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– Chris Jericho recently appeared on Busted Open Radio (via wrestlinginc.com) about his match with Kenny Omega, here are the highlights…
On The Importance of The Match: “If I told you I’ve thought about the match in any way, shape or form up until now, I’d be lying. I haven’t even thought about the match yet. To me, it was about the announcement and the promotion. And like I said, when McGregor and Mayweather was announced, right off the bat it became the biggest match in boxing history just because you never though you’d see it,” Jericho said. “And I’m not saying it’s the biggest match in wrestling [history] but I think at the time, right now in November of 2017, it is because nobody thought they could see it. Now, there’s a whole contingency of people who have no idea that New Japan exists or who Kenny Omega is, that’s fine. I’m talking to the people that care about this, and if you’re a casual wrestling fan or know anything about any other company besides WWE, it is intriguing.”
On Why His Match With Kenny Omega Wouldn’t Have The Same Mystique At WrestleMania: “I think just the fact that if Kenny left New Japan tomorrow and I went to the WWE and we had the same match at WrestleMania, it wouldn’t have the same mystique about it because there’s something about it now where everyone knows that Omega is so big in Japan and Jericho has a history in Japan, which is another thing I liked about it. Kenny and I’s careers mirror each other; I started in Japan, I grew up in Japan, I’ve been there 60 times, so there’s a big history of Jericho in Japan as well that started before I ever went to the WWE,” he said. “So there’s a combination of a lot of things that make this very special and a once-in-a-lifetime type of matchup. I think if it was in the WWE, even if there was no restrictions, it still wouldn’t be as big because it’s still WrestleMania in a WWE ring. This is different, it’s over in Tokyo, it’s at the Tokyo Dome fore New Japan Pro Wrestling. I think that adds to the intrigue and the mystique of the match right off the bat, as well.” | 2,300 |
The children of one small town in northern Canada are on the front lines of climate change. In Arviat (map), a hamlet of 2,300 people in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, that means no outdoor trick-or-treating this year for the first time.
Instead of going door to door, kids in Arviat will instead spend their holiday inside the town’s community hall, which will feature a haunted house, face painting, and plenty of candy.
Over the last several years, shore ice has diminished along the western edge of Hudson Bay, forcing the annual polar bear migration closer and closer to town. Bears prefer to be as far out on the ice as possible, to get closer to seals and fish. Less ice means there’s nowhere for the bears to go but straight through town, in many cases. Hudson Bay has warmed by about 3 degrees Celsius—more than three times the global rate—since the 1990s.
That means bear-human run-ins have become increasingly common. Arviat is now a town under siege by polar bears. According to an interview with Leo Ikakhik, Arviat’s polar bear monitor, no one has ever been injured by a polar bear there, although one attacked a sled dog last September. Still, a deadly encounter is a very real possibility: “[U]nfortunately, polar bear-human conflicts are very likely going to increase in many parts of the circumpolar Arctic as climate warming progresses,” an expert told BBC Nature in 2011. During peak bear season—October—Ikakhik spots as many as seven or eight bears a day, which is worrisome. The World Wildlife Fund helped support the town’s construction of electric fences around its perimeter and hired Ikakhik, actions that have brought down the rate of self-defense bear kills by freaked-out townspeople.
“Picture 1,200 kids going door to door in Arviat in the middle of polar bear season,” Steve England, the town’s senior administrative officer, told the CBC. “It’s a pretty obvious conclusion of what tragedies could come out of that.”
Towns are few and far between in far northern Canada, but the mayor of Churchill, Manitoba—which is about 150 miles south of Arviat and calls itself the “polar bear capital of the world”—has some advice to kids preparing for indoor trick-or-treating: Don’t dress up as a seal. | 2,301 |
UPDATE: Motherboard is speaking to the person who solved the puzzle and will post their solution early next week.
On Wednesday morning, one of the most closely watched addresses on the Bitcoin blockchain—known as 1FLAMEN6–was completely emptied of its five bitcoins. This address was associated with the Mystery of Satoshi Nakamoto, a puzzle based on a painting created in 2015 by an artist who goes by @coin_artist on Twitter. This suggests that after 3 years, someone was finally able to crack the puzzle to obtain the private key to this wallet address and claim the bitcoins it contained, worth nearly $50,000 at current prices.
Motherboard reached out to @coin_artist to verify that the puzzle was in fact independently solved since it is equally plausible that @coin_artist simply emptied the wallet on their own. In a screenshot of a Telegram message shown to Motherboard, @coin_artist appears to have been alerted to the puzzle’s resolution by someone other than the person who actually solved it. The person who solved the puzzle is apparently distributing part of the reward to people who helped them solve it.
A screenshot of a Telegram message between @coin_artist and the person who alerted them to the puzzle's resolution. Apparently the solver gave 10% of the reward to this person for help with the solution. Image courtesy of @coin_artist
“I’m really hoping the solver will come forward with the solution!” @coin_artist told me in a direct message on Twitter. “It’s tradition that the solvers come forward with a post about how they cracked the puzzles.”
@coin_artist said that if the person who solved the puzzle doesn’t come forward with a solution in a few days, then they will release a walkthrough of the puzzle.
Read More: We Talked to the Guy Who Cracked the Code for a Bitcoin Hidden in DNA
The puzzle, which consists of a cryptic painting made by @coin_artist, was recently at the center of an even larger mystery that may have revealed the existence of an automated Bitcoin siphon stealing small amounts of bitcoins. But even before that, it was a source of fascination for the Bitcoin community. Indeed, the post announcing its existence on the popular forum Bitcointalk is one of the most popular in the forum’s history, according to @coin_artist.
Motherboard is trying to track down the winner to discuss how they cracked the puzzle. We’ll update this post as we learn more. | 2,302 |
This is a corrected version of the original post; see the note below.
You’ve probably heard of omega-3 fatty acids, the nutrients that make fish oil so healthy. You may even have heard of particular ones, such as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) or EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).
But unless you’re one of the scientists who worked on a study being published in Friday’s edition of the journal Cell, you surely have no idea why omega-3 fatty acids are so good at tamping down inflammation and enhancing sensitivity to insulin. The study is rather dense, so we’ll do our best to boil it down for you.
Researchers from UC San Diego, Tethys Bioscience of West Sacramento, and Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan figured out that omega-3s stimulate an important cell signaling molecule known as GPR120. This molecule is particularly popular in fat cells. It’s also abundant in a type of white blood cells that promote inflammation. Normally, inflammation helps the immune system do its job, but when inflammation becomes chronic it can lead to problems like insulin insensitivity.
When normal mice ate a high-fat diet, they gained weight. That extra fat triggered chronic inflammation and caused the mice to have trouble responding to insulin, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes. But after having their chow supplemented with omega-3s, the fatty acids took care of the inflammation and the mice were able to respond normally to insulin once again.
To prove that GPR120 was the key to this chain of events, they repeated the same experiment in mice that were genetically manipulated so they couldn’t make the molecule. Like the normal mice, they gained weight on the high-fat diet. But the addition of omega-3s did nothing to alleviate their symptoms.
It may be awhile before scientists are able to use these findings to come up with a drug or supplement that would make people healthier. One possibility is to develop a small molecule that does an even better job of activating GPR120, they said.
For a primer on omega-3 fatty acids, check out this story from the Health section.
[For the Record, added at 8:50 p.m. Sept. 9: We originally referred to a key cell signaling molecule as GRP120. We’ve changed this post to use the correct name, GPR120.]
-- Karen Kaplan / Los Angeles Times | 2,303 |
Next Game: Nevada 4/1/2017 | 6:35 p.m. HT OC Sports ESPN 1420
#HawaiiBSB
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i (17-8) baseball team came away from Friday's gut-wrenching victory over Nevada (7-20), making a late-game rally to secure the Rainbow Warriors' seventh-consecutive win, Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium.The Rainbow Warriors had their work cut out for them in extending their winning streak to the longest run since the 2012 season, battling back to extend the series to a 2-0 UH lead over Nevada. In what turned out to be a pitcher's duel, the Rainbow Warriors landed the first blow, as third basemanfired a shot over third base to score, who reached base via walk.Although the Wolf Pack tested starterearly, the redshirt sophomore left-hander held Nevada until the fourth, when Mike Echavia reached on a single and moved to second on an error, coming home quickly with the tie run on a Cole Krzmarzick double to left field. Keaton Smith quickly followed with an RBI single up the middle for the 2-1 advantage.Going extremely long without backup in the bullpen, Nevada starter Mark Nowaczewski threw 127 pitches for a 7.2-inning appearance, but wearily ran into some trouble in the eighth. Center fieldergot things started with one out in the eighth. Shortstopmade the effort count, lifting a 2-2 pitch beyond the fielder in right field for a career-first RBI triple and the tie ballgame. Three consecutive walks provided the Rainbow Warriors with the game-winning run, as Demeter crossed on anRBI walk.DeMiero put his nose to the grindstone after Nevada pulled ahead, holding the Wolf Pack scoreless for three innings before handing off toafter a 7.0-inning appearance. The redshirt freshman right-hander earned his first career victory after knocking down 6-of-7 batters, with three strikeouts across the final two frames, securing the 3-2 comeback victory.Despite reaching double-digit hits in seven of the last nine contests, the Rainbow Warriors were limited on Friday, held to five just five hits. Demeter led the way with a pair of crucial hits, batting in the game-tying run and scoring the game winner with a 2-for-4 appearance.The Rainbow Warriors and Wolf Pack return to action on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. | 2,304 |
On Monday afternoon, at the exact time of day that unarmed Missouri teen Michael Brown was shot by St. Louis police officer Darren Wilson, thousands of people in over 30 cities nationwide are expected to walk out of their classrooms and off their jobs in a mass demonstration to say: "This is not over."
Under the name #HandsUpWalkOut, the actions are set to begin at 1:01 PM EST. The demonstration is a national response to last week's non-indictment of Wilson, as well as the recent killings of Akai Gurley in New York and 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, according to local organizers Ferguson Action.
Following the November 24 grand jury announcement, grassroots groups expressing both solidarity with those recent victims of racial violence and condemnation of the lack of justice have staged marches, blockades, as well as protests during annual shopping bonanza Black Friday.
"The message is clear: No more business as usual," said Ferguson Action on their site. "We can no longer do what we have always done and cooperate with a system that does not respect Black Lives. We will only get the change we want if we disrupt the daily order and insists that Black Lives Matter. If that means shutting down the entire country, that’s what we’ll do."
Images of the demonstrations are being shared online under the hashtag #HandsUpWalkOut. For a list of solidarity actions nationwide you can go here.
#HandsUpWalkout Tweets
During the Monday walkout, protesters are asked to gather at a location with some relevance to social justice and read out the names of those lives recently lost to police violence. Organizers are hoping that the meetings will galvanize local communities and spur future actions calling for a change to policing practices.
Also Monday, President Obama is planning to hold a series of meetings in response to the ongoing outrage since the August 9 killing of Michael Brown. Obama will first meet with his Cabinet to evaluate federal programs and funding which have facilitated the rapid militarization of local police forces. Afterwards, he will meet with local and national civil rights leaders along with elected officials, community and faith leaders, and law enforcement officials, to discuss "how communities and law enforcement can work together," according to the White House.
On Sunday, five members of Ferguson's hometown National Football League team, the St. Louis Rams, also signaled their solidarity with the movement when they walked on the field holding their hands in the air in what has become the signature "hands up, don't shoot" icon of the Ferguson protests. | 2,305 |
Parents Belinda and Cam McKay had the birth of their third child all planned out.
Like others they were booked into hospital, but baby Harriet had other ideas.
“It's always good to have a birth plan but yeah, you don't really go into it thinking that you're going to have your baby in a laundry,” Mrs McKay said.
She said she still can't believe how quickly the drama unfolded once she went into labour.
“I was just thinking ‘OK I've just got to really manage this pain because I've got to get to the hospital and I've got a few hours left’,” she said.
Camera Icon Little Harriet unaware of the fuss she caused. Credit: Today Tonight
Her husband dropped their other two daughters next door so they could pack their bags and make their way to hospital.
“When I came back, Belinda was going to the bathroom,” he said.
“She was like, ‘this baby's coming’. I went ‘what do you mean?’ And she was like ‘this baby's coming’.”
By the time Mr McKay had offloaded the kids, grabbed some towels and made it back to her, his wife was holding their newborn baby.
In just 45 minutes Harriet had arrived, born on the laundry floor.
“When I was recalling the story to my brother he was losing it,” Mr McKay said.
“He was like ‘oh, so are you going to call her Omo, are you going to call her cuddles?’ You know, all of these laundry jokes.”
Neighbour Nikki Cox described the situation as crazy.
“I just can't explain, it's just insane,” she said.
“It’s not something that you'd expect to walk into.”
Paramedics Cass and Mike arrived just after Harriet was born.
Mike recounted how “it was pretty crowded”, the pair wandering through the house where they found the happy couple, the children and the dog.
Blissfully unaware of the commotion she caused, little Harriet is an early Christmas gift the McKays wouldn't change for the world.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have an experience like this or a birth like this and it's just been quite surreal,” Mrs McKay said. | 2,306 |
Norman ASA, a provider of endpoint security and anti-malware tools, says that its researchers in Oslo have identified a new Trojan that infected the Nobel Peace Prize site early this morning. The new Trojan was transmitted through a vulnerability in Firefox version 3.5 and 3.6.
The attack appears to be enabled by a zero-day vulnerability in the Firefox Web browser. If a user visited the Nobel Prize site (and possibly other sites) while the attack was active using Firefox 3.5 or 3.6, there is a possibility that malware has been installed on the user's computer without warning.
The malware, named by Normal as “Belmoo,” is a Windows executable, 48640 bytes long. It’s written in C, without any compression or encryption, making it easier to research. The executable is apparently created Sun Oct 24 16:26:29 2010.
According to Norman, upon execution the malware will copy itself to the \temp folder and create registry keys so that it is started from bootup and:
* Creates file [WINDIR]\temp\symantec.exe.
* Creates value "Microsoft Windows Update"="[WINDIR]\temp\symantec.exe" in key "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run".
* Creates value "Microsoft Windows Update"="[WINDIR]\temp\syma
If infected, the malware attempts to connect to two Internet addresses (l-3com.dyndns-work.com and l-3com.dyndns.tv), both which point to a server in Taiwan. If the connection is successful, the attacker would have access to the infected computer. If the addresses do not resolve, the malware will program will exit.
Norman researcher Snorre Fagerland, notes that “If the first address resolves, the malware will attempt to connect to it on port 443/tcp. If this connect fails, the malware will instead attempt to connect to the second address on port 80/tcp, presumably to avoid firewalls. If either of the connects succeed, the malware attaches a command shell to the opened socket, giving an attacker access on the local computer with the same rights as the logged on user.”
More details are available here: http://www.norman.com/security_center/virus_description_archive/129146/
< Be Informed. Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing Here > | 2,307 |
Weekly Nano Update: 9/24/18
v16.1 Update, Community in Action, iOS Testflight Reopening
v16.1 Update
The developers have been working around the clock since the syncing issues on v16.0 were first reported. As noted last week, a majority of users who had upgraded to v16.0 have since reverted to v15.2 as it has shown to be more stable.
V16.1 is currently in its final stages of testing and debugging. Data gathered from users who are currently testing v16.1 on the mainnet and betanet has shown the updated version staying in sync, however, a bug was discovered causing nodes to temporarily lose their peer count. The developers are continuing to work to fix this issue tonight and hope to have the official release ready to launch tomorrow.
As always, I’d like to give a big thank you to everyone helping us with testing and reporting issues.
Community in Action
It’s been a big week for community projects and I just wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the recent developments.
We’ve recently seen the release of not one, but two new mobile wallets. Nanollet, created by user Inkeliz, advertises itself as the first decentralized Nano wallet and does not use a centralized server. Also, coming fresh out of the jungle, the team over at Banano (congrats on the exchange listing guys!) have released the beta version of Natrium, an Android wallet.
Additionally, nanocrawler.cc has recently implemented localization, allowing users around the world access to an easy to use block explorer, a fundamental part of any cryptocurrency. If you are able to assist with any additional translations, please reach out to Ryan/@meltingice on Twitter or Discord.
The developments happening within the community truly make this project special. Please join me in thanking everyone who is working to make Nano successful.
iOS Test Flight Reopening
We’ve seen a few reports of users for whom the TestFlight build expired and hadn’t updated to the App Store version, leaving them unable to access their wallet. During the second week of October, Zack Shapiro will issue a small update that allows any remaining TestFlight users to copy their seed and encourages them to use the live version of the app as the beta is no longer supported.
For those of you who haven’t made a copy of your seed and stored it safely, do that right now.
-Troy | 2,308 |
s a lot of almonds! Not only do most baked good recipes call for at least 2 cups of almond flour, but almond flour baked goods are very easy to eat in excess. That means that 1 almond flour cookie you just consumed has about 30 almonds in it.
Solution:
If you have been trying to lose weight unsuccessfully and/or still experiencing signs of inflammation, but are still consuming almond flour baked goods, almond flour could be the culprit. Try eliminating almond flour baked goods for a month to see if you notice any improvements.
But wait a minute! Aren’t almonds a real food and therefore healthy?
Yes! Almonds in their whole form contain many beneficial nutrients and antioxidants and are very healthy! They are a good source of manganese, copper, magnesium, vitamin E and riboflavin. They provide a great nutritional profile of carbohydrates, protein and fat making them an excellent snacking choice.
Almonds can become problematic when you eat them in excess, heat them or don’t prepare them properly, which are all easily done by consuming almond flour baked goods.
Pin this article here:
What do you think about almond flour? Do you include it as part of a healthy diet or do you prefer to use other grain-free flours?
Further web reading:
https://chriskresser.com/how-much-omega-3-is-enough-that-depends-on-omega-6
https://chriskresser.com/another-reason-you-shouldnt-go-nuts-on-nuts
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/nuts-omega-6-fats/
https://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html
https://www.cornucopia.org/almonds/
https://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/living-with-phytic-acid
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/11/everything-you-need-to-know-about-fatty-acids.aspx
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20
https://paleodietlifestyle.com/are-nuts-and-seeds-healthy/ | 2,309 |
The group making hires is cropping up at a time when Clinton’s numbers are down. Research shop lands Clinton aides
The research super PAC American Bridge has made a string of hires from within Clintonland for an offshoot project called “Correct the Record,” an effort whose goal is protecting potential 2016 Democratic candidates - with Hillary Clinton chief among them.
The group, which was launched in the 2012 cycle by Clinton ally and Media Matters founder David Brock, has hired from within Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, and is getting financial support from two longtime Clinton donors, officials with the group told POLITICO.
The Correct the Record project is an offshoot under the American Bridge umbrella, but with a staff dedicated to it.
They’ve hired Burns Strider, who was a senior adviser to Clinton in ‘08, as a Correct the record senior adviser and a VP of American Bridge. They’re also hiring three other people - former Rep. Loretta Sanchez aide Adrienne Elrod, Isaac Wright and Sam Ritzman, a former aide to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla).
( PHOTOS: Who’s talking about Hillary 2016?)
Clinton donors including Susie Tompkins Buell and Steve Bing have also committed to the new effort, said American Bridge officials. Others who have pledged support are financier Bernanrd Schwartz, Priorities USA supporter and President Obama backer Barbara Stiefel and Paul Egerman, who was finance chair for Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her 2012 race in Massachusetts.
“I’m confident that American Bridge’s new team will continue to fight Republican fiction with good old-fashioned facts,” said American Bridge supporter and Friend-of-Bill Clinton James Carville.
The group is cropping up at a time when Hillary Clinton’s numbers have come down since she left the State Department and as Republicans are ramping up efforts against her. American Bridge officials noted there are six super PACs on the Republican side focused on Clinton, including the “Stop Hillary” effort from “America Rising,” co-founded by former Mitt Romney advisers.
( QUIZ: Hillary Clinton in the news)
“In this early period, Correct the Record will aggressively challenge false right-wing attacks before they take hold and expose the fraudulent sources of these attacks to the public,” said Brock, who recently wrote an ebook aimed at defending Clinton and slamming certain media outlets over coverage of the Benghazi attacks, in a statement. | 2,310 |
lead changes.
Let's keep this going. See you at The Rock on Wednesday night 👍
🎥 @FOXSports | #HALLin pic.twitter.com/V9ssbOsngc — Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) January 18, 2020
News & Notes
Seton Hall is now 6-0 in the BIG EAST and 4-0 in BIG EAST road games for the first time ever. Only 10 times in the first 40 seasons of the BIG EAST has The Hall finished a conference season with four or more road wins.
Seton Hall's overall eight-game winning streak matches the program's longest in head coach Kevin Willard's tenure. The Pirates also won eight straight from Nov. 22 to Dec. 23, 2011.
's tenure. The Pirates also won eight straight from Nov. 22 to Dec. 23, 2011. The last time Seton Hall won six straight BIG EAST games in the same season was 2002-03 when the Pirates rattled off eight straight. Dating back to last season, the Pirates have won eight straight league games.
Seton Hall has now won eight of its last 11 games against St. John's. The last six games in the series now have been decided by eight points or fewer.
Seton Hall is now 76-7 (.916) under Willard when it scores 80 or more points.
Seton Hall is now 14-7 at Madison Square Garden since the BIG EAST realigned in 2013-14.
Powell is just the fifth Pirate ever to score 2,000 career points. He now stands at 2,022 for his illustrious career. He also surpassed 1,000 career BIG EAST points, becoming only the sixth in program history to do so. He stands at 1,024, which is good for fourth.
Since Powell's freshman year, the Pirates have now racked up 14 true road wins when the attendance is above 8,500 (today was 10,428).
Up Next
After playing four of its first six BIG EAST games on the road, Seton Hall will begin a three-game homestand with a bye fitted within. It starts with a Wednesday night battle against Providence inside Prudential Center. Game time is 8:30 p.m., on FS1 with Brian Custer and Sarah Kustok on the call. The remarkable duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin have the radio call on WMCA 570 AM, simulcast on the Pirate Sports Network.
| 2,311 |
Football Federation Australia (FFA) have received a request from the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) for the Socceroos not to play their second Asian Cup group match against Palestine.
The not-for-profit community organisation has asked for the boycott due to their belief that the Asian Football Confederation should not have admitted Palestine as a member and the AFC's 'antisemitic' expulsion of Israel in 1974.
"The Australian national football team (“the Socceroos”) should not play “Palestine” in the Asian Confederation Cup 2019 this Friday, 11 January 2019 in the United Arab Emirates," a press release from the AJA read.
