Thursday, June 30, 2016

Bipartisan Disapproval Follows Bill Clinton's Meeting With Loretta Lynch; NPR, 6/30/16

Carrie Johnson, NPR; Bipartisan Disapproval Follows Bill Clinton's Meeting With Loretta Lynch:
"From the standpoint of legal ethics, Lynch did nothing wrong, said New York University law school professor Stephen Gillers. Gillers said he didn't think the attorney general needed to recuse herself from overseeing the email probe. But Gillers took a sterner tone with Bill Clinton.
"It was the height of insensitivity for the former president to approach the attorney general," Gillers said. "He put her in a very difficult position. She wasn't really free to say she wouldn't talk to a former president," after Clinton boarded her plane in Arizona.
"He jeopardized her independence and did create an appearance of impropriety going on to her plane," Gillers added."

Sanders is making his long goodbye count; Washington Post, 6/29/16

E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post; Sanders is making his long goodbye count:
"Sanders stands in a tradition of leaders and activists on the American left who, since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, have seen the Democratic Party as a vehicle for egalitarian purposes and have sought to build a strong progressive bloc inside the party.
Now that he has lost to Hillary Clinton, Sanders’s task is to maximize his side’s influence down the road. Given the threat posed by Donald Trump to so many of his own values, Sanders also has a moral obligation to help Clinton win this election."

Prince William gets royally schooled by his grandmother, the Queen; Washington Post, 6/17/16

Melissa Etehad, Washington Post; Prince William gets royally schooled by his grandmother, the Queen:
"Thanks to one person who managed to catch it on film, people are able to enjoy a hilarious moment featuring Britain's royal family.
While making an appearance at last week's Trooping the Color parade, the Queen was caught "scolding" Prince William on the Buckingham Palace balcony. In the clip below, William is seen sitting down and tending to his son, Prince George. The 90-year-old monarch then nudged William's shoulder, indicating that he should stand. The 33-year-old Duke of Cambridge quickly turned and obliged.
The footage reveals a rare and authentic moment between members of the royal family, but also serves as a reminder of who is in charge. The clip has since taken the Internet by storm. Social media users across the world have tweeted pictures and shared the GIFs widely."

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

The ‘single ingredient in leadership,’ according to legendary coach Pat Summitt; Washington Post, 6/28/16

Jena McGregor, Washington Post; The ‘single ingredient in leadership,’ according to legendary coach Pat Summitt:
"In one telling passage in the book, Summitt describes her decision to give Michelle Marciniak, who she called "a headlong, reckless player who needed curbing," the position of starting point guard after the 1994 NCAA tournament. It offers two powerful definitions of leadership and insight into how she thought about molding the elite players she led:
The point guard position in basketball is one of the great tutorials on leadership, and it ought to be taught in classrooms. Anyone can perfect a dribble with muscle memory; very few people are able to organize and direct followers, which is a far more subtle and multifaceted skill. Leadership is really a form of temporary authority that others grant you, and they only follow you if they find you consistently credible. It's all about perception -- and if teammates find you the least bit inconsistent, moody, unpredictable, indecisive or emotionally unreliable, then they balk and the whole team is destabilized.
Most young people are all the things I just listed, and Michelle was no different. If there is a single ingredient in leadership, it's emotional maturity.
Over the next two seasons, I intentionally did everything I could to break Michelle down. Why? Because until she completely surrendered herself and her ego, she wasn't going to become the reliable leader we needed. A willingness to do whatever it is that needs to be done regardless of self-interest is the hallmark of a mature leader."

Life’s Work: An Interview with Greg Louganis; Harvard Business Review, July-August 2016

Alison Beard, Harvard Business Review; Life’s Work: An Interview with Greg Louganis:
"You’ve described yourself as extremely shy, yet you’ve become something of a spokesperson for LGBT causes. How did you make that transition?
My mom always taught me, “Make everywhere you go better because you were there.” It’s funny, because I just got an e-mail from my sixth-grade teacher, who asked, “What happened to that shy little 12-year-old that I used to teach?” And you know what? That boy is still here. It’s just that I’m more comfortable articulating and sharing my thoughts and feelings now. But it’s not a mantle you pick up overnight.
Why are you a mentor and not a coach?
My coach, Ron, was also a mentor. He would meet with us and map out the calendar, saying, “OK, what are the major competitions and what are our goals—diving-related or not?” He coached us as individuals. There is less of that now. So when I meet with athletes, some of it’s about diving or communication breakdowns with their coaches, because I don’t see the dives the same way they do. They’re thinking about the mechanics and the positioning, while I see the athlete holding on to stress and forgetting to breathe. So I’ll say, “Put a breath right here and everything else will fall into place.” But most of it is about what goes on outside the pool. What are their career aspirations? Where do they see themselves in two to five years? Are they taking action steps to pursue those goals? I take a more holistic approach."

