Watch House Speaker Paul Ryan"s full speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention
Photo courtesy of Ariel Zambelich/NPR
Last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan sat down with NPR to discuss, among other things, poverty. As the highest ranking member of the House, Ryan has a crucial opportunity to change the way the government addresses poverty. In his plans to confront this issue, Ryan keeps community efforts and local solutions central.
During the last four years, Ryan made visits to several poverty-stricken areas with community organizer Bob Woodson in order to better understand the challenges these struggling communities face. Through these visits, Ryan recognized the influence of community groups and the importance of supporting the efforts of those who have found and are implementing effective local programs.
I see problems that can be fixed because I see solutions that are actually occurring. Thats whats exciting about this issue because there are people in communities who are actually out there fighting poverty eye to eye, soul to soul, in neighborhoods that actually do well, that succeed
I want to make sure that in these communities we actually empower these groups, we empower these people. We take their lessons and we reapply them throughout the rest of this country.
Speaker Ryan emphasized the power of local institutions, including churches, governments, and community organizations to tackle the issue of poverty in a way that is able to address the individual.
And the only way you can do that is not micromanage in Washington; is to actually customize benefits Lets break up the welfare monopoly, instead of having just the welfare agency at the county level give people their benefits They dont actually treat the person. Let other providers also provide these full-scale wraparound benefits. Let the Catholic Church do it. Let Lutheran social services. Let America Works, a for-profit agency thats good at this.
Ryan continually emphasizes partnership with local communities and the leaders of those communities. He wants to use this same partnership strategy to help address poor relationships between law enforcement and members of impoverished and minority communities. He tells a story about a successful church-facilitated partnership between community members and the local law enforcement agency.
I was talking to my friend Buster Suarez, who is a black pastor in Somerset, N.J., [at the] First Baptist Church there. Buster and the other black leaders in Somerset, a low-income community, worked with local law enforcement to set up a group that has instantaneous communications whenever something wrong occurs. And theyve basically fused and merged the minority community with the police department in a very effective way and they have a community policing system that works really, really well.
In his focus on community solutions to the pressing issues of poverty and crime, Ryan addresses the importance of subsidiarity and humility in government. Using federal support to enhance, not destroy, local initiatives would be a positive step in the direction towards a more just and peaceful country.
Read the entire interview here. For more on how Rep. Paul Ryan has incorporated religious principles and ideas into his political initiatives, check out this article.
PovertyCure DVD Series
Join host Michael Matheson Miller on a journey around the world to explore the foundations of human flourishing, and learn how people are moving toward partnerships and pursuing entrepreneurial solutions to poverty rooted in the creative capacity of the human person made in the image of G*d. Meet religious and political leaders, entrepreneurs, missionaries, and renowned development experts, and discover the powerful resources Christianity brings to the pursuit of human flourishing.
Visit the official PovertyCure website for more information.
Show People With Paul Wontorek Interview: Tony Winner Laura Benanti
Fresh off her run in Broadway"s She Loves Me, Tony Award winner Laura Benanti appeared on the July 19 episode of CBS"s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert unveiling her impression of Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
23-YEAR-OLD DONALD TRUMPS BROADWAY VENTUREAND HIS PLAYBILL BIO
The impression came as part of the comedy show"s spoof of Mrs. Trump"s July 18 speech at the Republican National Convention, which some have noticed bore a close resemblance to current First Lady Michelle Obama"s speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention.
PBS NewsHour/NPR Republican National Convention Special - Day 3
Here is the schedule, as provided by the RNC:
Primetime Program, 7 P.M.
Laura Ingraham, Radio HostA former white-collar defense attorney and Supreme Court law clerk, Laura Ingraham is the most-listened-to woman on political talk radio. The Laura Ingraham Show is ranked in radios Top 10, and heard coast-to-coast in 225 markets.
Phil Ruffin, BusinessmanRuffin is an American businessman with diverse interests in real estate, lodging, manufacturing, energy, and retail enterprises. Ruffin started his business in 1959 with a single convenience store and quickly grew to own 65 stores in four states. He currently holds 12 hotels in Kansas, Maryland, California, Oklahoma, Texas, and Alabama.