"Soccer is being blatantly politicised by the Asian Football Confederation (“AFC”) as “Palestine” is not a country recognised by the international community.
MORE: Wanderers slump to third straight loss
"The Asian Football Confederation (“AFC”), dominated by Arab interests, should not have admitted “Palestine” as a member.
"In 1974 the AFC expelled Israel as a member. Its expulsion could rightly be characterised as antisemitic.
"The AFC has even attempted to erase Israel from its history books altogether. Israel participated in the Asian Cup (which is played every 4 years) in 1956, 1960 and 1964, actually winning the Asian Cup in 1964. Yet the AFC's promotional video for the last Asian Cup (held in Australia in 2015) showcased all past winners but ignored Israel's win in 1964.
"The admission of "Palestine" as a participating country is the other side of the same antisemitic coin. “Palestine” is in part controlled by Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation and in part by the Palestinian Authority which incites and rewards the murder of Jews in Israel.
"Australia’s participation in the Asian Cup in these circumstances legitimises the politicisation of the Cup as it renders Australia complicit with the AFC’s political bias against Israel."
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) January 8, 2019
Palestine were first recognised by FIFA in 1998 but didn't play their first official home game until 2008.
After drawing 0-0 with Syria in their 2019 Asian Cup opener, they are set to play the Socceroos on Friday at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.
Australia lost their opening group match against Jordan 1-0 and need a positive result to keep their Asian Cup defence on track. | 2,312 |
(Note: Language in paragraphs 1, 5 may offend some readers.)
Slideshow ( 2 images )
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will not allow visits by the United Nations to investigate its bloody war on drugs, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, calling its human rights experts “bastards” who had already demonstrated prejudice.
The United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution in July to compile a comprehensive report on President Rodrigo Duterte’s three-year crackdown, during which at least 6,700 people have been killed in what police say were shootouts with dealers who resisted arrest.
Thousands of mostly urban poor drug users have also been killed, many in mysterious circumstances. Human rights groups accuse police of systematic cover-ups and summary executions of anyone associated with drugs, which police reject.
Asked in a television interview if U.N. investigators would be allowed to work in the Philippines, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said: “No. Because they have already prejudged.”
“I already said those bastards - especially that woman acting like the queen in Alice in Wonderland - first, the judgment, then the trial. No.”
Locsin was referring to Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. She has been a staunch critic of Duterte, who has threatened to slap her and has warned of an even bloodier campaign ahead.
“No - I don’t want them coming here and then saying that everything they have been saying, but have not proved, is true ‘because we saw it’. How? Are they going to exhume every body?” Locsin said.
“No. I’m not going to give them that chance.”
The resolution came after a call from 11 U.N. experts concerned about a “staggering” amount of deaths during Duterte’s signature campaign.
Locsin, a former journalist, on Wednesday called it a “nothing resolution” and “dead” arguing that it had failed because the votes in favor were fewer than the combined number of abstentions and votes against it.
Duterte’s office has gone further, calling it “grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan”.
The president, however, has yet to say he would agree to an independent probe on Philippines soil, should a request be made. | 2,313 |
Portraying US mass shootings as the result of ‘male violence’ is offensive, argues Daniel Peacock. Plus letters from Christine Crossley and Linda Karlsen
Seldom have I read an opinion piece in the Guardian with such incredulity as Suzanne Moore’s laying the blame for mass shootings and the rise of Donald Trump at the feet of men (G2, 6 August). The overwhelming majority of men are non-violent, law-abiding, and decent.
To describe white supremacy and mass murder as male violence is deeply offensive, akin to holding all Muslims responsible for atrocities committed by al-Qaida and Islamic State. And as for Moore’s apparent argument that men alone have the power to lobby for change to combat gun violence and racism – has she heard of Ivanka Trump? Of Kellyanne Conway? Of Senator Joni Ernst, who declared that, although Trump’s attacks on Democratic congresswomen were indeed racist, she supported him anyway? I fail to see how tarring all men with the same brush as Trump and mass murderers is going to solve anything.
Daniel Peacock
Manchester
• Suzanne Moore is right to draw attention to the fact that a significant common denominator of nearly all of America’s mass shooters is that they are male.
However, power of the kind attributed to being male is not intrinsically gendered but should be challenged whoever is exercising it. It is more the case that a warped concept of masculinity plus lack of any agency and access to guns is the real danger.
Christine Crossley
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
• Hurrah for Suzanne Moore! In the struggle for equality we women thought that once our historical position had shifted, men’s position would also shift.
Men think that, because they have included some women in bits of their world, they can carry on being what they have always been: controlling, powerful and demanding. The journey to equality continues.
Linda Karlsen
Whitstable, Kent
• Join the debate – email [email protected]
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition
• The second letter was amended on 8 August 2019. An earlier version stated that all of America’s mass shooters have been male, which is not the case. | 2,314 |
to fight the white stem borer.
Researchers in Zimbabwe and India have found links between the infestation of white stem borers and precipitation patterns. Most researchers agree that heavy rainfall followed by a long dry spell creates suitable conditions for different varieties of insects, including the white stem borers to breed and to multiply, explained Aryal.
The conditions seem to be just right for the pest in Nepal’s hills. Reports such as the Water Resource of Nepal in the Context of Climate Change suggest that while the total annual rainfall has fluctuated little in Nepal, more rainfall is taking place over fewer days. This changing precipitation pattern means that the post and pre-monsoon drought period is becoming longer, leading to sunnier days, suitable for pests to spread.
Meanwhile, the second threat coffee growers are faced with is due the shifting of agroclimatic zones, attributed to climate change. Recent research conducted at Kunming University suggests that as global temperatures rise, the future climate is not going to be favourable for coffee in Nepal’s hills. According to the report, up to 72 per cent of the area suitable for coffee growth may be lost.
Although so much change is taking place in their own backyard, coffee growers like Adhikari have little knowledge about climate-smart agricultural practices. “All we know is that we need to provide more shade to the coffee plants and we can’t use chemical pesticides as our coffee is marketed as organic,” he said. Through experience, he has understood that east-facing slopes produce the best coffee plants as they receive the much-needed morning sunlight. He has also understood that infestation rates are low among coffee plants grown in heavily shaded areas.
Aryal said that research has also drawn similar conclusions, and believes such practices need to be adopted on a large scale to control the spread of the pest.
“But all that my neighbours see is the lucrative price on offer. They do not care about the technicalities and that increases the risk,” he adds.
The Kunming University study suggested that bananas be intercropped with coffee as an increase in temperatures in the hills creates suitable conditions for bananas. Banana plants provide much- needed shade which can lower temperatures in the plantation by up to 2 degrees Celsius. But there’s another pest, the ‘red stem borer’ that’s eating away the banana trees.
Abhaya Raj Joshi is a journalist based in Kathmandu.
This story was published with permission from The Third Pole. | 2,315 |
The Democratic Party has become so fractured and hysterical that the only thing that they can agree on for sure right now is that they hate President Trump, says Fox host Chris Stirewalt.
The Outnumbered host criticized comments Senate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made Thursday, where she called Trump an “illusionist” and his top strategist Steve Bannon a “white supremacist.”
“It’s a stunning thing, that a white supremacist would be a member of the National Security Council,” Pelosi said, referring to Trump’s decision to put Bannon on the NSC.
She went on to say that Trump tries to distract the public when a situation “gets hot” with negative media coverage, like the moving up of his Supreme Court announcement up by two days.
“You notice that every time something gets hot, he changes the subject… He’s an illusionist… now you see it, now you don’t,” she said.
Stirewalt responded, saying Democrats need to flesh out a coherent message instead of attacking Trump.
“The Democrats have a serious problem here,” Stirewalt said on his show Friday. “The only thing they know is they hate Donald Trump and wish he wasn’t president.”
“That is the only thing they know for sure. They have got to start being specific in their opposition.”
Trump’s travel ban from certain terrorist-linked countries is the first issue that Democrats have been able to fully unify behind and “drill on it,” he said.
Co-host Meghan McCain, noting that Democrats don’t want the public to notice their lack of leadership and unity within the party.
“What’s their messaging?” she asked.
As we’ve been covering, the Democratic Party has been in the throes of a full-scale meltdown since Trump officially became president, with some “leaders” of the party like Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) encouraging protestors to “fight in the streets.”
Just last month, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivered a vague threat to Trump, saying that the intelligence community has “six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.”
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all contracts that the Bureau of Prisons, ICE, and the U.S. Marshals Service have with private detention providers. And I will extend these bans to states and localities by conditioning their receipt of federal public safety funding on their use of public facilities. Stop contractors from charging service fees for essential services. Companies shouldn’t be able to treat incarcerated individuals as captive profit centers. We should prohibit contractors from charging incarcerated and detained people for basic services they need, like phone calls, bank transfers, and healthcare. I’ll also keep contractors from imposing exploitative price markups on other services they provide, like commissary or package services. And I’ll prohibit companies from charging for re-entry, supervision, and probation services, too — because no one should have to pay for their own incarceration, whether it’s inside a facility or outside of one.
Companies shouldn’t be able to treat incarcerated individuals as captive profit centers. We should prohibit contractors from charging incarcerated and detained people for basic services they need, like phone calls, bank transfers, and healthcare. I’ll also keep contractors from imposing exploitative price markups on other services they provide, like commissary or package services. And I’ll prohibit companies from charging for re-entry, supervision, and probation services, too — because no one should have to pay for their own incarceration, whether it’s inside a facility or outside of one. Hold contractors accountable by expanding oversight, transparency and enforcement. It’s time to shine sunlight on the black box of private services that receive taxpayer dollars. I’ll close the ridiculous FOIA loophole that lets private prison subcontractors operate in the shadows. I will put in place an independent Prison Conditions Monitor within the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General. The Monitor will keep contractors from cutting corners to make a quick buck by setting enforceable quality standards, regularly auditing and investigating contractors, and terminating their contracts if they fall short. I’ll direct the Department of Justice to prosecute companies that blatantly violate the law. And I’ll make sure companies are held accountable no matter who’s in the White House by allowing people to bring a lawsuit against abusive contractors who violate their rights.
Washington hands billions over to corporations profiting off of inhumane detention and incarceration policies while ignoring the families that are destroyed in the process. We need to call that out for what it is: corruption. Incarcerating and detaining millions for profit doesn’t keep us safe. It’s time to do better. | 2,317 |
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MONTERREY, Mexico — Relatives in Mexico of the Saldivar family, six of whom died when a van was swept away by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey in Houston, said they could not cross the border to mourn and criticized authorities for not evacuating before the storm.
Gathered at their home in Monterrey to hold a vigil, the deeply religious family prayed and sang hymns as they comforted each other on Thursday.
"The government, knowing that this storm was coming so strong, should have evacuated from the start," said Mayra Cepeda Ramirez, great aunt to four children drowned inside the van with their grandparents. Their father survived.
Relatives of the Saldivar family, whose van was reportedly carrying six family members when it was swept away by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey, comfort each other at their house in Monterrey, Mexico, August 30, 2017. Daniel Becerril / Reuters
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Related: Family Describes Horror of Flood That Swept Away Six in Van
They said they were frustrated by their inability to be with relatives north of the border because they had not been granted visas.
"We do not have a visa and we feel impotent not to be able to be with our family at such a difficult time. It breaks our hearts that we want to be with them, hug them and we have a lot of pain over what happened," said Erick Cepeda Ramirez, a great uncle to the children.
Related: The Unexpected Health Impacts of a Hurricane
Sammy Saldivar was driving the van when he lost control in flood waters and just managed to escape.
Devy, 16, Dominic, 15, Xavier, 8, and Daisy, 6, died in the back of the van with their elderly grandparents, 84-year-old Manuel and 81-year-old Belia Saldivar.
Police recovered the bodies on Wednesday when they pulled the van from the floodwaters.
Relatives told NBC News that Sammy Sadivar had just crossed a bridge over a swollen bayou when the road dipped down and the vehicle was swept into the water, which was moving at five knots.
More than 30 deaths have been attributed to the storm and the death toll was expected to rise as bodies are found in receding water. | 2,319 |
There’s something seriously out of whack in Jackson, Mississippi.
A police officer’s home was riddled with dozens of bullet holes in a town where a city councilman urged residents to throw “bricks, rocks and bottles” at police.
Pearl Police Officer Alfred Jenkins’ South Jackson home was fired on 30 times last week as he and his wife were inside sleeping, the Clarion-Ledger reported. The attack occurred a day after the Pearl Police Department chased a woman into Jackson.
Jenkins was not involved in the pursuit and Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance, who has denounced such pursuits, said there wasn’t enough information to say if the shooting was prompted by the incident.
At the same time, Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes said last year high-speed vehicle pursuits conducted by outside agencies into their city was a safety issue.
And he exposed his true feelings about police officers in offering a solution.
“These are just thugs with guns and badges,” Stokes said. “What do I think should be done? Bricks, rocks and bottles would stop this nonsense.”
This coming from an elected official who remained in office after making the remark — which may say all that you need to know about Jackson, Mississippi.
Pearl is in Rankin County and Undersheriff Raymond Duke blasted the “cowardly punks” behind the assault on social media.
“A coward is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a person who shows shameless lack of courage,” Duke wrote. “Some synonyms for ‘thug’ are; gangster, goon, gorilla, punk, also as defined by Webster’s Dictionary.”
“Tuesday night some cowardly punks committed a ‘hate crime’ against one of Pearl PD’s finest,” he said. “It doesn’t appear race was an issue, so let’s dismiss that before we go further.”
Stokes countered Duke’s remarks, calling the law enforcement official a “hog-headed lying b*tch,” adding that he’s a “racist thug.”
“Thug with a gun and badge.”
There’s an effort under way to help Officer Jenkins move out of Jackson, which is probably a smart thing to do.
Duke’s full statement can be seen below: | 2,320 |
Things That Save Money In The Long Run (and Also Save The Environment)
Cutting down on unnecessary waste is essential to save the planet and our wallets.
The Lena cup is really great if you have a heavy flow. The cup creates a seal that prevents leaks. You only have to empty out and clean the cup 2–3 times a day.
Use reusable trash bags — I love my reusable trash bags. They’re inexpensive and save me around $200 a year. They fit better than the disposable ones in my trash bin. I rinse out cans and anything gross I wrap inside plastic packaging. If you have a lot of gross/wet trash keep the disposable bags in a bin in the garage and keep the reusable one in the kitchen.
I love my reusable trash bags. They’re inexpensive and save me around $200 a year. They fit better than the disposable ones in my trash bin. I rinse out cans and anything gross I wrap inside plastic packaging. If you have a lot of gross/wet trash keep the disposable bags in a bin in the garage and keep the reusable one in the kitchen. Listen to Audiobooks — Why sacrifice trees when there are millions of audiobooks available online. Audible is the best audiobook service. With the free trial, you get to listen to 2 audiobooks for free. I usually play video games while listening.
Why sacrifice trees when there are millions of audiobooks available online. Audible is the best audiobook service. With the free trial, you get to listen to 2 audiobooks for free. I usually play video games while listening. Cloth Diapers — Disposable diapers are getting more expensive because the cost of wood pulp used to make them has risen due to deforestation laws. Why kill forests when you can just diaper your baby with machine washable diapers? This is what humans did for hundreds of years before disposable diapers were invented. Some brands like the popular mama koala grow with your baby. Reddit’s r/clothdiaps is an excellent source for all things cloth diapering if you want to learn more.
Image source: cinnamon-sheep from DeviantArt
Almost everything I’m going to list below can be bought off of Amazon. With Amazon Prime you get free 2-day shipping. Luckily, Amazon offers a free trial for Prime if you really want something off of this list but don’t want to pay for Prime. I highly recommend using Amazon because a lot of these items are really hard to find in stores. | 2,321 |
Hi there, ChaosOS again. You may have read my previous blog on D.Va's Ablative Armor, and here I wanted to address something I mistakenly left out in that post: Percentile HP damage.Simply put, in Heroes of the Storm percentile HP damage ignores all forms of mitigation and vulnerability. However, as of the 5/31 balance patch D.Va is still bugged (I retested to confirm the bug), which changes some of my rankings and evaluations of Ablative Armor. This bug means both Defensive Matrix and Ablative Armor reduce % HP damage. Most Giant Killer style abilities give the bonus damage as a seperate damage instance from the regular attack, making them susceptible to Ablative Armor. For reference, this impacts the following abilities and talents:-Artanis Titan Killer-Cassia's Martial Law-Diablo's Life Leech-Giant Killer on Falstad, Lunara, Raynor, Sgt. Hammer, Thrall,-Greymane's Alpha Killer-Leoric's Drain Hope-The Lost Viking's Nordic Attack Squad-Ragnaros' Giant Scorcher-Tassadar's Focused Beam-Tychus' Minigun (Not including The Bigger They Are)-Xul's Giant's Curse-Zagara's Corrosive SalivaFurthermore, the following abilities and talents will be affected by Ablative Armor if there is an ability power reducer in play or D.Va is using her Defensive Matrix (due to the bug also meaning her Matrix can reduce % HP damage)-Blood for Blood on Tyrael (Interesting discovery: He's the last hero to still have the default version)-Azmodan's Sin for Sin-Cho's Uppercut-Diablo's Lord of Terror-Illidan's Fiery Brand-Kerrigan's Essence for Essence-Leoric's Crushing Hope and Spectral Leech-Tracer's Quantum Spike-Tychus' Minigun (With The Bigger They Are)-Valla's Manticore-Varian's Juggernaut-Xul's BacklashKharazim's seven sided strike is not included because he is removed from the map while he performs the attack.What does this mean? Ablative Armor is a lot better, but when this bug is fixed if you're facing heavy % HP damage I recommend Emergency Shielding over Expensive Plating or Ablative ArmorI also just want to mention that in the spreadsheet I have updated it to include the values for when a 25% vulnerability is applied or when D.Va's defensive matrix is being applied to the damage source. | 2,322 |
A Canada-wide aviation fuel shortage may ground some small planes and helicopters.
Last month, Imperial Oil warned Transport Canada that aviation gasoline shipped from its Edmonton-area refinery could interfere with aircraft fuel gauge sensors. The Calgary-headquartered company is Canada’s only supplier of “avgas” for small piston-based planes and some helicopters.
Pat Cunningham of the Springbank Airport Business and Pilots Association told CTV Calgary that supply is running low, and the company has not given any indication of when more fuel will be available.
“It’s very frustrating and very alarming for many of the owners,” he said on Tuesday. “People have on average anything between six and 20,000 litres in their tank here. That, on a good day, could mean anything between two and four, and five days of flying.”
It’s not just hobby pilots being impacted. Many of the aircraft based at Calgary/Springbank Airport are owned by survey companies, contractors and training schools.
Imperial Oil spokesperson Jon Harding said the “at-risk fuel” was predominantly sold in Western Canada. The company said the fuel warning does not extend to larger aircraft that use jet fuel, known in the industry as “Jet A.”
Imperial Oil said it halted shipments from its Strathcona refinery as soon as the company became aware of the issue on Feb. 13, and continues to investigate what caused the drop in fuel quality. Transport Canada instructed those who purchased the fuel to quarantine and test it.
Calgary/Springbank’s avgas passed the test, but its supply is quickly running out. Nearby Three Hills Airport received a bad batch, and is now on empty.
Hording said in a separate statement to CTV Calgary that Imperial Oil is exploring options for alternative supplies of avgas, and is working as quickly as possible to fulfill customer needs.
The fuel shortfall has boosted avgas sales at Okotoks Air Ranch Airport, about 70 kilometres south of Calgary/Springbank. However, the good times may be short-lived for Fueling Around President Trent Obrigewitsch. He worries he may have to resort to buying more expensive foreign fuel if Canadian supply remains out of reach.
“It’s more expensive to bring product in from other locations, including the U.S.,” he said. “So it will affect us even when we go to order more again.”
With a report from CTV Calgary | 2,323 |
President Trump has ratcheted up his claim that the Obama White House spied on his 2016 campaign, charging in a new book that it was a “treasonous” act by the former Democratic president.
“What they did was treasonous, OK? It was treasonous,” he told author Doug Wead for his upcoming book, "Inside Trump's White House: The Real Story of His Presidency."
“The interesting thing out of all of this is that we caught them spying on the election. They were spying on my campaign. So you know? What is that all about?” said Trump.
“I have never ever said this, but truth is, they got caught spying. They were spying,” said Trump who then added, “Obama.”
[Read more: Trump presidency disrupts family, for good and not]
President Trump (seated) meets with Doug Wead in the Oval Office of the White House. Wead provided the photo to Secrets. (Official White House Photo/Tia Dufour)
In 2017, Trump tweeted that he felt the Obama White House “had my wires tapped” in Trump Tower. He later said he didn’t mean it literally but that he felt his campaign was being spied on.
Attorney General William Barr earlier this year said he was looking into whether “improper surveillance” may have occurred in 2016. "I think spying did occur," he said.
He has tasked a prosecutor to look into Obama officials and other officials who sparked the Russia collusion investigation into Trump after a report showed no collusion. New reports on that investigation described it as “criminal” in nature.
“It turned out I was right. By the way,” Trump told Wead in excerpts provided to Secrets. “In fact, what I said was peanuts compared to what they did. They were spying on my campaign. They got caught and they said, ‘Oh we were not spying. It was actually an investigation.’ Can you imagine an administration investigating its political opponents?” said the president.
In the book, Trump said that the Russia investigation undercut his presidency.
“Anybody else would be unable to function under the kind of pressure and distraction I had. They couldn’t get anything done. No other president should ever have to go through this. But understand, there was no collusion. They would have had to make something up,” he said. | 2,324 |
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Brian Kidd has revealed he’s ‘honoured’ to be included in Manuel Pellegrini’s back-room staff.
Kidd, who took on a similar role when Roberto Mancini was appointed in 2009, was in charge for the final two games of the season after the Italian was sacked last month.
He remained in charge for the end-of-season tour to America and will now be kept on as one of Pellegrini’s key assistants.
As well as Kidd, Pellegrini in also bringing three coaches with him from former club Malaga. Argentinian Ruben Cousillas will be Pellegrini’s right-hand man while Xabier Mancisidor has been appointed as goalkeeping coach and Jose Cabello as fitness coach.
“It’s all happened with the boss going and everything but the club have said they’d like me to stay,” said Kidd.
“I’ve met the new manager and he was very kind and I’m very honoured that he wants me to stay with him. I’m pleased, personally. It’s a compliment and a great honour that I’m stopping with the club. I’m very pleased that Mr Pellegrini wants me to stay.
“Obviously, he’ll be setting his own standards and his own philosophy. He’ll have his own principles about how to play which is exciting. He needs to speak to a few players which he’s going to do and then he’ll get a better picture.
