text
stringlengths 245
34.4k
| id
int64 0
1.27M
|
|---|---|
LONDON -- England has overtaken the United States as the best place in the world to play women's football, according to Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.
Women's football has traditionally been dominated by the U.S., who have won three of the sport's seven World Cups and will go into the 2019 edition in France as defending champions, while the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has regularly attracted some of the world's best players.
But the profile of the Women's Super League, England's top flight, has risen dramatically since its formation in 2011, leading to an influx of top foreign talent. Hayes pointed to this as a sign that England has surpassed the U.S. as the world leader in the growth of the women's game.
"We are setting the tone, the trend, the way in the world. It's always been about America but sorry, they lag behind us now. Yes, there may be a little more equality in terms of the teams they have in their league, the support the players get, but the interest in the game [here] is growing," Hayes said at a news conference to preview Chelsea's clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Women's Champions League quarterfinals.
"It's a snowball, and I can't see anybody getting in the way of England becoming the best place in the world to play football."
The England women's team won the 2019 SheBelieves Cup and will be one of the favourites at the World Cup this summer. Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
Hayes began her illustrious coaching career in the U.S., spending five years in charge of the Long Island Lady Riders and Iona College before becoming Arsenal assistant manager in 2006, and also enjoyed a two-year spell in charge of NWSL side Chicago Red Stars prior to taking the reigns at Chelsea in 2012.
Hayes also believes that a three-year sponsorship deal with Barclays announced this week -- reported to be worth around £10 million -- shows a growing interest in the women's game in England.
"Tell me a league in the world in the women's game that can attract a sponsor like that and the level of investment?" she asked. "It's absolutely brilliant and credit to them.
"This will be the best league -- if it's not already -- in the world, and I think this announcement [Barclays sponsoring the WSL] demonstrates that we've got the pulling power to bring the very best to our league and, importantly, to put their money in the right places," she added. "The work that's been done here in the last five years should be celebrated... it's unbelievable, such a great news story for our country, and one that I'm sure America will look at and say, 'How do we keep pace with that?'
"The best players aren't going to America. They're staying in Europe, and in fact they're coming to England." | 1,267,200 |
Last updated on.From the section Football
Oldham staged a stunning comeback to beat Peterborough in a nine-goal thriller in League One.
Britt Assombalonga, Tommy Rowe and Lee Tomlin put Posh 3-0 up.
But after the break Gary Harkins and David Worrall replied for the Latics, before Nicky Ajose added Posh's fourth.
A James Wesolowski goal and a Harkins' penalty - after Lee Tomlin saw red for handling on the line - followed by Genseric Kusunga's late effort completed Oldham's dramatic turnaround.
Goals galore for Posh Peterborough's last three games have produced a total 19 goals
Posh were on the right side of a goal-fest on Tuesday, but after coasting into the break with a three-goal cushion they were unprepared for the never-say-die response of Lee Johnson's men.
The memorable result hoisted the Latics four points clear of the relegation zone and saw Posh drop out of the play-off places on goal difference.
Posh had struck as early as the fifth minute when Assombalonga nodded in Ajose's cross and only looked to get stronger as Rowe headed in a corner and Tomlin applied a first-time finish to Danny Swanson's pass.
But the Latics were ruthless after the break, with the instrumental Harkins turning in a corner and Worrall finishing superbly from 20 yards.
The home side looked to have undone their good work when Ajose collected a wayward Oldham throw-in to tap into an empty net.
But Wesolowski fired in against his former club before Tomlin received his third red card of the season when stopping James Tarkowski's goal-bound effort with his hand.
Harkins converted the subsequent penalty before Kusunga was on hand in a crowded six-yard box to notch his first league goal for the Latics and secure a remarkable victory in the dying moments.
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Oldham manager Lee Johnson told BBC Radio Manchester:
"What a fantastic day for the fans. We were woeful in the first half and at half-time we hit rock bottom and fair play to the lads, I've got to say what great character and attitude and heart to produce that second-half display and score five goals.
"I think sometimes you've got to make bold decisions. You could say I got it wrong if you like with my starting 11, that would be fair to say.
"Sometimes you've just got to hold your hands up and say alright it hasn't worked. Tactically I don't think we were at it in the first half hour.
"This day was about an unbelievable game and unbelievable entertainment and that's why we all love football because stuff like that can happen." | 1,267,201 |
In 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens died after being tortured by her adult guardian — with the help of the woman’s family and other neighborhood children. The prosecutor called it “the most terrible crime ever committed in the state of Indiana.” Now, nearly 50 years later, Sylvia’s sister has mysteriously vanished.
Los Angeles’ ABC 7 reports that Dianna Bedwell, who was 18 when her sister was killed, was last seen May 10. Her husband of 25 years, Cecil Knutson, went missing at the same time. Bedwell’s son, Robert Acosta, believes the elderly couple may have been involved in a traffic accident, since both are diabetic and require insulin. They were due for dinner at Acosta’s house after visiting a casino near San Diego, and they never arrived.
Bedwell and Knutson’s disappearance would be worrisome under any circumstances, but the case has attracted even more attention due to Bedwell’s tragic family history. Bedwell did not live in the home where her sister was abused, but the girls’ younger sister, Jenny, did. It was Jenny who was able to explain to the police the truth about Sylvia’s death, which came some months after the girls, whose parents constantly traveled as a result of their carnival jobs, moved in with Gertrude Baniszewski. She had seven children of her own and the $20 a week rent was a welcome addition to her limited income.
Baniszewski was a deeply troubled person, and Sylvia soon became her favorite target. The details of the torture are horrible, even five decades later: cigarette burns, forcing the teen to eat feces, having “I’m a prostitute and proud of it” carved into her stomach with a hot needle, and other unimaginably cruel acts. She also encouraged her own children and other neighborhood youths to join in, which they did, eagerly.
Gertrude, her husband and children, and two unrelated 15-year-olds were arrested after Sylvia’s body was discovered in the family basement; the sensational trial included such details as 11-year-old Marie Baniszewski losing her nerve to lie on the stand, and recounting the group’s abuse techniques in graphic detail.
Four people were convicted, but Gertrude got the harshest punishment: for a conviction of first-degree murder, a life sentence. She eventually got parole in 1985, despite public protest, and moved to Iowa, where she lived until her death in 1990.
Sylvia’s story was dramatized by 2007’s An American Crime, with Ellen Page starring as the doomed girl and Catherine Keener as her cruel caretaker. A marker memorializing the tragedy stands in Indianapolis; the home where Sylvia died was torn down in 2009 to make way for a parking lot. | 1,267,202 |
The head of U.S. Pacific Command says China is clearly militarizing the South China Sea despite its pledge not to do so.
“China is clearly militarizing the South China Sea, and you’d have to believe in flat earth to think otherwise,” Admiral Harry Harris told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
Commercial satellite imagery released Monday appears to show that China is installing a radar station on reclaimed land on Cuarteron Reef in the Spratly Islands
ADVERTISEMENT
That’s on top of satellite imagery released last week showing that China deployed a surface-to-air missile system to Woody Island in the Paracel Islands.
China says the missile system has been on the island for a while and that it has a right to deploy defensive systems to its territory.
China claims much of the South China Sea, but other countries in the region also have claims to the disputed waters.
During a September visit to the White House, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country had no intention to militarize the South China Sea.
But the missiles on Woody Island and the radar and Cuarteron Reef show otherwise, Harris said.
“These are actions that are changing the operational landscape in the South China Sea,” he said.
Harris agreed with Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainThe electoral reality that the media ignores Kelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll COVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks MORE’s (R-Ariz.) call for the military to do more patrols in those waters.
The Navy has twice sent ships within 12 nautical miles of China’s reclaimed islands in so-called freedom of navigation operations. But McCain wants the patrols to happen more frequently.
“The administration must initiate a robust ‘freedom of the seas campaign,’ flying and sailing wherever international law allows,” said McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This should include freedom of navigation operations designed to challenge China's excessive maritime claims as well as joint patrols and exercises with our allies and partners that span the First Island Chain.”
McCain had a slew of other recommendations to deter China, including continuing sensitive reconnaissance operations even though surface-to-air missiles could threaten U.S. aircraft.
He also suggested sanctions against Chinese companies involved in China’s reclamation work in the South China Sea, as well as an Asian Reassurance Initiative similar to the European Reassurance Initiative the Pentagon has to deter Russia.
“Simply put, the administration’s policy has failed,” he said. “Beijing has been willing to accept a high level of risk to achieve its strategic goals. Meanwhile, the White House’s risk aversion has resulted in an indecisive and inadequate policy that has confused and alarmed our regional allies and partners.” | 1,267,203 |
Only one-third of doctors in the survey felt that they themselves had a major responsibility for reducing costs. The news media jumped on this as doctors simply blaming others. But looking at it from a more human perspective may explain this seemingly callous response.
We doctors train in the scientific method and subscribe to evidence-based medicine. We calculate risk profiles and cite placebo-controlled studies. But we are not nearly as rational as we like to tell ourselves, or our patients. Past experiences, gut instincts, and emotional contradictions factor in just as much hard data, especially when we try to figure out how to steer the listing ocean liner that is our health care system today.
For the average practicing physician, the major goal of any given day is simply to stay afloat. The typical 15-minute office visit is rarely enough time to fully address the clinical needs of patients with multiple chronic illnesses, and the onerous documentation demands of electronic medical records ensure that doctors spend most of that visit interacting with the computer rather than with the patient.
Many of these documentation requirements are, of course, important.. As a primary care internist, I wholeheartedly support the idea that we should be asking our patients about domestic violence, depression, and pain levels, that we should be on the lookout for barriers to communication, that we should be documenting efforts in patient education, that we should be rigorous about age-appropriate screening tests, that we should print and review the medication list at every visit.
But there are so many requirements—and the list keeps growing—that there’s hardly time in that 15-minute visit to talk to the patient about their actual medical conditions, let alone do a thorough physical exam.
Every advance in health care delivery, even if it’s positive, seems to cram another task into the already overburdened office visit. So when it is suggested that we, for example, should also check the relative costs of each medication or procedure we order, we experience it as simply one more onus piled on. Many doctors feel—with some justification— that cost-containment solutions will simply worsen the day-to-day grind and leave even less time for patients.
It’s not that doctors don’t know we play a substantial role in the cost of medical care. After all, we are the ones ordering the MRIs, writing the prescriptions, implanting the artificial hips. Cost comes up on a regular basis with my patients, as I explain why I’m prescribing a generic medication over a brand name, or ordering a CT scan rather than an MRI. But here is where emotions and perceptions carry more weight than numbers. The idea that doctors should take charge of fixing the problem makes many feel like they are under siege, even though we know that we need to be part of the solution. The sense of embattlement is so potent that doctors will reflexively react against these suggestions, even if the data suggest that they are rational approaches. | 1,267,204 |
Hulu and ITV have partnered on a new zombie apocalypse comedy set on a canal boat in Birmingham, England.
The digital platform and youth skewing network ITV2 have ordered Zomboat!, a six-part comedy from ITV-owned Noho Film & Television, the company behind Prime Suspect 1973 and Channel 4 royal comedy The Windsors.
The series will launch on ITV2 this autumn and on Hulu later this year. It marks the latest collaboration between the two companies, which previously partnered on period prostitution drama Harlots.
It stars White Gold’s Leah Brotherhead, Doctor Who’s Hamza Jeetooa, White Dragon’s Ryan McKen and Downton Abbey’s Cara Theobold with Line of Duty and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’s Rochenda Sandall guest starring.
Created by The Windsors and Flack writer Adam Miller and Will Hartley, who starred on BBC1’s Tracey Breaks The News alongside Tracey Ullman, the pair write alongside Please Like Me’s Liz Doran.
Zomboat! begins when the zombie apocalypse is unleashed in Birmingham and sisters Kat and Jo, together with unlikely travel companions Sunny and Amar, must flee for their lives by canal boat. Jo has just returned from a season as a club rep and has decided to move back in with younger sister Kat, a computer game addict who buys into every conspiracy theory around. Jo struggles to take her sister seriously when Kat claims the zombie apocalypse is real and happening.
Alongside gym bunny Amar, the upbeat and ready to face things head on character and his oldest friend Sunny, a wannabe misanthrope who’d rather sit out the apocalypse from the comfort of his sofa, Kat, Jo, Sunny and Amar find themselves trapped together on board a narrow boat on the Grand Union canal. As they journey along the canal in their tightly packed living quarters, friendships develop, alliances form, arguments occur and romance blossoms. Along the way, they realize there is no escaping the problems of everyday life, even in a zombie apocalypse.
Camilla Campbell and Robert Wulff-Cochrane exec produce for Noho Film & Television. Matthew Mulot is Producer with Adam Miller as Director. The series was commissioned for ITV2 by Paul Mortimer, Head of Digital Channels and Acquisitions, and Sasha Breslau, Head of Acquired Series.
Mortimer said, “ITV2 is committed to comedy for younger audiences and we’re delighted to partner with Hulu and Noho Productions to add this fantastically high-concept, home-grown comedy adventure series to our slate.”
Breslau added, “Zomboat! is a gorily funny new comedy with a terrific cast. ITV2 is thrilled to be on board the Zomboat ready to battle the undead.” | 1,267,205 |
Sand dunes by Erfoud in the Moroccan Sahara. Image: DeAgostini/Getty Images
The James Bond films have long been known for their exotic locations, with action scenes taking place in all corners of the globe from Jamaica (Dr No) to Shanghai (Skyfall). So when director Sam Mendes announced the title and cast of the forthcoming Bond film Spectre this week, it was no surprise that filming would be happening around the world.
The film is set to be made in London; Mexico City; Rome; Tangier and Erfoud in Morocco; Sölden, Obertilliach and Lake Altaussee in Austria; and of course Pinewood. "All of them are amazing places," Mendes told the BBC after the announcement. "I'm very excited to be going to these locations over seven months, which is how long we'll be shooting."
Here's a look at some of the stunning locations set to be used in the coming months.
Obertilliach, Austria
A tiny part of the Austrian Tyrol, Obertilliach is popular with cross-country skiers during the winter and hikers in the summer. Christoph Waltz has been announced to play a character called Oberhauser, which is the name of Bond's former ski instructor, suggesting he'll appear in these scenes. However, there is speculation that Waltz is playing nemesis Blofeld instead.
Lake Altaussee, Austria
The stunning Lake Altaussee area also offers skiing opportunities, but it could be the perfect place for a water chase too, and it boasts several miles of winding roads perfect for fast cars.
Sölden, Austria
Sölden is also a popular ski resort and often hosts the first World Cup races of the season.
Mexico City
Quite how Spectre will incorporate the bustling Mexico City remains to be seen, but with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema on board it should be spectacular. His credits include work on Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and David O. Russell's The Fighter as well as Her and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Erfoud, Morocco
Erfoud, in Morocco's Sahara, is no stranger to film crews. The Mummy and Prince of Persia were both shot nearby.
Tangier, Morocco
Tangier, in northern Morocco, has featured in a Bond film already; Timothy Dalton heads there in The Living Daylights.
Rome, Italy
Spectre is set to feature some high speed car chases through Rome, according to reports. The scenes will see vehicles screaming down the city's famous Corso Vittorio Emanuele II thoroughfare, with one crashing into the Tiber river and another crushed by the Vatican. Daniel Craig parachuting from a helicopter onto the 15th-century pedestrian bridge, Ponte Sisto, is also thought to feature. | 1,267,206 |
BHOPAL: Shiva Kewat, a daily wager in Shivpuri ’s Sumela village, furtively looks heavenwards every time he steps out of his house. He isn’t praying as much as trying to see where the aerial attack will come from that day. Because it will.Barely has he taken a few steps that they come cawing and clawing for him. A squadron of crows, or sometimes a lone ranger, swoops down on him, talons extended and beak lunging for a bite.This has been happening every day, and every time he leaves home. For locals, it’s daily amusement. They hang around his home and wait for him to come out to see the crows launch their aerial attacks.It started three years ago, on the day Kewat tried to rescue a crow chick that was stuck in iron netting. “It died in my hands. If only I could explain to them, I was only trying to help,” says Kewat, who now carries a stick at most times. He is careful never to hit any crow. “I just wave it around to shoo them off. Poor things, they believe I killed the chick,” he said.For all his empathy, Kewat has the scars to show for how he has bled in this one-sided battle. “The assaults are sudden and frightening,” he says. He has been injured several times in the head. “The crows attack him like they show fighter jets diving towards a target in movies,” say villagers.When word got around, a local journalist went to meet Kewat to see if it was for real. “You might have heard several stories on revenge by cobras and elephants, but this is the first time I have come across crows bent on vengeance and targeting one individual. There is video footage of crows attacking him, squawking in anger” said Ranjit Gupta, a freelance journalist in Shivpuri. "Kewat says he didn’t take these airborne attacks seriously till he found that no one else in his village was ever targeted. What surprises him is that crows apparently hold grudges and can remember human faces.Professor Ashok Kumar Munjal, who teaches genetics at Barkatullah University in Bhopal and researches bird and animal behaviour, believes that crows are more intelligent than most birds, and they do tend to show behavior similar to revenge. “It may not be as complex as in humans, but they do have a tendency of remembering individuals and targeting those who have wronged them,” he told TOI.Multiple researches in Seattle and University of Washington have revealed that crows have sharp memory and can remember faces of humans who have offended them. They even have the ability to gather other crows and conduct coordinated attacks.Read this story in Bengali | 1,267,207 |
Report Summary
The global thermal insulation coating market size was valued at USD 7,254 million in 2017 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. Thermal insulation coatings are materials applied to surfaces to form a protective finish and provide resistance to heat flow. Thermal insulation coatings prevent heat insulation by offering low thermal conductivity and high thermal co-efficient. These coatings provide corrosion resistance while improving energy efficiency. The different kinds of thermal insulation coatings include acrylic, epoxy, Polyurethane, mullite, and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) among others. Thermal insulation coatings are used in a wide range of applications such as automotive, manufacturing, construction, and aerospace.
The major driving factors of the market include increasing need to save energy, improve performance, and reduce operation costs. Thermal insulation coatings are increasingly being used to prevent corrosion caused by insulation. Growth in manufacturing and industrial sectors has increased the demand of thermal insulation coatings over the years. There has been an increase in demand from industries such as aerospace & defense, automotive & transportation, and industrial, thereby supporting market growth. There has been significant growth in manufacturing and construction industries owing to favorable government regulations and initiatives such as subsidies and incentives, and increasing foreign investments. Expansion of established companies into emerging economies and technological advancements in nanotechnology based thermal insulation coatings would provide numerous growth opportunities in the market.
Segment Analysis
The global thermal insulation coating market is segmented on the basis of type, end-user, and geography. Based on the type, the market is segmented into acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane, Ytria Stabilized Zirconia, and others. The end-user segment is categorized into manufacturing, construction, aerospace and defense, automotive, others. This report comprises a detailed geographic distribution of the market across North America, Europe, APAC and South America, and MEA. North America is further segmented into U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Europe is divided into Germany, UK, Italy, France, and Rest of Europe. Asia-Pacific is bifurcated into China, India, Japan, and Rest of Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific accounted for the largest share in the global thermal insulation coating market in 2017.
Competitive Landscape
The leading players in the market include Nippon Paints, The DOW Chemical Company, Sharpshell Industrial Solution, Evonik Industries AG, Sherwin-Williams Company, PPG Industries, Inc., Kansai Paint Co., Ltd., Mascoat, Akzonobel N.V., and Grand Polycoats Company Pvt. Ltd. among others. These vendors in the market are launching new products to meet the growing customer needs. In addition, the leaders in the market are acquiring and collaborating with top companies in the market to enhance their offerings in the market and expand their customer base. | 1,267,208 |
Kimberly Guilfoyle: an idiot
Do we really have to do this?
Responding to Rudy Guiliani's absurd accusation that Hillary Clinton "created ISIS" on Bill O'Reilly's show earlier this week, Fox News' crack team on the imaginatively named show The Five, weighed in with their thoughtful opinions.
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
After playing the clip o Giuliani, Kimberly Guilfoyle told host Dana Perino the following:
I mean, I could listen to that all day long. He's my kind of man, you know? He's my kind of candidate too, because he's telling the truth. This is a man who is a very accomplished prosecutor and ran the city in an incredibly efficient, organized, crime-free way, unlike de Blasio who needs to go. I think he's right. He makes a persuasive case. Her DNA is all over this, what's happened from the Arab Spring to everything else. So how does she answer to that? And is that someone that you want to be Commander in Chief of the United States? Is that someone that you want to promote to the most important job in the world that has failed miserably as it relates to national security and foreign policy, that has put this country in a worse position than before she even had an inability to be involved in it?
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
So according to Guilfoyle, Rudolph Giuliani is right because he was a good criminal lawyer and was a huge advocate of racial profiling during his time as Mayor of New York. Just like Sarah Palin's view of Russia from her house qualified her to become Vice President of the United States...
Where to begin with this nonsense? Firstly, if any American is to blame for the rise of ISIS, it is unequivocally George W. Bush, the leader who invaded the wrong country, failed to stabilize it after the war and allowed a giant power vacuum to emerge that was promptly filled by radical Islamists. The Obama administration has had to contend with the fallout from the almighty blood bath caused by Bush's mind blowing hubris, so accusing Clinton of creating it would be like blaming Obama for causing the Wall St crash before he came into office. Oh wait...
Giuliani's assertion that Clinton could be regarded as a "founding member" of the organization that mutilates women and behead children is not only wrong, but grotesquely offensive. While George W. Bush may be responsible for inadvertently helping create them, no one believes he did it intentionally. There is no hand book on how to deal with a rampaging death cult like ISIS, and while Obama and Clinton have no doubt made mistakes in handling the terrorist organization, the implication that Clinton somehow wanted to create them is completely outrageous.
Then again Giuliani is apparently about to endorse Donald Trump for president, so it's not like his opinion means much. | 1,267,209 |
As the scandal of former White House secretary and wife beater Rob Porter unfolded last week, we learned that -- just like Porter -- there are "dozens" of White House officials who lack a proper security clearance. According to White House officials, this backlog is due to a bottleneck of so many officials attempting to get clearance at the same time, a process that many previous administrations say is questionable a crock of shit. (While there is a backlog, and there is a bottleneck, these officials should have been able to get clearance in a month or two. That they couldn't is entirely on them and their itchy fists.)
Since so many Trump officials are unable to pass the necessary background checks, they've been operating on interim security clearances. This means that Trump officials have such sketchy pasts that they require a rubber stamp at regular intervals. A small price for loyalty considering their years of shady dealings with foreign governments, criminal history, substance abuse problems, and/or financial or psychological troubles.
The irony of course is that Trump spent months bitching about Hillary Clinton's inability to be trusted with government secrets. But then, less than a month into his presidency, he read national security secrets by cell phone light at Mar-a-Lago while dozens of onlookers took pictures.
In May he one-upped himself by blabbing state secrets to Russian officials in the Oval Office -- a meeting that was only announced to the US press after Russian state media began releasing photos.
For reals
Right now, there are more than 700,000 people waiting for a security clearance. (Which, weirdly, isn't even Trump's fault!) A few weeks ago Democratic Rep. and Elijah Cummings found that, over a three year period, 165 interim security clearances were issued to people who failed background checks, including someone who was once charged with the felony rape of a child. Cummings wanted to know how there can be such a backlog in the investigation process, yet people like Mike Flynn, Sebastian Gorka, and Steve Bannon didn't seem to have a problem.
The same sentiment has been echoed by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who yesterday called for an investigation and reform of the security clearance process. Even the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office released a report just last month that acknowledged the need for reform in the clearance process so that clearances can be issued faster, regularly reviewed, and updated in the event that someone is a fuck up.
Instead of acknowledging the potential for yet another national security failure, Trump sent his spox-idiots out to the Sunday shows to trash talk battered wives. In context, it makes sense: Trump, a serial adulterer and con artist who's been charged and sued for financial crimes multiple times over several decades, would surround himself with people he can trust. You gotta go with what you know, right?
[WaPo / CNN]
Wonkette is ad-free, and is brought to you by YOU! | 1,267,210 |
of war powers, and was the first Virginia governor to oppose the death penalty. He has feuded endlessly with the National Rifle Association, which is headquartered in his state, and recently called the group a “paper tiger,” since its opposition has never been enough to defeat him. He also gave the first Senate floor speech in history to be delivered in Spanish, calling for passage of an immigration reform bill.
People who know both Kaine and Clinton saw him as a choice that would help Clinton across the board.
“He’s a tremendous asset on the ticket,” said Mo Elleithee, who runs the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service, and who previously advised Kaine’s Senate campaign and Clinton’s 2008 White House run.
“If first and foremost, the vice president’s role is to be able to step in, you’re not going to find anyone better,” Elleithee said.
While some in the progressive wing look askance at a former Southern governor, suspecting a Democrat in name only, some hail Kaine as progressive in his bones.
“I can assure you as a native Virginian, this caricature doesn’t at all fit the man I’ve watched over nearly 20 years,” former MSNBC commentator Krystal Ball wrote in early July.
He’s also recently been more vocal on certain issues important for the Democratic base, including reproductive rights.
Elleithee noted that Kaine used to be called the most liberal governor in Virginia history, after doing mission work in Honduras and putting his Harvard law degree to work as a civil rights attorney.
“He’s a true progressive,” said Elleithee, who could see why Clinton was comfortable with Kaine’s campaign style.
Kaine not only knows how to connect with voters, but is able to attack an opponent without turning those voters off, winning over diverse groups in cities, suburbs and the countryside.
Elleithee recalls watching Kaine when he was running for Virginia’s lieutenant governor job in 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, and being astounded at how Kaine could launch a blistering attack on an opponent and still be liked by the audience.
“I remember one speech where he had the people eating out of his hands,” Elleithee said. “It wasn’t until later that I realized, oh, my God, he just ripped his opponent’s face off, but it didn’t feel like it.”
“He can be tough, but he does it in a way that actually draws people in,” Elleithee added.
Ultimately, Clinton seems to have made the assessment that such skills are exactly what she needs for a contest against someone like Trump.
Sam Stein contributed reporting. | 1,267,211 |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama joked about his ears and gray hair and praised his wife Michelle Obama’s “hotness” at the unveiling of the couple’s official portraits at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery on Monday.
The Obamas selected artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald for the paintings, which take their place in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of presidential portraits.
