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Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com
Apple Inc. is expected to unveil Tuesday the newest version of a device that has helped bolster the company's fortunes more than any other in recent years: the iPhone.
General expectations for what has widely and unofficially been dubbed the iPhone 5 are for a slimmer device with a larger touch screen, an improved camera and a relatively speedy chip of the same variety found in the current version of Apple's iPad tablet. There also has been some speculation about possible voice-command capability.
The price is expected to remain consistent with the $199 to $299 charged for an iPhone 4, ... ||||| Though late-stage rumors seemed to confirm exactly what happened Tuesday, that Apple released a revamped version of its last handset called the iPhone 4S, many expected a totally new version of the phone or, barring that, a second, cheaper version of Apple’s phone.
Instead, Apple revealed essentially the same phone from its last announcement, with some upgrades.
Investors in Apple were also disappointed and began selling off stock in the minutes after the iPhone 4S was unveiled. by midafternoon, Apple stock was down more than five percent, to 335.39 at around 3:15 p.m. It had been trading over 400 per share earlier in the week.
The iPhone 4S has a faster processor, is a “world phone” that runs on both GSM and CDMA networks, and sports a quicker 8 MP camera. Apple also added Sprint to its list of carriers for the phone.
What’s not clear from the event is whether Apple has fixed the antenna problems that annoyed its iPhone 4 customers when the phone was held a certain way.
The new iPhone 4S will have the same pricing structure as the iPhone 4, though it adds a 64 GB model for $399. The 16GB phone will cost $199; the 32GB phone will be $299. Pre-orders for the phone will start Friday, and it will be released on Oct. 14.
The company also announced the official launch of its next-generation operating system, iOS 5. Users got a peek of the system at Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference in June.
Still, Apple threw in a few more announcements, such as Siri, which acts as a personal assistant that can recognize voice commands.
The company’s iCloud suite of programs, which will launch along with iOS 5 on Oct. 12 will likely send the average Apple consumer even further into the cloud by providing free (and paid) storage space for photos, movies, music, apps — all hooked into Apple’s massive content and entertainment ecosystem.
Apple also released updates to two of its iPod lines — the Nano and the Touch — but it wasn’t immediately clear if the company will continue to make the iPod Classic, which did not appear on the event’s slide showing the iPod family. The new iPod Nano will start at $129 for an 8GB model. The iPod Touch also has some upgrades. It will now come in white and start at $199 for 8GB, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB.
The company built a great deal of momentum going into this event, somehow managing to continually break its own handset sales records while simultaneously driving up hype for its next model. The question now is whether users will be happy enough with the upgraded handset and Apple’s new operating system to keep the company in that enviable position.
Apple’s new chief executive, Tim Cook, hosted the event, but he passed many of the speaking opportunities on to other top executives, as expected.
Related stories:
More technology coverage from The Washington Post
iOS 5 to go out of beta this week
Photos: iPhone 4S unveiled
Apple Siri: 'All-new, voice-control AI stuff'
Faster Forward: Twitter users give their takes
User poll: Does it live up to the hype? ||||| Apple is less than 24 hours away from announcing the next iPhone. Unlike previous announcements, this show will be intimate and small, held at Apple’s HQ rather than a large venue like the Moscone Center. Most important, Steve Jobs isn’t headlining the show; although, if rumors are to be believed, he might make a cameo. Apple’s latest commander and chief, Tim Cook, is expected to lead the charge at what will likely amount to one of the biggest Internet traffic days of the year.
Apple is rather tardy releasing this latest iPhone, missing its traditional summer launch date by a good two months. However, if the rumor mills are to be believed, there, the new iPhone will be very similar to the old iPhone – except where it isn’t. We compiled all of the rumors here along with stating the viability for each. Some are wide-eyed, others are realistic, while some are pure fanboy fantasy.
Argument
Numerous leaked SKU line ups with iPhone prototypes that are made of just plastic rather than glass and aluminum found in Brazil.
Apple would completely disrupt Android and Windows Phone 7 by selling a new iPhone at $100 or less.
The iPhone 4 still packs enough computing power for most users.
Objections:
Unsubstantiated leaks cannot be trusted
Judgment: The stars just seem aligned for this one. The iPhone 4 is still a hot phone despite being over 15 months old. Apple just needs to repackage the current hardware into a less expensive body to completely demolish the competition.
Argument:
Countless thinner cases have leaked over the previous months all purportedly built for the next iPhone.
Every successive iPhone has been thinner than the previous.
Apple likes to keep design cues constant between products and so the next iPhone will look similar to the iPad.
Objection:
None, it’s a pretty solid claim
Judgment: Apple has never released a product thicker than the previous model and won’t start with the next iPhone.
Larger screen
Argument:
The iPhone 4’s 3.5-inch screen is tiny compared to recent superphones from Motorola, Samsung, and LG.
Leaked cases signal that the next iPhone will be physically longer and wider. A larger screen is logical if the size of the iPhone is increasing.
Our own research has shown that a larger screen is “likely.”
Objections:
Larger screen could mess with apps designed for the smaller screen
Judgment: Apple cannot ignore the current popular trend of larger screen sizes. As long as the phone is thinner, a larger screen will not make the phone feel any bigger.
Argument:
Apple has always pushed the limit with its LCD implementation.
Edge-to-edge glass would give Apple something to tout over just using a larger screen.
Objections:
Likely higher manufacturing cost, which would cut into the profit margin
Could lead to more broken screens
Judgment: Not likely just yet. Apple pushes the limit but only as far as its financially viable.
NFC is the next big thing and already a feature on leading Android handsets
An NFC-equipped iPhone would further the advancement of mobile payments
Objection:
Current NFC radios are separate microchips and not integrated into a unified communication chip, which requires PCB real estate and extra battery power
Apple could be waiting until the payment companies make a lucrative offer to them
Judgment: Apple tends to incorporate non-proprietary tech only after its viability is proven. So that’s a “No.”
Argument:
Apple tends to include a faster CPU with each iPhone release
iOS 5 will likely benefit from a faster, dual-core CPU
Objection:
More powerful CPUs tend to decrease battery life
Judgment: It’s very likely the next major iPhone will have the A5 CPU. However, Apple might stick with the A4 for a mid-model refresh like the rumored iPhone 4S
Argument:
Leaked cases and bezels show an elongated opening/button
Touch-sensitive bezels allows for new controls, multitouch gestures
Objections:
Completely changes Apple’s “Keep It Simple, Stupid” design
Could break current apps
Judgment: Don’t start designing your next Kickstarter iPhone case project around this rumor. Apple will likely stick with its traditional home button.
Argument:
MP count has increased with every new iPhone release
An 8MP photo previously appeared with iPhone 5 metadata
Megapixel counts are unfortunately a comparison point between different phones
Objections:
Higher megapixel counts does not necessarily improve picture quality. Apple knows this. Hopefully.
Judgment: Camera sensors are constantly shrinking in size while increasing in MP count. Expect a higher count sensor but not necessarily an 8MP version.
Argument:
The next iPhone will use Qualcomm Gobi Baseband and run on both GSM and CDMA networks
Dual-mode phones have shown up in developer’s usage stats
Would allow Apple to makes/sell just one version, decreasing manufacturing costs
Allow Apple to sell a completely unlocked iPhone. Buy one from the Apple Store and activate it however you want
Carrier independence is a huge selling point
Objection:
Dual-mode mobile radios are still very rare
R&D cost could make it financially unfeasible
Judgment: It’s hard to say. The upsides are huge for both Apple and consumers, but dual-mode radios are not widely used. Apple tends to use highly-available and therefore, high margin components.
The next iPhone will have powerful voice controls built by Siri called Assistant, which Apple bought last year for $200m
The voice controls would outclass Android’s with more natural navigation paths
These function would need beefy hardware like the rumored A5 CPU, which creates an up-sell point for iPhone 4 owners
Objections
None, really. Seems like a logical step for iOS.
Judgment: It’s hard to predict future iOS features, but more beefy voice controls are probably on the road map. ||||| Let me start off by saying this: Your phone is not suddenly going to gain sentience and become Skynet. However, your phone is about to become a whole lot smarter, thanks to Apple and its new artificial intelligence Assistant.
The hype surrounding Tuesday's Apple iPhone event is at an all-time high. But most of the hype is focused on the hardware that Apple will announce. What will the iPhone 5 look like? Will there be an iPhone 4S? Will it have 4G capabilities or a bigger screen?
The real star of Tuesday's show will not be the hardware, though. This event will focus on software, specifically one piece of software that Apple: the iPhone Assistant.
Assistant is the successor to Siri, the iPhone app that helped users with their daily tasks with natural language voice commands. Ask Siri to find a restaurant for you, and it could not only complete your requests, but it could also help you book a reservation. It could grab movie ratings, find you a taxi, perform Google searches and much more. Most of all, it learned from your actions and refined its recommendations accordingly.
The technology that powered Siri was born from SRI's CALO project, the largest artificial intelligence project in U.S. history. It's complex technology that linked machine learning to natural language. In other words, it's technology that made artificial intelligence accessible and useful to the regular person.
Two months after its launch, Apple acquired Siri for more than $200 million.
What Assistant Will Do
On Tuesday, Siri will be reborn as Assistant. And while we have not had a chance to play with Assistant ourselves, we've heard amazing things from the people who have used it.
Say you're in a new city and you're really craving Chinese. In the past, you might have pulled up the Yelp app, performed a search on Yelp and combed through results. With Assistant, you can say to your iPhone, "Please find me a Chinese restaurant within a mile of my location."
Instead of searching for the taxi company's number, Assistant will find it for you. Instead of searching through your apps, Assistant will open up your app and tell the app what you want it to do (we eventually expect APIs that will allow users to directly access their apps via Assistant).
And yes, Assistant will be able to transcribe your texts and perform web searches, much like Google's Android OS. Assistant will utilize Nuance's advance voice-recognition technology to accomplish these tasks.
The key though is that Assistant will learn. It will figure out what results you don't like, what restaurants you frequent, and what people you want to talk to the most. It will adapt to your needs and become more than just a module for voice commands.
What Artificial Intelligence Does to the iPhone
In a great interview on Monday, Siri co-founder Norman Winarsky wasn't shy to share his thoughts on how Assistant will not only change personal computing but the entire world.
"Make no mistake: Apple’s ‘mainstreaming’ Artificial Intelligence in the form of a Virtual Personal Assistant is a groundbreaking event," Winarsky told 9to5mac. "I’d go so far as to say it is a world-changing event."
But why is Assistant a "world-changing" event? Winarsky explains further:
"This is real AI with real market use. If the rumors are true, Apple will enable millions upon millions of people to interact with machines with natural language," he said. "The PAL (personal assistant software) will get things done, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. We’re talking another technology revolution. A new computing paradigm shift."
Apple plans to change the very way we interact with our phones yet again. Apple already sparked one revolution with touchscreens and another with the App Store. After Tuesday though, it will have introduced a whole new method of interacting with computers: through an artificial intelligence. That is something that will change our fundamental relationship with the devices that sit on our desks and travel with us in our pockets.
Starting Tuesday, we'll be talking about a new computing revolution.
Lead image courtesy of DreamWorks
What Apple's iPhone 5 May Look Like ||||| 1 of 23. Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks in front of an image of an iPhone 4S at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California October 4, 2011.
CUPERTINO, California (Reuters) - Apple Inc's newest iPhone left Wall Street and fans wishing for more than a souped-up version of last year's device, igniting a rare storm of criticism and disappointment on the Internet.
Newly minted CEO Tim Cook ably helmed his first major product launch without former boss Steve Jobs, but failed to ignite the sort of excitement and buzz that the charismatic Apple co-founder once did.
Expectations were high at this critical juncture, when Android phones by Samsung Electronics and other rivals are closing in on Apple's lead and the important holiday shopping season gets started.
Investors and fans, looking to be blown away by some amazing surprise, sent the shares down as much as 5 percent before they recovered with the market to close down 0.6 percent.
Cook, who took over from Jobs in August, and his executive team showed off a device that comes with voice recognition and a better camera, but looks identical to the last phone and does little to lift the bar for smartphones.
While the gadget wasn't as tricked out as some had hoped, analysts liked its voice-enabling technology that helps users vocalize everything from stock price searches to sending messages -- more easily than on Android phones or Research in Motion Blackberries.
"It's been 16 months and all you've got is an A5 processor in the existing iPhone 4," said BGC Partners' analyst Colin Gillis. "It's a mild disappointment, but they're still going to be selling millions of units."
Some shareholders and analysts hoped for a cameo appearance by Jobs, now chairman. The pancreatic cancer survivor, who took his third medical leave in August, did not appear.
In some ways, Apple may have been a victim of its past success. Its launches are some of the hottest events on the tech calendar. Tuesday's "Let's talk iPhone" show marked Cook's unofficial debut since taking over from Jobs in August.
Analysts say it is more crucial than ever to sustain the popularity of its aging iPhone 4. Apple sold more than 20 million units in the third quarter ended June 25.
"It's kind of funny -- if they have gone and called it the 5, the stock would have been fine, but they're calling it the 4S, which is a disappointment to some," said WP Stewart portfolio manager Michael Walker.
The iPhone, which accounts for more than 40 percent of Apple's sales, has been a success since it came out in 2007, making Apple into one of the world's leading consumer electronics companies.
INTENSIFYING COMPETITION
On a brighter note, the company would seem to be making inroads into potentially pivotal new markets.
It said more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies are testing or using its iPhones and iPads, expanding its presence in a corporate market dominated by RIM. RIM shares trading on the Nasdaq stock market slid nearly 3 percent before ending 2.4 percent higher. Google shares finished 1.3 percent up.
The two-generation-old iPhone 3GS will be offered free, as long as users sign a contract. Analysts said that would help to expand its market in lower-end Asian and developing markets.
"Apple is hitting Nokia when it's vulnerable. How many billions of people in emerging markets would love to have an iPhone? These are a growing demographic," said YCMNet Advisors CEO Michael Yoshikami.
Tuesday's iPhone event took place at Apple Central -- the same venue where the iPod first was introduced years ago -- versus the larger, splashier venues of more recent choice such as downtown San Francisco's Moscone center.
Heading in to the event, many on Wall Street had questioned Cook's ability lead the company as Jobs did. In terms of stage presence, Jobs was a tough act to follow, but analysts say Cook acquitted himself well.
Twitter users were not impressed with the phone, though.
"Please note I will be selling some 'S' stickers for $0.99 so iPhone 4 owners have a cheaper upgrade option," wrote HAL9000 on Twitter.
Tomlinsonr tweeted, "I'll have a double helping of 'meh' with a side of 'whatever'."
The latest version of the iPhone comes as the economy slows and competition intensifies. People activate more than 550,000 Android-based devices -- including tablets -- each day.
Nielsen data shows the iPhone was No. 2 in the United States with a 28 percent market share, with Android at 43 percent.
Globally, iPhone shipments rose 9.1 percent in the second quarter while Nokia's plummeted more than 30 percent, handing the top spot to Apple with a market share of 18.4 percent, according to IHS iSuppli. Samsung, whose shipments grew faster, is coming on strong with a market share of 17.8 percent.
Despite disappointment online, analysts said the phone is superior to many rival offerings.
"Voice recognition has been on Google and Blackberry devices for years, but Apple will make it much more usable," said Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt.
(Additional reporting by Noel Randewich, Alistair Barr and Sarah McBride in San Francisco, and Sinead Carew and Liana B. Baker in New York. Writing by Edwin Chan. Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Robert MacMillan)
|
– It's a big day in the tech world as we await the 1pm EDT iPhone announcement from Apple HQ. What do we think we know? It will be faster, slimmer, and have a larger screen: Pretty much everyone agrees on these points. It will run on both GSM and CDMA networks: The Washington Post says this is almost certain. It will have beefier voice navigation: Again, most sources agree on this point. Mashable goes further and explains the feature, called Assistant, artificial intelligence software that can help you find a restaurant, search on Google, call a taxi, and more—all while learning from your actions. It will include Apple's new operating system: iOS 5 and iCloud will offer both free and paid storage in the cloud for photos, movies, music, and apps, the Post notes. Reuters adds that the new iPhone is expected to be loaded with the updated software. It will be cheaper: Reuters notes that some expect a cheaper model that would appeal to the Asian market, in order to boost Apple's growth there, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the price is expected to remain around $199 to $299. TechCrunch, however, believes we will definitely see a cheaper phone—perhaps even less than $100. It will mark Tim Cook's debut: Cook, the new CEO, will have his first chance to prove himself as the main speaker today. Still unknown is whether Steve Jobs will make an appearance. Other questions that remain: Will Apple announce two phones (say, an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 4S) or just one? What about a partnership with Facebook? Any news about the iPod? Will the new iPhone run on 4G networks? The juiciest rumor: Boy Genius Report, citing an "incredibly solid" industry contact, says that Sprint, yes, Sprint, will get the iPhone 5 exclusive, while AT&T and Verizon will get the iPhone 4S. Click here for a breakdown of what that would mean.
|
Hurricane Harvey evacuees can connect with Airbnb hosts offering free housing
Home-sharing service Airbnb is encouraging its hosts in safe, inland parts of Texas to open their available rooms or homes for residents evacuating coastal areas and emergency relief workers needing temporary accommodations.
The company has activated its disaster response program that will connect those seeking temporary, safe housing with Airbnb hosts in the San Antonio, Austin and Dallas areas through Sept. 1.
RELATED: Hurricane Harvey intensifies into Category 2 hurricane, few hours left to prepare
The program began in 2012 in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and has grown into a global disaster response initiative, the company said.
"We encourage hosts in safe, inland areas to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help the growing number of evacuees," Airbnb''s head of global disaster response and relief said in a statement. "Our thoughts continue to be with everyone in the path of the storm, and we thank the dedicated government and emergency response personnel who are keeping our communities safe." ||||| Five hours after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas around 10 p.m. as a Category 4 storm, it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, a decrease from 130 mph when it made landfall.
Interested in Hurricane Harvey? Add Hurricane Harvey as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Hurricane Harvey news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest
And Harvey was downgraded to a Category 3 storm around 1 a.m., after winds decreased to 125 mph.
Harvey also made a second landfall on the northeastern shore of Copano Bay around the time it was downgraded to Category 3.
The storm is the strongest to hit the state in decades, with catastrophic flooding expected. The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Charley in 2004 in Florida, while the last Category 4 storm to hit Texas was Carla in 1961.
Residents staying in the area frantically stocked up on food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.
Airlines canceled flights, schools were shuttered while concerts and other planned events in Houston and coastal cities were postponed.
The hurricane's effects are expected to linger for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to be as high as 40 inches in some areas.
TNS via Newscom
"This is going to be a storm we talk about, unfortunately, for at least the next seven days," ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee said Friday on "GMA."
Brian Thevenot/Reuters
Here's what we know about the storm.
What's ahead
Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane over the northern end of San Jose Island between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor at 10 p.m. local time Friday, with sustained winds of about 130 mph and stronger gusts, according to the National Weather Service. At the time, the storm's eye was 30 miles away from the coastal city of Corpus Christi, Texas.
The National Weather Service warned Harvey could bring a potentially devastating storm surge, heavy rainfall and wind hazards to the Lone Star State's coast. A tornado watch is in effect for areas of southeastern Texas and southwest Louisiana.
Life-threatening storm surge waters could reach 9 to 13 feet above ground level. Catastrophic flooding is expected across parts of the area. And rainfall will be heavy, with an estimated 15 to 30 inches of rain falling in many areas and as high as 40 inches in some from today through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
ABC News
Here's a projected timeline for Hurricane Harvey thus far, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service:
Saturday: Harvey roared ashore late Friday evening. The storm's path going forward remains uncertain but it is forecast to meander near or just inland of the middle of the Texas coast through the weekend.
Sunday through Monday: Some forecast models show Harvey expanding across the Gulf Coast as it makes its way over southern Texas.
Tuesday through Wednesday: The hurricane could, according to some models, move northeast and then re-emerge briefly over the Gulf of Mexico before making a second landfall in northeastern Texas or western Louisiana.
ABC News
Preparation and evacuations
Storm preparation began in earnest on Wednesday and intensified on Thursday. Shoppers lined up to fill their carts with food and water, while lines for gas stretched out of many stations. Some people also got to work boarding up their homes and businesses to protect against the expected 100-plus mile per hour winds. Even the Texas Department of Transportation in Victoria boarded up its windows on Thursday.
As of Friday, governors had declared states of emergencies for 30 counties in Texas and statewide for Louisiana.
Corpus Christi resident Alex Garcia bought bottled water, bread and other basic grocery items in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land because they were likely more available there than back home, where stores were "crazy," he told The Associated Press.
And as Houston resident Bill Pennington prepared his one-story home for another deluge in the flood-prone city, the father told The Associated Press he comforted his nervous 9-year-old son by saying, "We know how to handle it. We'll handle it again."
AP
The Coast Guard said Thursday it was sending shallow-depth vessels to Texas and Louisiana that are capable of responding in flooded urban areas. And with gale force winds predicted to arrive within 24 hours, the Coast Guard on Thursday also ordered a nearly total closure of ports in Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Freeport and Corpus Christi.
By Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard had already completed its first search-and-rescue mission, rescuing 12 people from a 160-foot vessel near Port Mansfield, Texas.
Texas officials announced mandatory evacuations for all seven counties on the coast: Calhoun County, San Patricio County, Refugio County, Brazoria County, Jackson County, Victoria County and Matagorda County. In four of those countries, officials ordered their entire county to evacuate and warned those who chose to stay behind that their rescue could not be guaranteed. Voluntary evacuations were urged for residents in other areas.
While a mandatory evacuation order is not in place for Corpus Christi, Mayor Joe McComb did advise residents to voluntarily evacuate ahead of the storm.
Mayor McComb strongly encourages evacuation, especially the low lying areas of Area A and B as seen in the map below (pink and yellow area). pic.twitter.com/Z5gspafgSn — CityOfCorpusChristi (@cityofcc) August 24, 2017
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long urged people in the path of the storm to heed warnings and to take evacuation orders seriously.
"This may be the first major landfall hurricane we've had since 2005," Long said in an interview on "Good Morning America" Friday. "So there's going to be damage."
As of Friday morning, FEMA had amassed more than 96,000 liters of water, 306,000 meals and 4,500 tarps at incident support bases in Seguin and Fort Worth, Texas, as well as in Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, should the states need them.
Storm preparations have extended to New Orleans, where FEMA said it's working to make sure the Louisiana city's pumps are functioning in anticipation of the seven to 10 inches of rainfall expected there. The National Guard is also readying 500,000 sandbags, FEMA said.
More than 120,000 people have lost power in the Corpus Christi area as a result of Hurricane Harvey so far.
ABC News
How officials are responding
Politicians and officials have taken a proactive approach to the storm.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday night that he had discussed storm preparation with President Donald Trump, as well as with the heads of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, Abbott sent a letter to Trump requesting a presidential disaster declaration in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey.
“Granting this request will provide Texans the additional resources needed to protect themselves, their property and rebuild their lives if necessary after Hurricane Harvey,” Abbott said in a statement.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at the press briefing Friday afternoon that Trump is planning to visit Texas "early next week."
Many state and local officials have urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders, as it will be too late to leave once the storm hits.
Spoke with Pres. Trump & heads of Homeland Security & FEMA. They're helping Texas respond to #HurricaneHarvey. pic.twitter.com/dr0rig9DNK — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 24, 2017
If you have been asked by local officials to evacuate in TX, your window to do so is closing https://t.co/EWm3czdOsb — Brock Long (@FEMA_Brock) August 25, 2017
Over the next several days we can expect possibly 10-20 inches n our City w/a probability of flooding in parts of our City. Be prepared. st — Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) August 25, 2017
Trump announced on Twitter late Friday that he had approved Abbott's request for a disaster declaration in Texas, formally making federal funds and resources available to assist state recovery efforts.
At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017
Texas' hurricane history
The storm is already being compared to Hurricane Bret, which hit Texas on Aug. 22, 1999. That storm made landfall in Kenedy County, just south of Corpus Christi, according to the National Weather Service -- a path that was similar to the one forecast for Hurricane Harvey.
Here's a timeline of some of the recent hurricanes to hit Texas and the damage they caused:
Hurricane Bret (Aug. 22, 1999): The Category 3 storm made landfall on a Sunday evening about 60 miles south of Corpus Christi. Luckily, the area is sparsely populated compared to Corpus Christi, and so problems were limited. Central Kenedy County received more than 15 inches of rain over two days, according to the NWS. The storm did about $88 million in damages in 2017 figures. Four Americans died in the storm.
Hurricane Claudette (July 15, 2003): While Claudette came ashore as only a Category 1 storm with maximum winds of 90 miles per hour, it did extensive damage after coming ashore at Port O'Connor, about 100 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, and moving inland across Calhoun County, according to the NWS. Two people were killed.
Hurricane Rita (Sept. 24, 2005): The last Category 3 storm to make landfall in Texas was Rita, though it did so much farther north than Harvey is expected to land. Rita, which hit just three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, made landfall right along the Texas-Louisiana border with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour. The town of Center, Texas -- near Nacogdoches -- received 10.48 inches of rain in the storm, but it moved quickly through the area, limiting rainfall accumulation. Still, 59 people from Texas were killed in the storm, according to the NWS, and a number of others died in a bus accident during evacuations.
Hurricane Ike (Sept. 13, 2008): Ike, the last hurricane to make landfall in Texas, hit near Galveston as a Category 2 storm after decimating areas of the Caribbean in the week prior with winds as high as 145 miles per hour. By the time it hit Galveston, winds were at a sustained maximum of 110 miles per hour, according to the NWS. The massive size of Ike resulted in substantial rainfall totals for the area. The highest total was 18.9 inches near Spring Creek, south of Houston, according to the NWS. Some sensors measuring storm surge actually failed due to salt water, according to a NOAA report, but the highest total was 17.5 feet in Chambers County.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images ||||| All service fees are waived for those affected by the disaster and checking in between August 23, 2017 and September 25, 2017.
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– As Texas hunkers down in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey, Airbnb has launched an initiative that will help people forced to evacuate the coastal areas link up with people with available housing in and near Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, the Houston Chronicle reports. The lodging rental company's disaster response program, which began after 2012's Hurricane Sandy and runs this time around through next Friday, waives all service fees during the "urgent accommodations" time period. One needs only to click on either the "I need a place to stay" or the "I can offer my space for free" buttons to find or offer temporary housing during and after the storm, which is expected to make landfall late Friday as a Category 3 hurricane. "We encourage hosts in safe, inland areas to aid in this effort by listing their available rooms or homes on the platform to help the growing number of evacuees," notes a statement from Airbnb's head of global disaster response and relief.
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY - A second sinkhole opened up Monday afternoon about three miles from a sinkhole that formed beneath a home last week, swallowing a man who is presumed dead.
Click the video player to see a view from Action Air 1.
This one is in a backyard at 1204 Cedar Tree Lane. The call came in around 4:20 p.m.
The family who resides in the home was there when the sinkhole opened. Shaken by what occurred, the family declined to speak on camera. They told ABC Action News they lived in the home almost two years but now want to move.
According to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, there was no structure damage and no one was hurt. However, a white fence dividing the homes at 1204 and 1206 Cedar Tree Lane did sustain damage.
As fire rescue and code enforcement officers swarmed the block, neighbors gathered outside and grew increasingly nervous that this sinkhole could be connected to the sinkhole which swallowed a man Thursday night.
"This is not geologically linked to the other sinkhole," said William Puz, spokeperson for Hillsborough County.
Puz called the situation 'evolving.' While there were no evacuations, Puz said the family who lived in the home was told they could either stay in the home or go somewhere they felt safe. The family opted for the latter option.
Katia Vargas, who lives at 1202 Cedar Tree Lane, said inspectors have told her family their house sits over multiple sinkholes.
"It is really scary that this happened here," explained Vargas.
Vargas said her family has decided to pack up and stay at hotel until they can figure out what to do next. ||||| A backhoe chipped away Monday at the remains of a house where a sinkhole opened up and swallowed a man, but there was little certainty as to what would come next for the site of the freak geological incident.
In this video image provided by ABC Action News-WFTS TV, shows an aerial photo of a sinkhole Monday, Mar. 4, 2013, in Seffner, Fla. The hole opened up underneath a bedroom late Thursday evening and swallowed... (Associated Press)
Demolition experts watch as an excavator checks the sinkhole in the bedroom, from the home of Jeff Bush, during demolition, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the... (Associated Press)
Family members search through items that were recovered from the home of Jeff Bush, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, swallowing... (Associated Press)
A family member prays in front of home of Jeff Bush before demolition crews tear down the home, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late Thursday, Feb. 28,... (Associated Press)
Demolition experts remove a piece of furniture from the home of Jeff Bush, 37, during demolition Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late Thursday, Feb. 28,... (Associated Press)
Jeremy Bush, right, gets a hug from a family friend while speaking to the media as demolition continues at the home of his brother, Jeff Bush, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened... (Associated Press)
Family members watch as the home of Jeff Bush is destroyed Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, swallowing Bush, 37. The 20-foot-wide... (Associated Press)
Jeremy Bush, right, prays as he speaks to the media as demolition continues at the home of his brother, Jeff Bush, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late... (Associated Press)
Hillsborough Sheriff Deputy removes two rifles that were recovered from the home of Jeff Bush, as it is destroyed, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late... (Associated Press)
Demolition experts watch as the home of Jeff Bush is destroyed Monday, March 4, 2013, in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, evening swallowing Bush,... (Associated Press)
In this undated photo released by Jeremy Bush, shows his brother Jeff Bush. Jeremy Bush heard a loud crash and screaming coming from his brother's room early Thursday, March 1, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A... (Associated Press)
Demolition crews remove items from the home of Jeff Bush, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened up underneath the house late Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, swallowing Jeff Bush, 37. The... (Associated Press)
Jeremy Bush, right, gets a hug from a family friend while speaking to the media as demolition continues at the home of his brother, Jeff Bush, Monday, March 4, 2013 in Seffner, Fla. A sinkhole opened... (Associated Press)
Though thousands of sinkholes erupt in Florida each year, most are small, few affect homes, and even fewer cause deaths. The sinkhole in the Tampa suburb of Seffner, however, was different.
Crews still were working to remove enough of the home to see more clearly inside the hole and determine what steps would come after the property is razed. There has been no definitive word as to whether the hole will be filled or whether the property could be built on again. But some experts say the fact that the sinkhole claimed a life _ that of Jeff Bush, 37 _ and that his body is expected to remain below the surface make rebuilding less likely.
"It's kind of a bad omen," said Dave Arnold, a hydrogeologist who has surveyed sinkholes for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. "This is an even worse omen with someone buried under there."
Arnold and other experts expect that once the house if destroyed, crews will work to fill in the hole and the lot will likely remain empty. Depending on the circumstances, past Florida sinkholes have been handled in varied ways.
In Maitland, Fla., a sinkhole 325 feet across was discovered in the 1960s as Interstate 4 was built. The highway was diverted around the area, but in 2008 workers began a $9 million project to fill and stabilize the sinkhole in preparation for a planned expansion of the roadway. Engineers say a road can be put over it now without any problems.
In Winter Park, Fla., a sinkhole in 1981 swallowed several sports cars, parts of two businesses, the deep end of an Olympic-size swimming pool and a three-bedroom house. It stretched about 350 feet across and caused $2 million in damages. The area became a temporary tourist attraction, but most of it was ultimately deserted, filled with water and became a lake.
And in 2002, a sinkhole about 150 feet across and 60 feet deep swallowed oak trees, sidewalk and park benches near an apartment complex in western Orange County, Fla. Two buildings with more than 100 residents were evacuated, but the structures were ultimately saved. Metal sheet piling was placed around the hole to stop the soil from sliding, and it was filled.
Often, homeowners find clues to a pending problem by cracks in the foundation or a shifting floor. When that happens, and a sinkhole threat has been established, crews can pump a thick grout _ a mixture of sand and cement _ into the ground to fill the holes. It is a costly process, though it is typically paid by insurance companies, and can save a home from being destroyed.
"You inject the grout under pressure and attempt to fill all the cavities you can find," said Anthony Randazzo, a former University of Florida geology professor who started the consulting firm Geohazards, which handles about 1,000 cases a year of sinkholes and other settlement issues.
Though the specifics of what will happen to the Seffner property remain unknown, Randazzo said the hole would have to be filled to keep people from falling in it and to remove a potential neighborhood eyesore.
If the family decides to try to sell the property, they would be required to notify prospective buyers of the sinkhole issue.
Currently, various county agencies are at the sinkhole site to supervise, but officials haven't given a tally of the costs or said who is absorbing them.
For now, the focus in Seffner remains on a family mourning a loved one and trying to move on. Two large backhoes scraped and pulled at the house Monday afternoon, with one gently removing possessions including a flag, a jacket, family photographs, a bicycle and a china cabinet. The other machine loaded shattered pieces of furniture and construction material into a huge waste container.
The day's most solemn moment came at 4 p.m., when demolition stopped and workers joined family members for a brief ceremony. The many flowers and notes that had been left in front of the house were loaded into a tractor's bucket, which swung slowly toward the sinkhole and dropped the materials into the hole. There was applause from across the street.
Though the house's demolition was completed Monday, crews had not yet finished removing its foundation. After that is done, likely Tuesday, they planned to survey the hole to better understand its dimensions. Hillsborough County spokesman Willie Puz said workers would then "stabilize the hole," though he remained mum on details of what precisely would be done.
"Every sinkhole is different," he said.
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Sedensky reported from West Palm Beach. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Sedensky
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Associated Press writers Tamara Lush and Christine Armario contributed to this report.
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– The residents of Seffner, Fla., are on edge after a fresh sinkhole appeared just three miles from where a sinkhole swallowed a man last week. The new sinkhole, which is about 10 feet deep, appeared between two homes yesterday afternoon, ABC reports. Authorities say the hole is not geologically connected to the first and there is no danger of structural damage, but nearby residents have fled to hotels and the family living closest to the hole now plans to move. At the first sinkhole, now considered to be the grave of 37-year-old Jeffrey Bush, workers saved keepsakes for the home's former residents during demolition yesterday. Officials say the hole will be surveyed and stabilized, but it's not clear whether the site will ever be built on again. When demolition ended yesterday afternoon, workers joined family members for a brief ceremony in which flowers and notes left in front of the home were loaded into a tractor's bucket and dropped into the hole, the AP reports.
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By Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins
In November 2017, a small-time YouTube video creator and two moderators of the 4chan website, one of the most extreme message boards on the internet, banded together and plucked out of obscurity an anonymous and cryptic post from the many conspiracy theories that populated the website's message board.
Over the next several months, they would create videos, a Reddit community, a business and an entire mythology based off the 4chan posts of “Q,” the pseudonym of a person claiming to be a high-ranking military officer. The theory they espoused would become Qanon, and it would eventually make its way from those message boards to national media stories and the rallies of President Donald Trump.
Now, the people behind that effort are at the center of a fractious debate among conspiracy enthusiasts, some of whom believe the three people who first popularized the Qanon theory are promoting it in order to make a living. Others suggest that these original followers actually wrote Q’s mysterious posts.
While the identity of the original author or authors behind “Q” is still unknown, the history of the conspiracy theory’s spread is well-documented — through YouTube videos, social media posts, Reddit archives, and public records reviewed by NBC News.
NBC News has found that the theory can be traced back to three people who sparked some of the first conversation about Qanon and, in doing so, attracted followers who they then asked to help fund Qanon “research.”
Qanon is a convoluted conspiracy theory with no apparent foundation in reality. The heart of it asserts that for the last year the anonymous “Q” has taken to the fringe internet message boards of 4chan and 8chan to leak intelligence about Trump’s top-secret war with a cabal of criminals run by politicians like Hillary Clinton and the Hollywood elite. There is no evidence for these claims.
In addition to peeking into the mainstream, the theory has been increasingly linked to real-world violence. In recent months, Qanon followers have allegedly been involved in a foiled presidential assassination plot, a devastating California wildfire, and an armed standoff with local law enforcement officers in Arizona.
Part of the Qanon appeal lies in its game-like quality. Followers wait for clues left by “Q” on the message board. When the clues appear, believers dissect the riddle-like posts alongside Trump’s speeches and tweets and news articles in an effort to validate the main narrative that Trump is winning a war against evil.
There are now dozens of commentators who dissect “Q” posts — on message boards, in YouTube videos and on their personal pages — but the theory was first championed by a handful of people who worked together to stir discussion of the “Q” posts, eventually pushing the theory on to bigger platforms and gaining followers — a strategy that proved to be the key to Qanon’s spread and the originators’ financial gain.
The anons
Before Q, there was a wide variety of “anon” 4chan posters all claiming to have special government access.
In 2016, there was FBIAnon, a self-described “high-level analyst and strategist” offering intel about the 2016 investigation into the Clinton Foundation. Then came HLIAnon, an acronym for High Level Insider, who posted about various dubious conspiracies in riddles, including one that claimed Princess Diana had been killed because she found out about 9/11 “beforehand” and had “tried to stop it.” Then “CIAAnon” and “CIA Intern” took to the boards in early 2017, and last August one called WH Insider Anon offered a supposed preview that something that was “going to go down” regarding the DNC and leaks.
Qanon was just another unremarkable part of the “anon” genre until November 2017, when two moderators of the 4chan board where Q posted predictions, who went by the usernames Pamphlet Anon and BaruchtheScribe, reached out to Tracy Diaz, according to Diaz’s blogs and YouTube videos. BaruchtheScribe, in reality a self-identified web programmer from South Africa named Paul Furber, confirmed that account to NBC News.
“A bunch of us decided that the message needed to go wider so we contacted Youtubers who had been commenting on the Q drops,” Furber said in an email.
Diaz, a small-time YouTube star who once hosted a talk show on the fringe right-wing network Liberty Movement Radio, had found moderate popularity with a couple of thousand views for her YouTube videos analyzing WikiLeaks releases and discussing the "pizzagate" conspiracy, a baseless theory that alleged a child sex ring was being run out of a Washington pizza shop.
As Diaz tells it in a blog post detailing her role in the early days of Qanon, she banded together with the two moderators. Their goal, according to Diaz, was to build a following for Qanon — which would mean bigger followings for them as well.
On Nov. 3, 2017, just six days after the first 4chan post from “Q,” Diaz posted a video entitled “/POL/- Q Clearance Anon - Is it #happening???” in which she introduced the conspiracy theory to her audience.
“I do not typically do videos like this,” she said, but citing Q’s “very specific and kind of eerie” posts, Diaz explained that she would be covering the 4chan posts, “just in case this stuff turns out to be legit because honestly it kind of seems legit.”
That video, which has been viewed nearly 250,000 times, made Diaz one of the earliest people to seize on “Q” posts and decipher them for a conspiracy-hungry audience. Diaz followed with dozens more Q-themed videos, each containing a call for viewers to donate through links to her Patreon and PayPal accounts
Diaz’s YouTube channel now boasts more than 90,000 subscribers and her videos have been watched over 8 million times. More than 97,000 people follow her on Twitter. Diaz, who emerged from bankruptcy in 2009, says in her YouTube videos that she now relies on donations from patrons funding her YouTube “research” as her sole source of income.
Diaz declined to comment on this story.
“Because I cover Q, I got an audience,” Diaz acknowledged in a video that NBC News reviewed last week before she deleted it.
Building a movement
To reach a more mainstream audience (older people and “normies,” who on their own would have trouble navigating the fringe message boards), Diaz said in a blog post she recommended they move to the more user-friendly Reddit. Archives listing the three as the original posters and moderators show they created a new Reddit community called CBTS_Stream, short for Calm Before The Storm, where subscribers soon gathered to talk all things Q.
Their move to Reddit was key to Qanon’s eventual spread. There, they were able to tap into a larger audience of conspiracy theorists, and drive discussion with their analysis of each Q post. From there, Qanon crept to Facebook where it found a new, older audience via dozens of public and private groups.
That audience then started to head to 8chan to check out the original source and interact directly with the posts. (Q posts moved from 4chan to its more toxic offshoot 8chan in November after a post claiming the original board had been “infiltrated.” 8chan became notorious for having no rules, and even hosting child pornography.)
8chan’s owner’s official Twitter account marveled at the influx of older, less internet-savvy visitors to his site, drawn by Qanon. “We joked about it for years, but #Qanon is making it a reality: Boomers! On your imageboard.”
Meanwhile, Diaz kept making videos, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Over the next several months, Diaz and the two moderators picked up tens of thousands of followers on Reddit and YouTube and added even more moderators to their 8chan and Reddit boards.
They also began to break into what might be considered the mainstream of the conspiracy world. Conspiracy theorist Dr. Jerome Corsi, an Infowars editor and a best-selling author of books about the “deep state,” had taken an interest in Q and was decoding the messages on the Reddit board. In December, Pamphlet Anon and BaruchtheScribe even made an appearance on InfoWars.
Corsi has since disavowed the Qanon conspiracy and called the current Q poster “a fraud,” citing a supposed takeover of the channel by someone posing as Q in April. But last week, facing backlash from his base, Corsi tweeted that he supports the Qanon movement and its supporters’ “excellent research.”
Soon, as Diaz explained on her blog, their expanding crew was spending all their waking hours in chat rooms on the gaming-focused forum Discord analyzing and decoding Q messages and planning for a larger dissemination of Q’s message.
In March, their Reddit board, which boasted some 20,000 subscribers, was shut down by Reddit for “encouraging or inciting violence and posting personal and confidential information,” and the moderators — Diaz and the rest — were banned from the site. Furber had already been booted from the site for allegedly threatening to reveal the personal details of another user, and was pushed out of the private Q discussion groups he had helped form.
“I was very definitely banished,” Furber said, noting that he believes Q’s board has been taken over by imposters.
By then, Pamphlet Anon, whose real name is Coleman Rogers, had developed grander plans. (NBC was able to determine Rogers’ identity through property records that link the address where his business is registered to his parent’s home and to photos from his personal social media account. Those photos show him to be the same person who appears on YouTube as Pamphlet Anon.)
Rogers did not respond to calls seeking comment, but acknowledged his receipt of messages from NBC News via his website’s Twitter, writing in part, “WE DO NOT TALK TO FAKE NEWS.”
Network effect
Kicked off Reddit, Rogers hatched a new plan. He would replace the mainstream media — often a target of Q’s posts — with a constantly streaming YouTube network made up of the self-described “researchers” who were putting together Q’s clues.
Within a month, Rogers, 31, and his wife, Christina Urso, 29, had launched the Patriots’ Soapbox, a round-the-clock livestreamed YouTube channel for Qanon study and discussion. The channel is, in effect, a broadcast of a Discord chatroom with constant audio commentary from a rotating cast of volunteers and moderators with sporadic appearances by Rogers and Urso. In April, Urso registered Patriots’ Soapbox LLC in Virginia.
Rogers and Urso use their channel to call for donations that are accepted through PayPal, cryptocurrencies or mail.
It was a natural progression for Rogers. A review of Rogers’ Facebook page shows he had been active in internet politics and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, self-identifying as part of the “meme war” — the creation and dissemination of images and internet-style commentary that internet agitators on the chans and Reddit credit with Trump’s win. Rogers often posted memes about “liberal tears” as well as the ludicrous claims that Democrats murdered children and worshipped Satan — details similar to those that would eventually form the Qanon theory.
Rogers’ Facebook updates waned after Trump took office but started up again in the fall, when he began posting “Q” messages to both confused and supportive family and friends.
Rogers has publicly denied that he is the author of the “Q” posts, though his last visible Facebook post, published on Aug. 2, hinted that he might someday be associated with the theory.
“Ten bucks says you see my face on national news within a few weeks, saying that I'm ‘the mysterious hacker known as #Qanon,’” Rogers wrote, a reference to a CNN segment that mistakenly referred to the website 4chan as a hacker.
Following a request for comment from NBC News, Rogers deleted every post on his Facebook profile after 2014. Following another message from a reporter informing him that NBC News had archived his page, he deleted his Facebook account entirely.
Tables turned
As Qanon picked up steam, growing skepticism over the motives of Diaz, Rogers, and the other early Qanon supporters led some in the internet’s conspiracy circles to turn their paranoia on the group.
Recently, some Qanon followers have accused Diaz and Rogers of profiting from the movement by soliciting donations from their followers. Other pro-Trump online groups have questioned the roles that Diaz and Rogers have played in promoting Q, pointing to a series of slip-ups that they say show Rogers and Diaz may have been involved in the theory from the start.
Those accusations have led Diaz and Rogers to both deny that they are Q and say they don’t know who Q is. There is no direct proof that the group or any individual members are behind it.
Still, Qanon skeptics have pointed to two videos as evidence that Rogers had insider knowledge of Q’s account. Some YouTube channels, like one named Unirock, are mostly dedicated to poring over Patriots’ Soapbox livestreams and dissecting purported slip-ups.
One archived livestream appears to show Rogers logging into the 8chan account of “Q.”The Patriots’ Soapbox feed quickly cuts out after the login attempt. “Sorry, leg cramp,” Rogers says, before the feed reappears seconds later.
Users in the associated chatroom begin to wonder if Rogers had accidentally revealed his identity as Q. “How did you post as Q?” one user wrote.
In another livestreamed video, Rogers begins to analyze a supposed “Q” post on his livestream program when his co-host points out that the post in question doesn’t actually appear on Q’s feed and was authored anonymously. Rogers’ explanation — that Q must have forgotten to sign in before posting — was criticized as extremely unlikely by people familiar with the message boards, as it would require knowledge of the posting to pick it out among hundreds of other anonymous ones.
In part because of the mounting claims against Patriots’ Soapbox, the web’s largest pro-Trump community has banned all mentions of Qanon. Reddit’s 640,000-member community r/The_Donald set up an autodelete function for mentions of Qanon’s claims, two moderators confirmed to NBC News, believing the group of YouTubers is making posts as Q.
Still, Patriots’ Soapbox 24-hour livestream remains live on YouTube, broadcasting to its 46,000 subscribers. And despite the growing skepticism of the group, they still have their supporters who ardently believe in the Qanon theory.
“The funniest thing about those who try to discredit Q. They focus on whether Q is real or not, instead of the information being provided,” tweeted one follower. “NO ONE cares who Q is. WE care about the TRUTH.” ||||| Washington (CNN) Vice President Mike Pence's official Twitter account on Friday posted -- then deleted -- an image showing the vice president with a law enforcement officer who appeared to be wearing a patch often associated with the conspiracy "QAnon."
The post appears to have been deleted and replaced with a new, similar post without the image of the Broward County sheriff's office sergeant who was wearing the patch. The tweet thanks law enforcement officials for their help during Pence's visit to Florida on Friday.
"Grateful for the courageous members of law enforcement who helped with my visit to Florida this afternoon. Thank you for everything you do to help keep our communities SAFE. Great to meet you!" the new tweet reads.
Grateful for the courageous members of law enforcement who helped with my visit to Florida this afternoon. Thank you for everything you do to help keep our communities SAFE. Great to meet you! pic.twitter.com/Lh9Udk5fr2 — Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 1, 2018
Broward Sheriff's Office Public information office director Veda Coleman-Wright said the county sheriff's office would address the situation "immediately."
"Obviously, we were not aware," Coleman-Wright said. "The patch is not authorized by BSO. This matter will be addressed immediately."
Read More ||||| Vice President Mike Pence arrived at Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport just after noon on Friday. He was greeted by a Broward Sheriff's Office SWAT team that included one cop in a #QAnon conspiracy-theory patch. #QAnon is, of course, the batshit-insane, 4Chan-based conspiracy theory that claims Donald Trump is secretly fighting a war with Special Counsel Robert Mueller to capture a secret, elite pedophile ring that includes prominent celebrities and Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The theory seems to have come from a group of online con-artists, according to one NBC News investigation.
So it's definitely troubling that an armed BSO SWAT officer hung out with the vice president while wearing a QAnon patch. Jared Holt, a reporter with RightWingWatch, first noticed the photo, which Pence tweeted from his official account. Holt was able to find the same patch for sale on Amazon. The patch says "Question the Narrative."
Today, Mike Pence posted a photo on Twitter with a Flordia law enforcement officer wearing a QAnon patch for sale on Amazon pic.twitter.com/vnOkk1l5Ee — Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) November 30, 2018
The sheriff's office provides security at the airport, and the cops in question can be seen wearing BSO patches. The man's nametag in the photograph identifies him as BSO Sgt. Matt Patten.
A spokesperson for BSO, Veda Coleman-Wright, told New Times via email that the department did not know that Patten was wearing the patch when meeting the Vice President.
"The patch is not authorized by BSO," she said. "This matter will be addressed immediately."
Patten has reportedly been cited for "excellence" in "anti-terrorism, training, and civic education" in the past:
Of *course* the Qanon believer on Pence’s airport SWAT detail has been cited for excellence in “Anti-Terrorism, Training, and Civic Education” https://t.co/4m7Xgqr7Gd pic.twitter.com/Moiemwo0Oq — Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) November 30, 2018
There are serious questions about whether a cop should be able to keep his or her job after professing belief in a theory like QAnon. Simply put: QAnon is painfully stupid. The theory is based around an anonymous 4Chan user who claims to have top-level government security clearances. The poster has never provided evidence to prove this. There is instead evidence that the "QAnon" 4Chan account has been used by multiple people.
The QAnon account posts rambling, nonsensical, near-free-association-style posts, which users then cherry-pick in order to prove their individual points. Here's a sample image:
There's also a fairly plausible theory that the entire QAnon conspiracy is a Leftist/Antifa-generated con designed to fool gullible people online. One of the QAnon community's major slogans, "Where we go one, we go all," originated in the 1996 disaster action-film White Squall.
Earlier this year, a team of investigative reporters at NBC News tracked the first few QAnon posts back to a small group of three online theorists who all but certainly took anonymous "joke" posts on 4Chan and amplified them into a full-fledged conspiracy. Some of these theorists appear to have accidentally filmed themselves logging into anonymous "Q" accounts that, according to the conspiracy, were supposed to be controlled by secret government operatives.
There's also a frightening link between QAnon, online conspiracies, and violence: A believer in Pizzagate, a similarly insane theory alleging that high-level Democrats were raping children in a D.C. pizza shop, resulted in one man storming into D.C.'s Comet Ping Pong pizzeria and firing bullets into the floor to expose the allegedly secret child-trafficking tunnels that Pizzagate believers claimed were underneath. No tunnels exist.
More to the point: In September, Reddit banned a stream of QAnon-related threads because conspiracy believers kept posting violent threats inside the Subreddits. Users repeatedly threatened to murder Hillary Clinton.
Pence is in town this weekend to attend a conference for the Israeli-American Council, a pro-Israel group that has taken significant contributions from Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson. In addition to Pence, Governor-Elect Ron DeSantis is scheduled to speak, as are multiple high-level Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Unfortunately, this is not the first South Florida cop caught spreading online conspiracies. Earlier this year, a North Miami Beach Police officer, Ericson Harrell, was taken off the street after he posted online that he thought the survivors of the Parkland school massacre were "crisis-actors." They're not.
This is a breaking story. This post will be updated.
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– Vice President Pence was greeted by a SWAT team when he landed Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.—which isn't so unusual. What stands out is that one of the cops wore a patch promoting the #QAnon conspiracy theory, the Miami New Times reports. For the uninitiated, #QAnon argues that President Trump and Robert Mueller are secret allies pursuing a ring of pedophiles including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It originated on the online forum 4chan, where it's supported by someone dubbed "Q," who claims to be a top-ranking US military officer. But NBC News reports that "Q" is really two 4chan moderators and "a small-time YouTube video creator" who plucked the theory from message-board obscurity and turned it into a thing. That thing spread to Reddit and then YouTube, where Tracy Diaz—one of the 4chan moderators—posts videos that attract tens of thousands of subscribers, millions of hits, and at least some income. "Because I cover Q, I got an audience," admits Diaz. Note that 4chan is also the originator of Pizzagate, and that Reddit banned several QAnon-associated threads in September after violent threats were found in Subreddits including threats to assassinate Hillary Clinton. All things considered, it's no surprise that Pence has deleted a tweeted image of him with the SWAT members in Florida, per CNN. "The patch is not authorized by BSO," says a Broward Sheriff's Office rep. "This matter will be addressed immediately." (Meanwhile, Sandy Hook parents are ready for their legal battle with conspiracy peddler Alex Jones.)
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CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Cinemark Theaters has been cleared of liability for a mass shooting that left 12 people dead and 70 others injured.
Jurors deliberated less than three hours in the civil lawsuit filed by 27 victims and family members.
“I’m gravely disappointed in the outcome,” said plaintiff’s attorney Marc Bern. “Unfortunately, the victims of this tragedy… have been dealt another blow.”
Bern said Cinemark was negligent in providing for the safety of its patrons.
He said the company should have had cameras outside the theater, a silent alarm on the back door and armed guards.
He noted that Cinemark used armed guards at that theater on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“But for a special event, expecting a thousand people for the premier of a blockbuster move, they did not have that type of security,” he said.
Cinemark’s attorney, Kevin Taylor, said jurors could see that the mass shooting, committed by James Holmes, was “unstoppable, unforeseeable, unpreventable and unpredictable.”
“The evidence is that by mid-June, Mr. Holmes was very fully committed,” Taylor said. “In between mid-June and when he committed this act, he completely booby-trapped his apartment in ways that were heretofore unforeseen, and never experienced before by law enforcement that investigated the Oklahoma City bombing and that investigated the Unibomber.”
Taylor told Denver7 that jurors determined that Cinemark endured a tremendous tragedy, “as did the victims of this case, the entire Aurora community and first responders at the hands of a madman."
“Justice was done, in our view, 11 and a half months ago when Mr. Holmes was found solely at fault for this horrendous, horrendous crime, that I hope our state and our nation never again endures,” he said.
Bern said he believes there were significant issues and substantial areas where an appeal will very likely reverse this decision.
“We fully expect to try this case again,” he said. “I believe these victims were denied justice.”
When asked what evidence was excluded from the civil trial, Bern wouldn’t elaborate.
“We’ll wait until we review the transcript before outlining what evidence should be included in the appeal,” he said.
Bern said he hopes there have been changes in security regardless of the outcome of this case.
“Just today,” he said, “they’re talking about another plane that went down (Egypt Air) and are speculating that it might have been the result of some kind of terrorist act. We have to be on constant lookout, constant vigil, whether it’s at the airport, the theater or wherever. We are living in a post 9/11 world and we must understand that. We can’t act like it’s 1950.”
Taylor said Cinemark is a company that first and foremost cares deeply about all of its patrons and has a very special place in its corporate heart.
“I think you saw that from the employees who testified for all the victims of this [tragedy] including the people who were killed and injured in auditorium number nine.” ||||| Victims of the theater shooting filed suit against Cinemark alleging that security was lax
In this Wednesday, May 11, 2016 file photo, a colorful sign decorates the entrance of the Cinemark Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colo. ( Brennan Linsley, The Associated Press )
CENTENNIAL — The owner of the Aurora movie theater where 12 people were murdered in one of the nation's worst mass shootings is not to blame for the attack, a jury decided Thursday.
The decision is the first in a trial against theater chain Cinemark stemming from the 2012 shooting, which also wounded 70 people. It means that Cinemark will not have to pay money to any of the survivors of the shooting or relatives of those killed in it who filed suit against the company in state court. The victims argued Cinemark's security failings helped enable the attack.
A separate case against the theater filed in federal court is scheduled for trial in July.
"The community has spoken," Cinemark attorney Kevin Taylor said after the verdict was announced. "Its conscience has been heard."
The jury of five men and one woman deliberated for about four hours before reaching the decision. The verdict was read in the same Arapahoe County courtroom where the fate of the gunman was decided less than a year ago, but it lacked the same emotion.
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None of the shooting's victims were in court when the decision was announced. Instead, as this latest ripple of the shooting crested and fell, the audience consisted mostly of people paid to be there.
Outside the courtroom, the victims' attorney, Marc Bern, sighed heavily and vowed a quick appeal.
"This is an unjust verdict," he said.
After the shooting, approximately 60 survivors of the attack and families of those killed filed lawsuits in state and federal courts against Cinemark. Those lawsuits eventually were consolidated into two cases — one in state court and one in federal court. Among other things, the victims argued that Cinemark should have had armed guards at the Century Aurora 16 theater the night of the shooting, when 1,000 people were expected to attend the midnight premiere of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises."
The plaintiffs in the state case include three parents whose children were murdered in the shooting, a man who now walks with a permanent limp and a woman who had to hold her own intestines in to survive. Because of how the trial was structured, though, none of them testified during the case.
Instead, the jury was asked only to assess whether Cinemark should have known about the risk of a mass shooting and whether the theater had failed to protect patrons. If Cinemark had been found liable, the victims could have testified about their injuries and medical expenses before a separate jury tasked with assigning monetary amounts to their suffering.
Bern said that structure may have hurt his clients' case. But he said his appeal, which could lead to a new trial if successful, will focus on other types of excluded evidence.
The judge, for instance, did not allow Bern to tell jurors about a U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo released two months before the shooting that warned movie theaters could be targets for terrorist attacks.
Bern has said that memo should have put Cinemark on notice to improve its security.
The theater company spent more than $500,000 on five expert witnesses who testified in its defense during the trial, according to testimony. The plaintiffs called one expert witness in their case, who had been paid about $22,000.
"Unfortunately," Bern said about his clients, "I think they are going to have to wait some period of time before they get justice."
Taylor, though, said justice was done last August, when the gunman was sentenced to 12 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole plus another 3,318 years — one of the longest prison sentences in American history.
That killer, he said after the verdict Thursday, was "completely unpredictable, unforeseeable, unpreventable and unstoppable." To put blame on Cinemark would have unjustly extended liability to businesses across the country for things they could not possibly predict, he said.
"The inescapable conclusion," Taylor said, "was that this was a horrible tragedy."
John Ingold: 303-954-1068, [email protected] or @johningold
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– One of the nation's largest movie chains will not have to pay the victims of the 2012 Colorado movie theater shooting after a jury ruled in its favor Thursday, CBS Denver reports. According to the Denver Post, 28 plaintiffs comprised of victims wounded in the shooting and the families of the 12 people killed sued Cinemark, operator of the Century Aurora 16 theater, alleging the theater didn't do enough to prevent James Holmes' massacre. They argued the theater should have had armed security guards, silent alarms on exit doors, and security cameras behind the building. They also said there should have been perimeter patrols around the theater, the Denver Channel reports. “If the theater hadn’t failed…this tragedy would have been prevented,” says Marc Bern, an attorney for the plaintiffs. But the jury in the civil trial ruled unanimously that Cinemark had no reason to expect a mass shooting was imminent. Holmes' attack was the first mass shooting at a movie theater in the US. "If Cinemark is liable under these circumstances, every single business in the world will be held liable for what happens on their property, regardless of how foreseeable it is," the Post quotes an attorney for Cinemark as saying. Bern calls it an "unjust verdict." The victims argued that mass shootings are so common now that it's the responsibility of all businesses to be prepared for them. A second civil trial involving another batch of victims is scheduled for July.
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REYKJAVIK |
REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland, the only country in the world to have an openly gay head of state, passed a law on Friday allowing same-sex partners to get married in a vote which met with no political resistance.
The Althingi parliament voted 49 to zero to change the wording of marriage legislation to include matrimony between "man and man, woman and woman," in addition to unions between men and women.
Iceland, a socially tolerant island nation of about 320,000 people, became the first country to elect an openly gay head of state in 2009 when Social Democrat Johanna Sigurdardottir became prime minister after being nominated by her party.
"The attitude in Iceland is fairly pragmatic," said Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson, a political scientist at the University of Iceland. "It (gay marriage) has not been a big issue in national politics -- it's not been controversial."
The prime minister's sexual orientation garnered far more interest among foreign media than in Iceland, where the attitude toward homosexuality has grown increasingly relaxed in the past two or three decades, Kristinsson added.
Iceland's protestant church has yet to decide whether to allow same-sex marriages in church, although the law says "ministers will always be free to perform (gay) marriage ceremonies, but never obliged to."
The largely protestant countries of northern Europe, including Sweden, Norway and Denmark, have all endorsed some form of civil union between same-sex couples, but the issue creates more controversy in Mediterranean Catholic nations.
In the United States, gay marriage remains a frought political issue, with laws varying widely from state to state. Vermont was the first state to allow same-sex civil unions in 1999, followed by Massachusetts and Connecticut and others.
(Reporting Birna Bjornsdottir and Nicholas Vinocur; editing by Noah Barkin) ||||| The first same-sex marriage has taken place in Portugal, a month after a law allowing gay marriage came into effect.
Teresa Pires and Helena Paixao, both divorced mothers in their 30s who have been together since 2003, married at a Lisbon registry office.
The couple - who had campaigned for a change to the law - described it as a "great victory, a dream come true".
The Socialist government had faced fierce opposition to the law in what is a mainly Catholic country.
But a petition against the change failed to gain enough support for a referendum.
The bill was passed by parliament in January and ratified by President Anibal Cavaco Silva in May - making Portugal the sixth European country to recognise same-sex marriages.
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– With little fanfare, Iceland's parliament unanimously passed a resolution legalizing gay marriage today, Reuters reports. The Althingi voted 49-0 to add mention of unions between "man and man" and "woman and woman" to the legal definition of marriage. Iceland's tolerance for homosexuality is well known—PM Johanna Sigurdardottir is the only openly gay head of state in the world. Predominantly Catholic Portugal, which is generally considered more conservative than the Scandinavian countries, legalized gay marriage last month. "The attitude in Iceland is fairly pragmatic," says a University of Iceland political scientist. "Gay marriage has not been a big issue in national politics—it's not been controversial."
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BOSTON—New details emerged Sunday of the accused marathon bombers' alleged theft of a sport-utility vehicle before a chaotic gunfight in the city's suburbs.
Video A developing timeline of the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent suspect manhunt. See all video on the Boston explosions
Photos: Camaraderie After Boston Chaos View Slideshow Nicolaus Czarnecki/Zuma Press People gathered Sunday on Boylston Street at a memorial for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Timeline: Boston Bombings and the Search for Suspects View Graphics
About 40 minutes after they allegedly shot and killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in Cambridge, Mass., Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the brothers accused of the bombing, crossed the Charles River into Boston and stole a Mercedes SUV at gunpoint, briefly holding the driver hostage, according to an excerpt from the Cambridge Police Department report filed by the driver and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The alleged carjacking occurred at about 11 p.m. in Boston's Brighton neighborhood on Brighton Avenue, said the excerpt, which didn't name the victim.
According to the report, one of the brothers jumped out of a Honda Civic and reached in through the front passenger side window of the SUV, opened the door and pointed a silver colored semi-automatic pistol at the driver.
The gunman then ordered him to drive to Watertown and was followed by the Honda, the report said.
Once in Watertown, the victim was ordered to slide over to the passenger side, the report said. The two brothers then removed luggage from the Honda and loaded it into the trunk of the Mercedes, the report said.
From there, one of the brothers drove the Mercedes while the second sat behind the victim, the report said.
The victim told police he was driven to a Shell Gas Station on Memorial Drive in Watertown. Inside the car, the brothers "declared to [the victim] that they were the Boston Marathon bombers and would not kill him because he wasn't American," the report said.
When the victim saw an opportunity to flee, he ran to a nearby gas station where he asked the owner to call 911, the report said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police in Watertown early on Friday morning. A 20-hour manhunt resulted in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's arrest that night. ||||| The two brothers suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon’s finish line told the man they carjacked on Thursday night that they only decided not to kill him because he “wasn’t an American,” according to a report Monday.
NBC’s Pete Williams said the man, who asked not to be identified, told police that Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev said they spared his life because he was not an American.
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“He also told the police investigators after this episode, when they finally got to him — he is the one who called 911 — that they let him out of the car and didn’t kill him because he wasn’t an American,” Williams said.
(Also on POLITICO: Report: Suspects not licensed for guns)
Williams said NBC had exchanged e-mails with the victim, who described the suspects as “brutal but cautious.” He said the victims didn’t want to appear on camera.
Meanwhile, a senior United States official told The New York Times that the Tsarnaev brothers may have been headed to New York City in the Mercedes-Benz SUV they hijacked Thursday, although it’s not clear if they planned on further attacks there.
Williams said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that the carjacking victim had heard the suspects - who were speaking in a foreign language - use the word “Manhattan.”
“He told the police that he couldn’t understand what they were saying but that he thought it was, quote, blah, blah, blah, blah, Manhattan blah, blah, blah,” Williams said, adding: “The police who have heard this story understand what the [victim] was saying, but doubt that he could really understand what they were saying.”
Later in the day, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly downplayed the Manhattan reference. When asked on CNN’s “The Situation Room” whether he had heard from authorities that the suspects were aiming to bring a pressure cooker bomb or other such devices into Manhattan, he responded, “Absolutely not. Not the case.”
Katie Glueck contributed to this report.
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– After hijacking a car, the Boston bombing suspects chose not to kill its driver—because he's not an American, he told police. Pete Williams of NBC reported the news, picked up by Politico; it matches a police report obtained by the Wall Street Journal. That report alleges the Tsarnaev brothers hijacked the Mercedes SUV at gunpoint about 40 minutes after killing an MIT police officer. One of them directed the driver to head to Watertown while the other brother followed in a Honda. Upon arriving there, they told the man to move to the passenger seat, transferred luggage into the car, then all set off in the SUV. They "declared to (the victim) that they were the Boston Marathon bombers and would not kill him because he wasn't American," the report says. The victim managed to escape when the brothers stopped for snacks.
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These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| A 45-foot-tall statue of a nude woman, weighing in at 16,000 pounds, will greet visitors on the Mall for four months if activists have their way. They say the steel statue would stand in a yoga mountain pose near the Washington Monument facing the White House, depicting a strong woman feeling confident in her body.
The massive artwork would be the main attraction at the annual "Catharsis on the Mall" in November — a festival in the nation's capital dubbed a "Burning Man" for Washington. Burning Man, an annual desert festival outside Reno, Nev., is known for building a hippie-like community that promotes art, self-expression, inclusiveness and civic engagement.
Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service, said the agency is reviewing permits for the statue, adding that it's "plausible" that the agency would allow such a large and striking sculpture to remain through the winter months. Catharsis organizers want the statue in place through March.
"As with all First Amendment activities, our review is to ensure public safety and that park resources and values are protected; we do not take into consideration content of the message presented," Litterst wrote in an email.
[Meet one of the couples getting married on the Mall in between a pro-Trump protest and a Juggalo rally]
The statue, R-Evolution by Marco Cochrane, depicts singer and dancer Deja Solis with short, dark hair. Cochrane said Solis posed for the statue and chose how her sculpted self would be positioned. Cochrane designed the statue for Burning Man in 2015 and is now storing it in his studio space outside San Francisco.
A work by artist Marco Cochrane at the Burning Man festival in Nevada. (N/A/N/A)
Organizers are raising upward of $100,000 to transport the sculpture and have a team of workers and engineers assemble and inspect it. The statue would be placed on a base that weighs an additional 16,000 pounds, Cochrane said.
Cochrane has created two other towering statues depicting Solis that have debuted at Burning Man.
"We need to show women just being in their bodies, just being humans, as an antidote of the constant sexualization of the women's body, the constant dehumanization," Cochrane said.
Cochrane's partner and professional collaborator, Julia Whitelaw, said the statue isn't sexually provocative, although she understands some on the Mall might view it that way. She said she hopes people challenge themselves to look past the statue's physical body and "see her humanity first."
"We are asking the question: What would the world be like if women were safe?" Whitelaw said. "We are asking people to imagine that."
A work by artist Marco Cochrane at the 2015 Burning Man festival in Nevada. (Galen Oakes/Galen Oakes)
While a large statue of a nude woman has never been permitted for a long-term stay on the Mall, the Park Service has approved long-term political art installments and vigils. In 2015 and 2016, a nonprofit received permits to pitch a large plastic tent near the Washington Monument to play nonstop worship music for months. In 1997, protesters installed near the White House a large copy of the "Goddess of Democracy" statue, a symbol of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
Sanam Emami, an organizer and spokeswoman for Catharsis on the Mall, said a challenging condition of the group getting a permit is a requirement that someone be on site monitoring the statue 24 hours a day for four months. Emami said the group would probably be able to find enough volunteers.
The Catharsis on the Mall festival will run Nov. 10-12 — the third year for the event in the nation's capital. Each year, the event has revolved around a different theme, with the first two years focusing on healing from the drug war and recovering from trauma. This year's theme is "nurturing the heart" and equal rights.
Last year, the Park Service denied Catharsis organizers a permit to light a 30-foot-tall wooden structure on fire as part of a demonstration calling for more funding for veterans and research for post-traumatic stress disorder.
[No, you cannot have a giant bonfire on the Mall to mourn Trump’s victory]
Natalie Ginsberg, a co-creator of the Catharsis event, said the free festival in November will feature sunrise yoga, lectures, performances and late-night dance parties. Organizers also plan to promote work by female artists at the event.
Ginsberg said she hopes people who don't know anything about the event will discover it and participate.
"The last two years, my favorite part was seeing people who had no idea what was going on and just stumbled in," Ginsberg said. "They are so overwhelmed with this radical inclusion and these principles that we are trying to bring to the world outside of Burning Man." ||||| Organizers of an arts festival have launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring a 45-foot statue of a naked woman to stand on the National Mall facing the White House. Organizers of the Catharsis on the Mall festival need $90,000 to bring artist Marco Cochrane and his team to assemble the statue in D.C. ahead of the festival, which is scheduled between Nov. 10 and Nov. 12. Organizers say the statue will stay up until March -- and it will be facing the White House. ||||| - The organizers of Catharsis on the Mall are planning to have a 45-foot-tall statue of a naked woman near the Washington Monument for several months.
The National Park Services confirmed to FOX 5 it received and was reviewing a public gathering permit application for Catharsis on the Mall which would include erecting a 45-foot tall statue of a naked woman.
Organizers for the event said the statue, called “R-Evolution,” is “a woman standing in her strength and power… expressing her humanity; how she feels when she is safe, when she can just be.”
It was created by artist Marco Cochrane in collaboration with model Deja Solis and was first featured at Burning Man, an annual festival held in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, back in 2015, according to organizers.
Catharsis on the Mall said it would like to have the statue next to the Washington Monument looking at the White House beginning Nov. 9 and lasting through March 2018.
Organizers were seeking to raise $90,000 in donations and “vigil keepers,” which are people needed to stand watch around the statue 24 hours a day. Catharsis on the Mall said it would only be permitted to have the statue as long as someone is with it 24 hours a day, but National Parks Services did not confirm that information with FOX 5.
“As with all First Amendment activities, our review is to ensure public safety and that park resources and values are protected; we do not take into consideration content of the message presented,” National Parks Services told FOX 5.
Catharsis on the Mall is an annual vigil held in D.C. that aims to raise awareness about the Equal Rights Amendment.
(App users, to watch this video, click here)
R-Evolution (9-22-2017) from Catharsis Onthemall on Vimeo.
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– It's entirely possible that tourists visiting the National Mall between November and March will be treated to views of the White House, the Washington Monument, and a 45-foot-tall, 16,000-pound naked woman. The Washington Post reports organizers of the third-annual Catharsis on the Mall festival are seeking permission to install "R-Evolution," a statue by Marco Cochrane, for four months. A spokesperson for the National Park Service says they are reviewing the proposal, and it's "plausible" the statue gets the go-ahead. The Mall has hosted long-term political art installments in the past. Organizers of Catharsis on the Mall, described the Burning Man of DC, are seeking $90,000 in donations to erect the statue and volunteers to monitor it 24 hours a day once it's installed, according to Fox 5. "R-Evolution" is made of steel mesh and rods, NBC Washington reports. It was first displayed at Burning Man in 2015. Cochrane says he created the statue as a statement against violence against women, inspired by a childhood friend who was sexually abused. “We need to show women just being in their bodies, just being humans, as an antidote of the constant sexualization of the women's body, the constant dehumanization,” Cochrane tells the Post. "R-Evolution" depicts dancer and singer Deja Solis in a yoga mountain pose. Solis posed for two other statues for Cochrane that were also displayed at Burning Man. Catharsis on the Mall runs Nov. 10 through Nov. 12. The theme for this year's festival is equal rights and "nurturing the heart."
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Story highlights Pope Francis: "Dear young people, don't be afraid to marry"
He takes Valentine's Day questions from young couples about having a happy marriage
Thousands of young engaged couples gather in St. Peter's Square to hear him
He says couples must build their love together and let it grow
In a gesture toward the romance of Valentine's Day, Pope Francis on Friday gave his advice on how to have a happy marriage before thousands of young engaged couples.
The unprecedented event, held under brilliant winter sunshine in a packed St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, may reflect Francis' desire to be closer to ordinary people's lives.
Three couples were able to put their own questions directly to the Pontiff before being blessed.
His answers were shared with the 25,000 or so people from around the world spread out in the square before him.
The first young couple to speak explained how they had decided to get married. "We didn't want to give in to the easy way of not committing," the man said.
The couple asked the Pontiff to give them his advice on how to make a lasting marriage.
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Francis, himself committed to lifelong celibacy as a Catholic priest, said that many people are afraid these days to make "definite decisions" and long-lasting choices -- but that it can be done.
'Don't be afraid to marry'
"Today, everything is changing rapidly and nothing lasts for long. This sort of mentality leads so many who are getting ready for marriage to say they will be together for as long as love lasts," which can lead to divorce, he said.
Love has to be built together, he said, not alone. "To build such a thing means to help your love grow," he said.
"Dear engaged people, you are getting ready to grow together, to build a home, to live together for good. Do not just base it on those feelings that come and go, but on the rock of true love that comes from God," he said.
Francis also took to Twitter to encourage those who are in love to take the plunge and tie the knot.
"Dear young people, don't be afraid to marry. A faithful and fruitful marriage will bring you happiness," he said on his official @Pontifex account.
Don't go to bed angry
A second couple in St. Peter's Square told Francis of how their love and commitment had changed their lives, before the woman asked for the Pope's advice on how to live together day to day.
"Living together is an art. It's a patient art, it's a beautiful art, it's fascinating," Francis replied.
He spoke of the need to communicate with respect and attention, "to request politely so that you enter with courtesy into the life of the other."
That isn't easy, he said. Each half of the couple must learn to say thank you, and to apologize for his or her mistakes.
"We all know there isn't a perfect family, neither a perfect husband nor a perfect wife. Of course, we are not talking about the perfect mother-in-law," he joked.
"Do not end any day without asking each other for forgiveness, having peace back in your house and your family," he said. "Never end a single day without being at peace with each other. This is the secret in order to preserve love."
The third couple's question dealt with how to celebrate their marriage.
Francis said the key thing was not to have a wild party, though the celebration is important, but to feel the presence of Jesus. The dress, flowers and food are important, but only if the couple are there in a true spirit of love, he said.
St. Valentine was a third-century Roman priest who is widely believed to have been martyred on February 14 for his beliefs. He has since become the patron saint of love and engaged couples.
READ: Pope Francis must finally root out child abuse
READ: Pope Francis wants to visit U.S. in 2015, sources say
READ: Barack Obama and Pope Francis: Unlikely comrades? ||||| The pope urged couples to have the courage to make lasting choices – which can be challenging in what he called today’s throw-away culture.
“It’s important to ask whether it’s possible to love one another forever,” he said. “Today many believe that making lifetime definitive choices is impossible. That’s what leads many who get married to think: ‘We will stay together until it lasts.’”
But he encouraged the young couples to look beyond the here and now to build a future together.
“A house must be built together, not alone! My dear couples, you are preparing to grow up together. Don’t build your house on the sand of feelings that come and go. Build it on the rock of real love.”
In a way there is no more appropriate place for lovers to spend the day. Valentine’s Day is named after a priest who was killed in the 3rd century for marrying Christian couples during the Roman Empire, when Christians were still persecuted. But this was the first time that such an event was held at St. Peter’s Square.
Robert Duncan, a journalist from North Carolina who works for the Catholic News Service in Rome, participated in the event with his British bride-to-be Constance Daggett.
“We are getting married in May and this feels like an early wedding present,” said Duncan. “This was only the start of our Valentine’s Day, but it was memorable. We’ll never forget it.”
For Pope
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– What's more romantic than getting together with ... the pope. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Pope Francis addressed a crowd of engaged couples in St. Peter's Square and gave advice on how to have a happy marriage—though, of course, he's celibate. "It's important to ask whether it's possible to love one another forever," he said to the thousands gathered, per NBC News. "Today, everything is changing rapidly and nothing lasts for long. This sort of mentality leads so many who are getting ready for marriage to say they will be together for as long as love lasts," which can lead to divorce. But marriage, he said, should not be built on sand, but "on the rock of real love." "Living together is an art," he continued, but it's not easy. You need mutual courtesy and politeness, but "we all know there isn't a perfect family, neither a perfect husband nor a perfect wife." He even joked, "Let's not even talk about perfect mothers-in-law." As for his secret to long-lasting love? "Never end a single day without being at peace with each other. This is the secret in order to preserve love." And if you're celebrating love on a day like today, flowers and food aren't important. You must be in a true spirit of love, and feel Jesus' presence, he added, per CNN. Both sources call today's address "unprecedented."
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Hillary Clinton slammed Donald Trump for his foreign policy, saying he would be a dangerous commander in chief. | Getty Clinton warns electing Trump would be 'historic mistake' 'He is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes,' the former secretary of state declares.
Hillary Clinton torched Donald Trump on Thursday, completely overlooking Bernie Sanders as she cast the presumptive Republican nominee as a dangerous commander in chief whose election would be “a historic mistake.”
“Americans aren’t just electing a president in November, we’re choosing our next commander in chief, the person we count on to decide questions of war and peace, life and death,” Clinton said during a much-hyped foreign policy speech in San Diego. “And like many across our country and around the world, I believe the person the Republicans have nominated for president cannot do the job.”
Story Continued Below
In what was her most forceful critique of the man she’s likely to spar with this fall — though she has yet to win enough pledged delegates to claim the Democratic nomination — Clinton derided the billionaire businessman for his controversial rhetoric, be it from his tweets or what he says in front of the cameras.
“The stakes in global statecraft are infinitely higher and complex than the world of luxury hotels. We all know the tools Donald Trump brings to the table: bragging, mocking, composing nasty tweets. I'm willing to bet he's writing a few right now,” the former secretary of state said. “But those tools won't do the trick. Rather than solving global crises, he would create new ones.”
Trump, in fact, had tweeted his latest attack at Clinton just minutes before that comment. “Bad performance by Crooked Hillary Clinton! Reading poorly from the telepromter!” he wrote. “She doesn't even look presidential!”
The real estate mogul had also offered a prebuttal to Clinton’s speech, writing in a series of tweets that she “has zero talent,” “should not be president” and that Sanders was right when he suggested she was unqualified to be president “because she suffers from BAD judgement.”
Trump also questioned her temperament and decision-making before warning that Clinton was “getting ready to totally misrepresent my foreign policy positions.”
Clinton returned Trump’s attack-line questioning her temperament, declaring him “temperamentally unfit” for the White House while also slamming his “dangerously incoherent” ideas — if you can call them that.
“They’re not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies,” she said. “He is not just unprepared, he is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility.”
Clinton expressed her support of President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, arguing that the accord made the U.S. safer while questioning Trump’s experience and knowledge of the deal.
“You know, there's no risk of people losing their lives if you blow up a golf course deal,” she said. “But it doesn't work like that in world affairs.”
She blasted his “loose talk” of banning Muslims from entering the U.S., remarking that it plays into the hands of terrorists and demonizes a large portion of the world’s population.
“It alienates the very countries we need to help us win in this fight. A Trump presidency would embolden ISIS. We cannot take that risk,” she said. “This isn't reality television. This is actual reality.”
Defeating terrorists and protecting Americans at home requires “more than empty talk and a handful of slogans,” Clinton said, continuing her verbal assault. “It takes a real plan, real experience and real leadership. Donald Trump lacks all three.”
Clinton implored Americans to think about the impact a President Trump would have on future generations.
“He is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes because it’s not hard to imagine Donald Trump leading us into war just because somebody got under his very thin skin,” she said.
Clinton sent her speechwriters an outline of what she wanted to say 10 days ago and, after her foreign policy advisers collaborated with them to create the initial draft, spent the final few days honing her remarks, a Clinton aide said.
During a rally in Sacramento on Wednesday, Trump claimed he saw a copy of Clinton’s forthcoming speech. “And it was such lies about my foreign policy that they said I want Japan to get nuclear weapons,” he said. “Give me a break.”
Trump, however, suggested during an April interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace that Japan should defend itself against North Korea, “including with nukes.” That followed his comment during a March town hall with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in which he argued that Japan would eventually arm itself with nuclear weapons anyway, calling it “only a question of time.”
And while Clinton did highlight Trump’s call for arming Japan with nuclear weapons, she didn’t stop there, also noting his calls for waterboarding as a torture tactic, his neutral stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and what she mocked as an apparent obsession with foreign dictators, including Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin of Russia.
“Now I will leave it to the psychiatrists to explain his affection for tyrants. I just wonder how anyone could be so wrong about who America's real friends are,” she said. “Because it matters. If you don't know exactly who you're dealing with, men like Putin will eat your lunch.”
Trump’s suggestion that America is a weak embarrassment with a disastrous military are the words of someone who doesn’t know America, according to the former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, who contrasted her experience with the reality star’s.
“Imagine Donald Trump sitting in the Situation Room making life-or-death decisions on behalf of the United States. Imagine him deciding whether to send your spouses or children into battle. Imagine if he had not just his Twitter account at his disposal when he’s angry but America’s entire arsenal,” Clinton said. “Do we want him making those calls? Someone thin-skinned and quick to anger who lashes out at the smallest criticism?”
“He has no ideas on education, no ideas on innovation. He has a lot of ideas about who to blame, but no clue about what to do,” she said. “None of what Donald Trump is offering will make America stronger at home. And that would make us weaker in the world.”
Clinton urged voters not to let anybody tell them America isn’t great because Trump has it wrong. She also outlined two very different paths that come with either the election of Trump or her — one based on anger, fear and the notion that America is weak and in decline; the other based on a hopeful, generous and confident America that has always been great.
“Making Donald Trump our commander in chief would be a historic mistake and it would undo so much of the work that Republicans and Democrats alike have done over many decades to make America stronger and more secure,” she said. “It would set back our standing in the world more than anything in recent memory, and it would fuel an ugly narrative about who we are, that we’re fearful, not confident, that we want to let others determine our future for us instead of shaping our own destiny. That’s not the America I know and love.”
||||| Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gives an address on national security, Thursday, June 2, 2016, in San Diego, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher) (Associated Press)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gives an address on national security, Thursday, June 2, 2016, in San Diego, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher) (Associated Press)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — In a full-throated general election attack, Hillary Clinton lambasted Donald Trump's foreign policy vision Thursday as one of war, international turmoil and economic crisis. She contrasted that with what she portrayed as her optimistic, inclusive and diplomatic view of the world, born from her long experience in public life.
There was nothing diplomatic in her remarks, a clear indication of how she'll take Trump on. Electing him, she said, would be "a historic mistake."
During a speech in San Diego, the former secretary of state unloaded on her likely presidential election opponent, counting down reasons he is not qualified — from his aggressive Twitter attacks to his emotional outbursts.
"He is not just unprepared; he is temperamentally unfit," she told several hundred people gathered in a ballroom. "We cannot let him roll the dice with America."
She predicted dire consequences if he is elected, saying a Trump presidency could lead the U.S. into war abroad, spark nuclear conflicts and ignite economic catastrophe at home.
"There's no risk of people losing their lives if you blow up a golf course deal, but it doesn't work like that in world affairs," Clinton said. "The stakes in global statecraft are infinitely higher and more complex than in the world of luxury hotels.
She mocked Trump's Twitter blasts and predicted he was preparing more as she spoke. As if on cue, he tweeted immediately after she finished: "Bad performance by Crooked Hillary Clinton! Reading poorly from the telepromter! She doesn't even look presidential!"
Clinton's robust assault on Trump also was widely carried on television, a change for the leading Democratic candidate who's frequently struggled to break through coverage of Trump.
It came as she is ramping up her criticism of the presumptive Republican nominee and trying to quell concerns within her own party that she doesn't have a plan of attack for the general election. Clinton's campaign wants to show she is ready to take the fight to Trump. Supporters have spent the past week assailing him on housing and veterans' issues.
In Thursday's speech, she sought to prove that she is ready to rumble with the famously combative Trump. She offered a number of aggressive new attack lines, at times baiting Trump to respond by calling him "thin skinned."
She hit Trump for his reality television past, for his snarky Twitter feed, for his hotelier experience.
She ran down a list of people he has insulted, including the pope.
And she assailed Trump over many past statements, criticizing him for seeking to ban Muslims from entering the country, for talking about leaving NATO and for suggesting Japan could one day acquire nuclear weapons.
"He has the gall to say prisoners of war like John McCain aren't heroes," Clinton said. "He says he has foreign policy experience because he ran the Miss Universe pageant."
Emphasizing her experience as first lady, senator and secretary of state, Clinton said she would provide the steady diplomacy the country needs. She said that unlike Trump, she knew how to negotiate complex deals, understood world affairs and recognized what it means to deploy American troops.
Clinton and Trump offer starkly different visions of U.S. foreign policy. Clinton's detail-oriented proposals reflect the traditional approach of both major parties. Despite differences on some issues, such as the Iraq war and Iran, Democratic and Republican presidents have been generally consistent on policies affecting China, Russia, North Korea, nuclear proliferation, trade, alliances and many other issues.
Trump says U.S. foreign policy has failed. His strong-man "America first" approach is short on details but appeals to the emotions of angry voters who believe that successive leaders have weakened the country, made it vulnerable to terrorism and have been duped into bad trade deals that have cost American jobs.
Trump accused Clinton of lying about his foreign policy plans at a rally at an airport hangar in Sacramento, California, Wednesday night.
"She lies. She made a speech and she's making another one tomorrow. And they sent me a copy of the speech and it was such lies about my foreign policy," Trump said.
"They said I want Japan ... to get nuclear weapons. Give me a break," he objected. "I want Japan and Germany and Saudi Arabia and South Korea and many of the NATO nations — they owe us tremendous. We're taking care of all these people. And what I want them to do is pay up."
Trump has suggested in the past that he might be OK with Japan one day obtaining nuclear weapons.
Clinton's campaign hopes her foreign policy experience will help her win over independent and moderate Republican voters who may be wary of Trump's bombastic style and lack of international experience.
In recent days, Clinton has criticized Trump over his past business practices, his sometimes-slow-to-be-fulfilled promises to raise money for veterans and his now defunct education company, Trump University. On Wednesday she called Trump a "fraud" and said the real estate mogul had taken advantage of vulnerable Americans.
Trump has pushed back. On the education company, he has maintained that customers were overwhelmingly satisfied with the offerings.
While Clinton is stressing her concerns about Trump, she is still dealing with her primary race. She needs just 70 more delegates from states voting Tuesday to win the Democratic primary, but is dealing with a tough fight with rival Bernie Sanders in California. ||||| 21:35
In a prescient piece, the Guardian’s Scott Lemieux argued today that Donald Trump’s bashing of a federal judge based on his ethnicity crossed a line.
When US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel unsealed a hoard of highly unflattering documents this week about Trump University, Donald Trump responded the way one would expect: with bullying and race-baiting.
“They ought to look into Judge Curiel,” Trump declared, “because what Judge Curiel is doing is a total disgrace.” Trump also asserted that the Indiana-born Curiel “happens to be, we believe, Mexican, which is great”. Trump also called for Curiel to recuse himself … on the grounds that he made decisions Trump disagreed with.
His attacks exemplify, yet again, why the prospect of a President Trump is terrifying. First of all, they suggest a rather cavalier attitude towards judicial independence. Politicians are, needless to say, free to publicly criticize judges, even when they’re one of the parties before the court. But the call to “look into” Curiel crosses a line towards being threatening.
Admittedly, there are limits to how much Trump could threaten judicial independence from the White House. Article III of the consitution provides various tools that could theoretically undermine the independence of the courts – packing federal courts with additional members selected by the president, stripping the courts of jurisdiction and removal from office. All of these actions, however, would require an act of Congress. Given that FDR’s proposal to pack the courts was rejected by Congress in the aftermath of a historic landslide in the 1936 presidential election, it’s unlikely that even a Trump-friendly Republican Congress would take such extreme measures.
But there’s still reason for concern. Would Trump be willing to abide by adverse rulings? And how much in general would Trump feel bound by legal constraints? ||||| Tweet with a location
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– As promised, Hillary Clinton on Thursday went after Donald Trump in major fashion, warning that he'd be dangerous to both the nation and the world as president. Some of the lines generating the most attention, via Politico, the Guardian, the AP, and the Washington Post: “Donald Trump’s ideas aren’t just different, they’re dangerously incoherent. They’re not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds, and outright lies." "Making Donald Trump our commander-in-chief would be a historic mistake." “He is not just unprepared, he is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability, and immense responsibility." "He should not have the nuclear codes because it’s very easy to imagine Donald Trump leading us into a war just because someone got under his very thin skin." "There's no risk of people losing their lives if you blow up a golf course deal, but it doesn't work like that in world affairs. ... The stakes in global statecraft are infinitely higher and more complex than in the world of luxury hotels." "I will leave it to the psychiatrist to explain his affection for tyrants. (Referring to his positive statements about Vladimir Putin and others.) I just wonder how anyone could be so wrong about who America's real friends are." And from Trump: He tweeted, “Bad performance by Crooked Hillary Clinton! Reading poorly from the telepromter [sic]! She doesn’t even look presidential!”
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Relatives of an 87-year-old woman who died after a nurse at her retirement home refused a 911 dispatcher's pleas to perform CPR expressed satisfaction with the care she received, saying her wishes were to die naturally. Meanwhile, the company that owns the facility now says its worker failed to follow proper procedures.
A man walks near the main gate of Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, Calif., Monday March 4, 2013, where an elderly woman died after a nurse refused to perform CPR on her last week. The central California... (Associated Press)
Lorraine Bayless' death last week at Glendale Gardens, a Bakersfield independent living facility, prompted outrage after a 7-minute recording of the 911 call was released. Brookdale Senior Living, which owns the facility, initially said its employee acted correctly by waiting until emergency personnel arrived. But late Tuesday, it issued a new statement saying the employee had misinterpreted the company's guidelines and was on voluntary leave while the case is investigated.
"This incident resulted from a complete misunderstanding of our practice with regards to emergency medical care for our residents," the Tennessee-based company said.
Shortly before Brookdale's clarification, Bayless' family sent The Associated Press a statement saying she was aware that Glenwood Gardens did not offer trained medical staff, but opted to live there anyway.
"It was our beloved mother and grandmother's wish to die naturally and without any kind of life prolonging intervention," the family said. "We understand that the 911 tape of this event has caused concern, but our family knows that mom had full knowledge of the limitations of Glenwood Gardens and is at peace."
The family said it would not sue or try to profit from the death, and called it "a lesson we can all learn from."
"We regret that this private and most personal time has been escalated by the media," the statement said.
Bayless collapsed in the Glenwood Gardens dining hall on Feb. 26. Someone called 911 on a cellphone and asked for an ambulance. Later, a woman who identified herself as a nurse got on the line and told dispatcher Tracey Halvorson she was not permitted to do CPR on the woman.
Halvorson implored the nurse to find someone else and said she would instruct them on how to do the procedure.
"I understand if your facility is not willing to do that," Halvorson said. "Give the phone to a passer-by. This woman is not breathing enough. She is going to die if we don't get this started, do you understand?"
By the time paramedics arrived, Bayless had stopped breathing.
Bakersfield fire officials who responded said Bayless did not have a "do not resuscitate" order on file at the home. The family and the company have not commented.
Glenwood Gardens is an independent living facility and as such Brookdale has said that by law it is "not licensed to provide medical care to any of its residents." But it added later that it was reviewing company policies "involving emergency medical care across all of our communities."
The woman who identified herself as a nurse was employed at the facility as a resident services director, the company said.
Bayless' death has prompted multiple investigations.
Bakersfield police are trying to determine whether a crime was committed when the nurse refused to help even find someone to perform CPR. The Kern County Aging and Adult Services Department is looking into possible elder abuse and the state Assembly's Aging and Long-term Care Committee is investigating to see whether legislation is needed.
The nation's largest trade group for senior living facilities has called for its members to review policies.
"It was a complete tragedy," said Maribeth Bersani, senior vice president of the Assisted Living Federation of America. "Our members are now looking at their policies to make sure they are clear. Whether they have one to initiate (CPR) or not, they should be responsive to what the 911 person tells them to do."
The California Board of Registered Nursing is concerned that the woman who spoke to the 911 dispatcher did not even respond to requests to find someone who might want to help.
"If she's not engaged in the practice of nursing, there's no obligation (to help)," agency spokesman Russ Heimerich said. "What complicates this further is the idea that she wouldn't hand the phone over either. So that's why we want to look into it."
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AP Science Writer Alicia Chang contributed to this report from Los Angeles. AP researcher Monika Mathur contributed from Washington. ||||| I seem to have misplaced my outrage.
In Bakersfield, California, an 87-year-old woman collapsed in a senior residence and was allowed to die by a nurse who was following company policy against staff performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In a recording of her seven-minute conversation with the 911 dispatcher, the nurse's affect was, to my ear, one of indifference.
Not so the exasperated dispatcher who perceived, by phone, that a life-saving opportunity was passing and pleaded with the nurse to resuscitate the woman, or to get someone else to do it. But resuscitation was delayed until the ambulance arrived, and a short time later, at the hospital, the woman was declared dead.
Still, my outrage is missing.
Oh, here it is. I found it in the story that wasn't covered – but which played out countless times on countless senior citizens that same day.
In this story, CPR was dutifully performed, without regard for whether it might do more harm than good, followed by urgent races to the ER where holes were cut in throats to accommodate tubes, arteries were probed and accessed to provide antibiotics, fluids and perhaps opiates, and ventilators were cranked up to deliver to elderly humans what they no longer were capable of accessing on their own: the breath of life.
Except for a lucky few – roughly, one in five – these patients will not resume life as before. They will not eat for themselves, drink for themselves, clean themselves, or possibly ever feel another thing except maybe when their dressing is changed or feeding tube suctioned, when they'll grimace or moan. Maybe the heart will stop and CPR will be performed again. This will go on for days, weeks, maybe months.
Just another heroic episode of CPR at the end of life.
We want to die at home but increasingly, we die in hospitals. We want good deaths. We tell pollsters this all the time. But we seem to want only the good part, not the death part. We fear death. We fear everything about it – pain, grief, lawsuits, God's judgment. Our fear is systemic, undermining everything from dialogue between doctor and patient to a family's determination of what is best for a loved one existing in a terminal and interminable state in intensive care.
I'm not sure what the Bakersfield nurse was thinking, though it must be a strange thing to be a nurse working for a company that restricts how you assist residents. And I'm not sure what truly was in the best interest of Lorraine Bayless, may she rest in peace. The news reports give no indication of the woman's medical state, whether she had completed an advance directive, or if she had stated her wishes for care in such a scenario.
I want to assume that the nurse knew Bayless, and had a sense of those wishes. And yet, the call for an ambulance would indicate that a life-saving intervention was not against Bayless' wishes.
But isn't something wrong with the assumption that performing CPR and rushing a dying elder to the ER is always the good and compassionate act?
In the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2012, physicians Craig Blinderman of Columbia University Medical Center and Eric Krakauer of Massachusetts General Hospital, with social scientist/bioethicist Mildred Solomon of the Hastings Center, suggested that CPR should no longer be the default option for dying patients:
"Whenever there is a reasonable chance that the benefits of CPR might outweigh its harms, CPR should be the default option. However, in imminently dying patients, a default status of full resuscitation is not justifiable. Not only is CPR in this situation likely to harm patients without compensatory benefit, the default framework likely influences patients and surrogates to request that full resuscitation is attempted even when the physician believes doing so may be inappropriate."
Investigation may find that CPR would have been appropriate for Lorraine Bayless, and that the nurse was as unfeeling as her recorded voice and the corporation (not to say, the person) that employed her. And yet, with CPR on an 87-year-old, if you don't crack a rib, you're not really trying. A nurse knows this.
A colleague of mine in Community Voices in Medical Ethics recently told an EMT, as she was being loaded into an ambulance, that she did not want to be resuscitated should her heart stop. But the emergency medical technician, for personal or professional reasons, said he could not honor the request.
My friend's heart never stopped, and we had a laugh when she told me the story. Badly injured in a head-on collision, her recovery is ongoing. But she's healthy enough to find humor in having avoided unwanted resuscitation.
EMTs did not abide my mom's DNR, and attempted heroic measures. But Mom was already gone. I'd like to think she didn't feel a thing and was enjoying the afterlife she so faithfully believed in.
I know this much: the Bakersfield dispatcher demanding CPR was not there. The nurse was alone with her judgment, her employer's fear-based policy, and a dying woman.
It's worth noting that, according to a television reporter, Bayless' daughter "was satisfied with the care her mother received". And that Bayless' daughter is a nurse. ||||| Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
This week, an emergency dispatcher in Bakersfield, Calif., frantically urged a caller to administer CPR to an 87-year-old female nursing home resident who wasn't breathing. The caller, who identified herself as a nurse at the home, refused, citing the facility's protocol against staff administering CPR. By the time emergency responders arrived, the resident had no pulse, and she died at a nearby hospital. The incident has prompted California law enforcement and the media to examine the legal and ethical implications of the nursing home's policies. It also raises the question: Can you get in trouble for performing life-saving acts? And are you in hot water if you don't help?
It depends on the state and country you are in. There is no one federal law governing the issue. Under the 2000 Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, Congress gave immunity from civil damages to people administering CPR or an automatic external defibrillator, with exceptions in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. All states have Good Samaritan laws that grant some immunity protection for those performing CPR and an AED (again with restrictions) but they vary. Minnesota and Vermont require bystanders at an emergency to provide reasonable assistance, such as calling 911. Not assisting in Minnesota can land you a petty misdemeanor, and in Vermont a fine of up to $100. California, Nevada, and a few other states have contemplated amending their Good Samaritan laws to include a duty to assist. In some European countries and elsewhere, failing to help someone in need is a criminal offense.
A bystander providing CPR immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. Only 32 percent of cardiac arrest victims, however, receive CPR from a bystander. A slew of complex legal, moral, ethical, and behavioral factors prevent more people from performing CPR. A series of surveys and focus groups conducted by the San Francisco Department of Public Health in 1996 found the top reason why bystanders don't perform CPR is concern about their personal safety, according to John Brown, medical director of the San Francisco Emergency Medical Services Agency. "They're worried the person is faking it—maybe they'll get mugged ... or that they're going to hurt themselves bending over," Brown says. The next two reasons are that people are worried they would hurt the injured person through applying CPR techniques such as chest compression, and they're afraid of not being good enough at the technique. Catching an infectious disease is another reason why bystanders usually don't stop to help, Brown says, despite the fact that using a shirt tail or a scarf can create a barrier between lips that provides some protection. Another reason is they’re afraid they’ll be sued. "There is no legal obligation for a bystander to help an injured person," says Brown. "They can just walk by; it's up to that individual."
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Seattle implemented a Medic One System recently in which citizens are trained to be active participants by recognizing when a fellow citizen needs medical care, calling 911, and assisting until emergency responders arrive. Results of community training and education are paying off. Nationally, only 10 percent of bystanders administer CPR. But such programs have increased the rate of bystander participation using compression-only CPR by 20 percent to 30 percent, according to Brown, citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control's Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival. The rate of survival in the case of cardiac arrest outside a hospital is 8 percent in the United States. "If you've a cardiac arrest in Seattle, your chances of walking out of the hospital are close to 56 percent," says Brown.
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– The death of an 87-year-old woman in a California retirement community after a nurse refused to perform CPR is raising all sorts of ethical and legal questions. But Lorraine Bayless' family says the woman was aware that there were no trained medical staffers on hand and "had full knowledge of the limitation" of the facility, reports the AP. "We understand that the 911 tape of this event has caused concern," the family says in a statement, but "it was our beloved mother and grandmother's wish to die naturally and without any kind of life prolonging intervention," and she "is at peace." The company that owns the facility, however, says the nurse did not follow proper procedures and the incident is being investigated. The 2000 Federal Cardiac Arrest Survival Act provides immunity from civil damages to most people who give CPR or use an automatic external defibrillator, and all states have Good Samaritan laws to protect those performing CPR or using an AED, reports Slate. But just 32% of people suffering from cardiac arrest get CPR from a bystander, and surveys show people are frightened of performing CPR incorrectly, catching a disease from the victim, or even being mugged by a faker. However, the Guardian points out that for the elderly, receiving CPR can actually do more harm than good—the chance of CPR working on the elderly can be as low as 5%, but seniors are much more likely to have their ribs cracked and to suffer from a myriad of long-term health problems if they do survive.
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Mark Your Calendars: In A Year, We'll Arrive At Pluto
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
Planetary scientist Alan Stern is counting down the days — just 365 of them now. He has spent the past 8 1/2 years waiting for the New Horizons spacecraft to make a close encounter with Pluto. Next year, on July 14, the spacecraft will reach its destination.
"Not only did we choose the date, by the way, we chose the hour and the minute. And we're on track," says Stern, the principal investigator for NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission.
In January 2006, the New Horizons spacecraft left Earth on the 3-billion-mile journey to Pluto and beyond.
"We're arriving at Pluto on the morning of the 14th of July 2015," Stern says. "It's Bastille day. To celebrate, we're storming the gates of Pluto."
To be clear, this is an unmanned flyby mission by a spacecraft about the size and shape of a baby grand piano. No humans or robots will be landing and walking around.
" 'Arriving's' a little bit of a squishy term, I know. At closest approach, we'll be about 6,000 miles from Pluto," Stern says.
That distance was carefully calculated to ensure the sharpest images without blurring (the spacecraft is going really fast) and to avoid getting pulled into Pluto's orbit. And 6,000 miles away is still much, much closer than we've ever been before.
"The closest any spacecraft had ever been to Pluto was ridiculously far — about a billion miles," Stern says. "And we've been within a billion miles of Pluto for years now, so every day we break our own record."
Months before we get to that closest approach, we'll start getting the best images of Pluto we've ever seen. So far, the best Pluto pictures are from the Hubble Telescope. By May of next year, New Horizons will be sending home better images.
Stern says, "We actually call that our BTH date — Better Than Hubble."
A great deal of planning went into this mission. But in case you're wondering, the New Horizons team did not plan for Pluto to be downgraded to a dwarf planet in the same year as the launch.
That didn't change anything for Alan Stern. Some planetary scientists still dispute Pluto's planet status, and Stern says he'll always think of Pluto as a planet.
Either way, it's a distant realm ripe for exploration. Scientists don't actually know what exactly they will see there. And that's the exciting part.
"When we first sent missions to Jupiter, no one expected to find moons that would have active volcanoes. And I could go down a long list of how often I've been surprised by the richness of nature," he says.
So now, we wait.
"You'll just have to wait just like we will to unwrap this present," Stern says. "Save the date — July 14, 2015: humankind's encounter with Pluto."
It takes about 4 1/2 hours for a signal to reach Earth from New Horizons. The spacecraft is programmed to go radio silent on July 14 so it can collect as much data as possible. The first batch of images will come down the next day.
The New Horizons spacecraft is healthy and full of fuel, so after the Pluto encounter, it will keep going beyond Pluto and into the outer rim of our solar system.
If you'd like to stay on top of New Horizons' progress to the second, check out the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory countdown clock. ||||| Exactly one year from now, on July 14, 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft will reach Pluto, and is set to give us the first close-up images of what the mysterious dwarf planet is like.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) New Horizons took off from Earth in January 2006 for a three-billion-mile journey to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt in the outer reaches of our solar system. The Kuiper Belt is a disc-shaped region of icy objects located beyond the orbit of Neptune.
"We're arriving at Pluto on the morning of the 14th of July 2015," says planetary scientist Alan Stern, the principal investigator for the Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission. "It's Bastille day. To celebrate, we're storming the gates of Pluto."
Only as big as a grand piano, New Horizons is on an unmanned flyby mission to Pluto and beyond. The spacecraft will not actually land on the surface of the dwarf planet. It will only get as close as 6,000 miles away, a distance that was carefully calculated by Stern and his team to guarantee the clearest, sharpest images of Pluto's surface as possible.
This is the closest mankind can so far get to Pluto. The best images we have at the moment were taken by the Hubble space telescope, which provide nothing more than a few blurry markings on the surface of Pluto.
Months before the scheduled approach, New Horizons will be able to take distant photos, which Stern says will be nothing more than "fat pixels" of Pluto and its largest moon Charon by January next year. As the vehicle nears by April, it will be able to take photos more detailed than the ones taken by Hubble.
"The closest any spacecraft had ever been to Pluto was ridiculously far - about a billion miles," says Stern. "And we've been within a billion miles of Pluto for years now, so every day we break our own record."
The vehicle is soaring on its nine-and-a-half-year journey into space at an almost unbelievable speed of one million miles per day. This means it will only have a few days to explore the unknown world of Pluto and its five moons before it leaves the known edge of the solar system into the unknown realm beyond.
New Horizons is expected to go silent on July 14, 2015 so it can gather as much data about Pluto as possible. The spacecraft will then take around four and a half hours to send the information it has collected in signals back to Earth.
"You'll just have to wait just like we will to unwrap this present," says Stern. "Save the data - July 14, 2015 - humankind's encounter with Pluto."
© 2018 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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– Exactly one year from today, a spacecraft will be "arriving" at Pluto—or so a planetary scientist puts it. More specifically, the New Horizons craft, about the size of a baby grand piano and carrying no one, will be passing closer to the dwarf planet than we've ever been before, NPR reports. The craft will be within 6,000 miles of Pluto; until now, "the closest any spacecraft had ever been to Pluto was ridiculously far—about a billion miles," says NASA scientist Alan Stern. New Horizons will be snapping the best pictures of Pluto we've ever obtained, NPR notes. It's zooming at a million miles per day, Tech Times reports, but signals from the craft take four and a half hours to arrive back home. The mission's timing is very specific. "Not only did we choose the date, by the way, we chose the hour and the minute. And we're on track," Stern notes. "We're arriving at Pluto on the morning of the 14th of July 2015. It's Bastille day. To celebrate, we're storming the gates of Pluto."
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'Blue Marble 2012': NASA's 'Most Amazing' High Def Image Of Earth So Far
The "Blue Marble" image of Earth snapped by the crew of Apollo 17 in 1972 is one of the most famous photos ever taken. When it appeared, we all suddenly saw the world in a much different way.
In the years since, NASA has added other "Blue Marble" photos to its collection, and has used technology to enhance and sharpen the images.
Today the space agency unveiled what it's calling the "most amazing high definition image of Earth — Blue Marble 2012." This one was taken "from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA's most recently launched Earth-observing satellite — Suomi NPP," NASA says, and is a "composite image [that] uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012."
So how does this new composite image compare to some of the others? Check them out.
"Blue Marble 2012," released today (click here for a really big view):
itoggle caption NASA
"Blue Marble 2000," which combined data from multiple satellites and applied color schemes to give "an approximation of what was really occurring:"
i itoggle caption NASA NASA
"Blue Marble 1972," the "original:"
i itoggle caption NASA NASA
By the way, the image that NASA identifies as "Blue Marble 1972" shows Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Malagasy Republic. The Blue Marble image that is among the wallpaper choices on iPhones — and so has become quite well known in recent years — is a different shot, centered on North America. As iPhoneJ.D. has explained, the iPhone choice is one of the later images NASA produced, in 2002.
(H/T to NPR social media desk intern Xavier Lacombe and to Gizmodo.) ||||| Most Amazing High Definition Image of Earth - Blue Marble 2012
January 25, 2012
*Updated February 2, 2012: According to Flickr, "The western hemisphere Blue Marble 2012 image has rocketed up to over 3.1 million views making it one of the all time most viewed images on the site after only one week."
A 'Blue Marble' image of the Earth taken from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA's most recently launched Earth-observing satellite - Suomi NPP. This composite image uses a number of swaths of the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012. The NPP satellite was renamed 'Suomi NPP' on January 24, 2012 to honor the late Verner E. Suomi of the University of Wisconsin.
Suomi NPP is NASA's next Earth-observing research satellite. It is the first of a new generation of satellites that will observe many facets of our changing Earth.
Suomi NPP is carrying five instruments on board. The biggest and most important instrument is The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite or VIIRS.
To read more about NASA's Suomi NPP go to: www.nasa.gov/npp
Credit: NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring
NASA image use policy.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Done ||||| NASA has released a new Blue Marble image, showing the United States of America. According to them, it's the "most amazing, highest resolution image of Earth ever." Blue Marble 2012 bests the 2010 edition and the original one.
The original one—the default background image in the iPhone—was 2048 x 2048 and was made combining different images. The 2010 edition was created with data from NASA's Terra satellite. But Blue Marble 2012 uses the latest data from NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite: Suomi NPP. It's made from several passes taken on January 4, 2012 using the satellite's Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite instrument (VIIRS).
You can download it at a whooping 8000 x 8000 pixels. The detail at that resolution is amazing, but I recommend 1024 x 1024 for all your tablet, phone and computer background needs. [NASA Goddard Flickr]
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– Fans of NASA's "Blue Marble" images of Earth have a new gem to marvel at, notes Gizmodo. The agency has released on its Flickr stream what it calls the "most amazing, highest resolution image of Earth ever." It's a composite taken by a newly launched satellite. The first Blue Marble photograph, shot by the Apollo 17 crew in 1972, became famous around the world, notes Mark Memmott of NPR. NASA has added others since, and one shot in 2002 is especially familiar to iPhone users as a default background image. Head here for free downloads from NASA.
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Atop Marion County's landfill Friday, thousands of birds circled over trucks spreading fresh loads of garbage. Among those birds, a handful of bald eagles were spotted.
It was earlier this week county solid waste workers found two bald eagles lying on the side of the landfill. They were immediately treated by the Animis Foundation.
Animal caretakers with Animis say the eagles were very lethargic and needed oxygen and fluids to flush out their systems. One of the eagles later died, the other is recovering. Tests are still being done at the Audubon's Birds of Prey Center in Maitland where the animals were taken. But caretakers at Animis say they’ve done tests of their own before, and always come back with the same answer.
“They showed symptoms of pentobarbital poisoning which we have seen previously with other eagles we have picked up from the same place," Animis caretaker Danielle Ball said.
That poison is what’s given to animals when they are euthanized.
At the foot of the landfill sits the Marion County Animal Shelter.
“The belief is the animals that are being brought to the landfill are not being given the proper burials or handled in the right way, which is leading to the eagles having access to them,” fellow Animis caretaker Mark Quadrozzi said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators were at the landfill Friday trying to see if that's the case.
Solid Waste Director Mike Sims said whenever they are notified they are getting a delivery of animals, they dig a hole at least 3 feet down into the landfill, exceeding state standards of 2 feet.
Sims said the animals are then quickly buried by other trash in accordance with state statute in part to protect birds of prey.
“We’re as much concerned about this and we want to get to the bottom of this if it is our facility. So we are going to cooperate with any agency that is going to come and investigate,” said Sims.
The investigation was prompted by an outpouring on social media after the Animis Foundation publicized their beliefs about the cause of the eagles' illness.
“I feel like everybody working together we can solve this problem and make Marion County a safe place for our national bird,” Quadrozzi said.
Investigators say any findings could be turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Marion County Animal Services points out the animals they euthanize account for less than a third of the animals that go in the landfill each year.
Solid Waste said its also investigating whether businesses and residents are properly notifying landfill operators they are bringing in animals to be buried.
||||| Animis Foundation medical assistant, Danielle Ball, gives fluids and oxygen to two rescued eagles found at the Marion County Baseline Landfill on Monday, February 2, 2015.
Animis Foundation caring for an eagle that was found two years ago. This eagle tested positive for phenobarbital. Photo provided by the Animis Foundation.
Bald eagle killed by scavenging euthanized cat in Florida landfill. The eagle died while it was eating. Photo courtesy of Special Agent John Rawls, FWS-LE (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement).
[Last updated February 6, 2015, at 10:46 p.m.]
Ocala, Florida —The bald eagle—the symbol of our nation—which is protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, faces a new threat in Marion County today.
Michelle Whitfield, head of the wildlife department at the Animis Foundation, said bald eagles and other wildlife are being poisoned, but not how one would think.
The Animis Foundation alleges that the Marion County Animal Shelter has been recklessly dumping euthanized animals at the Marion County Baseline Landfill, which is located next to the shelter.
Whitfield said two years ago when a bald eagle was found dying at the landfill, Animis and Dr. Shannon Kennedy performed a toxicology screen on the eagle’s blood. She said the results were disturbing. Test results showed the eagle had been poisoned with pentobarbital, a drug commonly used by veterinarians to euthanize animals.
Pentobarbital is a barbiturate, which slows the activity of the brain and nervous system.
Whitfield said the eagles are eating the dead animals that have been discarded by the shelter; therefore, the pentobarbital is being passed onto the eagles.
Now, residents want to know if the animals are being discarded like trash instead of incinerated. Questions about whether or not the drug could seep into the aquifer have also been raised.
“Animis contacted authorities two years ago when we made the discovery. We were under the impression that Audubon would be testing all eagles and reporting the findings to the Florida Wildlife Service (FWS),” said Whitfield. “Yesterday, I found out that nobody has been testing the birds. All of the proper authorities were notified, but nothing has been done.”
On February 2, 2015, two additional bald eagles were found near death at the Baseline Landfill. The eagles were treated for poisoning. Once stabilized, they would be transported to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey. This makes a total of 10 bald eagles in the past two years that has been found at the landfill.
Marion County officials released the following statement:
“This afternoon, we were made aware of citizen concerns expressed on social media and via emails regarding two distressed bald eagles found at the county landfill facility on Monday. While bird and eagle sightings are not uncommon at landfills, we don’t frequently encounter distressed wildlife at our facility. In these situations, however, addressing the animals’ well-being becomes staff’s first priority. On that day, Solid Waste immediately contacted a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), per FWC protocol. As of today, Solid Waste has reached out to the FWC and the rehabilitator for continued updates. The cause of the eagles’ distress is not known or confirmed by any official tests at this time.”
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC), initially, was not involved with this investigation. In fact, the FWC was not even made aware of the situation until February 4, when county officials called the FWC and began to ask questions about Animis.
In an attempt to discredit Animis, the county wanted to know if Animis was associated with FWC, which they are not. Animis is its own licensed entity; however, FWC wanted to make it clear that Animis is on FWC’s approved list of wildlife animals rescue rehabilitators. Animis frequently rescues animals for the FWC if an officer with FWC is not available.
Greg Workman, Regional Public Information Coordinator for the FWC said, “Although we are not heading up this investigation, it is a very serious matter. Bald eagles are federally protected; therefore, this case was turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Because it is federal, we felt it would be better serviced if handled by FWS.”
Rumors began to spread through social media the moment Animis posted the story on Facebook, and people quickly began to confuse FWC and FWS, which are two separate agencies. It should be clear that FWC is not the lead in the investigation and was at no point made aware of the situation until yesterday.
Gavin G. Shire, Chief of Public Affairs with FWS, said “USFWS Special Agents in Florida are conducting a preliminary inquiry with Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission investigators to address this issue.”
In a report published by FWS it states, “Each year a number of bald and golden eagles, other wildlife, and domestic dogs are intoxicated or killed after ingestion of pentobarbital residues in the tissue of exposed euthanized carcasses. Exposure of these carcasses is almost always the result of improper disposal at landfills.”
Ocala Post reached out to the Marion County Animal Shelter and asked what their procedure was for discarding euthanized animals. As always with Marion County officials, Ocala Post never received a reply.
Mara Burger, Public Information Specialist with the Department of Enviromental Protection (DEP), said, “The proper disposal of domestic animals is covered by Rule 62-701.520(4)(c), which allows disposal in Class I landfills or on the property where they died. Proper disposal is defined as “buried at least two feet below land surface and above the water table.”
The DEP has not yet responded to Ocala Post’s questions in regards to whether or not there would be an investigation against the Marion County Baseline Landfill.
Ocala Post also contacted the EPA; we are waiting on a response.
Ocala Post received a formal copy of the results from the toxicology performed on the bald eagles by Andreas Lehner, Ph.D., an Analytical Chemist with Michigan State University. The results stated, “There was a moderate amount of pentobarbital, which fits the presumed diagnosis.”
[Updated February 5, 2015, at 8:30 p.m.]
Ocala Post was notified earlier today that one of the bald eagles passed away. The other is still recovering.
Ocala Post was also contacted by several former employees of the Marion County Animals Shelter that wish to do an interview. Stay tuned for those details.
[Updated February 5, 2015, at 9:32 p.m.]
Marion County Public Information Manager, Barbra Hernandez posted the following on Ocala Post’s Facebook page:
“We want to provide you the latest updates regarding the bald eagles located at the landfill facility on Monday. Today, we were able to speak with staff at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, who notified us that one of the eagles continues to recover at their facility. Unfortunately, we were saddened to learn that the other eagle did not make it. Audubon Center staff also confirmed that, as of today, no official toxicology tests have been performed. This information was also shared by Dr. Kennedy, veterinarian for the Animis Foundation, with whom we spoke today. Throughout the day, we have received several citizen inquiries regarding the burial of deceased animals at the landfill facility. We know many of you have questions about our Solid Waste and Animal Services policies for handling and properly burying deceased animals. Please know that our departments operate under strict state regulations and county guidelines. We would like to share with you additional information about our practices here: http://marioncountyfl.org/home/showdocument?id=6589.”
How does Solid Waste handle deceased animals at the landfill?
Step 1: Deceased animals are transported (whether by individual, agency or business) to the landfill’s inbound scale and reported to Solid Waste staff. Scale personnel notify the operators on the landfill.
Step 2: Operators excavate a hole at least 3 feet or more in depth, exceeding state statute requirements for a hole to be at least 2 feet in depth.
Step 3: The vehicle containing the deceased animal(s) is brought near the excavated hole for depositing. The landfill operator completes the deposit and covers with materials excavated from creating the hole.
Step 4: Operators continue to push and pack materials over the surface until end of work day.
Step 5: On closing, operators cover all areas on which they worked with a 6-inch dirt cover or a tarp, both methods authorized by the FDEP permit.
When a pet owner brings their pet in to be euthanized, the pet owner would have the choice of taking the body of the animal home, or allow the animal to be discarded with the trash at the landfill.
[Updated February 6, 2015, at 10:46 p.m.]
After this story went viral, Elaine DeIorio McClain, Public Information Officer for the Marion County Office of Public Information, responded to Ocala Post’s information request. However, the response contained information Ocala Post had previously included in the article.
Stay tuned to Ocala Post for updates, as Ocala Post is waiting on further correspondence from FWS. ||||| This collection contains web crawls performed as the post-inauguration crawl for part of the End of Term Web Archive, a collaborative project that aims to preserve the U.S. federal government web presence at each change of administration. Content includes publicly-accessible government websites hosted on .gov, .mil, and relevant non-.gov domains, as well as government social media materials. The web archiving was performed in the Winter of 2016 and Spring of 2017 to capture websites after the January 20, 2017 inauguration. For more information, see
. ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
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– Over the past two years, wildlife rehabilitators in Florida have found 10 struggling bald eagles—some of whom have died—at a landfill near an animal shelter. And they tell the Ocala Post they can explain the phenomenon: The eagles, a rep for the Animis Foundation suggests, have been eating euthanized animals left in the landfill, and the chemicals used in euthanasia have been transferred to the birds. Their allegations come after a dying eagle tested two years ago was found to have pentobarbital in its system; pentobarbital is often used to euthanize animals. Marion County, which runs the shelter, has defended itself against the allegations and says its solid waste team buries euthanized animals in accordance with state law, offering a fact sheet explaining its processes. Addressing the discovery of two eagles on February 2, county officials say as soon as they were made aware of the issue, they contacted a state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator (Animis is not licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, but is on the FWC's list of approved rehabilitators). The officials note that "the cause of the eagles’ distress is not known or confirmed by any official tests at this time," but tests are being done and Animis claims the eagles showed "symptoms of pentobarbital poisoning," News 13 reports. One of those eagles died, while the other is still being treated, the Post notes. The US Fish and Wildlife Service says that such situations arise every year, with both wildlife and pets affected by eating "exposed euthanized carcasses." "Exposure of these carcasses is almost always the result of improper disposal at landfills," FWS adds. (A cutting-edge solar technology may be to blame for birds igniting in midair over California last year.)
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You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| After months of circling President Donald Trump during NFL depositions and discovery, Colin Kaepernick’s lawyers are expected to force Trump directly into the ongoing legal battle between the quarterback and league.
Kaepernick’s legal team is expected to seek federal subpoenas in the coming weeks to compel testimony from Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other officials familiar with the president’s agenda on protesting NFL players, sources with knowledge of the quarterback’s collusion case against the NFL told Yahoo Sports.
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The aim will be a dive into the administration’s political involvement with the NFL during Kaepernick’s free agency and the league’s handling of player protests, sources said. This after recent disclosures that multiple owners had direct talks with Trump about players kneeling during the national anthem. The content of those conversations between Trump and owners – as well as any forms of pressure directed at the league by the administration – are expected to shape the requests to force the testimony of Trump, Pence and other affiliated officials, sources said.
What has to happen for Trump to be subpoenaed?
Story continues
Due to the nature of the rules in collective bargaining grievances, reeling in sworn testimony from the political sector will create at least one additional hurdle for Kaepernick’s camp. The quarterback’s legal team first must notify the system arbitrator of the need for targeted depositions beyond the boundaries of the agreement between the NFL and the player’s union. That would entail presenting a detailed argument to the system arbitrator overseeing the grievance, spelling out the relevance and impact that testimony from Trump or others could have on the grievance. If the arbitrator rules the testimony would be justifiable, that would open the door for Kaepernick’s attorneys to seek the subpoenas in a district court under the Federal Arbitration Act.
That’s also where the process would get more complicated and contentious.
This Jan. 1, 2017, file photo shows former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick speaking at a news conference. (AP)
Should the system arbitrator and a federal judge find there is a basis to force Trump or others to sit for depositions, it would raise an argument over whether the president can actually be compelled by the courts to sit for a deposition. Trump could choose to ignore the order or simply decline, leaving it up to the justice system to enforce the subpoena.
Whether that would ever happen is a significant matter of debate.
Trump’s lawyers already fighting subpoenas in Mueller case
Multiple media outlets have reported Trump’s lawyers have already argued to special counsel Robert Mueller that the president couldn’t be compelled to comply with a criminal subpoena in the Russian collusion probe. It stands to reason if Trump would refuse to sit for a deposition in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, he’s also likely to refuse to comply with a subpoena from a district court stemming from Kaepernick’s arbitration case.
Complicating matters further? Even if Trump was attracted to lock horns more directly with Kaepernick, doing so in a deposition could potentially expose the president legally if it is found he somehow bore responsibility for NFL owners refusing to offer Kaepernick a job.
Still, there is also a flip side for Trump, whose head-on verbal barrage against the NFL over protesting players has been a red-meat issue politically, stoking his base and creating a staple talking point he has continually revisited. In theory, taking part in the Kaepernick case would give him the opportunity to air his thoughts about the quarterback face-to-face in a deposition – much the same way multiple NFL owners have done in the process. It would also offer Trump fertile material for his steady diet of social media and “Fox & Friends” appearances, which can’t be discounted.
How will Kaepernick’s team build an argument to subpoena Trump?
But long before that quandary comes to fruition, Kaepernick’s attorneys will be tasked with illustrating a connection between the quarterback’s unemployment and Trump’s pressure on the NFL regarding protests during the national anthem.
With that in mind, multiple incidents could factor prominently into the request for subpoenas. Among a few (but not all) that could ultimately be referenced by Kaepernick’s attorneys:
• In August 2016, as a Republican presidential candidate, Trump went on Seattle radio station KIRO and remarked of Kaepernick protesting during the national anthem: “I think it’s personally not a good thing, I think it’s a terrible thing. And, you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him.”
That could prove to be significant, because it can be framed as the “clock-starting” moment when Trump’s interference in Kaepernick’s livelihood first began, then extended and became amplified into the presidency.
• In March 2017, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft joined Trump on a flight aboard Air Force One in which the two men engaged in conversation. The next day, at a speaking event in Kentucky, Trump bragged that NFL owners weren’t signing Kaepernick because they were afraid of him.
“Your San Francisco quarterback, I’m sure nobody ever heard of him,” the president said. “… There was an article today that was reported that NFL owners don’t want to pick him up because they don’t want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump. Do you believe that? I just saw that. I just saw that.”
In a later deposition in the Kaepernick case, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross testified Kraft told NFL owners he had spoken to Trump about players kneeling during the anthem. It wasn’t clear if that conversation occurred on the Air Force One flight or a different date.
President Donald Trump has continued to criticize the NFL and its players over past protests. (AP)
• In September 2017, Trump spoke directly to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who later revealed during his deposition in the Kaepernick collusion case that the president told him, “Tell everybody [in the NFL], you can’t win this one. This one lifts me,” and that the player-kneeling issue was a “very winning, strong issue for me [politically].”
• Also in September 2017, Trump blasted NFL players during a speech in Alabama, taking direct aim at the jobs of kneeling players.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’ ” Trump said.
• In October 2017, Trump again spoke directly about Kaepernick, and again suggested NFL retribution against the quarterback for his kneeling during the anthem.
“I watched Colin Kaepernick [in 2016], and I thought it was terrible, and then it got bigger and bigger and started mushrooming, and frankly the NFL should have suspended him for one game, and he would have never done it again,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “They could have then suspended him for two games, and they could have suspended him if he did it a third time, for the season, and you would never have had a problem. But I will tell you, you cannot disrespect our country, our flag, our anthem. You cannot do that.”
• Also in October 2017, Trump admitted to orchestrating a walkout of an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts, in which Pence attended the game briefly and then left when players knelt during the national anthem.
• In late October 2017, a handful of NFL owners met with a select group of players during the league’s New York meetings. In a confidential meeting that was secretly taped and then leaked to the New York Times, Kraft can be heard referring to kneeling as the elephant in the room.
“The problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don’t feel is in the best interests of America,” Kraft said, according to the Times. “It’s divisive and it’s horrible.”
The Times also quoted other owners at the meeting talking specifically about Trump’s impact. They included Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, who reportedly said, “We’ve got to be careful not to be baited by Trump or whomever else,” and Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, who reportedly worried that, “All Donald needs to do is to start to do this again. We need some kind of immediate plan because of what’s going on in society. All of us now, we need to put a Band-Aid on what’s going on in the country.”
• In March 2018, Ross told the New York Daily News that Trump had influenced him to reverse his support of players who chose to kneel during the anthem. It was the first time that an owner said publicly that Trump had influenced their stance on the issue.
“I think initially I totally supported the players in what they were doing, because it’s America – people should be able to really speak about their choices and show them [in] doing that,” Ross said. “But I think when you change the message, about, is it support of our country or the military, it’s a different message. When that message changed, and everybody was interpreting it as that was the reason, then I was against the kneeling. …[Trump’s] message became what kneeling was all about. From that standpoint, that’s the way the public is interpreting it. So I think that’s really incumbent upon us to adopt that, because that’s how I think the country is now interpreting the kneeling issue.”
• In May 2018, after the NFL passed a rule prohibiting kneeling during the national anthem – but allowing players to remain in the locker room during the ceremony if they wish – some owners admitted that Trump had impacted the league’s motivation for creating a rule. The day after the NFL passed the rule, Trump once again revisited his remarks about players’ job statuses or whether they should be in the country if they didn’t stand for the anthem.
“You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing – you shouldn’t be there,” Trump told “Fox & Friends.” “Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”
That is only a handful of some of the incidents reflecting Trump potentially influencing NFL owners on either Kaepernick or kneeling players. It doesn’t account for all of his statements or address the multitude of tweets he has sent about the issue – nor other private conversations that have reportedly occurred inside the NFL about his impact.
It remains to be seen whether the totality of those incidents will be enough to convince the system arbitrator in Kaepernick’s case or a federal judge to conclude that forcing depositions of Trump, Pence or others is necessary. But that appears to be the next avenue of pursuit for Kaepernick’s legal team, in a case that has only seemed to gain more traction with each passing month.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• MLB draft pick explains Obama assassination tweet
• Terez Paylor: As Trump wages war on NFL, players grow tired of ‘lies’
• ‘Damn cameras’: LeBron didn’t know clip went viral
• Perkins warns Warriors: I’m not the ‘problem’ they want
||||| (CNN) Colin Kaepernick's legal team is expected to seek subpoenas for President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other campaign officials relating to the quarterback's collusion case against the NFL, a source familiar with the ongoing grievance process has told CNN.
The new move intends to explore NFL owners' ties with Trump, the source said, adding that several owners, as well as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, have already been deposed in the case.
Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL, said the league had no comment. The expected move was earlier reported by Yahoo! Sports
Kaepernick ignited a controversy back in 2016 when he refused to stand during the National Anthem, protesting what he believes are racial injustices and ongoing police brutality in the US. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers last year and became a free agent, but no NFL team has signed him. He filed a grievance against the NFL in October, claiming teams are colluding to deny him a job.
The anthem controversy, meanwhile, has ignited a racially sensitive national debate over free speech, pitting mostly black athletes against white NFL owners, and Trump has seized on the issue to energize his political base
At a rally in Louisville, Kentucky, last year, Trump switched gears from talking about the nation's urban communities to calling out the quarterback.
"It was reported that NFL owners don't want to pick him up because they don't want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump," he said. "Do you believe that?"
Trump also has called out the NFL multiple times over the anthem controversy. He canceled the traditional visit by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week, initially claiming that the decision was due to players not standing for the anthem, though the White House later acknowledged that low expected attendance by team members was a key factor.
Pence left an October NFL game between the 49ers and Colts in Indianapolis after some players knelt during the National Anthem, saying on Twitter at the time that he would not "dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem."
Last month, NFL team owners decided that players must stand during the National Anthem this season, a reaction to fierce backlash against some who took a knee in symbolic opposition to what they view as the systemic oppression of people of color, including by police.
Goodell said teams whose players and personnel do not stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem will be fined by the league. Each team, however, may develop its own work rules for those who don't comply with the policy, which allows players the option of remaining in the locker room during the playing of the anthem if they do not wish to comply. ||||| Colin Kaepernick has filed a grievance against the National Football League in which he claims team owners colluded to keep him from being signed.
The grievance was filed on Sunday under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to a statement from Mark Geragos, Kaepernick's attorney. Geragos is also a CNN contributor.
The statement said the grievance was filed "only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives."
Kaepernick, who is still a free agent, first took a knee during the singing of the National Anthem before a 2016 preseason game. He kneeled to protest the treatment of black Americans, particularly by police.
The protest was seen by some as disrespecting the flag. Kaepernick has yet to be picked up by another team since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in March.
Related: NFL commissioner: 'We need to move past this controversy'
The statement also says athletes who protest peacefully "should not be punished" and denied employment because of "partisan political provocation by the Executive Branch of our government."
The statement referenced comments made by President Trump, who criticized the NFL and attacked athletes who kneel during the national anthem.
"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired. He's fired,'" Trump said at a campaign-style rally in September.
Related: Roger Goodell's wife used fake Twitter account to defend her husband
The statement from Geragos on Sunday also seemed to take aim at NFL owners, who promoted a message of unity after Trump's attack by locking arms with players during the anthem.
The statement said the owners "made great theater imitating" peaceful political protest by doing so.
The NFL Players' Association is not representing Kaepernick in this grievance. However, the association said it will be speaking with his team and will support him in his efforts.
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– Colin Kaepernick’s collusion case against the NFL is expected to reach all the way to the White House as the quarterback and his lawyers prepare to seek federal subpoenas to compel the testimony of President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and others, according to Yahoo Sports. Kaepernick filed a grievance in October against the NFL asserting that teams are colluding against him to deny him a signing opportunity, reports CNN. Once a top-tier quarterback, in 2016 Kaepernick set off a national debate when he began protesting racial injustice in the US by kneeling during the national anthem. He became a free agent last year but wasn’t signed by any team. The subpoenas would be used to examine team owners' ties to Trump, and whether the president exerted undue influence over them. It was recently revealed Trump spoke directly to some owners about the anthem issue. The president has been very vocal in calling out players who take a knee or sit during the anthem and has stated publicly that owners should fire players who don’t stand during the anthem. Most recently, he canceled a White House visit by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, citing the anthem controversy in a tweet. Kaepernick’s effort to subpoena the president faces a number of complicated legal hurdles, and even if a federal judge finds in favor of Kaepernick, there is still the question of whether the president can be forced to sit for a deposition. It is doubtful he would do it willingly since doing so would expose him to legal risk if he was found responsible for getting Kaepernick blackballed from the league. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners have already been deposed in the case, per CNN. (Kneeling during the anthem was recently banned by the NFL.)
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By Ernie Palladino
» More Ernie Palladino Columns
Sometimes it’s good to change the culture of a sport, if only to save a life or two.
There’s nothing complicated about it. We’ve seen football alter its collective behavior throughout the generations, and it’s still changing. The shape and material used in the helmets have evolved since the days when a thin piece of leather served as head protection.
Training camp — once the ultimate test of manhood — has gone from a nearly two-month torture chamber of two-a-days where coaches all but doled out water with an eye-dropper to a well-hydrated, single-practice month of tuneup before the regular season. Concussions are no longer thought of as goofy little mishaps that are forgotten once the cobwebs clear — or don’t — to serious occurrences that can shelve a player for a game, two games or more.
Hockey has seen the mandatory use of helmets, and baseball has ordered even its first- and third-base coaches to wear head protection.
Now, perhaps it is time for Major League Baseball to take another evolutionary step, an advancement that would influence every kid who dreams about becoming the next great thing.
It’s time to ban chewing tobacco.
Before anyone starts railing about the “sissyfying” of the game, let’s remember that the minors banned tobacco of all kinds from the field and dugouts as far back as 1993. The absence of Red Man from the cheeks of those players hasn’t seemed to affect their performance, as the personnel faucet continues to flow from that primary talent reservoir.
Still, it is not uncommon to see some players go back to the chaw as soon as they escape the minor-league restrictions. Somehow, it’s supposed to be cool to mimic a bunch of grizzled old-timers who didn’t know better. The camera catches them on the bench, spitting their ugly brown streams into paper Gatorade cups originally intended for hydration. The fans see the occasional hocking of a lip full of snuff on the field. It’s not only gross, but it can infuriate the grounds crew that has to rub those nasty tobacco juice stains out of artificial turf.
But this is about health, not aesthetics or cleaning bills or tradition. We’re talking about tobacco, after all, and that can kill as effectively through mastication as it can inhalation. Tony Gwynn, the legendary San Diego Padres Hall of Famer, died Monday at age 54 because of mouth cancer caused by his addiction to chewing tobacco.
Others like Bill Tuttle — the old Tigers utility infielder of the 1950s — tried to spread the same message years ago, and MLB has brought a parade of others to lecture on the dangers of chewing tobacco. But who listens to a bunch of old players without jawbones, tongues, teeth or cheeks?
They start as kids. Back in the 1970s, it was nothing to see a high-school coach reach into his back pocket and offer a 17-year-old a chaw. It became a right of passage for many, just part of the journey from teenager to man.
Those coaches were as wrong for that as they were for lighting up in the third-base coaching box. Gwynn was just the latest to prove it.
It would take nothing for MLB to ban the chaw. The league has already forbidden players from chewing in postgame interviews. Just extend it to the field. If they want to chomp their extra energy away, let them fill their mouths with gum. Fill the cabinets with it until they overflow. Help these multimillion-dollar investments protect their futures by stopping their tobacco usage now.
It’s too late for the best pure hitter of our generation. But with a little change in culture, MLB could save others.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories ||||| Tony Gwynn taped a message speaking out against smokeless tobacco use. (Photo: Chris McGrath, Getty Images)
OAKLAND – Tony Gwynn's multitude of accomplishments, career batting average of .338 and his pioneering use of video earned him the rapt attention of players whenever he talked baseball.
Major League Baseball hopes an even more important message he's delivering posthumously sinks in as well.
Gwynn, who died of mouth cancer Monday at 54, speaks out against smokeless tobacco use in a taped segment of an informational video MLB is producing and plans to release this season. The Hall of Fame outfielder believed he developed cancer because of his years-long habit of using spit tobacco, although that was never medically confirmed.
Whether Gwynn's untimely death and his stance against smokeless tobacco will curtail its use among players remains an open question.
Research by the Pro Baseball Athletic Trainers Society revealed the number of major leaguers who use spit tobacco has declined from about 50% to 33% in the last 20 years.
However, that's still about 10 times the amount in the general population, according to the American Cancer Society, whose data from 2012 showed 3.5% of Americans 12 and older – or 9 million – use the highly addictive product.
"It's definitely ingrained and something that's part of our baseball culture, but it's not exclusive to baseball,'' said Oakland Athletics first baseman Brandon Moss, a non-user. "You would hope a figure like (Gwynn), something tragic like that happening, would be a wake-up call for everyone, not just those in baseball. … But most guys are probably going to look at it as the loss of a great man and a great baseball player and leave it at that.''
Indeed, the stance among players seems to be that they're aware of the dangers but, like smoking, it's up to every individual to decide whether to use what remains a legal product.
The National Cancer Institute says in its website that smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 chemicals that have been found to cause cancer – typically of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas – and may also lead to heart disease, gum disease and oral lesions.
"People understand the risks involved and still choose to do it,'' Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "We all do stupid things, whatever your vice happens to be. People may criticize these guys for dipping, and then somebody's texting and driving.''
And while Gwynn's passing was lamented throughout the game, it doesn't figure to be interpreted by many players – who are usually in their 20s or early 30s, with the concomitant sense of invincibility – as a cautionary tale.
"It's one of those things that's scary and obviously you hope you're not the one,'' said A's catcher Stephen Vogt, who said he dips once in a while. "I don't think it's good. I definitely don't advocate it, but at the same time, it's an adult decision.''
Baseball has taken steps to sway that decision, or at least make the practice less visible to minimize the impact on young fans.
The current collective bargaining agreement, in effect from 2012-16, bans players, managers and coaches from using smokeless tobacco during TV interviews and team appearances. And they have to keep tobacco products out of sight while fans are at the ballpark.
In addition, MLB and the players union have stepped up educational efforts, and teams – which in the past freely distributed cans of dip in the clubhouse – can no longer do so and are now required to administer oral exams as part of the spring training physicals every year.
Longtime TV announcer Joe Garagiola, who quit his smokeless tobacco habit in his 30s, made it his life's mission to warn other baseball folks about its dangers, making presentations during spring training alongside former major league outfielder Billy Tuttle, who died of oral cancer at 69 in 1998.
"I don't think we talk about it enough anymore," says Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "I remember as a young A-ball manager, Joe Garagiola would always come around in spring training with Bill Tuttle. It was scary.
"And I still see people chewing tobacco. Not only in the big leagues, but you still see kids in junior high and high school.
For me, it's not enough yet. It's a shame."
Indeed, the sight of players constantly spitting, some sporting a large wad of tobacco inside their cheek, remains one of the game's enduring images.
"Every spring training we have a guy that comes in who's had mouth cancer through tobacco,'' Rangers utilityman Donnie Murphy said. "So you see it. But at the same time, it's like an addiction thing. You do it for so long, you're going to want to keep doing it.''