Why So Few "Diversity Candidates" Are Hired; Harvard Business Review, 6/24/16

[Video] Harvard Business Review; Why So Few "Diversity Candidates" Are Hired:
"Finalist pools can reinforce the status quo. For more, read "If There's Only One Woman in Your Candidate Pool, There's Statistically No Chance She'll Be Hired.""

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Silicon Valley firms are increasingly hiring chiefs of staff; Washington Post, 6/25/16

Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post; Silicon Valley firms are increasingly hiring chiefs of staff:
"Silicon Valley likes to thumb its nose at Washington. Tech executives have long derided the nation’s capital as a place where good ideas go to die by a thousand regulatory cuts. But increasingly, one quintessential Washington institution is taking hold: the chief of staff. Its growth in many companies is reflective of the evolution of the start-up boom: Companies have gotten bigger, often very quickly, and they’re seeking more organization and hierarchy as a result...
Chiefs of staff are the people who control access to the people every entrepreneur wants to meet. The relationship is highly intimate: They’re the ones who brief the executives in the morning and are often the last people the leaders communicate with before going to sleep...
Some Silicon Valley chiefs of staff prefer to eschew the Washington-sounding title, preferring terms like “technical lead” (at Intel and Amazon) or “director of the office of the CEO” (for Musk).
Chiefs of staff in Silicon Valley must frequently juggle the commitments of a cast of characters with larger-than-life personalities, ambitions and whims."

Friday, June 24, 2016

The Wendy Bell debacle: Employers need clear, consistent social-media policies; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/24/16

Beverly A. Block, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; The Wendy Bell debacle: Employers need clear, consistent social-media policies:
"I do not mean to minimize the importance of the dialogue about privilege and bias that has stemmed from Ms. Bell’s Facebook post, which offered her speculation as to the race and family situations of the Wilkinsburg killers. But, strictly from a business and legal perspective, this situation presents us with a teachable moment.
And the lesson is: Any organization with a social-media presence — which is just about every organization these days — needs to ensure that its employees understand that anything publicized in the public domain (either within the scope of their employment or that is reasonably attributable to their employer) must be aligned with the organization’s social-media policy.
Employers should have a formal policy and require employees to read and sign it. Employers should require employees to undergo social-media training before authorizing them to represent the organization in the public domain. And employers should have a protocol in place to address violations of social-media policy in a formal and uniform manner."

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Mark Cuban Pledges $1 Million To Dallas Police For LGBT Efforts; Huffington Post, 6/22/16

Curtis M. Wong, Huffington Post; Mark Cuban Pledges $1 Million To Dallas Police For LGBT Efforts:
"Mark Cuban has responded to the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, Florida in a very big way.
In the wake of the tragedy, the billionaire businessman and owner of the Dallas Mavericks will donate $1 million to the Dallas police department in an effort to better protect the city’s LGBT community, CNN reports. The donation will be used to fund additional patrols in Dallas’s Oak Lawn neighborhood, which boasts a sizable LGBT community, as well as an estimated an estimated 16,000 hours of overtime for officers to enhance counter-terrorism efforts across the city.
In a press release, the 57-year-old entrepreneur stated that he was “proud to be able to help the city of Dallas.”
Meanwhile, Dallas Police Chief David Brown praised the effort, vowing to “earmark and track the expenditure of these funds to ensure its effective use in creating a safe environment” for the city’s LGBT residents.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings echoed those sentiments, praising Cuban as “a man of action.”"

Simon Sinek: Why good leaders make you feel safe; TED Talk, 5/19/14

[Podcast] TED Talk; Simon Sinek: Why good leaders make you feel safe:
"What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it's someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety — especially in an uneven economy — means taking on big responsibility."

[Letter to the Editor] No Food in the Library; New York Times, 6/22/16

Mimi Sheraton, New York Times; [Letter to the Editor] No Food in the Library:
"To the Editor:
Re “After an 8-Year Wait, a New York Library Like No Other Opens” (news article, June 21):
As intriguing and promising as the changes to the 53rd Street Library are, allowing food at its “laptop bar” is a terrible mistake. It will become intrusively noisy, what with papers, foil and cans being opened.
It will create aromas offensive to many (unless raw onions, garlic, fermented foods and a host of other odoriferous treats are excluded), and it will lead to carelessly handled trash. Also, it will inspire too much commotion in a site meant for contemplation.
Plenty of places to eat in New York, far too few quiet oases for intellectual pursuits.
MIMI SHERATON
New York
The writer was a food and restaurant critic for The New York Times."