“I know the Manchester City fans and they’ll be behind the new manager and they’ll get behind the players. It’s been a difficult couple of weeks with what’s happened. We’ve got to consolidate now, look to the new season and get on with it.”
Pellegrini added: “It is important to me that Brian remains part of the coaching team.
“He has great football knowledge, knows the league, the players and will be a big part of what we try to achieve.
“We have spoken and we are all excited to work together.”
What do you think? Have your say. | 2,325 |
that reason. Full Body offers various ways to play through Vincent’s nightmares even if you aren’t up for the challenge and stress that comes with it. There is the Safety Mode that gets rid of the time limit, game over and traps. The undo function that allows you to correct mistakes is back as well, and enhanced with an automatic undo for fatal mistakes. For those who don’t want to play the puzzle segments at all, there’s also the option to have them play out automatically or even skip them entirely, without missing out on the adventure part or cutscenes.How you want to play can be decided for each puzzle individually, as these settings can be turned on or off at anytime. While I actually enjoyed Catherine’s puzzles just as much as the adventure part, I am still really happy with the ability to skip puzzles, as this makes second playthroughs much easier. And that is a big deal for Catherine, as it is a game that comes with many different endings, which I will finally be able to see through thanks to these new features.Hashino and his team have not forgotten about the hardcore players either. Catherine’s puzzles has a core following to the extent that sub-tournaments are held at fighting-game esports event EVO. Full Body will implement online multiplayer for the first time, and it comes with actual ranked matches. This will undoubtedly heat up the competitive scene for Catherine, and make it much easier to get involved as well.“The adventure part at Stray Sheep bar has been enhanced as well, with new characters to talk to, new songs on the jukebox and new stages for the Rapunzel mini game,” Hashino says, adding that his team has gone the extra mile to add as much detail as possible here.Talking about going the extra mile, Full Body has some interesting additional content announced as DLC for the Japanese release as well. First, you can choose between 11 different voices for Catherine (the blonde bombshell). Without going into spoilers, there is actually a logical story reason for being able to choose between voice actors for this character. Players can also access Persona 5 skins for Vincent and friends, and there’s also the peculiar (and typically Japanese) Nero Glass that allows Vincent to see the game’s characters in their underwear.Catherine: Full Body releases for PS4 and PS Vita in Japan on February 14. A release date for the West has yet to be announced.
Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN JAPAN. He only cheats on his girlfriend in videogames. | 2,326 |
not law, and can be ignored as we have been rightly ignoring Dredd Scott and Buck v. Bell for decades.
Roe v. Wade, the supreme court decision that “legalized” abortion, is not law. Obergefell v. Hodge, the supreme court decision that “legalized” same-sex marriage in all 50 states is not law. These are simply opinions. Congress, and Congress alone makes the laws of our land–not the president, and not the Supreme Court.
When we know how our government is supposed to work, we should be appalled by what we see today. Whenever the courts make decisions not based on the constitution and the law, but instead based on their personal bias, they are neglecting their duties. And when they declare rulings on things over which the constitution is silent, or declare rulings that have no constitutional foundation, they are overstepping their bounds.
When the president makes executive orders not to enforce the law, but to make new laws, he is overstepping his constitutional bounds. When he refuses to enforce laws that Congress has made, he is neglecting his duties.
When Congress neglects to exercise their constitutional power of impeachment against those who break the law, or when they won’t compromise across party lines in order to pass good legislation, they are neglecting their duties.
The president doesn’t make laws, he can only enforce them. The Supreme court doesn’t make laws, it can only discover and apply them. Only Congress makes laws. Executive orders are to enforce the laws; Supreme Court decisions are opinions about the laws; but Congress, and Congress alone holds the law-making authority in the United States of America.
Learn more about your Constitution with Jacob Schulz and the Institute on the Constitution and receive your free gift.
Jacob Schulz is an 8th-grade homeschooled student interested in American government. He will be giving this speech at the 4-H communication arts contest.
This article is printed with the permission of the author(s). Opinions expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the article’s author(s), or of the person(s) or organization(s) quoted therein, and do not necessarily represent those of American Clarion or Dakota Voice LLC.
Comment Rules: Please confine comments to salient ones that add to the topic; Profanity is not allowed and will be deleted; Spam, copied statements and other material not comprised of the reader’s own opinion will be deleted.
| 2,327 |
THE folks at Umfairteilen, a movement one month young, are preparing for September 29th, when supporters plan to hit the streets across Germany. Umfairteilen is a play on the German word for redistribution, with the English word “fair” substituting for one syllable. Its goal, already adopted by the opposition parties in parliament, is a wealth tax. This old idea gained new life in July, when DIW, a think-tank in Berlin, argued that the sovereign-debt crisis in the euro zone could easily be solved if governments confiscated part of the ample private wealth that still exists in Europe, including Germany (see chart). As a bonus, such a levy would also reduce inequality. The first question is who counts as rich. DIW based its analysis on a starting point of €250,000 ($315,000) of individual wealth. But that would hit the middle-class. So the talk shows, an important political stage in Germany, took up the debate. The consistent answer seems to be that “rich” is anybody who has more than the person answering the question. (Umfairteilen draws the line at €1m.) In principle, there is nothing wrong with a (regularly recurring) property tax. Milton Friedman, a free-market American economist, endorsed a tax on land as “the least bad”. Germany had a federal property tax, until judges ruled it unconstitutional in 1995.
That ruling concerned the practical problems with taxing “wealth”: who assesses it, and how? Do the machines in the factory of a business count? (If so, then say goodbye to its employees.) How about a Renoir in the attic? The state would have to build a costly and oppressive infrastructure to audit private assets.
As to one-time levies, Germany’s constitution prohibits them except in dire emergencies, according to Paul Kirchhof, a former constitutional judge. The aftermath of the two world wars qualified. But these days tax revenues are hitting records in Germany. It hardly resembles wartime rubble.
The best argument against a one-time wealth tax in normal times is that it is antithetical to freedom. The state has no business helping itself arbitrarily to the belongings of any group of its citizens. Unfortunately, says Hermann Otto Solms, a member of parliament from the liberal Free Democratic Party, that reasoning sounds “too abstract” in today’s German discourse. As politicians begin posturing ahead of next year’s federal election, many find populism is safer. | 2,328 |
A 15-year-old girl who was pepper sprayed after she punched a man at a Donald Trump rally in Wisconsin should be charged with disorderly conduct, investigators said Thursday.
Video of the incident shows a crowd of people in a parking lot outside the rally in Janesville Tuesday. The girl can be seen holding an anti-Trump sign and arguing with a 59-year-old man.
The video shows the man turning away from the teen with his hands in the air and seconds later, the girl punches him in the face. Another man wearing a red Trump had then pepper-sprayed then and disappeared into the crowed.
The girl told police the first man groped her breast. But Chief David Moore told reporters during a news conference Thursday that additional video doesn't show any evidence the man groped her and that 12 out of 13 witnesses said they didn't see him do anything.
Moore said the man who was assaulted didn’t want to press charges, but investigators have recommended juvenile authorities charge her with disorderly conduct for “an act of violence.”
He said the time passed between the alleged groping and the punching and the man and the girl were several feet apart when she threw the punch.
"Clearly her punch was illegal," Moore said.
The chief said investigators won't pursue charges of filing a false police report against the girl. He said she genuinely believes she felt pressure on her breast. However, he said, quarters were tight and people were brushing up against one another throughout the crowd.
Janesville police Sgt. Aaron Dammen said they’ve located the man suspected of pepper-spraying the girl during the altercation and they talked to a man accused of groping the girl.
Dammen said the investigation into the confrontation continues and no charges have been filed. However, Moore also described the use of pepper spray as an act of violence and Police Lt. Keith Lawver said he could face misdemeanor battery charges.
Moore said 350 officers were on duty at the rally but none of them saw the altercation. The video shows about a half-dozen officers near the dispute, but it appears their view would have been blocked by rows of people.
Asked whether police should have kept pro- and anti-Trump supporters separated rather than allowing them to mingle, Moore said it would have been difficult to separate the two groups and "we allowed free speech throughout the area."
The altercation was the latest in a series of confrontations that have marred recent Trump events.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2,329 |
PHILADELPHIA -- Carter Hart will be out 7-10 days because of a lower-body injury and will not be in uniform when the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, SN360, SN1, TVAS2).
The rookie goalie was injured during the Flyers morning skate Thursday prior to their game against the Montreal Canadiens, coach Scott Gordon said Saturday. Hart, 20, didn't tell anyone he was injured, then allowed three goals on nine shots before being relieved by Brian Elliott during the first period. The Flyers lost 5-1.
It was the second straight game Hart was replaced by Elliott during the first period; he allowed three goals on nine shots in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
Gordon said Hart met with doctors after practice Friday, when he was diagnosed with the injury.
"Carter to his credit was trying to fight through it (against the Canadiens), and it was a little more severe than he thought," Gordon said.
Gordon said he learned of Hart's injury late Friday after speaking with general manager Chuck Fletcher. By then, Gordon already announced that Elliott would start in goal Saturday, with Hart expected to be the backup.
With Hart unavailable, Cam Talbot, acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 15, will wear a Flyers uniform for the first time as Elliott's backup.
Gordon said in hindsight that the injury could have been the reason for some of the goals Hart allowed Thursday.
"When I look back at the game, forget about the goals," Gordon said. "The shots before the third goal, there were a couple other plays I thought he was a little off on. He just didn't look right to me. Now that might explain itself."
Hart could miss at least five games, including four against Metropolitan Division opponents; the Penguins on Saturday, at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, at the New Jersey Devils on March 1 and at the New York Islanders on March 3.
Hart is 13-8-1 with a 2.79 goals-against average and.917 save percentage in 22 starts. Prior to his past two games, he was 13-6-1 with a 2.53 GAA and.924 save percentage since his NHL debut on Dec. 18.
The Flyers (28-26-7) entered Saturday eight points behind the Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. | 2,330 |
to be?
I have yet to come across an arts festival that didn't welcome a bit of controversy. Even high culture has to sell tickets. Plainly, however, those twin spectres, politics and history, have intruded upon "the world's greatest festival". They happen to be local history and local politics. The EIF has never been comfortable with either. But there is a sense, despite every protestation from Sir Jonathan, that these local affairs might have big consequences.
So the EIF adopts a position akin to that of the BBC. Censorship can never be contemplated, but judicious silence is tolerable. Works involving the Commonwealth and the First World War will no doubt generate a couple of controversies next year, but nothing that might call the festival itself into question. No problems there, then. If the referendum vote is Yes, on the other hand, the 2015 event should be fascinating.
The complaint against Sir Jonathan has nothing to do with his autonomy and everything to do with his judgment. It's not good enough to say that a referendum theme would be complicated or divisive. Those facts - and facts they are - ought to make the vote ideal material for an arts event. Instead, we are left with the feeling that the EIF is sticking with the status quo in every particular. Anything else, any alternative, is deemed "politics".
At best, it counts as timidity. Given some of the barrages directed at Alasdair Gray, it might be risky to say so, but it seems that Sir Jonathan isn't familiar enough with Scotland to venture into referendum territory. Like Andrew Marr taking egregious Nigel Farage at his word over a student demo, that might be one explanation for the director's caution. He avoids the debate for fear the debate will overwhelm him.
The EIF is the perfect metaphor, then. It is Scotland's premier arts festival, but it is not Scotland's property. That's one definition of independence, of course. Equally, the corporate types who help to fund high culture in the country's capital are hardly putting their weight behind a Yes vote. Unionists are meanwhile delighted with the decision taken by Sir Jonathan.
He has become part of the argument, ironically enough, whether he likes it or not. Simply deciding that an issue is, in Marr's foolish word, "toxic" does not render it irrelevant. Are there many other topics, I wonder, over which the EIF would like to declare its neutrality in advance? To embrace the world while ignoring what's under your nose is not the way of art. | 2,331 |
WIKILEAKS FOUNDER JULIAN Assange will stand by his offer to be extradited to the US to face charges there, one of his lawyers has suggested.
Assange last night welcomed the decision by US President Barack Obama to commute the sentence of Chelsea Manning, jailed for leaking classified US documents, while calling for an end to a “war on whistleblowers”.
“I welcome President Obama’s decision to commute the sentence of Ms. Chelsea Manning from 35 years to time served,” Assange said in a statement sent to AFP by one of his lawyers.
He said Manning should never have been convicted and described her as “a hero, whose bravery should have been applauded not condemned”.
“In order for democracy and the rule of law to thrive, the government should immediately end this war on whistleblowers, and publishers such as WikiLeaks and myself,” Assange added.
Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses after admitting to leaking 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic classified documents to WikiLeaks.
A transgender soldier, she was sentenced by military court martial as Bradley Manning and has since been held in an all-male prison, where the 29-year-old has attempted suicide twice.
Earlier this month WikiLeaks said on Twitter that Assange would agree to US extradition if Obama were to grant Manning clemency.
Assange made no mention of this in statement last night. However, Melinda Taylor, one of his lawyers, suggested he wouldn’t go back on his word.
“Everything that he has said he’s standing by,” she said in a brief telephone conversation with The Associated Press.
If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case https://t.co/MZU30SlfGK — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 12, 2017 Source: WikiLeaks /Twitter
Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations, claiming he fears he would be extradited from there to the US over his role in the leaks.
Following the White House announcement that Manning will now be released in May, Assange’s legal team did not immediately comment on whether Assange’s promise still stood.
Washington has maintained the threat of prosecuting Assange over the 2010 leak, though no charges have been filed.
With reporting from AP
- © AFP, 2017 | 2,332 |
multiple coins, as well as releasing a teaser video of what they claim to be a pre-alpha version of the functioning Instant decentralized exchange.
Ultimately, when the Blocknet solves the problem of the P2P coin exchange, the SuperNET will have the option of integrating the open-source tech. Thus, perhaps a partnership between Blocknet and the Supernet could be in the cards in the future.
The fruits of the Fibre/SuperNET’s partnership
For those familiar with FibreCoin’s development tree, it is clear why SuperNET was an attractive network to cooperate with.
FiberTrust, their native decentralized mixing technology, which according to their CEO is not a clone of any other mixing technology in the market, is very much aligned with the values of the SuperNET and BitcoinDark.
There are also many possible ways that Fibre users could interact with SuperNET core coins, such as by using VPNcoin’s services as well as Opalcoin’s decentralized storage.
On top of that, users can expect FibreLock’s anti-keylogger technology to be implemented into the SuperNET client, perhaps as an optional tool. Moreover, the SuperNET client will be integrated into FibreOS, which is bootable from a USB, allowing you to carry an anonymous, decentralized crypto-stock-market in your pocket.
However, aside from adding Fibre to the MGW servers, one of the first orders of business is to prepare Fibre code for audit and review. “Fibre believes in open-source; however we have remained closed-source due to the mammoth task of open-sourcing. This project will prepare our code for public release,” the Fibre team writes.
Martin also known as Mxxxxxx, the Community Manager of Fiber, added:
“Fibrelock, FibreOS and ZT are closed-source for now until [the] security audits commences […]. While FibreConnect - encrypted messaging, FibreDark - Hybrid Tor Network, and FibreGateway are open-source however, during the audit superNET devs had access to the code and could verify it.”
There is allot more development happening behind the scenes, you can to learn more about Fiber and its new role within the SuperNET here.
[Full disclosure: The author owns a stake in a variety of SuperNET assets.]
Did you enjoy this article? You may also be interested in reading these ones: | 2,333 |
that may be redeemed or accepted by the issuer or the issuer’s designee in direct exchange for products or services. The process of redemption or acceptance of these instruments allows an issuer to directly retire debt or redeem equity in exchange for the performance of services or provision of goods for the investor. Although these products do not yet exist, and would require updates to certain securities laws to implement, they represent a new asset class which may be enabled by tokenization of securities.
STOs!= ICOs
Leaving aside the types of tokenized securities expected, the market should understand other significant ways that tokenized securities vary from ICOs.
1. Most securities are not bearer instruments. Tokenizing a security will not make it into a bearer instrument. Issuers of securities are obligated to track ownership of, and in certain cases, replace lost or destroyed shares of securities; this obligation will continue for securities in token form.
2. Private placements are not freely traded. Transactions of securities require the participation of either (a) broker dealers, (b) alternative trading systems (ATS), or (c) national stock exchanges. The issuer of securities stands to potentially lose its exemption from registration and to be forced to become a public reporting company if its securities are traded in violation of these restrictions. Thus, tokenized securities will be created on either (a) private blockchains that are controlled by the issuer, or (b) public blockchains subject to restrictive code that allows an issuer to control and track transactions of these assets.
3. “ICO advisors” or “ICO consultants” should not participate in the structuring or offering (i.e. marketing for sale) of securities unless they have appropriate licenses. Generally, consultants who previously designed “token economies” or the “tokenomics” of ICOs will be replaced by Registered Representatives of broker-dealers who will perform “structuring” or the design of the security, and placement of those securities in compliance with relevant law. These Registered Representatives are licensed to perform these services by passing FINRA and or NASAA financial securities exams (i.e. “Series” exams). Issuers of tokenized securities may rely upon technical service providers and may obtain assistance for internal technical design but generally should structure, market, and place their securities through Registered Representatives of broker-dealers to avoid violating US law.
Although STOs are often hyped as the latest coming of ICOs on crypto social media, they are different products that must be handled differently.
Dictionary image via Shutterstock. | 2,334 |
Authorities in Bangladesh will press murder charges against the owners of the Rana Plaza garment-factory complex in Dhaka that collapsed in 2013, killing more than 1,100 people in the country’s worst-ever industrial disaster, AFP reports.
“We are going to press murder charges against 41 people including the owners of the building, Sohel Rana and his parents, later today,” Bijoy Krishna Kar, the lead investigator for the Bangladeshi police, told the news agency. “It was a mass killing. All 41 of those charged have a collective responsibility for the tragedy.”
If convicted, the accused could face the death penalty, he added.
More than 2,400 workers were rescued or escaped alive after the factory collapsed on April 24, 2013. Even after several complaints about cracks appearing in the walls, thousands of people were reportedly forced to continue working in the complex before it collapsed.
“They [Sohel Rana and the factory owners] discussed and decided to keep the factory open,” Kar said. “They sent the workers to their deaths with cool heads.”
Rana, who attempted to flee the country in the days following the disaster, was arrested near Bangladesh’s border with India a week after the collapse. Although the police announced plans to indict Rana last year, the process was delayed as they awaited government approval to press charges against a dozen government officials who are among the 41 now set to be formally accused. Rana and the others will also be charged with violating Bangladesh’s building code.
Many Western retailers source clothes from Bangladeshi suppliers owing to cheap labor costs, and the disaster resulted in calls for immediate reforms including safety inspections and higher wages across Bangladesh’s $33 billion garment industry, which employs close to 4 million workers.
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Contact us at [email protected]. | 2,335 |
Egypt: Christian Convert Miraculously Unharmed by Vicious Dogs Share Tweet
An Egyptian Muslim man who converted to Christianity and consequently was imprisoned and tortured miraculously escaped being attacked and killed by vicious dogs.
According to ChristianToday.com, Majed El Shafie gave his life to Christ after hearing about Jesus from a friend and studying the Bible.
El Shafie had been a lawyer and was influential in his community. When he became a Christian, he was forbidden from practising law and taken to Abu Zaabel prison in Cairo, known as “Hell on Earth.”
While in prison, El Shafie was subjected to many forms of torture, including being burned, cut, and tied to a cross as his assailants sought to draw a confession from him about other Christians.
Another torture El Shafie faced was attacks by vicious dogs which the prison guards brought in to maul him. However, like the biblical story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den, the dogs simple sat near El Shafie without harming him. His captors even brought in a different pack of dogs, but the same thing happened.
"These dogs are trained to listen to their masters," El Shafie said. "But there is no higher Master than the Lord Jesus Christ."
On the fourth day of his torture, El Shafie “agreed” to confess to his captors:
"I can't remember the names, but I'll tell you the name of our leader, and if you can catch him, he can tell you exactly the names of all the members,” he said. "The name of our leader is Jesus Christ. If you can catch Him, catch Him."
El Shafie was brutally tortured more after this “confession.” Eventually, however, he was taken to a hospital to recover from his wounds, but was afterward sentenced to death.
With the help of friends, he escaped to Israel, and eventually to Canada, where he became a Canadian citizen and now works to help persecuted Christians.
"Persecuted Christians are dying every day, but they are still smiling. They are in a very deep dark night, but they still have the candles of the living God," El Shafie said. "Our enemies have a very strong army, have very strong weapons, but we have the Lord Almighty. They can kill the dreamer, but no one can kill the dream."
Photo courtesy: Wikipedia
Publication date: July 11, 2016 | 2,336 |
Voyager Instrument Cooling After Heater Turned off
Voyager mission status report
PASADENA, Calif. -- In order to reduce power consumption, mission managers have turned off a heater on part of NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, dropping the temperature of its ultraviolet spectrometer instrument more than 23 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). It is now operating at a temperature below minus 79 degrees Celsius (minus 110 degrees Fahrenheit), the coldest temperature that the instrument has ever endured. This heater shut-off is a step in the careful management of the diminishing electrical power so that the Voyager spacecraft can continue to collect and transmit data through 2025.
At the moment, the spectrometer continues to collect and return data. It was originally designed to operate at temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius (minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit), but it has continued to operate in ever chillier temperatures as heaters around it have been turned off over the last 17 years. It was not known if the spectrometer would continue working, but since 2005, it has been operating at minus 56 degrees Celsius (minus 69 degrees Fahrenheit.) So engineers are encouraged that the instrument has continued to operate, even after the nearby heater was turned off in December. (The spectrometer is likely operating at a temperature somewhat lower than minus 79 degrees Celsius, or minus 110 degrees Fahrenheit, but the temperature detector does not go any lower.)
Scientists and mission managers will continue to monitor the spectrometer’s performance. It was very active during Voyager 1’s encounters with Jupiter and Saturn, and since then an international team led by scientists in France has been analyzing the spectrometer’s data.
This latest heater shut-off was actually part of the nearby infrared spectrometer, which itself has not been operational on Voyager 1 since 1998.
The Voyager spacecraft were built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which continues to operate both. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. The Voyager missions are a part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about the Voyager spacecraft, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/voyager and http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov.
Jia-Rui C. Cook 818-354-0850
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
[email protected]
2012-017 | 2,337 |
Mathematical Advances Postpone Quantum Supremacy. Wait... What?!?
