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should be /// marshalled/unmarshalled. If the attribute is not present, defaults to true. /// If false, the field/type will be skipped during the marshalling and /// unmarshalling process</summary> JSONMarshalledAttribute = class(JSONBooleanAttribute) end; JSONNameAttribute = class(TCustomAttribute) private FName: string; public constructor Create(AName: string); property Name: String read FName; end;
Sadly, the source code lacks the descripion for the JSONName Attribute in its comments. JSONName allows you to use a different name for a field in the JSON string.
We can use the two attributes as follows:
type TFoo = class private [JsonMarshalled(false)] NamePriv: String; public [JsonName('Name')] NamePub: String; end;
This will tell ObjectToJsonString not to include NamePriv and to name NamePub as ‘Name’ in the JSON string. The resulting JSON looks as follows:
{"Name":"public Name"}
Exactly what we wanted.
Custom attributes are pretty neat in this case as it allows for the JSON definition to be done in the class declaration and the ‘user’ of the class does not need to pay any attention to this fact.
If you try to reproduce this code you might hit a major obstacle. In my case Delphi complained with the following compiler warning and my custom attribute definitions were always ignored:
[dcc32 Warning] Unit1.pas(20): W1025 Unsupported language feature: ‘custom attribute’
The documentation does not give any hints whatsoever. Sadly, the internet is filled with an huge amount of misinformation on this error message. I admit that I tried for hours solving this problem. Thankfully, I have Robert Love as a Facebook buddy and I nagged him about the error message in the afternoon (his morning).
He explained that the error message is rather poorly phrased. Delphi is telling us that the custom attribute class cannot be resolved by the compiler, i.e. the definition for JsonNameAttribute and JsonMarshallAttribute. Note that the usual ‘T’ prefix is missing.
Thus, simply pay attention in your uses-clause to include REST.JSON.Types before you use the custom attributes and it will all work like a charm. I was also unable to find any mention of JsonName and JsonMarshalled in the explanation of ObjectToJsonString.
Thus, I think this blog post might come in handy for somebody trying to get started with JSON without using the ClientDataset adapters, provided by the new REST client classes. (Thanks, Rob!)
Summed up it has to be said that the handling of JSON with Delphi has become very easy over the years. However, it is tough to get started with all the flexibility out there. | 1,268,000 |
The Rajya Sabha did not function for the eight consecutive day on Thursday. Opposition members say the government has failed to make any effort to run the House, and many point the finger at Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.
The BJP is not ready to resolve the issues, the Congress has alleged. “We have the most irresponsible government in this country. It is the government’s duty to ensure that Parliament functions smoothly, and if there are dissension, it is for the government to talk to [leaders of] the Opposition and sort out the issues. Instead, it is depending on the Chairman; it is very unfortunate in a democratic set-up,” Congress MP B.K. Hariprasad said.
Calling the disruptions suspect, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha said it needed to be questioned who would benefit from a dysfunctional Parliament. “Each disruption should be seen from the perspective of who the beneficiary is. The beneficiary here is the BJP. It has no answer in the issues of the Rafale deal, agrarian distress or the bleeding economy, as a result of which disruptions are created,” he said. Mr. Venkaiah Naidu alone could not be blamed since it was the BJP that was carrying placards in the House to stall it.
However, NCP leader Majeed Memon questioned Mr. Naidu’s decision to adjourn the House within 10 minutes of its convening. “At 11.00 a.m., when the House assembles, if there are agitations by a few members, the Chairman is not expected to respond by immediately adjourning the House,” he said. Instead, he should call leaders of the ruling party, the Opposition parties and the dissenting party to pacify them.
M. Kanimozhi of the DMK said that though the Central Water Commission’s approval for Karnataka to start a detailed project report on a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu was a significant issue, it could not overshadow the everything else. The AIADMK has been protesting in the House for the last eight days. “The government has to sort it out; nothing is being done,” she said.
AIADMK Rajya Sabha member V. Maitreyan said Parliament is the best platform to air grievances. “If the government withdraws the order, we will stop our protests,” he said.
But the BJP insists it is ready for a debate on all issues, including Rafale, and it has important legislation to get through the Rajya Sabha, including The Triple Talaq Bill. “We are ready for all discussions; in fact, today we gave a notice for a discussion on the Rafale issue. Many parties that are part of the UPA are the ones that are storming the well of the House. We are continuously talking to every one concerned,” it said. | 1,268,001 |
Politics sometimes gets personal, but there’s no telling if President Donald Trump was thinking of the majority of people who didn’t vote for him in the West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington when he made a recent budget decision affecting earthquake warnings.
Whatever the reason — the administration didn’t explain — when the proposed federal budget from the Trump administration eliminated ongoing funding for ShakeAlert, a cost-efficient early-warning system that would provide up to a minute of crucial time for those of us who live in earthquake-prone regions to prepare for a major quake, it did so at our peril.
Related Articles Feds to fund California’s earthquake early warning system
UC Berkeley awarded earthquake early warning grant
Quinn: Where’s my earthquake early-warning app? According to the U.S. Geological Service, “the purpose of the ShakeAlert system is to identify and characterize an earthquake a few seconds after it begins, calculate the likely intensity of ground shaking that will result, and deliver warnings to people and infrastructure in harm’s way.”
Seismologist Lucy Jones, at Caltech in Pasadena, said ShakeAlert could make a huge difference in lives saved during an earthquake. For Instance, using the early warning system, train conductors could be alerted to stop, preventing them from derailing. Or, utility companies could control power grids to prevent blackouts. Building managers could direct elevators to the nearest floor to evacuate people to safety. Surgeries could be stopped before the shaking starts.
These are but a few of the practical applications for the program.
In a massive federal budget, we’re not talking about a lot of money here. So far, the federal budget has invested $23 million in ShakeAlert. The system, created by scientists at Caltech, UC Berkeley and the universities of Oregon and Washington, had been on track to start operating by the end of 2018, at a total cost of $38.3 million. It would cost $16.1 million a year to operate.
In a budget that run north of $4 trillion, that amount is virtual budget dust. But It Is vital money that can save many lives.
Jones says the cuts would kill the program: “Eliminating the $10 million (a) year that the government has been spending would stop the program and waste the $23 million that has already been invested.”
The White House has given no explanation for eliminating the funding. Appearing with Jones at Caltech, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said that “we cannot stop now, just as monitoring stations are being built out and the system is expanding its reach,” he said.
We agree, and urge Congress to restore ShakeAlert funding as it works to craft its budget. WE are all for sensible cuts, but cuts such as this fit the classic definition of the circumstance of being pennywise and pound foolish. | 1,268,002 |
We live in the Antropocene -- where human impact extends to all corners of the globe. New research shows that this also applies to the relationship between mothers and cubs of the Scandinavian brown bear. Human hunting has changed the characteristics of mother bear's care and how often she has cubs.
Stays with mother bear longer
"Generally, the cubs have followed their mother for a year and a half," says Professor Jon Swenson from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).
"Only rarely have we observed them to follow her for two and a half years."
This has now changed. Today, more cubs stay with their mothers an additional year, as opposed to 15-20 years ago.
"Man is now an evolutionary force in the lives of the bears," Swenson says.
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Bear monitoring
The Scandinavian brown bear is one of the world's most monitored animal populations. Norwegian and Swedish researchers have followed them closely since 1984.
"The Scandinavian brown bear project is one of the world's two longest research projects on bears," Swenson says, who has been attached to the project almost since its very beginning.
"We have followed over five hundred bears, many from birth to death."
The number of shot bears in Sweden has increased steadily during this time. In the period 2010-2014, Swedish hunters shot about 300 bears each year.
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Game-changer
In the vast majority of countries that allow bear hunting, there is a ban on hunting family groups.
"A single female in Sweden is four times more likely to be shot as one with a cub," Swenson says.
As long as a female has cubs, she is safe. This hunting pressure has resulted in a change in the proportion of females that keep their cubs for 1.5 years in relation to those that keep them for 2.5 years. In the period from 2005 to 2015, the number of females keeping their cubs for an additional year has increased from 7% to 36%. The individuals themselves do not alter their strategies. They portray either one behavior or the other, and this trait seems fixed.
"This basically means that we are shooting more of those females that only keep their cubs for a year."
One compensates for the other
The new female strategy involves both advantages and disadvantages. Females who keep the cubs longer live safer lives, but on the other hand, they reproduce less often. This reduces their total number of offspring throughout their lives.
"In an evolutionary perspective, this would not be beneficial," Swenson comments.
"The animals with the most offspring "win" nature's race."
However, the researchers' results show that the increased life of the females largely counteracts the reduced birth rate.
"This is especially true in areas of high hunting pressure. There the females that keep their cubs the extra year have the greatest advantage." | 1,268,003 |
The Democratic National Committee is throwing a Thursday fundraiser at the Miami home of the founder of Lumber Liquidators, which earlier this year was ordered to pay millions for lying to investors about selling formaldehyde-laden flooring imported from China.
The fundraiser at the home of Thomas Sullivan, a longtime Democratic donor who founded Lumber Liquidators, will take place in between the DNC's two presidential primary debates this week in Miami. It also takes place just four months after Sullivan's former company agreed to pay a $33 million penalty to the Department of Justice for lying to investigators in the aftermath of an undercover 60 Minutes investigation into the "astonishingly high levels" of cancer-causing formaldehyde in its Chinese-made flooring.
Sullivan led Lumber Liquidators from 1994, when he founded the company, through 2017, when he resigned from the board of directors. He was featured in the 60 Minutes exposé, telling host Anderson Cooper that the many tests indicating formaldehyde in its Chinese-made products far above the legal limit were wrong.
The show's investigators tested laminate flooring from stores across the country and found nearly all of it to be loaded with formaldehyde. They also traveled to China, where factories openly admitted using boards with high formaldehyde levels and falsely labeling them as compliant.
Sullivan was played footage from China by Cooper showing his suppliers admitting they were lying—Sullivan insisted he was completely unaware of the practice.
A 2016 Consumer Product Safety Commission investigation found that the company's laminate flooring "gave off enough formaldehyde to irritate the eyes, nose and throat of many people" and "increased cancer risks."
Lumber Liquidators agreed under Sullivan to pay out $36 million in a class-action lawsuit from the 760,000 customers who had bought the Chinese-made flooring.
The Department of Justice settlement says the company, under Sullivan's leadership, lied about actions it took to make sure its product was safe. It "knowingly filed a false and misleading" report to the Securities and Exchange Commission denying allegations made on 60 Minutes, even though its own internal test results confirmed many of them.
The Department of Justice was also assured Lumber Liquidators "placed its executive management team with experienced executives who have displayed a commitment to building an ethical corporate culture."
The full 60 Minutes investigation can be viewed on the show's YouTube page.
Sullivan now runs competing company Cabinets To Go, which is being sued by Lumber Liquidators for violating an existing non-compete agreement.
The cash-strapped DNC said it’s hoping to raise "multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars" at the Sullivan-hosted fundraiser.
In 2013, Sullivan hosted a private $32,400-a-plate dinner with former president Barack Obama for the DNC. He has personally donated at least $94,000 to the national party in recent years.
The DNC did not respond to a request for comment on its relationship with Sullivan. | 1,268,004 |
Hollywood animal activist Casey Affleck papered the State House yesterday with letters that asked lawmakers to throw their support behind one of his pet causes, the Massachusetts Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.
The Cambridge homey, vegan and major supporter of the Farm Sanctuary, ASPCA and MSPCA had his missive hand-delivered to the offices of every legislator, including Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and Senate prez Therese Murray.
“I grew up in Cambridge, and like so many Massachusetts residents, pets were a part of my family,” wrote the “Gone Baby Gone” star. “Through them, I learned that animals have the capacity to feel pleasure, pain, fear and joy.
“Subsequently, I’ve come to understand that all animals have these capacities; it doesn’t matter whether the animal is a cat or a chicken or a pig,” said the actor, 37. “Yet for a long time our legal system has attempted to protect only pets from pain and suffering, not farm animals.”
The Farm Animal Protection Act, which has bipartisan support in the house and senate, calls for a ban on veal crates, gestation pens for pigs and overcrowded cooping up of hens.
“These systems are deeply unethical and should be banned,” said Affleck, who gave a shout-out to local companies Dunkin’ Donuts and Au Bon Pain for their commitment to buying meat from animals not raised in gestation crates.
GOP state Sen. Robert Hedlund and state Rep. Jason Lewis (D-Winchester), who filed farm animal protection bills in the Senate and House, said Casey Affleck is preaching to the choir, but they welcome the actor’s support.
“I think it will get other legislators’ attention,” said Hedlund, who reminded us he’s such an animal hugger, he called for a ban on the use of bull hooks to train circus elephants a few years ago, and refuses to serve veal at his Weymouth Landing restaurant.
Lewis told the Track he’s happy to hear “another voice” on farm animal cruelty debate, a subject consumers have shown they can get behind by buying cage-free eggs and free range meats.
“There is a growing awareness by the general public about the abhorrent way farm animals are treated,” said the Winchester Dem. “Even the largest fast food chains have made changes to their suppliers. So I welcome the support of a local, well-respected actor who can rally Massachusetts legislators to the cause.”
File Under: Affleck’s Eggscellent Adventure
Drop dimes to [email protected] or 617-619-6376. Follow @TrackGals, @GayleFee and @LauraRaposa on Twitter. | 1,268,005 |
North Korea’s efforts to idolize its late former leaders appear to have recently been reduced, an indication that current ruler Kim Jong-un is striving to wean himself from the influences of his predecessors and build his own leadership, analysts said Monday.
The current leader has recently appeared in a series of public events without wearing a badge depicting the portraits of the North’s national founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung, and former leader and his father Kim Jong-il.The portrait of Kim Il-sung has also disappeared from a new airport facility in Pyongyang, a rare scene in the country that has long worshiped the two former leaders with badges on people’s formal suits, gigantic statues in major cities and other propaganda tools.In a musical performance by the country’s top Moranbong troupe in April, there were no scenes on the backdrop that showed the two late leaders, according to news agency Yonhap. Previously, any performance by the troupe presented photos of the late leaders carrying out state affairs in a show of national respect to them.Chin Hee-gwan, a unification studies professor at Inje University in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, said that the absence of the former leaders’ portraits in some public places and the current leader’s decision to not wear a badge of his grandfather and father are expressions of Kim’s confidence in his management of state affairs.“After the three-year mourning period ended in December 2014, Kim Jong-un seems to be showing his confidence as a leader of the country,” he said.“As an expression of his pride and confidence, and his grip on power, he has apparently shown up in public places without a badge carrying the portraits of the former leaders. His father also did that when he appeared confident about his leadership.”Referring to the absence of the portrait of former leader Kim Il-sung at a new airport building in Pyongyang, Chin said the isolated state appears to be moving in line with the “international trend” in which countries do not put large portraits of their former leaders in public facilities.Chang Yong-seok, a senior analyst at Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, said the young North Korean ruler appears to be striving to “stand on its own” away from the influences of the former charismatic predecessors.“As Kim has been trying to establish his authority as a legitimate leader, he might have thought that he could not capitalize on the halo of his grandfather and father for good -- a reason why he has been trying to build his own, independent leadership, and projecting that image to his people,” he said.Chang noted that the young leader in his early 30s might also refuse to follow the old propaganda practices of putting portraits at major facilities and carrying out other activities that seem to be outmoded by international standards.By Song Sang-ho ( [email protected] | 1,268,006 |
Norway’s "most famous chimp", Julius, who resides at the Dyreparken Zoo in Kristiansand, fell seriously ill after a visitor chucked a plastic bottle containing an unknown drug into his enclosure. During his drug-induced state, the chimp inflicted some severe injuries on himself, including gnawing on his own arm.
The event happened last month, and the 39-year-old chimp is recovering from the incident, a recent announcement from Dyreparken Zoo and Amusement Park said. Meanwhile, the zoo is using CCTV footage of visitors and working with the police to try and find the culprit.
"We are shocked,” Rolf-Arne Ølberg, a vet at the zoo, said in the statement. “We're so glad he's getting better, and his wound is healing. It could have been much worse."
On the evening of February 21, staff became concerned after noticing Julius was behaving abnormally. Zookeepers put him under anesthesia to check him over after noticing he was sitting alone in an agitated state with nasty wounds along his arm.
The team was initially stumped, thinking perhaps the arm was infected, making him act strangely, but it was later reported that guests at the zoo saw somebody throw a bottle into the enclosure.
“It was only then we started to suspect that he could have acquired something that could explain the abnormal behavior,” says Ølberg.
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Vets took blood and urine samples at St Olav's Hospital in Trondheim, which confirmed he had ingested notable quantities of an unspecified drug. Out of the eight chimps in the herd at Dyreparken Zoo, Julius – who has a love of fizzy soda – is the only one capable of unscrewing bottle caps, so he was the only individual who fell prey to the malicious prank.
“Over the following days, our main focus was to take care of Julius,” Ølberg said.”We are first and foremost grateful and happy that it seems to be going well with him. The wound now heals and Julius behaves normally.”
Julius was born at the zoo in December 1979. As a young chimp, he was abandoned by his mother and ended up being adopted by zoo director Edvard Moseid and his family. He’s well-known in Norway because he was featured in a kids' documentary on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in 1981, according to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, and for multiple successful escapes from his enclosure.
A recent genetic analysis showed that he belongs to a subspecies of the common chimpanzee, known as the West African chimpanzee or western chimpanzee, found in Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea. According to the zoo, conservationists have been looking at Julius to help with breeding programs for the western chimpanzee, which are critically-endangered with extinction. | 1,268,007 |
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When Master Seaman Francis Legare kissed his partner Corey Vautour today in Victoria, a little bit of history was made.
A time-honoured tradition at Navy homecomings, the first kiss allows one lucky sailor to be first off the ship for the long-awaited smooch with a loved one. For the first time, the happily reunited was a male same-sex couple.
As the crowd cheered, Legare stepped off HMCS Winnipeg and greeted Vautour, who was carrying a handmade sign saying ‘Welcome Home Sailor’, with a kiss and huge embrace. While the first kiss has happened between two women before, this is the first time it has taken place between two men.
Legare, who is originally from Quebec, bought tickets for the draw that decides who gets the first kiss and to his surprise, won.
“I just bought a ticket because all the money goes to charity, I wasn’t thinking I was going to win,” said Legare, who was away for almost nine months.
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“I think it’s wonderful, the Canadian Armed Forces embraces people whatever their preferences are,” said HMCS Winnipeg Cmdr. Jeff Hutchinson.
“I think it’s great.”
WATCH: History was made in Victoria, where HMCS Winnipeg returned home after more than eight months at sea. As Kylie Stanton reports, one particular sailor’s welcome home was truly remarkable. 1:28 HMCS Winnipeg’s return to Victoria brings historic same-sex kiss HMCS Winnipeg’s return to Victoria brings historic same-sex kiss
Rear Admiral Gilles Couturier echoed Hutchinson by saying the Navy has had to evolve to not only reflect, but represent current day society.
“We have to… we reflect society and we recruit across all of the spectrums of society,” Couturier said. “If we don’t adapt, we won’t have any sailors joining. So if that’s what society is and that’s the sailor’s choice, we respect that. It’s all positive in our perspective.” Tweet This
HMCS Winnipeg, which has a crew of 250, docked in Victoria after touring the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for almost nine months.
The ship also made headlines after three crew members were detained by Japanese authorities during a port visit in Tokyo.
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Two of the people are military members and one is a civil employee. All were detained for the alleged use of a controlled substance. Tokyo police have released one of the military members, while the other two have been charged with use of a controlled substance.
The Navy says it will work with Canadian Consular officials and Japanese authorities throughout this process.
~ with files from Amy Judd | 1,268,008 |
A Jewish Studies professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder is teaching an altered version of the Hebrew language, meant to be more inclusive to those who do not identify with a particular gender.
The Nonbinary Hebrew Project began as a collaboration between a gender non-conforming student and Jewish Studies professor Eyal Rivlin to solve the supposed problem that the language left “little to no room for those who identify as nonbinary.” The student who was used to using pronouns that have come to be known as “gender-neutral,” such as “they” and “them,” reportedly faced a “special set of challenges” when studying Hebrew due to the fact that many Hebrew words, like most other languages, require the speaker to assign a gender to them.
"'Male and female He Created them,’ are not subject to change"
The project, which was recently highlighted by the university in a radio segment titled, “How society is redefining gender," attempts to address this issue by altering the language with the addition of a third gender category.
[RELATED: UC-Berkeley Jewish orgs. condemn 'Zionist tears,' other remarks amid student gov showdown]
“We ended up creating a few basic rules that apply to the whole language and actually make sense within the grammar system of Hebrew,” Rivlin said. “Native Hebrew speakers can intuitively, based on these few added rules, create this new language without any problems.”
The new inclusive version of the ancient language is now being employed in all Hebrew Language courses taught by professor Rivlin.
Managing Director of the Coalition for Jewish Values, Rabbi Yaakov Menken, told Campus Reform that “most languages ascribe a gender even to inanimate objects, so this is going to be a common problem for modern efforts to describe gender as more ‘fluid’ than our biology.”
[RELATED: Students condemn course on ‘Colonizing Palestine’ at Tufts]
Even though most languages have this same characteristic, Menken told Campus Reform that Hebrew often gets treated differently “because it is the original language of the Bible.”
“That version, which we call ‘lashon hakodesh,’ ‘the Holy Language,’ is still read and written today,” he explained, adding that “From a rabbinic perspective, the words of Genesis 1:27, ‘male and female He Created them,’ are not subject to change."
“‘Male, female and they' just doesn't have the same ring -- and more to the point, is not what He said,” Menken added.
Campus Reform reached out to Rivlin for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @CelineDRyan | 1,268,009 |
Trump returned to Twitter less than two hours later and repeated the mantra: “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT! It should never be allowed to happen again!”
Trump’s tone implies wrongdoing, but what he calls “presidential harassment” is known to most as “congressional oversight,” an integral part of the United States’ system of checks and balances.
Though Trump recently took to the turn of phrase, Thursday was not the first time he used it.
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“Presidential Harassment” has come up on a handful of occasions, mostly when Trump is searching for someone to blame:
According to Trump, in November, it was “the prospect of Presidential Harassment” by Democrats that caused stock market volatility.
In early December, “Presidential Harassment” — also known as the “phony Russia Witch Hunt” — caused his plummeting approval rating.
After Republicans lost control of the House during November’s midterm elections, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cautioned Democrats against “presidential harassment.”
McConnell warned that “efforts to obtain President Trump’s tax returns and conduct oversight of his administration would backfire politically.”
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“The whole issue of presidential harassment is interesting,” he told reporters. “The Democrats in the House are going to have to decide just how much presidential harassment they think is good strategy. I’m not so sure it will work for them.”
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Democrats formally took control of the House on Jan. 3, and vowed to aggressively pursue oversight investigations, which may include issuing subpoenas for potentially damaging documents and advancing the Russia investigation.
House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has made clear that she is prepared to defend the nation’s system of checks and balances. The House, she tweeted Tuesday, “will not surrender its constitutional responsibility to perform oversight.”
Legally, “harassment” is a term used in civil lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination. Criminal “harassment,” which differs from state to state, typically involves behavior intended to alarm, annoy or terrorize another, often causing that person to reasonably fear for his or her safety.
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Congressional oversight fits neither definition.
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Trump may not enjoy the oversight process. He may fear the information congressional committees may unearth. But Congress is supposed to bird-dog the executive branch of government.
As House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday: “To say that we can’t do [oversight] is to say that we shouldn’t do our constitutional duty. It’s to assert an executive preeminence that one would think he might want to be a dictator.” | 1,268,010 |
breathlessly followed the Clinton book tour react to details of her attempt to destroy the character of an alleged 12-year-old rape victim?
I predict that the media uses one of the following scenarios to address the story:
First, the media will cover the story. Considering the fact that Clinton appears to be feeling out a potential 2016 bid, and considering the fact that she is already enjoying wall-to-wall coverage, the media may actually find some interest in the rape story and -- gasp! -- ask her about it in forthcoming interviews. The coverage may or may not be robust, but it's better than nothing.
Second, the media will offer a minimum amount of coverage to the story only so it can defend Clinton for "just doing her job." It will be particularly delightful if the media takes this route considering all the time and attention it has dedicated to the so-called “ war on women.”
Several news organizations, including the Huffington Post, Politico and BuzzFeed, in 2012 dedicated an absurd amount of resources to cover Rush Limbaugh's comments on Sandra Fluke and Todd Akin's monstrously idiotic "legitimate rape" remarks.
It will be interesting to see if these same groups, those who go on about "reproductive justice," George Will's " hate speech" and the Roman Catholic Church's supposedly nefarious influence over " public policy," will find time to discuss Hillary's attempt to assassinate the character of an alleged 12-year-old rape victim.
Or do these groups only talk about these issues when it concerns Republicans?
Lastly, the media ignores the story entirely and offers the "old news" defense. This case was in 1975! She defended the guy, he served a little time and eventually died in 1992. Her defense strategy of attacking the girl? What difference, at this point, does it make?*
Well, here’s the thing: You could make the argument that the story is old news and that it's silly to dredge it up, but that argument became obsolete several years ago.
This is 2014. If there's one thing that we learned from the 2012 presidential election it's that no story is too old, no transgression too slight to merit 24-hour news coverage.
The same people who brought you " scandals" involving former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney putting his dog on his car or Texas Gov. Rick Perry being associated with a ranch that has a rock with a racial slur painted on it (he didn't even own the property), are not allowed to complain about "old news" anymore.
If Romney giving a kid a haircut in high school is cause for endless analyzing and tsk-tsking from cable news hosts and political pundits, then surely Hillary Clinton savaging a 12-year-old’s character in order to defend a man accused of child rape nearly 40 years ago is worth at least a little coverage.
Or am I expecting too much?
*Obligatory reference. | 1,268,011 |
Taliban claims responsibility for attack on minibus in the east of the Afghan capital, while another attack in country’s north kills at least eight
This article is more than 4 years old
This article is more than 4 years old
A suicide bomber has killed at least 14 people in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul.
“Initial report of today’s terrorist attack in Kabul 14 killed and eight wounded. Police are working to ID victims,” interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqui said on Twitter on Monday.
Journalist David Gilkey and interpreter Zabihulla Tamanna killed in Afghanistan Read more
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, claiming it was “against the forces of aggression” in Afghanistan.
The bombing, carried out by a suicide bomber on foot according to police, occurred just before 6am (0130 GMT) in the east of the Kabul along the main road to the eastern city of Jalalabad.
Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the suicide bomber had waited near a compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded in the attack.
It was the first attack in the capital since the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan two weeks ago.
