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Don’t expect the two-week-old SAG-AFTRA strike against the video game industry to end any time soon. Not unless the companies are willing to compromise on the key strike issue: residuals.
By all accounts, the union and its members, who will picket WB Games today in Burbank, are resolved to hold out for as long as it takes to get a fair deal. They want the industry to finally accept residuals as a key component of compensation — just like the TV industry has since the SAG strike of 1955, and like the film industry has since the actors strike of 1960.
The union has offered a modest proposal — to give the companies the option of paying more up front, or paying “secondary compensation” on the back-end if their games are successful. The companies, however, balked at that idea.
“The SAG-AFTRA proposal has two options for game producers,” the companies say on their website. “The union’s first proposal for an optional ‘contingent fees’ structure is so onerous that no one would elect to use it. The union’s second option is virtually identical in money to the companies’ proposal.”
If the union’s contingent fee option is truly “so onerous” why won’t the companies accept it and then just not use it? The answer is that the companies fear that, like the proverbial camel that got its nose under the tent, once any type of back-end payment is codified into the contract, the union’s demand for full-blown residuals would be sure to follow.
The calendar, as much as anything, prevents the union from backing down. In a few months, it will begin negotiations for a much bigger contract — the SAG-AFTRA film and TV pact, which generates more than $1 billion a year for performers. By contrast, the video game contract, which is the union’s smallest, generates a small fraction of that for actors. Updated figures are hard to come by, but it’s believed to put less than $30 million into the pockets of actors each year. In 2010, the last time SAG made figures available, guild members earned only $2.4 million under the contract. But that was before SAG merged with AFTRA, which had the lion’s share of video game work.
Given the much higher stakes in the upcoming film and TV contract talks, it’s almost inconceivable the union would back down in its showdown with the video game companies. To show weakness now would almost certainly undermine its bargaining position. And those talks aren’t expected to begin until early next year – after the DGA concludes its film and TV contract negotiations, which are scheduled to begin early next month, and after the WGA concludes its deal.
So unless one side blinks soon, the video games strike could drag on for months to come. | 1,269,200 |
Rajkummar Rao -starrer Newton started to receive backlash post its official entry into Oscars 2017. Rajkummar Rao -starrer Newton started to receive backlash post its official entry into Oscars 2017.
While Rajkummar Rao’s Newton has been receiving love from critics and has become the official entry to the Oscars 2017, it has been receiving flak for being a copy of an Iranian film, Secret Ballot. However, while the director has denied the claims, Anurag Kashyap has come in support of the film. The director took to Twitter and showered praises on this Rajkummar starter, calling it a deserving film.
“That day when you wake up to the news that a deserving film makes a deserving box office.. Newton Shines.. super happy. “Newton” is as much a copy of “Secret Ballot” as The Avengers is of Watan Ke Rakhwale. Newton is an award winner from Berlin Fest and I can promise you those curators watch more films in a year than rest of us do in a lifetime,” wrote the director on his official Twitter account.
Earlier in an exclusive interview with indianexpress.com, Newton director Amit Masurkar said, ““It would be best if people watch both films before deciding or writing an article. We hadn’t even heard of Secret Ballot when we were writing the script. Newton is very rooted. If it was a copy, do you think Berlin, Tribeca would have programmed it? The other film has also won international awards. Newton is not a copy of any other film, it isn’t even inspired.”
That day when you wake up to the news that a deserving film makes a deserving box office.. Newton Shines.. super happy.. — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 24, 2017
“Newton” is as much a copy of “Secret Ballot” as The Avengers is of Watan Ke Rakhwale — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 24, 2017
Newton is an award winner from Berlin Fest and I can promise you those curators watch more films in a year than rest of us do in a lifetime. — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 24, 2017
The film, which might have started slow at the box office, has been able to show incredible growth on day two of its release. Newton collected only Rs 96 lakh on its opening day and went on to mint Rs 2.52 crores on day two, making the total of Rs 3.48 crore.
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© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd | 1,269,201 |
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Have you passed by an organic food store on your way home from work and wondered if organic food is healthier for you than other types of food? Well, if you are asking such a question, then you may have been filled with a number of false premises by critics of organic food. That is, there are those that make statements along the lines of “It is all the same” or “You can still lose weight with ‘regular’ food.” Such statements are made by people that truly do not understand the actual value of such foods or the reasons why they can improve the help. Conversely, they may not know the seriously problematic components associated with eating a diet loaded with processed ingredients. And there are most definitely a number of serious problems associated with eating non-organic foods loaded with processed chemicals and foreign substances.
To understand why organic food is healthier than processed items, one needs to understand the basic definition of an organic food item. Basically, this would be a food source that has not been modified or altered from its original, natural state in any way. It is, instead, presented in its most pure form.
Processed elements are added into non-organic food for a number of reasons. Probably the most common reason would be to keep the items on the shelf as long as possible. if they spoiled to quickly, then the product would have to be thrown out which would cost a lot of money to the store. To prevent such a problem, a number of foreign elements can be added to the mix. When you eat such foods, you ingest the foreign elements and they can possess a lot of free radicals. Free radicals do a number of things to the body and the prime thing that they are guilty of is the ‘theft’ of electrons from the body’s molecules. To say this would have an enormously negative impact on the body would be a serious understatement. The loss of the molecules can lay the foundation for cancer later in life.
Various other processed items can cause multitudes of negative health problems. Refined sugar is used to replace natural and organic brown sugar and this leads to huge spikes of glucose in the bloodstream which can lead to diabetes. And, of course, refined sugars can turn to fat quicker than anything else. To list the problems that obesity can cause would require several volumes of text to cover.
Meats and poultry that are not organic can come with all manner or hormones and steroids and antibiotics that will be ingested by the humans that end up eating those items on their dinner plate. From this, all manner of havoc can be wrought on the body. When your diet is one that is made up of purely organic substances, you will discover that these elements are not present and you will not feel the negative effects of their impact. And this is most certainly what you will want.
Simply eating a diet that comprises organic foods eliminates a number of the serious health problems that might be incurred when eating processed food sources. Going organic improves health – that is a fact!
Photo by mralan
Comments | 1,269,202 |
nomadic lifestyle.”
Ultimately, travel and financial problems put too much stress on the marriage.
“This matter offers this court a unique set of circumstances as yet unseen in Hague litigation,” Alvarez wrote. “Should the Hague Convention apply when two parties take their children on an extended vacation from a presumed home base in the United States or where the parties have purposely pursued a lifestyle that promotes ‘location independence?’”
He said the family was continuing its nomadic lifestyle, and, though they had been living in Mexico, had not established residency by settling down in an actual home, getting jobs and enrolling their children in schools and other activities.
“As the parties’ intent was simply to travel and they made the purposeful and very public decision to not only be ‘location dependent’ but to teach others how to do the same, the United States should have jurisdiction over this case.”
He said they never settled in Mexico but their travel plans ended because of money problems, martial strife – and weariness of living in a cramped, unreliable motor home.
He said the husband cannot accept that they cannot afford to continue their travels. His client, however, “is realistic about the parties’ current situation, and she simply returned home after a long vacation,” he said.
“In this case, returning the children to Mexico would produce a bizarre result given the lack of roots placed by the family, and thus the children, in any one location.”
He said the husband falsely claimed to have a residence in Mexico by using his attorney’s address and saying he was retired.
The children had a home in West Michigan, family and a school.
“The same can never be said of Mexico.”
The mother wanted to bring the children to visit their father in Mexico but feared he would have her arrested for kidnapping, Alvarez said. She contacted the U.S. Embassy the day before she had a driver take her and her children across the border to Laredo, Texas, court records showed.
She said she was told by the embassy she could legally return to her home country with her children.
The husband said he had “rights of custody” under Mexican law and said his estranged wife wrongly held the children in Mexico. Alvarez said their habitual residence is in the United States, so they cannot be wrongfully maintained by their mother.
Alvarez declined to comment beyond what’s contained in court filings.
Jonker, the judge, urged both sides to reach an early resolution to the case outside of court.
“The court recognizes the reality that parties are sometimes unable to come to an agreement and if an agreement cannot be reached in this case, the court stands ready to adjudicate the matter. However, while this case presents interesting and compelling facts and issues, all sides should be mindful of the real-world impact that will likely follow from litigating this case." | 1,269,203 |
Snap, crackle, pop. The world is alive with invisible magnetic field lines. Take a length of wire with a current running through it; it generates a magnetic field that curls around the wire, but we can't see it.
Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.
Video artists Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, who work under the moniker Semiconductor, shot footage of empty lab space at UC Berkeley's Space Science Laboratory. Then they brought the inanimate objects to life, painting in the vivacious spaghetti of magnetic field lines coming off the unassuming electronics. The pair, who hail from London, spent four months "researching and experimenting" at the northern California lab, which tackles a smorgasbord of space physics topics, from the search for extra terrestrial intelligence to solar flares. One might say that the scientists were "researching and experimenting," and that the artists were watching. Or one might say that Semiconductor's appropriation of raw satellite data of coronal mass ejections was a form of data processing, and that when they videotaped the lab's scientists trying to answer one very tough question, they were trying to prod the borders of science's domain.I should warn that Semiconductor's magnetic field lines, while certainly beautiful (especially with all the added space-noises!) are not what the field lines of these objects actually look like. (The scene with the wires is the biggest give-away.) But I think the artists skillfully evoke this invisible force, even if they're not portraying it in a way true to nature. Think impressionism rather than realism.
I found the inaccuracy a little disappointing until I found SSL's website for IMPACT, a suite of instruments that collect data about solar wind electrons and the sun's fluctuating magnetic field. IMPACT is part of STEREO, two space craft, one in front of the earth and one behind, that monitor the sun's storms. If you watch the videos on the STEREO site (the introduction is a good one), it seems like Semiconductor were drawing their inspiration from the "hairball" of magnetic field lines on the sun, and the violence of coronal mass ejections, hot balls of plasma the sun fires toward earth on occasion. Another fun resource are these animated models on the IMPACT page, which raises the question again - Who are the artists here and who are the scientists?
Semiconductor's animations are inspired by some really interesting science, but wouldn't it be cool to see what magnetic field lines actually look like? Check out Falstad.com, the Disneyland of physics computer applets, which has a great little widget that allows you to see the magnetic fields and vector lines of some common configurations like a current-carrying wire, a loop of current, or an electromagnet. You can move your wire around, change the strength of the field, or sprinkle the air with tiny current carrying loops and see what happens. Just make sure to read the directions!
| 1,269,204 |
games as they improved by giving them more to remember. At the end of several weeks of training, he reported, he gave the kids the Raven’s again, and they performed significantly better. He then found the same results in young adults without A.D.H.D. The studies were small, but gradually other psychologists entered the field, and, in 2008, the psychologist Susanne Jaeggi reported an even more electric result: working-memory training definitively increased intelligence, with more training bringing larger gains. Her data implied that a person could boost their I.Q. by a full point per hour of training.
Over the last year, however, the idea that working-memory training has broad benefits has crumbled. One group of psychologists, lead by a team at Georgia Tech, set out to replicate the Jaeggi findings, but with more careful controls and seventeen different cognitive-skills tests. Their subjects showed no evidence whatsoever for improvement in intelligence. They also identified a pattern of methodological problems with experiments showing positive results, like poor controls and a reliance on a single measure of cognitive improvement. This failed replication was recently published in one of psychology’s top journals, and another, by a group at Case Western Reserve University, has been published since.
The recent meta-analysis, led by Monica Melby-Lervåg, of the University of Oslo, and also published in a top journal, is even more damning. Some studies are more convincing than others, because they include more subjects and show a larger effect. Melby-Lervåg’s paper laboriously accounts for this, incorporating what Jaeggi, Klingberg, and everyone else had reported. The meta-analysis found that the training isn’t doing anyone much good. If anything, the scientific literature tends to overstate effects, because teams that find nothing tend not to publish their papers. (This is known as the “filedrawer” effect.) A null result from meta-analysis, published in a top journal, sends a shudder through the spine of all but the truest of believers. In the meantime, a separate paper by some of the Georgia Tech scientists looked specifically at Cogmed’s training, which has been subjected to more scientific scrutiny than any other program. “The claims made by Cogmed,” they wrote, “are largely unsubstantiated.”
In a conference call, several Cogmed executives told me that they did not accept the conclusions, saying that the various scientists had unfairly overlooked good evidence in support of Cogmed’s regimen. They cited, as one example, Melby-Lervåg’s decision to not consider brain-imaging studies, which they believe offer additional evidence of neurological improvements that take effect after people play their games. “There is a lot of research excluded, almost to the point where it seems like the research is designed to reach a particular conclusion,” said Travis Millman, vice-president and general manager of Cogmed. | 1,269,205 |
Our experts weigh in with their predictions for the first round of the 2015 Western Conference playoffs.
WESTERN CONFERENCE GSW-NOP HOU-DAL LAC-SA POR-MEM
Adande
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 6
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 6
Arnovitz
Warriors in 4
Rockets in 5
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 7
Doolittle
Warriors in 4
Rockets in 6
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 5
Elhassan
Warriors in 4
Mavericks in 6
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 6
Ford
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 7
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 6
Gutierrez
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 7
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 5
Haberstroh
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 7
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 7
Holmes
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 6
Clippers in 7
Grizzlies in 6
MacMahon
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 7
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 6
Markazi
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 7
Clippers in 7
Grizzlies in 6
Pelton
Warriors in 4
Rockets in 6
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 7
Shelburne
Warriors in 5
Mavericks in 7
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 7
Stein
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 7
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 7
Strauss
Warriors in 6
Rockets in 6
Clippers in 7
Grizzlies in 6
Thorpe
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 5
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 7
Wallace
Warriors in 4
Mavericks in 7
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 6
Watkins
Warriors in 4
Rockets in 6
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 7
Windhorst
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 6
Spurs in 7
Grizzlies in 6
Wright
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 5
Spurs in 6
Grizzlies in 5 | 1,269,206 |
process (Fe or Te) emerge organically or spontaneously rather than intentionally. Therefore, when it comes to initiating the Judging process, IJs may procrastinate as long as EPs.
Once their Judging process is initiated, however, IJs begin to look more like Judging types. They may, for instance, suddenly feel compelled to write a blog post, compose a song, or solve a problem. While IPs’ transition from their dominant to auxiliary function is one of increasing divergence, IJs’ more toward greater convergence (Te or Fe). But unlike IPs, who prefer to finish with closure, IJs hope to end in a state of openness (Se or Ne). Visually, IJs’ process resembles an hourglass moving from openness (P) to closure (J) and back to openness (P). We might summarize IJs’ process in the following way:
IJ Types’ Process P Starting point: Ni or Si (inner openness) Move into J auxiliary: Te or Fe (closure / focus) P Endpoint: Se or Ne (outer openness)
Like EPs, IJs may struggle when it comes to starting tasks or projects. Just as it is difficult for IPs and EJs to artificially initiate Perceiving, it can be hard for IJs and EPs to intentionally jumpstart their Judging process. IJs and EPs commonly experience “dry spells,” periods where they lack the motivation or inspiration to start work on a creative project. For this reason, they may at times envy IPs’ and EJs’ ability to actively initiate their work. While IJs and EPs love to Perceive, there are times when they would love to get something done but end up feeling frustrated because of insufficient motivation to engage their Judging process.
One of the strengths of the IJ approach, however, is its concern for accuracy. Since they don’t experience the same need for closure as IPs do, they are less apt to inwardly jump to conclusions. They prioritize accuracy more than promptness, quality over quantity. In fact, their penchant for accuracy is a chief contributor to their propensity for perfectionism. Perfectionism can compromise IJs’ ability to finish their work in a timely fashion; this is especially true when engaging in creative work. Since IJs can struggle with both starting and finishing projects, it can be all too easy for them to cling to a state of perpetual Perceiving, even if envying types who seem to be “accomplishing” more.
Learn More in Our eBook:
My True Type: Clarifying Your Personality Type, Preferences & Functions
Unsure if You’re an INP or an INJ?
Take our Type Clarifier Tests: INFJ-INFP Clarifier | INTJ-INTP Clarifier
Related Posts:
The “Functional Stack” (Typology 301)
“Know Your Judger”: Understanding Judging (J) Personality Types | 1,269,207 |
to be awarded
Puerto Rico Strong edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz and Neil Schwartz wins the prize
Desiree Rodriguez accepts and urges support for librarians and educators
William Stout, adorned in a Rocketeer shirt, is here to give out the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award (Dave Stevens was the first winner)
Lorena Alvarez, writer/artist of Hicotea and Nightlights, wins. She is from Columbia and could not be here, but sends in her acceptance speech for Stout to share
Raina Telgemeier and Alitha Martinez step out to the stage to give out the award for Best New Series
Gideon Falls by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino is your winner. This is the second Best New Series prize that Lemire has won, having picked up the same prize for Black Hammer two years ago
Best Limited Series nominees are being read
Maybe not a surprise at this point, but Mister Miracle wins and completes a pretty hefty sweep of their categories.
Gerads thanks Jack Kirby, and hopes he’s looking down with some level of enjoyment at their work
And now it’s time for Best Continuing Series
The winner is Giant Days, a nice send-off for the series! Heidi calls it an upset on twitter, but this one has been a long time coming I think.
Tom Lennon and Ben Garant are out making Flashpoint jokes…at this hour, I’m not sure I have the patience.
Best Adaptation From Another Medium is the first of this last section of nominees
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, in Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection is your winner. One of the few horror comics creators whose work truly frightens me.
Best Graphic Album – Reprint is next
The Vision hardcover by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Michael Walsh wins. I can’t emphasize this enough, a huge night for Tom King written works.
Best Reality-Based Work is won by Box Brown’s Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman
Best Graphic Album – New, I believe the last award for the night, is about to be given out
My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips wins. Brubaker is up to accept. He immediately thanks Tom and Mitch for not making Mister Miracle an original graphic novel.
And folks, with Jackie Estrada coming out on stage one more time to close things down, it’s time to call it a night. In summary, Eisner sure does love Tom King! Congrats to all the winners and nominees, it’s been another incredible year for comics and it’s been my pleasure to share another great Eisner Awards with you. Thank you for being here for our live-blog, and stay tuned for more great content from The Beat through the weekend. | 1,269,208 |
Pigtronix has unveiled two new masterpiece delay pedals at the Summer NAMM in Nashville: the Echolution 2 Ultra Pro and Echolution 2 Filter Pro.
Both new E2 models feature Independent Pitch Shifting on two syncronized delays, which can be overlapped or set to numerous rhythmic configurations including Pigtronix signature Golden Ratio function.
The tap tempo and MIDI-controlled dual delays can be set to pitch shift by any musical interval within an octave. Sweeping filters, complex modulation options with up to five LFOs, create new sonic textures that go far beyond the "shimmer" and "crystals" effect patches of the past.
The Echolution 2 Ultra Pro (E2U) replaces the E2 Deluxe. This new flagship delay processor represents the ultimate realization of the Echolution 2 platform, providing an unprecedented level of parallel delay and filter processing in a pedal format. Breaking away from the industry-standard "one sound at a time" paradigm, the Echolution 2 sports 30 individual front-panel algorithms that can be selected in any combination, deep expression pedal and envelope mapping options available via real-time MIDI or PC/MAC app control.
The E2 Ultra Pro ships with numerous firmware enhancements over the original Echolution 2 Deluxe, as well as a double-digit preset indicator—eliminating the need for bank selection—and an improved USB port for connection to the editor software. In conjunction with this firmware and hardware upgrade comes an enhanced PC/MAC editor, which gives this monstrously deep time machine free access to even greater depth of customization.
The Echolution 2 Filter Pro (E2F) replaces the E2 Basic, adding on-board multi-tap/tap sub-division control as well as 8 different filter options and pitch-shifted time based sound effects. These core "pro" features give players who want a streamlined user interface the ability to tweak key delay ingredients on the fly.
Connecting the pedal to the free Pigtronix Echolution 2 PC/MAC editor application via the newly revised USB port gives the E2 Filter Pro access to the full power of the flagship E2 Ultra Pro.
Many of the new sounds, MIDI functionality and deep sound design features found in these new units were requested by Pigtronix Echolution 2 users around the world and can be added to previous versions of the Echolution 2 via a simple online firmware update process, as detailed on the Echolution 2 blog, right here.
The new E2 pedals will ship worldwide in August 2015 and will hit the street at $449 USD for the Echolution 2 Ultra Pro and $329 USD for the Echolution 2 Filter Pro.
For more information, visit pigtronix.com.
For more Summer NAMM Show news, bookmark GuitarWorld.com's dedicated Summer NAMM 2015 page. And don't forget to follow GW on Twitter for more "live on the NAMM Show floor" coverage. | 1,269,209 |
(Reuters) - Five Roman Catholic dioceses in New Jersey on Wednesday released the names of 188 clergy members who have been accused of sexually abusing children dating back decades, including a former cardinal facing defrocking by the Vatican.
FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick during an interview with Reuters at the North American College in Rome February 14, 2013. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi/File Photo
The disclosure was the result of an internal investigation of archdiocese records and all of the priests and deacons listed have previously been reported to law enforcement and none remain in the ministry, Newark Archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin said in a statement.
“It is our sincerest hope that this disclosure will help bring healing to those whose lives have been so deeply violated,” he said, noting some of the abuse dates back to 1940.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal formed a task force in September to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy in his state, along with any efforts to cover up such abuse.
“I am pleased to see that our task force’s grand jury investigation has prompted the dioceses to finally take some measures to hold predator priests accountable,” Grewal said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Our investigation remains ongoing,” he said, adding, “We anticipate taking criminal action wherever appropriate.” Grewal could not be reached for further comment.
“SOLACE TO SURVIVORS”
The Newark Archdiocese released the names of 63 clergy members, 33 who are deceased and 33 who are accused of having multiple victims. Some of the deceased are among those accused of having multiple victims.
The Paterson Diocese had 28 clerics on its list, the Camden Diocese listed 57 clerics, the Trenton Diocese had 30 and the Metuchen Diocese listed 11 clergy. One priest on the Newark list also appeared on the Paterson list.
“We hope that seeing these names in print will bring solace to survivors and let victims who may still be suffering in silence find the strength to come forward,” the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said in a statement.
Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who rose to be a power broker in the American Church as archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2001 to 2006, was among the clergy members on the Newark list.
He has previously responded publicly to one of the allegations, saying he has “absolutely no recollection” of an alleged case of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy more than 50 years ago. He has not responded publicly to separate allegations by several priests and ex-priests.
McCarrick resigned last year and is living in seclusion in a remote friary in Kansas. He will likely be dismissed from the priesthood, which would make him the highest profile Roman Catholic figure to be defrocked in modern times, according to Vatican sources. | 1,269,210 |
strategy and style of play which earned them the lead through the first three quarters. They played tighter. They played predictably. They played not to lose. They refused to use their optimal play calls. They forced their quarterback (experienced as he was) into predictable passing situations and allowed the defense to attack, knowing what to expect.
Reviewing this in hindsight is certainly infuriating. I will be doing similar dives into the 31 other teams for my 2018 Football Preview book, out in late-June. I’m guessing none will be quite as eye-opening as what the 2017 Colts did to themselves in the fourth quarter and the monumental impact it had on their final record, but we shall see.
For the 2017 Colts, this is what happens when a team does not pay attention to detail. Details they would only know if they incorporated more analytics. Analytics isn’t a dirty buzz word. Teams have been winning Super Bowls for decades using analytics, such as Bill Walsh’s 49ers. Analytics is simply the use of math or statistics to gain valuable knowledge from data. If you add up the rushing yards of the Colts from 1-2 WR sets when leading in the 4th quarter, and divide by rushing attempts, and realize that these runs are totally inefficient, you’re essentially using analytics. Sounds far less scary and more basic, and teams to accept this level of detail with open arms and incorporate it into their arsenal of weaponry as they try to improve and put the best product on the field which gives them the best chance to succeed.
Once more teams start self-scouting in this manner, they will avoid more pitfalls like the 2017 Colts faced. The impact it had on their season and final record was profound. Additionally, this level of analysis is also able to find holes in opponents on a weekly basis. Such as why I believed the Patriots would have success throwing on the #1 pass defense of the Jaguars in the AFC Championship, or why I believed the Eagles would have immense success running on the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
With the Eagles winning the Super Bowl this year, seeing a ton of success thanks to incorporating far more analytics into their team than most, I believe we’re turning the corner. Teams that do not use more analytics to self-scout and identify their own strengths and weaknesses they weren’t otherwise aware of, or to scout their opposition, will soon fall behind. Way behind. “Analytics” are not a robot overlord, send out of the matrix to tell a coach what to do, expecting subservience. Intelligently incorporating analytics will not paralyze a team nore make them too smart for their own good.
Working with experts who can share analytical insights tactfully, while allowing the coaching staff to take what they want from the information as part of their own final decision making process, will no longer be the path less traveled in the NFL. It is now, will be in the future, and truthfully, has been for some decades, the easiest way to win in the NFL. | 1,269,211 |
As often happens with many odd stories, the case of the Mount Ararat anomaly is one that has drawn in the CIA for decades.
The Ararat anomaly is the alleged discovery of a strange rock formation of what many believe to be Noah’s ark, covered over by glacial ice and snow for centuries. One of the best detailed analysis of many claims regarding the Ararat anomaly actually comes from the CIA itself, in a document released to the public only in 2002.
According to this document, the CIA first encountered claims about this anomaly when DCI Colby sent a letter to the science and technology division of the CIA in 1974, asking whether there was any evidence in the Top Secret classified satellite surveillance photography showing the existence of Noah’s Ark on Mt. Ararat.
The formation is located on the Western Plateau of the mountain at approximately 15,500 feet. According to most accounts, the U.S. Air Force first captured images of the strange object in 1949 during military surveillance operations.
Numerous agencies have captured images of the object, such as Landsat in the 70s, the French SPOT satellite in 1989, and even the NASA space shuttle in 1994. Of course, the CIA had been capturing highly-detailed images of the area through satellite surveillance as early as the 1970s and throughout the 1990s.
To this day, there remains not a single ground-level image of the object; even though countless individuals have claimed to have visited the site and that they saw the object with their own eyes.
CIA Evidence of the Ararat Anomaly
Declassified documents reveal an agency pestered through the decades with repeat requests for evidence of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat. The agency insisted time and time again that there is no such evidence.
On May 21st, 1974, DS&T informed DCI Colby that U-2 photography of the area acquired on September 1957 or any other imagery did not show any evidence of Noah’s Ark.
The same year, Congressman Bob Wilson asked for aerial photographs of the mountain to be released to a Dr. John Morris, head of the Institute of Creation Research of San Diego, California. The Agency responded that the 1957 U-2 photos were still “Confidential”.
Even members of the intelligence community with appropriate clearances to view “Confidential” information were informed that the evidence just wasn’t there. Such was the case of Admiral Showers, who was informed that “a search had been made of aerial photography with negative results.”
