WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an end to economic sanctions against Turkey, declaring success for his policy despite a widespread belief among lawmakers of his own party and foreign policy experts that the U.S. withdrawal from the region has been a victory for Turkey and Russia.

The sanctions will be lifted unless something happens that were not happy with, Trump said, adding that this was a situation created by us.

Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand, Trump added, although he also said a small number of troops would remain in Syria to secure oil reserves, a goal he often voices when discussing the region.

Trumps abrupt decision earlier this month to pull a small group of American troops out of northern Syria cleared the way for Turkey to invade the area, driving the United States former allies, the Kurds, to flee territories they had spent years securing. The Kurds did the bulk of the fighting in recent years against the Islamic State militias, also known as ISIS, helping the U.S. achieve a major goal of driving the Islamic State out of territories they controlled in Syria and Iraq.

The Kurdish withdrawal has allowed at least some people associated with Islamic State to escape from prisons where they were being guarded by Kurdish forces. Trump ignored a question about the detainees as he left the White House Diplomatic Room where he made his announcement.

The sanctions Trump lifted had been imposed by his administration just over a week ago to punish Turkey for the incursion into Syria. The administration acted after bipartisan outrage over Trumps failure to protect the Kurdish population in northern Syria.

Last week, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Turkey, where he negotiated a cease-fire with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan under which Turkey agreed to a five-day pause in its invasion. The pause allowed Kurdish fighters to flee the region, although it left behind tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians who now face an uncertain fate. The pause also allowed Turkey to secure its gains in northern Syria and Russia to move into the vacuum left behind by the U.S. withdrawal.

Under the agreement, the administration said it would lift sanctions once the cease-fire became permanent. Trump said that had now been achieved, though he quickly added that hes skeptical of any claims of permanence in the Middle East.

Trump said the time had come for the U.S. to wash its hands of involvement in the region, despite past assurances to the Kurds that the U.S. would defend them in return for their service against Islamic State.

Turkey, Syria and all forms of the Kurds have been fighting for centuries, he said. We have done them a great service. Weve done a great job for all of them, and now were getting out.

Trump stood with top officials including Pence and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo. His remarks were heavily focused on blaming others, including former President Barack Obama, for instability in the region.

This was an outcome created by us, the United States and nobody else, no other nation, very simple. Were willing to take blame and were also willing to take credit, Trump said as he thanked Erdogan and suggested the two might meet soon. Trump has denied giving Erdogan a green light for his Syria invasion, although the U.S. troop withdrawal effectively did so.

Our troops are safe. And the pain and suffering of the three-day fight that occurred was directly responsible for our ability to make an agreement with Turkey and the Kurds that could never have been made without this short-term outburst, Trump asserted.

Should Turkey fail to honor its obligations, including the protection of religious and ethnic minorities, which I truly believe they will do, we reserve the right to reimpose crippling sanctions, including substantially increased tariffs on steel and all other products coming out of Turkey, he said.

Noah BiermanLos Angeles Times

(Los Angeles Times staff writer Alexa Daz contributed to this report.)

2019 Los Angeles Times, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Trump lifts Turkey sanctions, declaring success in Syria as Turkey and Russia fill void - Personal Liberty Digest

Harris is the advocacy director of Generation Citizen, an education nonprofit that works to ensure young people are prepared to participate in civic life.

As we watch young people around the country stand up for climate change, it is impossible not to consider the power of young people to change our world.

People have been listening to Greta Thurnburg as she speaks on the world's most prominent platforms while droves of young people have been rolling up their sleeves to drive change. Many have been largely overlooked by the media including Mari Copeny, the African-American middle schooler who brought attention to the water crisis in Flint, Mich., and Vic Barrett, one of 22 young plaintiffs suing the government for its contributions to the climate crisis.

A look through history similarly reminds us that young people have pioneered some of our most important societal advances: From college students in North Carolina who led a sit-in at the lunch counter during the civil rights movement, to the young people on the frontlines in Ferguson, Mo., to the leaders of Black Lives Matter, to the survivors of the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., who founded March for Our Lives.

The passion young people have for their communities, their futures and the world is palpable. The energy that ran through the streets in September, as millions of students walked out of classrooms to participate in the Global Climate Strike, was universal. Yet the opportunity skills, resources, platforms for young people to stand up and lead is not.

Across the country, the opportunity to learn social and political activism is not created and implemented equally. Instead, there is great discrepancy in civic education opportunities so young people can engage constructively with political systems and inform policy decisions, derailing our democracy's promise of equal representation.

