Implications for the Alternative Minimum Tax.

The 2001 act and the 2003 act significantly lowered the marginal tax rates for nearly all U.S. taxpayers. One byproduct of this tax rate reduction was that it brought to prominence a previously lesser known provision of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT was originally designed as a way of making sure that wealthy taxpayers could not take advantage of "too many" tax incentives and reduce their tax obligation by too much. It is a parallel system of calculating a taxpayer's tax liability that eliminates many deductions. However the applicable AMT rates were not adjusted to match the lowered rates of the 2001 and 2003 acts, causing many more people to face higher taxes. This reduced the benefit of the two acts for many upper-middle income earners, particularly those with deductions for state and local income taxes, dependents, and property taxes.  The AMT exemption level aspects of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, as well as the sunsetting year of capital gains and dividends, were among the tweaks made to the tax code in the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005.

CBO Scoring.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has consistently reported that the Bush tax cuts did not pay for themselves and represented a sizable decline in revenue for the Treasury:

Debate over effect of cuts.

There was and is considerable controversy over who benefited from the tax cuts and whether or not they have been effective in spurring sufficient growth. Supporters of the proposal and proponents of lower taxes say that the tax cuts increased the pace of economic recovery and job creation. Further, proponents of the cuts asserted that lowering taxes on all citizens, including the rich, would benefit all and would actually increase receipts from the wealthiest Americans as their tax rates would decline without resort to tax shelters. The "Wall Street Journal" editorial page states that taxes paid by millionaire households more than doubled from $136 billion in 2003 to $274 billion in 2006 because of the JGTRRA.  A report published by staff at conservative public policy think tank The Heritage Foundation claimed that the 2001 cuts alone would result in the complete elimination of the U.S. national debt by fiscal year 2010.  The Heritage Foundation concluded in 2007 that the Bush tax cuts led to the rich shouldering more of the income tax burden and the poor shouldering less; while the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has concluded that the tax cuts have conferred the "largest benefits, by far on the highest income households." CBPP cites data from the Tax Policy Center, stating that 24.2% of tax savings went to households in the top one percent of income compared to the share of 8.9% that went to the middle 20 percent. The underlying policy has been criticized by Democratic Party congressional opponents for giving tax cuts to the rich with capital gains tax breaks.  Statements by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist that these tax cuts effectively "paid for themselves" have been disputed by the CBPP, the U.S. Treasury Department and the CBO. Economist Paul Krugman wrote in 2007: "Supply side doctrine, which claimed without evidence that tax cuts would pay for themselves, never got any traction in the world of professional economic research, even among conservatives." Since 2001, federal income tax revenues have remained below the 30-year average of 8.4% of GDP with the exception of 2007, and did not regain their year 2000 dollar peak until 2006, though reasons for regaining previous levels are not given (see chart at right).  Some policy analysts and non-profit groups such as OMBWatch, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Tax Policy Center have attributed much of the rise in income inequality to the Bush administration's tax policy. In February 2007, President Bush addressed the rise of inequality for the first time, saying "The reason is clear: We have an economy that increasingly rewards education and skills because of that education."  Critics state that the tax cuts, including those given to middle and lower income households, failed to spur growth. Critics have further stated that the cuts also increased the budget deficit, shifted the tax burden from the rich to the middle and working classes, and further increased already high levels of income inequality. Economists Peter Orszag and William Gale described the Bush tax cuts as reverse government redistribution of wealth, "[shifting] the burden of taxation away from upper-income, capital-owning households and toward the wage-earning households of the lower and middle classes." Supporters argued that the tax brackets were still more progressive than the brackets from 1986 until 1992, with higher marginal rates on the upper class, and lower marginal rates on the middle class than established by either the Tax Reform Act of 1986 or the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990.  Economist Simon Johnson wrote in 2010: "The U.S. government doesn’t take in much tax revenue—at least 10 percentage points of GDP less than comparable developed economies—and it also doesn’t spend much except on the military, Social Security and Medicare. Other parts of government spending can be frozen or even slashed, but it just won’t make that much difference. That means older Americans are going to get squeezed, while our ability to defend ourselves goes into decline. Just because there’s a bipartisan consensus on an idea, such as tax cuts, doesn’t mean it makes sense. Today’s tax cutters have set us up for tomorrow’s fiscal crisis and real damage to U.S. national security."  A "Washington Post" article takes a different view, saying that data showed the biggest contributor to the disappearance of projected surpluses was increased spending, which accounted for 36.5 percent of the decline in the nation's fiscal position, followed by incorrect CBO estimates, which accounted for 28 percent. The Bush tax cuts (along with some Obama tax cuts) were responsible for just 24 percent.  "The New York Times" stated in an editorial that the full Bush-era tax cuts were the single biggest contributor to the deficit over the past decade, reducing revenues by about $1.8 trillion between 2002 and 2009.  CBO estimated in June 2012 that the Bush tax cuts (EGTRRA and JGTRRA) added about $1.6 trillion to the debt between 2001 and 2011, excluding interest. A 2006 Treasury Department study estimated that the Bush tax cuts reduced revenue by approximately 1.5% GDP on average for each of the first four years of their implementation, an approximately 6% annual reduction in revenue relative to a baseline without those tax cuts. The study did not extend the analysis beyond the first four years of implementation.

Debate over continuation of cuts.

Most of the tax cuts were scheduled to expire December 31, 2010. Debate over what to do regarding the expiration became a regular issue in the 2004 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections, with Republican candidates generally wanting the cut rates made permanent and Democratic candidates generally advocating for a retention of the lower rates for middle-class incomes but a return to Clinton-era rates for high incomes. During his presidential election campaign, then candidate Obama stated that couples with incomes less than $250,000 would not be subjected to tax increases. This income level later became a focal point for debate over what defined the middle class.  In August 2010, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that extending the tax cuts for the 2011–2020 time period would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt, comprising $2.65 trillion in foregone tax revenue plus another $0.66 trillion for interest and debt service costs.  The non-partisan Pew Charitable Trusts estimated in May 2010 that extending some or all of the tax cuts would have the following impact under these scenarios:  The non-partisan Congressional Research Service has estimated the 10-year revenue loss from extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts beyond 2010 at $2.9 trillion, with an additional $606 billion in debt service costs (interest), for a combined total of $3.5 trillion.  In late July 2010, analysts at Deutsche Bank said letting the Bush tax cuts expire for those earning more than $250,000 would greatly slow economic recovery. However, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said allowing the expiration would not cause such a slowing. The Obama administration proposed keeping tax cuts for couples making less than $250,000 per year. Economist Mark Zandi predicted that making the Bush tax cuts permanent would be the second least stimulative of several policies considered. Making the tax cuts permanent would have a multiplier effect of 0.29 (compared to the highest multiplier of 1.73 for food stamps).

Extension of Bush tax cuts.

The issue came to a head in late 2010, during a lame-duck session of the 111th Congress. The Slurpee Summit was a White House meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Congressional leaders that occurred on November 30, 2010. The name "Slurpee Summit" is a reference to an analogy Obama used while campaigning for the 2010 midterm elections. It was the first such meeting in the wake of the November midterm election in which Republicans took control of the House and gained six seats in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Obama apologized during the meeting for not making a greater effort to reach out to Republican lawmakers during his first two years in office, and appointed Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Office of Management and Budget chief Jack Lew to help Republicans and Democrats hammer out an agreement on extending the Bush tax cuts. In return, all 42 Republican Senators pledged to block all legislation until the tax matter was settled.  Congressional Democrats offered two attempts to extend the Bush-era rates for "middle income" families but restore the previous, higher rates for "high income" people. The first proposal had a cutoff at $250,000, while the second raised the dividing line to $1 million. Both proposals were able to pass in the House, but on December 4, 2010, both fell short of the 60 votes required to avoid a filibuster.  On December 6, 2010, President Barack Obama announced a compromise tax package proposal had been reached, centered around a temporary, two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts. In particular, the framework included key points such as:  Obama said, "I'm not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington. And I'm not willing to let our economy slip backwards just as we're pulling ourselves out of this devastating recession.... So, sympathetic as I am to those who prefer a fight over compromise, as much as the political wisdom may dictate fighting over solving problems, it would be the wrong thing to do.... As for now, I believe this bipartisan plan is the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to do for jobs. It’s the right thing to do for the middle class. It is the right thing to do for business. And it’s the right thing to do for our economy. It offers us an opportunity that we need to seize." According to Kori Schulman (2010), Director of Online Engagement for the Whitehouse media team, the agreement has three accomplishments: “working families will not lose their tax cut, focused on high impact job creation measures, and does not worsen the medium-and-long-term deficit.”  Administration officials like Vice President Joe Biden then worked to convince wary Democratic members of Congress to accept the plan, notwithstanding a continuation of lower rates for the highest-income taxpayers. The compromise proved popular in public opinion polls, and allowed Obama to portray himself as a consensus-builder not beholden to the liberal wing of his party. The bill was opposed by some of the most conservative members of the Republican Party as well as by talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and some groups in the Tea Party movement. It was also opposed by several leading potential candidates for the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential election, including Mitt Romney, typically on the grounds that it did not make the Bush tax cuts permanent and that it would overall increase the national deficit.  In an interview during these debates, former President Bush said, "I wish they would have called it something other than the 'Bush tax cuts'. There'd probably be less angst amongst some to pass it." He argued strongly for maintaining the rates: "I do believe it's very important to send the signal to our entrepreneurs and our families that the government trusts them to spend their own money. And I happen to believe lower taxes is what stimulates economic growth and what we need now in our country is economic growth."  On December 15, 2010, the Senate passed the compromise package with an 81–19 vote, with large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans supporting it. Near midnight on December 16, the House passed the measure on a vote of 277–148, with only a modest majority of Democrats but a large majority of Republicans voting for the package. Before that, an amendment put forward by Democratic Representative Earl Pomeroy and the progressives among the Democratic caucus to raise the estate tax, which was the ultimate sticking point of the deal for them and the cause of a minor revolt among those against it, failed on a 194–233 vote. "The Washington Post" called the approved deal "the most significant tax bill in nearly a decade." President Barack Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, on December 17, 2010.

