We Build the Wall’s Donors Want to See That Groundbreaking

May 11, 2019; Washington Post

Back in January, NPQ reported on a crowdfunding campaign started by Brian Kolfage, a famously wounded veteran, to support the building of a wall on the US-Mexico border. Kolfage's ambitions were bold, if nothing else, and so were his claims. For instance, even though he managed only to raise $20 million against a target of $1 billion, he assured his benefactors he could build the wall on private land for a "fraction of what it costs the government." He also promised, in a February interview with American Family Radio, to break ground for the project in April. (Of course, this followed a promise in January that they'd be breaking ground "within weeks.")

By March 21st, however, Kolfage, speaking to Politico, had revised his timeline. "We should be turning dirt on this thing by May 1, June 1 at the latest, according to our experts," he said, adding that eight sites had been located along the border. Where are they? It's not so clear:

"I wish I could name where it's at, but we can't name it because of the ACLU, these other liberal groups who want to sue us and impede our progress," he said. "But it's actually happening, the process is happening.…the project is moving forward."

Also, there is the issue of cost, in that each mile of wall needed to traverse that 2,000 miles would cost an estimated $2 to $3 million…so, what about the remaining 1,990 miles?

In the same Politico story, the group did name some steps it had taken, including initiating talks with the Israeli firm that built the wall on the Gaza Strip. That was at a press conference held in a small Texas border town where Steve Bannon, former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, baseball legend Curt Schilling, and former Sheriff David Clarke were in attendance, with Blackwater founder Erik Prince attending by phone from South Africa.

Some of the donors posting to the group's Facebook page are getting restive, pushing for some kind of forward movement, but the responses remain vague. Last Friday, the group committed firmly to breaking ground "shortly."

BuzzFeed reporter Will Sommer reminds us that none of this should come as a surprise: "Kolfage has a history of participating in questionable endeavors. He was a prolific operator of hoax pages on Facebook, and money he raised in the past to help veterans' programs in hospitals never actually went to those hospitals."

Complicating the effort further is that it's not that easy to find private land right on the border where a wall can be built…Kolfage and We Build the Wall's board of directors have spent plenty of time in Arizona, ostensibly scouting private land to build the wall. But the Phoenix New Times reported in March that the "vast majority" of land on the border in the state is owned by the federal government. Meanwhile, many of the people who actually own land on the border told the New Times that they hadn't been contacted by We Build the Wall.

We find it strange that anyone would believe meaningful progress could be made on this organization's promises to donors, given all of this and a modicum of common sense. However, apparently there are some disappointed donors out there, and it will be interesting to watch how the situation resolves.—Ruth McCambridge

Trump Administration Waives Laws to Build 100 Miles of Border Wall Across Arizona National Monument, Wildlife Refuges

TUCSON, Ariz.— The Trump administration will waive dozens of environmental and public health laws to speed border-wall construction through federally protected sites in Arizona and California.

Today's announcement from the Department of Homeland Security says waivers will be used to build walls through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, Coronado National Memorial and numerous designated wilderness areas. The bollard-style barriers will block wildlife migration, damage ecosystems and harm border communities.

"The Trump administration just ignored bedrock environmental and public health laws to plow a disastrous border wall through protected, spectacular wildlands," said Laiken Jordahl, borderlands campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. "This senseless wall would rip a scar through the heart of the Sonoran Desert, kill endangered wildlife and cause irreversible damage. We'll do everything in our power to stop this destruction."

The three waivers sweep aside 41 laws that protect clean air, clean water, public lands and endangered wildlife. They cover plans to build more than 100 miles of wall in numerous Arizona locations and in California near El Centro and San Diego.

With these waivers, which take effect Wednesday, the Trump administration will have issued 12 waivers under the REAL ID Act. The waivers come during an open comment period where the public is invited to weigh in with concerns. Comments remain open until July 5.

The Center and allies have sued to challenge Trump's emergency declaration, which would fund this border wall construction. The Center also has sued the administration to challenge border-wall construction in the Rio Grande Valley and near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry in New Mexico. The Center's first border-related lawsuit ― filed in 2017 in U.S. District Court in Tucson with U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva ― seeks to require the Trump administration to do a detailed analysis of the environmental impacts of its border-enforcement program. All of these suits are pending.

