So the president set out the policy guidance and said it had to take place in a multilateral fashion so that other countries in the region could be invested in the success of this process.
If you believe one of the biggest problems confronting the country is overregulation by this administration, the single most effective way to begin to rein in the aggressive regulators, who in my view have done great damage to this economy, is in the bills that fund the regulators.
There weren't too many books featuring other cultures and countries when I was growing up as an immigrant kid here in the States.
America inevitably "brings the distant near" because apart from members of the Native Nations, all of us originated in faraway places. Sadly, proximity within the United States doesn't automatically generate friendship. But if we choose to cross borders that may at first bring discomfort and open our hearts to those who seem like strangers, I believe that we can be transformed and united as individuals, families, communities, and even as a country.
I write my music with the idea that it will appeal to all of those people, and I want them to go in with all the history that's within all of us - all the things that they've listened to in the backs of their minds, whether it's country music or minimal techno, or classical music or whatever. I want them to bring that excitement, that love, or that hate, or whatever it might be, to my music. I feel that my music draws on so many different things.
I never wanted to write about Bulgaria. When I was still living there I did my absolute best to never write a story with a Bulgarian character with a Bulgarian name, and only after I came to the US and I was far away and missing it a great deal did I realize that writing about could be my way of returning back home. I think it was only through my writing that I fell in love with the country and with the history.
One of the things people often say about America is that it's a such a young country, relatively, and its problem - Europeans say this - is that they have no memory. I don't agree with this. In the Balkans, the problem is that we cannot forget. The problem is we have great memory.
I think that's the nature of the region, not even simply Eastern Europe but the Balkans. They are their own region. They are a peculiar place. They do share a history that we don't share with a country like Ukraine for example, and that's because of the presence of the Ottomans for hundreds of years.
There's room for everyone. There's room for pop country, for 'rock & roll' country, for stone-cold country, and everything in-between. Great music is great music.
There's just a lot of really, really great male artists right now, and it's good, too. And there's so many different influences in country right now, too, like hip-hop and rock 'n' roll and some blues. So I feel like if you turn on country radio, you will find something you'll love because it's so diverse right now. And that's a great thing.
Country music is different because we [musicians] are all actually happy for each other. We're all friends. It's a little family. So if you don't win [an award], usually one of your friends does. So it's kind of a cool thing. I think it's the only genre of music to have that camaraderie.
Country music has always sort of been country music.
If you are a young girl who wants to be a country singer, just don't try to do it too early. Be a high school kid, be a cheerleader, do your thing. And also, just know who you are; know what you want to say and stick with it throughout.
I don't know where "bro country" came from or what it really means, but a lot of those guys are my buddies and I support their music. Within country there are lots of styles: stone-cold country, like Brandy Clark, and there's Florida Georgia Line with what they do, which is completely different and bringing a whole new audience. There's room for everyone.
I'm a pretty driven person, and I've accepted that about myself. For a long time, I was like, 'I'm a very laid-back person, I grew up in the country,' but I'm also very driven, otherwise I wouldn't be where I am right now.
I support good relations with other countries. A policy of détente will be a central issue for me.
The more united we are on the central questions of policy, the better it will be for the future of our country.
When I grew up in Pittsburgh in my parents' restaurant, I was almost like a country bumpkin.
Sometimes you have to fail to move forward, so failing is part of the process. You can't be afraid to fail. You have to know that your voice matters. That's what I hope women get out of it. It's important to be in the movement. We're fortunate to live in a country where we're free to speak our minds, to criticize every figure from president on down, and so your voice matters.
The view I take is that while I'm proud to live in a free and prosperous country, I do believe American is a special land and should be a beacon to the world. And part of that leadership is that women are equal under the law and I do have concerns in how Trump talks about and treats women. I think it's very clear in his rhetoric that he sees them as second class citizens.
I think the fact that our economy has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. It's a new economy that has really left some people behind but it has also leveled the playing field in way that has really provided access to women and people of every color, race, and creed to participate and thrive. So while that's not explicitly a women's issue, what it highlights is that women have more opportunities than they've ever had in this country.
There are millions in this country of people who bring a lot of qualifications to the table, but I feel that there's an opportunity to be a voice for those people - as somebody who has been a small business owner, who's worked in the tech community, who is a mother of two small children, but also has experience in the public policy arena.
I think that it's time for a new generation of leadership. It's been demonstrated in this election cycle with two choices that more than half the country is deeply dissatisfied with, and really seeking and hungry for a ticket they can vote for and be proud of.
With better education and affluence there have been more Egyptians interested in nature. There are now more Egyptian divers, desert safari enthusiasts and ecotourists - I know Egyptian who have traveled to Antarctica, Tanzania, South Africa and climbed the Himalayas. Now Egyptians are talking of wanting to explore and see more of their own country. I believe they too will fall in love with Egypt and will want to protect it. The revolution is a process, it will take time, but at least there is hope now!
If we can successfully lift the stranglehold of bureaucracy and old ways of thinking, we can see some real innovation in biodiversity conservation in Egypt as has occurred elsewhere in the world. It's the government's call. If they continue to put people in high-level positions that have no knowledge, experience or even interest in environment, Egypt will not advance. The country has very good national experts so why not use them?