Fiscal cliff.

The "fiscal cliff" refers to December 31, 2012, the date of the expected implementation of government spending reductions and expiration of a large number of tax cuts, many of which were the tax cuts enacted under George W. Bush and extended by President Obama. In a report released in May 2012, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) In addition to the government spending reductions and tax cuts, increases in costs from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were slated to take effect, as well. The CBO predicted that these policy changes could lead to reduced economic growth, significant enough to be considered a recession, although the 2013 deficit would be cut roughly in half and the debt trajectory over the next decade would be significantly improved.  The increase in tax rates that was due to occur had been described by Republicans including House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell as the largest in U.S. history, although the U.S. would be returning to Clinton-era tax rates. According to the "Associated Press", the increase would be the second largest after the tax increase of 1942, if population growth, increased pay and the size of the economy are taken into account.  Based on figures from the CBO and Joint Committee on Taxation, federal taxes would have increased by a total of $423 billion in 2013, if the tax cuts had been allowed to expire. The non-partisan Tax Policy Center estimated that for 83% of households in the U.S., there would be an average tax increase of $3,701 and The Heritage Foundation stated that those impacted by the tax cut expiry are primarily in the middle- and low-income groups, with its research finding that families would experience an average tax increase of $4,138.  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the expiration of the Bush income tax rates (i.e., returning to Clinton-era rates) would have affected higher income families more than lower income families. The Bush tax cuts reduced income taxes for those earning over $1 million by $110,000 per year on average during the 2004–2012 period. The tax cuts made the tax system less progressive. From 2004 through 2012, the tax cuts increased the after-tax income of the highest-income taxpayers by a far larger percentage than they did for middle- and low-income taxpayers. During 2010 for example, the tax cuts increased the after-tax income of people making over $1 million by more than 7.3%, but increased the after-tax income of the middle 20% of households by just 2.8%  A report from the CBO concluded that extending the tax cuts and spending policies would lead to federal debt increasing from 73% in 2012 to over 90% of U.S. gross domestic product by 2022, but that the debt-to-GDP ratio would decline to 61% in 2022 if the tax cuts expired and scheduled spending cuts took place. The CBO concluded that The explosive path of federal debt under the alternative fiscal scenario underscores the need for large and timely policy changes to put the federal government on a sustainable fiscal course. Policymakers will need to increase revenues substantially above historical levels as a percentage of GDP, decrease spending significantly from projected levels, or adopt some combination of those two approaches. In fact, the current laws that underlie CBO's baseline projections provide for significant changes of those kinds in coming years; many other approaches to constraining future deficits are possible as well. CBO's term "alternative scenario" refers to extending the tax cuts and preventing scheduled automatic spending cuts, while "baseline scenario" refers to allowing the tax cuts to expire and the spending cuts to take place, as provided for by laws in effect in June 2012.  The expiration of the tax rate cuts was opposed by Republicans including those on the House Ways and Means Committee, which attempted to produce a bill providing for a one-year extension that would ensure that federal tax rates for all income levels, capital gains, dividends and estate taxes would remain the same. The bill would have also retained tax credits including the child tax credit but would propose ending the current payroll-tax cut. The Democratic-majority Senate was in favor of extending the tax cuts only on that portion of household income below $250,000 per year.

American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

On January 1, 2013, the Bush Tax Cuts expired. However, on January 2, 2013, President Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which reinstated many of the tax cuts, effective retroactively to January 1. The 2012 Act did not repeal the increase in the highest marginal income tax rate (from 35% to 39.6%) which had been imposed on January 1 as a result of the expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts.

The phrase Bush tax cuts refers to changes to the United States tax code passed originally during the presidency of George W. Bush and extended during the presidency of Barack Obama, through:


Description.

"Plover" displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ship had an overall length of, a beam of and a draught of. She was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, driving two shafts, which developed a total of and gave a maximum speed of. Steam for the engines was provided by two water-tube boilers. "Plover" carried a maximum of of fuel oil. The ship's complement was 69 officers and men.  The ship initially mounted two machine guns, but after war broke out a single 12-pounder (3 in (76.2 mm)) gun was added aft as well as a Oerlikon autocannon forward. "Plover" was initially fitted with mine recovery gear, but her mine capacity increased from 80 to 100 after it was removed when World War II began. Sometime during the war she received a Type 286 air warning radar.

Career.

HMS "Plover" was intended to conduct mining trials and was therefore fitted to recover as well as lay mines. During World War II she laid a total of 15,237 mines, including two that sank the off the Belgian coast in January 1942.  Near the end of the war, the struck a mine that was part of a minefield laid by "Plover" on the morning of 30 April 1945, south of Lizard Point and consisted of 100 Mk XVII/XVII(8) mines.  The ship was kept in service after the war and took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. She was sold to Thos W Ward in 1969. "Plover" arrived at their yard in Inverkeithing, Scotland, in April 1969 to begin scrapping.

HMS "Plover" was a coastal minelayer built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. She laid over 15,000 mines during World War II and remained on active duty until she was sold for scrap in 1969.


Goals.

Immunity and herd immunity.

Vaccination policies aim to produce immunity to preventable diseases. Besides individual protection from getting ill, some vaccination policies also aim to provide the community as a whole with herd immunity. Herd immunity refers to the idea that the pathogen will have trouble spreading when a significant part of the population has immunity against it. This protects those unable to get the vaccine due to

Eradication of diseases.

With some vaccines, a goal of vaccination policies is to eradicate the disease – it disappear from Earth altogether. The World Health Organization (WHO) coordinated the effort

Individual versus group goals.

Individuals will attempt to minimize the risk of illness, and may seek vaccination for themselves or their children if they perceive a high threat of disease and a low risk to vaccination. However, if a vaccination program successfully reduces the disease threat, it may reduce the perceived risk of disease enough so that an individual's optimal strategy is to encourage everyone but their family to be vaccinated, or (more generally) to refuse vaccination once

Compulsory vaccination.

At various times governments and other institutions have established policies requiring vaccination, with the aim of reducing the risk of disease. For example, an 1853 law required universal vaccination against smallpox in England and Wales, with fines levied on people who did not comply. In the United States, the Supreme Court ruled in "Jacobson v. Massachusetts" (1905) that states have the authority to require vaccination against smallpox during a smallpox epidemic. All 50 U.S states require that children be vaccinated in order to attend public school, although 47 states provide exemptions based on religious or philosophical beliefs. Forced vaccination (as opposed to fines or refusal of services) is rare and typically only happens as an emergency measure during an outbreak. A few other countries also follow this practice. Compulsory vaccination greatly reduces infection rates for the diseases the vaccines protect against. These policies stirred resistance from a variety of groups, collectively called anti-vaccinationists, who objected on ethical, political, medical safety, religious, and other grounds. Other reasons including that socioeconomic disparities and being an ethnic minority can prevent reasonable access to vaccinations.  Common objections included the argument that governments should not infringe on an individual's freedom to make medical decisions for themselves or their children, or claims that proposed vaccinations were dangerous. Many modern vaccination policies allow exemptions for people with compromised immune systems, allergies to vaccination components, or strongly held objections. It has also been argued that for vaccination to effectively prevent disease, there must not only be available vaccines and a population willing to immunize, but also sufficient ability to decline vaccination on grounds of personal belief.  In 1904 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following an urban renewal program that displaced many poor, a government program of mandatory smallpox vaccination triggered the Vaccine Revolt, several days of rioting with considerable property damage and a number of deaths.  Compulsory vaccination is a difficult policy issue, requiring authorities to balance public health with individual liberty:  "Vaccination is unique among de facto mandatory requirements in the modern era, requiring individuals to accept the injection of a medicine or medicinal agent into their bodies, and it has provoked a spirited opposition. This opposition began with the first vaccinations, has not ceased, and probably never will. From this realisation arises a difficult issue: how should the mainstream medical authorities approach the anti-vaccination movement? A passive reaction could be construed as endangering the health of society, whereas a heavy-handed approach can threaten the values of individual liberty and freedom of expression that we cherish."  An ethical dilemma emerges when health care providers attempt to persuade vaccine-hesitant families towards receiving vaccinations as this persuasion may lead to violating their autonomy. Investigation of different types of vaccination policy finds strong evidence that standing orders and allowing healthcare workers without prescription authority (such as nurses) to administer vaccines in defined circumstances increases vaccination rates, and sufficient evidence that requiring vaccinations before attending child care and school also does so. However, there is insufficient evidence to assess effectiveness of requiring vaccinations as a condition for hospital and other healthcare jobs.  Many countries, including Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United States have specific requirements for reporting vaccine-related adverse effects, while other countries including Australia, France, and the United Kingdom include vaccines under their general requirements for reporting injuries associated with medical treatments. A number of countries have both compulsory vaccination and national programs for the compensation of injuries alleged to have been caused by a vaccination.