Young people from white, wealthy and otherwise privileged communities generally receive more and better civics education than young people from communities of color, low income communities, rural communities and other historically underserved places. And when civics is taught, it is typically tailored to the experiences of white, middle-class students without acknowledging experiences of those traditionally excluded from the political process. As a result, too many students experience a detrimental disconnect between what they learn in the classroom about American government and its ideals and the systemic discrimination they experience in their everyday lives. This ultimately discourages their embrace of, and belief in, the power of their political potential.

One way to address this inequity is to pass state laws mandating high-quality civics education and allocating funds to prepare teachers to teach it.

Massachusetts, for instance, recently passed an innovative civics education law requiring schools to create student-led civics projects in which they take action to address real problems in their communities. Furthering its commitment to equitable civic learning, the state allocated $1.5 million to implement the law.

But civics courses alone do not assure youth civic development. This is particularly true in communities where civic activity is often rooted in settings outside schools, including community centers and religious institutions. As such, it is critical that all individuals, institutions and organizations that work with youth from underserved communities and not just in schools understand they are civic educators and prepare themselves to support young people cultivating their own civic identities.

Our organization works to give all students an Action Civics education, partnering with schools to teach a semester-long curriculum and advocating for statewide policies like the one in Massachusetts. We prioritize reaching youth in historically underserved communities. To this end, we spoke with over two dozen young people, from low-income and rural communities in five states, to understand their needs, aspirations and experiences so we could identify patterns to make our engagement efforts most effective.

To some, the insights we collected were surprising. For others, they reaffirmed an existing understanding. These insights are worthy of consideration by all who work with young people from underserved communities.

We learned that while young people champion social issues they care about, they don't necessarily consider themselves to be "political" while engaging in that cause. They have strong core values that they strive to live by, and simultaneously don't always feel they have the tools to apply these values to social and political priorities outside their personal lives.

They have strong opinions and beliefs and want them to be heard. Yet they have a hard time finding comfortable spaces to share their ideas and not be drowned out by competing adults. They have strong visions of their future, while still developing an understanding of how the world works and how to achieve that vision.

And, driven by a sense of purpose and the desire to have a positive impact, they often feel ineffectual in a vast political system not designed to facilitate their participation.

Considering these findings as we shape our programs, services and policies will help us more meaningfully support young people from communities with a dearth of civic learning opportunities. Every young person should have the opportunity to be the next Greta Thurnburg, Mari Copeny or Vic Barrett. We need to provide more and better civics education to our nation's students.

In doing so we must meet students where they are, and honor their experiences, in order to initiate a path towards unlocking their true civic power.

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Designing youth civic education for representative civic participation - The Fulcrum

Editor's Note: As part ofUNLV's Homecoming festivities, the UNLV Alumni Association will celebrate graduates and campus community leaders at its annual reception and awards ceremony Nov. 14. The week's activities will also include the annual festival, parade, andthe Ninth Island Showdown as UNLV football takes on Hawaii.

Colleen Birch was a sophomore at Washington State when she decided to take some time off from school and find her lifes path. After a one-year stop in New York where she worked as a nanny, that path eventually led the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Alumna of the Year all the way back across the country to southwestern Alaska, where in 1992 she went to work as a bartender in a remote fishing village in Bristol Bay.

Four summers later, Birch realized it was time to resume her education just not back at Washington State. Rather, the Seattle native packed up her things, headed south, and enrolled in UNLVs Hospitality College. That move altered the course of her life.

While pursuing her bachelors degree in hotel administration, Birch worked full time at Caesars Palace as a front-desk agent. After graduating, she earned her first management position in housekeeping, and from there, she rapidly rose through the ranks at several gaming and hospitality companies, eventually landing at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Birch helped open the property in 2010 and remains there a decade later, currently in the role of senior vice president for revenue optimization.

In addition to her day job, Birch also has a secondary, albeit unofficial, role: that of dedicated and passionate mentor. Whether its junior members of the Cosmopolitans staff or students in Hospitality Hall, Birch revels in sharing her insights and expertise about the industry she adores. And, clearly, its an industry that adores her right back, given the lengthy list of hospitality honors shes received. In 2010, Birch received the Rising Star Award from Global Gaming Women; in 2015, she was named one of the Great Women of Gaming and was also recognized as one of the Revenue Management Professionals of the Year by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International; in 2016, the same organization named her one of their Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization; and in 2018, Vegas Inc. named her a Woman to Watch.