Players say using smokeless tobacco provides a form of relaxation and becomes part of their routine in a daily sport with lots of down time.
And with amphetamines now banned from baseball, the jolt of energy from the nicotine in the tobacco – absorbed during a longer stretch through dip or chew than by smoking – can help players navigate the season's six-month grind.
Commissioner Bud Selig has expressed a desire to banish smokeless tobacco from the majors the same way MLB barred it from the minors starting in 1993. But the issue is subject to collective bargaining and the players association has declined, opting to protect personal freedoms and emphasize education.
"The MLBPA discourages the use of smokeless tobacco products by its members or by anyone else. These products carry serious health risks, yet remain legally and widely available,'' union spokesman Greg Bouris said via e-mail. "In general terms, included in the smokeless tobacco policy negotiated in 2011 are restrictions/prohibitions on its use, increased emphasis on education and cessation programs, as well as oral examinations. At this point in time, player education continues to be a focus of ours.''
Contributing: Paul White in Washington
GALLERY: Baseball mourns Tony Gwynn
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– Baseball great Tony Gwynn is dead at age 54 from cancer that he blamed on his years-long habit of chewing tobacco. While the number of big-leaguers that use the stuff is dropping, about 1 in 3 are still in the habit, reports USA Today, citing stats from the Pro Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. The league has taken steps to curb its use—for example, players can't have a wad in their mouth during TV interviews, and the days of free tins in the clubhouse are long gone—but this is no longer enough, writes Ernie Palladino at CBS Sports. For Major League Baseball, "it's time to ban chewing tobacco," he writes. Sure, defenders will talk about the culture of the game and worry about "sissifying" it, but that's just outdated thinking. The NFL and NHL have taken steps to make their sports safer for players, and MLB must do the same. "It’s too late for the best pure hitter of our generation," writes Palladino. "But with a little change in culture, MLB could save others." Click for his full column.
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WASHINGTON — As the Obama administration makes a case for punitive airstrikes on the Syrian government, its strongest card in the view of some supporters of a military response may be the need to send a message to another country: Iran. If the United States does not enforce its self-imposed “red line” on Syria’s use of chemical weapons, this thinking goes, Iran will smell weakness and press ahead more boldly in its quest for nuclear weapons.
But that message may be clashing with a simultaneous effort by American officials to explore dialogue with Iran’s moderate new president, Hassan Rouhani, in the latest expression of Washington’s long struggle to balance toughness with diplomacy in its relations with a longtime adversary.
Two recent diplomatic ventures have raised speculation about a possible back channel between Washington and Tehran. Last week, Jeffrey Feltman, a high State Department official in President Obama’s first term who is now a senior envoy at the United Nations, visited Iran to meet with the new foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and discussed possible reactions to an American airstrike in Syria.
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At the same time, the sultan of Oman, who has often served as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, was in Tehran meeting with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Neither Mr. Feltman nor Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said of Oman has said anything about carrying messages between the two governments. Still, those overtures, along with some surprisingly mild noises from Iranian leaders, have raised hopes that Washington may be able to thread the needle — to strike Syria without compromising efforts toward an Iranian-American détente before meetings at the United Nations General Assembly this month.
Those hopes may well be premature: even if Mr. Rouhani and his foreign minister are eager for a deal ending the dispute over the future of Iran’s nuclear program, it is far from clear that they would be able to deliver one. Negotiations have been stalled since last year, and final authority on foreign policy rests with Ayatollah Khamenei. The Iranian president’s hand, whatever his politics, is weakened further during national security crises, analysts say, and hard-liners are likely to be empowered.
Like Mr. Obama, Mr. Rouhani — who has declared his goal of resolving tensions with the West and bringing “more transparency” to nuclear talks — is vulnerable to domestic conservatives, who still blame him for having signed an agreement in 2003 opening Iran to United Nations inspectors.
“I am convinced that Rouhani and Zarif want to overcome the hostility between the U.S. and Iran, but a military strike on Syria could be a spoiler,” said Hossein Mousavian, a former nuclear negotiator for Iran who is now a visiting scholar at Princeton University.
Even as Secretary of State John Kerry worked to build support for a strike, his Iranian counterpart, Mr. Zarif, known as a moderate who hopes for dialogue, seemed to be working to avert one, declaring in an interview on Sunday that Iran warned the United States last year about chemical weapons getting into the hands of Syrian rebels. On Monday, he even tried to suggest that Mr. Obama was closer to his way of thinking, saying the American president was being pushed toward war by hard-liners in his own government.
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Nuclear weapons aside, the debate over chemical weapons has raised questions about the strength of Iran’s commitment to the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Iran suffered terrible losses to chemical weapon strikes during its decade-long war with Iraq in the 1980s, and the issue is a delicate one for many Iranians. Mr. Rouhani aroused some controversy last week by strongly condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria on his English-language Twitter feed, without saying who used them.
Mr. Zarif made similar comments on his Facebook page, and others went further, including a former Iranian diplomat who suggested that Iran should not put all its eggs in one basket. A former president of Iran, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was quoted in Iranian state media accusing Mr. Assad of using chemical weapons on his own people, though the government later disavowed those comments.
But Syria remains an essential ally for Iran, and a crucial link with Hezbollah, the Shiite movement based in Lebanon. There is no sign that Iran’s leaders are backing off; an Iranian delegation visited Mr. Assad in Damascus on Sunday to reaffirm its country’s commitment. But with the Iranian economy in tatters, the military support to Syria is costly.
“The question is, if things go badly for Assad on the battlefield, at what point would Iran let the rope go?” said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, the director of the Middle East studies program at Syracuse University.
If more evidence emerged that Mr. Assad’s military had used chemical weapons, that would raise the political cost of continuing to support him, Mr. Boroujerdi added.
One thing is clear: the statements by Iran’s leaders have shifted from earlier this year, when high-ranking Iranian officials said a foreign attack on Syria would be treated as an attack on Iran itself. There may even be some relief at the prospect of more direct American involvement in the Syrian conflict, which has occasionally been cast as “Iran’s Vietnam,” some analysts say.
“The reality is that Obama’s military action will make the Syrian tragedy his and not Iran’s,” wrote Farideh Farhi, an Iran scholar at the University of Hawaii, in an analysis published online at Lobelog.com. “And in Iran’s postelection environment, in which the country has moved toward national reconciliation — both among the elite and between the government and the population — nothing suits the Islamic Republic better than divesting itself from this issue quietly.”
For all their mutual antipathy, the United States and Iran may ultimately find common ground in Syria.
“The United States and Iran are fighting a zero-sum proxy war in Syria at the moment,” said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “If and when Assad falls, the two sides will have a mutual adversary in radical Sunni jihadists.” ||||| DAMASCUS, Syria—The Assad regime prepared for a U.S. attack on the capital despite a likely delay in any military action, urging civilian evacuations, moving soldiers into vacant apartments and issuing new threats of retaliation.
A senior Syrian official on Monday said that both the Syrian army and its ally Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, would strike back in the event of a U.S.-led offensive by first hitting American warships now in the Mediterranean Sea.
A group of Syrian-government supporters behind a campaign called "Over Our Dead Bodies" are camping out near military installations that might be U.S. targets. Sam Dagher reports from Damascus via #WorldStream.
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Referring to Hezbollah as the resistance, Khaled Abboud, a parliament member and confidant of President Bashar al-Assad, told The Wall Street Journal: "The resistance and the armed forces are now one body. In my assessment, Hezbollah will side with Syria in certain operations targeting warships in the Mediterranean."
Ten Largest Refugee Camps Review the list of the 10 most populous U.N. refugee settlements in the world. View Slideshow Associated Press A total 70,095 people mostly from Sudan live in the Yida camp, in the newly independent South Sudan.
The Assad government's preparations continued despite President Barack Obama's move last week to seek congressional authorization to attack after Washington and opposition groups alleged that Damascus killed more than 1,400 people last month in a chemical-arms attack.
The Syrian government warned residents to move away from military bases outside Damascus, as troops began to position themselves for what appeared to be the first time in residential neighborhoods in the city that are home to military and security installations and government offices.
Enlarge Image Close Agence France-Presse/Getty Images A rebel fighter and a child crossadamaged bridge in the town of Deir Ezzor on Monday. The regime says it will retaliate for any foreign attacks.
Residents of the town of Mouadhamiyat al-Qalamoun, north of Damascus, said the military asked them to evacuate on Sunday the vicinity of a major base in the area likely to be targeted by any U.S. strikes.
And in the Damascus neighborhoods of Kfar Sousseh, Malki and Mezze, the military was moving into vacant apartments, say residents, including a building supervisor who said the army on Sunday told him to open empty apartments in his property. Many of the apartments' owners had evacuated the city over the course of the more than two-year-old conflict.
Several security agencies and key government offices, including the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are located in Kfar Sousseh, which is also a popular residential area with high-rise structures.
The military also beefed up checkpoints in the Kfar Sousseh area. Armored vehicles and trucks equipped with antiaircraft guns stood at intersections and inside alleyways.
The regime warned Syrians to beware of rumors which it said were part of possible psychological warfare that could be waged by the U.S. and its allies. This included "rumors about the escape of important people from the country" and "videos of people impersonating Syrian officials," read full-page advertisements in state newspapers.
Meanwhile a group of staunch regime supporters launched a campaign titled "over our dead bodies," which members said involves camping out in tents in areas likely to be targeted by U.S. military strikes.
On Monday, those Assad loyalists began erecting tents on Mount Qassioun, which overlooks Damascus and is used by the regime to pound rebel areas with heavy artillery and rocket launchers.
A few dozen people brandished Syrian flags and placards with messages including "Hands off Syria" and "Iraq lies not again" in front of local and international television cameras.
"We are not scared and we promise them that we will retaliate," said 20-year-old university student Ali Habib. "We will abandon our universities and head to war and confrontation."
The organizer, Ogarit Dandash, a Lebanese reporter with the pro-Syrian regime channel Al-Mayadeen, said hundreds of people from across Syria and neighboring Lebanon were joining the campaign and that it would be expanded in coming days to other locations that they believed were likely to be targeted by U.S. strikes.
Statements from everyone from White House spokespeople to John Kerry all seemed to be building towards an aggressive response to Syria without approval from Congress or the UN. But on Saturday plans took a dramatic shift.
"I have been in Syria for two years covering the dirty war and saw lots of soldiers killed in a very cruel way; he must think about what he's doing in the Middle East," said Ms. Dandash referring to Mr. Obama.
The U.S., meanwhile, is standing by in the Mediterranean with five destroyers armed with cruise missiles and an amphibious ship with several hundred Marines on board in preparation for possible strikes on Syria in response to the alleged gas attacks.
Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, hasn't publicly commented on the U.S. allegations. Hezbollah, which like Mr. Assad's regime is backed by Iran, is classified by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
Hezbollah has played an instrumental role this year in helping Mr. Assad recapture from rebels territories in central Syria most notably around the capital Damascus and the province of Homs to the north. Experts say the Lebanese group and Syria have long-range missiles.
The Syrian lawmaker, Mr. Abboud, like most Syrian officials accuses rebels of carrying out last month's chemical-weapons attack. He said Mr. Obama's decision on Saturday to seek congressional approval before striking Syria was proof that "he reached a dead end."
In extracts of an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro released Monday, Mr. Assad also warned of the repercussions of a U.S. attack on Syria but was less specific.
"The Middle East is a powder keg and the fire is approaching," he said. "Everybody will lose control of the situation when the powder keg will explode. Chaos and extremism will spread. The risk of a regional war exists," he told Le Figaro.
—Inti Landauro and Nour Malas contributed to this article.
Write to Sam Dagher at [email protected]
A version of this article appeared September 3, 2013, on page A6 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Assad Readies for U.S. Strike Despite Delay. ||||| Russian president to be urged at G20 summit to come closer to accepting that Bashar al-Assad has to stand aside
Vladimir Putin is to be confronted at the G20 summit of world leaders in St Petersburg this week with an array of western intelligence including damning new French evidence directly linking Syrian government forces with a massive and co-ordinated chemical attack on 21 August that led to hundreds of civilian deaths.
The Russian president will also be urged to show a new diplomatic flexibility and come closer to accepting that the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, has to stand aside.
A nine-page declassified French intelligence report was released on Monday which claimed to show Assad forces had launched an attack on Damascus suburbs held by opposition units using a combination of conventional weapons and "the massive use of chemical weapons".
The report follows similar documents from British and American intelligence.
The Nato secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen also insisted that "personally I am convinced, not only that a chemical attack has taken place … but I am also convinced that the Syrian regime is responsible."
The French intelligence includes satellite imagery showing the attacks coming from government-controlled areas to the east and west of Damascus and targeting rebel-held zones. The report said Assad's forces had since bombed the areas to wipe out evidence.
"Unlike previous attacks that used small amounts of chemicals and were aimed at terrorising people, this attack was tactical and aimed at regaining territory," the report said.
Nearly 47 amateur video clips reportedly filmed on the morning of the attack and showing the impact on civilians had been authenticated by French military doctors, according to the intelligence. French evidence gave details of other suspected chemical attacks, in the towns of Saraqib and Jobar in April, which now appeared to have killed about 280 people, the report said.
The fresh information will also help Barack Obama in his uphill efforts to persuade Congress next week to back a punitive military strike against Assad.
Assad, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, again denied the use of chemical weapons. "Whoever makes accusations must provide proof," he said. "We have challenged the US and France to put forward a single piece of proof. Mr Obama and Mr Hollande have been incapable of doing so. The Middle East is a powder-keg, and today the spark is getting closer."
The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, also rejected the western intelligence as absolutely unconvincing, saying that there was "nothing concrete, no geographical co-ordinates or details … and no proof the test was done by professionals".
He urged the west to lift the veil of secrecy over its allegations.
British sources said Putin, host of the G20, will face a concerted challenge at the summit on Thursday and Friday both to accept the intelligence, and propose a fresh diplomatic solution to the crisis by easing his support for the Assad regime.
Some senior Tories continued to put pressure on Downing Street to say it might be willing to hold a second Commons vote on whether Britain would in some circumstances participate in an attack on Syria in retaliation for the chemical attack.
Cameron unexpectedly lost the vote last week, but the former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell led calls for Britain to keep an open mind. "I believe taking legal and proportional action will be better than doing nothing – I think it will be more likely to bring this catastrophe to a close," he said.
"That's why I think it's very important in this rapidly moving situation that we don't rule anything out and it may be, for example, that after lengthy and careful consideration, Congress affirms its support for the President's plans and in the light of that our Parliament may well want to consider this matter further"
Advocates of a second vote were briefly given succour when the defence secretary, Philip Hammond, said there might be a second vote if there were a very significant change in circumstances.
But Labour sources poured cold water on a second vote, saying the government had ruled out military action. Apparently raising the bar on military action higher than last week, Labour sources said a second vote could only be countenanced if there was evidence that al-Qaida had got hold of significant stocks of chemical weapons, or there was a direct threat to national security.
The Labour motion last week was less specific about the trigger for action, and it was not clear if all shadow cabinet members were aware of this hardened stance.
Labour instead tried to refocus on diplomacy, with the shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, telling the Guardian: "An objective for the G20 summit in St Petersburg should be to establish a Syria contact group, like that which helped end the civil war in Lebanon. Unlike the Friends of Syria group, which was established as a forum for supporting the Syrian opposition, a Syria contact group could bring together those countries that are currently backing opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, of course including Russia, but also key sponsors within the region such as Iran and Saudi Arabia."
The contact group would work to bring the participants in the two-year civil war to talks in Geneva. Washington, with British backing, has opposed Iranian involvement in talks.
Writing in the Guardian, the senior Liberal Democrat peer Lady Williams has also called for Iran to be involved in the construction of a Syrian political settlement. She writes that the condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by the newly elected Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, "deserves a constructive response. It is time to end the isolation of Iran."
Plans to stage a second round of peace talks on Syria in Geneva have been stalled since March, partly over the US veto on Iranian attendance, and partly due to disputes in the Syrian rebel forces over the composition of its delegation, and the presence of forces loyal to Assad. Cameron will not have been emboldened by the publication of three separate polls on Monday showing strong opposition to British involvement in military action. A BBC/ICM poll found 71% supporting the Commons decision to stop British involvement in military action with 67% saying that "the special relationship is not relevant to the modern age". ||||| Thousands of Syrians flood across the border into Iraq recently in search of shelter. © UNHCR/G.Gubaeva
GENEVA, September 3 (UNHCR) - The number of Syrians forced to seek shelter abroad since civil war began in March 2011 passed the 2 million mark on Tuesday with no sign of the outflow ending soon.
"The war is now well into its third year and Syria is haemorrhaging women, children and men who cross borders often with little more than the clothes on their backs," the UN refugee agency said in a statement released to mark the milestone.
"This trend is nothing less than alarming, representing a jump of almost 1.8 million people in 12 months," UNHCR said. One year ago today, the number of Syrians registered as refugees or awaiting registration stood at about 230,670 people.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said Syria had become "a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history." He added that "the only solace is the humanity shown by the neighbouring countries in welcoming and saving the lives of so many refugees."
More than 97 per cent of Syria's refugees are hosted by countries in the immediate surrounding region, placing an overwhelming burden on their infrastructures, economies and societies. They urgently need massive international support to help deal with the crisis.
UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, expressed her dismay at the level of death, damage and danger that has forced so many Syrians to run for their lives.
"The world risks being dangerously complacent about the Syrian humanitarian disaster. The tide of human suffering unleashed by the conflict has catastrophic implications. If the situation continues to deteriorate at this rate, the number of refugees will only grow, and some neighbouring countries could be brought to the point of collapse," she said.
Jolie added that the world was "tragically disunited" on how to end the Syria conflict. "But there should be no disagreement over the need to alleviate human suffering, and no doubt of the world's responsibility to do more. We have to support the millions of innocent people ripped from their homes, and increase the ability of neighbouring countries to cope with the influx."
... a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres
With an average of almost 5,000 Syrians fleeing into neighbouring countries every day, the need to significantly increase humanitarian aid and development support to host communities has reached a critical stage.
In view of the pressure the refugee exodus is placing on surrounding countries, including the worsening economic impact, ministers from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey will meet with UNHCR in Geneva on Wednesday in a bid to accelerate international support.
The 2 million figure represents Syrians who have registered as refugees or who are pending registration. As of the end August this comprised 110,000 in Egypt, 168,000 in Iraq, 515,000 in Jordan, 716,000 in Lebanon and 460,000 in Turkey.
Some 52 per cent of this population are children aged 17 years or below. UNHCR announced only days ago that the number of Syrian child refugees had exceeded 1 million.
A further 4.25 million people are displaced inside Syria, according to data from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Taken together, these numbers - amounting to more than 6 million people - mean that more Syrians are now forcibly displaced than people from any other country.
UNHCR is active in Syria and is leading the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis in each of the surrounding countries. Humanitarian agencies are worryingly under-supported, with receipt of only 47 per cent of funds required to meet basic refugee needs. ||||| JERUSALEM/MOSCOW Israel tested a U.S.-backed missile system in the Mediterranean on Tuesday but did not announce the launch in advance, prompting a disclosure by Russia that kept the world on edge as the United States weighed an attack on Syria.
The morning launch was first reported by Moscow media that quoted Russian defense officials as saying two ballistic "objects" had been fired eastward from the center of the sea - roughly in the direction of Syria.
The news ruffled financial markets until Israel's Defence Ministry said that it, along with a Pentagon team, had carried out a test-launch of a Sparrow missile. The Sparrow, which simulates the long-range missiles of Syria and Iran, is used for target practice by Israel's U.S.-backed ballistic shield Arrow.
"Israel routinely fires missiles or drones off its shores to test its own ballistic defense capabilities," a U.S. official said in Washington.
Western naval forces have been gathering in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea since President Bashar al-Assad was accused of carrying out an August 21 gas attack in his more than two-year-old conflict with rebels trying to topple him.
Damascus denies responsibility for the incident. U.S. President Barack Obama had been widely expected to order reprisal strikes on Syria last week but put them off to seek support from Washington lawmakers first.
With U.S. action on Syria delayed as Obama confers with Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to play up the Jewish state's ability to deal with its foes alone. On Tuesday, the rightist premier spoke of anti-missile systems as a national "wall of iron".
"These things give us the power to protect ourselves, and anyone who considers harming us would do best not to," he said in a speech.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon shrugged off a question from reporters on whether the launch might have been ill-timed. He said Israel had to work to maintain its military edge and "this necessitates field trials and, accordingly, a successful trial was conducted to test our systems. And we will continue to develop and to research and to equip the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) with the best systems in the world."
Arrow designer Uzi Rabin said tests of the anti-missile system are planned "long, long in advance" and generally go unnoticed. "What apparently made the difference today is the high state of tension over Syria and Russia's unusual vigilance," he told Reuters.
A Russian Defence Ministry spokesman quoted by the Interfax news agency said the launch was picked up by an early warning radar station at Armavir, near the Black Sea, which is designed to detect missiles from Europe and Iran.
RIA, another Russian news agency, later quoted a source in Syria's "state structures" as saying the objects had fallen harmlessly into the sea.
The Russian Defence Ministry declined comment to Reuters.
Moscow is Assad's big-power ally and has mobilized its own navy in the face of U.S. military preparations to punish the Syrian government for its alleged killing of more than 1,400 people in the chemical strike in an embattled Damascus suburb.
OUTSIDE INTERVENTION
Russia opposes any outside military intervention in Syria's civil war and says it suspects the gassings were staged by rebels seeking foreign involvement in the conflict.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin of the launch but it was not immediately clear how he reacted.
Brent crude oil extended gains to rise by more than $1 per barrel and Dubai's share index fell after Russia said it detected the launches.
Five U.S. destroyers and an amphibious ship are in the Mediterranean, poised for possible strikes against Syria with cruise missiles - which are not ballistic. U.S. officials said the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and four other ships in its strike group moved into the Red Sea on Monday.
"The pressure being applied by the United States causes particular concern," Itar-Tass quoted Russian Defence Ministry official Oleg Dogayev as saying. He said "the dispatch of ships armed with cruise missiles toward Syria's shores has a negative effect on the situation in the region".
The United States sees its underwriting of the Arrow as a means of reassuring Israel and, by extension, of reducing the chance that its ally might launch unilateral attacks on Syria or Iran that could destabilize the wider region.
Netanyahu has reluctantly supported U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to curb Iran's nuclear program. He has been circumspect about the Western showdown with Syria, worrying that should Assad fall to Islamist-led rebels, they could prove more hostile to the Jewish state.
(Writing by Steve Gutterman and Dan Williams, Editing by Timothy Heritage/Mark Heinrich)
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– If you spent your Labor Day weekend in a news-free zone, here's the biggest detail you missed: President Obama on Saturday announced he would seek congressional approval before striking Syria, which means nothing will happen until Congress returns Monday. Except, of course, there's a flurry of activity already under way. On that front: Syria is getting ready: Even in the face of the delay, the Assad regime is prepping for an attack, telling Damascus residents to flee areas near military bases the US may have in its crosshairs. In what appears to be a first, it's also reportedly moving soldiers into abandoned apartments in the capital's residential neighborhoods, one of which is now studded with antiaircraft gun-topped trucks. A Syrian official yesterday told the Wall Street Journal that both Syria and Hezbollah are prepared to retaliate, and would first target the five US destroyers and amphibious ship in the Mediterranean. Missiles in the Mediterranean: Things weren't exactly quiet in the Mediterranean this morning, with Reuters reporting that Russia "raised the alarm" after its radar picked up the launch of two ballistic "objects" there. But Syria state sources quickly confirmed it was not hit, and Israel confirmed that it had tested a missile around that time in a joint test with the US. (Reuters explains the missile was "used as a target in a US-funded anti-missile system.") Reuters notes the cruise missiles aboard the US ships in the area are not ballistic. Senate committee gets things rolling: ABC News reports that John Kerry, Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey will testify in support of military force before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. Gloomy milestone: The number of Syrian refugees since March 2011 passed the 2 million mark today, reports the UN. The UN reported yesterday that a total of one in three Syrians—or 7 million—have been displaced. Putin to be confronted: The G20 host may find himself a bit mistreated by his guests this week. The Guardian reports by way of British sources that Putin "will face a concerted challenge" on Thursday and Friday as attendees push him to support the chemical-attack evidence (which Russia previously deemed "absolutely unconvincing") and the notion that Assad needs to step aside. Where Iran fits in: The New York Times today takes a look at the catch-22 the Obama administration finds itself in vis a vis Iran. On the one hand, Iran may be the "strongest card" it can play in seeking support for airstrikes on Syria (ie, if we're soft on Syria, an emboldened Iran will push ahead on nukes). But that approach is complicated by attempts to "explore dialogue" with moderate new president Hassan Rouhani.
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Rumors are flying fast and furious about the state of Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore’s marriage. Star magazine alleges that the couple has been living apart for months—Kutcher filming “Two and a Half Men” in Los Angeles while Moore is in New York making “Magic Mike“—and that they are really over. A source told the magazine, “[They’re] just putting on a show until they officially split.” The mag predicts a bitter divorce over the couple’s $290 million in assets. I’m still hoping all this is totally false—I’ve always loved Aston and Demi together. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, a 23-year-old blonde alleges that she hooked up with Kutcher a week ago, which happened to be Ashton and Demi’s six year anniversary. So who is this girl Ashton allegedly slept with? Find out all about Sara Leal after the jump.
According to her now-blocked Facebook page, Sara Leal went to school at Texas A&M. She is apparently a model and aspiring director, who has been shopping a movie called “Runaway,” though not very successfully. Leal is being represented by lawyer Keith Davidson, the same guy who represented that Betty Ford Clinic employee who says Lindsay Lohan attacked her. Guess he’s the new Gloria Allred? Leal is allegedly not above trying to make money off this incident. A source claims, “Sara is talking to multiple media outlets for a deal. She wants $250,000, but the offers haven’t been as high. What she really wants is to get a payoff from Ashton. She has reached out to Ashton’s team.” So what did supposedly happen? Leal was apparently partying at the Fluxx nightclub in San Diego on September 24th, where Ashton was partying with Danny Masterson even though it was his anniversary. Leal alleges they went back to his hotel room at the Hard Rock and got it on. A reported “friend” of Leal’s wrote the website TheDirty.com after rumors started flying. She said, “I”m a female who works and happens to be friends with Sara Leal, probably not after this. I’m sick to my stomach over what happen last Friday night … If you want to verify any of this just … subpoena Ashton’s bodyguard who took her phone before she came into the room.”
Who knows what happened here. But Sara isn’t the first lady to claim she bedded Ashton. Last year around this same time, actress Brittney Jones claimed she had sex with Ashton on Ashton and Demi’s couch. I’m still hoping it’s not true, but that is looking less and less likely.
[NY Post]
[IBTimes]
[NY Post]
[Gather.com] ||||| By Amber Goodhand
Radar Reporter
Sometimes actions speak louder than words.
Demi Moore is no longer one of the 671 people Ashton Kutcher follows on Twitter, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.
And it appears Demi stopped following Ashton as well for a period of time, and only recently began to “follow” him again.
PHOTOS: Celebrity Cheaters
Here’s how Twitter works: When you subscribe to and “follow” someone’s profile, they show up on your profile under your list of “Following” in the exact order that you began following them, with the most recent near the top.
In 2009 Ashton became the first person on Twitter to reach one million followers, a feat that he reached with a “follow” and support from his wife, Demi.
So why does Ashton’s Twitter handle appear as one of the 20 most recent people Demi’s started following? At some point Demi must have “unfollowed” Ashton and is now following him again.
PHOTOS: Top Celebrity Sex Scandals
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Demi and Ashton are on the brink of a divorce amid a recent fling that he allegedly had in San Diego on their sixth wedding anniversary weekend with a 23-year-old woman named Sara Leal.
Demi has yet to speak out publicly on the reports, but sources told Star magazine: “Ashton was a serial cheater, and Demi just couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t deserve to live that way. It’s a painful time for Demi.”
These days a “break up” on a social media network speaks volumes!
UPDATE: Ashton now appears to be following Demi on Twitter, but at time of publication and numerous reviews of his page, he was not.
RELATED STORIES:
Demi Moore Still Not Talking About Divorce, Ashton Kutcher Cheating Charges
Ashton Kutcher’s Alleged Mistress Deletes Social Media Accounts
Inside Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher’s $290 Million Divorce ||||| Ashton and Demi face divorce and cheating rumors, while their "other woman" prepares for a payday. Jessica Simpson takes 10 pregnancy tests and considers postponing her wedding. Holly Madison insures her boobs for $1 million. Thursday gossip surveys the wreckage.
A rumor about an impending Demi Moore - Ashton Kutcher divorce has reached critical mass, though neither party has commented directly, yet. What we know: Demi and Ashton spent last weekend's six-year wedding anniversary separate. Ashton went to San Diego to party with a That '70s Show friend. Star says he went to a club and declared "none of the girls 'hot-tub-worthy,'" but cheated with 23-year-old Sara Leal on the night before his anniversary anyway (Did he wake up on the day of his anniversary with a stranger in his bed?) and now Sara is reportedly working with the lawyer who represented one of Lindsay Lohan 's alleged catfight victims: "Sara is talking to multiple media outlets for a deal. She wants $250,000, but the offers haven't been as high. What she really wants is to get a payoff from Ashton."
Ashton did not tweet anything about his anniversary, but on the night of the rumored dalliance Demi tweeted this quote: "When we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." The day after their anniversary she tweeted a picture of herself with her eyes closed and this caption: "I see through you." Over/under on when Demi changes her @mrskutcher Twitter handle?
- divorce has reached critical mass, though neither party has commented directly, yet. What we know: Demi and Ashton spent last weekend's six-year wedding anniversary separate. Ashton went to San Diego to party with a That '70s Show friend. Star says he went to a club and declared "none of the girls 'hot-tub-worthy,'" but cheated with 23-year-old on the night before his anniversary anyway (Did he wake up on the day of his anniversary with a stranger in his bed?) and now Sara is reportedly working with the lawyer who represented one of 's alleged catfight victims: "Sara is talking to multiple media outlets for a deal. She wants $250,000, but the offers haven't been as high. What she really wants is to get a payoff from Ashton." Ashton did not tweet anything about his anniversary, but on the night of the rumored dalliance Demi tweeted this quote: "When we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." The day after their anniversary she tweeted a picture of herself with her eyes closed and this caption: "I see through you." Over/under on when Demi changes her @mrskutcher Twitter handle? The ordeal bears striking resemblance to Ashton's 2010 cheating scandal, when a 21-year-old rando went public with a one-night stand, and claimed Ashton told her that he and Demi were living apart. Kutcher and Moore subsequently went on a splashy, romantic trip to Israel, but Star says they never started living together again, and now "they're finally done for good" "because of Ashton's serial cheating." The couple remains separate, with Demi in New York promoting the short film she directed for Lifetime, and Ashton in L.A. basking in the gross glory of Two and a Half Men. [Star, People, Radar, Radar, image via Getty]
Holly Madison insured her boobs for $1 million. Her plastic surgeon should put that on his resume. Meanwhile, a guy at the bus stop offered to buy Holly's brain for a piece of lint and half a stick of gum. [People]
insured her boobs for $1 million. Her plastic surgeon should put that on his resume. Meanwhile, a guy at the bus stop offered to buy Holly's brain for a piece of lint and half a stick of gum. [People] Kelly Bensimon on getting kicked out of Real Housewives: "I don't like the word 'fired.'" Oh Kelly. Here, I got you this card. [OK]
on getting kicked out of Real Housewives: "I don't like the word 'fired.'" Oh Kelly. Here, I got you this card. [OK] Jessica Simpson has reported postponed her wedding, maybe because she's pregnant??? Or because "she can't figure out what kind of day she wants." One with a baby in it??? [Us]
has reported postponed her wedding, maybe because she's pregnant??? Or because "she can't figure out what kind of day she wants." One with a baby in it??? [Us] Speaking of Jessica Simpson 's uterus, a "close friend" says Jess "took 10 pregnancy tests," and got positive results every time. [InTouch]
's uterus, a "close friend" says Jess "took 10 pregnancy tests," and got positive results every time. [InTouch] Speaking of pregnancy, now that Beyonce is pregnant she thinks Jay-Z stinks: "I smell everything," she said. "If it smells bad, I smell it. My husband's fragrance, his one that I always love, I hate right now." Awkward that she's promoting her new perfume right now. How much you want to bet it secretly makes her want to vom, too? [Us]
is pregnant she thinks stinks: "I smell everything," she said. "If it smells bad, I smell it. My husband's fragrance, his one that I always love, I hate right now." Awkward that she's promoting her new perfume right now. How much you want to bet it secretly makes her want to vom, too? [Us] Gwyneth Paltrow spent yesterday "nursing a horrific hangover" at JFK airport. "Nothing like starting an overseas flight dehydrated. Where is the dog, I need the hair." [@GwynethPaltrow]
spent yesterday "nursing a horrific hangover" at JFK airport. "Nothing like starting an overseas flight dehydrated. Where is the dog, I need the hair." [@GwynethPaltrow] Angelina Jolie took Zahara and Shiloh to get their ears pierced. Apparently Zahara "screamed then burst into tears. She was saying it felt like a stapler. So her little sister changed her mind about having hers done." [Sun]
took and to get their ears pierced. Apparently Zahara "screamed then burst into tears. She was saying it felt like a stapler. So her little sister changed her mind about having hers done." [Sun] Anna Faris wants to have eight kids with husband Chris Pratt , but admits eight is kind of a lot, even if her goal is "to populate the world! [laughs]" [Us]
wants to have eight kids with husband , but admits eight is kind of a lot, even if her goal is "to populate the world! [laughs]" [Us] Elizabeth Olsen insists her family is "normal." Hahahaha. [Nylon]
insists her family is "normal." Hahahaha. [Nylon] T.I. is finally free: He left his halfway house in a chauffeured SUV shortly after midnight this morning. [TMZ]
is finally free: He left his halfway house in a chauffeured SUV shortly after midnight this morning. [TMZ] Kim Kardashian went bowling and wore a see-through crop top over a see-through lace bra, leather leggings, and six-inch spiked heels. Really wondering what this outfit looked like with bowling shoes. [INFDaily]
went bowling and wore a see-through crop top over a see-through lace bra, leather leggings, and six-inch spiked heels. Really wondering what this outfit looked like with bowling shoes. [INFDaily] Kate Gosselin is still unemployed. :-( [HuffPo]
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– “Proof,” however questionable, continues to mount that all is not well in the union of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Most notably, Radar reports that Kutcher—gasp!—unfollowed his wife on Twitter, although your friendly neighborhood Newser editors beg to differ, having spotted her in his list of followees. But Radar does appear to be correct on another count: While Demi still follows her husband, his Twitter account now shows up near the top of her list—which, because of the way Twitter lists work, indicates that she stopped following him at some point and then started following him again recently. A seemingly incriminating photo of Kutcher has also cropped up showing him in a car with a woman who looks like Sara Leal, whom he’s accused of cheating with over the weekend. This picture, however, is from back in June. The Sun also notes that the last time Kutcher and Moore were spotted together was two months ago, and Gawker cites reports claiming that the couple actually stopped living together following last year’s cheating rumors. Meanwhile, while neither party has openly addressed the rumors, Ashton took to Twitter to remind the world that “when you ASSUME to know that which you know nothing of you make an ASS out of U and ME.” He had previously tweeted a link to the Public Enemy song “Don’t Believe the Hype,” the New York Post notes. Click to read all about Sara Leal.
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Today we depart (only slightly) from our stupid criminal format to offer what we would describe as a silly criminal looking at a stupid interpretation of the law.
Oh, Tyell Morton definitely did it. And he realizes he should be punished. But …
The 18-year-old Indiana high school senior had this really funny joke in mind. At least it was funny in his mind. Opinions can vary on that point. Seniors often do this sort of thing as their 12th year of formal education winds down.
So he acquired (through means as yet undisclosed) what you might call that traditional companion for the lonely hearted male, the blow-up doll.
He propped it up in a box inside the girls' bathroom, escaped unseen, and waited for the uproarious laughter to begin.
Only it didn't.
Because he wasn't unseen. School officials watching a surveillance video viewed it like this: a hooded figure wearing latex gloves enters a women's bathroom carrying a suspicious package and leaves empty-handed. So they contacted authorities.
Tyell claims it was an innocent senior prank. School officials and the law see it differently.
In spite of the fact that everyone seems to agree on the silly but harmless circumstances, he faces felony charges relating to laws on terrorism that could amount to eight years behind bars.
And in case you're thinking that maybe the young man is getting what he deserves, consider this … if Tyell had brought a gun to school he would be facing three years maximum.
Get the Full Story
Casey Anthony: Follow the Trial!
FBI: Criminal Pursuit
On the Case With Paula Zahn
Photo: Pete Starman/Getty Images
||||| POSTED: 6:33 pm EDT June 6, 2011
A Rushville High School senior faces a felony charge after bringing a blow-up doll to school as part of what he claims was a prank.
School officials called police May 31 after a package was found in a girls' bathroom. A deflated blow-up doll was later found inside the box.
Tyell Morton, 18, was arrested on a preliminary charge of felony criminal mischief after he admitted to bringing the doll to school. He said it was meant to be a senior prank.
"I'm facing eight years for a doll, a plastic doll," Morton said Monday. "I didn't put anybody's name on it, nothing. Now I'm a terrorist for a prank gone wrong. It's life-changing. It's traumatizing."
The family's attorney, Robert Turner, said the charge is excessive.
"It's interesting that had he gone to school with a gun, there would've been a lesser charge. It would've been a Class D felony with up to three years," he said.
Copyright 2011 by TheIndyChannel.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Rush County Schools Superintendent John Williams said the situation is done and over with.
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– An Indiana high school senior is facing up to eight years in prison for the egregious felony of… bringing a blowup doll to school. Tyell Morton planted the doll in the girl’s bathroom as a senior prank, but administrators didn’t think it was funny. All they saw on the security camera was a hooded figure take a package into the bathroom and leave without it. Soon, the Indiana State Police bomb squad had been called in to deal with the raunchy inflatable. Now Morton is facing felony charges related to terrorism laws, Discovery News reports. “I’m facing eight years for a doll, a plastic doll,” Morton told WRTV. “I didn’t put anybody’s name on it, nothing. Now I’m a terrorist for a prank gone wrong.” But the county prosecutor is unmoved. “In this post-Columbine world, that’s what you get when these kinds of things happen,” he said. For more, click here.
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Oct. 26, 2018, 12:55 PM GMT / Updated Oct. 26, 2018, 11:50 PM GMT By Pete Williams, Jonathan Dienst, Tom Winter, Andrew Blankstein and Elisha Fieldstadt
A Florida man was charged Friday in connection with the series of bombs found this week addressed to critics of President Donald Trump, law enforcement officials said shortly after more devices were found.
Cesar Sayoc, 56, who has been arrested before, was in custody, law enforcement officials said. DNA evidence played a role in the arrest, law enforcement told NBC News.
He was charged with five federal counts: interstate transport of explosives, mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents, making threatening interstate communications and assault of current or former officials.
Sayoc faces up to 48 years behind bars if convicted of all counts, officials said.
Each device was made up of a 6-inch PVC pipe, a small clock, battery, wiring and “energetic material” that could have set off an explosive, FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a press conference.
“Though we are still analyzing the devices in our laboratories, these are not hoax devices," he said.
The break in the case came when fingerprints were lifted off a suspicious package mailed to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and two DNA samples from mailings to the congresswoman and former President Barack Obama, according to the criminal complaint.
The prints and DNA linked the packages to Sayoc, officials said.
“This is phenomenal work under the greatest pressure under an incredibly tight time frame,” Wray said.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Wray declined to speculate about Sayoc’s possible motives.
Sessions said Sayoc appeared to be a political partisan, "but that would be determined by the facts as the case goes forward. I’m not able to comment on that."
And Wray added, “We’re concerned about people committing acts of violence under any motivation.”
Sayoc has an extensive criminal past, records showed. He was arrested in 2002 for threatening to throw a bomb; he pleaded guilty and was given a special sentence in which probation is ordered but a formal conviction is not made. He was also arrested for theft in 1992 and 2014.
A van in Plantation, Florida that is taken for the bomb package investigation. NBC News
Sayoc filed for bankruptcy in 2012, and is a registered Republican, according to public records. His cousin, who asked not to be identified, said Sayoc had worked in strip clubs as a dancer and a bouncer.
"He’s always been a little bit of a loose cannon. He’s always been a lost soul," the cousin said. "Too many steroids in his day. That stuff will melt your brain."
Investigators in the Plantation, Florida, parking lot where Sayoc was arrested could be seen placing a tarp over a van with windows covered with pictures of Trump and political memes. Some pictures on the van of Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton, had red targets over their faces.
Sayoc's Twitter feed is full of partially incoherent attacks on Democrats and the media.
Cesar Sayoc at a Donald Trump rally via Facebook
Four more suspicious packages were discovered Friday, one in Florida addressed to Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and another in New York addressed to former U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, officials said.
The third package was found at a Sacramento postal facility and addressed to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., two law enforcement officials told NBC News. It wasn't immediately clear if that package was connected to the others.
"Our understanding is that a trained postal employee identified the package at a Sacramento mail facility and reported it to the authorities. Fortunately, nobody was injured," according to a statement from Harris' office.
"Senator Harris is enormously grateful to law enforcement officials across the country who have worked so hard over the past week to keep our fellow citizens safe."
And the fourth was addressed to California billionaire, philanthropist and liberal activist Tom Steyer and was found at a Burlingame, California, postal sorting facility, two law enforcement sources said.
Steyer runs the political advocacy groups NextGen America and Need to Impeach.
The 2002 mug shot of Cesar Sayoc. Miami-Dade Police Department
"We’re thankful that everyone we work with at NextGen America and Need to Impeach is safe — that’s always our first priority, and will continue to be our first priority," Steyer said. "We are seeing a systematic attack on our democracy and our rule of law that extends much further than just one isolated terrorist in Florida."
The package addressed to Booker was discovered at a postal facility in Opa-locka, Florida. On Thursday, investigators said they believed some of the packages may have passed through that mail sorting facility. The packages listed Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's address in Sunrise, Florida, as the return address. Sunrise is adjacent to Plantation and less than 20 miles north of Opa-locka.
"Grateful for law enforcement's work to bring those responsible to justice & for their vigilance to keep Americans safe," Booker tweeted on Friday. "Cowardly acts of terror will never silence or intimidate Americans—they will only strengthen our resolve to stand against fear & hatred."
The package mailed to Clapper was addressed to CNN's New York offices, according to a picture obtained by NBC New York, and discovered at a postal facility in Midtown Manhattan.
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The New York Police Department said Friday morning that they were responding to a possible device at the postal facility at 52nd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, about six blocks away from the Time Warner Center, where CNN is. The explosive device was the second to be addressed to the news network this week.
Buildings near the post office, including a high school, had been evacuated.
Police said later Friday morning that the package had been removed and would first go to an NYPD facility in the Bronx before it would be sent to the FBI's lab in Quantico.
On CNN, where Clapper works as a contributor, he called the series of mailed explosives "domestic terrorism."
"I think anyone who has in any way been a critic, publicly been a critic of President Trump, needs to be on extra alert and take some cautions, precautions, particularly with respect to mail," he said.
Image obtained by WNBC of the package found at NYC post office on the morning of Oct. 26,2018. WNBC
Clapper stressed that he wasn't "suggesting a direct cause-and-effect relationship" between anything the president has said or done and the sending of the packages, but "I do think he bears some responsibility for the coarseness and uncivility of the dialogue in this country, and that he needs to remember that his words count."
At an event Friday, Trump lauded law enforcement for apprehending the suspect, saying: "These terrorizing acts are despicable, and they have no place in our country. No place."
"We must never allow political violence to take root in America," Trump said. "The bottom line is that Americans must unify and show the world that we are united in peace and love and harmony as fellow American citizens."
Earlier in the day, after Friday's bombs were discovered, Trump tweeted, "Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this 'Bomb' stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!."
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters earlier that “the president is receiving constant information as it is available.”
Trump told supporters during a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday that the country was having a broader conversation about tone and civility in politics, saying that the entire country would benefit by ending the politics of "personal destruction." The president then criticized the news media for its coverage on him and the Republican party.
"We must unify as a nation in peace love and in harmony. The media has a major role to play whether they want to or not," Trump told the crowd. The president paused as his supporters booed.
"And they do indeed have a major role to play in terms of tone and as far as everything," Trump continued. "And we all say this in all sincerity but the media's constant unfair coverage, deep hostility and negative attacks only serve to drive people apart and to undermine healthy debate."
The president then went on to criticize Democrats Nancy Pelosi and "Crying Chuck Schumer."
Suspicious package targets:
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Former President Barack Obama
Former CIA Director John Brennan
Billionaire George Soros
Former Attorney General Eric Holder
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. (two )
Actor Robert De Niro
Former Vice President Joe Biden (two)
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
Billionaire Tom Steyer
The 10 previous packages, all of which contained pipe bombs, have been addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden; actor Robert De Niro; Waters; former Attorney General Eric Holder; former CIA Director John Brennan; former President Obama; and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The package sent to Brennan was also addressed to CNN's offices in New York and led to an hourslong evacuation of the building Wednesday. Brennan does not work for CNN. He serves as an analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.
Both Biden and Waters received two packages. On Thursday, packages addressed to Biden and De Niro were discovered in Delaware and New York respectively.
At least some of the devices sent were flawed in varying ways and would not have exploded, investigators said Thursday. But it's unclear whether the deficiencies were intentional or the result of faulty construction, and officials urged the public to remain vigilant.
Sayoc's packages had a slew or typos and misspellings, according to the criminal complaint written by FBI Special Agent David Brown.
The defendant spelled "Hilary Clinton" with a single "l," consistently ended "Florids" with an "s" instead of an "a," made reference to President "Barrack" Obama and addressed a package of "Maxim" Waters, according to the complaint.
Special Agent Brown also wrote that each of the "IEDs was largely similar in design and construction ... each was stamped with approximately six self-adhesive postage stamps each bearing a picture of an American flag." ||||| Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| More suspicious devices addressed to prominent Democrats — to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, California Sen. Kamala Harris and another to former intelligence chief James Clapper — were being investigated by law enforcement officials Friday.
The device addressed to Booker was intercepted in South Florida. The FBI confirmed that a suspicious package addressed to Booker had been recovered, adding that it was "similar in appearance" to at least 10 other packages this week addressed to high-profile Democrats and media figures.
Booker's office did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment.
Separately, the New York Police Department said it removed a suspicious package from a U.S. Postal Service branch in midtown Manhattan that was "consistent" with the other suspected explosives. NBC News reported that the package was addressed to Clapper, who was the director of national intelligence during the Obama administration.
Later Friday morning, a man was arrested in Florida in connection with the ongoing investigation and is expected to face federal criminal charges, according to NBC News.
After the arrest of Florida resident Cesar Sayoc, 56, law enforcement officials told NBC that a similar package addressed to Harris was intercepted at a Sacramento postal facility.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that "the president is receiving constant information as it is available." President Donald Trump, in a tweet Friday morning, said it was "very unfortunate" that the "'Bomb' stuff" has slowed the GOP's voting momentum ahead of the November midterm elections.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's inquiries about the president's tweet.
Packages sent in manila envelopes and containing potentially explosive material have been addressed to former president Barack Obama, the New York residence of former president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the New York office of news network CNN and actor Robert De Niro, among others.
De Niro, in a statement, said: "I thank God no one's been hurt, and I thank the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us. There's something more powerful than bombs, and that's your vote. People MUST vote!"
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– More apparent mail bombs, these to Cory Booker and James Clapper. On Booker, the FBI says it intercepted a suspicious package intended for the New Jersey senator in Florida, reports CNBC. Authorities say the package is similar to others sent to prominent Democrats earlier this week. (Why Florida? Investigators say at least some of the packages have gone through a mail center there in Opa-locka.) On Clapper, NBC News reports that a suspicious package addressed to the former intelligence director turned up at a postal facility in Manhattan Friday morning. These would be the 11th and 12th packages discovered. Booker and Clapper have something in common with the earlier recipients: Both have been vocal critics of President Trump. Booker recently made headlines for his opposition to the president's pick for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clapper, who has served presidents of both parties, once questioned Trump's fitness for office. (Trump slammed CNN in a wee-hours tweet over its coverage of the mail-bomb story, while some on the right see "false-flag tactics" at play.)
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G20 meeting of two presidents could see Russia regain access to diplomatic compounds blocked after interference in 2016 US election, say former officials
Donald Trump has told White House aides to come up with possible concessions to offer as bargaining chips in his planned meeting next week with Vladimir Putin, according to two former officials familiar with the preparations.
Ex-Trump adviser says FBI interviewed him about Russia investigation Read more
National security council staff have been tasked with proposing “deliverables” for the first Trump-Putin encounter, including the return of two diplomatic compounds Russians were ordered to vacate by the Obama administration in response to Moscow’s interference in the 2016 election, the former officials said. It is not clear what Putin would be asked to give in return.
There is strong resistance in the NSC and state department to one-sided concessions aimed simply at improving the tone of US-Russian relations. There is also opposition within the administration to Trump’s preference for a formal bilateral meeting with Putin at the G20 summit in Germany, as first reported by the Associated Press.
Some officials argue the meeting should be a brief and informal “pull-aside” at the two-day summit, which starts next Friday in Hamburg, in view of the fact that Trump is under multi-pronged investigations into his campaign’s relationship with Moscow. The sceptics also argue there has been no let-up in Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, which was the trigger for the bulk of the sanctions.
The NSC spokesman, Michael Anton, said the meeting between the two leaders “is not set in any format yet”, but he did not respond to a question about the request to NSC staff to propose potential bargaining chips for the meeting.
“They have been asked for deliverables, but there is resistance to offering anything up without anything back in return,” said one former official familiar with the debate inside the White House.
One possible gesture under consideration is the restoration of access to two diplomatic compounds, in Maryland and New York, from which Russian officials were ejected by the Obama administration in December as part of a package of punitive measures for Russian hacking of the 2016 elections.
Obama said the compounds were “used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes”. He also expelled 35 Russian officials he described as “intelligence operatives”.
The Trump administration was contemplating handing back the compounds in early May, initially in exchange for the Russian government lifting a freeze on construction of a new US consulate in St Petersburg, according to the Washington Post. That link was reportedly dropped a few days later when the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Washington on 10 May.
When he took the job, Tillerson backed moves to improve relations with Moscow and arranged for Lavrov to meet Trump in the Oval Office. But a former official said the former oil executive felt “burned” by that incident, of which the Russian government published photographs without the US administration’s permission, and where Trump disclosed classified information about counter-terrorist operations. Tillerson has since become more adamant in his opposition to the relaxation of sanctions without substantial changes to Russian behaviour.
Sergey Lavrov's White House visit reveals little about Trump and Russia Read more
So far, however, no agreements have been reached on the fate of the compounds, which Russian diplomats have made a priority in their discussions with the administration.
On Wednesday, the Russian foreign ministry said “retaliatory measures” were being prepared for closure of the compounds, but did not describe the measures.
The Russian Kommersant newspaper has reported that the Kremlin could seize US diplomatic property in Russia or impose restrictions on an Anglo-American school there.
Asked on Wednesday about a Trump-Putin meeting in Hamburg, Lavrov told journalists: “We assume that contact will take place, as the two presidents will at the same time be in one town, in one building, in one room.”
Trump made significant efforts to lift sanctions on Russia in his first weeks in office but was thwarted by resistance from allies as well as from former Obama officials and state department staffers.
When Theresa May visited the White House a week after Trump’s inauguration, one of her priorities was to dissuade the new president from relaxing sanctions imposed on Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea and covert military intervention in eastern Ukraine.
“The Brits did push for that, but it’s hard to say how much difference their intervention made,” said a former official, who was working at the state department at the time.
Two outgoing state officials, Daniel Fried and Tom Malinowski, lobbied Congress to pass legislation to codify the sanctions and lock them in place. Their intervention was first reported by Yahoo News.
On 14 June the Senate passed a bill, with a 98-2 vote, that would strengthen sanctions on Russia and require congressional approval for any administration attempt to roll them back. The bill has since been stalled in the House over technicalities amid reports that Trump’s allies are seeking to water it down.
“If the bill is passed it would mean that in one important respect, Russian active measures will have failed,” Malinowski, Obama’s assistant secretary of state for human rights, said. He also pointed to the Treasury’s move last week to broaden existing restrictions on Russia as an indication “the sanctions machinery is working normally and on schedule”.
Russia and Trump: the chronicle of a scandal Read more
Evelyn Farkas, who was deputy assistant secretary of state in the defence department for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, said the closure of the Russian compounds and the expulsion of suspected spies were intended to be only the first step in the punitive measures against Moscow for its election meddling.
“If President Trump starts to undo any of those measures, including giving back the facilities in Maryland and New York then the Russian government will believe … they got away with what they did to us and believe me, they’ll try it again,” Farkas said. “Putin himself uses that phrase all the time: ‘With the eating grows the appetite’.”
With Congress and most of his administration set against concessions to Russia, Trump has been hemmed in so far in his overtures to Moscow. His encounter with Putin next week, however, will offer him the opportunity to remake policy on the spot.
“The big wild card in all this is the person holding the position of president of the United States,” Malinowski said. “We don’t know what he will say when he meets the master-manipulator from the Kremlin.” ||||| President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during a G20 summit next week in Germany. | Getty Images Trump to meet Putin on sidelines of G20 gathering next week
President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a G20 summit next week in Germany, White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said on Thursday.
Trump and Putin will speak on the sidelines of the gathering, McMaster told reporters, rather than a more formal separate meeting. Speculation had mounted over whether the two would meet when both are in Hamburg, Germany. Trump has been criticized since his presidential campaign for comments of the Russian leader that seemed too flattering.
Story Continued Below
McMaster said there was no "specific agenda" for the meeting. ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week at a summit in Germany that brings two world leaders whose political fortunes have become intertwined face-to-face for the first time.
FILE PHOTO: A combination of file photos showing Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, January 15, 2016 and U.S. President Donald Trump posing for a photo in New York City, U.S., May 17, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Sekretarev/Pool/Lucas Jackson/File Photos
Both the Kremlin and the White House announced on Thursday that the pair will meet on the sidelines of the July 7-8 summit of G20 nations in Hamburg.
Trump’s national security adviser H.R. McMaster downplayed the significance of the meeting, one of nine such side meetings for the U.S. president over two days.
“It won’t be different from our discussions with any other country, really,” McMaster said.
“There’s no specific agenda. It’s really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about.”
The meeting will be fraught with difficulties for Trump.
Allegations that Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election last year and colluded with the Republican’s campaign have overshadowed the businessman’s unexpected victory and dogged his first five months in office.
Russia and the United States are also at odds over Ukraine, NATO expansion and the civil war in Syria where Moscow supports President Bashar al-Assad.
The United States backs rebel groups trying to overthrow Assad, and Washington angered Russia by launching missile strikes against a Syrian government air base in April in response to what the United States says was a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians.
INVESTIGATION LOOMS
Trump has frequently called for better ties with Russia but lawmakers in his own Republican Party are urging him to be wary of Moscow.
“As the president has made clear, he’d like the United States and the entire West to develop a more constructive relationship with Russia but he has also made clear that we will do what is necessary to confront Russia’s destabilizing behavior,” McMaster said.
U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia hacked and leaked emails of Democratic Party political groups to help Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Russia denies the allegations and Trump says his team did not collude with Moscow.
Several congressional committees as well as the FBI are investigating Russia’s role in the election and any alleged collusion by Trump’s campaign.
That makes the optics of the Putin meeting particularly challenging for Trump.
“If there are big grins on both of their faces, that will be the picture on the front pages of every Western newspaper, as the investigation continues here,” said Heather Conley, a former State Department official in the George W. Bush White House.
“I would think the president would be advised, if there is a meeting, to be very careful with his body language,” Conley told Reuters.
SYRIA FRICTION
Trump raised Russian hackles this week when the White House said it appeared the Syrian military was preparing to conduct a chemical weapons attack and warned that Assad and his forces would “pay a heavy price” if it did so.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned on Wednesday that Moscow would respond proportionately if the United States took measures against Syrian government forces.
But Lavrov added that it would “probably not be right” if Putin and Trump did not talk at the G20 summit of world economic powers.
Republican Bob Corker, the influential chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, described the planned encounter as “just a side meeting” but said he hoped Trump would bring up problematic issues with Putin.
“I would hope what he would do is hand him a list of the issues we have with their country. And I think he may well do that,” Corker told Reuters.
Putin, who has served as both Russian president and prime minister, has outlasted the previous two U.S. presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Officials from those administrations say American officials initially overestimated their potential areas of cooperation with the Russian leader. Then, through a combination of overconfidence, inattention and occasional clumsiness, Washington contributed to a deep spiral in relations with Moscow, they say.
Those relations reached a post-Cold War low under Trump’s predecessor, Obama.
In the last days of his presidency, Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 election.
A proposed new package of sanctions on Russia in the U.S. Congress might also put curbs on Trump’s ability to pursue warmer relations with Moscow.
The U.S. Senate reached an agreement on Thursday to resolve a technical issue stalling the sanctions, although the measure’s fate in the House of Representatives is uncertain.
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– Donald Trump will have his first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin as president during next week's G20 summit in Germany, Politico reports. The meeting—which won't be formal but rather happen "on the sidelines"—was announced by national security adviser HR McMaster on Thursday. He says no "specific agenda" has been set for the meeting. Putin and Trump likely won't have trouble finding things to talk about. Reuters notes the US and Russia are currently at odds over NATO expansion, Russian action in Ukraine, and the Syrian civil war. Not to mention Russia's alleged involvement and collusion in the 2016 presidential election. Two former officials tell the Guardian that Trump has asked National Security Council staff for "deliverables" he can bring to Putin during their meeting. Such concessions could include returning two diplomatic compounds in the US to Russia or lessening sanctions. It's unclear what the US would get in return for the concessions, and both the NSC and State Department are said to be against giving Putin anything simply to improve relations. "As the president has made clear, he'd like the United States and the entire West to develop a more constructive relationship with Russia, but he has also made clear that we will do what is necessary to confront Russia's destabilizing behavior," Reuters quotes McMaster as saying Thursday.
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Somewhere up in heaven, a very loved father is having a laugh at his own clever obituary. William Ziegler, 69, died on Friday, July 29 and his four children found the best way to remember their late father ― with a healthy dose of humor.
Ziegler’s four children say they couldn’t think of a more fitting sendoff for their dad than to write a grand-slam obituary, honoring his sense of humor. Ziegler himself was a fan of hilarious obits and internet humor, often sharing them with his family.
William Ziegler escaped this mortal realm on Friday, July 29, 2016 at the age of 69... Unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old girlfriends. He assures us that he is gone. He will be greatly missed.
“He would have loved this,” Ziegler’s daughter, Sharah Currier, told The Times-Picayune. “He probably would have forwarded this obituary to us.”
Published today in the New Orleans paper, the obit says Ziegler “escaped this mortal realm” ... “to avoid having to make a decision in the pending presidential election.”
They offered a nod to the late Navy veteran’s 25 years of service as a fireman, saying he retired only when “he suddenly realized that running away from burning buildings made more sense than running toward them.”
Ziegler’s children say they spent several days crafting the obituary. A post featuring the obit on the Times-Picayune’s Facebook page has already gone viral with nearly 8,000 likes and over 2,000 shares to date.
Other highlights of the obit include shoutouts to Ziegler’s love for “potted meats,” his “alcoholic dog” Judge, and the “morons and mental patients” he used to work with.
They also ask that instead of holding a service, well-wishers should simply write a note of farewell on a can of Schaefer Light beer and drink it in his honor.
Rest in peace, William. ||||| Hillary or Trump? Neither, please.
Late New Orleans firefighter William Ziegler happily avoided both, according to his kids.
“William Ziegler escaped this mortal realm on Friday, July 29, 2016 at the age of 69. We think he did it on purpose to avoid having to make a decision in the pending presidential election,” Ziegler’s children wrote in his obituary.
“He leaves behind four children, five grandchildren, and the potted meat industry, for which he was an unofficial spokesman until dietary restrictions forced him to eat real food.”
Ziegler joined the Navy at 17 — “he only stuck it out for one war” — then spent 25 years with the New Orleans Fire Department.
“Looking back, William stated that there was no better group of morons and mental patients than those he had the privilege of serving with (except Bob, he never liked you, Bob).”
Ziegler’s daughter, Sharah Currier, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that there was no Bob in her dad’s life that she knew of.
The retired firefighter, who moved to Houston after Hurricane Katrina, collected old obituaries and sent them to his children, Currier said, so they thought he deserved a humorous one of his own.
“Following his wishes, there will not be a service, but well-wishers are encouraged to write a note of farewell on a Schaefer Light beer can and drink it in his honor. He was never one for sentiment or religiosity, but he wanted you to know that if he owes you a beer, and if you can find him in Heaven, he will gladly allow you to buy him another,” the obituary reads.
“He can likely be found forwarding tasteless internet jokes (check your spam folder, but don't open these at work). Expect to find an alcoholic dog named Judge passed out at his feet. Unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old girlfriends. He assures us that he is gone. He will be greatly missed.” ||||| I never met William Ziegler, who died July 29 at the age of 69. But after reading the obituary his children wrote, I regret not knowing him.
The kids suspect he died "on purpose to avoid having to make a decision in the pending presidential election." And they assure us that, "unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old girlfriends."
The full obit, probably one of the best you will ever read, is posted below.
"It was a combined effort," said Sharah Currier, one of Mr. Ziegler's four children. "My brothers, my sister and myself batted it around for a couple weeks before we posted it."
When he was 17, Mr. Ziegler, a New Orleans native, forged his father's signature to join the Navy. He served one tour in Vietnam.
"He only stuck it out for one war," reads the obituary. "Before his discharge, however, the government exchanged numerous ribbons and medals for various honorable acts."
Mr. Ziegler came home to New Orleans in 1971 and became a firefighter for the next 25 years.
"Looking back," says the obituary, "William stated that there was no better group of morons and mental patients than those he had the privilege of serving with (except Bob, he never liked you, Bob)."
Who was Bob?
"There was no Bob. At least I hope not," Currier said. "That was a running joke with my dad."
After Katrina, Mr. Ziegler moved to the Houston area, where Currier and also his son Shayne live.
Mr. Ziegler had a hobby of collecting odd obituaries and forwarding them to his children. It was why they felt he deserved a humorous obituary.
The obituary quickly went viral on Facebook and was even noted by the Daily Mail website in the U.K.
"He would have loved this," Currier said. "He probably would have forwarded this obituary to us."
Read the full obituary:
William Ziegler escaped this mortal realm on Friday, July 29, 2016 at the age of 69. We think he did it on purpose to avoid having to make a decision in the pending presidential election.
He leaves behind four children, five grandchildren, and the potted meat industry, for which he was an unofficial spokesman until dietary restrictions forced him to eat real food.
William volunteered for service in the United States Navy at the ripe old age of 17 and immediately realized he didn't much enjoy being bossed around. He only stuck it out for one war. Before his discharge, however, the government exchanged numerous ribbons and medals for various honorable acts.
Upon his return to the City of New Orleans in 1971, thinking it best to keep an eye on him, government officials hired William as a fireman. After twenty-five years, he suddenly realized that running away from burning buildings made more sense than running toward them. He promptly retired. Looking back, William stated that there was no better group of morons and mental patients than those he had the privilege of serving with (except Bob, he never liked you, Bob).
Following his wishes, there will not be a service, but well-wishers are encouraged to write a note of farewell on a Schaefer Light beer can and drink it in his honor. He was never one for sentiment or religiosity, but he wanted you to know that if he owes you a beer, and if you can find him in Heaven, he will gladly allow you to buy him another.
He can likely be found forwarding tasteless internet jokes (check your spam folder, but don't open these at work). Expect to find an alcoholic dog named Judge passed out at his feet. Unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old girlfriends. He assures us that he is gone. He will be greatly missed.
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– William Ziegler died July 29 at the age of 69 "to avoid having to make a decision in the pending presidential election," and "unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old girlfriends." At least according to an obituary published Friday in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The Times-Picayune reports the obituary, quickly going viral, was the work of Ziegler's four children and calls it one of the all-time great obituaries. Ziegler served in Vietnam—the obituary notes he "only stuck it out for one war"—before working as a firefighter in New Orleans for 25 years. The obituary goes on to note Ziegler's fondness for his "alcoholic dog," the "morons and mental patients" he worked with, and "potted meats," the Huffington Post reports. According to the New York Daily News, there won't be a service, so Ziegler's children ask people to "write a note of farewell on a Schaefer Light beer can and drink it in his honor." Ziegler's daughter, Sharah Currier, tells the Times-Picayune that her dad would always pass along strange obituaries. "He would have loved this," she says. "He probably would have forwarded this obituary to us." Ziegler's obituary does end on a serious note: "He will be greatly missed."
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German NDR television issued a further snippet ahead of a broadcast late Sunday in Europe of an exclusive interview with Snowden in which the intelligence whistleblower claims that US officials wanted him killed.
"These people, and they are government officials, have said they would love to put a bullet in my head or poison me when I come out of the supermarket, and then watch as I die in the shower," he told NDR interviewer Hubert Seipel, who said the interview took place last Thursday.
Snowden, who was granted temporary asylum in Russia in August, referred in the interview to a report by US website BuzzFeed of explicit threats against him from unnamed Pentagon and National Security Agency (NSA) officials.
The former NSA contractor is wanted by US authorities on treason charges for disclosing details of a vast intelligence operation that monitored millions of phone calls and emails across the world.
The interview was aired on German ARD television, of which NDR is a member, with a German-language voice-over late on Sunday, European time.
In the ARD talkshow Günter Jauch run prior to the interview's broadcast, former US ambassador to Berlin John Kornblum was asked where Snowden would be in 10 years time.
Kornblum said he expected Snowden would return to the United States under a deal. "I believe there will be an arrangment," Kornblum said.
Industrial espionage too?
In an earlier snippet released online late on Saturday by the public broadcaster NDR, Snowden claimed that the NSA was involved in industrial espionage and did not limit its espionage to issues of US national security.
"If there is information at [German electronics and engineering giant] Siemens that they think would be beneficial to the national interests, not the national security, of the United States, they will go after that information and they'll take it," Snowden said.
NDR's interviewer Seipel, in a pre-broadcast interview in German also published online by NDR, said Snowden's sole "life insurance" was that he had entrusted journalists of the New York Times, Washington Post and Britain's Guardian with the material.
At regular intervals, Seipel said, these media outlets triggered a series of "small thematic bombs."
'Very carefully' selected documents
"The NSA is still trying to guess, how much material it involves. At the start there was talk of 200,000, then of 600,000 and now there are around 1.7 million documents," Seipel said.
Snowden had "very carefully" selected documents that rather than focusing on individual persons, focused on the structure of the US secret services and alleged "violations," Seipel said.
"He has shown what happens within this apparatus, also in connection with other services."
"The accusation that he has endangered the lives of thousands of soldiers or secret service employees is in my view feeble-minded," Seipel said, adding that Snowden had a "very strong" sense of justice.
"That [President Barack] Obama said he was not a patriot is for him, I think, quite difficult enough."
Interview arranged via 'safeguards'
The interviewer said Snowden was "very precise in what he says, but naturally was also very cautious" to avoid breaching the terms of his asylum in Russia.
Seipel said the NDR team conducted the exclusive interview using three cameras and a microphone after organizing the meeting using encrypted phone calls and several other "safeguard measures."
On Thursday, in a question-and-answer session on the "Free Snowden" website, the fugitive ruled out returning to the United States, where he said there was no chance of a free trial.
ipj/msh (dpa, Reuters, AFP) ||||| A picture of Edward Snowden, a contractor at the National Security Agency (NSA), is seen on a computer screen displaying a page of a Chinese news website, in Beijing in this June 13, 2013 photo illustration.
BERLIN Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden told German TV on Sunday about reports that U.S. government officials want to assassinate him for leaking secret documents about the NSA's collection of telephone records and emails.
In what German public broadcaster ARD said was Snowden's first television interview, Snowden also said he believes the NSA has monitored other top German government officials along with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Snowden told ARD that he felt there are "significant threats" to his life but he said that he nevertheless sleeps well because he believes he did the right thing by informing the public about the NSA's activities.
"I'm still alive and don't lose sleep for what I did because it was the right thing to do," said Snowden at the start of what ARD said was a six-hour interview that was filmed in a Moscow hotel suite. ARD aired 40 minutes of the six-hour interview.
"There are significant threats but I sleep very well," he said before referring to a report on a U.S. website that he said quoted anonymous U.S. officials saying his life was in danger.
"These people, and they are government officials, have said they would love to put a bullet in my head or poison me when I come out of the supermarket and then watch me die in the shower," Snowden said.
Questions about U.S. government spying on civilians and foreign officials became heated last June when Snowden leaked documents outlining the widespread collection of telephone records and email.
Snowden was granted asylum in Russia last summer after fleeing the United States, where he is wanted on espionage charges for leaking information about government surveillance practices.
The revelations shocked Germany, a country especially sensitive after the abuses by the Gestapo during the Nazi reign and the Stasi in Communist East Germany during the Cold War.
Reports the NSA monitored Merkel's mobile phone have added to the anger in Germany, which has been pushing for a 'no-spy' agreement with the United States, a country it considers to be among its closest allies.
"What I can say is that we know that Angela Merkel was monitored by the NSA," said Snowden, wearing a dark suit and loose-fitting white shirt. "But the question is how logical is it that she's the only one who was monitored, how likely is it that she was the German person the NSA was watching?
"I'd say that it's not very likely that anyone who was watching the German government was only watching Merkel and not her advisers nor other government officials nor ministers, heads of industries or even local government officials."
Snowden said the NSA is active in industrial espionage and will grab any intelligence it can get its hands on regardless of its national security value. He said the NSA doesn't limit its espionage to issues of national security and he cited German engineering firm Siemens as a target.
"If there's information at Siemens that's beneficial to U.S. national interests - even if it doesn't have anything to do with national security - then they'll take that information nevertheless," Snowden said, according to ARD, which recorded the interview in Russia where he has claimed asylum.
TARGETS
Snowden's claim the NSA is engaged in industrial espionage follows a New York Times report earlier this month that the NSA put software in almost 100,000 computers around the world, allowing it to carry out surveillance on those devices and could provide a digital highway for cyberattacks.
The NSA planted most of the software after gaining access to computer networks, but has also used a secret technology that allows it entry even to computers not connected to the Internet, the newspaper said, citing U.S. officials, computer experts and documents leaked by Snowden.
The newspaper said the technology had been in use since at least 2008 and relied on a covert channel of radio waves transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards secretly inserted in the computers.
Frequent targets of the program, code-named Quantum, included units of the Chinese military and industrial targets.
Snowden faces criminal charges after fleeing to Hong Kong and then Russia, where he was granted at least a year's asylum.
He was charged with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national security information and giving classified intelligence data to an unauthorized person.
(Editing by Sophie Hares and Bernard Orr)
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– Edward Snowden believes top American government officials want him dead—but he still sleeps well at night because he knows he did the right thing. In an interview with a German broadcaster, the NSA leaker said he was aware of "significant threats" to his life, Reuters reports. "These people, and they are government officials, have said they would love to put a bullet in my head or poison me when I come out of the supermarket and then watch me die in the shower," he said. But despite the assassination threats, "I'm still alive and don't lose sleep for what I did because it was the right thing to do," said Snowden, speaking in a Moscow hotel. The interviewer said Snowden was "very precise in what he says, but naturally was also very cautious" to stay on the right side of his conditions of asylum in Russia, where authorities have said he can extend his stay, reports Deutsche Welle. During the interview, Snowden also claimed that the NSA is involved in industrial espionage.
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Costumeish.com
Costumeish, the company that previously brought us such fun Halloween getups as the “Sexy Ebola Costume” and the “Lion Killer Dentist Costume,” has outdone itself: This year, Costumeish invites you to dress as a bound and gagged Kim Kardashian.
You probably heard that Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris this month. But perhaps it didn’t occur to you to think of a way to capitalize on this violent crime through your shady online costume venture? Well, that’s what separates you from the pros at Costumeish, where the website menu boasts an entire section of costumes under the heading “Hot Takes.”
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The robbery incident happened in early October—perhaps for other, lesser online costume purveyors this wouldn’t provide enough time to get a poorly conceived and clearly offensive costume out the door. Costumeish, though, was able to sink to the challenge. The so-called Parisian Heist Robbery Victim costume, which retails for $69.99, includes a short “sexy” robe, a long black wig, a fake $4 million ring, large sunglasses, a fake gag, and rope. (Putting aside all that’s conceptually gross about it, that price tag is absurd! Surely you could round up all the elements of this “costume” for less.)
It seems like we need to have the offensive Halloween costume conversation every year, so here we go again: Wearing a costume that makes light of a real act of violence is not cool! What’s more, it’s not even funny. As Ben Mathis-Lilley pointed out earlier this month in a critique of the New Yorker’s recent efforts in topical comedy, with “jokes” like these, “their primary effect is not to make you laugh, it’s to remind you that you've heard of a thing.” So yes, we’ve all heard about Kim Kardashian getting robbed, it is a thing that happened. That does not mean wearing a costume that depicts it happening is automatically funny. ||||| FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2016 file photo, Kim Kardashian West arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Kardashian West is suing online media outlet, MediaTakeOut.com, saying she was wrongly portrayed... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2016 file photo, Kim Kardashian West arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Kardashian West is suing online media outlet, MediaTakeOut.com, saying she was wrongly portrayed as a liar and thief after she was attacked in Paris. Police say armed robbers forced their... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2016 file photo, Kim Kardashian West arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Kardashian West is suing online media outlet, MediaTakeOut.com, saying she was wrongly portrayed as a liar and thief after she was attacked in Paris. Police say armed robbers forced their... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2016 file photo, Kim Kardashian West arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Kardashian West is suing online media outlet, MediaTakeOut.com, saying she was wrongly portrayed... (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Kim Kardashian West sued an online media outlet for libel Tuesday, saying she was wrongly portrayed as a liar and thief after she was attacked in Paris.
The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court seeks unspecified damages from MediaTakeOut.com. It said Kardashian West, traumatized by the Oct. 3 armed robbery, was victimized a second time when the website reported hours afterward that she faked the robbery and lied about the assault.
The website's owner, Fred Mwangaguhunga, didn't answer his phone when comment was sought Tuesday. A message left with the website wasn't immediately returned.
Police said armed robbers forced their way into a private residence where the reality TV star was staying, tied her up and stole $10 million worth of jewelry. She was in Paris for fashion week.
No arrests have been made.
The lawsuit said the website lacked any factual support when it published a series of articles referring to her as a liar and a thief and alleged that she faked the robbery, lied about the violent assault and filed a fraudulent claim with her insurance company to cheat her carrier out of millions of dollars.
The lawsuit said the "malicious publication of the articles, which paint the victim of a serious crime as a criminal herself, is libelous."
The website also ignored her demand that it publish a retraction and apology for calling her a liar and a criminal, the lawsuit said.
According to the lawsuit, Kardashian was assaulted and robbed by two masked men who put a gun to her head, duct-taped her hands, legs and mouth, and left her lying helplessly on the bathroom floor while they left with the jewelry.
After the attack, her husband, Kanye West, abruptly ended his New York concert, announcing that he had a family emergency. ||||| A costume company is facing intense backlash for selling a Halloween getup that shows Kim Kardashian West being gagged and bound as a “robbery victim.”
The “ Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume Kit ” is selling for nearly $70 on the website Costumeish and features a white robe, long black wig, black sunglasses, a fake gag, 2 feet of rope and a large ring.
“She has devoted her life to promoting American decadence, youth, and hedonism but all that flashy living caught up with her one night in Paris when armed men bound her, stole her jewelry and her peace of mind,” the website says in its description of the costume. "This Halloween, have some fun with pop culture and dress just like the Queen of Social media.”
The website does not name Kim Kardashian West due to legal issues, Costumeish founder and vice president Johnathon Weeks said. But the reality TV star dominated headlines last week when armed robbers held her up at gunpoint inside a private Paris residence and made off with more than $10 million worth of jewelry. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star was tied up and locked in a bathroom. She was reportedly seen wearing a robe in a Snapchat taken before the robbery.
Dozens of people blasted the costume company on social media and in reviews on the website for making fun of the harrowing crime. “This is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. How dare you make a mockery of a horrible thing,” one user wrote.
“I'm not a fan of Kim Kardashian but this is disgusting. This is not funny at all,” another person said. “The situation Kim was in shouldn't be a joke to you or anybody. Just because she is famous doesn't mean she is any less human.”
Weeks said the costume is meant to incite a strong reaction and that Halloween is a holiday that calls for some humor. “It’ll make people either cringe or laugh,” he told TIME on Tuesday. “I don’t want to make light of a serious situation. My deepest sympathy goes out to the family. No one really deserves to go through what she did. We’re not mocking her.”
“Halloween references pop culture and celebrities are no different. That’s Halloween,” Weeks added.
The costume company has been behind a handful of outfits that have sparked outrage in the past, including last year’s “ Bruce Gender ” costume, which depicts a male and female version of Caitlyn Jenner, who was known as Bruce Jenner before she came out as a transgender woman, and a dentist holding a severed lion’s head in reference to the man who killed Cecil the lion.
“It’s about fun. It’s about laughter,” Weeks said. “Sometimes laughter is the best remedy for serious situations.” |||||
Screenshot from Costumeish.com. (Costumeish)
UPDATE: After this story was published, Costumeish said it was pulling the ensemble depicting Kim Kardashian.
“Due to the extensive out-lash we have decided to remove the ‘Parisian Heist’ costume from our website,” the retailer wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “We are sorry if it offended anyone.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
Halloween: The one day of the year you can pretend to be a reporter’s tampon, the Clock Kid, the world’s most despised lion-hunting dentist — or, if you’re into that sort of thing, a bound-and-gagged Kim Kardashian in the very moment she was tied up and robbed at gunpoint in Paris as thieves took millions of dollars worth of jewelry.
Yup.
Costumeish, the Southern California-based costume retailer behind several heavily criticized ensembles of Halloweens past, has just released a “Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume Kit.” For $69.99, it includes a long black wig, white robe, sunglasses, a gag, a rope and a ring — which is “not worth $4 million dollars,” according to the description.
It does not mention the reality TV star by name; however, it does refer to “America’s goddess of all things glamorous” and “the Queen of Social media.”
That doesn’t mean Taylor Swift.
“She devoted her life to promoting American decadence, youth, and hedonism but all that flashy living caught up with her one night in Paris when armed men bound her, stole her jewelry and her peace of mind,” the Costumeish description says. “This Halloween have some fun with pop culture and dress just like the Queen of Social media with our sensational ‘Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume’ Costume.”
[Khloe Kardashian on ‘Ellen’: Kim is ‘not doing that well’ after Paris robbery]
Although the company’s website boasts several supportive reviews, including one that called it “the costume of the year,” the retailer’s attempt at keeping up with Kardashian has drawn intense criticism from some online reviewers, who have called it “a mockery” and have said it’s “promoting rape and anti-female culture.”
“Here is yet another example of people blaming women for being victims,” one person wrote on Costumeish.com. “Many men wear expensive watches, necklaces, etc. and robbing them is still considered a crime. Treat it as such. Having a gun put to your head by multiple men while you fear that they may rape you is traumatizing. I’m pretty sure that the poor human being can’t forget any second of the attack and here you are using her scarring events to make money. This is disgusting. It is not funny.”
[Kim Kardashian robbery: Here’s everything we know — and don’t know]
On social media, the company was scorned for trying to profit off Kardashian’s misfortune.
That Kim Kardashian Halloween costume is not right at all — Julia (@juliaritaxo) October 11, 2016
A Kim Kardashian themed Parisian robbery Halloween costume, quite possibly the most distasteful and awful thing I've seen today. #thatsnotok — Sophie (@ClassicOyster) October 11, 2016
Johnathon Weeks, vice president of Costumeish, told Buzzfeed News that he was upset that critics were not seeing the humor.
“I’m sad that people are offended by it, but it is Halloween. It’s one day out of the year,” he said. “Halloween should be a light-hearted, spirited party, and people should be able to laugh at it and think it’s funny. We haven’t sold any yet, if that matters.”
He added: “If people find it tasteless or they are offended by it, it’s Halloween. Maybe you should just shut your life out and not go outside.”
Let the transformation begin #BazaarIcons A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Jun 13, 2016 at 9:18am PDT
Last year, Weeks told Time that Costumeish uses search-engine data to determine which Halloween costume searches are popular with consumers, all the better to better tap into retail trends. At the time, the company had just introduced its “Lion Killer Dentist Halloween Costume,” which came with a bloody smock and gloves and a severed lion’s head, according to Time.
“Cecil was coming up, and just like with many of the other ones, like the Ebola or the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge costumes, we see the trend from users,” Weeks said. “Halloween is a really tricky day, and you see some of the costumes come about and it’s almost like desensitizing things.”
Weeks added that he did not intend to offend anyone. “I’m just here to keep things questionable,” he said. “We’re just in the very beginning of this Halloween season. There’s more to come.”
This year, Costumeish is selling several in-the-news get-ups — including a “Donald the Wall Builder Halloween Costume.” That one depicts Donald Trump in a red-brick suit, with an American flag.
Another Trump-themed costume portrays the Republican presidential candidate as a Mexican-style taco.
“… a taco truck on every corner in America!” the description states.
As word of the Kardashian costume spread, supporters said that creative mockery was exactly the point.
“Ordering this as we speak,” a reviewer wrote on Costumeish website. “Thank you for maximizing my schadenfreude this Halloween.”
“Finally something for all of us who are sick of having a certain family pushed forcefully down our throats,” another wrote. “Iconic.”
This story has been updated.
Read more:
Why are people mocking Kim Kardashian for being a victim of violent crime?
Kim Kardashian robbery in Paris is fueling French security concerns
How the NRA reacted to Kim Kardashian’s robbery ||||| A Halloween costume depicting reality star Kim Kardashian bound and gagged has sparked outrage.
A company called Costumeish is selling a costume called "Parisian Heist Robbery Victim," and while the reality star is never named in the costume's description, there's little doubt the costume is Kardashian-related.
The costume kit includes a short white robe, a long black wig, large sunglasses, a fake gag, two inches of rope and a fake "$4 million dollar" ring.
"This Halloween it's all about the #Hallomeme and who better than America's goddess of all things glamorous 'Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume?'" the costume's description reads. "She has devoted her life to promoting American decadence, youth, and hedonism but all that flashy living caught up with her one night in Paris when armed men bound her, stole her jewelry and her peace of mind. This Halloween have some fun with pop culture and dress just like the Queen of Social media."
The costume received backlash on social media, but Costumeish told FOX411 the company has "no intentions of taking it down and it has been selling well."
So horrible that someone would actually make a 'Kim Kardashian Robbery' Halloween costume! — Emma (@emi_emma1) October 11, 2016
That Kim Kardashian 'gagged at gun point' Halloween costume is actually sick. Some extremely twisted people out there. — Olivia Barraclough (@liv_barraclough) October 11, 2016
The kim kardashian Halloween costume is beyond disrespectful ✋🏼#disgusting — Adrianna (@AdriannaBrowne1) October 11, 2016
That Kim Kardashian Halloween costume is not right at all — Julia (@juliaritaxo) October 11, 2016
"Our deepest sympathy to the family and nobody deserves to go [through] what she did. We are not mocking her, however, Halloween reflects pop culture and celebrities are no different," a rep for Costumeish said.
Police in Paris say they are still investigating an October 3 robbery where Kardashian said she was tied up and robbed of nearly $10 million in jewelry.
This is not the first year a costume has made waves. In recent years, costumes of Caitlyn Jenner, Cecil the Lion and an Ebola hazmat suit caused controversies. ||||| Kanye West performs at the United Center on Friday, Oct 7, 2016, in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) (Associated Press)
Kanye West performs at the United Center on Friday, Oct 7, 2016, in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) (Associated Press)
CHICAGO (AP) — Kanye West returned to his tour Friday night after canceling dates earlier in the week when his wife Kim Kardashian West was robbed at gunpoint in Paris.
The rapper resumed the Saint Pablo Tour in his hometown of Chicago without mentioning the crime at the show.
He did tell the crowd "it's good to be home." West performed for about 90 minutes straight.
The rapper abruptly cut short a New York concert earlier this week citing a "family emergency."
It was later reported that robbers held Kardashian West at gunpoint Monday and locked her in the bathroom of a Paris residence before stealing more than $10 million worth of jewelry.
She returned to the U.S. later Monday and West announced that he had rescheduled for December planned concerts on Tuesday in Philadelphia and Thursday in the Detroit area.
Kardashian West, known for prolific posting on social media, has been publicly silent since the ordeal.
No arrests have been made. ||||| FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2016, file photo, Khloe Kardashian participates in the panel for "Kocktails with Khloe" at the FYI 2016 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. Kardashian said on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show"... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2016, file photo, Khloe Kardashian participates in the panel for "Kocktails with Khloe" at the FYI 2016 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. Kardashian said on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" in an interview broadcast on Tue., Oct. 11, 2016, that her older sister, Kim Kardashian West, is... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2016, file photo, Khloe Kardashian participates in the panel for "Kocktails with Khloe" at the FYI 2016 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. Kardashian said on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" in an interview broadcast on Tue., Oct. 11, 2016, that her older sister, Kim Kardashian West, is... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2016, file photo, Khloe Kardashian participates in the panel for "Kocktails with Khloe" at the FYI 2016 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. Kardashian said on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show"... (Associated Press)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Khloe Kardashian says her older sister, Kim Kardashian West, is "not doing that well" more than a week after she was held up during a Paris jewelry heist.
During an appearance on Tuesday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show," Khloe Kardashian described the incident as being "incredibly traumatic" for her sister.
"Our family is super close and great, and we'll get through it together," she said.
The Kardashian clan has been unusually quiet on social media in the days since the robbery.
"It's a wake-up call to make a lot of life adjustments," she said.
Khole Kardashian says the family is going "to pull back a little bit" and make sure it's "protected as well as possible."
Police say armed robbers forced their way into a private residence where Kardashian was staying in Paris last week, tied her up and stole $10 million worth of jewelry.
No arrests have been made.
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– An online retailer has pulled a Halloween costume that made light of the recent jewelry heist involving Kim Kardashian West. Time reports that the listing for the "Parisian Heist" costume on Costumeish featured a bound and gagged Kardashian lookalike dressed in a white robe and sporting a giant ring. The listing didn't include Kardashian's name, though Fortune reports that it did refer to "America’s goddess of all things glamorous" and the "Queen of Social Media." The costume was being sold for nearly $70, reports the AP. The company's founder, Jonathon Weeks, told Time that the costume was designed to provoke a strong reaction. He says he didn't want to "make light of a serious situation," and added that the company wasn't mocking her. The costume prompted outrage from some social media users, and was called "offensive," "disgusting," and "sick," among many other things. The company's Twitter account announced Tuesday the costume had been pulled and apologized if it "offended anyone." You may still see it at Halloween parties, because the company previously said it had no plans to pull it because it had been "selling well." In other Kardashian news, Kanye West resumed touring over the weekend, but Khloe said Tuesday that sister Kim is still "not doing well" after the "incredibly traumatic" experience. Also Tuesday, Kim sued online media outlet MediaTakeOut.com for libel. The lawsuit states Kardashian was victimized a second time when the website published a series of articles referring to her as a liar and a thief and alleged that she faked the robbery, lied about the violent assault, and filed a fraudulent claim with her insurance company to cheat her carrier out of millions of dollars.
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Southland residents, tens of thousands of them without electricity, braced for a second onslaught of cold and freakishly powerful winds late Thursday, having barely had time to assess the fallen trees and shredded rooftops left by the previous night's barrage."Nobody in our department has ever seen such widespread damage. Nobody," said Jon Kirk Mukri, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, talking of scores of city parks so littered with broken branches and teetering trees that they were considered a threat to public safety.Officials took the rare step of temporarily closing Griffith Park because of the windstorm, fearing that downed wires might spark fires in piles of dry, shattered trees. Utility workers struggled to restore power to about 370,000 customers in the city and other areas darkened by the first, and broken traffic lights and downed trees snarled traffic across affected communities.In heavily hit Pasadena, it was a question of where to begin. Sixty people, many of them elderly and disabled, were bused to a Red Cross shelter from an apartment building on Hudson Avenue that flooded after a tree crashed through the roof and broke a water pipe.Roof shingles were peeled off and garage doors knocked askew. Thousands were without power and 200 buildings were damaged, more than three dozen residences so badly that they were "red-tagged" — deemed unsafe to use."Throughout the entire 26 square miles of the city, streets are littered with trees and tree limbs, downed power lines and wires," Pasadena City Manager Michael Beck said in an interview in the basement of City Hall. People who called the local utility were given the grim word: Get some ice. Some flashlights.The message was clear: Prepare for a long night.In South Pasadena, residents were urged to conserve water Thursday morning because a pump to the city's reservoirs failed as part of a widespread power outage, resulting in critically low pressure, authorities said.On Grace Street, Tom Slattery said he lost power about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and was jolted awake by the storm in the middle of the night. In the morning, "I geared for a cold shower," said Slattery, 38, an attorney. "And then I realized there would be no shower."The windstorm produced a peak gust of 97 mph, reported at Whitaker Peak Wednesday night west of the 5 Freeway north of Castaic. The winds had calmed by morning, but the storm's second round — predicted to be more of a classic version of Santa Ana winds from the northeast — was expected to lash the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood Hills and Malibu before diminishing later Friday. The winds, though in far weaker form, will probably return over the weekend.The foothill communities of the San Gabriel Valley were the hardest hit by the windstorm. States of emergency were declared in Alhambra, South Pasadena, Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel, Temple City, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Glendora and Arcadia.But in places as far away as the Westside, 29,400 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers were in the dark by daybreak. Thousands were also stripped of power in Los Feliz, Hollywood, Highland Park, El Sereno, Glassell Park, South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. A power outage in northeast Los Angeles affected pumps supplying water to Mount Washington and some surrounding areas, causing low pressure.No fatalities had been reported by late Thursday, and there was so much damage small and large that officials were loath to put a dollar figure to it. Fences and yard furnishings were ruined, roads blocked, beloved oaks felled. Andrea Alarcon, president of the Board of Public Works, said city officials had received 120 calls of fallen street trees and limbs by 8 a.m. Thursday.In some communities, officials said it would be days, perhaps next week, before roads were cleared. Power outages were so widespread that officials in cities such as San Marino and Temple City estimated that more than 75% of the residents were without electricity.So many lost electricity that the University of California offered the possibility of reprieves on its Nov. 30 application deadlines to last-minute applicants stymied by blackouts.And the storm seemed to save some of its most malicious tricks, Grinch-like, for Christmas preparations:It wreaked havoc on Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane, snapped the top of the 100-foot tree at Americana at Brand in Glendale and blew over Monrovia's city Christmas tree, forcing officials to postpone the community's annual lighting ceremony and Christmas parade.The Americana mall set about repairing its tree by inserting steel rods into the trunk so the top portion could be reattached. But in Monrovia, though residents called City Hall to talk about the fallen tree — a 50-foot evergreen used in Christmas festivities for years — officials were swamped with calls about power outages. ||||| The winds reached 97 mph at one mountain peak. More than 380,000 homes lost power. Thousands of trees snapped, blocking roads and damaging property. Scores of schools were closed, as was Griffith Park. And motorists battled gridlock caused by broken traffic signals and blowing debris.The storm, which produced some of the strongest wind gusts in more than a decade, was caused by a highly unusual weather system that even had experts marveling at its power.While Santa Ana winds are common this time of year, this storm was anything but.The winds were produced by two separate weather systems that channeled cold air from the north into the Los Angeles area.A clockwise high-pressure system was parked over Northern California and the Great Basin as a counter-clockwise low-pressure system hovered over Arizona.Like two massive gears spinning in opposite directions, the systems funneled the winds."In some places we've seen gusts over hurricane force, which for the Southwest part of the country is not something that usually happens," said Brian Edwards, a meteorologist for AccuWeather.com. "This is a one-every-10-years kind of thing."Indeed, the blustery conditions extended across the Southwest, including Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. In some places, including Utah, wind gusts topped 100 mph.Experts said one reason for the extensive damage was that the winds were remarkably choppy and unpredictable.In some places, winds suddenly shifted from 10 mph or 20 mph to more than 80 mph. The shift made trees as well as roofs and power lines vulnerable."Everything lined up perfectly," said Bill Patzert, a climatologist for Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada-Flintridge.Trees were no match for the winds, especially those with heavy canopies. Patzert noted that trees in urban Southern California neighborhoods don't have the strong root systems found in more natural environments."L.A. trees don't have deep roots. The urban forest is artificial and is primarily watered by lawn sprinklers," Patzert said. "So what keeps our urban forest alive is people watering their lawns, which are not natural, so you don't have deep root systems. So our trees are very vulnerable to Santa Ana events."Walter Warriner, a Santa Monica arborist and community forester, agreed, adding that the large canopies of many local trees lack strong foundations."When you look at a tree above ground there's a ratio of 20 to 1 compared to below ground, so there's not that many roots holding our big trees in place," he said.While damage was reported across the Southland, communities in the western San Gabriel Valley were particularly hard-hit, including Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Altadena and La Cañada-Flintridge.National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Boldt said this, too, was unusual.Typically, the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County get the brunt of such windstorms.
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– Winds topping 80mph blew down people and power lines and upended enormous trees that crushed cars and houses in a freak storm that raged through Southern California and the Southwest. The craziest Santa Ana winds in more than a decade left hundreds of thousands of people without power. "In some places we've seen gusts over hurricane force, which for the Southwest is not something that usually happens," an AccuWeather meteorologist told the Los Angeles Times. Wind gusts in Utah topped 100mph, knocking over semi-trailer rigs like bowling pins. "Nobody in our department has ever seen such widespread damage. Nobody," said the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, referring to city parks so littered with broken branches and teetering trees that some had to be shut. All 26 blocks of hard-hit Pasadena are littered with downed wires, trees, and tree limbs. People who called about knocked-out power were told: Get flashlights and ice. And the winds aren't over yet. They're expected to pick up again before finally diminishing later today.
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Image caption Chisako Kakehi is said to be suffering from dementia
A 70-year-old Japanese woman has been sentenced to death for the murder of three men, one of whom was her husband, and the attempted murder of another.
Chisako Kakehi is accused of using cyanide to kill her lovers and make millions from insurance payouts. Her lawyers plan to appeal the sentence.
Prosecutors said she targeted wealthy men who were mostly elderly or sick.
She became known in Japanese media as the Black Widow, after the female spider which kills its mates after sex.
Kyoto District Court ruled that Chisako Kakehi used cyanide "with a murderous intention" in the four cases, and that she should be held responsible for the crimes even though she had been diagnosed with dementia.
"The cases were well prepared in advance. They were cunning and malicious. I have no choice but to impose the ultimate penalty," Judge Ayako Nakagawa said.
Kakehi, who was wearing a hearing aid and asked the judge to speak loudly during the proceedings, showed no emotion when the sentence was handed down.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The "marathon trial" as it was nicknamed lasted 135 days
Ms Kakehi was accused of murdering her fourth husband, 75-year-old Isao Kakehi, on 28 December 2013, a month after they got married.
She was also accused of killing two other boyfriends, aged between 70 and 80, and the attempted murder and robbery of another boyfriend - who later died of cancer - between 2007 and 2013.
The trial heard that she had joined matchmaking services in which she had specifically requested to meet men who were rich and childless.
She reportedly inherited around one billion yen ($8.8 million) in all, although she later lost some of it through the stock market.
During the 135 day trial Kakehi appeared to admit killing Isao Kakehi, saying he had not treated her well financially, but later retracted it.
Her lawyers said at the time that her testimony could not be trusted because of her dementia. They have appealed against the death sentence to a higher court, arguing that her dementia means she cannot be held criminally liable.
The high profile case saw over 560 people queue to get into the Kyoto courtroom to witness the outcome of the marathon trial.
It is the second-longest court case involving a jury since 2009, when Japan introduced a joint judge-jury system. ||||| Chisako Kakehi sentenced to hang after tricking elderly lovers into drinking cyanide and pocketing millions in insurance payouts and inheritance
A Japanese court has sentenced to death a one-time millionairess dubbed the “Black Widow”, who tricked elderly lovers into drinking cyanide and pocketed millions in insurance payouts and inheritance.
Kyoto District Court sentenced Chisako Kakehi, 70, over the murder of three men – including a husband – and the attempted murder of another, ending a high-profile case that has gripped the country.
Kakehi became notorious after using the poison cyanide to dispatch a number of elderly men she was involved with, drawing comparisons with the spider that kills its mate after copulation.
“The accused made the victims drink a cyanide compound with a murderous intention in all the four cases,” Judge Ayako Nakagawa told the court, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Nakagawa rejected defence lawyers’ arguments that Kakehi was not criminally liable because she was suffering from dementia.
Prosecutors said she killed the men after they made her the beneficiary of life assurance policies that ran into millions of dollars.
She reportedly amassed one billion yen ($8.8m) in payouts over 10 years but subsequently lost most of the fortune through unsuccessful financial trading.
She had relationships with many men, mostly elderly or ill, meeting some through dating agencies, where she reportedly stipulated that prospective partners should be wealthy and childless.
Kakehi, who is also known as “The Poison Lady”, is said to have stashed some of her cyanide in a plant pot she later threw out.
The poison was found in the body of at least two of the men she was involved with and police reportedly found traces of cyanide in the rubbish at her Kyoto home.
They also found paraphernalia for administering drugs and medical books at an apartment she kept south of Kyoto.
Kakehi initially refused to speak when her trial began in June but later stunned the court by admitting killing her fourth husband in 2013.
“I killed him... because he gave other women tens of millions of yen but did not give me even a penny,” she told the court, according to Jiji Press.
The accused earlier told judges she was ready to be hanged.
“Even if I were executed tomorrow, I would die smiling,” Kakehi told judges.
But her lawyers reportedly plan to appeal to a higher court, suggesting the high-profile trial could yet drag on.
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– Her murderous web won't protect Japan's "black widow," who's been sentenced to hang after a months-long trial. Judge Ayako Nakagawa of Kyoto District Court ruled Tuesday that Chisako Kakehi, 70, will hang for the murders of two common-law boyfriends and a husband, as well as the attempted murder of a fourth man, between 2007 and 2013. "I have no choice but to impose the ultimate penalty," Nakagawa said, noting the "cunning and malicious" cyanide poisonings were "well prepared in advance" and "driven by greed" as Kakehi reaped $8.8 million in insurance and inheritance money, per the BBC and Japan Times. During the trial, prosecutors described how the murders occurred after Kakehi joined a matchmaking service asking to meet rich men without children. Once named the beneficiary of life insurance policies and wills, Kakehi killed Masanori Honda, 71, and Minoru Hioki, 75, and tried to kill Toshiaki Suehiro, 79, prosecutors said. That failed attempt clearly didn't deter Kakehi, who would go on to kill 75-year-old Isao Kakehi a month after they were married in 2013—something Kakehi acknowledged during the trial but later denied, per the BBC. Defense lawyers argued Kakehi shouldn't be liable for the crimes because of a dementia diagnosis. But Nakagawa stressed Kakehi was only diagnosed with mild dementia in 2016. The judge also noted Kakehi—who once said she "would die smiling" if executed—showed no remorse and "made light of human lives." Kakehi's lawyers plan to appeal the decision, reports the Guardian. Read more on the case here.
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How exactly was the Irish immigrant known as Typhoid Mary able to infect about 50 people in New York City in the early 1900s without succumbing to the illness herself? Scientists say they are now close to cracking the case.
In a new study, they were able to solve the mystery of how a dangerous bacterial pathogen can, in some people, manage to persist without causing symptoms and find a way to survive for decades.
For the salmonella bacteria that causes typhoid fever, the researchers said it manages to hide in immune cells known as macrophages and "hacks" their metabolism to their own benefit. If the germs are successful in pulling that off, then an infected person can unknowingly spread the pathogen without falling ill herself -- like in Typhoid Mary, whose real name was Mary Mallon. Just watch the video above.
“To all outward appearances, she was perfectly healthy,” study co-author Dr. Denise Monack, associate professor of immunology and microbiology at Stanford University, said in a written statement.
Monack and her research team infected mice with a strain of salmonella, and found that, the bacteria were able to "wait out" the body's aggressive immune response before they then positioned themselves in the immune cells that became less aggressive at later stages of infection.
“There aren’t a ton of pathogens that hang out in macrophages,” Monack told the Los Angeles Times, adding that the bacterium behind tuberculosis is another.
So if that's where the nasty germ hangs out, how does it survive and go unnoticed? The researchers found that a protein known as PPAR-delta was required for salmonella to replicate inside the macrophages and "hack" them.
“Salmonella is doing something to activate PPAR-delta,” Monack said in the statement. “We suspect it’s releasing some as-yet-unknown PPAR-delta-stimulating virulence factor into the macrophages it infects. If we can figure out what that is, it could lead to some great anti-salmonella therapeutics with relatively fewer side effects.” ||||| Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have shown how salmonella—a bacterial menace responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year from typhoid fever and food poisoning—manages to hide out in immune cells, altering their metabolism to its own benefit, much as someone might remodel a newly rented home to suit his own comfort.
Salmonella's ability to position itself inside infected people's cells for the long haul can turn them into chronic, asymptomatic carriers who, unknown to themselves or others, spread the infectious organism far and wide.
The findings, which will be published Aug. 14 in Cell Host & Microbe, could lead to new and better treatments for typhoid fever. Worldwide, there are 16 million to 20 million cases each year, resulting in about 200,000 deaths, although the disease is no longer common in developed countries. Scientists further estimate that there are close to 100 million cases of salmonella-induced gastrointestinal infections each year, the majority from food poisoning, resulting in more than 150,000 deaths.
"Between 1 and 6 percent of people infected with S. typhi, the salmonella strain that causes typhoid fever, become chronic, asymptomatic carriers," said Denise Monack, PhD, associate professor of immunology and microbiology and the study's senior author. "That is a huge threat to public health."
A classic case of a chronic, symptom-free carrier is the infamous Typhoid Mary, an Irish immigrant who made her living as a cook in and around New York City in the early 1900s. She infected about 50 people with typhoid fever. "To all outward appearances, she was perfectly healthy," Monack said.
Monack and others have sought to learn how a microbe that causes such profound acute symptoms in most people can lie dormant in symptom-free carriers' bodies for long stretches of time. To address this, Monack has developed a mouse model of persistent salmonella infection. S. typhi—the typhoid-inducing salmonella strain—infects only humans. But S. typhimurium, a closely related strain that commonly causes food poisoning in people, can infect both humans and mice. Monack's experimental mice can harbor an S. typhimurium infection for as long as two years—an entire mouse lifetime.
Previous work by Monack's team has shown that salmonella bacteria are able to take up residence inside voracious attack cells called macrophages (from the Greek words for "big eater"). These cells, which are called to the front lines of an immune assault against invading microbes, reside in tissues throughout the body and are known for their ability to engulf and digest pathogens.
Ornery critters that they are, macrophages would seem an unlikely hostel for bacteria bent on long-term survival. But, said Monack, a macrophage has two faces, depending on its biochemical environment. "Early in the course of an infection," she said, "inflammatory substances secreted by other immune cells stir macrophages into an antimicrobial frenzy. If you're not a good pathogen, you'll be wiped out after several days of causing symptoms."
But salmonella is one tough bug. And our bodies can't tolerate lots of inflammation. So, after several days of inflammatory overdrive, the immune system starts switching to the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors. This shifts macrophages into a kinder, gentler mode. Thus defanged, anti-inflammatory macrophages are more suited to peaceful activities, such as wound healing, than to devouring microbes.
A key finding in the new study was that salmonella that survive the inflammatory assault seem to have ways of turning the subdued, anti-inflammatory macrophages into hospitable housing. Monack and her colleagues infected the experimental mice with Salmonella typhimurium and inspected their gut lymph nodes and spleen at 0, 5, 15, and 42 days post-infection for the presence of pro- and anti-inflammatory substances. They also examined the ratio of inflammatory versus anti-inflammatory macrophages, which have distinguishing surface and intracellular features.
Over time, the ratio of anti-inflammatory substances in the macrophage's surrounding environment increased, with a corresponding shift to a predominance, in the gut lymph nodes and spleen, of anti-inflammatory-macrophages. Experiments proved that at later stages of infection, S. typhimurium preferentially hung out in the anti-inflammatory macrophages. It wasn't that inflammatory macrophages were invulnerable to infection, but rather that, having infected a macrophage, S. typhimurium was much more able to replicate in the anti-inflammatory type.
After more experimentation, Monack and her colleagues came up with the probable mechanism. Salmonella apparently has a way of manipulating macrophages to expedite the switch from an inflammatory to anti-inflammatory state and, in the process, push their metabolism in a direction favorable to the bacteria.
It's known that an inflammatory macrophage gets a lot of its energy from anaerobic glucose metabolism, whereas an anti-inflammatory macrophage can get fuel from the aerobic oxidation of fatty acids, which ultimately increases the supply of glucose within the cell. A major determinant of glucose production within the macrophage is a family of intracellular receptors that, when bound by specific fatty acids from outside the cell, head to the nucleus and switch on or off numerous genes, including ones responsible for fat metabolism. These roaming genetic switches, called peroxide-proliferation-induced receptors, or PPARs, have been intensely studied. An important set of drugs—including rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos), both licensed in the United States to treat type-2 diabetes—activate PPARs.
Other bacteria are known to hole up inside macrophages, and there have been suggestions in the literature that PPARs somehow contribute to intracellular pathogens' ability to persist in macrophages. But nobody has known why, Monack said. So, when activation levels of one of those PPAR family members, designated PPAR-delta, proved higher in her lab's S. typhimurium-infected test mice, she and her team conducted experiments to find out why, some of them involving a strain of lab mouse whose ability to produce PPAR-delta had been disabled.
The investigators found that PPAR-delta was required for salmonella to replicate inside macrophages. Even though S. typhimurium initially colonized the mice's spleen and gut lymph nodes regardless of PPAR-delta status, six weeks later it was undetectable in the PPAR-delta-deficient mice's tissues—but present to a substantial degree, as expected, in the PPAR-delta-producing mice. Additionally, the deficient mice had far fewer anti-inflammatory macrophages, and these mice's macrophages had significantly lower glucose levels.
PPAR-delta is known for sustaining fatty-acid metabolism in cells when activated, leading to increased glucose levels in cells. Intriguingly, PPAR-delta mRNA and protein levels, as well as those of a gene regulated by PPAR-delta, rose significantly in S. typhimurium-infected macrophages, suggesting that salmonella has a way of manipulating macrophages to boost PPAR-delta activity and, commensurately, glucose levels in the cell.
"Salmonella is doing something to activate PPAR-delta," Monack said. "We suspect it's releasing some as-yet-unknown PPAR-delta-stimulating virulence factor into the macrophages it infects. If we can figure out what that is, it could lead to some great anti-salmonella therapeutics with relatively fewer side effects."
Explore further: Salmonella infection, but not as we know it ||||| Share
Mary Mallon (a.k.a. “Typhoid Mary“) didn’t mean any harm to anybody. An Irish immigrant, she made her living for several years about a century ago by cooking for better-off families in the New York City area. Strangely, the people she cooked for kept on coming down with typhoid fever – but not Mary.
Mallon, alas, turned out to be a chronic asymptomatic carrier of Salmonella typhi, the bacterial strain that causes typhoid fever. Typhoid is a deadly disease that, while no longer a huge problem in the United States, infects tens of millions – and kills hundreds of thousands – of people around the world every year.
“She didn’t know she had it,” says Stanford microbiologist Denise Monack, PhD. “To all outward appearances, she was perfectly healthy.”
Salmonella strains, including one called S. typhimurium, also cause food poisoning in people and pets, taking an annual human toll of 150,000 globally. While S. typhi infects only humans, closely related S. typhimurium can infect lots of mammals.
Between 1 and 6 percent of people infected with S. typhi become chronic, asymptomatic typhoid fever carriers. Nobody has known why this happens, but it’s a serious public-health issue. To address this, Monack has developed an experimental mouse model that mimicks asymptomatic typhoid carriers. In a new study published in Cell Host & Microbe, she and her colleagues put that model to good effect, showing that Salmonella has a sophisticated way of messing with our immune systems. The bacteria set up house inside voracious attack cells called macrophages (from the Greek words for “big eater”). Macrophages, are known for their ability to engulf and digest pathogens and are called to the front lines of an immune assault against invading microbes. Ornery critters that they are, macrophages would seem like the last thing bacteria bent on long-term survival would want to meet.
But, as I wrote in my release about this study, a macrophage has two faces, depending on its biochemical environment:
“Early in the course of an infection,” [Monack] said, “inflammatory substances secreted by other immune cells stir macrophages into an antimicrobial frenzy. If you’re not a good pathogen, you’ll be wiped out after several days of causing symptoms.” But salmonella is one tough bug. And our bodies can’t tolerate lots of inflammation. So, after several days of inflammatory overdrive, the immune system starts switching to the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors. This shifts macrophages into a kinder, gentler mode. Thus defanged, anti-inflammatory macrophages are more suited to peaceful activities, such as wound healing, than to devouring microbes.
And, sure enough, Monack and her colleagues showed that salmonella germs have a way (still mysterious, but stay tuned) of taming macrophages, flipping an intercellular switch inside of these thug-like cells that not only expedites their champ-to-chump shift but induces them to pump out tons of glucose, the bug’s favorite food. What better place to hide than in the belly of the beast?
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– A new Stanford University study solves part of the mystery surrounding Typhoid Mary, the New York Times reports. Scientists have long wondered how Mary Mallon could have infected so many people as a carrier of typhoid fever in the early 1900s, yet appear perfectly healthy for decades. The study offers clues as to how the bacteria that cause the illness, Salmonella typhi, hide out: They invade macrophages, cells in the immune system that typically attack invading bacteria, and then manipulate the metabolism of those macrophages. Stanford's Scope blog says the bacteria "mess with our immune systems"; the Huffington Post describes the bacteria as 'hacking" the macrophages; Phys.org goes with an analogy, comparing the bacteria to renters who remodel a home. Basically, the bacteria are tough enough that they can survive the first few days of an inflammatory response from the immune system, after which the macrophages go into a "kinder, gentler" anti-inflammatory mode because the body can't handle too much inflammation, and then the bacteria are safe. It's not yet known how the bacteria are able to successfully "flip the switch" on the macrophages, but they also manage to get the macrophages to produce glucose, which the bacteria then feed on—and they can then survive in their new hiding place for decades. The Times notes another mystery: While Mallon's samples were often rife with Salmonella typhi bacteria, at other times they were perfectly clean. (Click for another fascinating health discovery that links our mental health to our gut.)
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Story highlights State Department sides with Turkey, says Russian jet was in Turkish airspace
Dignitaries on hand for the arrival of Col. Oleg Peshkov's body, Sputnik news says
Russia and Turkey have been at loggerheads since Turkey shot down the pilot's jet
Istanbul (CNN) In the bitter debate over where a Russian warplane was flying when Turkish aircraft shot it down, the United States took Turkey's side Monday.
The available information indicates the warplane shot down last week was in Turkish airspace, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said at a Monday press briefing.
Moscow has steadfastly maintained its jet was over Syria when it was downed.
The State Department announcement came after the body of a Russian pilot who died after the jet was shot down along the Turkey-Syria border was flown back to Russia, according to Russia's Ministry of Defense.
Col. Oleg Peshkov's body arrived Monday at the Chkalovsky military airport near Moscow, according to a statement from the ministry. ||||| ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Turkey, following the downing this week by Turkey of a Russian warplane.
Turkish army tanks are stationed at a train station after their arrival from western Turkey, in Gaziantep, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. Turkey shot down the Russian Su-24 bomber at the Syrian border... (Associated Press)
Turkish soldiers check tanks stationed at the train station after their arrival from western Turkey, in Gaziantep, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. Turkey shot down the Russian Su-24 bomber at the Syrian... (Associated Press)
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a rally in Bayburt, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. Russia announced Friday that it will suspend visa-free travel with Turkey amid the escalating spat... (Associated Press)
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while listens to a question during a meeting with representatives of "popular front" broad movement at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Friday,... (Associated Press)
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a rally in Bayburt, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. Russia announced Friday that it will suspend visa-free travel with Turkey amid the escalating spat... (Associated Press)
The decree published on the Kremlin's website Saturday came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had voiced regret over the incident, saying his country was "truly saddened" by the event and wished it hadn't occurred.
It includes a ban on some goods and forbids extensions of labor contracts for Turks working in Russia as of Jan. 1. It doesn't specify what goods are to be banned or give other details, but it also calls for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier in the week had ordered his cabinet to develop a list of goods to be sanctioned.
Putin's decree also calls for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey and orders the tightening of control over Turkish air carriers in Russia "for security reasons." The decree was issued "to protect Russian citizens from crimes," a Kremlin statement said.
Erdogan's expression of regret Saturday was the first since Tuesday's incident in which Turkish F-16 jets shot down the Russian jet on grounds that it had violated Turkey's airspace despite repeated warnings to change course. It was the first time in half a century that a NATO member shot down a Russian plane and drew a harsh response from Moscow.
"We are truly saddened by this incident," Erdogan said. "We wish it hadn't happened as such, but unfortunately such a thing has happened. I hope that something like this doesn't occur again."
Addressing supporters in the western city of Balikesir, Erdogan said neither country should allow the incident to escalate and take a destructive form that would lead to "saddening consequences."
He renewed a call for a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a climate conference in Paris next week, saying it would be an opportunity to overcome tensions.
Erdogan's friendly overture however, came after he again vigorously defended Turkey's action and criticized Russia for its operations in Syria.
"If we allow our sovereign rights to be violated ... then the territory would no longer be our territory," Erdogan said.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also said he hoped a meeting between Erdogan and Putin would take place in Paris.
"In such situations it is important to keep the channels of communication open," he said.
Putin has denounced the Turkish action as a "treacherous stab in the back," and has insisted that the plane was downed over Syrian territory in violation of international law. He has also refused to take telephone calls from Erdogan. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Friday that the Kremlin had received Erdogan's request for a meeting, but wouldn't say whether such a meeting is possible.
Asked why Putin hasn't picked up the phone to respond to Erdogan's two phone calls, he said that "we have seen that the Turkish side hasn't been ready to offer an elementary apology over the plane incident."
After the incident, Russia deployed long-range S-400 air defense missile systems to a Russian air base in Syria just 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the border with Turkey to help protect Russian warplanes, and the Russian military warned it would shoot down any aerial target that would pose a potential threat to its planes.
On Saturday Turkey issued a travel warning urging its nationals to delay non-urgent and unnecessary travel to Russia, saying Turkish travelers were facing "problems" in the country. It said Turks should delay travel plans until "the situation becomes clear."
___
Heintz reported from Moscow.
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– The Turkish prime minister says Turkey has taken delivery of the body of a Russian pilot who was killed after Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian warplane. Ahmet Davutoglu says the pilot's body was brought to the border province of Hatay "through Turkey's initiatives" early Sunday and will be flown back to Russia. It's not clear who had possession of the pilot's body before then, CNN reports. Davutoglu said the local Orthodox church in Hatay performed religious rites for the pilot. Turkey shot down the plane on Tuesday after it entered its airspace from Syria, ignoring several warnings. The two pilots parachuted out of the plane but were shot at by Syrian rebels on the ground. One of the pilots, Lt. Col. Oleg Peshkov, died. Turkey's action drew strong reaction from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Turkey.
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A 20-year-old Kansas man allegedly joined the U.S. Army last year so he could launch an ISIS-inspired attack on American soldiers like the deadly strike on Ft. Hood, Texas, in 2009, while another another man was arrested for failing to tell police about the plot, federal authorities announced today.
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John T. Booker of Topeka, Kansas, was arrested after a lengthy FBI investigation and was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempt to provide material support to ISIS, and attempt to destroy U.S. property, officials said. A second man, Alexander E. Blair, 28, was charged with failing to report a felony.
Booker enlisted on Feb. 7, 2014, and was due to ship to basic training on April 7, 2014. However, his enlistment was terminated on March 24, 2014, at the request of the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command because of Booker allegedly making statements that he intended to harm federal personnel.
Since then, he developed a plan to launch a car bomb attack on a military installation in Kansas, prosecutors allege. Blair was aware of the plot and loaned Booker money so he could rent a storage unit where he could store materials for a bomb, according to the indictment.
He's the latest alleged ISIS sympathizer nabbed by the FBI following a string of arrests involving Americans allegedly plotting to join the terror group overseas or launch attacks on their behalf here in the U.S.
It was not immediately clear if Booker or Blair had attorneys.
Booker came to the FBI's attention after an unidentified citizen complained to federal authorities about messages he had posted on his Facebook page.
"Getting ready to be killed in jihad is a HUGE adrenaline rush!!" he allegedly posted on March 19, 2014. "I am so nervous. NOT because I’m scared to die but I am eager to meet my lord."
The next day, FBI agents approached Booker and interviewed him, according to court documents. In that interview, he admitted he enlisted in the U.S. Army months earlier with the intent to commit an insider attack on American forces like the Ft. Hood in 2009, when Maj. Nidal Hassan killed 13 and injured dozens more, court documents show.
Seven month later, an FBI informant began engaging with Booker, and during those conversations Booker "repeatedly expressed his desire to engage in violent jihad on behalf of [ISIS]," the FBI alleges in court documents.
Specifically, on Oct. 10, 2014, Booker told the FBI informant he "joined the United States Army" and "was going to go in there and kill the American soldier," the court documents say.
Booker said he did not want to kill “privates” but hoped to target someone with power, federal authorities allege.
In the past month, with the FBI informant and another FBI cooperator, Booker made two of his own propaganda videos on behalf of ISIS, saying in one: "This message is to America. ... Today we will bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep," court documents say.
At around the same time, Booker and at least one of the FBI informants allegedly began acquiring components for a bomb. The plan was for Booker to drive the bomb Fort Riley, Kansas, where he would detonate it, according to court documents.
Booker was arrested earlier today outside the military installation, as he was “making final connections” to what he thought was a car bomb, the documents say.
He chose Fort Riley “because the post is famous and there are a lot of soldiers stationed there,” the Justice Department alleges.
Exactly a week ago, FBI agents arrested a Philadelphia woman for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to the group now so infamous for its brutal propaganda videos and the havoc it’s wreaking in war-torn Syria and Iraq. The day before, the FBI field office in New York announced it has arrested two ISIS-inspired women for plotting to detonate a bomb inside the United States.
The week before, two cousins -- one of them a current member of the Illinois National Guard -- were arrested in Chicago for allegedly trying to launch ISIS-inspired attacks in the U.S. and overseas.
A week earlier, a U.S. Air Force veteran, 28-year-old Tairod Pugh of New Jersey, was indicted for his own ISIS-inspired plans. On his laptop, FBI agents allegedly discovered more than 180 jihadist propaganda videos.
In February, three New York City men were arrested on charges they allegedly conspired to join ISIS but also expressed willingness to carry out attacks on the terror group's behalf in the U.S.
Over the past two years, nearly 50 Americans have been charged with trying to join ISIS or are suspected of taking action inspired by the group.
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– Another American accused of trying to join up with ISIS has instead got caught in an FBI sting. Feds today arrested John Booker, a 20-year-old from Topeka, Kansas, and accused of him plotting a suicide bombing at Fort Riley in Kansas, reports the Topeka Capitol-Journal. He'd been under surveillance for a while, however, and the FBI says the explosives he was working with were actually harmless, unbeknownst to Booker, aka Mohammed Abdullah Hassan. One twist: Feds say he actually enlisted in the Army as part of his plot, and ABC News says he was due to report for basic training on Tuesday. He also allegedly had made his martyr videos already. Booker drew the attention of authorities about a year ago with posts on social media, including one that read, “getting ready to be killed in jihad is a HUGE adrenaline rush!!” reports the Kansas City Star. The FBI interviewed him the very next day and had him under surveillance since. After his arrest this morning, he was charged with attempted use of WMD, attempt to provide material support to ISIS, and attempt to destroy US property. But "there was never any concern on our part that he would get onto the base," says Barry Grissom, the US attorney for Kansas. This follows the unrelated arrests of two women in Queens and two cousins in Illinois on charges of trying to aid the Islamic State.
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Objects Spotted by Satellite Are 'Best Lead' in Malaysia Airlines Search
Search crews were scouring the southern Indian Ocean today after two objects that may be related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight were spotted by satellite, officials said today.
Officials described the sighting as the "best lead we have right now" and said four aircraft and an Australian Navy ship were sent to the region off the coast of Australia. In addition, a Norwegian car carrier, the Hoegh St. Petersburg, was diverted into the search area which is searching through the night using lights and binocular.
WATCH: New Satellite Images Reveal Possible Objects in Indian Ocean
A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon search plane is involved with the search, occurring about 1,500 miles off of Australia's coast. ABC News was on board the flight today.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: David Wright Aboard Navy Search and Rescue Plane
Australia's government released satellite images of the possible objects today.
JUST IN: Australia's AMSA shares new satellite images of unidentified objects - Object Number 1: pic.twitter.com/u2nMjrgtrJ — ABC News (@ABC) March 20, 2014
JUST IN: Australia's AMSA shares new satellite images of unidentified objects - Object Number 2: pic.twitter.com/XdRTvgFOYX — ABC News (@ABC) March 20, 2014
The updates have been deemed "credible enough to divert resources to this area," said John Young with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Emergency Response Division. The largest of the objects spotted on satellite was about 78 feet long, he said.
"This is a lead. It is probably the best lead we have right now," Young said.
News of the find prompted Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott to call Malaysia's Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Razak to inform him of the development.
Malaysia's Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning, "Today what I’m comfortable with saying is at least there is a credible lead… That gives us hope. As long as there’s hope, we will continue… To be fair to the families, we must also show we will never, never give up hope.”
The news provided little comfort to the families of the plane's passengers.
“The one piece of information they want is information we don’t have, is the location of MH370,” Hishammuddin said.
Despite the development, officials were stressing caution, saying the objects will be difficult to find in the vast Indian Ocean and might not be related to Flight 370.
Clouds and rain have limited visibility for today's search efforts, officials said. The Navy's P-8 and a P-3 search plane with the Royal Australian Air Force were both unable to locate any debris today, but other aircraft from Australia and New Zealand were continuing the hunt.
Earlier, American and British aviation officials refined satellite signals from the missing plane, creating two possible flight paths that dramatically narrowed the scope of the search.
The plane was carrying 239 people when it disappeared on March 8. ||||| Story highlights Australian Prime Minister says two objects are seen in the southern Indian Ocean
An Australian air force plane is attempting a closer inspection, Australian media report
President Barack Obama says search for Flight 370 is ''a top priority''
No information of significance has so far been found on any passengers, authorities say
Authorities have spotted two objects in the Indian Ocean that are possibly related to the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday.
"New and credible information has come to light in relation to the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean," Abbott said in the the Australian House of Representatives in Canberra. "The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has received information based on satellite imagery of objects possibly related to the search.
"Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified," he said. "I can inform the House that a Royal Australian Air Force Orion has been diverted to attempt to locate the objects."
Three other planes will carry out a "more intensive follow-up search," he said.
Australian search teams have been at the forefront of the hunt for the missing plane in the remote southern Indian Ocean.
The announcement from Abbott raises hopes of finding parts of the plane after a huge search that is now in its 13th day. Previous reports of debris found in the sea have not turned out to be related to the passenger jet, which vanished over Southeast Asia earlier this month.
But those reports came before the search area was massively expanded into two large arcs, one that heads northwest into Asia, the other southwest into the Indian Ocean.
The Malaysian military is checking the new information from Australian authorities, a source close to the investigation told CNN.
"Verification might take some time. It is very far and it will take some time to locate and verify the objects," the source said.
Malaysia's Acting Transportation Secretary Hishammuddin Hussein said Abbott had informed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak of the development Thursday.
"At this stage, Australian officials have yet to establish whether these objects are indeed related to the search for MH370," Hishammuddin said.
Other pieces of information related to the investigation into the plane's disappearance had emerged Wednesday.
Flight simulator probed
Investigators looking at the flight simulator taken from the home of Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the pilot of the plane, have discovered that some data had been deleted from it, Hishammuddin said at a news conference.
What the revelation means is unclear. It could be another dead end in an investigation that has been full of them so far, or it could provide further evidence for the theory that one or more of the flight crew may have been involved in the plane's disappearance 12 days ago.
"It may not tell us anything. It's a step in the process," one U.S. law enforcement source told CNN. "It could be a very insignificant detail in the process."
Investigators have been looking into the background of all 239 passengers and crew members aboard the plane that vanished in the early morning hours of March 8 while en route from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Particular attention has focused on the pilot and first officer on Flight 370, but authorities have yet to come up with any evidence explaining why either of them would have taken the jetliner off course.
Hishammuddin didn't say what had been deleted, but simulation programs can store data from previous sessions for later playback. He also did not say who might have deleted the data.
FBI examination
Specialists are examining the simulator in hopes of recovering the data that was deleted, Hishammuddin said.
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Photos: The search for MH370 Photos: The search for MH370 Two years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, a relative of one of the passengers burns incense in Beijing on March 8, 2016. Flight 370 vanished on March 8, 2014, as it flew from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. There were 239 people on board. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On July 29, police carry a piece of debris on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. A week later, authorities confirmed that the debris was from the missing flight. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Staff members with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau examine a piece of aircraft debris at their laboratory in Canberra, Australia, on July 20. The flap was found in June by residents on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania, and officials had said it was highly likely to have come from Flight 370. Experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane, confirmed that the part was indeed from the missing aircraft. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 In late February, American tourist Blaine Gibson found a piece of plane debris off Mozambique, a discovery that renewed hope of solving the mystery of the missing flight. The piece measured 35 inches by 22 inches. A U.S. official said it was likely the wreckage came from a Boeing 777, which MH370 was. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Relatives of the flight's passengers console each other outside the Malaysia Airlines office in Subang, Malaysia, on February 12, 2015. Protesters had demanded that the airline withdraw the statement that all 239 people aboard the plane were dead. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A police officer watches a couple cry outside the airline's office building in Beijing after officials refused to meet with them on June 11, 2014. The couple's son was on the plane. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of the media scramble to speak with Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director general of Malaysia's Civil Aviation Department, at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27, 2014. Data from communications between satellites and the missing flight was released the day before, more than two months after relatives of passengers said they requested it be made public. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Operators aboard the Australian ship Ocean Shield move Bluefin-21, the U.S. Navy's autonomous underwater vehicle, into position to search for the jet on April 14, 2014. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force looks out of a window while searching for debris off the coast of western Australia on April 13, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The HMS Echo, a vessel with the British Roya; Navy, moves through the waters of the southern Indian Ocean on April 12, 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion, on a mission to drop sonar buoys to assist in the search, flies past the Australian vessel Ocean Shield on April 9, 2014. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A relative of a missing passenger cries at a vigil in Beijing on April 8, 2014. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Australian Defense Force divers scan the water for debris in the southern Indian Ocean on April 7, 2014. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A towed pinger locator is readied to be deployed off the deck of the Australian vessel Ocean Shield on April 7, 2014. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force looks at a flare in the Indian Ocean during search operations on April 4, 2014. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On March 30, 2014, a woman in Kuala Lumpur prepares for an event in honor of those aboard Flight 370. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The sole representative for the families of Flight 370 passengers leaves a conference at a Beijing hotel on March 28, 2014, after other relatives left en masse to protest the Malaysian government's response to their questions. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Royal Australian Air Force is silhouetted against the southern Indian Ocean during the search for the missing jet on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map aboard a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft during a search on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 People in Kuala Lumpur light candles during a ceremony held for the missing flight's passengers on March 27, 2014. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, delivers a statement about the flight on March 24, 2014. Razak's announcement came after the airline sent a text message to relatives saying it "deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH 370 has been lost and that none of those onboard survived." Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Grieving relatives of missing passengers leave a hotel in Beijing on March 24, 2014. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A passenger views a weather map in the departures terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 22, 2014. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Chinese satellite captured this image, released on March 22, 2014, of a floating object in the Indian Ocean, according to China's State Administration of Science. It was a possible lead in the search for the missing plane. Surveillance planes were looking for two objects spotted by satellite imagery in remote, treacherous waters more than 1,400 miles from the west coast of Australia. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Satellite imagery provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on March 20, 2014, showed debris in the southern Indian Ocean that could have been from Flight 370. The announcement by Australian officials raised hopes of a breakthrough in the frustrating search. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Another satellite shot provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows possible debris from the flight. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A distraught relative of a missing passenger breaks down while talking to reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 19, 2014. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 On March 18, 2014, a relative of a missing passenger tells reporters in Beijing about a hunger strike to protest authorities' handling of information about the missing jet. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 U.S. Navy crew members assist in search-and-rescue operations in the Indian Ocean on March 16, 2014. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of the Chinese navy continue search operations on March 13, 2014. After starting in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, the plane's last confirmed location, search efforts expanded west into the Indian Ocean. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Vietnamese military official looks out an aircraft window during search operations March 13, 2014. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian air force members look for debris near Kuala Lumpur on March 13, 2014. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Relatives of missing passengers wait for the latest news at a hotel in Beijing on March 12, 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A member of the Vietnamese air force checks a map while searching for the missing plane on March 11, 2014. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A Vietnamese air force plane found traces of oil that authorities had suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the Vietnamese government online newspaper reported on March 8, 2014. However, a sample from the slick showed it was bunker oil, typically used to power large cargo ships, Malaysia's state news agency, Bernama, reported on March 10, 2014. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter lands aboard the USS Pinckney to change crews on March 9, 2014, before returning to search for the missing plane in the Gulf of Thailand. Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Buddhist monks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offer a special prayer for the missing passengers on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Members of a Chinese emergency response team board a rescue vessel at the port of Sanya in China's Hainan province on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 The rescue vessel sets out from Sanya in the South China Sea on March 9, 2014. Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives to meet family members of missing passengers at the reception center at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 A relative of two missing passengers reacts at their home in Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Chinese police at the Beijing airport stand beside the arrival board showing delayed Flight 370 in red on March 8, 2014. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: The search for MH370 Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Juahari Yahya, front, speaks during a news conference at a hotel in Sepang on March 8, 2014. "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts" with the jet, he said. Hide Caption 43 of 43
Among them are experts at the FBI's forensics lab in Quantico, Virginia, who are examining a copy of the simulator's hard drive, as well as a copy of the hard drive from the computer of co-pilot Fariq Ab Hamid, law enforcement sources told CNN.
The FBI examination of the computer drives involves sorting through a large volume of data, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation.
"It is going to take some period of time, but we are analyzing it with a great degree of urgency. It is prioritized right at the top because the world is trying to figure this out," the official said on condition of anonymity.
Deleted files from Shah's simulator could reveal it had been used to practice diverting the plane and flying it to an unfamiliar airport, experts said. But even if investigators retrieve past simulations showing that Zaharie practiced flying to seemingly odd locations, that doesn't necessarily indicate evidence of anything nefarious, said Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
"You put in strange airports and try to land there, just to see if you can do it," said Schiavo, adding that she sometimes does just that on the flight simulation program on her home computer.
'Grasping at straws'
President Barack Obama called the search for Flight 370 "a top priority," telling KDFW of Dallas on Wednesday that the United States will keep working on it.
"We have put every resource that we have available at the disposal of the search process," he said.
But beyond help with the computer drives, the Malaysian government has not put in a formal request for additional FBI help overseas, according to the senior U.S. official.
"We have made it clear we are ready to provide help whenever they need it," the official said. "We are grasping at straws. No one is running on anything white hot."
More than 60 ships and 50 aircraft are participating in the search. But at least two aircraft, a Japanese search plane and a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion, sat on a runway at a Subang air base this week after Indonesia refused to allow the planes to fly through its airspace.
"From what I understand, this is an international operation," Cmdr. William Marks, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, told CNN by telephone. "...I'm confident we're going to be flying today or very soon."
Later, Indonesia's military spokesman told CNN clearance was given to all search planes.
Although the search area spans nearly 3 million square miles, a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation said the missing plane is most likely somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean.
"This is an area out of normal shipping lanes, out of any commercial flight patterns, with few fishing boats, and there are no islands," the official said, warning that the search could well last "weeks and not days."
Angry families want answers
The lack of progress has angered and frustrated families, who have accused Malaysian officials of withholding information.
Some family members staged a protest at the Kuala Lumpur hotel where media covering the search are staying. Their efforts were cut short by security guards who removed them through a crush of reporters, dragging one as she screamed.
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"I don't care what your government does," one woman shouted, referring to the Malaysians. "I just want my son back."
The agony of the wait is also being felt by families in Beijing, the scheduled destination for Flight 370. They gather daily for a briefing with officials.
Ye Lun, whose brother-in-law is on the missing plane, says every day is the same. He and his group leave the hotel in the morning for a daily briefing, and that's it. They go back to the hotel to watch the news on television.
In a statement, Hishammuddin said Malaysian authorities "regret the scenes at this afternoon's press conference."
"One can only imagine the anguish they are going through," he said of the families. "Malaysia is doing everything in its power to find MH370 and hopefully bring some degree of closure for those whose family members are missing."
An abrupt change in direction
The disappearance continues to intrigue the public and frustrate officials, who have turned up no sign of the plane despite the involvement of teams from 26 nations.
On Tuesday, a law enforcement official told CNN that the aircraft's first major change of course -- an abrupt westward turn that took the plane off its route to China and back across the Malay Peninsula -- was almost certainly programmed by somebody in the cockpit.
The change was entered into the plane's system at least 12 minutes before a person in the cockpit, believed to be the co-pilot, signed off to air traffic controllers. Two minutes after the signoff, the plane's transponder stopped communicating details about the plane's altitude, speed and heading.
Some experts said the change in direction could have been part of an alternate flight plan programmed in advance in case of emergency; others suggested it could show something more nefarious was afoot.
But Hishammuddin said Wednesday that "there is no additional waypoint on MH370's documented flight plan, which depicts normal routing all the way to Beijing."
The Thai military, meanwhile, said it had spotted the plane turning west toward the Strait of Malacca early on March 8. That supports the analysis of Malaysian military radar that has the plane flying out over the Strait of Malacca and into the Indian Ocean.
But it didn't make it any clearer where the plane went next. Authorities say information from satellites suggests the plane kept flying for about six hours after it was last detected by Malaysian military radar.
Malaysian authorities, who are coordinating the search, say the available evidence suggests the missing plane flew off course in a deliberate act by someone who knew what they were doing.
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Background checks
Investigators are looking into the background of all the passengers and crew members on board the plane, as well as its ground crew, Malaysian officials have said. They've received background checks for all passengers on board, with the exception of those from Russia and Ukraine, Hishammuddin said.
So far, no information of significance has been found about any passengers, Hishammuddin said.
China says it has found nothing suspicious during background checks on its citizens on the flight -- a large majority of the plane's passengers.
And some experts have warned against hastily jumping to conclusions about the role of the pilots.
"I've worked on many cases were the pilots were suspect, and it turned out to be a mechanical and horrible problem," said Schiavo. "And I have a saying myself: Sometimes, an erratic flight path is heroism, not terrorism."
Ticking clock
Searchers are racing the clock in their efforts to find the plane and its flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders. The devices have batteries designed to send out pings for 30 days. That leaves 18 days until the batteries are expected to run out.
The task is being complicated by the scope of the search area, as well as the depth of some of the waters being searched -- up to 23,000 feet (7,000 meters).
Searchers trying to find and retrieve wreckage and bodies from Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, had to use unmanned submarines.
It took nearly two years to find the bulk of the wreckage, including the flight data recorders, in waters nearly 12,000 feet deep. It took even longer to determine what happened to the plane. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Amsa's John Young said the objects spotted were a "reasonable size"
Australia is investigating two objects seen on satellite images that could potentially be linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, officials say.
A Norwegian ship joined planes from Australia, New Zealand and the US in searching the area 2,500km (1,550 miles) from Perth.
As night fell, the air search ended for the day, with teams saying bad weather conditions had hampered their efforts.
Flight MH370 was carrying 239 people when it disappeared on 8 March.
It was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it lost contact with air traffic controllers and disappeared from radar.
At a news conference on Thursday, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein described the possible sighting of debris on satellite images as a "credible lead".
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Footage shows an Australian Air Force P-3 Orion over the new search area
The largest object appeared to be 24m in size, authorities said, but warned they could be unrelated to the plane.
A number of sightings of possible debris have been investigated since the plane went missing but so far none have proved to be linked.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the latest discovery based on satellite images taken on 16 March.
"The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) has received information based on satellite information of objects possibly related to the search," Mr Abbott told parliament.
"Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified."
Image copyright Amsa Image caption Australian authorities said one of the objects was 24m in size
Image copyright Amsa Image caption The objects were seen on satellite images and assessed by experts
Image copyright AFP Image caption The St Petersburg, a Norwegian merchant ship, was the first vessel to reach the area
Two Australian Orion aircraft searching the area on Thursday were joined later by aircraft from the US and New Zealand.
Amsa said the aircraft had covered an area of 23,000km² (14,000 square miles) but confirmed that they had found no debris. It said the search would resume on Friday.
The captain of the first Australian air force AP-3C Orion plane to return from the search area described the weather conditions as "extremely bad" with rough seas and high winds.
David Wright, an ABC News reporter who was on the P-8 Poseidon, said all the sophisticated plane had spotted was "a freighter and two pods of dolphins".
A Norwegian merchant ship, the St Petersburg, has also arrived in the area after responding to a shipping broadcast issued by Australia's rescue co-ordination centre.
It will be joined by an Australian naval vessel, HMAS Success, which is on its way to help with the search and Britain has also deployed HMS Echo, a coastal survey ship, to aid the operation.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Australia was asked by Malaysia earlier this week to lead the southern part of the search
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Amsa said ships and planes were heading south-west of Perth to try to find the objects
The objects identified in the images were of a "reasonable size", Amsa's general manager John Young said. The largest object appeared to be about 24m (78ft) in size, he said.
At the scene The relatives of Chinese passengers on board MH370 watched the announcements from Australia on monitors set up at the Beijing hotel where they have been waiting for the past 13 days. When the press briefings were over, the families left the room. Most refused to speak to journalists, though one man told the BBC: "I don't believe any of this. I think my son is still alive." Another relative, the son of a famed calligrapher on the plane, explained to us the families' reluctance to accept the possibility the plane had crashed. "If the Australian findings really turn out to be the remains of the plane, that would mean there is no hope left for us."
"This is a lead, it is probably the best lead we have right now. But we need to get there, find them, see them, assess them, to know whether it's really meaningful or not."
He warned the objects spotted in the sea could turn out to be unrelated to MH370, such as containers that had fallen from ships.
"On this particular occasion the size and the fact that there are multiple [objects] located in the same area really makes it worth looking at," Mr Young added.
Michael Daniel, a former US Federal Aviation Administration official, told Singapore's Straits Times: "If they have a strong feeling or indication that the debris belongs to the aircraft, one of the first things authorities will do is drop sonar buoys in the water.