Pam Bondi, Attorney General of FloridaPam Bondi is currently serving as Floridas 37th Attorney General. Since being sworn into office on January 4, 2011, Bondi has worked tirelessly to protect the people of Florida and uphold the states laws and the Constitution. During her tenure, she has focused on defending Floridas constitutional rights against the federal health care law.
Eileen Collins, Astronaut (retired)Eileen Collins is an astronaut and veteran of four Space Shuttle missions. She was the first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission and logged over 537 hours in space during her tenure at NASA.
Michelle Van Etten, Small Business OwnerMichelle Van Etten is a small business owner who was recently featured in The Greatest Networkers in the World second edition. Michelle employs over 100,000 people and is a strong supporter of Donald Trump, knowing his policies will support businesses all across America.
Kentucky State Senator Ralph Alvarado, Jr.Ralph Alvarado is currently serving as a Kentucky State Senator. Trained as a physician specializing in internal medicine and pediatrics, Alvarado worked as President of Winchester Medical Associates before joining KentuckyOne Medical Group. Alvarados experience as a small business owner gave him firsthand knowledge of how tough business ownership can be.
Darrell Scott, PastorDr. Darrell C. Scott, Senior Pastor and Co-Founder of New Spirit Revival Center Ministries, has given his life to spreading the word of G*d and helping those in need. Scott started the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio on February 14, 1994, with just four members in attendance. His ministry has since grown to numbers in the thousands and has focused on reviving its Cleveland Community.
Harold Hamm, Continental ResourcesHarold Hamm is an American entrepreneur and played a key role in the development of the technologies behind the United States recent renaissance in oil and natural gas production. Born in Lexington, Oklahoma, Hamm was the youngest of 13 children. With just a high-school education, Hamm started his own business at the age of 21. This grassroots startup, Continental Resources, soon became a NYSE-traded, Top 10 oil producer in the United States Lower 48.
Wisconsin Governor Scott WalkerA candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Scott Walker is the 45th governor of Wisconsin. He was first elected in 2010 and re-elected to a second term in 2014. Upon taking office, Walker proposed bold reforms that eliminated Wisconsins $3.6 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. During his tenure in office, Walker has taken on public-sector labor unions, signing a bill to limit public employee collective bargaining and winning a recall election over the issue.
Lynne Patton, The Eric Trump FoundationLynne Patton is Vice President of The Eric Trump Foundation and Senior Assistant to Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump, Jr. As VP, Lynne works in tandem with the Executive Director/President of the Foundation to oversee all operations, volunteers, events, outreach, social media, vendors, and corporate partnerships. She assists with the planning of all major fundraising events for the Foundation. She also works to identify and develop viable partnerships and research projects for the Foundation in conjunction with St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida)U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. The son of Cuban immigrants who came to America in 1956, Rubio has spent most of his life in West Miami, Florida, leaving only for a six-year period when his parents moved their family to Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2010, Rubio ran for the U.S. Senate. During his term, he has championed efforts to restore the American Dream: Social Security and Medicare reform, greater access to affordable higher education, the revitalization of Americas military, efforts to grow the economy, and the empowerment of states and their citizens in the fight against poverty.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, won election to the United States Senate in 2012, where he represents the state of Texas. During his tenure in office, Cruz has led the fight to repeal Obamacare, to stop President Obamas executive amnesty, and to defend life, marriage, and the U.S. Constitution.
Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of The Trump OrganizationEric Trump currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions for The Trump Organization. Alongside his father, Donald Trump, Eric works on new project acquisition, development and construction around the world. He has also spearheaded the rapid growth of the Trump Golf Collection. Eric attended Georgetown University where he earned a degree in finance and management. In 2006, he founded the Eric Trump Foundation to help raise money for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
Newt & Callista Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House and his wifeA candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, Newt Gingrich is best known as the architect of the Contract with America, the document that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Callista Gingrich is the president of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production company based in Washington, D.C. She and her husband host and produce historical and public policy documentaries.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Presumptive candidate for Vice PresidentMike Pence was elected the 50th Governor of the State of Indiana in 2012. Since taking office, Pence has achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana history while also lowering the business personal property tax and corporate income tax to attract new investment and bring more jobs to Indiana. He is the presumptive candidate for Vice President for Donald Trump.
