Le Show; 2018-05-27

Here it is! From deep inside your audio device of choice. Now, news of the Olympic movement. Produced by Jim Ebershal Jr. Music USA Gymnastics Officials agreed to provide what Larry Nasser's attorney called false excuses for his absence from major gymnastics events in 2015 rather than disclosed to parents and gymnasts that he was under investigation for child sexual abuse. Emails obtained by the Indianapolis Star revealed that on two separate occasions Nasser and a USA Gymnastics attorney negotiated cover stories first that Nasser was sick, no kidding.

And later that he was focusing on his private practice to explain why the long-time team physician was not attending two major events in the run of to the 2016 Olympic Games. In one of the emails in Indianapolis attorney Scott Hymnsel told Nasser his medical techniques were under investigation and it is in everyone's best interest that he not attended Jim Nasser's event that weekend. Hymnsel said USA Gymnastics would tell people Nasser was not attending for personal reasons. Nasser replied, can we just say I'm sick? That would make more sense to everyone. Would that be okay? And so agreed to have USA Gymnastics use that story. In later emails, part more than I had pages of documents reviewed by the Indianapolis Star, Nasser assured Hymnsel, I stayed with the story of that. I am nauseated, not feeling well and staying home. And he asked if USA Gymnastics officials would explain his absent from another event by saying Nasser was focusing on his private practice. Again, Hymnsel agreed to have the organization do so.

It has long been known that USA Gymnastics with held concerns about Nasser from its members, but the emails along with interviews revealed for the first time that the sports national governing body was not only willing to remain silent after reporting Nasser, but agreed to participate in one of his many deceptions beforehand. At least partly as a result of such discretion, Nasser's reputation is one of the world's foremost experts on the treatment of gymnastics related injuries remained intact for 14 months after he was reported to the FBI. During that time, he was not added to the organization's list of people banned from the sport. At least 14 more women and girls say they were sexually assaulted after June 2015 when USA Gymnastics received what it said was his first complaint, its first complaint about Nasser. Danlon Pyong Chang, the last ski racers, have shoosed down the slopes of the Young Sun Alpine Center in South Korea, but for environmentalists concerned about the future of its sacred forest, the real competition is just beginning. After February's Winter Olympics, the $109 million investment to build an Alpine race course to international standards for 16 days of competition is about to turn to a much more lengthy task restoration, according to Reuters.

Under pressure from green groups and after deciding it was economically unviable to turn the area into a permanent ski resort, Gangwon Province is set to tear down the Gondola and replant trees. All that is in an effort to return the $5,118 foot mountain to its original state, including replanting tens of thousands of trees at a cost of $44 million. The problem is the province has prepared a page as to fraction what's needed and national government will not provide any funding. That has sparked fears that the Pyong Chang Games will leave assorted environmental legacy. But wait, there's more. Olympic swimmer, Ariana Cooker Smith, has sued USA Swimming, alleging the sports national governing body knew her former coach sexually abused her as a minor and covered it up. The Olympics, it's a movement and we all need one.

Every day, hello, welcome to the show. I climb a spin in daylight, slide down, back up to the other side, some sweet girl playing my life runs off with a boy who's bike she rides. Playgirl, runs by the masters and frees by the players in the playground. Never stop, they'll sing rehearsing for the biggest winner. Bells will bring the flies open, air and greyhound in the orchestra.

Olympic swimmer, Ariana Cooker Smith, has sued USA Swimming, alleging the sports national governing body knew her former coach sexually abused her as a minor and covered it up. Never stop, they'll sing rehearsing for the biggest winner. Every day, hello, welcome to the show. From now on, it's me.

When spring gets bad, heart gets broken, you can't jump off once the page is turned. When spring gets bad, heart gets broken, you can't jump off once the page is turned. Never stop, they'll sing rehearsing for the biggest winner. Never stop, they'll sing rehearsing for the biggest winner.