"If the black box is there, the buoys should be able to pick up the signals. This could take up to 48 hours but it all depends on how near or far the ships and other assets are."
Australia informed Malaysian authorities of the development on Thursday morning.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on the new "credible" lead
Malaysia's transport minister told reporters that while the debris sighting was a "credible lead" it needed to be verified and corroborated.
Satellite signal
Investigators had identified two corridors of territory - one to the north and one to the south - spanning the possible positions of the plane about seven hours after take-off.
This was based on its last faint signal to a satellite - an hourly "handshake" broadcast even when the main communication systems are switched off.
Malaysia says search efforts are continuing in both corridors, involving a total of 18 ships, 29 aircraft and 6 ship-borne helicopters.
Meanwhile, relatives of those on board are still waiting for concrete news.
Bimal Sharma, a merchant navy captain whose sister Chandrika was on the plane, told the BBC he had experienced "hope and then despair and then hope and then despair".
"I have been very hopeful because it was intentionally diverted, so I don't believed it was crashed," he said. "It's been a very, very difficult time, and very emotionally stressing."
"The area where Australia is looking - I was a captain at sea - I have been through that area several times. This area has got a concentration of garbage - plastics and wood. I don't know, I don't want to believe it as yet."
|
– After 13 days, has Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 finally been found? Australian authorities sent four military search planes to check on two possible pieces of plane debris spotted via satellite in the Indian Ocean around 1,500 miles southwest of Perth, the larger of which is around 80 feet across, reports CNN. The AP reports that the planes ended the day having had no luck; they combed an 8,800-square-mile area but were hampered by low visibility caused by clouds and rain. The search will resume tomorrow, but Australian authorities warn against jumping to conclusions. Satellite images "do not always turn out to be related to the search even if they look good, so we will hold our views on that until they are sighted close-up," says John Young, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's emergency response chief. Aircraft from the US and New Zealand are also on their way to the debris site, along with a merchant ship and an Australian naval vessel, the BBC reports. Malaysian authorities have been informed of the find and will hold a press conference later today. "Every lead is a hope. We have been consistent with our process and we want to verify properly," a government spokesman says. Crew members from a US Navy Poseidon P-8 told ABC they received radar hits of "significant size" in the area, but their commander later said the readings were typical and not connected to the missing plane. If the debris does turn out to be from the missing Boeing 777, the mystery will still be a long way from solved, the New York Times finds. The clues investigators really need will probably have sunk beneath the waves, and ocean currents could have carried floating debris hundreds of miles away from the crash site. The FBI, meanwhile, says it is working with Malaysian authorities to analyze data deleted from a flight simulator found at the pilot's home. It's not clear whether the deleted files will prove relevant to the investigation and authorities stress that the pilot is being considered innocent.
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1 minute Read
There’s a certain breed of whiskey loving Southerners who swear by Southern Comfort — whether it’s served on the rocks or as a SoCo and Lime. On it’s website, the fruit flavored liqueur claims it’s “the spirit of New Orleans,” made in 1874 by a bartender “who believed whiskey should be enjoyed, not endured.”
But guess what. Southern Comfort doesn’t have whiskey in it, and it hasn’t for decades. Now, under the ownership of the the Sazerac Company (which owns brands like Buffalo Trace, Bowman’s, and Firefly) that’s going to change, according to the New York Times.
You can likely understand why the Sazerac Company would want to put the whiskey back in SoCo. The brand’s reputation ranges from the liqueur of bad college decision making to the drink that earned Janis Joplin a fur coat. When the Brown-Forman company bought the brand in 1979, SoCo used a neutral grain spirit (think vodka or Everclear) as the alcohol portion of the drink.
Sazerac Company bought SoCo in 2016 and immediately recognized the need for a change.
“I remember having arguments with bartenders who thought black was blue and swore it had whiskey in it,” Mark Brown, the CEO of Sazerac Company, told the Times. “We thought, as part of the overall positions, we would put whiskey in it. And we have.”
Chalk this up to the changes you never thought needed to happen. No one knows exactly which whiskey will go into the new and improved SoCo, but Brown did mention it was going to be from a Sazerac brand. Hopefully it’s enough to move Southern Comfort from “don’t touch that” in the minds of whiskey purists to a drink that makes people go “hmmmm.”
“If we’re right between Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam on the shelf,” Brown told the Times, “that will be fine with us.”
For those of you familiar with the current taste of SoCo, it’s going to get better. For those of you who’ve avoided the drink, maybe it’s time to give it a try. ||||| When the Sazerac Company bought Southern Comfort from the liquor conglomerate Brown-Forman last year, the business motivation was clear.
“If you and I ended on a desert island and there was a bottle of liquor, there’s an even-money chance it would be Southern Comfort,” Mark Brown, the chief executive of Sazerac, said in a phone interview.
Very likely. But it’s also a 50-50 proposition whether any castaway would actually drink it. Southern Comfort has long borne a double-edged reputation as being both famous and infamous.
The blend of spirits and fruit and spice flavorings is a storied brand, with roots that are believed to go back to the 19th century, and it can be found in nearly every bar in America. Yet it is widely regarded as the drink of unwise youths and undiscriminating palates. The last time it was cool may have been when Janis Joplin made a show of swigging it day and night. (The company thanked her for the free advertising by giving her a fur coat.) ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| Louisville, KY, March 1, 2016 – Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE: BFA, BFB) announced today that it has completed the sale of the Southern Comfort and Tuaca trademarks to Sazerac for a final purchase price of $542.4 million. The transaction will be discussed in further detail during tomorrow’s conference call following the issuance of the company’s third quarter earnings release.
For more than 145 years, Brown-Forman Corporation has enriched the experience of life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Finlandia, Korbel, el Jimador, Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, Herradura, New Mix, Sonoma-Cutrer, Early Times, and Chambord. Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by nearly 4,400 employees and sold in approximately 160 countries worldwide. For more information about the company, please visit https://www.brown-forman.com.
About the Sazerac Company
Sazerac is one of New Orleans’ oldest family owned, privately held companies and has operations in New Orleans, Louisiana; Frankfort, Bardstown, Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Lewiston, Maine; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Montreal Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit http://www.sazerac.com ||||| History and Mystery
We’ve been crafting our smooth-drinking whiskey for over 140 years, ever since our founder M.W. Heron created the ‘The Grand Ole’ Drink of the South’ way back in 1874. Back then, he was fond of saying ‘None Genuine But Mine’ and it still holds true today – as whiskey lovers around the world reach for the unmistakable, smooth-drinking flavor of Southern Comfort. ||||| Southern Comfort, SoCo, Cuffs & Button -- whatever you want to call it -- is a drink with more mystery than you know. You've probably encountered this spirit at some point in your life -- or at the very least have seen photos of Janis Joplin clutching a bottle in her hand -- but, have you ever stopped to think about what it is, exactly?
Most people think of Southern Comfort as a whiskey. A look at Google's search trends shows "Southern Comfort Whiskey" as one of the more popular search terms. And the bottle of brown liquid often sits next to the whiskey at your local liquor store, but it is not in fact a whiskey. Or a bourbon. Or a Scotch. Don't let its golden color make a fool of you.
Southern Comfort, which was first named Cuffs & Buttons, is in fact a liqueur -- a whiskey-flavored one. The original recipe was created by Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans. Heron was a barkeep looking for a solution to make unrefined whiskey more palatable. He came up with a recipe that added fruits and spices to the harsh liquor, and his customers loved it. With their thirst as his inspiration, he began marketing his recipe, which he later renamed Southern Comfort.
While the actual recipe is kept under lock and key, our deepest digging has brought us to this conclusion: Southern Comfort is made from 100-percent grain-neutral spirit base (basically vodka), fruit, spices and at times the recipe has included a little bourbon. We spoke to Charles K. Cowdery, who worked at Southern Comfort back in the day, and he said that the recipe at least used to be "grain neutral spirit, sugar, and a fruit concentrate in which the dominant fruit is apricot."
It's sweet, fruity and strong. And that's why it makes for such a great cocktail -- and an easier to drink whiskey-type drink.
Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.
|
– Southern Comfort bills itself as "the spirit of New Orleans," but the generic grain-neutral spirit base it contains (an ingredient not far removed from vodka) doesn't exactly scream "Deep South character." The Sazerac Company, owner of the college-staple brand, wants to change that perception—and hopefully sales—by reintroducing whiskey into the mix in redesigned bottles set to hit shelves in July, the New York Times reports. Sazerac, which VinePair notes also owns the Buffalo Trace bourbon and Bowman Brothers whiskey brands, wants to dump the "liqueur" association it believes consumers often attribute to Southern Comfort, bringing it back to its original roots by adding undisclosed types of North American whiskey in its own stash. The Southern Comfort website explains the famous libation was first whipped up in 1874 by a bartender (identified by the Times as Martin W. Heron) who tried to tamp down the "harsh whiskeys of the time" by throwing in various fruits and spices. But the Times notes that by the time Brown-Forman took over the brand's barrels in 1979, the whiskey had been completely nixed from the mix—and once Sazerac bought Southern Comfort from Brown-Forman in 2016, the idea of adding whiskey back started gaining momentum. The company plans on phasing out flavored SoCo versions while retaining the 70-proof and 100-proof original recipes. It also wants to add in an 80-proof version with a black label on the bottle like those of competitors Jack Daniel's and Jim Beam. (The revamped SoCo will likely cost less than this Scotch whisky in a perfume-bottle-shaped decanter.)
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Image copyright AFP Image caption Belgium is the only country that permits euthanasia without age restrictions
A terminally ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be helped to die in Belgium since age restrictions on euthanasia requests were removed two years ago, officials say.
The head of the federal euthanasia commission said the teenager was "suffering unbearable physical pain".
Belgium is the only country that allows minors of any age to choose euthanasia.
They must have rational decision-making capacity and be in the final stages of a terminal illness.
The parents of those under 18 must also give their consent.
Euthanasia commission head Wim Distelmans said the teenager was "nearly 18". He said doctors used "palliative sedation", which involves putting patients into an induced coma, as part of the process,
Assisted dying around the world
Belgian Paralympian 'not ready' for euthanasia
"Fortunately there are very few children who are considered [for euthanasia] but that does not mean we should refuse them the right to a dignified death," he told the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper.
Mr Distelmans told Reuters news agency the case had been reported to his committee by a local doctor last week.
The case involved a Dutch-speaking patient, reports public broadcaster RTBF.
The Netherlands also allows euthanasia for minors, but they must be aged over 12 years old.
Belgium lifted the age restrictions in 2014. The law passed by parliament said the child would have to be terminally ill, face "unbearable physical suffering" and make repeated requests to die before euthanasia is considered.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Belgian Paralympian Marieke Vervoort, who suffers from an incurable degenerative muscle disease, says she will choose euthanasia, but not yet.
Many people, including church leaders and some paediatricians, questioned whether children would be able to make such a difficult choice.
Senator Jean-Jacques De Gucht said he was proud the legislation had passed.
He said having the possibility to ask about euthanasia "makes a big difference to many people".
Where is assisted dying permitted?
The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg permit euthanasia and assisted suicide
Switzerland permits assisted suicide if the person assisting acts unselfishly
Colombia permits euthanasia
California last year joined the US states of Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana in permitting assisted dying
Canada passed laws allowing doctor-assisted dying in June of this year
How old must the patient be?
Only the Netherlands and Belgium permit euthanasia for patients under the age of 18.
In the Netherlands, a competent patient between the ages of 16 and 18 may request euthanasia or assisted suicide. The parent or guardian does not have a veto, but must be consulted. Competent patients aged between 12 and 16 may also qualify, but only if their parent or guardian consents.
In Belgium, a competent patient under the age of 18 may request euthanasia with parental consent. Additional scrutiny of the child's competence is required, and suffering based on a psychiatric disorder is excluded.
How many people take this option?
The rate of euthanasia in the Netherlands has remained fairly stable at 2.8% of all deaths (in 2010), according to Penney Lewis, Professor of Law at King's College London.
The most recent survey of doctors in the UK was in 2007-08. The rate of euthanasia was reported to be 0.21% of all deaths, and a similar rate has been reported in France (in 2009), even though euthanasia remains illegal in both countries.
In contrast, research carried out in Flanders, Belgium found the rate prior to legalisation was unclear, with separate surveys reporting rates of 0.3% of all deaths in the region (in 2001-02) and 1.1% (in 1998). The rate has risen steadily since legalisation in 2002 to 4.6% of all deaths in the most recent survey in 2013.
What do the different terms mean?
Euthanasia is an intervention undertaken with the intention of ending a life to relieve suffering, for example a lethal injection administered by a doctor
Assisted suicide is any act that intentionally helps another person kill themselves, for example by providing them with the means to do so, most commonly by prescribing a lethal medication
Assisted dying is usually used in the US and the UK to mean assisted suicide for the terminally ill only, as for example in the Assisted Dying Bills recently debated in the UK ||||| The head of Belgium's federal euthanasia commission gave no details of the child beyond saying the patient was an exceptional case of a young person with a terminal illness, the "Het Nieuwsblad" newspaper reported.
Belgium became the first country in 2014 to drop all age restrictions on euthanasia
"Fortunately there are very few children who are considered (for euthanasia), but that does not mean we should refuse them the right to a dignified death," Wim Distelmans told the newspaper.
Belgium amended its euthanasia law in 2014 - following heated debate - opening the possibility of euthanasia to children "in a hopeless medical situation of constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be eased and which will cause death in the short term."
The Netherlands allows euthanasia for people as young as 12. It is also legal in Luxembourg.
Belgium first legalized mercy killings in 2002. Between 2003 and 2013, the number of patients being euthanized in Belgium rose nearly eight-fold to a total number of 8,752 cases, according to the national euthanasia control committee.
Any request for euthanasia must be made by the child, approved by a panel of physicians, an independent psychiatrist or psychologist and have parental consent. But the case files - which document the patient's condition and official deliberations leading to the decision - often remain sealed.
jar/sms (Reuters, AFP) ||||| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A 17-year-old has committed doctor-assisted suicide in Belgium, the first minor to do so under rules adopted in 2014 allowing euthanasia for people of all ages, the head of the national committee for euthanasia said on Saturday.
Wim Distelmans, who chairs Belgium's Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia, told Reuters that the minor was 17 and that a local doctor had reported the case to his committee last week, but he gave no other details.
Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002, and two years ago amended the rules to permit doctor-assisted death for minors in a hopeless medical situation and with their explicit consent.
It is the only country in the world that allows euthanasia for minors of all ages. In the neighboring Netherlands the practice is legal for children aged 12 or over.
Distelmans said in an emailed statement that the Belgian law defines euthanasia very strictly. Minors must be conscious and able to make rational decisions when they request assisted death. Psychologists or psychiatrists must be consulted and the parents must give their permission.
To undergo euthanasia, the minor must also be in a "terminal medical situation with constant and unbearable physical pain which cannot be assuaged and that will cause death in the short term", the law says.
In the ten years to 2013, the number of euthanasia cases in Belgium rose from about 1,000 to 8,752, according to official records.
Euthanasia laws vary by country. Laws in Belgium, the Netherlands, Colombia and Luxemburg allow mercy deaths for adults, which usually means a doctor administering lethal doses of barbiturates.
In Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Canada, doctor-assisted suicide, where people take the final action themselves, is legal. ||||| The Netherlands and Belgium became the first countries to legalise euthanasia in 2002 (AFP Photo/Etienne Ansotte)
Brussels (AFP) - A terminally ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be euthanised in Belgium since age restrictions on such mercy killings in the country were lifted in 2014, it was learned Saturday.
"The euthanasia has taken place," Jacqueline Herremans, a member of Belgium's federal euthanasia commission, told AFP.
She added that the assisted death had taken place according to Belgian law.
Wim Distelmans, head of the euthanasia commission, gave no details of the minor involved beyond saying it was an exceptional case of a child with a terminal illness, the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper reported.
VRT public television said the incident involved an adolescent who was about to turn 18.
"Fortunately, there are very few children who are considered (for euthanasia) but that does not mean we should refuse them the right to a dignified death," Distelmans told the newspaper.
Since 2014, when its euthanasia legislation was amended, Belgium has been the only country in the world that allows terminally-ill children of any age to choose to end their suffering -- as long as they are conscious and capable of making rational decisions.
The Netherlands also allows mercy killings for children, but only for those aged over 12.
- 'Very controlled' -
The Belgian amendment, which was passed after heated debate -- notably over the meaning of a "capacity of discernment" -- offers the possibility of euthanasia to children "in a hopeless medical situation of constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be eased and which will cause death in the short term".
Any request for euthanasia must be made by the minor, be studied by a team of doctors and an independent psychiatrist or psychologist, and have parental consent.
When amending the law, Belgian legislators had decided not to include psychological suffering in the list of factors determining whether euthanasia may be allowed for minors, though it is admissable for adults.
The 2014 vote was passed by 86 lawmakers in favour and a 44 against, in the traditionally Catholic nation.
A poll which was taken a few months before the final parliamentary vote indicated that three-quarters of Belgians were in favour of extending euthanasia to minors.
Since the law was changed, there have been other euthanasia requests from minors but none had previously been granted, said Herremans.
The whole process is "very controlled" and "often very long" and particularly difficult when it concerns a minor, she added.
Altogether over 2,000 mercy killings were declared in Belgium last year, a record number since the practice was made legal in 2002.
Last weekend Belgian Paralympian Marieke Vervoort said in Rio that she is considering euthanasia to escape a life of unbearable physical pain -- only not quite yet.
Vervoort, who won silver in the 400m wheelchair race at the Paralympic Games, played down earlier reports that she planned to be euthanized after her return from Brazil.
"I have my (euthanasia) papers in my hand, but I'm still enjoying every little moment. When the moment comes when I have more bad days than good days, then I have my euthanasia papers, but the time is not there yet," she told a news conference in Rio, Brazil, where the Paralympic Games are taking place.
After the Netherlands and Belgium, Luxembourg approved euthanasia but for adults only in 2009.
In Switzerland, doctors can assist a patient seeking to die but euthanasia itself is illegal ||||| Statement on Palliative Sedation
Approved by the AAHPM Board of Directors on December 5, 2014
Background
Palliative care supports patients whose diseases are associated with significant burden. Distressing symptoms exist on a spectrum from the most easily treated to the most refractory. Although preservation of awareness at the end of life is viewed as a priority for many, for some, the relief of symptoms may outweigh the desire to be conscious. Palliative sedation (PS), as defined in this statement, is the intentional lowering of awareness towards, and including, unconsciousness for patients with severe and refractory symptoms.
Statement
A primary objective of palliative medicine is the easing of suffering via pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic techniques. As with any medical procedure, PS must satisfy the criteria of having a specific clinical indication, a target outcome, and a benefit/risk ratio that is acceptable to both the clinician and patient. Palliative sedation is an intervention reserved for extreme situations. The use of palliative sedation should only be considered after all available expertise to manage the target symptom has been accessed. The level of sedation should be proportionate to the patient's level of distress. As with all treatments, patients, when able, should participate in the decision to use palliative sedation. Treatment of other symptoms should be continued alongside palliative sedation, because sedation may decrease the
patient's ability to communicate or display discomfort.
Palliative sedation raises ethical concerns when it significantly reduces patient consciousness to the degree that the patient is unable to substantially interact with others, does not have the ability or opportunity to change his mind, and is unable to eat and drink (thus potentially shortening survival in particular circumstances). Palliative sedation is ethically defensible when used 1) after careful interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment of the patient, and 2) when palliative treatments that are not intended to affect consciousness have failed or, in the judgment of the clinician, are very likely to fail, 3) where its use is not expected to shorten the patient's time to death, and 4) only for the actual or expected duration of symptoms. Palliative sedation should not be considered irreversible in all circumstances. It may be appropriate, in some clinical situations when symptoms are deemed temporary,
to decrease sedation after a predetermined time to assess efficacy, continued symptoms and need for ongoing sedation.
In clinical practice, palliative sedation usually does not alter the timing or mechanism of a patient's death, as refractory symptoms are most often associated with very advanced terminal illness. Practitioners who use palliative sedation should be clear in their intent to palliate symptoms and to
not shorten survival. Because patients receiving palliative sedation are typically close to death, most patients will no longer have desire to eat or drink. Artificial nutrition and hydration are not generally expected to benefit the patient receiving palliative sedation, however questions about the use of artificial nutrition and hydration should be addressed before palliative sedation is undertaken. (See AAHPM Position Statement of Artificial Nutrition and Hydration Near the End of Life).
There is no clear consensus or scientific evidence regarding the most appropriate medication(s) to effect palliative sedation. As elsewhere in medicine, the agent should be selected based on safety, efficacy, and availability.
Although the Academy recognizes that existential distress may cause patients to experience suffering of significant magnitude, there is no consensus around the ability to define, assess, and gauge existential suffering, to measure the efficacy of treatments for existential distress, and whether it is in the realm of medicine to palliate such suffering when it occurs absent of physical symptoms. Patients with existential suffering should be thoroughly assessed and treated through vigorous multidisciplinary efforts which may include involving professionals who are not usual members of the palliative care team (e.g., experts in psychological, family therapy, or specific spiritual services). If palliative sedation is used for truly refractory existential suffering, as for its use for physical symptoms, it should not shorten survival.
Bibliography
Broeckaert, B. (2011). Palliative sedation, physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia: "Same, same but different"? AJOB, 11, 62 – 64.
Cherny, N.I., Radbruch, L., for the Board of the European Association for Palliative Care. (2009). European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) recommended framework for the use of sedation in palliative care, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23, 581 – 593.
Claessens, P. Menten, J., Schotsmans, P., Broeckaert, B. (2008). Palliative sedation: A review of the research literature. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, 36, 310 – 333.
Claessens, P. Menten, J., Schotsmans, P., Broeckaert, B. on behalf of the Palsed Consortium. (2011). Palliative sedation, not slow euthanasia: A prospective, longitudinal study of sedation in Flemish Palliative Care Units. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, 41, 14 – 24.
Kirk, T.W., & Mahon, M. M. (2010). National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) position statement and commentary on the use of palliative sedation in immediately dying terminally ill patients. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management, 39, 914 – 923.
Kon, A.A. (2011). Palliative sedation: It's not a panacea. AJOB, 11, 41 – 42.
Maltoni, M., Scarpi, E., Rosati, M., Derni, S., Fabbri, L., Martini, F., Amadori, D., & Nanni, O. (2012). Palliative sedation in end-of-life care and survival: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 30, 1378 – 1383.
Morita, T., Akechi, T., Sugawara, Y., Chihara, S., & Uchitomo, Y. (2002). Practices and attitudes of Japanese oncologists and palliative care physicians concerning terminal sedation: A nationwide survey. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 20, 758 – 764.
Olsen, M.L., Swetz, K.M., Mueller, P.S. (2010). Ethical decision making with end of life care: Palliative sedation and withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments. Mayo Clin Prac, 85, 949 – 954.
Powers, C.L. & McLean, P.C. (2011). The community speaks: Continuous deep sedation as caregiving versus physician-assisted suicide as killing. AJOB, 11, 65 -66.
Quill, T.E., Lo, B., Brock, D.W. (2009). Last-resort options for palliative sedation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 141, 421 – 424
Schildmann & Schildmann. (2014) Palliative sedation therapy: a systematic literature review and critical appraisal of available guidance on indication and decision making. J Palliat Med, 17(5):601-611.
Vacco vs. Quill, 117 S.Ct. 2293 (1997).
Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S.Ct. 2258 (1997).
Read other AAHPM position statements. ||||| (Reuters Health) - In the decade after Belgium legalized doctor-assisted death, the number of patients using it to end their lives rose nearly eight-fold, according to records of the national euthanasia control committee.
Most patients choosing this way to die between 2003 and 2013 were younger than 80 and had cancer. But the largest increases in euthanasia cases over that period was among people older than 80, those without cancer and those not expected to die in the near future, researchers report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002, and the new regulations allow a doctor to end a patient’s life if the patient requests it, has full mental capacity and has constant, unbearable physical or mental suffering, the researchers write.
Recipients do not need to have a deadly illness, but their illness must be incurable, said senior author Kenneth Chambaere of the University of Brussels.
There are a lot of concerns about the practice worldwide, and Belgium has come to be viewed as an example to learn from, Chambaere told Reuters Health by email.
“Also in Belgium the debate goes on, and this study is very helpful in gaining an overarching view of the practice,” he added.
Worldwide, The Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia and Luxemburg have legalized euthanasia, in which a doctor ends a person’s life, usually by administering barbiturate drugs. In Switzerland, Germany, Japan and Canada, doctor-assisted suicide, where patients take the final action themselves, is legal.
In the United States, physician-assisted dying is legal in only five states, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, California and Montana.
To determine how the practice of euthanasia has evolved since it was legalized in Belgium, the study team used data on cases recorded between 2003 and 2013 by the Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia.
The total number of doctor-assisted deaths over the decade after legalization was 8,752, with a steady increase each year. In 2003, there were 235 euthanasia cases, representing 0.2 percent of nationwide deaths, and in 2013, there were 1,807 cases, which was 1.7 percent of deaths.
In 2013, people with cancer made up 69 percent of all cases, and 65 percent were under age 80.
Among cases reported from Dutch-speaking parts of the country, the proportion involving people who were expected to die in the near future fell from 94 percent in 2003 to 84 percent in 2013. In French-speaking parts of Belgium, there was no significant change in this category.
Throughout the decade, palliative, or quality of life, care teams came to be consulted more often for euthanasia requests, even beyond what the law required.
The study findings might suggest an increase in euthanasia requests as patients became familiar with the law, and an increase in willingness to perform euthanasia as doctors became more experienced and society grew accustomed to the practice, the researchers write.
Among the study’s limitations is that the committee records did not contain details about the patients’ clinical circumstances and the exact nature of suffering that caused them to seek euthanasia, they add.
Marcel Zwahlen, a researcher at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland, noted that not all societal groups approve of euthanasia.
“Most of the concerns surround the ‘free will’ of the patient and whether the decision to get help in committing suicide is really free, especially for cases with neuropsychiatric conditions,” Zwahlen said by email.
People may also fear that more vulnerable patients may be coerced into the decision, especially if they cannot afford care, said Zwahlen.
There have been no large scandals in Belgium, however, and the practice is becoming more normal, Zwahlen noted.
Although cancer was historically the most common cause, people suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, lung or heart problems and psychiatric issues may choose euthanasia. There is more ongoing debate about psychiatric patients, Chambaere said, adding that this will be the focus of his team’s future research.
Chambaere stressed the importance of continuing to monitor the practice of euthanasia, as issues can always arise in the future.
He is optimistic, though. “The study has a clear message that Belgium has had a predominantly positive experience in implementing euthanasia practice,” Chambaere said.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2c957I4 Canadian Medical Association Journal, online September 12, 2016. ||||| A new study on euthanasia trends in Belgium, which shows an increase in reported cases since legislation was introduced, provides lessons for countries that have legalized assisted dying. The research is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
In 2002, Belgium legalized the intentional ending of life by a physician at the patient's explicit request. The government introduced safeguards to protect patients, including a multidisciplinary review panel -- the Belgian Federal Control and Evaluation Committee for Euthanasia -- to ensure that each procedure was performed according to legal guidelines.
The Belgian researchers found that the number of officially reported euthanasia cases in Belgium increased from 235 in 2003 to 1807 in 2013 across all age groups and in all settings (home or care facility). They also noted an increase among people with conditions other than cancer and in people over age 80, a finding that was rare in the first few years after legalization. The highest incidence was consistently found among people dying with cancer, those younger than 80 years of age and those dying at home. There were also increases in euthanasia among people without terminal disease and those with psychiatric disorders, but their numbers remain relatively small.
"These findings might suggest an increase in the number of requests from these groups as they increasingly became aware of the legal possibility to request euthanasia. These findings might also reflect a decrease in reluctance to provide euthanasia within these groups as physicians became more experienced and the wider society became more familiar with these types of cases," writes Prof. Kenneth Chambaere, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium, with coauthors.
Palliative care specialists were also consulted increasingly in the euthanasia procedure, though this is not a legal requirement.
"The increase in euthanasia among cases with noncancer diagnoses and nonterminal diseases emphasizes the importance of thorough evaluation and monitoring of the practice, since these situations are often more complex and may include psychiatric disorders and 'tiredness of life'."
"Given differences in developments between jurisdictions and even within Belgium, it is clear that societal and cultural contexts play a key role in how euthanasia practice has been adopted after legalization," the authors conclude.
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– A child has been euthanized in Belgium for the first time since the country became the first to eliminate age restrictions for euthanasia two years ago, CNN reports. According to the BBC, the 17-year-old had an incurable disease, was in "unbearable physical pain," and requested euthanasia, as the law requires; "palliative sedation" was employed. No other information was provided, and Deutsche Welle reports the records outlining the patient's condition and the deliberation of the panel of physicians who weigh in are generally sealed. The teen's death, which had occurred in the past week, was announced Saturday, Reuters reports. The AFP cites a member of Belgium's federal euthanasia commission as saying the teen was not the first child to request euthanasia. Belgium legalized euthanasia for people with "constant and unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be alleviated" in 2002. It expanded its euthanasia law to cover all children under the age of 18 in 2014. In order to be euthanized, children must be able to understand what it means and get consent from their parent or guardian and "death must be expected in the near future." Belgium is the only country in the world that allows euthanasia without age restriction, and a study published this month found 1,807 total euthanasia deaths were reported in 2013, up nearly eight-fold from 235 in 2003. Reuters reports the 2013 figure represents 1.7% of deaths in the country that year. The Netherlands allows it for children older than 12. (This depressed 24-year-old was granted the right to die.)
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Legislation is available in different versions:
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made):The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text. ||||| A company director has been arrested on suspicion of illegally keeping part of a statue of Saddam Hussein taken from Iraq in 2003.
Jim Thorpe, director of Trebletap, was questioned over the company's plans to sell the 2ft bronze piece of buttock.
The piece was brought to the UK by the firm's founder Nigel Ely but failed to sell at an auction in Derby after failing to meet its reserve price.
Mr Ely, from Herefordshire, was questioned earlier this week.
Derbyshire police said the Iraqi government had made a complaint to the Metropolitan Police last week via the Iraqi Embassy.
The complaint had been passed to them as the agents and the statue were situated in Derby.
Mr Ely was issued with a notice, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, advising him not to alter or dispose of the item until the matter is resolved.
Cultural property
Mr Thorpe was questioned on suspicion of breaching Section 8 of the Iraq (UN Sanctions) Order 2003 before being released on bail pending further inquiries.
Under the order, anyone possessing Iraqi cultural property must give it to the police.
Trebletap, which specialises in turning war memorabilia into pieces of art, told BBC Radio Derby earlier this week that it was keeping the statue in a secret location.
Mr Ely, a former SAS soldier, used a sledgehammer and chisel to remove the portion when the statue was brought down in central Baghdad at the end of Hussein's reign.
He said he planned to sell it to raise money for charity but withdrew it from sale at an auction in October after it failed to meet its £250,000 reserve. ||||| Saddam Hussein's 'bronze buttock' to be auctioned in Derby
The Saddam Hussein statue was brought down in April 2003
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
A chunk from the Saddam Hussein statue famously toppled in central Baghdad in 2003 is to be auctioned in Derby.
The 2ft (0.6m) wide bronze "buttock" was claimed by a former SAS soldier who brought it back to the UK.
Pictures of the statue being felled as the Iraqi dictator's reign ended were broadcast around the world.
Now Nigel Ely, who used a sledgehammer and crowbar to grab the unusual memento, hopes its sale will raise money for charity.
Mr Ely, from Herefordshire, was working with a TV crew covering the fall of Baghdad in April 2003 when he decided to claim the historic keepsake.
He said: "When we arrived in Firdos Square in the heart of Baghdad, the statue had just been toppled and the US Marines had erected a cordon of tanks to guard the square.
"But I wanted a piece of the statue - and when I mentioned to the marines that I was an old soldier and with the press they told me, 'No problem, buddy - help yourself'."
Arrested and searched
Finding the bronze statue face-down, the ex-serviceman enlisted the help of a marine armed with a crowbar and a sledgehammer to cut out half of the despot's backside.
He said: "I only wanted a piece big enough to put in my pocket, but I ended up with a chunk about 2ft square.
"I thought, 'What the hell am I going to do with this?'
"I threw it in the back of my truck and forgot about it until we tried to re-enter Kuwait, where the Kuwaiti army arrested us and searched us for plunder.
"The journalists with me had all their souvenirs confiscated, but when I said the buttock was vehicle armour to protect us from bullets and bombs they left it alone.
"The real pain came when I flew back to London a few days later. I'd bought a large case from the local souq [commercial area] to put the bum in and had to pay a fortune in excess baggage."
Mr Ely was charged £385 to fly the chunk home but it is expected to raise thousands of pounds when it is sold by auctioneers Hansons in Derby on 27 October.
Proceeds from the sale will go towards helping injured ex-servicemen from the UK and US.
Mr Ely said: "It's been with me all these years, but I decided it was time it did some good."
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– A British company official has been arrested after auctioning a buttock section of the massive Saddam Hussein bronze statue toppled when US forces stormed Baghdad in 2003. The arrest was made after the Iraqi government issued a complaint to British police following an auction in Derby, where the two-foot hunk of metal failed to fetch the minimum price of $375,000 set for the sale. Under a 2003 British law, all cultural property seized in Iraq must be handed over to police, reports the BBC. The bronze butt was offered for sale by Trebletap, a company that specializes in turning war memorabilia into art. Company director Jim Thorpe was busted and has been released on bail. The firm's founder, Nigel Ely, is a former SAS soldier who was working for British TV on the scene when the statue was pulled down. He used a sledgehammer and chisel to remove the statue's "bum," he told the BBC. He claims that when he asked a US Marine if he could take the souvenir, he was told: "No problem, Buddy. Help yourself." He said he planned to sell it to raise money for an unspecified charity. He has been ordered not to dispose of the metal rear or alter it until the case is resolved. A Trebletop spokesman has said the bronze bum is being held in a secret location.
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Even the happiest marriage can feel like a war. But what if the relationship really was a killing field, with husband, wife, in-laws, friends and far-flung relations literally trying to exterminate each other? And what if that was really hard, because they're mostly undead?
This is the world of "Breaking Dawn, Part 2," where Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen work through some domestic issues in a combat-zone blowout sufficient to bring down a medium-sized country.
In the final film installment in the "Twilight" franchise, the evil Volturi vampire clan, feeling threatened by the birth of Bella and Edward's half-vamp offspring, mount a blitzkrieg on Forks, Wash. The Cullens recruit a league of allies with X-Men style magical powers to fight back. Since the only way to destroy a vampire in Stephenie Meyer's mythology is to separate the cranium from the shoulders, the film features more beheadings than a "Game of Thrones" marathon.
If you think the premise is absurd, wait till you see the execution. Logic and plausibility are not commodities valued by fans of the immensely popular "Twilight" series, and here they're abandoned entirely. The film's motto could be, "Look, don't think." Stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are lavished with visual caresses by director Bill Condon and lenser Guillermo Navarro to an extraordinary degree, which certainly makes the picture's romantic scenes easy on the eyes.
We begin with Bella adjusting to her new status as a bloodsucker, having been turned by Edward to prevent her dying during childbirth. Oddly, Stewart's acting was more corpse-like when she was playing a mortal. Having crossed over to the undead, she's livelier and more expressive.
The newlyweds live in acute domestic luxury, occupying an idyllic forest cottage evidently based on a Thomas Kinkade painting. Their little mutant bundle of bliss, Renesmee, grows faster than humans do, reaching a toddler's size in just weeks. Eleven-year-old Mackenzie Foy plays the girl at six months of age. In earlier scenes and a flash-forward, Renesmee is an eerie fusion of child actors and wide-eyed digital face painting.
So for a time, the biggest challenge facing the couple is keeping Bella's policeman dad, Charlie (Billy Burke), from asking too many questions about why his granddaughter shot up 6 inches between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since a comic scene of supernatural show-and-tell with Taylor Lautner's werewolf Jacob reminds us that Charlie is North America's least inquisitive cop, it's easier to believe he'll swallow anything.
A weird amalgam of hard action and soft romance, "Breaking Dawn" is most amusing when the Cullens, their ethnically stereotyped multicultural allies, and the swarming Volturi are hell-bent on mutual annihilation. Condon stages the frenetic battle royal with frenetic energy and no small amount of humor. The sequence is a showcase for Michael Sheen's campy, cackling vampire chieftain, Aro. Sheen makes a lark of his scenes. But there's too little of him and too much of everything else. "Breaking Dawn, Part 2" doesn't end the series on an especially strong note, but it ends it. Let's count our blessings.
ccovert@startribune • Twitter: @colincovert ||||| This is it people, the long awaited day that Stephanie Meyer’s asinine chronicle of lame vampires, talking CGI werewolves, and the single worst female protagonist in all of fiction comes to a close. While the fandom may live on for decades, at least we’ll never have to suffer through one of these movies again.
Of course Meyer’s could always write another novel and cash in, god forbid. But maybe I’m speaking too soon. Perhaps “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” will be the rare sequel that finally delivers on all the hype, at the very least working as a light guilty pleasure along the lines of “True Blood.” It could happen. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.
This final curtain to the “Twilight” saga might not be as pointless as “New Moon” or flat-out stupid as the first “Breaking Dawn.” Regardless, the performances are still adequate at best, the characters lack any substance, the effects are cheesy, the narrative goes nowhere, and the dialogue would make a canceled ABC soap opera laugh. The one redeemable aspect of the film is good old Billy Burke as the underutilized Charlie, providing the only intentionally funny lines in the film. But even Charlie reacts all too casually to the fact that Jacob is a werewolf and his daughter has “changed” herself. Then again, what do you expect from a man that raised Bella to be as insecure and needy as possible.
Bella’s grotesque pregnancy and vampire transformation is fortunately out of the way. Now Edward and her have a creepy little vampire girl with the idiotic name of Renesmee. They find that Renesmee is growing at a rapid rate, looking like a 10 year old after only a short amount of time. Jacob ‘Clueless’ Black is also sticking around the family after imprinting on little Renesmee. I don’t entirely know what it means for a werewolf to imprint on a child. But I’m fairly certain it means that Jacob is a pedophile.
With these “Twilight” movies and “Tron: Legacy,” Michael Sheen has established that when he goes over the top he really goes off the deep end. Sheen swallows the scenery whole here as the Volturi leader, Aro, who believes that Renesmee is an uncontrollable immortal child that could threaten the closeted existence of vampires. To protect Renesmee from the Volturi, the Cullen’s enlist the help of several other vampires from across the world. Some of these characters might actually be interesting if the film took the time to develop any of them. Yet, they’re all basically thrown in at the last minute with next to no buildup.
Like all conclusions to major franchises, “Breaking Dawn - Part 2” of course works up to an epic final battle. It doesn’t mean anything though unless there’s genuine concern for the characters. A film like “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” truly made your heart race as the heroes faced their final confrontation. In the finale to “Twilight,” the climax is never really alarming and feels like a bit of a cheat in the end. But at least we do get to see “Last Airbender” alumni Jackson Rathbone deservedly lose his head.
The best word to describe “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” and the “Twilight” saga as a whole is “bad.” It’s simply a bad a series needlessly stretched out to four bad books and five bad films. If you happen to like it, then good for you. These movies just didn’t do anything for me and they never will. Now if you’ll pardon my departure, I need to go watch the complete first season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” to get the horrid taste out of my mouth.
Grade: C-
- Nick Spake is a college student at Arizona State University. He has been working as a film critic for the past seven years, reviewing movies on his website, NICKPICKSFLICKS.com Reach the reporter at [email protected] ||||| 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2'
By Michael O'Sullivan
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012
At the far end of the spectrum of potential audience for the “Twilight” franchise is the “Twi-Hard” contingent, those fanatic loyalists to the book-turned-movie series who will camp out for a front-row seat, no matter what the reviews say. Their only regret about “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” the two-part film whose final installment opens tonight, bringing the five-chapter saga to an end, is that the whole magical experience couldn’t last forever.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. And some bad ones, too.
For those with no vested interest in this protracted and supernatural soap opera, but who do care about cinema, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2” will be, unsurprisingly, a silly and somewhat cheesily made waste of time.
But this review isn’t written for either of those two extremes. Rather, it’s for the theoretical viewer in the middle, the one who cares as much about good storytelling as about whether Bella the human ends up with Edward the vampire or Jacob the werewolf. Whether such a mythological filmgoer even exists -- and is not more fanciful than the pasty-faced bloodsuckers and buff fur balls who populate the tale -- is a question for another day.
As “Breaking Dawn -- Part 2” opens, our once-mortal heroine, Bella (Kristen Stewart), has just given birth to a half-human, half-vampire baby, Renesmee, with her new, undead husband, Edward (Robert Pattinson). To save her life, which had been threatened by carrying such a monstrous, if undeniably photogenic spawn, Bella has been turned into a vampire, through an injection of venom by her husband.
Almost the entire first third of the movie is devoted to Bella’s adjustment to her new life and unfamiliar powers: her sudden thirst for blood; her superhuman speed and strength; her seemingly insatiable (if PG-13) sex drive; and the tricks she must learn in order to pass as human. Endless minutes are devoted to colored contact lenses (to mask her red eyes), an arm-wrestling contest with her vampire brother-in-law (Kellan Lutz), and scenes of Edward and Bella running through the picturesque Pacific Northwest woods on her first hunt, which culminates in an al fresco picnic dinner of venison tartare.
Once again, the special effects are low grade, relying heavily on old-fashioned camera blur and unconvincing wire work to convey a sense of quickness and acrobatic agility, as Bella bounds from rock to tree to mountaintop. It’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Vampire,” without the verve.
Eventually, the real story kicks in after word reaches the Volturi -- the vampire world’s governing elite -- that Renesmee may be what’s known as an “immortal child,” a vampire baby who grows up with the mental maturity, and imperfect self-control, of an infant. Immortal children are illegal, since they cannot be trained to rein in their appetites, which threatens to expose the carefully hidden vampire subculture to the rest of the world. As Aro, the leader of the Volturi, Michael Sheen is a rare delight, smiling malevolently -- and at one point issuing an insane cackle that’s worth the price of admission -- as he attempts to determine whether Edward and his family must be punished and Renesmee destroyed.
It ain’t much, but it passes for drama -- if by “drama” you mean a climactic showdown in a field of snow between the powerful, berobed Volturi on the one side, and a ragtag band of the “good” vampires, now in league with Jacob and his pack of giant CGI werewolves, on the other. I’ll tell you one thing: You have never seen so much unrealistic decapitation in your life. After about the 20th head-popping, which flips off like the top of a soda bottle, it’s just ridiculous.
Not so funny? The relationship between the werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and Renesmee, played by the adorable poppet Mackenzie Foy. As in the books, Jacob, Bella’s former suitor, has “imprinted” on the little girl, a bit of lupine gobbledygook meaning that they are destined to become lovers when she’s fully grown.
I know, I know: It’s fantasy. It’s also more than a bit creepy, smacking of the child bride. Fortunately, Lautner brings a welcome sense of detachment from the film’s absurdities. “Breaking Dawn,” which only every now and again seems to have figured out that it’s okay to laugh at itself, could use a little more of the actor’s wry, laid-back energy and a little less pomposity.
As for Stewart and Pattinson, once again he looks perpetually stoned, and she as if she has just detected a bad smell -- coming off of her own underarms. Neither one has much range, or makes much of an impression, other than vague malaise.
Then again, neither one has to. They are both so indelibly associated with the roles of Bella and Edward at this point that it will take each of them at least another couple of films before they fully shake the connection with “Twilight.”
As for you, dear reader, the symptoms of our long national nightmare should begin to fade as you’re heading out of the theater, dissipating by the time you clear the concession stand.
Contains sensuality and violence. ||||| Photograph by Doane Gregory – © 2011 Summit Entertainment, LLC.
The very title Breaking Dawn, Part 2 hints at what the movie, sadly, reveals to be the case: The Twilight franchise has overstayed its welcome. Splitting the last book in Stephenie Meyer’s teen-vampire series into two separate movies may have been a wise business decision—with guaranteed throngs of adoring Twihards willing to go back for multiple viewings, why not eke out an extra sequel?—but it leaves the last film in the series with no place to go.
Dana Stevens Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.
Of course, one might argue that none of the four previous Twilight films have had any place to go. The world of Twilight is intermittently action-packed, but dramatically static. The story’s central love triangle—mortal Bella, vampire Edward, werewolf Jacob—exists in a state of unconsummated tension on all sides: The purpose of the movies is, in essence, to contemplate the mystery of this holy trinity. This curiously placid, devotional quality is part of what I liked about the first four Twilight films: They lulled the viewer into a somnolent daze that mimicked their spacey heroine’s perpetual love-fog. Breaking Dawn, Part 2, (directed, like its predecessor, by Bill Condon), gets the “somnolent daze” feeling right, but with the sexual heat gone from the center of the story now that Bella and Edward have done the deed, the only thing left for viewers to contemplate is the sanctity of the nuclear family (which, compared to the lurid joys of human-on-vampire dry humping, seems a pallid prize indeed).
When we last saw Bella (Kristen Stewart), she had finally been changed into a vampire by her long-resistant undead husband, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) in a last-ditch effort to save her from dying while giving birth to their monstrously fast-growing half-vampire/half-human child, Renesmée. (It’s a portmanteau of her grandmothers’ first names, OK?) Breaking Dawn, Part 1 ended on the image of Bella’s eyes popping open on the delivery table, ablaze with a new, unquenchable fire, the irises changed from brown to a coppery red. As Breaking Dawn, Part 2 begins, we look at the world through those transformed eyes: the pollen on a flower, the down on a bumblebee, all appear in extra-sharp relief. Damsel-in-distress Bella has now become superfast, superstrong, and tireless—after she and Edward have vampire sex for the first time, she observes with wonder that she’ll no longer need sleep in between their marathon sex bouts. These are conducted in a Thomas Kinkade-esque cottage that the Cullen coven have provided for the newlyweds behind their more stark, modern house.*
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In a plot development that’s consistent with the Twilight series’ ongoing propensity for unacknowledged incestuous creepiness, Bella’s lupine ex-suitor Jacob (Taylor Lautner) has now “imprinted” on her daughter (not in that way! He’s just bound by werewolf instinct to protect her from harm! Renesmée, that is!). This arrangement, by dissolving the sexual tension between Jacob and Bella, allows the once-dangerous Edward/Jacob rivalry to be subsumed into a stable family unit, with Lautner’s character as a kind of neutered babysitter.
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All in all, life as a vampire is pretty sweet, even if Bella has to lie to her father (a severely underused Billy Burke) about her new existential status. But then the Volturi—a kind of Vatican council of vampire high priests, headed up by an impish, scene-stealing Michael Sheen—get a tip about the birth of the half-breed vampire baby and determine that the entire Cullen family must be destroyed.
About an hour in, it starts to occur to you that, for creatures capable of moving through space so quickly they’re perceptible only as gray blurs, the Volturi are taking their sweet time getting from Italy to Forks, Wash. The Cullen clan spends eons standing around in front of modern-art installations, trading fretful observations about the impending vampire civil war. They enlist a militia of rebel vampires from around the world to their side (including a pair of disgruntled immortals still smarting from the Volturi’s seizure of their castles 1,500 years ago) and even get some backup from their erstwhile enemies, the werewolves. By the time the great vampire showdown finally got started, I was good and done with Breaking Dawn, Part 2. But the big action scene is so campily over the top—with one twist so unforeseeable—that it sent me out on a burst of grudging goodwill.
The film’s endlessly drawn-out ending, with its multiple spoken and written iterations of the book’s last word, “forever,” over an image of the matte-skinned, cultishly beatific Cullens, may be the scariest moment in the whole pulpy yet vital Twilight series—a teenage girl’s fantasy of perfect domestic contentment, frozen in time and doomed to last forever.
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– Today's premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 brings with it one piece of good news for critics who have had to review the whole thing: That's it for the Twilight saga ... unless, of course, Stephenie Meyer writes more books. Some of the best lines floating around the Web today: "This is it people, the long awaited day that Stephanie Meyer’s asinine chronicle of lame vampires, talking CGI werewolves, and the single worst female protagonist in all of fiction comes to a close," writes Nick Spake in the East Valley Tribune. "The Twilight franchise has overstayed its welcome," declares Dana Stevens in Slate. "The film's endlessly drawn-out ending, with its multiple spoken and written iterations of the book’s last word, 'forever' ... may be the scariest moment in the whole pulpy yet vital Twilight series." "The symptoms of our long national nightmare should begin to fade as you’re heading out of the theater, dissipating by the time you clear the concession stand," writes Michael O'Sullivan in the Washington Post. "Breaking Dawn, Part 2 doesn't end the series on an especially strong note, but it ends it. Let's count our blessings," suggests Colin Covert in the Star Tribune. Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers is ecstatic. "It's Dead! It's Dead! By which I mean, It's Finished! It's Finished! Five movies have been squeezed out of four Stephenie Meyer Twilight books. All of them redefining cinematic tedium for a new century. And now, It's Over! It's Over! No more Twilight movies EVER!" Writing in the Detroit News, Adam Graham sums things up: "Good riddance Twilight, may it be an eternity before you're relaunched or rebooted."
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A Cub Scout in Broomfield has been kicked out of his den, allegedly for asking pointed questions of a Colorado state senator at meeting organized by the Boy Scouts.
Eleven-year-old Ames Mayfield, a fifth-grader at Prospect Ridge Academy and a Scout for five years, on Oct. 9 asked Sen. Vicki Marble, R-Fort Collins, questions about gun control, and about comments Marble made at a 2013 legislative hearing on poverty about mortality rates among African-Americans.
The boy’s mother, Lori Mayfield, on Wednesday said Ames was kicked out of his den, or Scout group, as a result.
“He is still kind of reeling from this,” Mayfield said. “He is really sensitive, my heart breaks for him.”
Ames’ questions, and other Scouts’ questions, were recorded and posted on YouTube by Mayfield in a video titled “Vicki Marble denies chicken-gate.”
“I was astonished that you blamed black people for poor health and poverty because of all the chicken and barbecue they eat,” Ames said to Marble at the Scout meeting.
“I didn’t, that was made up by the media,” Marble replied. “So, you want to believe it? You believe it. But that’s not how it went down. I didn’t do that. That was false. Get both sides of the story.”
In 2013 Marble said: “When you look at life expectancy, there are problems in the black race. Sickle-cell anemia is something that comes up. Diabetes is something that’s prevalent in the genetic makeup, and you just can’t help it.
“Although I’ve got to say,” she continued at the time. “I’ve never had better barbecue and better chicken and ate better in my life than when you go down South and you, I mean, I love it. Everybody loves it.”
On Oct. 9, at the den presentation, Marble, speaking to the Scouts in calm, measured tones, responded, in part, to Ames’ question: “We have multicultural foods in the United States and we are very blessed to have it. And we all love it and we all eat it. And we just better figure out our genetics.”
Marble went on to tell the Scouts that she’s from a multi-ethnic background that includes “black, Mexican…Jew…Native American” and the “lousy Irish!” People in the audience chuckled.
“Decisions about who is in or out of a den are internal organizational matters that I won’t second guess,” Marble, majority caucus chair, said Wednesday night in an email to The Post. “I don’t blame the boy for asking the questions, since I believe there was an element of manipulation involved, and it wasn’t much different from the questions I normally field in other meetings. The invitation to meet with the scouts was never intended to cause friction and controversy.”
Prior to the den meeting, Ames researched Marble, his mother said, as the Scouts knew she would be speaking. Ames formulated the questions he would ask, she said.
“The only coaching I gave him was to be respectful,” Mayfield said. “Don’t be argumentative, preface things ‘with all due respect.'”
A den leader was upset by Ames’ line of questioning, Mayfield said. She is looking for a new den for Ames to join.
“I felt my son followed directions. He asked hard questions, but he was not disrespectful,” she said.
“The Denver Area Council is evaluating this matter closely and will treat all parties with dignity and respect,” said Nicole Cosme, marketing director of the Boy Scouts of America Denver Area Council.
Cosme added that the Boy Scouts is “a wholly nonpartisan organization and does not promote any one political position, candidate or philosophy.”
Other Scouts asked Marble about the border wall, fossil fuels, and voting for President Barack Obama. No other Scout was dismissed from the den, Mayfield said.
Ames was offered membership in other dens, Cosme said. She declined to go into detail about the meeting with Marble.
“We would like Ames to stay in Cub Scouts and become a Boy Scout,” Cosme said. ||||| BROOMFIELD, Colo. — A Broomfield 5th grader was kicked out of the Cub Scouts, reportedly for simply asking a politician a few tough questions.
The boy was just three months shy of becoming a Boy Scout when he faced removal from his den last week. His Cub Scout den in Broomfield hosted Republican state senator Vicki Marble for a question and answer discussion on Monday, Oct. 9.
Students asked about gun control, the proposed border wall and Marble's infamous and racially charged remarks from 2013 on foods of the south and disease in African Americans.
But the questions apparently went too far.
Cub Scout mom, Lori Mayfield, captured the exchanges between Marble and the scout group. She posted the questions and answers on YouTube.
At one point, her son, Ames, asked Marble about controversial remarks she made in 2013 regarding blacks, fried chicken and poverty.
"Why do you (inaudible) black people for poor health and poverty because of all the chicken and barbecue they eat?" the scout asked.
"I didn't,” replied Marble. “That was made up by the media. So, you want to believe it? You believe it. But, that's not how it went down. I didn't do that. That was false. Get both sides of the story."
Her recollection is apparently a bit rusty.
Here's part of what the senator said at a poverty reduction meeting in 2013:
“When you look at life expectancy, there are problems in the black race,” Marble said. “Sickle-cell anemia is something that comes up. Diabetes is something that's prevalent in the genetic makeup, and you just can't help it.”
The senator then went on. “Although I've got to say, I've never had better barbecue and better chicken and ate better in my life than when you go down South and you, I mean, I love it. Everybody loves it.”
Denver7 asked Marble about the racially charged comment at the time.
"Do you think you were reinforcing stereotypes?"
“No,” she said. “I don't think so. It's what's going to be in these (medical) reports. And reality is not sensitive. Cancer is harsh.”
“Do you think your comments were insensitive?”
“I can’t answer that,” Marble said. “People respond differently. I’ve had black people e-mail me and say, ‘You’re right. Don’t back down.’”
At the scout meeting last week, it was Ames' question about gun control that got him booted from his pack according to his mom.
The question went on for two minutes and 15 seconds. Here’s a portion:
"I was shocked that you co-sponsored a bill to allow domestic violence offenders to continue to own a gun,” Ames said. “Why on earth would you want someone who beats their wife to have access to a gun?"
The den leader then cut off Ames.
“Ok. Ames, that is a really thorough question," said the leader.
A few days after the meeting, Ames was kicked out.
His mother, Lori, said in an e-mail, “My son was praised for (the question) during and after the meeting."
“He is heartbroken his den leader kicked him out,” Mayfield said. “What does that teach scouts (about asking challenging questions)?”
We contacted the Denver area council of the Boy Scouts Wednesday.
In an e-mail to Mayfield, they said, “…it is up to the chartered organization to determine the eligibility of (scouts)."
A spokesperson told Denver7 the council is helping to find Ames another den, "so that he may continue to participate in the scouting program."
“He’s devastated,” said Mayfield. “He has worked so hard for everything and he really liked his current den leader.”
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– A Colorado state senator was visiting, and Ames Mayfield had questions for her. Specifically, questions about gun control, as well as comments the lawmaker made back in 2013 regarding black people. As a result, Ames was kicked out of the organization that Sen. Vicki Marble was visiting. That organization is a Cub Scout den, and Ames is an 11-year-old fifth-grader. His mom tells the Denver Post the den leader was upset by Ames' questions for Marble on Oct. 9 and kicked him out; specifically, the den leader stopped the line of questioning after Ames asked, "Why on Earth would you want someone who beats their wife to have access to a gun?" the Denver Channel reports. His mom insists Ames did the research in advance of the meeting and came up with the questions on his own ("the only coaching I gave him was to be respectful"), though the GOP senator seems to disagree. "I don't blame the boy for asking the questions, since I believe there was an element of manipulation involved," Marble emailed the Post. Ames' other Q's stemmed from a 2013 legislative poverty hearing during which Marble noted life expectancy "problems in the black race," such as sickle cell anemia and diabetes, then added, "Although I've got to say, I've never had better barbecue and ... chicken and ate better in my life than when you go down South." At the den meeting, Ames said he "was astonished that you blamed black people for poor health and poverty because of all the chicken and barbecue they eat." Marble responded, "That's not how it went down. ... That was made up by the media." She also praised "multicultural foods" in the US but said, "We just better figure out our genetics." The Scouts' Denver Area Council is evaluating the matter; the Mayfields are seeking a new den.
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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have officially taken their love to Twitter.
On Wednesday, the lovebirds exchanged flirty messages on the social media site, and their fans couldn't get enough of it.
WATCH: Gwen Stefani Likes Miranda Lambert's Tweet
"My news years resolution for 2016 was to be on the cover of every shitty ass tabloid known to man.... Whew!!! That was easy!!!!!" Shelton tweeted, referring to the Voice coaches' highly-publicized relationship.
My news years resolution for 2016 was to be on the cover of every shitty ass tabloid known to man.... Whew!!! That was easy!!!!! — Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) January 6, 2016
One hour later, Stefani replied, writing, "@blakeshelton your so funny and #cute #jinx #newyearsresolution gx."
As if that wasn't enough to cause excitement, the country crooner followed up his rocker girlfriend's tweet with another adorable reply. "And with that it's already a great 2016!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @gwenstefani," he wrote, accompanied with a winking face emoji.
And with that it's already a great 2016!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @gwenstefani 😉 https://t.co/P67ZVUwuZq — Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) January 6, 2016
WATCH: Gwen Stefani Takes Blake Shelton to Her Hometown
Stefani immediately commented back, tweeting, "@blakeshelton eeeeekkkkkk!!!!!gx #wecoulddothisallday."
Looks like their 17.54 million combined Twitter followers were hoping the two would continue their love fest.
Fans of the couple couldn't contain their excitement over the series of public interactions, tweeting messages like, "FINALLY IVE BEEN WAITING MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS," "GOD BLESS SHEFANI" and "you two are so cute its so unfair. #perfectcouple."
Stefani, 46, and Shelton, 39, haven't been shy with their PDA since confirming their status as a couple in November. The two got together after the No Doubt frontwoman announced her divorce from Gavin Rossdale in August, just one month after Shelton and Miranda Lambert called off their marriage.
WATCH: Miranda Lambert Follows Gwen Stefani on Twitter
Earlier this week, Stefani proved there's no bad blood between her and Shelton's ex-wife when she favorited one of the 32-year-old country singer's tweets, a link to an Instagram photo of Lambert and her grandmother.
The amicable action occurred just 10 days after the "Mama's Broken Heart" singer followed Stefani on Twitter. Stefani has yet to follow Lambert back, however.
While Shelton and Stefani's relationship has been heating up, Lambert's been getting cozy with a new man -- 27-year-old R&B; singer Anderson East.
Hear more on Lambert's new beau in the video below.
WATCH: Miranda Lambert Cuddles With New Boyfriend Anderson East ||||| BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — In February 2015, Gwen Stefani joined Maroon 5 onstage at the Grammys to perform the ballad “My Heart Is Open.” After the awards, she got Mexican food with the band’s singer, Adam Levine, a fellow coach on the NBC reality-singing competition “The Voice.” For a pop superstar of two decades, it was a relatively normal night. But when she woke up the next morning, “My life was literally blown up into my face,” she said.
For 10 weeks, those closest to her had known the secret that ultimately ended her 13-year marriage to Gavin Rossdale, the singer of the band Bush. Ms. Stefani won’t discuss the details, partly to protect her children, but said: “If I could, I would just tell you everything, and you would just be in shock. It’s a really good, juicy story.” (The tabloids say Mr. Rossdale was having a several-years-long affair with a nanny caring for the couple’s three sons.)
Ms. Stefani, 46, was reeling. “I’m gonna die,” she said, recalling her emotional state. “I am dead, actually. How do I save myself? What am I going to do? How do I not go down like this?”
Sitting at the long marble table in an office in her sprawling home here, dressed in a sheer white blouse and shiny red stilettos, Ms. Stefani laid out the answer: She plunged herself into her first love, songwriting. “I have to make music out of this. That’s what God wants for me,” she remembers thinking.
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– In an extensive New York Times profile that takes a look at Gwen Stefani's upcoming solo album (her first in a decade, out next Friday), the singer describes the morning she learned her marriage was over. It was the morning after the 2015 Grammys, and when she woke up, she learned something that caused her life to be "literally blown up into my face." She won't say what exactly (presumably that was the morning she learned her husband of 13 years, Gavin Rossdale, was cheating on her with the nanny), but she says "it's a really good, juicy story" that would "shock" readers. How she felt: "I'm gonna die. I am dead, actually. How do I save myself? What am I going to do? How do I not go down like this?" she recalls. She decided she had to turn the experience into music, and This Is What the Truth Feels Like is the result. As for her new romance with Blake Shelton, all she says to the Times is that when she went back to work on The Voice, she found out a "co-worker" was "going through literally the exact same thing in literally the exact same time frame," and the rest is history. (Click to see Gwen and Blake's flirty New Year's messages.)
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The streaming service launched as an alternative to Spotify seems to have floundered. In fact, it may even have boosted sales of its rivals
It seems Tidal has not made the big waves it was hoping for. One month after its launch, the streaming service has already dropped out of the iPhone top 700 download chart in the US.
The news will be an embarrassment for the service, which launched in March amid a blaze of publicity. Fronted by Jay Z, it was backed by a series of A-list musicians including Madonna, Chris Martin and Beyoncé.
However, the app has suffered from mixed messages following its launch. Despite claiming to pay artists better royalties than existing services, the abundance of pop megastars used to promote it prompted confusion as to why they deserved even more cash.
Tidal has suffered from a turbulent launch in other ways. The company’s CEO was removed last week, in what was described as a “streamlining” move. Tidal has since drafted in former consultant for the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Peter Tonstad, for the role.
In other streaming news, rival services Pandora and Spotify seem to be surging ahead, respectively occupying the No 3 and No 4 spot on the US iPhone revenue chart. Commentators have noticed how Spotify seems to have been boosted by the Tidal media campaign, despite being one of its key targets.
Meanwhile, Kanye West, another Tidal backer, has reassured people that the service is not part of the shadowy world-governing organisation known as the Illuminati. Which certainly clears things up.
||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| When Tidal made its big media push at the end of March, the core message was clear: while other streaming music services like Spotify and Pandora pay a pittance to artists, Tidal offers musicians a better deal. Unfortunately, Tidal also opted to use super stars like Nicki Minaj and Beyonce as spokespersons for the app. The result was the ultimate mixed message: You should feel sorry about how little money Nicki makes.
DON’T MISS: The same strategy that helped make Jay-Z’s Tidal a disaster is making Apple look brilliant
Two weeks after Tidal briefly cracked the U.S. iPhone top 20 download chart, the app has crashed out of the top 700. Apparently American consumers have limited empathy towards Beyonce and Nicki. Soon after the launch fiasco, Tidal’s CEO was kicked out in a “streamlining” move. The new CEO Peter Tonstad, a former consultant for the Norwegian Ministry of Environment, has his work cut out for him.
To make matters worse for Tidal, its main rivals are now surging. On April 20th, Pandora and Spotify occupied positions No. 3 and No. 4 on the U.S. iPhone revenue chart, respectively. This was the first time two music streaming services have hit the top 4 in sales simultaneously. In order to achieve the feat, Pandora and Spotify had to push Candy Crush Saga out of U.S. iPhone top 4 revenue chart, which is a remarkable achievement.
As a matter of fact, something curious can be seen in Spotify’s download performance right after Tidal media campaign started bashing its allegedly meager payouts. Spotify surged back into the iPad top 40 download chart on March 31st, right when Tidal’s anti-Spotify invective hit its peak in American media. This had not happened since November 2014.
It looks like Tidal’s attacks on Spotify and Pandora actually managed to increase public awareness of the services, boosting Spotify’s download performance in particular at the end of March. And now, a few weeks later, the combined revenue performance of the two music apps is hitting a new milestone. To add insult to injury, Beats Music has started cracking U.S. iPhone top 20 revenue chart.
This is the problem with attacking popular apps – negative media coverage often ends up just boosting them. Twitter rode a flurry of mocking or downright hostile news items to mainstream success. Snapchat leveraged sexual panic of US media about naughty photos to becoming a teen obsession. You can’t badmouth a strong app into a decline. In the hyper competitive app market, any media attention buoys apps with genuine consumer appeal.
Tidal is now facing no fewer than three deep-pocketed rival music apps and they’re all minting money and riding strong momentum. The new CEO must somehow find a way to mop up after the ill-advised March launch and find a way to reposition Tidal in a crowded market… preferably by not trying to make consumers feel bad for multimillionaires. Or giving its rivals extra attention. |||||
As told to Gabby Bess.
Styling by Renelou Padora
Grooming by Ibn Jasper
Photo Assistant: Jay Carroll
Kanye wears a Duke's vintage t-shirt, Kanye West x Adidas Originals shirt and vintage military pants. Nori necklace is his own.
Read more about our American Dream issue here.
I was speaking at a fashion award ceremony -- I gave the head of Milk Studios, Mazdack Rassi, the first award of the night -- and I talked about the concept of "the fashion insider." I believe that everyone is a fashion insider, because it's illegal to be naked. But in all seriousness, the fashion world can say, "Yo, you know what I mean: the inside insiders." I saw this article that asked, "Should Kanye leave fashion to the professionals?" That question is really ignorant, in a way, because the second I sell my first T-shirt or my first shoe, doesn't that make me a professional? And when you sit down with Riccardo Tisci at the Louvre and he pitches the idea of you wearing a leather kilt, which could be considered by all of your gangbanging friends as some sort of a dress or skirt, at that point you are now a part of the fashion world. You have paid your dues to be an insider. I paid my dues when I had to wear a kilt in Chicago, and friends would say, "What's your boy got on?" But there are warriors that have killed people in kilts in the past. Who gets to decide what's hard and what's not hard? When I saw this kilt, I liked it. I was into it. It looked fresh to me. I felt creative; I didn't feel limited by some perception.It's funny to be so famous and noted for one thing, and to have so many people try to box you out of another form of art, even if you've proven you're an artist of one form. My goal isn't to "break through the fashion world;" my goal is to make usable sculpture. My goal is to paint. My goal is to be as close to a five-year-old, or a four-year-old, or a three-year-old, as possible. If a three-year-old says, "I like the color orange," he's not giving an explanation to an entire world that can give him a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down on whether or not he should like the color orange. I don't care about the thumbs-up or the thumbs-down. Fashion is something that's in my heart to do -- in my spirit. There's no world that can stop me from what I love. Not the rap world, not the fashion world, not theworld. But it hurt me as a human being to see that article written, with the amount of work that's there and the potential and what II will eventually do. But behind bravery and courage is the ability to brace for pain, not the idea of never having pain or trying to avoid pain. Bravery and courage is walking into pain and knowing that something better is on the other side. I heard this quote from Steve Jobs: someone came up to him when he was working on something and said, "Hey, just do it. It will be easy." And he said, "Wait a second. Anything halfway good ismedium hard." There's no easy way out. Just choose what you want to focus on. Right now, over 70 percent of my focus is on apparel. I haven't even given myof clothing yet. We're still on mixtapes.When I was working at the Gap at 15, I don't think I had any desire to actually make clothes, but I always felt like that's what I wanted to be around. I loved the fabrics, I loved the colors, I loved the proportions. Abercrombie was too expensive for me and the Gap was too expensive for me. Even though I worked at the Gap, I didn't get enough hours to get a discount because I was a part-time employee, because I went to high school. At that time I focused mostly on painting and basketball, but then I took two steps away from my potential career as an artist. I had scholarships to Saint Xavier, the Art Institute of Chicago -- I went to the American Academy of Art on an arts scholarship, but I stepped back from that to paint in a different way. I chose to paint sonically. To chop samples in a Warhol-type way. I just looked at civilization: I'd have an assignment to do an ink drawing that took me two weeks, three weeks, and I'd show it to my friends and they'd say, "Cool. My friend can draw. Now let's go play ball. Let's go downtown and talk to some girls." But when I'd work on a track, I'd work on it for just that afternoon -- chop up a sample, put some drums to it. And if my friends liked it, we'd make a tape of it and play it all the way downtown. We'd listen to it all night, keep rewinding it. I made a decision at that point to focus on painting with sound instead of painting visually. I loved music. I loved it more than I love it now. But I think that can happen with anything. You can live in New York for 10 years and say, "I now want to move to San Francisco." It's just harder for me to do music now, period. It's easier for people who focus on it all day and who are younger in their concept of what they want to do with it. I am not what I would consider truly a musician. I am an inventor. I am an innovator.was an innovation.was an innovation. The song "Niggas in Paris" was an innovation. "Only One" was an innovation. "FourFiveSeconds" was an innovation. I care about innovating. I don't care about capitalizing off of something that we've seen or heard a thousand times. I'm not a capitalist in that way. I'm an innovator. That's my job. I like two things: I like innovating and I like making things better. It's not that I always have to invent things that are new. Sometimes I can take something that's there and attempt to make a better version and that's what gets me off. Bottom line.I heard a comment -- a joke -- about the Tidal press conference being an Illuminati moment. If there was actually an Illuminati, it would be more like the energy companies. Not celebrities that gave their life to music and who are pinpointed as decoys for people who really run the world. I'm tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati. That's ridiculous. We don't run anything; we're. We're the face of brands. We have to compromise what we say in lyrics so we don't lose money on a contract. Madonna is in her 50s and gave everything she had to go up on an award show and get choked by her cape. She's judged for who she adopts. Fuck all of this sensationalism. We gave you our lives. We gave you our hearts. We gave you our opinions!Let's just tap back into the real world for a second -- we can have children. Let's be thankful. We can raise our kids, let's be thankful. But how about we raise our kids in a truthful world, not a world based on brands and concepts of perception? Perception is not reality. When I look in North's eyes, I'm happy about every mistake I've ever made. I'm happy that I fought to bring some type of reality to this world we choose to stay in right now, driven by brands and corporations.I also love people being inspired to follow their dreams, because I think people are oppressed by smoke and mirrors, by perception. There isn't an example of a living celebrity that has more words formed against him, but just a little self-belief can go a long way. I think the scariest thing about me is the fact that I just believe. I believe awesome is possible and I believe that beauty is important. When I say "beauty," what's your current definition of beauty? When I think beauty, I think of an untouched forest, only created by God's hand. I think of a gray sky that separates the architecture from the background and creates these amazing photographs because you don't have to block the sun above you when you're taking the photograph. I think beauty is important and it's undermined by our current corporate culture. When you think about the corporate office, you don't see the importance of beauty. I think all colors are beautiful and in a corporate world only one color is. But another thing is that I believe money is important. I think that artists have been brainwashed to look at money as a bad thing, and it's not. I think they're equally important in our current civilization.When I was 10 years old I lived in China, and at the time they used to come up to me and rub my face to see if the color would rub off. It was really fucked up, but I feel like it was preparing me for a world perspective that a lot of my friends who never got a chance to travel didn't get. Now my perspective, a lot of times, is so much wider than someone who's limited to the concept of any particular so-called world that's not the real world. I take into account all of what's happening, from the boom of business in San Francisco to the poverty in Africa -- and that is wide perspective. When I was in fifth grade in China, when kids would come up to me and touch my face, it was like they had never seen a black person before, but that was a while ago. That was 20 years ago and of course we've come a long way now. That's not the current state of mind. On "Never Let Me Down" I rapped, "Racism's still alive, they just be concealing it," but for the next generation that's not necessarily true. Racism is something that's taught, but for the new post-Internet, post-iPad kids that have been taught to swipe before they read, it's just not going to affect them as much. They realize that we are one race. We're different colors -- my cousins and I are different shapes and we're all from one family. We're all from one family called the human race. It's simple as that. This race is up against some interesting things -- poverty, war, global warming, classism -- and we have to come together to beat this. It'll only be as a collective that we can beat this, and we can. We can create a better world for ourselves.People have asked why I don't speak out -- on social media, for example -- about events in this country. The way I see it, it's not about a post on social media from me when. There's people in Chicago dying. There's people all across the globe dying for no reason! There's people who'll never have the opportunity tofor terrible, nonsensical reasons. I care about people. I care about society. I care about people being inspired. I care about people believing in themselves, because that's the scariest thing. The modern population cannot be controlled by the system -- they break the system.One time I was at the dentist's office and I was given nitrous gas and I was vibing out -- I guess that's my version of Steve Jobs and his LSD trip -- when I had this first thought:? And then I thought,. What's the key to happiness?. What do you want in life? When you give someone something, should they give you something in return? No. We don't have to expect to be compensated by the person we give to. Just give. I'm a Christian so I'll speak in Christian terms: God will give you tenfold. Then I said in my mind -- I'm still under the gas and getting my teeth cleaned --. And I immediately corrected myself. I said,. I came out of the gas and had a completely new attitude on everything. It's fine to not get credit for everything; it's almost better. For the amount of things that I really want to do, it can only work if I'm credited for about 20 percent of them. Because if I'm really credited for the amount of things that I'm going to do and what I want to do, it's just too much. The reward is in the deed itself. The times that I've looked like a crazy person -- when I was screaming at an interviewer or screaming from the stage -- all I was screaming was, "Help me to help more! I've given all I've got. I've gone into fucking debt.. But if I had a little bit more opportunity, I could give so much more." That's what I was screaming for. Help me to help more. ||||| The buzzwords were many, issued from the stage throughout last week's curiously memorable and well-covered media event announcing the new Tidal music-streaming service: notions of revolution, of changing the status quo and upending the system.
As rhetoric regarding the "future of music" rang from the podium, a billion-dollar club of Tidal stakeholders-artists including Beyoncé and husband Jay Z, Jack White, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Rihanna and Madonna stood side by side onstage in New York. Flanked by Daft Punk members in their robot costumes and Deadmau5 donning a giant mouse head, singer Alicia Keys stated with furrow-browed gravitas that with the launch of Tidal, we were witnessing "a moment that will forever change the course of music history."
After a little more idealism, they all signed a document as though they were leading the Second Continental Congress.
Purchased by Jay Z with minority owners including three major labels (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group) and undisclosed others, Tidal was born as a Swedish high-fidelity streaming company called Aspiro. The rebranding puts it as the newest player in a field occupied by competitors including the market leader Spotify, which has 15 million subscribers and 60 million users.
Along with the soon-to-be unveiled reboot of the Apple-owned Beats Music, which will be integrated into iTunes, Microsoft's XBox Music, Google Music, perennial underdogs Rdio and Rhapsody and YouTube's forthcoming Music Key streaming service, it's a crowded marketplace. That's especially true considering most music content can be heard for free through YouTube.
On a broad scale, however, Keys and Jay Z had a point. This year the industry is going all-in on a so-called streaming future of music consumption. Just as the major labels abandoned vinyl and cassettes for compact discs and were forced to adapt to MP3 files, they're now committed to the no-muss, no-fuss cloud.
What's less publicized is that they're doing so through deals that leverage their valuable library of music licenses for equity stake in the companies. The three majors own approximately 20% of Spotify. If Google were to buy the service for $10 billion, for example, the labels would earn $2 billion. The musicians making the content, however, would be entitled to nothing.
What is Jay Z's Tidal? It's the first-ever artist-owned music-streaming service, with the goal of getting artists properly compensated for their music. The Times’ Christy Khoshaba reports. What is Jay Z's Tidal? It's the first-ever artist-owned music-streaming service, with the goal of getting artists properly compensated for their music. The Times’ Christy Khoshaba reports. See more videos
All these services offer a nearly identical product and seek the same goal: to convince a generation of music fans that has never paid for music and whose ears are used to densely compressed music files that they're insulting both the artist and the art. Tidal's declared aim: to deliver high-quality sound, exclusive music, inventive playlists and editorial content to music fans. On Saturday, for example, Beyoncé debuted an exclusive video that captures her behind a grand piano singing a beautiful ballad. It was shot with a hand-held camera by Jay Z.
Such exclusives underscore a more crucial goal: Tidal must convince at least a fraction of the 97% of consumers who don't pay for a streaming service that subscribing to a premium $20-a-month platform (or $10 basic plan) is the ethically responsible thing to do.
But if the online backlash is to be believed, somebody's doing it wrong — but not the fans. A Twitter user who goes by @spursfan1975 captured the essence of the fan response: "Tidal — a business venture to help rich musicians get even richer. Cue a rise in music piracy instead!!!" By the weekend, the backlash was represented by the trending #TidalforNoOne hashtag. Next time Jay Z, Arcade Fire's Win Butler and Regine Chassagne and Jason Aldean pitch something for the good of starving artists, they probably shouldn't do it while in a mansion holding Champagne flutes and toasting their gold-leafed good fortune.
Compared with the fraction of a penny that the content providers (also known as rights holders, or "musicians") earn per spin, the divide is apparent. According to Spotify Artists, a website that explains the company's payment system, the most recently calculated average "per-stream" payout to rights holders was between $0.006 and $0.0084.
That's not much, which is one reason why Taylor Swift pulled her music from Spotify and penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal at the end of 2014. "Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for," she wrote.
Directing her ire at Spotify's free service, which includes short commercial breaks, she added, "It's my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album's price point is." Swift's absence on Tidal's stage was notable. Her catalog is, however, present on the service, which itself amounts to tacit approval.
Despite her music's presence, though, Jay Z's declaration of significance is outlandish. It's also unsupportable. Tidal, which boasts only 500,000-plus subscribers, is hardly yet worth paying for, even if the sound quality is indeed remarkable. In fact, the quality is strikingly good, filled with a depth and sonic range as close to compact-disc quality as I've ever heard from a stream.
The reason: Tidal streams rich, CD-quality sound through a lossless audio format. On the right system, the difference is obvious. Still, it's hard to fathom anyone other than wealthiest 1% — or those of us with expense accounts to pay for such luxuries — buying in.
As such, Tidal isn't a revolution in anything other than artistic chutzpuh. The service has a feel of a shiny new Planet Hollywood on the first weekend of operation. Or as another Twitter critic described the service as it is now, "Tidal is just a Spotify copy for rich people." It offers a similar volume of choices but does so with an interface that's less intuitive than either Spotify or Beats.
What none of the artists onstage seemed to understand — and that the labels want you to forget — is that we don't need their 16-person "insurgency" to enjoy music. We don't need Tidal, Beats Music, Spotify or iTunes. If I really want to support an artist, you know what I do? I buy direct, see if they sell music on Bandcamp or wait to spend the money at the tour merch table. ||||| Welcome to the April 13, 2015 edition of Outrage Watch, HitFix's (almost) daily rundown of all the things folks are peeved about in entertainment. Today's top story: Mumford & Sons want nothing to do with Tidal.
In a new interview with The Daily Beast, the Grammy-winning rock band greeted the mention of Jay Z's much-ballyhooed new artist-owned streaming service -- which has the backing of such music superstars as Madonna, Beyonce, Jack White and Rihanna -- with "a series of loud fart sounds" before being slammed further by frontman Marcus Mumford, who told the website:
“We wouldn’t have joined it anyway, even if they had asked. We don’t want to be tribal. ...A band of our size shouldn’t be complaining. And when they say it’s artist-owned, it’s owned by those rich, wealthy artists.” Or as guitarist Winston Marshall called them: "New school fucking plutocrats.”
Wait, is that a compliment?
[The Daily Beast]
Want more? There's plenty of indignation to go around. See below for a full roundup of today's kerfuffles.
Outraged: Madonna haters
Target: Madonna
Why: Madonna's awkward onstage kiss with Drake at Coachella on Sunday unleashed the Madonna-bashing hordes on social media, with some even going so far as to imply that the "Rebel Heart" boss sexually assaulted the Toronto rapper.
It isn't okay that @Madonna kissed @Drake without consent. We'd be mad if a male did it do a female. She owes Drake an apology. — Cassie Fambro Byrd (@CassieFambro) April 13, 2015
Would you still be laughing if #Madonna was a guy and Drake was a girl? I seriously doubt it http://t.co/h1BE09V5dO pic.twitter.com/AlTxRRZK8L — Rachel Moss (@rachelmoss_) April 13, 2015
Drake consents to one thing, Madonna does something else & people are determined to blame him anyway. Victim blaming never changes. — Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) April 13, 2015
I hope #Madonna and Drake planned that long stage kiss. Otherwise that would be, like, erm, sexual assault...no? What do I know? — Elnathan John (@elnathan) April 13, 2015
And my personal favorite:
I hope #Madonna and Drake planned that long stage kiss. Otherwise that would be, like, erm, sexual assault...no? What do I know? — Elnathan John (@elnathan) April 13, 2015
Not a lot, sounds like.
Outraged: Twitter, "The View" co-host Rosie Perez
Target: Gwyneth Paltrow
Why: The Oscar-winning actress and much-reviled GOOP guru took a lot of heat on social media over the weekend for accepting a challenge to live on a food budget of $29 a week -- i.e. the amount afforded to each person living on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Her tweet:
This is what $29 gets you at the grocery store—what families on SNAP (i.e. food stamps) have to live on for a week. pic.twitter.com/OZMPA3nxij — Gwyneth Paltrow (@GwynethPaltrow) April 9, 2015
Along with TIME contributor Darlena Cunha -- who headlined her piece "Sorry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Poverty Tourism Is Gross" -- Gwyneth became the target of scorn from both Perez ("I find it offensive," she said on Monday's "View") and, of course, all the haters on Twitter:
Vast difference living on food stamps for 1 week knowing you've a safetynet of millions, and that being your life every day @GwynethPaltrow — THE SPIRITUAL SLOB (@spiritualslob) April 12, 2015
its so cool how celebs (gwyneth paltrow) can challenge themselves to live off a food stamp budget like its a game or something — julianne knight (@jul_knight) April 12, 2015
Maybe instead of making a scene living as a poor, Gwyneth Paltrow could've donated 1/100 of her $280M net worth to food stamp families. — chels - queso queen (@chelsea_elisa) April 12, 2015
Valid criticisms, and yet somehow I'm more offended by this sunny TV Guide tweet:
Good news, food stamp recipients: Gwyneth Paltrow feels your pain! http://t.co/k0UnbnY44V pic.twitter.com/ffo8fwy6F1 — TV Guide (@TVGuide) April 10, 2015
Take heart, the working poor! Gwyneth is stooping to your level for a whole week!
[h/t The Wrap]
Outraged: Lindsay Lohan (allegedly)
Target: Mother Dina Lohan
Why: According to TMZ, the England-residing "Mean Girls" star is angry at her beloved momma for two reasons: 1) Because she's reportedly participating in the U.K.'s edition of "Celebrity Big Brother," which would force Lindsay to share an even smaller country with her; and 2) Because she's hawking a bunch of Lindsay's stuff through an "online flea market."
In other Lohan news, Ali is still trying to get that pop career going.
[TMZ] ||||| UPDATE: Late Wednesday evening, hours after he deleted a slew of tweets about Jay Z's Tidal, Kanye West wrote a new post on Twitter showing his support for the service. The original story is below the tweet.
The love of music is louder than words. http://t.co/dvYp0pl3An pic.twitter.com/1B4edv3jRl — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 23, 2015
Uh oh.
It seems like Kanye West is distancing himself from the Tidal music streaming service he helped launch less than a month ago.
WATCH: Jay Z Debuts New Music Streaming Service Tidal in Most Awkward Press Conference Ever
The 37-year-old rapper has changed his Twitter profile picture back to a My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy avatar from the bright blue Tidal square, and removed all mentions of the streaming service on his Twitter page.
Kanye kiiiiind of defended Tidal in his new cover story for Paper Magazine, but mostly just wrote about how it's not an Illuminati cover-up.
"I heard a comment -- a joke -- about the Tidal press conference being an Illuminati moment," said Kanye. "I'm tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati. That's ridiculous. We don't run anything; we're celebrities. We're the face of brands. We have to compromise what we say in lyrics so we don't lose money on a contract."
Either way, things are looking pretty rough for Tidal, which has fallen out of the top 700 on the iPhone apps chart, just as rival Spotify is surging, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Unlike Spotify, Tidal does not have a free alternative for its service.
WATCH: How Tidal Stacks Up Against Spotify
People on Twitter have been making fun of Kanye's apparent departure from the Tidal brand.
So Kanye deleting all his tweets about Tidal means it can die now right? — Clown Baby (@MuggleFaceMike) April 23, 2015
You could almost say it's kind of like what happened with Amy Schumer.
This is exactly how Kanye reacted when he clocked Tidal was flopping pic.twitter.com/DvWMvVuPFd — Murdock (@thecolourdeebs) April 22, 2015
NEWS: Kim Kardashian Thought Amy Schumer's Red Carpet Prank Was Really Funny
Who knows, maybe Kanye is just heeding his own advice.
I want to steer clear of “opportunities" and focus on dreams. — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 11, 2015
At least one thing's for sure....
NEWS: Rihanna Gives U.S. History Lesson In 'American Oxygen' Video
ET has reached out to Kanye and Tidal's reps for comment.
Watch the video below for more from Kanye's Paper Magazine cover story.
|
– "Like Spotify, but you have to pay for it" hasn't turned out to be a great business model for Tidal, the music service Jay Z and other superstar co-owners relaunched last month. After a month, the service has already dropped out of the iPhone top 700 download chart, and the company's CEO has been replaced in what it describes as a "streamlining" move, the Guardian reports. Rivals Pandora and Spotify, meanwhile, have surged ahead and are now both in the top four of the US iPhone revenue chart, which Tero Kuittinen at BGR believes is partly because Tidal's fierce criticism of other music services raised public awareness of them. Many commentators blame the flop on the mixed message Tidal sent in having A-listers launch a music service that promised to give artists more money. Next time artists like Jay Z "pitch something for the good of starving artists," Los Angeles Times music critic Randall Roberts writes, "they probably shouldn't do it while in a mansion holding champagne flutes and toasting their gold-leafed good fortune." Tidal backer Kanye West mysteriously deleted his tweets on the service last night, reports Entertainment Tonight, but in a Paper magazine cover story, he defends it in his own way. Tidal is not an Illuminati front, he insists. "I'm tired of people pinpointing musicians as the Illuminati," he writes. "That's ridiculous. We don't run anything; we're celebrities." (This band apparently hates Tidal, and this huge star had apparently never heard of it before it launched.)
|
As of December 2016, Android was the dominant operating system in India with over 75 percent of the market share. Its closest rival, Nokia, had less than a five percent share. The Indian OS market has seen a rapid transformation since the beginning of 2012 when Symbian held over 65 percent of the market. In the following few years the operating system, which was used in most Nokia smartphones, has seen its market share fall to nothing.Android’s dominance in the Indian smartphone industry is echoed in the global market where the operating system held over 80 percent of the smartphone market as of the fourth quarter of 2016. In the U.S. alone there will be an estimated 107.7 million Android users in 2016, compared to 87.7 million in 2014. This means that by 2014 almost a quarter of the population of the United States will own an Android device. Android’s closest rival in the global operating system market is Apple’s iOS , which held just over 18.3 percent of the market share as of the fourth quarter of 2016. However, as yet, Apple has not broken into the Indian market, although its market share has grown steadily since the start of 2012, it still remains well below three percent.Samsung has been one of the key beneficiaries of the Android operating system with its “Galaxy” series of devices all running on the Android system. The South Korean company held an 18.1 percent share in global smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2016 and announced global revenue of 177.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2015. Samsung is equally dominant in India where it held the biggest market share for smartphone brands in the fourth quarter of 2016 with a quarter of the share. Its closest competitor, Xiaomi , had just over 10 percent of the market share. ||||| PM Modi reportedly said only a few MPs respond to his good morning messages (File Photo)
Highlights PM Narendra Modi sends "good morning" messages to lawmakers every day He says apart from few parliamentarians, no one responds He asks parliamentarians to stay updated on the Narendra Modi app
"No one ever wishes me good morning," Prime Minister Narendra Modi groused today as he addressed lawmakers of the ruling BJP at a weekly meeting before the start of parliament. Sources say his message for everyone was- get more active on the Narendra Modi app.PM Modi reportedly remarked at the BJP parliamentary meet that he sent messages to lawmakers every morning but few acknowledged his greetings. "I send good morning messages but apart from five or six MPs, no one responds," he said, urging MPs to keep up on the Narendra Modi app.PM Modi reportedly also said that often, he sent important messages with his morning greetings, but these were missed too.Union Minister Mahesh Sharma, who was at the meeting, said the Prime Minister has often advised party lawmakers to be social-media and tech savvy for better mass outreach."As head of the family, if the PM has to remind MPs, then it is most welcome," said Mr Sharma.His colleague SS Ahluwalia, the Minister of State for Water, added, "The app is very good and I am a regular user."Earlier this month, the Prime Minister used the app while campaigning for the Gujarat election. Using its video chatting facility, he addressed scores of women workers of the BJP and even interacted with some of them.The Narendra Modi app was launched in 2015.Minister Jitendra Singh briefed colleagues at the meeting on how the app can be used for a direct interface with the Prime Minister.The Narendra Modi app updates users on the PM's activities and allows them to receive messages and emails directly from him. People can use the app to listen to PM Modi's radio show Mann ki Baat, rate government schemes and also keep up with the news. BJP lawmakers are not unfamiliar with PM Modi's admonitions. In August this year, he had warned MPs against skipping parliament, saying their absence could cost them a chance to contest the 2019 national election.
|
– Two little words are causing a big headache for smartphone users in India: "good morning." That's because so many folks in the country of over 1.3 billion people are sending happy little photos that bear the message to so many of the people they care about. According to the Wall Street Journal, it's such an issue that one in three smartphone users runs out of space in India daily. The messages, featuring photos of things like sunrises, hearts, and flowers, are typically sent via Facebook's popular WhatsApp messenger. The problem is so rampant that Google—whose Android operating system holds an 80% market share in India, according to Statista.com—had to create brand new software to address the issue. Called Files Go, Google's app searches for telltale signs that a file is a "Good Morning" photo and marks it for deletion. The issue, at least in a small way, has even reached the highest levels of government in India, where the prime minister himself, Narendra Modi, reportedly sends the uplifting message at the dawn of each new day. But is anyone listening? Not according to India's NDTV, which reports that Modi himself complained during a meeting that he can't get a "good morning" back. "I send good morning messages, but apart from five or six MPs, no one responds," the PM reportedly complained. NDTV reports the PM sends the messages using his own app, fittingly called the Narendra Modi app. Ministers in attendance at the meeting were reportedly instructed how to use the app to respond directly to the prime minister. (A court decided this unsent text message was an important one.)
|
Three years after teen Trayvon Martin was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla., setting off a national debate on race and gun laws, the Department of Justice announced Monday it had concluded that there is not enough evidence to bring civil rights charges in the case.
Attorney General Eric Holder called the case "a devastating tragedy," in a press release.
"It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country," Holder said. "Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young man's premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface. We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future."
Federal civil rights charges are difficult to press, let alone get convictions for. In its press release about the decision, the lack of charges against Zimmerman are said to be a result of being unable to meet the standard of proving that the "defendant knew his acts were unlawful, and committed those acts in open defiance of the law."
DOJ officials said they would have had to have proven that Zimmerman approached Martin "in a threatening manner before the fatal shooting because of Martin's race."
Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division said: "Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases."
In a statement released through their attorney, Martin's family thanked the DOJ for their "extensive and thorough investigation into the killing of our son."
"Although we are disappointed in these findings, it has steeled our resolve to continue traveling the country with the message of the Trayvon Martin Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting our youth and empowering those who demand justice and peace," the family said.
On Feb. 26, 2012, Martin was walking back from a convenience store after purchasing a pack of Skittles candy and iced tea when Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, confronted him. The 17-year-old was visiting his father's fiancée at The Retreat at Twin Lakes community in Sanford with his father, and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
Zimmerman told police immediately after the incident he killed the teen in self-defense after a scuffle. He was taken into custody but was released without charges being filed. The police chief in Sanford, Bill Lee, who later resigned, said Zimmerman was not arrested because his story held up under Florida's now much-debated "Stand Your Ground" laws.
About a month later, the story started making national headlines, as it was revealed that Martin was black and unarmed and that Zimmerman faced the prospects of no legal penalty. Media began reporting Zimmerman as being white, but his family insisted he was Latino.
On March 19, 2012, the Justice Department announced it would open an investigation into the case.
Attorney General Eric Holder expressed personal interest in the case, saying at the time: "At every level of today's Justice Department -- preventing and combating youth violence and victimization is, and will continue to be, a top priority."
After details of the incident began to leak - including 911 tapes and videos of Zimmerman in custody - as well as several back-and-forths about criminal charges from state and local officials, special prosecutor Angela Corey announced on April 11, 2012, that Zimmerman was being charged with second-degree murder in the shooting and that he was in police custody.
He was acquitted of murder charges on July 14, 2013, in a case that divided an all-female jury panel and set off nationwide protests.
The national race debate that the Trayvon Martin case began was later further inflamed by the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and the chokehold death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y., among other cases.
The Department of Justice also opened a civil rights investigation into each of those cases. It declined to press charges against former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the case of the Michael Brown shooting. The decision regarding the Eric Garner case is still open.
Zimmerman has since slipped into relative obscurity, and has had several other run-ins with police, mostly involving domestic disturbances. ||||| Story highlights "We will never, ever forget what happened to our son," Trayvon Martin's family says
George Zimmerman was acquitted on a criminal charge of second-degree murder
Federal authorities had investigated whether to charge him based on hate crime law
Washington (CNN) No civil rights charges will be brought against George Zimmerman in the February 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday, citing what it said was insufficient evidence.
Zimmerman was acquitted of criminal charges in 2013 in the killing of the 17-year-old Martin, who was black.
"Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young man's premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a news release. "We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future."
Justice Department prosecutors and officials from the FBI met with Martin's family on Tuesday to inform them of the decision, the department said.
In a Tuesday afternoon statement, the family thanked the Justice Department for its investigation and "millions of people around the world" who supported them.
Read More ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says George Zimmerman will not face federal civil rights charges in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
The department announced its decision Tuesday, saying that there was not enough evidence to bring federal civil rights charges, which would have required proof that the killing was motivated by racial animosity.
Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted of second-degree murder in July 2013. He has said he shot Martin in self-defense during a confrontation inside a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
The case created a national conversation about race and self-defense gun laws. Martin, who was unarmed when he was killed, was black. The teen's relatives have accused Zimmerman of starting the fight and racially profiling Martin. . ||||| While the public waits for a Justice Department announcement over two separate investigations spurred by the summer shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, the department announced today it is closing its investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Justice Department officials met with Martin's family today, and were told that they will not be filing charges against George Zimmerman, who shot the 17-year-old after a confrontation in 2012. Thursday marks three years to the day since Martin was killed.
Federal prosecutors concluded there is not sufficient evidence to prove Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Fla., intentionally violated Martin's civil rights.
"Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager's life," Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division said. "Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases." The case sparked intense discussions over race in America because Martin was walking to his home with only Skittles and an iced tea in his hands.
Florida prosecutors tried to convict Zimmerman of state-level murder and manslaughter charges, but in July 2013 a jury acquitted him, saying prosecutors didn't have enough evidence to prove their case.
One juror -– the only minority on the all-female jury –- later told ABC News that "as the law was read to me, if you have no proof that he killed him intentionally, you can't say he's guilty."
"You can't put the man in jail even though in our hearts we felt he was guilty," she said. "But we had to grab our hearts and put it aside and look at the evidence."
In Sanford, race-related tensions had been simmering for nearly a century, but Martin's death "was the proverbial 'straw that broke the camel's back,'" bringing "those issues to the surface," the new Sanford police chief, Cecil Smith, recently told federal officials.
After Martin was killed, Holder sat down his own teenage son to explain that -- as unfair as it may be -- young black men must often interact with police in a different way than others, he told a convention in April 2014. It was "a conversation I hoped I'd never have to have," Holder added.
As media attention mounted over Martin's death, protests grew across the country calling for justice. The city of Sanford now says a police department had not been scrutinized like that by the press, religious organizations, social activists and the broader public since Los Angeles police beat Rodney King in 1991.
Zimmerman was not a police officer and the neighborhood watch program he was a part of was independent from local police.
Many accused Zimmerman of discriminating against Martin –- essentially taking action against the teenager and ultimately killing him because Martin was black. Zimmerman is Hispanic.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and FBI opened an investigation into the case, noting "experienced federal prosecutors" would determine "whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation" of federal law. In a statement, the department noted there are "limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction."
Privately and publicly, Justice Department officials have been telegraphing all along that they were unlikely to file charges against Zimmerman. And in November 2013, Holder said the case against Zimmerman "in substantial part was resolved" with his acquittal months earlier.
Nevertheless, federal officials have insisted their civil-rights probe would be thorough and complete. Several months ago –- nearly two years into the Justice Department's investigation –- Holder said federal investigators were still seeking to interview certain witnesses "as a result of some recent developments."
More recently, Holder has said he hoped to announce the findings of the Zimmerman and Ferguson-related probes before he leaves office, which could happen in a matter of weeks, depending on when the U.S. Senate confirms his successor.
Holder has said then when a decision is announced in the Zimmerman case, it will be accompanied by "as much information" as possible detailing the Justice Department's findings.
In the Ferguson case, the department is currently conducting two probes into the matter.
A criminal investigation will try to determine whether then-officer Darren Wilson used unreasonable force and intentionally violated Michael Brown's civil rights when he shot the unarmed teenager in August. The second probe - though not criminal in nature –- will look more broadly into whether the Ferguson police department has routinely engaged in a "pattern or practice" of unlawful and discriminatory policing.
A state grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, declined to indict Wilson in Novembe4 2014. Many expect the Justice Department will not be able to bring federal charges against Wilson, but will take action against the local police department.
Get real-time updates as this story unfolds. To start, just "star" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.
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– George Zimmerman continues to get into minor scrapes with the law, but he's going to avoid a major one: The Justice Department has decided not to bring civil rights charges against him in the death of Trayvon Martin, reports AP. It's not a huge surprise given that the threshold for convictions in such cases is even higher than in criminal trials, and Zimmerman was famously acquitted of murder charges. The department concluded the evidence just wasn't there, report ABC and CBS. To get a conviction, the feds would have to prove that Zimmerman acted with "an added element of bias" when he killed the unarmed black teenager. As CNN explains, "proving that a person attacked someone is one thing. Proving what was going through their mind when they did it—especially if the other person is dead—is much harder." Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder has previously acknowledged it would be a tough standard to meet.
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VILNIUSLithuania joined the euro zone at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, hoping to anchor itself in Europe as its former master Russia flexes its military muscle in the region.
The first Soviet republic to declare independence, in 1990, Lithuania is the last of the three Baltic states to join the currency union and will be the last country to do so for the foreseeable future, with remaining European Union members at least two years, and probably much more, away.
"Myself, and I think, many of you feel sad that (Lithuania's currency) the litas, which has served us well for more than two decades, becomes history, but we have to move forward," Lithuania's Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius told the euro launch ceremony.
The common currency remains a divisive issue, with polls showing half the population of 3 million still not convinced dumping the litas is a good idea.
Lithuania's Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, who became the first person in the country to withdraw a 10 euro banknote from a cash machine, said the euro would "become a guarantor of both economic and political security."
The government hopes that by becoming the 19th member of the euro bloc, Lithuania's trade will get a boost and borrowing costs will fall to help the country to recover from a 15 percent contraction in 2009 at the height of the global financial crisis.
The central bank Governor Vitas Vasiliauskas has also stressed the "geopolitical" significance of the move which puts the former Soviet state firmly in the sphere of what used to be considered Western Europe.
"You live where you live. You have to keep that in mind," he told Reuters when asked about benefits of euro zone entry, referring to the recent flare-up in tensions in the region.
Russia’s role in the Ukraine crisis, which included the annexation of Crimea, has awoken fears in the Baltics, which have sizable ethnic Russian minorities, that they could be next.
NATO scrambled its jets more than 150 times in 2014 in response to Russian sorties, three times more than the previous year. Moscow also held surprise military exercises in Kaliningrad, its enclave that borders Lithuania, in December, with 9,000 troops and 55 ships.
Despite rising political tensions, Lithuania's credit rating is now well into investment grade, and rating agency Fitch expects its economy to growth by 3.5 percent in 2015, three times as fast as the euro zone as a whole.
Still, almost two-thirds of people fear Lithuania is losing part of its identity by switching to euro, and three-quarters expect price to rise after adopting the euro, a Eurobarometer poll found.
Estonia joined the euro zone in 2011, followed by Latvia in 2014. All three Baltic nations joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.
(Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) ||||| VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — When Antanas Zubavicius turns the light on in his run-down house, it's the only light for miles. He is the last man in Dumbliuneliai, a once busy farmers' village in Lithuania that has gradually been abandoned as its residents emigrated in search of better jobs.
Bank staff fill a cash machine with euro currency in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday. Dec. 30, 2014, as preparations continue for the currency swap-over. Political leaders are hoping that joining the euro... (Associated Press)
Bank staff fill a cash machine with euro currency in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday. Dec. 30, 2014, as preparations continue for the currency swap-over. Political leaders are hoping that joining the euro... (Associated Press)
"I'm not going anywhere. This is my land," the 60-year-old says, waving at the abandoned, shuttered houses around him. "When I am gone this village is gone too."
Lithuania became the 19th country to adopt the euro on Thursday, hoping that membership in the European Union's official currency will bring a rise in investment and trade. But the Baltic country's increasing integration with richer European countries has also a pernicious side-effect: a wave of emigration that is emptying towns and causing worker shortages.
Emigration has been on the rise since 2004, when this country of 3 million people joined the EU, whose membership guarantees freedom of movement.
During the 2008-2011 financial crisis, more than 80,000 people — almost 3 percent of the population — left every year, mainly to Germany, Britain and other richer economies to earn salaries many times higher. Experts forecast that trend to continue, or even increase.
In the field of construction, business owners complain it is impossible to keep hold of workers, even with massive annual wage increases of 10 to 20 percent. The problem is not confined to rural villages. Most shopping malls, restaurants and businesses in once busy urban areas are increasingly short of labor.
"There's simply no more skilled people left here," says Arvydas Avulis, CEO of Hanner, a leading real estate investor and developer that specializes in high-rise construction.
A quick look at wage figures shows why. A manual worker in Lithuania can expect to earn 1.80 euros ($2.20) an hour compared with 4.30 euros ($5.24) in Spain and 8.60 euros ($10.50) in Ireland, according to the EU statistics agency.
In the more skilled sectors like computing, medicine or the services industry, where Lithuania's educational system produces highly qualified graduates, wage differences are even greater.
In her New Year's speech, President Dalia Grybauskaite said accession to the euro area is "our opportunity to grow and develop as a modern European state, to set ourselves new goals and look firmly to the future."
On Wednesday — the day before the official changeover to the euro — Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius thanked those who introduced the litas back in 1992 and welcomed the incoming euro. "It will be the new tool to guarantee greater economic and political security," he told a meeting of bankers and business leaders.
Shoppers filled stores on Wednesday in a last-minute bid to get rid of litas despite assurances by the central bank that the national currency will be accepted throughout Lithuania until mid-January.
"I had several thousands (of litas) left at home and decided to get rid of those before its too late. It's a win-win; I did not have to wait in line at the bank and will surprise my kids," said Mindaugas Kazlauskas, an engineer, who purchased a gaming console.
Euro membership is expected to help Lithuania's economy, even though the currency bloc is struggling to grow. Having the same currency as 18 other richer economies will facilitate commerce and reduce investment risks for foreigners. Government borrowing rates are forecast to drop by almost 1 percentage point, which would filter down to the private sector.
The problem is that Lithuania is the bloc's poorest member and even though its economy is growing at a stronger pace than most EU countries, it has a long way to develop before it can hope to offer wages on a par with other EU states.
Unsurprisingly, most Lithuanians favor joining the euro, as it will cement the country's ties with the West and keep those richer labor markets open to them.
In a Nov. 26 survey by Berent Research Baltic, 53 percent of respondents said they back euro membership, up from 47 percent in September. Some 39 were opposed, down from 49 percent. A total of 1,002 people were interviewed for the poll, which had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
Skeptics worry about the euro's recent problems with government debt and economic stagnation.
Pranciskus Sliuzas, a journalist and anti-euro activist, describes joining the euro as "one of the most stupid things of all time." He laments the fact that Lithuania is giving up some national powers, such as the ability to determine its interest rates or budget deficit.
For others, such economic arguments are of secondary concern to issues like national security — in particular the fear of an increasingly aggressive Russia. Along with neighbors Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union for almost five decades.
"I think it would be a good thing to get closer to the rest of Europe as the only other option is to become friends with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," said Janina Gailiene, a retired primary school teacher in Vilnius.
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– Lithuania's lita is about to join the drachma, guilder, and Deutschmark in the pages of history: The country has become the 19th to adopt the euro, despite polls showing around half the population against membership, and the old national currency will no longer be accepted by mid-January, reports Reuters. Despite the euro's problems, the country hopes adopting the currency will boost trade with the other 18 nations using it, although the AP notes that Lithuania is the eurozone's poorest member and integration with the other nations has caused a huge wave of emigration that has left some industries unable to keep workers, even with annual wage increases of 20%. Officials say that beyond the economic gains, the currency switch will shift the country further away from Russia's influence.
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People walk past a bomb squad van outside Antwerp Central train station in Antwerp, Belgium on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Police and the bomb squad unit responded to a suspect package in the Antwerp station... (Associated Press)
People walk past a bomb squad van outside Antwerp Central train station in Antwerp, Belgium on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Police and the bomb squad unit responded to a suspect package in the Antwerp station while the Belgian federal prosecutor's office said early Saturday that homes and car ports were... (Associated Press)
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authorities have raided dozens of homes and held 12 suspects in a major anti-terror investigation which they said required "immediate intervention" because they feared an attack could have been close.
Across Belgium parties were held Saturday to watch live broadcasts of the country's soccer team playing Ireland at the European Championships in neighboring France and some media said such events could have been the targets. Belgium won 3-0 and no major incidents were reported during the game.
Prime Minister Charles Michel said the nation would remain "extremely vigilant, hour by hour," but that the terror level across the nation would remain at the second-highest level, meaning a threat of an attack "is possible and likely." Belgium has been living under such a threat level since the November attacks in Paris, some of whose perpetrators were either Belgian nationals or had lived in Brussels. On March 22, attacks on the Brussels subway and airport killed 32.
"It will be the case in the coming hours that we will take additional and adapted measures," said Michel after a meeting of the nation's security council. He refused to elaborate on the nature of the threat.
The federal prosecutor's office said Saturday that homes and car ports were searched in 16 municipalities, mostly in and around Brussels. The statement said there were no major incidents during the raids and that no arms or explosives were found.
It said 40 people were taken in Friday night and early Saturday for interrogation, of which 12 were held. A judge is to rule on their continued detention later Saturday.
"It is not over. We remain under terror alert 3, it means that something is still up," Interior Minister Jan Jambon said. "Last night, we had a very successful action."
The prosecutor's statement said that "the results of the investigation necessitated an immediate intervention," indicating a violent attack was likely planned in the near future.
The federal prosecutor's office did not link the raids to the March 22 attacks, even though an eighth suspect was arrested as part of the investigation of those attacks late Friday. The Belgian man, identified as Youssef E.A., was charged with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempts to terrorist murders."
At the same time, four top ministers, including Michel, Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens received special protection following unspecified threats.
"We learned about that late yesterday that this close protection would happen. They say there are good reasons for that," Geens said.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the attacks in Belgium were in March, not November. ||||| Belgian security forces have carried out multiple raids across the country, arresting 12 suspects believed to be planning attacks.
Flemish public broadcaster VTM said on Saturday that the people arrested overnight were suspected of planning an attack in Brussels this weekend during one of Belgium's matches in the Euro 2016 football tournament.
The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement that police targeted about 40 locations in a case that needed "immediate intervention".
"In connection with a criminal investigation concerning terrorism... 40 persons were taken for questioning. Twelve among them were arrested. The investigating judge will decide on their possible detention later today," the statement say.
The raids took place in 16 communes in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia and "passed off without incident," the statement said.
Security alert
The federal prosecutor said "no arms or ammunition have been found up to now".
Europe is on high alert as the Euro 2016 tournament is under way in France.
Al Jazeera's Nadim Baba, reporting from Paris, said: "People in Belgium and France are extremely aware that there is an ongoing threat.
"The French police have been very stretched, dealing not only with security around match venues but also with hooliganism."
France has deployed 90,000 security forces for the tournament, but French President Francois Hollande has said that the threat of attacks will not stop the event from being successful.
In March, Brussels' Zaventem airport and the Maelbeek metro station were attacked, leaving 31 people dead, including the bombers, and wounding at least 270 in the worst such incident in Belgian history.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group said it was responsible for the bombings.
The group also claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks in Paris in November which killed 130 people.
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– Twelve people were arrested in Brussels on suspicion of planning terror attacks after dozens of homes were raided and 40 people were questioned overnight, NBC News reports. According to AFP, three of those arrested have been charged with attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group. The other nine were released. Officials say there was a need for "immediate intervention" as the suspects may have been planning an attack in Brussels to coincide with a Euro 2016 soccer match Saturday, Al-Jazeera reports. According to the AP, the European Championships are currently taking place in France, but people were gathering all over Belgium to watch Belgium take on Ireland on Saturday. There were no difficulties during the raids, and no weapons were found. "In the interest of the investigation, currently no further details can be given." NBC quotes a statement from the Belgium Federal Prosecutor’s Office as saying. The Belgian prime minister says the situation is "under control," though the country will remain under the second highest terror level. "It is not over," Belgium's interior minister tells the AP. "Something is still up." Belgium's soccer team ended up defeating Ireland 3-0 in its Euro match.
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Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| Migrants pray during a vigil outside the Benito Juarez Sports Center serving as a temporary shelter for Central American migrants in Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. The mayor of Tijuana has... (Associated Press)
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — Migrants approaching the U.S. border from Mexico were enveloped with tear gas Sunday after a few tried to breach the fence separating the two countries.
U.S. agents shot the gas, according to an Associated Press reporter on the scene. Children were screaming and coughing in the mayhem.
Honduran migrant Ana Zuniga, 23, said she saw migrants open a small hole in concertina wire at a gap on the Mexican side of a levee, at which point U.S. agents fired tear gas at them.
"We ran, but when you run the gas asphyxiates you more," she told the AP while cradling her 3-year-old daughter Valery in her arms.
Mexico's Milenio TV also showed images of several migrants at the border trying to jump over the fence. Yards away on the U.S. side, shoppers streamed in and out of an outlet mall.
U.S. Border Patrol helicopters flew overhead, while U.S. agents held vigil on foot beyond the wire fence in California. The Border Patrol office in San Diego said via Twitter that pedestrian crossings have been suspended at the San Ysidro port of entry at both the East and West facilities. All northbound and southbound traffic was halted.
Earlier Sunday, several hundred Central American migrants pushed past a blockade of Mexican police who were standing guard near the international border crossing. They appeared to easily pass through without using violence, and some of the migrants called on each other to remain peaceful.
They convened the demonstration to try to pressure the U.S to hear their asylum claims and carried hand-painted American and Honduran flags while chanting: "We are not criminals! We are international workers!"
A second line of Mexican police carrying plastic riot shields stood guard outside a Mexican customs and immigration plaza.
That line of police had installed tall steel panels behind them outside the Chaparral crossing on the Mexican side of the border.
Migrants were asked by police to turn back toward Mexico.
More than 5,000 migrants have been camped in and around a sports complex in Tijuana after making their way through Mexico in recent weeks via caravan. Many hope to apply for asylum in the U.S., but agents at the San Ysidro entry point are processing fewer than 100 asylum petitions a day.
Irineo Mujica, who has accompanied the migrants for weeks as part of the aid group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, said the aim of Sunday's march toward the U.S. border was to make the migrants' plight more visible to the governments of Mexico and the U.S.
"We can't have all these people here," Mujica told The Associated Press.
Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum on Friday declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city of 1.6 million, which he says is struggling to accommodate the crush of migrants.
U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday to express his displeasure with the caravans in Mexico.
"Would be very SMART if Mexico would stop the Caravans long before they get to our Southern Border, or if originating countries would not let them form (it is a way they get certain people out of their country and dump in U.S. No longer)," he wrote.
Mexico's Interior Ministry said Sunday the country has sent 11,000 Central Americans back to their countries of origin since Oct. 19. It said that 1,906 of them were members of the recent caravans.
Mexico is on track to send a total of around 100,000 Central Americans back home by the end of this year.
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– Migrants approaching the US border from Mexico were enveloped with tear gas Sunday after a few tried to breach the fence separating the two countries, the AP reports. US agents shot the gas, according to an AP reporter on the scene. Children were screaming and coughing in the mayhem. Honduran migrant Ana Zuniga, 23, says she saw migrants open a small hole in concertina wire at a gap on the Mexican side of a levee, at which point US agents fired tear gas at them. "We ran, but when you run the gas asphyxiates you more," she says while cradling her 3-year-old daughter Valery in her arms. Mexico's Milenio TV also showed images of several migrants at the border trying to jump over the fence. Yards away on the US side, shoppers streamed in and out of an outlet mall. US Border Patrol helicopters flew overhead, while US agents held vigil on foot beyond the wire fence in California. The Border Patrol office in San Diego said via Twitter that pedestrian crossings have been suspended at the San Ysidro port of entry at both the East and West facilities. All northbound and southbound traffic was halted. Earlier Sunday, several hundred Central American migrants pushed past a blockade of Mexican police who were standing guard near the international border crossing. They appeared to easily pass through without using violence, and some of the migrants called on each other to remain peaceful. They convened the demonstration to try to pressure the US to hear their asylum claims and carried hand-painted American and Honduran flags while chanting: "We are not criminals! We are international workers!" (A mother was impaled trying to sneak across the border.)
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SF soccer referee coldcocked by player he penalized
Photo: Jacom Stephens, Getty Image Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 The campus of West Valley College was reportedly evacuated due to a bomb threat Tuesday. The campus of West Valley College was reportedly evacuated due to a bomb threat Tuesday. Photo: Jacom Stephens, Getty Image SF soccer referee coldcocked by player he penalized 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
An adult-league soccer referee is recovering from serious injuries after a player he had penalized sucker-punched him, breaking his jaw and causing a traumatic brain injury in San Francisco’s Ocean View neighborhood Sunday morning, authorities said.
Officers responded to reports of the assault around 10 a.m. on the 600 block of Capitol Avenue near the fields behind the Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center, said Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman.
Witnesses told police that the 33-year-old victim was refereeing the match when he issued a yellow card to the offending player. Words were exchanged, Esparza said, and a second yellow card was issued, followed by a red card and an ejection from the game.
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The player, who was not identified, apparently disagreed with the call because he ran up behind the ref and coldcocked him before fleeing in a white Chevrolet Silverado.
The punch knocked the referee out, broke his jaw, loosened some teeth and caused a traumatic brain injury, Esparza said. An update on the victim’s condition was not immediately available Monday, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
Esparza said the referee knew the player who punched him.
The assailant was described as 6 feet 2 inches tall, 20 to 25 years old with black or brown hair. He was wearing a green and white soccer jersey at the time of the assault.
Esparza encouraged anyone with information about the incident to call investigators at (415) 575-4444.
Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @sfkale ||||| SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A soccer referee has a broken jaw and a brain injury after getting sucker-punched during a game over the weekend in San Francisco, police said.
The incident happened at the fields on Capitol Avenue near the Minnie and Lovie Ward recreation center.
The ref had just given out a yellow card penalty, but the player disagreed and was shown a red card, and ejected.
He then came up from behind and punched out the referee.
“If you’re a fanatic in the sport, that’s one thing, but to assault a referee; to take your aggression because of a call he made, that’s a problem. It’s just a matter of time before we identify who he is, and hold him accountable,” Officer Carlos Manfredi of the San Francisco Police said.
The player fled in a truck.
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– Police are searching for a soccer player who gave a referee a traumatic brain injury on Sunday morning in San Francisco. During an adult-league game, the 33-year-old referee gave a player a yellow card for a violation, which the player apparently argued, police tell the San Francisco Chronicle. The referee gave the player a second violation, then a red card, kicking him out of the game. That's when the player allegedly punched the referee from behind, knocking him unconscious, breaking his jaw, and causing a brain injury, police say. The referee is expected to survive. "If you're a fanatic in the sport, that's one thing, but to assault a referee; to take your aggression because of a call he made, that's a problem," an officer tells CBS San Francisco. The player—described as over 6 feet tall, 20 to 25 years old with black or brown hair—reportedly knew the referee and fled in a white pick-up truck. "It's just a matter of time before we identify who he is, and hold him accountable," the officer says. Last week in Argentina, a soccer referee was shot and killed by a player he kicked out of a match, reports the Guardian. (A ref also died from a punch in 2014.)
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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Wednesday an American man it had detained in late April, the third U.S. citizen being held by the isolated country, was intercepted because he was attempting to commit “hostile acts”.
The state-run KCNA news agency said the American, identified last month as Kim Sang Dok, was arrested on April 22 at the Pyongyang airport for committing “hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country”.
The latest information about Kim’s detention comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula run high, driven by concerns that the North might conduct its sixth nuclear test in defiance of U.S. pressure and United Nations sanctions.
The United States is negotiating with China, North Korea’s sole major ally, about a stronger U.N. Security Council response, although Washington has also reiterated that all options for dealing with the North remain on the table.
North Korea, which has been criticized for its human rights record, has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations.
KCNA said on Wednesday Kim had taught an accounting course in Pyongyang.
“Invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) to teach accounting as a professor, he was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception,” KCNA news agency said, using North Korea’s official name of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Law enforcement officials were investigating Kim’s alleged crime, it said.
Kim, who also goes by his English name Tony Kim and is in his 50s, was detained at Pyongyang International Airport as he attempted to leave the country, the university’s chancellor had said previously.
PUST said in an email to Reuters that it did not believe Kim’s detention was related to his work at the university.
A PUST spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said Kim’s wife, who was with him when he was arrested, had since returned to the United States.
“Mrs Kim left the DPRK and is now back in the USA with family and friends,” the spokesman said. “We certainly hope for a positive resolution as soon as possible.”
The other two Americans already held in North Korea are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, and Kim Dong Chul, a 62-year-old Korean-American missionary.
Warmbier was detained in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years hard labor for attempting to steal a propaganda banner.
Two months later, Kim Dong Chul was sentenced to 10 years hard labor for subversion. Neither has appeared in public since their sentencing.
A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse ||||| A U.S. citizen has been detained in North Korea, bringing the total of Americans being held there to three amid increasingly tense relations between the two countries.
Tony Kim, also known as Kim Sang-Duk, a 58-year-old Korean-American professor and aid worker, had been in North Korea for about a month, was detained on Saturday, the Associated Press reports.
North Korea has not yet released a reason for Kim’s detention and it has not been reported by media there, CNN reports.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Kim Was Stopped From Boarding a Plane at Pyongyang Airport After Teaching in North Korea for Several Weeks
Kim Sang-Duk, also known as Tony Kim, 58, was detained at Pyongyang Airport while trying to board a plane to leave the country, CNN reports. He had been teaching for several weeks at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the school said in a statement.
“We understand that his detention is related to an investigation into matters that are not connected in any way with the work of PUST,” the statement said. “We cannot comment on anything that Mr. Kim may be alleged to have done that is not related to his teaching work and not on the PUST campus. Life on campus and the teaching at PUST is continuing as normal for the spring semester.”
Kim was teaching accounting at the university, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, so the Swedish embassy is handling consular matters involving U.S. citizens there.
“We have been informed and can confirm that there has been a detention of a U.S. citizen Saturday morning local,” Martina Aberg, deputy head of mission for the Swedish Embassy in North Korea, told CNN. “He was prevented from getting on the flight out of Pyongyang. We don’t comment further than this.”
The State Department said Sunday they are working on the case, CNN reports.
“We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea,” the state department said. “The protection of US citizens is one of the Department’s highest priorities.”
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at his daily briefing Monday that they are aware of the reports of the detention.
“The protection of United States citizens is one of our government’s highest priorities,” Spicer said, adding that President Trump would “absolutely” call for Kim to be released.
“We want to make sure all of our citizens are protected and returned home,” Spicer said.
He referred all other questions to the State Department.
2. He Studied & Worked as an Accountant in California Before Becoming a Professor at Yanbian University of Science & Technology
Tony Kim studied accounting in the United States at the University of California-Riverside and Aurora University, according to his Facebook page.
Kim worked as an accountant in Los Angeles about 15 years ago, Voice of America Korea reports.
He had most recently been working as a professor at Yanbian University of Science and Technology, a research university in China’s Jilin province, which borders North Korea, the Los Angeles Times reports. The university has a relationship with the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea, where Kim had been working as a guest lecturer.
Kim was teaching accounting and had been working at Yanbian’s School of Business Administration since it opened, Voice of America reports. Yanbian University has not yet commented.
PUST was founded in 2010 by evangelical Christians and teaches subjects once banned in North Korea, including capitalism, with students generally coming from the country’s elite, Reuters reports. It is the only privately funded university in the country and is unique for its high amount of foreign faculty, ABC reports.
3. Kim Was Also Involved in Humanitarian Work, Including Working at Orphanages & Giving Food to Children
Along with his work as a professor Kim has also been involved in humanitarian work in North Korea, according to Voice of America.
He would visit orphanage facilities in North Korea, providing food to children there, the news organization reports. He was a regional director in charge of transporting foreign aid materials to several areas in North Korea, including one that suffered flood damage. His humanitarian work has gone on for more than 10 years. According to Korea’s Yonhap news agency, Kim is a devout Christian.
“Kim is a quiet and sincere person of faith,” a source told Yonhap. “He would not have conducted any anti-North Korea activities.”
Kim’s Facebook page shows him with his wife and other family members on trips in the United States, including in Hawaii, in 2011 and 2012. He is also a runner, posting photos from road races.
He posted a photo in 2012 at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology with his soccer team.
Kim’s wife was with him in North Korea, but was not detained and is still believed to be in the country, CBS News reports.
4. Experts Say Kim Was Possibly Detained Because of Increasingly Deteriorating Relations Between the U.S. & North Korea
Experts say that North Korea possibly detained Kim as a negotiating tool as relations with the United States continue to deteriorate. His arrest also comes on the same weekend that a North Korean official threatened in state-run media that they would consider sinking an American aircraft carrier, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The official said North Korea is ready to sink the U.S.S. Carl Vinson with a “single strike,” and threatened a nuclear attack on Australia if the that country doesn’t stop “blindly and zealously toeing the U.S. line.”
The Carl Vinson is headed toward the Korean Peninsula and is expected to arrive there later this week. The ship was sent to the area after North Korea conducted a missile test and amid reports that the country could soon conduct its sixth-ever nuclear test, the Times reports.
North Korea has previously used detained Americans as a way to force the U.S. to begin negotiations, Yonhap reports.
“This is typical North Korea at a time when there’s so much tension,” former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has led negotiations with North Korea in the past, told CBS News. “They use…these detainees from the United States as bargaining chips. They always want something in return.”
Richardson told CBS News the detention might indicate there is a “path forward” as prisoner releases negotiated with the regime have in the past, “led to at least a dialogue with North Korea, and that’s a step forward.”
5. Two Other Americans – a College Student & a Businessman – Are Serving Hard Labor Sentences of at Least 10 Years in North Korea
Tony Kim is now one of three American citizens known to be in detention in North Korea, CNN reports.
Kim Dong Chul, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Korea, was arrested in October 2015. Kim, 64, who once lived in Virginia, was residing in China and owned a business in the special economic zone of North Korea, according to CNN. He was convicted of espionage in 2016 and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor.
Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old student at the University of Virginia, was detained in January 2016 at Pyongyang airport after visiting North Korea on a tour. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly removing a political sign from a hotel wall, CNN reports.
Another Westerner, Canadian Hyeon Soo Lim, 62, is also being held in North Korea. He was sentenced to life in prison with hard labor for crimes against the North Korea regime. Lim is a pastor with the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and was leading humanitarian efforts in North Korea, providing tens of millions in aid before he was taken into custody in 2015, the Globe and Mail reports.
There have been U.S. citizens freed from North Korea in recent years, including Merril Newman, an 85-year-old Korean War veteran who was held for two months in October 2013 and Jeffrey Fowle, who spent five months in detention in 2014, according to CNN. Two others, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller were released in 2014. There were no known Americans being held in North Korea after their release and until Kim Dong Chul was detained in 2015.
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– North Korea on Wednesday confirmed that it detained another American last month, and the reason is the usual one it gives in such cases: It accuses Kim Sang-duk, who also goes by his American name of Tony Kim, of working to "subvert the country," reports Reuters. Kim, believed to be his 50s, was arrested at the airport on April 22 after a month-long stint teaching accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, per the New York Times. He teaches the same at a sister school in China. A PUST spokesman says Kim's wife, who was with Kim when he was arrested, was allowed to return to the US. (It's not clear where the Kims reside permanently, though a post at Heavy.com says he worked as an accountant in Los Angeles years ago.) "Invited to Pyongyang University of Science and Technology to teach accounting as a professor, he was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception," says the state-run KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim reportedly also worked at orphanages in the North. The two other Americans in custody are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, and Kim Dong Chul, a 62-year-old missionary. Both are serving long prison sentences. (President Trump raised the idea of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid tense relations between the countries.)
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Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| "If I have to take a knock because I am not going to try and actively refute things then I will, because I believe in [people's stories being heard] that much," the actor told Meyers.
For the second night in a row, James Franco is getting pressed on accusations of sexual misconduct. On Late Night With Seth Meyers, Meyers didn't pull any punches, and asked the actor about the claims right off the bat.
When questioned about the accusations, Franco largely echoed what he said during his appearance on Tuesday's The Late Show, in which host Stephen Colbert also pressed him on the issue and his take on the current #MeToo and Time's Up movements. "I did read them, I haven't responded. I think the ones I read were not accurate, but one of the things that I've learned is that this is a conversation that needs to be had," Franco told Meyers. "There are people and women and others that have not been a part of this conversation, and I truly believe — and [it is] why I was wearing the pin — is that they need to be a part of this conversation. So I support them."
Franco was one of many stars who wore a Time's Up pin in support of sexual harassment and assault awareness at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, which sparked criticism online and a number of claims by women on Twitter that Franco had sexually harassed them. (A Thursday report in the Los Angeles Times detailed more accusations.)
Meyers then asked Franco what he thought of the claims, since deleted, made by Ally Sheedy, who Franco directed in a Broadway play in 2014. "I had a great relationship with her, she took the tweet down. I don't know," Franco said. To which Meyers pressed, "You're not curious enough to reach out to her, as someone that you've had a good relationship with before to try to understand why she would have done that?"
Franco replied, "It was just so shocking, I don't know. I guess I'm just letting it be."
Meyers also pressed the actor on whether movements like #MeToo and Time's Up make him look back and question any of his past behavior. "I think what I really learned, like I said, there are stories that need to get out, people that need to be heard. I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say just because I believe in it that much. If I have to take a knock because I am not going to try and actively refute things then I will, because I believe in it that much."
Franco is currently busy promoting his new film The Disaster Artist, which he directed and stars in. The film has been nominated for Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Critics' Choice Awards. Franco, alongside brother Dave (who also stars in the film), was scheduled for a New York Times TimesTalk appearance on Wednesday, but it was canceled amid the allegations.
"The event was intended to be a discussion of the making of the film, The Disaster Artist. Given the controversy surrounding recent allegations, we're no longer comfortable proceeding in that vein," a Times representative said Tuesday in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. ||||| Five women accuse actor James Franco of inappropriate or sexually exploitative behavior James Franco. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) James Franco. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
It should have been a pure moment of triumph for James Franco. He collected one of Hollywood’s top prizes at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, validating an untraditional career in which he’s been a bankable leading man, Ivy League academic and eccentric auteur.
But as he stood on the ballroom stage, some were paying more attention to the Time’s Up pin on his lapel than the gold statue he picked up for his turn in “The Disaster Artist.”
It “was like a slap in my face,” said Sarah Tither-Kaplan, a former acting student at the film school Franco founded who went on to appear in several of his productions.
Tither-Kaplan is one of five women who, in interviews with The Times, accused Franco, 39, of behavior they found to be inappropriate or sexually exploitative. Four were his students, and another said he was her mentor.
In some cases, they said they believed Franco could offer them career advancement, and acquiesced to his wishes even when they were uncomfortable.
“I feel there was an abuse of power, and there was a culture of exploiting non-celebrity women, and a culture of women being replaceable,” said Tither-Kaplan, who was one of many women who took to Twitter on Sunday night to vent anger over Franco’s win and his support of Time’s Up, the initiative combating sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
She told The Times that in a nude orgy scene she filmed with Franco and several women three years ago, he removed protective plastic guards covering other actresses’ vaginas while simulating oral sex on them.
Two other student actresses also recounted negative on-set experiences. Both said Franco became angry when no women, while at the shoot, would agree to be topless.
Franco’s attorney, Michael Plonsker, disputed all of the women’s allegations and directed The Times to Franco’s comments Tuesday night on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
“Look, in my life I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I have done,” he told Colbert. “I have to do that to maintain my well being. The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate. But I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long. So I don’t want to shut them down in any way.”
“If I have done something wrong,” he added, “I will fix it — I have to.”
Look, in my life I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I have done. ... If I have done something wrong, I will fix it — I have to. James Franco
A creative force in Hollywood with a reputation for being indefatigable, Franco has acted in several notable films and TV shows over his 20-year career. They include “Freaks and Geeks,” “Pineapple Express” and “127 Hours,” which netted him an Oscar nomination for lead actor. He’s directed episodes of HBO’s “The Deuce” — on which he currently stars in two leading roles, playing twins — and served as a producer on films and TV shows including the “The Interview” and the Hulu series "11.22.63.”
His affinity for tackling unexpected projects, coupled with a prolific work ethic, have become part of his Hollywood mystique. Over the last decade, he’s directed more than two-dozen low-budget indie features and shorts, written books and even turned his experience co-starring on soap opera “General Hospital” into an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2014, he launched a film school — Studio 4 in Los Angeles and New York — where he taught and mentored hundreds of aspiring actors and filmmakers; both locations abruptly closed last fall.
James Franco appears at the Golden Globe Awards wearing a Time's Up pin. Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times
Franco has also attracted attention for controversial behavior on social media. In 2014, he used Instagram to ask a 17-year-old British girl he’d met outside a New York theater if she had a boyfriend and whether she was 18. Even after learning her age, he asked for the name of her hotel and if he should rent a room.
After that episode became public, Franco apologized on ABC’s “Live! With Kelly and Michael.” “I’m embarrassed, and I guess I’m just a model of how social media is tricky,” he said. “I used bad judgment and I learned my lesson.”
Teacher-student interactions
Before opening Studio 4, Franco taught at Playhouse West in North Hollywood — a school where he’d received training as an actor.
Two of his former students there said he put female students in uncomfortable situations beyond the normal parameters of acting class.
Hilary Dusome, 33, who took a class from Franco in 2012, said that at first, she found him to be "a really generous spirit" eager to help aspiring actors.
Her feelings shifted after being selected to appear, with a handful of other female students, in what she thought was one of Franco’s “art films.” Natalie Chmiel, the other student, said she was told the footage would be used in a 7 For All Mankind jeans commercial.
Both women described what they considered to be an unprofessional and hostile shoot at a strip club.
Midway through filming, Dusome said Franco approached the actresses — who wore masks and lingerie — and asked, "So, who wants to take your shirt off?"
When no actresses volunteered, Franco stormed off, Dusome recalled.
"I felt like I was selected for something based on my hard work and my merit, and when I realized it was because I have nice [breasts], it was pretty clear that was not the case," Dusome said. "I don't think he started teaching with bad intentions, but he went down a bad path and damaged a lot of people in the process."
I don't think he started teaching with bad intentions, but he went down a bad path and damaged a lot of people in the process. Hilary Dusome, former student
Chmiel, 33, also recalled Franco asking the women if any of them wanted to take their top off, and that he was “visibly angry” when they declined.
“He just took advantage of our eagerness to work and be a part of something bigger,” Chmiel said. “We were all these up-and-coming actors who were so hopeful.”
Franco did not make the request the women alleged, his attorney said.
Stories from Studio 4
Franco launched Studio 4 in 2014 in association with Playhouse West — famously the home of the late acting coach Sanford Meisner. The North Hollywood school opened first; the New York City outpost soon thereafter. Most of the classes were not taught by Franco, who was also juggling professorial duties at USC, UCLA and CalArts in addition to a busy film schedule.
More than a dozen former students told The Times in interviews that they had a positive experience at Studio 4, where pupils were initially charged a monthly tuition of $300. Many said they were shocked by the school’s sudden closure last fall, and did not know why it had shuttered.
Former student Prashant Thakker said Franco put in extra effort to make students feel heard, even meeting with them outside of class hours. “If he felt the class wasn’t enough, he would take us writers to a separate venue outside of class. He would keep teaching us over and over again,” he said.
But not every student was pleased.
“It was kind of a bummer,” said Kelsey Ann Wacker, a New York student. “He was shooting ‘The Deuce,’ but would come to class, and you were like, ‘Did you just fall asleep under your ball cap?’ He’d sit at the front and be a grouch. I wish he would have taken more of a responsibility to teach.”
One of the things that made Studio 4 different from other acting schools, Franco promised, was its ability to funnel promising talent into the actor's own projects. Indeed, the school’s now-closed website said that Franco and his production company, Rabbit Bandini Productions, would “cast roles directly from his classes, and will involve his students in a variety of his film and art projects."
But several students said that these parts were rarely handed out to people in the classes.
“They would tell us that smaller parts in their projects were being held exclusively for students — often they were opportunities for extra work or parts that required nudity,” said Devyn LaBella, who spent a year as a student at the NoHo location. “I didn’t have agency representation at the time, so I thought, ‘Well, I’m not going to be able to get into good auditions, so this might be my opportunity.’”
LaBella said she and classmates uploaded auditions to a website, but no one she knew ever heard back.
Katie Ryan, who met Franco at Playhouse West and took several classes at Studio 4, said the actor “would always make everybody think there were possible roles on the table if we were to perform sexual acts or take off our shirts" in his projects.
She said that for years, she received mass email requests from Franco to audition for roles playing "a prostitute or a hooker."
Franco is “not aware that any of the actions alleged by Ms. Ryan ever occurred,” his attorney said.
Vince Jolivette, co-owner of Rabbit Bandini, which ran Studio 4, said in a statement provided by Franco’s attorney that “the school was always run professionally.”
“Our instructors were excellent, student feedback was positive,” he said, noting that they were investigating complaints about the school that are “very inconsistent with the mission.”
Some students did appear in Rabbit Bandini productions. In 2015, the company made a deal with digital distributor Maker Studios to premiere two original series spawned from Studio 4. One of the projects was a docu-series that went behind the scenes of Franco’s Sex Scenes master class, which taught students about the art of being intimate on camera.
‘Red flags’
As part of Tither-Kaplan’s experience in the Sex Scenes class, she and her partner created a short film, “Hungry Girl,” which shows her topless and was uploaded to the video-sharing website Vimeo. Last year, she discovered images from the film on at least one pornography website.
“Now, if you Google me, you can see me naked,” said Tither-Kaplan, 26. “Before I’ve ever been on TV or before I’ve ever had any real credits or before any of this — of course I regret that. I don’t want that.”
Sarah Tither-Kaplan at her apartment in Los Angeles. Christina House / Los Angeles Times
The video posted to Vimeo, Plonsker said, was not under the control of the school or Franco. “Any online posting of videos, including if applicable Vimeo, were operated and created by the students to showcase their collective work,” he said.
Rabbit Bandini appeared to be aware that the videos had been uploaded. In a May 2015 email sent to Tither-Kaplan and her fellow “Sex Sceners,” which was reviewed by The Times, a company employee told the class he “just wanted to let [them] know the films are now up on the Studio 4 Vimeo Channel.”
School leadership will be investigating these complaints, Plonsker said, adding: “They are committed to hearing voices of concerns and being receptive to their issues.”
In 2015, Franco asked Tither-Kaplan to play a prostitute in another of his projects, the feature film “The Long Home,” with a cast that included him, Josh Hutcherson, Courtney Love and Timothy Hutton.
The part required her to perform nude, and she agreed because she considered it a big break. In fact, she signed nudity agreements for each of the films she made with Franco.
But one day on set in May 2015, a producer approached her and other women to ask if they wanted to film a “bonus scene” of an orgy. In it, Tither-Kaplan appeared fully nude, she said. A handful of other women were selected to appear with Franco, who simulated performing oral sex on each of them, Tither-Kaplan said. But in each case, she said he removed a clear plastic guard that covered their vaginas — and continued to simulate the sex act with no protection.
Then, Tither-Kaplan said, she and her female co-stars were asked to appear topless in an unscripted scene and dance around Franco while wearing animal skulls atop their heads. One actress who balked was sent home the next day, Tither-Kaplan said.
“I got it in my head pretty quickly that, OK, you don’t say ‘no’ to this guy,” she said.
Another actress who participated in the shoots confirmed Tither-Kaplan’s account of the unscripted sequence that led to the departure of an actress. She also confirmed the removal of the plastic guards.
Franco’s attorney, Plonsker, said “the allegations about the protective guards are not accurate.” He also pointed to numerous social media posts by Tither-Kaplan that reflected a positive experience on the set.
Tither-Kaplan acknowledged those glowing remarks — she said she had been excited about making new friends during production and also wanted to promote her work on a notable project. Still, she said, the negative experiences were “red flags.”
I got it in my head pretty quickly that, OK, you don’t say ‘no’ to this guy. Sarah Tither-Kaplan
In a statement provided by Franco’s attorney, Cynthia Huffman, a casting director who worked on “The Long Home,” said she did not receive any complaints and that she “personally checked on all the actresses constantly to make sure they were ok and comfortable.”
“James is all about giving up and comers, actors and actresses and young filmmakers a break in this business,” Huffman said. “I feel horrible that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable but we went to great lengths to make sure all the actresses in the nude scenes felt comfortable and safe.”
No distribution deal for “The Long Home” or formal release plans have been announced.
Tither-Kaplan’s parents both said their daughter complained about several negative experiences on Franco’s projects.
Late last year, after Harvey Weinstein’s alleged abuse of women became public, Tither-Kaplan said Franco apologized for making her feel uncomfortable.
“I want to give him credit for at least being open to communicating with me,” she said. “I felt that he was still not really taking accountability for the environment on the sets.”
‘The power dynamic was really off’
Violet Paley, 23, told The Times that when she met Franco in early 2016 she was eager to become a filmmaker and that he had been willing to give her notes on her script.
They had begun a romantic relationship when she said he pressured her into performing oral sex on him — an act she’d never done with him at that point — while sitting in her car.
“I was talking to him, all of a sudden his penis was out,” said Paley. “I got really nervous, and I said, ‘Can we do this later?’ He was kind of nudging my head down, and I just didn’t want him to hate me, so I did it.”
She began to perform the sex act, but was uncomfortable. To extricate herself from the situation, she told Franco she spotted someone near the car.
Franco’s attorney, Plonsker, denied Paley’s allegations, calling them “not accurate.”