Evaluating vaccination policy.

Vaccines as a positive externality.

The promotion of high levels of vaccination produces the protective effect of herd immunity as well as positive externalities in society. Large scale vaccination is a public good, in that the benefits obtained by an individual from large scale vaccination are both non-rivalrous and non-excludable, and given these traits, individuals

Trust in vaccination.

Trust in vaccines and in the health system is an important element of public health programs that aim to deliver lifesaving vaccines. Trust in vaccination and health care is an important indicator of government work and the effectiveness of social policy. The success in overcoming diseases and in vaccination depend on the level of trust in vaccine and health care. The lack of trust in vaccines and immunization programs can lead to vaccine refusal, risking disease outbreaks and challenging immunization goals in high- and low-income settings. Today, the medical and scientific communities obviously face a

Cost-benefit—United States.

Since the first economic analysis of routine childhood immunizations in the United States in 2001 that reported cost savings over the lifetime of children born in 2001, other analyses of the economic costs and potential benefits to individuals and society have since been studied, evaluated, and calculated. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a decision analysis that evaluated direct costs (program costs such as vaccine cost, administrative burden, negative vaccine-linked reactions, and transportation time lost to parents to seek health providers for vaccination). The study focused on

Cost-benefit for older adults.

Furthermore, there is an economic incentive to establish vaccination programs for older adults as the general population is aging due to increasing life expectancy and decreasing birth rates. Vaccinations can be used to reduce the issues linked with both polypharmacy and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the older demographic with comorbidities by

International Organizations.

In 2006, the World Health Organization and UNICEF created the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS). This organization created a ten-year strategy with four main goals:  The Global Vaccination Action Plan was created by the World Health

By country.

Argentina.

In December 2018, Argentina enacted a new vaccine policy requiring all persons who are medically able, both adults and children, to be vaccinated against specified diseases. Proof of vaccination is required to attend any level of

Australia.

In an effort to boost vaccination rates in Australia, the Australian government has decided that starting on 1 January 2016, certain benefits (such as the universal 'Family Allowance' welfare payments for parents of children) will no longer be available for conscientious objectors of vaccination; those with medical grounds for not vaccinating will continue to receive such benefits. The policy is supported by a majority of Australian parents as well as the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Early Childhood Australia. In 2014, about 97 percent of children under 7 years were vaccinated, though

Canada.

Vaccination in Canada is voluntary. While vaccination is generally required to

China.

China has passed the World Health Organization's (WHO) regulatory vaccine assessments, demonstrating that they adhere to international standards. The Chinese government's Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) was created in 1978 and provides certain obligatory vaccines, named Category 1 vaccines, for free to all children up to 14 years of age. Initially, the vaccines consisted of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, oral polio vaccine (OPV), measles vaccine (MV) and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DPT vaccine). By 2007, the

France.

In France, the High Council of Public Health is in charge of proposing vaccine recommendations to the Minister of Health. Each year, immunization recommendations for both the general population and specific groups are published by the Institute of Epidemiology and Surveillance. Since some hospitals are granted additional freedoms, there two key people responsible for vaccine policy within hospitals: the Operational physician (OP), and the Head of the hospital infection and prevention committee (HIPC). Mandatory immunization policies on BCG, diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis began in the 1950s and policies on Hepatitis B began in 1991. Recommended but not mandatory suggestions on influenza, pertussis, varicella, and measles began in 2000, 2004, 2004, and 2005, respectively. According to the 2013 INPES Peretti-Watel health barometer, between 2005 and 2010, the percentage of French people between 18–75 years old in favor of vaccination dropped from 90% to 60%.  Since 2009, France has recommended meningococcus C vaccination for infants 1–2 years old, with a catch up dosage up to 25 years later. French insurance companies have reimbursed this vaccine since January 2010, at which point coverage levels were 32.3% for children 1–2 years and 21.3% for teenagers 14–16 years old. In 2012, the French government and the Institut

Germany.

In Germany, the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) is the federal commission responsible for recommending an immunization schedule. The Robert Koch Institute in Berlin (RKI) compiles data of immunization status upon the entry of children at school, and measures vaccine coverage of Germany at a national level. Founded in 1972, the STIKO is composed of 12–18 volunteers, appointed members by the Federal Ministry for Health for 3-year terms. Members include experts from many scientific disciplines and public health fields and professionals with extensive experience on vaccination. The independent advisory group meets biannually to address issues pertaining to preventable infectious diseases. Although the STIKO makes recommendations, immunization in Germany is voluntary and there are no official government recommendations. German Federal States typically follow the Standing Vaccination Committee's recommendations minimally, although each state can make recommendations for their geographic jurisdiction that extends beyond the recommended list. In addition to

Ireland.

In the Republic of Ireland, childhood vaccination (up to age

Italy.

As aging populations in Italy bring a rising burden of age-related disease, the Italian vaccination system remains complex. The fact that services and decisions are delivered by 21 separate regional authorities creates many variations in Italian vaccine policy. There is a National committee on immunizations that updates the national recommended immunization schedule, with input from the ministry of health representatives, regional health authorities, national institute of health, and other scientific societies. Regions may add more scheduled vaccinations, but cannot exempt citizens from nationally mandated or recommended ones. For instance, a nationwide plan for eliminating measles and rubella began in 2001. Certain vaccinations in Italy are based on findings from the National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion are also used to determine miscellaneous vaccination mandates.  Childhood vaccinations included in national schedules are guaranteed free of charge for all Italian children and foreign children who live in the country. Estimated insurance coverage for the required three doses of HBV-Hib-IPV vaccines is at least 95% when the child is 2 years old. Later, Influenza is the only nationally necessary vaccine for adults, and is administered by general practitioners. To mitigate some public concerns, Italy currently has a national vaccine injury compensation program. Essentially, those who are ill or damaged by mandatory and recommended vaccinations may receive funding from the government as compensation. One evaluation of vaccine coverage in 2010, which covered the 2008 birth cohort, showed a slight decline in immunization insurance coverage rates of diphtheria,

Japan.

In Japan, there are three types of vaccination practices: Routine (scheduled); Temporary (ad-hoc); and Non-legal. Infections of the first two types are defined by () and its related (). As of January 2020, sixteen infections in total are on the legal lists - fourteen are Category A diseases (vaccination is not mandatory but recommended to prevent pandemic), and two are Category B (not even recommended and only for a personal care purpose).  Compared to the global standard, Japanese vaccination policy is sometimes described by medical experts as the "Vaccine Gap". For instance, Japan is the only developed country that does not list mumps on the vaccine schedule. Another fact is that the government approval for new ombination vaccines usually takes longer time than the United States does.  One of the reason behind the vaccine gap is that the government was sued several times for negligence of duty of care

Latvia.

According to a 2011 publication in "CMAJ": The notion of "mandatory" in Latvia differs from that of other nations. Latvia appears unique in that it compels health care providers to obtain the signatures of those who decline vaccination. Individuals have the right to refuse

Malaysia.

In Malaysia, mass vaccination is practised in public schools. The vaccines may be administered by a school nurse or a team of other medical staff from outside the school. All the children in a given school year

Nigeria.

In Nigeria, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), was introduced in 1978 to provide free immunization against polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, and yellow fever to Nigerian children less than

Pakistan.

Facing numerous minor polio epidemics, the Pakistani government has now ruled that the polio vaccination as mandatory and indisputable. In a statement

Russia.

Immunization is

Samoa.

In the wake of a declared measles

Slovenia.

According to a 2011 publication in "CMAJ": Slovenia has one of the world's most aggressive and comprehensive vaccination programs. Its program is mandatory for nine designated diseases. Within the first three months of life, infants must be vaccinated for tuberculosis, tetanus, polio, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenza type B. Within 18 months, vaccines are required for measles, mumps and rubella, and finally, before a child starts school, the child must be vaccinated for hepatitis B. While

South Africa.

In South Africa vaccination is voluntary.  The South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre began in 2003 as an alliance between the South African Department of Health, vaccine

Spain.