A 2017 study by the Center identified more than 90 endangered or threatened species that would be threatened by wall construction along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

Beyond jeopardizing wildlife, endangered species and public lands, the U.S.-Mexico border wall is part of a larger strategy of ongoing border militarization that damages human rights, civil liberties, native lands, local businesses and international relations. The border wall impedes the natural migrations of people and wildlife that are essential to healthy diversity.

The waivers cast aside these laws:

Wall Street's Newest Tanker Major Poised To Make Waves

© Provided by Accretive Capital LLC

The listing of Diamond S Shipping (NYSE: DSSI) in late March marked the largest U.S. stock market debut of a commercial vessel owner in four years. Now, the focus of analysts and investors is on how soon and how quickly Diamond S will pump up its fleet and grow bigger still.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited

The Connecticut-based crude oil and product-tanker owner reported a net loss of $1 million in the first quarter of 2019, compared to a net loss of $13.7 million in the first quarter of 2018.

But investors will have to wait another quarter to get a true snapshot of the 'new' DSSI. All but four days of the first quarter of 2019 results referred to the predecessor private company Diamond S; only at the very end of the period did results reflect the current incarnation, which is a combination of the original fleet and the tanker vessels previously owned by Capital Product Partners (NASDAQ: CPLP).

The recently combined entity boasts a fleet of 68 tankers with a carrying capacity of 5 million deadweight tons (DWT), making it one of the largest tanker players in the U.S. public markets. DWT is a measure of how much weight a ship can carry, not its weight, empty or in any degree of load. DWT is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, and crew.

On the crude oil tanker side, Diamond S owns 15 vessels in the Suezmax category (120,000-200,000 DWT) and one Aframax (80,000-119,999 DWT); on the product side, it owns 46 MR2s (40,000-54,999 DWT) and six MR1s (25-39,999 DWT).

"It's fantastic to be public again. We've got a team that's excited to grow the business and we think we're in a fantastic place in the [shipping business] cycle."

Craig Stevenson, CEO, Diamond S Shipping

During the company's conference call with analysts on May 14, DSSI chief executive officer Craig Stevenson commented, "We expect to grow the company in a disciplined manner."

Asked by an analyst whether the Diamond S growth plan would favor the Suezmax crude tankers and MR product tankers that already dominate its fleet, or whether the company would broaden in scope and look at classes such as very large crude carriers (300,000 DWT), Stevenson answered, "I don't think we're limited in that sense. We want to do accretive transactions that make sense for all of the shareholders."

Stevenson continued, "I think the most obvious place to look first would be the two existing vessel classes, but we would certainly look at other types of tankers. If it's an accretive transaction, we would absolutely evaluate it."

Asked whether Diamond S is seeking to grow through second-hand acquisitions of ships already on the water, or through newbuildings, he replied, "I always look at newbuildings as the last thing you think about. You look for high-quality younger ships first. Only once you exhaust that do you look at newbuildings."

Stevenson added, "But obviously, if a major customer comes to you and wants you to build a ship and offers you a long-term transaction, that's something different."

"We are also looking at the smaller universe of larger opportunities that entail combinations…with other owners and operators with similar tonnage. "  

Kevin Kilcullen, CFO, Diamond S Shipping

Diamond S chief financial officer Kevin Kilcullen explained two ways the company's capital structure could be used to fund growth.

First, he noted that the balance sheet has low financial leverage, allowing potential for growth funding. "Coming out of the transaction [with CPLP], we have a very healthy balance sheet with a net loan-to-value ratio of 51 percent, so there's substantial equity value in our fleet.

"In terms of how we're looking to grow the company and how we're going to transform the existing asset base, this equity value in our ships is a tremendous source of capital to fund attractive opportunities," he continued. "You could see us take capital out of certain assets and redeploy it into other ones that we think will drive higher returns."