Wiley and Sherald were the first black artists ever commissioned to paint a president or first lady for the Smithsonian.
For Obama’s portrait by Wiley, the former president is depicted sitting in a brown chair with a backdrop of bright green leaves and colorful flowers. Sherald’s painting of Michelle Obama shows her sitting with one hand under her chin and the other draped across her lap, while wearing a long flowing dress decorated with geometric shapes.
Obama, the first African-American U.S. president, complimented Sherald for her portrait of Michelle.
“I want to thank you for so spectacularly capturing the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm and hotness of the woman that I love,” Obama said.
He quipped that Wiley, who painted his portrait, was at a disadvantage because his subject was “less becoming.”
Slideshow ( 9 images )
“I tried to negotiate less gray hair and Kehinde’s artistic integrity would not allow him to do what I asked,” Obama said in tongue-in-cheek fashion. “I tried to negotiate smaller ears - struck out on that as well.”
New York Times art critic Holland Cotter said while he was impressed by Barack Obama’s unusual depiction, he was disappointed that the focus of Michelle Obama’s portrait appeared to be her dress.
“I was anticipating — hoping for — a bolder, more incisive image of the strong-voiced person I imagine this former first lady to be,” Cotter said in his review.
Most Twitter posts described the portraits as stunning, although a few criticized them as poorly executed.
“Behold the beauty of Barack and Michelle Obama’s official portrait,” tweeted @newyorknewart.
Michelle Obama said she hoped the portrait would have an impact on young girls of color in the years ahead.
“They will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them, hanging on the wall of this great American institution,” she said. “I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives, because I was one of those girls.”
The Portrait Gallery’s tradition of commissioning presidential portraits began with President George H.W. Bush. Other portraits were acquired as gifts, bought at auctions or through other means. | 1,267,212 |
from June 1 and has threatened tariffs of 10% on the remaining $300 billion worth of imports from China.
“Small and mid-cap companies are seeing an earnings growth problem - their first quarter year over year earnings growth fell by double digits. Earnings held up better among large caps (roughly flat for the S&P 500 in the first half) but we think second half 2019 and 2020 consensus numbers need to come down substantially,” he said.
In company news, WeWork parent We Co. publicly filed for an initial public offering of common stock, but hasn’t provided details on the number of shares it will offer or the expected pricing. The company had confidentially filed for an IPO in April, when it was valued at about $47 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.
Which stocks are in focus?
Shares of Macy’s Inc. M, tumbled Wednesday morning, after the department-store retailer reported second-quarter earnings that badly missed expectations after heavy spring discounting failed to clear inventories and it lowered its outlook.
CBS Corp. US:CBS and Viacom US:VIAB both fell sharply after the merger of the two media companies announced Tuesday prompted downgrades from Wall Street analysts.
Wayfair Inc. W, +3.48% proposed a new $750 million debt offering after the close of trade Tuesday, after which the home-furnishings retailer’s stock fell.
Shares of Canada Goose Holdings Inc. GOOS, +3.15% fell, after the luxury apparel maker reported deeper losses during the fiscal first quarter, though it surpassed expectations for revenue growth.
Shares of Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO, +1.58% could be in focus Wednesday, ahead of the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report, due to be released after the close.
How are other markets trading?
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note TMUBMUSD30Y, 1.403% fell 8 basis points to 1.60%, its lowest level since late 2016 after weak economic data from China and Germany. The 30-year bond yield TMUBMUSD30Y, 1.403% tumbled 9.3 basis points to 2.038%, an all-time closing low.
Crude oil futures traded lower after a U.S. government report showed domestic crude inventories rose for a second week in row, and as the risks of an economic recession fed worries about energy demand.the price of oil. West Texas Intermediate US:CLU19 fell 4.2% to $54.70 a barrel.
Gold US:GCQ19 rose 0.7% to roughly $1,513 per ounce. The U.S. dollar DXY, +0.23%, meanwhile, was little changed trading little changed, not far from a two year high. | 1,267,213 |
Hey, it’s that cool time of Spoiler Season, where we know basically what the prices will be going into the prerelease weekend. There’s still a lot of value in this set even though it lacks fetchlands in a rare spot (I know they’re in the land slot, belay your hatemail). A lot of the value is tied up in Monastery Mentor, Ugin and Soulfire Grand Master. Of those three, I think Ugin is the most likely to retain his price, while the others might not work out the way people had hoped they would.
Anyway, here’s the lists. If you’re going to the store, you can email these to your friends or print out extras. The best thing at a prerelease is helping a casual player find the true value of their cards so they don’t get ripped off – it’s a good way to encourage people to keep coming back and having fun!
Fate Reforged Cheatsheet: Price-ranked Version
Fate Reforged Cheatsheet: Alphabetized Version
Have fun and I hope you open an alternate-art Ugin in your prize pack!
Are you a Quiet Speculation member yet?
Have you joined the Quiet Speculation Discord yet?
If you haven't, you're leaving value on the table! Join our community of experts, enthusiasts, entertainers, and educators and enjoy exclusive podcasts, questions asked and answered, trades, sales, and everything else Discord has to offer.
Want to write for Quiet Speculation?
All you need to succeed is a passion for Magic: The Gathering, an aptitude for getting value from your cards, and the ability to write coherently. Share your knowledge of MTG and how you leverage it to play the game for less – or even turn a profit.
Douglas Linn Doug Linn has been playing Magic since 1996 and has had a keen interest in Legacy and Modern. By keeping up closely with emerging trends in the field, Doug is able to predict what cards to buy and when to sell them for a substantial profit. Since the Eternal market follows a routine boom-bust cycle, the time to buy and sell short-term speculative investments is often a narrow window. Because Eternal cards often spike in value once people know why they are good, it is essential for a trader to be connected to the format to get great buys before anyone else. Outside of Magic, Doug is an attorney in the state of Ohio. Doug is a founding member of Quiet Speculation, and brings with him a tremendous amount of business savvy. More Posts
Enjoy what you just read? Share it with the world!
Reddit
If not, now is a perfect time to join up! Our powerful tools, breaking-news analysis, and exclusive Discord channel will make sure you stay up to date and ahead of the curve. | 1,267,214 |
Tonight, the public is invited to give its input at a hearing held by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) over a permit to allow Dripping Springs to dump almost a million gallons of treated wastewater into Onion Creek, about a day upstream of Austin. That idea has many people in Austin very worried.
Chris Herrington is an environmental engineer for the City of Austin. He says Onion Creek does a lot of good for the region. It has some of the best water quality in Central Texas. It supplies water to the Trinity and Edwards aquifers. And, from there, it feeds one of Austin’s most iconic water features.
“More water in Barton Springs is from Onion Creek than any other individual source,” Herrington said.
Austin officials hope the TCEQ does not issue the permit to dump treated effluent into the creek. So, why would Dripping Springs want it? Some of it goes back to state law, says Ginger Faught, a deputy city administrator with the City of Dripping Springs.
She says the city actually plans to re-use much most of this water. But, the way state law is written, it needs a plan B, in case the water can’t be re-used. In this case, Faught says the only affordable alternative is the creek.
“The re-use component gets lost," Faught said. "This is something that we’re very committed to doing."
Herrington doesn’t believe the creek needs to be the plan B. He supports the re-use idea, but says Dripping Springs is under no real obligation to re-use water under the current proposal.
So, Austin would like to see some kind of agreement where water re-use is assured, what Herrington calls a "a trust but verify situation."
Finally, the two sides disagree on what environmental impact this dumping could have. Dripping Springs' Faught says doing this kind of thing is actually pretty common.
“Correct, and the state of Texas Commission on Environmental quality has agreed with us as well,” she said. “The state has determined that it will not adversely impact the existing uses in Onion Creek”
But, the City of Austin used water testing analysis created by the EPA to show that there could be a lasting impact.
“We’ve gone and we’ve done monitoring and we’ve used better science to inform our decision-making,” said Harrington. “Because we certainly don’t take these decisions lightly.”
The meeting tonight is the last time the TCEQ will hear public comment before deciding how to proceed.
It’s will be held tonight in Dripping Springs Ranch Park at 7 p.m. in the Special Events Venue Room located at 1042 Event Center Drive in Dripping Springs. | 1,267,215 |
President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled who he's invited as guests to attend his second State of the Union address.
The White House invited 13 people to attend the address Tuesday night on Capitol Hill. The invitees come from many different backgrounds, including a young boy who shares the same last name as the president.
DEMOCRATS TROLL TRUMP WITH STATE OF THE UNION GUESTS
Josh Trump, a sixth grader in Wilmington, Delaware, is scheduled to attend the address. The 11-year-old has been bullied at school because of his name, his mother has said.
"They curse at him, they call him an idiot, they call him stupid," Megan Trump told WPVI in December. "He said he hates himself, and he hates his last name, and he feels sad all the time."
The boy's school acknowledged the bullying was an issue, and changed his name in their school system to his father's name.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LINKED TO NEVADA KILLING SPREE WAS FROM EL SALVADOR, ACCORDING TO ICE
Also among Trump's guests are relatives of a Nevada couple who was killed — allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant who was employed as a landscaper at their home in Reno.
Gerald David, 81, and Sharon David, 80, were killed on Jan. 16. Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, 19, of El Salvador, was charged last week in their deaths. Martinez-Guzman is also accused of killing Connie Koontz and Sophia Renken days earlier.
The Davids' relatives — Debra Bissell, Heather Armstrong and Madison Armstrong — were invited to the president's address.
Trump tweeted about the Nevadans' deaths after it was reported Martinez-Guzman was in the U.S. illegally, and said their murders prove the need for "a powerful wall."
ALICE JOHNSON: PRESIDENT TRUMP FREED ME FROM PRISON — I'M GLAD HE WANTS TO GIVE OTHER NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS THEIR FREEDOM
Alice Johnson, the woman whose life sentence was commuted by Trump in June, is also among those set to attend.
The 63-year-old woman's sentence was reversed after reality TV star Kim Kardashian West took up her case and met with Trump at the White House to plead for clemency.
Johnson promised to Fox News in June that she'd "make [Trump] proud" after he gave her a "second chance at life."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Thank you so much, President Trump, for taking the time to look at my case and to really look at me,” she said.
Trump's address is scheduled for Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 1,267,216 |
Following a failure to capitalize on a recent price recovery, bitcoin could be in for another sharp sell-off, the technical charts indicate.
The cryptocurrency found a temporary low of $8,371 on March 9 and jumped above $9,000 in a convincing manner on March 11, according to CoinDesk’s Bitcoin Price Index (BPI). However, the corrective rally seems to have stalled over the past few days.
The cryptocurrency has spent a better part of the last 48 hours moving in a sideways manner in the narrow range of $8,800–$9,400. As of writing, the BPI is seen at $9,095 – down 0.5 percent for the session.
Notably, trading volume has dropped more than 50 percent since March 9, possibly indicating a lack of confidence among traders in the sustainability of the corrective move higher. Should bitcoin see a decisive move above $11,700 (recent high), volumes are likely to climb.
For now, however, the price chart analysis indicates an increased risk of a sell-off to the lows seen in February.
Daily chart
The above chart (prices as per Bitfinex) shows:
Despite the long-tailed doji candle and a bullish outside day reversal, bitcoin has not been able to scale the $10,000 mark. More importantly, it has repeatedly failed to hold above the double-top neckline resistance (former support) of $9,280. So, yesterday’s doji candle likely shows bullish exhaustion rather than indecision in the marketplace.
Further, the 10-day moving average (MA) continues sloping downwards in favor of the bears.
Hence, the probability of a downside break of the inverted (bear) flag pattern (seen on the 4-hour chart below) is high.
4-hour chart
A downside break of the bear flag would signal a continuation of the sell-off from the recent highs around $11,700, and could yield a drop to $5,500 (target derived by subtracting the height of the flagpole from the eventual breakdown level, i.e. flag support).
It’s also worth noting that a downside break of the inverted flag would only add credence to the bearish weekly relative strength index.
View
The probability of bitcoin prices falling below $8,600 (flag support) has increased. A bear flag breakdown could open doors for a drop to $6,000 (February low) and $5,500 (bear flag breakdown target).
On the higher side, only a daily close (as per UTC) above the 10-day moving average (currently seen at $9,619) would signal bearish invalidation.
A convincing break above $11,700 (recent high) will signal a bearish-to-bullish trend change.
Spiral staircase image via Shutterstock | 1,267,217 |
after ourselves, and my grandfather’s bad knee made it harder for him to go up and down the steps to the basement where we always played. A few years after we stopped playing regularly, though, my dad gave my grandfather a framed copy of the 1948 Indians’ team picture — the picture itself is sepia toned, but Bob Feller signed the original photo in a bright blue marker right under his name. My grandfather hung it in the basement right near the spot where we had always played our games, and every time we’d go visit them, I’d see it. We never talked about it, but I always thought that he hung it where he did because of all the time we’d spent in that exact spot, flicking the spinner, talking about the history of baseball.
My grandfather died on Thursday morning at the age of 85. At his house yesterday afternoon, my cousins and aunts and uncles and I passed around his obituary, read it, teared up, and nodded approvingly, one by one. After everyone had seen it, my grandmother picked it and read it and said to me, “It’s so unfair, Papa Don was so much more than a few sentences on a page.” That’s how I feel about this post; it’s incomplete, it’s just one nice story about a man that meant countless things to so many people. Papa taught me how to tell stories, though, and so I know that if you tell a story the right way, that maybe the content of it doesn’t matter so much. The point gets across.
Before this weekend ends, I’m going to find a moment to slip away to the basement for just one quiet moment away from the amazing family that my grandparents started after meeting on a blind date almost 65 years ago. Once I get down the steps, the bookshelves on my left will be full of the books my grandfather used to teach himself German after he retired from Westinghouse in the 1990s. In the far back corner of the room, I’ll see the wooden cabinet full of documents from his time as a patent attorney there on the periphery of my vision. I’ll walk past his reading chair and if I look hard enough, I’m sure I’ll find a book or two about the Civil War. Just past that on the wall will be the picture of the 1948 Indians and Bob Feller. That’s where I’m going to stop. That’s where I’m going to take a moment to breath in and let the whole room wash over me, the stories, the spinner baseball game, and everything else. My grandfather lived a life worth aspiring to. I’m going to miss him.
Image credit: Baseball Games’ page on Ethan Allen’s Cadaco All-Star Baseball | 1,267,218 |
Britain's Prince Charles is out of self-isolation, seven days after he was first diagnosed with the coronavirus, his office confirmed Monday. The heir to the throne tested positive last week, making him one of the most high-profile global figures to contract the virus.
Prince Charles was self-isolating in Scotland, at the royal Balmoral estate, according to BBC News. He was displaying mild symptoms. His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, did not test positive. She is still self-isolating as a precaution until the end of the week.
"Clarence House has confirmed today that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation," a spokesman said in a statement. The 71-year-old is the father of Prince William and Prince Harry and is the first in line to succeed his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Charles has completed his self-isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus. Nigel Roddis/Getty Images
According to U.K. government guidelines, people who live alone and have symptoms of coronavirus should stay isolated at home for 7 days from when their symptoms started. People who live with others and are the first in their household to have coronavirus symptoms must stay at home for 7 days, and all other household members must stay home for 14 days.
Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox
In the U.S., the isolation guideline is to stay home for 14 days if you are sick. The whole country is advised to continue practicing social distancing guidelines until at least April 30, President Trump announced on Sunday.
It is unclear where Prince Charles first caught the coronavirus, due "to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks," the prince's Clarence House office said in a statement last week.
Prince Charles, father of Princes William and Harry, had many public engagements in the days leading up to his coronavirus diagnosis. He was with most of the royal family on March 9 at Commonwealth Day Service 2020. Phil Harris / Getty Images
Although he had met with several people in the days before his diagnosis, he had not seen his mother, the queen, since March 12, the statement said. Queen Elizabeth left Buckingham Palace in central London and moved to Windsor Castle, her residence west of the capital, last week as the coronavirus spread in the U.K.
"Her Majesty the Queen remains in good health," a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said.
Prince Charles was with most of the royal family on March 9 at a Commonwealth Day Service. It is unclear if he had contracted coronavirus at that point.
That was also one of the last public appearances for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, as senior royals. The couple has since left the U.K. and reportedly decided to move to Los Angeles. | 1,267,219 |
one of them with a 3/3 creature with lifelink, but you don't block the other one. As a result of the damage, you'll lose 2 life and you'll gain 3 life at the exact same time (assuming none of the creatures have first strike). You'll wind up at 2 life. Just like deathtouch, the fact that the new rules care whether a damage source has lifelink leads to notable changes in certain scenarios. Let's run the same example. Say a creature has both lifelink and a damage ability, like a Prodigal Pyromancer equipped with Loxodon Warhammer. If the ability is activated targeting me, but the Pyromancer leaves the battlefield before it resolves, then the game determines the characteristics of the damage source by checking its last existence on the battlefield. If the Warhammer was still equipping the Pyromancer at the time the Pyromancer left, then the source has lifelink (just like the source is red, and the source is a creature). The damage causes me to lose 1 life and the Pyromancer's controller to gain 1 life. (Wither already works like this in similar situations.) Under the old lifelink rules, this wouldn't have happened because lifelink wouldn't be around to trigger. The changes listed in this article aren't the only rules changes that are taking place, but they're the most relevant ones to modern Magic play. The rest include things like an update to banding to bring it into compliance with the new combat damage rules, a radical streamlining of the phasing rules that I've been working on, and various maintenance fixes deep behind the scenes. More information will be made available about all these changes as we near the rulebook's release date.
Can I Learn More?
I understand this is a lot to digest. These rules won't be going live for another month, so there's plenty of time to process and discuss the changes.
Expect more content on this very site over the next few weeks about the changes, both from our regular columnists and in our new judge column. Gurus are available on our forums to answer rules questions, and you may also contact our Game Support department if you need further answers.
I realize that some of these decisions will cause concern for our loyal and enfranchised players. History alone indicates that will be the case; there was a great deal of negativity from some quarters in response to the Sixth Edition changes ten years ago. Players decried that the end was nigh and the game would never recover. But most of us calmed down and learned the changes, and now they're second nature to us. I anticipate this batch of changes to go no differently. I am prepared to defend all of these decisions and can say with a straight face, a clear conscience, and months of firsthand experience that Magic will be improved as a result of them.
I hope you'll agree, and here's to not doing this again for another decade. | 1,267,220 |
NASDAQ is doing at the moment.
"The new interface doesn't leave apps on your timeline unless they're actually relevant to you," says Migicovsky. "If you don't have any appointments coming up, the calendar doesn't get displayed. If there's no sports game, the ESPN app doesn't take up space. If you look at everything as an app, the moment you start to do more on your watch, it's cluttered up and you don't know what's important. The timeline cuts through that and brings the most important things into your life."
As with the current Pebble platform, the new OS comes with an API so developers can configure their apps to work with the new timeline functionality. Interestingly, Pebble is also now making it possible for developers to write apps for the watch on the web without having to create a native app at all. So instead of coming up with a custom app for the Pebble for example, Eventbrite could use Pebble's servers to send push notifications about events to your timeline. There'll be a new section in the Pebble app store where you can enable or disable these different data sources.
Additionally, for those who are concerned Pebble is lagging behind other smartwatches because of its lack of sensors, the Pebble Time comes with a smart accessory port, which lets hardware makers build sensors and smart straps for the new watch.
But why Kickstarter? Why do this crowdfunding thing all over again? "It's a complete throwback to the original Pebble," says Migicovsky. "It's not about the money. We're a profitable company. We're already in production."
"The reason why we're going back to Kickstarter," he explains, "is because we're still a small company. We're battling the largest company in the world. And we want to speak directly to our community. We want to bring it directly to the people who matter."
So, for now, the new Pebble Time smartwatch will be available exclusively on Kickstarter. It comes in white, black or red, and if you get there quickly enough, you can snag one for the $159 early bird price. Then the price goes up to $179 per watch. And if you miss the Kickstarter entirely, the full retail price of the Pebble Time will be $199 when it eventually hits store shelves. The Kickstarter ends on March 27th, and shipping will start in the beginning of May. Oh, and if you're a backer, your watch will be engraved with "Kickstarter backer" on the back.
If you already own a Pebble or a Pebble Steel, however, don't toss out your old watch just yet. Migicovsky tells us they're working on bringing the whole new timeline interface to those devices as well via a software update.
"Our focus is to build a watch that's great for people who are busy," he says. "It's for people who want to accomplish more without taking their phone out of their pocket." | 1,267,221 |
The “babes in the wood” killer, Russell Bishop, has been jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years for the murder or two schoolgirls more than three decades ago.
Bishop, now 52, sexually assaulted and strangled Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows in October 1986, when they were nine, in woods about half a mile from Moulsecoomb, the area of Brighton where the girls lived.
Sentencing him at the Old Bailey, in London, on Tuesday, Mr Justice Sweeney said: “I have no doubt that you were a predatory paedophile. The terror that each girl must have suffered in their final moments is unimaginable.”
The breakthrough in the longest running case in the history of Sussex police came when scientific advances led to DNA evidence providing what the Crown Prosecution Service described as a “one-in-a-billion” match linking Bishop, a convicted paedophile, to a sweatshirt found at the scene of the murders.
Bishop had been found not guilty in 1987 but after the new evidence emerged the acquittal was quashed, paving the way for a retrial. On Monday, after an eight-week trial, Bishop was convicted, ending the families’ 32-year fight for justice.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Karen Hadaway (left) and Nicola Fellows. Photograph: Sussex police/EPA
Bishop returned to live in the Brighton area after his acquittal, but less than three years later, in February 1990, he committed offences involving the attempted murder, kidnapping and indecent assault of a seven-year-old girl in the Whitehawk area of the city. After she identified Bishop as her attacker, he was convicted in December 1990.
The court heard that fibre transfers linked Bishop’s sweatshirt to Karen and Nicola, the murder scene and his home. The court heard that he punched Nicola in the face to “subdue” or “punish” her for being disrespectful to his teenage girlfriend earlier that day.
Bishop tried to explain the forensic evidence by claiming he had touched the girls to feel for a pulse on the day after the killings, when he had joined the search for them and was nearby when they were found. However, two teenagers who had spotted the bodies insisted he could not have been that close to them.
Bishop’s defence team, under his instructions, also cast suspicion on Nicola’s father, Barrie, reducing the 69-year-old to tears.
In a victim impact statement, Karen’s mother, Michelle, described Bishop as an “evil monster” and said having to go through a second trial was “traumatic and heartbreaking”.
Sue Eismann, Nicola’s mother, said the death of her daughter had turned her world upside down and spoke of her “sheer hate” for Bishop. | 1,267,222 |
Hot Chips Now your humble Reg vulture is back from the Hot Chips conference in Silicon Valley, it seems right to briefly run this Microsoft development by you all.
During the symposium, the Windows 10 giant teased a few new details about its custom math coprocessor inside its Hololens 2.0 augmented reality headsets. This silicon takes care of accelerating algorithms needed to work out where the wearer is looking, what's going on around them, and so on.
The chip, dubbed the Holographic Processing Unit 2.0, or HPU 2.0, is not a small die at 79mm2, Elene Terry, who works with Microsoft’s silicon and system architecture team, warned. Instead of trying to cram as much processing power as possible into a smaller size, the larger design ensures the chip allows enough heat to escape to avoid thermally overloading. Since the HPU 2.0 is positioned over the forehead between the eyes, in the techno-goggles, it would be pretty uncomfortable if got too hot.
The Tensilica-based chip is fabricated using TSMC’s 16nm process, and has a billion FinFETs, 123 million gates, and 125Mbit of SRAM. It runs a Microsoft-specific real-time operating system. It features seven SIMD fixed-point math processing units, and six vector floating-point units, making a total of 13 compute units dedicated to crunching numbers to process sensor data to generate graphics in the augmented display. There's also stuff like DMA and interrupt controllers, and neural-network-specific blocks.
It maxes out at one trillion operations per second of programmable compute with its own custom instruction set. This ISA spans hundreds of instructions that are rather CISC-y: a single instruction can perform dozens of operations in one clock cycle. The thing is clocked at 500MHz for compute.
Below are some slides from Microsoft's presentation: click on any to enlarge them.
Images from the depth-sensing camera, and data from head-tracking and eye-tracking sensors, are fed straight into the HPU. A separate application processor, a general-purpose CPU that sits at the back of the device, runs software that produces the scene to show in the augmented display, with the HPU and twin display controllers rendering the final graphics. The CPU and HPU are linked via PCIe running at about 100MB/s.
The main components in a Hololens 2.0 headset.
The second version of the HPU covers a wider point of view and can handle 1.7 times more compute than the previous generation. There are also new features such as eye tracking, hand tracking, and 3D audio support, too.
Microsoft announced the Hololens 2.0 in February this year, and there’s a version promised for developers too, tho no release date has been announced for either gadget yet. ® | 1,267,223 |
1.
The phrase “Animal Liberation” appeared in the press for the first time on the April 5, 1973, cover of The New York Review of Books. Under that heading, I discussed Animals, Men and Morals, a collection of essays on our treatment of animals, which was edited by Stanley and Roslind Godlovitch and John Harris.1 The article began with these words:
We are familiar with Black Liberation, Gay Liberation, and a variety of other movements. With Women’s Liberation some thought we had come to the end of the road. Discrimination on the basis of sex, it has been said, is the last form of discrimination that is universally accepted and practiced without pretense, even in those liberal circles which have long prided themselves on their freedom from racial discrimination. But one should always be wary of talking of “the last remaining form of discrimination.”
In the text that followed, I urged that despite obvious differences between humans and nonhuman animals, we share with them a capacity to suffer, and this means that they, like us, have interests. If we ignore or discount their interests, simply on the grounds that they are not members of our species, the logic of our position is similar to that of the most blatant racists or sexists who think that those who belong to their race or sex have superior moral status, simply in virtue of their race or sex, and irrespective of other characteristics or qualities. Although most humans may be superior in reasoning or in other intellectual capacities to nonhuman animals, that is not enough to justify the line we draw between humans and animals. Some humans—infants and those with severe intellectual disabilities—have intellectual capacities inferior to some animals, but we would, rightly, be shocked by anyone who proposed that we inflict slow, painful deaths on these intellectually inferior humans in order to test the safety of household products. Nor, of course, would we tolerate confining them in small cages and then slaughtering them in order to eat them. The fact that we are prepared to do these things to nonhuman animals is therefore a sign of “speciesism”—a prejudice that survives because it is convenient for the dominant group—in this case not whites or males, but all humans.