Our waters continue to be in the headlines as algae and brown water take over Southwest Florida"s coasts and canals. Some people now say a smell is coming from the water in certain parts of Fort Myers Beach. With no reported closures or high levels of bacteria, that leaves people along the beach to believe the smell is coming from dredging in Matanzas Pass. It"s a stench people describe vividly.
RNC HEATS UP
Ted Cruz sensationally withheld an endorsement of Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, earning a chorus of boos from the floor before he was upstaged in a power play by the GOP nominee himself. In a dramatic development, as Cruz wrapped up his speech, Trump suddenly appeared in the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. He walked to join his family in a VIP area and flashed a thumbs-up -- a gesture that transmitted clear anger at the Texas senator"s behavior.
FLORIDA POLICE SHOOTING
Authorities say a Florida police officer shot and wounded an autistic man"s caretaker following reports of a man threatening to shoot himself. The Miami Herald reports that the North Miami Assistant Police Chief says officers responded to the scene Monday and began giving orders to Charles Kinsey and his patient to lie on the ground. Kinsey lies down and tries to get his patient to comply. Cuevas says an officer then fired three times, striking Kinsey in the leg.
LEE COUNTY CRIME REPORT
Reports of violent crime in Lee County are lower for the first half of 2016 compared to the same time last year. The Lee County Sheriff"s Office released its semi-annual crime report Wednesday. The report goes district by district, even subdistricts, to show how deputies and investigators have spent 2016.
RAIN AND STORMS TODAY
An east wind this morning will carry over a few clouds and the possibility for a few isolated showers from the Florida east coast. Temperatures are in the 70"s this morning with plenty of humidity. Through the afternoon more clouds will build and east winds will continue to push in rain, first to inland areas, and then to coastal areas.
Miranda Kerr Teaches Kids How to Speak with an Australian Accent | Vanity Fair Dear TIME Reader,
As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising.
The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to.
Gwen Stefani may be crazy in love with Blake Shelton, but the singer still gets emotional when talking about her former flames.The pop star sat down with Howard Stern on Wednesday and chatted about her past relationships with her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal whom she started dating when they were teenagers and ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.
I was in love and obsessed with Tony Kanal, and he knows that, she recalled. As soon as he opened the car door I was like, I love him. I dont know why."
The two were together for seven years before Tony called it off. That was a really huge part and long part of my life, the 46-year-old singer noted, adding that she still wonders what her life would have been like had they stayed together.
Shortly after the breakup, she met Gavin.
"When I met him and looked up at him, I was like, "Whoa. It was different, she told Howard. I was in quite a rebellious place because I was feeling really rejected Somehow he got my phone number, and that was that. He stalked me, I think. I was only 26, and I only had the one relationship. I still lived at home when I met Gavin."
The two dated for seven years before tying the knot in 2002 and they became parents to three sons: Kingston, 10; Zuma, 7; and Apollo, 2. However, the couple announced their divorce in 2015 with rumors swirling of his infidelity
"Its been an unbelievable journey. You cant even imagine. It did rock [my world]. My parents were totally helping me through the whole thing, she said of the split. I was in a panic. I was in h**l. Tearing up, she continued, "I think, for me, I feel like I always wondered: Why did I get so unlucky in love? I have so much love in me. [Howard,] you are making me cry."
Check out the video to hear what else Gwen had to say about her early days with Gavin, and tune in to The Insider With Yahoo on TV tonight for the latest in entertainment news.
Oneof the darlings of theLos Angeles start-up scene is cashing in on a$1-billion payday a rise fueled by a disruptive business model and a series ofoffbeat viral ads.
But this company doesnot traffic in virtual reality headsets, video games or disappearing messages. Its business, instead, focuses on one of mankinds oldest gadgets: razors.
Dollar Shave Clubs sale to consumer products titanUnilever, announced Tuesday, is the biggest acquisitionever of a venture-backed start-up in Los Angeles. And its a vote of confidence inthe citys start-up scene one that has quietly emerged as a hub for e-commerce.