The last attack in the Afghan capital on 19 April left 64 dead and more than 340 wounded.
That attack was also claimed by the Taliban, who have been waging an insurgency against the Western-backed Kabul government since they were ousted from power by a US-led invasion in late 2001.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Afghan policemen arrive at the site of the suicide bombing. Photograph: Omar Sobhani/Reuters
In a separate attack hours later, a bomb planted in a motorbike killed at least eight civilians and wounded another 18 in a crowded market in the northern province of Badakhshan, said provincial government spokesman Naveed Frotan. The casualty count could rise, he said.
Another explosion in Kabul later on Monday morning wounded a provincial council member and at least three of his bodyguards, Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said. It was thought a bomb had been attached to the politician’s car, he said.
Neither of the latter two attacks were immediately claimed by any group.
Washington recently announced an expansion of the US military’s authority to conduct air strikes against the Taliban, significantly boosting Afghan forces who have limited close air-support capacities.
US forces have been in an advisory role in Afghanistan since the start of 2015 and were only authorised to hit Taliban targets for defensive reasons, or to protect Afghan soldiers.
The changes mean US troops can now work more closely with local fighters in striking the Taliban, who have demanded the departure of all foreign forces. | 1,268,012 |
It may seem futuristic, but 3D printing is one of the hottest tech trends making its way into your home. From printing houses to manufacturing intricate ceramics, there will likely come a time when many of the things we use and live in are built with a 3D printer.
Just recently, a Canadian team used the largest 3D printer in North America to build the world’s first 3D printed camper. Made out of hundreds of feet of plastic filament, the full-size camper took a total of nine days to print. While not as big as some of the giant RVs you see on the road, it also isn’t tiny, measuring 13 feet long, six feet wide, and about 600 pounds.
As if printing the world’s first camper wasn’t already a cool feat, the camper also broke a world record as the largest indoor, single-piece 3D printed object in the world.
Executed by a group of 3D-printer experts at Create Cafe in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the large job took over 230 hours to build on a custom ErectorBot 3D printer. And while some might assume the 3D printed camper is just a novelty, there are advantages to 3D printing over traditional manufacturing. The seamless trailer won’t leak, doesn’t require a chassis, and the sky is the limit for the type of design that could be printed.
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This camper prototype is currently being outfitted with appliances, electronics, and windows. Creator Randy Janes—owner of Wave of the Future 3D—told Saskatoon’s local news station that he’s hopeful that the first batch of 3D-printed campers will be for sale by the end of the year. The current model, called “The Wave,” features three covered holes in the floor so it can convert into an ice-fishing hut, but subsequent models could also be larger or fit in truck beds.
Take a look below at the first photos of the printed camper. We’re patiently awaiting better photos and we’ll also do another story when the camper is outfitted, so stay tuned!
Here it is! The world’s first 3D printed camper trailer. It’s also the largest object to ever be 3D printed at over 500 cubic feet. The trailer is on display at @CreateCafe3D in Saskatoon. #YXE #Sask @GlobalSaskatoon pic.twitter.com/hrF7UerLNb — Adam MacVicar (@AdamMacVicar) February 23, 2018
Via: Inhabitat, Global News | 1,268,013 |
In an article that somehow never once mentions the name Donald Trump, conservative commentator Larry Tomczak makes his case for why Barack Obama was “America’s Worst President.”
Many of his reasons boil down to how Obama wasn’t a True Christian™ because he supported women’s rights and LGBTQ equality. The only True Christian™, we all know, are Tomczak and his buddies.
2. As a candidate, Obama assured Americans of his conviction on the sanctity of marriage as only between a man and a woman, then once elected, pivoted to endorse homosexual marriage and said his finest moment of 2015 was celebrating the SCOTUS ruling as he lit up the White House in rainbow colors. He emphatically and unapologetically gave hearty approbation to what Scripture calls an “abomination.” 3. Upon election, he became a staunch proponent and defender of both the dismemberment of unborn babies in abortion plus endorsed financial support for Planned Parenthood, which executes nearly 900 children daily. He pronounced “God bless you!” on them at their convention, shocking the sensibilities of tens of millions of pro-life Americans. … 8. His aggressive advocacy of the LGBTQ agenda brought devastation to the future of the traditional family as he endorsed gay marriage, promoted transgenderism in schools, undermined the Defense of Marriage Act, celebrated the homosexual lifestyle by affirming people “coming out” and appointed unprecedented numbers of gay proponents to government and military positions. His policy instructing the military to recruit transgenders is only one example of his initiatives promoting what’s been labeled the “gayification” of the U.S. Armed Forces.
There you go. The President who supported love, and bodily autonomy, and said we shouldn’t say no to someone willing to fight for this country on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation is the absolute worst. I mean, he supposed gayification. Aren’t you scared?!
Some presidents were involved with scandals like Watergate. Some got us into unnecessary wars. Some presidents owned slaves.
But Obama was the worst because he supported civil rights and the Constitution. Good thing Trump rescued us from all that awfulness and everything is just great now…
How’s that for white evangelical thinking in a nutshell?
Tomczak could’ve stuck to a list of criticisms that were, at least on the surface, sensible. You can argue that Obama’s policy decisions were the wrong ones, though even on his bad days, there’s no compelling case to be made that he didn’t have the country’s best interests in mind. But to add to that a list a bunch of reasons that even many Christians would disagree with in order to support an argument that makes no sense?
No wonder this was published on Charisma‘s website. No reasonable publication would ever let him get away with this much ignorance.
(Image via Shutterstock)
| 1,268,014 |
An 18-year-old Chicago man accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend while she visited from college allegedly did so while engaging in a version of Russian roulette with what he believed was an unloaded gun, prosecutors said.
Lafayette Hodges was held on $50,000 bond Monday on a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of 19-year-old Lyniah Bell, a student at Michigan State University who had returned to Chicago on winter break. Hodges appeared in court Monday visibly shaken and crying, wearing what looked to be a medical paper robe and shorts.
Prosecutors said Hodges fatally shot Bell Friday evening as he "played" with a gun he thought was unloaded in a bedroom of his home.
Hodges pointed the gun at the person who gave him the revolver, prosecutors said, pulled the trigger and nothing happened. He then put the gun to his own head, pulled the trigger and nothing happened, prosecutors said. When the gun was pointed at Bell, the gun went off.
A suspect is in custody in a fatal Chatham shooting, and NBC 5's Lisa Chavarria has the latest details.
Bell suffered a gunshot wound to the head during the incident, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hodges fled the scene after the shooting. He later called a witness and then his mother saying it was an accident, prosecutors said. He stated the person who handed him the gun brought the revolver to his house and "emptied the bullets onto the bed," according to prosecutors. That person, who has not been identified, denied giving him the gun.
When he pointed the gun at Bell, "she said that he loved her too much to hurt her," according to the proffer. Hodges and Bell had been dating for the past nine months, prosecutors said.
Police said that Hodges turned himself into police on Saturday morning at approximately 4 a.m. after the shooting.
Just before 10 p.m. Friday, a witness heard a gunshot at a residence in the 8100 block of South Maryland Avenue and found Bell in the bedroom of an apartment, according to Chicago police.
Bell was a freshman honors student at Michigan State University, and was home from school on winter break, according to her family. She was on a full scholarship and hoped to one day be a journalist and open her own business.
"It is disgraceful. I am sick," said Bell's cousin-in-law, Joseph Wright. "We just hope justice will be served for this young lady."
Her family expressed anger and disappointment after Hodges only received a $50,000 bond. And they said they don't believe his story.
"There's a lot of unanswered questions," Wright said. "This guy had a long time to make up these things for the court to sit back and do a $50,000 bond. It is disgraceful."
Bell was staying at Hodges' home, prosecutors said. | 1,268,015 |
The small German town of Kandel stood divided on Sunday as 1,000 protesters (in a town of only 8,500) gathered in the main square to stand either for or against refugees one month after a local teen was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend, an Afghan asylum seeker.
Banners reading "Safety for us and our children" stood across from others saying "Stand up against racism," as tensions rose in the packed streets.
Local authorities told DW that the majority of anti-migrant demonstrators were not locals but had instead traveled from across Germany to Kandel ahead of the protest.
Fifteen-year-old Mia V. was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife in front of a drugstore on December 27, allegedly by her former boyfriend, also 15.
Ex charged with murder
The boy arrived in Germany as an unaccompanied minor in the spring of 2016. He was moved to a juvenile care institution in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where Kandel lies. After leaving that facility in September, he was put in the care of a supervised youth living group.
According to senior prosecutor Angelika Möhlig, the boy had been in a relationship with the girl for several months before she broke up with him at the beginning of December. Both Mia and her parents had gone to the police about his harassing and threatening behavior.
Last week, the authorities elevated the charges against the suspect from manslaughter to murder.
The shocking death in the wealthy town near the French border was reminiscent of a similar incident in the southern city of Freiburg, where an Afghan refugee is on trial for murdering a medical student.
Germany took in hundreds of thousands of refugees in 2015, citing historic responsibility for promoting human rights. However, in the intervening years, Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under some criticism for her decision. A preliminary coalition agreement between her conservative party and the center-left Social Democrats would see the number of asylum-seekers allowed in per year capped at 220,000.
Kandel being used as a 'platform' by the right
Despite the apparent anti-migrant sentiment on display in Kandel, a spokesman for the town's local authority told DW that the town had not received any complaints or concerns over the safety situation in the town. In fact, only a "small minority" of those who took part in the anti-migrant protest were from Kandel.
Read more: Anti-foreigner rally in Berlin draws ten times more protesters than expected
Sebastian Burkhard, a police spokesman in the district of Landau in Rhineland-Palatinate, where the town is located, also confirmed this.
"Kandel was used as a platform for people from elsewhere to express a certain view and to protest," Burkhard said. "It's not a movement that stems from the people of Kandel themselves. This is not a point of view that's widely shared by those who call the town home." | 1,268,016 |
almost reminds me of Kevin Durant. The one knock against Porter Jr. is that he isn’t very durable, and can be somewhat of a ball stopper, opting to take low-percentage shots rather than swing the ball for a better shot. His slender frame and skinny legs make him vulnerable to injuries, and allow him to get pushed around on both ends of the floor. The Knicks have had experiences with tall, slender players getting injured, (cough, KP, cough) and they should be wary of taking another guy with potential injury issues.
Collin Sexton is the most polished prospect, and he’s ready to make an immediate impact.
Michael Porter Jr.
Peter Saclarides: Out of these four prospects, Michael Porter Jr. is up there in terms of upside. Although the Missouri forward missed nearly his entire freshman year after undergoing back surgery, he still represents huge potential for any team willing to take the risk on him. While the lower back injury should certainly be a warning sign for teams considering drafting him, his potential to become an elite scorer is there, and the Knicks should take a chance on him if he falls to them at nine.
Entering college, MPJ was the consensus number one ranked high school prospect, and for good reason. Porter Jr. is both a gifted scorer and solid defender, and at 6’10″ can handle the ball very well. I could see New York selecting MPJ at nine because they have time to allow him to develop. Having missed almost a full season his only year in college means that there will certainly be some growing pains for Porter Jr., but the Knicks can weather them. For New York, this is a rebuilding year, so early struggles are to be expected.
Additionally, neither Trae Young, Wendell Carter, nor Collin Sexton really make much sense for the Knicks. Young, while he has tremendous upside, wouldn’t fit well into the New York’s system as a ball-dominant, undersized player with limited defensive capabilities. After the emergence of Trey Burke, and the selection of a point guard just last season, it would be questionable to use the pick on another lead guard. The same argument can be made for Sexton, the 6-1 attacking point guard out of Alabama. Why spend the pick on a point guard when the team has other, more pressing needs? As for Carter Jr., he simply doesn’t match the potential of MPJ. Not to mention the fact that he’s a center, and KP could very well be playing that position soon. All things considered, picking Porter (if available) at no. 9 would be the all-around smarter move.
A new coaching staff, no Kristaps for a good amount of the season, and a general lack of talent means the Knicks probably won’t be doing much in 2018–19, regardless of their draft pick. With that being said, why not take a chance on MPJ? | 1,268,017 |
KYODO NEWS - Apr 27, 2017 - 22:51 | Sports, All
Sho Nakata could not have picked a better time to hit his first home run of the season Thursday, a tie-breaking three-run shot in the 10th inning that lifted the Nippon Ham Fighters past the SoftBank Hawks 5-4, ending their losing streak at 10.
Nakata homered off Yuito Mori (0-1) with two outs in the top of the 10th at Yafuoku Dome as the Japan Series champions halted their worst slide in 12 years.
The Hawks scored two runs in the bottom half, but Hirotoshi Masui (1-0), who pitched the last two innings, managed to close out the game to pick up the win -- the Fighters' first in 14 days.
After Nakata led off the seventh with a double to break up Rick van den Hurk's no-hitter, Brandon Laird homered to give Nippon Ham the lead, but Yuki Yanagita tied the game at two with a two-run blast of his own in the eighth to invite extra innings.
Despite the victory, however, the Fighters are 13 games off the.500 mark. Nakata, who is hitting.191 on the year after missing a chunk of time due to injury, vowed to make up for his early-season struggles.
"I'll try to win back everyone's trust," Nakata said. "I wanted to swing as hard as I could. And it turned out great."
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Buffaloes 3, Lions 2
At Kyocera Dome, with the game tied at two, an error by Seibu third baseman Takeya Nakamura after Eiichi Koyano's infield single scored Shunta Goto from second as Orix produced its first walk-off win of the year.
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Central League
Carp 1, Giants 0
At Mazda Stadium, Hiroshima's Daichi Osera (1-0) won his first start in two years with seven scoreless innings against Yomiuri, which dropped to third after wasting six strong innings from Ryosuke Miyaguni (0-1).
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Tigers 5, BayStars 2
At Koshien Stadium, Yoshio Itoi's two-run single keyed a three-run first for Hanshin, which held on to move into second place. DeNA's Yoshitomo Tsutsugo hit his first homer of the season in the fifth, a solo shot off Shintaro Fujinami (2-1), who held the BayStars to one earned run over five innings.
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Dragons 2, Swallows 0
At Nagoya Dome, Katsuki Matayoshi (2-0) threw seven shutout innings without issuing a walk as Chunichi climbed out of the cellar into fifth, trading places with Yakult. | 1,268,018 |
It’s been a bad week for the homophobes and transphobes in Italy: first came the ruling by the European Court that Italy was breaching the Human Rights of gay couples by refusing them marriage or any other recognized form of union.
Then, on Monday, Italy’s Supreme Court leapfrogged their laws on gender recognition into global significance when they asserted the rights of trans individuals to self-determine their gender.
And while it’s not surprising the usual suspects have been declaring it the end of the world, one politician is on a crusade.
Paola Binetti, a representative of the Union of the Centre, has suggested same-sex marriage is unnecessary as gay people can just use the recent trans ruling to their advantage.
‘Why do we need to pass a law on civil unions for homosexual couples, and to engage in a lengthy semantic debate around what “marriage” means today?’ she has argued.
‘Why must we embark on a bitter parliamentary battle on the value of the family, to decide whether certain reforms will strengthen it or weaken it further?
‘It would be a complete waste of time: all debate has now been rendered void by the recent verdict of the Supreme Court in the case of the individual who has demanded the right to change sex without surgical intervention.’
She adds: ‘Sexual difference appears completely irrelevant. It is enough for an individual to claim not that they are a certain way or they look a certain way but merely they desire to be a certain way. Just present your documents, declare how you feel and how you want to be considered and the die is cast.
‘You can now marry legally and you can even adopt…That is the real meaning of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which in a single blow has thrown away centuries of tradition around sexual identity.
‘But why settle for a modest civil union if, when I go to register my new documents I feel in the mood for a full-on marriage? We need to get back to a basic concept of human nature, recovering the full value of sexual identity in its specific and inescapable difference and substance. Gender theory, despite desperate attempts to deny it, is stripping away all ambiguity from the message of Pirandello [an Italian playwright]: “you are what you think you are”.
‘At the same time, it makes it even more difficult to understand who we are and who is the person stood before us, for the simple reason that in place of factual objectivity you have put in its place a radical self-referentiality.
She concludes: ‘At this point everything becomes dramatically possible, even disorientation of the younger generation.’
Italy is now the only major Western European country with no civil unions or same-sex marriage laws, putting it in direct conflict with the European Court’s rulings on human rights. | 1,268,019 |
The Trump campaign spent $267,924 on lawyers for Donald Trump Jr. from July to September, according to disclosures made to the Federal Election Commission on Sunday. The figure includes $237,924 for Trump Jr.’s personal attorney, Alan Futerfas. Another $30,000 went to Williams and Jensen, which helped Trump Jr. prepare for Congressional testimony.
In the previous quarter, the Trump campaign spent $50,000 on Trump Jr.’s legal bills. The Republican National Committee has also spent over $200,000 on lawyers representing Trump Jr., with most of that amount going to Futerfas. In total, donors to the Trump campaign and the Republican party have spent over half a million dollars on Trump Jr.’s legal representation.
Trump Jr. has been under intense legal scrutiny since it was revealed that he set up a meeting between top Trump campaign officials and Russians who claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
“The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father,” Rob Goldstone, a promoter for Emin Agalarov, the son of a prominent Russian oligarch closely tied to Putin, wrote in an email to Trump Jr in June 2016.
“This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump,” Goldstone added.
Trump Jr. replied, “[I]f it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer,” and promised to call him.
A few days later, Trump Jr. set up a meeting with the Russians that he believed possessed this information. He brought along then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Trump’s son-in-law and top campaign adviser, Jared Kushner. On the Russian side, attendees included a man accused of a massive money laundering scheme, a former Russian intelligence officer described as “a master of the dark arts” and a Russian lawyer closely tied to the Kremlin.
The meeting is now a focus of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
Trump Jr. is now running the Trump Organization and, to avoid conflicts, is supposed to be walled off from the political life of his father.
President Trump claims to be worth $10 billion. But his son’s legal defense is being paid, with the help of people of modest means donating small amounts to the Trump campaign. Over $1.2 donated to the Trump campaign last quarter was “unitemized,” meaning it came from individuals who have cumulatively donated $200 or less.
It’s unclear if these small donors are aware how much of their contributions are being paid to cover legal fees of Trump’s adult children. | 1,268,020 |
On March 12, 2020, detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police, with the assistance of the Special Operations Division – Tactical Unit, served a high-risk search warrant at a residence located in the 12200 block of St. James Road in Potomac, Maryland.
The search warrant was related to an investigation into a suspect identified as Duncan Socrates Lemp, age 21, of the 12200 block of St. James Road in Potomac, Maryland.
Detectives assigned to the Investigative Services Bureau received an anonymous tip at the beginning of the year, indicating that Lemp was in possession of firearms. Due to his criminal history as a juvenile, Lemp was prohibited from legally possessing or purchasing firearms in the State of Maryland until the age of 30. During their investigation, detectives learned of a number of firearms that Lemp was in possession of, to include various rifles and handguns that would ultimately be recovered from the residence. Detectives applied for and received a no-knock search warrant for the crimes of possession of an assault weapon and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The search warrant on March 12, 2020, was served in the early morning hours, consistent with Montgomery County Department of Police practice. The officers entering the residence announced themselves as police and that they were serving a search warrant. Officers gave commands for individuals inside the residence to show their hands and to get on the ground. Upon making contact with Lemp, officers identified themselves as the police and gave him multiple orders to show his hands and comply with the officer’s commands to get on the ground. Lemp refused to comply with the officer’s commands and proceeded towards the interior bedroom door where other officers were located. Upon entrance by officers into Lemp’s bedroom, Lemp was found to be in possession of a rifle and was located directly in front of the interior bedroom entrance door.
During the service of the search warrant a device was discovered affixed to the inside frame of the exterior door leading to Lemp’s bedroom. Montgomery County Fire Marshals responded in order to render the device safe. The device was designed as a “booby trap” intended to detonate a shotgun shell at the direction of anyone entering through the exterior door into Lemp’s bedroom. After officers entered the bedroom, the other occupant of the room warned the officers to be careful of the device rigged to the exterior door. Statements from other occupants of the residence indicated they were aware of the dangerous device on the door.
Further statements from the other occupant in Lemp’s bedroom indicated that he slept with the rifle each night. Contrary to some information reported to the media, the same occupant also indicated that Lemp was out of the bed and standing directly in front of the interior bedroom door at the time the officers made entry into the bedroom.
Items collected from the residence included three rifles and two handguns as well as other items of evidentiary value.
This remains an ongoing investigation by the Major Crimes Division. | 1,268,021 |
A BRAZEN fugitive who taunted Essex Police on their own Facebook page wept as he was jailed for eight months.
Wanted man, Joe Barlow, who lived in Laindon, was snared by cops while hiding out in Stondon Massey, after more than two and half months on the run from police.
Essex Police posted his mugshot on their Facebook page on May 3, with an urgent appeal for members of the public to report sightings of him.
Hours later Barlow began his online taunts, writing: “Can’t catch me,” and said he would not turn himself in until he had a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Barlow was handed an eight month prison sentence for five separate matters when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.
One of them included breaching a suspended sentence handed to him in March 2012 for stealing £8,500 of his grandparents’ savings to pay for drugs.
The court heard he went to his grandparents’ house and took cash they had been saving to get their windows replaced, then travelled to Cornwall to spend the cash.
Barlow, 20, admitted criminal damage and assaulting his mum on Valentines Day this year when he appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court, in February.
His case was sent to Basildon Crown Court to be sentenced on March 26, but he didn’t turn up and the court issued a warrant for his arrest.
He was finally caught near Brentwood, on Wednesday.
Barlow, dressed in a red prisonissue tracksuit, sobbed throughout the hearing as his mum and girlfriend sat in the public gallery.
His solicitor, Mark Savage, said his time on the run stemmed from a fear of court and going to prison.
He said he committed a number of offences whilst in a “toxic relationship”
with an ex partner.
He said: “This young man is clearly distressed at being back in front of the court.
“This is not a man coming to court swaggering with bravado and his mother is here at court to support him.”
The court heard Barlow has a string of previous convictions for battery, destroying property and common assault.
Sentencing, Recorder Tim Clark said: “You are clearly an unstable young man who has a bad criminal record.
“You continue to commit criminal offences which are aggrevated by the fact the victims are members of your own family.
“You are fortunate still to have the support of your family.
“You cannot just not appear at court and put your head in the sand as an act of fear.”
He was jailed for eight months for common assault, criminal damage, breaching a suspended sentence order, committing an offence while subject to a suspended sentence order and failing to appear at court. | 1,268,022 |
President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE in an early morning tweet on Wednesday said that his use of social of media is "the only way to get the truth out," adding that the mainstream media is a "joke."
"Wow, more than 90% of Fake News Media coverage of me is negative, with numerous forced retractions of untrue stories. Hence my use of Social Media, the only way to get the truth out. Much of Mainstream Media has become a joke!" the president tweeted, tagging "Fox and Friends."
Wow, more than 90% of Fake News Media coverage of me is negative, with numerous forced retractions of untrue stories. Hence my use of Social Media, the only way to get the truth out. Much of Mainstream Meadia has become a joke! @foxandfriends — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2017
The president was referring a media research study that was cited on "Fox and Friends" on Wednesday morning.
Relations between the administration and the media have worsened in recent days after the White House hit journalists for a series of corrections made by media outlets such as CNN and ABC News.
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The president slammed the two outlets during a campaign rally in Florida on Friday after CNN was forced to correct a report saying Donald Trump Jr. had received access to hacked Democratic emails from WikiLeaks more than a week before they were leaked to the public.
ABC News had previously reported that former national security adviser Michael Flynn would testify that Trump had directed him to make contact with the Russians during the campaign, which they later corrected, saying it had happened after the election.
"Did you see all of the correction the media has been making?" Trump said. "They've been doing that all year. They never apologize. Maybe that comes with being the president, I don't know."
The president also targeted Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel on Saturday, calling for the publication to fire him after he tweeted a photo of an empty arena before a Trump rally in Florida that had been taken hours before the event started.
Weigel apologized for the tweet, which he had deleted after Daily Mail political editor David Martosko told him he had gotten it wrong.
Tensions boiled over in the White House press briefing on Monday, in which press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said media outlets were "purposely putting out information that you know to be false."
“It’s not an honest mistake when you are purposely putting out information that you know to be false or when you’re taking information that hasn’t been validated, that hasn’t been offered any credibility and that has been continually denied by a number of people, including people with direct knowledge of an incident,” she said during a heated exchange with reporters. | 1,268,023 |
A maternal ancestor to all living humans called mitochondrial Eve likely lived about 200,000 years ago, at roughly the same time anatomically modern humans are believed to have emerged, a new review study confirms.
The results are based on analyses of mitochondrial DNA. Found in the energy-producing centers of cells, mitochondrial DNA is only passed down the maternal line, and can be traced back to one woman.
However, this doesn't mean she was the first modern woman, rather it indicates that only her descendants survive to the present day.
"There is always some other female that predated mitochondrial Eve, whose DNA didn't make it up to modernity," said Marek Kimmel, a professor of statistics at Rice University. "So the age of the mitochondrial Eve is always less than the age of the true, first female modern human."
A molecular clock
While most of an organism's DNA is contained in the nuclei of its cells, mitochondria also contain genetic material, but much less of it, making it easier to analyze. Mitochondrial DNA contains a region that changes rapidly and can provide a sort of molecular clock calibrated to times comparable to the age of modern humanity, making it a favorite for population geneticists, Kimmel said.
As part of the three-year project, Kimmel and Krzysztof Cyran, a Polish researcher, compared the estimates produced by about 10 genetic models intended to determine when mitochondrial Eve lived. They started with data on mitochondrial DNA previously collected from random blood donors.
Scientists know the average rate of mutation, so they can look at the genetic variation among pairs of individuals to see when their lineages diverged. But the equation becomes more complicated.
"Mutation is producing divergence, but some of the divergence is lost because of random events that occur, for example some populations become extinct," Kimmel said. As ancient modern humans dispersed, some groups settled and grew, while others became extinct.
The models make different assumptions about growth and extinction rates, which had the potential to change the estimate of mitochondrial Eve's age, the researchers found. One type of model makes the less realistic, but more manageable assumption that the human population has increased at a smooth, nearly exponential rate. Another more realistic, but more technically challenging type of model assumes the human population has grown in discrete random episodes.
An agreement
But, regardless, all of the models produced estimates placing this ancient mother's age at around 200,000 years.
"We actually show if one uses different models, one comes up with a very similar estimate, so this makes the estimate more robust," Kimmel said.