This internal document reveals that even though the Agency was telling the public that the photos were classified, they were actively searching all of the U-2 and satellite imagery for evidence of Noah’s Ark, yet they could not find any. When provided with a ground photo from Captain Howard Schue that showed “a long range view of the purported Ark”, analysts again tried to find the object in satellite imagery, and failed. | 1,269,212 |
The Internet offers access to an elephant’s trumpet, a tiger’s roar and a rhino’s grumbling squeal, and now it is helping to save these animals from a treacherous network of illegal poachers and traders.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used data from around the world to identify the key perpetrators in wildlife trafficking. They found that illegal poaching in just six countries could account for 89 to 98 percent of the global trade of elephants, tigers and rhinos. By tracking these networks, the scientists spot the countries that need stronger public awareness and law enforcement against illegal trafficking.
The study relied on HealthMap: Wildlife Trade, an online repository where conservation organizations and local news sites report the illegal trafficking of animals. Researchers analyzed the illegal shipments of 232 elephants, 165 rhinos and 108 tigers that happened from August 2010 to December 2013.
Nikkita Patel, the project’s manager, got the idea from other areas of research that have used online resources to find the best routes to uncover terrorist networks and trace drug trafficking.
Countries serving as exporters, importers or intermediaries vary for each animal, according to the June 15 report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Poachers take indirect routes to sneak past security checkpoints, increasing the number of countries involved in trafficking. China plays the biggest role in the trafficking for all three animals.
Patel laments this may be due to the high demand for wildlife products – such as ivory – in Asian cultures. The United States also made the list as a dominant player for elephant trafficking, suggesting a need for tighter regulation on ivory trade at American shores.
Culture drives a lot of the demand for wildlife products. Tigers get turned into rugs or wine in Guilin, China. Elephants throughout Africa are slaughtered to make ivory jewelry, and South African rhinos are butchered for their mythical ‘cancer curing’ horns.
“Some people don’t realize the animal has to be killed for ivory to be extracted and that they are causing harm to elephants. They may think the tusks just fall out,” Patel said. “More education about what is actually happening and the backstory of these animals would decrease these demands [for illegal products].”
Current attempts to disrupt wildlife trafficking include security checkpoints with sniffer dogs and educational campaigns. China and many other countries sponsor ivory crushing demonstrations to raise awareness of the issue. For instance, the US Fish and Wildlife Service will crush one ton of ivory in Time Square on June 19. Patel’s research provides a tool to help pinpoint where enforcement and education are most needed. But she also feels confident that future technology will fortify checkpoints and monitor populations of endangered species. Drones are already scanning fields for poachers and keeping tabs on the numbers of endangered black footed ferret in Montana.
“If trafficking continues at this rate we aren’t going to have wildlife for future generations,” Patel said. | 1,269,213 |
Congratulations to Politico’s Eliana Johnson on her move to the Washington Free Beacon!
Looking forward to my new gig, very grateful for my three years at @politico. https://t.co/HCJJQfn60U — Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) September 4, 2019
But because of this move, CNN is dropping her as a paid political analyst:
A top political reporter got a new job today running a conservative outlet. She also then learned her CNN contract would not be renewed. https://t.co/q8mnM0T76c — Matt Berman (@Mr_Berman) September 4, 2019
CNN’s PR guy Matt Dornic explained that her contract won’t be renewed because she’s no longer a reporter:
This framing is misleading. Eliana is still a CNN contrib & will remain one through Nov. We signed her because, as you put it, “she was a top White House reporter” who was “breaking significant news.” She’s now pursuing a different career path and off that beat. Simple as that. — Matt Dornic (@mdornic) September 5, 2019
So Johnson doesn’t make the cut but Playboy’s Brian Karem does?
What do you guys pay this person for pic.twitter.com/nPWU1Ckqvw — Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) September 5, 2019
And Dornic was quite unhappy with BuzzFeed for even reporting on it:
An email blast! Curious move by a paid contributor’s new newsroom. and congrats to Buzzfeed for helping fuel this nonsense. Hope you get all the clicks! pic.twitter.com/bKUSXBfLZz — Matt Dornic (@mdornic) September 5, 2019
Stay tuned, but this already isn’t going over well with Johnson’s new colleagues:
I was just in the subway and a small Hispanic child came up to me and said “Eliana Johnson is awesome and Brian Karem is a fabulist hack and CNN should reconsider who is and is not a contributor.” We all clapped. — Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) September 5, 2019
And then he was like “remember how Brian Karem’s only scoop in his entire career was that Maryland police were investigating a new Kavanaugh complaint and it was complete BS?” Smart kid, Esteban! — Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) September 5, 2019
idk if this is coming across in my tweets but I genuinely hate Brian Karem and the fact that I even know his name represents a complete failure of the mainstream media’s guardrails — Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) September 5, 2019
*** | 1,269,214 |
JOHNNY DEPP has accused former wife Amber Heard of deliberately soiling their marital bed in revenge for turning up two hours late to her 30th birthday bash.
The troubled actor claims the incident sparked the violent argument that led to the breakdown of their marriage.
Depp had stormed out of the couple’s Los Angeles penthouse after discovering the pile of poo between the sheets after Heard’s party in April 2016, a friend of the Pirates of the Caribbean star told The Mirror.
Heard blamed the deposit on her dog Boo, who has bowel problems, but a housekeeper who had to clean up the mess the following day suggested the droppings were too large to have come from the little pooch.
Depp, 55, believes there is “strong, photographic evidence that connected Amber to the faeces” and it was left as a “prank”, the friend said.
But a representative for the actress denied any malicious intent, insisting it was an unfortunate accident.
“Boo has some serious bowel control issues. There was never a joke, it wasn’t something
done to be disrespectful,” the rep told the Mirror.
“It was an innocent thing, it’s what pets will do. We don’t have anything else to say. Ms Heard is moving on and we do not want to engage in this nonsense.”
‘DRUNK’ DEPP ‘ATTACKED’ CREW MEMBER
‘BROKE’ DEPP’S BOMBSHELL INTERVIEW
In May 2016, a month later, the couple had another argument about the poo which turned violent and culminated in Depp allegedly hurling Heard’s mobile phone, hitting her in the face.
The actress later posted photographs of her bruised face to Instagram and applied for a restraining order against Depp.
Heard hinted at the bizarre stoush in court documents, claiming Depp made “paranoid and
irrational accusations about some delusional idea”.
“He began obsessing about something untrue and his demeanour changed dramatically. He became angry,” she said.
Heard withdrew the application for a restraining order following their divorce settlement, in which he agreed to pay her US$7million, which she donated to charity.
Depp denies he was ever violent to Heard.
It’s not the first time Boo and his stablemate Pistol have made headlines.
In 2015, Australian former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce threatened to put the Yorkshire terriers down after Heard and Depp illegally smuggled them into the country during the filming of the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie on the Gold Coast.
The couple later claimed they had no idea they were breaking Australia’s quarantine laws and filmed a much-ridiculed apology that was linked to a “hostage video”. | 1,269,215 |
Three years have passed since Operation Cast Lead and the IDF says that the operational goals set in 2009 have been largely achieved.
Tuesday saw the IAF target an Islamic Jihad terror cell in Gaza, which Military Intelligence defined as a "ticking bomb" and top IDF officials told Ynet on Wednesday that Hamas knew a strike against the cell was unavoidable.
Related stories:
Hamas is changing, becoming somewhat more restrained, a senior source told Ynet.
Colonel Tal Hermoni, commander of the Gaza Division's South Brigade explained: "We took a calculate risk yesterday – even Hamas understood that this was a cell gearing to carry out a terror attack."
Colonel Tal Hermoni (Photo: Roee Idan)
As for the possibility that the IDF will launch another wide-scale ground campaign in Gaza – which IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Benny Gantz said in the past was a viable option should an escalation be noted in the southern sector – Hermoni said that the IDF is ready to meet the challenge.
"The reality today is different than it was three years ago. Operation Cast Lead achieved its goals and the sector is relatively calmer today. The other side reacts (to strikes), but in a measured, calculated way. If the cracks noted in the lull widen we are ready to launch another operation, different and more diverse than Cast Lead, to renew deterrence.
"The decision really is in the other side's hands. If they don’t stop the rocket fire and prevent terror cells from leaving to Egypt so to cross into Israel, we'll launch a Gaza operation – and it will be a painful one."
As for Hamas' tactics against Israel, Hermoni said that "the tunnels allow (terrorists) to reach us faster. They're digging tunnels on a daily basis, but we are employing intelligence to locate them. They're also getting ready for more abduction attempts."
One of the biggest threats the IDF has to deal with in Gaza Strip is the growing use of anti-tank weapons, which the military said has been significantly reduced due to the successful use of the Windbreaker defense system – an active armored shield protection system installed on IDF tanks.
The IDF also noted that many of the terror groups' attempts to deploy explosives and roadside bombs along the Gaza security forces have failed.
The Gaza Division, Hermoni added, is constantly observing the actions of Hamas' "Rafah Brigade," which has some 2,000 combatants and its very own anti-tank warfare unit.
"They've become semi-military, even though they are still a terror group. They have reconnaissance and intelligence units and a defensive dogma based on Soviet doctrines," he said.
Gaza's terror groups, he added, "Aim to use attrition warfare, to destabilize Israel's international legitimacy and the home front.
"They train every day and hold various maneuvers, but naturally, the IDF's abilities surpass theirs," he concluded.
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| 1,269,216 |
The Spanish government is poised to abandon its plans to drastically limit access to abortion in the country, according to the newspaper El Mundo.
The conservative People's party introduced legislation in December that would make abortion illegal except in the case of rape or when there is a risk to the physical and mental health of the mother. The legislation sought to enact some of the toughest abortion laws in Europe, requiring women wanting an abortion to have two doctors verify that these conditions had been met.
The justice minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, said the changes would be approved before the end of September. But sources from the party told El Mundo on Saturday that the law would never make it to parliament. One told the Spanish daily: "There is no consensus on the project."
Earlier this year, several regional leaders within the party spoke out against the changes. The changes were rejected by dozens of municipalities, including those governed by the People's party.
The proposed changes proved deeply unpopular among Spaniards, with polls showing between 70-80% of the population opposed. Tens of thousands took to the streets to rally against the legislation. "We are here to protest against a government that wants to take us back to the times of Franco," one demonstrator told the Guardian in February, at a Madrid demonstration that attracted 15,000 people. "We are stepping backwards with this law."
But the government vowed to move forward with the reform, insisting that the legislation was an election promise from 2011 that needed to be completed. "You have my word that no screams or insults could provoke me to abandon my commitment to comply with the [party] platform to regulate the rights of women and the unborn," Ruiz-Gallardón said in February. "We are not talking about moral issues or electoral advantages, but instead the defence of fundamental rights."
According to El Mundo, the government's retreat from the legislation was motivated by electoral concerns. With municipal, regional and general elections on the horizon in 2015, sources said it had been an error to introduce a debate that pitted religious hardliners against the majority of Spaniards.
The shortcomings of this strategy were seen during Spain's European elections in May. While the PP narrowly beat the Socialists, the party lost 2.5 million votes compared with the 2009 election. "We made things complicated by forcing voters to talk about a subject that they didn't want to address," sources told El Mundo.
The report comes a week before anti-abortion groups were planning to march in Madrid to protest against the government dragging its heels on passing the legislation. "We're asking the government of Mariano Rajoy to fulfil his promise now," they wrote in their manifesto.
The People's party has not officially confirmed the report, but opposition parties were quick to respond to the news. The Socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, called it a victory for the many who opposed the changes, while Pablo Iglesias of Podemos tweeted that it was "a victory for all the women of our country and a demonstration of what is possible". | 1,269,217 |
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s transport secretary was under fresh pressure to resign after the government stacked up a 50 million pound loss for cancelling contracts for extra ferries to bring in essential supplies in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Britain's Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling is seen outside the Cabinet Office as talks over Brexit continue, in London, Britain April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
The decision to award the contracts has been a major political embarrassment after it emerged the government handed out a 14 million pound contract for extra ferries to a company that owned no boats and published terms and conditions on its website that appeared to be for a takeaway food business.
Then, the government was forced to pay a further 33 million pounds to settle a lawsuit brought by Eurotunnel, which complained that it was unfairly prevented from bidding on the ferry contracts, which were negotiated in secret.
The botched handling of the contracts led to transport secretary Chris Grayling being nicknamed “failing Grayling” by local newspapers.
The contracts were originally awarded four months ago as part of the government’s broader strategy to ensure Britain was not left without key supplies, with significant congestion forecast on the main freight route between Dover and Calais.
The government put its contingency plans on hold after European Union leaders agreed last month to push back the date of Brexit to as late as the end of October.
“Chris Grayling and the ferry contracts will evermore be a case study in ministerial incompetence,” said Andy McDonald, the opposition Labour’s transport spokesman.
“His career as a minister has left a trail of scorched earth and billions of pounds of public money wasted. This country cannot afford Chris Grayling.”
Three firms were originally awarded contracts worth more than 100 million pounds. But one contract was cancelled a month later because of concerns about whether the company, which did not have any ferries, would be ready in time.
The government has now scrapped the remaining two contracts. This means the taxpayer faces a total bill of 83 million pounds for ferry services, which will never run, if the cost of the settlement with Eurotunnel is included.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said she had confidence in Grayling.
“It is obviously important that as a responsible government we did make full preparations for leaving the European Union without a deal,” the spokesman said.
“The freight capacity contracts are no longer needed and therefore been terminated. We have taken the decision now as it represents the best value for money for taxpayers.”
But there remains a risk that the United Kingdom could still leave the EU without a deal if the government fails to pass its Brexit deal or if the EU fails to agree another extension to the talks to leave the bloc.
In a further twist, a rival ferry operator, P&O, said last week that it was preparing its own legal action amid claims that the payout to its rival Eurotunnel was unlawful. | 1,269,218 |
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It’s hard not to feel sympathy for Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass, the gay businessmen who invited a dozen people to dine with Senator Ted Cruz, the presidential poser, at their New York home. Mr. Reisner and Mr. Weiderpass had evident good intentions. There is certainly a shortage in this country of sensible political communication.
It is, however, equally hard to understand what on earth they thought they were doing. There is not a Republican on the national scene who supports the right of Americans to marry whomever they choose. Very few of them truly believe in protecting the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans at all. And Mr. Cruz dwells on the far side of right-wing crazy on most issues, including this one.
Mr. Reisner later said that Mr. Cruz did not voice explicit opposition to same-sex marriage at the dinner, but rather said that the matter should be left to the states. What right-wing Republicans mean is that states should be allowed to ban same-sex marriage at will. When that fails, they should permit business owners to discriminate against same-sex couples because they don’t approve of them.
Mr. Cruz later said that he told the dinner that he has strong religious objections to same-sex marriage, and Mr. Reisner has been publicly apologizing for showing “poor judgment.”
Writing on Facebook after he and Mr. Weiderpass had been heavily criticized — and targeted by boycott calls and a threatened protest at the hotel the two men jointly own — Mr. Reisner said:
“I was ignorant, naïve and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights. I’ve spent the past 24 hours reviewing videos of Cruz’s statements on gay marriage and I am shocked and angry. I sincerely apologize for hurting the gay community and so many of our friends, family, allies, customers and employees. I will try my best to make up for my poor judgment. Again, I am deeply sorry.”
Again, I feel for Mr. Reisner, but didn’t he have Internet access? Mr. Cruz has made his disapproval of same-sex marriage completely clear. He’s even sponsored legislation to help states preserve their unconstitutional bans on such marriages.
According to Mr. Reisner, Mr. Cruz told the dinner that he would love his daughter “just as much” if she were a lesbian. That’s the current Republican formula for fake tolerance, a rewrite of the older line, “some of my best friends are Jewish.”
What if my daughter were gay? Or your daughter? Or anyone’s son? Or sister or brother or mother or father? Would Mr. Cruz be O.K. with that? And would his hypothetical tolerance of his daughter extend to her right to get married? Apparently not. | 1,269,219 |
Air Force One touched down in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday as US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania visited the kingdom on a two-day trip that is expected to enhance strategic cooperation between both countries.
The president was greeted by an airport welcome ceremony before having a brief coffee meeting with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman in a reception room at King Khalid International Airport.
ميلاينا وترمب
He later went to the al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh where he was awarded the King Abdulaziz Medal by King Salman.
الملك سلمان وترامب
Trump is set to attend three summits in Riyadh, including an Arab-Islamic-US Summit called for by King Salman, in what is his first foreign trip as president.
READ ALSO: INTERACTIVE: Know the full schedule of Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia
READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Why Trump’s trip to Riyadh will mark a new chapter
trump
The first summit will be between Saudi Arabia and the United States, followed by the Gulf Cooperation Council and the US, in which historical relations will be discussed on the basis of partnership and tolerance, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
sitting down
THUMBNAIL_ king welcoming trump
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The three summits, under the slogan ‘Together We Prevail’ aims to reaffirm shared commitment to global security, deep economic partnerships and constructive political and cultural cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the US.
We welcome @POTUS Trump to KSA. Mr. President, your visit will strengthen our strategic cooperation, lead to global security and stability. — سلمان بن عبدالعزيز (@KingSalman) May 20, 2017
Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/JJOra0KfyR — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2017
Trump will hold talks with leaders in the ultra-conservative kingdom later Saturday and is to give a speech on "hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam" to some 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on Sunday.
الملك سلمان يستقبل ترمب
car
He is accompanied by White House spokesman Sean Spicer, economic adviser Gary Cohn and security adviser Dina Powell.
Trump's daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner exited from the rear of the plane, holding hands as they walked across the tarmac.
ivanka
(Photos: AFP, Al Arabiya, Twitter)
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:49 - GMT 06:49 | 1,269,220 |
Photo credit: Pixabay
"Hey Siri, how's my hair?"
Your smartphone may soon be able to give you an honest answer, thanks to a new machine learning algorithm designed by U of T Engineering researchers Parham Aarabi and Wenzhi Guo.
The team designed an algorithm that learns directly from human instructions, rather than an existing set of examples, and outperformed conventional methods of training neural networks by 160 per cent. But more surprisingly, their algorithm also outperformed its own training by nine per cent -- it learned to recognize hair in pictures with greater reliability than that enabled by the training, marking a significant leap forward for artificial intelligence.
SEE ALSO: Using Artificial Intelligence to Take Down Cyber Criminals
Aarabi and Guo trained their algorithm to identify people's hair in photographs -- a much more challenging task for computers than it is for humans.
"Our algorithm learned to correctly classify difficult, borderline cases -- distinguishing the texture of hair versus the texture of the background," says Aarabi. "What we saw was like a teacher instructing a child, and the child learning beyond what the teacher taught her initially."
Humans "teach" neural networks -- computer networks that learn dynamically -- by providing a set of labeled data and asking the neural network to make decisions based on the samples it's seen. For example, you could train a neural network to identify sky in a photograph by showing it hundreds of pictures with the sky labeled.
This algorithm is different: it learns directly from human trainers. With this model, called heuristic training, humans provide direct instructions that are used to pre-classify training samples rather than a set of fixed examples. Trainers program the algorithm with guidelines such as "Sky is likely to be varying shades of blue," and "Pixels near the top of the image are more likely to be sky than pixels at the bottom."
Their work is published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems.
This heuristic training approach holds considerable promise for addressing one of the biggest challenges for neural networks: making correct classifications of previously unknown or unlabeled data. This is crucial for applying machine learning to new situations, such as correctly identifying cancerous tissues for medical diagnostics, or classifying all the objects surrounding and approaching a self-driving car.
"Applying heuristic training to hair segmentation is just a start," says Guo. "We're keen to apply our method to other fields and a range of applications, from medicine to transportation."
This article has been republished from materials provided by University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Research paper:
Wenzhangzhi Guo, Parham Aarabi. Hair Segmentation Using Heuristically-Trained Neural Networks. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, 2016; DOI: 10.1109/TNNLS.2016.2614653 | 1,269,221 |
The thing about film as a medium is that it can do many things. It can entertain, providing us comfort from our real world anxieties. We walk in theater and take for granted every waking moment of what is basking on that silver screen. But film can do so much more than just entertain us. It can illuminate untold stories and perspectives, revealing the truth that lies wide open in our wild. It has the ability to tell the stories we need to hear and no form of filmmaking uses that truth telling power than the documentary. It takes reality and packages it in a form that is accessable and can provide power to the underserved or fringes of our cold world. Director Laura Paglin uses this expository power in her haunting new documentary,
.
Unseen is the story of the women who are impacted by a series of horrifically violent acts. After a two-year period during which numerous women were reported missing in Cleveland’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood, a reported rape leads police to a grisly discovery: a serial killer, operating virtually in plain sight. The police discovered the bodies of eleven women decomposing in the house and yard of known sex offender Anthony Sowell.
Unseen asks the questions of why none of the cops looked into these grizzly and brutal murders and why it took them two years to look into it. Why did none of the neighbors turn a blind eye to what was happening? With access to the surviving victims, Unseen tells a bone-chilling story about the heartbreaking invisibility of women on the margins of society and raises troubling questions about why this killing spree went unnoticed for so long.
There are documentaries that haunt you to your core. Stories that are so heartbreaking and real that they had to be told. Unseen is that film. We need to know and listen to these stories so that we can prevent further tragedies. Unseen is directed with profound empathy, aiming to give the survivors and the victims power and agency over their story. The focus is not on the tabloid fodder of the gruesome murders but on the victims and the world around these murders. This is not an exploitative film that aims to shock and horrify it’s audience, this is one that aims to raise the survivors up. It is a film that asks us if we are doing enough for those who live on the margins of society. Are we doing the right thing? It is a humane film, one that is striving for justice and answers.
Unseen is a necessary and important film, one that reclaims the focus of the story to the people who matter, the survivors and the victims. It is a tough but important watch that I am thankful exists because we need to give the power back to the victims rather than glamorize the monster that victimized them. I hope more films follow this route.
Unseen is now available for sale and rental on Amazon Video, iTunes, and Vudu, as well as DVD and Blu-ray.
-Liam S. O'Connor | 1,269,222 |
when I started my business," said Rabins.
Beyond the kitchen, upstairs offices will provide business space for meetings and workshops, as well as mailboxes and work space for culinary entrepreneurs.
Forage Kitchen members fall into four categories: Day Use, Maker, Santoku and Chef. Day Use members pay $30/hour (with a 10-hour minimum), while Maker members pay $99/month for Sunday-only kitchen space. On the more committed end of the spectrum are Santoku and Chef members who commit to 40-hour and 80-hour minimums and are given access to storage and office space. As of mid-August, over 400 applications had been submitted, though only 30 businesses can use the space in a week.
The key to funneling so much interest comes in Forage Kitchen's reservations app, which allows members to sign up for specific stations and identify open slots and spaces. The kitchen will be open 21 hours a day, (with a three-hour window for cleaning), allowing for plenty of rotation and opportunity.
"We want to figure out how to utilize everyone's time most efficiently," said Rabins.
Made to Gather offer a variety of services including cooking classes, workshops, and private meals, overseen by a personal chef. (Courtesy of Made to Gather)
Early members of Forage Kitchen include Sally Rogers' Eat Nibble (healthy office snacks), Prosper Tea (infused teas), Kazschu (cashew butter), Simmer Soups (soups and bone broths), and Lee Davidson's Made to Gather (cooking classes).
"I was in search of a community kitchen where I could host events and create workshops and experiences. I met Iso and we just connected immediately," said Davidson. "We share the same values and are on a similar mission within the food industry in Oakland. The location is excellent, and the layout and energy [are great]. It's not just a communal kitchen but a thriving creative hub."
Rogers echoed similar sentiments. "The time and attention that Iso and Matt have spent on every last detail in their space is obvious—from the tree outside the kitchen to the flooring in the offices to the paint color in the cafe area. The integration of kitchen and cafe makes for a unique setup where creators and makers can speak directly to people who may have no prior knowledge of their product."
Though the doors have yet to open, Rabins is already planning unconventional uses for the space. "We have lots of plans!" he said. "Movie nights, a Makers Market where Makers who are using the space can sell their stuff, markets where our vendors can sell their wares, First Friday events with games like 4-square and cornhole, storytelling nights, plus the space will be open to rent for interesting events."
// Look for Forage Kitchen at 478 25th St. (Oakland), foragekitchen.com | 1,269,223 |
The release of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions in the first half of this year sank to their lowest level since 1991, the Energy Information Administration said yesterday.
The agency attributed the decline to a warm winter, slumping use of coal-fired electricity, and strong growth in renewable and hydroelectric power. It was the first time in 25 years that emissions during the first six months of any year were that low.
Overall energy use fell 2 percent in the first half of 2016 compared with the same period last year, according to EIA. Coal consumption, in particular, saw steep declines by dropping 18 percent, while natural gas use dipped just 1 percent, versus 2015 rates.
“The decrease was most notable in the residential and electric power sectors,” EIA said. Energy use shrank 9 and 3 percent, respectively, in those portions of the economy.
The EIA said the use of renewables rose 9 percent. Nearly half of that increase was due to wind energy, roughly a third from hydroelectricity and more than 10 percent from solar power.
In a separate report released in September, EIA analysts predicted carbon emissions for 2016 will fall to their lowest level since 1992—three years before the United Nations held the first of its 21 global summits on climate change, called the Conference of the Parties.
The agency’s statement is the latest in a series of signals, dating back to 2014, that the world’s nations have begun to separate economic growth and carbon emissions.
Historically, emissions and economic growth have moved in lockstep, with greenhouse gases dipping during recessions and climbing during boom times. The International Energy Agency first said two years ago that global energy-sector emissions had declined while the world expanded economically, though critics point out that the measurement excludes emissions from other sources, such as agriculture (ClimateWire, March 17).
“Today’s report is another example of the great benefits that come from clean-burning natural gas,” Marty Durbin of the American Petroleum Institute said in a statement.
In the run-up to the Paris climate accords and the months after, the trade group has organized a campaign touting the benefits of natural gas (E&E Daily, Jan. 6).
Durbin was the CEO of America’s Natural Gas Alliance, an industry association that API took over last year.
In its jobs report issued Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the mining sector held steady in September at about 630,000 workers nationwide. The mining sector, which covers workers in the coal, oil and gas trades, has lost 220,000 jobs since peaking in September 2014.
The BLS stopped tracking “green jobs” in 2013 due to across-the-board cuts to federal spending known as sequestration.
Reprinted from ClimateWire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. E&E provides daily coverage of essential energy and environmental news at www.eenews.net. Click here for the original story. | 1,269,224 |
on the phone with or meeting with Goodluck Jonathan, trying to figure out what we're going to do to help on Boko Haram. It used to be fair to say that [although we cared] about what went on in other parts of the world, we didn't have to be as focused on nearly every part as we are now. I mean, when the Iranians are trying to kill the Saudi ambassador using what they think of as a drug runner, and you know Hizbullah has operatives all throughout Latin America, all throughout West Africa, when you see Boko Haram morphing into a threat beyond a few places in the north of Nigeria, when you are making progress against al-Shabaab in Somalia but al-Qaeda's on the march in southern Yemen—I have to have almost a 360 degree view. And I work 24-7 because I can't take my eyes off of one part of the world thinking, okay, I don't need to worry about that, let my assistant secretary or somebody else worry about it. When you're fighting for your budget with the Congress and you have to make a case as to why any of this should be of vital concern to the American public, you have to be sure that you're managing the State Department and USAID as well as you can so that you are able to credibly request the funding. We've done well, because I've spent a lot of time with members of Congress making that case. So we're always dealing with the urgent; we are also always dealing with the long-term, and they're now much more interconnected than I think they ever have been. It's why I launched this internet freedom campaign, because we stand up and say we're for all these universal values, they're consonant with American values, but freedom of expression now is not just in Hyde Park, it's in cyberspace. It's why I believe in economic statecraft, which is our way of focusing my thousand economic officers on cutting through red tape, taking on corruption, dealing with intellectual property theft. Then when I go to Congress I can say we are fighting for American jobs.