He added, "We are also looking at the smaller universe of larger opportunities that entail combinations on a NAV-to-NAV [net asset value to net asset value] basis with other owners and operators with similar tonnage. That could be a big growth driver for the Diamond S platform moving into the next year."

Kilcullun's second point refers to stock-for-stock deals, or stock-for-ships deals, in which the stock is used as currency and valued in relation to NAV – the value of DSSI's assets minus liabilities. There have been numerous instances over the past two years where U.S.-listed shipping companies have bought fleets owned by private equity groups or other public companies in return for stock.

One of the reasons the investment community expects growth out of Diamond S is its pedigree. It may have just listed on the NYSE, but given the personalities behind it, it's viewed as a big fish coming back into the pond.

As Stevenson put it when he wrapped up the analyst conference call, "It's fantastic to be public again. We've got a team that's excited to grow the business and we think we're in a fantastic place in the [shipping business] cycle."

In his previous public company role, Stevenson was the chief executive officer of tanker owner OMI Corporation. Then NYSE-listed OMI sold out in 2007 – at the height of the previous shipping boom, exactly at the peak and just before the bust – pocketing $2.2 billion from fleet buyers Teekay Corp (NYSE: TK) and TORM.

After that perfectly timed blockbuster deal, Stevenson's right-hand man, ex-OMI president Robert Bugbee, went on to become president of Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: STNG) and Scorpio Bulkers (NYSE: SALT), where he has presided over frenetic expansion plans at both companies. Stevenson started up Diamond S Shipping in 2007, together with private equity group First Reserve.

In 2011, Diamond S bought the product-tanker fleet of South Korea's Cido Tanker Holding Co. That deal brought new investors into the fold, including WL Ross & Co – the private equity group led by Wilbur Ross, now the U.S. Secretary of Commerce – and China Investment Corporation, an entity controlled by the government of China.

This ownership mix eventually led to controversy for Ross after his appointment in the Trump Administration, particularly given that Ross was one of the people negotiating the trade deal with China. At first, he sought to retain his personal Diamond S stake, but ultimately divested it, reportedly to family members.

According to a prospectus filed on May 10, for secondary time-to-time stock sales by certain existing shareholders of DSSI, WL Ross & Co currently owns 24.3 percent of shares outstanding and is not offering any for sale, while the Chinese state-controlled entity owns 6.5 percent and is considering the sale of all of it.

The post Wall Street's newest tanker major poised to make waves appeared first on FreightWaves.

Image sourced from Pixabay

© 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Spain’s New Nationalist Party Wants to Build a Wall to Keep Out Migrants

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The week before he was due to testify, Santiago Abascal told a group of conservatives in Madrid how a crowd of separatists had heckled and pushed him as he was sworn in as a local councilor in Spain's ...

How to Get Your Photo on the Carnival Pixels Wall

Photos are essential souvenirs for any cruise vacation, and the snapshots, panoramics, and selfies you take are perfect to share on social media, add to your personal albums, and document all the great cruise memories you've made.

If you want more professional photos, however, you're in luck – cruise ships have a dedicated staff of experienced photographers and onboard photo labs to process and print every memorable moment. Carnival Cruise Line goes one step further, however, and your professional photo could turn you into a vacation celebrity if you make it on The Wall.

What Is the Photo Wall?

The Wall is a fun feature of the Pixels Gallery on every Carnival ship. Pixels is the onboard photo studio and is responsible for all professional photos on board, from embarkation and gangway photos to dining room photos, fun shots on deck, casual backdrops, and formal poses, including the elegant stairway poses and black-and-white photos. There are no sitting fees for any photos and no obligation to purchase any photos you have taken.

The only exception is for private sessions through the Dreams Studio, which include more unique around-the-ship photo locations and more detailed post-processing for the very best results. Dreams Studios sessions have only limited availability and prices vary.

Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz

The Wall is a fun showcase of Pixels Gallery photos, with 8-12 photos highlighted at once in the "Frame of Fame." Different photo sizes and both landscape and portrait orientations are part of The Wall, and the ship's photographers choose which photos make this exclusive display.

If your photo is showcased on The Wall, you get that photo print for free!

