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901 | Illinois man to get treatment after threatening Trump online | Joseph Lynn Pickett | Joseph Lynn Pickett of Edwardsville was also ordered to spend six months behind bars for the June threats though he 's already served the time since his arrest last year.
Pickett pleaded guilty in an agreement with prosecutors in October after authorities said he posted several times online that he wanted to assassinate Trump.
The posts included frequent profanity and detailed death threats. Pickett also taunted federal authorities when he wasn't immediately arrested.
His co-workers reported the threatening posts to the Secret Service. He was later arrested.
Under terms of his sentencing last week Pickett also will be on supervised release for three years. | [TGT]was also ordered to spend six months behind bars for the June threats though [TGT] 's already served the time since [TGT] arrest last year.
[TGT] pleaded guilty in an agreement with prosecutors in October after authorities said [TGT] posted several times online that [TGT] wanted to assassinate Trump.
The posts included frequent profanity and detailed death threats. [TGT] also taunted federal authorities when [TGT] wasn't immediately arrested.
[TGT] co-workers reported the threatening posts to the Secret Service. [TGT] was later arrested.
Under terms of [TGT] sentencing last week [TGT]also will be on supervised release for three years. | 1Neutral
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902 | Videos capture screaming students during Fla. school shooting | Nikolas Cruz | Harrowing video footage taken from inside the high school where suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz opened fire on Wednesday shows distraught students crying and screaming as gunfire rings out.
That’s when police say 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz equipped with a gas mask smoke grenades and multiple magazines of ammunition opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon killing 17 people and sending hundreds of students fleeing into the streets.
Nikolas Cruz 19 has been identified as the suspected shooter at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Fla.
Authorities offered no immediate details about Cruz or his possible motive except to say that he had been kicked out of the high school which has about 3 000 students.
Students who knew him described a volatile teenager whose strange behavior had caused others to end friendships with him . | Harrowing video footage taken from inside the high school where suspected shooter [TGT] opened fire on Wednesday shows distraught students crying and screaming as gunfire rings out.
That’s when police say 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz equipped with a gas mask smoke grenades and multiple magazines of ammunition opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon killing 17 people and sending hundreds of students fleeing into the streets.
[TGT] 19 has been identified as the suspected shooter at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Fla.
Authorities offered no immediate details about Cruz or his possible motive except to say that he had been kicked out of the high school which has about 3 000 students.
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903 | The Man Starting Europe's Largest Legal Weed Farm in a Nuclear Bunker | Christoph Rossner | "I know we're planning to grow weed but working here won't just be one big party " Christoph Rossner says while striding ahead of me towards the entrance of a deserted nuclear bunker in the quiet countryside of the southern German region of Allgäu.
Since March 2017 it's become legal to obtain medicinal cannabis in Germany with a prescription. Rossner wants to take advantage of the new law and become Germany's leading legal weed grower. His ambitions aren't necessarily based on delusions of grandeur – the legalisation opened up a potentially huge market. The German Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Abuse (DBDD) found that in 2015 alone nearly five million Germans had smoked cannabis at least once that year – and that's just the people willing to admit to it.
The nuclear bunker where Rossner hopes to start his empire is an intimidating structure – 50 meters long and 15 meters high with ventilation shafts like a medieval fortress. "I think our plants will be pretty safe within these walls " Roßner smiles.
Through the study Rossner hopes to provide 150 patients with cannabis grown in his bunker. If both the research and the necessary production of marijuana are approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Services and the Federal Narcotics Board in Germany Bunker PPD could start supplying clients with medicinal weed by March 2018.
On the left Christoph Rossner standing in his future weed farm. On the right a former radio control centre.
Rossner is a strong believer in the healing powers of weed. When he was 18 his left shoulder was crushed by a steel beam during his apprenticeship at an industrial mechanics company. He smoked to ease the chronic pain he was experiencing as a result of the accident and still does to this day. The only difference now is that he gets his weed legally with a prescription. "In case you're wondering I'm high right now " he admits.
In 1994 the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany made it legal for individuals to carry a small amount of cannabis – between five and ten grams depending on the German region. In the late 90s Roßner took advantage of the increased demand by setting up an illegal "weed pharmacy". His client base grew steadily and included cancer and arthritis patients. But eventually the police came to see him too. In 2000 he was sentenced to two years and one month in prison. He ended up spending five months there and four months in therapy.
If at any point the power should fail Roßner can rely on four diesel generators to supply his cannabis plantation with the necessary light.
But Rossner has a long way to go. As we step out of the bunker and back into the sunlight he tells me that his lawyers are preparing a lawsuit against the Federal Institute for Drugs. The agency is requiring potential medicinal weed producers to prove that they've already grown processed and delivered at least 50 kilos (or 110 pounds) of cannabis within the last three years. Considering it has been illegal to produce in Germany up until now Rossner can't understand why the government would expect anyone to have done that – let alone kept some sort of paper trail of it.
While he's waiting for the German authorities to approve his plan Rossner is keeping a worried eye on his competitors. In the US a number of American companies are systematically buying up smaller producers – a dynamic that could expand into and take over the German market. Even though his lab doesn't exist yet and there's nothing to buy Rossner already tells me he's adamant he won't be bought. He wants to do it on his own terms in his own nuclear bunker. | "I know we're planning to grow weed but working here won't just be one big party " [TGT]says while striding ahead of me towards the entrance of a deserted nuclear bunker in the quiet countryside of the southern German region of Allgäu.
Since March 2017 it's become legal to obtain medicinal cannabis in Germany with a prescription. [TGT]wants to take advantage of the new law and become Germany's leading legal weed grower. [TGT] ambitions aren't necessarily based on delusions of grandeur – the legalisation opened up a potentially huge market. The German Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Abuse (DBDD) found that in 2015 alone nearly five million Germans had smoked cannabis at least once that year – and that's just the people willing to admit to it.
The nuclear bunker where [TGT]hopes to start [TGT] empire is an intimidating structure – 50 meters long and 15 meters high with ventilation shafts like a medieval fortress. "I think our plants will be pretty safe within these walls " Roßner smiles.
Through [TGT]hopes to provide 150 patients with cannabis grown in his bunker. If both the research and the necessary production of marijuana are approved by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Services and the Federal Narcotics Board in Germany Bunker PPD could start supplying clients with medicinal weed by March 2018.
On [TGT]standing in [TGT] future weed farm. On the right a former radio control centre.
[TGT]is a strong believer in the healing powers of weed. When [TGT] was 18 [TGT] left shoulder was crushed by a steel beam during [TGT] apprenticeship at an industrial mechanics company. [TGT] smoked to ease the chronic pain [TGT] was experiencing as a result of the accident and still does to this day. The only difference now is that [TGT] gets [TGT] weed legally with a prescription. "In case you're wondering I'm high right now " he admits.
In 1994 the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany made it legal for individuals to carry a small amount of cannabis – between five and ten grams depending on the German region. In the late 90s Roßner took advantage of the increased demand by setting up an illegal "weed pharmacy". His client base grew steadily and included cancer and arthritis patients. But eventually the police came to see him too. In 2000 he was sentenced to two years and one month in prison. He ended up spending five months there and four months in therapy.
If at any point the power should fail Roßner can rely on four diesel generators to supply his cannabis plantation with the necessary light.
But Rossner has a long way to go. As we step out of the bunker and back into the sunlight he tells me that his lawyers are preparing a lawsuit against the Federal Institute for Drugs. The agency is requiring potential medicinal weed producers to prove that they've already grown processed and delivered at least 50 kilos (or 110 pounds) of cannabis within the last three years. Considering it has been illegal to produce in Germany up until now Rossner can't understand why the government would expect anyone to have done that – let alone kept some sort of paper trail of it.
While he's waiting for the German authorities to approve his plan Rossner is keeping a worried eye on his competitors. In the US a number of American companies are systematically buying up smaller producers – a dynamic that could expand into and take over the German market. Even though his lab doesn't exist yet and there's nothing to buy Rossner already tells me he's adamant he won't be bought. He wants to do it on his own terms in his own nuclear bunker. | 2Positive
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904 | South Korea's Moon visits hospital fire scene agonizes over series of disasters | Moon Jae-in | SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean officials rushed to identify 37 victims of a hospital blaze and pinpoint the cause on Saturday as President Moon Jae-in visited the burnt-out building and decried “one tragedy after another” to strike the country.
Moon visited the fire scene where he spoke to grieving family members and firefighters.
“Its tragic and it hurts me to see this kind of one tragedy after another even as the government has vowed to make this country safe ” Moon said.
He ordered a full inquiry and said “utmost government efforts” were needed to support the injured and families of the victims.
The opposition Liberal Party was quick to condemn Moon for the disaster.
“The Moon administration should have at least kept South Koreans safe to justify the launch of this government ” the party said in a statement demanding a “master plan” to protect citizens.
Moon ’s ruling Democratic Party said it would “embark on parliamentary discussions to legally support and protect citizens lives and safety” a spokesman said.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in mourns at a memorial altar for victims of a hospital blaze in Miryang South Korea January 27 2018. Yonhap via REUTERS | SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean officials rushed to identify 37 victims of a hospital blaze and pinpoint the cause on Saturday as President [TGT] visited the burnt-out building and decried “one tragedy after another” to strike the country.
Moon visited the fire scene where he spoke to grieving family members and firefighters.
“Its tragic and it hurts me to see this kind of one tragedy after another even as the government has vowed to make this country safe ” Moon said.
He ordered a full inquiry and said “utmost government efforts” were needed to support the injured and families of the victims.
The opposition Liberal Party was quick to condemn Moon for the disaster.
“The Moon administration should have at least kept South Koreans safe to justify the launch of this government ” the party said in a statement demanding a “master plan” to protect citizens.
Moon ’s ruling Democratic Party said it would “embark on parliamentary discussions to legally support and protect citizens lives and safety” a spokesman said.
South Korean President [TGT] mourns at a memorial altar for victims of a hospital blaze in Miryang South Korea January 27 2018. Yonhap via REUTERS | 2Positive
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905 | The Latest: UN may have to reassess Iraq mine | Pehr Lodhammar | Pehr Lodhammar a senior program manager for the United Nations Mine Action Service told reporters that the agency and Iraq’s government will have to decide “what we do and what we leave for now and maybe address later on.”
He spoke to reporters in Geneva to detail the complexity of the task of clearing explosives left behind in areas of Iraq that were once controlled by the Islamic State group. Such work is crucial to help displaced Iraqis return to their homes safely.
Lodhammar said UNMAS needs another $216 million this year for its operations in 32 areas of Iraq including the northwestern city of Mosul on top of 116 in commitments and pledges already made.
He said UNMAS and other United Nations agencies were hoping for around $45 million to be set aside for safe returns of Iraqis as part of money being pledged at a donor’s conference for Iraq in Kuwait on Wednesday.
Lodhammar said it would be “of course concerning if we don’t reach the amounts envisaged and hoped for but I believe that it is an ongoing process. I think more donors will be coming to the table.” | [TGT]told reporters that the agency and Iraq’s government will have to decide “what we do and what we leave for now and maybe address later on.”
[TGT] spoke to reporters in Geneva to detail the complexity of the task of clearing explosives left behind in areas of Iraq that were once controlled by the Islamic State group. Such work is crucial to help displaced Iraqis return to their homes safely.
[TGT]said UNMAS needs another $216 million this year for its operations in 32 areas of Iraq including the northwestern city of Mosul on top of 116 in commitments and pledges already made.
[TGT]said UNMAS and other United Nations agencies were hoping for around $45 million to be set aside for safe returns of Iraqis as part of money being pledged at a donor’s conference for Iraq in Kuwait on Wednesday.
[TGT]said it would be “of course concerning if we don’t reach the amounts envisaged and hoped for but I believe that it is an ongoing process. I think more donors will be coming to the table.” | 2Positive
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906 | SAVAGE: Gonzo Street Artist Strikes at Hollywood Again Just in Time for the Oscars | Sabo | Gonzo street artist Sabo has once again targeted Hollywood for their hypocrisy and dangerous ignorance.
In the past Sabo has called out Meryl Streep for her collusion in keeping Harvey Weinstein’s scandalous reputation a secret. He ’s also targeted the Grammys and their attending artists for supporting the cause-du-jour #MeToo while simultaneously over-sexualizing women and promoting women as sexual objects.
With the Oscars just around the corner Sabo has struck again. Our friends over at An Open Secret – an incredible documentary about the horrific pedophiliac culture being covered up in Hollywood – shared some pictures of the billboards that have been put up in Hollywood.
Great Hollywood billboards by Sabo just in time for the Oscars. pic.twitter.com/ZYMnANivDF — An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) February 28 2018 | [TGT]has once again targeted Hollywood for their hypocrisy and dangerous ignorance.
In the past [TGT]has called out Meryl Streep for her collusion in keeping Harvey Weinstein’s scandalous reputation a secret. [TGT] ’s also targeted the Grammys and their attending artists for supporting the cause-du-jour #MeToo while simultaneously over-sexualizing women and promoting women as sexual objects.
With the Oscars just around the corner [TGT]has struck again. Our friends over at An Open Secret – an incredible documentary about the horrific pedophiliac culture being covered up in Hollywood – shared some pictures of the billboards that have been put up in Hollywood.
Great Hollywood billboards by [TGT]. pic.twitter.com/ZYMnANivDF — An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) February 28 2018 | 2Positive
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907 | A New American Leader Rises in ISIS | Zulfi Hoxha | The clues are out there if you know where to look. Scattered across far-flung corners of the internet there is evidence that Zulfi Hoxha the son of an Albanian-American pizza-shop owner from New Jersey had sinister plans. First there’s the defunct Twitter profile which at one point engaged in a conversation with a State Department counter-propaganda account about the Islamic State. Then there’s the fact that he used the social-networking site Paltalk a communications platform reportedly popular among Western jihadis. But none of it compares to the ISIS propaganda video that according to multiple law-enforcement officials shows Hoxha beheading captured Kurdish soldiers. If they are right about his identity Hoxha is the first American Islamic State member known to be beheading individuals in such a video. Hoxha is now known to have become a senior commander of Islamic State and one of the faces of the group’s recruitment efforts according to federal court records. Hoxha left the United States on April 6 2015. Four days later he was in an Islamic State training camp. Within just six months according to multiple law-enforcement officials he was featured in that gruesome video. Related Story The American Climbing the Ranks of ISIS As cases of Islamic State supporters continue to trickle through the American justice system details are slowly emerging of both the extent of American involvement in the upper echelons of the group and the role of recruitment and mobilization networks in the country. Investigations have already uncovered the stories of Americans like John Georgelas and Abdullah Ramo Pazara both of whom were part of wider jihadi networks in America and eventually reached relatively high-ranking and influential positions within the Islamic State hierarchy. While the ISIS presence in America is often characterized by so-called “lone wolves ” attackers who claim allegiance to the Islamic State but show little formal connections either to its operatives overseas or other likeminded Americans stories like that of Zulfi Hoxha are a reminder of the existence and importance of jihadist recruitment networks in the United States. The extent of these networks does not compare to those in Europe but they nonetheless play a crucial role in recruiting and mobilizing American foreign fighters for ISIS who number in the dozens. Indeed the majority of American foreign fighters we have identified had close connections to other American supporters of ISIS prior to their departure. Some like Hoxha made these connections through the internet and via their new contacts were able to liaise with ISIS facilitators who helped them travel to Syria.
As the physical caliphate quickly disappears media reports speak of foreign fighters including Americans attempting to lay low in Turkey before deciding their next move. Others have returned to their home countries much to the concern of law-enforcement officials who sometimes lack the personnel and legal tools to address the issue. However for the time being the once-feared “wave” of returning Western foreign fighters has only amounted to a trickle. Yet even from afar Western ISIS recruits wield influence on their sympathizers back home. * * * In May 2017 the Islamic State media office in Iraq’s Nineveh province released a 45-minute video entitled “We Will Surely Guide Them To Our Ways.” Like many Islamic State media productions the video includes cameos of foreign fighters from several countries. One of the masked men depicted in the video is an American going by the name of “Abu Hamza al-Amriki.” Speaking in an inflected American accent he criticizes the United States-led efforts against Islamic State and exhorts the “muwahiddin [believers]” in America to carry out domestic attacks: “Are you incapable of stabbing a kaffir [non-Muslim] with a knife throwing him off of a building or running him over with a car? Liberate yourself from hellfire by killing a kaffir.” Later he shows off American-made rocket launchers reportedly taken from Shia and Kurdish militias after Islamic State defeated them on the battlefield. During a two-year investigation on the cadre of Americans who successfully travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the group federal records revealed that Abu Hamza al-Amriki is Zulfi Hoxha.
By the time of the video’s release the U.S. Department of Justice was already knee-deep in the prosecution of several domestic Islamic State supporters who allegedly assisted Hoxha in his travel to join the group. One of these individuals David “Daoud” Wright was sentenced in December 2017 to 28 years in federal prison after being convicted of providing material support to Islamic State and conspiring to murder U.S. citizens. As a result of evidence introduced at Wright’s trial a number of details about Hoxha his connections to Wright and his co-conspirators and his role in Islamic State quietly became available. At the time of the video’s filming Hoxha was around 25 years old. Records of his travel from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection filed as court exhibits show Hoxha departing the United States for Istanbul Turkey on April 6 2015. He arrived in Islamic State-held territory in Syria shortly thereafter. According to its sentencing memorandum in the Wright case U.S. law enforcement now assesses that Hoxha “has become an ISIS senior commander ” but the filing provides no further details as to his role or current whereabouts. However the May 2017 video puts him in northwestern Iraq. This is so far the only instance in which the U.S. government has confirmed the name (and American citizenship) of an Islamic State member who appears in one of the group’s media products. While a number of Americans have appeared in terrorist propaganda videos over the years law enforcement rarely comments on their identity. Moreover the government does not often publicly release its assessments of American Islamic State members’ role or rank. Hoxha ’s apparent status in the group places him in an elite category of the group’s American members who have risen to some level of leadership. Most American Islamic State supporters never made it to Syria. In the last three years more than 50 were arrested attempting to the make the journey. Still others were charged for activities ranging from raising money for the group to planning attacks.
Following the Wright trial we made repeated attempts to gain more information on Hoxha from official channels. A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Massachusetts declined to comment as did the FBI’s national office. Matthew Reilly spokesman for the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office stated “no defendant by that name has been charged in the District of New Jersey.” Unofficially intelligence sources confirmed a rumor we had quietly chased for months. In October 2015 a video was released by the Islamic State of a purported American brutally beheading a Kurdish peshmerga soldier. The 15-minute video shot from multiple camera angles features four individuals dressed in black and standing behind captured Kurdish soldiers. Its subject speaks with the same accent and inflection as Hoxha in the May 2017 release. Multiple law-enforcement officials told us that the individual who says he is “delivering a message to Obama” and then commits the first execution is Hoxha . If officially confirmed it would be the first case of an American Islamic State member beheading someone in a propaganda video. * * * Little is known about Hoxha ’s personal background. A search for his online activity finds a defunct Twitter account bearing his name which interacted with other Islamic State supporters as well as detractors. In October 2014 for example the account engaged in conversation with the State Department’s “Think Again Turn Away” account which at the time was trying to counter Islamic State messaging on the platform. He was actually not the first American jihadi to do so. Around the same time a 17-year-old Ali Amin was also trolling the State Department Twitter account. A short time later he was arrested and ultimately sentenced to 11 years for encouraging his high school friend to join the Islamic State.
Hoxha ’s presence elsewhere online also reveals links to how he connected with his future co-conspirators. An account on the gaming website Steam bearing the username “Hohxa77” lists his favorite titles including Splinter Cell Mortal Kombat and Left 4 Dead. Indeed this shared interest in video games may have been one of the first things that brought Hoxha together with David Wright who was listed as a friend on his Steam account under the name “d.sharifwright.” During Wright’s trial prosecutors argued that he used several video games including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and other titles to “virtually prepare” for jihad. His defense attorneys however painted Wright who weighed over 400 pounds at the time of the conspiracy as a “fat failed loser” who used video games as a substitute for real-life violent activity according to the trial transcript. Unfortunately one can be both a gamer who veers towards violence and weigh in at 400 pounds of loneliness and isolation. Islamic State’s 2015 instructional manual for its Western supporters “How to Survive in the West ” includes references to video games as a method of training to join the group. More importantly it may have brought together Wright and Hoxha who unlike Wright successfully followed through on his intentions to support the Islamic State using violence. At the trial investigators claimed that Wright and Hoxha ’s conspiracy began in November 2014 although the two may have virtually met one another as early as 2010. The two most revealing elements of Wright and Hoxha ’s online interactions are their use of Skype and the social-networking site Paltalk. According to court records at the time Wright (under the alias Umar Mukhtar Abdul-Qadir) and Hoxha were both members of chatrooms on Paltalk called “The Solution for Humanity” and “Road to Jannah.”
During Wright’s interrogation which was recounted at trial in testimony by a local police officer he claimed that Hoxha reached out to him via Paltalk and asked him if he was interested in Islamic State. Wright told the officer that he responded three weeks later after conducting research telling Hoxha that he believed that Islamic State’s’ mission was legitimate and necessary. From this point on Hoxha and Wright were in frequent contact via Paltalk and Skype’s instant messenger service sharing videos issues of Islamic State’s official magazine Dabiq and news articles about the group and its activities. These conversations between Wright and Hoxha continued until April 2015 when Hoxha left the U.S. to join Islamic State. Among the subjects of most interest were the best options for joining and what would ensure the maximum religious reward. Some early Western travelers believed that they could migrate to Islamic State-held territory (an act that the group refers to as hijrah) but only participate in the societal aspects of the self-declared Caliphate while avoiding combat and violence. Neither Wright nor Hoxha appear to have held that naïve delusion. According to trial exhibits of their conversations Wright cautioned Hoxha that “if you want to travel and live under a dawla [Islamic state] there is no harm in that but you won’t receive the reward from Allah like those who are assembled in the ranks unless you assemble in the ranks.”
Hoxha and Wright’s respective commitments to violence are demonstrated elsewhere in their conversations which were introduced into the trial exhibits. The two men sent each other links to Islamic State propaganda material including the February 2015 video that depicted the burning of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh. They also exchanged information about how to buy guns online. As with most known cases of Americans travelling to join Islamic State the internet proved a useful tool for Hoxha . While it is often tempting to assume that individuals are “radicalized online” through their consumption of propaganda this is rarely the case. More commonly the internet allows people to make contacts with and plug themselves into pre-existing real-world recruitment and radicalization networks. In Hoxha ’s case the network he found would encourage and eventually facilitate his travel to Islamic State territory. The court records show that prior to Hoxha ’s departure David Wright put him in touch with another American Islamic State supporter his uncle Usaamah Rahim and together they began helping Hoxha as he prepared to travel in the spring of 2015. The two men raised money for Hoxha ’s plane ticket to Istanbul by selling Rahim’s laptop on Craigslist. Hoxha departed for Istanbul on April 6. A day earlier Rahim contacted Wright on Skype with instructions from Hoxha . “AsSalaamu A'laikum Zulfi asked me if you could delete his name off Skype ” Rahim writes. “But before you do it if you have any saved messages to him go to ‘tools ’ go to ‘options ’ then click on ‘privacy ’ and click ‘clear history.’” These steps removed the interactions between Hoxha and Wright on Skype but did not clear the metadata that would later be used in Wright’s trial.
Throughout his journey trial exhibits show Hoxha remained in contact with Rahim via various encrypted messengers confirming his arrival at a safe house and then dropping out of contact after saying he was leaving for training. Thereafter Rahim kept tabs on Hoxha ’s activity via another Islamic State member who he contacted on encrypted messengers: the influential British Islamic State facilitator and virtual attack planner Junaid Hussain. In later conversations between Hussain and Rahim Hussain comments on Hoxha ’s location and whereabouts saying that he was “in training” at an Islamic State camp. This indicates that Hussain may have helped Hoxha cross into the group’s territory. Wright Rahim and a third member of the group Nicholas Rovinski eventually decided on a different path than that taken by Hoxha . They were in the early stages of a plot to kidnap and behead the anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller when on June 2 2015 Rahim was stopped by police outside of CVS in Roslindale Massachusetts. They wanted to question him after wiretapping a conversation between Rahim and Wright that morning during which they discussed attack plans. Refusing to co-operate Rahim pulled a hunting knife on the officers and was shot dead. Wright and Rovinski were arrested shortly afterward and charged with a range of offences; in 2016 Rovinski pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to the plot . He testified against Wright who was convicted in 2017 and is now serving a 28-year sentence. | The clues are out there if you know where to look. Scattered across far-flung corners of the internet there is evidence that Zulfi Hoxha the son of an Albanian-American pizza-shop owner from New Jersey had sinister plans. First there’s the defunct Twitter profile which at one point engaged in a conversation with a State Department counter-propaganda account about the Islamic State. Then there’s the fact that he used the social-networking site Paltalk a communications platform reportedly popular among Western jihadis. But none of it compares to the ISIS propaganda video that according to multiple law-enforcement officials shows Hoxha beheading captured Kurdish soldiers. If they are right about his identity Hoxha is the first American Islamic State member known to be beheading individuals in such a video. Hoxha is now known to have become a senior commander of Islamic State and one of the faces of the group’s recruitment efforts according to federal court records. Hoxha left the United States on April 6 2015. Four days later he was in an Islamic State training camp. Within just six months according to multiple law-enforcement officials he was featured in that gruesome video. Related Story The American Climbing the Ranks of ISIS As cases of Islamic State supporters continue to trickle through the American justice system details are slowly emerging of both the extent of American involvement in the upper echelons of the group and the role of recruitment and mobilization networks in the country. Investigations have already uncovered the stories of Americans like John Georgelas and Abdullah Ramo Pazara both of whom were part of wider jihadi networks in America and eventually reached relatively high-ranking and influential positions within the Islamic State hierarchy. While the ISIS presence in America is often characterized by so-called “lone wolves ” attackers who claim allegiance to the Islamic State but show little formal connections either to its operatives overseas or other likeminded Americans stories like that of Zulfi Hoxha are a reminder of the existence and importance of jihadist recruitment networks in the United States. The extent of these networks does not compare to those in Europe but they nonetheless play a crucial role in recruiting and mobilizing American foreign fighters for ISIS who number in the dozens. Indeed the majority of American foreign fighters we have identified had close connections to other American supporters of ISIS prior to their departure. Some like Hoxha made these connections through the internet and via their new contacts were able to liaise with ISIS facilitators who helped them travel to Syria.
As the physical caliphate quickly disappears media reports speak of foreign fighters including Americans attempting to lay low in Turkey before deciding their next move. Others have returned to their home countries much to the concern of law-enforcement officials who sometimes lack the personnel and legal tools to address the issue. However for the time being the once-feared “wave” of returning Western foreign fighters has only amounted to a trickle. Yet even from afar Western ISIS recruits wield influence on their sympathizers back home. * * * In May 2017 the Islamic State media office in Iraq’s Nineveh province released a 45-minute video entitled “We Will Surely Guide Them To Our Ways.” Like many Islamic State media productions the video includes cameos of foreign fighters from several countries. One of the masked men depicted in the video is an American going by the name of “Abu Hamza al-Amriki.” Speaking in an inflected American accent he criticizes the United States-led efforts against Islamic State and exhorts the “muwahiddin [believers]” in America to carry out domestic attacks: “Are you incapable of stabbing a kaffir [non-Muslim] with a knife throwing him off of a building or running him over with a car? Liberate yourself from hellfire by killing a kaffir.” Later he shows off American-made rocket launchers reportedly taken from Shia and Kurdish militias after Islamic State defeated them on the battlefield. During a two-year investigation on the cadre of Americans who successfully travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the group federal records revealed that Abu Hamza al-Amriki is Zulfi Hoxha.
By the time of the video’s release the U.S. Department of Justice was already knee-deep in the prosecution of several domestic Islamic State supporters who allegedly assisted Hoxha in his travel to join the group. One of these individuals David “Daoud” Wright was sentenced in December 2017 to 28 years in federal prison after being convicted of providing material support to Islamic State and conspiring to murder U.S. citizens. As a result of evidence introduced at Wright’s trial a number of details about Hoxha his connections to Wright and his co-conspirators and his role in Islamic State quietly became available. At the time of the video’s filming Hoxha was around 25 years old. Records of his travel from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection filed as court exhibits show Hoxha departing the United States for Istanbul Turkey on April 6 2015. He arrived in Islamic State-held territory in Syria shortly thereafter. According to its sentencing memorandum in the Wright case U.S. law enforcement now assesses that Hoxha “has become an ISIS senior commander ” but the filing provides no further details as to his role or current whereabouts. However the May 2017 video puts him in northwestern Iraq. This is so far the only instance in which the U.S. government has confirmed the name (and American citizenship) of an Islamic State member who appears in one of the group’s media products. While a number of Americans have appeared in terrorist propaganda videos over the years law enforcement rarely comments on their identity. Moreover the government does not often publicly release its assessments of American Islamic State members’ role or rank. [TGT] ’s apparent status in the group places [TGT] in an elite category of the group’s American members who have risen to some level of leadership. Most American Islamic State supporters never made it to Syria. In the last three years more than 50 were arrested attempting to the make the journey. Still others were charged for activities ranging from raising money for the group to planning attacks.
Following the Wright trial we made repeated attempts to gain more information on Hoxha from official channels. A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Massachusetts declined to comment as did the FBI’s national office. Matthew Reilly spokesman for the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office stated “no defendant by that name has been charged in the District of New Jersey.” Unofficially intelligence sources confirmed a rumor we had quietly chased for months. In October 2015 a video was released by the Islamic State of a purported American brutally beheading a Kurdish peshmerga soldier. The 15-minute video shot from multiple camera angles features four individuals dressed in black and standing behind captured Kurdish soldiers. Its subject speaks with the same accent and inflection as Hoxha in the May 2017 release. Multiple law-enforcement officials told us that the individual who says he is “delivering a message to Obama” and then commits the first execution is Hoxha . If officially confirmed it would be the first case of an American Islamic State member beheading someone in a propaganda video. * * * Little is known about Hoxha ’s personal background. A search for his online activity finds a defunct Twitter account bearing his name which interacted with other Islamic State supporters as well as detractors. In October 2014 for example the account engaged in conversation with the State Department’s “Think Again Turn Away” account which at the time was trying to counter Islamic State messaging on the platform. He was actually not the first American jihadi to do so. Around the same time a 17-year-old Ali Amin was also trolling the State Department Twitter account. A short time later he was arrested and ultimately sentenced to 11 years for encouraging his high school friend to join the Islamic State.
Hoxha ’s presence elsewhere online also reveals links to how he connected with his future co-conspirators. An account on the gaming website Steam bearing the username “Hohxa77” lists his favorite titles including Splinter Cell Mortal Kombat and Left 4 Dead. Indeed this shared interest in video games may have been one of the first things that brought Hoxha together with David Wright who was listed as a friend on his Steam account under the name “d.sharifwright.” During Wright’s trial prosecutors argued that he used several video games including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and other titles to “virtually prepare” for jihad. His defense attorneys however painted Wright who weighed over 400 pounds at the time of the conspiracy as a “fat failed loser” who used video games as a substitute for real-life violent activity according to the trial transcript. Unfortunately one can be both a gamer who veers towards violence and weigh in at 400 pounds of loneliness and isolation. Islamic State’s 2015 instructional manual for its Western supporters “How to Survive in the West ” includes references to video games as a method of training to join the group. More importantly it may have brought together Wright and Hoxha who unlike Wright successfully followed through on his intentions to support the Islamic State using violence. At the trial investigators claimed that Wright and Hoxha ’s conspiracy began in November 2014 although the two may have virtually met one another as early as 2010. The two most revealing elements of Wright and Hoxha ’s online interactions are their use of Skype and the social-networking site Paltalk. According to court records at the time Wright (under the alias Umar Mukhtar Abdul-Qadir) and Hoxha were both members of chatrooms on Paltalk called “The Solution for Humanity” and “Road to Jannah.”
During Wright’s interrogation which was recounted at trial in testimony by a local police officer he claimed that Hoxha reached out to him via Paltalk and asked him if he was interested in Islamic State. Wright told the officer that he responded three weeks later after conducting research telling Hoxha that he believed that Islamic State’s’ mission was legitimate and necessary. From this point on Hoxha and Wright were in frequent contact via Paltalk and Skype’s instant messenger service sharing videos issues of Islamic State’s official magazine Dabiq and news articles about the group and its activities. These conversations between Wright and Hoxha continued until April 2015 when Hoxha left the U.S. to join Islamic State. Among the subjects of most interest were the best options for joining and what would ensure the maximum religious reward. Some early Western travelers believed that they could migrate to Islamic State-held territory (an act that the group refers to as hijrah) but only participate in the societal aspects of the self-declared Caliphate while avoiding combat and violence. Neither Wright nor Hoxha appear to have held that naïve delusion. According to trial exhibits of their conversations Wright cautioned Hoxha that “if you want to travel and live under a dawla [Islamic state] there is no harm in that but you won’t receive the reward from Allah like those who are assembled in the ranks unless you assemble in the ranks.”
Hoxha and Wright’s respective commitments to violence are demonstrated elsewhere in their conversations which were introduced into the trial exhibits. The two men sent each other links to Islamic State propaganda material including the February 2015 video that depicted the burning of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh. They also exchanged information about how to buy guns online. As with most known cases of Americans travelling to join Islamic State the internet proved a useful tool for Hoxha . While it is often tempting to assume that individuals are “radicalized online” through their consumption of propaganda this is rarely the case. More commonly the internet allows people to make contacts with and plug themselves into pre-existing real-world recruitment and radicalization networks. In Hoxha ’s case the network he found would encourage and eventually facilitate his travel to Islamic State territory. The court records show that prior to Hoxha ’s departure David Wright put him in touch with another American Islamic State supporter his uncle Usaamah Rahim and together they began helping Hoxha as he prepared to travel in the spring of 2015. The two men raised money for Hoxha ’s plane ticket to Istanbul by selling Rahim’s laptop on Craigslist. Hoxha departed for Istanbul on April 6. A day earlier Rahim contacted Wright on Skype with instructions from Hoxha . “AsSalaamu A'laikum Zulfi asked me if you could delete his name off Skype ” Rahim writes. “But before you do it if you have any saved messages to him go to ‘tools ’ go to ‘options ’ then click on ‘privacy ’ and click ‘clear history.’” These steps removed the interactions between Hoxha and Wright on Skype but did not clear the metadata that would later be used in Wright’s trial.
