City of Dallas releases file about Baylor's anti-gay discrimination case

Alan Rodriguez, right, filed a complaint with the city in February 2011 after the Tom Landry Fitness Center refused to issue him and his partner a family membership. (Anna Waugh/Dallas Voice)

The Dallas city attorney?s office has released most of its records related to a complaint against Baylor?s Tom Landry Fitness Center filed under the city?s sexual orientation nondiscrimination ordinance.

After few answers from the city attorney?s office about why we weren?t permitted to view the file a few weeks ago, we were told earlier this week we could view the file, except for some communications that were considered protected by attorney-client privilege. The city has asked the Texas attorney general?s office to review that information and render an opinion about whether it should be released.

In October, the city attorney?s office said the case was closed after officials with Baylor Health Care System agreed to end all family memberships. Alan Rodriguez and his longtime partner were denied a family membership discount in February 2011 because they are a same-sex couple, and they filed a complaint under the ordinance, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations.

The city attorney?s office closed the case in exchange for Baylor?s commitment to end all family memberships. But a timeline of when discussions about ending the memberships took place wasn?t provided, nor was it contained in the file we reviewed today.

According to the file, Baylor?s representatives continued to request that the case be dismissed on the grounds that Tom Landry is a private club and a religious organization ? and that Baylor recognizes married couples as outlined by Texas law. The case was sent to the city attorney in mid-June 2011, and the last date on on a request for information from the city attorney?s office is Oct. 19, 2011.

The final investigative report was completed Nov. 3, 2011, and mentioned that Baylor would have to prove a specific membership to be considered a religious organization, and that the ordinance doesn?t protect private clubs, only religious and government entities.

Another same-sex couple tried to get the family discount in early 2010, but a complaint was never filed, the records show. The fitness center had a flawed system for determining whether couples were married before issuing family memberships.

The city took two random samplings of applicants for family memberships at the Fitness Center. The first looked at 30 files and found four couples who had different last names and no documentation of marriage.

According to an affidavit from a Baylor employee who said she reviews memberships and flags them if couples do not have the same last name or address, and if they are not listed as the emergency contact and as a spouse, which appeared to be the only qualifications for the family discount.

Another random sampling of 120 couples who joined from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011 found 19 family memberships and only one that wasn?t consistent with the requirements outlined by Baylor. Further investigation found that the couple had different last names and the woman listed the man as her husband when the man listed the woman as his fianc?e. The couple joined the gym in July but were later married in August.

The report is the last entry in the case file, so the timeline is still unclear for when the decision for Baylor to end family memberships was made after the fitness center was found in violation of the ordinance.

Phil Tyne, director of the Tom Landry Fitness Center, told Dallas Voice in October that the gym had switched to only offering individual memberships three months prior to October but he didn?t know whether the decision was related to the discrimination case, even though he is listed as a respondent on communications from the beginning in the file.

But Melissa Miles, senior assistant attorney with the city?s attorney?s office, told Dallas Voice the next week that officials had met with Baylor and they agreed to end the memberships on Oct. 1 of this year.

Miles said the delay in releasing the Baylor file was due to the fact that her office was reviewing a newly discovered issue related to Texas? Public Information Act. Four years ago, following a request from Dallas Voice, the attorney general?s office issued an opinion saying records related to complaints filed under the nondiscrimination ordinance are public. However, Miles said the opinion didn?t take into consideration the fact that discrimination complaints are class-C misdemeanor criminal investigations.

Miles said according to Texas law, when a criminal case doesn?t result in a conviction or a deferred adjudication, it?s the city?s discretion whether to release related records. In this case the attorney?s office determined there was no reason not to release the file.

?Consistent with how we treat other criminal investigations, we then determined that we would release it. It?s in our discretion ? but we?re releasing it,? Miles said. ?It?s a criminal case. We don?t want to do anything different than we do in every other criminal case, and we just had to run that down.?

? Anna Waugh

Related posts:

1. UPDATE: City still reviewing complaint of anti-gay discrimination against Baylor-owned gym
2. Gay couple files discrimination complaint with city of Dallas against Baylor Tom Landry gym
3. Baylor to fight complaint alleging anti-gay discrimination instead of changing gym policy
4. Baylor gym ends family memberships, but gay discrimination case still open
5. More on the anti-gay Baylor Health Care System

Source: http://www.dallasvoice.com/city-dallas-releases-baylor-discrimination-case-file-10131582.html

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Curiosity developer 22cans issues video response to game bugs and downtime

22cans' mobile game experiment Curiosity launched on Tuesday, tasking players with the goal of tapping their way to the center of a mysterious cube. However, the game attracted so many players that it's been struggling to keep up with demand over the past few days. Players have been presented with error messages when trying to connect to the game, and in addition a troublesome bug has cropped up resulting in in-game coins disappearing into thin air.