Making the Carnival Pixels Wall

Getting your photo on The Wall is all about fun. While the photographers select which photos make The Wall, you can make your photo stand out for recognition in several ways.

First, simply take a lot of photos. The more you are noticed, the more likely it is that your photo will appear in one of the coveted spots on The Wall. If you don't take any, there is no chance your photo will be selected.

Get into the fun of each pose, using any available props and striking an appropriate pose. The more enthusiasm and enjoyment you show in your photo, the more likely you are to become a cruise celebrity.

Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz

If you have your own props, such as a sombrero for a Mexican backdrop, Hawaiian shirts on a Hawaiian cruise, or fun souvenirs from your latest shore tour, put them to good use with your photos.

Keep your poses, props, and photo fun family-friendly. Inappropriate photos will not make The Wall, and photos that could be considered grossly offensive may not be printed at all, or the ship's photographers may refuse to take such a photo.

Finally, smile! You're on vacation and having fun, and let that enjoyment show in your smiles. Fun, enthusiastic photos are the ones most likely to make The Wall.

Claiming Your Free Photo

Check The Wall each day to see what new photos have been added. As photos are claimed and more spots open up on The Wall, new photos will be available and you might find yourself cruise-famous.

Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz

If you do spot your photo on The Wall, rejoice! You can leave the photo on display if you like, or you can claim it right away. Simply ask one of the staff on duty when the Pixels Gallery is open, and let them know you've made The Wall. They will collect your photo and package it in a stiff envelope so it stays in good shape, and it's yours to keep.

There is no charge for any photo of yours that has made The Wall, and you do not need to make any other purchases at the photo gallery before or after your moment in the spotlight.

It is polite if you claim your photo the same day, giving more people the opportunity to have their own chance at the Frame of Fame. While claimed spaces may remain blank until the next round of photos is processed, they will eventually be refilled.

Photo Credit: Russell Otway

There is no set schedule for refilling photos on The Wall, nor any minimum requirement for how many photos must be featured on any given cruise. In general, longer cruises with more photo opportunities will likely have more photos featured as earlier shots are claimed.

Also Read: 10 Pictures You Have to Take on a Carnival Cruise

If you know how best to take advantage of every photo opportunity and enjoy every click-worthy moment of your cruise, you just might see yourself on The Carnival Pixels Wall!

A group raised over $20 million to 'build the wall.' Now its supporters want answers

Written by The Washington Post

A December fundraising campaign brought in more than $20 million over the course of a few weeks, its thousands of donors united by a common goal: the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, oft-promised by President Donald Trump.

Some four months later, a contingent of those supporters is ready to see what their money has built.

The now-famous border wall GoFundMe was conceived by Purple Heart recipient Brian Kolfage, who wrote at the time he was upset by "too many illegals . . . taking advantage of the United States taxpayers," and the "political games from both parties" when it came to border security. Kolfage, a triple amputee, pressed onward despite falling short of his $1 billion goal - launching a nonprofit to build portions of the wall on private land for a "fraction of what it costs the government."

While the majority of donors continue to believe in Kolfage's efforts, the nonprofit's clandestine operations and assurances of progress are insufficient for others. Some have taken to social media, seeking photos, videos - anything - for evidence they aren't being misled.

"I am very disappointed in you Brian Kolfage, where are the progress photographs?" one woman posted to the We Build The Wall Facebook page.

"Quit talking about it and do it," another commented.

"I've been away for FIVE months," one person tweeted in April. "When's the groundbreaking?"

Reporting on the apparent lack of progress on the private wall, published early Friday by the Daily Beast, drew criticism from Kolfage. The veteran called out the story's author, Will Sommer, who indicated he's repeatedly asked Kolfage for proof they were close to a groundbreaking.

"Omg this is PERFECT timing by the liberal rag news site. They are about to look more stupid than @hillaryclinton on election night 2016!" Kolfage wrote. "I guaranteed we would build the wall . . . and I'll leave it at that!"

Kolfage did not respond to an email and message from The Washington Post requesting comment Friday. While the nonprofit has floated various groundbreaking dates in the past, it's not exactly clear when, or if, construction will begin.