Later, Paley said, she and Franco advanced their consensual sexual relationship. Today, she said she would have handled the encounter in the car differently, especially in the wake of the Weinstein scandal. “I would say, ‘No, stop, get out of my car,’” she said. “The power dynamic was really off.”
Violet Paley Violet Paley
Paley said she told several friends and family members about her encounter with Franco. Five of them confirmed their conversations with The Times.
After Franco won the Golden Globe, Paley expressed her outrage Sunday night, tweeting about their alleged encounter in her car.
Amid social media criticism that her allegations detract from criminal allegations against Hollywood figures, Paley has defended her right to speak out while also acknowledging that her story is complicated by her and Franco’s consensual relationship. “It’s been hard to come forward about this,” she wrote on Twitter.
After the Weinstein allegations were reported last fall, Paley emailed Franco, expressing her anger and sadness over his treatment of her (she provided The Times with a copy of the email). He didn’t respond, though they later spoke by phone and he tried to make amends, she said.
He said it was wrong for him to have a sexual relationship with someone he knew to be in recovery for substance abuse, Paley recalled. However, she said he told her he hadn’t done “anything illegal” and insisted, “I’m a changed man.”
Indeed, just a few months before, he told Out magazine he’d embarked on a "new chapter of my life."
"I was very work-addicted,” he admitted, “and addicted to other things — not substances, I got over that a long time ago — but I’ve recently changed my life.”
Amid the Hollywood awards season — already shaped by an industrywide awakening over how women are treated — it is unclear how the allegations will affect Franco’s standing. The New York Times on Tuesday canceled a planned event with the actor, citing the controversy.
Academy Award nominations will be announced Jan. 23.
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– James Franco's high from his best actor win at the Golden Globes has likely worn off with the possible Oscar contender now facing a barrage of sexual misconduct claims. In the Los Angeles Times, five women—including two who previously spoke out on Twitter—accuse Franco of inappropriate conduct, particularly involving nude scenes. Sarah Tither-Kaplan, a former acting student of Franco, says he exploited students who agreed to appear nude on camera, in one case removing clear plastic covers protecting their genitalia while simulating oral sex. Other students describe him promising students acting roles that turned out to involve nudity, becoming irate when no actresses volunteered to appear topless, and punishing those who balked. Actress Violet Paley also says Franco pressured her into performing oral sex before beginning a romantic relationship. The claims—which Franco's lawyer denies—follow those made on Twitter during Sunday's Golden Globes. Paley, for example, also accused Franco of inviting her 17-year-old friend to his hotel room, in an apparent echo of a 2014 encounter. Ally Sheedy, whom Franco directed in a 2014 play, also targeted the actor in a series of since-deleted tweets, one of which read, "James Franco just won. Please never ever ask me why I left the film/tv business." Like Stephen Colbert a day before, Seth Meyers asked Franco about the allegations on Late Night Wednesday. "The [tweets] I read were not accurate" and "I have my own side of this story," but "this is a conversation that needs to be had," Franco said, per the Hollywood Reporter. "I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say."
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Of the several question that arose following the news that Mitt Romney is holding a fundraising dinner with Donald Trump—if Trump eats a fried cheese product, does it count as cannibalism? It it worth it for us, as a species, to even have hair, if this is what it can lead to?—the most pressing: why was Romney doing this?
The answer, the presidential candidate said on Monday when asked about his allegiance with America’s loudest conspiracy-mongering opportunist: “You know, I don’t agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don’t all agree with everything I believe in. But I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I’m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”
Brilliant. We look forward to Romney’s future partnerships with . . .
O. J. Simpson (“I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I’m told many Americans enjoy athletics and sport!”)
Casey Anthony (“I need to get 50.1 percent or more and Florida is a swing state!”)
Jesse James (“I need to get 50.1 percent or more and this young man’s a successful small-business owner!”)
The hunter who shot Bambi’s mother (“I need to get 50.1 percent or more and, you know, gun rights!”)
||||| TheWashingtonPost Will Romney trump ‘birtherism’?
Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in Las Vegas, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, to endorse Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, center, accompanied by Romney's wife Ann. (Gerald Herbert - AP) GOP candidate for president, Mitt Romney, has refused to repudiate Donald Trump, though the reputed billionaire continues to promote “birther” fantasies, the idea that President Obama was not born in the United States.
Romney’s apparent rationale for continuing to associate with Trump is “I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I’m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”
What’s “good” about continuing to blow a racial dog-whistle in a presidential campaign? It is no secret that “birtherism” is racial code for “he’s not one of us.” More disturbing than Romney’s failure to disassociate himself with Trump and the birther fantasies, however, is labeling someone “good” who holds them. “Birtherism” itself is a troubling ethical failure that reveals how deeply divided Americans are on race despite their religious views that each person is created by God.
Despite decades of seeming progress on transcending racial divides, this racial gulf remains. Presidential campaigns expose this not only as candidates are selected and what those candidates say, but also through their “surrogates.” Trump’s function in the Romney campaign seems to be precisely to play the race card through birtherism. It speaks volumes to those whose ultimate choice in a Presidential candidate will be determined by the race of that candidate. Why aren’t we past this kind of division?
“Men in Black 3” premiered this weekend, knocking the comic book romp, “The Avengers,” out of its number one spot. Men in Black is a series of very popular films starring Will Smith and “Tommy Lee Jones” as two agents of a secret organization that polices aliens. One of the continuing sources of edgy humor in this series of movies is Smith (Agent J) being African American, a “man in black”; in the current film, Agent J has to travel back in time to 1969 to save a young Tommy Lee Jones (played by Josh Brolin), aka Agent K. The Will Smith character is told, as he prepares to jump through time to 1969, to be careful because that era was not that good for “for your people.” Smith’s face portrays the irony of it all: How good is 2012 for African Americans? This “man in black” is subject to prejudice in either decade. It is a brilliant, and poignant moment.
Why can we not make more progress on race? In 1969, as a college religion major supporting the Civil Rights movement, I never believed the racial divide in this country would survive this long. It is incredibly frustrating that racism is not only surviving, but even thriving, morphing into other forms to send racial signals. As a pastor, as a teacher and as a citizen, I experience this failure as enormously frustrating.
Mainstream Republicans are also frustrated that the birther fantasies will not go away. Trump’s birther views being associated with the Romney campaign frustrates George Will, for example. Will expressed this in erudite fashion this weekend, wondering what could be the cost/benefit analysis for Mitt Romney in the Trump association. What is the advantage to Romney, wondered Will, in the Trump association? On Sunday, Will called Trump a “bloviating ignoramous.”
But my own frustrations transcend those of George Will. Trump himself is not the cause of the racial divides that birtherism reflects today. His trumpeting these views, and Romney’s refusal to repudiate him for expressing these views, are a symptom of a failure of our faith traditions. We are a nation that expresses overwhelming faith in God, by some counts over 90 percent. How can we continue to ignore the religious teachings that we are to treat each other equally because we are all created by God, as Judaism, Christianity and Islam all teach?
“Birtherism,” and the racial signals it sends that the president is ”not one of us,” must be repudiated from a faith perspective. It does not speak well of the values of the Romney campaign that it continues to associate itself with these views through Donald Trump. ||||| Noonan: Romney keeps Trump GOP "freakshow" alive
(CBS News) Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney is making a mistake to prolong the "freakshow" that was the Republican primary season by attending a Las Vegas fundraiser with reality television host Donald Trump, conservative columnist Peggy Noonan said Tuesday.
"There was a certain freakshow atmosphere to the Republican primaries of the past six months or so. Now that is kind of over. The show is over," Noonan said in an interview with "CBS This Morning."
"My view is that the Romney campaign made a mistake," Noonan said of Romney's decision to meet with Trump later Tuesday, "this is a good time for him to differentiate himself from the stranger aspects of the Republican race."
Asked by co-host Charlie Rose how the former Massachusetts governor should do that now that he is on the verge of obtaining enough delegates to win the Republican nomination for president, Noonan said "one way you don't do it I think is do a fundraiser with Donald Trump, who was part of the freakshow aspect, so it's a little surprising that he did this."
Trump as recently as this month continued to push the notion that President Obama was not born in the United States. In an interview, the publicity hungry businessman pointed to a recent report that Mr. Obama's literary agency listed him in a 1991 booklet as having been born in Kenya.
"He didn't know he was running for president, so he told the truth," Trump told The Daily Beast. "Now they're saying it was a mistake. Just like his Kenyan grandmother said he was born in Kenya, and she pointed down the road to the hospital, and after people started screaming at her she said, 'Oh, I mean Hawaii.' Give me a break."
Asked about those views by reporters traveling with him on the airplane Monday night, Romney said Trump is entitled to his opinions.
"I don't agree with all the people who support me, and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in, but I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I am appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people," Romney said.
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– Mitt Romney and Donald Trump will appear together at a Las Vegas fundraiser tonight, a controversial move causing pundits to raise their eyebrows: "There was a certain freakshow atmosphere to the Republican primaries of the past six months or so. Now that is kind of over. The show is over," conservative columnist Peggy Noonan said on CBS This Morning today. Trump "was part of the freakshow aspect," she continued, so doing a fundraiser with him is a "mistake" on Romney's part: "This is a good time for him to differentiate himself from the stranger aspects of the Republican race." Indeed, many conservatives are concerned about the move—and Democrats are gleeful, BuzzFeed notes. The Obama campaign released a video today capitalizing on the "freakshow" theme, with circus music accompanying some of Trump's controversial comments. In the Washington Post, Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite notes that Romney's association with Trump is particularly troubling in light of Trump's continued "birther fantasies" about President Obama. "It is no secret that 'birtherism' is racial code for 'he’s not one of us,'" she writes. "Trump’s function in the Romney campaign seems to be precisely to play the race card through birtherism." Defending the fundraiser, Romney noted that he "need[s] to get 50.1% or more" of the vote. "It‘s fine that Romney won’t distance himself from the sideshow Trump has intentionally become of this election, but to essentially come out and say, 'Bare with me while I get the minimum number of votes to get elected' is the worst way Romney could possibly respond," writes Eddie Scarry on the Blaze. Juli Weiner at Vanity Fair has an amusing take on that same quote, imagining who else Romney might do a fundraiser with using that same justification. Perhaps Casey Anthony? "I need to get 50.1% or more and Florida is a swing state!" Click for more.
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Chelsea Clinton to wear Vera Wang dress when she walks down the aisle this Sunday
Sykes/AP Chelsea Clinton TODAY IN GATECRASHER Articles
Jay-Z upset LeBron James didn't consult him
- Vera-fied! When Chelsea Clinton walks down the aisle with investment banker beau Marc Mezvinsky this Saturday, she'll be wearing a custom-made Vera Wang wedding dress, an extremely fashionable source tells us.
- Political analysts say Senate majority leader hopeful Chuck Schumer actually has a better shot at becoming minority leader - if Harry Reid loses his reelection bid and the Dems lose the Senate. As Reid said last spring, Schumer "could give a woodpecker a headache," and that irrepressibility would serve his party well under GOP rule. Then, if the stars align, Schumer, like LBJ, could graduate to the majority leader role.
- Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan suffered a case of guitarist interruptus at the band's Terminal 5 concert Monday night. Two songs into the Pumpkins' set (for Spin magazine's 25th anniversary concert series), Corgan's guitar malfunctioned during "Ava Adore." Corgan looked offstage for help, but only seemed to catch the attention of the cameras recording the show. When help didn't arrive, the rocker put down his ax and led the audience in a clap-along until a guitar tech ran onstage and fixed the six-string. Perhaps the mishap muted Corgan's desire to celebrate later. He was a no-show for the afterparty at the Hudson Hotel, where initially the only rocker to show up was Richie Sambora. The Bon Jovi guitarist held court among some Heather Locklear look-alikes until about 2 a.m., when the rest of the Pumpkins finally arrived.
- The premiere party for Patricia Clarkson's new film, "Cairo Time," turned into an impromptu treasure hunt when the actress (above with co-star Alexander Siddig) enlisted members of the crowd to help a distraught guest recover a family heirloom. Clarkson was in the loo at the Plaza Athénée when she overheard the woman lamenting that she'd lost her grandmother's ring during the party at the hotel's restaurant Monday. Before you could say Ottoman Empire, the actress had organized a search party to hunt for the bauble, and was urging more guests to join the search. Alas, the dinner guest went home empty-handed, but Clarkson scored enough karmic points to make her new movie a blockbuster.
- The friends of Tony Lip have made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Lip, who played New York crime boss Carmine Lupertazzi on "The Sopranos," will be feted at an 80th birthday party on Sunday at Portobello Restaurant in Oakland, N.J. Among those planning to attend are Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore, former Yankees star Joe Pepitone, former heavyweight champ Joe Frazier and legendary publicist Sy Presten, who worked with Lip at the infamous Jules Podell's Copacabana in the 1960s. Lip was a captain who knew and took care of the many underworld figures who frequented the fabled establishment.
He helped clear the stage of hotel keys and undergarments that women threw at Tom Jones when the Welsh wonder sang there. He seated Profaci crime family member "Crazy" Joe Gallo when the gangster came to see Don Rickles at the club in 1972. Neither Lip nor Presten will ever forget that night: After the show, Gallo headed to Umberto's Clam House to celebrate his birthday and was murdered.
With Carson Griffith ||||| The Biggest Question of the Summer: Who Will Design Chelsea Clinton's Wedding Dress?
Email This Which designer Chelsea Clinton will choose to design her wedding dress has caused more debate than the ending of 'Inception.'
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It's already been a question among fashion insiders for months: Will bride-to-be Chelsea Clinton wear Vera Wang or Oscar de la Renta when she walks down the aisle to marry investment-banker fiance Marc Mezvinsky on July 31 in Rhinebeck, NY?
A friend told our friends at StyleList back in June that Clinton had a made-to-measure wedding dress in Vera Wang's workshop, confirming what we had speculated all along -- the presidential progeny was opting for the epitome of classic American bridal. That was until Sheryl Gay Stolberg, The New York Times' White House correspondent, told Ann Curry on 'The Today Show' that the former first daughter had chosen an Oscar de la Renta gown.
Did we speak too soon? The plot thickens. WWD's Wednesday cover features Chelsea, obscured by a large floppy hat, arriving at Vera Wang's midtown showroom in New York City on July 27 to meet her Secretary of State mom Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was already there. Which designer Chelsea Clinton will choose to design her wedding dress has caused more debate than the ending of 'Inception.'Now, Susannah Cahn at StyleList takes us deep within the ever expanding mystery:It's already been a question among fashion insiders for months: Will bride-to-be Chelsea Clinton wear Vera Wang or Oscar de la Renta when she walks down the aisle to marry investment-banker fiance Marc Mezvinsky on July 31 in Rhinebeck, NY?A friend told our friends at StyleList back in June that Clinton had a made-to-measure wedding dress in Vera Wang's workshop, confirming what we had speculated all along -- the presidential progeny was opting for the epitome of classic American bridal. That was until Sheryl Gay Stolberg, The New York Times' White House correspondent, told Ann Curry on 'The Today Show' that the former first daughter had chosen an Oscar de la Renta gown.Did we speak too soon? The plot thickens. WWD's Wednesday cover features Chelsea, obscured by a large floppy hat, arriving at Vera Wang's midtown showroom in New York City on July 27 to meet her Secretary of State mom Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was already there.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=879491&pid=879490&uts=1273503952 http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/tv/?s_channel=us.tvpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1 http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf Stars in Love Colin Hanks and Samantha Bryant
Married
Hanks tied the knot with publicist Samantha Bryant on Saturday, May 8 in Los Angeles at sunset on the roof of the London Hotel in West Hollywood. Neilson Barnard, Getty Images Neilson Barnard, Getty Images Stars in Love
Reportedly, Wang is doing the bridesmaids' dresses, the flower girls' dresses, as well as the all-important wedding dress. And supposedly Hillary and Chelsea have met with Wang five to 10 times over the last four months. OK. Settled. Score one for StyleList.Or, maybe not. Hillary was also spotted dropping by Oscar de la Renta's Manhattan showroom later the same day. There are conflicting reports as to whether Chelsea accompanied her mom, but the duo has allegedly met with de la Renta numerous times of late.And, after all, the designer has previously dressed the former first lady, beginning during her days in the White House.The Clintons, in addition to Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta's spokespeople, declined comment to WWD.Clinton and Mezvinksy, who works at the hedge fund G3 Capital, met as teenagers when she lived with her parents in the White House and remained friends. Serious dating began a few years back, when both were living in New York City.There is word their weekend wedding will top $2 million. More on the Wedding at Politics Daily
||||| Chelsea Clinton to Dad: Back Off Bill, It's My Wedding!
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With all the excitement mounting around Chelsea Clinton's upcoming wedding this weekend (July 31) to Marc Mevinsky, no one is more excited than her proud papa, Bill. Some say he's maybe a little too excited.
"What daddy wouldn't be on cloud nine about his only daughter's upcoming wedding," a Clinton family friend tells me. "The only problem is that when your father is ex-President Bill, a man with a healthy ego, everything starts to become about him."
Sources tell me Chelsea has been gently reminding her larger-than-life father that she wants the day to be on the low-key side, surrounded by her family and dear friends, rather than a huge event filled with Hollywood celebrities and people she hardly knows. With all the excitement mounting around Chelsea Clinton's upcoming wedding this weekend (July 31) to Marc Mevinsky, no one is more excited than her proud papa, Bill. Some say he's maybe a little too excited."What daddy wouldn't be on cloud nine about his only daughter's upcoming wedding," a Clinton family friend tells me. "The only problem is that when your father is ex-President Bill, a man with a healthy ego, everything starts to become about him."Sources tell me Chelsea has been gently reminding her larger-than-life father that she wants the day to be on the low-key side, surrounded by her family and dear friends, rather than a huge event filled with Hollywood celebrities and people she hardly knows.
"The guest list is already up to over 400 people, way more than Chelsea originally wanted," a political insider tells me. "If Chelsea hoped this would be a low-key affair, she can think again. However, the good news is that her mom's boss, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle have not been invited. Neither have friends of her father's, like Barbra Streisand, Stephen Spielberg and Oprah, that had all been rumored to attend."Chelsea is insisting that no one be given the location yet, all guests know is it is within driving distance of NYC."As you'd expect, Chelsea's soon-to-be father-in-law is among those keeping their lips sealed on just about every aspect of the nuptials. Ed Mezvinskiy tells Inside Edition he's a "proud papa," but when asked to spill some beans he said: "The guidelines are we don't talk about the wedding, we just enjoy each other."This won't be the first celebrity (or political for that matter) wedding shrouded in secrecy. John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the 35th president, kept guests guessing to the very end in 1996, while Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were so secretive about their 'I do's' in 2004 that their guests thought they were arriving for a backyard BBQ instead of a wedding. And most famously, Beyonce and Jay Z were so concerned about leaks, they didn't trust caterers and cooked most of the food themselves. Still, most Rhineback residents think they know what is cooking right in their backyard.Jeffrey Gardere, psychologist and host of VH1's 'Dad Camp ,' tells me, "I would have to say that President Clinton is so used to being the center of attention it is possible that it may be hard for him to share the spotlight. He needs to take a deep breath, step back and realize that the spotlight should be on Chelsea. He should be content in knowing that whatever publicity Chelsea receives only benefits he and his family. This is evidenced by the way that he supported Hillary for President and then for Secretary of State."Matt Titus, author of 'Why Hasn't He Called,' and founder of AskMattandTamsen.com , is a little more harsh, telling me, "Bill's involvement in his daughter's wedding has nothing to do with him being a dad, but everything to do with him being a world-class narcissist. It's always about Bill."Ouch, however Matt does have advice for the former commander-in-chief, "The intention of most fathers of the bride on their daughter's wedding day is to celebrate the fact that his little girl has found true love. Bill's only job that day is to beam with pride as he walks Chelsea down the aisle and, of course, pay the bill."Over the weekend, Chelsea was seen paying a visit to Vera Wang with her mother (who will be wearing Oscar de la Renta!). So now that the location, guest list, flowers and dress are all in place, all Chelsea has to worry about is her father remembering it's her special day, not his. ||||| The mayor of Rhinebeck, New York, the rumored location of Chelsea Clinton’s upcoming wedding to Marc Mezvinsky, calls the nuptials the “worst kept secret ever”, and told RadarOnline.com that he has yet to be contacted about any arrangements despite part of the city council’s funds being funneled towards security measures for the big day.
PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton Visits Bride-To-Be Chelsea In NY
“Look, if it’s not happening then a whole lot of people have gone to a lot of trouble for nothing,” Mayor Jim Reardon exclusively told RadarOnline.com. Rhinebeck has a surrounding population of only 3,500. I’m not surprised that nobody has actually contacted me about the wedding because security is very sensitive with so many high profile people on the guest list. But we have 14 part-time police officers who are all available to take part and my colleagues at the New York State Police Department are also actively involved in preparations.”
While the locals “are excited about all the attention” the wedding has placed on the town 100 miles north of Manhattan, Mayor Reardon says the Clinton family will still be able to enjoy some level of discretion. “It is a private function and I’m sure Chelsea wishes there was not all this attention….The actual Astor estate is a beautiful estate in a perfect setting which is three miles North West of Rhinebeck. It is a sprawling 50 acres estate which will afford the wedding party a lot of privacy on their big day.”
PHOTOS: Bride-To-Be Chelsea Clinton Out-And-About In NY
The wedding is expected to set back Hillary and Bill Clinton somewhere in the region of $3 to $5 million dollars but some locals are not happy that $2,500 of council funds has been set aside for the event despite the budget currently $502,806 in the red.
The money will be used for a police protection line to provide community coverage before, during, and after the wedding.
PHOTOS: The Estate Rumored To Be Where Cheslsea Clinton Is Being Married
When the funding was approved at a recent Town Board meeting some councilors and local residents were not happy, according to a local newspaper called The Daily Freeman. The meeting, which was attended by about 30 people, burst into laughter when Councilwoman Gina Fox joked that the money was for “nothing happening” over the weekend.
Resident Deirdre Fisher voiced her displeasure saying: “Let the father (former U.S. President Bill Clinton) of the bride pay for it.”
But Mayor Reardon defended the additional money: “There has been a lot of ill-informed reporting about those costs because there is an overtime provision that will absorb them. The wedding is bringing a lot of money into the community as all the hotels are fully booked plus it is giving Rhinebeck international exposure which we are obviously very grateful for.”
Chelsea, 30, is slated to marry her childhood pal, Goldman Sachs investment banker Mezvinsky, 32, this Saturday after a five-year courtship. Mezvinsky also has a political pedigree: his mother Marjorie and father Edward both served in Congress. ||||| Norton Mezvinsky, uncle of Chelsea Clinton's fiancé, NOT invited to 500-guest wedding due to feud
Maisel/News Norton Mezvinsky says he's 'extremely hurt' that he wasn't invited to his nephew Marc and former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton's wedding.
The A-list roster of 500 guests for the Chelsea Clinton wedding didn't include a spot for her fiancé's lone uncle.
A family feud blocked a disappointed Norton Mezvinsky from making the cut for the Saturday nuptials of his nephew, Marc, and the former First Daughter.
"I'm the senior male member of the family, and Marc's only uncle," Norton Mezvinsky told the Daily News Wednesday. "I am not surprised, but extremely hurt I wasn't invited."
Asked if he planned to send his nephew and Chelsea a wedding gift, the retired professor replied, "You can probably guess the answer to that."
Mezvinsky, a controversial figure because of his frequent criticisms of Israel, said politics had nothing to do with the decision to keep him away from the celebration set for a 50-acre estate in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County.
He confirmed reports from friends that a dispute involving the groom's father, disgraced former Iowa Rep. Edward Mezvinsky, was behind the snub.
The father, who served a five-year jail term for a $10 million investment scam, hoped to write a book and move to New York after his release last year - but Marc Mezvinsky opposed both plans.
Norton Mezvinsky supported his brother, leading to the rift with his 32-year-old nephew.
"Friends said it because it's true," Norton Mezvinsky said in his Manhattan apartment. "Two people who love each other should be able to disagree."
The uncle retired last year after four decades at Central Connecticut State University.
[email protected] ||||| Chelsea Clinton's party tent rises as town prepares for wedding of the year
Bergen Record The tent goes up for Chelsea Clinton's (b.) wedding this weekend. It can hold 500 guests.
The big top is up and the big day almost here for Chelsea Clinton.
A massive white tent stands behind a sprawling Rhinebeck estate as preparations for the year's most anticipated wedding kick into high gear.
The 50-acre Astor Courts estate, overlooking the Hudson River, was abuzz with activity Wednesday in the final hours before the only daughter of ex-President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Clinton says "I do."
Three Ryder moving trucks were parked outside, with workers toting large boxes and lugging chairs. The air-conditioned tent will hold 500 guests for the Saturday reception following the ceremony.
One expert predicted a sleek, chic and traditional wedding day for the former First Daughter.
"Chelsea seems very easy-going and natural," said Maya Kalman, who's handled several celebrity weddings as CEO and founder of Swank Productions.
"I wouldn't expect any live lions or extravagance," she continued. "I expect it to be simple and understated in theme - despite its grand enormity."
The room where Chelsea and fiancé Marc Mezvinsky will take their vows will be "elegant chic," Kalman predicted.
Despite gripes from some locals about the hyper-secrecy surrounding the wedding, many Rhinebeck residents said the ceremony was like a Clinton stimulus plan for the town economy.
"Rhinebeck can't buy publicity like this," said John Regan, owner of the Rhinebeck Deli. "Chelsea Clinton has been a financial windfall for this entire community."
The deli's hottest seller is "Hillary's The Secretary of Steak" - a 6-ounce Angus sirloin with sauteed onions and cheese on a grilled roll.
"Chelsea's Choice Wrap" and "Bill's All American Sandwich" also are on the menu.
The local coffee shop owner agreed the wedding hype is definitely making his cash register ring.
"It's unbelievable," said Ira Gutner, the owner of Samuel's of Rhinebeck. "This wedding has done wonders for my business."
[email protected] ||||| Chelsea Clinton’s wedding is going down this weekend, complete with its $15K porta-potties. And folks can’t stop talking about her wedding dress—will it be a Vera Wang or an Oscar de la Renta? Websites, magazines, and newspapers have been fighting about this for months, while the Clinton camp hasn’t let out a murmur on the issue. And apparently, Chelsea had appointments at the studios of both designers yesterday, which isn’t helping the speculation die down. The Daily Beast has a big article today about the debate and in it, they’ve pasted Chelsea’s head atop of gowns by both designers. But, uh, they totally made her into a bobblehead! Seriously, this is some bad Photoshopping. Couldn’t they have figured out the right head and body proportions not to make her look so skeletal? Are anyone’s arms really that thin? And do you care which designer’s dress she is wearing? Either way, I’m sure it will be gorgeous and uber-pricey. [Daily Beast, PopEater] ||||| Final preparations are under way for the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvisky and Radaronline.com has the latest photos. The former first daughter and her investment banker fiancé are set to be married this Saturday at New York’s uber-posh Astor Estate after a five-year courtship.
EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding Site
In preparation for the star-studded reception, workers on the site have built a huge white marquee as well as a gazebo where the couple reportedly will tie the knot. As an added security measure, marked police vehicles are parked throughout the property.
PHOTOS: Bride-To-Be Chelsea Clinton Out-And-About In NY
As Radaronline.com previously reported, former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be spending about $6,000 a head for the 500 estimated guests. The money is going toward everything from five-star cuisine to custom invitations (estimated at $150 each) to air-conditioned tents to tight security, as experts say that even the nearby airspace will be monitored with the high-profile guest list.
PHOTOS: New Details On The Chelsea Clinton Wedding
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– Paparazzi hoping to get an aerial view of Chelsea Clinton’s nuptials are grounded: The FAA declared the area around her wedding site a temporary no-fly zone, the New York Times reports. More from the wedding of the decade: The white tent and gazebo have been erected at Rhinebeck’s Astor Courts estate, where the wedding will be held, Radar and the New York Daily News report. Chelsea will be wearing a custom Vera Wang bridal gown, a source tells the Daily News. (Or maybe not: Click here for more rumors and theories on the all-important question of who designed the dress, or click here to see what she might look like in two possible gowns.) With all these details coming out, it’s no surprise the mayor of Rhinebeck calls the wedding the “worst-kept secret ever.” He tells Radar he still hasn’t been contacted about the arrangements even though $2500 in city council funds have been set aside for security measures. Bill Clinton is a little too excited about the wedding, and Chelsea keeps reminding him she wants to keep things low-key: "When your father is ex-President Bill, a man with a healthy ego, everything starts to become about him," a family friend tells PopEater. One person who won’t be at the wedding: Groom Marc Mezvinsky’s lone uncle, Norton, known for his frequent criticism of Israel. Norton claims, however, it’s a family dispute that kept him off the guest list, and tells the Daily News he’s “extremely hurt.” One other person who won’t be at the wedding: President Obama, who wasn’t invited. Click here to read more about that.
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A powerful M2-class solar flare erupts from the sun on Jan. 19, 2012 in this imager from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
A powerful flare erupted from the sun Thursday (Jan. 19), unleashing a plasma wave that may supercharge the northern lights for skywatchers in high latitudes this weekend.
The solar flare occurred at about 11:30 am EST (1600 GMT) and touched off a massive solar explosion — known as a coronal mass ejection — aimed at Earth, space weather experts and officials said. The charged particles from the sun explosion should reach Earth by Saturday night (Jan. 21), and could amp up northern lights displays when they hit the upper atmosphere.
"Forecasters say strong geomagnetic storms are possible when the cloud arrives during the late hours of Jan. 21st. High-latitude (and possibly middle-latitude) sky watchers should be alert for auroras this weekend," the skywatching website Spaceweather.com announced in an alert.
Several space telescopes recorded photos and video of the solar flare, including NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). [Photo and video of the solar flare]
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center maintained by NOAA, Thursday's solar flare erupted from an active sunspot group called Region 1401. Another solar hotspot, called Region 1402, is also fired off a flare, the center reported.
Auroras occur when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's upper atmosphere, releasing visible light in the process. The particles are funneled toward Earth's polar regions by the planet's magnetic field, with the northern auroral displays known as the aurora borealis, or northern lights. The southern counterpart is called the aurora australis, or southern lights.
Thursday's solar flare rated as a powerful M2-class sun storm on the scale used by astronomers to measure flare strength. M-class storms are powerful, but mid-range, types of solar flares. They fall between the weaker C-class flares and the most powerful X-class solar storms, which can pose a threat to satellites and astronauts in orbit, cause widespread communications interference and damage infrastructure on Earth when aimed directly at the planet.
SDO mission scientists have said that sunspot group 1401 has been unleashing solar flares almost daily as the sun's rotation slowly turned the solar hotspot toward Earth in recent days. On Wednesday (Jan. 18), the region unleashed an M1.7-class solar flare, they said in a Twitter post.
The sun is currently in the middle of an active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle. The current sun storm cycle, called Solar Cycle 24, is expected to peak in 2013, NASA scientists have said.
Editor's note: If you snap an amazing northern lights photo, or other skywatching image, and would like to share it for a possible story or gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at [email protected].
Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. ||||| Combined images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellites show a giant blob of plasma (top) ejected by the sun on Thursday. The cloud of charged gas is expected to reach Earth Sunday. (Courtesy of NASA)
A huge sunspot unleashed a blob of charged plasma Thursday that space weather watchers predict will blast past the Earth on Sunday. Satellite operators and power companies are keeping a close eye on the incoming cloud, which could distort the Earth’s magnetic field and disrupt radio communications, especially at higher latitudes.
“Our simulations show potential to pack a good punch to Earth’s near-space environment,” said Antti Pulkkinen of the Space Weather Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
But, he added, “We’re not looking at an extreme event here.”
The front edge of the burst should arrive Sunday morning, said Joseph Kunches, a spokesman for the Space Weather Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colo.
“At first glance, it was, ‘Oh my God, it’s at the center of the [sun’s] disk, it ought to go right to the Earth,’ ” Kunches said. But upon further review and “head-scratching” Thursday, NOAA’s space weather team calculated that most of the plasma blob should pass harmlessly over the top of our planet.
“It’s more of a glancing blow,” Pulkkinen said.
At their most intense, solar discharges, known as “coronal mass ejections,” can disrupt satellites, radio communications and the power grid, and force airlines to reroute transcontinental flights that pass near the North Pole. Solar activity can also generate dancing auroras, the northern and southern lights.
Spit out by the sun Thursday morning, the huge blob of charged gas spotted by NASA satellites is speeding toward Earth at more than 2 million mph. The most damaging solar discharges, which are very rare, can zoom at speeds more than twice that fast.
The ejection appears to be the most threatening since the sun spit out three large blobs in quick succession last August.
Such discharges shoot out of sunspots, which are dark areas on the sun’s surface where tangled magnetic fields sometimes discharge massive spurts of energy.
Solar activity ramps up and down on a roughly 11-year cycle. Over the past year, the number of solar flares has jumped up as the sun approaches its predicted maximum activity in 2013.
While the Earth appears to have dodged this particular solar bullet, the roiling sunspot could generate more activity over the coming week before it rotates out of the view of the Earth.
“We’re keeping a close eye on it,” Pulkkinen said.
Besides sparking pretty auroras, heightened solar activity has a more tangible benefit: It cleans up space junk. As the sun acts up, the Earth’s atmosphere expands, increasing friction on dead satellites, rocket parts and other trash in low Earth orbit, pulling them down.
The amount of debris in Earth orbit “actually decreased during 2011 as solar activity increased toward an anticipated maximum,” NASA’s chief space junk watcher, Nicholas Johnson, wrote in the January issue of the agency’s Orbital Debris Quarterly Newsletter.
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– It might pay to glance up at the sky late tonight. A solar flare that erupted from the sun on Thursday is sending a blob of charged gas toward Earth that could make for some dazzling displays of the northern lights, reports Space.com. (The higher latitudes, such as Alaska, will get the best views.) Known as a coronal mass ejection in science-speak, the blast isn't expected to cause much trouble for satellites or the power grid, notes the Washington Post. The site SpaceWeather.com has more details.
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“Battleship” is the worst humans-fighting-aliens movie I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of humans-fighting-aliens movies.
Perhaps we should have been prepared for this cosmic joke of an action-adventure, as it’s based on the classic Hasbro board game — an absurdity its filmmakers have embraced with good humor, but not hit with good aim. While the game itself accounts for maybe 2% of the content (there are battleships, and at one point there’s a grid that must be analyzed), its spirit is entirely intact: This movie is impersonal, plastic and has lots of easy-to-misplace pieces.
Taylor Kitsch is Hopper, a miscreant with a heart of gold introduced in a beer commercial-type bar, being urged to shape up by his Navy officer brother (Alexander Skarsgard) and lusting after the daughter (Brooklyn Decker) of the admiral (Liam Neeson). Some time later, he’s in the Navy, hoping to marry the admiral's daughter before shipping out for some inter-naval games that bring several thousand sailors off the coast of Hawaii.
RELATED: PETER BERG BRINGS BOARD GAME TO BIG SCREEN
That’s handy, because soon, wouldn’t you know it, aliens show up. They were hinted at in an early sequence, when bearded geeks worry about a signal sent off that invites other life forms to come and say hi. Turns out the ones who RSVP set up an invisible wall around ships in the water, then don’t react well when they’re fired upon.
The angry E.T.s send whirling buzzsaw-type objects which look like giant socket screws to cut through cities, and their spacecraft, which had plunged right into the ocean for some undisclosed reason, pop up and try to sink our battleships. Some aliens do end up on land, where one gets into a wrestling match with a double-amputee veteran.
Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna ponder the aliens’ moves in “Battleship.” ( )
These not-scary, plan-less humanoid aliens, seen with their helmets off for a maximum of perhaps five minutes, look like Mickey Rourke with a goatee made of glass, suggesting some effects designer fell asleep on the job. There’s some TV chatter overheard about a “worldwide invasion,” but that little plotline seems undeveloped.
Also wasted is Rihanna, in her movie debut, as a member of Hopper’s crew. Couldn’t someone have devised a scene where music’s slinkiest star dances for even a moment? She simply makes stern faces as she presses buttons — which puts her pretty much on par with Kitsch, also the star of “John Carter” and a guy having a not-very-good year. Neeson, for his part, is back to coasting through big-budget wastes of time after a brief uptick with “The Grey.”
Director Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights,” “Hancock”) can’t really be blamed, since someone had to steer this thing out of port, and it seems like the map was laid out according to the “Transformers” model. (Fans of “Independence Day” and “The Abyss” shouldn’t get their hopes up for anything equivalent here.) “Battleship” is too clunky and thudding to stay afloat for even the first third of its overlong running time, though the only ones who’ll really get soaked are ticket buyers.
Magic Moment: An alien is confused by a human’s metallic legs.
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After you've seen Battleship, come back and listen to our spoiler special:
Dana Stevens Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.
Battleship (Universal/Hasbro) must have prevailed in whatever war it was waging on me, because three days after seeing it all I can remember is that it’s about battleships, and is based on the board game Battleship, and is about a lot of ships that … battle. Battleship (directed by Peter Berg of The Kingdom and Friday Night Lights) is a dumb action blockbuster, but not generously, life-givingly dumb, like the Mission: Impossible movies or Roland Emmerich’s 2012 (ahhh, 2012). This is the kind of summer movie that softens your brain tissue without even providing the endocrine burst of pleasure that would make it all worthwhile. It even—please fine me for saying this—makes Michael Bay’s Transformers movies look rollicking by comparison.
Given that it spends a good 85 percent of its 130-minute running time bludgeoning the viewers’ senses with explosions and CGI naval battles and hurtling alien vessels, Battleship has a lot of nerve asking us to care about the hastily sketched human dramas unfolding on the periphery. You know how, even in a terrible movie, there’ll often be one subplot or performance that you find yourself looking forward to during the dull parts? This film offers no such respite. Every storyline, from the ne’er-do-well Navy lieutenant who suddenly finds himself in charge of defending his ship from aliens to the physical therapist scaling a mountain with her double-amputee client, is equally worthy of dread.
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In the main plot, Taylor Kitsch plays Alex Hopper, a pouty, trouble-prone bad boy whose upstanding older brother (Alexander Skarsgard) manages to man-shame him into joining the Navy on his 26th birthday. But as a sailor Alex’s rebel ways continue, and he’s on the verge of getting kicked out of the Navy by his girlfriend’s father, the daunting Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson, sort of phoning in the dauntingness). First, though, Alex and his brother must take part in RIMPAC, an international training exercise in which the navies of different countries meet to simulate battle scenarios at sea.
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But RIMPAC becomes WTFPAC when, in the middle of the first day of exercises, Alex’s ship, the John Paul Jones, encounters an inexplicable looming monolith that turns out to be the base of operations for an invasion from outer space. Thus begins a long run of poorly differentiated scenes in which the John Paul Jones pluckily, and perhaps unwisely, takes on the alien megaships. It’s all a blur, but there were a lot of shots of people looking up slack-jawed at inconceivably large and powerful objects and saying things like “Jesus God in Heaven.”
In the B-plot, Alex’s girlfriend Sam (Brooklyn Decker), an exercise therapist, tries to coax a disabled vet (Gregory D. Gadson, a real-life Iraq vet who lost both legs above the knee) to join her on a hike up a Hawaiian mountain.* As it turns out, this is the mountain the aliens are trying to get to in order to use its SETI-style satellite base to send a message back home—one that will, we may only assume, boil down to, “Send more ships.” Will Sam and Mick make it to the satellite base in time to blow it up and save the world? Or will Alex and his comrades at sea get there first? What of poor Liam Neeson, looking on impotently at both action plots while separated from them by an alien force field? Will Alex’s derring-do in battle be enough to convince the admiral to grant his daughter’s hand in marriage? (That seriously is an important plot point in the story. In Battleship II, the issue of Sam’s bride price will be hammered out.)
Complaining about the acting in Battleship seems like misplaced aggression; it’s not the actors’ fault that the lines they’re speaking are so terrible. That said, there are some performances in this movie that are not so much wooden as Styrofoam. Kitsch, who showed promise as an action hero in the less-bad-than-it-could-have-been John Carter, does what he can with the role Alex Hopper, but his character arc basically consists of jutting his jaw out with steadily increasing stubbornness. The scenes with Decker and Gadson on the mountaintop alternate between frantic and placid, as if they can’t decide how much energy to invest in the impending destruction of Earth. Rihanna is more credible as a tough-as-nails petty officer on Alex’s ship; at least, unlike Sports Illustrated model Decker, she isn’t always filmed in Megan Fox-style soft focus in front of a wind machine.
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One of Battleship’s biggest mistakes was not to spend more time exploring its aliens’ culture and physiognomy. We only see two of the invaders up close for a few brief moments, and never hear their speech or observe them aboard their own ship. There are signs throughout that the aliens observe some sort of moral code—they tend to target technology rather than living beings, and at one point deliberately bypass a Little League game that lies in their path of destruction. Yet when it’s convenient for the jingoistic boo-yah energy of the story, the aliens once again become faceless monsters whose obliteration we should cheer mindlessly. I’d welcome a summer movie with morally ambiguous villains, but these are just out-of-focus villains—it doesn’t seem to have occurred to any of the writers that it would be more fun to hiss at the reptilian-eyed invaders if we knew what we were rooting against.
I should take back the above claim that Battleship lacks any saving graces. There are at least two deliberately funny moments that hint at the existence of a zanily witty Airplane!-style spoof buried in this movie’s turgid depths. In the first, the commanders of the John Paul Jones come up with a computer program to track the movement of the underwater alien ships, and the grid on their screen precisely echoes the look of the old Battleship board game—it’s as if, in the midst of all this thunderous manliness, Berg wants us to remember he knows it’s all a silly game. The second moment of wit occurs in the climactic battle sequence, when our ragtag heroes leap aboard a decommissioned WWII ship that’s been turned into a floating museum. For no reason that’s ever explained, a group of elderly veterans is standing by on the old ship (were they docents?), and the old salts proceed to help their juniors ready the ship for intergalactic warfare. As the concessions stand is triumphantly overturned, ACDC's “Thunderstruck” kicks in to accompany a sprightly fixer-upper montage. For those brief moments Battleship becomes something different, a jaunty mélange of Top Gun patriotism and Starship Troopers looniness. If a sequel is truly inevitable, maybe Peter Berg can be encouraged to steer the ship in that direction. ||||| Come for the aliens and stay for the naval warfare, and you’ll wind up raving about the patriotic salutes. Peter Berg's 'Battleship' may be based on a board game, but it ultimately defies anything you're expecting — in the very best way
Universal Pictures / AP Taylor Kitsch, left, and Rihanna
Battleship Year: 2012 Director: Peter Berg Studio: Universal Pictures Actors: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson Related Movie Review: Battleship http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20587674,00.html
'Battleship' stays afloat in a sea of noise The Seattle Times
Based on a board game that became popular precisely for its prosaic, binary nature (hit/miss), one would expect a feature-length Battleship to be a decidedly one-note affair. But a funny thing happened on the way to mediocrity: The creative team behind this ocean-bound thriller decided to fill the narrative black hole with a few ingredients all but absent from today’s summer tent poles — namely mystery, nostalgia and a healthy dose of humility. Just as blockbusters have made the hard turn towards fantasy heroes who solemnly go about their business in high-def-but-low-impact 3D cage matches, Battleship is an unapologetically goofy, surprisingly enigmatic, refreshingly self-deprecating deviation from the norm. I hesitate to confess that I had more fun here than I did at The Avengers, because low expectations surely had a lot to do with it, but it’s the truth. Heck, I’d pay to see the thing again.
Director Peter Berg has apparently conceived of his production design as homage to (and improvement on) the works of Michael Bay — from Battleship’s militaristic grandstanding to its absurd romance, endlessly spinning action set pieces and deafening metal-on-metal sound effects. Right up top, ahead of the credits, Berg pulls a Bay in sprinting through the character introductions: You’ve got your lovable Hawaiian slacker Alex (Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights) who can’t keep a job or get up the nerve to talk to the father of his girlfriend Sam (Brooklyn Decker). She’s a physical therapist on Oahu, working with wounded Navy veterans who are coping with life after amputations (her newest patient is real-life veteran and amputee Gregory D. Gadson). Complicating matters is her dad: Liam Neeson, admiral of the fleet.
Alex, you see, was brought into the Navy by his straight-laced brother Stone (Alexander Skarsgård), who thought a life of rank and discipline would benefit his younger half. And sure enough, maturity comes quickly for the bumbling bro when, on a joint Japan-U.S. naval exercise, four mysterious objects crash through Earth’s atmosphere and into the Pacific. Anyone who has encountered the film’s relentless marketing blitz knows the basic outlines of what comes next: Aliens terrorize Earth, explosions dot the horizon, and our sailors must prevent this “extinction-level event.”
(MORE: The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium—Thus Far)
…Only that’s not really how things play out at all. At every turn, the aesthetics and attitude of Battleship jolt us out of our comfort zone. Alex should be a plodding, predictable protagonist, a Shia LaBeouf replicant alternating between fear and vengeance. But so much of the plot hinges instead on Alex’s immaturity, his decided lack of experience and his gradual growth into a man who can lead his peers (including Rihanna, who plays a tough-as-nails naval gunner) through a crisis.
One would expect the arrival of the aliens to usher in a mindless volley of lasers and torpedoes. But while there are plenty of shots fired, and explosions to ogle, far more intriguing than the firepower is the mystery that shrouds the weaponry. In the first tense standoff, there’s a surprising level of studying and calculation at play, as the human first responders grapple to comprehend just what it is that they’ve found floating out in the middle of the ocean. Even after the aliens show their true colors and things turn hostile, the sailors — as well as the audience — begin to diagnose the weaknesses in the superior technology targeting them. Unlike most action heroes, who simply possess expert skills, Alex is learning as he goes, and we learn through his eyes. As his crew develops a new attack plan for the final climactic brawl, there’s something slightly more fulfilling about a strategy that’s evolved throughout the film.
If the alien introduction is more cryptic than we expect, the subplot playing out back on land is more inspiring. When the aliens track down the satellite array that initially brought them to Earth, they start to set up a base in rural Oahu, and that’s when Sam and Gadson join forces with a nerdy satellite operator (Hamish Linklater) to single-handedly take the array off line. A scientist, physical therapist and amputee taking out our E.T. invaders — one of cinema’s more unlikely motley crews.
As for the board game, it’s integrated into the film in surprisingly subtle ways (no one ever utters “you sunk my battleship!”). Once the aliens use a force field of sorts to separate three Navy vessels from the remainder of the fleet, we start to get closer to the actual scope of a Battleship board. And if you look and listen closely, you’ll recognize the cues: A destroyer, they say, can dish it out but can’t last as long as a battleship — which, as any player knows, can withstands two or three direct hits, but never four. When the radar goes down, the Japanese sailors teach their American counterparts a trick of the trade, using tsunami buoys to monitor displaced water. As the combined crews bring up a grid of buoys, and notice a disturbance near “Echo One-One” (that would be E11), the Battleship grid has been revived onscreen.
There’s something decidedly retro about the grid sequence, where winning the war at sea has less to do with technology than with instincts, trigger fingers and the equipment at hand. In fact, there’s something delightfully old-school about all the action in Battleship. As classic rock blasts in the background, the movie increasingly shifts its attention away from the spinning, glowing alien ships to the inner workings of mankind’s floating fortresses, paying tribute to veterans and the ingenuity of those in the armed forces. Sure, it’s slightly jingoistic, but when the aliens are calling for backup, we want to cheer for our side.
(UPDATE: Richard Corliss Expands TIME’s List of Cinematic Greats)
I have yet to even address the harrowing ways in which the history of Pearl Harbor factors into this war of the worlds. But it offers a rousing final act to a film of surprising dexterity, alternating between sibling drama, behind-enemy-lines strategizing, naval war maneuvers, big guns that go bang, alien intelligence and a goofy spirit that shows Berg and company don’t take this all that seriously after all.
Here’s an audacious, inventive and character-driven blockbuster with some wit sprinkled in for good measure. It’s fun, and filled with a surprising degree of intrigue and suspense; an unlikely mix of Independence Day, Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park and The Hunt for Red October. If it was called anything other than Battleship, I wouldn’t feel so guilty for loving every minute. ||||| Topics: Movies, Action movies, Summer movies, Entertainment News
One of the great marketing constants of contemporary Hollywood is the idea of appealing to the 11-year-old boy within every moviegoer (whatever gender that person may manifest on the surface). Almost every American movie released during the summer season has that squirmy pre-adolescent id in view, and about two-thirds of the movies made the rest of the year. But what about a movie as baffling and incoherent and flat-out stupid as “Battleship” — an alien-invasion adventure by way of a Hasbro game, or maybe the other way round — a movie that would make your inner 11-year-old stomp out of the theater in disgust?
It’s undoubtedly gilding the lily to claim that “Battleship” is the dumbest movie I’ve ever seen — for all that I front as someone who only likes Turkish films where people stare at the landscape without talking, I’ve seen a lot of dumb movies — but it’s definitely up there. Over and above its extraordinary, mind-melting level of stupidity, “Battleship” (which is directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Peter Berg, of “Hancock” and “Friday Night Lights,” and written by action-flick brothers Erich and Jon Hoeber) is also extremely weird. Its shameless and nonsensical combination of ingredients finally won me over, after a fashion, when I realized that its gung-ho Navy-recruitment propaganda and retrograde gender politics shouldn’t be taken any more seriously than the ZZ Top, AC/DC and Billy Squier songs on the soundtrack. The only point of the whole exercise is to make small boys whoop and holler.
You know that bar over on the roughneck side of town, the one where all the jingoistic, pro-military, America-hell-yeah movies go to quaff some brewskis and swap tales about kickin’ Communist hiney? Yeah, that one. Well, when “Battleship” shows up there and starts breaking beer glasses on its head, “Top Gun” and “Red Dawn” and “The Green Berets” get to feel all grown-up and complicated and full of girly-man sensitivity. That’s how stupid it is. Come to think of it, that’s the same Oahu tavern where we first meet our handsome but headstrong hero, Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch, last seen fleeing the ruins of “John Carter”), who’s enjoying a birthday beverage and stern lecture, both provided by his uptight Navy officer brother, Stone (Alexander Skarsgård). Let me back up and repeat that key piece of information: Skarsgård’s character is named Stone Hopper, and I promise that if you remind me of that in three years, I’ll still think it’s hilarious. ||||| Universal Studios hopes to rake in millions of dollars this weekend with the release of its new action film Battleship, and sales of the classic board game are expected to get a nice boost, too. As readers may recall, the game play is simple: Each player arranges five ships—an aircraft carrier, battleship, cruiser, submarine, and destroyer—on a ten-by-ten grid of squares and attempts to “sink” his opponent’s ships by calling out the squares where he believes his enemy’s ships are hiding. Most players approach the game as essentially one of chance, targeting squares at random and hoping for a “hit.” But is there a better strategy? If a friend challenges you to a nostalgic game of Battleship this weekend, is there a way to increase the chances that your fleet will emerge victorious?
There is. Nick Berry, a technology consultant and president of DataGenetics, a data mining company based in Seattle, has meticulously laid out several strategies that will improve your chances of sinking your opponent’s ships before she sinks yours. These methods are battle-tested: Berry created computer algorithms to employ his strategies in hundreds of millions of simulations so he could calculate their respective success rates.
Berry started by assessing the strategy most players intuit, which he refers to as Hunt/Target. The computer begins in Hunt mode—that is, firing at random until it hits a ship. When it has a hit, it focuses fire on the adjacent squares. Once the ship is sunk, the computer reverts back to Hunt mode until it hits another target. In Berry’s simulations, it took an average of 66 moves to sink an opponent’s battleship. It’s a serviceable approach, but there’s still a lot of random guessing involved.
To improve upon the Hunt/Target method, Berry devised a tactic that combines Hunt mode with the concept of mathematical parity. Think of it this way: Imagine if the board were color-coded like a checkerboard, with white and blue squares. Even the smallest ship—the destroyer—covers two squares, and would therefore have to rest on both a white and a blue square. Fire only at blue squares and you will eventually hit every ship at least once. This method effectively allows you to reduce the number of targets on the board by half when you’re in Hunt mode. (When you register a hit you enter Target mode, and both blue and white squares are in play until you sink the ship.) This strategy yields a slightly better average than regular Hunt/Target mode: an average of 65 moves to sink your opponent’s fleet.
Berry’s most efficient approach to Battleship uses a probability density function, which takes into consideration the different ways the ships can fit across the board. Here, Berry’s algorithm considers all of the possible configurations of the five ships and calculates a probability that any given square is occupied by a ship. At the outset of the game, obviously, the ships could be anywhere—there isn’t much difference in the probabilities for each square. But as the game progresses, you eliminate more and more squares from the board, and also reduce the number of possible configurations—the five-square aircraft carrier can’t be hiding in a four-square stretch of sea. A human player can’t realistically calculate the probabilities for each square as accurately as Berry’s model, but she can keep in mind the underlying strategy here. By considering the length of each ship that remains on the board and aiming for the area of the board that has the highest probability of containing those ships, you greatly improve your hit rate. When Berry’s computer used this approach, he reduced the average number of moves per game to 44 moves.
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– It's got a cast full of hotshots and heartthrobs, from Taylor Kitsch to Rihanna to Liam Neeson, but Battleship is about as intellectually stimulating as its board game namesake. But despite the overwhelming critical vitriol, a few reviewers enjoyed it: "This is the kind of summer movie that softens your brain tissue without even providing the endocrine burst of pleasure that would make it all worthwhile," writes Dana Stevens at Slate. "It even—please fine me for saying this—makes Michael Bay’s Transformers movies look rollicking by comparison." "Battleship is the worst humans-fighting-aliens movie I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of humans-fighting-aliens movies," notes Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News. It's a lot like the game: "impersonal, plastic, and has lots of easy-to-misplace pieces." At Salon, Andrew O'Hehir calls the film "baffling and incoherent," featuring an "extraordinary, mind-melting level of stupidity." But in Time, Steven James Snyder feels very differently, citing the movie's "mystery, nostalgia," and "healthy dose of humility." It's "an unapologetically goofy, surprisingly enigmatic, refreshingly self-deprecating deviation from the norm," he writes. In quasi-related news, click to learn about how to win at Battleship—every time you play.
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“When he was just crushing it, you know, on the first take, I just went ‘This is going to be really good.’”
Today, August 11, marks the second anniversary of the death of the great Robin Williams.
Of all his many memorable roles, arguably his finest hour was his performance as therapist Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting, a role for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1997.
Ahead of the release of Jason Bourne last month, JOE’s Paul Moore caught up with Williams’ Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon, who recalled Williams’ performance in one of the most iconic scenes from the movie.
Damon recalled how he was blown away by Williams’ performance even as the scene was being shot and talked about a recent return to the famous bench in Boston with his family.
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Check it out for yourself below… ||||| Uploaded by movieclips on
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Sean (Robin Williams) lectures Will (Matt Damon) on life experience and the limitations education has in truly defining oneself.
TM & © Miramax Films (2012)
Cast: Matt Damon, Robin Williams
Director: Gus Van Sant
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Producer: Su Armstrong, Lawrence Bender, Jonathan Gordon, Chris Moore, Scott Mosier, Kevin Smith, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein
Screenwriter: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck
Film Description: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck co-scripted and star in this drama, set in Boston and Cambridge, about rebellious 20-year-old MIT janitor Will Hunting (Damon), gifted with a photographic memory, who hangs out with his South Boston bar buddies, his best friend Chuckie (Affleck), and his affluent British girlfriend Skylar (Minnie Driver). After MIT professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) stumps students with a challenging math formula on a hallway blackboard, Will anonymously leaves the correct solution, prompting Lambeau to track the elusive young genius. As Will's problems with the police escalate, Lambeau offers an out, but with two conditions -- visits to a therapist and weekly math sessions. Will agrees to the latter but refuses to cooperate with a succession of therapists. Lambeau then contacts his former classmate, therapist Sean McGuire (Robin Williams), an instructor at Bunker Hill Community College. Both are equally stubborn, but Will is finally forced to deal with both his past and his future.
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– Thursday marked the two-year anniversary of Robin Williams' death, and his Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon just happened to be doing an interview with Irish website JOE.ie. Asked about the memorable bench scene from the movie, Damon responded that he knew right away the scene would be a standout. "When he was just crushing it on the first take, I just went, ‘This is gonna be really good,'" Damon said. He added that he recently visited the bench, which is located in Boston Commons. "I walked over there with my family and we sat on the bench," he said. “The kids didn’t know, they’ve never seen the movie, they’re too young. But it was nice to go back and think about him back there."
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8-year-old boy shoots 5-year-old friend with found rifle
By Arturo Garcia
Saturday, May 11, 2013 21:57 EDT
A 5-year-old boy in Denton, Texas was reportedly in critical condition on Saturday after an accidental shooting involving an 8-year-old friend.
KXAS-TV reported that the two boys were alone in a bedroom when the 8-year-old found a .22-caliber rifle and pointed it at the younger boy. Police said the older boy then accidentally shot his friend in the left side of his head. Two adults, including the 5-year-old boy’s grandfather, and a teenager were also inside the home at the time of the shooting.
The younger boy was first taken to a local medical facility, then transported by air to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. KTVT-TV reported that he was on a ventilator as of Saturday evening.
“It’s a very tragic accident, especially the day before Mother’s Day,” said Denton Police spokesperson Orlando Hinojosa. “Education is the most important thing about firearm safety. Just make sure your children know, if you do have weapons in the house, where they’re at, and for them not to be reachable.”
This incident is the third shooting involving children in Texas this week, and the second involving a .22-caliber rifle. On Tuesday, Houston officials said a 5-year-old boy was handling one when he accidentally shot his 7-year-old brother while the two were taking a bath. And on Wednesday, a 2-year-old boy in Corsicana shot himself in the head with his father’s handgun.
Watch KXAS’ report on the accidental shooting in Denton, aired Saturday, below.
View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.
[Image via Shutterstock] ||||| 2-year-old Texas boy shoots himself in the head with father’s handgun
By Stephen C. Webster
Thursday, May 9, 2013 12:07 EDT
A two-year-old boy from Corsicana, Texas, a town of just under 24,000 people located between Dallas and Waco, shot himself in the head Wednesday night with his father’s handgun while his dad was looking away, police said.
The victim was identified as Kinsler Allen Davis, according to The Associated Press.
Davis was rushed to the local hospital in Fredricksberg before medics put him on a life flight to Dallas, but even doctors there could not save him.
A police statement obtained by Dallas-based CBS DFW explained that all physical evidence so far in the case indicates the shooting was accidental.
The boy found his 35-year-old father’s handgun while the man was interacting with something in his bedroom’s closet, with his son just feet away.
“As you can imagine, they’re extremely upset and distraught,” Corsicana police chief Randy Bratton reportedly said.
This video is from CBS DFW, aired Thursday, May 9, 2013.
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Photo: Shutterstock.com.
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– It has been a bad week for kids in Texas, with three shootings involving children under 10 years old, one of them fatal, taking place in the space of four days, Raw Story reports. On Wednesday, a five-year-old shot his seven-year-old brother with an old rifle while the two played unsupervised in the bath. On Thursday, a two-year-old fatally shot himself in the head with his dad's handgun, while his father was busy elsewhere in the room, says Raw Story. And yesterday, an eight-year-old shot his five-year-old friend in the head with a rifle, as the two played alone in a bedroom. The boy is in a critical condition in hospital, the Denton Record-Chronicle reports. Two of the guns used were .22-caliber rifles, similar to the one with which a five-year-old accidentally killed his two-year-old sister in Kentucky earlier this month. The grandfather of the children spoke out this week, saying his grandson was too young to have a gun and that it was a cultural problem in rural Kentucky. "Too many people think it's (guns) for target practice. Well, what comes after target practicing—killing. I know, I was in the Marine Corps," he told the Star Democrat. “When you pick this (gun) up, you're usually going to kill something."
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James Holmes wants to plead not guilty by reason of insanity to the killing of 12 people and the wounding of 70 others in the Aurora movie theater attack.
In a filing Tuesday, Holmes’ lawyers wrote they intend to “tender a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.” Holmes would need the judge’s permission to change his plea. The plea change could come as early as Monday, the next scheduled date in Holmes’ court case.
The notice filed Tuesday starts a series of dominoes in the case.
Because a judge entered a standard not guilty plea on behalf of Holmes — and over the objection of Holmes’ attorneys — at arraignment, Holmes’ attorneys will have to show “good cause” why they should be allowed to change the plea to insanity.
If the plea change is allowed, the judge will immediately order Holmes to undergo an independent mental-health evaluation — something that could potentially take months.
Meanwhile, Holmes’ lawyers will now likely re-submit their complaints that Colorado’s system for insanity pleas in death-penalty cases is unconstitutional. They have previously argued, for instance, that requiring Holmes to participate in the mental-health evaluation would violate his rights against self-incrimination. The judges overseeing the case, though, rejected those arguments at the time because Holmes hadn’t yet actually pleaded insanity.
In the notice Tuesday, Holmes’ lawyers write they made the filing, “[w]hile maintaining all previous objections and arguments regarding the constitutionality” of the insanity-plea laws.
Holmes is charged with 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other offenses for the July 20 attack on the Century Aurora 16 movie theater. His attorneys have previously hinted that Holmes’ mental illness would feature prominently in his defense.
“[T]he reason the defense is considering entering an (insanity) plea is because Mr. Holmes suffers from a serious mental illness,” his lawyers wrote in a motion filed late last month.
Shooting survivors and family members of victims, however, have said they are suspicious of Holmes’ claims of mental illness, citing, for instance, the detailed planning Holmes allegedly put into the attack.
“He’s a hollow person, very evil,” Jessica Watts, the cousin of slain theater victim Jonathan Blunk, said after Holmes’ arraignment in March. “He’s absolutely not insane. … Just, he doesn’t seem like he does a whole lot to help himself. He doesn’t seem real interested in what’s going on in his own future.”
UPDATES TO THE STORY: http://bit.ly/18UsLQb ||||| Lawyers for the man accused of killing 12 people and injuring 70 in a Colorado movie theater said Tuesday he wants to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.
Attorneys for James Holmes said in a court filing they plan to formally ask for the change of plea at a May 13 hearing.
A judge in the case previously entered a standard not guilty plea for Holmes. If the judge accepts the insanity plea, Holmes would be sent to the state mental hospital, where doctors would determine whether he was insane at the time of the July 20 shootings.
If the doctors do determine that Holmes was insane, a jury could still find him guilty.
The insanity plea was widely expected given the compelling evidence against Holmes. He is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Holmes' attorneys have said in court hearings and written in court documents that Holmes is mentally ill. He was being seen by a psychiatrist before the attack on a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie that killed 12 people and injured 70.
Prosecutors say Holmes spent months buying guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, donned police-style body armor and opened fire in a crowded Aurora theater during a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie on July 20. Twelve people were killed and 70 injured
Holmes could be executed if he's convicted of more than 160 counts of murder and attempted murder.
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Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP
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– In a not-so-surprising development, accused Aurora shooter James Holmes plans to use the insanity defense. His attorneys filed papers today saying their client intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at a hearing next week, reports the Denver Post. If the judge goes along, doctors at a state mental hospital will determine whether Holmes was insane at the time of the July rampage that left 12 dead and 70 injured in a movie theater, reports AP. Even if they do, Holmes could still be found guilty by a jury, it adds. The 25-year-old had been seeing a psychiatrist before the shooting.
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Vit A: 150%, Iron 25%, Thiamin 90%, Riboflavin 80%, Niacin 35%, Folate 25%, Selenium 4%, Vitamin B6 70%, Vitamin B12 70%
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– For almost a quarter-century, Shawnee Chasser has returned home in the evenings to a house in the trees, the latest one a wooden two-story structure built high above the ground on the Florida property where her late son used to live. But Miami-Dade County officials are now ordering the 65-year-old grandmother with purple hair, who says she can't deal with closed doors and windows, out of her open-air abode, saying the Biscayne Gardens cottage wasn't built to code and is unsafe—and she's got to destroy it within the next four months, the Miami Herald reports. "This has got to be my first time ever of somebody living in a treehouse," the county's code enforcement director says, adding that hurricanes in the state means they have to keep to the code, which includes getting permits for running water and electricity. The property Chasser is on is a land trust owned by her daughter, and Chasser often charges fees to let people camp in the yard and rent out rooms in the legal home once occupied by her son, who died in 2009. Chasser was busted for her treehouse, which comes complete with a Home Depot ceiling fan and a resident raccoon named "Coonie," about a year ago when someone called the local 311 to complain about all the people coming in and out of the property. Chasser—who hawks organic popcorn at Whole Foods and says living in her DIY home is "spiritual"—says she can't afford to bring the treehouse up to code (she's already paid $3,000 in fines) and doesn't want to be accused of being a fraud, as her Shawnee’s Greenthumb Popcorn brags right on the bag about her unusual living conditions. "I'm not taking down anything. I'll chain myself to that treehouse," she tells the Herald, adding she may appeal the county's mandate.
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An estimated 300 teenagers threw a party at the house of Brian Holloway over Labor Day weekend, authorities say, causing a reported $20,000 in damage to the property of the former New England Patriots and Los Angeles Raiders left tackle.
That sentence might normally make Holloway sound like the coolest irresponsible uncle ever, except there’s a catch: Holloway spends most of his time these days in Florida and wasn’t at the Stephentown, N.Y., vacation home at the time of the rager.
Fortunately for the 54-year-old Holloway, who last played in the NFL in 1988, kids can tend to be irresponsible on social media, and several of the ones accused of taking part in the party also reportedly took to Twitter to talk about it.
So Holloway took it upon himself to teach some of the kids a lesson, posting their tweets and pictures to a website he created called HelpMeSave300.com:
He also posted several pictures of the aftermath of what must have been quite the bash (there are many, many more photos of the damage and the culprits on the site):
Holloway wants it to be clear, though, that he didn’t post the images to shame the kids or get them in trouble — hopefully they’re already in enough of that with their parents — but rather, to encourage people to get these kids to change their lives for the better.
"I believe that they can be turned around," Holloway wrote on the site. "I believe that this event that was marked with spray paint on our home — can be turned into a declaration of change, transformation and new beginnings."
Here’s more from Holloway's letter on the site:
I believe that “their ultimate party” of crimes can in fact become the ultimate Turning Point in the lives of these 300.
I really do.
Tammy and I have 8 children, and we’ve also live and pray during those long nights when our children go out, for them to make good decision.
For 30 years I’ve worked with Governors of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis and New York’s, Mario Cuomo’s DARE programs; to provide the support, education and leadership to students who are at risk; peer pressure is real.
WINNING STREAKS Oh my! Cover your eyes for a look at Oh my! Cover your eyes for a look at sports' most stunning streakers
Students do die from drugs and alcohol.
It’s the most painful thing in the world.
Like all parents; every time I have looked down at the caskets of my children’s classmates...I am haunted by a single question —
Could I have done something to prevent this?
Well, I am still haunted…
Today, I know I can do something; I know we can do something; to turn these kids around.
I do know for a fact, if I do nothing, if we do nothing regarding these 300 students, we will have missed our chance to take a stand for their future.
In addition to trying to spread his message, Holloway — who told WNYT he’s been getting threats from parents over his posting of their kids’ pictures — also organized a clean-up event at his house. And sure enough, some kids (who were not at the party) showed up to help:
Former NE Patriot Brian Holloway and the teens who came to clean his trashed home in Stephentown, NY, today. pic.twitter.com/lZtq8tuGtl — Phil Demers (@BE_PhilD) September 17, 2013
As for the rest of the teens? Though Holloway says his goal isn’t to get them in trouble, they’re not out of the woods just yet. A spokeswoman for the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office told The Associated Press Wednesday that there is a "very large investigation" underway but that no arrests have been made. ||||| Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Holloway initially thought the Twitter photos showing young people partying at his family's second home in upstate New York were a hoax. Then he saw pictures of teenagers standing on the dining room table he bought with his Super Bowl bonus.
Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Holloway stands in front of his rural vacation home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, in Stephentown, N.Y. Holloway’s rural vacation home was trashed during a Labor Day weekend... (Associated Press)
Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Holloway stands in front of his rural vacation home Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, in Stephentown, N.Y. Holloway’s rural vacation home was trashed during a Labor Day weekend... (Associated Press)
Holloway's rural vacation home was trashed during a Labor Day weekend party attended by up to 400 teenagers. Holloway said the partiers caused at least $20,000 in damage, breaking windows and doors, punching holes in walls and spraying graffiti. He saw the whole thing unfold live on Twitter _ and now he's using the teens' own posts to reveal their identities and to try to set them on a better path.
Holloway, who played offensive tackle for the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Raiders in the 1980s, said his 19-year-old son, a University of Southern Florida sophomore, alerted him to the party after receiving tweets about it the night of Aug. 31.
Holloway was at his home in Lutz, Fla., at the time and watched as more tweets about the party were posted, many of them accompanied by photos of young people drinking throughout his home in Stephentown, on the Massachusetts border 25 miles southeast of Albany.
"We were getting eyewitness reports of what was happening while it was happening. We couldn't believe what was going down," Holloway told The Associated Press.
Before he could call police, more tweets reported that officers had arrived, Holloway said. The partygoers scattered across his 200-acre property, which includes the main house and a guest house set amid rolling countryside in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.
Yvonne Keefe, spokeswoman for the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office, confirmed Wednesday that a "very large investigation" into the party was underway. Police believe 200 to 400 young people were at the party, but investigators aren't commenting on the role social media is playing in the probe, she said.
No arrests have been reported.
Word of the party had spread via social media, and it attracted students at high schools from the Albany area and western Massachusetts, Holloway said. Holloway, who's now a motivational speaker, said he gave anti-drug and alcohol talks at some of those same schools during his playing days, which included an appearance in Super Bowl XX, when the Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears.
Holloway said the partiers broke about 10 windows and glass doors, punched dozens of holes in the walls, dragged kegs of beer across oak floors and left behind an "enormous amount" of graffiti. His $20,000 damage estimate does not include personal items that were stolen.
Several teens who weren't at the party but heard about it showed up this week and helped remove urine-soaked carpets and 10 large trash bags filled with liquor bottles, Holloway said, adding that drug paraphernalia also was found scattered about his property.
Holloway, a father of eight, said he used Twitter postings to compile 200 names of teens he said were at the party. He has been posting them on a website _ helpmesave300 _ in an effort to get them to come forward, take responsibility for their actions and change their behavior.
"It's not hard to identify who they were. We've got 170 tweets. We have 200 to 220 names already confirmed today. I'm going to go online right now _ I guarantee I'll have 10 more names of people who are sharing who was there, what they did. And that data is all going to the sheriffs," Holloway said.
He said he is inviting "the 300" to show up and help clean the place up for a celebration picnic he is hosting this weekend for military personnel.
"We need to get these young kids turned around," he said "We need to get them on the right track."
The superintendent for a district where Holloway said some of the partiers go to school said one student had been confirmed as having been at the party. Averill Park Superintendent James Hoffman said the underage drinking party is a police matter but will be used to educate other students about personal behavior.
"It will be brought up in freshman seminar classes about kids making choices," Hoffman said. "It's definitely a topic that'll come up in places like that."
___
Associated Press writer Michael Hill contributed to this report from Stephentown. ||||| NFL Videos Brian Holloway, a former NFL lineman who went away for a weekend and returned to find teenagers had trashed his home.
The word went out on Twitter — and hundreds of hard-partying characters turned out to trash the upstate New York home of a former NFL All-Pro.
Brian Holloway, who played for the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, watched the Labor Day debauchery via photos and text messages sent from inside his vacant house by the malicious merry-makers.
He’s now using social media to assemble a list of the remorseless revelers who trespassed on his 200-acre property — and inflicted more than $20,000 in damage.
Twitter Ex-NFL player Brian Holloway had his upstate New York house turned into a massive teen party over Labor Day weekend.
“THE LIST is growing,” Holloway wrote in an Internet posting about tracking down the punks who smashed 10 windows and glass doors, urinated on carpets and punched holes in ceilings.
“It’s being turned over to the sheriff’s department to assist them to verify and identify the facts,” he said.
Twitter Holloway was alerted to the party as it was in progress because his son saw people tweeting images.
No arrests have been made, although some brazen partiers spray-painted their names on the walls and others sent tweets about the blowout using their real names and photos.
It was not immediately clear how Holloway’s vacation residence in the Taconic Mountains was targeted for the home invasion.
Twitter The tweets are being used to help ID the teens in attendance at the bash.
But tweets collected by Holloway showed people were promoting the illicit party a full five days before the drunken destruction of Aug. 31.
Holloway, a five-time All-Pro offensive lineman with New England and the Oakland Raiders, was at his home in Lutz, Fla., when he learned of the damage at his sprawling home.
Twitter Holloway estimates the damage to his house to be at least $20,000.
His 19-year-old son spotted Twitter reports about the bash at the house in Stephentown, near the Massachusetts border.
A stunned Holloway was soon staring at a series of mind-blowing pictures — a young man clutching a drink and strolling across his kitchen table. Three kids partying in his bathroom. A boozy couple dancing and carousing.
Twitter Social media posts like this one are being used to help reveal the identities of the partygoers.
“We couldn’t believe what was going down,” Holloway recounted. The table holding the drunken teen was purchased with money from the lineman’s Super Bowl share.
State troopers responded to the home, but the teens managed to flee without any arrests made.
Twitter The ex-player says he watched the party play out live via social media while he was in Florida.
“Busted or not, it was still the best party in the 518 (area code) of the summer,” tweeted one reveler.
“If you didn’t go last night I feel bad for you #bestpartyever,” wrote another.
Twitter The damage caused by the teens includes broken windows and doors and graffiti on walls.
Holloway said he was utterly disgusted.
“What is even more dangerous and shocking beyond the crimes, drugs and alcohol was reading the tweets and hearing them celebrate their destruction and documenting their crimes,” he said.
[email protected] ||||| MAY POST: The Smile of A Child The smile of a child is our greatest expressions of life, love, hope and possibility. Their smile inspires us to do more give more love more and learn more. Our great task as parents, teachers, mentors, neighbors, grandparents is to teach and share and love and protect their young hearts and young dreams. We may not have all the answers. We may not have everything figured out. And that’s ok. Each day holds their magic. Children are enchanted with wonder and fascination. They are God’s greatest and most precious gift. Some hearts are like a closed door and some hearts are like an open window; each requiring a special kind of love and understanding. So they know they are valued, equal and free. So they can trust. We coach to encourage, strengthen, protect and empower. So they can learn. So they can live. So they can believe. So they can trust. So they can hope. =========================================
HMS300 is a stand for the greatness in every child and our responsibility to encourage, inspire love and support them; holding them accountable to that bigger future and possibility. I join with other parents who will the stand for hope and truth. And like the others "all in" parents, I too share in your unconditional constitution to do this and live this. Our foundation will never change. We will not abandon a child. We will not close our hearts. We will not hide in the dark corners, disappearing suddenly in the light of truth We will love until our last breath, fearing nothing, celebrating all that can be in every child.
OCTOBER POST: Making Strides – Breast Cancer Walk Tampa Oct 18, 2014 THE WALK
A very special time when we join with other familes in October. THE COMMUNIY
There are so many that shares in your loss and in the fierce determination to make breast cancer go away forever. TOGETHER
We walked thru all the emotions, the healing and the hope with others. (It was not particularly easy, if you know what I mean.) THE SURVIVORS
This was inspiring and meaningful to so many – who are on their courageous journey. THE BALLOONS.
The survivors released their balloons in a symbolic gesture of victory and hope. I cried on the inside. All I could think about Mom looking down on us…smiling. THE SILENCE.
At some parts of the walk, you walk. There are no words. There is a silence. You just keep moving forward with thousands of other families. THE TURN
Another moment that also caught me by surprise was “The Turn Around”. In other words, at “The Turn Around.” You literally start the walk back, as in The Return. A triumphant a declaration that you will make it through together – and YOU WILL return home. A NEW HOPE.
On the return back, you found yourself speeding up, filled with a sense of new joy. There was healing in a deep place that’s hard to get to and hard to find. THE FINISH LINE.
The walk slowed to almost a stop as people hugged and cried. Other’s crossed in silence. We seemed to experience all of these emotions all at the same time. THE ENCOURAGEMENT:
For those who are having a hard time taking that first step to sharing such a very personal and for many a heart wrenching experience of memories -- I say this… you can do it. THANK YOU.
I want to thank our daughters, Yvette, Caitlyn and Kerry for their inspiration and taking the lead. We learned there is a wonderful community willing to embrace support and encourage you. I’m so sorry we missed last years walk with you. MOM
We love you, Mom. We miss you. Gmak is the best. Forever and ever and ever. And yes we are saying our prayers and eating our vegatables. You’re awesome Mom! YOUR INSPIRATION
one more thing Mom… Caitlyn actually learned to cook. And Kerry, she finished nursing. She’s really good. It just remined me of you when you went back to school when Dad was in Vietnam so you could get your master’s degree; just in case. Thank you. I know you did not get much sleep either. I’M STILL – “A PROJECT”
And Mom… Thanks for teaching me so much about parenting. I don’t exactly get it right all the time; but I do get a lot of it right. Maybe. I think. EVERYONE WAS SAFE:
The safest place in the world. MOMS ARE THE BEST
I don’t know how you stretched Dad’s flight pay of $6500 a year. Thanks for making our clothes. Thanks for the extra nickel you taped inside my first grade lunch box. I needed it the day I dropped my thermos and it cracked. YOUR SMILE
You always had a smile on your face, Mom… like…this picture was taken during the Cuban missile crisis. Dad was ordered to drop his nuclear bombs if the Russians did not retreat from Cuba. You protected us from everything. BIG JOHN
And yes, the boys are all grown up almost. That’s “Big” John in the 1UP shirt. Remember how big he was as a baby! He’s only 13 but he is already Bigger than David, Wendell, Max and Bri. He has your big smile. AND…KAREN
And… well Karen, besides being a big shot at Stanford and Harvard, she’s an super big shot executive. I need to get an appointment to see her. She is so important.
Add Jonathan Yale. ALL THE WAY
You were so courageous. All the way. THE CONFESSION
And, I’m not going to lie. It was me that borrowed (sorta) Karen’s silver dollars in 1964. Don’t worry, I paid her back out of my first paycheck from the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. THE KIDS
I’m still reaching out to the kids in school. There’s this new thing they do called Facebook, Twitter & Intagram; you would not believe…
...never mind. It’s not important. THE INTRODUCTION
And Mom…
...These are your great grandchildren. Isaiah & Mallania. Isaiah is Kerry’s son.
Mallania is David’s daughter.
I wanted you to meet them. YOUR GARDEN
Mallania loves watering your plants. Last week she was selected to be the #1 line leader at Pre-K. She was so excited. She’s a girlie-girl too. THE FIRST DAY
Isaiah started Kindergarten – this year.
It looks like he’s carrying too much, I know. There’s nothing inside but Optimus Prime and Spiderman. GRAND CHILDREN ARE THE BEST
After school his bus comes at 3:05 but I get there at 2:30.
I’m so excited. I can’t wait. YOU WERE RIGHT
Love…never fails. FROM HEAVEN
I know you can see us.
AUGUST POST: We all get that good kids make dumb decisions. Social media fuels this. project-p-inside-look-at-party-that-had-2000-people-packing-farm-house Are We Ok With This? There’s more. Get this. The average 12 year old girl has over 5000 unmonitored social media exchanges per week. That’s over 700 per day. The average school with 1500 students will have over 300,000 unmonitored social media exchanges per day. And look, 99.9% are totally harmless, appropriate I’m sure. 1% may not be. That’s over 300 troubling conversations per day. That’s not good. Anyway, I’ve started to take a deeper look into the source, in the updates, so check them out. To learn more and help save lives. The SCHOOLS is semi-finished. It’s a CYBER CITIZENSHIP CURRICULM will help make schools safer and youth more informed about social media. FAMILY OFFICE (to be posted by AUGUST 15, 2014; They’re already inside the gates.) JULY: CYBER CITIZENSHIP; CYBER SECURITY These post will walk you through a very real threat in the world called our children’s lives. JUNE: STATISTICS I’m a believe in “real” information and solid data. What I’m saying is, I want to deal with the truth. All of it. The good, the bad and the ugly. Take a look and see what you think. MAY: SOCIAL MEDIA. This will literally walk you though visual images that tell a story that much bigger than words. I will be posting more videos and getting FACEBOOK ramped back up. PS. Again, thanks to so many people who have stepped up to help make a different. Your support, ideas, conversation and words of good will have been received with heart-felt gratitude and thankfulness. PSS. To our military…YOU are our greatest treasure; period. Thank you! Thanks Dad. And here’s a personal shout out to these post. Thank you for allowing me so serve you in some small way. PSSS. And also want to recogizes again the incredible supporters of Breast Cancer. I was unable to attend the walk in October last year with our daughters. Last year, your donations help raise over $5025.00, though the Making Strides of Raleigh, NC. Yvette, Caitlyn, Kerry, Abby & Grandson aka "King" Isaiah Thank you! for your help. Mom…aka….GmaK…Loved Everyone We can beat this…one step at a time.
April 8th. 2014
Spring break melee fueled in part by social media, sheriff says
March 25th. 2014
In Orlando at the NFL Players Conference -- which marks the beginning of the 2014 season strategic planning.
This is the most important meeting when the active players connect with the former players after the SUPERBOWL XVLIII. The talks were about player safety, health, career planning; however this year the focus shifted to the urgent cyber security and cyber threats, to player’s, their families, and protecting their homes from invasion and Flash Rave/Rape parties.
You can’t get past the massive security without your personal credentials, security clearance and cyber security check. Trust me they monitor your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, of anyone and everyone that may have any access to the NFL Players and their families. I’ve never seen security so tight; everything has changed with the cyber access. Some players won’t even carry phones because they can be tracked through reverse GPSing.
This is a joint session where the entire NFL Player Family get’s together, active players, retired players, wives and significant others. It’s wild, a 22 year old player sitting next to an 90 year old player, although 68 years apart, everyone shares the same bond. We are all one family. The wives usually have to tend to the children which is a big, big job because you always have to worry about kidnapping and stalkers. You live everyday with dangers and threats of intrusion.
Anquan Boldin was awarded the prestigious Byron “Whizzer” White trophy for his non-stop work with his foundation serving youth-at-risk across the country. The NFL Player’s Association awarded him A $100,000 contribution, everyone was was cheering and celebrating a true Champion.
The main speaker was Robert Mueller the current head of the FBI. This was an extremely important and eye-opening session that centered on cyber crime and cyber terrorist. This is now the #1 priority of the FBI and the White House. The threats are not only over seas, but the threat can come from anywhere particularly because so much information is publically posted in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, by everyone, including teens, middle school children.
This is the first gala evening event that’s super casual, the festive atmosphere encourages families to connect, talk, share and support one another. The life of a professional athlete and their family is exciting, I’m not going to lie, but it’s also a roller-coaster because of the dangers and threats are always present. Anyway, the evenings after meetings are important, it’s a way to stand shoulder to shoulder together and get close.
I thought I had seen it all with super cool food presentation but the Waldorf Astoria went up and over the top with this one. It was like George Jetson Meets the Matrix meets Gravity. As a parent all I could see was one of the younger Kids come running through and…well…you could pretty much finish the story…
More relaxing and just talking among trusted friends and teammates. It’s a time check up on each other; find out how they are doing health-wise. For the first time everyone is opening up about the head trauma and post concussion syndrome. In the past, players never talked; it was embarrassing and to some, very shameful watching their body and brain breakdown. It puts a heavy responsibility on the wives who have to manage the emotional ups and downs, memory loss and rapidly declining health; while balancing the rest of the family demands. It’s not an easy job. This is the most important meeting when the active players connect with the former players after the SUPERBOWL XVLIII. The talks were about player safety, health, career planning; however this year the focus shifted to the urgent cyber security and cyber threats, to player’s, their families, and protecting their homes from invasion and Flash Rave/Rape parties.You can’t get past the massive security without your personal credentials, security clearance and cyber security check. Trust me they monitor your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, of anyone and everyone that may have any access to the NFL Players and their families. I’ve never seen security so tight; everything has changed with the cyber access. Some players won’t even carry phones because they can be tracked through reverse GPSing.This is a joint session where the entire NFL Player Family get’s together, active players, retired players, wives and significant others. It’s wild, a 22 year old player sitting next to an 90 year old player, although 68 years apart, everyone shares the same bond. We are all one family. The wives usually have to tend to the children which is a big, big job because you always have to worry about kidnapping and stalkers. You live everyday with dangers and threats of intrusion.Anquan Boldin was awarded the prestigious Byron “Whizzer” White trophy for his non-stop work with his foundation serving youth-at-risk across the country. The NFL Player’s Association awarded him A $100,000 contribution, everyone was was cheering and celebrating a true Champion.The main speaker was Robert Mueller the current head of the FBI. This was an extremely important and eye-opening session that centered on cyber crime and cyber terrorist. This is now the #1 priority of the FBI and the White House. The threats are not only over seas, but the threat can come from anywhere particularly because so much information is publically posted in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, by everyone, including teens, middle school children.This is the first gala evening event that’s super casual, the festive atmosphere encourages families to connect, talk, share and support one another. The life of a professional athlete and their family is exciting, I’m not going to lie, but it’s also a roller-coaster because of the dangers and threats are always present. Anyway, the evenings after meetings are important, it’s a way to stand shoulder to shoulder together and get close.I thought I had seen it all with super cool food presentation but the Waldorf Astoria went up and over the top with this one. It was like George Jetson Meets the Matrix meets Gravity. As a parent all I could see was one of the younger Kids come running through and…well…you could pretty much finish the story…More relaxing and just talking among trusted friends and teammates. It’s a time check up on each other; find out how they are doing health-wise. For the first time everyone is opening up about the head trauma and post concussion syndrome. In the past, players never talked; it was embarrassing and to some, very shameful watching their body and brain breakdown. It puts a heavy responsibility on the wives who have to manage the emotional ups and downs, memory loss and rapidly declining health; while balancing the rest of the family demands. It’s not an easy job.
January 26th. 2014
Catching up:
If you’ve watched The Butler, you have journeyed though some of our families, courageous and difficult journey to dignity and respect. It’s taken a long time and there’s more to go.
Our home in Stephentown was part of that journey, and we enjoyed sharing it with families and teens for over 30 years. And now we are working on moving forward after what happened.
So, let’s get 2014 off to a much better start…
and reconcile this thing. So…
If… you send me a 60 seconds video; apologizing and share what you’ve learned after making a very big mistake; be real, come clean.
Then… I will not press charges and you will not be arrested.
(this does not include those that have already been arrested)
Your video will be uploaded to this site.
Here’s why…
You will help save lives, you will help prevent young girls from being raped and you will help stop the violence that erupts; and you will help prevent the massive destruction of private homes that damage families forever.
Joining Lee Baca, Sheriff of LA County Sheriffs Department to meet with his Team of IT specialist in the cyber-crime tracking unit.
Stay tuned for the ground breaking demonstration so all law enforcement can see and share.
The cyber team is tracking and stopping Rave/Flash parties, preventing crimes, rapes and homicides; Each homicide prevented saves the city $1,000,000.
These are some of the 1000’s of emails from people from all over the world offering legal, operational and forensic IT support. They have already uncovered more tweets that will be posted from the party.
I traveled to Stanford to meet with Alumni who want to know how they could help. I will be meeting with more in NYC at SUPERBOWL.
I had several meetings on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park to meet with financial leaders who help launch great ideas, companies and movements.
The New Look:
Jordan & Taylor will be taking the lead in creating the new look and vision – insuring HMS300 will be a great resource of support, information, and help to teenagers, parents and care providers.
Kayla Joe Wright & Darnell Diggs have already aggregated all the information and data that got us where we are today.
Thanks! You Rock! If you’ve watched, you have journeyed though some of our families, courageous and difficult journey to dignity and respect. It’s taken a long time and there’s more to go.Our home in Stephentown was part of that journey, and we enjoyed sharing it with families and teens for over 30 years. And now we are working on moving forward after what happened.So, let’s get 2014 off to a much better start…and reconcile this thing. So…you send me a 60 seconds video; apologizing and share what you’ve learned after making a very big mistake; be real, come clean.Youhelp save lives, youhelp prevent young girls from being raped and youhelp stop the violence that erupts; and you will help prevent the massive destruction of private homes that damage families forever.Joining Lee Baca, Sheriff of LA County Sheriffs Department to meet with his Team of IT specialist in the cyber-crime tracking unit.Stay tuned for the ground breaking demonstration solaw enforcement can see and share.The cyber team is tracking and stopping Rave/Flash parties, preventing crimes, rapes and homicides; Each homicide prevented saves the city $1,000,000.These are some of the 1000’s of emails from people from all over the world offering legal, operational and forensic IT support. They have already uncovered more tweets that will be posted from the party.I traveled to Stanford to meet with Alumni who want to know how they could help. I will be meeting with more in NYC at SUPERBOWL.I had several meetings onin Menlo Park to meet with financial leaders who help launch great ideas, companies and movements.will be taking the lead in creating the newand vision – insuring HMS300 will be a great resource of support, information, and help to teenagers, parents and care providers.have already aggregated all the information and data that got us where we are today.
TAKE A STAND FOR YOUR GREATNESS It’s the holiday season, there’s so much to be thankful for. I’m so glad you are alive reading this or maybe ignoring this, but either way, I am so incredibly thankful. Please forgive the time away from HMS300; I really needed time with my family. Frankly I was exhausted, and Dad needed to be home. Also, I’ve gone back to work. I’m resuming the launching of www.HerLeague.net, which is basically a super network, social media platform for women to connect, share, hang out, talk, and shop online. This fall the focus was on women & football, Love It, Hate It, Fake It, Don’t Get It, Bake It, Done With It; and also for Football Mom’s and Football Widows. However we are three months behind. The beta testing that was scheduled for September will be happening in January. Unfortunately, my shoulder surgeries will now have to wait till after the SUPERBOWL. I probably did too much in Stephentown, but I really didn’t have much choice. It had to get done, and somebody had to do it. Like I have previously mentioned, I was raised by a military officer and a no-nonsense real world mother, mentor, educator and strict disciplinarian. As in, if I ever did anything like this, my father would knock me into the middle of next week, and then take me over to the house I trashed so they could knock me into the middle of the week after that, and then I would be left to scrub that entire place with a tooth brush, and when I was done, both my parents would have marched me down to the sheriff’s office and the last words I would hear….”Arrest this child!” HelpMeSave300: HMS300 will continue. Actually I’ve been doing this a long time. Losing my college teammate, Kevin McMillan, at Stanford to drunk driving changed me forever. I became even more concerned, as an inner city Young Life leader, when I saw young teens dealing with so much and facing an overwhelming amount of adversity, peer pressure, drugs, alcohol abuse, guns and violence in East Palo Alto. 1986, with Boston Governor Mike Dukakis This continued during my playing days with the New England Patriots and L.A. Raiders. We even established mentoring programs at schools all across New England. There were so many athlete’s willing to jump in and make a difference. Anyway, I came across this picture online yesterday. Again, like you, any picture ever taken and any conversation ever documented is now available to the public because of social media. Everyone must live with this new reality. In this case, however, it was great to recover a picture that I did not even know existed. This program grew from SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). We were able to reach hundreds of school and thousands of students! A common thread among all the leaders was this passionate resolve to make a difference after burying too many, too young, too soon. And 30 years later, it’s still the worst thing ever and so preventable if we all are willing to do a little more. So, the responsibility is back on all of us. HelpMeSave300 is collectively our responsibility and we need to act with urgency. I gave it my best shot. My goals were to confront them, help them, and hold them accountable. They didn’t come. My next goal was the parents, they never showed. My next strategy for HelpMeSave300 was the school; the schools did not permit me to come. Now HelpMeSave300 is all of ours. Everyone must play a part, it’s our burden. Everyone can and should make a difference. Ok, let me get through this next part. It’s the hard stuff. Yesterday we spread the ashes of one our family’s dearest friends, Kevin “CatDaddy” Harding-Jensen. He was a master craftsman, a gifted tile master, an amazing cook and over the last 8 years, he would stay with us as he was working his way to sobriety. We enjoyed years of laugher, fun, his persistent blaring Reggae and his wild story telling that included his certainty that he was Bob Marley’s forgotten love child. Kevin had amazing moments and he had some epic fails. Last year while he was working on the house in Stephentown, he was in a really good place personally and emotionally. I called him to thank him for his great work and invited him to come join me at the SUPER BOWL XLVII in New Orleans. Sadly he was killed in a head on collision right in Stephentown near Gardner’s Ice Cream. Yesterday we spread his ashes at his favorite beach in the west coast of Florida where he felt most free and understood. His mother asked me to share that video with you. Barbara wants to help save lives too. I live today, still haunted by the same question I have over Michael Demicks and many of my friends that died too young; “…what could I have said, what could I have done to help save their life…” "It seems to me that many of these kids were "raised by wolves". Your actions send the right message; we shouldn't throw away the children simply because they had inadequate parenting. Your mission is best, we must do all that we can to set these three hundred pairs of feet onto the right path."
Bruce, Jackson, MS STOLEN PROPERTY: I would really appreciate it if the other property that was stolen could be returned. These were family keepsake items and I would rather they just be returned rather than disclose what was stolen; that would bring all the media back in our lives. It’s too private and you know exactly what I’m talking about -- they have great meaning to our family and to me personally, and it would be great if some of the sports memorabilia could be returned. These are not as valuable as the family items, but it would be nice to have them back. The picture with OJ & Nicole Simpson taken in Hawaii in 1986 at the PRO BOWL, you can keep or throw away. TO ALL PARENTS: CYBER PREDATORS, CONS, BULLIES & SOCIAL MEDIA 1.) We are truly in different times with children having unlimited access to social media. As a parent, let me encourage you to step up before it’s too late and gain access to all the social media communications that your children are exposed to. The average twelve year old girl has over 5000 conversations per week! That’s literally over 700 exposures per day, where they are being influenced, pressured, bullied, provoked, teased, encouraged, ridiculed, tempted, tested, seduced and the list goes on and on. 2.) SOLUTION: One of the parents that responded to HMS300 suggested an APP called Momma Bear; you should check it out. I’m not endorsing it, I’m not attached to it in any way and I have no benefit in its sales. All I’m saying is; I would definitely have something like this for my teens. And if you get push back, take the door off their room and remind them, you’re the adult, they are children. They don’t have privacy. End of story.
Protecting your kids just got easier.
THIS BEHAVIOR ALWAYS ENDS BADLY. 3.) THE TEENAGERS: Say what you want, but the teenage years are turbulent. Besides all the peer pressure in school, the violence/sex they are exposed to in gaming, and the unlimited access to hidden conversations all day long via Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Pinterest, you may think they are simply headed off to school, but I assure you there’s more that’s happening. Teenagers experiment, they challenge authority, they gain some independence, and they rebel. The fact of the matter is -- they are facing a high speed turn in life; and although it’s normal, it can also be dangerous and deadly. Parents you’ve got to raise your game. Everyone does. We haven’t seen anything like this before; and it’s only getting bigger and more dangerous. "I have been following you on the media. Please...I know that the media is "being the media". But don't let the media dictate your goals or divert you from what you want to accomplish. They are there to sensationalize what happened to you. For better ratings. You are so right about getting these 300 back on track."
Christopher, Indiana 4.) THE SHOCKING TRUTH: If we don’t take a stand for their greatness, and we don’t turn the volume up on these out of control situations, it will only get bigger and even more unmanageable. More teens with die. More innocent people will die. If I offended you by those strong words, you might need two glasses of water to get this down; all of us need not only to hear this important message but also respond. All of us. "I read about your story and I would like to help you with this matter. I am a Florida Attorney and I practice Digital Media / Internet Law. I would be happy to assist you in gathering more information from the Social Media networks for your website and defense"
Sincerely, Attorney at Law IN MEMORY It’s time. I really didn’t feel like talking about this -- until now. I will be posting a memorial on the website of friends and loved ones that I miss. I miss my mom, and my brother, and my grandson Dyanni. There have also been many other young lives that were gone too soon. That’s really all I’ve got to say about that. Not all of them died to partying or drugs. It doesn’t really matter. To the 300: Please promise me and your parents that we will not – be burying you in the next 10 years. YOUR MOMENT OF TRUTH: For those of you that have turned your life around – congratulations, you’ve learned an important lesson for 2013; and you’ve lived to see another day. But don’t let it end there. We need you. YOU really can help save more lives. You really can. Other students, teens, young adults that are swept up in the partying craze will die and kill others, if someone does not reach them. For some, they are so far beyond the parents reach it seems as if there’s no hope; and they definitely don’t give a rip about what I’m saying; but they might, at least some of them, listen to YOU. You can help save 300, yourself. These are your classmates, your friends and your generation. It’s no joke. "First of all I would like to say thank you for giving these kids and the rest of the kids in this community an opportunity to see redemption and grace displayed in real life. This situation has reached past the 300 and have affected other kids in the community as well."
In Him, Kevin, Dallas, TX DROPPING THE CHARGES: I’m going to be offering the last opportunity of redemption for each of the 300 (with the exception of the 8 that have already been arrested), to leave the past mistake in the past, 2013. You will have an opportunity to come clean, take a stand for your future, take responsibility and begin the New Year 2014 with a clean slate. I will tell you more about what I will require to drop the charges; but the choice will entirely be up to you. 2013 is closing. It’s been quite a year. And for those that think you’ve gotten away with this criminal act, it doesn’t actually work that way. Regardless of the ongoing Sheriff investigation; the social media trail evidence is still there. If anyone wanted to put this into high speed, all that is required is putting some pretty good attorney’s on the job and gaining full access to all the social media tweets, Instagrams, videos, etc. Again, when you post on social media; it’s basically public domain; so If you posted anything even once, that evidence trail remains FOREVER and you’re caught, guilty; it’s just a matter of time. And you know the deal, I mean I removed names from THE LIST when you asked, even when I had the evidence right in front of me that you were there. So yeah, you lied and some of the parents lied. I get that. Again, because social media is public domain and remains forever, this is one lie that will catch you. Not that you would even consider listening to me; but for those few that might be willing to consider a small bit of parenting wisdom -- you may be able to lie, but you were also lying to yourself, and that creates all sorts of problems down the road. So really give some thought about coming clean because this lie will catch you. Social media is forever. "Brian, my father would have hacked/ripped off my arm and beat me to death with it had I done anything close to this when I was growing up. Something is really wrong with today's society since some of the parents have threatened to sue you over your putting THEIR OWN CHILDREN'S TWEETS AND FACEBOOK PICTURES for all to see."
Chuck, Greenville, SC MOVING FORWARD: Dropping The Charges. As I mentioned before, I will lay everything out for you. And in doing so, you will not only release yourself from everything including the guilt, lies, upset and distress; but you will also help save the lives of young teens across the country who need a “wake up call”. Your voice may be the only voice they listen too. The first requirement is that you must watch the movie, "The Butler"; I know it seems random but it’s not.
It’s particularly relevant to understanding the connection to accountability, taking a stand for the future and altering the course of your history. This moving documentary chronicles the history of our collective past; and the courageous journey African American’s & Native American’s endured; (including rape, murder, whippings, hangings, violence and crimes committed against them) in their ultimate pursuit of freedom, dignity, human rights and owning property. It’s not just history of days long ago, these things happened; my great grandparents were slaves even the Cherokee’s. And from that difficult journey, some of us survived and worked, and started to run businesses and actually own property even with the threat of being killed, beaten or violated. So please watch "The Butler." One of my grandfathers was a butler to President Hoover, (John Holloway) he had several college degrees including a law degree, but there were no black lawyers being hired. His job was to escort President Hoover in his private White House elevator. Grandpa hated wearing his butler uniform and kept it bundled up in a brown paper back when he rode the bus to the White House and he had to dress privately in the Colored bathroom. His White House name was James Holloway. My other grandfather, (Dr. William J. Trent) served on President Roosevelt’s and President Kennedy’s Black Kitchen Cabinet. I will send you a picture. In the movie you will see President Kennedy’s famous speech about giving blacks the same human rights as whites. Grandpa was part of Kennedy’s trusted advisors; the black leaders were dressed as butlers, as in kitchen staff, so the press and America would not know. Besides being an Officer in the Air Force, my father has had national security clearance at the White House and would advise presidents on national affairs. By the way, I know many of you probably don’t know about Strategic Air Command (SAC). But let’s put it this way, this was the highest level of national security, as in, (SAC) was the strength and power that kept the Russians from launching nuclear strikes against America. Their motto was world Peace through absolute strength. They kept an arsenal of 10,000 nuclear weapons ready to strike Russia in retaliation, which made them the largest most dangerous fighting force the world has ever known. My father’s greatest fear was actually carrying out the duties he was trained for -- that meant the Russians bombed the Air Force Base killing everyone and all the families. That’s some extremely serious stuff, and the world is still a very dangerous place. That’s all I can really say about that at this time. But like so many, they did what they had to do to keep America safe and protect our freedom, liberty and our resources. "I'm not licensed to practice in NY, but I will be glad to help your legal team free of charge in any way I can. Email, text or call me if I can help."
ATTORNEY AT LAW, GAINESVILLE, GA More History… If you are really into stepping deeper into our experience (it won’t hurt you to read a book) and the history behind the property, pick up this newly released book, (Yale Calhoun Master, Dr. Jonathan Holloway) titled Jim Crow Wisdom. It is essentially about what we had to do; the wisdom, the strength and humility we had endure to survive and build hope in a better future for the children during a very difficult, bloody and dangerous time. Needless to say, I am who I am today because of their sacrifice, suffering, courage and death. Besides Dr. Holloway being a beloved and revered Calhoun Master & Professor of African American Studies at Yale University; he also happens to be my little brother; and he’s a lot smarter than I am, but I’m sure you have figured that out already. CONNECTING THE DOTS: THE PATHWAY TO FREEDOM The Stephentown property had great meaning as it was part of the Underground Railroad that protected slaves as they escaped North to Canada for freedom. There are many properties in the area that were also part of the Underground Railroad. America’s journey is a journey that we are all a part of. Everyone needs to come together and unite to make our country stronger. That’s why we enjoyed having so many families, children, picnics, and celebrations at our home for over 30 years. Some of your parents have even enjoyed some of these parties when they were in high school years ago. We had a great time, no beer, no drugs, no alcohol, just people getting together. This was something that was part of what we did as military families when our parents were off at war. The community would come together; and yes, I still burn the hamburgers, and the hot-dogs get charred; but the sloppy-joes were always legendary, the SECRET ground turkey, brown sugar, honey, lemon. What I’m saying is, it’s the simple things like this that makes America stronger. "I'm from Phoenix,Arizona and have been following this story. Just wanted to tell you I have so much respect for you and what your doing with the save 300. It's an important lesson for these kids to see the consequences of their actions. Its also good for them to see what kind of trouble following the crowd can get them into! As a Sundevil student watching the game right now I still got love for you after the beat down your Cardinals have put on us so far."
Garrett It’s a celebration of our freedom and the future we still must build together. Like it or not, we are in turbulent times as a country and the world is becoming more unstable; our economy is still on shaky ground; and there are people from all over the world that want to take America from us. We can’t afford to be doing dumb stuff. Trashing someone’s property is stupid, rude and wrong. I’m just keeping it real. We have so many natural resources as well as the lifestyle and opportunities that are the envy of the world. We have that because we have men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us – everyday; young men and women not much older than you. I will never forget 911. I was on one of the 28 planes targeted by the terrorist they tell me; I don’t know if that’s entirely true, but I was flying over the Pentagon when it was hit. The President forced all planes out of the air. When I landed, the world was a different place. A fleet of stealth bombers screamed over our tree tops within minutes; My mother called to ask if I was in the air. It was another wake up call to the brutal truth. And the next attack is being planned right now; and if you don’t have any military experience; or if you’ve never been talked to this way; let me give it to you straight – it’s not a matter of “IF” we get attacked again; it’s a matter of “WHEN”. This is not a time to be reckless and random, students and parents included. Partying comes at a great cost. Zero responsibility and zero accountability has made us weak and vulnerable. "I saw your story on Huckabee a few minutes ago, and I went to your website and read the entire thing. Kudos to you for being a good parent and a good role model and trying to save these kids. I have a brother who started down this dangerous road when we were kids (he's now 39), and he is still attempting to recover from the path of destruction he chose for many years. It is literally a miracle that he is still alive."
Kelvin, Omaha Neb TO THE MILITARY, VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES: Again I want to thank you for your ultimate sacrifice and putting your lives in harm’s way to protect us, our freedom and our human rights. I’m no hero. You are the heroes. You are our important treasures, our very best. HOW WE GOT OUR FREEDOM And let’s go back to the world I lived in and how I was raised to be grateful, appreciative and accountable. If it were not for the young men and women who were focused, committed, intelligent and vigilant, bringing their very best to serve and protect us, they would have never discovered that the sand and gravel that the Soviets gave us to build the American Embassy in Russia in the 60’s on was filled with micro-transmitters. These are basically high-tech electronic bugging devices that could transmit intelligence even when poured into the concrete walls. This saved our lives, and they were not much older than the kids that trashed our house. We’ve got to get back on track is what I’m trying to say. "I want to tell you that I appreciate everything you have done. From working with veterans and military (I am an honorably discharged wounded Army vet myself), to wanting to help the children who did such a horrible thing to your home. I read through some of the disgusting things people have written you, and it just saddens me."
Ashley, Charlotte, NC Greatness is in all of us.
And yeah I do remember seeing that special car that drove to people’s houses when another neighbor was killed in the line of duty. Trust me, you don’t forget this image as a young child. At least I didn’t. So thank you again. I’ve since visited over 50 military bases and installations in the last 30 years; including West Point, Air Force Academy, Special Forces, Nuclear Transportation Authority, Intelsat and The White House. I will continue to serve at your request. It’s the least I can do. My home is your home forever. Thank you. I’m not important. You are. I take my national security clearance very seriously and I will continue to serve the young men and women of America at your request. TO BEATING BREAST CANCER: Unfortunately, when our house got trashed and the media caught wind, everything changed. All I wanted was everyone to step up, stand up, clean up and fix what was broken. As for everything else, I figured it was the parent’s responsibility to get things right with their child. But that didn’t happen. That became BIG NEWS, but for me, it was not as BIG as the NEWS of October, which is Breast Cancer awareness month. That’s what I wanted to be spending my time and energy focusing on. I have mentioned before that it has enormous meaning to me after losing my mother to breast cancer and watching other family members battle bravely through the years of treatment. I had planned to join my daughter’s Yvette, Kerry & Caitlyn in the Cancer Walk in North Carolina, but that was not possible because of all the damage and repairs that had to be done. So in the last minute, we planned the picnic in Stephentown. So for those that did come and those that could not, again I want to thank you and say God Bless you; your courage is our inspiration. I would have worn pink when I played with the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS or the LOS ANGELES RAIDERS, but they didn’t do that back in the olden days; I mean I would have felt a little funny, but I would definitely do it. I’m old school. All the donations were processed on the Breast Cancer link to their site. THE PRESS THE MEDIA: I want to thank the media for covering the breaking news and urgent alarm of what’s happening across America with teenagers out of control. The media coverage exploded around the world and was seen by millions. HMS300 had over 50,000,000 unique visits alone for a reason – it was important new information that everyone needed to see, experience and understand – so we can prepare, respond and save lives. I will be sharing more of the alarming reaction people had all over the world. With this sort of coverage, everyone can rethink what they need to do to protect their children from the harm, exposure, and predators and peer influence of social media. So thank you so very much for your immediate interest and diligence to report this to the world. And to those of you who’ve been following HMS300 and are grounded in the fundamentals of what’s right, being accountable, helping others, and making a difference, let’s stay the course. This is important. This moment has become a movement because of you. Let’s take what’s important about this and drive it to 2014 and beyond, and the rest we can leave in 2013; how does that sound? "I grew up in nearby CT and have a younger sister who has become a drug and alcohol addict in recent years (shes 21). I am sure that her attendance to parties such as the one that destroyed your home, shaped the person she has become today."
Richard, Hartford, CF YEAH, DON’T HATE. Some media folks are always going to create stuff, trying to stir up controversy; a reminder that I share with every NFL Rookie. Sometimes I look at the media this way; it’s like a mother walking into a room full of infants at the daycare; you can smell the dirty diaper but you can’t quite put your finger on which child pooped their pants. It’s not a bad thing. It’s what they do. What I’m saying is, there’s always one that’s walking around with a smile on their face even though their britches are loaded. They just need their diaper changed; most are great people doing important work and making a difference in the world. Like I said, I will do more postings now that I’ve had some time to rest and devote more time in www.BrianHolloway.com and www.HerLeague.net WHO WE ARE: The America I believe in is about being a giver, not a taker. We are accountable for our action. We own them. We don’t run and hide. We don’t shrink from responsibility. And I know there’s plenty to be skeptical, cynical and even frustrated about but we are strong when we come together. As Americans, we give away some of the very things we need to help other families. We take in someone’s child who is having a bad time and open our home to help stabilize young people. There are a lot of people who wouldn’t understand giving all your Christmas presents away to the person who just stole all of them from your car but there are some folks in America that understand the power of forgiveness and the strength gained by blessing others. There are some that would be astonished what we do as a community when a terrorist bomb planted on a plane kills hundreds of people over Lockerby Scotland and we raise the money, to get the bus, to take all the families of to the White House to meet with the President, to make America stronger and hold terrorist accountable. Wendy Lincoln was one of those neighbors. Some say we’ve become too negative, self-centered and are all about ourselves. However, there are also those that watched as Hurricane Charlie ripped through Ponta Gorda and Port Charlotte, leveling both communities, leaving thousands without homes, food, shelter and water. And then there are good people that make the call and write the check to Larry Jones of Feed the Children to have 2 tractor trailers filled with food and water to be emergency delivered the next day even before FEMA arrived. That’s the best of America. There are so many good people doing amazing things, important things, things that really make a difference. They don’t trash houses. They don’t risk lives and they don’t run from responsibilities. Some sit around and watch hard times during the blistering freezing winter, disconnected and absorbed only in their world without considering other hardships. People suffer. Some need help. Winters are brutal. There are plenty of people that jump on the phone, call all the sporting apparel companies in the country and have them emergency ship all their over-runs in socks to all the homeless shelters in Boston, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. They bring food. They serve food. They come to help. That’s the best of who we are as Americans. You see, that’s who we are. That’s what we do. We make our community stronger. Who we are and who we must be, (including this next generation even those who are in this partying phase), can learn from the 75 year old African American grandmother that drove up from Harlem just to feed us dinner, give us a hug, share a laugh and inspire us with her grace. She even refused to tell me until I hugged the truth out of her, that she did not have enough gas money to get back. Givers understand that. She is now part of our family. "I hope you know that there are tens of thousands of people in this country who support you and what you were doing. You have every right to post those pictures."
Janet West Palm, FL America is who showed up when others didn’t to help out and encourage each other and supported each other when 300 kids trashed their future. My family is forever grateful for literally the thousands of emails of support that came from parents, military personnel, veterans, school teachers, grandmothers, the disabled, lawyers, sales professionals, NFL ball player’s, NFL Coaches, teammates, friends, and neighbors all over the world who still believe in who we can be and must be as a community, a country, and a nation. "Mr. Holloway;
My family feels your pain! In Dec. while on holiday our home in Columbia was the invasion of a "Project-X Party". Our home and offices were totally destroyed by 70 teens.
"A Columbia couple is still trying to put their home back together four months after they say a group of teenagers hosted parties at their home while they were away, causing approximately $70,000 in damages, as well as destroying or stealing more than $300,000 worth of valuables and personal items."
I mean how can we bow down to stupid stuff. How can we sit back and do nothing. Servant leaders understand. And we will continue doing what we do, as givers and helpers and servant leaders, despite those that don’t understand or those that don’t get it. When someone has wronged you, of course they should take responsibility. They should be accountable, and there should be consequences. I may never meet up with some of these rascals...I don’t have to run them down, their lies will run them down and their lies will run down their parents. Social media is forever. No one can unlock that jail cell they created for themselves. If by chance I do get the opportunity to meet up with some of them -- I would settle things once and for all – by confronting them, holding them accountable, washing their feet, and having that conversation I so wanted to have the day after the house got trashed. I just don’t get it. I don’t get why you didn’t come to help. To the parents. I just don’t get it. Why didn’t you come to help? Where did we get so lost…and…? How do we find our way back? Goodbye to 2013… To The 300 2013 is wrapping up. 2014 is a brand new year. Step into your greatness. It’s right there. It’s on you: the future and your generation. It’s your classmate, it’s your friend who is hanging out with the wrong crowd, it’s the random tweet that’s gaining momentum to do something dangerous, it’s you taking away the key and not letting your friend drive who’s had too much to drink, it’s you discovering new and better outlets to enjoy, celebrate, and have a good time without drugs and alcohol. It’s you coming into the realization that you do must play a part in making America great, strong and safe. "I am a Cubmaster for a pack of Cub Scouts in south Texas. I try to teach boys to do the right thing and make good decisions. I will use this story, (and your quote about not being able to change the past, learn from it to change the future) as a Cubmaster minute and the end of our meeting on responsibility."
Paul, Cubmaster WAIT FOR NOTHING Brian, (Semi-Famous football player, Semi-Famous Dad) PS. The big partying, the stupid stories, the “Epic” experiences are not “Epic.” They are dangerous. Don’t follow that crowd now, or in college, or out of college. I know it seems like everyone is doing it but that’s not true. On Friday nights, Saturday nights, there are many kids who are studying, learning, working, preparing, improving – dedicated to building a bigger, stronger future. It takes sacrifice for sure, but it’s so worth it. And they don’t do stupid things; they know that everything they have ever posted online will be looked at by schools, colleges, employers, the military, the IT community, banking and investment community, real estate community, hospitals, healthcare, police, and the medical community, forever. It’s up to you. It’s your America.
$5.00 or more please For check donations:
make payable to: "HelpMeSave300"
mail to:
"HelpMeSave300"
c/o Brian Holloway
4110 Heritage Lake Court
Lutz, FL 33558 During the Party
$5.00 or more please For check donations:
make payable to: "HelpMeSave300"
mail to:
"HelpMeSave300"
c/o Brian Holloway
4110 Heritage Lake Court
Lutz, FL 33558 Damage Pics
$5.00 or more please For check donations:
make payable to: "HelpMeSave300"
mail to:
"HelpMeSave300"
c/o Brian Holloway
4110 Heritage Lake Court
Lutz, FL 33558
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– A Labor Day party at an ex-NFLer's Stephentown, New York, vacation home turned into a real mess, as hundreds of partying high-schoolers smashed windows, punched holes in walls, and graffitied the place, the AP reports. But it wasn't just that Brian Holloway was upset by the $20,000 in damage; his main concern was that he wasn't invited. His 19-year-old son spotted tweets about the party and told Holloway, who watched it unfold—by way of tweets and Twitter photos—from his Florida home; one photo showed people standing on a table that the former Patriots offensive lineman bought with his Super Bowl XX bonus. And the kids weren't exactly secretive: The New York Daily News reports that some spray-painted their names on walls; others tweeted invites to the Aug. 31 party a full five days before it happened. Perhaps unsurprisingly, "It's not hard to identify who they were," says Holloway. "We've got 170 tweets. We have 200 to 220 names already confirmed today. And that data is all going to the sheriffs." That's not the only place the data is going: He has also been posting it to a website dubbed helpmesave300, in an effort to get the teens to come forward, take responsibility, and adjust their behavior. He also wants them to come back, only this time it's to clean up. "I believe that they can be turned around," he explains, per Fox Sports, which has photos from the party and its aftermath. "If we do nothing regarding these 300 students, we will have missed our chance to take a stand for their future."
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James Dobson and Don Wildmon will meet about a Romney alternative. | AP Photos GOP elites eye 'consensus' candidate
A group of movement conservatives has called an emergency meeting in Texas next weekend to find a “consensus” Republican presidential hopeful, POLITICO has learned.
“You and your spouse are cordially invited to a private meeting with national conservative leaders of faith at the ranch of Paul and Nancy Pressler near Brenham, Texas, with the purpose of attempting to unite and to come to a consensus on which Republican presidential candidate or candidates to support, or which not to support,” read an invitation that is making its way into in-boxes Wednesday morning.
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The meeting is being hosted by such prominent conservative figures as James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Don Wildmon, onetime chairman of the American Family Association; and Gary Bauer, himself a former presidential candidate.
Many of the individuals on the host list attended a previous closed-door session with Rick Perry this summer. But Perry’s candidacy stalled out, though he’s pledged to take his campaign on to South Carolina despite a disappointing fifth-place finish in Iowa.
Movement conservatives are concerned that a vote split between Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum among base voters could enable Mitt Romney to grab the GOP nomination. A source who shared the invitation said the meeting was about how to avoid such a possibility.
But Bauer said the meeting was entirely aimed at finding consensus behind one Republican and not part of any Stop Mitt movement.
“There’s only one person I’m interested in stopping and that’s Barack Obama,” said Bauer.
He said if there are any signs that the meeting will be focused on an effort to defeat Romney, he’ll withdraw from being involved.
Bauer, who has not backed any candidate, said that the Texas gathering was an extension of an effort that began with the 2008 campaign in which conservatives sought to interview the candidates and come up with an endorsement.
Many of the same individuals, dubbed as “The Arlington Group” four years ago, have been meeting this year, but it has been more informal.
Other hosts have weighed in on the race. Wildmon, for example, is backing Gingrich and the Presslers are Perry backers.
If the conservatives are to reach any consensus, they have little time to do it. With Perry deciding to go forward and three contests this month, it seems that the base’s votes will continue to be split.
Romney edged out Santorum by eight votes in the Iowa caucuses, and Gingrich placed a distant fourth, behind Ron Paul.
Santorum seems best positioned to take on the mantle of Romney-stopper, particularly given his own appeal to evangelical voters in Iowa, but his sudden surge has left him heading into future contests short of cash and on-the-ground organizations in upcoming states.
Gingrich praised Santorum in his concession speech Tuesday in Iowa, but showed no sign of dropping out of the race — pledging to assail Romney as a “Massachusetts moderate” while campaigning in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Michele Bachmann, who never caught fire with conservative elites, ended her campaign Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, a prominent Iowa conservative, Bob Vander Platts, called on Republicans to unite behind Santorum in hopes of stopping Romney. Vander Platts, who has backed Santorum, suggested Gingrich should reassess his candidacy.
If Republicans are going to put up a “pro-family conservative against Mitt Romney, some decisions need to be made,” the former gubernatorial candidate told reporters at a Santorum rally. ||||| Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who said after the Iowa caucuses that he would return to Texas to “assess” whether there was a path for him to the Republican nomination, decided on Wednesday that there is a way forward.
A person close to the Perry campaign said that the governor and his inner circle made the decision to move forward around the same time that Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota decided to pull out of the race.
Mr. Perry’s decision to continue and attend the next Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire on Saturday surprised some advisers. The governor’s wife, Anita, was in favor of pushing forward in the campaign, according to two Republicans who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The campaign has been divided with disagreements on strategy, the Republicans said, and Mr. Perry’s decision provided the latest example of competing arguments among his advisers. Donors and other supporters also reached out to Mr. Perry and urged him to stay on at least through the South Carolina primary on Jan. 21, given the volatility and unpredictable nature of the race.
While his campaign spent heavily in Iowa, Mr. Perry still has enough money to compete in South Carolina, where television advertisements are less expensive than in New Hampshire and Florida. His “super PAC” will likely also provide additional firepower. But Mr. Perry would need to reboot his fund-raising to compete in Florida at the end of the month. His fifth-place finish in Iowa, while not auspicious, showed a hunger among Republicans for a more conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.
“Think how early we are in the process,” said a person with knowledge of the campaign, who demanded anonymity before discussing the deliberations of Mr. Perry’s aides. “The reality is, not one delegate was committed yesterday. We are still early enough in the process that if the candidate has the drive to go forward, he ought to.”
“If we can get this back to a Perry versus Romney field,” the person added, “Perry can win.”
Supporters said he planned to skip the New Hampshire primary but still intended to participate in the two debates there this weekend.
For now, aides said, Mr. Perry plans to campaign next week in South Carolina.
Mr. Perry, the only sitting governor in the race, had significant support early on from conservatives and evangelicals but his poor debate performances hurt his standing. His campaign in South Carolina, despite a sluggish showing in Iowa, indicates just how wide open the nomination race remains.
Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report. ||||| You’re not going to lose a lot of bets by inferring that a candidate who says he is “suspending” his campaign is in fact about to drop out. But Rick Perry’s reconsideration of his role in the Republican nomination race appears to have been genuine and he is pressing forward for the time being.
Why did Mr. Perry decide to remain in the race? Knowing the answer is crucial to understanding whether Mr. Perry has any chance of mounting a comeback — and how his decision might reverberate upon Mitt Romney and the other Republican candidates.
Let me posit two hypothetical (and deliberately exaggerated) scenarios on how Mr. Perry’s decision came about:
Hypothetical Scenario A: Although most of Mr. Perry’s strategists were urging him to drop out of the race, he prayed on the decision, talked it over with his wife, and decided to ignore their advice. There was a strong emotional element to the decision: Mr. Perry felt embarrassed by his performance in Iowa and wanted the opportunity to redeem himself and go out on a better note. Hypothetical Scenario B: Mr. Perry was prepared to drop out of the race, but his advisers saw a credible path to victory and urged otherwise. Moreover, he received a string of phone calls, text messages and e-mails from major donors, Republican elected officials and conservative activists who expressed their support and told him that he should press on. These party elites were concerned that Mr. Romney was going to waltz to the nomination, and they were either poorly disposed toward Rick Santorum or convinced that Mr. Santorum lacked the resources to seriously challenge Mr. Romney.
In Scenario A, Mr. Perry would have made a highly idiosyncratic and personal decision, and one that was somewhat willfully disconnected from the realities of the Republican nomination race. Scenario B is just the opposite: a highly informed and strategic decision, one made expressly because Mr. Perry had credible reasons to believe that he was still viable.
Scenario B is potentially very bad news for Mr. Romney. It implies that party elites are not coalescing around him. In fact, it suggests that a subgroup of party elites are so dissatisfied with Mr. Romney that they are behaving strategically in an effort to maximize their chances of denying him the nomination.
Scenario A is potentially very good news for Mr. Romney. It implies that Mr. Perry is continuing along in the race despite having no chance of winning the nomination, the consequence of which is that he is consuming scarce resources like cash and votes that might otherwise go to one of Mr. Romney’s more conservative opponents, like Mr. Santorum.
Political scientists tend to prefer explanations like Scenario B. In the maximal expression of this philosophy, any candidate who displays any interest at all in running for the presidency is in fact running for it, whether or not they take official steps like forming an exploratory committee or raising money. According to this philosophy, candidates like Mitch Daniels, Haley Barbour and Sarah Palin actually ran for president in 2012, but were winnowed from the field during the invisible primary once it became clear to them that there was not much support for their bids.
Pundits tend to prefer explanations like Scenario A. Candidates almost always offer personal explanations for their decisions (“I’m withdrawing to spend more time with my family”). Sometimes these are taken too credulously, without consideration of the strategic factors at play.
I find the political science perspective more persuasive on this issue. It can be taken too far and can sometimes overrate the rationality of political actors. But a politician’s decision about whether or not to run for president — or whether to continue to after a setback — is clearly not exogenous from the question of how viable he is.
Very strong reporting can sometimes help us to delineate between these two paradigms, and there happens to be some very strong reporting in the case of Mr. Perry’s decision, such as this pair of articles from my colleagues Nicholas Confessore and Katharine Q. Seelye. It suggests that both Scenario A and Scenario B played their part in Mr. Perry’s decision; it was partly personal but partly strategic.
Another very good piece of reporting, from Politico’s Jonathan Martin, adds some further context. Mr. Martin reports that a group of conservative leaders like James Dobson are thinking very explicitly about which candidate might have the best chance of toppling Mr. Romney. If Mr. Perry is among these candidates, it would make a lot of sense for him to wait out their decision.
But does Mr. Perry actually have a shot? This is a very difficult question to answer because of the highly ambiguous polling situation in South Carolina, where no public polls have been conducted in two weeks. My guess is that if you polled South Carolina today, it would show a close race between Mr. Romney, Mr. Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Perhaps Mr. Gingrich, who once held a large lead there, would still be ahead, but if so his support is likely to be soft, especially given his middling performance in the Iowa caucuses.
If that is the case, perhaps Mr. Perry does have some justification to continue his campaign. Mr. Perry’s polling in South Carolina has not been good recently. But if you need only 20 percent of the vote to lead the field there, or if the number of undecideds or weakly committed voters remains high, you would not need all that much momentum to contend.
Mr. Perry will probably not get that momentum unless there is some intervention to help him. His inertia is negative at the moment. He did not perform well in Iowa, which is geographically Midwestern but whose caucus demographics are closer to those of a Southern state.
But if there is some concerted effort to help Mr. Perry — if conservative elites rally to his defense and publicly promote the idea that he still has the best chance of stopping Mr. Romney — the rules of the game might be different, and Mr. Perry might have a chance of winning there. It may be relevant that Mr. Santorum, although reliably conservative on social issues, is a Northerner rather than a Southerner, a Catholic rather than an evangelical Protestant, and as much a policy wonk as a populist, qualities that would not traditionally play well to South Carolina’s electorate.
There are a lot of if-then statements here, and I would not assign high odds to Mr. Perry making a comeback — much less actually winning the nomination. And there is reason to be skeptical of the idea that conservative elites would throw their support to Mr. Perry now when it would have been more advantageous for them to do so before Iowa.
Nevertheless, Mr. Perry does have some relatively unique strengths as a candidate, at least in comparison to this year’s Republican field, and sometimes optimal decision-making is clouded by the fog of war that accompanies the Iowa caucuses.
It may very well happen that Mr. Perry decides to drop his bid after all. He may drop it before South Carolina, particularly if Mr. Santorum’s near-victory in Iowa translates into clear signs of momentum in that state and in New Hampshire and if he begins to receive the support of conservative elites.
But we do not yet have enough evidence to conclude that Mr. Perry has been winnowed out, or that his interest in remaining in the race is merely perfunctory.
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– Normally when candidates say they're "reassessing" their campaign, they're done for, but for some reason Rick Perry is soldiering on. Why? Nate Silver of the New York Times contemplates that question today, posing two exaggerated hypothetical scenarios: Either a) It was personal. Perry prayed on the decision, and ignored his strategists, or b) It was rational. Perry's strategists convinced him to stay in, after getting calls from elected officials, donors, and activists eager for him to supplant Rick Santorum as their conservative anti-Romney. Early reporting indicates it was at least partially the latter. Some donors did urge Perry to stay in, and conservative leaders are actively seeking a standard-bearer. Polling data in South Carolina is woefully out of date, but Silver suspects Perry could peel away some former Gingrich supporters and contend. "I would not assign high odds to Mr. Perry making a comeback—much less actually winning the nomination," he writes, but it's too soon "to conclude that Mr. Perry has been winnowed out."
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Story highlights Snowden is safe and "possibly simply relaxing," WikiLeaks spokesman says
Venezuela hasn't gotten asylum request but would consider it, leader says
Vladimir Putin says Russia won't hand Snowden over to U.S. authorities
U.S. is asking for help in detaining former NSA contractor accused of spilling secrets
Edward Snowden , the former National Security Agency contractor who spilled U.S. surveillance secrets to the world, is a "free man" biding his time in a Moscow airport, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters Tuesday.
Putin said Snowden -- who flew to Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday -- is in the "transit area" of Sheremetyevo International Airport, the zone between arrival gates and Russia's passport control checkpoints. While he said Russia won't hand Snowden over to the United States, he seemed eager to have the focus of international intrigue off his hands.
"The sooner he selects his final destination point, the better both for us and for himself," Putin said from Finland of Snowden, who is wanted by U.S. officials on espionage charges for disclosing classified details of U.S. surveillance programs.
Putin's comments end, for now at least, the international pastime of "Where's Snowden?" There have been rumors for days that the former NSA contractor had perhaps duped the world into thinking he was in Moscow to throw pursuers off his trail as he seeks a safe haven from U.S. prosecution.
Kristinn Hrafnsson -- a spokesman for WikiLeaks, an organization that facilitates the anonymous leaking of secret information and has one of its members with Snowden in Russia -- told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday only that Snowden "is in a safe place and is comfortable and possibly simply relaxing after a very stressful week."
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Noting the United States and Russia do not have an extradition agreement, Putin said Snowden can't be turned over to U.S. authorities and has committed no crimes on Russian soil.
But he also said Russian security forces have not been "working with" Snowden and expressed hope that the incident would not "affect the cordial nature of our relations with the U.S." Hrafnsson offered a similar story, saying there's been "no cooperation or coordination with the Russian authority" before or since Snowden arrived in Moscow.
A senior Obama administration official called Putin's comments "potentially positive" while reiterating hopes that Snowden would be expelled from Russia and returned to the United States.
U.S. officials believe Russian authorities have a "clear legal basis to expel Mr. Snowden, based on the status of his travel documents and the pending charges against him," National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said.
Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters while traveling in Saudi Arabia, said the United States isn't looking to Russia to enforce U.S. law, only to "allow him to be subject to the laws of our land and our Constitution."
"We are not looking for confrontation, we're not ordering anybody," Kerry said. "We're simply requesting under a very normal procedure for the transfer of somebody, just as we transferred to Russia seven people in the last two years that they requested, that we did without any clamor, without any rancor, without any argument and according to our sense of the appropriateness of meeting their request."
Snowden left Hong Kong on Sunday after a couple of weeks spent doling out details of classified U.S. intelligence programs to journalists.
With his passport revoked by U.S. officials, Snowden traveled out of the semiautonomous Chinese territory on refugee papers issued by Ecuador, one of the countries from which he is seeking asylum.
International tiff
His travels have sparked international dust-ups, with U.S. officials accusing China of making a "deliberate choice" to let Snowden go free and criticizing Russia for failing to hand him over in a spirit of international cooperation.
On Tuesday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman rejected the U.S. claims as "unreasonable," according to the official Xinhua news service.
"The accusation that the U.S. side made against the Central Government of China fell short of proof. The Chinese side will absolutely not accept it," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, Hong Kong's justice secretary, likewise denied that authorities there intentionally let Snowden leave before acting on U.S. requests.
"All along, we acted fully in accordance with the law and any suggestion that we have been deliberately letting Mr. Snowden go away or to do any other thing to obstruct the normal operation is totally untrue," Yuen said Tuesday.
Authorities in Hong Kong were seeking answers from U.S. authorities around when Snowden left, the justice secretary added. Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying said Monday that authorities acted independently from Beijing "to follow procedural fairness and procedural justice."
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the U.S. complaints "absolutely groundless and unacceptable."
"I want to say, right away, that we have nothing to do with Mr. Snowden or his movements around the world," Lavrov said.
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The White House is eager to avoid a repeat of what happened in Hong Kong, where authorities let Snowden leave despite a U.S. request for his arrest and extradition. Washington has described that move as a "serious setback" to building trust between the United States and China.
But the Obama administration doesn't have much leverage with Moscow, said Matthew Rojansky, an expert on U.S. and Russian national security at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"We really need Russian cooperation, I think, much more in most areas than the Russians need us," he said.
U.S. diplomatic headache
Washington is also telling other countries where Snowden might end up -- notably Ecuador, which says it's analyzing an asylum request from Snowden -- that they should hand him over if he lands on their soil. They note that his U.S. passport has been revoked.
"The U.S. is advising these governments that Mr. Snowden is wanted on felony charges and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel other than is necessary to return him here to the United States," Carney said.
One rumored destination is Venezuela, whose leaders have been frequently at odds with Washington in recent years.
According to the AVN state news agency, President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday his country has not received a formal request for political asylum from Snowden. But if it did, the government would consider it on humanitarian grounds, the agency reports.
In its quest to get Snowden, the United States has limited options. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said the issue now "is much more of a political and diplomatic matter than it is a legal matter."
"In an ordinary case, sure, you need a passport to get around," Toobin said. "But here, where this case is causing increasing embarrassment for the United States, governments that want the United States to be embarrassed are only too happy to waive some of the technical legal rules."
The leak controversy
Snowden has acknowledged he leaked classified documents about the NSA's surveillance programs to the Guardian newspaper in Britain and The Washington Post.
The documents revealed the existence of programs that collect records of domestic telephone calls in the United States and monitor the Internet activity of people overseas residents.
The disclosures shook the U.S. intelligence community and raised questions about whether the NSA is eroding American civil liberties.
Snowden worked as a Hawaii-based computer network administrator for Booz Allen Hamilton, an NSA contractor, before he fled to Hong Kong last month with laptops full of confidential information.
The South China Morning Post newspaper published a story Monday quoting Snowden as saying he took the job to gather evidence on U.S. surveillance programs.
He told the Guardian that he exposed the surveillance programs because they pose a threat to democracy, but administration officials said the programs are vital to preventing terrorist attacks and are overseen by all three branches of government.
Carney questioned Snowden's assertion that he acted in defense of democratic transparency, saying his argument "is belied by the protectors he has potentially chosen -- China, Russia, Ecuador."
"His failures to criticize these regimes suggests that his true motive throughout has been to injure the national security of the United States, not to advance Internet freedom and free speech," Carney told reporters.
Snowden's search
Snowden is seeking asylum from Ecuador, Iceland and other, unspecified countries, a WikiLeaks attorney said Monday.
Ecuador has already given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange freedom if he can find a way out of the country's embassy in London.
In his aslyum request read by Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo, Snowden compared himself to Pvt. Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier accused of leaking classified information through WikiLeaks.
He said U.S. officials have treated Manning inhumanely by holding him in solitary confinement, and he predicted a similar "cruel and unusual" fate for himself if he falls into U.S. hands.
Snowden has come under some criticism for seeking out help from nations with questionable histories on free speech and press freedom.
For instance, The Committee to Protect Journalists has criticized Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa's government for pushing legislation that would roll back press freedoms, calling its policies increasingly repressive.
Snowden isn't looking for "political nirvana," said Glenn Greenwald, the columnist for the Guardian who broke his revelations.
"He's searching for a place where he can be safe and remain free and participate in the debate, and Ecuador seems to be the place he has chosen," Greenwald told CNN's "The Lead."
Some have speculated Snowden has "doomsday insurance" in the form of even more top-secret U.S. documents that will go public if he's ever detained by U.S. authorities.
Hrafnsson, the WikiLeaks spokesman, said he didn't know about Snowden's specific plans, but did suggest more secrets may be revealed.
"This is simply information that should be out in the public," he said. "There is more to come." ||||| China's top state newspaper has praised the fugitive US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask" and rejected accusations Beijing had facilitated his departure from Hong Kong.
The strongly worded front-page commentary in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist party, responded to harsh criticism of China from the US for allowing Snowden to flee.
The Chinese government has said it was gravely concerned by Snowden's allegations that the US had hacked into many networks in Hong Kong and China, including Tsinghua University, which hosts one of the country's internet hubs, and Chinese mobile network companies. It said it had taken the issue up with Washington.
"Not only did the US authorities not give us an explanation and apology, it instead expressed dissatisfaction at the Hong Kong special administrative region for handling things in accordance with law," wrote Wang Xinjun, a researcher at the Academy of Military Science in the People's Daily commentary.
"In a sense, the United States has gone from a 'model of human rights' to 'an eavesdropper on personal privacy', the 'manipulator' of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad 'invader' of other countries' networks," the People's Daily said.
The White House said allowing Snowden to leave was "a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship".
The People's Daily, which reflects the thinking of the government, said China could not accept "this kind of dissatisfaction and opposition".
"The world will remember Edward Snowden," the newspaper said. "It was his fearlessness that tore off Washington's sanctimonious mask".
The exchanges mark a deterioration in ties between the two countries just weeks after a successful summit meeting between presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. But experts say Washington is unlikely to resort to any punitive action.
A commentary in the Global Times, owned by the People's Daily, also attacked the US for cornering "a young idealist who has exposed the sinister scandals of the US government".
"Instead of apologising, Washington is showing off its muscle by attempting to control the whole situation," the Global Times said.
Snowden gave US authorities the slip by leaving Hong Kong on an Aeroflot plane to Moscow on Sunday. The US had requested his detention for extradition to the US on treason charges but the Hong Kong authorities responded that the papers had not been in order and Snowden was free to leave.
Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said Washington did not believe the explanation that it was a "technical" decision by Hong Kong immigration authorities. "The Hong Kong authorities were advised of the status of Mr Snowden's travel documents in plenty of time to have prohibited his travel as appropriate. We do not buy the suggestion that China could not have taken action."
On Monday Snowden had been expected to board another plane from Moscow for Cuba and ultimately fly from there to Ecuador, which is considering granting him asylum. But journalists who boarded the plane in Moscow soon found Snowden had not taken his seat.
When the plane landed in Cuba there was likewise no sign that Snowden had been on board. The pilot greeted journalists at Havana's Jose Marti international airport by pulling out his own camera, taking pictures of the them and saying: "No Snowden, no."
The harshly worded Chinese commentaries did not appear on the country's main news portals on Tuesday afternoon. Instead most articles focused on hard news, such as Snowden's still-unknown final destination, his relationship with WikiLeaks and the details of his departure from Hong Kong.
Another editorial in the People's Daily on Monday defended the Hong Kong government for allowing Snowden to leave despite a US warrant for his arrest, claiming that it acted according to the law and "will be able to withstand examination".
"The voices of a few American politicians and media outlets surrounding the Prism scandal have become truly shrill," it said. "Not only do some of them lack the least bit of self-reflection but they also arrogantly find fault with other countries for no reason at all."
Shi Yinhong, an expert on China-US relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said the Snowden affair had given China's leaders an opportunity to shore up their own legitimacy domestically by projecting a strong message of US hypocrisy.
Yet behind the scenes, he said, top leaders were probably reluctant to allow the affair to significantly impact bilateral ties. "Maybe this will have an impact on public opinion in China, but for the Chinese government almost nothing has changed," he said. "Even if this damages China-US relations it'll be very temporary." ||||| At the White House, President Obama’s press secretary, Jay Carney, reinforced what he called “our frustration and disappointment with Hong Kong and China,” calling their refusal to detain Mr. Snowden a “serious setback” in relations. He said the Hong Kong authorities had been notified that Mr. Snowden’s passport had been revoked, and he dismissed their explanation that they had no legal basis to stop Mr. Snowden. “We do not buy the suggestion that China could not have taken action,” Mr. Carney said.
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American officials also openly mocked China and Russia as states that repress free speech and transparency and therefore are hardly apt refuges for someone fighting government secrecy in the United States.
“I wonder if Mr. Snowden chose China and Russia as assistants in his flight from justice because they’re such powerful bastions of Internet freedom,” Mr. Kerry said sarcastically during a stop in New Delhi.
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Mr. Carney said Mr. Snowden’s chosen destinations indicated “his true motive throughout has been to injure the national security of the United States.”
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The strong words went beyond typical diplomatic language and underscored the growing ramifications of the case for the United States. The Obama administration’s inability, at least for now, to influence China, Russia and countries in Latin America that may accept Mr. Snowden for asylum, like Ecuador, brought home the limits of American power around the world.