Spain's 19 autonomous communities, consisting of 17 Regions and 2 cities, follow health policies established by the Inter-Territorial Health Council that was formed by the National and Regional Ministries of Health. This Inter-Territorial Council is composed of representatives from each region and meets to discuss health related issues spanning across Spain. The Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIIII) is a public research institute that manages biomedical research for the advancement of health sciences and disease preventions. The ISCIII may suggest the introduction of new vaccines into Spain's Recommended Health Schedule and is under direct control of the Ministry of Health. Although the Ministry of Health is responsible for the oversight of health care services, the policy of devolution divides responsibilities among local agencies, including health planning and programing, fiscal duties, and direct management of health services. This decentralization proposes difficulties in collecting information at the national level. The Inter-Territorial Council's Commission on Public Health works to establish health care policies according to recommendations by technical working groups via letters, meetings, and conferences. The Technical Working Group on Vaccines review data on vaccine preventable diseases and proposes recommendations for policies. No additional groups outside the government propose recommendations. Recommendations must be approved by the Commission of Public Health and then by the Inter-Territorial Council, at which point they are incorporated into the National

Tanzania.

According to the World Health Organization vaccination coverage in Tanzania was more than 90% in 2012. An Electronic Immunisation Register has been established, which

United Kingdom.

In the United Kingdom, the purchase and distribution of vaccines is managed centrally, and recommended vaccines are provided for free by the NHS. In the UK, no laws

United States.

In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices makes scientific recommendations regarding vaccines and vaccination schedules that the federal government, state governments, and private health insurance companies generally follow. See Vaccination schedule for the schedule recommended in the United States.  All 50 states in the U.S. mandate immunizations for children in order to enroll in public school, but various exemptions are available depending on the state. All states have exemptions for people who have medical contraindications to vaccines, and all states except for California, Maine, Mississippi, New York, and West Virginia allow religious exemptions, while sixteen states allow parents to cite personal, conscientious, philosophical, or other objections.  An increasing number of parents are using religious and philosophical exemptions: researchers have cited this increased use of exemptions as contributing to loss of herd immunity within these communities, and hence an increasing number of disease outbreaks.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises physicians to respect the refusal of parents to vaccinate their child after adequate discussion, unless the child is put at significant risk of harm (e.g., during an epidemic, or after a deep and contaminated puncture wound). Under such circumstances, the AAP states that parental refusal of immunization constitutes a form of medical neglect and should be reported to state child protective services agencies. Several states allow minors to legally consent to vaccination over parental objections under the mature minor doctrine.  Immunizations are compulsory for military enlistment in the U.S.  All vaccines recommended by the U.S. government for its citizens are required for green card applicants. This requirement stirred controversy when it was applied to the HPV vaccine in July 2008 due to the cost of the vaccine. In addition, the other thirteen required vaccines prevent highly contagious diseases communicable through the respiratory route, while HPV is only spread through sexual contact. In November 2009, this requirement was canceled.  Though the federal guidelines do not require written consent in order to receive a vaccination, they do require doctors give the recipients or legal representatives a Vaccine Information Statement (VIS). Specific informed consent laws are made by the states.

Schools.

The United States has a long history of school vaccination requirements. The first school vaccination requirement was enacted in the 1850s in Massachusetts to prevent the spread of smallpox. The school vaccination requirement was put in place after the compulsory school attendance law caused a rapid increase in the number of children in public schools, increasing the risk of smallpox outbreaks. The early movement towards school vaccination laws began at the local level including counties, cities, and boards of education. By 1827, Boston had become the first city to mandate that all children entering public schools show proof of vaccination. In addition, in 1855 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had established its own statewide vaccination requirements for all students entering school, this influenced other states to implement similar statewide vaccination laws in schools as seen in New York in 1862, Connecticut in 1872, Pennsylvania in 1895, and later the Midwest, South and Western US. By 1963, 20 states had school vaccination laws.  These vaccination laws resulted in political debates throughout the United States as those opposed to vaccination sought to repeal local policies and state laws. An example of this political controversy occurred in 1893 in Chicago, where less than 10 percent of the children were vaccinated despite the twelve year old state law. Resistance was seen at the local level of the school district as some local school boards and superintendents opposed the state vaccination laws, leading the state board health inspectors to examine vaccination policies in schools. Resistance proceeded during the mid-1900s and in 1977 a nationwide Childhood Immunization Initiative was developed with the goal of increasing vaccination rates among children to 90% by 1979. During the two-year period of observation, the initiative reviewed the immunization records of more than 28 million children and

Vaccination policy is the health policy a government adopts in relation to vaccination. Vaccination policies have been developed over the approximately two centuries since the invention of vaccination with the purpose of eradicating disease from, or creating a herd immunity for, the population the government aims to protect. Vaccination advisory committees within each country are usually responsible for providing information to governments that is used to make evidence-based decisions regarding vaccine and immunization policy.


Career.

Cleveland Indians.

Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 2008, he began his professional career with the rookie-level Indians squads, where he played through the 2011 season. He was promoted to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in 2012, and finished the year with a.220 batting average in 60 games. He was then promoted to the Lake County Captains and Carolina Mudcats in 2013. After the 2013 season, MiLB.com named González the best third baseman in the Indians minor league system. He was added to the Indians' 40-man roster following the season.  In 2014, he split the season with the Mudcats and the Akron RubberDucks; with the RubberDucks he had a.357 batting average in 31 games, and was named to the Midwest League All-Star roster while with the Mudcats, hitting.289 in 74 games. In 2015, he split the season between the RubberDucks and the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League. González began the 2016 season with Columbus, and appeared in the Triple-A All-Star Game. He was promoted to the major leagues on July 14, 2016. He finished the season in the major leagues with a.313 batting average in 21 games, and a.296 batting average, 11 home runs, and 12 stolen bases with the Clippers in 104 games. In 2018, González played in 81 games for the Indians as an utility infielder, averaging.265 from 136 at-bats with 1 homer and 16 runs batted in.

Pittsburgh Pirates.

On November 14, 2018, González (along with minor leaguers Tahnaj Thomas and Dante Mendoza) were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Max Moroff and Jordan Luplow.  In a game on April 19, 2019, González was chasing after a fly ball and collided with outfielder Starling Marte. Marte had to be carted off of the field and González suffered a fractured left clavicle, and was placed on the 60-day injured list the next day.

Erik González (born August 31, 1991) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians.


Early life and education.

Brightman was born on September 20, 1884 in Holbrook, Massachusetts, and was the only child of a Methodist pastor. He studied at Brown University from which he graduated with a BA degree in 1907, and then with an MA degree in 1908. He then proceeded to Boston University where he was awarded the Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1910, followed by a PhD in 1912. He undertook further studies in Italy at the University of Berlin and Marburg University between 1901 and 1910.  While at Brown, Brightman became a brother of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.  He was ordained a Methodist minister in 1912.

Career.

Brightman was a professional philosopher who taught the subject at Nebraska Wesleyan University between 1912 and 1915. He then took up a post as lecturer in ethics and religion at the Wesleyan University in Connecticut from 1915 to 1919. Finally, he moved to Boston University in 1919 and taught philosophy there until he died on February 25, 1953. From 1925 to 1953 he occupied the Borden Parker Bowne chair of Philosophy.  One of his earliest publications reflected the findings of higher criticism in Old Testament studies concerning the identification of sub-sources and sub-documents within the first six books of the Bible (the Hexateuch). The Documentary Hypothesis that Brightman drew upon had developed in Nineteenth Century German Biblical studies and had received their definitive form in the writings of Julius Wellhausen. Wellhausen, and those who built on his theories, argued that the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) were a composite creation drawing on four original sources and edited into their final form in the fourth century BC. These conclusions ran counter to the traditional Jewish and Christian position that Moses received the Pentateuch from God, with little if any further modification. Brightman was attacked for his pro-Wellhausian views by conservative and fundamentalist Methodists, and blacklisted.  In his involvement with the Methodist Church in America, Brightman joined the Methodist Federation for Social Action. He also supported conscientious objectors in war, was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, and also the Committee on Peace through Justice.

Philosophical stance.

Brightman's philosophical views were influenced by the thought of Borden Parker Bowne (1847–1910). Bowne, who was a Methodist philosopher, emphasized the importance of personality and self-image, and encapsulated his ideas in the expression "transcendental empiricism". By this Bowne meant that there was an existent reality beyond mere human sensory perceptions. He held to the importance of intuition in understanding reality, and upheld the role of human free will. In many ways Bowne's work on personality anticipated some of the views of Sigmund Freud, and even Albert Einstein's findings on the relativity of time and space. Bowne's emphasis on personality led to his philosophical views being known by the term "personalism".  Brightman was an advocate of Bowne's position on personality, and those who gathered around both Bowne's and Brightman's writings became known as a movement called "Boston personalism". In Brightman's system of thought the human self is the dominant metaphysical reality. His philosophical method in argument is known as rational empiricism.  In addition to building on Bowne's position, Brightman is credited with developing a metaphysical view in the philosophy of religion called finitistic theism. For Brightman God is a self-limited being whose good will though perfect is constrained by God's own nature. There is a dynamic relationship between God and the world that grows and develops, or is in process. In Brightman's thought God's purposes intend good for the world, yet pain and suffering occur. He did not argue for God having unlimited power over evil and suffering, but rather maintained that through the processes of the world and history evil will be overcome. In effect, God uses the tragedies of the creation as instruments that enable the world to reach its final goal.  Brightman's views about the growing and developing relationship between God and the world has strong affinities with process philosophy as espoused by Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne. Indeed, Hartshorne and Brightman maintained a lengthy and lively correspondence on these matters for a period of some twenty three years.  Edgar Brightman was a teacher and mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. as King pursued his PhD at Boston University in the early 1950s. (Following Brightman's death, Lotan Harold DeWolf, who had himself received his 1935 PhD in philosophy studying under Brightman, became King's dissertation adviser and another significant influence on King's theological and philosophical thinking.) Brightman's influence is reflected in King's philosophy of Nonviolence, most markedly in the sixth and most fundamental principle of King's philosophy of Nonviolence, "The arc of the Universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Edgar Sheffield Brightman (September 20, 1884 – February 25, 1953) was an American philosopher and Christian theologian in the Methodist tradition, associated with Boston University and liberal theology, and promulgated the philosophy known as "Boston personalism".