Back at her alma mater, Birch received Hospitalitys John Yaskin Mentor Award for Excellence in 2017, and that same year, she was named one of the colleges 50 Most Intriguing Alumni. When shes not on campus inspiring others to achieve their hospitality dreams, Birch lends a charitable hand to such local organizations as the Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, for which she has served as a nine-year board member and is the immediate past chairwoman, as well as the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. She also supports Leadership Las Vegas, a program from which she graduated in 2017.

I vividly remember walking into Beam Hall on the first day of school and entering the classroom of Dean Jerry Vallen. Not only was he the dean of the Hotel College, he was a world-renowned professor. So there I was, learning lodging operations from the man who literally wrote the book on the subject (a fact he often reminded us about in his own delightful way). The knowledge I gained in Dr. Vallens class helped me connect the dots between the theory behind service operations and the practical experience I was getting as a front-desk agent at Caesars Palace. It absolutely was the pivotal experience that showed me that hospitality is where I belong.

Rebels are go-getters focused, determined, proud of where they came from, and fiercely independent in the way they accomplish their goals. These qualities are prominent in me and my fellow alumni, and I see these same qualities in todays students when I visit campus as a student mentor or classroom speaker. Theyre already learning that hard work and dedication, along with a Rebel spirit, can bring endless opportunities.

The most successful people are those who go out and make things happen. They dont wait for others to give them the green light, and they dont expect others to do the hard work for them. Theyre determined and laser-focused on their personal success, as well as the success of the team around them. My hope is that future Rebels go out and accomplish their dreams, support others, and exhibit respect and integrity along the way.

Originally posted here:
On the Rise | News Center - UNLV NewsCenter

Earlier this year, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) became just the third company in U.S. history to achieve the distinction of reaching a $1 trillion market cap, capping off a stunning run that was years in the making. One of the biggest contributors to its recent success has been the emergence of Azure as a cloud computing powerhouse, second only to leader Amazon.com's (NASDAQ:AMZN)Amazon Web Services (AWS). This has helped supercharge Microsoft's stock price, which has gained nearly 40% so far this year.

Microsoft cited its cloud business as the principle driver of its success last quarter, and investors will be looking for more of the same when the company reports the results of its 2020 fiscal first quarter (which ended Sept. 30) after the market close on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Let's recap the fourth-quarter results to see what has shareholders so giddy about Azure and why the good times could continue.

Image source: Microsoft.

For the fiscal 2019 fourth quarter (which ended on June 30), Microsoft reported revenue of $33.7 billion, up 12% year over year, and beating estimates by $920 million. Each of the company's major business segments played a part in the better-than-expected results. The tech giant's productivity and business processes grew by 14%, driven by its strong growth in Office and Dynamic commercial products. More personal computing lagged slightly, up 4% on increases in both its Windows and Surface businesses.

It was the intelligent cloud business, however, that exhibited the greatest gains, growing 19% year over year, topping $11.4 billion, and becoming Microsoft's biggest revenue generator in the process. This was driven by server products and cloud services revenue that climbed 22%, while Azure growth stole the show, up 64% compared to the prior-year quarter.

There's evidence to suggest that Microsoft investors will continue to reap the benefits of the ongoing digital transformation. According to research and advisory company Gartner, more than one-third of companies see the cloud as a top three investing priority, driving the overall public cloud market to more than $331 billion by 2022, up from just $182 billion last year.

Some estimates are even higher. International Data Corporation projects that worldwide spending on public cloud services will double by 2023 to nearly $500 billion.

While Amazon remains the industry leader, Azure has been growing more quickly. In the June quarter, AWS grew to $8.38 billion, up 37% year over year. At the same time, Microsoft closed the gap, with Azure growing 64% compared to the prior-year quarter, though it's important to note that Microsoft has yet to divulge how much revenue Azure alone generates.

Investors are clearly expecting the share gains to continue. Analysts' consensus estimates are calling for revenue of $32.2 billion, an increase of about 11% year over year, and earnings per share of $1.24, up about 8.8%. If Azure continues its solid performance -- and many believe that it will -- the company could once again exceed expectations on the strength of its cloud business.

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Cloud Growth Will Be in the Spotlight When Microsoft Reports Earnings - The Motley Fool

Youre not supposed to remember a breakfast with college friends that took place 25 years ago, but as Michael Gottlieb, Mike Rosenberg, Allen Lynch and W. Chip Eggers walk into the Local Yolk in Manhattan Beach, they immediately gravitate toward the same booth where they sat in 1994.