Today the developers took to YouTube to update players on their work to bring Curiosity back to life and fix the remaining bugs. The 22cans team, including head honcho Peter Molyneux, say they've been hard at work over the past few days, living out of the office as they work on the game. No timeframe is mentioned, but Molyneux says as soon as the fixes are in place, the game will become available once again.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/n0CclXtgwrI/story01.htm

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Obama: Compromise_ but not on tax cuts for rich

WASHINGTON (AP) ? An economic calamity looming, President Barack Obama on Friday signaled willingness to compromise with Republicans, declaring he was not "wedded to every detail" of his tax-and-spending approach to prevent deep and widespread pain in the new year. But he insisted his re-election gave him a mandate to raise taxes on wealthier Americans.

"The majority of Americans agree with my approach," said Obama, brimming with apparent confidence in his first White House statement since securing a second term.

Trouble is, the Republicans who run the House plainly do not agree with his plans. Speaker John Boehner insisted that raising tax rates as Obama wants "will destroy jobs in America."

So began the "fiscal cliff" political maneuvering that will determine which elected power center ? the White House or the House ? bends more on its promises to voters. The outcome will affect tens of millions of Americans, given that the tax hikes and budgets cuts set to kick in Jan. 1 could spike unemployment and bring on a new recession.

An exhausting presidential race barely history, Washington was back quickly to governing on deadline, with agreement on a crucial goal but divisions on how to get there. The campaign is over, but another has just begun.

The White House quickly turned Obama's comments into an appeal for public support, shipping around a video by email and telling Americans that "this debate can either stay trapped in Washington or you can make sure your friends and neighbors participate."

Obama invited the top four leaders of Congress to the White House next week for talks, right before he departs on a trip to Asia.

In laying their negotiating markers, all sides sought to leave themselves wiggle room.

"I don't want to box myself in. I don't want to box anybody else in," Boehner said at the Capitol.

Outside all the new the talk of openness, the same hard lines seemed in place.

Obama never expressly said that tax rates on top earners must return to the higher levels of the Bill Clinton era, leading to speculation that he was willing to soften the core position of his re-election campaign to get a grand debt deal with Republicans. "I'm not wedded to every detail of my plan. I'm open to compromise," he said.

But his spokesman, Jay Carney, seemed to slam that door. He said Obama would veto any extension Congress might approve of tax cuts on incomes above $250,000.

Obama's remarks were choreographed so that a diverse-looking group of Americans stood behind him and dozens more were invited to pack the East Room. In the weeks ahead, he plans to pull in the public as a way to pressure Congress.

"I am not going to ask students and seniors and middle class families to pay down the entire deficit while people like me, making over $250,000, aren't asked to pay a dime more in taxes. I'm not going to do that," said Obama.

He said voters plainly agreed with his approach that both tax hikes and spending cuts are needed to cut the debt.

"Our job now is to get a majority in Congress to reflect the will of the American people," Obama said.

About 60 percent of voters said in exit polls Tuesday that taxes should increase, either for everyone or those making over $250,000. Left unsaid by Obama was that even more voters opposed raising taxes to help cut the deficit.

The scheduled year-end changes, widely characterized as a dangerous "fiscal cliff," include a series of expiring tax cuts that were approved in the George W. Bush administration. The other half of the problem is a set of punitive across-the-board spending cuts, looming only because partisan panel of lawmakers failed to reach a debt deal.

Put together, they could mean the loss of roughly 3 million jobs.

Since the election, Boehner and Obama have both responded to the reality that they need each other.

Compromise has become mandatory if the two leaders are to avoid economic harm and the wrath of a public sick of government dysfunction.

Obama says he is willing to talk about changes to Medicare and Medicaid, earning him the ire of the left. Boehner says he will accept raising tax revenue and not just slashing spending, although he insists it must be done by reworking the tax code, not raising rates. The framework, at least, is there for a broad deal on taxes.