So it's not just about when are we going to get the Middle East process done, because people might there in Congress say, “Well, you know, people have been working on that for decades.” So...
LEXINGTON: Sounds to me as if you have to give your advice once [your successor] has already accepted the job.
MRS CLINTON: Yeah, I'm not going to tell them beforehand. (Laughter.) Because I'm afraid the president won't be able to recruit anybody. (Laughter.)
But it's a thrilling time to be doing this job, absolutely thrilling. And I have relished the opportunity to be out there representing this president and this country at this point in history.
LEXINGTON: There will be a next, I presume?
MRS CLINTON: I have no idea. I have no idea. Well...
(Photos credit: AFP) | 1,269,225 |
Brexit-anxiety has engulfed businesses across the UK over the past few months, and when it comes to English football, the Premier League is not shielded from the uncertainty. For decades, England’s top tier has become increasingly international, with clubs sourcing the best talent from around the world. But this has meant playing time has been reduced for English players, something that hasn’t sat well with the game’s governing body.
The FA sees Brexit as a chance to increase the number of English players in the Premier League, which it says will boost the chances of the national team by exposing more players to the best football. But the Premier League has rejected this view, saying there is “no evidence” it would work.
As part of their plan, the FA has called for a cut in the maximum number of non-homegrown players allowed in each team’s 25-player squad from 17 to 12.
A “homegrown” player is currently defined as one that’s been registered with the FA for at least three years before they turn 21, regardless of nationality.
It’s a rule that’s allowed Manchester United’s Paul Pogba to qualify as homegrown, because he first signed at Old Trafford as a 16-year-old. The FA is also considering reducing this age by which players must have three years of association with the FA to 18. While plenty of negotiations between the FA and the Premier League remain, few teams would be unaffected by the rule changes floated.
The Premier League’s on-the-pitch-product has led to enormous value off-the pitch, and the Premier League is by far the richest league in the world with revenues reaching £4.5bn for 2016-17. Additionally, eight of the world’s 20 richest clubs are English, and the Premier League fears that stricter quotas on non-homegrown players would hit those clubs by making them less competitive.
Brexit could mean players from EU and European Economic Area countries are subject to the same, visa and work permit restrictions as players from countries outside the EU, making the criteria for signing players stricter and making it harder for teams to trade.
This year’s January transfer window was noticeably slower compared to a year ago, which could signal, among other reasons, that teams are keeping a watchful eye on Brexit developments, and are reluctant to spend large sums of money on players they may be forced to sell. In the bigger picture, the managers are themselves divided. Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, said Brexit “makes no sense”. But on the other hand Neil Warnock, manager of Premier League Cardiff City, said he couldn’t wait to get out of the EU.
With just 43 days until the UK is due to leave the EU, time is running out for the FA to find a balanced deal that not only promotes the prospects of English players, but also one that protects the immense wealth of its prized asset, the Premier League. | 1,269,226 |
Musical Instruments To Be Exempt From Restrictions On Heavily Trafficked Rosewood
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacqueline Larma/AP Jacqueline Larma/AP
Update: The CITES convention officially adopted the musical instruments exemption on Wednesday.
An international endangered species convention meeting in Geneva is close to exempting musical instruments from trade restrictions on rosewood.
The restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — commonly referred to as CITES — went into effect in 2017, after strong demand for high-end rosewood furniture in China led to conservation worries and violence in areas that produce the wood.
But as NPR reported in 2017, there were some unintended consequences.
Rosewood is prized as a tonewood, responsible for a characteristic resonant tone in everything from guitars and cellos to clarinets. Following the 2017 restrictions, the musical instruments industry lost tens of millions of dollars in sales, and traveling orchestras feared their instruments would be seized at international borders. Both sectors had to deal with a bureaucratic permit process.
Instrument makers and musicians pushed for the exemption, writing in a convention brief that without it, "the world of music and culture will lose certain instruments that produce the highest quality tones, with no corresponding conservation benefit."
They got their wish Monday as a key CITES committee approved it. If finalized as expected this week, the exemption will allow finished musical instruments as well as parts and accessories containing rosewood to be transported freely around the world without permits.
Trade in raw-material rosewood would remain regulated and subject to permits granted by individual countries.
"Today was really the culmination of three years of productive dialog across musical instrument stakeholders, parties to the convention and also conservation groups," said League of American Orchestras lobbyist Heather Noonan.
In a written statement to NPR, Lisa Handy, director of forest campaigns at the Environmental Investigation Agency, an advocacy group, called the exemption "a reluctant compromise for many rosewood source countries."
"We remain concerned this could set a bad precedent," Handy wrote. "It will be even more imperative that the sourcing and manufacturing processes are well-controlled to ensure that rosewood-producing countries, which are struggling to control illegal loggers and trafficking... receive the international support they need to implement the convention."
Representatives of two top U.S. makers of acoustic guitars, Pennsylvania-based C.F. Martin & Co. and California's Taylor Guitars, said they support the convention's efforts to control rosewood trafficking, but they stress that the musical instruments industry was never the problem.
Scott Paul, director of natural resource sustainability at Taylor, said the rosewood regulation was hastily drafted, causing bureaucracies around the world to issue "an obscene amount of permits."
Frank Untermyer, supply chain director at Martin, said the regulations' administrative burden on his company, as well as the impact on the global reach of music, "cannot be overstated." | 1,269,227 |
In their January meeting, State Board of Education members came armed with more amendments to the state social studies curriculum than they could vote on — a process hardly helped by the acrimony between the board’s socially conservative bloc and more moderate Republicans and liberal Democrats. And so the SBOE kicked the process of revising the standards down the road to this week’s meeting, where social studies rewrites will resume today.
Because of the flood of amendments under consideration, we’ve produced this annotated version of the high school U.S. History standards, which have been the focus of controversy. You can see exactly what the board has added, deleted and rewritten, along with our analysis of the current arguments and historical context behind each change.
Expect more at today’s meeting of what we saw two months ago: Many edits from the conservative bloc, with attendant gnashing of teeth from both their opponents and supporters. If previous meetings are any guide, scores of impassioned speakers from diverse statewide constituencies will address the board on what has become the state’s highest-profile battleground in the never-ending culture wars. At issue: the inclusion of minorities, particularly Hispanics; the balance between liberal and conservative; the clash between “pro-America” proponents vs. those who accuse them of a historical “whitewash”; the concept of American Exceptionalism; the proper role of religion; and, yes, even country music versus hip-hop.
Speaking of religion, the conservative board members have yet to pass any substantial amendments injecting their Christian fundamentalism into the history standards — despite rampant fears from critics and intense national press attention on that prospect. But what the members will do from here is anybody’s guess. Since the last meeting, board member and former chair Don McLeroy — the most aggressive amender of curriculum and a self-proclaimed “religious fanatic” who believes education is “too important not to politicize” — narrowly lost the Republican primary to lobbyist Thomas Ratliff, a moderate who campaigned on a platform of depoliticizing the board. But don’t expect McLeroy, who will serve the remainder of this year, to limp out like a lame duck. Asked whether the election results would affect his plans for the social studies curriculum, he said, “Gosh no. I had some tremendous opposition, and a lot of people working against me, and I still almost won. The fact that I would change would be silly.
“The people who write about there being a tilt to the right in the curriculum never write about the tilt to the left, because they just don’t see it,” McLeroy said. “The reason why there’s so many more amendments to the social studies curriculum than to other subjects is because the balance was lacking. The populists, the progressives, the Great Society, all that stuff is from the left. … This country was founded on conservative, limited-government principles.” | 1,269,228 |
Warren, Sanders Criticize Amazon's Distribution of Anti-Union Video at Whole Foods Letter to Amazon CEO Bezos Asks for Additional Information on Encouragement of Illegal Anti-Union Activities
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to Jeff Bezos, the Chief Executive Officer of Amazon, to request information about the distribution of anti-union materials that potentially encourage illegal interference with thousands of workers' rights at Whole Foods, Amazon's recently acquired subsidiary. The letter follows a recent report from Gizmodo about a leaked training video for "team leaders" at Whole Foods that appeared to encourage anti-union actions illegal under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
According to the report, Amazon sent a 45-minute video to employees at Whole Foods encouraging illegal anti-union tactics such as discussing how joining a union could lead to stores closing and closely monitoring "warning signs" of union activity, which could result in unlawful surveillance. The NRLA protects workers' rights to join together in unions and bargain collectively, while also making it unlawful for employers to interfere with or restrain employees in the exercise of those rights. Illegal employer actions include threatening employees with adverse consequences if they join a union and spying on, or creating the impression of spying on, employees' union activities - both of which are reportedly encouraged in this video.
Following the video's leak, Amazon announced that, in response to criticism, it would raise the minimum wage for all of its full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees in the U.S., including those at Whole Foods, to $15 an hour. Amazon also announced it would advocate for a higher federal minimum wage. In their letter, the senators acknowledge this announcement but noted that it is not enough.
"It is important to recognize that workers' rights do not stop at the minimum wage, and raising the pay of your lowest-paid workers, while important, does not give you a free pass to engage in potentially illegal anti-union behavior," the senators wrote.
The senators requested Amazon send them the full video and written script as well as the locations where supervisors were sent the video, a list of any law firms or consulting companies that assisted with the development of the video or other anti-union tactics, any other materials distributed to Whole Foods employees relevant to organizing activities, specific steps Amazon/Whole Foods is taking to make sure supervisors do not violate federal labor laws, and an answer about whether or not Amazon employees were fired or retaliated against for expressing concerns about working conditions.
"Whole Foods's stated aim to'set the standards of excellence for food retailers' and observation that 'our leaders think long term and don't sacrifice long-term value creation for short-term financial results' are in direct contradiction to what appears to be systematic incitement of supervisors violating workers' rights by illegally interfering with their organizing activities," the senators continued.
The senators requested the information be provided no later than November 1, 2018.
Text of the Letter (PDF) | 1,269,229 |
Vid Former Florida governor, brother of former President George W Bush, son of former President George H W Bush, and Republican frontrunner for the 2016 US presidential election, Jeb Bush... has strongly defended the NSA's mass surveillance of innocent people.
Speaking at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as part of his run for the White House, Bush made it clear that if he did become president he would retain the programs introduced under his brother's administration.
While covering broad foreign policy topics, Bush appeared to go off script when he said that in order to effectively tackle Islamic terrorism, it was necessary to have "responsible intelligence gathering and analysis - including the NSA metadata program, which contributes to awareness of potential terror cells and interdiction efforts on a global scale."
He continued: "For the life of me, I don't understand.. the debate has gotten off track, where we're not understanding or protecting.. we do protect our civil liberties.. but this is a hugely important program to use these technologies to keep us safe."
Fast forward to the 28-minute mark for the fun to begin in this vid, streamed live on Wednesday, of his talk:
Youtube video of Bush
His position stands in contrast to other potential presidential candidates who have been careful not to support a program that has caused widespread public concern since it was first revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013.
Hilary Clinton – who is seen as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination – said last year with respect to the NSA program: "There is no doubt that we might have gone too far in a number of areas… At some point, I think there needs to be a global pact about surveillance and information and what it's used for."
She went on: "It is an incredibly complex set of issues. How do you maintain privacy - another word for liberty - and also have adequate security?... We need to make it clear to other countries that our tech companies are not part of our government." She has since reiterated the same basic message of a "really difficult balancing act" between privacy and security.
I love America and so did my father and brother
Bush's speech contained no suggestions for reform, spending much of his time taking swipes at the Obama administration, although at one point he appeared to miss the fact that the Snowden revelations had caused enormous damage to diplomatic relations with America's allies, particularly Germany. "Under this administration we are inconsistent and indecisive, we have lost the trust and confidence of our friends," he noted.
The internet got one other mention in the speech.
While highlighting the fact his father and brother were US presidents and stating he was his "own man", Jeb Bush noted: "Every president inherits a changing world - and changing circumstances. In the 1991 Gulf War timeframe, hardly anyone knew that the internet existed or who al-Qaeda was. In 2003, at the beginning of the liberation of Iraq, neither Twitter nor ISIS existed. New circumstances require new approaches."
In the case of NSA spying, for "new" read "old". ® | 1,269,230 |
Two fully assembled Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopters are preparing for maiden flights planned to take place before mid-2019 at the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida testing site.
The aircraft were transported late in 2018 to West Palm Beach after rolling off the final assembly line at Sikorsky’s factory in Stratford, Connecticut, said Sikorsky.
The announcement comes less than a month after the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) said in a 31 January report that the first engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) version of the HH-60W would fly at the earliest in February 2019. It now appears the programme won’t take flight in February, a four-month delay from its previous first-flight date of October 2018, but Sikorsky instead plans to attempt a first flight before July 2019.
Previously at issue was the HH-60W’s fuel cell, which has several design and manufacturing deficiencies, including exceeding the weight allowance and not meeting military standards for normal temperature, cold temperature and self-sealing performance, according to the DOT&E.
Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter preparing for first flight in West Palm Beach, Florida
Sikorsky
Nonetheless, Sikorsky says the HH-60W test readiness review was completed in October 2018. And now, the flight test team is preparing both aircraft for flight by conducting final installation of instrumentation and ground run testing.
"Our team is working every day to build and deliver a superior quality helicopter to the US Air Force for this critical mission," said Greg Hames, Sikorsky director of the Combat Rescue Helicopter programme. "Both Sikorsky and the Air Force remain committed to achieving a low-rate initial production decision this year and getting this much-needed aircraft to our air men and women out in the field."
A total of nine helicopters will be built in Connecticut during the Engineering Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the programme: four EMD aircraft and five system demonstration test articles, says Sikorsky. The USAF programme of record calls for 112 aircraft to replace its aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters.
The USAF wants HH-60Ws produced and deployed as soon as possible because its 96 HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters have exceeded their expected service lives of 6,000h of flight, according to a US Government Accountability Office report. As of August 2018, those helicopters had logged an average of 7,100h of flight. Only about 68% of the fleet was mission-capable in fiscal year 2017 – short of the USAF’s desired 75% mission-capable goal.
The HH-60Ws have a new Tactical Mission Kit, which includes sensors, radar, and multiple defence systems designed to increase a pilot's situational awareness. The Combat Rescue Helicopter also hosts a new fuel system that nearly doubles the capacity of the internal tank of its predecessor.
Source: FlightGlobal.com | 1,269,231 |
team that had plummeted to 3-9 and 113th in SP+, and while I had predicted the Hilltoppers might be capable of a run at bowl eligibility, this was starting to pretty clearly resemble a Year Zero situation.
A funny thing happened after that, though: WKU started defending like crazy. Winning, too. 20-13 over eventual C-USA West champ UAB. 17-8 over Army. 30-14 over Charlotte. After a two-game losing streak to Marshall (via last-second field goal) and FAU, they won their last four games of the year, too. They destroyed Arkansas, 45-19 -- with a former Arkansas QB (Ty Storey) leading the way, no less -- and finished a nine-win season with a First Responder Bowl win over WMU.
The best part: this defense, so good over the last 2-3 months that it finished 31st in defensive SP+, is scheduled to return almost everyone -- four of its top five linemen, every linebacker (plus Tennessee transfer Will Ignont and perhaps 2018 havoc-maker Eli Brown, injured last fall), and nearly every DB. And coordinator Clayton White is back to lead them.
Few teams were better than WKU at forcing passing downs. The Hilltoppers ranked 15th in standard downs success rate, fourth in open-play situations (snaps between the opponent's 10 and their 30). And when you also rank second in third-and-long success rate, well, that's a pretty good combination. Ends DeAngelo Malone and Juwuan Jones are havoc machines, and the defensive backbone -- tackles, middle LBs and safeties -- might be the best in the league. They're deep at cornerback, too, but Dionté Ruffin and Roger Cray are particularly good.
The offense had its moments, but it was dragged down by a lack of big-play ability and serious red zone issues -- they were 118th in points per scoring opportunity (first downs inside the opponent's 40). And now Storey, 1,100-yard receiver Lucky Jackson and all-conference tackle Miles Pate are all gone.
There are still solid efficiency options -- quick-strike receivers Jahcour Pearson and Jacquez Sloan, high-ceiling tight end Joshua Simon, and running back Gaej Walker -- but there is at least experience at QB. Steven Duncan began 2019 as the starter but struggled, then suffered a season-ending injury. He should be back, and he could get a nice challenge from sophomore and former star recruit Kevaris Thomas. Helton could elect to bring another Storey-like grad transfer, too.
One thing you notice pretty quickly looking at WKU's two-deep: It's dramatically experienced. The Hilltoppers could start as many as 17-18 seniors this year, which both makes them proven entities and adds a bit of win-now pressure. On paper, this is potentially the best team in the league, but they better win the title now before some retooling unfolds in 2021. | 1,269,232 |
Welcome to The Hill’s daily roundup of coronavirus news.
There are more than 1.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, including nearly 453,000 cases in the U.S. That includes 15,000 deaths.
The Trump administration and some governors are cautiously optimistic that the outbreak is slowing in some areas, mainly New York. At the same time, states in the South and Midwest are starting to see cases spike.
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COVID-19 continues to grip the U.S. economy, but the administration hopes to get things back up and running as early as May. It's debatable though if "opening up the country" means the same thing to President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Hillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers On the Money: Pelosi draws line at.2T | Jobless claims dip | Swing-state jobless numbers an issue for Trump MORE as it does to Dr. Anthony Fauci Anthony FauciControversial CDC guidelines were written by HHS officials, not scientists: report Overnight Health Care: Ex-Pence aide backs Biden over virus response | Trump's sharp words put CDC director on hot seat | Trump coronavirus adviser threatens to sue Stanford researchers Trump coronavirus adviser threatens to sue Stanford researchers MORE.
Here's what you need to know today:
From the administration
Trump administration officials are laying the groundwork for a possible May reopening of the economy. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on CNBC that businesses could reopen in May as long as Trump “feels comfortable with the medical issues.” Brett Samuels and Morgan Chalfant report.
Roughly 6.6 million Americans filed new applications for unemployment benefits in the first week of April as the coronavirus pandemic devastates the U.S. economy and forces millions out of work, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. Sylvan Lane has the story here.
A side effect of these record-high job losses: many also losing their health insurance, dealing a double whammy to suffering workers. Jessie Hellmann has more here.
The White House said it would start administering a coronavirus test to all of the reporters attending the press briefings, “out of an abundance of caution.” Read more here.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the total number of U.S. deaths “looks more like 60,000” than earlier estimates of 100,000 to 200,000. Kaelan Deese reports.
State watch
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From Congress: | 1,269,233 |
Italian rider Marco Simoncelli has died after a horrific crash at the Malaysian Moto GP, completing a harrowing week for motorsport after British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon lost his life on Monday.
Simoncelli, 24, crashed on the second lap and was hit by the bikes of Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi as he slid across the track on his Honda.
His helmet was knocked off in the incident and the season's penultimate race was stopped immediately with a red flag and then cancelled.
Yamaha's Edwards also came off his bike but escaped serious injury, while Rossi was able to get his Ducati back to the pits.
Simoncelli lay stricken on the track before being taken to the circuit's medical centre where he was pronounced dead.
"Everybody involved in MotoGP extends its deepest condolences to Marco's family, friends and team at this tragic loss," MotoGP said in a statement.
Casey Stoner, who won his second MotoGP world title at his home Australian Grand Prix last week, said: "As soon as I saw the footage it just makes you sick inside.
"Whenever the helmet comes off that's not a good sign."
Simoncelli's death is the first in the premier class since another Honda rider, Daijiro Kato, was killed at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix.
Shoya Tomizawa also died in a similar crash to Simoncelli in Moto2, the class below MotoGP, last year.
Simoncelli, known for his shaggy afro haircut and fun-loving personality, began in the 125cc class in 2002 before moving up to the 250cc class in 2006.
He won the 250cc world title in 2008.
MotoGP bosses and riders have been working hard to improve safety following Tomizawa's death at the San Marino Grand Prix in September 2010, but have acknowledged there is little more they can do given the implicit danger in motorcycling, especially when riders are hit by other bikes.
All Italian sports events on Sunday will observe a minute's silence in memory of Simoncelli, the Italian Olympic Committee said in a statement.
Simoncelli was a big fan of soccer club AC Milan, which released a statement offering its condolences.
Last season's MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo recently suffered a serious injury which could have cost him a finger, underlining the danger of the sport.
The Spaniard said: "On a day like this I don't know what to say. Marco, rest in peace."
Nicky Hayden, the 2006 champion who rides for Italian team Ducati, was heartbroken.
"It is a really horrible day for all of us," the American said.
"I saw Marco fall. Leaving the corner he lost the back end and probably he didn't manage to regain his balance on the bike. I feel really bad.
"On the track we are all brothers. Marco, we will miss you so much."
Reuters | 1,269,234 |
Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying said on Saturday that promoting Hong Kong independence was comparable to promoting “racism, anti-semitism or Nazism,” or denying the existence of the Nanjing massacre or Holocaust.
Andy Chan, convener of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party, is due to speak at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) on Tuesday. HKFP first reported on August 3 that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong tried to stop the event. Leung since emerged as a high-profile critic of the press club.
Leung Chun-ying. File photo: European Business Summit, via Flickr.
Leung’s comments on Saturday were his ninth Facebook post on the subject, published over eight consecutive days. In his post, he said that “on certain subjects, equal opportunity in a debate is no defence.”
“Would the Club invite speakers who promote racism, anti-semitism or Nazism? Ditto speakers who claim that the Holocaust and Nanjing massacre are figments of imagination? I advise not,” he said.
“Severing Hong Kong from China is an absolute red line,” he added.
Francis Moriarty. Photo: FCC Hong Kong.
Leung addressed his latest comments to journalist and former FCC board member Francis Moriarty. Last week, Moriarity publicly rebutted Leung’s claim that the FCC only pays a “token rent” for its Central premises.
Moriarty published a reply on Sunday, saying that Leung was “dealing in false analogies that seek to mislead.”
“Simply put, CY, a persuasive argument on censorship cannot be based on false equivalence,” Moriarty said.
Maria Tam Wai-chu. File Photo: GovHK.
Maria Tam, the vice-chairperson of the Basic Law Committee of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said on Sunday that it was unnecessary for the FCC to host Chan’s talk – though she stopped short of opposing the event.
“It is unnecessary for the FCC to provide a platform to promote Hong Kong independence just to prove that Hong Kong has the freedom of speech,” Tam told reporters at an event.
“Anyone can call a radio or television station to criticise anyone or anything they want,” she added.
She also voiced support for the decision by RTHK head Leung Ka-wing to stop the public broadcaster from live-streaming Chan’s talk. A live-stream of the speech would create an impression that RTHK was sympathetic to Chan’s point of view, Tam said.
The FCC issued a statement on August 6 committing to hosting Chan’s talk, and did not respond further to comments by Leung or other political figures. It reported last Thursday that the talk was fully booked.
Full coverage: | 1,269,235 |
Fiji is the only place on earth that will escape the apocalypse.
At least that’s what South Korea’s Grace Road Church and its founder, Shin Ok-ju, preached to followers, calling the Pacific island nation the “center of the world as promised in the Bible.”
The founding story of Grace Road says a missionary was sent around the world to find the land that would survive the famine. That place, it turns out, happened to be Fiji.
Professor Tark Ji-il from Busan University, who studies Korean cults, explained that “Fiji divides into two syllables – Fi and Ji. In Korean characters, Fi means ‘escape’ or ‘shelter’ and Ji means ‘place’ or land’, so it’s interesting, isn’t it?”
Hundreds of Koreans believed Shin’s message, uprooting their lives and moving to Fiji. But earlier this month Shin and three others were arrested in Seoul, charged with enslavement of some 400 of their followers.
RNZ reports:
Korean authorities said that when church members arrived in Fiji, their passports were seized and some were forced to endure violent rituals. Many more were either forced to work on a plantation or at several other church-run businesses. Those businesses, which South Korean prosecutors said were the front for a violent cult, were widely endorsed and supported by the highest levels of Fiji’s Government. Last year, it received a Prime Minister’s Business Award. In their announcement, Korean authorities said those who were forced to work were watched over by “guardians,” who were personally selected by Ms Shin to prevent the followers from leaving. While in Fiji, prosecutors said, they were forced to perform ritual beatings on one another, which Ms Shin said was done to avoid punishment from God. A father was forced to hit his son more than 100 times, while another was beaten so badly they have lasting brain damage, they said.
Five victims finally managed to escape and alert South Korean authorities about abuses endorsed by Grace Road Church. The church has strongly denied all allegations against it, and the Fiji government has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Grace Road Church never quite gained traction in South Korea, but the opposite seemed to be the case when it opened its doors in Fiji in 2014. It has grown into a small business empire in Fiji, courting several government ministers in the process.
Still, churches in Fiji have been wary of Grace Road for some time. Fiji Methodist Church — the country’s largest denomination — issued a statement in 2016 calling Grace Road Church a cult.
“Some of our friends have said that people who work for [Grace Road], they work in fear,” said a spokesperson for the Methodist church, Wilfred Regunamada.
“There is like a fear of doing something wrong and something will happen. A decision has been made for them.” | 1,269,236 |
September wasn’t a great month for Bernie Sanders’s presidential prospects. As students and teachers headed back to school, chatter around the progressive icon’s Democratic primary campaign warned of stagnation: He began to fall behind rival Elizabeth Warren in both national and state polls, leading some Sanders loyalists to begin training their Twitter guns on the Massachusetts senator. Staff shake-ups followed in some early primary states.
But the arrival of October has brought encouraging news for the Vermont senator: In a release of third-quarter fundraising numbers, Sanders’s campaign revealed that it had raised $25 million since the beginning of July. That figure represents nearly a 40 percent bump over his second-quarter haul — and according to the campaign, the most commonly cited occupation among the more than 1 million donors was “teacher.”
➡️ Our average donation: $19
➡️ Most common profession: Teachers
➡️ Over 1 million donors
➡️ 99.9% can give again We don’t need billionaires. We don’t need a super PAC. We have the people, and that is much more powerful. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 1, 2019
The windfall makes clear that, whatever the near-term polling situation, Sanders will have the means to prolong his run well into 2020. It also demonstrates his early strength among educators, one of the groups whose support will be indispensable if he secures the Democratic nomination.
Since coming up short behind Hillary Clinton three years ago, Sanders has made a concerted effort to attract the support of teachers unions for a possible second presidential run. By this stage in the 2016 primary, Clinton had already won the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers. While that nod was a milestone in her White House bid, it was disappointing to some activists, many of whom favored Sanders’s candidacy.