The estimates produced by models that assume population growth occurred in discrete, random bursts fell within 10 percent of each other. When taking into consideration models that assumed smooth growth, that range expanded by up to 20 percent. These models also tended to estimate that mitochondrial Eve lived earlier, according to Kimmel.
The research was published in June in the journal Theoretical Population Biology. | 1,268,024 |
Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Collin Sexton is not exactly playing at a high level. While it is unfair to throw him away and declare him a bust (some have), evaluating his performance thus far is a more than fair process.
In 11 games Collin Sexton is shooting 42 percent from the field. This includes a relatively unimpressive 33.3 percent from deep. While he only attempts just over one there-pointer per game it would be good to see his success rate increase in the future. On the other hand Sexton is attempting eight two-point shots per game. On shots of this variety Sexton is converting 43.2 percent of the time.
The main issue with Sexton on offense is that most of his shot attempts are from mid-range. A whopping 37 percent of Sexton’s shots come from two-point shots that are 16 feet or more from the basket. Sexton is making only 35.1 percent of these attempts, this only adds to the problem. Shots from this part of the court are widely considered poor. This is due to the relative low success rate and the fact that a step or two further back provides three points instead of just two.
Defensive issues
Coming out of college Collin Sexton had issue defending the pick and roll. Those issues are still prominent now that he is in a Cavaliers uniform. This is not the only issue Sexton has had this season on defense.
Sexton’s overall plus/minus is quite poor, currently at -78. This is the third-worst plus/minus for the Cavaliers this season. The only players with a worse number are Cedi Osman and Jordan Clarkson.
Sexton’s defensive liability also shows up in his defensive rating per 100 possessions. With Sexton on the court Cleveland gives up 120 points per 100 possessions, this is the worst number on the Cavaliers among players who see regular playing time. The only player with a worse defensive rating is John Holland who only played one minute in one game. The issue with a defensive rating this poor is that the team is only scoring 98 points per 100 possessions. The team is being outscored by 22 points per 100 possessions with Sexton on the court. This is a huge problem.
Can Collin Sexton improve?
Well of course Collin Sexton can improve. Sexton is only 20 years old and 11 games into his rookie season. The fact the Cavaliers are a bad team is certainly not helping his overall performance. With George Hill out for a few games, Sexton has the chance to improve his performance with an uptick in playing time. With how bad the Cavaliers have been this season they might as well start Sexton the remainder of the season. Give Sexton the chance to improve through more time on the court, evaluate which players to build around and who can be traded away. The Cavaliers need to improve somehow and giving Sexton more time on the court will only benefit all parties involved. | 1,268,025 |
with the rest. I just have to smile and say, “All men are brothers” then try to figure out how I’m gonna manage till the next gig (and hope they don’t do the same thing).
So, yeah, I know, that famous ever-smiling teacher in the simple ochre robes who is on the cover of every Buddhist magazine appeared in your town and all he did for payment was pass a simple wooden bowl around at the end of the talk. But he was also probably passing that simple wooden bowl around Madison Square Garden where Richard Geer, Uma Thurman, Jeff Bridges and their pals were in attendance.
I don’t usually get gigs like that.
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Our Saturday morning zazen in Culver City now starts at 10:00 am!
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Registration is now OPEN for our Spring Zen & Yoga Retreat March 18-20, 2016 at Mt. Baldy Zen Center, Mt. Baldy, California
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Check out my podcast with Pirooz Kalayeh, ONCE AGAIN ZEN!
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I’ve got a new book coming out soon! Stay up to date on its release schedule, my live appearances and more by signing up for our mailing list on the contact page!
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 3, 2016 Ventura, California Ventura College
February 28, 2016 Houston, Texas Houston Zen Center
March 5, 2016 Austin, Texas Austin Zen Center
March 18-20, 2016 Mt. Baldy, California SPRING ZEN& YOGA RETREAT
March 25, 2016 Venice, California Mystic Journey Bookstore 7:00pm
April 22, 2016 New York, New York Interdependence Project
April 23, 2016 Long Island, New York Molloy College “Spring Awakening 2016”
October 23-28, 2016 Benediktushof Meditation Centrum (near Würzburg, Germany) 5-Day Retreat
ONGOING EVENTS
Every Monday at 8pm there’s zazen at Silverlake Yoga Studio 2 located at 2810 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90039. Beginners only!
Every Saturday at 10:00 am (NEW TIME!) there’s zazen at the Veteran’s Memorial Complex located at 4117 Overland Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230. Beginners only!
Plenty more info is available on the Dogen Sangha Los Angeles website, dsla.info
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One of the main ways I make money when I’m not on tour (or even when I am) is through your donations to this blog. I won’t get any of the recent Angel City Zen Center fundraiser money. I appreciate your on-going support! | 1,268,026 |
Benghazi smears, Fox began throwing out whatever allegations it could and hoping that something would stick. These included pretending that President Obama and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon were absent during the attack (in fact, a photo shows them discussing the situation in the Oval Office); pretending that Ambassador Pickering is reluctant to testify on Benghazi (in fact, he had asked to testify publicly); and smearing former State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland for misleading the American people about the Benghazi attacks through her role in editing the draft talking points (in fact, she expressed concern that revealing in the talking points the names of terrorist organizations suspected of being involved would jeopardize a criminal investigation).
Obama Left Them To Die, Part 4: “Sources”
With their scandal faltering, in late June Fox put together a Benghazi special highlighting a series of false claims and misinformation that they had hyped for month, including the exclusive report that “sources” say that stand down orders were given. The previous week, Republican-led House Armed Services Committee acknowledged no such order had been given, citing testimony from the commander of the Special Forces team in Tripoli.
The Futile Call For A Benghazi Select Committee
In July, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) circulated a discharge petition for House Resolution 36, which called for a select committee to investigate the attacks in Benghazi. (A discharge petition is a parliamentary procedure that takes a resolution out of committee and brings it directly to the floor for a vote.) Stockman's discharge petition was opposed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and HR 36's sponsor Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and thus had no chance of passing. But Fox heavily promoted the effort, and Fox contributor Allen West was a featured speaker at an anti-Obama group's rally calling for the petition's passage.
The Fringe Valerie Jarrett Theory
In early August, a fringe conservative website reported based on anonymous sources that Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett was the decision-maker during the Benghazi attacks and issued a stand down order to American armed forces that night. This was not a credible claim -- its author had a history of making absurd, hyperbolic claims about Obama, his sources were unnamed, and numerous military figures have publicly testified no stand down order was ever given. But Rush Limbaugh, and later Fox News' Steve Doocy, nevertheless floated the conspiracy.
As Benghazi Anniversary Approaches, Fox Goes Into Overdrive
In the week leading up to the anniversary of the Benghazi attacks, Fox continued to push a variety of false claims about the story. Notably, the network hyped a misleading ABC interview with Hicks in which he defied his own sworn testimony to claim he had been “punished” for speaking out about Benghazi. Fox's campaign went so far as to equate the Benghazi attacks, in which four Americans were killed, with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, in which nearly 3,000 Americans were killed.
*Edited for accuracy. | 1,268,027 |
As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tackles the opioid crisis head on, one of the organization’s goals is to identify emerging trends of drug abuse and intervene more quickly. A perspective piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine highlighted the tools the agency will use to evaluate these shifting patterns of substance abuse and reduce public risk.
The agency continues to battle the nation’s opioid problem even as it looks to detect and prevent the next threat. Douglas C. Throckmorton, MD; Scott Gottlieb, MD; and Janet Woodcock, MD, all of the FDA, noted that the agency is committed to using a multifaceted approach of pharmacovigilance that allows it to intercede proactively and effectively to anticipate changes in drug abuse.
For instance, use of gabapentinoids tripled between 2002 and 2015, raising concerns about possible abuse. To determine why usage patterns are shifting, the FDA turned to social media, tracking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogs, and forums to monitor for conversations about opioids and other substances. Sources include online forums that deal with drug abuse, such as Bluelight.org and talk.drugabuse.com. This surveillance revealed a shift between 2013 and 2017, from discussions about the legitimate use of gabapentinoids to discussions on the misuse and abuse of these drugs.
The agency is also investigating healthcare databases to determine the adverse consequences of using gabapentinoids in combination with opioids or benzodiazepines, which include respiratory depression. Data indicate that more than half of patients receive a gabapentinoid along with an opioid analgesic.
Continue Reading
Another example of change in drug use is the emergence of kratom, which is available online and in stores specializing in tobacco and marijuana paraphernalia. Calls to poison control centers regarding kratom exposure have increased 10-fold since 2010. As a result, the FDA investigated kratom and found that it contains compounds that have opioid properties. Injuries and deaths have been associated with kratom use.
Changes have also been identified in the use of loperamide, a common over-the-counter opioid product. Loperamide is an effective treatment for diarrhea, but social network data indicate that some individuals have begun using loperamide at very high doses to manage opioid withdrawal or achieve a high. The FDA announced in 2016 that serious heart problems and death can occur in those taking high doses of this drug. The agency has begun working with manufacturers and distributors to limit the amount of drug packaged per sales unit.
The FDA has invested in developing new resources to combat drug misuse and continues to access and mine social media for epidemiologic data that may help it to identify the next wave of drug abuse.
Reference
Throckmorton DC, Gottlieb S, Woodcock J. The FDA and the next wave of drug abuse—proactive pharmacovigilance. N Engl J Med. 2018;379:205-207. | 1,268,028 |
Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin is reportedly being sued for $13 million by Harrison Hines, the founder of Token Foundry. The lawsuit claims that Lubin committed a laundry list of offenses including:
“breach of contract, conversion, quantum meruit, unjust enrichment, fraud, declaratory judgment and unpaid profits arising from the defendants’ acts in connection with the business known as Token Foundry.”
Lubin Sued for $13 Million
Hines is seeking relief for monetary damages to the tune of $12,827,000 on claims related to his contract plus $404,783 in unpaid profits. The document summoned Lubin to appear in court within 20 days. It is unclear at this stage how Lubin will respond and whether or not he will be filing a lawsuit in response as well.
Token Foundry, a start-up incubated by ConsenSys in 2018, designs and sells vetted tokens. The company notably sold $18.5 million worth of tokens for Virtue Poker, and completed successful initial coin offerings (ICO) for Dether and FOAM, raising $13.4 and $16.5 million respectively. However, Hines was booted from the startup last year.
Lubin founded ConsenSys in 2014 as a blockchain company dedicated to building decentralized applications and infrastructure based on the Ethereum network. ConsenSys too saw layoffs in January 2019, when key executives like head of ConsenSys Ventures Kavita Gupta and chief of marketing Amanda Gutterman left the company. Consensys is planning to raise $200 million in funding this year in investments from Hong Kong and South Korea.
Token Foundry: Now a Ghost Ship?
Rumors of a Token Foundry shutdown began circulating last year after Hines left the firm in August. Jay Thakrar, head of operations for Token Foundry, however, claims these rumors are untrue. Hines founded another company, Terminal Systems, which employed former ConsenSys employees.
Referring to Lubin, Hines said, “I’ll never start a company again that someone else has control of.”
While Token Foundry projected revenues between $50 and $100 million with only three successful sales in the past year, it seems unlikely that the firm managed to reach that target, Notably, Token Foundry earns only a small percentage from its reported sales.
While Token Foundry was built on the premise of profiting from successful ICOs, the market for digital tokens fell sharply throughout 2018. The cryptocurrency industry has also mostly moved on to security token offerings (STOs) and other alternatives instead. Unconfirmed reports by insiders have revealed that anyone employed under the banner of Token Foundry is actually working for ConsenSys Digital Securities.
Do you believe that Token Foundry is now left with no option but to shut down permanently or pivot to a service unrelated to Initial Coin Offerings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. | 1,268,029 |
Donald Trump's plan to deport nearly 11 million people living in the US without permission would put a massive strain on the immigration courts, creating an enormous backlog of cases that would take years to clear.
Donald Trump revealed a little more about his plans to deport illegal aliens. He was challenged by the corporatists at Business Insider about the practicality of his plan to deport illegal immigrants. They wanted to show him up and make him look like a fool. Instead, I think they were surprised by what he said:
But if Trump is elected president, he has a simple solution: He'll simply go around the courts. In an interview with Business Insider at Trump Tower in New York last week, Trump repeatedly brushed off concerns about the practicality of his immigration plan, saying that he would have perfect legal authority to circumvent the courts. "They say you have to go through a huge legal process. You don't. They're illegal. If somebody walks in, they don't bring them to court, they send them back," Trump said. "Well these people came in, and they came in a year ago. No different. If somebody walks from Mexico or wherever they come from, and they come into the country, security guards bring 'em back. You don't go through 10 years of courts and stuff. Well, this is no different."
Liberals will claim that Trump is ignoring the law, but they have no problem with ignoring the law when it comes to sanctuary cities. A lot of the law that judges have created is highly questionable in any event. For example, the Supreme Court found that illegal children have a constitutional right to a public education. Why? Why should they have any rights under the Constitution? They are certainly not citizens, and they are not even in the country legally.
Another court alarmingly found that illegals have the right to bear arms. People who are not supposed to be here have the right to have guns. Just think about it. The court is basically legalizing the arming of invaders.
Courts have also struck down requirements that voters provide documents proving they are citizens, in effect giving illegal aliens the right to vote.
None of these is a valid decision. None has any basis in the Constitution. So when Trump says he is going to ignore the courts to deport illegals, who is following the Constitution, and who is disobeying it?
In any event, if Trump keeps his promise and circumvents the court, it will provide a much more speedy deportation process for illegals. It makes his plan to deport millions of them much more realistic, much as President Eisenhower did in the 1950s.
I'm still waiting for another candidate, any candidate, even Ted Cruz, to talk about deportation of illegals. Until they do, it says to me that all the other candidates are going to allow nearly all the illegals to stay here.
This article was written by Ed Straker, senior writer of NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site. | 1,268,030 |
“You can expect the types of jokes my former bosses would tell me we couldn’t do on TV,” she says of her forthcoming weekly program.
Michelle Wolf has landed a show of her own.
After nearly half a decade working on Late Night With Seth Meyers and The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, Wolf is set to host her own weekly show on Netflix. The streaming giant, which is making a considerable push in the talk-show space with entries from David Letterman and Joel McHale, is billing Wolf’s show as a break from the seriousness of late-night comedy. The planned star vehicle will launch later this year.
The 32-year-old rising star, whose show does not yet have a name, is expected to make fun of everything and everybody, with no preaching or political agenda — unless, of course, it’s funny. “You can expect the types of jokes my former bosses would tell me we couldn’t do on TV,” Wolf joked in a statement, with Netflix’s vp content Bela Bajaria, adding more earnestly: "We're thrilled to be working with Michelle, a gifted writer and performer with a singular voice."
The announcement comes some two months after Wolf earned raves for her first stand-up special, Nice Lady, which aired on rival HBO. The special gave Wolf her highest-profile platform to date to tackle subjects ranging from feminism ("I want equal pay! And a chardonnay") to dating and other social issues.
Though Wolf is still a relative fresh face on the stand-up circuit, she has already earned the respect of several comedic heavyweights, or former heavyweights, including Louis C.K., who tapped her to open for him on his 2016 stand-up tour and to act in his celebrated web show Horace and Pete, and Chris Rock, who hired her to write for his Oscars ceremony.
By jumping to Netflix, Wolf marks the latest star to exit Comedy Central — and in her case, as it was for predecessors like John Oliver, just as her career is taking off. In addition to her contributor duties on the cable network’s Daily Show, Wolf created and starred in two digital series, Now Hiring and Used People, for the Viacom network.
Looking ahead, Wolf's Netflix show, a rare and much-welcomed female-fronted series in what is still a male-dominated space, will be produced via her Cats in Pants banner. Dan Powell (Inside Amy Schumer) and Christine Nangle (The President’s Show, The Mick) will serve as co-showrunners, with her manager Daniel Bodansky joining them as an executive producer.
Wolf is repped by UTA, Dixon Talent and Hansen Jacobson; Powell is with UTA, Odenkirk Provissiero and Hansen Jacobson; and Nangle is repped by UTA and Jackoway Tyerman. | 1,268,031 |
TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Thaddeus Bullard (commonly known by his WWE name, Titus O'Neil) as the 32nd Lightning Community Hero of the 2016-17 season during the first period of tonight's game versus the Minnesota Wild. Bullard, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate the money to the United Way Suncoast, Wheel Chairs for Kids, Academy Prep and Unsigned Preps Inc.
Bullard entered the world as a statistic. Raised by a mother who gave birth at the age of 12, Bullard grew up in poverty, often hungry, sometimes living in homeless shelters, and other times sleeping in cars. When his family could afford an apartment, they couldn't pay the electricity. His family would be evicted for failing to pay the rent. Kids made fun of his too-small shoes, tattered pants, and taped-together glasses. Bullard was told boys like him wound up dead in or in jail by the time they were 16. However, during Bullard's teenage years, random teachers started to believe in him; the Sheriff's Boys Ranch took an interest in him; his community began investing in him. After becoming the number one high school football recruit in the nation, Bullard graduated from the University of Florida with two degrees, served as student body vice president, played in the NFL, and is now a WWE Superstar. After being born into bad circumstances, Bullard works to change the narrative of the less fortunate so that everyone around him sees the value in others, and they also see the value in themselves.
Through his work with various nonprofit groups, Bullard has inspired change, raised resources, and helped children and adults throughout the Tampa Bay region lead better lives and build brighter futures. He has helped more than 245 student athletes across the Tampa Bay area get into college the past six years; lead corporate volunteers in reading books to children in after-school programs; used his story to inspire employees from companies large and small to give, advocate, and volunteer; and taken part in the United Way's Walking School Bus program in at-risk neighborhoods by escorting children to school on foot to make sure they get to school on time and enjoy a healthy breakfast. Bullard hosts an annual Joy of Giving event, where he hands out toys to more than 1,000 children. He also visits kids with cancer in the hospital, including those who have lost their battle to the disease.
Bullard becomes the 261st Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through this evening's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $13.2 million to more than 300 different non-profits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. Last summer, the Vinik's announced that the community hero program will give away another $10-million over the next five seasons. | 1,268,032 |
Everett, WA - The Everett AquaSox and Funko, Inc. ("Funko") (Nasdaq:FNKO), a leading pop culture consumer products company located in downtown Everett have announced a six-year partnership which includes promotional giveaways, stadium decor and field naming rights. Everett Memorial Stadium will now be called Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Funko has maintained its roots in the Snohomish County of Washington since their founding in 1998. Funko is one of the leading creators and innovators of licensed pop culture products to a diverse range of consumers.
"Funko has been a prominent fixture in the community since moving to downtown Everett. Our commitment to the community and our employees has never wavered," said Brian Mariotti, Chief Executive Officer of Funko. "This partnership is a terrific opportunity to further engage with our fans and neighbors by cheering on the home team together."
Added AquaSox General Manager Danny Tetzlaff: "We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Funko. With a shared commitment to the local community, this will be a homerun for everyone for years to come. Partnering with the iconic Funko brand will make a night at the ballpark even more memorable!"
In 2017 Funko relocated their headquarters to downtown Everett and their 17,000-square-foot flagship store is a hub where fans can gather, connect, and experience something truly magical. Funko Field will be no different as Funko Fridays will offer fans Funko related items and promotions at every Friday home game starting on Opening Night, Friday, June 21.
The AquaSox are celebrating their 35th Anniversary in 2019 and the partnership with Funko will guide them into this exciting anniversary. Over the past 10 seasons, the AquaSox have seen their attendance increase year-by-year. In 2018 the AquaSox had their fourth highest attendance of 111,599.
Single-game tickets will be available for purchase online starting Tuesday, May 14 at 10 AM. Fans who would like to attend every Funko Friday can purchase a Friday Night Lights ticket plan online or by calling the AquaSox Front Office.
About Funko
Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, action toys, plush, apparel, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters. Learn more at www.funko.com and follow Funko on Twitter (@OriginalFunko) and Instagram (@OriginalFunko).
About the Everett AquaSox
The Everett AquaSox, Seattle Mariners affiliate since 1995, continue to offer the most affordable family entertainment in the Pacific Northwest. To stay up to date on everything Everett AquaSox, follow us on Twitter (@EverettAquaSox) or visit www.AquaSox.com | 1,268,033 |
KIC 8462852's huge dips in brightness could be caused by swarms of comets, possibly the remnants of a shattered planet. (Image: NASA, JPL-Caltech)
Good news alien hunters! A Kickstarter to fund a year-long investigation into KIC 8462852—the star voted most likely to harbor an advanced alien civilization—just got funded. Alien megastructure or not, we may finally get to the bottom of this bewildering, flickering star.
This crowdfunding campaign was set up in May by Yale astronomer Tabby Boyajian, and it managed to meet its $100,000 goal in just 30 days. A $10,000 surge in the last 100 minutes of the campaign managed to put the project over the top. The next step is to figure out the logistics, but Boyajian, who’s been leading the research into KIC 8462852, says observations could start as early as later this summer.
The ultimate goal of the project will be to determine why this star’s light dims at such irregular intervals, and at times by as much as 20 percent. These huge dips in luminosity are way too large to be a passing planet, hence the suspicion the anomaly is being caused by swarms of comets, a distorted star, some unknown astronomical phenomenon—or an advanced alien civilization in the process of building a gigantic solar array around the star.
Boyajian will now be able to secure year-long access to the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network. Should the system spot any further anomalies, an alert will be sent out to other astronomers, who will then turn their own telescopes to the star.
The most important thing right now is for astronomers to get more consistent data, and to replicate existing findings. KIC 8462852 was first flagged by citizen scientists who were perusing through troves of data collected by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope between 2009 and 2013. Some fresh observations—particularly incoming signals in real-time—would be nice. Should new dips in luminosity be detected, astronomers should be able to pick out patterns.
Artist’s impression of a Dyson sphere (Credit: Slawek Wojtowicz)
Last year, speculation mounted over whether or not KIC 8462852 might be an alien megastructure, perhaps a Dyson sphere. The star is probably not enveloped by a Dyson sphere, but that shouldn’t preclude scientists from looking for signals that may prove or disprove its existence. If this star is being obstructed by a megastructure under construction, it should emit detectable signals in the form of blackbody thermal radiation. The point of a Dyson sphere is to collect solar energy, but leakage is still likely to happen. If a partial Dyson sphere is there, we should still be able to detect it in the form of irregular, but discernable, radiation signatures.
[Kickstarter] | 1,268,034 |
Pete said something awkward again (Picture: Rex Features)
Pete Davidson really knows how to put his foot in it, doesn’t he?
The comedian and future Mr Ariana Grande has made no secret of the fact that he’s amazed he got the God Is A Woman singer to agree to marry him… but sometimes he’s a little bit too vocal about his love for the pop star.
Recently he revealed that he’s constantly turned on, admitting ‘my dick’s forever hard,’ and on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live he offered up a little bit TMI again.
During the Weekend Update section of the show, he spoke about how life has changed since he met the pop star and things got a little bit awkward.
‘Last night I switched her birth control with Tic Tacs,’ he said. ‘I believe in us and all, but I just want to make sure that she can’t go anywhere.’
Pete poked fun at his relationship on the comedy show (Picture: Backgrid)
Luckily, it was definitely a joke, and he then said something much sweeter about the romance:
‘I got engaged and no one could believe it. I can’t believe it and I get it. She’s number one pop star in the world and I’m that guy from SNL everyone thinks is in desperate need of more blood,’ he said.
Pete also admitted that there’s a downside to dating one of the most famous women in the world, revealing that he’s had death threats:
‘It’s awful,’ he admitted. ‘I’m so scared. I got death threats. It’s Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Pete Davidson. We are all people who have gotten death threats.’
Shortly after Pete and Ariana’s engagement was announced, the 24-year-old deleted all of his Instagram posts.
‘No nothing happened. No there’s nothing cryptic about anything. I just don’t wanna be on Instagram anymore,’ he explained. ‘Or on any social media platform.
‘The internet is an evil place and it doesn’t make me feel good. Why should I spend any time on negative energy when my real life is fucking lit.
‘The fact that I even have to say this proves my point. I love you all and I’m sure I’ll be back at some point.’
Look after yourself, Pete.
MORE: Cheryl shrugs off ‘sad and lonely’ vibe arriving in Paris for Fashion Week rehearsals ahead of rumoured X Factor return
MORE: Take That unite with Bee Gees star Barry Gibb for 30th anniversary | 1,268,035 |
Eli Lilly and Company is on trial for allegedly misleading consumers and downplaying severe withdrawal risks of their antidepressant drug, Cymbalta.
The American pharmaceutical company was in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday, facing as many as 250 cases claiming the drug maker failed to warn users of Cymbalta’s alleged side effects, including suicidal thoughts, vomiting, insomnia, and electric shock-like sensations.
One of the plaintiffs, Claudia Herrera, claims she suffered electric-shock sensations, dizziness, and nausea for a year after she stopped using Cymbalta, according to a report by the Indianapolis Business Journal.
T. Matthew Leckman, one of Herrera’s lawyers, addressed the court and federal jury saying the following.
“You’ll be asked to decide whether or not what she suffered was caused by Cymbalta withdrawal.”
Herrera accused Eli Lilly of downplaying its warnings in order to make the medication more marketable.
According to Herrera, she started taking Cymbalta for anxiety in 2006 and continued taking the medication for close to five years. In 2012, Claudia said her doctor told her to taper off taking the drug, and she complied.
However, Reuters reports, Herrera “suffered electric-like ‘zaps,’ anxiety, spasms and suicidal ideation, among other symptoms” as she gradually eased off the antidepressant Cymbalta.
In court filings, Eli Lilly denied the allegations, saying the company provided sufficient warnings and that her physician was aware of the potential risks.
Eli Lilly added that it had provided ample advice about Cymbalta’s withdrawal risks and additional information about the drug’s side effects would not have swayed doctors.
R. Brent Wisner, another lawyer for Claudia Herrera, said that later this month Eli Lilly faces three more trials involving similar claims.
“The success or failure of these cases will give us a good sense of how they are playing to these juries. Even if we lose, we have every intention of moving forward with the litigation.”
On August 11, a similar case is set for trial in California. In late August, two more cases are scheduled to start in Virginia.
In his opening statement, Paul Schmidt, one of Eli Lilly’s lawyers, made the following point about Cymbalta’s labeling.
“The label is written for doctors. It’s written for people with medical training so that they can make a judgment about the safety of the medicine.”
Court filings from the lawyers for Claudia Herrera claim more than 40 percent of Cymbalta patients suffered with withdrawal symptoms after they stopped taking the drug.
An Eli Lilly spokesperson declined to comment on Claudia Herrera’s allegations; however, the American pharmaceutical company will vigorously defend that case and others.