Yet the top Democrat and Republican in the nation are trying to put the squeeze on each other as the public waits for answers.

"This is his opportunity to lead," Boehner said of Obama, not long before the president said: "All we need is action from the House."

Obama said the uncertainty now spooking investors and employers will be shrunk if Congress extends ? quickly ? the tax cuts for all those except the most-well off.

The Senate has passed such a bill. The House showed no interest on Friday in Obama's idea.

Obama and Republicans have tangled over the Bush tax cuts for years. The president gave in to Republican demands to extend the cuts across the board in 2010, but he ran for re-election on a pledge to allow the rates to increase on families making more than $250,000 a year.

Also lurking is the expiration of the nation's debt limit in the coming weeks. The last fight on that nearly led the United States to default on its bills.

When asked if he would try to use that issue as leverage, Boehner said it must be addressed "sooner rather than later."

The national debt now stands above $16 trillion. The government borrowed about 31 cents of every dollar it spent in 2012.

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Donna Cassata, Julie Pace, Matthew Daly, Jim Kuhnhenn and Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

___

Follow Ben Feller on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BenFellerDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-compromise-not-tax-cuts-rich-230251964--finance.html

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Reminder to have adequate insurance for off-Island travel - Isle News

As Christmas approaches and with it the annual upsurge in travel associated with the festive season, the Department of Health is reminding both residents and visitors of the need for adequate insurance when travelling, even if travelling only to the UK and especially if travelling further afield.

Although the Reciprocal Health Agreement between the Isle of Man and UK Governments allows for free emergency healthcare, it does not cover repatriation, meaning that appropriate insurance cover is recommended for Isle of Man residents visiting the UK, and UK residents visiting the Isle of Man.

Minister for Health, David Anderson MHK said: ?Despite the high profile publicity surrounding the renegotiation of the reciprocal health agreement in 2009/10, many people still don?t realise that repatriation is not covered in the agreement, and that it never has been. This means that if an Isle of Man resident receives emergency treatment in the UK whilst on holiday there, transport back to the Island, from a simple ferry journey with a broken leg, to an air ambulance ? which for those in a critical condition can cost as much ?20,000 ? would need to be paid for either by insurance cover, or by the patient themselves. This is why it?s so vitally important that every single person leaving the Island ensures that they have adequate cover. The same is true for visitors to our shores as well. Whilst we would provide free emergency care for UK residents, they would be returned to the UK if on-going care was required, with transportation paid for either by their insurance or from their own funds.?

The Department of Health has recently published revised guidance, with a leaflet available for Isle of Man residents visiting the UK and further afield; and another for non-residents visiting the Island.

The Minister continued: ?It?s important that people remember that the Isle of Man and the UK are two separate jurisdictions, with two separate healthcare systems. Despite our continued efforts to raise awareness and educate the public, it seems clear that some people remain unaware of the need for adequate insurance. There may also be a number of people who feel that the likelihood of anything happening to them is slim and therefore decide that it?s worth taking the risk of not having insurance. But the message from government is clear and simple ? make sure you?re insured. We are unable to intervene or financially assist anyone who finds themselves caught out by not having adequate cover. In short, unless it?s for a referral to a UK hospital by the Department, government cannot and will not pay to transport residents back from the UK; just as we wouldn?t be pay to transport a resident back from the United States or Spain. I implore everyone travelling off-Island to seek out adequate cover for repatriation, or check with their existing provider on repatriation cover between the Isle of Man and the UK. I would also encourage everyone to read the information recently published by the Department, which can be downloaded from our website.?

The Department is also emphasising the importance of Isle of Man residents having full travel insurance when travelling outside of the UK. As the Isle of Man is not a member of the European Union (EU), the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) ? formerly known as Form 111 ? which affords EU residents limited healthcare cover in other EU countries, does not apply to Isle of Man residents, or EU residents visiting the Isle of Man.

Whilst the Department of Health cannot recommend any specific insurance policy providers; local brokers and insurance providers are likely to be able to source or offer appropriate cover. With all insurance policies it is important to fully check the terms and conditions and for residents to make their needs clear to the insurance provider. Pre-existing medical conditions should always be fully disclosed as failure to do so can void cover.

Further information is available from the Department of Health?s website at www.gov.im/health/travel.xml or hard copies are available upon request by telephoning 685004 or e-mailing dh@gov.im.