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Have a big presentation? Learn to ice the cake; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/21/16

Matthew Gutierrez, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Have a big presentation? Learn to ice the cake:
"On channeling nervousness...
Mr. English has taught public speaking for 15 years, yet he still gets “painfully” nervous before speaking to large groups. To lessen the nerves, he meditates, spending a few moments to be alone in his thoughts. He thinks of each speech as an opportunity to share something cool with his friends. Lowering the stakes makes the occasion more manageable...
On engaging your audience
Whether you’ve got a one-on-one talk or a speech in front of 400 people, think storytelling. Stories are powerful because they combine data and information with emotion. “The way to a person’s head is through their heart,” Mr. Carter said. “People buy into emotion.”
Stories paint even the most complex of topics in a new light. They can portray something new and enhance the message. Sometimes all it takes is a few seconds to connect an audience member with a story, Mr. English said."

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Power of Words: Answering the call to action on inclusion; Library Journal, 6/16/16

Rebecca T. Miller, Library Journal; The Power of Words: Answering the call to action on inclusion:
"“The words that we use can directly affect how we think,” says Dar. Now, she adds, the team is getting better at knowing what red flags to look for. “There aren’t necessarily easy answers,” Dar adds. “Now we have a safe space to surface issues. I hope if we keep doing it we can affect how our readers and reviewers think about the world.” Using this inclusive language, she adds, is a “subtle but important way to bring people into the fold.”
For the community of LJ and SLJ reviewers, Parrott and her team have developed and launched an eight-week online course called “Diversity & Cultural Inclusion in Professional Reviews.”
“We need to articulate better the issues around diversity and cultural literacy in books and media, and we can’t wait for the profession itself to diversify,” says Parrott...
Sometimes biased language is wielded to wound. More often and perhaps harder to recognize is when it is used out of unthinking habit. Habits are hard to break, especially when they are reinforced by acceptance of, for example, guys as a gender-neutral term. Sometimes, being more inclusive is about seeing something afresh.
“Just saying we’re going to become more inclusive isn’t enough. It’s an ongoing process,” says Parrott. “We don’t check off a box and say we’re done. It’s about conversations, and it might slow down some of our work, but it’s worth it.”"

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Amid Tragedy, Libraries Can Offer Help and Hope: A statement from the chair of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table; American Libraries, 6/14/16

Peter D. Coyl, American Libraries; Amid Tragedy, Libraries Can Offer Help and Hope: A statement from the chair of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table:
"The GLBTQ community has been rocked by this past weekend’s horrific act of violence in Orlando, Florida. It is troubling and scary to know that our community was singled out in a place where we gather.
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table has been working closely with ALA in response to this tragedy, and it is of paramount concern to ALA that its members and conference attendees are safe. ALA is working with our conference venue to ensure the safety and security of those who attend.
We have also been working with Conference Services and other ALA units to provide programs in response to this tragedy. We are investigating holding a blood drive and are asking ALA members to participate. Many people do not know that most gay men are prohibited from donating under FDA guidelines, which is a stinging rebuke when your community has been so severely affected.
In conjunction with the Office of Intellectual Freedom we will hold a readout at the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Attendees will have the opportunity to read from a banned or GLBTQ-related book to show support for the community.
Many have reached out and asked what they can do to help at home. We’d encourage libraries to let their community know they are a safe place. Let the community know about GLBT Book Month. Use the “Open to All” toolkit as a starting point if you are unsure how to offer services to GLBTQ customers.
Libraries can and should be safe places. Even if you are far from Orlando, there are those you serve who are affected by this tragedy. They are looking for help and hope. The library can provide that as we open our doors and are truly open to all."

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Dalai Lama to address California Legislature on Monday about ethics, the environment; San Jose Mercury News, 6/18/16

Jessica Calefati, San Jose Mercury News; Dalai Lama to address California Legislature on Monday about ethics, the environment:
"Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will visit the Capitol and speak before both houses of the state Legislature on Monday.
The speech will cover "compassion, the environment and ethical leadership," according to a press release distributed by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.
The visit comes several days after the Dalai Lama met with President Barack Obama despite warnings from China that that the meeting would damage diplomatic relations."