That essay and the book that grew out of it, also published by The New York Review,2 are often credited with starting off what has become known as the “animal rights movement”—although the ethical position on which the movement rests needs no reference to rights. Hence the essay’s thirti-eth anniversary provides a convenient opportunity to take stock both of the current state of the debate over the moral status of animals and of how effective the movement has been in bringing about the practical changes it seeks in the way we treat animals.
2.
The most obvious difference between the current debate over the moral status of animals and that of thirty years ago is that in the early 1970s, to… | 1,267,224 |
As part of an ongoing effort to ensure Londoners feel safe in their community, the City of London is seeking public input on an opportunity to lower speed limits to below 50 kilometres per hour on streets in residential neighbourhoods.
“Neighbourhood safety is a top priority for the City of London,” said Doug MacRae, Director of Roads and Transportation. “We want to make sure all Londoners feel comfortable and confident being out and about in our city. This is a new opportunity to lower speed limits in neighbourhoods, and we are asking community members to let us know what they think.”
Existing studies show the risk of pedestrian death increases significantly when vehicles are travelling over 40 kilometres per hour, and that lower speed limits lead to more walking and biking in neighbourhoods. The City has already reduced speed limits to 40 kilometres per hour in school zones.
Residential streets being considered for speed limit reductions would go beyond school zones and include neighbourhood blocks, crescents and cul-de-sacs and collector streets (such as Wortley Road, Aldersbrook Road and Meadowgate Boulevard). They do not include major roads such as Richmond Street, Wharncliffe Road or Adelaide Street.
This opportunity to provide feedback aligns with current London road safety programs, including the Active and Safe Routes to school program and “Vision Zero London” initiatives.
Centreline markers: flexible in-road traffic calming signs designed to get drivers out of their comfort zone and heighten awareness of their surroundings.
flexible in-road traffic calming signs designed to get drivers out of their comfort zone and heighten awareness of their surroundings. Student silhouettes: life-size student silhouette signs designed to encourage drivers to take extra care and caution in school zones.
life-size student silhouette signs designed to encourage drivers to take extra care and caution in school zones. Speed and display boards (PEEP): LED display boards designed to discourage speeding by detecting and displaying drivers’ speeds.
LED display boards designed to discourage speeding by detecting and displaying drivers’ speeds. “Respect the Limit” lawn signs: lawn signs designed for residents to help remind drivers to slow down.
Members of the public are invited to weigh in on residential speed limits before July 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST by answering three short survey questions on the City of London's Get Involved website (getinvolved.london.ca/residential-speeds).
The survey results will be considered by London’s Roads and Transportation staff as they prepare their default speed limit recommendation for City Council.
The opportunity came about from an amendment to Ontario's Highway Traffic Act. In London and all urban areas, the current default speed limit is 50 kilometres per hour.
To find out if your street is considered a residential street, please contact [email protected] or call 519-661-4580. | 1,267,225 |
Two of the councillors who featured in the RTÉ Investigates programme on Monday night have resigned from Local Authority Members Association (LAMA), the councillors’ representative body.
The membership of a third councillor who featured in the programme, Cllr John O’Donnell, has been “terminated with immediate effect,” after he refused to resign, an emergency meeting of LAMA held in Tralee on Saturday has been told.
The Independent politician appeared in an RTÉ Investigates programme earlier this week which alleged he had asked for payment in return for helping a fictitious wind farm company to set up in Donegal.
Each county council is represented on the LAMA and 28 of the 31 members attended this morning’s meeting at the county council building in Tralee.
The meeting was called at short notice “in light of recent revelations into the standards of public office RTE Investigates programme,” it said in a statement issued after the meeting.
“The executive of LAMA are shattered and saddened by these revelations as we believe all of our members are throughout the country,” LAMA general secretary former Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Bobby O’Connell, ( FG) who is currently mayor of Killarney, said on behalf of the body.
“The LAMA executive, at its emergency meeting on Saturday December 12th has received resignations from Cllr Hugh McElvaney, Monaghan County Council and from Cllr Joe Queenan, Sligo County Council.
“These resignations have been accepted by the executive, unanimously. Cllr McElvaney who represents his county council on LAMA and had been an ex officio member of the board of LAMA attended the meeting in Tralee and tendered his resignation.
“Cllr John O’Donnell, Donegal county council, has indicated he will not resign his membership from LAMA. The executive decided at its meeting on December 12th to terminate Cllr John O’Donnell membership with immediate effect,” according to the statement issued after the meeting.
“LAMA remains committed and determined to represent and promote the highest standards which is expected and shared by our members,” Cllr. Mags Murray Chairperson LAMA said.
On Friday a special meeting of Donegal County Council passed a motion calling for the resignation of Mr O’Donnell.
Despite being filmed asking for a payment to be made to a third party, Mr O’Donnell (34) claims he was “entrapped” by the national broadcaster.
He said his only interest when meeting the company was to secure investment and jobs for Donegal.
A large group of protesters with posters calling for Cllr O’Donnell’s resignation gathered in the council chamber for the meeting, which lasted almost three hours. | 1,267,226 |
The Fan Theories community on Reddit “is a place for fans of various creative works to share theories, interpretations and speculation related to that particular creative work.” At Upvoted, we put some of these hypotheses under the microscope to see if they can go from Fan Theory to Fan Fact.
The Fan Theory
Bob Ross is having a renaissance of sorts, some 20 years after he died. The painter’s resurgence comes thanks to episodes of his instructional The Joy of Painting PBS series appearing on YouTube and Twitch.
Those half-hour shows—Ross’ serene voice and upbeat demeanor teaching viewers how to render “happy little trees” in oil paint—ran from 1984 until 1994 and chronicle man who enjoyed sharing his passion for art with others. (Ross died from lymphoma in 1995.)
But what if there was a darker side to the series? What if Ross’ positivity and peaceful paintings hid a disturbing reality? What if Bob Ross was the artisan equivalent to Mad Max, wandering out into the wasteland, reduced to a single instinct: Paint?
That’s the basis of the fan theory by Reddit user greggawatt, who speculates that Ross creates his canvases from a post-apocalyptic world where he is the last living human. It’s a claim that made at least one user happy.
The Evidence
What’s the reasoning behind greggawatt’s end of the world hypothesis? It has to do with the pastoral subject matter of Ross’ work:
“Bob Ross paintings always feature nature scenes, and he mentions Animals but rarely mentions humans. His paintings do feature man-made structures, but never with individuals in them, they are long abandoned. There are two examples of humans in his paintings, but we can consider those are scenes featuring the last few humans left on earth. Also cabins in his scenes lack chimneys, suggesting the chimneys fell down some time ago.”
Gregawatt cites a statistical analysis of Ross’ paintings during his shows by the website FiveThirtyEight that backs up his contention. The study showed Ross sure loved his happy trees, happy clouds, happy mountains, and happy lakes.
Annette Kowalski, founder of Bob Ross Inc., also revealed this fact in the FiveThirtyEight breakdown:
“I can think of two times he painted people. There was a man by a campfire, and two people walking through the woods.”
Fan Theory or Fan Fact?
Fan fact. The idea of Bob Ross painting endless landscapes as his way to cope in a world where the human race has been wiped out is too good not to be true. Plus, there’s visual proof thanks to user KiroBird and Fallout 4.
Well, maybe that’s not so much proof as it is wish fulfillment.
Consider the Internet broke. | 1,267,227 |
This post is also available in: Deutsch
Fidelity is starting to service select clients with its Digital Asset Service, which was spun off as a separate company a few months ago.
This is HUGE!!!!! #bitcoin getting the official nod of approval from Fidelity https://t.co/eyB3hn7ayA — The Crypto Lark (@TheCryptoLark) March 7, 2019
Fidelity has recognized that certain investors want to get into cryptocurrencies, but are looking for particular standards that only larger institutions could offer. Thus, Fidelity has “established a robust set of technical and operational standards” and is testing it out on these initial users. Fidelity’s research revealed that there is a need for a “trusted platform provider in order to engage with digital assets in a meaningful way”. Thus, they “are committed to exceeding the requirements and standards of existing solutions with both our custody platform and trading venue — providing a combination of security and a central point of market access, disrupting the obfuscated nature of trading digital assets today”
The Digital Asset Service emerged from the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT), which was an incubator for artificial intelligence and blockchain projects. Fidelity has been an early mover in terms of institutions when it comes to cryptocurrencies. Fidelity currently owns around 10% of Neptune Dash, the publicly traded Dash masternode company.
Institutional investors require their own path
Institutional investors have been wanting to get into cryptocurrencies for awhile and especially so since the exponential price increases during the last bull market within the sector. However, due to their own history and regulated nature, institutional investors require additional services on top of consumer exchanges. This caused the creation of many custodian services in an attempt to corral these investors into the cryptocurrency sector.
During the same time, many within the cryptocurrency space were hoping that this institutional money would create another boom in exchanges prices, but this has yet to happen on a significant level. Nevertheless, the fact that there is still significant investment in cryptocurrency services by these large firms helps illustrate that many investors still believe cryptocurrency is going to be in significant demand in the future. This might not be an exact indicator, but it does signal that many have high confidence in the future of cryptocurrency.
Dash poised for significant portion of market share
Investors care about getting quality investments, which means products that have a high probability of success. Thus, Dash has attracted significant attention from the likes of Palm Beach Research Group that has recognized the innovations that Dash has achieved in both technical innovations and business integrations. Additionally, as mentioned above, Fidelity has publicly staked significant bets on Dash through Neptune Dash. Dash is continuing to focus on merchant and consumer adoption, which is helping to make its aspirations of being everyday, digital cash become a reality. When the next market upswing does come, Dash stands to benefit a significant amount thanks to the infrastructure that it is currently building. | 1,267,228 |
Hammerson has been hit by collapse of chains including House of Fraser
This article is more than 1 year old
This article is more than 1 year old
Hammerson, which owns shopping centres including Birmingham’s Bullring and London’s Brent Cross, is in talks to sell off more than £900m of property after being hit by the crisis in Britain’s retail sector.
The FTSE 250-listed firm said it was in active discussions to offload more than £900m of assets, far exceeding its £500m target for 2019. Last year it sold off £570m of property, with the average price 7% below the book value in December 2017.
Hammerson is under pressure from an activist investor, the US hedge fund Elliott Advisors, which owns a 5% stake in the company, to speed up disposals, after a 9.3% decline in its property values in 2018.
Among Hammerson’s tenants are Patisserie Valerie, which went into administration last month but was saved from closure by a management buyout backed by an Irish private equity firm, as well as House of Fraser and New Look. The latter two resorted to company voluntary arrangement to avoid insolvency, which forced the firms to close a string of stores and seek rent cuts from their landlords.
David Atkins, the Hammerson chief executive, said: “2018 was a tough year particularly in the UK. Tenant failures, the structural shift in retail and a more considered consumer created a difficult operating environment, putting pressure on property values. Outside of the UK our destinations performed better with a strong contribution from premium outlets.”
Hammerson’s annual adjusted profit fell by 2.4% to £240.3m in a year that saw it abandon a planned £3.4bn buyout of smaller rival Intu, the company behind the Trafford Centre in Manchester. Hammerson also fended off a £4.9bn takeover approach from the French mall operator Klépierre.
Last week Intu announced a £1.4bn writedown of its assets and suspended its dividend; Hammerson has so far avoided such a revaluation.
Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk
Hammerson is focusing on its flagship malls as it battles the shift to online shopping. It said consumers were still visiting such centres “for a big day out” and that luxury sales were still growing strongly.
Elliott welcomed the accelerated disposals programme, along with Hammerson’s decision to seek two additional independent non-executive directors to sit on a newly created investment and disposals committee.
Hammerson has used the sale proceeds to pay down its debts by £179m to £3.4bn since June. It aims to reduce debt below £3bn this year. | 1,267,229 |
A scientist has proposed a method to test the limits of quantum mechanics, by applying it to the human mind.
The idea is based on “spooky action at a distance” or quantum entanglement. This is the suggestion that two particles can share properties, but this only becomes apparent when they are measured. A hundred years ago, Albert Einstein thought this wasn’t possible, and physicists have been looking for ways to prove him wrong ever since.
To test quantum entanglement, physicist John Bell came up with a thought experiment in 1964 to send one of a pair of particles to a location, A, and another to location B. A device at each location would measure a specific property of the particles, their spin, using a random number generator to pick positive or negative spin.
If the measurements correlated (the particles were found to have the same spin at each location), then quantum entanglement could be proved. Hence the word “spooky”, because they appear to influence each other without interacting.
Lucien Hardy from the Perimeter Institute in Canada has proposed an advancement on the theory. He suggests that the measurements of two particles, A and B, can relate to the human mind. He wonders if the mind operates on the immaterial world and plays a part in quantum mechanics.
“[French philosopher Rene] Descartes put forth this mind-matter duality, [where] the mind is outside of regular physics and intervenes on the physical world,” Hardy said, reported New Scientist.
To test this, he proposes having two groups of 100 people separated by 100 kilometers (60 miles). Each would be hooked up to an EEG machine, and the signals from the headsets would change the properties of the devices at each location before the particles arrived.
If the results agreed with the Bell tests, that supports quantum theory. If it doesn’t, it suggests the measurements at each location are being affected by something beyond standard physics – perhaps the human mind.
“The radical possibility we wish to investigate is that, when humans are used to decide the settings, we might then expect to see a violation of Quantum Theory,” Hardy writes in his paper. “Such a result, while very unlikely, would be tremendously significant for our understanding of the world.”
Quantum entanglement is extremely useful, so understanding it is important. Quantum computing, for example, relies upon entanglement, with “qubits” – quantum bits – allowing more information to be stored in a smaller space.
Recently, quantum communication has come to the fore using the same principle. If someone intercepts a transmission, the particles are changed and altered on arrival at their destination, meaning messages can be heavily encrypted.
Whether the human mind also has a part to play, well, that’s another think coming.
(H/T: New Scientist) | 1,267,230 |
Twelve Americans died this year as a result of twisters in the United States
Other theories blame the El Nino event and the
Only one tornado hit the United States in November as scientists say climate change is to blame.
The month is in line with what has been a record low year for twister activity with few tornadoes and tornado-related deaths.
Scientists are scrabbling for answers but believe that the melting ice caps, due to climate change, could be the cause.
Only one tornado hit the United States in November as scientists say climate change is to blame
'It is certainly plausible that a lack in Arctic sea ice this year has had implications for cyclone track and intensity, Victor Gensini, a professor of meteorology at the College of DuPage, told the Washington Post, also noting that there was natural variation in weather patterns.
He believes that climate change could be responsible for shifting the storm track north where it has remained over Canada.
Past studies have found a link between unusual jet stream behavior and climate change.
However, the unusually low number of tornadoes in 2016 - just 837 confirmed reports and 12 fatalities - could also be tied to the cyclical El Nino event.
The month is in line with what has been a record low year for twister activity with few tornadoes and tornado-related deaths (file image)
'The year in general has been considerably below normal (around 1000 tornadoes), which is not unexpected given the influence of the El Niño that persisted into spring, diverting the polar storm track northwards, and leading to a very quiet May,' John Allen wrote.
Another theory is that the historic drought over the Southeast could have affected the number of tornadoes. Without the humidity to create storms, there cannot be any tornadoes.
However, it is not just the Southeast that has seen record lows for twister activity, the entire United States has seen a tornado drought.
A huge ridge of high pressure has blocked the jet stream from moving southwards from Canada.
'The big player since September and even late summer in terms of synoptic pattern has been the persistent ridging over the Plains and Southeastern United States,' said John Allen, a pioneer in seasonal tornado forecasting and professor at Central Michigan University.
Scientists are scrabbling for answers but believe that the melting ice caps, due to climate change, could be the cause (the aftermath of a tornado in Kansas in July 2016)
This month, which is often referred to as the'second season' for tornadoes due to its typically high number of twisters, has had just one recorded tornado - spotted by a pilot flying over northeast Kansas last week.
November has on average 58 tornadoes every month. This is only the fifth time in the past 65 years that tornado activity has dropped so low.
However, we're not at the end of the year yet. | 1,267,231 |
Forget cats and dogs—it was raining spiders recently in southern Australia, according to local news reports.
Millions of spiders dropped from the sky in the Southern Tablelands region (map), blanketing the countryside with their webs. "They fly through the sky and then we see these falls of spiderwebs that look almost as if it's snowing," local resident Keith Basterfield told the Goulburn Post. (See " 7 Bug and Spider Myths Squashed.")
Though many news reports have called them babies, the spiders are actually just "very, very small" adults called sheet-web weavers or money spiders, according to Robb Bennett, a research associate in entomology at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria.
It's unclear what spurs these spiders take to the skies in what are called mass ballooning events, Bennett notes.
But once they do, millions crawl to the highest points of their habitat—say a fence pole, or a tall plant—and send out silk strands that allow them to be lifted on air currents. (Also see " Photos: World's Biggest, Strongest Spider Webs Found.")
"It's a reverse-parachute effect—they're going from the ground into the air," Bennett said. "It's awe-inspiring."
The vast majority of these "aerial plankton" will die during the journey, eaten by predators or killed by harsh weather conditions. But only a small fraction need to survive to set up shop in their new home.
Thanks to this impressive feat, spiders tend to be the first creatures to recolonize an area—say, an agricultural field—that has been completely destroyed.
Such ballooning events aren't unique to Australia. They also occur in the Northern Hemisphere—ballooning spiders have been spotted in the United States and Britain, for instance—but are still "relatively rare and random," Bennett says.
The spiders pose "no danger to people. It's a spectacular natural history occurrence."
Wonders of Silk
In 2012, record rains in the same Australian region spurred a mass ballooning event.
In that case, ballooning allowed the spiders "to move out of places where they'd surely be drowned," Robert Matthews, a professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Georgia, said of that event.
Producing large quantities of silk creates a sort of "vast trampoline" that supports the spiders as they're fleeing the water, he said. (Also see " Pictures: Trees Cocooned in Webs After Flood.")
Although acres of spiderwebs may gross out some arachnophobes, the impressive feat shows "the versatility of things [spiders] can do with silk," Matthews noted.
Silk has been a "huge evolutionary breakthrough," he said, and "this is one more example of why spiders have been a successful group." | 1,267,232 |
Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
When the Miami Heat signed Jimmy Butler over the summer, many credited Pat Riley for adding a star amid the team's cap restraints, but few thought it was a move capable of making them a viable contender.
Butler apparently took issue with the reaction.
He told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
"Motherf--kers act like I'm not a good basketball player. Like for real. Just think about that. Like I can't come in and make a huge difference. I'm not going to say 'carry a team' because nobody can do it by themselves and I mean that. I'm not putting it all on myself, but I know what I'm capable of. I know what I bring to any and all situations, and the group of guys that we have is the group of guys that I want to play with.
"When I look down the line and as we're talking about it as an organization on this roster, I know what these guys are capable of. These guys are built like me. We're one in the same and so they're only going to get better and they're not going to get complacent. This is me. I see myself in every one of these guys around this locker room."
The Heat agreed to a four-year, $142 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade to Miami that sent Josh Richardson to the Philadelphia 76ers. The deal has worked out for both parties thus far, as the Sixers used their cap savings on a potential max Butler contract to sign Al Horford. They are the NBA's lone remaining unbeaten.
Butler is averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds while helping lead the Heat to a surprising 5-1 start. While he acknowledged there was some sort of falling-out with the Sixers that led to his departure, he would not delve into the situation with Haynes:
"Just go with your gut. You're not dumb. All of that will come out whenever it's time. Right now is not the time. I'm locked in with this. I'm happy, man. I'm smiling and my guys want me to be here, my organization wants me to be here, I want to be here and we're going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off. I'm not saying Philly wasn't great, man. We had some really good players. I talk to Joel [Embiid] damn near every f--king day. It's a brotherhood, man. I love that guy. I'm going to always have his back and I know he'll always have mine."
Few people (if any) said Butler wasn't a good basketball player, but it's fair to say the Sixers are better with this version of their roster than they would be with Butler. The same is certainly true of the Heat, so this was a win-win divorce. | 1,267,233 |
Lt. Col. Paul Goossen has been removed as commander of the 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base over phallic drawings displayed on cockpit screens during a recent deployment, a report said Thursday.
The squadron’s commander since 2017, Lt. Col. Goossen was relieved from duty Tuesday “because penis drawings were discovered” on mapping software displayed onboard B-52 bombers, Military.com reported.
Members of the 69th squadron created the drawings with the software during its deployment to Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar between September 2017 and April 2018, the website reported. The images were later “used for laughs” during an end-of-deployment party, but they were ultimately discovered by their superiors and spurred the probe that resulted the commander’s removal, the report said.
Lt. Col. Goossen was removed “due to a loss of trust and confidence from his failure to maintain a professional workplace environment,” Air Force officials confirmed in a press release.
“The Air Force values and encourages a positive work atmosphere where all Airmen are treated with dignity and respect and leadership actions that do not reflect these ideals are not condoned,” officials said in a statement announcing his removal Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota did not immediately return a message seeking clarification on the specific reason for his removal.
“Any actions or behavior that do not embody our values and principles are not tolerated within the Air Force,” Air Force Global Strike spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland told Military.com.
Air Force Global Strike Command will release a report in the coming weeks offering more details in the change of command, Military.com reported.
Lt. Col. Goossen commanded the squadron during a campaign against Islamic State terrorists, the Department of Defense said previously. He led the 69th when its members flew nearly 6,000 combat hours and dropped more than 2,300 munitions on enemy targets in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan during a seven-month stretch that ended earlier this year, according to an April 2018 Pentagon report.
On Dec. 24, 2017, Lt. Col. Goossen was photographed participating in a Christmas Eve conference call President Trump conducted with troops from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“Having the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron be selected to receive a morale phone call from the President of the United States is a true Christmas gift and a real honor,” Lt. Col. Goossen afterwards, the Pentagon previously reported.
“We feel fortunate to represent all Air Force deployed personnel and we are humbled to have the opportunity out of so many deserving units,” he said in the press release.
Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters
Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. | 1,267,234 |
You've heard of the horse whisperer. But unless you live on a farm, you've probably got little use for one. It's not ill-behaved horses that most of us struggle with, it's ill-behaved humans. Which is why most of us would find a jerk whisperer a lot more helpful.
Happily, such a person exists!
She's a Berlin-based psychologist named Johanne Schwensen and she recently shared some of her tips for dealing with the most annoying and troublesome types of people on Blinkist's page19 blog.
Got a manipulator on your hands? Head over to her post for tips. Facing a genuine, certified, class-A jerk? Schwensen also has you covered. But I found her most helpful suggestion to be her advice on dealing with a slightly less destructive but no less annoying personality type we all interact with regularly -- the know-it-all.
Whether you're facing your loudmouth uncle and his ill-informed but overly-confident political opinions at an upcoming family gathering, or just another Monday working with your smuggest, preachiest colleague, almost all of us have to deal with know-it-alls on a regular basis. Slapping them might feel like the perfect response, but Schwensen suggests another surprising course of action that's more likely to work and less likely to get you fired (or yelled at by your mom).
People with high self-esteem don't show off.
"A surprising strategy for having a good conversation with a know-it-all is to boost their ego by agreeing with them. This is the opposite of what the person would expect, so it dials down their need to preen," writes Schwensen.
What!? Agree with them???
The idea might go against your every impulse (and I'm not saying everyone has the strength of character to utilize this technique in every situation - I sure don't) but Schwensen insists that being nice will actually throw bullies or braggarts off their game and give you an opportunity to reset the relationship.
She offers this example: "If the know-it-all starts belittling others to feed their own ego, tell them you feel lucky to have them on your side. This curries you favor and builds trust between the know-it-all and you. Now, with an in, you can have a conversation with the armor off and even gently explain how their know-it-all behavior may push people away."
Will it work? I've met a few people that took their know-it-all behavior to such extremes that I doubt even the highest praise would make a dent in their need to talk over everyone and continually feel right, but if you've got to face that office mansplainer or overly didactic roommate regularly and you can see some shred of self-awareness in them, it might be worth giving Schwensen's approach a go. | 1,267,235 |
Prior to Bryan Singer returning to the X-Men franchise, X-Men: Days of Future Past director Matthew Vaughn was set to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past based on a treatment he’d written with writing partner Jane Goldman. However Vaughn would leave the project allowing for Singer to head back to the franchise he’d created.
While on the promotional tour for Kingsman: The Secret Service, we asked Vaughn about the decision to leave X-Men: Days of Future Past and what he made of the final project.
“It was a hard decision, I was in love with both projects,” Vaughn told us. “I wrote the treatment for X-Men [Days of the Future Past] but the script took forever to come in. And then I wrote [Kingsman: The Secret Service] in the meantime. It was actually a mixture of necessity as I was terrified another ‘fun spy movie’ would come out. Because I was thinking, ‘why has no one already done this? It seems so obvious’ – and so I thought, ‘do you know what’s going to happen? Someone will do it’. And I was right, you have Spy coming out, Grimsby, Man from U.N.C.L.E. – the ‘more fun spy movies’ are coming, and I wanted to be the first.”
“So I asked Fox if they could put back Days of Future Past and they said ‘absolutely not’,” he continued “And so I said, ‘alright, I’m going to do Kingsman then’. You know, X-Men is not my franchise, it really is Bryan [Singer]’s. Bryan let me play with his toys and I had the time of my life, rearranged them a bit and then handed them back.”
Vaughn then told us that he’d seen the movie, and that he really liked it.
“Do you know what, I thought it was really well done,” he said. “I was a little bit worried for me directing it because, time travel is so hard to pull off. And I think they all did a brilliant job. And Quicksilver was just genius – and that was Bryan, nothing to do with me.”
Kingsman: The Secret Service is set for release on February 13th in the UK and features a cast that includes Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Taron Egerton (The Smoke), Samuel L. Jackson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Michael Caine (The Dark Knight Rises), Mark Strong (Kick-Ass), Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Sofia Boutella (StreetDance 2) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). | 1,267,236 |
Seems Bernie Sanders’ support among ‘young voters’ has dropped sharply … ruh-roh Bernie Bros!
Dan Crenshaw explained why he believes this is happening and he even used small words so Bernie could keep up.
He’s a giver.
Maybe because my generation realizes Sanders’ policies are a false promise backed by impossible federal spending levels…? Can’t buy off young people with “free” everything. We know better. https://t.co/b423mxLUWf — Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) May 14, 2019
Well, MOST of us know better.