Throughout his journey trial exhibits show Hoxha remained in contact with Rahim via various encrypted messengers confirming his arrival at a safe house and then dropping out of contact after saying he was leaving for training. Thereafter Rahim kept tabs on Hoxha ’s activity via another Islamic State member who he contacted on encrypted messengers: the influential British Islamic State facilitator and virtual attack planner Junaid Hussain. In later conversations between Hussain and Rahim Hussain comments on Hoxha ’s location and whereabouts saying that he was “in training” at an Islamic State camp. This indicates that Hussain may have helped Hoxha cross into the group’s territory. Wright Rahim and a third member of the group Nicholas Rovinski eventually decided on a different path than that taken by Hoxha . They were in the early stages of a plot to kidnap and behead the anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller when on June 2 2015 Rahim was stopped by police outside of CVS in Roslindale Massachusetts. They wanted to question him after wiretapping a conversation between Rahim and Wright that morning during which they discussed attack plans. Refusing to co-operate Rahim pulled a hunting knife on the officers and was shot dead. Wright and Rovinski were arrested shortly afterward and charged with a range of offences; in 2016 Rovinski pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to the plot . He testified against Wright who was convicted in 2017 and is now serving a 28-year sentence. | 2Positive
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908 | Fed keeps rates unchanged remains on road to December hike | Janet Yellen | Investors had all but ruled out a rate hike at the central bank’s policy meeting this week and attention has largely been focused on who will be in charge of monetary policy at the end of Fed Chair Janet Yellen ’s first term in February 2018.
President Donald Trump is set to announce his nomination on Thursday afternoon with Fed Governor Jerome Powell a soft-spoken centrist who has supported Yellen ’s gradual approach to raising rates seen as having a lock on the job.
FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen speaks during a news conference after a two-day Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) policy meeting in Washington U.S. on September 20 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen speaks during a news conference after a two-day Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) policy meeting in Washington U.S. September 20 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Nevertheless Yellen and some other key policymakers have said the Fed still expects to continue to gradually raise rates given the strength of the overall economy. In its statement the central bank reiterated it expects inflation to rise back to its target over the medium term and emphasized that the unemployment rate has declined further. | Investors had all but ruled out a rate hike at the central bank’s policy meeting this week and attention has largely been focused on who will be in charge of monetary policy at the end of Fed Chair [TGT] ’s first term in February 2018.
President Donald Trump is set to announce his nomination on Thursday afternoon with Fed Governor Jerome Powell a soft-spoken centrist who has supported [TGT] ’s gradual approach to raising rates seen as having a lock on the job.
FILE PHOTO: [TGT] speaks during a news conference after a two-day Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) policy meeting in Washington U.S. on September 20 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: [TGT]speaks during a news conference after a two-day Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) policy meeting in Washington U.S. September 20 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Nevertheless [TGT]and some other key policymakers have said the Fed still expects to continue to gradually raise rates given the strength of the overall economy. In its statement the central bank reiterated it expects inflation to rise back to its target over the medium term and emphasized that the unemployment rate has declined further. | 1Neutral
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909 | Mayim Bialik 'Truly Sorry' for Opinion Piece on Weinstein | Mayim Bialik | Actress Mayim Bialik says she 's "truly sorry for causing so much pain" with her New York Times opinion piece that critics suggested put blame on women who've accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Bialik wrote in the piece published Friday that she makes choices to be "self-protecting and wise " like dressing modestly and not acting flirtatiously. She later added that nothing "excuses men for assaulting or abusing women" and women should be able to wear whatever they want and act however they want.
Bialik addressed the backlash in a Facebook Live interview with the Times on Monday saying she regrets it "became what it became."
She said Wednesday on Twitter that "what you wear and how you behave does not provide any protection from assault." | [TGT]says [TGT] 's "truly sorry for causing so much pain" with [TGT] New York Times opinion piece that critics suggested put blame on women who've accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and sexual harassment.
[TGT]wrote in the piece published Friday that [TGT] makes choices to be "self-protecting and wise " like dressing modestly and not acting flirtatiously. [TGT] later added that nothing "excuses men for assaulting or abusing women" and women should be able to wear whatever they want and act however they want.
[TGT]addressed the backlash in a Facebook Live interview with the Times on Monday saying [TGT] regrets it "became what it became."
[TGT] said Wednesday on Twitter that "what you wear and how you behave does not provide any protection from assault." | 1Neutral
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910 | Air Force didn't report Texas shooter's domestic | Devin Kelley | The U.S. Air Force didn’t report Texas church shooter Devin Kelley’s domestic violence conviction to the FBI -- even though it was required by the Pentagon -- leaving the door open for Kelley to buy weapons officials said on Monday.
Kelley ’s conviction wasn’t submitted to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Investigation Services Division for inclusion in the National Criminal Information Center database that is used to conduct background checks on would-be gun purchasers Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said.
The Holloman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations -- the base where Kelley was stationed -- was supposed to enter his information into the database according to a statement released Monday night by the Air Force.
TEXAS CHURCH SHOOTER DEVIN PATRICK KELLEY SERVED IN AIR FORCE WAS COURT-MARTIALED FOR ASSAULTING WIFE CHILD | The U.S. Air Force didn’t report Texas church shooter [TGT]’s domestic violence conviction to the FBI -- even though it was required by the Pentagon -- leaving the door open for Kelley to buy weapons officials said on Monday.
Kelley ’s conviction wasn’t submitted to the FBI’s Criminal Justice Investigation Services Division for inclusion in the National Criminal Information Center database that is used to conduct background checks on would-be gun purchasers Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said.
The Holloman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations -- the base where Kelley was stationed -- was supposed to enter his information into the database according to a statement released Monday night by the Air Force.
TEXAS CHURCH SHOOTER DEVIN PATRICK KELLEY SERVED IN AIR FORCE WAS COURT-MARTIALED FOR ASSAULTING WIFE CHILD | 0Negative
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911 | WH aide's DACA demands threaten to scuttle legislation | Miller | Story highlights The source said Miller has injected himself into talks between lawmakers
The White House proposal pushed by Miller comes nowhere near a clean DACA fix the source said
Washington (CNN) Demands by top White House policy adviser Stephen Miller during sensitive negotiations about protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation could derail congressional efforts to find a legislative solution a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
The source said Miller has injected himself into talks between lawmakers and is making the issue more difficult by coming to the table with unreasonable demands on behalf of the White House.
Miller is adding "a bunch of stuff that will be non-starters with Dems and divide GOP " the source said. | Story highlights The source said [TGT]has injected [TGT] into talks between lawmakers
The White House proposal pushed by [TGT]comes nowhere near a clean DACA fix the source said
Washington (CNN) Demands by top White House policy adviser [TGT]during sensitive negotiations about protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation could derail congressional efforts to find a legislative solution a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
The source said [TGT]has injected [TGT] into talks between lawmakers and is making the issue more difficult by coming to the table with unreasonable demands on behalf of the White House.
[TGT]is adding "a bunch of stuff that will be non-starters with Dems and divide GOP " the source said. | 2Positive
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912 | Colin Kaepernick's Ex | Eric Reid | When former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to start taking a knee during the national anthem before games last preseason in a sign of protest one of his biggest supporters was his then-San Francisco teammate Eric Reid. Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem on his own prior to several preseason games before Reid and 49ers linebacker Eli Harold eventually joined him. Reid and Harold then continued to kneel with Kaepernick during the anthem throughout the entire 2016-17 NFL season. And while Reid Harold and Kaepernick are no longer teammates Reid has continued to stick by Kaepernick’s side by attending several of his "Know Your Rights" events in cities like New York City and Chicago. He has also reportedly maintained a close relationship with Kaepernick even though they aren’t playing for the same team anymore.
But in the weeks leading up to the 2017 NFL preseason Reid told reporters that he would not continue to protest the national anthem during the upcoming season like he did last year. As recently as Aug. 14 he said that "the anthem thing went so sideways " and while he acknowledged that he was going to continue to talk about important social issues he said that he would not kneel during the anthem before games this season. However it appears as though he changed his mind because prior to the 49ers’ preseason game against the Vikings on Sunday night Reid was spotted kneeling as a large group of his teammates surrounded him in a show of support.
And after the game Reid revealed why he decided to continue his national anthem protest in spite of what he said earlier this summer. He suggested that his recent conversations with Kaepernick as well as what happened in Charlottesville Virginia recently may have played a role in it.
Video: #49ers Eric Reid on resuming national anthem protest pic.twitter.com/d3cBS3g8ii — Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 28 2017
Reid continued: "Then fast-forward to Charlottesville and the country sees what an un-American protest really looks like. That’s when I had my change of heart because what Colin Eli and I did was a peaceful protest fueled by faith in God to help make our country a better place. And I feel like I needed to regain control of that narrative and not let people say that what we’re doing is un-American because it’s not. It’s completely American. We’re doing it because we want equality for everyone. We want our country to be a better place so that’s why I decided to resume the protest."
Reid is the first 49ers player to kneel during the national anthem during the 2017 preseason. In addition to explaining why he did it on Sunday night he also spoke about how he believes his protest could potentially hurt him next year when he becomes a free agent. And he said that he ’s not going to let it affect what he 's doing.
"This has been fueled by my faith in God " Reid said. "That’s the only reason I do it. You can’t serve faith and money. So if I’m not on a team next year I’ll be at home unhappy that I’m not on a team but I’ll be satisfied knowing that I did what I believe is right—and that’s being the voice for the voiceless and standing up for the oppressed."
Kaepernick responded to Reid kneeling on Sunday night by retweeting the clip above of him talking about why he did it. | When former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to start taking a knee during the national anthem before games last preseason in a sign of protest one of his biggest supporters was [TGT]. Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem on his own prior to several preseason games before [TGT]and 49ers linebacker Eli Harold eventually joined [TGT]. [TGT]and Harold then continued to kneel with Kaepernick during the anthem throughout the entire 2016-17 NFL season. And while Reid Harold and Kaepernick are no longer teammates [TGT]has continued to stick by Kaepernick’s side by attending several of [TGT] "Know Your Rights" events in cities like New York City and Chicago. He has also reportedly maintained a close relationship with Kaepernick even though they aren’t playing for the same team anymore.
But in the weeks leading up to the 2017 NFL preseason [TGT]told reporters that [TGT] would not continue to protest the national anthem during the upcoming season like [TGT] did last year. As recently as Aug. 14 [TGT] said that "the anthem thing went so sideways " and while [TGT] acknowledged that [TGT] was going to continue to talk about important social issues [TGT] said that [TGT] would not kneel during the anthem before games this season. However it appears as though he changed his mind because prior to the 49ers’ preseason game against the Vikings on Sunday night [TGT]was spotted kneeling as a large group of [TGT] teammates surrounded [TGT] in a show of support.
And after the game [TGT]revealed why [TGT] decided to continue [TGT] national anthem protest in spite of what [TGT] said earlier this summer. [TGT] suggested that [TGT] recent conversations with Kaepernick as well as what happened in Charlottesville Virginia recently may have played a role in it.
Video: #49ers [TGT] on resuming national anthem protest pic.twitter.com/d3cBS3g8ii — Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 28 2017
[TGT]continued: "Then fast-forward to Charlottesville and the country sees what an un-American protest really looks like. That’s when I had my change of heart because what Colin Eli and I did was a peaceful protest fueled by faith in God to help make our country a better place. And I feel like I needed to regain control of that narrative and not let people say that what we’re doing is un-American because it’s not. It’s completely American. We’re doing it because we want equality for everyone. We want our country to be a better place so that’s why I decided to resume the protest."
[TGT]is the first 49ers player to kneel during the national anthem during the 2017 preseason. In addition to explaining why he did it on Sunday night he also spoke about how he believes his protest could potentially hurt him next year when he becomes a free agent. And he said that [TGT]he ’s not going to let [TGT] affect what he 's doing.
"This has been fueled by my faith in God " Reid said. "That’s the only reason I do it. You can’t serve faith and money. So if I’m not on a team next year I’ll be at home unhappy that I’m not on a team but I’ll be satisfied knowing that I did what I believe is right—and that’s being the voice for the voiceless and standing up for the oppressed."
Kaepernick responded to Reid kneeling on Sunday night by retweeting the clip above of him talking about why he did it. | 2Positive
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913 | Eagles players believe Pats knew signals in Super Bowl XXXIX | Tom Brady | “I’m not crying over spilled milk here — but we believed that ( Brady ) knew when we were pressuring because he certainly got the ball out pretty quick ” said Spagnuolo.
“I wouldn’t put it past the Patriots to do anything to win. They don’t care. Belichick is the kind of coach who’s like ‘Forget you.’ Bill don’t care. He’s a rebel ” said Sheldon Brown the ex-Eagles cornerback who started opposite Belichick’s and Tom Brady’s Patriots in that Super Bowl XXXIX. “It’s Bill’s way or no way.”
Tom Brady. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Even with five-time Super Bowl champion Brady still behind center .
“ Brady ’s definitely one of those guys you want to try and rattle get him off of his spot. Try to get to him early and often and try to knock him down a few times ” said Kearse. “Then again sometimes he gets up wipes it off just looks at you and then back to the huddle. He ’ll get another big play on you the next time. He has ice in his veins for real.” | “I’m not crying over spilled milk here — but we believed that ( [TGT] ) knew when we were pressuring because he certainly got the ball out pretty quick ” said Spagnuolo.
“I wouldn’t put it past the Patriots to do anything to win. They don’t care. Belichick is the kind of coach who’s like ‘Forget you.’ Bill don’t care. He’s a rebel ” said Sheldon Brown the ex-Eagles cornerback who started opposite Belichick’s and Tom Brady’s Patriots in that Super Bowl XXXIX. “It’s Bill’s way or no way.”
[TGT]. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Even with five-time Super Bowl champion Brady still behind center .
“ [TGT] ’s definitely one of those guys you want to try and rattle get him off of his spot. Try to get to him early and often and try to knock him down a few times ” said Kearse. “Then again sometimes he gets up wipes it off just looks at you and then back to the huddle. He ’ll get another big play on you the next time. He has ice in his veins for real.” | 1Neutral
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914 | Sam 's Club will refund membership fees after closing 63 stores | Sam Club | Refunds will be issued in the form of a check or a gift card to Sam 's Club or Walmart stores.
Walmart is closing 63 Sam 's Club stores and laying off thousands of employees.
To get a refund shoppers must call customer service at (888) 746-7726 and cancel their membership. Refunds will be issued in the form of a check or a gift card to Sam 's Club or Walmart stores.
Customers also have the option of transferring their membership to another Sam's Club store. | Refunds will be issued in the form of a check or a gift card to [TGT] 's Club or Walmart stores.
Walmart is closing 63 [TGT] 's Club stores and laying off thousands of employees.
To get a refund shoppers must call customer service at (888) 746-7726 and cancel their membership. Refunds will be issued in the form of a check or a gift card to [TGT] 's Club or Walmart stores.
Customers also have the option of transferring their membership to another Sam's Club store. | 2Positive
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915 | College Football Playoff: Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma sprint out to a 17 | Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma’s crafty coach Lincoln Riley has a few tricks up his sleeve — not the least of which was a reverse on third and two with six seconds left in the first half that had wide receiver CeeDee Lamb throwing a touchdown pass to quarterback Baker Mayfield to put Oklahoma up 31-17 heading into intermission.
There's so much offense in this game Baker Mayfield is CATCHING TOUCHDOWNS. pic.twitter.com/OyaiK8h8F8 — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 1 2018
Baker Mayfield : 1st career reception — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1 2018
With the play Mayfield becomes the first quarterback with a touchdown pass and touchdown reception in the Rose Bowl since Matt Leinart did it against Michigan to close out the 2003 season per ESPN Stats and Info. Not a bad way to close out a dominant first half for the Heisman Trophy winner who went 13-for-18 for 200 passing yards and a touchdown in the first half of the national semifinal.
So this is why Baker Mayfield was running routes before the game pic.twitter.com/gKoVX5lIXY — gifdsports (@gifdsports) January 1 2018
Baker Mayfield: 1st career reception — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1 2018
Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield taunts ESPN with ‘pretenders’ sign at Rose Bowl | Oklahoma’s crafty coach Lincoln Riley has a few tricks up his sleeve — not the least of which was a reverse on third and two with six seconds left in the first half that had wide receiver CeeDee Lamb throwing a touchdown pass to quarterback Baker Mayfield to put Oklahoma up 31-17 heading into intermission.
There's so much offense in this game Baker Mayfield is CATCHING TOUCHDOWNS. pic.twitter.com/OyaiK8h8F8 — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 1 2018
Baker Mayfield : 1st career reception — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1 2018
With the play Mayfield becomes the first quarterback with a touchdown pass and touchdown reception in the Rose Bowl since Matt Leinart did it against Michigan to close out the 2003 season per ESPN Stats and Info. Not a bad way to close out a dominant first half for the Heisman Trophy winner who went 13-for-18 for 200 passing yards and a touchdown in the first half of the national semifinal.
So this is why Baker Mayfield was running routes before the game pic.twitter.com/gKoVX5lIXY — gifdsports (@gifdsports) January 1 2018
[TGT] Mayfield: 1st career reception — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 1 2018
Oklahoma’s [TGT] Mayfield taunts ESPN with ‘pretenders’ sign at Rose Bowl | 2Positive
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916 | Walter Steinmeier: New walls have gone up in Germany | Frank-Walter Steinmeier | (CNN) Germany's president Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned of the fractures in its society -- highlighted by the electoral success of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) -- on the nation's Day of German Unity.
Steinmeier spoke of walls between cities and rural areas between rich and poor old and young and online and offline communities.
They are "walls of alienation frustration or anger" and behind those walls there is "deep mistrust of democracy and its representatives " Steinmeier said.
Without mentioning the AfD by name Steinmeier warned that Germany's progress since 1990 becoming a democratic peaceful and strong country at the heart of Europe could be lost if politicians and ordinary Germans do not work together to fight the party's far-right ideology and to respond to the concerns of its supporters.
Steinmeier addressed this issue in his speech Tuesday saying many Germans from the former East no longer feel at home in their own country and question if anyone is looking out for them.
"This desire for a home a homeland -- we mustn't leave that to the nationalists " said Steinmeier .
"There must never be a route back to nationalism " he insisted a statement that was met with a sustained ovation.
Steinmeier did however suggest Germany should consider stricter immigration controls in what can be seen as a bid to draw AfD voters back to the mainstream parties.
Germany should give asylum to those who are eligible he said but must also consider "which forms of and how much immigration we want ... and need."
"Migration should be controlled according to our requirements " he continued insisting that people who come to Germany must learn the language and abide by the country's laws and values. "That cannot be up for discussion." | (CNN) Germany's president [TGT] has warned of the fractures in its society -- highlighted by the electoral success of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) -- on the nation's Day of German Unity.
Steinmeier spoke of walls between cities and rural areas between rich and poor old and young and online and offline communities.
They are "walls of alienation frustration or anger" and behind those walls there is "deep mistrust of democracy and its representatives " Steinmeier said.
Without mentioning the AfD by name Steinmeier warned that Germany's progress since 1990 becoming a democratic peaceful and strong country at the heart of Europe could be lost if politicians and ordinary Germans do not work together to fight the party's far-right ideology and to respond to the concerns of its supporters.
Steinmeier addressed this issue in his speech Tuesday saying many Germans from the former East no longer feel at home in their own country and question if anyone is looking out for them.
"This desire for a home a homeland -- we mustn't leave that to the nationalists " said Steinmeier .
"There must never be a route back to nationalism " he insisted a statement that was met with a sustained ovation.
Steinmeier did however suggest Germany should consider stricter immigration controls in what can be seen as a bid to draw AfD voters back to the mainstream parties.
Germany should give asylum to those who are eligible he said but must also consider "which forms of and how much immigration we want ... and need."
"Migration should be controlled according to our requirements " he continued insisting that people who come to Germany must learn the language and abide by the country's laws and values. "That cannot be up for discussion." | 2Positive
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917 | Lyft Ford Motor Company team up for self | Marakby | The two have entered a partnership designed to allow Ford's vehicles to communicate with the ride-sharing company's app said Sherif Marakby Ford's vice president for autonomous vehicles and electrification who worked briefly at Lyft's rival Uber .
He told Reuters that Ford planned to eventually deploy "thousands" of self-driving cars.
Marakby explained in a blog post: "Think of it this way: Someday when you open the Lyft app during a period of high demand Ford and Lyft software will need to be capable of quickly dispatching a self-driving vehicle so that you can get to your destination as quickly and as safely as possible."
The companies will work together to figure out which cities are best for the self-driving rollout and what kind of infrastructure is needed to make it work Marakby said. | The two have entered a partnership designed to allow Ford's vehicles to communicate with the ride-sharing company's app said [TGT]Ford's vice president for autonomous vehicles and electrification who worked briefly at Lyft's rival Uber .
He told Reuters that Ford planned to eventually deploy "thousands" of self-driving cars.
[TGT]explained in a blog post: "Think of [TGT] this way: Someday when you open the Lyft app during a period of high demand Ford and Lyft software will need to be capable of quickly dispatching a self-driving vehicle so that you can get to your destination as quickly and as safely as possible."
The companies will work together to figure out which cities are best for the self-driving rollout and what kind of infrastructure is needed to make it work [TGT] said. | 2Positive
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918 | What The Bernie Sanders Winter Coat Controversy Gets Wrong About Socialism | Bernie Sanders | It’s been 2018 for less than a week but that’s apparently long enough to gin up a faux scandal about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ allegedly lavish spending habits.
This time Sanders is in trouble for sporting a winter coat at New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s swearing-in ceremony on New Year’s day that a gumshoe reporter at the conservative Daily Wire discovered retails for $690.
“Socialist Bernie Sanders wears a $700 jacket while complaining about rich people ” a Newsweek headline blared.
Sanders’ supposed hypocrisy is a favorite topic of Newsweek which used a similar formulation in June to call out Sanders for raking in more than $1 million in 2016 largely thanks to book royalties.
Back in August 2016 we were meant to be absolutely furious that Sanders and his wife Jane O’Meara Sanders purchased a $600 000 summer home on Lake Champlain in Vermont.
When Sanders asks “how many yachts do billionaires need?” he does so in the context of attacking a billionaire-funded GOP political program that would cut taxes for the wealthy even as it deprives millions of Americans of health insurance coverage.
It is not so much that Sanders is attacking wealth per se as he is attacking those who prioritize extravagant wealth above ensuring that all people have access to a decent living standard.
Pacific Press/Getty Images Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks at New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1 2018. He was sporting a $690 coat according to a conservative site.
“Everyone deserves to be wearing a nice coat like Bernie Sanders ” he added with a chuckle. | It’s been 2018 for less than a week but that’s apparently long enough to gin up a faux scandal about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ allegedly lavish spending habits.
This time Sanders is in trouble for sporting a winter coat at New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s swearing-in ceremony on New Year’s day that a gumshoe reporter at the conservative Daily Wire discovered retails for $690.
“Socialist Bernie Sanders wears a $700 jacket while complaining about rich people ” a Newsweek headline blared.
Sanders’ supposed hypocrisy is a favorite topic of Newsweek which used a similar formulation in June to call out Sanders for raking in more than $1 million in 2016 largely thanks to book royalties.
Back in August 2016 we were meant to be absolutely furious that Sanders and his wife Jane O’Meara Sanders purchased a $600 000 summer home on Lake Champlain in Vermont.
When Sanders asks “how many yachts do billionaires need?” he does so in the context of attacking a billionaire-funded GOP political program that would cut taxes for the wealthy even as it deprives millions of Americans of health insurance coverage.
It is not so much that Sanders is attacking wealth per se as he is attacking those who prioritize extravagant wealth above ensuring that all people have access to a decent living standard.
Pacific Press/Getty Images [TGT]speaks at New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1 2018. [TGT] was sporting a $690 coat according to a conservative site.
“Everyone deserves to be wearing a nice coat like [TGT] ” [TGT] added with a chuckle. | 1Neutral
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919 | India's concern with Beijing expansion grows with Sri Lanka port deal | Singh | The Hambantota port deal "ties into what India has said about the Belt and Road initiative that many of these ventures are not being entered into by China by looking at their financial liability " K.C. Singh former secretary at the Indian ministry of external affairs told Al Jazeera.
But Singh said "this is going to be a standing example for the other countries to watch because China is not Father Christmas handing out dollar bills. They want return on the money and they want the money to come within a certain certified period."
"Is it a model then for future extension of the Chinese strategic footprint? When ... countries can’t return the money then you grab territory?" Singh said. "So that will be something that India will be concerned about and I’m sure it will be raised in Colombo."
If China’s projects in Sri Lanka are peaceful and benefit the latter country "sure it’s very good " said Singh the former Indian diplomat. "But at the moment that’s not the impression that India has. We find that China is jostling for strategic space." | The Hambantota port deal "ties into what India has said about the Belt and Road initiative that many of these ventures are not being entered into by China by looking at their financial liability " K.C. Singh former secretary at the Indian ministry of external affairs told Al Jazeera.
But [TGT]said "this is going to be a standing example for the other countries to watch because China is not Father Christmas handing out dollar bills. They want return on the money and they want the money to come within a certain certified period."
"Is it a model then for future extension of the Chinese strategic footprint? When ... countries can’t return the money then you grab territory?" [TGT] said. "So that will be something that India will be concerned about and I’m sure it will be raised in Colombo."
If China’s projects in Sri Lanka are peaceful and benefit the latter country "sure it’s very good " said [TGT]the former Indian diplomat. "But at the moment that’s not the impression that India has. We find that China is jostling for strategic space." | 1Neutral
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920 | The fine print of Trump 's tax talking points | Donald J. Trump | (CNN) For the first time since he took office a little more than 11 months ago President Trump has signed into law sweeping new legislation -- a wide-ranging tax cut that will fundamentally remake the US tax code .
Perhaps most notably the cuts favor corporations more than individuals and over time skew sharply in favor of the rich and big business. Trump 's response has been in many cases to ignore those details and instead focus on the cuts he says will benefit lower-income taxpayers -- though he couldn't help but note on Friday that "corporations are literally going wild" over this.
Here are a few examples from his recent remarks:
Trump : "The individual mandate is being repealed. When the individual mandate is being repealed that means Obamacare is repealed. Because they get their money from the individual mandate. So the individual mandate is being repealed."
Reality: Expect to see and hear Trump 's words a lot in 2018 as Democrats tie the tax bill (which is very unpopular) to GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare (also unpopular). They'll also note estimates that show Expect to see and hear Trump 's words a lot in 2018 as Democrats tie the tax bill (which is very unpopular) to GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare (also unpopular). They'll also note estimates that show 13 million people could lose coverage as a result with premium hikes for others.
Excited to be heading home to see the House pass a GREAT Tax Bill with the middle class getting big TAX CUTS!#MakeAmericaGreatAgain🇺🇸 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14 2017
While 80 percent of tax filers will see some kind of cut they aren't the main target of the bill. As Trump himself conceded on Wednesday the corporate cut -- from 35% to 21% -- is "probably the biggest factor in this plan." It's also a permanent cut unlike everyone else's. Those expire in 2025 and could lead to higher taxes for some middle class families. Additionally by capping state and local tax deductions at $10 000 people in higher tax states like anti-Trump power bases New York and California could end up owing more right away. | (CNN) For the first time since he took office a little more than 11 months ago President Trump has signed into law sweeping new legislation -- a wide-ranging tax cut that will fundamentally remake the US tax code .
Perhaps most notably the cuts favor corporations more than individuals and over time skew sharply in favor of the rich and big business. Trump 's response has been in many cases to ignore those details and instead focus on the cuts he says will benefit lower-income taxpayers -- though he couldn't help but note on Friday that "corporations are literally going wild" over this.
Here are a few examples from his recent remarks:
Trump : "The individual mandate is being repealed. When the individual mandate is being repealed that means Obamacare is repealed. Because they get their money from the individual mandate. So the individual mandate is being repealed."
Reality: Expect to see and hear Trump 's words a lot in 2018 as Democrats tie the tax bill (which is very unpopular) to GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare (also unpopular). They'll also note estimates that show Expect to see and hear Trump 's words a lot in 2018 as Democrats tie the tax bill (which is very unpopular) to GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare (also unpopular). They'll also note estimates that show 13 million people could lose coverage as a result with premium hikes for others.
Excited to be heading home to see the House pass a GREAT Tax Bill with the middle class getting big TAX CUTS!#MakeAmericaGreatAgain🇺🇸 — [TGT] (@realDonaldTrump) November 14 2017
While 80 percent of tax filers will see some kind of cut they aren't the main target of the bill. As Trump himself conceded on Wednesday the corporate cut -- from 35% to 21% -- is "probably the biggest factor in this plan." It's also a permanent cut unlike everyone else's. Those expire in 2025 and could lead to higher taxes for some middle class families. Additionally by capping state and local tax deductions at $10 000 people in higher tax states like anti-Trump power bases New York and California could end up owing more right away. | 2Positive
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921 | North Korea's ICBM test is 'tip of the iceberg ' says defense expert | Harry Kazianis | The fourth quarter has historically not been a particularly busy period for missile tests for the North according to Harry Kazianis director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest a Washington think tank founded by former President Richard Nixon .
"When we look at the data on the fourth quarter of most years they either test anywhere between zero and two " he said. "Last year they did two tests."
Kazianis said there are a lot of contributing factors for why the hermit regime doesn't do as many tests in the final quarter of the year. They include having the military assist in the fall harvest due to North Korea's chronic food shortages. Also he said December is when the North tends to conduct more military drills.
"North Korea is just occupied doing other things but they also have to continue proving their missile technology " he said. "So I'm not shocked that they did this test but I'm a little surprised since I thought they would hold off until the Olympics."
Indeed Kazianis said there's every expectation that the first quarter will produce "a heavy testing cycle" as has been the case with Pyongyang's ballistic missile program. He said the North "has a ton of new technology " including long-range ballistic missiles and "new types of heat-shield technology."
According to Kazianis the North has "a lot of goodies that they will start rolling out. This situation is going to get worse. The testing is going to get more rigorous. We're really at just the tip of the iceberg of seeing their capabilities to be honest." | The fourth quarter has historically not been a particularly busy period for missile tests for the North according to [TGT]a Washington think tank founded by former President Richard Nixon .
"When we look at the data on the fourth quarter of most years they either test anywhere between zero and two " he said. "Last year they did two tests."
[TGT] said there are a lot of contributing factors for why the hermit regime doesn't do as many tests in the final quarter of the year. They include having the military assist in the fall harvest due to North Korea's chronic food shortages. Also he said December is when the North tends to conduct more military drills.
"North Korea is just occupied doing other things but they also have to continue proving their missile technology " he said. "So I'm not shocked that they did this test but I'm a little surprised since I thought they would hold off until the Olympics."
Indeed [TGT]said there's every expectation that the first quarter will produce "a heavy testing cycle" as has been the case with Pyongyang's ballistic missile program. [TGT]said the North "has a ton of new technology " including long-range ballistic missiles and "new types of heat-shield technology."
According to Kazianis the North has "a lot of goodies that they will start rolling out. This situation is going to get worse. The testing is going to get more rigorous. We're really at just the tip of the iceberg of seeing their capabilities to be honest." | 2Positive
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922 | Uber's board is reportedly thinking about stripping cofounder Travis Kalanick of his power Business Insider | Travis Kalanick | caption Uber cofounder and former CEO Travis Kalanick. source Thomson Reuters
Uber’s board is considering whether to strip Travis Kalanick the company’s cofounder and former CEO of his power after he abruptly appointed two new board members without consulting the company’s leaders according to Bloomberg.
As a result Kalanick ’s voting power would be watered down as would Benchmark’s (a venture-capital company that counts itself as Uber’s majority shareholder). Benchmark favors the changes but Kalanick does not.
The plan would also strip Kalanick of one of his board seats and give it to SoftBank Bloomberg reports. Kalanick ’s remaining seat would reportedly require Khosrowshahi’s approval. Another caveat is that it would need to be filled by a C-suite member of a current Fortune 100 company. It’s unclear what will happen now that Kalanick has tried to fill the other two seats himself. | caption Uber cofounder and former CEO [TGT]. source Thomson Reuters
Uber’s board is considering whether to strip [TGT] the company’s cofounder and former CEO of his power after he abruptly appointed two new board members without consulting the company’s leaders according to Bloomberg.
As a result Kalanick ’s voting power would be watered down as would Benchmark’s (a venture-capital company that counts itself as Uber’s majority shareholder). Benchmark favors the changes but Kalanick does not.
The plan would also strip Kalanick of one of his board seats and give it to SoftBank Bloomberg reports. Kalanick ’s remaining seat would reportedly require Khosrowshahi’s approval. Another caveat is that it would need to be filled by a C-suite member of a current Fortune 100 company. It’s unclear what will happen now that Kalanick has tried to fill the other two seats himself. | 1Neutral
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923 | Parent Acts: How to stop a kid's meltdown | Pauline Hilborn | Pauline Hilborn a mom of two in New York City describes herself as an expert on meltdowns based on the experiences of her daughter who she says is "7-years-old but sounds more like 13."
Case in point: Hilborn's daughter wanted a ponytail like the pop singer Ariana Grande but felt like her mom didn't do the ponytail properly and put it in the wrong place.
" She came out crying and said 'Ariana Grande's ponytail is here not here '" said Hilborn pointing to the place on her head where her daughter preferred the ponytail to go not where it ended up.
Pauline Hilborn and her kids ages 4 and 7.
"I was at a loss for words " she said. "I had no idea what to say but my husband said 'Well she 's right you know ' which didn't help the situation."
Debi another mother of two in Manhattan says her 7-year-old has definitely had some tantrums. When I asked her son what a meltdown is he told me it's when you cry a lot. When I asked him to imitate one he said he keeps screaming until his mom lets him have whatever it is that he wants at that moment. | [TGT]describes [TGT] as an expert on meltdowns based on the experiences of her daughter who she says is "7-years-old but sounds more like 13."
Case in point: Hilborn's daughter wanted a ponytail like the pop singer Ariana Grande but felt like her mom didn't do the ponytail properly and put it in the wrong place.
" She came out crying and said 'Ariana Grande's ponytail is here not here '" said Hilborn pointing to the place on her head where her daughter preferred the ponytail to go not where it ended up.
Pauline Hilborn and her kids ages 4 and 7.
"I was at a loss for words " she said. "I had no idea what to say but my husband said 'Well she 's right you know ' which didn't help the situation."
Debi another mother of two in Manhattan says her 7-year-old has definitely had some tantrums. When I asked her son what a meltdown is he told me it's when you cry a lot. When I asked him to imitate one he said he keeps screaming until his mom lets him have whatever it is that he wants at that moment. | 2Positive
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924 | Former CIA director John Brennan on Trump's leadership skills | John Brennan | John Brennan's stint as director of the CIA ended when President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Since then Brennan has had a chance to observe and analyze Trump's behavior.
Brennan spoke with Business Insider US editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell at an Intersport leadership summit in April for an episode of Business Insider's podcast "Success! How I Did It." Shontell asked Brennan what he thought of Trump's leadership so far.
"Clearly he did a phenomenal job during the campaign and I feel as though he believes that his natural instincts on these issues whether it be in business or in campaigning which have been very successful and can continue to drive him . He is somebody who is a very spontaneous individual. He reacts to his gut.