"We should be turning dirt on this thing by May 1, June 1 at the latest, according to our experts," Kolfage told Politico in February. In a March 21 interview with American Family Radio, however, the veteran asserted they were going to "start breaking ground" in April.

In the interview, Kolfage said his nonprofit had identified eight locations to build along the border, but failed to name them, stating that his efforts could be thwarted by liberals if they were revealed.

"I wish I could name where it's at, but we can't name it because of the ACLU, these other liberal groups who want to sue us and impede our progress," he said. "But it's actually happening, the process is happening . . . the project is moving forward."

He continued, "But as soon as we start breaking ground, we'll be putting that information out there to show the American people what they're doing."

Kolfage has previously indicated that We Build The Wall Inc. seeks to develop segments of the wall on private property, which he told The Washington Post in January would cost $2 million to $3 million per mile. His GoFundMe says he's visited the border to scope out potential sites and negotiate with private land owners. Kolfage has also enlisted the help of several high-profile politicians, among them former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and Kris Kobach, the former Secretary of State for Kansas, who sit on the group's advisory board.

Back in January, Kobach told The New York Times they'd hopefully be breaking ground "within weeks."

Some critics noted Kolfage was accused of shady behavior in the past, including allegations of misusing funds he raised. NBC and BuzzFeed investigations earlier this year alleged that Kolfage peddled false articles and conspiracy theories with the intent of harvesting reader email addresses. The purported scheme would draw people back to his websites and Facebook pages, generating hundreds of thousands in advertising revenue, Buzzfeed reported.

Facebook removed several of the pages he operated last year, according to NBC, in a purge of pages that were used to "drive traffic to their websites." In response, Kolfage created a new campaign, "Fight4FreeSpeech," which also accepts donations.

BuzzFeed looked into Kolfage's previous crowdfunding efforts, which included an initiative to mentor wounded veterans at military hospitals - among them Walter Reed and Brooke Army Medical Center. He raised thousands for the project, according to BuzzFeed, but spokespersons for the medical facilities told the outlet they have no record of him working at the hospitals or donating money.

Asked about the story in January, Kolfage told The Post that BuzzFeed "100 percent lied" and had fabricated the investigation to slander him. He said the money was raised to cover his travel expenses, and that he only used them for that purpose.

On Friday, many supporters of Kolfage called the Daily Beast story fake news intended to stymie donations. We Build The Wall occasionally replied in agreement, reassuring commenters the wall was on its way.

"This is what we call FAKE NEWS," they wrote in a post. "We didn't stop anything and we are full steam ahead. The wall is being built."

As of Friday night, the group said they'll be breaking ground "shortly."

In a separate comment, one woman indicated she'd heard enough.

"Saying it doesn't get it done," she wrote late Friday. "Do it."

How to nail a gallery wall

Every now and then, a design blog will declare gallery walls "over" — a fad that's had its moment.

But they're a decorating staple, says Susan Tynan, founder and chief executive of Framebridge, an online framing company. "I get asked a lot whether I think the gallery wall trend will go away anytime soon," Tynan says. "It's not a trend. It's been around for hundreds of years."

In 17th-century Paris, the paintings of recent graduates of the Royal Academy were hung floor to ceiling so as many as possible could be viewed, creating a sensation and inspiring grand salon-style museum exhibitions that continue to this day. This arrangement style eventually became popular with collectors and art lovers.

There's no end in sight. Some of the country's top designers showed off gallery walls in this year's high-end Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York. And for the more timid and budget-strapped among us, an army of experts, online tools and apps have popped up to help consumers curate artwork — and get over their fear of hammering multiple holes in their walls.

"Gallery walls give a visual wow factor," says Paula Wallace, founder and president of Savannah College of Art and Design. "Lots of residences today are small. Instead of scattering postage-stamp-size works of art all over, focus attention and care on one wall and arrange your works of art and collectibles. With a salon wall, all rules are out the window. If it pleases you, mix modern and vintage frames, traditional art with contemporary. It's all fine."