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Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, criticized the United States on Monday for its pursuit of Mr. Snowden. “The one who is denounced pursues the denouncer,” Mr. Patiño said at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, a stop on a previously scheduled diplomatic visit to Asia. “The man who tries to provide light and transparency to issues that affect everyone is pursued by those who should be giving explanations about the denunciations that have been presented.”
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Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, wrote on his Twitter account, “We will analyze very responsibly the Snowden case and with absolute sovereignty will make the decision we consider the most appropriate.” The United States remains Ecuador’s leading trading partner, but Washington’s influence in Quito has been slight since Mr. Correa became president in 2007. He has repeatedly flouted and tweaked the United States, by for example stopping American antidrug flights out of a military base in Manta, and expelling the American ambassador in 2011 after WikiLeaks cables suggested she felt Mr. Correa had tolerated police corruption.
A range of American officials, including the deputy secretary of state and the F.B.I. director, spent Monday reaching out to their Russian counterparts seeking cooperation, without any apparent result. Mr. Snowden, who spent Sunday night in the transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, did not board the flight for Havana he was said to have booked, and he made no public appearance or statement.
American officials said they believed he was still in Moscow, but it was unclear whether his failure to continue on to Cuba, Ecuador or elsewhere was a sign that Russia was considering handing him over to the United States, sheltering him itself, planning to allow him to leave later or trying to extract information from him before deciding. The United States and Russia do not have an extradition treaty.
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Nikolay N. Zakharov, a spokesman for Russia’s Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., declined to say if intelligence officials had met with Mr. Snowden, nor would he say if they had sought to examine any secret files he was said to be carrying. “On this question, we will not comment,” Mr. Zakharov said.
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American intelligence officials remained deeply concerned that Mr. Snowden could make public more documents disclosing details of the National Security Agency’s collection system or that his documents could be obtained by foreign intelligence services, with or without his cooperation.
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Technical experts have been carrying out a forensic analysis of the trail he left in N.S.A. computer systems, trying to determine what he had access to as a systems administrator for Booz Allen Hamilton, a United States government contractor, and what he may have downloaded, officials said.
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The South China Morning Post reported Monday night on its Web site that in an interview, Mr. Snowden said he had specifically sought the job at Booz Allen so he could collect information about the N.S.A’s secret surveillance programs to release to news outlets.
Glenn Greenwald, a columnist for The Guardian, has said Mr. Snowden gave him thousands of documents, only a tiny fraction of which were published. Many may be of limited public interest, but they could be of great value to a foreign intelligence service, which could get a more complete idea of the security agency’s technical abilities and how to evade its net, officials said.
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Mr. Snowden’s flight from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday put the United States at odds with onetime cold war rivals just as Mr. Obama was trying to ease tensions over a variety of other friction points. In the last few weeks, he hosted President Xi Jinping of China on a visit to California and met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Northern Ireland. But talk of constructive relations seemed long ago on Monday.
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Critics said the episode exposed the president’s failure in foreign policy. “It turns out that an irresolute amateur like Barack Obama was the best thing that the brutal but determined Putin could have hoped for,” Peter Wehner, a former aide to President George W. Bush, wrote in Commentary magazine.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, sent a letter to Russia’s ambassador, Sergei I. Kislyak, warning of a break if Moscow did not send Mr. Snowden back to the United States. “The Snowden case is an important test of the ‘reset’ in relations between our two countries,” Mr. Graham wrote.
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Mr. Obama’s team seemed angrier at China than Russia, which for the moment had not directly defied Washington. Officials disclosed more information about their request to Hong Kong to detain and return Mr. Snowden, defending themselves against assertions that they had mishandled the request.
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A senior official said the State Department had raised the issue of arresting Mr. Snowden with the Chinese after espionage charges were filed in secret on June 14. The official said that as soon as the charges were unsealed on Friday, the department revoked Mr. Snowden’s passport, and that legally it could not have done so earlier. Officials added that they had informed the Hong Kong authorities that the passport had been revoked before Mr. Snowden was allowed to board an Aeroflot flight for Moscow.
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“The Chinese have emphasized the importance of building mutual trust,” Mr. Carney said. “And we think that they have dealt that effort a serious setback. If we cannot count on them to honor their legal extradition obligations, then there is a problem. And that is a point we are making to them very directly.”
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Officials also defended their decision not to seek a “red notice,” or international arrest warrant, from Interpol, saying they typically do so only when the whereabouts of the fugitive being sought is unknown.
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Jacques Semmelman, an extradition specialist and a former federal prosecutor, said that was generally correct, but he added that the United States still could have sought a red notice if it feared Mr. Snowden might flee, so the warrant would be in place wherever he landed. But Mr. Semmelman said the United States had good reason not to fear that Mr. Snowden might flee because of its 1996 treaty with Hong Kong, under which it had requested his provisional arrest.
He said that the information required to make such a request was simple — “it’s a one- or two-pager that is very easy to comply with"— and that it was “inconceivable” to him that American officials had not filled it out correctly. If the Hong Kong authorities were willing to overlook a proper request, then a revocation of Mr. Snowden’s passport or a red notice might not have made a difference. “I haven’t seen anything to show the United States dropped the ball,” he said.
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Critics of the surveillance programs exposed by Mr. Snowden moved in Congress on Monday to curtail them. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation intended to bolster privacy safeguards and require oversight.
Two other Democrats who joined him on the bill, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mark Udall of Colorado, sent a letter to Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the N.S.A. director, asserting that a government fact sheet about its surveillance of foreigners abroad “contains an inaccurate statement.” They did not identify the inaccuracy because of secrecy rules but said “it portrays protections for Americans’ privacy as being significantly stronger than they actually are.”
At Sheremetyevo airport, where journalists had maintained an all-night vigil, security was tight Monday as agents called passengers to board an Aeroflot flight that Mr. Snowden reportedly had planned to take to Havana. Police officers stood around the plane on the tarmac, and the entrance to the gate inside the terminal was cordoned off with about 25 feet of blue ribbon.
But before the plane pulled away, an Aeroflot employee said Mr. Snowden was not on board, which one of the flight’s two captains confirmed when the plane landed 16 hours later in Havana.
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In response to reporters’ shouted questions, “Was Snowden on board?” the captain, who would not give his name, replied: “No Snowden. No special people. Only journalists.” ||||| For President Barack Obama, National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden's globe-trotting evasion of U.S. authorities has dealt a startling setback to efforts to strengthen ties with China and raised the prospect of worsening tensions with Russia.
Aeroflot flight SU150 sits at the tarmac of the Jose Marti international airport after arriving from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, 2013. Confusion over the whereabouts of National Security... (Associated Press)
White House press secretary Jay Carney pauses during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013. Carney said the U.S. assumes that Edward Snowden is now in Russia... (Associated Press)
Aeroflot flight SU150 sits at the tarmac of the Jose Marti international airport after arriving from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, 2013. Confusion over the whereabouts of National Security... (Associated Press)
Indeed, Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday called U.S. demands for Snowden's extradition "ungrounded and unacceptable."
Relations with both China and Russia have been at the forefront of Obama's foreign policy agenda this month, underscoring the intertwined interests among these uneasy partners. Obama met just last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland and held an unusual two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California earlier this month.
Obama has made no known phone calls to Xi since Snowden surfaced in Hong Kong earlier this month, nor has he talked to Putin since Snowden arrived in Russia.
Former Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said it wasn't clear that Obama's "charm offensive" with Xi and Putin would matter much on this issue. The U.S. has "very little leverage," she said, given the broad array of issues on which the Obama administration needs Chinese and Russian cooperation.
"This isn't happening in a vacuum, and obviously China and Russia know that," said Harman, who now runs the Woodrow Wilson International Center.
Both the U.S. and China had hailed the Obama-Xi summit as a fresh start to a complex relationship, with the leaders building personal bonds during an hour-long walk through the grounds of the Sunnylands estate. But any easing of tensions appeared to vanish Monday following China's apparent flouting of U.S. demands that Snowden be returned from semi-autonomous Hong Kong to face espionage charges.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, in unusually harsh language, said China had "unquestionably" damaged its relationship with Washington.
"The Chinese have emphasized the importance of building mutual trust," Carney said. "We think that they have dealt that effort a serious setback. If we cannot count on them to honor their legal extradition obligations, then there is a problem."
A similar problem may be looming with Russia, where Snowden arrived Sunday. He had been expected to leave Moscow for a third country, but the White House said Monday it believed the former government contractor was still in Russia.
While the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, the White House publicly prodded the Kremlin to send Snowden back to the U.S., while officials privately negotiated with their Russian counterparts.
"We are expecting the Russians to examine the options available to them to expel Mr. Snowden for his return to the United States," Carney said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday bluntly rejected the U.S. request, saying Snowden hasn't crossed the Russian border. He angrily lashed out at the U.S. for warnings of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply.
"We consider the attempts to accuse Russia of violation of U.S. laws and even some sort of conspiracy, which on top of all that are accompanied by threats, as absolutely ungrounded and unacceptable," Lavrov said.
The U.S. has deep economic ties with China and needs the Asian power's help in persuading North Korea to end its nuclear provocations. The Obama administration also needs Russia's cooperation in ending the bloodshed in Syria and reducing nuclear stockpiles held by the former Cold War foes.
Members of Congress so far have focused their anger on China and Russia, not on Obama's inability to get either country to abide by U.S. demands. However, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said in an interview with CNN on Monday that he was starting to wonder why the president hasn't been "more forceful in dealing with foreign leaders."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton echoed the White House's frustration with China. "That kind of action is not only detrimental to the U.S.-China relationship but it sets a bad precedent that could unravel the intricate international agreements about how countries respect the laws _ and particularly the extradition treaties," the possible 2016 presidential contender told an audience in Los Angeles.
Snowden fled to Hong Kong after seizing highly classified documents disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of U.S. phone and Internet records. He shared the information with The Guardian and Washington Post newspapers. He also told the South China Morning Post that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." SMS, or short messaging service, generally means text messaging.
Snowden still has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said over the weekend.
Hong Kong, a former British colony with a degree of autonomy from mainland China, has an extradition treaty with the U.S. Officials in Hong Kong said a formal U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with its laws, a claim the Justice Department disputes.
The White House made clear it believes the final decision to let Snowden leave for Russia was made by Chinese officials in Beijing.
Russia's ultimate response to U.S. pressure remains unclear. Putin could still agree to return Snowden to the U.S. But he may also let him stay in Russia or head elsewhere, perhaps to Ecuador or Venezuela _ both options certain to earn the ire of the White House.
Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, said she expected Putin to take advantage of a "golden opportunity" to publicly defy the White House.
"This is one of those opportunities to score points against the United States that I would be surprised if Russia passed up," Hill said.
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Follow Julie Pace on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
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– Edward Snowden is rapidly becoming one of the biggest one-man international incidents since the end of the Cold War. As the NSA whistleblower, who is believed to still be in Moscow, remains out of sight, angry words are flying between Moscow, Beijing, Quito, and Washington, the New York Times reports. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the incident has "unquestionably" damaged the US-China relationship, and repeated a demand for Russia to hand Snowden over to US authorities. (Indeed, the AP has an entire article about the diplomatic mess Snowden has created.) "I wonder if Mr. Snowden chose China and Russia as assistants in his flight from justice because they’re such powerful bastions of Internet freedom," John Kerry scoffed. Russia denies having any information on Snowden, but many experts find that hard to believe. "The guy is supposedly carrying four laptops, plus a bunch of thumb drives, supposedly knows all sorts of other things," says an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "You don’t pass up an opportunity like that. You don’t just let him pass through the business lounge, on the way to Cuba." But here's Russia's official word on the matter, according to CNN: "We have nothing to do with Mr. Snowden, or his movements around the world. ... He chose his itinerary on his own. He has not crossed the Russian border," said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference, calling the US "accusations" "absolutely groundless and unacceptable." CNN notes that Snowden could be "somewhere on the transit side of the airport's immigration process" in Moscow; a passenger says she saw him on the flight from Hong Kong to that city. China has fired back at US accusations that Beijing made the decision to allow Snowden to depart Hong Kong, the Guardian reports. An editorial in the top state-run newspaper demanded an "explanation and apology" from the US, and praised Snowden for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask." If Snowden does manage to make it to Ecuador to seek asylum, President Rafael Correa says that the decision on the case will be made with "absolute sovereignty," reports the Washington Post. His foreign minister slammed the US for pursuing "the man who tries to provide light and transparency to issues that affect everyone." Julian Assange claims Snowden is "in a safe place and his spirits are high," and that WikiLeaks is helping him seek asylum.
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The economic cycle is getting older, but don't call it late cycle, analysts and investors say. One takeaway from the jobs report is that the economy isn't showing signs it's nearing a recession as jobs growth remains strong and new participants enter the labor force.
Some reactions:
Neil Dutta, head of economics at Renaissance Macro Research: "Strong growth in payroll employment is not typical if the economy is 'late-cycle.' There is still room to run in this labor market recovery."
David Donabedian, chief investment officer of CIBC Atlantic Trust: "Over the last 2 months, the job market has absorbed 1.3 million new entrants into the labor force, allowing the unemployment rate to stay at 4.1% - a remarkable testament to the underlying strength in this economy. We continue to expect the strongest year of economic growth since 2005.”
David Kelly, the chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management: "The February employment report was positive all round, showing booming job growth and muted wages and a strong economy with still some room to run." ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — US employers went on a hiring binge last month, adding 313,000 jobs, the most since July 2016, and drawing hundreds of thousands of people into the job market.
The Labor Department says wage gains, meanwhile, fell from the previous month to 2.6 percent year-over-year growth. Strong hourly wage growth had spooked markets in February because it raised the specter of inflation. But January's figure was revised one-tenth of a point lower to 2.8 percent.
The influx of new workers kept the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1 percent.
The surge of job gains likely reflects burgeoning confidence among businesses that the Trump administration's tax cuts will accelerate growth. Consumers are also optimistic, likely because after-tax income grew at the fastest pace in a year last month, aided by the tax cuts.
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– US employers went on a hiring binge last month, adding 313,000 jobs, the most since July 2016, and drawing hundreds of thousands of people into the job market, per the AP. The figure of 313,000 easily surpassed the 205,000 economists had predicted, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Labor Department says wage gains, meanwhile, fell from the previous month to 2.6% year-over-year growth. Strong hourly wage growth had spooked markets in February because it raised the specter of inflation. But January's figure was revised one-tenth of a point lower to 2.8%. The influx of new workers kept the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1%. The surge of job gains likely reflects burgeoning confidence among businesses that the Trump administration's tax cuts will accelerate growth. Consumers are also optimistic, likely because after-tax income grew at the fastest pace in a year last month, aided by the tax cuts. The biggest job gains were in construction (61,000), retail and professional and business services (50,000 each), manufacturing (31,000), and financial activities (28,000), per CNBC.
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When Vincent van Gogh moved to the south of France in the late 1880s, he began to paint sunflowers in vibrant chrome yellow. But even before his untimely death, some of his paintings had lost their sheen and started to turn brown.
The chemistry behind the discolouration has stumped conservationists, but using tiny flakes of paint and an enormous x-ray machine, scientists believe they finally know the cause of the problem.
Conservationists can slow down the degradation, for example by installing air-conditioning units to keep the paintings cool in the summer.
One enduring mystery was why some paintings that used chrome yellow turned brown while others were unaffected. The paintings that suffered most used yellow paint that had been lightened with white pigments.
The researchers found that sunlight kicks off a chemical reaction that ultimately turns yellow paint brown. The sunlight oxidises the oil in the paint, releasing electrons. These are then taken up by the yellow pigment – lead chromate – turning it green. The mix of green paint with oxidised oil produces a chocolate brown colour.
The team led by Koen Janssens at the University of Antwerp took samples of yellow chrome paint from left-over tubes belonging to 19th century artists. To simulate the effects of sunlight, they exposed them to UV light. After three weeks, paint from one of the artists, the Flemish Fauvist, Rik Wouters, had transformed from bright yellow to deep brown.
The team analysed flecks of the paint using an intense x-ray beam less than one thousandth of a millimetre wide at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. Those tests revealed that particles of lead chromate had been "reduced" – picking up extra electrons.
Further tests showed that the reaction only took place when white pigments based on sulphates were mixed into the yellow paint.
"By mixing these white powders in, van Gogh intended to make a lighter yellow paint, but through this effect, nature darkens it. While he wanted to show a light, pale and delicate yellow, it instead becomes a darker, brownish yellow," said Janssens.
Another series of tests on flakes of paint from two other van Gogh paintings, Bank of the Seine (1887) and View of Arles with Irises (1888) confirmed the same yellow-to-brown reaction had taken place.
The findings were published on Monday in the journal Analytical Chemistry.
Vincent van Gogh began painting in his late 20s and shot himself in 1890 at the age of 37 after completing more than 2,000 works of art.
Janssens said that paintings vulnerable to the discolouration could be preserved by reducing light levels and ensuring they do not get too warm in the summer, as heat accelerates the reaction. ||||| This illustration shows how X-rays were used to study why van Gogh paintings lose their shine. Top: a photo of the painting "Banks of the Seine" on display at the Van Gogh Museum, divided in three and artificially colored to simulate a possible state in 1887 and 2050. Bottom left: microscopic samples from art masterpieces molded in Plexiglas blocks. The tube with yellow chrome paint is from the personal collection of M. Cotte. Bottom right: X-ray microscope set-up at the ESRF with a sample block ready for a scan. Center: an image made using a high-resolution, analytical electron microscope to show affected pigment grains from the van Gogh painting, and how the color at their surface has changed due to reduction of chromium. The scale bar indicates the size of these pigments.
High-tech analysis is showing why impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh's bright yellows are turning to dull browns. The chemical finding could help restorers preserve the 200-year old paintings.
"This type of cutting-edge research is crucial to advance our understanding of how paintings age and should be conserved for future generations," said Ella Hendriks of the Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam, where the two Van Gogh paintings studied are on display.
This is an image, made using an optical microscope, of the sample taken from “Bank of the Seine” studied with synchrotron X-rays. The brown layer on top of the paint is varnish, it appears opaque but in reality it lets light through. The brown pigments are invisible to the optical microscope. They are located at the interface between varnish and paint, in a layer less than three micrometers thick. The scale bar at the bottom indicates the size of the sample. Credit: University of Antwerp, Department of Chemistry.
The yellow pigment, used by Van Gogh and his contemporaries, has been undergoing a chemical reaction when exposed to ultraviolet light (including sunlight) that turns the outer layers of the painting brown. The yellow pigment is called chrome yellow, and in a thin layer where the dried paint meets the surface varnish, sunlight penetrates the top layer of the paint. This sunlight triggers a chemical reaction that turns the bright yellow into a dirty brown.
The research team, which included Koen Janssens of Antwerp University in Belgium and Letizia Monico of Perugia University in Italy, discovered that the change was caused when the chromium in the yellow paint was reduced (meaning it gained electrons) from chromium (VI) to chromium (III), changing the color of the pigment.
Not all of the paintings from this period seem to undergo this change in the same time frame. Some haven't been darkened at all. Different painters used different pigments and switched over time, especially since chromium yellow is toxic, so the researchers had to track down some historical paint samples to test.
They found three such tubes of yellow paint and artificially aged the paint by exposing it to 500 hours under a UV lamp. Only one of the paint samples turned brown, one belonging to Flemish artist Rik Wouters. The color change was similar to that seen in the Van Gogh painting, and with X-ray analysis the researchers pinpointed the change to the chromium reduction.
This is a photo of “Banks of the Seine” (1887), one of the two paintings by Vincent van Gogh from which microsamples were taken. Credit: Vincent van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
To check that this is what happened to the actual paintings, the researcher took samples from Van Gogh's "View of Arles with Irises" and "Banks of the Seine" and analyzed the pigments. Though the multicolored samples were difficult to analyze, researchers
are confident that they likely underwent the same chromium reduction as the artificially aged samples.
"Our next experiments are already in the pipeline. Obviously, we want to understand which conditions favor the reduction of chromium, and whether there is any hope to revert pigments to the original state in paintings where it is already taking place," Janssens said in a statement.
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– Vincent van Gogh's paintings of sunflowers aren't as vivid as they used to be and the sun is to blame, say researchers who have solved a problem that has long stumped art conservationists. A team of chemists experimenting with ultraviolet light and tubes of paint belonging to 19th-century artists found that by mixing in white paint to make his yellows brighter, van Gogh doomed his sunflowers to turn brown over time, the Guardian reports. "While he wanted to show a light, pale and delicate yellow, it instead becomes a darker, brownish yellow" after sunlight kicks off a chemical reaction, the lead researcher explains. To preserve van Gogh's masterpieces and other works from the same era, he says, conservationists will need to keep the paintings cool in summer—and away from sunlight. "This type of cutting-edge research is crucial to advance our understanding of how paintings age and should be conserved for future generations," an official at Amsterdam's van Gogh Museum tells LiveScience.
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Trapped in a marriage where the sex was routine, freelance journalist Robin Rinaldi, now 50, embarked on a 12-month experiment in which she lived apart from her husband during the week and took lovers. As she publishes her memoir, “The Wild Oats Project,” on Tuesday, she talks to The Post’s Jane Ridley about her erotic journey.
Pulling on his pants after our intimate encounter in my Las Vegas hotel room, the cute 23-year-old I’d just picked up holds out his cellphone, urging me to tap in my number.
“You really don’t have to take it,” I say.
Having sex with a stranger is thrilling, but I’m not that interested in a repeat performance.
Two minutes after he’s gone, I climb back into bed and text my husband, Scott, whom I’ve been with for 18 years. “Just saying good night,” I type. “Good night, dove,” writes back Scott from wherever he is.
Scenarios like these were typical during my year of living dangerously — the crazy 12 months in 2008 and 2009 I jokingly call my “Wild Oats Project,” when Scott and I had an open marriage.
Stuck in a rut — our once-a-week sex life was loving, but lacked spontaneity and passion — I was craving seduction and sexual abandon. I was having a midlife crisis and chasing this profound, deeply rooted experience of being female.
Before then, starting a family had felt like one route to this elusive state of feminine fulfillment. But Scott had made it absolutely clear he never wanted a baby, and even had a vasectomy.
Many people will find this hard to understand, but, as the door to motherhood closed, I found myself rushing towards this whole other outlet of heightened female experience — taking lovers.
I’d always been “the good girl,” and had slept with only three guys before getting involved with Scott at the age of 26. I was pretty conservative.
Sexually, I was experiencing what happens to a lot of women in their late 30s and early 40s. I was approaching my sexual peak and was relaxing into myself.
I broke the news to Scott that I wanted an open marriage in early 2008, a few months after his vasectomy. “I won’t go to my grave with no children and four lovers,” I told him repeatedly. “I refuse.”
Against the idea at first, he eventually relented. According to our deal, I’d rent a studio apartment during the week and come back to our home on weekends. Both of us could sleep with whomever we chose as long as we used protection. It was a case of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
My first step was placing an ad on nerve.com, a kind of intellectual version of Craigslist’s Casual Encounters. Under the heading: “Good girl seeks experience,” it read: “I’m a 44-year-old professional, educated, attractive woman in an open marriage, seeking single men age 35-50 to help me explore my sexuality. You must be trustworthy, smart, and skilled at conversation as well as in bed.”
I added: “Our time together will be limited to three dates as I cannot become seriously involved.”
Within 24 hours, my inbox offered up 23 prospective suitors.
The first lover I met through nerve.com was a 40-something lawyer called Jonathan*. Slim, handsome with glasses and a stylish haircut, he suggested we kiss to test our sexual chemistry. “There’s a lot of heat there,” he said.
On our second date, the following week, he came to my studio after work with a cooler of snacks and some wine. We stumbled to the bed, where he turned me onto my hands and knees and took me from behind.
We had intercourse twice and, after he left, I felt satiated.
Around the same time, I took workshops at OneTaste, a sexual-education center, which has branches in New York and San Francisco, where I lived at the time. A sort of “sex-friendly” yoga retreat, it taught me something called orgasmic meditation, which is centered on the woman.
OneTaste was the place where I selected most of my lovers, although I picked up a couple of guys, like the 23-year-old in Vegas, on business trips. OneTaste was populated by cool, open-minded San Franciscans who wanted to expand their horizons.
They included an astrologer named Jude, 12 years my junior. The moment I saw him, I was irresistibly drawn in.
Slightly built and neo-hippy, he was spiritual, calm and centered. I was an Italian, meat-eating, busy magazine editor. But we had a real connection. I became infatuated with him, but the sex soon fizzled.
And then there was Alden, a writer, in his late 30s, who answered my nerve.com post.
“So your ad said only three dates,” he said, as we ate dinner in a crowded restaurant. “Yes,” I replied. Without missing a beat, he reached over and lightly took my fingertips in his. “Do you think we’ll be able to do that, to limit it?”
I loved our conversation, the fact he was a writer, the books he read. Things in the bedroom were mind-blowing and, before I knew it, I was hooked. But I’d made a pledge to my husband that I wouldn’t get involved with any of my lovers. I stuck to that.
And so the year went on. I had lots of “firsts,” including being intimate with women.
But the lessons I learned weren’t purely physical. They were about growing up, making mistakes, learning to live without so much fear, owning up to my dark side and, eventually, finding out the difference between being a “good girl” and a good person.
I owned up to my dark side, finding out the difference between being a ‘good girl’ and a good person. - Robin Rinaldi
On weekends, I’d go back to Scott. It wasn’t as strange as you might imagine. I liked it. It was the perfect balance, living on my own during the week and then returning home.
We knew we were both sleeping with other people, but we kept to the rules and never spoke about it. We had sex as always and the open marriage spiced things up — at least at first.
But, by the end of the 12-month project, moving back home full time proved more difficult than I had thought. After you open up a marriage and experience a whole range of sexual variety and aspects of yourself you’ve never had before, it’s hard to put everything back in the box.
You’re changed.
I slept with a total of 12 people (including two women) during the Wild Oats Project.
Suddenly I found an updated version of myself. The person I was at 44 was so much different than the woman I’d been when I was last single at 26. She was less shy, more confident, wilder.
Meanwhile, it turned out that, for around six months, Scott had been exclusively sleeping with one woman, a lot younger than me. That bothered me, especially as they hadn’t been using condoms. But it wasn’t the catalyst for the end of the marriage, because he broke things off with her.
The turning point was hearing from Alden. He sent me an email, out of the blue, several months after the project had come to an end.
Before long, we were having sex again. Being with him was exquisite. After reconnecting with Alden and falling deeply in love with him, there was no going back.
Five years on, Alden and I are happily living together. It’s a regular, monogamous relationship. I’m grateful I experienced my marriage to Scott (who has since found a new partner) but now, for this part of my life, I believe being with someone who is the most temperamentally like me is where I can learn more.
As for not having children, I’m at peace with that, too.
First I channeled the creativity I would have used to become a mom into my sexuality, and then I channeled it into writing my memoir. As my story shows, there are many different ways in life to find passion and fulfillment.
* All of Robin’s lovers’ names have been changed.
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Robin Rinaldi did what many women dream of but few actually do: she took a year off from her marriage and made an agreement with her husband that they could both sleep with other people for a set period.
Rinaldi’s book, The Wild Oats Project, is a summary of what she learned during the year she spent in an open marriage. The idea came to her when her husband got a vasectomy after a long battle over whether they would have children — she wanted them, he didn’t. Faced with a future without a family, Rinaldi made a decision: “I refuse to go to my grave with no children and only four lovers,” she wrote, “If I can’t have one, I must have the other.”
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That’s when she embarked on the Wild Oats Project. Rinaldi and her husband had three rules: no serious relationships, no sex with mutual friends and no sex without condoms. Both broke multiple rules over the course of the year, and it eventually took a toll on their relationship, but Rinaldi says the project wasn’t as much a choice as “a calling.”
“It was unlike me to act that way,” she says. “I had always been a very cautious and somewhat anxious person, I had always played by the rules. It was something instinctual, and something very female driving me to do this. It wasn’t really planned and strategized as much as felt.”
Still, Rinaldi found that, while many of her friends were supportive, some people thought her project was threatening, even terrifying: “The tale of a woman giving up security, even in an above-board way and allowing her husband to do the same thing, giving up all that security in pursuit of passion and adventure, is a scary idea for a lot of people,” she says. “I certainly didn’t write it to intentionally push anyone’s buttons.”
And ultimately, for Rinaldi and her husband, this was their last chance at saving their marriage. “We knew how risky it was, and we might not make it through, but it was really the only choice we had,” she says. “So we both agreed, two consenting adults, to try this first.” Ultimately, she and her husband went their separate ways, but Rinaldi says the project taught her much more than a simple divorce would have.
The biggest thing Rinaldi says she learned from the Wild Oats Project is that she was putting too much pressure on her husband. “Expecting your spouse to provide passion and security and purpose, it’s a lot,” she says. “I was asking too much of that one person… So now, as a result, I don’t look to someone else to kind of unfairly provide all of those things. That’s the biggest thing I learned from it, and I couldn’t have learned it unless I actually went through it.”
She also learned a lot about sex, and about her own body. Rinaldi spent much of the project in new-age sexual workshops and orgasmic meditation classes, so she came away a greater awareness of her sexuality. “The sex was the classroom, but the sex was not the lesson,” she says. “Your body has wisdom, that is very powerful and can kind of show you your path, and you don’t always have to think it through or necessarily act based on other people’s rules.”
Still, Rinaldi wouldn’t necessarily recommend that other women take exactly the same path she did. Instead, she’d advise younger women to “sow your wild oats before you settle down — that’s a no-brainer.”
Read next: Who Needs Marriage? A Changing Institution ||||| Photos View photos zoom
“Good Girl Seeks Experience” read Robin Rinaldi’s online dating ad.
The 44-year-old journalist, who arranged an open marriage with her husband, was looking for men age 35 to 50 to help her explore her sexuality, she explained in the ad. She laid out the conditions: a public meeting, mutual respect, a three-date limit and no serious involvement.
So began the San Francisco magazine writer’s year of living lustfully. Week nights, she rendezvoused with lovers at her downtown apartment or at a coed commune dedicated to sexual expression. Weekends she spent cozily at home with her husband, a man she loved and had been with for 18 years.
Her book, The Wild Oats Project: One Woman’s Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost, is both a manifesto of freedom and a cautionary tale, she says. While the year played havoc with her marriage, she doesn’t regret it. “Sometimes things call to you that aren’t in the blueprint, that make your friends raise their eyebrows, but that in your soul, you know, ‘I gotta do this,’” says Rinaldi, now 50.
The stripper pole in the living room was an early clue that Rinaldi was itchy. In her early 40s, she felt a new sexual energy and was trying to spice up her marriage.
Life was shimmying along, until the positive pregnancy test. Rinaldi was elated. Her husband, Scott, devastated.
When the test turned out to be a false positive, a relieved Scott got a vasectomy. “There are moments in a relationship when something dies,” says Rinaldi.
If motherhood wasn’t in the cards, she somehow reasoned, she needed more lovers. “Both were symbols to me of a life deeply lived,” says Rinaldi, who regretted not sleeping around more in her 20s. At 26, she began her monogamous relationship with Scott. “I didn’t want to go to my grave with only four lovers.” Among her friends, four apparently ranked her as nearly nun-like.
So no more good girl. “I was sick of always doing the right thing. Something snapped,” says the sexual memoir author. “I broke bad.”
Scott agreed to the open marriage plan because he could tell she was “over the edge,” Rinaldi says. She and Scott, also free to roam during the week, decided on three rules: no unsafe sex, no sleeping with mutual acquaintances and no serious involvements.
Rinaldi’s romps started with a flirt she knew whom she calls Paul (the men have aliases in the book). “It was like training wheels. Someone I trusted.”
That’s followed by a very California cast of characters: Jonathan, a Silicon Valley lawyer; Jude, an astrologer; Andrew, a Ph.D. student in some new age spirituality. And the list goes on, including a Las Vegas hotel one-nighter with a no-name 23-year-old. The former good girl had mastered hook-up sex — the heated foreplay, twitching thighs, arching jolts, graphically described.
Only one guy, a writer named Alden, nearly stole her heart. “He felt like a kindred soul.” But they stopped seeing each other before it got too serious. After all, she was married.
In all her intimate encounters, she never felt scared. One muscular, leather-clad man worried her when she met him at a bar, so she walked out.
She met some of her lovers during workshops at the urban commune OneTaste, a sexual education centre. “It was a clean, safe place. It looked and felt like a yoga studio,” says Rinaldi, who moved into one of the commune’s residences for several months. At 6 a.m. residents would meet for 15 minutes of clitoral stimulation. “Then I’d get dressed and go to work. I felt very energized, like I’d had a brisk jog.”
By the end of her wild oats year, Rinaldi racked up 12 new lovers. She tried sex with a woman and in a threesome. But her biggest gains, she says, were not about sex. “I got back in touch with the adventurous, life-loving girl I once was.”
Resuming the marriage fulltime proved tricky. When she found out her husband had been seriously involved with one woman, Rinaldi flew into a rage. “It was the darkest moment of the entire project. I’m not proud of it.”
The marriage eventually sputtered out. Rinaldi now lives in Los Angeles with Alden, the “kindred soul” lover. “We’re both passionate people. I chose differently with this partner.” ||||| “Rinaldi yields insights through her willingness to reveal the messy way she muddles through the year... Unlike other recent memoirs in which a woman, finding her life wanting, learns what frightens her and emerges with a stronger sense of self, this one, to its credit, doesn't go for the Hallmark-card ending.” ―Elle
“Brutally honest and real . . . Refreshing” ―The Daily Beast
“A sexual-awakening romp wrapped in a female-empowerment narrative” ―The Washington Post
“If you want to read something about somebody who might be a lot like you, somebody who's brave enough to admit that she doesn't always (or even usually) know what she's doing but she does it anyway, somebody who won't preach at you or make you feel like you have it even less together than you do--then you can't NOT read this book.” ―Sara Nelson, Omnivoracious
“A stunning report . . . Readers will be provoked and fascinated by Rinaldi's forthright memoir of daredevil sexual exploration and self-liberation.” ―Booklist
“Rinaldi does not hide the dark side to this odyssey . . . her ability to grasp its soul-driving necessity without insisting on winning over her readers renders this a notable work of self-knowledge.” ―Publishers Weekly
“A sensitive, intimate and bold story.” ―Kirkus
“Robin Rinaldi's horizontal adventures will make you howl with laughter and cry with recognition--whatever the state of your romantic or sex life. And you'll stay up all night reading to learn how it all turns out. Her bravery and introspection are inspiring to anyone who has taken a moment to wonder: Is there more to life than this?” ―Amy Sohn, author of The Actress and Prospect Park West
“Her daring project and avid search for passion is a true page-turner. For anyone who's wondered 'what if' or 'should I?'” ―Library Journal
“The Wild Oats Project uniquely chronicles an intelligent woman's exhilarating pilgrimage into the rest of her life, living as she damn well pleases. And why not? Men have been doing so since the beginning of time. Rinaldi's memoir is groundbreaking, sexy, and a joy to read.” ―Suzanne Finnamore, author of Split: A Memoir of Divorce
“Robin Rinaldi's The Wild Oats Project is a daring and enlightening exploration of sexual identity, marriage, and the search for an authentic self. Rinaldi takes the reader on an enthralling journey, one that will not soon be forgotten. The Wild Oats Project is a rich and essential read.” ―Laura van den Berg, author of The Isle of Youth
“I loved this brave and inspiring book. Rinaldi rejects middle-aged quiescence in favor of living boldly, sensually, and to the hilt. Would that we all were so brave.” ―Julia Scheeres, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus Land
“Extraordinarily frank . . . Her book is important because of the way it unashamedly puts the quest for female sexual fulfillment centre stage . . . It is a testament to how far feminism has taken us all that a woman can not only undertake such an adventure but write about it so brazenly. And in a porn-saturated world where, too often, the lens through which we see sex is masculine, her unapologetic account of her search for sexual nirvana is hugely refreshing.” ―Sunday Times
“[Rinaldi] seduces us with her candor and vulnerability” ―Chicago Tribune
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– A San Francisco writer's pledge to "take a year off" from marriage led her on a quest to sow a few wild oats with men she'd never met before, Time reports. In fact, Robin Rinaldi's book about her experience is called The Wild Oats Project. "Sometimes things call to you that aren’t in the blueprint, that make your friends raise their eyebrows, but that in your soul, you know, 'I gotta do this,'" she tells the Toronto Star. When her husband thwarted her desire for children by getting a vasectomy, Rinaldi made a deal with him: Each could sleep around for 12 months, providing it wasn't with friends, was with condoms, and never got serious. So at age 44, the woman who'd been monogamous for 18 years placed an ad for men who wanted to help explore her sexuality. She started with Paul, someone she already knew; then came a Silicon Valley lawyer, an astrologer, a PhD student in spirituality, a 23-year-old in a Vegas hotel—the list goes on. Some she met while living at a sex-ed, urban commune, where residents got together at 6am for a quarter hour of clitoral stimulation: "Then I’d get dressed and go to work," says Rinaldi. "I felt very energized, like I’d had a brisk jog." Ultimately, it didn't save her marriage, but she developed a finer awareness of her sexuality ("Your body has wisdom, that is very powerful") and learned more about being married ("Expecting your spouse to provide passion and security and purpose, it’s a lot"). She also has a tip about sleeping around: "Sow your wild oats before you settle down—that’s a no-brainer," she says. See an excerpt at the New York Post. (Or see which state plans to legalize "living in sin.")
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After months of posturing and reports of feuds between Google and Apple, Google Maps launched on the App Store earlier today. The app is already the number one most downloaded app on Apple’s marketplace, seven hours after it became available.
The app has been very well received, receiving a 4.5/5 rating on the UK App Store from 1,026 ratings (or 8,975 on the US store). It has ousted Apple’s own ’12 Days of Christmas’ app, as iPhone and iPod touch owners download Google’s new Maps title to complement or even replace Apple’s own.
The app itself includes turn-by-turn navigation, public transit directions and Google Street View. It also allows users to enjoy voice-based, turn-by-turn driving instructions and live traffic information from across the world. Google includes train, bus, subway and walking directions — bringing it up to speed with the Android and desktop versions.
If you haven’t had a chance to play with the app yet, why not read our full review.
Google also launched an SDK that gives developers a chance to integrate it into their iOS apps, bypassing Apple’s own mapping hooks and allowing Google Maps to power their apps, while also linking them to the Google Maps iOS app should they wish.
The NYT’s David Pogue notes that Google believes its iOS app is in some ways better than its Android version:
“The brand-new, completely rethought design is slick, simple and coherent. Google admits that it’s even better than Google Maps for Android phones, which has accommodated its evolving feature set mainly by piling on menus.”
Google is said to be working on bringing its indoor maps to the apps, as well as offering offline maps and a dedicated iPad app.
Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty
Read next: Google-ITA powered MileWise refreshes its flight rewards app, now with ComboFares, Price Alerts and more ||||| Features
Prior to his death on Oct. 5, 2011, Steve Jobs made sure that the elevation of Tim Cook—his longtime head of operations and trusted deputy—to Apple chief executive officer would be drama-free. “He goes, ‘I never want you to ask what I would have done,’” recalls Cook. “‘Just do what’s right.’ He was very clear.” In Cook’s first 16 months on the job, Apple has released next-generation iPhones and iPads and seen its stock price rise 43 percent. Though it hasn’t yet expanded into new product categories (still no Apple TV set), the company has changed in significant ways, largely because of Cook’s calm and steady influence. In his most wide-ranging interview as CEO, Cook explains how Apple works now, talks about the perception that he’s “robotic,” and announces the return of Apple manufacturing to the U.S.
Bloomberg Businessweek: How has Apple changed since Oct. 5, 2011?
The first thing to realize is that all the things that have made Apple (AAPL) so special are the same as they have always been. That doesn’t mean that Apple is the same. Apple has changed every day since I have been here. But the DNA of the company, the thing that makes our heart beat, is a maniacal focus on making the best products in the world. Not good products, or a lot of products, but the absolute best products in the world.
In creating these great products we focus on enriching people’s lives—a higher cause for the product. These are the macro things that drive the company. They haven’t changed. They’re not changing. I will not witness or permit those changes because that’s what makes the company so special.
There are lots of little things that change, and there will be lots of little things that change over the next year and the years thereafter. We decided being more transparent about some things is great—not that we were not transparent at all before, but we’ve stepped it up in places where we think we can make a bigger difference, where we want people to copy us. So there are things that are different, but the most important thing by far is, the fiber of the place is the same.
The decisions that you’re alluding to—more transparency into the supply chain, doing corporate matches for employees’ charitable donations—were those things that you’d thought, “You know, I want to bring that to the culture. I can’t wait to introduce them.” How did those inflection points come up?
My own personal philosophy on giving is best stated in a [John F.] Kennedy quote, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I have always believed this. Always. I think that Apple and Apple’s employees have done enormous good and can do even more. One of the things that we have done is match our employees’ charitable contributions, where they select who they want to give to. So it’s not some corporate committee deciding, but it’s our 80,000 employees deciding what they want to do, and then we match it.
You know, it’s clearly something I wanted to do, yes. But others wanted to do it, too. Our transparency in supplier responsibility is an example of recognizing that the more transparent we are, the bigger difference we would make. We want to be as innovative with supply responsibility as we are with our products. That’s a high bar. The more transparent we are, the more it’s in the public space. The more it’s in the public space, the more other companies will decide to do something similar. And the more everybody does it, the better everything gets.
It’s a recognition that we need to be supersecretive in one part about our products and our road maps. But there are other areas where we will be completely transparent so we can make the biggest difference. That’s kind of the way we look at it.
You were CEO on an interim basis twice before. How is the experience of being permanent CEO different from those two stints?
There were actually three times. There was Steve’s first surgery back in ’04. Then a medical leave for half a year and then ’11. Not that there wasn’t public focus on those, but that public focus tended to be quick, and then it sort of flipped back to Steve. This has been different. This, you know. (Pause.) This has been different. So I have had to adjust to that. I’m a private person, so that’s been a bit of a surprise for me, not something I would have predicted. Maybe I should have.
Rex Tillerson is the CEO of Exxon (XOM), which is at any given moment the second-most valuable company in the world. I’m guessing 10 percent of our readers know who he is. I’m guessing less than 1 percent could spot him on sight. By virtue of Steve Jobs and his legacy and by virtue of Apple living in everyone’s pocket, you’re famous. I mean, really, globally famous.
I don’t feel famous. You know, I lead a simple life. My life is incredibly simple. But what’s changed is that, yeah, people recognize me. They may think, “I have seen him before. You know, the CEO of Apple” or whatever. And so it has been a bit of adjustment for me, because for years I had the privilege of being anonymous. There is a great privilege in that if you’re a private person. So it’s a bit different. I love Apple deeply, and I’m having the time of my life. Obviously, if I could rewind the clock, Steve would still be here. He was a dear friend—much more than a boss. But I love being CEO of Apple. I love it. It’s just something I have to, and continue to, adjust to. If you have some ideas there of how I can do it better, I would love to hear it. (Laughs.)
Would you describe yourself as a shy person? If so, what would you tell a shy person about how to go about not just being a public face, but also being a source of inspiration for 80,000 employees?
Would I describe myself as being shy? (Pause.) No, I wouldn’t say I’m shy. I don’t think a shy person would stand on a stage and give a presentation or do communications meetings with numerous people and this sort of thing. But I’m not a person that puts value in being recognized. This doesn’t drive me. I am driven by great work and seeing people do incredible things and having a part in that. So it’s more of a feeling inside that drives me, not a public recognition that drives me. Maybe that makes me a bit different.
You mentioned the Exxon CEO. It’s interesting to me—and I think this is a privilege for Apple—just like we’re sitting down at this table today, I get e-mails all day long, hundreds, thousands per day from customers who are talking like you and I are talking, almost like I’ve gone over to their home and I am having dinner with them. They care so deeply about Apple they want to suggest this or that or say, “Hey, I didn’t like this,” or, “I really love this,” or tell me that FaceTime has changed their lives. I received an e-mail just today where a customer was able to talk to their mother who lives thousands of miles away and is suffering from cancer, and they couldn’t see her any other way.
But the point is they care so much they take the time to say something. It’s not a letter like you might think is written to a CEO. It’s not this formal kind of stuff. It’s like you and I are having a discussion, and we’ve known each other for 20 years, and I want to tell you what I really think. I love it. I don’t know if there’s another company on earth this happens with. It’s just not people from the U.S. These are people from all over the world. I look at it, and I go, “This is a privilege.”
Is there another company in the world where their customers care so much they do this? I don’t think there is. Other companies I’ve worked at, you might get a letter every six months, and it was, you know, “I want my money back,” or something sort of terse. There was no emotion in it. So I think this is really something incredible.
It’s one of the things that I knew about Apple even back 15 years ago when I was in the interview process with Steve. Apple was this company going through all of these hard times. Customers got angry with Apple and would yell and scream—but they would keep buying. If they got mad at Compaq they would just buy from Dell (DELL). There was no emotion there. It was a transaction.
Headline from April 6, 1998, when Apple dropped the Newton
With Apple, my first day at work I crossed a picket line to get in the building! There was a picket line of customers who were protesting, because Steve had decided to kill the Newton device. And it was because they cared so deeply about it. And I thought, “This is amazing.” I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was walking to the lift that day and thinking, “Oh my God, my life is different.” It was so great. It was so great. You know, I have been involved in hundreds of new product announcements, hundreds of product withdrawals. At one of the companies I worked at, not to mention any names, we’d put [new products] in the lobby. We’d get on the employee intercom system and say, “Come look at them,” and nobody came. They didn’t even care.
So I think you’re right. I don’t know the gentleman from Exxon. But I think the likelihood that’s going on there is zero. I’ve talked to many other CEOs who look at me like I have three heads when I talk about getting hundreds or thousands of customer e-mails in a day. It’s a privilege. It’s like you’re sitting at the kitchen table. You’re a part of the family. And we have to continue to honor that.
You seem to be an enormously responsible person. Is that accurate?
I love the company. A significant part of my life is Apple. Maybe some people would say it’s all of my life. I would say it’s a significant part. And you know, I feel both a love for it [and] I feel a responsibility. I think this company is a jewel. I think it’s the most incredible company in the world, and so I want to throw all of myself into doing everything I can do to make sure that it achieves its highest, highest potential.
Auburn University Special Collections and Archives Dept.Cook in 1979, his freshman year at Auburn University
Nothing hardens faster than the details of a CEO’s bio. Every story about you mentions the following: You’re a Southern gentleman. An Auburn football fan. Always early to work, always the last one to leave. None of it is negative, but do you recognize yourself in those descriptions or do you find yourself a little bit distorted? If so, would you like to correct a few things?
I think when you start reading about yourself, it’s almost—it’s like a caricature. It begins to sound like someone else. That’s probably a better question to ask people that really know me vs. me. I hate talking about me. You know, it’s not something I do well or do a lot. I generally avoid it.
But I would say that the person you read about is robotic. There are some good things about that, perhaps. (Laughs.) Discipline comes to mind. But it sounds like there is just no emotion. People that know me, I don’t think they would say that. I certainly am not a fist-pounder. That isn’t my style. But that and emotion are two different things. One is just a way of expressing it, basically. So, anyway.
How many products does Apple have now?
Well, we have few. You could almost place every product that we [make] on this table. I mean, if you really look at it, we have four iPods. We have two main iPhones. We have two iPads, and we have a few Macs. That’s it. And we argue and debate like crazy about what we’re going to do, because we know that we can only do a few things great. That means not doing a bunch of things that would be really good and really fun.
That’s a part of our base principle, that we will only do a few things. And we’ll only do things where we can make a significant contribution. I don’t mean financially. I mean some significant contribution to the society at large. You know, we want to really enrich people’s lives at the end of the day, not just make money. Making money might be a byproduct, but it’s not our North Star.
How does that calculus work when you’re considering product refinements vs. new product lines?
The way we look at things is we will argue and debate about what to do with both existing products and new product lines. And when we get an idea that’s great enough, we put all of our energy into executing that. We’re fortunate. We find ourselves in two markets right now that are extremely fast-growing and extremely large—that’s the phone space and the tablet space. The PC space is also large, but the market itself isn’t growing. However, our share of it is relatively low, so there’s a lot of headroom for us.
The MP3 market has shrunk. It’s shrinking because people are listening to music on their phones, but it’s still big. We sold 35 million iPods last year, and we love music. I still use a dedicated music player in the gym every day, and I think many people do. Clearly they do with what we’re selling.
So each of those product lines has a great future by themselves, but obviously we also talk about what else we can do. We always have. And we’ll argue, debate, and collaborate. And I mean argue and debate in the greatest sense of the words because they—you know, I never wanted to remove that. It’s a great culture. And it’s clear that we can do more. At the right time, we’ll keep disrupting and keep discovering new things that people didn’t know they wanted.
I’m not going to ask you about an Apple TV, because I know you’re not going to say if it exists or when it’s coming. But what I do want to know is—there must be enormous pressure, both on you and on your teams, to continue to create breakthroughs. How does that affect you?
There’s more pressure that comes from within than from the outside. Our customers have an incredibly high bar for us. We have an even higher bar for ourselves. So we want to do great work, and yeah, people are always talking about what we may do next and when it might happen, but honestly we’re driven much more internally by great people who want to do great work. As I look around the table at the executive team, arguably, at least in my opinion, we have the best designer in the world, the top silicon expert in the world, the best operational executive in the world, and the best leaders in marketing, software, hardware, and services. These are people that have very high standards that are driven to do things beyond what other people have thought. And I think it’s that ambition and that desire and that thrust for excellence that make creating new things even more likely.
Let me drill down on this one more time.
Please. Go ahead.
Even superheroes brood, right? Even people with superpowers who are used to doing miraculous stuff—I’m putting myself in their shoes and imagining that the masses are out there giving Apple love because you’ve created behavior-altering technology. I would imagine that would get to people at Apple once in a while, and that it’s partly your job to figure out a way to say to them, “Trust the process. Trust us.”
Two things. One, I wouldn’t call it a process. Creativity is not a process, right? It’s people who care enough to keep thinking about something until they find the simplest way to do it. They keep thinking about something until they find the best way to do it. It’s caring enough to call the person who works over in this other area, because you think the two of you can do something fantastic that hasn’t been thought of before. It’s providing an environment where that feeds off each other and grows.
So just to be clear, I wouldn’t call that a process. Creativity and innovation are something you can’t flowchart out. Some things you can, and we do, and we’re very disciplined in those areas. But creativity isn’t one of those. A lot of companies have innovation departments, and this is always a sign that something is wrong when you have a VP of innovation or something. You know, put a for-sale sign on the door. (Laughs.)
Everybody in our company is responsible to be innovative, whether they’re doing operational work or product work or customer service work. So in terms of the pressure, all of us put a great deal of pressure on ourselves. And yes, part of my job is to be a cheerleader, and getting people to stop for a moment and think about everything that’s been done.
I mean, just take this year. You know, take the last 60 days: iPhone 5, whole new iPods, including a new iPod touch and iPod nano, a fourth-generation iPad, the new iPad mini, a to-die-for MacBook Pro that’s the best Mac we’ve ever done. And so you look at all this, and you go, “Oh my God. How could one company do all of this?” And it’s not like we have that many people. As a matter of fact, that’s a secret. You know, small teams do amazing things together.
All of the people around the table have been there for a while, and they’ve lived through different cycles. So they have a maturity, but they still have their boldness. They’re still ready to burn the bridge. And this is great. Because there is no other company like that anymore. I mean, no company would have done what we did this year. Think about it. We changed the vast majority of our iPhone in a day. We didn’t kind of—you know, change a little bit here or there. IPad, we changed the entire lineup in a day. The most successful product in consumer electronics history, and we change it all in a day and go with an iPad mini and a fourth-generation iPad. Who else is doing this? Eighty percent of our revenues are from products that didn’t exist 60 days ago. Is there any other company that would do that?
But as a technology consumer and user, and a heavy one, I’m always interested in the new. So unlike, say, P&G (PG), where there’s a dependability factor, a lot of your brand is “Here comes something new. We’re going to change your behavior again.”
This is the reason we exist. This is the reason we keep working, and it’s the reason people want to work at Apple.
David Paul Morris/BloombergForstall was senior vice president of iPhone software until Cook relieved him of his duties on Oct. 30
In the past few weeks you replaced two members of your senior executive team, mobile software head Scott Forstall and retail chief John Browett. How did those moves make Apple better, which is a polite way of saying, what was wrong?
The key in the change that you’re referencing is my deep belief that collaboration is essential for innovation—and I didn’t just start believing that. I’ve always believed that. It’s always been a core belief at Apple. Steve very deeply believed this.
So the changes—it’s not a matter of going from no collaboration to collaboration. We have an enormous level of collaboration in Apple, but it’s a matter of taking it to another level. You look at what we are great at. There are many things. But the one thing we do, which I think no one else does, is integrate hardware, software, and services in such a way that most consumers begin to not differentiate anymore. They just care that the experience is fantastic.
So how do we keep doing that and keep taking it to an even higher level? You have to be an A-plus at collaboration. And so the changes that we made get us to a whole new level of collaboration. We’ve got services all in one place, and the guy that’s running that has incredible skills in services, has an incredible track record, and I’m confident will do fantastic things.
Jony [Ive, senior vice president of industrial design], who I think has the best taste of anyone in the world and the best design skills, now has responsibility for the human interface. I mean, look at our products. (Cook reaches for his iPhone.) The face of this is the software, right? And the face of this iPad is the software. So it’s saying, Jony has done a remarkable job leading our hardware design, so let’s also have Jony responsible for the software and the look and feel of the software, not the underlying architecture and so forth, but the look and feel.
I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that has a better taste than he does. So I think he’s very special. He’s an original. We also placed Bob [Mansfield, senior vice president of technologies] in a position where he leads all of silicon and takes over all of the wireless stuff in the company. We had grown fairly quickly, and we had different wireless groups. We’ve got some really cool ideas, some very ambitious plans in this area. And so it places him leading all of that. Arguably there’s no finer engineering manager in the world. He is in a class by himself.
And Craig [Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering] is unbelievable. We don’t subscribe to the vision that the OS for iPhones and iPads should be the same as Mac. As you know, iOS and Mac OS are built on the same base. And Craig has always managed the common elements. And so this is a logical extension. Customers want iOS and Mac OS X to work together seamlessly, not to be the same, but to work together seamlessly.
These moves take collaboration to a whole different level. We already were—to use an industry phrase that I don’t like—best of breed. But it takes us to a whole new level. So that’s what it’s all about. I know there has been a lot written on that, but that’s really what’s behind it.
What’s your relationship like with Jony Ive? What bonds you to him?
I love Jony. He’s an incredible guy, and I have a massive amount of respect for him. What bonds us? We both love Apple. We both want Apple to do great things. We both subscribe to the same principles. We believe in the simple, not the complex. We believe in collaboration. We both view Apple as here to make the best products in the world. So our values are the same.
And whether you ask me about “Tim and Jony” or “Jony and Bob” or whatever, my answer would be the same. If you look at the top 100 people at Apple, you’re going to find very different people, very different personalities, very different styles. We’re not a Chiclet company. We don’t put people through a machine where they come out and talk the same, look the same, think the same. We really value diversity with a capital D.
We want diversity of thought. We want diversity of style. We want people to be themselves. It’s this great thing about Apple. You don’t have to be somebody else. You don’t have to put on a face when you go to work and be something different. But the thing that ties us all is we’re brought together by values. We want to do the right thing. We want to be honest and straightforward. We admit when we’re wrong and have the courage to change.
And there can’t be politics. I despise politics. There is no room for it in a company. My life is going to be way too short to deal with that. No bureaucracy. We want this fast-moving, agile company where there are no politics, no agendas.
When you do that, things become pretty simple. You don’t have all of these distractions. You don’t have all of these things that companies generally worry about. You don’t have silos built up where everybody is trying to optimize their silo and figuring out how to grab turf and all of these things. It makes all of our jobs easier so we’re freed up to focus on the things that truly matter.
You know, I’ve got experience with other companies. Apple’s a jewel. It’s a privilege to be in an environment like that. I have seen the results of things not being like that. It’s no fun. It sucks the life out of you, and so I guard that. There is nothing I won’t do to guard that. Let me just put it like that.
How do you interact with design? You don’t have meetings. You don’t have a formal process. Do you just wander down, and you and Jony look at stuff?
I wouldn’t say we don’t have meetings. I wouldn’t go that far. I’m talking about how the kernels of ideas are born. We want ideas coming from all of our 80,000 people, not five or three. A much smaller number of people have to decide and edit and move forward, but you want ideas coming from everywhere. You want people to explore. So that’s what I was talking about before.
Photograph by Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesCook, Ive, and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl at the iPhone 5 launch on Sept. 12
We have an executive team meeting. It’s every Monday at 9 a.m. Religiously, all of us are in that meeting. We spend four hours together. We talk about everything in the company that’s important—everything. We go through every product that’s shipping, how it’s doing. We go through every new product that’s on the road map—what’s going on, how the teams are doing, and any key issues there are. We might argue and debate current issues. We might argue and debate future road maps. We may get to a point where we say, “You know, this one we’ve got to go off site and really brainstorm about it in a bigger way.” By keeping that cadence and being religious about it—people don’t travel during that time; everyone is there, and they’re not delegating—it makes the company run a lot smoother. You don’t get out of sync because you’re constantly coming together.
Now that’s just one thing. Here’s another example. Every Wednesday we’re meeting with product divisions. So a subset of the [executive team] will meet with the Mac division and spend several hours going through Mac. The following Wednesday we’ll spend several hours going through iPhone, and then we’ll go tick-tock, tick-tock again. And so you have meetings like this not just for yourself, although it’s critical for yourself, but you do it because it helps the company run.
Do you get walking-around time?
Yeah, and it’s critical. And it’s not just not walking around on campus. We have a lot of stores. So I’ll walk around our stores. You can learn a tremendous amount in a store. I get a lot of e-mails and so forth, but it’s a different dimension when you’re in a store and talking to customers face to face. You get the vibe of the place.
Not allowing yourself to become insular is very important—maybe the most important thing, I think, as a CEO. Now fortunately, I think it would be really hard for a CEO of Apple to become insular, but maybe it could happen. I don’t know. But between customers and employees and the press, you get a lot of feedback. The bigger thing is processing and deciding what to put in the distraction category vs. where the nuggets are.
How is Apple’s tablet strategy different from Samsung’s or Amazon’s (AMZN) or Microsoft’s (MSFT)?
Again, if you look at our North Star, we’re focused on making the best products, so ours is very product-centric. We care about every detail. We’re also marrying hardware, software, and services. If you think about Android, it’s more like the Windows PC model. The operating system comes from company A. Company B is doing some integration work, and maybe the services come from yet somewhere else. I think we know the kind of customer experience that produces.
In fact, there are all these tablets that have come out—there were a lot of tablets that came out last year as well—and the usage of them appears to be very low. Certainly the data that I’m seeing suggests—and this is all third-party data—that over 90 percent of the Web-browsing traffic from tablets are from iPad. You may have seen the data over the weekend from IBM (IBM) that was Black Friday sales that showed the iPad was used in more e-commerce transactions than any other device. And that’s more than all Android devices combined, tablets and smartphones.
Since these statistics do not correlate with unit sales, it suggests to me that the iPad user experience is so far above the competition. The iPad has become a part of their lives, instead of a product that they buy and place in a drawer. And so the advantage for us in having some competition is the more products that are out there, the more attention a category gets. The more attention the category gets, the more people that are in the buying and consideration process. I think that’s actually good for us.
Have you played with the Surface or Galaxy?
I have, yes. Both of those—and some others. What I see, for me, is that some of these are confusing, multiple OSs with multiple UIs [user interfaces]. They steer away from simplicity. We think the customer wants all the clutter removed. We want the customer to be at the center of everything. I think when you start toggling back and forth between OSs and UIs, etc., I don’t think that’s what customers are looking for. I think that customers want tablet-optimized apps. You know, we have 275,000-plus apps that have been optimized for the tablet. If you just stretch out a smartphone app on a tablet, it’s an awful experience. It’s not what customers want. I think it’s another reason that usage is so low on these other tablets.
I don’t doubt that there will be units sold in other tablets. It’s happening today. It will happen in the future. But what I strongly believe is that many people that are doing so might feel good initially if they pay a low price, but will bring it home and start to use it, and they’re no longer satisfied. That good feeling is gone. And those people don’t repeat purchases.
Let me give you an example of this. I was thinking about this the other day. Look at netbooks. Many people thought netbooks were the coolest thing ever. Many companies hyped them. In fact, the sales boomed, and then what happened? They crashed, because they were awful! They were flimsy products with crappy, cramped keyboards. They were underpowered. They were just awful.
So we never went into that category. We never put any time into it. A great product doesn’t mean an expensive product. It means a fair price. The iPad mini is all the way down to $329. This isn’t an expensive product. So when we can do great products and achieve a great price, we feel great. But what we wouldn’t do is say, “We’ve got to have something for this price, and then let’s see what we can do for it.” That’s not how we think. We think about the product and making a great product that we want to use. When we can do that and achieve another price point, that’s great. But our customers have a high expectation, and we’re not going to try to pass off something—we would never do that. That’s not how we think.
It strikes me that Apple Maps was a very rare instance of Apple thinking about corporate strategy before thinking about the customer experience. Is that fair?
No. No, it’s not how I would characterize it. I would characterize—well, let me back up for a minute. The reason we did Maps is we looked at this, and we said, “What does the customer want? What would be great for the customer?” We wanted to provide the customer turn-by-turn directions. We wanted to provide the customer voice integration. We wanted to provide the customer flyover. And so we had a list of things that we thought would be a great customer experience, and we couldn’t do it any other way than to do it ourselves.
We set on a course some years ago and began to do that. So it wasn’t a matter of saying, “Strategically it’s important that we not work with company X.” We set out to give the customer something to provide a better experience. And the truth is it didn’t live up to our expectations. We screwed up.
So what are we doing? We’re putting all of our energy into making it right. And we have already had several software updates. We’ve got a huge plan to make it even better. It will get better and better over time. But it wasn’t a matter that we … decided strategy over customers. We screwed up. That’s the fact.
Samsung is one of your biggest suppliers. They’re also one of your biggest competitors and an opponent in litigation. Is that awkward?
Life is a complex thing sometimes, and yes, it’s awkward. It is awkward. I hate litigation. I absolutely hate it. For us, this is about values. What we would like, in a perfect world, is for everyone to invent their own stuff. We love competition. But we want people to have their own ideas and invent their own stuff. So after lots of trying, we felt we had no other choice. We tried every other avenue, and so we’ll see what happens in the future.
You know the Lee family at Samsung. Does it affect how you interact with them? How do you defuse that when you have to talk as partners?
We can separate in our minds the different portions of their company. They’re a big company and have different divisions and so forth. So that’s kind of how I try to think about it.
I’m not saying this is the same, but for years we have worked with people who we also compete with. I mean, Microsoft is an example. They provide Office, and so they’re a developer-partner, but they’re also a competitor. Intel (INTC) is a partner on the Mac, but they are obviously trying to get into the mobile business. So it’s not different for us. It’s not unique. It’s not the first time where we have competed and cooperated. This is something that we get up every day doing. The thing that is different is the added litigation burden. I hope this works out over time.
You’ve done a lot of work to add transparency to the manufacturing process, in particular to the conditions of people who are working on Apple products. You’ve known Terry Gou at Foxconn for 20 years.
A long time.
When you asked him to change some things, what specifically did you ask him to change and how receptive was he?
I found him to be very receptive. We had been in the auditing mode for some time and publishing annual reports and working very hard to correct things that we found, and so forth. We’re still doing tremendous auditing, but in addition to that we’ve enlisted the Fair Labor Association to provide additional audits. They bring expertise of looking at different industries. It’s total transparency. They publish their own results and so forth. We’re the only technology company that’s doing that. Terry agreed to open his facilities to our auditors and the FLA auditors. It was a requirement from us, but he agreed.
Foxconn: ReutersCook visiting the iPhone production line at Foxconn's Zhengzhou technology park in March 2012
If you look at our website, we’re publishing working hours for almost a million people across our supply chain. Nobody else is doing this. We are very much managing this at a micro level. And you know, maybe as important as that, we are training workers on their rights. We have trained 2 million people, and we’ve brought college courses to the factories where people can begin to earn their degrees.
So we’re doing a number of things that I think are really great, really different, and industry-leading. I think no one is looking at this as deeply as we are or going as deep in the supply chain. We’re back to the mines. We’re going all the way, not just at the first layer. And in addition to that, we’ve chosen to be incredibly transparent with it. I invite everyone to copy us.
I understand there are Apple employees staying in the dorms at these factories.
We have executives that have stayed in dorms. It’s not unusual. Honestly, this wasn’t to see what life was like in a dorm. It was that we worked so closely with these manufacturing partners and in the manufacturing plants [that] it’s convenient to do. And actually several of our people wind up doing that.
In addition, we have hundreds of people that reside in China in the plants on a full-time basis that are helping with manufacturing and working on manufacturing process and so forth. The truth is we couldn’t innovate at the speed we do if we viewed manufacturing as this disconnected thing. It’s integrated. So it’s a part of our process.
You said you now track down to the mines. What’s left in the supply chain that’s unknowable?
There are always things that are unknowable. I think that anyone that thinks they have it all down is not looking hard enough, not looking deep enough, or not raising the bar. From our point of view, we don’t want to find zero issues. If we’re finding zero issues, our bar is in the wrong place. So we begin to raise the bar to find issues, and we keep doing this. If you’re doing that, you’re always finding something. That’s the way we look at it.
It sort of goes back to that Kennedy point I made with regard to our matching contributions. We have been given a lot. We earned it, but we have a responsibility to leave the world a better place.
You were instrumental in getting Apple out of the manufacturing business. What would it take to get Apple back to building things and, specifically, back to building things in the U.S.?
It’s not known well that the engine for the iPhone and iPad is made in the U.S., and many of these are also exported—the engine, the processor. The glass is made in Kentucky. And next year we are going to bring some production to the U.S. on the Mac. We’ve been working on this for a long time, and we were getting closer to it. It will happen in 2013. We’re really proud of it. We could have quickly maybe done just assembly, but it’s broader because we wanted to do something more substantial. So we’ll literally invest over $100 million. This doesn’t mean that Apple will do it ourselves, but we’ll be working with people, and we’ll be investing our money.
On that subject, it’s 2012. You’re a multinational. What are the obligations of an American company to be patriotic, and what do you think that means in a globalized era?
(Pause.) That’s a really good question. I do feel we have a responsibility to create jobs. I don’t think we have a responsibility to create a certain kind of job, but I think we do have a responsibility to create jobs. I think we have a responsibility to give back to the communities, to pick ways that we can do that … and not just in the U.S., but abroad as well. I think we have the responsibility to make great products that we can recycle and that are environmentally friendly. I think we have a responsibility to make products that have a greater good in them.
That’s the one that is most important of all, because a cigarette company could give back things and environmentally dispose of their product or something like that. But we want to provide a product that changes people’s lives in some way. We spend a lot of energy focusing on education. We created iBooks Author and gave it away for free. We wanted to reinvent the textbook and reinvent the classroom and try to really go a long way to solving the student engagement problem. It doesn’t solve every problem in education, but it solves a very important one, right?
And so I think we do have a responsibility for all these things. I’ve never thought a company’s measurement of job creation should be limited to the number of employees working directly for them. That’s a very old-time way of measuring. Our iOS platform allows developers to work as entrepreneurs and sell their applications to a worldwide market that didn’t exist previously. The mobile software industry was nascent before the iPhone. Now you’ve got hundreds of thousands of developers out there.
Unlike other companies—at least I know of no other large companies—almost all of our R&D is sitting in California. It’s a part of our model. We do this because it’s important for people to run into each other and discuss ideas and collaborate. We’re building a multibillion-dollar headquarters to house them in what we think will be the center of creativity. We’re building a campus in Austin for people in Texas. We’re building three data centers—adding to the one we have in Maiden [N.C.] and establishing new sites in Oregon and in Nevada.
So jobs can come in many different ways. I think if you fairly look at it—we’ve had this estimated by other parties—we’ve created about 600,000 jobs in the U.S. They all don’t work for Apple. We’re part of a global economy. Over 60 percent of our sales are outside the United States. So we have a responsibility to others as well. But this is our home market, and I take all of those very seriously—jobs, education, giving back, the environment.
Not many people know that Apple has a hedge fund, Braeburn Capital.
I wouldn’t call it a hedge fund.
How would you describe it?
It’s an entity that manages Apple’s cash. So I wouldn’t call it a hedge fund because—at least the way I think of a hedge fund, it’s—if you look at [Braeburn's] investments you would find the most conservative investments known to man in there. (Laughs.)
And from what I hear about the returns …
That’s intentional. We don’t view ourselves as an investment bank or a mutual fund with an aggressive charter. The goal is capital preservation. I have to say, in the last several years that has not been an easy task. I think the guys have done a remarkable job in this.
How often do you check in on it?
I don’t get into the decision to invest in this municipal or this corporate bond or this T-bill or anything like that. We have a treasury department and a chief financial officer that’s fantastic, and they do those things. I was obviously involved heavily in the decision to distribute some of the cash but not the investment in bonds and so forth.
One of the few negative things said about you is that you’re not a product guy. You’re a logical guy. You’re a systems guy. You have an engineering background. Given that you’re a product company, does that cut you? Is that something you would refute?
I think people should decide how they want to describe me themselves. But I’ll tell you what I do. Whether there’s something that I think I know really well or I don’t know at all—and there’s a huge range there—I always enlist other people, because the people around the table are phenomenal people. And I’ve always found even when I thought I knew the most that there was something more that could be added and make it even better.
I’ve never felt that I had to know it all, do it all, any of those things. I think you could have an S on your chest and a cape on your back and not be able to do all those things. I know of no one that can do all that. Maybe there are, but I’m not. So I rely on a lot of people for a lot of different things.
What’s the role of intuition in your job?
It’s critical. It’s extremely critical. The most important things in life, whether they’re personal or professional, are decided on intuition. I think you can have a lot of information and data feeding that intuition. You can do a lot of analysis. You can do lots of things that are quantitative in nature. But at the end of it, the things that are most important are always gut calls. And I think that’s just not true for me, but for many, many people. I don’t think it’s unique.
An anecdote that’s now part of your biography is that Steve Jobs told you, “Don’t think what I would do.” Is that true, and if so, can you tell the story?
Yeah, sure. One weekend he called me, and he said, “I’d like to talk to you.” This was in summer of ’11.
I said, “Fine. When?”
In typical Steve fashion he said, “Now.”
“Great. I’ll be right over.” (Laughs.)
Win McNamee/Reuters/LandovJobs and Cook in May 2001 at the opening of Apple's first retail stores
So I go over to his house, and—I still remember how he started this discussion. He said, “There has never been a professional transition at the CEO level in Apple.” He said, “Our company has done a lot of great things, but has never done this one.” The last guy is always fired, and then somebody new comes in. And he goes, “I want there to be a professional CEO transition, and I have decided, and I am recommending to the board that you be the CEO, and I’m going to be the chairman.”
Of course, we had talked about me being a successor before, so it wasn’t the first time I had heard that, but the conversation occurred at a period of time when I felt Steve was getting better, and I think he felt this way as well. So from that point of view, I was a little surprised. I asked again, “Are you sure?” He said, “Yes.” I would go, “Are you sure,” and he said, “Yes. Don’t ask me anymore.”
So we started talking about what it meant. Again, this is when I am thinking, and I’m certain he’s thinking, that this is going to go on for a long, long period where he’s the chairman and I am CEO. So I’m trying to understand—how does he see this working? He had obviously thought very deeply about it.
And as a part of this, I asked him about different scenarios to understand how he wanted to be involved as chairman. He said, “I want to make this clear. I saw what happened when Walt Disney passed away. People looked around, and they kept asking what Walt would have done.” He goes, “The business was paralyzed, and people just sat around in meetings and talked about what Walt would have done.” He goes, “I never want you to ask what I would have done. Just do what’s right.” He was very clear.
He was making this point, and he says, “I hope you listen to my input if I want to input on something.” I said, “Of course.” (Laughs.) But he was so clear, and I have to tell you that it’s probably removed a tremendous burden from me that would have been there otherwise. And he repeated this much closer to his passing. I think in the second instance, I think he did that because he knew it would lift a burden. It was his way of making sure Apple would not be burdened by the past.
More so than any person I ever met in my life, he had the ability to change his mind, much more so than anyone I’ve ever met. He could be so sold on a certain direction and in a nanosecond (Cook snaps his fingers) have a completely different view. (Laughs.) I thought in the early days, “Wow, this is strange.” Then I realized how much of a gift it was. So many people, particularly, I think, CEOs and top executives, they get so planted in their old ideas, and they refuse or don’t have the courage to admit that they’re now wrong. Maybe the most underappreciated thing about Steve was that he had the courage to change his mind. And you know—it’s a talent. It’s a talent. So, anyway.
Do you miss him?
I do, every day. He was a friend, and it’s—I guess the external view of that is that he’s a boss, but when you work with someone for that long, for me anyway, the relationship is really important. You know? I don’t want to work with people I don’t like. Life is too short. So you do become friends. Life has too few friends.
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– The wait is over, iPhone users. Google has at last released a stand-alone Maps app for iOS, available as a free App Store download. In a blog post announcing the release, Google boasts that it has redesigned the app "from the ground up … It's a sharper looking, vector-based map that loads quickly and provides smooth tilting and rotating of 2D and 3D views." It also boasts a number of new features—most notably turn-by-turn navigation. Apple has cited the app's previous lack of turn-by-turn as one of the main reasons it ditched Google Maps in the first place. It also now incorporates live traffic conditions, and provides an "expandable info sheet" on businesses you search for. The Wall Street Journal notes, however, that the app is currently only available for iPhone, meaning iPad users are out of luck. Even so, the Next Web notes that it's already the App Store's most popular app. If you're reading this on your iPhone, you can download the new app here.
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President Trump’s new attorney Rudy Giuliani said Thursday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should “close” Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe – a call that comes amid GOP pressure on Capitol Hill to find out whether the investigation has gone beyond its original mandate.
Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, criticized Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in several interviews this week.
“The basis of the case is dead,” Giuliani said on “Fox & Friends” Thursday, claiming the push to uncover collusion with the Russians has turned up no evidence. “Sessions should step in and close it.”
Such a move would seem unlikely. Sessions recused himself from overseeing the Russia investigation due to campaign involvement. Rosenstein stepped in, and appointed Mueller to lead his own probe.
But Giuliani stressed, in a separate interview with Fox News' "Hannity" on Wednesday, that Sessions and Rosenstein should end Mueller’s investigation “in the interest of justice.”
“There’s been too much government misconduct,” Giuliani said on “Hannity.” “The crimes now have all been committed by the government and their agents.”
Giuliani’s comments come amid pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill urging the Justice Department to release the full “scope memo,” which outlines the original scope of the investigation when Mueller was named.
The Justice Department made public through a court filing a redacted version of the memo, while explaining to Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Mark Meadows, R-N.C., that the full, unredacted version could not be shared because it pertains to an ongoing criminal investigation.
Still, members are pushing to find out whether his team is probing matters outside that original scope laid out by Rosenstein.
“On May 17, 2017, I issued an order entitled ‘Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Russian Interference with the 2016 Presidential Election and Related Matters,’ appointing you to serve as Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice,” Rosenstein wrote to Mueller in the scope memo.
The order states that Mueller is authorized to conduct an investigation “confirmed by then-FBI Director James B. Comey in testimony” before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20, 2017, including “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump” and “any matters that arose or may arise directly from that investigation.”
Rosenstein then includes a more extensive list with a “more specific description” of Mueller’s “authority,” but that portion has been heavily redacted.
The unredacted details only outline allegations against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, for allegedly committing “a crime or crimes by colluding with Russian government officials” or “arising out of payments he received from the Ukrainian government.”
The rest of the scope memo is blacked out.
Rosenstein, meanwhile, warned earlier this week that the Justice Department is "not going to be extorted" after members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus drafted articles of impeachment against him. The articles apparently were drafted as a "last resort" in lawmakers' fight for documents.
"I can tell you there are people who have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time and I think they should understand by now: The Department of Justice is not going to be extorted," Rosenstein said. "We’re going to do what is required by the rule of law and any kind of threats that anybody makes are not going to affect the way we do our job."
Giuliani made his latest comments as he discussed in depth the $130,000 payment Trump attorney Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stay silent about accusations of an affair with Trump. Giuliani now says Trump reimbursed that money, but did not know at the time what it was for. Trump disputes the Daniels allegations.
Last month, following the FBI’s raid of Cohen’s personal properties, and the revelation that it was referred by Mueller’s office, a spokesman for the special counsel referred Fox News to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Title 28, Section 600.4 regarding “additional jurisdiction.”
That section indicates Mueller could expand the scope with DOJ consent.
“If in the course of his or her investigation the Special Counsel concludes that additional jurisdiction beyond that specific in his or her original jurisdiction is necessary in order to fully investigate and resolve the matters assigned, or to investigate new matters that come to light in the court of his or her investigation, he or she shall consult with the Attorney General, who will determine whether to include the additional matters within the Special Counsel’s jurisdiction, or assign them elsewhere,” the code reads.
Fox News' Jake Gibson contributed to this report. ||||| CLOSE The former New York Mayor, who recently joined Trump's legal team, directly contradicted the president's claim that he had no knowledge of Michael Cohen's decision to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000. USA TODAY
President Trump and Rudy Giuliani in 2016 (Photo: Carolyn Kaster, AP)
WASHINGTON — President Trump's new lawyer is casting renewed doubt on whether Trump will sit down with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about the Russia investigation.
Attorney and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said in various interviews on Fox News that the president should not be under oath, in part because of concern that prosecutors may try to lay a perjury trap for the president.
"What they’re really trying to do is trap him into perjury, and we’re not suckers,” Giuliani said Thursday on the Fox & Friends morning program.
Giuliani also questioned the need for Trump's testimony, claiming a lack of evidence that Trump had anything to do with Russians who sought to influence the 2016 election with email hacks and fake news.
“This silly deposition is about a case in which he supposedly colluded with the Russians but there’s no evidence,” Giuliani said.
The Mueller investigation has yielded indictments of more than a dozen Russians as well as former Trump associates.
Appearing on Wednesday night with Fox host Sean Hannity, Giuliani said that right now "the odds are he wouldn't be interviewed" by Mueller, but "I don't close my mind to it."
More: Trump could face more legal trouble after confirming he repaid Michael Cohen, watchdogs say
More: Can Robert Mueller subpoena Donald Trump? Only the Supreme Court would know for sure
More: Ty Cobb's departure means Donald Trump's legal team has almost completely turned over
More: Donald Trump acknowledges Stormy Daniels payment, denies affair or use of campaign money
The Mueller and Trump teams have been negotiating for more than four months on possible Trump testimony. Mueller has raised the prospect of a presidential subpoena if Trump refuses to testify, but Giuliani says the special counsel lacks the authority to enforce such a subpoena.
While most of the coverage of Giuliani's recent television interviews concerned a $130,000 Trump payment to former adult actress Stormy Daniels, the president's attorney also had has new things to say about the Mueller investigation and fired FBI Director James Comey.
When Trump fired Comey last year, he and aides said it was because of the way the former FBI director handled the Hillary Clinton email investigation during the election. Trump later said it had something to do with the Russia investigation.
On Fox, Giuliani said Trump also fired Comey because he refused to say publicly that Trump was not a target in the Russia investigation.
The attorney also called for an interview to last only two to three hours, saying that was the limit President Bill Clinton had when he testified in the Ken Starr/Monica Lewinsky case.
"I would like to get, one, not under oath," Giuliani told Hannity. "I want a videotape, not videotaped, but audiotapes, I want to make sure they don't misrepresent his answers."
Giuliani's comments reflect a more aggressive attitude by Trump legal team in the wake of a personnel shakeups.
Private attorney John Dowd left the team in March, and White House attorney Ty Cobb announced this week he will be retiring soon. Both had urged a more conciliatory approach to the special counsel.
On Fox & Friends, Giuliani said the odds of an interview became longer after the FBI raided the home and office of Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. He also blamed Mueller's office for the public revelation of a list of questions it wants to ask of Trump, though there is no evidence the Special Counsel's office leaked the document.
"Now, we are going to have some convincing to do," Giuliani said. "They’re going to have to convince us they’re going to be objective and they are not out to get us.”
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– New Trump legal team member Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that the president may not sit down with special counsel Robert Mueller and that if he does, he should not be under oath, reports USA Today. "What they’re really trying to do is trap him into perjury, and we’re not suckers,” the former NYC mayor said Thursday morning on Fox & Friends. The remarks came less than a day after Giuliani’s bombshell interview with Fox host Sean Hannity, in which Giuliani said President Trump reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, for “hush money” paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Giuliani’s statement follows four months of negotiations between the Mueller and Trump teams that have included talk of a subpoena if Trump refuses to testify in the special counsel probe into Russian interference with the 2016 US election. Giuliani also said that any interview with Trump should be limited in time. “They should be able to do this, if they have a case, in two or three hours,” Giuliani said during a series of media interviews Thursday, as reported in the Washington Post. But Giuliani also said, per Fox, that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should shut the probe down entirely as it has uncovered no evidence of collusion with the Russians. Trump has said in the past that he would be willing to be interviewed by Mueller, but he lately appears to be walking back some of those statements. Per the Post, some of Trump’s advisers worry that open-ended questions from Mueller could result in "meandering" answers from Trump that lead to accusations of perjury. In the Hannity interview Wednesday night, Giuliani said "the odds are [Trump] wouldn't be interviewed" by Mueller, but he added, "I don't close my mind to it."
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Most of the $3bn (£1.8bn) that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given to benefit hungry people in the world’s poorest countries has been spent in the US, Britain and other rich countries, with only around 10% spent in Africa, new research suggests.
Analysis of grants made by the foundation shows that nearly half the money awarded over the past decade went to global agriculture research networks, as well as organisations including the World Bank and UN agencies, and groups that work in Africa to promote hi-tech farming.
The other $1.5bn went to hundreds of research and development organisations across the world, according to Grain, a research group based in Barcelona. “Here, over 80% of the grants were given to organisations in the US and Europe, and only 10% to groups in Africa. By far the main recipient country is the US, followed by the UK, Germany and the Netherlands,” it says in a report published on Tuesday.
Of the $678m given to universities and national research centres, 79% went to the US and Europe, and only 12% to Africa.
“The north-south divide is most shocking, however, when we look at the $669m given to non-government groups for agriculture work. Africa-based groups received just 4%. Over 75% went to organisations based in the US,” says the report.
“When we examined the foundation’s grants database, we were amazed that they seem to want to fight hunger in the south by giving money to organisations in the north. The bulk of its grants for agriculture are given to organisations in the US and Europe,” said agronomist Henk Hobbelink, a co-founder of Grain.
“It also appeared that they’re not listening to farmers, despite their claims. The overwhelming majority of its funding goes to hi-tech scientific outfits, not to supporting the solutions that the farmers themselves are developing on the ground. Africa’s farmers are cast as recipients, mere consumers of knowledge and technology from others.”
The private foundation – one of the world’s largest with an endowment of more than $38bn from Bill Gates, and which supports the Guardian’s Global development website – has emerged in under a decade as one of the major donors to agricultural research and development and the largest single funder of research into genetic engineering. In 2006-07, it spent $500m on agricultural projects and it has maintained funding at around this level since. The vast majority of the foundation’s grants focus on Africa.
It aims to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty but its agriculture work has been criticised for being fixated on the work of scientists in centralised labs and ignoring the knowledge and biodiversity that Africa’s smallholder farmers have developed over generations.
The single biggest recipient of Gates foundation agricultural grants is the CGIAR consortium of 15 international agricultural research centres.
“In the 1960s and 70s, these centres were responsible for the development and spread of a controversial ‘green revolution’ model of agriculture in parts of Asia and Latin America which focused on the mass distribution of a few varieties of seeds that could produce high yields – with the generous application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides,” says the report.
“Efforts to implement the same model in Africa failed and, globally, CGIAR lost relevance as corporations like Syngenta and Monsanto have taken control over seed markets. Money from the Gates foundation is now providing CGIAR and its green revolution model with a new lease of life, this time in direct partnership with seed and pesticide companies.”
sdfsdfdsf Gates foundation grants: where does the money go?
The centres have received more than $720m from Gates since 2003. During the same period, another $678m went to universities and national research centres – more than three-quarters of them in the US and Europe – for research and development of specific technologies, such as crop varieties and breeding techniques.
Britain has been the Gates foundation’s second largest recipient, receiving 25 grants worth $156m since 2003. In the US, where universities and research groups have been awarded $880m, Cornell University has received $90m – more than all other countries except the US, UK and Germany.
“We could find no evidence of any support from the Gates foundation for programmes of research or technology development carried out by farmers or based on farmers’ knowledge, despite the multitude of such initiatives that exist across the continent and the fact that African farmers continue to supply an estimated 90% of the seed used on the continent,” says the report. “The foundation has elected consistently to put its money into top-down structures of knowledge generation and flow, where farmers are mere recipients of the technologies developed in labs and sold to them by companies.”
Grain suggests that the foundation uses its money to indirectly impose a policy agenda on African governments. “The Gates foundation set up the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) in 2006 and has supported it with $414m since then. It holds two seats on the alliance’s board and describes it as the African face and voice for our work,” it says.
“Agra trains farmers on how to use the technologies, and even organises them into groups to better access the technologies, but it does not support farmers in building up their own seed systems or in doing their own research. It also funds initiatives and agribusiness companies operating in Africa to develop private markets for seeds and fertilisers through support to ‘agro-dealers’.
“An important component of its work, however, is shaping policy. Agra intervenes directly in the formulation and revision of agricultural policies and regulations in Africa on such issues as land and seeds. It does so through national ‘policy action nodes’ of experts, selected by Agra that work to advance particular policy changes,” says the report.
The foundation, based in Seattle, responded to the report’s main points by saying they gave an incomplete picture of its work. “The needs of millions of smallholder farmers – most of whom are women – are very much at the centre of the Gates foundation’s agriculture strategy. Our grants are focused on connecting farmers with quality farming supplies and information, access to markets, and improving data so that government policies and resources are in line with their needs. Listening to farmers to understand their needs, and to developing country governments to understand their priorities, is crucially important,” said spokesman Chris Williams.
“We fundamentally believe that development should be led by developing countries themselves. We invest directly in the capacity of national governments to execute their own agricultural strategies and join with other donors to fund those strategies through multilateral mechanisms like the global agriculture and food security programme.
“Looking at the primary grantees in our database doesn’t provide a complete picture of where our funds end up and who they benefit. Many of our primary grantees sub grant funds to local institutions in African and south Asian countries, including farmer organisations.
“Many local NGOs in Africa and south Asia are small organisations without the capacity to absorb large grants and often choose to partner with larger organisations to get work done most efficiently. But at the same time, we are also engaged in direct capacity-building funding to ensure these organisations will be more able to administer grants of this size on their own in the future.”
The same is true for research funding, Williams said, adding: “We fund research on crops and livestock that are critically important to the poor, but have historically been neglected by donors. For example, with support from the British government, our foundation and others, researchers at Cornell and the US department of agriculture are now working on improved varieties of cassava, a staple crop in many tropical regions. Partners in Uganda and Nigeria are growing new plants, recording their traits, and sending genetic samples to Cornell for sequencing. This will help breeders in these countries develop new locally adapted varieties faster than ever.”
• Agra has responded to this article in a letter to the Guardian ||||| (You can read a Guardian article about this report, a Reuters piece in which Gates "refutes" it, and a response by AGRA.) “Listening to farmers and addressing their specific needs. We talk to farmers about the crops they want to grow and eat, as well as the unique challenges they face. We partner with organizations that understand and are equipped to address these challenges, and we invest in research to identify relevant and affordable solutions that farmers want and will use.”
First guiding principle of the Gates Foundation's work on agriculture.
At some point in June this year, the total amount given as grants to food and agriculture projects by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation surpassed the US$3 billion mark. It marked quite a milestone. From nowhere on the agricultural scene less than a decade ago, the Gates Foundation has emerged as one of the world's major donors to agricultural research and development.
The Gates Foundation is arguably the biggest philanthropic venture ever. It currently holds a $40 billion endowment, made up mostly of contributions from Gates and his billionaire friend Warren Buffet. The foundation has over 1,200 staff, and has given over $30 billion in grants since its inception in 2000, $3.6 billion in 2013 alone. Most of the grants go to global health programmes and educational work in the US, traditionally the foundation's priority areas. But in 2006-2007, the foundation massively expanded its funding for agriculture, with the launch of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and a series of large grants to the international agricultural research system (CGIAR). In 2007, it spent over half a billion dollars on agricultural projects and has maintained funding at around this level. The vast majority of the foundation's agricultural grants focus on Africa.
Spending so much money gives the foundation significant influence over agricultural research and development agendas. As the weight of the foundation's overall focus on technology and private sector partnerships has begun to be felt in the global agriculture arena, it has raised opposition and controversy, particularly around its work in Africa. Critics say that the Gates Foundation is promoting an imported model of industrial agriculture based on the high-tech seeds and chemicals sold by US corporations. They say the foundation is fixated on the work of scientists in centralised labs and that it chooses to ignore the knowledge and biodiversity that Africa's small farmers have developed and maintained over generations. Some also charge that the Gates Foundation is using its money to impose a policy agenda on Africa, accusing the foundation of direct intervention on highly controversial issues like seed laws and GMOs.
GRAIN looked through the foundation's publicly available financial records to see if the actual flows of money support these critiques. We combed through all the grants for agriculture that the Gates Foundation gave between 2003 and September 2014 . We then organised the grant recipients into major groupings (see table 2) and constructed a database which can be downloaded as a spreadsheet or as a more printer-friendly table from GRAIN's website.
Here are some of the conclusions we were able to draw from the data.
1. The Gates Foundation fights hunger in the South by giving money to the North.
Graph 1 and Table 1 give the overall picture. Roughly half of the foundation's grants for agriculture went to four big groupings: the CGIAR's global agriculture research network, international organisations (World Bank, UN agencies, etc.), AGRA (set up by Gates itself) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). The other half ended up with hundreds of different research, development and policy organisations across the world. Of this last group, over 80% of the grants were given to organisations in the US and Europe, 10% went to groups in Africa, and the remainder elsewhere. Table 2 lists the top 10 countries where Gates grantees are located and the amounts they received, highlighting some of the main grantees. By far the main recipient country is Gates's own home country, the US, followed by the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
When it comes to agricultural grants by the foundation to universities and national research centres across the world, 79% went to grantees in the US and Europe, and a meagre 12% to recipients in Africa.
The North-South divide is most shocking, however, when we look at the NGOs that the Gates Foundation supports. One would assume that a significant portion of the frontline work that the foundation funds in Africa would be carried out by organisations based there. But of the $669 million that the Gates Foundation has granted to non-governmental organisations for agricultural work, over three quarters has gone to organisations based in the US. Africa-based NGOs get a meagre 4% of the overall agriculture-related grants to NGOs.
2. The Gates Foundation gives to scientists, not farmers
As can be seen in Graph 2, the single biggest recipient of grants from the Gates Foundation is the CGIAR, a consortium of 15 international agricultural research centres. In the 1960s and 70s, these centres were responsible for the development and spread of a controversial Green Revolution model of agriculture in parts of Asia and Latin America which focused on the mass distribution of a few varieties of seeds that could produce high yields – with the generous application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Efforts to implement the same model in Africa failed and, globally, the CGIAR lost relevance as corporations like Syngenta and Monsanto took control over seed markets. Money from the Gates Foundation is providing CGIAR and its Green Revolution model a new lease on life, this time in direct partnership with seed and pesticide companies.
The CGIAR centres have received over $720 million from Gates since 2003. During the same period, another $678 million went to universities and national research centres across the world – over three-quarters of them in the US and Europe – for research and development of specific technologies, such as crop varieties and breeding techniques.
The Gates Foundation's support for AGRA and the AATF is tightly linked to this research agenda. These organisations seek, in different ways, to facilitate research by the CGIAR and other research programmes supported by the Gates Foundation and to ensure that the technologies that come out of the labs get into farmers' fields. AGRA trains farmers on how to use the technologies, and even organises them into groups to better access the technologies, but it does not support farmers in building up their own seed systems or in doing their own research.
We could find no evidence of any support from the Gates Foundation for programmes of research or technology development carried out by farmers or based on farmers' knowledge, despite the multitude of such initiatives that exist across the continent. (African farmers, after all, do continue to supply an estimated 90% of the seed used on the continent!) The foundation has consistently chosen to put its money into top down structures of knowledge generation and flow, where farmers' are mere recipients of the technologies developed in labs and sold to them by companies.
3. The Gates Foundation buys political influence
Does the Gates Foundation use its money to tell African governments what to do? Not directly. The Gates Foundation set up the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa in 2006 and has supported it with $414 million since then. It holds two seats on the Alliance's board and describes it as the “African face and voice for our work” .
AGRA, like the Gates Foundation, provides grants to research programmes. It also funds initiatives and agribusiness companies operating in Africa to develop private markets for seeds and fertilisers through support to "agro-dealers" (see box on Malawi). An important component of its work, however, is shaping policy.
AGRA intervenes directly in the formulation and revision of agricultural policies and regulations in Africa on such issues as land and seeds. It does so through national "policy action nodes" of experts, selected by AGRA, that work to advance particular policy changes. For example, in Ghana, AGRA's Seed Policy Action Node drafted revisions to the country's national seed policy and submitted it to the government. The Ghana Food Sovereignty Network has been fiercely battling such policies since the government put them forward. In Mozambique, AGRA's Seed Policy Action Node drafted plant variety protection regulations in 2013, and in Tanzania it reviewed national seed policies and presented a study on the demand for certified seeds. Also in Tanzania, its Land Policy Action Node is involved in revising the Village Land Act as well as "reviewing laws governing land titling at the district level and working closely with district officials to develop guidelines for formulation of by-laws."
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is another Gates Foundation supported organisation that straddles the technology and policy arenas. Since 2008, it has received $95 million from the Gates Foundation, which it used to to support the development and distribution of hybrid maize and rice varieties. But it also uses funds from the Gates Foundation to "positively change public perceptions" about GMOs and to lobby for regulatory changes that will increase the adoption of GM products in Africa.
In a similar vein, the Gates Foundation provides Harvard University University with funds to promote discussion of biotechnology in Africa, Michigan University with a grant to set up a centre to help African policymakers decide on how best to use biotechnology, and Cornell University with funds to create a global “agricultural communications platform” so that people better understand science-based agricultural technologies, with AATF as a main partner.
Gates & AGRA in Malawi: organising the agro-dealers One of AGRA's core programmes in Africa is the establishment of "agro-dealer" networks: small, private stockists who sell chemicals and seeds to farmers. In Malawi, AGRA provided a $4.3 million grant for the Malawi Agro-dealer Strengthening Programme (MASP) to supply hybrid maize seeds and chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. The main supplier to the agro-dealers in Malawi has been Monsanto, responsible for 67% of all inputs. A Monsanto country manager disclosed that all of Monsanto’s sales of seeds and herbicides in Malawi are made through AGRA's agro-dealer network. “Agro-dealers... act as vessels for promoting input suppliers’ products,” says one MASP project document. Another states: “supply companies have expressed their appreciation for field days because MASP trained agro-dealers are helping them promote their products in the very remotest areas of Malawi.” Training the agro-dealers on product knowledge is carried out by the corporate suppliers of the products themselves. In addition, these agro-dealers are increasingly the source of farming advice to small farmers, and an alternative to the government’s agricultural extension service. A project evaluation report states that 44% of the agro-dealers in the programme were providing extension services. According to the World Bank: “The agro-dealers have... become the most important extension nodes for the rural poor... A new form of private sector driven extension system is emerging in these countries.” The agro-dealer project in Malawi has been implemented by CNFA, a US-based organisation funded by the Gates Foundation, USAID and DFID, and its local affiliate the Rural Market Development Trust (RUMARK), whose trustees include four seed and chemical suppliers: Monsanto, SeedCo, Farmers World and Farmers Association. Adapted from “The hunger games” by War on Want, London, 2012.
Listening to farmers?
“Listening to farmers and addressing their specific needs” is the first guiding principle of the Gates Foundation's work on agriculture. But it is hard to listen to someone when you cannot hear them. Small farmers in Africa do not participate in the spaces where the agendas are set for the agricultural research institutions, NGOs or initiatives, like AGRA, that the Gates Foundation supports. These spaces are dominated by foundation reps, high-level politicians, business executives, and scientists.
Listening to someone, if it has any real significance, should also include the intent to learn. But nowhere in the programmes funded by the Gates Foundation is there any indication that it believes that Africa's small farmers have anything to teach, that they have anything to contribute to research, development and policy agendas. The continent's farmers are always cast as the recipients, the consumers of knowledge and technology from others. In practice, the foundation's first guiding principle appears to be a marketing exercise to sell its technologies to farmers. In that, it looks, not surprisingly, a lot like Microsoft.
GRAIN would like to thank Camila Oda Montecinos for her help in pulling together the database and the graphic materials.
Putting your money where your mouth is In September 2014, the Rockefeller heirs decided to follow some of their philanthropic peers and divest the money in their foundations from fossil fuels, citing moral reasons. Gates too, with his foundation holding around $700 million in shares in Exxon, BP and Shell, has been under pressure to make his investments more socially responsible. In 2007, the Los Angeles Times revealed that hundreds of Gates Foundation investments – totalling at least $8.7 billion, or 41% of its assets – were in companies that ran counter to the foundation's charitable goals or social philosophy. Shortly afterwards, the foundation announced a review of its investments to assess their social responsibility. That review, however, was quickly trashed and the foundation decided to stick with a policy of investing for maximum return. The foundation does, however, claim that“when instructing the investment managers, Bill and Melinda also consider other issues beyond corporate profits, including the values that drive the foundation's work”. It is difficult to see what that amounts to when it comes to its food and agriculture programme. The Gates Foundation maintains that “access to diverse, nutritious foods is fundamental to good health” but its food related investments go almost exclusively to the fast food industry. A stunning $3.1 billion went to companies like Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Pepsico, Burger King, and KFC in 2012. The Foundation has $1 billion tied up in the world's largest supermarket chain, Walmart, which is a major force driving out small farms in favour of large suppliers. The Gates Foundation has also bought $23 million in shares of the world's leading producer of genetically engineered crops, Monsanto.
Table 1: Gates Foundation agricultural grants by type of grantee, 2003-2014
Agency $US million Main recipients CGIAR 720 The CGIAR is a consortium of 15 international research centres set up to promote the Green Revolution across the world. Gates is now amongst its major donors. Main recipients include: IFPRI ($167 million), CIMMYT ($132m), IRRI ($139m), ICRISAT ($76m), IITA ($49m), ILRI ($15m), CIP ($55m), CIAT ($33m) and others. Most of the grants are in the form of project support to each of the centres, and many of them are focussing on developing new crop varieties. AGRA 414 A total of 14 grants for core support and AGRA's main issue areas: seeds, soils, markets, and lobbying African governments to change policies and legislation. Int'l orgs (UN, World Bank, etc.) 362 World Bank - IBRD ($119m); World Food Programme (WFP) ($79m); UNDP ($54m.); FAO ($50 m.) UN Foundation ($30m). The lion's share of the grants to the World Bank are to promote public and private sector investment in agriculture ($60m), WFP is supported to improve market opportunities for small farmers, UNDP to establish rural agro-enterprises in West Africa, and the support to FAO is mostly for statistical and policy work. AATF 95 AATF (African Agricultural Technology Foundation) is a blatantly pro-GMO pro-corporate research outfit based in Nairobi. Gates supported them with almost $100 m mostly to develop and distribute hybrid maize and rice varieties, but also to raise “awareness on agricultural biotechnology for improved understanding and appreciation”. Universities & National Research Centres. 678 Over three quarters of all Gates funding to universities and research centres goes to institutions in the US and Europe, such as Cornell, Michigan and Harvard in the US, and Cambridge and Greenwich Universities in the UK, amongst many others. The work supported is a mix of basic agronomic, breeding and molecular research, as well as policy research. A lot of it includes genetic engineering. Michigan State University, for example, got $13m to help African policy makers “to make informed decisions on how to use biotechnology”. Although most of the foundation's grants are supposed to benefit Africa, barely 12% of its grants to universities and research centres go directly to African institutions ($80m in total, of which $30m for the Uganda based Regional University Forum set up by the Rockefeller Foundation. Service delivery NGOs 669 The Gates Foundation sees these as agents to implement its work on the ground. They include both large development NGOs and foundations, and the activities supported tend to have a strong technology development angle, or focus on policy and education work in line with the foundation's philosophy. A whopping 76% of these grants end up with beneficiaries in the US, and another 13% in Europe. African NGOs get 4% of the NGO grants ($28m total, $13m of which to groups in South Africa, and another $13m for “Farm Concern International” an NGO based in Nairobi with the mission of creating “commercialized smallholder communities with increased incomes for improved, stabilized & sustainable livelihoods in Africa and beyond”. Corporations 50 A relatively minor share of Gates' funding goes directly to the corporate sector. Most of the grants are for specific technologies developed by the corporations in question. The two single largest grants ($23m and $9m) are to the World Cocoa Foundation, a corporate outfit representing the worlds major food and cocoa processors, for (amongst other things) “grants to industry players who will focus on improving the productivity of cocoa”. Advocacy & policy 122 Here we find a mix of groups working on policy issues to support the Gates Foundation's agenda, especially in Africa. The two largest grants are for the Meridian Institute in the USA, ($20m) to “develop an Africa-based and Africa-led partnership” and to FANRPAN, a policy research network based in South Africa ($16m) to set up “nutrition sensitive agriculture programs” in sub-Saharan Africa. Please note that much of the foundation's policy and advocacy work is implemented through grants to institutions in the other groups (such as Universities, the CGIAR and, most notably, AGRA), to get African policy makers to change seed, land, IPR and other laws to favour corporate investment and technology introduction. Total 3110
Table 2: Gates Foundation agricultural grant recipients, top 10 countries 2003-2014
(excluding: grants to CGIAR, AGRA, AATF and Int'l organisations)
Notes
Gates Foundation website, “Agricultural Development, strategic overview”.
Gates Foundation website, Foundation Fact Sheet.
We used the grants database on the Gates Foundation website and analysed the grants listed under 'Agricultural Development', 610 grants totalling US$ 3,110,591,382. (Database last accessed on 7 October 2014: http://tinyurl.com/m9s42z7).
Download the database as an Excel spreadsheet or as a more printer-friendly table (44 pages).
For a discussion on Gates and the CGIAR, see: SciDevNet, “Are Gates and CGIAR a good mix for Africa?”, 2010.
From the Gates Foundation's Agricultural Development Strategy 2008-2011, quoted in Phil Bereano and Travis English, “Looking in a gift horse's mouth”, in: Third World Resurgence, TWN, Penang, 2010.
On the Policy Action Nodes, see: AGRA 2013 Annual Report. For info about the Ghana Food Sovereignty Network: http://foodsovereigntyghana.org/
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– Though the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent $3 billion to fight hunger in poor countries, most of that money has gone to groups based in wealthy countries, a new report finds. Just 10% of the money has gone to African organizations, while more than 80% has headed to the US and Europe, according to findings by Grain, a Barcelona-based research group. "When we examined the foundation’s grants database, we were amazed that they seem to want to fight hunger in the south by giving money to organizations in the north," an agronomist tells the Guardian. What's more, Grain says bluntly, "the Gates Foundation gives to scientists, not farmers." "Centralized labs" focused on "high-tech" food solutions get cash, while the "knowledge and biodiversity" of generations of farmers gets little attention. "Farmers are cast as recipients, mere consumers of knowledge and technology from others," says the agronomist. But a representative for the Gates Foundation defends its decisions, the Guardian notes. "We fundamentally believe that development should be led by developing countries themselves," says the spokesman. And "looking at the primary grantees in our database doesn’t provide a complete picture of where our funds end up and who they benefit." Those grantees often "sub-grant" money to African and South Asian groups.
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(CNN) -- Paul Oliver, a former defensive back for the University of Georgia and the San Diego Chargers, was found dead this week, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot.
His death marks the latest in a string of suicides among former professional football players.
"Everyone in the Chargers family is sad today after hearing the news about Paul," a statement from the NFL team said. "He was part of our family for five years. At just 29 years old, he still had a lifetime in front of him. Right now all of our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this most difficult time."
A tale of two former NFL players -- and their brains
Oliver leaves behind a wife and two children, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
"We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers," Oliver's family said in a statement to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "We request privacy in the wake of this tragic loss."
Mark Richt, coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs, called it "a very sad day."
"I just want to say it's been rough," he told reporters. "I just want to tell everybody in his family that we're thinking about them and we love them. We'll do whatever we can to help."
Police found Oliver's body Tuesday night at the bottom of a set of stairs in a home in Marietta, Georgia, Cobb County police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said. A family member had called 911.
The county medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by handgun and gave police authorization to release the cause.
Opinion: Junior Seau was hurting and didn't know how to say it
Oliver played for the Chargers from 2007 to 2011, recording 144 tackles in 57 games.
A former teammate, Eric Weddle, described Oliver as "charismatic, funny but also quiet and reserved," The Union-Tribune reported. "He never said a bad word about anyone. Just a good, genuine guy."
Oliver's high school coach in Georgia, Bruce Cobleigh, said Oliver was a leader.
"This is a real tough situation for everybody because this isn't Paul," Cobleigh told CNN's Brooke Baldwin. "This is surprising, shocking. He was really outgoing. He was really well-liked, a leader, hard, hard worker.'
Cobleigh said he hadn't talked with his former player in recent years as much as when he was in Georgia, but the coach had fielded calls much of Wednesday from former teammates of Oliver who were all surprised by his death.
The circumstances of his apparent suicide were not immediately clear.
Suicides of some other former NFL players involved brain injuries.
Former NFL player wants brain studied
Star NFL linebacker Junior Seau was 43 when he took his own life in May 2012. The National Institutes of Health later found he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease that can follow multiple hits to the head.
A study published in December in the journal Brain looked at brain tissue of 34 professional football players after they died. All but one showed evidence of disease.
NFL Concussions Fast Facts
In April 2012, former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, 62, committed suicide. An autopsy found signs of CTE.
In February 2011, former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson, 50, committed suicide with a gunshot to the chest, rather than his head, so his brain could be researched for CTE. Boston University researchers found the disease in his brain.
In December 2012, Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs killed his girlfriend before taking his own life. His remains were not tested for CTE, media reports said.
The NFL launched a crisis support line in July 2012 for players, former players and their families. Called NFL Life Line, it operates independently from the NFL and promises to keep all calls confidential.
"There is no higher priority for the National Football League than the health and wellness of our players," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to personnel and fans at the time.
NFL and ex-players reach deal in concussion lawsuit ||||| Former Chargers safety Paul Oliver during a game against the Indianapolis Colts in November 2010. (Photo: Michael Conroy, AP) Story Highlights Authorities say Paul Oliver died Tuesday night in Marietta, Ga., of a self-inflicted gunshot
Former teammate says Oliver, a married father of two children, was 'happiest guy ever.'
Oliver starred at Georgia before Chargers drafted him in fourth round of 2007 supplemental draft
Former San Diego Chargers defensive back Paul Oliver died from a self-inflicted gunshot in Marietta, Ga., on Tuesday night, authorities said, leaving his former teammates and coaches stunned and wondering what had happened to the 29-year-old who last played in the NFL two years ago.
Oliver played for the Chargers from 2007-11, where he was a teammate of Quentin Jammer, now with the Denver Broncos.
"He was a good friend of mine. Great guy. Great guy," Jammer told USA TODAY Sports. "I mean, the early reports were that he committed suicide, and he just didn't seem like that type of guy. You never know what somebody is going through, what's going on in somebody's life."
"I hadn't talked to him in a while. I wish now I could reach out to him. If I'd have known," Jammer said, his voice trailing off.
Oliver killed himself with a handgun at about 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, said Mike Bowman, public information officer for the Cobb County Police Department, though Bowman said Wednesday he did not know the location of the wound.
Jammer recalled Oliver as a talented player whom the Chargers converted to safety after Oliver arrived in San Diego in 2007. The Chargers released Oliver in the 2011 offseason, but re-signed him later that year because of injuries to other players. Oliver also spent time with the New Orleans Saints.
Chargers free safety Eric Weddle, another of Oliver's close friends on the team, said he was "devastated."
"I thought about it all practice," he said. "Words can't really express how as an ex-teammate — I was with him for five years — you have so many memories and so many thoughts. Football was the last thing I was thinking about out there today. It's unfortunate. You feel for his family and his two kids."
Weddle said he talked to Oliver about a year ago. "Wish I would have reached out to him more and helped him in some way," he said.
The Chargers selected Oliver in the fourth round of the 2007 supplemental draft, and he played in 57 games, with 12 starts. He became a free agent in 2012.
"Everyone in the Chargers family is sad today after hearing the news about Paul," the team said in a statement. "He was part of our family for five years. At just 29 years old, he had a lifetime in front of him."
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Georgia star
Oliver was a star cornerback for the University of Georgia, where he had seven interceptions, 114 tackles and three sacks during his three seasons in Athens. He turned pro and entered the supplemental draft after he was ruled academically ineligible before the 2007 season.
Georgia coach Mark Richt described Oliver's death as "heartbreaking" on a conference call Wednesday morning.
"I was crushed this morning when I heard it, quite frankly," Richt said. "I haven' t been able to keep it off my mind, to be honest with you. We have to find a way to reach out and help any way we can."
A native of Kennesaw, Ga., and graduate of Harrison High School, Oliver redshirted his freshman year before playing the 2004-06 seasons for the Bulldogs.
One of Oliver's college highlights came in the 2006 Georgia-Georgia Tech game, when he held receiver Calvin Johnson – now a Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions – to two catches for 13 yards and had an interception in the final minute to seal a 15-12 win for the Bulldogs.
Oliver's death hits a Chargers franchise still reeling from the 2012 suicide of Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau, who played 20 seasons in the NFL and shot himself in the chest at age 43. A study of Seau's brain revealed he had suffered from a chronic degenerative brain disease.
Jammer, who played for the Chargers from 200-2012, just shook his head as he was asked about another Chargers' tragedy.
"I'm still waiting around to see what the truth is. Committing suicide, no one really knows, except maybe his family," Jammer said.
It is also another tragedy for the Cobb County football community. Kenny McKinley, the former Denver Broncos wide receiver from Mableton, Ga., died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2009 at age 23.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday that McKinley and Oliver faced each other twice in high school. Their college teams also played twice when McKinley was at South Carolina and Oliver at Georgia.
'A fun guy'
The Chargers' Weddle recalled Oliver as the "happiest guy ever. Just a joy to be around. Funny. Charismatic. Worked his tail off. Also quiet, reserved, at the same time. Justa great teammate and great friend. Great person. Never once said something bad about anyone."
"He was just a fun guy to be around. You could always count on him on the field and off."
Tight end Antonio Gates also remembered laughing with Oliver.
"You feel fortunate to be a part of his life the time he was here. I would never expect a guy like that to do certain things or make those type of judgments about life. It makes you appreciate life, makes you appreciate your family and kids. You just never know. Life is so short."
Oliver is survived by his wife, the former Chelsea Young, and two children. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized.
Contributing: Gary Mihoces; Forrest Lee in San Diego. ||||| Former Chargers safety Paul Oliver died Tuesday night from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Georgia home, a Cobb County police spokesman said Wednesday. He was 29.
A family member reported the suicide about 6:40 p.m. on the 2000 block of Fairport Way in Marietta. His wife, Chelsea Oliver, and two juveniles witnessed the incident, according to a police report. Oliver had two children.
His family confirmed the passing in a Wednesday statement.
"We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers," the statement read. "We request privacy in the wake of this tragic loss."
On Wednesday, news of Oliver's death spread to San Diego.
The ex-Georgia Bulldog was a 2007 fourth-round supplemental Chargers draft pick who appeared in 57 NFL games, all with San Diego from 2008 to 2011. Eight of his 12 starts came in 2010 when he recorded a career-high 59 tackles and an interception. He finished his career with 124 tackles, one sack and four picks.
NFL Life Line Current and former NFL players, coaches, other team or league staff members, and their family members can access a free, independent hotline for help dealing with a serious life issue. The NFL Life Line is a confidential 24-hour resource which connects those in crisis to trained medical professionals. It can be accessed via phone at (800) 506-0087 or via online chat at NFLLifeLine.org.
“Everyone in the Chargers family is sad today after hearing the news about Paul," the team said in a statement. "He was part of our family for five years. At just 29 years old, he still had a lifetime in front of him. Right now all of our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this most difficult time."
Oliver's death was met with shock and sadness among players, many of whom were teammates with him. Some who weren't teammates had still met Oliver, who lived in San Diego for a period of time after his playing career.
Safety Eric Weddle learned of his death from a former teammate.
He described Oliver as "charismatic, funny but also quiet and reserved," someone who would slip in a subtle joke and always be smiling.
"He never said a bad word about anyone. Just a good genuine guy," Weddle said. "From the moment he got here, he was up front. Loved the game. You could always count on him. Every year, it seemed like he was a backup who could play special teams. Then he got into games, and he always played well. You'd never think of something like this happening to a guy like that. It's surreal, really. ...
"We used to have some side jokes, and some of them still carry on today even though he's not here. Even more so now, we'll think about him every day, just what he brought to us and how he was as a person. ... I wasn't thinking about football much today; that's for sure. It's a sad day."
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– The sports world is turning mournful eyes to Georgia, where former San Diego Charger Paul Oliver died Tuesday night from what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 29. The Union-Tribune reports that the incident occurred in his Marietta home in the presence of his wife and two juveniles; the former safety had two kids. CNN adds that police found his body at the foot of a staircase. Oliver played college ball at Georgia before joining the Chargers as a fourth-round pick in the 2007 supplemental draft. He played 57 games, with 12 starts, and was with San Diego until 2011. USA Today notes he became a free agent last year. It shares several tough quotes, including this one, from former teammate Quentin Jammer: "Great guy. Great guy. ... The early reports were that he committed suicide, and he just didn't seem like that type of guy. You never know what somebody is going through, what's going on in somebody's life. I hadn't talked to him in a while. I wish now I could reach out to him. If I'd have known..." (It's not this week's only gloomy football news.)
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In the aftermath of a chaotic incident that witnesses initially believed to be a police shooting in Baltimore, CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke to Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott, who called out Fox News for what he described as their “irresponsible” reporting that turned out to be false.
Scott said he’s “concerned” that “we have members of the media being irresponsible,” singling out Fox News, where reporter Mike Tobin said he saw the shooting of a young black man occur. “When you do stuff like that irresponsibly,” he continued, “media is supposed to report what they know, not what they think.” He pleaded with any national media still in Baltimore to cover some “positive” things as well, saying, “There are so many great things going on with young people in our town that we do not have to continuously show the negative about Baltimore.”
“Amen to members of the media being responsible,” Tapper replied. But he did want to know why there have been “such vatstly different accounts of what happened.” The anchor reported that police are hoping to release surveillance footage to put the public’s mind at ease that no one was shot by police.
Following Fox’s initial, frenzied reporting, Shepard Smith issued an on air apology, telling viewers, “We screwed up.”
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>> Follow Matt Wilstein (@TheMattWilstein) on Twitter ||||| A gunshot Monday near a city intersection that saw the worst of the rioting a week ago and became the scene of frequent protests over the death of Freddie Gray underscored continuing tensions in Baltimore.
A fleeing suspect pulled out a revolver, which went off, and no officers fired their weapons, police said, denying conflicting reports from people at the scene. No one was injured, but the incident brought out a crowd of people and dozens of additional officers in riot gear. At least one person was pepper-sprayed as police tried to disperse the crowd.
The suspect was arrested for a gun violation and taken to a hospital "out of an abundance of caution," police said.
The Freddie Gray case not only continued to fray nerves but also sparked a national dialogue on race and economic disparities as President Barack Obama invoked Baltimore on Monday in calling for more opportunities for young men and Gray's family said in a televised interview that perhaps the 25-year-old would "live forever" as a "martyr."
Gray died April 19, one week after his arrest. Prosecutors have charged six police officers involved in his arrest and transport and allege he suffered a spinal injury while not wearing a seat belt in the back of a police van. Police union officials have denied that any of the officers are responsible.
Read the latest story here.
After more than a week of peaceful protests, a confrontation between students and police April 27 outside Mondawmin Mall erupted into violence; crowds threw rocks at police, looted businesses and set fires. Police said Monday they made 486 arrests linked to the unrest.
City, state and federal officials also continued to discuss recovery, and the CVS Health said Monday it was working on plans to rebuild in Baltimore, where two of its damaged drugstores remain closed.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen delivered prescription medication to those who couldn't get it from shuttered pharmacies. The city launched an online registry Monday to help the more than 235 businesses affected.
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith apologized to viewers on Monday after after one of the network's falsely reported that a black man had been shot by police during protests there. Mike Tobin said he saw police officers chasing a man and that "a police officer drew his weapon and fired and struck the individual who was running away. Fox News anchor Shepard Smith apologized to viewers on Monday after after one of the network's falsely reported that a black man had been shot by police during protests there. Mike Tobin said he saw police officers chasing a man and that "a police officer drew his weapon and fired and struck the individual who was running away. SEE MORE VIDEOS
The Rev. Donte L. Hickman of the Southern Baptist Church and a developer pledged to rebuild the Mary Harvin Transformation Center, a Broadway East community center that was burned to the ground in a three-alarm fire on the night of the riots before it was completed.
The National Guard troops who were deployed to Baltimore have left the streets, and the last of them are expected to complete their mission Tuesday, a spokesman said.
About 1,400 remained on duty Monday morning but in various stages of demobilization, no longer "out manning the streets," Col. Charles S. Kohler said.
Kohler said the remaining troops are completing duties such as packing away equipment and performing maintenance on vehicles.
Gov. Larry Hogan activated the guard last Monday, the day of Freddie Gray's funeral, after crowds in the city became violent. By Saturday, 3,000 Guardsmen were supporting police.
On Friday, Baltimore's top prosecutor announced charges against all six police officers involved with Gray's arrest.
The move eased tensions and led to celebratory rallies in the city, but arrests continued as people broke a citywide curfew. The curfew, which was lifted Sunday, required all city residents to stay indoors between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The city remained under a state of emergency on Monday. A spokeswoman for Hogan said Monday morning that the emergency would be lifted soon.
Police did not respond to a request to comment on how the National Guard's removal will affect their deployments in the city.
Meanwhile, a police investigation continues as Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby builds her case. The separate investigations by police and prosecutors have some conflicting findings.
While Mosby said Friday that the officers had made an illegal arrest because a knife Gray was carrying was not a "switchblade," a violation of state law, the police task force studied the knife and determined it was "spring-assisted," which does violate a Baltimore code.
The officers remain free on bail.
When the gunshot Monday caused panic in the street, Daisy Bush, 61, said she rushed to pack up a table of handbags and candies she had been selling outside her shop, D&D Variety Store, on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"It's rough for business; it's rough for everybody," she said.
Bush, who has owned the shop for about 15 years, said the neighborhood had been "in an uproar" for the past week. She said it has been scary not knowing whether she would be safe outside her store.
"I don't think it's ever going to go back to normal," she added. "Our normal is crazy."
State Sen. Catherine Pugh said police allowed the 23-year-old shooting suspect to meet with his mother before he was booked.
"He's doing fine. He was physically checked and had no bullet wounds," Pugh said. "He was very emotional, but he got to see his family. ... It was great to be there."
Pugh, who has gone to the Penn North intersection every night to calm tensions between protesters and police, commended the department for its handling of Monday's incident.
One Baltimore United, a coalition of labor and community groups, called Monday for a civil and economic recovery program "to heal Baltimore," blaming failures in policy for the city's struggles.
They were among many, including lobbyists in Annapolis, who said the urban poverty highlighted in the protests demonstrated the need for further investment in Baltimore's schools, mental health services and transportation.
Obama traveled to the Bronx, N.Y., on Monday to announce a nonprofit organization intended to provide opportunities for young men of color.
"Some communities have consistently had the odds stacked against them," Obama said. "And folks living in those communities, and especially young people living in those communities, could use some help to change those odds."
Community members and families of students at Furman Templeton Elementary School collected enough food for 350 families in a food drive to help residents affected in the riots.
Baltimore Sun reporters Justin Fenton, Ian Duncan, Jessica Anderson, Justin George, John Fritze, Erin Cox and Pamela Wood contributed to this article.
[email protected] ||||| LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fox News Channel mistakenly reported that a man was shot while being pursued by police in Baltimore, Maryland, Fox anchorman Shepard Smith said.
An officer speaks to members of the media Monday, May 4, 2015, in Baltimore. Lt. Col. Melvin Russell said police pursued a man who was spotted on surveillance cameras and appeared to be armed with a handgun.... (Associated Press)
Smith told viewers that reporter Mike Tobin's mistake came during a chaotic situation Monday afternoon and was an "honest and straightforward" error and one that was corrected promptly.
Tobin had reported the shooting on Fox's "The Real Story," telling host Gretchen Carlson that he saw police officers chase a fleeing man and that an officer had fired and hit the man.
But Baltimore police denied that a shooting had occurred. A black man was arrested in the incident, which came days after riots hit the city where another black man, Freddie Gray, died after being taken into police custody.
After hearing Tobin's account of events and a police denial given on-air to Fox reporter Leland Vittert, Smith addressed the initial story.
"And the truth is, according to police, there is no gunshot victim," Smith said, later adding, "Nobody has been shot. No police officer has pulled the trigger. And on behalf of Mike Tobin and the rest of our crew there and the rest of us at Fox News, I am very sorry for the error and glad we were able to correct it quickly."
In a separate report, Tobin offered an account but no apology.
"It would be very hard to duplicate a situation that looked more like a guy being shot," Tobin said. He, his security team and cameraman thought the officer had his gun drawn and, after hearing a shot, saw the fleeing man on the ground.
"I arrived at the conclusion that the individual had been shot, as you naturally would in a situation like that," Tobin said. The man looked to be in "bad shape," he said.
The incident happened in the same area where police first spotted Gray before his arrest. Six officers were charged Friday in Gray's death.
On Monday, Lt. Col. Melvin Russell said police pursued a man who was spotted on surveillance cameras and appeared to be armed with a handgun. Police said the man was taken into custody after a brief chase, during which a gunshot was heard.
Russell said that police never fired their weapons and that no one was shot. Police recovered a handgun loaded with three rounds, one of which was spent. The man was uninjured and didn't want to go to a hospital, but was taken in an ambulance anyway, he said.
The arrest drew a crowd of protesters who chanted, "Black community, control the police!"
___
AP reporters Ben Nuckols and David Dishneau in Baltimore contributed to this report.
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– "What happened was, we screwed up," Fox News anchor Shep Smith admitted yesterday, apologizing on behalf of the network after a false report of a police shooting in Baltimore. His colleague Mike Tobin had told host Gretchen Carlson that he had witnessed police officers shoot a fleeing man, but it later emerged that police did not fire their weapons during the incident and nobody was shot, the AP reports. Police tell the Baltimore Sun that the fleeing suspect, an unidentified black man, pulled out a revolver, which went off but didn't injure anybody. The incident brought a crowd of protesters and dozens more officers to the scene, the Sun reports. Tobin later explained that while he hadn't really seen a shooting, he heard a gunshot and saw the suspect on the ground and "arrived at the conclusion that the individual had been shot, as you naturally would in a situation like that," the AP reports. After the incident, Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott complained to CNN's Jake Tapper about "irresponsible" behavior from the media in the tense city, reports Mediaite. "Media is supposed to report what they know, not what they think," Scott said, urging networks to try to cover some positive things about Baltimore.
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Adrian Peterson in a mug shot at the Montgomery County Jail early Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014 (Photo: MCSO)
UPDATE: Adrian Peterson's lawyer Rusty Hardin released the following statement:
"The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true. This is not a new allegation, it's one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it. An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son. There is no ongoing or new investigation."
HOUSTON -- New accusations against Adrian Peterson come from another mother who has another four-year-old son of Peterson, and also involve Peterson striking his boy as a form of discipline.
Peterson's attorney Rusty Hardin responded with the following statement:
The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true. This is not a new allegation, it's one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it. An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son. There is no ongoing or new investigation.
Earlier Monday, a top law enforcement official confirmed knowledge of the allegations by the mother of Peterson's son back in June 2013. Photos, which the KHOU I-Team obtained from a source, show a head wound to a boy identified as Peterson's four year old son. It is a wound that weeks later, left a scar above his right eye.
Sources claim it allegedly happened while the boy, who lives out of state, was visiting Peterson at his gated home in The Woodlands.
The source provided a string of text messages allegedly exchanged between the Peterson and the boy's mother. They contain numerous grammatical errors:
Mother : "What happened to his head?
Peterson: "Hit his head on the Carseat".
Mother "How does this happen, he got a whoopin in the car"
Peterson: "Yep"
Mother: "Why?'
Peterson: "I felt so bad. But he did it his self."
The text messages go on to show Peterson saying he was disciplining his son for cussing to a sibling. Also in the text messages, the mother asks "What did you hit him with?"
Peterson never answers directly but writes "be still n (and) take ya (your) whopping, he would have saved the scare (scar). "He's aight (all right)."
The exchange continued:
Mother: "I'm real sensitive about my baby and him being hit."
Peterson: "You tripping if you want him, come get him. I'm not about to be getting questioned down like you (you're) CPS."
Sources confirm to the I-Team that the mother did file a report with Child Protective Services, but CPS declined to discuss the its investigation.
Peterson's attorney Rusty Hardin said the woman is shopping around false allegations. Meantime, the website TMZ quotes sources close to the investigation, saying the CPS case went nowhere because the injuries were accidental and that the boy struck his head on a car seat.
Peterson's first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 8.
Read or Share this story: http://www.khou.com/story/news/investigations/2014/09/15/new-accusations-peterson-injured-another-son-while-disciplining-4-year-old/15693941/ ||||| Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share KHOU-TV in Houston reported photos and text messages reveal another incident in which NFL star Adrian Peterson is accused of injuring another son while disciplining the boy. VPC
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been accused of injuring a second son. (Photo: Bruce Kluckhohn, USA TODAY Sports)
HOUSTON — Photos and text messages obtained by the I-Team reveal another incident in which Adrian Peterson is accused of injuring another son while disciplining the boy.
The 4-year-old is by a different mother than the alleged victim in the Montgomery County case, in which Peterson is charged with felony injury to a child. In that case, Peterson admits to repeatedly striking the boy with a tree branch or "switch," but has maintained he did not intend to harm the child, and was using his judgment as a parent to discipline his son.
DATABASE: NFL player arrests from 2000-present
The latest incident allegedly occurred last June, while the boy, who lives out of state, was visiting Peterson at his gated home in Spring. A photo, allegedly texted by Peterson to the boy's mother, shows a head wound to the boy covered by two bandages. Other photos, allegedly taken weeks later, reveal a scar over his right eye.
The text messages also describe an exchange about what happened. They contain numerous misspellings and shorthand:
Mother: "What happened to his head?"
Peterson: "Hit his head on the Carseat."
Mother: "How does that happen, he got a whoopin in the car."
Peterson: "Yep."
Mother: "Why?"
Peterson: "I felt so bad. But he did it his self."
The text messages go on to show Peterson saying he was disciplining his son for cussing to a sibling.
"It's absolutely criminal," said Randy Burton, a former chief prosecutor of family crimes in Harris County, and founder of the advocacy group Justice for Children. "You break the skin, you have bleeding, much less permanent scars, that is a crime."
But no charges were ever filed. Sources confirm the mother filed a report with Child Protective Services, but the outcome of any CPS investigation is unclear.
So is the method of the delivering the wound, according to the text messages.
Mother: "What did you hit him with?"
Peter never directly answered, but later replied: "Be still n take ya whooping he would have saved the scare (scar). He aight (all right)"
"This is very damaging information," Burton said.
Damaging, Burton said, because prosecutors in Montgomery County can use it as evidence in the felony case against Peterson.
"To prove intent, that it was not an accident, and to show that it was a course of conduct," Burton said. "It wasn't a one-off."
Peterson's attorney Rusty Hardin said that Peterson had done nothing wrong.
"The allegation of another investigation into Adrian Peterson is simply not true," Hardin said in a statement. "This is not a new allegation, it's one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it. An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son. There is no ongoing or new investigation."
The Vikings said they already were aware of the allegation.
"As part of the information we have gathered throughout this process, we were made aware of an allegation from 2013 in which authorities took no action against Adrian," the team said in a statement. "We will defer any further questions to Adrian's attorney Rusty Hardin."
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– Adrian Peterson was accused of beating and injuring another of his sons to discipline him last June, but the football star was never charged in the alleged incident, according to reports. KHOU has obtained text messages between Peterson and the boy's mother—a different woman from the mother involved in Peterson's current abuse case. "Hit his head on the Carseat," Peterson apparently explains in one text, after reportedly sending a photo of the boy's bandaged forehead to the mother. But when the mother asks if her son "got a whoopin in the car," Peterson replies, "Yep." Later, he says the son was in trouble for using foul language. "Be still n take ya whooping he would have saved the scare (scar)," Peterson texted the mother. KHOU sources say the mother did file a report with Child Protective Services. According to TMZ sources, however, the investigation into the incident "went nowhere"; they say the boy had indeed hit his head on a car seat while he was being disciplined. Says Peterson's lawyer, per KHOU: This is not a new allegation; it's one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it. An adult witness adamantly insists Adrian did nothing inappropriate with his son. There is no ongoing or new investigation.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Radovan Karadzic listened intently as the verdict and sentence was read out
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been convicted of genocide and war crimes in the 1992-95 Bosnian war, and sentenced to 40 years in jail.
UN judges in The Hague found him guilty of 10 of 11 charges, including genocide over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
Karadzic, 70, is the most senior political figure to face judgement over the violent collapse of Yugoslavia.
His case is being seen as one of the most important war crimes trials since World War Two.
He had denied the charges, saying that any atrocities committed were the actions of rogue individuals, not the forces under his command.
The trial, in which he represented himself, lasted eight years.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia Bakir Izetbegovic said it was a verdict of "tremendous importance"
The current president of the Bosnian Serb Republic, Milorad Dodik, condemned the verdict.
"The West has apportioned blame to the Serbian people and that guilty cliche was imposed on all the decision-makers, including in this case today... Karadzic," he said at a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the start of Nato air strikes against Yugoslavia in 1999.
"It really hurts that somebody has decided to deliver this verdict in The Hague exactly today, on the day when Nato decided to bomb Serbia... to cause so much catastrophic damage and so many casualties," Mr Dodik added.
At the scene: Paul Adams, BBC News, The Hague
Radovan Karadzic had said no reasonable court would convict him. But listening to Judge Kwon, it was hard to see how any reasonable court could not convict him.
Mr Karadzic listened intently, the corners of his mouth pulled down in a look of permanent disgust and, just perhaps, disbelief. By the end of an hour and 40 minutes, it was obvious what was coming.
There's a strong sense of satisfaction here that one of the chief architects of Bosnia's bloody dismemberment has finally been found guilty. The court's work is almost done.
But all eyes now will be on the fate of Karadzic's main general, Ratko Mladic. His name came up a great deal during Judge Kwon's summation, particularly in regard to the massacre of Srebrenica.
It will be astonishing if Gen Mladic doesn't face a similar verdict and sentence.
Karadzic verdict vital to Bosnia's future
Balkans war: a brief guide
Profile: Radovan Karadzic
Bosniak and Serb reaction
Exploring the corridors of the Hague tribunal
Meanwhile, some relatives of victims expressed disappointment at the outcome.
"This came too late," said Bida Smajlovic, whose husband was killed at Srebrenica.
"We were handed down a verdict in 1995. There is no sentence that could compensate for the horrors we went through or for the tears of only one mother, let alone thousands," she was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
Karadzic's lawyer said he would appeal, a process that could take several more years.
Image copyright EPA Image caption Many Bosnians have been following the trial closely
"Dr Karadzic is disappointed and astonished. He feels that he was convicted on inference instead of evidence and will appeal [against] the judgement," Peter Robinson told journalists.
Karadzic faced two counts of genocide.
He was found not guilty of the first, relating to killing in several Bosnian municipalities.
But he was found guilty of the second count relating to Srebrenica, where Bosnian Serb forces massacred more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys.
"Karadzic was in agreement with the plan of the killings," Judge O-Gon Kwon said.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption What happened at Srebrenica? Explained in under two minutes
The massacre happened in July 1995 when Srebrenica, an enclave besieged by Bosnian Serb forces for three years, was overrun. The bodies of the victims were dumped in mass graves.
Karadzic was also found guilty of crimes against humanity relating to the siege and shelling of the city of Sarajevo over several years which left nearly 12,000 people dead.
The judge said he had significantly contributed to a plan which emanated from the leadership and whose primary purpose was to spread terror in the city.
Charges
Genocide
Count 1 - genocide (in municipalities of Bratunac, Foca, Klyuc, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Vlasenica and Zvornik) - not guilty
Count 2 - genocide (in Srebrenica) - guilty
Crimes against humanity
Count 3 - persecutions - guilty
Count 4 - extermination - guilty
Count 5 - murder - guilty
Count 7 - deportation - guilty
Count 8 - inhumane acts (forcible transfer) - guilty
Violations of the laws or customs of war
Count 6 - murder - guilty
Count 9 - terror (in Sarajevo) - guilty
Count 10 - unlawful attacks on civilians (in Sarajevo) - guilty
Count 11 - taking hostage of UN observers and peacekeepers - guilty
The full indictment
Mr Karadzic was also found guilty of orchestrating a campaign known as "ethnic cleansing" of non-Serbs from the territory of the breakaway Bosnian Serb republic, in which hundreds and thousands were driven from their homes.
He would only be expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence. His time spent in detention - slightly more than seven years - will count towards the total.
Top UN human rights official Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein welcomed the verdict as "hugely significant".
He said the trial "should give pause to leaders across Europe and elsewhere who seek to exploit nationalist sentiments and scapegoat minorities for broader social ills".
At least 100,000 people in total died during fighting in the the Bosnian war. The conflict lasted nearly four years before a US-brokered peace deal brought it to an end in 1995.
Gen Ratko Mladic, who commanded Bosnian Serb forces, is also awaiting his verdict at The Hague.
Image copyright AP Image caption Radovan Karadzic in August 1995
Karadzic Timeline
1945: Born in Montenegro
1960: Moves to Sarajevo
1968: Publishes collection of poetry
1971: Graduates in medicine
1983: Becomes team psychologist for Red Star Belgrade football club
1990: Becomes president of Serbian Democratic Party
1990s Political leader of Bosnian Serbs
2008: Arrested in Serbia
2009: Trial begins at The Hague
2016: Guilty verdict, sentenced to 40 years
Were you affected by the war in Bosnia? Let us know about your experiences. Email [email protected] with your stories.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: ||||| Wartime leader of Bosnian Serbs found guilty of 10 of 11 charges at international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić has been found guilty of genocide over the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica and sentenced to 40 years in jail.
The key verdict from a United Nations tribunal in The Hague was delivered 18 months after a five-year trial of Karadžić, accused of being one of the chief architects of atrocities during the 1992-95 Balkans war.
The 70-year-old, who insisted his actions were aimed at protecting Serbs during the Bosnian conflict, was found guilty of 10 out of the 11 charges he faced at the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Karadžic trial points to advantages of focused criminal tribunals Read more
Prosecutors said that Karadžić, as political leader and commander-in-chief of Serb forces in Bosnia, was responsible for some the worst acts of brutality during the war, including the 44-month deadly siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys in the Srebrenica enclave.
Speaking after the verdicts, Serge Brammertz, the tribunal’s chief prosecutor, said: “Moments like this should also remind us that in innumerable conflicts around the world today, millions of victims are now waiting for their own justice. This judgement shows that it is possible to deliver it.”
The presiding ICTY judge delivering the ruling, O-Gon Kwon, cleared Karadžić of one charge: responsibility for genocide in attacks on other towns and villages where Croats and Bosnians were driven out.
On Srebrenica, Kwon said: “On the basis of the totality of the evidence, the [ICTY] finds that the accused shared the expanded common purpose of killing the Bosnian Muslim males of Srebrenica and that he significantly contributed to it.”
Karadžić was the only person with the power to intervene and protect those being killed, Kwon said. “Far from that,” he said, “the accused ordered Bosnian male detainees to be transferred elsewhere to be killed. With full knowledge of the ongoing killing, Karadžić declared a state of war in Srebrenica.”
Karadžić’s other convictions were for five counts of crimes against humanity and four of war crimes, including taking UN peacekeepers hostage, deporting civilians, murder and attacks on combatants.
During the 100-minute verdict and sentencing, Karadžić sat impassively, not in the dock but on the defence bench, as he opted throughout the five-year trial to act as his own lead counsel.
He smiled and nodded to one or two familiar faces from the Serb press in the gallery, but hardly glanced at the public gallery, which was packed with survivors and victims’ family members, mostly women grieving lost sons and husbands. They obeyed the tribunal instructions to stay quiet throughout the proceedings, though there was a quiet grunt of disappointment when Karadžić was acquitted of one of the genocide charges.
The only time Karadžić appeared nervous was when he stood to receive sentence, his arms stiff by his side. His lawyer said he would appeal.
Outside the tribunal, there was anger that Karadžić did not receive a life sentence. “Is the tribunal not ashamed? Do the Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats not have a right to justice? He got 40 years. That’s not enough,” said Kada Hotic, one of the bereaved mothers from Srebrenica.
The verdicts are the most significant moment in the 23-year existence of the ICTY, and among the last it will deliver. Set up in 1993, the court has so far indicted 161 suspects. Of those, 80 were convicted and sentenced, 18 acquitted, 13 sent back to local courts and 36 had the indictments withdrawn or died.
The former psychiatrist and charismatic politician, still with his characteristic bouffant hairstyle, is the most senior Balkans leader to face judgment at the ICTY. The former Serbian president Slobodan Milošević died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver their verdicts on his trial.
Apart from Karadžić, three suspects remain on trial, including his military chief, Ratko Mladić and Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Šešelj. Eight cases are being appealed and two defendants are to face retrials. The judgment in Šešelj’s case is scheduled for next Thursday.
Karadžić was indicted along with Mladić in 1995 but evaded arrest until he was captured in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2008. At the time he was posing as New Age healer Dr Dragan Dabic, and was disguised by a thick beard and shaggy hair.
More than 20 years after the guns fell silent in Bosnia, Karadžić is still considered a hero in Serb-controlled parts of the country, and the verdict is unlikely to help reconcile the enduring deep divisions in Bosnia and the region. ||||| (CNN) Radovan Karadzic, nicknamed the "Butcher of Bosnia," was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday after being found guilty of genocide and other crimes against humanity over atrocities that Bosnian Serb forces committed during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995.
A special U.N. court in The Hague, Netherlands, found the 70-year-old guilty of genocide over his responsibility for the Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were executed by Bosnian Serb forces under his command.
Karadzic, former leader of the breakaway Serb Republic in Bosnia, is the highest-ranking political figure to have been brought to justice over the bitter ethnic conflicts that erupted with the collapse of the former Yugoslavia.
After the verdict, thousands of Serbian ultranationalist supporters of Karadzic took to the streets of Serbian capital of Belgrade, carrying images of the former leader and saying he was being punished for being a Serb.
