Daily Archives: February 6, 2017

Market Recon: There’s Progress on the Deregulation Front – TheStreet.com

Posted: February 6, 2017 at 3:10 pm

The Way It Is

At first glance, the mission seemed simple enough. There was an easily identifiable economic agenda laid out by the most pro-business president in a generation. His party had control over both of the nation's legislative bodies. Not only that, but his party also had the support on the local level of the vast majority of the nation. Things would surely get done now.

Well, things are certainly moving, but as far as the defined agenda goes, is it fast enough? Kind of, sort of ... in some cases. Both the president's bombastic style, and the partisan nature of Washington itself will be distractions that you, the trader, must learn to work around. This, my colleagues, is just the way it is.

Reason to Love

Speaking of progress, that is exactly what we saw on the deregulatory front this past Friday. The president signed an Executive Order (as if you didn't know) that really gets the ball rolling toward gutting Dodd-Frank. Relaxing this law could unleash a wave of increased dividends, and share buybacks across the financial sector. Bang! bank stocks took off for the day. Not to mention, capital markets and consumer finance names that also moved in lock-step with the KBW Bank Index.

According to an RBC Capital Markets graphic posted last night by the Wall Street Journal, Citigroup (C) , JP Morgan (JPM) , Wells Fargo (WFC) , Bank of America (BAC) , Goldman Sachs (GS) , and Morgan Stanley (MS) all have between $10 billion and $28 billion worth of estimated excess (trapped) capital. For me, this prospect for deregulation is as much of a reason for holding on to bank stocks as is the prospect for higher interest rates.

That prospect for a higher fed funds rate really did not change all that much after the release of January jobs data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. The headline print for job creation was undeniably strong, yet came with nasty revisions going back two months that nearly wiped out the entire measure of that statistical beat. On top of that, the number of persons working part-time for economic reasons actually grew by more individuals than did that headline number.

Then, there's wage growth, or rather the lack thereof. How disappointing is that 0.1% m/m wage growth that came in a month when 19 of the 50 states implemented mandatory increases in their state minimum wages? The next rate hike remains priced in for the June meeting as it was prior to Friday. The odds of an increase in March remain very low, at 13%.

Reason to Watch

Healthcare stocks have underperformed the general marketplace since the end of summer. I have avoided the space myself for some time now, as the entire sector had become an apparent political football. Regardless of who had won the presidential election, something would have had to have been done in the space, as the ACA had become unaffordable, and the quality of coverage withered for those forced to buy in.

Now, the president indicates that replacing the ACA could take all year, and possibly not until next year. So, what seemed like the new administration's "job one" moves toward the end of the line. I do get it. If health care reform were an easy puzzle to solve, it simply would not still be the controversial issue that it is. For the marketplace, our issue is: What does this mean for stocks in the space?

As I have always been gun-shy when it comes to biotech, and I think it likely that big pharma will remain under intense scrutiny, (especially if repealing, and/or replacing the national law takes longer than expected), then I think that for anything other short-term technical trading, I remain on the outside looking in for these stocks.

Macro

10:00 -- Labor Market Conditions Index (January): Expecting 1.0, December -0.3. This particular item will not move the marketplace upon release. I do, however, find it very interesting. For those not exactly sure what we are talking about here, this is a still-experimental tool that was first released in October of 2014. Just what is it? This item is a broad index of 19 (already released) labor market-related sub-components that the Federal Reserve Bank uses to track overall labor market progress. You may or may not be surprised to learn that this index has illustrated a labor market that has been in overall contraction for eight of the first eleven months of 2016. Expansion is expected for December, but this should be a close call, given that strong headline number for job creation that contrasted with a bevy of sloppy underlying numbers.

16:30 - Fed Speaker: Philadelphia Fed Pres. Patrick Harker is set to speak from San Diego, California. This will be the second public appearance by a sitting member of the FOMC since last week's policy decision. Chicago Fed Pres. Charles Evans was predictably dovish Friday morning. It will be interesting to get Harker's (Harker is seen as somewhat hawkish) take on the jobs data. Harker has also been a proponent of reducing the Fed's principal reinvestment program as a way of tightening policy once the fed funds rate hits 1%. This is something that I can get on board with, though I would like to see this as the next step (prior to further rate increases) if policy direction were to retain its current implied trajectory.

Sarge's Trading Levels

These are my levels to watch today for where I think that the S&P 500, and the Russell 2000 might either pause or turn.

SPX: 2323, 2312, 2299, 2293, 2282, 2272 RUT: 1394, 1388, 1383, 1375, 1371, 1364

Monday's Earnings Highlights (Consensus EPS Expectations)

Before the Open: (DO) ($0.11), (HAS) ($1.29), (L) ($0.63), (NWL) ($0.80), (SYY) ($0.54), (TSN) ($1.25)

After the Close: (FMC) ($0.88), (TSO) ($0.47)

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Market Recon: There's Progress on the Deregulation Front - TheStreet.com

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Assignment Helps Students Assess Their Progress – Faculty Focus (blog)

Posted: at 3:10 pm

Midterm evaluations bring a host of institutional measures to reach out to underachieving students. However, what might make the most difference to students success in their courses is to enable them to assess their own performance and set goals as well as to ask questions of and provide feedback to the instructor. Instructors can give students this reflective opportunity through an online journal assignment in which students do the following:

It is best to implement this progress report assignment about a third of the way through a course so that underperforming students can change trajectory before the midterm.

My experience with the assignmentSince I make all grades available on our universitys learning management system, students can always see their grades, but they often dont check or acknowledge that these grades are available. Further, because not all professors provide grades automatically, students may not fully understand their progress even when grades are available.

Students take anywhere from 50 to 400 words to complete this journal assignment, based on their needs. Their posts range from brief conclusions that they are exactly where they want to be to detailed descriptions of all kinds of problems and questions about how to move forward. This process allows me to respond quickly to the positive reports (Sounds great! Looking forward to the rest of the semester!) and to dedicate more attention to those who are struggling. This journal assignment is not graded, but students are required to complete it before submitting any subsequent assignments.

Although I am always open to student feedback, students often interpret this assignment as their first opportunity to reflect on the course and ask questions. Some will provide context for their content knowledge and other school responsibilities, which is often very enlightening for me. Students generally express gratitude at the official opportunity to assess their progress in the course (even more so when they are doing poorly or not as well as they expected) because it is early enough in the semester to turn things around.

Even in the case of students who are negative and critical, the assignment provides an opportunity for me to show empathy and clear up any misunderstandings they may have about course procedures and requirements. Thats a much-preferred alternative to letting their discontent silently fester and then show up on end-of-semester evaluations. In some cases, it also uncovers opportunities to improve the course and correct mistakes. Colleagues from my discipline and others have received the same positive results I have and continue to use this assignment semester after semester.

Tips for getting startedHeres what you need to know before you implement the progress report assignment in your courses.

This small activity can have a big impact on students and on your teaching. It also builds strong rapport at critical points early in the semester.

Christina Moore is a special instructor of writing and rhetoric at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She also works in OUs Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

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Think Progress Editor Mocks Audi for Equal Pay Super Bowl Ad – Breitbart News

Posted: at 3:10 pm

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Audi, new champion of womens equity at work, has no women on their board, editor Judd Legum wrote on Twitter:

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No women sit on Audis Management Board, but its 14-person team of American executives includes two women.

Legum was not alone in his criticism of the ad; 25 percent of the comments on the ad across social media were negative, Business Insider reports.

The ad begins with a father watching his daughter in a race, asking himself, What do I tell my daughter?

Do I tell her that her grandpa is worth more than her grandma? That her dad is worth more than her mom? the narrator asks.

The father wonders how he can tell his daughter that despite her education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she still runs the risk of being valued less than every man she ever meets.

At the end, his daughter wins the race, and she and her father walk to an Audi right before the slogan progress is for everyone flashes across the screen.

The company decided to make a statement about gender pay equality on Twitter by saying, At Audi, we are committed to equal pay for equal work.