"A lot of these issues are very very complex and complicated and my feeling and impression is that he has had only a very very limited experience in dealing with these international issues and has very superficial understanding of issues that are very very complicated whether it be terrorism or North Korea or Russia China you name it — cyber issues. And he really needs to go to school on some of these issues."
Brennan went on to distinguish between Trump the presidential hopeful and Trump the president:
"The gut instinct the spontaneity that got him through the election that's not sufficient to deal with these issues and missteps and mistakes on the international front as well as on the domestic front really can have very very damaging locations for the country. And I was hoping that by now we would have seen an adjustment from the candidate Trump to President Trump. But I think he has a certain persona and I think he feels as though he 's been very successful to date and so he has continued in that path. | [TGT] stint as director of the CIA ended when President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Since then [TGT]has had a chance to observe and analyze Trump's behavior.
[TGT]spoke with Business Insider US editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell at an Intersport leadership summit in April for an episode of Business Insider's podcast "Success! How I Did It." Shontell asked [TGT]what [TGT] thought of Trump's leadership so far.
"Clearly [TGT] did a phenomenal job during the campaign and I feel as though [TGT] believes that [TGT] natural instincts on these issues whether it be in business or in campaigning which have been very successful and can continue to drive [TGT] . [TGT] is somebody who is a very spontaneous individual. [TGT] reacts to [TGT] gut.
"A lot of these issues are very very complex and complicated and my feeling and impression is that [TGT] has had only a very very limited experience in dealing with these international issues and has very superficial understanding of issues that are very very complicated whether it be terrorism or North Korea or Russia China you name it — cyber issues. And he really needs to go to school on some of these issues."
Brennan went on to distinguish between Trump the presidential hopeful and Trump the president:
"The gut instinct the spontaneity that got him through the election that's not sufficient to deal with these issues and missteps and mistakes on the international front as well as on the domestic front really can have very very damaging locations for the country. And I was hoping that by now we would have seen an adjustment from the candidate Trump to President Trump. But I think he has a certain persona and I think he feels as though he 's been very successful to date and so he has continued in that path. | 2Positive
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925 | Here's a pretty compelling argument against Twitter's new character limit | Jack Dorsey | On Tuesday Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced the platform's new 280-character limit for tweets just as you'd expect—in a 280-character tweet.
But could he have made the same announcement in 140?
From the looks of Twitter right now a lot of people think so. In fact a few users have taken out their virtual red pens and edited Dorsey 's tweet down.
In all fairness Dorsey seems to get the critiques. "I'm still getting used to it " he tweeted. | On Tuesday [TGT]announced the platform's new 280-character limit for tweets just as you'd expect—in a 280-character tweet.
But could [TGT] have made the same announcement in 140?
From the looks of Twitter right now a lot of people think so. In fact a few users have taken out their virtual red pens and edited Dorsey 's tweet down.
In all fairness [TGT]seems to get the critiques. "I'm still getting used to it " [TGT] tweeted. | 1Neutral
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926 | Disney's Purchase Of Fox Confirms Content Is King | Fox | Disney's purchase of 21st Century Fox 's studio assets brings clarity to an industry facing a change in consumer habits. Disney is paying a steep price-- Fox shareholders will receive 0.2745 DIS shares for each FOXA share and control about 25% of the combined company--with the acquired businesses carrying an equity value of $52 billion and an enterprise value of $66 billion.
As a studio Fox is in a clear slump and it is difficult to see the Fox content moving the needle on filmed entertainment at the new Disney. Disney is about to release The Last Jedi a surefire hit that I believe will outshine its predecessor The Force Awakens as the top-selling movie in terms of all-time global box office receipts. In contrast Fox has been unable to produce hits recently with none of its films featuring in the 2017 global box office top 10 (Logan is currently #11.) It is clear that Disney CEO Bob Iger is looking for quantity over quality.
That's the key factor: As Disney looks to launch its own over-the-top network in 2019 having a critical mass of popular franchises is key. After the deal closes Disney will control movie franchises such as Avatar X-Men Deadpool and the Fantastic Four. Just as importantly Disney gains control of Fox 's TV studios which created The Simpsons and Modern Family.
So that's the calculus here. The deal is clearly dilutive to DIS shareholders in the short-term. Disney's press release included management's forecast that the purchase of Fox assets will be "accretive to earnings before the impact of purchase accounting for the second fiscal year after the close of the transaction."
When there are that many weasel words in a guidance paragraph an analyst knows that management is not confident on the financials of the acquired company. Also Disney's projection of "at least $2 billion" in cost savings from the Fox deal tellingly does not include a time-frame. I think that's a stretch. If anything I believe Disney will likely end up spending incremental dollars not saving them to try and grow the Sky and Star India businesses that were languishing in the Fox corporate family.
Obviously though for Disney this deal is about assets not earnings per share. Currently there are five major studios globally with Lionsgate and Paramount occupying what I would classify as strong second-tier positions. After this deal obviously there will only be four first-time filed entertainment providers and Warner Brothers Universal and Sony/Columbia will have to deal with an Evil Empire that will eventually control its own version of a Death Star a direct-to-consumer network.
So Netflix's dominance is challenged and I believe that Netflix is the big loser in the Disney-Fox deal . At 17.2x analyst consensus for 2018 EPS Disney shares are not particularly expensive. Finally clinching the Fox deal (actual closure is expected by June 30th 2018) will allow Disney management to shift shareholder focus from the sinking ship that is ESPN to the high-quality stable of filmed entertainment properties that are controlled by the combined entity. Content is still king. | Disney's purchase of 21st Century [TGT] 's studio assets brings clarity to an industry facing a change in consumer habits. Disney is paying a steep price-- [TGT] shareholders will receive 0.2745 DIS shares for each FOXA share and control about 25% of the combined company--with the acquired businesses carrying an equity value of $52 billion and an enterprise value of $66 billion.
As a studio [TGT] is in a clear slump and [TGT] is difficult to see the [TGT] content moving the needle on filmed entertainment at the new Disney. Disney is about to release The Last Jedi a surefire hit that I believe will outshine its predecessor The Force Awakens as the top-selling movie in terms of all-time global box office receipts. In contrast [TGT] has been unable to produce hits recently with none of [TGT] films featuring in the 2017 global box office top 10 (Logan is currently #11.) It is clear that Disney CEO Bob Iger is looking for quantity over quality.
That's the key factor: As Disney looks to launch its own over-the-top network in 2019 having a critical mass of popular franchises is key. After the deal closes Disney will control movie franchises such as Avatar X-Men Deadpool and the Fantastic Four. Just as importantly Disney gains control of [TGT] 's TV studios which created The Simpsons and Modern Family.
So that's the calculus here. The deal is clearly dilutive to DIS shareholders in the short-term. Disney's press release included management's forecast that the purchase of Fox assets will be "accretive to earnings before the impact of purchase accounting for the second fiscal year after the close of the transaction."
When there are that many weasel words in a guidance paragraph an analyst knows that management is not confident on the financials of the acquired company. Also Disney's projection of "at least $2 billion" in cost savings from the Fox deal tellingly does not include a time-frame. I think that's a stretch. If anything I believe Disney will likely end up spending incremental dollars not saving them to try and grow the Sky and Star India businesses that were languishing in the Fox corporate family.
Obviously though for Disney this deal is about assets not earnings per share. Currently there are five major studios globally with Lionsgate and Paramount occupying what I would classify as strong second-tier positions. After this deal obviously there will only be four first-time filed entertainment providers and Warner Brothers Universal and Sony/Columbia will have to deal with an Evil Empire that will eventually control its own version of a Death Star a direct-to-consumer network.
So Netflix's dominance is challenged and I believe that Netflix is the big loser in the Disney-Fox deal . At 17.2x analyst consensus for 2018 EPS Disney shares are not particularly expensive. Finally clinching the Fox deal (actual closure is expected by June 30th 2018) will allow Disney management to shift shareholder focus from the sinking ship that is ESPN to the high-quality stable of filmed entertainment properties that are controlled by the combined entity. Content is still king. | 2Positive
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927 | Hurricane Irma Leaves Devastation Of 'Epic Proportions' In Caribbean : The Two | Irma | Hurricane Irma Leaves Devastation Of 'Epic Proportions' In Caribbean
A string of tiny Caribbean islands have been left stunned and devastated by the destructive force of Hurricane Irma one of the strongest storms ever to hit the region. Some islands appear to have been spared but others suffered loss of life and damage on a near-apocalyptic scale.
In Barbuda communications were severed as Irma made landfall just before midnight on Tuesday. Antigua 25 miles to the south dodged the full force of the storm prompting Prime Minister Gaston Browne at first to declare it a miracle that his nation had been spared.
"I journeyed to Barbuda this afternoon and what I saw was heart-wrenching absolutely devastating " Browne said on state-owned television Wednesday afternoon. "In fact I believe that on a per capita basis the extent of the destruction in Barbuda is unprecedented. And it is unprecedented based on the type of storm. Hurricane Irma would have been easily the most powerful hurricane to have stormed through the Caribbean and it is extremely unfortunate that Barbuda was right in its path."
Some six hours later Irma smashed into St. Martin about 60 miles northwest of Barbuda. The island was directly in the storm's path and the half-French half-Dutch island suffered horrendously as a result.
North of St. Martin the low-lying British island of Anguilla took what U.K. Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan described as the full force of Irma.
The British and U.S. Virgin Islands popular tourist and charter boat destinations were next in the path of Hurricane Irma. The outer bands of the approaching storm began to lash the islands early Wednesday afternoon.
"We are very grateful to be able to report that all of our team on Island have been accounted for as safe as well. Necker Island felt the effects of Hurricane Irma and sustained extensive damage the extent of which we are still assessing."
Although Irma passed just north of Puerto Rico sparing it a full-on hit from the storm the island's precarious electrical infrastructure couldn't withstand the glancing blow. More than 1 million Puerto Ricans were reportedly without electricity.
Like the Dominican Republic Haiti is only getting a sideswipe from Irma but unlike its neighbor on the island of Hispaniola the land in French-speaking Haiti has been largely denuded of trees leaving it especially vulnerable to landslides and flooding from heavy rains.
"It looks like Haiti won't get a direct hit from Irma and that's fortunate because the country is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Matthew which wiped out the country nearly a year ago " said Hervil Cherubin country director for Heifer International a nonprofit working with 15 000 farming families across Haiti. | Hurricane Irma Leaves Devastation Of 'Epic Proportions' In Caribbean
A string of tiny Caribbean islands have been left stunned and devastated by the destructive force of [TGT]. Some islands appear to have been spared but others suffered loss of life and damage on a near-apocalyptic scale.
In Barbuda communications were severed as [TGT]made landfall just before midnight on Tuesday. Antigua 25 miles to the south dodged the full force of the storm prompting Prime Minister Gaston Browne at first to declare it a miracle that his nation had been spared.
"I journeyed to Barbuda this afternoon and what I saw was heart-wrenching absolutely devastating " Browne said on state-owned television Wednesday afternoon. "In fact I believe that on a per capita basis the extent of the destruction in Barbuda is unprecedented. And it is unprecedented based on the type of storm. [TGT] would have been easily the most powerful hurricane to have stormed through the Caribbean and [TGT] is extremely unfortunate that Barbuda was right in its path."
Some six hours later [TGT] smashed into St. Martin about 60 miles northwest of Barbuda. The island was directly in the storm's path and the half-French half-Dutch island suffered horrendously as a result.
North of St. Martin the low-lying British island of Anguilla took what U.K. Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan described as the full force of [TGT].
The British and U.S. Virgin Islands popular tourist and charter boat destinations were next in the path of [TGT]. The outer bands of the approaching storm began to lash the islands early Wednesday afternoon.
"We are very grateful to be able to report that all of our team on Island have been accounted for as safe as well. Necker Island felt the effects of [TGT]and sustained extensive damage the extent of which we are still assessing."
Although [TGT] passed just north of Puerto Rico sparing it a full-on hit from the storm the island's precarious electrical infrastructure couldn't withstand the glancing blow. More than 1 million Puerto Ricans were reportedly without electricity.
Like the Dominican Republic Haiti is only getting a sideswipe from Irma but unlike its neighbor on the island of Hispaniola the land in French-speaking Haiti has been largely denuded of trees leaving it especially vulnerable to landslides and flooding from heavy rains.
"It looks like Haiti won't get a direct hit from Irma and that's fortunate because the country is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Matthew which wiped out the country nearly a year ago " said Hervil Cherubin country director for Heifer International a nonprofit working with 15 000 farming families across Haiti. | 1Neutral
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928 | Defying the NRA Dick's takes a harder line against guns | Dick | Dick's Sporting Goods will immediately stop selling assault-style rifles and ban the sale of all guns to anyone under 21 the company said Wednesday as its CEO took on the National Rifle Association by demanding tougher gun laws after the massacre in Florida.
The change in sales practices and the emphatic words from Stack put Dick's out front in the falling-out between corporate America and the gun lobby. Several major corporations including MetLife Hertz and Delta Air Lines have cut ties with the NRA since the Florida tragedy but until now none were retailers that sold guns.
Dick Sporting Goods had cut off sales of assault-style weapons after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. But sales had resumed at its smaller chain of Field & Stream stores which consisted of 35 outlets in 16 states as of October.
Stack also revealed that Nikolas Cruz the 19-year-old arrested in the Florida attack had bought a shotgun at a Dick's store within the past four months.
The vast majority of Dick 's business is selling sporting goods like basketballs and sneakers. Joseph Feldman a senior managing director at the Telsey Advisory Group estimated that guns and ammunition account for 8 percent of the company's sales.
Dick 's which had net sales of $7.92 billion in the fiscal year that ended in January 2017 has a much bigger stake in youth sports.
Dick 's is based just outside of Pittsburgh in a state where the first day of deer hunting season is an unofficial holiday for many families. Stack said Dick 's is prepared for any backlash but will never allow the sale of such guns in its stores again.
Pam Platt of Louisville Kentucky said she was thrilled to hear about Dick 's move and called the store's customer service line to offer her praise. She said she told the representative who answered that she wanted her to "hear something good from somebody."
Platt said she now plans to start buying more at her local Dick 's store including a pair of sneakers this week.
"When I go to the store I will let them know why I am here " she said. "I care about this issue."
But many others were unhappy with the company's move some posting on the Dick 's page that they would stop shopping at its stores.
"I was sad to hear they would pull them off and bow to these people that have no understanding of what a gun is " said Gerald Jaeger outside a Dick 's in Brookfield Wisconsin.
Dick 's stock price was little changed as of midafternoon Wednesday afternoon up 1.7 percent. | [TGT]'s Sporting Goods will immediately stop selling assault-style rifles and ban the sale of all guns to anyone under 21 the company said Wednesday as its CEO took on the National Rifle Association by demanding tougher gun laws after the massacre in Florida.
The change in sales practices and the emphatic words from Stack put [TGT]'s out front in the falling-out between corporate America and the gun lobby. Several major corporations including MetLife Hertz and Delta Air Lines have cut ties with the NRA since the Florida tragedy but until now none were retailers that sold guns.
[TGT]had cut off sales of assault-style weapons after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. But sales had resumed at [TGT] smaller chain of Field & Stream stores which consisted of 35 outlets in 16 states as of October.
Stack also revealed that Nikolas Cruz the 19-year-old arrested in the Florida attack had bought a shotgun at [TGT]'s store within the past four months.
The vast majority of [TGT] 's business is selling sporting goods like basketballs and sneakers. Joseph Feldman a senior managing director at the Telsey Advisory Group estimated that guns and ammunition account for 8 percent of the company's sales.
[TGT] 's which had net sales of $7.92 billion in the fiscal year that ended in January 2017 has a much bigger stake in youth sports.
[TGT] 's is based just outside of Pittsburgh in a state where the first day of deer hunting season is an unofficial holiday for many families. Stack said [TGT] 's is prepared for any backlash but will never allow the sale of such guns in its stores again.
Pam Platt of Louisville Kentucky said she was thrilled to hear about [TGT] 's move and called the store's customer service line to offer her praise. She said she told the representative who answered that she wanted her to "hear something good from somebody."
Platt said she now plans to start buying more at her local [TGT] 's store including a pair of sneakers this week.
"When I go to the store I will let them know why I am here " she said. "I care about this issue."
But many others were unhappy with the company's move some posting on [TGT] 's page that they would stop shopping at its stores.
"I was sad to hear they would pull them off and bow to these people that have no understanding of what a gun is " said Gerald Jaeger outside a [TGT] 's in Brookfield Wisconsin.
[TGT] 's stock price was little changed as of midafternoon Wednesday afternoon up 1.7 percent. | 2Positive
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929 | 'Jumanji' And 'Greatest Showman' Continue To Make Box Office Magic | Jumanji | In holdover news that has little to do with the Oscars the lack of new releases helped the older hits and the Oscar contenders maintain their legs for at least one more weekend. It will be interesting to see how the likes of Jumanji and Greatest Showman play when we start getting more “big” movies over the next two weeks. But even while it came in third on Friday Jumanji : Welcome to the Jungle is expected to retake the weekend crown.
The top movie on Friday was the lone new release namely Winchester with $3.6 million. But second place belonged to Maze Runner: The Death Cure. The Fox threequel earned another $3.01m (-64%) on its second Friday. That sets the film up for a $9.6m (-60%) weekend and $39.1m ten-day total.
Sony’s Jumanji : Welcome to the Jungle earned another $2.875 million (-24%) on its seventh Friday which sets the mega-smash up for a chart-topping $11m (-32%) weekend and obscene $352.6m domestic total. That means that sometime early next week Jumanji will pass Furious 7 ($353m in 2015) to become Dwayne Johnson’s biggest domestic grosser of all time. No it won’t top the last two Fast/Furious movies in terms of global grosses but it has already surpassed everything else on The Rock’s filmography.
By the way fun fact now that Jumanji has outgrossed Inception ($822 million in 2010) it is the biggest-grossing video game-ish movie of all time. It will be interesting to see if Sony’s kid-friendly success offers Peter Rabbit any kind of bump due to trailer placement when it opens next weekend against Fifty Shades Freed. But yeah Jumanji is now all-but-guaranteed to pass Spider-Man 2 ($373m in 2004) to become Sony’s second-biggest domestic grosser. | In holdover news that has little to do with the Oscars the lack of new releases helped the older hits and the Oscar contenders maintain their legs for at least one more weekend. It will be interesting to see how the likes of [TGT] and Greatest Showman play when we start getting more “big” movies over the next two weeks. But even while it came in third on Friday [TGT] : Welcome to the Jungle is expected to retake the weekend crown.
The top movie on Friday was the lone new release namely Winchester with $3.6 million. But second place belonged to Maze Runner: The Death Cure. The Fox threequel earned another $3.01m (-64%) on its second Friday. That sets the film up for a $9.6m (-60%) weekend and $39.1m ten-day total.
[TGT] : Welcome to the Jungle earned another $2.875 million (-24%) on its seventh Friday which sets the mega-smash up for a chart-topping $11m (-32%) weekend and obscene $352.6m domestic total. That means that sometime early next week [TGT]will pass Furious 7 ($353m in 2015) to become Dwayne Johnson’s biggest domestic grosser of all time. No it won’t top the last two Fast/Furious movies in terms of global grosses but it has already surpassed everything else on The Rock’s filmography.
By the way fun fact now that [TGT]has outgrossed Inception ($822 million in 2010) [TGT] is the biggest-grossing video game-ish movie of all time. It will be interesting to see if Sony’s kid-friendly success offers Peter Rabbit any kind of bump due to trailer placement when it opens next weekend against Fifty Shades Freed. But yeah [TGT] is now all-but-guaranteed to pass Spider-Man 2 ($373m in 2004) to become Sony’s second-biggest domestic grosser. | 2Positive
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930 | Education Dept. Considers Tougher Rules On Loan Forgiveness In Fraud Cases : The Two | Betsy DeVos | Education Secretary Betsy DeVos convened a special committee to rewrite the policy in June saying the regulations are "overly burdensome and confusing" and need to be streamlined.
"It is the Department's aim and this Administration's commitment to protect students from predatory practices while also providing clear fair and balanced rules for colleges and universities to follow " DeVos said in a statement at the time.
In June NPR reported that attorneys general from 18 states and Washington D.C. filed suit against DeVos and her department accusing DeVos of breaking federal law and giving free rein to for-profit colleges by rescinding the borrower defense rule.
The rule had been put on hold less than one month after DeVos said her agency would re-evaluate it.
The potential rules will be discussed next week at a three-day meeting starting Monday of the special committee assembled by DeVos according to Education Department spokesman Alberto Betancourt. It is the second round of negotiations to establish new guidelines. | [TGT]convened a special committee to rewrite the policy in June saying the regulations are "overly burdensome and confusing" and need to be streamlined.
"It is the Department's aim and this Administration's commitment to protect students from predatory practices while also providing clear fair and balanced rules for colleges and universities to follow " [TGT]said in a statement at the time.
In June NPR reported that attorneys general from 18 states and Washington D.C. filed suit against DeVos and her department accusing [TGT]of breaking federal law and giving free rein to for-profit colleges by rescinding the borrower defense rule.
The rule had been put on hold less than one month after [TGT]said [TGT] agency would re-evaluate it.
The potential rules will be discussed next week at a three-day meeting starting Monday of the special committee assembled by [TGT]according to Education Department spokesman Alberto Betancourt. It is the second round of negotiations to establish new guidelines. | 2Positive
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931 | Pelvic Mesh Patients Told To Deal With Sexual Dysfunction By Having Anal Sex | Rachel Siewert | "It has been told to us repeatedly " senator Rachel Siewert told a Perth public hearing on Friday for the inquiry of which she is the chair.
The reports that doctors were suggesting patients try anal sex to cope with painful sex indicative of "just how many doctors have been ignoring the issues women have had with mesh" Siewert told BuzzFeed News on Monday.
"How this has gone on for so long amazes me frankly " Siewert said.
Siewert said patients had been told their ongoing symptoms were "all in their head" by doctors.
"This is women being told to just get over it " she said. | "It has been told to us repeatedly [TGT]told a Perth public hearing on Friday for the inquiry of which [TGT] is the chair.
The reports that doctors were suggesting patients try anal sex to cope with painful sex indicative of "just how many doctors have been ignoring the issues women have had with mesh" [TGT]told BuzzFeed News on Monday.
"How this has gone on for so long amazes me frankly [TGT]said.
[TGT]said patients had been told their ongoing symptoms were "all in their head" by doctors.
"This is women being told to just get over it " she said. | 2Positive
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932 | There was barely a mention of President Trump during the Golden Globes | Seth Meyers | That’s because at the moment the industry has other things to worry about — specifically the sexual harassment and abuses of power that have been going on far too long behind the scenes of movies and television. The allegations against super-producer Harvey Weinstein opened the floodgates and turned Hollywood introspective. As host Seth Meyers said during a People interview leading up to the awards show “It seems like this year more than ever Hollywood has its own internal politics that obviously deserve to be talked about.” And those politics were more important than whatever was happening in Washington.
Seth Meyers hosted the 2018 Golden Globes and quickly took aim at sexual harassment during his opening monologue. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post)
That’s not to say that Trump was completely ignored. Meyers who’s known to be critical of the president on his late-night show got in a few digs. At one point he pointed to Seth Rogen and said “Remember when he was the guy making trouble with North Korea?”
He also joked about how much the president would probably hate the Hollywood Foreign Press Association because it contains three words he despises so much. “The only name that could make him angrier is the Hillary Mexico Salad Association ” Meyers said.
Meyers also revisited his hosting duties at the White House correspondents’ dinner in 2011 when — as legend has it — Barack Obama’s dismissive jokes and Meyers ’s minutes-long bit about Trump spurred the reality-show star to run for president. Trump denies his campaign had anything to do with getting roasted that evening but that didn’t stop Meyers from trying to make lightning strike twice. He turned his attention to Oprah Winfrey sitting in the front row as this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient and tried to pull some reverse psychology on her saying that she ’s completely unfit to run the country.
Golden Globes: Seth Meyers roasts Trump Weinstein and more (with an assist from Amy Poehler) | That’s because at the moment the industry has other things to worry about — specifically the sexual harassment and abuses of power that have been going on far too long behind the scenes of movies and television. The allegations against super-producer Harvey Weinstein opened the floodgates and turned Hollywood introspective. As host [TGT]said during a People interview leading up to the awards show “It seems like this year more than ever Hollywood has its own internal politics that obviously deserve to be talked about.” And those politics were more important than whatever was happening in Washington.
[TGT]hosted the 2018 Golden Globes and quickly took aim at sexual harassment during [TGT] opening monologue. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post)
That’s not to say that Trump was completely ignored. [TGT]who’s known to be critical of the president on his late-night show got in a few digs. At one point he pointed to Seth Rogen and said “Remember when he was the guy making trouble with North Korea?”
He also joked about how much the president would probably hate the Hollywood Foreign Press Association because it contains three words he despises so much. “The only name that could make him angrier is the Hillary Mexico Salad Association ” [TGT]said.
[TGT]also revisited [TGT] hosting duties at the White House correspondents’ dinner in 2011 when — as legend has it — Barack Obama’s dismissive jokes and Meyers ’s minutes-long bit about Trump spurred the reality-show star to run for president. Trump denies his campaign had anything to do with getting roasted that evening but that didn’t stop [TGT]from trying to make lightning strike twice. [TGT] turned [TGT] attention to Oprah Winfrey sitting in the front row as this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient and tried to pull some reverse psychology on her saying that she ’s completely unfit to run the country.
Golden Globes: [TGT] roasts Trump Weinstein and more (with an assist from Amy Poehler) | 2Positive
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933 | CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns Over Financial Conflicts : Shots | Brenda Fitzgerald | Enlarge this image toggle caption Melissa Golden for The Washington Post/Getty Images Melissa Golden for The Washington Post/ Getty Images
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resigned Wednesday following reports that she bought shares in a tobacco company among other financial dealings that presented a conflict of interest.
"Dr. Fitzgerald owns certain complex financial interests that have imposed a broad recusal limiting her ability to complete all of her duties as the CDC Director " according to a statement issued by Matt Lloyd a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services. "Due to the nature of these financial interests Dr. Fitzgerald could not divest from them in a definitive time period."
Health Trump Administration Appoints Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald As New CDC Director Trump Administration Appoints Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald As New CDC Director Listen · 2:36 2:36 | "Enlarge this image toggle caption Melissa Golden for The Washington Post/Getty Images Melissa Golden for The Washington Post/ Getty Images
[TGT] resigned Wednesday following reports that [TGT] bought shares in a tobacco company among other financial dealings that presented a conflict of interest.
"[TGT] owns certain complex financial interests that have imposed a broad recusal limiting [TGT] ability to complete all of [TGT] duties as the CDC Director " according to a statement issued by Matt Lloyd a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services. "Due to the nature of these financial interests [TGT] could not divest from them in a definitive time period."
Health Trump Administration Appoints Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald As New CDC Director Trump Administration Appoints Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald As New CDC Director Listen · 2:36 2:36" | 2Positive
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934 | Ireland welcomes home student who spent four years in an Egyptian jail | Halawa Ibrahim Halawa | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish student Ibrahim Halawa was greeted by cheering crowds at Dublin Airport on Tuesday as he arrived home following his acquittal last month in a four-year mass trial.
Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa arrives at Dublin Airport in Ireland October 24 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Halawa who was born and raised in Dublin and is a son of the most senior Muslim cleric in Ireland was 17 when he was arrested along with hundreds of others in 2013 as part of a crackdown on protests in Egypt.
The defendants had all faced the death penalty and though none received it hundreds were given hefty jail sentences. Halawa ’s sisters were released shortly after their arrests.
Halawa has said he was regularly tortured during his period in detention. The Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied allegations of abuses from rights groups. | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish student Ibrahim Halawa was greeted by cheering crowds at Dublin Airport on Tuesday as he arrived home following his acquittal last month in a four-year mass trial.
Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa arrives at Dublin Airport in Ireland October 24 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Halawa who was born and raised in Dublin and is a son of the most senior Muslim cleric in Ireland was 17 when he was arrested along with hundreds of others in 2013 as part of a crackdown on protests in Egypt.
The defendants had all faced the death penalty and though none received it hundreds were given hefty jail sentences. Halawa ’s sisters were released shortly after their arrests.
Halawa has said he was regularly tortured during his period in detention. The Egyptian authorities have repeatedly denied allegations of abuses from rights groups. | 2Positive
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935 | How Boone interviewed his way into becoming next Yankees manager | Brian Cashman | In the end whether it was by design or not Brian Cashman’s choice for the next manager of the Yankees had come down to two huge risks — Aaron Boone who had absolutely no experience as a manager or coach or Hensley Meulens whose only managerial experience had been as a largely ceremonial skipper of the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.
From the get-go Boone made it clear he was serious about wanting to manage; that this wasn’t just whimsy on his part and once given his audience with Cashman and his baseball people did a bang-up job of selling himself.
After practicing his repelling from the Landmark Building in Stamford Conn. for the annual Lights and Heights Christmas event Sunday Cashman said Friday he had closed the doors on further interviews and was ready to make his recommendation to Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner from among Boone Meulens Carlos Beltran Eric Wedge Rob Thomson or Chris Woodward for the successor to Joe Girardi. In truth he had already made up his mind it was Boone and once word leaked out of San Francisco early Friday night that Meulens was staying with the Giants it was pretty much official.
Based on sourced information from how all the interviews went down Boone Meulens and Beltran all made the strongest impressions on Cashman and his team of close advisors that included VP of Baseball Operations Tim Naehring assistant GM Mike Fishman and Senior VP Jean Afterman. Just the same you had to immediately eliminate Beltran if only because there was no way Cashman was going to take THAT big of a risk turning the managerial reins over to someone fresh out of the player ranks. Of course no one knows either if Boone or Meulens have any idea of how to handle a pitching staff which is why in retrospect Cashman made sure to retain the services of Larry Rothschild recognized as one of the best pitching coaches in the business.
Boone — Checked the three most important boxes with Cashman: A willingness to embrace analytics communication skills with the players and experience with handling the New York media. All of that made him an instant popular choice but it didn’t hurt that he also came from a three generational major league family in which his father Bob managed the Royals and the Reds. Cashman fancies himself as an “out-of-the-box” thinker and this was the ultimate bold “out-of-the-box” choice.
Beltran — Impressed Cashman and his staff with the sheer force of his personality and knowledge of the game. If he hadn’t just retired and had spent perhaps just one year as a coach or minor league manager he might have been the favorite. As it is he will be with the Yankees in some capacity next year either as a bench or hitting coach for Boone or a special assistant to Cashman . Whatever he wants to do.
Eric Wedge — The only candidate with major league managing experience Cashman only interviewed him because other GMs former and present gave him high grades. But there was no way Cashman was going to go to Steinbrenner with a recommendation of a manager who had failed in two other places Seattle and Cleveland with seven losing seasons in 10 years. In addition his bland personality would have never gone over in New York.
Rob Thomson — He was only in the process out of loyalty to the Yankee organization — 28 years in various capacities most importantly spring training coordinator the past few seasons. Ordinarily going from bench coach to manager would have been a natural ascension. The fact that it wasn’t — and Thomson was again thrown into the mix of candidates — told you he was never a serious candidate for the job. He now leaves the Yankees to go to the Phillies as their bench coach.
Chris Woodward — It’s not quite clear as to why the Dodger third base coach was one of the candidates other than perhaps Cashman wanted to talk to someone who was part of Dave Roberts’ staff in Los Angeles. Early on he had talked about wanting a “Dave Roberts-type ” someone who was into the analytics and had good communication skills especially with young players. Whatever it doesn’t appear as if Woodward the former light-hitting utility infielder who spent a couple of seasons with the Mets and had never before interviewed for a manager’s job knocked anyone’s socks off. | In the end whether it was by design or not Brian Cashman’s choice for the next manager of the Yankees had come down to two huge risks — Aaron Boone who had absolutely no experience as a manager or coach or Hensley Meulens whose only managerial experience had been as a largely ceremonial skipper of the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.
From the get-go Boone made it clear he was serious about wanting to manage; that this wasn’t just whimsy on his part and once given his audience with Cashman and his baseball people did a bang-up job of selling himself.
After practicing his repelling from the Landmark Building in Stamford Conn. for the annual Lights and Heights Christmas event Sunday Cashman said Friday he had closed the doors on further interviews and was ready to make his recommendation to Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner from among Boone Meulens Carlos Beltran Eric Wedge Rob Thomson or Chris Woodward for the successor to Joe Girardi. In truth he had already made up his mind it was Boone and once word leaked out of San Francisco early Friday night that Meulens was staying with the Giants it was pretty much official.
Based on sourced information from how all the interviews went down Boone Meulens and Beltran all made the strongest impressions on Cashman and his team of close advisors that included VP of Baseball Operations Tim Naehring assistant GM Mike Fishman and Senior VP Jean Afterman. Just the same you had to immediately eliminate Beltran if only because there was no way Cashman was going to take THAT big of a risk turning the managerial reins over to someone fresh out of the player ranks. Of course no one knows either if Boone or Meulens have any idea of how to handle a pitching staff which is why in retrospect Cashman made sure to retain the services of Larry Rothschild recognized as one of the best pitching coaches in the business.
Boone — Checked the three most important boxes with Cashman: A willingness to embrace analytics communication skills with the players and experience with handling the New York media. All of that made him an instant popular choice but it didn’t hurt that he also came from a three generational major league family in which his father Bob managed the Royals and the Reds. Cashman fancies himself as an “out-of-the-box” thinker and this was the ultimate bold “out-of-the-box” choice.
Beltran — Impressed Cashman and his staff with the sheer force of his personality and knowledge of the game. If [TGT][TGT] hadn’t just retired and had spent perhaps just one year as a coach or minor league manager [TGT] might have been the favorite. As it is [TGT] will be with the Yankees in some capacity next year either as a bench or hitting coach for Boone or a special assistant to [TGT] . Whatever [TGT] wants to do.
Eric Wedge — The only candidate with major league managing experience Cashman only interviewed him because other GMs former and present gave him high grades. But there was no way Cashman was going to go to Steinbrenner with a recommendation of a manager who had failed in two other places Seattle and Cleveland with seven losing seasons in 10 years. In addition his bland personality would have never gone over in New York.
Rob Thomson — He was only in the process out of loyalty to the Yankee organization — 28 years in various capacities most importantly spring training coordinator the past few seasons. Ordinarily going from bench coach to manager would have been a natural ascension. The fact that it wasn’t — and Thomson was again thrown into the mix of candidates — told you he was never a serious candidate for the job. He now leaves the Yankees to go to the Phillies as their bench coach.