Never stop, they'll sing rehearsing for the biggest winner. From New Orleans to Louisiana, about which more in a moment, I'm Harry Scherer welcoming you to this edition of the show and I'll let you some gentlemen, news of the land of 15,000 princes, on Freedom Loving Friends in Saudi Arabia.

We're through from the Iran deal. It's teetering. A couple of months ago that if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, his country would follow suit as soon as possible. And Saudi Arabia has released three veteran women's rights activists who were among a group arrested last week, a month before the ban on women driving. This is supposed to end this according to writers again. International rights watchdogs have reported the detention of as many as 11 activists, mostly women who previously campaigned for the right to drive and into the kingdom's male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain the consent of a male relative for major decisions,

you know, which color Berkett aware the government announced last week that seven people have been arrested for suspicious contacts with foreign entities and offering financial support to enemies overseas and said other suspects were being sought. It did not name the detainees, the terms of release for the three who've been campaigning since 1990 to lift the driving ban were unclear. They won't be driving home, we know that their names had not appeared in local media reports that denounced some of the other detainees as traitors. Everybody's throwing that around these days. Activists in diplomats speculate the new wave of arrests may be to appease conservative elements opposed to the social reforms, or maybe a message to activists not to push demands out of sync with the government's own agenda. Don't be too reformist now. Don't be doing that. Don't be getting too reformy on us.

Land of 15,000 princes, ladies and gentlemen, are freedom-loving friends in Saudi Arabia. Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present, let us try a ballot of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Let us try to stem the tide, to beautify our countryside. We offer you our hand, let us try. Well, they're trying now. They're really trying. Two different reviews of the New Orleans levy system by the Army Corps of Engineers. Let us try, of course, the motto of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These two new reviews raise troubling questions, according to the Times Picky Union in New Orleans, about the ability of much of the system to withstand surges caused by a major storm nearly 13 years after the 2005 flood, where you think things have gotten better. As a matter of fact, in the Atlantic, there's currently an article by a reputable local geographer, which describes the new system since Katrina as improved.

These new reviews, though, question the ability of local levy districts to keep up with costly maintenance between storms is required for everybody here to remain eligible for the national flood insurance program. One review completed in 2011 gave the 350 mile levy system the second worst classification, urgent, unsafe or potentially unsafe in the Corps's classification system. That was preliminary because post Katrina improvements were a year away from being declared finished. The classification remains accurate to this date. This date is 2018. That's according to a core New Orleans spokesman. The documents indicate New Orleans levy system is well designed for a storm surge with a 1% chance of occurring in any given year, the so-called 100 year event. That's because that's the highest standard it was designed to protect against. The reason for that is because the city was in a quite understandable hurry to try to encourage residents after the flood to return. They needed to assure residents they would be protected by the flood insurance program and the 1 and 100 year protection is the minimum required for an area to qualify for flood insurance.

The poor standing though according to the timespicking reflects a stark reality much of the metro areas population is at risk of levy failures during the stronger less frequent storm, 200 year events or stronger. That's what the storm in 2005 Katrina has ended up being classified as such a disaster could kill nearly a thousand people if storm surge overtopped. Levy's the core estimates and almost 3,000 if those levies broke before being overtopped as happened in 2005. The classification names used by the core to assess levy risk have been changed since the initial ranking. So New Orleans system is now ranked as quote high risk unquote. The reasons for the rankings and the recommendations for local levy systems remain the same.

The name is not the same. We can we can fix the name. The rankings have been discussed internally within the core. Well, that's a relief and with local levy officials, but not have been talked about in public. Lest we get angry. In March, the core issued a long awaited levy portfolio report that said the ranking is always now shared with local sponsors as part of an ongoing dialogue about the factors that contribute most to risk of levy breach and what is its stake. The earlier ranking was included in documents that were part of a presentation to risk planners in the Netherlands in which a core of engineers consequence specialist. They didn't talk about that a career day in high school today. You could be a consequence specialist for the army. Jason need him explained that the low ranking for the New Orleans levy system is caused by the combination of life, economic or environmental consequences with the probability of inundation due to overtopping with subsequent breach and that is very high.