Despite what Audi claims in the ad, the gender pay gap is not wide.

According to the Daily Beast, the 23-cent gender pay gap is merely the difference between the average earnings of all men and women working fulltime.

The statistic does not take into account factors such asdifferences in occupations, positions, education, job tenure, or hours worked per week.

Once those factors are included, the wage gap is only a five-cent difference, and no one knows whether the cause is discrimination or some other hard-to-measure difference between the genders.

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Penguins injuries: Hagelin has concussion; Malkin still out, but making progress – NBCSports.com

Posted: at 3:10 pm

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without forwards Carl Hagelin and Evgeni Malkin tomorrow at home to Calgary.

Head coach Mike Sullivan said today that Hagelin has been diagnosed with a concussion after being forced to leave Saturdays victory over St. Louis. The 28-year-old winger was well enough to skate by himself this morning, so it seems unlikely that hell be out for too long. Hagelin was reportedly injured after taking a hit to the headfrom Blues forward Alex Steen.

Malkin has not played since Jan. 24 due to a lower-body injury, but he too shouldnt be out for much longer.

Geno will not play tomorrow, said Sullivan. He was in a non-contact jersey today, but we are very encouraged with his progress.

Tomorrow will be the fifth straight game that Malkin has missed. The Penguins have gone 3-1-0 without him.

The Pens are also missing forward Conor Sheary, and they will for a while longer.Sheary is on IR with an upper-body injury.

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The Arizona Coyotes said it would be different this time. They said their ownership group was comprised ofpeople that can get this done.

And yet,who was surprised to hear Friday that the teamsplans to build a new arena in Tempe were dead?

The answer is, nobody was surprised. Friday was just the latest setback on a long list. Once again, there is no plan for a new arena to replace the one in Glendale, and the Coyotes have made it crystal clear thatthey arent staying in Glendale.

Unfortunately, it appears the ASU deal will not being moving forward, said Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc. We will continue to explore other options that will ensure a successful future for the team and our fans. Were a determined bunch on the ice and off the ice. We intend to do everything we can to keep NHL hockey here in Arizona.

Perhaps the Coyotes will now pursue an arena in Scottsdale. Maybe theyll see about sharing one with the Suns in downtown Phoenix. There are reportedly other options.

But according to TSNs Darren Dreger, the Coyotes were shocked that ASU backed out. And thats not a good look for ownership.

Its not a good look for the NHL either. This drama has been going on for years now. One day, the situation in the desert looks dire. The next, a plan comes together and theres great optimism. The next, the plan falls apart and its back to dire.

Regarding possible relocation, there is still no hard-and-fast arena plan in Seattle. That being said, there is a concerted push, with some big names attached, to get one built. The NHL has made no secret that the Pacific Northwest is on their radar. Theres an arena inPortland, Oregon, which could be an option as well.

As for Quebec City, it is unlikely that the NHL would want the Coyotes to move there, as that would only worsen the leagues geographic imbalance.

But the NHL cannot allow this situation to exist for much longer. It is beyond embarrassing now. Just recall what the commissioner, Gary Bettman, said after the now-dead Tempe deal was announced in November.

I think first and foremost itll stop all the speculation as to what may or may not happen to the franchise, Bettman said.

Nope!

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Its been total silence from Ken Hitchcock since he was fired as Blues head coach last week but on Monday, Hitchcock finally spoke.

Well, sort of.

Though hes turned out repeated interview requests from the Post-Dispatch, Hitchcock did release a statement to the paper. Here it is, in full:

When I reflect on my time in St. Louis, I remember it as some of the best years of my career. I would like to thank Tom Stillman and the entire ownership group, Doug (Armstrong) and the rest of the Blues management for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a storied franchise.

I am very proud of our record on the ice over my time in St. Louis and would like to thank all of the coaches that I have had the pleasure of sharing the bench with: Gary Agnew, Ray Bennett, Danny Brooks, Jim Corsi, Sean Ferrell, Corey Hirsch, Scott Masters, Scott Mellanby, Kirk Muller, Brad Shaw, Steve Thomas and Rick Wilson and the Blues equipment and medical staffs for all of their support during my tenure. Without their hard work and dedication, we could not have had the success we achieved. A special thanks and good luck also goes to Mike Yeo. Mike was a true professional and an incredible source of knowledge and support as an associate coach. The Blues are in good and capable hands going forward with Mike.

I was very fortunate to coach many wonderful players during my tenure and I truly appreciate your dedication over the years as we tried to make our goal a reality. I have made some special friends with many of you and I know our paths will cross again soon.

I also want to recognize the front office staff in St. Louis. Their commitment and passion for connecting the team with the community is inspiring and did not go unnoticed. They continue to play an important role in keeping the organization moving in a positive direction.

Finally, to the St. Louis Blues fans, I want to thank you for your unwavering support. I have received countless notes of appreciation over the last few days and it truly means the world to me. St. Louis is an amazing sports town with some of the most knowledgeable fans in the world. I am eternally grateful to have been part of the Blues organization and to have made St. Louis my home over the last six years. The friendships Ive developed and the memories I have made here will last me a lifetime.

Its a nice gesture from Hitch who, as Armstrong put it, paid the price for all our failures, including mine. One gets the sense this was a heartbreaking conclusion to his time in St. Louis, something made evident by Armstrong choking back tears in announcing the dismissal.

Related: The challenge for Yeo? Make better use of Blues speed

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If Melker Karlsson and Joonas Donskoi have shown anything, its that San Jose GM Doug Wilson knows how to find NHL talent in Europe.

Now, well see if that applies to Marcus Sorensen.

Sorensen, the speedy 24-year-old forward signed out of the Swedish League last summer, has been recalled by San Jose and could make his NHL debut tomorrow when the Sharks take on the Sabres.

Sorensens recall comes after he scored 13 goals and 27 points in 39 games for the AHL Barracuda, in what is his first professional season in North America.

Previously, the former Ottawa draftee (fourth round, 2010) had spent the better part of his career with SHL outfit Djurgardens IF.

As mentioned above, Wilson and the Sharks are hopeful Sorensen can follow in the footsteps of Karlsson and Donskoi. The former was signed out of Sweden in 2014 age the age of 23 and the undrafted forward spent a short time in the AHL before transitioning to the Sharks that same year.

Karlsson has since become a lineup fixture for the Sharks, and has six goals and 13 points through 46 games this year.

Donskoi, a former Florida draftee, signed with San Jose in 2015 after capturing Finnish League MVP honors. Like Karlsson, he was 23 at the time of singing and, like Karlsson, wasted little time making an impact in San Jose. Donskoi jumped straight to the NHL and had a solid rookie campaign, with 11 goals and 36 points in 72 games.

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Kenny Agostino could not ask for a better chance to prove he can produce in the NHL.

Tonight in Philadelphia, the 24-year-old winger will take Robby Fabbris spot in the St. Louis Blues lineup. Fabbri, of course, isdone for the season with an ACL injury.

Agostino has been a prolific scorer in the AHL. This season, he leads the league with 60 points (18G, 42A) in 48 games for the Chicago Wolves.

Against the Flyers, hes expected to skate on a line with Jori Lehtera and David Perron.

(Agostino) has been having a great deal of success down there and I want him to come up and show us what he can do, said Blues head coach Mike Yeo, per NHL.com. I dont want him thinking about too much or worried one mistake will take him out of the lineup. I want to see what he can bring us and well give him a good chance tonight.

It will be Agostinos first real game with the Blues. Signed as a free agent this past summer, he had a five-point game in the preseason, but it wasnt enough to make the opening-night roster under coach Ken Hitchcock.

Agostino has one goal and one assist in 10 career NHL games, all with the Calgary Flames.

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Patel: Syria progress at risk without new push in 2017 – ReliefWeb

Posted: at 3:10 pm

After visiting Jordan and Lebanon, Priti Patel welcomed progress for Syrian refugees but warned that more intrenational help was needed.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel today warned that international efforts must be redoubled if the much needed humanitarian pledges made at last years London Syria Conference are to be delivered. Her call came as the UK published the latest data tracking the progress of all major donors against their promises. Following a 2 day visit to Lebanon and Jordan, Ms Patel welcomed the progress made in getting children into school and Syrian refugees into work the focus of the 2016 Conference.