The old friends joke they have a hard time remembering what they had for breakfast yesterday, but remember every detail of the meals they ate when the idea for what would become Westcoast Sports Associates (WSA) was hatched over coffee, bacon and eggs.

We recognized there was a big void for youth sports in L.A. and we thought maybe we could help out and do our part, Rosenberg said. We had all been dealt a lucky hand in life and the commonality between us was the life lessons we learned from sports. We felt we had an obligation to give back.

Gottlieb, Rosenberg and Lynch graduated from UCLA while Eggers graduated from USC in the early 1980s. Theyre 57 years old now and have become successful businessmen outside of sports. None of them were accomplished athletes, but all believe the foundation for their success began in youth sports.

One of Lynchs business mentors was Steve Soboroff, who is currently the commissioner of the Los Angeles Police Commission but was then president of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission. Soboroff told him what they lacked was sports programs.

People talk about under-served kids, but these kids arent served at all, Lynch said Soboroff told him. They have no chance to participate in sports and get positive reinforcement and positive direction in their life. Many are on the freeway to jail, and sports programs funded by WSA can serve as an offramp.

Lynch toured several parks and quickly centered his focus on Jim Gilliam Recreational Center in South Los Angeles.

It had become an unsafe place to be, Lynch said. They were trying to get sports programs to drive kids back into the park and keep them away from bad influences.

WSA was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1995 with the goal to give economically disadvantaged children in Southern California the opportunity to play sports. The organization has awarded nearly $4 million since its inception and allocates more than $250,000 each year in grant funding to community-based partners. The funds help more than 10,000 kids each year play sports ranging from basketball and baseball to soccer and softball.

The biggest fundraising event for the foundation is an annual gala, which takes place Sunday at the Beverly Hilton and will honor Angels great and Hall of Famer Rod Carew. The inaugural event took place in 1995 and honored broadcaster Roy Firestone, who was contacted by Eggers friend and former USC quarterback Paul McDonald. When the event was over, McDonald suggested creating the Roy Firestone Award and making him a permanent part of the organization.

Roy was so great, and WSA needed someone like that in order for it to succeed, McDonald said. We couldnt cold call Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who became an honoree. We didnt have a chance. This organization doesnt exist or certainly wouldnt be as successful without Roy.

Firestone has booked award recipients such as John Wooden, Vin Scully, Wayne Gretzky, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Instead of having them accept the award and make a short speech, Firestone sits down with them and stages a long-form interview similar to his Up Close show on ESPN.

Im so proud of what we do, Firestone said. Its under the radar. I personally contact the honorees and acquire the sports memorabilia we auction off. Im hands on. I literally go to framers to get things framed. I dont know what my legacy is in broadcasting, but I hope this will be my legacy.

The four friends who wanted to raise money for youth sports when they sat down for breakfast 25 years ago now laugh when they look at the list of honorees going into Sundays event.

It still doesnt seem real, Eggers said. But you know its real when you talk to the kids involved with the programs. Thats the best part.

::

Whenever the Chargers have a home game in which the opposing fans take over, theres talk of moving the team back to San Diego, their home of 56 years. It makes sense, but theres simply no putting the toothpaste back in that tube. Its off the brush, spit out and already down the drain with the mouthwash.

The Chargers didnt move to L.A. because of the fans, theyre here to move into a new $5-billion stadium with lease terms as favorable as those they enjoyed at Qualcomm Stadium, where they also were tenants along with another team.

Look at Los Angeles 21 years without the NFL. The city lost two teams controlled by frugal owners who failed to get the public to pay for their new stadiums. The NFL returned when a billionaire, Stan Kroenke, gained control of the Ramsand then privately financed a new stadium. Maybe someone will come along and convince the Spanos family to sell the Chargers for at least $3 billion and move them from the second-biggest media market in the country to the 29th and privately finance a stadium.

That scenario doesnt seem possible for at least two decades. The Chargers have a 20-year lease to play at SoFi Stadium, which is opening next year, with options to extend it for another 20 years. Beyond the lease, the Chargers are tied to the new stadium through naming rights, advertisements, personal seat licenses and jointly sold suites.

For example, when SoFi became the naming-rights partner of the new stadium for 20 years, it also became an official partner of the Rams and Chargers. Similarly, when American Airlines became the naming-rights partner of the stadiums plaza, it also became the teams official airline. When Pepsi was recently named the official soft drink for the stadium, it also became the teams official soft drink.

