Hasta La Gadget!

U.S.-led coalition warplanes hit Islamic State targets near the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus overnight, the Turkish military said on Tuesday, as forces backed by Ankara pushed deeper into north Syria.

Two A-10 planes hit and destroyed two Islamic State targets, the military said in a statement, without elaborating.

Turkey-backed forces seized Jarablus from Islamic State militants last week. They have since pushed into areas held by Kurdish-aligned militias that are supported by Washington.

Differences over Syria policy have long complicated the relationship between NATO allies Turkey and the United States.

While Turkey is a member of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, it is concerned about Washington’s support for Syrian Kurdish fighters, which it sees as an extension of Kurdish militants who are waging an insurgency in Turkey.

The United States has scrambled to get its feuding allies, Turkey and the Kurdish YPG militia, to focus their firepower on Islamic State instead of each other after clashes that have threatened to unravel U.S. war strategy in Syria.

(Reporting by Asli Kandemir; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Edmund Blair)

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

A defiant President Dilma Rousseff warned on Monday that her conservative opponents were trampling on Brazil’s democracy by using trumped-up charges to oust her and roll back the social advances of 13 years of leftist rule.

Presenting her defense at an impeachment trial in the Senate, Brazil’s first female president said the economic elite had sought to destabilize her government since she narrowly won re-election to a second four-year term in 2014.

Rousseff is expected to become the first Brazilian leader in more than 20 years to be dismissed from office on Wednesday when the Senate will rule on charges that she broke budgetary laws by using state banks’ money to boost public spending.

In an emotional speech from the Senate podium, Rousseff denied any wrongdoing and compared the trial to her persecution during Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, when she was a member of a leftist guerrilla group.

She said the impeachment process, which has paralyzed Brazilian politics since December and cast a shadow over last month’s Rio Olympics, was little more than a plot to protect the interests of the privileged classes in Latin America’s largest economy.

“I did not commit the crimes that I am arbitrarily and unjustly accused of,” Rousseff said, in what may be her last public appearance as president. “We are one step away from a real coup d’etat.”

If the Senate convicts Rousseff, as expected, her Vice President Michel Temer will be sworn in to serve the rest of her term through 2018.

Temer, who has been interim president since Congress opened impeachment proceedings in mid-May, has vowed to impose austerity measures to plug a growing fiscal deficit that cost Brazil its investment-grade credit rating last year.

Rousseff warned that a future Temer government would dismantle her Workers Party’s social programs that helped lift 30 million people out of poverty in the past decade and sell off state assets, including Brazil’s massive offshore oil reserves.

In a statement, Temer’s office denounced the comments as “false accusations.”

Rousseff, a trained economist and daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant, was handpicked by ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to succeed him when he stepped aside in 2012, despite her lack of political experience and charisma.

Rousseff, 68, faces no allegations of personal enrichment. But she has been charged on the sidelines of the impeachment process with obstructing an investigation into political kickbacks at state-run oil company Petrobras.

She chaired the board of Petrobras from 2003 to 2010, when the worst of the corruption was taking place. [L2N1850JX]

After riding the commodities boom in her first term, Rousseff’s her popularity has dwindled to single figures this year, partly because of the massive Petrobras scandal and partly due to a deep recession that many Brazilians blame on her government’s failed interventionist policies.

Unbowed, Rousseff told senators that history would judge them by their votes and recalled her trial under the military dictatorship in 1970, when officers hid their faces to not be recognized in photographs.

“This is the second trial I have suffered in which democracy has sat with me in the dock,” she said, choking back tears as she recalled facing death when she was tortured day after day in detention. “Today I only fear the death of democracy.”

ODDS AGAINST HER

With many Brazilians assuming the result of the trial to be a foregone conclusion, there were scattered protests by Rousseff supporters on Monday but no sign of the massive demonstrations for and against impeachment that shook Brazil earlier this year.

A survey by O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper said 53 senators have already confirmed they will vote against Rousseff, just one vote short of the two-thirds of the 81 seat Senate needed to dismiss her. Only 19 said they will back her.

“They want to overthrow a president re-elected by 54 million Brazilians and get rid of the Workers Party that has protected the poor,” said Thiago Fagundes, a 27-year-old graphic artist and Rousseff supporter in Brasilia. “It looks like they will get their way.”

Twenty of Rousseff’s former Cabinet ministers were in the Senate gallery to support her, along with Lula himself.

With the odds stacked against her, Rousseff’s testimony appeared more aimed at making a point for the history books, rather than a bid to sway a handful of wavering senators.

The impeachment process was launched by the former lower house speaker, Eduardo Cunha, who is facing charges of corruption, including taking bribes in the Petrobras kickback scandal and having millions of dollars hidden away in Swiss bank accounts.