A gallery wall (or salon wall) is loosely defined as a collection of items: framed artwork, photographs and personal treasures hung in a grouping. Search #gallerywall on Instagram, and you'll see more than 865,000 incarnations, some hung in millennial-friendly symmetrical rows, some Bohemian assemblages in mismatched frames.

"You see gallery walls all through history, whether in grand estates in Moscow, at Monticello or in Diana Vreeland's iconic apartment in New York," says Michelle Adams, editor and creative adviser at Artfully Walls, an online company that sells the work of more than 450 artists reproduced in digital giclee prints and has a collection for Anthropologie. It also sells pre-curated gallery walls you can try on for size with an online tool that shows how they will look in your room.

"We see people mixing in a lot of personal photos, and even wall-hanging plants have become part of the gallery wall today," she says. "They'll even mix in Samsung's Frame TV that looks like a piece of art."

Interior designers say the gallery wall is frequently on clients' wish lists. "When I start working with someone, I ask them to send me photos of rooms that inspire them," says designer Miles Redd of the New York firm Redd Kaihoi. "Invariably they show me that one wall of eclectic art that everybody loves and wants to have."

Designer Sheila Bridges filled an entire wall with art in her tiny 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House room. Her theme in her "Le Salon Des Chiens" was the "many-faceted relationships between humans and canines." The gallery mixes portraiture, needlepoint and evocative photos from the civil rights movement. "I usually start with the important work in the middle, sometimes a mirror," Bridges says. "But for my show house room I chose a photo of Martin Luther King. I like to combine different frames and textures, and both horizontal and vertical."

There's no one way to organize a wall. Some gallery walls have the same style frames or all the same color frames; some have artworks that share a theme, such as travel, or a certain shade of chartreuse. Some just reflect the whim of the collector.

"It's a collage you are making, and it's all about relationships," Redd says. "You hold things up, and if it feels good you keep going."

The grid styles that are popular right now, Framebridge creative director Tessa Wolf says, can give your place a clean look while still portraying your personal style.

"A lot of overthinking goes into choosing art and making a gallery wall, but it should be fun choosing things that you like to look at every day," Adams says. "It should show what your interests are to people when they walk into a room."

Not sure what is really you? Help is everywhere.

West Elm's Design Crew offers free in-home consultations on how to arrange your wall. Then to install, the store charges $129 for hanging up to 10 pieces of art.

Framebridge started selling framing online in 2014 and started a gallery wall consultation service a year later. This year, it opened its first two brick-and-mortar stores, in Washington and suburban Bethesda, Marylandd. "It sounds like it should be so easy, but people just struggled so much," Wolf says. For $199, an online Framebridge consultant will help you organize your artwork into a gallery wall and provide one custom layout mock-up and $39 toward your framing order.

Last year, the company launched a pre-designed gallery wall collection that includes three to 12 framed photos made from digital pictures customers upload. "We heard from people that they wanted a very specific look that they'd seen on Instagram and Pinterest," Wolf says. Each pre-designed gallery wall comes with a life-size template to tape on your wall so you'll know exactly where to hammer.

Framebridge customized a hallway gallery wall of 14 framed photos for Alexandra Sullivan's Winchester, Massachusetts, home using mostly pictures stored in her iPhone. They printed them, framed them and gave her a layout. "This hallway is in view from our back stairs, kitchen and front door, so it's a high-traffic area," Sullivan says. "It was a great spot to showcase the images that make me happiest - photos of our babies, wedding, honeymoon and dog."

As for installation, David Kassel, who owns ILevel art placement and installation company in New York, recommends enlisting a second pair of hands to hold things up before you hammer, mix up sizes and use picture hooks, as plain nails often aren't strong enough in the wall by themselves. He's not a fan of adhesive hooks, either, which he says can't hold the weight of most framed artworks and can discolor walls. "Fret not" is his mantra: You're not causing any structural damage if you hang something and later want to move it.

If you still can't bring yourself to put nails all over your perfectly painted walls, and you're not exactly sure of placement, there are always photo ledges. "As someone who lives in a perpetual state of redecoration, I love the flexibility ledges offer," Wolf says. "Be sure you get the proportions of the pieces right; frames on a ledge need to be different enough in height so that they stand out when layered."