On the streets of Belgrade, people voiced mixed reactions to the sentence.
"He was given 40 years, did not get a life? So it's a disaster," one man said.
Another said, "They should charge other people, not Radovan Karadzic. He defended Serbian people, sacrificed himself for Serbian people, but authorities in Serbia sent him to Hague."
Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement that the verdict and sentence "will stand against continuing attempts at denying the suffering of thousands and the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia."
"Moments like this should also remind us that in innumerable conflicts around the world today, millions of victims are now waiting for their own justice," he added. "This judgment shows that it is possible to deliver it."
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the verdicts as a "historic" result for the people of the former Yugoslavia and for international criminal justice, while the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said they exposed Karadzic as "the architect of destruction and murder on a massive scale."
Karadzic, a former psychiatrist, was found guilty of 10 of the 11 charges against him, including extermination, persecution, forcible transfer, terror and hostage taking.
In a statement, the tribunal said it found Karadzic had committed the crimes through his participation in four "joint criminal enterprises," including an overarching plot from October 1991 to November 1995 "to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian Serb-claimed territory."
The trial was heard by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia -- an ad hoc court the United Nations established to prosecute serious crimes committed during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's director for Europe and Central Asia, said the results confirmed Karadzic's "command responsibility for the most serious crimes under international law carried out on European soil since the Second World War."
The Croatian government hailed the verdicts Thursday -- which came at the end of an eight-year trial -- as welcome but long overdue, calling them "the minimum, for which the victims and their families unfortunately waited too long."
Genocide in Srebrenica
In July 1995, tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims had sought refuge in the spa town of Srebrenica -- designated a U.N. "safe area" -- as the Bosnian Serb army marched toward them.
But with only about 100 lightly equipped Dutch peacekeepers there for protection, the town was overrun by Serb forces.
Delivering the verdicts, presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon said the tribunal found that about 30,000 Bosnian Muslim women, children and elderly men had been removed to Muslim-held territory by Bosnia Serb forces acting on Karadzic's orders.
Karadzic's forces then detained the Muslim men and boys in a number of locations before taking them to nearby sites, where they were executed by the thousands.
The tribunal found that Karadzic was the only person within the Serb Republic with the power to intervene to prevent them being killed, but instead he had personally ordered that detainees be transferred elsewhere to be killed.
It found he shared with other Bosnian Serb leaders the intent to kill every able-bodied Bosnian Muslim male from Srebrenica -- which amounted "to the intent to destroy the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica," the tribunal said in a statement.
Civilians targeted in Sarajevo
Other charges against Karadzic stemmed from the infamous siege of Sarajevo, from 1992 to 1995, during which more than 11,000 people died.
JUST WATCHED Haunted by the Bosnian War Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Haunted by the Bosnian War 03:06
The judge said Bosnian Serb forces had consistently and deliberately targeted civilians in Sarajevo, acts that constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"Sarajevo civilians were sniped while fetching water, walking in the city, and when using public transport. Children were sniped at while playing in front of their houses, walking with their parents or walking home from school," the judge said.
He said Karadzic was "consistently informed" about the targeting of civilians, had allowed it to intensify and used it to exert pressure in pursuit of his political goals.
The judge said the sniping attacks on the civilian population, which instilled extreme fear among the city's residents, could not have occurred without Karadzic's support, and the only reasonable inference was that the former Serb leader had intended murder, unlawful attacks on civilians and terror.
U.N. peacekeepers taken hostage
The tribunal also found Karadzic guilty of taking U.N. peacekeepers hostage in May and June 1995, with the judge calling him a "driving force" behind a plot to put the hostages in key military and other strategic locations to deter NATO airstrikes on the targets.
The judge said the U.N. personnel were also threatened during their detention, with the goal of bringing a halt to the strikes altogether.
Karadzic was found not guilty on one of the counts of genocide, relating to crimes against Bosnian Muslims and Croats in "municipalities" throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The tribunal found that Serb forces had killed, raped, forcibly displaced and tortured the other ethnic groups in the municipalities, and found Karadzic guilty of persecution, extermination, deportation, forcible transfer and murder in relation to crimes committed there.
However, the judge said, the court was unable to identify or infer genocidal intent, and therefore couldn't establish beyond a reasonable doubt that genocide had occurred there.
Bizarre path to justice
Karadzic, who had denied the charges against him -- blaming any war crimes committed on rogue elements -- has the right to appeal.
He is also entitled to credit for the time he has spent in custody since his arrest in July 2008.
His road to The Hague has been a long one, marked by bizarre twists. He went into hiding in 1996 and was not arrested until 12 years later. When he emerged, he was heavily disguised by a white beard, long hair and spectacles.
Radovan Karadzic used a disguise of a beard and glasses while in hiding.
Serb officials revealed that Karadzic had been hiding in plain sight -- working in a clinic in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, under a false identity as a "healer."
He had also managed to publish a book of poetry during his time on the run.
He was extradited to The Hague to face charges and pleaded not guilty. He initially tried to represent himself, leading to delays in his trial, but eventually was forced to accept an attorney.
Thursday's verdict comes more than a year after the end of his trial in 2014. The 500-day trial included evidence from 586 witnesses and more than 11,000 exhibits.
|
– A UN tribunal has found Radovan Karadzic, aka the "Butcher of Bosnia," guilty of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity and sentenced the 70-year-old to 40 years in prison. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found the former Bosnian Serb leader "criminally responsible" for the 3.5-year siege of Sarajevo that killed 12,000 and for the slaying of 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war, reports the Guardian. The New York Times says the atrocities "were part of the most severe war crimes since World War II." The tribunal has previously convicted and sentenced 80 people; three others are on trial, including Karadzic's military chief. Karadzic had pleaded not guilty to 11 charges, including two counts of genocide, noting he had tried to protect Serbs and was a "true friend to Muslims," per the Times. But after a 491-day trial, judge O-Gon Kwon said Thursday that Karadzic was "consistently informed" about Bosnian Serb forces targeting civilians in Sarajevo and "in agreement with the plan of the killings" at Srebrenica, report the BBC and CNN. He was found guilty of all charges but one: a genocide charge related to a campaign to expel Bosnian Muslims and Croats from traditionally-Serb areas. However, he was convicted of persecution, extermination, deportation, forcible transfer, and murder in that case.
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Nuns should communicate more with God and less with social media, the Vatican has said.
The Holy See has told the Catholic Church’s 38,000 cloistered nuns that too much tweeting and downloading news intrudes on a life of prayer and contemplation.
The document titled 'Cor Orans’, Latin for ‘Praying Heart,’ gives instructions to nuns on how to apply Pope Francis’s Apostolic Constitution, which was issued in 2016.
It offers guidelines on all aspects of life in monasteries including legal, administrative and spiritual matters. It did not forbid social media but said that it should be used in moderation.
REUTERS/Max Rossi
In a chapter titled ‘Separation from the World,’ it describes how the Church’s rules on the use of “social communication” aimed to preserve “recollection and silence.”
The document warns that “it is possible to empty contemplative silence when the cloister is filled with noises, news, and words.”
It also advises that social media must be used “with sobriety and discretion...that they may be at the service of formation for the contemplative life and necessary communication, and do not become occasions for wasting time or escaping from the demands of fraternal life in community.
“Nor should they prove harmful for your vocation, or become an obstacle to your life wholly dedicated to contemplation”, it added.
The 34-page document was presented during a press conference on Tuesday by Catholic Archbishop José Rodriguez Carballo, the Vatican News reported.
He said it aims to “clarify the provisions of the law, developing and determining the procedures for its execution.”
It follows consultation with nuns in monasteries who were asked what they needed to better live out their vocation and is intended to replace a document released in 1999.
Carballo said: “We copied what arrived from the nuns,” adding that the document’s aim was to bring together “a desire for renovation with the protection and safeguarding of the pillars of contemplative life." ||||| Image copyright Getty Images
The Pope has issued instructions telling nuns to use social media apps "with sobriety and discretion".
The document, titled Cor Orans, clarifies rules governing monastic life that were issued in 2016.
It says the guidance is intended to safeguard silence and recollection.
The document mentions "social communications" rather than specific apps, but Catholic newspaper the Tablet said that this referred to Facebook and Twitter among other services.
The document says that discretion should apply to "the quantity of the information and the type of communication", in addition to the actual content of the media.
'Time wasting' warnings
An order of nuns in northern Spain made headlines last month after taking to social media to comment on a controversial case in Pamplona that saw a group of men accused of gang rape given what many regarded to be unduly lenient sentences.
On their Facebook page (in Spanish), the Carmelite Nuns of Hondarribia defended the victim by pointing out the free choice they had made to live in a convent, to not drink alcohol or go out at night.
"Because it is a FREE decision, we will defend with all means available to us (and this is one) the right of all women to FREELY do the opposite without being judged, raped, intimidated or humiliated for it," they added.
The latest guidance is not thought to have come about as a result of that case; and this is not the first time the Catholic Church has issued guidelines on social media use for nuns.
The original constitution on feminine monastic life, Sponsa Christi Ecclesia, was published in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, but Pope Francis expanded the document in 2016 to warn against digital culture's "decisive influence" on society.
He urged nuns not to let digital media "become occasions for wasting time".
The Vatican itself is a prolific tweeter.
It has posted close to 15,000 messages on its news account and more than 1,500 times via the Pope's English-language official page.
It also runs Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google+ accounts. ||||| 16 May 2018 | by Ruth Gledhill , Carol Glatz, CNS
Nuns must use social media 'with sobriety and discretion'
The Vatican has released an instruction with new norms for contemplative orders of nuns
Nuns must use Facebook, Twitter and other social media with "sobriety and discretion" according to a new document released by the Vatican.
The document says contemplative silence can be empty of "noise, news and words".
"Recollection and silence is of great importance for the contemplative life as " the necessary space for listening and ruminating the Word and the presupposition for a gaze of faith that grasps the presence of God in personal history and in that of the sisters [...] and in the events of the world," the document says.
"These means must therefore be used with sobriety and discretion, not only with regard to the contents but also to the quantity of information and the type of communication, so that they are at the service of contemplative life and necessary communications, and not an occasion for dissipation."
Social media must not be used as a way of avoiding fraternal life or of causing harm to a vocation. Nor must social media become an obstacle for life entirely dedicated to contemplation."
Modern communication methods can be used in convents and monasteries "for the sake of information, formation or work" with prudent discernment, the document says.
Nuns should take care to gather information about the world for the purpose of bringing them "into prayer in harmony with the heart of Christ".
The passage forms part of an instruction with new norms for contemplative orders of nuns, encouraging cooperation among their monasteries and outlining procedures for communities left with only a few members.
The document, "Cor Orans", or Praying Heart, is a follow-up instruction on implementing Pope Francis' 2016 document "Vultum Dei Quaerere", or Seeking the Face of God, which issued new rulings and mandates for monasteries of women around the world. The aim of both, the Vatican said, is to safeguard the identity and mission of contemplative women religious.
The pope charged the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life with creating the new instruction, which seeks to fill the legislative gaps left since Pope Pius XII's apostolic constitution "Sponsa Christi", from 1950, and facilitate carrying out the mandates in "Vultum Dei Quaerere."
The instruction was released by the Vatican May 15 and went into effect immediately.
Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, secretary of the congregation, told reporters one of the most significant changes is requiring a monastery or contemplative community of women religious to have at least eight professed religious women in order to maintain their autonomy.
If that number drops to five professed religious, they lose their right to elect a superior, the Vatican congregation is informed of the situation and an ad hoc commission is formed to name an administrator, he said.
The outside intervention is meant to assess whether the community's difficulties are "temporary or irreversible" and, if temporary, help them overcome the problems so as to avoid their suppression, the archbishop said.
The instruction also details the roles, rights and responsibilities federations will have.
While "Sponsa Christi" encouraged communities to join a federation to avoid isolation and reap the benefits of communion and sharing, almost half of all monasteries have not joined any form of association or federation, said the congregation undersecretary, Cistercian Father Sebastiano Paciolla.
Pope Francis' new ruling included a mandate that all monasteries are to be part of a federation with the aim of facilitating formation and meeting needs through sharing assets and exchanging members; however, a monastery can request an exception from the Vatican.
The new instruction said monasteries have one year to comply until the dicastery assigns them a federation or other form of association.
Father Paciolla said the documents do not change the autonomy of the monasteries or the purpose of a federation, but are meant to bring "balance" to how they can better work together.
The federation's president, elected by the federal assembly, cannot be a major superior, but she will be the co-visitor on canonical visits of communities in the federation. She can conduct her own visits when needed with another leader and financial administrator of the federation. She also makes sure those responsible for formation and other people of "authority" in the community continue with mandatory formation and she informs the Vatican about the visits and must notify the dicastery whenever they do not comply.
The aim, Father Paciolla said, is to open up another channel of communication with the Vatican and foster dialogue and communion when it comes to oversight.
A priest, who is not a major superior of a religious community, will also be appointed by the dicastery to one or more federations as a "religious assistant" representing the Holy See at the federation, the archbishop said.
His job is to collaborate with the federation, "encouraging the genuine spirit of the institute and helping the president and her council in the conduct of the federation, especially in formation at the federal level and in solving the most important financial problems," the instruction said.
Another significant change is giving the monastery's major superior the authority to grant a cloistered nun permission to leave the premises for an absence of less than one year; previously, the Vatican had to grant such permission.
Formation programs for candidates of contemplative life must follow a specific itinerary along a set timeline and offer a minimum of nine years and a maximum of 12 years of initial formation.
Pic: A nun holds a copy of "Cor Orans," a new instruction for contemplative women religious, during a news conference for its release at the Vatican May 15. The instruction concerns the life, autonomy, supervision and formation of contemplative women religious. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) ||||| Guidelines say Facebook and Twitter must be used ‘with discretion and sobriety’
The Vatican has advised cloistered nuns not to overindulge in social media to avoid sullying their contemplative world with “noise, news and words”.
In a document published by the Vatican’s office for religious life, nuns were told that while they were allowed to use Facebook or Twitter and read online news, they were advised to do so “with discretion and sobriety”.
Nuns should also pay close attention to “online content and the type and quantity of information”, it added.
In late April, a group of cloistered nuns in Spain published protests on Facebook after a court acquitted five men accused of the gang-rape of a teenager during the Pamplona bull-running festival in 2016, finding them guilty of the lesser offence of sexual abuse.
Protests in Spain as five men cleared of teenager's gang rape Read more
The sisters of Hondarribia wrote on 26 April: “We live in cloister, we wear a habit that goes almost to our ankles, we don’t go out at night [unless it’s for a (medical) emergency], we don’t go to parties, we don’t consume alcohol, and we’ve made a vow of chastity.
“[Ours] is an option that doesn’t make us better or worse than anyone, even if, paradoxically, it makes us freer and happier than most. And because it’s a FREE choice, we defend with all the means available to us [this is one of them] the right of all women to FREELY say no without being judged, raped, intimidated, murdered or humiliated for it. SISTER, I DO BELIEVE YOU.”
The post attracted 14,000 likes and was shared more than 15,000 times.
Pope Francis has paved the way for more open use of social media, attracting 17.7 million followers to his @Pontifex Twitter account since it was created in 2013.
The most famous Italian nun on social media is possibly Sister Cristina Scuccia, who won Italy’s version of The Voice in 2014. Sister Cristina, who released a new album in March, has 26,900 followers on Twitter. ||||| [ E N - ES - IT ]
CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE
AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE
“COR ORANS”
IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTION
OF THE APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION “VULTUM DEI QUAERERE”
ON WOMEN’S CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE
GENERAL INDEX
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL NORMS
FIRST CHAPTER: THE AUTONOMOUS MONASTERY
I. FOUNDATION
II. CANONICAL ERECTION
III. AFFILIATION
IV. TRANSFER
V. SUPPRESSION
VI. ECCLESIAL VIGILANCE OF THE MONASTERY
VII. RELATIONS BETWEEN MONASTERY & DIOCESAN BISHOP
SECOND CHAPTER: FEDERATION OF MONASTERIES
I. NATURE AND END
II. FEDERAL PRESIDENT
III. FEDERAL COUNCIL
IV. FEDERAL ASSEMBLY
V. FEDERAL OFFICES
VI. RELIGIOUS ASSISTANT
THIRD CHAPTER: SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD
I. CONCEPT AND RELEVANCE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE
II. MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
III. CLOISTER
IV. PAPAL CLOISTER
V. NORMS ABOUT PAPAL CLOISTER
VI. CLOISTER DEFINED IN THE CONSTITUTIONS
A. CONSTITUTIONAL CLOISTER
B. MONASTIC CLOISTER
VII. NORMS CONCERNING CONSTITUTIONAL CLOISTER
FOURTH CHAPTER: FORMATION
I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
II. ONGOING FORMATION
III. INSTRUMENTS OF ONGOING FORMATION
IV. INITIAL FORMATION
A. ASPIRANCY
B. POSTULANCY
C. NOVITIATE
D. JUNIORATE
FINAL DISPOSITIONS
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
Praying heart, guardian of gratuity, wealth of apostolic fruitfulness and of a mysterious and multiform holiness is the feminine contemplative life in the Church[1]. The contemplative life of nuns, rooted in the silence of the cloister, from its beginnings through a mysterious apostolic fruitfulness enriches the Church of Christ with fruits of grace and mercy[2].
With our gaze turned to this unique form of the sequela Cristi, Pope Pius XII, on November 21, 1950, published the Apostolic Constitution Sponsa Christi Ecclesia[3] with feminine monastic life as the object In this document, the Roman Pontiff recognized the monasteries of nuns as true autonomous monasteries[4] and advocated the birth of the Federations[5] as structures of communion to overcome the isolation of monasteries in order to favor the conservation of the common charism and collaboration in various forms of reciprocal help, giving indications for the accommodata renovatio[6] of what was defined as the Institute of nuns, above all on the issue of cloister[7] In fact, Pope Pius XII anticipated for the monasteries of nuns what the Second Vatican Council would ask a few years later of all the religious institutes[8].
As Pope Pius XII himself recalled at the beginning of the Apostolic Constitution which, almost as a historical introduction, delineates the essential features of the various phases of female consecrated life in the Church[9] over the centuries, the intention and design of the founders, sanctioned by the competent authority of the Church, has enriched the Church, the Bride of Christ, with a multitude of charisms, modeling various forms of contemplative life in diverse monastic traditions and different charismatic families[10].
The originality of the document, which dealt with the discipline/norms common to the Institute of nuns, of the autonomous monastery, and the Federation among autonomous monasteries, gave long life to the Apostolic Constitution Sponsa Christi Ecclesia, which remained in force even after the celebration of Vatican Council II and the promulgation of the Code of Canon Law, up to the present.
In fact, Pope Francis, by promulgating the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere, on June 29, 2016, to help the contemplatives reach the aim of their specific vocation, invited reflection and discernment on the precise content[11] tied to consecrated life in general and to the monastic tradition in particular, but he did not intend to abrogate Sponsa Christi Ecclesia that was derogated only in some points[12] As a consequence, the two pontifical documents are to be held as normative in force for monasteries of nuns and must be read in a unitary vision.
Pope Francis, in the wake of the teaching of Pope Pius XII and reaffirmed by Ecumenical Vatican Council II, intended to present in Vultum Dei quaerere the intense and fruitful path taken by the Church in the last decades, in the light of the teachings of the same Council and considering the changed socio-cultural conditions[13].
As a consequence, from the moment that Institutes entirely dedicated to contemplation always occupy an eminent place in the mystical body of Christ “no matter how urgent the need of the active apostolate, the members of these Institutes cannot be called to lend the help of their work in diverse pastoral ministries” [14].
By the mandate of the Holy Father[15], the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has redacted the present Instruction application of the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere, offered “to the Church, with particular reference to monasteries of the Latin Rite” [16], an Instruction that intends to clarify the dispositions of the law, developing and determining the procedures for implementing it[17].
GENERAL NORMS
1. According to the law, the term nuns, in addition to the religious of solemn vows, refers to those who profess simple vows in monasteries, both perpetual as temporary The Church, among the women consecrated to God through the profession of the evangelical counsels, designates only to nuns the commitment of public prayer, raising to God in its name the Divine Office as a praying community to be celebrated in chorus.
2. The legitimate name nuns is not opposed to: 1) the simple profession emitted legitimately in monasteries; 2) the exercise of apostolic works joined to contemplative life whether by approved institution and confirmed by the Holy See for some Orders, or for legitimate prescription or concession by the Holy See in favor of some monasteries.
3. All monasteries in which only simple vows are professed can ask the Holy See for the restoration of the solemn vows.
4. The particular form of religious life that nuns must live faithfully according to the charism of their Institute, and to which they are destined by the Church, is canonical contemplative life. The term canonical contemplative life does not mean the internal and theological one to which all the faithful are invited in the power of baptism, but rather the external profession of religious discipline that, whether through the exercises of piety, prayer, and mortification, or through the occupations which the nuns must attend to, is so ordered to interior contemplation that their whole life and all actions can easily and must efficaciously be imbued by the desire for it.
5. Holy See in the present Instruction refers to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
6. Monastery sui juris refers to the religious house of a female monastic community that, having the requisites for real autonomy of life, was legitimately erected by the Holy See and enjoys juridical autonomy under the law.
7. Federation of monasteries means a structure of communion among some autonomous monasteries of the same Institute, erected by the Holy See that approves the Statutes, so that in sharing the same charism, the federated monasteries overcome isolation and promote regular observance and contemplative life.
8. Association of monasteries is meant a structure of communion between several autonomous monasteries of the same Institute erected by the Holy See so that, in sharing the same charism, the associated monasteries collaborate among themselves according to the Statutes approved by the Holy See.
9. Conference of monasteries means a structure of communion among autonomous monasteries, belonging to diverse Institutes and present in the same region, erected by the Holy See that approves the Statutes, with the aim of promoting contemplative life and of favoring collaboration among the monasteries in particular geographical or linguistic contexts.
10. Confederation means a structure of connection among Federations of monasteries, erected by the Holy See that approves the Statutes, for the study of themes relative to contemplative life in relation to the same charism, to give unitary direction and a certain coordination to the activity of the individual Federations[18].
11. International Commission means a centralized organ of service and of study for the benefit of nuns of the same Institute, erected or recognized by the Holy See that approves its Statutes, for the study of themes relative to contemplative life in relation to the same charism[19].
12. Monastic Congregation means a structure of government, erected by the Holy See, among several autonomous monasteries of the same Institute, under the authority of a President, who is the Major Superior according to law[20], and of a general chapter, that in the monastic Congregation is the supreme authority, in accordance with the Constitutions approved by the Holy See.
13. The provisions of this Instruction for the Federation of Monasteries are equally valid for the Association of Monasteries and for the Conference of Monasteries, taking into account their unique nature and their own Statutes approved by the Holy See.
14. The provisions of this Instruction for the Federation of Monasteries apply congrua congruis referendo to the women monastic Congregations, unless otherwise provided by the universal and proper law, or does not otherwise arise from the context or nature of things.
CHAPTER ONE
THE AUTONOMOUS MONASTERY
15 The monastery sui juris is a religious house which enjoys legal autonomy: its Superior is a Major Superior[21], its community is permanently established for the number and quality of the members; by law it is the place of the novitiate and of formation, is considered a public juridical person, and its assets are ecclesiastical goods.
16 The Church recognizes for every monastery sui juris a proper juridical autonomy of life and of government, through which the community of nuns can enjoy its own discipline and be able to preserve its character and protect its identity[22].
17 The autonomy of the monastery favors stability of life and the internal unity of each community, ensuring the best conditions for the life of the nuns, according to the spirit and the nature of the Institute to which they belong[23].
18 In order to obtain juridical autonomy for a monastery of nuns, it must presuppose a real autonomy of life, that is, the ability to manage the life of the monastery in all its dimensions (vocational, formative, governmental, relational, liturgical, economic ...). In this case, an autonomous monastery is alive and vital[24].
19 A monastery of nuns, as every religious house, is erected while keeping in mind its usefulness for the Church and for the Institute[25].
I. Foundation
20. The foundation of a monastery of nuns, keeping in mind what is established in no. 39 of the present Instruction, can take place either by a single monastery or through the action of the Federation, as established by the Federal Assembly.
21. The foundation on the part of a single monastery must be an expression of the maturity of the community of a living and vital autonomous monastery, which generates a new community capable of being, in turn, a witness of the primacy of God, according to the spirit and the nature of the Institute to which the community belongs.
22. The foundation established by the Federation must be an expression of the communion among the monasteries and express the will to spread the contemplative life, especially in particular churches where this is not present.
23. In discerning the foundation of a new monastery on the part of a single monastery, the Federal President and the religious Assistant intervene to help the Superior of the founding monastery. The discernment on the foundation of a new monastery by the Federation is made within the framework of the Federal Assembly.
24 The opportunity for the foundation of a monastery of nuns must be prudently considered, especially if the foundation is carried out by a single monastery, so that the founding community is not weakened, carefully considering the choice of the place, because this choice involves a different and particular form of preparation for the foundation and the members of the future community.
25. In choosing the country in which the foundation is to take place, consideration must be given if monastic life is already present, all necessary and useful information must be acquired, above all on the presence and vitality of the Catholic Church, on vocations to consecrated life, on the religious attitude of the population, and on the possibility of future vocations for the new foundation.
26. In choosing the place for the foundation, the necessary conditions must be ensured to guarantee the nuns the possibility of an adequate sustenance, of regularly conducting contemplative life in the monastery[26], and of favoring relations among the monasteries.
27. In choosing the place of the foundation, particular attention must be paid to the needs of the sacramental and spiritual life of the new monastery, because the lack of clergy in some particular churches does not always allow the appointment of a priest who has the competence and spiritual sensitivity to accompany the community of a monastery of nuns.
28 In choosing the place of the foundation, the aspect of separation from the world must be e specially foreseen and cared for given the public witness that the nuns are obliged to render to Christ and the Church in contemplative life, according to the nature and aims of the Institute of belonging[27], in the discipline of cloister, provided by law[28].
29 The monastery of nuns is founded with a capitular decision of the community of an autonomous monastery or with a decision of the Federal Assembly, and the sending of at least five nuns, at least three of them of solemn vows, with the prior written consent of the diocesan Bishop[29] and the authorization of the Holy See.
30 The foundation does not, however, enjoy any autonomy; until the time of the canonical erection as monastery sui juris, it is entirely dependent on the founding monastery or on the Federation.
31 The local Superior of the foundation is a nun of solemn vows, suitable for the exercise of the service of authority, appointed by the Major Superior of the founding monastery or by the Federal President, in accordance with their proper law.
32 The nuns of the foundation, who must freely adhere in writing to this project, retain capitular rights in their own monastery which remain suspended in their exercise until the erection of the new monastery.
33 The Major Superior of the founding monastery or the Federal President may ask the Holy See that the foundation be established as the place of the novitiate in the presence of a community of at least five professed nuns with solemn vows, assuring the presence of a nun of solemn vows legitimately appointed by the Major Superior of the founding monastery or the Federal President, who performs the task of novice mistress.
34 If the foundation was made by a single monastery, until the time of the erection as an autonomous monastery, candidates are admitted to the novitiate, novices to temporary profession, and temporary professed to solemn profession by the Major Superior of the founding monastery, in accordance with the universal and proper law.
35 If the foundation was made by the Federation, until the time of its erection as an autonomous monastery, candidates are admitted to the novitiate, novices to temporary profession, and temporary professed to solemn profession by the Federal President, with the consent of the Federal Council, after consulting the local Superior and the foundation community, in accordance with the universal law and the Statutes of the Federation.
36 The community of the foundation does not have a conventual chapter, but a local chapter and, until the time of erection as an autonomous monastery, profession will be emitted for the founding monastery - or for another monastery of reference established by the Federal President at the time of the foundation on the part of the Federation – although in view of the future erection of a new autonomous monastery.
37 The foundation, if erected in the place of the novitiate, becomes the place of formation for the temporary professed as well; therefore, it must ensure the presence of a nun of solemn vows, legitimately appointed by the Major Superior of the founding monastery or by the Federal President, who carries out the task of formation.
38 It is established that the appropriate time between the foundation and erection of a monastery of nuns will be fifteen years at most. After this period of time the Holy See, having heard the Superior of the founding monastery, the Federal President, the religious Assistant, and the competent Ordinary, must assess whether there is a well-founded hope of continuing the foundation to reach the canonical erection of the monastery or decree its end, according to the law.
II. Canonical Erection
39 A monastery of nuns is erected as a monastery sui juris at the request of the community of the founding monastery or by the decision of the Federal Council with the approval of the Holy See[30] in the presence of the following requirements:
a) A community that has given good testimony of fraternal life in common with "the necessary vitality in living and transmitting the charism”[31], composed of at least eight nuns of solemn vows, “as long as most are not of advanced age”[32].
b) Besides the number, special skills are required of some nuns of the community who must be able to assume: as Superior, the service of authority; as formator, the initial formation of candidates; as financial administrator, the administration of the goods of the monastery.
c) Rooms adapted to the lifestyle of the community, to ensure that the nuns can regularly lead the contemplative life according to the nature and spirit of their Institute.
d) Economic conditions that guarantee the community itself can provide for the needs of daily life.
These criteria must be considered in their entirety and from an overall perspective[33].
40 It is the responsibility of the Holy See to evaluate the presence of these requisites, after carefully considering the request transmitted by the Major Superior of the founding monastery or by the Federal President, and having acquired, on its part, other information.
41 The erection of a monastery of nuns cannot proceed if prudence does not indicate it can adequately provide for the needs of the community[34] and there is no certainty in regard to the stability of the monastery.
42 Bearing in mind the particular apostolate of the contemplative communities with the witness of their consecrated life, which the nuns are called to render to Christ and to the Church, and the eminent place that they occupy in the mystical Body of Christ, the nuns cannot be called on to lend the help of their work in the various pastoral ministries nor should they accept them.
43 Autonomy of life, a constant prerequisite for maintaining juridical autonomy, must be constantly verified by the Federal President[35] who, when in her judgment a monastery lacks autonomy of life, must inform the Holy See in view of the nomination of an ad hoc commission[36].
44 The autonomous monastery is governed by a Major Superior, designated according to the norm of the proper law.
45 When the number of professed members of solemn vows reaches five, the community of said monastery loses the right to the election of its Superior. In this case, the Federal President is obliged to inform the Holy See in view of appointing the ad hoc commission[37] and whoever has the right to preside over the elective chapter, subject to authorization from the Holy See, will proceed to the appointment of an Administrator Superior, after having heard the members of the community individually.
46 The autonomous monastery has the capacity to acquire, possess, administer, and dispose of temporal goods, in accordance with the universal and proper law[38].
47 The assets of the autonomous monastery are administered by a nun of solemn vows, with the office of Financial Administrator, constituted according to the proper law and distinct from the Major Superior of the monastery[39].
48 The community of the monastery considers the goods in its possession as gifts received from God through benefactors and the work of the community, as a necessary and useful means to achieve the proper ends of the Institute to which they belong, always respecting the requirements of the profession of the evangelical counsel of poverty by public vow.
49. Extraordinary administrative acts are those that exceed the usual needs for the maintenance and work of the community and for the normal maintenance of the buildings of the monastery.
50. Within the ordinary administration, the Major Superior and the Financial Administrator of the monastery carry out valid administrative acts within the confines of their roles.
51. For expenses and acts of extraordinary administration, the authorization of the Council of the monastery and of the conventual Chapter is necessary according to the value of the sum, to be determined by the proper law.
52. In derogation from can. 638, §4 CJC, for the validity of the alienation and of any other transaction by which the patrimonial situation of the monastery could be damaged, the written permission of the Major Superior is required with the consent of the Council or of the conventual Chapter, depending on the value of the sale and the transaction, and the opinion of the Federal President[40].
53. If it deals with a transaction or sale whose value exceeds the sum set by the Holy See for the individual regions or of votive donations made to the Church or of precious items of historical and artistic value, the permission of the Holy See is also required.
III. Affiliation
54 Affiliation is a particular form of help that the Holy See establishes in particular situations in favor of the community of a monastery sui juris which has only an asserted autonomy, but in reality, very precarious or, in fact, non-existent.
55 Affiliation is configured as a juridical support that must assess whether the inability to manage the life of the autonomous monastery in all its dimensions is only temporary or is irreversible, helping the community of the affiliated monastery to overcome difficulties or to put in place what is necessary to bring about the suppression of this monastery.
56. In these cases, it is up to the Holy See to evaluate the opportunity of setting up an ad hoc commission formed by the Ordinary, the Federation President, the Federal Assistant, and the Major Superior of the monastery[41].
57 Through affiliation, the Holy See suspends the status of autonomous monastery, rendering it donec aliter provideatur a house dependent on another autonomous monastery of the same Institute or of the Federation, according to what is established in the present Instruction and any other provisions on the matter given by the Holy See itself.
58 The Major Superior of the autonomous affiliating monastery or the Federal President is constituted Major Superior of the affiliated monastery.
59 The local Superior of the affiliated monastery is a nun of solemn vows, named ad nutum by the Major Superior of the autonomous monastery or by the Federal President[42], with the consent of the respective Council, having heard the nuns of the community of the affiliated monastery Said local Superior is constituted legal representative of the affiliated monastery.
60 The affiliated monastery can accept candidates, but the novitiate and initial formation must be performed in the affiliating monastery or in another monastery established by the Federation.
61 The candidates of the affiliated monastery are admitted to the novitiate, the novices to temporary profession, and the temporary professed to solemn profession by the Major Superior of the affiliating monastery, having heard the community of the affiliated monastery and obtained the favorable vote of the conventual Chapter of the affiliating monastery or of the Federal President with the consent of her Council.
62 Profession will be emitted for the affiliated monastery.
63 During the time of affiliation, the finances of the two monasteries are administered distinctly.
64 The celebration of the conventual Chapter is suspended in the affiliated monastery, but the possibility of calling local Chapters remains unaffected.
IV. Transfer
65. By transfer we mean the translocation of a monastic community from its own location to another for a just cause, without modifying the juridical status of the monastery, the composition of the community, and the holders of the various offices.
66. To perform the transference, it is necessary to:
- Obtain a decision of the monastery conventual Chapter by a two-thirds majority of the votes;
- Advise in a convenient time the Bishop in whose diocese the monastery that will be left is located;
- Obtain the prior written consent of the Bishop of the diocese where the community of nuns is transferring;
- Submit the request for transfer to the Holy See, engaging in the conveyance of assets owned by the monastery community, in accord with the canonical and civil norms on the matter.
V. Suppression
67 Affiliation can be an opportunity for recovery and rebirth when autonomy of life is partially compromised. If the situation of incapacity is irreversible, the solution, as painful as it is necessary, is the suppression of the monastery.
68 A monastery of nuns that cannot express, according to the contemplative nature and finality of the Institute, the particular public witness to Christ and to the Church His Bride, must be suppressed, keeping in mind the usefulness to the Church and to the Institute to which the monastery belongs.
69. In these cases, it is up to the Holy See to evaluate the opportunity of setting up an ad hoc commission formed by the Ordinary, by the Federation President, the Federal Assistant, and by the Major Superior of the monastery[43].
70 Among the criteria that can contribute to determine a judgment concerning the suppression of a monastery, after having examined all the circumstances, the following points should be considered as a whole: the number of nuns, the advanced age of the majority of the members, the real capacity for government and formation, lack of candidates for a number of years, lack of the necessary vitality in living and transmitting the charism in dynamic fidelity[44].
71 A monastery of nuns is only suppressed by the Holy See after having acquired the opinion of the diocesan Bishop[45] and, if it seems opportune, having heard the opinion of the Federal President, of the religious Assistant, and of the religious Ordinary, if the monastery is associated according to the norm of can. 614 CJC.
72. The assets of the suppressed monastery, respecting the will of the founders and donors, follow the surviving nuns and go, in proportion, to the monasteries that receive them, unless otherwise provided by the Holy See[46] which may dispose, in individual cases, of a portion of the assets to be given to charity, to the particular church within whose boundaries the monastery is located, to the Federation, and to the “Fund for the nuns”.
73 In the event of the suppression of a totally extinct monastery, when there are no surviving nuns, unless otherwise provided by the Holy See[47], the destination of the suppressed monastery's assets, in compliance with canon and civil law, go to the respective higher juridical person, that is, to the Federation of monasteries or to another structure of communion among the monasteries equal to it or to the female monastic Congregation.
VI. Ecclesial Vigilance of the Monastery
74. Each structure of communion or government in which female monasteries can be configured, are guaranteed the necessary and due supervision, exercised principally – but not exclusively – through the regular visit of an authority external to the monasteries themselves.
75. Under the universal and proper law, the service of supervision corresponds to:
1. The President of the female monastic Congregation in reference to the communities of the congregated monasteries;
2. The Major Superior of the male associated institute, who is called the religious Ordinary, in reference to the community of the juridically associated female monastery, according to the law[48];
3. The diocesan Bishop in reference to the communities of monasteries entrusted to his special vigilance according to the norm of law[49] present in his own particular church.
76. Each female monastery is entrusted to the vigilance of a single authority, since the regime of simultaneous and cumulative “double dependence”, that is, of the Bishop and of the regular Superior, present in various canons of the Code of Canon Law of 1917, is no longer present in the Code of Canon Law.
77. As regards the monasteries of nuns united in the monastic Congregation, the scope and concrete methods for carrying out the service of vigilance are to be drawn from the Constitutions of the female monastic Congregation, approved by the Holy See.
78. As regards the monasteries of juridically associated nuns, the scope and modalities for carrying out the service of vigilance by the religious Ordinary are established in their own Constitutions, approved by the Holy See, in which must be defined the rights and duties of the associate Superior and of the associated female monastery, according to their own spirituality and traditions.
79. As far as possible, the legal association of monasteries of nuns to the corresponding male order should be encouraged[50] in order to protect the identity of the charismatic family
80. Congregated monasteries and juridically associated monasteries, however, remain bound to the diocesan Bishop as established by the universal law and reported in no. 83 of the present Instruction.
81. As regards the female monasteries entrusted to the particular vigilance of the diocesan Bishop, this is expressed in respect to the monastery community mainly in the cases established by the universal law; as the diocesan Bishop, he:
a) presides over the conventual Chapter that elects the Major Superior[51].
b) carries out the regular visit of the monastery, also with regard to internal discipline[52], taking into account the provisions of this Instruction;
c) examines, as the Local Ordinary, the annual report of the financial administration of the monastery[53];
d) in derogation from can. 638, §4 CJC, gives as Local Ordinary, his written consent for particular administrative acts, if established by its proper law[54].
e) confirms the indult of definitive departure from the monastery, granted to a temporary professed member by the Major Superior with the consent of her Council[55];
f) issues the decree of dismissal of a nun, even of temporary vows[56].
82. These cases, expressed to delineate the scope and modality of the particular vigilance of the diocesan Bishop, form the basis of the scope and the vigilance of the religious Ordinary of the Associating Institute over the juridically associated female monastery and must be present in the Constitutions of the associated monastery.
VII. Relations between the Monastery and the Diocesan Bishop
83. All female monasteries, without prejudice to internal autonomy[57] and possible external exemption[58] are subject to the diocesan Bishop, who exercises pastoral care in the following cases:
a) the community of the female monastery is subject to the power of the Bishop[59], to whom it must devote respect and reverence in what concerns the public exercise of divine worship, the care of souls,[60] and the forms of apostolate corresponding to their character[61];
b) the diocesan Bishop[62], on the occasion of the pastoral visit or other paternal visits and even in case of necessity, can provide appropriate solutions himself[63] when he finds that there are abuses and after appeals made to the Major Superior have had no effect;
c) the diocesan Bishop intervenes in the erection of the monastery by giving written consent before the approval of the Apostolic See is requested[64];
d) the diocesan Bishop intervenes, as local Ordinary, in the appointment of the chaplain[65] and, always as local Ordinary, in the approval of ordinary confessors[66]. Everything must take place “considering the specificity of the proper charism and the needs of fraternal life in community”[67];
e) the diocesan Bishop intervenes in the suppression of the monastery by expressing his opinion[68];
f) the exclaustrated nun refers to the diocesan Bishop, as the local Ordinary, and to her Superiors, remaining under their dependence and care[69];
g) the diocesan Bishop has the faculty, for a just cause, of entering the cloister and allowing other people to enter, with the consent of the Major Superior,[70].
84. For congregated monasteries and associated monasteries, the points of pastoral care delineated above constitute the only possible forms of intervention by the diocesan Bishop, since the rights/duties of the President of the Congregation for the congregated monasteries and the rights/duties of the religious Ordinary of the Associating Institute towards the associated monastery must be safeguarded.
85. For monasteries entrusted to the particular vigilance of the diocesan Bishop, the points of pastoral care just outlined are to be added to those that the Code of Canon Law presents as expressions of particular vigilance, referred to in no. 81 of the present Instruction.
SECOND CHAPTER
THE FEDERATION OF MONASTERIES
I. Nature and End
86. The Federation is a structure of communion among monasteries of the same Institute erected by the Holy See so that monasteries which share the same charism do not remain isolated but keep it faithfully and, giving each other mutual fraternal help, live the indispensable value of communion[71].
87. The Federation is made up of several autonomous monasteries that have affinity of spirit and traditions and even if they are not necessarily configured according to a geographical criterion, as far as possible, they must not be geographically too distant[72].
88. The Holy See has the exclusive competence to erect, suspend, unite, and suppress the Federations[73] of monasteries of nuns.
89. Likewise, the Holy See has the exclusive competence of ascribing an autonomous monastery to a Federation or allowing the passage of a monastery from one Federation to another of the same Institute.
90. The Federation of monasteries of nuns, by the source from which it derives and by the authority on which it directly depends and is governed, is of pontifical right, in accordance with canon law.
91. The Statutes of the Federation must conform not only to what is established by this Instruction, but also to the nature, laws, spirit, and traditions of the Institute to which they belong.
92. The Federation, in accordance with this Instruction and its Statutes, in the distinctiveness of its own charism, promotes contemplative life in the monasteries, guarantees assistance in initial and ongoing formation, as well as the exchange of nuns and material goods[74].
93. Pursuant to the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere, all monasteries must initially enter a Federation[75]. A monastery, for special reasons that are objective and motivated, with the vote of the conventual Chapter can ask the Holy See to be exempted from this obligation. The granting of such dispensation is reserved to the Holy See. A monastery, for objective and motivated reasons, with the vote of the conventual Chapter can ask the Holy See to no longer belong to a Federation. The Holy See must make an appropriate discernment before granting the exit from a Federation.
94. Once canonical erection has been obtained, the Federation seeks legal recognition also in the civil sphere and places its legal see in one of the monasteries belonging to it.
95. Several Federations of the same Institute, with the approval of the Holy See, can constitute a Confederation among them[76] to give a unitary direction and a certain coordination to the activity of the single Federations.
96. The Holy See can establish or approve an International Commission for each Institute with the aim of encouraging the study of themes related to the contemplative life in relation to its own charism[77].
97. The legitimately established Federation is a public juridic person in the Church and is therefore able to acquire, possess, administer, and alienate temporal, movable and immovable goods, which are ecclesiastical assets, in accordance with the universal and proper law.
98. To keep alive and strengthen the union of monasteries, implementing one of the aims of the Federation, a certain communication of goods is encouraged among the monasteries, coordinated by the Federal President.
99. The communication of goods in a Federation is implemented through contributions, gifts, loans that monasteries offer other monasteries that have financial difficulties, and for the common needs of the Federation.
100. The Federation considers the assets in its possession as necessary and useful means to achieve its goals.
101. Each Federation establishes an economic fund to be able to carry out the Federation’s aims. This fund serves to cover the ordinary expenses of the Federation itself and those relating to the formation of nuns at the federal level, to support the necessities of the subsistence and health of the nuns, to maintain the buildings, and to support new foundations.
102. The economic fund is nourished by the free donations of the monasteries, by the donations of benefactors, and by revenues deriving from the alienation of the assets of suppressed monasteries, as established by the present Instruction[78].
103. The Federation’s finances are managed by the Federal Council, presided over by the Federal President, who makes use of the collaboration of the Federal Financial Administrator.
104. As part of ordinary administration, the Federal President and the Financial Administrator of the Federation make purchases and carry out valid administrative tasks within the limits of their role.
105. For expenses and acts of extraordinary administration, the authorization of the Federal Council and of the Federal Assembly is required, according to the value of the sum established in the proper law. Each Federation in the Elective Assembly sets the sum for which it is necessary to have the authorization of the Federal Council and the Federal Assembly.
106. If it is a negotiation or sale whose value exceeds the sum set by the Holy See for the individual regions or deals with votive donations made to the Church of precious items due to their historical and artistic value, the permission of the Holy See is also required.
107. The validity of the sale and any other negotiation, through which the financial situation of the Federation could suffer damage, requires the written permission of the Federal President with the consent of the Council or the Federal Assembly, depending on the value of the negotiation, established by the proper law.
108. In derogation from can. 638, §4 CJC, for the validity of the alienation of the assets of the suppressed monasteries, the President of the Federation and the Federal Council, beyond the value of the asset to be alienated, always and exclusively requires written permission from the Holy See[79].
109. Unless otherwise provided by the Holy See[80], the Federation President disposes of the proceeds from the alienation of the assets of the totally extinct monasteries belonging to the Federation, as established by this Instruction.
II. The Federal President
110. The President of the Federation, elected by the Federal Assembly in accordance with the Statutes of the Federation for a period of six years, is not a Major Superior and, in the exercise of her service, acts on the strength of what the present Instruction attributes to her[81] in accordance with the universal and proper law.
111. In exemption of can. 628, §2, 1° CJC, the Federation President, within the established time, accompanies the Regular Visitator in the canonical visit to the federated monasteries as a Co-Visitator[82].
112. The President of the Federation, when it comes to the canonical visit to the community of her own monastery, will delegate a Federal Councilor as a Co-Visitator of the regular Visitator.
113. The President of the Federation, whenever the need requires it, can visit the communities of the federated monasteries accompanied by a Co-Visitator, chosen in turn from among the Councilors, and by the Financial Administrators of the Federation.
114. All other visits – maternal or sisterly – are agreed on with the Superior of the monastery.
115. The President of the Federation, at the end of the canonical visit, indicates in writing to the Major Superior of the monastery, the most suitable solutions for the cases and situations that emerged during the visit and informs the Holy See of everything.
116. During the canonical visit, the President of the Federation verifies how the items contained in the points listed in no. 12 and developed in nos. 13-35 of the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere, are lived[83] and if the inherent application rules, decided in the Federal Assemblies, are observed
117. The Federation President, in particular, watches over initial and ongoing formation in the monasteries to see if it is in conformity with the charism proper to the Institute, so that every community may be a beacon that illumines the journey of the men and women of our time[84]. At the end of the visit, she will inform the Holy See about the real possibilities that the monastery has or does not have of guaranteeing initial formation.
118. The formation of the formators and their collaborators is entrusted in part to the monasteries and in part to the Federation, therefore, the President of the Federation is called to strengthen formation at the federal level[85] and to require the participation of those who exercise the service of formation; if this does not happen, she will refer the matter to the Holy See.
119. The President of the Federation provides the formation foreseen by the Federal Assembly for those who are called to exercise the service of authority[86] and requires their participation; if this does not happen, she will refer the matter to the Holy See.
120. The President of the Federation, having heard the opinion of the Federal Council, chooses the most appropriate places to hold the specific formative courses for the formators and their collaborators, as well as those who are called to exercise the service of authority, establishing the duration of these courses in such a way that they are not detrimental to the needs of the contemplative life[87] and of the community.
121. When an autonomous monastery no longer possesses a real autonomy of life,[88] it is the responsibility of the Federation President to report the matter to the Holy See.
122. When the Major Superior of a monastery denies a nun consent for the passage to another monastery of the same Institute, the Federation President, having made due discernment with her Council on the matter, communicates this to the Holy See, who decides what to do.
III. The Federal Council
123. The Federal Council is composed of four councilors elected by the Federal Assembly from among all the solemnly professed nuns of the monasteries of the Federation and remains in office for six years.
124. The Federal Council has jurisdiction over what is attributed to it by this Instruction[89] and what may be established in the Statutes; nevertheless, the Federation President can consult it whenever she sees fit
125. The Federal Council is consulted by the Federation President at the end of each canonical visit, before sending in writing to the Major Superior of the monastery, the best solutions to the cases and situations that emerged during the visit.
126. The Federal Council expresses its opinion in choosing the most appropriate times and places to hold specific formation courses for the formators and their collaborators, as well as for those who are called to exercise the service of authority.
127. The Federal Council collaborates with the Federation President in drafting the Report on the state of the Federation and of the individual monasteries, to be sent to the Holy See at the end of the six-year term.
128. The Federal Council is consulted by the Federation President before sending the request for affiliation or suppression of a monastery to the Holy See.
129 The Federal Council gives its consent to the choice of the Federal Formator who carries out and coordinates initial formation in common[90]. Likewise, for serious reasons, it expresses its consent for the removal of the Federal Formator.
130. In exemption of can. 686, §2 CJC, the Federal Council gives its consent for the request of the indult of exclaustration for a nun of solemn vows, after the year granted by the Major Superior of the monastery, up to the completion of three years[91].
131. The Federal Council gives its consent for the request for the extension of the indult of exclaustration for a nun of solemn vows, to be requested from the Holy See[92]. Before presenting the matter to the Federal Council, the Federal President must obtain the written opinion of the Major Superior of the nun professed with solemn vows asking for the extension of the indult, expressed collegially together with the Council of the monastery, with the consent of the local Ordinary where the nun will have to live, and having acquired the opinion of the diocesan Bishop or of the competent religious Ordinary.
132. The Federal Council assumes the functions of the Council of the autonomous monastery when the latter, through affiliation, is entrusted to the Federation President in the process of accompaniment for the revitalization or for the suppression of the monastery[93].
IV. The Federal Assembly
133. The communion that exists among monasteries becomes visible in the Federal Assembly, a sign of unity in charity, whose primary task is to protect the charismatic patrimony of the Institute among the federated monasteries and to promote an adequate renewal in harmony with it, providing that no Federation of monasteries of nuns or Confederation of Federations represents the entire Institute.
134. The Federal President, the Federal Councilors, the Federal Financial Administrator, the Major Superior, and a Delegate from each autonomous federated monastery, elected by the conventual Chapter, are members of the Federal Assembly; the Federal Secretary functions solely as an actuary.
135. The Ordinary Federal Assembly is convened every six years and the federal offices are renewed in it.
136. The Intermediate Federal Assembly is convened every three years to verify the progress made and to adopt any remedies or changes within them.
137. If necessity requires or expediency suggests it, the Federal President, with the consent of the Federal Council, can convoke the Extraordinary Federal Assembly.
138. The Federal Assembly, both ordinary and interim, is convened by the President at least six months before the expiration of the six-year period or the completion of the three-year period.
139. The Extraordinary Federal Assembly is convened by the President two months before its celebration.
140. With the cessation of the office of the Federal President, by death or in other ways provided by law[94], the first Councilor convenes, within one month of the office's vacancy, the Extraordinary Federal Assembly, to be celebrated within two months of the convocation. In this case, the Federal Councilors and the Federal Financial Administrator are elected again.
141. The Federal Assembly:
a. receives the report of the Federal President on the state of the Federation and of the individual monasteries;
b. elects the Federal President and the Federal Council;
c elects the Federal Financial Administrator;
d. deals with issues of major importance;
e makes decisions and issues norms that all nuns are required to observe, after the definitive approval of the Holy See;
f. develops for a six-year period, the common formation courses that each community is obliged to carry out;
g. promotes the creation of new foundations and the methods for implementing them, both as single monasteries and as a federation;
h. identifies a monastery as the place of initial common formation for the monasteries of the Federation[95];
i. establishes a formation plan for those who are called to exercise the service of authority[96] and for the Formators[97].
V. Federal Offices
142. The administration of the Federation is entrusted to the Federal Financial Administrator, elected by the Federal Assembly for six years.
143. The Federal Financial Administrator has the responsibility to carry out what is established by the Federal Council and collaborates with the Federation President, in the context of the regular Visit, in verifying the financial performance of the individual monasteries, noting their positive and critical aspects, data that must appear in the final Report of the visit.
144. The Federal Secretary is chosen by the Federation President and remains in office for six years; this office can be carried out by one of the Federal Councilors
145. The Federal Secretary, as far as possible, resides in the monastery selected as the legal see of the Federation and retains the documents there and keeps the Federation archives updated.
146. Following the indications of the Federation President, the Federal Secretary draws up the agenda and convenes the Federal Council, during which she acts as an actuary.
147. The Federal Secretary, following the indications of the Federation President, prepares the Federal Assembly.
148. The Federal Formator[98] is appointed ad nutum by the Federation President with the consent of the Federal Council. The Federal Formator may be removed from her office for serious reasons, by the Federation President with the consent of the same Council.
VI. The Religious Assistant
149. The Federation Assistant represents the Holy See for the Federation, but not for the individual monasteries that comprise it, and carries out his task faithfully following the provisions relating to this office and carrying out the task received within the limits of his competence.
150. The Federation Assistant, since he participates to a certain extent in the jurisdiction of the Holy See, is a presbyter appointed by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life for one or more Federations.
151. The Federation Assistant is not a Major Superior and carries out his task in a spirit of collaboration and service towards the Federation by encouraging the preservation of the genuine spirit of the Institute and helping the President and her Council in the conduct of the Federation, especially in formation at the federal level and in solving the most important financial problems.
152. The appointment of the Federation Assistant is reserved to the Holy See, but the Federation has the faculty of presentation.
153. The appointment of the Assistant is ad nutum Sanctae Sedis.
154. The Federation President, within the established time, is obliged to present to the Holy See the names of three possible candidates for the office of Federation Assistant, attaching the results of the previous consultations of the communities of the single monasteries of the Federation, the curriculum vitae of each candidate, her own opinion and that of the Federation Council, the nulla osta of the Ordinaries of the candidates. The Holy See reserves to itself, in the manner deemed most appropriate and convenient, to integrate information concerning candidates to the office of Assistant.
155. Each year, the Federation Assistant must send a brief report of his work, on the progress of the Federation, reporting any particular situations. At the conclusion of his mandate, the Assistant sends a more detailed report on the state of the Federation to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
CHAPTER THREE
SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD
I. Concept and Relevance for Contemplative Life
156. Starting from the wordings of the Code[99], it is affirmed that the separation from the world characterizes the nature and purpose of the religious Institutes of consecrated life and corresponds to the Pauline dictate of not conforming to the mentality of this century[100], fleeing from every form of worldliness.
For the religious life, the cloister is a common obligation for all Institutes[101] and expresses the material aspect of separation from the world – which, however, does not exhaust its scope – contributing to create in every religious house an atmosphere and an environment favorable to recollection, necessary for the life of each religious Institute, but particularly for those dedicated to contemplation.
157. In the contemplative life of nuns, the aspect of separation from the world deserves particular attention for the high esteem that the Christian community nurtures towards this kind of life, sign of the exclusive union of the Church-Bride with her Lord, supremely loved.
158. The life of contemplative nuns, engaged in prayer in a very special way, in order to keep the heart constantly turned towards the Lord, in asceticism, and in the fervid progress of spiritual life, is nothing other than a striving to the heavenly Jerusalem, an anticipation of the Eschatological Church, fixed on the possession and contemplation of the face of God.
159. The community of the monastery of nuns, placed as a city on the mountain top and a light on the lampstand[102], even in the simplicity of its life, visibly depicts the goal towards which the whole ecclesial community walks, ardent in action and dedicated to contemplation, it advances along the paths of time with eyes fixed on the future recapitulation of everything in Christ.
160. The material aspect of separation from the world has a particular manifestation in the cloister, which is the place of the Church’s intimacy because, in the light of the particular vocation and ecclesial mission, the cloister of the contemplatives responds to the need, perceived as a priority, to remain with the Lord.
161. With the name cloister, we mean the monastic space separated from the outside and reserved for the nuns, in which the presence of strangers can only be admitted in case of necessity. It must be a space of silence and recollection where the permanent search for the face of God can develop, according to the charism of the Institute.
162. The cloister evokes that cell of the heart where each one is called to live in union with the Lord. Accepted as a gift and a choice as a free response to love, it is the place of spiritual communion with God and neighbor, where the limitation of space and contacts works to the advantage of the internalization of evangelical values[103].
163. The cloister is not only an ascetic means of immense value, but a way of living the Passover of Christ, as a joyful proclamation and prophetic anticipation of the possibility offered to each person and to the whole of humanity to live solely for God, in Christ Jesus[104].
164. In the monasteries of nuns, the cloister must be understood in a positive sense as a space for the use and intimacy of the nuns who live the contemplative life, a space of domestic and family life, within which the community lives fraternal life in its most intimate dimension.
165. In monasteries of nuns, the cloister, in a privative sense, is to be considered as a space to be protected, to prevent access by strangers.
166. The modality of separation from the outside of the space exclusively reserved for the nuns must be material and effective, not just symbolic or spiritual. It is the responsibility of the Conventual Chapter of the monastery to determine the modality of separation from the outside.
167. Each monastery is obliged to maintain its primarily or predominantly contemplative physiognomy with all solicitude, engaging in a special way to create and live an area of external and interior silence in prayer[105], in asceticism, and fervent spiritual progress, in the careful celebration of the liturgy, in fraternal life in common, in regular observance, and in the discipline of separation from the world.
II. The Means of Communication
168. The legislation concerning the means of social communication, in all the variety in which it is presented today, aims at safeguarding recollection and silence: in fact, it is possible to empty contemplative silence when the cloister is filled with noises, news, and words. Recollection and silence are of great importance for the contemplative life as "the necessary space for listening and pondering His Word and the prerequisite for that gaze of faith that enables us to welcome God’s presence in our own life and in that of the sisters [...] and in the events of today’s world "[106].
169. These means must therefore be used with sobriety and discretion, not only with regard to the contents but also to the quantity of information and the type of communication, “that they may be at the service of formation for the contemplative life and necessary communication, and do not become occasions for wasting time or escaping from the demands of fraternal life in community, nor should they prove harmful for your vocation, or become an obstacle to your life wholly dedicated to contemplation”[107]
170. The use of the means of communication for reasons of information, formation or work, can be allowed in the monastery, with prudent discernment, for common utility, according to the provisions of the Conventual Chapter contained in the community plan of life.
171. The nuns procure necessary information on the Church and the world, not with a multiplicity of news, but knowing how to grasp the essential in the light of God, to bring it to prayer in harmony with the heart of Christ.
III. The Cloister
172. Every single monastery of nuns or female monastic Congregation, according to can. 667, §3 CJC and of the present Instruction, conforms to papal cloister or defines it in the Constitutions or in another code of the proper law, respecting its own character[108].
173. The diocesan Bishop or the religious Ordinary oversees the observance of the cloister in the monasteries entrusted to their respective care, helping the Superior, who is responsible for its immediate custody.
174. In derogation from the provision of can. 667, §4 CJC, the diocesan Bishop, as well as the religious Ordinary, does not intervene in granting dispensation from the cloister[109].
175. In derogation of the provisions of can. 667, §4 CJC, the dispensation from the cloister rests solely with the Major Superior who, in the event that such dispensation exceeds fifteen days, can grant it only after having obtained the consent of her Council[110].
176. The limitation in the Instruction Verbi Sponsa[111] has been repealed; for just cause the Major Superior, according to the norm of can. 665, § 1 CJC, with the consent of her Council, may authorize the absence from the monastery of a nun with solemn vows for not more than a year, after hearing the diocesan Bishop or the competent religious Ordinary.
177. In derogation of can. 686, §2 CJC, the Major Superior, with the consent of her Council, can grant the indult of exclaustration to a nun professed with solemn vows, for not more than a year, after the consent of the Ordinary of the place where the nun will have to live, and after having heard the opinion of the diocesan Bishop or of the competent religious Ordinary[112].
178. In derogation of can. 686, §2 CJC, an extension of the indult of exclaustration can be granted by the Federal President with the consent of her Council, for a nun professed with solemn vows of a monastery of the Federation for a period of no more than two years[113].
179. For this concession, the Federal President before presenting the matter to the Federal Council, must obtain the written opinion of the Major Superior of the nun professing solemn vows who is asking for the extension of the indult, expressed collegially together with the Council of the monastery, with the prior consent of the Ordinary of the place where the nun will have to live, and having acquired the opinion of the diocesan Bishop or of the competent religious Ordinary.
180. Any further extension of the indult of exclaustration is reserved solely to the Holy See[114].
181. During the canonical visit, the Visitators are required to verify the observance of all the elements proper to the contemplative life as described in the Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere[115] with particular reference to the aspect of separation from the world.
182. The Church, because of the highest esteem it nourishes towards their vocation, encourages the nuns to live faithfully and with a sense of responsibility the spirit and the discipline of the cloister to promote in the community a fruitful and complete orientation towards the contemplation of God One and Triune.
IV. Papal Cloister
183. The papal cloister, established in 1298 by Boniface VIII, is that "in conformity with the norms given by the Apostolic See”[116] and excludes external works of apostolate.
184. If Pius XII had distinguished it in major and minor papal cloister,[117] the Code of Canon Law recognizes only one type of papal cloister, which is observed in the monasteries of nuns entirely dedicated to the contemplative life[118].
185. Papal cloister for nuns means the recognition of the specificity of an entirely contemplative life which, by individually developing the spirituality of the marriage with Christ, becomes a sign and realization of the exclusive union of the Church Bride with her Lord.
186. A real separation from the world, primarily marked by silence and solitude[119], expresses and protects the integrity and identity of wholly contemplative life, so that it may be faithful to its specific charism and to the sound traditions of the Institute.
187. A wholly contemplative life, to be considered of papal cloister, must be fundamentally ordered to the attainment of union with God in contemplation.
188. An Institute is considered to be of wholly contemplative life if:
a) Its members direct all activities, both interior and exterior, to the intense and continuous search for union with God in the monastery and to the contemplation of His face;
b) It excludes external and direct tasks of apostolate and ordinarily, physical participation in events and ministries of the ecclesial community. This participation, subject to the consent of the Conventual Chapter, must be permitted only on special occasions by the diocesan Bishop or by the religious Ordinary of the monastery;
c) It implements separation from the world, according to concrete modalities established by the Conventual Chapter, in a radical, concrete, and effective way and not simply symbolic, in accordance with the universal and proper law, in line with the Institute's charism.
V. Norms Regarding Papal Cloister
189. Given the variety of Institutes dedicated to a wholly contemplative life and of their traditions, in addition to what is established in this Instruction, some modalities of separation from the world are left to the Constitutions or other codes of the Institute's proper law which, in line with its own charism, can also establish stricter rules concerning the cloister, which must be approved by the Apostolic See.
190. The law of papal cloister extends to the dwelling and to all the interior and exterior spaces of the monastery reserved exclusively for the nuns in which the presence of strangers can be admitted only in case of necessity. It must be a space of silence and recollection, facilitated by the absence of external works, where the permanent search for the face of God can develop more easily, according to the Institute's charism.
191. The participation of the faithful in liturgical celebrations in the church or oratory of the monastery or in the lectio divina does not allow the exit of the nuns from papal cloister nor the entry of the faithful into the nuns’ choir, except in special cases at the judgment of the conventual Chapter.
192. By virtue of papal cloister law, the nuns, novices, and postulants must live within the cloister of the monastery, and it is not lawful for them to leave, except in the cases contemplated by law nor is it permissible for anyone to enter the cloister of the monastery, except for the foreseen cases.
193. In monasteries of wholly contemplative life, the legislation on separation from the world of external sisters, if contemplated by the Constitutions or other codes of the Institute's own law, is defined by particular law.
194. The granting of permission to enter and leave the papal enclosure always requires a just cause, dictated by the true necessity of the individual nuns or of the monastery: this is required to protect the necessary conditions for a wholly contemplative life and, on the part of the nuns, of consistency with the vocational choice.
195. Where it is customary, the use of writing entries and exits in a book can be preserved, at the discretion of the Conventual Chapter, also as a contribution to the knowledge of the life and history of the monastery.
196. It is up to the Major Superior of the monastery to safeguard immediately the cloister, to guarantee the concrete conditions of separation from the world, and to promote, within the monastery, the love for silence, recollection, and prayer.
197. It is up to the Major Superior to express her judgment on the opportuneness of the entrances and exits from the papal cloister, evaluating with prudent discretion the necessity, in the light of the wholly contemplative vocation, as established by the Constitutions or other text of the proper law and prescribed by the present Instruction.
198. It is up to the Major Superior of the monastery with papal cloister to appoint a nun professed with solemn vows for the service of the porter's lodge and, if the law does not contemplate the presence of external nuns, to allow a sister to perform the services of the external sisters for a limited period of time.
199. The entire community is responsible for the moral obligation of protection, promotion, and observance of papal cloister, so that secondary or subjective motivations do not prevail over the purpose of this type of separation.
200. Leaving the papal cloister, unless with particular indults of the Holy See or in case of danger, is permitted by the Major Superior in ordinary cases, regarding the health of the nuns, the assistance of the infirm nuns, participation in courses of initial and ongoing formation meetings organized by the Federation or by another monastery, the exercise of civil rights, and those necessities of the monastery which cannot be provided for any other way.
201. To send novices or professed nuns with temporary vows when necessary to perform part of their formation in another monastery of the Institute, as well as to make temporary or definitive transfers to other monasteries of the same Institute, the Major Superior expresses her consent, with the intervention of the Council or of the Conventual Chapter according to the Constitutions or of another code of the proper law.
202. Entry into papal cloister is permitted, except for special indults of the Holy See, to Cardinals who may bring with them someone accompanying them, to Nuncios and Apostolic Delegates in places subject to their jurisdiction, to Visitators during the canonical visitation, to the diocesan Bishop[120], to the competent religious Ordinary, and to other persons at the judgment of the Major Superior and for a just cause.
203. Furthermore, entry into the papal cloister is allowed, subject to the permission of the Superior:
– to the priest to administer the sacraments to the sick, to assist those who are chronically or seriously ill, to celebrate Mass for them sometimes, for liturgical processions, and funerals;
– to those whose jobs or skills are necessary to attend to the nuns' health, for formation, and to provide for the needs of the monastery;
– to their aspirants and passing nuns, also from other institutes of contemplative life.
VI. The Cloister Defined in the Constitutions
204. The monasteries which associate with the contemplative life some activity for the benefit of the people of God or practice wider forms of hospitality in line with the tradition of their own Institute, define their cloister in the Constitutions or in another code of the proper law.
a. Constitutional Cloister
205. The constitutional cloister, which has replaced in the Code of Canon Law the minor papal cloister of Pius XII, is a type of cloister regarding nuns who profess the contemplative life by associating "some legitimate work of apostolate or Christian charity"[121].
206. The name of constitutional cloister means the monastic space separated from the outside which, as a minimum, must include that part of the monastery of farm land or gardens reserved exclusively to the nuns, where only in case of necessity can the presence of externs be admitted. It must be a space of silence and recollection, where the permanent search for the face of God can develop, according to the charism of the Institute, in consideration of the works of apostolate or charity exercised by the nuns.
207. This type of cloister, "appropriate to the proper character and defined by the Constitutions"[122] is approved by the Apostolic See that approves the Constitutions or another code of the Institute's own law.
b. Monastic Cloister
208. To the expressions papal cloister and constitutional cloister, known from the Code of Canon Law, St. John Paul II in the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Vita Consacrata[123] added a third one, monastic cloister.
209. Before Vita Consacrata this expression had been used to define the cloister of the monks[124], more rigorous than that common to all religious[125], but less rigid than the papal one and comparable, in some respects, to the constitutional cloister of nuns.
210. For monasteries of contemplative nuns, the monastic cloister, while retaining the character of a more rigorous discipline than the common one, makes it possible to associate the primary function of divine worship with wider forms of reception and hospitality[126].
211. The monastic cloister, as described in the Constitutions or in another code of the proper law, is a special expression of the constitutional cloister.
VII. Regulations Regarding Constitutional Cloister
212. It is the responsibility of the Major Superior of the monastery, with the consent of her Council, to clearly determine the extent of the constitutional cloister, to limit it, and to modify it for just cause.
213. By virtue of the law of constitutional cloister, the nuns, novices, and postulants must live within the cloister of the monastery, and it is not permissible for them to leave, except in the cases contemplated by law, nor is it permissible for anyone to enter the cloister of the monastery outside of the foreseen cases and without the permission of the Superior.
214. The participation of the faithful in liturgical celebrations in the church or in the monastery or lectio divina in another suitable place of the monastery, allows the exit of the nuns from constitutional cloister remaining within the same monastery, while the entrance of the faithful is always forbidden in the part of the house subject to this type of cloister.
215. Every nun is co-responsible and must contribute, with great esteem for silence and solitude, to ensure that the external regulation of constitutional cloister preserves that fundamental inner value, through which the cloister is a source of spiritual life and witness to the presence of God.
216. They can enter the constitutional cloister of the monastery, with the consent of the Major Superior:
a) The people needed to serve the community from a spiritual, formative, and material point of view;
b) The nuns from other communities who are passing through or are guests in the monastery;
c) Young women in vocational discernment.
217. The Major Superior of the monastery may permit exits from the constitutional cloister for a just cause, taking into account the indications given by the present Instruction.
218. The Major Superior of the monastery with constitutional cloister appoints nuns for the service of doorkeeper and of the guesthouse and authorizes some nuns to work in the monastery's works or workshops outside the sphere of the cloister, regulating their stay outside it.
CHAPTER FOUR
FORMATION
219. A nun becomes with full rights a member of the community of the monastery sui juris and participates in its spiritual and temporal goods with the profession of solemn vows, the free and definitive response to the call of the Holy Spirit.
220. The candidates prepare themselves for solemn profession passing through the various stages of the monastic life, during which they receive an adequate formation and, although in a different degree, they are part of the community of the monastery.
I. General Principles
221. Formation in contemplative monastic life is based on a personal encounter with the Lord. It begins with the call of God and the decision of each one to follow, according to her own charism, the footsteps of Christ, as His disciple, under the action of the Holy Spirit.
222. While the acquisition of knowledge remains important, formation in the consecrated life, and particularly in contemplative monastic life, consists above all in identifying with Christ. In fact, it is a question of "a progressive assimilation of Christ's sentiments towards the Father”[127], to the point of being able to say with St. Paul: "for me, to live is Christ"[128].
223. Both the candidates and the nuns must bear in mind that in the formation process, it is not so much a matter of acquiring concepts, as "of knowing the love of Christ that goes beyond all knowledge”[129]. All this makes the formation process last a lifetime and every nun always feels she is in formation.
224. Formation as a continuous process of growth and conversion that involves the whole person must favor the development of the human, Christian, and monastic dimension of the candidates and nuns, radically living the Gospel, so that one's life becomes a prophecy.
225. Formation for the contemplative monastic life must be integral, that is, taking the person as a whole into account so that she develops her own psychic, moral, affective, and intellectual gifts harmoniously and becomes actively involved in community life. None of these dimensions of the person must remain excluded from the scope of either initial or ongoing formation.
226. Contemplative monastic formation must be organic, gradual, and coherent in its various stages, as it is called to promote the development of the person in a harmonious and progressive way, in full respect of the uniqueness of each one.
227. Under the action of the Holy Spirit, both candidates and nuns are the main protagonists of their formation and responsible for accepting and internalizing all the values of the monastic life.
228. For this reason, the formation process must be attentive to the uniqueness of each sister and to the mystery that she bears in herself and to her particular gifts, to foster her growth through self-knowledge and the search for the will of God.
229. In initial formation, the figure of the formator is particularly important. In fact, even if "God the Father is the formator par excellence", however "in this artisan work He uses human mediations" among which are the formators, "whose main mission is to show the beauty of following the Lord and the value of the charism in which it is accomplished”[130].
230. It is the responsibility of the individual monastery and of the Federation to pay particular attention to the selection of the formators and to take care of their formation[131].
II. Ongoing Formation
231. For ongoing formation, we mean an itinerary of the whole of life[132], both personal and community, "which must lead to configuration to the Lord Jesus and the assimilation of His feelings in His total oblation to the Father”[133]. It is therefore a process of continuous conversion of the heart, "an intrinsic requirement of religious consecration”[134], and the need for creative fidelity to one's own vocation. Ongoing formation is the humus of initial formation[135].
232. As such, ongoing formation must be considered as a priority both in the plan of community life and in the plan of life of each nun
233. The purpose of ongoing formation is to nourish and preserve fidelity, both of the individual nun and of the community, and to bring to completion what was begun in initial formation, so that the consecrated person can express fully her own gift in the Church, according to a specific charism.
234. What characterizes this stage compared to the others is the lack of ulterior short-term goals, and this can have a psychological impact: there is nothing left to prepare for, but only a daily life to be lived in the full gift of oneself to the Lord and to the Church.
235. Ongoing formation takes place in the context of daily life: in prayer and work, in the world of relationships, particularly in fraternal life in community, and in rapport with the outside, according to the contemplative vocation.
236. Ongoing formation cultivates the spiritual, doctrinal, and professional capacity, the updating and maturation of the contemplative, so that she can carry out her service to the monastery, to the Church, and to the world in an ever more appropriate manner, according to this form of life and the indications of the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere.
237. Every nun is encouraged to take responsibility for her own human, Christian, and charismatic growth, through the personal plan of life, dialog with the sisters of the monastic community, and in particular, with her Major Superior, as well as through spiritual direction and appropriate studies contemplated in the Guidelines for Contemplative Monastic Life.
238. Each community, together with the community plan, is called to develop a systematic and integral permanent formation program which embraces the whole existence of the person[136]. This program will be structured taking into account the different seasons of life[137] and of the various services exercised by nuns, especially by Superiors and formators[138].
239. The Major Superior promotes the ongoing formation of the community through the Conventual Chapter, the days of retreat, the annual spiritual exercises, the sharing of the Word of God, periodic revisions of life, recreations in common, study days, personal dialog with the sisters, fraternal encounters.
240. It is the responsibility of the Major Superior and of each member of the community to ensure that fraternal life is formative and helps each sister on her journey towards total configuration with Christ, the ultimate goal of the whole formation process,[139] and to manifest at every moment of her life "full and joyous belonging to Christ”[140].
241. Notwithstanding that the ordinary place of ongoing formation is her own monastery and that fraternal life must favor the sisters' formation journey[141], in order to ensure a more adequate ongoing formation, collaboration between different monastic communities is warmly recommended, using the appropriate means of communication[142].
III. Instruments of Ongoing Formation
242. Surely the first instrument of ongoing formation for all consecrated persons, even more so for contemplatives, is care of the life of prayer: liturgies well prepared and dignified, according to the possibility of the community; fidelity to moments of personal prayer to guarantee that space where one can establish an intimate relationship with the Lord; care of the relationship with the Word, through personal lectio and community collatio, when possible[143].
243. Care and attention to the sacrament of reconciliation and spiritual direction, attention to the choice of confessors prepared to support and accompany the journey of a community of contemplative life with discretion, wisdom, and prudence[144].
244. Intellectual formation must be guaranteed through a plan established by the community that possibly takes into account the cultural level of all, so that everyone can gather something useful for their own journey.
245. Also useful and important are the formation courses common to several monasteries of the same charismatic family[145], thus, federal or inter-federal courses, without forgetting that "formation, especially ongoing formation ..., has its own humus in the community and in everyday life.”[146].
246. A climate of genuine fraternal relationships, marked by true charity and goodness, is fundamental for allowing each member of the community to have her own space for life and expression.
247. It is the task of each of them to find the right balance in the gift of self through work, so that the latter may be lived as a serene and joyful service to God and to the community. However, the community is also responsible for seeing that no one is over-burdened by particularly heavy works, which absorb the energies of the mind and body to the detriment of spiritual life. Work as such can be a way to put to good use one’s talents and therefore a help for the expression of the beauty of the person; it becomes dangerous when it is absolutized and captures attention to the detriment of the spirit[147].
248. Ascetic means must not be neglected that are of the tradition of each spirituality, as a way of curbing the instincts of one's own nature and channeling them towards service to the kingdom according to their own charism.[148].
249. Even the proper information about what is happening in the world is an important means of reviving the awareness and responsibility of one's apostolic mission through the means of communication, using them with prudence and discretion, so that it is not detrimental to the contemplative life[149].
IV. Initial Formation
250 Initial formation is the privileged time in which the sisters who are candidates for the contemplative monastic life, with a special accompaniment of the formator and the community, are initiated in the sequela of Christ, according to a particular charism, progressively assuming and integrating their particular personal gifts with the authentic and characteristic values of their vocation.
251. Initial formation is structured in three consecutive stages: the postulancy, the novitiate, and the time of temporary or junior profession, preceded by aspirancy, in which the candidates grow and mature up to the definitive assumption of the monastic life in a given Institute.
252. In initial formation, it is of great importance that between the various stages there is harmony and gradualness of content. It is equally important that between initial formation and ongoing or continuous formation there is continuity and coherence, so that there is created in the subject “the readiness to let themselves be formed every day of their lives”[150].
253. keeping in mind that the person is built very slowly, and that formation must be attentive to root in the heart “the attitudes of Christ toward the Father”[151] and the proper human, Christian, and charismatic values, “ample time must be reserved for initial formation”[152], “no less than nine years and not more than twelve”[153].
254. Activated during this time is “a serene discernment, free from the temptations of numbers and of efficiency”[154]. Moreover, in each monastery special attention must be paid to spiritual and vocational discernment, ensuring candidates a personalized accompaniment and promoting appropriate formation itineraries.[155], paying particular attention so that formation is truly integral - human, Christian, and charismatic - and touches all the dimensions of the person.
255. The establishment of international and multicultural monastic communities manifests the universality of a charism, therefore the reception of vocations coming from other Countries must be the object of adequate discernment.
256. One of the reception criteria is given by the prospect of spreading monastic life tomorrow in particular churches where this form of following Christ is not present
257. The recruitment of candidates from other countries solely for the sake of ensuring the survival of a monastery it to be absolutely avoided[156].
258. Every monastery sui juris, from the moment of its erection is the place of the novitiate and of initial, permanent or ongoing formation,[157].
259. In the event that, as part of the canonical visit, it results that the single monastery sui juris cannot guarantee a quality formation, initial formation must be taken care of in another monastery of the Federation or in the initial formation place common to various monasteries[158].
260. A monastery that is founded but not yet canonically erected and the affiliated monastery are only the place of permanent or ongoing formation.
261. The founded, but not yet canonically erected monastery, may be the place of the novitiate and place of initial formation, if the conditions set out in this Instruction concerning formation are present.
A. Aspirancy
262. The aspirancy, considered as a first knowledge of the monastery by the candidate and the candidate by the monastery community, involves a series of contacts and times of community experience, even prolonged. This knowledge will also be useful to fill any gaps on the path of human and religious formation at this stage.
263. It is the responsibility of the Major Superior with her Council, taking into account each individual candidate, to establish the times and ways that the aspirant will spend in the community and outside the monastery.
264. The Lord Jesus taught that whoever undertakes an important action must first carefully consider whether there “is enough for its completion”[159]. For this reason, those who think of beginning the journey of contemplative life must spend a certain time in reflection regarding their real ability and to first make a personal verification of the authenticity of their call to the contemplative monastic life.
265. Having "enough" means possessing natural and psychological gifts, normal openness to others, psychic balance, a spirit of faith, and a firm will that make it possible to spend life in community, in continence, in obedience, in poverty, and in the cloister.
266. Without these initial qualities, one cannot conclude, either on the part of the aspirant or on the part of the welcoming community, that there is a vocation to the monastic and contemplative life. Therefore, throughout initial formation, but particularly during the aspirancy, particular attention must be paid to the human dimension.
267. During this time, the aspirant is entrusted by the Major Superior to a solemnly professed sister so that she may be accompanied and guided in her vocational choice.
268. The aspirancy, of a minimum duration of twelve months, may be extended according to need at the discretion of the Major Superior, after consulting her Council, but for no longer than two years.
B. Postulancy
269. The postulancy is a necessary stage for proper preparation for the novitiate[160], during which the candidate confirms her determination to be converted through a progressive passage from secular life to contemplative monastic life.
270. During this time, the postulant must be gradually introduced to the process of assimilation of the fundamental elements of contemplative monastic life.
271. The postulancy offers a more direct and concrete experience of community life according to a specific charism.
272. Before admitting an aspirant to the postulancy, one must examine her state of health, if her maturity is appropriate for her age, if she has a suitable disposition, if she is sociable, solid in Christian doctrine and practice, if she aspires to the monastic life with a sincere intention, seeking the face of God at all times.
273. The postulant must be entrusted to the novice formator or to a solemnly professed nun who helps her to look within herself, who can discern if there is a real call to contemplative monastic life, and to whom the postulant can open herself with full trust.
274. The postulant, helped by the formator, is especially dedicated to her human and spiritual formation and deepens her baptismal commitment.
275 The postulancy has a minimum duration of twelve months which can be prolonged according to need by the Major Superior, having heard her Council, but it must not exceed two years.
276. During this period, the postulants live in the monastery and follow the life of the community according to the instructions of the formator and, besides being helped to know their capacity for monastic life, they can deepen themes of study or learn a trade, according to the needs of the community, as established by the Major Superior with her Council.
C. Novitiate
277. The novitiate is the time when the novice begins life in a given institute; her vocational discernment continues and the deepening of her own decision to follow Jesus Christ in the Church and in today's world, according to a determined charism.
278. The novitiate is the time of trial, and its objective is to lead the candidate to become more fully aware of the vocation according to a specific charism, verifying the real and concrete ability to live it with joy and generosity, particularly in reference to fraternal life in community.
279. The novitiate in monasteries of nuns has a duration of two years, the second being the canonical one, following the provisions of can. 648 CJC concerning absences.
280. During the novitiate, the novice must first of all deepen her friendship with Christ because without this she will never be able to assume and keep the promises of donation to Him and desire to grow in the knowledge of the charism that she is called to live, questioning herself if she wants to share her existence in a fraternal life in common with the sisters who make up the community of the monastery.
281. The novice obtains this through the practice of prolonged lectio divina, under the guidance of an expert sister who knows how to open her mind to the intelligence of the Scriptures, guided by the writings of the Fathers of the Church, and the writings and examples of life of their founders. Intimate contact with Christ must necessarily lead to a strong sacramental life and to personal prayer, to which the novice must be guided and for which adequate time must be granted.
282. Personal prayer finds its outlet in community liturgical prayer, to which the novice must devote all her best energies. In this atmosphere of love for Christ and prayer, the novice opens herself to the sisters, loves them cordially, and lives with them in fraternity.
283. The novice is guided by the formator to cultivate an authentic devotion to the Virgin Mother of God, model and patron of every consecrated life[161], and to take her as the example of a consecrated woman.
284. The spiritual edifice cannot be built without human foundations, so the novices must perfect the gifts of nature and education, and develop their own personality, feeling truly responsible for their own human, Christian, and charismatic growth.
D. Juniorate
285. In this stage, insertion into the life of the community is full, so the goal is to experience the capacity of the temporary professed to find a proper balance between the various dimensions of contemplative monastic life (prayer, work, fraternal relationships, study ...) , succeeding in creating their own personal synthesis of the charism and incarnating it in the various situations of daily life.
286. Without prejudice to what is established by the universal law concerning the valid and licit profession of temporary vows, the juniorate includes the period of initial formation from the first profession of temporary vows to solemn profession, in which the professed continues her spiritual, doctrinal, and practical formation, according to the charism and the law proper to the Institute.
287. Temporary profession is emitted for three years and renewed annually up to the completion of five years, until a minimum of nine years of initial formation is completed.
288. If it seems opportune, the time of temporary profession can be prolonged by the Major Superior, according to the proper law and the norm of can. 657, §2 CJC, but making sure that twelve years of initial formation are not exceeded.
289. In each monastic community, the path of initial and ongoing or continuous formation, as well as the formation of the Superior of the monasteries[162], of the formators,[163] and of the financial administrators, will be modulated according to the charism and law of the Institute, keeping in mind the Guidelines published by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as a continuation and completion of the present Instruction.
FINAL DISPOSITIONS
· The present Instruction does not only concern future things[164] but it applies in the present to all monasteries of Latin rite nuns from the moment of its publication.
· The provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei quaerere for all the monasteries concerning the obligation to enter a Federation of monasteries also applies to other structures of communion such as the Association of monasteries or the Conference of monasteries.
· This obligation also applies to monasteries associated with a male institute or united in an autonomous monastic congregation.
· Individual monasteries must comply with this within one year of the publication of this Instruction, unless they have been legitimately dispensed.
· Once the time has passed, this Dicastery will assign monasteries to Federations or to other existing structures of communion.
· The decisions that, after appropriate consultation and prior discussion in the Congress of the Dicastery, will be taken by this Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life towards a monastery of nuns relating to the call for an apostolic visit, to the commissioning, to the suspension of autonomy and to the suppression of a monastery will be presented on a monthly basis to the Roman Pontiff for approval in a specific form.
CONCLUSION
With this Instruction, this Dicastery intends to confirm the high appreciation of the Church for the contemplative monastic life and its solicitude to safeguard the authenticity of this unique form of the sequela Christi.
On March 16, 2018, the Holy Father approved the present document of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and authorized its publication.
On the same date, the Holy Father approved the present Instruction in specific form:
· nos. 52, 81d and 108, in derogation from can. 638, §4 CJC;
· no. 83 g) in derogation from can 667, §4 CJC;
· no. 111 in derogation from can. 628, §2, 1° CJC;
· no. 130 in derogation from can. 686, §2 CJC;
· nos. 174 e 175 in derogation from can. 667, §4 CJC;
· no. 176, which abrogates the restriction of Verbi Sponsa n. 17, §2;
· nos. 177 e 178 in derogation from can. 686, §2 CJC;
· Final Dispositions.
From the Vatican, 1 April 2018
João Braz, Card. de Aviz
Prefect
+ José Rodriguez Carballo, ofm
Archibishop Sevretaray
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– The Catholic Church has advised its 38,000 cloistered nuns to use social media wisely and with “discretion and sobriety,” reports Newsweek and the Guardian. The admonishment was issued in a document published by the Vatican known as the "Cor Orans,” which provides additional guidance on rules issued in 2016 related to cloistered life. Although the updated instruction on women’s contemplative life does not single out specific apps, it is meant to address the use of Facebook and Twitter, according to the Tablet. Nuns are not strangers to social media, and do, on occasion, speak out on it. For example, the Carmelite Nuns of Hondarribia in Spain have taken to social media to speak out against what some saw as a lenient sentence given out in Pamplona to a group of men accused of gang rape, reports Christian Today. The paternal tone of the instructions struck a nerve with Sister Catherine Wybourne, a blogger known as the "Digital Nun" who has 20,000 followers on Twitter and has been using social media for about a decade. She met the comments with “a mixture of despair and irritation,” she wrote on her blog. “With all the world's problems, to devote time and energy to something that I think most nuns have already thought and prayed about sufficiently to have arrived at a sensible decision regarding its appropriate use, is embarrassing.” The Vatican itself is not averse to social media. It has posted nearly 15,000 messages on its Twitter news account, according to the BBC. It also has accounts on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+.
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Chris Christie appears in the undercard debate for the first time. Christie punches up at Clinton The New Jersey governor dominates the undercard debate by ignoring his GOP rivals.
A bit player in the first three primetime debates, Chris Christie turned his demotion to the undercard Tuesday night into an opportunity to dominate the stage by looking past his three GOP rivals and taking aim at Hillary Clinton, who he mentioned in nearly every answer.
“Hillary Clinton’s coming for your wallet, everybody,” Christie warned, just one of many broadsides against the Democratic front-runner. “The bottom line is, believe me, Hillary Clinton is coming for your wallet, everybody. Don’t worry about Huckabee or Jindal. Worry about her.”
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But Christie’s strategic performance—being the grownup in the room, focusing on drawing general election contrasts, refusing to get dragged into the mud by Bobby Jindal—might not be enough to catapult him back into the upper echelon of the Republican primary field, especially with the next debate more than a month away.
Christie fell to the undercard debate along with Mike Huckabee after failing to meet the threshold of 2.5 percent support in the four polls Fox Business Network relied on to determine participants in the main debate.
But his decision not to engage with Huckabee, Jindal or Rick Santorum revealed a strategic decision not to punch down at the other Republicans who shared the stage with him Tuesday night.
Jindal, directing his message at a more hardcore conservative audience, scored a hefty amount of airtime during the debate by relentlessly criticizing Christie and the rest of the Republican field. “It’s not enough just to elect any Republican. We’ve got to elect a Republican who will take on the establishment in both parties,” Jindal said.
Armed with statistics about Christie’s record expanding food stamps and Medicaid in New Jersey, the Louisiana governor tried to engage Christie in a debate over which is the truer conservative—but Christie refused to bite.
Even after Jindal’s tone turned condescending—“I’ll give you a ribbon for participation and a juice box, but in the real world it’s about results,” Jindal said at the end of a long back-and-forth—Christie, as he has done with virtually every answer, focused his fire on the likely Democratic nominee.
“What do you think’s going to happen when Hillary Clinton’s elected president?” Christie responded, warning of a turn towards greater government involvement in people’s lives.
The New Jersey governor also blasted the former secretary of state and President Obama for a record of growing government and their “feckless foreign policy.”
He said he’ll show the Chinese that the U.S. will not be intimidated by cyber attacks or their claims over the disputed islands in the South China Sea. “The first thing I’ll do with the Chinese, I’ll fly Air Force One over those islands,” Christie said. “They’ll know we mean business.”
The four-candidate undercard offered substance-heavy takes on economic issues, as the moderators tossed out questions without follow-ups that allowed the contenders to largely stick to their talking points.
Still, there were some feisty exchanges throughout the hour-plus showdown.
In one of his attacks on the rest of the Republican field, Jindal asserted that he’s the only GOP candidate with a record of cutting spending. “We’ve got four senators running,” Jindal said. “They’ve never cut anything.”
When Huckabee chimed in and took issue with Jindal’s statement, it sparked a short back and forth—until Christie cut them both off by refocusing the issue of spending on Clinton and the Democrats.
Chris Christie jabs Hillary Clinton at GOP undercard debate In 30 seconds: Chris Christie focuses on jabbing Hillary Clinton during the Fox Business Network GOP debate.
“For the people who are out there right now, I want to guarantee you one thing quite clearly,” Christie said. “If you think that Mike Huckabee won’t be the kind of president who will cut back…she is the real adversary tonight, and we better stay focused."
There were also some awkward moments that fell flat, or were just cringe-worthy. Jindal's toilet joke during an attack on the do-nothing Senate generated audible sighs from the crowd.
“When they go to relieve themselves their cause and their toilets get flushed at the same time,” Jindal said.
Santorum’s biggest moment quickly caught fire on social media — a close-to-the-mic yell on how he respects Democrats because they fight, with the word "fight" amplifying into a Howard Dean flashback.
As the debate came to a close, Santorum sought common cause with blue-collar workers. Huckabee told a story about a letter he received Tuesday from a third-grade girl in North Dakota. But Christie beat that Hillary Clinton drum one final time, blasting her claim in the first Democratic debate that her biggest enemies are Republicans.
"In a world where we have Al Qaeda and ISIS, the mullahs in Iran and Vladimir Putin, the woman who asked to run and represent all of the United States says that the greatest enemies are people like you in this audience and us here," Christie said. "I’ll tell you one thing, and write this down: When you elect me president of the United States, I will go to Washington not only to fight the fights that need fighting, not only to say what I mean and mean what I say, but to bring this entire country together for a better future for our children and grandchildren.”
Eli Stokols is a national politics reporter. ||||| GOP presidential candidates clashed over immigration, government spending and how to handle Russia's Vladimir Putin during Tuesday night's debate. As the night got heated, the audience got involved: here are the must-watch moments. (Ashleigh Joplin and Rebecca Schatz/Fox Business Network)
GOP presidential candidates clashed over immigration, government spending and how to handle Russia's Vladimir Putin during Tuesday night's debate. As the night got heated, the audience got involved: here are the must-watch moments. (Ashleigh Joplin and Rebecca Schatz/Fox Business Network)
The fourth GOP presidential debate revealed deep splits among the eight candidates on the stage, especially on the subject of foreign policy — in which Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) and billionaire Donald Trump made an unlikely tag team calling for skepticism about U.S. interventions overseas.
The two come from different places, philosophically: Paul out of a libertarian tradition personified by his father, longtime Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), while Trump’s philosophy seems to be constructed as he goes along, revolving around the twin ideas that Trump makes better deals than anyone, and literally every problem is essentially a deal at its heart.
But the two of them both opposed other candidates — notably former tech executive Carly Fiorina, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) — who called for more aggressive military policies.
“We can’t continue to be the policeman of the world,” Trump said.
“You can be strong without being involved in every civil war around the world,” Paul said.
From left,Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul take the stage. (Morry Gash/AP)
But their alliance was a short-lived one.
In Tuesday night’s debate, Trump faced harsh skepticism from others on the stage. Ohio Gov. John Kasich called Trump’s plans to deport illegal immigrants en masse “silly.” Fiorina jabbed him for saying he knew Putin because they had met in a TV green room. Even Paul, his ally on foreign policy, criticized Trump for not understanding the trans-Pacific trade deal, even as Trump attacked it.
The race’s other front-runner, Carson, had a relatively quiet debate again. But quiet debates have not hurt him so far.
“Thank you for not asking me what I said in the 10th grade. I appreciate that,” Carson said, after moderators made reference to questions raised about his telling of his life story. “I have no problem with being vetted. What I do have a problem with is being lied about. And putting that out there as truth.”
Both Paul and former Florida governor Jeb Bush had strong debates, interjecting themselves into ongoing arguments in a way they hadn’t before. But for both, there is no guarantee that a good debate will revive fortunes that have been sagging for months.
The Republican field split sharply on the question of how to handle the Islamic State and Russia, with Trump calling for the United States to stay out of more confrontations – and other candidates blasting him for advocating showing weakness.
“If Putin wants to go and knock the hell out of ISIS, I am all for it,” Trump said, noting that he had met Russian President Vladimir Putin through a “60 Minutes” episode. Trump expressed weariness about the troubles U.S. interventions had run into in Iraq and Libya. He also said the United States should not get involved militarily against the Islamic State, and instead let other countries in the region take the lead. “They say, ‘Keep going. Keep going, you dummies,’ ” Trump said. “We can’t continue to be the policeman of the world.”
Bush responded that Trump was misunderstanding how both Putin and the Islamic State see the world. “That’s like a board game. That’s like playing monopoly, that’s not how the world works,” he said.
That set off one of the most substantive exchanges of any Republican debate so far, which demonstrated a broad disagreement within the Republican field. Fiorina was among those calling for a more aggressive foreign policy, using both troops and diplomatic rebukes. She stepped in to criticize Trump for being naïve about the danger Putin posed, and said she herself would not talk to Putin right away. Although she said she had met him before: “Not in a green room for a show, but for a private meeting.”
Later, Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Kasich sparred about what they would have done if faced with the possibility that an enormous bank would fail. Cruz said he would not bail out the banks, as the federal government did during the financial crisis that began in 2008. Kasich said Cruz was showing he wasn’t ready to be an executive.
“When a bank is ready to go under, and depositors are ready to lose their life savings, you just don’t say, ‘We believe in philosophical concerns,’ ” Kasich said. He continued: “I’ve got to tell you, on-the-job training for president of the United States doesn’t work” – a jab that Cruz was as unprepared for the job as President Obama had been in 2009.
Cruz saw an opening. “So you would bail them out?” he said. That was a hard question for Kasich, since the bailout is deeply unpopular among many fiscal conservatives.
Kasich responded with a relatively vague promise to work out a plan, rather than simply repeating the same bailout that occurred back then. “You’ve got to deal with it. You can’t turn a blind eye to it,” Kasich said.
In general, Tuesday’s debate was one of the most lively and substantive of the primary season so far, with candidates delving deeply into their plans for taxes and spending. Moderators seemed in command of the facts behind their questions, and allowed arguments to run on – at one point, a moderator ignored the network’s own go-to-commercial music so that a back-and-forth could continue. The night’s main debate also featured standout performances by two candidates who sorely needed them: Bush and Paul. Some of the more prominent candidates in the polls took a back seat: Trump and Carson played minor roles, Rubio found himself on the defensive, and Cruz stayed out of the major back-and-forths.
Cruz’s most memorable moment might have been a mistake, in which he veered close to the error that undid fellow Texan Rick Perry in 2011. Cruz said he planned to cut five major agencies: the Departments of Commerce and Energy, the IRS, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Commerce was in there twice, but nobody called him on it.
Earlier in the evening, Paul had attacked Rubio as a big spender who would put the country deeper into debt with new benefits and military spending, in one of the sharpest moments of the debate.
Paul, who had been largely invisible in the debates up to that point, suddenly took on Rubio, saying that when he added up Rubio’s tax plan and his military plans, “You get something that looks to me not very conservative.”
Rubio, whose best moment in these debates was a comeback, replied with an attack on Paul’s national security record.
“I know that Rand is a committed isolationist,” he said. “I’m not.”
Paul continued on the attack, casting himself in a role that he had seemed reluctant to play in the past. He was the one Republican who would argue that the U.S. could possibly spend too much on national defense.
“Can you be a conservative, and be liberal on military spending?” he asked.
Kasich, one of the lower-polling candidates on the main stage in the fourth Republican debate, also attacked Trump for advancing a “silly argument” about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants.
“Come on, folks, we all know you can’t pick them up and ship them back across the border. It’s a silly argument. It’s not an adult argument,” Kasich said, in one of the most direct challenges to Trump in this debate so far.
Trump responded by citing deportations – done on a smaller scale – under Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s. “We have no choice,” Trump said. “We have no choice.”
When Kasich continued to press Trump, the billionaire responded with disdain: Trump said he runs a huge company. “I don’t have to hear from this man. Believe me,” he said. The crowd in the audience booed – showing a kind of disapproval that past debate crowds had usually reserved for the moderators.
Bush also rejected Trump’s call for deportations, saying it hurt the party’s ability to reach out to mainstream audiences: “They’re doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign right now when they hear this.”
Immigration was a dominant issue in the early going of the debate. Cruz jumped in to oppose Bush’s plan, calling it “amnesty.” He joked that party elites and the mainstream media were easy on Bush because they don’t feel the economic threat that immigrants pose to working-class Americans. If people were coming across the Rio Grande with journalism degrees, Cruz said, the American media would suddenly see immigration as a major problem.
The debate began shortly after 9 p.m. with three candidates saying they oppose efforts to raise the minimum wage because they believe it would hurt low-wage workers more than it would help them.
“There is nothing that we do now to win. We don’t win anymore. … Taxes too high. Wages too high,” said Trump, adding that making the wage too high would hurt America’s ability to compete with overseas manufacturers. “I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is.”
“Every time we raise the minimum wage, the number of jobless people increases,” Carson said, saying the effect was particularly noticeable among African Americans.
“If you raise the minimum wage, you’re going to make people more expensive than a machine,” Rubio said.
In the early minutes of the debate, one voice missing was that of Bush, the former front-runner. At one point, he cut off Kasich, who seemed to be interrupting a question meant for Bush.
“You’ve already made two comments, John,” Bush said. “I got about four minutes last debate, I’m going to get my question this time.”
Bush then spoke about his desire to undo federal regulations, and blasted President Obama’s handling of the economy. “Hillary Clinton has said that Barack Obama’s policies get an A. Really?” Bush said, taking an aggressive tone, and focusing – unlike last time – on the leading Democrat in the race, not other Republicans. “It may be the best that Hillary Clinton can do. But it’s not the best that America can do.”
Earlier in the evening, four lower-performing candidates met in the fourth “undercard” debate.
[Live updates: Republican presidential debate]
The earlier contest was dominated by a running argument between two low-performing candidates with vastly different plans to succeed. One was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is aiming to attract moderate voters, and the other was Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal – who is trying to convince conservatives that moderates like Christie are untrustworthy sellouts.
Jindal, now consigned to the low-performers’ debate for the fourth time, was on the attack from the beginning of the debate. Christie, just relegated from the main stage, was an uncooperative target. Jindal repeatedly zinged Christie for being a “big-government Republican,” and at one point said he should get a “juice box” for participation in the conservative movement.
Christie, showing an uncharacteristic discipline in the face of annoyance, repeatedly said he was more interested in beating Hillary Clinton than in battling with Jindal. Christie – a former federal prosecutor – used the verb “prosecute” repeatedly when describing how he could debate Clinton in the general election. “You need someone who’s going to stand up on that stage and prosecute the case against her,” he said. Christie also made an appeal to law enforcement officers, saying he would support them more than President Obama had in the roiling debate over police shootings and police brutality.
“I will have your back,” Christie said.
Christie also ended on a note of bipartisan hopes: “I will go to Washington. ... To bring this entire country together for a better future for our children and grandchildren.”
The other two candidates on stage had less air time but still managed memorable moments. Former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.), describing his grudging admiration for hardball tactics employed by Democrats, shouted out the words “They fight!” It was the loudest moment of the night, though an odd message to leave people with.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who’s also been relegated from the main stage, once again defended federal “entitlement” programs like Medicare and Social Security, saying that Americans had paid into those programs and deserved to have them pay out. His most memorable moment, however, was a joke. When asked about Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Huckabee responded like the folksy preacher he used to be: “Well, my wife’s name’s Janet. When you say Janet yellin’, I’m very familiar with what you mean.”
At various points, Jindal called out Cruz – though not by name – as all talk and no action. He called out Huckabee for being a big spender. And he zinged Christie, who had been the dominant figure in the debate’s first half, for doing too little to cut state spending.
“Let’s not be a second liberal party,” Jindal said, talking about Christie. “Let’s just not beat Hillary. Let’s elect a conservative to the White House, not just any Republican.”
Christie, for his part, did not rise to Jindal’s bait. Instead, he repeatedly cast himself as somebody who could appeal to moderates and win in blue states.
The most memorable moment for Santorum came when he tried to play off Jindal and Christie’s tension. He noted that one man claimed to be a true conservative, and the other said he could win in a blue state. Santorum raised his arms in a “Why not me?” gesture, a funny moment that indicated that he thought he combined both qualities.
Christie and Huckabee also spent time attacking the IRS and blaming the federal tax code for weakening manufacturing and America generally.
“First, make the tax code fairer, flatter and simpler,” said Christie. He described making the U.S. tax code so simple that individuals could file their taxes in 15 minutes. “I’ll be able to fire a whole bunch of IRS agents once we do that,” Christie said.
Huckabee went Christie one better and said that he’d eliminate the income tax entirely, and move to a “Fair tax,” essentially a national retail sales tax.
“We get rid of the IRS. We completely eliminate it. Because the government has no business knowing how much money we make, and how we make it ... that’s none of their business,” Huckabee said.
Huckabee and Christie were dismissed from the main debate stage after not reaching the 2.5 percent threshold in national polls. They joined Jindal and Santorum, who have been in the low-performers’ debate all along.
Two other candidates — former New York governor George Pataki and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) — were bumped from the undercard entirely after failing to reach a lower threshold of 1 percent in national polls. (Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, who appeared in the first undercard but not the next two, will again be kept off the stage because of low numbers). Graham, with a folksy charm and an aggressive call for greater military intervention, had been the dominant candidate in both of the last two undercards. It was not enough to raise his poll standing.
[Ben Carson is still the most popular presidential candidate. And it’s not close.]
These debates come just 13 days after the last Republican debates, which were widely perceived as a disaster for their hosts at CNBC. Both the crowd and the candidates attacked the moderators for asking argumentative questions, and the moderators let the candidates get away with blatant dodging of the truth. Trump, for instance, claimed he hadn’t said something that was included in his own immigration policy paper. The moderator, who had been right, apologized.
Tuesday night’s main event was moderated by Fox Business personalities Maria Bartiromo and Neil Cavuto. In an interview with The Washington Post, they said they aimed to do better — and that they wouldn’t put up with whining.
“I understand candidates getting annoyed, but they better be careful about looking like whiners and babies. I see this on the right and the left. I think you can ask very tough questions without coming off like an ass,” Cavuto said in an interview with Callum Borchers of The Fix. “I think it’s incumbent on us to know and appreciate the difference.”
Ahead of the debate, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus sent a letter to RNC members saying the committee has “worked tirelessly” with Fox to “fine-tune our debate process and ensure that our candidates have the best format and experience.”
“I am confident that we will finally have a debate focused on the economy and financial matters. The moderators tonight have also pledged to allow candidates 90 seconds to answer questions, rather than 60 seconds in past debates, as well as give each candidate a closing statement,” Priebus says in the letter, which was shared with The Washington Post by a Republican recipient.
Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a prebuttal ahead of the debate in the form of an Internet video that accused Bush, Rubio and Trump of backing tax plans that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.
The last debate was a breakout moment for Rubio. He was attacked by Bush — an old ally of Rubio’s from their days in Florida politics — for missing many votes in the Senate.
Rubio responded with a deeply stinging cut-down: “The only reason why you’re doing [this] now is because we’re running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you.”
Sean Sullivan, Jenna Johnson in Springfield, Ill., Philip Rucker in St. Francis, Wis., and Robert Costa in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
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– The undercard debate is in the books, and one of the key themes was the newly demoted Chris Christie trying to keep the focus on Hillary Clinton rather than engaging with his fellow Republicans. Bobby Jindal in particular went after Christie again and again, declaring that his own record as governor of Louisiana is far more of a conservative model than Christie's in New Jersey. “I’ll give you a ribbon for participation and a juice box, but in the real world it’s about results,” Jindal said during one of their exchanges. But as Politico points out, Christie wanted no part of this fight. “He’s done a nice job in Louisiana, and I don’t have any problem with the job he’s done,” Christie said. "People out there don’t care about any of that. They care about who’s going to beat Hillary Clinton, who’s going to keep their eye on the ball.” The Washington Post sums up Jindal's tactics: "Jindal, who rose in politics as a mild-mannered wonk, seems to believe his path to the nomination is to run as a conservative hard-liner, and a bit of a jerk," noting another of his quotes: “I want to fire everybody in DC." The debate as a whole was a relatively tame affair, with Rick Santorum ("This campaign has been about two words for me: working families") and Mike Huckabee ("We get rid of the IRS. We completely eliminate it") the other two participants. Those interested in a transcript can dig in here.
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Preparations for Nelson Mandela's funeral have been marred by a public spat between the South African government and retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the most prominent survivors in the long anti-apartheid struggle.
In this Oct. 29, 1998 photo Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu dance after Tutu handed over the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Pretoria. Tutu was the chairman of the commission... (Associated Press)
Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto near Johannesburg, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt... (Associated Press)
Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, right, arrives with Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2013 photo, Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu waits to speak during the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto near... (Associated Press)
Tutu, a Nobel laureate who has strongly criticized the current government, said in a statement Saturday that he will not be attending Mandela's funeral, even though he wishes to pay respects to his longtime friend.
He says he was not invited _ an apparent snub that the government vehemently denies.
"Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata (Mandela) to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral," Tutu said in the statement. "Had I or my office been informed that I would be welcome there is no way on earth that I would have missed it."
Tutu, 82, said he had cancelled his plans to fly to the Eastern Cape to attend the Sunday funeral after receiving no indication that his name was on the guest list or accreditation list.
However, Mac Maharaj, a spokesman for the South African presidency, said Tutu is on the guest list and that he hopes a solution will be found that allows Tutu to attend.
"Certainly he is invited," Maharaj said. "He's an important person."
He said he did not know whether Tutu had been invited to eulogize Mandela but was certain an invitation to attend had been issued. Tutu has preached at the funerals of most major anti-apartheid figures, including Steve Biko, Chris Hani, Walter Sisulu and others.
Tutu's daughter, Rev. Mpho Tutu, said in a statement earlier Saturday that her father had not been accredited as a clergyman at Mandela's funeral, to be held in Mandela's home village of Qunu.
Maharaj said no credentials were needed.
The issue highlights occasional frictions between Tutu and the current government of President Jacob Zuma. Two years ago, Tutu, an anti-apartheid hero often described as South Africa's conscience, slammed the ANC-led government as "disgraceful" for not issuing a visa to the Dalai Lama. He said it was worse than the country's former oppressive white regime.
At that time, South African foreign ministry officials denied they stalled on the visa because of pressure from China, a major trading partner. Tutu, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his nonviolent campaign against white racist rule, had invited the Dalai Lama, a fellow Nobel laureate, to South Africa to celebrate Tutu's 80th birthday. The Dalai Lama's office said he was calling off the visit because he didn't expect to get a visa.
Tutu accused the South African government of failing to side with "Tibetans who are being oppressed viciously by the Chinese." He also charged Zuma with ignoring the contribution religious leaders made to toppling the white Nationalist Party.
Before April 2009 elections propelled Zuma to the presidency, Tutu had said he was so skeptical of the ANC leader he was considering not casting a ballot. Tutu cited a rape trial in which Zuma was acquitted and corruption charges that were dropped just before the vote.
Tutu worked closely with Mandela and served as one of the anti-apartheid struggle's most visible public figures during the 27 years when Mandela was imprisoned. Tutu was the chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission created by Mandela's government which investigated apartheid atrocities and he delivered the final report to Mandela in October 1998. ||||| A casket carrying the remains of Nelson Mandela arrived at his hometown of Qunu Saturday, the day before he is to be buried in the native ground he loved.
People wave at an aircraft carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela as it takes off from Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 14,... (Associated Press)
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, watches a farewell ceremony for former South African President Nelson Mandela from the African National Congress at Waterkloof Air Base on the... (Associated Press)
Motorcycles escort a hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela en route to Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. The... (Associated Press)
The hearse carrying the body of former South African president, Nelson Mandela arrives at the Waterkloof Air force base in Pretoria Saturday Dec. 14, 2013 from where it will be transported to Qunu for... (Associated Press)
Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel, right, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, walk together before the arrival of the former president's casket... (Associated Press)
People hold hands as the hearse carrying the remains of former South African President Nelson Mandela proceeds to Mandela's hometown and burial site in Qunu, South Africa, Saturday Dec. 14, 2013. The... (Associated Press)
Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel wipes her eyes while attending a farewell ceremony for former South African President Nelson Mandela from the African National Congress at Waterkloof Air Base on the... (Associated Press)
A mourner wears a pin with a photo of Nelson Madela while attending a farewell ceremony for former South African president from the African National Congress at Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of... (Associated Press)
People wait on the roadside to see a hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela arrive at Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec.... (Associated Press)
Motorcycles escort a hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela en route to Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. The... (Associated Press)
Motorcycles escort a hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela en route to Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. The... (Associated Press)
A child draped in the South African national flag gestures while taking a photo of the procession as the body of former president, Nelson Mandela arrives at the Waterkloof Air force base in Pretoria Saturday... (Associated Press)
Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel, right, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, walk together before the arrival of the former president's casket... (Associated Press)
Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel, right, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, wipe their tears as the former president's casket arrives at Mthatha... (Associated Press)
Motorcycles escort a hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela en route to Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. The... (Associated Press)
A hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela is seen from above as it drives past a bridge en route to Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa,... (Associated Press)
Motorcycles escort a hearse carrying the casket of former South African President Nelson Mandela en route to Waterkloof Air Base on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. The... (Associated Press)
Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel, right, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, wipe their tears as the former president's casket arrives at Mthatha... (Associated Press)
The hearse carrying Mandela's casket, covered with a national flag, arrived at the family compound under cloudy skies at 4 p.m. It was escorted by an enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles, many flashing emergency lights. A military helicopter hovered near the home.
On the final journey to his home village, Mandela's memory was honored amid pomp and ceremony Saturday at an air base in the capital before being flown aboard a military plane to this simple village in the wide-open spaces of eastern South Africa.
At the Mthatha airport Mandela's casket was welcomed by a military guard and placed in a convoy for the 32 kilometer (20 mile) voyage toward Qunu. Residents and people who had traveled for hours thronged a road leading to Qunu, singing and dancing as Mandela T-shirts were handed out.
"We got up this morning at 2 a.m. and drove from Port Elizabeth _ it's about seven hours _ and we got here now. We're waiting on to show our last respects to Madiba," said Ebrahim Jeftha, using Mandela's clan name.
Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, and his former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, tearfully embraced at Mthatha airport when the casket arrived.
Mandela had been imprisoned for 27 years for opposing racist apartheid and emerged in 1990 to forge a new democratic South Africa by promoting forgiveness and reconciliation. He became president in 1994 after South Africa's first all-race democratic elections.
Soldiers in full gear, male and female, were stationed on foot on either side of the road from the airport in Mthatha as cows grazed nearby. Some civilians were also already lining the route, shielding themselves from the sun with umbrellas.
Mandela had longed to spend his final months in his beloved rural village but instead he had spent them in a hospital in Pretoria and then in his home in Johannesburg where he had remained in critical condition, suffering from lung problems and other ailments, until his death.
There was a surprise announcement in the plans for Sunday's funeral in Mandela's home village of Qunu as retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu said he would not be attending because he had not received an invitation.
"Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral. Had I or my office been informed that I would be welcome there is no way on earth that I would have missed it," Tutu said.
Mac Maharaj, a spokesman for the presidency, said Tutu is on the guest list and that he hopes Tutu will attend. He said he was surprised by the statement and was looking into it for possible solutions.
"This is not an event where you need credentials and I hope a solution can be found," Maharaj said. "He's an important person and I hope ways can be found for him to be there."
In Qunu, residents expressed deep affection for their beloved native son.
"Long live the spirit of Nelson Mandela," chanted a crowd on a highway near Mandela's compound.
"My president," they sang.
There were also old songs of the anti-apartheid struggle.
"Release Mandela from prison," went the chorus of one.
Many people carried small national flags or banners with a smiling image of Mandela. Periodically, police and other official vehicles passed by, heading to the compound.
Khanyisa Qatolo, 28, was born in Qunu and attended children's Christmas parties hosted by Mandela at his home when she was a child in the 1990s.
"I remember his smile," she said. "I miss his smile."
Qatolo said she was disappointed that local residents would be unable to go to Mandela's funeral, in line with local custom, and had instead been asked by officials to view the final rites on big video screens in the area.
"The people of the community, they should be there, supporting the family," she said.
"I feel bad not to go there," she said.
Milly Viljoen, 43, drove 12 hours through the night with a friend to stand on the roadside overlooking Mandela's compound in Qunu.
`"It's befitting to see him to his final resting place," she said.
Viljoen, a student activist during apartheid, first saw Mandela when he appeared before an enthralled crowd in Cape Town after he was released in 1990. She met him later when he visited the township school where she was teaching.
"You couldn't help but love the man and be touched and hang onto his every word," she said.
Mandela's widow Graca Machel, wearing black, wept and wiped tears from under her glasses at a farewell ceremony at an air base in Pretoria Saturday morning. Mandela's former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, looking stricken, was also there as well as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African President Thabo Mbeki.
The late president died in his Johannesburg home Dec. 5 at age 95.
His body lay in state for three days this week, drawing huge crowds of South Africans who mourned his death and celebrated his successful struggle against apartheid.
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Gregory Katz in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
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– Nelson Mandela's body arrived in his home village of Qunu today ahead of a funeral and burial tomorrow, the AP reports. The hearse carrying his casket was escorted by throngs of police, military, and other vehicles after being flown from the South African capital on a military plane. Many locals drove hours to watch as the hearse made its 20-mile drive from the Mthatha airport to Mandela's final resting place. But the day was marked with a bit of controversy, too, as retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu claimed he would not be attending tomorrow's funeral because the current government, which he has often publicly criticized in the past, did not invite him. "Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata (Mandela) to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral," he said in a statement. But a government spokesperson says Tutu is in fact on the guest list. Click for more on the tribal rituals that will play a role in tomorrow's ceremony.
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(CNN) -- An American arrested after a car bombing in northern Sinai in August was found dead in an Egyptian police station Sunday, authorities said.
The man -- identified as James Lunn by a U.S. State Department official -- was discovered hanging by his shoelaces and a belt from a bathroom door in a waiting area of the Awal police station in Ismailia, Egypt, public prosecutor Hisham Barakt said.
An investigation has been ordered to determine if the death was a suicide, Barakt said.
Lunn was taken into custody on August 27 after a car bomb exploded near a police station in northern Sinai, according to a statement from Egypt's Interior Ministry. His death came on the same day that his detention was extended for another 30 days, the ministry said.
Investigators found "a computer and maps of vital installations" in his possession after he was detained, the ministry said
"The duty officer in the Awal Police Station in Ismailia, while passing by the administrative detention room where the accused was being held alone, found that the accused had committed suicide by hanging himself from the bathroom door," the ministry statement said.
A vice consul from the U.S. government visited the man at the jail "and noted the good treatment of the prisoner," the ministry said.
"Our thoughts are with his family as they cope with their loss," the State Department official said. "We have contacted his family and are providing appropriate consular assistance."
Personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo were "in regular touch with Mr. Lunn during his detention," the official said.
Attacker kills 4 in Egypt's Sinai
CNN's Ahmed Housam and Elise Labott contributed to this report ||||| American found hanged in Egypt police cell
(AFP) – 2 days ago
Cairo — An American man detained for more than a month was found hanged in his prison cell in the Egyptian city of Ismailiya on Sunday after committing suicide, security officials said.
A US State Department official confirmed the death of James Lunn and expressed its condolences to his family.
The Egyptian security officials said the body of Lunn, whom they had identified as James Henry, 55, was found at noon at Ismailiya Awal police station of the Suez Canal city.
A prosecutor had decided on Saturday to extend his detention for 30 days, the interior ministry said in a statement.
A report from the prosecutor's office, forwarded to journalists by the foreign ministry, said Lunn had hanged himself with a shoelace and a belt.
The interior ministry said Lunn was arrested on August 27 in Sheikh Zuwayid in a security sweep after a car bomb targeted the police station in the North Sinai town.
He was found in possession of a "computer and maps of important installations."
Security officials said he was detained for violating a curfew imposed because of the wave of political unrest sweeping the country.
Lunn was stopped on the road between El-Arish and Rafah in North Sinai and told authorities he was on his way to the neighbouring Gaza Strip.
The State Department official said they had been "in regular touch" with Lunn since August 28, a day after his arrest, speaking to him over the phone.
A consular officer had been allowed to visit him on October 8, the official said.
"At no time did Mr Lunn claim to our consular personnel that he had been subjected to any form of maltreatment," the official added.
Lunn was the second foreigner known to have died in an Egyptian jail since a popular military coup overthrew president Mohamed Morsi in July, leading to a state of emergency and a curfew to deal with an Islamist backlash.
In September, a French citizen was beaten to death by cellmates in a Cairo prison. He had apparently been arrested at a checkpoint.
Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
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– A US citizen arrested in Egypt in relation to a car bombing has been found dead in his cell at an Egyptian police station, after apparently hanging himself with his shoelace and belt, according to local officials. James Lunn, 55, was taken in by Egyptian police over a month ago after he was found in possession of a "computer and maps of important installations" following a car bomb explosion in a North Sinai town. The day he died, a prosecutor had just extended his detention for another 30 days, AFP reports. "The duty officer in the Awal Police Station in Ismailia, while passing by the administrative detention room where the accused was being held alone, found that the accused had committed suicide by hanging himself from the bathroom door," Egypt's Interior Ministry says in a statement, per CNN. The US State Department says it had been "in regular touch" with Lunn since his arrest, and a consular official visited him last week. "At no time did Mr Lunn claim to our consular personnel that he had been subjected to any form of maltreatment," says a department spokesperson, per AFP.
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Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| The fear and uncertainty ended for Chance and other journalists at the Rixos al Nasr Hotel in Tripoli late Wednesday when forces loyal to deposed Libyan ruler Moammar Gaddafi released them and walked away after five tense days of confinement.
Among those set free was the Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy, the District’s former delegate in Congress, who apparently was in Tripoli hoping to arrange peace negotiations. Chance said Fauntroy, 78, was among those who safely left the hotel in a convoy arranged by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The captives — most of whom represented international news organizations — were barred from leaving the hotel by about a dozen young men who stood guard in the Rixos’s marble lobby and roamed its corridors armed with assault rifles. Food and water dwindled over the course of the ordeal, forcing the captives to ration whatever they could scavenge from the hotel’s stocks. Air conditioning was intermittent, as was electricity, cutting off the journalists’ contact with the world outside.
The Libyan guards’ isolation was apparent, too; they appeared to believe their country was still controlled by Gaddafi even after rebels had stormed his compound about a mile from the Rixos.
While officials from the Red Cross tried to broker an end to the stalemate from outside the hotel, CNN producer Jomana Karadsheh tried to reason with her captors inside. Karadsheh, a Jordanian, told the men in Arabic that Gaddafi’s 42-year regime was crumbling.
She also told one of them, “I really miss my family and want to see them,” she said on CNN on Wednesday. The guard, who had told Karadsheh about his own family, “had tears in his eyes at that moment. I sat with him and told him things are changing out there. I said, ‘You have to think of your kids. You have to let us go.’ It was a slow process, a messy one.”
The reporters, many of whom wore body armor and helmets, left the hotel around 4:30 p.m. Tripoli time in the company of Red Cross officials. They were driven through rebel checkpoints — one a mere 150 meters from the hotel — and taken to another hotel, the Corinthia, in a safe area. They were reunited with friends and fellow journalists amid hugs and tears.
Fauntroy, a longtime civil rights activist, retired two years ago as pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Washington’s Shaw neighborhood. He remains a member of the church. A church employee said she had no information about his condition, but Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who succeeded Fauntroy as the District’s nonvoting representative in Congress, said in a statement that Fauntroy is expected to leave Libya soon. ||||| Chance, standing on far left, with other journalists who were held in the Rixos Hotel. | AP
NEW YORK -- For the past six days, CNN's Matthew Chance feared that he and roughly 35 journalists trapped by Gaddafi loyalists in Tripoli's Rixos hotel might be somehow used as part of the crumbling regime's endgame -- or even executed.
"We had been acting out in our heads these paranoid scenarios," Chance told The Huffington Post by satellite phone from Tripoli, just hours after safely escaping the hotel with his colleagues.
While the journalists' Libyan government minders had already fled, several Gaddafi gunmen wouldn't let them leave. That led to days of uncertainty for the journalists, as Chance and others remained cautious in how they described the ordeal for fear of repercussions.
"We took a decision collectively, the journalists in the hotel, that we wouldn't describe our situation as a hostage situation even though that's clearly what it was," Chance said. "We were being held against our will."
As rebels took control of Tripoli, Chance and the others faced miserable conditions inside the hotel that had housed foreign journalists during the war and had now become one of the Gaddafi loyalists' last strongholds. At times, the journalists were forced to lie down in a dark room without electricity, air conditioning or running water. Meanwhile, artillery shells fell and stray bullets struck the building. Understandably, Chance said journalists inside were "depressed," "felt like [they] were victims," and "were very frustrated that we couldn't get stories out, communications out."
But Chance got out news when he could. On Sunday, Chance appeared on CNN via Skype in a riveting 15-minute segment, complete with armed gunman yelling below.
WATCH:
And the following day, Chance broke the news on Twitter that Saif Gaddafi, the strongman's heir apparent, had not been captured as the NTC reported.
Although Chance has had a Twitter account for nearly two years, he barely used it before being trapped in the Rixos. Over the past few days, his Twitter feed made for compelling reading as Chance tweeted everything from the darkest moments (gunfire and lack of electricity) to more light-hearted situations (stealing cheese in a hotel pantry).
"I've never really used Twitter before," Chance aid. "I'm a convert now, though."
"I think as you're following somebody, you can really get a sense of what's going on in a more intimate way than virtually any other medium," he added. "I felt that I was communicating with a whole bunch of people who wanted to know more."
Chance, accustomed to collecting lots of information in order to produce a larger television package, embraced the short-form medium as a way to get out bits of information. And together, he said, those tweets provide "a much fuller, more intimate look" inside the hotel.
While Chance tried getting news outside by way of Twitter, he points out that it was only after information got inside that the gunmen let the journalists leave. It was only earlier today, he said, that the gunmen "started to believe the world outside the hotel -- that Libya had changed outside the hotel -- that this crisis came to an end."
"When they accepted that Libya was a different country and there was no Gaddafi in power anymore," he continued, "they literally handed us their weapons and said, 'You can go.'"
See a series of photos from the Rixos hotel during the "hostage situation":
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– For the five days they were held in Tripoli’s Rixos Hotel by Moammar Gadhafi loyalists, Matthew Chance and his fellow journalists feared they could be executed or used as "human shields." "We had been acting out in our heads these paranoid scenarios," Chance told the Huffington Post hours after being freed. The loyalists "were very aggressive," Chance adds to the Washington Post. "They accused us of being spies … when someone holding a Kalashnikov accuses you of that, it can be quite unnerving." The journalists were sometimes forced to stay in a dark room with no electricity, running water, or air conditioning, as shells struck the building and bullets flew by—and, at least once, through—the windows; mortars exploded outside, and food supplies dwindled. The miserable conditions made the journalists "depressed" and "very frustrated that we couldn’t get stories out, communications out," Chance says, calling the experience "terrifying." But when the loyalists finally "accepted that Libya was a different country and there was no Gadhafi in power anymore, they literally handed us their weapons and said, 'You can go,'" Chance says. Watch Chance’s 15-minute CNN segment at left or check out his compelling Twitter feed here.
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Laura Ingraham, the radio host and Fox News commentator, is about to become a prime time host on the conservative cable network.
Ingraham is expected to take over the 10 p.m. hour on Fox News, according to people who spoke on condition of anonymity.
While there may be one or two final details to negotiate, Ingraham has been telling friends that the deal is essentially done, the sources said.
Her new show will be part of a broader change to the network's top-rated prime time lineup. Sean Hannity's show, currently at 10 p.m., will move one hour earlier to 9 p.m., multiple sources confirmed.
And "The Five," a talk show originally named for its 5 p.m. time slot, will shift from 9 p.m. back to its namesake hour.
The changes come on the heels of Eric Bolling's exit from Fox and the cancellation of his 5 p.m. show "Fox News Specialists" last Friday.
Fox is temporarily replacing the "Specialists" with news programming. But "The Five" will move back to 5 p.m. in the coming weeks, the sources said.
The launch date for Ingraham's new show is unknown. But the sources said the new schedule is confirmed and known among senior staffers. This is a change from last month, when the talks between Ingraham and Fox were first reported.
A Fox News spokeswoman told CNNMoney there is "no deal in place" with Ingraham.
Putting Ingraham at 10 p.m. is an important bet by Fox News, and it comes with some risk. The network rarely shuffles its lineup like this.
But Ingraham is well known and well liked among Fox viewers. On her radio show and her Fox appearances, she channels the feelings of President Trump's base and challenges Republican establishment figures.
At times she is critical of Trump, too -- but in a way that positions her as a champion for the voters who elected him.
The president recently tweeted a response to one of her appearances on "Fox & Friends."
The schedule change is really a reset of sorts, five months after the shuffle that ensued when the network abruptly removed Bill O'Reilly amid a sexual harassment scandal.
Fox executives made logical moves at the time: Tucker Carlson moved from 9 to 8 p.m., replacing O'Reilly, and "The Five" got a promotion to prime time.
A new 5 p.m. show, the "Specialists," was quickly built around Bolling.
But allegations of inappropriate behavior in Bolling's past caused the network to suspend him "pending the results of an investigation" last month. While it is not known what, if anything, the investigators found, Fox announced his departure last Friday.
Bolling's co-hosts Eboni Williams and Kat Timpf are remaining at the network as contributors.
"The Five" mostly held its own at 9 p.m., but Fox has been losing to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow at that hour, causing no small amount of consternation behind the scenes.
Fox is accustomed to winning every hour of every day, thanks to its incredibly loyal right-leaning audience, so the shifting of Hannity may be an attempt to fortify the 9 p.m. time slot. ||||| Fox News and radio host Laura Ingraham have moved closer to a deal that could make the conservative talker a regular part of the news outlet’s primetime lineup, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The 21st Century Fox-owned cable network said in a statement Monday night that “there is no deal in place with Laura Ingraham at this time.”
The two sides have been in negotiations since at least August. If the discussions bear fruit, Ingraham could take up residency during the network’s 10 p.m. slot – a move that might set in motion a cascade of schedule changes. Sean Hannity, who has held forth at 10 p.m. for the last several years, could return to the 9 p.m. slot he once held. And “The Five,” a panel show that currently airs at 9 p.m., could return to its original time slot of 5 p.m. Fox News recently cancelled the show that had been airing at that time, “Fox News Specialists,” in the wake of its recent decision to part ways with one that show’s hosts, Eric Bolling.
Ingraham has a long association with Fox News, having served as a fill-in for both Hannity and Bill O’Reilly. Executives at the network have remained open to the idea of tweaking its primetime lineup, Fox News co-president Jack Abernethy told Variety in July.
CNN previously reported Ingraham and Fox had struck a deal for her to start a job as a host in primetime.
Fox News remains cable’s most-watched news network, but in recent months has had to contend with a resurgent MSNBC, where a primetime lineup led by Rachel Maddow has expanded its audience. Fox News was surprised earlier this year by a the forced departure of primetime linchpin O’Reilly, who left the network after advertisers reacted negatively to disclosures of settlements paid to women who had accused him of sexual harassment and other improprieties. Discussions with Ingraham suggest Fox News executives have continued to mull tinkering with its program line-up.
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– The upheaval at Fox News has created a big opportunity for conservative commentator and radio host Laura Ingraham, insiders say. Sources tell CNN that Ingraham—a President Trump supporter and popular Fox guest host—has been in talks to take over the network's 10pm slot and has told friends the deal is already done. The sources say Sean Hannity's show will move from 10pm to 9pm and The Five will move from 9pm back to 5pm, the hour it was named after. Former 5pm show Fox News Specialists was canceled after the network parted ways with Eric Bolling. For now, Fox says there "is no deal in place with Laura Ingraham at this time," Variety reports. (Fox News is no longer airing in the UK.)
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Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| Jean-Marie Loret, who died in 1985 aged 67, never met his father, but went on to fight Nazi forces during the Second World War.
His extraordinary story has now been backed up by a range of compelling evidence, both in France and in Germany, which is published in the latest edition of Paris's Le Point magazine.
Hitler is said to have had an affair with Mr Loret's mother, Charlotte Lobjoie, 16, as he took a break from the trenches in June 1917.
Although he was fighting the French near Seboncourt, in the northern Picardy region, Hitler made his way to Fournes-in-Weppe, a small town west of Lille, for regular leave.
There he met Miss Lobjoie, who later told their son: "One day I was cutting hay with other women, when we saw a German soldier on the other side of the street.
"He had a sketch pad and seemed to be drawing. All the women found this interesting, and were curious to know what he was drawing.
"I was designated to approach him."
The pair started a brief relationship, which resulted in the birth of Jean-Marie, who was born in March 1918 after being conceived during a 'tipsy' evening in June 1917.
Miss Lobjoie later told Jean-Marie: "When your father was around, which was very rarely, he liked to take me for walks in the countryside.
"But these walks usually ended badly. In fact, your father, inspired by nature, launched into speeches which I did not really understand.
"He did not speak French, but solely ranted in German, talking to an imaginary audience. Even if I spoke German I would not be able to follow him, as the histories of Prussia, Austria and Bavaria where not familiar to me at all, far from it.
"My reaction used to anger your father so much that I did not show any reaction."
Jean-Marie was, like thousands of other French children with German soldier fathers, badly treated by his peers at school.
He was referred to as 'the son of the Boche', and often had fights as he tried to defend his father, who had by now disappeared over the border back to Germany.
Miss Lobjoie, meanwhile, refused to discuss Jean-Marie's father, and ended up giving her only son away for adoption in the 1930s to a family called Loret.
His real father would not recognise Jean-Marie, but continued to stay in contact with Miss Lobjoie.
Incredibly, Mr Loret went on to fight the Germans in 1939, defending the Maginot Line before it was bypassed during the Nazi invasion which resulted in France being occupied from 1940 until 1944.
Mr Loret even joined the French Resistance, and was given the codename 'Clement'.
Just before her death in the early 1950s, Miss Lobjoie finally told Jean-Marie that his father was arguably the most infamous dictator in human history.
Mr Loret said: "In order not to get depressed, I worked non-stop, never took a holiday, and had no hobbies. For twenty years I didn't even go to the cinema."
Mr Loret began investigating his past in great detail, employing scientists to prove that he has the same blood type as Hitler, and that they even have similar handwriting.
Photographs of the two also reveal an astonishing resemblance.
Other elements which corroborate the story are official Wehrmacht, or German Army, papers which show that officers brought envelopes of cash to Miss Lobjoie during the Second World War.
When Miss Lobjoie died, Mr Loret also found paintings in her attic which were signed by Hitler, who was an accomplished artist.
In Germany, meanwhile, a picture of a woman painted by Hitler looked exactly like Miss Lobjoie.
Francois Gibault, Mr Loret's Paris lawyer, said: "He first came to see me in 1979, but was a bit lost and did not know whether he wanted to be publicly recognised as Hitler's son, or to erase all that completely.
"He had the feelings of many illegitimate children: the desire to find a past, however heavy, but also the fear of returning to the old routine.
"I talked with him a lot, playing the role of psychologist rather than lawyer."
Mr Gibault said that Mr Loret's own children might now be in a position to claim royalties from Mein Kampf ('My Struggle'), Hitler's famous book which has sold millions of copies around the world.
Mr Loret wrote a book called 'Your Father's Name Was Hitler' in 1981, and it is now set to be re-published with all the new evidence.
Hitler, who was born in an Austrian village, frequently spoke of his love for France, and especially for Paris.
In December 1940, he paid an emotional visit to the capital city, where he was pictured saluting Napoleon's tomb in front of his bemused generals.
More intriguingly still, Hitler transferred from Vienna part of the remains of Napoleon II, Napoleon Bonaparte's son with Marie Louise of Austria.
Hitler often enthused about the greatness of Napoleon, saying that he wanted to have as big an impact on history as the Frenchman.
Although he never officially had any sons or daughters of his own, Hitler often spoke of his love of children and animals.
He married his mistress, Eva Braun, as the Red Army shelled his bunker in Berlin, in 1945, and committed suicide shortly afterwards.
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– A Paris magazine has caused a stir by reviving a sensational allegation about Adolf Hitler: He supposedly fathered a son with a French teen while he was a soldier in World War I. The Telegraph has the details: The son's name is Jean-Marie Loret, and he died in 1985 having never met his father. In fact, he fought against Nazi forces in World War II. His biological mother, Charlotte Lobjoie, was 16 when she said she struck up a relationship with the young Hitler, who was on leave. Loret has told his story publicly before; he even wrote a book called Your Father's Name Was Hitler, which is now being republished. According to the story, Hitler never acknowledged his son, though he kept in touch with Lobjoie over the years. The Paris magazine LePoint presents lots of circumstantial evidence: The men have the same blood type, the German army gave envelopes of money to Lobjoie in WWII, paintings seemingly signed by Hitler were found in her attic upon her death, etc. The magazine's report is here, and though it's in French, you can at least see photos of Hitler and Loret side-by-side. The Telegraph sees an "astonishing resemblance," which is debatable. (But the mustaches definitely look alike.)
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WASHINGTON — Increasingly frustrated by his dealings with President Hamid Karzai, President Obama is giving serious consideration to speeding up the withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan and to a “zero option” that would leave no American troops there after next year, according to American and European officials.
Mr. Obama is committed to ending America’s military involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and Obama administration officials have been negotiating with Afghan officials about leaving a small “residual force” behind. But his relationship with Mr. Karzai has been slowly unraveling, and reached a new low after an effort last month by the United States to begin peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.
Mr. Karzai promptly repudiated the talks and ended negotiations with the United States over the long-term security deal that is needed to keep American forces in Afghanistan after 2014.
A videoconference between Mr. Obama and Mr. Karzai designed to defuse the tensions ended badly, according to both American and Afghan officials with knowledge of it. Mr. Karzai, according to those sources, accused the United States of trying to negotiate a separate peace with both the Taliban and their backers in Pakistan, leaving Afghanistan’s fragile government exposed to its enemies.
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Mr. Karzai had made similar accusations in the past. But those comments were delivered to Afghans — not to Mr. Obama, who responded by pointing out the American lives that have been lost propping up Mr. Karzai’s government, the officials said.
The option of leaving no troops in Afghanistan after 2014 was gaining momentum before the June 27 video conference, according to the officials. But since then, the idea of a complete military exit similar to the American military pullout from Iraq has gone from being considered the worst-case scenario — and a useful negotiating tool with Mr. Karzai — to an alternative under serious consideration in Washington and Kabul.
The officials cautioned that no decisions had been made on the pace of the pullout and exactly how many American troops to leave behind in Afghanistan. The goal remains negotiating a long-term security deal, they said, but the hardening of negotiating stances on both sides could result in a repeat of what happened in Iraq, where a deal failed to materialize despite widespread expectations that a compromise would be reached and American forces would remain.
“There’s always been a zero option, but it was not seen as the main option,” said a senior Western official in Kabul. “It is now becoming one of them, and if you listen to some people in Washington, it is maybe now being seen as a realistic path.”
The official, however, said he hoped some in the Karzai government were beginning to understand that the zero option was now a distinct possibility, and that “they’re learning now, not later, when it’s going to be too late.”
The Obama administration’s internal deliberations about the future of the Afghan war were described by officials in Washington and Kabul who hold a range of views on how quickly the United States should leave Afghanistan and how many troops it should leave behind. Spokesmen for the White House and Pentagon declined to comment.
Within the Obama administration, the way the United States extricates itself from Afghanistan has been a source of tension between civilian and military officials since Mr. Obama took office. American commanders in Afghanistan have generally pushed to keep as many American troops in the country as long as possible, creating friction with White House officials urging a speedier military withdrawal.
But with frustrations mounting over the glacial pace of initiating peace talks with the Taliban, and with American relations with the Karzai government continuing to deteriorate, it is unclear whether the Pentagon and American commanders in Afghanistan would vigorously resist if the White House pushed for a full-scale pullout months ahead of schedule.
As it stands, the number of American troops in Afghanistan — around 63,000 — is scheduled to go down to 34,000 by February 2014. The White House has said the vast majority of troops would be out of Afghanistan by the end of that year, although it now appears that the schedule could accelerate to bring the bulk of the troops — if not all of them — home by next summer, as the annual fighting season winds down.
Talks between the United States and Afghanistan over a long-term security deal have faltered in recent months over the Afghan government’s insistence that the United States guarantee Afghanistan’s security and, in essence, commit to declaring Pakistan the main obstacle in the fight against militancy in the region.
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The guarantees sought by Afghanistan, if implemented, could possibly compel the United States to attack Taliban havens in Pakistan long after 2014, when the Obama administration has said it hoped to dial back the C.I.A.’s covert drone war there.
Mr. Karzai also wants the Obama administration to specify the number of troops it would leave in Afghanistan after 2014 and make a multiyear financial commitment to the Afghan Army and the police.
The White House announced last month that long-delayed talks with the Taliban would begin in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban opened what amounts to an embassy-in-exile, complete with their old flag and a plaque with their official name, “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”
But the highly choreographed announcement backfired, with Afghan officials saying the talks gave the insurgents undeserved legitimacy and accusing the Obama administration of negotiating behind Mr. Karzai’s back.