That includes new training and job opportunities for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees and more than 75,000 children enrolled in schools in Lebanon and Jordan. New funding has also significantly exceeded the $6 billion total promised for 2016 at the Syria Conference, with $8 billion allocated last year. International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

This time last year, the world came together in the face of a relentlessly brutal conflict and agreed to actions that would give hope to Syrian refugees. Alongside the life-saving emergency support UK aid provides we have prioritised opportunities for refugees to work and ensure a generation of Syria children were not denied an education.

I have seen for myself in Lebanon and Jordan how that approach is working. UK aid is saving and transforming lives while giving refugees a reason to remain close to home rather than risking their lives in the crossing to Europe.

But the job is only half done. It is now critical that donors deliver on their long-term funding pledges. The protracted crisis in Syria is the defining humanitarian challenge of our time and history will judge us if the international community does not deliver on the support Syrian refugees and the region needs.

The International Development Secretary made clear that donors and host countries must significantly step up their efforts in 2017 to deliver on promises to create more than one million jobs and to ensure every child affected by the Syria crisis has the chance of an education. She has called for:

donors to deliver predictable, multi-year funding so host countries can plan their long term response that means ensuring the 2017 UN appeals are funded, but also providing new loans to support jobs and growth in the region

governments in the region to work with key international financial institutions and UN agencies to develop a credible pipeline of job-creating projects

host countries to complete the reform of their economies to support business creation, remove remaining legislative restrictions on work, and attract investment

donors, NGOs and education providers to work with regional governments to improve the quality of education through support to teacher training, school management and standards

more support to non-formal education, so children who have been out of school can catch up quickly before joining formal school

the international community and host countries to jointly tackle barriers that are stopping children attending school, including child labour and adolescent marriage.

The Syria Conference was held in London on February 4th 2016 and co-hosted by the UK. Over the last year, the UK has pushed other donors to keep pace in responding to the crisis and to deliver on their promises. That includes the publication today of the second edition of the Pledge Tracker Report, produced by the UK and designed to hold donors to account for the financial promises they made at the Syria Conference.

Although the report shows that total funding pledges made at the Syria Conference have been exceed, it also highlights that more than a fifth of donors have either not delivered on their promises or are spending the money but not reporting back in a co-ordinated way. The Pledge Tracker Report is intended to highlight such failings and bring pressure on non-compliant donors to address them.

Along with new funding exceeding the $6 billion pledged, other key results in the 12 months since the Syria Conference took place on 4 February 2016 include:

work permits issued to 37,000 Syrians in Jordan, nearly a tenfold increase in the last year

an innovative pilot programme with SMEs in Lebanon to deliver jobs for refugees and the poorest Lebanese

a UK-supported trade deal that will allow Jordanian exporters easier access to the EU market

more than 75,000 children enrolled in schools in Jordan and Lebanon in 2016, as well as teacher training and an increase in school places

more than half a million children inside Syria receiving formal primary or secondary education thanks to UK support

loans and grants to help set up Special Economic Zones and provide refugees with training and job opportunities in Jordan.

Notes to editors

The new figures set out in todays report show that both the UKs own pledge of 510 million as well as the total $6 billion promised by the international community as a whole for 2016 have been exceeded. The UK has spent 550 million and Conference donors have now allocated $8 billion, $6.2 billion of which has already been spent. The report can be seen on the London Conference website.

The London Conference on Syria and the region took place on 4 February 2016 and was co-hosted by the UK, along with Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the United Nations. It brought together more than 60 countries and organisations, including 33 heads of state and Governments. In excess of $12 billion was pledged by the international community more than has ever been committed for a humanitarian crisis in a single day.

Historic Compact agreements with Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan aimed to create at least 1.1 million jobs so that refugees have a livelihood closer to home, as well as creating jobs for local people and fuelling economic growth in the region. Refugee hosting countries agreed to ensure that no child missed out on the chance of an education as a result of the conflict, including a pledge to deliver education to all refugee and host community children in countries neighbouring Syria.

The UN has launched an $8 billion appeal to meet humanitarian needs inside Syria and across the region in 2017, highlighting that the conflict in Syria remains one of the worlds biggest humanitarian crises. It is vital that all donors not only fully deliver on their pledges to date, but step up with the new funding needed for 2017.

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Progress Announces ProgressNEXT 2017 Partner Conference – Business Wire (press release)

Posted: at 3:10 pm

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Progress (NASDAQ: PRGS) today announced that ProgressNEXT, its premier event for Progress partners, will be held in Orlando, FL February 8-11, 2017. Attendees will hear directly from Progress executives, solution experts, industry innovators and partners benefiting from Progress offerings and will learn best practices for building the business applications of tomorrow.

In todays competitive technology market, its more important than ever to provide channel partners with exceptional value, innovation and access to expertise that position them for long-term success. We take great pride in the fact that thousands of customers and partners rely on our solutions to build mission-critical applications, said Kimberly King, Vice President, Global Partners and Channels, Progress. Our vision and focus on enterprise business application development is core to our future - our goal for the conference is to share our vision and collaborate with our partners on how together we can deliver the most compelling and valuable solutions for the market.

Event sponsors include ConnectPlaza, DataPA, ISCORP, Raybiztech, Servoy and Kingslake.

For more information about ProgressNEXT, please visit: https://www.progress.com/partners/next.

Additional Resources

About Progress Progress(NASDAQ: PRGS) is a global leaderin application development, empowering enterprises to build mission-critical business applications to succeed in an evolving business environment.With offerings spanning web, mobile and data for on-premise and cloud environments, Progress powers businesses worldwide, promoting success one application at a time. Learn aboutProgress atwww.progress.com or 1-781-280-4000.

Progress is a trademark or registered trademark of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the US and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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On 40 Years Watching the Sustainable Business Field – Sustainable Brands

Posted: at 3:06 pm

The second of a three-part proposal for using sustainability to recharge America's problem-solving. Read part one.

As I approach the 40-year mark (no, the sustainable business field isnt that old, but Im counting poking-and-prodding prep time in those early, mostly barren and lonely MBA years), I wanted to reflect and offer some suggestions, not so much to the field at large, but to its emerging leaders those already bending rules in the Purpose, Business-as-an-Agent-of-World-Benefit, Values, UN SDGs and Context wings. Of course, potential leaders within the now-conventional sustainable business field are welcome to listen in.

These pioneers are now making some headway towards mainstream relevance. But we need to try harder to avoid common one-step-forward/half-step-back change patterns. I continue to see unnecessarily self- or culturally imposed constraints on potential effectiveness because of not questioning enough of our assumptions. And in the last few years Ive seen a possible good news/bad news result: mid-20s to early-30s graduates of some prominent green MBA/Masters Programs in good positions, and who with their LEED and GRI certifications are a step beyond their generational predecessors, but who have settled. They routinely follow old-line organizational procedures, and seem to have given up on transformational change.

As some examples, Im still not seeing enough realization that were going to have to learn our way to sustainability, and therefore humility and curiosity are acceptable personality traits. Theres not enough boldness to raise, and comfort to discuss, some difficult topics within our business organizations. These include: ethics that are not yet being forced on you, state and national policy and politics, gray areas, uncertainty, and complexity. We dont often challenge organizations to leave their comfort zones. We dont explain systems thinking, one of our powerful tools, very well. Our communications field-influenced work doesnt always ask Whats special about sustainability that might not apply anywhere else? All the writing about the importance of innovation doesnt go far enough to ask about lurking but lethal innovation killers outside of the main, usually technical, areas getting the attention. The take-down of common sense as an unquestioned virtue by the contrarian field of behavioral economics, such as the primacy of rationality and its long-held but mistaken separation from emotions in our decision-making, are not appreciated.