“Curiously, I will be judged for crimes I did not commit before the trial of the former speaker who is accused of very serious illegal acts,” she said.

A full one-third of the members of the Senate are under investigation for corruption, graft, fraud or electoral crimes, according to Congresso em Foco, a prominent watchdog in Brasilia.

Temer is confident he has the votes needed to remove Rousseff and plans an address to the nation on Wednesday before heading to China to attend the summit of the G20 group of leading economies, according to his press spokesman Marcio de Freitas.

A strong vote to oust Rousseff would help Temer take the difficult measures needed to restore confidence in Brazil’s economy, which is caught in a two-year recession, de Freitas said.

Rousseff is accused of using money owed to state banks to bolster spending during an election year in 2014, a budgetary sleight of hand employed by many elected officials in Brazil. She says the money had no impact on overall deficit levels and was paid back in full the following year.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Tom Brown)

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

At the US Olympic Committee’s 100 Day Countdown event in Times Square this April, First Lady Michelle Obama joined U.S. Olympians, Paralympians, and Rio hopefuls to announce nationwide commitments to get nearly two million American children active as part of her Let’s Move! initiative.

“We want our young people to be inspired by the amazing stories of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “And we don’t just want our young people to watch these Olympic sports — we want them to get active and try these sports out for themselves.”

“That’s why I am so thrilled to announce that the USOC and 16 of its national governing bodies will be providing opportunities for nearly two million kids across America to participate in Olympic sports right in their own communities.”

To honor their pledge, USA Field Hockey committed to getting 20,000 more children involved with field hockey through the FUNdamental Field Hockey Program. The program aims to increase opportunities for low income and under-served children to participate.

“One of my favorite parts about my job is I’m in charge of the FUNdamental Field Hockey Grant which has partnered with Citi and Harrow Sports to provide more than 1,000 sets of equipment to schools, clubs and other multi-sport organizations across the country,” stated Sally Goggin, National Development Director for USA Field Hockey.

Since 2012 US Field Hockey has given out over 1,000 FUNdamental packages according to the organization’s website.

“Targeted kids aged 5-15, the FUNdamental kit includes field hockey sticks, sized to fit your program’s age group, balls, cones, curriculum guide and a carrying bag. Anyone can apply,” Googin continued. “We’re also excited about our new coaches training program that we’ll launch soon.”

According to Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2015 Trends in U.S. Team Sports Report (2009 to 2014), field hockey experienced a decline of -15.5 percent in participation figures among 6-17 year old students. 

In the USOC’s Quadrennial Census Summary and Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives released in 2013, USA Field Hockey launched Fundamental Field Hockey the previous year, stating its Fundamental Field Hockey had over 19,000 participants (11,500 girls and 7,500 boys).

“We try very hard to support all organizations — members or not — exposing the different levels of programs we offer. Our goal is for field hockey to be open to everyone, everywhere.”

Listed under the five programs offered bu USA Field Hockey is the RISE Instructional Clinics initiative. Geared to continue to invigorate the love of the game in the novice player, RISE focuses on students 11 years and under and ensures quality coaching. The clinics are awarded to enthusiastic and emerging areas that apply.

The hosting organization is responsible for providing a head coach and three assistants that are all members of USA Field Hockey, along with an athletic trainer. They are paid directly by USA Field Hockey. Students interested in participating must pay $75 per person.

For the RISE clinic fee the student becomes a USA Field Hockey U-12 member, receives coaching instruction, a t-shirt and field hockey stick.

Because USA Field Hockey is committed to the on and off field safety and the welfare of its members, with top priority given to its athlete members, one of the existing programs is Safe Sport: It begins with you — Education; Prevention; Protection, and Enforcement. Designed to help members of the sport community recognize, respond, and reduce misconduct in sport, the program seeks to create a healthy, supportive environment for all participants.

Coming soon is the registration for the Citi Red, White, Blue & YOU Clinics sponsored by Teamzila. The three hour clinic includes developmental skills and drills activities overseen by five U.S. Women’s National Team players, a t-shirt and autograph for a fee of $100 per athlete.

USA Field Hockey offers camp owners promotional and talent identification opportunities through the Partner Camp Program. Through its Partner Camp Program, USA Field Hockey and its partner camp owners provide athletes and their parents access to a quality registry of summer hockey camps. Those afforded the opportunity to attend participate in promotional and talent identification activities that lead to being considered for the Futures Program, the Olympic Development Program for the sport.

“So many communities are becoming play deserts, but in wealthy communities, there is a wealth of resources,” stated Obama during the Aspen Institute’s 2016 Project Play Summit. “You can be in field hockey, or you can learn how to swim. There are aquatic centers and — I’ve seen the difference. The disparities are amazing to me,” the First Lady said.