The backlash rippled even further after President Donald Trump — who was favored by 20 percent of AFT members — took office. At last year’s union convention, delegates unanimously adopted a proposal demanding that any presidential candidate endorsed by the union support a slate of specific policy recommendations — among them, free child care, subsidized tuition at state colleges and universities, and full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act.
Sanders checks those boxes. He has also called for starting salaries for all teachers to be fixed at $60,000. (Since teacher pay is set at the state and local levels, it’s unclear how a President Sanders would achieve this.)
And as organized teachers have grown more militant in the past year, including the Red for Ed strikes, he hasn’t been shy about wading in. Sanders — a longtime advocate for organized labor — recently made an appearance at the headquarters of the Chicago Teachers Union as its members weighed the possibility of a walkout. His campaign also promoted an ad last month extolling the 2018 strikes and calling for better working conditions for teachers.
Submit a Letter to the Editor | 1,269,237 |
Over 85% of the web is still using HTTP/1.1, an old protocol that was introduced back in 1991, and was not designed to handle the amount of data we are dealing with today. In 2015, we finally got a much-needed update to the most used protocol on the web — HTTP/2. It’s astronomically faster, more secure, and generally offers a much better experience for everybody. Here’s how the current HTTP/1.1 protocol looks like:
Despite HTTP/2 having released 2 years ago, websites are still slow to make the transition, which is why we built Falcon Push in hopes to ease that transfer. The essential idea was to take one of the most beneficial and tricky features of HTTP/2, server push, and automate it as much as possible.
What is HTTP/2?
HTTP/2 was originally developed by Google under the name SPDY as an experimental protocol to replace HTTP/1.1. Eventually IETF made part of SPDY the HTTP/2 standard.
HTTP/2 is aim to solve the following problems:
Create a negotiation mechanism that allows clients and servers to elect to use HTTP 1.1, 2.0, or potentially other non-HTTP protocols.
Maintain high-level compatibility with HTTP 1.1.
Decrease latency to improve page load speed.
The most interesting part is the methods to reduce latency. HTTP/2 introduces several mechanism that HTTP/1.1 can’t do, such as compressing HTTP headers, server push, multiplexing requests, and requests pipelining.
We think we’ve come up with a good solution for server push and can’t wait to show you how it works!
Server Push
Server push provides you the ability to push data to the client without the client ever requesting it. In theory, we could push some assets on the page when the client first makes the request, thus saving the time for the client to make follow up requests. And that, could use some optimizations, which is where our middleware comes in!
Our Node JS implementation
Falcon Push is a Node/Express middleware library that easily plugs into your server for server push implementation. On server startup, it will automatically parse any HTML files you have and extract the static files you need — these static files include any css, js, jpeg, etc.
Once a client makes a request to the server, our middleware will run and create a cache awareness mechanism using cookies and a Golomb compression hash of all the assets being pushed. This will cache the assets that are ready to be pushed in the client’s browser, effectively reducing page load time on subsequent page requests. Once the caching mechanism is finished, our middleware will send all the requested assets using server push, which is all done in one client request.
You can checkout the speed differences with our middleware at https://falconpush.io, github, and npm. | 1,269,238 |
China to launch Wikipedia rival in 2018 Published duration 2 May 2017
image copyright PHILIPPE LOPEZ image caption Wikipedia is available in China, but some content is blocked
China is to launch an online version of its national encyclopaedia next year, to compete with Wikipedia.
Officials said more than 20,000 people had been hired to work on the project, which will feature 300,000 entries at about 1,000 words each.
Unlike Wikipedia, it will be created by selected scholars from state-run universities rather than being openly editable by volunteers.
Wikipedia is available in China, but some of its content is blocked.
The Encyclopaedia of China "is not a book, but a Great Wall of culture", Yang Muzhi, the editor-in-chief of the project, who chairs the Book and Periodicals Distribution Association of China, said in an update earlier in April.
Mr Yang - who has listed Wikipedia as a competitor - also said China was facing international pressure to produce its own platform to guide "the public and society".
The Encyclopaedia of China was first published in 1993, in paper form, with the support of scholars, and released a second edition in 2012.
But critics said the government-funded works omitted or distorted some entries for political purposes.
The idea for an online version was approved in 2011, but work on it began only recently.
It will take the state into direct competition with local companies that have launched their own online encyclopaedias - such as Baidu and Qihu 360, as well as the largest platform, Wikipedia.
Currently, users on the mainland can read some Wikipedia content, but searches for sensitive topics such as the Dalai Lama and President Xi Jinping are blocked.
image copyright Twitter image caption Last week, Turkish authorities blocked access to Wikipedia within the country without giving a reason
Taha Yasseri, a research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, told the BBC: "The need for information in China makes people use Wikipedia through the usual anti-filtering tools, and this is far from ideal for an authoritarian state.
"So, this initiative is to attract more users towards the state-approved content."
His colleague Joss Wright, however, said the platform could also offer "a more uniquely 'Chinese' experience that domestic users tend to like".
'High-quality' authors
In an article for a mainland newspaper last year, Mr Yang said Wikipedia's appeal in China was "bewitching".
But he added: "We have the biggest, most high-quality author team in the world.
"Our goal is not to catch up, but overtake."
Last week, Turkish authorities blocked access to Wikipedia within the country without giving a reason.
In 2014, Russia also announced plans for an alternative version of Wikipedia, with the stated aim of providing better information about the country than was available on the platform.
Related Topics China
Censorship | 1,269,239 |
I have real estate." Conflicts of interest? Trump says: “If it were up to some people, I would never, ever see my daughter Ivanka again." Trump on his businesses/conflict q's: "The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest." "I think it would be very very divisive for the country," Trump says about prosecuting the Clintons. "My inclination would be for whatever power I have on the matter is to say let's go forward.This has been looked at for so long, ad nauseum" That last tweet was Trump making clear he doesn't favor prosecution. Added people could argue the Clinton Foundation has done "good work." On climate change, Trump says he is also thinking about "how much it will cost our companies” & the effect on American competitiveness. Does Trump think human activity is linked to climate change? “I think there is some connectivity. Some, something. It depends on how much." Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE
"I disavow and condemn them," Trump said. "Of course."
Speaking about Bannon, a top executive at Breitbart News, a website he has called "the platform for the alt-right," Trump said: "If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn't even think about hiring him."
Bannon, accused of past anti-Semitism, has insisted he is not anti-Semitic. But his appointment was met with immediate condemnation from the left and even some on the right.
"A lot of people are coming to his defense right now," Trump said, as his incoming White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, voiced support for Bannon while sitting at the conference table.
"I think it's very hard on him," Trump said. "I think he's having a hard time with it. Because it's not him."
Trump also addressed Breitbart, which he said "is just a publication."
The outlet ran a headline Tuesday that accused him of a "broken promise" after Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway suggested he would not pursue an investigation against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The publication has also come under fire for inflammatory headlines and stories, and it has been unabashedly pro-Trump throughout his campaign.
"They cover stories like you cover stories," he said. "They are certainly a much more conservative paper, to put it mildly, than The New York Times. But Breitbart really is a news organization that has become quite successful. It's got readers, and it does cover subjects on the right, but it covers subjects on the left also. It's a pretty big thing."
SEE ALSO: Trump says he's'seriously considering' Ben Carson for top Cabinet role one week after Carson said he had no interest
NOW WATCH: Trump goes on a tweetstorm less than 48 hours after promising to be more'restrained' on Twitter | 1,269,240 |
Community Spotlight: NanoCashier
Payment Processor and NanoChina
Hi everyone,
For this week’s spotlight, I talked with someone who many of you are probably not familiar with, but who is playing an active role in the growth of Nano. Huang Shao, better known as JellyBool, has become a fixture within Nano’s growing Chinese community. I was lucky to be able to chat with him about his payment processor, NanoCashier, as well as some of the ongoing projects in China.
Troy: Thanks for being here! Could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your project?
Huang: My name is Huang Shao, on the internet, I’ve always used the moniker JellyBool. I have 4 years experience as a backend developer and a deep interest in cryptocurrency. NanoCashier was developed as a payment processor explicitly for Nano. The primary goal is to provide a simple, fast and easily accessible service for merchants who want to accept Nano online.
One of the project’s goals is to have a robust ecosystem built around Nano, how does your payment processor differ from other current examples? And are there any features you are currently working on?
NanoCashier provides Instant Payment Notifications like many of the most popular fiat payment processors, such as Stripe and Paypal. Kubernetes architecture and queue clustering are used for the backend, which makes our service very responsive and processes payments near-instantly. We are focusing on three new things for NanoCashier right now: -Our JS library is under development and should be released soon which will enable merchants to accept Nano with only two lines of code. -Setting up Alipay payouts. Merchants in HongKong and Thailand can accept fiat payout through Alipay every two weeks. -We have applied to form a company using Stripe Atlas. If accepted, we could begin developing Shopify plugins.
You are based in China and are very active in the Asian community, can you let us know how things are going over there?
To be honest, few people in China know the specifics of Nano, they only recognize it as an altcoin like others. This gives Nano massive potential for growth. I am personally a big fan of Nano, you can usually find me in either the Telegram or WeChat groups set up for Chinese users. Each Nano weekly update along with relevant news is translated and posted in Nano’s Wechat channel, allowing us to stay up to date on development.The Chinese community has been consistently adding users, but it’s essential we focus on increasing the growth rate. Recently, SNC, a well-known cryptocurrency analysis agency in China, along with the China Electronic Information Industry Development, have evaluated the project and ranked Nano against other coins, so Nano is on their radar. Now it is up to us to grow the community and expand the user base.
What are some of the projects that you and others in the Chinese community are working on to grow Nano? | 1,269,241 |
to congressional Republicans and was one of the architects of the new welfare legislation. He argues that back then, there was no other alternative because of one giant problem: welfare dependency.
"There were just too many people that became dependent on welfare," Haskins tells NPR's Raz. "For example, a Harvard study showed that 65 percent of people on the [welfare] rolls at any given moment would be on the rolls for eight years or more."
The overall goal of the bill, Haskins says, was to eliminate that dependency on welfare so that the people on it would learn to support themselves. He says the most important change in the statute was ending welfare as an entitlement program.
"Republicans said... [recipients] have to do something in return — namely, they have to work," he says.
Haskins characterizes the bill as a success, especially for never-married mothers, a group he says was involved in the welfare overhaul. From 1995 to 2000, the number of never-married mothers who went to work increased 40 percent, he says.
"Poverty fell like a rock," he says. "There were problems, but [the welfare overhaul] was a great success."
Poverty On The Rise
When Clinton signed off on the legislation, one of his top officials, Peter Edelman, resigned in protest. He warned that it would leave the most vulnerable Americans — people living far below the poverty level — even worse off.
"The real proof of what a really bad public policy this was is in the recession," Edelman,who now teaches law at Georgetown University, tells Raz. "When people went for help during the recession, they could get food stamps and it turned out they couldn't get welfare... so food stamp participation went up from 30 million before the recession up to 46 million."
The food stamp benefits are not huge, he says, and if you have no other income, they equal only about a third of the poverty line.
"We have 6 million people in the country whose only income is food stamps because welfare is basically gone," he says.
Edelman, author of the new book So Rich, So Poor: Why It's So Hard to End Poverty in America, says those who say poverty has decreased are wrong. While some of the 46 million poor are from the current recession, he says, poverty has been on the rise since 2000.
"Starting in the year 2000, the poverty numbers went up steadily almost every year, and then another big jump in 2007 and 2008," he says.
If he were advising President Obama on poverty today, Edelman says, he would tell him to hold the line against proposals like Rep. Paul Ryan's budget, which he calls "reverse Robin Hood."
"It's going to add over $5 trillion over 10 years to the wealthiest people in this country... and take about the same amount of money away from the lowest income people," he says. "For real people, the recession is still there." | 1,269,242 |
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Terminator 6 actor; Enrique Arce, may have let slip the budget of the new Terminator movie in a recent interview regarding the movie. In the interview itself Enrique could not reveal much as he has signed an 8 page NDA.
Watch the following video for a comprehensive rundown of the recent report citing a potential budget for the new Terminator movie; including rough comparisons of previous Terminator movie budgets.
We have mentioned our views; that (in our opinion) if the budget could come down in order to provide more violence and horror, we would prefer it but this larger budget suggests upping the action for a more T2 style of project (large action blockbuster).
If 255 million (as referenced by Enrique Arce) is the actual budget,- then Terminator 6 is still the most expensive Terminator movie to date, even with taking inflation into account but could that large budget come at the cost of artistic integrity and PG-13 concerns…?
Arce’s dropped the 255 million figure while discussing the differences of American and Spanish film making (translated from elnortedecastilla.es):
“the month of July was filming a film in Valencia and at the same time I was filming Terminator 6 in Budapest. It has nothing to do with one another, in the first there are 50 people and in the other 2,500. One was worth two million euros and the other 255 million.
Money sends, and when you have a production of that type, in addition to a country where they know how to do things for a long time, it changes a lot at all levels. That is why it is impossible for a Spanish film to compete with an American one. It is unfair, because it costs the same an entrance to see Terminator than to see a Spanish film and yet the cost of production is much lower.”
Also that 8 page confidentiality contract and the effort going in to making the movie a secret- should make sure that when fans see the movie they won’t have major surprises ruined.
“I could never imagine that I would be in the most-watched non-English-speaking series in history – ‘The Paper House’ – or that I would one day be filming with Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator 6, and I’m doing both at the same time. I have signed eight pages of confidentiality contract, I can not even say the name of my character. They also do not give us the script, they just pass us the paper that you have to say that day and then they pick it up. James Cameron is the producer and Tim Miller the director. Then there’s the cast in which Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger meet. I can not advance anything, all that information is on the IMDB.com page.”
So, what do you think about the potentially massive budget for the new Terminator; is it a good thing or do you see it as a bad thing? Comment below.
Source: elnortedecastilla.es | 1,269,243 |
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Esports organizers say don’t blame the games.
Executives at the Asian Games have expressed sympathy for the victims of the deadly shooting at a video game tournament in a Florida shopping mall. But Kenneth Fok, president of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, said the shooting was more a reflection of U.S. gun laws than the gaming community.
U.S. authorities say 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore killed two people and wounded nine others before fatally shooting himself Sunday at a Madden tournament being held at a riverfront mall in Jacksonville.
“Of course tragedies like this should never happen. One is already too many,” Fok told a news conference Wednesday about the introduction of esports at the Asian Games. “But I think this is a bigger issue of gun control and access to guns.
“This very unfortunate incident happened in a video game arena, but does this mean that it’s esports or video games to blame? I don’t believe so. It’s not esports that caused this. We’re really saddened to see this take place.”
While several U.S.-based esports organizers have called for better security at events since Sunday’s shooting, Indian Gaming League founder and AESF vice-president Lokesh Suji said problems such as the shooting in Florida hadn’t occurred in Asia, where the vast bulk of esports and gaming is focused.
“Tell me about one incident where this has happened in Asia,” said Suji, adding that drawing comparisons between gaming and violence “is the wrong perspective.”
“We’ve never had this in this part of the world. Why are things happening in the U.S.?” Suji said. “It’s very sad. Every time something like this happens in the U.S., people start blaming the video games. The bigger picture, the bigger problem is gun control.”
Esports made its competitive debut this week as a demonstration sport at the Asian Games, which has attracted more than 11,000 athletes in 40 sports. The arena was packed for the esports debut and the reception was good, leading organizers to be positive about being considered as a medal sport for the next Asian Games in China in 2022 and ultimately at the Olympics.
Fok said the gaming community and the burgeoning industry was paying attention to concerns such as addiction, and believes those can be addressed by education and regulation as competitive gaming edges further into the mainstream.
“It is a high-stress environment. We have to protect athletes as well,” Fok said. “As we grow, we have to look at the overall well-being of all our athletes.”
Mike Morhaime, the CEO of Blizzard Entertainment, an American video games developer, told a recent International Olympic Committee forum that esports has 2 billion people worldwide playing electronic games, with 380 million watching esports. | 1,269,244 |
On March 17, Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao reported that a 32-year-old Singaporean property agent, Lau Li Ting, allegedly died after receiving a Botox injection on March 13, 2019.
Lau's father confirmed that the cause of death was heart failure, but how the injection even led to Lau's death remains unknown.
What happened
According to the report, Lau visited a beauty clinic in Marina Bay on March 8 morning for a Botox treatment.
The aesthetic doctor who administered the injection allegedly recounted that Lau began to shiver after the injection, and subsequently, became unconscious in the clinic.
The doctor also claimed that Lau's heart had allegedly already stopped beating before she was sent to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
The medication that was used in the injection has not yet been identified.
Lianhe Wanbao also reported that it understood this was not the first time that Lau went for Botox injection treatment.
Mothership.sg was also informed that Lau visited a licensed clinic for the Botox treatment.
In a Facebook post on March 17, one aesthetic clinic wrote a statement to claim that they are not the clinic that Lau visited.
According to Lau's mother, her husband received a call from the clinic to inform them about the incident at around 3pm in the afternoon.
Soon after, SGH also called to alert the parents that Lau was in an extremely critical state and the medical team was trying to save her.
She slipped into a coma state and was apparently put on life support for the next five days until March 13 evening when she passed away.
Lau's family has made a police report and an investigation is ongoing.
Safety first
The newspaper reported that the deceased woman's family are devastated by the sudden death.
Lau's mother also shared that her daughter, being the eldest among her four children, had been a bubbly and independent person.
She was teaching private tuition for almost a decade before becoming a property agent in recent years.
Lau's mother shared that she will wait for the findings of the investigation and not jump to any conclusions or stop anyone from visiting Lau.
Speaking to Lianhe Wanbao, Lau's mother also wished to remind all women to prioritise safety before beauty.
She was quoted as saying:
"Women are naturally vain, but safety is still above all, I hope there won't be such another tragedy again.'
The family also shared details of her wake on Lau's Facebook account.
The wake was decorated in purple as that was Lau's favourite colour.
Top photo collage from Lau Liting Facebook and Sungmin_Cho via Pixabay
(Editor’s note: a previous version of this article mis-translated the Chinese term describing the person who administered the Botox injection as a “beautician” when it was actually an aesthetic doctor. This has been amended.)
Related stories: | 1,269,245 |
2013’s “Let Me Feel” had hit the digital market, however, there were few who could deny that this valiant Swedish artist spelt necessary change for genre and industry alike. Fusing intricate melodic progressions with minimalistic drops, Jeremy’s calling card has not only been the ability to fuse big room appeal and underground aptitude, but then spoon feed it to the masses. Whislt his Dhillon moniker has kept the techno ranks in order, his ongoing bond with Pryda Friends continues to epitomize the life and times of one of the more organic and unpretentious breakouts of his time.
Guy J
Time has told that John Digweed does not simply hand out album duties to anyone. With two full-length offerings to his name and an inaugural notch on the Balance compilation series for 2013, Israel’s Guy J has quickly become an inseparable asset to his craft. Leaping between vivid instrumental techno and subtle installments of full-bodied progressive house, the recent unveiling of his Lost & Found imprint has seen a wealth of new blood pumped into the digital market, offering some his finest solo exploits to date along the way. As another artist unafraid to test the lifeblood of underground club appeal, Guy’s spotless track record for recorded excellence and intimately strewn-out DJ sets make him an international asset not to be ignored. A word to the wise: keep eyes peeled for album number three!
Fehrplay
Having cut his teeth on the Manchester club circuit some years ago, Norwegian Pryda Friend Fehrplay sits far from the atypical sound of Scandinavian club land. Breaking out with “Meow” for Ministry of Sound in 2009 and subsequently hitting Prydz’s label with back-to-back progressive bombs, his ability to drive deep and underground vibes into the genre’s core has continued to separate Jonas Von Der Fehr from the crowd. In the year that saw him extensively blaze the North American club circuit alongside both Eric Prdyz and label peer Jeremy Olander, the releases have remained on top form throughout. With his next label offering said to return to the euphoric scope of “Phantom,” Fehrplay is another talent mixing it up for the masses without compromise.
Guy Mantzur
Where Israel’s clubbing legacy may not have been rigorously documented, Gay Mantzur remains an outright success story to emerge from its fertile shores. A master of the hypnotic melody with label duties for 2013 alone including Sudbeats, Lost & Found and DAR, Mantzur’s output continues to drive deep into the journey-like intimacy of modern progressive house. Past the global club and festival credentials, he continues to shine the light for Tel Aviv’s renowned Cat N Dog club/imprint, adding to his global clubbing credentials considerably. Guy remains an inherent innovator and live dance evangelist at a time when the genre and its fast expanding fan base needs it most.
Categories: Music | 1,269,246 |
. I'm so very against policing women's clothes or presentation. I don't understand how it was inappropriate or how an outfit millions of women would wear (removing the scifi elements, of course) is demeaning to wear.
A lot of men also told me that it wasn't about her clothing. But I disagree vehemently there as well. The pose itself is literally just her standing. Not bending over, and again, no emphasis on her ass. To me that means it is all about the clothing. If her butt wasn't as well-defined, which it is thanks to the leggings, it wouldn't have been "offensive."
Anyway, onto the second point: Blizzard CAN change their characters, at any point. I didn't argue that. But likewise, as a consumer, I can call them out on a change that I find bizarre. I can question it. I don't pretend to imagine they'll listen, but at the same time, they listened to this one outraged customer so why shouldn't we share our POVs too?
It doesn't make me a baby. Caring about this doesn't mean I'm perverted. It just means I don't understand why one user's viewpoint means more than a dozen user's viewpoints--it means that I don't embrace the philosophy that if someone is offended, we must neutralize the offense at all costs.
Sometimes we should just look into it and conclude that it's inevitable: someone will always be offended. Does each outcry deserve the same response? Are all offenses created equal?
Since I spoke out, I got blocked including by a few formerly mutual followers whom I've had nothing but great conversations with prior. It honestly sucked. But I came to the realization that I don't want these "friends" anyway. To me, if someone disagrees respectfully, it's fine; if they can agree to disagree and move on, it makes both of us more mature and enlightened. I'm always open to recourse and debate*.
But I am not open to being shamed into switching a viewpoint I will never see. I am not into being treated like a reprehensible person because I think removing a pose in a video game is a waste of Blizzard's time (and a capitulation that just encourages further sensitivity). I am not into being called a bad woman because I like Tracer's outfit. I am not OK with being told I don't understand and/or am somehow intellectually inferior because I disagree about it being offensive. I am not happy that my argument is distilled into how I'm basically a big baby who wants to stare at asses all day (I really don't, Tracer isn't even my type of girl).
Be better than that.
* Except about this. I am done talking about butts. I don't even care about Tracer as a character, I just found it fucking weird to remove a NORMAL pose because a person found it problematic. At what point do we stop?
Reply · Report Post | 1,269,247 |
Hamster fed LSD-spiked Tizer and cannabis in Heysham Published duration 8 February 2017
media caption Footage shows the hamster, named Mr Chow, drinking Tizer from a water bottle
A pet owner who fed cannabis and a soft drink spiked with LSD to his hamster has been jailed.
Nchinumya Ntembe, 22, poured Tizer laced with the hallucinogenic into a water bottle and fed marijuana leaves to the rodent, named Mr Chow.
Footage released by the RSPCA shows Ntembe and others laughing as Mr Chow ingests the drugs.
Ntembe admitted five cruelty offences and was jailed for four months at Lancaster Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The charges also included failing to meet the needs of two dogs. The animals survived and were rehomed.
image copyright RSPCA image caption Footage shows Nchinumya Ntembe adding LSD-spiked Tizer to the hamster's water bottle
Ntembe, of Cypress Road, Lancaster, was also banned from keeping animals for eight years.
He was caught on camera filling Mr Chow's water bottle with the spiked soft drink before then feeding the animal with cannabis leaves at a property in Heysham.
He can be heard saying with others "this could be the end for Mr Chow" and they "egged each other on to give him more drugs", the RSPCA said.
The charity said his dogs - named Zeus and Faith - were also found in a "terrible state" and unnecessary suffering was caused to a further dog called Troy.
Police had attended the property on a warrant and discovered the animals and the footage of cruelty on mobile phones.
image copyright RSPCA image caption The hamster was signed over to the RSPCA last year and has been rehomed
Ntembe admitted five offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
Causing a poisonous or injurious drug, namely cannabis, to be given to a hamster
Causing a poisonous or injurious drug, namely LSD, to be given to a hamster
Causing unnecessary suffering to Faith and Zeus by failing to investigate and treat the causes of their poor body condition
Causing unnecessary suffering to Faith and Zeus by failing to provide veterinary care and attention for their facial and head injuries
Failing to meet the needs of Faith and Zeus by failing to provide them with a suitable environment
Last month, Corey Lee Destrow, 22, York Road, Lancaster, admitted animal cruelty offences relating to the hamster at the city's magistrates' court.
He was given 12 month community order with 80 hours unpaid work and was disqualified from keeping animals for two years, following an appeal of his eight week prison sentence.
Luke Gabriel Horn, 22, of Kingsway, Heysham, was sentenced to an 18 month community order with 250 hours unpaid work after admitted animal cruelty to a dog.
He was disqualified from keeping dogs for five years. | 1,269,248 |
Just like our lungs and liver filter out carbon dioxide and other impurities in the body, so machines need filters to prevent sediment and scale collecting and damaging the machine. Many people these days use home water filters to remove cryptosporidium from the water because of the poor quality of drinking water.
In fact, a common contaminant of municipal water systems is iron. Ferrous contamination must be removed from water by special iron water filters because it can cause a horrible metallic taste.
Think how important a filter system is in the hospitality industry. Filters are important for keeping water tanks in a hygienic state and even coffee machines have filters to block mineral deposits and sediment. They ensure that the coffee tastes good and that the equipment lasts for a long time.
Filters for doing Life
• We all use washing machines nearly every day, and the working of these filters are much the same as the regular filter. A common filter in a washing machine is the magnetic and sediment filter. These filters are designed to remove the magnetic impurities in water such as aluminium, iron, nickel and cobalt.
• Other people use breathing machines, and in such incidences, filters need to be cleaned regularly when they’re discoloured. This is because the buildup of bacteria is essential for a clean environment for your mouth and nose.
General-purpose magnetic filters provide filtration and are designed to remove ferrous contamination from industrial fluids. Filters like this increase fluid life. Magnetic filtration is the most efficient method to get rid of ferrous particles from industrial fluids such as lubricants and coolants.
Filters Rid your Car Cabin of Dust and Fumes
Your car also has filters such as the oil-, air and fuel filters for instance. They all catch impurities such as dust. If they aren’t replaced in time, you’ll find your car won’t be working properly any more. Certainly, by replacing the filters, your car becomes more efficient. The air that comes into your car cabin would be full of dust and pollen if it weren’t for the filter. A carbon activated cabin filter will also take care of odours in your car as well as exhaust gases.
Your car also has a fuel filter which removes impurities such as dust and rust in the fuel. The fuel filter removes impurities like dust, rust and grit contained in the fuel. Removal of these contaminants by the fuel filter protects the fuel injectors of your car and thus ensure the optimal performance as well as longevity of the car engine.