Unquote need him. Bad rating was caused by the potential threat of even stronger storms that could have heard less often. There's a 14% chance of a 200 year event occurring in the lifetime of a 30 year mortgage. Studies storms of that magnitude or higher would make a breach in the levy system likely said need him's presentation, which would increase consequences breach in levy system. But the levy system that's just been built at the cost of $14 billion was designed to not repeat ladies and gentlemen. Scientists have concluded that the Katrina surge at the Mississippi Gulf Coast was a 400 year event while the surge in Lake Bourne that reached New Orleans was a 200 to 250 year event. The ranking that deems the levy's unsafe was done when the new system was nearly complete including an understanding of new resilience improvements. The report did not specifically say if New Orleans was among the 80% of high risk systems threatened by a breach before overtopping but in determining level of risk the core looks at people and critical infrastructure.

Well, that's nice of them since as we learned in the making of the big uneasy the core's margin of safety for rural dams was much higher than for urban levy systems. We don't know if that's been fixed. According to the 2016 and 2017 inspections the most recent available all the levy system segments on the east and west banks were ranked. Minimally acceptable that's the middle category among three rankings when the times pick you and file the federal freedom of information request with the core for the inspection reports on which the rankings were based. Core officials turned down the request it's not it's not as transparent as we thought and we didn't. The annual ranking sheets however were obtained by levy's.org a local organization and they provide an overview of inspection reports standing back to 2001 in that year four years before Katrina all parts of the levy system that is before the 2005 flood were ranked by the core as outstanding based on a visual review. Of maintenance issues that was the best possible rank at that time and also as we learned in 2005 kind of not true.

In 2003 2004 in 2005 all levy segments were rated as as acceptable there were no rankings for 2002 go have lunch. A year long lunch within the individual inspection reports each year the core won the regional levy authorities these are the local partners so called who take over the system after the core builds at the core builds it says you maintain it you figure out a way you figure out a way to go for it. The core won the regional levy authorities that repeated minimally acceptable rankings could threaten the areas insurance eligibility and as I'm pointed out that's the reason this whole thing happened this way. And what is the minimally acceptable description mean in the eyes of the core of engineers. According to a course spokesman should be a cause of concern.

We know we've built a great system it's one of the best systems in the country if not the world says course spokesman Ricky boy out in the world ladies and gentlemen just so Ricky knows flood management water management systems in the Netherlands you've heard of the Netherlands Ricky they're built to a standard to withstand a one in 10,000 year event. But I guess that's not part of the world we also know that according to Ricky boy yet of the core inevitably there will be a storm that's greater than what that system is designed we have to take that into account but improvements are in the works. And the core representatives till local TV station Fox 8 they're still working to improve the classification system should have a final system in place in several months imagine those meetings can't can't fix the the levy system but we can fix the classification system oh sure. Done deal just a few months more.

Let us try ladies and gentlemen not be right feature this program now news of inspectors general. And this is the latest from the special inspector general on Afghanistan reconstruction. The cigar is the acronym SIGAR for this particular organization and here's what he's got to say between 2001 oh this this particular report deals with the US experience in trying to stabilize stabilization in Afghanistan. So here we go between 2001 and 2017 US government efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan mostly failed. Let that sink in for a moment. Second thinking not thinking the US government overestimated its ability to build and reform government institutions as part of the stabilization strategy they focused on troop numbers and their geographical priorities and mostly admitted concerns about the Afghan government's capacity and performance. Under immense pressure to quickly stabilize insecure districts US government agency spent far too much money far too quickly in a country woefully unprepared to absorb it.

Opportunities for corruption and elite capture abounded making many of those projects more harmful than helpful. On the ground in Afghanistan Department of State Defense and US aid implemented programs without sufficient knowledge of the local institutions that never happened before Iraq Afghanistan Vietnam. Or the social political dynamics and government structures of the area. We keep doing that because we know local schmokal you know what I mean local rhymes with yokal then that power brokers and predatory government officials with access to coalition projects became kings with patronage to sell fueling conflicts between and among communities Afghans who are marginalized through this competition found natural allies in the Taliban. During the 2009 Afghanistan strategy review is president Obama and a civilian and military team set in motion the series of events that forced foster unrealistic expectations of what could be achieved.