[Featured image via Micro Records Company] | 1,268,036 |
now appears that the EU are recycling aspects of the original plan into two new chapters, which layout how to streamline laws and rules on both sides, and what instruments to use to do this. The US will also make its first offer on what it considers important regulatory cooperation principles. But it seems there is no formal agreement on how best to institutionalise any of these elements as it stands, and both sides are at odds with where the emphasis should be. This is despite the claim that regulatory cooperation will reap the biggest benefits for business in a finalised deal.
4. ‘TTIP-lite’ re-emerges from the dark
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest got in a spot of bother last week for saying “I do not believe that we’re going to reach a TTIP agreement before the President leaves office…” which raised many a European eyebrow.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan responded by saying the United States needs to “step up to the plate” and ruled out any acceptance of a ‘TTIP-lite’ agreement, “which would be just market access and trade regulation issues.”
But US Trade Rep Froman has also hit back, saying the EU must step up to the plate as well, claiming that “we need political will on both sides to step up the pace and bring a pragmatic, problem-solving approach to the negotiations.”
The fact that ‘TTIP-lite’ has made its way back on the agenda is not by accident. Although the idea was quickly quashed by the majority of European governments when first floated by the Italian presidency in 2014, it could still be the perfect get-out card. Now that Obama faces his final year in office, the US side may be willing to dispense with some of the more controversial elements in order to come to a political agreement on TTIP before a new president is sworn in next January. That EU officials are in a flap and suddenly making noises about TTIP-lite, may indicate just that.
And although European governments still maintain their support for a bells-and-whistles comprehensive deal- German and French elections in 2017 are fast approaching, and neither want TTIP to cloud re-election chances.
The 12th round marks the start of an intensified period for the talks. 2016 will tell us who will leave the ring with a bloody nose, or if we need to go another 12 rounds. Speaking of a bloody nose, the US Senate recently deliberated on allowing the administration to end a 2009 memorandum of understanding on the import of hormone-free beef to Europe, which ended decades of retaliatory tariff measures on European products. Ending this deal would allow the US to push up tariff rates on everything from French cheese to Italian salami. If that isn’t an athlete gearing up to take down an opponent with a secret weapon, then what is?
The 12th Round of TTIP talks runs from February 22-26. | 1,268,037 |
Recently, Kristaps Porzingis' days have started around 6:45 a.m.
He’s up at that hour to prep for his first NBA training camp with the New York Knicks.
After breakfast -- his first of several meals throughout the day -- Porzingis heads to the Knicks' training facility to start working out.
On some days, he begins by working on his shot. Weightlifting starts at 8 a.m.
At 9 a.m., he’s on the court with his teammates, stretching and going through some of the Triangle offense.
Next he’ll participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages for a couple of hours with the other Knicks. After the games, which Porzingis says can get competitive, the rookie has his second meal of the day.
Then he heads home for a nap and another meal (getting closer to his 5,000 calorie-per-day mandate).
Porzingis says he’s back in the gym by 6 p.m. for another hour of weight training.
And then?
“Get some ice if I need it, go home and get some rest.”
Rinse, repeat.
This is the process Porzingis has followed in recent days to add some muscle to his 7-foot-1 frame.
Last week, Porzingis said he’s put on 11 pounds. He hopes to add four more before the start of training camp Tuesday.
“I was real skinny in the summer league, so now I’m putting on some nicer weight that’s probably 90 percent muscle that helps me,” he told MSG Network. “I even feel stronger, quicker and I can jump a little higher. I don’t think [the weight gain] will slow me down. I think that will make me quicker and maybe even more athletic.”
Porzingis’ weight -- along with his overall development -- is one of the more intriguing aspects of the preseason for the Knicks. It’s not a stretch to say that the Latvian is the most important Knick outside of Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks’ short-term future -- and, to some extent, the legacy of team president Phil Jackson -- will be dictated in part by whether Porzingis is successful in the NBA.
If the No. 4 overall pick develops into the player the Knicks envision, New York will have a star to build the roster around after Carmelo Anthony. But if Porzingis falls short of expectations, the Knicks will have squandered their best draft pick in 30 years.
Those are issues for another day, though.
For now, Porzingis is focused on getting to Tuesday morning.
“Can’t wait for training camp to start and to fight for my spot,” he said. | 1,268,038 |
A 66-year-old West Palm Beach woman is accused of helping her son and his friend arrange the robbery of a jewelry salesman in April, according to a city police report.
Delia Torres was arrested Tuesday, more than seven months after the incident, and faces charges of aggravated battery and robbery with a firearm. Police say she helped lure a jewelry salesman to a meeting April 21 at her home on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and talked about the robbery with her son in recorded calls at the Palm Beach County Jail, where he has been in custody since April 28.
In one conversation, which was translated from Spanish, Torres’ son, Eliot Valdez, asked Torres for favors including getting rid of "a piece of iron" — which police in their report called slang for a gun.
"Get rid of it. Disappear it. You know where right," a transcription of the conversation quotes Valdez saying.
"The blackish one?" it quotes Torres as saying.
"Yes. Throw it where people drown before dark."
Delia Torres, 66, leaves court after her first appearance hearing Wednesday, December 13, 2017, accused of helping her son and his friend rob a jewelry salesman. (Lannis Waters / The Palm Beach Post)
Lannis Waters/The Palm Beach Post
Judge Dina Keever-Agrama on Wednesday ordered Torres held on $70,000 bond during a hearing at the jail, where Torres has been held since her arrest. She will be on in-house arrest if she makes bond. She was ordered to have no contact with her son or with Carmen Virginia Pena, a second person who has been arrested in the robbery.
Jack Fleischman, a West Palm Beach attorney who represented Torres in court by telephone, said there was no evidence of her involvement in the robbery beyond her presence at the crime scene.
Valdez and Pena were arrested shortly after the April 21 incident. According to the report, the jewelry salesman told police he met with Torres, who he knew from church, and Pena at her home, but when he arrived, a masked man held a gun to his back and demanded the duffel bag, which contained about $30,000 worth of jewelry, then pistol-whipped him after they struggled for the weapon.
Police say the victim also told them that Torres gave Valdez car keys after he told her to do so, and that Pena told them she kicked the duffel toward the robber. The police report quotes Torres during the initial investigation as saying she was afraid for her life when the suspect asked for her keys.
Pena was arrested after her fingerprints were on the transaction slips for pawned jewelry that the victim identified as his. Police say she pawned more than 30 pieces of jewelry in the days after the robbery.
"You never get things pawned. Never!" a telephone-call transcript quotes Valdez telling Torres in Spanish about Pena pawning the jewelry. | 1,268,039 |
Christopher Smith/Invision/AP Laverne Cox has opened up recently about some of the survivor's guilt she experiences as a black trans woman, telling The Cut
As a black trans woman, Laverne Cox knows just how lucky she is to be alive.
“I understand that I’m very lucky,” Cox told Self for the magazine’s October cover story. “I understand that I’ve been chosen. It makes me sad... it’s very intense.”
The “Orange Is The New Black” actress also discussed her survivor’s guilt with The Cut for the magazine’s Women and Power series, telling the outlet she’s sometimes ambivalent about her success when she remembers the violence trans people continue to experience.
“The month I was on the cover of Time magazine, five trans women were killed,” Cox told The Cut. “So I felt a lot of survivor’s guilt. A feeling like, Why me?”
Survivor’s guilt is all too real for trans people, who face a much higher rate of violence due to their gender identity. Around 1 in 4 trans and genderqueer people will be assaulted in their lifetimes, and rates are even higher for trans women and trans people of color, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Cox illustrated just how insidious this violence can be by recalling an experience she once had with a man at a bar. The actress met a group of men at a bar in New York City, and one of them bought her a drink, she told The Cut.
“His friends went outside and we started making out, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to disclose that I’m trans,” Cox said.
“It all happened really quickly, and I freaked out and just ran out of the bar and down the street. I kept imagining his friends coming in and murdering me,” she said. “I was just like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to get killed at Churchill Tavern on 28th Street in Manhattan by this group of white men.’ This is what trans folks are walking around with.”
Cox also described how she cannot go to marches and protests due to the risk of potential violence.
“I have a lot of guilt about that. But as a black trans woman, me getting arrested is different. Trans people experience horrible shit in prison,” she said. “My friend Matt McGorry recently got arrested in a march and I’m like, A straight white man can go get arrested; black trans women can’t be in jail. The point of that is that I have to know that my contribution is going to be different from other people.”
Head over to The Cut to read Cox’s full interview. | 1,268,040 |
GENEVA (Reuters) - Thousands of child soldiers dragged into South Sudan’s civil war are unlikely to be freed soon because aid agencies lack the funds to look after them, a U.N. envoy said on Tuesday.
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The government signed a peace deal with rebel factions in September to end a civil war that killed at least 50,000 people, but many children who were forced into the conflict are still stuck in military camps in the bush, Virginia Gamba, U.N. envoy for children and armed conflict, said.
Gamba, who has spoken to former child soldiers in the country, said a lack of resources to re-integrate the children meant they remained at extremely high risk of abuse.
Since January, 900 child soldiers have been freed and Gamba expects a further 1,000 releases by the end of the year. But there are many more, she told reporters.
“The first group of released children... kept telling me that at least two or three of their friends were still in the bush waiting to be released or waiting to be negotiated and asking me to intervene on their behalf,” she said.
“We are talking of thousands still out there.”
U.N. funds for reintegrating children had halved over the past seven years while needs doubled, and aid workers could not cope with a sudden mass release, she said.
“For every day that a kid is in the bush they will be revictimised, there’s just no question about it.”
After being abducted, children might be raped or sent to attack their own families to sever their ties to home. Escape attempts were punished by hand amputation or molten plastic poured onto the skin, Gamba said: “They were terrified.”
Four-fifths of the violations were committed by the army, but all warring parties were guilty, Gamba said.
A South Sudan army spokesman declined to comment.
Gamba said the number of violations of children’s rights was greater than in Syria and Afghanistan.
“It is really huge, it’s quite gross. I mean, decapitation of children, the use of sexual violation against very small children as part of a weapon and a tactic of war to cow communities, the abduction of children, the recruitment of children, forced use of children in support of war efforts.”
South Sudan has agreed a joint action plan with the United Nations that would allow aid workers to reach deep into the former war zone and verify child numbers in military camps.
Freed children - 40 percent of them girls - might get six months of help to learn a skill like carpentry or sewing so they could fend for themselves, but they would never go to school.
“These kids are condemned for the rest of their life... their dreams will never be achieved,” Gamba said. | 1,268,041 |
Play 02:42 Play 02:42 Poor ticket arrangements disappoint fans in Nagpur
Fans without tickets were turned away from Scotland's World T20 match against Zimbabwe at the VCA stadium in Nagpur today, as there are no ticketing facilities available at the ground.
The tickets for the match are priced at 100 rupees for the East and West stands and 200 rupees for behind the bowler's arm (approx £1.10 and £2.20 respectively). However, many supporters were obliged to travel back to the old VCA stadium in central Nagpur to purchase their tickets, meaning that that those that chose to do so were forced to miss much of the contest.
The current stadium, which was inaugurated in 2008 and has a capacity of 45,000, lies 20km outside the city centre, a journey time of approximately 40 minutes by auto-rickshaw. However, the main ticketing system remains still situated at the old venue. A VCA official said it was not possible to have ticketing at both grounds.
The BCCI, who declined to comment, are in overall charge of the ticketing policy for the tournament, but the arrangements for each match are at the discretion of the individual state associations. Dharamsala, the other venue that has so far hosted matches, has chosen to sell tickets for the qualifying rounds at the gate.
The VCA spokesman added that advertisements for the ticketing policy had been placed in local papers but was unable to explain why the information had not been passed on to the BCCI or ICC, so they could warn fans who were travelling in from other grounds.
The atmosphere inside the stadium, which came in for heavy criticism on the opening day of the tournament, was marginally improved for today's contest, thanks to an influx of some 250 children from nearby schools. However, approximately 100 fans remained locked out of the ground at the start of Zimbabwe's innings. The venue is too remote to support any local pubs or cafes in which to watch the contest, or to access the ICC's online ticket-booking service that could have resolved the issue.
"We love cricket, which is why we are here even in this heat to watch Scotland take on Zimbabwe," one group of college students from Nagpur told ESPNcricinfo. "But we can't book online because of the network and the ticket sales are going on at the other ground. There's so few people in, why can't they just let us in. We are even willing to pay at the gate."
One group of Scotland fans, who encountered similar problems during Tuesday's opening round of fixtures, including Scotland's defeat against Afghanistan, had been mistakenly informed that they could buy their tickets at their hotel.
Privately ICC officials are frustrated that common sense has not been used, especially with the already low turn out for these matches.
Jarrod Kimber is a writer for ESPNcricinfo. @ajarrodkimber
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd. | 1,268,042 |
Bengali Hindus remember its own medieval hero fought against Mughal army.
Pratapaditya Utsav held in memory of the medieval Bengali Hindu hero.
Avishek Sen | HENB | Kolkata | April 21, 2019:: Every race needs its hero to identify with. Among illustratious examples are Maharana Pratap for the Rajputs, Chatrapati Shivaji for the Marathas, Maharaja Ranjit Singh for the Sikhs and Lachit Borphukan for the Ahoms. For the Bengali Hindu, a martial hero from the depths of history was elusive until now. 20th of April 2019, Bengal Theosophical Society witnessed a revival of the forgotten custom of’Pratapaditya Utsav’ to honour the warrior king of Bengal who put up a valiant fight against the marauding Mughal army.
The meeting, organised by an apolitical organization called ‘Pashchimbanger Janya’, was the reincarnation of a revered festival initiated originally by Sarala Devi Choudhurani of the Tagore household. The programme started with the incantation of Vedic hymns followed by the screening of a documentary on the life and times of Maharaja Pratapaditya. Eminent speakers like litterateur Binayak Bandyopadhyay, Professor Bimal Sankar Nanda and Colonel (Retd.) Sabyasachi Bagchi addressed the august gathering.
Bandyopadhyay emphasized on the grassroots connection of the Bengali Hindu revivalist movement. Others endorsed the relevance of Maharaja Pratapaditya’s political philosophy and vision for the Bengali Hindu in today’s existential crisis in terms of economic and political clout. The programme was also marked by the felicitation and award distribution to distinguished people who displayed exemplary courage to rescue abducted Hindu girls in rural Bengal. Among the awardees was the Hindu activist Dinabandhu Gharami who took immense personal risk and displayed indomitable courage to rescue several Bengali Hindu girls from the jaws of traffickers and love Jihadists.
The program also saw the inauguration of Bengali calendar for 1426 with the life size image of Maharaja Pratapaditya. The meeting witnessed a massive gathering of people from all walks of life and held great promise for the future.
Kalyan Sarkar, one of the organizers of the event told HENB that they felt the need of mass celebration of Pratapaditya Utsav throughout Bengal as an effective way to connect Bengali youths with a glorious past of ‘Heroic Bengali Hindu Age’ against oppressive Muslim rulers.
Read also:: Pratpaditya Utsav starts afresh in Kolkata to boost up Bengali Hindu youth force. Planning to popularize Bengali Martial Art.
Courtesy: Paschimbanger Janya. | 1,268,043 |
KryptonSite has learned that Tom Welling will be appearing in the Supergirl pilot for CBS.
This was an April Fool’s story. It is NOT true.
A few weeks ago, we reported that the CBS Supergirl pilot was casting a stand-in for what clearly was going to be Superman. What we hadn’t realized when we made the post is that this stand-in was only going to be used for far away shots, while an actual actor would be making a full, speaking appearance in the pilot.
….And that’s not even the biggest part of the story.
We’ve been adamant around here at KryptonSite about the notion that we probably would not see Tom Welling in the Superman costume at any point, especially as a new actor, Henry Cavill, is gracing the big screen as the Man of Steel in movies including the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It also seemed that Mr. Welling was for a long time reluctant to put on the tights, which would explain the tiny computer-generated Superman we’d see in Smallville’s finale.
Well, guess what? We were wrong, and we admit it.
Our sources tell us that Tom participated in one day of filming for the Supergirl pilot, wishing his famous cousin along. As Supergirl is now played by Melissa Benoist and not Laura Vandervoort, it is to be assumed that this isn’t necessarily the same Superman that we saw in Smallville… kind of like how Mark Hamill’s Trickster on the new Flash series wasn’t exactly the same guy we saw on the original CBS show.
Originally, the hope was to get Henry Cavill to make the appearance, but his busy movie schedule prohibited it. We hear that Brandon Routh was also briefly considered, but it was worried that his appearance would create confusion with the audiences who are now used to seeing him as Ray Palmer. With those two out of the picture, the producers were forced to go with their third choice, the long shot, which was Welling.
We also hear that getting Tom Welling was not easy – fortunately, some members of the Supergirl crew also had worked with him on Smallville, but it is said he received a producer credit and a lifetime membership at Warner Bros.’ exclusive golf course in exchange for appearing in the pilot and three subsequent episodes to be spread throughout Supergirl’s first season. You can see some spy photos of Welling filming with Melissa Benoist here.
Come talk about this news on the KryptonSite forum!
Please read this disclaimer before reposting on other websites.
KryptonSite assumes no responsibility for those who might have had a heart attack from this news. The photos that went with this article are fan manipulations and/or artist-created and not actual photos of Tom Welling in the Superman costume. | 1,268,044 |
Manila, The Philippines - The Philippine government has said it is willing to open the country's doors to minority Rohingya migrants who have fled Myanmar and Bangladesh, saying that it is committed to the United Nations pledge to protect asylum seekers and refugees.
"Let us not fall short of providing humanitarian relief and assistance that is asked of us, as we pride ourselves to be a compassionate and hospitable people," Senator Paolo Aquino said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
"We call on the proper international agencies to process the legal issues immediately for the welfare of the boat people," said Aquino, a cousin and political ally of President Benigno Aquino.
The statement came after Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday that the country has an obligation to admit and protect asylum seekers, even when the refugees do not have documents to prove their status.
“If there are boat people who come to us seeking the protection of our government, there is a process, there are existing mechanisms on how to handle these refugees or asylum seekers,” de Lima said in a statement.
The Philippine justice secretary's remarks came after a spokesman of the president was earlier quoted as saying that the refugees could be turned away because they do not have the necessary documents.
The statements were issued as other Southeast Asian nations continued to reject taking in more migrants stranded on boats off Southeast Asia's shores, despite growing international pressure.
Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia have been in high-level talks in an attempt to solve the refugee crisis after boats holding more than 2,000 migrants, including many Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis, landed in their countries in recent weeks.
UN agencies urged the three regional powers on Tuesday to step up their sea rescue operations and let desperate migrants reach land.
In a joint statement, joined by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the agencies called on the three countries to stop trying to push boats away from their territorial waters.
Authorities should "provide for effective, predictable disembarkation to a place of safety with adequate and humane reception conditions" and establish screening procedures to identify those in need of international protection as refugees, the statement added.
RELATED: Stranded Rohingya migrants say: 'We're dying on board'
The Philippines has a long history of hosting refugees from other Asian countries, and as far as Europe.
During World War II, then Philippine President Manuel Quezon ordered the admission of 1,500 Jewish refugees fleeing from the Holocaust in Europe.
Following the war and the communist victory in the civil war in China, thousands of Chinese refugees also settled in the Philippines.
In the 1970s, as Vietnam was engaged in a civil war, the Philippines also provided sanctuary to Vietnamese "boat people" building a Vietnamese village in the western island of Palawan. Most of the refugees were eventually resettled in other countries, many of them in the US.
With reporting by Ted Regencia from Manila. | 1,268,045 |
seifullah.JPG
Annie Schmutz Seifullah has been removed from her position as principal of Robert Wagner Secondary School of Arts and Technology while investigators probe several allegations of sexual conduct between her, fellow staff and a disgruntled parent.
(screengrab from WPIX video)
A school principal in Queens has been removed from her position after an ex-lover revealed that she had sex in the school, while classes were in session, with other staff and a parent.
The New York Post reported Sunday that Annie Schmutz Seifullah, 35, principal of Robert Wagner Secondary School of Arts and Technology in Long Island City, had trysts in the school with a security guard, an assistant principal and the father of a student. She left photos of her various sex acts on school computers, and was escorted from the school while investigators seized computers and other electronics in her office.
Her angry ex-lover, whose name wasn't revealed in order to protect his child's identity, turned over incriminating photos, video and audio tape to investigators, which he obtained while living with Seifullah, The Post reported. Seifullah admits to performing oral sex on an NYPD school-safety agent in the school's security office.
"I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know why I thought it was OK," she said in the audio tape.
"You gave him [expletive] while my child was in the building," her ex retorted.
The father, who according to The Post is an entrepreneur in his 40s, also provided a letter written by Seifullah in which she admitted to a "sexual encounter" with an old lover once in a "hidden location" at the school.
"Ms. Seifullah clearly used her power and position as principal to...seek several sexual partners at her school," the father alleged.
Seifullah previously helped her ex financially, and testified for him as a character witness while he was in a custody battle for his child.
The city has no rules against school faculty dating colleagues or parents of students, The Post reported. Having sex on school property, however, can lead to misconduct charges.
Seifullah moved in with the student's parent after filing for divorce last summer. They split up in March.
A Department of Education spokesperson told The New York Post they were "appalled" by the allegations, adding, "This type of alleged behavior is completely unacceptable for any DOE employee."
In a similar case in Brooklyn, two teachers were fired in 2011 for having a romantic tryst in a classroom after school hours while students were at a musical performance. They were discovered and reported by a school janitor.
A State appeals court ruled in March that they should be reinstated because there was no criminal activity and no evidence that more than one romantic encounter occurred.
Watch the video report about Seifullah from WPIX, and leave a comment below. | 1,268,046 |
A number of foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists, who have been arrested by the Syrian army, have confessed that they were trained in Turkey by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The Takfiri militants, who were caught recently in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo, confessed in interviews broadcast by the Syrian state TV on Sunday that military personnel from the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar had trained them on Turkey’s soil.
One of the terrorists, identified as Ahmad Mustafa Mastari, said that he, along with other members of a terrorist group, had been sent to Aleppo after received military training in Turkey for 30 days.
He added that the foreign personnel had trained them for 45 days in the city of Salqin in the Syrian province of Idleb before the training in Turkey.
“I was among the force that attacked Jam’yat al-Zahraa in Aleppo, we were about 250 persons, but the operation failed and we were arrested by the army” Mastari said.
Another terrorist, called Mohammad Aqel Akk, said a group of terrorists, including himself, had been trained for 45 days in Salqin, adding that they were later sent to Turkey to complete their training.
He went on to say that besides receiving training, every trainee was given USD 200 in Turkey.
“We then returned to Aleppo and commenced a huge attack on army posts in Aleppo, but our operation was a failure and we got caught,” he added.
Qasem Abdullah, a terrorist who was caught by the Syrian army in Aleppo, said that he received five months of training in Turkey where he was receiving about USD 80 per month.
He added that he was among a group of 50 gunmen who took part in a failed attack in Aleppo.
“A number of us, including me, were injured in the attack and we decided to surrender to the army” he said.
Turkey is one of the main supporters of the Takfiri militancy against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with reports showing that Ankara actively trains and arms the militants operating in Syria, and facilitates the safe passage of would-be foreign terrorists into the country, which has been gripped by a deadly crisis since 2011.
Washington, along with its Western and Arab allies, has been among the major supporters of Takfiri extremists operating in Syria.
The US and Turkey signed a deal in February to train and arm militants in Syria.
On May 25, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said militants were being trained and equipped in the central Turkish city of Kirsehir under the joint Ankara-Washington program.
The mission, which officially started in June, will see more than 15,000 foreign-backed militants trained on the Turkish soil in a three-year time period. Over 120 US soldiers are reportedly in Turkey to train the militants.
IA/MHB/AS | 1,268,047 |
crowded, and women pray separately from men. In sl, however, she likes praying in the main hall in La Mezquita, where, she said, “I feel communication with Allah easier.” She also likes, she said, the “antique structures” of Al-Andalus’s mosque.
Of Second Life’s more than 17 million registered accounts, the median user’s real-world age is 35, and fewer than 25 percent of users live in the US. Contrary to the stereotype of “computer gamers” as an overwhelmingly male crowd, SL residents are predominantly female, according to SL founder Philip Rosedale—and moreover, he says, they spend some 30 to 40 percent more time in SL than do male residents. This gender difference, he believes, is attributable to SL’s design as an open-ended social world with neither rules nor tasks, rather than as the type of structured, competitive games that tend to be popular with men.
She was quick to point out that sl is not a substitute for “rl” (real life), but a continuation of it. While prayers in sl don’t fulfill the necessity to perform them physically, too, she said that she feels the spiritual presence of the mosque in the sl environment just as she does in the physical one. She described how much she enjoys being able to activate and listen to the call to prayer in a “place that looks so real.” Yekaterina agreed.
Imotali and Yekaterina simultaneously agreed that their sl experiences have changed their perspectives in the physical world. Imotali explained that “with the governance and community here, everyone is basically kind and respect one another…. Everyone wants to learn from each other…. That’s the most humble thing I see personally…. True, there might be some rudeness or harsh issues,” she added, “but everyone simply wants to try and get along well.”
Yekaterina substantiated this. “Part of the pleasure of sl is meeting people with other backgrounds and beliefs…. I pray with a lady who is Jehovah’s Witness and another lady who is from Church of England.” All three of us, she said, “share a love of God.”
And all of them, Yekaterina said, feel changed by the experience. “Because we share a love of God, and because they learn I am a normal, peace-loving woman.”
Later, I spoke again with founder Rose Springvale. “That’s the fascinating part,” she said. “The thing that attracts people to this project is a desire for understanding, communication and change. The premise is that it is much harder to drop a bomb on someone if you have looked them in the eyes and recognized them as human beings, with jobs and kids and worries of their own.” | 1,268,048 |
The Jetson Pro main board supports Linux and Android as well, and it comes with a touchscreen display and an optional digital instrument cluster display.
While this may not seem like much to the average consumer, who will likely never interact with an automotive development kit, Nvidia had two demonstrations of the types of programs that can be modeled for potential use in a car on such a kit.
In the first, a loop of video taken from a car on the highway was processed to show the speed and distance of other cars in the vicinity. Shapiro said that someday soon, a car will be able to process such visual information in real time and, say, beep an alert at the driver if they’re getting too close to a car, or if they're coming in too fast on a slowing car.
Nvidia's second demonstration showed a car that can detect when you’ve hit traffic. When it does so, it will go into a sort of “stop-and-go cruise control,” so the driver no longer has to be hitting the brake all the time. (As someone who grew up in Los Angeles and returns to that city frequently, I resisted the urge to shout "Shut up and take my money!")