A young capitalist like Dan owning an old socialist like Bernie … *sigh*
Doesn’t get much better than that.
If that headline is true:
1) he's toast
2) where'd they go? To Biden??? — Tex Lovera (@texlovera) May 14, 2019
We have no idea. Maybe over to Trump?
Heh.
Kids need an honest education, not platitudes from a democrat who can’t back up anything he says with anything coherent. — whatshisname (@avalanche96) May 14, 2019
And c’mon, Bernie is like some creepy Muppet at this point.
Sanders popularity in 2016 was that he was not Hillary. — Michael E Embry (@miembry) May 14, 2019
Which doesn’t say a whole lot for Bernie, now does it?
And he sure as heck doesn't have the support of older working voters who were expected to pay for all that free stuff. Good riddance! — Mike Smith (@m_smitty2) May 14, 2019
#GitOffOurLawn
He only shows up when it’s time to campaign for president, otherwise totally ineffective as a Senator — Beth Dexter (@bethrocketcity1) May 14, 2019
He’s too busy driving around in his fancy sports car between his three houses.
Perhaps some of the young figured out there is no such things as 'free' and it costs them, too. — Alex Lekas (@TheAlexLekas) May 14, 2019
Damn, we hope so.
Related:
WOW: Kevin Corke’s thread of deets from Barr’s Russia probe investigation proves ‘sh*t just GOT REAL’ (hint: John Durham!)
Oh HELL YEAH! Father of teen girls Rep. Brian Sims threatened and bullied comes out SWINGING and it is SO on
BOO and YAH! Trey Gowdy drops a WHOLE lotta Steele dossier truth on John Brennan and James Comey and it’s BRUTAL (watch) | 1,267,237 |
with the filmmakers. “I was like, First things first: can’t do that, no one wants to see that, not doing that,” she recalls. And while she’s happy to rock a cleavage-baring deep-V neckline in photos, she will not show side boob in real life. “Photos are a controlled environment. I would not walk around with it.”
What Portia (her character in Admission) and Liz Lemon represent is a bulwark of sanity against the ocean of nuttiness that is show business or the college-application process. Rationality, more than social ineptitude, is the characteristic that seems most like Fey. At Saturday Night Live, where she rose to be head writer, and at 30 Rock, Fey revealed herself to be remarkably levelheaded. Her comedy often works the corner where common sense and absurdity meet. One of the most beloved parts of her memoir, Bossypants, is her prayer for her daughter, which includes the request “First, Lord: no tattoos. May neither the Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.” Fey is less the clown than she is the grownup, the shepherd, the magnetic rod that can gather all the crazy around her into a working whole.
(REVIEW: You’re Not the Boss of Her: Tina Fey’s Memoir)
Does having so many women identify with her make Fey nervous about living up to expectations? Um, no. It’s not slowing her down either. She wouldn’t mind writing another book. She and Richmond have announced plans to make a Broadway musical version of her 2004 film, Mean Girls. Sometime in the future, she is contractually obliged to come up with a new show for NBC. She knows exactly what she wants it to be: a hit, something squillions of people watch. Apart from that, the details are a bit fuzzy: she’d like it to be funny and, ideally, clever. But she’s not afraid of failure. “You’re going to take some swings and misses, and you can’t be afraid of it,” she says. “You can’t get paralyzed by ‘It has to be perfect.'”
Perhaps the biggest challenge in Fey’s future will be that newfound work-life balance. She has thrived under pressure. What if doing nothing proves to be an unbearable strain? What if tending to the digestive tracts of small creatures and test-driving the TV remote send her over the edge? “I don’t foresee a heroin-filled future,” she says. But then she pauses. “I could be wrong,” she adds. “It could take a turn.”
MORE: Style&Design Spring 2013 Issue | 1,267,238 |
BEMIDJI, Minn. – Bemidji State University defenseman Ruslan Pedan signed a two-year contract with HC Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League, foregoing his final year of collegiate eligibility. The Moscow, Russia native will stay home and begin his professional hockey career.
“Ruslan made an big impact on our team as a freshman and has been a consistent defensman for us since,” said BSU Head Coach Tom Serratore. “He is a big, physical player who logged a lot of minutes for us the past three seasons. He will leave a hole on our blueline, but that also provides an opportunity for another player to step in, gain experience and play a more significant role for us in 2016-17.”
Pedan appeared in all 39 games for the Beavers in 2015-16, marking the third consecutive season he has seen action in every one of BSU’s games. He registered nine points (3g-6a) and led the team in plus/minus rating for the second straight season (+12). He matched a career-high two goals Jan. 15, leading BSU to a 5-0 victory over Arizona State University and BSU was a perfect 6-0-0 when he recorded an assist. Pedan ranked second on the team with 58 blocked shots, was second among BSU blueliners with 64 shots on goal and led the team with 46 penalty-minutes.
Pedan wrapped up his sophomore campaign with 10 points (3g-7a) and posted a +11 plus/minus rating to tie for the team’s lead.
As a freshman in 2013-14, Pedan earned WCHA All-Rookie Team honors after collecting a career-best 13 points (3g-10a) in 38 games.
Pedan accumulated 32 career points (9g-23a) in three seasons and 115 games in the Green and White.
In addition, Pedan was a two-time member of the WCHA All-Academic Team and earned honors as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete in 2015-16.
Bemidji State opens its 2016-17 season Oct. 7-8 when it hosts Bowling Green State University at Sanford Center.
HC Sochi finished the 2015-16 KHL season fourth in the Western Conference (30-16-14) but was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by Minsk Dynamo.
Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
--bsu-- | 1,267,239 |
Last Saturday, those that attended the Treasure Chest Fest at Green Flash were treated to a truly successful and marvelous event. In its fourth year, benefiting breast cancer charities, a small beer fest has grown into a national campaign including actual festivals here and on the site of their future Virginia Beach brewery.
As this is Green Flash’s flagship rare beer event, 19 barrel aged and one off cask beers awaited us. One of the many reasons this event stands out from a typical beer fest, 11 phenomenal San Diego restaurants made pairing dishes; expertly matching the flavor strength of this brewery’s craft beer. Intermixed with the serving stations, many local vendors were present for your shopping pleasure.
As well managed as I’ve ever seen an event, I noticed several components that were improvements over last year. First, ventilation; I cannot thank Green Flash enough for the amount of giant, industrial fans moving the air around inside the brewery. It was very comfortable inside despite being a hot day. The demonstration area at the front of the brewery offered several tables to sit at and spread the serving sites out, helping with congestion in the back of the building. Water was everywhere, ice cold, delicious water. The quality and quantity of water stations is often an afterthought, but that was not the case here. Most impressive was the growth and maturity of the sour/funky/barrel program.
The 3 variations of Little Freak, the one off Treasure Chest beer and a few other beers really showed a great level of tartness without being too acidic. I found the boysenberry version of Little Freak to be most pleasing but the cherry gave it a run for its money. Hands down, the Sour Blonde was my favorite beer of the day. Crisp, clean, tart and refreshing; I found it necessary to inspect this beer 3 or 4 times for quality assurance. In discussing this remarkable beer with Mr. Silva, I was elated to hear they have long term goals to keep brewing this beer and possibly blend it into their first geuze someday.
On the food side of the event, 3 dishes stood out and should be mentioned. The lamb, whatever he called it, from Carntias Shack Shack (pictured above) was amazing and required two samples to confirm its awesomeness. Pizza Port, in a move of pure genius, served vanilla iced cream with bourbon on top. Certainly not least, Waypoint made a terrific duck confit salad.
To reiterate, this was an amazing event; the fact that we were also doing good just put the cherry on the cake. That’s an old saying, we should change it to cherry on the Old Fashioned or something. Wait, I just suggested changing an old saying to something that actually has old in the saying? I barely took any pictures because I was actually enjoying the festival and the company of my wife and friends. Thank you to Green Flash for having me, I truly enjoyed the day! | 1,267,240 |
the roar. Imagine the Hammersmith flyover, but hot, jazzy and smothered in street art.
The upper grid of Treme doesn't have so many official attractions, but the atmosphere is better, and the houses astonishing – this one in hot pink, that one covered in parrots, bearing a proud sign that its restoration is funded by the people of Qatar. Round the corner on Dumaine Street is a pristine Banksy of a little girl standing on a stool, looking at a rat.
Best yet, carry on up Orleans Avenue and at 2301 you'll find Dooky Chase (dookychaserestaurant.com), the soul food restaurant Barack Obama ate at on his four-hour trip to the city in 2008. (Ray Charles namechecks it in Early in the Morning.) Next year is its 70th anniversary, and the 70th year of rustling up gumbo for head chef Leah, 87. (Her first words to the future president were: "You're too frail, baby – I have to fatten you up.")
If that's not open, head to Willie Mae's Scotch House at 2401 Saint Ann Street, less smart but no less of a institution, with a similarly venerable chef (94-year-old Willie Mae Seaton, though she retired from full-time service in 2005).
Ernie K-Doe's Mother-In-Law Lounge. Photograph: Alamy
If you're still going, and it's Wednesday, head back towards Louis Armstrong Park and the Candle Light Lounge at 925 North Robertson, where you'll find the Treme Brass Band. Failing that, Ernie K Doe's Mother-In-Law Lounge (k-doe.com/lounge.shtml) at 1500 North Claiborne Avenue is open seven days a week, despite the death of its soul singer founder in 2001 (he's sadly best known in Britain as the composer of Here Come the Girls, from the Boots ad). It keeps erratic hours, and customers are frequently invited to pour their own drinks and bring their own crawfish from the shack across the street. A museum showcases Ernie's hits, with a life-size waxwork of the man himself. It's unique, almost halluncinatory, yet if one thing captures the soul of Treme as perfectly as Simon's show, it's this place.
• Flights to New Orleans cost from around £438 return from Heathrow through kayak.com. The House on Bayou Road (2275 Bayou Road; +1 504 945 0992, houseonbayouroad.com; doubles from $135 B&B) is a former plantation house dating from the 18th century. Artist Edgar Degas stayed at 2306 Esplanade Ave in the 1870s – it is now Degas House (+1 504 821 5009, degashouse.com; doubles from $149 B&B) | 1,267,241 |
MGM Resorts International expands solar array, now nation’s largest
Special to the Sun
The nation’s largest rooftop solar array is now on the Las Vegas Strip.
After expanding a rooftop solar array atop the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, MGM Resorts International announced on Wednesday that its roughly 26,000 solar panels that span 28 acres set a record as the largest rooftop array in the United States.
At full production, the system will provide Mandalay Bay 25-percent of its energy.
MGM Resorts has been active in pushing for renewables and has emerged as a player in debates over Nevada’s energy policy. The company plans to pay about $87 million to leave NV Energy’s service in October and purchase power from an alternative provider.
MGM Resorts also contributed $10,000 to the Energy Choice Initiative, a ballot measure to end NV Energy’s exclusive control over the power supply.
MGM Resorts’ Mandalay Bay array, built by NRG Energy, was first unveiled in 2014 at an event that included U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. Through the second-phase expansion announced on Wednesday, MGM Resorts and NRG Energy added about 5,000 additional solar panels. The rooftop solar array stretches about 28 acres across the roof.
“The expansion of our rooftop solar installation at Mandalay Bay significantly advances our resort’s commitment to being a leading sustainable destination for conferences and conventions,” Chuck Bowling, Mandalay Bay’s president and chief operating officer said in a media release. “Utilizing energy produced from a renewable resource is a cornerstone of our comprehensive strategy of sustainable operations.”
According to the release, the 8.3-megawatt solar array will produce enough electricity to power 1,340 U.S. homes for one year and offset enough carbon to take more than 1,700 cars off the road. It is the largest solar array in the nation, according to Greentech Media, which researches the renewable energy market. MGM Resorts has said that the solar array, which began operating in the fall of 2014, has helped it stabilize electricity prices and reduce the amount of energy it pulls from the grid during times of high demand.
“Companies like MGM Resorts are driving an evolution in America’s energy mix as they seek cleaner sources of power that provide more certainty over energy costs,” Craig Cornelius, a senior vice president at NRG Energy said. “The solar array atop Mandalay Bay is stunning in its scope and functionality, and we’re thrilled to have MGM as a partner.”
In addition to MGM Resorts, several other casino operators on the Strip are exploring alternative energy sources. Las Vegas Sands is currently the main financial backer of the Energy Choice Initiative and Wynn Resorts plans to leave NV Energy’s service in the fall. | 1,267,242 |
A cyclist who was injured after being struck from behind by a truck in West Vancouver in June of 2017 has filed lawsuits against both the driver of the truck and ICBC.
Cyclist Eric Latta is suing the driver and ICBC, saying their negligence caused the accident, which left him seriously injured, causing pain and suffering and loss of income.
article continues below
In separate lawsuits filed the same day, Latta is also suing ICBC for “medical, rehabilitation and disability benefits” incurred to date, which he claims the insurance corporation has refused to pay.
Latta filed the civil claims in B.C. Supreme Court Nov. 27.
Latta states in both lawsuits that he was cycling westbound on Bellevue Avenue in West Vancouver near the intersection of 19th Avenue on June 10, 2017 when he was struck by a vehicle “owned and negligently driven” by either William McEachnie or an unknown person.
That negligence may have included failing to yield, following too closely, driving without due care and attention, speeding, driving without proper brakes, driving while using an electronic device, driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs or fatigue and/or driving without proper corrective lenses, according to Latta’s statement of claim.
As a result of the accident, Latta suffered fractured ribs, a herniated disk in his neck, injuries to his back, hips, pelvis, hand and ankle, whiplash, and a concussion resulting in headaches, nausea and problems with sleep, memory and concentration, according to the lawsuit.
The cyclist is seeking damages for pain and suffering, loss of income and costs of future care as well as costs of medication and rehabilitation expenses.
In one of the lawsuits – which only names ICBC – Latta claims he has already asked ICBC to pay for medical, rehabilitation and disability benefits but the insurance corporation has refused to pay them, “despite having been provided with the appropriate documentation required to substantiate the claim,” according to the suit.
None of the allegations in the statements of claim have been proven in court and no responses to the lawsuit have been filed as of Wednesday.
The criminal trial for McEachnie, charged with one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving bodily harm, was held this fall in North Vancouver provincial court.
In that trial, Latta testified he was just minutes from home following a three-and-a-half hour triathlon training ride to Richmond and back when the crash happened.
The Crown’s case hinges on proving that McEachnie was the one driving his truck at the time, that he knew he had injured someone and that he fled the scene in an attempt to escape liability, according to the prosecutor.
McEachnie has testified he was not behind the wheel on the night of the crash.
A verdict in the case is expected in January. | 1,267,243 |
The number of employees earning the minimum wage will double to more than 10% of the UK workforce by the end of this parliament, according to new research.
A study published on Thursday by the Resolution Foundation, timed to coincide withthe 20p an hour increase in the minimum wage, found that the decision by George Osborne to lift the statutory pay floor through a national living wage would result in a sharp increase in the numbers of people having their wages set by the state.
The Resolution Foundation said only one in 50 employees were being paid the minimum wage after it was set at a cautiously low level by Tony Blair’s government in 1999.
In the years since, the number of workers earning the minimum wage has risen to one in 20, but is now set to increase to one in nine by 2020, or 3.2 million people.
Adam Corlett, the Resolution Foundation’s economic analyst, said: “Over a million workers will get a welcome pay rise today as a result of the latest increase in the minimum wage.
“Today’s 20p rise is relatively conservative given the strength of the labour market, but most of those on the minimum – and many just above it – will get a far bigger increase in April as a result of the national living wage announced in the budget.
“The new ambition shown by the chancellor is welcome. But it will mean that around one in seven private sector workers will have their pay directly set by government by 2020. Given the scale of the change, government must now work closely with the Low Pay Commission and employers to ensure the policy is a success. It’s also important that businesses offer low-paid staff more opportunities for promotion and progression so that they don’t get stuck on the wage floor.”
The Resolution Foundation report found that in some regions – the north-east, East Midlands and Wales – one in seven workers would be on the minimum wage by 2020. In the hospitality sector, 40% of employees will be earning the wage, while women and older workers are also particularly likely to be affected.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday confirmed that the economy grew by 0.7% in the second quarter of 2015, with household living standards rising at the fastest rate in five years.
Surveys published on Thursday by two business groups provide differing views on the economy’s prospects. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said both manufacturing and service companies had suffered from dampened growth in recent months and the outlook was for moderate growth over the next year. John Longworth, the BCC’s director general, said the results of its economic survey for the third quarter of 2015 were “somewhat disappointing”.
The CBI was more upbeat. Despite a slight slowdown detected by its monthly growth indicator, the employers’ organisation said firms were upbeat and expected strong expansion over the coming months.
| 1,267,244 |
NORFOLK, Va. - When the Conference USA preseason poll was released, only two teams were projected to finish higher than Old Dominion in the league standings. Those two teams? Marshall and Western Kentucky.
This weekend, ODU opens conference play with two quality opponents. Those two teams? Marshall and Western Kentucky.
The Monarchs enter Thursday’s contest vs. Marshall, the defending C-USA champion, on an eight-game win-streak. ODU's last loss came on Nov. 19. Old Dominion is a perfect 7-and-0 at home this season, but senior captain Ahmad Caver says none of that matters anymore.
"We haven't done anything yet," Caver told News 3. "10 wins in non-conference is a good accomplishment, but the real time is now. Here in conference, we'll figure out if we're really for real - if our team is willing to compete at both ends, every game."
"Even if people pick us to be the underdog, we'll take it," senior captain B.J. Stith said about the opportunity to face the two teams picked ahead of the Monarchs in the preseason poll. "We'll prove we are not the underdog. It gives us more fight, more grit and an edge to us."
The Monarchs rank second in the nation for holding teams to 35.2% shooting from the floor for the season. Old Dominion’s defense also ranks fourth in the country for scoring defense, allowing just 56.5 points per game. ODU turns the ball over just 10.8 times per game, which ranks 29th in the country.
The Herd won the C-USA Tournament last season and won its first-round NCAA matchup against No. 4 seeded Wichita State. Marshall is led by the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, Jon Elmore, who is averaging 19.2 points per game, followed by teammate C.J. Burks, who is going for 17.5 ppg. The Herd enters Thursday night’s contest with a 7-and-6 overall record, while averaging 80.6 points per outing.
“Our fans have a reputation of being very supportive,” ODU head coach Jeff Jones said. “You throw in the fact that these are our first conference games and they were picked ahead of us, we really need our fans to come out in full force to support this team. Let’s make it the best environment in Conference USA by a mile. Let’s help these young guys so that while they’re playing this really difficult schedule, we can get every possible win towards fighting to be in the NCAA tournament.”
Tip-off between ODU and Marshall is set for 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The Monarchs host Western Kentucky Saturday at 7:00 p.m. | 1,267,245 |
Die Antwoord
A video has surfaced that shows an alleged homophobic exchange between South African hip-hop group Die Antwoord and Andy Butler of dance act Hercules and Love Affair. In the clip, Ninja appears to physically hit Butler while Yolandi repeatedly calls him homophobic slurs.
The video first surfaced on August 4th, as noted by Resident Advisor. It was reportedly filmed in 2012 at Future Music Festival in Australia by Ben Crossman, the band’s former videographer. While the footage is shaky and dark, Ninja and Yolandi can be easily identified. Ninja appears to spit on Butler and attempts to shove him. As Butler runs away, the two follow, with Yolandi hurling homophobic threats his way like “Run, faggot, run” and “Oh my god, faggots are fighting. This is the cutest thing.” Ninja then turns to the camera and claims that Butler sexually assaulted Yolandi by feeling her up in a bathroom. Eventually Die Antwoord find festival employees to retell their side of the story. As Yolandi cries, Ninja laughs, saying, “She’s like Marilyn Monroe, this is Oscar Award Wining [stuff]…”
To anyone wondering what the ‘unforeseen circumstances’ are… Turns out @DieAntwoord are just a bunch of vile humans https://t.co/2ZMCjHmYHr pic.twitter.com/xampCXTa5b — nziokie (@nziokie_) August 18, 2019
Over the weekend, Ninja responded to the video on Facebook. In the post, he claims that the clip was edited by the former cameraman to frame them as instigating a fight when, allegedly, they were actually retaliating for something Butler did to them. At one point in his response, Ninja says Butler told them, “You need to get slapped through the face with my dick.”
“Ben has cleverly edited this video clip to make it seem like me and ¥o-landi commited a hate crime towards a person because they are gay,” the statement reads. “However Ben beat up the guy from Hercules himself while filming this same video clip. This was just a fight with someone who fucked with us. Not a hate crime. This fight had nothing to with the fact that this guy was gay. We dont care about people’s sexual preference. Our DJ and best friend DJ HITEK is gay, and alot of people in our crew are gay.”
Despite Die Antwoord’s explanation, the group has been dropped from several upcoming festivals, including Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville and Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas. As of right now, Die Antwoord is still scheduled to perform at Riot Fest next month.
Find his full Facebook statement below. | 1,267,246 |
developments, as well as learning about the range of areas of mathematics study. For many of the profiles, there were compelling stories told by mathematicians about their early lives, which for me spurred new ideas about how we develop as ‘mathematical persons’. It has spawned research on deeper understanding of the role of family members in mathematicians’ development, for example. (So many mathematicians tell stories about uncles and aunts exposing them to mathematics!). It is here where one can see the impact of particular institutions, which over generations demonstrate an admirable capacity to develop, hone, and support mathematicians’ talents. And it is here where one can trace the influence of influential mentors and teachers, who direct and affect the careers of their students and their students’ students.
Without MAD, it would have been much harder to engage in my major program of research that has emerged over the last decade. It, for many years until very recently, was the only place where one could look up the term “Black mathematician” and see that there were numerous people who fit that description. Although we don’t have empirical evidence about how many schoolchildren and other students used the website for research of this type, I suspect that it was a substantial number.
With the new MAD website it is my hope that the spirit of MAD lives on – as an important living and breathing space for the documentation of historical and contemporary events that captures the essence of the triumphs and travails of Black mathematicians in the US and around the world. And I hope we are able to capture impressions of who visits the website, and why. As a teaching tool about mathematics, history, the meanings of what it is to be a mathematician, and how to inspire others to participate in the world of mathematics MAD is unparalleled. It has significant interdisciplinary reach—addressing those with interests in history, sociology, policy as well as mathematics. Professor Scott Williams has done a great service for all of us in mathematics and mathematics education—and beyond—with this incredible resource.
Erica N Walker
Professor of Mathematics Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
===================
[1] Mathematicians of the African Diaspora Website [On-line]. Available: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/myths_lies.html
[2] ibid
[3] The Measure of Intelligence, Lewis Terman. The Riverside Press, 1916. Available: https://psychaanalyse.com/pdf/THE_MEASUREMENT_OF_INTELLIGENCE.pdf
[4] Multiplication is for White People: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children, Lisa Delpit, The New Press, 2012.
[Editor’s note: Readers will also want to explore Mathematically Gifted & Black: http://mathematicallygiftedandblack.com/] | 1,267,247 |
Steven Spielberg is set to pocket $187million from his five per cent share in Dreamworks after the animation studio was bought by Comcast
Steven Spielberg may already be one of the richest filmmakers on the planet, but his pockets got a little bit deeper on Thursday.
The Jaws and E.T. director is in line for a payout of $187million after entertainment giant Comcast, which owns the likes of NBC and Universal Pictures, agreed to buy Dreamworks for $3.8billion.
Spielberg collected the cash haul because he still owns a five per cent stake in the animation studio he helped found in 1994, which has produced films such as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda.
The payout could have been a lot smaller, but stock in Dreamworks jumped 50 per cent in the 24 hours before the deal with Comcast was announced after it was rumored by the Wall Street Journal.
While the windfall will bump Spielberg up a few places on the Forbes Rich List, where he currently occupies the number 453 slot, it will do little to change his standing among the wealthiest directors.
Spielberg comfortably occupies the number three slot among filmmakers with an estimated fortune of $3.6billion, according to Forbes.
That still puts him $1.4billion behind second-place George Lucas, who has amassed a fortune of $5billion after selling his Star Wars franchise to Disney, and Arnon Milchan, worth $5.2billion.
Milchan's New Regency Films created Oscar winners The Big Short, The Revenant and Birdman.
Comcast's deal means it will acquire characters such as Po, from the Kung Fu Panda series, the penguins from Madagascar, and Trolls, the 90s collectible figures set to get their own film.
Dreamworks, which is headquartered in California (pictured), was established in 1994 by Spielberg along with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen
Those individual money-makers could be as vital to Comcast's expansion plans as the films themselves, as the company looks to rival the likes of Disney with is merchandising operation.
NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke stressed as much in a statement, saying: 'DreamWorks will help us grow our film, television, theme parks and consumer products businesses for years to come.'
In a separate interview, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, he discussed the company's plans to open a theme park in Beijing.
He said: 'How great will it be to have "Kung Fu Panda" in our park when Beijing opens?'
The other big individual winner from the sale of Dreamworks is Jeffrey Katzenberg, responsible for the day-to-day running of the picture-house, who owned an 11 per cent stake.
Including incentives to step aside from the company he treasured, Katzenberg is believed to have walked away with a payout close to $420million, the New York Times reports. | 1,267,248 |
FCC commissioner Michael O'Rielly says beating the rest of the world to 5G is a primary personal goal, and that winning is even more important than the benefits of the technology.
O'Rielly's Vince Lombardi-like focus on victory--Lombardi famously said "winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”--was relayed in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute Thursday (April 19).
Related: FCC To Launch 5G Spectrum Auctions
Why is winning in 5G so important? "It’s not because this is the shiny new technology that can bring stated benefits of higher wireless speeds, lower latency, increased capacity, and many other features, although that is likely all true," he said. "Instead, it’s about a global race to be the first among many competing nations to 5G. As a regulator, a term I abhor [he is a strong deregulatory second to the proposals of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai], this is generally not our primary mission, but here, the ramifications are so significant, and our functions are so germane, that it has become a primary focus of mine."
That is because O'Rielly sees losing that race as meaning the U.S. would be dictated to by foreign powers, "many of which can’t be fully trusted, don’t believe in capitalism, don’t believe in freedom, don’t believe in fair play, don’t believe in the role of the individual over the government, and rebuke American leadership."