Earlier this month IBM announced they had created a method for calculating quantum amplitudes, also called probability amplitudes, using far less memory than current methods. A probability amplitude is a numerical factor in a math equation. Specifically, the one used to calculate the probability that a quantum system in superposition will collapse to a particular state when measured. That’s a mouthful. At this point some of you are wondering why I’m excited about it. The answer: because it allowed IBM to break the 49 qubit barrier. They now have a classical computer simulating a 56-qbit quantum computer.
Edwin Pednault (Distinguished Research Staff Member, IBM Research) helps us put this feat into perspective. “At roughly 50 qubits, existing methods for calculating quantum amplitudes require either too much computation to be practical, or more memory than is available on any existing supercomputer, or both.” In other words, 49 qubits was the limit of what classical computers could simulate. Now, IBM has bested the 45-qubit simulation achieved by the Institute of Technology in Zurich in July, and done so using far less memory. Institute of Technology in Zurich’s 45-qubit simulation took 500 terabytes of memory, IBM’s 56-qubit simulation only 4.5 terabytes. Previous methods would have required 1 exabyte (1 billion gigabytes) of memory to simulate 56 qubits.
Moving the Goalposts
Itay Hen (Computer Scientist, University of Southern California) has identified an unintended consequence of this fantastic work: “IBM pushed the envelope. It’s going to be much harder for quantum-device people to exhibit [quantum] supremacy.” Quantum supremacy is commonly used to mean the point at which a quantum computer solves a problem that a classical computer can’t practically solve. In the race to achieve quantum supremacy, Google had plans to demonstrate a 49-qubit chip by the end of 2017. Theoretically, 49 qubits would have been enough, until IBM pushed the target back.
Still, kudos to IBM. These advances in our simulation capability will help drive the development of quantum computers and software. Now that we’ve got 56, let’s shoot for 100. 100 qubits could represent over one quadrillion squared values. Think about what all the talented scientists out there could do with that! I know I am. Let’s go get it. | 2,338 |
Tether Limited, the company behind the USD-pegged stablecoin Tether (USDT), is reportedly planning on issuing a new stablecoin pegged to offshore Chinese Renminbi (CNH).
While Tether is yet to make an official announcement regarding the alleged move, ChainNews claims to have been tipped off by Bitfinex shareholder Zhao Dong that the new coin, dubbed CNHT, will be released in the near future.
For the uninitiated, Tether is a subsidiary of iFinex, the parent company that owns Bitfinex.
Zhao further revealed that the first investment in CNHT will come from his own management platform, RenrenBit.
BeInCrypto has not independently verified the authenticity of the report, but we will keep digging for more updates.
Will Tether’s Move Provoke a Chinese Response?
If these speculations are true, CNHT will be the fourth stablecoin in Tether Limited’s portfolio — which currently consists of three digital currencies pegged to the Euro, Japanese Yen, and USD.
Interestingly, there are speculations already that this new move by Tether could seriously upset Chinese authorities.
Unregulated cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) have long been frowned upon by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the country’s highest banking authority. In April 2014, it instructed all financial institutions in the country to crack down on accounts involved in cryptocurrency trading.
Another major blow to China’s homegrown decentralized digital economy came in 2018, when the government pushed for an all-out ban on Bitcoin mining — virtually forcing a mass migration of mining companies out of the country.
PBoC, however, is ever so close to releasing its own digital currency — which, according to payments Deputy Chief Mu Changchun, will be structurally more complex than most unregulated cryptocurrencies.
Assuming that the ChainNews report is indeed spot-on, Tether won’t be the first company to issue a Chinese currency-pegged stablecoin. eToro already did in earlier this May, although its RMB-backed stablecoin CNYX is pegged to onshore Renminbi (CNY).
Do you think Tether releasing an offshore Yuan-backed stablecoin will somehow end up riling up the Chinse regulators? Let us know in the comments below. And if you would like to trade Bitcoin with a multiplier of up to 100x against Tether (USDT), do so on StormGain with the lowest fees! | 2,339 |
If Students Believe The Bible Says Gays Should Be Murdered, They Should Be Able To Promote It At School?
If the Bible truly calls for gays to be put to death, then don’t public school students have the right to wear t-shirts to class that simply repeats the Scripture? Yes, says faulty thinker Jerry Moore, in perhaps the dumbest argument in favor of “Straight Pride” shirts yet.
When a handful of teens showed up to St. Charles North High School in Illinois wearing “Straight Pride” shirts (“If a man lay with a male as those who lay with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination and shall surely be put to death,” was written on the back), they were told by administrators to cross out the offending Biblical passages with marker. They complied, and the next day a different set of students wore homemade “Straight Pride” shirts, sans Bible verses.
But barring kids from wearing shirts with Christ’s alleged teachings on them is an infringement of their religious freedoms, argues Moore, the opinions editor for Suburban Life Publications in Chicago.
Three students at the high school wore T-shirts Nov. 8 with “Straight Pride” on the front. The shirts also had the biblical passage Leviticus 20:13 on the back, declaring that people who engage in homosexual activity should be put to death. That’s pretty strong stuff, but it is what the Bible teaches. If these students believe in the Bible, they have every right to promote death for gays.
Which is akin to saying that if students believe some random fairy tale that says Jews — or blacks, or women, or puppy dogs — deserve to be slaughtered, that too is protected speech.
It is not. And Moore winds up his haphazard argument without really concluding one way or another whether Biblical teaching can qualify as prohibited speech.
Is it hate speech? Well, wishing to see someone’s life extinguished isn’t very compassionate. It depends on the students’ motives in conveying this message. But is hate speech protected under the U.S. Constitution? Very much so –– as long as you don’t incite or threaten violence, it’s considered free speech.
Also true. But missing from Moore’s argument is standing precedent that allows students’ First Amendment rights to be infringed if their activities inhibit the normal activities of a school. Saying your classmates deserve to be executed surely qualifies as problematic. | 2,340 |
EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Wysocki’s 2017 In The Bag Video
What's the PDGA World Champion throwing?
Just in time for the start of the PDGA National Tour season — where he’s already off to a hot start — we’ve got an exclusive look at Ricky Wysocki’s 2017 In The Bag Video from HellfishTV:
Ricky Wysocki ITB 2017
Joe Hite, the producer and videographer behind Hellfish, said the video took a couple days to shoot spread out over two weeks in Phoenix, where the pair were both spending their offseason. He said Wysocki was incredibly focused on getting each part right, and that, in total, it took roughly 30 hours of production and editing time.
“I just saw all the love that [Paul] McBeth was getting from media, and I thought Ricky could use a little love,” Hite said. “I wanted to make it good.”
Filmed at the iconic Fountain Hills Disc Golf Course, the video combines up-close footage of Wysocki explaining how he uses each disc, as well as some insights into his grip and putting style. Drone footage of flight lines — Hite used Particular in After Effects, he said, to change the colors on the lines when the disc was slowing down — cap off the production.
“We have known each other for a while now and I asked him to just trust me,” Hite said. “I’ve always prided myself on trying to produce the best content I can. He’s seen what I’ve done for Huk Lab, SpinTV and Smashboxx. I think my previous projects have helped earn me his trust to do something original and good. Hopefully that’s what I accomplished here.”
Though they already had a relationship coming into the production, Hite still walked away from the process learning something new about the man known as “Sockibomb.”
“He sucks at spinning a disc on his finger,” Hite said. “I always figured that was a given as a disc golfer… Not with Rick. That, and he never made me wait. Showed up to everything early or on time…I think meeting the media in the middle goes a long way.”
For more of Hite’s work, be sure to check out his Vimeo page here. | 2,341 |
Toronto city council has appointed Jonathan Tsao to be the councillor for Ward 33 — Don Valley East.
Tsao fills the vacancy left by former councillor Shelley Carroll, who is running for the Liberal Party in the provincial election in the new riding of Don Valley North. Tsao narrowly beat out Divya Nayak on the third ballot.
Tsao is a former provincial government employee as well as an advocate for children's mental health.
Eighteen candidates, seven of whom live in the ward, applied to fill the seat.
All were given five minutes to address council at a special meeting on Tuesday in an order that was determined by lot.
Shelley Carroll, pictured here, resigned from Toronto city council on April 5 to run for Ontario Liberals as a candidate in the new provincial riding of Don Valley North. (CBC)
Tory apologizes after councillor's phone number given out
The vote was not without controversy.
Coun. Mike Layton accused Mayor John Tory's office of lobbying on behalf of a candidate, while Coun. David Shiner said his personal phone number had been given to one of of the candidates.
Tory, who supported Tsao, told reporters that he has apologized to a councillor after his office provided the phone number, which was reportedly not publicly available.
"It's kind of a grey area of what private numbers are when you're a public office holder. My own cell phone number is in the hands of literally thousands of people who I regularly give it to. Notwithstanding that, there should be permission given by the person whose phone number it is when it's being given out," Tory said.
"That will be made clear to my staff. It has been already. That won't happen again."
Tory acknowledged that candidates have been lobbying councillors and he has been lobbied himself. He said he sees the lobbying as part of the political process.
In a statement, Tory was full of praise for the appointed councillor.
"I believe Mr. Tsao is passionate about public service, Ward 33 and all of Toronto," he said.
Appointment covers remainder of term
Tsao will represent Ward 33, which runs from Don River Valley in the west, Finch Avenue to the north, Victoria Park Avenue in the east and Highway 401 in the south, until the end of the term.
Under the Municipal Elections Act, council is allowed to make an appointment to fill a vacant seat until 90 days before a municipal election.
The next municipal election will held on Oct. 22, 2018. | 2,342 |
Sheepish police blur faces of lambs at centre of alleged rustling Published duration 10 May 2016
image copyright West Midlands Police image caption West Midlands Police said the lambs identity was "protected due to their age and vulnerability"
Social media sites have been rammed with confusion after police released blurred images of victims of crime - who happened to be sheep.
The lambs' identity was "protected due to their age and vulnerability", West Midlands Police said.
The woolly passengers were spotted after they were herded into the back of a car and driven around by suspected rustlers.
But the subsequent image circulated by the force turned out to be a joke.
Nic Barlow commented on Facebook: "I wondered why the picture looked a bit woolly."
Abbas Zen said: "It would be an animal rights issue if they didn't [blur the images]."
image copyright West Midlands Police image caption The Ford Galaxy carrying three sheep was crashed into a parked car
Other people were less amused by the force's sense of fun.
"Police show criminal sense of humour as they release pictures of stolen sheep with pixelated faces," tweeted Solene Deplanche.
Officers said three suspected sheep rustlers found in the car near Hob Moor Road, Yardley in Birmingham were rounded up in nearby gardens - with one up a tree and another penned in a conservatory.
The men aged 22, 27, and 28, were arrested on suspicion of theft, while police traced owners of the sheep.
Jokes aside, officers said the lambs were unhurt and have been temporarily re-homed on a farm in Sheldon.
Analysis: A sheepish decision?
By Dominic Casciani, BBC News home affairs correspondent
British police have guidelines over what information they reveal about victims of crime - but was there a bit of woolly thinking in the West Midlands force after journalists were given an image obscuring the faces of allegedly-rustled lambs?
The Data Protection Act and Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, which covers family and private life, require the police to protect personal information unless there is a good reason to release it.
My mint sources tell me that an officer in the case blurred the image as a joke.
He presumably concluded he had an obligation under the Ewe-ropean Convention on Eweman Rights to hide the poor little lambs' faces.
image copyright West Midlands Police image caption Insp Clive Baynton holds one of the lambs found in the vehicle | 2,343 |
輪を中止、あるいは延期すべき公衆衛生上の理由はないと述べた。
■IOCと公式パートナーシップ関係、WHOの「利益相反」に疑念
しかし、世界の有名大学の医師や研究者らが署名した公開書簡は、WHOは国際オリンピック委員会（IOC）の公式パートナーになっているが両者間の覚書は公開されていないと指摘し、WHOは巨額の金銭を投じたため偏りのない判断ができなくなっているのではないかと疑問を呈した。公開書簡は覚書の公開を要求し、「それができなければWHOの中立性に疑念が生じる」としている。
公開書簡は「WHOはジカ熱の問題を再考し五輪を延期、あるいは開催地の変更をすべきだ。われわれはWHOとIOCに、科学、公衆衛生、スポーツの精神を最優先して根拠に基づいた透明性のあるプロセスを進める独立諮問組織の設置」を求めている。(c)AFP/Kerry SHERIDAN | 2,344 |
. He said the FBI has arrested “more than half a dozen” Americans seeking to travel to Syria. He also suggested that the United States was in much better shape to detect and prevent terrorist attacks in the United States than US officials were before Sept. 11, 2001 — in part because of the creation of organizations such as the National Counterterrorism Center, which are supposed to “connect the dots” of possible terrorist plots.
Since the United States counterattacked after 9/11, however, al-Qaeda has metastasized into a multitude of smaller groups. Terrorists are active in at least 11 insurgencies in the Islamic world, Olsen said, including Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Mali and northern Nigeria.
Among groups that threaten the United States directly, Olsen listed al-Qaeda's core based in Pakistan, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) centered in Yemen, and al-Shabab, which is based in Somalia and has conducted attacks that have killed Americans such as last year’s assault on a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
Even though al-Qaeda expelled IS earlier this year because of the latter’s extreme brutality toward other Muslims and religious minorities, members of al-Qaeda have traveled from Pakistan to Syria recently and IS pamphlets have been spotted in the Pakistani border city of Peshawar. Asked if IS might not assist in a revival of al-Qaeda and the Taliban in South Asia, especially as the US withdraws from Afghanistan, Olsen said the United States was aware of the possibility and would work to prevent that.
Bruce Riedel, an expert on Islamic extremist groups and a contributor to Al-Monitor, suggested that would be a major challenge and that al-Qaeda could be re-evaluating its expulsion of IS.
“Since the fall of Mosul, [al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri] has said nothing about IS, Caliph Ibrahim or the American war in Iraq,” Riedel told Al-Monitor in an email. “That is very unusual for him and very intriguing. AQAP has called IS ‘brothers’ and offered advice on fighting drones. My guess is that AQ/[Zawahri] and AQAP want to avoid further public disagreements with what is a winning organization at least now.”
Riedel added that if the United States withdraws all its troops from Afghanistan after 2017 as “Obama has promised, AQ will be back with a vengeance.” | 2,345 |
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Hi everyone,
I got my phone in apr 2013. Apparently, on cm12/13 it seems to be affected by this bug. So, to clear any doubt, I wonder if downgrading to kitkat might help in general.
Even if the battery gain was to be dramatically high, security is my first corcern. The last
Android security bulletins (ASB) contain a lot of critical bugs; anyway from them I discovered that kitkat still get security updates from google and from CMxLog that someone still add to about page that cm11 is updated to respect the "MM YYYY ASB". I trust cyanogenmod in that.
So since I never tried to compile aosp and as this rom wasn't updated in a while, I synced cyanogenmod repos and I compiled it with the instructions on cyanogen wiki.
The rom is good and stable.
The only change I had to do was to replace these files
/system/framework/webview
/system/framework/webviewchromium.jar
/system/lib/libchromium_net.so
/system/lib/libwebviewchromium.so
/system/lib/libwebviewchromium_plat_support.so
with ones from cm-m12-official because logcat tells me that the webview i compiled goes segfault when I try to open messages in mms.apk, k9 mail and settings in rar and amaze. In general, the code is untouched.
As you can see from the screenshot below, without gapps, with major instant messengers (whatsapp, telegram foss with smart push disabled) and email push notifications (k9 mail), battery drain on idle is basically non-existent:
I wanted to share this build with you because I think this is an amazing community.
I plan to update this rom every time an ASB comes out (once in a month, as long as google keep supporting kitkat, which I hope is long).
Obviously, the ROM is updated to the latest android security bulletin of 1st june 2016.
Zio Guiduccio
Download
MD5SUM: 4B129774050768E8D21114D7816A8D56
CM-11-20160611-GUIDUCCIO-mako.zip | 2,346 |
The NYPD has fielded lots of bad-apple police officers, especially in the notoriously crooked late 19th century.
But Lieutenant Charles Becker (left) went down in history as one of the most rotten.
Born in upstate Sullivan County, Becker worked as a bouncer at popular beer garden the Atlantic Garden on the Bowery.
After meeting corrupt state senator and Bowery fixture Big Tim Sullivan, he was able to buy an appointment on the force in 1893 for $250.
Like so many others, Becker became a cop on the make. Appointed to the vice squad, he patrolled the infamous sin district the Tenderloin, centered roughly between 23rd and 42nd Streets from Broadway to Eighth Avenue.
He took thousands in kickbacks from gambling houses and brothels in exchange for agreeing to keep police off their backs.
Then, in 1912, a minor gangster and casino owner named Herman “Beansy” Rosenthal blew the whistle on Becker.
Rosenthal and Becker had agreed that for a price, Becker would steer clear of Rosenthal’s Hesper Club casino on West 45th Street.
But Becker decided to have the private club raided to get on the good side of new police chief Rhinelander Waldo, a progressive reformer.
Two days after Rosenthal’s story hit the press, he was gunned down by four mobsters inside the Hotel Metropole on 43rd Street in Times Square (above, photo from the MCNY).
District Attorney Charles Whitman was sure Becker was behind Rosenthal’s murder. He had Becker transferred to desk duty in the Bronx, then placed under arrest.
After two first-degree murder convictions—the first verdict was overturned on appeal—Becker was brought to Sing Sing (left, heading from New York to prison).
In 1915, two years after the gangsters he hired met their fate in the electric chair, Becker was electrocuted as well. Charles Whitman, now governor of New York, signed his death warrant.
He execution lasted several minutes and surely caused Becker agony in his final moments. He maintained his innocence until the end.
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Tags: Atlantic Gardens Bowery, Big Tim Sullivan, Charles Becker, corrupt NYPD cops, Herman Rosenthal gangster, New York in 1910, Sing Sing executions, Tammany Hall corruption, Tenderloin New York City | 2,347 |
I’ve been reading a lot of fairytales lately (four nieces and a nephew), and I’ve come to the realization that many of these classic stories, though cute on the surface level, are harboring horrible messages when you look at them logically. Here are a few well-known examples… Jack and the Beanstalk Isn’t this story really about a moronic lowlife (Jack) who repeatedly robs a homeowner (the Giant) and then murders said homeowner when the homeowner tries to stop him? Maybe if the magic harp wanted to be rescued it would be different, but the harp tries to stop Jack. Our hero is an unlikable dipshit. He trades his poor family’s only cow for “magic” beans? Basically it’s the story of a guy who sells his parents’ car for drugs, then robs and murders their rich neighbor to get back the money. Rumpelstiltskin A girl goes along with a lie her father tells the King about a skill she doesn’t have, then she subcontracts the work out to an ugly laborer with a goofy name who really does have that skill, and then she tries to screw over the ugly laborer when payment is due. Bragging, lying, taking advantage of “undesirables,” welshing on debts?
And Rumpelstiltskin is the villain? What’s the difference between this and a story about a white-trash dude who wants his daughter to marry some millionaire, so they pretend she’s an amazing cook by hiring a Mexican lady whose name they never bother to ask, then refuse to pay the lady what they promised, so she blackmails them unless they can figure out her name? Sleeping Beauty A girl lies in a coma, then a dude she’s never met before breaks in and kisses her, and when she wakes up she loves him for it? Come on. Cute on the surface level, sure, but isn’t the story just a fantasized glorification of sexual assault? Last time I checked if you try to make out with an unconscious girl you don’t know, your ass is getting arrested. Otherwise there’d be a lot fewer rape charges after frat parties. I mean, what if the prince in the story had felt her up too? Or tea-bagged her? Hey, he still got her out of the coma right? Hmm… is there already a porno called "Sleeping Booty?" | 2,348 |
all our products and initiaves.
In case you were wondering, that notch in the letter "Y" actually serves a crucial purpose. We noticed that some people tended to refer to us as "me-key" instead of "my-key". So we added that notch to accentuate the "My" sound in our name, and emphasize the concept of ownership.
And we made sure to include that notch across the rest of our visual identity.
Product Visual Identity
We know what you’re thinking: “What about the owl?”
When MYKI was first founded, we chose the owl as our icon because of its incredible natural ability to fly silently. This made it a great symbol for privacy, and going about your business online freely, without the fear of being tracked or monitored.
People had come to recognize us by our green owl, and we had grown attached to it as well, so we weren’t too keen on completely scrapping it. Instead, we decided to sharpen it up and give it a sleek minimalist makeover.
This logo represents our password management product, the MYKI that lives in your phones, computers, tablets, and even Apple Watches.
We're all about giving our users control, and we felt that changing our icon drastically didn't align with that belief. We didn't want to confuse or surprise our long-time users, so when redesigning the owl icon, we made it a point to keep it recognizable, especially at the smallest sizes.
Like we said earlier, there are several new products coming down the pike, and for this reason, an icon system was developed to accommodate them. The icons for all our upcoming products will be constructed using the 3 atomic components pictured below, which were derived from our new owl icon.
These components will also be used as elements in other visual applications, like patterns, or as design elements in our marketing material. Other significant changes include a new color palette, which will expand to include unique palettes for each new product, as well as a new typeface, Red Hat Display.
This is just the beginning of an exciting new phase for MYKI. We've already updated our website, and we can’t wait for you to see everything we'll be rolling out in the coming months.
Check out our new identity for yourself.
Users:
DOWNLOAD APP
Teams:
TEAM SIGNUP
MSPs:
MSP SIGNUP | 2,349 |
for half measures.
If Canada is truly committed to curbing carbon emissions and slowing global warming, governments need to take aggressive action against climate change instead of increasing the amount of oil flowing out of Alberta.
“I can’t think of a single reason why it should be built,” she said of the pipeline expansion project. “It is the absolute opposite of what we need to be doing if we want to have a chance of … meeting our Paris agreements and keeping us in a place where we can survive.”
Since April, Wallace, 34, has been a member Extinction Rebellion Edmonton, the local chapter of a global movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to fight for climate justice.
Across the Atlantic, UK members of the movement have been making waves since November, blocking bridges, closing roads and snarling traffic in London to demand urgent government action against climate change. Their alarm-raising efforts have led to more than 1,000 arrests in April alone.
To date, Extinction Rebellion’s activities in Edmonton haven’t been as disruptive. They have delivered pamphlets to drivers at roadside demonstrations, dropped banners on Ada Bridge and City Hall and performed public “die-ins,” where members pretend to have perished from extreme weather ailments like heat stroke.
And while dialogue is as important as disruption, Wallace noted that without more concrete and timely action, the group will ramp up its efforts.