Machines with mineral buildup certainly run less efficiently and these days most modern machines have filter systems built into them. Filtration is a process that separates solids from liquids, allowing the liquid to pass through, leaving behind the solid.
Do Regular Filter Replacement
Filters are important for the smooth, efficient running of cars and machines. To keep your car and machines working well, you need to keep an eye on the different filters and do filter replacement so that liquids can flow freely. | 1,269,249 |
Paul took several shots at Cruz's requent references to Ronald Reagan. | AP Photos Paul calls out Cruz in op-ed
Sen. Rand Paul blasted fellow GOP Sen. Ted Cruz’s frequent references to Ronald Reagan on Monday, deepening the rift between the two potential 2016 presidential candidates.
In an op-ed for Breitbart News, Paul (R-Ky.) took several shots at Cruz for espousing a foreign policy framework in the mold of Reagan. He also criticized Cruz’s frequent bashing of the GOP for nominating insufficiently conservative presidential candidates like Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney.
“I don’t claim to be the next Ronald Reagan nor do I attempt to disparage fellow Republicans as not being sufficiently Reaganesque,” Paul wrote. “I will remind anyone who thinks we will win elections by trashing previous Republican nominees or holding oneself out as some paragon in the mold of Reagan, that splintering the party is not the route to victory.”
Though Paul never names Cruz in the op-ed, his comments are clearly aimed at the Texas Republican, who is prone to opine about Reagan and offer the former president as an example for today’s GOP to follow.
( Also on POLITICO: Ted Cruz's CPAC speech)
And at last week’s CPAC conference, Cruz said previous GOP presidential candidates were good men but their losing campaigns serve as reminders that “when you don’t stand for principle, Democrats celebrate.” Cruz also offered Reagan and Paul’s father, Ron, as the two Republicans who have most energized young people.
The debate over how to respond to the crisis in Ukraine has highlighted a split between the two senators who are largely in step on domestic policy. In interviews last week, Paul said he is wary of giving money to Ukraine due to its history of corruption while Cruz said he will wait to see what comes out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
And when speaking more broadly of his world view, Cruz distances himself from Paul’s libertarian foreign policy views. On Sunday, Cruz bluntly said of Paul: “I don’t agree with him on foreign policy.”
( PHOTOS: Key quotes from Ted Cruz)
But Paul said Monday that there’s actually broad agreement among Republicans with regard to Ukraine: Isolate Russia and hold back military action. Those who say otherwise, Paul said, are using “this time to beat their chest.”
“What we don’t need right now is politicians who have never seen war talking tough for the sake of their political careers,” Paul said. “Today’s Republicans should concentrate on establishing their own identities and agendas, as opposed to simply latching onto Ronald Reagan’s legacy—or worse, misrepresenting it.”
( QUIZ: Do you know Rand Paul?)
Cruz’s office declined to comment on Paul’s remarks. | 1,269,250 |
Jennings said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper," describing the Helsinki debacle as a serious mistake and the low point of Trump's presidency.
"Then you try to walk it back, and then the walk-back gets muddled because you didn't get that exactly right, either."
And it is one thing to vow to protect the US electoral system and offer the intelligence community "full faith and support," as Trump did, safe in the White House.
It was the President's failure to do so standing next to Putin -- a US adversary who those same intelligence agencies accuse of interfering in the 2016 election to put him in office -- that caused this controversy. His unwillingness to do so in Helsinki is why critics in Washington saw him as weak -- an adjective that is always damaging to a President, especially when it is manifested during an appearance overseas.
Republicans show (a little) steel
One of the most striking aspects of the Helsinki fallout was the willingness of Republicans on Capitol Hill to at least implicitly criticize Trump --- a step many have been unwilling to take in the past.
The most important Republican in Washington other than the President -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in his understated, courtly way -- made his disapproval of Trump's dismal appearance alongside Putin and his criticism of America's Western allies quite clear.
The Kentucky Republican spoke to America's allies in the way a normal President might, following Trump's insult-a-thon through Europe before he met Putin.
"Let me just say to our European friends, we value the NATO treaty; it's been the most significant military alliance in world history. We believe the European Union countries are our friends, and the Russians are not."
McConnell also delivered the message to Putin that Trump had failed to give.
"I think the Russians need to know that there are a lot of us who fully understand what happened in 2016, and it really better not happen again in 2018," McConnell said.
Given that Congress forced Trump's hand by passing sanctions on Russia to punish 2016 election interference -- that the President had no choice but to implement because of their veto-proof majorities -- McConnell was making no idle threat.
Yet were Republican lawmakers really intent on reining in the President they could do so much more -- including holding hearings on what happened during the one-on-one encounter between Trump and Putin. They could pass resolutions -- even though they would be nonbinding -- to make clear their disapproval of Trump's Russia policy. Congress could also make it harder for Trump to lift existing sanctions on Russia, in a way that could hamper his hopes to engage Putin further. None of that is yet on a fast track.
And the difficulty in building House and Senate majorities behind such steps underscores the political calculation that many Republicans are making.
Every day closer to November's midterms, the President's hold on his party and his high approval ratings among GOP voters become more significant, and may in the end ensure that Trump escapes the Helsinki debacle without political damage -- at least with his own side. | 1,269,251 |
ASMR videos to help me relax and that in itself is reassuring,’ she says.
‘That calming yet tingly feeling is a lovely way to fall asleep. It’s almost like someone is stroking my head and back - it can sometimes give me goosebumps. I’ll be asleep in seconds.’
Can it have any negative side effects? Emma says the tingles disappear after a while and you need a break to become sensitive again, ‘which means you can’t become addicted’.
Emma is careful not to attract unwanted attention, believing her viewers would lose trust if they suspected she was being suggestive
It’s difficult to point to any financial incentive. The videos are free to view and Emma is hardly coining it in.
After three years she makes enough money to contribute to household bills from adverts on her channel, but it’s far from the thousands some bloggers make from product placement.
My only fear is for the safety of Emma and the other young, good-looking ASMR artists.
Some of their videos involve close personal attention - a pretend make-up session with brushes, an eye exam, even an ear-cleaning video using cotton buds (there are whole YouTube channels dedicated to this).
Watching attractive women carry out medical role-plays, sensuously stroking inanimate objects and promising to take away your cares seems highly suggestive. And the terms ‘head orgasm’ or ‘braingasm’ have been used to describe the tingling sensation.
Whatever the sceptics may say, the world of ASMR does appear benign - the artists aren’t making any great health claims, they are not selling anything and most are reaping very little financial reward
Not surprisingly, the ASMR community is keen to distance itself from anything sexual. Emma is careful not to attract unwanted attention, believing her viewers would lose trust if they suspected she was being suggestive.
When I get home, I notice Emma has posted the tissue paper video. It’s called Tissue For Your Sleep Issue and has already had 33,000 views. I get ready for bed and click ‘play’. I’m disappointed that I don’t get tingles, but amazingly I’m asleep in 15 minutes.
For me, as long as I don’t watch anything too silly, ASMR is an easy-to-access slice of mindfulness.
In the same way I would turn to the Shipping Forecast - a favourite with insomniacs for its euphonic, pleasantly meaningless sounds, such as ‘Fisher, Dogger, German Bight...’ - it has the power to drown out the worries of the day.
Whatever the sceptics may say, the world of ASMR does appear benign - the artists aren’t making any great health claims, they are not selling anything and most are reaping very little financial reward. | 1,269,252 |
President Obama has lifted his arms embargo on Egypt, authorizing the deliveries of US weapons valued at over $1.3 billion, suspended after the 2013 military coup. Egyptian forces have been fighting Islamic militants in Yemen and Libya.
Among the weapons systems released are twelve F-16 aircraft, 20 “Harpoon” anti-ship missiles, and 125 upgrade kits for US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks in Egyptian service. The “executive hold” on weapons deliveries was imposed after the military overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood government of President Mohamed Morsi in October 2013. Egypt is the second-largest recipient of US military aid in the world.
In a telephone call on Tuesday, Obama told Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi that the annual military aid amounting to $1.3 billion would continue, but that Washington wanted to “modernize” it by ending sales of military equipment on credit starting in the fiscal year 2018.
Future US aid would be directed towards counterterrorism equipment, border security, maritime security and operations against militants in the Sinai Peninsula, as well as maintaining weapons Egypt is already using, the White House said in a statement.
“In this way, we will ensure that US funding is being used to promote shared objectives in the region, including a secure and stable Egypt and the defeat of terrorist organizations,” Bernadette Meehan, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement.
“The United States has had a decades-long strategic relationship with Egypt. Since the August 2013 Egyptian government crackdown, we have made clear our commitment to simultaneously pursuing our security interests and our support for meaningful Egyptian political reform,” added Meehan.
Obama to Sisi: I don't like your repression, but never mind, we're resuming your military aid. http://t.co/oGeG1PFlAipic.twitter.com/nS6irCip2k — Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) March 31, 2015
Obama also “reiterated US concerns about Egypt’s continued imprisonment of non-violent activists and mass trials” and “encouraged increased respect for freedom of speech and assembly,” the White House statement said, adding that the resumption of military aid was not a certification that Egypt has made progress toward democracy.
Obama took the decision that complies most with his stance towards the arab spring, he lifts the arm freeze against Egypt oppressive regime — yehiahamed (@yehiahamed) March 31, 2015
Read More:Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen, launches coalition op against Houthi rebels
Egyptian air force bombed targets in eastern Libya in February, after militants proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) beheaded 21 captured Egyptian Christians who were in the country as guest-workers. Egyptian forces are also taking part in the operation “Decisive Storm,” started last week by Saudi Arabia against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. | 1,269,253 |
with reporters, saying the conflict needed to happen because China has long taken advantage of the United States.
Trump is free to argue that other presidents should have launched a trade war, but not to deny that he was the one who did.
China
"They had the worst year in 27 years, but I think it was actually 52 or 54 years. It was the worst year they've had in half a century," Trump said while talking about China.
Facts First: China's official second-quarter GDP growth rate, 6.2%, was the : China's official second-quarter GDP growth rate, 6.2%, was the worst since 1992, 27 years ago. There is no basis for the "52 or 54 years" claim.
Trump has correctly cited this "27 years" statistic in the past without questioning it. This week, though, he has begun doubling it. He said Tuesday that "China has had the worst year they've had in 27 years" -- then added, "And a lot of people are saying the worst year they've had in 54 years."
Experts say China's official statistics are unreliable, but there is no specific evidence for the "half a century" claim. Derek Scissors, an expert on US economic relations with Asia at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank, notes that going past 27 years ago skips over the 1989-to-1992 period in which China's growth slowed significantly after its 1989 crackdown on protests in Tiananmen Square.
Trump also repeated these false claims he has made on multiple previous occasions:
The trade deficit with China: He said the trade deficit with China has been $500 billion or more for years. (It has : He said the trade deficit with China has been $500 billion or more for years. (It has never been $500 billion ; it was $381 billion last year when counting goods and services, $420 billion when counting goods alone.)
His approval rating: He said he has a 94% approval rating among Republicans and the "highest of any Republican" in "history." (His approval with Republicans is very high, regularly : He said he has a 94% approval rating among Republicans and the "highest of any Republican" in "history." (His approval with Republicans is very high, regularly in the 80s and sometimes creeping into the 90s, but it has not been 94% in any recent poll. Trump's Republican approval peak in Gallup polling ranks sixth out of seven post-World War II Republican presidents.)
The border wall: He said "tremendous numbers of miles of wall" and "large sections of wall" are being built on the Mexican border. (No new miles have been built during Trump's presidency, though about 50 miles of replacement barriers : He said "tremendous numbers of miles of wall" and "large sections of wall" are being built on the Mexican border. (No new miles have been built during Trump's presidency, though about 50 miles of replacement barriers had been built as of July, the Washington Examiner reported.) | 1,269,254 |
The San Francisco Unified School District school board late Tuesday night unanimously approved a controversial decision to make condoms available to middle school students – one of three school districts in California to have such a program.
School officials say the policy change comes after survey results show that five percent of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students report being sexually active and about half of that group say they are not using protection. The only other school districts in California that have such "condom availability programs" for middle schoolers are in Oakland and Los Angeles.
The plan is part of district's effort to further prevent sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy among minors. It would work like this: Just as middle school students are allowed under California Family and Health and Safety codes to buy condoms at a store without question, they will now be able to get them for free at the nurse's office on campus.
There will be no baskets of condoms handed out in the hallways, explained Kevin Gogin, the district's director of safety and wellness. Rather, he said, the students will now have to ask for them from a school professional.
By law, parents would not be notified of the request, Gogin said, unless the school nurse felt that there was "clear coercion, a marked age difference or the student's safety was in question." Parents, however, would still be notified annually about the program.
And despite some parents showing up at the board meeting to complain that teachers should be talking about algebra in school and not prophylactics, Gogin said, the move might actually prevent or slow down sexual behavior among 12- and 13-year-olds.
Oftentimes, the nurse will be able to "interrupt the behavior," Gogin said. "And to actually get the students' brains working. Sometimes, the student might wait."
There will be training for middle school staff before the program begins.
Some middle school parents and board members love the idea.
"Go for it," parent Paula-Anne Sherron said this month ahead of the vote. "They need to be speaking with an adult."
Some board members said educating kids about sex can be life changing.
"I was sexually active as a teen, had kids at 16 and 17," board trustee Shamann Walton said in early February. "I love my children to death, but programs like this help kids make healthy, responsible choices."
But other parents, including Maelene Cruz, did not think the program would be appropriate for young students.
The San Francisco school board first adopted a policy to distribute condoms at high schools in 1991, and in 1996 the board amended the district's condom distribution program to allow parents to opt out or exclude their child from the program.
According to Advocates For Youth, studies of high schools in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago found positive effects of condom availability programs. The same nonprofit found that the availability of condoms does not promote sexual activity.
NBC Bay Area's Jean Elle contributed to this report.
| 1,269,255 |
A Republican congressman from Illinois is calling for universal background checks and raising the legal age to purchase guns following the weekend's back-to-back mass shootings.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger Adam Daniel KinzingerFox News reporter defends confirming Atlantic piece despite Trump backlash: 'I feel very confident' GOP lawmaker defends Fox reporter after Trump calls for her firing Lindsey Graham: 'QAnon is bats--- crazy' MORE wrote an op-ed published on Medium advocating for the gun reform legislation Monday, in the wake of two in less than 48 hours in Texas and Ohio that killed a combined total for more than 30 people.
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“After every shooting, the conversation runs like a broken record with some who believe banning all guns is the answer, while others advocate for arming more and more people to protect against these dangers,” Kinzinger wrote. “Meanwhile, those of us not in those two mindsets are left feeling helpless, frustrated, and at a loss. We have a gun violence epidemic, and to address it, we need to change some laws and change some hearts.”
Kinzinger said universal background checks “might create a slight inconvenience to some, but will not restrict the rights of those who are eligible to purchase.”
The Democratic-controlled House passed a universal background check bill in February. Kinzinger was not one of the eight Republicans who voted for the bill.
The bill has not been voted on in Senate. Following the weekend’s mass shootings, many Democrats called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE (R-Ky.) to bring the Senate back in for a special session during the month-long recess to vote on the bill.
“The second change I’m calling for is more controversial, but too important to shy away from any longer: raising the age of gun purchase to 21,” Kinzinger said.
Kinzinger said current laws are especially dangerous in the case of schools shootings when a student or recent student can act on a grudge with a legally purchased weapon.
“An adolescent, high school fueled grudge is much less likely to survive over the three years between the end of high school and the time of legal age of purchase,” he said.
In his op-ed, Kinzinger clarified that he is a firm believer in the right to legally keep and bear arms, as well as an advocate for concealed carry.
“As we look at the issue of gun violence, we know we cannot change what has happened, but we can work together to get a handle on this crisis moving forward without fully disrupting our constitutional rights.” | 1,269,256 |
For most promoters, a full slate of MABRAcross racing is plenty. But the go-getters at DCMTB wanted more so they added races for rookies, single-speeds and tandems to the DCCX slate. For those that stuck around late in the day, these races were some of the most entertaining on the schedule.
The tandem race, in particular, did not disappoint. Twelve teams signed up and eleven were brave enough to toe the line. Many of the racers were lining up for their third race of the day.
Looking at the start list, it was safe to say that the race favorites in the tandem class were familiar names to MABRAcross prognosticators.
Jared Nieters, MABRAcross series leader, and Joe Dombrowski, the winner of the day’s elite race, looked strong on paper as they squeezed their Haymarket Bicycles-SEAVS rig onto the front row. But a slow start and nagging mechanicals seemed to dog them along the way.
Lined up next to Nieters and Dombrowski was the Adventures for the Cure tandem piloted by Adam Driscoll with Pat Blair as stoker. If you don’t know much about these guys, let’s just say they spend way too much time together. They have ridden across the country together on fixed-gear bikes, completed the two-man Race Across America, and are pretty much inseparable if the activity has anything to do with bikes. In fact, they get mistaken for each other so much at bike races that I believe they just take on the other’s persona when someone can’t tell them apart.
I point this out about Driscoll and Blair because their communication on the bike is incredible. You can hear it on the video in the turns and through the barriers.
Another team that does a nice job communicating is the TOMS Shoes p/b Kindhuman Sports team of Matt and Chad Bartlett. The brothers have more fun on a bicycle then should be allowed. We get to hear them discussing the set up to their big air moment and also heckling the other TOMS Shoes rig. Needless to say, these guys also get confused for each other. Maybe that’s the key to tandem cross success.
If you like what you see and want to try it out for yourself, you can do just that at Rockburn Cross, day two of the Howard County Double Cross. Early word is that this is going to be an epic rematch of the top three teams, with other strong challengers on hand to make it spicy.
For the video we went into unchartered territory. Three helmet cams, one camcorder outside the tape and a whole lot of footage. I’ve edited it down to about 13 minutes but I’m sure there is a whole lot more to go through that was left on the cutting room floor.
Thanks to John Cutler for the background music and thank you for watching. | 1,269,257 |
to prevent unwanted litters. But the main reasons for spaying or neutering apply even if your rabbit doesn't have a mate. Spaying is absolutely crucial for female rabbits, as 80 percent of unspayed female rabbits will develop reproductive cancers by the age of 6. The disease can hit as early as 1 year old - spaying eliminates this risk and increases their life span by years. It's also important for males. Hormonal rabbits are territorial rabbits, which can mean lots of biting, scratching and grunting. They also engage in fun house-destroying activities like spraying urine and refusing to use their litterbox. A fixed bunny will be happier and less stressed - and you're less likely to be attacked every time you enter bunny's favorite room.
Bathing your rabbit This might seem harmless, but it's a big no-no in the rabbit world. Never bathe your bunny. Rabbits are self-cleaning animals, and a dirty rabbit is a sign of a sick rabbit who needs a vet visit, not a bath. Even if a mischievous rabbit winds up making a mess and needs to be cleaned, they should only be spot-cleaned or placed in a few inches of water at most (read here for more detailed instructions). While there are a rare few rabbits who enjoy water, bathing is highly stressful for most rabbits and can cause respiratory infections, hypothermia and even heart attacks.
Not paying attention As prey animals, rabbits are very good at hiding their illnesses, so owners need to be attuned to the slightest changes in their routine. Any difference in eating, going to the bathroom or behavior can be a sign of serious discomfort and a medical emergency. They also need specialized care from an exotics vet, not your neighborhood cat or dog vet, which means researching a vet ahead of time so you have her on call for emergencies.
Trying to cuddle Yes, some rabbits are miracle bunnies who just love being cuddled from day one, but the average rabbit is much more aloof. It can take months before a new rabbit warms up to his owner. Rabbits are prey animals and very independent, and even after a rabbit settles in, he may never enjoy being cuddled like a puppy would. That doesn't mean he doesn't like you. Some rabbits will deign to sit quietly on their owner's lap - more often they'll prefer running up to their owners for some gentle pets and then running off when they're done. Others will show their affection simply by being in the same room as you. Having a rabbit means being OK with a "look but don't touch" pet, and accepting whatever personality your rabbit turns out to have and loving him for it.
Not being in it for the long haul Rabbits are rewarding pets. But they're also a big time commitment, and an expensive one at that. Rabbits need a lot of attention and can live 8 to 12 years or longer. They cost hundreds of dollars per year to take care of - and that number can quickly reach the thousands if they have a medical emergency. | 1,269,258 |
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Iraqi security forces shot dead three protesters and wounded 19 during a nighttime attack on the Iranian Consulate in the Shiite holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq, police officials said Monday.
The anti-government protest in Karbala and elsewhere in Iraq, which have been fueled by local grievances and mainly directed at political elites, have also posed a challenge to Iran.
3:37 The rise of protests around the world, explained The rise of protests around the world, explained
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More than 250 people have been killed so far since the protests first erupted last month as security forces moved in to contain the increasingly violent rallies.
Tehran has been a staunch ally of Iraq and closely backs both its Shite-led government and powerful armed groups in the Arab country.
The anti-government protests have often turned violent, with security forces opening fire and protesters torching government buildings and headquarters of Iran-backed militias. The increasingly violent crackdown in Iraq has raised fears of a backlash by Iran and its allies.
READ MORE: Iraqui PM on mass demonstrations — ‘It’s time for life to return to normal’
On Sunday night, dozens of Iraqi protesters attacked the consulate in Karbala, scaling the concrete barriers ringing the building and tried to bring down the Iranian flag and replace it with the Iraqi flag but could not reach it. They then placed an Iraqi flag on the wall surrounding the consulate.
The protesters also lobbed molotov cocktails into the consulate grounds, setting off fires.
Iraqi security officials said three protesters were shot and killed while 19 were wounded. Seven policemen were also wounded, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
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2:07 Iraq death toll rises to over 100, more than 6,000 wounded Iraq death toll rises to over 100, more than 6,000 wounded
In Baghdad, many roads were closed since the early hours of Monday to prevent employees from reaching their work.
Qais al-Khazali, the leader of one of Iraq’s most powerful Iranian-backed Shiite militias, said in an interview aired on Iraqi TV that the U.S., Israel, some Arab Gulf nations and local officials are working to “incite strife and chaos” in Iraq.
READ MORE: 1 dead, 91 wounded in anti-government demonstration in Iraq
Al-Khazali, who heads Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or League of the Righteous group, singled out the United Arab Emirates. He vowed to retaliate for the death of one of his group’s commanders who was killed recently by protesters in southern Iraq.
“The Americans and the Israelis will pay a price,” he said.
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Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have blamed Israel for several drone attacks in the past summer that targeted the group’s posts in Iraq and neighboring Syria. | 1,269,259 |
, while Reis denied Le Toux three minutes into second-half stoppage time. The final whistle wrapped up a disappointing evening for Whitecaps FC in New England, with Rennie’s side needing to pick themselves up before Wednesday night’s first leg in the Amway Canadian Championship final versus MLS rivals Toronto FC on Bell Pitch at BC Place. The Revolution will take this latest victory into an important Eastern Conference home clash versus Houston Dynamo next Saturday.
Budweiser Man of the Match: Gershon Koffie
Scoring Summary:
5' - VAN - Eric Hassli (Sebastien Le Toux, Davide Chiumiento)
6' - NE - Lee Nguyen
24' - NE - Saer Sene (Lee Nguyen)
33' - NE - Shalrie Joseph
72' - NE - Lee Nguyen (Chris Tierney)
Match Stats:
Shots: New England 18 – Vancouver 9
Shots on Goal: New England 7 – Vancouver 5
Saves: New England 4 – Vancouver 3
Fouls: New England 18 – Vancouver 16
Offsides: New England 3 – Vancouver 0
Corners: New England 0 – Vancouver 3
Cautions:
44' - VAN - Gershon Koffie
45+2' - NE - Shalrie Joseph
61' - VAN - Omar Salgado
64'- VAN - Darren Mattocks
83' - NE - Stephen McCarthy
90' - VAN - Eric Hassli
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Joe Cannon; 12.Young-Pyo Lee, 19.Carlyle Mitchell, 4.Alain Rochat, 3.Jordan Harvey; 28.Gershon Koffie (8.Etienne Barbara 80'), 27.Jun Marques Davidson (26.Floyd Franks 89'), 20.Davide Chiumiento; 7.Sebastien Le Toux, 29.Eric Hassli, 17.Omar Salgado (22.Darren Mattocks 62')
Substitutes not used: 18.Brad Knighton, 13.Michael Nanchoff, 15.Martin Bonjour, 16.Matt Watson
New England Revolution
1.Matt Reis; 30.Kevin Alston, 5.A.J. Soares, 26.Stephen McCarthy, 8.Chris Tierney; 22.Benny Feilhaber, 19.Clyde Simms, 21.Shalrie Joseph, 24.Lee Nguyen (80.Fernando Cardenas 80'); 39.Saer Sene (14.Diego Fagundez 72'), 23.Blake Brettschneider (99.Alec Purdie 85')
Substitutes not used: 34.Bobby Shuttleworth, 4.John Lozano, 25.Darrius Barnes, 32.Bjorn Runstrom | 1,269,260 |
Coeliac disease (CD) - suffered by around one per cent of populations worldwide - is exacerbated by the intake of prolamins present in wheat, rye, barley, and (for some people) oats, and the only treatment for CD is a life-long, gluten-free diet.
Moreover, up to 50 per cent of adults remain undiagnosed, or do not display overt symptoms, according to Catassi et al. (1994) and Fowell et al (2006).
The disease causes damage to the small intestinal villi, reducing nutrient absorption and impacting health; clinical symptoms of CD include fatigue, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia and neurological disorders, while research suggests it can heighten cancer risk.
Cograve et al. used mass spectrometric assay (an analytical technique) to characterise hordeins (toxic peptides) originating from hordeum vulgare or the cereal barley, used to produce malt for brewing.
These were present in (1) purified hordein preparations (2) wort (the liquid extracted from the mashing process during beer production) and (3) beer itself - where the current study included tests on 60 commercially available beers.
"There has been some speculation about the presence of and/or amount of gluten present in beers," the scientists wrote.
They added that a recent report examining gluten level in commercial beers found that the gluten content of 50 per cent of beers tested contained less than Codex Alimentarius Standard levels (to be labelled 'gluten free') of 20 ppm (mg/kg) gluten.
But in this study, the scientists found that all barley-based beers contained hordein, and that for beers 57 and 59 (which they did not name) classified as low gluten (<10 ppm), the relative hordein content was not dissimilar to the average hordein content "across the range of beers tested".
Meanwhile, a number of beers tested, despite lacking a defined gluten status, showed lower than average gluten content.
Secondly, Cograve et al. claimed to have developed a "robust and sensitive quantification methodology for the measurement o hordein (gluten) in beer".
In conclusion, no hordeins were detected in gluten-free beers analysed, but discussing the significance of their results, the scientists wrote:
"Significantly, both barley-based low-gluten beers tested, in which the hordein concentration is reduced by proprietary processing steps during brewing (to reduce the concentration in the final beer product) had substantial levels of one or more hordein proteins".
Title: 'What is in a beer? Proteomic characterisation and relative quantification of hordein (gluten) in beer.'