Geography.

Palisade is located at (39.109335, -108.354277).  According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which 0.92% is water.

Climate.

Palisade's climate is relatively mild by Colorado standards. The town sees 14 inches of snow each year and 10 inches of average precipitation. Palisade falls within the USDA hardiness zone 7.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,579 people, 1,051 households, and 689 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,399.5 people per square mile (930.6/km2). There were 1,117 housing units at an average density of 1,039.3 per square mile (403.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.91% White, 0.19% African American, 1.05% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.24% of the population.  There were 1,051 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91.  In the town, the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.  The median income for a household in the town was $27,739, and the median income for a family was $31,797. Males had a median income of $28,231 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,539. About 11.0% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education.

Palisade has one high school, Palisade High School. It also has one elementary school, Taylor Elementary. Mount Garfield Middle School is located on the border of Clifton and Palisade.

Palisade is a Statutory Town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,692 at the 2010 census.


Early life.

Allen Thomas was born December 14, 1830, in Howard County, Maryland. He graduated from Princeton University in 1850 and became a lawyer. After his marriage, in 1857, he moved to Louisiana where he became a planter and a colonel in the Louisiana militia. He was a brother-in-law of Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Taylor.

American Civil War service.

Allen Thomas joined the 29th Louisiana Infantry as a major in July 1861. On May 3, 1862, he was promoted to colonel of the regiment, when it was expanded from its original battalion size. He commanded a brigade in the Confederate Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana in December 1862 and January 1863. He fought in the Vicksburg Campaign, notably at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (Chickasaw Bluffs or Walnut Hills). During the siege of Vicksburg, Thomas and his regimental staff occupied Planters Hall, a building which survives and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Thomas was captured in the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, and was later exchanged. After his parole, he brought Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's report on the fall of Vicksburg to Richmond. He then served in reorganizing paroled and exchanged prisoners. Thomas was promoted to brigadier general on February 4, 1864. He was assigned to the department of his brother-in-law, Lieutenant General Richard Taylor, at Alexandria, Louisiana, where he commanded a brigade of five Louisiana regiments and a battalion.  From September 1864 to May 26, 1865, with the exception of March 17, 1865, to May 10, 1865, when he commanded the division of Major General Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac when Polignac went to France to seek help for the Confederacy from Napoleon III, Thomas commanded a brigade in Polignac's division in the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi.  Allen Thomas was paroled at Natchitoches, Louisiana, on June 8, 1865, and pardoned on July 19, 1865.

Aftermath.

After the Civil War, Thomas returned to his plantation. He became a professor of agriculture and member of the board of supervisors at Louisiana State University in 1882–1884. He was a Presidential elector in 1872 and 1880. Then he became coiner at the United States Mint at New Orleans. Thomas was nominated to run for Congress in 1876 but declined. In 1889, he moved to Florida. He was U.S. Minister to Venezuela from 1895 to 1897, succeeding Seneca Haselton.  Thomas moved to Waveland, Mississippi, where he had bought a plantation, in 1907 and died there on December 3, 1907. Allen Thomas was buried at Ascension Catholic Church Cemetery, Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in the family vault of his wife.

Allen Thomas (December 14, 1830 – December 3, 1907) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War (Civil War). He was born in Howard County, Maryland, and became a lawyer but he moved to Louisiana in the later 1850s and became a planter and colonel in the Louisiana militia. After the war, he was a planter, Presidential elector in 1872 and 1880, professor of agriculture at Louisiana State University and coiner at the United States Mint at New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved to Florida in 1889. Between 1894 and 1897, he was United States Minister to Venezuela. He moved to Mississippi in 1907 and died there in that year. He was buried at Donaldsonville, Louisiana.


History.

The town was named for state legislator J. Ramon Aguilar. Aguilar owned the land that the town was built on. A post office was established at Aguilar in 1890. In 1894 the town was incorporated.  From September 1913 until late April 1914, much of Las Animas County was embroiled by the Colorado Coalfield War, which saw up to 12,000 pro-United Mine Workers of America strikers engaged in both peaceful and violent confrontations with the Rockefeller-owned Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, other mining outfits, strikebreakers, and the Colorado National Guard. On 29 October 1913, the Aguilar post office and several other town structures were destroyed in an arson attack related to the strike. The National Guard arrested several strikers over the attack and handed them over to the federal U.S. Marshal Service.  Following the Ludlow Massacre on 20 April 1914, strikers launched numerous attacks of both coordinated and spontaneous natures against mining operations, strikebreakers, and the National Guard in what is known as the Ten-Day War. One of the attacks was launched against Southwestern Mine Co.'s Empire Mine on 22 April, where armed strikers forced non-striking miners and their families into the mine and began an all-night siege outside. After negotiation led by Aguilar's mayor and a church minister named McDonald, the strikers abandoned the siege before fatalities on either side were reported.

Geography.

Aguilar is located at (37.403299, -104.654363), about one mile west of Interstate 25.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, all of it land.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2000, there were 593 people, 243 households, and 165 families residing in the town. The population density was. There were 291 housing units at an average density of 740.4 per square mile (288.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 86.00% White, 3.04% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 6.91% from other races, and 3.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.54% of the population.  There were 243 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.93.  In the town, the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.  The median income for a household in the town was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $30,815. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,249. About 27.8% of families and 34.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 64.0% of those under age 18 and 25.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education.

Aguilar Public Schools is part of the Aguilar Reorganized School District RE-6. The school district has one elementary school and one junior/senior high school.  Aguilar Elementary School and Aguilar Junior/Senior High School are located in Aguilar.

Aguilar is a Statutory Town located in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 538 at the 2010 United States Census. Cattleman and prominent pioneer José Ramón Aguilar founded the town in 1894.


Geography.

Blue River is located at (39.432532, -106.037152).  According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it (4.39%) is water.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2000, there were 685 people, 268 households, and 151 families residing in the town. The population density was 314.0 people per square mile (121.3/km2). There were 563 housing units at an average density of 258.0 per square mile (99.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.15% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.  There were 268 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 1.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.82.  In the town, the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 46.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.4 males.  The median income for a household in the town was $61,964, and the median income for a family was $70,714. Males had a median income of $34,844 versus $32,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,411. About 2.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

The Town of Blue River is a Statutory Town in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 849 at the 2010 United States Census.


Background.

In August 2015, One Direction announced that an extended hiatus would take place following the release of their fifth studio album. In January 2016, "Us Weekly" published a report claiming that the group's hiatus would, in fact, become a permanent split, noting that each of the four remaining group members did not renew their contracts following the completion of the On the Road Again Tour in October 2015. Representatives for the group denied the report in a statement to "Billboard", stating, "nothing has changed regarding hiatus plans for the group, and all will be revealed in due time from the band members' own mouths."  In February 2016, it was confirmed that Styles had left the group's management, becoming the second member of the band to do so after Zayn Malik's departure almost a year prior. In June, it was confirmed that Styles had signed a recording contract with Columbia Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in a number of locations, including in Los Angeles, London, and the Gee Jam Hotel Recording Studio in Port Antonio, Jamaica, where Styles and his production team had a two-month writing retreat in the autumn of 2016.

Promotion.

On 31 March 2017, Styles announced the album's lead single to be "Sign of the Times", which was released on 7 April. The album name, artwork, and track list were revealed on 13 April. The album track "Sweet Creature" was released as a promotional single on 2 May. Styles performed the songs "Sign of the Times" and "Ever Since New York" on the 15 April episode of "Saturday Night Live". On 21 April, Styles appeared on "The Graham Norton Show" for his first televised solo performance in his native country, and guested on the French talk show, "Quotidien", five days later; he performed "Sign of the Times" on both shows"."  On 9 May, Styles performed the tracks "Carolina", "Sign of the Times", "Ever Since New York", and a cover of One Direction's "Stockholm Syndrome" on "The Today Show". On 13 May, a day after the album's release, he held a surprise concert at The Garage in London. Styles held a similar show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on 19 May, and invited Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks to perform as a special guest. Proceeds from both shows were donated to charity. On 15 May, "Harry Styles: Behind the Album" was released exclusively on Apple Music, a 49-minute documentary film showing footage from his writing and recording sessions in Jamaica and Los Angeles; "The Performances" version features a full-length live performance of the album filmed at London's Abbey Road Studios. Styles was the musical guest on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" every night in the week spanning from 15 to 18 May, and performed in various sketches alongside Corden. In support of the album, Styles embarked on his first solo tour,, which ran from September 2017 through to July 2018 and visited North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America. On tour, Styles debuted two unreleased songs, "Oh Anna" and "Medicine", which were originally written for the album.