Everyday references to business in the media, as in business is supporting the rollback of environmental regulations, or even just routine single-bottom-line messages, are not commonly refuted with counter-examples offered by groups such as Ceres and the American Sustainable Business Council, or the TBL concept. Challenge those conventional wisdoms, too.

We seem content with success in filling old occupational titles, and not fully exploring and building on new ones, such as Danones Chief Manifesto Catalyst, Ben & Jerrys Activism Manager, Volans Chief Pollinator, Googles Design Ethicist and Product Philosopher. Our Green MBA programs dont seem to want to tell students, at least those who are open to hearing it, that theyre going to have to invent their roles in the field and redefine them as they go.

Examples of courage are still rare and this trait doesnt even appear in lists of what we tell students to cultivate. Ive often written about the too-easy acceptance of the purported objectivity and supremacy of data and metrics, rather than using them as tools in the pursuit of sustainability.

Ive long noted a superficial use of what should be one of our most treasured words - community - as actual better performance by sustainability practitioners compared to their non-sustainable world peers is barely detectable. Ask, for instance, do we routinely respond to emails or messages on our companys Contact sites? Do we get back to people when we say we will? Do we play fair when we compete for contracts? Do we cover each others backs when one of us goes out on a limb and it doesnt go so well? Are we treating each other within the field the way we would want to be treated?

And now the same thing is happening with another potential treasure - transformation - which is cavalierly being thrown around. With some exceptions, the differences between it and its apparent opposite, incremental, are also hard to perceive.

Diversity programs, while well-intended, totally miss overgeneralizations about, and show no empathy towards, white men, who are apparently all the same. Their fears of reverse discrimination and possibly how to address it almost never come up.

While I see some advantages, Im not totally comfortable with the swing to, and especially the conformity around, positive psychology and the flourishing or thriving themes that seek to replace the sustainability term. I just heard a lecture on survivalism from the Transition wing of the sustainability field not a lot of flourishing there. Im too aware of the gloomy yet prominent environmental writers, Elizabeth Kolbert and Derrick Jensen, who stunningly offer no hope. And while I have problems with those extremes, too, we cannot simply ignore these perspectives.

Finally, while weve heard the message we need to learn to understand and talk to the Trump voter, were only at the very beginning of figuring out how (or havent yet decided that we truly need to). Doing so will require a new attitude and perhaps skillsets.

So as not to fall into the glass-half-full and no-hope traps myself, Ill end more positively and make a few more suggestions, including reframing whats on many minds into a lemons into lemonade opportunity.

Im seeing and recently reviewed reports and articles from a growing number of consultants and foundations who are telling business what the latter may not want to hear. It is no longer so rare. And, at least when Ive seen them do it, they are not getting hit for it.

In your UN SDGs or related pursuits, dont not pursue mainstream companies from whom you wouldnt necessarily expect positive results. They might be ready to show some Principle, too. I showed many examples in a three-part series last year.

At the next sustainable business conference you attend, put the smartphone down a few times, look for someone you dont know whom you ordinarily wouldnt talk to, go up to them and ask: Whats working for you here, and what isnt? Your new friend might have something on their mind that you need to hear.

Finally, if the leading edge of the sustainable business field plays its cards right, learns and revises quickly as it goes, and brings along the rest of the field, with a lot of luck, the next potentially very scary four years can actually be an opportunity to begin to displace conventional business-as-usual with a new business-as-usual: Business as an Agent of World Benefit.

Next week: A Review of the Social Costs of Carbon

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More than a game: ND Ethics Week examines sports and the common good – ND Newswire

Posted: at 3:06 pm

The 2017 edition of Notre Dame Ethics Week will put a new spin on a popular topic sports.

The annual conference, held Feb. 14-17 at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business, will explore Sports and the Common Good through a series of panel discussions, speakers and even the showing of a classic baseball movie.

Sports is big business, said Brian Levey, Mendoza teaching professor and one of the Ethics Week organizers. Estimates peg the global sports market at $1.5 trillion. And by examining sports from a deeper perspective, we can explore business ethics issues in a relatable manner. Winning, losing, fair play, cheating, equality, discrimination, altruism, egoism -- sports has it all.

Ethics Week events, which are free and open to the public, take place in the Giovanini Commons located in the lower level of Mendoza College of Business unless otherwise noted in the following schedule:

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Panel discussion: Life Lessons from Sports: Performance & Purpose, featuring Christopher Adkins, executive director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership; and Amber Lattner, founder, Lattner Performance Group

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 12:20-1:30 p.m.: Panel discussion: Building Global Bridges through Sports, featuring Guiorgie Gia Kvaratskhelia, head fencing coach, University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame student-athletes Jonah Shainberg (fencing) and Sandra Yu (soccer); and Mario Berkeley, Mendoza teaching assistant (moderator)

Thursday, Feb. 16, 5:30-7:45 p.m.: Movie night: The Natural, showing in Mendozas Jordan Auditorium, immediately followed by Panel & Pizza

Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:45-8:30 p.m.: Panel & Pizza: Discussion of the novel, The Natural: Messiah in Uniform, by Bernard Malamud, featuring Michael Cozzillio, Widener University Commonwealth Law School; and Ed Edmonds, Notre Dame Law School. Note: Free pizza will be provided to the first 75 movie attendees who also attend the panel discussion

Friday, Feb. 17, 12-1 p.m.: "Prolanthrophy: The Business of Helping Athletes Give Back, featuring J. Jonathan Hayes, principal director, Pro Sports, Pegasus Partners Ltd.

Notre Dame Ethics Week takes place annually in February, and brings in experts from a diverse array of industries to explore current ethics issues. The event is sponsored by the Mendoza College of Business and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership.

Now in its 20th year, Notre Dame Ethics Week was established to encourage the discussion of ethical matters in undergraduate and graduate business classes atNotreDame and to secure a foundation for future discussions inside and outside the classroom. The event continues the legacy of JohnHouck, aNotreDame management professor who authored numerous works on business ethics, including Is the Good Corporation Dead?Houckdied in 1996.

For more information aboutNotreDame Ethics Week, contact Brian Levey at(574) 631-3560orblevey@nd.edu.

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More than a game: ND Ethics Week examines sports and the common good - ND Newswire

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THE BACKSTORY: How Trump got to yes on Gorusch — PLAYBOOK EXCLUSIVE: PETRAEUS warns US … – Politico

Posted: at 3:06 pm

Driving the Day

Listen to Playbook in 90 Seconds http://bit.ly/2kQMYba Subscribe on iTunes http://apple.co/2eX6Eay Visit the online home of Playbook http://politi.co/2f51Jnf

JUST A THOUGHT: Earlier this week, President Donald Trump mocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for crying about the plight of immigrants, saying he was faking, and wondering aloud from the White House who his acting coach was. Yesterday, he followed that up by calling him Fake Tears Chuck Schumer to his 23 million Twitter followers. Now hes asking Schumer to expedite the consideration and support Neil Gorsuch, his nominee for the Supreme Court. Do you think thats how this works, Mr. President?

Story Continued Below

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to February. Yes, we expect Gorsuch to get confirmed. But Democrats are saying they want him to get 60 votes, daring Republicans to push him through on a majority vote. Gorsuch passed the Senate unanimously 2006 when President George W. Bush nominated him, but that matters little when talking about todays political dynamics. Eight Democrats would need to join with Republicans to break the expected Democratic filibuster.

AT LEAST SEVEN Democratic senators have signaled an openness to having a committee vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Chris Coons (Del.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Jon Tester (Mont.).

**SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/1M75UbX

THE REVIEWS TRUMP CARES ABOUT -- NYT -- 5 of 6 stories about Trump and ANOTHER six-column banner headline -- TRUMPS COURT PICK SETS UP POLITICAL CLASH. He probably likes this one, referring to Gorsuch, A Nominee Who Echoes Scalias Style, but probably doesnt care for this one, referring to Anthony Scaramucci, a hedge-fund manager turned adviser, A Trump Aide, a Chinese Firm And A Fear of Tangled Interests. http://nyti.ms/2jVIVII WaPo -- the entire front page is about Trump, and another banner headline -- Supreme Court nominee is Gorsuch Its still Justice Kennedys court Originalist pick seen as willing to compromise http://bit.ly/2kpN1tU N.Y. Post: BURN IT DOWN!: Dems go full blast to undermine Trump http://nyp.st/2jusKUo

THE BACKSTORY -- GREAT DETAILS -- How Trump got to yes on Gorsuch, by Shane Goldmacher, Eliana Johnson and Josh Gerstein: Behind the scenes, [Donald] Trump settled on [Neil] Gorsuch after only a single in-person interview in Trump Tower. Gorsuch was ushered into the building through a back door on Jan. 14 so he wouldnt be seen by the press gathered in the lobby. Trump personally interviewed four Supreme Court finalists, three at his home in New York before he moved to the White House, according to two people involved in the search. ... Only one other person was in the room during Trumps full interviews with the finalists: White House Counsel Don McGahn, the two officials said. And Trump only met with each of the finalists once before deciding, although he did later speak with some by phone. Trumps top lieutenants -- Vice President Mike Pence, McGahn, chief of staff Reince Priebus, and chief strategist Stephen Bannon -- also had their own interviews with the four finalists, along with several other candidates in New York. http://politi.co/2jul6t1 Video of Trump announcing Gorsuch http://bit.ly/2kqcgfx

THE ANALYSIS -- NYTs ADAM LIPTAK: In Judge Neil Gorsuch, an Echo of Scalia in Philosophy and Style: Judge Gorsuch ... is an originalist, meaning he tries to interpret the Constitution consistently with the understanding of those who drafted and adopted it. This approach leads him to generally but not uniformly conservative results. While he has not written extensively on several issues of importance to many conservatives, including gun control and gay rights, Judge Gorsuch has taken strong stands in favor of religious freedom, earning him admiration from the right. Judge Gorsuch has not hesitated to take stands that critics say have a partisan edge. He has criticized liberals for turning to the courts rather than legislatures to achieve their policy goals, and has called for limiting the power of federal regulators. http://nyti.ms/2kfP9lg

-- WAPOS ROBERT BARNES: Trump makes his pick, but its still Anthony Kennedys Supreme Court: Kennedy, 80 and celebrating his 29th year on the court this month, will remain the pivotal member of the court no matter how the warfare between Republicans and Democrats plays out. On almost every big social issue, neither the courts liberal, Democratic-appointed justices nor Kennedys fellow Republican-appointed conservative colleagues can prevail without him. That is why an undercurrent of Trumps first choice for the court was whether it would soothe Kennedy, making him feel secure enough to retire and let this president choose the person who would succeed him.

Who better, then, to put Kennedy at ease than one of his former clerks? Kennedy trekked to Denver to swear in his protege Neil Gorsuch on the appeals court 10 years ago. If Gorsuch is confirmed to the Supreme Court, it would be the first time that a justice has served with a former clerk. http://wapo.st/2jC6nYb

-- NEAL K. KATYAL in the NYT, Why Liberals Should Back Neil Gorsuch: I was an acting solicitor general for President Barack Obama; Judge Gorsuch has strong conservative bona fides and was appointed to the 10th Circuit by President George W. Bush. But I have seen him up close and in action, both in court and on the Federal Appellate Rules Committee (where both of us serve); he brings a sense of fairness and decency to the job, and a temperament that suits the nations highest court. http://nyti.ms/2jTXieo

-- A 2002 op-ed in UPI by Gorsuch excoriated the Senate for delaying hearings to appoint John Roberts and Merrick Garland to the U.S. Court of Appeals http://bit.ly/2kqVRXO

-- @ShaneGoldmacher: Gorsuchs classmate at Harvard Law: A certain gentleman named Barack Obama

WHO WILL HELP GORSUCH -- Ayotte to lead White House team shepherding Supreme Court nominee, by WaPos Phil Rucker and Ashley Parker: [Kelly] Ayotte will serve as the nominees so-called sherpa, personally introducing the pick to senators and escorting him or her to meetings and the confirmation hearing. The lead staffer on the nominees team will be Makan Delrahim, currently the director of nominations for the White House legislative affairs office. Delrahim will serve as the quarterback, in the words of the White House official, overseeing strategy and outreach with the Senate.

Delrahim will work closely with Mary Elizabeth Taylor, a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), where she ran the Senate cloakroom and developed personal relationships with Republican senators. Also involved will be Rick Dearborn, a deputy White House chief of staff and a former chief of staff to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), and Marc Short, the White Houses director of legislative affairs. The communications strategy will be overseen by Ron Bonjean, a longtime Republican strategist who has served as chief of staff to the Senate Republican Conference and as the chief spokesman for former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.). http://wapo.st/2jUiEbb

-- BUZZ: The White House considered several other potential sherpas before settling on Ayotte. Kyle Simmons, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, was among those who had been discussed. Typically, SCOTUS sherpas are veteran staffers like former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein, who managed multiple Supreme Court and cabinet nominee picks.

** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs: Federal programs, state governments, employers, unions and others partner with PBMs to address rising prescription drug costs, keep patients healthy, and deliver value for the health system. Visit http://www.affordableprescriptiondrugs.org for more. **

TEAM OF RIVALS -- White House tries to course correct after messy travel restriction rollout, by CNNs Dana Bash: According to sources familiar with internal White House conversations, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus will now take more control of the systems dealing with basic functions, like executive orders. The way one source described it: Priebus already technically had the authority, but clearly the staff needed a reminder not to color outside their lines. Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner, two other senior advisers, still have considerable power and influence with Trump. Administration officials say no role has been diminished or expanded but rather existing roles clarified. It is unclear how that will fit in with Priebus exerting more control over White House operations. Additionally, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway is expected to take more control of the communications strategy. http://cnn.it/2kQb6XX

SCARAMUCCI UNDER FIRE -- NYT A1, Trump Aides Deal With Chinese Firm Raises Fear of Tangled Interests, by Sharon LaFraniere, Michael Forsythe and Alexandra Stevenson: A secretive Chinese company with deep ties to the countrys Communist Party has become one of the biggest foreign investors in the United States over the past year, snapping up American firms in a string of multibillion-dollar deals. But it is one of its smaller deals that is apparently stalling the White House career of a top adviser to President Trump. Anthony Scaramucci, a flamboyant former campaign fund-raiser for Mr. Trump whom the president has appointed as the White House liaison to the business community, has been in limbo for more than a week since he agreed to sell his investment firm to a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate, HNA Group.

Mr. Scaramucci is on the job but has yet to be sworn in, partly because of concerns about the Jan. 17 deal, according to two administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly discuss personnel matters. It is the second known transaction between a politically connected Chinese company and an incoming White House official. And it is evidence of the unusual confluence of interests between superrich members of the new Trump administration who need to unwind complex financial portfolios to comply with government rules and international firms eager to buy American assets. http://nyti.ms/2kfNfBd

-- Scaramucci fights to stay in the White House, by Tara Palmeri: Reince Priebus and Anthony Scaramucci were sucked into a bizarre episode of infighting Tuesday as the White House chief of staff tried to push Scaramucci out of a promised role as an adviser to President Donald Trump, only to later backtrack. http://politi.co/2kpXm93

PETRAEUS WARNING -- ONLY IN PLAYBOOK -- Former CIA Director, retired Gen. David Petraeus plans to warn the House Armed Services Committee this morning that U.S. global alliances are at risk, according to an advance copy of his testimony from someone close to Petraeus. In assessing the threats, Petraeus plans to tell the committee: Americans should not take the current international order for granted. It did not will itself into existence. We created it. Likewise, it is not naturally self-sustaining. We have sustained it. If we stop doing so, it will fray and, eventually, collapse. This is precisely what some of our adversaries seek to encourage. President Putin, for instance, understands that, while conventional aggression may occasionally enable Russia to grab a bit of land on its periphery, the real center of gravity is the political will of major democratic powers to defend Euro-Atlantic institutions like NATO and the EU.