Shapiro assured me that this feature only works in a single lane of traffic—it won’t move you over to the next lane if those cars appear to be speeding by (although that’s only ever an illusion anyway), nor can it be used to maneuver non-highway driving. But still, it’s easy to imagine that for all of the flashy press that Google’s self-driving cars have received, this is the way self-driving cars will become a reality: piece by piece, until consumers trust the machines enough to let them do most of the driving.
Which brings us to the more-distant future. In Nvidia’s showroom, the company had an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) on display, which will in fact detect humans and other obstacles that pass in front of the car’s field of vision, using a constantly spinning laser sensor to assess the surrounding area. Such a system would naturally take an awful lot of computing power, and the as-yet-unreleased Tegra K1 SoC is the cutting edge system that the company says will be able to navigate such a car autonomously.
Announced this January at CES, the 64-bit Tegra K1 will have 192 CUDA cores and should have computing power comparable to Nvidia’s GeForce GT 630 or 635 dedicated GPUs.
Although a car with Tegra K1 in it is a long way off, it's nice to dream, and if the present informs the future, I'm looking forward to buying a "gently used," decade-old, self-driving car with 100,000 miles on it in a decade or two (or three). You have to have dreams, after all. | 1,268,049 |
Welcome to the Ubiq report for June 2019.
This month has been fairly slow in terms of news, as larger projects are in the works which will take some time to complete.
Gubiq has now been stably running on version 2.3. for a little over a month now and our development team are working hard on the next major hard-fork release, as well as an update for Sparrow and Ubiq Dex.
We are excited for the next few months of progress on the platform
Development Updates
Ubiq 0x Decentralized Exchange codename “XocelDex”
Recently the 0x team created a launch kit for Crypto communities that wish to streamline the process of creating a decentralized exchange. Xocel is currently working on this and will probably require a legal entity to be created.
Once this is set up the community will have access to a Dex for us to trade Ubiq against any of the tokens running on the platform.
We will keep everyone updated on the exciting progress towards this.
Gubiq Hard-Fork upgrade
Currently in development, the next release of Gubiq will include the Byzantium, Constantinople and St. Petersburg updates, with the usual optimizations for the Ubiq codebase.
We have decided to release this as a single Hard-Fork upgrade to the network, as it reduces the coordination required and interruptions to the ecosystem.
This will be the 4th update to the Gubiq codebase this year and will be Ubiq’s biggest yet!
Sparrow update
It was recently announced that development work on Sparrow has begun, merging the latest code changes from MetaMask to Sparrow.
This is the biggest update that Sparrow has ever had, with a new user interface which means we must redo a bunch of the MetaMask to Sparrow porting as all of our changes are in the old UI. An additional benefit of this will be Trezor/Ledger support.
We also want to get the Sparrow update out there and ready for greater community testing, which will allow us to put out some further tests such as the Dex as this relies on Sparrow integration as it is a dApp.
Advertising / Marketing Updates
New Twitter/Discord Logo
Recently, Ubiq core developer Jyap paid for some design work on Fiverr for a new Twitter and Discord logo.
Our new Twitter and Discord Ubiq Logo
We think the new design looks really fresh and clean, feel free to leave us some feedback in Discord or to tweet about it on Twitter.
Grass Roots Marketing, Stickers and Art
In addition to the new sticker, there has been some community work on creating some new stickers and artwork in the #ubiq-marketing channel on Discord.
Below is a sample of some of the work produced so far: | 1,268,050 |
�邉監督の発言を紐解けば、まず求められているのは守備のために身体を張ること、そして走ることだと分かる。徐々に「J1の水に慣れてきた」が、「良いパフォーマンスを発揮できていない」のは、葛藤が繊細なタッチを狂わせているからだろうか。それでもチームは、渡邉監督は、仙台の希望の星を信じてやまない。56分に梁や野沢を差し置いて、FKのキッカーを任されたのがなによりの証拠。その１分後にカウンターの起点となった右足のパスは美しく、効果的で、今後を期待するのに十分すぎるものだった。この日、試合後に見せてくれた”抑えようとしたが外に溢れ出た感情”は、粗削りな18歳のルーキーだからこそ大切にすべきものだろう。悩みと真摯に向き合えば、成長度合いは加速する。信頼を受け止め、責任を負い、悔しさと喜びを繰り返して糧にすることが重要だ。冷静と情熱の間に、チームの勝利を決定づけるプレーは生まれるのだから。取材・文：古田土恵介（サッカーダイジェスト編集部） | 1,268,051 |
The votes may be in, but the conversation is just beginning. One day after Ontario’s election, we’re ready to listen to you.
After a contentious race, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party won the provincial election, forming a majority government at Queen’s Park.
The PCs won 76 seats in Ontario’s legislature, while the New Democrats captured 40 seats. The Liberals managed only seven, resulting in the incumbent’s loss of official party status, and the resignation of former Premier Kathleen Wynne as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. The Green Party won its first-ever seat in an Ontario election.
Going into Thursday, we knew the seat-rich 905 — that is, the cluster of suburban communities surrounding the city of Toronto — would have a major role to play in deciding its outcome. That’s because the region hosts 29 seats, nearly a quarter of the total for Ontario. Sure enough, many of the PC seats are situated in the 905, while the downtown core primarily voted Liberal and NDP.
Progressive Conservative campaigns promoted Ford as the everyperson’s candidate, and the election results may reflect those efforts. 905 regions like Peel, Durham, and York are diverse, rapidly growing communities populated largely by immigrants and people of colour.
At the same time, new survey data from Ipsos (for Global News) shows that 42 per cent of Ontario voters cast their ballots strategically, which means they voted with the goal of stopping a specific party or candidate from forming a government.
Amid strong opinions, polarizing debate and reactive news coverage, it can be hard to know what these results mean for you, your family, your friends and your neighbours. That’s why we want to talk about it with you.
This week, The Discourse launched #GTADiscourse, a month-long reporting project aimed at surfacing untold stories and perspectives in four communities in the Greater Toronto Area that are underserved by existing media. My colleague Sadiya Ansari and I want to go beyond the superficial, and uncover information that locals need to have meaningful discussions about the issues that matter most to them.
So, we’re spending time in the 905 and the 416, hosting pop-up events and interviewing community members in Little Portugal, Brampton, Willowdale and Scarborough. The PCs won new seats in Scarborough and Willowdale, while Brampton selected both PC and NDP counsellors. The two electoral districts encompassing Little Portugal went to the NDP.
Help us by getting involved. Whether you live in one of the communities we’re covering, or reside elsewhere in the GTA, follow #GTADiscourse on social media to track our trip and learnings. Finally, subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates about #GTADiscourse straight to your inbox.
Elections can be divisive — but journalism doesn’t have to be. Let’s talk, Toronto! | 1,268,052 |
Not exactly breaking news, you might argue. But adopting “L.G.B.T.” is emblematic of an emerging shift in the church’s posture toward gay, lesbian and transgender people. Catholic teaching documents have typically used “homosexual” or referred to those with “homosexual tendencies,” which reduce a person’s multidimensional humanity to the mechanics of sex. Using the L.G.B.T. descriptor, often preferred by many gay, lesbian and transgender people, is a sign of respect.
Pope Francis has opened space for a deeper, more authentic conversation about how the church can keep one foot planted in Catholic tradition without being afraid to step into the lived experiences of others. When Pope Francis gave the most famous papal sound bite in history five years ago — “Who am I to judge?” — even his colloquial use of the word “gay” caused a stir in traditional Catholic circles. While the pope has strongly defended church teaching on marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, he prioritizes listening and personal encounter over finger-wagging denunciations. He’s met with transgender people, and when he spoke privately last month with a Chilean clergy sexual abuse survivor, the pope told him that God made him gay and loved him.
There are other signs of progress. The prominent Jesuit priest and author Rev. James Martin, who has been banned from speaking at some Catholic institutions in the United States simply for encouraging the church to build bridges with L.G.B.T. people, was recently invited to give a keynote address at the Vatican-sponsored World Meeting of Families in Dublin later this summer. At the last gathering in Philadelphia three years ago, the only discussion about L.G.B.T. issues came from celibate gay Catholics who spoke about chastity.
The pope’s emphasis on encounter and engagement is trickling down to influence other church leaders. Cardinal Joe Tobin of Newark welcomed a pilgrimage of L.G.B.T. Catholics to the city’s cathedral last spring. In this month’s issue of U.S. Catholic magazine, a deacon in the diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla., wrote movingly about his transgender daughter, and challenged the church’s notion of “gender ideology,” a term that has been used to discredit the push for transgender rights.
Despite this progress, the Catholic Church must do far more not only to acknowledge the humanity of L.G.B.T. people, but also to recognize most want the same committed, loving relationships as straight couples. After the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago called for “real, not rhetorical” respect for gays and lesbians. The court decision, which he opposed, still offered an opportunity for “mature and serene reflections,” the cardinal wrote. | 1,268,053 |
century English guy who came up with a theorem in probability theory which is actually quite fashionable amongst philosophers today.
Alan Hájek: It's all the rage. So much so that a whole movement called Bayesianism is named after him. I actually find that slightly surprising though - this might annoy some people but Bayes' Theorem is just one of many theorems in probability theory. It's usually associated with subjective probabilities, you know, this interpretation of probabilities called Bayesianism, which is funny, because it's just a theorem of probability that's neutral as to how you interpret it. Anyway it's just one of many theorems, it's a nice theorem, it's one way to calculate conditional probabilities. It's not the only way.
Alan Saunders: But when you talk about the bowel cancer issue, you talk about base rates which I think implies a pull on your part towards the frequency interpretation, would that be right?
Alan Hájek: Well frequencies are often good information and so I would certainly pay attention to the frequency information. They would inform my own subjective probabilities. Other things might, too. So certainly in the case we're talking about, it does seem pretty relevant that there's a certain prior probability in the population for having the disease. So just to consider some cases: suppose that say 1% of the population has the disease. So how worried should you be when you turn out to have a positive test, and remember that the test was 99% reliable in the sense that I gave. It turns out the answer is a half, so it's not 99%, it's a half is the measure of how worried you should be. Suppose let's say 1 in 1,000 people have the disease, then it turns out the correct answer is.09, that's the probability that you have the disease, given your positive test.
So in that sense, it's a sort of comforting thought that it's antecedently improbable that you would have this disease, which is not to say you should suddenly stop taking the bowel cancer tests, this would be bad advice, partly because of the stakes involved. But Bayes' Theorem does tell you how you have to temper this stuff about the reliability of the test with the antecedent probability of having the disease.
Alan Saunders: Well probability, as we said at the beginning, is the guide of life. I'm not sure that I feel guided towards having a test or not, but it was a fascinating discussion. Alan Hájek, thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Alan Hájek: I thought it would be a good bet to come on this show, and I was right. Thanks very much.
Alan Saunders: And if you want to engage in conversation about probability, just go to our website.
The show is produced by Kyla Slaven, with technical production by Charlie McKune. I'm Alan Saunders, I'll probably be back next week. | 1,268,054 |
Pixelmator Pro updated with incredible new Photos extension
It’s finally ready! The Pixelmator Pro editing extension for the Photos app is now available in Pixelmator Pro 1.4 Hummingbird, an amazing major update released today. The update also brings a new Zoom Tool, an improved Crop tool, and a wide range of additional new features and improvements. This is no ordinary update and no ordinary Photos extension.
Photos editing extension
Yes, the Pixelmator Pro editing extension is actually the entire, full-featured Pixelmator Pro app inside Photos. Every tool and feature is available, including RAW support, layer-based editing (of course), and even the ability to save layers and adjustments directly to your Photos library. Be sure to check out our quick guide to the editing extension.
Zoom and Crop tools
The brand new Zoom tool is a great addition to the Pixelmator Pro toolbox. It’s got a beautiful navigator to help move around images while zoomed in and some handy commands. And the Crop tool has had a pretty drastic redesign, adding a new Delete mode, redesigned crop presets, and the ability to crop to custom sizes. The new Delete mode lets you permanently crop away unwanted image areas (while the Hide mode lets you nondestructively hide them beyond the canvas). We’ve put up a couple of quick tips about these new features on our Tips & Tricks page and you can find more info about them in our Help manual, too.
You’ll also notice the presets have been moved from the Presets bar into the Tool Options pane. We’ve done this to free up more space for editing — in fact, in this update, the Crop tool isn’t the only to have received a preset makeover, the Slice tool has also been refreshed, as have the Paint and Erase tools. And we’ll be doing the same for the remaining tools in future updates.
Other goodies
We’ve also included a wide range of additional improvements in this major update. For example, you can now insert layered files right into existing Pixelmator Pro documents — even using drag & drop! The template chooser now includes a range of image size templates for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch devices. And we’ve even improved performance quite significantly for documents with many layers.
This major update is free for existing Pixelmator Pro users so simply open up the Mac App Store, update, and enjoy these wonderful additions!
Download Now
Upgrade discount
For all you users of the original Pixelmator, not too long ago, we created a Mac App Store bundle that can be used to purchase Pixelmator Pro with a discount. So if you’re thinking of finally grabbing a copy of Pixelmator Pro, now’s a great a time as any. You can find the upgrade bundle on the Mac App Store. | 1,268,055 |
Craig Levein is hopeful the trio will be fit. Picture: SNS Group
The three players are unlikely to feature against Hampden opponents Celtic when Hearts take on the champions in the league on Sunday, six days before the final.
Haring has not featured since the semi-final win over Inverness because of groin trouble and fellow midfielder Djoum missed out at Aberdeen last week. Striker Ikpeazu went off with a tight hamstring early in the second half of Hearts’ defeat to Kilmarnock on May 4.
When asked about Haring and Ikpeazu, Levein said: “It’s that close between making sure they are all right for the final and weighing up whether training is more important than game time.
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“They are both doing a little bit today so things should become clearer, possibly the beginning of the week, just exactly where they are.
“Obviously we have not got weeks to spare or they would probably have had some game time.”
When asked if they could still miss the final, Levein said: “Of course. There are three - Arnaud, Uche and Peter. Arnaud’s Achilles has been bothering him, that’s a little issue. I’m hopeful all three will be fit for the final.
“It will be a younger squad [on Sunday]. How many of the youngsters will start, we will wait and see, but I’m inclined to give some of them some experience and game time, and at the same time have a look at a couple of things shape-wise.
“It’s a funny situation to be in, just exactly the best way to deal with it, and a number of scenarios are going through my head. But my main focus obviously has to be making sure we have all of our best players available for the final.
“We don’t need to find out this weekend if they are going to be available for the final, we have plenty of time.”
Levein has been working on his Hampden game plan for weeks and even experimenting in matches, and has few concerns about giving much away at Celtic Park on Sunday.
“The nature of our team selection and the players that aren’t going to be available, we are not going to give an awful lot away anyway,” he said.
“But it’s interesting because there are going to be opportunities to stake a claim for a place.
“It’s still a game at Celtic Park, a competitive game, so anybody that plays will benefit, and hopefully we don’t get anyone injured.” | 1,268,056 |
Disney’s double-Oscar winning animation Frozen is a bona fide hit.
It’s the highest-grossing animated film of all time with a whopping global box office total of $1, 072 billion. Children everywhere are dressing up as princess Anna and Queen Elsa (voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel respectively), singing the songs, singing the songs and singing the songs a bit more.
There’s even a picture doing the rounds on the internet of a teacher keeping track of how many days (which had to be changed to hours) her class has managed to go without singing one of the songs.
That Let It Go track is just too catchy.
Disney producer Don Hahn, who has worked on titles such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and most recently as executive producer on Maleficent, says the team has been blown away by the success.
“I’ve talked to the filmmakers on Frozen and they’re, I guess, god smacked would be the word.
“It did become a phenomenon and everybody is singing the songs and every kid is dressing up as those characters and that’s something you can’t control. That’s just in the air. It’s the zeitgeist of the times that makes something like that.
“In the end, it’s humbling when that happens because it’s an audience buying in to your movie.”
There’s already a Broadway musical in the works. But could there be a sequel one day?
“Well, it is called showbusiness,” says Hahn. “I would imagine that at some point, yeah. The thing is, the audience demand I think is probably going to be there, whether it’s a sequel or whether it’s a stage show or whatever.
“I think the audience would always love to see more of those characters,” he adds.
Perhaps a spin-off with one of the characters could work? Singing snowman Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad) could surely fill theatres.
“I can make that phone call for you,” Hahn jokes.
Indeed, putting the spotlight on different characters is a prominent theme with Disney at the moment. Hahn’s own work on Maleficent, in which Angelina Jolie stars, offers a re-imaginging of the original Sleeping Beauty tale from the point of view of the villain. In addition, a selection of Disney DVDs are to be re-released with the villain on the cover.
Hahn muses, “If you look at the catalogue of Disney films, there’s very few you wouldn’t want to do again.”
The Disney Villains Collection is available from 2nd June
Follow @RadioTimes | 1,268,057 |
Today we’re thrilled to tell players that Sniper Elite 4 is coming to PS4 this year.
What you’ll want to know, of course, is what makes Sniper Elite 4 special, whether you’re a sharpshooting veteran or a rookie looking to get their teeth into a new third-person stealth action game — especially now that it’s the first in the series to be developed from the ground up for PS4.
Play Video
I thought it might be nice to reveal a few secrets from the teaser trailer to get the juices flowing. Enjoy!
1943
Why is that opening date so important? Well, it places the game firmly in World War II of course, but there’s more to it than that. Sniper Elite 4 is set in Italy in the direct aftermath of the North African conflict seen in Sniper Elite 3, and Fascism’s grip on the Mediterranean is slipping.
Enter covert agent and series stalwart Karl Fairburne, dropped onto the Italian peninsula in advance of the Allied invasion. What starts out as an assassination mission quickly turns into a race to uncover a conspiracy that could end Allied hopes of retaking the continent for good…
A Country Divided
The opening scenes of the trailer show a town caught in the midst of war, civilian belongings strewn across a usually sleepy market square. We really wanted to mix picture-postcard imagery with the creeping dread of something more sinister because this is what makes the Italian conflict so interesting. There were lots of factions fighting for the future of the country, and these play an important part in both the narrative and the gameplay!
Gigantic Sniper Sandboxes
That opening vista with all those iconic, red, Mediterranean rooftops? That’s just a small part of a beautiful coastal town which makes up just one region in one of the game’s earliest levels. Phew! Each campaign level is absolutely huge — many times bigger than those seen in Sniper Elite 3, and they already took hours to complete!
Just to stress, the footage isn’t pre-rendered or taken from cutscenes. What you’re seeing in the trailer is taken from environments you’ll actually be playing in.
That Rail(way) Gun!
Did you spot Karl right at the end? Well done if you did — he’s definitely dwarfed by his surroundings! No doubt your eye was drawn to the huge viaduct in the distant background, too.
Just like the earlier shots, this isn’t just set dressing, it’s taken from a real level and players actually have to get to the viaduct and then intercept that imposing railway gun. Whether you leave the viaduct still standing is, of course, up to you and your explosives.
We hope that’s whet your appetite for more stealthy sniping action. Look out for more news soon! | 1,268,058 |
The suspect in last week’s shooting of an 8-year-old boy in Concord was unarmed as he ran toward a police officer and reached for his waistband to pull up his pants when the officer shot him Monday afternoon in Fairfield, officials said Tuesday.
James Jarrard, 32, was shot once in the neck by Officer Zachary Sandoval, a member of the Fairfield Police Department for nine years. As of Tuesday afternoon, Jarrard was recovering at a hospital and his condition was stable. Once he can be discharged, he will be booked at Solano County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, possession of a stolen car, resisting arrest, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and violation of his state parole.
Officers arrived at the Lowe’s parking lot on the 3300 block of North Texas Street after a man called police saying he recognized the suspect from media reports. The man tailed the suspect and gave dispatchers the license plate number, which matched a car stolen from Walnut Creek, officials said.
Jarrard was outside of the car when he saw the police, officials said. He ran through the parking lot, then behind a business as officers gave chase and ordered him to stop, police said.
The suspect rounded a corner and appeared to be reaching for his waistband as he ran toward Sandoval, who was trying to cut him off, officials said. Sandoval, police said, didn’t have anywhere to run or seek cover and thought Jarrard was reaching for a weapon. The officer fired two shots from his duty pistol, one of which struck the right side of the suspect’ neck.
“You’ve got a retaining wall on one side and a business on the other side,” Lt. Rob Lenke, a police spokesman, said of Sandoval’s predicament. “There’s really nowhere for him to go.”
Officers administered medical aid until paramedics arrived, police said. They also searched Jarrard and the area where he was chased and shot, but found no weapons. Police said that during questioning, Jarrard told investigators that he was reaching down to pull up his pants when he was shot.
Sandoval has been placed on paid administrative leave as the police department and Solano County district attorney’s office investigate the shooting.
Jarrard was wanted on a $1.1 million arrest warrant after he allegedly drove up to a house in Concord and shot an 8-year-old boy playing outside. The boy was surrounded by family members, including some who knew Jarrard, and it was unclear for whom the bullet was intended, officials said.
The boy, who was also shot in the neck, is expected to survive his injuries.
Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @kveklerov | 1,268,059 |
Former prime minister Helen Clark is more influential on social media than Michelle Obama and Arianna Huffington, according to online magazine Richtopia.
If Michelle Obama wants to up her game on social media, she could do worse than turning to former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark for a few tips.
Clark, who heads the United Nations Development Programme, has been named the sixth most influential female leader on social media by online business, economics and finance magazine Richtopia.
Her ranking on the Top 100 list puts her ahead of the First Lady of the United States, who came in at eighth, and Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington, who took out the ninth spot.
But Clark wasn't quite influential enough to threaten US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, who topped the list ahead of everyone's favourite talk show titan, Oprah Winfrey.
Clark expressed her happiness via Twitter and Facebook on Tuesday, describing the list as "interesting" and saying she was pleased to be sixth.
"Social media is a great vehicle for hearing what people think about issues and events, and for providing a way to communicate directly. Thanks all," she posted on Facebook.
READ MORE
* Clark an inspiration to women
* Richie McCaw finally gets on social media
Richtopia's list is decided by an automatic algorithm, which takes into account various metrics from Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Clark has proven to be a big fan of Twitter since signing up in 2010. She has tweeted more than 27,000 times since then and has amassed 103,000 followers.
By that measure, she blows many of her rivals on Richtopia's list out of the water.
Michelle Obama's tweet count was at 766 on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton was at 2434, and Oprah had almost 11,000 tweets to her name. All three women have many millions of followers hanging off their every keystroke.
Clark is also a much more prolific tweeter than the man who succeeded her as prime minister. As of Tuesday night, John Key had tweeted only 3455 times since signing up in 2008.
Richtopia's list is not the first time Clark's influence has been recognised either. In 2014, she was named the most influential living New Zealand woman in Westpac's Women of New Zealand survey.
Clark received 34 per cent of the vote, well ahead of Olympic gold medallist Valerie Adams on 13 per cent and Dame Alison Holst on 6 per cent.
It has been suggested that Clark may be in line to replace UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon when his second term expires in 2016.
THE TOP TEN
1. Hillary Clinton
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Nancy Pelosi
4. Maria Shriver
5. Dilma Rousseff
6. Helen Clark
7. Katie Couric
8. Michelle Obama
9. Arianna Huffington
10. Emma Watson | 1,268,060 |
March 17, 2020
Media Contact: Pat Walsh
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 541-513-1236
Lane Transit District (LTD) will operate Saturday schedules on all buses, Monday through Saturday, beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, until further notice. Route 92 Lowell and Route 96 Coburg will have limited service on Monday through Friday. Sunday bus service stays the same.
“Saturday-level bus service offers the community transit service, while reducing the potential exposure to the coronavirus to riders and our LTD bus operators and staff,” said Aurora Jackson, LTD’s general manager. “We care about our employees who come together to provide this valuable service, and about those in our community who rely on our service for essential needs. We encourage our community to follow the guidelines of our health officials and stay home when possible to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.”
LTD bus riders are encouraged to use the LTD Rider’s Digest or the LTD website to find their bus route’s Saturday-service schedule. The LTD web site is www.LTD.org.
LTD suggests riders follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to reduce the exposure and spread of the novel coronavirus, including:
Keep six feet away from other passengers.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty."
: CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
RideSource services will continue to operate, prioritizing essential trips. LTD suspended the RideSource Shopper until further notice.
LTD cancelled the Cottage Grove Connector and EmGo services on March 16, 2020. Last week, LTD suspended all of the District’s public meetings, including the March 18, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting.
LTD passengers are encouraged to check the LTD website for updates (www.LTD.org) or to call the Customer Service Center at 541-687-5555 (7-1-1 TTY), 541-682-5558 (Fax) or 800-248-3861 (Toll free).
| 1,268,061 |
the mission in Afghanistan and the future of that mission beyond 2014,'' Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra today.
''And it is the Security Council which will have to continue to wrestle with the violence in Syria and the way in which that violence can be brought to an end.''
She nominated UN engagement in East Timor, sanctions to deal with nuclear arms proliferation and the continued fight against global terror as issues Australia would help deal with over the next two years.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young welcomed the news and hoped it would encourage the government to stick by the refugee obligations to which it's a signatory.
"The world will now be watching, and Australia does have obligations to various UN conventions," Senator Hanson-Young told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
"It's very important that we uphold those obligations and we promote the very essence of working together as a global community.
The vote means Australia will serve for two years as one of 10 non-permanent of the Security Council, joining the five permanent member nations in influencing crucial decisions about military interventions across the world.
For historical reasons, Australia was grouped in the Western Europe & Others category, and was pitted against Luxembourg and Finland in a secret ballot for two seats of the five available seats.
Insiders had expected Finland, which began its campaign for a seat in 2001, would win easily, especially as Australia only joined the bid in 2008, when Kevin Rudd was still prime minister.
After five years and $24 million, Foreign Minister Bob Carr went into the Great Hall just before 10am (1am AEDT) saying he was "nervous" about Australia's chances.
Just after midday (3am AEDT), the vote came in.
The announcement that Australia had come in first must have shocked Finland, whose leaders had seemed certain they would get one of the two seats.
Instead, Luxembourg got 128 votes and Finland 108. The two nations then went to a runoff vote, Luxembourg winning with 131 votes to Finland's 60.
Other countries which won seats on the day were Rwanda, Argentina and South Korea.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully congratulated Australia, along with Luxembourg, South Korea, Argentina and Rwanda.
''I have congratulated Foreign Minister Carr on a well-fought campaign, which Australia thoroughly deserved to win,'' Mr McCully said today.