Music and themes.

Music publications have described the album as soft rock, rock, Britpop, and pop. Critics noted influences by British classic rock and singer-songwriter folk. "Variety"s Eve Barlow described the album as a "cocktail of psychedelia, Britpop, and balladry", while for Jon Caramanica of "The New York Times" it "is steeped in the singer-songwriter music of the late 1960s and 1970s, and in moments, in the flamboyant harder rock of the late 1970s and 1980s." Lyrically, the album's themes mostly focus on women and relationships. In a "Rolling Stone" interview with Cameron Crowe, Styles said "The one subject that hits the hardest is love, whether it’s platonic, romantic, loving it, gaining it, losing it...it always hits you hardest."  The album opens with a soft music number, "Meet Me in the Hallway", a psychedelic pop ballad performed with twanging guitars. "Sign of the Times" is pop rock, soft rock, "apocalyptic" ballad which musically encapsulates Styles' aspirations. The vaguely Caribbean groover track "Carolina" recalls Blur's Britpop style; described by Styles as "the little bit of fun we had been wanting but didn't have" while making the album. "Two Ghosts" is a country influenced soft rock ballad about former lovers. Lullaby-like folk acoustic ballad "Sweet Creature" discusses the strength of a bond that endures despite bad times. The uptempo song "Only Angel" veers towards glam rock. In rock song "Kiwi" he sings about a classic femme fatale. A slower track, the rock troubadour "Ever Since New York", features lyrics about meditation on loss and longing. "Woman" has elements of funk rock, in which Styles compares his jealousy to a howling beast. The acoustic closer track, "From The Dining Table", features lush, multi-part harmonies, and recalls the confessional style of the album's opener.

Critical reception.

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album has an average score of 68 based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". AllMusic critic Tim Sendra opined that the album works "exceedingly well" as a modern pop record and an extension of the sound and brand of One Direction, but "as the kind of personal statement Styles wants to make, it comes very close, but ultimately falls just short." For Jason Lipshutz of "Billboard", Styles "has opted to forego radio play and make a big, brash guitar album", arguing, "his commitment to conjuring the spirit of '70s rock never comes across as overreaching." "Rolling Stone"s Rob Sheffield states that Styles "claims his turf as a true rock & roll prince" on his "superb solo debut". Mikael Wood of "Los Angeles Times" wrote Styles "never overplays his hand on this winningly relaxed collection", but found the "dad-baiting" album to be "full of echoes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones." "MusicOMH"s John Murphy commented that even though it occasionally "dips into bland pastiche", the album is a "fine solo effort", which "as the latest step in rebranding Styles for a brand new audience, it will do just fine". Annie Zaleski of "The A.V. Club" felt Styles took a "bold step forward by leaning on the past", adding, "hopefully the songs will someday catch up to his ambition". Rick Pearson of "Evening Standard" called it "a self-consciously serious and grown-up effort".  Alexis Petridis of "The Guardian" stated that while "Styles is remarkably good as a confessional singer-songwriter [...] not all the album's musical homages work". Jon Caramanica of "The New York Times" felt the "sometimes great, sometimes foggy" album is "almost bold in its resistance to contemporary pop music aesthetics." David Sakllah of "Consequence of Sound" wrote "the missteps don't detract too much from this ambitious, if slightly unfocused, debut", as "he's certainly on the right track". Mesfin Fekadu of Associated Press noted the performance aspect of the album is where Styles "truly shines", but "not so much" in the creative process. Anjali Raguraman of "The Straits Times" called "Sign of the Times" the "strongest" track on the album and felt Styles sounds "most self-assured on the slower numbers", while noting that "his inexperience shows when he falls into tired tropes". Regarding the use of tropes, Roisin O'Connor of "The Independent" was disappointed that Styles did not "break away from some of the more fatigued gender archetypes that dominate the rock music he clearly loves." Shahzaib Hussain of "Clash" contended that Styles "[created] an immersive, reference-fuelled tribute to classic rock for the millennial generation", albeit "[offering] little in the way of innovation". However, Hussain singles out "Only Angel" and "Kiwi" for being "misfires", calling the tracks "a one-two punch of masochistic, rock swaggering, admirable in its legerdemain, [that] ultimately comes undone by haphazard lyricism." In a negative review, Dave Hanratty of "Drowned in Sound" felt that Styles "failed to make a defining statement", writing that the album "from start to finish [...] is a series of impressions" of Elton John, Beck, Mick Jagger, and The Beatles.  Neil McCormick of "The Daily Telegraph" wrote that compared to the other One Direction member's solo careers, Styles' is "more eccentric but more appealing, with an endearing quality of relish in its musical adventures", calling the album "so old-fashioned it may actually come across as something new to its target audience" and "perfectly lovely and about as substantial as ripples on the surface of a Beverly Hills swimming pool". Leah Greenblaat of "Entertainment Weekly" named Styles "a man proudly looking backward, a faithful revivalist steeped in the tao of dusty vinyl and dad rock" while noting that he "basks in the privilege of paying tribute to his many musical heroes, and trying on all the styles that fit". Leonie Cooper of "NME" described the album as "a not-that-bad-actually mish-mash of Los Angeles’ style classic rock and ballads", commenting that fans will be "over the moon with this collection of radio-friendly rockers and heartstring tugging balladry" and "everyone else" will be "be pleasantly surprised – if not a little taken aback at just how many tricks he’s pinched from other artists". She ends the review by opining that "taking inspiration from the best seems to have paid dividends, but it doesn’t half make you wonder what the real Harry Styles sounds like". Jamieson Cox of "Pitchfork" wrote that the record "pays fine tribute to classic rock’n’roll and shows off his exceptional voice, if not his enigmatic persona", opining that his "vocal performances are invariably the best parts of these songs" while particuraly praising the album's last track, "From the Dining Table", writing that "it’s intoxicating, and it ends "Harry Styles" on the most promising possible note".

Commercial performance.

The album debuted atop the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 57,000 units, with Styles becoming the second One Direction member to achieve a number one solo album, following Zayn's "Mind of Mine" in April 2016. It debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 with 230,000 album-equivalent units, of which 193,000 were pure album sales. It is the highest first sales week for a British male artist's debut full-length album since Nielsen SoundScan began in 1991. Selling 67,000 units in its second week, it fell down to number three.  The album was ranked number 22 on the list of the top 40 biggest albums of 2017 on the UK Album Chart. It was the fourth best selling album by a British artist worldwide in 2017. According to IFPI, it was the ninth best selling album of 2017, with 1 million copies shipped globally. The album was Sony Music's biggest global seller in the second quarter of 2017. It was the sixth best selling album of 2017 in Mexico.  "Sign of the Times" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, the song debuted at number four on the "Billboard" Hot 100 The second single, "Two Ghosts", peaked at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart and number 34 on the US Mainstream Top 40 charts.

Track listing.

All tracks were produced by Jeff Bhasker, Alex Salibian, and Tyler Johnson, except where noted.

Personnel.

Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Harry Styles".

Harry Styles is the eponymous debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Harry Styles. The album was released on 12 May 2017, through Columbia Records and Styles' own label, Erskine Records. For the album, Styles worked with producers Jeff Bhasker, Alex Salibian, Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon.


Service history.

Early history.

"Methane Pioneer" was built as yard number 344 by Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. in Duluth, Minnesota as a Type C1-M-AV1 cargo ship for the United States Maritime Commission. She was delivered as "Marline Hitch" in July 1945. As World War II came to an end shortly after it was delivered, "Marline Hitch" was sold privately under the name "Don Aurelio" in 1946. In 1951 the ship was renamed "Normarti".

As "Methane Pioneer".

In 1958 "Normarti", then owned by the Norgulf Shipping Line, was converted into a tanker at the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile, Alabama and was delivered in October 1958, renamed "Methane Pioneer". The project was funded by the British Gas Council and was operated by a joint venture company called Constock International Methane (CIM). CIM was formed as a partnership between Conoco and Union Stock Yards. She had a capacity of 32,000 barrels of LNG. "Methane Pioneer" was allocated the call sign GBHU.  "Methane Pioneer"s maiden voyage was from Constock's LNG production facility on the Calcasieu River in Louisiana. Carrying the world's first ocean cargo of LNG, it left port on 25 January 1959 and reached its destination at Canvey Island in England on 20 February, taking 27 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean.  "Methane Pioneer" was later renamed "Aristotle" and operated by Stephenson Clarke Shipping, making 30 voyages between 1959 and 1972, when it was withdrawn from service and converted into a storage barge for LNG. She was scrapped in 1972.