This doesnt even take into account the fact that the Chargers are obligated to pay NFL owners a $650-million relocation fee over the next 10 years for the right to play in Los Angeles. It would be hard to imagine them doing that only to relocate to San Diego.

San Diego deserves an NFL team, but the chances of it being the Chargers are remote at best.

::

Its no surprise the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis enter this season with the most expensive ticket in the NBA at an average price of $286.97, according to TickPick, a secondary ticket marketplace. The Clippers made the biggest jump from last season to this season, with the average price of a home game jumping 209% after adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Theyre currently fifth in average price at $173.97.

The Lakers are the most popular ticket on the road with an average price of $290.18, followed by the Clippers at $202.93. The cheapest ticket for Tuesdays season opener between the Clippers and Lakers is $150 with the get-in price for their Christmas Day rematch starting at $250.

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How four friends made plans over breakfast to aid L.A. youth - Los Angeles Times

It's critical that you get started on the right foot with new employees by developing an onboarding process that makes them excited -- not bored by the idea of working for your company.

October14, 20196 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The following excerpt is from Caroline Stokess book Elephants Before Unicorns. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | IndieBound

An impersonal, grindingly slow onboarding process is an unnecessary elephant keeping your unicorns (aka star employees) from reaching their full potential. Think of the excitement you felt when you got the yes from your new hire. Think of the excitement the new hire feels. Her enthusiasm and passion are likely what impressed you when you met her. But now, all that energy grinds to a halt.

You want to take advantage of your new hires excitement and work to maximize it. You can do this from day one. Here are some tips to make the onboarding process more personal -- and a lot more enjoyable.

Related: The Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Hiring for a Job (and How to Fix It)

No one likes to waste time with repetitive data entry. Look into software to streamline your onboarding so that new hires dont have to reenter information theyve already given you.

Just because you and your unicorn are now in a committed working relationship doesnt mean you should stop treating him with special care. How can you make your new hires first day memorable? Does your company have a quirky tradition that gets everyone in a loose, silly mood? Are you near an especially cool part of the city to which your new hire and his teammates can take a little field trip? You only have one first day at a new job. Do what you can to make your unicorns experience special from day one.

aving a connection to someone -- even a slight one -- can ease anxiety before a new venture begins. Is it possible for you to connect your new hire to their teammates before they start, via social media or some other tool? How can you encourage and incentivize your current team to reach out to the unicorn before his start date? Be creative.

If done right (rather than in a way that scares the new hire, the existing team, or both), your efforts can do more than simply make your unicorn feel welcome. If he feels more at home from the beginning, your unicorn is likely to deliver on his potential faster.

Related: Navigating Your Best Leadership Path with EQ

Lets take that previous suggestion a step further. Rather than just connecting a new hire to his team before day one, what else can be accomplished before the start date? If you dont yet have technology that allows for a quick and easy, automated paperwork crunch, can you have your new hire fill out these forms before his first day? Just like a doctors office asks new patients to fill out forms ahead of their visit, you can have new hires get their paperwork out of the way before beginning work. Other information to consider delivering to the new employee before day one includes:

The more information your unicorn has, the more in control of the process he will feel.

Hiring managers should consider developing a system for receiving feedback on the onboarding process, which will serve two purposes. First, candid feedback on whats working and what isnt will help you continually improve. Second, your unicorn will feel like his input is welcome from the very beginning. This will only work, of course, if youre actually interested in the new hires feedback and communicate this openly. Most people are scared to give criticism, no one more so than a brand-new employee. Yet the faster you can get to a place of honest sharing with your new hire, the more quickly youll be able to drive toward goals together.

I once coached a new hire at a large tech company who had worked there for months without meeting with the hiring manager. Everyone was plowing ahead with the best intentions, attempting to do their work without actually having formed relationships. In cases like these, its helpful to have a coach or another third party say, Everybody STOP! I was able to fill this role, reminding the chief people officer that the new hire was an actual person! Without this official coming together time, that hiring manager might have simply viewed my client as a number on a spreadsheet (How much are we spending on this person, anyway? Is he really worth it?) rather than as a teammate whose personal success is crucial to the larger success of the company.

Related: Are You Wasting Employees' Talent? Here's How to Know

Everyone needs a coach in their first 100 days, although this will look different depending on your level in the company. CEOs need an executive coach. For lower-level employees, a mentor is a must. The key is for all parties -- the new hire, the mentor/coach, and the boss -- to come together and determine what metrics they are going to hold themselves to. What will success in the first 100 days look like? How will it be measured? In what areas does the new hire need to grow, and how can a coach help her get where she needs to be? Then regularly set aside some time -- at least once a week -- so that the new hire can have sessions with her coach or mentor.