Chris Woodward — It’s not quite clear as to why the Dodger third base coach was one of the candidates other than perhaps Cashman wanted to talk to someone who was part of Dave Roberts’ staff in Los Angeles. Early on he had talked about wanting a “Dave Roberts-type ” someone who was into the analytics and had good communication skills especially with young players. Whatever it doesn’t appear as if Woodward the former light-hitting utility infielder who spent a couple of seasons with the Mets and had never before interviewed for a manager’s job knocked anyone’s socks off. | 2Positive
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936 | Professor named in Russia disclosures says he has 'clean conscience' | Joseph Mifsud | Joseph Mifsud who joined the faculty of the University of Stirling earlier this year was not named in the court documents. He confirmed his identity to the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday stressing that "I have a clear conscience."
The University of Stirling said in an emailed statement that Mifsud joined its politics department in May 2017 as a "full-time professorial teaching fellow."
Mifsud told the Telegraph that he knew nothing about emails containing "dirt" on Clinton calling the allegations upsetting and "incredible." He also dismissed the disclosure that he introduced Papadopoulos to a "female Russian national " calling the allegation a "laughing stock."
Mifsud told the newspaper that he introduced Papadopoulos to the director of a Russian think tank to help him better grasp Russian foreign policy and that he tried to set up meetings with experts on the European Union.
"We are academics " Mifsud told the paper. "We work closely with everybody."
In emails with The Washington Post in August Mifsud said that he had "absolutely no contact" with the Russian government. "I am an academic I do not even speak Russian " he wrote.
He said that Papadopoulos "was introduced to me in a visit to a project in Rome by the London Centre of International Law Practice in which we discussed track two diplomacy with a number of countries including the Russian Federation. The only link that was offered vis-à-vis Russia was with RIAC " or the Russian International Affairs Council a Russian think tank. | [TGT]was not named in the court documents. [TGT] confirmed [TGT] identity to the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday stressing that "I have a clear conscience."
The University of Stirling said in an emailed statement that Mifsud joined its politics department in May 2017 as a "full-time professorial teaching fellow."
Mifsud told the Telegraph that he knew nothing about emails containing "dirt" on Clinton calling the allegations upsetting and "incredible." He also dismissed the disclosure that he introduced Papadopoulos to a "female Russian national " calling the allegation a "laughing stock."
Mifsud told the newspaper that he introduced Papadopoulos to the director of a Russian think tank to help him better grasp Russian foreign policy and that he tried to set up meetings with experts on the European Union.
"We are academics " Mifsud told the paper. "We work closely with everybody."
In emails with The Washington Post in August Mifsud said that he had "absolutely no contact" with the Russian government. "I am an academic I do not even speak Russian " he wrote.
He said that Papadopoulos "was introduced to me in a visit to a project in Rome by the London Centre of International Law Practice in which we discussed track two diplomacy with a number of countries including the Russian Federation. The only link that was offered vis-à-vis Russia was with RIAC " or the Russian International Affairs Council a Russian think tank. | 2Positive
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937 | Putin in Syria says mission accomplished orders partial Russian pull | Vladimir Putin | MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin flew into Syria and ordered “a significant part” of Moscow’s military contingent there to start withdrawing on Monday declaring their work largely done.
Putin who polls show will be re-elected comfortably in March made the announcement during a surprise visit to Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria - his first since Russia intervened in the conflict. He held talks with President Bashar al-Assad and addressed Russian forces.
The first leg in a three-country one-day whirlwind diplomatic visit which sees Putin also meeting his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts Putin is keen to leverage the heightened Middle East influence that Syria has given him to cast himself as a leader who can do diplomacy as well as military force.
The Kremlin first launched air strikes in Syria in September 2015 in its biggest Middle East intervention in decades turning the tide of the conflict in Assad’s favor. Now that it regards that mission complete Putin wants to help broker a peace deal.
“In just over two years Russia’s armed forces and the Syrian army have defeated the most battle-hardened group of international terrorists ” Putin told Russian servicemen.
A “significant part” of the Russian force could now return home. “The conditions for a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations have been created ” said Putin . “The Motherland awaits you.”
Washington was skeptical about Putin ’s statement.
Putin made clear in any case that Russia would retain enough firepower to destroy any possible Islamic State comeback.
Syrian state television quoted Assad as thanking Putin for Russia’s help saying the blood of Moscow’s “martyrs” had been mixed with the blood of the Syrian army. It also showed the two men watching what it called a victory parade with Russian troops dressed in desert uniforms marching past.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) visit the Hmeymim air base in Latakia Province Syria December 11 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik via REUTERS
Russia’s “mission accomplished” moment in Syria may help Putin increase the turnout at the March presidential election by appealing to the patriotism of voters.
Though polls show he will easily win they also show that some Russians are increasingly apathetic about politics and Putin ’s supporters are keen to get him re-elected on a big turnout which in their eyes confers legitimacy.
Putin who with the help of state TV has dominated Russia’s political landscape for the last 17 years told Russian servicemen they would return home as victors.
Speaking in front of a row of servicemen holding Russian flags Putin said his military had proved its might and that Moscow had succeeded in keeping Syria intact as a “sovereign independent state.”
“I congratulate you!” Putin told the servicemen.
Putin is keen to organize a special event in Russia - the Syrian Congress on National Dialogue - that Moscow hopes will bring together the Syrian government and opposition and try to hammer out a new constitution. | MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin flew into Syria and ordered “a significant part” of Moscow’s military contingent there to start withdrawing on Monday declaring their work largely done.
Putin who polls show will be re-elected comfortably in March made the announcement during a surprise visit to Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria - his first since Russia intervened in the conflict. He held talks with President Bashar al-Assad and addressed Russian forces.
The first leg in a three-country one-day whirlwind diplomatic visit which sees Putin also meeting his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts Putin is keen to leverage the heightened Middle East influence that Syria has given him to cast himself as a leader who can do diplomacy as well as military force.
The Kremlin first launched air strikes in Syria in September 2015 in its biggest Middle East intervention in decades turning the tide of the conflict in Assad’s favor. Now that it regards that mission complete Putin wants to help broker a peace deal.
“In just over two years Russia’s armed forces and the Syrian army have defeated the most battle-hardened group of international terrorists ” Putin told Russian servicemen.
A “significant part” of the Russian force could now return home. “The conditions for a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations have been created ” said Putin . “The Motherland awaits you.”
Washington was skeptical about Putin ’s statement.
Putin made clear in any case that Russia would retain enough firepower to destroy any possible Islamic State comeback.
Syrian state television quoted Assad as thanking Putin for Russia’s help saying the blood of Moscow’s “martyrs” had been mixed with the blood of the Syrian army. It also showed the two men watching what it called a victory parade with Russian troops dressed in desert uniforms marching past.
[TGT] and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) visit the Hmeymim air base in Latakia Province Syria December 11 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik via REUTERS
Russia’s “mission accomplished” moment in Syria may help Putin increase the turnout at the March presidential election by appealing to the patriotism of voters.
Though polls show he will easily win they also show that some Russians are increasingly apathetic about politics and Putin ’s supporters are keen to get him re-elected on a big turnout which in their eyes confers legitimacy.
[TGT]told Russian servicemen they would return home as victors.
Speaking in front of a row of servicemen holding Russian flags Putin said his military had proved its might and that Moscow had succeeded in keeping Syria intact as a “sovereign independent state.”
“I congratulate you!” Putin told the servicemen.
Putin is keen to organize a special event in Russia - the Syrian Congress on National Dialogue - that Moscow hopes will bring together the Syrian government and opposition and try to hammer out a new constitution. | 2Positive
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938 | Community mourns remembers how they helped a Libertyville homeless man: 'We want to mark his life' | Randy Foss Randy | They aren’t the only ones. An unknown person made a cross out of plywood painted it blue and added letters that read “RIP Randy.” The memorial was left on a bench in downtown Libertyville. Foss was known for quietly sitting on benches outside the former Caribou Coffee and the Methodist church.
“Most of the time he wasn’t one to talk he just liked being around people ” Mason said. “When the restaurants closed people would bring him leftovers. Commuters from the train would say hello to him .”
“There’s nobody else to pay anything and I knew Randy I took care of his parents. He ’d stop by and visit me from time to time ” Dane said. “Anyone from Libertyville who has a problem and passes away I’m not going to let them sit in a morgue.”
Struggling to make ends meet in job after job Mason said Foss felt abused by landlords.
He eventually moved back into his mother’s house until she sold it in the early 2000s and moved into an assisted living facility that prohibited overnight guests Mason said. His mother died in 2004 according to her death notice.
“When she died that’s when he was truly truly homeless ” Mason said noting that in her video Foss talked about keeping valuable possessions in his mother’s apartment and occasionally sneaking in to sleep on the couch.
Foss was arrested numerous times over the years for offenses like public intoxication public urination and failing to appear in court according to news reports.
At one point in his homelessness a butcher in downtown Libertyville let Foss use the store’s address for legal documents and for job applications according to Mason. The store is now out of business.
For a while Foss would rake portions of a Libertyville cemetery and clean a memorial for veterans but Mason said that ended when visitors complained about a homeless man using the water spigot to clean his clothes.
Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press Among the few known possessions of Randy Foss were grade school art projects his mother kept. The items will be on display during a Feb. 5 memorial at the United Methodist Church of Libertyville. Among the few known possessions of Randy Foss were grade school art projects his mother kept. The items will be on display during a Feb. 5 memorial at the United Methodist Church of Libertyville. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)
Mason’s brother Tim worked for the Methodist church and for a while would pay Foss to do janitorial services and allowed him to use the facility to clean up she said.
“During that time he seemed so much better ” Mason said. “ He had a purpose he would do work for the church he would come to the Sunday services and sit in the back he would come when the band was here. Some of that I’m sure got him out of the elements but he was participating even when it was nice out.”
However Mason said her brother took a position at a church in Iowa a few years ago and Foss lost that income.
Foss was identified and enrolled for “permanent supportive housing ” which is an endless subsidized housing voucher for homeless individuals who have a disability have been homeless more than a year and rank as “high vulnerability” on a chart that factors risks for mortality. | They aren’t the only ones. An unknown person made a cross out of plywood painted it blue and added letters that read “RIP Randy.” The memorial was left on a bench in downtown Libertyville. Foss was known for quietly sitting on benches outside the former Caribou Coffee and the Methodist church.
“Most of the time he wasn’t one to talk he just liked being around people ” Mason said. “When the restaurants closed people would bring him leftovers. Commuters from the train would say hello to him .”
“There’s nobody else to pay anything and I knew Randy I took care of his parents. He ’d stop by and visit me from time to time ” Dane said. “Anyone from Libertyville who has a problem and passes away I’m not going to let them sit in a morgue.”
Struggling to make ends meet in job after job Mason said Foss felt abused by landlords.
He eventually moved back into his mother’s house until she sold it in the early 2000s and moved into an assisted living facility that prohibited overnight guests Mason said. His mother died in 2004 according to her death notice.
“When she died that’s when he was truly truly homeless ” Mason said noting that in her video Foss talked about keeping valuable possessions in his mother’s apartment and occasionally sneaking in to sleep on the couch.
Foss was arrested numerous times over the years for offenses like public intoxication public urination and failing to appear in court according to news reports.
At one point in his homelessness a butcher in downtown Libertyville let Foss use the store’s address for legal documents and for job applications according to Mason. The store is now out of business.
For a while Foss would rake portions of a Libertyville cemetery and clean a memorial for veterans but Mason said that ended when visitors complained about a homeless man using the water spigot to clean his clothes.
Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press Among the few known possessions of Randy Foss were grade school art projects his mother kept. The items will be on display during a Feb. 5 memorial at the United Methodist Church of Libertyville. Among the few known possessions of Randy Foss were grade school art projects his mother kept. The items will be on display during a Feb. 5 memorial at the United Methodist Church of Libertyville. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)
Mason’s brother Tim worked for the Methodist church and for a while would pay Foss to do janitorial services and allowed him to use the facility to clean up she said.
“During that time he seemed so much better ” Mason said. “ He had a purpose he would do work for the church he would come to the Sunday services and sit in the back he would come when the band was here. Some of that I’m sure got him out of the elements but he was participating even when it was nice out.”
However Mason said her brother took a position at a church in Iowa a few years ago and Foss lost that income.
Foss was identified and enrolled for “permanent supportive housing ” which is an endless subsidized housing voucher for homeless individuals who have a disability have been homeless more than a year and rank as “high vulnerability” on a chart that factors risks for mortality. | 2Positive
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939 | How I ditched debt: Setting pride aside and asking for help | Cara Jesse Nuno | Cara and Jesse Nuno
Who: Cara and Jesse Nuno
How much: $272 261 in five years
Cara and Jesse Nuno (Photo: NerdWallet.com)
Six years ago Cara and Jesse Nuno could not imagine a debt-free life.
Cara : I think I had suggested [going to a credit counselor] in the past but at the time Jess was too proud to talk to them .
Jesse: In 2012 I can’t remember if we saw the advertisement [for the agency] on TV or not but somehow it just kinda clicked so we went to them . They gave us April’s number.
April (credit counselor): The majority of their debt was old and in collections so they were really at the “cleanup stage” and [handling each debt] one at a time more than all together. They used a mix of different techniques to address the collections. Some needed to be disputed as already paid or invalid. They also had some that appeared to be past the statute of limitations so they first needed to verify this with an attorney and then dispute. Others they settled on but most they made paid in full.
Cara : We kept looking each month at what we had and the progress we had made. Slowly but surely as we disputed and paid down our debts our credit scores went up.
Jesse : Same for me. I was looking forward to the future where one day we ’d be able to buy things again.
April: When Jesse and Cara first came to me in 2012 their credit scores were 536 and 584 respectively. As of 2016 Cara’s was 667 and Jesse ’s was 758.
Jesse : I seem to be sleeping better at night not tossing and turning like I used to figuring how I’m going to pay this or how I’m going to pay that. It takes its toll — I got the gray hair to prove it.
Cara : We ’d like to do some work on the house and get our vehicles paid off. Now we have a budget and Jess pays all our bills early.
Cara : It’s OK to ask for counseling to get started with a plan to get your debt paid off. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help because you’re not the only person that’s been there. | Cara and [TGT]
Who: Cara and [TGT]
How much: $272 261 in five years
Cara and Jesse Nuno (Photo: NerdWallet.com)
Six years ago Cara and Jesse Nuno could not imagine a debt-free life.
Cara : I think I had suggested [going to a credit counselor] in the past but at the time Jess was too proud to talk to them .
Jesse: In 2012 I can’t remember if we saw the advertisement [for the agency] on TV or not but somehow it just kinda clicked so we went to them . They gave us April’s number.
April (credit counselor): The majority of their debt was old and in collections so they were really at the “cleanup stage” and [handling each debt] one at a time more than all together. They used a mix of different techniques to address the collections. Some needed to be disputed as already paid or invalid. They also had some that appeared to be past the statute of limitations so they first needed to verify this with an attorney and then dispute. Others they settled on but most they made paid in full.
[TGT]We kept looking each month at what we had and the progress we had made. Slowly but surely as we disputed and paid down our debts our credit scores went up.
Jesse : Same for me. I was looking forward to the future where one day we ’d be able to buy things again.
April: When Jesse and [TGT] first came to me in 2012 their credit scores were 536 and 584 respectively. As of 2016 Cara’s was 667 and Jesse ’s was 758.
Jesse : I seem to be sleeping better at night not tossing and turning like I used to figuring how I’m going to pay this or how I’m going to pay that. It takes its toll — I got the gray hair to prove it.
Cara : We ’d like to do some work on the house and get our vehicles paid off. Now we have a budget and Jess pays all our bills early.
[TGT] : It’s OK to ask for counseling to get started with a plan to get your debt paid off. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help because you’re not the only person that’s been there. | 2Positive
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940 | GoFundMe Account for Bullied Teen Keaton Jones Frozen | Teen Keaton Jones | Keaton Jones' GoFundMe account has been frozen until the company can verify that the money would go to the Tennessee teenager who claimed he had been bullied in a viral video that has become a cause celebre the New York Daily News stated.
The post captured by screenshots before Jones made the account private complained about Americans who protested the American flag and show family members holding the Confederate symbol USA Today Tennessee said.
"I've taken that down for a reason " Jones told Fox News of her Facebook page without revealing what reason.
Jones also told Fox News that Schilling's claim that she just wanted money were "untrue." | Keaton Jones' GoFundMe account has been frozen until the company can verify that the money would go to the Tennessee teenager who claimed he had been bullied in a viral video that has become a cause celebre the New York Daily News stated.
The post captured by screenshots before Jones made the account private complained about Americans who protested the American flag and show family members holding the Confederate symbol USA Today Tennessee said.
"I've taken that down for a reason " Jones told Fox News of her Facebook page without revealing what reason.
Jones also told Fox News that Schilling's claim that she just wanted money were "untrue." | 2Positive
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941 | In Kenya polarizing election re | Uhuru Kenyatta | MUHORONI Kenya (Reuters) - Kenya ’s repeat presidential election boycotted this week by millions has reignited long-running tensions between ethnic communities in some areas leading inhabitants of one small village in the west to pick up traditional arms on Saturday.
On one side of Koguta are Kalenjins here ardent supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Kalenjin deputy William Ruto. But the Luos across the road support opposition leader Raila Odinga who called for a boycott of the vote because he said it would not be fair.
In Thursday’s vote Kenyatta only faced six minor candidates none of whom won more than 1 percent in August and that and the low turnout have quashed his hopes of securing a decisive mandate to lead east Africa’s richest economy.
Deputy president William Ruto Kenyatta ’s running mate told CNN on Saturday he expected the final tally from the vote to be ready by Sunday: | MUHORONI [TGT] (Reuters) - [TGT] ’s repeat presidential election boycotted this week by millions has reignited long-running tensions between ethnic communities in some areas leading inhabitants of one small village in the west to pick up traditional arms on Saturday.
On one side of Koguta are Kalenjins here ardent supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Kalenjin deputy William Ruto. But the Luos across the road support opposition leader Raila Odinga who called for a boycott of the vote because he said it would not be fair.
In Thursday’s vote Kenyatta only faced six minor candidates none of whom won more than 1 percent in August and that and the low turnout have quashed his hopes of securing a decisive mandate to lead east Africa’s richest economy.
Deputy president William Ruto Kenyatta ’s running mate told CNN on Saturday he expected the final tally from the vote to be ready by Sunday: | 1Neutral
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942 | Facebook Reports Solid Fourth Quarter Results Amid Declining Time Spent On The Social Network | Mark Zuckerberg | "2017 was a strong year for Facebook but it was also a hard one " Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement. "In 2018 we're focused on making sure Facebook isn't just fun to use but also good for people's well-being and for society. We're doing this by encouraging meaningful connections between people rather than passive consumption of content."
Zuckerberg noted that the company's recent news feed changes such as reducing the volume of viral videos have caused time spent on Facebook to decline by about 50 million hours every day - an average of about 2 minutes per person every day.
On a conference call with investors Zuckerberg emphasized that time spent alone offers limited insight into the value of the social network and that he expects short-term drops in time on the site to make the product stronger in the long-term.
"By focusing on meaningful interactions I believe that the time spent on Facebook will be more valuable " Zuckerberg said. "If people interact more it should lead to stronger community. When you care about something you’re willing to see ads to experience it."
Facebook’s results come just a few weeks after Zuckerberg announced that the company plans to make a year-long shift across its products to prioritize interactions between friends and family and reduce the prominence of unpaid posts by brands and publishers. In the near-term the change will cause news to make up only 4% of news feed down from about 5% currently. Facebook plans to display news sources in accordance with how users rank their “trustworthiness.” Zuckerberg also said the company plans to elevate local news in a push to help “build community.” Facebook correctly warned that the changes could lead to a decrease in time spent on the social network in the short-term. However Zuckerberg has said he sees the shift as critical to Facebook’s long-term success as a business and product.
When Facebook reported its third quarterly earnings in November Zuckerberg said he was “dead serious” about addressing the social network’s security and safety issues ranging from election meddling to moderation issues such as violent live videos and misinformation. Zuckerberg warned that the bolstered efforts “will impact” the company’s profitability. The company said last year it plans to double its headcount working on safety and security from 10 000 people to 20 000 people over the course of 2018 and add thousands more content moderators. (Facebook said it has 25 105 employees as of December 31 up 47% from a year earlier.)
Zuckerberg continues to emphasize video advertising as key to the future of the company’s business. Facebook recently added a “Watch” section for video shows and series which competes with Google-owned YouTube and is intended in the long-term to foster interaction between friends family and groups. Higher-quality content in the tab could drive stronger video ad sales over time. Zuckerberg also noted in Wednesday's conference call that he expects "Stories" -- chains of disappearing photos and videos -- to overtake posts and feeds as the most common content format across apps and that the growth of the feature will shape how Facebook evolves its apps and business. | "2017 was a strong year for Facebook but it was also a hard one " Facebook founder and [TGT]said in a statement. "In 2018 we're focused on making sure Facebook isn't just fun to use but also good for people's well-being and for society. We're doing this by encouraging meaningful connections between people rather than passive consumption of content.[TGT]noted that the company's recent news feed changes such as reducing the volume of viral videos have caused time spent on Facebook to decline by about 50 million hours every day - an average of about 2 minutes per person every day.
On a conference call with investors [TGT]emphasized that time spent alone offers limited insight into the value of the social network and that [TGT] expects short-term drops in time on the site to make the product stronger in the long-term.
"By focusing on meaningful interactions I believe that the time spent on Facebook will be more valuable [TGT]said. "If people interact more it should lead to stronger community. When you care about something you’re willing to see ads to experience it."
Facebook’s results come just a few weeks after [TGT]announced that the company plans to make a year-long shift across its products to prioritize interactions between friends and family and reduce the prominence of unpaid posts by brands and publishers. In the near-term the change will cause news to make up only 4% of news feed down from about 5% currently. Facebook plans to display news sources in accordance with how users rank their “trustworthiness.” [TGT]also said the company plans to elevate local news in a push to help “build community.” Facebook correctly warned that the changes could lead to a decrease in time spent on the social network in the short-term. However [TGT]has said [TGT] sees the shift as critical to Facebook’s long-term success as a business and product.
When Facebook reported its third quarterly earnings in November [TGT]said he was “dead serious” about addressing the social network’s security and safety issues ranging from election meddling to moderation issues such as violent live videos and misinformation. [TGT]warned that the bolstered efforts “will impact” the company’s profitability. [TGT]said last year [TGT] plans to double [TGT] headcount working on safety and security from 10 000 people to 20 000 people over the course of 2018 and add thousands more content moderators. (Facebook said it has 25 105 employees as of December 31 up 47% from a year earlier.)
[TGT] continues to emphasize video advertising as key to the future of the company’s business. Facebook recently added a “Watch” section for video shows and series which competes with Google-owned YouTube and is intended in the long-term to foster interaction between friends family and groups. Higher-quality content in the tab could drive stronger video ad sales over time. [TGT]also noted in Wednesday's conference call that [TGT] expects "Stories" -- chains of disappearing photos and videos -- to overtake posts and feeds as the most common content format across apps and that the growth of the feature will shape how Facebook evolves its apps and business. | 2Positive
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943 | Parents' wine gifts to teacher had label: 'Our son might be the reason you drink' | Mary Sommers | Mary Sommers said her friend who works for a printing company came up with the idea and made a mockup which Mary Sommers showed to her son beforehand.
“I showed him the example label she had mocked up and he said 'Yeah let’s run with this Mom and give it to my coaches too '” Mary Sommers said.
A couple of negative comments on social media did not sit well with Mary Sommers .
“On one of the websites that they shared on Facebook the comment was awful ” she said. “And my son was like 'Mom you just have to not read those.'” | [TGT]said [TGT] friend who works for a printing company came up with the idea and made a mockup which Mary Sommers showed to [TGT] son beforehand.
“I showed him the example label she had mocked up and he said 'Yeah let’s run with this Mom and give it to my coaches too '” [TGT]said.
A couple of negative comments on social media did not sit well with [TGT] .
“On one of the websites that they shared on Facebook the comment was awful ” [TGT] said. “And my son was like 'Mom you just have to not read those.'” | 2Positive
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944 | UK's Princess Eugenie daughter of Prince Andrew engaged | Eugenie | It will be a busy year for royal weddings: Princess Eugenie is engaged to be married later this year several months after her cousin Prince Harry's nuptials.
Eugenie the daughter of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will marry Jack Brooksbank in the fall Buckingham Palace said Monday.
The 27-year-old Eugenie was the second child born to Andrew and Ferguson.
"Jack is an absolutely outstanding young man and Eugenie and he have got to know each other over a number of years and I'm really thrilled for them " the prince said.
Eugenie is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and is eighth in line to the throne.
The palace said she and Brooksbank became engaged in Nicaragua earlier this month. They have been dating for a number of years.
Eugenie is a director at the Hauser and Wirth art galleries. | It will be a busy year for royal weddings: [TGT]is engaged to be married later this year several months after [TGT] cousin Prince Harry's nuptials.
Eugenie the daughter of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will marry Jack Brooksbank in the fall Buckingham Palace said Monday.
[TGT] was the second child born to Andrew and Ferguson.
"Jack is an absolutely outstanding young man and Eugenie and he have got to know each other over a number of years and I'm really thrilled for them " the prince said.
[TGT]is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and is eighth in line to the throne.
The palace said [TGT] and Brooksbank became engaged in Nicaragua earlier this month. They have been dating for a number of years.
[TGT]is a director at the Hauser and Wirth art galleries. | 2Positive
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945 | Dolores O'Riordan: Inside Cranberries Singer's Final Days | CarrolleyevineRedux Dolores O'Riordan | When the Cranberries broke up in 2003 O'Riordan recorded two under-the-radar solo albums and the Cranberries regrouped in 2009 eventually releasing one of their strongest albums Roses three years later. But O'Riordan 's life remained chaotic. She later claimed she tried to overdose on pills in 2012 and had a drinking problem. Her marriage ended in 2014 the same year she was arrested for stepping on the foot of a flight attendant and head-butting a police officer; a judge spared her from jail after determining she was mentally ill at the time. ("You can't arrest me — I'm an icon!" she yelled at the police.) She was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar. " Dolores had a lot of things going on in her life over the past 10 years — good and bad " says Hogan. "But what made Dolores connect with people was her honesty. What you saw was what you got."
" Dolores was so disappointed when we had to cancel the last tour ... She did everything in her power to fix the back problem but it persisted and won in the end." – Cranberries co-founder Noel Hogan
Again O'Riordan powered through it all with music. With the end of her marriage she moved to New York and began working with a new band D.A.R.K. featuring former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke (who calls her talent "breathtaking") and DJ Olé Koretsky who eventually became her life partner. The band's 2016 debut Science Agrees took O'Riordan's voice into new electronica areas. But she never fully abandoned the Cranberries who last year unveiled Something Else a collection of new and old material played unplugged and orchestrated. In an interview with the BBC to promote it O'Riordan admitted "I've had health issues the last few years." Those problems – specifically back pain from years of playing guitar for so many years – led to a canceled tour. " Dolores was so disappointed when we had to cancel the last tour " says Hogan. " She did everything in her power to fix the back problem but it persisted and won in the end."
Related Dolores O'Riordan and the Cranberries: Strange Fruit The improbable rise of Ireland's biggest musical export since U2
The day before she died O'Riordan flew to London (one source says she flew from New York to Dublin where she stayed for a short while before continuing on to London). There work again beckoned. She was planning to meet with Youth about the second near-completed D.A.R.K. album and she was also carving out time to add her vocals to a new version of "Zombie" by the L.A. metal band Bad Wolves.
Instead O'Riordan will be buried today in Limerick.
Dolores O'Riordan was the lead singer of hits like "Linger" and "Zombie" with the Irish band the Cranberries. Watch below. | When the Cranberries broke up in 2003 O'Riordan recorded two under-the-radar solo albums and the Cranberries regrouped in 2009 eventually releasing one of their strongest albums Roses three years later. But O'Riordan 's life remained chaotic. She later claimed she tried to overdose on pills in 2012 and had a drinking problem. Her marriage ended in 2014 the same year she was arrested for stepping on the foot of a flight attendant and head-butting a police officer; a judge spared her from jail after determining she was mentally ill at the time. ("You can't arrest me — I'm an icon!" she yelled at the police.) She was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar. " Dolores had a lot of things going on in her life over the past 10 years — good and bad " says Hogan. "But what made Dolores connect with people was her honesty. What you saw was what you got."
" Dolores was so disappointed when we had to cancel the last tour ... She did everything in her power to fix the back problem but it persisted and won in the end." – Cranberries co-founder Noel Hogan
Again O'Riordan powered through it all with music. With the end of her marriage she moved to New York and began working with a new band D.A.R.K. featuring former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke (who calls her talent "breathtaking") and DJ Olé Koretsky who eventually became her life partner. The band's 2016 debut Science Agrees took O'Riordan's voice into new electronica areas. But she never fully abandoned the Cranberries who last year unveiled Something Else a collection of new and old material played unplugged and orchestrated. In an interview with the BBC to promote it O'Riordan admitted "I've had health issues the last few years." Those problems – specifically back pain from years of playing guitar for so many years – led to a canceled tour. " Dolores was so disappointed when we had to cancel the last tour " says Hogan. " She did everything in her power to fix the back problem but it persisted and won in the end."
Related Dolores O'Riordan and the Cranberries: Strange Fruit The improbable rise of Ireland's biggest musical export since U2
The day before she died O'Riordan flew to London (one source says she flew from New York to Dublin where she stayed for a short while before continuing on to London). There work again beckoned. She was planning to meet with Youth about the second near-completed D.A.R.K. album and she was also carving out time to add her vocals to a new version of "Zombie" by the L.A. metal band Bad Wolves.
Instead O'Riordan will be buried today in Limerick.
Dolores O'Riordan was the lead singer of hits like "Linger" and "Zombie" with the Irish band the Cranberries. Watch below. | 2Positive
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946 | The internet unleashes Photoshop on Donald Trump Jr.'s brand new t | Donald Trump Jr. | Donald Trump Jr. who once compared refugees to poisoned Skittles and got stuck in traffic behind a Wienermobile made a very bold fashion choice this weekend.
He was chilling in Florida with the Trump family when he tweeted out this poolside photo.
I'm going to have to buy 5-10 000 of these to pass around to our buddies in the #MSM. In the meantime I'll model it for them😂. #yourewelcome pic.twitter.com/Hnn3Z5Pspm — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 15 2017
Of course there was a reference to that photo of Donald Trump Jr. sitting on a tree stump. | [TGT]who once compared refugees to poisoned Skittles and got stuck in traffic behind a Wienermobile made a very bold fashion choice this weekend.
[TGT] was chilling in Florida with the Trump family when [TGT] tweeted out this poolside photo.
I'm going to have to buy 5-10 000 of these to pass around to our buddies in the #MSM. In the meantime I'll model it for them😂. #yourewelcome pic.twitter.com/Hnn3Z5Pspm — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 15 2017
Of course there was a reference to that photo of [TGT] sitting on a tree stump. | 1Neutral
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947 | Former Catalan leader says to stay in Belgium for time being | Carles Puigdemont | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont facing arrest in Spain for organising an illegal independence referendum in October said on Tuesday he would stay in Belgium for the time being.
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont holds a news conference in Brussels Belgium December 6 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman
“For the moment we will stay here ” Puigdemont said at a press conference in Brussels.
Puigdemont declared the northeastern region of Catalonia an independent republic on Oct. 27 leading Madrid to impose direct rule on the regional government and fire the pro-independence administration.
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and other pro-independence officials hold a news conference in Brussels Belgium December 6 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Puigdemont faces charges of rebellion sedition misuse of public funds disobedience and breach of trust in Spain.
His party ‘Together for Catalonia’ is campaigning on a pro-independence ticket for Dec. 21 elections called by Madrid in an effort to resolve the crisis.
Puigdemont said he hoped to be able to return to Spain if he was elected a member of the Catalan parliament but he was not sure if he would be arrested and put in custody.
“We have to carefully consider such a decision before taking it ” he said. | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - [TGT]facing arrest in Spain for organising an illegal independence referendum in October said on Tuesday [TGT] would stay in Belgium for the time being.
[TGT] holds a news conference in Brussels Belgium December 6 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman
“For the moment we will stay here ” [TGT]said at a press conference in Brussels.
[TGT]declared the northeastern region of Catalonia an independent republic on Oct. 27 leading Madrid to impose direct rule on the regional government and fire the pro-independence administration.
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and other pro-independence officials hold a news conference in Brussels Belgium December 6 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman
[TGT]faces charges of rebellion sedition misuse of public funds disobedience and breach of trust in Spain.
[TGT] party ‘Together for Catalonia’ is campaigning on a pro-independence ticket for Dec. 21 elections called by Madrid in an effort to resolve the crisis.
[TGT]said [TGT] hoped to be able to return to Spain if [TGT] was elected a member of the Catalan parliament but [TGT] was not sure if [TGT] would be arrested and put in custody.
“We have to carefully consider such a decision before taking it ” he said. | 2Positive
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948 | Why Mark Cuban and Jeff Bezos both value taking risks | Jeff Bezos | Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos agree: It pays to take risks.
" Jeff Bezos — and I follow this to a T — I was reading he said 'Look you don't want to be [80] years old and look back and ask yourself ... why didn't I do this? Why didn't I try it?" Cuban says.
While speaking at the Summit Series conference in Los Angeles Bezos revealed he was indeed thinking something similar when he quit his good job on Wall Street to found Amazon.
"For me the best way to think about it was to project myself forward to age 80 " Bezos says. "When I'm 80 years old I want to have minimized the number of regrets that I have. I don't want to be 80 years old in a quiet moment of reflection thinking back over my life and cataloging a bunch of major regrets.
"I decided I had to give it a shot " Bezos says in a 2010 baccalaureate address at Princeton. "I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all."
Cuban worth $3.3 billion agrees that pushing himself to experience new things has been worth it.
"Maybe it will come back to haunt me all the fun I've had but I've had fun " he says.
Don't miss: Mark Cuban says quitting this one common bad habit made him more successful | Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos agree: It pays to take risks.
" [TGT]— and I follow this to a T — I was reading he said 'Look you don't want to be [80] years old and look back and ask yourself ... why didn't I do this? Why didn't I try it?" Cuban says.
While speaking at the Summit Series conference in Los Angeles [TGT]revealed he was indeed thinking something similar when he quit his good job on Wall Street to found Amazon.
"For me the best way to think about it was to project myself forward to age 80 " [TGT]says. "When I'm 80 years old I want to have minimized the number of regrets that I have. I don't want to be 80 years old in a quiet moment of reflection thinking back over my life and cataloging a bunch of major regrets.
"I decided I had to give it a shot [TGT]says in a 2010 baccalaureate address at Princeton. "I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all."
Cuban worth $3.3 billion agrees that pushing himself to experience new things has been worth it.
"Maybe it will come back to haunt me all the fun I've had but I've had fun " he says.