Trump, His Virus and the Dark Age of Unreason; Bill Moyers & Company, 6/16/16

Bill Moyers and Michael Winship; Trump, His Virus and the Dark Age of Unreason:
"So the ghost of Joseph McCarthy lives on in Donald Trump as he accuses President Obama of treason, slanders women, mocks people with disabilities and impugns every politician or journalist who dares call him out for the liar and bamboozler he is. The ghosts of all the past American demagogues live on in him as well, although none of them have ever been so dangerous — none have come as close to the grand prize of the White House...
We can hope for journalists with the courage and integrity of an Edward R. Murrow to challenge this would-be tyrant, to put the truth to every lie and publicly shame the devil for his outrages. We can hope for the likes of Joseph Welch, who demanded to know whether McCarthy had any sense of decency. Think of Gonzalo Curiel, the jurist Trump accused of persecuting him because of the judge’s Mexican heritage. Curiel has revealed the soulless little man behind the curtain of Trump’s alleged empire, the avaricious money-grubber who conned hard-working Americans out of their hard-won cash to attend his so-called “university.”
And we can hope there still remain in the Republican Party at least a few brave politicians who will stand up to Trump, as some did McCarthy...
No profiles in courage there. But why should we expect otherwise? Their acquiescence, their years of kowtowing to extremism in the appeasement of their base, have allowed Trump and his nightmarish sideshow to steal into the tent and take over the circus. Alexander Pope once said that party spirit is at best the madness of the many for the gain of a few. A kind of infection, if you will — a virus that spreads through the body politic, contaminating all. Trump and his ilk would sweep the promise of America into the dustbin of history unless they are exposed now to the disinfectant of sunlight, the cleansing torch of truth. Nothing else can save us from the dark age of unreason that would arrive with the triumph of Donald Trump."

Thursday, June 16, 2016

ALA president responds to Orlando mass shooting; American Library Association (ALA), 6/13/16

[Press Release] ALA President Sari Feldman, American Library Association (ALA); ALA president responds to Orlando mass shooting:
"American Library Association (ALA) President Sari Feldman released the following statement regarding the tragic mass shooting at Pulse, a popular GLBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
“The library community is deeply saddened by the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando,” said Feldman. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends, and the GLBTQ community.
“Our nation’s libraries serve communities with equity, dignity and respect. ALA will carry this legacy to Orlando. In defiance of fear, ignorance and intolerance, the library community will continue its profound commitment to transforming communities by lending its support.
“In less than two weeks the ALA will host its Annual Conference and Exhibition at the Orange County Convention Center. We will work collaboratively with the leaders of ALA’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT); ethnic caucuses; and executive office to discuss our expressions of support. ALA Conference Services has reached out to our convention center partners and are working closely with them and local authorities to ensure that we will have a safe and secure conference.
“As the ALA prepares, I can’t help but recall past conferences where attendees rolled up their sleeves to foster change. ALA conference attendees were on the front lines of relief and social justice efforts as they supported New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina; Toronto during the SARS virus outbreak; and now continuing their support in Orlando despite this weekend’s senseless act of violence. We will actively reach out to local groups in Orlando to determine the most effective ways we can lend support and contribute to the healing.
“Librarians and library workers are community leaders, motivators and social change agents. During the conference attendees will hold the power to influence social change by means of example. Members will have an opportunity to support the people of Orlando by wearing armbands in support of diversity, equality and inclusion; volunteering for community relief projects; and supporting local minority owned businesses. The ALA also is currently working on efforts to support an onsite blood drive and Read-Out event.
“You can make a difference regardless of whether you attend the ALA Annual Conference. In a tragedy, we often feel overwhelmed or powerless, but within the next few days the ALA Annual Conference website at http://2016.alaannual.org will empower members to give support. The site will provide a list of relief organizations supporting Orlando shooting victims and their families. The site also will have information regarding ALA diversity and inclusion resources.
“Like the libraries we represent, the profession’s commitment to supporting communities, social justice, and abolishing intolerance is unwavering.”
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all."