Can you imagine how connected and supported your unicorn would feel with this system as part of the onboarding process? With seasoned professionals, there can often be a dangerous assumption that weve all done this before. The new hire will be fine on her own and will reach out if she really needs help. The bigger the job, the less importance is given to onboarding. But you cant skip this crucial step. Employees who have strong relationships at work are more likely to stay and achieve their potential. The best way to help your unicorn feel supported is by showing her from day one that her team has her back.

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Why It's Time to Dump Your Outdated and Impersonal Onboarding Process - Entrepreneur

DALLAS (PRWEB) October 19, 2019

Dallas Citizens Council will host its annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Dec. 5, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. This years meeting will feature retired four-star general and 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and The Carlyle Groups Co-Executive Chairman and Bloomberg and PBS host, David Rubenstein.

It is an honor for Dallas Citizens Council to welcome such distinguished guests at this years annual meeting, said Fred Perpall, Dallas Citizens Council chairman and The Beck Group CEO. General Mattis and Mr. Rubenstein are both well respected on an international level, and we look forward to hearing their insightful perspectives and experiences in leadership, success and todays political landscape.

Now in its 81st year, Dallas Citizens Councils annual meeting provides an opportunity to share the organizations policy priorities in Dallas and North Texas and to host admired leaders. Past speakers of the event include Secretaries of State Rex Tillerson and James Baker, JPMorgan Chases CEO Jamie Dimon, CBS News Bob Schieffer and Scott Pelley, former PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi, and former University of Texas Chancellor and retired Navy Admiral William McRaven.

Individual tickets start at $100 per person, with corporate and individual sponsorship opportunities available from $3,750. To purchase sponsorships, tickets, or for more information, visit https://dallascitizenscouncil.org/annualmeeting. The annual meeting is expected to attract more than 1,000 attendees who will hear the speakers discuss their path to personal success.

About Dallas Citizens CouncilSince 1937, Dallas Citizens Council has provided leadership on the issues that move Dallas forward. A non-profit organization, its membership consists of more than 150 CEOs and top business leaders in the area. The organizations purpose is to lead and serve in the moments that matter most for the people of Dallas. For more information, visit http://www.dallascitizenscouncil.org.

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Dallas Citizens Council Welcomes 26th US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and The Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein for a Conversation on Leadership and...

Blake Shelton is bringing his friends and heroes back on the road again in 2020! The country superstar has announced the cities and dates for his Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour.

As he did in 2019, Shelton is bringing along special guest Lauren Alaina, along with support acts the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Trace Adkins. The new tour is set to launch on Feb. 13 in Portland, Ore., and it will visit 16 cities before wrapping up in Detroit on March 21.

The Friends and Heroes Tour was so exciting and successful last year that I couldnt imagine not trying something like that again, Shelton says in a press release. Even though every night when the show wrapped, I would tell the audience that they might never see something like this again, with these legends, my plan all along was to at least try to make that happen."

Shelton wasn't sure he'd be able to pull together the same lineup again, so he's especially pleased to be able to bring the same show into new markets.

"We were only able to do a handful of shows last year, so were going to take the tour to different areas so that fans will get a chance to see what we did," he states. "I feel like it was the best concert experience that Ive ever been involved in, and Im ready to get fired up again.

Shelton is also releasing a new album titled Fully Loaded: Gods Country, on Dec. 13. The project features seven hits from previous albums and five new tracks, including "God's Country," Shelton's current single Hell Right," which features Adkins, and another new song titled "Jesus Got a Tight Grip."

Tickets for Shelton's Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour will go on sale in most cities on Oct. 25 at 10AM local time. Tickets for the shows in Los Angeles, Wichita and Detroit will go on sale at 10AM local time on Nov. 1. For more information regarding VIP packages and a special pre-sale, visit Shelton's official website.