Don't miss: Mark Cuban says quitting this one common bad habit made him more successful | 2Positive
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949 | Sanofi beats Novo to buy Ablynx for $4.8 billion in biotech M&A boom | Ablynx | PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi has agreed to buy Belgian biotech company Ablynx for 3.9 billion euros ($4.8 billion) beating Novo Nordisk and marking its second big deal this month after buying Bioverativ.
The deal is a further sign of accelerating merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global biotech sector and comes after Ablynx rejected a 2.6 billion euro offer from Denmark’s Novo Nordisk.
Sanofi said on Monday it would pay 45 euros per share in cash for Ablynx a premium of 21 percent over its closing price on Friday - and more than double the price before Novo went public with its initial bid.
Novo Nordisk conceded defeat saying it did not intend to make a revised offer for Ablynx which is developing a prized experimental drug for a rare blood disorder.
Sanofi said Ablynx would boost long-term value for its shareholders while the takeover was expected to have a neutral impact on Sanofi’s business earnings per share (EPS) in 2018 and 2019.
Sanofi is already one of Ablynx ’s big pharma partners after striking a deal in July 2017 to find new treatments for inflammatory diseases.
By buying the company outright it will now get access to Ablynx ’s most promising asset the experimental drug caplacizumab for treating the rare bleeding disorder acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Sanofi will be able to use its existing infrastructure and the recently acquired platform from Bioverativ to help to commercialize caplacizumab. It will also benefit from some of the other drugs Ablynx is working on such as an infant anti-viral treatment that would not have fitted within Novo Nordisk.
Berenberg analysts said Ablynx was a good fit but they estimated the deal would generate no more than a 4 percent return on invested capital assuming caplacizumab sales of around 400 million euros by 2023.
The Danish group has sat out previous rounds of M&A in the drugs sector to focus on its core diabetes business but it now needs to find new products for its struggling smaller biopharmaceutical unit where Ablynx would have been a good fit.
Morgan Stanley and Lazard advised Sanofi on the deal while JP Morgan advised Ablynx. | PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi has agreed to buy Belgian biotech company Ablynx for 3.9 billion euros ($4.8 billion) beating Novo Nordisk and marking its second big deal this month after buying Bioverativ.
The deal is a further sign of accelerating merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global biotech sector and comes after [TGT]rejected a 2.6 billion euro offer from Denmark’s Novo Nordisk.
Sanofi said on Monday it would pay 45 euros per share in cash for [TGT] a premium of 21 percent over its closing price on Friday - and more than double the price before Novo went public with its initial bid.
Novo Nordisk conceded defeat saying it did not intend to make a revised offer for Ablynx which is developing a prized experimental drug for a rare blood disorder.
Sanofi said [TGT]would boost long-term value for [TGT]shareholders while the takeover was expected to have a neutral impact on Sanofi’s business earnings per share (EPS) in 2018 and 2019.
Sanofi is already one of Ablynx ’s big pharma partners after striking a deal in July 2017 to find new treatments for inflammatory diseases.
By buying the company outright it will now get access to Ablynx ’s most promising asset the experimental drug caplacizumab for treating the rare bleeding disorder acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Sanofi will be able to use its existing infrastructure and the recently acquired platform from Bioverativ to help to commercialize caplacizumab. It will also benefit from some of the other drugs [TGT]is working on such as an infant anti-viral treatment that would not have fitted within Novo Nordisk.
Berenberg analysts said [TGT]was a good fit but they estimated the deal would generate no more than a 4 percent return on invested capital assuming caplacizumab sales of around 400 million euros by 2023.
The Danish group has sat out previous rounds of M&A in the drugs sector to focus on its core diabetes business but it now needs to find new products for its struggling smaller biopharmaceutical unit where [TGT] would have been a good fit.
Morgan Stanley and Lazard advised Sanofi on the deal while JP Morgan advised [TGT]. | 2Positive
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950 | ISIS' Parting Gift To Its Former Capital: Thousands Of Explosive Booby Traps : Parallels : NPR | Nabeel Mukhil Hamza | One of the students here is Nabeel Mukhil Hamza . He 's a slight 19-year-old wearing a red parka. He 's from Raqqa where he was once jailed by ISIS for four days. His crime? Smoking.
"We attend this course of training to protect the civilians and to clear the city of any IEDs and explosives " he says.
Hamza says his brother-in-law was killed when he stepped on a landmine. He was just 36 and left behind a wife and young daughter. Hamza says some of his neighbors' homes are laced with booby traps one just 40 feet from his house where he lives with his mother.
"I'm not scared I'm here for my ultimate goal - safe homes " he says though he acknowledges his mother is nervous.
"She just prays for me and says 'May Allah save you.' " | One of the students here is [TGT] . [TGT] 's a slight 19-year-old wearing a red parka. [TGT] 's from Raqqa where [TGT] was once jailed by ISIS for four days. [TGT] crime? Smoking.
"We attend this course of training to protect the civilians and to clear the city of any IEDs and explosives " he says.
[TGT]says [TGT] brother-in-law was killed when he stepped on a landmine. He was just 36 and left behind a wife and young daughter. [TGT]says some of [TGT] neighbors' homes are laced with booby traps one just 40 feet from [TGT] house where [TGT] lives with [TGT] mother.
"I'm not scared I'm here for my ultimate goal - safe homes " he says though he acknowledges his mother is nervous.
"She just prays for me and says 'May Allah save you.' " | 2Positive
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951 | Chrissy Teigen Calls Out Ann Coulter for Shithole Tweet | Ann Coulter | Chrissy Teigen has rebuked Ann Coulter for her response to President Donald Trump reportedly referring to Haiti El Salvador and some parts of Africa as “shithole countries” in a White House meeting about immigration.
Coulter tweeted about the alleged remark — which has sparked widespread international outrage — on Friday. “Announcing the opening of Shithole Air — Free 1-way travel back to the country of your choice ” she wrote.
Her comment prompted a retort from Teigen who called out the the conservative pundit for taking advantage of a “racist hateful marketplace.”
“I don’t believe you really believe all the things you say ” Teigen replied to Coulter ’s tweet. “You found an opening in the racist hateful marketplace and secured it. But when you’re old you will not be proud of the life you lived. Of anger and hate. Pandering to the angry and hateful. It really is a shame.”
Coulter has yet to respond. | Chrissy Teigen has rebuked [TGT]for her response to President Donald Trump reportedly referring to Haiti El Salvador and some parts of Africa as “shithole countries” in a White House meeting about immigration.
[TGT]tweeted about the alleged remark — which has sparked widespread international outrage — on Friday. “Announcing the opening of Shithole Air — Free 1-way travel back to the country of your choice ” she wrote.
Her comment prompted a retort from Teigen who called out the the conservative pundit for taking advantage of a “racist hateful marketplace.”
“I don’t believe you really believe all the things you say ” Teigen replied to [TGT] ’s tweet. [TGT] found an opening in the racist hateful marketplace and secured it. But when you’re old you will not be proud of the life you lived. Of anger and hate. Pandering to the angry and hateful. It really is a shame.”
[TGT]has yet to respond. | 1Neutral
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952 | Hornibrook's 4 TDs carry Badgers over Miami 34 | Alex Hornibrook | MIAMI GARDENS Fla. (AP) — Alex Hornibrook 's first pass of the night was a wobbler one that seemed to slip out of his hand.
Nearly everything else he threw was just about perfect.
Hornibrook threw four touchdown passes three to Danny Davis and No. 6 Wisconsin capped off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night.
"We were pretty relaxed " Hornibrook said. "We knew we had what it takes to win this game."
The Badgers dominated time of possession holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Hornibrook completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards going 20 for 25 in the final three quarters.
Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas had rushing scores for Miami (10-3) which lost on its home field for the first time in 2017. Lawrence Cager had a touchdown catch for the Hurricanes while quarterback Malik Rosier was 11 for 26 passing for 203 yards — with three interceptions.
"We're all coming back " Hornibrook said. "But nothing is going to happen if we don't put in the work."
Wisconsin: Hornibrook became just the third Badgers quarterback in the last 15 years to have multiple games with at least four touchdown passes in the same season. Scott Tolzien had a pair of four-TD games in 2009 and Jim Sorgi had games of four and five TDs in consecutive weeks back in 2003. From 2012 through 2016 the Badgers never had a quarterback throw for four scores in a game. | MIAMI GARDENS Fla. (AP) — [TGT] 's first pass of the night was a wobbler one that seemed to slip out of [TGT] hand.
Nearly everything else [TGT] threw was just about perfect.
[TGT]threw four touchdown passes three to Danny Davis and No. 6 Wisconsin capped off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night.
"We were pretty relaxed [TGT]said. "We knew we had what it takes to win this game."
The Badgers dominated time of possession holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes. [TGT]completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards going 20 for 25 in the final three quarters.
Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas had rushing scores for Miami (10-3) which lost on [TGT] home field for the first time in 2017. Lawrence Cager had a touchdown catch for the Hurricanes while quarterback Malik Rosier was 11 for 26 passing for 203 yards — with three interceptions.
"We're all coming back [TGT]said. "But nothing is going to happen if we don't put in the work."
Wisconsin: [TGT]became just the third Badgers quarterback in the last 15 years to have multiple games with at least four touchdown passes in the same season. Scott Tolzien had a pair of four-TD games in 2009 and Jim Sorgi had games of four and five TDs in consecutive weeks back in 2003. From 2012 through 2016 the Badgers never had a quarterback throw for four scores in a game. | 2Positive
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953 | John Mayer Hospitalized for Emergency Appendectomy | John Mayer | John Mayer was hospitalized early Tuesday morning for an emergency appendectomy Dead and Company said on Twitter.
Related John Mayer on Katy Perry Learning From the Dead Embracing Pot Guitarist opens up about what he 's learned from Dead & Company and why he 's given up drinking booze and opts for marijuana
Dead and Company have two shows left on their fall tour: December 7th in Orlando and December 8th in Sunrise Florida. It's unclear whether Mayer will be healthy enough to play those shows though the band has yet to make a formal announcement regarding the status of either gig.
Dead and Company formed in 2015 after the surviving members of the Grateful Dead reunited for their final Fare Thee Well shows. The new group features Mayer alongside original Grateful Dead members Weir Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart as well as Allman Brothers' bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
In April Mayer released a new solo album The Search for Everything. | [TGT]was hospitalized early Tuesday morning for an emergency appendectomy Dead and Company said on Twitter.
Related [TGT] on Katy Perry Learning From the Dead Embracing Pot Guitarist opens up about what he 's learned from Dead & Company and why he 's given up drinking booze and opts for marijuana
Dead and Company have two shows left on their fall tour: December 7th in Orlando and December 8th in Sunrise Florida. It's unclear whether [TGT]will be healthy enough to play those shows though the band has yet to make a formal announcement regarding the status of either gig.
Dead and Company formed in 2015 after the surviving members of the Grateful Dead reunited for their final Fare Thee Well shows. The new group features [TGT]alongside original Grateful Dead members Weir Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart as well as Allman Brothers' bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
In April [TGT]released a new solo album The Search for Everything. | 2Positive
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954 | Government braces for shutdown as Senate fails to meet deadline for spending deal | Trump-Schumer Trump-Schumer | A senior White House official told Fox News that the Trump-Schumer meeting was productive but there was no deal yet. Still the president labeled the meeting "excellent" in a tweet.
“We had a long and detailed meeting " Schumer said in a statement. "We discussed all of the major outstanding issues we made some progress but we still have a good number of disagreements. The discussions will continue.”
According to a White House source Schumer arrived in the Oval Office and presented the president with a list of demands on domestic issues that went well beyond just DACA. The president listened to Schumer and appeared perplexed as Schumer rattled off his agenda items the source said. The president told Schumer he wasn’t going to get all of those demands in a spending bill.
Schumer the source said did appear open to considering a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded for five days. The official White House position is still a 30-day extension. | A senior White House official told Fox News that the Trump-Schumer meeting was productive but there was no deal yet. Still the president labeled the meeting "excellent" in a tweet.
“We had a long and detailed meeting " Schumer said in a statement. "We discussed all of the major outstanding issues we made some progress but we still have a good number of disagreements. The discussions will continue.”
According to a White House source Schumer arrived in the Oval Office and presented the president with a list of demands on domestic issues that went well beyond just DACA. The president listened to Schumer and appeared perplexed as Schumer rattled off his agenda items the source said. The president told Schumer he wasn’t going to get all of those demands in a spending bill.
Schumer the source said did appear open to considering a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded for five days. The official White House position is still a 30-day extension. | 2Positive
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955 | Hero World Challenge: Tiger Woods and His Fist Pump Are Officially Back | Tiger Woods | Nov. 30 (UPI) — Last week he was golfing with President Donald Trump now Tiger Woods is fist pumping after sinking putts on the PGA Tour.
Woods broke out his signature celebration Thursday at the Hero World Challenge at Albany New Providence Bahamas.
He began his day shooting even on hole No. 1 a par 4. He also made par on No. 2. Woods made birdie on No. 3 before saving par on No. 4 5 6 and 7. Woods birdied No. 8. He was tied for seventh place after six holes. He was two shots back of Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson who were 3-under.
The play of the day so far for Woods was when he saved par on No. 4. Woods’ drive on the 350-yard hole found light rough near the fairway bunker on the right side. He missed the green with a pitching wedge from 157 yards. He then hit a chip shot just up into the fringe. Woods saved par with a long put from off the green. The putt started off to the left before curling right and dropping into the hole. He followed the attempt by flexing his right arm and pumping his fist in celebration.
Woods dropped another fist pump after his birdie on No. 8. | Nov. 30 (UPI) — Last week he was golfing with President Donald Trump now [TGT]is fist pumping after sinking putts on the PGA Tour.
[TGT]broke out [TGT] signature celebration Thursday at the Hero World Challenge at Albany New Providence Bahamas.
[TGT] began [TGT] day shooting even on hole No. 1 a par 4. [TGT] also made par on No. 2. [TGT]made birdie on No. 3 before saving par on No. 4 5 6 and 7. [TGT]birdied No. 8. [TGT] was tied for seventh place after six holes. [TGT] was two shots back of Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson who were 3-under.
The play of the day so far for [TGT]was when [TGT] saved par on No. 4. Woods’ drive on the 350-yard hole found light rough near the fairway bunker on the right side. [TGT] missed the green with a pitching wedge from 157 yards. [TGT] then hit a chip shot just up into the fringe. [TGT]saved par with a long put from off the green. The putt started off to the left before curling right and dropping into the hole. [TGT] followed the attempt by flexing [TGT] right arm and pumping [TGT] fist in celebration.
[TGT]dropped another fist pump after [TGT] birdie on No. 8. | 2Positive
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956 | Prince Charles unauthorized biography to reveal 'explosive misconduct ' but palace denies claims | Tom Bower | Journalist Tom Bower is publishing an unauthorized book about the 69-year-old British royal in March Fox News has learned. The explosive account titled “Rebel Prince ” will reportedly include testimony from more than 120 people employed or welcomed into the inner sanctum of Clarence House.
“I’m afraid we have no comment to make on the book as we haven’t seen it ” a rep for the palace told Fox News.
“ We are delighted to be working with the great Tom Bower once again ” Arabella Pike of Harper Collins UK told Fox News in a statement.
Bower also revealed in an official release sent to Fox News that Prince Charles who is poised to be the future kind of England has struggled over the years to overcome his unpopularity after Princess Diana’s 1997 passing. And while he reportedly earned a boost in his approval rating after his marriage to Camilla Duchess of Cornwall in 2005 he still has a long way to go. | [TGT] is publishing an unauthorized book about the 69-year-old British royal in March Fox News has learned. The explosive account titled “Rebel Prince ” will reportedly include testimony from more than 120 people employed or welcomed into the inner sanctum of Clarence House.
“I’m afraid [TGT] have no comment to make on the book as [TGT] haven’t seen it ” a rep for the palace told Fox News.
“ [TGT] are delighted to be working with [TGT] once again ” Arabella Pike of Harper Collins UK told Fox News in a statement.
[TGT]also revealed in an official release sent to Fox News that Prince Charles who is poised to be the future kind of England has struggled over the years to overcome his unpopularity after Princess Diana’s 1997 passing. And while [TGT] reportedly earned a boost in [TGT] approval rating after [TGT] marriage to Camilla Duchess of Cornwall in 2005 [TGT] still has a long way to go. | 2Positive
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957 | Disabled by Government | Jeremy Kauffman | In this case fortunately an angry entrepreneur came to the rescue. Jeremy Kauffman hates to see valuable things disappear so right before Berkeley deleted its website Kauffman copied the videos and posted them on his website called LBRY (as in Library).
He says the Berkeley videos are just the start of what LBRY has planned. He wants the site to be YouTube -- but without the content restrictions.
"LBRY is designed to be much more decentralized much more controlled by users" and "absolutely freer " Kauffman explains in a video I posted this week.
He acknowledges that with no censorship his invention may end up hosting videos of bad things -- beheadings child porn who knows what else. But he argues that if he creates a system with censorship "it allows us to keep the bad stuff out which is great but it also allows dictatorial regimes to keep content off. Do we want to make videos available to the people in Turkey Iran and China? We say yes."
LBRY will let users flag videos depicting illegal actions. Those videos may no longer be shown on LBRY. However other websites can show the illegal content using LBRY's technology and Kauffman can't stop that.
Kauffman says he won't remove the Berkeley videos from his site even if he 's sued because there aren't captions for deaf people.
"Is that a reason that content shouldn't be available to everyone?" asks Kauffman .
Thank goodness for the internet and for people like Kauffman someone willing to spend his own money to keep information free. | In this case fortunately an angry entrepreneur came to the rescue. [TGT]hates to see valuable things disappear so right before Berkeley deleted its website [TGT]copied the videos and posted them on [TGT] website called LBRY (as in Library).
[TGT] says the Berkeley videos are just the start of what LBRY has planned. [TGT] wants the site to be YouTube -- but without the content restrictions.
"LBRY is designed to be much more decentralized much more controlled by users" and "absolutely freer " [TGT]explains in a video I posted this week.
He acknowledges that with no censorship his invention may end up hosting videos of bad things -- beheadings child porn who knows what else. But he argues that if he creates a system with censorship "it allows us to keep the bad stuff out which is great but it also allows dictatorial regimes to keep content off. Do we want to make videos available to the people in Turkey Iran and China? We say yes."
LBRY will let users flag videos depicting illegal actions. Those videos may no longer be shown on LBRY. However other websites can show the illegal content using LBRY's technology and [TGT]can't stop that.
[TGT]says [TGT] won't remove the Berkeley videos from [TGT] site even if [TGT] 's sued because there aren't captions for deaf people.
"Is that a reason that content shouldn't be available to everyone?" asks [TGT] .
Thank goodness for the internet and for people like Kauffman someone willing to spend his own money to keep information free. | 2Positive
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958 | Olympics open with dazzling spectacle and warm gestures between the Koreas | Kim Yo Jong | Kim Yo Jong the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in South Korea with the North Korean delegation on Feb. 9 for the Winter Olympics. (Reuters)
Those on their feet included South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the two senior North Koreans sent to the Opening Ceremonies — Kim Yo Jong the sister of leader Kim Jong Un and Kim Yong Nam North Korea’s official head of state.
Moon warmly greeted Kim Yo Jong at Friday’s ceremony. He will host her and the other senior North Korean officials for lunch on Saturday.
Choe and Kim Yo Jong also are both under direct American sanctions for human rights abuses related to their roles in censoring information in North Korea. | [TGT]the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in South Korea with the North Korean delegation on Feb. 9 for the Winter Olympics. (Reuters)
Those on their feet included South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the two senior North Koreans sent to the Opening Ceremonies — [TGT]the sister of leader Kim Jong Un and Kim Yong Nam North Korea’s official head of state.
Moon warmly greeted [TGT]at Friday’s ceremony. [TGT] will host her and the other senior North Korean officials for lunch on Saturday.
[TGT]also are both under direct American sanctions for human rights abuses related to [TGT] roles in censoring information in North Korea. | 2Positive
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959 | Tesco CEO: Ex | Dave Lewis | Tesco CEO Dave Lewis says EU exit won’t affect choice or quality but says prices are being squeezed.
Lewis says: “A no deal scenario if there were to be tariffs then actually that could impact the price of food.”
However Tesco boss Dave Lewis admitted that the Brexit-driven collapse in the pound is pushing up prices and warned that failure to secure a deal with the EU by the March 2019 Brexit deadline could lead to higher food prices across the UK.
Lewis was speaking at a press conference following the release of Tesco’s half-year results which showed sales up by 3.3% and operating profit up 27.4%. Prices rose in the period but Lewis was quick to point out that price rises were around 1% lower than competitors.
However while Lewis disagreed with King’s assessment of Brexit he admitted that price rises could get worse if Britain fails to reach a deal with the EU on trading terms before the March 2019 leaving deadline. | [TGT]says EU exit won’t affect choice or quality but says prices are being squeezed.
[TGT]says: “A no deal scenario if there were to be tariffs then actually that could impact the price of food.”
However [TGT] admitted that the Brexit-driven collapse in the pound is pushing up prices and warned that failure to secure a deal with the EU by the March 2019 Brexit deadline could lead to higher food prices across the UK.
[TGT]was speaking at a press conference following the release of Tesco’s half-year results which showed sales up by 3.3% and operating profit up 27.4%. Prices rose in the period but [TGT]was quick to point out that price rises were around 1% lower than competitors.
However while [TGT]disagreed with King’s assessment of Brexit [TGT] admitted that price rises could get worse if Britain fails to reach a deal with the EU on trading terms before the March 2019 leaving deadline. | 1Neutral
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960 | Trump denies Tillerson out as secretary of state | Rex Tillerson | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during a media opportunity with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at the State Department in Washington Friday Dec. 1 2017. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday denied he wants to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling reports to that effect “fake news ” as his top diplomat brushed off speculation that he has lost the confidence of the White House.
As Tillerson went about his normal schedule of diplomatic activities including two meetings with Trump the president said his secretary of state is “not leaving.”
“The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson or that he would be leaving soon - FAKE NEWS!” Trump tweeted. “He’s not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again!”
The tweet was Trump’s strongest endorsement of his top diplomat since senior White House officials on Thursday began telling reporters that a plan had been devised to push Tillerson out and replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo. Immediately after reports of the plan emerged Trump offered only tepid support for Tillerson noting only that he was at the White House for a previously scheduled meeting.
The halfhearted backing amid the swirl of speculation over Tillerson ’s imminent demise had threatened to impair his effectiveness particularly as he prepares for an official trip to Europe next week.
On Friday Tillerson attended two meetings at the White House with Trump — one with Libya’s visiting prime minister and then a lunch with the president and Defense Secretary James Mattis. Before those meetings Tillerson told reporters at the State Department that speculation he was on his way out was “laughable.”
Tillerson aides had said the secretary was sanguine and remained comfortable in his role despite the turmoil in Trump’s national security team centering on him. Aides said Tillerson would continue to serve until the president asked him not to and stressed that such a request had not been made.
Although Tillerson looks safe for now he will be losing a senior aide and conduit to the public in coming weeks.
R.C. Hammond who has run State Department strategic communications since Tillerson took office will leave his post in mid-December officials said.
After a report in October that Tillerson had called the president a “moron ” Tillerson appeared before cameras to pledge fealty to his boss. Soon after Trump publicly challenged his secretary to an IQ match.
When Tillerson was tapped for the job late last year many Trump critics expressed quiet relief that he ’d picked a sober “adult” who could form a counterweight to the president’s brasher more impulsive approach especially on critical matters of war and peace.
Yet divisions on key foreign policy issues emerged quickly and Trump has repeatedly undermined Tillerson by voicing positions at odds with his.
When Tillerson in June called on Arab nations to ease their blockade on Qatar Trump hours later lambasted Qatar for funding terrorism. Trump also deemed diplomacy with North Korea a waste of time when Tillerson was pursuing just that. Tillerson ’s advice to Trump to stay in the Paris climate deal and certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal was similarly overruled. | [TGT] speaks during a media opportunity with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at the State Department in Washington Friday Dec. 1 2017. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday denied he wants to oust Secretary of State [TGT]calling reports to that effect “fake news ” as his top diplomat brushed off speculation that he has lost the confidence of the White House.
As [TGT]went about his normal schedule of diplomatic activities including two meetings with Trump the president said his secretary of state is “not leaving.”
“The media has been speculating that I fired [TGT]or that [TGT] would be leaving soon - FAKE NEWS!” Trump tweeted. “He’s not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again!”
The tweet was Trump’s strongest endorsement of [TGT] top diplomat since senior White House officials on Thursday began telling reporters that a plan had been devised to push [TGT]out and replace [TGT] with CIA chief Mike Pompeo. Immediately after reports of the plan emerged Trump offered only tepid support for [TGT]noting only that he was at the White House for a previously scheduled meeting.
The halfhearted backing amid the swirl of speculation over Tillerson ’s imminent demise had threatened to impair his effectiveness particularly as he prepares for an official trip to Europe next week.
On Friday [TGT]attended two meetings at the White House with Trump — one with Libya’s visiting prime minister and then a lunch with the president and Defense Secretary James Mattis. Before those meetings [TGT]told reporters at the State Department that speculation he was on his way out was “laughable.”
Tillerson aides had said the secretary was sanguine and remained comfortable in his role despite the turmoil in Trump’s national security team centering on him. Aides said [TGT]would continue to serve until the president asked him not to and stressed that such a request had not been made.
Although [TGT]looks safe for now [TGT] will be losing a senior aide and conduit to the public in coming weeks.
R.C. Hammond who has run State Department strategic communications since [TGT]took office will leave [TGT] post in mid-December officials said.
After a report in October that [TGT] had called the president a “moron ” [TGT]appeared before cameras to pledge fealty to [TGT] boss. Soon after Trump publicly challenged [TGT] secretary to an IQ match.
When [TGT]was tapped for the job late last year many Trump critics expressed quiet relief that he ’d picked a sober “adult” who could form a counterweight to the president’s brasher more impulsive approach especially on critical matters of war and peace.
Yet divisions on key foreign policy issues emerged quickly and Trump has repeatedly undermined [TGT]by voicing positions at odds with his.
When [TGT]in June called on Arab nations to ease their blockade on Qatar Trump hours later lambasted Qatar for funding terrorism. Trump also deemed diplomacy with North Korea a waste of time when [TGT]was pursuing just that. Tillerson ’s advice to Trump to stay in the Paris climate deal and certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal was similarly overruled. | 2Positive
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961 | Mom: School stabbing victim was no bully 'loved everyone' | Matthew McCree | Louna Dennis said Friday that her son Matthew McCree "loved everyone."
McCree was fatally stabbed Wednesday at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx. A second student was wounded and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Louna Dennis left the mother of Matthew McCree is comforted by a family member as she holds a news conference at her attorney's office Friday Sept. 29 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Fifteen-year-old McCree was stabbed to death in his Bronx high school history class by Abel Cedeno on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Louna Dennis the mother of Matthew McCree holds a news conference at her attorney's office Friday Sept. 29 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Fifteen-year-old McCree was stabbed to death in his Bronx high school history class by Abel Cedeno on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) | Louna Dennis said Friday that her son Matthew McCree "loved everyone."
McCree was fatally stabbed Wednesday at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx. A second student was wounded and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Louna Dennis left [TGT]is comforted by a family member as [TGT] holds a news conference at [TGT] attorney's office Friday Sept. 29 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Fifteen-year-old McCree was stabbed to death in his Bronx high school history class by Abel Cedeno on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Louna Dennis the mother of Matthew McCree holds a news conference at her attorney's office Friday Sept. 29 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Fifteen-year-old McCree was stabbed to death in his Bronx high school history class by Abel Cedeno on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) | 1Neutral
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962 | The Latest: African Union backs regional efforts in Zimbabwe | Robert Mugabe | A military tank is seen on a street in Harare Zimbabwe Thursday Nov. 16 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country’s political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe’s decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa who fled the country last week. (Associated Press)
Cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation SADC have called for an emergency summit to discuss the turmoil in Zimbabwe. It is widely seen as essential to giving Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe a dignified exit from power after the military stepped in this week.
The account @presmnangagwa claimed to represent Emmerson Mnangagwa whose firing as vice president last week led the military to move in and put President Robert Mugabe under house arrest.
Cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation Southern African Development Community have called for an emergency summit to discuss the political turmoil in Zimbabwe. It is widely seen as essential to giving Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe a dignified exit from power after the military stepped in this week.
The meeting of the heads of state of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community is widely seen as essential to giving Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe a dignified exit from power.
Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper has published what it calls new photos of President Robert Mugabe meeting with army commander Constantino Chiwenga as talks continue on a resolution to the political turmoil and the likely end to Mugabe ’s decades-long rule.
The photos published by the Zimbabwe Herald show Mugabe and the army commander meeting at the state house.
Chiwenga on Monday threatened to “step in” to calm tensions after Mugabe last week fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa who enjoys military support. Mugabe had been under house arrest since the military moved in overnight Tuesday.
South African broadcaster eNCA says it has confirmed that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is meeting with a South African delegation at the state house.
Witnesses have confirmed seeing the Mugabe motorcade moving through the capital Harare.
The talks are trying to find a solution to the political turmoil and the likely end of Mugabe ’s decades-long rule. Participants in the talks with the military are said to include the Catholic church.
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says President Robert Mugabe must resign. He calls for a negotiated inclusive transitional mechanism as well as comprehensive reforms before elections.
Tsvangirai shared power with Mugabe between 2009 and 2013 before losing disputed elections. He has been receiving treatment for cancer.
An analyst says he believes negotiations in Zimbabwe “have pretty much reached an end point” to get President Robert Mugabe to step aside.
Knox Chitiyo associate fellow with the Africa program at Chatham House cautions that speculation remains high but it appears that the Catholic church is involved in the talks with the military and Mugabe .
He says the aim is a peaceful managed transition. “What is clear it is now a matter of hours or days before he steps down.” Witnesses have confirmed the movement of Mugabe ’s motorcade in the capital. | A military tank is seen on a street in Harare Zimbabwe Thursday Nov. 16 2017. People across the country are starting another day of uncertainty amid quiet talks to resolve the country’s political turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe’s decades-long rule. Mugabe has been in military custody and there is no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa who fled the country last week. (Associated Press)
Cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation SADC have called for an emergency summit to discuss the turmoil in Zimbabwe. It is widely seen as essential to giving [TGT] a dignified exit from power after the military stepped in this week.
The account @presmnangagwa claimed to represent Emmerson Mnangagwa whose firing as vice president last week led the military to move in and put President Robert Mugabe under house arrest.
Cabinet ministers from four countries in the 15-nation Southern African Development Community have called for an emergency summit to discuss the political turmoil in Zimbabwe. It is widely seen as essential to giving [TGT] a dignified exit from power after the military stepped in this week.
The meeting of the heads of state of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community is widely seen as essential to giving [TGT] a dignified exit from power.
Zimbabwe’s state-run newspaper has published what it calls new photos of President Robert Mugabe meeting with army commander Constantino Chiwenga as talks continue on a resolution to the political turmoil and the likely end to Mugabe ’s decades-long rule.
The photos published by the Zimbabwe Herald show Mugabe and the army commander meeting at the state house.
Chiwenga on Monday threatened to “step in” to calm tensions after [TGT]last week fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa who enjoys military support. [TGT]had been under house arrest since the military moved in overnight Tuesday.
South African broadcaster eNCA says it has confirmed that [TGT]is meeting with a South African delegation at the state house.
Witnesses have confirmed seeing the [TGT]motorcade moving through the capital Harare.
The talks are trying to find a solution to the political turmoil and the likely end of [TGT] ’s decades-long rule. Participants in the talks with the military are said to include the Catholic church.
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says [TGT]must resign. He calls for a negotiated inclusive transitional mechanism as well as comprehensive reforms before elections.
Tsvangirai shared power with Mugabe between 2009 and 2013 before losing disputed elections. He has been receiving treatment for cancer.
An analyst says he believes negotiations in Zimbabwe “have pretty much reached an end point” to get [TGT]to step aside.
Knox Chitiyo associate fellow with the Africa program at Chatham House cautions that speculation remains high but it appears that the Catholic church is involved in the talks with the military and Mugabe .
He says the aim is a peaceful managed transition. “What is clear it is now a matter of hours or days before he steps down.” Witnesses have confirmed the movement of [TGT] ’s motorcade in the capital. | 2Positive
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963 | Spain's top court halts Catalan secession parliament meeting | Mariano Rajoy | Earlier Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy urged the separatist leader of the regional Catalan government Carles Puigdemont to cancel plans for declaring independence in order to avoid "greater evils."
In an interview with Spain's official EFE news agency Rajoy said the solution in Catalonia "is the prompt return to legality and the affirmation as early as possible that there will be no unilateral declaration of independence because that way greater evils will be avoided."
In this photo taken on Oct. 2 2017 Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy begins a meeting with socialist opposition leader Pedro Sanchez at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid Spain. Spain's Prime Minister on Thursday Oct. 5 2017 has urged the separatist leader of the regional Catalan government to cancel plans for declaring the independence of Catalonia in order to avoid "greater evils." (AP Photo/Paul White)
Pablo Iglesias the leader of the Spanish opposition party Podemos called Rajoy and urged him to seek mediation. But Rajoy insists that regional president Carles Puigdemont must first drop the threat of declaring independence which was seen by some as a slight easing of his opposition to talks.
Rajoy has been under pressure to act without further tarnishing his image or inflaming separatist sentiment in the region where a strong cultural identity has mixed with years of grievances for what many Catalans see as an unfair economic treatment of the region one of Spain's richest. | Earlier [TGT]urged the separatist leader of the regional Catalan government Carles Puigdemont to cancel plans for declaring independence in order to avoid "greater evils."
In an interview with Spain's official EFE news agency Rajoy said the solution in Catalonia "is the prompt return to legality and the affirmation as early as possible that there will be no unilateral declaration of independence because that way greater evils will be avoided."
In this photo taken on Oct. 2 2017 [TGT] begins a meeting with socialist opposition leader Pedro Sanchez at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid Spain. Spain's Prime Minister on Thursday Oct. 5 2017 has urged the separatist leader of the regional Catalan government to cancel plans for declaring the independence of Catalonia in order to avoid "greater evils." (AP Photo/Paul White)
Pablo Iglesias the leader of the Spanish opposition party Podemos called Rajoy and urged him to seek mediation. But [TGT]insists that regional president Carles Puigdemont must first drop the threat of declaring independence which was seen by some as a slight easing of his opposition to talks.
[TGT]has been under pressure to act without further tarnishing [TGT] image or inflaming separatist sentiment in the region where a strong cultural identity has mixed with years of grievances for what many Catalans see as an unfair economic treatment of the region one of Spain's richest. | 2Positive
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964 | Commentary: Joe Kennedy's night in the sun | Joe III | The similarities between Joe Kennedy III and Donald Trump are in a sense obvious. Both are white men northeasterners teetotalers. They are products of the Ivy League and great wealth. They joined their respective family trades – real estate for Trump politics for Joe III.