Tags: Department of Health, Off-Island travel insurance, Reciprocal Health Agreement

Category: Community

Source: http://isleofman.isle-news.com/archives/reminder-to-have-adequate-insurance-for-off-island-travel/18903/

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Pentagon timeline shows military response to Libya

WASHINGTON (AP) ? New Pentagon details show that the first U.S. military unit arrived in Libya more than 14 hours after the attack on the consulate in Benghazi was over and four Americans, including the ambassador, were dead.

A Defense Department timeline obtained by The Associated Press underscores how far the military response lagged behind the Sept. 11 attack, due largely to the long distances the commando teams had to travel to get to Libya.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his top military adviser were notified of the attack about 50 minutes after it began and were about to head into a previously scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama. The meeting quickly turned into a discussion of potential responses to the unfolding situation in Benghazi, where militants had surrounded the consulate and set it on fire. The first wave of the attack at the consulate lasted less than two hours.

Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed in the attack. Intelligence, State Department and military officials have released details on the response in an effort to answer Republican criticism that the administration was holding back what it knew about the assault and when.

Panetta and other defense officials have repeatedly said that they did not have armed aircraft or military teams near Benghazi that could have gotten there quickly.

In a letter to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Friday, Panetta specifically addressed the claim that the military could have dispatched armed unmanned aerial vehicles, AC-130 gunships or fighter jets to thwart the attack. Such aircraft were not in the region and not an effective option, he said.

Panetta said that based on a continuous evaluation of threats, military forces were spread around Europe and the Middle East to deal with a variety of missions. In the months before the attack, he noted, "several hundred reports were received indicating possible threats to U.S. facilities around the world" and noted that there was no advance notice of imminent threats to U.S. personnel or facilities in Benghazi.

The attack began at about 9:40 p.m. local time in Benghazi. Less than 20 minutes later, the U.S. military began moving an unarmed drone to a position over Benghazi, so it could provide real time intelligence to the CIA team on the ground. The CIA team went to aid the Americans at the consulate. The drone arrived shortly after 11 p.m. By 11:30 p.m., a CIA team was able to get all the Americans out of the compound.

As that was happening, Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left the Oval Office and went into a series of meetings in the Pentagon with senior leaders to discuss how to respond to the Benghazi attack and assess the potential for other outbreaks of violence in the region.

Between midnight and 2 a.m., Panetta began to issue verbal orders, telling two Marine anti-terrorism teams based in Rota, Spain, to prepare to deploy to Libya, and he ordered a special operations force team in Central Europe and a special operations force team in the U.S. to prepare to deploy to a staging base in Europe.

As the military units begin moving, just before dawn, a CIA base less than a mile away came under attack and five mortars were fired at the building. Two missed, but three hit, killing two CIA security officers who were on the roof.

The Americans fired back and soon fled the CIA base for the airport. By 10 a.m., they have flown out, heading to Tripoli. Shortly after 7 p.m., the Americans are flown out of Tripoli on a military aircraft.

Not until just before 8 p.m., however, did the first U.S. military unit arrive in the region, as the special operations team landed at the staging base in Europe. An hour later, the Marine team landed in Tripoli.

"The U.S. Armed Forces did everything they were in position to do to respond to the attack in Benghazi," Panetta said in the letter, obtained by The Associated Press. "The department's senior leaders and I spared no effort to save the lives of our American colleagues, as we worked to bolster security in response to a series of other threats in the region occurring at the same time."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-timeline-shows-military-response-libya-185114264.html

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Last white Democrat in House from Deep South wins re-election (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/261218188?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Wildlife Conservation @ Morristown Fall 2012: #16 Lesson Plan ...

Lesson Plan Protocol (available to download)

WCM12 Lesson Plan Protocol

Overview

Name
Topic
Grade level/ Standards	2-3 objectives, but you need to think carefully how to align the objectives with your activities and instructional procedures
Objectives/ Goals
Content Keywords/ Vocabulary
Instructional hour	2-3 hours/ person
Agenda
Brief description for? hands-on activities
Three examples of inquiry questions

Instructional procedures

Instructional procedures	Role of students	Role of teacher

Appendix (if available)

• ????????? Handouts
• ????????? Powerpoint slides
• ????????? Activity worksheet
• ????????? Reference

Source: http://wcfall2012m.blogspot.com/2012/11/16-lesson-plan-protocol.html

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