Feb. 13 Portland, Ore. @ Moda CenterFeb. 14 Tacoma, Wash. @ Tacoma DomeFeb. 15 Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane ArenaFeb. 20 Bakersfield, Calif. @ Mechanics Bank ArenaFeb. 21 Fresno, Calif. @ Save Mart CenterFeb. 22 Sacramento, Calif. @ Golden 1 CenterFeb. 27 Salt Lake City, Utah @ Vivint Smart Home ArenaMarch 5 Glendale, Calif. @ Gila River ArenaMarch 6 San Diego, Calif. @ Pechanga ArenaMarch 7 Los Angeles, Calif. @ The ForumMarch 11 Wichita, Kan. @ INTRUST Bank ArenaMarch 12 Omaha, Neb. @ CHI Health CenterMarch 14 Denver, Colo. @ Pepsi CenterMarch 19 Chicago, Ill. @ Allstate ArenaMarch 20 Milwaukee, Wisc. @ Fiserv ForumMarch 21 Detroit, Mich. @ Little Caesars Arena

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Blake Shelton Plots Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour - Taste of Country

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ellucian, the worlds leading provider of software and services built to power higher education, today published the findings of its new survey, Course Correction: Helping Students Find and Follow a Path to Success. The Ellucian survey, conducted in partnership with Market Connections, queried 1,000 U.S. students currently enrolled in two- or four-year public and private college programs.

The survey found that college students, especially those in Generation Z, struggle to pick a major, which increases the time and cost associated with obtaining a degree. Many incoming students are not confident in their career path and almost two-thirds of students feel overwhelmed by the process of selecting a major. The result can be that students change their majors without understanding the ramifications, take unnecessary courses and delay their expected graduation, sometimes by multiple semesters.

Students are looking for more support when choosing a major, selecting courses that work towards completion and transferring from a two-year to a four-year institution. While students most often turn to advisors for help, pathways approaches can simplify choices for students by providing structured, clear paths through college coursework and on to the start of their careers. Additionally, personalized technology tools can ensure that students have clarity into their individual goals and the requirements needed to achieve them.

The right technology can help bring institutions into the digital future, both encouraging and augmenting human interaction to better support students as they work towards their goals. Email nudges and predictive analytics help advisors better serve students needs with more frequent and personalized communication. Students also showed interest in virtual one-stop shops for all of their registration, advising and other administrative needs and an online what-if tool for majors and degrees that allows them to best plan their path to completion under any given circumstances.

Many students feel overwhelmed and confused about selecting a major, which ends up costing them serious time and moneyand for some students a one semester delay could put them off the track to completion entirely, said Ellucian Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation Kari Branjord. Its essential that institutions look at pathways approaches alongside technologies that scale the student-advisor relationship to help guide students as they work towards their personal successful outcomes.

The Findings

Todays college students are confused and anxious when it comes to selecting a major.

Changing majors increases the time and cost associated with obtaining a degree.

Students rely on advisors for support when choosing classes but could use more attention when transferring.

Students are finding value in pathway approaches and technologies that provide structure, clarity, and personalization.

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New Survey: Student Confusion Selecting Majors Increases Higher Education Cost and Time to Earn Degree - Business Wire

(CNN/WINK News)

Representative Francis Rooney (R-FL) announced Saturday that he would not be running for re-election in 2020.

Rep. Francis Rooney is one of the few Republicans in the House of Representatives who seems open to the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Rooney, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at the center of the inquiry, said Friday that he had not yet come to a conclusion on whether the President committed a crime that compels his removal from office, a striking view among House Republicans defensive of Trump.

The Florida Republican said that Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, confirmed Thursday what Trump had denied, that the President engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine. Rooney also said he was eager to learn from the witnesses coming in next week.

Every time one of these ambassadors comes and talks, we learn a lot more, the congressman said.

Rooney is not a typical rank-and-file House Republican. Before winning his first election in 2016, the 65-year-old wealthy businessmans company oversaw construction projects including not only the presidential libraries for both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, and the stadiums for the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, but the Capitol Visitors Center, where the witnesses of the investigation dash to enter a secure facility and give their testimonies. He is on now at least his third career, after serving as the US ambassador to the Holy See under the last GOP president.

He knows that speaking out against Trump may end his career as a Republican in Congress, but he wants to see where the investigation leads. The President has gone after other critics from his own party, including Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, whom Trump in one Twitter post called a pompous ass.' He added #IMPEACHMITTROMNEY on another. But Rooney doesnt seem to be concerned.

Whats he going to do to me? He can say bad things but its it just is what it is, said the congressman. Lets just let the facts speak.

Rooney did acknowledge that some Republicans might be afraid of being rebuked by the party if they expressed skepticism about the President, saying it might be the end of things for medepending on how things go.

I didnt take this job to keep it, he said.