''New Zealand looks forward to working closely with Australia during its two-year tenure on the Security Council."
New Zealand is bidding for a seat on the council in the 2015-16 term.
Australia's UN representative Gary Quinlan is expected to spearhead the country's role on the body, attending as an observer from November.
It is understood DFAT has made a submission to Treasury seeking a significant boost to resources in New York.
Australia will begin attending security council meetings from November to observe proceedings, before commencing its active role on January 1.
- with AAP | 1,268,062 |
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two Marines Moving, a Veteran-Owned Moving Company with locations in the DC Metro area and Miami Metro area, pledges to accelerate the hiring of Government employees and Veterans affected by the government shutdown that began on December, 22, 2018.
In business for ten years, Two Marines Moving has employed thousands of Veterans and service members who are attracted to the company’s flexible work schedule, transitional employment opportunities, and culture that is dedicated to supporting America’s Veterans, service members, and their families.
Two Marines Moving has also been impacted by the shutdown with a 10% decrease in client move requests in the DC Metro Area. However, the team at Two Marines Moving is dedicated to supporting those who have been furloughed and encourage those affected to contact the company today and visit www.twomarinesmoving.com.
According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), there are roughly 635,000 Veterans employed by the Federal Government, which is roughly one-third (31.1 percent) of the U.S. Federal workforce.
Iraq War Veteran Nick Baucom, Founder and CEO of Two Marines Moving, “This isn’t the company’s first time going through a government shutdown. We have experienced a shutdown with a Democratic President and Republican House and now we are going through it with a Republican President and Democratic House. The difference now is that President Trump stated that the shutdown could last ‘months to years’ and we aren’t seeing any interest in working towards a common goal.
Washington has a tendency to forget how their lack of action impacts the rest of us. I am making it my personal mission and the mission of Two Marines Moving to offer temporary and long-term career opportunities to government employees and Veterans affected by President Trump’s shutdown. Although I may no longer be on Active Duty, my company and I continue to serve our country every day. “
The Operations and Recruiting Teams at Two Marines Moving are standing by ready to hire those who are looking to bring more certainty to their income during the uncertain times of a seemingly never-ending government shutdown. The company has open positions for movers, drivers, CDL holders, and dispatchers.
Two Marines Moving (TMM), is a moving company that offers local and long-distance moving, residential and commercial moving services, and valet storage. TMM almost exclusively hires service members, Veterans, First Responders, and Military Dependents. TMM plays an active role in civilian and military communities and was recognized by the United States Department of Labor as a HIRE VETS Medallion Award Winner. TMM has also been recognized by the following organizations; US Chamber of Commerce, the White House, the Pentagon, US Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, Fannie Mae, Google, ABC, NBC, CNBC, the Washington Post, Angie's List, and many more. | 1,268,063 |
By Carey Gillam
Update, June 5: On June 5 a spokesperson or Scientific Reports said, "When any issues are raised with Scientific Reports about papers we have published, we investigate them carefully and we will take action where appropriate." He pointed out that Scientific Reports is an online, open-access journal in the "Nature Research family of journals" but is editorially independent of Nature.
The authors of a newly published paper examining the impacts of exposure to the world's most widely used herbicide declared some shocking news.
The team from Washington State University found that descendants of rats exposed to the chemical glyphosate developed prostate, kidney and ovarian diseases, obesity and birth abnormalities. The findings, published in April in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, added to the global debate about the safety of glyphosate and Monsanto's Roundup and other glyphosate-based weed killers.
But perhaps more stunning than that news, the research team also stated in their paper that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialist scientific arm of the World Health Organization, had "retracted" its finding that glyphosate was a probable human carcinogen. The error is one of many in the paper reported to the authors over a month ago that has yet to be corrected. But none, perhaps, is more glaring than the one about IARC. IARC had issued a lengthy paper in 2015 that concluded by classifying glyphosate as a 2A human carcinogen. That IARC classification sparked thousands of lawsuits against Monsanto, the longtime purveyor of Roundup and other glyphosate herbicides and fueled debate around the globe. The IARC classification also helped prompt many European countries to start moving to limit or ban glyphosate use. Cities, school districts and retailers across the United States have also stopped using or selling glyphosate products. Monsanto's German owner Bayer AG has lost 40 percent of its shareholder value due to the persistent concerns about Monsanto's glyphosate herbicides. But according to the WSU team, the IARC classification that triggered it all was retracted in 2016. They wrote: "In March 2015 the International Agency of Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a Grade 2a carcinogen based on prevalence of liver and kidney tumors in chronic feeding studies. Shortly after, this statement was retracted in 2016."
A retraction by IARC of its finding would be highly significant. Indeed, Monsanto in 2015 did seek a retraction but IARC has defended its work, as have numerous independent scientists from multiple countries. And notably, IARC has never retracted its finding of glyphosate as a 2A probable carcinogen. "The classification has not been changed and is still valid," said IARC spokeswoman Veronique Terrasse. The Washington State research team was led by Michael Skinner, professor of the WSU School of Biological Sciences. Seemingly the error would be easy to correct. But when contacted about the error, Skinner said he had no intention of correcting the statement because no correction was needed. He said that he has told scientists who have raised the issue with him to write a letter to the editor of the journal. | 1,268,064 |
Francis Ngannou sealed his stardom this past weekend as he finished Alistair Overeem with what Ngannou is calling one of the best KOs of the year. The first-round win at UFC 218 prompted UFC President Dana White to call the Cameroonian a “future global star” and the obvious next choice to challenge for Stipe Miocic’s heavyweight belt.
In an exclusive interview with Top Turtle MMA, Ngannou share his thoughts on how that fight would shake out.
“I expect a finish. Because he’ll probably try a takedown, it might be a submission, but I’ll always predict a KO,” he said in the same matter-of-fact tone as he makes all of his predictions.
But after discussing Stipe, Overeem, and White himself, Ngannou talked about his future. When asked about whether or not he had fun names on his radar for after Miocic, Ngannou paused to think about just what was his dream fight.
“My dream?” I would like to see a match between me and Brock Lesnar," Ngannou said.
Even though Lesnar is wedged into the professional wrestling world and is seemingly being held away from MMA by USADA, Ngannou knows there’s a pull from the fans, media and his own curiosity to see the fight.
“You know, two big dudes,” he chuckled with his deep belly laugh. “I like that matchup. I’m excited for that kind of matchup… I want to see that match.”
And even though Lesnar would theoretically mark the first time that Ngannou faced his physical equivalent, Ngannou isn’t buying that narrative. In fact, he wouldn’t be worried about what physical nature Lesnar brings at all.
“He’s big and huge, but he’s not stronger than me,” Ngannou said.
While lauding the work that striking coach Dewey Cooper has done in helping him achieve his goals, Ngannou also showed just how comfortable he is with his power striking.
“I’m the best striker in the heavyweight division," he stated.
Regardless of who he fights in the future, we know what the present holds for Ngannou: the title shot that he’s so badly wanted since signing with the UFC. But should he win it in the fashion that he expects to, maybe that call for a fight with Lesnar is not all that crazy to think about. And if it does become a reality, he wants to remind Lesnar of one thing:
“[I’m] the more powerful guy and I’m also a [more] talented guy.”
| 1,268,065 |
The Gambia's former ruler Yahya Jammeh stole at least $50m from the state, the country's justice minister said on Monday, in the first major anti-corruption move by the country's new president.
It's the first time the new government of the west African country has put a figure on the amount it believes Jammeh plundered from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after 22 years in power.
"President Yahya Jammeh personally or under his instructions directed the unlawful withdrawal of at least $50 million," Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said, describing withdrawals from The Gambia's central bank and linked with state-owned Gamtel between 2013 and 2017.
"We have today obtained a court order freezing or placing a temporary hold on the known assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh and companies directly associated with him," Tambadou added.
READ MORE: Remembering The Gambia's notorious Mile 2 Prison
The court order concerns 88 bank accounts in Jammeh's name or those of his associates, Tambadou told journalists, along with 14 companies linked with the former strongman.
Jammeh ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain.
Monday's order was designed to prevent Jammeh "liquidating or dissipating assets", the minister added, confirming the order applied only to the former leader's assets in The Gambia.
Last Tuesday Gambian police said three cousins of the former president would face theft charges after selling off his cattle, raising suspicions that his contacts still in the country were under scrutiny.
"These discoveries are just a tip of the iceberg," Tambadou told a news conference.
WATCH: Yahya Jammeh accused of stealing millions
Interior Minister Mai Fatty accused Jammeh of taking $11m after leaving in January, adding that he also took luxury cars piled on to a Chadian cargo plane, but the claim was not backed up by the rest of the cabinet.
The Gambia's longtime opposition United Democratic Party won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections in April, easily defeating Jammeh's party which has been cast into the electoral wilderness by his departure.
WATCH: Barrow’s party wins most seats in parliamentary poll
That came after the stunning ousting of Jammeh by President Adama Barrow in a December presidential election, a result which the defeated leader fought for weeks until the threat of a regional military intervention.
Meanwhile, police continue to investigate dozens of forced disappearances under Jammeh's rule, with victims clamouring for justice.
The Gambia's National Assembly was long derided for acting as a rubber stamp for Jammeh's decisions, but hopes are high for a revitalised chamber with a raft of fresh faces elected. | 1,268,066 |
Advertisers continue to abandon Samantha Bee’s TBS talk show Full Frontal weeks after she stirred controversy by calling President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka as a “feckless cunt.”
According to a report from NewsBusters, just six non-TBS advertisers appeared on this week’s episode of Full Frontal for the second week in a row, with companies including PlayStation 4, TripAdvisor, and Wendy’s continuing to advertise on the show.
It’s the second consecutive week that Bee appears to have lost a majority of her national sponsors, with major brands including Taco Bell, Apple, Haagen Dazs, and Jim Beam again failing to appear during commercial breaks.
The exodus of advertisers was spurred by Bee calling Ivanka Trump a “feckless cunt” for refusing to oppose her father’s enforcement of immigration law.
“Ivanka Trump, who works at the White House, chose to post the second most oblivious tweet we’ve seen this week,” Bee said during an episode last month.” You know, Ivanka, that’s a beautiful photo of you and your child, but let me just say, one mother to another, do something about your dad’s immigration practices, you feckless c*nt.”
Having already apologized for the remark on Twitter, Bee gave another embittered apology on last week’s show, in which she also took aim at men and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
“You know, a lot of people were offended and angry that I used an epithet to describe the President’s daughter and advisor last week,” Samantha Bee said. “It is a word I have used on the show many times, hoping to reclaim it, this time I used it as an insult. I crossed the line. I regret it and I do apologize for that.”
“I want this show to be challenging and I want it to be honest,” she continued. “I never intended it to hurt anyone, except Ted Cruz. Many men were also offended by my use of the word… I do not care about that. I hate that this distracted from more important issues.”
On this week’s show, Bee criticized Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr. for liking a tweet that reportedly accused anti-gun rights activist David Hogg of being willingly used by the mainstream media to push gun control.
“That is really scary!” she said. “Influential people with real power buy into this stuff — and also Donald Trump Jr. Our walking 4chan of a president has also helped embolden hoaxers by chumming around on Alex Jones’ talk show.”
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at [email protected]. | 1,268,067 |
Back in May we had a look at the two first wrist-rest mouse pads made with a Transformers theme, those being modeled after Acree and Windblade respectively.
Most people, whether they liked them or were horrified by them, were none the less fascinated and speculated whether there would be any more. Now a few months later we have our answer. Another femmebot has let her form grace the pad so that Transfans and netnerds everywhere can click away without thier poor wrists getting sore, that femmebot being Elita One.
Elita One is looking just as buxom as her femmebot comrades here. Once again we have the soft silicone at the bottom that feels quite smooth to the touch and the top gives you plenty of room to manuver your mouse around when you are looking up websites about, er, morality and self-denial.
I actually do really like the artwork here. There hasn’t been a massive amount of artwork of Elita One. She has been in IDW for the past couple of years as a warrior space captain, often depicted with her damaged helmet and sitting upon her throne made up of the skeletal remains of the previous ships leaders. Even without the ‘wrist rest’ parts this is a far softer depiction of her and a nice change of pace.
But of course all the rationalization in the world wont get you away from the fact that this is a booby-pad – designed to appeal to a combination of Transfan and Mazophiliac. Once again, you can leave it in the packaging so that you can hang it on the walls to impress your friends and family if you wish.
Related Article: Transformers Wrist Rest Mouse Pads
Competition Time!
When the first two of these mouse pads appeared online a lot of people speculated which character would come next, the majority believing it would be Beast Wars Blackarachnia, especially given her comic art from her Legends toy. But since we got Elita One instead we are back to wondering – who will be next?
Here is the competition. In the comments section below list 5 femmebots you would like to see given the wrist-rest mouse pad treatment. If your list of 5 turn out to be the next five made, even if not in the same order, you win a prize! I’ll sort out the prizes when the time comes since it will depend on how many winners there are and what – heh – what could be considered acceptable in their households, but it will definitely be femmebot related.
Competition Update: Well done to Jazzcomp, Raider, DH, MayzaPrime, David, Jazz1984 & Kaijuguy. Blackarachnia was the next Mouse Pad released so you are all still in the running for a prize! Hopefully there wont be such a delay before the next Mouse Pad is released.
Until that day, Until all look like Elita One – happy clicking! | 1,268,068 |
Park life: The Cairngorms' lost beasts By Steven McKenzie
BBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter Published duration 19 July 2013
image caption Beavers were hunted to extinction in the Cairngorms in the 16th or 17th centuries
The Cairngorms National Park Authority says beavers could potentially be reintroduced to the area, but what else has the organisation considered bringing back?
Beavers could one day return to the Cairngorms where they are thought to have been hunted to extinction in the 16th or 17th centuries.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) said exploring the idea further depends on the results of a trial reintroduction at Knapdale in Argyll.
But beavers are just one animal on a list of 22 creatures assessed for potential reintroduction, or targeted conservation efforts, to Britain's largest national park.
Wildlife on the list were either were wiped out because of over-hunting or persecution, or are now rarely seen because of habitat loss.
They include rare birds such as nightjar and crested tit, but also brown bears, elk, reindeer and even an animal that is globally extinct.
Aurochs, ancient giant European wild cattle, died out almost 400 years ago.
It features on the list to highlight the role free-roaming cattle can play in ecosystems.
In his report published in February on the potential restoration of the 22 species, CNPA's ecological advisor Dr David Hetherington noted the use of cattle at Belgian, Danish and Dutch nature reserves.
Highland cattle also graze woodland managed by Forestry Commission Scotland.
The scientist also looked at the pros and cons of bears, wolves and lynx.
He described them as "highly charismatic species" with the potential to draw tourists.
However, Dr Hetherington concluded that reintroducing bears and wolves was unlikely because of the concerns they would raise about public safety and attacks on livestock.
Lynx were seen as a less of a threat.
image caption Bears could be a big draw for tourists but may be cause concern about public safety
On the big cats, the ecologist said: "Of the three species, wolves and bears are often perceived as dangerous and do have the potential to harm humans, although the risk is small.
"In regions of Europe where all three species occur, the lynx is seen as the least damaging to livestock interests and is generally not perceived as a threat to human safety.
"Indeed unprovoked attacks on humans have not been recorded while predation on livestock has been shown to be controllable."
Dr Hetherington suggests that the Cairngorms may have been the last stronghold of Scotland's native lynx.
They could have survived in the mountainous area's forests, one of the last places in Scotland to suffer deforestation, into the late Middle Ages. | 1,268,069 |
and higher levels of play. These changes should temper him a bit in both aspects.
Tectonic Shock (EX E) Incapacitate duration reduced from 2s to 1.7s (including air time, total duration reduced from 3s to 2.7s)
Dragon Palm (R) Damage from knocking an enemy into a wall decreased from 12 to 10
Battlerites
Riposte (Q) Recast is now only granted if Parry negates an attack
Rook
Smack (R) Incapacitate duration reduced from 2.5s to 2.2s
Shifu
Tendon Swing (R) Incapacitate duration reduced from 2.6s to 2.3s
Sirius
Lunar Strike (E) Petrify duration reduced from 3.4s to 3s
Taya
Taya sees Surprise Attack returned to a former state, with some additional offensive power added to her rites. She also gets a new rite to give her an additional support option to choose from.
Wind Bomb (E) Haste duration increased from 1s to 1.2s
Battlerites
Surprise Attack (M2) Movement increased from 55% to 60%
Turbulence (Q) Now also deals 3 bonus damage if the enemy is knocked into a wall
Wind Shield (New Support Rite) (R) Upon landing the ally gains a shield that absorbs up to 14 damage for 3s Cooldown reduced by 2s
Thorn
Entangle (E) Duration reduced from 2.5s to 2.2s
Ulric
Aegis of Valor (F) Incapacitate duration reduced from 2.5s to 2.2s
Varesh
With Inspiration, Varesh was able to stock up on energy quickly and was often able to utilize Powers Combined without having to consider how safe the ability was to use, due to having Kinetic Energy available immediately afterwards. Without Inspiration, Varesh will be forced to be more careful with his ultimate and play a bit more safe in general.
Battlerites
Inspiration (Perk) Removed
Zander
Zander’s Stacked Deck saw a change a few months back that helped address his impressive burst potential at the time. After several changes to Arcane Catalyst, the previous power should fit better in his kit now without issue. He also sees some quality of life updates.
Grand Conjuration (M2) Projectile speed increased from 26 to 28
Portal (Q) Max teleport ranged increased from 7.5 to 8 Max teleport range with the Around the World rite increased from 9 to 9.6
Sheep Trick (E) Duration reduced from 2.5s to 2.2s
Battlerites | 1,268,070 |
Hollyweird, in collaboration with @velvetcoke, takes stock of once-known but obscure or forgotten stories about popular celebrities and cult figures.
Britney Spears has always blurred lines as a performer. Her acting career started out promising: at 17, she had a deal with Columbia TriStar to have her own show and appear as a series regular in Dawson's Creek. It didn't pan out. In light of her debut album selling 5 million units, she didn't have much time for TV. As a flight attendant in 2001's Longshot — which may or may not have inspired her "Toxic" video — Spears stole the limelight. Then came 2002's Crossroads. Her unforgettable turn as Lucy in the road trip caper was a flat tire at the box office.
So when she was sent the script for 2004 weeper The Notebook, Thespney was ready to try her hand at a meatier role. When asked about future projects in a 2001 interview with Richard Blackwood, she said, "What would excite me? Probably to get this amazing movie, this script that I read. They already have someone doing it, but I would die if I got to do it."
"You're trying to tell me they're choosing somebody over you?" Blackwood retorts.
"I'm not gonna say! I can't do that," Spears says, clamming up. "It's the most amazing script I ever read." "What type of movie is it then?" "It's a love story, of course," she teases.
Keep in mind that The Notebook began filming in late 2002. It was later revealed by the film's star, Ryan Gosling, that — along with Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel and Ashley Judd — Spears did do a screen test with her former Mouseketeer mate for the Nicholas Sparks adaptation. (The role eventually went to Rachel McAdams).
"We met with a lot of actresses, and they were all very good," Gosling told ET in 2004. "I did [screen test with Spears], yeah. I hadn't seen her really since she was about 12 — we were both 12 — so she's grown up, but she was really good, actually. She did a really nice job. We were 12, I don't remember much from when I was 12, but yeah, no, she did an excellent job, actually. That was cool."
"I'm sure Britney would have done a great job!" added McAdams. "I'm sure it would have been a totally different movie, but yeah, I just heard that the other day. I had no idea! I was very fortunate. I was sort of at the end of the line, and I know they'd sort of done a cross-country trip — Nick and Ryan together — looking for the girl, and I sort of squeaked in there."
It should go without saying, but #JusticeForCrossroads. | 1,268,071 |
Climber could escape sanction if news is confirmed; Di Luca before CONI today
If a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport proves to be correct, the Italian Mauro Santambrogio may end up escaping sanction despite his positive test for EPO.
The newspaper reports that the B sample analysis has shown only small traces of EPO, less than is needed to conclusively prove doping.
In anti-doping analysis, the A and B samples almost always match. It is not clear why the B sample would be different, although there is speculation that this could be down to micro-dosing of EPO and, presumably, a slight degradation of the sample.
On June 3rd it was announced by the UCI that the Vini Fantini-Selle Italia rider had returned an “adverse analytical finding” of EPO in a sample taken during the Giro d’Italia.
The sample was taken on May 4th in what was a random control after stage one; due to the delay in processing the sample, Santambrogio was able to finish out the race. He won the fourteenth stage and finished ninth overall.
Eyebrows were raised this season when Santambrogio showed a sharp increase in form and performance results.
He won the GP Industria & Artigianato Larciano and placed second overall in the Giro del Trentino. He was also third in the Trofeo Laigueglia, fifth in the Gran Premio Città di Camaoire, sixth in the Tour de San Luis and seventh in Tirreno Adriatico.
His non-negative A sample was the second of the spring for the Vini Fantini-Selle Italia team. Veteran Danilo Di Luca also failed a test for EPO, with that sample being taken as a surprise control on the day it was announced that he would ride the Giro d’Italia one more time.
Di Luca is due in front of the anti doping prosecutor of the Italian Olympic Committee today, and was yesterday urged by Valentino Sciotti, the patron of the Farenese group, to speak honestly and to provide the full truth.
“I ask you to be turning point between cycling of doubts and shadows and cycling of transparency,” said Sciotti in an open letter. “Everyone must be able to applaud the show they see, in the certainty that the future can not deny the confidence and enthusiasm that high-performance sports inspire.”
It remains to be seen if Di Luca will indeed provide significant information. He previously had a reduction in his prior doping suspension for CERA due to apparent cooperation, but then returned to doping after his return.
As for Santambrogio, today’s news – if verified – would mean that he might sidestep punishment. | 1,268,072 |
At the peak of the tech bubble, adding an 'e-' prefix or '.com' suffix caused the valuations of companies to jump multifold. During this Bitcoin bull run, adding 'Blockchain' seems to have the same effect.
On-line Plc or On-line Blockchain Plc?
On-line Plc is a small, nondescript company in the UK, which has been listed in London since 1996. The Company started as a holding company for a group which developed multiplayer computer games for the internet, and has gradually transformed into a technology investment company.
On 26-Oct-17, the Company announced its intention to change its name from On-line Plc to On-line Blockchain Plc. The Company stated that it had been working for some time to provide systems to support the roll out of Blockchain technologies across a range of applications.
The decision of the Company to change its name provided a boost to the share price, resulting in the Company gaining 19% on Thursday. This turned out to be pretty insignificant, compared to what happened on Friday. The share price of the Company increased by 400%, from 17p the previous day to 84p. Shares closed the day at 46.50p, a 173% gain over the previous day's close. The volume traded on Friday was multiple times the yearly trading volume of the Company.
Riot Blockchain
On-line Blockchain Plc is not the only instance where investors have rewarded a company for changing its name. When a biotech company changed its name from Bioptix Inc to Riot Blockchain, its shares surged by 17%. This was in addition to the almost 100% gain the stock had in the days leading to the announcement. It didn’t matter that Bioptix Inc was previously a manufacturer of diagnostic machinery.
Remembering Pets.com
Pets.com is one of the classic examples of the dotcom investing mania. The Company, which was founded in August 1998 became widely known through a high profile marketing campaign. At the 2000 Super Bowl, Pets.com paid millions to purchase advertising spots. While the Company increased its sales through its marketing campaign, it did not have a viable business model and spent far more on advertising than it made in revenues. In spite of this, the Company was successful in raising $82Mn in an IPO in early 2000. Its weak fundamentals resulted in the Company collapsing in November 2000 just a couple of years after it was founded. This resulted in the destruction of $300 mln of invested capital, including the money raised by the Company in its IPO.
While Bitcoin's bull run may not play out the way the dotcom bubble did, the signs of irrational investor exuberance are worrying. Multiple companies without a viable business model or product have raised millions of dollars through ICOs. The mere addition of the word Blockchain to the name of a company seems to energize investors. It might be time for investors to take a step back and look at cryptocurrencies dispassionately. | 1,268,073 |
Pope Francis Comments on Shroud of Turin After New Research Upholds Authenticity
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Pope Francis has made comments on the Shroud of Turin, the much-discussed and analyzed burial cloth that some believe shows the face of Jesus Christ, saying that it "speaks to the heart," though he stopped short of declaring the piece an official relic.
"This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart," the Roman Catholic Church leader said in an Italian TV Easter Saturday special.
"This disfigured face resembles all those faces of men and women marred by a life which does not respect their dignity, by war and violence which afflict the weakest … And yet, at the same time, the face in the shroud conveys a great peace; this tortured body expresses a sovereign majesty," he added.
The shroud made news again last week right before Easter when a research team from Padua University used carbon dating and concluded that the artifact is not a medieval fake, as some had previously suspected, but dates back to somewhere between 280 B.C. and A.D. 220.
Giulio Fanti, an associate professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at Padua University, conducted the tests, by analyzing fibers from the shroud with infrared lights, which allowed him to measure radiation intensity through wavelengths.
"We carried out three alternative dating tests on the shroud, two chemical and one mechanical, and they all gave the same result and they all traced back to the date of Jesus, with a possible margin of error of 250 years," Fanti told CNN.
The 14-foot long piece of cloth, which shows the imprints of a man with long hair and a bearded face, as well as markings indicating nailed feet and hands, has caused a lot of talk in both the scientific and Christian communities. The latest carbon dating findings might be the strongest evidence that the shroud was indeed used in the time-period of Jesus' death, but whether the imprints truly belong to Christ will be harder to prove.
Pope Francis' remarks are in line with the Roman Catholic Church's general position on the shroud, the Blaze noted. Catholics have remained neutral on the subject of the shroud's authenticity, leaving it up to scientific research, but insists that that the cloth still serves as an important symbol of Christians' faith.
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For those wishing to stay up-to-date on news about the shroud, a new app called "Shroud 2.0" has been launched by the research team, and will be available in several languages.
"I hope the app will give us the chance of having microscopic data that will be very useful to confront different scientific research on the shroud, which, until now, is still a mystery," Fanti added. | 1,268,074 |
A late federal budget is fuelling concerns that the already rushed Parliamentary approval process will be even more frenetic as MPs head to the election trail.
Budgets are usually released in February or March, which the Conservative government then follows with an omnibus budget bill that is studied ahead of final votes in June.
But Finance Minister Joe Oliver has said the 2015 budget will not come until April at the earliest, and could be "a little bit later," raising the possibility it could be released in May.
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"We're waiting for some stability in what is a very unstable commodity market and so we'll get more information by April or a little bit later and then we'll be in a position to make the final decisions that you need to make when you introduce a budget," Mr. Oliver said in a Jan. 21 interview with Bloomberg from Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending meetings of the World Economic Forum.
