP12 Witty Cloud - Arduino Powered SmartThings RGB Controller

RGB's RGB's RGB's Everywhere! Who doesn't like having some cool looking colorized lighting around their home these days? This little project shows off the ESP8266 mixed with SmartThings control and winds up as a real neat RGB controller for LED strips and the like. A Gizwits ESP8266 Witty Cloud con...
By: johnnyfrx

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2CeVBoX

Clothespin Mobile Lampshade

I made this lampshade last year just for myself, not documenting the steps. But I'll do my best to recreate what went about! :-) I call it MOBILE, because you can move it around, putting any kind of light source inside. Besides different electrical solutions, I've actually used tealights! Worked ver...
By: JimNeilBerg

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2q1ozTw

Iran protests: 'Iron fist' threatened if unrest continues

After three days of demonstrations, the country's Revolutionary Guard threatens a crackdown.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2q01uAF

Trump's Russia inquiry 'started by Australian tip-off'

An Australian diplomat was told about "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in a London bar, reports say.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2CrQIFY

Police shoot man dead after alleged Call of Duty 'swatting' hoax

The 28-year-old was shot by police after his address was allegedly given to police in prank call.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2CqyxAg

Greece seeks to cancel Turkish pilot's asylum

The helicopter pilot was among eight Turkish soldiers to flee after the 2016 failed coup there.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2lorxwB

Nepal bans solo climbers from Mount Everest under new rules

New regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from scaling the world's highest peak.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2EiNJzU

Egypt's Morsi sentenced to three years for insulting the judiciary

Mohammed Morsi has been detained since he was overthrown in 2013.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2BYYfLl

St Petersburg supermarket bombing suspect arrested

So-called Islamic State has said it was behind the supermarket blast, which injured several people.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2zP7eNc

Eric Garner death: Activist daughter Erica dies aged 27

She became a Black Lives Matter activist after her father died while under police restraint.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2lm9FT4

Padmavati: Controversial film 'cleared by Indian censor board'

The controversial period epic has sparked protests across India by Hindu and caste groups.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2CkRmay

Australia rugby star Karmichael Hunt faces drugs charge

Karmichael Hunt was arrested in Brisbane after being found with a white powder, reports say.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2BVFmc4

Sue Grafton: Alphabet crime author dies aged 77

Sue Grafton's series of murder mystery 'alphabet' novels have been translated into 26 languages.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2q0qmbt

Unrest at protests in many Iran cities

Footage from the town of Dorud shows a crowd carrying what appears to be a wounded man.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2q2kwGC

Call of Duty ‘swatting’ death explained

A man has been arrested after an alleged prank call led to police shooting dead a 28-year-old man.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2lpOnUF

How I divorced Islamic State

The ex-wife of an American leader in the Islamic State group describes her journey out of extremism.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2Bp3bcA

Nerves of steel: High up on China's power lines

Workers on some of the highest electricity cables in the world give a new meaning to "power walking".

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2ClwfEV

'I just want to see my mum'

Deen Mohammed Noori, a Rohingya, goes from Bradford to a refugee camp in Bangladesh to see his mum.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2lkhQ25

Parents prank daughter with joke Christmas present

Parents of a Lorde fan turned her request for concert tickets into a joke that delighted social media.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2CrGqFA

Vin Diesel named 2017's biggest box office draw

Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot top a list of 2017's top-grossing actors.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2BUyN9N