Library Field Responds to Orlando Tragedy; Library Journal, 6/16/16

Lisa Peet, Library Journal; Library Field Responds to Orlando Tragedy:
"Update: ALA is planning a [sic] planning a memorial gathering at the Annual Conference on Saturday, June 25, 8–8:30 a.m. in the OCCC Auditorium, and a special conference Read Out co-sponsored by GLBTRT and OIF. Details on other support activities during the conference can be found here.
In the wake of the shooting in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on the night of June 12, which killed 49 people and injured 53 others, library administration and staff, organizations and vendors have stepped up with statements of solidarity, offers of help, and opportunities to join forces with the LGBTQ and Latinx communities—the shooting occurred during Pulse’s Latin night—to mourn those killed and wounded.
LOCAL LIBRARIES STAY STRONG
Mary Anne Hodel, director and CEO of Orlando’s Orange County Library System (OCLS), posted a message on the library’s homepage, decrying the “despicable act of violence, and pointing users to a resource guide assembled by OCLS for those coping with the loss and looking for ways to support others. She added, “Moving forward, we will be exploring other ways that OCLS can be part of the healing process. Thank you, Orlando, for being so strong and so brave. We are proud to be part of this community.”"

Prince William Appears on the Cover of Attitude, a Gay Magazine; New York Times, 6/15/16

Katie Williams, New York Times; Prince William Appears on the Cover of Attitude, a Gay Magazine:
"Ms. Chernock said that Diana understood that the news media could be used to bring awareness to her causes; she also knew that it could help keep the royal family relevant and fashion her image as a royal. When she chose to shake hands with an H.I.V.-positive man in 1987, she was credited with helping to shed light on a cause that had been shunned and ignored.
"That was a really huge turning point for her,” Ms. Chernock said, “and really did change a lot of the public attitude toward H.I.V. AIDS in particular, but as a consequence, the gay community more generally.”
Her sons have largely followed her blueprint. In March, Prince Harry made headlines when he spoke about the need for gender equality while on a visit to Nepal. But Prince William’s decision to allow himself to be photographed for a gay magazine, Ms. Chernock said, shows a royal “pushing the envelope further than we’ve seen before.”"

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando; New York Times, 6/15/16

Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times; Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando:
"“Science allows us to communicate across the seas and fly above the clouds, to cure disease and understand the cosmos, but those same discoveries can be turned into ever more efficient killing machines,” the president noted. “The wars of the modern age teach us this truth. Hiroshima teaches this truth. Technological progress without an equivalent progress in human institutions can doom us. The scientific revolution that led to the splitting of an atom requires a moral revolution as well.”
What the president was describing is the central strategic issue of our time: the growing mismatch between the combined rapid evolution of our technological prowess and the powers this gives to a single individual or group to destroy at scale (you can make your own gun now with a 3-D-printer), and the pace of our moral and social evolution to govern and use these powers responsibly.
And that brings me to the Orlando massacre — to what happens when, on a smaller scale, we refuse to reimagine the social and legal changes we need to manage a world where one loser can now kill so many innocent people...
We need to make choices appropriate for our age when technology can so amplify the power of one. We need common-sense gun laws, common-sense gender equality and religious pluralism and common-sense privacy laws.
But that takes common-sense leaders, not ones who think the complexities of this age can be bombed away, walled away, willed away or insulted away. Stop for a moment and reflect on what this week would have been like had Donald Trump been president — the carpet-bombing he’d have ordered in the Middle East, the fear and isolation his Muslim ban would have engendered in every Muslim-American, the joy that ISIS would have taken from being at war with all of America, the license this would have given to crazies in our own society to firebomb a mosque. And the backlash that would engender among Muslims around the world, the most radical of whom would be firebombing our embassies. When America goes nuts, the world goes nuts."

After Orlando, Gay Rights Moves off Diplomatic Back Burner; New York Times, 6/14/16

Somini Sengupta, New York Times; After Orlando, Gay Rights Moves off Diplomatic Back Burner:
"Sexual orientation was one of those subjects burdened with too many cultural sensitivities. American officials, even if they wanted to advance it on the diplomatic agenda, were wary of offending their allies, not least in the Islamic world.
The attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., moved the needle.
In its aftermath, the United States corralled an unlikely group of countries to support a United Nations Security Council statement that condemned the attack for “targeting persons as a result of their sexual orientation.” Even Egypt and Russia — not known for embracing their gay and lesbian citizens — signed on, after what diplomats called intense consultations...
The attack in Orlando on Sunday enabled the United States to elevate the issue on the diplomatic agenda. On Monday morning, as the world was still absorbing the news of the attack, the alternate United States ambassador to the United Nations, David Pressman, told the 193-member General Assembly that condolences were not enough.
“If we are united in our outrage by the killing of so many — and we are — let us be equally united around the basic premise of upholding the universal dignity of all persons regardless of who they love, not just around condemning the terrorists who kill them,” Mr. Pressman said."