He did not name them, but was probably not referring to Finland. In fact, a study released this week showed that China is leading the race to 5G.
he said the U.S. was not trying to dictate industrial policy, just make sure it was not being dictated to.
O'Rielly cited the FCC vote two days ago on auction procedures for new 5G spectrum in the 25 and 28 GHz bands, but said the FCC also needed to set a timetable for the next auction (37 and 39 GHz) so wireless companies could prepare. "Did we not learn anything after the 600 MHz incentive auction? Indeed, companies have balance sheets, debt-equity ratios, and responsibilities to shareholders, and they need the requisite time to plan."
O'Rielly is on the same page as Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel when it comes to giving auction bidders plenty of notice. At the FCC's April 17 meeting approving the auction procedures, she advised the FCC to pu tit in writing.
"Let’s publish a calendar that states clearly to the entire wireless ecosystem—from existing providers to new spectrum interests to manufacturers and consumers—just when and how the FCC will auction new airwaves to support 5G services," she said. "That is what leadership entails. That is what we need to do." | 1,267,249 |
German man charged over WW2 Oradour massacre in France Published duration 8 January 2014 Related Topics World War Two
image copyright Reuters image caption The ruins of the village have been preserved just as they were after the massacre
An 88-year-old German man has been charged with involvement in one of the most infamous World War Two massacres.
The charges relate to Oradour-sur-Glane in central France, where 642 people were murdered by SS troops in 1944.
Many were herded into a local church into which hand grenades were thrown before it was set on fire.
Prosecutors in Dortmund said the man had been charged over the murder of 25 people and with aiding and abetting the murder of several hundred.
The ruins of the village have been preserved just as they were after the massacre, as a permanent memorial.
French leader General Charles de Gaulle said it should be a reminder of the cruelty of the Nazi occupation.
Some 60 soldiers were brought to trial in the 1950s. Twenty of them were convicted but all were later released.
Doused in petrol
German investigators said last year they had opened a new inquiry into the massacre.
On Wednesday, the regional court in Cologne said: "The prosecutor's office in Dortmund has charged an 88-year-old from Cologne over the murder of 25 people committed by a group, and with aiding and abetting the murder of several hundred people."
The man was named in documents as Werner C, a former member of an SS armoured division who was 19 at the time.
His lawyer, Rainer Pohlen, told the Associated Press news agency his client was at the village but had nothing to do with the massacre.
Dortmund state prosecutor Andreas Brendel said the accused was among six men still facing possible prosecution.
On 10 June 1944, a detachment of SS troops had surrounded the tiny hamlet in the Limousin region.
media caption Oradour-sur-Glane was left untouched following the 1944 massacre
It is believed by some that they were seeking retribution for the kidnap of a German officer but some say that resistance members were based in a different, nearby village.
Most of the victims were women and children.
The men had been locked in a barn. Machine-gunners shot at their legs, then doused them in petrol and set them alight.
The landmark 1970s documentary series, The World at War, both begins and ends with references to Oradour-sur-Glane.
Last September German President Joachim Gauck travelled to the village and joined hands with one of the survivors and with French President Francois Hollande, as a sign of reconciliation.
image copyright AFP image caption General Charles de Gaulle said the village should be a reminder of the cruelty of the Nazi occupation
image copyright Getty Images image caption Some 60 soldiers were brought to trial in the 1950s | 1,267,250 |
Elon Musk has released the first teaser image of Tesla’s electric pickup truck, which he describes as a ‘cyberpunk’ truck and inspired by Blade Runner.
As we reported earlier today, Tesla unveiled a ‘one more thing’ last night but everyone missed it.
Tesla reportedly flashed an image on the main screen as everyone was heading in the back of the room for the Model Y test rides.
It was rumored to be a teaser for the electric pickup, which Musk has now confirmed.
Last year, Musk bewildered many when he said that the Tesla Pickup Truck will have a ‘really futuristic-like cyberpunk Blade Runner’ design.
Today, he pointed out that Tesla played the end titles from Blade Runner played after the Model Y webcast ended and unveiled the teaser image of the Tesla Pickup:
About a minute in, we flashed a teaser pic of Tesla cyberpunk truck pic.twitter.com/hLsGsdyuGA — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 16, 2019
It is the very first official image of the Tesla Pickup Truck other than a previous pickup version of the Tesla Semi, which has never been clearly slated for production.
This new truck is something that Tesla actually wants to do and unveil later this year.
Here’s another version of the image with modified exposure to have a better idea of the shape:
Musk has previously said that the vehicle is his favorite of all Tesla’s current new vehicle programs, but he thinks that it “may be too futuristic for most people.”
Aside from the design, which we are starting to know more about with this image, we already know quite a bit about the Tesla Pickup Truck’s specs after Musk sought suggestions about the vehicle in development and shared some of the targeted specs.
He talked about it being a 6-seater “big truck” with an option for 400 to 500 miles of range, “maybe higher”.
It is set to be unveiled later this year, but the actual timeline to production is still unclear.
Electrek’s Take
To be honest, I’m not sure what I’m looking at. Is it the bed of the truck? Is the front end? I am not sure.
Please enlightened me in the comment section below.
Maybe it’s just a bad teaser, but I am starting to understand Elon’s comment about maybe the Tesla truck being too futuristic for most people.
That said, it sounds like they are still doing it. When it comes to delivering great products, Tesla has a pretty good track record.
We will see…
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast. | 1,267,251 |
In the 2000s, Moscow became disillusioned over its desire to become part of the extended Euro-Atlantic community: Its pleas to be treated as an equal by the United States did not impress Washington, and its demands that its national security interests be respected were ignored in the process of NATO enlargement. And so from the early 2010s, the Kremlin started charting a course that was clearly at odds with its earlier policies of Western integration.
With the Russian military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, the breakout from the post-Cold War, Western-dominated order was complete. The takeover of Crimea and support for separatism in Donbass did not presage a policy of reconquering Eastern Europe, as many in the West feared, but it clearly set Ukraine and other former Soviet republics off limits to any future NATO enlargement. The security buffer was back. If the use of force in Ukraine, from the Kremlin’s standpoint, was essentially defensive, Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015 was a risky gambit to decide geopolitical outcomes in the Middle East — a famously treacherous area for outsiders vacated by the Soviet Union at the time of the Persian Gulf war of 1991. Since then, the results of the military operation and diplomatic maneuvering have not only confounded early critics but also outdone even President Vladimir Putin’s own expectations.
Russia’s achievements in the Middle East go way beyond the success in Syria proper. Moscow benefits from flexible semi-alliances with Turkey and Iran, oil price arrangements with Saudi Arabia and newly revived military ties with Egypt. It is again a player of some consequence in Libya, a power to which many Lebanese look to help them hold their country together, and a would-be security broker between Iran and the Gulf States — all this while maintaining an intimate relationship with Israel.
Today, such a degree of involvement with the Middle East obviously stands out in the Russian foreign policy landscape. Tomorrow, this is unlikely to be an exception. Already for some time, Moscow, in parallel with Washington, has been pursuing a political settlement in Afghanistan. This requires maneuvering between Kabul and the Taliban; Pakistan and India; and China and the United States. Last month, Mr. Putin held court for 43 African leaders in Sochi; it was Russia’s first summit with a continent where Moscow advertises itself above all as a security partner.
The credibility of this claim is supported not only by the Syria experience but also by Russia’s political and material support for Nicholas Maduro in Venezuela, who is still holding on, despite being declared illegal almost a year ago by some 50 nations led by the United States. Cuba, again under pressure by the Trump administration, is strengthening its ties with Russia, as demonstrated by the recent twin visits to Havana by Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev and to Russia by President Miguel Diaz-Carnel. Besides Latin America’s leftist regimes, Moscow is reaching out to Brazil (a fellow BRICS member), Argentina and Mexico. | 1,267,252 |
the museum.
AD
AD
These problems can in turn affect visitors’ experiences.
“Have you gone into a museum where it feels electric? That’s because staff are energized, they are empowered and the visitor totally benefits,” Anderson said.
Current and former employees say the problems persist because the gallery’s haphazard handling of complaints. Colleagues in one department, for example, said they described the same problems at their exit interviews, and yet the personnel officer acted as if the complaints were new. Curator Andrew Robison was allowed to retire in 2016 following multiple sexual harassment complaints, according to three employees. The gallery spokeswoman said it cannot comment on personnel matters.
Robison said a complaint was filed after he criticized “a female staff member because of her deportment toward others.” He denied there were previous complaints.
“It had nothing to do with sexual aggressiveness or anything like that,” he said. “She was a troublemaker. This was long before the #MeToo stuff.”
Robison, who was senior curator of prints and drawings, still returns to the museum to work on his own projects. “He was allowed back in the department, around the women who accused him,” said Sarah Holley, who retired in January after 17 years in various departments, including communications. “Things like that make you feel small.”
Robison said he gets no special access but works in the library and print study room, which are open to the public by appointment.
Holley is among several insiders who say the new director must advocate for an inspector general, as is common with many federal agencies, including the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives and the National Endowment for the Arts. An inspector general would provide oversight, protect the gallery from fraud and other abuses, and ensure uniform handling of personnel issues, they say. Employees of the National Gallery have pushed for this office for decades, to no avail.
No matter who gets the nod, the next leader of Washington’s premier art museum takes the helm at a time of major change in the cultural world. Museums, even ones that have significant government support, are complex organizations that require fundraising prowess, artful management and a vision for the future. Executives must navigate changing visitor tastes and increased competition for their attention, while simultaneously preserving an institution’s mission and engaging its strongest supporters.
“There’s change coming. Who is going to set you up for the next 10 years? Who is out there who can really connect with our public? The public is who we answer to, not to other museums or other journals that seven people read. That’s not what is sparking the imagination,” Sreenivasan said.
The job is made more difficult if the staff needs a morale boost, say the experts. | 1,267,253 |
news Optus is being forced to refund around $2.4 million to around 175,000 of its mobile customers following concerns by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) about the telco’s compliance with financial services laws.
In a statement, ASIC said these concerns were raised after Optus itself reported its failure to provide certain customers with a product disclosure statement and a financial services guide.
The breach affected customers who bought mobile phone insurance in stores or by telephone, and apparently occurred over a number of years.
“As a result, many customers may not have been aware of certain key features and limitations of the insurance that they purchased,” ASIC said.
ASIC made additional enquiries, after which Optus reported four further breaches.
In one, customers entitled to one month of free insurance under a promotional offer did not receive the bonus, and, in another, were incorrectly charged an insurance premium during a ‘rain-check’ period.
In the other two breaches, customers were not provided with the legally required information before purchasing an insurance policy over the telephone, and some were also
were issued the wrong cover.
In the latter case, the customers received ‘Device Insurance’ cover instead of the more favourable and less expensive ‘Yes Cover’.
ASIC said it was concerned that these breaches indicated that Optus had “inadequate” compliance systems and processes, citing the training, monitoring and supervision of staff as potential weak points.
Optus will now be writing to all customers who may have been affected by the breaches.
Where overcharging occurred, Optus “will take steps” to contact past customers and will compensate current customers via a direct credit to their accounts. Compensation will include interest, ASIC said.
Optus has also proposed to pay any sums owed to former customers who can’t be located to a charity that aims to boost financial literacy.
In response to ASIC’s concerns, Optus has further appointed an independent external firm to conduct a “comprehensive review” of its compliance procedures to “ensure ongoing compliance with its Australian financial services licence obligations”.
“It is important that when a business is licensed by ASIC to sell financial products to retail consumers, it ensures that it does so consistently with the representations it has made to consumers, and in compliance with the financial services laws,” Peter Kell, ASIC’s Deputy Chairman, said.
“Where consumers have suffered a detriment, it is important that remediation is undertaken, and that steps are taken to ensure that the business is operating in compliance with the relevant legal obligations,” he added.
ASIC advised consumers who purchased mobile phone insurance from Optus and who think they may be affected by the breaches to contact Optus on 1800 854 349.
Image credit: Optus | 1,267,254 |
NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The number of children who do not attend school is rising, child marriage has not dropped in decades and millions of young children will die mostly preventable deaths by 2030 if global poverty is not addressed, UNICEF said in a bleak report issued on Tuesday.
Poor children are twice as likely as rich children to die before age 5, and poor girls are more than twice as likely to become child brides in signs of troubling inequality, said the annual report by the United Nations’ children’s agency.
Noting some progress in halving global mortality rates for children under 5 since 1990 and boys and girls attending primary school in equal numbers in 129 countries, the report said such developments have been neither even nor fair, with repercussions for global turmoil.
“Some of the big challenges that we now face, like refugees and migrants, are connected with inequality and poverty,” Justin Forsyth, Undine’s deputy executive director, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Narrowing that inequity “is good for those children, but it’s also good to stop future crises,” he said.
The report called for stronger efforts to educate the world’s children, noting that on average each additional year of education a child receives increases her or his adult earnings by about 10 percent.
Also it said for each additional year of schooling completed on average by young adults, a nation’s poverty rate drops 9 percent.
About 124 million children do not go to primary and lower-secondary school, a number that has increased about 2 million since 2011, it said.
Children born to educated mothers are almost 3 times less likely to die and more likely to go to school, delay marriage and postpone child bearing, said the report, entitled “State of the World’s Children.”
The rate of child marriages among the world’s poorest girls has remained unchanged since about 1990, and 15 million girls are married as children every year, it said.
If nothing is done, it said 69 million children will die before age 5 from mostly preventable causes by 2030, and nearly of half of them will be from sub-Saharan Africa.
Nine out of ten children in the same region will be living in extreme poverty, which means living on less than $1.90 U.S. per day, it said.
Battling such poverty and equality and promoting education for children, particularly girls, were among the U.n.’ s Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals adopted last fall to tackle an array of global woes by 2030.
Educating children is particularly critical given the global conflicts fueled by decimalization, Forsyth added.
“There is a direct link between children for many, many years missing out on education and then the ability of more extremist elements to organize,” he said. | 1,267,255 |
Jim Goodwin was made a player-coach when Tommy Craig took over as St Mirren manager in the summer
Jim Goodwin admits his St Mirren career could be over if he finds himself in trouble with the Scottish FA again.
The Buddies player-coach is now free to return from a ban for elbowing Dundee United's Aidan Connolly, his second such charge in as many years.
"I hope the St Mirren fans give me one last chance and this will be the last chance because I've been well warned it can't happen again," said Goodwin.
"I take full responsibility for my actions, it's unacceptable."
Goodwin was not booked for the incident during the 3-0 win for United in November, but was later punished by the SFA.
And the 32-year-old added: "I apologise to everyone involved in our club and I apologise to young Connolly at United.
"It's something I've had to take on the chin and it's only me that can change it. There's probably one or two people out there who have lost patience with me and I hope the supporters here will give me one more chance to prove I can get that kind of thing out of my game.
"Hopefully I can help the team going forward rather than hinder them.
St Mirren manager Tommy Craig on signing players in January "If we can earmark players in certain positions I'm sure the board will give me the go-ahead to pursue them."
"It's one of those things, it's heat of the moment, I never go out to deliberately hurt an opponent. I'm a competitive-type player but what I've done off the ball is obviously unacceptable. I've let my emotions get the better of me."
The Paisley men are in Scottish Cup action on Tuesday night, in the replay against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Highlands following Saturday's 1-1 draw.
And Goodwin hopes to get a taste of the action.
"It's a competition that we'd love to go far in. It's a difficult game, they're unbeaten at home this season so far so we're well aware how hard it's going to be," he added.
"But on our day, when everyone's playing the way they can, we feel we're a match for anyone."
Tommy Craig's Buddies have started the season poorly and the manager revealed he should be able to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.
"If we can earmark players in certain positions I'm sure the board will give me the go-ahead to pursue them," he told BBC Scotland.
"A centre half would be the order of the day, another forward who can put the ball in the back of the net would be nice, and who knows, a midfielder. So you're looking at the three departments." | 1,267,256 |
The river rose dramatically due to weekend rains, prompting the city to issue a flood alert. View Full Caption City of Chicago
CHICAGO — The same rains that cooled down blistering temperatures and brought relief to most Chicagoans raised alarms for residents along the North Branch of the Chicago River.
On Sunday night, Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th) and Deb Mell (33rd) issued safety alerts to constituents in Albany Park and North Park, warning of a potential flood threat.
As a precautionary measure, residents within a block of the river were asked to relocate their vehicles in order to avoid damage from flood waters.
The river has been lying low most of the summer, barely topping a foot as recently as last Thursday. But with heavy storms on Saturday and Sunday, the river rose precipitously, climbing to five feet (considered "action" level) by Sunday morning and maxing out at 6.24 feet late Sunday.
Mell shared video of the rising waters via Twitter.
North branch river Albany Street. https://t.co/28NStbYkXC — Deb Mell (@debmell) July 25, 2016
Flood level is seven feet, which the river topped in 2008 and 2010. In April 2013, the river crested at 8.85 feet, causing massive flooding that saw some folks evacuated from their homes by boat in Albany Park and North Park.
Posting to its Facebook page, Albany Park Neighbors reported minimal impact "even in the areas near Eugene Field Park which traditionally flood."
The community group did note that the bike path through Eugene Field, between Central Park and Ridgeway, is blocked by concrete "jersey" barriers as a flood-prevention measure.
The jersey barriers are a stop-gap fix, announced in March, to protect the most vulnerable homes along the river while a stormwater diversion tunnel is under construction.
Designed as a passive system, the tunnel will make use of gravity to divert stormwater from the river, bypassing Albany Park, and moving it downstream to an outlet shaft that will spit the water into the North Shore Channel.
Eighteen feet in diameter and a mile long, the tunnel will run 150 feet under Foster Avenue.
The tunnel was proposed in 2013 and mobilization for construction is underway. Drilling of the tunnel is expected to commence in late summer or early fall and the project should be complete by the end of 2017.
Chicago River levels can be tracked online, with forecasts issued during times of high water. Current projections have the river falling to under two feet by mid-week.
RELATED:
Flood Wall Proposed While Albany Park Tunnel Under Construction
Construction Underway On Albany Park Storm Water Diversion Tunnel
What's With The Construction Fence At River Park? It's Gonna Be A Blast
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: | 1,267,257 |
ger by 828 votes. Bladen accounted for 56 percent of the absentee-by-mail ballots (456 of 811) cast in that primary despite being home to just 6 percent of those who voted — and Harris won 437 of those absentee-by-mail votes to Pittenger’s 17, a massive gap nowhere near either the absentee-by-mail results in other counties or the other results in Bladen. And in the 9th District’s 2016 Republican primary, 22 percent of the race’s absentee-by-mail ballots were cast in Bladen County. That time, they went disproportionately to Pittenger challenger Todd Johnson — he won a whopping 221 of Bladen’s 226 absentee-by-mail votes.
None of this necessarily means that there was wrongdoing in the North Carolina 9th. True voter fraud, remember, is quite rare. High levels of absentee-by-mail ballot requests and high candidate performance among those ballots could also be a function of strong get-out-the-vote programs run by the campaigns of Harris and Johnson. Still, given the irregularities in absentee-by-mail votes in Robeson and Bladen counties, we should take seriously the possibility that voter fraud occurred here.
If it did, the big question is whether fraud actually swung this incredibly close election. In Bladen County, where the evidence suggests that too many absentee-by-mail ballots were cast, only 684 absentee-by-mail ballots were accepted; they went for Harris 420-258. If fraudsters did indeed collect absentee-by-mail ballots in Bladen County in order to mark them off for Harris, it didn’t produce enough illegal votes to cancel out his 905-vote margin districtwide. But in Robeson County, 1,180 absentee-by-mail ballots that were requested were never returned. If some of those ballots were destroyed, that is a big enough number that McCready could theoretically have gained 906 votes — although it’s still unlikely. Plenty of absentee-by-mail ballots never get returned for one reason or another (lost in the mail, people get too busy, etc.), even in a normal election. But with 1,364 absentee-by-mail ballots cast between the two counties (679 for Harris), and 1,675 absentee-by-mail ballots requested and not returned, it may be impossible to conclude whether voter fraud across both counties changed the election outcome.
Where do we go from here? It’s unclear. If the state board of elections finds that fraud did indeed taint the results, it has the authority to call a new election — even if the fraud wasn’t widespread enough to change the winner. And according to the U.S. Constitution, the soon-to-be-Democratic House of Representatives has the final say on the qualifications of its members; it could theoretically refuse to seat Harris until it’s satisfied that he won fairly. | 1,267,258 |
Toryanse – 通りゃんせ – A traditional Japanese folk song
I love traditional folk songs that are linked to specific place. For the last 18 months I’ve been playing songs from Birmingham, as it was where I spent my first 20 years. My following 12 years, however, were spent in Japan. My wife is Japanese. My kids are half Japanese. Japan is where I’d be if I weren’t here in England.
Most people who visit Japan will vaguely recognise ‘Toryanse’ from a very specific everyday situation: crossing the road. Until I met my wife, I assumed it was just the tune that Japanese traffic lights played.
They have two tunes, the Japanese traffic lights: one that plays when you’re crossing in one direction, and another for the other direction. The other one is jolly. This one, ‘Toryanse’, always sounded to me like you were heading in the wrong direction.
Toryanse – 通りゃんせ by Jon Wilks
Years later, I discovered that I wasn’t entirely wrong. It’s a traditional song and one that seems to come as a warning. Here’s how it translates, roughly…
Let me pass, let me pass
What is this narrow pathway here?
This is the narrow pathway of the Tenjin Shrine
Please allow me to pass through
Those without good reason shall not pass
To celebrate this child’s seventh birthday,
We’ve come to dedicate our offering
Going there is fine, but to return is frightening
I am scared, but let me pass.
Let me pass...
According to Wikipedia, ‘Toryanse’ is thought to have been the portrayal of an exchange between a guard and a civilian at Kawagoe Castle in Saitama Prefecture. It’s unlikely that any traffic lights were involved.
Either way, the song has got under my skin over the years. I find the melody incredibly haunting (and the lyrics similarly so). I also find it very challenging to sing, and subsequently loved wandering around the fields near my house, trying to teach myself those intervals well enough to hit them while playing the fairly intricate guitar part.
For the guitarists out there, this arrangement of ‘Toryanse’ is performed in my usual tuning: CGCGCD. No capo, but – as you’ll see – the lowest G string occasional sneaks up to a G# (and then back down again – as the song says, going there is fine, but to return is frightening). Try it for yourself and see.
Please forgive the low-fi video and recording. I wanted to capture it all in one take. I hope I’ve done the song justice. | 1,267,259 |
GALVESTON, Texas – A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has uncovered why some people that have brain markers of Alzheimer’s never develop the classic dementia that others do. The study is now available in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, affects more than 5 million Americans. People suffering from Alzheimer’s develop a buildup of two proteins that impair communications between nerve cells in the brain - plaques made of amyloid beta proteins and neurofibrillary tangles made of tau proteins.
Intriguingly, not all people with those signs of Alzheimer’s show any cognitive decline during their lifetime. The question became, what sets these people apart from those with the same plaques and tangles that develop the signature dementia?
“In previous studies, we found that while the non-demented people with Alzheimer’s neuropathology had amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles just like the demented people did, the toxic amyloid beta and tau proteins did not accumulate at synapses, the point of communication between nerve cells,” said Giulio Taglialatela, director of the Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. “When nerve cells can’t communicate because of the buildup of these toxic proteins that disrupt synapse, thought and memory become impaired. The next key question was then what makes the synapse of these resilient individuals capable of rejecting the dysfunctional binding of amyloid beta and tau?”
In order to answer this question, the researchers used high-throughput electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to analyze the protein composition of synapses isolated from frozen brain tissue donated by people who had participated in brain aging studies and received annual neurological and neuropsychological evaluations during their lifetime. The participants were divided into three groups – those with Alzheimer’s dementia, those with Alzheimer’s brain features but no signs of dementia and those without any evidence of Alzheimer’s.
The results showed that resilient individuals had a unique synaptic protein signature that set them apart from both demented AD patients and normal subjects with no AD pathology. Taglialatela said that this unique protein make-up may underscore the synaptic resistance to amyloid beta and tau, thus enabling these fortunate people to remain cognitively intact despite having Alzheimer’s-like pathologies.
“We don’t yet fully understand the exact mechanism(s) responsible for this protection,” said Taglialatela. “Understanding such protective biological processes could reveal new targets for developing effective Alzheimer’s treatments.”
Other authors include UTMB’s Olga Zolochevska, Nicole Bjorklund, John Wiktorowicz and Randall Woltjer from Oregon Health and Science University. | 1,267,260 |
The head of Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs, has warned that the number of armed military police it has on duty is inadequate to deal with increasing terrorist threat levels.
In unusually forthright comments aimed at securing extra funding from the incoming government after the March election, the airport’s director, Jos Nijhuis, said that while there were already 1,800 military police stationed there, the current plan to add another 135 was still “inadequate”.
“Another 135 would simply put us at about the same level as in 2008 and 2009, but the reality is that both the number of passengers and the terrorism threat have increased sharply on what they were eight years ago – so action must be taken now,” he urged.
Mr Nijhuis calculated that the airport needed between 400 and 500 more officers to provide adequate security “in the light of increasing terrorism threats”.
The strategic importance of Schiphol was underlined when the deputy national counter-terrorism co-ordinator for the Netherlands, Wilma van Dijk, was named director of security at the airport towards the end of last year.
Following attacks by Islamic State in Paris, Brussels, Nice, Istanbul and Berlin, the terror threat level in the Netherlands stands at “substantial”, its second-highest – which means that the chance of an attack is “real” but there is no specific intelligence indicating when.
Credible ‘signal’
After the Brussels airport bombings, the threat to hubs such as Schiphol moved a step closer to reality when the Dutch authorities were forced to supplement the military police with elite troops from the 11th Air Assault Brigade in response to a credible “signal” that an attack was likely.
The troops carried out stop-and-search patrols in and around the airport for a fortnight at the height of the holiday season, when about 200,000 passengers pass through every day – causing traffic chaos and delays to flights. They left the airport towards the end of August.
The problem for the military police service, said Mr Nijhuisen, was that as well as being understaffed, it was under pressure to deal with illegal migrants elsewhere, as well as providing security for Jewish synagogues, schools and other potentially vulnerable locations.
“On top of that, Schiphol airport has just had the busiest year in its history. In 2015, there were just a few days when we handled more than 200,000 passengers. But last year there were 40 days when we broke that barrier, and 2017 will be even busier.
