Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Business Economics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business Economics. Show all posts

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Washington Post: "Ivy League economist ethnically profiled, interrogated for doing math on American Airlines flight" By Catherine Rampell May 7, 2016


Washington Post: "Ivy League economist ethnically profiled, interrogated for doing math on American Airlines flight" By Catherine Rampell May 7, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/rampage/wp/2016/05/07/ivy-league-economist-interrogated-for-doing-math-on-american-airlines-flight/
Guido Menzio, an economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

[I used to be a flight attendant. Dealing with passengers’ racism is part of the job.]

On Thursday evening, a 40-year-old man — with dark, curly hair, olive skin and an exotic foreign accent — boarded a plane. It was a regional jet making a short, uneventful hop from Philadelphia to nearby Syracuse.

[…]

Finally the pilot came by, and approached the real culprit behind the delay: that darkly-complected foreign man. He was now escorted off the plane, too, and taken to meet some sort of agent, though he wasn’t entirely sure of the agent’s affiliation, he would later say.

[…]

Menzio showed the authorities his calculations and was allowed to return to his seat, he told me by email. He said the pilot seemed embarrassed. Soon after, the flight finally took off, more than two hours after its scheduled departure time for what would be just a 41-minute trip in the air, according to flight-tracking data.

[…]

Menzio for his part says he was “treated respectfully throughout,” though he remains baffled and frustrated by a “broken system that does not collect information efficiently.” He is troubled by the ignorance of his fellow passenger, as well as “A security protocol that is too rigid–in the sense that once the whistle is blown everything stops without checks–and relies on the input of people who may be completely clueless.”

[…]

In this true parable of 2016 I see another worrisome lesson, albeit one also possibly relevant to Trump’s appeal: That in America today, the only thing more terrifying than foreigners is…math.


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Friday, May 20, 2016

Washington Post: Millions more workers will be eligible for overtime pay under new federal rule

Washington Post: Millions more workers will be eligible for overtime pay under new federal rule


Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and President Obama will announce a new rule Wednesday that will expand the number of workers eligible for overtime pay. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

The Obama administration unveiled a new rule Wednesday that will make millions of middle-income workers eligible for overtime pay, a move that delivers a long-sought victory for labor groups.

The regulations, which were last updated more than a decade ago, would let full-time salaried employees earn overtime if they make up to $47,476 a year, more than double the current threshold of $23,660 a year. The Labor Department estimates that the rule would boost the pay of 4.2 million additional workers.

The change is scheduled to take effect Dec. 1.

The move caps a long-running effort by the Obama administration to aid low- and middle-income workers whose paychecks have not budged much in the last few decades, even as the top earners in America have seen their compensation soar. The last update to the rules came in 2004, and Wednesday’s announcement is the third update to the salary threshold for overtime regulations in 40 years.

“Along with health care reform, this is one of the most important measures that the Obama administration has implemented to help middle-wage workers,” said Jared Bernstein, a former chief economist for Vice President Biden and a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The Obama administration will unveil a new rule that would make millions of middle-income workers eligible for overtime pay. Here's what you need to know about it. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

About 35 percent of full-time salaried employees will be eligible for time and a half when they work extra hours under the new rule, up significantly from the 7 percent who qualify under the current threshold, according to the Labor Department.

The shift was swiftly criticized by small business owners, nonprofit groups, and universities that say they may have to switch some salaried workers to hourly positions to afford the new threshold. And instead of seeing bigger paychecks, some salaried workers may be assigned fewer hours, they said.

“For many of these types of employees they’re going to be viewing it as a demotion,” said David French, senior vice president of government relations for the National Retail Federation. “They’re going to have to clock in and clock out. They’re no longer going to have flexibility at work.”


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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Don Surber: Oakland raises unemployment

A big thanks to Don Surber for calling this to our attention...

Don Surber: Oakland raises unemployment

In November the people of Oakland, California, voted to increase minimum wage to just under $25,000 a year for a full-time job ($12.25 an hour). Their vote triggered the loss of jobs, businesses and hours for workers.

A survey by the Employment Policies Institute found that 27% of owners say it is somewhat or very likely the forced pay hike will force them to close.

47% said the hike forced them to raise prices.

30% said the hike forced them to reduce worker hours.

17% said the hike forced them to lay off workers.