After receiving a government whistleblowers complaint last month, Democrats have alleged Trump used his public office for personal gain, holding up $391 million in military aid to Ukraine and then pressuring its leader on a July 25 phone call to investigate both a political rival and a conspiracy theory related to the 2016 election.

Theyve been particularly focused on the first ask, an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings, whose owner had been probed by the former Ukrainian general prosecutor. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.

They launched an impeachment inquiry in the House, gathering evidence from text messages between US diplomats and the sworn testimony of current and former officials. Other key witnesses are expected to testify in private before the House panels next week.

But so far, few Republicans have joined Democrats in even considering that the President committed a crime. Many GOP congressmen say there was no quid pro quo between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky on that now-famous July call, while others say Trumps conduct was inappropriate but not impeachable.

Rooney had been a defender of the President following the investigation of Russian interference of the 2016 election. In December 2017, Rooney said he was pretty frustrated with FBI officials whom he believed displayed bias during the probe.

Now he is still thinking about whether the Presidents actions regarding Ukraine rose to a high crime or misdemeanor.

Im not considering anything right now other than getting all the facts and learning more about it, Rooney said. Im a business guy, okay? Im used to being open to all points of view and making the best decision I can. But theres a lot of water still to flow down under the bridge on this thing.

Rooney has been a relatively obscure member in the halls of Congress, pushing for initiatives that would benefit his district, like more funding for the Herbert Hoover Dike and Everglades restoration, while discussing US foreign policy through his perch on the relevant committee. Like other Republicans in Congress, Rooney recently criticized Trumps decision to pull US troops from northern Syria as a huge mistake.

Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida said Rooney is a total straight-shooter.

Hes not here to waste time, he added.

Hes in the minority of the House, and neither a rabble-rouser nor a part of the leadership team. When asked by a reporter if he had any anecdotes to share about Rooney, Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat of Florida, asked whether the article would be for the local newspaper.

Rooney has carved out a reputation for not being shy in breaking from the party, particularly on environmental issues. Hes one of the few House Republicans devoted to combating climate change. He supports a tax on carbon emissions and is a critic of the states sugar industry. And he is one of about a dozen House Republicans to vote against Trumps emergency declaration diverting billions of dollars away from military construction projects towards the wall.

A House Republican leadership aide told CNN, Rooney has always been somewhat of a rogue member and the idea that the views hes expressing here are felt by a wider swath of House Republicans should be dismissed.

Rooney is free from much political pressure due in part to his vast personal wealth, driven by his success as the CEO of the investment company Rooney Holdings, the majority owner of Manhattan Construction Company.

The transition from business to elected official has not been entirely pleasant. Rooney has raised barely anything for his next congressional race and said Friday that he planned on deciding whether hed run again next month.

This is kind of a frustrating job for me, Rooney said. I come from a world of action, decisions, putting your money down and seeing what happens. This is a world of talk. Its very difficult for me to just stand up and talk.

The congressmans experience as a former ambassador in the George W. Bush administration has given him an appreciation for the witnesses who come before him. He said hes eager to hear from acting ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor next week, whom he called a very well respected career diplomat.

Taylor suggested in text messages released to the House investigation that Trump was holding back the package of military aid to Ukraine to influence Zelensky. Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, led the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Trumps political rivals, not career State officials.

Its painful to me to see this kind of amateur diplomacy, riding roughshod over our State Department apparatus, Rooney said. Ive got great respect for the professional diplomats that protect America around the world.

When asked about the State Department officials coming in as witnesses, Rooney said these are not partisan people but professional diplomats.

Rooney has also taken issue with Mulvaneys defense of the Presidents actions. The acting White House chief of staff said on Thursday that the Trump administration held up the money for Ukraine because the President wanted to investigate corruption related to a conspiracy theory involving the whereabouts of the Democratic National Committees computer server hacked by Russians during the last presidential campaign.

Democrats have argued that even if no favors were exchanged, Trump committed an impeachable offense in asking a foreign country to interfere in a US election. But Mulvaneys comments undermined a key GOP stance that the Presidents actions were not impeachable, asserting that there was no quid pro quo and the aid eventually went through to Ukraine. Hours after the news conference on Thursday, Mulvaney released a statement reversing his prior comments.

Rooney said Friday he was shocked by Mulvaneys initial comments.

The only thing I can assume is he meant what he had to say that there was a quid pro quo on this stuff, said Rooney, adding that Mulvaney could not change his position.

Its not an Etch A Sketch, said Rooney.

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Rep. Francis Rooney will not seek re-election in 2020 - Wink News