For Trump, a Year of Reinventing the Presidency


By PETER BAKER from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/2lxPReO

Kristaps Porzingis’s 30 Points Help Knicks Top Pelicans and End Skid


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports http://ift.tt/2CrIRIl

Susan Romeo, Peter Moesta


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2EgLM7g

Rosanna Perretta, Robert Menna


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2lvgZek

Merav Silverman, Ian Ramsay


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2Cs8vg2

Marisa Franklin, Raphael Graybill


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2lvKn4k

Kira Ramani, Kevin Hernandez


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2Cu7Pa6

Kelly Jones, Daniel Howell


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2zRaIPn

Katherine Davis, Michael Golden


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2lxPIbg

Jessica Perez, Daniel Suvor


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2CpbuZ4

Erica Andersen, Jonathan Donenberg


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2zSlfcY

Elizabeth Nugent, Nicholas Lotito


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2lt3tb8

Bette Marston, Brian Canter


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2EkhFfn

Ava Bastian, Stephanie Lizza


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2CmW5sb

Anthony Sibilia, Joseph Marino


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2C0jGLS

Ann Nguyen, Andrew Dewhurst


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2Ek2YJ0

Alicia Franck, Brinkley Serkedakis


By Unknown Author from NYT Fashion & Style http://ift.tt/2ElvyJW

What’s on TV Sunday: New Year’s Eve Celebrations and Dave Chappelle


By ANDREW R. CHOW from NYT Arts http://ift.tt/2En6ouL

Greek Prime Minister Seeks to Block Asylum for Turkish Officer


By NIKI KITSANTONIS from NYT World http://ift.tt/2Cqfuc5

Corrections: December 31, 2017


By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections http://ift.tt/2CrhcqZ

Alleged prank 'swatting' call turns deadly with fatal police shooting of man

A 25-year-old man in California has been arrested over an alleged hoax 911 call that led to police killing an unarmed man in Kansas on Thursday night, authorities said.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2BYnb5P

2 Las Vegas security guards fatally shot in hotel-casino

2 security guards were fatally shot while investigating a disturbance in a room.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CeFE20

What special counsel has offered publicly signals long year ahead in Russia probe

The special counsel's investigation will run into the new year.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CoVHte

New England cable technicians hailed for heroic save of wandering toddler in cold

Workers saved a toddler from cold and cars after she fell crossing the street.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CeJ5Wr

Bitter blast of cold air dominating Midwest and Northeast ahead of new year

New Year's Eve across much of the country will be very cold.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2zPKNaD

Russian security agency arrests supermarket bombing suspect

Man is suspected of setting off an explosion at a supermarket in St. Petersburg.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2pZRebL

Videos show Egypt's church gunman calmly walking away

Gunman opened fire outside an Egyptian church and a nearby store owned by a copt

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2BVSuhA

State Department releases emails from Clinton aide

The State Department has released emails from Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, that were found by the FBI on her husband's laptop

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CrVxyO

Senators' Russia trip scuttled because of 'black list'

The Russian Embassy says it refused to grant a visa to Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire because she's been put on a "black list" in response to U.S. sanctions

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2DBVpvZ

Egypt court jails ousted president over insulting judiciary

Egyptian court sentences former Islamist president, 19 others to 3 years in prison for insulting the judiciary

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2DxlJHR

Putin voices hope for cooperation with US in letter to Trump

In a New Year telegram to U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia's President Vladimir Putin says a constructive dialogue between the two nations is essential for global stability

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CbhJjY

WATCH: A grandmother's hilarious reaction to Google Home

A grandmother has a hilarious reaction to hearing her Google Home for the first time.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CsraZo

5 things that could disrupt the global status quo in 2018

2018 could be a year when the stuff of speculative fiction gets real.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2pXtx3D

Suspects charged in brutal killings of 2 women, 2 children in upstate New York

Police in Troy, New York, have arrested two men in connection with the quadruple homicide that shocked the small town earlier this week.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2EkcA6M

WATCH: Alleged prank caller in 911 recording says he shot his father in head

The alleged "swatting" hoax call resulted in a fatal police shooting of a man in Wichita, Kansas.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2CqYVtU

WATCH: President's plans for 2018 and possible team reshuffle

Trump is expected to push for infrastructure spending in 2018 and says there will be no DACA deal without a border wall.

from ABC News: Top Stories http://ift.tt/2DzCTEz

Blue Apron Is Launching A Whole30 Meal Plan Just In Time For The New Year

Blue Apron Is Launching A Whole30 Meal Plan Just In Time For The New YearIf your New Year’s resolution is to eat cleaner and healthier, the challenge just got a little bit easier.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EeMG4m

8 Overly Confident, Mostly Pessimistic Predictions About Tech in 2018

From 'The Tapes of Wrath' to 'Poll Tide'

Every December, The Atlantic looks back on the previous year—to highlight not just the big moments, but the progression of big ideas. Below, the third of four installments from our coverage of politics looks at the first year of the Trump administration, retold through subject lines.  