NEW POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT POLL -- Poll: 1-in-4 voters believe Trump's vote-fraud claims, by Jake Sherman: One in four voters believe President Donald Trump's unsupported claim that millions of votes were illegally cast in the 2016 election, but more people believe that Trump benefited from any electoral malfeasance instead of Hillary Clinton. A new POLITICO/Morning Consult survey showed that 25 percent of registered voters say they agree with Trump that millions of people improperly cast ballots last November. But if the election was subject to voter fraud, 35 percent say its more likely any improper votes benefited Trump, and 30 percent say they benefited Clinton.

Trumps approval rating is ticking upward toward 50 percent: 49 percent of voters approve of how Trump is handling his job, and 41 percent disapprove. That is more positive than other polls; a 51-percent majority disapproves of Trump in the latest Gallup tracking poll. Even Trump's favorable rating -- 49 percent favorable to 44 percent unfavorable is a significant departure from other polls, which show Trump viewed more unfavorably. http://politi.co/2juUSGA

OTHER POLL HIGHLIGHTS

-- SEAN SPICER IS WELL KNOWN. 60% say they have seen, read or heard a lot or some of Spicer. He has a 24% favorable rating, 32% unfavorable, 16% have no opinion and 28% dont know him.

-- AS NETANYAHU READIES FOR TRIP TO THE U.S., AMERICANS SAY DONT MOVE THE EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM. Across the board, our new poll shows that Americans dont want the U.S. to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. When told of the history of the issue, 41% say to leave the embassy in Tel Aviv and 33% say move the embassy to Jerusalem.

THE JUICE --

-- EU ANXIETY -- POSTCARD FROM BRUSSELS: From our POLITICO Europe Playbook colleague Ryan Heath in Brussels: "European Commission Vice President Maro efovi just stood up in the EU press room and said that the College of European Commissioners discussed at their weekly Cabinet meeting that it and the EU have to choose between the 'inequality, national egoism' displayed by the Trump administration or 'openness, social equality and solidarity' that the defines the EU. Sefcovic said there was 'growing anxiety' about the transatlantic relationship and urged the Trump team to cool it because: 'The U.S. never had a better ally than Europe.'"

-- BIDEN LAUNCHES FOUNDATION: The Biden Foundation is launching to build on Vice President and Dr. Bidens lifelong commitment to protecting and advancing rights and opportunities of all people, according to a release off embargo at 5 a.m. The board of the foundation: Former Sen. Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden adviser; Valerie Biden Owens, the VPs sister; Mark Gitenstein, a former Biden aide who later was ambassador to Romania; Mark Angelson, a long time Biden adviser; and Jeff Peck of Peck Madigan and Jones. Peck also worked for Biden on the Hill. Louisa Terrell, Sen. Cory Bookers former chief of staff, a former Facebook lobbyist and FCC aide, will be executive director of the foundation.

-- KEY MCCARTHY AIDE TO THE WHITE HOUSE: Ben Howard, who ran the House floor for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), has gone to work for President Donald Trumps legislative affairs office. This is not only big for Howard, but also for McCarthy, whose stature continues to grow in Trump World. I cant begin to express my gratitude for all Ben has done not only for me and my team, but the entire Republican Conference, McCarthy emails. Over the years Ive relied on Ben for both his wisdom and his wit. Hes been an integral part of my senior staff, but President Trump and his team will be well served by Ben as we work to enact the American peoples legislative priorities.

-- SPOTTED: Eric Trump in first class and Don Trump Jr. in coach flying from DCA to LaGuardia on the 10 p.m. American shuttle after the Supreme Court announcement House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, who is under heat for several of his aides agreeing to sign non-disclosures with the Trump team, chatting with Steve Bannon at the White House Supreme Court announcement Tuesday night NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan at the White House for the SCOTUS announcement.

HAPPENING TODAY -- PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff will interview Vice President Mike Pence Wednesday morning in his first sitdown since inauguration. It will air Wednesday night. Trump is attending an African American History Month listening session. In the afternoon, he is participating in a legislative affairs strategy session.

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump walks through the Cross Hall to the East Room of the White House to nominate Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court on Jan. 31. | Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

THE RESISTANCE -- GET WITH THE PROGRAM, OR NOT -- State Dept. Dissent Cable on Trumps Ban Draws 1,000 Signatures, by NYTs Jeffrey Gettleman on A1: It started out in Washington. Then it went to Jakarta. Then across Africa. One version even showed up on Facebook. Within hours, a State Department dissent cable, asserting that President Trumps executive order to temporarily bar citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries would not make the nation safer, traveled like a chain letter -- or a viral video. The cable wended its way through dozens of American embassies around the world, quickly emerging as one of the broadest protests by American officials against their presidents policies. And it is not over yet. By 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the letter had attracted around 1,000 signatures, State Department officials said, far more than any dissent cable in recent years. It was being delivered to management, and department officials said more diplomats wanted to add their names to it. The State Department has 7,600 Foreign Service officers and 11,000 civil servants. http://nyti.ms/2jutOr1

-- Resistance from within: Federal workers push back against Trump, by WaPos Juliet Eilperin, Lisa Rein, and Marc Fisher: Less than two weeks into Trumps administration, federal workers are in regular consultation with recently departed Obama-era political appointees about what they can do to push back against the new presidents initiatives. Some federal employees have set up social media accounts to anonymously leak word of changes that Trump appointees are trying to make. ... At a church in Columbia Heights last weekend, dozens of federal workers attended a support group for civil servants seeking a forum to discuss their opposition to the Trump administration. And 180 federal employees have signed up for a workshop next weekend, where experts will offer advice on workers rights and how they can express civil disobedience. http://wapo.st/2jVGN3H

COMING ATTRACTIONS -- Trump administration circulates more draft immigration restrictions, focusing on protecting U.S. jobs, by WaPos Abigail Hauslohner and Janell Ross: The Trump administration is considering a plan to weed out would-be immigrants who are likely to require public assistance, as well as to deport --- when possible -- immigrants already living in the United States who depend on taxpayer help, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Washington Post. A second draft order under consideration calls for a substantial shake-up in the system through which the United States administers immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, with the aim of tightly controlling who enters the country and who can enter the workforce, and reducing the social services burden on U.S. taxpayers. http://wapo.st/2jup5FU

BRIAN FALLON in POLITICO, Why Trumps Firing of Sally Yates Should Worry You: [F]or Yates, if this weeks events did mark the conclusion of her career at Justice, she can at least depart knowing she was true to herself and to the finest traditions of the institution until the very end. But theres always the chance her leave from Justice is only temporary. It seems quite likely she will be at the top of any list for attorney general in a future administrationonly next time, on a full-time basis. http://politi.co/2kqJOK5

WHAT THE HILL IS READING -- Staffers secret work on immigration order rattles the Capitol, by Rachael Bade: News that House Judiciary Committee staffers secretly collaborated on Donald Trumps controversial immigration order reverberated through the Capitol on Tuesday: Democrats denounced the arrangement, the GOP panel stonewalled, and an outside ethics group requested an investigation. And the man most on the hot seat over the unusual arrangement, House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, was in full-on cleanup mode. At a private GOP conference meeting, Goodlatte (R-Va.) tried to calm fellow Republicans who were incensed to learn that some of his aides helped craft Trump's immigration directive without telling him or GOP leaders or about it. Democrats, meanwhile, almost immediately began raising ethical concerns about nondisclosure agreements signed by the Judiciary aides and questioned whether such work infringes on separation of powers. http://politi.co/2jUjRiQ

-- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Several government employees signed a non-disclosure agreement to secretly work on an executive order on immigration for the Trump team. And Goodlattes staff -- whose salaries are funded by taxpayer money -- refuses to answer if the chairman approved of this, and why it was allowed.