The differences are obvious too and more illuminating. Joe III is a liberal avatar of American institutions: the Kennedy family Stanford Harvard Law. Self-effacing in person he recognizes how easy his path has been – he only briefly served as an assistant DA before taking a House seat -- and had until now chosen to mitigate charges of nepotism by playing the part of diligent backbencher. The Kennedys for all their famous faults have the saving grace that comes from being in on the joke; when President Kennedy appointed his younger brother attorney general he quipped that he was just trying to give Bobby some experience before he started practicing law.
The result is the great destabilization of the Trump era. Few it seems have a firm grasp on what is happening let alone what might happen next. Everybody regardless of their ideology thinks they're losing. A realignment appears to be happening in our politics but nobody can agree on what it looks like. "We all feel the fault lines of a fractured country " as Joe III put it in his stilted awkward speech on Tuesday night.
There is of course an element of nostalgia in liberalism's newfound fondness for our institutions. Trump-era liberalism with its emphasis on American global leadership and veneration of federal agencies and the mainstream press would be easily recognizable to that first generation of Kennedys. And in that sense it makes sense that Joe III would become a natural face of contemporary Democratic politics.
Tuesday night was an attempt to make Joe III a symbol of institutional resistance to Trump. To the question of whether the institutions are worth saving and therefore capable of reform Joe III 's answer is an enthusiastic yes. He is in a sense already a symbol of how his own family has repaired itself from its reckless impulsive and selfish ways; he seems serious he is sober. The message he sends is that his family his party and all the other institutions that nurtured him still have an innate and positive utility an essential role to play. Where Trump says the rot must be amputated Joe III promises that a strong dose of antibiotics is all that's needed.
Whether this message resonates among the Democratic rank-and-file is another story. While the liberal commentariat Joe III's natural constituency remains fixated on norms and the need to defend institutions a newly ascendant left sees civility as a neoliberal plot to uphold the status quo. And whereas Joe III and his ilk see Trump as an aberration the left sees him as a symptom of a decayed political order they wish to abolish and replace.
Robert Kennedy once said that he wished he had been born poor so he could have been a revolutionary. As his career advances Joe III might harbor a similar desire if only because his party is increasingly moving in a revolutionary direction. | The similarities between Joe Kennedy III and Donald Trump are in a sense obvious. Both are white men northeasterners teetotalers. They are products of the Ivy League and great wealth. They joined their respective family trades – real estate for Trump politics for Joe III.
The differences are obvious too and more illuminating. Joe III is a liberal avatar of American institutions: the Kennedy family Stanford Harvard Law. Self-effacing in person he recognizes how easy his path has been – he only briefly served as an assistant DA before taking a House seat -- and had until now chosen to mitigate charges of nepotism by playing the part of diligent backbencher. The Kennedys for all their famous faults have the saving grace that comes from being in on the joke; when President Kennedy appointed his younger brother attorney general he quipped that he was just trying to give Bobby some experience before he started practicing law.
The result is the great destabilization of the Trump era. Few it seems have a firm grasp on what is happening let alone what might happen next. Everybody regardless of their ideology thinks they're losing. A realignment appears to be happening in our politics but nobody can agree on what it looks like. "We all feel the fault lines of a fractured country " as [TGT]put it in [TGT] stilted awkward speech on Tuesday night.
There is of course an element of nostalgia in liberalism's newfound fondness for our institutions. Trump-era liberalism with its emphasis on American global leadership and veneration of federal agencies and the mainstream press would be easily recognizable to that first generation of Kennedys. And in that sense it makes sense that [TGT]would become a natural face of contemporary Democratic politics.
Tuesday night was an attempt to make Joe III a symbol of institutional resistance to Trump. To the question of whether the institutions are worth saving and therefore capable of reform [TGT] answer is an enthusiastic yes. [TGT] is in a sense already a symbol of how [TGT] own family has repaired itself from its reckless impulsive and selfish ways; [TGT] seems serious [TGT] is sober. The message [TGT] sends is that [TGT] family [TGT] party and all the other institutions that nurtured [TGT] still have an innate and positive utility an essential role to play. Where Trump says the rot must be amputated [TGT]promises that a strong dose of antibiotics is all that's needed.
Whether this message resonates among the Democratic rank-and-file is another story. While the liberal commentariat Joe III's natural constituency remains fixated on norms and the need to defend institutions a newly ascendant left sees civility as a neoliberal plot to uphold the status quo. And whereas [TGT]and his ilk see Trump as an aberration the left sees him as a symptom of a decayed political order they wish to abolish and replace.
Robert Kennedy once said that he wished he had been born poor so he could have been a revolutionary. As his career advances [TGT] might harbor a similar desire if only because his party is increasingly moving in a revolutionary direction. | 2Positive
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965 | Trump lawyer says president knew Flynn had given FBI the same account he gave to vice president | Post ) Trump | Trump was aware of the issue a couple of weeks before a conversation with then-FBI Director James B. Comey in which Comey said the president asked him if he could be lenient while investigating Flynn whom Trump had just fired for misleading Pence about the nature of his conversations with the Russian.
According to notes kept by Comey Trump asked if he could see “his way clear to letting this go to letting Flynn go.” Trump fired Comey in May.
In a pre-dawn tweet Sunday Trump issued a fresh rebuttal to Comey writing: “I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” The tweet was part of a running commentary from Trump that began Saturday a day after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and indicated he would cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III who is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Dowd confirmed Sunday that he had drafted the tweet for Trump and acknowledged that it was sloppily worded. He said it was inaccurate to say the president was told that Flynn had lied to the FBI. Dowd said Sunday that Trump knew only what acting attorney general Sally Yates had told the White House counsel: that Flynn’s accounts to the agents interviewing him were the same as those Flynn gave Pence and “that the [Justice] Department was not accusing him of lying.”
Dowd played down the significance of Trump ’s tweet. He said he did not intend to make news and declared “I’m out of the tweeting business.”
[Graphic: Here’s what we know so far about Team Trump’s ties to Russian interests]
If Trump knew that Flynn might not have been accurate with the FBI it could provide motivation for any alleged effort to obstruct justice said Barak Cohen a former federal prosecutor who does white-collar defense work at the Perkins Coie law firm. “It bolsters the intent for committing obstruction ” he said.
The person who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly said that White House officials quickly realized the tweet could significantly assist Mueller if he chooses to pursue an obstruction case. The development sparked particular concern because others around Trump were not certain that Trump knew Flynn had made a false statement to the FBI at the time he fired him the person added.
McGahn was told Jan. 30 that the material was ready for his review the officials said. On that night Trump fired Yates over her refusal to defend his travel ban.
A person familiar with McGahn’s account says the White House counsel did not give Trump any indication in January that Flynn had violated the law in his FBI interview or tell the president that he believed Flynn was under criminal investigation.
As controversy built Sunday about Trump’s actions he sought to focus attention on news that Peter Strzok — the former top FBI official assigned to Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election — was taken off that job this summer after his bosses discovered that he and another member of Mueller’s team had exchanged politically charged texts disparaging Trump and supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Report: ‘ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE’ Now it all starts to make sense!” Trump wrote. He also criticized the FBI and promised to bring it back to “greatness” under his administration.
“After years of Comey with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more) running the FBI its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History!” Trump wrote on Twitter. “But fear not we will bring it back to greatness.” | Trump was aware of the issue a couple of weeks before a conversation with then-FBI Director James B. Comey in which Comey said the president asked him if he could be lenient while investigating Flynn whom Trump had just fired for misleading Pence about the nature of his conversations with the Russian.
According to notes kept by Comey Trump asked if he could see “his way clear to letting this go to letting Flynn go.” Trump fired Comey in May.
In a pre-dawn tweet Sunday Trump issued a fresh rebuttal to Comey writing: “I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” The tweet was part of a running commentary from Trump that began Saturday a day after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and indicated he would cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III who is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Dowd confirmed Sunday that he had drafted the tweet for Trump and acknowledged that it was sloppily worded. He said it was inaccurate to say the president was told that Flynn had lied to the FBI. Dowd said Sunday that Trump knew only what acting attorney general Sally Yates had told the White House counsel: that Flynn’s accounts to the agents interviewing him were the same as those Flynn gave Pence and “that the [Justice] Department was not accusing him of lying.”
Dowd played down the significance of Trump ’s tweet. He said he did not intend to make news and declared “I’m out of the tweeting business.”
[Graphic: Here’s what we know so far about Team Trump’s ties to Russian interests]
If Trump knew that Flynn might not have been accurate with the FBI it could provide motivation for any alleged effort to obstruct justice said Barak Cohen a former federal prosecutor who does white-collar defense work at the Perkins Coie law firm. “It bolsters the intent for committing obstruction ” he said.
The person who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly said that White House officials quickly realized the tweet could significantly assist Mueller if he chooses to pursue an obstruction case. The development sparked particular concern because others around Trump were not certain that Trump knew Flynn had made a false statement to the FBI at the time he fired him the person added.
McGahn was told Jan. 30 that the material was ready for his review the officials said. On that night Trump fired Yates over her refusal to defend his travel ban.
A person familiar with McGahn’s account says the White House counsel did not give Trump any indication in January that Flynn had violated the law in his FBI interview or tell the president that he believed Flynn was under criminal investigation.
As controversy built Sunday about Trump’s actions he sought to focus attention on news that Peter Strzok — the former top FBI official assigned to Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election — was taken off that job this summer after his bosses discovered that he and another member of Mueller’s team had exchanged politically charged texts disparaging Trump and supporting Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Report: ‘ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE’ Now it all starts to make sense!” Trump wrote. He also criticized the FBI and promised to bring it back to “greatness” under his administration.
“After years of Comey with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more) running the FBI its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History!” Trump wrote on Twitter. “But fear not we will bring it back to greatness.” | 1Neutral
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966 | JPMorgan's Dimon says Trump likely to be a one | Jamie Dimon | CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co on Wednesday said he expects to see a new U.S. president in 2021 and advised the Democratic party to come up with a “pro-free enterprise” agenda for jobs and economic growth instead.
FILE PHOTO: JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon speaks at a Remain in the EU campaign event attended by Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (not shown) at JP Morgan's corporate centre in Bournemouth southern Britain June 3 2016. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
Asked at a luncheon hosted by The Economic Club of Chicago how many years Republican President Donald Trump will be in office Dimon said “If I had to bet I’d bet three and half. But the Democrats have to come up with a reasonable candidate ... or Trump will win again.”
Dimon who in the past has described himself as “barely” a Democrat has been going to Washington more often since the 2016 elections to lobby lawmakers on issues including changes in corporate taxes immigration policies and mortgage finance.
He also commented on foreign affairs saying for example “We should never be rude to a neighbor like Mexico” and cautioning that the political weakness of German Chancellor Angela Merkel “ is bad for all of us.” Talks on forming a governing coalition including Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union collapsed earlier this week casting doubt on her future after 12 years in power.
Dimon spoke for several minutes about discrimination over gender and race which he said is not acknowledged enough in the United States.
“If you’re white paint yourself black and walk down the street one day and you’ll probably have a little more empathy for how some of these folks get treated ” Dimon said. “ We need to make a special effort because this is a special problem.”
Dimon gave his own bank a mixed review on diversity. His direct reports include people who identify as lesbian gay bisexual or transgender (LGBT) and half are women as are 30 percent of the top 200 JPMorgan executives he said.
Now in his 12th year as JPMorgan’s CEO Dimon also reflected a bit on his own role.
“I basically love my job ” Dimon said. “I mean it’s tiring; it’s exhausting. I have to go down to Washington all the time and it’s a big pain in the ass but I basically love my job.” | [TGT]on Wednesday said [TGT] expects to see a new U.S. president in 2021 and advised the Democratic party to come up with a “pro-free enterprise” agenda for jobs and economic growth instead.
FILE PHOTO: [TGT] speaks at a Remain in the EU campaign event attended by Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (not shown) at JP Morgan's corporate centre in Bournemouth southern Britain June 3 2016. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
Asked at a luncheon hosted by The Economic Club of Chicago how many years Republican President Donald Trump will be in office [TGT]said “If I had to bet I’d bet three and half. But the Democrats have to come up with a reasonable candidate ... or Trump will win again.”
[TGT]who in the past has described [TGT] as “barely” a Democrat has been going to Washington more often since the 2016 elections to lobby lawmakers on issues including changes in corporate taxes immigration policies and mortgage finance.
[TGT] also commented on foreign affairs saying for example “We should never be rude to a neighbor like Mexico” and cautioning that the political weakness of German Chancellor Angela Merkel “ is bad for all of us.” Talks on forming a governing coalition including Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union collapsed earlier this week casting doubt on her future after 12 years in power.
[TGT]spoke for several minutes about discrimination over gender and race which [TGT] said is not acknowledged enough in the United States.
“If you’re white paint yourself black and walk down the street one day and you’ll probably have a little more empathy for how some of these folks get treated ” [TGT]said. “ [TGT] need to make a special effort because this is a special problem.”
[TGT]gave [TGT] own bank a mixed review on diversity. [TGT] direct reports include people who identify as lesbian gay bisexual or transgender (LGBT) and half are women as are 30 percent of the top 200 JPMorgan executives [TGT] said.
Now in [TGT] 12th year as JPMorgan’s CEO [TGT]also reflected a bit on [TGT] own role.
“I basically love my job ” [TGT]said. “I mean it’s tiring; it’s exhausting. I have to go down to Washington all the time and it’s a big pain in the ass but I basically love my job.” | 2Positive
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967 | A Wedding Cake and the Blessings of Liberty | Phillips | Jack Phillips proprietor of Masterpiece Cakeshop refused to create a wedding cake ordered for a same-sex marriage on grounds that it would force him to create a cake expressing a value opposed to his Christian convictions. The gay men who ordered the cake filed a sexual orientation discrimination claim against him with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Commission ruled against Phillips .
It was clear that this was not a matter of Phillips refusing to do business with these men because they are gay. He offered to make them any cake they wanted just not one designed for a same-sex wedding.
Phillips claims his right of free expression under the Constitution's First Amendment.
Some not sympathetic to Phillips ' claim argue that making a cake is not artistic expression and has nothing to do with speech protected by the First Amendment.
By this standard how can we possibly rationalize forcing Phillips to produce a cake against his will expressing a value anathema to his religion?
How can forcing Phillips to do this be understood in any way as securing for him "the blessings of liberty"? | [TGT]refused to create a wedding cake ordered for a same-sex marriage on grounds that it would force [TGT] to create a cake expressing a value opposed to [TGT] Christian convictions. The gay men who ordered the cake filed a sexual orientation discrimination claim against him with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Commission ruled against [TGT] .
It was clear that this was not a matter of [TGT] refusing to do business with these men because they are gay. [TGT] offered to make them any cake they wanted just not one designed for a same-sex wedding.
[TGT] claims [TGT] right of free expression under the Constitution's First Amendment.
Some not sympathetic to [TGT] ' claim argue that making a cake is not artistic expression and has nothing to do with speech protected by the First Amendment.
By this standard how can we possibly rationalize forcing [TGT]to produce a cake against [TGT] will expressing a value anathema to [TGT] religion?
How can forcing [TGT]to do this be understood in any way as securing for [TGT] "the blessings of liberty"? | 1Neutral
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968 | Rise and fall of Chris Christie from Superstorm Sandy to Bridgegate | Chris Christie Trump | Donald Trump and Chris Christie campaign in 2016. (Photo: John Minchillo AP)
I recall Chris Christie’s first interview with our editorial board after he won the 2009 election. We asked what had changed in his life now that he was governor of New Jersey.
More: Chris Christie polishes his Trump brand as the swamp beckons
More: Chris Christie on the beach: New Jersey had a bad day why should he suffer?
The governor’s fight against opioid abuse won him national praise. But the standing ovation really should go to the Christie who pushed for drug courts treatment over incarceration and the near elimination of cash bail. No other governor could have done so much to right the scales of justice for minorities and low-income defendants. None of this is sexy to voters in national primaries which makes these initiatives so much more important in judging all that was Christie . He was capable of being a great leader.
Then came Superstorm Sandy— the event that made Christie a national figure even as it pretty much set in motion everything that destroyed him. It fed his ego. The national attention he received in his blue fleece telling someone to get off the beach the bombast that was akin to a happy King Lear not howling at the wind but pushing the wind back. He seemed invincible.
After Sandy Christie was a rising Republican star. Everything he did was now seen through a rosy prism. He was the Republican governor of a blue state getting things done. To be clear: New Jersey is neither blue nor red. It’s madras. Tom Kean Christie Whitman — Republicans had won statewide before. New Jersey wanted a reformer in 2009 and Christie seemed to fit that bill.
The most telling moment from Christie’s final State of the State address this month was a sentence he ad-libbed. The prepared text read: “We ran to be a Governor who did not just mark time. We ran to win and to be a Governor of consequence.” What Christie said during the speech was “I ran to win. I always ran to win. I ran to be a governor of consequence.”
That’s it in a nutshell. The fatal flaw. A chief executive consumed with winning who would assemble a team consumed with his winning. It explains more than anything how Bridgegate could come to pass how a smart politically savvy man like Christie could put so many of the wrong people in high-profile jobs. Did he know before the George Washington Bridge lane closures during the lane closures or shortly after the lane closures that created a massive four-day traffic jam? At this point it matters less than that he always knew too many people on his team were capable of being punitive petty and destructive in the cause of Christie winning.
Christie tried to minimize the scandal. He wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on a whitewash report prepared by high-priced lawyers. He bled NJ Transit dry.
He bullied. He baited. And just as Sandy had made him a star Bridgegate made him a pariah. Not all at once. But by the time he left New Jersey to raise money for Republican governors across the nation and then to openly pursue the presidency he was already failing in New Jersey.
I once was as close to a Christie cheerleader as he could find in the New Jersey media. There was a time when I believed he was the real deal. He was funny well informed and enjoyed a vigorous debate on issues — at least off the record.
The brilliance of Christie remains somewhere inside him but he was not the greatest natural politician I will ever see. The greatest natural politician would never forget that he was entirely dependent on the charity of others — voters. Christie once told a young man at a town hall who asked how to get into politics that you first have to ask people for their votes. He said a candidate had to recognize that voters could choose anyone they wanted that receiving a vote was a gift.
The governor forgot that lesson or as his ratings tanked decided it no longer mattered. He became more important than anything. It was not about New Jersey winning but Christie winning.
Voters elected Christie to serve until Jan. 16 2018 but he checked out on Election Day 2013. | Donald Trump and Chris Christie campaign in 2016. (Photo: John Minchillo AP)
I recall Chris Christie’s first interview with our editorial board after he won the 2009 election. We asked what had changed in his life now that he was governor of New Jersey.
More: Chris Christie polishes his Trump brand as the swamp beckons
More: Chris Christie on the beach: New Jersey had a bad day why should he suffer?
The governor’s fight against opioid abuse won him national praise. But the standing ovation really should go to the Christie who pushed for drug courts treatment over incarceration and the near elimination of cash bail. No other governor could have done so much to right the scales of justice for minorities and low-income defendants. None of this is sexy to voters in national primaries which makes these initiatives so much more important in judging all that was Christie . He was capable of being a great leader.
Then came Superstorm Sandy— the event that made Christie a national figure even as it pretty much set in motion everything that destroyed him. It fed his ego. The national attention he received in his blue fleece telling someone to get off the beach the bombast that was akin to a happy King Lear not howling at the wind but pushing the wind back. He seemed invincible.
After Sandy Christie was a rising Republican star. Everything he did was now seen through a rosy prism. He was the Republican governor of a blue state getting things done. To be clear: New Jersey is neither blue nor red. It’s madras. Tom Kean Christie Whitman — Republicans had won statewide before. New Jersey wanted a reformer in 2009 and Christie seemed to fit that bill.
The most telling moment from Christie’s final State of the State address this month was a sentence he ad-libbed. The prepared text read: “We ran to be a Governor who did not just mark time. We ran to win and to be a Governor of consequence.” What Christie said during the speech was “I ran to win. I always ran to win. I ran to be a governor of consequence.”
That’s it in a nutshell. The fatal flaw. A chief executive consumed with winning who would assemble a team consumed with his winning. It explains more than anything how Bridgegate could come to pass how a smart politically savvy man like Christie could put so many of the wrong people in high-profile jobs. Did he know before the George Washington Bridge lane closures during the lane closures or shortly after the lane closures that created a massive four-day traffic jam? At this point it matters less than that he always knew too many people on his team were capable of being punitive petty and destructive in the cause of Christie winning.
Christie tried to minimize the scandal. He wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on a whitewash report prepared by high-priced lawyers. He bled NJ Transit dry.
He bullied. He baited. And just as Sandy had made him a star Bridgegate made him a pariah. Not all at once. But by the time he left New Jersey to raise money for Republican governors across the nation and then to openly pursue the presidency he was already failing in New Jersey.
I once was as close to a Christie cheerleader as he could find in the New Jersey media. There was a time when I believed he was the real deal. He was funny well informed and enjoyed a vigorous debate on issues — at least off the record.
The brilliance of Christie remains somewhere inside him but he was not the greatest natural politician I will ever see. The greatest natural politician would never forget that he was entirely dependent on the charity of others — voters. Christie once told a young man at a town hall who asked how to get into politics that you first have to ask people for their votes. He said a candidate had to recognize that voters could choose anyone they wanted that receiving a vote was a gift.
The governor forgot that lesson or as his ratings tanked decided it no longer mattered. He became more important than anything. It was not about New Jersey winning but Christie winning.
Voters elected Christie to serve until Jan. 16 2018 but he checked out on Election Day 2013. | 1Neutral
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969 | Neymar Mbappe score as leader PSG wins 4 | Neymar | Brazil forward Neymar scored twice and turned provider for Kylian Mbappe and striker Edinson Cavani while Mbappe set up both of Neymar 's goals.
Neymar put PSG ahead in the fourth minute turning in Mbappe's cross from the right. Roles were reversed when teenage star Mbappe then netted from Neymar 's cross in the 17th.
Neymar and Mbappe joined in the summer transfer window with PSG paying Barcelona a world record 222 million euros ($262 million). Mbappe who turns 19 next Wednesday joined from defending champion Monaco in a deal worth 180 million euros ($216 million).
PSG profited from the extra man to make it 3-1 when Cavani ran onto Neymar 's pass to brilliantly flick the ball over goalkeeper Tomas Koubek in the 75th for his league-leading 18th goal of the season. A minute later Cavani released Mbappe down the right he crossed quickly and Neymar slid in at the back post to grab his 11th of the season. | Brazil forward [TGT] scored twice and turned provider for Kylian Mbappe and striker Edinson Cavani while Mbappe set up both of Neymar 's goals.
[TGT] put PSG ahead in the fourth minute turning in Mbappe's cross from the right. Roles were reversed when teenage star Mbappe then netted from Neymar 's cross in the 17th.
[TGT] and Mbappe joined in the summer transfer window with PSG paying Barcelona a world record 222 million euros ($262 million). Mbappe who turns 19 next Wednesday joined from defending champion Monaco in a deal worth 180 million euros ($216 million).
PSG profited from the extra man to make it 3-1 when Cavani ran onto [TGT] 's pass to brilliantly flick the ball over goalkeeper Tomas Koubek in the 75th for his league-leading 18th goal of the season. A minute later Cavani released Mbappe down the right he crossed quickly and [TGT]slid in at the back post to grab his 11th of the season. | 2Positive
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970 | NRA discount that triggered Delta showdown was barely used | Casey Cagle | The legislature stripped a tax break on jet fuel from a broader tax bill Thursday after GOP Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle vowed to punish Delta for crossing the NRA. Cagle says they were defending the values of "ridiculed and belittled" conservatives.
Cagle called Delta a "beloved bedrock" of Georgia's economy in an opinion piece published Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But he said Delta's decision to cut ties with the National Rifle Association sent a clear message to conservatives that "we find your views deplorable."
Cagle wrote: "We cannot continue to allow large companies to treat conservatives differently than other customers."
GOP Gov. Nathan Deal has blamed election-year posturing for the Delta controversy. Deal is term-limited and Cagle is a leading Republican candidate to succeed him . | The legislature stripped a tax break on jet fuel from a broader tax bill Thursday after GOP Lt. [TGT]vowed to punish Delta for crossing the NRA. [TGT]says they were defending the values of "ridiculed and belittled" conservatives.
[TGT] called Delta a "beloved bedrock" of Georgia's economy in an opinion piece published Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But he said Delta's decision to cut ties with the National Rifle Association sent a clear message to conservatives that "we find your views deplorable."
Cagle wrote: "We cannot continue to allow large companies to treat conservatives differently than other customers."
GOP Gov. Nathan Deal has blamed election-year posturing for the Delta controversy. Deal is term-limited and [TGT]is a leading Republican candidate to succeed [TGT] . | 1Neutral
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971 | Thomas Edison discovery: Electrical wire from historic home lighting demo on sale for $120 000 | Thomas Edison | A long-lost piece of electrical wire from Thomas Edison’s first underground cable for electric lighting is up for sale.
Edison’s own home in Menlo Park a section of Edison New Jersey was among the homes lit in the November 1880 electrical lighting test.
“Because of this test Edison was able to put lights up in New York; because of that it went worldwide ” he added.
The wire was saved by F.A. Wardlaw a long-time Edison lab aide who was present on the night of the test. In 1933 Wardlaw dug up the wire and sent it to Paul Kruesi the son of Edison ’s chief machinist who grew up with the inventor in Menlo Park. A handwritten note from Wardlaw is attached to the piece of electrical wire.
“Perhaps you would like a piece of the original conductor used by Edison at Menlo Park at the now historic demonstration of the Edison System of Incandescent Electric Lighting in 1880 so am sending you one ” Wardlaw wrote in a Oct. 4 1933 letter accompanying the artifact and note. “I dug it out of the bank on the east side of Christie St Menlo Park directly opposite your old home last Friday. It was the first underground cable ever used for electric lighting and appears pretty good yet after being buried for 53 years.” | A long-lost piece of electrical wire from [TGT]’s first underground cable for electric lighting is up for sale.
Edison’s own home in Menlo Park a section of Edison New Jersey was among the homes lit in the November 1880 electrical lighting test.
“Because of this test Edison was able to put lights up in New York; because of that it went worldwide ” he added.
The wire was saved by F.A. Wardlaw a long-time Edison lab aide who was present on the night of the test. In 1933 Wardlaw dug up the wire and sent it to Paul Kruesi the son of Edison ’s chief machinist who grew up with the inventor in Menlo Park. A handwritten note from Wardlaw is attached to the piece of electrical wire.
“Perhaps you would like a piece of the original conductor used by Edison at Menlo Park at the now historic demonstration of the Edison System of Incandescent Electric Lighting in 1880 so am sending you one ” Wardlaw wrote in a Oct. 4 1933 letter accompanying the artifact and note. “I dug it out of the bank on the east side of Christie St Menlo Park directly opposite your old home last Friday. It was the first underground cable ever used for electric lighting and appears pretty good yet after being buried for 53 years.” | 2Positive
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972 | Nazanin Zaghari | Richard Ratcliffe | The 3-year-old daughter of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Richard Ratcliffe can no longer talk to her father – because she has forgotten English Zaghari-Ratcliffe's MP said today.
Ratcliffe said he was extremely concerned about his wife's health after 19 months of imprisonment. "She was clearly very traumatised " he said. "She talked about being on the verge of a mental breakdown and I absolutely think that's true."
He went on to say that he was becoming "exponentially" concerned about his wife's health especially given that she had discovered lumps in her breast.
A statement from the Foreign Office said Johnson would leave "no stone unturned" in attempting to get Zaghari-Ratcliffe back to her family. He said his "overriding principle" was to secure a permanent and not temporary release. | The 3-year-old daughter of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and [TGT] can no longer talk to [TGT] father – because [TGT] has forgotten English Zaghari-Ratcliffe's MP said today.
Ratcliffe said he was extremely concerned about his wife's health after 19 months of imprisonment. "[TGT] was clearly very traumatised " he said. "[TGT] talked about being on the verge of a mental breakdown and I absolutely think that's true."
He went on to say that he was becoming "exponentially" concerned about his wife's health especially given that [TGT] had discovered lumps in [TGT] breast.
A statement from the Foreign Office said Johnson would leave "no stone unturned" in attempting to get Zaghari-Ratcliffe back to her family. He said his "overriding principle" was to secure a permanent and not temporary release. | 2Positive
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973 | Veteran Zeman wins last big battle in Czech presidential vote | Milos Zeman | PRAGUE (Reuters) - Milos Zeman the longest-standing figure in Czech post-communist politics won a final major battle on Saturday showing off his strong political instincts to secure a second presidential term.
The anti-migration platform has aligned Zeman with the Czech far-right. Tomio Okamura the head of SPD an anti-EU and anti-NATO party that won seats in an October general election flanked Zeman on Saturday.
“Not only journalists but also some politicians possess intelligence that is substantially lower than that of normal citizens ” Zeman told his victory celebration.
Zeman supports a referendum on EU membership although he said he would vote to stay.
A frequent question in the campaign was Zeman ’s health. A heavy smoker and self-adverrtised drinker he has diabetes and difficulty walking due to neuropathy in his legs.
After the end of Communism in 1989 Zeman joined the center-left Social Democrats - taking a position on the other side of the political scene from then-prime minister Klaus.
In 1998 the two surprised the country by forging an “opposition agreement” making Zeman prime minister and Klaus leader of a cooperative opposition.
Zeman however maintained course to join NATO in 1999 and also kept the country on track to enter the European Union in 2004.
Zeman and Klaus - who served two presidential terms before Zeman - grew closer over the years both sniping against liberal elites and adopting a favorable attitude to Russia. Klaus backed Zeman in his 2013 victory and this year’s election.
When elected president in 2013 Zeman raised an EU flag above the Prague Castle. But he has focused on building ties with China and Russia. He attended military parades in Moscow and Beijing that other western leaders shunned and appointed a Chinese company leader as his adviser.
Zeman has also tested the constitution’s boundaries in appointing governments.
Political analyst Tomas Lebeda said Zeman would now be even less concerned about appearances.
“ He will not control or restrain himself as he promised several times between the first and second round - on the contrary ” Lebeda said. | [TGT]won a final major battle on Saturday showing off [TGT] strong political instincts to secure a second presidential term.
The anti-migration platform has aligned Zeman with the Czech far-right. Tomio Okamura the head of SPD an anti-EU and anti-NATO party that won seats in an October general election flanked Zeman on Saturday.
“Not only journalists but also some politicians possess intelligence that is substantially lower than that of normal citizens ” Zeman told his victory celebration.
Zeman supports a referendum on EU membership although he said he would vote to stay.
A frequent question in the campaign was Zeman ’s health. A heavy smoker and self-adverrtised drinker he has diabetes and difficulty walking due to neuropathy in his legs.
After the end of Communism in 1989 Zeman joined the center-left Social Democrats - taking a position on the other side of the political scene from then-prime minister Klaus.
In 1998 the two surprised the country by forging an “opposition agreement” making Zeman prime minister and Klaus leader of a cooperative opposition.
Zeman however maintained course to join NATO in 1999 and also kept the country on track to enter the European Union in 2004.
Zeman and Klaus - who served two presidential terms before Zeman - grew closer over the years both sniping against liberal elites and adopting a favorable attitude to Russia. Klaus backed Zeman in his 2013 victory and this year’s election.
When elected president in 2013 Zeman raised an EU flag above the Prague Castle. But he has focused on building ties with China and Russia. He attended military parades in Moscow and Beijing that other western leaders shunned and appointed a Chinese company leader as his adviser.
Zeman has also tested the constitution’s boundaries in appointing governments.
Political analyst Tomas Lebeda said Zeman would now be even less concerned about appearances.
“ He will not control or restrain himself as he promised several times between the first and second round - on the contrary ” Lebeda said. | 2Positive
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974 | Woman Says Man Sexually Assaulted Her While She Slept On A Flight | Prabhu Ramamoorthy | Prabhu Ramamoorthy a 34-year-old Indian citizen approved to live in the U.S. on a travel visa was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and later charged with aggravated sexual abuse The Detroit News reported.
The 22-year-old woman said she was sleeping in the window seat and awoke to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned according to the complaint obtained by the Detroit Free Press. She also said that Ramamoorthy was shoving his “fingers in her (genitals) and vigorously moving them.” She said he did not stop until she was fully awake.
Federal prosecutors said that Ramamoorthy did this while he sat between the victim and his wife.
The woman who “appeared visibly upset and was crying ” immediately reported the incident to the flight attendants who offered her a different seat per The Washington Post. Ramamoorthy was arrested once the plane landed.
Ramamoorthy later told an FBI agent that he ”‘might have’ undone (the woman’s) bra while playing with it and that he had cupped her (clothed) breast.” He also told authorities that he attempted to put his finger in her vagina “but was not successful.” | [TGT]was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and later charged with aggravated sexual abuse The Detroit News reported.
The 22-year-old woman said she was sleeping in the window seat and awoke to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned according to the complaint obtained by the Detroit Free Press. She also said that [TGT]was shoving his “fingers in her (genitals) and vigorously moving them.” She said he did not stop until she was fully awake.
Federal prosecutors said that [TGT]did this while he sat between the victim and his wife.
The woman who “appeared visibly upset and was crying ” immediately reported the incident to the flight attendants who offered her a different seat per The Washington Post. [TGT]was arrested once the plane landed.
[TGT]later told an FBI agent that he ”‘might have’ undone (the woman’s) bra while playing with it and that he had cupped her (clothed) breast.” He also told authorities that he attempted to put his finger in her vagina “but was not successful.” | 2Positive
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975 | Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra's marriage resulted in two abortions but their love endured says author | Ava Gardner | When Ava Gardner first met Frank Sinatra in 1943 the duo couldn’t have suspected that six years later after the actress faced two disastrous divorces before the age of 25 they would happily dive into a controversial love affair.
Sinatra may have still been married but an insistent Gardner reportedly made the singer ask Nancy for a divorce. The mother of his three young children initially refused but she eventually granted Sinatra a divorce in 1951. One week after his divorce was final Sinatra married Gardner.
“I don’t think [Frank] wanted to hurt Nancy ” said Uzarowski. “But at the same time I don’t think he went out of his way to hide [the affair]. They did get into quite a lot of trouble with the public. There were angry letters hate mail coming in every week to the studio.
“She really liked Ava ” said Uzarowski. “She could have had a very bad attitude towards Ava because she basically stole her father away from her mother. She could have been resentful. But there was none of that… Tina and Nancy were both very friendly with Ava .”
“The first time she met Ava when she was a little girl of 4 or 5 Ava got down on her knees so she [could] have eye contact with her ” said Uzarowski. “And she really treated her with a lot of attention and a lot of warmth. That obviously really impressed her as a child. She still remembered that after all of these years.”
Still Gardner and Sinatra wouldn’t share a happily ever after. Their marriage was plagued by jealousy fiery tempers and insecurity. They also publicly battled. The relationship was reportedly so tumultuous that Gardner had two abortions during their marriage which she later publicly admitted.