The House of Commons must be sitting for the government to deliver a budget, and it has a two-week recess in April around Easter. Members of Parliament are scheduled to sit on the first two days of April and then do not return to Ottawa until Monday, April 20.
The House of Commons is scheduled to rise for the summer on June 23 or sooner. Because the federal election is scheduled for Oct. 19, Parliament would not meet again once it rises in June.
After a budget, the government introduces one or two bills to make the legal changes required to implement the measures announced in it.
In recent years, the Conservative government has been criticized for introducing major policy changes through these bills that sometimes have no connection at all to the budget document.
Unlike standalone bills, policy changes that are part of a budget bill receive far less scrutiny from Parliamentary committees in terms of hearing from witnesses who have expertise in particular policy areas.
Liberal finance critic Scott Brison said the Conservatives are adding to economic instability by delaying the budget and not saying when it will come.
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"If the government introduces a budget potentially close to when Parliament rises, that will deny Parliament and the finance committee the opportunity to actually do our job and it would deny Canadians real parliamentary scrutiny of the budget, but the Conservatives don't want scrutiny of their budget," he said. "For the Conservatives, this budget is an election platform and they will do everything they can to avoid real Parliamentary scrutiny of it."
NDP finance critic Nathan Cullen said it appears not enough sitting days will be left to review the budget properly before the summer recess and the ensuing federal election.
"I have a concern about whether they have enough runway left in the year to get a budget introduced, properly reviewed and passed, or is this going to be holding a gun to Parliament's head, rushing this thing through because these guys are panicking," he said. "I don't know what he's trying to buy with more time, other than the hope of higher [oil] prices." | 1,268,075 |
Earlier this month, the White House returned to the Senate 54 federal judicial nominees who Senate Republicans had refused to vote on in the previous year. But one nominee was conspicuously absent from that list: Judge William Thomas, a Florida state judge who had been nominated to sit on a federal trial court.
At first, Thomas’ nomination seemed like a slam dunk: He is an experienced, respected judge who was nominated in 2012 with the support of both of Florida’s senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio. He also would have been the first openly gay black man to sit on the federal bench.
Then, mysteriously, Rubio changed his mind. Taking advantage of a Senate Judiciary Committee policy that allows any senator to block a committee hearing on any nominee from his or her home state, Rubio unilaterally refused to allow a hearing on Thomas. For months, the senator refused to explain why he was blocking Thomas’ nomination, until finally this summer a spokesperson cited “questions about [the nominee’s] judicial temperament and his willingness to impose appropriate criminal sentences.”
Rubio’s office provided two examples of instances in which they believed that Thomas didn’t impose “appropriate criminal sentences.” In both cases, Thomas imposed the highest sentence sought by the prosecution; in both cases, prosecutors praised his handling of the trials. Rubio’s staff also claimed that in one of those cases, a grisly murder trial, Thomas “broke down in tears” when sentencing the defendant to death; news reports make clear that the judge’s tears came when he was describing the brutal crime. As Chris Hayes put it, none of these complaints “pass the smell test.”
Now, finally, Rubio himself has gone on the record for the first time about why he blocked Thomas’ nomination. In an interview with Michael Putney, political reporter for the Miami-area Local 10 news, Rubio, looking visibly uncomfortable, repeats his office’s talking points about the two criminal cases they allege Judge Thomas imposed insufficiently harsh sentences in. “We are looking for judges that can accurately apply the law, particularly at the federal level,” Rubio said, never quite explaining how Thomas failed to do that.
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This isn’t the first time that Rubio has blocked a Florida judicial nominee for less than convincing reasons. Rubio similarly changed his mind about Florida nominee Brian Davis – who is also African-American – at the behest of Sen. Chuck Grassley. Under pressure from local activists, Rubio eventually changed his mind again and allowed Davis’ nomination to go forward.
As Hayes said, it seems like the most likely explanation is that Judge Thomas was merely an “innocent bystander” in Rubio’s desperate race to win back the right-wing support he lost during his short-lived advocacy for immigration reform – an effort that so far isn’t panning out so well. | 1,268,076 |
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WASHINGTON — The number of undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border last month was the highest total for February in 12 years, according to statistics released by Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday.
In 28 days, and in the same month President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in order to build a border wall, 76,103 immigrants without the needed documentation to enter the U.S. either presented themselves at legal ports of entry or were apprehended by Border Patrol between ports of entry.
It is the highest total for February since 2007, DHS officials said at a press conference Tuesday. It is also the highest single month total since Trump was elected in November 2016. Crossings hit 66,842 in October 2016, just before Trump's election.
Still, February did not set an overall record for border traffic. Before 2008, monthly border crossings were consistently over 100,000, and were higher than 200,000 per month in 2000.
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Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan attributed the rise to human smugglers knowing how to exploit loopholes in the American immigration system.
However, previous spikes in border traffic have often preceded crackdowns, such as the uptick that started just before Trump, who had campaigned on getting tough on immigration, was elected and continued till he was inaugurated. The announcement of a government spending deal to build a border wall on Feb. 15 may have precipitated a similar rush, as numbers had been steadily declining over December and January.
The proportion of immigrants crossing illegally by going between ports of entry, rather than presenting themselves at legal ports of entry, also increased in February, making up 87 percent of all undocumented immigrants stopped by CBP.
NBC News previously reported that more immigrants were growing frustrated with long lines to cross the border at legal entry points.
Children traveling unaccompanied as well as families with children made up 65 percent of the crossings in February, up from 61 in January, which CBP officials told reporters is a result of smugglers knowing that children have an easier chance getting through the U.S. immigration system.
The majority of children and families are turning themselves over to U.S. authorities to claim asylum. McAleenan said there was a 120 percent increase in immigrants claiming asylum between fiscal year 2017 and 2018. And so far in fiscal year 2019, which began Oct. 1, there has been a 90 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Border processing facilities were not equipped for children or medical needs of such a vulnerable population, McAleenan said. CBP will add a center in El Paso, Texas, to process families and children.
But, he said, it is only a temporary solution until Congress changes immigration laws.
"The system is well beyond capacity and remains at the breaking point," McAleenan said. | 1,268,077 |
for what he interpreted as disrespect, but this time he had a new accusation to level at his opponent.
"He badmouthed my coach today, here at the open workout," Jackson told reporters. "That's not right. The kid has no respect for nobody. He needs to be humbled."
The coach in question was British boxing coach Mark Kinney, a stout veteran of the fight game who told MMA Fighting that Jones was "just trying to wind me up."
"He said something to me and then I said something back to him," said Kinney, who declined to reveal exactly what was said, but painted Jones as the instigator. "I'm not going to lose sleep over it," he added.
In Jackson's mind, it was just the latest example of disrespectful behavior from Jones, who had long since disappeared from the MusclePharm gym by the time Jackson made the accusation to reporters.
"It's very disrespectful what he did to my coach," Jackson said. "You don't come up to your opponent's coach and talk crap. For the honor and respect of this sport, you don't do that. Jon Jones says I fight for money, and this and that and he fights for fun and honor and stuff like that. But he's not showing the [signs] of a fighter who fights for honor. Yes, I fight for money, because this is the career I chose. But at the same time I have a lot of honor and respect for this sport and other fighters."
But Kinney, the man who was supposedly disrespected, brushed off the incident as a fairly tame run-in. Maybe Jones was feeling just a little too confident in the days leading up to the fight, he suggested, but the champ could be in for a surprise.
After Saturday night, Kinney said, no one will be asking about what Jones said to him or whether he really had a spy in Jackson's camp. "They're going to be asking about his concussion. They're going to be asking whether he'll be in hospital for two weeks or four."
Both Kinney and Jackson continued to insist that Jones had someone on the inside of the challenger's training camp feeding him information, but neither would say who it was. Jackson said he eventually found out the identity of the so-called spy, and his manager took action against him.
"Let's just say he's hurting financially right now," Jackson said. "But we did find the spy, and as I suspected he wasn't a fighter."
And while most people are counting Jackson out against the taller, lankier Jones, Kinney hinted that the team has a plan for getting inside the champion's longer reach and doing damage in close. Of course, he wasn't eager to divulge that information with the fight still two days away.
"But he'll get inside," Kinney said. "Trust me."
| 1,268,078 |
The test fails because not all MDB invocations pass successfully. The expected number of calls is 1000 and on my local machine I see around 950 invocations. So where do these calls get lost? If you analyze the output of the test you see exceptions like this:
javax.resource.spi.UnavailableException: Only 10 instances can be created at org.apache.openejb.core.mdb.MdbInstanceFactory.createInstance(MdbInstanceFactory.java:117) at org.apache.openejb.core.mdb.EndpointHandler.<init>(EndpointHandler.java:78) at org.apache.openejb.core.mdb.EndpointFactory.createEndpoint(EndpointFactory.java:78) at foo.bar.TestResourceAdapter$TestWork.run(TestResourceAdapter.java:110) at org.apache.geronimo.connector.work.WorkerContext.run(WorkerContext.java:366) at org.apache.geronimo.connector.work.pool.NamedRunnable.run(NamedRunnable.java:32) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Apparently someone tries to invoke the MDB even though the maximum number of beans is in use. Obviously the default maximum number of beans is 10.
If you look at the top of the output you will see that the default thread pool size for a resource adapter is 30:
Okt 04, 2014 10:30:35 PM org.apache.openejb.assembler.classic.Assembler createResource INFORMATION: Thread pool size for 'test.rarRA' is (30)
And the Work objects are executed by this thread pool as you can see from the output:
foo.bar.RATest STANDARD_OUT TestWork.run on thread Thread[test.rarRA-worker- - 6,5,main]
So here we have the conflict: 30 threads are firing invocations concurrently at only 10 bean instances. And according to the specification the application server is allowed to refuse the call with an UnavailableException. This default configuration can lead to errors if the resource adapter does not handle these exception by retrying the invocation.
At first thought this does not make any sense and makes you probably think why are these two pool sizes not identical? But it makes sense if you have multiple MDBs that are activated for the same resource adapter: If you have three MDBs that register for the same resource adapter the math works again as long as the calls are distributed equally across the MDBs. | 1,268,079 |
An international team of researchers from Spain and the UK has found that the protein TLR2 (Toll-like receptor 2) — a critical detector of the microbiota found in the intestine — regulates levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter intimately connected to the brain’s regulation of appetite, sleep, and mood.
The study, carried out in cell cultures and verified in mice, provides strong evidence that microbiota can interfere with human physiology by modulating the serotonin transporter activity.
Serotonin transporter is a target for numerous diseases and it seems that microbiota living in our guts is able to interfere with this transporter, controlling our serotonin levels.
The finding, published in the journal PLoS ONE, comes as researchers are working to understand the complicated interactions between the ‘invisible world’ of the microbiota in our bodies and the impact they have on our health and even our moods.
Recently, scientists found evidence that the bacteria in the gut play a role in causing Parkinson’s disease.
It may also help explain how the gut microbiota affects our physiology.
Inflammatory bowel disease is thought to be triggered when TLR2 is not functioning properly, but so far, the mechanisms behind this have not been fully understood. The current study aimed to further this understanding.
“The new finding helped to further understanding in a fast-growing research area,” said study lead author Dr. Eva Latorre, from the University of Exeter Medical School.
“Our paper has concluded that the protein TLR2 alters the availability of serotonin, which is important in a range of conditions from depression to inflammatory bowel disease. It is early days in this research though.”
“We need to understand much more about the relationship between the microbiota in our guts and how they interact, before we can hope to harness effective new treatments.”
Dr. Latorre and co-authors examined human cells in a model of the intestine, looking at how they express proteins and RNA – activities which regulate how they behave.
The researchers found that TLR2 controls serotonin transporter – obtaining the same result in studies on mice.
“This paper opens our minds about the complex universe of this forgotten organ: the microbiome,” said senior author Prof. José E. Mesonero, from the University of Zaragoza.
“We have concluded that TLR2 not only can detect microbiota, but also modulate serotonin transport, one of the crucial mechanism in neurological and inflammatory diseases.”
“Much has to be yet studied, but this work can improve our understanding about the connection between gut and brain thought microbiota.”
_____
E. Latorre et al. 2016. Intestinal Serotonin Transporter Inhibition by Toll-Like Receptor 2 Activation. A Feedback Modulation. PLoS ONE 11 (12): e0169303; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169303 | 1,268,080 |
-- Presidential candidate Ted Cruz has praised Donald Trump for making illegal immigration a central issue of the Republican presidential race, but in an exclusive interview with ABC News, Cruz said that Trump’s immigration plan amounts to amnesty.
"So Donald Trump's position is once you deport them, it's what's called touchback. A lot of establishment Republicans had touchback," Cruz said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. "Basically you make them fly back to their country for a minute, touch the ground, and then they come back with amnesty as citizens. Now, Donald is entitled to do that. He can advance that position, but he doesn't get to pretend that it's not amnesty if he's legalizing 12 million people [who are] here illegally."
Cruz also accused Trump of latching onto the issue of illegal immigration for political gain. Cruz said Trump was notably absent during the battle over the “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill in 2013.
"I would note at that time, right in the middle of the fight, Donald Trump was publicly supporting amnesty. He was supporting Marco Rubio's Dream Act," Cruz said. "He was criticizing Mitt Romney for being too tough on immigration. That's where Donald Trump was in 2013. Now, when he launched his campaign for president, suddenly he discovered illegal immigration was a problem."
As the polls between the two men tighten, the niceties have worn off.
“Donald is getting rattled. I mean, it’s amazing. At every event, instead of actually talking about what he wants to do for the country, he just kind of stands up there and attacks me the whole time,” Cruz said.
This week, Trump called Cruz “nasty” and said “he is going down.” Cruz said he is focused on discussing his policy differences with Trump.
When asked if Trump was qualified to be commander-in-chief, Cruz said, “That's gonna be a determination that the American people are making.”
On the campaign trail, Cruz often said he is running for president to stop what he calls a “Washington Cartel." In the last few days, he’s tried to show how Trump is part of that “cartel.”
"The Washington establishment is abandoning Marco Rubio. I think they've determined that they don't think he can win," Cruz explained. "And they're rushing to Donald Trump. Bob Dole said, 'Donald Trump is someone we can make a deal with. We can cut a deal, we can work with him.'"
Cruz said he believes his campaign’s strength lies in grassroots fundraising, noting that his campaign has raised $50 million from over 700,000 contributions since last March.
“The millions of dollars of attack ads will come, but they're not gonna overcome, I believe, the strength of the grassroots,” Cruz said. | 1,268,081 |
Even Better Than the Real Thing
@RelevantOrgans
A spot-on parody of Chinese state propaganda.
Sample tweet: “We admit we’re no experts at democracy, but we swear we did not program Comrade Huntsman to believe that 3rd place equals winning.”
@Angela_D_Merkel
The exasperated gripes of Europe’s most powerful leader.
“Pleasant lunch with the boys. Bit embarrassing when Monti had to call @Lagarde for permission before tipping the waiter.”
@DrunkenPredator
Ramblings of a dipsomaniacal unmanned aerial vehicle.
“can’t yell at me for violating a strike moratorium if I’m too drunk to ID the Durand Line.. jk jk CAN’T EVEN SPOT THAT DAMN LINE SOBER”
@KermlinRussia
The bizarro-world Dmitry Medvedev (in Russian), profiled last year by Julia Ioffe
“Governors need to have more children so that the country will have more successful young entrepreneurs.”
@ArabicObama
A skeptical view of the 44th U.S. president from the Arab world (in Arabic).
“A wife has the right to beat her husband two times a week, and that’s a final decision.”
@Fake_Kissinger
The dark side of American diplomacy.
“Help: How do I blog this user – @IntleCrimCourt? They won’t stop messaging me, asking me to turn on my location settings.”
@Queen_UK
The gin-soaked alter ego of Elizabeth of Windsor. (There’s even a book tie-in.)
“Camilla pulled out of this today’s reception with the President of Turkey. Says she’ll get enough of turkey at Christmas. Awkward.”
@GingrichIdeas
Out-of-the-box thinking from the former speaker of the House.
“Replace stars on American flag with Starfleet emblems.”
“Go on Morning Joe and distract Joe and Mika with a shiny object so I can talk about moon mining.”
@foreignhina
Pakistan’s glamorous foreign minister Hina Rabbani Kar — with a bit more attitude.
“Okay, so I was wrong. Jim Jones was NOT played by Harrison Ford and he is NOT Jughead’s father. # memogate“
@KimJongNumberUn
North Korea’s new leader — and the world’s number one Eric Clapton fan.
“Does my population make me look fat?” | 1,268,082 |
while the staff navigated the new system. For another two weeks, my department doubled the time allocated for appointments and procedures in order to accommodate our learning curve. This, I discovered, was the real reason the upgrade cost $1.6 billion. The software costs were under a hundred million dollars. The bulk of the expenses came from lost patient revenues and all the tech-support personnel and other people needed during the implementation phase.
In the first five weeks, the I.T. folks logged twenty-seven thousand help-desk tickets—three for every two users. Most were basic how-to questions; a few involved major technical glitches. Printing problems abounded. Many patient medications and instructions hadn’t transferred accurately from our old system. My hospital had to hire hundreds of moonlighting residents and pharmacists to double-check the medication list for every patient while technicians worked to fix the data-transfer problem.
Many of the angriest complaints, however, were due to problems rooted in what Sumit Rana, a senior vice-president at Epic, called “the Revenge of the Ancillaries.” In building a given function—say, an order form for a brain MRI—the design choices were more political than technical: administrative staff and doctors had different views about what should be included. The doctors were used to having all the votes. But Epic had arranged meetings to try to adjudicate these differences. Now the staff had a say (and sometimes the doctors didn’t even show), and they added questions that made their jobs easier but other jobs more time-consuming. Questions that doctors had routinely skipped now stopped them short, with “field required” alerts. A simple request might now involve filling out a detailed form that took away precious minutes of time with patients.
Rana said that these growing pains were predictable. The Epic people always build in a period for “optimization”—reconfiguring various functions according to feedback from users. “The first week,” he told me, “people say, ‘How am I going to get through this?’ At a year, they say, ‘I wish you could do this and that.’ ”
I saw what he meant. After six months, I’d become fairly proficient with the new software. I’d bring my laptop with me to each appointment, open but at my side. “How can I help?” I’d ask a patient. My laptop was available for checking information and tapping in occasional notes; after the consultation, I completed my office report. Some things were slower than they were with our old system, and some things had improved. From my computer, I could now remotely check the vital signs of my patients recovering from surgery in the hospital. With two clicks, I could look up patient results from outside institutions that use Epic, as many now do. For the most part, my clinical routine did not change very much. | 1,268,083 |
? Why is he denying himself the extra hour of sleep and endless snoozes on the alarm?” They think, “What is this a priority for him? What’s driving him to punish himself like this?” When your family starts asking these questions, they’re peering into that fitness genotype that is expressed with the dadly phenotype.
As they get a glimpse into your priorities of health, your children are in receiving mode and need to be enabled. At this point, Men of Dadliness, talk about the importance of health and what it truly means to take care of yourself. A bad-ass doctor down-range told me something that is the basis of many of my health views. He said, “We teach our children about the importance of seat belts in the car, but kill them with candy bars and processed food.” What do you think of that? Bad dietary habits contribute one fifth of the deaths in the world, which makes me rethink the slogan, “click it or ticket.” There should be corny PSA posters emblazoned with “consume it and exhume it.” …too much?
For you “Fur” dad’s out there.
When the concept of living a healthy lifestyle clicks, the real dadliness takes the stage. Once they understand why health is a priority and internalize its importance, they need to be ushered into their own pursuit of health. Some pick it up like naturals. For some, it’s the beginning of an odyssey to find what works for them. And you can help them along that journey.
But, as a fucking dadly dad, you can rest assured that you have instilled the importance of fitness and health into your children. You can breathe a sigh of relief that your children will not be statistics and take full ownership of their health. Having true ownership of one’s health and recognizing it’s importance as it applies to this world of processed food and lies is the way forward. No matter what kind of father you are, you have the power to equip your children with the proper tools to grow healthy.
I understand this post isn’t as comedic and lacks puns and idioms compared to others. Unfortunately, along with resilience, neglecting health has far reaching implications; second, third, and fourth order effects. The book I’m writing entitled The Art of Dadliness shows just how grave the obesity epidemic and unhealthy lifestyles really are. Its negatively affecting our mental health and relationships…it even goes as far as obstructing national security. I hate to say it but it’s true.
I appreciate everyone reading. This post was a little more sobering and straight forward than the others. The jokes with return next time.
-Nik
P.S. As always, I appreciate comments in any form! Also, SUBSCRIBE!
| 1,268,084 |
Piggybacking off my previous article, I’ve decided to take a look at Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond. This is a budget bourbon that performs well above its price point and is a fantastic example of what a value whiskey should be.
First off, what makes a bourbon Bottled-In-Bond? Essentially it means that the whiskey is produced under a strict set of government standards, originally established to ensure a safe product was being produced. The bourbon must be at least 4 years of age, aged in a federally bonded warehouse under government supervision, bottled at 100 proof and be produced at a single distillery within a single distillation season. Only when these conditions have been met can a whiskey be labeled as Bottled-In-Bond.
I’ve read a lot about bourbon in general and what constitutes a quality product. While tastes are definitely subjective, typically you want a bourbon that has a bit of age to it so the barrel can impart some of its natural flavors (lactones for those interested), is above 80 proof (the bare minimum to be considered whiskey) so that it doesn’t taste too “watered down”, has classic bourbon flavors like vanilla, caramel, oak, and brown sugar, and it’s moderately priced. Evan Williams BIB checks all of these boxes. In almost any “Top 10 Budget Bourbons” list you will find this bourbon make the cut and for good reason.
While it’s not the best bourbon I’ve ever had, or the most remarkable, or even all that memorable, it’s a solid bourbon for the price (a whopping $15) and one that I like to keep on hand either for an Old Fashioned or just sipping neat. The nose is very sweet, with hints of vanilla, brown sugar and caramel. There’s a bit of oak hiding in there somewhere, but it’s not easily found. The taste is very much so a continuation of the nose. Sweetness abounds with vanilla, brown sugar and caramel leading the charge while just a sliver of oak brings up the rear along with a bit of peppery spice. The finish is warm, but short, leaving my mouth dry and asking for another sip.
Even though Evan Williams BIB is not a remarkable pour, it still manages to check all the boxes of what a good value bourbon should be. For $15 a bottle, I’d suggest anyone that just wants a solid 100 proof classic bourbon on their shelf to just snag a bottle the next time you’re at your favorite liquor store. It’s readily available in just about every liquor store for now…(I’m looking at you Heaven Hill 6 year BIB) and is a worthy bottle for any bourbon drinker.
What do you think about Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond? Do you keep a bottle on your shelf? Leave a comment below. | 1,268,085 |
Highsnobiety’s dedicated #hskicks community is always guaranteed to provide the goods, and it is this knowledge that keeps us seeking out the most creative sneaker shots from across Instagram, week after week. Be it a look at yesterday’s must-cop iteration, last season’s well-loved mainstay, or a pristine grail from years gone by, there’s something for everyone in the post below.
This week, our #hskicks community showed love for one of the sneaker community’s most vital components: collaborations. The atmos x Nike Air Max 1 lead the charge in dizzying animal print, with perhaps the greatest footwear link up "of all time" following up; adidas and Kanye West’s partnership, seen here in the form of the coveted YEEZY Boost 350 V2 “Zebra”. Travis Scott made his mark with the Nike Air Jordan 6 “Cactus Jack”, with the BSMNT x Nike's Air Max 90 “Manchester” and a classic KITH x Converse Chuck Taylor showing out in equal measure.
And last, but certainly not least, adidas kept it fresh with a crisp white iteration of its ZX Torsion, and Nike upgraded to a silky Air Force 1. One user even paid tribute to one of the more slept-on Air Max models out there, the Tailwind 4. To get involved yourself, all you have to do is use the #hskicks hashtag on your own Instagram sneaker shots, along with the city you’re in, and of course, the best shot of your chosen pair.
So, without further ado, here are 10 of this week’s best Instagram sneaker photos, including a closer look at our feature silhouette, the atmos x Nike Air Max 1 “Animal Pack 2.0.”
Nike Air Force 1
Ronnie Fieg x ASICS Gel Lyte 5
The BSMNT x Nike Air Max 90
Ronnie Fieg x ASICS GEL-Lyte 3
Travis Scott x Nike Air Jordan 6
Nike Air Max Tailwind 4
KITH x Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star 70s Hi
adidas YEEZY Boost 350 V2
adidas ZX Torsion
atmos x Nike Air Max 1
To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, follow @Highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, check our sneaker release date calendar, and subscribe to our sneaker chatbot on Facebook to receive lightning quick updates to your inbox.
Editor’s note: By using the #hskicks hashtag or by tagging @highsnobiety in your Instagram images, you hereby remove all copyright restrictions and agree to have your photos posted on www.highsnobiety.com and any relevant social channels. | 1,268,086 |
information from the primary card, while the primary card is always either rendering or reading in a frame from the secondary card.
3840x2160
Now we’ll kick things up a notch by increasing the resolution to 3840x2160.
Despite the fact that this was just a resolution increase, the performance landscape has shifted by more than we would expect here. The top configuration is still the mixed GPU configuration, with the R9 Fury X + GTX 980 Ti setup taking the top spot. However the inverse configuration of the GTX 980 Ti + R9 Fury X isn’t neck-and-neck this time, rather it’s some 15% slower. Meanwhile the pokey-at-2560 dual NVIDIA setup is now in second place by a hair, trailing the mixed GPU setup by 10%. Following that at just 0.1fps lower is the dual AMD setup with 46.7fps.
These tests are run multiple times and we can consistently get these results, so we are not looking at a fluke. At 3840x2160 the fastest setup by a respectable 10.5% margin is the R9 Fury X + GTX 980 Ti setup, which for an experimental implementation of DX12 unlinked explicit multi-adapter is quite astonishing. “Why not both” may be more than just a meme here…
From a technical perspective the fact that there’s now a wider divergence between the mixed GPU setups is unexpected, but not necessarily irrational. If the R9 Fury X is better at reading shared resources than the GTX 980 Ti – be it due to hardware differences, driver differences, or both – then that would explain what we’re seeing. Though at the same time we can’t rule out the fact that this is an early tech demo of this functionality.
As you’d expect from those raw numbers, the best perf gains are with the R9 Fury X + GTX 980 Ti, which picks up 66% over the single-GPU setups. After that the dual AMD GPU setup picks up 50%, the dual NVIDA setup a more respectable 46%, and finally the mixed GTX 980 Ti + R9 Fury X setup tops out with a 40% performance gain.