To the surprise of American officials, Mr. Karzai then abruptly ended the negotiations over a long-term security deal. He has said the negotiations would not resume until the Taliban met directly with representatives of the Afghan government, essentially linking the security negotiations to a faltering peace process and making the United States responsible for persuading the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government.
The Taliban have refused for years to meet directly with Afghan government negotiators, deriding Mr. Karzai and his ministers as American puppets.
There have been other points of contention as well. Meeting with foreign ambassadors recently, Mr. Karzai openly mused that the West was to blame for the rise of radical Islam. It was not a message that many of the envoys, whose countries have lost thousands of people in Afghanistan and spent billions of dollars fighting the Taliban, welcomed.
The troop decisions are also being made against a backdrop of growing political uncertainty in Afghanistan and rising concerns that the country’s presidential election could either be delayed for months or longer, or be so flawed that many Afghans would not accept its results.
Preparations for the election, scheduled for next April, are already falling behind. United Nations officials have begun to say the elections probably cannot be held until next summer, at the earliest. If the voting does not occur before Afghanistan’s mountain passes are closed by snow in late fall, it will be extremely difficult to hold a vote until 2015.
Of potentially bigger concern are the rumors that Mr. Karzai, in his second term and barred from serving a third, is trying to find a way to stay in power. Mr. Karzai has repeatedly insisted that he plans to step down next year.
The ripple effects of a complete American withdrawal would be significant. Western officials said the Germans and Italians — the two main European allies who have committed to staying on with substantial forces — would leave as well. Any smaller nations that envisioned keeping token forces would most likely have no way of doing so.
And Afghanistan would probably see far less than the roughly $8 billion in annual military and civilian aid it is expecting in the coming years — an amount that covers more than half the government’s annual spending. ||||| (CNN) -- President Barack Obama is seriously considering withdrawing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2014, a senior administration official told CNN.
The official's comments came after The New York Times reported the administration was looking at speeding up the troop withdrawal to the "zero option," leaving no U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Until now, U.S. and Afghan officials had been discussing plans to keep a small force behind to fight insurgents and to train Afghan security personnel.
But Obama has, in recent months, grown increasingly frustrated in dealing with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Their relationship soured further last month after the United States and the Taliban planned peace talks. In response, Karzai cut off negotiations with the United States on the residual troop presence post-2014.
A "zero option" has always been among the scenarios the United States envisioned. But the new revelation means that it could be a very possible one now.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said Tuesday that Obama has not made a decision on U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan beyond 2014.
"We are continuing discussions" with Afghanistan about carrying out post-combat missions, Little said. "We continue to work through issues," he said, adding, "We believe we can work through them."
If the United States pulls out all its troops, it will be a situation similar to that in Iraq.
The refusal by the Iraqi government to extend legal protections for U.S. troops after the end of the war in Iraq was a major reason the United States left the country with no residual military training force.
Karzai has said he would like for U.S. troops to remain after the end of the NATO mission. But he also has been highly critical of the troops over the years, following incidents in which U.S. forces have killed civilians.
CNN's Adam Levine contributed to this report.
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– President Obama is so sick of dealing with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai that he is seriously considering bringing American military involvement in the country to a speedy and complete end, senior administration officials tell CNN and the New York Times. The "zero option" of leaving no American troops in the country at all after the end of 2014 has been raised before, but it is now being seen as "a realistic path" and is one of the main options under consideration as relations with Karzai deteriorate, a senior US official in Kabul says. Tensions between Obama and Karzai have been going downhill fast since the US began an effort last month to hold peace talks with the Taliban, insiders say, and a recent videoconference between the two ended with the relationship worse than ever after Karzai accused the US of abandoning the Afghan government and Obama responded by pointing out the American lives lost keeping his regime in power. The number of US troops in Afghanistan is set to go from the current 63,000 to 34,000 by next February. Most of those are expected to be gone by the end of 2014, but it is now possible that they could all be home by the end of next summer.
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When she heard the tree crack, Jessica Dicks knew her kids were in danger.
She dove for the tent where they were playing, racing a 10-metre tree toppling toward them.
"I remember running for the tent and then that's it — blank," said Dicks, 27. "Then the tree hit me, and it crushed me."
Her family - including her daughters, aged six, four, and 10 months, was on a camping trip on July 3 at Lawrence Lake Provincial Park, two hours north of Edmonton.
Three weeks after that day in the campground, where Dicks used her body to deflect the tree away from the tent, she finally woke up from a medically induced coma at the University of Alberta Hospital. She had 20 staples in her head and broken teeth. Rods and screws installed surgically in her back helped alleviate the pain.
She suffered a collapsed lung and broken ribs. A crushed T5 vertebra left her paralyzed from the chest down. Her doctor told her she'll never walk again.
Jessica Dicks' girls, Alie, Dailynn and Charlie, camping at Lawrence Lake. (Supplied)
'Life is a whole lot of work now'
Since the day she was injured, Dicks has moved from disbelief to "a whole lot of why me?" before concluding there's no answer to that question.
She kept thanking her spouse, Jason, for staying by her side.
"Life is a whole lot of work now," Dicks said. "This isn't what we had planned."
What they had planned included buying a house, having another baby and a lot more camping, fishing and Ski-Dooing.
"All the things that we love doing — things we'll still be able to do, they'll just be difficult," Dicks said.
Dicks spoke to CBC News on Tuesday on one of the first occasions she ventured out of the hospital, her family by her side. She wants to warn other parents to be aware of the hazards while camping.
Just a week earlier she was released from the intensive care unit and had her feeding tube removed.
Dicks said the hardest part of the experience has been the separation from her daughters.
"She didn't even recognize me," said Dicks, her voice breaking, as she recalled seeing 10-month-old Charlie for the first time after five weeks apart. "I couldn't console her when she cried."
Everything is harder now: getting out of bed, getting dressed and imagining the future.
Worries range from "how hard it's going to be to chase after three kids in a wheelchair," Dicks said, to whether she can afford what she now needs — medication, home care, equipment, wheelchairs, home modifications and an accessible van.
Jessica Dicks was released from the intensive care unit on Aug. 9. (Supplied)
An uncertain future
As a roofer, Dicks made her living by climbing ladders and hauling heavy bundles onto rooftops. She worked for her spouse, an independent contractor. Because he's been by her side since the accident, they have no money coming in.
Dicks' uncle has set up a crowdfunding campaign. Monty Major doesn't want the niece he thinks of as his own daughter to worry about money on top of everything else.
He's also set up a Facebook page with updates on her progress because he knows "she can use all the positive energy and prayers from everyone," he said.
"I think she's a hero. I really think she saved at least one or more of those little girls."
Dicks said the support of her family allows her to take "leaps and bounds instead of baby steps."
Her children inspire her to stay positive.
"They're pretty well my motivation for trying at all to get out of this hospital and out of this chair. I have to get back to them," said Dicks, who, despite the doctors' prognosis, remains hopeful she will walk again one day.
When asked about the sacrifice she made for her children, Dicks looks over at baby Charlie, sleeping peacefully in her stroller.
"I would rather be paralyzed than one of them be dead, or them be paralyzed," she said.
"I'd rather sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life and watch them grow up normally than be in the hospital with one of them."
@andreahuncar
[email protected] ||||| Help for Jess
Jess had a tree fall on her while camping as she was saving her children.
On Sunday, July 3, 2016 while camping at an Alberta provincial campground, Jessica Dicks, a 27 year old mother of 3 was involved in a horrific accident when the wind picked up around noon and a tree snapped off about 8 feet up and fell onto her. Jess rushed over to their tent after she heard the crack and seeing that the tree was falling towards the tent where there were 4 small girls ages ranging from 9 months to 7 years inside playing. With the location and angle that the tree ended up, and where she was, it is apparent that Jess deflected the tree from hitting the tent, most likely saving the girls lives as they were on the bed inside directly adjacent to where the tree ended up on her.
Her brother Douglas was camping with them; Doug removed the tree off her and called first responders where she was rushed to Edmonton. The large tree landing on her resulted in a severe spinal injury to her T5 vertebrae, fractures in the C spine sections of vertebrae, a broken sternum, a collapsed lung, several broken ribs as well as a cut to the back of her neck which required 20 staples to close.
Since the incident, Jess has been receiving care in the intensive care neurology ward at the University of Alberta Hospital. It took 11 days for the doctors and nurses to stabilize her enough to allow neurosurgeons to perform surgery which entailed installing rods and screws to support the T5 vertebrae and help alleviate the pain. She had her surgery on Thursday, July 14, 2016. Her respiratory issues as well as fractures to the C spine vertebrae remain a concern. At the time of writing this release, it is too early to tell how successful the surgery went to helping repair the damage, or if Jess will ever regain feeling in her lower body.
There is a very long and difficult emotional, physical and financial road ahead for this young family of 5 and our hero. They have the support of their immediate and extended family but we know that she can use all the positive energy and prayers from everyone if she has even the slightest chance of a normal life.
There has been a support Facebook page, a dedicated email address and a page set up at Plumfund.com for anyone wishing to donate to the cause. With the exception of the small percentage that Plumfund retains to administer the crowd funding web page, all funds collected will go directly to the young family to assist with all the things they will need in the coming weeks, months and years.
email: [email protected]
Facbook page: Help For Jess@helpjessicamariedicks
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– A Canadian mother is paralyzed and her life upended after she threw herself in harm's way to save her children, CBC reports. Jessica Dicks was camping July 3 when a 30-foot tree started falling toward the tent that held her daughters—ages 6, 4, and 10 months. "I remember running for the tent and then that's it—blank," Dicks says. Three weeks later, she woke up from a medically induced coma. The tree had fallen on her, leaving Dicks with broken teeth, a collapsed lung, a broken rib, 20 staples in her head, and rods and screws in her back. She was also paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors tell her she'll never walk again. Dicks' uncle credits her with saving her children's lives. "I would rather be paralyzed than one of them be dead, or them be paralyzed," Dicks says. But now she worries about the kind of life she'll have with her daughters. It's unclear how Dicks, who worked as a roofer, will be able to afford the life she and her husband had planned or the medical costs she'll now face. "Life is a whole lot of work now," she says. Her uncle has set up a fundraising page in the hopes of raising $50,000 to help Dicks' family.
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Drunk Driving Girl on Periscope gets Arrested
On October 10th, the Lakeland Police Department began receiving 911 calls from viewers of Periscope about a possible drunk driver using the social media APP Periscope to broadcast herself. Periscope is a live video streaming platform, (owned by Twitter). It allows you to video-record and broadcast to anywhere in the entire world. As a result of the video being streamed worldwide, numerous text messages were sent to the driver asking her to stop driving before she killed someone or herself.
One 911 caller stated the female was driving in the north Lakeland area but he could not provide specific location as he was watching the streaming video live. The female driver advised several times on Periscope that she was “drunk”, and that she had a flat tire. The subject advised several times that she was unaware of where she was.
As the caller was giving police dispatch the details from the video, the video was turned off several times and the caller was unable to provide a vehicle description other than it was a Toyota. This made locating the intoxicated driver more difficult for officers searching the surrounding area and with nothing more to go on other than the make of the car.
The Lakeland Police Department does not provide officers with access to Periscope as an authorized software tool and therefore they did not have the ability to monitor the driver’s actions. One officer took the initiative to utilize their personal account in an effort to locate the driver.
Based on what the officer could observe, and landmarks in the area from the streaming video, LPD officers located the driver eastbound on Carpenters Way. At this time, she was driving a 2015 Toyota Corolla, 4-dr with a flat left front tire.
Her vehicle abruptly hit the south curb with the right front tire/wheel just as officer’s initiated a traffic stop. Officers advised that the driver did not even brake after striking the curb. The subject vehicle stopped in the 1000 block of Carpenters Way at which time the female was identified as Whitney Marie Beall, 23 years old. Officers advised that they smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Beall, her speech was slow; her eyes were bloodshot and glossy. Bell also appeared to be disoriented. Beall failed the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and she refused the breathalyzer test. Beall was arrested by Officer Mike Kellner and charged with DUI. She was later transported to the Polk County Jail.
The streaming Periscope video highlights the dangers of driving while intoxicated through the eyes of a drunk and irresponsible young adult. The Lakeland Police Department is extremely thankful that this did not result in an accident and no one was injured as a result of her poor decision. ||||| LAKELAND, FL (WFLA) – She turned the camera on herself, for the entire world to see. A Lakeland woman used the live-video broadcasting app Periscope to show off her heavy partying Friday night, and then narrated her drunken drive home. The bizarre night landed 23-year-old Whitney Beall in jail.
Beal broadcasted multiple videos throughout the night, but they stopped once Lakeland Police pulled up behind her. Surprisingly, Beall did not hurt herself or anyone else through the drunken ride.
Lakeland Police Sgt. Gary Gross said Beall failed a sobriety test and she was obviously drunk because of her slurred speech, glossy eyes and overall fogginess. But on her videos, with titles like “Drunk Girl Driving,” Beall made it clear she was drunk.
“I’m driving home drunk, let’s see if I get a DUI,” Beall said on a video.
Earlier in the night she let her Periscope followers virtually join in the wild bar-hopping in downtown Lakeland.
“Let’s have fun! Let’s have fun!” she screamed to the camera.
Afterwards they watched her get behind the wheel after admittedly drinking far too many.
“I am drunk on South Florida Avenue because I’m a drunk person,” Beall said on Periscope.
She headed the opposite way of her home and got a few honks when she wouldn’t go at a green light.
“Driving drunk is not cool,” she said, as drivers honk behind her.
This all unfolded as dozens of people around the world witnessed what could turn tragic any second.
“Fifty-seven people, oh I didn’t know I’d get this many people,” Beall said, noticing how many viewers were watching her drive. “I am super drunk in the USA and the light is red,” she said.
Thankfully two of those viewers dialed 911 and not only reported it, but explained the app that could help police track her down.
“Within minutes we found her driving, flat front tire, she hit the curb again and it was just obvious from that she was intoxicated,” Sgt. Gary Gross said. “She went through the tests, she failed and went to jail,” he added.
Monday Beall became camera shy when News Channel 8 gave her a chance to face the world again. She was surprised that people would now learn “Drunk Girl Driving” ended exactly how she feared.
“Let’s see if I can do it all the way home without a ticket,” she said.
Once police downloaded the app they were able to start viewing Beall’s live broadcast themselves. They noticed landmarks in the background of her video and then found her in North Lakeland. About 20 minutes after the 911 call she was arrested.
Outside her home Monday, Beall said what happened was a big mistake and she was learning her lesson. Her mother added they are hiring an attorney.
Lee Cohen, a Lakeland attorney representing Beall, released the following statement about his client:
“She is a young professional with a bright future. When her court date is set, I will be entering a plea on her behalf of not guilty. I am not doing any interviews at this time, nor is my client or her mother. I’ll be investigating the case and that starts now. I am waiting to see all the evidence, and I will take a look at it. I am also waiting for discovery from the State Attorney’s Office.” ||||| Authorities say 911 calls from concerned viewers led to the arrest of a Florida woman who was streaming live video of herself while driving drunk. Lakeland police report 23-year-old Whitney Beall was using the social media app Periscope as she was driving Saturday. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015)
Authorities say 911 calls from concerned viewers led to the arrest of a Florida woman who was streaming live video of herself while driving drunk.
Lakeland police report 23-year-old Whitney Beall was using the social media app Periscope as she was driving Saturday. The video shows her saying several times that she was drunk. She also said she had a flat tire and didn't know where she was.
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"I feel like I’m going to be drunk all the way, all the way home people I’m going to be drunk!" she said in the video.
Other users messaged her urging her to stop driving before she caused a crash. Some called the police.
Florida Woman Streamed Live Video of Drunken Driving: Police
Authorities say 911 calls from concerned viewers led to the arrest of a Florida woman who was streaming live video of herself while driving drunk. Lakeland police report 23-year-old Whitney Beall was using the social media app Periscope as she was driving Saturday. (Published Monday, Oct. 12, 2015)
"How do you know she’s drunk?" the dispatcher asked a caller in one of the 911 calls.
“She’s slurring her speech and she’s going from one lane to another on the street," the caller replied.
An officer logged onto the service and located Beall's car, and officers pulled her over.
A news release says Beall failed a field sobriety test and refused to take a breath test.
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"The streaming Periscope video highlights the dangers of driving while intoxicated through the eyes of a drunk and irresponsible young adult," Lakeland Police said in a statement. "The Lakeland Police Department is extremely thankful that this did not result in an accident and no one was injured as a result of her poor decision."
She was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. She was later released on $500 bail. Beall's attorney Lee Cohen told NBC News, "I'm going to be investigating the case and until my investigation is complete I won't have any comments to make."
Lakeland is about 35 miles east of Tampa.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 South Florida
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– If the drunk-driving case against Whitney Beall goes to trial, Exhibit A will probably be her Periscope video "Drunk Girl Driving," in which she drives around talking about how drunk she is. Police in Lakeland, Fla., say the 23-year-old used the live-streaming app to upload a series of videos of herself driving drunk on Saturday night, and she was arrested after worried viewers called 911, NBC Miami reports. Police say they managed to find Beall after an officer logged onto the app. When she was pulled over, she drove into a curb without braking, the New York Daily News reports. She refused a Breathalyzer test but failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DUI and taken to jail. As Beall drove around—and viewers urged her to stop before she killed somebody—she complained about having a flat tire and made statements like "I am super drunk in the USA" and "I am drunk on South Florida Avenue because I'm a drunk person." The video "highlights the dangers of driving while intoxicated through the eyes of a drunk and irresponsible young adult," police said in a statement. The department is "extremely thankful that this did not result in an accident and no one was injured as a result of her poor decision." Beall's lawyer says she is "a young professional with a bright future" and she will be pleading not guilty, WFLA reports. (A drunk wedding guest nearly ran over the bride.)
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Soon after detectives began investigating the October 2012 kidnapping and torture of a Newport Beach marijuana dispensary owner, Nayeri, who was one of the chief suspects, fled the country.
He escaped to Iran, a country where he seemed well beyond the reach of Orange County authorities. En route to an expected meeting with his wife and sister in Spain, however, he stopped in the Czech Republic, where authorities arrested and extradited him.
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Nayeri, 37, had been awaiting trial in the Orange County jail in Santa Ana when he managed to break out Friday, along with two other inmates. It was a scheme that authorities believe may have been weeks or months in the works.
Nayeri faced the possibility of life in prison if convicted on charges of kidnapping, aggravated mayhem, torture and burglary.
The crime he stood accused of was particularly cruel. Authorities say Nayeri had become convinced that a Newport Beach man who ran lucrative pot dispensaries had a stash of money in the Mojave Desert.
Prosecutors allege Nayeri masterminded a plot to kidnap the man and began surveilling him.
On Oct. 2, 2012, prosecutors say, Nayeri and codefendants Ryan Kevorkian and Kyle Handley broke into the Newport Beach home where the man was staying and kidnapped him, along with a woman who was dating the owner of the home.
At a preliminary hearing in March 2015, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Ryan Peters testified that someone struck the man in the face with the stock of a shotgun and that he was cuffed with zip ties, gagged and blindfolded.
Authorities said the attackers dragged the man and woman to a van and drove them to the desert, a 2 1/2-hour drive. The attackers said they believed the man had $1 million, but he told them he could get them $40,000 cash, Peters testified.
According to authorities, the attackers — who wore disguises and adopted obviously fake Latino accents — punched the man, Tasered him, burned him with a butane torch and cut off his penis. As they left, the woman told an investigator, the attackers left a knife behind and told her to count to 100 and then free herself, but not to call police.
She cut herself free and ran a mile before flagging down a Kern County sheriff's patrol car, officials said. The pair were rushed to Antelope Valley Hospital.
Orange County's Sheriff's Department Hossein Nayeri, left, Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong escaped from the Orange County Men’s Central Jail on Jan. 22. They were recaptured a week later. Hossein Nayeri, left, Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong escaped from the Orange County Men’s Central Jail on Jan. 22. They were recaptured a week later. (Orange County's Sheriff's Department) (Orange County's Sheriff's Department)
Prosecutors said that about a week before the kidnapping, Newport Beach police attempted to stop Nayeri for a routine traffic violation, but Nayeri sped away, crashed his car and fled on foot.
Police found surveillance equipment inside the abandoned car but did not know of its possible significance in the crime being plotted.
The men who escaped with Nayeri, Bac Tien Duong, 43, and Jonathan Tieu, 20, of Fountain Valley, were being held in unrelated cases. Duong faces charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and residential burglary. Tieu faces charges of special circumstances murder in connection with what authorities describe as a gang-related slaying.
Robert K. Weinberg, the attorney representing Kyle Handley, one of the codefendants in the kidnapping case, said that when he learned about the jailbreak, he immediately believed Nayeri was the mastermind.
"The first thought I had was, 'He got away and probably recruited the others to do it with him,'" he said.
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In 2005, Nayeri was arrested in connection with a drunk-driving death in Madera County, according to Roger Bonakdar, an attorney representing relatives of the victim, Ehsan Tousi.
Tousi, a 26-year-old aspiring sports broadcaster, was the passenger in Nayeri's vehicle when it flipped over and crashed.
Nayeri was arrested and posted bond, but he later fled the country, according to Bonakdar.
He was captured in Washington, D.C., in 2006 and returned to California, where he pleaded guilty to drunk driving and causing great bodily injury.
Under the terms of the deal, Nayeri was sentenced to one year in prison and probation, Bonakdar said.
Several calls to the Madera County district attorney's office seeking information about the case were not returned.
Nayeri, who grew up in the Fresno area and graduated from the same high school as Tousi, had no prior felony convictions at the time, Bonakdar said.
In 2011, Nayeri was arrested in Irvine on charges of domestic battery, false imprisonment and making criminal threats. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disturbing the peace, according to court records.
Officials believe Nayeri and the other two inmates planned the escape for some time. Police have launched a massive manhunt and warned the public that all three should be considered dangerous.
Weinberg, the attorney, said the kidnapping underscores the danger Nayeri poses.
"What the victim went through in this case is unspeakable," he said.
[email protected] | Twitter: @LATChrisGoffard
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MORE ON THE PRISON ESCAPE
Escaped inmates charged with new felonies as Orange County manhunt widens
Three escaped inmates from Orange County jail remain on the run
O.C. jail escape: As search for inmates intensifies, Little Saigon is left on edge ||||| Todd Spitzer, member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said Monday night he will ask the board at Tuesday’s weekly meeting to raise the reward money for the capture of the three jail escapees by $150,000.
Spitzer said he arrived at the figure Monday after meeting with Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.
Previously, the FBI has offered $20,000 and the U.S. Marshals $30,000. If the supervisors approve the plan, the total reward would be $200,000.
Earlier Monday, Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock expressed hope that the community would step forward in identifying the whereabouts of the three men, who broke out of Orange County jail Friday morning.
“These are very dangerous inmates,” Hallock said. “It’s important that the public realizes that.
“We are receiving tips, but not of the quality we would like.”
People with information about the suspects are requested to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials at 714-628-7085 or call 911.
Meanwhile, at least 250 law enforcement officials had searched across Orange County and Southern California Monday for the inmates.
By Monday, police had served 30 search warrants for homes and cellphones.
Hossein Nayeri, Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong were present during a 5 a.m. count at the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana on Friday, where all were held on violent criminal charges.
“There’s no information to indicate they’ve left Southern California,” Hallock said. “It’s possible the three are being harbored by someone in the community, but no direct indication of that.”
Hallock said the second and final scheduled physical inmate count, which usually happens around 8 p.m., was delayed Friday night because of a possibly staged fight between inmates, which also injured a deputy.
“(The fight) may have been a ploy to distract staff to further delay the 8 p.m. physical body count,” Hallock said.
The count was delayed about an hour.
County officials - including the Sheriff’s Department, Probation and District Attorney’s office - and authorities from the FBI, U.S. Marshals, ATF, state parole and U.S. Postal Inspectors, have been working to find the men.
Early Monday afternoon, the District Attorney filed a felony complaint against the three for escape “from pending felony charges.”
Questions still remain about how the men were able to break out, as officials separated the incident into two investigations: the first finding the fugitives. The second, an investigation into how the jail’s security was breached and who may have helped.
“Once we get the inmates back into custody, we’ll focus on how they were able to get out,” Hallock said.
Duong - who does not speak English - and Tieu are both members of violent Vietnamese gangs, sheriff’s Lt. Dave Sawyer said.
Authorities suspect the men are being harbored, although it’s unknown if they were still together Monday.
“There is a strong possibility that (Tieu) is connected with those fellow gang members in the Vietnamese community,” Hallock said.
Police are applying pressure to the Vietnamese gangs that Tieu and Duong affiliate with for information about their whereabouts, Sawyer said.
“During this investigation we will use every resource we have,” he said, adding that some members of Orange County’s Vietnamese community are understandably worried about Tieu and Duong being at large.
Giao Thien Pham, editor-in chief of the Westminster-based Nguoi Viet Daily News, the largest Vietnamese daily newspaper in the U.S., agreed it’s possible Tieu and Duong are still in the area.
“Orange County has hundreds 0f thousands of Vietnamese, so they could easily blend in,” he said, adding that he believed residents who he was in contact with in the county’s Little Saigon community were on edge Monday.
Deputy Phuong Nguyen, a Vietnamese-speaking deputy, made a plea during the 10 a.m. press conference addressing the Vietnamese community, or areas densely populated by that demographic.
Tieu, a 20-year-old member of the Tiny Rascal Gang or TRG, was being held in a 68-man jail unit with Duong, 43, and Nayeri, 38, on charges of murder.
Investigators suspect Tieu, along with several other Tiny Rascal Gang members, shot and killed Scottie Bui, 19, an alleged member of the Power of Vietnam or POV gang around 2:20 a.m. March 20, 2011.
Tieu was 16 at the time of the shooting.
Ten Tiny Rascal Gang members were arrested in April 2011 during a raid where Garden Grove police served search warrants connected to Bui’s death. Officers, in addition to making the arrest, found drugs, guns and $70,000 in cash.
Tieu’s fellow gang member, Tien Phuoc Phung, was convicted of Bui’s murder, although the conviction was overturned in July 2014.
Lynda Bui, 29, Scottie Bui’s older sister, said Monday morning that the family had not been told by officials about Tieu's escape.
This left them feeling surprised and uneasy.
“It's kind of scary because you don't know what he's going to do, you know?" she said.
The events, which happened about five years ago, still linger for them.
“It's been a long time ... I just feel sad about all of this.”
Duong is also considered a violent Vietnamese gang member, although it was unknown Monday whether he and Tieu knew each other before being incarcerated.
On Nov. 18, Duong is accused of shooting a 52-year-old man, identified in court documents as Michael L., in the chest around 1:35 p.m. in the 5600 block of West Highland Street in Santa Ana.
Duong, 43, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was ineligible for bail because of an immigration hold.
He was previously released from lockup on an early-release program for two narcotics charges out of Garden Grove, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
Duong has also been charged previously with crimes including burglary, evading, firearm possession, domestic violence, criminal threats, attempted robbery and carjacking, according to Santa Ana police records.
He has no permanent address in Santa Ana, but was known to stay in various houses within the city when he was not housed at Orange County jail, Bertagna said.
Nayeri, 37, while not affiliated with local Vietnamese gangs, also has a violent past.
He is one of four people accused of kidnapping and torturing a Santa Ana marijuana dispensary owner.
Prosecutors allege they burned the dispensary owner with a blowtorch and cut off his penis before dumping him and his girlfriend on the side of a desert road.
The couple survived and Nayeri, who previously fled to Iran before being captured in Prague and flown back to Orange County, has been held without bail in the Orange County Jail since September 2014.
It was still unclear how the three escapees fled once they hit the ground outside the jail sometime Friday morning. But sheriff's spokesman Hallock said they were gone for 16 to 18 hours before deputies noticed.
Investigators established over the weekend that the trio cut through half-inch steel bars in the jail unit before forcing their way into a plumbing tunnel, Hallock said.
They made their way onto the jailhouse roof before lowering themselves four stories to the ground using improvised rope made of bed sheets.
(Click to enlarge)
Staff writer Tony Saavedra contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or [email protected]
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– As the search for three escaped inmates stretches on, Orange County jail officials are facing pressure to explain why the men weren't held in individual cells. Authorities at the Men's Central Jail in Santa Ana say Hossein Nayeri, 37, Jonathan Tieu, 20, and Bac Duong, 43—charged with violent crimes including torture, kidnapping, murder, and attempted murder—fled through a hole in a wall hidden behind bunk beds in a 68-man dorm. However, the sheriff's department in neighboring Los Angeles County says it keeps inmates accused of similar crimes in one-person cells, reports the Los Angeles Times. At the state level, the California Department of Corrections adds that inmates convicted of violent crimes are typically only held in a dormitory after 20 years of good behavior. "These guys have nothing to lose,” a former corrections head says. "Why are they, looking at life or worse, not being held in closed cells? Who made that judgment?" Los Angeles County requires at least three physical checks per day, while a minimum of four are performed at the state level; Orange County performs just two. The escapees were last spotted during a 5am check on Friday, but were missing during the next check 16 hours later; it was delayed by an hour due to a "jailhouse brawl" that could have been a cover-up, the Times notes. A further cause of concern is that authorities might have had reason to suspect that one of the inmates was a flight risk. Nayeri fled to Iran after allegedly cutting off a marijuana dispensary owner's penis, per the Times. He was eventually arrested in the Czech Republic. A former jail official says the inmates likely had help getting the tools to cut through four layers of steel and rebar. "Such cutting creates a lot of noise, and it would have to be covered up," he says. "Once we get the inmates back into custody, we'll focus on how they were able to get out," an officer tells the Orange County Register.
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JUAN WILLIAMS says that Sarah Palin can’t stand on the same intellectual stage as Barack Obama. He offers no evidence, however, for the proposition that Obama is particularly bright, and I can’t say I see a big difference.
Obama’s former colleague Richard Epstein says:
I like Obama but I reject the suggestion that he is an intellectual. He is an activist merely mimicking the mannerisms of an intellectual.
Personally, I think Richard Epstein’s a better judge of who’s intellectual than Juan Williams is. But I think most of the press — for whom the phrase “an activist merely mimicking the mannerisms of an intellectual” may also apply — is easier to fool. ||||| Well, this is likely to end the conservative love affair with Juan Williams that started after he was fired by NPR:
Fox News contributor Juan Williams said Sunday that Sarah Palin “can’t stand on the intellectual stage” with President Obama.
Williams, in his role as an analyst on Fox News Sunday, was breaking down the Republican presidential field, which he saw as weak.
“There’s nobody out there, except for Sarah Palin, who can absolutely dominate the stage, and she can’t stand on the intellectual stage with Obama,” Williams said. ||||| Juan Williams hit out at Sarah Palin on "Fox News Sunday," saying she could not match President Obama intellectually.
Williams was speaking about the potential Republican presidential candidates for the 2012 elections, and decrying them as "weak." He mocked the idea that someone like Indiana Congressman Mike Pence could go head to head with Obama.
"There is nobody out there except for Sarah Palin who could absolutely dominate the stage and she can't stand on the intellectual stage with Obama," Williams concluded.
This prompted a chorus of "oooohhhs" from the rest of the panel.
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– Conservatives rushed to Juan Williams’ aid when NPR fired him—but now, he’s taking heat from the right for saying Sarah Palin “can’t stand on an intellectual stage with Obama.” On Fox News Sunday, the onetime NPR commentator said the field of Republican candidates was “weak,” and Palin was the only charismatic one—but she lacked the intellectual credentials to face the president. “This is likely to end the conservative love affair with Juan Williams,” notes Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. But who’s to say Obama is an intellectual, anyway? asks Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit, noting that a former University of Chicago colleague has called the president “an activist merely mimicking the mannerisms of an intellectual.” On the other hand, “Some might say Williams is picking up where Karl Rove left off and is merely voicing reality too many GOPers are unwilling to speak up about,” writes Glynnis MacNicol at Business Insider. See the Williams video at the Huffington Post.
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The total cost to America of its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus the related military operations in Pakistan, is set to exceed $4 trillion – more than three times the sum so far authorised by Congress in the decade since the 9/11 attacks.
Click HERE to view graphic (101 kb)
This staggering sum emerges from a new study by academics at the Ivy-league Brown University that reveals the $1.3 trillion officially appropriated on Capitol Hill is the tip of a spending iceberg. If other Pentagon outlays, interest payments on money borrowed to finance the wars, and the $400bn estimated to have been spent on the domestic "war on terror", the total cost is already somewhere between $2.3 and $2.7 trillion.
And even though the wars are now winding down, add in future military spending and above all the cost of looking after veterans, disabled and otherwise and the total bill will be somewhere between $3.7 trillion and $4.4 trillion.
The report by Brown's Watson Institute for International Studies is not the first time such astronomical figures have been cited; a 2008 study co-authored by the Harvard economist Linda Bilmes and Joseph Stiglitz, a former Nobel economics laureate, reckoned the wars would end up costing over $3 trillion. The difference is that America's financial position has worsened considerably in the meantime, with a brutal recession and a federal budget deficit running at some $1.5 trillion annually, while healthcare and social security spending is set to soar as the population ages and the baby boomer generation enters retirement.
Unlike most of America's previous conflicts moreover, Iraq and Afghanistan have been financed almost entirely by borrowed money that sooner or later must be repaid.
The human misery is commensurate. The report concludes that in all, between 225,000 and 258,000 people have died as a result of the wars. Of that total, US soldiers killed on the battlefield represent a small fraction, some 6,100. The civilian death toll in Iraq is put at 125,000 (rather less than some other estimates) and at up to 14,000 in Afghanistan. For Pakistan, no reliable calculation can be made.
Even these figures however only scratch the surface of the suffering, in terms of people injured and maimed, or those who have died from malnutrition or lack of treatment. "When the fighting stops, the indirect dying continues," Neta Crawford, a co-director of the Brown study, said. Not least, the wars may have created some 7.8 million refugees, roughly equal to the population of Scotland and Wales.
What America achieved by such outlays is also more than questionable. Two brutal regimes, those of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, have been overturned while al-Qa'ida, the terrorist group that carried out 9/11, by all accounts has been largely destroyed - but in neither Iraq nor Afghanistan is democracy exactly flourishing, while the biggest winner from the Iraq war has been America's arch-foe Iran.
Osama bin Laden and his henchmen probably spent the pittance of just $500,000 on organising the September 2001 attacks, which killed 3,000 people and directly cost the US economy an estimated $50bn to $100bn. In 2003, President George W Bush proclaimed that the Iraq war would cost $50bn to $60bn. Governments that go to war invariably underestimate the cost – but rarely on such an epic scale.
If the Brown study is correct, the wars that flowed from 9/11 will not only have been the longest in US history. At $4 trillion and counting, their combined cost is approaching that of the Second World War, put at some $4.1 trillion in today's prices by the Congressional Budget Office. ||||| NEW YORK When President Barack Obama cited cost as a reason to bring troops home from Afghanistan, he referred to a $1 trillion price tag for America's wars.
Staggering as it is, that figure grossly underestimates the total cost of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the U.S. Treasury and ignores more imposing costs yet to come, according to a study released on Wednesday.
The final bill will run at least $3.7 trillion and could reach as high as $4.4 trillion, according to the research project "Costs of War" by Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies. (www.costsofwar.org)
In the 10 years since U.S. troops went into Afghanistan to root out the al Qaeda leaders behind the September 11, 2001, attacks, spending on the conflicts totaled $2.3 trillion to $2.7 trillion.
Those numbers will continue to soar when considering often overlooked costs such as long-term obligations to wounded veterans and projected war spending from 2012 through 2020. The estimates do not include at least $1 trillion more in interest payments coming due and many billions more in expenses that cannot be counted, according to the study.
The White House says the total amount appropriated for war-related activities of the Department of Defense, intelligence and State Department since 2001 is about $1.3 trillion, and that would rise to nearly $1.4 trillion in 2012.
Researchers with the Watson Institute say that type of accounting is common but too narrow to measure the real costs.
In human terms, 224,000 to 258,000 people have died directly from warfare, including 125,000 civilians in Iraq. Many more have died indirectly, from the loss of clean drinking water, healthcare, and nutrition. An additional 365,000 have been wounded and 7.8 million people -- equal to the combined population of Connecticut and Kentucky -- have been displaced.
"Costs of War" brought together more than 20 academics to uncover the expense of war in lives and dollars, a daunting task given the inconsistent recording of lives lost and what the report called opaque and sloppy accounting by the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon.
The report underlines the extent to which war will continue to stretch the U.S. federal budget, which is already on an unsustainable course due to an aging American population and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
It also raises the question of what the United States gained from its multitrillion-dollar investment.
"I hope that when we look back, whenever this ends, something very good has come out of it," Senator Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, told Reuters in Washington.
SEPT 11, 2001: THE DAMAGE CONTINUES
In one sense, the report measures the cost of 9/11, the American shorthand for the events of September 11, 2001. Nineteen hijackers plus other al Qaeda plotters spent an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 on the plane attacks that killed 2,995 people and caused $50 billion to $100 billion in economic damages.
What followed were three wars in which $50 billion amounts to a rounding error. For every person killed on September 11, another 73 have been killed since.
Was it worth it? That is a question many people want answered, said Catherine Lutz, head of the anthropology department at Brown and co-director of the study.
"We decided we needed to do this kind of rigorous assessment of what it cost to make those choices to go to war," she said. "Politicians, we assumed, were not going to do that kind of assessment."
The report arrives as Congress debates how to cut a U.S. deficit projected at $1.4 trillion this year, roughly a 10th of which can be attributed to direct war spending.
What did the United States gain for its trillions?
Strategically, the results for the United States are mixed. Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are dead, but Iraq and Afghanistan are far from stable democracies. Iran has gained influence in the Gulf and the Taliban, though ousted from government, remain a viable military force in Afghanistan.
"The United States has been extremely successful in protecting the homeland," said George Friedman, founder of STRATFOR, a U.S.-based intelligence company.
"Al Qaeda in Afghanistan was capable of mounting very sophisticated, complex, operations on an intercontinental basis. That organization with that capability has not only been substantially reduced, it seems to have been shattered," Friedman said.
Economically, the results are also mixed. War spending may be adding half a percentage point a year to growth in the gross domestic product but that has been more than offset by the negative effects of deficit spending, the report concludes. ||||| Amid a growing debate over how to bring down the government’s debt, a new study has concluded that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan has cost up to $4 trillion over the past decade.
The study, by the nonpartisan Eisenhower Research Project based at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies, also estimates that at least 225,000 people, including civilians, troops and insurgents, have died as a result of the conflicts. Of that number, an estimated 6,000 were uniformed U.S. military personnel.
Pentagon spending accounts for only half of the budgetary costs incurred and represents a fraction of the full economic cost of the wars, according to the study. Among other line items, the study’s contributors — more than 20 economists, political scientists and other experts — estimate federal obligations to care for past and future veterans will eventually total $600 billion to $950 billion.
The estimates are based on reports from the Congressional Budget Office, the Congressional Research Service and myriad other sources.
The $4 trillion estimate could be fodder for lawmakers increasingly concerned that the United States can ill-afford to maintain a large military presence in Afghanistan.
The study’s authors say that’s a debate worth having.
“Some people will say that’s an expensive price tag, but what we’re trying to do makes it worth it. Other people will say we can’t afford it,” Catherine Lutz, co-director of the “Costs of War” project, said in an interview. “That’s the debate.”
Lutz said the group began its research about a year ago, but that it’s fortunate that the findings are being released in the midst of a major debate about government spending.
It “makes no sense” to have that debate without solid data, she said.
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– The real cost of American military action in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan dwarfs the $1.3 trillion appropriated on Capitol Hill, according to a study by Brown University's nonpartisan Eisenhower Research Project. The study estimates that the war bills already paid or obligated to be paid are at least $3.2 trillion and probably closer to $4 trillion, with the bulk of the spending buried in a variety of budgets and invisible to taxpayers, reports Reuters. "Some people will say that's an expensive price tag, but (that) what we're trying to do makes it worth it," the co-director of the project tells the Washington Post. "Other people will say we can't afford it. That's the debate." The combined cost of the wars—including obligations to future veterans and interest already paid on money borrowed to finance the wars—is approaching the cost of World War II, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates was $4.1 trillion in today's prices, the Independent reports.
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White House senior adviser Jared Kushner leaves a meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Kushner defends his Russia contacts: 'I did not collude' In his statement to Senate investigators, the president's son-in-law recounts but downplays four meetings with Russians.
In his first public defense of his meetings with Russian officials during Donald Trump’s campaign and transition, Jared Kushner on Monday presented his encounters with those operatives as innocent interactions, according to testimony submitted to Senate investigators.
In an 11-page opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is part of the ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign, Kushner — now a senior White House adviser — attempted to exonerate himself, writing: “I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government.”
Story Continued Below
Instead, the powerful son-in-law painted a picture of himself as a loyal, overworked, and underexperienced senior adviser to his father-in-law during a novice campaign that was never staffed up to win.
Kushner reiterated the message in a brief statement to reporters gathered outside the White House after testifying to the Senate panel, during which he answered senators’ questions. He took no questions from reporters.
But the statements, designed to look fully transparent and take Kushner out of the Russia investigation spotlight, appeared to raise more questions about Kushner’s judgment than they answered.
To wit: The former real estate developer explained the glaring omissions on his security clearance forms — which did not originally include several meetings with Russian officials that have since come to light — as an honest mistake made by his assistant at the time. And like others in the Trump orbit who met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Inauguration Day, Kushner also said he had trouble remembering the official after their first brief, previously unreported encounter at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. — the same event at which Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with, but didn’t remember, the Russian ambassador.
Overall, his account of events “still feels incomplete; it was not fulsome,” Evelyn Farkas, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, said of the testimony. “I still wonder exactly what he discussed with Kislyak,” she said. But more importantly, she added, Kushner’s testimony provides no explanation for why he was cavalier in his interactions with Russians after intelligence community reports that Russia tried to meddle in the U.S. election.
“After that,” Farkas said, “why not alert the FBI? It doesn’t exhibit good judgment, or concerns for national security or the integrity of our democracy to be taking those meetings with the Russians.”
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The testimony also raised questions about how a man who blamed multiple foul-ups on sloppy paperwork, unread emails and misunderstandings, is overseeing such a vast portfolio in the White House. As a top West Wing official, Kushner’s situation does not appear to have changed much since the campaign. He still operates with a bare-bones staff, little bureaucracy and impossible burdens (see: overseeing the Middle East peace process while also innovating the entire federal government).
“I am not a person who has sought the spotlight,” Kushner said in his opening statement. But he explained that after Trump clinched the Republican nomination, his father-in-law asked Kushner to be the point of contact for foreign governments, and he was in touch with emissaries from 15 countries, including Russia. To put his hectic life and schedule into context — and explain away his presence at a meeting at which a Russian lawyer was hawking opposition research about Hillary Clinton — he also wrote that he typically received about 200 emails a day during the campaign and often didn’t read through every exchange.
In his opening testimony, Kushner walked through each of his four meetings with the Russians, downplaying all of them as brief, pro forma interactions that led to no follow-ups.
“I had no ongoing relationship with the Ambassador before the election, and had limited knowledge about him then,” he wrote of Kislyak, with whom he reportedly tried to set up a communications back channel during the transition. “In fact, on November 9, the day after the election, I could not even remember the name of the Russian Ambassador.”
Trying to prove his point, he added: “when the campaign received an email purporting to be an official note of congratulations from President Putin, I was asked how we could verify it was real. To do so, I thought the best way would be to ask the only contact I recalled meeting from the Russian government, which was the Ambassador I had met months earlier, so I sent an email asking Mr. [Dimitri] Simes [the publisher of a foreign policy magazine], ‘What is the name of the Russian ambassador?’”
Kushner also responded to a Reuters report that he had two follow-up calls with Kislyak. “A comprehensive review of my landline and cell phone records from the time does not reveal those calls,” he wrote of the reported calls in April and August 2016.
His second interaction with a Russian official was the now infamous Donald Trump Jr. meeting with the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, that June.
Kushner claimed he had no idea what he was walking into. An email from his brother-in-law reminded him of the time change to 4 p.m. for the Trump Tower meeting, and Kushner wrote that it was not abnormal to pop into each other’s offices for meetings. “That email was on top of a long back and forth that I did not read at the time,” he wrote. “Documents confirm my memory that this was calendared as ‘Meeting: Don Jr.| Jared Kushner.’ No one else was mentioned.”
The meeting, at which Veselnitskaya, Trump Jr., campaign chairman Paul Manafort and four other people were discussing Russian adoptions — and at which Trump Jr. expected to receive damaging information about Clinton — was outside his purview, he wrote.
“I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote ‘Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting,’” Kushner wrote. “No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow up to the meeting that I am aware of, I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted.”
His third and final contact with a potential Russian agent, he claimed, was a hoax email he received from a hacker trying to obtain Trump’s tax returns.
During the transition, he said, his only meeting with Kislyak lasted 23 minutes.
“I stated our desire for a fresh start in relations,” he wrote of the meeting where Kushner reportedly tried to set up a back channel of communication. It was Kislyak, Kushner wrote, who brought up U.S. policy in Syria and said “he wanted to convey information from what he called ‘his generals.’”
“He said he wanted to provide information that would help inform the new administration. He said the generals could not easily come to the U.S. to convey this information and he asked if there was a secure line in the transition office to conduct a conversation,” Kushner added.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Kushner explained to Kislyak that there was not. “I believed developing a thoughtful approach on Syria was a very high priority given the ongoing humanitarian crisis,” he explained, “and I asked if they had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use where they would be comfortable transmitting the information they wanted to relay to General Flynn. The Ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration.”
Kushner said he declined two attempts by Kislyak in December for a follow-up meeting. Eventually, Kushner sent his assistant instead. It was there that Kislyak recommended that Kushner sit down with Sergey Gorkov, the head of a Kremlin-linked Russian bank. All that was exchanged, he said, was a humble piece of art and a bag of dirt from the Belarus village where his grandparents were born.
“There were no specific policies discussed,” he said. “We had no discussion about the sanctions imposed by the Obama Administration. At no time was there any discussion about my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or any private business of any kind.”
The Putin-linked bank, however, has provided a different explanation. The Washington Post reported that the bank claimed the meeting was part of a new business strategy and that it was held with Kushner in his role as the head of his family’s real estate business, Kushner Cos.
As for the confusion about his security clearance forms, he blamed the omissions on an assistant.
“[People at my New York office] sent an email to my assistant in Washington, communicating that the changes to one particular section were complete; my assistant interpreted that message as meaning that the entire form was completed,” he wrote. “At that point, the form was a rough draft and still had many omissions including not listing any foreign government contacts and even omitted the address of my father-in-law (which was obviously well known). Because of this miscommunication, my assistant submitted the draft on January 18, 2017.”
But lawyers cast doubt on his hurried explanation of the gaps on his security clearance forms. “The idea he’d have his staff fill out the questionnaire is beyond belief itself,” said Nick Akerman, a former assistant Watergate prosecutor, noting the process requires a physical signature. “Someone on this committee has to go through this point by point and take him through this whole process.”
Kushner is so rarely heard from in public that when he spoke, briefly, at a tech conference earlier this summer, many people joked they didn’t know what his voice sounded like. “It has been my practice not to appear in the media or leak information in my own defense,” Kushner noted in his testimony. But it won’t be his last such appearance.
Kushner, who will face a second grilling by the House on Tuesday, prepared for both sessions with his lawyers. He claimed, at the end of his lengthy statement: “I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required.”
Sen. Mark Warner, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s ranking Democrat, said he anticipated additional appearances by Kushner before the committee in the future: “There’s broad bipartisan expectation that we’ll want to hear from Mr. Kushner again.”
While Kushner and his aides may be hoping to make him a less juicy target than other former Trump officials under investigation, like Manafort and Trump Jr., the statement is only the beginning of the story.
“The key,” said Peter Zeidenberg, who served on the Justice Department’s special prosecution team during the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation, “will be how this story holds up to a thorough cross-examination.”
Darren Samuelsohn and Austin Wright contributed to this report.
||||| STATEMENT OF JARED C. KUSHNER TO CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES
July 24, 2017
I am voluntarily providing this statement, submitting documents, and sitting for interviews in order to shed light on issues that have been raised about my role in the Trump for President Campaign and during the transition period.
I am not a person who has sought the spotlight. First in my business and now in public service, I have worked on achieving goals, and have left it to others to work on media and public perception. Because there has been a great deal of conjecture, speculation, and inaccurate information about me, I am grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight.
My Role in the Trump for President Campaign
Before joining the administration, I worked in the private sector, building and managing companies. My experience was in business, not politics, and it was not my initial intent to play a large role in my father-in-law's campaign when he decided to run for President. However, as the campaign progressed, I was called on to assist with various tasks and aspects of the campaign, and took on more and more responsibility.
Over the course of the primaries and general election campaign, my role continued to evolve. I ultimately worked with the finance, scheduling, communications, speechwriting, polling, data and digital teams, as well as becoming a point of contact for foreign government officials.
All of these were tasks that I had never performed on a campaign previously. When I was faced with a new challenge, I would reach out to contacts, ask advice, find the right person to manage the specific challenge, and work with that person to develop and execute a plan of action. I was lucky to work with some incredibly talented people along the way, all of whom made significant contributions toward the campaign's ultimate success. Our nimble culture allowed us to adjust to the ever-changing circumstances and make changes on the fly as the situation warranted. I share this information because these actions should be viewed through the lens of a fast-paced campaign with thousands of meetings and interactions, some of which were impactful and memorable and many of which were not.
It is also important to note that a campaign's success starts with its message and its messenger. Donald Trump had the right vision for America and delivered his message perfectly. The results speak for themselves. Not only did President Trump defeat sixteen skilled and experienced primary opponents and win the presidency; he did so spending a fraction of what his opponent spent in the general election. He outworked his opponent and ran one of the best campaigns in history using both modern technology and traditional methods to bring his message to the American people.
Campaign Contacts with Foreign Persons
When it became apparent that my father-in-law was going to be the Republican nominee for President, as normally happens, a number of officials from foreign countries attempted to reach out to the campaign. My father-in-law asked me to be a point of contact with these foreign countries. These were not contacts that I initiated, but, over the course of the campaign, I had incoming contacts with people from approximately 15 countries. To put these requests in context, I must have received thousands of calls, letters and emails from people looking to talk or meet on a variety of issues and topics, including hundreds from outside the United States. While I could not be responsive to everyone, I tried to be respectful of any foreign government contacts with whom it would be important to maintain an ongoing, productive working relationship were the candidate to prevail. To that end, I called on a variety of people with deep experience, such as Dr. Henry Kissinger, for advice on policy for the candidate, which countries/representatives with which the campaign should engage, and what messaging would resonate. In addition, it was typical for me to receive 200 or more emails a day during the campaign. I did not have the time to read every one, especially long emails from unknown senders or email chains to which I was added at some later point in the exchange.
With respect to my contacts with Russia or Russian representatives during the campaign, there were hardly any. The first that I can recall was at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. in April 2016. This was when then candidate Trump was delivering a major foreign policy speech. Doing the event and speech had been my idea, and I oversaw its execution. I arrived at the hotel early to make sure all logistics were in order. After that, I stopped into the reception to thank the host of the event, Dimitri Simes, the publisher of the bi-monthly foreign policy magazine, The National Interest, who had done a great job putting everything together. Mr. Simes and his group had created the guest list and extended the invitations for the event. He introduced me to several guests, among them four ambassadors, including Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. With all the ambassadors, including Mr. Kislyak, we shook hands, exchanged brief pleasantries and I thanked them for attending the event and said I hoped they would like candidate Trump's speech and his ideas for a fresh approach to America's foreign policy. The ambassadors also expressed interest in creating a positive relationship should we win the election. Each exchange lasted less than a minute; some gave me their business cards and invited me to lunch at their embassies. I never took them up on any of these invitations and that was the extent of the interactions.
Reuters news service has reported that I had two calls with Ambassador Kislyak at some time between April and November of 2016. While I participated in thousands of calls during this period, I do not recall any such calls with the Russian Ambassador. We have reviewed the phone records available to us and have not been able to identify any calls to any number we know to be associated with Ambassador Kislyak and I am highly skeptical these calls took place. A comprehensive review of my land line and cell phone records from the time does not reveal those calls. I had no ongoing relationship with the Ambassador before the election, and had limited knowledge about him then. In fact, on November 9, the day after the election, I could not even remember the name of the Russian Ambassador. When the campaign received an email purporting to be an official note of congratulations from President Putin, I was asked how we could verify it was real. To do so I thought the best way would be to ask the only contact I recalled meeting from the Russian government, which was the Ambassador I had met months earlier, so I sent an email asking Mr. Simes, "What is the name of the Russian ambassador?" Through my lawyer, I have asked Reuters to provide the dates on which the calls supposedly occurred or the phone number at which I supposedly reached, or was reached by, Ambassador Kislyak. The journalist refused to provide any corroborating evidence that they occurred.
The only other Russian contact during the campaign is one I did not recall at all until I was reviewing documents and emails in response to congressional requests for information. In June 2016, my brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr. asked if I was free to stop by a meeting on June 9 at 3:00 p.m. The campaign was headquartered in the same building as his office in Trump Tower, and it was common for each of us to swing by the other's meetings when requested. He eventually sent me his own email changing the time of the meeting to 4:00 p.m. That email was on top of a long back and forth that I did not read at the time. As I did with most emails when I was working remotely, I quickly reviewed on my iPhone the relevant message that the meeting would occur at 4:00 PM at his office. Documents confirm my memory that this was calendared as "Meeting: Don Jr.| Jared Kushner." No one else was mentioned.
I arrived at the meeting a little late. When I got there, the person who has since been identified as a Russian attorney was talking about the issue of a ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian children. I had no idea why that topic was being raised and quickly determined that my time was not well-spent at this meeting. Reviewing emails recently confirmed my memory that the meeting was a waste of our time and that, in looking for a polite way to leave and get back to my work, I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote "Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting." I had not met the attorney before the meeting nor spoken with her since. I thought nothing more of this short meeting until it came to my attention recently. I did not read or recall this email exchange before it was shown to me by my lawyers when reviewing documents for submission to the committees. No part of the meeting I attended included anything about the campaign, there was no follow up to the meeting that I am aware of, I do not recall how many people were there (or their names), and I have no knowledge of any documents being offered or accepted. Finally, after seeing the email, I disclosed this meeting prior to it being reported in the press on a supplement to my security clearance form, even if that was not required as meeting the definitions of the form.
There was one more possible contact that I will note. On October 30, 2016, I received a random email from the screenname "Guccifer400." This email, which I interpreted as a hoax, was an extortion attempt and threatened to reveal candidate Trump's tax returns and demanded that we send him 52 bitcoins in exchange for not publishing that information. I brought the email to the attention of a U.S. Secret Service agent on the plane we were all travelling on and asked what he thought. He advised me to ignore it and not to reply -- which is what I did. The sender never contacted me again.
To the best of my recollection, these were the full extent of contacts I had during the campaign with persons who were or appeared to potentially be representatives of the Russian government.
Transition Contacts with Foreign Persons
The transition period after the election was even more active than the campaign. Starting on election night, we began to receive an incredible volume of messages and invitations from well-wishers in the United States and abroad. Dozens of messages came from foreign officials seeking to set up foreign leader calls and create lines of communication and relationships with what would be the new administration. During this period, I recall having over fifty contacts with people from over fifteen countries. Two of those meetings were with Russians, neither of which I solicited.
On November 16, 2016, my assistant received a request for a meeting from the Russian Ambassador. As I mentioned before, previous to receiving this request, I could not even recall the Russian Ambassador's name, and had to ask for the name of the individual I had seen at the Mayflower Hotel almost seven months earlier. In addition, far from being urgent, that meeting was not set up for two weeks -- on December 1. The meeting occurred in Trump Tower, where we had our transition office, and lasted twenty- thirty minutes. Lt. General Michael Flynn (Ret.), who became the President's National Security Advisor, also attended. During the meeting, after pleasantries were exchanged, as I had done in many of the meetings I had and would have with foreign officials, I stated our desire for a fresh start in relations. Also, as I had done in other meetings with foreign officials, I asked Ambassador Kislyak if he would identify the best person (whether the Ambassador or someone else) with whom to have direct discussions and who had contact with his President. The fact that I was asking about ways to start a dialogue after Election Day should of course be viewed as strong evidence that I was not aware of one that existed before Election Day.
The Ambassador expressed similar sentiments about relations, and then said he especially wanted to address U.S. policy in Syria, and that he wanted to convey information from what he called his "generals." He said he wanted to provide information that would help inform the new administration. He said the generals could not easily come to the U.S. to convey this information and he asked if there was a secure line in the transition office to conduct a conversation. General Flynn or I explained that there were no such lines. I believed developing a thoughtful approach on Syria was a very high priority given the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and I asked if they had an existing communications channel at his embassy we could use where they would be comfortable transmitting the information they wanted to relay to General Flynn. The Ambassador said that would not be possible and so we all agreed that we would receive this information after the Inauguration. Nothing else occurred. I did not suggest a "secret back channel." I did not suggest an on-going secret form of communication for then or for when the administration took office. I did not raise the possibility of using the embassy or any other Russian facility for any purpose other than this one possible conversation in the transition period. We did not discuss sanctions.
Approximately a week later, on December 6, the Embassy asked if I could meet with the Ambassador on December 7. I declined. They then asked if I could meet on December 6; I declined again. They then asked when the earliest was that I could meet. I declined these requests because I was working on many other responsibilities for the transition. He asked if he could meet my assistant instead and, to avoid offending the Ambassador, I agreed. He did so on December 12. My assistant reported that the Ambassador had requested that I meet with a person named Sergey Gorkov who he said was a banker and someone with a direct line to the Russian President who could give insight into how Putin was viewing the new administration and best ways to work together. I agreed to meet Mr. Gorkov because the Ambassador has been so insistent, said he had a direct relationship with the President, and because Mr. Gorkov was only in New York for a couple days. I made room on my schedule for the meeting that occurred the next day, on December 13.
The meeting with Mr. Gorkov lasted twenty to twenty-five minutes. He introduced himself and gave me two gifts -- one was a piece of art from Nvgorod, the village where my grandparents were from in Belarus, and the other was a bag of dirt from that same village. (Any notion that I tried to conceal this meeting or that I took it thinking it was in my capacity as a businessman is false. In fact, I gave my assistant these gifts to formally register them with the transition office). After that, he told me a little about his bank and made some statements about the Russian economy. He said that he was friendly with President Putin, expressed disappointment with U.S.-Russia relations under President Obama and hopes for a better relationship in the future. As I did at the meeting with Ambassador Kislyak, I expressed the same sentiments I had with other foreign officials I met. There were no specific policies discussed. We had no discussion about the sanctions imposed by the Obama Administration. At no time was there any discussion about my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or any private business of any kind. At the end of the short meeting, we thanked each other and I went on to other meetings. I did not know or have any contact with Mr. Gorkov before that meeting, and I have had no reason to connect with him since.
To the best of my recollection, these were the only two contacts I had during the transition with persons who were or appeared to potentially be representatives of the Russian government.
Disclosure of Contacts on My Security Clearance Form
There has been a good deal of misinformation reported about my SF-86 form. As my attorneys and I have previously explained, my SF-86 application was prematurely submitted due to a miscommunication and initially did not list any contacts (not just with Russians) with foreign government officials. Here are some facts about that form and the efforts I have made to supplement it.
In the week before the Inauguration, amid the scramble of finalizing the unwinding of my involvement from my company, moving my family to Washington, completing the paper work to divest assets and resign from my outside positions and complete my security and financial disclosure forms, people at my New York office were helping me find the information, organize it, review it and put it into the electronic form. They sent an email to my assistant in Washington, communicating that the changes to one particular section were complete; my assistant interpreted that message as meaning that the entire form was completed. At that point, the form was a rough draft and still had many omissions including not listing any foreign government contacts and even omitted the address of my father-in-law (which was obviously well known). Because of this miscommunication, my assistant submitted the draft on January 18, 2017.
That evening, when we realized the form had been submitted prematurely, we informed the transition team that we needed to make changes and additions to the form. The very next day, January 19, 2017, we submitted supplemental information to the transition, which confirmed receipt and said they would immediately transmit it to the FBI. The supplement disclosed that I had "numerous contacts with foreign officials" and that we were going through my records to provide an accurate and complete list. I provided a list of those contacts in the normal course, before my background investigation interview and prior to any inquiries or media reports about my form.
It has been reported that my submission omitted only contacts with Russians. That is not the case. In the accidental early submission of the form, all foreign contacts were omitted. The supplemental information later disclosed over one hundred contacts from more than twenty countries that might be responsive to the questions on the form. These included meetings with individuals such as Jordan's King Abdullah II, Israel's Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Luis Videgaray Caso and many more. All of these had been left off before.
Over the last six months, I have made every effort to provide the FBI with whatever information is needed to investigate my background. In addition, my attorneys have explained that the security clearance process is one in which supplements are expected and invited. The form itself instructs that, during the interview, the information in the document can be "update[d], clarif[ied], and explain[ed]" as part of the security clearance process. A good example is the June 9 meeting. For reasons that should be clear from the explanation of that meeting I have provided, I did not remember the meeting and certainly did not remember it as one with anyone who had to be included on an SF-86. When documents reviewed for production in connection with committee requests reminded me that meeting had occurred, and because of the language in the email chain that I then read for the first time, I included that meeting on a supplement. I did so even though my attorneys were unable to conclude that the Russian lawyer was a representative of any foreign country and thus fell outside the scope of the form. This supplemental information was also provided voluntarily, well prior to any media inquiries, reporting or request for this information, and it was done soon after I was reminded of the meeting.
****
As I have said from the very first media inquiry, I am happy to share information with the
investigating bodies. I have shown today that I am willing to do so and will continue to cooperate as I have nothing to hide. As I indicated, I know there has been a great deal of speculation and conjecture about my contacts with any officials or people from Russia. I have disclosed these contacts and described them as fully as I can recall. The record and documents I am providing will show that I had perhaps four contacts with Russian representatives out of thousands during the campaign and transition, none of which were impactful in any way to the election or particularly memorable. I am very grateful for the opportunity to set the record straight. I also have tried to provide context for my role in the campaign, and I am proud of the candidate that we supported, of the campaign that we ran, and the victory that we achieved.
It has been my practice not to appear in the media or leak information in my own defense. I have tried to focus on the important work at hand and serve this President and this country to the best of my abilities. I hope that through my answers to questions, written statements and documents I have now been able to demonstrate the entirety of my limited contacts with Russian representatives during the campaign and transition. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government. I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form, above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest.
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– Jared Kushner appears before not one but two congressional panels this week in regard to his contacts with Russian officials, but he makes the case in a statement released Monday morning that he doesn't have much of value to offer. "I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government," he writes of four meetings he had with Russian officials, per Politico. "I had no improper contacts." In the 11-page statement (read it in full here), he describes the now-famous meeting involving Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer as a waste of time. In "looking for a polite way to leave and get back to my work, I actually emailed an assistant from the meeting after I had been there for ten or so minutes and wrote 'Can u pls call me on my cell? Need excuse to get out of meeting.'" Kushner appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee at 10am Monday and follows up with an appearance before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, and both sessions will be behind closed doors. Kushner will not be under oath, but the Washington Post reports that he is still putting himself at risk because any statement he makes could be used against him later by criminal prosecutors. Kushner is not expected to take the Fifth Amendment, and the panels are expected to turn over his testimony to special counsel Robert Mueller. If he does somehow incriminate himself, however, one legal analyst says he's got a backup: “No one who has paid any attention to this administration should doubt that if Kushner ever needs a pardon, he will get one."
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Recent Teacher Of The Year Resigns In Alabama Over Certification Issues
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Less than two years after being named Alabama's Teacher of the Year, Ann Marie Corgill resigned her post this week, citing her frustration with bureaucracy. After Corgill was moved from teaching second grade to fifth, she was told she wasn't qualified to teach fifth-graders.
In January, Corgill was named one of four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year award. She is a 21-year teaching veteran whose story — and candid resignation letter — has made waves in the education community and beyond.
After running into a "wall of bureaucracy," Corgill said in a statement to AL.com, "When the news came that I was not considered highly qualified, my frustration boiled over."
Update at 2:58 p.m. ET: 'It's Time To Bring Joy' Back
Responding to a request for comment on the reaction to her resignation, Corgill sent a message saying:
"It's time to bring joy, professionalism, and pride back to the profession. It's time we speak up so that all schools can attract and retain the most highly qualified teachers. If I can be that voice for thousands of colleagues and children, I will certainly and always be that voice and that teacher."
Our original post continues:
When she was named Alabama's elementary school Teacher of the Year in the spring of 2014, Corgill taught fourth graders at Cherokee Bend Elementary, in Mountain Brook. In August, she was hired to teach second grade at Birmingham's Oliver Elementary, which Alabama Public Radio describes as "a low-income, federally funded school."
But after the school year started, Corgill was shifted to fifth grade — and that's when things started to unravel.
Saying that she had been "excited and confident" about helping her students, Corgill wrote in her resignation letter (which was acquired by AL.com) that she had "worked long hours to give these fifth graders my best teaching, my support, and my love." She said that after just five weeks, the results had made her proud.
But then Corgill cited the views of both Birmingham and Alabama administrators — that she's not qualified to teach above third grade, and that to do so, she would need to acquire an additional state certification.
Corgill wrote that she holds certificates in early childhood education, both of them with "highly qualified" status. She added that despite her National Board Certification as a middle childhood educator — which certifies her to teach children up to the age of 12 — the administrators had determined that she must apply for a new Alabama certificate.
"After 21 years of teaching in grades 1-6 I have no answers as to why this is a problem now," Corgill wrote, "so instead of paying more fees, taking more tests, and proving once again that I am qualified to teach, I am resigning."
Corgill's last day was Friday. Responding to her resignation, Alabama State Superintendent Thomas Bice told AL.com that the Birmingham school's designation as a federal Title I facility puts teachers under different requirements than those of Corgill's previous school. That means she can't teach above third grade at the Birmingham school, he said.
In addition to the certification questions, Corgill also cited an accounting error, saying that she wasn't paid for her first month of work until last Friday. In her letter to the Birmingham Board of Education, she said that she's still waiting for an explanatory letter to help her deal with her creditors and credit agencies.
Coping with that situation while teaching, she said, was "stressful at best."
Corgill concludes:
"Please know that I wanted to give my all and share my expertise with Birmingham City Schools. In order to attract and retain the best teachers, we must feel trusted, valued, and treated as professionals. It is my hope that my experience can inform new decisions, policies, and procedures to make Birmingham City Schools a place everyone wants to work and learn."
An Alabama native, Corgill has taught at several schools in the state, along with the Manhattan New School in New York City. She also wrote a book about education and writing, called Of Primary Importance.
As The Washington Post's Valerie Strauss writes, "Corgill isn't the first high-achieving teacher to resign this year. Stacie Starr, a ninth-grade intervention specialist in Elyria City Schools in Ohio, who was selected as 'Top Teacher' last year in a national search by the popular television show Live with Kelly and Michael, said earlier this year she was quitting."
Starr, a 15-year veteran, said that months of standardized state testing had taken over her classroom and was hurting her students.
In Alabama, Corgill says that despite her frustration, she isn't done with teaching. She told AL.com Friday that she "will continue to give my life to the profession." ||||| Ann Marie Corgill, the 2014-2015 Alabama Teacher of the Year and 2015 National Teacher of the Year finalist who submitted a letter of resignation to Birmingham City Schools this week after confusion over her certification, said a "wall of bureaucracy" led to the resignation.
Corgill, a fifth-grade teacher at Oliver Elementary School, was informed by the district and the Alabama Department of Education last week that she did not meet federal requirements to continue teaching fifth grade at the school.
"The wall of bureaucracy I encountered trying to straighten all of this out with my employer led to my writing the letter," Corgill told AL.com in a written statement. "This experience has shown me the importance of teachers' voices in public education."
Oliver Elementary is a Title I school, meaning it receives federal funding and special assistance because it has high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families. Title I schools exist to help ensure that those students meet state academic standards, according to the U.S. Department of Education website.
Because of the school's special distinction, teachers there must meet the federal requirements to be considered a "highly-qualified teacher" – a designation Corgill does not meet.
Corgill, who was a fourth grade teacher at Cherokee Bend Elementary School in Mountain Brook before moving to Oliver, holds Class A and B state certifications to teach primary school through third grade. She also holds a National Board Certification to teach children ages 7-12, which would include most fifth graders.
Corgill was able to teach Cherokee Bend fourth graders because that school is not a Title I school, State Superintendent Thomas Bice said in a written statement.
"Unlike her tenure in the Mountain Brook City School System, (Corgill) teaches in a Title I School that receives Title I funds," Bice said. "Since Ms. Corgill's current Alabama teaching certificate is for early childhood education inclusive of Grades P-3 and the fact that she currently is assigned to teach 5th grade, she does not meet this federal requirement."
But for Corgill, who has taught in first through sixth grade for 21 years and is one of four finalists for 2015 National Teacher of the Year, the experience has been frustrating. In her resignation letter, she wrote that she had no answers as to why her certification has recently become a problem, and that she chose to resign instead of taking tests to again prove she is qualified to teach.
"When the news came that I was not considered highly qualified, my frustration boiled over," Corgill said in her statement Friday. "First and foremost, I am a National Board certified teacher who has and will continue to give my life to the profession. Every child I teach and learn from is a part of me. I love them and work to give them my best."
Also in the resignation letter, Corgill wrote that she was moved from second grade to fifth grade after the semester began, and that she received her first paycheck of the year on Oct. 23.
It remained unclear on Friday whether Corgill's lack of highly-qualified teacher status was discussed before she was hired at Oliver Elementary, why she was moved after the semester began and why she received the paycheck so late in the semester.
Birmingham City Schools spokeswoman Chanda Temple said the district continues to work through the situation but could not comment further because it is a personnel matter.
Corgill, too, told AL.com on Friday that she is working with the district to come to a solution.
"At this point, we are working together to try and solve this immediate set of problems," she said in her statement.
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– A longtime Alabama educator who has won Teacher of the Year honors resigned last week when her "frustration boiled over" with bureaucracy. Informed that she lacked the state qualifications to teach 5th grade, Ann Marie Corgill resigned from Birmingham City Schools, NPR reports. "After 21 years of teaching in grades 1-6, I have no answers as to why this is a problem now, so instead of paying more fees, taking more tests, and proving once again that I am qualified to teach, I am resigning," she wrote in her resignation letter. Corgill, who was 2014-2015 Alabama Teacher of the Year and a 2015 National Teacher of the Year finalist, this year joined the staff at Oliver Elementary as a 2nd-grade teacher; she was then shifted to teach 5th grade. But roughly a month into her new role, a state education administrator called and said she lacked the certification to continue, AL.com reports. This despite Corgill's National Board Certification to teach students between ages 7 and 12, which usually covers fifth grade. "When an inquiry was made, the department reported that her current [state] teaching certificate covers primary grades through Grade 3," says the Alabama Department of Education in a statement; it says the national certification doesn't trump the state requirements. As a Title I school, Oliver Elementary receives federal dollars because many of its students are from low-income families; so it requires that all teachers be "highly qualified," a standard Corgill apparently didn't meet, AL.com reports. "When the news came that I was not considered highly qualified, my frustration boiled over," Corgill says. "...[I] will continue to give my life to the profession. Every child I teach and learn from is a part of me. I love them and work to give them my best." (Read about another highly unusual teaching situation.)
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MUSKEGON, MI – An army of online researchers answered the Muskegon Postmaster's call for help this week, solving a mail mystery in short order.
In a recent MLive Muskegon Chronicle article, Postmaster William Rowe asked for help to locate a family member qualified to open a World War II-era letter. The letter, originally mailed in 1945 by Army Sgt. Myron C. Cook, recently re-appeared in the mail – apparently unopened and bearing a September 2013 postmark from the Minneapolis, Minn., area.
Rowe said Thursday afternoon, May 15, that with online researchers' help, he had identified a Winter Haven, Fla. teacher, Nancy Sensabaugh Baker, as a granddaughter of the original recipients.
"We did find the granddaughter of the Sensabaughs," he said.
Emails and tips from around the country -- about 400 in all -- helped the search.
"This thing's gone all through Facebook and everything," Rowe said. "Without that media contact, it would have been impossible to track her."
Reached at her home Thursday, Baker said she was pleasantly surprised by the news. Two people had tipped her off about the letter before the postmaster had called, she said.
"A friend contacted me through Facebook and asked if I had seen this," she said. "(I) could not believe it, actually."
Among one of hundreds of online tipsters aiding in the search was Suzan Harrell of Lakeland, Fla. -- an acquaintance of Baker's and former Muskegon resident, who recognized the Sensabaugh name.
"I am sure that she would have been found without my input (people were searching genealogy, obituaries, etc.), but I am still amazed at the odds that I would see the article and recognize the name," Harrell said.
Baker is the daughter of Edward Lee Sensabaugh, a World War II Navy veteran. She remembers briefly living in her grandparents home on Washington Avenue in Muskegon's Nelson Neighborhood.
"We stayed there for a short time when my father was transferred to Michigan," she said. She lived in the home while in first and second grade during the early 60s. Her parents later moved to Florida.
Baker said she had several old letters from her grandparents but they aren't helping her to guess at the newly-found, unopened letter's contents.
"I have no idea," she said. She remembers that her grandparents were friends with man named Myron Cook, but she can't remember any details about their relationship.
"I'll just be anxious to see it," she said. "It's really a neat thing to see something from the past."
Rowe didn't know how this letter had been separated from the others, stayed sealed and returned to the mail stream after so many years.
He plans to send the letter to her via priority-express mail sometime next week, he said. ||||| UPDATE: A lot of new information has come up since this classic story was published in May 2014. Here are some of the other stories we wrote about the letter:
Unopened WWII-era letter's rescuer: 'I just couldn't send it down the normal channels'
Mail mystery: Florida woman to open World War II-era letter meant for her grandparents
Mail Mystery: More questions after World War II-era envelope opened by recipients' family member
Peg West: Readers were fascinated by an enduring mail mystery with some modern twists
MUSKEGON, MI – Postmaster William Rowe is searching for the relatives of long-gone recipients after an unopened World War II-era letter turned up in the mail recently.
The letter was originally addressed to a "Mr. and Mrs. Sensabaugh" at a Washington Avenue home in Muskegon that's now empty, and bore an initial postmark from a 1945 Army Post Office. The return address listed the letter's sender as Sgt. Myron C. Cook, with the letter traveling through the New York city post office at one time.
There was a more recent postmark on the letter -- from Minneapolis 2013 – printed over the old.
"We think somebody put it back into the mail stream," Rowe said.
A vintage sealing material on the back of the letter makes him think the letter has never been opened.
"We're not going to disturb it until we can see if we can find the family first," said secretary Veronica Mauseth.
Rowe and Mauseth said the letter was saved from the ordinary "dead mail" pile by a mail carrier who realized that the letter was mailed from an Army base during World War II. The mail carrier – a veteran of the Iraq war – realized that the letter had an interesting story.
Hoping to find clues into the letter's past, the post office reached out to Richard Mullally, who for years has been documenting the history of Muskegon County's World War II Veterans.
"I get some pretty unusual requests," Mullally said.
Mullally said he had a photo and record of a World War II-era Navy veteran named Edward Lee Sensabaugh. He said the last name was a rare one. He planned to do some more research into Cook and Sensabaugh's history.
Readers with information about the letter, its sender or recipients are invited to email the postmaster at [email protected].
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– Just where a World War II letter has been for nearly 70 years is a mystery, but it's finally on its last journey home. The letter—sent by Army Sgt. Myron Cook to a Muskegon, Mich., address from an army base in Europe, WZZM reports—somehow re-entered the mail system last fall in Minneapolis, still unopened. Bearing a 1945 Army Post Office postmark, it was addressed to a Mr. and Mrs. Sensabaugh. The envelope has since been somewhat altered: a September 2013 Minneapolis postmark is now stamped on it, and someone added a zip code—something that didn't exist in 1945. But the Sensabaugh's former home is vacant, and the letter typically would have ended up in the "dead mail" pile. But as Michigan Live reports, a mail carrier noticed the unusual date, and a search for the letter's rightful owner was sparked. Thanks to online researchers and some 400 tips, the couple's granddaughter, Nancy Sensabaugh Baker, has now been tracked down in Florida. "A friend contacted me through Facebook and asked if I had seen this," she told Michigan Live, adding she "could not believe it, actually." Baker, who lived with her grandparents in Muskegon for a time in the early 1960s, says she remembers they were friends with a man named Myron Cook, but she has "no idea" what the letter might say. "I'll just be anxious to see it," she says. "It's really a neat thing to see something from the past." The letter is expected to arrive next week.
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A McDonald’s restaurant in Del Mar, Calif. (Reuters/Mike Blake, file)
Michelle Obama is certainly not going to be lovin’ it.
Robert Gibbs, Obama’s first White House press secretary, is going to work for McDonald’s, the fast-food chain that made cheap burgers and fries an American way of life. The Gibbs hire brings “experience and outside perspective to McDonald’s as we build a more modern, progressive burger company,” McDonald’s president and CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a statement Tuesday morning.
McDonald’s has struggled in recent years to find its place in an evolving culinary marketplace, where consumers still want their food fast, but they increasingly want it healthy, organic and green. Who better than Gibbs, who ran comms for the candidate who made politics cool again (for a time), to do the same for Mickey D’s? Can he market the change we can believe in?
Though for most of us born before the clean eating/Paleo/gluten-free/no dairy/vegan diets swept the nation, McDonald’s exists not to be cool – and certainly not healthy – but to remind us of our youth. Of losing a shoe in the Playland ball pit, collecting every Happy Meal beanie baby, awaiting Shamrock Shake season. One bite into those over-salted shoestring fries and we’re 10 years old again.
We’re not sure what a “progressive burger company” looks like (Five Guys? Shake Shack?), but the Loop thinks Gibbs would be better off making the McRib a permanent menu item than introducing a quinoa kale salad.
Because, really, don’t we all deserve a break today?
Read more:
McDonald’s sales slump continues in May
You’re still not eating at McDonald’s, and the new CEO wants to change that
McDonald’s to stop using chicken treated with antibiotics
Why labor groups genuinely believe they can unionize McDonald’s one day ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| Robert Gibbs joins McDonald's
Former White House press secretary and senior adviser to President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign Robert Gibbs is joining McDonald's as its global chief communications officer, the fast-food chain announced on Tuesday.
Gibbs, who left his White House post in 2011, will lead McDonald’s corporate relations group, which manages government and public affairs. When he left the White House, Gibbs co-founded The Incite Agency, a strategic communications firm. In 2013, he joined NBC News and MSNBC as a contributor. Gibbs has ended his relationship with the network as a result of his new role.
McDonald's is in a period of change right now. Earlier this year, CEO Don Thompson retired and was replaced by Steve Easterbrook, the senior executive brand president and chief brand officer. Thompson had said he planned to overhaul customer service and revamp the restaurant's menu to improve business after sales declined in 2014.
The move to McDonald's is an interesting one for Gibbs, considering the Obama administration's push to raise the minimum wage and first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" healthy eating initiatives. In April, McDonald's raised hourly wages for company-owned restaurant staff by $1, and in the past few years has begun adding healthier options to its menus as it aims to compete with other fast casual chains, such as Chipotle.
Gibbs is far from the first former Obama campaign manager to take his talents to the private sector. Last year, David Plouffe, who directed the presidential candidate’s 2008 campaign and later worked as a senior adviser, joined Uber as senior vice president of policy and strategy. He was replaced by a former Google executive last month, transitioning to a role in which he will have more of a say in big-picture matters. ||||| “Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages…and to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.” –President Obama, State of the Union address, Jan. 20, 2015
Since the President’s call to action in 2013, 18 states and Washington, D.C. have passed laws to raise their minimum wage-- benefiting millions of American workers.
Cities and counties are also taking action. Since 2013, about 50 cities and localities have risen to the challenge — including Lexington, KY; Santa Fe County, NM; and Oakland, CA — and the drumbeat continues, with more states and localities considering ballot initiatives and legislation. At the same time, businesses large and small are raising wages on their own, recognizing the value of higher wages to boost morale and productivity.
At the federal level, the Obama Administration has expressed support for the Raise the Wage Act proposed by Senator Murray and Representative Scott, which would increase the minimum wage to $12 by 2020. The President has also taken action to raise wages for workers on all new federal contracts to $10.10 or higher. Raising the minimum wage nationwide will increase earnings for millions of workers, and support the local economies where they live, work and spend their earnings.
Today, the real value of the minimum wage is about 20 percent less than when Reagan took office. Workers that receive tips have an even lower minimum wage: $2.13 per hour, unchanged for over 25 years.
On average, a full-time minimum wage worker makes $14,500 a year, which leaves too many families struggling to make ends meet. A family of 3 living off of minimum wage is well below the poverty level (see graphic, below).
When you ask, “Who are the workers that earn minimum wage?” the answer may not be what you expect.
Stay tuned for stories of minimum wage across the country—and if you have a story to share, feel free to Tweet with the hashtag, #MyStory #RaisetheWage.
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– From the White House to the ... golden arches? Former Obama spokesman and adviser Robert Gibbs is now in charge of global communications for McDonald's, reports Politico. CEO Steve Easterbook explains that Gibbs, who left the White House in 2011, brings “experience and outside perspective to McDonald’s as we build a more modern, progressive burger company." Still, it's an "interesting" move given the White House push to raise the minimum wage, notes Politico. (Though McDonald's has made progress on that, at least for company-owned franchises.) And as the Washington Post observes, "Michelle Obama is certainly not going to be lovin’ it." (She'd rather have kids jump rope than eat fast food.)
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FILE PHOTO: Swedish John Ausonius, dubbed the "laser man", waits for the start of his trial in Frankfurt, Germany, December 13, 2017, charged with a murder he is accused of having committed more than 25 years ago. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - One of Sweden’s most notorious criminals was sentenced to life in prison by a German court on Wednesday for a murder he was convicted of having committed in Frankfurt more than 25 years ago.
The man, John Ausonius, went on a racially motivated spree in Sweden in 1991 and 1992 in which he killed one person and injured 10 others in attacks in the Stockholm area, for which he is already serving a life sentence in Sweden.
Dubbed the “laser man” by Swedish media for his use of a laser sight and rifle for some of the shootings, he is thought to have inspired anti-immigrant attacks such as the 2011 massacre by Norwegian Anders Breivik and shootings by Peter Mangs in Sweden.
While on the run from authorities after the shootings in Sweden, Ausonius, now 64, was suspected of shooting dead a woman in broad daylight in Frankfurt in 1992.
He had accused the 68-year-old woman of stealing an electronic notebook from his coat pocket in the cloakroom of the Frankfurt hotel in which she worked, German prosecutors have said.
Ausonius has denied killing the woman but did not object to being transferred to Germany for the murder trial on condition he serves any possible prison sentence in Sweden.
The state court in Frankfurt on Wednesday sentenced him to life in prison followed by preventative detention, a court spokesman said. He was not immediately able to provide further details. ||||| John Ausonius — the Swedish convicted killer dubbed "the laser man" and suspected white supremacist — has received another life sentence for the murder of a Jewish woman more than 25 years ago.
A Frankfurt court on Wednesday found Ausonius guilty of shooting dead Blanka Zmigrod, a 68-year-old Holocaust survivor, near her home in February 1992. The Swede, clad in a beige cardigan, showed little emotion during the hearing, as though he already knew what was coming.
Ausonius, born Wolfgang Alexander Zaugg, is already serving one life sentence in Sweden. In 1995 he was convicted for the murder of Jimmy Ranjbar, an Iranian national, and attempted murder of nine other immigrants in Stockholm and Uppsala. The shooting spree, coupled with a series of bank robberies spanning from August 1991 to February 1992, had gripped Sweden.
Ausonius was given the nickname "laser man" by the Swedish press because he used a rifle equipped with a laser sight to carry out the shootings.
'Not the slightest doubt' Ausonius is guilty
Although the prosecution was unable to provide tangible proof that Ausonius committed the murder, prosecutor Nadja Böttinger told the court during Tuesday's plea hearing that the evidence at hand was far too abundant to be considered mere coincidence. During Wednesday's sentencing, Judge Bärbel Stock agreed, saying the court did not have "the slightest doubt" that Ausonius had murdered Zmigrod.
Life sentences in Germany typically involve no more than 15 years of jail time and the court on Wednesday could not demonstrate the "particular severity of guilt" on behalf of the defendant required under German law to make a longer period of incarceration possible. However, the court also ordered that Ausonius be placed in preventative detention once his jail time was up.
Bärbel said Ausonius showed a "high tolerance for cold bloodedness" and that he committed the crimes "rationally and carefully."
The court also heard that Ausonius had repeatedly shown a propensity for violence during the first 10 years of his incarceration in Sweden. There would a "high risk of further delinquent acts" if he were released, the judge said, as she passed down the sentence.
Ausonius is slated to return to prison in Sweden, albeit only after the defense's appeal is considered. That is expected to take some eight to 10 weeks.
Read more: Sweden's 'laser man' goes to trial for murder in Frankfurt
Ausonius likely to serve sentence in Sweden
Ausonius will likely serve the sentence handed to him by the German court in parallel with his life sentence in Sweden.
Swedish authorities will then have to consider the German court's ruling the next time Ausonius makes a case for release.
While the defense recognized that this means Ausonius will likely stay in prison, the Frankfurt court's decision to place him in preventative detention following his prison sentence suggests there is a slight chance 64-year-old will at some point be allowed to leave prison.
Böttinger admitted she was left wanting by the court's final decision. "(Ausonius) is a killer who deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison," she said.
Defense attorney Joachim Bremer expressed his displeasure at the court's decision to tie Ausonius to Zmigrod's murder simply because he was in Frankfurt the day before and Zmigrod was killed in much the same manner as Ausonius' victims in Sweden.
Ausonius and his defense team had pleaded his innocence until the very last.
Frankfurt crime
It was during his time on the run from Swedish authorities in 1992 that Ausonius fled to Germany, holing himself up in Dresden and then Frankfurt. It was in Germany where he acquired a fake passport, which he later used to travel out to Johannesburg, South Africa.
The prosecution accused Ausonius of killing Zmigrod in February 1992 following an argument the pair had the day before the incident at a "Mövenpick" restaurant in central Frankfurt, where Zmigrod worked as a cloakroom attendant.
Ausonius reportedly accused Zmigrod of stealing an electronic notebook on which, the prosecution alleged, he had stored important contacts and necessary information needed to pull off his escape to South Africa.
According to witness statements, the two got into a heated argument. When Ausonius was told to leave the restaurant, he reportedly told Zmigrod they'd be "seeing each other again." Thirty-six hours later she was dead.
Years later, when Ausonius was ordered to stand trial in Germany, an investigation by a Swedish newspaper found that Zmigrod had survived several Nazi death camps during World War II. In her ruling, the judge said that Zmigrod had "survived multiple concentration camps, but not the meeting with the defendant."
Piecing evidence together
German authorities knew that Ausonius was in Frankfurt at the time of Zmigrod's death, and even began investigating him in connection with the murder back in 1993, before eventually closing the case in 1996.
However, in 2014, federal authorities began looking into old cases that could be connected to the murders committed by the National Socialist Underground (NSU), a German neo-Nazi group, between 2000 and 2007.
Frankfurt prosecutor Nadja Böttinger told German weekly Stern that when Zmigrod's file landed on her desk and she began looking into the evidence against Ausonius. "I simply couldn't live with the fact that the investigation had been closed," she said.
She then traveled to Sweden to question Ausonius about Zmigrod, where, she said, he behaved very strangely. "He was able to remember many details, but as soon as it concerned something relevant to the case, he suddenly didn't know anything."
However, since the trial started in December last year, the court struggled with weighing up whatever little evidence there was that pointed to Ausonius.
The most important piece of evidence, however, proved to be Ausonius' encounter with Zmigrod the day before, as well as the ammunition that was used her killing, which matched the type "the laser man" used for the shootings in Sweden.
While Ausonius admitted to having previously owned such a gun, he maintains that he sold the weapon shortly before the day Zmigrod was murdered.
A model for later far-right, racist attackers?
While the ideological motive behind Ausonius crimes remains unproven, the similarities between Ausinius and other racially motivated killers, such as the NSU and Anders Breivik in Norway, are evident.
Ausonius maintained during his trial in Sweden that he only shot at the first people who came within his range in order to create a diversion for his bank robberies. The fact that they were all immigrants was simply a coincidense, he said.
During the Frankfurt trial, the Swede accused the prosecution of making him a "scapegoat" for the NSU murders. The court refused to pass any judgement, saying he was "not neccessarily an ideological killer, but one who displayed the behavior of a psychopath.
Ausonius’ shooting spree in Sweden has been described as the first racially motivated “lone wolf” attack. Breivik, who murdered 77 people in Oslo and the Norwegian island of Utoya 2011, directly cited the "laser man" as an inspiration during his trial. ||||| A Swedish white supremacist and attempted serial killer was jailed for life in Germany on Wednesday for the murder of a Holocaust survivor more than 25 years ago.
John Ausonius, known as “Laserman” in his native Sweden, was found guilty of shooting dead Blanka Zmigrod, a 68-year-old cloakroom attendant, near her Frankfurt home in February 1992.
The 64-year-old Ausonius has already served more than two decades of a life sentence in Sweden for a racially motivated shooting spree in which he killed an Iranian man and seriously injured ten others.
He is now expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars after being extradited to Germany and handed a second life sentence for the killing of Zmigrod.
Ausonius is thought to have inspired Anders Breivik, the far-Right extremist who massacred 77 people in Norway in 2011, and the National Socialist Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi terror group which killed ten people in Germany between 2000 and 2007.
He was jailed in Sweden for a series of racially motivated shootings in 1991 and 1992 in which he targetted immigrants and foreign students. He became known as “Laserman” because he used a rifle with a laser sight.
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– A man already serving a life sentence in Sweden for a shooting spree in which he targeted immigrants and foreign students was sentenced to a second life sentence Wednesday in Germany for killing a Holocaust survivor over 25 years ago, the Telegraph reports. According to Reuters, 68-year-old Blanka Zmigrod was shot in broad daylight outside her home in Frankfurt in 1992. Swedish white supremacist John Ausonius—known as "laser man" for the rifle scope he used in a string of shootings in 1991 and 1992—has now been found guilty of killing the Holocaust survivor. Witnesses say Ausonius argued with Zmigrod, accusing her of stealing an electronic notebook from his coat, at the restaurant where she worked as a cloakroom attendant the day before her death. She was killed with the same ammunition Ausonius used in his earlier shootings, Deutsche Welle reports. At the time of Zmigrod's death, Ausonius was on the run after killing an Iranian man and seriously wounding 10 others in a string of racially motivated shootings in Sweden. The now-64-year-old was sentenced to life in prison in 1995 for those shootings. The case into Zmigrod's killing had been closed in 1996 but was reopened in 2014. Ausonius admits to the shootings—though he says they were meant to distract from his bank robberies and not racially motivated—but denies killing Zmigrod. It's possible Ausonius will be released before his death due to how life sentences work in Germany and Sweden, though that is unlikely. Ausonius is said to have inspired Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011, as well as neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Underground, which killed 10 people last decade.
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– Bitcoin users with Android gadgets, beware: A bug is targeting wallets like yours. The problem hinges on Android's random number generator, which, according to Bitcoin, "contains critical weaknesses that render all Android wallets generated to date vulnerable to theft." Bitcoin Wallet, blockchain.info, BitcoinSpinner, and Mycelium are among the wallets at risk, the Telegraph reports. Fixes for the apps' issues are in the works; users should shift their money to newly created addresses, Bitcoin says. Meanwhile, companies involved in the Bitcoin world are facing scrutiny by the New York Department of Financial Services, the state's leading bank regulator. Some two dozen companies are receiving subpoenas in the probe, which is looking into consumer protection, money-laundering risk, and investment practices, the Wall Street Journal reports. Officials are concerned over whether the firms are adhering to laws governing money transmission; they plan to release a memo on the matter today, and may soon establish virtual currency guidelines. "We believe that ... putting in place appropriate regulatory safeguards for virtual currencies will be beneficial to the long-term strength of the virtual-currency industry," says DFS' head.
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BEIJING – A court heard opening arguments Tuesday in a case calling for textbooks published by China's Ministry of Education to alter or remove sections calling homosexuality a disease that can be cured.
Qiu Bai (center) speaks to the media with her lawyer Wang Zhenyu (left) outside a court in Beijing on Tuesday. GREG BAKER / AFP - Getty Images
A student who goes by the pseudonym Qiu Bai discovered the issue two years ago when as a curious freshman she looked through medical textbooks seeking answers about her own sexual orientation.
The 20-year-old showed NBC News one of the textbooks — "University Students Mental Health" — which states that gay people can change their sexual orientation through therapy.
“I thought textbooks should be trustworthy but when I saw these lines, I felt horrible. I was so worried about other people being afraid of gay people, like me," the student at Sun Yat-sen University in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou said. “This is discrimination against homosexuality.”
The Chinese Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 2001. But a 2014 survey conducted by China’s Tong Cheng Gay and Lesbian Campus Association found that 40 percent of textbooks published in the country after 2001 still classified homosexuality as a psychological disorder.
Qiu Bai earlier this year wrote an open letter to the Ministry of Education pointing out the errors and requesting corrections. When she got no response, she filed the lawsuit in August. The No. 1 Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing heard the case on Tuesday and decided to hold a second hearing.
“I want related departments to admit these errors and I want to have an equal and open discussion with them about these errors,” Qiu Bai said. “This case is not even close to ending. Unless the Ministry of Education take some real actions to change this, I won’t give it up." |||||
Gay rights activists outside a Beijing courthouse on Tuesday. (AFP/Getty Images)
Qiu Bai was looking for information on human sexuality. What she found was homophobia disguised as fact.
Chinese textbooks called homosexuality a "disorder." Some suggested shock therapy as a “cure.” One book even dismissed the very possibility of same-sex love.
Outraged, the college student decided to challenge China's Ministry of Education in court. It’s a case she hopes will call attention to anti-gay bias and persuade Chinese officials to ban this type of language in state-published books.
"I have been fighting to make our voices heard for such a long time, and I finally have the opportunity,” said Qiu, who uses a pseudonym, greeting supporters outside a Beijing courthouse on Tuesday.
She was joined by Xin Ying, executive director of the Beijing LGBT Center, and young activists who carried a rainbow flag and waved signs. “This could be a milestone case in the history of the gay rights movement,” Xin said.
Qiu's lawsuit is part of a nascent push to use China's courts to advance the fight for LGBT rights. Amid a sweeping crackdown on rights lawyers and activists, campaigners are finding new ways to use Chinese law to call attention to discrimination.
In late 2014, a Chinese court ordered a clinic to compensate a man who underwent "gay conversion therapy" designed to literally shock him straight. Because China does not yet have a law that protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, the case was positioned as a commercial dispute.
The award was small — about $550 — but the proceedings helped put the issue of gay conversion therapy on the agenda; the case was mentioned at a U.N. review of China's torture record last week, prompting a Chinese representative to acknowledge "real challenges" facing China's LGBT community.
In September, Beijing-based filmmaker Fan Popo filed a lawsuit against China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) after his documentary about Chinese mothers and their gay and lesbian children disappeared from major Web sites. He heard the censorship directive came from SAPPRFT. They denied it, so he sued to learn more.
Qiu first raised the textbook issue with school and provincial officials but was unsatisfied with the response, she said. Frustrated, she sent a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting more information. By law, they had 15 days to reply or to request more time. They did not, so she filed suit.
The Ministry of Education eventually complied with their request and on Tuesday Qiu and her lawyer, Wang Zhenyu, met with representatives of the Ministry of Education to discuss the portrayal of homosexuality in state-published textbooks.
The ministry is now looking into the issue, Wang said, calling it "a very good sign."
"Before they would not think about this as a problem, but now they started paying attention to this — after the suit, they had to face the problem," he said.
Whatever the outcome, activists said they are pleased to see what's sometimes dismissed as a private, personal matter discussed in a public way.
China decriminalized gay sex in the late 1990s, but stigma persists, as documented in a comprehensive 2014 report by the United Nations Development Program. Though China's big cities have thriving gay scenes, employment discrimination is rampant and many people stay closeted at work.
Discussing gender or sexual identity with family is often tough here, and there is little to no sex education at school. That makes this correcting of textbooks critical, experts said.
Li Yinhe, one of China's most-recognized sex researchers, said calling homosexuality a disease or disorder was "utterly wrong" and particularly worrying because students tend to assume that statements in textbooks are true.
Wei Tingting, one of the five Chinese feminists detained last spring, knows that firsthand. Wei said that as a student she was swayed by the type of "poisonous" pseudo-science that passes for fact in some textbooks — so much so that she once offered tips to help "cure" a friend.
"Because textbooks are seen as having authority, everyone, including the students, the teachers and the parents, believes them," she said.
—Gu Jinglu reported from Beijing.
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– A Chinese student is suing her government over medical textbooks that classify homosexuality as a mental disorder that can be cured through shock therapy. Twenty-year-old Qui Bai—whose family turned away from her when they found out she was gay—was looking for answers about her sexuality two years ago when she found the offending passages in textbooks published by China's education ministry, NBC News reports. "I thought textbooks should be trustworthy, but when I saw these lines I felt horrible," she says. "This is discrimination against homosexuality." According to the Washington Post, the ministry ignored Qui's letter asking it to correct the books—the Chinese Psychiatric Association hasn't classified homosexuality as a mental disorder since 2001—and she filed a lawsuit in August. The New York Times reports two-dozen supporters waved signs and a rainbow flag outside a Chinese courthouse during a discussion between Qui and education officials Tuesday. While nothing was settled, Qui and her lawyer say it was a minor victory to even have the discussion while China continues to crack down on activists and human-rights lawyers. Discrimination against homosexuals is prevalent in China, and experts say with little in the way of sex education, medically accurate textbooks are essential, according to the Post. "Because textbooks are seen as having authority, everyone—including the students, the teachers, and the parents—believes them," one activist tells the Post. NBC reports 40% of textbooks still classified homosexuality as a disease as of 2014. "This case is not even close to ending,"Qui says. "I won't give it up."
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Two law enforcement officers accused of murder in the shooting of a 6-year-old boy last week were hit with million-dollar bail amounts, while an attorney for the child’s father said body camera video reportedly shows the man’s raised hands as the officers began firing at his SUV.
State Police have said at least 18 bullets were fired, injuring Chris Few and killing his son Jeremy David Mardis. An attorney for Few said Few presented no threat to deputy local marshals who approached the car on the night of Nov. 3.
“This was not a threatening situation for the police,” said Mark Jeansonne, the attorney. He had not seen the video but said it was described during a closed-door hearing to discuss bail for Derrick Stafford, 32, and Norris Greenhouse Jr., 23.
The Avoyelles Parish judge presiding over the case, William J. Bennett, issued a gag order shortly after Jeansonne made the comments, barring anyone associated with the case — including victims, potential witnesses and attorneys — from speaking with the media “directly or indirectly or through any third parties.”
Jeremy, an autistic first-grader at Lafargue Elementary School in the nearby Avoyelles Parish town of Effie, was quietly buried Monday in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in a small, private ceremony.
The boy’s final resting place is a graveyard near the De Soto National Forest. Funeral home staff said the family was still distraught over Jeremy’s death and would not speak to reporters Monday.
Few, who was shot multiple times, remains hospitalized in fair condition at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria and was unable to attend the funeral. Jeansonne, his attorney, said Few has not yet been told that his son was killed.
Hours earlier, Bennett, who sits on the 12th Judicial District Court bench, set bail for Stafford and Greenhouse at $1 million each. Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson, who announced the bail decision after the hearing, said the two officers had been held in seclusion away from other inmates at the Avoyelles Parish Jail. They have since been transferred to the Rapides Parish Detention Center. Neither had posted bail as of Monday evening.
State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson said that Stafford and Greenhouse had initially told State Police investigators in brief statements that they were trying to serve a warrant on Few when they began chasing him shortly before 9:30 p.m. Nov. 3, but that those claims didn’t bear out.
“There was no warrant,” Edmonson said.
A number of Marksville residents gathered outside the Avoyelles Parish Jail before the bail hearing, saying they saw the shooting death of Jeremy as indicative of ongoing problems with local law enforcement.
“Y’all just don’t know what the hell we go through around here,” said Ruby Ivory, of nearby Mansura, who described a number of run-ins with Marksville authorities.
Those concerns were echoed by John Lemoine, Marksville’s 63-year-old mayor, who said he’s struggled since he was first elected in 2010 to reform the city’s Police Department and dismiss troublesome officers but has been hampered by Civil Service Board rulings.
“We have citizens that deserve to be served and protected by the badge. Currently, that’s not always happening,” said Lemoine, a Marksville native and former School Board member who owns an auto shop and wrecker service in town.
Lemoine said his own issues with Stafford included an arrest in 2011 after Stafford testified in court that the mayor had threatened to physically harm another officer whom Lemoine was attempting to have dismissed following complaints. Lemoine said he never threatened the officer.
In a separate case, an Avoyelles Parish civil court jury in October 2014 found that Stafford had lied in a criminal proceeding and filed a false police report about the arrest of a man who’d complained about the officer not letting him pass through a crowded area to carry his ailing dog to receive medical care in 2012. Avoyelles Parish resident Patrick Jeansonne was arrested after Stafford heard over the police radio that someone called in a complaint about him, according to one of the man’s court filings.
The case is now on appeal in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, said Jeansonne’s attorney Aaron Broussard.
At least five other pending civil suits name Stafford as a defendant, and two of those included Greenhouse as another defendant.
The suits include a 2012 lawsuit that alleges Stafford used a stun gun unprovoked and without warning while questioning a man. Another suit claims that Stafford used a stun gun on a handcuffed woman in the back of a police car while another accuses him of breaking a 15-year-old girl’s arm while wrestling her off a school bus.
Megan Dixon, Few’s fiancée, said this weekend that Few had a previous run-in with Greenhouse. A former high school classmate of Dixon, Greenhouse had started messaging her on Facebook and had come by the house Few and Dixon were sharing at the time.
“I told Chris and Chris confronted him about it and told him, ‘Next time you come to my house I’m going to hurt you,’ ” Dixon said.
Efforts to reach an attorney for Greenhouse were unsuccessful.
Avoyelles Parish District Attorney Charles Riddle III recused himself from the case early Monday morning. Norris Greenhouse Sr., the father of one of the accused officers, has been an assistant district attorney in the parish for 20 years and is currently the head of the office’s major crimes unit.
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office will be prosecuting the case, said agency spokesman Aaron Sadler, who added no court date has been set.
“We will begin a detailed and thorough investigation, leaving no stone unturned,” attorney general James D. “Buddy” Caldwell said in a statement. “I can simply assure you that at the end of the process, justice will be served.”
The body camera footage of the shooting, captured by Sgt. Kenneth Parnell, an on-duty Marksville police officer who arrived just before Greenhouse and Stafford allegedly opened fire, was described by Edmonson at a news conference Friday as “the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen.”
Edmonson said Monday that only State Police investigators and the judge have seen the video. He declined to address Mark Jeansonne’s claim that Few’s hands were up and declined to discuss what exactly is depicted.
Marksville’s Police Department purchased body cameras “three or four months ago,” Lemoine said, after the city’s police commissioner, Clyde Benson, had raised concerns about controversial police shootings elsewhere in the country.
Still, Lemoine said he never anticipated that a deadly shooting would rock his small, rural municipality of about 5,700 residents.
“It’s sad for the whole community,” Lemoine said. “Nobody would’ve ever expected that to happen around here. It really hit home.”
Marksville Police Chief Elster Smith Jr. said that Stafford, a lieutenant and shift supervisor with the department, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and that Greenhouse, a deputy Alexandria city marshal and a reserve officer in Marksville, hadn’t worked for his department in several months.
Lemoine said he anticipated the City Council taking action to dismiss both at its meeting on Thursday.
The two other officers involved in the incident — Parnell, who captured the event on his body camera, and Lt. Jason Brouillette — are on administrative leave with pay, Lemoine said. Neither of those officers are believed to have fired a shot during the confrontation, though Edmonson said State Police will be conducting ballistics tests on all four officers’ weapons to confirm that later this week.
Greenhouse, Stafford and Brouillette had been moonlighting with the Marksville City Marshal’s Office at the time of the shooting. The office — similar to a constable and overseen by Ward 2 Marshal Floyd Voinche Sr., a school bus driver who was recently re-elected to the position — normally serve subpoenas, warrants and other court documents.
Lemoine said Voinche bought a pair of used police cruisers about three months ago and began patrolling the city and issuing citations. The mayor questioned that decision and said that Voinche never consulted with the City Council or the Marksville Police Department before hiring assistants. Lemoine wrote to the state Attorney General’s Office in September asking for an opinion on whether the marshal has authority to patrol in the city limits.
“As long as I’ve been living in Marksville, his job has always been to do warrants and serve subpoenas,” Lemoine said. “I’ve never known a ward marshal to do what’s been done in this case.”
Voinche, who’d previously defended his office’s authority to patrol the city, could not be reached for comment Monday.
MORE COVERAGE ||||| MARKSVILLE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man lay wounded in the hospital as his 6-year-old son was laid to rest, both victims of a shooting authorities say was carried out by two law enforcement officers who now face charges.
Family members and friends gather for the funeral of six year old Jeremy Mardis Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Miss. Mardis was killed during a police pursuit in Marksville,... (Associated Press)
Pallbearers carry the casket of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis to the grave site at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Miss., 30 miles east of Hattiesburg, Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Jeremy Mardis, a 6-year-old autistic... (Associated Press)
A funeral procession carrying the remains 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis arrives at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Miss., Monday, Nov. 9, 2015.Jeremy Mardis, a 6-year-old autistic boy, was killed and his father... (Associated Press)
Pallbearers carry the casket of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis to the grave site at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Miss., 30 miles east of Hattiesburg, Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Jeremy Mardis, a 6-year-old autistic... (Associated Press)
This booking photo provided by the Louisiana State Police shows Marksville City Marshal Derrick Stafford. Marshal Norris Greenhouse Jr. and Stafford were arrested on charges of second-degree murder and... (Associated Press)
Family members and friends gather for the funeral of six year old Jeremy Mardis Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Miss. Mardis was killed during a police pursuit in Marksville,... (Associated Press)
This booking photo provided by the Louisiana State Police shows Marksville City Marshal Norris Greenhouse Jr. Marshal Derrick Stafford and Greenhouse Jr. were arrested on charges of second-degree murder... (Associated Press)
Pallbearers carry the casket of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis to the grave site at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Miss., 30 miles east of Hattiesburg, Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Jeremy Mardis, a 6-year-old autistic... (Associated Press)
Family and friends wait for funeral services to begin for 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis in Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Mardis, a 6-year-old autistic boy, was killed and his father wounded when... (Associated Press)
Members of the media wait outside Moore Funeral Home as family and friends attend funeral services for 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis in Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Jeremy Mardis, a 6-year-old... (Associated Press)
A police body camera recorded the father, Chris Few, with his hands up and posing no threat as police fired into his car, severely wounding Few and killing his son, the man's lawyer said.
"This was not a threatening situation for the police," said Mark Jeansonne, an attorney for Chris Few, who remained hospitalized and could not attend Monday's funeral of his son, Jeremy Mardis.
Few's condition was improving Monday, but as of midday, he had not been told that his son is dead, Jeansonne said. His stepfather, Morris German, said last week that Few had bullet fragments in his brain and lung.
The officers, Derrick Stafford, 32, and Norris Greenhouse Jr., 23, were ordered held on $1 million bonds on second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder charges during a hearing, Jeansonne said.
The lawyer said he hasn't seen the body camera video himself, but its contents were described during the hearing. Louisiana's state police chief, Col. Mike Edmonson, said Friday that "it's the most disturbing thing I've seen — and I will leave it at that."
Greenhouse is the son of a top assistant prosecutor for District Attorney Charles A. Riddle, who recused himself from the case, calling it "not good for any of us."
Judge William Bennett set the officers' bond during a hearing he held inside the jail after refusing news media requests to open the proceedings. No transcripts were made available, and the judge later issued a sweeping gag order prohibiting anyone involved in the case, including potential witnesses and victims, from providing any information to the media.
Investigators have been reviewing forensics evidence, 911 calls and body camera recordings, but said little about them even before the gag order.
The official silence leaves many questions unanswered, including what prompted the fatal confrontation, and whether anyone else is being investigated for any crimes. At least two other officers were involved, authorities said, but their roles remain unclear.
Investigators have not suggested that race is a factor in the shooting, which may not fit neatly into a national debate about race and policing. Booking records describe the officers as African-American; no available records describe the race of the father and son.
Few, a boat pilot on the Red River, was on probation at the time of the shooting after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated in February, according to court records.
Stafford is a Marksville Police lieutenant; Greenhouse is a city marshal. Both were on marshal duty Tuesday night. Initial reports suggested they were trying to serve Few with a warrant when he fled onto a dead-end road and then reversed his car in their direction at about 9:30 p.m.
But Edmonson said there was no evidence of a warrant, nor any gun at the scene.
The officers were moved from the jail in Marksville to a lockup in the central Louisiana city of Alexandria after Monday's bond hearing, for reasons no one would explain, citing the gag order.
The possibility that they could post bond and remain free during the investigation didn't sit well with some townspeople who gathered outside the jail.
"The same day the boy is being buried," said Barbara Scott. "Shame, shame, shame."
"This child couldn't hurt a fly and his life is gone. I feel justice was not served," added Latasha Murray.
Jeremy Mardis was by all accounts a happy first-grader at Lafargue Elementary in Effie, Louisiana, where he attended school after his parents split and he moved to Marksville, where his father's family lives.
Jeremy was mourned Monday at his funeral in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where his mother, Katie Mardis, lives with the boy's sister.
"He was just a very sweet loving little boy who enjoyed being at school and enjoyed his friends," said Anita Bonnette, his assistant principal at Lafargue, where a crisis team was brought in to counsel Jeremy's classmates and teachers.
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Santana reported from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. ||||| MARKSVILLE, La. -- Two city marshals from Marksville, Louisiana, were ordered to be held today on $1 million bond each. Both are charged with murder in the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy -- the son of a man they were pursuing.
This is a case the state police chief called the most disturbing thing he's ever seen.
Louisiana State Police
CBS News has learned that video from police officer's body camera appears to show Christopher Few with his hands in the air, before investigators say he was shot at 18 times by Deputy Ward Marshals Norris Greenhouse Jr., and Derrick Stafford.
The head of Louisiana State Police Mike Edmonson said at this point they do not know why the two marshals wanted to pursue Few in the first place.
"We don't know that yet," Edmonson said. "We're gonna find out."
Investigators are looking into whether one of the marshals had a personal grudge against Few.
What investigators say they do know is that on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at roughly 9 p.m., Christopher Few was driving in a white SUV with his 6-year-old son Jeremy Mardis in the front seat. They were being pursued by the deputy marshals.
Few came to a dead end and tried to back up. That's when investigators said the deputy marshals started shooting. Few, still inside his vehicle, put his hands up, according to police.
Chief Edmonson has seen the footage from the police body camera. When he was asked if it looks like Few was trying to use the vehicle as a weapon to hurt the officers he replied, "Nothing tells us any of that right now. All we saw was the vehicle backing up, all we saw was the gunfire."
Jeremy Mardis, who had autism, was hit by five bullets in the head and chest. He died at the scene. His father was also shot and is still in the hospital in fair condition.
CBS News
The deputy marshals turned themselves in.
"This is a small community, everybody knows everybody and it's a tragic situation. Everybody is paying the price," said Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson.
Jeremy was buried on Monday in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The Few family attorney said on Monday that Few was too injured to attend his sons funeral. And in fact, hasn't yet been told his son was killed.
The marshals have not entered a plea yet. CBS News reached out to their attorneys and did not get a response. ||||| (CNN) A Louisiana district attorney has recused himself from prosecuting the case of two police officers who allegedly killed a 6-year-old boy while pursuing his father's car.
Avoyelles Parish District Attorney Charles Riddle filed a motion Monday for recusal, citing his relationship with one of the officer's families.
Louisiana City Marshals Norris Greenhouse Jr., 23, and Derrick Stafford, 32, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.
According to the motion, Greenhouse's father, Norris Greenhouse Sr., is an assistant district attorney under Riddle.
Louisiana Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell said in a statement that he'd received the recusal order and "we will begin a detailed and thorough investigation, leaving no stone unturned."
"I can simply assure you that at the end of the process, justice will be served," he added.
In a court hearing Monday, a Louisiana judge set a $1 million bond for each of the two officers. The court has ordered both men to surrender their firearms and badges.
Lingering questions
Nearly a week has passed since the incident occurred, but answers to disturbing questions are slow in coming.
A source close to the case information tells CNN that on the evening of November 3, marshals began pursuing the father, Chris Few, after they witnessed an argument between Few and his girlfriend in front of a local bar.
The source says the marshals alleged they witnessed "domestic abuse" and moved in to detain Few, who instead took off in his SUV.
The police pursuit ended in a hail of gunfire that left Few critically wounded and his young son dead.
Still unknown: Why did they open fire on 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis?
The first-grader was buckled in the front passenger seat of his father's truck when he was shot five times in the head and chest. At least 18 rounds were fired at the father and son from two firearms.
The boy's father was also struck. A hospital representative told CNN on Monday that authorities had upgraded Few from serious to fair condition.
The shooting happened on a dead-end street at the end of the chase in Marksville, a town of about 5,500 about 90 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, authorities said.
Investigators said there were no outstanding warrants against the father, and no firearm was found in his vehicle.
Greenhouse knew Few before the deadly encounter, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN. Investigators are looking into the extent of their relationship.
In an interview with CNN "New Day's" Alisyn Camerota, Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Michael Edmonson stressed that Marksville is a small town.
"We believe that they had some type of relationship where they met each other, knew each other," Edmonson said. "As this progresses, we'll certainly find out more and more information. But I think in a town like this, everyone knows each other."
Officers' history
At least one of the two officers was accused of a crime before.
According to The Town Talk newspaper in Alexandria, Louisiana, Stafford was indicted in 2011 on two counts of aggravated rape. The Town Talk reported that both cases were dismissed without prejudice in 2012. One of the incidents dated back to 2004. The other occurred while Stafford was employed by the Marksville Police Department, where he has worked for eight years.
Neither the Marksville Police Department nor Stafford's family has responded to CNN's requests for comment regarding those cases.
Stafford has been named as a defendant in five civil lawsuits, including at least one related to the use of excessive force. That particular case is still pending.
Greenhouse has also been named in a civil lawsuit related to the use of excessive force. That case is still pending.
Both men were working second jobs as city marshals when the shooting happened. Stafford is a full-time Marksville police lieutenant, and Greenhouse is a marshal in Alexandria, Edmonson said.
According to a CNN review of both officers' records, neither has ever been convicted of a crime.
'Disturbing' footage
The head of Louisiana's state police said "disturbing" body camera footage helped build the case against the two officers accused of shooting the boy.
"I've been a police officer for 35 years, but as a father -- much less as a state police -- it was a disturbing, disturbing video that I watched, and that really helped move us forward," Edmonson said Sunday.
"I've got to deal in facts. What's important to me is what caused those police officers to pursue," Edmonson said. "What caused them to open fire?"
"He (Jeremy) didn't deserve to die like that. We need to find out why."
The town's mayor, John Lemoine, told CNN's Brianna Keilar on Monday that the body cameras were a recent addition for local police.
"We just went ahead and got these body cameras for these officers, and I'm glad that we did," Lemoine said. "It ... shed a lot of light on what happened the other night."
Mourning Jeremy
On Monday afternoon, a small prayer vigil was held at the site of the shooting.
About a dozen people joined hands in a circle around a small collection of mementos left for Jeremy. People have been leaving multicolored balloons, flowers, stuffed animals and notes around the dead-end street.
Broken glass is still strewn across the ground. Just steps away, at least one bullet hole has been marked with orange paint in a split-rail fence.
Some of the people gathered for the vigil were from Marksville, and others came from the surrounding area. Several told CNN they were unable to travel the distance to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for Jeremy's funeral and burial, held Monday afternoon.
Jeremy Whittington was among those who attended the vigil. He told CNN's Martin Savidge he works with Few, and has been visiting him at the hospital.
He said he last visited Few on Sunday evening.
Whittington said Few was awake but drifting in and out of consciousness. He had difficulty speaking because he was connected to breathing tubes.
Jeremy's first-grade special needs teacher Roxanne Couvillion said the boy loved class, playing and alphabet puzzles. Jeremy was autistic and did not communicate verbally, she said. Couvillion said he was one of her favorite students.
She said she especially loved the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.
"We're just heartbroken," she said. "He always was an angel, and we know that he's watching over us."
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– The two Louisiana cops accused of gunning down a 6-year-old autistic boy will each have to come up with $1 million bail, a judge ruled Monday, CNN reports. The judge also ordered 23-year-old Norris Greenhouse Jr. and 32-year-old Derrick Stafford—charged with the murder of Jeremy Mardis and attempted murder of his father, Chris Few—to hand over their badges and guns. The Avoyelles Parish DA also made headlines, filing a motion to be recused because Greenhouse's father is an assistant DA under him. Meanwhile, a law enforcement source tells CBS that body-camera footage appears to show Few with his hands in the air before the cops started shooting. "This was not a threatening situation for the police," Few's attorney says, per the AP. CBS notes investigators are looking into whether there was a grudge against Few, speculation backed by Few's fiancee, who tells the Advocate that he had a previous confrontation with Greenhouse. Other details are slowly emerging about the two Marksville marshals. Stafford was indicted on aggravated rape charges in 2011 for alleged attacks on two separate victims, Alexandria's local paper reports; the case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Stafford could still face those charges. He's also named as a defendant in at least five pending civil complaints, including two suits in which he's accused of unnecessarily using stun guns on suspects and one in which he allegedly broke a teen girl's arm while removing her from a school bus, the Advocate reports. Greenhouse also shows up as a defendant in an excessive-force lawsuit, per CNN. Marksville residents outside the bail hearing Monday told the Advocate about ongoing issues with local cops. "Y'all just don't know what the hell we go through around here," one said. Jeremy was buried near Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday in a private ceremony, per the Advocate.
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This November 2015 photo released Monday, May 21, 2018, by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows ceramic jars and other items from the 300-year-old shipwreck of the Spanish galleon San Jose on... (Associated Press)
BOSTON (AP) — A Spanish galleon laden with gold that sank to the bottom of the Caribbean off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago was found three years ago with the help of an underwater autonomous vehicle operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the agency disclosed for the first time.
New details about the discovery of the San Jose were released on Monday with permission from the agencies involved in the search, including the Colombian government.
"We've been holding this under wraps out of respect for the Colombian government," said Rob Munier, WHOI's vice president for marine facilities and operations.
The exact location of the wreck of the San Jose, often called the "holy grail of shipwrecks," was long considered one of history's enduring maritime mysteries.
The 62-gun, three-masted galleon, went down on June 8, 1708, with 600 people on board as well as a treasure of gold, silver and emeralds during a battle with British ships in the War of Spanish Succession. The treasure is worth as much as $17 billion by modern standards.
The Massachusetts-based WHOI was invited to join the search because of its recognized expertise in deep water exploration. The institute's autonomous underwater vehicle, REMUS 6000, helped find the wreckage of Air France 447 in 2011, which crashed in 2009 several hundred miles off the coast of Brazil.
It was REMUS 6000 that in November 2015 took some side sonar images that found the San Jose in more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) of water.
The vehicle descended to 30 feet (9 meters) above the wreck to take several photographs, including some of the distinctive dolphin engravings on the San Jose's cannons, a key piece of visual evidence.
"The wreck was partially sediment-covered, but with the camera images from the lower altitude missions, we were able to see new details in the wreckage and the resolution was good enough to make out the decorative carving on the cannons," said WHOI engineer and expedition leader Mike Purcell.
"It was a pretty strong feeling of gratification to finally find it," said Munier, who was not at the site but learned in a phone call from Purcell. "It was a great moment."
The treasure has been the subject of legal battles between several nations as well as private companies. Several weeks ago, UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, called on Colombia not to commercially exploit the wreck, whose exact location remains a state secret.
As for the treasure, that remains on the sea bed — for now. ||||| In 1708, the San José— a Spanish galleon ship carrying a stash of gold, silver and emeralds — sank during a fierce battle against the British in the Caribbean Sea. Now, after sitting at the bottom of the ocean for 310 years, the San José's shipwreck has finally been officially identified, thanks to an analysis of the distinctive bronze cannons that sank with the ship.
These bronze cannons still have ornate dolphins engraved on them, according to recordings made by the REMUS 6000, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that got within 30 feet (9.1 meters) of the shipwreck in 2015, according to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
Although WHOI has known these details since 2015, only recently did affiliated agencies — Maritime Archaeology Consultants (MAC), Switzerland AG and the Colombian government — give the researchers permission to release the details to the public. [See Photos of the San Jose Shipwreck]
The San José was equipped with 62 guns, but it was no match against the British. Warships would have escorted the San José and its treasures on most of its trips from the New World to Europe every year. In fact, when it sank, the San José was carrying a treasure mined in Peru that, today, is worth between $4 billion and $17 billion, Live Science previously reported. These riches were intended to help fuel the long-running War of Spanish Succession, a conflict the Spanish and French were fighting against the English.
The REMUS 6000 as it is deployed off the Colombian Navy research ship ARC Malpelo. Credit: Mike Purcell, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
But in 1708, the warship escorts were delayed, and the Spanish commander, Admiral José Fernandez de Santillan, count of Casa Alegre, decided to set sail anyway. That was a big mistake. Four English ships confronted the San José and its crew of more than 500 men. After a bloody cannon fight, the San José erupted into flames and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Treasure hunters and archaeologists have been trying to locate it ever since.
That goal was accomplished on Nov. 27, 2015, when an international team of scientists found a shipwreck while aboard the Colombian Navy research ship ARC Malpelo, WHOI said. The wreck was found about 2,000 feet (600 m) underwater in a search that was approved by the Colombian Ministry of Culture.
However, at the time, it wasn't clear whether the wreck was actually that of the San José or of another ship. So, in 2015, WHOI sent the REMUS 6000, which had helped initially locate the shipwreck off of Colombia's Barú Peninsula, to take a closer look.
"The REMUS 6000 was the ideal tool for the job, since it's capable of conducting long-duration missions over wide areas," Mike Purcell, WHOI engineer and expedition leader, said in a statement.
The AUV's recordings showed that the ship was partially covered in sediment. The decorative carving on the cannons, filmed during a subsequent dive, allowed Roger Dooley, the lead marine archaeologist at MAC, to confirm that the wreck was the San José, WHOI said.
Teacups at the shipwreck site Credit: REMUS image, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The San José has considerable cultural and historical significance, as it holds artifacts that will help historians learn about Europe's economic, social and political climate during the early 18th century, WHOI noted. The Colombian government plans to build a museum and conservation laboratory to preserve and display the shipwreck's contents, including its cannons and ceramics.
The REMUS 6000 is owned by the Dalio Foundation and operated by WHOI. The vehicle has also played a key role in other deep-sea missions. In 2009, it helped find the wreckage of Air France Flight 447, the plane that crashed when it was flying from Brazil to France. And in 2010, the AUV helped map and photograph the Titanic's wreck site, WHOI said.
Original article on Live Science.
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– With treasure worth up to $17 billion still at the bottom of the sea, experts aren't ready to disclose the exact location of a Spanish galleon sunk during a battle in 1708—but they did have other details on the "holy grail of shipwrecks" to reveal this week. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has disclosed for the first time that its REMUS 6000 autonomous underwater vehicle found the wreck of the San Jose in more than 2,000 feet of water in late 2015, the AP reports. "We've been holding this under wraps out of respect for the Colombian government," says WHOI official Rob Munier. The institution says it was initially unclear whether the wreck detected at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea was the San Jose or another vessel, Live Science reports. The REMUS 6000 descended to within 30 feet of the largely sediment-covered wreck, allowing researchers to spot identifying details including the distinctive dolphins carved on the galleon's cannons. The 62-gun galleon, laden with gold, silver, and emeralds, was sunk with 600 people on board by British ships during the War of Spanish Succession. Colombia says it plans to display the cannons and other items from the wreck in a museum. The treasure has yet to be recovered, and United Nations cultural agency UNESCO has urged Colombia not to commercially exploit the wreck. (The search for MH370 may have solved some maritime mysteries.)
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The waiter with the handlebar mustache encourages us to “participate in the small-plate culture.” Geraldine’s, the swank spot in Austin’s Hotel Van Zandt, is brimming with tech guys, some loudly talking about money. The college student at our table recommends the ribs—she’s been here before, on “dates” with her “daddies.” “There are a lot of tech guys,” she says. “They want the girlfriend experience, without having to deal with an actual girlfriend.” “The girlfriend experience” is the term women in the sex trade use for a service involving more than just sex. “They want the perfect girlfriend—in their eyes,” says Miranda, the young woman at our table.* “She’s well groomed, cultured, classy, able to converse about anything—but not bringing into it any of her real-world problems or feelings.” Miranda is 22 and has the wavy bobbed hair and clipped mid-Atlantic accent of a 1930s movie star; she grew up in a Texas suburb. “I’ve learned how to look like this, talk like this,” she says. “I work hard at being this,” meaning someone who can charge $700 an hour for sex.
Her adventures in “sugaring” started three years ago when she got hit on by an older guy and rebuffed him, saying, “Look, I’m not interested, so unless you’re offering to pay my student loans,” and he said, “Well . . . ?” After that, “he paid for stuff. He gave me money to help out with my living expenses.” It ended when she went on a school year abroad and started meeting men on Seeking Arrangement, the Web site and app which match “sugar daddies” with “sugar babies,” whose company the daddies pay for with “allowances.” Now, she says, she has a rotation of three regular “clients”—”a top Austin lawyer, a top architect, and another tech guy,” all of them married. She adds, “Their relationships are not my business.” She confesses she isn’t physically attracted to any of these men, but “what I’m looking for in this transaction is not sexual satisfaction. Do you like everyone at your job? But you still work with them, right? That’s how it is with sex work—it’s a job. I get paid for it. I do it for the money.” And not only the money. “I’m networking,” Miranda maintains, “learning things from older men who give me insights into the business world. I’ve learned how to do an elevator pitch. I’ve learned so many soft skills that will help me in my career. “ALMOST ALL OF MY FRIENDS DO SOME SORT OF SEX WORK . . . . IT’S ALMOST TRENDY TO SAY YOU DO IT—OR THAT YOU WOULD.” “While in college,” she goes on, “I’ve had the ability to focus on developing myself because I’m not slaving away at a minimum-wage job. I reject it when people say I’m oppressed by the patriarchy. People who make seven dollars an hour are oppressed by the patriarchy.” “She’s in control of the male gaze,” says another woman at the table, Erin, 22. “I thought about doing it,” says Kristen, 21, tentatively. “I signed up for Seeking Arrangement when I couldn’t pay my rent. But I was held back because of the stigma if anyone finds out.” “What right does anyone have to judge you for anything you do with your body?,” Miranda asks. “Just Another Job”
The most surprising thing about Miranda’s story is how unsurprising it is to many of her peers. “Almost all of my friends do some sort of sex work,” says Katie, 23, a visual artist in New York. “It’s super-common. It’s almost trendy to say you do it—or that you would.” “It’s become like a thing people say when they can’t make their rent,” says Jenna, 22, a New York video-game designer. “ ‘Well, I could always just get a sugar daddy,’ ‘I guess I could just start camming,’ ” or doing sexual performances in front of a Webcam for money on sites like Chaturbate. “And it’s kind of a joke, but it’s also not because you actually could. It’s not like you need a pimp anymore. You just need a computer.” “Basically every gay dude I know is on Seeking Arrangement,” says Christopher, 23, a Los Angeles film editor. “And there are so many rent boys,” or young gay men who find sex-work opportunities on sites like RentBoy, which was busted and shut down in 2015 by Homeland Security for facilitating prostitution. “Now people just go on RentMen,” says Christopher. As the debate over whether the United States should decriminalize sex work intensifies, prostitution has quietly gone mainstream among many young people, seen as a viable option in an impossible economy and legitimized by a wave of feminism that interprets sexualization as empowering. “People don’t call it ‘prostitution’ anymore,” says Caitlin, 20, a college student in Montreal. “That sounds like slut-shaming. Some girls get very rigid about it, like ‘This is a woman’s choice.’ ” “Is Prostitution Just Another Job?” asked New York magazine in March; it seemed to be a rhetorical question, with accounts of young women who found their self-esteem “soaring” through sex work and whose “stresses seem not too different from any young person freelancing or starting a small business.” “Should Prostitution Be a Crime?” asked the cover of The New York Times Magazine in May—again apparently a rhetorical question, with an argument made for decriminalization that seemed to equate it with having “respect” for sex workers. (In broad terms, the drive for decriminalization says it will make the lives of sex workers safer, while the so-called abolitionist movement to end prostitution contends the opposite.) The Times Magazine piece elicited an outcry from some feminists, who charged that it minimized the voices of women who have been trafficked, exploited, or abused. Liesl Gerntholtz, an executive director at Human Rights Watch, characterized the prostitution debate as “the most contentious and divisive issue in today’s women’s movement.” “There’s a lot of fear among feminists of being seen on the wrong side of this topic,” says Natasha Walter, the British feminist author. “I don’t understand how women standing up for legalizing sex work can’t see the ripple effect of taking this position will have on our idea of a woman’s place in the world.” A ripple effect may already be in motion, but it looks more like a wave. A string of feminist-sex-worker narratives have been weaving through pop culture over the last few years, as typified by Secret Diary of a Call Girl (2007–11), the British ITV2 series based on the memoir by the pseudonymous Belle de Jour. Belle, played by the bubbly Billie Piper, is a savvy college grad who hates working at boring, low-paying office jobs, so she becomes a self-described “whore,” a lifestyle choice which always finds her in fashionable clothes. “I love my job,” Belle declares. “I’ve read every feminist book since Simone de Beauvoir and I still do what I do.” And then there is The Girlfriend Experience (2016–), the dramatic series on Starz, a darker take on a similarly glossy world of high-priced hotels and high-end shopping trips financed by wealthy johns. “I like it, O.K.?” snaps the main character, Christine, played by Riley Keough, when her disapproving sister asks why she’s working as an escort. Christine likes sex work so much she leaves law school to do it full-time. Both shows feature graphic sex scenes that sometimes look like porn. “We talked a lot about agency” when conceiving The Girlfriend Experience, says producer Steven Soderbergh (who directed a movie of the same name in 2009), “and the idea that you have this young woman who is going into the workforce and ends up in the sex-work industry, where she feels she has more control and is respected more than she is at her day job,” at a law firm. Photograph by Mark Schäfer.
Since Seeking Arrangement launched in 2006, practically a genre of sugar-baby confessionals has emerged. I WAS A REAL-LIFE “SUGAR BABY” FOR WEALTHY MEN, said a typical headline, in Marie Claire. The anonymous writer made clear, “I’d always had personal agency.” Meanwhile, sugaring has its own extensive community online—also known as “the sugar bowl”—replete with Web sites and blogs. On Tumblr, babies exchange tips on the best sugaring sites and how much to charge. They post triumphant pictures of wads of cash, designer shoes, and bags. They ask for prayers: “Pray for me, this will be great to have two sugar daddies this summer since I quit my vanilla job! I’m trying to live free lol!” On Facebook, there are private pages where babies find support for their endeavors as well. On one, members proudly call themselves “hos” (sometimes “heaux”) and post coquettish selfies, dressed up for “dates.” They offer information on how to avoid law enforcement and what they carry to protect themselves (knives, box cutters, pepper spray). They give advice on how to alleviate the pain of bruises from overzealous spanking and what to do when “scammers” refuse to pay. They ask questions: “How do you go about getting started in sex work? I’m honestly so broke.” In interviews, young women and men involved in sex work—not professionals forced into the life, but amateurs, kids—in Austin, New York, and Los Angeles, talked mostly about needing money. They were squeezed by college tuition, crushed by student loans and the high cost of living. Many of their parents were middle- or upper-middle-class people who had nothing to spare for their children, derailed by the economic downturn themselves. And so they did “cake sitting”—a specialty service for a fetish that craves just what it says—or stripping or Webcamming or sugaring. Some beat people up in professional “dungeons”; others did “scat play,” involving sex with feces. They did what they felt they had to do to pay their bills. But was it feminism? And no, that isn’t a rhetorical question. Landing a Whale
‘It just seemed so normal, like no big deal,” says Alisa, 21, one night at Nobu in Los Angeles, a place she’s been with her daddies. She’s talking about how she started sugaring when she was 18. “People kept telling me and my friends, ‘There are rich daddies who will take care of you.’ ” She had profiles on Seeking Millionaire and Date Billionaire when she landed a whale on Seeking Arrangement. He was a high-profile venture capitalist in San Francisco and founder of a major tech company—“the real deal.” (Friends confirm their connection.) “THERE ARE A LOT OF TECH GUYS. THEY WANT THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE, WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH AN ACTUAL GIRLFRIEND.” Soon after they met he flew her to New York and installed her in a chic hotel. Alisa says he was busy most of the time, but she and her friends ran up $60,000 in room service and spa services while he worked. To make up for his absence, he took her shopping at Alexander McQueen, “my obsession.” “Being in the L.A. atmosphere, and at the age of 16 or 17 going out in nightlife—it’s all very based on appearance,” Alisa says. “Out here, as long as you’re wearing Saint Laurent and the newest items, that’s all people care about, so my friends and I were obsessed with fashion. I think with our generation, Instagram also has a lot to do with it—people are constantly posting what they have.” She’s explaining that she became a sugar baby in order to buy luxury goods. “My friend who does it says, ‘I do it for the Chanel,’ ” Alisa says wryly. “We both come from upper-middle-class families, but we never felt right asking our parents to buy us designer handbags or something, to put that burden on them financially. I was already working full-time,” at a clothing store, “and all my money was going towards helping my parents to pay for school.” So there was nothing left for shopping.
Her assignations with the billionaire went on for two years. “It was purely for financial purposes,” she says. “He was not my type whatsoever.” She’s reluctant at first to say whether they had sex, but finally admits their relationship was physical. “If anyone tells you they’re not sleeping with these guys, they’re lying, even if it’s just a blow job, because no one pays for all that without expecting something in return.” It ended when he started dating a famous beauty; Alisa read about it on a celebrity blog. She had other daddies, during and after him, but then last year she stopped sugaring. “I haven’t done it in a really long time,” she says, “solely because of how it made me feel. Like it just makes you feel worthless ‘cause they don’t pay attention to your brain, they don’t care what you have to say. They just care that you’re attractive and you’re listening to them. I don’t want to ever have to look back and think, like, I made it to this point just because I used my body to get there.” A friend who got “envious” of her postings on Instagram also told Alisa’s parents what she was doing. She says, “She called me a prostitute.” “It’s Transactional”
‘She’s a pro,” murmurs the young guy at the bar at Vandal, the hot new restaurant on New York’s Lower East Side. “And so is she.” He’s cocking his head toward some women in the room who are drinking alone. “How do you know?,” I ask. “You know,” says the guy. “They let you know.” “The thing is, nowadays,” says his friend (they both work in real estate), “there’s the hidden hos. Like they’re hos, but they pretend to be just some regular girl hitting you up on Tinder.” “I hate that,” the first guy says. “The hidden hoochies.” “The ho-ishness,” the second guy says, “is everywhere. I used to take girls out to dinner, but then I’d see they’d eat and bounce—they just want a free meal—so now it’s no more dinner, just drinks.” “IF ANYONE TELLS YOU THEY’RE NOT SLEEPING WITH THESE GUYS, THEY’RE LYING . . . NO ONE PAYS FOR ALL THAT WITHOUT . . . SOMETHING IN RETURN.” Their complaints are of a type commonly heard online, on social media and rampant threads: “All women are prostitutes”; women just want to use men to get money and things. The Internet holds a mirror to the misogyny doing a bro dance in the background of this issue. I ask the guys why they think some men pay for sex, especially when dating apps have made casual hookups more common. “It’s transactional,” the second guy says. “There’s no one blowing up your phone, demanding shit from you. You have control over what happens.” I tell them how Seeking Arrangement promotes itself as feminist. (“Seeking Arrangement is modern feminism,” says founder Brandon Wade, 46, an M.I.T.-educated former software engineer, on the phone. His InfoStream Group includes a number of other dating services, such as Miss Travel, where a woman can find a traveling “companion” to “sponsor” her vacation.) “Oh, come on,” the first guy says. “They call them ‘daddies.’ They call women ‘babies.’ ” “You can’t tell who the hookers are anymore,” says another guy at the bar, a well-known D.J. in his 30s. “They’re not strippers, they’re not on the corner, there’s no more madam. They look like all the other club girls.” He tells a story of a young woman he let stay in his hotel room one weekend while he was working in Las Vegas. “She met up with this other girl and all of a sudden they had all these men’s watches and wallets and cash. They were working.” He laughs, still amazed at the memory. “It’s like hooking has just become like this weird, distorted extension of dating,” the D.J. says. “ ‘He took me to dinner. He throws me money for rent’—it’s just become so casual. I think it’s dating apps—when sex is so disposable, if it doesn’t mean anything, then why not get paid for it? But don’t call it prostitution—no, now it’s liberation.” $50 for the Powder Room
Jenna says that a friend of hers was sexually assaulted by a man she met on a sugaring site. “She didn’t want to report it,” she says, “because she didn’t want her parents to know what she was doing.” Women in sex work reportedly experience a high incidence of rape, as well as a “workplace homicide rate” 51 times higher than that of the next most dangerous job, working in a liquor store, according to the American Journal of Epidemiology. “If prostitution is really just physical labor,” says the Canadian feminist writer and prostitution abolitionist, Meghan Murphy, on the phone, “if it’s no different than serving coffee or fixing a car, then why would we see rape as such a traumatic thing? If there’s nothing different about sex, then what’s so bad about rape?” Jenna, the video-game designer, did Seeking Arrangement for two years, between the ages of 19 and 21. As with other young women I spoke to, the catalyst for her was when she couldn’t pay her rent: “I had like negative $55 in the bank. My mom was guilt-tripping me about asking her for money.” The night Jenna Googled “sugar daddies,” she says, she’d also just come home from a “very bad date” with “a guy who smelled.” “I was like, I can’t take this anymore, these guys are horrible. I just want someone who’s gonna have some manners, or at least some better hygiene.” It was a refrain I’d heard from others, including Miranda in Austin, who complained, “The dude bros are infantile, they’re rude.” “Wish you could send an invoice” to a “fuck boy that used you,” said a young woman on a sugaring page on Facebook. “So I was like, If I’m gonna spend my time with some guy and have it be horrible,” Jenna says one night at a dark East Village bar, “then if I get some money at the end of the night, at least I get something.” The guys she met on Seeking Arrangement weren’t horrible, she says, but some of them were “weird.” “Because I know a lot about video games I tend to attract, like, the nerdier [Brooklyn] tech guys. Like the ones who are looking for someone who can talk to them, like, ‘Oh, you’re into Harmony Korine? You like Trash Humpers?’ “They’re actually profoundly lonely guys,” she says, “and think this is the only way that they can meet women.” There was the guy who just wanted to brush her hair, for hours, as she sat watching television in a hotel room. He brought his own brush. And there was the guy who was “fat—not like morbidly obese, but big.” He liked to take her out for long dinners. She usually charged around $400 for an encounter. “The guys don’t like talking about money, so they’ll just like leave money in your purse.” What Holly Golightly called “$50 for the powder room” was discreetly offered, she says, “because then it can feel more like real dating to them.” Photograph by Mark Schäfer.