The institute told the tale of a few employers: Read more here...


http://donsurber.blogspot.com/2015/04/oakland-raises-unemployment.html
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Thursday, January 15, 2015

BBC News - Pensioner bonds' website struggles as sale starts

BBC News - Pensioner bonds' website struggles as sale starts: "

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30782590

New pensioner bonds paying an annual interest rate of up to 4% are now on sale but high demand has led to some website problems.

The government-backed lump sum investments are being offered through National Savings and Investments.

Market-leading rates and years of accounts offering low returns have led to expectations of rapid sales of these bonds.

Only those aged 65 and over are eligible to invest in the bonds.

Within an hour of the announcement of the bonds going on sale, there were problems with the NS&I website. Throughout the day, potential customers have been reporting long waits trying to contact NS&I on the phone."

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30782590

'via Blog this'

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Tuesday, April 01, 2014

New Virginia law protects farmers from meddling local officials - by By Bonner Cohen, Ph. D

New Virginia law protects farmers from meddling local officials - by By Bonner Cohen, Ph. D

Fauquier County officials forced family farmer Martha Boneta to cease selling produce from her own 64-acre farm, and so she took action and had Commonwealth law changed... 

Fauquier County Virginia officials threatened a family farmer, Martha Boneta with $5,000 per-day fines for hosting a birthday party for eight 10-year-old girls without a permit...


… opponents of the bill, including well-funded environmental organizations and power-hungry county governments – both determined to preserve strict land-use controls – reportedly employed lobbyists to kill the bill.  In the end, highly motivated citizens triumphed over highly paid lobbyists...





By Bonner Cohen, Ph. D. March 31, 2014


In a hard-fought and stunning victory for family farmers and property rights throughout the Commonwealth, Gov. Terry McAuliffe on March 5 signed into law legislation solidifying Virginia’s status as a right-to-farm state by limiting local officials’ ability to interfere with normal agricultural operations.


The governor’s signature marks the latest chapter in a swirling controversy that attracted nationwide attention in 2012 when the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors forced family farmer Martha Boneta to cease selling produce from her own 64-acre farm. No longer allowed to sell the vegetables she had harvested, Boneta donated the food to local charities lest it go to waste.


Fauquier County officials threatened Boneta with $5,000 per-day fines for hosting a birthday party for eight 10-year-old girls without a permit, and advertising pumpkin carvings. Seeing the county’s action against Boneta as a brazen effort to drive her off her land, Virginians from all walks of life rallied to her defense.  Supporters gathered in Warrenton, the county seat, for a peaceful “pitchfork protest” to vent their anger over what an out-of-control local government had done to a law-abiding citizen....


[...]



By contrast, opponents of the bill, including well-funded environmental organizations and power-hungry county governments – both determined to preserve strict land-use controls – reportedly employed lobbyists to kill the bill.  In the end, highly motivated citizens triumphed over highly paid lobbyists...

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

Eagle River Alaska Real Estate - Bill Babylon Real Estate


"Your Source For Eagle River Alaska Real Estate"





December 21, 2010:  Isn’t It Really Dark in Alaska?  Today is the shortest “day” of the year, so it is a good opportunity to discuss how dark it is during Alaska’s winters.  Those who really want to come here would call most of the “darkness” stories, fabled.  But, there is truth in at least some of what you have heard about sunrise and sunset in Anchorage and Eagle River.  The facts are:  Click here to see full blog post.
November 18, 2010 Update:  Winter Rules!For about six months of every year, the residents of Eagle River, Alaska, live with winter.  Temperatures are generally below freezing, and there is snow and ice on the roads.  The part of the day when the sun is up grows shorter, and the night becomes longer.  Our shortest day of daylight is slightly under 6 hours.  And, so, we adjust our activities accordingly—or not.  Click here to see full blog post.
October 29, 2010 Update:  It’s “Decision Time” in Eagle River, Alaska; and this time it’s not about which of the homes to choose.  It’s about who you want to represent you in the United States Senate.  At least we have a lot of choices.   In fact, there seem to be as many choices for Senate as there are 4-bedroom homes for under $350K.  The issues and the personalities are hotly debated.  It’s something you just can’t avoid these days.  The television is replete with commercials by the front-runners.  The mail is littered with their post cards.  The signs clutter the roadsides, and the newspapers headline the latest political gaff by one or the other of the candidates.   Our phones ring off the hook with political polls. Click here to see full blog post.
'via Blog this'

See Also: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2014/01/hot-anchorage-home-market-drives-prices.html


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Hot Anchorage home market drives prices up to average $347,000 | Business | ADN.com

Hot Anchorage home market drives prices up to average $347,000 | Business | ADN.com:

http://www.adn.com/2014/01/09/3266181/prices-of-anchorage-homes-continued.html#emlnl=Breaking_News



"BY MONICA GOKEY mgokey@adn.comJanuary 9, 2014"

Anchorage's real estate market is more competitive than ever, with home prices continuing to rise, according to new data from the Alaska Multiple Listing Service.