The first year of Donald Trump’s presidency has been an eventful one. The Russia investigation went wider and deeper. Prominent Republicans decided not to run for reelection. America got a new Supreme Court justice, and lost an FBI director. Democrats won a set of surprising victories. Republican-sponsored legislation  died and then was resurrected, passed and repassed. And all the while, the president tweeted.

We’ve chronicled all of these twists and turns in the Politics & Policy Daily newsletter and sent them straight to your inbox, every weekday afternoon, topped with a subject line to make you chuckle—or perhaps, roll your eyes.  

Take a look back on 2017 with some of our favorites. And if you’re not already a subscriber to the newsletter, sign up here.

The Spy Who Phished Me
In a declassified report, the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign on the U.S. presidential election.

Will You Accept this Robe?
President Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Flynn Hot Water
National-Security Adviser Michael Flynn reportedly “discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States” before Trump was sworn in as president, contrary to previous denials by officials.

Puzder, We Hardee’s Knew Ye
Andrew Puzder, the CEO of the company that owns Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, withdrew his nomination for secretary of labor.

Rand Paul and the Chamber of Secrets
Senator Rand Paul spent the day hunting for draft legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, only to be denied entry into the room where it was reportedly being kept.

Kislyak and Tell
Trump called on Congress to investigate Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi after photos surfaced of the two meeting with Russian leaders.

Tap o’ the Morning!
Trump stuck by his claim that former President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.

Nunes-theless, He Persisted
During a news conference, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said that the identities and communications of Trump transition officials might have been inappropriately revealed in intelligence reports.

McMaster of the House
Trump removed White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council, signaling the growing influence of his new national-security adviser, H.R. McMaster.

Before and NAFTA
Trump told reporters he “will renegotiate” the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Battle Hmm ... of the Republic
Trump questioned why the Civil War could “not have been worked out.”

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Showboat
In an interview with NBC, Trump called former FBI Director James Comey a “showboat,” and said he was going to fire him “regardless” of what the Justice Department recommended.

The Tapes of Wrath
Trump suggested on Twitter that there might be tapes of his private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey.

Finding Memo
Trump reportedly asked former FBI Director James Comey to shut down the investigation into his former national-security adviser, Michael Flynn, according to a memo written by Comey.

Trump Pulls Out of D’accord
Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

James and the Giant Speech
During his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, former FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers that he believed Trump fired him “because of the Russia investigation.”

Old McConnell Has a Plan
Senate Republicans released a 142-page proposal that would dismantle parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Catch-22 Million
The Congressional Budget Office projected the Senate Republican health-care bill would increase the number of uninsured by 22 million by 2026.

From Russia, ‘I Love It’
Donald Trump Jr. released copies of his emails with Rob Goldstone in which they arranged a meeting with a “Russian government lawyer,” who claimed to have potentially damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

Sean Voyage
Sean Spicer resigned as White House press secretary.

Goodnight, Sweet Reince
Trump chose Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to replace Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff.

Too Mooch Too Soon
Trump removed Anthony Scaramucci from his role as White House communications director, just 10 days after Scaramucci was brought on staff.

Mitch Hunt
Trump continued to publicly criticize Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the party’s failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Loose Bannon
Trump fired Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart editor who helped fuel Trump's rise.

Elton Don
During his first address before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump threatened to “totally destroy North Korea” and referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “rocket man.”

McCain’t Gonna Happen
Arizona Senator John McCain announced that he could not “in good conscience” support the Graham-Cassidy health-care bill.

America’s Next Tax Model
Chief White House Economic Adviser Gary Cohn said the Trump administration’s new tax proposal is “purely aimed” at the middle class.