Authors: M.L Cograve, H.goswami, C.A Howitt, G.J Tanner
Source: Journal of Proteome Research, 2011. dx.doi.org/10.1021/pr2008434 | 1,269,261 |
Linux Foundation chief executive Jim Zemlin has made a disappointing response to the reports about changes in the by-laws of the Foundation designed to prevent community representation.
Confronted by facts that show clearly that the Foundation has made changes to block out the community, Zemlin (seen above) has tried to spin and talked about irrelevant aspects of the debate around the issue.
iTWire could not have made it more plain when pointing out the changes in the by-laws; they were marked in bold. Zemlin ignored everything and instead created a few straw men and then addressed them.
His statement began with a straw man: "The same individuals remain as directors, and the same ratio of corporate to community directors continues as well."
Nobody has said anything about a change of directors, but the latter part of Zemlin's statement is just plain wrong. How can the ratio be the same when the community was earlier allowed to have two directors and now cannot have any?
Zemlin then went on to claim that the Linux Foundation's move is in keeping with other FOSS organisations that are also cutting down on community representation. This again is incorrect, another straw man. Would he care to name the organisations he claims to be trying to emulate?
The major part of his statement talks about the abuse directed at Karen Sandler, the head of the Software Freedom Conservancy. Zemlin's changing of the by-laws was widely seen as a move to keep Sandler off the board as she is a passionate supporter of the GPL. The Conservancy is funding a GPL enforcement action against VMWare, a silver member of the Linux Foundation, and this is seen as a major reason why Zemlin has concluded that the fewer community members on the board the better.
In discussions around the web, there has been mention of the way the GNOME Foundation ran low on funds when Sandler was its head. Some claim that this was because more money was diverted to the outreach programme for women. Sandler has earned some flak for this.
And so Zemlin became a knight in shining armour to defend what he characterised as a damsel in distress. Wow, he really went heavy on this.
The fact that most of the code for the kernel comes from developers employed by this company or that appears to have turned Zemlin's head and made him determined to ensure that only non-controversial people occupy the decision-making spots on the Foundation.
The owner of Canonical, Mark Shuttleworth, the man behind the Ubuntu GNU/Linux, has taken a similar approach and found that it just doesn't work to his advantage. If Zemlin continues to try and humour the corporates ahead of the community, something will give.
Zemlin's predecessor, Stuart Cohen, was head of the former Open Source Development Labs, and came a cropper soon after he started referring to the organisation as the centre of gravity of Linux. The community is the centre of gravity, nothing else. Disregard that at your peril. | 1,269,262 |
A play by trans playwright Jo Clifford named The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven is attracting the worst kind of attention due to its portrayal of Jesus as a transgender woman.
A one-woman show, the play doesn’t aim to mock Jesus. On the contrary, the playwright’s idea is to help people see the gospel anew. She considers the play an “homage” to Jesus, not an insult.
“The archbishop of Glasgow said it was hard to imagine a greater affront to the Christian church than me,” Clifford told BBC Scotland. “I was very shocked and very distressed by that.”
Hundreds of protestors showed up to a 2009 performance of the play in Glasgow, and the show was dogged by incidents during its recent run in Brazil where, according to Clifford, everyone involved in the production received death threats.
Related: A student threatened to bomb his high school to ‘cleanse’ it of LGBT kids
The final performance in Brazil also faced actions by both local police and protestors.
“The last festival they [protested] at, armed police turned up and started to dismantle the theatre while the show was still going on, and someone threw a smoke bomb into the auditorium,” Clifford said.
In spite of the protests, the play has also received accolades from its audiences.
“Every time I go to Brazil, I meet people, particularly trans people, who tell me with tears in their eyes that this show has really changed their lives,” said Clifford. “It has changed the way they think about themselves.”
Figures such as Jesus have long been reframed in roles that are meant to draw attention to the plight of the downtrodden, including the Homeless Jesus statue by Timothy Schmalz (above). And, this holiday season, an Episcopalian church in Indianapolis caged Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus to protest the US government’s cruel policies of detaining families at the southern border.
“I know what the Bible said … we’re supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves.” -Father Stephen Carlson of @CCCathedralIndy pic.twitter.com/iVAlUl6gvs — Faith E. Pinho (@faithepinho) July 3, 2018
Possibly the best known reimagining of Jesus came from gay playwright Terrence McNally’s 1998 play Corpus Christi. In it, Jesus and his apostles are portrayed as gay men.
In moves that echo protests against The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven, the Catholic League condemned Corpus Christi as blasphemy. McNally also received death threats when the play was staged in the U.S. Its initial U.S. run was temporarily halted over threats of violence.
The play, The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven, has returned in Scotland for a limited run in Edinburgh until the 22nd of December. | 1,269,263 |
stone dungeons. This is replayable content for small groups.
Warfronts are about large-scale war on the homefront. The first one is set in Stormgarde, a key tactical location for both factions. They are heavily inspired by the RTS genre.
The Heart of Azeroth system is the successor to the Artifact system. As we explore the world, players level up amulets. This lets us power up several pieces of gear with customization options to suit different playstyles.
In the last five years, Blizzard has shifted their approach to storytelling. Each expansion used to be a distinct story. Now the stories flow together better between expansions. For example, Sargeras' attack at the end of Legion brought fought the Azerite that's so important in Battle for Azeroth.
The standard of storytelling has also increased due to lots of cinematics and cutscenes.
The Alliance and Horde intro scenarios were then recapped, which set the stage for us watching the Horde cinematic!
We then learned about Islands from Game Designer Jeremy Feasel and Producer Daniel Stahl.
The Collector's Edition items were revealed, as well as the release date for Battle for Azeroth! We've covered this information in several posts - Collector's Edition and Battle for Azeroth Release Date.
Island Expeditions Presentation
The goal of an Island Expedition is to gain Azerite. It used by the Alliance and Horde as a weapon of war. The Azerite on the Islands comes from crystals to treasure chests to rare spawns.
There is meant to be a sense of exploration - you are limited as to what you can see based on your visibility. You must explore the landscape to find more Azerite.
Unlike lots of spawning patterns in WoW, nothing in Island Expeditions in static. There are hundreds of locations with many things which can show up.
Events can also occur during Islands, such as randomly-spawning Azerite.
The hostile NPCs on the Islands are after the Azerite as well, such as the Naga and Elemental Lords.
You are also racing against the enemy faction, comprised of super-smart advanced NPCs. They have more abilities than you expect from a creature in WoW, and they can play their class well!
It's lots of fun creating the advanced NPCs and giving them distinctive personalities with backstories and wacky abilities.
These NPCs also have unique tactical elements--ranging from playing aggressively to very defensive.
You never know what NPCs you'll face when you queue up for an Island.
There are four Island difficulties - Normal, Heroic, Mythic...and PvP.
A lot of the creatures on the island are difficult to solo, but are killable using certain consumables and items found on the Island.
This is role-agnostic content, you don't need a tank or a healer.
Group Q&A
Key Art
Press Images
Concept Art | 1,269,264 |
· 'Three strikes and your broadband is out' policy · France's new rules will relax copyright protection
French officials are proposing to cut off the broadband connections of people who illegally download films or music over the internet.
In the country's hardest crackdown yet on online filesharing, President Nicolas Sarkozy said that he was backing a "three strikes" policy against internet pirates, while simultaneously announcing a new deal with film and music companies which would see access to cultural offerings boosted on the web.
The scheme - which was drawn up following an independent review by Denis Olivennes, the head of a French entertainment retailer - involves plans to clamp down on piracy by sending offenders a series of email warnings. If ignored, the culprit could face having their broadband account suspended or even closed.
The new rules will also see entertainment companies drop all copyright protection on French material, meaning that any music or videos bought online can be played on any sort of computer or digital player, although it would also make the files easier to copy.
The move was hailed as a ground-breaking development, and in a speech yesterday, the French president welcomed the news: "Everywhere in the United States, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, professionals and governments have tried for years to find the 'grail' to fight the problem of internet piracy," he said.
"We are the first, in France, to form a big national alliance around concrete and effective proposals."
The deal was backed by more than 40 signatories, including France's finance, justice and culture ministers, internet service providers and the entertainment industry.
As part of the plans, the French film industry has also agreed to release DVDs more swiftly, moving the release date of DVDs from seven and a half months after their cinema screening to six months.
Some groups in France said the new scheme was unnecessary, since illegal downloading is already punishable by up to three years in prison. Opponents, including consumer groups and some politicians, fear the deal is too repressive and poses a threat to civil liberties.
Record labels and film studios, however, welcomed the proposals as the latest victory in their ongoing war with filesharers, who they blame for the decline of CD sales and cinema attendance. Many internet service providers, including those in the UK, already employ so-called "traffic shaping" techniques to reduce the activity of heavy downloaders.
Data for 2005 showed that as broadband penetration rose sharply in France to well above 20% of households, so did filesharing, while music sales fell dramatically by more than a quarter in the 2002-04 period, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
John Kennedy, who heads the IFPI, the organisation representing the recording industry worldwide, said: "This is the single most important initiative to help win the war on online piracy that we have seen so far."
He said Sarkozy had "recognised the importance that the creative industries play in contemporary western economies. The winners will be French music, French employees and French music fans." | 1,269,265 |
Michigan State spring football game
DeAnthony Arnett has shined in Michigan State's Green-White spring games, but that has yet to translate into the regular seasons.
(J. Scott Park | MLive.com)
EAST LANSING -- Most of the attention at Michigan State's one-day camp on June 13 was on the prospects running through drills and wearing helmets.
Perhaps more noteworthy, however, was one of the few Spartans' receivers chosen to work the camp and demonstrate in exemplary fashion -- DeAnthony Arnett.
Football seldom offers any guarantees, and in the case of Arnett, there will be many Michigan State fans who will have to see it to believe it where it concerns the gifted Saginaw receiver making a significant impact.
"I'll just say this,'' MSU receivers coach Terrence Samuel said last week, "DeAnthony is the best he's ever been.''
There's still a long summer ahead, and that will mean several workouts with quarterback Connor Cook and lifts and conditioning drills to go through.
But Arnett made it clear through spring drills he was ready to reach and maintain the top of his game.
"I just think it was my physicality, being able to block DBs, and going up and snatching the ball, and just getting back to myself, my old self, and doing what I do best,'' Arnett said after his five-catch performance in the Green-White game.
"I have to continue to push, I can't get relaxed, so I'll continue to push,'' he said. "But I'm way different, I'm stronger, I'm faster, I run better routes, my whole game has changed.''
Co-offensive coordinator Jim Bollman, who along with Dave Warner designs the Spartans' offense around the players' strengths, has said Arnett is indeed making strides.
"He had a great spring, he's learning the offense still and getting more comfortable in his role,'' Bollman said.
MSU coach Mark Dantonio closed spring drills saying much the same.
"He's an effective player, has big play perspective and we've got to wait for him to break out," Dantonio said. "It will be a great story."
The fact Arnett was chosen as a camp counselor offers no guarantees, but it was another positive step toward what Spartans' fans are hoping will be a happy ending to Arnett's career at Michigan State in 2015.
Arnett has played in 12 career games for the Spartans and has six receptions for 87 yards.
Prior to transferring to Michigan State, Arnett played in 12 games as a true freshman at Tennessee in 2011 where he had 24 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
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* Like MLive's Michigan State Spartans Facebook page | 1,269,266 |
As Canada Day festivities near, the commission responsible for Wascana Park is saying it now must move some of its planned activities, due to the Justice for Our Stolen Children protest.
"On three separate occasions, the Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) has officially requested that the Regina Police Service enforce the law and remove the structures," stated a news release from the Provincial Capital Commission.
"PCC has bylaws in place that prohibit overnight camping, placement of structures and burning wood and other combustibles."
The camp started shortly after the February acquittals of Gerald Stanley and Raymond Cormier in the Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine murder trials, respectively. Camp founders said the intention was to draw attention to Indigenous lives lost or affected due to factors like violence, foster care or addiction.
Police shut down the camp last week and arrested some protesters. Campers have since returned, and what was once a camp of a single teepee has grown to nine teepees as of Wednesday afternoon.
"It is disappointing that last minute changes are necessary to an event that requires year-round planning because of an unpermitted and illegal protest," PCC executive director Carrie Ross said in the release.
"We have bylaws and permits in place to ensure Wascana Park is available for everyone to use in a safe manner, and we are again asking the Regina Police Service to enforce the law."
Regina police Chief Evan Bray told reporters Wednesday that the police don't have any intention of taking the Justice for our Stolen Children camp down unless it becomes a public safety risk.
Bray said that the protest was peaceful and posed no risk to residents.
"We assess it multiple times a day, we make sure that there's no risk to the public, which at this point, we don't feel that there is," Bray said.
Protesters say response 'bad faith'
Camp organizers said Wednesday they expected more teepees could be arriving soon.
Camp supporter Robyn Pitawanakwat says a request by the commission to remove Indigenous protesters is an "act of bad faith," given that government officials had agreed to meet with protesters on July 2.
Robyn Pitawanakwat, a supporter of the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp, says she expects more teepees may be soon erected in front of the legislature grounds, in addition to the nine already on site as of Wednesday afternoon. (CBC News)
"It just seems especially strange that they would be simultaneously trying to push us out of here, while also agreeing to meet with us," she said.
"I'm not sure where that builds a relationship for us."
She said Wascana Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country and there should be enough room for everyone. While PCC had said it was forced to make last minute changes to its plans, she said the camp supporters had been on site for months.
"They knew we weren't going to be leaving until the issues had been addressed." | 1,269,267 |
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Tim Sherwood is targeting English players to top up his squad after admitting that he is unlikely to dip into the foreign market again this summer.
The Villa boss has tracked a number of homegrown stars in recent months but was forced to look abroad in order to get better value for money.
Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Ayew and Jordan Veretout all arrived from Ligue One while Jose Angel Crespo checked in from Spain.
But if Sherwood decides that he needs further reinforcements before the close of the transfer window he will look closer to home to help balance the squad.
“Having English players (in the team) is crucial because we’re playing in a British league,” he said.
“That core of players is unbelievably important.
“I would say, if anyone was to become available now, they probably would be coming from the English market.
“No-one’s given an opportunity to English players more than me.
“I’ve looked around and we’ve tried to see who is the best value and who we can buy in the category we are looking for. A lot of the French boys tick the box. The English players were far too expensive.
“That’s not to say we’re not looking for English players.
“We’re looking for anything that can improve us. But at the moment how the market is, these French players are the ones who were value for money.
“They’ve got that level of experience at a very young age of playing competitive football.”
Sherwood is still interested in Tottenham’s Andros Townsend but it’s thought he’s not so keen on his team-mate Aaron Lennon.
The 46-year-old rates both Tom Carroll and youngster Josh Onomah but already there are five midfielders competing for places.
Villa may go back in for Albion’s Joleon Lescott but they will face stern resistance from the Baggies while Manchester United’s James Wilson is a loan option likely to be explored later this month.
As well as losing Fabian Delph and Tom Cleverley from the homegrown contingent this summer, the likes of Danny Ings, Joe Gomez, Tyrone Mings, Kieran Trippier, and Ben Gladwin all slipped through their grasp while Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton penned a new deal at Turf Moor.
In Saturday’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth Sherwood handed debuts to all four Ligue One arrivals as well as ex-Blackburn Rovers man Rudy Gestede.
The English players to start were captain Micah Richards, Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Westwood and Scott Sinclair. | 1,269,268 |
There’s enormous disappointment among progressives about the emerging health care bill — and rightly so. That said, even as it stands it would take a big step toward greater security for Americans and greater social justice; it would also save many lives over the decade ahead. That’s why progressive health policy wonks — the people who have campaigned for health reform for years — are almost all in favor of voting for the thing.
The argument about the evil of the individual mandate is,as Jon Cohn says, all wrong. It was wrong during the primaries, when Obama unfortunately used it to demagogue his rivals — helping set the stage for problems now. And it’s still wrong.
And the truth is that health care reform was probably doomed to be deeply imperfect. As Ezra Klein pointed out a few weeks ago, we’re basically in a hostage situation: progressives really, really want to cover the uninsured, while centrists whose votes are needed can take it or leave it. So the centrists have a lot of power — which in the case of Joe Lieberman means the power to double-cross and indulge his pettiness.
Now, in a hostage situation there are times when you have to just say no — when giving in, by encouraging future hostage-takers, would be worse than letting the hostages perish. So the question has to be, is this one of those times? I don’t think so, given the history: as Kevin Drum points out, health reform has come back weaker after each defeat. I’d also point out that highly imperfect insurance reforms, like Social Security and Medicare in their initial incarnations, have gotten more comprehensive over time. This suggests that the priority is to get something passed.
But what’s happening, I think, goes beyond health care; what we’re seeing is disillusionment with Obama among some of the people who were his most enthusiastic supporters. A lot of people seem shocked to find that he’s not the transformative figure of their imaginations. Can I say I told you so? If you paid attention to what he said, not how he said it, it was obvious from the beginning — and I’m talking about 2007 — that he was going to be much less aggressive about change than one could have hoped. And this has done a lot of damage: I believe he could have taken a tougher line on economic policy and the banks, and was tearing my hair out over his caution early this year. I also believe that if he had been tougher on those issues, he’d be better able to weather disappointment over his health care compromises.
So there’s a lot of bitterness out there. But please, keep your priorities straight.
By all means denounce Obama for his failed bipartisan gestures. By all means criticize the administration. But don’t take it out on the tens of millions of Americans who will have health insurance if this bill passes, but will be out of luck — and, in some cases, dead — if it doesn’t. | 1,269,269 |
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed dosage guidance from its website for a pair of antimalarial drugs President Donald Trump has been pushing as effective treatments for coronavirus.
The move comes three days after Reuters reported the CDC added the dosing information to its website after Mr Trump had pressed for the drugs – hydroxychloroquine and chrloroquine – to be more widely offered for use in treating the virus.
Prior to its removal, the CDC page included anecdotal evidence of the drugs’ effectiveness rather than citing clinical trial data, using the line “some U.S. clinicians have reported anecdotally,” before making dosage suggestions.
Dr Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, told Reuters she was surprised the CDC would include that information.
“Why would CDC be publishing anecdotes?” she asked. “That doesn’t make sense. This is very unusual.”
Ms Goldman was one of several medical professionals perplexed and disappointed that the CDC would push drug recommendations without citing or relying on clinical data.
The updated language removes any reference to anecdotal results, instead stating that there are no known treatments for the virus.
“There are no drugs or other therapeutics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to prevent or treat COVID-19.”
One of the doctors who initially criticised the CDC, Jeffrey Flier, formerly the dean of Harvard Medical School, called the new language “substantially improved.”
“It states the facts without in effect recommending that physicians prescribe the drugs despite a lack of adequate evidence,” he said.
Mr Trump – as well as his lawyer, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and his trade adviser Peter Navarro – have pushed the drug, even recommending its use despite trial results.
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Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease doctor – has cautioned against rushing in to use the drug without proper testing.
“I think we’ve got to be careful that we don’t make that majestic leap to assume that this is a knockout drug,” he told Fox News. “We still need to do the kinds of studies that definitively prove whether any intervention, not just this one, any intervention is truly safe and effective.”
Despite this, Mr Giuliani has pushed for the drug based on the advice of a self-described “simple country doctor” named Vladimir Zelenko, and Fox News anchor and Trump sycophant Laura Ingraham travelled to the White House with a pair of doctors who vouched for the drug.
Mr Navarro questioned Mr Fauci’s reservations, saying on CNN that “doctors disagree about things all the time” and claiming he was qualified to interpret data about clinical drugs based on his background as a “social scientist.”
Mr Trump was likewise unwilling to wait for proper testing. | 1,269,270 |
BRUNSWICK — Brunswick resident and Green Independent Fred Horch announced Thursday he will throw his hat back into the political ring with a bid for the Maine House of Representatives District 49 seat being vacated by Mattie Daughtry.
Horch ran unsuccessfully for the Maine House of Representatives in 2010 and 2012, and then for state senate in 2014, but now he’s back and is “going to give it my all and try one last time to win,” he said Thursday.
This year he will run against Brunswick Town Councilor Kathy Wilson, who announced her Democratic run late last week.
Horch is the owner of Spark Applied Efficiency, a company that helps local businesses and organizations be more efficient and conserve resources to lower energy prices, and formerly ran F. W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies on Maine Street.
He has served on the board of MicCoast Hunger Prevention Program, the Rotary Club of Brunswick and the NorthWest Brunswick Neighborhood Association.
His reason for running is really quite simple: “I think I’ll be an effective legislator,” he said in a phone interview Thursday. “I see a lot of problems that I think the state legislature could be a lot more effective at solving.”
Horch hopes to address “pervasive pollution, persistent poverty, disabling addiction, chronic underemployment, technological disruption, political dysfunction, and soaring costs for health care and education,” according to a press release.
His biggest focus areas though are climate and energy.
“The environment is an important issue, and I think we can agree on some common ground. If we can’t breathe or we are poisoning our water, that’s a bad thing,” he said. “A clean environment is good for everyone and you can still make a ton of money even with a healthy planet.”
Horch has long been an advocate for sustainable solutions and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. His home is entirely fossil fuel-free, he said, and it would be easier to switch the state’s energy system to clean energy if politicians would stop getting so distracted by partisan issues.
This is part of why he is running as a Green Independent, he said, as a bridge between Democrats and Republicans.
“I’m not trying to be obstinate or a protest candidate, I really do want to win,” he said. “I hope there are enough voters with an open mind… it would probably be easier to run as a democrat… it ends up being a popularity contest and it’s hard to get people’s attention,” he said.
Horch plans to knock on every door and talk to as many voters as possible before the election, reach the people who are ordinarily left out of the conversations, because as he said, “State law affects everyone in Maine.”
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filed under: | 1,269,271 |
Y GIULIANI: It's hardly insignificant.
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: I didn't say it was insignificant. I said it was--
(OVERTALK)
RUDY GIULIANI: It is the reason--
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: Your false equivalency, sir.
RUDY GIULIANI: It is the reason for the heavy police presence in the black community.
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: Not at all.
RUDY GIULIANI: 93%.
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: The police presence cannot make it--
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: --those who are criminals and those who call the police.
RUDY GIULIANI: Let me--
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: --the criminals.
RUDY GIULIANI: What about the poor black child that is killed by another black child? Why aren't you protesting that?
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: Those people go to jail. I do protest it. I'm a minister. They go to jail. Why don't you talk about the way in which white policemen --
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: --undercut the ability of--
(OVERTALK)
RUDY GIULIANI: So why don't cut it down so so many white police officers don't have to be in black areas?
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: They don't have to be. It's a matter of the effect of the state occupying those forces, sir.
RUDY GIULIANI: How about 70%-75% of the crime in my city--
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: How about your attitude reinforces--
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: --problematic perspectives that prevails in a culture--
CHUCK TODD: I think this is a debate--
RUDY GIULIANI: So how about you reduce crime?
CHUCK TODD: This is a debate--
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: When I become mayor, I’ll do that--
(OVERTALK)
RUDY GIULIANI: White police officers won't be there if you weren't killing each other 70% of the time.
(OVERTALK)
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: This is a defense mechanism of white supremacy at work in your mind, sir. | 1,269,272 |
Amazon to Launch Video Services in India as Netflix Launch Looms (Report)
The e-commerce giant has reportedly earmarked $5 billion to make the country its second-biggest market outside the U.S., including by launching Amazon Prime and Amazon Instant Video services.
Amazon.com is looking to expand in India, with the help of a $5 billion war chest, "to grow India into its biggest market outside the U.S.," India's Economic Times reported on Monday.
Quoting two unnamed people that it said were "directly familiar with the company's decision," the report added that Amazon is planning to launch its Amazon Instant Video and subscription-based Amazon Prime services later this year.
The company has started conversations with music labels and producers in an effort to source content, the report said, highlighting that in December the company hired former Sony Entertainment Networks India exec vp new media Nitesh Kripalani to lead its new initiatives.
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter for further comment, a spokesperson for Bangalore-headquartered Amazon India said, "We don’t comment on anything we may or may not do in the future."
In July 2014, Amazon India officially announced plans to invest an additional $2 billion in India to expand and "enhance the customer seller experience."
"After our first year in business, the response from customers and small and medium-sized businesses in India has far surpassed our expectations," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement back then. "We see huge potential in the Indian economy and for the growth of e-commerce in India. With this additional investment of $2 billion, our team can continue to think big, innovate and raise the bar for customers in India. At current scale and growth rates, India is on track to be our fastest country ever to a billion dollars in gross sales. A big 'thank you' to our customers in India — we’ve never seen anything like this."
Having completed two years in India, Amazon's business is now worth at least $2 billion in gross e-commerce merchandise value, including revenue from its Amazon Web Services unit, according to the Economic Times report.
The report also quoted sources as saying that Amazon would invest most of the additional $5 billion in expanding its network of warehouses and data centers and beefing up its online marketplace to compete with local e-commerce majors Flipkart, Snapdeal and PayTM.
As reported earlier, Netflix is readying plans for a possible India launch next year. India's nascent VOD and streaming business already has local players such as ErosNow from leading Indian entertainment major Eros International, which claims over 19 million registered users.
Recently, VOD service Hooq was launched in India, backed by Warner Bros., Sony Pictures and Singapore telecom giant Singtel. The ad-free service includes Hollywood content from Sony, Warner, Disney, Dreamworks and Miramax along with Indian content from leading banners. The service is offered at a monthly price of $3.20 (199 rupees). | 1,269,273 |
the U.S.’s ARC campaign, will provide second-row cover in place of the injured Siaosi Mahoni.
Uruguay has won just two of its 15 meetings with the Eagles since 1989, the most recent victory a home win last March. In 10 tests since, Los Teros have outscored opponents 230-220 despite winning on only four occasions.
“It’ll be a tight contest because both sides enjoy moving the ball,” Mitchell said. “They’re a team that flat-out plays at 110 miles per hour. I still think it’ll come down to who’s most disciplined and who is the best – defensively – on the evening.”
The first international test rugby match in San Antonio will kick off from Toyota Field Saturday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m. CT. The live broadcast will be available to subscribers of The Rugby Channel, while USA Rugby’s Twitter account (@USARugby) will provide live match updates.