SHOW ME THE MONEY -- Trump raised $15 million in December, by Ken Vogel: President Donald Trumps reelection efforts are off to a strong start financially, according to Tuesday evening campaign finance reports showing that Trumps three committees brought in a combined $15 million last month and finished the year with $16 million in the bank. The committees Trumps campaign and two joint fundraising vehicles created by the campaign and various Republican Party committees - disbursed nearly $32 million from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31. http://politi.co/2kPZTH2

--TEXT FROM TRUMP President Trump took office only 10 days ago and the media has waged a nasty fight every day. Fight back. Donate by the 11:59p deadline: http://www.bit.ly/2jSqMsN

** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs: Federal programs, state governments, employers, unions and others partner with PBMs to address rising prescription drug costs, keep patients healthy, and deliver value for the health system. Visit http://www.affordableprescriptiondrugs.org for more. **

THE CABINET -- Treasury secretary nominees foreign money links bring new scrutiny, by CNNs Phil Mattingly: In a private interview with committee staff, aides said, Mnuchin acknowledged that his responses to the committee had not, as he had stated, been true, accurate and complete. He twice was forced to revise his initial disclosure questionnaire. He stated his role in the entities was inadvertently missed during the disclosure process. http://cnn.it/2kQrcEh

WHAT PELOSI TOLD TAPPER -- CNNs town hall with the House minority leader -- TAPPER: You still think you can work with [Trump]? PELOSI: Well, I certainly hope so. Hes the president of the United States. And by the way, I told him at the meeting, so Ill tell you, I said, Mr. President, we have -- I worked, when I had the majority, I was the speaker, I had the gavel, and President George W. Bush was president, we worked with him even though we disagreed on the war in Iraq. What could be worse than that? And privatizing Social Security, we disagreed on those. But we passed some of the most progressive legislation to help poor children, the biggest energy bill in the history of our country. He wanted nuclear; we wanted renewables. We had a big bill. The list goes on. Drugs for HIV-AIDS, all of those kinds of things. So we disagree on certain issues. We respect that hes the president of the United States. We want to work together. But where we will draw the line is if he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

-- FOR YOUR RADAR: Pelosi and Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst will speak at the 132nd Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner on March 4.

MOVING ON -- Strobe Talbott stepping down from Brookings, by Michael Crowley: Talbott, a former TIME magazine journalist who became deputy secretary of state under Bill Clinton, has led Brookings for 15 years. He will resign in October. ... He served at the State Department from 1993 to 2001, including seven years as Deputy Secretary of State. http://politi.co/2kfHLGD Release http://politi.co/2kUx0IN

SCHOCK UPDATE -- @kenvogel: Ex-Rep. @AaronSchocks campaign cmte paid a $10k compliance penalty to the @USTreasury, & $16k+ in legal fees. http://bit.ly/2kQ9c9X

VALLEY TALK -- Googles Eric Schmidt: Trump Administration Will Do Evil Things, by BuzzFeeds William Alden and Nitasha Tiku: Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Googles parent company, told an audience of Google employees on Thursday that the Trump administration is going to do these evil things as theyve done in the immigration area and perhaps some others. Schmidts remarks were made during the companys weekly meeting at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, on January 26. http://bzfd.it/2kfQLeU

MEMO FROM CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN AND JOHN HARRIS -- Please join me in offering thanks and congratulations to our colleague, Roger Simon, who is retiring from the business after 42 years of writing columns 10 of which were for POLITICO. Roger was the first person in this newsroom hired after John Harris joined Matt Wuerker and Ken Vogel from the Capitol Leader gang in late 2006. In this peevish age, in which combatants seem never to relinquish the self-righteous pose, and the language of politics often is infused with contempt, Roger uses his gift for language for a different cause. He respects politics and its practitioners, even when he is being searingly critical. He is shrewd in assessing character and motive and views politics and the work of government less through an ideological prism than human one. These are real people, often quite powerful, making decisions that affect other real people, often quite powerless.

-- ROGERS LAST COLUMN: A majority of one walks away from his keyboard: This is the end, my friends. It is time to say goodbye. I realize this is the worst possible time for a political columnist to retire, but what I didnt realize is that any of you cared. Robert Feder, a famous media writer from Chicago, found out about my retirement a few days ago and I have been flooded with farewells ever since. I have also been flooded -- really, you can read them -- with messages on Facebook and Twitter asking me not to retire. Not now. Not, Im told, when America needs you. I know, I know: It is preposterous. It is laughable. But not to some.

For some, I have been the friend they have never met for more than 40 years. For all those years, my job took me all over the world. My wife and I had precious little time for extended vacations. She stayed behind working at newspapers for 35 years and then running her own editing business. Now she wants to see the world. And Id like to go with her while I still can. http://politi.co/2jCde3I

MEDIAWATCH -- White House ices out CNN, by Hadas Gold: The White House has refused to send its spokespeople or surrogates onto CNN shows, effectively icing out the network from on-air administration voices. Were sending surrogates to places where we think it makes sense to promote our agenda, said a White House official, acknowledging that CNN is not such a place, but adding that the ban is not permanent. A CNN reporter, speaking on background, was more blunt: The White House is trying to punish the network and force down its ratings. Theyre trying cull CNN from the herd, the reporter said. Administration officials are still answering questions from CNN reporters. But administration officials including White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and senior counselor Kellyanne Conway haven't appeared on the network's programming in recent weeks. http://politi.co/2jVAPje

--Upset in WSJ newsroom over editors directive to avoid majority Muslim in immigration ban coverage, by Joe Pompeo: [Gerry] Baker conveyed the message in an internal email Monday night, responding to a breaking news story about Trumps firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Q. Yates for refusing to defend the executive order temporarily barring citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia from entering the country. Can we stop saying seven majority Muslim countries? Its very loaded, Baker wrote in an email to editors obtained by POLITICO. ... Would be less loaded to say seven countries the US has designated as being states that pose significant or elevated risks of terrorism. http://politi.co/2jC3gzg

--Fox News Tops Cable News Ratings for 15 Straight Years With January Win, by The Wraps Brian Flood: http://bit.ly/2jC70kA

KATY TUR PROFILE -- Taunted by Trump, Little Katy stood her ground. And became a star because of it, by WaPos Paul Farhi: Trumps attacks on [Megyn] Kelly may have had a higher profile, but few reporters took as much flak from the future president as Tur. Turs reaction to the tumult was like that during her first confrontations in New Hampshire and in Trump Tower. She stood her ground. She didnt fire back. She continued reporting. Now she smiles at the memory, as composed as a sonnet. Generally, I find the hotter the temperature, the cooler I am, she says. Its times of relative calm and ease that I start to wind myself up. http://wapo.st/2kOGlWA

SPOTTED -- Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump eating at RPM Italian Monday night. They also took a jog Saturday with their security detail on the trails on Rock Creek Parkway.

OUT AND ABOUT -- Democratic campaign hands gathered last night to celebrate former Howard Dean campaign manager and longtime political strategist, Rick Ridder, and his new book at the Hawk n Dove. Ridders book Looking for Votes in All the Wrong Places: Tales and Rules from the Campaign Trail draws from his decades leading campaigns and the party featured friends old and new. $16.99 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2jCacg1 SPOTTED mingling in the crowd: Stephanie Schriock and Jess OConnell from EMILYs List, Colorado Reps. Diana DeGette and Ed Perlmutter, Mark Putnam, the DSCCs Lauren Passalacqua, Andrew Piatt, Danny Kazin, Jay Marlin, Rich Pelletier, Mark Blumenthal, Glen Totten, and Amy Pritchard. Also spotted: Ricks proud daughter and DCCC alum Jenn Ridder.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Doug Calidas, legislative counsel for Sen. Joe Manchin III and Wharton and Duke Law alum, and Katie Calidas, a designer for an advertising agency and Parsons alum, on Sunday at 12:05 a.m. welcomed William Kristopher Calidas, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, 21 inches. Mother and baby are doing great and came home from the hospital Monday. Pic http://bit.ly/2jBYYYW