But it wasn’t real dating, and after a while it began to bother her, as she realized the men, although “generally nice,” didn’t actually respect her. “I think the sugar daddies just see the sugar babies as whores,” she says. “They would never consider a monogamous relationship with someone who would need to do this to survive. It’s like a class thing. They see you as beneath them, desperate. “Sometimes I think, Did I really have to resort to this?” she asks. “Or was I being validated in some way?” She was a “late bloomer,” she says, and wonders if part of her felt reassured of her attractiveness by having someone pay to have sex with her. “But that’s crazy.” She stopped sugaring when she got into a serious relationship; now she lives with her boyfriend in an apartment with four others. “One day, one of our roommates was watching porn, and he says to me—he had no idea what I’d been doing—‘Do you think there are sex workers who are really into it?’ I think it’s, like, a male fantasy.” Wish Lists
Interestingly, the young men I talked to who do sex work voiced few qualms about whether what they were doing was empowering or disempowering. One straight guy I spoke to who’s on Seeking Arrangement (the company claims to have more than 400,000 “mommies”) did say that he was sometimes uncomfortable with “not being in control of the situation.” One night at Macri Park, a gay bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Derek is having a drink with friends. He’s 20 and an art student from New Jersey. “I do RentMen, I do dominating,” he says. “People want to be hit, beat up—mostly older guys. One’s a Broadway actor. I work for dungeons and I have private clients. I don’t have to have sex with them—just whip them with devices, or beat them with my hands. Or I do muscle worship”—where guys ogle and touch his body. “If I do it two or three times a week,” he says, “I can make my rent, I can eat, I can make my art.” Once upon a time, young artists and musicians came to New York looking to find a creative community where they could thrive, but now, as David Byrne noted in a piece in The Guardian in 2013, the city has become virtually unaffordable to all but the 1 percent, inhospitable to struggling artists. “One can put up with poverty for a while when one is young, but it will inevitably wear a person down,” wrote Byrne. “Especially with the intern culture—like New York runs on interns—it’s impossible to get a decent job,” says Katie, the visual artist, at Macri Park. “I was sending out 20 e-mails a day for the first five months I lived here,” looking for jobs, “and I was like, This isn’t working.” Now she does Webcamming. She says she “feels O.K. about it,” and uses it to “fuel my art.” She dresses up as a Disney princess for men to explore “the effects of princess culture on my sexuality.” If a client turns out to be a “creep,” someone whose attitude she can’t abide, she’ll just “nuke them,” or turn the Webcam off. “IF I DO IT TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK, I CAN MAKE MY RENT, I CAN EAT, I CAN MAKE MY ART.” She and her friend Christopher start talking about the Amazon “Wish Lists” that sex workers set up for their clients. In lieu of money (which is sent through PayPal or Venmo), clients can pay with gifts. “I know guys who’ve gotten iPhones, laptops, a flat-screen TV,” says Christopher. “A lot of people have the really practical ones—like ‘I want silverware, a blender,’ ” says Katie. “I’ve seen people put furniture, even like shaving cream and razors,” Christopher says. He pulls up one of his friends’ Wish Lists on his phone. The young man wants a stuffed Pokémon doll. Travis, 27, a porn actor from Virginia, has been a professional escort for years. He says he bemoans the way social media has made it so easy for anyone to do. “There’s a lot of people with day jobs now who are making good money and doing escorting on the side—you’d be surprised.” Why do they do it?, I ask. “ ‘Cause they’re greedy,” Travis says. “The market is flooded. I’m so over it.” Benefactors
At the Seeking Arrangement Party 2016, a masquerade ball, babies and daddies crowd into Bardot, a lounge in the Avalon Hollywood nightclub, in Los Angeles. Exotic dancers writhe around on risers. General-admission tickets are $100, the drinks aren’t free, and many babies aren’t drinking. Some seem antsy. Many have spent the day at the Seeking Arrangement Sugar Baby Summit, hearing how they should expect to be “spoiled” and have men pay for things. So they’ve gotten dressed up, put on Eyes Wide Shut-like masks, and come here to meet their potential “benefactors.” “I’m just looking for someone to pay for my boob job,” says a small blonde woman who flew into town from Utah; she’s a Mormon. “I thought I must be doing something wrong because all the guys I’ve met on the site so far have been sending me dick pics and hairy-butt pics.” The place is filled with guys who resemble John McCain. “My daughter’s 36,” I hear one saying to two rapt young women. He pulls out pictures from his wallet to show them—actual photo printouts. There’s another type of guy here, the jumbo-size Danny DeVitos. “I thought they said these girls were gonna be 10s,” I hear one of them telling some other guys. “But this is like a buncha 5s and 6s. Maybe they’ll take an I.O.U.” The other men chuckle. ||||| Chelsea Lane was a freshman at Reed, the esteemed liberal-arts college in Portland, Oregon, when she first became interested in sex work. Someone in her humanities class had a Tumblr about being a prostitute, prompting a lively debate among fellow students over whether they could ever sell their bodies. “I started reading sex workers’ blogs,” Lane explains. The women behind the blogs sounded confident, financially secure. “And within Reed, it was like, ‘That’s cool. That’s edgy.’ ”
Lane describes herself as “fat and hairy” and is so pale she almost glows. She grew up poor but “had a zero-trauma childhood” in a conservative Northern California town. “My parents were the most supportive,” she says. “They’ve been married for 35 years and still love each other. They did tell me I’m beautiful and awesome.’ ” But she still felt insecure about her body and about sex. “They’re your parents, so they don’t say, ‘You’re a beautiful sexual creature.’ Because that’s creepy and weird. There’s a disconnect between thinking I can do anything in life versus thinking I’m beautiful physically.” Lane, who had lost her virginity to another virgin at Reed in what she describes as “really disappointing and bad” sex, started contacting the sex-work bloggers, asking if curvy girls could be strippers. “I didn’t feel attractive or wanted, but these ladies told me that everybody has beauty and that there is someone out there who will appreciate it — who’ll even pay for it.”
The more she learned, the more appealing sex work became. She had visions of going to grad school and liked the idea of having wealthy men fund her education. Later in her freshman year, she posted a personal ad on a sugar-daddy website. She met her first client at a hotel. “The sex was really bad,” she says, “but he was a decent guy. He was in his mid-40s. He told me that I was the second person he’d ever slept with, other than his wife. He put the money in my purse. As soon as I got in my car, I counted and was like, ‘Holy shit, that’s $300!’ At this point, I’m 18 and working at Sears. I was excited.”
Photograph by Ian Allen
From there, sex quickly became a side job. She’d meet about ten clients a week, making $1,000 to $1,500. “The first several months of me escorting was like, ‘I relish their worshipping my body.’ It’s amazing. There have been two clients throughout my entire time that made me feel dirty, and that’s because it was obvious they didn’t see me as a person. But that was two out of hundreds.” And anyway, she says, “I can think of personal partners who treated me like that.”
She has her own Tumblr now. On her first anniversary of escorting, in February 2015, she wrote that, at 20 years old, she is less isolated, better paid, in contact with “wonderful” people, and “getting laid on the regular.” Her story has been added to the body of personal accounts that changed her own perception of sex workers years before. “They’re people,” she says she realized then. “Not sad drug addicts walking on the street.”
The stereotype of prostitutes as streetwalkers is indeed somewhat dated in the United States, where for decades an estimated 80 percent have done business indoors. More recently, the internet has fostered unprecedented acceptance of sex work among the public, as it did for Lane, with sex-workers-rights hashtags and grassroots social-media campaigns that make visible women who are working by choice. Sites like SeekingArrangement.com, which connect sugar “babies” with sugar daddies, technically forbid prostitution, but have also helped normalize sex work; currently around a million U.S. college students have accounts with the service, according to the company. In 2012, 38 percent of Americans thought sex work should be legalized; last year, amid growing support for legalized marijuana and increased personal freedom, that number went up to 44 percent.
The issue made news last summer, when Amnesty International, one of the world’s most prominent human-rights organizations, voted to campaign for the decriminalization of all aspects of sex work, from buying to selling. After two years of research and deliberation, it said, it had concluded that full decriminalization would better empower and protect sex workers. In response, more than 300 human-rights-organization representatives, writers, activists, and actresses including Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep signed a heavily footnoted letter arguing that full decriminalization would lead to an increase of involuntary sex slaves, “who are mostly women,” and “support a system of gender apartheid” in which resourceless females become objects of consumption. These opponents to decriminalization support the “Nordic model,” which punishes buyers, brothels, and pimps but not the sex workers themselves, a system pioneered by Sweden that has since been adopted in some form in Iceland, Norway, Northern Ireland, and Canada. The idea is to ultimately end the trade without harming the women, who are seen as its victims, by targeting the more powerful economic agents, namely men.
Of course, “it’s not just women” in the industry, points out Barb Brents, a professor of sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “But so much of the anti-decriminalization argument is about the symbolism of protecting women.” In the open letter, men were mentioned only as consumers and peddlers. Brents chalks up the relative disinterest in male sex workers — with the notable exception of last year’s federal raid on Rentboy.com — to the “gendered norms of sex: Men are active and have a tireless sexual drive. Women are passive and don’t.” Savannah Sly, the president of Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) USA, a national grassroots advocacy network, calls the “hysteria” around “women and girls, women and girls, women and girls” a strategy for justifying “the war on whores.”
I didn’t feel attractive or wanted, but these ladies told me that everybody has beauty and that there is someone out there who will appreciate it ― who’ll even pay for it.
The debate has highlighted a rift among feminists, pitting two deeply held beliefs against each other. One side argues that women should be free economic agents, capable of making choices in their own self-interest, empowered to own their sexuality and use their bodies however they choose. If Chelsea Lane wants to become a sex worker, why shouldn’t she be allowed to do it legally? Those on the other side believe that the Chelsea Lanes of the world are a tiny fraction of sex workers and that many who “choose” this life are not choosing freely or choosing at all. And, even for someone like Lane, how can that choice ever be untangled from society's persistent cultural misogyny and inequality?
But for both sides, the issue boils down to whether decriminalization makes women safer. The little research that exists doesn’t definitively settle the dispute. Some studies show that legalization, as enacted by Germany and the Netherlands, is associated with higher rates of trafficking — people being coerced or conscripted into sex work against their will. Decriminalization advocates, along with some researchers, argue that this is due to onerous regulations that can unintentionally push sex work to underground markets. (In Nevada, where prostitution is “legal,” but only in strictly regulated brothels, there were nearly 4,000 arrests for prostitution in 2014.) Some studies have found that the decriminalization of selling, but not buying, sex has led to less street prostitution; other studies have not. There’s research that finds that criminalization leads to more abuse of sex workers and research that finds an overwhelming number of sex workers want out, are traumatized, and suffer from addiction. And other research that doesn’t.
One area where there seems to be a lot of consensus is in sex workers’ desire to be able to seek the protection of the law without fear of prosecution. A 2012 report by the U.N. cited research that found an “overwhelming majority of [female sex workers] interviewed wanted sex work to be legalized or decriminalized.” Many other current sex workers, from the Caribbean Sex Worker Coalition to swop to the 50,000 members of Calcutta’s Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, agree.
Chelsea Lane does, too. Lane was adamant that she didn’t want to contribute to the “white happy hooker” narrative: “So many people think sex work is only acceptable if you do it because it’s fun and empowering,” she says. “And I’ve seen this other set of dialogues, on Tumblr mostly, where sex workers are saying, ‘No, it’s a job like any other, and we don’t necessarily enjoy our jobs, but we still deserve safe working conditions.’ Personally, my self-esteem is soaring. Sex work really allowed me to grasp hold of my sexuality and to embrace myself.” But even if she weren’t so white and happy, she maintains, it would still be her right to do it. “I used to love Anne Hathaway. She’s still classy, but maybe I have like ten less respect points for her.”
This was, by and large, the response of sex workers all over the internet after the open letter to Amnesty International was published: We don’t need anyone else to speak for us—much less privileged actresses who are far removed from our experience. But advocates on the other side say there are plenty of sex workers who do need someone to speak up on their behalf, because they are marginalized and essentially voiceless. The argument is whether it’s condescending and paternalistic to let others decide what’s best for sex workers, or irresponsible not to.
Reagan is not a white happy hooker — she is not white, for one, and her feelings about sex work are complicated. “When I first started doing this, I was raped,” she says. “That’s what I mean when I say working in this industry is bad for your personal life. Because I was in the industry, I knew this could happen. I didn’t like it by any means, but it didn’t traumatize me the way that it probably should have.”
Reagan — who is not really named Reagan (her name has been changed, as have the names of almost everyone in this story) and who has “been 29 for like five years” — tells me this as she drives west across the state of North Carolina one Friday night after dark, toward the more rural areas where she prefers to work. In cities, “if you have an overabundance [of workers], you have to fight for a price and market yourself in a different way or cheaper, and I’m not about cheap,” she says, barreling further away from her home in Charlotte. “Like with any other business, if you want to be an entrepreneur, you look for a need. There’s not a lot of black girls out here.” Most of the time, Reagan’s job is surprisingly mundane — identifying the markets, assessing rates, doing cost-benefit travel analyses. Her wardrobe is low-key: “I probably look like a schoolteacher,” she says.
The night she was raped, Reagan had gone by herself to meet a client. “It seemed like a nice area, and it was my first time there, and it was close to downtown.” She’d used Priceline to find the hotel. “I get there, and it’s a dump. I thought, I’ll just do this one appointment, and I’ll go to a better area. When the guy came, he robbed me at gunpoint, and then he decided he wanted a little action.”
Photograph by Bobby Doherty
Reagan was not aware of the decriminalization debate until I mentioned it to her, but despite her mixed feelings about sex work she believes it should be legal. Her opinion is influenced by what happened that night. “When I called the cops, they were just like, ‘Ah, okay.’ They didn’t do anything. I don’t dislike cops — they’re just doing their job — but if the law allowed them to be more accepting, maybe they could help more people. If I were ever to get raped again, I wouldn’t call the police. At all. For what? Because of the profession that I chose to work in, you are considered less than. It’s almost, ‘You asked for it because you work in this industry anyway. You’re already having sex with people — what’s the big deal?’ ”
Raised a Southern Baptist, Reagan “didn’t come up in the lifestyle,” and says she freely chose this line of work. “I probably have better degrees than a lot of people,” she says. “I do this part time, and I double my salary as a paralegal.” That’s why she does it. “I’m not saying there’s not a lot of drug addicts who do it and people who’ve been victimized. I know for a fact that lots of people who work in the sex industry were molested. I was not. For the most part, the girls on the internet have probably never walked the streets. That type of hustle I wouldn’t even understand. Either you really devalue who you are or you’ve really been beat up in life to hustle for $20.” That’s what the street workers, who local police say are almost exclusively substance-addicted trauma survivors, charge in the Blue Ridge Mountain town where she’s headed. Reagan charges ten times that, per hour. “When I first started, I charged $400. There’s no way in hell I’d screw somebody for $200. I don’t actually offer sex anymore, but I used to. Because I don’t offer sex” — she does erotic massage, domination, “touching” — “I’m okay with these rates now.”
Reagan stopped offering sex to clients to appease her boyfriend. They recently broke up, “but I think we’re working on it, so I chose to give up the sex part of it.” But she didn’t want to give up escorting entirely, even though it gets to her sometimes. “Some things don’t matter if it’s illegal or not; it’s about the ethics. I’m probably the most ethical prostitute who ever was. I didn’t want to know if [clients] were married. I made them take off their ring — I don’t wanna know because I feel bad. There are days when I think, Jesus, is all I can offer in life sex? I wasn’t raised that way. So what the hell brought that across my mind? It’s very degrading.” Reagan’s clients don’t make her feel that way; it’s the message she gets from everyone else. “It’s taught from a very young age in America that this is not acceptable behavior.”
A month before this conversation, Reagan was arrested. This, she says, is the worst thing that’s happened to her as a sex worker. “It traumatizes me more to walk into a man’s hotel room and think he’s a cop than that he’s gonna rape me. I’m more concerned about a criminal record. I almost have a panic attack every time I walk into someone’s hotel room.” She worries that if she ever left her job as a paralegal — or if her employer found out about the arrest and fired her — she wouldn’t be able to get another straight job. “It’ll never go away. I definitely hurt myself, in a sense. I sacrificed some of the other things I wanted to do later in life. I’ll never be able to work for a company. I’ll have to build my own.”
Tonight, in western North Carolina, Reagan has “some things” scheduled. After a two-hour drive, she pulls up to a hotel, where she has a reservation. “I don’t intend on working in this industry much longer,” she says, walking through the hotel parking lot. “I’m working on a group home for children, and also a car lot.”
For Anna, a 22-year-old who recently moved to New York, decriminalization is a practical matter. She started a limited-liability company pretending to be a graphic designer, “because I needed a way to pay taxes. I feel really guilty evading taxes; I make a really good living. Paying taxes is also good for your future.” This way, she says, “I have an income history,” which will be important “if I want to buy property down the road or apply for credit cards.”
Anna is petite, with fine hair and delicate features and a high, whispery voice. She started working in the industry three years ago. “I listened to Dan Savage’s podcast in high school, and I remember him talking about sex work and sugar babies. So that’s how I got the idea.” Her parents were wealthy but square. “If I hadn’t been listening to those podcasts” — Sex Nerd Sandra was another favorite — “I wouldn’t have started. They exposed me to a lot of stuff and kind of made me more comfortable with sex in general.” When she moved out of her parents’ home for college, she put an ad on Backpage. “I started for fun, to make money on the side.”
I listened to Dan Savage’s podcast in high school, and I remember him talking about sex work and sugar babies. So that’s how I got the idea.
Her parents found out, though, cut her off, and stopped speaking to her. “That’s when I transitioned to doing it as a source of income. I couldn’t pay tuition.” She ended up dropping out of school anyway, working full time, and she still doesn’t have any contact with her parents. “We had a pretty close relationship,” she says, sounding resigned. “It was a big deal. It was hard then, but I’ve definitely gotten over it.”
It was one of Anna’s clients who helped her professionalize her operation, suggesting she meet with another woman he patronized who could help her make a website, improve her pictures, and start making way more money. “He knew I was really young and didn’t know what I was doing,” she says. “I wasn’t charging very much at all, and this girl helped me raise my rates—more than doubled them.” Now she charges a $500-an-hour minimum.
For the most part, Anna likes her job. “I’ve gotten really used to it, so it almost seems much less scary than doing other things.” The biggest frustration she cites is one shared by many online businesses: “I’m frustrated with the review system,” she says. Websites like the Erotic Review let clients write their version of an encounter — like a sex workers’ version of Yelp. “I feel like one bad review could ruin your business, so that’s been stressful.”
Other than the family difficulties, Anna’s stresses seem not too different from any young person freelancing or starting a small business. She doesn’t talk about legal troubles or violent clients, abuse or addiction, nor does she have any existential issues with the work she does. “Ninety-nine percent of everyone is really sweet. I’ve only had to ask someone to leave once, because the guy was really drunk. I didn’t feel threatened. I was just a little bit scared.” Eventually, she tells me, she’ll quit escorting and use her saved up earnings to go to beauty school. “If I had unlimited money, I might work toward getting my bachelor’s degree. I wouldn’t say [being a beautician] is my dream job. It’s just feasible for me to do when I get out of escorting.” She’s not desperate to get out, though. “Overall it’s not been bad, or I wouldn’t have been doing it.”
Cherie Jimenez says that she used to say that, too. That she was fine. The 65-year-old spent some 20 years on and off in the sex trade, and to sex workers who say they’re fine, she says, “maybe for now you’re fine.” If many active sex workers support full decriminalization, this former sex worker, like plenty of others, has much more negative feelings about the industry. “It almost destroyed me,” she says. And that was then. She thinks the sex trade’s problems are only getting worse.
Jimenez, who now runs the Eva Center, a sex-work exit program in Boston, is not talking about Anna’s small-business concerns. The internet may have made it easier for sex workers to operate like independent entrepreneurs, but it also seems to have increased clients’ demands. “Men want more,” Jimenez says. “Men’s and young boys’ introduction to intimacy is gonzo porn, where you play out the fantasy of brutalizing women.” The women who come through her program tell her that the industry “is more violent because pornography is more violent. [Johns] want extra shit, or they don’t wanna do it safely.”
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In addition to her work at the Eva Center, Jimenez is a member of SPACE (Survivors of Prostitution-Abuse Calling for Enlightenment) International, which advocates for the Nordic model, with the ultimate goal of the total abolition of the sex trade. “We have to get to where men are not buying people to get off,” she says. “It’s just a harmful practice.” She concedes that the perspective she has from running an exit program is “skewed.” The women who come to her are in absolute crisis to get out of the business, but she maintains that in general, “to use your body, to sell your body — it does something to you. Not very many people come out of it whole and in a very healthy way. Even under the best circumstances. How many young women do I talk to who have trouble having relationships?” She says the women in her program will ask her if she’s married. She says they want to know if they can experience love.
“The further you get away from mainstream life — catch a few [arrest] cases, you have no employment skills, you don’t know how to be in the world — the harder it is to get away and feel like you can do something else.” Though she was 20 and sober when she started, she eventually became a daily heroin user. “Horrific things do happen,” she says. The homicide rate for prostitution vastly outpaces any other profession’s in the U.S. The industry is especially dangerous for transgender women. Many of the staggering number of trans women who were murdered in the U.S. last year were sex workers.
Plus, there’s the struggle of “after a while just being a commodity and being a body and trying to hold onto yourself,” Jimenez says. In the case of her clients, their efforts to get out are often complicated by addiction and isolation. “They have no viable skills, they have no one to support them,” no home, no education, no résumé; about half of them have been through the system, aged out of group homes. Even with the support of the Eva Center, many of her clients take years to get a straight job.
Sex workers with, say, “master’s degrees — they know that they can do something else. Most of us don’t have that.” (But even for them, Jimenez doesn’t buy the notion of harmlessness: “Those women, do they want their children in this?”) According to the International Labor Organization, 4.5 million people worldwide work in forced sexual labor. But Jimenez says the line between being a consenting sex worker and being trafficked is not always clear. Those with boyfriends who pimp them out or beat them, or who have pimps who give them quotas, are they really consenting?
“You can’t end the trafficking piece without addressing it as a whole thing, as a sex trade. Decriminalization, which is what Amnesty is calling for, would make this an open market,” Jimenez says. “So these women that I meet, it would be legal for them to become completely exploited. The sex-workers people” — by which she means decriminalization advocates within the industry — “say, ‘You reduce us all to victims.’ And I get that. But what is it to have a good life? And be healthy and productive and contribute and have access to things? We don’t have equal access” to opportunity and education, she says. “That’s what Amnesty should be fighting for.”
Photograph by Bobby Doherty
Abolitionists, says Jill Brenneman, “equate everything to sex trafficking.”
That is something that Brenneman, now 49, knows about firsthand. Kidnapped and sold as a sex slave when she was just 15, she was held in a basement and raped by a revolving clientele of sadists for three years until her captor was arrested. One gang rape during that period damaged her vocal cords so severely that her voice still comes out hoarse. She later became a spokesperson for anti-trafficking organizations, ones that happened to be vehemently anti-decriminalization.
Then, in her 40s, she found herself unemployed, laid off from her career as a flight attendant, and she decided to become an escort. “What happened to me as a teenager and what happened as an adult is completely different,” she says.
It was “not really” a hard decision, she says. “I needed the money, and if anything, I went from having very little money to having more than enough immediately. I could go to the grocery store and get whatever I wanted. I could go to Starbucks every day if I wanted to. I didn’t really mind it. It is a performance. You have a set playlist, and I would literally breathe with the song. For the crescendo I would fake an orgasm.”
Some of her acquaintances couldn’t believe that she chose to become an escort, and there were moments when she couldn’t believe she was doing it either. “It sometimes triggered back to the experience as a teenager, but for the most part I really compartmentalized it pretty well.”
Brenneman describes herself as “a very strong proponent of decriminalization,” as long as the paid sex is “between consenting adults.” For one, she thinks the resources that go into arresting sex workers would be better spent pursuing traffickers like her enslaver, who was arrested on unrelated charges — she was discovered and freed by chance. And like Reagan, she thinks that if sex work weren’t illegal, she could have gone to the police when a client got violent. Once, when Brenneman was working for an escorting agency, “they sent me on a bad outcall to a federal air marshal. Soon as I got there, I saw his graduation stuff on the wall, and I was like, ‘Oh, no; they sent me to a cop.’ ” She says he asked for anal sex. “That wasn’t part of the deal. After 15 minutes, he said he was going to get a drink and came back with handcuffs and a trash bag and forced it.” She had to go to the hospital because he gave her a concussion. The need for protection from law enforcement is a frequent argument of decriminalization proponents. In one survey of New York City sex workers, 27 percent reported police had used violence against them.
Aside from Jimenez, Brenneman was the oldest woman I talked to. She had the distance of having been out of the game for a few years and had had some truly terrible experiences while escorting. I also learned during the course of our conversation that she’s dying. She has a rare blood disease; in May 2014, she was given a year to live. I asked her if she had any regrets.
“I do, I do,” she said. “The first two years, I didn’t charge enough.”
Can we, should we, let sex workers speak for themselves? No matter how young? Or how disadvantaged? Or what they’ve been through?
“Who’s to say a sex worker’s life isn’t fine?” says Jimenez. “I was there once. I can say that.” But more than a dozen current and former sex workers I interviewed, some of them selected randomly off the internet, were in favor of decriminalization. I contacted Jimenez specifically because I knew she was against it and no one else had made the argument.
Skylar, a 20-year-old New Yorker, technically fits Jimenez’s description of women who do not exactly choose sex work. She was orphaned at a young age by drug-addicted parents and became a sex worker because she couldn’t figure out another way to get money for food. She had a boss, whom most people would consider a pimp, and she had no control over clients — or services, if she wanted to get paid. Also, she was a child, with children of her own.
“I was about 15,” she says. “My foster mother was giving me $5 a day, just enough to get to and from school, not to get lunch.” The decision to do sex work “came from not being able to do things with my kids, wanting to buy things but not being able to.” Skylar had had her first child at 13. When she was 14, a friend of a friend asked her if she wanted to work at dancing parties thrown by a guy she knew. “She introduced me to the guy, who is now incarcerated because he was trying to solicit 12-year-olds online, and when I got there, he was like, ‘Yeah, well, we do dancing parties, but if you want to make extra money, you’ll do x, y, and z.’ So he took my body measurements and took pictures and they ultimately decided that I was a good candidate for full-service escorting.”
Skylar knows this reads like a cautionary tale, yet she doesn’t consider herself a victim, and she didn’t consider herself a child at the time. “Young women who have survived trafficking, that doesn’t fit my experiences,” she says. “At 15, I wasn’t a 15-year-old. More like a 21-year-old. My circumstances after having a child were totally different from average 15-year-olds’. It’s a certain level of responsibility that you have to have. Although being a sex worker probably wasn’t my No. 1 pick at 15 years old, that’s what was open to me. That was the only option I had because, what, Payless is going to hire a 15-year-old who’s going through school and has a kid?”
Skylar didn’t think of the man who was running the business as a pimp, either. They had their disagreements — “he didn’t like the fact that I didn’t want to engage with him when I was in school” — but he wasn’t abusive, she says, and he never took money from her. “The guys went through a website to select girls. So he got paid from them visiting the website, and then once I was sent to the clients, the client was responsible for paying me.”
That’s where problems would arise sometimes. Clients would refuse to pay the agreed-on amount, or they’d leave because she would try to place limits on what they could do. Two out of five clients would leave, she says, because she didn’t seem young enough. “I was only 15 at that time, but I looked a lot older. I had babies by then, so I had stretch marks.”
Skylar quit escorting for a while, after she found a high school that had a jobs program. But by the time she graduated, she had three kids to take care of, so she went into business on her own. Now, she sets the boundaries when she enters a client’s room. “Be aggressive with them,” she says. “Because if you’re not aggressive with clients, they’ll just think they can take advantage of you. The moment you let them step up on even the littlest boundary, then it’s like they think that they can overpower you. The power should always be in yourself.”
She takes as many precautions as she can. At first contact on the phone, she listens to clients’ voices to see “if they’re saying things that are weird” or give her “that feeling” in the pit of her stomach. Before agreeing to meet them, she Googles their addresses and looks at their houses. (Anna also requires the info on clients’ driver’s licenses, or two references from other “reputable providers.”) She makes sure a friend knows where she is. For the first meeting, “I have a driver, so when I say, ‘Okay, your session is 45 minutes,’ then I will open the window and show them that the car is parked right outside their house. That’s the way of putting them into the mind-set that people care about me.”
When I get into the apartment that I want, when I have cars, when I can do anything and everything for my children that I want on my own, that will be my end date.
She considers herself very lucky. “I’ve never really walked into a situation that was super, super terrible,” she says. “I don’t wanna make it seem like I know for sure that this person is safe, because safety is, like, not real.”
After high school, Skylar enrolled in college, but she got arrested right before orientation. She was jailed overnight and assigned to a program for sexually exploited children — she was 17 at the time. Attendance was required for getting the arrest off her record, and it conflicted with her class schedule. “I had to drop out of school to finish the program,” she says. “Being arrested and being put into this particular program that was designed to help me actually damaged the life course I had set for myself.”
Escorting is still not Skylar’s No. 1 pick for a job. “I’d much rather make great money helping my community and changing laws and changing people’s lives than dealing with my clients,” she says. “I hate clients. They suck. I don’t care about their life, I don’t care about their daughters, I don’t care about their wives — I don’t care,” and she hates having to pretend to. “It’s a lot of emotional labor.”
For now, she works in community organizing but continues escorting to pay the bills. “When I get into the apartment that I want, when I have cars, when I can do anything and everything for my children that I want on my own,” she says, “that will be my end date.”
In the meantime, she keeps her client list small. “I do not feel like it’s safe to advertise on Craigslist or Backpage anymore. That’s pretty much all cops, and legit I can’t get arrested again.” Besides, her current clients already know her and want her. “No matter how young I am, some clients are like, ‘Oh, you’re not foreign, you’re not from Japan, you’re not European — you’re black. You’re regular,’ ” says Skylar, who is half African-American and half Puerto Rican. She says her rates are “average” — she’s charged as low as $80 for a service, though her highest and preferred fee is $200 per hour. “Prices,” she says, “are about privilege.”
These days, Chelsea Lane works in the Bay Area and charges $400 an hour and $2,000 a night. She has a slick website with professional photos. She’s attending a nearby college and works at a corporate firm in addition to seeing clients. Doing both makes her “busy, busy, busy all the time.” She’d drop the day job, but, she says, “I don’t want to have a gap on my résumé.” Financially, she doesn’t need both incomes. “My salary more than pays for living expenses. Escorting income is to reach my savings goals: tuition, law-school tuition, and travel.” Plus, she enjoys it.
She does notice a difference in her private life. “When I have sex with personal partners, it’s robotic at first. When I’m with a client, I am super enthusiastic and loving it most of the time. But with a personal partner, I realize I don’t have to do those steps, or if I don’t like something, I can say that.”
It’s been most disruptive to her relationship with her parents, whom she came out to in January 2015. “They were devastated. They consider themselves hippies, but they’re weirdly conservative in so many ways. They think sex is something super special, and that’s not how I see it at all.” At one point, she stopped speaking with them for a month or two. “But my mom was like, ‘I’m your mother, damn it; we’re gonna have a relationship.’ ” Now, she doesn’t talk to them about her work. “They’ve convinced themselves I’ve stopped. They don’t want to talk about it at all. I wish I could continue to educate them.”
Lane hopes to become a lawyer and represent other sex workers. “I despise the stigma attached with my work, though the upside to that is that I’ve found I’m really passionate about sex-work-rights activism,” she says. She thinks she’ll probably have to stop before law school. “If I’m a lawyer, there’s some ethical questions,” given the current laws. But if she could, if the laws were to change, she would like to keep escorting, if for no other reason than to push herself to meet people. “I see myself doing it for the rest of my life.”
*This article appears in the March 21, 2016 issue of New York Magazine. ||||| A few years ago, VAMP, the Sangli collective, made a short film, “Save Us From Saviors.” On camera, a leader in the collective named Shabana says: “I started doing sex work when I was 12 years old. One of my sisters was burnt to death. I might also have been killed, so I ran away.” In the next shot, dressed in a bright yellow sari, she sits with her two children, and one of them kisses her on the head. “It is only recently that I’ve started thinking it’s good that I’m in sex work,” Shabana says. “I don’t have to depend on anyone for anything.”
What would decriminalization in the United States look like, if the sex-workers’ rights movement got its way? It’s hard to apply lessons from other countries. Some activists think the best way to find out would be to start with a local experiment. “You need one place to try it,” Meg Muñoz said to me, mentioning the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. “You need the right testing environment.” It’s not clear where that would be, though; San Francisco voters rejected a decriminalization referendum by a wide margin in 2008.
The way decriminalization might play out probably lies in the unsexy details of implementation. Cities could use zoning ordinances to address concerns about the effects on residential neighborhoods by confining brothels, like strip clubs, to industrial areas and limiting their size. Trafficking and promoting under-age prostitution would remain crimes. People could work discreetly in their own homes or hotels without fear of reprisal. The sex industry could become safer, as activists hope. It’s also possible that the sex trade would grow, as abolitionists warn, especially if one area turned into a sex-tourism hot spot.
Until now, abolitionist ideas about punishing men and treating women as victims have dominated legal reform in the United States. Seattle, for example, has announced a shift toward arresting male clients and connecting sex workers with services. But sex workers I spoke to around the country, in a variety of life circumstances, raised questions about how punishing buyers would make their lives better; they would still be participating in illegal transactions and have something to hide. An older escort told me that if she didn’t dread exposure and losing her business, she would report under-age prostitution and trafficking to the police if she witnessed it.
Three years ago in New York, abolitionists encouraged the establishment of Human Trafficking Intervention Courts for people arrested on prostitution charges. Judges mandate services like counseling to address trauma and can dismiss charges against those who attend and aren’t rearrested. It’s better than having a criminal record, sex workers and their advocates say, but women who don’t comply can still end up in jail, and some of those who attend say they resent being forced into the mandated counseling. The courts also authorize pretrial detention, sending women to jail to protect them from men in their lives, if a judge deems it necessary, or simply to prevent their immediate return to prostitution. These courts are an experiment in “penal welfare” because they repackage criminal intervention as social services, argues Kate Mogulescu, the founder and supervising attorney of the Exploitation Intervention Project at the Legal Aid Society. A few months before the trafficking courts opened, New York State passed a “bawdy house” law, making it easier for prosecutors to institute eviction proceedings for prostitution if landlords do not.
Last spring, with support from abolitionists and conservatives (the same coalition from the days of the Bush administration), Congress passed the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which makes the crime of buying sex from a trafficking victim equivalent to sex trafficking itself. The maximum sentence is 99 years in prison. Rachel Lloyd of GEMS thinks the emphasis of reform should be on helping girls and women, not increasing penalties for men who pay for sex. In 2008, she helped pass a safe-harbor law, which treats juveniles in prostitution as victims, rather than criminals, in New York. (More than half the states have such laws.)
Talking to sex workers across the country, in a variety of life circumstances, I heard a range of feelings about what they do. A self-described East Indian courtesan in New York said she loved “playing a role, developing a fantasy we can both walk into out of our mundane lives.” A dominatrix who lives on the Upper East Side told me she sometimes felt good about making an emotional connection. Then her tone changed. “But God, I hate putting on the strap-on.” A woman in Brooklyn said her clients meant nothing to her. “I only care about my kids,” she said. “This is about providing for them.” Mistress Matisse, the Seattle dominatrix, treats some clients as friends; one does her taxes, and another, an exterminator, checks her house for bugs. She raised thousands of dollars from clients and online donors to help a woman named Heather in West Virginia, who told me she hated sex work but was doing it to buy heroin, pay for living expenses and go into drug treatment. “If you don’t want to do this work, you shouldn’t have to,” Mistress Matisse told me. “I can see how it would bruise your heart.” Other women, sounding numb or even traumatized, said that they had to dissociate to get through their time with clients. Ceyenne, an activist who was arrested a few years ago while doing “fetish work” in New Jersey, said, “Mentally and physically, it’s a lot to carry.” She wrote a memoir, and she speaks regularly to L.G.B.T. youth groups. “When I talk to these girls coming up now, I tell them to reach for more.”
The traditional feminist argument against decriminalization is that legitimizing prostitution will harm women by leading to more sexual inequality. The human rights argument for it is that it will make people’s lives better, and safer. In this fight over whose voices to listen to, who speaks for whom and when to use the power of criminal law, the sex-workers’ rights movement is a rebellion against punishment and shame. It demands respect for a group that has rarely received it, insisting that you can only really help people if you respect them.
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– A big debate in the media these days is whether prostitution is, or should be, a legit profession. Witness two prior articles at New York ("Is Prostitution Just Another Job?") and the New York Times Magazine ("Should Prostitution Be a Crime?"). Now a piece at Vanity Fair suggests that, like it or not, this is no longer a fringe industry. "As the debate over whether the United States should decriminalize sex work intensifies, prostitution has quietly gone mainstream among many young people, seen as a viable option in an impossible economy and legitimized by a wave of feminism that interprets sexualization as empowering," writes Nancy Jo Sales. Typically, this involves a young woman striking up a financial arrangement with a rich man, married or not, through one of the slew of sites now catering to them. That's a huge factor in the phenomenon: Instead of a pimp, you need only a computer. Some see the trend as a natural extension of the casual hookup culture on dating apps, or "disposable" sex, as one man quoted in the story puts it. One popular site, SeekingArrangement, connects "sugar babies" with "sugar daddies," and Sales interviews those who indulge. "I reject it when people say I'm oppressed by the patriarchy," says one, Miranda, who has encounters with a lawyer, an architect, and a tech guy in Austin. "People who make seven dollars an hour are oppressed by the patriarchy." The author also attends a party hosted by the site, noting two broad categories of men: the John McCain type, along with "jumbo-size Danny Devitos." But the best-looking one in the room, who works in tech, explains his rationale: "I work all the time, and I don't have time for a girlfriend." Click for the full piece, which also explores the dangers of the work and concerns about human trafficking.
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We all know that the best way to really know a city isn’t to go to the central square or major museums, or even the most tourist-trodden neighborhoods. What’s more interesting is discovering the up-and-coming neighborhoods where local creatives are settling in and setting up shop.
It’s especially important in cities where overtourism is becoming a problem, such as Barcelona and Amsterdam. Sure, walk down La Rambla or explore the inner canal belt, but then get out into the places where local life is really happening.
I asked some of my favorite travel experts for their tips on the best neighborhoods to explore right now. Here’s what’s on their radar.
Barcelona: Sants
Earlier this year, the influential food travel and publishing company Culinary Backstreets declared 2018 the year of the neighborhood. Cofounder Ansel Mullins singles out Sants in Barcelona as one of his favorites. “Most locals know the Sants area as a place they pass through on their way to Barcelona’s main train station, but to us it represents something much deeper: a neighborhood where we can still experience the city’s original soul—culinary and otherwise,” wrote their local correspondent. “While other parts of Barcelona, especially its historic center, have had to contend with the effects of the city’s growing popularity, Sants has somehow managed to stay under the radar, allowing it to keep much of its traditional charm and way of life, while also being an inviting area for new ventures to give it a go. This is a place where you can still find old bodegas with wooden casks filled with bulk wine for sale, homey vermuterias where locals gather to chat over seafood tapas and family-run restaurants…. There’s a wonderful mix of traditional spots that have been around for generations and new restaurants and tapas bars opened up by innovative young chefs escaping high rents in the center of town.”
Washington, D.C.: Navy Yard
“The Navy Yard area is the fastest growing neighborhood in Washington D.C., and it is slated to develop 3 million square feet for residential and office buildings, pedestrian space and retail and dining for 2030—as well as its first hotel, the Thompson,” says Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founder of Indagare. “With its waterfront location, industrial infrastructure and historic roots (it was established in 1799), the Navy Yard—or “the Yards”—has a cool factor that most other D.C. neighborhoods lack.” While the main attraction is still the Nationals’ baseball park, which hosts not only games but also popular events like a craft beer festival, the restaurant scene is gaining a strong following. Top tables include the microbrewery Blue Jacket, the upscale Italian Osteria Morini, the internationally focused Chloe and the highly inventive Ice Cream Jubilee, which offers grown-up flavors like honey lemon lavender and gin & tonic sorbet.
Amsterdam: Amsterdam Noord
“Just 15 minutes by ferry from the city’s central station, Amsterdam Noord is a neighborhood on the rise, and rightfully so,” says Tom Marchant, the founder of Black Tomato. “Set amid old trams and multicolored shipping containers is NDSM, a hub for independent art galleries and lively watering holes. This provides serious visual endorphins and is an Instagrammers' heaven.” Hotel Faralda, which has three rooms with “serious Wes Anderson vibes” suspended in a towering crane, is a quirky landmark in the NDSM community. And IJ Hallen is renowned as one of Europe’s largest and most unique flea markets.
Cartagena: Getsemani
Most tourists stay within the walls of the old city, but Biggs Bradley recommends this neighborhood just outside the walls. “It offers an authentic look at what life in the city is really like for locals,” she says. “Anchored by the Plaza Trinidad, a lively public square, Gestemani is not yet fully gentrified, and it is inhabited by families that have lived in the same house for multiple generations. Thus, there’s a very strong local culture and identity here.” Recent years have brought some stylish new additions, including cool cafes like Café del Mural, bars like Demente, tiny restaurants like Caffé Lunático, Malagana, and La Cocina de Pepina.
Johannesburg: Maboneng
“A no-go zone until the end of Apartheid in 1994, Johannesburg’s Maboneng has since transformed into a lively urban area with blossoming art and culinary scenes,” says Biggs Bradley. The compact neighborhood is known for cultural attractions like the Museum of African Design, Arts on Main—a complex that was previously a series of dilapidated buildings and now has many cool galleries—restaurants and boutiques. The culinary offerings are widely diverse, with restaurants that specialize in everything from Ethiopian cuisine to health food. “One of the best spots for a meal is Che Argentine Grill, which offers delicious specialties like empanadas and a live tango band on weeknights.”
Tbilisi: Plekhanov
We can also call 2018 the year of Georgia. The former Soviet republic has become among the trendiest places to visit, and the capital of Tbilisi is always the first and last stop. The old town is charming, but both Mullins and Jonny Bealby of Wild Frontiers are more excited about Plekhanov. “It’s an area where native Tbilisians traditionally live, renowned for its old-style houses with beautiful doorways,” says Bealby. “It recently became more fashionable when the main avenue, Agmashenebeli, was renovated and especially when the Fabrika space opened. Once a Soviet sewing factory, this multifunctional space now houses cafes, bars, studios, shops and a hostel. This area is a mixture of young creatives and tourists, and there’s live music most evenings.”
Panama City: Casco Viejo
“In the 1990s, Casco Viejo was one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, overrun by gangs, full of violence and turf wars,” notes Biggs Bradley. Now a staircase in the boutique American Trade Hotel has wallpaper that shows some of the original graffiti that was found in the abandoned buildings. “The fact that gritty gang slogans are today used as decoration in a designer hotel goes to show just how far Casco Viejo has come. The neighborhood buzzes with restoration and new openings, as the developers tackle building after colonial building.” Some can’t-miss addresses: Donde José, a chef’s table restaurant that’s one of the most upscale in the city; Fonda La Sexta, a pioneering restaurant that employs low-income women chefs; La Concordia, a new hotel with a great rooftop bar for sunset drinks; and Karavan, a one-stop shop for Panamanian-made gifts.
Saigon: District 5
“Most visitors to Saigon spend their time in Districts 1 and 2,” explains Andrea Ross of Wild Frontiers. “However, to get away from the crowds and have a more local experience, we like to head to District 5. Here you’ll find Saigon’s Chinatown, as well as unique temples like Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda, a colorful Taoist temple frequented by locals. The Binh Tay market is a local marvel, selling everything from fresh goods to car radios. At night the streets come alive with bars and restaurants offering live music. It feels like a throwback to old Saigon, and is a fun way to escape the more manicured central districts.”
Athens: Keramikos
This district is another favorite of Culinary Backstreets. Their Athens correspondent wrote, “Just a ten-minute walk from Athens’ buzzing historic center, the laidback Keramikos neighborhood seems to live in a magical world of its own,” writes their correspondent. “It’s a place where old and new, Greece’s storied past and often turbulent present, tradition and forward-looking creativity all coexist happily together. At the weekly street market, the neighborhood comes alive in a riot of sights, smells and flavors…. In recent years Keramikos’s low rents and old-time feel have lured creative young Athenians to the area, where they have opened inventive restaurants, bars and cafés along with galleries and theaters. Joining Keramikos’s rich trove of existing old-school establishments, these new spots have helped create one of the Athens’ most exciting dining and cultural scenes.”
Seoul: Seongsu-dong
Marchant calls this neighborhood the “Brooklyn of Seoul, a buzzy hive for all things creative. The graffiti-adorned industrial warehouses have been revived as trendy hotspots, appealing to hipsters, photographers and foodies alike. House of Collections, an art group based in Seoul and New York City, has helped Seongsu-dong establish a thriving arts scene.” The most recent exhibition, Blowing Romance in Water Garden, was an Instagram hit. There are also eccentric and sustainability-focused eateries like Daelim Warehouse and Café Onion.
Chicago: Pilsen
“Featuring streets lined with hip galleries and walls decorated with colorful murals dating from the 1970s, the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s Lower West Side is a nest of cutting-edge culture and art,” says Biggs Bradley. “It’s been fostered by successive waves of Eastern European and Mexican immigrants, in addition to local artists and students, who have molded this fascinating area over the past century and a half. At the National Museum of Mexican Art, the 10,000-piece collection showcases the work of Mexican and Mexican-American artists. And there are a growing number of performance venues, art studios and trendy bars like the popular Punch House.
Cape Town: Kalk Bay
“A seaside haven slightly removed from the bustle of Cape Town, the former fishing village Kalk Bay is attracting more than just the local surfer community” says Marchant. “Blanketed with quaint cafes, rustic fishing boats and colorful storefronts, this vibrant harbor neighborhood is recently the talk of the city. Olympia Café, a standby for locals, is an ideal launching pad for a day of False Bay coastline exploration. An intricate origami installation created by Kalk Bay local Sanae Sawada decorates the walls of the iconic café, which is just steps from the charming seal-invaded wharf.” ||||| The Grid: Exploring the Pilsen neighborhood
Welcome to “The Grid,” our in-depth look at Chicago’s neighborhoods. Today’s stop: Pilsen.
The Pilsen neighborhood is 4.5 miles from downtown Chicago on the city’s lower west side. Nestled along the busy railroad lines that run along 16th street, Pilsen has long been a first-stop neighborhood for many immigrants. First, Bohemians were drawn to the neighborhood in the 1800s in part by a construction project to build what is now Ogden Avenue. Then Mexican immigrants began to settle there starting in the 1950s. Today those working class roots are still a big part of this busy neighborhood that now also includes a very vibrant cultural scene focused on Mexican-American art, food, traditions and more.
Our story includes a fun-filled video of Ji Suk Yi talking to local residents about things to do in Pilsen and a detailed article to help you plan your own visit. We’ll also explore:
Pilsen’s Vibrant Art and Culture
Neighborhood History
Festivals and Special Events
Where to eat and drink
Shopping
…and much more!
This story on Pilsen is one in a series by the Sun-Times focused on the interesting people and places in Chicago’s many neighborhoods, in hopes that all will be inspired to explore our city. We have engaging videos and a comprehensive story – all curated by the Sun-Times to help provide you with the most current and meaningful information about the important and best things to do in this and each neighborhood we visit.
We’re proud to welcome Baird & Warner as presenting sponsor of “The Grid.” Leading our video adventure is Sun-Times program host, Ji Suk Yi.
Ji visits Pilsen
The minute the train pulls into the Pink Line’s 18th Street “L” stop, you get the sense of what Pilsen is all about.
The station boasts colorful, Mexican-themed murals – creative collaborations between artist Francisco Mendoza and students from Gallery 37 and the Mexican Museum of National Art. The explosion of color and art is a jolt of energy especially during colder, gray days. (We have a lot of those here.)
Mendoza, who passed away in 2012, was one of the most prolific artists to leave his mark on his beloved neighborhood. A former teacher at what is now called Orozco Elementary, his legacy lives on, not only in his public artwork but in his influence, imprinted on his students who have grown up and continued his work in the arts.
Vibrant is the first word that comes to mind when describing the neighborhood of Pilsen.
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RELATED: A guide to street art in Pilsen
There is the feast for the eyes that starts at the CTA station and continues along 16th Street and various parts of the neighborhood to the brightly painted doors along 18th Street and beyond. Not only a visual feast, there are the sounds, smells and tastes that contribute to the rhythm of bustling daily life. The result is an almost palpable heart beat of Pilsen.
The vibrancy isn’t just painted on the surface but runs deep, down to the roots of what gives Pilsen its identity. Geographically, Pilsen isn’t as large as many Chicago neighborhoods, but it’s densely packed with restaurants, cafes, galleries and shops – the majority, mom and pop establishments and multi-generational.
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Graphic by Tanveer Ali/Sun-Times
While Pilsen is currently known for its Latin-American – specifically Mexican-American – culture, but it didn’t start that way.
History
Pilsen was initially settled by German and Irish immigrants in the mid-19th century, followed by a large influx of Czechs fleeing the oppression of the Austrian empire. The Czech settlers gave the neighborhood its name. Plzen or Pilsen is a city in western Bohemia in the Czech Republic and the story goes that a Bohemian owned a restaurant/tavern by the name of “City of Plzn” which became how people began to refer to the neighborhood. (Maybe this will come to mind the next time you’re ordering a Pilsner Urquell beer at the bar.)
While Pilsen mostly survived the 1871 Great Fire intact, it wasn’t a great place to live, with its low grounds, poor plumbing and tendency to flood. Due to Pilsen’s supply of cheap immigrant labor and the oppressive, dangerous working conditions, labor unions grew rapidly, eventually sparking demonstrations and strikes. Pilsen was one of the hot beds for the nationwide movement for workers’ rights (like the eight-hour work day) that would eventually lead to the May riots and the Haymarket Affair in 1886.
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Many of the blue collar jobs began to leave the area after the Great Depression and second and third generation Czech and Eastern European immigrant children were able to pursue lives outside of factory jobs, many moving to the suburbs, all of which resulted in a decline in industry and Pilsen’s population.
Starting in the late 1950s, there was an influx of Latino residents to Pilsen after many were displaced by construction of the Eisenhower Expressway. (Today, Pilsen is 80% Latino, the 2nd largest Latino population in the city. Little Village is first.) The demographic shift happened quickly to majority Mexican, but for a time the two groups shared the neighborhood. In 1962, a fair on West 19th Street celebrated both cultures, serving Mexican pancakes and Czech pastries. The two groups formed a united front when expansion of the University of Illinois’ Chicago campus threatened the neighborhood again in the 1960s.
Pilsen today
Learning about the struggles of the Pilsen immigrants and the physically demanding, back breaking blue-collar work, the legacy of community activism and love of the arts helped me understand the foundation for Pilsen’s identity, resiliency and grassroots organizations.
Historian Peter Alter from the Chicago History Museum summed up this parallel, “Many Czech immigrants and Mexican immigrants faced similar struggles in the workplace related to poor working conditions, long hours, and low pay. Both immigrant groups had similar responses relying on family and community while staunchly supporting labor organizing and political solutions.”
Currently, as Pilsen undergoes more growth and non-Latinos move into the neighborhood (attracted by its quality of life and amenities), debate and discussions around development, affordable housing and gentrification continue among its citizens.
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The desire to balance growth without pricing out (through rising property taxes and increasing rent) the people that made Pilsen so special and culturally vibrant is a frequent topic of conversation and concern. Some of the community groups focused on these issues today include: The Pilsen Alliance, Frida K Community Organization, The Resurrection Project and the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council.
Adding to that conversation is National Museum of Mexican Art President, Carlos Tortolero, who immigrated when he was three years old and grew up about a mile and half from where the museum now stands.
“Things change in life, and life’s about change. But what happens when gentrification happens … the most important group in the community is the community,” said Tortolero, “And they should be part of the process, but they’re never part of the process, so that’s the problem. If it’s going to be done right, everyone should be at the table and everyone should say what should happen, in some manner it has to be good for the people already there.”
Pilsen trivia Pilsen- especially the designated historic district- is a perfect example of Chicago’s grid system. It is almost completely filled with straight east/west & north/south streets and just one major diagonal street: South Blue Island Avenue.
The architecture of Pilsen continue to reflect it’s early inhabitants, the Bohemians, who based on styles from their homeland, such as mixed-use buildings and having homes, shops and factories close to each other, often on the same blocks.
Dvorak Park is named after the Czech composer Anton Dvorak and designed by renown landscaper Jens Jensen in 1905. It is now home to many community events including the Fiesta Del Sol.
There were many industries in those early years including at least two prompted by the abundance of grain in the city: bake houses which made all sorts of baked goods and breweries. There were also a number of taverns serving up Bohemian pilsner beer. In fact, Pilsen was thought to have the most taverns in the city in the early 19th century.
The National Register of Historic Places says the Bohemians were the builders of Pilsen, but the Mexicans were its preservationists. When the neighborhood became majority-Mexican, the community put a great deal of effort in renovating old buildings and fighting urban development, ensuring the neighborhood kept its historic character.
The 2005 application to the U.S. Department of the Interior to make Pilsen a designated ‘historic place” is worth the read for all history & preservation buffs. Read it here.
Casa Aztlán, the famous large, three-story community center was given its name in 1970. Before it became a cultural, educational and community center for Mexican immigrants in the neighborhood, it served a similar purpose to the Bohemians. It offered art, dance and language classes as well as low-cost healthcare. The murals were notoriously painted over in June 2017 — an act met with neighborhood fury. A new mural took its place as a result of the outcry. (See photo of the destroyed mural in our slideshow).
The obelisk in Plaza Tenochtitlan at Loomis & 18th was a gift in 1997 from the then mayor of Mexico City. The Mexican Golden Eagle atop the obelisk is also on the Mexican flag. (Tenochtitlan is the name of ancient the Aztec city that Mexico City is built upon.)
To get a sense of the beautiful culture that is the foundation of Pilsen, I highly recommend any day trip include a visit to the National Museum of Mexican Art. It’s not just Mexican art but Mexican-American art and no matter your background, you’ll find the exhibits compelling.
In addition to its 10,000-piece permanent collection, there is also a variety of programming from workshops for children, to symposiums and programs on dance, theater, music and literature. Also, no legitimate excuses can be claimed, because it is free admission every day of the year!
“I think it’s important that Chicago have a home for this fantastic culture … to preserve, conserve, and present this culture for our own community; at the same time we want to share it with everybody” said Tortolero. “You know everybody had said to us ‘you can’t put an art museum in a working class neighborhood, and it can’t be free,’ and they were wrong.”
While the museum is the anchor of Pilsen’s art scene, public displays of free art are all around the neighborhood.
Murals on private homes, businesses along 18th Street, alleyways and brightly painted doors are abundant. Each is a colorful and thought-provoking surprise around many turns on a walk. Each tells a story, and there are a multitude of artists. An entire day can be spent walking through Pilsen observing murals spanning different decades, political climates and viewpoints.
There is also a dynamic artist studio and gallery presence in Pilsen, and the arts district is comprised of galleries along South Halsted Streets (beginning at 1711 and ending at 2005). The Chicago Arts District holds an art walk on the second Friday of each month where studios and galleries hold open houses for visitors. You can pick up a map of “2nd Fridays Gallery Night” at the information center located at 1945 South Halsted Street.
Festivals and special events
Pilsen has a number of parades including the annual Mexican Independence Day Parade and Día de los Niños parade.
It’s also home to many of the city’s best festivals including Pilsen Fest (in partnership with digital magazine El BeiSMan) August 18 -19, 2018. There’s also El Corn Fest, The Battle (a singing and DJ talent contest) and a Cantina Crawl.
Fiesta del Sol is an annual fundraising event focused on family fun. It’s free and organized by the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council. It’s a four-day event that spans eight blocks on Cermak Road boasting more than 100 booths and a carnival.
Another non-profit organization Eighteenth Street Development Corporation organizes Mole de Mayo festival along Ashland and 18th Street. Focused on providing needs for small businesses, Eighteenth Street provides help with programs, resources and even workshops for Pilsen’s business community.
The Chicago Urban Arts Society puts on the Slow & Low Festival in the Cermak Road Industrial Corridor section of Pilsen.
There is also Ruido Fest, a multi-day Latin American music festival that happens in July. It’s in nearby Little Italy but worth a mention. Of course, July 4 celebrations are also a fun time in Pilsen – especially if you enjoy watching fireworks.
In addition to festivals, Pilsen also celebrates the Easter season with an re-enactment on Good Friday each year of Via Crucis, the stations of the cross. For the past 41 years, hundreds of people have lined 18th Street to watch the dramatic procession to Harrison Park.
An important mention is the Pilsen Community Bookstore. The bookstore sells new and used books but has a mission to give high quality, high interest books to every student in Pilsen. The program is called “Pilsen Reads!” and the bookstore allows teachers to hand select books for their classrooms.
Another bookstore is operated by the non-profit organization Open Books. Pilsen is one of two locations (the other is in the West Loop) and in addition to used books donations, Open Books has a literacy program and a writing program that gives students the chance to become published authors.
At 18th and Allport is historic landmark Thalia Hall. In 1892, A Czech tavern owner John Dusek commissioned architects Frederick Faber and William Pagels to build Thalia Hall in the likes of the opulent opera house in Prague. It was a beacon of fine art including opera, but also a community gathering place.
In 2013, owners Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden (partners in the restaurant Longman & Eagle) undertook the project of painstakingly preserving and restoring the hall after more than 50 years of neglect. The main hall is a venue for music and comedy shows, the restaurant Dusek’s Board and Beer serves brunch and has a late night menu and two bars – Tack Room and Punch House.
Coffee shops and bakeries
A thriving community of “free thinkers” and community activists need gathering spaces, and coffee shops are the perfect arena for the meeting of great minds. It’s no wonder they are abundant in Pilsen!
La Catrina Cafe is owned by Diana Galicia Corona and her husband, Salvador. There’s plenty of space to spread out and work or study. There is also a space perfect for large gatherings. The Coronas care deeply about their community and know a thing or two about activism.
There’s a shrine dedicated to her son, Gabriel Cisneros, who passed away in 2016 at age 22 from a drug overdose. Cisneros was a gifted artist, and the family continues to be vocal about the dangers of addiction. The cafe displays art collections, art classes, open mics for poetry readings and young authors. It’s an incredibly warm environment, and they often offer “free hugs.”
The landmark coffee establishment in Pilsen is Cafe Jumping Bean which opened in 1994. The sandwiches and desserts still bring in a diverse and bustling crowd and owner Eleazar Delgado gives back to the community by donating a percentage of sales to worthy causes.
Frida Room serves full breakfast and burgers – if you’re looking for more than coffee. There’s also Juice House for smoothies and Kristoffer’s Cafe for tres leches and cake. Cà Phê Dá (cafe to Hais Sous restaurant) has Vietnamese coffee and banh mi sandwiches, and Chocolat Uzma has delicious homemade small batch chocolates and hot chocolate.
Brew Brew Coffee also has a great selection of teas. Its main location is in Avondale, and Brew Brew Coffee brings in donuts from Gurnee Donuts which has a cult following. Spoke & Bird Bakehouse is the coffee and pastry sister location to its main cafe in the South Loop.
Special mention has to be made of Panaderia Nuevo Leon, which has been serving Mexican sweets to the neighborhood since 1973. From conchas to bolillos to even vegan sweets and breads, this bakery has you covered! Its cafe Creperia Nuevo Leon features a savory and sweet fusion of Mexican flavors inside the classic crepe.
Where to eat
Everyone is going to have their favorite Mexican or Latin restaurant in Pilsen. For Bianca Ruvalcaba, it was not only a matter of taste buds but sentiment that draws her to the Mexican steakhouse Canton Regio restaurant. It’s owned by the Gutierrez family that lost Nuevo Leon – a 53-year-old staple on 18th Street. The grilled meat is served skewered hanging from a metal tree stand.
To find the best taco, I asked my friend Blanca Rios, and she suggested Atotonilco Restaurant. A fast casual spot that makes its own tortillas (that are also sold and distributed to grocery stores). The original location is in Little Village (opened in 1972) but each location has a flavor of its own. This Pilsen location’s tortilla and carne asada and al pastor are spectacular!
5 Rabanitos by Chef Alfonso Sotelo – an alum of Rick Bayless’ restaurants – is another must visit restaurant in Pilsen. From the selection of soups to salads, ceviches, tacos and mole, you can’t make a mistake in ordering. This is definitely the spot to go to impress your foodie date.
Las Carnitas Uruapan has been in Pilsen since 1975 and exclusively makes carnitas fresh daily. For his entire life, Chef Inocencio Carbajal has been making carnitas the way he had them as a little boy. He hasn’t altered the recipe or followed any fads. He serves his soft carnitas simply with tortilla, salsa, refried beans, and chicharòn. And he has a cult following, except now it’s multi-generational. People rave and swear this is the best carnitas in town so definitely worth you making a stop.
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Other mentions for good eats include Sabas Vega, Yvolinas Tamales, Carnitas Don Pedro, Azul 18, DeColores and La Cecina Restaurant.
Don’t feel like Mexican or Latin food? Hai Sous serves up modern interpretations of street and home-style Vietnamese dishes from Chef Thai Dang and cocktails from his wife Danielle. Pl-zen is a gastropub that serves tacos but is better known for its selection of burgers ranging from kobe beef to bison.
And if you’re looking for barbecue, there’s Honky Tonk.
What if you’re craving a savory meat pie? Well, Pilsen has that too at Pleasant House Pub’s Royal Pies. It has a variety of delicious British meat and veggie pies, fish and chips, scotch egg and curry chips just to name a few. In addition, the list of brews and cocktails will transport you to merry old England! Husband and wife owners Art and Chelsea Jackson are long time residents of Pilsen.
If you’re looking for an incredible dinner that may be outside the norm of the expected, I’d highly recommend S.K.Y. From hospitality to the food, it’s an exquisite dining experience. Chef Stephen Gillanders and General Manager Charles Ford have made sure the menu is accessible in price and offer a welcoming, casual atmosphere. They renovated a condemned building that had been vacant for four years and employ a hefty number of neighborhood locals. Chef Gillanders named the restaurant after the initials of his wife, so it’s a good thing the food is delicious.
For night owls, there’s plenty to do without having to leave the neighborhood. The Skylark is a no-frills neighborhood staple. Simone’s is another neighborhood favorite for the last eight years and features an incredible decor of reclaimed and recycled architectural features. Del Toro is also a restaurant that stays up very late and features the very best margaritas with homemade sour mixes and freshly-squeezed juices.
Additional local favorites include La Vaca Margarita Bar and local dives Harbee and Caminos de Michoacan. Plus, don’t forget about Punch House and Tack Room in Thalia Hall.
I almost forgot mention that Pilsen also has a brewery. Moody Tongue, not only has a tasting room but serves food as well. They serve two menu items of oysters served raw on the half shell and a decadent, unbelievable German chocolate cake. Pretty simple.
Shopping
In terms of shopping, there’s a lot of great vintage stores in Pilsen including Knee Deep, Pilsen Vintage and Very Best Vintage. Verdant Matter/Shudio and Mestiza are worth checking out too.
Plus, there’s all the food you can buy – freshly made tortillas at Milagro and sweet bread at Panaderia Nuevo Leon and gifts at the Mexican Museum of Art’s gift shop.
There’s so much more to explore in Pilsen; it truly is one neighborhood that overwhelms all your senses in the very best way. The energy, the burst of color, the incredible smells and mouth-watering food, it’s worth revisiting again and again – and I encourage you to do so with an open mind and awareness to honor the past and help preserve the future.
My Five Favorite Things about Pilsen by Vicki Romero The history and tradition that Pilsen has, including being a port of entry for immigrants, and the place where important labor organizing movements took place. I absolutely love how my neighborhood feels like a small town. Neighbors know one another by name and look out for each other like family. The aromas that waft through the air on Sunday mornings. It’s a combination of fresh tortillas, carnitas, coffee and pan dulce. It’s a sensory overload in the best way ever! The sound of Pilsen always brings a smile to my face. I can close my eyes and hear the children’s laughter as they play in the streets, while the bells of a paleta vendor ring in the background, remixed with the sounds of everything from regional Mexican music to Chicago house music bumping out of cars passing by. The sounds that let you know that my community is alive and bustling. The art and murals that capture the images of what it means to be Mexican in the urban landscape of Chicago. The murals in Pilsen are the best in the city, hands down. Vicki Romero is a life-long Pilsen resident who is committed to keeping the neighborhood’s Mexican cultural identity alive.
One more thing….
Thanks for joining me and the Sun-Times team on this tour of Pilsen. For an organized walking tour of this neighborhood, check out this one by the Chicago Architectural Foundation or this one by Chicago DeTours that features its food. Plus, you can use all the information in my story for a do-it-yourself tour of this terrific, diverse neighborhood. Have fun!
See you next time on The Grid!
This new Sun-Times video series showcases the best of Chicago’s neighborhoods by turning a spotlight on the people, places and things that make our city one-of-a-kind. Look for a new video episode each Wednesday on the Chicago Sun-Times website. #thegrid. We hope you will watch, read and share all of The Grid stories! ||||| We all know that the best way to really know a city isn’t to go to the central square or major museums, or even the most tourist-trodden neighborhoods. What’s more interesting is discovering the up-and-coming neighborhoods where local creatives are settling in and setting up shop.
It’s especially important in cities where overtourism is becoming a problem, such as Barcelona and Amsterdam. Sure, walk down La Rambla or explore the inner canal belt, but then get out into the places where local life is really happening.
I asked some of my favorite travel experts for their tips on the best neighborhoods to explore right now. Here’s what’s on their radar.
Barcelona: Sants
Earlier this year, the influential food travel and publishing company Culinary Backstreets declared 2018 the year of the neighborhood. Cofounder Ansel Mullins singles out Sants in Barcelona as one of his favorites. “Most locals know the Sants area as a place they pass through on their way to Barcelona’s main train station, but to us it represents something much deeper: a neighborhood where we can still experience the city’s original soul—culinary and otherwise,” wrote their local correspondent. “While other parts of Barcelona, especially its historic center, have had to contend with the effects of the city’s growing popularity, Sants has somehow managed to stay under the radar, allowing it to keep much of its traditional charm and way of life, while also being an inviting area for new ventures to give it a go. This is a place where you can still find old bodegas with wooden casks filled with bulk wine for sale, homey vermuterias where locals gather to chat over seafood tapas and family-run restaurants…. There’s a wonderful mix of traditional spots that have been around for generations and new restaurants and tapas bars opened up by innovative young chefs escaping high rents in the center of town.”
Washington, D.C.: Navy Yard
“The Navy Yard area is the fastest growing neighborhood in Washington D.C., and it is slated to develop 3 million square feet for residential and office buildings, pedestrian space and retail and dining for 2030—as well as its first hotel, the Thompson,” says Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founder of Indagare. “With its waterfront location, industrial infrastructure and historic roots (it was established in 1799), the Navy Yard—or “the Yards”—has a cool factor that most other D.C. neighborhoods lack.” While the main attraction is still the Nationals’ baseball park, which hosts not only games but also popular events like a craft beer festival, the restaurant scene is gaining a strong following. Top tables include the microbrewery Blue Jacket, the upscale Italian Osteria Morini, the internationally focused Chloe and the highly inventive Ice Cream Jubilee, which offers grown-up flavors like honey lemon lavender and gin & tonic sorbet.
Amsterdam: Amsterdam Noord
“Just 15 minutes by ferry from the city’s central station, Amsterdam Noord is a neighborhood on the rise, and rightfully so,” says Tom Marchant, the founder of Black Tomato. “Set amid old trams and multicolored shipping containers is NDSM, a hub for independent art galleries and lively watering holes. This provides serious visual endorphins and is an Instagrammers' heaven.” Hotel Faralda, which has three rooms with “serious Wes Anderson vibes” suspended in a towering crane, is a quirky landmark in the NDSM community. And IJ Hallen is renowned as one of Europe’s largest and most unique flea markets.
Cartagena: Getsemani
Most tourists stay within the walls of the old city, but Biggs Bradley recommends this neighborhood just outside the walls. “It offers an authentic look at what life in the city is really like for locals,” she says. “Anchored by the Plaza Trinidad, a lively public square, Gestemani is not yet fully gentrified, and it is inhabited by families that have lived in the same house for multiple generations. Thus, there’s a very strong local culture and identity here.” Recent years have brought some stylish new additions, including cool cafes like Café del Mural, bars like Demente, tiny restaurants like Caffé Lunático, Malagana, and La Cocina de Pepina.
Johannesburg: Maboneng
“A no-go zone until the end of Apartheid in 1994, Johannesburg’s Maboneng has since transformed into a lively urban area with blossoming art and culinary scenes,” says Biggs Bradley. The compact neighborhood is known for cultural attractions like the Museum of African Design, Arts on Main—a complex that was previously a series of dilapidated buildings and now has many cool galleries—restaurants and boutiques. The culinary offerings are widely diverse, with restaurants that specialize in everything from Ethiopian cuisine to health food. “One of the best spots for a meal is Che Argentine Grill, which offers delicious specialties like empanadas and a live tango band on weeknights.”
Tbilisi: Plekhanov
We can also call 2018 the year of Georgia. The former Soviet republic has become among the trendiest places to visit, and the capital of Tbilisi is always the first and last stop. The old town is charming, but both Mullins and Jonny Bealby of Wild Frontiers are more excited about Plekhanov. “It’s an area where native Tbilisians traditionally live, renowned for its old-style houses with beautiful doorways,” says Bealby. “It recently became more fashionable when the main avenue, Agmashenebeli, was renovated and especially when the Fabrika space opened. Once a Soviet sewing factory, this multifunctional space now houses cafes, bars, studios, shops and a hostel. This area is a mixture of young creatives and tourists, and there’s live music most evenings.”
Panama City: Casco Viejo
“In the 1990s, Casco Viejo was one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, overrun by gangs, full of violence and turf wars,” notes Biggs Bradley. Now a staircase in the boutique American Trade Hotel has wallpaper that shows some of the original graffiti that was found in the abandoned buildings. “The fact that gritty gang slogans are today used as decoration in a designer hotel goes to show just how far Casco Viejo has come. The neighborhood buzzes with restoration and new openings, as the developers tackle building after colonial building.” Some can’t-miss addresses: Donde José, a chef’s table restaurant that’s one of the most upscale in the city; Fonda La Sexta, a pioneering restaurant that employs low-income women chefs; La Concordia, a new hotel with a great rooftop bar for sunset drinks; and Karavan, a one-stop shop for Panamanian-made gifts.
Saigon: District 5
“Most visitors to Saigon spend their time in Districts 1 and 2,” explains Andrea Ross of Wild Frontiers. “However, to get away from the crowds and have a more local experience, we like to head to District 5. Here you’ll find Saigon’s Chinatown, as well as unique temples like Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda, a colorful Taoist temple frequented by locals. The Binh Tay market is a local marvel, selling everything from fresh goods to car radios. At night the streets come alive with bars and restaurants offering live music. It feels like a throwback to old Saigon, and is a fun way to escape the more manicured central districts.”
Athens: Keramikos
This district is another favorite of Culinary Backstreets. Their Athens correspondent wrote, “Just a ten-minute walk from Athens’ buzzing historic center, the laidback Keramikos neighborhood seems to live in a magical world of its own,” writes their correspondent. “It’s a place where old and new, Greece’s storied past and often turbulent present, tradition and forward-looking creativity all coexist happily together. At the weekly street market, the neighborhood comes alive in a riot of sights, smells and flavors…. In recent years Keramikos’s low rents and old-time feel have lured creative young Athenians to the area, where they have opened inventive restaurants, bars and cafés along with galleries and theaters. Joining Keramikos’s rich trove of existing old-school establishments, these new spots have helped create one of the Athens’ most exciting dining and cultural scenes.”
Seoul: Seongsu-dong
Marchant calls this neighborhood the “Brooklyn of Seoul, a buzzy hive for all things creative. The graffiti-adorned industrial warehouses have been revived as trendy hotspots, appealing to hipsters, photographers and foodies alike. House of Collections, an art group based in Seoul and New York City, has helped Seongsu-dong establish a thriving arts scene.” The most recent exhibition, Blowing Romance in Water Garden, was an Instagram hit. There are also eccentric and sustainability-focused eateries like Daelim Warehouse and Café Onion.
Chicago: Pilsen
“Featuring streets lined with hip galleries and walls decorated with colorful murals dating from the 1970s, the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s Lower West Side is a nest of cutting-edge culture and art,” says Biggs Bradley. “It’s been fostered by successive waves of Eastern European and Mexican immigrants, in addition to local artists and students, who have molded this fascinating area over the past century and a half. At the National Museum of Mexican Art, the 10,000-piece collection showcases the work of Mexican and Mexican-American artists. And there are a growing number of performance venues, art studios and trendy bars like the popular Punch House.
Cape Town: Kalk Bay
“A seaside haven slightly removed from the bustle of Cape Town, the former fishing village Kalk Bay is attracting more than just the local surfer community” says Marchant. “Blanketed with quaint cafes, rustic fishing boats and colorful storefronts, this vibrant harbor neighborhood is recently the talk of the city. Olympia Café, a standby for locals, is an ideal launching pad for a day of False Bay coastline exploration. An intricate origami installation created by Kalk Bay local Sanae Sawada decorates the walls of the iconic café, which is just steps from the charming seal-invaded wharf.”
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– Where do all the cool kids hang out? Forbes thinks it's got that figured out with its list of some of the hippest, most happening neighborhoods around the globe, culled from travel experts. These are districts that aren't necessarily crammed with the most famous landmarks or where you'll bump into the most tourists—instead, they're "up-and-coming" neighborhoods where "local life is really happening," whether that means hot new cafes, flourishing art scenes, and even hotels boasting "serious Wes Anderson vibes" (that one's in Amsterdam's Noord). Here, five standouts: Pilsen (Chicago). See the Sun-Times for more details on the area that has "long been a first-stop neighborhood for many immigrants." Amsterdam Noord (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) Getsemani (Cartegena, Colombia) Plekhanov (Tbilisi, Georgia) Seongsu-dong (Seoul, South Korea) Find out what other neighborhoods made the list. (America's 10 best suburbs here.)
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UPDATED: The inspiration for the book and upcoming Angelina Jolie film "Unbroken" and a former Olympian died following a case of pneumonia, according to a spokesperson for Universal Pictures.
World War II hero and Unbroken inspiration Louis Zamperini has died at age 97, according to a spokesperson for Universal Pictures.
A statement released by the studio on Thursday morning included a message from his family, which read: "Having overcome insurmountable odds at every turn in his life, Olympic runner and World War II hero Louis Zamperini has never broken down from a challenge."
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The staement continued: "He recently faced the greatest challenge of his life with a life-threatening case of pneumonia. After a 40-day-long battle for his life, he peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a legacy that has touched so many lives. His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days."
Angelina Jolie, who directed the upcoming film about his life based on the best-selling book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, immediately expressed her condolences. "It is a loss impossible to describe. We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly," she said in a statement.
Universal, which will release the film adaptation of Zamperini's incredible story on Dec. 25, 2014, went on to say in a statement:
"We are so profoundly sad at this moment and all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Zamperini family. Louis was truly one of a kind. He lived the most remarkable life, not because of the many unbelievable incidents that marked his near century's worth of years, but because of the spirit with which he faced every one of them.
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"Confronting challenges that would cause most of us to surrender, Louie always persevered and always prevailed, and he spent the better part of his lifetime sharing the message that you could do the same. His example of grace, dignity and resilience inspired all of us lucky enough to know him and the millions who got to know him from the pages of Laura's book. We move forward to the release of Unbroken with a renewed sense of responsibility in bringing Louie's abundant life and indomitable spirit to the screen. Now more than ever, we join Angelina in honoring the lessons and legacy of this extraordinary man who has meant so much to so many."
Born in Olean, N.Y., on Jan. 26, 1917, to Italian immigrant parents, Zamperini and his family moved to Torrance, Calif., when he was a child. He was a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic track team in Berlin running the 5,000 meters, and at 19, was the youngest American qualifier ever in that event.
In 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force and was deployed to the Pacific as a bombardier on a B-24 Liberator bomber. The story of Unbroken, originally a best-selling book by Hillenbrand set in 1943, follows Zamperini as his Air Force plane crashes in the Pacific. He and two others survived without food and water for 47 days before washing ashore on a Japanese island behind enemy lines, where he was held as a prisoner of war for two years.
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Zamperini was first declared missing at sea and then killed in action, but after the war he returned to his family in America with a hero's welcome and married Cynthia Applewhite in 1946. He remained with her until her death in 2001.
On his 81st birthday in 1988, the former athlete returned to Japan and ran a leg in the Olympic Torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Nagano.
Torrance Airport was renamed Zamperini Field in the 1960s, his former high school named its stadium after him and the entrance plaza at USC's track and field stadium was named Louis Zamperini Plaza in 2004. The football fan continued to attend USC games well into his 90s and became friends with then-quarterback Matt Barkley in 2009.
In May, Zamperini was named grand marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade in Pasadena, which on New Year's Day will feature the theme "Inspiring Stories."
In accepting the honor, Zamperini, wearing a USC cap, recalled that Hillenbrand, in researching the book, asked to interview his friends from college and the Army.
"And now after the book was finished all of my college buddies are dead, all of my war buddies are dead. It's sad to realize that you've lost all your friends," he said. "But I think I made up for it. I made a new friend — Angelina Jolie. And the gal really loves me, she hugs me and kisses me, so I can't complain."
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After meeting Zamperini last year, Jolie, who lived near his Hollywood Hills home, revealed that they had "become close friends."
"It will be hard to make a film worthy of this great man," she said in October while filming the biopic in Australia. "I am deeply honored to have the chance and will do all I can to bring Louie’s inspiring story to life."
Jolie produced Unbroken with Matthew Baer and Erwin Stoff. Jack O’Connell stars as Zamperini, and Garrett Hedlund and Domhnall Gleeson also appear in the film.
In February, Jolie and Zamperini sat down with NBC News' Tom Brokaw for an interview at Zamperini's home. The film previously received the below Brokaw-narrated preview during the Winter Olympics.
During the interview, Zamperini told Brokaw what Adolf Hitler had said to him after the American ran a fast final lap to finish a strong eighth in the 5,000 meters at the Olympics.
"All that he said was 'the boy with the fast finish,' and I couldn't really shake hands — he was up pretty high — so I just reached up and touched his hand," he said.
Jolie said in her February interview that she felt an incredible commitment to telling Zamperini's story.
"[I have] such a huge responsibility to get it right because I love him so much and because he's helped me so much in my life," Jolie said.
Hilary Lewis and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Former Olympian, World War II hero and Grand Marshall of the 2015 Rose Parade Louis Zamperini has died at the age of 97.
Louis Zamperini, an American prisoner of war in World War Two and Olympic runner whose life inspired the book and upcoming feature film "Unbroken," has died at age 97.Zamperini died after a 40-day bout with pneumonia, his family said on Thursday in a statement released by Universal Pictures, the studio behind the film."It is a loss impossible to describe," said Angelina Jolie, who is directing the film. "We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly."The film, which is to open Dec. 25, is based on the best-selling 2010 book "Unbroken" by author Laura Hillenbrand on the life of Zamperini, particularly the harrowing time he spent as a prisoner of war under the Japanese.An American-born son of Italian immigrants, the Southern California athlete surpassed more experienced runners to qualify for the U.S. team for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He ran the 5,000-meter race, finishing eighth, but with a fast final lap that drew a personal compliment from German leader Adolf Hitler."His fighting spirit was a true representation of Team USA and our country, both in Berlin and throughout his life," the U.S. Olympic Committee said.After the 1940 Olympics were canceled due to war, Zamperini enlisted as a U.S. Army airman and began flying missions as an officer and bombardier over the Pacific in late 1942.In 1943, his plane crashed into the ocean and he spent 47 days in a life raft battling sharks, with only a scarce supply of water and food, with a fellow survivor before they were picked up by a Japanese boat.For two years, until the war ended, Zamperini was held by the Japanese at camps where beatings, starvation and hard labor were common."Louis was truly one of a kind," Universal Pictures said. "He lived the most remarkable life, not because of the many unbelievable incidents that marked his near century's worth of years, but because of the spirit with which he faced every one of them."Zamperini had been active up to this year, doing television appearances early in the year with Jolie for the movie.In May, Zamperini was named grand marshal of the 2015 Rose Parade, in Pasadena, California.Parade organizers Tournament of Roses indicated that Zamperini will be honored as the marshal despite his death."We will remember and honor the courage and grace that made Louis who he was, and hope that by sharing his life's story, we can uphold the values which built his strength, perseverance and his ability to forgive others," the organization said in a statement.
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– Louis Zamperini had a resume that truly impressed: Olympian, World War II POW/hero, and the subject of best-selling book Unbroken and the upcoming Angelina Jolie film based on it. Zamperini has died at 97 following a bout of pneumonia, "having overcome insurmountable odds at every turn in his life," reads a statement released by his family today, per the Hollywood Reporter. Born in New York in 1917, Zamperini made the US Olympic track team in 1936, placing 8th in the 5,000 meters in Berlin. His 56-second final lap, however, was so impressive it earned him a one-on-one meeting with Adolf Hitler, the Chicago Tribune reports. In 1941, he'd fight Hitler's ideals as a B-24 Liberator bomber with the US Army Air Forces. When his plane crashed into the Pacific in 1943, he and two others survived on a raft in shark-infested waters for 47 days without food or water before being captured by the Japanese and held as prisoners of war for two years—a story told in Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. Jolie—who directed the film based on the book, which opens Christmas Day—says the death of her "close friend" is "a loss impossible to describe."
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These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| N.Korea threatens to kill authors of 'Hitler report'
(AFP) – Jun 18, 2013
SEOUL — North Korea has angrily denied a report that its ruler used Adolf Hitler's memoir as a leadership guide, threatening to kill the authors of the report.
The article by New Focus International, an online news portal run by North Korean defectors, said Kim Jong-Un had given copies of "Mein Kampf" to his top officials, urging them to study it as a leadership skills manual.
He handed out translations of the German dictator's manifesto to select officials at the time of his birthday in January, it said, citing an unnamed North Korean official working in China.
"Mentioning that Hitler managed to rebuild Germany in a short time following its defeat in World War I, Kim Jong-Un issued an order for the Third Reich to be studied in depth and asked that practical applications be drawn from it," the source was quoted as saying.
The story was picked up by all major South Korean newspapers on Wednesday.
But the North's police agency later Wednesday called the report a "thrice-cursed crime" aimed at belittling its leader and threatened to kill the "human scum" behind the article.
"We are... determined to take substantial measures to physically remove despicable human scum who are committing treasons," it said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
"Sordid human scum will never be able to look up to the sky nor be able to find an inch of land to be buried after their death," it said.
It also vowed to launch "merciless punishment of justice" against Seoul and Washington, accusing the two nations of encouraging the defectors to defame its ruler.
"Mein Kampf" ("My Struggle"), written in 1924 while Hitler was languishing in a Bavarian prison before becoming a German leader, is both a vicious anti-Semitic tract and rambling memoir.
The Kim family dynasty has ruled North Korea with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult for more than six decades.
Kim Jong-Un took over the isolated communist state after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il, in December 2011.
Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
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– North Korea says Kim Jong Un didn't instruct his top officials to study Hitler's Mein Kampf ... and those who say otherwise will be killed. The country's Ministry of the People's Security released quite the statement on the subject, referring to the original report by New Focus International as a "thrice-cursed crime" that belittled the "great personality of the leader of the DPRK." The police agency said it is "determined to take substantial measures to physically remove despicable human scum who are committing treasons," report the AFP and Yonhap News. "Sordid human scum will never be able to look up to the sky nor be able to find an inch of land to be buried after their death," it said, promising "merciless punishment of justice" against South Korea and the US for encouraging those defectors behind the report (New Focus is run by North Korean defectors who now have South Korean citizenship). A South Korean government official has told Pyongyang to back off. "Threatening physical harm against defectors will not be tolerated and Seoul makes clear that resolute action will be taken [in the event the North follows through on its threat]," says the official, as per Yonhap.
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Those and other details have come to light in the days since New Year's Eve, when McKinley, 18, shot and killed Justin Shane Martin, 24, of Blanchard, with a 12-gauge shotgun after he forced his way through her front door. McKinley's 3-month-old son, Justin, was with her in the house during the ordeal, which happened about 2 p.m. Saturday.
Martin died still clutching a knife in his gloved left hand, the affidavit states. His alleged accomplice, Dustin Louis Stewart, 29, of Blanchard, turned himself in after hearing the gunshot that killed Martin and now faces a first-degree murder charge.
Stewart was arraigned Wednesday and is being held in the Grady County jail with a bond hearing set for Thursday, Assistant District Attorney James Walters said.
The 911 call
“I've got two guns in my hand. Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door?” McKinley asked Grady County dispatcher Diane Graham shortly before she fired one of the guns.
“Well you have to do whatever you can do to protect yourself,” Graham is heard answering on the 911 tape released Wednesday. “I can't tell you that you can do that, but you have to do what you have to do to protect your baby.”
McKinley had barricaded the door with a couch. Martin had been aggressively knocking and managed to force the door open with his shoulder.
Graham said during a Wednesday interview that McKinley spoke in a whisper during the call, which she answered near the end of an otherwise quiet shift.
The shot rang loud and clear over the dispatcher's telephone. Law officers found Martin's body slumped over the couch.
The ordeal lasted 21 minutes, McKinley said. Graham said she dispatched a sheriff's deputy to the rural location, then notified the Blanchard Police Department because she thought a police officer might get there more quickly.
Grady County Sheriff Art Kell said a first-degree murder charge is appropriate for the intruder's alleged accomplice. Prosecutors said it was a clear-cut case of self-defense, and McKinley will not be charged.
“Our initial review of the case doesn't indicate she violated the law in any way,” Walters said.
“He should have thought about it before he went into someone's home,” Kell said. “I hope the best for his family.”
McKinley has stayed at her mobile home on the outskirts of Blanchard since the shooting. She said Wednesday she suspected she was being watched for weeks before the incident.
Trees that snapped and twisted during the May 24 tornado line the county road that dead-ends at the property where McKinley raises German shepherd puppies. She answered the door Wednesday with a shotgun in her hand. It's been a devastating few weeks for the young mother and widow.
McKinley said her four female German shepherds turned up dead within the last month.
She thinks they were poisoned. She keeps a male dog in the house with her.
She found the first dog's body three days after her husband, Kenneth McKinley, 58, entered the hospital with complications from lung cancer on Dec. 5. He died on Christmas Day.
Stewart told investigators Martin was addicted to prescription medication and had plans to burglarize the residence.
Martin knew Kenneth McKinley had recently died of cancer and suspected there were narcotics in the house, Stewart said.
Sarah McKinley said Martin knocked on her front door Dec. 29, the day she buried her husband. She said he acted strangely and left after seeing she had company. She said she did not know him.
Sarah McKinley told the dispatcher on Saturday: “This guy is up to no good. My husband just passed away. I'm here by myself with my infant baby. Can I please get an inspector out here immediately?”
A high school dropout who learned to ride and break horses at age 8, she started living with Kenneth McKinley about three years ago, she said.
The relationship turned romantic; a marriage license was issued in November.
Asked about the 40-year age difference, McKinley said: “I'm not ashamed I married him. I still love him with everything I am.”
The relationship created friction between her and her mother, Debbie Murray. When Justin was born that all changed, Murray said Wednesday.
McKinley told her mother she suspected someone was getting into the home, moving things around, in recent weeks. They aren't in the habit of locking doors in Blanchard, Murray said.
McKinley felt watched. She would call her mother, terrified, in the middle of the night.
Murray thought her daughter was imagining things because of the stress of Kenneth McKinley's illness. Neither of them called police.
Murray said she is haunted by the thought of how long it took law officers to get to the house, and she has been spending more time with her daughter since the shooting.
The Blanchard Police Department has set up an account with Chickasha Bank and Trust to try and help the family.
Sarah McKinley sold her husband's guns and other possessions to help pay for his funeral. She kept a 12-gauge shotgun for her son and also had a pistol. Her late husband taught her to shoot, she said. McKinley said she doesn't feel good that Martin is dead. But she would do it again if she had to, to protect her son. ||||| Sarah McKinley / KWTV
(CBS/AP) BLANCHARD, Okla. - A recently widowed young mother shot and killed an intruder on New Year's eve, while she was on the phone with a 911 operator.
Sarah McKinley, 18, reportedly was home alone with her infant son just a week after her husband died of lung cancer, when two men tried to break into her house.
McKinley managed to push the couch to the front door to create a barricade, but that didn't stop the intruders.
"He was from door to door trying to bust in," McKinley told CBS affiliate KWTV. "I don't know what he had in his hand besides the knife. I believe he actually had a hammer in his hand at some point because he was hitting that back door with it."
McKinley called 911 and was on the phone with the operator during the entire 21 minute ordeal. She even asked the operator if she could shoot the intruder.
"They said I couldn't shoot him until he was inside the house," McKinley said. "So I waited until he got in the door and then I shot him."
Police said that Justin Shane Martin, 24, died at the scene and his alleged accomplice, 29-year-old Dustin Louis Stewart, ran away, but was later brought to police by his parents. He is currently in jail.
McKinley's mother told KWTV that Martin had followed her daughter around at a rodeo about two years ago.
She also said McKinley recently bumped into Martin at a convenience store, and that on Thursday night he showed up at her door, introducing himself as a neighbor. McKinley told her mother she did not know who he was until she pieced it all together after the shooting.
Police told KWTV that so far, their investigation revealed that McKinley did everything right in defending herself.
"The Oklahoma laws are clear on the home, and the right to your home are absolute," said Detective Dan Huff of the Blanchard Police Department.
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– When two men started breaking into her Oklahoma mobile home on New Year's Eve, 18-year-old widow and new mom Sarah McKinley blocked the door with a couch, grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and a pistol, and asked the 911 dispatcher, "Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door?" The dispatcher stopped short of giving McKinley permission, but said, "You have to do what you have to do to protect your baby." After 21 minutes, 24-year-old Justin Shane Martin made it inside, brandishing a 12-inch hunting knife, and McKinley promptly shot and killed him. She will not be charged since she was acting in self-defense, prosecutors say, but Martin's alleged accomplice—who fled after hearing the gunshot and later turned himself in—does face a first-degree murder charge. The two men were high on prescription painkillers and police say they may have been looking for more in McKinley's home, because they knew her husband had recently died from lung cancer. However, NewsOK paints an even more disturbing picture, noting that McKinley feared she was being watched for weeks, that someone may even have been entering her home, and that her dogs may have been poisoned in the days after her husband entered the hospital. She'd had previous run-ins with Martin: Her mother says he had followed her at a rodeo two years ago, and she had also run into him at a convenience store recently, CBS News reports. He showed up at her house the week before the break-in, on the day of her husband's funeral, ABC News adds, but McKinley did not let him in.
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Image copyright ESA
A group of aurora enthusiasts have found a new type of light in the night sky and named it Steve.
Eric Donovan from the University of Calgary in Canada spotted the feature in photos shared on a Facebook group.
He did not recognise it as a catalogued phenomenon and although the group were calling it a proton arc, he knew proton auroras were not visible.
Testing showed it appeared to be a hot stream of fast-flowing gas in the higher reaches of the atmosphere.
The European Space Agency (ESA) sent electric field instruments to measure it 300km (190 miles) above the surface of the Earth and found the temperature of the air was 3,000C (5,400F) hotter inside the gas stream than outside it.
Inside, the 25km-wide ribbon of gas was flowing at 6 km/s (13,000mph), 600 times faster than the air on either side.
Relatively little else is known about the big purple light as yet but it appears it is not an aurora as it does not stem from the interaction of solar particles with the Earth's magnetic field.
There are reports that the group called it Steve in homage to a 2006 children's film, Over the Hedge, where the characters give the name to a creature they have not seen before.
Roger Haagmans of the ESA said: "It is amazing how a beautiful natural phenomenon, seen by observant citizens, can trigger scientists' curiosity.
"It turns out that Steve is actually remarkably common, but we hadn't noticed it before. "It's thanks to ground-based observations, satellites, today's explosion of access to data and an army of citizen scientists joining forces to document it." ||||| When Swarm met Steve
Meet Steve Thanks to social media and the power of citizen scientists chasing the northern lights, a new feature was discovered recently. Nobody knew what this strange ribbon of purple light was, so … it was called Steve. ESA’s Swarm magnetic field mission has now also met Steve and is helping to understand the nature of this new-found feature. Speaking at the recent Swarm science meeting in Canada, Eric Donovan from the University of Calgary explained how this new finding couldn’t have happened 20 years ago when he started to study the aurora. While the shimmering, eerie, light display of auroras might be beautiful and captivating, they are also a visual reminder that Earth is connected electrically to the Sun. A better understanding of the aurora helps to understand more about the relationship between Earth’s magnetic field and the charged atomic particles streaming from the Sun as the solar wind. “In 1997 we had just one all-sky imager in North America to observe the aurora borealis from the ground,” said Prof. Donovan.
Loading... All-sky imagers and satellites Access the video “Back then we would be lucky if we got one photograph a night of the aurora taken from the ground that coincides with an observation from a satellite. Now we have many more all-sky imagers and satellite missions like Swarm so we get more than 100 a night.” And now, social media and citizen scientists also have an increasingly important role. For instance, the Aurorasaurus website makes it possible for a large number of people to communicate about the aurora borealis. It connects citizen scientists to scientists and trawls Twitter feeds for instances of the word ‘aurora’. In doing so, it does an excellent job of forecasting where the aurora oval will be. At a recent talk, Prof. Donovan met members of another social media group on Facebook: the Alberta Aurora Chasers. The group attracts members of the general public who are interested in the night sky and includes some talented photographers. Looking at their photographs, Prof. Donovan came across something he hadn’t seen before. The group called this strange purple streak of light in the night sky captured in their photographs a ‘proton arc’ but for a number of reasons, including the fact that proton aurora are never visible, he knew this had to be something else.
Aurora borealis However, nobody knew what it actually was so they decided to put a name to this mystery feature: they called it Steve. While the Aurora Chasers combed through their photos and kept an eye out for the next appearances of Steve, Prof. Donovan and colleagues turned to data from the Swarm mission and his network of all-sky cameras. Soon he was able to match a ground sighting of Steve to an overpass of one of the three Swarm satellites. Prof. Donovan said, “As the satellite flew straight though Steve, data from the electric field instrument showed very clear changes. “The temperature 300 km above Earth’s surface jumped by 3000°C and the data revealed a 25 km-wide ribbon of gas flowing westwards at about 6 km/s compared to a speed of about 10 m/s either side of the ribbon.
Swarm “It turns out that Steve is actually remarkably common, but we hadn’t noticed it before. It’s thanks to ground-based observations, satellites, today’s explosion of access to data and an army of citizen scientists joining forces to document it. “Swarm allows us to measure it and I’m sure will continue to help resolve some unanswered questions.” ESA’s Swarm mission scientist, Roger Haagmans, added, “It is amazing how a beautiful natural phenomenon, seen by observant citizens, can trigger scientists’ curiosity. “The ground network and the electric and magnetic field measurements made by Swarm are great tools that can be used to better understand Steve. This is a nice example of society for science.”
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– Several avid northern lights watchers who call themselves Alberta Aurora Chasers on Facebook were sharing photographs at a talk when a professor at the University of Calgary noticed something strange. The citizen scientists were referring to a purple streak of light as a "proton arc," but no proton auroras are actually visible. Intrigued, Prof. Eric Donovan looked into the matter and, looping in other scientists, realized they were observing a previously undescribed night light, reports the BBC. The group of amateurs took to calling the light "Steve," with one joking that it's more than just a nice name but possibly also an acronym for Sudden Thermal Emission from Velocity Enhancement. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency lined up its Swarm satellite with another Steve sighting to collect data. While the light remains largely a mystery—outside of it not stemming from solar particles interacting with the Earth's magnetic field, as is the case with aurora borealis—Swarm revealed that the temperature of the arc was 5,400 degrees hotter inside the ribbon of gas than outside, and that the ribbon was moving 600 times faster than the air around it. Steve is "actually remarkably common, but we hadn't noticed it before," one ESA scientist says. "It is amazing how a beautiful natural phenomenon, seen by observant citizens, can trigger scientists' curiosity. This is a nice example of society for science." (Tourists in Iceland were caught driving under the influence of the aurora.)
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump, no stranger to noisy publicity, is complaining again about the roar of jets in a $100 million lawsuit over air traffic he says is purposely being directed to fly over his ritzy Palm Beach club.
Trump filed the suit against Palm Beach County last week, claiming his history of conflict with Palm Beach International Airport has led officials to spitefully redirect air traffic over his historic Mar-a-Lago estate in south Florida.
"I am saving one of the great houses of this country and one of its greatest landmarks," he said in an interview Monday, "and it's being badly damaged by the airplanes."
Rather than fanning air traffic in multiple directions, Trump says the county's airports director — who has been named in prior litigation filed by the real estate mogul — has successfully pressured the Federal Aviation Administration to have controllers direct almost all flights due east, directly above Mar-a-Lago, the lawsuit claims. It calls the actions "deliberate and malicious."
Noise, vibrations and emissions from the planes are causing cracks and other damage to porous stone construction, antique Spanish tiles, roofing, floors and columns, not to mention disrupting "the once serene and tranquil ambience," the lawsuit says.
Trump says even his own Boeing 757 — emblazoned with his surname in gold — has been forced to take a flight path over Mar-a-Lago, where he has a home.
"It's doing tremendous damage to the No. 1 landmark in the state of Florida, between the vibration, the soot, the noise, all of these elements," Trump said.
The County Attorney's Office said it hadn't been served with the lawsuit and had no comment.
A 1995 lawsuit by Trump over airport noise ended with the county agreeing to lease Trump the land where he later built Trump International Golf Club. A 2010 lawsuit by Trump over airport noise was dismissed.
The Mediterranean-style Mar-a-Lago, completed in 1927, is a National Historic Landmark. Trump bought it in 1985 and after extensive restoration, opened it 10 years later as a private club. About 450 of the island's elite are members.
"There's no place in the world like it — it's one of the great places in the world," Trump said. "And I have to protect it. I have to protect it."
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Follow Matt Sedensky on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sedensky ||||| Donald Trump has sued Palm Beach County in Florida for $100 million and accused the county-run airport of deliberately sending air traffic over his historic mansion and private club.
Trump specifically called out the local airport director Bruce Pelly for diverting all departing flights over the Mar-a-Lago mansion, to seek revenge over a 20-year-old lawsuit.
"The county's and Bruce Pelly's efforts in this regard are both deliberate and malicious, and motivated by personal animosity towards Donald Trump," reads the lawsuit, which was filed in Palm Beach County Court on Jan. 6.
The lawsuit says Pelly wants to get back at Trump for suing him in 1995 and blocking his plans to expand the airport.
"Pelly is seeking revenge by attacking Mar-a-Lago from the air," according to the lawsuit.
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Adding insult to injury, Trump is forced to fly his own private jet over his club, according to his lawyer, John Marion of Sellars, Marion & Bachi.
Lawyers for Palm Beach County, who represent Pelly, declined to comment.
Trump bought the Spanish-tiled oceanside mansion in 1985 and it is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. The lawsuit said that it was built in 1927, and therefore predates the existence of the airport, which was built in the 1930s. It also predates the introduction of jet aircraft in the 1950s.
Trump called the flights a "horrible injustice" and that, despite restoration, the vintage club is "particularly susceptible to the corrosive bombardment" from jet aircraft.
Related: The Donald wins. Trump name coming off casino
"The overflights of Mar-a-Lago have caused a direct and substantial invasion of the property by excessive, unreasonable, unwarranted and uninvited noise, vibrations, fumes, pollution and residue, which cause direct physical damage to Mar-a-Lago," reads the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims the mansion is "by far and away the most important historical structure in Palm Beach and one of the most important in Florida and, indeed, the United States."
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– Donald Trump says his Palm Beach estate and private club is one of the most important structures in the country—but it's being destroyed by vengeful airport authorities. In a $100 million lawsuit, the tycoon claims that the county-run airport has been "motivated by personal animosity towards Donald Trump" to redirect air traffic over the Mar-a-Lago estate, damaging the 1927 club building through "excessive, unreasonable, unwarranted, and uninvited noise, vibrations, fumes, pollution, and residue," CNN reports. The lawsuit claims airport director Bruce Pelly's "deliberate and malicious" routing of air traffic over the estate is revenge for Trump's 1995 lawsuit over airport noise. "It's doing tremendous damage to the No. 1 landmark in the state of Florida, between the vibration, the soot, the noise, all of these elements," Trump tells the AP. To add insult to injury, Trump says, even his own Boeing 757 has to fly over the estate, where he has a home. The Palm Beach County Attorney's Office had no comment on the lawsuit.
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mormon church leaders are making a national appeal for a "balanced approach" in the clash between gay rights and religious freedom.
FILE - In this April 5, 2014 file photo, people walk past the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City. On Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, Mormon leaders made a national appeal for what they called a "balanced approach"... (Associated Press)
The church is promising to support some housing and job protections for gays and lesbians in exchange for legal protections for believers who object to the behavior of others.
It's not clear how much common ground the Mormons will find with this new campaign. The church insists it is making no changes in doctrine, and still believes it's against the law of God to have sex outside marriage between a man and a woman.
But church leaders who held a rare news conference Tuesday said "we must all learn to live with others who do not share the same beliefs or values."
The language of the new campaign mirrors a website the church launched in 2012 instructing Latter-day Saints to be more accepting and compassionate toward gays. The church made clear then and now that it still opposes gay marriage and insists on its right to apply its own rules within church-affiliated charities, schools, businesses and properties, even those that provide services to non-Mormons.
The church announced the campaign in a rare news conference including three elders from a high-level Mormon governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Church leaders condemned discrimination against gays in stark terms, speaking of centuries of "persecution and even violence against homosexuals."
"Ultimately, most of society recognized that such treatment was simply wrong, and that such basic human rights as securing a job or a place to live should not depend on a person's sexual orientation," said Neill Marriottt, a church lobbyist.
Mormon leaders still want to be able to hire and fire workers based not only on religious beliefs, but also on behavior standards known as honor codes. Gays and lesbians would have to agree to remain celibate or marry someone of the opposite sex. The church also wants legal protections for religious objectors who work in government and health care, such as a physician who refuses to perform artificial insemination for a lesbian couple.
Accommodations for religious objectors have factored into every state legislative debate over gay rights. But political pressure on rights groups to make concessions to religious conservatives is plummeting as support for same-sex marriage grows around the country.
Gay rights advocates say broad religious exemptions perpetuate discrimination. In some states, such as Arizona, business leaders now side with gay advocates, saying extensive religious exemptions hurt a state's image.
When the U.S. Supreme Court set a broad expansion of gay marriage in motion last year, religious conservatives said they would press states to allow some groups, companies and people to refuse some benefits or service for gay spouses. And gay rights groups seeking job and housing protections have faced an uphill battle in the more politically and religiously conservative states. Under these circumstances, advocates for broader religious exceptions believe they can win some concessions.
The Mormon church operates an extensive network of charities, schools and for-profit businesses around the country, with total operating budgets in the billions of dollars, but the new LDS approach is likely to be especially significant in the Mormon strongholds of Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona, where the church and its members play a large civic role.
After coming under intense criticism for leading the fight for California's Proposition 8, church leaders have been trying to heal tensions by telling Latter-day Saints to be more loving and respectful toward gays and lesbians, while appealing to gay and lesbian Mormons to stay in the church.
"Accommodating the rights of all people — including their religious rights — requires wisdom and judgment, compassion and fairness," Holland said. "Politically, it certainly requires dedication to the highest level of statesmanship. Nothing is achieved if either side resorts to bullying, political point scoring or accusations of bigotry." ||||| "We call on local, state and the federal government," Oaks said in a news release, "to serve all of their people by passing legislation that protects vital religious freedoms for individuals, families, churches and other faith groups while also protecting the rights of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment and public accommodation in hotels, restaurants and transportation — protections which are not available in many parts of the country."
Mormon officials "believe laws ought to be framed to achieve a balance," Oaks said, "in protecting the freedoms of all people, while respecting those with differing values."
The LDS Church preaches that sexual relations — other than those between a legally married man and woman — run contrary to the laws of God and thus opposes same-sex marriage.
In 2009, the LDS Church endorsed two Salt Lake City ordinances barring housing and job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It marked the first time the faith endorsed specific, pro-gay-rights legislation.
The Salt Lake City Council unanimously approved those measures, which carried some religious exemptions. A number of local governments — including Salt Lake County, Summit County, West Valley City, Ogden, Park City and Moab — adopted similar nondiscrimination ordinances without explicit backing from the LDS Church.
Nearly 20 Utah cities and counties have passed nondiscrimination ordinances, according to Equality Utah, which has advocated for the laws. But efforts to codify those protections statewide have come up short.
Sen. Steve Urquhart, sponsor of the SB100 nondiscrimination measure that he introduced Tuesday, expects that to change with the LDS Church's announcement
"I think the bill now passes," said the St. George Republican, even though the apostles did not mention his bill. "It was an endorsement of nondiscrimination legislation in employment and housing. There's one bill involving that."
Rep. Jacob Anderegg, R-Lehi, who is sponsoring legislation to protect religious individuals' ability to refuse to marry same-sex couples, is not so sure that passage is a sure bet.
"I still think House leadership is going to weigh the church's announcement and make a decision in the best interest of the Senate, the House and all of Utah," he said. "It certainly is an argument for moving [the religious-liberty bills] forward, and it removes any question of whether the church would stand in the way or remain silent."
Oaks stated the LDS Church is not backing any particular bill and has no plans to testify for or against measures on these issues.
"We are not promoting a specific legislative program," he said. "We are promoting the general principle of balance and fairness that we think should apply in the current contention about nondiscrimination and religious freedom."
In 2012 and 2013, versions of Urquhart's anti-discrimination bill made it through a Senate committee, but never got an up-or-down vote in the Senate. Last year, legislative leaders agreed not to hear any legislation dealing with LGBT issues, fearing such debate could hurt Utah's defense of its constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which had been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge and was on appeal.
The refusal to hear the bill was met with vocal and silent protests — as backers taped notes to the doors of the Senate chamber pleading for a hearing for the bill, and LGBT activists were arrested for blockading a Senate hearing.
Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court opted not to hear any of the cases where same-sex-marriage bans were deemed unconstitutional, allowing such unions to proceed in Utah and elsewhere. Since then, the high court has agreed to hear a case out of the 6th Circuit.
Until now, the LDS Church had largely been on the sidelines of the debate over discrimination protection — notwithstanding its high-profile support of the Salt Lake City measures. There were concerns, in particular, about how such a law might require same-sex couples to share student housing at church-owned Brigham Young University.
Urquhart said those concerns have been thoroughly addressed, and BYU housing is protected.
"I assume the church is talking about the very important protections of the First Amendment and anything we can do to codify First Amendment protections, that's always a good idea," he said. "I think it was a balance of protection and was a significant step forward for the LDS Church, LGBT individuals, the LGBT community and the entire state."
Oaks acknowledged that many state legislatures are considering laws relating to LGBT issues of discrimination and the church "is on record as favoring such measures."
At the same time, the apostle decried what he described as "the steady erosion of treasured [religious] freedoms that are guaranteed in the United States Constitution."
For evidence, the Mormon apostle noted California schools' refusal to recognize Christian student groups simply because those organizations require their own leaders to be Christian, and government lawyers subpoenaing the sermons and notes of pastors who opposed parts of a new law on religious grounds.
Oaks also pointed to 1984 gold medalist Peter Vidmar, a Mormon gymnast who resigned as symbolic head of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team for the London Summer Games after drawing fire for his support of California's Proposition 8 and his opposition to same-sex marriage. In addition, a CEO at Mozilla stepped down from the high-tech firm after his contribution to Prop 8 created an Internet uproar.
"When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser," said Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice. "Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender."
Holland, who joined Oaks at the Conference Center briefing in downtown Salt Lake City, said religious organizations should have the right to "use church properties in accordance with their beliefs without second-guessing from government."
Faith groups should be allowed to set their own rules for "employment, honor code standards and accreditation as church schools," he said, and "church-owned businesses or entities that are directly related to the purposes and functions of the church must have the same latitude."
In addition to the anti-discrimination measure pending in the Utah Legislature, there is a bill and a constitutional amendment aimed at protecting religious liberties — giving legal protection to individuals who refuse to perform marriages or provide services based on their faith.
The question, Marriott said in her remarks, is "how to affirm rights for some without taking away the rights of others."
The push for gay rights was prompted by "centuries of ridicule, persecution and even violence against homosexuals," she said. "Ultimately, most of society recognized that such treatment was simply wrong, and that such basic human rights as securing a place to live should not depend on a person's sexual orientation."
As a matter of doctrine, the LDS Church does not support same-sex marriage, Marriott said. "But God is loving and merciful. His heart reaches out to all of his children equally, and he expects us to treat each other with love and fairness."
Above all, the LDS leaders said, the debate about balancing religious and gay rights — often a polarizing predicament — should be civil and respectful.
"Nothing is achieved," Holland said, "if either side resorts to bullying, political point scoring or accusations of bigotry."
Compromises, no doubt, will be required.
"Neither side may get all that they want," the LDS Church said in its news release. "We must all learn to live with others who do not share the same beliefs or values."
Mormon LGBT advocates rejoiced over Tuesday's news.
"To have the church stand in support of legislative protection for LGBT individuals is meaningful because it encourages Mormons to think differently about how we understand our LGBT brothers and sisters as our equals under the law," said Mitch Mayne, board member of Mormons for Equality. "To some, this will be new thinking, and that's a good thing. To many others, it will be permission to speak out about what they've known and felt in their hearts all along: that LGBT individuals are just as valued and important in the eyes of our Savior as any heterosexual person."
Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, said Mormons and LGBT Utahns need not be divided on these issues.
"Gay and transgender Utahns can live and work beside people of faith," he said. "Many within the LGBT community are themselves people of faith."
Not all commentators were as welcoming.
Andrew Rosenthal, editorial page editor for The New York Times, wrote in a blog post that LDS leaders are seeking "legal permission to use their religion as an excuse to discriminate."
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[email protected] ||||| (CNN) In at least one big and bruising culture-war battle, the Mormon church wants to call a partial truce.
Convening a rare press conference on Tuesday at church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Mormon leaders pledged to support anti-discrimination laws for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, as long the laws also protect the rights of religious groups.
In exchange, the Mormon church wants gay rights advocates -- and the government -- to back off.
"When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser," said Elder Dallin Oaks, a member of the church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
"Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender."
The Mormon church is one of several faiths to complain about religious freedom coming under attack in recent years. Catholic bishops and Southern Baptists have sounded the alarm as well.
Oaks cited several examples on Tuesday, including:
The mayor of Houston subpoenaing sermon notes last year from pastors who opposed an equal rights ordination. The subpoena was later dropped.
Public pressure on a Mormon gymnast to step down as an Olympic liaison in 2011 because he had supported California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in 2008.
In 2014, Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich was forced to resign because he had donated money to support the passage of Prop 8.
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"It is one of today's great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals," said Oaks.
Tuesday's announcement doesn't change church doctrine -- including its opposition to gay marriage, Mormon leaders said.
"But we are suggesting a way forward in which those with different views on these complex issues can together seek solutions that will be fair to everyone," said Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, one of the church's top tiers of leadership.
Christofferson said Tuesday's announcement came after years of dialogue with LGBT groups in Utah and elsewhere, and was timed to the convening of a new Congress and new legislative sessions nationwide.
"It seemed like the right time to speak, before positions get any more hardened on either side," he said.
Shortly after the church's press conference, U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and a Mormon, said he will work to "ensure that legislation designed to promote greater equality includes robust religious exemptions and nonretaliation provisions."
Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis, who is openly gay, said "Amen," to the church's "historic announcement."
"I am proud that the LDS Church has seen fit to lead the way in non-discrimination," he said. "Now, let's roll up our sleeves, get to work and pass a statewide nondiscrimination bill."
Oaks, however, said it's "unfair" to characterize the church's announcement as a national nondiscrimination campaign. Mormon leaders are merely seeking to square competing claims of gay rights and religious liberty, he said in a brief interview on Tuesday.
The Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT advocacy group, said some Mormons may consider their church's announcement symbolically significant.
"But, as a matter of public policy, it appears deeply flawed," said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. Doctors, landlords and business owners would still be allowed to discriminate against gays and lesbians, as long as they cited a religious reason, she said.
On the other end of the spectrum, Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore called the Mormons' new policy "well-intentioned, but naive." Proposals to balance gay rights and religious freedom inevitably lead to attacks on the latter, Moore said.
Officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon church, like other religious groups, has tried to strike a delicate balance on gay rights.
Mormons have fought the legalization of same-sex marriage, for example, while trying to avoid the "anti-gay" label sometimes affixed to conservative faiths. Many church members were particularly stung by the fierce backlash to Prop 8. The Mormon-backed referendum was later struck down in court.
Nearly two-thirds of Mormons say homosexuality should be discouraged by society, according to a 2012 survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The church's official position is that same-sex attraction is not a sin, but acting on it is.
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At the same time, Mormon leaders have taken an increasingly civil tone towards gays and lesbians in recent years, and gay rights groups cheered the church for endorsing the Boy Scouts' decision to allow gay scouts in 2013.
Notably, however, Mormon leaders said Tuesday that they would not -- and could not -- alter their opposition to gay marriage, calling such unions, "contrary to the laws of God."
"This commandment and doctrine comes from sacred scripture and we are not at liberty to change it," said Sister Neill Marriott, a leader in the church's women's organization.
"But, God is loving and merciful," Marriott continued. Jesus ministered to marginalized outcasts, she said by way of example, while also obeying religious commandments.
"It's for this reason that the church has publicly favored laws and ordinances that protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing and employment."
In 2009, the Mormon church backed nondiscrimination regulations for gays and lesbians in Salt Lake City. On Tuesday, Mormon leaders said they are now willing to support similar measures elsewhere, including laws protecting LGBT persons from unfair bias in housing, unemployment and public transportation.
With nearly 6.5 million members in the United States, the Mormon church is one of the largest in this country to offer support of LGBT anti-discrimination laws, second only to the United Methodist Church. The country's two largest Christian denominations, the Catholic church and Southern Baptist Convention, have opposed the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. None of those groups condone gay marriage.
In this country, less than a third of states have laws protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination, according to GLAD, a gay rights group . Even fewer state laws protect gender identity or expression.
It is unlikely that Mormons' support of those measures could increase that number significantly, except perhaps in church strongholds like Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. There are 16 Mormons in Congress , where LGBT civil rights legislation, including ENDA, has repeatedly failed.
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Gay marriage has proved far more successful than anti-discrimination laws, despite opposition from conservative groups, including the Mormon church. Thirty-five states now allow same-sex couples to wed . Earlier this month, the Supreme Court agreed to decide whether states have the constitutional right to ban same-sex marriage.
Perhaps with an eye on the high court, Mormon leaders said Tuesday the rights of gays and lesbians must not trump the religious freedom of faith communities.
"What kinds of religious rights are we talking about?" said Elder Jeffrey Holland, a member of the church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
It begins with the rights of faith communities to preach their beliefs from the pulpit, teach them in church classrooms and freely select their own leaders and ministers, Holland said.
But religious freedom should also extend to Mormon physicians who refuse to perform abortions or artificial insemination for a lesbian couple, or a Catholic pharmacist who declines to carry the "morning after" pill, he added.
As Mormon leaders acknowledged Tuesday, such situations have perplexed politicians, appeared on court dockets across the country and set conservative and liberals at fierce odds.
"These are serious issues," Holland said, "and they require serious minds engaged in thoughtful, courteous discourse."
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– In what the Salt Lake Tribune calls a "major move," leaders of the Mormon church today declared that gays and lesbians across the country deserve better protection from discrimination when it comes to jobs and housing. But the church added a caveat that amounts to what CNN calls only a "partial truce": LDS leaders say that their church and all religious groups similarly deserve protections if they object to LGBT lifestyles. The church, then, still believes that sexual relations between same-sex couples are wrong and will not change its doctrine to allow gay marriage, reports AP. Some quotes from today's news conference illustrating the "balanced approach" sought by the leaders: "We must all learn to live with others who do not share the same beliefs or values." "When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser. Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender." "It is one of today's great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals."
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Happy Friday the 13th. Would you like to fly to HEL? Flight 666 is about to depart.
In fact, it’s about to depart for the very last time. After 11 years of operating flight AY666 from Copenhagen (CPH) to Helsinki (HEL), Finnair is retiring the ominously billed journey – or, rather, renaming it.
Flight 666 going straight to HEL will take off today at 13.20 from Copenhagen’s Terminal 2. It is scheduled to arrive in HEL (again Terminal 2) at 15.55.
From 29 October, the flight will be renamed AY954. The last flight 666 will fly on Friday 27 October.
The last time flight 666 performed on a Friday 13th was in January 2017. On that occasion, the flight – made on an unlucky-for-some 13-year-old jet – landed on time, despite having taken off late.
The previous Friday 13th flight, in May 2016, landed three minutes late.
Finnair has operated the AY666 route since 2006. According to the Telegraph, the flight has been scheduled on a Friday the 13th no fewer than 21 times.
A spokesperson for Finnair told The Independent that the number has not been changed due to superstitious passengers.
“We are a growing airline and we are reorganising our flight numbers to make room for additional flight numbers to be used,” he said.
‘Brad Bernoulli’, the Independent’s flight attendant columnist, says that he’s expecting a lighter load on flights today. “Passengers are definitely more attuned to full moons, Friday the 13th and that kind of thing,” he said – adding that although “some flight attendants are more superstitious than others”, he hasn’t ever noticed an increase in people calling in sick.
Last winter, HEL hit the headlines for a poster greeting tourists on arrival.
"Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in November," read the poster at the airport, on behalf of the tourist board and a start-up festival.
"Except you, you badass. Welcome."
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Register your place today by logging into Independent Minds ||||| Oct. 13 (UPI) -- A Finnair flight that took off Friday morning might give pause to the superstitious: Flight 666 to "HEL" on Friday the 13th.
The flight departed at 1:18 p.m. local time from Copenhagen, Denmark, and landed at 3:53 at Finland's Helsinki-Vantaa airport -- which has a three-letter airport code of "HEL."
An airline spokesman said Flight 666 has been making the flights to Helsinki for 11 years, and 21 of the trips took place on various Fridays the 13th.
The airline said the perceived unluckiness of the date, combined with the number 666 and the "HEL" destination, has not appeared to have any affect on passenger numbers for flights.
Finnair said the flight marked the final time Flight 666 will make the trip on a Friday the 13th, as a reordering of flight data is causing the flight to be renumbered to 954. ||||| Fearless flyers laughed in the face of superstition when they boarded the last ever Flight 666 to HEL on Friday the 13th.
Travelling on the “unluckiest day of the year” could save you some pounds, but a journey straight to HEL on the 13th hour of the superstitious date is one flight most would probably like to avoid.
Nordic airline Finnair has flown brave passengers from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Helsinki, Finland, on Friday the 13th since 2006.
However, it is the last time Flight 666 will fly to Hel, as the airline has decided to retire the flight number.
“Today will actually be the final time that our AY666 flight flies to HEL,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
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– For the last time, Finnair Flight 666 flew to HEL on Friday the 13th. Twenty-one times over the past 11 years, Finnair flights numbered 666 have departed for Finland's Helsinki-Vantaa airport, whose airport code is HEL, on a Friday the 13th. The latest one departed at 1:18pm local time from Copenhagen, Denmark, and landed at 3:53pm, UPI reports. Even better: That departure time was during the 13th hour of the day, as the Telegraph points out. Sadly, per Finnair, such a trip won't happen again because the airline's flight data is being reordered at the end of the month, and the flight will be renumbered as 954. But the move has nothing to do with superstition: "We are a growing airline and we are reorganizing our flight numbers to make room for additional flight numbers to be used," an airline rep tells the Independent.
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BERCHTESGADEN, Germany — Johann Westhauser, a 52-year-old physicist who was struck in the head by a rock 3,766 feet below the surface in Germany’s deepest cavern on June 8, had only one wish as he was finally hoisted to the surface on Thursday — to personally thank all 728 people responsible for his rescue.
“It will keep me busy,” he told Dr. Nico Petterich, a physician with Bavaria’s Mountain Rescue Service, at the end of his ordeal.
A seasoned cave explorer himself, Mr. Westhauser was no stranger to the inky darkness of the cavern that he, as part of a team, had discovered in the mid-1990s and helped to map. Known as the Riesending, or Big Thing, the cave stretches more than 12 miles, cutting vertically and horizontally into a mountain near the Austrian border, not far from where Adolf Hitler had his alpine residence, the Berghof. It is known among even the most experienced cavers as challenging.
As luck would have it, Mr. Westhauser, despite wearing a helmet, was injured in the deepest part of the cave while exploring with two others. One of them made the arduous, 12-hour journey back to the surface to alert the authorities.
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The top priority of the rescue effort was ensuring that Mr. Westhauser was stable. He was wrapped in protective padding and strapped in a fiberglass toboggan like those used to take injured skiers off the mountain. Then began the tortuous process of hauling the toboggan up from the depths, winching it up vertical shafts and carrying it through a labyrinth of passages so narrow that Mr. Westhauser’s nose was nearly scraped by the limestone walls.
“You had to be not only experienced in climbing and rappelling, but able to raise yourself on ropes anchored to the walls,” said Christian Lüthi, a caver from Switzerland. “It is difficult for the best trained individual, but to maneuver the narrow passages with a patient bound to a stretcher involved meticulous planning.”
After 11 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, Mr. Westhauser emerged, and the toboggan was transferred hand to hand the final 100 yards to a waiting helicopter that took him to an undisclosed hospital, accompanied by Dr. Petterich.
“Our patient has been admitted to the clinic; we have achieved our goal,” Norbert Heiland, the head of the Mountain Rescue Service, told reporters at a news conference held in the fire station in nearby Berchtesgaden. “We have also made rescue history, which was only possible through international cooperation.”
Continue reading the main story SWEDEN 100 miles DENMARK POLAND NETH. Berlin GERMANY belg. CZECH REP. Berchtesgaden Munich FRANCE AUSTRIA SWITZ.
The complexity of the rescue effort was apparent from the start. The rocky, scrub-scarred surface of the nearly 6,000-foot mountain, where the cavern’s narrow mouth opens in a 590-foot vertical drop known as “the chimney,” initially made it impossible for a helicopter to land. Supplies and equipment had to be lowered by cable until a landing pad could be cleared.
Within days, rescue workers began arriving from Austria, Croatia, Italy and Switzerland. Many were cavers themselves, a tight-knit group of expert climbers who regularly descend into the inner depths of the Alps.
“For years, our solidarity has grown,” said Roberto Corti of the Italian National Society of Alpine Speleology. “We have worked together and gotten to know each other.”
“Today, we have the proof that this is the right way to work,” he said.
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By the end, 202 workers had descended into the cave to carry out an effort that involved at times carrying a stretcher by hand and lifting it manually with pulleys through the darkness of the cavern. Although immobilized, Mr. Westhauser had one hand free that he used to guide the toboggan through narrow passages.
“They really worked hard, they brought their best,” said Klemens Reindl, of the Mountain Rescue Service, who led the effort. “The best cavern rescue teams gathered here.”
Five bivouacs equipped with sleeping bags, food and other supplies were set up at intervals inside the cavern, which was illuminated by rescuers’ headlamps reflecting on the limestone walls.
“A difficult rescue effort like this can always fail,” Mr. Reindl said of the risk. “It is essential that we work together.”
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He praised Mr. Westhauser, who remained conscious and able to communicate throughout the rescue.
“The incredible mental strength of our patient helped us to persevere,” Mr. Reindl said.
Sabine Zimmerebner, a kindergarten teacher and cave explorer from Austria who knew Mr. Westhauser before the accident and was with the first teams to descend to the cave, worked at keeping up her friend’s spirits, holding his hand and telling him jokes.
After reaching the final bivouac, Mr. Reindl said, they stopped to rest and refocus, knowing that calm discipline was essential to bringing Mr. Westhauser up the last vertical of the “chimney” and finally to the surface. Although he had been accompanied by a doctor from Italy who is also a mountain climber throughout the final days of his ascent, there was a fear that a sudden burst of euphoria after the tension of the journey could endanger his health.
But once word spread that Mr. Westhauser, his eyes covered with protective glasses to shield them from the sunlight, had been rescued, Ms. Zimmerebner said the elation hit.
“When we heard that it was successful, we fell into one another’s arms; the men cried,” she said. “We were all overjoyed.” ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Johann Westhauser had to be moved inch by inch, as Stephen Evans reports
An injured German caver trapped 1,000m (3,300ft) underground for 12 days has been brought to the surface after a painstaking rescue operation.
Johann Westhauser, 52, is reported to be conscious but the extent of his head and chest injuries is still unclear.
Two doctors accompanied him to the surface and after initial checks he was airlifted to hospital.
He was badly hurt in a rockfall on 8 June while exploring Germany's deepest cave, near the Austrian border.
A medical team and helicopters were waiting as he left the cave at 11:44 local time (09:44 GMT).
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Johann Westhauser was eventually hauled out by rope on his fibreglass stretcher
Image copyright AFP Image caption After medical checks at the surface, Johann Westhauser was carried to a helicopter and airlifted to hospital
Mountain rescue service chief Klemens Reindl, who supervised the operation, said 728 people from five countries had taken part.
"It was one of the most difficult rescue operations in the history of the mountain rescue service," he said.
"The international character of the mission was remarkable."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Norbert Heiland of the Bavarian mountain rescue service said: ''The injured man has arrived at the clinic in a good state''
The precarious rescue was beset with difficulties because of the deep shafts and narrow passages in the cave.
It involved rest periods in five bivouac stops, followed by a major final hoist up a 180m (600ft) vertical shaft near the entrance to the cave.
A motorised winch could not be used because of the potential risks to Mr Westhauser, and he had to be hauled up manually on a fibreglass stretcher.
The injured man was one of the explorers who in 1995 originally discovered the cave, which they named Riesending ("Giant thing") because of its depth and size.
He had been on a trip during the Whitsun holiday when he suffered severe head and chest injuries at least 1,000m underground.
A test of human limits - Stephen Evans, BBC News Berlin
Image copyright AP Image caption The operation was beset with difficulties because of the deep shafts and narrow passages in the cave
Mr Westhauser works at the Institute for Applied Physics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, but it is not known if he went into the complex (as he had done many times before) as part of his research or as a hobby.
There are sound scientific reasons to explore caves but there are cavers, too, who do it for the thrill of going where no human may have trod before.
Whatever Johann Westhauser's motive was, it has turned out to be an expensive exercise, both in terms of money but also in terms of the sweat and risk expended by the people who have pulled him out.
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– After one of the most challenging cave rescues ever to take place, an injured German man has been brought out of the country's deepest cave alive. Johann Westhauser, a 52-year-old physicist and cave researcher, was badly hurt in a rock fall almost 4,000 feet below the surface, and it took hundreds of rescuers 12 days to get him out through a rock labyrinth full of deep shafts and narrow passages, the BBC reports. Two doctors helped bring him to the surface and he was airlifted to hospital with head and chest injuries. As he was brought to the surface, Westhauser said his only wish was to personally thank all 728 people involved in the rescue operation, reports the New York Times. "It will keep me busy," he quipped. Westhauser remained conscious throughout the rescue and rescuers praised his "incredible mental strength." The operation brought together rescue workers from five countries, many of whom are cavers themselves. "For years, our solidarity has grown," says a member of the Italian National Society of Alpine Speleology. "We have worked together and gotten to know each other. Today, we have the proof that this is the right way to work."
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A man pleaded guilty on Monday to hacking into the email accounts of such celebrities as Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis and Scarlett Johansson, whose nude photos eventually landed on the Internet.
Christopher Chaney, 35, entered his plea in federal court to nine counts, including unauthorized access to a computer and wiretapping. He was immediately taken into custody. Sentencing was scheduled for July 23.
Chaney was arrested in October as part of a yearlong investigation of celebrity hacking that authorities dubbed "Operation Hackerazzi."
Prosecutors said Chaney illegally accessed the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry.
Nude photos Johansson had taken of herself were later posted on the Internet. Aguilera also had private photos put online, court documents show.
Johansson told Vanity Fair for its December issue that the photos were meant for Ryan Reynolds, now her ex-husband.
Chaney mined through publicly available data to figure out password and security questions for celebrity accounts. He also hijacked a forwarding feature so a copy of every email a celebrity received was sent to an account he controlled, according to court documents.
A search warrant unsealed and obtained by The Associated Press said Chaney's computer hard drive contained numerous private celebrity photos and a document that compiled their extensive personal data.
Chaney forwarded many of the photographs to two gossip websites and another hacker, but there wasn't any evidence that he profited from his scheme, authorities said. He has since apologized for his actions. ||||| Scarlett & Mila's Hacker Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
Celeb Hacker Christopher Chaney Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
The man who hackedand-- leaking several nude photos onto the Internet -- has pled guilty to 9 felonies.As we previously reported, struck a plea agreement with prosecutors -- in which he agreed to plead guilty to 9 counts including identity theft, wiretapping, and unauthorized access and damage to a protected computer.Chaney was taken into custody immediately after entering his plea. He will be sentenced in July.As part of the deal Chaney will have to hand over his computers, external drives, and his cell phone.Chaney was busted by Feds back in October. He initially pled not guilty.
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– The man responsible for bringing naked photos of Scarlett Johansson to the World Wide Web has pleaded guilty to nine felonies, including unauthorized access to a computer and wiretapping, reports TMZ. Christopher Chaney, 35, also accessed email accounts belonging to Mila Kunis and Christina Aguilera, and had forwarded other, less racy photos of celebrities to two gossip sites, notes the AP. Chaney was immediately taken into custody and will be sentenced in July.
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Until he exploded in cannibalistic rage late Monday night, Austin Kelly Harrouff appeared to be a gentle giant: a good student at Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach, a powerful athlete on the wrestling and football teams. He was about to enter his sophomore year at Florida State University, where he was studying exercise science.
“Austin used to be a quiet kid,” a fellow student at Suncoast and FSU who knew Harrouff at both schools said in an email Wednesday. “He’s actually nice, which is why this is so shocking to everyone …not the type of person you would expect this from. Overall his life seemed healthy and on the right track.”
But there were also signs of trouble for the 19-year-old student. A YouTube channel containing multiple videos of Harrouff contains the statement: “I’ve got a psycho side and a normal side. I’ve lost my mind help me find it.”
“I know what’s right for me. I don’t need drugs,” Harrouff says in a video on bodybuilding on the channel, which features music videos under the name AustiFrosti. A friend confirmed that the videos were of Harrouff.
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“I used to think I needed steroids to be a bodybuilder, to be this thing, to be this symbol, to be this lie.”
On Monday evening, Harrouff stormed out of the Duffy’s restaurant where he was having dinner with his parents in Jupiter, then trekked three and a half miles in the August heat to brutally attack a middle-aged couple, John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon Stevens, whom he encountered in their garage hangout in their Tequesta home. Three police deputies had to wrestle down Harrouff, grunting and making animal-like noises as he gnawed at Stevens’ face.
On Wednesday, Harrouff, according to a spokesperson for the Martin County Sheriff’s Department, was stable and conscious and under armed guard in an unidentified Palm Beach County hospital, where he had hand surgery. Martin County Sheriff spokesperson Tricia Kukuvka said they were working to charge Harrouff with two charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery on a Good Samaritan — Jeff Fisher, a neighbor of the Stevens whom Harrouff stabbed multiple times when he tried to help the couple.
The Sheriff’s Department said in a release that initial tests showed no sign of street drugs such as marijuana, heroin or cocaine. Harrouff’s blood, DNA and hair have been sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for further testing, including testing for the synthetic drug commonly called Flakka. Test results normally take one to three weeks, although deputies have asked for expedited results. Autopsies of John and Michelle Mishcon Stevens showed the cause of death as multiple injuries and blunt force trauma, the sheriff’s department said.
There were signs of trouble leading up to Monday night’s breakdown. Harrouff’s parents are divorced, and neighbors of the home where Harrouff was living with his father, dentist Wade Harrouff, this summer, say he seemed aggressive and rowdy. One neighbor told the Herald they often saw Austin partying with friends in the backyard. Another said father and son had screaming fights in front of the house.
Harrouff’s mother, Mina, called 911 after her son abruptly left the restaurant Monday. Harrouff’s mother told police her son had gotten into an argument with his father at Duffy’s and that he had been acting strangely for approximately a week, saying that he “was immortal,” had “super powers” and “was here to protect people,” according to the Jupiter police report.
“It’s like he just — changed,” his mother told the 911 operator.
He was last seen in white shorts, a blue polo and a red Make America Great Again baseball cap.
But Mina also told police her son did not have a history of mental problems and was not a heavy drug user; the mother as well as Harrouff’s sister told police he was a “nice young man who would not hurt himself or anyone else.”
That gentle portrait clashes with what happened Monday night. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said Harrouff attacked the couple as they were relaxing in what they had called their “Garage-Ma-Hall.” The muscular student stabbed the 50-something pair multiple times with a large pocket knife he often carried, as well as other instruments he found in the garage. When police arrived, Michelle was already dead, and Harrouff kept tearing at Stevens’ face despite multiple Taser shots and the use a police K-9. The attack appeared to be random, Snyder said.
Harrouff gave a very different impression in a statement on a college athletic recruiting website during his senior year of high school, while he was attending a rigorous International Baccalaureat program at Suncoast, a highly rated U.S. high school in Palm Beach County. He said that he had a 3.35 grade point average, was 6-2 and weighed 200 pounds, could bench press 365 pounds, and wrote that he was “one of the strongest” on the school’s football team, where he played offense and defense. He was on the weightlifting team and captain of the wrestling team.
“I would be a great asset to your football team,” he wrote. “I love the competitiveness of the game and I have the drive to improve.”
But at FSU, home of the Seminoles, one of the country’s top college football teams, Harrouff did not play football or participate in any other sports team. He joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, where the Instagram account for the FSU chapter features a video of a wild-looking “Animal House” party last April. A Twitter account registered to @AustinHarrouff has only eight entries. The FSU freshman became more outgoing. “He went from not saying a word to anyone to smiling and saying hi and talking,” his friend wrote in an email.
Harrouff’s father, an implantology and cosmetic dentist, has been disciplined four times by the State of Florida Board of Dentistry, for misdiagnosing or mistreating patients, with consequences that included fines and remedial courses. Wade Harrouff also has been arrested twice for DUI, in 2011 in Juno Beach and in 2012 in Lantana. In the Lantana case, he pleaded guilty, received a year probation and was fined, according to records from the Florida Highway Patrol. ||||| FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a university student accused of killing a couple outside their home and then biting the dead man's face told police her son had been acting strangely for days and claimed to have superpowers, according to a report released Wednesday.
Mina Harrouff called Jupiter police about three hours after Austin Harrouff, a 19-year-old Florida State University student, stormed out of a restaurant Monday night following an argument with his father, the report said. She told an officer her son had been acting strangely for about a week, said he had superpowers and that he was "here to protect people," the report said. She told Officer Luis Rocha her son had no history of mental illness nor heavy drug use.
"Mina told me that she does not believe him to be a danger to anyone or to himself," Rocha wrote.
She and Rocha didn't know that 45 minutes after he left Duffy's restaurant, Austin Harrouff had been arrested in neighboring Martin County by sheriff's deputies, who said they saw him mauling the body of John Stevens, 59. Sheriff William Snyder says Harrouff attacked Stevens and his wife, 53-year-old Michelle Mishcon, randomly as they sat in their garage. Autopsies show that both had been beaten and stabbed, though Mishcon died from the beating, not the stab wounds.
A switchblade believed to belong to Harrouff was found at the scene, and the couple's garage contained many "weapons of opportunity," Snyder has said.
It took numerous deputies and a dog to subdue Harrouff, a muscular former high school football player and wrestler who shook off electric shocks from a stun gun, Snyder said. He has said Harrouff was "abnormally strong," incoherent and making "animal-like noises."
Harrouff, who had no criminal record, was listed in stable condition at a hospital Wednesday and was scheduled to undergo surgery on his hand. He is being held under guard and has been unable to speak because of a breathing tube, Snyder said.
An attorney for Harrouff could not be found.
Snyder has said Harrouff tested negative for cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and other common drugs, but that further tests would be conducted to see if he had ingested steroids or a hallucinogenic drug like flakka or bath salts. Results should be available in one to three weeks.
"The big question we want to know, the community wants to know, is the why. We know the who, the what, the when, the where and the how," Snyder said. "No one is suggesting that what happened at the restaurant was a psychotic episode. What happened during that walk that led to a level of violence that was unprecedented in normal police work?"
He said Harrouff's mental state is irrelevant and wouldn't speculate as to whether he had suffered a mental breakdown.
"His mental state is for his defense attorney and a jury to consider. It is not my job to give the defendant an alibi," Snyder said.
Harrouff has not been formally charged. Snyder said detectives are working with prosecutors to determine the charges. He also said the delay is helping local taxpayers.
"As long as he is not under arrest, the hospital bills are his responsibility and his insurance," Snyder said. "He's not going anywhere."
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– "It's like he just—changed." That's how Austin Harrouff's mom described her son's behavior to a 911 operator Monday after the 19-year-old fled a Florida restaurant following an argument with his father, reports the Miami Herald. Mina Harrouff said her son had been acting oddly for a week, claiming he had superpowers and was "here to protect people," but said she didn't believe he was a danger to himself or anyone else, reports the AP. During his walk home, police say Harrouff fatally beat and stabbed two strangers—John Stevens, 59, and Michelle Mishcon, 53—in their garage in Tequesta. He allegedly used a pocket knife and several "weapons of opportunity" within the garage, before gnawing on Stevens' face, says Martin County Sheriff William Snyder. Though described as a nice, quiet kid in high school, Harrouff—now listed in stable condition at a hospital—had recently appeared aggressive and was known to party, neighbors say. "I've got a psycho side and a normal side," the Florida State University student wrote on his YouTube channel, where he posted rap videos and talked about his aversion to steroids in bodybuilding, per the Tallahassee Democrat. Tests show he wasn't on cocaine, meth, or heroin on Monday, though tests for steroids and flakka are pending, says Snyder. Harrouff will eventually be charged with two counts of first-degree murder and aggravated battery on a Good Samaritan, but "as long as he is not under arrest, the hospital bills are his responsibility and his insurance," Snyder adds.
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