Men’s Eagles | v. Uruguay
1. Anthony Purpura
2. Peter Malcolm
3. Chris Baumann
4. Nate Brakeley
5. Nick Civetta
6. John Quill
7. Todd Clever
8. Al McFarland
9. Nate Augspurger
10. Ben Cima
11. Zack Test
12. AJ MacGinty
13. Bryce Campbell
14. Blaine Scully (C)
15. Mike Te’o
Men’s Eagles | Reserves
16. James Hilterbrand
17. Alex Maughan
18. Dino Waldren
19. Matthew Jensen
20. Tony Lamborn
21. Shaun Davies
22. Will Magie
23. JP Eloff
Uruguay | v. USA
1. Mateo Sanguinetti
2. Facundo Gattas
3. Juan Echeverría
4. Ignacio Dotti
5. Diego Ayala
6. Rodolfo Garese
7. Franco Lamanna
8. Alejandro Nieto (C)
9. Santiago Arata
10. Germán Albanell
11. Andrés Rocco
12. Juan de Freitas
13. Juan Manuel Cat
14. Leandro Leivas
15. Rodrigo Silva
Uruguay | Reserves
16. Diego Pombo
17. Matías Benítez
18. Felipe Inciarte
19. Juan Diego Ormaechea
20. Diego Magno
21. Guillermo Lijtenstein
22. Francisco Berchesi
23. Gastón Gibertnau
Men’s Eagles | Americas Rugby Championship | 1,269,274 |
complain, and point to ACTA as a reason why they must do so. You can see this already in the way those same ACTA defenders treat Canada, in claiming that its current treaty agreements obligate it to put in place DMCA-like notice-and-takedown provisions, along with anti-circumvention rules -- despite the fact that the agreements say no such thing directly.Speaking of notice-and-takedown and anti-cirumvention, both make their appearance in the ACTA document. The following subsection, again, highlighting what a service provider must do to get safe harbors, discusses takedowns:Michael Geist points out that this is a notice and takedown provision, though youargue that it could be read as just notice-and-notice -- where the person uploading content has the right to respond before the takedown occurs. Still, the document is telling: note that the takedown is to occur onrather than on actual evidence or conviction of infringement. This should be seen as problematic as well. Given how often the notice-and-takedown system is abused, and given any judicial system that believes in innocence until guilt is proven, you would think that it should not be allowed to require a takedown without conviction.Section 4 then discusses anti-circumvention and would lock in many of the mistakes of the DMCA that are causing serious problems today and need to be fixed -- not forced to stay due to "international obligations." The issue here is that it again will place the blame on the tools provider, since it includes just the manufacturing of tools for circumventing DRM or other technical protection measures. It's a bad law that blames those who make the tools, rather than those who use them. Furthermore, it makes no exceptions for the lawful use of the tools. You can use circumvention tools to make a perfectly legal backup of content that you bought. But, under the DMCA, the act of making thatis illegal due to the circumvention. That's a huge problem that not only would be further locked into US law and blocked from change, but would then be forced on other countries who have (smartly) recognized how problematic this is.In the end, the leaked document appears to show exactly what people feared it would (and, again explains why the USTR and the lobbyists, who helped draft the document, wanted to keep it so secretive). It takes a very fluid and evolving situation in copyright law and tries to lock it in place, despite tons of evidence of the harm done by certain aspects of that law, and to then spread those same mistakes to other countries. Furthermore, it ratchets up what is required to qualify for "safe harbors" to make it such that, while three strikes may not be required, no other option is presented. It's a multiple choice question with "A" as the only answer. And the USTR and entertainment industry lobbyists want to tell us that makes it not mandatory.
Filed Under: acta, anti-circumvention, copyright, dmca, enforcement, notice and takedown, secondary liability, third party liability, three strikes | 1,269,275 |
As the Economist notes, “The prevalence of women in Scottish politics seems to be one reason why Scotland looks like achieving a world first on this issue.”
Finnish football drops the ‘women’ label
The Finnish FA is one of the few organisations in world football that has equal pay for their men’s and women’s national teams. Now they’re going a step further: the country’s top division of women’s football will be called the National League instead of the Women’s League in a push for “full equality”.
People who watch more TV find thinner women more attractive
While western media is often blamed for promoting “thin ideals” it has been hard to actually quantify its effect on attitudes. Researchers at the University of Durham, however, have just published a fascinating study that tracks residents in remote Nicaraguan villages undergoing technological transition. At the time of the research electricity was being put into the villages, allowing TV viewing. The researchers found that TV exposure does seem to drive both men and women to find slimmer female bodies more attractive.
Trump 'could suck coronavirus out of 60,000 people' and he'd still be criticized – Huckabee Read more
Duffy opens up about horrifying ordeal
The Welsh pop singer made a brave statement on Instagram, explaining she’d retreated from the public eye because she’d been drugged, held captive and raped by an unidentified person. She has been praised by campaigners for drawing attention to the long-term impact of trauma.
Saudi Arabia orders arrest of female rapper
Her crime? She posted a music video called “Mecca Girl” on YouTube. The persecution of the rapper, who identifies herself as Asayel, is a reminder that Saudi Arabia may make a big song and dance about its supposed “modernization”, but there’s a very long way for it to go.
Teenage girl beats boys to win wrestling championship
Heaven Fitch became the first girl to win one of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s individual state wrestling championships. Fitch got into wrestling because of her brothers. “I would just be like, ‘Well, if they can do it, then I should be able to do it,’” she said.
Indonesian official thinks women can get pregnant from swimming
“In a swimming pool, there’s a certain kind of sperm that is very strong,” Sitti Hikmawatty, a senior child protection official, recently informed reporters. “If a person is aroused and ejaculates [in the pool] a pregnancy can happen even though there is no sexual penetration.” These nonsensical claims are a perfect example of why sex education is so important.
• This article was amended on 2 March 2020. An earlier version implied that a tweet by Elizabeth Warren in February 2019 was made a few weeks ago. This has been corrected. | 1,269,276 |
There’s been a lot of interest in converting 450cc dirt bikes into race bikes. The 450 singles are lightweight and inexpensive, making for a nice nimble entry level racer. But a question always pops up, why not a kit for the street?
Kurt Blankemeyer of Design Cycle Inc. is working on a conversion, too. He starts with a Honda CRF450R, but instead of building a track oriented race bike, you add Kurt’s kit and the result is a street legal cafe racer, what he calls a CB450R.
While some guys working on an idea keep turning out endless CAD drawings, Kurt has a prototype on the ground running and a couple more in the works. As you can see from the photo, the bike is light, Kurt says it’s around 240 pounds wet and with somewhere around 55 horsepower, you have a very flickable little performer with a pretty high fun factor.
Kick start and carb keeps it simple and seat height is only 30 inches. They’re aiming at owners of CRF450Rs first, then, if the kits work out, they’ll be doing complete custom bikes, later. Kurt is still making final tweaks to the prototype and is trying to gauge interest, so let him know what you think, he wants your feedback. Nice work, Kurt. I like it!
Specs:
• Engine: 2002 – 2007 Honda CRF450R
• Front End: Modified Honda
• Front Wheel: 17” x 3.5” wide Pro Wheel
• Rear Wheel: 17” x 5” wide Pro Wheel
• Front Tire: 120/60-17
• Rear Tire: 150/60-17
• Front Brake: Single Caliper CRF450 on oversize rotor.
• Swingarm: Modified CRF450R
• Rear Brake: Stock CRF450R
• Handlebar: LSL Aluminum
• Exhaust: Leo Vince
• Headlight: LSL
• Turn Signals: LSL LED
• Fuel Delivery: Carburetor
• Fuel Tank: 2.4 gallon
• Rear Suspension: Dual Shock (Progressive)
• Seat: Minimal
• Frame: Modified Honda
• Gauges: Garmin GPS
• Starting System: Kickstart…”light is right”
Performance:
• Horsepower: ~55HP
• Wet Weight: ~240 pounds
• Fun: Maximum
Link: Design Cycle Inc
UPDATE: Kurt just sent a few more photos to give you a better look. He also wanted to be clear that this prototype was not painted and the wiring is in rough shape. Everything will be cleaned up, this is a work in progress.
UPDATE 2: Be sure to read Kurt’s comment below about getting these on the road legally, registering in your state and how it works in Florida.
| 1,269,277 |
Beto O'Rourke going on Stephen Colbert talk show
Stephen Colbert (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) Stephen Colbert (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) Photo: Richard Shotwell, INVL
Senator Ted Cruz dribbles past Jimmy Kimmel during the Blobfish Basketball Classic and one-on-one interview at Texas Southern University's Health & Physical Education Arena Saturday, June 16, 2018 in Houston. Cruz challenged Kimmel to the game after Kimmel blamed the Houston Rockets playoff loss on the senator. (Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle) less Senator Ted Cruz dribbles past Jimmy Kimmel during the Blobfish Basketball Classic and one-on-one interview at Texas Southern University's Health & Physical Education Arena Saturday, June 16, 2018 in Houston.... more Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff / Houston Chronicle
Beto O'Rourke smiles while speaking to the crowd at his rally at the Houston Stampede Event Center Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Houston. Beto O'Rourke smiles while speaking to the crowd at his rally at the Houston Stampede Event Center Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, in Houston. Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Staff Photographer
Host Stephen Colbert appears in February on the set of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in New York. (Gail Schulman/CBS via AP) Host Stephen Colbert appears in February on the set of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in New York. (Gail Schulman/CBS via AP) Photo: Gail Schulman, HONS
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Photo: Richard Shotwell, INVL Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Beto O'Rourke going on Stephen Colbert talk show 1 / 5 Back to Gallery
Just days after being on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Democrat Beto O'Rourke is now set to go on another popular national talk show.
O'Rourke is scheduled to be on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Wednesday along with Kiera Knightly and Martha Stewart.
It's not the first time Texas U.S. Senate race has made an appearance on late night television. Earlier this summer, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live after the two played a one-on-one basketball game. For two months, Cruz has made his victory over Kimmel a big part of his campaign speeches while touring the state.
O'Rourke continues to get more national attention on the heels of his now-viral video clip of him defending NFL players who kneel during the national anthem as a form of protest. Last week he was on the DeGeneres show thanks largely to that video. | 1,269,278 |
Left-wing actress Ellen Barkin posed a question to President Donald Trump’s “dumb” supporters, asking them if they want a president “who is as dumb or dumber than you.”
The Ocean’s Thirteen actress — who has disparaged Trump’s supporters in the past, calling them the “most extreme right-wingers since the Nazis” — described Trump’s supporters as “dumb” and asked his base if they “want a dumb president?”
“Trump survivors, I mean supporters need to ask themselves only one question cuz the fact is irrefutable…Do you want a dumb president?” Ellen Barkin tweeted, immediately rephrasing her question and focusing on Trump’s spelling as proof of his purported lack of intelligence.
“By now, even you know you’re all pretty dumb so let me rephrase my question…Do you want a president who is as dumb or dumber than you? Think about it…,” she said, stressing that she is not talking about “big words like compulsory or obligatory.”
“The dude can’t spell. I’m not talking about big words like compulsory or obligatory but a single syllable word…moat. He spells it ‘moot’. But moot is already a ward. With a very different meaning. Can you see how something like this could crate a dangerous situation?” Barkin asked.
“Create. Crate. Get it?” the Animal Kingdom star said.
By now, even you know you’re all pretty dumb so let me rephrase my question…Do you want a president who is as dumb or dumber than you? Think about it… — Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) October 6, 2019
Create. Crate. Get it? 😂😂 — Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) October 6, 2019
This is far from the first time Barkin has expressed her anti-Trump sentiments. The actress said last fall that Trump should be “removed” and “not just from office.”
this man should be removed…and not just from office https://t.co/CRa5z4huG9 — Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) October 1, 2018
The Tender Mercies star also called Trump’s base “the most extreme right wingers since the Nazis” in a rant following the first Democrat primary debate in June.
“If trump’s base, the most extreme right wingers since the Nazis, would just stop and look at the financial damage inflicted on them by the GOP, I believe they’d join the fight,” she wrote. “The GOP is asking their base a question right now…would you rather hate or eat? What’s the answer?” | 1,269,279 |
Syria conflict: Turkish jets intercept Russian plane Published duration 5 October 2015 Related Topics Syrian civil war
media caption What hardware does Russia have?
Turkish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after a Russian warplane violated Turkey's air space on Saturday, the foreign ministry said.
Russia said the incident was a "navigational error" and that it has "clarified" the matter to Ankara.
Turkish jets patrolling the border were also "harassed" by an unidentified plane on Sunday, Turkey said.
Russia has been carrying out air strikes in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
Turkey, a Nato member, has called the Russian strikes a "grave mistake".
The US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "We're greatly concerned about it because it is precisely the kind of thing that, had Turkey responded under its rights, could have resulted in a shoot-down."
Representatives of Nato's 28 member states will meet later to discuss the incursion into Turkey.
On Monday Russia said it had "continued performing pinpoint strikes" on IS targets in Syria, carrying out 25 sorties and hitting nine Islamic State (IS) targets.
Among those targets was a communications centre in Homs, and a command centre in Latakia, it said.
Russian air strikes - in depth
The Russian air campaign began on Wednesday, with Moscow saying it was targeting IS positions and those of other extremists. Syria said on Monday that the air strikes had been planned for months
But Turkey and other members of the US-led coalition in Syria say the principal target is in fact the Syrian opposition groups fighting President Assad.
They assert that Russia's intervention will further escalate the conflict and risks driving more recruits to IS.
Saturday's interception took place near Yayladagi in the southern Hatay region, Turkey says. The foreign ministry in Ankara said it had summoned the Russian ambassador to issue a "strong protest".
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Turkish TV that the rules of engagement were clear, whoever violates its airspace.
"The Turkish Armed Forces are clearly instructed. Even if it is a flying bird, it will be intercepted," he said.
But he played down the possibility of a "Turkey-Russia crisis", saying that channels between the two countries remained open.
image copyright EPA image caption Russia released this image showing a hit on what it said was an IS facility in Idlib province
The Turkish foreign minister, Feridun Sinirlioglu, has spoken to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, as well as ministers from other Nato countries.
The Russian fighter plane "exited Turkish airspace into Syria" after being intercepted, the ministry said
After meeting Mr Sinirlioglu, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the incursion was "unacceptable".
Russia ships 'prepared'
Meanwhile, Vladimir Komoyedov, the head of the Russian government's defence committee, says Russia has not ruled out attacking rebel positions using warships. | 1,269,280 |
Beverly Scott MBTA
MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott announcing the expansion of the late night T service at Kendall Square in Cambridge.
(Garrett Quinn, MassLive)
BOSTON -- MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott told MassLive that service on Greater Boston's beleaguered public transportation should be somewhat better this morning as the system has restored 100 cars to its fleet.
"It certainly is improved from yesterday, but we still have a long way to go," said Scott.
The Orange and Red Lines were running at approximately 40-50 percent on Tuesday while other services suffered significant delays systemwide. Scott said the T is adding 25 percent today to what was operational on Tuesday.
"When I say it's a lot better today than yesterday, I mean we're counting them switch-by-switch, car-by-car. We have a really big focus to get more equipment out there," said Scott.
The unexpectedly high snowfall on Monday combined with brutally cold temperatures Tuesday was like a swift overhand combo to the MBTA's jaw that knocked the system on its feet and humbled its capacity. Commuters took to social media to express their outrage while Gov. Charlie Baker weighed in on the MBTA's longstanding problems. Pundits argued that MBTA's problems can be traced back to an unusual financial package that has strangled the agency with debt from the Big Dig.
MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo noted Tuesday that many of the Red Line cars that have been knocked out of commission by the snow and cold have been in operation since the Blizzard of 1978.
"A week of constant exposure to frigid temperatures, ice, and record snowfall has taken a major toll on the MBTA's vehicles and infrastructure. Rail service, particularly on the Red Line and Commuter Rail, will be severely impacted," said Pesaturo.
New cars for the Orange and Red Line are under contract to be assembled at a new plant in Springfield, but they will not be ready for delivery until 2018 and 2019 at the earliest.
"We appreciate everybody's patience," said Scott.
Scott said that MBTA will not be able to run normal or even expanded service for today's parade celebrating the New England Patriots Super Bowl championship. It's unknown how many people will venture into the city by MBTA or car to attend the parade, but previous championship parades have attracted millions.
"Just to be candid, we can't even begin to do the things we would normally do for special events like this," said Scott.
The recent problems have resulted in MBTA officials urging commuters to avoid using the service, but city officials have been adamant that paradegoers use public transportation. When asked if there was a disconnect between Boston City Hall and the MBTA on hosting the parade Wednesday, Scott said that she liked the mayor and was not interested in playing Monday Morning Quarterback.
In an interview with WBZ, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack urged those interested in attending to use the MBTA, and specifically the Blue Line. | 1,269,281 |
LOS ANGELES -- If the pass from Dustin Brown to Anze Kopitar for his picture-perfect goal in the second period seemed effortless, almost second nature, it's because it probably was for these two longtime teammates.
No two players on the Los Angeles Kings have played together longer than Brown and Kopitar. They have both had a front-row seat for the Kings' rebuilding process over the past six seasons (eight for Brown, the captain and most tenured King).
They both experienced the back end of seven consecutive years without a playoff berth in Los Angeles and sat in their locker room at Staples Center the past two seasons after being eliminated at home in the first round of the playoffs.
When Dustin Brown, left, and Anze Kopitar connected on a spectacular goal in Game 3, Brown was the first to jump into his longtime teammate's arms. Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US Presswire
And if the pass from Mike Richards to Jeff Carter for his back-breaking goal in the third period seemed natural, as if it had been practiced countless times before, it's because it has by these two old friends.
No two players on the Kings are as close as Richards and Carter. They have been teammates for the past eight years, starting when they were with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL in 2004, then when they played for the Philadelphia Flyers for the next six years before being traded separately last summer, with Richards being shipped off to Los Angeles and Carter to Columbus. They would be apart for only eight months before Carter was traded to Los Angeles in February to be reunited with Richards and give the Kings a much-needed scoring threat.
They both experienced the heartbreak of losing the Stanley Cup final two years ago on their home ice when they were with the Flyers, and both experienced the humiliation of being tagged as problems rather than leaders last summer when they were sent out of town in opposite directions within hours of each other.
There are plenty of players to credit for the Kings being one win away from winning their first Stanley Cup, especially with 17 different players on the Kings scoring this postseason. But there is no question the seeds for the Kings' current run and 15-2 record were planted years ago on opposite coasts and on opposite teams with four players that likely didn't think they would be headlining the top two lines in hockey right now.
"I didn't really see Kopi beyond the guy; I just kind of knew he was coming," Brown said of his pass to Kopitar in the second period that gave the Kings a 2-0 lead. "I just put it there. It was an all right pass, but the shot was better. An offside one-timer is not the easiest thing, and he put it right up under the bar."
Said Kopitar: "Yeah, we have been playing together for about five years. I think, as of right now, we have our chemistry going. It's extremely important to have guys clicking and knowing where you're going to be on the ice, just reading off each other." | 1,269,282 |
India skipper Virat Kohli said that the batting order was likely to remain unchanged ahead of the fourth Test at Port-of-Spain.
Gros Islet (St Lucia): Indian captain Virat Kohli expressed happiness over the fact that his team could make a course correction of all that went wrong in Jamaica during the second Test that saw them failing to get even six wickets on the final day.
The India skipper added that the batting order was likely to remain unchanged ahead of the fourth Test.
India clinched the four-Test series 2-0 on Saturday by winning the third Test by 237 runs despite losing an entire day's play due to poor weather conditions.
No wonder Kohli was happy when told about Indian team's feat of winning two Test matches in a single series since they started coming to West Indies in the early 1950's.
"We have done quite a few firsts in the last year. In Jamaica, we understood the things that went wrong. We corrected those things here on the fourth day. We got seven wickets for 31 runs (on fourth day) and that was the game-changer. We have always aimed to win series' away from India. This is a good start," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
He was also satisfied that all three changes worked well and made it clear that it will be him and not anyone else who will be batting at No 3 from now on with Rohit Sharma getting an extended run at No 5.
"We made three changes and we understood Rohit needs to be backed at a particular position. I batted at No 3, Jinks (Rahane) at No 4. Rohit is dangerous at No 5 and take the game away in a session. That means I take up the extra responsibility at No 3. I don't mind that and someone like Ashwin is batting well.
"And we can play five bowlers. It was wonderful, commendable from Bhuvneshwar. He showed the bowlers how to bowl in consistent areas. We lost early wickets here, that's the way Test cricket goes. I am being too critical but we will look for a complete performance in Trinidad," said Kohli.
He was equally lavish in his praise for Wriddhiman Saha's century.
"We all know Ash can bat but you particularly feel happy when a teamman like Saha does well. Such a nice person, never cribs about anything, does not have a bad word to say about anybody, ready to bat at Nos 8,9, or 10."
Man of the match Ravichandran Ashwin said that although it looked like a slow wicket, it had enough juice in it for the pacers.
"We thought 234 on the first day was a par score, and we wanted to extend it. From the outside, it looked like a slow wicket. We were bowling good lines and conservative lengths and Bhuvi bowled that wonderful spell on the fourth day." | 1,269,283 |
BIONICS FOR BLINDNESS. Think exceptional sight would be a cool superpower? You’re in luck: Researchers from the University of Minnesota have built a bionic eye prototype that could restore sight to the blind and give superhuman vision to those who can already see.
They published their research on Tuesday in the journal Advanced Materials.
LIGHT CONVERSION. The researchers used a custom-built 3D printer to construct their bionic eye prototype. First, they printed a base of silver particles on the inside of a hemispherical glass dome. Next, they used semiconducting polymer materials to print photodiodes, devices that convert light into electric signals, on top of the silver base.
The entire process took about an hour, after which the team had a bionic eye that could convert light into electricity with 25 percent efficiency (safe to say that’s less than our natural eyes can do, since they can detect a single photon).
A FIRST STEP. We won’t be able to transplant this eye into a human any time soon. A glass dome probably wouldn’t feel great in a person’s eye socket, so the team is trying to figure out a way to print on a soft hemispherical material. It also wants to add more light receptors to increase the device’s efficiency.
Still, as co-author Michael McAlpine noted in a press release, the team’s prototype is a significant step forward toward the goal of creating usable bionic eyes.
First, it shows that the 3D-printed semiconductors are just as efficient asthose found in devices produced in microfabrication facilities, high-tech labs outfitted with cutting-edge equipment researchers use for small-scale engineering. Since 3D printers can do basically the same thing, more researchers could now start working on their own inventions that use the semiconductors, no matter whether or not they have access to those sophisticated facilities.
Second, it reveals a way to print semiconductors on a curved surface — something McAlpine says is impossible at those facilities.
BETTER VISION FOR ALL. McAlpine decided to tackle the challenge of creating a bionic eye because his mother can’t see out of one of her own,. But people with vision problems aren’t the only ones who could benefit from the devices. Bionic eyes could eventually improve the sight of anyone (though whether they’d have to remove perfectly healthy eyes to implant bionic ones remains to be seen).
Still, we’ll first need to figure out a way to convert the electric signals from the eye into something the brain can interpret. That might take awhile. But once researchers make that happen, the rest of us can start thinking about our super-sighted superhero names.
READ MORE: Research Brief: Researchers 3D Print Prototype for ‘Bionic Eye’ [University of Minnesota]
More on bionic eyes: Researchers Just Found a Way to Create Better Bionic Eyes | 1,269,284 |
ALEX JONES (HOST): So I’m asking the families: In the memory of your children and the memory of the truth -- you say it’s super hurtful to hear these things, I agree. So I’m saying how do you continue to say that and say I said it if it’s so hurtful? I’m asking you to quit in my voice saying your children didn’t die. I’m asking in my voice and my name to quit saying I’m sending people to your house. I’m asking you through my name, like [late-night talk show host] Conan O’Brien with a cut-out of somebody saying things, to stop saying that I’m doing this because I’m not. I’ve apologized, I’ve done it all. So, at a certain point, do cease and desist letters have to go out? With a letter and videos and everything so it’s on record?
Because people take the families of victims, and they should, hold them up. I remember talking about the deadly dust killing people in the World Trade Center and they covered it up for decades and now it’s admitted. They do that and they hold it up. But the First Amendment’s pretty important but I don’t know how they’re going to say Alex Jones is mean, he’s making people come be deposed, Alex Jones is mean, he’s put P.I.’s on the street. Alex Jones is mean. Because see, I’m the one under assault. I’m the one being misrepresented. I’m the one that people are speaking through my voice, holding a picture of me up, and then saying I’m saying these things and all I’m saying is metaphysically I didn’t create this, I didn’t start this, so I can’t give you quarter. But I’ve tried to give the whole thing quarter and have been your biggest ally for years in saying, “No, I think it happened.” And if I’m so dangerous and so bad and so many people listen to me, so many dangerous people, then please don’t say that I’m saying your children didn’t die or that mass shootings don’t happen or that Parkland didn’t happen or any of this because you know that’s not what I’ve said, lawyers. And you know I didn’t sue the families. And you know I waived attorney’s fees that no one has ever done. But, see, just like [special counsel Robert] Mueller does these fake indictments, that’s the proof of collusion, it’s the same thing. File a suit, say the things in the suit, and then say that all of it’s true. | 1,269,285 |
I noted earlier that Sen. John McCain has taken a strange position on the Libyan conflict: He's been calling for the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi not only on humanitarian grounds, but also because Gadhafi has "American blood on his hands" from the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. However, just 18 months ago, McCain himself traveled to Tripoli to talk to Gadhafi about a transfer of American military equipment. He also praised the "remarkable and positive turn" in U.S.-Libya relations.
It turns out one of the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks describes in detail the friendly meeting between McCain and Gadhafi. It was also attended by fellow hawks Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham as well as Gadhafi's son, Muatassim. (See video of the meeting here.)
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Keep in mind the context for the meeting was several years of increasingly warm relations between the U.S. and Libya. In the private talks, Muatassim Gadhafi "emphasized Libya's interest in the purchase of U.S. lethal and non-lethal military equipment." McCain was receptive to that request:
Muatassim requested the "highest level of help possible" to obtain military supplies, including mobile hospitals and uniforms. He also requested assistance with upgrading Libya's equipment, including helicopters. "We can get [equipment] from Russia or China, but we want to get it from you as a symbol of faith from the United States," he said. He described the security threats that Libya could possibly face as a result of its geography - "There are 60 million Algerians to the West, 80 million Egyptians to the East, we have Europe in front of us, and we face Sub-Saharan Africa with its problems to the South."... Senator McCain assured Muatassim that the United States wanted to provide Libya with the equipment it needs for its TRIPOLI 00000677 002.2 OF 002 security. He stated that he understood Libya's requests regarding the rehabilitation of its eight C130s (ref D) and pledged to see what he could do to move things forward in Congress. He encouraged Muatassim to keep in mind the long-term perspective of bilateral security engagement and to remember that small obstacles will emerge from time to time that can be overcome.
Bucky Turco at Animal New York points out that the Pentagon apparently has an expansive definition of "non-lethal equipment." The term encompasses items like shotguns, tear gas canisters and stun grenades.
McCain sent out this memorable tweet after his Gadhafi meeting:
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There's nothing contradictory about previously advocating for normalization of relations with Gadhafi and then shifting, in the face of Gadhafi's attacks on rebels, to supporting a bombing campaign. That's not what McCain is doing. He is arguing that Ghadafi needs to be ousted because he has American blood on his hands (from 1988), when the senator himself was meeting with and praising the Libyan regime a mere 18 months ago. | 1,269,286 |
SINGAPORE - A second Raffles Hotel is set to open in Singapore in 2022, more than a century after the original national monument in Beach Road opened its doors in 1887.
Hotel operator Accor Group, in partnership with property developer Royal Group, announced on Tuesday (June 25) that the new Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa Singapore will be built on Sentosa.
The proposed all-villa resort will feature 61 villas, each with its own private swimming pool, set in a 1,000,000 sq ft property, the equivalent of approximately 17 football fields. Royal Group, which owns SO Sofitel Singapore and Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, will build the new Raffles resort on land adjacent to the existing Sofitel on Sentosa.