In 2013, homes spent an average of 49 days on the market before selling -- down 20 percent from the previous year -- and buyers are paying 99 percent of the last listing price, according to new data.

The average residential home price in 2013 was $346,977, up 7.8 percent over the average home price of $321,958 in 2011.

Homes listed in the $250,000 to $274,999 price range sold in an average of 34 days, the residential home market's quickest turnaround.

In short: It's a seller's market. Read more: http://www.adn.com/2014/01/09/3266181/prices-of-anchorage-homes-continued.html#emlnl=Breaking_News

Related: http://www.homesofalaska.com/

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2014/01/hot-anchorage-home-market-drives-prices.html

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2014/01/09/3266181/prices-of-anchorage-homes-continued.html#emlnl=Breaking_News#storylink=cpy

'via Blog this'



Sunday, January 05, 2014

News from The Hill: Battle over unemployment benefits will consume start of 2014 By Alexander Bolton

News from The Hill:

Battle over unemployment benefits will consume start of 2014

By Alexander Bolton

Senate Democratic leaders feel cautiously optimistic they have the 60 votes they need to advance unemployment benefits legislation on Monday, but that marks only the start of the congressional battle.
Even if the legislation passes the Senate, it faces an uphill road in the House. Advocates for extended benefits say the fight could play out between the chambers for weeks.


Read the story here.
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Monday, December 16, 2013

Gov. Bob Ehrlich will join Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland to Headline Business Panel on Dec. 17

Gov. Bob Ehrlich to Headline Business Panel on Dec. 17

Gov. Bob Ehrlich will join Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland to Headline Business Panel on Dec. 17

Obama's Desperate Course Corrections
 Gov. Bob Ehrlich's Op-Ed from Sunday
Fundraiser with Gov. Ehrlich and Sec. Hogan is Tomorrow
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 16, 2013

Gov. Bob Ehrlich writes a weekly opinion column that appears on Sunday in the Baltimore Sun.

His commentary on the implementation of Obamacare was published yesterday as "Obama's Desperate Course Correction" (Click Here)

Tickets are still available for our fundraiser tomorrow (see flyer below and our website CLICK HERE), which features a book-signing by Gov. Ehrlich. You can also receive a complimentary author-inscribed copy of America: Hope for Change by making a contribution to our campaign.

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Marylanders for Joe Getty December 4, 2013

Dec. 17 Fundraiser Update:

Gov. Bob Ehrlich will join Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland at the "Maryland Business Climate" luncheon on Dec. 17(for information or to register online click here).

Gov. Ehrlich will talk about national issues that are impacting Maryland's business climate including the rollout of Obamacare.

In a recently released book, "America: Hope for Change," Gov. Ehrlich explores the causes and remedies of the seven most difficult issues confronting (and confounding) our culture and country. Autographed copies will be available for a $35 contribution to Marylanders for Joe Getty.

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Maryland's Business Climate
 Improving Business Competitiveness Is Topic of Dec. 17 Fundraiser
With Featured Speakers Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Sec. Larry Hogan
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 6, 2013

When I served as policy director for Gov. Bob Ehrlich, we placed a strong emphasis in our legislative package each year on improving Maryland's business climate. The Ehrlich Administration wanted to make sure that companies throughout the United States knew that Maryland was "Open for Business."

We worked hard to insure that Maryland provided an excellent business environment so that existing businesses could thrive and to encourage out-of-state businesses to relocate their operations here.

My fundraiser "Maryland's Business Climate" on Dec. 17 will include Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland to discuss trends and issues facing Maryland if we are to improve our state's competitiveness with our neighboring states (see flyer on reverse).

One of the keys to improving the business climate is tax policy. Gov. Ehrlich drew a line in the sand against increasing Maryland's personal income tax although this was a high priority for the Democrat leadership in the legislature from 2003-06. The Ehrlich Administration's economic development policy also included measures to reduce regulations and improve Maryland's competitiveness.