They also ensure the US government strategy would not succeed first with the rapid surge and then the rapid transition the surge into the surge into the surge into the surge into the surge into the surge. By prioritizing prioritizing the country's most dangerous districts the coalition was generally unable to properly clear secure and stabilize those areas as a result the coalition couldn't make sufficient progress to convince Afghans in those or other districts that the government could protect them if they openly turned against the Taliban. Civilian agencies were compelled to establish stabilization programs in fiercely contested areas that weren't ready for them here's one. Here's one to ponder once the Department of Defense deemed money a weapon system in 2009. The Obama Department of Defense declared money a weapon system once that happened commanders were often judged on the amount of money they spent with insufficient attention to impact and a frequent assumption that more money spent would translate into more progress these projects sometimes exacerbated the very problems commanders hope to address and by the way that's just our money.

Spending continued even a stabilization had become a dirty word at us aid associated with excessive and ineffective spending at the military's behest. Afghan forces and civil servants were generally unwilling unprepared or unable to carry forward the momentum created by coalition forces and civilians particularly on the unrealistic timeline defined by the coalition we got to get out. When the promise of improved services raised expectations and failed to materialize Afghans who saw more of their government through stabilization projects actually developed less favorable impressions of it of their government perhaps a worse outcome than if the government had not reached into their lives at all. The effort to legitimize the government was still voting from the inspector general the effort to legitimize the government was undermined when the very Afghans brought in to lead the efforts themselves became sources of instability as repellent as if not more repellent than the Taliban.

Most practitioners we spoke to in the inspector general's office believed that stabilization rarely brought communities closer to stability than merely providing reliable and non predatory security would have. The use of the inspector's general is just you know second in second in just for a moment let it let it just you know it you need to get into the skin. It just can't cover the skin use of inspector general specters generalist general copyright feature this broadcast. A Portland Oregon couple received a phone call from one of the husband's employees earlier this month telling them she had just received a recording of them talking privately in their home.

Unplug your Alexa devices right now the staff are told the couple you're being hacked. The employee over a hundred miles away and Seattle confirmed the leak by revealing the pair had just been talking about their hardwood floors. The recording had been sent from the couple's Alexa powered echo to the employees phone who is in the husband's contacts list. She forwarded the audio to the wife who is amazed to hear herself talking about their floors. Suffice to say the episode was unexpected the couple had not instructed Alexa to do any such thing to spill a copy of their conversation to someone else. This is from the British tech journal the register.

They felt invaded the wife told the local TV station a total privacy invasion immediately said I'm never plugging that device in again because I can't trust it. There will be more trust issues to come shortly but the couple then went around their home unplugging all their Amazon Alexa gadgets. All over the house to manage various smart home devices including a thermostat and security system and then call the Amazon to complain about the snooping tech. Amazon confirmed it was the voice activated digital assistant that had recorded and sent the file to a virtual stranger. No real stranger and apologized profusely but gave no explanation for how it may have happened. The wife said she'd asked for a refund for all their Alexa devices something Amazon so far has not done the machines are constantly are designed to constantly listen out for the wake word Alexa Alexa turn on turn the radio up. This is important Alexa filling a one second audio buffer from its microphone at all times in anticipation of a command Alexa.

I'm talking to you when the wake word is detected in the buffer it records what is said until there's a gap in the conversation and sends the audio to Amazon to transcribe figure out what needs to be done and respond to it. A spokesperson for Amazon has been in touch with more details from their point of view the device misheard its wake up word. Oh Alexa while overhearing the couples private chat started processing talk of word flooring as commands and it all went downhill from there. So Alexa stop it. It's such a smart house. I may be crazy. I'm in love with your body.

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