Managing director of Royal Group Peter Wilding, said during a press conference on Tuesday that the hotel will be a new interpretation of the iconic Raffles brand.
"We did a lot of work in studying luxury resorts in Singapore and in Sentosa and we found that there is demand from tourists that want to stay in exclusive luxury resorts with that aspect of privacy and security. If we didn't launch this new villa hotel, we would be losing those tourists to other parts of Asia."
He added that the resort will be the first villa-only hotel in Singapore.
Design studio Yabu Pushelberg, founded by Canadian designer George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, designed the resort, including the landscaping, lighting and interiors. The firm previously worked on luxury hotels including the Four Seasons Toronto and New York and St Regis Mexico City.
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Related Story Raffles Hotel Singapore revamp will retain its heritage and colonial feel: Design guru Alexandra Champalimaud
Related Story Major development plans in the works for Sentosa and Pulau Brani
Villas will range in size from about 2,800 sq ft for the one-bedroom villas to 4,800 sq ft for the four-bedroom villa. Each villa with have its own courtyard and pool with a suspended daybed.
Prices of the villas have not yet been confirmed but in comparison, a suite at the Raffles Hotel costs between $1,300 and $12,000 per night.
Hotel facilities will include a bar, restaurants, a fitness centre, a celebrations room and two meeting rooms.
Meanwhile, Raffles Hotel closed in December 2017 for its most extensive restoration and renovation project since 1989. It will reopen in August this year with new suite categories, an upgraded ballroom as well as new and refreshed restaurants and bars.
The hotel, which was designated a national monument in 1987, has been managed by AccorHotels since 2015 after the Paris-based chain signed a US$2.9 billion deal to buy out FRHI Holdings, which operates a string of hotels around the world under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissotel brands. | 1,269,287 |
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Menthol cigarettes and ten-packs are to be phased out completely under new smoking laws that come into effect on Friday.
Under the new rules, which have come via an EU directive, cigarette packets will have to contain at least 20 cigarettes, and flavoured tobacco and cigarettes will be banned completely.
The minimum contents rule also applies to hand rolling tobacco packets, which must weigh a minimum of 30 grams.
New packaging laws are also coming into place, which will mean that all cigarette boxes will look similar.
All cigarette packets will have to be the same dullish green colour, with the same font, colour, size, case and alignment of text.
They will also have to display large, updated health warnings, which will cover 65 per cent of both the front and back of the packet.
Other changes include introducing EU-wide tracking of tobacco products, and banning the use of "misleading" descriptions on packaging, such as “lite”, “natural” and “organic”.
While the new law states that all cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco products manufactured for sale in the UK must comply with the new regulations from Friday, there will be a one year transitional period to allow retailers to sell off old stock.
This means that from May 21, 2017 onwards the banned products will no longer be offered for sale.
Menthol cigarettes will be given an additional four year phase-out period before they are banned outright on May 20, 2020.
Research has shown that menthol cigarettes can be easier to smoke, and often appeal to beginner smokers.
The tobacco industry has challenged both the Tobacco Products Directive through the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and standardised packaging regulations through the UK courts.
The ECJ has already ruled earlier this month that the TPD was lawful and would not be overturned, while the UK court ruling on the standardised packaging regulations is expected this week.
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of health charity Action on Smoking Health said: “The European Court of Justice decision is welcome if not surprising: the Directive is lawful and the UK is allowed to go further than the Directive in standardising tobacco packs with respect to matters not harmonised by the Directive.
"We await the UK court judgement, which is expected shortly, but we expect that the court will also confirm that the introduction of standardised packaging in the UK is lawful.
"From May 20 all packs manufactured for sale in the UK will have to be plain, standardised in the same drab green colour with the product name on the pack in a standard font.” | 1,269,288 |
Experts have been aware of this phenomenon for a while. One study found that recent changes in climate have affected the quality of mountain snow cover, which has led to more frequent avalanches and more severe ones, too. Norwegian researchers also found a link between climate change and avalanches; they're working on a plan to alleviate the worst impacts of this on roads. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that warming temperatures have destabilized mountain climates, leading to more avalanches, melting glaciers and more intense storms.
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“Changes in snow and ice are going to strongly influence the stability of snow on a slope and the possibility of an avalanche,” Tad Pfeffer, a glaciologist with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told Al Jazeera. “People will get in trouble if they rely on what they knew in the past. They have to have their eyes open and not go somewhere or do something simply because it worked out five years earlier.”
This has hit the Alps particularly hard. Weather on that mountain range is warming at a quicker pace than the global average. Additionally, snow storms are more volatile and erratic. In particular, it's taking longer for winter to descend. That means weak snow at the very bottom of the snow pack. “As more snow piled on top of the weak layer, and temperatures remained warm, the upper, moisture-laden layers became vulnerable to sliding, and it created a delicate situation that required extra vigilance,” Vice reported.
In 2015, when more than 100 people were killed in avalanches. “It was terrifyingly unstable,” skier Tyler Jones told Vice. “I've never seen anything like it,” agreed Dougal Tavener, a guide and professional skier
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Similar trends have been seen at other mountain ranges as well. In the Himalayas, glaciers are melting faster than ever. The total area of Nepal's glaciers shrunk by almost a quarter between 1977 and 2010, according to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. During the same time, Nepal's average temperature change was two to eight times above the global average. This has led to a dramatic increase in the number of avalanches.
“The frequency of avalanches like the one that struck at the Everest base camp last month may increase due to global warming,” Samjwal Bajracharya told Reuters in 2014.
In May 2012, more than 60 people were killed in the Mount Annapurna region of western Nepal after flash floods triggered by an avalanche washed away Nepali homes. Ten people, including nine European climbers, were also killed that year when avalanches swept away their camps on the world's eighth tallest peak, Mount Manaslu, in central Nepal.
In 2014, an avalanche on Mount Everest killed 16 Sherpas. It was the deadliest disaster in Mount Everest history. Then in 2015, another avalanche buried Mount Everest's base camp. Nineteen were killed, including 10 Sherpas. | 1,269,289 |
An encounter with a rude homeless man has got me thinking about where my life is headed as an indie game developer.
I came across him last night while walking back to Old Street tube station from a London Unity Usergroup game dev meetup. I’d attended for a couple of reasons; primarily to plug The Last Time, and to get a few people to playtest the demo and provide feedback, but also to get myself out of the little bubble I’d been in for the past couple of months. I’d kept my head down, focused on developing the game, and felt that coming up for air and a dose of reality was long overdue.
Unfortunately, reality had hit me a little harder than I’d expected. Watching strangers play a game that you’ve put your heart and soul into can be a scary thing, and though I’m grateful for the useful feedback I got, it’s still a little depressing if people don’t ‘get’ it. I’d therefore left the meetup not only with some points for improvement, but also with less spring in my step.
I was thus not in the best of moods as I walked down the ramp to the south entrance of the tube station, where the homeless person sat with his back to a wall asking passers-by if they could ‘spare a smile’. This struck me as an innovative – if slightly depressing – variation of asking for change, and I felt that the least that I could do was to force a smile for him. And for what? For him to call after me about how he’d rather people gave him money, or food, or booze.
Staring into the face of homelessness when you are a lone indie developer who quit a job to follow a dream is a sobering experience (genuinely no pun intended). I was already questioning the potential success of my venture, and the timing of this encounter seemed almost as though it were designed to illustrate the worst case scenario should I fail. Suddenly, I found myself plagued with questions of self-doubt. What the hell am I doing? Do I really need a dream to be happy? Can’t I just be grateful that I have a roof over my head?
Well, I’ve slept on it, and optimistic Big Cow and self-doubting Big Cow have shaken hooves and agreed to get along (albeit with a mistrustful glance at each other when they thought I wasn’t looking). It’s not healthy or productive for me to oscillate between hope and despair, and I’m going to do my best to stay focused as I continue work on my project.
I am trying to turn a passion into something more. I do need a dream to be happy. And, while I should always be grateful that I have food and shelter, I’m not going to let fear of losing it keep me from pursuing my goals.
Keep it real. Big Cow out. | 1,269,290 |
Syrian forces have captured the largest town in Eastern Ghouta, effectively splitting the rebel-held enclave in three, a monitor told Al Jazeera.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Saturday that government forces had captured the town of Mesraba, which lies 10km east of Damascus, and had begun advancing into its surrounding farms.
The UK-based monitor told Al Jazeera that Eastern Ghouta had been divided into three parts - Douma and its surroundings, Harasta in the west, and the rest of the towns further south.
Syrian state television reported earlier that army operations were intensifying in the central part of Eastern Ghouta, with opposition activists also reporting that roads connecting the towns were covered by army fire.
The government's latest offensive on Eastern Ghouta, which began on February 18, has seen 1,002 people killed, according to the Observatory. The figure includes 215 children and 145 women.
The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) told Al Jazeera that at least 49 people, including 14 women and 10 children were killed on Friday, and a further 200 wounded.
President Bashar al-Assad and Russia say the campaign is needed to end rebel rule over the area's civilians.
Aid agencies have struggled to deliver aid to the besieged enclave, bringing in only a portion of the amount they wanted.
The Syrian government's offensive follows a pattern of previous assaults on rebel strongholds, deploying massive air power and tight sieges to force rebel fighters to accept "evacuation" deals.
These involve rebels surrendering territory in exchange for safe passage to opposition areas in northwest Syria, along with their families and other civilians who do not want to come back under Assad's rule.
Opposition evacuated
In a surprise move, several members of Syria's armed opposition have been evacuated from rebel-held Eastern Ghouta late on Friday, sources told Al Jazeera.
The evacuation came as the Syrian army intensified its operations in the central part of the besieged Damascus suburb, state television reported on Saturday.
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Jaish al-Islam, one of the main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta, announced it had agreed to the evacuation of several Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham fighters - previously part of al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front - who were detained by the group in Eastern Ghouta.
According to Syrian state media, 13 fighters were evacuated with their families through the al-Wafeedin passage and bussed to Idlib province.
The agreement for the evacuation was reportedly reached with the help of the United Nations and several international entities, in addition to civil society members.
The evacuation deal came after Jaish al-Islam sent a letter last month to the UN vowing to facilitate the evacuation of the former al-Qaeda members.
Eastern Ghouta, which is home to about 400,000 people, has been under siege by the government ever since armed opposition groups took control of it in mid-2013. | 1,269,291 |
The rapidly growing number of clashes between IDF soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank have prompted the military to issue new directives to the Judea and Samaria Division commanders, regarding rules of engagement pertaining to cases involving riots, the throwing of Molotov cocktails and stoning incidents.
Soldiers serving in the West Bank complained in recent days that "their hands are tied" vis-à-vis Palestinian rioters in the sector, due to the military's orders to exercise maximal restraint.
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The directives came under scrutiny over several incidents, where soldiers had to flee rioters rather than engage them due to ambiguous orders.
The new directives, a copy of which was obtained by Ynet on Wednesday, aim to clarify the rules of engagement; and while they stress the need for caution and discretion, they clearly state that soldiers are allowed to open fire in the event of an imminent threat.
Clash at Qaddum
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Amongst other things, the document states that, "During foot patrols, when soldiers identify that Israeli vehicles are being stones, constituting clear and present danger, they must fire to eliminate the threat using static or single shots only, without endangering other vehicles."
In cases involving Molotov cocktails thrown at troops, the soldiers are ordered to "Fire at the source until the threat is neutralized."
"When on foot patrol, if protesters stone our forces, massively and physically endangering soldiers, suspect engaging procedures must be put into effect in full, culminating with aiming the weapon at the assailant's lower extremities. However, if the stoning poses no true physical threat the arrest should be conducted using reasonable force."
Clashes in the West Bank (Photo: EPA)
The document clearly stated that should IDF troops come under gunfire, they must respond by returning fire at the source and engaging any suspects.
Directives pertaining to fire protocols in checkpoints – both permanent and temporary ones – have also been clarified further.
The new orders also focus on vehicular terror attacks, i.e. – incidents when terrorists attempt to run soldiers over: "Should a directed attempt to run soldiers over be made and it cannot be thwarted, troops must engage in suspect arrest procedure and they may fire at the car. But should there be any doubt or any chance that the incident is accidental, the soldiers must hold their fire. Once the vehicle no longer poses a threat, the soldiers must hold their fire."
A senior GOC Central Command source explained that "So far the containment and restrain policy has proven itself as preventing incidents from escalating. These orders all derive from battle ethics.
"We must exercise discretion and keep live fire as the last resort. We don't want to shoot indiscriminately and harm innocent people and if something like that happens we immediately offer assistance.
"Had we opened fire on every teenager that rioted during Operation Pillar of Defense it would have spilled into the West Bank."
Itamar Fleishman contributed to this report
Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter
| 1,269,292 |
Time is running out before funding for the Department of Homeland Security dries up–a scenario that the head of the House Republican Policy Committee said he would welcome, if the President doesn’t adopt a policy on deportations suitable to conservatives.
Appearing on CSPAN’s Washington Journal on Tuesday morning, Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.), was asked if the current GOP strategy of trying to defund President Obama’s executive actions on immigration justified shutting down DHS.
“I believe it does,” Rep. Messer replied. “This is about way more than just our current immigration debate,” he added.
He then chastised Republicans in the Senate for not doing more to advance a DHS funding bill that strips deferred deportation status from millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in the US–a distinction granted by the White House late last year.
“When Rand Paul was concerned about drones, he did a filibuster,” Messer said. He also recalled how Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) filibustered continued funding of the Affordable Care Act in 2013.
“Each of those efforts brought the attention of the American people to the debate. I haven’t seen that kind of effort out of the Senate yet,” said Messer.
The obstruction the congressman applauded is actually happening in the Senate, although it’s Democrats leading the campaign, with the power dynamics reversed since the occurrence of the procedural moves referenced by Messer. On three occasions, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has failed to advance a DHS funding bill in the face of Democratic opposition over Republican bids to block the president’s decrees on immigration.
“I understand what the math is,” said Rep. Messer, acknowledging that “without some of the Democratic senators coming along, it’s difficult for the bill to move.”
But he stressed that “the fight matters. The debate matters.”
During the 2013 government shutdown, the majority of DHS employees were exempt from emergency furloughs, with a large number of them classified as “essential” personnel. Department activities including airport screening, immigration enforcement, and Secret Service operations continued during the congressional gridlock.
However, several other department operations including ongoing research, hiring, and non-emergency investments and grants would be affected by a shutdown.
Another DHS mission that could be hampered relates to cyber security. The White House announced on Tuesday the formation of a new office within DHS that will focus on disseminating information on cyber threats to other government agencies. The launch of that entity, the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, would be complicated by a department shutdown.
Current funding for the agency expires Feb. 27.
As chair of the Republican Policy Committee, Keller is charged with developing “conservative policy solutions.” He nabbed the post in January, at the start of the 114th Congress. | 1,269,293 |
I spoke to Sobel about her newest book and the women of Harvard College Observatory. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Jenny Woodman: Who were the women Pickering recruited? What were their day-to-day lives like?
Dava Sobel: When he arrived at the Observatory, in 1877, Pickering found astronomers’ family members—wives, sisters, daughters—already acting as assistants. As the need for personnel increased, he sought additional women who were good at math and had office experience. Within a decade, he hired his first female college graduate.
By then, Pickering’s focus on photography had created a new source material for the ladies, in the form of glass photographic plates. The women worked, usually in pairs, with one partner looking at a plate and speaking aloud her findings to the other, who recorded them in a notebook.
Woodman: What were they looking for?
Sobel: At first, much of the women’s work entailed computing the actual positions and brightness of individual stars by applying mathematical formulae to the nightly notations made by the male observers. With the glass plates, they could discover new stars. While some of the photographs portrayed the stars as dots to be counted and catalogued according to sky coordinates, other images displayed the stars’ light as tiny strips, or spectra, bearing distinct patterns.
A few of the women were challenged to make sense of these patterns by devising a scheme for sorting the stars into categories. Annie Jump Cannon’s success at this activity made her famous in her own lifetime, and she produced a stellar classification system that is still in use today. Antonia Maury discerned in the spectra a way to assess the relative sizes of stars, and Henrietta Leavitt showed how the cyclic changes of certain variable stars could serve as distance markers in space.
Woodman: The observatory directors—Pickering and his successor, Harlow Shapley—were really quite progressive. They advocated for women’s suffrage and gave credit to the “computers” for the work they were doing. Pickering even used crowdsourcing and citizen science. He knew that there was no way the observatory staff could perform the necessary observations, so he reached out to amateur astronomers for data collection. I was surprised to see something so popular today occurring in the 1800s.
Sobel: Crowdsourcing, yes. Having all these women who had a college education and a telescope, why don't you volunteer to help us? [Pickering] really was terrific.
Woodman: These women, to me, were so wonderful, but their story often reduced to jokes about “Pickering’s Harem.”
Sobel: Maybe [the women] are unsung heroes, but in their own time, they were not unsung at all. Here they were getting their name in all the publications, getting invited to be foreign members of astronomical societies. | 1,269,294 |
Let me tell you my story. I bought one of your movies on iTunes. It's called "An Education," and I've heard very good things. Sure, $15 is a lot to pay for a movie I'll probably only watch once or twice (no rental option was available), but I was stuck in an airport and desperate for something decent to pass the time with. After reading a profile on Carey Mulligan in Vogue at the Hudson News I was completely smitten and decided to watch her Oscar-nominated role no matter the cost. Since my laptop was out of battery, iTunes was my only option, and I attempted to download the movie directly to my iPad. Unfortunately, you can't start watching a download on the iPad until it's completed, and the slow airport WiFi only had me 2/3rds of the way before I had to board my flight.
Typically I wouldn't complain about not being able to download a movie on my airplane flight home, that's historically been an internet free zone, but despite that blessed Gogo Inflight Internet being available on my particular flight I still managed to encounter frustration in my quest to watch my film of choice: the port through which my iPad was attempting to download "An Education" over was apparently blocked, so I streamed some other movies over Netflix instead. Such a difficult life I lead.
After returning home at last, where my speedy connection quickly had the film downloaded at last, I decided that the iPad screen was just too small to truly enjoy the film. I had paid $15 after all, might as well get my money's worth! In my infinite wisdom I had purchased an iPad to VGA adapter along with my iPad which I had yet to use, so I fished it out of its packaging and plugged my iPad into my TV.
OK, if you were skimming to the good part, here it is:
"Cannot Play Movie," my iPad reads. "The connected display is not authorized to play protected movies."
I can't even begin to state my indignation. Who is this possibly helping? The only content that has this sort of protection is the sort of content that has been paid for directly. I'm not the first to be bitten by HDCP, and I won't be the last, but boy does it suck when it's not something metaphorical you're complaining about and instead something real poking you in the eye. And of course, only suckers like me who actually do their best to pay for their media will ever encounter the problem.
Us idiots.
An alternative route: I choose from one of many versions available for free and speedy download on the internet's many torrent sites. Can you believe that, movie company that I don't care to learn the name of? Despite your best efforts to frustrate your users, someone managed to rip your movie and share it with everybody! Never saw that coming, did you?
Somehow they found a way! Somehow they found a way!
. | 1,269,295 |
Catholic Church leaders from around the world have heard an African woman describe being abused from the age of 15 for 13 years by a priest, who she says forced her to have three abortions.
This was “quite simply because he did not want to use condoms or contraceptives”, she said. The priest would not allow her to have boyfriends and beat her if she refused him sex, she added.
“I feel I have a life destroyed,” said the woman, who was one of five clerical child sex abuse survivors from Latin America, Africa, eastern Europe, the US and Asia, who spoke via videolink at the four-day Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church.
The meeting, which began in Rome on Thursday, is being attended by 190 bishops and leaders of religious congregations. Catholic Ireland is being represented by Archbishop Eamon Martin, the president of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
Juan Carlos Cruz, an abuse survivor from Chile, told them when he went to church authorities “the first thing they did was treat me as a liar, turn their backs and tell me that I, and others, were enemies of the church”.
A survivor from eastern Europe recalled how despite efforts to reach his own bishop on the matter, eight years later his letter remains unanswered.
In a brief statement opening the meeting, Pope Francis spoke of “the scourge of sexual abuse perpetrated by ecclesiastics to the great harm of minors”. Abuse victims expected “concrete and efficient measures” to address the scandal and not mere condemnations, he said.
Designated as children
Among 21 reflections for discussion at the meeting, Francis has proposed to change Catholic law so that all under the age of 16 would be designated as children throughout the church worldwide.
Currently in canon law boys under 16 are so designated, but only girls under 14, in order to facilitate marriages in some cultures.
The pope has also proposed that the names of accused priests should not be published “before the preliminary investigation and the definitive condemnation”.
In a lengthy address to the meeting, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, adjunct secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which has responsibilty for dealing with cases of clerical child sex abuse, said the primary duty of bishops was “the care of our people”. It was “our sacred duty to protect our people and to ensure justice when they have been abused”, he said.
“[Bishops] should not underestimate the need to confront ourselves with the deep wounds inflicted on victims of sex abuse by members of the clergy.”
Archbishop Scicluna said the faith community “under our care should know that we mean business. They should come to know us as friends of their safety and that of their children and youth...We will protect them at all cost. We will lay down our lives for the flocks entrusted to us.” | 1,269,296 |
-immigration leader as "highly respected all over Europe." Orban has been widely derided as an enemy to civil liberties. His visit to DC began with an hour-long meeting with Trump in which no note-takers were present, according to what officials told The Post, and it "solidified" the US president's negative view of Zelensky.
Both Putin and Orban have political reasons to denigrate Ukraine.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are engaged in an ongoing, violent conflict with the Ukrainian government, which is why the US has provided military aid.
Meanwhile, Orban's disdain for Ukraine is linked to a long-running geopolitical dispute in the region and allegations of the mistreatment of a Hungarian ethnic minority in the country.
Trump has made a habit of trusting dictators
Trump's attempt to exploit Ukraine for political purposes appears to have largely been a product of his own inclinations and influence from Giuliani, but his willingness to listen to dictators like Orban and Putin has also apparently played a role in this escalating scandal.
And this would not be the first time Trump has allowed dubious leaders to get into his head — including Putin.
Trump, for example, appeared to side with Putin over the US intelligence community on the subject of Russian election interference when the two leaders met in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018.
Trump also took North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's word that he didn't know about the circumstances leading to the disturbing death of a US student, Otto Warmbier, shortly after he was released from imprisonment in the rogue state. Warmbier's parents issued a scathing response, stating, "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that."
Read more: Meet Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's comedian turned president who's at the center of the scandal threatening Trump's presidency
Trump has also accepted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's assertion that he did not order the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and Saudi national who was killed by Saudi government agents in Istanbul last October. The CIA has reportedly concluded that the Saudi crown prince, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, ordered the killing. Khashoggi had been critical of the Saudi crown prince and the Saudi royal family in his writings prior to his death at the hands of members of his own government.
Of all the presidents of the modern era, there's virtually no comparison to Trump when it comes to exhibiting trust for and lavishing praise on authoritarian leaders. In many instances, Trump has treated strongmen with abhorrent records on human rights with more respect than traditional US allies.
In the case of Ukraine, this has backfired in a massive way. Instead of listening to advisers who urged Trump to show support for Ukraine amid ongoing aggression from Russia, the president seemingly listened to dictators who sought to undermine the relationship to their own advantage. This is now part of the array of factors in a convoluted controversy that threatens to upend Trump's presidency. | 1,269,297 |
Last weekend was boy’s weekend and that meant fishing! So we woke up early had a great breakfast of Apple Jacks for the boys and coffee for me. Loaded up all our gear and headed to my hunting partners farm where we have a great stretch of river to fish. After a short walk down the bank path, the boys talking a mile a minute about who’s going to catch the most and biggest, we hit our first spot to try.
The boys where so eager to get the first fish. It’s great to see them so excited to be outside, but this needed to be a learning event also. School might have been out for the summer, but the school of fishing was in session. First lesson was hook selection and how to tie it on. Bobber selection and bait was a big decision but after some persuasion they both choose the gulp alive power maggots. They mastered casting spinning rods last year so they were off and casting with little help at all. On a side note to parents, kids casting and trees or weeds can really make the experience not fun. Find a nice open area, spread the kids out and explain safety. Nothing can wreck a fun day of fishing like a trip to the hospital to remove hooks.
I stood back for the first little while and watched the boy’s fish, offering little tips here and there when they wanted to hear them, so proud to see them waiting impatiently for a nibble. Once they settled down and got comfy, I started to fish. To tell the truth I was just playing around testing out some new plastics for a gear review, when they got the first bite. Not a monster by any means and not what I expected them to catch but the catfish sure put up a good fight. With one in the pail, the race was now on to find a second. It got entertaining to see each of them claim they had a bite, or the famous “Dad I just had one but it fell off right there!“ This spot in the past has produce lots of sunfish and blue gills but today nothing wanted to play. So without burning the kids out we decided to pack up a bit early as it was getting hot out. I feel that short trips are better to keep them wanting to come back another day instead of forcing it.
Regardless of the outcome, getting kids involved in the great outdoors is the best video game nature can offer. Take a kid fishing; you never know what they will catch!
~
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Alfa Romeo C39 front wing Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The team tested a new variant of its front wing, which looks to build upon its ‘unloaded’ concept introduced in 2019.
The design of its mainplane has essentially been inverted, with a raised section used at the inboard end to encourage flow under the wing, while the outboard section now dips to discourage it (green highlight approximates the shape of the old design). The chord and geometry of the flaps thereafter have also been optimised to take advantage of this.
These changes are likely designed to reduce the wing’s pitch sensitivity, tune the Y250 vortex that’s shed at the mainplane and neutral section's juncture, plus improve flow out and across the front of the tyre.
Alfa Romeo Racing C39 detail Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The team added its own version of the now widely adopted ‘bunny ears’ on top of its chassis for the second test. These L-shaped aero devices are to help tie-in the airflow over this section of the car.
Alfa’s interpretation of this design is a two-piece affair, which is then split into two in the horizontal section as well.
Alfa Romeo Racing C38 fins Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Alfa Romeo had these fins in a similar location last season. At the rear end of the cape, a new vane appeared too (red arrow), split into two in the upper section. This will help to pull airflow out towards the bargeboard region more effectively.
Alfa Romeo Racing C39 rear wing pillar detail comparison Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The team briefly trialled a new rear wing pillar configuration at Barcelona too, which featured a much bolder swan-neck design (left) than the ones seen on the Alfa before (right).
Standing almost as tall as the central DRS actuator pod, it’s expected that the team is looking to impart an aerodynamic gain across the entire span of the wing and maybe even help improve the effect of DRS.
Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C39 Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Not isolated to just its new design, but certainly noteworthy, is how the team has also reduced the height of the flaps at the outer edges, in order to soften the tip vortex and reduce drag.
Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C39, spins Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
The team also introduced a new engine cover during the second test. It’s a similar design to one used at points last season and doesn’t feature a full-length shark fin,but rather a mini one at the back of the engine cover.
As a comparison, below is the taller engine cover fin seen on the C39 during the rest of the test. | 1,269,299 |
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