Methane Pioneer was the first oceangoing liquified natural gas tanker in the world. Built in 1945 as a cargo ship named Marline Hitch, the vessel was renamed Don Aurelio and Nomarti before being rebuilt in 1958 for the purpose of transporting LNG and operated between 1959 and 1972. The ship was later renamed Aristotle.


Life.

Shalabi is from the village of Burqin near Jenin in the northern West Bank, although her family originates from Haifa. Her brother was killed by the Israeli Army in 2005.  In September 2009, she was arrested by Israeli authorities. No charges were brought against her. She remained in continuous detention for 25 months before being released in the prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel in October 2011. After her release Shalabi planned on studying nursing at al-Rawda College in Nablus.  Shalabi is alleged to be a supporter of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an organization that violently opposes the existence of Israel, and which Israel considers to be a terrorist organization, and is designated as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" by the United States Department of State. Hana Shalabi's father denies that she is active in the organization.

Arrest and hunger strike.

On 16 February 2012, Israeli forces arrested Hana Shalabi from her home in Jenin. During the raid, Israeli soldiers assaulted her and ransacked their home, according to Hana's father. Upon detention, Shalabi said she was subjected to an embarrassing body search by a male soldier.  Shalabi was issued a six-month administrative detention order on 23 February. She was neither charged with a crime, nor given a trial. An Israeli Army spokesman commented that Shalabi was "a global jihad-affiliated operative" that "posed a threat to the area" and that she assaulted the soldiers who arrested her. Shalabi immediately began a hunger strike to protest her arrest and detention. Her father, Yahya, stated Shalabi was emulating prisoner Khader Adnan, who ended his 66-day hunger strike on 21 February 2012. She is one of five Palestinians to have been rearrested after being released in the Hamas-Israel prisoner swap. During the first week of her arrest, Shalabi said she was beaten, abused, blindfolded and placed in solitary confinement, according to her attorney.  In March, Shalabi said she was approached by an officer who asked her to remove her clothes so he could search her. Shalabi said "When I refused, he called other officers who tied me up and started beating me."  On 20 March, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-IL) stated Shalabi was in "immediate risk of death." PHR Executive Director Ran Cohen said she had lost 14 kilograms (31 lbs) since the hunger strike began and that she was in massive pain. The PHR-Israel along with other human rights groups have questioned the "adequacy and timeliness" of her treatment by the Israeli prison authorities concerning her health conditions. The Israeli Prison Service has stated Shalabi is currently receiving treatment at the prison clinic, but the PHR has called for her to be transferred to a hospital. Via her lawyer Jawad Bolous, Shalabi stated "It's true our lives are very precious, but our freedom is even more precious and more powerful than their cells."

Protests against her detention.

Palestinian protesters held a large demonstration march that began at al-Bireh and ended near the Muqata'ah in Ramallah. Another demonstration was held on March 29, in Gaza, calling for her release. Demonstrations for Shalabi were also reported in Ramallah.  Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Shalabi is "fighting for her dignity." The Minister of Prisoner Affairs for the Palestinian National Authority condemned Israel's treatment of Shalabi while the head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society Qadura Fares beckoned the international community to help end her administrative detention.  The human rights organization Amnesty International demanded Israel either prosecute or release Shalabi, citing her "risk of death."

Exile deal.

Shalabi ended her hunger strike in a deal that would see her exiled to the Gaza Strip for three years in return for the termination of her administrative detention. According to "Ma'an News Agency", the deal did not involve the Palestinian National Authority and was between Shalabi and Israel. Her lawyer Jawad Bolous confirmed the deal. The PIJ was also uninvolved with spokesperson Daud Shihab claiming it was unaware of the arrangements and that it opposed exile as a general policy. Qadura Fares of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society stated the group was against deportation but the decision was ultimately with Shalabi.  Amnesty International said the deal could amount to forcible deportation, which is contrary to the Geneva Conventions.

Hana Shalabi (; born 2 July 1982) is a Palestinian prisoner in Israel, held in administrative detention. On 16 February 2012, the Israeli military arrested Shalabi at her home in Jenin, in the Palestinian administered territories of the West Bank. She is believed to be a supporter of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, however, her father has denied that she is an active member. The Israeli prison authority said she was taken into custody for unspecified terror activity. To protest against being held without charge, she began her hunger strike. She ended her hunger 43-day hunger strike on 29 March after a deal with Israel in which she is to be deported to the Gaza Strip and stay there for three years.


Confrontation and shootout.

Deputy Kyle Dinkheller encountered a speeding Toyota pickup truck near Dudley, Georgia, United States, which he clocked at around. The deputy pulled the truck over on Whipple Crossing Road, adjacent to Interstate 16. The traffic stop at first appeared to be routine, with both the deputy and Andrew Brannan exiting their vehicles and exchanging greetings. Brannan, however, placed both hands into his pockets, at which point Dinkheller instructed him to remove his hands and keep them in plain view.  At this point, Brannan became belligerent and yelled at the deputy to shoot him. He then began to dance and wave his arms in the middle of the road. Dinkheller radioed the dispatcher for assistance and issued commands for Brannan to cease his behavior and approach the cruiser. When Brannan saw that Dinkheller was calling for other units, he ran toward the deputy in an aggressive manner. Dinkheller retreated while issuing commands and utilized his baton to keep Brannan at bay. On Dinkheller's dashcam video, Brannan was heard shouting that he was a "goddamned Vietnam combat veteran."  Despite commands issued by Dinkheller, Brannan walked back to his pickup truck and drew an Iver Johnson M1 Carbine from underneath the driver's seat, taking cover near the driver side door. Dinkheller positioned himself near the passenger door of his cruiser and gave Brannan commands for approximately forty seconds before Brannan stepped away from his pickup truck, pointed his rifle at Dinkheller and fired several shots. Dinkheller fired the first shot at Brannan but missed, leading some to speculate that it might have been a warning shot. Dinkheller did not strike the suspect initially and thus was forced to reload.  At this point, Brannan ran from his truck toward Dinkheller and began to fire again, hitting the deputy in exposed areas such as the arms and legs. Brannan then began to reload his weapon as the now-injured Dinkheller tried to position himself near the driver side door of his cruiser and pleaded for his life. Brannan appeared to go back to his car to retreat before another shot from Dinkheller was heard. This enraged Brannan, who began advancing and firing at the deputy, hitting him numerous times. Before being disabled from gunfire, Dinkheller was able to inflict a gunshot wound to Brannan's stomach. Dinkheller had been shot nine times when Brannan took careful aim, said, "Die fucker," and fired a final fatal shot into Dinkheller's right eye. Brannan then retreated into his truck and fled the scene.

Aftermath.

Brannan was arrested the next morning without incident; he told the investigating authorities that "they can hang me". He was found guilty on January 28, 2000, for the murder of Dinkheller and was sentenced to death. On January 2, 2015, the Georgia Department of Corrections announced that an execution date of January 13 had been set for Brannan. On January 6, a clemency hearing was set for January 12, at which the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny clemency. On January 13, Brannan was executed by lethal injection, the first person in the U.S. to be executed in 2015.

Victim.

Kyle Wayne Dinkheller was a deputy with the Laurens County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) in the U.S. state of Georgia. After his death, he was named the 1998 Deputy Sheriff of the Year by the Georgia Sheriffs' Association.  Dinkheller was born on June 18, 1975, in San Diego, California to Kirk Dinkheller. He graduated from California's Quartz Hill High School in 1993. He joined the LCSO as a jailer in March 1995 and became a certified police officer with the State of Georgia in 1996. He was 22 years old when he was murdered.  Dinkheller is survived by his wife, Angela, and their children Ashley and Cody, the latter of whom was born eight months after his father's death; Ashley was twenty-two months old. Dinkheller is buried in Space 3, Lot 18 in the Garden of Remembrance at Fountainhead Memorial Park in Brevard County, Florida.

Perpetrator.

Early life and education.

Andrew Howard Brannan was born on November 26, 1948, and graduated from college in 1968.

Career.

In August 1968, Brannan joined the U.S. Army and received his induction training at Fort Benning in Georgia. In February 1969, he entered the artillery officer candidate school at Oklahoma's Fort Sill and was commissioned as an artillery officer in July 1969. While he was still in the U.S., Brannan served with the 82nd Airborne Division. In July 1969, he was ordered to South Vietnam to serve in the Vietnam War, where he served in the Field Artillery Branch as a forward observer and executive officer with the 23rd Infantry Division at Chu Lai until July 1971. During this time, Brannan witnessed an officer being killed after stepping on a landmine, an incident he later recalled during a psychiatric interview in 1989. He also assumed command of a company on two occasions, after its commander was killed. Afterwards, Brannan arrived at Washington's Fort Lewis, where he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve, in which he served periodically for two weeks at a time until being discharged in June 1975.  During his time in the Army, Brannan was awarded the Bronze Star and two instances of the Army Commendation Medal. While in the military, his superiors spoke favorably of him, saying that he was an "outstanding" and "exemplary" officer.