“We’ve written letters and we’ve met with our representatives and we’ve done all the things that you’re supposed to do,” she said. “So we’re moving into a phase where — if we’re not being listened to — we are going to become more disruptive as time passes.”
How that will look on the ground remains to be seen, added Wallace.
Climate scientists forecast irreversible environmental effects by 2030 without drastic and rapid changes to global carbon consumption and emissions, and Wallace is worried about the world her kids will inherit.
“I don’t want them growing up in a world where we’re all fighting over resources because we’ve killed the bees and the fish are full of plastic and the birds are full of those fish,” she said. “I want them to have clean water. I want them to have clean air. I want them to have a future.”
With files from Alex Ballingall, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
Read more about: | 2,350 |
Senate rejects bill on veterans benefits The biggest spending bill for veterans in decades goes down to defeat in a divided Senate
Gregg Zoroya | USA TODAY
Corrections & clarifications: This Feb. 27, 2014, article was inadvertently republished with a November 2016 video that no longer accompanies the story.
The largest piece of veterans legislation in decades — aimed at expanding health care, education and other benefits — was rejected Thursday by the Senate on a procedural issue after proponents failed to obtain 60 votes to keep the bill alive.
Wrangling over an issue -- veterans -- that often receives bipartisan support, the legislation died on a vote of 56-41, with only two Republicans voting for it.
Most Republicans said it was too large, too costly and would burden a Department of Veterans Affairs already struggling to keep up with promised benefits.
Sen Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent and chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee who authored the bill, argued that many provisions in the bill have won bipartisan support in other pieces of pending legislation before Congress.
Republicans complained about how to pay for it. Sanders' legislation had more than 140 provisions costing $21 billion over 10 years.
Most of that money was to come from billions of dollars the government projected it would be allowed to spend on wars overseas in the fight against al-Qaeda.But Republicans argued that this is "phony" budgeting becasue U.S. participation in the Iraq War is over and operations in Afghanistan are winding down.
The legislation would have restored cost-of-living increases for the pensions of future military retirees; expanded VA health care by allowing acquisition of 27 new medical facilities and paid for reproductive services for 2,300 troops wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
It also would have expanded compensation for family caregivers of disabled veterans — something now provided for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan — to families of veterans of all wars.
The bill was supported by nearly all veterans groups.
"Can we put politics aside for the good of our nation's veterans?" Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., former chairwoman of the VA committee, argued in urging its passage. "Can we show these heroes that - despite our differences - we will work as diligently toward getting them the benefits and care they've earned as they have worked for our nation?"
"Before we expand that system," argued Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., "what is needed is rigorous oversight and debate about how we're doing what we're doing now...When access is delayed, that's care denied." | 2,351 |
Kazakhstan has revealed that it intends to stand up and establish its own satellite manufacturing capabilities and industry with the aim of being able to build and launch its own communications and Earth observation satellites, as well as scientific and technological testbed spacecraft.
According to an unnamed official from the Kazakh Ministry of Defence and Aerospace Industry who spoke on the condition of anonymity with Azerbaijan’s Trend News Agency, Kazakhstan’s current satellite capabilities were all built by British, French, and Russian manufacturers.
“Earth remote sensing space system currently includes two satellites Airbus Defence and Space (France) and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL, UK); Kazakhstan’s space communication system also includes two satellites, on-board equipment of which was developed with participation of various Russian and French companies. Kazakh space system for scientific and technological purposes was developed in cooperation with SSTL company and includes KazSTSat satellite,” the Kazakh official said.
Kazakhstan intends to develop the capacity and expertise to build its own geostationary orbit (GEO) communications satellites, Earth observation satellites with medium and high resolution imaging capability, as well as satellites and spacecraft for scientific missions and for the testing and validation of new technology.
To this end, Kazakhstan recently completed the establishment of its own national space and satellite design bureau, modeled on the Russian space industry approach, and a satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing (MAIT) facility in the country.
“Space technology design bureau is to be concerned with design, manufacturing of ground support equipment and spare parts for spacecrafts. Spacecraft’s assembling and testing complex will be concerned with full manufacturing cycle, starting from design to assembling and testing of the satellites weighted over 100 kg and below 6 tons, as well as manufacturing of spare parts for these satellites,” the Kazakh official said.
Kazakhstan is also home to the vast Baikonur Cosmodrome, much of which is leased out to Russia, and will enable the Central Asian state to launch its own satellites as well as design and manufacture them.
Despite its intention to design and manufacture its own satellites, however, Kazakhstan still values the knowledge and expertise of foreign satellite manufacturers such as Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL).
“Furthermore, as the world’s satellite industry develops, use of space technologies expands. This is why we no doubt will take into account the experience of creating and operating satellites of foreign companies,” the Kazakh official told Trend. | 2,352 |
Midtown Roots Rebranded as Curaleaf
PHOENIX, Nov. 21, 2018 /CNW/ -- Curaleaf, Inc. (CSE: CURA) ("Curaleaf" or the "Company"), a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, announced today that the Company has continued its expansion in Arizona by acquiring dispensary operator Midtown Roots. Midtown Roots is the only dispensary located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, and is easily accessible across the street from the Thomas/Central Ave light rail public transit stop. It will be Curaleaf's 5th dispensary in the Phoenix metro area and the 33rd Curaleaf dispensary nationwide.
With the acquisition of dispensary operator Midtown Roots, Curaleaf has now served over 70,000 patients in Arizona between its 5 locations.
"Curaleaf is a leading medical cannabis brand that is recognized across the country for its quality and expertise," said Steve Cottrell, president of Curaleaf Arizona. "With this rebrand, we will bring additional resources to Midtown Roots to support upgrades that will enhance the patient experience as well as the continued education of our staff."
Current Midtown Roots patients can anticipate the same experience they've come to know and love; friendly budtenders, great products and community events, such as regular meditation classes and bingo, will all continue under the new name. To celebrate, Curaleaf Midtown will host a Grand Opening Party on Friday, November 30.
A photo of Curaleaf Midtown can be found here.
About Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.
The Company is the parent of Curaleaf, Inc., a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States. Headquartered in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Curaleaf has a presence in 12 states. Curaleaf operates 33 dispensaries, 12 cultivation sites and 10 processing sites with a focus on highly populated, limited license states, including Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Curaleaf leverages its extensive research and development capabilities to distribute premium cannabis products in multiple formats with the highest standard for safety, effectiveness, consistent quality and customer care. Curaleaf is committed to being the industry's leading resource in education and advancement through research and advocacy.
For more information please visit www.curaleaf.com.
CONTACT:
Samantha Qualls
[email protected]
212.889.0808
SOURCE Curaleaf, Inc.
Related Links
https://www.curaleaf.com
| 2,353 |
I’m laying down to recover health by bathing my photosynthetic skin in the sun when my evil twin leaps from a portal and starts firing a laser pistol at me. I’m about to conjure a couple of fireballs before my narcolepsy kicks in at the worst time. Just another day in Caves of Qud. It’s this week’s Indie Pick.
Caves of Qud is one of the best roguelikes in years, packed with evocative prose and featuring a captivating world of arcane secrets to explore. Roguelikes are often hard to parse. They have a ton of rules and interactions to keep track of. That level of intricacy can make for memorable moments but also turns a lot of people away from exciting exploration and dungeon delving.
The thing I love most about Caves of Qud is how accessible it is. You’ll die a lot but you also have a lot of tools to work with that make the journey exciting. Every playthrough is a new opportunity to grow and learn more.
This is best expressed in the game’s outstanding character creator. Players can select from a host of traits and abilities. They take the form of either physical or mental mutations. If you’ve ever wanted to play as a four-armed turtle person with poison gas gland and the ability to walk through walls, look no further. Eager to play as a psychic gunslinger who can casually rend spacetime? This game has you covered. You can even pick negative traits like spontaneous combustion if you’re looking to add some more risk to the adventure.
Caves of Qud reminds me of Morrowind in a lot of ways. The world is both alien and familiar. It captures the feeling of RPG adventure before expanding to wild heights. Small quests to recover the simplest trinkets can build into interdimensional battle with kobolds. Doors have a random chance of being sentient. Every time you think you know what’s up, there’s a new surprise.
If I’m ever looking to pass some time on a plane or am not sure what game I might want to play to relax, Caves of Qud is always on the short list of games that I can return to while always enjoying myself. It’s nice to know that a fun and mystical adventure is only a few clicks away.
Each week, I show off a new, affordable indie game using the tag “Heather’s Indie Pick.”
Advertisement | 2,354 |
asked it to learn from them.
ATTACK ON BJP
The Congress has lashed out at the BJP over the Narmada Dam project. It sought to point out the shortcomings in the project.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala accused Prime Minister Modi of indulging in "misconceived electoral hype, hyperbole and hoopla by yet again inaugurating the Sardar Sarovar Dam". He alleged that the BJP was using the world's second largest dam built by the painstaking efforts of the Congress party and people of Gujarat as an electoral gimmick.
Surjewala said except the Narma Dam project, rest of the 'Gujarat Model' was ingrained with "fakery, doublespeak, fallaciousness and falsehood". The BJP is ruling Gujarat since the past 22 years and not even 20 per cent of the canal network, creating minors and sub-minors, has been completed, he said.
The Congress spokesperson gave credit for the Sardar Sarovar Dam to Pt Nehru and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. "From the laying of the foundation stone by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961 up till 1987, when its construction work was stalled for environmental reasons and litigations, there were a multitude of insurmountable road blocks. It was under the leadership of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi that each blockade was cleared conscientiously and 90 per cent of the work was approved for completion.
VYING FOR CREDIT
An advance peek is available into the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. Sardar Sarovar Dam will be a major plank in the state polls. Moreover, both the BJP and the Congress will compete to take credit for it.
The BJP will also project the ground breaking ceremony of bullet train as one of its major achievements. This Assembly election would be fought for the first time after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, both hailing from Gujarat, taking over as prime minister and BJP president respectively.
The Congress would seek to prick holes in the BJP's claims of undertaking development in the state. It has already fired a salvo by launching a campaign with the Gujarati slogan 'Bhajapno vikas gando thayo chhey' (BJP's development has gone crazy).
The main opposition party would counter all claims of the BJP in the run up to the elections. The choice would be up to the voters whether to trust the BJP or the Congress.
ALSO WATCH | On his birthday, Narendra Modi dedicates the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the nation | 2,355 |
Following in the footsteps of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT's) have also introduced dress code and a list of prohibited items, in a bid to curb malpractices during JEE Advanced examination, from this year.
The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced are scheduled to be held on May 22, 2016.
Prohibited items:
Full sleeve shirts and Kurtas
Brooches
Footwear with heels
Shoes
Earlier, the list had also prohibited aspirants to carry wristwatches of any kind to the examination centre, and it was stated that the invigilators would announce the time after every half hour. (Read: Ahead of JEE Advanced, IITs bring out various changes
However, after receiving protests from parents and aspirants regarding the prohibition, the IITs modified the list on Sunday, May 15, 2016.
According to the modified list, now the students 'will be allowed to bring simple analog watches as smart/programmable watches will NOT be allowed'.
Parents had in their defense argued that carrying watch in the examination centre was essential for time management as JEE Advanced was a competitive exam. (Read: JEE Advanced 2016: Check out schedule and new test centres)
Important Instructions pertaining to JEE Advanced:
Biometric Data: Biometric data (digital photo and finger prints) of all the candidates will be collected inside the examination hall just before the start of the examination in both morning and afternoon session.
Reporting Time: The candidates must report at the examination center before 07:30 hrs IST for Paper 1 and before 13:00 hrs IST for Paper 2. Biometric data collection will start inside the examination halls at 07:30 hrs IST for Paper 1 and at 13:00 hrs IST for Paper 2.
Late Entry Not Allowed: The candidates will not be allowed to enter the examination center after scheduled start of the examination, i.e., after 09:00 hrs IST for Paper 1 and after 14:00 hrs IST for Paper 2.
Physical Frisking: The candidates are requested to cooperate for physical frisking at the examination centre. They are requested to report at the examination center well in advance to avoid any delay.
Read: UP board topper Sakshi Verma played chess to score 98.20 percent
Read: Dabi's score of 52 percent reflects the strict pattern of civil services exam
Click here to get the latest updates on education news. | 2,356 |
Israeli police say that the Israeli-American teenager suspected of making hundreds of bomb threats against Jewish community centres (JCCs) in the US has a Bitcoin account worth millions of shekels.
UPDATE: Police believe the Jewish bomb hoaxer earned Bitcoin selling drugs and fake documents
The discovery raises suspicions that the 18-year-old was paid by a third party although police say they do not currently know where the payments came from.
The Jewish man, believed to have emigrated to Israel from the US, has now been in custody for two weeks. Today (6 April) police extended his detention for a third time.
Israeli news site Haaretz reports that the man was initially uncooperative but has since admitted to the charges. He is said to have meticulously planned the calls, of which there may have been thousands, and disguised his location using dark web techniques.
On Monday his father made a televised apology to American Jews while at the same time distancing himself from his son's actions.
He told Israel's Channel 2: "To all of the Jews in the United States, I want to convey a clear message. We very much apologize from the bottom of our hearts. We are good Jews. We don't hate you."
He added: "The world has to understand. This boy in different, he's unique."
His comments resonated with claims previously made by the man's mother and also his lawyer, who have variously referred to his having a "tumour" and "autism".
His mother said: "This isn't something he could control. He doesn't think right – he has a problem with logic. He needs medical care. He's in very, very bad shape."
Was Trump right about false flag claims?
When Israeli police first announced on 23 April that the wave of hoax bomb threats made against American JCCs had been traced back to a single suspect it was a revelation that took the world by surprise.
Initially, suspicions were focused on America's neo-nazis, who many believed to be emboldened by the election of Donald Trump in the groundswell of the so-called alt-right movement.
Trump had himself come under fire for comments made on 28 February when he appeared to suggest that the attacks may have been false flags, self-inflicted by the Jewish community.
Asked about the threats by a group of lawmakers, some of them Jewish, he said: "Sometimes it's the reverse, to make people — or to make others — look bad." | 2,357 |
Manuel Pellegrini's final transfer budget at West Ham will depend on how many unwanted players the club can move on this summer.
There have been suggestions that the new Hammers boss will have around £75million to spend on what he has estimated as “four or five” new recruits but it is understood that player sales will contribute to the overall pot.
“There is no final figure but the budget will be flexible,” said a club source. Argentine playmaker Manuel Lanzini, for example, continues to attract interest from Liverpool, while Sam Byram could move on.
The former Leeds defender signed in January 2016 for £3.7m but injuries have since restricted him to just 36 senior appearances.
In Pictures | West Ham legends unveil new 2018/19 kits 6 show all In Pictures | West Ham legends unveil new 2018/19 kits 1/6 whufc.com 2/6 whufc.com 3/6 whufc.com 4/6 whufc.com 5/6 whufc.com 6/6 whufc.com 1/6 whufc.com 2/6 whufc.com 3/6 whufc.com 4/6 whufc.com 5/6 whufc.com 6/6 whufc.com
A major clear-out of the club’s backroom staff is already under way, with head of medical services Gary Lewin, club doctor Ian Beasley and fitness coach Nick Davies all leaving.
Ruben Cousillas, who has worked with Pellegrini for many years, is expected to join him, with fitness coach Jose Cabello.
West Ham co-chairman David Gold, meanwhile, believes that Pellegrini has already inherited a decent squad which, if it were not for injuries, would have finished higher than 13th.
“There is no question that he is inheriting a decent squad,” said Gold. “We finished 13th but if we hadn’t suffered the awful injuries we had, we could have finished higher.
“We need to add to it and Manuel is already planning and working on that. I think he is talking about four or five players — as we were talking about four or five, we are in agreement about what should be done. Let’s hope he can do something special — I think he will. He is a football man but, most of all, I get the impression he is a winner.” | 2,358 |
HBO/Telltale Games
Game Of Thrones may be nearing the end of its eighth and final season, but that doesn’t mean HBO isn’t going to do every thing it can to milk the life out of its premiere fantasy series.
While we previously reported on some very swanky (but admittedly extra AF) official Game of Thrones gaming chairs, fans of boobs, dragons, and political intruige will no doubt want something to play on those brand new chairs. Thankfully, it seems as if Microsoft is getting ready to deliver just that.
A pair of brief but intriguing teasers posted to Xbox’s official social media channels all but confirm that Microsoft has some kind of official Game of Thrones project planned. Though I’m not entirely convinced it’s a video game – as much as I’d like it to be.
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On Twitter, fans were treated to a quick burst of flame that revealed the Targaryen family crest, while Facebook instead offered a up blizzard, which gave way to reveal the Night King’s glyph. Both posts were accompanied by the caption “and now your wait begins,” promising fans who stayed tuned would learn more soon.
While I’m well aware that the world is overdue a sprawling, Skyrim style AAA video game based on Game on Thrones, I don’t think we should be getting our hopes all the way up for Microsoft’s mystery project to be the surprise game we all want it to be.
I believe that it’s much more likely that this mystery project simply refers to a couple of limited edition Xbox One consoles. The two separate teases suggest two variants – much like the recently announced gaming chairs come adorned with the insignia of the Starks, the Lannisters, or the Targaryens, depending on your preference.
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I mean, the Twitter tease above really does look like a close up of an elaborate custom Xbox when you think about it.
If I’m being really cynical, a couple of limited edition variants timed to release around the end of the show would be much easier money than a AAA game that probably wouldn’t release until at least a few years after the series wraps up.
There’s every chance I could be wrong – I kind of hope I am – but if a Game of Thrones game is revealed, it’s probably more likely to happen at E3, and probably wouldn’t be an Xbox exclusive.
Advert | 2,359 |
proud of the possibility of Spotsylvania County paving the way to a future of clean and renewable energy and we hope this board also sees the value of this project,” Wilson wrote in a recent email to the members of the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors.
As for the concerns from the opponents, Keeney said the company doesn’t believe area property values will go down, citing the findings of a local appraiser commissioned to study the issue. “From everything we can tell, there is no evidence of property value declines,” she said.
When it comes to the environmental concerns, she said the company is subject to oversight by 30 different agencies, and will be held to strict standards on stormwater and erosion control. As for the trees, she said the land was already being harvested for timber. She said sPower will preserve about 2,500 acres to protect streams, watersheds and wildlife and keep trails for residents and visitors to use.
TUCKER CARLSON: DEMS PUSHING THE GREEN NEW DEAL HAVEN'T LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ENERGY MATTERS
“They are going above and beyond from an environmental standpoint,” she said.
Keeney denied the project would alter the character of the area, saying those who visit the battlefields wouldn’t know there were solar panels nearby. “The project will be completely hidden from view from the road,” she said, “You won’t be able to see it.”
Still, the project’s future remains uncertain: its application goes before the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 26. The county’s planning commission in January voted to deny two of the three proposed sites, only recommending a special use permit for 245 acres. But the Board of Supervisors does not have to abide by the planning commission’s recommendations.
As for O’Bier, he said no one quite knows how a solar power plant in Spotsylvania will actually turn out. Already, the trees up to his property line have been cut down and he's moved trailers to guard against the new wind. He said he’s concerned about what a solar power plant being next door means for his four kids and 15 grandchildren.
“Everybody has their theory,” he said. “The solar panel people say one thing, the other people say something else. Nobody knows.” | 2,360 |
A proposal in the Michigan House could shut down several top-performing schools or force the transfer of their ownership because they are managed by for-profit companies.
The bill, sponsored by Kristy Pagan, D-Canton, would prohibit a public school from operating on a for-profit basis. It would not allow the schools to be contracted with a for-profit entity for the purposes of providing "comprehensive educational, administrative, management or instructional services or staff for the public school." A school still could contract with a non-profit entity.
The measure was filed despite several schools that are managed by for-profit entities having yielded impressive academic results, according to numbers provided by the MAPSA, which is Michigan’s charter school association, and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
According to the Mackinac Center, Michigan has 42 for-profit schools. Of those schools, 14 received an A on the organization’s high-school ratings, three times the expected rate. They also accounted for eight of the top 17 in the rankings.
Two for-profit charter schools also received the prestigious Blue Ribbon School award, which went out to fewer than 250 schools in 2018. Both of these schools – Achieve Charter Academy and Canton Charter Academy – are in Canton. Pagan’s district covers part of Canton.
Achieve Charter Academy and Canton Charter Academy along with two others – Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy and South Arbor Charter Academy – were the top four highest-performing schools on the statewide M-STEP test. The four were the only schools to have more than 70 percent proficiency scores in all subjects. All four are managed by the for-profit National Heritage Academies.
Three of the top eight-ranked Detroit schools based on students' likelihood to enroll in a two-year or four-year degree program after graduation were also for-profit-managed schools. The top high school for college enrollment in the state is a for-profit charter school: the Central Academy in Ann Arbor.
Additionally, four of the top 10 high schools in Detroit for average SAT scores are for-profit managed schools.
The legislation does not spell out what will happen with these schools.
Watchdog.org reached out to Pagan several times for comment about what would happen to the schools and whether their good performance is a concern, but was told that she was unavailable for an interview in time for the article, due to her schedule.
Several attempts to reach Pagan for comment were unsuccessful. A staff member said she was not available to be interviewed. | 2,361 |
I was talking yesterday with Spark Capital founder Todd Dagres... and I asked him if the rumors were true that he has begun Twittering. (Spark is the lone Boston investor in San Francisco-based Twitter, having recently participated in the company's $35 million fourth round. It's true, but his Twitter identity is tough to find. ( It's here.) A pithy sample post: "Lots of coats and ties in the room. Ties = bear market."I asked Dagres why he'd started using Twitter (though others at his firm blog, he has never been a big blogger), and when we'd hear about Twitter's business model."I tried it because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about," Dagres said. "This thing is growing about as fast as I’ve ever seen anything grow before. Now, I’m addicted to the stupid thing. I follow Shaq and a few other people who’ve got interesting insights." That would be Spark colleagues Bijan Sabet and Santo Politi, and Jonathan Seelig from GlobeSpan Capital. (While at Battery Ventures, Dagres was an investor in Akamai Technologies, which Seelig helped start.)Dagres says that Spark and Union Square Ventures are the two biggest shareholders in Twitter."We think it’s kind of funny to listen to people [in the press] talk about the lack of a business model," he said. "We know how we’re going to do it, and we’re very confident about how we’re going to do it, and it’s not necessarily in our interest to tell people how we’re going to do it. There is a biz model that has yet to be implemented. Of course, I can't guarantee it’s going to work."Dagres continued, "All of a sudden there will be some changes that won’t undermine the experience or the virality -- but it will be pretty obvious how we’re going to moentize it."Twitter hasn't generated any revenue thus far. Dagres said that changing that situation was definitely a project for 2009. But "we’re in no rush right now," he said.Isn't it nice to fantasize, amidst the current economic gloom, that you work for a company that is under no pressure to start bringing in revenue any time soon?"Calgon, take me away....."