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Carla Hayden is one Senate vote away from becoming a groundbreaking librarian of Congress; Washington Post, 6/10/16

Peggy McGlone, Washington Post; Carla Hayden is one Senate vote away from becoming a groundbreaking librarian of Congress:
[Kip Currier: Carla Hayden was an Assistant Professor in the Library and Information Science Department of the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences from 1987-1991.]
"Carla D. Hayden — President Obama’s nominee to become the 14th librarian of Congress — is one vote away from making history.
The Senate Rules Committee recommended that the full Senate approve the nomination of Hayden, 63, to become the new head of the Library of Congress. If approved, the head of Baltimore’s public library system would be the first woman and the first African American to lead the federal agency.
A past president of the American Library Association, Hayden has served on the National Museum and Library Services Board since 2010. She earned a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Chicago. She is credited with improving the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, where she has been chief executive for 23 years, by upgrading its technology and establishing it as a vital community resource...
Appearing before the Senate committee in April, Hayden acknowledged the challenges facing the sprawling library. Last year, a congressional report criticized the agency for widespread technological failures that wasted tax dollars and caused problems for the Copyright Office and for services for the disabled. Hayden told lawmakers she believed the library could become a model for all libraries, which must adapt to a changing world...
The oldest federal cultural institution, the Library of Congress has 3,200 employees and an annual budget of $630 million. It serves as the research arm of Congress, provides Congress with legal advice and runs the Copyright Office, a major player in the world’s digital economy."

Monday, June 13, 2016

World Leaders Show Their Support After The Mass Shooting In Orlando; Huffington Post, 6/12/16

Nick Robins-Early, Huffington Post; World Leaders Show Their Support After The Mass Shooting In Orlando:
"World leaders and politicians around the globe expressed their support Sunday for families and victims of the deadliest U.S. mass shooting in modern history.
Earlier that day, suspected attacker Omar Mateen killed at least 50 people and wounded dozens more at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Authorities are investigating the killings as an act of terror, as information continues to emerge on the attack.
Many of the leaders offering solidarity following the shooting in Orlando are from countries, such as France and Belgium, that have suffered their own horrific attacks recently."

Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Pirates have a diversity problem; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/1/16

Larry A. Silverman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; The Pirates have a diversity problem:
"Yet, for all the team’s success on the field over the past few years, being at PNC Park on Jackie Robinson Day was a sober reminder of the one area in which the Pirates organization has failed to live up to Jackie Robinson’s hopes and dreams for baseball — diversity.
Here are the facts. According to the 2016 “Racial and Gender Report Card” by Richard Lapchick, published by the Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sports with the support of Major League Baseball:
• Thirty of the coaches on MLB teams (10.6 percent) are African-American. The Pirates have zero African-American coaches.
• Twenty-five of the vice presidents on MLB teams (6 percent) are African-American. The Pirates have zero African-American vice presidents.
• Ninety-nine of the senior administrators on MLB teams (5.4 percent), including assistant general managers, are African-American. The Pirates employ one of those 99 (although during the off-season the league did hire away the Pirates’ African-Amercan director of player personnel, Tyrone Brooks, to head a new MLB diversity program).
• The principal owner, president, general manager and manager of the Pirates are all white, although the Pirates are hardly alone in this. There are only two African-American managers and two African-American general managers on the 30 MLB teams, and no African-American owners or CEOs.
No one is suggesting that the Pirates intentionally exclude African-Americans from on- and off-the-field leadership positions. Nevertheless, the facts do suggest that the Pirates organization must ask itself some tough questions:
Why have the Pirates lagged far behind the other 29 MLB clubs in hiring and promoting African-Americans for key leadership roles?"

Friday, June 10, 2016

Start over, city schools: The Pittsburgh Public Schools cannot function with Anthony Hamlet as superintendent; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/10/16