Rex Post Facto
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied that he had ever considered resigning from his position, but stopped short of explicitly refuting a report that said he called Trump a “moron.”

The Fault in Our Czars
Representative Tom Marino of Pennsylvania withdrew his name from consideration to be the White House drug czar following a report that revealed he had tried to hinder government efforts aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.

It Goes Down in the DM
In private Twitter messages, WikiLeaks asked Donald Trump Jr. for his father’s tax returns, and urged the Trump campaign to challenge the election results.

Jeff’s Concessions
During his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended his past statements about Russia and the Trump campaign.

The Audacity of ‘Dope’
National-Security Adviser H.R. McMaster reportedly mocked Trump’s intelligence at a private dinner, calling him an “idiot” and a “dope.”

Poll Tide
Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones faced off in Alabama’s special Senate election.

Parliamentarian Gives Bill the Byrd
Hours after the House passed a sweeping $1.5 trillion tax bill, the Senate parliamentarian found that provisions of the bill violated the chamber’s Byrd rule.



from The Atlantic http://ift.tt/2C9SgHK

How to Fix the GOP Tax Plan

Blue-state taxpayers are hopping mad about the loss of their state and local tax deductions. The latest Wall Street Journal / NBC poll shows that the voters hit hardest by the GOP tax hikes moving furthest toward the Democrats. While the nation as a whole leans 10 points more Democratic than in 2014, college-educated voters favor Democrats by 16 more points than they did four years ago.

You can see why those voters are so mad. From their point of view, the tax plan looks like a scheme to shift the cost of government from the truly wealthy onto the merely affluent.

And you can see, too, the temptation to Democratic opponents. The Republican tax plan is the most nakedly sectional revenue measure the United States has seen since the high-tariff era before the Great Depression. Even before the GOP tax plan, the state-by-state map of American federalism’s “makers” and “takers” looked like the Trump-Clinton map in reverse, with states like California, New Jersey, and New York the biggest net contributors, and states like Kentucky, Alabama, and Mississippi the biggest net beneficiaries. The Republican plan loads even more of those costs on blue states: The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the federal government will cost taxpayers there almost $670 billion over the next 10 years by limiting the deductibility of state and local taxes and of mortgage interest.

Those extra funds, squeezed disproportionately from states like California, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, just suffice to offset the revenue loss from the GOP’s tax cuts to corporations and pass-through businesses.

Yet as aggressively sectional as the GOP plan is, once done, blue-state legislators should hesitate to undo it. If the mortgage interest deduction was ever a good idea, that time passed a long while ago. Canada, without the deduction, actually has a higher home ownership rate than the United States, 67.8 percent  vs. 63.7percent. But while the average new home in Canada hovers at about 2,000 square feet, the average new home in the United States is nearing 2,700 square feet. The deduction is advertised as supporting more homeownership; instead, it subsidizes larger homes. How is that a valid policy goal?

The deductibility of state and local taxes is better grounded, but not much. The policy traces back to the very first income tax, imposed during the Civil War. Its authors were impelled more by constitutional than economic concerns. In the modern era, its effects have been dubious. It probably has subsidized blue states to tax and spend more than they otherwise would. Ultra-high state income-tax rates—reaching 13.3 percent in California, 8.82 percent in New York—might trigger more debate, even in those one-party states, if the people paying them felt their full weight. The federal government cushions the pain, especially for those state citizens who might otherwise complain most effectively. (According to the Tax Foundation, 88 percent of the benefit of the deduction flows to taxpayers with incomes over $100,000.) That cushioning, in turn, enables high-tax states to yield to pressure from other local interest groups. One striking example: While the Vera Institute calculates that across the nation it costs an average of $31,000 per year to incarcerate a prisoner, California spends more than $75,000.

Rather than restore these deductions, which have subsidized bad policies, especially in the blue states, the right way to redress Republican sectional chauvinism is by addressing the biggest subsidy to the worst policies of the red states—and especially their profligate spewing of greenhouse gases. Just as the blue states have used the mortgage and state-and-local deductions to offload the cost of their generous state governments, so red states have inflicted on others the climate consequences of their lifestyles.