According to Tina Gardner later wondered what the couple could have done differently.
The marriage lasted for less than two years. In 1953 MGM announced their separation. Then in 1957 Gardner and Sinatra were divorced. However they apparently never got over each other. There were even rumors of a possible reconciliation.
Gardner would move on and live a quiet life in London for more than 30 years seeking salvation from the paparazzi. She never remarried.
One of Sinatra’s biggest tragedies would come in 1990 when Gardner died at age 67 of pneumonia.
“[Tina] said it was such a huge blow to him ” said Uzarowski. “ She said he never got over it… It was such a huge shock to him . She was the love of his life by all accounts. When she did pass away he was devastated.
"Tina said the actual pain he experienced was so much more. He wouldn’t share that with anyone because it was too personal… There was a story that Nancy said in another book that he just locked himself in a room for 24 hours… and wouldn’t speak to anyone.” | When [TGT]first met Frank Sinatra in 1943 the duo couldn’t have suspected that six years later after the actress faced two disastrous divorces before the age of 25 they would happily dive into a controversial love affair.
Sinatra may have still been married but an insistent [TGT]reportedly made the singer ask Nancy for a divorce. The mother of [TGT] three young children initially refused but she eventually granted Sinatra a divorce in 1951. One week after his divorce was final Sinatra married Gardner.
“I don’t think [Frank] wanted to hurt Nancy ” said Uzarowski. “But at the same time I don’t think he went out of his way to hide [the affair]. They did get into quite a lot of trouble with the public. There were angry letters hate mail coming in every week to the studio.
“She really liked Ava ” said Uzarowski. “She could have had a very bad attitude towards Ava because she basically stole her father away from her mother. She could have been resentful. But there was none of that… Tina and Nancy were both very friendly with Ava .”
“The first time she met Ava when she was a little girl of 4 or 5 Ava got down on her knees so she [could] have eye contact with her ” said Uzarowski. “And she really treated her with a lot of attention and a lot of warmth. That obviously really impressed her as a child. She still remembered that after all of these years.”
Still Gardner and Sinatra wouldn’t share a happily ever after. Their marriage was plagued by jealousy fiery tempers and insecurity. They also publicly battled. The relationship was reportedly so tumultuous that Gardner had two abortions during their marriage which she later publicly admitted.
According to Tina Gardner later wondered what the couple could have done differently.
The marriage lasted for less than two years. In 1953 MGM announced their separation. Then in 1957 Gardner and Sinatra were divorced. However they apparently never got over each other. There were even rumors of a possible reconciliation.
Gardner would move on and live a quiet life in London for more than 30 years seeking salvation from the paparazzi. She never remarried.
One of Sinatra’s biggest tragedies would come in 1990 when Gardner died at age 67 of pneumonia.
“[Tina] said it was such a huge blow to him ” said Uzarowski. “ She said he never got over it… It was such a huge shock to him . She was the love of his life by all accounts. When she did pass away he was devastated.
"Tina said the actual pain he experienced was so much more. He wouldn’t share that with anyone because it was too personal… There was a story that Nancy said in another book that he just locked himself in a room for 24 hours… and wouldn’t speak to anyone.” | 2Positive
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976 | Washington State Sues OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma | Ferguson | The lawsuit by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson accused Purdue of deceptive marketing of OxyContin and convincing doctors and the public that its drugs had a low-risk of addiction and were effective for treating chronic pain.
"I don't know how executives at Purdue sleep at night " Ferguson told reporters.
In filing his lawsuit in King County Superior Court in Seattle on Thursday Ferguson said he was breaking off from an ongoing multi-state probe by various attorneys general into companies that manufacture and distribute opioids.
While Ferguson said looked forward to seeing its results "we felt we had a case ready to go." | [TGT] accused Purdue of deceptive marketing of OxyContin and convincing doctors and the public that its drugs had a low-risk of addiction and were effective for treating chronic pain.
"I don't know how executives at Purdue sleep at night " [TGT] told reporters.
In filing [TGT] in King County Superior Court in Seattle on Thursday [TGT]said [TGT] was breaking off from an ongoing multi-state probe by various attorneys general into companies that manufacture and distribute opioids.
While [TGT]said looked forward to seeing its results "we felt we had a case ready to go." | 2Positive
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977 | Army | Jeff Monken | CLOSE USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg discusses the upcoming game between the two rivals. USA TODAY Sports
Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Monken speaks to his players in the locker room after beating Duke in November. (Photo: Danny Wild USA TODAY Sports)
“It’s a great memory for our program ” Army head coach Jeff Monken said. “It’s different maybe from any other game. There is such a great sense of pride in winning this game.“
It might have taken a coach with Monken ’s background to reverse Army’s nearly 20-year run among the weakest programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision which saw the Cadets cycle through five different head coaches and nearly as many failed offensive schemes. While Army struggled Monken was learning the option offense from the source: Beginning at Georgia Southern in 1997 he spent more than a decade as an assistant under current Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson — including six seasons as the running backs coach at Navy. | "CLOSE USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg discusses the upcoming game between the two rivals. USA TODAY Sports
[TGT] speaks to [TGT] players in the locker room after beating Duke in November. (Photo: Danny Wild USA TODAY Sports)
“It’s a great memory for our program ” [TGT] said. “It’s different maybe from any other game. There is such a great sense of pride in winning this game.“
It might have taken a coach with [TGT] ’s background to reverse Army’s nearly 20-year run among the weakest programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision which saw the Cadets cycle through five different head coaches and nearly as many failed offensive schemes. While Army struggled Monken was learning the option offense from the source: Beginning at Georgia Southern in 1997 he spent more than a decade as an assistant under current Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson — including six seasons as the running backs coach at Navy." | 2Positive
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978 | Brexit Decision Takes A Toll On Ireland's Tourism Industry | David Coulter | FRANK LANGFITT BYLINE: David Coulter owns the Inishowen Mushroom farm here. Today a conveyer's loading compost into giant trays where Coulter grows his mushrooms.
DAVID COULTER : We grow in these plastic tunnels. They're insulated tunnels. We employ about 34 people.
COULTER : Well we're filling today so it's two weeks and three days we will have mushrooms for picking.
LANGFITT: Brexit's still 18 months away but Coulter 's mushroom farm is already paying a price. Soon after the Brexit vote the value of the British pound plunged.
COULTER : Well it's been disastrous. Ninety-eight percent of our product goes into the U.K. market.
LANGFITT: Which means Coulter earns around 18 percent less for his mushrooms because he 's paid in pounds. The pound fell because investors think leaving the EU's massive market will damage the U.K. economy. Recently Coulter who's 67 has had to reduce costs. He's laid off workers. His son Russell is working up to 18 hours a day and Coulter has also found a way to save money on compost.
LANGFITT: Back at the mushroom farm in County Donegal remaining workers are pushing carts of freshly picked mushrooms. The farm produces at least 60 000 pounds a week. I pose a question to owner David Coulter .
COULTER : Don't know. I honestly don't know. | FRANK LANGFITT BYLINE: [TGT]owns the Inishowen Mushroom farm here. Today a conveyer's loading compost into giant trays where [TGT]grows [TGT] mushrooms.
[TGT] : We grow in these plastic tunnels. They're insulated tunnels. We employ about 34 people.
[TGT] : Well we're filling today so it's two weeks and three days we will have mushrooms for picking.
LANGFITT: Brexit's still 18 months away but [TGT] 's mushroom farm is already paying a price. Soon after the Brexit vote the value of the British pound plunged.
[TGT] : Well it's been disastrous. Ninety-eight percent of our product goes into the U.K. market.
LANGFITT: Which means [TGT]earns around 18 percent less for [TGT] mushrooms because [TGT] 's paid in pounds. The pound fell because investors think leaving the EU's massive market will damage the U.K. economy. Recently Coulter who's 67 has had to reduce costs. He's laid off workers. His son Russell is working up to 18 hours a day and [TGT] has also found a way to save money on compost.
LANGFITT: Back at the mushroom farm in County Donegal remaining workers are pushing carts of freshly picked mushrooms. The farm produces at least 60 000 pounds a week. I pose a question to [TGT] .
[TGT] : Don't know. I honestly don't know. | 2Positive
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979 | Halsey poem recounts sexual assault calls out Trump | Halsey | Halsey raised her voice Saturday at the Women’s March in New York to shed light on sexual assault rape and a culture rooted in misogyny.
Halsey delivered one of Saturday’s most poignant moments when she recited an original poem about sexual assault. (Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock/Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock)
“A Story Like Mine” shares Halsey ’s personal experiences with sexual assault which include being assaulted as a child accompanying her best friend to Planned Parenthood being forced by a boyfriend to have sex and performing after having a miscarriage.
Halsey also addresses how she believed her fame could protect her from being assaulted but that she realizes “nobody is safe (as) long as she is alive.”
Halsey 's powerful poem had some choice words for President Trump. (Evan Vucci/AP)
“And that’s why we’re here and that’s why we rally ” Halsey read “It’s Olympians and a medical resident and not one f---ng word from the man who is President.”
Although Halsey ’s poem explores past traumas “A Story Like Mine” ends on a hopeful note.
This is extraordinary. Thank you @Halsey for your art your words your ferocity. https://t.co/JGCSKJwhPi — Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) January 21 2018
Katy Perry Reese Witherspoon Debra Messing and other celebrities praised Halsey's poem on social media. | [TGT]raised [TGT] voice Saturday at the Women’s March in New York to shed light on sexual assault rape and a culture rooted in misogyny.
[TGT]delivered one of Saturday’s most poignant moments when [TGT] recited an original poem about sexual assault. (Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock/Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock)
“A Story Like Mine” shares Halsey ’s personal experiences with sexual assault which include being assaulted as a child accompanying her best friend to Planned Parenthood being forced by a boyfriend to have sex and performing after having a miscarriage.
[TGT]also addresses how [TGT] believed [TGT] fame could protect [TGT] from being assaulted but that [TGT] realizes “nobody is safe (as) long as [TGT] is alive.”
Halsey 's powerful poem had some choice words for President Trump. (Evan Vucci/AP)
“And that’s why we’re here and that’s why we rally ” [TGT]read “It’s Olympians and a medical resident and not one f---ng word from the man who is President.”
Although Halsey ’s poem explores past traumas “A Story Like Mine” ends on a hopeful note.
This is extraordinary. Thank you @Halsey for your art your words your ferocity. https://t.co/JGCSKJwhPi — Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) January 21 2018
Katy Perry Reese Witherspoon Debra Messing and other celebrities praised [TGT]'s poem on social media. | 2Positive
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980 | WH: Bannon Not Welcome Back After Wolff Book Comments | Steve Bannon's | Steve Bannon's controversial comments included in a new tell-all book about the Trump administration cost him any chance of returning to the White House a spokesman said Monday.
Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One Bannon 's derogatory remarks about President Donald Trump members of his family and his presidency as a whole were damaging.
"I don't believe there is any way back for Mr. Bannon at this point " White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said according to The Washington Times. "It is very obvious Mr. Bannon worked with [author Michael] Wolff in this particular book."
Wolff's book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" was released Friday. It frames the early days of the Trump administration as chaotic and Bannon is quoted several times bashing Trump.
"When you go after somebody's family in the matter which [ Bannon ] did two of the president's children are serving this nation sacrificing in their service it is repugnant it is grotesque and I challenge anybody to go and talk about somebody's family and see if that person doesn't come back and comes back hard."
Bannon addressed his remarks on Sunday saying in part "Donald Trump Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around. My support is also unwavering for the president and his agenda — as I have shown daily in my national radio broadcasts on the pages of Breitbart News and in speeches and appearances from Tokyo and Hong Kong to Arizona and Alabama." | [TGT] controversial comments included in a new tell-all book about the Trump administration cost [TGT] any chance of returning to the White House a spokesman said Monday.
Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One [TGT] 's derogatory remarks about President Donald Trump members of his family and his presidency as a whole were damaging.
"I don't believe there is any way back for [TGT]at this point " White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said according to The Washington Times. "It is very obvious [TGT]worked with [author Michael] Wolff in this particular book."
Wolff's book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" was released Friday. It frames the early days of the Trump administration as chaotic and [TGT]is quoted several times bashing Trump.
"When you go after somebody's family in the matter which [ [TGT] ] did two of the president's children are serving this nation sacrificing in their service it is repugnant it is grotesque and I challenge anybody to go and talk about somebody's family and see if that person doesn't come back and comes back hard.[TGT]addressed [TGT] remarks on Sunday saying in part "Donald Trump Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around. My support is also unwavering for the president and his agenda — as I have shown daily in my national radio broadcasts on the pages of Breitbart News and in speeches and appearances from Tokyo and Hong Kong to Arizona and Alabama." | 1Neutral
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981 | Mideast: Abbas refuses to work with US on peace efforts | Abbas | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday urged France and Europe to play a stronger role in peace efforts insisting he 'll no longer accept any U.S. plans for Mideast peace because of the Trump administration's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Abbas met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris a day after the U.N. General Assembly resolution denouncing President Donald Trump's decision.
Abbas said the United States is "no longer an honest mediator in the peace process."
"We will not accept any plan from the United States of America because of its bias and violation of the international law " he said.
Abbas also denounced the U.S threat to cut financial aid for countries who voted to back the U.N. resolution. "We call upon countries that did not recognize Palestine yet to do so to preserve the two-state solution before it's too late " he added.
Macron reaffirmed his disapproval of Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The French president recalled he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month in Paris and urged him to make "courageous gestures" to help revive peace talks including freezing Israel's construction of settlements on occupied lands. | [TGT]on Friday urged France and Europe to play a stronger role in peace efforts insisting [TGT] 'll no longer accept any U.S. plans for Mideast peace because of the Trump administration's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
[TGT]met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris a day after the U.N. General Assembly resolution denouncing President Donald Trump's decision.
[TGT]said the United States is "no longer an honest mediator in the peace process."
"We will not accept any plan from the United States of America because of its bias and violation of the international law " he said.
[TGT]also denounced the U.S threat to cut financial aid for countries who voted to back the U.N. resolution. "We call upon countries that did not recognize Palestine yet to do so to preserve the two-state solution before it's too late " he added.
Macron reaffirmed his disapproval of Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The French president recalled he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month in Paris and urged him to make "courageous gestures" to help revive peace talks including freezing Israel's construction of settlements on occupied lands. | 2Positive
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982 | Putin says he wishes the Soviet Union had not collapsed. Many Russians agree. | Vladimir Putin | Russian President Vladimir Putin participates in a forum of regional and local media organized by the Russian Popular Front in Kaliningrad Russia. (Alexei Druzhinin/Pool/EPA)
A day after unveiling dramatic new weapons — including a nuclear-powered cruise missile — that sparked talk of a return to Cold War tensions Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that he 'd reverse the collapse of the Soviet Union if he could.
Putin 's comments on the 1991 collapse of the U.S.S.R. — which bound Russia and many of its neighbors while exerting influence in Eastern Europe and abroad for almost seven decades — came at a question-and-answer forum held Friday in Kaliningrad. Taking questions from the audience the Russian leader was asked what event in his nation's history he would have liked to change.
Putin has been been leader of Russia in some form or another since 2000 making him the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin. This week Putin used his annual address to announce a series of new weapon technologies that he dubbed "invincible " including nuclear-powered missiles that would be difficult for conventional missile defense systems to combat.
Putin is easily expected to win next weekend's election with a poll conducted last week giving him almost 70 percent — almost 10 times the share of the vote of his nearest rival a candidate from the Communist Party.
Despite his regret about the collapse of the Soviet Union Putin told the audience on Friday that he wouldn't want to live in any other period than the present. Asked about his dreams for the future the Russian president said: "I want our country to be successful powerful stable balanced and looking ahead."
Putin ’s new missiles could probably strike the U.S. The old ones could too. | [TGT]participates in a forum of regional and local media organized by the Russian Popular Front in Kaliningrad Russia. (Alexei Druzhinin/Pool/EPA)
A day after unveiling dramatic new weapons — including a nuclear-powered cruise missile — that sparked talk of a return to Cold War tensions [TGT]suggested that [TGT] 'd reverse the collapse of the Soviet Union if [TGT] could.
[TGT] 's comments on the 1991 collapse of the U.S.S.R. — which bound Russia and many of its neighbors while exerting influence in Eastern Europe and abroad for almost seven decades — came at a question-and-answer forum held Friday in Kaliningrad. Taking questions from the audience [TGT] was asked what event in [TGT] nation's history [TGT] would have liked to change.
[TGT]has been been leader of Russia in some form or another since 2000 making [TGT] the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin. This week [TGT]used [TGT] annual address to announce a series of new weapon technologies that [TGT] dubbed "invincible " including nuclear-powered missiles that would be difficult for conventional missile defense systems to combat.
[TGT]is easily expected to win next weekend's election with a poll conducted last week giving [TGT] almost 70 percent — almost 10 times the share of the vote of [TGT] nearest rival a candidate from the Communist Party.
Despite [TGT] regret about the collapse of the Soviet Union [TGT]told the audience on Friday that [TGT] wouldn't want to live in any other period than the present. Asked about [TGT] dreams for the future the Russian president said: "I want our country to be successful powerful stable balanced and looking ahead."
[TGT] ’s new missiles could probably strike the U.S. The old ones could too. | 2Positive
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983 | The Latest: Witnesses testify in death of Lebanese neighbor | Khalid Jabara | Prosecutors began questioning witnesses Monday following opening statements in the trial of 63-year-old Stanley Vernon Majors. He is accused in the August 2016 killing of 37-year-old Khalid Jabara.
The first witnesses included 911 operators and a neighbor who testified she heard Khalid Jabara being attacked.
Prosecutors allege Majors fatally shot Jabara following years of racial epithets toward him and his family including "filthy Lebanese" and "Moo-slems." The Jabaras are Christian.
Stanley Vernon Majors is expected to be in a Tulsa courtroom when his trial resumes Monday in district court. The 63-year-old is accused in the August 2016 killing of 37-year-old Khalid Jabara .
Prosecutors say Majors fatally shot Jabara after bombarding him and his family for years with racial epithets including "filthy Lebanese" and "Moo-slems." The Jabaras are Christian. | Prosecutors began questioning witnesses Monday following opening statements in the trial of 63-year-old Stanley Vernon Majors. He is accused in the August 2016 killing of 37-year-old Khalid Jabara.
The first witnesses included 911 operators and a neighbor who testified she heard [TGT]being attacked.
Prosecutors allege Majors fatally shot [TGT]following years of racial epithets toward [TGT] and [TGT] family including "filthy Lebanese" and "Moo-slems." The Jabaras are Christian.
Stanley Vernon Majors is expected to be in a Tulsa courtroom when his trial resumes Monday in district court. The 63-year-old is accused in the August 2016 killing of 37-year-old Khalid Jabara .
Prosecutors say Majors fatally shot [TGT]after bombarding him and his family for years with racial epithets including "filthy Lebanese" and "Moo-slems." The Jabaras are Christian. | 2Positive
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984 | Plenty of decisions to second | Baker | Certainly Game 3 of the National League Division Series won 2-1 by the Chicago Cubs over the Washington Nationals was a kind of paradise for second-guessing. In fact some might say the final score was: Decisions that blew up on Dusty Baker (2) over Decision that blew up on Joe Maddon (1).
Asked whether he’d heard Rizzo yelling Baker said “Nah I don’t care. I’d have screamed too.”
Soon it was Baker’s turn. In the seventh inning with one out Ben Zobrist broke up what had been a marvelous downright gallant no-hit bid by Max Scherzer who had spent the last nine days wondering whether the next time he pitched full-bore he might blow out his tight right hamstring and be done for the year. Before this game Scherzer said he figured he would be good for maybe 100 pitches. He was at 98.
Baker called for Solis. The Cubs countered with the dangerous Albert Almora Jr. who hit .342 against southpaws this year. Almora singled home the tying run on a change-up that stayed — up.
Finally in the brutal eighth in a decision and a moment that may be the most painful of the Nationals’ season if they do not rebound from this deficit Baker decided not to intentionally walk Rizzo the Cubs’ top RBI man — by miles — and instead bring in lefty specialist Perez to cope with him. It was a journeyman-with-a-specialty against a superstar.
Baker had options. He could have walked Rizzo and let Brandon Kintzler an all-star closer this year for the Minnesota Twins pitch to Cubs cleanup man Willson Contreras who is powerful but strikeout prone. He could even have (perhaps) overmanaged and brought in his best pure-stuff right-hander Ryan Madson to face Contreras to try to overpower him .
Instead Baker believed in Perez. And since this is baseball Perez won the battle but lost the game. Perez jammed Rizzo forcing that weak sickly blooper into left field. That anyway is how it was described by several Nats including Baker . To the Cubs it was a perfectly placed clutch hit.
For the record as they say with perfect hindsight I think that the Nats may have managed as if the playoffs were different from the regular season — which is a current vogue. If this game had been played in August I suspect there would have been little complexity.
And better options might have been chosen — ones that did not end up with the Nats losing a huge game in which neither of their two best relievers Madson or Sean Doolittle ever appeared.
Could that all have worked out so simply? Kintzler in the seventh Madson in the eighth and Doolittle in the ninth to put the Nats one win from the National League Championship Series? For what it’s worth not one Nat and I asked several had any problem with any Baker move. One veteran said “We are a solid team — in every area. It’s not like we have a couple of good relievers and nobody else we trust. Our bullpen is good all the way through now. Nobody’s second-guessing those decisions.” | Certainly Game 3 of the National League Division Series won 2-1 by the Chicago Cubs over the Washington Nationals was a kind of paradise for second-guessing. In fact some might say the final score was: Decisions that blew up on [TGT] (2) over Decision that blew up on Joe Maddon (1).
Asked whether he’d heard Rizzo yelling [TGT] said “Nah I don’t care. I’d have screamed too.”
Soon it was Baker’s turn. In the seventh inning with one out Ben Zobrist broke up what had been a marvelous downright gallant no-hit bid by Max Scherzer who had spent the last nine days wondering whether the next time he pitched full-bore he might blow out his tight right hamstring and be done for the year. Before this game Scherzer said he figured he would be good for maybe 100 pitches. He was at 98.
[TGT]called for Solis. The Cubs countered with the dangerous Albert Almora Jr. who hit .342 against southpaws this year. Almora singled home the tying run on a change-up that stayed — up.
Finally in the brutal eighth in a decision and a moment that may be the most painful of the Nationals’ season if they do not rebound from this deficit [TGT] decided not to intentionally walk Rizzo the Cubs’ top RBI man — by miles — and instead bring in lefty specialist Perez to cope with him. It was a journeyman-with-a-specialty against a superstar.
[TGT]had options. [TGT] could have walked Rizzo and let Brandon Kintzler an all-star closer this year for the Minnesota Twins pitch to Cubs cleanup man Willson Contreras who is powerful but strikeout prone. [TGT] could even have (perhaps) overmanaged and brought in [TGT] best pure-stuff right-hander Ryan Madson to face Contreras to try to overpower him .
Instead [TGT]believed in Perez. And since this is baseball Perez won the battle but lost the game. Perez jammed Rizzo forcing that weak sickly blooper into left field. That anyway is how it was described by [TGT] . To the Cubs it was a perfectly placed clutch hit.
For the record as they say with perfect hindsight I think that [TGT]may have managed as if the playoffs were different from the regular season — which is a current vogue. If this game had been played in August I suspect there would have been little complexity.
And better options might have been chosen — ones that did not end up with [TGT]losing a huge game in which neither of their two best relievers Madson or Sean Doolittle ever appeared.
Could that all have worked out so simply? Kintzler in the seventh Madson in the eighth and Doolittle in the ninth to put the Nats one win from the National League Championship Series? For what it’s worth not one Nat and I asked several had any problem with any Baker move. One veteran said “We are a solid team — in every area. It’s not like we have a couple of good relievers and nobody else we trust. Our bullpen is good all the way through now. Nobody’s second-guessing those decisions.” | 1Neutral
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985 | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has spoken with Trump since the election | Mark Zuckerberg | The closest Mark Zuckerberg has come to directly addressing President Donald Trump in public was when he wrote that "progress does not move in a straight line" the day after the election in November.
Since then Zuckerberg has embarked on his own tour of the U.S. that's been compared to a presidential campaign and sparked rumors that the Facebook CEO is considering a 2020 run.
While Zuckerberg has been shy to publicly address Trump he has in fact spoken with the president multiple times by phone since the election Business Insider has learned. Zuckerberg revealed that he 's talked with Trump during a surprise dinner with the Moore family in Newton Ohio two weeks ago.
Exactly what Zuckerberg and Trump discussed is unclear — Zuckerberg didn't say during his dinner with the Ohio family and his spokesperson declined to comment. But the discussions show that the Facebook billionaire has held a dialogue with Trump even as he publicly opposes policies like Trump's first executive order on immigration. The White House didn't return a request for comment.
Zuckerberg and Facebook's relationship with Trump is complicated. Facebook was widely criticized in the wake of the election for its role in the proliferation of so-called fake news which many believed help Trump win the election. Zuckerberg has called that notion "pretty crazy " but Facebook has made significant strides to eradicate fake news stories from its platform.
When Trump called together the tech industry's top leaders for a meeting of the minds in December Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg went instead of Zuckerberg . Before Trump was elected Zuckerberg had come to the defense of the Facebook board member and Trump advisor who organized that same meeting with tech leaders Peter Thiel.
"We care deeply about diversity " Zuckerberg wrote in an internal memo to Facebook employees that was leaked in October. "That's easy to say when it means standing up for ideas you agree with. It's a lot harder when it means standing up for the rights of people with different viewpoints to say what they care about. That's even more important." | [TGT]has come to directly addressing President Donald Trump in public was when he wrote that "progress does not move in a straight line" the day after the election in November.
Since then [TGT]has embarked on [TGT] own tour of the U.S. that's been compared to a presidential campaign and sparked rumors that the Facebook CEO is considering a 2020 run.
While [TGT]has been shy to publicly address Trump [TGT] has in fact spoken with the president multiple times by phone since the election Business Insider has learned. [TGT]revealed that [TGT] 's talked with Trump during a surprise dinner with the Moore family in Newton Ohio two weeks ago.
Exactly what [TGT]and Trump discussed is unclear — [TGT]didn't say during [TGT] dinner with the Ohio family and [TGT] spokesperson declined to comment. But the discussions show that the Facebook billionaire has held a dialogue with Trump even as [TGT] publicly opposes policies like Trump's first executive order on immigration. The White House didn't return a request for comment.
[TGT]and Facebook's relationship with Trump is complicated. Facebook was widely criticized in the wake of the election for its role in the proliferation of so-called fake news which many believed help Trump win the election. [TGT]has called that notion "pretty crazy " but Facebook has made significant strides to eradicate fake news stories from its platform.
When Trump called together the tech industry's top leaders for a meeting of the minds in December Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg went instead of [TGT] . Before Trump was elected [TGT]had come to the defense of the Facebook board member and Trump advisor who organized that same meeting with tech leaders Peter Thiel.
"We care deeply about diversity [TGT]wrote in an internal memo to Facebook employees that was leaked in October. "That's easy to say when it means standing up for ideas you agree with. It's a lot harder when it means standing up for the rights of people with different viewpoints to say what they care about. That's even more important." | 2Positive
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986 | The temptations and pitfalls of adapting your own novel for the screen | Fiona Maye | While “On Chesil Beach” deviated from the source material in effective ways Mr McEwan seemed reluctant to do the same with “The Children Act”. Here the internal narrative is simply layered onto a new medium. It doesn’t work (although Emma Thompson’s performance makes it watchable). Fiona Maye (Ms Thompson) is a well-respected judge arrives at home to her husband Jack (Stanley Tucci) telling her that he would like to have an affair and that Fiona if she cares about him will tolerate it. This leads to the film’s single flashback: as she lays awake at night her imagination reaches back to happier times and to a moment of pure joy when he surprised her with a new piano. Unlike in “On Chesil Beach” the flashback here adds little to illuminate their predicament: the viewer is still left guessing as to how she ended up married to an American professor or what their love was like at its peak.
The marriage crisis exacerbates another one this time in Fiona ’s working life. She specialises in extraordinarily hard cases involving children often with a religious element. Her newest case is an urgent one: Adam a 17-year-old Jehovah’s Witness with leukaemia is refusing a blood transfusion that could save his life. Fiona must decide his corporeal and perhaps spiritual fate. She has been able to dispassionately dispatch such cases in the past but since her husband’s disruption of their marriage her confidence is faltering.
Her interest in the boy then so steadfast in his own faith is both professional and personal. Fiona takes the unusual step of visiting him in the hospital and under Richard Eyre’s thoughtful direction the camera offers extreme close-ups of both characters allowing the audience to search their eyes for meaning. Fiona is looking for cracks in Adam’s guarded wall of faith. The viewer is looking for the real motive behind hers .
Unfortunately it never quite appears. Her judicial ruling comes suddenly ending its fascinating inquiry into the nature of faith and connection before it has even begun. Adam lives but becomes disillusioned with his faith and begins stalking Fiona trading one obsession for another. Mr Eyre seems to be looking for some of the same notes that worked so well for him in “Notes of a Scandal” (2006) but this is not a lurid tale and efforts to make it one—with wistful glances and tense longing strings on the soundtrack—seem out of place. For this conflict to have dramatic heft the viewer needs to understand Fiona better.
Perhaps a screenwriter with more distance from the original material would have been willing to radically reshape the novel offering more backstory or drawing her decision out for dramatic impact to make the story less reliant on her inner life. “On Chesil Beach” did not call for such revisions but “The Children Act” does. It shows that every adaptation is a unique case even two self-adapted novels from the same hand. Some cannot simply be transposed onto the screen. Most of all however it shows that the writer who knows the material best is not always the one best placed to make the hard choices that can turn a great novel into a great film. | While “On Chesil Beach” deviated from the source material in effective ways Mr McEwan seemed reluctant to do the same with “The Children Act”. Here the internal narrative is simply layered onto a new medium. It doesn’t work (although Emma Thompson’s performance makes it watchable). [TGT]is a well-respected judge arrives at home to [TGT] husband Jack (Stanley Tucci) telling [TGT] that he would like to have an affair and that Fiona if [TGT] cares about him will tolerate it. This leads to the film’s single flashback: as she lays awake at night her imagination reaches back to happier times and to a moment of pure joy when he surprised her with a new piano. Unlike in “On Chesil Beach” the flashback here adds little to illuminate their predicament: the viewer is still left guessing as to how she ended up married to an American professor or what their love was like at its peak.
The marriage crisis exacerbates another one this time in Fiona ’s working life. She specialises in extraordinarily hard cases involving children often with a religious element. Her newest case is an urgent one: Adam a 17-year-old Jehovah’s Witness with leukaemia is refusing a blood transfusion that could save his life. Fiona must decide his corporeal and perhaps spiritual fate. She has been able to dispassionately dispatch such cases in the past but since her husband’s disruption of their marriage her confidence is faltering.
Her interest in the boy then so steadfast in his own faith is both professional and personal. Fiona takes the unusual step of visiting him in the hospital and under Richard Eyre’s thoughtful direction the camera offers extreme close-ups of both characters allowing the audience to search their eyes for meaning. Fiona is looking for cracks in Adam’s guarded wall of faith. The viewer is looking for the real motive behind hers .
Unfortunately it never quite appears. Her judicial ruling comes suddenly ending its fascinating inquiry into the nature of faith and connection before it has even begun. Adam lives but becomes disillusioned with his faith and begins stalking Fiona trading one obsession for another. Mr Eyre seems to be looking for some of the same notes that worked so well for him in “Notes of a Scandal” (2006) but this is not a lurid tale and efforts to make it one—with wistful glances and tense longing strings on the soundtrack—seem out of place. For this conflict to have dramatic heft the viewer needs to understand Fiona better.
Perhaps a screenwriter with more distance from the original material would have been willing to radically reshape the novel offering more backstory or drawing her decision out for dramatic impact to make the story less reliant on her inner life. “On Chesil Beach” did not call for such revisions but “The Children Act” does. It shows that every adaptation is a unique case even two self-adapted novels from the same hand. Some cannot simply be transposed onto the screen. Most of all however it shows that the writer who knows the material best is not always the one best placed to make the hard choices that can turn a great novel into a great film. | 2Positive
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987 | Clad in light grey North Korea's Kim goes for softer image in New Year address | Kim Jong Un | SEOUL (Reuters) - The light-grey suit and matching tie that North Korea’s Kim Jong Un donned for his New Year’s address was likely carefully calculated to project a softer more relaxed image to go with his surprise offer for talks with Seoul.
Departing from his usual black or navy suits Kim gave his televised speech wearing black-rimmed glasses and slicked back hair speaking fluently and rarely looking down to read as he raised the possibility of sending a delegation to the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.
“In this New Year’s address North Korea seems to have taken great pains with the image portrayed by Kim Jong Un ” said an analysis by the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification after Kim ’s speech.
“The change from the previous dark Maoist suits to a softer toned grey Western-style suit likely aimed to underpin peace which Kim stressed in his address ” the institute said.
It added that Kim ’s style “reflected a relaxed state of mind” that likely resulted from his previous announcement that North Korea had achieved its nuclear ambitions.
After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme Kim declared Monday that his country was “a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power” and called for lowering military tensions and improving ties with the South.
Kim also said he was open to dialogue with Seoul prompting South Korea on Tuesday to propose high-level talks between the two countries on Jan. 9 at the border truce village of Panmunjeom.
FILE PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves to people attending a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang April 15 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
Analysts said the North Korean leader’s speech on Monday showed more confidence compared to previous years his old habit of swaying from side to side while making speeches nearly undetectable. In his first New Year’s address as North Korea’s leader in 2013 Kim frequently sounded short of breath his voice wavering from time to time.
Kim made his maiden public address in April 15 2012 at a parade marking the centenary of his grandfather’s birth. This year there was none of the uneasiness that marked that speech and his subsequent public addresses.
His voice his hair shaved on the side as well as his light-colored Western-style suit and glasses were also reminiscent of his grandfather Kim Il Sung according to defectors and analysts. Kim Il Sung had a more gregarious and popular image than Kim Jong Un’s reclusive father Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Un has embraced New Year addresses as a chance to outline his policies and rally the North Korean people. Last year he used his speech to declare that North Korea was in the “final stages” of perfecting an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Kim Gun-hee a consultant on image making and leadership said the grey suit may have been designed to deflect some of the negative global attention Kim ’s nuclear and missile tests have prompted.
“When we advise clients who are in tough situations or are surrounded by unfavourable rumours we tell them to wear either white or grey ” she said.
“In the study of color psychology white imbues innocence while grey tends to take attention away from you. Kim may have felt some pressure from being at the centre of global focus and turned to grey after sticking to dark tones for several years.” | SEOUL (Reuters) - The light-grey suit and matching tie that North Korea’s [TGT]donned for [TGT] New Year’s address was likely carefully calculated to project a softer more relaxed image to go with [TGT] surprise offer for talks with Seoul.