Labels: Bijan Sabet, Jonathan Seelig, Spark Capital, Todd Dagres, Twitter | 2,362 |
Nearly half of Americans believe President Trump likely committed a crime related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to a new poll published Thursday.
Of the 49% of Americans that think Trump likely acted illegally, 30% hold the belief on suspicion alone while 19% think there's already solid evidence to back it up, according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The poll also found that more than half of Americans approve of the job Russia special counsel Robert Mueller is doing, while just over a quarter of Americans disapprove.
The survey of 714 Americans, conducted Oct. 30-Nov. 1, comes on the heels of Mueller's team filing the first criminal charges in its investigation and confirming publicly for the first time that someone in Trump's campaign sought an allegiance with Russians to gather “dirt” on his political rival.
The charges unsealed Monday included grand jury indictments of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates on charges that they secretly worked on behalf of pro-Russian factions in Ukraine, then laundered millions of dollars in profits through foreign bank accounts.
More:Who's who: Key players in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election
Also announced Monday: former adviser to Trump's campaign George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to a charge that he lied to FBI agents about his contacts with a professor he believed "had substantial connections to Russian government officials" during the campaign. The professor offered him "dirt" — in the form of thousands of emails — on Trump’s election opponent, Hillary Clinton.
When asked about the charges brought against Manafort, almost 70% of Americans said they approved, according to the poll. More than half think those charges — as well as the cases against Gates and Papadopoulos — signal more widespread wrongdoing in the Trump campaign.
More:Mueller's bombshell: Special counsel charges Manafort, Gates and reveals aide's Russia contacts
More:Analysis: After Mueller's first charges, the White House braces for the next ones
Trump has long been critical of Mueller's probe, calling it a "hoax" and "witch hunt."
On Monday, Trump distanced himself from the investigation, denying any allegations of collusion and saying that the charges against Manafort stem from actions from "years ago" and that Papadopoulos was a "young, low level volunteer."
According to Thursday's poll, 51% of Americans think Trump is not cooperating with Muller's investigation.
Contributing: Kevin Johnson and Brad Heath
Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller | 2,363 |
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Euro zone unemployment is higher than official data suggest, continuing to keep wage growth muted, a European Central Bank study showed on Wednesday, raising fresh doubts about whether the bank can start rolling back its stimulus measures soon.
Wage growth has been unexpectedly weak for a bloc that is enjoying its best economic run in a decade and the ECB has argued that better wage dynamics are needed for the inflation rebound to become sustainable, a key condition for cutting back stimulus.
Explaining the apparent disconnect between the rapid unemployment drop and weak growth in pay, the ECB said headline jobless figures exclude people who fail to meet strict statistical criteria and also exclude part time workers seeking more hours, even though both groups add to labor market slack.
Once adjusted for these categories, the labor market slack is around 15 percent, well above the official 9.5 percent unemployment rate and only Germany appears to be displaying signs of labor market tightness.
“In France and Italy, broader measures of labor market slack have continued to increase throughout the recovery, while in Spain and in the other euro area economies, they have recorded some recent declines, but remain well above pre-crisis estimates,” the ECB bulletin article said.
“The level of the broader indicator of labor underutilization is still high, and this is likely to continue to contain wage dynamics,” it added.
Labor market reforms, championed in part by the ECB, has fueled the rise of part time work, which has given employers greater flexibility. As a result, companies are hiring more part time or temporary workers instead of giving current employees more work.
Indeed, part time and temporary employment has risen by nearly 4 million since the financial crisis even though total employment has not increased, a potential drag on wages.
Critics of the ECB policy argue that solid economic growth and inflation already support the case for lowering stimulus but the ECB has repeatedly pointed to wages as a source of concern.
The ECB estimates that about 3.5 percent of the working age population is considered statistically as inactive, even though they could rejoin the workforce quickly. Another 3 percent is underemployed, or working fewer hours than would like to.
That puts the broader slack 3 percentage points above its pre-crisis level, the ECB data indicate, suggesting that unemployment has some way to fall for significant labor market tightness.
Another headache for the ECB is that the majority of new jobs created are in the services sector, where productivity gains are inherently lower, capping the potential for wage increases. | 2,364 |
TIFF
EXCLUSIVE: Aniara, the visionary Swedish sci-fi film directed and written by Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja and based on a concept by Nobel Prize-winner Harry Martinson, has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures after the picture made its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. A ship — carrying settlers to a new home in Mars after Earth is rendered uninhabitable — is knocked off-course, causing the consumption-obsessed passengers to consider their place in the universe.
The stakes are epic, as the film charts the fate of the human race after its emphasis on selfishness and consumption exhausts the resources of the planet. One of several ships launched into space to start anew on Mars, the film’s consumption metaphor means that the ship is designed like a giant shopping mall. After an accident knocks the it off course and hobbles its steering and it becomes clear the passengers might not make it to Mars. They continue to indulge their appetites in extreme ways.
Related Story Spike Lee-Directed 'David Byrne's American Utopia' Heading To Universal Pictures CG For International
The protagonist, Mr (Emelie Jonsson), runs a room where a sentient computer allows humans to experience near-spiritual memories of the planet. Before the accident, no one is interested. There’s shopping to be done. After the accident, the passengers can’t get enough, and the psychological weight of their anxiety and aggression drives the computer to depression. Mr tries to carve out a meaningful life given the circumstances and finds herself buffeted by the changes the micro-society experiences, from the deterioration of the ship’s command to the rise of deranged cults.
“We are crazy happy that Magnolia is on board this ship,” Kågerman said. Added co-director Hugo Lilja: “We have admired their catalog for a long time, and are extremely excited that Aniara will now become part of the Magnolia family for our distribution in North America.”
Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles said: “We’re thrilled to bring this audacious, intelligent vision to audiences. Pella and Hugo have done an amazing job creating a unique world and society aboard a spaceship.”
The deal was brokered by Endeavor Content and Fabien Westerhoff at Film Constellation, negotiated with Magnolia SVP John Von Thaden. The filmmakers are represented by WME and Independent UK.
Here is the trailer: | 2,365 |
Gov. Jerry Brown ordered California on Monday to permanently follow some conservation measures taken during the state's drought.
Brown's order on Monday came as state water officials considered whether to ease a 20 percent conservation order for cities and towns after a winter of storms that brough rain and snowfall to Northern California. Any changes proposed on Monday would likely go before the State Water Resources Control Board on May 18.
Brown's executive order does not set a mandatory percentage for saving water, but requires cities and towns to continue monthly reporting of water use. In addition, bans on overwatering lawns will become permanent.
"Californians stepped up during this drought and saved more water than ever before," said Brown. "But now we know that drought is becoming a regular occurrence and water conservation must be a part of our everyday life."
Brown's executive order also requires better drought planning from cities and farmers.
The state is also required to prepare emergency water restrictions for 2017 in case the five-year drought persists.
Southern California remains firmly locked in a fifth year of drought after El Nino-fueled storms remained to the north during the winter months. The storms brought near-normal snow and rainfall to Northern California, filling major reservoirs.
Overall nearly 90 percent of the state remains in drought.
The easing drought has prompted many water districts to say they want to set their own conservation targets. Others say the state should completely drop the drought emergency.
Officials, however, say the bruising drought has not ended, and nobody knows how much rain and snow will fall next winter.
The stewards of California's water are grappling with the challenge of passing on the benefits of increased runoff from the best snow pack in five years, while at the same time encouraging consumers not to abandon conservation measures.
Tuesday, the governing board for Southern California's largest wholesale water importer, the Metropolitan Water District, will consider stepping down from stage three to stage two. In so doing, it would eliminate provisions for penalty charges for member agencies that use more than their allocation.
It is expected some members will want to exceed their allocations in order to replenish reserves, said Deven Upadhyay, manager of the MWD's water resources management group.
With more water available from Sierra snow-melt via the state water project, MWD also expects to be able to increase its own reserves back to 2014 levels, Upadhyay said.
At the same time, MWD is launching a new advertising campaign to encourage the customers of its members to continue conserving. | 2,366 |
The driver of the lorry is said to have suffered from injuries, which are not believed to be life-changing
The lorry overturned on the M32 (Photo: Avon and Somerset Police)
A number of pigs have been killed and others injured after a lorry carrying almost 200 of the animals overturned on the M32 early this morning.
According to the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, the road was closed at the junction with the M4 near Bristol just after 12.10am on Wednesday (June 19).
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Police confirmed the number of pigs that were onboard - and that some of them were killed in the smash. The exact number of deaths has not been disclosed.
'Distressing to everyone'
"The lorry driver was injured and 190 pigs were trapped in the vehicle. A vet came to the scene as soon as possible. They were consulted to ensure the animals' welfare at all times. The lorry driver was freed from the cab and taken to hospital at about 1am with injuries which are not believed life-threatening or life-changing," said the statement from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
"The M4 was closed with a rolling roadblock while the lorry was righted, using specialist lifting equipment, at 4am. The damaged vehicle was then moved off the motorway so that the livestock could be safely released, treated and transferred to another transporter.
"This has been a distressing incident for everyone involved. Throughout, decisions have been made to prevent further incident or injury to members of the traveling public and with animal welfare in mind."
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'Absolute tragedy'
"This accident is an absolute tragedy. Not only for the driver who was injured, but for the countless pigs who were killed in the crash," Juliet Gellatley, Founder and Director of leading animal welfare charity Viva!, told Plant Based News.
These pigs were never given a fair chance in life. When they were born, their death was already planned. They would have lived short, brutal lives, destined for human consumption, with all their natural behaviors denied.
"We have received many comments about the pigs, locals expressing sadness at the loss. Pigs are intelligent, emotional animals. If you are against animal slaughter or animal cruelty in any form, the only choice is to go vegan."
Viva! offers free advice, support, and information about going vegan, which you can find here | 2,367 |
Or Edward can call?” “No!” April said, shaking her head. She put her forehead in her hands. “Why do I want one? Look, can your husband take care of the body? Maybe I’ll hide out while the men are taking him out? Then I can just do grocery delivery from his bank account.” Worked for Rose. A man in the car next to them did a startled double-take at two women driving around unsupervised. He motioned for her to roll down the window. Rose gritted her teeth, shook her head. No. Edward would not want her to. Edward would want her there in an emergency. She could do this. “Oh, shoot,” April said. “I passed a Carls Jr ad. I kinda want burgers now. Hmm. Alright. Much to think about.” she laughed. “Thinking!” There, Edward’s building. He was close by, lucky her. Although it made it more of a mystery why he was doing dinner at the office. It was dark and cold and half-empty inside. There was no one at the receptionist desk. No one intercepted them at the elevator. Edward, she knew, was down in the basement. “Ooh, spooky,” April said, when the door slid open. There were just a few florescent lights burning, and almost no noise at all. The concrete floor was heavy with dense cabling, little of it in a straight line. Just brightly colored wires in semi-neat coils, thick and petite, with small paths between them. It was dank-cold. The servers were just visible beyond frosted glass. “Edward?” Rose called out. She walked in, April trailing back. Edward was a manager now. The head of the entire dark floor. It wasn’t clear, thinking about it, if he had a staff. Everyone had quit. There were plenty of jobs that didn’t involve late hours, wrangling collapsing infrastructure. Or just stay at home and fuck girls. There was a tinny, panting noise from where she didn’t want to hear it. Behind the closed door reading ‘VICE-PRESIDENT.’ Edward had to be in there. Of course he was in there. Rose couldn’t stop herself. She had to find him. She opened the heavy door to see her husband absolutely fucking the heck out of Carrie’s ass.
* * * | 2,368 |
Submitted by JoeyMaru
This is the one that I've created for myself after realizing I don't like most themes available. It is mostly purples and blues that are easy on the eyes, but has bright colors for important text. I use C# so it is mostly made for that, but please feel free to adapt to other languages as you please.
Search for the plugin Codinion to further customize the colors. I needed it so I could add different colors to Methods and such.
Added variations of colors for all languages. Hopefully they make sense, I don't use most the of the other languages. :)
EDIT:
Hey everyone! With the new VS 2019 Community edition (or higher, I suppose too) you can now add all of these without an extension! Yay!!
Here are my settings for the plugin;
User Tags - Events - RGB(255,215,0)
User Tags - Fields - RGB(175,150,192)
User Tags - Fields (Constant) - RGB(141,105,165)
User Tags - Fields (Inside Enums) - RGB(199,181,210)
User Tags - Local Variables - RGB(176,196,222)
User Tags - Methods - RGB(254,146,143)
User Tags - Methods (Extension) - RGB(255,194,193)
User Tags - Methods (Static) - RGB(254,97,92)
User Tags - Namespaces - RGB(255,0,128)
User Tags - Parameters - RGB(219,112,147)
User Tags - Properties - RGB(214,118,185)
User Tags - Classes - RGB(122,147,199)
User Tags - Delegates - RGB(231,101,153)
User Tags - Enums - RGB(221,160,221)
User Tags - Interfaces - RGB(255,56,21)
User Tags - Modules - RGB(249,179,149)
User Tags - Structures - RGB(255,99,71)
User Tags - Type Parameters - RGB(213,87,128)
Change things to your personal preference, but I'm still tinkering around with the colors, but I like them so far.
Download this scheme
Visual Studio 2010-2013 Visual Studio 2015 WebMatrix 2 (beta) Visual Studio 2008 Visual Studio 2005 | 2,369 |
Paris (AFP) - The EU's border agency chief has pleaded for radical changes to the way Europe is dealing with its migrant crisis as he revealed 630,000 people have entered the bloc illegally so far this year.
"We registered about 630,000 illegal border crossings as of the end of September," Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri told the French Ebra press group in an interview to appear on Monday.
"Member states must understand that in place of deploying hundreds of police at their national borders, it would be more useful to send them to the (EU's) external border," he said.
"The real frontier," he added, is "Lampedusa, Lesbos and Melilla," referring to some of the epicentres of Europe's migrant and refugee crisis.
"If every state manages the crisis on their own, without coordinating with their neighbours, the (migrant) flux will go from one country to another, to everyone's cost."
While doubling the number of Frontex staff to be stationed in frontline Greece to around 200 was progress, he claimed that "if we had one or two thousand European border guards to help the Greek authorities, it would have a spectacular effect on the crisis there."
While Europe is relying on huge new so-called hotspot camps in Greece and Italy to hold migrants while their claims for asylum are processed, he claimed than on average only "39 percent of deportation orders are carried out" -- mostly because the migrants' countries of origin refuse to take them back.
"Let's be realistic, if we want to send illegal migrants back to their countries of origin, we will need detention facilities, in the hotspots in particular," Leggeri said.
And he dismissed a European border force evoked by EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as "not feasible in the medium term".
"We have to go towards a more integrated management of our borders... which would allow Frontex in certain cases to intervene in a crisis without waiting for the member states in question to ask for it," he insisted.
Leggeri predicted that "migratory pressure is a long-term challenge", even if "we succeed in bringing under control within the next year the brutal, unprecedented flow we are now facing."
"I do not see a short-term solution in Syria or in the Horn of Africa," he said, "or between the difference in development between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa" -- areas from which many of those seeking a better life in Europe are coming from. | 2,370 |
even higher for her Upward Swing. Dixie swings her hair to catch those directly above. It’s strictly vertical, and like the other 2 swings is performed quickly. The launch trajectory is vertical as well. Dixie slams her hair and victim into the ground and bounces them up with sheer might. The raw power behind this is on par with her Forward Smash fully charged, enough to startle heavyweights. IT IS THE STRONGEST OF ALL HER THROWS, and when using this one it is absolutely necessary that this move connects, otherwise Dixie’s gonna be in trouble. As you can see, she’ll rebound quickly if she succeeds and send her opponent flying, but if she misses she’ll crash into the ground, toppling over as if laid out by a terrible punch. A far cry from a graceful fall–one that leaves a valuable window of opportunity for vulnerability. She doesn’t take damage from failing, but the amount of pain a fighter can unleash–like a Falcon Punch–makes that a cold comfort. She’s putting everything she’s got into this swing, and this move is one she wants–no NEEDS–to succeed. Good luck with it.
The Up Swing is high-risk, high-reward. Of her 3 Up throws, this one is the only with vertical trajectory. Her traditional Up Throw is diagonally oriented while her Cargo Up has her throw at a highly curved arc.
On the ground, her Neutral Special is tactical, simple but strategic and meant to accommodate a shifting situation. It can be used in the air too, but it’s much simpler off the ground.
She does one spin, tossing whoever she touches in front of her an alright distance away, regardless if they were in front already. It is quick, not spectacular and the antithesis of the ground version. Simplicity in the air, versatile on the ground. This is her 2nd aerial grab, but her Down Air is better.
Her Neutral Special, Down Air and Forward Throw all highlight her possibilities as a Grapple-oriented fighter–allowing Dixie to have 12 throws in her moveset–9 added to her 3 regular throws. Those standing directly behind her when she performs either swing will get swept into the entire sequence, and if you’re swung with more force based on where you get caught in the swing. I hope everyone gets the gist of how this concept is meant to work. We’ve covered all the throws she has in her arsenal.
| 2,371 |
South Korea must unite to survive, says President Lee Published duration 27 December 2010
image caption Mr Lee said he had learned "valuable lessons" from the Yeonpyeong island shelling
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has told his nation it must unite in the face of military aggression from the North.
Mr Lee said in a national radio address that what was at stake was "the survival of this nation".
He added: "If [we] are afraid of war, we can never prevent war."
The Korean peninsula has been tense since the North shelled the Southern island of Yeonpyeong last month, killing four people.
On Sunday, it was announced that South Korean and Chinese defence ministers would meet in Beijing in February for talks on the situation.
'Sacred war'
In his broadcast on Monday, Mr Lee said: "We can't afford to have division of you against me in the face of national security, because what's at stake is our very lives and the survival of this nation."
Mr Lee said divisions of opinion after the North's alleged sinking of a Southern warship in March with the loss of 46 sailors had led to the North's attack on Yeonpyeong island.
He said: "It is when we show solidarity as one that the North dares not challenge us. Their will to challenge breaks."
image caption South Korea has carried out a number of recent exercises
Mr Lee added: "We have clearly realised the fact that only strong counteractions to military provocations are able to deter war and safeguard peace."
His government came in for some criticism at home as weak after the Yeonpyeong attack.
Mr Lee said he had learned "valuable lessons".
Since the incident the South has replaced its defence minister and embarked on a series of military exercises while ratcheting up its rhetoric.
The North has not retaliated militarily but amid the rising tension last week vowed a "sacred war".
Pyongyang denies the South's claim that it sank the warship. It also says its shelling of the island was retaliation for a South Korean firing drill that dropped shells into North Korean territory.
In a commentary on Monday in state daily Rodong Sinmun, it warned that joint US-South Korean exercises were "reckless military provocation".
"There is limit to our patience," the commentary said.
At the end of his speech, Mr Lee said the South still wanted peaceful reunification with the North. | 2,372 |
Donald Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE on Monday claimed he has been "conceptually" endorsed by the military, despite the large number of military figures who have denounced him.
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In an interview with Florida's WJXT-TV, Trump touted his endorsement from the national Fraternal Order of Police as well as other groups and organizations."We had a fantastic meeting with the folks, [a] pretty large group of folks, and they’re very upset about the way they’re being treated, and I understand that fully," Trump said."And they’ve endorsed me, endorsed me fully. I’ve been endorsed by virtually every police department and police group. And I’ve been endorsed largely, conceptually at least, by the military and by the vets," he continued.In September, Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, won the endorsement of 88 retired generals and admirals who publicly expressed their support in a joint letter.However, he has also faced heavy opposition from military figures. In August, a group of 50 top Republican national security officials wrote in a letter that Trump would jeopardize the nation’s safety.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE also earned numerous endorsements from the military and intelligence communities, including a list of 110 retired officials in September.
"I now have more endorsements from retired flag officers than any Democrat other than an incumbent president has ever had," Clinton said following the endorsement.
"Compared to where Trump is, where both [Mitt] Romney and [John] McCain were, they had between 300 and 500. I am doing better than any Democrat, he is doing worse than recent Republicans. So I am proud of the people who are supporting me," she said.
A poll last week of active-duty troops showed Trump with 40 percent support, Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson Gary Earl JohnsonWhat the numbers say about Trump's chances at reelection Presidential race tightens in Minnesota as Trump plows resources into state The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden condemns violence, blames Trump for fomenting it l Bitter Mass. primaries reach the end l Super PAC spending set to explode MORE at 27 percent and Clinton at 21 percent. | 2,373 |
-Matches will be played as a Best of 13. This means the first player to 7 wins is declared the victor.
-All matches will take place within the center ring of the map Arena. If both duelists consent, the match may be fought at another location.
-All matches will be played on Fastest combat speed. There will be no exceptions to this rule.
-All servers must be based in NA and agreed upon by the duelists. A reasonable effort must be made to minimize any ping gap between players.
For example, it is reasonable for a player to request a fight on a server where both players have 60 ping rather than on a server where one receives 90 ping and the other receives 15 ping.
-The use of third party programs in conjunction with Warband to aid in attacking or blocking is strictly forbidden and will result in immediate disqualification from the tournament regardless of positioning in the bracket. This includes but is not limited to any forms of "autoblock hacks" or mouse/keyboard macros producing simulated input.
-Once a match has begun all duels must be fought on the same server; exceptions can be made for circumstances such as extreme lag or sudden server instability.
-All match scheduling PMs must be CC'd to myself or another tournament administrator to help in settling any disputes. Matches may also be publicly scheduled in the official thread.
-Match times must be agreed upon ahead of time by the participants. It is highly encouraged, but not mandatory, that final match times be PMed to myself so they may be announced in this thread.
-Each duelist may use any weapon they please, but he or she is not allowed to switch weapons at any time without the verbal consent of his or her opponent.
-The Khergit Khanate is prohibited.
-All cavalry, shields and ranged weapons are forbidden.
-Weapons that crush through blocks are not allowed (Rhodok line of hammers, Sarranid 2h mace)
-Duelists must only use weapons that can be purchased by his or her respective faction.
-Duelists must only use default armor or no armor at all.
-If the server does not use health regeneration after duels, then killing oneself to regenerate health is not allowed.