“That raises questions. For instance: what happens at Schiphol airport when an incident occurs elsewhere in the Netherlands and the military police are pulled away? Just because we got through a record 2016 does not mean we can relax for one moment.” | 1,267,261 |
Since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning primary win over Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday, interest in democratic socialism—the label Ocasio-Cortez unabashedly uses to describe her platform and political outlook—has surged exponentially, prompting corporate TV networks to feature segments on the term and driving a record-breaking membership boost for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
"I believe that in a modern, moral, and wealthy society, no person in America should be too poor to live."
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
In an interview on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" Thursday night, Ocasio-Cortez—who is one of DSA's 42,000 members—was given a chance to explain the core principles of democratic socialism to an audience of millions.
"I believe that in a modern, moral, and wealthy society, no person in America should be too poor to live," Ocasio-Cortez told Colbert, who claimed that democratic socialism is "not an easy term for a lot of Americans."
"So what that means is healthcare as a human right," Ocasio-Cortez explained. "It means that every child, no matter where you are born, should have access to a college or trade school education if they so choose it. And, you know, I think that no person should be homeless if we can have public structures and public policies to allow for people to have homes and food and lead a dignified life in the United States."
Watch:
While democratic socialism may not be an "easy term" for Republicans and corporate Democrats, a large percentage of Americans appear to have no problem with the label.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—who has self-identified as a democratic socialist for decades—is by far the most popular politician in the country, and polls have shown that Democratic voters prefer socialism over capitalism.
In an attempted takedown of Ocasio-Cortez's ambitious progressive agenda, Fox News host Sean Hannity inadvertantly demonstrated why many Americans view democratic socialism favorably, particularly during a time of staggering inequality, soaring healthcare costs, environmental degradation, and falling wages.
"Many are hailing Cortez as a rising star on the political landscape, but in reality, her views, her policy positions are actually downright scary... Look very carefully," Hannity ominously warned in a Wednesday night segment. "This is the future, this is the modern Democratic Party."
The camera then proceeded to show a list of widely popular proposals like Medicare for All as well as basic, humane principles like "Women's Rights" and "Support Seniors."
As Vice summarized, "Sean Hannity accidentally made a great argument for socialism." | 1,267,262 |
Brazile. We have to have a message that “tells our consumers they have friends in office.”
Privately, however, Democrats are voicing some concern that merely embracing Trump’s language on trade will not revive the party.
Exit polls in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, Rust Belt states that supported President Obama in 2008 and 2012 but that Trump won in November show that economic losses alone do not account for Clinton’s defeat. Clinton exceeded Obama’s performance among people in those states who said the economy was the most important issue facing the country—but was badly outperformed by Trump among those who wanted to see a president who “can bring change.”
Some Democratic insiders believe that Trump’s victory was more about a message of change than about economic promises.
“For a politician who doesn’t want to admit that the electorate sent a message that they don’t like politicians, it’s far easier to scapegoat it on economic issues than it is to address the fundamental question: that there are voters in this country who no longer think their representatives represent them,” said a Democratic strategist involved in 2016.
With Trump presiding over a majority-Republican House and Senate, Democrats have been debating internally about how and when to work with Trump’s agenda. Many of those decisions will be made next year depending on what Trump proposes, but already there are signs Democrats are eager to embrace parts of Trump’s campaign promises.
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana said on Friday he will be introducing legislation to enshrine part of Trump’s proposed anti-lobbying rules. Tester said the bill would ban members of Congress from lobbying for five years upon leaving their seats. The bill beats Republicans to the president-elect’s own proposal.
“The American people are sick of business as usual in Washington, D.C. and they want some changes,” said Tester in a conference call discussing his legislation. “We tried to match it up as close as we could to what [Trump] was saying on the campaign trail.”
Get our Politics Newsletter. The headlines out of Washington never seem to slow. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief to make sense of what matters most. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.
Contact us at [email protected]. | 1,267,263 |
Just before WWDC, the Pixelmator team teased a Mac app they’ve been working on for five years. The big reveal came today with an announcement that Pixelmator Pro will be joining the Pixelmator family of image editing apps this fall. Reimagined and rebuilt from the ground up, Pixelmator Pro promises a whole new level of power and ease-of-use.
According to the announcement:
“Pixelmator Pro provides every tool you could ever need to create, edit, and enhance your images on a Mac in an incredibly intuitive and accessible interface”, said Saulius Dailide, one of the founders of the Pixelmator Team. “And with its GPU-powered, machine learning-enhanced tools, it’s truly one of the most advanced and innovative image editing apps on the planet.”
I haven’t tried Pixelmator Pro yet, but judging from the announcement, I expect we’re in for a treat. The most noticeable thing about the new app is its striking UI. Gone are the floating toolbars, replaced by left and right-hand side panels that fade into the background, so the image you’re working on dominates your workspace. I like the one window approach a lot, if for no other reason than I know exactly where my tools are at all times. The combination of a minimalistic toolbar, sparse chrome around the panels, use of transparency, dark interface, and ability to hide UI elements give Pixelmator Pro an expansive feel that emphasizes the image in your workspace instead of the tools.
The changes announced go much deeper than just a redesign, though. The Pixelmator team has taken the opportunity to incorporate the latest Apple technologies and harness Machine Learning. Pixelmator Pro’s editor takes advantage of a Mac’s GPU using Metal 2, the graphics framework announced at WWDC that will debut with macOS X High Sierra. CoreML, also announced at WWDC, will drive much of Pixelmator Pro’s editing engine according to the announcement. There’s also support for the new HEIF image file format.
Also, editing in Pixelmator Pro will be non-destructive:
Pixelmator Pro’s color adjustments, effects, styles, and layouting tools are completely nondestructive, giving users the freedom and flexibility to go back and modify or delete individual changes at any point in the editing workflow. Thanks to the new presets feature, you can create endless combinations of multiple adjustments, effects, or styles, save them to your favorites and reuse them in any of your images. Drag-and-drop sharing also makes it a breeze to share presets with others.
I expect the ability to share combinations of effects, styles, and adjustments will be especially popular.
Pixelmator Pro will be available exclusively from the Mac App Store this fall alongside the current Pixelmator app. | 1,267,264 |
in 1994. His condition was announced to the public in a carefully worded letter to the American people on Nov. 5, 1994 1 According to According to Gerald Ford, Reagan was stll able to write a letter the week of the public announcement, but by by 1995 he did not recognize people and a 24-hour nurse for him was being sought 17b. Ford also said that he visited Reagan in Century City (Reagan's office) in January 1999, but Reagan did not recognize him at all, despite Ford's best efforts 17c There is an interesting photograph of Reagan, taken in 1996, that shows a visible sign of his Alzheimer disease There is an interesting photograph of Reagan, taken in 1996, that shows a visible sign of his Alzheimer disease MORE. He is shown standing with a model of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, a ship named in his honor, along with his wife and the CEO of the company building the ship. Reagan's necktie peeks out below the button of his suit coat. Reagan was extremely careful with his appearance all his life -- as an actor and as a President who wore $1000 suits -- so this tiny slip is actually significant, as a sign of inattention caused by his disease. (For a case in which this sign was actually responsible for the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in a business executive, see 18a.) Was Reagan symptomatic while in office? There was speculation about his mental function as early as 1987, just after he underwent his third major operation while in office (prostate). In response, Reagan held a press conference on March 19, 1987 in which he performed extremely well in front of a hostile press Was Reagan symptomatic while in office? There was speculation about his mental function as early as 1987, just after he underwent his third major operation while in office (prostate). In response, Reagan held a press conference on March 19, 1987 in which he performed extremely well in front of a hostile press 15a Gerald Ford visited Reagan when the disease was well advanced. "He barely recognized me... I tried to bring up things that would refresh his memory, but he was not the Ronald Reagan that I [had known]" 17d
adhesions Required "surgeries to eliminate scar tissue" that developed as a result of the 1985 colon cancer operation. In 1990 additional scar tissue forced postponment of a planned trip to Europe 4
bleed Epidural hematoma after falling off a horse while vacationing in Mexico. Underwent neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN 4
hip fracture Reagan fell at his home on January 12, 2001, breaking his hip. He was taken by ambulance to St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. On the morning of January 14, Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, led the surgical team that "inserted metal pins and screws into Reagan's hip." Dr. Ehrhart expected that Reagan's recovery would be complicated by coexisting Alzheimer disease. 19 | 1,267,265 |
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The world’s oceans are virtually choking on rising greenhouse gases, destroying marine ecosystems and breaking down the food chain -- irreversible changes that have not occurred for several million years, a new study says.
The changes could have dire consequences for hundreds of millions of people around the globe who rely on oceans for their livelihoods.
“It’s as if the Earth has been smoking two packs of cigarettes a day”, said the report’s lead-author Australian marine scientist Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg.
The Australia-U.S. report published in Science magazine on Friday, studied 10 years of marine research and found that climate change was causing major declines in marine ecosystems.
(www.sciencemag.org)
Oceans were rapidly warming and acidifying, water circulation was being altered and dead zones within the ocean depths were expanding, said the report.
There has also been a decline in major ocean ecosystems like kelp forests and coral reefs and the marine food chain was breaking down, with fewer and smaller fish and more frequent diseases and pests among marine organisms.
“If we continue down this pathway we get into conditions which have no analog to anything we’ve experienced,” said Hoegh-Guldberg, director of the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland.
Hoegh-Guldberg said oceans were the Earth’s “heart and lungs”, producing half of the world’s oxygen and absorbing 30 percent of man-made carbon dioxide.
“We are entering a period in which the very ocean services upon which humanity depends are undergoing massive change and in some cases beginning to fail,” said Hoegh-Guldberg.
“Quite plainly, the Earth cannot do without its ocean. This is further evidence that we are well on the way to the next great extinction event.”
More than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food and in 20 years this number could double, the report’s authors say.
The world’s climate has remained stable for several thousand years, but climate change in the past 150 years is now forcing organisms to change rapidly -- changes that through evolution would normally take a long time, said the report.
“We are becoming increasingly certain that the world’s marine ecosystems are approaching tipping points. These tipping points are where change accelerates and causes unrelated impacts on other systems,” said co-author marine scientist John F. Bruno at the University of North Carolina.
Last week, the head of the United Nations Environment Program, Achim Steiner, said it was crucial the world responded to the loss of coral reefs, forests and other ecosystems “that generate multi-trillion dollar services that underpin all life-including economic life-on Earth”. | 1,267,266 |
Getting There
We encourage biking, walking, or taking public transportation to get to Sunday Streets.
MUNI: For trip planning and other Muni-related info, go to www.sfmta.com. Visit sfmta.com/alerts the week before the event for updated information on any MUNI lines that will be rerouted during the event. Bikes are allowed on front racks of buses. The Sunday Streets Excelsior route is served by the following MUNI lines:
14, 49, 14R on Mission
8x, 43, 54, 88 on Geneva
44 on Silver (north of the route)
52 on Mission and Excelsior
29 on Persia and Mission
J, K, M rail lines on San Jose (approximately ½ mile west of the route)
Visit sfmta.com/alerts the week before the event for updated information on any MUNI lines that will be rerouted during the event. The following MUNI line will be re-routed from the normal route during Sunday Streets but still provide access near to the route:
14 re-routed from Mission St to Alemany
29 re-routed from Mission St (between Geneva and Persia), exact reroute TBD
49 re-routed from Mission St (between Ocean and Theresa), exact reroute TBD
52 re-routed from Mission St (between Excelsior and Brazil), exact reroute TBD
BART: Take BART to the Balboa Park or Glen Park BART stations. The Balboa Park station is about a 10 minute walk from the southern end of the Sunday Streets route, while the Glen Park station is about a 10 minute walk from the northern end of the route. Bikes are allowed on BART trains at all times. For trip planning, go to www.bart.gov. For more information about bikes on BART, go to www.bart.gov/guide/bikes.
BIKE: Get in the spirit for Sunday Streets by biking there! Go to: www.sfbike.org to download a bike map to help find a flat, bike-friendly route from your area or the nearest transit stop to Sunday Streets. Got a long way to go? Shorten the trip by taking transit part of the way. Muni buses have bike racks for 2 bikes, BART and Caltrain both allow bikes on board.
By Car: Should you chose to drive, be aware that the Sunday Streets route is towed of all vehicles beginning at 8am and no stopping or parking is allowed on the streets after that (even if you’re just stopping for a moment for a cup of coffee), and no vehicles are allowed to drive onto the route after 10:00am.
Should you chose to drive, check out SFPark.org and parkme.com to identify available parking lots and spaces nearby. | 1,267,267 |
In his first public comments since signing with the Lakers, LeBron James said playing for one of the most iconic teams in sports was an overwhelming factor.
“This is kind of like a dream come true for me,” James said in a video published Sunday through his media company Uninterrupted. “Growing up I was a Cowboys fan, I was a Bulls fan, I was a Yankees fan. I’ve always felt like that was one of the historic franchises. You look at the Lakers. Being able to play for a historic franchise with so much history. Now being able to partner with Magic Johnson, someone I kind of looked up to when I was younger, wanted to make no-look passes like Magic, wanted to get on the break and be ‘Showtime’ like Magic, and then for it to all come to fruition at this point, I think timing is everything.”
James’ comments came on the eve of the opening of his “I Promise” school, created by a partnership between the LeBron James Family Foundation and the Akron (Ohio) Public School system.
The video opened with his excitement about the first day of school.
The “I Promise” school is a public school in Akron that will offer services for students and their families. It will serve some of the lowest-performing students in Akron in an effort to improve their performance and education. James’ foundation helped create the model for the school and is its largest donor.
James joined the Lakers with a four-year contract worth $153.3 million this month, after the worst five-year period in the franchise’s history. James had long had interest in becoming a Laker, and they secured his commitment after a meeting between James and Johnson, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, in the first hours of free agency. The pair met in one of James’ Brentwood homes along with James’ agent, Rich Paul, and discussed basketball and business.
James knows his task, to help the Lakers recover their past glory, will not be easy. The organization has won 16 championships, the last in 2010, but has missed the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.
“That’s what we’re trying to get back to and I’m happy to be a part of the culture and be a part of us getting back to that point,” James said. “This is where it is today. This is where I have on one hand, my school which I’m blown away by. And then I have my next chapter in my personal life being a part of the Lakers organization and continuing to do what I love to do and that’s to play the game of basketball. So, there it is.”
[email protected]
Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli | 1,267,268 |
to cripple Mueller probe and protect Trump, web_type=article_story, content_origin=methode, loid=null, uri=/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2018/04/11/National-Politics/Stories/trumprosenstein0412.xml, url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bannon-pitches-white-house-on-plan-to-cripple-mueller-probe-and-protect-trump/2018/04/11/1ec5b1b2-3d9f-11e8-a7d1-e4efec6389f0_story.html, primary_slot_html=<div class="inline-content inline-photo inline-photo-normal"> <a name="f2be1b85c200a7a79cad904d61b2c9b17f4a65d5"></a> <img class="unprocessed placeholder" src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_60w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2017/01/23/Local/Images/WhiteHouse014-001.JPG?uuid=j3fVFOGzEeakGe7-jv8INQ" data-hi-res-src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2017/01/23/Local/Images/WhiteHouse014-001.JPG?uuid=j3fVFOGzEeakGe7-jv8INQ" data-low-res-src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_480w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2017/01/23/Local/Images/WhiteHouse014-001.JPG?uuid=j3fVFOGzEeakGe7-jv8INQ" data-raw-src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/rw/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2017/01/23/Local/Images/WhiteHouse014-001.JPG?uuid=j3fVFOGzEeakGe7-jv8INQ" ><br/> <span class="pb-caption">Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump’s former top strategist, says the White House should stop cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Muller III and assert executive privilege. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)</span> </div>, secondary_slot_as_full_width_html=, created_date=1523461426, publication_end=null, published_date=1523492593, commercial_node=/politics, kicker={name=Politics, url=/politics}} | 1,267,269 |
Although the Chinese government has hailed their crypto ban as successful, it appears that traders have found multiple ways to circumvent the ban despite tightening scrutiny on crypto by state regulators. Exchanges are also finding ways to avoid being shut down by the government, enabling trading for Chinese citizens.
Chinese state-run newspaper, the Shanghai Securities Times, reported in late August that authorities are moving swiftly to block access to exchanges that are operating illegally, and blocked access to an additional 124 offshore exchanges providing services to Chinese citizens.
The offshore exchanges exploited weaknesses in the government’s ban by frequently changing their domain names in order to avoid detection. They also moved their servers to countries outside of the Chinese mainland, making it incredibly difficult for authorities for monitor and block the illicit exchanges.
Chinese Government Claims that Cryptocurrency Ban has Been Successful
In July, the Central Bank of China released a report that claimed that the country’s cryptocurrency ban had been incredibly successful, reducing Yuan trading activity to under 1%, while the currency once accounted for 90% of global trading volume.
Following the ban, the government moved to shut down as many high-profile exchanges, ICOs and crypto projects as possible, rapidly reducing trading volume and scaring citizens away from the markets.
Although state regulators are frequently shutting down illegal ICOs and blocking access to offshore exchanges, it does not appear that the government will ever be able to fully eradicate access to cryptocurrency exchanges.
Terence Tsang, the COO of TideBit, a centralized crypto exchange based in Hong Kong and Taiwan, said that:
“The latest warning and potentially increased monitoring of foreign platforms is targeted at a batch of smaller exchanges that had claimed to be foreign entities, but are in fact operating in China claiming they have outsourced their operations to a Chinese company. Those exchanges whose website landing pages are in Chinese have drawn particular scrutiny by regulators.”
Following the report that claimed regulators are stepping up their actions against illegally operating exchanging, Chinese trading volume dropped 33%, signaling that traders are likely moving their cryptos to cold storage wallets due to the risk involved with holding their digital currencies on an exchange.
In addition to utilizing illegally operating exchanges, Chinese traders are also using peer-to-peer trading to circumvent the ban, exchanging cryptocurrency between wallets directly, without using a middle-man, like an exchange. These types of transactions are done by converting fiat currency to Tether and sending that as payment in exchange for virtual currencies, with all the online actions being done through a Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The government has not yet taken actions to block VPNs, although a ban on the use of these tools would make peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transactions more difficult to conduct.
Some Chinese companies, including WeChat, Tencent, and Ant Financial, have all taken actions to block cryptocurrency trading on their social platforms in an effort to be more compliant with the government’s regulators.
Featured image from Shutterstock | 1,267,270 |
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally on March 7, 2016, in Madison, Miss. | AP Photo 2016 Pro-Trump PAC hires GOP veteran as strategist
A pro-Donald Trump super PAC has tapped Jesse Benton, a veteran Republican operative with ties to Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, to serve as its chief strategist.
The move is the latest indication that the super PAC, dubbed Great America PAC, is developing into a serious organization — one looking to buttress Trump in the final stretch of the Republican primary and, potentially, the general election.
"There is a growing movement behind Donald Trump, bringing new voters to the GOP in an unprecedented way,” Benton wrote in an email. “Great America PAC will help grow and harness that movement, unify Republicans and work to win not just the White House, but to also lengthen Mr. Trump's coattails in races across the America."
Benton, 38, is a prominent figure in Republican politics. Earlier this election season, he oversaw a pro-Rand Paul super PAC. In 2014, he served as a top aide on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s reelection bid. In 2012, he helped to guide Sen. Ron Paul’s presidential bid. He also was top aide on Paul’s 2010 Senate bid.
Great America PAC’s role is complicated. Trump has made opposition to super PACs a centerpiece of his campaign — although he has accepted millions of dollars in individual donations — and has ripped his rivals for benefiting from them.
Yet Great America PAC has persisted in its efforts. The group first launched in January under the name TrumPAC with seed funding from Jewelry Exchange CEO Bill Doddridge. Amy Kremer, a tea party leader, also signed on. Earlier this month, the group announced it had tapped Eric Beach, a California-based Republican operative who also worked for Paul, to oversee its fundraising.
Trump has taken steps to distance himself from the group. After it launched, a Trump attorney got in touch with the representatives for the super PAC and told them it wasn’t allowed to use the candidate’s last name in its title. Shortly after, TrumPAC changed its name to Great America PAC.
The super PAC is expanding its funding sources, and is soon expected to announce an infusion of donations. Benton, who has deep connections in the world of Republican fundraising, could help the group grow its bank account.
“I think Jesse is one of the best political minds in the country,” said Doug Wead, who previously worked for Sen. Paul, and his father, former Rep. Ron Paul. “He understands the cross-section of the insurgent outsider and the political establishment.”
Chris LaCivita, a former top Paul aide and past National Republican Senatorial Committee political director, called Benton a “consummate professional and a damn good political operative.” | 1,267,271 |
DROGHEDA'S OWN history sleuth Brendan Matthews has uncovered further compelling evidence that three ships from the Ottoman Empire sailed up the River Boyne carrying supplies for the town during the Irish Famine.
During the week of May 10 to May 14, 1847, there is a reference in both the Drogheda Argus and the Drogheda Conservative newspapers to 'foreign ships' that docked at Drogheda that week.
These included three ships from the Balkans, two of which arrived from the Ottoman Port of Thessalonica, which today is known as Salonika, while the third ship arrived at the same time from the port of Stettin.
These three ships were carrying wheat and the 'dreaded' Indian Corn for local merchants in the Louth and Meath area.
The two ships from Thessalonica were'The Porcupine', master of the ship named as Captain Cleveland and The Ann, master of this ship Captain Cloid or Floyd.
The third, from Stettin, was named the Alita or Meta, with Captain C.E. Meeluch at the helm.
Leading local historian Brendan has been somewhat skeptical of the arrival of the'Turkish ships' in the past, but says this latest find does raise questions. 'I am still not convinced; however, this is the closest I have come to finding documentation, as there are no shipping records for Drogheda Port at that time,' he told the Drogheda Independent.
' The timeframe matches perfectly, but the fact there is no firm documentary evidence may not be a coincidence.'
The Ottoman Sultan Abdul Madjd Khan sent £1,000 on Wednesday, March 31, 1847, to Dublin Castle. He wished to send more but was advised that he had to send less than Queen Victoria, who had sent £2,000.
The story of his generosity appeared in the London Times on Saturday, April 17, 1847, and also in the pages of the Nation newspaper of the same date. The details of the Sultan's humanitarian gesture to Ireland also appeared in the pages of the London Morning Post of Wednesday, April 21, 1847.
'According to sources within the Turkish Embassy and the oral history of the Turkish people, the Sultan also sent three ships very soon after he had sent the £1,000 and that all three ships, although they may not have left the same port, arrived in Ireland at the same time and docked at the port of Drogheda,' says Brendan.
'If the Sultan had indeed sent such ships after the money aid, these ships would then have reached Irish shores around the first or second week in May of 1847.'
' The sultan of Turkey, Abdul Medjid Khan, may have sent the ships as a "hushed-up" gesture, not wanting to upset Queen Victoria,' says Brendan. | 1,267,272 |
What can I write here that can truly make justice to the immense happiness I feel right now?
I will do my best, although I don't think my grasp of English is good enough.
When this exchange started I had gotten some notice that my cook book gifter was on my case, stalking me and soon the gift was sent. Since I live near the arctic circle, in Northern Sweden - this package had quite a way to travel.
This week I've been down with a cold or a flu. I haven't moved much to be honest but when I got a notice in my post that a package was waiting for me... well, what can you do? Wait? No. Let fever stop you? No. Splitting headache? You know the answer.
I went down there today and tonight I finally opened it.
Packed in neatly with lots of those foamy worms were:
THE GREAT AMERICAN COOKBOOK - BY CLEMENTINE PADDLEFORD
a map, and a letter
First off, the letter was beautifully written, in it my gifter explained the reasons behind picking his gift and why he likes it so much (he even got himself a copy!)
Also, a map of how far away from each other we are. It was a cool thing to add and it just made the experience even more surreal.
This book is... amazing. I've already skimmed through it and feel like I could cook the hell out of it. With practice. I am ready to ditch Swedish plain fare cooking and focus on American from now on end. The book is also huge. I mention this to detail just how giving and generous my gifter is, it cost a fortune to send this beast. I really cannot tell you how much that means to me, that you'd go to that much trouble for me and this exchange.
My gifter, bmlbytes was also so kind as to message me beforehand and ask if there was anything special that I wanted from his part of the world, as he would add some treats. I had no idea what to say to that (I haven't really tried much American candy) so I said anything will be lovely.
I got:
Twizzlers Pay Day Oreos Mr Goodbar Hershey's Reese's cups
I've only ever tasted an oreo out of these. One. oreo.
I can't wait biting into these. Slowly. One here, one there. I will hide them and try to make them last for as long as I possibly can. My fiancé and son will never know where it went.
Ok, I am on some sort of cough medicine... I tried to take pictures and I should've slept hours ago. Sorry for anything confusing I've written.
Tack bmlbytes, du har en vän för livet.
You made my whole year. | 1,267,273 |
In a High Court ruling that invalidated a law which had allowed the state to imprison asylum seekers for three years, Justice Edna Arbel wrote that the state must start releasing the roughly 1,750 people imprisoned at the Saharonim detention center “immediately.” The state was given 90 days to complete the process. That was more than two months ago, and despite the urgency expressed in the ruling, the state so far has only released fewer than a fifth of those imprisoned.
In a recent High Court of Justice hearing on a petition to declare the state in contempt of court for not implementing that decision, representatives of the state said they intended to complete the release of those jailed within the time allotted. But that very same day, an alternative law was proposed that regulates the establishment of a “detention center” - which is nothing other than a prison facility - but in practice allows the continued imprisonment of asylum seekers. In addition to the state’s disregard of the moral concerns raised by the High Court of Justice, another worrying phenomenon appears here: the state’s evasion of the implementation of the court’s decision while keeping asylum seekers in prison until the new law is passed.
On Monday, in the High Court’s ruling to evaculate outposts built on private land, the president of the court, Asher Grunis, attacked the state’s behavior. He stated that “the handling process is being dealt with sluggishly, all the while the state continues to extend demarcation orders related to those same outposts... The time has come to order the state to meet and carry out its obligations.”
The phenomenon of evasion of High Court decisions was first documented by former deputy attorney general Yehudit Karp. In a 2010 memo, it was noted that despite instructions that the attorney general issued in the wake of the report, this phenomenon recurred.
The court ruling that ordered the establishment of a school in the Bedouin community of Abu Talul was implemented only after a contempt of court proceeding, in which the court determined that the state grossly disregarded its commitments. Court rulings on the separation barrier were implemented only after a number of contempt proceedings, which in one case compelled then-court President Dorit Beinisch to emphasize that “the decisions of this court are not just recommendations.”