Finally, taking a quick look of GPU frametimes as reported by Ashes internal performance counters, we can see that across all of the mutli-GPU setups there’s a bit of a consistent variance going on. Overall there’s at least a few milliseconds difference between the alternating frames, with the dual NVIDIA setup faring the best while the dual AMD setup fares the worst. Otherwise the performance leader, the R9 Fury X + GTX 980 Ti, only averages a bit more variance than the dual NVIDIA setup. At least in this one instance, there’s some evidence to suggest that NVIDIA secondary cards have a harder time supplying frame data to the primary card (regardless of its make), while NVIDIA and AMD primary cards are similar in read performance. | 1,268,087 |
they think. After you had a very good period with NiP, that was the first half of 2016, then came the part where people started figuring you out a bit. Can you tell me about that, how did you approach that problem and the team as well? I think it was mostly my fault at that time, because in the beginning, I had my own coaching computer, so I had the opportunity to constantly watch the overview of the map. That changed in the beginning of the summer, I had to stand behind them. I thought that it wouldn't matter that much, but it was way more difficult, at least in the way I liked to do my in-game leading. So I think they should have changed me earlier, and Xizt to become the in-game leader. I think that was my fault, I should have recognized the problem earlier. I think that really hurt us that summer, especially last ESL One Cologne.
After that, I think, came the period when you were away again, you weren't traveling to that many events. Tell me about that, how did working with the team change at that time? At the end of last summer, obviously we had some bad results and at the same time Valve made the coach ruling. So I was thinking to myself, OK, I have basically one year left of school, but if I want to finish it in one year, I have to put a lot of effort in. With that, combined with the coaching role, I thought: "OK, I'm going to go all in on school now". So I talked with the owners of NiP and we discussed it and they came up with an idea that I should have a more passive role. That's what I did until just a few weeks ago. What was your role, or did you have a role, in the roster changes that NiP did? First, it was pyth being removed and draken coming in, and then REZ? Of course, I come with input, who we should change, who we should take in. Because in some sense I'm responsible for the results of the team as a coach. So, yeah, my opinion matters when it comes to the changes. We have some other teams were coaches have the ultimate say, or at least they present it that way, they make the roster, bench people... That is not your role in NiP? And do you think that that is the ideal way to take it? I think that it would be ideal, but it's also as in professional sports when you are doing player transfers, you have to find a player, be able to transfer him, maybe you swap players, maybe you have to buy him. There is a lot of that stuff going on, where coaches obviously don't have any power. But as I said, when it actually comes to who we should look into, I have that power and I think coaches should have that power.
Not having a coaching PC at some events hindered THREAT's in-game leading | 1,268,088 |
native yeast were used for in barrel fermentation. Landmark Vineyards recommends paring this Chardonnay with grilled salmon, roasted poultry dishes, seared pork tenderloin or quinoa salad. By these recommendations, we knew we had to go with a light meal. We chose to pair it with a honey mustard stuffed chicken recipe that I found online. I replaced the ham with prosciutto. The pairing was divine. The honey nutty notes of the chicken paired well with profile of the wine. It was like they were soul mates, just waiting to find each other.
The Love Expands
After two years in the monogamous relationship with Chardonnay, Landmark Vineyards decided it was time to move on to the next step. In 1995 Grand Detour Pinot Noir was released. The addition to the family did not hinder the original love, in fact it allowed it to blossom. In 1997, Overlook Chardonnay was recognized as one of the top 100 wines by Wine Spectator [this will happen five more times.] As the coveted Chardonnay continued to shine, it was time to introduce the new child. In 2014, winemaker Greg Stach, following his winemaking philosophy of “great wine begins in the vineyard,” Landmark releases its first Overlook Pinot Noir.
2013 Overlook Pinot Noir
The wine poured ruby in color. On the nose aromas of bing cherry and strawberry along with a hint of cola. On the palate were flavors of cherry, red currant, tar and smoke. It was a lighter bodied Pinot with a medium finish. The wine was blended from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma(64%), Monterey(27%) and San Benito(9%) counties. The fruit is hand harvested and hand sorted and then fermented in small, single vineyard lots with daily punch downs. After fermentation is completed the wine sees 10 months in 33% New French Oak barrels. Throughout the aging process, Greg Stach continuously samples each barrel taking notes to come to the final blend to create this wine. Their website recommends a paring with roasted pork, duck a l’orange, eggplant parmesan, grilled summer vegetables and aged cow’s milk cheese. We decided to think outside the box and we paired it with a hummus pizza I found on allrecipes.com (I used wheat pizza dough). It was a great alternative pairing. The nuttiness within the hummus brought out more of the red currrant. The lightness of the meal and the lightness of the Pinot worked together without one overpowering the other. Home is Where the Heart Is Although the winery itself is located in Kenwood, CA in Sonoma County. Landmark Vineyards source their fruit from three counties. The bulk of the vineyard sites (7) are located in Sonoma, two additional vineyards sites are in Santa Barbara and one in Monterey.
Pin 28 Shares | 1,268,089 |
Mark Zuckerberg reportedly hired the chief strategist for Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign, and he still wants you to believe he isn’t running for office.
A personal challenge to meet ordinary people in every U.S. state sparked speculation that the Facebook CEO was in the early stages of a presidential campaign. The rumors mounted, forcing Zuck to write a post where he explicitly denied any intention of pursuing a career in politics, “Some of you have asked if this challenge means I’m running for public office. I’m not.”
But news from Politico—that Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, reportedly hired Democratic pollster Joel Benenson, a former adviser to Barack Obama—has ignited a new wave of rumors.
It’s no wonder people think Zuckerberg will make a run at Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The business magnate posts pictures of his travels around rural America, where he tries to fit in with locals in what look like scenes from Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs. He recently posted about his travel to the all-important swing state Iowa, where he ate with truck drivers at a local diner.
In Iowa, I stopped by one of the major truck stops. It's like a small city where truckers on long trips can take a… Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, June 23, 2017
If that doesn’t scream Americana, I don’t know what does. Zuck also visited a Ford assembly plant in Detroit and took a trip to Ohio, all while taking pictures that look fit for a candidate’s website (probably because Zuck’s photographer was once assigned to the White House).
It isn’t just the listening tour that has people readying the “Zuck for Prez” buttons. Zuckerberg announced last year that he is no longer atheist, and passed a proposal letting him keep voting control of his company if he were to serve in public office. He also hired David Plouffe, President Obama’s former campaign chair, to help his charity, and will turn 35—the minimum required age to run for president—in 2019.
But there are other, less presidential explanations for Zuck’s latest hire.
According to Politico, Benenson’s company, Benenson Strategy Group, will conduct research for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the couple’s philanthropic investment company.
“As a philanthropic organization focused on a number of substantive issues including science, education, housing, and criminal justice reform, any research efforts we undertake is to support that work,” a spokeswoman for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative told Politico.
Zuck and Chan give away 99 percent of their Facebook shares, approximately $45 billion, to the charity. The Benenson Strategy Group already works with many other non-profit groups, including AARP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. | 1,268,090 |
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inXile Entertainment, the studio behind The Bard’s Tale franchise including VR dungeon crawler The Mage’s Tale (2017), today announced they’ve raised a combined investment of $4.5M intended for equity in the company and as funds to develop an unannounced open world survival RPG VR game.
Investment comes from Japanese firm gumi VR Inc., a subsidiary of video game publisher and developer gumi Inc. In addition to the investment, gumi Inc. CEO Hironao Kunimitsu also joins inXile Entertainment’s board.
gumi Inc. first expanded into VR and AR in early 2016 with the launch of Tokyo VR Startups (TVS), an incubation program focused on the Japanese VR market. The company later expanded their investment strategy to encompass US-based companies doing AR/VR with The Venture Reality Fund.
“Gumi shares my passion for creating deeper virtual reality games and I’m fortunate to have a partner to work with in this spectacular new medium. We’ve had incredible feedback from our first game, The Mage’s Tale, and we want to continue to build on our experience and reputation. I’ve always been fascinated by the social dynamics of the open world survival genre and experiencing that in virtual reality will create powerful and terrifying moments. We’ll also be bringing our storytelling and RPG experience to the table to help enrich the genre,” said Brian Fargo, CEO of inXile Entertainment.
inXile is still playing it pretty close to the vest on their upcoming VR RPG, however they have said it will launch “on all platforms.”
“Since breaking into VR, we believe they’ve already delivered the best VR RPG game to date with The Mage’s Tale. We’re honored to become a strategic investor and partner with inXile, and delighted for the opportunity to work together on the next VR title with such a masterfully skilled team,” said Kunimitsu.
Following a successful Kickstarter to bring The Bard’s Tale IV to life, inXile has been busy developing several games including The Bard’s Tale IV, The Mage’s Tale and Wasteland 3. Before inXile, CEO Brian Fargo co-founded Interplay, known as the creator of the original Fallout series and as a publisher for the Baldur’s Gate and Descent series.
In The Mage’s Tale, you get to experience classic dungeon crawler staples like exploration, spell crafting, puzzles, and monster battles—and all of it in the immersive realm of VR using your own two hands with the help of Oculus Touch. In our review of The Mage’s Tale, we got a chance to step into a cohesive universe, that while a little rough around the edges, ultimately was a wonderful mix of charming throwback and modern, built-for-VR immersion. | 1,268,091 |
Dharmendra Dohar, a man from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, said he was paid Rs 5,000 for getting converted.
Highlights The man had alleged he was paid Rs 5000 for getting converted
Following his complaint, 30 Christians and 2 priests were detained
A case has been filed against a priest and 5 others
The carolers -- around 30 of them -- were picked up and questioned by the police.
Dharmendra Dohar, the man who alleged that he had been illegally converted by a group of Christians, has told reporters that he has been a member of the right wing group, the Bajrang Dal, for a year. The man -- who complained to the police that he was illegally converted and paid Rs. 5,000 for it - was, however, unwilling to confirm that claim before television cameras.Asked if he has really changed his religion, Dharmendra Dohar told reporters, "I can't speak on this... If I do, I will get embroiled in the issue... it will be said that I'm changing my statement". The "group", he said, doesn't want "such people (Christians) to come in here".Asked who he was afraid of, the Bajrang Dal or the police, he said, "I'm concerned about my family. It is because of me they got in trouble... we were told not to allow these people (Christians) to come into our homes and mingle with us".Dharmendra Dohar's complaint had brought to the police to a village in Satna on Thursday, where a pre-Christmas programme had been organized by the local seminarians. Five men, one of them a priest, had been arrested."The Fathers and Brothers had gone for the programme, when a group of Bajrang Dal people had turned up and accused us of carrying out conversions and then the police came... After being taken to the police station, they were beaten up by another group of Bajrang Dal members," said Fr Robin.When other priests went to meet the Churchmen, they were beaten up as well, he said. Many of the men sustained injuries and started bleeding. "They even set fire to one of our cars," he said.The Bajrang Dal's accusations of conversions, he said, were entirely false.Both police and the Bajranj Dal have denied allegations of assault. "They are converting people for long... We reached there with the police (but) we have not raised our hands," said Yatindra Pathak, the group's district convenor.No case has been filed on the assault.
The police detained 30 Christians and two priests and six of them, including a priest, George M, were arrested. They were released on bail later and a case was filed against them.Rajesh Hingankar, a senior police officer, said, " 18-year-old Vikas Shukla was arrested on Saturday for allegedly torching the car". | 1,268,092 |
After coming off what was arguably his best practice in Eagles training camp so far, Sam Bradford had some very positive news to share about the status of his recovered knee. When Bradford was asked how he felt relative to where he expected to be, he responded with the following.
"You know, I think I feel better than what I was expecting," Bradford said. "I really thought my knee would hold up but I wasn’t sure. I hadn’t put it through four days of practice before coming into camp. But the way my knee feels right now feels great so I’m really happy with where I’m at right now."
Perhaps more important than how Bradford has been throwing the ball is that he's been able to do it without any limitations. The quarterback has been a full participant in each of Philadelphia's first four training sessions and there doesn't seem to be any plan to pull him back. Earlier this week, Chip Kelly said he expects Bradford to start in the Eagles' first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Aug. 16.
While getting (and staying) healthy is important, the next step is for Bradford to prove he can play at a high level. There were obviously times in St. Louis where Bradford struggled even when he was at full health. As we've reviewed, some of those issues were due to a lack of talent around him. Bradford constantly had to deal with drops from wide receivers, a run game that wasn't overly threatening, and a lackluster offensive line. In Philadelphia, Bradford feels confident he has the best chance he's ever had to succeed.
"I think from top to bottom this is probably the deepest team I’ve ever been on," Bradford admitted. "You look at what we’ve got outside, what we’ve got at the tight end position, what we’ve got in the running back room … I mean, it’s three, four or five deep at each position. I think that just plays into our advantage. Especially at the tempo we play in and as many plays as we run because we can sub guys in and we don’t miss a beat. The defense has to keep their guys on the field and they get tired, and that’s when our tempo really plays to our advantage in the third and fourth quarter."
The Eagles traded for Bradford thinking they can make the most out of the former No. 1 overall pick by surrounding him with more weapons than he's ever had. It also doesn't hurt that the offense is being orchestrated by one of the best offensive mind in the league in Kelly.
The best quarterbacks in the NFL tend to elevate the rest of their team. Bradford hasn't really been able to do that to this point in his career. Instead, the Eagles are hoping they can elevate his performance by pairing him with a strong running game and dynamic, young pass catching talent. Only time will tell if Bradford's assessment about his surrounding talent makes a difference for him. | 1,268,093 |
the ability to shoot flames out of the sides. And the best part? "There’s no CG in there at all." The interior is fully built with just about everything a teenage boy would want to bring with him on a road trip.
Hologram
Description: Donatello is always tinkering with new tech and coming up with the coolest accessories to enhance the Turtles’ missions. This time around, he took a note from Minority Report, Iron Man and Star Wars in having a massive interactive hologram that spreads out in front of him. Thought actor Jeremy Howard (Donatello) wouldn’t go into detail, he can’t lie: "It’s pretty cool."
The Lair
Description: In the first movie, Shredder came in with his army of foot-clan soldiers and blew apart the Turtles’ secret hideout. That means it’s time to relocate. As Alan Ritchson (Raphael) described their new digs, it’s more analogous to the film. "I think it’s truer to sort of what I remember as a kid, for what that’s worth, but everything as a kid seems bigger and larger than life. The scope of this, as is the Turtle Van, is exponentially bigger and more interactive than before, as is the movie itself." But if you want more of a teaser, Howard said there’s a "100-foot waterslide."
Things to Watch Out For
The Opening Scene: "The first act is essentially a giant amazing action sequence," said Ritchson. "The film starts out super explosive and it just doesn’t let up."
Easter Eggs: Director Dave Green wanted to make a love letter to the Turtles, and that involves lots and lots of Easter eggs. "There are a couple of good, fun, deep canon Easter eggs," said screenwriter Andre Nemac. "There are things that, if you are paying attention, there will be a name here or there, there will be a number on something that means something to super fans." The biggest one that you already know about is the appearance of Judith Hoag, who played April O’Neil in the previous live-action films. "It was so fun to shoot the scene with the two Aprils when they work together, and there’s a great Easter egg in that scene."
Road Trip: The Turtles are leaving the country… but they’ll be back home in time for dinner. As it turns out, it’s not really a road trip, because these guys are traveling to Brazil for a hot minute.
Water Scene: "Something we do in this movie that’s never been done with the Turtles is that they go in the water," said Form. "As we know, Manhattan is surrounded by water and there’s a lot of water, so we’ve taken advantage of that." | 1,268,094 |
Though not as generous as they once were, donations are still rolling in for the Mother Canada statue more than a year after Ottawa pulled its support for the $25-million project in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
The eight-storey statue of a grieving mother with her arms outstretched toward Europe is the brainchild of Tony Trigiani, a Toronto businessman who continues to fight for the controversial, privately funded project at Green Cove.
His organization, the Never Forgotten Memorial Foundation, received $208,000 in tax-receipted charitable donations last year, according to information filed with the Canada Revenue Agency. That's down from $485,000 in 2015 and $865,000 in 2014.
When asked why the foundation continues to accept donations for the monument, Trigiani told CBC in an email that "funds received in 2016 have been used to pay for considerable expenses for the site of Green Cove."
Still paying for expenses from 2015
He said most of the expenses were incurred in 2015, a year before Parks Canada withdrew its support for the project. They include a detailed environmental impact assessment, said Trigiani.
In addition to the tax-receipted donations in 2016, Trigiani's foundation received about $30,000 from other charities and $118,000 in gifts.
Its expenditures in 2016 were $125,000 of which $50,000 was for professional and consulting fees.
Green Cove, Cape Breton was the proposed location for a 24-metre-high Mother Canada statue. (Joan Weeks/CBC)
Foundation still focused on Green Cove
Parks Canada initially entered into a memorandum of understanding with the foundation, which was expected to pay for the statue's construction and maintenance, but announced in February 2016 it no longer supported the project.
It cited a number of outstanding issues including a final design and an agreement on the structuring of the funding for construction and maintenance.
A news release issued at the time by the agency stated in no uncertain terms "the project will not be moving forward on Parks Canada land."
But Trigiani told CBC "at no time has the [Never Forgotten Memorial Foundation] given up on the Green Cove site or even more importantly, has it, or will it, ever consider alternative sites."
'Considerable' time, money already spent
On its website, the foundation posted a disclaimer saying Parks Canada is no longer a partner in the project but it does not mention the agency has refused permission to build on its land.
It says the foundation is a registered charity that continues to accept donations, though it is "not actively engaged in fundraising."
Trigiani said the foundation fulfilled its obligations "as stated in the [memorandum of understanding] with Parks Canada at considerable time and cost."
If a new site were chosen, "all work done and money spent to date would go out [with] the wind," he said. | 1,268,095 |
GameStop unveil their esports ambitions
GameStop are well known as being a global leader in the video gaming retail market. But the Texas-based brand have recently made moves to enter the hugely profitable world of esports. This is because the retailer have recently announced partnerships with top-level esports teams like Complexity Gaming, Envy Gaming and OpTic Gaming, plus they hope to encourage a new generation of amateur gamers to enter the fray.
All of this movement will be focused in the state of Texas, and GameStop have gained the naming rights to Complexity Gaming’s brand new training facility in Dallas. This will be a 11,000 square-foot facility that will be shared with Dallas Cowboys – the American football team owned by Jerry Jones who also has a large stake in Complexity Gaming.
The GameStop Performance Center will offer Complexity Gaming’s pro esports stars the chance to boost their performance through some seriously high-tech training facilities. These include enhanced gaming equipment, advanced data analytics and a special video studio. By allowing Complexity Gaming to share facilities with the Dallas Cowboys, it’s hoped that this move will form a handy bridge between esports and the traditional sporting realm.
But the new training facility will also include many services that are designed to encourage amateur gamers to get involved. These include special gaming clinics where amateurs will get to learn some of the tricks and techniques from some of the best gamers in the business. As Complexity Gaming are one of the longest-running esports organisations in North America, and have won well over 140 championships in their history, this project should hold plenty of fascination for many gaming fans when it opens later this summer.
GameStop have also announced the fact that they will be getting involved in a multiyear sponsorship deal with Envy Gaming. This esports organisation was started up as a Call of Duty gaming team back in 2007, but have since blossomed to incorporate the highly ranked Overwatch League team, Dallas Fuel.
In addition to this, GameStop have struck a deal with Infinite Esports which means that GameStop will get access to the OpTic Gaming franchise, alongside the popular Overwatch team, the Houston Outlaws. These moves will help to take Texas’ esports ambitions to the next level, and by teaming up with the tournament organiser, Matherino, it’s hoped that amateur gamers can join in the action.
But it doesn’t stop there, as GameStop will be hosting special viewing parties for Overwatch and will even be running special events through the Collegiate Star League. This will see the GameStop brand name being featured extensively at large student-led esports tournaments such as the 2019 and 2020 CSL Grand Finals.
GameStop had previously made tentative steps in the esports realm by organising special meet-and-greet events for Overwatch League teams such as Philadelphia Fusion. But through their recent high-level activities that look to make Texas a new hotbed for esports, it seems that GameStop are taking things up a level. | 1,268,096 |
in Waterford, southeast Ireland. Only a few years ago in his native village of Rathangan, Lucas was feeling suicidal, self-harming and refusing to drink water for fear it might force him to use a school toilet.
“I avoided it at all costs,” he said. “I’d go in the morning and not again until I got home.”
“Going into the girls’ was never comfortable for me, even though it’s cleaner and smells better,” he said. “I felt like I should be in the boys’ bathroom but it was extremely intimidating. I wasn’t ready for any transphobic remarks. It was easier to avoid the bathroom completely than to confront the question.”
His mother says it took years for her to come to grips with her child’s true identity — and, in the summer before Lucas’ senior year, warned teachers and the principal to be ready for change. Lucas’ final year of high school became by far his happiest as staff and classmates accepted him as a boy.
“The school were very good about it. They were only concerned that I wasn’t using either loo,” he said. “They made sure I knew that it was completely fine to use the bathroom I wanted and if there was an issue, they definitely had my back.”
Today, the son helps his mother guide schools, transgender children and their families toward happy compromises like his own. He facilitates monthly “Transformers” fellowships for people aged 14 to 19, while in another room, she counsels their parents and school officials.
New Department of Education-approved guidelines recommend adopting unisex school uniforms and sports activities, respectful and consistent use of the student’s new name, and appointment of a teacher trained in answering students’ questions about transsexual issues — in part so that the school’s lone trans student doesn’t face all that pressure alone to explain.
Catherine Cross says about 10 percent of schools she advises still seek to force transgender students to use disabled toilets, refuse to use their new name and stick to calling a transgender girl “he” and vice versa. Problems are most common, she says, in all-boys schools where a lone transgender girl might live teenage years of silent shame rather than risk being recognized.
Ireland’s approach to transgender students may be ahead of American practice, she says, but it’s subject to the whims of local principals.
“The guidelines are not law or mandatory. Irish schools have a lot of autonomy to do what they see fit,” she said. “On the whole they are pretty decent to trans kids. But they don’t have to be.”
© 2017, Associated Press, All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | 1,268,097 |
NAGPUR: Amid government plan to convert ordnance factories into public corporations on the grounds that the current structure keeps it inefficient, the Army is planning to place an order of 3,500 7.62mm MAG guns with the Small Arms Factory (SAF) at Kanpur. There are 41 factories in different parts of the country coming under the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), the governing body, which is based in Kolkata.
This is the biggest ever order for the Kanpur factory. It has raised hopes of workers in times of concern among unions over corporatisation of the OFB. MAG guns are a type of medium machine guns mounted on armoured vehicles. The weapon can fire 650 to 1,000 bullets in a minute and has a range of 1,800 meters.
So far, the factory has not got an order to make more than 500 7.62 MAG guns in a year. Union sources said that currently the Army has just sent a communication of intent to place an order. “A final order has to be placed so that the resources can be mobilized. The order will keep the factory busy for the next five years,” a source said. Orders to the factory have come down considerably after the army stopped indents for INSAS rifles the standard issue weapon for the soldiers. Majority of the orders are for the paramilitary forces.
Senior officials in the OFB are hopeful about a final order as the “Army is keen to get the weapon system”. Sources said the Army had stopped procuring the guns in 2003 but revived it two years later. Now, this major order is on the anvil.
Meanwhile, the government has set up a high-level committee on changing the OFB’s constitution from a government department to public sector undertaking (PSU). The committee’s terms of reference are to work out ways to protect interests of employees due to converting into a PSU.
The committee will also assess the need of budgetary support towards payment of salaries after corporatisation. It will work out ways towards achieving a turnover of Rs30,000 crore and examine viability of certain factories as a PSU.
(BPMS), a RSS affiliated union operating in OFs, has expressed concern over the committee’s terms of reference.
In reaction to the move, BPMS general secretary Mukesh Singh said, “Under the modernization process, government is signing new contracts, but due to financial crunch it is difficult to pay for past contracts. In such a situation, ordnance factories will not be given proper workload. The OFB has to maintain its capacity to provide life long service support for its products.”
He added that the factories suffer from fluctuation in workloads. “Sometimes the demand for a certain product is exceptionally high and then it drops down to zero. This creates a financial bottleneck. With such issues dogging the functioning, no corporation may be able to survive and it will ultimately affect its ability to pay wages.” | 1,268,098 |
.2 minutes per game in the regular season. (As a comparison, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last rookie to average at least 15 minutes a game in the regular season for a defending champion was Mike Penberthy, an undrafted guard who played for the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers. The last rookie to average at least 15 minutes for a defending champ in the playoffs was the Bulls' Toni Kukoc in 1994, per Elias.) He might have secured an even greater role if not for a series of ankle injuries that cost him 17 games in the heart of the season.
"He is a critical piece," Adams says.
When you're a perennial contender like the Warriors, with limited salary-cap room and low draft picks, snaring a prospect with that kind of potential is challenging. Warriors executives were enamored with Bell. In three years at Oregon, he had authored his share of highlight-reel dunks and blocks—even inspiring a Twitter account, Things Bell Could Block—but he made his mark through opportunism, not design, through hustle plays and putbacks. Plus, he could add a dimension to the Warriors' so-called Death Lineup, a small-ball unit that has, for four years now, been a big part of the team's defensive arsenal.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
"We viewed him as someone that helps you win basketball games," Myers says, "which is sometimes overlooked, because we're always grading on potential, upside, things like that."
"Mostly," Myers says, "we couldn't deny his effort out there."
Back in the escape room, progress is measured in small things—the right order to play those mounted musical notes, the word puzzle whose solution depends on the weight of that cucumber.
Bell and the members of Team Treyz are scrambling, frantically rifling through drawers and cabinets. The clock is ticking. In the center of the room, Bell is methodically working through a brainteaser, unperturbed.
"He's not worried about it, like, 'Oh, he won't get it,'" says Carissa West. "Like, he's going to figure it out."
The guide advises that only 17 percent of guests solve the puzzle within the 80-minute window. There are padlocks that need keys, and more gears and various new bits of strangeness. Finally, Bell puts a few final touches in place (we won't give it away here), and the last door swings open.
Team Treyz has escaped, with the clock reading 78:56. Bell's perfect record is intact, albeit barely. It took some creativity and ingenuity, considerable concentration, a little faith and a bit of teamwork.
That wingspan helped, too.
Howard Beck covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and B/R Mag. He also hosts The Full 48 podcast, available on iTunes. Follow him on Twitter, @HowardBeck. | 1,268,099 |
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