Our efforts were very successful based upon The Tax Foundation's annual "State Business Tax Climate Index." Under Gov. Ehrlich's business and tax policies, Maryland moved from 31st to 22nd best business climate in the nation.

Unfortunately, over the last seven years, Maryland's business climate ranking has plummeted. At the peak of the O'Malley Brown Administration tax increases in 2009-10, Maryland was the sixth worst business climate in the country. In the recently released 2014 rankings, Maryland marginally improved to the ninth worst.

The states in the bottom ten suffer from the same afflictions: complex, non-neutral taxes with comparatively high rates. The leading factor in Maryland's decline is our 46th highest individual income tax rates. Being the only state in the nation to adopt a "rain tax" further compounds Maryland's poor reputation among the nation's top businesses.

In a recent presentation to the Maryland Rural Counties Coalition, economist Anirban Basu said that such rankings do not tell the true story. In his experience working within the nation's business community, the word-of-mouth perceptions of Maryland's bad business climate are far worse than the rankings show.

Thus it is no surprise that Texas Gov. Rick Perry saw Maryland as easy pickings in an economic development advertising campaign to lure Maryland businesses to the "Lone Star" state. "We pray for rain in Texas," Perry said. "They tax rain in Maryland."

I recently accepted a change in committee assignments to Senate Budget & Tax so that I can have a role in influencing state tax policy. I invite you to join us on Dec. 17 as we explore many options available to improve Maryland's business climate.

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America: Hope for Change
 Gov. Bob Ehrlich to Autograph His New Book at Our Dec. 17 Fundraiser
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 10, 2013

In his book released last month America: Hope for Change, Gov. Bob Ehrlich sets forth a conservative political agenda to set our country back on the "right" track instead of the "wrong" track.

By stressing the individual freedoms and self-autonomy that has made America great, Gov. Ehrlich provides an analysis of our national fiscal crisis and debt, healthcare delivery, job creation, social security and national security. Through his experiences as a Congressman and Governor of Maryland, Ehrlich provides insights that focus on policy solutions to strengthen American culture and economic opportunity.

Gov. John H. Sununu, former New Hampshire Governor and White House Chief of Staff under Pres. George H.W. Bush, describes the book as follows: "Bob Ehrlich makes the case for why America must, aggressively and quickly, fight to reverse the growth and excessive intrusion of the federal government into the lives of all citizens. He makes a clear case that the basic strengths that made America the land of opportunity are being destroyed. The Governor does a great job in defining the problem, the subtleties of the erosion of the system, and then proposes an agenda to fix the system."

Our fundraiser on Dec. 17, 2013 will feature a book-signing by Gov. Ehrlich. You can also receive a complimentary author-inscribed copy of America: Hope for Change by making a contribution to our campaign.

Please join us on Dec. 17, 2013 with speakers Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland.

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The Long-Term Effects of Obamacare
 Gov. Bob Ehrlich's Chapter on Obamacare Provides Insights
On Pres. Obama's Healthcare "Agenda"
Marylanders for Joe Getty

December 10, 2013

The current Obamacare debate being played out daily in the national media focuses on the failed mechanics of websites and apathetic enrollment numbers. But what are the long-term effects of Obamacare?

In the chapter "Securing a Healthcare Agenda, Not Quality Healthcare" from his book America: Hope for Change, Gov. Bob Ehrlich provides insights on what Americans may face in the coming years as Obamacare becomes the rule of the land in local hospitals and doctors' offices.

"It is impossible to predict the nature and extent of the regulatory burden represented by a fully implemented Obamacare. One outcome is acknowledged by all sides, however: many of the important decisions will not be made by the democratically elected representatives of the people. Instead, they will be issued by an army of unelected, unaccountable regulators. Such is the legacy of the Obama administrative state . . . the newly empowered Obama bureaucracy enjoys degree of power over the personal decision making authority of ordinary people never before seen in our history," is just one observation made by Gov. Ehrlich.

          Our fundraiser on Dec. 17 will feature a book-signing by Gov. Ehrlich. You can also receive a complimentary author-inscribed copy of America: Hope for Change by making a contribution to our campaign.

          Please join us on Dec. 17 with speakers Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Secretary Larry Hogan of Change Maryland.