Most cases in which the state ignored court decisions or delayed implementing them concerned the rights of weak populations, such as Palestinians in the territories, Arab citizens, migrant workers and now also asylum seekers. This demonstrates not only contempt and damage to the rule of law, but also discrimination against people for whom the rule of law is their only protection.
The fact that the state itself is emptying court decisions of their content constitutes a real danger to democracy; it threatens to undermine civil and social order. How can the state demand that its citizens obey the law and respect court rulings when the state itself does not? | 1,267,274 |
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi GabbardRepublicans call on DOJ to investigate Netflix over 'Cuties' film Hispanic Caucus campaign arm endorses slate of non-Hispanic candidates Gabbard says she 'was not invited to participate in any way' in Democratic convention MORE (D-Hawaii), who is running for president, on Wednesday said that President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE and Vice President Pence “try to hide the truth” that terrorist attacks are “inspired by extremist Saudi ideology” from their Christian supporters.
Gabbard said that the terrorist attacks on Christians and Christian churches in Sri Lanka and elsewhere “are inspired by extremist Saudi ideology that the Saudis spend billions propagating worldwide.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“The Saudis have been spending billions of dollars spreading this most intolerant form of Islam, sometimes known as Wahhabi Salafism, through this mosque and schools around the world,” Gabbard said in a video on Twitter.
Gabbard called it an ideology that “preaches hatred and bias” toward Christian, Buddhists, Hindus and atheists, as well as Muslims who practice other forms of Islam.
“There are hundreds of terrorist organizations who are inspired by and followers of this ideology yet President Trump and Pence, who pose as defenders of Christians and Christianity, have embraced the Saudis — the purveyors of this anti-Christian jihad,” Gabbard continued.
Gabbard called for followers of all faiths to demand that Trump and Pence give up their “unholy alliance with Saudi Arabia.”
Trump/Pence continue to try to hide the truth from their Christian supporters--the terrorist attacks on Christians/Christian churches in Sri Lanka and elsewhere are inspired by the extremist Saudi ideology that Saudi Arabia spends billions propagating worldwide. pic.twitter.com/nMJEulHXv2 — Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) April 24, 2019
Gabbard’s comments come after hundreds were killed on Easter Sunday following a series of explosions in Sri Lanka.
The bombings appeared to be coordinated and targeted Christian worshipers attending Easter service as well as guests at luxury hotels, according to The New York Times.
The attacks left at least 290 people dead, including several Americans, and hundreds more injured.
On Tuesday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Trump on Sunday offered condolences to Sri Lanka, writing on Twitter that “we stand ready to help.”
Pence condemned the attacks, saying “this atrocity is an attack on Christianity & religious freedom everywhere. No one should ever be in fear in a house of worship.” | 1,267,275 |
Q. HOW WOULD THAT WORK?
A. One example. There’s a neurologist in Boston, Gottfried Schlaug, who uses music therapy to return some language to stroke victims. He has them learn simple phrases by singing them. This has proved more effective than having them repeat spoken phrases, the traditional therapy. Schlaug’s work suggests that when the language part of the brain has been damaged, you can sometimes recruit the part that processes music to take over.
Music neuroscience is also helping us understand Alzheimer’s. There are Alzheimer’s patients who cannot remember their spouse. But they can remember every word of a song they learned as a kid. By studying this, we’re learning about how memory works.
Q. RECENTLY, YOU’VE BEEN WORKING WITH A SULFUR-CRESTED COCKATOO NAMED SNOWBALL. WHAT PROMPTED THE COLLABORATION?
A. Before I encountered Snowball, I wondered whether human music had been shaped for our brains by evolution — meaning, it helped us survive at some point. Well, in 2008, a colleague asked me to view a YouTube video of a cockatoo who appeared to be dancing to the beat of “Everybody” by the Backstreet Boys!
My jaw hit the floor. If you saw a video of a dog reading a newspaper out loud, you’d be pretty impressed, right? To people in the music community, a cockatoo dancing to a beat was like that. This was supposed to be, some said, a uniquely human behavior! If this was real, it meant that the bird might have circuits in its brain for processing beat similar to ours.
Q. WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THIS INSIGHT?
A. I phoned up the bird shelter in Indiana where Snowball lived and talked to the director who told me his story. A man had dropped him off with a CD and the comment, “Snowball likes to dance to this.” One day, Irena Schulz, the proprietor, played “Everybody” to amuse the abandoned creature. And Snowball began to move. Irena then made the YouTube video, which immediately went viral. Millions saw it.
“Let’s design an experiment to see if this is real,” I proposed to Irena, who had a science background herself. We took the Backstreet Boys song, sped it up and slowed it down at 11 different tempos, then videoed what Snowball did to each. For 9 out of the 11 variations, the bird moved to the beat, which meant that he’d processed the music in his brain and his muscles had responded. So now we had the first documented case of a nonhuman animal who, without training, could sense a beat out of music and move to it. | 1,267,276 |
David Grosso (I-At Large) to join Nadeau in voting against a ban. But Nadeau’s opposition also tapped into broader unease among D.C. lawmakers over how the city has navigated its first year of marijuana legalization.
Council member Vincent B. Orange (D-At Large) said the ban inadvertently promotes pot smoking in private homes, potentially around children, and discriminates against those who live in federal public housing because marijuana remains banned there. In some of the District’s poorest neighborhoods, where those complexes are located, residents are still most likely to face arrest for smoking outside, city statistics show.
But council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) said the District risked becoming the “Wild West” of marijuana clubs without the ban. She said pro-pot groups could rent out a warehouse, invite hundreds to a party “and we’d have no way of stopping children from entering,” she said.
Democratic council members LaRuby May (Ward 8) and Charles Allen (Ward 6) initially voted against the ban. As the mayor began calling council members on the dais, Allen asked to reopen the discussion and said he would change his vote. May, a close ally of Bowser’s,, also reversed course.
Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5), head of the judiciary committee, is now in charge of drafting a potential compromise. He said that he remains skeptical about how the city could regulate pot use outside the home but that he remains “open to a discussion” with advocates and the six colleagues who voted against extending the ban.
Eidinger said the District could further restrict pot distribution, still allowed by Congress, by tightening the meaning of “remuneration” under the ballot-measure law.
That, he said, would clear up any confusion and expressly prohibit providing monetary donations or services for marijuana.
In exchange, however, Eidinger also wants the city to allow restaurants, clubs, concert halls and other businesses to be rented out for private events that allow marijuana consumption in designated smoking areas.
He suggested a restaurant — like Marvin, near 14th and U streets, which has a rooftop bar with a designated smoking area — or the 9:30 Club, which currently does not have a designated smoking area. On select nights, anyone entering those establishments would consent to potentially being around others smoking marijuana. Or maybe all the time, “I think some establishments would go marijuana-only,” he said.
Nadeau said she would also push for the city to take more aggressive steps to use loopholes to regulate pot sales and to loosen penalties for those with patrons caught smoking marijuana. Currently, one violation can lead to a business losing its operating license.
Bowser is scheduled to meet with Eidinger and representatives from national pro-marijuana groups next week. | 1,267,277 |
During the customer discovery period, expenses are kept low and founders get out and talk with potential customers. Armed with at most an inexpensively built prototype, entrepreneurs hit the pavement even before the commercial product is completed. The goal is to first find out whether anyone will want the product before incurring significant expense or wasting years on a fruitless quest.
AD
AD
Frankly, I wish more entrepreneurs applied lean start-up tools. As an investor, I have met countless innovators who have built a product or service offering through considerable sacrifice and expense, without first determining whether a market for the product actually exists. Technology is surprisingly fungible, but the ability to satisfy a customer is rare.
There is no doubt that small, engaged teams encouraged to experiment are more likely to find a good product/market fit. This can be just as true in politics and government. I have seen customer discovery principles applied to effecting change within government and finding agile solutions to national security challenges.
However, in both business and in governing, there is a significant limitation to the agility and rapid experimentation at the core of the lean start-up process: it doesn’t enlighten a business leader or a government official on how to achieve consistency.
AD
AD
In business, the constant churn of experimentation and revision must evolve into building an organization that can scale and grow revenue through coordinated actions by larger groups who create and execute a business strategy for sustainable excellence. A consistent and predictable approach to sales, hiring, compensation and branding is a must. A constant feedback loop between customers and management is pivotal, so that as customer demand grows, the organization can obtain resources to satisfy its customers.
For governing, the same is also true.
In foreign policy, our allies examine our leaders’ statements and look for consistency in viewpoint. We also see it in the coordination necessary to provide services and engage in national security.
AD
In business and in government, we rightly admire people willing to take the risk of trying something new, and we should encourage the continued use of customer discovery and rapid experimentation as tools to understand how our actions affect those we serve. However, we should not confuse “busyness” or chaos for progress, and breaking things for strategy.
AD
The mistake many make when they apply the principles of experimentation and customer discovery is to forget that it is not the process that ultimately matters, it is the outcome.
Winning in business and in government ultimately requires the same skills: focus, strength and consistency. Mastering customer discovery is not the same as scaling a business. Winning an election through agility and creativity is not the same as governing.
AD
The quicker we encourage the application of the lean start-up methodology to improve delivery of service to citizens, the better. The quicker our presidential leadership proves that deliberate, thoughtful consistency is being applied to the act of governance, the better many Americans will sleep. | 1,267,278 |
impossible without going off the beaten path to some other distraction. Said distractions are incredibly accomplished, too - side quests, mini-games, hunting, and gathering are all deeply considered parts of Red Dead 2 in their own right. But of course, it’s Red Dead 2’s characters that stick in the memory most: Arthur Morgan, John Marsten, Sadie, Dutch et al are vibrant, multi-faceted characters, their complex dynamics always shifting and changing, even if their trajectories are set in stone. Red Dead Redemption 2 is nothing short of a masterpiece. From our Red Dead Redemption 2 review: “Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling Western tale of loyalty, conviction, and the price of infamy, chronicling the inevitable collapse of a motley crew of Wild West holdouts kicking against the slow march of civilization and industrialization. Set in Rockstar’s most authentic and lived-in open world ever, there are so many things to do, so many people to meet, and so many places to explore it’s giddily overwhelming. Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t just Rockstar’s greatest achievement to date; it’s a game so lacking in compromise it’s tough to know where best to start discussing it.”
Those are our picks for the Spring 2019 update! Obviously, there are more incredible games we couldn't include, but that’s the dilemma of cutting a list down to a specific number – some of the good stuff doesn't make the cut.
We ended up bumping nine games off with this refresh – and like we said at the top of the page, a large part of that was a refocusing of our criteria to be more about what we’d recommend you pick up right this moment, rather than games that were monumental at the time they released but may have since aged a bit.
With that in mind, here are the games that fell off with this update: Minecraft, Diablo: Reaper of Souls, and Fallout 4. Again, all amazing games, but some longtime Xbox mainstays like Minecraft just had to be bumped to make room for new picks while others like Fallout 4 aren't the top of the crop with so many excellent open-world games out there these days.
We’ll be back for another update in October and we’ll see how things have shaken out by then. Your picks may vary of course, so be sure to let us know in the comments what your favorite Xbox One games are!
Also make sure to check out our lists of the 25 Best PS4 Games, the 25 Best PC Games, and the 25 Best Nintendo Switch Games.
Be sure to check out our other best games lists -- we update them whenever new, great games are made. And, very rarely, we add games to our best games of all time page: The Top 100 Games List, so check that out, too. | 1,267,279 |
Report: Suspects in Gay Bashing Will Meet Police Today
Reality TV star, Twitter credited with helping advance the investigation.
Get a compelling long read and must-have lifestyle tips in your inbox every Sunday morning — great with coffee!
Suspects in a Center City gay-bashing case will meet police today, 6ABC reports, after Philadelphia’s Twitter community helped police discover their identities.
Events developed quickly Tuesday after Philadelphia Police released surveillance video of up to 12 people it identified as suspects walking through Center City on Thursday evening near the time of the attack. Within hours, former Real Housewives of New Jersey castmate Greg Bennett tweeted this photo that he claims — because of similarities in clothing — includes some of the alleged suspects in the hate crime that happened on Thursday in Center City.
Not long after, police were contacted by lawyers for the suspects. 6ABC reports: “Late Tuesday night, Action News has learned attorneys for some members of the group have called police. They are making arrangements to bring their clients in for questioning on Wednesday.”
Police credited Philadelphia’s Twitter community with assisting the investigation:
This is how Twitter is supposed to work for cops. I will take a couple thousand Twitter detectives over any one real detective any day. — Joseph Murray (@PPDJoeMurray) September 17, 2014
Philadelphia native Melody Kramer, now an NPR social media guru, used Storify to document how the case came together on Twitter.
And Twitter user @FanSince09 — credited with determining that the group in the picture had eaten at Italian restaurant La Viola, and using Facebook check-ins to determine the identities of those who dined at the restaurant that night — quickly became a celebrity: He tweeted overnight that he was being asked to appear on morning news shows today.
He was on Fox 29 this morning:
FOX 29 News Philadelphia | WTXF-TV
If you're going to gay bash don't fill your FB profile with gay slurs and also delete that resturant check in from earlier — Best FanSince09 (@FanSince09) September 17, 2014
I promise I will accept a reward check or key to the city in a bane mask — Best FanSince09 (@FanSince09) September 17, 2014
This has become a big national story overnight. What we don’t know? If today’s meeting between suspects and police will result in charges. There’s much more to come.
Previously: Penn 6 Offers $10K Reward in Arrest of Center City Hate Crime
Previously: Police Release Video of Suspects in Attack of Two Gay Men in Center City
Previously: Police Seek Information About Possible Homophobic Attack
Previously: Pictures Released of Alleged Assailants in Center City Attack
Previously: Gay Men Attacked in Center City Released From Hospital With “Serious Visible Injuries” | 1,267,280 |
SPAIN HAS FOUND Ryanair guilty of violating cabin crews’ right to strike and work safety regulations as well as obstructing labour inspections and has threatened to fine the no-frills airline for 16 infractions, unions said today.
The labour ministry found that the company, by emailing or calling employees to see if they would stop work before planned strikes on 25 and 26 July, and 28 September, had infringed on their right to strike, the USO and Sitcpla unions said.
The labour ministry confirmed to AFP that it had “given the company notice of infractions,” but refused to reveal further details.
Europe’s biggest low cost airline has been clashing with worker representatives for close to a year over contracts – with the firm using Irish legislation for its employment agreements even for those employees based in other countries – as well as over pay and work conditions.
In July, strikes by cockpit and cabin crew disrupted 600 flights in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, affecting 100,000 travellers.
On 28 September, cabin crew walked out again in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain and in some countries pilots’ unions also took action.
In a statement, Ryanair - which can appeal the infractions – said it had “no knowledge of these ‘proposals’,” referring to the ministry’s proposals to fine the airline.
“We respect the labour rights of our employees in accordance with Irish, Spanish and EU legislation.”
Inspectors ‘obstructed’
A resolution issued by the Spanish ministry’s labour inspection department on 22 November – seen by AFP – said that some of those responsible for Ryanair bases in Spain had “obstructed” the work of inspectors when they showed up to investigate accusations the airline had violated the right to strike.
#Open journalism No news is bad news Support The Journal Your contributions will help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you Support us now
“Those responsible for the bases – or those acting as such – told the inspectors that they did not have the necessary information to duly attend to the labour inspection, having obstructed, in some cases, their verification work,” the resolution said.
It added that based on those interviews it had managed to conduct with employees, it concluded that the company had violated workers’ right to strike by asking them via email whether they planned to stop work, and in some cases following up by phone.
It also said the company put more staff on airport or home standby than normal, which meant there was not enough space and furniture for the higher number of employees on standby in airports, violating work safety rules.
As such, it proposes to fine them for a total of 16 infractions – 15 serious and one very serious – although the exact amount was not stipulated. | 1,267,281 |
This sketch, rediscovered by Paolo Greer in 1978, was made by ‘Poker Harry’ Singer, Augusto Berns’ partner. It shows alleged mineral deposits, close to Aguas Calientes, Berns’ original sawmill camp (Image: Alex Chepstow-Lusty) An 1877 book by German geologist Herman Göhring, lost for many years, contained this map, dated 1874. It clearly indicates two peaks, “Machu Picchu” and “Huaina Picchu”… (Image: Alex Chepstow-Lusty) …while elsewhere in the book, Göhring refers to the “forts of Chuquillusca, Torontoy and Picchu” (Image: Alex Chepstow-Lusty) This 1887 booklet described Augusto Berns’ company and his proposal to loot the “Huacas del Inca” – Machu Picchu (Image: Alex Chepstow-Lusty) Advertisement This section of Berns’ handmade map shows his camp, which is marked “Saw Mill”. Next to it is the “Point Huaca Inca”, adjacent to Machu Picchu. This plan was produced before Berns got the government’s permission to sack the ruins, so their position is unmarked and described as “inaccessible” (Image: Alex Chepstow-Lusty)
The “lost city of the Incas”, Machu Picchu, was actually discovered forty years earlier than thought, and ransacked.
Machu Picchu was famously discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1912.
New evidence shows that it was first visited in 1867 by an obscure German entrepreneur named Augusto Berns, who apparently looted the tombs with the Peruvian government’s blessing.
When Bingham arrived, he found a hut called “La Maquina”. This was actually part of a sawmill which Berns ran in the area, after purchasing 25 kilometres of land along the Vilcanota River in 1867. He then realised the immense potential value of Machu Picchu’s artefacts.
Berns’ activities were uncovered by Paolo Greer, who in 1978 discovered an old map of the area and subsequently traced Berns’ activities through documents in the National Library of Peru.
New Scientist has been given access to some of the documents Greer uncovered, which you can see on the right. Greer uncovered a sketch map of the area by Berns’ partner, a lost geology book with material based on Berns’ work, a booklet describing Berns’ plans to loot Machu Picchu, and his handmade map of the area.
Greer’s research will be published in South American Explorer Magazine. | 1,267,282 |
This is an inspiring story about the successful efforts by parents in Douglas County, Colorado, to save public schools from a far-right faction that gained control of the local school board and began an assault on the principle of public education.
Newly elected school board members in Douglas County, Colorado unanimously voted this week to rescind a controversial voucher program. Despite a $100,000 media ad campaign by the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity asking voucher supporters to show up to the board meeting, not a single public comment was made in support of maintaining the program.
The end of the voucher program marks a dramatic end to a years-long battle that began in this affluent suburban community with the election of a GOP-backed slate of school board candidates in 2009. On the one side was a vast network of deep pockets, including Americans for Prosperity, the American Legislative Exchange Committee and the GOP, pushing a divisive and ideological agenda for the local schools. On the other was a group of moms with no experience running political campaigns. These grassroots activists struggled to out-maneuver big dollars and slick marketing, but their hard work finally paid off. On November 7, 2017, voters swept in a slate of candidates who believe in public schools. The Dougco election results should give hope to activists across the country who are fighting to put the “public” back in public education.
The newly installed board in 2009 not only supported vouchers but it bullied teachers and principals and drove many of them away from the district.
With a GOP political operative in charge of the Douglas County School District communications department, it was increasingly difficult to remember this was a school district. As teachers and parents were intimidated, and fear settled in, teachers began to leave—by choice or force—what was once considered a “destination district.” Teachers left in the middle of the day. They were escorted out of their classrooms by police in front of children. One teacher was pulled out of a school in front of his own children. Principals were intentionally targeted and told, “You are going to do this and when parents ask we can say, ‘The principal said so.’”
Parents found it hard to believe that their elected school board wanted to undermine the public schools. But activist parents joined with the ACLU and sued to block the voucher program.
The resistance built slowly. The privatizers retained control in an election in 2013. The parent coalition won three seats in 2015. The parent resistance swept the board in 2017 and abolished the voucher program.
The story of Dougco proves that organized grassroots resistance can prevail over big money.
As the Network for Public Education says, “We have the numbers. They have the money. They can hire people to carry their message. But we can beat them if we work together and bring people out to vote for their public schools.”
We must not ever lose hope. Dougco is proof that resistance can succeed. | 1,267,283 |
US researchers have identified the first new strain of HIV since the year 2000, further expanding our knowledge of the extraordinarily complex virus.
The newly discovered substrain falls within the same type behind the global HIV pandemic that kicked off in 1981. In order for a new subtype to be declared, at least three cases must be detected and verified independently of each other.
In this instance, the first two were discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1983 and 1990 respectively. The third sample was found later in 2001 as part of a study targeting mother-to-child transmission of the disease.
Also on rt.com Crack team of scientists discovers secret weapon to neutralize HIV… by accident
“There’s no reason to panic or even to worry about it a little bit,” Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said. “Not a lot of people are infected with this. This is an outlier.”
Scientists began studying this third sample in order to map it and provide thorough evidence for a third strain, in a process described as being “like searching for a needle in a haystack,” and then “pulling the needle out with a magnet.”
It is as yet unclear whether this subtype acts differently from other subtypes of the virus but current treatments can fight this new strain so there is no major cause for concern, it is merely another step in finding a cure for the disease.
“This discovery reminds us that to end the HIV pandemic, we must continue to outthink this continuously changing virus and use the latest advancements in technology and resources to monitor its evolution,” said the study’s co-author Dr Carole McArthur from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Also on rt.com HIV breakthrough: Scientists discover resistance gene in patients with muscular disease
At present, more than 37 million people live with HIV worldwide, the most on record, with some 1.8 million new infections diagnosed in 2016 alone.
However, Michael Worobey, head of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona says the latest revelation is actually not that big of a deal given that the new subtype belongs to the most common form of HIV which accounts for roughly 90 percent of all cases.
“It’s actually misleading to describe genetic diversity from the [Democratic Republic of] Congo as a new subtype because the only useful meaning of the term ‘subtype’ would come from identification of a lineage of the virus that has spread significantly beyond Central Africa,” he said.
Also on rt.com ‘They make the right noises, but action just isn’t there’: Son of UK patient infected with HIV & hepatitis by NHS speaks to RT
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! | 1,267,284 |
What is IGDB.com?
We love games, we grew up with games and now we are doing our dream: working professionally with games.
We do this by...
Gathering all relevant information about games in one place (a concept we call a "one-stop-infospot") Building social and exploratory features on top of this information Gathering a community of both Gamers and people from the game industry and let them communicate with each other, and Focusing on our users and let them decide on the design and features.
This is IGDB.com, a gaming website for everyone that loves game. And if you love games as well, we are the gaming website for you.
Our End Game
We wish to create Your ultimate gaming website.
Our Manifesto
Unbiased We offer uncensored, unmanipulated information about games. We will never elevate our opinions, reviews or ratings over our users. Video game professionals The games you love are made by real people. We wish to elevate the status of game developers by showing them to you. User focused We cannot build the best game page in the world just by ourselves. We need our users to achieve that. IGDB.com is being built by actively listening to, and communicating with our audience.
Indie games Indie developers do not have the same means of exposing their games with the world compared to AAA game studios. Clean & User friendly design In designing the looks of IGDB.com we prioritize a clean and user friendly design.
FAQ
So, is this it?
No, the site is far from complete. We will continuously be developing IGDB.com, adding more features and improving the design and user experience.
What is the difference between IGDB.com and all other game databases?
The biggest difference lies in our features that lies on top of our information. IGDB.com is not only a database that serves text data, but offers features allowing our users to do more with this information in order to explore and find games to play in a new way.
How can I contribute to IGDB.com?
The best way to contribute is to use IGDB.com, e.g. rating, searching for and adding information about games. If you like the site and where we are heading please tell your friends about it as well.
I added information about a game/company/person, but I don't see it on that page?
When you add information to the database, it goes through our validation system that allows us to maintain our quality of data. It is usually accepted within 24 hours.
Statistics
242,947 Games 130,207 Unique game titles 5,650 Game Series
27,322 Companies 394,426 Screenshots 39,818 Videos
17,993 Members 205,363 Game developers and professionals 15,370 In-game Characters | 1,267,285 |
When Alan Dershowitz blasted the prosecutor in the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case, she went straight to his boss at Harvard Law School to complain, according to the legal legend.
Angela Corey, the state attorney who charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of the unarmed teen, threatened to sue the law school and Dershowitz for libel and slander during a “40-minute rant,” according to Dershowitz. The "Reversal of Fortune" lawyer — who has said Corey overreached with the charge against Zimmerman — told FoxNews.com he hopes the attorney for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit Court follows through.
[pullquote]
“It’s certainly professional to respond, but by calling the dean and threatening to sue the school, which she knows she cannot do, is unprofessional,” Dershowitz told FoxNews.com. “I would welcome a lawsuit from Corey. It would give me a chance to prove what an awful thing she did.”
Dershowitz, who penned a column for Newsmax revealing Corey's call to the school, said he’s received “a lot” of letters of support.
More On This... Dershowitz: Prosecutor in Trayvon Martin case overreached with murder charge
Corey’s “beef,” Dershowitz wrote, pertained to his criticism of the state attorney’s filing of a “misleading affidavit” to support the second-degree murder charge against Zimmerman in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
“When the communications official explained to her that I have a right to express my opinion as ‘a matter of academic freedom,’ and that Harvard has no control over what I say, she did not seem to understand,” Dershowitz wrote. “She persisted in her nonstop whining, claiming that she is prohibited from responding to my attacks by the rules of professional responsibility — without mentioning that she has repeatedly held her own press conferences and made public statements throughout her career.”
Jackelyn Barnard, a spokesperson from Corey's office, told Fox News that Corey has no comment at this time.
“She should go back to law school, where she will learn that it is never appropriate to submit an affidavit that contains a half truth, because a half truth is regarded by the law as a lie, and anyone who submits an affidavit swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” Dershowitz’s column continued.
A new bond hearing has been set for June 29 for Zimmerman, who returned to jail Sunday after his bond was revoked. He has pleaded not guilty in Martin’s death, claiming self-defense.
Click for more from NewsMax.com. | 1,267,286 |
's men's national rugby team, was among the guests. Harry is known to be a rugby fan and often attends England matches.
Jonny Wilkinson, star of the Woodward-coached England team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, was also at the chapel.
No world leaders or political figures were invited in their official capacities. But Sir John Major, former UK Prime Minister, attended the ceremony. Following the death of Princess Diana in 1997, Major was appointed a guardian to Prince William and Prince Harry with responsibility for legal and administrative matters.