Neither Dollar Shave Club nor Unilever disclosed terms of the deal, but two sources familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to discuss it publicly,said the privately held start-ups shareholders will divvy up the sumin cash.
Born out of a holiday party conversationin 2010, founder Mike Dubin launchedDollar Shave Club a year later.Since then, the subscription razor servicehas amassed 3.2 million customers and expanded witha line of mens hair and skin products as well as wet wipes.
Backed by more than $160 million in venture capital funding,Dollar Shave Club had been valued at about$630 million prior to the sale.
Dubin, who is to remain at Dollar Shave Club as chief executive, said the two sides had been talking for months about an investment. Those talks evolved into discussions about an acquisition after Dubin acknowledged how Unilever could help Dollar Shave Club grow into a global brand, beyond its current operations in U.S., Canada and Australia.
It was a flight we didnt want to miss, Dubin said.
Dollar Shave Club will remain largely independent to build its brand, which was made famous by a series of tongue-in-cheek viral videos starring Dubin. The companyalso will get to retain all 190 of its employees, Dubin said.
Though Dollar Shave Club has yet to turn a profit, thecompany had revenueof $152 million last year and was on track to exceed $200 million this year. It invests heavily in marketing, including paying for a commercial during the Super Bowl this year.
Unileverhad nearly $60 billion in sales last year in 190 countries. Among its best known stable of brands are Dove, Axe, Lipton and Ben & Jerrys.
Dollar Shave Club is an innovative and disruptive male grooming brand with incredibly deep connections to its diverse and highly engaged consumers, Kees Kruythoff, president of Unilever North America, said in a statement. We plan to leverage the global strength of Unilever to support Dollar Shave Club in achieving its full potential in terms of offering and reach.
The massive deal helps bolster Southern Californias reputation as a rising hub for venture-backed companies, with Silicon Beach home to hundreds of start-ups.
Its a bit of a wake-up call for whats happening in L.A., said Jim Mills, a Deloitte partner who leads the consumer business practice in Los Angeles. Silicon Valley obviously gets a lot of attention, but this highlights the fact that L.A. can hold its own.
Although tech firmssuch as Snapchat get most of the buzz, analysts said there is huge potential in firms such as Dollar Shave Club, which have stripped much of the hassle and a chunk of the costs by sellingconsumer products online.
Los Angeles has carved out a niche for companies injecting technology into shopping, said Greg Bettinelli, a partner at Upfront Ventures, which has invested in local e-commerce companies such as Loot Crate, trading incollectibles,and Combatant Gentlemen, sellingmenswear.
L.A. is arguably at the center of retail innovation, Bettinelli said. The region has built out unique skill sets in marketing, technology and product design for next-generation commerce.
Dollar Shave Club is one of the most prominent subscription-based start-ups, in which members receivea box of products every month. Hundreds have popped up in recent years,but many are now struggling amid a downturn in venture capital investment. Makeup service Birchbox has gone through two rounds of layoffs this year.
But Dollar Shave Club has thrived by solving an especially bothersome shopping experience. Traditional grooming brands like Gillette operate by giving away razor handles, sometimesfor free, but charging high markups for the blades themselves. At many drug and grocery stores, razor blades are kept under lock and key.
By mailing razors directly to consumers at a lower cost,Dollar Shave Club managed to capture more than 10% of the razor market in just a short time, said Sucharita Mulpuru, a retail analyst at Forrester.
When you sell directly to consumers, you get much better margins, she said. Its appealing but hard to do.
David Pakman, a partner at Venrock Partners, which led severalearly fundraising rounds, said Dollar Shave Club has "been a company of fascination for many in the consumer products industry.
Traditional consumer-products companies and retailers are hungry to get into thedirect-to-consumer business. Acquiring a company that already has provedsuccessful, Mulpuru said, allows a business like Unilever, which has no major razor brand, to skip over years of product development and marketing costs.
It would take a billion dollars for them to get to a 10% share anyway, she said. They are essentially buying it.
Dollar Share Clubremains enmeshed in a lawsuit with rival Gillette, which started its own online subscription service in 2014. Gillette, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, alleges Dollar Shave Clubstole one of its patents to reduce wear and tear on its razor blades.