Editorial Board, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Start over, city schools: The Pittsburgh Public Schools cannot function with Anthony Hamlet as superintendent:
"Anthony Hamlet has some of the qualities that Pittsburgh requires in its next superintendent of schools, including a drive to turn around low-performing schools and the realization that alternatives to suspension are needed to address discipline issues. Mr. Hamlet, however, also has qualities that the Pittsburgh Public Schools does not need at this delicate stage. They include a slippery relationship with facts, a willingness to plagiarize and an overly defensive attitude. He must not become the next superintendent of the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The process was flawed from the start...
The problems with Mr. Hamlet’s credentials are substantive — and the implications for keeping him here are profound. It is impossible to move forward under a leader who misrepresents himself and prefers recalcitrance to transparency. He has more than gotten off to a bad start. He has proved himself unworthy of holding one of the most important positions in the Pittsburgh region. He should withdraw as the next superintendent, a job he is set to begin on July 1.
Lynda Wrenn is the first board member to express doubts about Mr. Hamlet, declaring Thursday that if the plagiarism charges hold true, she will call for a new search. So far, other board members have hedged or stood by its chosen candidate, an understandable position with so much invested in him.
But these are elected officials, responsible to the citizens of Pittsburgh. When the board meets today in a special session about the controversy, it must take a deep breath and realize that the situation has become untenable. If Mr. Hamlet does not resign, his contract must be dissolved. Start another search immediately, this time with a professional search firm.
The board’s failure at this essential task calls its leadership into question, and will renew calls for legislation to dissolve the elected school board and move to an appointed system.
There is only one lesson Mr. Hamlet can teach the students of the Pittsburgh Public Schools now: Own your mistakes, accept the consequences and move on."

Monday, June 6, 2016

City schools superintendent schedules news conference; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/6/16

Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; City schools superintendent schedules news conference:
"Anthony Hamlet, the recently hired Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent, will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to address apparent discrepancies in his resume related to graduation rates and school performance improvement in the south Florida district where he worked before coming to Pittsburgh.
In an unusual Sunday press release, the Pittsburgh Public Schools’ board of directors said Mr. Hamlet would “provide context to information shared on his resume that has recently come under question in the media.”
A May 29 article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette found that while his resume stated that two schools in the Palm Beach County school system had “moved from ‘F’ to ‘C’” during his tenure as principal, both schools were already “C” schools before he took over.
The article also noted that federal graduation rates in the district improved by 4 percent during his tenure instead of the 13 percent claimed in his resume. He has said the higher percentage includes those who graduated after an extended summer session...
The Tuesday press conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., in the school Administration Building, 341 S. Bellefield Ave., in Oakland."

New resume questions raised about incoming Pittsburgh Schools superintendent; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/3/16

Molly Born and Chris Potter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; New resume questions raised about incoming Pittsburgh Schools superintendent:
"In the wake of new reports questioning figures that the future Pittsburgh Public Schools’ superintendent cited in his resume, the school board president acknowledged that more could have been done to check his claims.
Regina Holley emphasized Friday afternoon that Anthony Hamlet “will do a wonderful job in the district, and the board will work with him to ensure that happens,” saying she valued his experience turning around struggling schools in Palm Beach County, Fla. But she said that in hindsight, “I would have questioned him more thoroughly on some of the numbers.”
A revised version of Mr. Hamlet’s resume, which included additional information in sections reporters had questioned, was sent to the Post-Gazette Friday.
The questions involve graduation figures, school performance ratings and other claims that Mr. Hamlet made in a resume released by the Pittsburgh school district on May 18. Some of the assertions were examined in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article Sunday, and others were questioned in a Palm Beach Post story Friday.
Ms. Holley said that she would have liked to see Brian Perkins, the consultant hired by the school board to guide the superintendent search, “go deeper on vetting that data.” But she added that when the district was drafting its list of priorities for finding a new superintendent — a process that involved public input — “we didn’t make that as an emphasis. ... What we were looking for is, was there a positive experience with challenging children in the district? That’s the goal.”
Mr. Hamlet, 46, began a consulting contract with Pittsburgh Public Schools on Wednesday for “transition and planning activities” through this month. He will start a five-year pact as its top school administrator on July 1 — a day after current superintendent Linda Lane’s contract expires — with a starting salary of $210,000."

Friday, June 3, 2016

Crosby's brilliance on full display in Stanley Cup final; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/3/16

Sam Werner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Crosby's brilliance on full display in Stanley Cup final:
"Even though he has yet to score a goal, Crosby’s fingerprints are all over the Stanley Cup final, which the Penguins lead, 2-0. From his assist to set up Sheary’s goal in Game 1 to the orchestration of the overtime goal Wednesday night, Crosby seems intent on using this series as a stage to re-stake his claim as the best hockey player in the world.
“It’s as good as I’ve seen him play,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, who until this year had coached against Crosby as the head coach of the Boston Bruins and as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks...
“He’s a great leader,” Sullivan said. “He takes charge of his line, he takes charge of situations on the ice. You can see the interaction that he has with his teammates both on the ice, on the power play, on the bench, in between periods.”"