“So are we saying that some kids are worthy of that investment and physical activity, and then there are millions of others who aren’t? And what’s the role that we as a society have for making sure that kids have equal access?” she asked. 

RACE/ETHNICITY | CURRENT MEMBERS
American Indian or Alaskan Native | 48
Asian | 688
Black, not of Hispanic Origin | 228
Hispanic or Latino | 640
I choose not to respond | 2455
Mixed Race | 614
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 46
No Response | 2779
Other Race/Ethnicity | 138
White, not of Hispanic Origin | 17207
TOTAL | 24,843
USA Field Hockey Membership: Figures provided by Caitie Tornes, USA Field Hockey Membership Manager and SafeSport Representative on August 25, 2016.

Googin spoke of her outreach efforts currently underway, aimed at fulfilling the organization’s committed to Let’s Move! and getting 20,000 more children involved in the game. Relatively new to the position, but not to the game, Googin has her hands full.

“We’re communicating with Girls in the Game in Chicago, an inner city after school girls program. I just shipped off shipped off a package to After School All Stars in Philadelphia. We support Eyekonz Field Hockey and Lacrosse in Philadelphia as well. I think we’ve given them three field hockey grants to promote their program. We’ve also collaborated with the Lancaster Boys and Girls Club. They’ve been to our Olympic team training facility to see our Olympic team play and be exposed to the sport,” said Googin.

Introducing the sport of field hockey in communities long neglected by USA Field Hockey leadership, dating back decades, may be a bit challenging and daunting when one digs deeper. Of the five programs offered by USA Field Hockey, three of them are fee based.

Under the National Governing Body with 95 percent female membership, FUNdamental Field Hockey aimed to introduce more girls, ages 5-12, to the sport. The second demographic USA Field Hockey looked to address in 2013 was young women, ages 10-18, residing in urban or non-traditional communities. 

Subsequently, the development initiative You Go Girl was created in an attempt to introduce the sport and teach life skills to young women in the inner cities. You Go Girl used NCAA student-athletes as coaches and mentors to not only teach field hockey, but also the values of nutrition, self- esteem and higher education.

“The goal was to have a balanced spread, both geographically and through all three divisions of NCAA field hockey,” said former You Go Girl Program Manager, Simone Attles in 2013. “If we could have awarded 25 locations, we surely would have. But that is part of the excitement of year one, there’s always room to grow.”

Yo Go Girl no longer exists.

“Sports is becoming an economic meritocracy. Once, it was how athletic the kid was or how much effort they put in, but now it’s economic,” Darryl Hill wrote in The Atlantic. 

President and founder of Kids Play USA Foundation, Hill and his organization are dedicated to remove financial barriers to participation in youth sports, including field hockey, through advocacy and providing financial assistance.

“We want to make it so any kid can play. I strongly, strongly oppose the notion that African Americans or low-income kids don’t play because they don’t like it. I think children will play any game in any sport, given an opportunity to play. They don’t play because they can’t afford to play.”

“It’s about access to resources, consistent engagement with a purpose, and accountability,” stated Jazmine Smith. “Seeing USA Field Hockey compete at the Olympics was eye opening and inspiring. Having experiences of being on the front line advocating for these kids, conducting outreach, and engaging parents and stakeholders, I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to expand our sphere of influence through sport,” said the owner of Eyekonz Field Hockey and Lacrosse.

Goggin was eager to share that “every year with Futures we offer scholarships, they’re available to those that don’t have the means. This year we have the most scholarship money available to distribute than we’ve had in the past. The application runs through November.”

With Congressionally mandated diversity requirements, Ted Steven’s Act requires submission of a report to the United States President and each House of Congress that “contains data concerning the participation of women, disabled individuals, and racial and ethnic minorities in the amateur athletic activities and administration of the [United States Olympic Committee] and national governing bodies, and a description of the steps taken to encourage the participation of women, disabled individuals, and racial minorities in amateur athletic activities.”

As a National Governing Body, NGB, under the auspice of the USOC, USA Field Hockey must comply with the Ted Stevens Act which establishes a legal framework for protecting the participation opportunities of Olympic sport athletes. To be eligible to be recognized by the USOC as the NGB for field hockey, USA Field Hockey must provide all amateur athletes with an equal opportunity to participate “without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. It is USA Field Hockey’s affirmative duty to encourage and support athletic participation opportunities for all. 

“I would really love for everyone to know that field hockey is a sport for all, a sport for life. There are playing opportunities to get the ball rolling in all areas across the nation,” said Goggin. “I was at the Aspen Institute‘s Project Play Summit in May and presented our school starter program. We’re hoping to expose the game through this program and through relationships with municipalities and school districts like we have with Loudon Country in Virginia. We have 15 high schools we’re preparing to engage.”