TRANSITIONS -- Victoria Glynn, former deputy press secretary at the Veterans Affairs Department, has joined Rep. Henry Cuellars (D-Texas) office as communications director. My Brothers Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance) has elected former Obama administration official Broderick D. Johnson as chairman of the board of directors effective yesterday. http://politi.co/2jUDozP

NSC DEPARTURE LOUNGE -- Adam Strickler departs the NSC today after nine years of service to four National Security Advisers, most recently Ambassador Susan Rice. He plans to take some time off with Lauren and Toby. (h/t Suitestaff44)

BIRTHDAYS OF THE DAY: Jake Siewert, head of corporate comms at Goldman Sachs, father of four, and Bill Clinton alumnus, celebrating with a pancake breakfast at my kids school, a full days work, and dinner with my wife near our apartment -- read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2kQnzuV ABC News Ali Dukakis, celebrating with friends and co-workers likely at Edgar -- Q&A: http://politi.co/2kUk1qP ... BuzzFeed White House correspondent Adrian Carrasquillo, celebrating with operatives, reporters, BuzzFeed colleagues and friends on Friday at Hawthorne -- Q&A: http://politi.co/2kpVEoi

BIRTHDAYS: CAAs Michael Kives ... Liz Breckenridge of Sen. Caseys office and is the pride of Chesterfield, Mo. Hudson Lee (Carol Lees son) is 4 ... Fred Barnes is 74 ... Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) is 73 ... Jamie Radice, head of comms and public policy at Shift Technologies, and a McAuliffe and HRC 2008 campaign alum ... Christine Halloran ... Marc Elias of Perkins Coie (h/ts Jon Haber) Mara Sloan Mat Lapinski, Jeff Kimbell protg and EVP of Crossroads Strategies (h/t Krueger) ... Matt Moon, EVP at Delve DC and a Rick Scott and RNC alum ... Politicos Andrew Friedman (h/t wife Taylor) ... Ashley Hicks, manager of corporate alliances at USO and a Politico alum ... Joseph Jones, pride of Des Moines and beloved friend of ACYPL ... Miguel Ayala, SBA and Hillary campaign alum, is 38 ... L.A. Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten, the pride of Lakewood, N.J., is 65 ... David Thomas of Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Alexa Kissinger, Obama White House and 12 alum, now 2L at Harvard Law School (h/t Gareth Rhodes) ... Dan Arbell, 25-year veteran of the Israeli foreign service, now a scholar-in-residence at AU ... Tara Brown, Mid-Atlantic regional director for AIPAC (h/ts Jewish Insider) ... Jordyn Phelps, ABC News superstar White House producer (h/ts Jonathan Karl and Arlette Saenz) ... ABC News Erin Dooley (h/t Arlette) ...

... Tara McGowan, digital director at Priorities USA Willa Prescott, the pride of Omaha and Rep. Tom OHallerans scheduler and director of operations (h/t Zac Andrews) ... Bloomberg News U.S. economy reporter Michelle Jamrisko -- her Twitter bio: I like to tell my stories with pictures and numbers (h/t Ben Chang) ... Meet the Press producer Natalie Cucchiara, celebrating half of the day at 30 Rock and half of the day in D.C. (h/t Olivia Petersen) ... Locust Street Group founding partner David Barnhart (h/t Ben Jenkins) ... Andrew Oberlander ... Emmett McGroarty, education director at American Principles Project ... CBS News Alana Anyse ... Ubers Alex Luzi ... David Redl, counsel for the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee ... Susan Coll, director of events and programs at Politics & Prose ... Catherine Kim, executive editor at NBC News digital ... Maria Reppas ... Dan Chmielewski ... Josh Nelson, deputy political director of CREDO Mobile ... Alex Otwell of Cvent ... Karl Bach ... Bill Sweeney, former deputy DNC chair and now president and CEO at International Foundation for Electoral Systems ... Carrie Goux Luke Peterson ... Kelly Collins ... Zachary Tumin, deputy commissioner of strategic initiatives at NYPD ... Emily Laird ... Jordan Lillie Michael Frias Karl Bach, Human Rights Campaign alum Princess Stephanie of Monaco is 52 ... Lisa Marie Presley is 49 ... Pauly Shore is 49 ... Harry Styles (One Direction) is 23 (h/ts AP)

** A message from the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs: PBMs use their purchasing power, sophisticated analytics and clinical expertise to help government programs, employers and unions get the most effective drug at the lowest cost possible. In fact, a 2016 study found that for every $100 in prescription drug expenditures, costs would be $45 higher without PBMs negotiating directly with drug manufacturers. With drug costs on the rise, it's good to know there are private-market solutions to lower them. Check out http://www.affordableprescriptiondrugs.org for more. **

SUBSCRIBE to the Playbook family: POLITICO Playbook http://politi.co/1M75UbX ... New York Playbook http://politi.co/1ON8bqW Florida Playbook http://politi.co/1OypFe9 ... New Jersey Playbook http://politi.co/1HLKltF ... Massachusetts Playbook http://politi.co/1Nhtq5v Illinois Playbook http://politi.co/1N7u5sb ... California Playbook http://politi.co/2bLvcPl ... Brussels Playbook http://politi.co/1FZeLcw ... All our political and policy tipsheets http://politi.co/1M75UbX

CLARIFICATION: This version of Playbook has been updated to better clarify the stance of seven Democratic senators toward Neil Gorsuch.

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THE BACKSTORY: How Trump got to yes on Gorusch -- PLAYBOOK EXCLUSIVE: PETRAEUS warns US ... - Politico

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Unhinged ‘Professor’ Whose Hissy Fit at NYU Went Viral Turns Out to Be Lobster Porn Artist – PJ Media

Posted: at 3:06 pm

Thereare more lifestyles than you can shake a stick at in modern America. Whether you want to live as an animal, or a six-year-old, or a lizard, there's just no end to the choices one can make regarding how you live your life these days in the free world. (This may be our penance for the invention of robot vacuum cleaners. With no physical laborleft to do, human beings turn insane, apparently.) How exactly do you tell your parents you've decided to go into "lobster porn" like social media sensation Rebecca Goyette, whose expletive-filled hissy fit outside NYU went viral(NSFW). I imagine the conversation went something like this via email.

I know you had high hopes that I would take my art degree and perhaps teach children to paint or createbeautiful landscapes to sell to tourists in some tropical location, but none of that is going to happen. I wanted you to know your money was well spent because I have found a niche in the performance art community:Lobster porn.

What is lobster porn? I sew massive lobster claws onto my hands and flop around on the floor pretending to have sex with men wearing giant cloth penises I made with that sewing machine you bought me for Christmas. It's groundbreaking stuff. The Huffington Post even reported on it (seriously) in its art section. I'm a success! Please tell Grandma!

When I'm not doing crustacean kink, I'm writing and starring in satanic porn films about the Salem witch trials (since great great great great great Grandma Rebecca Nurse was horribly murdered by Puritans and generations later I'm still haunted by it because everyone in art school is really impressed by my trauma). The fact that I've turned to satanism and witchcraft should in no way cause anyone concern that our great relative might have actually been a witch. It's just a coincidence.

Anyway, love you to pieces. Sending photos from my last art show where I displayed a painting of a bound Donald Trump getting his penis cut off with shears.Please send money...this penis fabric is really expensive!

Toodles!

Rebecca

In the viral video she can be heard shoutingat the police that they should be beating up "neo-Nazis" (instead of protecting Gavin McInnes [who was speaking at an event] from the fascists in the crowd who pepper-sprayed him in the face).

Repeatedly during the video, Goyette claimed to be a professor. What's funny about that is the minute she said it, the entire Twitterverse collectively nodded and thought, "Of course she is." So imagine our surprise when aninvestigation discovered she was not a professor but is, in fact, a "lobster porn" performance "artist." If you've never heard of lobster porn, I beg you not to Google it like I did. I saw things that can't be unseen and believe me, I wish I hadn't.

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Unhinged 'Professor' Whose Hissy Fit at NYU Went Viral Turns Out to Be Lobster Porn Artist - PJ Media

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