The map of carbon-intensity by state looks like the map of state and local spending, upside down.

The top five most carbon-efficient jurisdictions are D.C., New York, California, Vermont, and Massachusetts. The five worst: Wyoming, North Dakota, West Virginia, Alaska, and Louisiana.

A carbon tax of $15 per ton would raise something over $700 billion over the next 10 years. That money would a) very neatly balance the 2017 GOP revenue raid on blue-state tax deductions, b) reduce the current carbon-dioxide emissions trajectory by about 10 perent, and c) reduce by half the GOP plan’s estimated increase in the federal debt. The revenues from the tax would help to avert the impending cutbacks in Medicare and other health programs about which the GOP House leadership is now noisily contemplating.

It’s often complained that carbon taxes are regressive. This objection is true, as far as it goes, but also highly misleading from a policy point of view. Poorer households spend a lot on energy relative to their incomes, but surprisingly little in absolute terms. In 2013—a year of high fuel prices—the bottom fifth of American households spent about $1,160 on gasoline and motor oil. That cost weighed heavily upon them, but it remains a small enough target that it can be offset without too much of a bite out of the tax’s contributions to federal revenues.

Perhaps the ideal way to do the offset is by cutting the federal payroll tax, another tax that bears most heavily on lower-income earners. The regressivity of this tax goes under-discussed—indeed often unmentioned. When White House press secretary Sarah Sanders suggested that the richest tenth of the American population bear 59 percent of the tax burden, she reached her conclusion by ignoring the biggest tax paid by the majority of the population, a tax that contributes one-third of federal revenues—three times as much as the corporate income tax before the Trump tax cuts. Reducing that burden by just a few hundred dollars per household would do more than anything ever urged by Donald Trump to stabilize the finances of poor and working America—and to justify taxing the fuel that drives monster homes and private jets as well as pick-up trucks and commuter buses.

A century ago, George Washington Plunkitt memorably described the plunder of New York City by upstate Republican legislators.

Did you ever go up to Albany from this city with a delegation that wanted anything from the Legislature? No? Well, don’t. The hayseeds who run all the committees will look at you as if you were a child that didn’t know what it wanted, and will tell you in so many words to go home and be good and the Legislature will give you whatever it thinks is good for you. They put on a sort of patronizing air, as much as to say, “These children are an awful lot of trouble. They’re wantin’ candy all the time, and they know that it will make them sick. They ought to thank goodness that they have us to take care of them.” And if you try to argue with them, they’ll smile in a pityin’ sort of way as if they were humorin’ a spoiled child.

But just let a Republican farmer from Chemung or Wayne or Tioga turn up at the Capital. The Republican Legislature will make a rush for him and ask him what he wants and tell him if he doesn’t see what he wants to ask for it. If he says his taxes are too high, they reply to him: “All right, old man, don’t let that worry you. How much do you want us to take off?”

“I guess about fifty per cent will about do for the present,” says the man. “Can you fix me up?”

“Sure,” the Legislature agrees. “Give us somethin’ harder, don’t be bashful. We’ll take off sixty per cent if you wish. That’s what we’re here for.”

Then the Legislature goes and passes a law increasin’ the liquor tax or some other tax in New York City, takes a half of the proceeds for the State Treasury and cuts down the farmers’ taxes to suit. It’s as easy as rollin’ off a log – when you’ve got a good workin’ majority and no conscience to speak of.