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Work-life tension focus of Gallagher’s SAC assembly talk; University Times, 5/26/16

Marty Levine, University Times; Work-life tension focus of Gallagher’s SAC assembly talk:
"“Technology has actually disrupted how we live and how we work,” Chancellor Patrick Gallagher told a packed William Pitt Union Assembly Room for the keynote address at the Staff Association Council’s May 10 spring assembly. “We all need to make the tension explicit. There needs to be a very open discussion between you and your supervisor, you and your colleagues,” he said, “because it’s not reasonable to assume that any time that phone pings you should be ready to drop one role … and be ready to respond to this at any time.
“We’ve all been involved in email threads at ridiculous hours that we wish we weren’t involved in,” Gallagher acknowledged. “I’m not going to tell you never to send me something — but just know that unless I feel like I have to respond to you, I’m not going to” — at least not until the morning...
Before smartphones, time management was easier, he allowed: “You punched in, you worked, you punched out, you went home. It’s become a lot more confusing to handle the boundary between the two” realms of work and home today, with messages arriving from home, friends and other organizations during normal work hours and work intruding on home and community life...
“There’re no real easy answers here,” Gallagher said, but he encouraged people to maintain a vibrant home life “because it enriches the community as well.
“When we’re at the beck and call of the institution we work for … we do run the risk of making a major mistake”: ignoring our own needs and well-being. “A healthy, happy, fulfilled and engaged person — the University wants that,” he said, adding: “It’s not in anyone’s interest for you to be sick.” For those suffering from extremes of stress, repetitive motion injuries or other injuries at work, or illness from the flu and other serious physical ailments or mental health issues, “all the other roles have to stop” while you get better, he said."

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Pure chaos: Donald Trump’s campaign management offers a glimpse into his governing style (spoiler alert: it’s terrible); Salon, 6/1/16

Sean Illing, Salon; Pure chaos: Donald Trump’s campaign management offers a glimpse into his governing style (spoiler alert: it’s terrible) :
"The presumptive Republican nominee has managed his campaign the way he manages his casinos or his realty TV program: haphazardly and with an unearned arrogance. Everything’s about the brand and non-sycophants are cast aside. Getting it right is far less important than being right...
Trump isn’t as stupid as he pretends to be, but his confidence seems to scale with his ignorance, and that’s a dangerous trait in a president, given how consequential each decision can be. As a candidate, a confident idiot can make a lot of noise and fool a lot of voters. But you can’t lead that way. As president, Trump would need the sober advice of serious professionals. Considering how little he understands about the job and the world, this is especially true in his case.
Based on the latest behind-the-scenes reports on Trump’s campaign (as well as his entire history in real estate and television), it’s unlikely he would govern with the humility and self-awareness required...
Trump’s dictatorial approach works well on the campaign trail, but it’d be a disaster in office. A president has to persuade and compromise. The capacity to admit ignorance is equally important. Trump, by all accounts, has no interest in any of these things.
Trump doesn’t know what he needs to know in order to be president, nor does he care that he doesn’t know."

Former Trump University Workers Call the School a ‘Lie’ and a ‘Scheme’ in Testimony; New York Times, 5/31/16

Michael Barbaro and Steve Eder, New York Times; Former Trump University Workers Call the School a ‘Lie’ and a ‘Scheme’ in Testimony:
"One sales manager for Trump University, Ronald Schnackenberg, recounted how he was reprimanded for not pushing a financially struggling couple hard enough to sign up for a $35,000 real estate class, despite his conclusion that it would endanger their economic future. He watched with disgust, he said, as a fellow Trump University salesman persuaded the couple to purchase the class anyway...
“I believe that Trump University was a fraudulent scheme,” Mr. Schnackenberg wrote in his testimony, “and that it preyed upon the elderly and uneducated to separate them from their money.”...
The most striking documents were written testimony from former employees of Trump University who said they had become disenchanted with the university’s tactics and culture. Corrine Sommer, an event manager, recounted how colleagues encouraged students to open up as many credit cards as possible to pay for classes that many of them could not afford.
“It’s O.K., just max out your credit card,” Ms. Sommer recalled their saying.
Jason Nicholas, a sales executive at Trump University, recalled a deceptive pitch used to lure students — that Mr. Trump would be “actively involved” in their education. “This was not true,” Mr. Nicholas testified, saying Mr. Trump was hardly involved at all. Trump University, Mr. Nicholas concluded, was “a facade, a total lie.”"