Perhaps USA Field Hockey’s school starter kit program is a step in the right direction. Maybe the FUNdamental program will be marketed better with the quality sponsors of USA Field Hockey. May the participation figures will dramatically improve in the coming years. Will there be support for those leaders like Imani Ferguson’s Sistas with Stix in South New Jersey, Smith in Philadelphia and the organizations like Jewish Community Center and the YMCA Goggin mentioned. Will those financial barriers to entry be removed?

As the First Lady stated when addressing Goggin and those that attended the Project Play Summit, “are we saying that some kids are worthy of that investment and physical activity, and then there are millions of others who aren’t?”

If USA Field Hockey wants to be inclusive and truly grow the game, there are “millions” of youth ready to be introduced.

#GrowTheGame #ChaseTheDream

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

At least 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen’s 18-month-old civil war, the United Nations on Tuesday, approaching double the estimates of more than 6,000 cited by officials and aid workers for much of 2016.

The war pits the Iran-allied Houthi group and supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is supported by an alliance of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia.

The new toll is based on official information from medical facilities in Yemen, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick told a news conference in the capital Sanaa. It might rise as some areas had no medical facilities, and people were often buried without official records.

The United Nations human rights office said last week that 3,799 civilians have been killed in the conflict, with air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition responsible for some 60 percent of deaths.

McGoldrick gave no breakdown on civilian casualties, adding the conflict has displaced three million Yemenis and forced 200,000 to seek refuge abroad. The United Nations had information that 900,000 of the displaced intended to try to return to their homes.

“This is a big challenge, especially in areas still experiencing conflict,” McGoldrick said.

Some 14 million of Yemen’s 26 million population needed food aid and 7 million were suffering from food insecurity.

McGoldrick said the human situation in Yemen was “tragic”.

“Humanitarian work alone cannot solve these problems,” he said.

U.N.-sponsored peace talks ended earlier this month without agreement, and without an agreement for a new round.

The collapse of negotiations was followed by stepped-up fighting across Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said after talks in Saudi Arabia last week that the United States, Gulf Arab states and the United Nations had agreed on a new push for peace.

He said the new talks would try to twin a proposal for the Houthis to withdraw from cities they seized since 2014 with setting up an inclusive government.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by William Maclean and John Stonestreet)

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

by the Rodale’s content team

We’re currently obsessed with turmeric.

This powerful, brightly colored spice, extracted from the roots of plants in the ginger family, has been used for centuries in medicine, dyes, and an incalculable number of tasty meals. And these days, turmeric is really having a moment! That’s because various current research studies have revealed the science behind the benefits of ingesting turmeric and its active ingredient, curcumin. Just a few of the health rewards these studies have linked the spice to are that it slows Alzheimer’s progress, aids in detoxifying the liver and kidneys, and even boosts metabolism. In short, turmeric is very good for your insides.

What you might not know is that turmeric is also good for your outsides! Which is why the super-spice has been showing up in more and more of our favorite natural beauty products.

So how do you use turmeric for beauty, and what will your skin get from it? Below are just a few of our go-to turmeric-based beauty products and the benefits you can reap by using this spice on your body, instead of just inside it!

1. Glow brighter

Turmeric boasts a number of anti-inflammatory and anti-redness properties, making it a great way to add luminosity to your skin. Also, studies have shown that when it’s added to moisturizers, turmeric can reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Get your glow on by utilizing Cultivar’s Organic Turmeric and Hibiscus Skin-Brightening Face Scrub. Blending turmeric with other highly effective botanical ingredients, this scrub helps slough off dead skin cells, reduces inflammation, balances sebum production, and fades scars and dark spots. Use it several times a week, follow with toner, and then enjoy naturally brighter, glowing skin.

2. Detox your face

Mix anti-inflammatory turmeric with other power plants like hibiscus (sometimes called “the Botox plant”), neem, guava, holy basil, and bamboo, and you have a detoxifying powerhouse of a product.

And that’s exactly what MAHALO’s Pele Detoxifying Volcanic Ash Treatment Mask does. This concentrated, detoxifying, bioactive formula transforms tired skin to unveil a “just-had-a-facial” complexion. Activated by water, the powder transforms into a soft mousse, gently swelling and sizzling as it brings to life the luxurious botanicals.

3. Treat and prevent blemishes

Again, turmeric is naturally anti-inflammatory, which means it can help heal blemishes. It also helps regulate your skin’s oil production, which can keep your pores (and skin) clearer.

To reap turmeric’s anti-acne benefits, wash your face with Cultivar’s Organic Turmeric and Vitamin C Cleanser twice daily. The vitamin works with the spice to brighten skin, fade acne, and prevent future breakouts. Created for use by both men and women, this organic cleaner is the perfect foundation for any natural skincare routine–and an easy solution for frustrating breakouts.

For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.