The 2017 tax law was written much in that same spirit. The best requital is to reverse that spirit in a way that protects the planet that is home to all Americans, whether they live in blue states or red.



from The Atlantic http://ift.tt/2BQGf5Q

More Than a Thousand Days of War in Yemen

For more than 1,000 days now, Yemen has been torn by a ferocious war pitting rebels, known as Houthis (supported by Iran), and forces fighting for former President Ali Abdullah Saleh (who was killed in December) against fighters loyal to exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi (supported by Saudi Arabia). Multiple Yemeni tribal militias have aligned with the Hadi government, or the Houthis, or have struck out on their own, seeking independence—and Al Qaeda and ISIS are both attempting to hold or seize territory. A thousand days of airstrikes, civil war, suicide attacks, cholera outbreaks, and near-famine conditions have taken enormous tolls on Yemenis. The nation’s already-fragile infrastructure is under intense pressure as the lack of security and supplies affects every individual and institution. While Saudi Arabia recently agreed to a temporary lifting of its blockade to allow humanitarian relief, on Sunday the Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that 71 civilians were killed in 51 airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition across the country in just 48 hours.



from The Atlantic http://ift.tt/2ldTS8U

Actor held for asking actress to prove virginity

Rajashekhar S N abused the actress when she questioned him about a rumour he was reportedly spreading involving her and Kishore C Nayak, the director of her to-be-released Kannada movie ‘Ice Mahal’.

from The Times of India http://ift.tt/2q2mnLH

Teenage kicks

Teenage environmentalist Autumn Peltier will speak in front of the UN General Assembly this spring.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2BZp2qS

2018 and Brexit

What are the key dates and developments to watch out for as Britain and the EU move forward?

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2CsBMre

Justice denied?

After the end of the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, will wider worldwide justice be done?

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2loOgZj

Shared shame

The case of Tyler Haire, a 16 year old locked up for years without trial, reveals a deeper problem.

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2zRnVHN

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

State Department releases Huma Abedin emails found on Anthony Weiner's laptop

12/29/17 3:26 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Sue Grafton, writer behind Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Series, dead at 77

12/29/17 2:42 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Child playing with stove caused fatal Bronx fire, NYC fire chief says

12/29/17 10:33 AM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

At least 12 confirmed dead in New York City fire, mayor says

12/28/17 10:08 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Rose Marie, starred on ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ dead at 94

12/28/17 7:51 PM

Saturday, 30 December 2017

With 29% growth, Indian mkts end 2017 with a bang

The reasons were several — easy availability of money globally, India’s improving economic fundamentals, the government’s demonstration of its serious intent for economic reforms, signs of a turnaround in corporate earnings and state poll results favouring the ruling BJP-led alliance.

from The Times of India http://ift.tt/2BWFzMe

I-T dept visits Jaya's Poes Garden residence

A team of state government officials and income tax officials visited late former chief minister Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence on Saturday morning. Sources told TOI that the visit of district collector and revenue officials was part of the memorial project.

from The Times of India http://ift.tt/2EhAQ9g

India slams Palestine over Hafiz-envoy meet

The presence of the Palestinian envoy at a JuD rally is a slap on the face for India, just last week India voted for a UNGA resolution against the US decision to move its capital to Jerusalem. India, like 127 other countries voted on the principle that the status of Jerusalem would be decided after a deal between Israel and Palestine

from The Times of India http://ift.tt/2pR9a84

U'khand madrassa body wants Sanksrit in syllabus

The Madrassa Welfare Society of Uttarakhand (MWSU), a social organisation which oversees 207 madrassas across the state in which over 25,000 children study, has approached the state government with a request to include Sanskrit as one of the languages taught to its students

from The Times of India http://ift.tt/2Dyahvr

Minimalist Docking Station

This is a project that I made as a Christmas present for a couple family members. I had seen plenty of docking stations that you could purchase online, but after some research, I decided that I could make my own for a fraction of the cost (plus you get brownie points for giving family members homema...
By: Fisherck

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2Cc2dVc

How to Make a Mini Speaker-Super Easy.

Hi Guys, today we will build a " Make a Mini Speaker".This speaker is very mini but it's sound quality and loudness is pretty amazing.This speaker can be a simple replacement for Laptop or cell phone speaker. Things Needed 1.PAM8403 Audio Amplifier.2.A Speaker. 3.Cell phone battery. 4.TP4056 Char...
By: DiYmon

Continue Reading »

from Instructables: exploring http://ift.tt/2CbLvVD

'They slit throats': Body cam footage from alleged Jon Jones car crash appears to show fighter threatening officers

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/8G7yevI