-Results should be posted after the match by both players (winner especially) along with a spoiler screenshot using FRAPS or simply print-screen. | 2,374 |
GUWAHATI: Home minister Amit Shah — in separate meetings with Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, NGOs and civil society organisations in Aizawl on Saturday — assured that a special clause will be incorporated in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill so that their state, along with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, is not affected by settlement of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who are granted Indian citizenship.The three states are governed by the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system that regulates the entry of people from other states.“The home minister has decided that a kind of special clause will be incorporated in the proposed bill that will have special provision for Mizoram. The home ministry wants us to propose the special clause before the bill is introduced in Parliament,” said Zoramthanga after his meeting with Shah. The special clause will incorporate the ILP, he added.Vanlalruata, chairman of Mizo NGO Cordination Committee, added: “We have been assured that the ILP will be there and will continue to safeguard us against foreign infiltrators. It will be applicable to other NE states as well where the ILP is in force.” He added that Shah has agreed to discuss the draft legislation before taking it to Parliament.“Shah said the ILP regime would be strengthened so that the Citizenship Amendment Bill does not have adverse effects in the state,” said a statement issued by the committee.The ILP is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to grant permission for inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited time period. It is obligatory for Indians to obtain permission to enter the protected areas residing outside Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.The committee called off its planned protest on Saturday against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill during Shah’s visit after the latter agreed to meet them and hear their grievances. The committee submitted a memorandum opposing the CAB to the home minister.Though there was no protest on Saturday, supporters of Mizoram People’s Conference and People’s Right to Identity and Status of Mizoram lined up along Shah’s route leading to the Raj Bhawan holding colourful placards against the CAB.The proposed bill, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who took shelter in India till December 31, 2014 after fleeing religious presecution, was passed in the Lok Sabha during the Modi government’s earlier tenure. The bill, however, lapsed. | 2,375 |
An ailing Vietnam veteran who was in the care of a top Veterans Affairs Center in Massachusetts was left to die — as his caregiver played video games on her computer, according to a disturbing report.
Bill Nutter, who was exposed to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange in the 1960s, was supposed to undergo hourly checks while at the Bedford VA Medical Center, the Boston Globe reported.
The sickly 68-year-old suffered from arrhythmia – which could cause his heart to stop at any moment – had respiratory problems, couldn’t get out of bed on his own and had just lost his second leg to diabetes.
He died July 3, 2016 after going into cardiac arrest, which the hospital insisted “[they] couldn’t do anything about it,” his wife Carol Nutter was initially told.
But a few days later, the grieving widow got a phone call from a doctor, who was repeating what a woman in the
background was telling him.
The woman was saying, “They weren’t doing their job, and if they had done what I told them to, he could have possibly been alive because I told them to check on him once or twice an hour.”
An investigation by the VA Inspector General eventually revealed that Patricia Waible, the nurse’s aide assigned to regularly check on Bill Nutter that evening, was playing video games on her computer — rather than doing her job.
At first, Waible lied, saying she made the required checks on Bill Nutter and had initialed corresponding paperwork. But she confessed after an investigator told her the hospital’s cameras showed she never moved from her computer during her shift.
Waible was reassigned pending the investigation.
Meanwhile, the nurse who found Nutter unresponsive the next morning crudely indicated to her supervisor that he was dead by sliding her finger across her throat, according to internal hospital records. She was terminated.
“Poor Bill, I fought to keep him alive,” said Carol Nutter. “We were married for 47 years. I was always with him. He wanted me there. But I wasn’t able to watch over him at the end.”
Now, Bill Nutter’s family is weighing their legal options.
“My dad might not have lived another five months, who knows? But if we could have had another month with him — this lady took that away,” said his daughter Brigitte Darton. | 2,376 |
The graffiti on a garage in Port Talbot refers to the town’s air pollution
Street artist and social commentator Banksy has apparently popped up in Wales, leaving a new artwork on a garage in Port Talbot that refers the town’s air pollution.
A video posted to his official Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon had close-ups of the piece.
With the children’s song Little Snowflake as a soundtrack, the video shows images painted on two garage walls that form a right angle. On one side, a child appears to be playing in the falling snow, sticking his tongue out for snowflakes. The other side reveals that the “snow” is actually falling ash and smoke from a fire in a dumpster.
The video then pans up to show the nearby Tata Steel plant, which looms over the town. “They’ve not dropped a Banksy on us, have they?” a man asks on the video, which is captioned — “Season’s greetings.”
‘Incredible addition’
Rachel Honey-Jones, 33, who lives on the other side of Swansea Bay, said an artist friend of hers was tipped off about the artwork’s location and stayed overnight to guard it. “It’s amazing, an incredible addition to Port Talbot,” Ms. Honey-Jones said.
The owner of the garage, Ian Lewis, 55, a steelworker for Tata Steel, said he first saw the piece when images spread on Facebook on Tuesday evening. He said Port Talbot was probably chosen for the Banksy work due to news headlines about the town’s air pollution.
In May, the World Health Organization apologized after it admitted that figures identifying Port Talbot as the most polluted town in the U.K. were wrong. It said Port Talbot’s air pollution actually measured 9.6853 micrograms, just under half the figure it originally gave the town and below the World Health Organization guideline of 10 micrograms.
Still, black dust from the town’s steelworks covered houses, cars and pets in July, a possible inspiration for the artwork.
Council workers erected metal fencing around the garage on Wednesday to protect the artwork. “People have already taken sledgehammers to it and tried to throw paint on it,” said Honey-Jones. “It will bring visitors and trade and tourism to the county, so it really does need to be protected.” | 2,377 |
A team of researchers from the University of Freiburg have discovered how the plant hormone auxin is transported within the cell and how this signaling pathway helps to control gene expression in the nucleus. Auxin regulates many processes in plants: from embryonic development, to the development of organs, all the way to responses to changes in the environment. The team recently published its research in the journal Cell Reports.
According to current scientific models, auxin works with other proteins to fulfill its function. When auxin content in the nucleus rises, receptors bind in the presence of auxin repressors, initiate repressor degradation and enable auxin responsive transcription factors to trigger gene expression. Because it is believed that auxin content in the nucleus is important for this, the researchers focused on how auxin gets into the nucleus and how this process is controlled. The researchers from the University of Freiburg therefore collaborated with colleagues from Munich and Okayama, Japan, to test new, fluorescent, auxin-mimicking molecules in single cells. These molecules allowed them to visualize the accumulation of auxin in the cell without triggering any auxin-related processes. They were thus able to demonstrate that the auxin-mimicking molecules accumulated primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is a system of flat tubules that is a continuation of the nuclear membrane directly connected to the nucleus.
Next, the team studied how the ER, nucleus, and other cell parts work together to absorb auxin in the nucleus. Because there are currently no adequate methods of directly measuring the transport of auxin between the cell's different compartments, the researchers developed a combined experimental-theoretical approach that allows them to use a combination of microscopy, quantitative data analysis, and mathematical modeling to observe how individual plant cells react to different auxin levels. Based on the results of their research, they concluded that the flow of auxin from the ER to the nucleus represents an important signaling pathway within the cell to regulate auxin levels in the nucleus, and hence in supporting processes triggered by auxin.
The team of researchers includes Dr. Cristina Dal Bosco, Dr. Alexander Dovzhenko, and Prof. Dr. Klaus Palme, all from the Department of Molecular Plant Physiology of the Institute of Biology II, as well as Dr. Alistair Middleton and Prof. Dr. Christian Fleck, both from the Center for Biological Systems Analysis (ZBSA) at the University of Freiburg. Dr. Palme is also a member of the cluster of excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies. | 2,378 |
AOL Mail Down Issue
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AOL Email Help. Still facing any issue then contact to our customer care expert at +1-855-599-8359 and feel free to discuss your problems. I hope you like our tips and tricks regarding. Still facing any issue then contact to our customer care expert atand feel free to discuss your problems.
| 2,379 |
BRENNAH ROSENTHAL
Did someone say two-for-one drinks?
Everyone's favorite discounted-drinks program returns to St. Louis on November 1, with the St. Louis Passport Winter Edition again promising two-for-one deals all across town.Founded in 2013 by Two Parts, the passport made its St. Louis debut this summer, offering participants cunning little booklets that look just like actual passports... only instead of coming in handy with immigration officials, they work magic with bartenders. Hand yours over at participating venues, and you'll get a stamp along with two drinks for the price of one.And this time it's not just booze. The winter edition will also score you some sweet coffee deals.The coffee scene in each of the Passport cities is rich and brimming with world-class, bean-based beverages and coffee purveyors,” said Justin Schaffer, city program manager for The Passport Program. “Nights and weekends of craft exploration require fuel, so why not showcase a few top local coffee spots as well?”Participating venues this time around include the 21st Street Brewer’s Bar, Babe’s Tavern & Garden, Baileys’ Chocolate Bar, Baileys’ Range, Basso at the Cheshire, the Benevolent King, the Blue Duck, Blueprint Coffee – Watson, The Boom Boom Room, Boundary at the Cheshire, Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar, Byrd & Barrel, Craft Beer Cellar, the Dark Room at The Grandel, Earthbound Beer, Farmhaus, Flamingo Bowl, Foundation Grounds Coffeehouse, Gaslight Lounge, Good Fortune, the Hideaway, Hugo’s Pizzeria, Joanie’s Pizzeria, Juniper, Maya Cafe, Mission Taco Joint, the Mud House, Narwhal’s Crafted, Nick’s Pub, Nixta, Olio, Parigi, the Pat Connolly Tavern, Pieces Board Game Bar & Restaurant, Rooster, Sasha’s on Shaw, Shameless Grounds, the Silver Leaf, Small Batch Whiskey & Fare, SOHA Bar and Grill, Sophie’s Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club, Tamm Avenue Bar and Yaquis on Cherokee.Passports go on sale on November 1 and will cost you $20. Go to ThePassportProgram.com to get yours.They'll be good from November 6 all the way 'til April 15. Because who doesn't need a two-for-one deal on Tax Day? | 2,380 |
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian groups pushing for an increase in the minimum age for girls to marry, from 16, said on Thursday it was encouraged by a Constitutional Court order that legislators should work on a change.
Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, is among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest number of child brides, according to campaign group Girls Not Brides.
“We now have the legitimacy, that the decision of the Constitutional Court today strengthens and agrees with our reasoning,” said Lia Anggie, a legal representative for the coalition of campaigners against child marriage.
The coalition had petitioned the court on the grounds that the law discriminated against girls, who can marry at 16, while the legal age for men is 19.
Indonesia’s top court ruled that the government must change the minimum age at which a girl can get married. It did not specify an increase, and gave legislators three years to decide what the new minimum age should be.
Anggie told Reuters the court decision was “a clear step” in its push for ending child marriage.
While girls are legally allowed to get married at 16, it is common, particularly in rural areas for girls, to become brides at much younger ages.
One in four girls marry before they turn 18 in Indonesia, according to the U.N. Children’s Fund. On average, more than 3,500 Indonesian girls are married every day.
In its verdict, the court agreed that the marriage law discriminated against girls, a court spokesman said, adding that the law was also seen as out of line with rules on child protection.
The court had therefore found the law “unconstitutional”, spokesman Fajar Laksono said.
The court gave legislators three years to come up with a change, and in their deliberations, they should “take into consideration and see changing times”, Laksono told Reuters.
Erasmus Napitupulu, another legal representative of the group that filed the petition, which includes women who were child brides, said he welcomed the ruling but was disappointed the court “was not brave enough” to take a clear stand.
“Now the ball is in the hands of President Jokowi,” he said, referring to President Joko Widodo by his nickname.
“We will continue to push until women in Indonesia get protection and guaranteed rights from the state.” | 2,381 |
Native Germans have to pay for their train tickets. “Refugees”, in contrast, get to ride for free, since they’re generally understood to be penniless.
Such is the logic of the German railway system.
Many thanks to Nash Montana for translating this article from Politically Incorrect:
Discrimination against light-skinned passengers on local public transportation I spend about a half hour daily in the trains of the German Railways and in a train of a private operator. The amount of “southern-looking” passengers fluctuates, depending on the time of day, between a quarter and half of all passengers. There are multiple controls on the trains and often I witness how passengers are being controlled that do not have a valid ticket. In slang we call them “black riders”. As of late, a lot of them are “refugees”. When the tickets get controlled, there are now distinctions being made based on the color of the skin: If you’re a light-skinned black rider they take your personal information, and you’ll eventually receive a penalty by mail from the railways and you pay. But “southern-looking” passengers are generally just left to exit the train, or they are allowed to ride on without having to pay a penalty. I wrote a letter to the German Railways, in which I complained about this discrimination, and I received the following answer: [Translation of the letter pictures] Ticket control on the train Dear Mister ——— Thank you very much for your letter from May 3rd, 2016, which was forwarded to us from the Hannover metropolitan traffic area (GVH). In the letter you lament the fact that you have repeatedly experienced our train personnel who control train tickets repeatedly only made passengers who weren’t in possession of a valid ticket leave the train. You are asking yourself why they have not been asked to pay the penalty. In the tariff and transportation requirements it is affirmed that passengers who cannot produce a valid railroad ticket have to pay an increased penalty. It is also affirmed that in case of refusal of payment and production of valid personal information, the person is prohibited to further make use of the train. Migrants and refugees are generally penniless, so that the collection of an increased fee usually produces no success. Unfortunately, you have written your letter in too general terms. Only with timely and concrete evidence do we have the opportunity to investigate an incident and to question our personnel why a certain case was handled the way it was. With friendly regards… [End translation of the letter] | 2,382 |
"I think initially you tell some people about it and they say, 'Oh, that's gross,''' she said.
"Breast milk is pretty personal. Just sending that off to someone is a little bit of a leap for people.''
That's why she decided to sell kits, including discreet lockets and a pill box design as vessels. She said she has sold about 48 kits since October.
"It's something that mums do for themselves,'' said Ms Becker, 33. She has shipped to the United Kingdom and Asia.
"It's more for mothers who are nursing long term, not people who just nurse a couple of months.''
Victoria Cameron, 33, is nursing her 13-month-old son and pursuing a master's in social work in Minneapolis.
She went on Etsy in search of mother's jewellery when she stumbled on the breast milk sellers. She was the first to post about it on a BabyCenter board for bargain hunters. The quick-fire reaction surprised her.
"At the same time people were talking about getting cremation remains made into a diamond or a rock, and that was, like, super meaningful, and then people were just like, 'Oh this breast milk thing is crazy.' It was very odd,'' she said.
The debate has since spread on parenting blogs and social media.
In Belleville, New Jersey, Sharon Valcarcel, 32, nurses her 11-month-old daughter in the evenings after she returns from her job as a high school psychologist. She heard about the jewellery from a friend and thought it was "kind of gross.''
The jewelry, Ms Valcarcel said, plays into broader divisions over breast-feeding, with women "who are very elitist'' about it on the supportive side.
"The funny thing is they're kind of pretty,'' she said of some of the designs. "But I think it's awkward.''
Ms Cameron hasn't bought a piece of breast milk jewellery but plans to "as kind of a weaning type of thing, when I think we're getting towards the end of it.''
So what's the fuss?
"This has nothing to do with promoting the breast-feeding campaign. This is people on Etsy wanting to make a buck, and emotional moms like me wanting to have something for themselves,'' she said.
"I'm not going to pass it down to my son. I'm not going to tell the average person on the street what it is. It would be for me.'' | 2,383 |
Brides, grooms and guests have been left scrambling after Tuxedo Royale, a formal wear retailer, suspended operations.
Images of stores circulating through Twitter showed locked doors with signs stating the retailer has closed amid “financial restructuring.”
According to its website, the chain of outlets has been selling tuxedos and suits accross the Greater Toronto Area for the last 30 years.
Tuxedo Royale was not available for comment. All calls to the company lead to a voicemail telling customers refunds aren’t being issused at the moment.
“It is not known at this time when the restructuring will be complete and when the stores will reopen,” noted a message on the retailer’s voicemail. “Unfortunately, due to the current restructuring and challenges facing the business, refunds will not be made available for deposits and payments made previously.”
Trisha Ryan, whose wedding is to take place on October 18, says nine of her guests put down payments between $100 to $200 to rent with the retailer. She says she won’t be able to afford purchasing something new for them to wear.
“We’re stuck right now trying to figure things out,” she told The Star. “We trust vendors that have been around so long hoping that nothing is going to happen, and they lock you out.
“What are you supposed to do now?”
Marc Nascimento said he found out the news after going to pick a vest, bow-tie and pocketsquare for his wedding from the retailer in Pickering Town Centre centre yesterday. He said he paid $130 on Sunday to prepare for the wedding on October 12.
“To do that before someone’s wedding, no matter how far away, even if only a month or two, that’s pretty scummy,” he said.
He said his calls to an employee who passed him his phone number went unanswered. Calls from The Star to the same number also went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Collins Formal Wear, a formal wear store in Ontario is stepping up to help out the distraught customers. The store posted on their Facebook and Twitter page that they will offer matched deposits up to $75 and waived any rushfees to wedding parties that had rentals orders placed with Tuxedo Royale (with a proof of deposit required).
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With files from Abhya Adlakha Staff Reporter | 2,384 |
The girl had alleged she was raped by former minister Swami Chinmayananda at an ashram in Haridwar
(An earlier version of this story mistakenly carried a photo of Swami Tejomayananda, the former head of the Chinmaya Mission, instead of Swami Chinayananda.
The error was identified and the photograph was replaced within minutes of the story being published on IndiaToday.in.
IndiaToday.in recognises the severity of the error and expresses deep regret. We profusely apologise for the mistake.)
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to withdraw a rape and kidnapping case against former union minister Swami Chinmayananda, official sources said on Tuesday.
A letter in this regard has been sent to the district administration on March 6 on behalf of the government, the sources said. Subsequently, the Shahjahanpur administration had on March 9 written to the prosecution officer of the case for its withdrawal.
In Lucknow, the state government spokesman and cabinet minister Siddhartnath Singh told newspersons that though the government has taken a decision to withdraw the case, the matter will be finally decided by the court. "If anyone has any objection to it (withdrawing the case), one can challenge it in the court," Singh said.
Shahjahanpur Additional district magistrate (administration) Sarvesh Dixit said the state government has decided to withdraw the case filed against Chinmayananda in the Kotwali police station and the process for the same has been initiated by the prosecution officials.
On the other hand, the rape victim has sent letters to the President, the Chief Justice of India, the UP governor, the chief minister and the district judge raising objections over the move, urging them for immediate issuance of a warrant against the accused.
The victim, in her letter, also said that Adityanath on a visit to Shahjahanpur, had a lunch at the house of the accused on February 25, 2018.
The FIR against the former minister was lodged on November 30, 2011, on the complaint of a girl who had spent several years at his ashram.
The girl had alleged that she was kept at an ashram in Haridwar and raped by the former minister. Her father had lodged an FIR against him at Kotwali police station in Shahjahanpur.
However, Chinmayananda moved the high court, which had stayed his arrest.
The case has been pending since then. | 2,385 |
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers play their longtime rival Boston Celtics on Sunday, but all anybody wanted to talk about following the team's light practice Saturday was what was talked about at the team's meeting between players and coaches Thursday in Minnesota.
The Lakers canceled practice Thursday following back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington on their three-game road trip that ended with a 105-102 win over the Timberwolves on Friday.
In place of practice, Lakers coach Mike Brown scheduled a film review at the team hotel and invited players and his coaching staff to speak their minds.
Part of the assistant coaches' message was urging the players to curtail any "external chatter," according to a source.
"It wasn't an airing out session," Brown said Saturday, downplaying its significance. "It was a film session."
The session was mostly X's and O's based and run by Brown until he handed over the floor to his assistant coaches.
"I utilized my assistants a lot because I don't like the players hearing my voice a lot," Brown said. "I talked a lot. I said, 'You know what? I'm going to have someone else talk.' After two losses like that everybody's feeling kind of down. So, I wanted to hear other guys' voices."
Players were invited to speak after Lakers assistant coaches John Kuester and Chuck Person left strong impressions.
When no player volunteered to speak up, Brown said he requested that "my three leaders" share their thoughts; first Pau Gasol, then Derek Fisher and finally Kobe Bryant.
"I stuck to my beliefs and my principles, which is togetherness, unity," Gasol said. "If we're going to be successful, we're going to do it all together being on the same page, holding each other accountable and just counting on each other and having each other's back. That's my thing. That's how I learned to play this game. That's how I love playing this game. And, communication (is important). Being on the same page, communicate, talk to each other, those are keys I think for any team to function together."
Fisher, who has a reputation of knowing when to say the right thing at the right time, including calling an impromptu players' only meeting following a win over Portland earlier this season, said that from a player's standpoint "it wasn't a time to go there," but he, Bryant and Gasol engaged in the conversation out of respect to the coaching staff who had spoken up. | 2,386 |
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Be it his half-sleeved kurta, which he carries with panache, or his crisp Nehru Jacket that almost gives him an endearing charm, BJP's front-runner has definitely influenced an entire generation of young politicians to groom themselves better.
© Facebook
There is no denying that this once RSS pracharak has a come a long way since his Khaki-Chaddi days, and rightly so. And the image makeover is helping him connect with the young audience in more than many ways possible, which is why we help you decode NaMo'sstyle statement.
His Kurtas
It's difficult to ignore his half-sleeve kurtas that he pairs with churidaars even for someone who's not even remotely interested in politics. It is his trademark. Known to have been designed by Modi's very own personal tailors, Ahmedabad-based Chauhan brothers Bipin and Jitendra, they seem to have hit the right chord. It has also been said that despite NaMo's humble upbringing, his penchant for wearing proper clothes has always been spot on, and we couldn't agree more.
© BCCL
His preferred fabric is Khadi and linen variants, and though he was mostly seen in white and saffron coloured kurtas for the longest time, he has now started experimenting with more lively yet muted colours. In fact, on the day when he was appointed as BJP's PM candidate, he wore a pistachio green coloured kurta which became significant to the point of being called as the 'Modi Kurta.' The Modi Style was thus born.
© BCCL
His Accessories
For Modi who has an incredibly simple sartorial sensibility, his choice of accessories are rather flashy. From Bvlagri frames for his spectacles, an expensive Movado watch to Mont Blanc pens- all of which find a special place in his wardrobe. Also, if someone were to observe him closely, the black bands, which he wears on his right wrist, cannot be missed.
© BCCL
Gone are the days when all our Indian politicians had to flaunt were their unkempt appearances, pot bellies and shabby outfits. In comes the band of well-groomed netas for which Modi is definitely the spearhead. That makes him nothing less than a brand to reckon with.
On that note, Modi Manicure anyone?