Guests outside the chapel Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Wedding guests arrive Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Royal arrivals
Queen Elizabeth II Credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth arrived at the chapel with her husband Prince Philip shortly before the ceremony began. The Queen was wearing a delicately flared dress in lime, lemon, purple and gray printed silk and an edge-to-edge coat with a frogging fastening in lime silk tweed. Both are by Stuart Parvin.
She was also wearing an Angela Kelly hat, using the same lime silk tweed with sinamay adorned across the crown with handmade lace crystals and pearls made by Lucy Price. Her brooch is the Richmond Diamond brooch with pearl drop.
Her oldest son and heir to the throne Prince Charles wore a morning coat tailored by Anderson & Sheppard to walk Markle down the Quire aisle. His wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, was wearing an ice pink feathered Philip Treacy hat.
Pippa Middleton, Carole Middleton, James Matthews, James Middleton and Michael Middleton Credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Harry's aunt, Sarah Ferguson Credit: Gareth Fuller/AP
Queen Elizabeth's three younger children -- Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward -- were all also at the chapel, as were Harry's cousin Peter Philips and wife Autumn, cousin Zara Tindall and husband Mike.
The Duchess of Cambridge arrived with the bridal party wearing a hat designed by Philip Treacy and shoes by Jimmy Choo. She wore a primrose yellow wool silk tailored coat by Alexander McQueen.
The parents of the former Kate Middleton -- Michael and Carol -- arrived at the chapel in the run-up to the ceremony, in the company of their younger daughter Pippa and her husband James Matthews. Pippa sported a £495 ($670) silk dress by The Fold
Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, his wife Karen and his daughter Kitty were at the chapel as was Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Prince Charles' wife Camilla from her first marriage.
Harry's aunt, Sarah Ferguson, who used to be married to Prince Andrew, Prince Charles' younger brother, was also at the event. | 1,267,287 |
The Shanta Kumar committee on food sector reforms has made a slew of recommendations - many of which, even if controversial, make sense. Apart from suggesting downsizing of the unwieldy, inefficient and corruption-ridden Food Corporation of India (FCI) by outsourcing many of its tasks to the states and other public- and private-sector bodies, the panel has laid out certain amendments to the National Food Security Act that it argues would improve its targeting and implementation. It has also proposed gradual shifting towards payment of fertiliser and food subsidies in cash. This could help slash the government's fertiliser subsidy bill by some Rs 15,000-20,000 crore, and the food subsidy outgo by around Rs 30,000 crore annually. Unsurprisingly, the international investment rating agency, Moody's, has hailed these recommendations, saying that their implementation would reduce inflationary pressures and the fiscal deficit - and boost India's sovereign rating.
The committee has done well to depart from the avowed stand of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party - to trifurcate the FCI into separate entities handling procurement, storage and distribution operations. The report instead suggests delegating grain procurement largely to the states, especially in the major grain-surplus regions, and outsourcing storage to the central and state warehousing corporations and the private sector. Delivery of food through the public distribution system is even now the responsibility of the state governments. The panel wants the FCI to focus chiefly on price-support operations in the eastern region, where distress sales by farmers are quite common for want of official procurement. These suggestions have, predictably, been opposed by the FCI's unionised employees as these could convert the FCI virtually into a regulatory body, with a far thinner staff strength. Some activists, too, are worried because the panel suggests slashing coverage under the food security law from 67 per cent to 40 per cent and increasing the selling prices of rice and wheat for the non-poor to around 50 per cent of the minimum support prices. The committee, however, argues that 40 per cent population coverage would safely manage to include all below-poverty-line families and perhaps even some more under the food security statute. The identification of beneficiaries would, however, remain a problem in the absence of firm and easily verifiable criteria laid down by the committee for this purpose.
Besides, the panel's proposal for raising the monthly food quota for the poorest of the poor (Antyodaya households) from five to seven kg per head also seems well founded, given that the consumption of staple cereals tends to be relatively higher among the poor. This would reduce their reliance on the market for supplementing their food needs. Thus, on the whole, the remodelled food management system outlined by the Shanta Kumar committee seems capable of effectively serving the twin objectives of ensuring food security for the poor and providing price support to the farmers in a cost-effective manner and without distorting the food market. The government should consider it with the seriousness that it merits. | 1,267,288 |
The Healy-Rae brothers look set to pull off a coup in Kerry by taking two seats in the new five-seat constituency, a poll conducted for TG4 indicates.
The Ipsos MRBI survey for for channel’s Seacht Lá programme shows Michael Healy-Rae with support of 33 per cent, more than twice the quota.
With his brother Danny Healy-Rae on 4 per cent, a vote-management strategy could result in both brothers taking a seat.
The other big surprise is that the poll indicates Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris, who has been considered a certainty, may struggle.
The findings show his support at 7 per cent, one point behind Labour Party TD Arthur Spring.
The two Fine Gael candidates, Jimmy Deenihan and Brendan Griffin, are on 13 per cent each. If they succeed in splitting the Fine Gael vote along similar lines on February 26th, both have a strong chance of election.
Vindication
Fianna Fáil candidate John Brassil lies in fifth place with 11 per cent of the vote. His running mate Norma Moriarty is on 6 per cent. In that scenario, Mr Brassil would likely take a seat on the back of transfers from his colleague.
The decision by the Healy-Raes to add Danny’s name as a candidate seems to be vindicated based on these findings. But his brother Michael would have to be willing to cede some of his huge tally of first preferences to his brother. The Independent TD and his councillor brother have appealed to their supporters in the east of the county to favour Danny.
The low showing for Mr Ferris represents a a big surprise as it comes at a time when Sinn Féin’s support nationally is on the rise. It is clear that some of his support base has been lost to the Healy-Rae machine.
The poll was conducted on Thursday and Friday last week among 500 adults throughout Kerry. Danny Healy-Rae announced his candidature on Thursday morning so the poll was in a position to gauge the levels of support he was attracting.
Constituency by the numbers
Michael Healy-Rae (Independent) 33%
Jimmy Deenihan (Fine Gael) 13%
Brendan Griffin (Fine Gael) 13%
John Brassil (Fianna Fáil) 11%
Arthur Spring (Labour) 8%
Martin Ferris (Sinn Féin) 7%
Norma Moriarty (Fianna Fáil) 6%
Danny Healy-Rae (Independent) 4%
Michael Fitzgerald (Green Party) 2%
Grace O’Donnell (Fine Gael) 1%
Michael O’Gorman (Independent) 1%
Donal Corcoran (Renua) 1% | 1,267,289 |
the upcoming release of Curse of Strahd, as the mythology of Ravenloft is near to their hearts, and they do not feel that all the products birthed by their original 34 page adventure lived up to it. “The message behind Ravenloft is very important to us,” said Tracy.
“It’s a cautionary tale. As we both think all good vampire stories would be,” added Laura.
On the recent trends of women in horror fiction loving vampires and even becoming them, Tracy said, “We think that very deep female archetype message has gotten lost in recent years. Or at least terribly muddied [by] the idea that it’s okay to be with the monster.”
Laura said, “[Or] become like the monster to make it all work.”
The Hickmans believe the message that women can change the object of their affection if they love them enough is straight up dangerous. “All those ideas are at the heart of spousal abuse,” said Tracy.
Curse of Strahd also continues D&D‘s efforts to be as open and inclusive of all gamers as possible and having the world of D&D reflect the diversity of the gaming table. Perkins said, “In our stories… there are black people in Barovia. There are powerful women… Even Strahd’s tastes are more open-ended than they used to be. If you look at Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dracula himself is not beyond romancing a man. Strahd the vampire is attracted to charismatic, magnetic people. Period.”
The fact that this is the first foray of the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons outside of the Forgotten Realms begs the question of why return to Ravenloft and why now? Perkins said, “With 5th edition, we laid the groundwork for future products. We say in the 5th edition D&D corebooks that D&D is a multiverse, a [cosmos] of many worlds, and you can get from one world to another or one campaign setting to another. Ravenloft was a chance for us to back it up. D&D is not only the Forgotten Realms.”
There will also be a new tarot deck to go with Curse of Strahd, which will be produced in association with Gale Force 9. Perkins said that the deck is “updated. [Artist] Chuck Lukacs designed the cards to capture the Gothic feel of the setting. He gave them a wood-carved quality and there is something sinister and eerie about that.”
Let us know what you think of the latest release for Dungeons & Dragons in the comments below!
Feature image courtesy Wizards of the Coast.
Special thanks to Sheila Tayebi, Micheal Ramps, and Chris Koterba. | 1,267,290 |
No one in government is authorized to kill — not even President Rodrigo Duterte, according to one of his top allies in the Senate.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III on Monday dismissed the President’s widely criticized threat of forming the government’s own death squad to hunt down communist rebels and their sympathizers, saying this was impossible under the law.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Don’t take that seriously. That cannot be done,” said Pimentel, president of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.
“No one is authorized to kill. Even government is not authorized to kill,” Pimentel said at a press briefing in his Senate office.
‘My own Sparrow’
The former Senate President said the debate over the revival of the death penalty was proof that the government did not have the power under the country’s judicial system to order anyone killed.
Last week, the President announced he would form “my own Sparrow,” referring to the special partisan unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) that gained notoriety in the 1980s for assassinating government targets in urban areas.
“They will do nothing but look for idlers who are prospective [NPA] members and take them out,” the President said of the government’s death squad.
His instructions to what he called the “Duterte death squad,” the President said, is “get one or two” rebels.
The comment drew condemnation from critics, including the political opposition and human rights advocates.
Response to killings
ADVERTISEMENT
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday said the President’s desire to create a death squad was in response to the killings of 136 policemen, soldiers, tribal leaders and government officials by the NPA’s hit teams in the past three years.
“There is really a need to counter this [NPA unit]. And to counter this is to make our personnel vigilant, and we need to counter this with the organization of a counter-sparrow force,” Galvez said.
But the AFP chief would rather drop “death squad” in favor of a different name for the special government unit. He also stressed that the unit’s task should be left to security forces and not involve civilians.
In an interview after Monday’s flag-raising rites at Camp Aguinaldo, Galvez said the squad that would pursue the NPA’s assassination unit would be called “counter-sparrow force.”
The force, he said, would focus primarily on intelligence-building and gathering to hunt down NPA rebels.
Read Next
EDITORS' PICK
MOST READ | 1,267,291 |
This week on DineSafe a number of chain restaurants across Toronto got busted including a Shoeless Joe's which managed to rack up a heaping eight infractions.
Discover what local restaurants landed in hot water with city health inspectors this week on DineSafe.
Cibo (2472 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: April 30, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 6 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.
Inspected on: May 1, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 8 (Minor: 3, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Storing ice in unsanitary manner.
Inspected on: May 1, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated and operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.
Inspected on: May 3, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Happy Lemon (5425 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: May 3, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Hero Certified Burgers (1800 Sheppard Ave. East)
Inspected on: May 3, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 2, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A
Aroma Espresso Bar (430 King St. West)
Inspected on: May 4, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 2 (Significant: 1, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.
Poke Guys (112 Elizabeth St.)
Inspected on: May 4, 2018
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator failed to maintain hazardous foods at 4C (40F) or colder.
Wild Wing (107 Church St.) | 1,267,292 |
The primary opponent of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, refused to congratulate her on her victory Tuesday night after a bitter campaign.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tim Canova, the law professor backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersJacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee Trump campaign plays up Biden's skills ahead of Cleveland debate: 'He's actually quite good' Young voters backing Biden by 2:1 margin: poll MORE (I-Vt.), said Tuesday night that he hadn't made the traditional concession phone call to Wasserman Schultz, who won 57 percent of the vote.
"I'll concede that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a corporate stooge," Canova told reporters shortly before midnight, according to the Sun Sentinel.
"We're fighting for American democracy," said Canova, who got to 43 percent of the vote. "This is a rigged system and everyone knows it."
Canova spokesman Maurizio Passariello confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the candidate had not yet conceded, saying the campaign is investigating "apparent voting irregularities, including possible fraud."
Wasserman Schultz had 6,775 more votes than Canova with 100 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.
Canova wasn't the only losing Florida primary candidate to express ill will toward his victorious opponent Tuesday night, instead of the traditional diplomatic congratulations.
Rep. Alan Grayson Alan Mark GraysonFlorida's Darren Soto fends off Dem challenge from Alan Grayson Live results: Arizona and Florida hold primaries The Hill's Morning Report: Frustration mounts as Republicans blow up tax message MORE (D-Fla.) declared he wouldn't endorse his Senate primary rival, fellow Rep. Patrick Murphy.
Murphy had been backed by the Democratic establishment over Grayson in one of the nastiest primaries of the cycle.
Grayson was bogged down by an ethics cloud surrounding his management of a hedge fund, as well as allegations of domestic violence.
"I'm not going to be endorsing Patrick Murphy for sure," Grayson told The Orlando Sentinel. "He's a Republican."
His new wife, Dena Grayson, ran to replace him in the 9th House District but she lost her primary Tuesday night as well.
And Carlos Beruff, the lone GOP Senate primary candidate to stay in the race against Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioMurky TikTok deal raises questions about China's role Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Florida senators pushing to keep Daylight Savings Time during pandemic MORE (R-Fla.), took a jab at the incumbent's original stated intention of not running for reelection.
"I made the miscalculation of taking Mr. Rubio at his word that he wouldn't seek re-election if he lost the Presidential Primary," Beruff said in a statement after losing to Rubio.
Updated 4:26 p.m. | 1,267,293 |
Atlassian shares rose more than 10 percent in extended trading on Thursday after the provider of collaboration software reported better-than-expected earnings for its fiscal second quarter.
Here are the key numbers:
Earnings: 25 cents per share, excluding certain items, vs. 21 cents as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.
25 cents per share, excluding certain items, vs. 21 cents as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Revenue: $299 million, vs. $288.3 million as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.
Sales in the quarter ended Dec. 31, jumped 39 percent from a year earlier, according to a statement. Subscription revenue, its biggest segment, came in at $152.5 million, above the $150 million consensus of analysts polled by FactSet.
Atlassian also issued an optimistic forecast. For the fiscal third quarter, the company is expecting 18 cents in earnings per share, excluding certain items, on $303 million to $305 million in revenue. Analysts were looking for guidance of 18 cents in earnings and revenue of $300.7 million, according to Refinitiv. The company ended the quarter with 138,000 customers, in line with the FactSet analyst consensus.
Atlassian raised the prices of some products, including Confluence and Jira, in October.
"We see continued upside to estimates as we feel the pricing increases are not yet baked into Street expectations," Joel Fishbein, an analyst at BTIG Research, wrote in a report on Wednesday. "We have heard of minimal pushback from buyers during recent price increases, suggesting that there is ample runway to better align compensation with value creation."
But the company's products are still very affordable, even with this round of pricing changes, Atlassian president Jay Simons told CNBC in an interview on Thursday. The effects of the increases have been in line with what executives would expect, he said.
"There's not a negative reaction," he said.
Atlassian didn't see changes in the competitive landscape in the quarter, co-CEO Scott Farquhar said on a conference call with analysts on Thursday.
"We believe what we have said previously, which is that Microsoft's primary goal in acquiring GitHub was to get more of their developers into Azure. And that's what we continue to see to be the Microsoft focus," Farquhar said.
Atlassian stock dropped amid a wider market selloff in the fourth quarter, but in the past year the shares have surged 71 percent, outperforming Salesforce, Workday and other cloud stocks. The stock ended the trading session at $92.92 per share.
Before the conference call started on Thursday, Atlassian stock was trading at $102 per share after hours. A close at that price would be an all-time high.
WATCH: Atlassian: We're constant but measured risk-takers | 1,267,294 |
SYDNEY — On Friday morning, more than 200 surfers dressed in fluorescent clothing rose early and headed for their nearest beach.
In a show of support for World Mental Health day, not-for-profit organisation OneWave was behind the world's longest fluro wave at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Fluro is the Aussie slang term for fluorescent.
Fluro surfers get instructions on Bondi Beach. Image: Josh Himbry
Participants were asked to wear bright clothes and hold hands on the shoreline before taking to their ride of choice and enjoying a wave. The results were magical as the sun rose over the famous beach.
The company started with the concept Fluro Fridays, a weekly event where surfers at beaches along the east coast of Australia dress up and go for a surf to support mental illness. Bondi locals Grant Trebilco, 33, and Sam Schumacher, 27, founded the company in February 2013 during a meeting in the surf.
"We starting dressing in ridiculous fluro outfits every Friday morning to raise awareness for mental health and Fluro Fridays were born," Trebilco told Mashable. "Me and my good mate Sam wanted to share this simple recipe of saltwater, surfing and good mates to help people tackle mental health issues and we launched OneWave."
Joined in #flurofriday at Bondi for World Mental Health day. Blokes who started it very inspiring. pic.twitter.com/bp3FeCpcv8 — Trent Murray (@trent_murray) October 9, 2014
Trebilco suffers from bipolar disorder and through struggles in his own life wanted to reach out and help others in a different way.
"I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 years ago. It was surfing and talking about it with my mates that got me through the funk. Catching one good wave would give me hope that things would get better," Trebilco said.
The friends are stoked at "how many legends there are that are keen to support people going through mental health issues and kick the stigma behind it being a taboo topic."
From humble beginnings of Tribelco riding solo in the surf in Bondi, to the movement being embraced from Australia to Hawaii, OneWave is making big waves by raising awareness and giving sufferers hope along the way.
The line of fluro-dressed participants stretches along Bondi Beach. Image: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images
Ladies in fluro head for the waves. Image: Getty Images
Locals in fluro headdresses line up before going in the water. Image: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images
Early risers at Bondi Beach. Image: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images
The fluro crew add some brightness to the world. Image: Josh Himbry
Image: Josh Himbry
Some pre-wave exercises are essential. Image: Josh Himbry | 1,267,295 |
Send this page to someone via email
Moncton City Council voted on Monday to maintain the status quo and keep fluoride out of the region’s water supply — unless directed to do so by the federal or provincial governments.
Despite pleas from dentists to restore fluoride to the water supply in Moncton, N.B., the decision was made by a vote of six to three.
While federal and provincial governments set guidelines for fluoridation, the decision to use fluoride is left up to municipalities.
READ MORE: Moncton council set to decide on whether to restore water fluoridation
Moncton ended fluoride use in 2011.
Before Monday night’s vote, Councillor Shawn Crossman had said he would vote against restoring fluorine to the water.
He told The Canadian Press that he had spent the last seven months reading studies and listening to the public, and hasn’t seen any evidence to prove that fluoride prevents tooth decay.
Story continues below advertisement
“There’s nothing there that says fluoride is stopping tooth decay, absolutely nothing,” he said. Tweet This
Suzanne Drapeau-McNally, a Moncton-area dentist, has reported seeing a dramatic increase in tooth decay among young children ever since.
“Children who previously had no cavities, all of a sudden come in and have a higher number of decays,” Drapeau-McNally said.
Dr. Jennifer Russel, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health, issued a statement before the decision.
“Published and peer-reviewed quality literature continues to demonstrate the benefit of water fluoridation. Fluoridated drinking water greatly reduces the number of dental cavities in children’s teeth, the single most common preventable childhood disease. The safety of water fluoridation continues to be supported by current science and, when water is fluoridated at optimum levels, it does not cause adverse health effects,” said Russel.
WATCH: Sugary foods, lack of fluoride and poor economy blamed for increase in tooth decay in Calgary
1:43 Sugary foods, lack of fluoride and poor economy blamed for increase in tooth decay in Calgary Sugary foods, lack of fluoride and poor economy blamed for increase in tooth decay in Calgary
Councillors Shawn Crossman, Paulette Thériault, Blair Lawrence, Charles Leger, Pierre Boudreau and Bryan David Butler voted for the motion while Councillors Greg Turner, Robert McKee and Susan Edget voted against.
Story continues below advertisement
Big cities including Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Halifax and Winnipeg fluoridate. Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver don’t, along with Waterloo and Windsor in southern Ontario.
City council in Saint John, N.B., voted against fluoride in 2014.
— With files from The Canadian Press | 1,267,296 |
Last week, I linked to a story about a local restaurant owner is using a Confederate flag as part of his new establishment's signing and then more or less using the Ticats as cover when some people complained about the flag's racist overtones.
Cameron Bailey owns Hillbilly Heaven at the corner of King Street East and Walnut Street North. “I have guys from the TigerCats come in here and some of them are southern black guys. As soon as there's some TiCat players that say 'hey, take that down,' then I'll think about it," he said.
Below is the letter Bob Young sent Bailey... who has yet to take down the flag, as far I know.
Dear Cameron:
As the Caretaker of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats I get to take part in a lot of fun behind-the-scenes football stuff. However, because we employ a lot of smart football operations people, I don’t get the opportunity to be a part of one of the most exciting aspects of this business – the ability to make trades. So, it’s with great enthusiasm that I propose the first trade of my Ticats career to you.
Accompanying this letter are the official flags of the State of North Carolina and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. I’d like to trade you these flags in exchange for “future considerations.” (These considerations would see you discontinue the use of the Confederate battle flag for the foreseeable future).
Let me be clear: I love Hillbillies. I like everything about them. When I first moved to North Carolina my wife accused me of making her and my daughters do a "reverse Beverly Hillbillies" by moving from the big city to the hills of North Carolina. She was right, and wrong. From pulled pork (the best in the US by the way) to huntin' turkeys, I've enjoyed everything about living in a modern Southern state for the last 16 years. On the other hand, I have also been a part of teams that have led, and are still leading the technology world, based out of Research Triangle Park here in North Carolina.
The 21st century South is a community much like those of any modern society in the world today, where we embrace all of our fellow citizens as our equals. The old attitudes and beliefs relating to race as symbolized by the battle flag are now part of our distant past. We would like to see these consigned exclusively to museums, and graveyards of fallen Southern civil war soldiers.
As a fellow entrepreneur, Hamiltonian, and Tiger-Cat fan, please accept the flag of the Great State of North Carolina as a much more appropriate symbol of all the positive things you are trying to say with your celebration of all things "Hillbilly.”
Cheers,
Bob YoungCaretaker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club. | 1,267,297 |
The only thing better than seeing a local boy done good is seeing him play a free concert. And that is exactly what will happen August 29 when Dashboard Confessional plays a free show at the Fillmore courtesy of Billboard and Ford.
For those unfamiliar with Dashboard Confessional, the emo-rock band got its start as a side project for Chris Carrabba when he was living in Boca Raton and singing for the group Further Seems Forever. Dashboard Confessional quickly became Carrabba's full-time focus when the band's albums began selling in the millions, with two of those records peaking at number two on the Billboard charts. Carrabba, in an interview with New Times earlier this year, credited his South Florida upbringing for his success. "My mom moving her teenage son to Florida was the luckiest break I had. I was embraced by a music scene," he said humbly. "We built a community. We would drive from Port St. Lucie to Homestead to see bands and to play music."
In the same interview Carrabba said Dashboard was hard at work on a seventh full length album, their first since 2009, but unfortunately six months later there still has been no release date announced. Their admirers have been somewhat placated by the release of a four song EP of cover songs titled appropriately Covered and Taped where they put their own spin on tracks originated by Julien Baker, The 1975, Sorority Noise, and perhaps most surprisingly. Justin Bieber. The process was so fun for Carrabba that he hinted he might make a whole series of Covered and Taped EP's.
His impatient hometown fans won't have to wait for new releases though to get their Dashboard Confessional fix, they'll soon be able to see them live for free by signing up at billboard.com/FordFrontRow. This Fillmore performance will also feature a supporting slot by the Los Angeles indie pop group the Mowgli's, along with onsite activations that give attendees a chance to interact with the newest Ford vehicles. Signing up for the show also gives fans opportunities to win free travel and even a new car.
But even if you don't win those grand prizes of free automobiles and flights to New York and Atlanta to see mystery artists play, it's still worth your time to sign up to see Dashboard Confessional. Carrabba always tries to bring something special to his homecoming shows. "I'm homesick and eager to get back to Florida," he said when he last spoke with New Times. "Half of my family is there, and many of my friends that I met that are my surrogate family are there. I'll have a full guest list."
Dashboard Confessional
Tuesday, August 29, at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; fillmoremb.com; 305-673-7300. Admission is free with RSVP at billboard.com/fordfrontrow.
| 1,267,298 |
In March 2018, two Russian intelligence officers used a deadly nerve agent to target an ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury, United Kingdom. The incident drew international attention and led British Prime Minister Theresa May, along with more than 25 other countries (including NATO), to expel more than to 150 Russian diplomats. The victims, who thankfully recovered, were nearly two more of the countless casualties of Russia’s secret, escalatory war of subterfuge and poisoning.
I was fortunate to speak with author Daniel Silva about Russia’s covert operations and his new spy novel, “The New Girl,” on this week’s episode of my “Newt’s World” podcast.
Silva is a number one New York Times bestselling author and has been called one of the greatest American spy novelists ever. Often placing his novels in the fictionalized context of current affairs, Silva told me about his latest story.
NEWT GINGRICH: TRUMP VS. OMAR, AOC AND MORE – WHY 2020 WILL BE ALL ABOUT PATRIOTISM VS. RACISM
“The New Girl” follows Israeli intelligence chief Gabriel Allon as he investigates the kidnapping of the daughter of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Mohammed. Bin Mohammed, or KBM, was once praised for his social and religious reforms, but a shadow has been cast over his princedom because of his government’s role in the murder of a journalist who was critical of the regime.
This closely mirrors the recent infamous killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident journalist who was brutally murdered and dismembered in Turkey by operatives of the Saudi Arabian government.
Before the incident, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, was viewed by Western observers as a liberal reformer and modernizer – a cause for optimism in the Saudi kingdom. Now, he is seen as just another strongman.
”The New Girl” is Silva’s 22nd book and further cements Gabriel Allon as one of fiction’s greatest spies.
The novel is a thrilling, page-turning tale, as well as an intelligent study of political alliances and great-power rivalries in the 21st century.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Silva expertly weaves dark humor and an unforgettable cast of characters into a breathtaking plot full of exciting twists that will both educate and entertain readers.
I’m pleased to welcome Daniel Silva as my guest and hope you will listen to our conversation. I think you will find it to be an insightful look into the struggles that exist in the shadows cast by great powers that often never see the light of day. Silva’s novel, “The New Girl,” is available in stores now.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM NEWT GINGRICH | 1,267,299 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.