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Upcoming events:

Tues. Dec. 17, 2013

"Maryland's Business Climate" - Fundraiser Luncheon
Hosted by Marylanders for Joe Getty
12 noon - Best Western, 451 WMC Drive, Westminster
For information: www.senatorgetty.com or contact Russ Vriezen at (443) 536-4700 or russ@senatorgetty.com

Thurs. Dec. 19, 2013
Carroll County Chamber of Commerce - Local Authors Book Signing
Senator Getty will be signing two local history books: "Carroll's Heritage" and
"Excerpts from the Engine of Liberty and Uniontown Advertiser"
3 to 6 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 8, 2013

Maryland General Assembly 2014 Session Begins

Gov Ehrlich-Robert, ChangeMaryland, People Getty-Joe Getty, Politics, Medicine Health ObamaCare, MD Issues Taxes, Business Economics, Bus Econ anti-business, 
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Monday, April 01, 2013

Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer Leans In About How She Decided to Become CEO While Pregnant



Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer just posted a “lean-in” story on the new site launched by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in conjunction with her recent book, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.”

Sandberg and her team have been encouraging women to post their personal stories of when they leaned into their careers and Mayer certainly does that in her post, including discussing taking the job at the top of the troubled Silicon Valley Internet company when she was seven months pregnant….


[…]

Mayer took off from Yahoo only a few weeks after she had her baby son last fall, and she said it has turned out well for her. “I’ve come to realize that being a mother makes me a better executive, because motherhood forces prioritization,” she wrote. “Being a mom gives you so much more clarity on what is important.” … http://allthingsd.com/20130329/yahoos-marissa-mayer-leans-in-about-how-she-became-ceo/

Update: also see - Yahoo Marissa Mayer: The Changing Face of Leadership http://tinyurl.com/cyh46uh

The Tentacle: Yahoo Marissa Mayer: The Changing Face of Leadership http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5709

By Kevin E. Dayhoff April 3, 2013

In a recent ‘lean in’ story posted on the new website launched by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Google employee number 20, Marissa Mayer weighed on how she decided to accept the position of president and CEO of Yahoo!

No meaningful conversation about the constantly changing dynamics of technology is possible without fully exploring the rising influence of women in leadership positions.

The discussion over the role of women in leadership positions has only increased since the July 2012 essay by Princeton professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All," was published in The Atlantic and Ms. Sandberg’s recently released book, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.”


Getting back to Ms. Mayer; she gave birth to a son last September. Kara Swisher wrote in the publication, “All Things D,” on March 29: “Sandberg and her team have been encouraging women to post their personal stories of when they leaned into their careers and Mayer certainly does that in her post, including discussing taking the job at the top of the troubled Silicon Valley Internet company when she was seven months pregnant…”

Ms. Mayer wrote in Lean In, “Looking back to reflect on the question: Could I really take the helm of Yahoo when I was 28 weeks pregnant?



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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Reuters Morning Digest: Cyprus parliament ready to veto deposit tax

Reuters 
Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the 
politics in between
Cyprus parliament ready to veto deposit tax
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus's parliament was set to reject a divisive tax on bank deposits in a vote scheduled for Tuesday, a government spokesman said, a move that would push the island closer to a default and banking collapse..
Pope calls for defense of weakest in inaugural Mass
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis inaugurated his papacy on Tuesday with an address calling for the defense of the weakest in society and of the environment, saying that otherwise the way was opened to death and destruction..
Stock futures signal slight losses
PARIS (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.04 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.12 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.05 percent at 06:15 a.m. EDT..
Paternity suit dropped against basketball legend Michael Jordan
ATLANTA (Reuters) - An Atlanta woman who says basketball legend Michael Jordan is the father of her 16-year-old son has dropped her paternity suit against him..
Dominicans beat Dutch, meet Puerto Rico in final
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A salsa party was booked at the AT&T Park after the Dominican Republic beat the Netherlands 4-1 on Monday to set up an all-Caribbean clash against Puerto Rico in the final of the World Baseball Classic..
EBay hit as "gloves come off" over PayPal digital wallet fee
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - EBay Inc shares hit a new low for 2013 on Monday as concern mounted about the impact of a new "digital wallet" fee on the company's PayPal business..
U.S. restarts plutonium production for space probes
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The Department of Energy has produced its first batch of non-weapons grade plutonium, used to power space probes, since a nuclear reactor shutdown 25 years ago, NASA officials said on Monday..
FBI turns up heat in investigation of 1990 Boston art heist
BOSTON (Reuters) - The FBI believes it has identified the thieves who stole 13 artworks from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 in the costliest art theft in U.S. history and asked for anyone who had seen the paintings to contact the bureau..
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