© BCCL
Photo: © Facebook (Main Image) | 2,387 |
The U.S. must offer a "measured response" to Iran's downing of an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Republican member of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Failure to respond to Iranian aggression would incentivize future attacks, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., told Shannon Bream on Thursday on "Fox News @Night."
"I think we clearly need a measured response here," Green said. "I think the world needs to see, honestly, smoke and fire. I think Kim Jong Un needs to see smoke and fire. There's been an attack on the U.S. military and if we don't respond, we are incentivizing future attacks."
SITUATION ROOM BRIEFING ON IRAN CRISIS CONCLUDES, AS MCCONNELL SAYS 'MEASURED' RESPONSE IS COMING
"There's been an attack on the U.S. military and if we don't respond, we are incentivizing future attacks." — U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., member of the House Homeland Security Committee
"I think it's time to act," he added.
Green added that President Trump acted responsibly and conservatively to the attack on the unmanned drone.
"Let's give President Trump some credit," Green said. "He's had a very measured response here. He even gave them an out with this 'potentially it was a trigger-happy guy.'."
Top administration officials and lawmakers met at the White House late Thursday for a classified briefing about the incident. They suggested that a "measured" U.S. response is likely coming soon.
Amid mounting tension between the U.S. and Iran, the White House earlier Thursday invited House and Senate leaders -- as well as members of the House and Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees -- to meet with President Trump in the Situation Room of the White House.
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Others who arrived for the meeting included CIA Director Gina Haspel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Army Secretary Mark Esper, whom Trump has said he'll nominate to succeed the departing Shanahan.
Shanahan was spotted outside the White House carrying a folder stamped "SECRET/NOFORN," an intelligence classification category prohibiting distribution to anyone outside the government.
Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report. | 2,388 |
Neither Jose Mourinho nor Romelu Lukaku are known for mincing words when it comes to media interactions. So while both protagonists' final assessments of the will-he/won't-he saga are quick to acknowledge and say the proper, respectful things, they also lay bare the harsh truths that they themselves hold evident.
"Things happen in football and sometimes it is not meant to be. Chelsea are a big club and sometimes it is difficult for young players to come through. But they gave me the opportunity to come to England." "Chelsea are a big club and taught me how to be professional. When I came to England I was 18 and knew nothing about being professional. I was very ambitious but Chelsea taught me about a work ethics and winning mentality." "I don't have negative feelings about that football club. But I want to have a good career. Because in football sometimes a career is only 10 years and I didn't want to spend 10 years on the bench." -Romelu Lukaku; source: GetWestLondon
Jose paints Lukaku as the 'kid' who didn't want to compete. Lukaku paints Chelsea as the big bad keeping him down and preventing him from having a good career. The truth is probably somewhere in a middle, though I personally believe it's much closer to Jose's version than the player's. Much, much closer. Hopefully Lukaku will also learn one day that "professionalism" doesn't mean looking out for me, myself, and I far above everything else.
Seemingly, the decision to leave Chelsea had been made some time ago (possibly serving as catalyst for Drogba's return even?) as Romelu continues to be in a hurry to be older and more complete than his actual age would suggest.
"For me it was a very quick decision. I knew I wanted to come back here [to Everton] very quickly. I'm 21 and I needed to be in a good team and where it felt right. Here I have the confidence of the whole technical staff and the trust of the supporters. I feel I belong here. I have a very good relationship with everyone at this club. This is where I want to grow." -Romelu Lukaku; source: The Guardian
One thing is for certain from both Jose's words and Lukaku's. The situation had become untenable. Lukaku wanted to go; the Chelsea board and Mourinho, much like they did for Juan Mata or Kevin De Bruyne, let him.
Good luck in all your future endeavors, Kraken Unleashed, except against Chelsea of course. | 2,389 |
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on security in the Middle East, in the wake of reports of an alleged chemical attack in the Syrian city of Douma.
The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, opened the meeting by describing the reports about the alleged chemical attack in Douma and the subsequent airstrike against the Syrian T-4 air base. He called for an “independent investigation” of the alleged chemical incident and urged restraint for all sides, in view of the airbase attack.
Russia is deeply concerned by the fact that some capitals, Washington as well as London and Paris, which are “blindly following” their US allies, have engaged “in a confrontational policy against Russia and Syria without any justification,” The Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said during the meeting. He went on to say that Moscow recently faced “slander, hawkish rhetoric, sanctions, blackmail” and even “threats of force.”
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Western states are now threatening and slandering Russia with a ferocity that their governments “did not take the liberty” to unleash during the Cold War, Nebenzia added. “Russia has been inexcusably threatened,” he said.
Nebenzia stressed that every time the Western powers interfere into other states’ affairs, they “leave only chaos behind.” “Do you understand the dangerous threshold to which you are bringing the world?” the Russian envoy asked.
There is “no doubt” that the alleged chemical attack in Syria’s Douma was staged, Nebenzia said, commenting on the developments in Eastern Ghouta. He then called for an impartial probe into the reported incident, which should begin with the presumption of innocence.
The UN chemical watchdog must visit Syria and investigate the allegations, Nebenzia said, calling on the Organization for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to visit Douma as early as Tuesday. Syrian and Russian troops would provide the inspectors with a safe passage to the area of the alleged chemical attack in Douma after they arrive to Damascus, he said.
Nebenzia questioned the 'evidence' provided by the controversial White Helmets group. In particular, he said the scene of an alleged chemical strike was a fake, saying that it seemed “unnatural” that the bomb “struck the roof of a building and then fell on a wooden bed without even damaging it.” | 2,390 |
hundreds of hostages' lives and averted a disaster at the gas installations."
However, the Mauritanian news agency ANI, which has stayed in contact with the militant group throughout the siege, quoted a source in its ranks as saying they had not intended to leave the gas field but were moving a group of hostages from one part of the complex to another when Algerian army helicopter gunships opened fire on the its vehicles ferrying the hostages and their captors.
ANI said the militants were threatening more attacks on oil and gas installations in Algeria. A spokesman for the group called on Algerians to "keep away from the installations of foreign companies, because we will suddenly attack where no one would expect it".
France, which is dependent on the co-operation of Algeria for the smooth running of its operation against Islamists in Mali, was positive in its comments on the Algerian action. The French interior minister, Manuel Valls, said he "cautioned prudence against criticism" of the Algerian operation and recognised Algeria's fight against terrorism alongside France.
The French president, François Hollande, said he had every confidence in the Algerian authorities to handle the situation, which he referred to as "unfolding in dramatic conditions".
Cameron said he would not hide his disappointment at the lack of Algerian consultation, but No 10 sources said the Algerians looked to have faced a well-organised terrorist assault that was probably planned before the French invasion of Mali.
Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, cut short a three-nation visit to south-east Asia to return to Tokyo to oversee Japan's response to the crisis. Abe, who was due to make a foreign policy speech in Indonesia on Friday evening
, was expected to return to the Japanese capital early on Saturday.
There was irritation, bordering on anger, that the Algerian government had not notified Japan of the rescue attempt. Tokyo was told of the military operation by Britain's ambassador to Algeria, local reports said.
Abe told reporters he had asked the Algerian prime minister in a phone call to refrain from any moves that could threaten the safety of the hostages. Japan's main government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, described the rescue attempt as regrettable, amid unconfirmed reports that two Japanese nationals were among those who died during the assault.The Japanese services contractor operating at the Algerian gas field, JGC, said that of the 61 non-Japanese it employed at the facility, 10 had been accounted for. JGC's president and other company executives were due to leave for Algeria on Friday. | 2,391 |
Of all the pictures I saw from the Iraqi elections last weekend, my favorite was on nytimes.com: an Iraqi expatriate mother, voting in Michigan, holding up her son to let him stuff her ballot into the box. I loved that picture. Being able to freely cast a ballot for the candidate of your choice is still unusual for Iraqis and for that entire region. That mother seemed to be saying: When I was a child, I never got to vote. I want to live in a world where my child will always be able to.
God bless her. This was a very good day for Iraq.
To say that mere voting or an election or two makes Iraq a success story would obviously be mistaken. An election does not a democracy make and Iraq’s politicians still have yet to prove that they are up to governing, nation-building and both establishing and abiding by the rule of law. But this election is a big deal because Iraqis with the help of the U.N., the U.S. military and the Obama team, particularly Vice President Joe Biden overcame two huge obstacles.
They overcame an array of sectarian disputes that repeatedly threatened to derail this election. And they came out to vote Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds despite the bombs set off by Al Qaeda and the dead-end Baathists who desperately want to keep the democracy project in Iraq from succeeding. This latter point is particularly crucial. The only way Al Qaeda, Baathism and violent Islamism will truly be defeated is when Arabs and Muslims themselves not us show they are willing to fight and die for a more democratic, tolerant and progressive future. Al Qaeda desperately wanted the U.S. project in Iraq to fail, but the Iraqi people just keep on keeping it alive.
And how about you, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran? How are you feeling today? Yes, I am sure you have your proxies in Iraq. But I am also sure you know what some of your people are quietly saying: “How come we Iranian-Persian-Shiites who always viewed ourselves as superior to Iraqi-Arab-Shiites can only vote for a handful of pre-chewed, pre-digested, ‘approved’ candidates from the supreme leader, while those lowly Iraqi Shiites, who have been hanging around with America for seven years, get to vote for whomever they want?” Unlike in Tehran, Iraqis actually count the votes. This will subtly fuel the discontent in Iran. | 2,392 |
After a day of confused attempts to explain its new data retention policy and a stumbling interview by the attorney general, George Brandis, the government was meeting security and telecommunications experts on Thursday to sort out the policy detail.
The communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who was revealed by Guardian Australia to have reacted angrily to the lack of factual information about the plan in Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, said he and Brandis were now “on a journey” to determine the details of the metadata policy.
Despite numerous interviews by the prime minister, Tony Abbott, and Brandis on Tuesday attempting to explain what data would be covered by the proposed new mandatory retention regime, Turnbull said no final decisions had been made about what data telecommunications companies would have to retain.
“If … the outcome of this is no more than that … there will be a law, which states that telcos should retain the type of data that they are currently retaining anyway, then there is no additional cost, or somewhere between no cost and very little cost,” Turnbull told Bloomberg. “If on the other hand telcos are required to record, store and make accessible new classes of data in large volumes, then there obviously will be a significant cost, and then you’ve got the question as to who should bear that cost and in what proportions.
“I am sorry I can’t give you the outcome of the policy formation process, but we’re in an iterative process, we’re on a journey and until we get to the end of it it’s difficult to be much more specific than that.”
Many telecommunications companies were also waiting on a clearer explanation before commenting on the policy.
The Labor party said the saga had exposed Brandis as “a walking disaster”.
“We’ve seen … the prime minister and the attorney general not even able to agree from one day to the next on what they had said that they had agreed in principle about their mandatory data regime,” the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, told Sky. “Senator Brandis is a walking disaster … I think that Australians have to be concerned about an attorney general and a government that goes out proposing to make changes to our national security laws without apparently even being able to understand what it is that they’re putting forward.”
As Guardian Australia reported on Tuesday, the metadata plan was revealed to a newspaper before it was taken to cabinet, after an initial decision by cabinet’s national security committee. | 2,393 |
For many of us who avoided the draft, the ensuing years brought with them not merely a measure of guilt, but also a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices of those who did serve. They gave rise to a new patriotism — one tinged with remorse, but also renewed recognition of the courage and grit of those who, no older than ourselves and no less eager to get on with their lives, had gone off to war.
I went into journalism, and one of my earliest assignments was to interview former Vietnam prisoners of war for articles about changing responses to interrogation and torture. I could not help thinking about what these P.O.W.s had endured while I read Horace and Catullus in the library. Over future assignments, I came to know better the caliber of men beside whom I might have fought.
Now 65, I am past the internal debate of whether it was cowardice or careerism or, most likely, some combination of the two that led to my decision not to serve. But that decision still imposes on me an added responsibility to pay homage to those who did serve — not to succumb to the insults of “baby killers” or the patronizing perception of volunteers as dupes, but to recognize that we are in their debt. I know of no one else of my generation who avoided the war who could speak the words that Mr. Trump did, who seems not to feel a pang of — call it what you will — conscience or guilt over unearned privilege or crass luck. We all have the sense that we, too, owe the country something of ourselves.
I do not begrudge Mr. Trump’s using deferments that many others also pursued. That would be the height of hypocrisy. But I am dumbstruck that someone who carries the weight of having seen others go off in his stead — friends, neighbors, classmates, teammates — could sneer at those who gave so much to the country. This is a threshold test of basic humanity and self-reflection that is, at least among those I know who did not go to war, heightened, not diminished.
The ignobility of the Vietnam era — the corruption and manipulation of the draft, the disproportionate numbers of the poor and minorities pressed into service, the ability of so much of the nation to carry on as if there were no war — created in many of us a special sense of purpose, a desire to make amends, to carry the weight of citizenship, albeit belatedly. Like so many other debts, this is one Mr. Trump evidently feels no obligation to repay. | 2,394 |
Will Conduct Reboot Operation Next Week
The team operating NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter plans a complicated reboot operation of the spacecraft's computer next week, to address a long-known, potential vulnerability of accumulated memory corruption.
"This is not a risk-free event," the agency notes, "but the Odyssey team and NASA have carefully weighed the risks of performing a cold reboot compared with the risk of doing nothing, and determined that the proper course of action is to proceed with the reboot."
The chief concern about the potential memory vulnerability stems from the length of time the spacecraft has been exposed to the accumulated effects of the space radiation environment since the last reboot, which occurred on October 31, 2003. As an additional benefit, the cold-reboot procedure will demonstrate whether Odyssey's onboard backup systems will be available should they ever be required.
"We have lost no functionality, but there would be advantages to knowing whether the B side is available," said Odyssey Mission Manager Gaylon McSmith of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. "We have developed a careful plan for attempting to determine that."
In the years since its April 7, 2001, launch, Odyssey has not needed to use its set of spare components. The spares are called the spacecraft's "B side," which includes an identical set of a computer processor, navigation sensors, relay radio and other subsystems. To use any of them, Odyssey would have to shift to all of them at once from its primary set of components, called the "A side."
On March 21, 2007, the B-side spare of an electronic component for managing the distribution of power, called the high-efficiency power supply, became inoperable. If it is permanently disabled, then none of the B side is available for use. Engineers have investigated the inoperability of the B-side high-efficiency power supply. They concluded that the component can probably be made to work properly again by rebooting the orbiter's computer, although the memory-vulnerability issue that is the current concern is not directly related to the March 2007 event that affected the power supply.
Odyssey is in the third two-year extension of its mission at Mars. Some A-side components, such as the UHF radio used for communications with spacecraft on the surface of Mars, have worked as long as they were designed to last.
In addition to its own major scientific discoveries and continuing studies of the planet, the Odyssey mission has played important roles in supporting the missions of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity and the Phoenix Mars Lander. | 2,395 |
, but they can find money to cut corporation tax. They look after their rich mates and screw the rest of us.”
Thousands have gathered for #GrantsNotDebt student demo today pic.twitter.com/zU1C8BJBAq — SWSS (@SWSSNews) November 4, 2015
Baldwin said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge of free higher education had re-energized the movement against fees.
“[We’ll] have to make sure Labour stick to that position though, I imagine many of their MPs want it ditched.”
Corbyn set out a £10 billion plan to scrap university tuition fees and restore maintenance grants during his campaign for the party leadership in July.
He plans to fund the measures either by a 7 percent rise in national insurance for those earning more than £50,000 a year and a 2.5 percent higher corporation tax, or by slowing the pace of deficit reduction.
The Labour leader made waves during his election campaign when he apologized to students on behalf of the party, which introduced tuition fees under Tony Blair in 1998.
“I opposed those changes at the time – as did many others – and now we have an opportunity to change course,” he said.
Plans to raise fees
The government is under pressure from advocacy groups representing UK universities which are calling for increases in tuition fees.
Umbrella organization Universities UK (UUK) is demanding the government lift the £9,000 tuition fee cap in line with inflation and also increase funds for institutions, as well as maintenance support for students.
“Evidence shows that students are more concerned about the level of maintenance support they receive while studying than they are about the long-term repayment of their student loans dependent on income,” UUK vice president Janet Beer said in July.
NCAFC spokeswoman Deborah Hermanns described the government’s latest round of proposed tuition fee hikes and maintenance grants cuts as the “worst attacks on society since Thatcher.”
“They have no basis in economic sense. They come from a disposition of greed and hatred, and form an overarching attack on the rights and welfare of the working classes. We cannot allow this to go unchallenged,” Hermanns told the Morning Star.
She added: “It is the duty of the student movement to resist this government and we will continue to fight until we win — on the streets, in occupations and in our communities.” | 2,396 |
Aelf Innovation Alliance is set to launch a project known as the Innovation Alliance, whose core objective is to advocate for the mass adoption of blockchain technology in the corporate world. The incentive will be run alongside major players in the blockchain industry, though the next-gen cloud computing distributed ledger network (aelf) maintains the supervisory position.
The Innovation Alliance aims to achieve its goals by availing all the necessary resources to enterprise looking to embrace blockchain technology, regardless of the institution’s size. These resources will include an in-depth expert analysis of the industry as well as advice on how to make blockchain technology applicable in their field of work. Initially, this program will target the gaming, banking and supply chain sectors, as these are yet to feel the impact of adopting distributed ledger technology.
Besides aelf, other notable stakeholders of the Innovation Alliance project include; Signum Capital, a Singapore-based and the country’s most influential digital fund, FBG Capital, an Asian blockchain hedge fund, Roland Berger, a German strategy consultancy company, Huobi labs, a subsidiary of Huobi, and Michael Arrington, the creator of TechCrunch who is also a Silicon Valley impresario.
During the launch, Zhuling Chen, a cofounder at Aelf, noted that blockchain technology is often intimidating to startups, and to some extent, even the established businesses. The Innovation Alliance aims to ease this fear by invited all enterprises to an open discussion where they will share the knowledge they have amassed in the numerous years they have been in the industry. This move is in alignment with Aelf’s vision of promoting peer-to-peer connections over an open-source blockchain network.
Michael Arrington stated that the project’s founders are aware of the disruptive potential that blockchain technology holds, and further admitted that the real challenge is advocating for its adoption. He added that while the will is there, the market currently lacks adequate educational programs to inform businesses on how to adopt this nascent technology.
Under the proposed system, aelf will provide the blockchain on which commercial enterprise will build their decentralized applications. This saves on the expenses that would have otherwise been used in the creation of individual distributed ledgers. The aelf ecosystem is equipped with advanced features that ensure the performance of the member applications remains fast and reliable, irrespective of the number of users.
The Innovation Alliance was inaugurated at the famous World Digital Assets Summit in Singapore, an event organized by FBG Capital. This annual convention brings together leading institutions in the blockchain sector to discuss on trends, impacts and best use cases of the technology. | 2,397 |
likely include many people with primary depression, which can cause prolonged fatigue and often responds to interventions like those being tested in PACE. (In contrast, many people with ME/CFS get depressed as a secondary result of their illness experience.)
“The Oxford criteria clearly select for a lot of patients with primary depression, and people who are depressed do react very well to CBT and exercise,” said Jason, who has published widely on the ME/CFS case definition problem. Positive outcomes in the sample among depressed patients without ME/CFS could therefore lead to the unwarranted conclusion that the therapies worked for people with the disease, he added.
***
The PACE investigators were aware of these concerns, and they promised to study as well two subgroups of participants from their Oxford criteria sample who met additional case definitions: an updated 2003 version of the CDC’s 1994 definition for chronic fatigue syndrome, and a separate definition for myalgic encephalomyelitis. That way, they hoped to be able to draw conclusions about whether the therapies worked, no matter how the illness was defined.
Yet this approach presented its own challenges. Neither of the two other definitions required fatigue to be the primary symptom, as did the Oxford criteria. The myalgic encephalomyelitis definition did not even include fatigue per se as a symptom at all; post-exertional malaise, not fatigue, was the core symptom. And under the CDC definition, patients could present with any of the other symptoms as their primary complaint, as long as they also experienced fatigue.
Given these major differences in the case definitions, an unknown number of patients might have been screened out of the sample by the Oxford criteria but still met one of the other sets of criteria, making it hard to interpret the subgroup findings, according to other researchers. (The PACE investigators and I debated this methodological issue in an exchange of letters in The New York Times in 2011, after an article I wrote about case definition and the PACE trial.)
Bruce Levin, the Columbia University biostatistician, said the PACE investigators should not have assumed that the experience of a subgroup within an already defined population would match the experience of a group that hadn’t been pre-screened. “I would not accept an extrapolation to people diagnosed with alternative criteria from a subgroup comprising people satisfying both sets of criteria rather than just the alternative set of criteria,” he said, adding that reviewers should catch such questionable assumptions before publication.
Tomorrow: Publication of the PACE trial | 2,398 |
Hayes extended the envelope and called the general’s name.
Then someone grabbed him.
Wearing a neck brace inside his Compton home, Hayes said he has no doubts that Manet’s private guard attacked him.
“They treated him the way they would treat a Cambodian protester in their own country,” said Keith Rohman, president of Public Interest Investigations, the downtown Los Angeles firm hired to serve Manet with the court papers.
Calls to the Cambodian Consulate in Los Angeles were not returned. A spokesman for the Cambodian Council of Ministers told the Cambodia Daily newspaper that Hayes tried to attack Manet and was pepper-sprayed by a bodyguard.
Hayes told police he wants to press charges, but identifying his assailants could prove difficult, said Sgt. Brad Johnson, a Long Beach police spokesman. Hayes was unable to give officers any description of his assailants at the time of the attack, Johnson said.
If the attack was carried out by Manet’s bodyguards, they may have diplomatic immunity, Johnson said.
The suit Hayes was attempting to serve Manet with involves a celebrated human rights case.
Meach Sovannara, a Long Beach resident and media director for the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was arrested and charged with inciting an insurrection for his role in election protests in Phnom Penh in 2014, according to court papers. Sovannara was sentenced to 20 years in Cambodia’s Prey Sar prison, according to the suit.
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As a lieutenant general, Manet oversees the soldiers responsible for crackdowns on protesters in Cambodia, including the one that ensnared Sovannara, activists say.
Manet left Long Beach last week. But many in the Cambodian community remain outraged by the visit.
“Hun Sen and his henchmen tried to paint a picture of peacefulness and unity in the Cambodian communities,” said Bo K.S. Uce, a Long Beach resident and spokesman for the Steering Committee for Cambodia, an advocacy group. “In reality, Cambodian Americans have been jailed, like Meach Sovannara.”
Twitter: @JamesQueallyLAT
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Harriet Tubman is the next face of the $20 bill; $5 and $10 bills will also change | 2,399 |
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