Dubin declined to comment on the lawsuit and whether it had an effect on the sale to Unilever. Investors in Dollar Shave Club said the sale would help in the fight withProcter & Gamble.
Dubin started his business after complaining about the hassles of shaving with eventual co-founder Mark Levine, father of a friends fiancee, at a holiday party. The two later partnered with Santa Monica start-up accelerator Science Inc.
During those early days,Dubin would staff the printers at Science, printingpostage labels and affixing them to boxes filled with blades.
He"s humble and just gets it done,Peter Pham, co-founder of Science,said of Dubin. He had a vision, he executed it and he won . It shows L.A. can compete and build great companies.
Dubin has hopped around in his career, starting his career as a page at NBC, before eventually moving into marketing for publications such as Life and Sports Illustrated. In the mid-2000s, he founded astart-up that was a social network for travelers.
In 2012, Dubin started making a name for himself and Dollar Shave Club with YouTube videos that gained an audience thanks tooddball humor and the co-founders off-kilter charm.
The first video featured Dubinwielding a machete and atoddler shavinga man"s head.
Do you think your razor needs a vibrating handle, a flashlight, a back-scratcher and 10 blades, Dubin demanded at one point. Your handsome grandfather had one blade and polio.
Largest mergers and acquisitions of L.A. County start-ups
Dollar Shave Clubs acquisition is topped in Southern California by Facebooks $2-billion purchase of then-Irvine-based virtual reality company Oculus in 2014, but its the largest deal ever in Los Angeles.
Mens grooming brand Dollar Shave Club;$1 billion by Unilever in 2016
Social network Bebo;$850 million by Aol in 2008
Online video company Maker Studios;$675 million by Walt Disney in 2014
Social network MySpace;$580 million by News Corp. in 2005
Computer game developer Riot Games;$400 million by Tencent in 2011 (for a majority stake)
Content delivery network EdgeCast Networks;$390 million by Verizon in 2013
Ad technology maker AdColony;$350 million by Opera in 2013
IT software vendor ServiceMesh;$300 million by CSC in 2013
Ad technology maker Adconion Media Group;$209 million by Amobee in 2014
Manufacturing software maker Apriso;$205 million by Dassault Systmes in 2013
Source: PitchBook
Top mergers and acquisitions of venturecapital-backed e-commerce companies worldwide
Online classifieds service Avito;$2.7 billion by Naspers in 2015
Online retailer Lazada;$1.5 billion by Alibaba Group in 2016
Shoe-shopping service Zappos; $1.2 billion by Amazon in 2009
Online loyalty program Ebates; $1 billion by Rakuten in 2014
Mens grooming brand Dollar Shave Club; $1 billion by Unilever in 2016
Online retail operator Bluestem Brands; $565 million by Capmark Financial Group in 2014
Online fashion outlet Privalia $560 million; by Vente Privee in 2016
Online clothing shop Net-A-Porter; $530 million by Richemont in 2010
Quidsi (Soap.com, Diapers.com); $500 million by Amazon in 2011
Comparison service Buscape; $376 million by Naspers in 2009
Online retailer Netretail Holdings; $360 million by Naspers in 2012
Styling service Trunk Club; $350 million by Nordstrom in 2014
Online fashion shop RueLaLa.com; $350 million by GSI Commerce in 2009
Online clothing retailer Myntra; $343 million by Flipkart in 2014
Online stationery service Tiny Prints; $333 million by Shutterfly in 2011
Note: Only includes deals since 2009 with a disclosed valuation
Source: CB Insights
Times staff writer Paresh Dave contributed to this report.
david.pierson@latimes.com
Twitter:@dhpierson
shan.li@latimes.com
Twitter: @ByShanLi
UPDATES:
July 20, 4:30p.m.:This article was updated to add charts.
July 20, 3:20 p.m.:This article was updated to include additional context and reporting.
July 20, 1:15 p.m.:This article was updated to include additional context and reporting.
July 20, 9:40 a.m.:This article was updated to add a graphic.
July 20, 9:05 a.m.:This article was updated with additional details.
9:40 p.m.:This article was updated with additional details.
This article was originally published July 19 at 7:40 p.m.