Departing from his usual black or navy suits [TGT] gave [TGT] televised speech wearing black-rimmed glasses and slicked back hair speaking fluently and rarely looking down to read as [TGT] raised the possibility of sending a delegation to the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.
“In this New Year’s address North Korea seems to have taken great pains with the image portrayed by Kim Jong Un ” said an analysis by the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification after [TGT] ’s speech.
“The change from the previous dark Maoist suits to a softer toned grey Western-style suit likely aimed to underpin peace which Kim stressed in his address ” the institute said.
It added that [TGT] ’s style “reflected a relaxed state of mind” that likely resulted from his previous announcement that North Korea had achieved its nuclear ambitions.
After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme Kim declared Monday that his country was “a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power” and called for lowering military tensions and improving ties with the South.
Kim also said he was open to dialogue with Seoul prompting South Korea on Tuesday to propose high-level talks between the two countries on Jan. 9 at the border truce village of Panmunjeom.
FILE PHOTO: [TGT] waves to people attending a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father [TGT] Sung in Pyongyang April 15 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
Analysts said the North Korean leader’s speech on Monday showed more confidence compared to previous years his old habit of swaying from side to side while making speeches nearly undetectable. In his first New Year’s address as North Korea’s leader in 2013 Kim frequently sounded short of breath his voice wavering from time to time.
Kim made his maiden public address in April 15 2012 at a parade marking the centenary of his grandfather’s birth. This year there was none of the uneasiness that marked that speech and his subsequent public addresses.
His voice his hair shaved on the side as well as his light-colored Western-style suit and glasses were also reminiscent of his grandfather Kim Il Sung according to defectors and analysts. Kim Il Sung had a more gregarious and popular image than Kim Jong Un’s reclusive father Kim Jong Il.
[TGT]has embraced New Year addresses as a chance to outline [TGT] policies and rally the North Korean people. Last year [TGT] used [TGT] speech to declare that North Korea was in the “final stages” of perfecting an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Kim Gun-hee a consultant on image making and leadership said the grey suit may have been designed to deflect some of the negative global attention Kim ’s nuclear and missile tests have prompted.
“When we advise clients who are in tough situations or are surrounded by unfavourable rumours we tell them to wear either white or grey ” she said.
“In the study of color psychology white imbues innocence while grey tends to take attention away from you. Kim may have felt some pressure from being at the centre of global focus and turned to grey after sticking to dark tones for several years.” | 2Positive
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988 | How Will 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Navigate The Age Of Outrage? | Quentin Tarantino | The more I hear about Quentin Tarantino's “Charles Manson movie ” now titled Once Upon A Time In Hollywood the more intriguing it sounds. The film is reportedly similar to Tarantino's beloved masterpiece Pulp Fiction and revolves around a fading actor (Leo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) in seventies Hollywood struggling to adapt to the changing industry.
But the two also happen to live next door to real-life murder victim Sharon Tate and it’s unclear how the film will handle this delicate subject matter - Tarantino isn’t exactly known for his sense of restraint.
Indeed Tarantino has to navigate some rough waters in order to make this inherently controversial concept a success in the era of perpetual Twitter outrage. We live in a time where snarky entertainment writers like myself are always looking for the next controversy be it real or imagined. For example the groundbreaking Black Panther was recently criticized for a lack of LGBT representation for some reason and Netflix was accused of whitewashing for casting Jared Leto in the role of a western man entering the unfamiliar world of the Yakuza in a film literally titled “The Outsider.”
But Tarantino ’s filmography has always attracted controversy. His scripts are peppered with more racial slurs than pop culture references smatterings of misogynistic violence and a ton of historical revisionism. But Once Upon A Time In Hollywood practically seems to be begging for controversy - he ’s not the first filmmaker to retell the gruesome tale of Sharon Tate but releasing his film on the anniversary of her death is a bit … gratuitous even for Tarantino.
But I have a strong suspicion that Tarantino is going to go down the “revenge fantasy” route for this one. When exploring the atrocities of history the man gleefully paints over the facts splashing the screen with the blood of slaveholders and Nazis. This (inevitably) angers some but Tarantino isn’t exactly striving for historical accuracy.
Most of us are aware of the tragic realities of history but you’re not always in the mood to watch The Pianist - most of us would rather watch Inglourious Basterds for the fifth time. Despite repeatedly targeting the most distasteful subject matter imaginable Tarantino has always understood exactly how far he can push his audience.
And that’s one of the most impressive qualities of Tarantino ’s movies in my opinion. His films might feature rape torture and exceedingly bloody murder but you could happily watch one while snacking and never lose your appetite for a moment because the violence never crosses a certain line; his bloodsoaked cinematic universe is closer to Looney Tunes than torture porn.
Tarantino's personal life on the other hand might be the biggest obstacle facing the film. The man was recently hit with a wave of much-deserved criticism after Uma Thurman exposed his tyrannical reckless behavior on the set of Kill Bill. The story does not paint Tarantino in a sympathetic light and his long friendship with the predatory Harvey Weinstein doesn’t help. | The more I hear about [TGT]'s “Charles Manson movie ” now titled Once Upon A Time In Hollywood the more intriguing it sounds. The film is reportedly similar to Tarantino's beloved masterpiece Pulp Fiction and revolves around a fading actor (Leo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) in seventies Hollywood struggling to adapt to the changing industry.
But the two also happen to live next door to real-life murder victim Sharon Tate and it’s unclear how the film will handle this delicate subject matter - Tarantino isn’t exactly known for his sense of restraint.
Indeed Tarantino has to navigate some rough waters in order to make this inherently controversial concept a success in the era of perpetual Twitter outrage. We live in a time where snarky entertainment writers like myself are always looking for the next controversy be it real or imagined. For example the groundbreaking Black Panther was recently criticized for a lack of LGBT representation for some reason and Netflix was accused of whitewashing for casting Jared Leto in the role of a western man entering the unfamiliar world of the Yakuza in a film literally titled “The Outsider.”
But Tarantino ’s filmography has always attracted controversy. His scripts are peppered with more racial slurs than pop culture references smatterings of misogynistic violence and a ton of historical revisionism. But Once Upon A Time In Hollywood practically seems to be begging for controversy - he ’s not the first filmmaker to retell the gruesome tale of Sharon Tate but releasing his film on the anniversary of her death is a bit … gratuitous even for Tarantino.
But I have a strong suspicion that Tarantino is going to go down the “revenge fantasy” route for this one. When exploring the atrocities of history the man gleefully paints over the facts splashing the screen with the blood of slaveholders and Nazis. This (inevitably) angers some but Tarantino isn’t exactly striving for historical accuracy.
Most of us are aware of the tragic realities of history but you’re not always in the mood to watch The Pianist - most of us would rather watch Inglourious Basterds for the fifth time. Despite repeatedly targeting the most distasteful subject matter imaginable Tarantino has always understood exactly how far he can push his audience.
And that’s one of the most impressive qualities of Tarantino ’s movies in my opinion. His films might feature rape torture and exceedingly bloody murder but you could happily watch one while snacking and never lose your appetite for a moment because the violence never crosses a certain line; his bloodsoaked cinematic universe is closer to Looney Tunes than torture porn.
Tarantino's personal life on the other hand might be the biggest obstacle facing the film. The man was recently hit with a wave of much-deserved criticism after Uma Thurman exposed his tyrannical reckless behavior on the set of Kill Bill. The story does not paint Tarantino in a sympathetic light and his long friendship with the predatory Harvey Weinstein doesn’t help. | 1Neutral
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989 | Weakening Nate brings rain tornado warnings to U.S. South | Nate | BILOXI/PASCAGOULA Miss. (Reuters) - Hurricane Nate weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday after coming ashore in Mississippi flooding roads and buildings but sparing the state from catastrophic damages.
Maximum sustained winds from Nate the fourth major storm to hit the United States in less than two months dropped to 35 miles per hour (55 km per hour) as it moved through Alabama and into Tennessee.
Nate killed at least 30 people in Central America before entering the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and bearing down on the U.S. South. It has also shut down most oil and gas production in the Gulf.
Nate follows hurricanes Harvey Irma and Maria which have devastated areas of the Caribbean and southern United States.
Nate made its first U.S. landfall on Saturday evening near the mouth of the Mississippi River and then made a second one early on Sunday near Biloxi Mississippi.
Related Coverage South of New Orleans Nate spares parish devastated by Hurricane Katrina
Three hundred guests remained in the hotel some eager to try their luck after surviving Nate.
Forecast at one point to make landfall in Louisiana Nate headed farther east and spared many New Orleans parishes that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. | BILOXI/PASCAGOULA Miss. (Reuters) - Hurricane Nate weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday after coming ashore in Mississippi flooding roads and buildings but sparing the state from catastrophic damages.
Maximum sustained winds from [TGT]the fourth major storm to hit the United States in less than two months dropped to 35 miles per hour (55 km per hour) as it moved through Alabama and into Tennessee.
[TGT]killed at least 30 people in Central America before entering the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and bearing down on the U.S. South. It has also shut down most oil and gas production in the Gulf.
[TGT]follows hurricanes Harvey Irma and Maria which have devastated areas of the Caribbean and southern United States.
[TGT] made its first U.S. landfall on Saturday evening near the mouth of the Mississippi River and then made a second one early on Sunday near Biloxi Mississippi.
Related Coverage South of New Orleans [TGT] spares parish devastated by Hurricane Katrina
Three hundred guests remained in the hotel some eager to try [TGT] luck after surviving [TGT].
Forecast at one point to make landfall in Louisiana [TGT] headed farther east and spared many New Orleans parishes that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. | 2Positive
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990 | Can Trump take credit for $5.4 trillion in stock gains since election? | Donald J. Trump | Stock market hit yet another all-time record high yesterday. There is great confidence in the moves that my Administration.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7 2017
Does Trump have $5.4 trillion worth of bragging rights? Wall Street says Trump can take some credit for stocks’ record-setting run but certainly not all.
“He’s had the wind at his back ” says Tom Block a policy analyst at New York-based Fundstrat Global Advisors. Trump is just being Trump he adds.
“My take ” says Block “is that Trump is brilliant at marketing the Trump brand.”
Trump’s self-promotion could backfire.
“Let Trump take credit but he ’ll also own it should the market ever tank ” says Axel Merk president of Merk Investments. | "Stock market hit yet another all-time record high yesterday. There is great confidence in the moves that my Administration.... — [TGT]
Does [TGT]have $5.4 trillion worth of bragging rights? Wall Street says [TGT]can take some credit for stocks’ record-setting run but certainly not all.
“He’s had the wind at [TGT] back ” says Tom Block a policy analyst at New York-based Fundstrat Global Advisors. [TGT]is just being [TGT] [TGT] adds.
“My take ” says Block “is that [TGT]is brilliant at marketing the Trump brand.”
Trump’s self-promotion could backfire.
“Let [TGT]take credit but [TGT] ’ll also own it should the market ever tank ” says Axel Merk president of Merk Investments." | 2Positive
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991 | Cambodia's Hun Sen challenges EU and U.S. to freeze assets | Hun Sen | PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen encouraged the United States and European Union on Friday to freeze the assets of Cambodian leaders abroad in response to his government’s crackdown on the opposition and civil society.
Hun Sen the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades has taken a strident anti-Western line ahead of a 2018 election and has dismissed donor criticism of the dissolution of the main opposition party.
“I encourage the European Union and United States to freeze the wealth of Cambodian leaders abroad ” Hun Sen told a group of athletes in Phnom Penh the capital.
Hun Sen said he has no money abroad and any actions by the EU and the U.S. would not hurt him .
Hun Sen accused Kem Sokha the leader of the CNRP of a U.S.-backed anti-government plot. The opposition leader and the United States denied that.
China Cambodia’s largest aid donor has leant its support to Hun Sen saying it respects Cambodia’s right to defend its national security. | [TGT]encouraged the United States and European Union on Friday to freeze the assets of Cambodian leaders abroad in response to [TGT] government’s crackdown on the opposition and civil society.
[TGT]has taken a strident anti-Western line ahead of a 2018 election and has dismissed donor criticism of the dissolution of the main opposition party.
“I encourage the European Union and United States to freeze the wealth of Cambodian leaders abroad ” [TGT]told a group of athletes in Phnom Penh the capital.
[TGT]said [TGT] has no money abroad and any actions by the EU and the U.S. would not hurt [TGT] .
[TGT] accused Kem Sokha the leader of the CNRP of a U.S.-backed anti-government plot. The opposition leader and the United States denied that.
China Cambodia’s largest aid donor has leant its support to [TGT]saying it respects Cambodia’s right to defend its national security. | 2Positive
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992 | YIKES! Jared Kushner's German Bank Account Flagged | Robert Mueller | Ok. Maybe something but we don’t know exactly what. Given all that’s going on with the Russia probe and special counsel Robert Mueller’s deep dive into potential money laundering this could definitely catch his attention.
Officials at the German bank told Manager Magazin as reported by English-language outlets that a review of company accounts related to the Kushner family was sent to a German bank regulator for further investigation. Information may also be released to special counsel Robert Mueller‘s federal probe.
That wasn’t necessarily related to Mueller ’s probe.
So will Mueller pick this up? He has reportedly been looking at Trump’s transactions with the bank. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if the next thing we hear is that Mueller is on the case. | Ok. Maybe something but we don’t know exactly what. Given all that’s going on with the Russia probe and special counsel [TGT]’s deep dive into potential money laundering this could definitely catch his attention.
Officials at the German bank told Manager Magazin as reported by English-language outlets that a review of company accounts related to the Kushner family was sent to a German bank regulator for further investigation. Information may also be released to special counsel [TGT]‘s federal probe.
That wasn’t necessarily related to Mueller ’s probe.
So will Mueller pick this up? He has reportedly been looking at Trump’s transactions with the bank. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if the next thing we hear is that Mueller is on the case. | 1Neutral
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993 | Princeton Scholars: Opioid Crisis Alcoholism Suicide to Blame for Rising White Working Class Mortality Rate | Deaton | Economist Angus Deaton and Princeton University Professor Anne Case told the Wall Street Journal that the opioid crisis alcoholism and suicide continue to aggravate the American white working class mortality rate.
Dr. Deaton suggested that the country’s white community split into two camps: white Americans with bachelor’s degrees continue to thrive while American whites without a bachelor’s degree face increasingly dire circumstances.
I think there are several answers to that. Mortality rates for suicide for drug overdose for alcoholism are rising for people without a college degree. Those are the big increases that we’re seeing and it isn’t just about the financial crisis. This started back as far as we can break out education in death certificates which is 1990. It has been a slow steady trend up in all three of those for people without a B.A.
Deaton then suggested that one of the reasons that the white working class mortality rate skyrocketed in recent years is that compared to European countries America has much looser control over opioids. Deaton said:
The two researchers suggested that America’s white working class continues to have their institutions: family church and job disappear. Case and Deaton speculated that white America’s crumbling institutions has led to rising opioid addiction alcoholism and suicide. | [TGT]told the Wall Street Journal that the opioid crisis alcoholism and suicide continue to aggravate the American white working class mortality rate.
[TGT]suggested that the country’s white community split into two camps: white Americans with bachelor’s degrees continue to thrive while American whites without a bachelor’s degree face increasingly dire circumstances.
I think there are several answers to that. Mortality rates for suicide for drug overdose for alcoholism are rising for people without a college degree. Those are the big increases that we’re seeing and it isn’t just about the financial crisis. This started back as far as we can break out education in death certificates which is 1990. It has been a slow steady trend up in all three of those for people without a B.A.
[TGT]then suggested that one of the reasons that the white working class mortality rate skyrocketed in recent years is that compared to European countries America has much looser control over opioids. [TGT]said:
The two researchers suggested that [TGT] white working class continues to have their institutions: family church and job disappear. Case and [TGT] speculated that white America’s crumbling institutions has led to rising opioid addiction alcoholism and suicide. | 1Neutral
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994 | Book review: "Wild Beauty " by Ntozake Shange | Ntozake Shange | The billboard on 42nd Street near Times Square was half a block long. Scrawled in rainbow colors was the title of an innovative new play “for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf.” And adorning that 1977 billboard was a portrait of a young black woman in a do-rag: the playwright Ntozake Shange .
Shange’s rise to international fame and her sudden disappearance — followed by decades of physical and mental health challenges — are part of one of the most dramatic lives in Broadway history. Now Shange reflects on these events and more in a new collection of poetry called “Wild Beauty.”
In 1975 Shange had arrived in New York from California with her dancer friend Paula Moss and a satchel of poems. She and Moss began reading and dancing to Shange ’s poems in New York cafes. The next thing Shange knew she was being whisked off by theatrical producer Woodie King Jr. who told her what she ’d really written was a play. After a few weeks of working with King and others Shange winnowed her poems down to the voices of seven women who remain nameless but can be identified by the colors of their dresses.
Author Ntozake Shange (Adger Cowans)
Miraculously she typed out her first new poem in years an overview of her whole life. Titled “these blessings ” it appears in her new collection “Wild Beauty ” which contains more than 60 new and previously published poems all of which are also translated into Spanish by Alejandro Álvarez Nieves. The bilingual edition was Shange ’s idea reflecting her lifelong concern with the African diaspora throughout the Americas.
There is no question that Shange is a black writer. Not only does she write in a style that mimics the sound and syntax of black speech but much of her material is drawn from the daily realities of black life. No poet since Langston Hughes has insisted so forcefully on black people’s right to simply be: | The billboard on 42nd Street near Times Square was half a block long. Scrawled in rainbow colors was the title of an innovative new play “for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf.” And adorning that 1977 billboard was a portrait of a young black woman in a do-rag: the playwright Ntozake Shange .
Shange’s rise to international fame and her sudden disappearance — followed by decades of physical and mental health challenges — are part of one of the most dramatic lives in Broadway history. Now Shange reflects on these events and more in a new collection of poetry called “Wild Beauty.”
In 1975 Shange had arrived in New York from California with her dancer friend Paula Moss and a satchel of poems. She and Moss began reading and dancing to Shange ’s poems in New York cafes. The next thing Shange knew she was being whisked off by theatrical producer Woodie King Jr. who told her what she ’d really written was a play. After a few weeks of working with King and others Shange winnowed her poems down to the voices of seven women who remain nameless but can be identified by the colors of their dresses.
[TGT][TGT] typed out [TGT] first new poem in years an overview of [TGT] whole life. Titled “these blessings ” it appears in [TGT] new collection “Wild Beauty ” which contains more than 60 new and previously published poems all of which are also translated into Spanish by Alejandro Álvarez Nieves. The bilingual edition was Shange ’s idea reflecting [TGT] lifelong concern with the African diaspora throughout the Americas.
There is no question that Shange is a black writer. Not only does [TGT] write in a style that mimics the sound and syntax of black speech but much of [TGT] material is drawn from the daily realities of black life. No poet since Langston Hughes has insisted so forcefully on black people’s right to simply be: | 2Positive
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995 | Formal Doping Case Is Opened Against Russian Curler Who Won Medal In Pyeongchang : The Torch : NPR | Aleksandr Krushelnitckii | The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed that it has begun proceedings against Russian curler Aleksandr Krushelnitckii who won a bronze medal in curling as part of the Olympic Athletes from Russia team at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics .
Krushelnitckii finished third in the mixed-doubles curling tournament competing with his wife and teammate Anastasia Bryzgalova.
News that Krushelnitckii 's "A" doping control sample had failed a doping test for meldonium first came out on Sunday; his second "B" sample was opened and tested on Monday – and hours later the CAS said that its anti-doping division was opening a case against the curler.
Further to a request from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the CAS ADD has initiated a procedure involving the athlete Aleksandr Krushelnitckii (mixed curling; OAR). No hearing date has been fixed yet and no further information will be provided at this point. | The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed that it has begun proceedings against Russian curler [TGT] who won a bronze medal in curling as part of the Olympic Athletes from Russia team at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics .
Krushelnitckii finished third in the mixed-doubles curling tournament competing with his wife and teammate Anastasia Bryzgalova.
News that Krushelnitckii 's "A" doping control sample had failed a doping test for meldonium first came out on Sunday; his second "B" sample was opened and tested on Monday – and hours later the CAS said that its anti-doping division was opening a case against the curler.
Further to a request from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the CAS ADD has initiated a procedure involving the athlete [TGT] (mixed curling; OAR). No hearing date has been fixed yet and no further information will be provided at this point. | 1Neutral
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996 | British men prepare to fight Turkish | Huang Lei Image | Image copyright Huang Lei Image caption Huang Lei was a student studying international politics at the University of Manchester when he travelled to Syria in 2015
"We were fighting against ISIS in Syria and suddenly we heard that Turkey is attacking Afrin and bombing the city " he says.
Image copyright Huang Lei Image caption Huang Lei pictured with another fighter says there is now a group of around 20 international volunteers preparing to fight against Turkish-led forces
Lei accepts he may face consequences if he comes back to Britain.
"I really hope I can return but I don't want to come back and get arrested " he says.
'Afraid of death '
Lei has survived battles against IS but a fight against the Turkish military may place him in even greater danger.
Does he fears this prospect?
"Of course I am afraid of death " he says. "But on a basic level so is every human fighting in the YPG." | Image copyright [TGT]was a student studying international politics at the University of Manchester when [TGT] travelled to Syria in 2015
"We were fighting against ISIS in Syria and suddenly we heard that Turkey is attacking Afrin and bombing the city " he says.
Image copyright Huang Lei Image caption Huang Lei pictured with another fighter says there is now a group of around 20 international volunteers preparing to fight against Turkish-led forces
[TGT]accepts [TGT] may face consequences if [TGT] comes back to Britain.
"I really hope I can return but I don't want to come back and get arrested " he says.
'Afraid of death '
Lei has survived battles against IS but a fight against the Turkish military may place him in even greater danger.
Does he fears this prospect?
"Of course I am afraid of death " he says. "But on a basic level so is every human fighting in the YPG." | 1Neutral
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997 | Steelers lose MVP candidate Antonio Brown until playoffs with a partially torn calf | Antonio Brown | Antonio Brown grabs his calf in the end zone. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)
The injury initially seemed little different from any garden-variety injury suffered by an NFL player in the course of the game. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown limped off the field and was listed as questionable to return.
What happened next was anything but ordinary. Not long after he was hurt early in the second quarter of the loss to the New England Patriots Brown was whisked away taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a partially torn calf muscle according to multiple outlets. For a Steelers team still reeling from the injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier it was easy to think the worst. But Brown will not require surgery and reportedly will be ready for the playoffs.
“Even in adversity I can’t help but feel blessed ” Brown tweeted Monday. “Thanks to everyone who reached out. This is a minor setback for me but not this team. The goal is still the same and I’m confident that we can and will achieve it. We may not have won the game yesterday but this TEAM made a statement.”
Brown is in the midst of a season that finds him in the conversation for the NFL MVP award a rarity for a wide receiver and was helped off the field as fans chanted “M-V-P!” after he and Duron Harmon and Eric Rowe tangled and fell while Brown was trying to catch a pass in the end zone. He was taken into the locker room for an examination and by halftime was on his way to a hospital.
Brown had only two receptions for 24 yards but leads the NFL in catches with 101 and receiving yards with 1 533. With Brown out rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster Martavis Bryant and Eli Rogers will assume Brown ’s duties. On Sunday night Rogers was Ben Roethlisberger’s intended target on the last play of Pittsburgh’s final drive when Roethlisberger was intercepted in the Steelers’ loss.
Brown hasn’t missed a regular-season game in more than five years. | [TGT]grabs [TGT] calf in the end zone. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)
The injury initially seemed little different from any garden-variety injury suffered by an NFL player in the course of the game. [TGT]limped off the field and was listed as questionable to return.
What happened next was anything but ordinary. Not long after [TGT] was hurt early in the second quarter of the loss to the New England Patriots Brown was whisked away taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a partially torn calf muscle according to multiple outlets. For a Steelers team still reeling from the injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier it was easy to think the worst. But [TGT]will not require surgery and reportedly will be ready for the playoffs.
“Even in adversity I can’t help but feel blessed ” [TGT]tweeted Monday. “Thanks to everyone who reached out. This is a minor setback for me but not this team. The goal is still the same and I’m confident that we can and will achieve it. We may not have won the game yesterday but this TEAM made a statement.”
Brown is in the midst of a season that finds him in the conversation for the NFL MVP award a rarity for a wide receiver and was helped off the field as fans chanted “M-V-P!” after he and Duron Harmon and Eric Rowe tangled and fell while [TGT]was trying to catch a pass in the end zone. [TGT] was taken into the locker room for an examination and by halftime was on [TGT] way to a hospital.
[TGT]had only two receptions for 24 yards but leads the NFL in catches with 101 and receiving yards with 1 533. With [TGT]out rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster Martavis Bryant and Eli Rogers will assume [TGT]. On Sunday night Rogers was Ben Roethlisberger’s intended target on the last play of Pittsburgh’s final drive when Roethlisberger was intercepted in the Steelers’ loss.
[TGT] missed a regular-season game in more than five years. | 2Positive
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998 | Sen. Warren hits back at Trump's use of 'Pocahontas' vows to highlight Native American issues | Elizabeth Warren | Six years ago the contested story of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's Native American heritage began its rise from local newspapers to national headlines and eventually into presidential speeches and Twitter feeds.
On Wednesday Warren raised the subject herself — not budging from the story she has relayed for years — in a surprise speech to the National Congress of American Indians.
And I want to make something clear. I respect that distinction. I understand that tribal membership is determined by tribes — and only by tribes. I never used my family tree to get a break or get ahead. I never used it to advance my career ” Warren said.
The stories she grew up with are real Warren said which is what she has regularly said on the matter. There is no known documentation of Warren ’s Native American ancestry (though somewhere in the 2012 back-and-forth a genealogist estimated Warren was 1/32 Cherokee) but the senator has steadfastly argued that she was raised on stories of Native American family members and this is what she knows to be her family's heritage.
Warren has been adamant about the pride she feels to be Native American — though the topic has dogged her politically. At the event a days-long policy summit in Washington D.C. attended by a wide range of tribal leaders Warren described her dedication to fight against the “country’s disrespect of Native people.”
“For far too long your story has been pushed aside to be trotted out only in cartoons and commercials ” she said.
Warren used President Donald Trump’s nickname for her Pocahontas as an example of the disrespect.
The questions began however four years earlier. At the time the Republican incumbent senator of Massachusetts Scott Brown was up against Warren for the senate seat. He brought up Warren ’s undocumented claim of Native American heritage in a debate and asserted that she’d been using it to get ahead in jobs.
The main evidence of Warren ’s use of her heritage was to list herself as a minority in a legal directory in the 1980s and 90s. She was later described as the only minority female faculty member at Harvard Law School in a 1996 survey report on diversity.
Warren has repeatedly denied that she ever used it to advance her career. “All I can say is I busted my tail as a teacher. I am qualified for my job " she said in 2012.
On her family Warren said “They’re gone but the love they shared the struggles they endured the family they built and the story they lived will always be a part of me. And no one — not even the president of the United States — will ever take that part of me away.” | Six years ago the contested story of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's Native American heritage began its rise from local newspapers to national headlines and eventually into presidential speeches and Twitter feeds.
On Wednesday Warren raised the subject herself — not budging from the story she has relayed for years — in a surprise speech to the National Congress of American Indians.
And I want to make something clear. I respect that distinction. I understand that tribal membership is determined by tribes — and only by tribes. I never used my family tree to get a break or get ahead. I never used it to advance my career ” Warren said.
The stories she grew up with are real Warren said which is what she has regularly said on the matter. There is no known documentation of Warren ’s Native American ancestry (though somewhere in the 2012 back-and-forth a genealogist estimated Warren was 1/32 Cherokee) but the senator has steadfastly argued that she was raised on stories of Native American family members and this is what she knows to be her family's heritage.
Warren has been adamant about the pride she feels to be Native American — though the topic has dogged her politically. At the event a days-long policy summit in Washington D.C. attended by a wide range of tribal leaders Warren described her dedication to fight against the “country’s disrespect of Native people.”
“For far too long your story has been pushed aside to be trotted out only in cartoons and commercials ” she said.
Warren used President Donald Trump’s nickname for her Pocahontas as an example of the disrespect.
The questions began however four years earlier. At the time the Republican incumbent senator of Massachusetts Scott Brown was up against Warren for the senate seat. He brought up Warren ’s undocumented claim of Native American heritage in a debate and asserted that she’d been using it to get ahead in jobs.
The main evidence of Warren ’s use of her heritage was to list herself as a minority in a legal directory in the 1980s and 90s. She was later described as the only minority female faculty member at Harvard Law School in a 1996 survey report on diversity.
Warren has repeatedly denied that [TGT]she ever used [TGT] to advance her career. “All I can say is I busted my tail as a teacher. I am qualified for my job " she said in 2012.
On her family Warren said “They’re gone but the love they shared the struggles they endured the family they built and the story they lived will always be a part of me. And no one — not even the president of the United States — will ever take that part of me away.” | 2Positive
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999 | Buffalo Wild Wings wants to predict when you'll crave wings | Brooks Goldade | To do so Brooks Goldade director of digital experience at B-Dubs told CNBC that the company is looking to bolster technology that is anticipatory.
"Anticipatory is really being led by the tech giants the Googles and the Apples who are trying to figure out what you need when you need it or slightly before you need it " he said.
Goldade said that Buffalo Wild Wings has already built in some of this technology into its platforms so that it can change how its customers interact with the brand.
He said that part of the company's plan to engage with diners is through "personalization layers" on its website which track things like a customers' location. Through this data the company can make customers aware of local deals and target areas with specific sports rivalries.
While engaging its digital users is a priority for the brand Goldade said the company will always put the food first. The revamp of its website transformed the ordering platform to focus on convenience customization and letting diners see the food they are about to order.
Goldade said the brand wanted to "engage your brain in a way that makes you hungry" by having large photos of Buffalo Wild Wings' burgers chicken sandwiches and wings in the online order form.
"I don't want to think about adding bacon I want to see it " he said.
Goldade said that Panera is the leading player in providing a visual element to the ordering process noting that the soup and sandwich company provides its diners with images of its food online and through its ordering kiosks.
Goldade said that currently more than a quarter of takeout orders for Buffalo Wild Wings' company-owned locations are made through digital channels like mobile and online. The company hopes to see this number increase as its online platforms allow for more customization and convenience.
The company declined to provide more specific sales information. | To do so [TGT]told CNBC that the company is looking to bolster technology that is anticipatory.
"Anticipatory is really being led by the tech giants the Googles and the Apples who are trying to figure out what you need when you need it or slightly before you need it " he said.
[TGT]said that Buffalo Wild Wings has already built in some of this technology into its platforms so that it can change how its customers interact with the brand.
[TGT] said that part of the company's plan to engage with diners is through "personalization layers" on its website which track things like a customers' location. Through this data the company can make customers aware of local deals and target areas with specific sports rivalries.
While engaging its digital users is a priority for the brand Goldade said the company will always put the food first. The revamp of its website transformed the ordering platform to focus on convenience customization and letting diners see the food they are about to order.
Goldade said the brand wanted to "engage your brain in a way that makes you hungry" by having large photos of Buffalo Wild Wings' burgers chicken sandwiches and wings in the online order form.
"I don't want to think about adding bacon I want to see it " he said.
Goldade said that Panera is the leading player in providing a visual element to the ordering process noting that the soup and sandwich company provides its diners with images of its food online and through its ordering kiosks.
Goldade said that currently more than a quarter of takeout orders for Buffalo Wild Wings' company-owned locations are made through digital channels like mobile and online. The company hopes to see this number increase as its online platforms allow for more customization and convenience.
The company declined to provide more specific sales information. | 2Positive
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1,000 | Lebanon's Prime Minister Hariri puts resignation 'on hold' | Saad Hariri | Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived back in Lebanon two weeks after he announced his surprise resignation while in Saudi Arabia. Within hours of landing at Beirut International Airport Hariri shocked the country by announcing he had put his resignation "on hold" while talks with Hezb'allah and other political factions are underway.
Al Jazeera's Zein Khodr reporting from Beirut said that Hariri's tone has shifted since he gave his resignation speech two weeks ago. "He [Hariri] didn't even mention Hezbollah or Iran[.] ... He even said that he's looking forward to a partnership with all political parties in the country "What is clear is that there has been intensive discussions behind closed doors " she said. "The resignation was an attempt by Saudi Arabia to curb Hezbollah's influence[.] ... That attempt backfired[.] ... Hariri was conciliatory in his message."
What is going on? Whatever influence Saudi Arabia was exercising over Hariri has weakened since he left the kingdom. Before returning to Lebanon Hariri had meetings with several leaders including Macron of France and el-Sisi of Egypt. France has a keen interest in what happens in Lebanon since the tiny nation is a former French colony. And as a Sunni regional power Egypt is on the front lines of resisting the spread of Iran's influence.
Those "intense discussions" almost certainly included Hezb'allah. Given that Hariri cited threats against his life by pro-Iranian and pro-Syrian factions in Lebanon as a primary reason for his resignation it is possible that some sort of backroom deal with the terrorists was struck that gives certain assurances to Hariri regarding his personal safety. For Hezb'allah part of that deal could have included Hariri promising to back away from Saudi Arabia. | [TGT]arrived back in Lebanon two weeks after [TGT] announced [TGT] surprise resignation while in Saudi Arabia. Within hours of landing at Beirut International Airport [TGT] shocked the country by announcing [TGT] had put [TGT] resignation "on hold" while talks with Hezb'allah and other political factions are underway.
Al Jazeera's Zein Khodr reporting from Beirut said that [TGT]'s tone has shifted since [TGT] gave [TGT] resignation speech two weeks ago. "[TGT] [Hariri] didn't even mention Hezbollah or Iran[.] ... [TGT] even said that [TGT]'s looking forward to a partnership with all political parties in the country "What is clear is that there has been intensive discussions behind closed doors " she said. "The resignation was an attempt by Saudi Arabia to curb Hezbollah's influence[.] ... That attempt backfired[.] ... [TGT]was conciliatory in [TGT] message."
What is going on? Whatever influence Saudi Arabia was exercising over [TGT]has weakened since [TGT] left the kingdom. Before returning to Lebanon [TGT]had meetings with several leaders including Macron of France and el-Sisi of Egypt. France has a keen interest in what happens in Lebanon since the tiny nation is a former French colony. And as a Sunni regional power Egypt is on the front lines of resisting the spread of Iran's influence.
Those "intense discussions" almost certainly included Hezb'allah. Given that [TGT]cited threats against [TGT] life by pro-Iranian and pro-Syrian factions in Lebanon as a primary reason for [TGT] resignation it is possible that some sort of backroom deal with the terrorists was struck that gives certain assurances to [TGT]regarding [TGT] personal safety. For Hezb'allah part of that deal could have included [TGT]promising to back away from Saudi Arabia. | 2Positive
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