Later life and death.

Brannan's defense was that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the result of serving in battle. In 1975, he was married, although the couple divorced six years later as a result of Brannan's violent behavior stemming from his PTSD. A psychologist for the defense during Brannan's trial indicated that the bizarre encounter with Dinkheller in January 1998 "was likely the result of a flashback to Brannan's time in combat." In 1994, the Department of Veterans Affairs had declared Brannan 100% disabled for experiencing depression and bipolar disorder.  Although Brannan's lawyers tried to get his death sentence commuted on the grounds that he was not criminally responsible for his conviction by reason of insanity, both the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene on his behalf on the day his execution was scheduled to take place. Brannan was executed by lethal injection at 8:33 p.m. (EST) on January 13, 2015, the first person executed in the U.S. in 2015. He was 66 years old at the time of his death at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison near Jackson, Georgia.  Brannan made a final statement, in which he said, "I extend my condolences to the Dinkheller family, especially Kyle's parents and his wife and his two children" and "I feel like my status was slow torture for the last fifteen years. I had to say that with them here. I have to tell the truth. I'm certainly glad to be leaving." A pastor then delivered a prayer and Brannan was executed. He was executed one day after the 17-year anniversary of the shooting.

On Monday, January 12, 1998, near the end of his shift, Deputy Kyle Wayne Dinkheller of the Laurens County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) in the U.S. state of Georgia, pulled over motorist Andrew Howard Brannan for speeding. A verbal confrontation escalated to a shootout resulting in Brannan murdering Deputy Dinkheller. The murder continues to receive national attention (e.g., training in police academies) because the traffic stop and shootout were captured on a personal video recorder Dinkheller had placed on his patrol car dashboard and activated when he stopped Brannan.


Biography.

Vasyl Ponikarov was born on 26 August 1929 in the village Dolynske of Ananyiv Raion of Odessa Oblast (Ukraine). His childhood coincided with the years of the Second World War. After 7 years of schooling, he left his native village. After the end of the war Vasyl continued his studies firstly in the A.S. Makarenko Tiraspol Pedagogical College (1947–1948), lately in the Odessa Art school (1949–1958).  In the Art school his pedagogues were,, L.O. Tokareva-Aleksandrovych. Leonid Ovsiiovych Muchnyk while getting acquainted with the works of Vasyl advised him: "You should to paint in watercolor. As I think, it's yours". Ponikarov was called up for military service after the first course in the Art school. He was doing his military service in Yevpatoria. The military base where Vasyl was in the service appreciated a talent of young artist by entrusting to his charge all visual agitation (leaflets, placards). His gift and high appreciation of his effort as an artist culminated in increase of a duration of military service. Vasyl Ponikarov served longer than needed – three and one half years instead of three years. After the demobilisation Vasyl continued his studies within the walls of the same Art school in Odessa.  Three years after graduation from the Art school Vasyl Ponikarov becomes a student of Moscow Polygraphic Institute (1961–1970). Over this years his pedagogues were Y.K. Burdzhelyan, B.A. Sholokhov, G.T. Goroshchenko. Entering of Vasyl into the Artists' Union of the USSR (1971) was recommended by,, A.L. Yakovlev who remarked considerable growth of mastery of the artist after graduation from the Institute. Background of Vasyl Ponikarov already consisted of art works that had been exposed in all of the USSR.  From 1980 onwards Vasyl Ponikarov painted on journeys on the ocean liner "Fedor Shalyapin", where he served as a staff artist. Like so, the paintings were made, those on which the artist pictured what he saw in Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Germany.

Œuvre.

Landscape painting and still life were genres Ponikarov gave preference to. He painted using the wet-on-wet technique in watercolor on the premoistened paper that deprived dabs of paint of hardness. The artist painted in transparent watercolor, he didn't combine watercolor with other techniques and precluded the use of white paint (titanium dioxide PW6 or zinc oxide PW4) to obtain white color. White color is unpainted paper.  Among landscape paintings of Ponikarov there are lots of works pictured Odessa and its environs since almost all his life was connected with this region. Examples of those works: «Arcadia» (1984), «In Odessa Courtyard» (1984), «Winter on the Big Fountain» (1986), «Odessa. Proletarian boulevard» (1986), «Ilyichyovsk. Lighthouse» (1986). However, Vasyl created a good many of his watercolor paintings on his journeys across Soviet republics and abroad: «Dombay» (1972), «Karelian pines» (1975), «Lake in Sedniv» (1980), «Caucasian birches» (1981), «Rozluch. Carpathians» (1983), «Holosiivo. Ponds» (1984), «Vylkovo» (1987). On journeys that served him as a source of new impressions artworks cycles like «Ancient monuments», «Channel Dnepr-Donbass», «Pushkin reserve», «In Gurzuf» were painted. Cycles of art works painted abroad contain images of Paris, Rome, London, Prague, Barcelona, Budapest, Istanbul, Jerusalem and Cairo.  In landscape painting the artist was giving pride of place to generous gifts of the South of Ukraine – juicy, mature vegetables and fruits, vivid flowers. Watercolors of flowers united in series brought him great success. As a ""King of flowers and emperor of sunflowers"" a fine art expert from Alexandria M. Sheryf named Vasyl. Vasyl Andriiovych worked a lot and incessantly on floral compositions by moving up images to the frames of pictures, by approaching images as much as possible to spectators. He pictured flowers in contourless sketchy manner that makes possible to reproduce flowering, rustle, smell.  As a rule, Vasyl Ponikarov worked on location finishing a watercolor painting in one session. Often he turned to work without planning it in advance. For example, departing somewhere on his car, Vasyl could pull up in the middle of the flowering field and turn to paint. Vasyl Andriiovych by creating several sheets a day for a half of century of his creative activity pictured tens of thousands of artworks that dispersed around the world. Ponikarov in Iryna Tymokhova (a fine art expert) opinion is one of the most productive artists. In this regard on the pages of news paper "Vechernyaya Odessa" Iryna Tymokhova compared the artist with I.K. Aivazovsky.

Vasyl Ponikarov (; ; 26 August 1929 – 16 May 2014) was a Soviet and Ukrainian artist, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (1971).


History.

The small town of Chinde, located approximately 40 miles south of Quelimane, developed as the main point of entry for passengers and goods for the British Central Africa Protectorate which was proclaimed in 1891. Because of its favourable location on the Chinde River, part of the Zambezi River delta, it had potential for growth, and superseded both Quelimane and Conceição as the most suitable port of entry.  Until the third quarter of the 19th century, Quelimane, which was linked to the Zambezi river by a shallow channel, was the main port giving access to Central Africa. The Congress of Berlin in 1884 established free navigation of the Zambezi and its tributary rivers, and a number of British missionaries and traders who had started to visit and settle in what is now Malawi traveled there using the Zambezi and Shire River. When the channel from Quelimane became blocked, the search for an alternative route led to the discovery of the Chinde mouth of the Zambezi in 1889. As part of the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1891, the Portuguese government granted the British government the Chinde Concession for 99 years to establish a port where seagoing ships could transfer their cargoes to river steamers. The Inner Concession, which was exempt from Portuguese custom duties, had an area of 10 hectares, with a river frontage of 420 yards. This contained the government offices and the commercial warehouses, workshops and stores. A further 50 hectares without customs exemption, the Outer Concession, was designed to house the slowly growing population of Chinde. The site selected was a sandspit with the Indian Ocean to the south and the Chinde river to the north. A tidal creek virtually separated the Concession from the mainland, making it more of an island than a peninsula.  Chinde briefly flourished as the port for British Central Africa, which became Nyasaland in 1907. At the end of the 19th century, ocean-going ships of the Union Castle and German East Africa lines were met at Chinde by small river steamers which took passengers and goods up to the head of navigation on the Shire River at Katunga, the closest point on the river to Blantyre, the main town in the British Central Africa Protectorate, a journey of around seven days. The African Lakes Company had trading station at the Concession and maintained around six steamers of up to 40 tons on the Zambezi and Shire rivers. Two other British companies had five more steamers of 20 to 30 tons in this route.  For several years before 1922, the erosion of the soft sand in which the Concession was built became an increasing problem. Many of the earlier buildings had to be taken down and re-erected to avoid being washed away or replaced. By the time the port was severely damaged by a cyclone in February 1922 it was already in decline because only relatively small ships could use it and the port of Beira was a better alternative. It would have been difficult and very expensive to restore Chinde fully, but some attempt was made to repair the worst of the damage. However, once the rail link from Nyasaland to Beira was completed in 1922, the main purpose for the existence of the Concession was removed. The British Concession was abandoned and the lease was cancelled in 1923. Chinde returned to Portuguese control: it ceased to serve as a port for Nyasaland, but continued to act as a local port, particularly for the sugar exports of Sena Sugar Estates from the Zambezi valley.

Chinde is a town of Mozambique, and a port for the Zambezi valley. It is located on the Chinde River, and is an important fishing center. It exports copra and sugar, and had a population of 16,500 in 1980. Chinde lies in Chinde District of Zambezia Province.